cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Key informant interviews with coordinators of special events conducted to increase cancer screening in the United States

Special events such as health fairs, cultural festivals and charity runs are commonly employed in the community to increase cancer screening; however, little is known about their effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to assess the activities, screening outcomes, barriers and recommendations of special events to increase breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening. In-depth interviews were conducted nationally with 51 coordinators of events in June to September 2012. Health fairs and screening days were the most common events conducted, primarily for breast cancer education. Goals were to increase awareness of cancer screening and reach special populations. Evidence-based Community Guide strategies to increase cancer screening employed were: small media, reducing structural barriers, one-on-one education or group education. For each event that provided screening on-site or through referral, a mean of 35 breast, 28 cervical and 19 colorectal cancer screenings were reported. Coordinators made recommendations for further evaluation of special events, and most plan to conduct another special event. These data are novel and provide baseline documentation of activities and recommendations for a commonly used community-based cancer screening intervention that lacks evidence of effectiveness. Additional research to better understand the use of special events for increasing cancer screening is warranted.
The Epidemiology of Tea Consumption and Colorectal Cancer Incidence

This manuscript provides a brief synopsis of 30 studies aimed at examining tea consumption as a factor in the incidence of colon and rectal cancers. The 30 papers examine populations in 12 countries and provide data on consumption of both black and green tea. These studies do not provide consistent evidence to support the theory from animal studies and basic research that tea is a potent chemopreventive agent. Details of the studies are presented, and the potential impact of measurement error, publication bias, the form of tea consumed, the appropriateness of the outcomes studied and the adjustment of confounders related to both tea consumption and risk of colorectal cancer or polyps in various countries are explored. In general, the data are not more consistent for green than for black tea. Particularly with green tea, the doses consumed do get into a perceived protective range in a significant subset of the population. A negative association is stronger in observational epidemiologic studies of rectal cancer than in colon cancer. There is no consistent adjustment for important potential confounders of any tea relationship, such as coffee and alcohol consumption and physical activity levels. Finally, the assessment of tea in most of these studies was based on a single question and therefore may have significant measurement error compared with more recent studies specifically aimed at assessing tea consumption.
Social autopsy for maternal and child deaths: a comprehensive literature review to examine the concept and the development of the method.

"Social autopsy" refers to an interview process aimed at identifying social, behavioral, and health systems contributors to maternal and child deaths. It is often combined with a verbal autopsy interview to establish the biological cause of death. Two complementary purposes of social autopsy include providing population-level data to health care programmers and policymakers to utilize in developing more effective strategies for delivering maternal and child health care technologies, and increasing awareness of maternal and child death as preventable problems in order to empower communities to participate and engage health programs to increase their responsiveness and accountability.
Estimation of leaf size from hotspot observations

The feasibility of estimating leaf size from canopy reflectance in the hotspot region is investigated for both homogeneous (leaf) and heterogeneous (rowed crops and trees) canopies. The authors specify optimal Sun-view geometry, wavelength and index which can minimize the impacts of other structural parameters (e.g. LAI, leaf angle distribution (LAD) and interplant spacing) for most accurate estimation.
Rent dissipation when rent seekers are budget constrained

In the original Tullock (1975, 1980) game, an individual bidder's probability of winning with a bid b is proportional to bR, where the exponent reflects economies of scale in rent seeking. Different interpretations can be given to these probabilities. First, one may view R as a reflection of the political culture. Alternatively, one may view R as a choice variable for a politician. Intuition suggests that a society with a high tolerance for the selling of political favors and politicians who are receptive to rent seeking would both induce greater rent-seeking expenditures than other societies, all else equal. This paper shows that a lower value of R can actually lead to more rent dissipation than a higher value. This paper also reinforces two points concerning rent seeking. First, the analysis confirms the robustness of under-dissipation of rents, even in the face of entry. Second, it points out the importance of distinguishing between rent-seeking expenditures and rent dissipation. When bidders must borrow, for example, total expenditure may understate rent dissipation.
Revisiting the growth-governance relationship in developing Asian and Oceanic economies

In recent decades, aid agencies, international financial institutions, and developed countries have placed an increased focus on institutional quality (governance) as a criterion for the allocation of financial assistance to the developing countries. Such foreign aid conditionality is based on the general consensus that better governance leads to better economic outcomes. For Asian and Oceanic economies, however, previous studies have reported a negative relationship between economic growth and governance terming it the ‘growth-governance paradox’. We revisit the role of governance and economic growth using panel data for 37 Asian and Oceanic countries over the period of 1996–2013. Unlike previous studies, we employ panel analytic methodologies that account for different sources of biases and find that governance has, in fact, a positive relationship with growth in developing Asian and Oceanic economies.
Increasing outer risk

Recent empirical research has established that the distributions of a wide range of economic variables are kurtotic in that they have higher peak(s) in the neighborhood of the mean and greater elongation in the tails than the normal distribution. This paper provides a formal characterization of the empirically significant notions of kurtotic distributions by formulating the concept of outer risk. An increase in outer risk corresponds to a dispersion transfer from the center of a distribution to its tails. In terms of the relocation of probability mass, such a dispersion transfer accentuates the peak(s) of the distribution and elongates its tails. It is shown that ordering distributions by outer risk is equivalent to the ordering of distributions resulting from unanimous choice by all individuals whose utility function has a negative fourth derivative.
Isospin-forbidden beta -delayed proton emission.

