cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quiver: An Informed Storage Cache for Deep Learning

We introduce Quiver, an informed storage cache for deep learning training (DLT) jobs in a cluster of GPUs. Quiver employs domain-specific intelligence within the caching layer, to achieve much higher efficiency compared to a generic storage cache. First, Quiver uses a secure hash-based addressing to transparently reuse cached data across multiple jobs and even multiple users operating on the same dataset. Second, by co-designing with the deep learning framework (e.g. PyTorch), Quiver employs a technique of substitutable cache hits to get more value from the existing contents of the cache, thus avoiding cache thrashing when cache capacity is much smaller than the working set. Third, Quiver dynamically prioritizes cache allocation to jobs that benefit the most from the caching. With a prototype implementation in PyTorch, we show that Quiver can significantly improve throughput of deep learning workloads.
Cosmological consequences of a classical finite-sized electron model

For a finite-sized classical electron, energy conservation requires that the Born self-energy $U_{e}^{\mathit{Born}}$, due to the electric field which surrounds the electron, be added to the electron’s rest mass energy $m_{e}c^{2}$. $U_{e}^{\mathit{Born}}$, which scales inversely with the electron radius $R_{e}$, is very large and, in fact, would dominate all other energy contributions within the intergalactic medium (IGM). By taking into account the ionization fraction $\nu _{e}$ of atomic hydrogen in the IGM Dark Energy can be quantitatively explained using $U_{e}^{\mathit{Born}}$ without the necessity of a cosmological constant $\varLambda $.
Higher-Order Change Within the Person-Centered Approach

Elsewhere in this volume, Kriz elegantly argues that the person-centered approach (PCA) is fundamentally a systems theory. Systems theory argues that “the whole is more than the sum of the parts,” and particularly that there is an emergent quality of any system. PCA stresses the importance of the genuineness and presence of an agent (e.g., therapist, teacher, parent) within relationships with other agents (e.g., clients, students, children). PCA stresses the healing or developmental nature of the encounter within a context of unconditional positive regard and empathy, as the “opportunity” for “self-correction” and development in ways persons need. PCA helps create a context that promotes people exiting from “stuck,” first-order solutions to problems and into second-order shifts that offer surprising resolution and healing. This chapter will briefly explicate how PCA is here viewed as a systems theory, provide a quick overview of the seminal Theory of Logical Types, as presented by Watzlawick et al. (1974), and examine how first- and second-order changes applies to relational fields like psychotherapy, education, or families.
Brotherman, Family, and Legacies: Recognizing the Contributions of African American Independent Comic Book Writers and Artists

African Americans produced many comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels during the twentieth century but their works were rarely recognized in reviews of mainstream and independently published comics until recently. These efforts to acknowledge Black comics creatives and their contributions to the industry must continue. This article participates in the ongoing effort to capture and share the experiences of African American creatives in the independent comic book publishing industry by placing a spotlight on the author and co-creator of the Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline (1990–1996) comic book series, Guy A. Sims. The Brotherman brand is part of a long legacy of inspirational media from independent Black producers. Guy’s early experiences provided him with tangible examples of successful Black-owned media companies that were creating content for Black audiences. His most important influence was his father, Dr. Edward Sims, Jr. Edward introduced young Guy to the works of Richard Wright for inspiration. He also engaged his son in questions that further inspired his creativity. Brotherman now serves as a source of inspiration to multiple generations of new comic book artists and writers.
Significant species differences in local IGF-I and -II gene expression

Much thinking about the roles of IGF-I and -II is shaped by observations in the rat or mouse, although it is not clear to what extent these laboratory rodents reflect IGF system function or regulation in other species. For example, IGF-II is usually regarded primarily as a fetal growth factor because its postnatal expression is highly restricted in the rodent. However, in the human and other species, IGF-II levels are equal to or greater than IGF-I in the circulation and in various tissues of adults (reviewed ref. 1). In addition, current concepts about the importance of growth hormone induced IGF-I production in peripheral tissues are based on rodent studies and, to our knowledge, have not been supported by human data. In order to investigate the extent to which local patterns of IGF system expression are similar in the rat and human, we have compared IGF-I, IGF-II and IGF-I receptor gene expression in the kidney and ovary2–5.
Gene Expression Comparison between Sézary Syndrome and Lymphocytic-Variant Hypereosinophilic Syndrome Refines Biomarkers for Sézary Syndrome

