cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brief compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation training video and simulation with homemade mannequin improves CPR skills

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training has traditionally involved classroom-based courses or, more recently, home-based video self-instruction. These methods typically require preparation and purchase fee; which can dissuade many potential bystanders from receiving training. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching compression-only CPR to previously untrained individuals using our 6-min online CPR training video and skills practice on a homemade mannequin, reproduced by viewers with commonly available items (towel, toilet paper roll, t-shirt). Participants viewed the training video and practiced with the homemade mannequin. This was a parallel-design study with pre and post training evaluations of CPR skills (compression rate, depth, hand position, release), and hands-off time (time without compressions). CPR skills were evaluated using a sensor-equipped mannequin and two blinded CPR experts observed testing of participants. Twenty-four participants were included: 12 never-trained and 12 currently certified in CPR. Comparing pre and post training, the never-trained group had improvements in average compression rate per minute (64.3 to 103.9, p = 0.006), compressions with correct hand position in 1 min (8.3 to 54.3, p = 0.002), and correct compression release in 1 min (21.2 to 76.3, p 100/min), but an improved number of compressions with correct release (53.5 to 94.7, p 50 mm) remained problematic in both groups. Comparisons made between groups indicated significant improvements in compression depth, hand position, and hands-off time in never-trained compared to CPR-certified participants. Inter-rater agreement values were also calculated between the CPR experts and sensor-equipped mannequin. A brief internet-based video coupled with skill practice on a homemade mannequin improved compression-only CPR skills, especially in the previously untrained participants. This training method allows for widespread compression-only CPR training with a tactile learning component, without fees or advance preparation.
Perfusion Deficits and Association with Clinical Outcome in Patients with Anterior Choroidal Artery Stroke

Background and Purpose Anterior choroidal artery (AChA) strokes have a varied pattern of tissue injury, prognosis, and clinical outcome. It is unclear whether perfusion deficit in AChA stroke is associated with the clinical outcome. This study aims to determine the frequency of perfusion abnormalities in AChA stroke and association with clinical outcome. Methods The study cohort was derived from ischemic stroke patients admitted to 2 stroke centers between July 2001 and July 2014. All patients received an acute magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Patients with ischemic stroke restricted to the AChA territory were included in the study. Lesion size was measured as the largest diameter on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) or apparent diffusion coefficient and divided into 2 groups ( Results A total of 120 patients were included in the study. Perfusion deficits were identified in 67% of patients. The admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was higher in patients with perfusion abnormalities ( P = .027). Diameter lesion size on DWI was larger among patients with a perfusion deficit median [interquartile range], 1.63 [1.3-2.0], as compared with those without, 1.18 [1.0-1.7], P P = .013). Conclusions Two thirds of patients with an AChA stroke have a perfusion deficit on MRI, higher admission NIHSS, and larger DWI lesion size at presentation.
The Drift Method for Heavy Traffic Limits, with Applications in Data Centers and Networks

Heavy traffic limits of queueing systems have been studied in the literature using fluid and diffusion limits. Recently, a new method called the 'Drift Method' has been developed to study these limits. In the drift method, a function of the queue lengths is picked and its drift is set to zero in steady-state, to obtain bounds on the steady-state queue lengths that are tight in the heavy-traffic limit. The key is to establish an appropriate notion of state-space collapse in terms of steady-state moments of weighted queue length differences, and use this state-space collapse result when setting the drift equal to zero. These moment bounds involved in state space collapse are also obtained by drift arguments similar to the well-known Foster-Lyapunov theorem. We will apply the methodology to study routing, scheduling, and other resource allocation problems that arise in data centers and cloud computing systems.
Midwest airborne television and the technology of education