Shell-model calculations have been carried out for isospin-forbidden \ensuremath{\beta}-delayed proton emission for 1s-0d-shell nuclei. The process in which a nucleus near the proton drip line ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\beta}}}^{+}$ decays by a superallowed transition to the isobaric analog state in the daughter nucleus is considered. The first complete set of calculations for the subsequent isospin-forbidden particle decay of the isobaric analog state is presented. The decay channels considered include the processes of single-proton, sequential two-proton, direct two-proton, and \ensuremath{\alpha} decay. The calculations reproduce the known data and suggest further experiments.
Job the Patient/Maimonides the Physician: A Case Study in the Unity of Maimonides' Thought

The study of Moses ben Maimon's works is ultimately tied into scholars' assumptions about whether they are reading the writings of Maimonides, the medieval Jewish philosopher par excellence, or Rambam, the premier medieval codifier of halakhah. Three approaches to interpreting his works have dominated scholarship for the last century. Some read the works as consisting of two essentially independent oeuvres: halakhic works written for one audience and philosophical works for another. Thus, Maimonides did not need to be consistent in his views. The supporters of Maimonides the philosopher read his halakhic works as secretly containing philosophical truths consistent with those in the Guide of the Perplexed (referred to as GP herein). The supporters of Rambam prefer to see the Mishneh Torah as the foremost statement of his views and the philosophical stance expressed in the Guide as disingenuous. In the words of Menachem Kellner, Maimonides is presented as “everything from a late convert to Kabbalah to a halakhist, who in truth disdained philosophy, to an Aristotelian philosopher, whose own innermost thoughts stood in conscious opposition to normative Jewish teachings.”
Surgical-Site Infections and Routes of Bacterial Transfer: Which Ones Are Most Plausible?

BACKGROUNDSurgical-site infections (SSIs) are an unfortunate consequence of cutaneous surgery. Their incidence can be a significant problem for patients and surgeons. Most SSIs are presumed to originate from the patient and operating room staff.OBJECTIVESTo review the potential routes of iatrogenic
Anger, Violence, and Academic Performance A Study of Troubled Minority Youth

Nineteen troubled teens who participated in a nontraditional intervention to teach peaceful negotiation were recruited for a pilot study of anger management, violent behavior, and academic performance. The results showed that (a) anger mismanagement was unrelated to violent behavior, but was negatively related to control over time and concentration; (b) verbal assault was associated with an inability to communicate, whereas physical violence was associated with a lack of goal direction; and (c) academic performance was negatively related to self esteem and teacher support, but positive performance change was associated with mother contact and better time management. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Urban Education, 2000. Copyright © 2000 by SAGE Publications) Minority Youth Minority Group Juvenile Anger Juvenile Offender Juvenile Violence School Performance School Achievement Violence Causes Anger Management 02-03
Retos, acciones y obstáculos en la vuelta a la senda del crecimiento

Los maximos directivos de las principales empresas del mundo consideran que actualmente la principal prioridad de su agenda de trabajo es impulsar el crecimiento de ingresos, aunque sin olvidar la reduccion de costes, segun una encuesta de IBM Business Consulting Services, la division de consultoria de IBM. Este crecimiento dependera de su capacidad para lanzar productos y servicios nuevos, diferenciados y de gran calidad, y entrar en nuevos mercados. Aunque para realizar esto necesitaran mejorar la agilidad y flexibilidad de sus organizaciones y dotarse de un capital humano con los talentos y el liderazgo adecuados y capaces de gestionar los cambios necesarios.
Erratum to: Effects of mands on instructional control: A laboratory simulation.

