cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning to Play: A “Hedgehog Concept” for Physical Education

What is physical education and why does it exist? Despite its relatively long and storied history, consensus about the main purpose of physical education remains minimal. This article explores three questions, developed by Jim Collins in his best-selling book Good to Great, to help organizations identify a hedgehog concept, or primary reason for their existence: (1) What are we deeply passionate about? (2) What can we be the best in the world at? and/or What can we not be the best in the world at? (3) What drives our resource engine? By drawing on ideas from physical education scholars to answer these questions, this article shows that providing a large quantity of quality opportunities for students to learn to play is a legitimate hedgehog concept for physical education.
Mixing Qualitative Methods

To date the development of mixed methods has focused on combining or using various combinations of qualita­ tive and quantitative methods in the same project. The struggles to find ways to easily use methods (or strategies) from both paradigms and maintain validly has distracted researchers from considering if, when, and how two meth­ ods from the same paradigms may also be included in the category of mixed methods. But, if we use two quali­ tative methods (or two quantitative methods for that matter), are we doing a mixed methods project? I think we can, and the purpose of this editorial is to place the issue of combining two qualitative “methods” on the table. First, why have I put “methods” in quotations? This is because actually conducting two qualitative methods in the same study means that each method is complete in itself (and may therefore be published as two separate studies), and then the results of these two projects have been synthe­ sized and written or described in a third publication. In this case, I am not describing a mixed method study, but rather a multiple method project. Because researchers who con­ duct multiple method research use two complete methods, they do not have the methodological dilemmas of the rese­ archers who conduct mixed method research, and their difficulties arise only during synthesis. On the other hand, I define mixed method research as consisting of one complete project (called the core com­ ponent), and strategies from a different method used as a supplementary component (conducted simultaneously or sequentially to the core component; see Morse & Niehaus, 2009). These two components address a single area of inquiry that cannot be addressed by the core com­ ponent alone. The supplementary component is not a complete project, is not publishable by itself, and the results of this component can only be interpreted within the core component. That is, perhaps the supplementary component consists only of a few focus groups—these data have not reached saturation per se, but a particular question has been answered to the satisfaction of the researcher and enabled his or her research program to continue. Or, once the researcher had completed his eth­ nography, he needed the answer to a narrow and specific question, and conducted some observations of a particu­ lar setting as the supplemental component. Perhaps a researcher conducted a video ethnography, and conducted conversational analysis on some of the dialogues to answer another minor question. Using these examples, we can see some of the charac­ teristics of QUAL­qual mixed methods emerging:
Infrared Absorption Coefficients of Silica Glasses

The absorption coefficient values of several silicate glasses in the IR radiation range were determined. Four methods were employed in this study: (1) direct transmission by CO2 laser, (2) direct transmission through ultrathin sections using an IR spectrometer, (3) glass particle dispersions in KBr pressed pellets, and (4) IR reflection spectral analysis. Wide variations in values were observed for some of these techniques. The reasons for the variations were explored, and evidence is presented to support the conclusion that the reflection measurements and the low-power transmission technique yield accurate values. The pellet technique was found to possess too many experimental variables which could not be controlled and gave erroneous data. The damage produced by direct transmission of high-power radiation was severe and introduced effects which gave spurious results.
Interaction of metal with underlying dielectric films in multilevel interconnect systems

The authors report the interaction of an aluminium film with its underlying LPCVD dielectric film. The LPCVD film absorbs moisture in the atmospheric environment and causes severe degradation in subsequently deposited metal films. The addition of phosphorus appears to have two competing effects: enhancement of water absorption and densification of the film. The authors have identified deposition temperature, plasma power density, and ion bombardment as parameters for improving dielectric film stability. Modifying the oxide network by doping the glass and/or providing energy during oxide deposition improves the dielectric integrity, and this type of stable dielectric film is very essential for a multilevel interconnect system. >
Subtype- and antigenic site-specific differences in biophysical influences on evolution of influenza virus hemagglutinin

Background Influenza virus undergoes rapid evolution by both antigenic shift and antigenic drift. Antibodies, particularly those binding near the receptor-binding site of hemagglutinin (HA) or the neuraminidase (NA) active site, are thought to be the primary defense against influenza infection, and mutations in antibody binding sites can reduce or eliminate antibody binding. The binding of antibodies to their cognate antigens is governed by such biophysical properties of the interacting surfaces as shape, non-polar and polar surface area, and charge.
Role of Arabidopsis AGO6 in siRNA accumulation, DNA methylation and transcriptional gene silencing

