bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homogenized enriched model for blast wave propagation in metaconcrete with viscoelastic compliant layer
Authors: Tan Swee Hong , Poh Leong Hien , Tkalich Dmitry
Published: May 2019

In this contribution, a reduced‐order homogenization approach is adopted and extended to incorporate the linear viscoelasticity effect. A homogenized enriched model emerges from the homogenization framework, which is utilized here for the analysis of blast wave propagation in metaconcrete with linear viscoelastic compliant layer(s). A semidiscrete equation of motion for the unit cell is first extracted for micro‐macro transition, through a series of transformations to effect the periodic boundary conditions and model reduction, respectively. The ensuing microbalance and macrobalance of momenta are next subjected to spatial and temporal discretizations toward a system of equations to be solved numerically. The predictive capability of the proposed model is demonstrated through a series of benchmark examples involving several metaconcrete variants. It is observed that the dual resonator configuration achieves a greater extent of wave attenuation than the single resonator counterpart.
Treatment and outcomes in classic Hodgkin lymphoma post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in children
Authors: Twist Clare J. , Hiniker Susan M. , Gratzinger Dita , Gutkin Paulina M. , Merriott David J. , Iagaru Andrei , Link Michael P. , Donaldson Sarah S.
Published: May 2019

Classic Hodgkin lymphoma post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (HL‐PTLD) has been rarely reported in children, with limited data available to guide treatment decisions. We report a retrospective review of five children diagnosed with classic HL‐PTLD following solid organ transplant between 2007 and 2013 at Stanford University. Patients were treated with Stanford V chemotherapy and involved field radiation therapy. With a median follow‐up of 7.2 years (range, 4.7–10.5 years) since diagnosis, all patients remain in remission from HL‐PTLD and free from graft failure. In this series, combined modality therapy with risk‐adapted chemotherapy and radiation therapy was a successful strategy for the treatment of classic HL‐PTLD.
Improved interlaminar crack resistance of glass fiber/poly (phenylene sulfide) thermoplastic composites modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Zhang Tao , Chen Junlin , Wang Kai , Zhao Yan
Published: May 2019

The influences of carboxyl multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on the interlaminar crack initiation and propagation behaviors of glass fiber reinforced poly(phenylene sulphide) (PPS) composites prepared by aqueous suspension prepregging were studied. Interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) as well as the mode‐I fracture toughness was evaluated as a function of the MWNTs contents in the PPS resin. Failure morphology was also investigated to figure out the toughening mechanism. The laminates modified with 1 wt% MWNTs were found to perform 23% and 25% higher ILSS and fracture toughness, respectively. The significant increase indicated that interlaminar damage resistance and tolerance were raised by the addition of MWNTs.
Differences in perinatal outcomes according to forming period of single umbilical cord in singleton pregnancy
Authors: Nakamura Masamitsu , Oba Tomohiro , Takita Hiroko , Tokunaka Mayumi , Arakaki Tatsuya , Goto Minako , Koyano Maya , Hamada Shoko , Matsuoka Ryu , Sekizawa Akihiko
Published: May 2019

Objectives

The aim of this study was to establish the frequency and associations of single umbilical artery (SUA) diagnosed until the first vs second or third trimester.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on singleton pregnancies at a tertiary perinatal center. All women underwent both the first and second trimester scans in which the number of arteries in the umbilical cord was routinely documented. SUA was classified as aplastic type when the diagnosis was made in the first trimester and as occlusion type when diagnosed in the second or third trimester. Adverse perinatal outcome was calculated as occurrence of fetal death, birthweight centile < 10th, or Apgar score at 5 minutes < 7.

Results

A total of 8675 women underwent ultrasound examinations during the study period. Of the 32 SUA cases, 17 (0.2%) were of the aplastic type and 15 (0.2%) of the occlusion type. Congenital anomalies were more in aplastic than in occlusive SUA (58.8% vs 20%, .043). The occlusive SUA had higher postnatal coiling index (0.3 vs 0.2, .034) and diagnosis of hypercoiled cord (46.7% vs 5.9%, .013) than the aplastic type.

Conclusions

The different gestational age at diagnosis and coiling characteristics suggest two types of SUA, namely, aplastic and occlusion types, which are associated with differences in perinatal outcomes.
Change in risk for narcolepsy over time and impact of definition of onset date following vaccination with AS03 adjuvanted pandemic A/H1N1 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic
Authors: Granath Fredrik , Gedeborg Rolf , Smedje Hans , Feltelius Nils
Published: May 2019

Purpose

To estimate risk for narcolepsy in defined time windows following exposure to adjuvanted A(H1N1) pandemic vaccine (Pandemrix) and impact of different definitions of index date for the narcolepsy diagnosis.

Methods

Vaccine exposure in approximately 30% of the Swedish population in 2009 was linked to information on narcolepsy diagnosis retrieved from the national patient registry. Cases were verified by a systematic chart review. Poisson regression was used to compare incidence in defined time windows following vaccination.