Erratum to: The Analysis of Verbal Behavior 30, 100–112 DOI: 10.1007/s40616-014-0015-x Miller, J. R., Hirst, J. M., Kaplan, B. A., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., & Reed, D. D. (2014). Effects of mands on instructional control: A laboratory simulation. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 30, 100–112. In the second paragraph on page 110, an extra word (“best”) was erroneously included in the quotation attributed to Hackenberg and Joker (1994). The paragraph should now read as follows. Incorporating verbal operants in the interpretation of the present results adds depth to the evaluation of rule governance. A large portion of research on instructional versus-schedule control has focused on manipulating reinforcement contingencies, but applying the conceptual framework of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior allows a systematic approach to addressing the influence of various instructions. The instruction used by Hackenberg and Joker (1994) may have had the same effect on the participant as a tact given the phrasing of the instruction (“The way to earn the most points is to select…”), whereas participants in the present study responded to the instructions as mands (“You must select…” vs. “You might consider selecting…”). To the extent that the two studies are comparable and their results generalizable, commands appear to produce greater instructional control than tacts, and advice produces greater schedule control than tacts. Future experiments should directly compare instructions in the forms of mands and tacts to more directly address this relation.
Building Rational Models of Humoral Autoimmunity: The Example of Lupus Tubulointerstitial Nephritis

Mice have proven to be extremely useful tools for simulating pathways involved in humoral autoimmune diseases observed in patients. A relevant animal model can act as a means with which existing drugs can be tested and new ones rationally designed. With a view to rationally developing animal models, the common features of organ-specific autoantibody-mediated diseases are briefly recalled herein. Historically however, hurdles have often existed that have thwarted the description of these features, and therefore the development and testing of hypotheses that explain pathways that yield autoimmune pathologies. The difficulties in assembling these hypotheses from human data have included acquisition of sufficient information regarding antibodies, antigens and genetics, and the subsequent marrying of these data-sets with particular clinical manifestations. Moreover, once well-assembled hypotheses have been generated, appropriate platforms for their testing are frequently absent. In the mouse, the immunologists’ ‘go-to’ simulation platform, components integral to mounting antigen specific immune responses are often poorly conserved, or even absent. In this review, following a description of some of the cross species inconsistencies, tools such as plasmids for expressing murine monoclonal antibodies with human variable regions, and mice engineered to express human Fcγ receptors, and HLA molecules, often capable of surmounting these issues, are highlighted. By avoiding historical pitfalls, and considering how new technologies could be employed in the future, a rational approach will be devised for the detailed characterization of the recently discovered organ-specific autoimmune phenomenon lupus Tubulointerstitial Nephritis (TIN), and an animal model that simulates it.
Host Plant Associations of Anagrus spp. (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) and Erythroneura elegantula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in Northern California

Anagrus erythroneurae S. Trjapitzin & Chiappini and Anagrus daanei Triapitsyn are the key parasitoids of the western grape leafhopper (Erythroneura elegantula Osborn) in northern California vineyards. Erythroneura elegantula overwinters as an adult in reproductive diapause. To successfully overwinter, Anagrus spp. must locate an alternate leafhopper host that overwinters in an egg stage that they can parasitize. These alternate leafhopper hosts are thought to be primarily located in the natural habitats surrounding vineyards. This study identifies the noncrop host plants utilized by Anagrus spp. not only during the overwintering period but throughout the entire year, as well as the leafhopper species associated with these host plants. Over a 2-yr period, Anagrus spp. and leafhoppers were sampled from numerous plants in natural and cultivated habitats surrounding vineyards. Results from this study confirm previously known Anagrus spp. host plants, but also identify new host plant species. Some of the host plants harbored Anagrus spp. year-round while others were utilized only during certain periods of the year. Leafhoppers associated with Anagrus spp. host plants may potentially serve as the alternate host utilized by Anagrus spp. on these plants, but this was not confirmed in the current study. Records of E. elegantula demonstrate their cyclical movement between the vineyard floor (winter), temporary noncrop hosts (spring/fall), and the grape vine canopy (summer).
Semantic web and best practice in watson

IBM's revolutionary Watson system has successfully beaten human Jeopardy champions, and is now being extended and used in other domains, such as healthcare question answering, and financial data analysis. It is a common misconception that Watson is a through-and-through formally semantic system, which translates questions into formal language queries, and returns answers by executing those queries over a large knowledge base. In actual fact, Watson uses a variety of technologies to produce candidate answers to each question, and semantic technologies are primarily used in the subsequent candidate answer ranking components. In particular, linked data sources are used to provide typing evidence for candidate answers, but also several other answer ranking components rely more or less on semantics and linked data. In this speech Dr Welty discusses these semantic components and the data upon which they operate, giving examples of expected and unexpected behaviours, and how these affect the resulting answers returned by the system. He also touches upon the methods and practices employed in developing and testing Watson, giving useful suggestions for practitioners building real world large-scale cognitive systems.
Poetics of Two Springs: Fei Mu versus Tian Zhuangzhuang