Sezary syndrome (SS), an aggressive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) with poor prognosis, is characterized by the clinical hallmarks of circulating malignant T cells, erythroderma and lymphadenopathy. However, highly variable clinical skin manifestations and similarities with benign mimickers can lead to significant diagnostic delay and inappropriate therapy that can lead to disease progression and mortality. SS has been the focus of numerous transcriptomic-profiling studies to identify sensitive and specific diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Benign inflammatory disease controls (e.g., psoriasis, atopic dermatitis) have served to identify chronic inflammatory phenotypes in gene expression profiles, but provide limited insight into the lymphoproliferative and oncogenic roles of abnormal gene expression in SS. This perspective was recently clarified by a transcriptome meta-analysis comparing SS and lymphocytic-variant hypereosinophilic syndrome, a benign yet often clonal T-cell lymphoproliferation, with clinical features similar to SS. Here we review the rationale for selecting lymphocytic-variant hypereosinophilic syndrome (L-HES) as a disease control for SS, and discuss differentially expressed genes that may distinguish benign from malignant lymphoproliferative phenotypes, including additional context from prior gene expression studies to improve understanding of genes important in SS.
Filipino, Chinese, neither, or both? The Lannang identity and its relationship with language

Abstract This paper focuses on a specific community of individuals who have mixed Southern Chinese and Filipino cultural heritage in the Philippines – the ‘Lannangs’. I investigate the Lannang identity and, with ethnographic interviews and survey data, propose that the identity should be broadly defined as comprising of four dynamic parts: being Filipino, being Chinese, being neither, and being both. Focusing on the Manila community, I show how the Lannangs navigate between these orientations depending on the social context and the interlocutors. Moreover, drawing on the notions of indexicality and simultaneity, I investigate the role of language in the characterization of the Lannang identity. I also show that Hokkien, Lannang-ue, Tagalog, English, among other languages, are being used to embody the aspects of ‘Lannang-ness’.
Racial Disparities in Maternal Critical Care: Are There Racial Differences in Level of Care?

Obstetric care in the US is complicated by marked racial and ethnic disparities in maternal obstetric outcomes, including severe morbidity and mortality, which are not explained by underlying differences in patient characteristics. Understanding differences in care delivery related to clinical acuity across different racial groups may help elucidate the source of these disparities. This study examined the association of maternal race with utilization of critical care interventions. This is a retrospective cohort study conducted as a secondary analysis of a large, multicenter observational study of women undergoing cesarean delivery. All women with a known delivery date were included. The primary outcome measure, a composite of critical care interventions (CCI) at delivery or postpartum that included mechanical ventilation, central and arterial line placement, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were compared by racial/ethnic group—non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American. We evaluated differences in utilization of critical care with a multivariable regression model accounting for selected characteristics present at admission for delivery, including maternal age, BMI, co-morbidities, parity, and plurality. Maternal mortality was also evaluated as a secondary outcome and the frequency of CCI by significant maternal co-morbidity, specifically heart disease, renal disease, and chronic hypertension was assessed to ascertain the level of care provided to women of different race/ethnicity with specific baseline co-morbidities. 73,096 of 73,257 women in the parent trial met inclusion criteria, of whom 505 (0.7%) received a CCI and 3337 (4.6%) had a significant medical co-morbidity (1.2% heart disease, 0.8% renal disease, 2.5% chronic hypertension). The mortality rate was significantly higher among non-Hispanic black women, compared to non-Hispanic white and Hispanic women. In the adjusted model, there was no significant association between CCI and race/ethnicity. This study suggests that differences in maternal morbidity by race may be accounted for by differential escalation to higher intensity care. Further investigation into processes for care intensification may continue to clarify sources of racial and ethnic disparities in maternal morbidity and potential for improvement.
Near-Real-Time Learner Analysis and Faculty Support During a Transition to Online Education.

The teaching tip described here relates to a department level initiative to gather and act on student experiences in real-time during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Spring 2020 semester. The survey was developed to be an ongoing, department level, data collection source that could capture, triage, and react to student’s unique situations as they arose. This enabled us to coordinate across courses, follow-up and provide students and instructors assistance in real time, and also gather information that informed decision making for our summer online courses as well as our planning for the fall. In this teaching tips article we describe the opportunities and processes for using such a survey to identify and capture aspects of the students’ lived experience that influences the effectiveness of curricular change. Doing so fills a need, especially when unexpected changes in learning environments are required, to employ concepts of learner analysis to understand and plan educational experiences for students, even when such experiences are in flux or the concepts are used informally.
Complete atrioventricular septal defect with absent or diminutive primum component: Incidence, anatomic characteristics, and outcomes.