Results

Of 266 cases of narcolepsy identified, 25% (66/266) were prevalent cases with symptom onset documented before vaccine exposure. Incident cases had a median time interval between first symptom and the date recorded in the patient registry of 64 weeks (IQR 39‐107) when vaccinated (N = 182) and 65 weeks (IQR 51‐72) when unvaccinated (N = 16). With first symptom defining index date, the adjusted risk for narcolepsy in younger patients was increased 14 times during the first year after vaccination, three times elevated the second year, but with no detectable increased risk more than 2 years after vaccination exposure. Using the index date from the patient registry, the adjusted increase in risk was about seven times elevated for all three time intervals.

Conclusions

The magnitude of the estimated increased risk for narcolepsy following exposure to the A(H1N1) pandemic vaccine is highly dependent on the method used to determine the index date for disease onset. The sometimes very long and potentially variable interval from first symptom to a health care registry diagnosis complicates estimations of risk.
Effect of Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya Interaction Energy Confinement on Current‐Driven Dynamics of Skyrmions
Authors: Bhatti Sabpreet , Piramanayagam S. N.
Published: May 2019

Magnetic skyrmions, which are topological spin configuration, have gained interest in the past few years. However, skyrmions suffer from the skyrmion Hall effect, a phenomenon where skyrmions deflect from the path of the electron flow and annihilate at the edge of the track. There are attempts to overcome this effect using synthetic antiferromagnetic layer structures and ferrimagnetic layer structures. Herein, a new approach based on introducing Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) energy wells is reported to direct the motion of skyrmions in a nanowire. It is shown through simulations that by creating DMI energy wells with a critical DMI value, a skyrmion moves within the boundaries set by the energy wells. It is also shown that the diameter of a skyrmion can be reduced by decreasing the space between the DMI energy wells. The proposed DMI energy well enables packing of skyrmion tracks at a high density. In this view, the effect of magnetostatic interactions between multiple skyrmions on their motion in parallel tracks is also investigated. Furthermore, the effect of changing the distance between skyrmions on magnetostatic interactions is studied. These results offer a new path toward maneuvering the skyrmion motion for racetrack memory or logic devices.
Partial differential equation modeling and vibration control for a nonlinear 3D rigid‐flexible manipulator system with actuator faults
Authors: Cao Fangfei , Liu Jinkun
Published: May 2019

In this paper, modeling and controlling problem for a two‐link rigid‐flexible manipulator in three‐dimensional (3D) space is studied under actuator faults. For modeling, the dynamics of the 3D mechanical system is represented by nonlinear partial differential equations, which is first derived in infinite dimension form. Based on the nonlinear model, the controller is proposed, which can achieve joint angle control and vibration suppression control in the presence of actuator faults. The stability analysis of the closed‐loop system is given based on LaSalle invariance principle. Numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller. This study will promote the development of nonlinear flexible manipulator systems in 3D space.
Preparation and Characterization of Dentin Phosphophoryn‐Derived Peptide‐Functionalized Lignin Nanoparticles for Enhanced Cellular Uptake
Authors: Figueiredo Patrícia , Sipponen Mika H. , Lintinen Kalle , Correia Alexandra , Kiriazis Alexandros , Yli‐Kauhaluoma Jari , Österberg Monika , George Anne , Hirvonen Jouni , Kostiainen Mauri A. , Santos Hélder A.
Published: May 2019

The surface modification of nanoparticles (NPs) using different ligands is a common strategy to increase NP−cell interactions. Here, dentin phosphophoryn‐derived peptide (DSS) lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) are prepared and characterized, the cellular internalization of the DSS‐functionalized LNPs (LNPs‐DSS) into three different cancer cell lines is evaluated, and their efficacy with the widely used iRGD peptide is compared. It is shown that controlled extent of carboxylation of lignin improves the stability at physiological conditions of LNPs formed upon solvent exchange. Functionalization with DSS and iRGD peptides maintains the spherical morphology and moderate polydispersity of LNPs. The LNPs exhibit good cytocompatibility when cultured with PC3‐MM2, MDA‐MB‐231, and A549 in the conventional 2D model and in the 3D cell spheroid morphology. Importantly, the 3D cell models reveal augmented internalization of peptide‐functionalized LNPs and improve antiproliferative effects when the LNPs are loaded with a cytotoxic compound. Overall, LNPs‐DSS show equal or even superior cellular internalization than the LNPs‐iRGD, suggesting that DSS can also be used to enhance the cellular uptake of NPs into different types of cells, and release different cargos intracellularly.
Imaging Lateral Drift Kinetics to Understand Causes of Outdoor Degradation in Silicon Heterojunction Photovoltaic Modules
Authors: Sulas Dana B. , Johnston Steve , Jordan Dirk C.
Published: May 2019