Fei Mu's Spring in a Small Town (1948) is often the most discussed work when it comes to the relationship between Chinese cinema and Chinese tradition. It is also often cited as the most quintessentially "Chinese" film in history. What is odd, however, is that Spring in a Small Town takes place entirely in the immediate postwar period when the film was made. Moreover, some of its most salient stylistic traits - most of all the voiceover of its female protagonist and its tendency to frame characters from behind - are forward looking, resembling more the future works of directors such as Antonioni and Bresson. By comparison, Tian Zhuangzhuang's remake from 2002 and Hou Hsiao-hsien's Flowers of Shanghai (1998) are a reimagining of the historical past, both through the lens of the cinematographer, Mark Lee. Are these two films somehow more "traditional" as a result? Or are their aesthetic features no less forward looking, telling us more about the present in which they were made than about the Chinese past per se? This chapter discusses the poetics of these three films not only in terms of Chinese history, but also in terms of their current political underpinnings. It argues that no matter how much any Chinese-language director may try to delve into the past, they can never escape the present in doing so.
Women’s Health: Behavioral Medicine Interventions for Women During Childbearing and Menopause

After decades of health-related research that focused predominantly on males, the field of women’s health is now well established. Reproductive events are important transitions for women. While these transitions are uncomplicated for most women, some will experience recurrent or new onset mood and/or anxiety symptoms. Awareness of these issues represents an opportunity for early behavioral medicine interventions alone or as adjuncts to medical care, either to prevent or improve symptoms and facilitate quality of life. While women’s health encompasses a broad array of topics, the present chapter will focus on behavioral medicine approaches to working with women during childbearing and menopause. Specifically, this chapter will describe the course of depression and anxiety (the most common psychiatric presentations) during childbearing-related events and the menopausal transition, discuss the evidence base for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based interventions as well as specific population concerns, and conclude with a case study of how CBT might be used in women with a history of depression who hope to conceive.
Determiner-noun code-switching in Spanish heritage speakers

Code-switching is prevalent in bilingual speech, and follows specific syntactic constraints. Several theories have been proposed to explain these constraints, and in this paper we focus on the Minimalist Program and the Matrix Language Frame model. Using a determiner-noun picture naming paradigm, we tested the ability of these theories to explain determiner-noun code-switches in Spanish–English bilinguals. The Minimalist Program predicts that speakers will use the determiner from the gendered language, whereas the Matrix Language Frame model predicts that the determiner will come from the language that dominates the syntactic structure in a code-switched utterance. We observed that the bilinguals had slowest naming times and decreased accuracy in Spanish determiner - English noun conditions (‘el dog’), and that adding a Matrix Language did not modulate this pattern. Although our results do not align with either theory, we conclude that they can be explained by the WEAVER++ model of speech production.
Crystal structure of the MOP flippase MurJ in an inward-facing conformation

The crystal structure of MurJ, a bacterial lipid II flippase involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis and a member of the MOP transporter superfamily, reveals an inward-facing conformation and points to an alternating-access mechanism.
Electronic Goals of Care Alerts: An Innovative Strategy to Promote Primary Palliative Care

Abstract Context Given the shortage of palliative care specialists, strategies are needed to promote primary palliative care by nonpalliative care providers. Electronic reminders are frequently used in medicine to standardize practice, but their effectiveness in encouraging goals of care discussions is not well understood. Objectives To determine whether brief education and electronic alerts increase the frequency of goals of care discussions. Methods All general medicine services at a large academic medical center were included. Each medicine team received brief education on rounds about goals of care communication tool. When a newly admitted patient met predefined criteria, an electronic alert that included the tool was sent to the patient's resident and attending physicians within 48 hours. Results Of 352 admissions screened over a four-week period, 18% met one or more criteria. The combination of alerts and education increased documentation of goals of care in the medical record from 20.5% (15/73) to 44.6% (25/56) of patients (risk ratio 2.17, 95% CI 1.23–3.72). There were no significant changes in code status, noncode status limitations in care, or palliative care consultation. Conclusion The combination of brief education and electronic goals of care alerts significantly increased documented goals of care discussions. This intervention is simple and feasible in many settings, but larger studies are needed to determine impact on patient outcomes.
Signatures of Vectorlike Weak Currents

The general framework of a vectorlike gauge theory of leptons, quarks, and gauge bosons is sketched and particular characteristic features involving the virtual excitation of heavy fermions which are entering the charged weak current right- and left-handedly are discussed and confronted with the non-leptonic decays of strange particles.
Abstract 265: Morning Dosing of Eplerenone Improves Daytime Blood Pressure Control but Not Fibrinolytic Balance

The renin angiotensin-aldosterone system has a diurnal variation, proceeding morning increases in blood pressure and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels. The RAAS is particularly activ...
The Economics and Regulation of Secondary Trading Markets

