cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positive Illusions, Perceived Control and the Free Will Debate

: It is a common assumption among both philosophers and psychologists that having accurate beliefs about ourselves and the world around us is always the epistemic gold standard. However, there is gathering data from social psychology that suggest that illusions are quite prevalent in our everyday thinking and that some of these illusions may even be conducive to our overall well being. In this paper, we explore the relevance of these so-called ‘positive illusions' to the free will debate. More specifically, we use the literature on positive illusions as a springboard for examining Saul Smilansky's so-called ‘free will illusionism’. At the end of the day, we will use data from both social and developmental psychology concerning perceived control to try to show that his view is on shaky empirical footing.
Hyperglycemia-Induced Reactive Oxygen Species Toxicity to Endothelial Cells Is Dependent on Paracrine Mediators

OBJECTIVE— This study determined the effects of high glucose exposure and cytokine treatment on generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of inflammatory and apoptotic pathways in human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Glucose consumption of HRECs, human retinal pigment epithelial cells (HRPEs), and human Muller cells (HMCs) under elevated glucose conditions was measured and compared with cytokine treatment. Production of ROS in HRECs was examined using 5-(and-6)-chloromethyl-2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (CM-H 2 DCFDA), spin-trap electron paramagnetic resonance, and MitoTracker Red staining after high glucose and cytokine treatment. The activation of different signaling cascades, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, tyrosine phosphorylation pathways, and apoptosis by high glucose and cytokines in HRECs, was determined. RESULTS— HRECs, in contrast to HRPEs and HMCs, did not increase glucose consumption in response to increasing glucose concentrations. Exposure of HRECs to 25 mmol/l glucose did not stimulate endogenous ROS production, activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), extracellular signal–related kinase (ERK), p38 and Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase (JNK), tyrosine phosphorylation, interleukin (IL)-1β, or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production and only slightly affected apoptotic cell death pathways compared with normal glucose (5 mmol/l). In marked contrast, exposure of HRECs to proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β or TNF-α increased glucose consumption, mitochondrial superoxide production, ERK and JNK phosphorylation, tyrosine phosphorylation, NF-κB activation, and caspase activation. CONCLUSIONS— Our in vitro results indicate that HRECs respond to cytokines rather than high glucose, suggesting that in vivo diabetes–related endothelial injury in the retina may be due to glucose-induced cytokine release by other retinal cells and not a direct effect of high glucose.
Familiar contextual odors promote discrimination learning in preweanling but not in older rats

For rats 16- or 28-days-old postnatal, we tested the source of the facilitation in instrumental learning provided by odors from home nest materials. Three experiments confirmed that acquisition of a spatial discrimination (to escape footshock) was facilitated not only by the presence of typical nest odors in the training context, but also by the presence of a non-rat odor (banana) to which the animals had been familiarized for 4 hr/day for 7 days. There was a borderline tendency for a similar facilitation after familiarization to the latter odor for only 10 min. These effects occurred for a similar facilition after familiarization to the latter odor for only 10 min. These effects occurred for rats 16 days postnatal but not for those 28 days old. The experiments also confirmed that the prior exposure to non-rat odors did not in itself, in the absence of that odor during learning, affect discriminated escape learning, and that enhanced affinity for a contextual odor is not a sufficent condition for enhancement of learning in its presence. There was some indication that the 16-day-old rat was more likely to select a discriminative odor to guide their choice of spatial locations if a familiar contextual odor was present.
Displacement of northern Wisconsin crayfish by Orconectes rusticus (Girard)1

Orconectes rusticus, an introduced species in northern Wisconsin, is confirmed as displacing other species of crayfish. Displacement rates are extremely rapid in some cases but are highly variable among lakes. Displacement mechanisms and ecological implications are not well known; however, significant reductions in macrophyte populations are an apparent result.
Cancer chemoprevention research with selenium in the post-SELECT era: Promises and challenges

The negative efficacy outcomes of double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase III human clinical trials with selenomethionine (SeMet) and SeMet-rich selenized-yeast (Se-yeast) for prostate cancer prevention and Se-yeast for prevention of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in North America lead to rejection of SeMet/Se-yeast for cancer prevention in Se-adequate populations. We identify 2 major lessons from the outcomes of these trials: 1) the antioxidant hypothesis was tested in wrong subjects or patient populations, and 2) the selection of Se agents was not supported by cell culture and preclinical animal efficacy data as is common in drug development. We propose that next-generation forms of Se (next-gen Se), such as methylselenol precursors, offer biologically appropriate approaches for cancer chemoprevention but these are faced with formidable challenges. Solid mechanism-based preclinical efficacy assessments and comprehensive safety studies with next-gen Se will be essential to revitalize the idea of cancer chemoprevention with Se in the post-SELECT era. We advocate smaller mechanism-driven Phase I/II trials with these next-gen Se to guide and justify future decisions for definitive Phase III chemoprevention efficacy trials.
The Price of Legal Institutions: The Beratlı Merchants in the Eighteenth-Century Ottoman Empire