Lateral drift currents caused by partial or patterned illumination of photovoltaic cells have important implications for laser‐based screening methods and luminescence imaging of fielded and lab‐stressed modules. This study investigates the kinetics of carrier drift and bulk recombination following patterned illumination in commercial silicon heterojunctions with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) modules, comparing the kinetics between a ten‐year field‐weathered module versus a control module that is stored indoors. The measurement of the microwave photoconductance decay (μPCD) transients in the modules, both coincident with the photoexcitation and in nonilluminated cell regions, reveals carrier drift on the 100 μs timescale, followed by millisecond bulk lifetimes. Importantly, the μPCD transients are consistent with luminescence spreading over the cell, which is imaged using a time‐gated InGaAs array camera. The weathered HIT module shows slower lateral drift and faster bulk lifetimes compared with the control, suggesting increased series resistance and accelerated nonradiative recombination in this module, attributable to degradation of the transparent conductive oxide and degradation of the passivation layer, respectively. These results provide a novel example of using time‐resolved measurements directly on full photovoltaic modules to reveal causes of degradation, providing insight for further development of module imaging and screening capabilities.
General system theory as a framework for biopsychosocial research and practice in mental health
Authors: Tramonti Francesco , Giorgi Franco , Fanali Annibale
Published: May 2019

The study of such complex issues as mind functioning and mental health requires a multilevel approach. The general system theory elaborated by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in the first half of the twentieth century can still be viewed as a landmark contribution to address these issues scientifically. His seminal work represents an incomparable conceptual framework for understanding how biological, psychological and social dimensions are causally interrelated. The biopsychosocial approach informed by this theory should allow, at least in principle, to interpret mental and physical aspects as integral features of a multilayered interplay between genetic constraints, developmental trajectories and life contexts. In spite of this potentiality, however, most of modern interpretations of biological and psychological processes are still relying almost exclusively on reductionist theories. This entails reducing the complexity of many developmental processes to the laws of interactions and to their sustaining mechanisms, rather than considering them as parts of larger wholes worth of being approached trans‐disciplinarily as emergent relationships. In this paper, we aim at reexamining the general system theory in relation to the biological issues that have provided the conceptual foundations for a variety of psychological constructs and, secondly, to show how several of von Bertalanffy's original ideas may still be further elaborated to yield more advanced theories of mind and learning.
Adsorption of hexavalent chromium onto alkali‐modified biochar derived from Lepironia articulata: A kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic study
Authors: Asadullah  , Kaewsichan Lupong , Tohdee Kanogwan
Published: May 2019

Hydrochar obtained after hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of Lepironia articulata (LA) was modified into biochar by reacting with a specific amount of KOH in a tubular reactor under slow pyrolysis. The physical and chemical properties of the hydrochar and modified biochar were characterized. The performance of modified biochar (LABC) was investigated through batch sorption experiments. Removal (%) and the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of Cr(VI) onto LABC increased up to 98.9% and 28.75 mg/g relative to 63.44% and 21.90 mg/g in unmodified hydrochar (LAHC) at pH 2.0, 313 K, and 200 mg/L, respectively. The sorption kinetics uptake data were best interpreted with pseudo‐second‐order model, and sorption isotherm was simulated with the Langmuir adsorption model. The thermodynamic parameters confirm the adsorption process to be an endothermic, spontaneous, and increased disorder. The overall results revealed that LABC can be utilized as an environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and effective adsorbent in Cr(VI) removal.

Practitioner points

Hydrochar and modified biochar prepared from a tropical biomass (Lepironia articulata) were successfully used for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution.

Increased specific surface was obtained by applying chemical modification with alkali treatment, contributing to effectiveness as adsorbent.

Dimensionless Kc was estimated from the Langmuir fits and then used to estimate thermodynamics of adsorption.

The signs of ∆H°, ∆G°, and ∆S° indicate that the adsorption of Cr(VI) onto LABC was an endothermic, spontaneous, and increased disorder.
How Do Interruptions Affect Productivity?
Authors: Brumby Duncan P. , Janssen Christian P. , Mark Gloria
Published: May 2019

Work is frequently interrupted. What is known about how interruptions affect productivity? This important question has been studied using a variety of research methods, from controlled experiments designed to learn about the effect of interruptions on task performance, to analytical cognitive models that explain what makes an interruption disruptive, to in-situ observational studies that document the kinds of interruptions people experience in their actual workplaces. In this chapter, we review research on interruptions that has used these three research methods. We review what the methods entail, and what insights it has given on how interruptions affect productivity.
Enhancing the discovery prospects for SUSY-like decays with a forgotten kinematic variable
Authors: Debnath Dipsikha , Gainer James S. , Kilic Can , Kim Doojin , Matchev Konstantin T. , Yang Yuan-Pao
Published: May 2019

Abstract

The lack of a new physics signal thus far at the Large Hadron Collider motivates us to consider how to look for challenging final states, with large Standard Model backgrounds and subtle kinematic features, such as cascade decays with compressed spectra. Adopting a benchmark SUSY-like decay topology with a four-body final state proceeding through a sequence of two-body decays via intermediate resonances, we focus our attention on the kinematic variable Δ4 which previously has been used to parameterize the boundary of the allowed four-body phase space. We highlight the advantages of using Δ4 as a discovery variable, and present an analysis suggesting that the pairing of Δ4 with another invariant mass variable leads to a significant improvement over more conventional variable choices and techniques.
Kerr-de Sitter quasinormal modes via accessory parameter expansion
Authors: Novaes Fábio , Marinho Cássio I. S. , Lencsés Máté , Casals Marc
Published: May 2019