We examine current areas of concern in the regulation of secondary trading markets, including questions concerning market fragmentation, protected orders, minimum tick size, maker-taker pricing models, transparency and dark liquidity, algorithmic and high-frequency trading, the duties and obligations of broker-dealers who handle customer orders, system robustness, flash crashes and episodic liquidity, exchange traded funds, distributed ledger technology, the ownership and usage of market data, and the governance of market data plans. We also discuss potential ways to reduce transaction costs and improve transparency in fixed income markets. To the extent possible, we summarize key findings from the existing academic literature, describe directions for future research, and offer suggestions for future rulemaking.
Privatizing the Police: A Brief Look at the Potential Benefits of Market Forces in the Operation of Law Enforcement

It has long been the conclusion of common wisdom that policing is a public good. According to Forst (2000), as of 1965, there were more sworn police officers than private security personnel, and sworn officers outnumbered the civilian employees of police departments by a count of 8.3 to 1. However, private security personnel, whatever their value to their client, are, with rare exception, not sworn officers with enforcement capability. With the recent proliferation of instances of police brutality and wrongful shootings, corruption and other such market failures within the effective monopoly of public policing, perhaps it is proper to ask whether competition can provide better alternatives.
Resilience to Discrimination and Rejection Among Young Sexual Minority Males and Transgender Females: A Qualitative Study on Coping With Minority Stress.

ABSTRACTSexual minority and transgender status is associated with mental health disparities, which have been empirically and theoretically linked to stressors related to social stigma. Despite exposure to these unique stressors, many sexual minority and transgender individuals will not experience mental health disorders in their lifetime. Little is known about the specific processes that sexual minority and transgender youth use to maintain their wellbeing in the presence of discrimination and rejection. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 sexual minority males and transgender females aged 18–22 years, who currently met criteria for an operationalized definition of resilience to depression and anxiety. Data were analyzed qualitatively, yielding information related to a wide variety of problem-solving, support-seeking, and accommodative coping strategies employed by youth in the face of social stigma. Results are discussed in light of their clinical implications.
The Meanings of a Holocaust Museum

In this chapter I consider a particular Holocaust memorial as a site where the problems of the symbolic field meet the non-linear chronology of psychic time. It is based upon part of a larger study in which six pre and in-service social studies teachers participated regarding the stakes of teaching and learning about the traumatic past.
Distinguishing Pediatric Lyme Arthritis of the Hip from Transient Synovitis and Acute Bacterial Septic Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective Lyme arthritis is an increasingly recognized clinical entity that often prompts orthopaedic evaluation in pediatric patients. While Lyme arthritis is most common in the knee, the clinical presentation of Lyme arthritis of the hip can be similar to both acute bacterial septic arthritis and transient synovitis. Accurately distinguishing these clinical entities is important since the definitive treatment of each is distinct. Because there is limited literature on monoarticular Lyme arthritis of the hip, the purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical and laboratory parameters associated with Lyme arthritis (LA) of the hip and compare them to septic arthritis (SA) and transient synovitis (TS). Study design A systematic review of the literature was performed using the following search terms, including the variants and plural counterparts "hip" and "Lyme arthritis." A final database of individual patients was assembled from the published literature and direct author correspondence, when available. A previously published cohort of patients with hip transient synovitis or septic arthritis was used for comparative analysis. A comparative statistical analysis was performed to the assembled database to assess differences in laboratory and clinical variables between the three diagnoses. Results Data on 88 patients diagnosed with Lyme arthritis of the hip was collected and consolidated from the 12 articles meeting inclusion criteria. The average age of patients presenting with Lyme arthritis was 7.5 years (± 3.5 years), the mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and the C-reactive protein (CRP) was 41 mm/hr and 3.9 mg/L, respectively. Peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count averaged 10.6 x 109cells/L with the synovial WBC count averaging 55,888 cells/mm3. Compared to a previous cohort of patients with confirmed transient synovitis or septic arthritis, the 95% confidence interval for ESR was 21 - 33 mm/hr in those diagnosed with toxic synovitis (TS), 37 - 46 mm/hr for Lyme arthritis (LA), and 44 - 64 mm/hr for septic arthritis (SA). Synovial WBC counts (cells/mm3) 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 5,644 - 15,388 cells/mm3 for TS, 47,533 - 64,242 cells/mm3 for LA, and 105,432 - 260,214 cells/mm3 for SA. There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of fever > 38.5oC (P < 0.001) and refusal to bear weight (P < 0.01) between SA, LA, and TS. Conclusions Monoarticular Lyme arthritis can be a cause of hip pain in certain geographic areas and has clinical and diagnostic overlap with transient synovitis and acute bacterial septic arthritis. This study consolidates the available literature and represents the largest series of patients diagnosed with Lyme arthritis of the hip to date. We propose a diagnostic algorithm that serially incorporates ESR, followed by a synovial neutrophil count, when evaluating pediatric patients with an irritable hip in Lyme endemic areas.
Beyond Compliance: ESL Faculty's Perspectives on Preparing General Education Faculty for ESL Infusion.