INVENTION, IN A SENSE, may be termed "the mother of necessity." This reversal of the well-worn phrase points to our inability to be ready for change. Once an invention is recognized, we see a need for many more inventions that could not have been thought of before the initial innovation. For example, we are still hard at work to achieve the social and technical changes necessary to promote and control the use of the automobile more than 50 years after its development. We are involved in the very rapid development of a computer-controlled technology of industrial production; the necessities posed are present in the hungry lines of men at welfare and employment offices. The Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction (MPATI) may be considered as a case study in the application of technology to educational processes. The MPATI proposals, in effect, are inventions of human-machine systems designed to deal with certain realms of educational problems. The disturbing effects of the MPATI program on the profession have been experienced before and will be experienced again whenever innovations are introduced. The plan is to telecast year-long course sequences for use at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. The MPATI stations will fly in a DC6AB aircraft at an altitude of 23,000 feet near Montpelier, Indiana. The ultra-highfrequency channels 72 and 76 will be used to telecast to a six-state area including parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Within this estimated range of over 150 miles, there is a potential audience of five million students in 13,000 schools. In this brief article I do not propose to review the many details of the MPATI plan of operation. Detailed evaluation of technical quality and professional competence in the program must be delayed until a full schedule of telecasts are presented. Difficulties in the technical sphere forced postponement of even the sample program series until late in the spring of 1961. It is appropriate, however, to examine some of the issues involved in MPATI programming, certain items dealing with the economics of the Program, and ideas that relate to the
PRESERVATION METHODS OF ANIMAL PRODUCTS

Animal products preservation involves prevention or reduction of growth of microorganisms; retarding color deterioration and enzymatic action; and maintaining or improving nutritional value, texture, and flavor. Many preservation techniques are often combined as ‘hurdles’ to accomplish the desired results. For example, a few of the hurdles might include heating, reduction in water content, and additives, such as salt and nitrite, along with modified atmosphere or vacuum packaging.
Mightier than the Sword: Social Science and Development in Countering Violent Extremism

Countering terrorism through social science-based development assistance is a new policy model that moves beyond traditional methods based on the application of military force, public diplomacy, pressure to democratize, or broad-based poverty alleviation. The core elements of this framework for countering violent extremism (CVE) involve 1) pushing U.S. military responses “downstream” and using them sparingly, 2) reducing marginalization of peripheral communities and encouraging re-integration, 3) providing locally based counter-narratives to those of violent extremist organizations, and 4) increasing the legitimacy and capacity of partner governments.
How Important are Nutrient Constraints in Optimal Foraging Models or are Spatial/Temporal Factors More Important?

Optimal foraging theory (henceforth called OFT) perhaps has achieved some of the greatest successes in quantitatively predicting observed patterns (i.e. diets) in nature, than any other ecological theory (Schoener 1986, Stephens and Krebs 1986). This is not to say that OFT has been accepted without reservation, nor that the predictive successes of the theory are unambiguous (Gray 1986, Pierce and Ollason 1987). Two major complaints about OFT studies have been espoused. First, predicted diets may not be as close to the observed values as implied by investigators. Second, investigators sometimes invoke post hoc explanations when predicted and observed values do not closely correspond.
The association of sleep with neighborhood physical and social environment.

Abstract Objectives While sleep is critical for good health, it remains a major public health concern because millions of individuals do not obtain a sufficient amount of sleep at night to reap proper health benefits. When examining factors that contribute to deleterious sleep outcomes, few researchers to date have examined the physical and social environments together. Study design This article is an analytical essay. Methods In the present study, 18 empirical articles on environmental factors that promote sleep loss were analyzed and synthesized according to the study type, exposure measures, outcome measures, methodology, and findings. Results Data from the literature demonstrate that neighborhood airplane, roadway, and rail noise pollution; air pollution from ozone and particulate matter (PM10); and, to some extent, ambient light, interfere with residents' ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake feeling rested. There is also some evidence that neighborhood green space, walkability, safety, built environment, and other social characteristics, such as neighborhood disorder and ability to trust one's neighbors, dramatically impact residents' sleep. Conclusions This article provides a critical assessment of the multidimensional relationship between neighborhood physical and social characteristics and sleep, addresses major methodological concerns that limit current empirical knowledge, and suggests steps to shape future research.
Proceedings of the 2010 ACM conference on Information technology education

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 2010 ACM Conference on Information Technology Education -- SIGITE 2010. This year we continue the SIGITE tradition of the conference being hosted by a regional IT leader - Central Michigan University in Midland, Michigan. Our organization has grown to become the premier forum for the presentation of pedagogical, theoretical and experiential issues related to IT education. Our mission is to share new knowledge and experiences, and to identify new directions for future research in IT education. Since 2000, the group that has become SIGITE has given educators, researchers and practitioners an opportunity to share their perspectives with others interested in IT education. The call for papers attracted more than 70 abstract and full paper submissions from Asia, Canada, Europe, and the United States. The program committee accepted 34 papers and posters that cover the five pillars of IT education, including Web systems, programming, networking, information management and human-computer interaction. In addition, the program includes a panel on engaging students in information storage management courses, and this year, special sessions on IT research, accreditation issues, and developing two-year curricula for IT. We are also inaugurating a Best Paper award, which recognizes the author of the paper that was rated among the highest by peer reviewers, and then received the highest rating by a consensus of the SIGITE Leadership Committee. We congratulate Randy Connolly, of Mount Royal College, for his paper, "Small service is true service while it lasts: integrating web services into IT education," which demonstrates excellence in its clarity, originality and potential contribution to our field.
Impact of SiC on Power Devices