Abstract

Quasinormal modes are characteristic oscillatory modes that control the relaxation of a perturbed physical system back to its equilibrium state. In this work, we calculate QNM frequencies and angular eigenvalues of Kerr-de Sitter black holes using a novel method based on conformal field theory. The spin-field perturbation equations of this background spacetime essentially reduce to two Heun’s equations, one for the radial part and one for the angular part. We use the accessory parameter expansion of Heun’s equation, obtained via the isomonodromicτ-function, in order to find analytic expansions for the QNM frequencies and angular eigenvalues. The expansion for the frequencies is given as a double series in the rotation parameteraand the extremality parameterϵ= (rC−r+)/L, whereLis the de Sitter radius andrCandr+are the radii of, respectively, the cosmological and event horizons. Specifically, we give the frequency expansion up to orderϵ2for generala, and up to orderϵ3with the coefficients expanded up to (a/L)3. Similarly, the expansion for the angular eigenvalues is given as a series up to (aω)3with coefficients expanded for smalla/L. We verify the new expansion for the frequencies via a numerical analysis and that the expansion for the angular eigenvalues agrees with results in the literature.
Evaluation of Radiation Exposure During Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Burrah Rajaram , James Karen , Poonawala Shabbir
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is the standard of care for nodal staging in breast cancer. Currently, radioisotope‐guided SNB is the standard technique. We have undertaken this study to analyse radiation exposure during SNB for breast cancer over a significant period of time.

Methods

The study was conducted over a period of 41 months and included 183 patients. The radioisotope was usually administered the day preceding the surgery at a dose of 40 MBq (±10%), and a lower dose of 20 MBq (±10%) was given if injected on the day of surgery. The radiation exposure was measured by dosimeters worn by the surgeon and surgical assistant.

Results

The surgical procedures performed were mastectomy and SNB (56 patients), wide local excision and SNB (109 patients), and SNB alone (18 patients). The median time interval between the injection and surgery was 19.3 h, and median duration of surgery 93 min. The annual exposure for the surgeon was 0.125 mSv (range 0.01–0.03 mSv) and for the assistant was 0.265 (range 0.01–0.13 mSv).

Conclusion

Contrary to other studies, we found the radiation exposure in the assistant was higher than that in the surgeon and we think this is because the assistant is positioned closer to the injection site during the procedure. However, the cumulative levels of radiation with SNB were very low and significantly below the permissible limits. The timing of injection, type of breast surgery and duration of procedure did not affect the levels of radiation exposure.
Eye-tracking and economic theories of choice under risk
Authors: Harrison Glenn W. , Swarthout J. Todd
Published: May 2019

We examine the ability of eye movement data to help understand the determinants of decision-making over risky prospects. We start with structural models of choice under risk, and use that structure to inform what we identify from the use of process data in addition to choice data. We find that information on eye movements does significantly affect the extent and nature of probability weighting behavior. Our structural model allows us to show the pathway of the effect, rather than simply identifying a reduced form effect. This insight should be of importance for the normative design of choice mechanisms for risky products. We also show that decision-response duration is no substitute for the richer information provided by eye-tracking.
In-process closed-loop control for stabilising the melt pool temperature in selective laser melting
Authors: Renken Volker , von Freyberg Axel , Schünemann Kevin , Pastors Felix , Fischer Andreas
Published: May 2019

Additive manufacturing processes are gaining more importance in the industrial production of metal components, as they enable complex geometries to be produced with less effort. The process parameters used to manufacture a wide variety of components are currently kept constant and closed-loop controls are missing. However, due to the part geometry that causes varying heat flow to neighbouring powder and solidified sections or due to deviations in the atmosphere caused by fumes within the work area, there are changes in the melt pool temperature. These deviations are not considered by system control, so far. It is, therefore, advisable to measure the melt temperature with sensors and to regulate the process. This work presents an approach that enables fast process control of the melt pool temperature and combines a closed-loop control strategy with a feedforward approach. The control strategies are tested by proof-of-concept experiments on a bridge geometry and partly powder-filled steel plates. Furthermore, results of a finite element simulation are used to validate the experimental results. Combining closed-loop and feedforward control reduces the temperature deviation by up to 90%. This helps to prevent construction errors and increases the part quality.
Contemporary US Populism in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Hawkins Kirk , Littvay Levente
Published: May 2019

With the victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election, populists have come to power in the US for the first time in many years. However, US political scientists have been flat-footed in their response, failing to anticipate or measure populism's impact on the campaign or to offer useful policy responses. In contrast, populism has long been an important topic of study for political scientists studying other regions, especially Latin America and Europe. The conceptual and theoretical insights of comparativist scholars can benefit Americanists, and applying their techniques can help US scholars and policymakers place events in perspective.
The integration of idioms of distress into mental health assessments and interventions: a systematic review
Authors: Cork C. , Kaiser B. N. , White R. G.
Published: May 2019

Background.