AbstractThe trend of placing English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classrooms has teacher education programs developing their capacity to prepare all teachers to educate ELLs. This study examined how universities in Florida implement a professional development requirement to help faculty infuse ELL content into their courses. Our findings suggest that the state mandate generated a compliance mentality and a one-size-fits-all approach that was insufficient. To develop faculty ELL expertise, a more transformative approach is needed.
Recurrence Post–Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Think Outside the Pulmonary Veins

See Article by Shah et al The initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF) require triggers and a vulnerable atrial substrate. AF often progresses from paroxysmal and trigger-driven arrhythmias to persistent and more substrate-dependent arrhythmias. After the seminal work by Haissaguerre et al1 who demonstrated that ectopic beats from the pulmonary vein (PV) often trigger AF, catheter ablation of AF has focused on electrical isolation of the PV. PV isolation (PVI) has demonstrated a 60% to 80% success rate of maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal AF.2 Even in nonparoxysmal AF patients, PVI alone conveys a 40% to 50% rate of success.2,3 The current 2017 HRS/EHRA/ECAS/APHRS/SOLAECE expert consensus statement describes permanent electrical isolation of the PVs as a cornerstone of AF ablation.2 Despite the advancement of ablation technology such as contact force sensing and cryoballoon technology, PV electrical reconnection is frequently observed. Jiang et al4 studied the incidence of PV reconnection in 32 patients free from AF recurrence at 12 months postradiofrequency ablation: PV reconnection was observed in 29 patients (90.6%). Recently, Nery et al5 analyzed the relationship between PV reconnection and freedom from AF in their meta-analysis including studies using radiofrequency ablation, cryoballoon ablation, and laser balloon ablation. Among patients with and without AF recurrence, 86% and 59% had at least 1 PV reconnection, respectively. The average follow-up periods of the studies included in this meta-analysis were 8±10 months. Durable PVI is associated with a lower risk of AF recurrence; however, the association was modest. Analyses of studies that included exclusively patients with paroxysmal AF in this meta-analysis showed that the association was not statistically significant. Miyazaki et al6 reported that PV reconnection was detected in 65% of patients after second-generation cryoballoon ablation at a median of 6 months …
Evaluation of Two Potent and Selective PET Radioligands to Image COX-1 and COX-2 in Rhesus Monkeys

This study assessed whether the newly developed PET radioligands 11C-PS13 and 11C-MC1 could image constitutive levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2, respectively, in rhesus monkeys. Methods: After intravenous injection of either radioligand, 24 whole-body PET scans were performed. To measure enzyme-specific uptake, scans of the 2 radioligands were also performed after administration of a nonradioactive drug preferential for either COX-1 or COX-2. Concurrent venous samples were obtained to measure parent radioligand concentrations. SUVs were calculated from 10 to 90 min. Results:11C-PS13 showed specific uptake in most organs, including spleen, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and brain, which was blocked by COX-1, but not COX-2, preferential inhibitors. Specific uptake of 11C-MC1 was not observed in any organ except the ovaries and possibly kidneys. Conclusion: The findings suggest that 11C-PS13 has adequate signal in monkeys to justify its extension to human subjects. In contrast, 11C-MC1 is unlikely to show significant signal in healthy humans, though it may be able to do so in inflammatory conditions.
Coastal Ocean Response to Atmospheric Forcing

Abstract In order to examine the response of a coastal ocean to atmospheric forcing, successive integrations of 2-D atmospheric and oceanic models are performed. The atmospheric model has a prescribed sea surface temperature that is independent of time and a prescribed, time-dependent land surface temperature. The oceanic model is forced by the wind obtained from the atmospheric model. In the case of constant sea surface temperature, the wind stress distribution is fairly constant in the cross-shore direction except in the vicinity of the coastline. With a sea surface temperature distribution corresponding to a well-developed upwelling situation, the atmosphere model develops a wind stress distribution with a pronounced decrease in a 40 km band next to the coast. The model ocean, forced with the wind stress obtained from the atmospheric run with homogeneous sea surface temperature, develops a strong upwelling zone and a strong equator-ward current with an embedded jet near the coast. Forced with the wind stress from the atmospheric run with inhomogeneous sea surface temperature, the ocean run has a much weaker upwelling and a double structured alongshore current with poleward flow in the vicinity of the coastline and equatorward flow in the region away from the coast.
The Unique Prime Factorization Theorem

In this chapter, we discuss our system's proof of the unique prime factorization theorem, also known as the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. This theorem is certainly the deepest and hardest theorem yet proved by our theorem-prover. The principal difficulty behind the proof is that Euclid's greatest common divisor function ( GCD ) plays an important role, even though it is not involved in the statement of the theorem. A beautiful but surprising fact (that multiplication distributes over GCD) is used; the more obvious fact that the GCD of two numbers divides both of them is also used. No other theorem yet proved by the theorem-prover employs as a lemma a surprising fact about a function not involved in the statement of the theorem.
Chemokines and Transplantation