This paper provides a review of the performance advantages of Silicon Carbide based power devices. It is shown here that devices made from either 3C-SiC or 6H-SiC will be significantly superior to silicon based devices. The high breakdown electric field strength in SiC is the major factor that results in a very low specific resistance for the drift region in high voltage devices. This reduces the specific on-resistance for power MOSFETs by a factor of more than 100. It also reduces the forward voltage drop of Schottky rectifiers to less than 2 volts even when designed to support 3000 volts. The development of these SiC devices can, therefore, be expected to result in high switching speed components with low on-state losses for power electronic applications.
Linear Discriminant Analysis for Prediction of Group Membership: A User-Friendly Primer:

In psychology, researchers are often interested in the predictive classification of individuals. Various models exist for such a purpose, but which model is considered a best practice is conditiona...
5-year follow up of infantile idiopathic clubfeet after Ponseti method

Objective To report the clinical outcome at 5 years of infants with idiopathic clubfeet treated by Ponseti Method from one center in Shanghai,China Methods A cohort of consecutive children with clubfeet treated by Ponseti method from March 2005 to June 2008 was reviewed retrospectively.To be included in this study,all the patients were under 12 months of age when treatment was begun,had idiopathic clubfeet deformities,and had not undergone previous treatment.Teratologic and paralytic clubfoot deformities were not included.Outcomes were classified as Good (plantigrade foot with or without a tendoachilles lengthening),Fair (limited surgery),or Poor(posteromedial release).Results 56 patients(42 Male: 14 Female) with 76 clubfeet were identified.20 patients were bilateral and 36 patient ware unilateral.The clinical outcome at an average of 5-years (minium of 3 years),were reported.Among the 76 clubfeet,62 feet (81.6％) were graded as Good,6 feet (9.7％) were Fair and 8 feet (10.5％) were Poor.There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups even if the patients were further broken down by whether they started treatment before 3 months of age.Conclusions Satisfactory outcome of infantile idiopathic clubfeet treated by the Ponseti Method was seen.Patients who started treatment between 4 months and 12 months of age did not get a significant worse outcome in 5-year follow-up than those started earlier than 3 months of age. Key words: Infant; Clubfoot; Ponseti method
Breath tests for the assessment of gastroparesis

Abstract Scintigraphy is the currently accepted gold standard for the measurement of gastric emptying of solids and worldwide it is the most commonly used method. However, scintigraphy exposes the patient to radiation, is costly and is not widely available. The 13 C breath test using acetate, octanoate or spirulina incorporated into a solid test meal has been proposed as an acceptable alternative but has still not penetrated into the community. This chapter will discuss the 13C-spirulina platensis breath test which is as reproducible as scintigraphy and provides a safe, point of care assessment of gastric emptying. The breath test utilizes a test meal labeled with 13C-spirulina platensis when after metabolized gives rise to respiratory CO2 enriched in 13C which is measured by mass spectrometry and can accurately predict abnormal gastric emptying. The 13C-spirulina platensis gastric emptying breath test has been FDA approved since 2016 and is geared to take over as the test of choice due to its practical and safety advantages. The primary goal of this chapter is to present the currently available data and practical considerations as it relates to the breath test for gastroparesis.
Benign ovarian thecoma with markedly elevated serum inhibin B levels mimicking adult granulosa cell tumor.

Introduction Elevated serum inhibin B is a classic marker of adult granulosa cell tumors. Here we discuss an extremely rare and informative case of elevated inhibin B associated with an ovarian thecoma. Case A 57 year-old postmenopausal female presented with recurrent bleeding and was found to have an adnexal mass with an elevated serum inhibin B level of 1,915 pg/mL (normal range 10-200 pg/mL). With a preoperative diagnosis of adult granulosa cell tumor, she underwent surgical management for what was ultimately a benign ovarian thecoma. The diagnosis of thecoma was confirmed by a pericellular pattern of reticulin staining and the lack of a FOXL2 mutation by molecular testing. Conclusion This case demonstrates that inhibin B lacks specificity as a tumor marker for adult granulosa cell tumor, even at very high levels. Knowledge of benign alternative explanations for this finding can facilitate improved preoperative patient counseling. Pertinent literature is reviewed, with an emphasis on proposed hypotheses for inhibin overproduction.
Narrative Maps: An Algorithmic Approach to Represent and Extract Information Narratives