Psychiatric diagnostic manuals recognise the importance of local expressions of distress in culturally diverse settings [i.e. idioms/cultural concepts of distress (CCDs)], yet there is a lack of consensus on how these should be incorporated into mental health related research.

Aims.

To perform a narrative synthesis and critical review of research exploring how idioms/CCDs have been integrated into assessment measures and interventions.

Method.

A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. An adapted version of the COSMIN checklist was used to assess the quality of the linguistic translation of the idioms/CCDs.

Results.

Twenty-nine papers were included in the final review. Primary qualitative research was the most common method of gathering information about idioms/CCDs. The majority of studies described integrating idioms/CCDs into assessment measures as opposed to interventions. Some studies used information relating to idioms/CCDs to develop novel assessment measures, while others adapted pre-existing assessment measures. The measures generated moderate to high levels of validity. Information relating to the linguistic translation conducted in the completion of the studies tended to be inadequately reported.

Conclusions.

Integrating information about idioms/CCDs into assessment measures can enhance the validity of these assessments. Allocating greater research attention to idioms/CCDs can also promote more equitable exchanges of knowledge about mental health and wellbeing between the Global North and the Global South.
Don't Judge a Wine by Its Closure: Price Premiums for Corks in the U.S. Wine Market
Authors: Bekkerman Anton , Brester Gary W.
Published: May 2019

For many purchases, consumers often possess only limited information about product quality. Thus, observable product characteristics are used to determine expected quality levels when making purchase decisions. We use more than 1 million weekly scanner-level observations from grocery stores across ten U.S. markets between September 2009 and August 2012 to examine how consumers value a wine bottle's closure type (i.e., cork or screw cap). We focus on lower-priced wines—those with sale prices less than $30 per 750 milliliter bottle—to more accurately evaluate decisions of consumers for whom seeking additional information about wine quality is likely more costly than the benefits derived from that information. Using both pooled ordinary least squares and quantile regressions to estimate price premiums for bottles with corks or screw caps, we find that U.S. consumers are willing to pay, on average, approximately 8% more (about $1.00) for a bottle of wine that has a cork closure. In addition, we show that the size of this premium increases as wine prices decline. (JEL Classifications: D81, M31, Q11)
Competition Policy in the Wine Industry in Europe
Authors: Rizzo Andrea Minuto
Published: May 2019

In recent years, several European antitrust authorities intervened in the wine sector to authorize mergers and acquisitions, provide opinions to governments, and ascertain anticompetitive agreements. This article analyzes these interventions in the context of an evolving regulatory framework. I draw conclusions about the direction of competition policy, in particular in relation to possible co-operations among various players in the wine industry. (JEL Classifications: K21, L40, L51)
The Butterfly Did It: The Aberrant Vote for Buchanan in Palm Beach County, Florida
Authors: Wand Jonathan N. , Shotts Kenneth W. , Sekhon Jasjeet S. , Mebane Walter R. , Herron Michael C. , Brady Henry E.
Published: May 2019

We show that the butterfly ballot used in Palm Beach County, Florida, in the 2000 presidential election caused more than 2,000 Democratic voters to vote by mistake for Reform candidate Pat Buchanan, a number larger than George W. Bush's certified margin of victory in Florida. We use multiple methods and several kinds of data to rule out alternative explanations for the votes Buchanan received in Palm Beach County. Among 3,053 U.S. counties where Buchanan was on the ballot, Palm Beach County has the most anomalous excess of votes for him. In Palm Beach County, Buchanan's proportion of the vote on election-day ballots is four times larger than his proportion on absentee (nonbutterfly) ballots, but Buchanan's proportion does not differ significantly between election-day and absentee ballots in any other Florida county. Unlike other Reform candidates in Palm Beach County, Buchanan tended to receive election-day votes in Democratic precincts and from individuals who voted for the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate. Robust estimation of overdispersed binomial regression models undernins much of the analysis.
Poking Counterfactual Holes in Covering Laws: Cognitive Styles and Historical Reasoning
Authors: Tetlock Philip E. , Lebow Richard Ned
Published: May 2019

We report a series of studies of historical reasoning among professional observers of world politics. The correlational studies demonstrate that experts with strong theoretical commitments to a covering law and cognitive-stylistic preferences for explanatory closure are more likely to reject close-call Counterfactual that imply that “already explained” historical outcomes could easily have taken radically different forms. The experimental studies suggest that counterfactual reasoning is not totally theory-driven: Many experts are capable of surprising themselves when encouraged to imagine the implications of particular what-if scenarios. Yet, there is a downside to openness to historical contingency. The more effort experts allocate to exploring counterfactual worlds, the greater is the risk that they will assign too much subjective probability to too many scenarios. We close by defining good judgment as a reflective-equilibrium process of balancing the conflicting causal intuitions primed by complementary factual and counterfactual posings of historical questions.
Moral Victories: How Activists Provoke Multilateral Action. By Susan Burgerman. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2001. 186p. $29.95.
Authors: Clark Ann Marie
Published: May 2019