In the eighteenth century, European embassies in the Ottoman Empire started selling exemption licenses called berats, which granted non-Muslim Ottomans tax exemptions and the option to use European law. I construct a novel price panel for British and French licenses based on primary sources. The evidence reveals that prices were significantly high and varied across countries. Agents acquired multiple berats to enhance their legal options, which they exploited through strategic court switching. By the early 1800s, berat holders had driven other groups from European-Ottoman trade.
Lesions of the dorsal columns

B uried in the she-poetry and interpretation of the literature of the Focus article by AI-Chaer and colleagues is an emotional and potent threepoint message, as follows: First, compassion dictates that if we have strong reasons to believe that a treatment for pain can alleviate it, we should use that treatment, regardless of our ignorance of how it works or debates about the neural mechanisms of pain. Second, a small bilateral dorsal column lesion (limited myelotomy) can alleviate visceral pain with no permanent side effects. Third, the use of such a lesion to treat chronic visceral pain conditions is therefore encouraged. How could anyone disagree with the first message on the use of known effective remedies? Clinicians follow that dictum in many realms of healthcare, and we all follow it in our own personal lives. However, as I have argued recently [1] and will argue again here, such behavior does not mean that clinical approaches to treating patients and the success of those approaches are unaffected by our conceptualizations of treatment action or pain mechanisms. As for the second and third messages, evidence so far does indeed support the idea that limited myelotomy might alleviate certain visceral pains. Thus, to deny it in those cases simply because we do not yet understand how it works would be cruel indeed. However, we must remember that dorsal column lesions destroy forever one major route by which information about many bodily conditions (innocuous and nociceptive, occurring in somatic and visceral tissues), is conveyed from the periphery into the central nervous system, thence diverging to many parts of the brain to converge with information
Vaccination to reduce Salmonella prevalence in pigs.

FOODBORNE pathogens remain a major threat to public health worldwide. Salmonella , in particular, poses a multifaceted threat to food production and safety, and the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains further compounds this public health hazard. Pork is considered to be an important potential source of foodborne salmonellosis, although it is very difficult to precisely determine attribution. Nevertheless, the simple fact of pork being the most frequently consumed meat in the world justifies the importance of mitigating any potential risk from the public health standpoint (Narrod and others 2011). Salmonella infections in pig herds are often endemic, and predominantly subclinical, prompting an urgent need for action aimed at monitoring and reducing the number of Salmonella -infected animals. Although infections occur at all pig production stages, its elimination at an early stage is strategically important. Various interventions to reduce or eliminate Salmonella infection in young pigs have been proposed (reviewed by Ojha and Kostrzynska 2007, Wales and others 2011), mostly based on treatments administered through feed or water (eg, antimicrobials, probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, etc). However, …
Abstract 1098: Mechano-molecular imaging of the role of COX-2 in cell traction force.

The cytoplasmic enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and its secondary lipid byproducts are critical determinants of cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Poorly differentiated MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells stably expressing COX-2 shRNA exhibit marked attenuation in their ability to secrete secondary lipid mediator products of the COX reaction, as well as invade and degrade reconstituted extracellular matrix in vitro. COX-2-silenced cells inoculated in vivo show significant reduction of tumor growth and extrapulmonary colonization than their parental counterpart. Based on compelling evidence for the positive correlation between cancer invasion and cell traction force, here we interrogated the mechanistic role for COX-2 in mediating this physical force and imaged the spatiotemporal distribution of contractile stress arising at the interface between each adherent cell and its substrate. Over a physiological range of substrate stiffness, COX-2-silenced MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited a smaller spreading area and a lower cell traction force than their highly metastatic, parental counterpart. Strikingly, unlike COX-2-silenced cells, COX-2-high parental MDA-MB-231 cells showed progressive increases in cell spreading area and traction force with increasing substrate rigidity. Cell spreading and traction force in COX-2-silenced cells were restored with an exogenous addition of COX-2-derived PGE2, however. COX-2-high MDA-MB-231 cells also showed increases in the expression of mechanosensitive integrin β1, and not β3, with increasing substrate rigidity. Consistent with these physical attributes, COX-2-silenced cells expressed a 4.6-fold reduction of the transcript coding for RhoJ, a member of the family of Rho GTPases, and displayed a slower remodeling dynamics of the cytoskeleton (CSK). To our knowledge this is the first report linking the expression of COX-2 with increased cell traction force and CSK remodeling in a highly metastatic human breast cancer. Citation Format: A Rum Yoon, Ioannis Stasinopoulos, Steven An, Zaver M. Bhujwalla. Mechano-molecular imaging of the role of COX-2 in cell traction force. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1098. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1098
Insertion of H2CCHX (X = F, Cl, Br, OiPr) into (tBu3SiO)3TaH2 and β-X-Elimination from (tBu3SiO)3HTaCH2CH2X (X = OR): Relevance to Ziegler−Natta Copolymerizations