Narratives are fundamental to our perception of the world and are pervasive in all activities that involve the representation of events in time. Yet, modern online information systems do not incorporate narratives in their representation of events occurring over time. This article aims to bridge this gap, combining the theory of narrative representations with the data from modern online systems. We make three key contributions: a theory-driven computational representation of narratives, a novel extraction algorithm to obtain these representations from data, and an evaluation of our approach. In particular, given the effectiveness of visual metaphors, we employ a route map metaphor to design a narrative map representation. The narrative map representation illustrates the events and stories in the narrative as a series of landmarks and routes on the map. Each element of our representation is backed by a corresponding element from formal narrative theory, thus providing a solid theoretical background to our method. Our approach extracts the underlying graph structure of the narrative map using a novel optimization technique focused on maximizing coherence while respecting structural and coverage constraints. We showcase the effectiveness of our approach by performing a user evaluation to assess the quality of the representation, metaphor, and visualization. Evaluation results indicate that the Narrative Map representation is a powerful method to communicate complex narratives to individuals. Our findings have implications for intelligence analysts, computational journalists, and misinformation researchers.
Deadly Words: State Power and the Entanglement of Speech and Violence in Hate Crime

Any analysis of hate crime that attempts to separate speech from action, language from violence, faces epistemological difficulties that limit the range of conversations about laws responding to identity-based injury in the United States. Active debates have raged over the implications of bias crime sentence enhancement laws for the protection of ‘freespeech’, thus addressing the inextricability of language and meaning from hate crime. Those in favor of legal responses to identity-based injury tend toward essentialist claims which assume the stability of identity and of meanings inherent in words or actions. Those opposed assert the impossibility of codifying the meaning of words or actions in the law, and/or they worry about the reification of (victimized) identities accompanying bias crime statutes. This article argues that the focus on language and speech in these debates simultaneously enables an evasion of discussion about the law's response to bias-related violence, and misleadingly assumes too much stability in the functions of law and the nature of state power. Interviews conducted by the author with individuals involved in a 1992 racist hate crime are used to show the diverse elements of state power suffusing the incident and its aftermath. An analysis of the crime's investigation and prosecution under a Maryland hate crime statute suggests that law enforcement officers are primarily using hate crime laws as public relations tools in a fight against community perceptions that they are themselves bigots.
Revisiting Local Neighborhood Methods in Machine Learning

Several machine learning methods leverage the idea of locality by using k-nearest neighbor (KNN) techniques to design better pattern recognition models. However, the choice of KNN parameters such as k is often made experimentally, e.g., via cross-validation, leading to local neighborhoods without a clear geometric interpretation. In this paper, we replace KNN with our recently introduced polytope neighborhood scheme - Non Negative Kernel regression (NNK). NNK formulates neighborhood selection as a sparse signal approximation problem and is adaptive to the local distribution of samples in the neighborhood of the data point of interest. We analyze the benefits of local neighborhood construction based on NNK. In particular, we study the generalization properties of local interpolation using NNK and present data dependent bounds in the non asymptotic setting. The applicability of NNK in transductive few shot learning setting and for measuring distance between two datasets is demonstrated. NNK exhibits robust, superior performance in comparison to standard locally weighted neighborhood methods.
Complex Pentecostal Identities

(2009). Complex Pentecostal Identities. Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association: Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 2-5.
A General Damage Criterion for Solids

ABSTRACT A generalized damage criterion is introduced which can be reduced to any of a number of known criteria by introducing appropriate values for the material coefficients. In the present paper a simple method for determining an approximate expression for the criterion of craze initiation is also given.
The reverse statistical disclosure attack

Statistical disclosure is a well-studied technique that an attacker can use to uncover relations between users in mix-based anonymity systems. Prior work has focused on finding the receivers to whom a given targeted user sends. In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of statistical disclosure in finding all of a users' contacts, including those from whom she receives messages. To this end, we propose a new attack called the Reverse Statistical Disclosure Attack (RSDA). RSDA uses observations of all users sending patterns to estimate both the targeted user's sending pattern and her receiving pattern. The estimated patterns are combined to find a set of the targeted user's most likely contacts. We study the performance of RSDA in simulation using different mix network configurations and also study the effectiveness of cover traffic as a countermeasure. Our results show that that RSDA outperforms the traditional SDA in finding the user's contacts, particularly as the amounts of user traffic and cover traffic rise.
When will we have true heterogeneous databases