Abstract Background Repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect with absent or diminutive primum defect is challenging because of atrial septal malposition and abnormal anatomy of the left atrioventricular valve. We sought to define the incidence, anatomy, and surgical outcomes of this entity. Methods We identified all patients in our institutional database presenting for complete atrioventricular septal defect repair from 2006 to 2018. Operative reports and echocardiograms were reviewed to determine the presence and size of the primum defect, atrioventricular valve anatomy, degree of atrioventricular valve regurgitation, repair method, and complications, including reoperation for atrioventricular valve regurgitation. Functionally univentricular patients and those receiving repair at an outside institution were excluded. Results Of 183 patients with complete atrioventricular septal defect, absent/diminutive primum defect occurred in 16 patients (8.7%; 10 absent, 6 diminutive). Six patients (38%) had leftward malposition of the atrium septum on the common atrioventricular valve. The rate of reoperation for left atrioventricular valve regurgitation was 31% (3 early, 2 late), for which preoperative predictors included leftward malposition of the atrial septum onto the common atrioventricular valve (4/6 patients with malposition required reoperation, P = .036, Fisher exact test). One patient exhibiting this risk factor died. The overall rate of moderate or greater left atrioventricular valve regurgitation on the most recent postoperative echocardiogram was 13% (2/16 patients; median follow-up, 141 days; range, 3-2236 days). Conclusions Complete atrioventricular septal defect with absent or diminutive primum defect is a unique variant of complete atrioventricular septal defect for which the risk of reoperation for left atrioventricular valve regurgitation after complete repair is high and risk factors include leftward malposition of the atrial septum on the common atrioventricular valve.
Insider Trading: The Conceptual Roots of the Doctrinal Mess

For decades, scholars have described U.S. insider trading doctrine as confusing and called for reform. Many explain the confusion by pointing to the stark difference in how enforcement officials and federal courts apply insider trading law. Others describe the confusion as the result of policy makers failing to choose between the goal of fostering efficient markets and the goal of fostering fair or equitable markets. Both explanations are incomplete. This article demonstrates that the conflict between courts and enforcement officials is the symptom of a deeper problem. It argues that the conceptual cause of the mess is more precisely the failure to choose between two conflicting notions of fairness. First, both enforcement officials and courts ground the prohibition in consent-based notions of fairness by citing violations of property rights in confidential business information. Second, both sides simultaneously premise liability on a conception of fairness that presumes equal access to material information for all market participants. Attempting to simultaneously foster these mutually exclusive notions of fairness in relation to the same piece of information has caused a slow and inconsistent conceptual creep that has resulted in an incoherent doctrine. This article concludes by recommending that reformers clarify insider trading law by prioritizing one of the two conflicting notions of fairness. Since both norms are embedded in American law and culture, reform requires using the common practice of distinguishing between morally questionable behavior in general and the morally questionable behavior that will generate legal liability. This approach gives market participants the option of attempting to adhere to both principles in their private dealings, while successfully enforcing one of the principles through law.
Error-Manipulation Gait Training for Veterans With Nontraumatic Lower Limb Amputation: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

Objective The purpose of this study will be to determine the efficacy of error-manipulation gait training (error-augmentation or error-correction) to improve step length symmetry and secondary health outcomes in veterans with unilateral nontraumatic transtibial amputation (TTA). Methods This will be a 3-arm, parallel, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial, with baseline, postintervention, and 3-month follow-up assessments in a VA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center. Participants are 54 US military veterans ranging in age from 50 to 85 years with a unilateral transtibial nontraumatic amputation. Participants will be randomized into 1 of 3 groups: error-augmentation training (EAT), error-correction training (ECT), or supervised walking (CTL). Each group will complete 8 split-belt treadmill walking training sessions of 25 minutes each over 4 weeks. The EAT group will walk with belts moving at asymmetrical speeds. The ECT group will walk to the cadence of a metronome and the split belts moving at symmetrical speeds. The CTL group will walk with symmetrical belt speeds and without feedback. Step length symmetry is the primary outcome and will be assessed using an asymmetry index during overground walking. Secondary outcomes include lower extremity joint work during treadmill walking, 6-Minute Walk Test performance, daily step count, participant-perceived disability, and residual-limb integumentary health. Outcomes will be assessed at preintervention, 1-week postintervention (primary endpoint), and 13 weeks postintervention. Impact This study protocol focuses on an understudied area of rehabilitation for patients with nontraumatic unilateral TTA who have high levels of spatiotemporal gait asymmetry and mobility impairment. The results of this study will inform future implementation of clinical gait training interventions to improve spatiotemporal gait symmetry and long-term health and disability outcomes in patients with nontraumatic unilateral TTA.
Robust Multi-robot Team Formations Using Weighted Voting Games

We consider the problem of distributed multi-robot team formation including the dynamic reconfiguration of robot teams after encountering obstacles. We describe a distributed robot team reconfiguration algorithm, DYN-REFORM, that uses a game-theoretic technique of team formation called weighted voting games(WVGs) along with a flocking-based formation control mechanism. DYNREFORM works without explicit knowledge of global features such as the presence of obstacles in the environment or the number and location of all other robots in the system. It uses the locally computed metrics of each robot in the team to determine whether a team needs to split or two teams need to merge during reconfiguration. We have tested team reconfiguration using the DYN-REFORM algorithm experimentally within the Webots simulator using teams of e-puck robots of different sizes and with different obstacle geometries. We have also shown that using robots coordinated with the DYN-REFORM algorithm for a distributed area-coverage application improves the coverage performance.
Reformas al sistema de seguridad social y el mercado laboral en los Estados Unidos y Canadá