The insertion of H2CCHX (X = OR; R = Me, Et, nPr, iPr, CHCH2, Ph) into (tBu3SiO)3TaH2 (1) afforded (tBu3SiO)3HTaCH2CH2X (2-CH2CH2X), which β-X-eliminated to give ethylene and (tBu3SiO)3HTaX (3-X). β-X-elimination rates were inversely proportional to the size of R. An X-ray crystallographic study of (tBu3SiO)3HTaCH2CH2OtBu (2-CH2CH2OtBu) revealed a distorted trigonal bipyramidal structure with an equatorial plane containing the hydride and a −CH2CH2OtBu ligand with a staggered disposition. erythro- and threo-(tBu3SiO)3HTaCHDCHDOEt (2-CHDCHDOEt) are staggered in solution, according to 1H NMR spectroscopic studies, and eliminated cis- and trans-HDCCHD, respectively, helping verify the four-centered transition state for β-OEt-elimination. When X = F, Cl, or Br, 2-CH2CH2X was not observed en route to 3-X, signifying that olefin insertion was rate-determining. Insertion rates suggested that substantial positive charge on the substituted carbon was incurred. The reactivity of other H2CCHX with 1, and a discussio...
Puparia of Cyclorrhaphous Diptera from Bovine Dung in Open Pasture and Rangeland in the Transition Zone of Western North America

A key and descriptions are presented for puparia of 26 species of cyclorrhaphous Diptera reared from undisturbed bovine dung in open pasture and rangeland. The fauna from dung of confined animals is considered ecologically distinct from the pasture fauna treated here. Species in the following genera and families are included: Calythea, Hylemya, and Scatophaga of the Anthomyiidae; Gymnodia, Haematobia, Hydrotaea, Hypodermodes, Morellia, Musca, Myospila, Orthellia, Pseudophaonia, and Spilogona of the Muscidae; Oxysarcodexia and Ravinia of the Sarcophagidae. Puparia of Sepsidae and Sphaeroceridae are treated at the family level only.
Systematic studies of SiGe/Si islands nucleated via separate in situ, or ex situ, Ga+ focused ion beam-guided growth techniques

In this study we use 25keV in situ and 30keV ex situ Ga+ focused ion beams (FIB) to locally modify the substrate before deposition to determine its affect on nucleation of MBE-grown Ge/Si islands. FIB processing may alter island formation in at least four ways: the surfactant effect of Ga+, doping effects of subsurface Ga+, crystalline damage, and surface roughening. To explore these possibilities, we milled square regions of increasing Ga+ doses and used AFM to monitor islanding in and around these regions. For in situ experiments, doses ranged from ∼1013 to 5×1017ions/cm2. We began to observe changes in island topology at doses as low as ∼1014ions/cm2. For doses of ∼1015ions/cm2 to ∼8×1016ions/cm2, implanted areas were surrounded by denuded zones that grew from ∼0.5 to 6 μm. Immediately inside the implanted area, island concentration (size and density) appeared to peak. At doses above ∼6×1016ions/cm2, Ga+ produced noticeable surface depressions, which were often surrounded by enhanced island densities, rather than a denuded zone. For ex situ FIB patterning, samples underwent both pre-growth cleaning and growth of a thin capping layer. Doses ranging from 7.5×1013 to ∼1017 ions/cm2 were used with varied capping layer thicknesses to study their combined affect on island nucleation. The results correspond well with in situ experiments for thin capping layers. Increased capping layer thickness show muted modifications for low Ga+ doses, while for higher doses trends similar to the in situ results are seen.
Neuroscience and awareness in the dying human brain: Implications for organ donation practices

Abstract Consciousness has 2 components: wakefulness (arousal) and awareness (perception of the self and the external environment). Functional neuroimaging has identified 2 distinctive functional networks that mediate external awareness of the surrounding environment and internal awareness of the self. Recent studies suggest that awareness is not always associated with wakefulness. There is little clinical research that has specifically focused on determining awareness in the dying phase, after the cessation of systemic circulation. Pana et al (J Crit Care, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrc.2016.04.001) concluded from a retrospective analysis of published human and animal studies that the cessation of clinical brain function and spontaneous electroencephalography activity occurred within 30 seconds of circulatory arrest. They inferred from this that a 5-minute period of cessation of circulation constitutes a valid indicator that awareness has ceased. This aligns with the 5-minute no-touch time after the loss of arterial pulse, the current circulatory standard of death determination in non–heart-beating organ donation. We argue that the capacity for awareness may not be irreversibly lost after a relatively brief period of cessation of systemic circulation, and outline empirical data in support of the claim that awareness without wakefulness may be present. Obviously, if correct, this will have practical and ethical implications on organ donation practices.
Computer aided design for the parameters of inner explosive cladding pipe