A heterogeneous distributed database is a system of interconnected DBMSs that use different strategies for data and transaction management. Though issues such as universal query languages, and global view and schema integration have been investigated, transaction management issues introduced by the integration of separate database management systems into one global database have not been widely addressed in the literature.Probably most disturbing to me is the general misunderstanding in the database community as to what a heterogeneous database really is. Many people seem to refer to distributed databases as heterogeneous databases.Of interest to me are questions relating to transaction support in the heterogeneous database environment. Two basic approaches are possible in order to integrate differing DBMS's. The first approach integrates transaction management policies into one global transaction manager that handles subtransactions accessing the heterogeneous database. The second is based on hierarchical composition of transaction management policies. In the latter approach, software is added on top of existing systems whenever needed (Gligor and Luckenbaugh, Interconnecting Heterogeneous Database Management Systems, IEEE Computer January 1984).The heterogeneous database research group at Penn State consists of three students along with myself. We are looking at concurrency control (Y. Leu), recovery (D. Mannai), and deadlock issues (I. Mahgoub). In this panel I would like to discuss the following set of related questions: Which of the problems are due to DBMS integration and not due to heterogeneity?How is the consistency of heterogeneous databases defined?How does serializability apply to heterogeneous databases?How strict must the definition of database autonomy be? How does it complicate transaction management issues?How important are atomic updates in this environment? How often are they expected?Are we likely to have generalized solutions to the problem of concurrency control and recovery?In the discussion we would like to consider all possible systems depicted in the figure below. Especially in the shaded areas.
Plant–soil interactions regulate the identity of soil carbon in invaded ecosystems: implication for legacy effects

Introduced, invasive plants can alter local soil chemistry and microbial communities, but the underlying mechanisms and extent of these changes are largely unknown. Based on characteristics associated with invasiveness in plants, it was hypothesized that introduced species that produce large amounts of litter with distinctive secondary compounds can a) alter the chemistry of both extractable and bulk carbon in the soil, b) shift microbial communities towards microbes better able to metabolize the compounds in the litter and c) cause soil carbon chemistry and microbial communities to shift to relatively uniform, novel states at multiple sites. Composition of phenolics in senescent tissues (leaves and roots) of Polygonum cuspidatum was compared to the composition of extractable phenolics and non-extractable bulk organic carbon in soils under and adjacent to large, long-established stands of P.cuspidatum at four sites in the eastern U.S. Rates of degradation of phenolics, activities of enzymes associated with the breakdown of phenolics and shifts in microbial community composition were also measured at the sites. Soils under P.cuspidatum stands contained twice as much phenolics as adjacent soils, but the composition of phenolics differed greatly between soils under stands and senescent tissues of P.cuspidatum. Flavonoids and proanthocyanidins constituted >90% of the identified phenolics in P.cuspidatum tissues, whereas monophenolic compounds accounted for >90% of the phenolics in soils under stands. Soils under and adjacent to stands also exhibited distinctive compositions of relatively persistent bulk organic carbon; composition differed less between soils under stands at different sites than between soils under and adjacent to stands at the same site. Soils under P.cuspidatum had 28 times greater abundance of fungi than soils adjacent to stands, and fungal markers showed clear separation of soils under and adjacent to P.cuspidatum. However, the potential activity of enzymes that degrade polyphenols was lower in soils under stands. Exogenously applied, chemically complex polyphenols persisted in both P.cuspidatum-invaded and adjacent non-invaded soils, whereas less complex compounds rapidly disappeared from both soils.Synthesis. Results suggest that interactions between plant inputs, abiotic reactions and biotic transformations may create and maintain new states in invaded soils that are chemically and biologically less diverse. In the case of polyphenol-rich, fast-growing invasive species, these interactions may alter the composition of bulk soil organic matter that has relatively slower turnover rates, resulting in legacy effects. Restoration could thus require, not just removal of the species, but also post-removal interventions such as soil amendments.
Interstellar matter and star formation