This study evaluates the labor market impact of the most recent reforms that have been proposed or implemented in the social security systems of the United...
An anthropological genetic perspective on creolization in the anglophone caribbean

Variable socio-cultural influences devel- oped in the colonial Caribbean as a result of competing European hegemonic rule. In this study, we examine how colonial regulations regarding social hierarchies and mate choice worked to influence the genetic landscape of con- temporary African Caribbean populations. To this end, 420 individuals from Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Vincent, Jamaica, and Trinidad were genotyped for 105 autosomal ancestry informative markers. Based on these data, population substructure and admixture were assessed using an exact test, a model-based clustering method, and principal components analysis. On average, individual admixture estimates of the pooled African Caribbean sample were 77% (SD618%) West African, 15% (SD615%) European, and 7.7% (SD68%) Native American. In general, ancestry estimates were significantly different between Dominica and all other islands. Genetic structure analyses indi- cated subdivision into two subpopulations on most islands. Finally, unlike all of the other Caribbean popula- tions that clustered adjacent to African populations, the Dominican population was more intermediate between the three parental groups in the principal components plot. As a result of the significant French influence throughout Dominican history, Dominica did not have the same cultural influences that typified other Anglophone colonies. Consequently, there were different social hierar- chies and resulting mate choices on Dominica compared with the other considered islands. This study highlights the complex socio-cultural history of a broad region of the Caribbean and attests to the interplay between social and biological factors in shaping the genetic diversity present in present-day communities. Am J Phys Anthropol 151:135-143, 2013. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Abolition of Punishment

Punishment has diverted the attention of philosophers. A lot of work has been done on the justification of punishment, so that there is a kind of consensus about what the moral limits of punishment are, and what the remaining problems are, and so on. But here's the rub: by failing to distinguish clearly between punishment and the other institutions of the criminal law, we have kidded ourselves into believing that we have a nice, bright line to protect us against abuses, if only we could get the state to conform to it: No one may be punished unless he has committed a crime. But given that that limit is a limit on punishment only, and not on the whole machinery of the criminal law, it is going to turn out that the limit is entirely illusory. It does not limit the state in any way, and it actually covers up some of the abuses we would like to invoke it against. That, at least, is what I intend this paper to persuade you of.
Automatic generation and analysis of NIDS attacks

A common way to elude a signature-based NIDS is to transform an attack instance that the NIDS recognizes into another instance that it misses. For example, to avoid matching the attack payload to a NIDS signature, attackers split the payload into several TCP packets or hide it between benign messages. We observe that different attack instances can be derived from each other using simple transformations. We model these transformations as inference rules in a natural-deduction system. Starting from an exemplary attack instance, we use an inference engine to automatically generate all possible instances derived by a set of rules. The result is a simple yet powerful tool capable of both generating attack instances for NIDS testing and determining whether a given sequence of packets is an attack. In several testing phases using different sets of rules, our tool exposed serious vulnerabilities in Snort - a widely deployed NIDS. Attackers acquainted with these vulnerabilities would have been able to construct instances that elude Snort for any TCP-based attack, any Web-CGI attack, and any attack whose signature is a certain type of regular expression.
Trusting Children: How do surveillance technologies alter a child's experience of trust, risk and responsibility?

The growing use of new forms of surveillance technology across the day-to-day lives of children and the spaces they inhabit brings with it potential changes to childhood experience. These technologies may change the way children interact with others and the way they come to understand the world around them. This article investigates the nature of these changes by looking at the impact of new surveillance technologies on a child’s experience of trust. It aims to show that an increased surveillance presence across a child’s everyday activity may be denying children important opportunities both to trust others and to be trusted.
One-Tube Test for Determining Oxidative or Fermentative Metabolism of Bacteria

A one-tube test for distinguishing oxidation from fermentation in the metabolism of carbohydrates was examined on 1,200 gram-negative bacilli. There was a 100% correlation between the one-tube method and the standard two-tube procedure.
Estimation of errors-in-variables models

The so-called errors-in-variables models pose serious problems to traditional statistical estimation because the Gaussian likelihood function, defined by the natural quadratic error measure, has a saddle point rather than a maximum. A discussion is presented of the estimation of such models, including the number of linear relations in them, based on the computation of a central concept in statistics: the stochastic complexity. In particular, an estimate of the linear relation between two such variables is demonstrated which has the property that when the level of the noise is reduced to zero, the estimate agrees with the correct solution. >
A longitudinal study of the nutritional and immunological composition of human milk