The optimum parameters of inner explosive cladding pipe are usually obtained by means of experiment or experience, and in this work, a computer aided design is constructed, which calculates the parameters based on the “windows” theory for explosive cladding. Examples are presented, and easier and quick choice of parameters is indicative.
THE WISCONSIN LAURENTIDE ICE SHEET: DISPERSAL CENTERS, PROBLEMS OF RATES OF RETREAT, AND CLIMATIC IMPLICATIONS*

Isochrone maps on the late Wisconsin deglaciation of the Laurentide ice sheet enable estimates to be made of changes in the volume and area of the ice sheet. The average marginal recession between 12,000 and 7,000 BP is estimated as 260 m year-' and varies little between the northwest and southern margins. The northeastern margin retreated at 20 m year-' and the overall tendency was for the Laurentide ice sheet to migrate toward Baffin Island. Vertical mass loss required to produce marginal retreat of over 200 m year-' indicates values between 10 and 50 m of vertical ice wastage per year.
Engineering Humans with Contracts

Contract law shapes the transactional environments where people formulate legally binding commitments and relationships. In general, contract law is understood to be a form of liberating infrastructure that greatly enhances individual and group autonomy and sociality. Yet conventional understanding may have it backwards. Contracting practices have changed dramatically over the past half-century to accommodate changes in economic, social, and technological systems, and may be more liberating for some (e.g., firms) than others (e.g., consumers). As implemented in electronic architecture, at least, contracts may be quite oppressive. This Article shows how the current legal and technical architecture of electronic contracting nudges human beings to behave like simple stimulus-response machines and conditions us to become increasingly predictable and programmable. It develops a series of hypotheses to be tested, articulates a new Taylorist theory to explain the design of human-computer interfaces used to form electronic contracts, and defends a series of reform proposals.
Routledge Handbook of European Elections

At the time of writing this review, it is of course impossible to assess how much Brexit will change the process of European political unification, or how much it will affect the European Union pol...
Angiogenesis : a dynamic balance of stimulators and inhibitors

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from a pre-existing vasculature, is tightly regulated in normal adults. Under physiological circumstances, angiogenesis occurs in only a few instances; e.g., the female reproductive system in response to ovulation or gestation, the normal hair cycle, etc. In these examples, growth of new capillaries is tightly controlled by an interplay of growth regulatory proteins which act either to stimulate or to inhibit blood vessel growth. Normally, the balance between these forces is tipped in favor of inhibition and consequently capillary growth is restrained. Under certain pathological circumstances, however, local inhibitory controls are unable to restrain the increased activity of angiogenic inducers. Thus, in wound healing, inflammation and tumors, to name just a few examples, angiogenesis is integral to the pathology, engendering the hope that these pathological entities could be regulated by pharmacological and/or genetic suppression (or enhancement) of blood vessel growth. This hope, in turn, has fostered interest in the molecular mechanisms that regulate angiogenesis. In this chapter, we have reviewed the current literature regarding some angiogenic stimulators and inhibitors, emphasizing vascular permeability factor (VPF, also known as vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF), as a major angiogenic inducer, and thrombospondin (TSP) as the best known example of a natural inhibitor of vessel growth.
Rolling Back the Economic Loss Doctrine in Securities Disputes Against Financial Intermediaries

While the economic loss doctrine originated in the products liability context, the doctrine soon developed an ability to jump fences. Over time, it became a preferred defense in securities litigation. Although variations exist, the doctrine generally bars common law tort claims in favor of contract claims. In this Essay I explore the doctrine's application to securities disputes involving financial intermediaries. In particular, I focus on the Florida Supreme Court's decision to limit the application of the economic loss doctrine to the products liability context in Tiara Condominium Association v. Marsh & Mclennan Companies.
Coronary Artery Calcium Progression and Atrial Fibrillation: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background— Coronary artery calcium (CAC) measured at a single time point has been associated with an increased risk for atrial fibrillation (AF). It is unknown whether CAC progression over time carries a similar risk. Methods and Results— This analysis included 5612 participants (mean age: 62±10; 52% women; 39% whites; 27% blacks; 20% Hispanics; 12% Chinese Americans) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Phantom-adjusted Agatston scores for baseline and follow-up measurements were used to compute change in CAC per year (≤0, 1–100, 101–300, and >300 U/year). AF was ascertained by review of hospital discharge records and from Medicare claims data through December 31, 2010. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between CAC progression and AF. Over a median follow-up of 5.6 years (25th, 75th percentiles=5.1, 6.8), a total of 203 (3.6%) incident AF cases were detected. Any CAC progression (>0/year) was associated with an increased risk for AF (HR=1.55, 95% CI=1.10, 2.19), and the risk increased with higher levels of CAC progression (≤0/year: HR=1.0 [reference]; 1–100/year: HR=1.47, 95% CI=1.03, 2.09; 101–300/year: HR=1.92, 95%CI=1.15, 3.20; >300/year: HR=3.23, 95%CI=1.48, 7.05). An interaction was observed by age with the association of CAC progression with AF being stronger for younger (<61 years: HR=3.53, 95% CI=1.29, 9.69) compared with older (≥61 years: HR=1.42, 95% CI=0.99, 2.04) participants ( P interaction=0.037). Conclusions— CAC progression during an average of 5 to 6 years of follow-up is associated with an increased risk for AF.
Interactions Between Energy Drink Consumption and Sleep Problems: Associations with Alcohol Use Among Young Adolescents.