A critical event in the acute rejection process is the recruitment of leukocytes to the graft site. The combination of adhesion molecules and chemoattractant cytokines or chemokines are principal factors mediating the recruitment of T cells and other leukocytes into transplanted organsl. Following transplantation, both innate and adaptive immune mechanisms induce and maintain specific chemokine production by both graft cells and graft infiltrating leukocytes2. Many chemokines direct alloantigen-primed T cells into grafts where the T cells are subsequently activated to express effector functions resulting in destruction of graft tissue.
The International Diffusion of Militant Groups, 1960-2001

This paper poses the following question: do civil wars and revolutions inspire would-be rebels elsewhere in the international system to take up arms? While the recent Arab Spring highlights the fact that civil conflict generates demonstration effects, leading rebels to mobilize even in distant countries, the causal mechanisms in this area are relatively unexplored. I theorize that ongoing civil wars, and the military victory by rebel forces therein, helps to provide an international model for mobilization. Utilizing militant organization data, I undertake a quantitative exploration of the spatial and temporal relationships between militant group emergence, and international subsystems comprising those states afflicted by civil war, and those hosting revolutionary regimes, using the country-year as my unit of analysis. I further examine how these relationships are attenuated by ideological and socio-economic similarity. I find that civil wars provide an international model for rebel mobilization, while revolutionary regimes are more commonly associated with preemptive repression. The empirical relationships explored by this paper will provide important insights for policy-makers and several academic literatures, including the international relations of civil war, terrorism, and the consequences of revolution.
Studies of Collision-Free Nonlinear Processes in the Ultraviolet Range

The collision-free response of atomic systems generated by intense irradiation at 193 nm exhibits several unusual properties. The behavior observed for the dependencies on atomic number, intensity of illumination, frequency, and polarization are discussed. The experimental evidence points to collective atomic motion involving several electrons and implicates a possible role for a Coster-Kronig mechanism, enabling rapid energy transfer among atomic subshells.
The Breath of Life: Nephesh in Hebrew Scriptures

Hebrew perspectives shaped medieval theology through the Tanakh and the works of Philo of Alexandria. The term nephesh, describing both human and animal life in Genesis, was translated as psyche, bringing together two different concepts of the soul. The Hebrew nephesh occurred all animals, was clearly embodied, and not immortal. Ideas of resurrection did not develop in Hebrew thought until just before the common era. Philo tried to reconcile scriptural and Platonic accounts of creation. Though he subscribed to a Platonic continuum, his theory of dual creation led to an ontological divide between eternal forms and physical bodies. Philo’s ideas did not catch on among Jewish thinkers but had a profound impact on medieval Christian life-concepts.
Maternal behaviors in toddlerhood as predictors of children's private speech in preschool.

Abstract Private speech is an important strategy reflecting children’s self-regulation, and thus understanding how parenting may support private speech can inform intervention work on improving self-regulation. The current study longitudinally investigated how sensitive parenting and directive parenting in toddlerhood interacted to predict preschoolers’ private speech in an emotion-eliciting task. In toddlerhood, maternal parenting behaviors were observed during two freeplay sessions. Preschoolers’ social and private speech were transcribed and coded during a frustration task. Whereas parenting did not relate to other forms of private speech, preschoolers’ facilitative task-relevant private speech was predicted by the interaction of mothers’ sensitive and directive behaviors. When sensitivity was high, parents who were less directive had children who used more facilitative task-relevant private speech. These findings highlight that children’s regulation may be supported through the combination of high sensitivity and low directiveness when parents and children are engaged in unstructured play together.
Trends in the Use of Knee Arthroscopy in Adults.

This study uses the Florida State Ambulatory Surgery and State Inpatient Databases to assess the trends in knee arthroscopy use among patients with osteoarthritis, meniscal tears, and knee pain.
An Examination of the Persistent Effects of Franchising Strategy on Large Chains

In the US economy, retail chains are extremely important since they account for a very high share of GDP relative to manufacturing sector. Retail is dominated by large franchised chains, particularly in the restaurant industry. A proven business format comprising a differentiated menu, exterior and interior design of the outlet, logos, etc., draws the interest of many prospective franchisees simultaneously, especially to large chains because it reduces their risk. Theoretical arguments are built, supported in relevant research, to present three hypotheses. Together, they form a theory of how franchising helps large chains despite abating of resource scarcity and escalation of threat from agency problems. Developing such a theory is important because extant research does not adequately address the boundary condition of large chains, even though many of them have been becoming from large to mega for many years. This theory is tested in a longitudinal sample from Quick Service Restaurant magazine, which has been publishing a list of top 50 restaurant chains for many years. All of three hypotheses are strongly supported. The paper closes with discussion of results and their implications for practice and research.
The effectiveness of cognitive enhancement therapy in a community-based program.