Abstract Eleven healthy women, who were 25–35 years of age, primipara, fullterm and had had normal delivery, were included in this study. Breast milk was estimated for protein, non-protein nitrogen, lipids, lactose, sIgA, IgM, IgG and total and differential cell counts. In the first 3–5 days post-partum, protein concentration (chiefly immunoglobulins sIgA, IgM, IgG) was very high but decreased rapidly by day 5 and remained rather stable afterwards. The contents of fat and lactose were low in the first few days and increased gradually later. Neutrophils, lymphocytes, colostral cells and macrophages were all found in the breast milk.
Identification of an Essential Second Metal Ion in the Reaction Mechanism of Escherichia coli Adenylosuccinate Synthetase

Abstract This study reports that two Mg ions are required for Escherichia coli adenylosuccinate synthetase activity. The first metal ion is presumably coordinated with β- and -phosphoryl groups of GTP to provide an electron sink, and the second one seems to interact with aspartate in the enzyme active site. Regarding the latter metal ion, kinetic studies show that aspartate and the second Mg ion bind to the enzyme active site randomly with a k value of 1.47 s and with K values for aspartate and Mg of 225 and 114 μM, respectively. The dissociation constants for aspartate and Mg of the enzymeGTPIMP (aspartate or Mg) complex are 79.2 and 40.0 μM, respectively. However, variable amounts of aspartate or Mg did not show any significant changes in the K values for GTP and IMP. Kinetic studies using Mn and Ca ions indicate that the k values (0.930 and 0.235 s, respectively) were slightly decreased compared with the value obtained using Mg; however, the K values for aspartate and GTP in the presence of Mn and Ca were significantly decreased compared with those obtained using Mg ion (4.5 and 4.6 times for Mn ion and 5.6 and 5.8 times for Ca ion, respectively). On the other hand, the K values for IMP were not significantly changed (1.9 and 1.8 times for Mn and Ca ions, respectively). Taken together, these kinetic results imply that aspartate may interact with Mg to form a Mgaspartate complex in the enzyme active site. An inhibition study of the enzyme with ZnCl2 (its K value is 29 nM) also suggested that Zn competes with aspartate as well as Mg, implying that Zn might form a complex with aspartate in the active site. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that Mgaspartate complex formation in the active site of adenylosuccinate synthetase may be important in activation of the protonated amino group of aspartate, enhancement of the enzyme's binding affinity, and its specificity for aspartate.
Bicomponent aggregation in finite systems

The mixing state of a bicomponent population of clusters (granules) is characterized by the normalized variance of excess solute, χ, a parameter that measures the deviation of the composition of each granule from the overall mean. For certain initial conditions and types of kernels, this parameter is constant provided that the population is infinite in size. Here we examine the parameter χ in finite populations and we find that it always decreases. We then apply the analysis to Monte Carlo algorithms that use finite populations to simulate aggregation in infinite systems and find that, while increasing the number of Monte Carlo particles converges the solution to the result for the infinite system, this convergence depends on the degree of homogeneity. In particular, as the degree of homogeneity of non-gelling kernels approaches 1, the number of Monte Carlo particles required to maintain acceptable accuracy with respect to χ in the scaling limit may be prohibitively high.
Hunter-Gatherers in a Howling Wilderness: Farming economic systems for human needs

Recent advances in evolutionary theory applied to economic structure and process may permit construction of both new economic theory and new tools for data analysis that can help in the design of more robust economic policies and practices, resulting in less frequent and less disruptive Knightian transitions, and enabling as well the design of institutions that are, in turn, less disrupted by those that do occur.
Mechanistic Studies on Human Platelet Isoprenylated Protein Methyltransferase: Farnesylcysteine Analogs Block Platelet Aggregation without Inhibiting the Methyltransferase

The kinetic mechanism of the human platelet S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet)-linked isoprenylated protein methyltransferase was studied and determined to be ordered bibi. AdoMet binds first, and S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) departs last. Simple N-acetylated farnesylated cysteine analogs, such as N-acetyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine (AFC), are excellent substrates for the enzyme. Although many N-acetylated farnesylated cysteine analogs are excellent substrates for the enzyme, analogs with bulky moieties adjacent to the farnesylcysteine are neither substrates nor inhibitors of the enzyme. Two molecules of this class, N-benzoyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine (BzFC) and N-pivaloyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine (PFC) are useful in sorting out the putative physiological role of the methyltransferase in mediating human platelet aggregation because their pharmacological activities are unlinked to methyltransferase inhibition. When studied as inhibitors of platelet aggregation, the analogs are as active, or more active, than bona fide methyltransferase inhibitors of similar structure. Therefore, although it is possible that methyltransferase inhibitors, such as AFC, inhibit the enzyme when applied to cells, the observed pharmacological effects appear to be unrelated to this blockade. The new FC analogs described here have revealed a new signal transduction target which will be of some interest to explore.
‘Testing’ game theory