Background: Energy drink consumption and sleep problems are both associated with alcohol use among adolescents. In addition, caffeine consumption (including energy drinks) is associated with sleep problems. However, information about how these three constructs may interact is limited. The goal of this study was to examine potential interactions between energy drink consumption and sleep problems in the concurrent prediction of alcohol use among young adolescents. Coffee and soda consumption were also examined for comparison. Methods: Participants from the Camden Youth Development Study were included (n = 127; mean age = 13.1; 68% Hispanic, 29% African American) and questionnaire measures of frequency of caffeinated beverage consumption (energy drinks, coffee, and soda), sleep (initial insomnia, sleep disturbances, daytime fatigue, and sleep duration), and alcohol consumption were used. Regression analyses were conducted to examine interactions between caffeinated beverage consumption and sleep in the conc...
Biology of obesity and weight regain: Implications for clinical practice

Background and purpose Weight loss is recommended as first-line therapy for many chronic illnesses, including obesity. Most patients who do successfully lose weight are unable to maintain their reduced weight. Recent research findings are reviewed and synthesized to explain the biology of obesity, adaptation to weight loss, and weight regain. Findings Weight regain is a common consequence of successful weight loss. Current obesity management strategies fail to take into consideration the underlying genetic and environmental causes of obesity. Available treatment modalities create a negative energy balance that stimulates integrated, persistent neurologic, endocrine, muscle, and adipose tissue adaptation to restore body weight and fat mass, independent of lifestyle changes. Implications for practice Understanding the pathophysiology of obesity and weight loss alters nurse practitioners’ responsibilities in caring for patients with obesity. They are responsible for expanding assessment and intervention strategies and offering people with obesity realistic expectations for weight loss and regain. They are obligated to explain weight regain when it occurs to minimize patient frustration. Nurse practitioners have the opportunity to adopt new approaches to patient advocacy, especially in the areas of public policy to improve diagnostic tools and adjunctive therapy for people with obesity.
Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Risk of Knee Osteoarthritis.

ABSTRACTPurposeThis study aimed to examine the association between objectively measured physical activity and risk of developing incident knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a community-based cohort of middle-age and older adults.MethodsWe used data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, an ongoing prospective
Chemical Structure, Ensemble and Single-Particle Spectroscopy of Thick-Shell InP-ZnSe Quantum Dots.

Thick-shell (>5 nm) InP–ZnSe colloidal quantum dots (QDs) grown by a continuous-injection shell growth process are reported. The growth of a thick crystalline shell is attributed to the high temperature of the growth process and the relatively low lattice mismatch between the InP core and ZnSe shell. In addition to a narrow ensemble photoluminescence (PL) line-width (∼40 nm), ensemble and single-particle emission dynamics measurements indicate that blinking and Auger recombination are reduced in these heterostructures. More specifically, high single-dot ON-times (>95%) were obtained for the core–shell QDs, and measured ensemble biexciton lifetimes, τ2x ∼ 540 ps, represent a 7-fold increase compared to InP–ZnS QDs. Further, high-resolution energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) chemical maps directly show for the first time significant incorporation of indium into the shell of the InP–ZnSe QDs. Examination of the atomic structure of the thick-shell QDs by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron...
Compatibility in Fuzzy Inference

Processing information in fuzzy rule-based systems generally employs one of three patterns of inference: composition, compatibility modification, or interpolative reasoning. Compositional inference originated as a generalization of binary logical deduction to fuzzy logic. Compatibility modification was developed to facilitate the evaluation of rules by separating the evaluation of the input from the generation of the output. The first step in compatibility modification inference is to assess the degree to which the input matches the antecedent of a rule. The result of this assessment is then combined with the consequent of the rule to produce the output. Interpolative and analogical reasoning consider rules to define paradigmatic examples and inference is based on proximity to these examples. Interpolative techniques have been developed to compensate for sparse data and to produce small rule bases. The premises underlying these approaches and their dependence on compatibility assessment are presented in the following sections. Various aspects of the role of compatibility measurement in fuzzy inference have been examined in [53, 70, 247, 26] and their use in fuzzy rule base simplification in [191].
Testing skin swabbing for DNA sampling in dendrobatid frogs