Argonautes (AGOs) are conserved proteins that contain an RNA-binding PAZ domain and an RNase H-like PIWI domain. In Arabidopsis, except for AGO1, AGO4 and AGO7, the roles of seven other AGOs in gene silencing are not known. We found that a mutation in AGO6 partially suppresses transcriptional gene silencing in the DNA demethylase mutant ros1-1. In ago6-1ros1-1 plants, RD29A promoter short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are less abundant, and cytosine methylation at both transgenic and endogenous RD29A promoters is reduced, compared to that in ros1-1. Interestingly, the ago4-1 mutation has a stronger suppression of the transcriptional silencing phenotype of ros1-1 mutant. Analysis of cytosine methylation at the endogenous MEA-ISR, AtREP2 and SIMPLEHAT2 loci revealed that the CpNpG and asymmetric methylation levels are lower in either of the ago6-1 and ago4-1 single mutants than those in the wild type, and the levels are the lowest in the ago6-1ago4-1 double mutant. These results suggest that AGO6 is important for the accumulation of specific heterochromatin-related siRNAs, and for DNA methylation and transcriptional gene silencing, this function is partly redundant with AGO4.
Coercion and social support behind bars testing an integrated theory of misconduct and resistance in U.S. prisons

In this article, we examine key propositions from Colvin, Cullen, and Vander Ven's Differential Coercion/Social Support Theory (DCSST) to explain inmate violence, misconduct, and resistance within prison. RESULTS from logistic regression models applied to data from a sample of 481 prisoners incarcerated in state correctional facilities across the United States provide mixed support for the theory. Coercive experiences within prison are associated with engagement in violent misconduct as well as defiant and institutionalized forms of inmate resistance. However, social support is not consistently related to either misconduct or resistance. Furthermore, results suggest that prison staff can inhibit these reactive behaviors by effectively reducing violence and promoting safety within prisons. These findings have important implications for the status of DCSST and for advancing popular explanations of inmate misconduct. Language: en
Analysis of Minocycline as a Countermeasure Against Acute Radiation Syndrome

Background/Aim: To evaluate the impact of an antibiotic, minocycline, on several immune parameters in response to radiation in a mouse model. Materials and Methods: C57BL/6 mice were treated with minocycline (i.p.) for 5 days, beginning immediately before radiation with 1-3 Gy 60 Co γ-rays. Spleen and blood were collected on day 4 post-irradiation. Cell populations were determined in the blood and spleen. Splenocytes were activated with anti-CD3 antibody for 48 h and cytokines were quantified. Results: Minocycline increased the counts and/or percentages of splenic macrophages, granulocytes, natural killer, T- and CD8 + T-cells (p<0.05 versus radiation alone). Minocycline significantly increased the expression of interleukin-1α and β, which are radioprotective, as well as the ones of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, which accelerate neutrophil recovery (p<0.05 versus radiation alone), while suppressing cytokines that could prevent hematopoiesis, e.g. macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, tumor necrosis factor- α and interferon-γ. Conclusion: These data indicate that minocycline should be further tested for use in restoration of the hematopoietic system after radiation exposure. Radiation exposure is a highly significant concern in the event of nuclear disasters. Although cytokines and growth factors have been extensively researched as potential radioprotectors and radiomitigators (1), very few effective countermeasures are available. Consequently, protection against radiation damage to normal tissues is very important to the Departments of Defense, Energy and Homeland Security, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States of America. Radiation in
De novo methylation of the p16INK4A gene in early preneoplastic liver and tumors induced by folate/methyl deficiency in rats.

Previous studies have established that chronic dietary insufficiency of the lipotropic nutrients choline and methionine with or without chemical initiation is hepatocarcinogenic in the rat and certain mouse strains. In the present study, the folate/methyl-deficient model of multistage hepatocarcinogenesis was used to evaluate progressive in vivo changes in p16 promoter methylation in both preneoplastic and tumor tissues. Previous studies using this model have demonstrated stage-dependent alterations in genome-wide and p53 gene-specific methylation. In the present study, we used highly sensitive methylation specific PCR (MSP) to determine time of appearance of methylated sequences within p16 promoter. In addition, methylation-sensitive single nucleotide primer extension methodology was applied to determine methylation status of the remaining CpG sites within amplified methylated alleles. Using this approach, extensive methylation in p16 promoter was found in 100% of tumors, but the pattern of methylation varied depending on tumor type. The incidence and extent of de novo methylation in the CpG island of the p16 promoter increased with tumor progression. To further explore the evolution of p16 gene hypermethylation, we examined the appearance and progression of site-specific de novo methylation during early preneoplasia. Our data show that site-specific de novo methylation of 5′ CpG island of p16 gene precedes tumor development and undergoes dynamic expansion during tumor progression.
Abstract 910: Selective inhibition of Rac1 and Cdc42 in ovarian cancer using the R-enantiomer of ketorolac