The following paper is the result of a semester-long program evaluation course at Spalding University, located in Louisville, Kentucky. During the course, the students were connected to Bridgehaven...
Variability and Central Tendencies in Speech Production

Speech is notoriously variable, but our understanding of this variability continues to evolve. Variability has typically been taken as an indication of failure to reach a desired target due to physical or neurological limits. However, it is likely that some variability is beneficial, an effect that has been found in other domains. Part of the effort to separate beneficial from destructive variability must be to understand the distribution of values around a speech target. One aspect that is commonly measured is the standard deviation of some objective aspect of speech. The standard deviation is most meaningful for normal distributions, and the assumption in speech research has been that values are indeed normally distributed. This has not been rigorously tested, however, as the test of normality requires a large number of samples (some studies suggest a minimum of 200) to determine whether the data is normally distributed or not. Speech research (and, indeed, most research with humans) seldom reaches such numbers for a consistent environment. Here, an initial estimate for 300 repetitions of English words by a single speaker are presented. The words were pseudo-randomized with an equal number of filler items, so that immediate repetitions (and the neural and physical fatigue repetition can cause) were avoided. 100 trials were collected on each of three days. Words were chosen to have very little coarticulatory influence (“heed,” “ode”/“owed”) or sizable coarticulatory influence (“geek,” “dote”). Measurements of vowel formants at acoustic midpoints indicated that the distributions were indeed normal. This was true even of the high coarticulatory environment, which some theories would predict would be skewed by the vowel’s reaching the edge of an acceptable region. The current results indicate that vowel targets are consistent for different environments. Further, the range of the distributions was quite similar across the two types of environment, being, for example, about 100 Hz for F1. The amount of variability is fairly substantial but can be presumed to be beneficial, as all items were heard correctly. The normality of the distribution nonetheless indicates a control structure that accommodates the coarticulatory environment at the level of planning.
Flt3-Ligand Plays a Critical Role in Development and Function of CD8+/TCR− Facilitating Cells in Bone Marrow,

Abstract 4003 Graft facilitating cells (FC) are a CD8 + /TCR − bone marrow subpopulation that enhance engraftment of purified hematopoietic cells (HSC) in allogeneic mouse recipients without causing graft-versus-host disease. They also enhance engraftment of suboptimal numbers of syngeneic HSC. FC induce antigen-specific CD4 + /CD25 + /FoxP3 + regulatory T cells in vivo. The major subpopulation in FC is resembles plasmacytoid precursor dendritic cells (p-preDC) both phenotypically and functionally. Treatment of mice with Flt3 ligand (FL) results in a significant increase in FC in peripheral blood (PB) and FL-expanded-PB FC enhanced HSC engraftment. In this study, we evaluated the role of FL in FC development using FL-KO mice. We first compared FC from FL-KO B6 mice with FC from B6 mice to evaluate the FC total cellular composition. The number of FC was significantly decreased in FL-KO mice compared to wild type controls ( P = 0.0003). The number of p-preDC FC was also significantly decreased ( P = 0.0001), suggesting that FL is important in the development of p-preDC FC. Next, we tested whether FL-KO FC facilitate engraftment of HSC in allogeneic recipients. FC were sorted from FL-KO B6 mice and HSC (C-Kit + /Sca-1 + /Lin − ) were sorted from B6 mice. 10,000 B6 HSC plus 30,000 FL-KO FC were transplanted into NOD recipients conditioned with 950 cGy of total body irradiation. Controls received 10,000 B6 HSC with or without 30,000 B6 FC. Only 36% (5 of 14) NOD recipients of B6 HSC alone engrafted and two mice survived up to 160 days ( Figure ). Sixty-three percent (5 of 8) of recipients transplanted with B6 HSC + FL-KO B6 FC engrafted and only one mouse survived up to 160 days. Seventy-five percent (9 of 12) recipients of B6 HSC + B6 FC engrafted and seven of the mice survived more than 160 days. The level of donor chimerism in recipients of B6 HSC + B6 FC (57% ± 10%) was significantly higher than recipients of B6 HSC + FL-KO B6 FC (14% ± 3%; P = 0.003) or B6 HSC alone (22% ± 6%; P = 0.005). These data demonstrate that FL-KO FC fail to facilitate durable allogeneic HSC engraftment, suggesting that flt3-ligand plays a critical role in development of functional FC. Disclosures: Ildstad: Regenerex, LLC: Equity Ownership.
Multi-Attribute Method for Quality Control of Therapeutic Proteins.

Recent advances in high resolution mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation and semi-automated software have led to a push toward the use of MS-based methods for quality control (QC) testing of thera...