Skin swabbing, a minimally invasive DNA sampling method recently proposed for adult amphibians, was tested on the dendrobatid frog Allobates femoralis . I compared DNA yield from skin swabs and toe clips by evaluating obtained DNA concentrations and purity of extracts, as well as amplification success using eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci. I also tested whether storing skin swabs for two months at −20°C affected the properties of the extract or microsatellite analysis. Results show that skin swabs of adult A. femoralis suffered from high contamination and yielded significantly lower DNA quality and quantity, resulting in insufficient genotyping success, than DNA obtained from toe clips. The relatively dry skin in dendrobatid frogs may have impeded the collection of sufficient viable cells, and the presence of skin alkaloids and microbiota in the frog mucus may lead to high contamination load of skin swabs.
Corporate Solutions at Jones Lang LaSalle

Peter Barge, CEO of the newly created Corporate Solutions Group of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), is executing a restructuring of the U.S. corporate real estate services division that will enable the company to offer its clients integrated solutions. Barge has created an account management function to coordinate the activities of the three, product-based business units which, until now, have operated autonomously. As he is executing the restructuring, Bank of America, an important account of the firm, announces its intention to reduce its providers to the two or three who can offer forward-looking, integrated services. While Barge's new organization is not yet fully in place, he is determined to win the Bank of America business, and moves quickly to hire a senior account manager and establish an organizational architecture that will encourage collaboration within his group. The case examines the many tradeoffs Barge must make in balancing the benefits of the former organization with those of the new structure to achieve the firm's strategic goal of becoming more customer solutions oriented.
Comparison of optimal designs for stick-frame wall assemblies of different bay sizes

Publisher Summary This chapter aims to demonstrate a typical optimization process that is applicable to the design of stickframe structures. A single storey 10-meter long wall composed of typical wood members and exposed to both vertical and lateral forces is optimized. Optimal dimensional parameters are calculated for bay sizes ranging from 10m to 0.20m. The total volume of wood needed to build the various walls is adopted as measure of efficiency. The total volume represents the sum of the volume of vertical, horizontal, and the infill members. Three cases are considered—in case a, it is assumed that both vertical and horizontal wood members have the same dimensions and are placed in one plane. In case b it is assumed that the vertical and horizontal members remain of the same dimensions, however the top member is rotated 90° accommodating a more optimum structural placement for that member. In case c both vertical and horizontal members are allowed to evolve independent from each other. A uniformly distributed load is applied to the top member. This load is assumed to come from a flat roof 6 meters deep and 10 meters in length and half of this load is applied to the wall. A lateral wind load is further applied to the wall enclosure. Roof and wind loads are calculated according to the international building code. The deflection for each member is constrained to l/360 of the member's length and this upper limit is used for all three cases.
Research Trends in Behavioral Medicine

Behavioral medicine is a new and still evolving concept in the health care field. As noted elsewhere (Gentry, 1982), the term itself has been used in several distinct ways to highlight teaching, research, and clinical service activities of various groups of behavioral, social, and biomedical scientists and clinicians. The two primary tracks of activities that fall under this rubric essentially have to do with: (a) the application of “behaviorism” to medicine, and (b) an integration of thought and technology between biomedical and behavioral science disciplines. The former represents an outgrowth of Birk’s (1973) initial use of the term in defining the merits of biofeedback in treating medical disorders such as asthma, epilepsy, tension and migraine headaches, and Raynaud’s Disease. The latter reflects a consensus definition emanating from the now historic Yale Conference on Behavioral Medicine (Schwartz & Weiss, 1978b) and subsequently amended at a similar meeting held at the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences (Schwartz & Weiss, 1978a).
To Bribe a Prince: Clarifying the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act through Comparisons to the United Kingdom's Bribery Act of 2010

Bribery in overseas markets is a major concern for U.S. foreign policy. In the 1970s, after allegations of corruption abroad, the U.S. Congress passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The FCPA outlines civil and criminal sanctions for corporations that seek to bribe “foreign officials.” It also inspired responses from other states, including the United Kingdom’s Bribery Act, enacted in 2010. For decades, the federal government enforced the FCPA only sporadically. Since the turn of the twenty-first century, however, increased prosecutions under the FCPA by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission led to a corresponding increase in criticism of the statute. Responding to these critiques in November 2012, the two agencies co-authored a FCPA guideline. Viewing this new manual in comparison to prior implementation of the FCPA and to the Bribery Act may help determine the most effective tools to combat foreign bribery.
DEVELOPMENT OF A POLAR GLACIAL-MARINE SEDIMENTATION MODEL FROM ANTARCTIC QUATERNARY DEPOSITS AND GLACIOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The West Antarctic ice sheet is presently grounded to depths greater than 1000 m below sea level over large areas. Evidence of glacial erosion and deposition, in the form of lodgment till, at such great depths during previous glacial advances is abundant. Glacial-marine sedimentation is dominated by ice-rafting; meltwater input is presently lacking. Rather, the supply of terrigenous sediment to the continental shelf by glaciers is presently dominated by biogenic sedimentation. In the marine ice sheet environment, most sediment is transported as basal debris and is deposited either as lodgment till or near the grounding line beneath the ice shelf. Diamictons deposited beneath the ice shelf are almost identical to lodgment tills. Seaward of the ice shelf, marine currents winnow finer ice-rafted particles and redistribute them so that glacial-marine sediments tend to be better sorted than lodgment tills. Waxing and waning marine ice sheets deposit widespread glacial and glacial-marine facies.
Model of Anti-Stokes Fluorescence Cooling in a Single-Mode Optical Fiber