A lot of scholarly attention has been devoted to demonstrating that transnational activists “matter” in explaining international outcomes. Having paid those dues, it can be argued that scholars of transnational activity can safely shift from a documentary focus to a more profound inquiry concerning how, why, and to what extent nonstate actors matter. On the other hand, to understand the work of transnational activists for the international implementation of moral and legal standards—not a completely new area of inquiry, but a burgeoning one—still requires a considerable amount of empirical documentation of exactly what that work entails. Only time-intensive, border-hopping research provides the names, dates, and actors' words, deeds, and intentions that comprise whatever political activity there is to be theorized about. Thus, both empirical documentation and theorizing about transnational and multilateral processes are demanding, and interdependent, scholarly necessities. In her book Moral Victories: How Activists Provoke Multilateral Action, Susan Burgerman presents finely articulated empirical research that is a welcome contribution to the literature on human rights in multilateral political processes.
The Tragedy of Russia's Reforms: Market Bolshevism Against Democracy. By Peter Reddaway and Dmitri Glinski. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2001. 768p. $55.00 cloth, $29.95 paper.
Authors: Slider Darrell
Published: May 2019

The fate of Russia's economic and political reforms is the subject of this interpretative history of the last years of the Soviet Union and the Yeltsin period, The book provides a useful, if controversial, introduction to the events of this crucial period in Russian political development, from 1990 to 1999. Special attention is given to the events surrounding important turning points in Russian history; there are particularly detailed treatments of the August 1991 coup, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Boris Yeltsin's forcible disbanding of the parliament in October 1993. In the end, though, the large number of events the authors seek to analyze is a liability because it tends to detract from and dilute the main argument.
Political Legitimacy in Middle Africa: Father, Family, Food. By Michael G. Schatzberg. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2001. 292p. $49.95 cloth, $22.95 paper.
Authors: Fatton Robert
Published: May 2019

Political Legitimacy in Middle Africa is an insightful, refreshing, and original book that refines and expands our understanding of the so-called “politics of the belly.” A phrase made famous by Jean Francois Bayart (The State in Africa: The Politics of the Belly, 1993), the politics of the belly is the phenomenon of “eating” the fruits of power. The extent to which officeholders monopolize or share these fruits with the larger community has, however, significant consequences for their legitimacy. As Michael Schatzberg suggests, a “moral matrix of legitimate governance” (p. 35) embedded in familial and paternal metaphors shapes these belly politics. In turn, he argues that the moral matrix is rooted in four major premises. The first and second are related to the image of the ruler as a “fatherchief,” who has the obligation, on the one hand, to nurture and nourish his “family,” and on the other hand, to punish his “children” when necessary and pardon them when they truly repent. The third premise concerns the status of women in society; while they are not considered equal to men, rulers should, nonetheless, respect their role as “counselors and advisers.” The fourth premise “holds that permanent power is illegitimate and that political fathers…have to let their children grow up, mature, take on ever-increasing responsibilities in the conduct of their own affairs, and eventually succeed them in power” (p. 192).
‘A place of great trust to be supplied by men of skill and integrity’: assayers and knowledge cultures in late sixteenth- and seventeenth-century London
Authors: KILBURN-TOPPIN JASMINE
Published: May 2019

This article suggests that institutional workshops of assay were significant experimental sites in early modern London. Master assayers at Goldsmiths’ Hall on Foster Lane, in the heart of the city, and at the Royal Mint, in the Tower, made trials to determine the precious-metal content of bullion, plate and coinage. The results of their metallurgical experiments directly impacted upon the reputations and livelihoods of London's goldsmiths and merchants, and the fineness of coin and bullion. Engaged in the separation and transformation of matter, assayers and the affairs of their workshops were also a curiosity for those interested in the secrets of nature. Making use of a wide-ranging body of sources, including institutional court minutes, artisanal petitions, mercantile guidebooks, recipe books and natural-philosophical treatises, this article uncovers a complex culture of metropolitan expertise. We first examine the workshop spaces in which assayers undertook their professional activities, and their secretive corporate cultures. We turn next to the manuscript culture through which assayers codified and communicated knowledge, ‘secrets’ and techniques to broader urban audiences. Finally, we assess exchanges and tensions between assayers and the wider community of Londoners engaged in scientific knowledge production and dissemination.
Glycaemic regulation, appetite and ex vivo oxidative stress in young adults following consumption of high-carbohydrate cereal bars fortified with polyphenol-rich berries
Authors: Smith Tracey J. , Karl James Philip , Wilson Marques A. , Whitney Claire C. , Barrett Ann , Farhadi Nicole Favreau , Chen Chung-Yen Oliver , Montain Scott J.
Published: May 2019