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States and is frequently diagnosed at late stage with multiple secondary metastases. Ras-homologous (Rho) family GTPases contribute to metastatic dissemination through regulation of actin reorganization, cell motility, cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion. Rho GTPases are altered in a number of human cancers and our work provides the first evidence for dysregulation of Rac1 and Cdc42 in ovarian cancer. These findings suggest that Rac1 and Cdc42 inhibitors represent potential therapeutics for ovarian cancer. Using high throughput screening we identified the R-enantiomers of ketorolac and naproxen as novel inhibitors of Rac1 and Cdc42. Although it has been noted that R-enantiomers of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are poor inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX) activity, little is known about the pharmacologic activities or targets of the R-enantiomers. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of R-ketorolac on ovarian cancer. The effects of racemic, R- and S-ketorolac were investigated using SKOV3ip ovarian cancer cells. The compounds [NSC23766][1] and MLS0000693334 were used as positive controls for Rac1 and Cdc42 respectively. An in vitro G-LISA assay indicated R-ketorolac, and not S-ketorolac, inhibits Rac1 and Cdc42 activity. In cells, R-Ketorolac, not S-ketorolac, inhibits cell:cell adhesion and cell migration. An intra-peritoneal xenograft model of tumor implantation was used to determine the effects of drugs in vivo. Racemic ketorolac decreased the number of implanted tumors by 70%. To elucidate the mechanism of GTPase inhibition by R-ketorolac, a targeted microarray analysis was performed. Preliminary results show an alteration to the gene expression profile of human cytoskeletal regulators in response to ketorolac treatment. These effects may be due to inhibition of Rac1 and Cdc42 directly or through upstream or downstream inhibition. This analysis also provides biomarkers that can be used to analyze tumor tissues from primary patients and animal studies. Together, these findings indicate that R-ketorolac is a novel inhibitor of Rac1 and/or Cdc42, and inhibit cellular processes necessary for ovarian cancer metastasis. The mechanism behind ketorolac inhibition will require further investigation. In the future, this drug may offer benefit to ovarian cancer patients through inhibition of these GTPase targets Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 910. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-910 [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GENPEPT&access_num=NSC23766&atom=%2Fcanres%2F72%2F8_Supplement%2F910.atom
Matching color images: the effects of axial chromatic aberration

We show how to compute and to use the wavelength-dependent optical transfer function (OTF) to create color matches between spatially patterned images. We model the human OTF as a defocused optical system with a circular aperture. In our model the defocus arises from axial chromatic aberration and wavelength-independent aberrations. From the computed OTF it is apparent that high-spatial-frequency components of the image can play little role in contrast and color appearance and that in the spatial-frequency range from 5 to 20 cycles/deg the visual system is dichromatic, because there is no contrast in the short-wavelength receptor signal. We show how to use the wavelength-dependent OTF to match color images across displays by setting matches in corresponding spatial-frequency bands. Because chromatic aberration so affects the OTF, this new procedure is a significant improvement over the conventional procedure of setting matches point by point.
TESTING PROTOPLANETARY DISK ALIGNMENT IN YOUNG BINARIES

We present K-band (2.2 � m) imaging polarimetry that resolves 19 T Tauri binary and multiple systems in the Taurus-Auriga and Scorpius-Ophiuchus star-forming regions. We observed systems with projected separations 1B5–7B 2( � 200–1000 AU) in order to determine the relative orientation of the circumstellar disks in each binary system. Scattered light from these disks is polarized, allowing us to deduce the position angle of the disk on the sky from the position angle of polarization even though our observations do not resolve the disks themselves. We detected measurable polarization (typically 0.5%–2%, with typical uncertainty 0.1%) from both stars in 14 of the systems observed. In eight of the nine binary systems, the two stars’ polarization position angles are within 30 � of each other, inconsistent with random orientations. In contrast, the five triple and quadruple systems appear to have random disk orientations when comparing the polarization position angles of the widest pair in the system; the close pairs are unresolved in all but one system. Our observations suggest that disks in wide (200–1000 AU) binaries are aligned with each other within P20 � but not perfectly coplanar. However, we cannot conclusively rule out random relative disk orientations if the observed polarizations are significantly contaminated by interstellar polarization. Even in the presence of interstellar polarization our observations securely exclude coplanar disks. These results provide constraints on possible binary formation mechanisms if the observed orientations are primordial. On the other hand, models of disk-binary interactions indicate that the disks may have had time to decrease their relative inclinations since formation. If the common orientation of the disks in these binaries is a tracer of the binary orbital plane, then our results also have significance for the stability of planetary orbits, suggesting that planetary systems in wide binaries should be stable over 10 9 yr timescales. Subject headings: circumstellar matter — planetary systems: formation — planetary systems: protoplanetary disks — polarization — stars: formation — stars: pre–main-sequence
Sapro-Zoonotic Risks Posed by Wild Birds in Agricultural Landscapes