We report a comprehensive model that quantifies analytically and numerically the heat that can be extracted by anti-Stokes fluorescence (ASF) from a fiber doped with a quasi-two-level laser ion. This model is used to investigate the effects on cooling of all relevant fiber and pump parameters, as well as amplified spontaneous emission. Simulations of a typical Yb-doped ZBLANP single-mode fiber show that for short enough fibers the heat extraction is relatively uniform along the fiber length. There is an optimum pump wavelength and power that maximizes the heat extracted per unit length. At this power, the coolest point is at the fiber input end. At higher powers, the coolest spot moves further down the fiber. The total heat extracted from a fiber, important for payload cooling, depends on the fiber absorptive loss, the pump wavelength, and the pump power. Simple expressions are derived to predict the optimum dopant concentration that maximizes heat extraction and the maximum tolerable absorptive fiber loss above which cooling is unobtainable. In a fiber with negligible residual absorption, the cooling efficiency is predicted to be 3.7%. In the modeled fiber, it is reduced to 1.7% in part by concentration quenching, but mainly due to the fiber absorptive loss (∼15 dB/km). Since the total extracted heat increases linearly with core radius and dopant concentration (up to a limit determined by concentration quenching), highly doped multimode fibers are strong candidates for payload cooling. This model can be straightforwardly expanded to design and optimize fiber lasers and amplifiers that utilize ASF for cooling.
Measurement of Wavelength and Temperature Dependent Refractive Index of GaSb

Temperature-dependent refractive index values of GaSb were measured at wavelengths between 1.7 and 9.8 micrometers, over a temperature range of 81 to 400 K. A temperature dependent Sellmeier equation was obtained.
Access to public transportation and health facilities offering long-acting reversible contraceptives among residents of formal and informal settlements in two cities in Kenya

Despite improved health facility access relative to rural areas, distance and transportation remain barriers in some urban areas. Using household and facility data linked to residential and transportation geographic information we describe availability of health facilities offering long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods and measure access via matatus (privately owned mid-size vehicles providing public transport) in urban Kenya. Study data were collected by the Measurement, Learning and Evaluation (MLE) Project. Location information for clusters (2010) representative of city-level population were used to identify formal and informal settlement residents. We measured straight-line distances between clusters and facilities that participated in facility audits (2014) and offered LARCs. In Kisumu, we created a geographic database of matatu routes using Google Earth. In Nairobi, matatu route data were publicly available via the Digital Matatus Project. We measured straight-line distance between clusters and matatu stops on ‘direct’ routes (matatu routes with stop(s) ≤1 km from health facility offering LARCs). Facility and matatu access were compared by settlement status using descriptive statistics. We then used client exit interview data from a subset of facilities in Nairobi (N = 56) and Kisumu (N = 37) Kenya (2014) to examine the frequency of matatu use for facility visits. There were 141 (Informal = 71; Formal = 70) study clusters in Nairoibi and 73 (Informal = 37; Formal = 36) in Kisumu. On average, residential clusters in both cities were located ≤1 km from a facility offering LARCs and ≤ 1 km from approximately three or more matatu stops on direct routes regardless of settlement status. Client exit interview data in Nairobi (N = 1602) and Kisumu (N = 1158) suggest that about 25% of women use matatus to visit health facilities. On average, women who utilized matatus travelled 30 min to the facility, with 5% travelling more than 1 hour. Matatu use increased with greater household wealth. Overall, formal and informal settlement clusters were within walking distance of a facility offering LARCs, and multiple matatu stops were accessible to get to further away facilities. This level of access will be beneficial as efforts to increase LARC use expand, but the role of wealth and transportation costs on access should be considered, especially among urban poor.
Acute Pulmonary Edema: A Rare Cause of Dyspnea After Electrical Cardioversion.

Abstract Background Direct current cardioversion is a common management option for termination of tachydysrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. It is generally safe and effective with infrequent reporting of side effects. Pulmonary edema is a rare complication with reported incidence of 1–3% and mortality of 18%. Our literature search did not reveal any reported cases of postcardioversion pulmonary edema in the emergency medicine literature. Case Report We report a case of an 80-year-old woman with a history of atypical atrial flutter on warfarin, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and rheumatic mitral valve disease who presented with shortness of breath 12 h after transesophageal echocardiography and subsequent direct current cardioversion with reversion to sinus rhythm. She was found to be in acute pulmonary edema. She was placed on noninvasive ventilation and diuresis with eventual symptom resolution. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Postcardioversion pulmonary edema is a rare complication that may occur after reversion to sinus rhythm. Emergency physicians should be cognizant of patients, especially those with underlying structural heart disease, who present with dyspnea after a recent cardioversion procedure or after cardioversion in the emergency department. Patients cardioverted in the emergency department may be observed for around 3 h and counseled on the development of respiratory symptoms.
Cargo competition for a dimerization interface stabilizes a protease adaptor in Caulobacter crescentus