Consumption of certain berries appears to slow postprandial glucose absorption, attributable to polyphenols, which may benefit exercise and cognition, reduce appetite and/or oxidative stress. This randomised, crossover, placebo-controlled study determined whether polyphenol-rich fruits added to carbohydrate-based foods produce a dose-dependent moderation of postprandial glycaemic, glucoregulatory hormone, appetite andex vivooxidative stress responses. Twenty participants (eighteen males/two females; 24 (sd5) years; BMI: 27 (sd3) kg/m2) consumed one of five cereal bars (approximately 88 % carbohydrate) containing no fruit ingredients (reference), freeze-dried black raspberries (10 or 20 % total weight; LOW-Rasp and HIGH-Rasp, respectively) and cranberry extract (0·5 or 1 % total weight; LOW-Cran and HIGH-Cran), on trials separated by ≥5 d. Postprandial peak/nadir from baseline (Δmax) and incremental postprandial AUC over 60 and 180 min for glucose and other biochemistries were measured to examine the dose-dependent effects. Glucose AUC0–180 mintrended towards being higher (43 %) after HIGH-Raspv.LOW-Rasp (P=0·06), with no glucose differences between the raspberry and reference bars. Relative to reference, HIGH-Rasp resulted in a 17 % lower Δmaxinsulin, 3 % lower C-peptide (AUC0–60 minand 3 % lower glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (AUC0–180 min)P<0·05. No treatment effects were observed for the cranberry bars regarding glucose and glucoregulatory hormones, nor were there any treatment effects for either berry type regardingex vivooxidation, appetite-mediating hormones or appetite. Fortification with freeze-dried black raspberries (approximately 25 g, containing 1·2 g of polyphenols) seems to slightly improve the glucoregulatory hormone and glycaemic responses to a high-carbohydrate food item in young adults but did not affect appetite or oxidative stress responses at doses or with methods studied herein.
Late Tertiary fault activity in the southwestern boundary fault system of the Roer Valley Graben: evidences from the Bree area (NE Belgium)
Authors: Sintubin M. , Sels O. , Buffel P.
Published: May 2019

The Bree Uplift is a particular structure in the direct footwall of the southwestern graben boundary fault system of the Roer Valley Graben, which has been firstly recognized at the base of the Cretaceous. To date fault activity around the Bree Uplift has been confined to the Subhercynian (late Cretaceous) inversion event or considered fading out during Tertiary times.

The revision of the existing geological data reveals that the Bree Uplift can still be recognized on the top-Tertiary map. This infers at least a late Tertiary activity, suggesting continuous fault activity in the graben boundary fault system not only on the major boundary faults but also on different splay faults, bounding individual fault blocks.
Attending, intending, and the importance of task settings
Authors: Ivanoff Jason , Klein Raymond
Published: May 2019

Hommel et al. emphasize that the Theory of Event Coding (TEC)'s utility is not its ability to be a new theory of cognition, but its ability to engender new thinking about new and old problems. In this commentary we use the TEC to re-examine a long-standing discrepancy in the attention literature.
Trans-saccadic representation makes your Porsche go places
Authors: De Graef Peter , Verfaillie Karl , Germeys Filip , Gysen Veerle , Van Eccelpoel Caroline
Published: May 2019

To eliminate the leap of faith required to explain how visual consciousness arises from visual representation, O'Regan & Noë focus on the sensorimotor interaction with the outside world and ban internal representations from their account of vision. We argue that evidence for transsaccadic representations necessitates a central position for an internal, on-line stimulus rendition in any adequate theory of vision.
Chaotic itinerancy: Insufficient perceptual evidence
Authors: Kay Leslie M.
Published: May 2019

Chaotic itinerancy is useful for illustrating transitions in attractor dynamics seen in the olfactory system. Cantor coding is a good model for information processing, but so far it lacks perceptual proof. The theories presented provide a large step toward bridging the use of chaos as an interpretive tool and hard examination of chaotic neural activity during perception.
How (dis)ordered is our brain?
Authors: Liljenström Hans
Published: May 2019

The dynamical view of the brain that Tsuda presents is thoroughly substantiated by theory and computer simulations, but strong experimental evidence for chaotic brain processes is still lacking. New methods are called for. It is also important to make a distinction between the generating mechanisms and the observed behavior, which is complicated by a mixing of stochastic and deterministic processes.
Dynamic neural activity as chaotic itinerancy or heteroclinic cycles?
Authors: Rowe Donald L.
Published: May 2019

I question whether chaotic itinerancy is anything new or different to existing research on heteroclinic cycles (cycling-chaos), and blow-out bifurcations (attractor-bubbling) that provide more detailed and better definition for nonlinear phenomena occurring in neural systems. I give a brief description of this research for comparison and expansion, and see it as an important component in dynamical models of neural activity.
Seeing, acting, and knowing
Authors: Pylyshyn Zenon W.
Published: May 2019

The target article proposes that visual experience arises when sensorimotor contingencies are exploited in perception. This novel analysis of visual experience fares no better than the other proposals that the article rightly dismisses, and for the same reasons. Extracting invariants may be needed for recognition, but it is neither necessary nor sufficient for having a visual experience. While the idea that vision involves the active extraction of sensorimotor invariants has merit, it does not replace the need for perceptual representations. Vision is not just for the immediate controlling of action; it is also for finding out about the world, from which inferences may be drawn and beliefs changed.
The absence of representations causes inconsistencies in visual perception
Authors: Smeets Jeroen B. J. , Brenner Eli
Published: May 2019

In their target article, O'Regan & Noë (O&N) give convincing arguments for there being no elaborate internal representation of the outside world. We show two more categories of empirical results that can easily be understood within the view that the world serves as an outside memory that is probed only when specific information is needed.
Colonization With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in ICU Patients Morbidity, Mortality, and Glycopeptide Use
Authors: Garrouste-Orgeas Maité , Timsit Jean-Francois , Kallel Hatem , Ali Adel Ben , Dumay Marie Francoise , Paoli Benedicte , Misset Benoit , Carlet Jean
Published: May 2019

Objective:

To determine the impact of methicillin-resis-tant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization on the occurrence of S aureus infections (methicillin-resistant and methicillin-suscep-tible), the use of glycopeptides, and outcome among intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Design:

Prospective observational cohort survey.