Publisher Summary There are over 1400 catalogued human pathogens, with approximately 62% classified as zoonotic. Because humans generally do not have direct contact with wild birds, exposure to pathogens is via indirect routes, that is, environmental. This chapter explores the risks wild birds pose to the contamination of field crops and the risk such contamination poses to human health. It presents a few studies that document the role wild birds have in contaminating field crops and subsequent acquisition of pathogens and onset of disease by humans. Most of the evidence in the literature focuses on relatively few commensally wildlife species in urbanized environments, or at best, general wildlife surveillance and monitoring efforts. This means that there is no direct evidence. Therefore, this chapter summarizes the circumstantial evidence, relying mostly on the characterization of host range of pathogens, similarities of virulence traits of animal and human pathogens, and habitat use patterns of wild birds in agricultural and urban landscapes. It calls for more directed studies to form a more informed assessment as to what actual human pathogen contamination risks wild birds pose to field crops, and by implication, to human health. Finally, it touches upon the mitigation efforts that might be undertaken to reduce risks of pathogen transmission by wild birds.
Effects of surface conditions on low field structure in the surface impedance of metals

Abstract It is suggested that surface conditions can affect the location as well as the broadening of low field cyclotron resonances in metals with the field parallel to the surface. This is confirmed for a simple model generalizing the usual specular boundary condition.
BK virus infection: an update on diagnosis and treatment

BK virus, first isolated in 1971, is a significant risk factor for renal transplant dysfunction and allograft loss. Unfortunately, treatment options for BK virus infection are limited, and there is no effective prophylaxis. Although overimmunosuppression remains the primary risk factor for BK infection after transplantation, male gender, older recipient age, prior rejection episodes, degree of human leukocyte antigen mismatching, prolonged cold ischemia time, BK serostatus and ureteral stent placement have all been implicated as risk factors. Routine screening for BK has been shown to be effective in preventing allograft loss in patients with BK viruria or viremia. Reduction of immunosuppression remains the mainstay of BK nephropathy treatment and is the best studied intervention. Laboratory-based methods such as ELISPOT assays have provided new insights into the immune response to BK and may help guide therapy in the future. In this review, we will discuss the epidemiology of BK virus infection, screening strategies, treatment options and future research directions.
Comparison of Common Tern Reproductive Performance at Four Restored Colonies along the Maine Coast, 1991-2002

Abstract We compared the reproductive performance of the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) from 1991-2002 at four restored colonies in Maine that differ in location (inshore, nearshore and offshore sites), colony age and size and predation. Specifically, phenology, clutch size, survival, growth, provisioning rates and predation intensity and frequency were compared between sites. Common Terns nesting on the two inshore islands laid larger clutches, hatched chicks earlier that grew faster, reached a greater asymptotic mass, and had a greater chance of fledging than conspecifics on a nearshore and an offshore colony, despite greater predation pressure. Individuals nesting at the offshore site suffered reduced reproductive performance, which may be due to colony location with respect to foraging areas. Clutch size, chick provisioning rates and first hatch dates (earlier) declined as colony size increased. Although inshore nesting terns produced more chicks on average, extensive predation in some years caused high...
One-Step Conversion of Algal Biomass to Biodiesel with Formation of an Algal Char as Potential Fertilizer

We describe a new procedure for conversion of algal biomass into biodiesel using a single step process through the use of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). The dried algae is placed in a laboratory-scale reactor with TMAH reagent (25% in methanol) under a blanket of flowing nitrogen gas and converted to a condensable gas-phase product (biodiesel) at temperatures ranging from 250 to 550°C. The condensed biodiesel is freed of methanol and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) are the main products of the reaction at all temperatures studied. Residues from the one-step conversion exhibit varying levels of transformation which may likely affect their end use.
The Bargain in the Firm: Partnership Law, Corporate Law, and Private Ordering within Closely-Held Business Associations