Bacterial protein degradation is a regulated process aided by protease adaptors that alter specificity of energy dependent proteases. In Caulobacter crescentus, cell-cycle dependent protein degradation depends on a hierarchy of adaptors, such as the dimeric RcdA adaptor which binds multiple cargo and delivers substrates to the ClpXP protease. 30 RcdA itself is degraded in the absence of cargo and how RcdA recognizes its targets is unknown. Here we show that RcdA dimerization and cargo binding compete for a common interface. Cargo binding separates RcdA dimers and a monomeric variant of RcdA fails to be degraded, suggesting that RcdA degradation is a result of self-delivery. Based on HDX-MS studies showing that different cargo rely on different regions of the dimerization interface, we generate RcdA variants that are selective for specific cargo and show cellular defects consistent with changes in selectivity. Using the same interface for dimerization and cargo binding offers an ability to limit excess protease adaptors by self degradation, while providing capacity for binding a range of substrates.
Clinical aspects of the renal phase of epidemic hemorrhagic fever.

Excerpt The early acute phase of epidemic hemorrhagic fever has been discussed in earlier papers. Our experience with this disease has been limited almost completely to the later phase, following t...
Conclusions and Implications for Practice and Future Studies on Public–Private Partnerships

Drawing on key elements of the study findings, this chapter includes the implications that expand on the interpretations of the findings by providing thematic alignment and comparison with the previous literature on this topic. The analysis of the collected data rendered 12 major themes. The resulting data of this qualitative study included various direct quotes from the interviews with private security professionals working for Canadian financial institutions. This analysis illustrated the perceptions of these security professionals regarding the phenomenon under study and it provides more information about why information sharing between PPPs actors is not optimal. This chapter also contains recommendations to decision-makers about what should be done to improve information sharing between security actors to reduce the impacts of cyber-threats on financial institutions. It offers key features for future public–private partnerships, strategic recommendations for practice as well as recommendations for future research for each of the 12 themes identified adding insight and knowledge to the field of study. It explores how financial institutions should manage cybersecurity and public–private partnerships in the future to improve its security posture and to protect its critical assets. In the future, the evidence-based cybersecurity approach should be used in order to measure the efficiency of cybersecurity public–private partnerships as well as the strategies that are employed to reduce the impacts of cyber-threats against financial institutions and its ecosystem.
Establishing Fault-Tolerant Connectivity of Mobile Robot Networks

This article considers the problem of establishing fault-tolerant mobile networks. In settings where $n$ robots with bounded communication ranges are dispersed over a large area, we seek to solve the problem of relocating the robots so that they form a $k$ -connected network as quickly as possible. For this problem, we present an algorithm, whose performance is at most $O(D)$ times worse than that of the optimal strategy if the robots are deployed arbitrarily, where $D$ is the diameter of the smallest k -connected graph induced on the initial configuration of the robots. We then show that the approximation factor of our algorithm improves to $O(\sqrt{n/\log n})$ , for the case where the starting locations of the robots are chosen uniformly at random. Finally, we verify our results with large-scale simulations and demonstrate our method on the Robotarium experimental multirobot platform.
Genital Herpes Disclosure Attitudes Among Men Who Have Sex with Men

An abundance of literature interested in sexually transmitted infections-related disclosure attitudes among MSM (men who have sex with men) exists. However, comparatively few studies have examined these with respect to genital herpes. This cross-sectional study examined attitudes about herpes-related disclosure among Houston MSM. Convenience sampling at Houston-based MSM venues and events was conducted during December 2018 and January 2019 with 302 participants recruited. Participants were asked if an individual with genital herpes should disclose to others and if they would disclose to others if they had/have genital herpes. Factors associated with decreased belief that someone should disclose a genital herpes infection to others were history of genital herpes (OR 0.14, 95% CI [0.04, 0.55]) and race other than white, black, or Hispanic/Latino (OR 0.34, 95% CI [0.15, 0.77]). History of 0 to 1 sexual partner(s) in the past year was associated with increased belief that an individual should disclose (OR 2.43, 95% CI [1.19, 4.98]), while self-reported history of genital herpes was associated with decreased intent to disclose one’s own infection to potential partners (OR 0.30, 95% CI [0.10, 0.91]). Self-reported history of genital herpes was associated with decreased belief that someone with genital herpes should tell others and with decreased likelihood to disclose one’s own status. Lastly, race other than white, black, or Hispanic/Latino was associated with increased belief that someone with genital herpes should not tell others. Normalization of genital herpes could bolster intent to disclose genital herpes infection and improve sexual outcomes.