Setting:

A medical-surgical ICU with 10 single-bed rooms in a 460-bed, tertiary-care, university-affiliated hospital.

Patients:

A total of 1,044 ICU patients were followed for the detection of MRSA colonization from July 1, 1995, to July, 1 1998.

Methods:

MRSA colonization was detected using nasal samples in all patients plus wound samples in surgical patients within 48 hours of admission or within the first 48 hours of ICU stay and weekly thereafter. MRSA infections were defined using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standard definitions, except for ventilator-associated pneumonia and catheter-related infections, which were defined by quantitative distal culture samples.

Results:

One thousand forty-four patients (70% medical patients) were included in the analysis. Mean age was 61±18 years; mean Simplified Acute Physiologic Score (SAPS) II was 36.4±20; and median ICU stay was 4 (range, 1-193) days. Two hundred thirty-one patients (22%) died in the ICU. Fifty-four patients (5.1%) were colonized with MRSA on admission, and 52 (4.9%) of 1,044 acquired MRSA colonization in the ICU. Thirty-five patients developed a total of 42 S aureus infections (32 MRSA, 10 methi-cillin-susceptible). After factors associated with the development of an S aureus infection were adjusted for in a multivariate Cox model (SAPS II >36: hazard ratio [HR], 1.64; P=.09; male gender: HR, 2.2; P=.05), MRSA colonization increased the risk of S aureus infection (HR, 3.84; P=.0003). MRSA colonization did not influence ICU mortality (HR, 1.01; P=.94). Glycopeptides were used in 11.4% of the patients (119/1,044) for a median duration of 5 days. For patients with no colonization, MRSA colonization on admission, and ICU-acquired MRSA colonization, respectively, glycopeptide use per 1,000 hospital days was 37.7, 235.2, and 118.3 days. MRSA colonization per se increased by 3.3-fold the use of glycopeptides in MRSA-colonized patients, even when an MRSA infection was not demonstrated, compared to non-colonized patients.

Conclusions:

In our unit, MRSA colonization greatly increased the risk of S aureus infection and of glycopeptide use in colonized and non-colonized patients, without influencing ICU mortality. MRSA colonization influenced glycopeptide use even if an MRSA infection was not demonstrated; thus, an MRSA control program is warranted to decrease vancomycin use and to limit glycopeptide resistance in gram-positive cocci.
Outbreak of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in a Hemodialysis Unit: Potential Transmission by the Hemodialysis Machine?
Authors: Delarocque-Astagneau Elisabeth , Baffoy Nadège , Thiers Valérie , Simon Nicole , Valk Henriette de , Laperche Syria , Couroucé Anne-Marie , Astagneau Pascal , Buisson Claude , Desenclos Jean-Claude
Published: May 2019

Objective:

To identify the routes of transmission during an outbreak of infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2a/2c in a hemodialysis unit.

Design:

A matched case-control study was conducted to identify risk factors for HCV seroconversion. Direct observation and staff interviews were conducted to assess infection control practices. Molecular methods were used in a comparison of HCV infecting isolates from the case-patients and from patients infected with the 2a/2c genotype before admission to the unit.

Setting:

A hemodialysis unit treating an average of 90 patients.

Patients:

A case-patient was defined as a patient receiving hemodialysis with a seroconversion for HCV genotype 2a/2c between January 1994 and July 1997 who had received dialysis in the unit during the 3 months before the onset of disease. For each case-patient, 3 control-patients were randomly selected among all susceptible patients treated in the unit during the presumed contamination period of the case-patient.

Results:

HCV seroconversion was associated with the number of hemodialysis sessions undergone on a machine shared with (odds ratio [OR] per additional session, 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 0.9 to 1.8) or in the same room as (OR per additional session, 1.1; CI95, 1.0 to 1.2) a patient who was anti-HCV (genotype 2a/2c) positive. We observed several breaches in infection control procedures. Wetting of transducer protectors in the external pressure tubing sets with patient blood reflux was observed, leading to a potential contamination by blood of the pressure-sensing port of the machine, which is not accessible to routine disinfection. The molecular analysis of HCV infecting isolates identified among the case-patients revealed two groups of identical isolates similar to those of two patients infected before admission to the unit.

Conclusions:

The results suggest patient-to-patient transmission of HCV by breaches in infection control practices and possible contamination of the machine. No additional cases have occurred since the reinforcement of infection control procedures and the use of a second transducer protector.