The law that dominates legal scholarship is the corporate law of the public entity. This corporate law struggles to define and protect the interests of a large, amorphous, and essentially passive group of shareholders who typically hold diversified portfolios and whose willingness and ability to focus attention on any single investment in that portfolio is limited. Aggrieved shareholders of publicly held firms normally have the exit option available through the liquidity provided by organized securities markets. Another corporate law addresses the closely held firms that at one time or another elected corporate status. Here, the problem lies in the exercise of control by one group of shareholders to the disadvantage of another group under circumstances in which disadvantaged shareholders, unlike their counterparts in publicly-held firms, typically do not have an easy exit option. This is the corporate under law under which private ordering through bargaining among shareholders has achieved slow but steady gains. It is also the corporate law largely ignored by contemporary legal scholars. The two corporate laws, and the concerns addressed by each, are quite distinct. Recognizing the distinction is critical in assessing the content as well as the evolution of corporate law. It is also a premise underlying this article, which considers private ordering in closely-held firms and the degree to which partnership law and corporate law have influenced each other.
Former Ottomans in the ranks: pro-Entente military recruitment among Syrians in the Americas, 1916–18

For half a million ‘Syrian’ Ottoman subjects living outside the empire, the First World War initiated a massive political rift with Istanbul. Beginning in 1916, Syrian and Lebanese emigrants from both North and South America sought to enlist, recruit, and conscript immigrant men into the militaries of the Entente. Employing press items, correspondence, and memoirs written by emigre recruiters during the war, this article reconstructs the transnational networks that facilitated the voluntary enlistment of an estimated 10,000 Syrian emigrants into the armies of the Entente, particularly the United States Army after 1917. As Ottoman nationals, many Syrian recruits used this as a practical means of obtaining American citizenship and shedding their legal ties to Istanbul. Emigre recruiters folded their military service into broader goals for ‘Syrian’ and ‘Lebanese’ national liberation under the auspices of American political support.
Carbon and nitrogen storage in California sage scrub and non-native grassland habitats

Abstract Human activity has altered global carbon and nitrogen cycles, leading to changes in global temperatures and plant communities. Because atmospheric carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations are affected by storage in terrestrial vegetation and soil, it is critical to understand how conversions from native to non-native vegetation may alter the C and N storage potential of terrestrial landscapes. In this study, we compared C and N storage in native California sage scrub, non-native grassland, and recovering California sage scrub habitats in the spring and fall by determining the C and N content in aboveground biomass, litter, and surface soil. Significantly more C and N were stored in intact and recovering California sage scrub than in grassland habitats. Intact and recovering sage scrub did not differ significantly in C or N storage. Our results highlight that preserving and restoring California sage scrub habitat not only provides habitat for native biodiversity, but also increases carbon and nitrogen storage potential even without restoration to intact sage scrub.
“Desperate for Love”: Cinematic Influences upon a Defendant’s Closing Argument to a Jury

I spent the summer of 1991 at a mob trial in Hartford, Connecticut. The stories in that trial presented a remarkably complex interweaving of plots, counterplots, and subplots. There was drama, speculation as to motive and meaning, alternative visualizations of the past: a carnival of theatricality and storytelling. The mob trial was a story of events and judgments in a “field of pain and death.” The consequences of convictions for murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and a plethora of other illegal activities were grave indeed. Nevertheless, the storytelling at the trial was surprisingly lighthearted. Several defendants spoke in tones of ironic detachment. This attitude was occasionally captured by the defendants’ attorneys in direct examinations, cross-examinations and, especially, in the closing arguments.
Improved Methods for Optical Determination of Uptake of Dye in vivo Rabbit Brain and in vitro Tissue Phantoms

Momentary saline flushes help differentiate the optical signals due to contrast agent in vasculature from that in tissue, enabling optical measurement of tissue uptake of dye in an animal model and in dynamic tissue phantoms.
Principles and Properties of Stress Granules

Stress granules are assemblies of untranslating messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs) that form from mRNAs stalled in translation initiation. Stress granules form through interactions between mRNA-binding proteins that link together populations of mRNPs. Interactions promoting stress granule formation include conventional protein–protein interactions as well as interactions involving intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins. Assembly and disassembly of stress granules are modulated by various post-translational modifications as well as numerous ATP-dependent RNP or protein remodeling complexes, illustrating that stress granules represent an active liquid wherein energy input maintains their dynamic state. Stress granule formation modulates the stress response, viral infection, and signaling pathways. Persistent or aberrant stress granule formation contributes to neurodegenerative disease and some cancers.
Some Background Information

The atomic nucleus was discovered as a consequence of a nuclear-reaction experiment and the investigation of its properties relies to a large extent upon measurements made on a variety of nuclear reactions. However, before discussing nuclear reactions, we should answer the question: ‘what is a nucleus?’
LVAD-DT: Culture of Rescue and Liminal Experience in the Treatment of Heart Failure.