This paper considers whether game theory can be tested, what difficulties experimenters face in testing it, and what can be learned from attempts to test it. I emphasize that tests of game theory rely on fallible assumptions concerning particular features of the strategic situation and of the players. These do not render game theory untestable in principle, but they create serious problems. In coping with these problems, experimenters may use game theory to learn what games experimental subjects are playing.
Single site fundoplication and foregut procedures

Over the past few decades, advancements in minimally invasive surgery techniques have made surgical management of gastroesophageal reflux diseases increasingly popular. More recently, the field of minimally invasive surgery has experienced a natural evolution towards a reduction in the invasiveness of surgery and even in the number of abdominal access incisions. In fact, single site/access approaches have been successfully applied to a number of common minimally invasive surgery procedures including cholecystectomy, hysterectomy, colectomy, bariatric and even anti-reflux surgery. However, there is very little published data on the application of this technique in anti-reflux surgery. We present a brief review of available data as well as a summary of our experiences with this innovative approach to minimally invasive foregut surgery.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Production of Hydrogen Using High-Temperature Fuel Cells

This paper presents: (1) the electricity and hydrogen co-production concept, (2) a thermodynamic analysis methodology for studying solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cell hydrogen co-production, and (3) simulation results that address the impact of reformer placement in the cycle on system performance. The methodology is based on detailed thermodynamic and electrochemical principles that apply to each of the system components and the integrated cycles. Eight different cycle configurations that use fuel cell heat to drive hydrogen production in a reformer are proposed, analyzed, and compared. The specific cycle configurations include SOFC and MCFC cycles using both external and internal reforming options. The fuel cell plant performance has been evaluated on the basis of methane utilization efficiency and each component of the plant has been evaluated on the basis of second law efficiency. The analyses show that in all cases the exergy losses (irreversibilities) in the combustion chamber are the most significant losses in the cycle. Furthermore, for the same power output, the internal reformation option has the higher electrical efficiency and produces more hydrogen per unit of fuel supplied, in the case of using a SOFC. Copyright © 2005 by ASME.
The effects and perceived consequences of testing accommodations on math and science performance assessments.

Northern Illinois UniversityThe present study examined the effect accommodations have on test results of studentswith and without disabilities and documented experts judgments about the appropri-ateness of testing accommodations. Test score data were collected from 218 fourth-grade students with and without disabilities on mathematics and science performancetasks and from eight testing experts who evaluated the fairness and validity of a sampleof testing accommodations used with these students. Results indicated that, for moststudents with disabilities and some students without disabilities, packages of testingaccommodations had a moderate to large effect on performance task scores. Expertreviewers rated most accommodations for a student with disabilities as being both validand fair, and they gave accommodations listed on a students individualized educationprogram (IEP) signi cantly higher validity and fairness ratings than accommodationsthat were not listed on the students IEP. Interpretations of these data are provided andimplications for practice and future research are discussed.Keywords:
Knee Extensor Strength Does Not Protect Against Incident Knee Symptoms At 30 months in the Multicenter Knee Osteoarthritis (MOST) Cohort

Objective Knee extensor weakness has not been associated consistently with the risk for incident knee pain. Additionally, the balance of hamstring-to-quadriceps strength (H:Q ratio) may affect risk and has not been studied. The authors determined whether knee extensor weakness or muscle imbalance is a risk factor for development of frequent knee pain or stiffness and whether the effect is modified by lower limb alignment. Design Observational study. Setting Community. Participants Community-dwelling adults ages 50-79 years with or at risk of knee osteoarthritis based on obesity, knee injury, or surgery. A total of 1269 knees from women and 1006 knees from men without frequent knee symptoms at baseline and with 15- or 30- month follow-up outcome data were included. Assessment of Risk Factors Isokinetic knee extensor and flexor strength as well as radiographic hip-knee-ankle alignment were measured at baseline. H:Q ratio was dichotomized, with normal being considered to be ≥0.6. Main Outcome Measurements Frequent knee symptoms at 15- or 30-month follow-up (frequent knee pain, aching, or stiffness on most days of the past month reported at both telephone contact just before and at visit). Results Mean ± SD age was 62.2 ± 8.0 years and mean body mass index (BMI) was 30.1 ± 5.4 kg/m 2 . Mean peak knee extensor strength (KES) was 132.6 ± 42.4 and 76.9 ± 25.3 N·m in men and women, respectively. Approximately 50% of knees in men and 59% of knees in women had an H:Q ratio Conclusions Neither concentric quadriceps strength nor H:Q ratios predicted the development of frequent knee symptoms at 15- or 30-month follow-up in this cohort.
GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT AND CONCENTRATED URBAN POVERTY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