The purpose of this article is to investigate how cultural meanings associated with the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) inform acceptance and experience of this innovative technology when it is used as a destination therapy. We conducted open-ended, semistructured interviews with family caregivers and patients who had undergone LVAD-DT procedures at six U.S. hospitals. A grounded theory approach was used for the analysis. Thirty-nine patients and 42 caregivers participated. Participants described a sense of obligation to undergo the procedure because of its promise for salvation. However, once the device was implanted, patients described being placed into a liminal state of being neither sick nor healthy, with no culturally scripted role. Consideration of end-of-life decisions was complicated by the uncertainties about how patients with LVADs die. Pre-implantation communications among patient, family, and clinicians should take into account the impact of the technology on meaning, identity, and pati...
Preoperative Risk Factors Predict Protracted Hospital Length of Stay after Elective Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

Background One of the main advantages of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is shorter postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS) compared to open repair. However, patients with preexisting conditions may be predisposed to a protracted LOS. Our aim was to identify preoperative risk factors for prolonged postoperative LOS after elective EVAR. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2005–2013) was used to analyze all patients undergoing elective EVAR without adjunctive procedures. The upper quartile (≥3 days) was used to define protracted LOS. Preoperative risk factors with significant association ( P Results There were 21,769 patients that underwent elective EVAR with a median LOS of 2 days. The strongest independent preoperative predictors of LOS were chronic renal insufficiency (odds ratio [OR]: 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7–5.2), admission from a facility (OR: 2.7, 95% CI: 2.2–3.2), dependent functional status (OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 2.2–3.1), recent weight loss (OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.7–2.9), the American Society of Anesthesiologists class IV (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.6–2.3), congestive heart failure (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.4–2.4), female gender (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.6–1.9), non-Caucasian race (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.5–1.9), and dyspnea at rest (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2–2.0). Patients with a protracted postoperative LOS were more likely to require discharge to a facility (21.8% vs. 2.1%, P P Conclusions Preoperative demographics and comorbidities represent significant risk factors for prolonged LOS after elective EVAR. These findings provide an important evidence basis for ongoing efforts to reduce health care spending by prospectively identifying high-risk patients. Preoperative targeting of these patients through multidisciplinary efforts may reduce costs and improve outcomes.
Spin Matrix Polynomials

Any nonsingular function of spin j matrices always reduces to a matrix polynomial of order 2j. The challenge is to find a convenient form for the coefficients of the matrix polynomial. The theory of biorthogonal systems is a useful framework to meet this challenge. Central factorial numbers play a key role in the theoretical development. Explicit polynomial coefficients for rotations expressed either as exponentials or as rational Cayley transforms are considered here. Structural features of the results are discussed and compared, and large j limits of the coefficients are examined.
The Dynamics of Advice Giving by Venture Capital Firms: Antecedents of Managerial Cognitive Effort:

This study investigates what leads managers to allocate constrained cognitive effort toward new versus familiar aspects of a business. Specifically, we explore advice giving by venture capital firms (VCs) to their portfolio companies, distinguishing between business topics on which a VC has advised other ventures in the past and topics new to the VC that may be outside its areas of expertise. We use both demand-side (venture-driven) and supply-side (VC-driven) perspectives to offer a novel theory about the antecedents of cognitive effort underlying advice giving. Empirical tests in a unique data set of French VCs show that both perspectives explain important aspects of advice-giving dynamics for VCs. VCs facing dynamic environments and capacity constraints strongly respond to stimuli from ventures, but VCs also adjust their behavior as they accumulate experience in ways that reflect both expanding confidence in their ability to add value and concerns about overextension of their efforts, depending on the ...
Accept the complement (blockade)

In this issue of Blood , Konar and Granoff describe an elegant series of experiments that address the reason immunization against meningococcal disease can fail to protect people treated with the complement-blocking antibody, eculizumab. 1
Addressing Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders in Context

As a Latino social worker and educator, I have frequently confronted the shortcomings of mainstream institutions and agencies in advancing interventions and treatment approaches for Latino populati...
Survival of the locals: examining the U.S. ethanol industry

In an exploratory study of the U.S. ethanol industry, we investigate organizational bankruptcy and industry movement. Local ownership was found to positively impact an organization’s survival rate since public firms entered this industry under markedly different motivation, and as such were more susceptible to market shifts. Beyond ownership, this study also examines how institutional resources in the form of state representation and state incentives, influence mortality and firm foundings. Contradictory to earlier findings between density and mortality (nonmonotonic, U-relationship), the results of this study are in the opposite direction predicted by Hannan and Freeman. We contend that this is due to industry-specific conditions in the form of governmental support. This industry is still in the early stages of its formation, and it is observed that while local firms are more likely to survive, very few new ones are coming online indicating another shift in the dynamics of future growth.
Evolution of the revised American Fertility Society classification of endometriosis.

La societe americaine de Tritilite propose une nouvelle classification de l'endometriose qui doit remplacer la precedente d'Acosta. L'avantage de cette nouvelle classification est qu'elle tient compte de la totalite des lesions en precisant leur caractere uni ou bilateral et leur extension. Elle a l'inconvenient de creer des sous-classes qui rendent son utilisation moins aisee
Reproduction, Events and Management | Pregnancy: Parturition

Parturition in animals, after a normal gestation, is a unique physiological process that signifies the termination of pregnancy and the beginning of extrauterine life of the neonate. Once parturition is initiated, it must proceed to completion and, as such, is difficult to interrupt or delay. It is a timed event that requires the fetus to have attained a stage of maturity that will enable it to survive extrauterine life. Parturition involves the orchestration of a complex series of physiological events that require the rotation of the fetus into the birth position, which is accompanied by a cascade of endocrine changes that terminate with a successful delivery. When the fetus is in the birth position, the temporal alignment of these endocrine changes is paramount in determining the timing of delivery. Although many of the hormonal cues as well as physiological and anatomical changes that precede delivery are similar among domestic animals, each species seems to have developed its own temporal relationship among events that govern parturition. A great deal of research has been undertaken over the past 25 years, particularly on the endocrine parameters of the fetal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and endocrine contribution of the fetal membranes, to understand better the mechanisms associated with parturition. Both the mother and the fetus contribute significantly to the events associated with parturition and the importance of their individual contributions will be addressed in this article.
Novel & Emerging Risk Factors in Racial/Ethnic Groups

Over the last decade, the increased research focus on cardiovascular imaging for the identification of patients at risk for and with significant coronary artery disease (CAD) has augmented clinician awareness and ability to properly risk stratify and categorize patients. Cardiac imaging has now become a technique not only for assessing patients with established CAD but also for the identification of patients with subclinical CAD who are at risk for ischemic heart disease and cardiac events of death and myocardial infarction. The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) is a 10-year longitudinal study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with the goals of identifying and quantifying risk factors for subclinical atherosclerosis and for transition in patients from subclinical disease to clinically apparent events. Cardiac imaging findings from MESA with respect to racial/ethnic differences reveal that the incidence and prevalence of CAD differ among some racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The large number of patients affected by CAD has driven the development of effective, non-invasive methods to identify and risk-stratify patients with and at risk for CAD. When patients are properly identified, the appropriate treatment strategies can be applied to individual patients to prevent future events, such as death or myocardial infarction. Historically, exercise treadmill testing (ETT) with electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring was the initial test applied to patients suspected of having CAD. Today, non-invasive cardiovascular testing with imaging has become the gold standard for the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of patients with suspected or known cardiovascular disease.
Infrastructure for Transportation Cyber-Physical Systems

Abstract In transportation cyber-physical systems (TCPS), data are collected from different transportation modes and from a wide variety of data collection devices. TCPS data have characteristics that can be described using ‘5Vs of big data’: (1) volume, (2) variety, (3) velocity, (4) veracity and (5) value (Demchenko et al., 2013) . Volume represents the raw amount of data to be stored. Velocity represents the rate at which data are being collected and inserted into the data infrastructure and how fast the back end services are expected to process these data streams. The variety aspect arises from the fact that in a data-driven environment, it is inevitable for service providers to collect and combine data from numerous different sources for creating actionable insights. As a result, data will come into the infrastructure under different data formats. With increases in data size, rate of data arrival and number of data sources, the reliability of data contents will certainly decrease. This is the veracity aspect. The final V, value, represents the desired outcome for investing in TCPS data, because all efforts are for nought if usable insights cannot be generated from the data. All of these characteristics make traditional database management systems and conventional data processing and delivery systems inappropriate for many types of transportation data analysis and decision support tasks. An enormous amount of heterogeneous data cannot be processed in real time. This chapter introduces the modern data infrastructures that are needed to support TCPS. The focus is on open-source hardware and software technologies that support data management and delivery systems. The chapter also includes a discussion of infrastructure as code that can leverage emerging commercial cloud facilities.
Everything is under control: Buber’s critique of Heidegger’s magic

As part of a religiously-oriented analysis, Martin Buber associates Martin Heidegger’s later philosophy with magic. The present article is dedicated to explicating and evaluating this association. It does so, first, by fleshing out how Buber comes to depict Heidegger as an advocate of magic. Then, by examining other appearances of the category of magic in the wider context of Buber’s dialogical oeuvre, it demonstrates that what he has in mind when he invokes this category is a specific manner of human appeal to the divine marked by manipulation, utility and control. Finally, it evaluates the affiliation of Heidegger with magic: first, by comparing the metaphysical presuppositions undergirding the logic of magic—specifically the conceptions of, and interrelations between, ‘language’ and ‘being’—with Heidegger’s views, and second, by judging whether the claim that Heidegger promotes manipulative, utilitarian, and power-laden attitudes can be justified in light of his analysis of ‘technology’. The article ultimately argues that Buber misattributes magic to Heidegger, and that this misattribution better reflects the theoretical framework through which Buber justifies his dialogical position than an apt assessment of Heidegger’s thought.
Factors associated with longer endocrine therapy use by South Carolina Medicaid-insured breast cancer survivors.