Responding to previous analyses that assume that places are passive recipients of the various macro-level social phenomena associated with concentrated urban poverty, I hypothesize that concentrated urban poverty takes on different forms in different places as a result of how macro-level social phenomena are mediated by locally specific structures. To investigate how concentrated urban poverty takes on different forms in different places, I first decompose the poverty rates of all high-poverty urban neighborhoods in the United States into their race-specific rate and composition effects, and classify high-poverty neighborhoods based on these decomposition values. The results of the analysis demonstrate that poverty in a majority of the high-poverty neighborhoods in the United States is undoubtedly affected by geographically specific processes. For example, within one set of high-poverty neighborhoods, poverty is associated with both the lack of economic opportunity and high rates of class-based residentia...
Trends and oscillations in tick population dynamics

Abstract The life cycle of ticks is complex, proceeding through four developmental stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. In temperate zones it is punctuated by seasonality, as in the case of the deer tick, which is the vector of the agent of Lyme disease in the northeastern parts of the United States. A model of 12 monthly stage-structured matrices were constructed and their product was used to follow the annual changes in the tick population. A judicious choice of the cut-off date for the yearly cycle enabled us to gain insight into the algebraic structure of the 11 x 11 annual transition matrix, and discover that it possesses only three non-zero eigenvalues: a dominant one that determines the main trend and two minor ones that add a riding oscillatory behavior, demonstrating the inherent nature of population swings even under constant external conditions. In addition, we find oscillations due to fluctuating environments that are strongly affected by the magnitude of the eigenvalues. Thus, both inherent and environmental oscillations determine patterns of tick population growth. In a non-fluctuating environment, tick population structure ultimately converges to a stable stage distribution, regardless of whether the population thrives or declines.
Chiral cyclohexanoid synthetic precursors via asymmetricmicrobial reduction of prochiral cyclohexanediones

Abstract Microbial reduction of various 2,2-disubstituted-1,3-cyclohexanediones with bakers' yeast provides efficient access to chiral cyclohexanoid synthetic precursors.
Climate and the eastern repository: A comparative study

We present a comparison of the climate in prospective states or sites under consideration for the eastern repository for high-level nuclear waste in the United States.
Cine Display Of Wall Motion Of The Heart, Using Technetium-99m Labeled Red Cells, Scintillation Camera, ECG Gate, Computer, And Video Recorder

Wall motion studies of the left ventricle are made with commercially supplied hardware and software. The patient is imaged with the scintillation camera 10 minutes after the in-jection of 20 mCi labeled red cells. The camera images are digitized and stored in com-puter memory. The computer divides the cardiac cycle into 28 segments and stores a separate image sequentially for each segment. In order to provide images of adequate statistical quality several hundred cycles are acquired and summed by the computer, each sequence of 28 images being triggered by a signal from the R wave. Three or more projections of the heart are acquired in order to demonstrate various portions of the wall tangentially. A number of case studies are displayed in real time cine on a monitor from a video recorder to demonstrate normal wall motion and various degrees of motion impairment.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Divorce as Selection, Stress, and Process

Abstract This ten-year review first describes three views about divorce as: (1) selection, (2) stress, and (3) process. It then codes 481 scholarly works on divorce published from 1987 through 1996 as criticizing, endorsing, or not mentioning these views. The review assesses the relative influence of these views on the divorce literature. Finally, the review suggests future implications for research and scholarly writing on divorce: (1) the need to apply more comprehensive conceptual frameworks, (2) identification and quantification of specific populations of divorced persons whose experience reflects each of the views, and (3) further investigation of the neglected aspects of divorce, such as positive outcomes.
Effects of aminoglutethimide and its metabolite, N-acetylaminoglutethimide, on bovine adrenocortical and human placental cytochromes P-450scc

The ability of aminoglutethimide to inhibit cholesterol conversion to pregnenolone was lost upon acetylation of the arylamine nitrogen. This appears to be due to failure of N-acetyl-d-aminoglutethimide to bind to cytochrome P-450scc, since it does not produce the altered low spin form of the enzyme formed upon binding ofd-aminoglutethimide. These findings provide further evidence for a role of the free arenamine function in aminoglutethimide and related inhibitors.
Toward a Comprehensive Art of Written Discourse: Geoffrey of Vinsauf and the Ars Dictaminis

eoffrey of Vinsauf is famous as the premier exponent of the medieval art of poetry. His versified treatise, the Poetria nova, was a self-conscious attempt to update Horace's Art of Poetry, the Poetria vetus, by taUoring its precepts to the exigencies of the medieval schoolroom. The effort was a complete success, and the Poetria nova quickly became by far the most widely used textbook on the ars podriae, as evidenced by its preservation in nearly 200 manuscripts from all over Europe.' Less weU known is the fact that Geoffrey concerned himself with the composition of prose as well as verse. In fact, he wrote as many as three prose treatises deaUng at least partially with the composition of prose. Though none of these treatises achieved anything approaching the international popularity of the Poetria nova, they are valuable for indicating the full scope of Geoffrey's teaching. Moreover, one of them, the stUl unpublished treatise called the long Documentum, was sufficiently important to be imitated by two of Geoffrey's contemporaries and to rival the Poetria nova's popularity in the schools of fourteenthand fifteenth-century En-
Mechanism of dansylation of the polyamine pentaazapentacosane ·5 HCl