PurposeThe objective of this study is to determine demographic, clinical, and pharmaceutical factors that are associated with longer endocrine therapy usage duration.MethodsSouth Carolina Central C...
Co-occurring childhood maltreatment exposure and depressive symptoms in adulthood: Testing differential effects of stress dysregulation and perceived stress.

Objectives: Objectives were to explore: 1) the association between sub-groups with different multi-type childhood maltreatment exposures and depressive symptoms in late adulthood, and 2) the mediat...
Win–win urban ecology: near-home fishing promotes diversity of Odonata

It is generally thought that increased human activity or infrastructure automatically translates to decreased wildlife activity or abundance. We surveyed dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) at fourteen urban parks with water features to determine factors that promote or hinder species richness or overall abundance. We constructed basic decision trees with either richness or abundance as a response variable and a suite of park characteristics (e.g., size, footprint of the water feature(s), habitat heterogeneity, presence and extent of infrastructure) as predictors. We found that the key predictor of both higher odonate richness and higher odonate abundance was the presence and extent of fishing activities. Despite higher human use at parks that promoted angling, as well as more infrastructure and increased management at these parks—factors that typically are thought to be correlated negatively with biodiversity—odonates and humans benefit from maintaining them and, we suggest, ensuring proper water quality persists. If it is good for fish, it is good for aquatic insects.
Challenges, strategies and research priorities in legume-based nitrogen management for organic small grain producers in the Northeastern US

High yields and crop quality in organic small grain production can only be achieved through successful management of nitrogen. Experienced farmers and advisors in the Northeastern U.S. were asked to discuss the most pressing challenges in organic nitrogen management for organic small grain systems, with a particular focus on legume green manures (LGMs). Eighteen semi-structured interviews with 12 farmers and eight advisors were conducted between December 2017 and March 2018. The farmers employed a range of materials and practices for fulfilling the nitrogen fertility needs of their crops, including LGMs, animal manures and organic fertilizers. Farmers and advisors identified cost, overdependence on external nitrogen sources, nitrogen source access, diversifying rotations, weed management and predicting nitrogen mineralization of organic residues as major challenges in nitrogen management. Results indicated that cost-effectiveness in nitrogen management is essential, but that farmers consider additional factors, such as weed pressure and long-term soil health effects, when choosing nitrogen sources or practices. Legume-based nitrogen fertility is promising for small grain systems in this region, but structural challenges, such as the lack of animal agriculture proximal to grain operations, and limited cash crop markets, impede the development of diverse rotations that feature long-term legume sods. Recommendations include additional field-based research, including on-farm, participatory LGM studies as one avenue. Programming and educational outreach should focus on bolstering farmers' understanding of nitrogen mineralization of incorporated LGM residues, as well as their ability to anticipate and respond to sources of variability in LGM systems.
Intra- and interhemispheric white matter tract associations with auditory spatial processing: Distinct normative and aging effects.

Abstract Declining auditory spatial processing is hypothesized to contribute to the difficulty older adults have detecting, locating, and selecting a talker from among others in noisy listening environments. Though auditory spatial processing has been associated with several cortical structures, little is known regarding the underlying white matter architecture or how age-related changes in white matter microstructure may affect it. The arcuate fasciculus is a target for understanding age-related differences in auditory spatial attention based on normative spatial attention findings in humans. Similarly, animal and human clinical studies suggest that the corpus callosum plays a role in the cross-hemispheric integration of auditory spatial information important for spatial localization and attention. The current investigation used diffusion imaging to examine the extent to which age-group differences in the identification of spatially cued speech were accounted for by individual differences in the white matter microstructure of the right arcuate fasciculus and the corpus callosum. Higher right arcuate and callosal fractional anisotropy (FA) predicted better segregation and identification of spatially cued speech across younger and older listeners. Further, individual differences in callosal microstructure mediated age-group differences in auditory spatial processing. Follow-up analyses suggested that callosal tracts connecting left and right pre-frontal and posterior parietal cortex are particularly important for auditory spatial processing. The results are consistent with previous work in animals and clinical human samples and provide a cortical mechanism to account for age-related deficits in auditory spatial processing. Further, the results suggest that both intrahemispheric and interhemispheric mechanisms are involved in auditory spatial processing.