Abstract Dansylation of the pentaamine pentaazapentacosane ·5 HCl (PAPC) produces only the perdansyl product. This occurs even under conditions of pH and dansyl chloride concentration most likely to produce partially dansylated products. This result is explained by a mechanism whereby only completely unionized amine molecules will dansylate. The proposed mechanism is supported by the dansylation versus pH profile of PAPC versus that of a reference monoamine (piperidine ·HCl). After 4 h at room temperature and pH 9.5, 100% of piperidine is dansylated while under the same conditions only 10% of PAPC is derivatized. A pH greater than 10.5 is required to completely dansylate PAPC. This difference is significantly greater than would be predicted from the p K a values but it is consistent with the proposed mechanism.
Patterns of osseous injuries and psychosocial factors affecting victims of child abuse

The aim of this paper is to document experience in the management of cases of child abuse with suspected osseous injury, at the Adelaide Children's Hospital, during the period January 1974-December 1986. The study is a retrospective review of the casenotes, radiographs and radiologists' report of 108 consecutive cases with suspected osseous injuries. Information regarding the osseous injuries sustained and the pyschosocial environment surrounding the circumstances of the patients admitted was recorded. Of 108 cases of suspected osseous injuries, 90% had confirmed osseous injury, of whom 56 cases (52%) had multiple fractures. Twenty of the 41 cases of single osseous injury were due to skull fractures. In children less than 12 months of age, long bone injuries were the most common form of presentation, and in 83% of these the injuries were multiple. Metaphyseal injury in association with other fractures was present in 14% of cases, and 8% of cases showed evidence of periosteal reaction to injury. There were two deaths during the period of this study, as a direct consequence of abuse. The main cause of death in both of these cases was the combination of cerebral haemorrhage and liver trauma. There were 10 other deaths not associated with fracture during this period. The analysis of psychosocial factors demonstrated that 48% of the children were first-born and 67% of parents were unemployed. Of the alleged abuser, the mother was known to be responsible in 50% of cases. In 10% of cases, the parent responsible for the injury admitted to the offence at the time of presentation at the hospital.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Language: en
Why be a good Human Being? Natural Goodness, Reason, and the Authority of Human Nature

The central claim of Aristotelian naturalism is that moral goodness is a kind of species-specific natural goodness. Aristotelian naturalism has recently enjoyed a resurgence in the work of philosophers such as Philippa Foot, Rosalind Hursthouse, and Michael Thompson. However, any view that takes moral goodness to be a type of natural goodness faces a challenge: Granting that moral goodness is natural goodness for human beings, why should we care about being good human beings? Given that we are rational creatures who can ‘step back’ from our nature, why should we see human nature as authoritative for us? This is the authority-of-nature challenge. In this essay, I state this challenge clearly, identify its deep motivation, and distinguish it from other criticisms of Aristotelian naturalism. I also articulate what I consider the best response, which I term the practical reason response. This response, however, exposes Aristotelian naturalism to a new criticism – that it has abandoned the naturalist claim that moral goodness is species-specific natural goodness. Thus, I argue, Aristotelian naturalists appear to face a dilemma: Either they cannot answer the authority-of-nature challenge, or in meeting the challenge they must abandon naturalism. Aristotelian naturalists might overcome this dilemma, but doing so is harder than some Aristotelians have supposed. In the final sections of the paper, I examine the difficulties in overcoming the dilemma, and I suggest ways that Aristotelians might answer the authority-of-nature challenge while preserving naturalism.
Hydrodynamic principles of wave power extraction

The hydrodynamic principles common to many wave power converters are reviewed via two representative systems. The first involves one or more floating bodies, and the second water oscillating in a fixed enclosure. It is shown that the prevailing basis is impedance matching and resonance, for which the typical analysis can be illustrated for a single buoy and for an oscillating water column. We then examine the mechanics of a more recent design involving a compact array of small buoys that are not resonated. Its theoretical potential is compared with that of a large buoy of equal volume. A simple theory is also given for a two-dimensional array of small buoys in well-separated rows parallel to a coast. The effects of coastline on a land-based oscillating water column are examined analytically. Possible benefits of moderate to large column sizes are explored. Strategies for broadening the frequency bandwidth of high efficiency by controlling the power-takeoff system are discussed.