I first met Fred Hoyle in the summer of 1967 as a visitor to the brand new Institute of Theoretical Astronomy IOTA, the precursor to the Institute of Astronomy. Fred had invited me to spend the summer in Cambridge at the suggestion of Peter Strittmatter. Although I was not working on either nuclear astrophysics or cosmology, his major research topics at the time, Fred took an interest in my work on interstellar molecules and we developed a friendship. His interests were very broad and he asked me to organize a meeting at the institute in 1969 on the then new topic of infrared astronomy.
Phosphinic Acid, Alkyl Esters

1a R = Me [14684-31-2] CH5O2P (MW 80.02) InChI = 1S/CH5O2P/c1-3-4-2/h4H2,1H3 InChIKey = UIWOZHBYBSGCOS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 1b R = Et [14684-32-3] C2H7O2P (MW 94.05) InChI = 1S/C2H7O2P/c1-2-4-5-3/h2,5H2,1H3 InChIKey = HOCOIDRZLNGZMV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 1c R = i-Pr [51963-59-8] C5H9O2P (MW 108.08) InChI = 1S/C3H9O2P/c1-3(2)5-6-4/h3H,6H2,1-2H3 InChIKey = BGLDJAVKFHETGT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 1d R = Bu [18108-09-3] C4H11O2P (MW 122.10) InChI = 1S/C4H11O2P/c1-2-3-4-6-7-5/h2-4,7H2,1H3 InChIKey = PDAXJVMXHHATAJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Alternate Names: alkyl phosphinate; alkyl hypophosphite. Physical Data: not isolated. Solubility: soluble in organics (PhCH3, THF, DMF, CH3CN); reacts with alcohols and water. Form Supplied in: generated in situ and used as a solution. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: alkyl phosphinates are easily oxidized and hydrolyzed and should be protected from moisture, air, and heat. The reagents can disproportionate upon prolonged storage and should be used as freshly prepared solutions. Use in a fume hood.
The Lymphatic Malformation Function (LMF) Instrument.

ObjectiveThe Lymphatic Malformation Function (LMF) instrument is a preliminary parent-report assessment designed to measure outcomes in children with cervicofacial lymphatic malformation (LM). This study aimed to assess the measurement properties of the LMF, refine it, test criterion validity, and evaluate the test-retest reliability.Study DesignCross-sectional.SettingTwo pediatric tertiary referral centers.SubjectsParents of 60 children from 6 months to 15 years old with cervicofacial LM.MethodsParents were recruited via mail and online. The LMF was administered on paper or online initially and again within 21 days. Response distributions and interitem correlations were examined for item reduction. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on retained items. Cronbach’s α, Spearman correlation, and intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficients were calculated to test internal consistency, criterion validity (compared to stage), and test-retest reliability, respectively.ResultsOne item was removed due to a flo...
The Impact of Information on an Individual's Support of the Death Penalty: A Partial Test of the Marshall Hypothesis among College Students:

In Furman v. Georgia, Justice Marshall hypothesized that informed individuals would not support the death penalty. To test this hypothesis, survey results from 730 students at a Michigan university were used. Students read one of three essays; one focusing on death penalty deterrence research, another on the chances of sentencing an innocent person to death, and the third on the general reasons for punishing offenders (i.e., the control essay). The innocence essay resulted in a small but statistically significant reduction of support. There was no statistically significant reduction in support for the death penalty among the deterrence and control essay groups. The findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are made.
Official versus unofficial outbreak reporting through the Internet

Abstract Several countries, a number of regional bodies, and a handful of both commercial and not-for-profit outfits and international organizations operate sites on the World Wide Web on which disease outbreaks are reported. But there is only one publicly accessible e-mail service with no subscription cost that reaches health workers and the general public in countries, and remote regions within countries, that are on the far fringes of the Internet. That service is ProMED-mail, a project of the Federation of American Scientists operated by SatelLife, which is a not-for-profit organization that brings medical information to the developing world. ProMED-mail reaches more than 15 000 e-mail subscribers in at least 140 countries by a combination of satellite, phone and ground radio links. It receives reports of outbreaks of emerging infectious human, animal and plant diseases from official sources, the media and subscribers, and disseminates them rapidly, without any of the constraints that often delay official reporting. All reports pass first through the hands of a panel of disease experts, to ensure as far as possible reliability and completeness. ProMED-mail has reported outbreaks more rapidly than official sources, and responded to calls for help from doctors battling epidemics, or confronted with baffling cases. It is proving that public participation in outbreak reporting complements official reporting systems in a highly practical way.
Transesophageal Echocardiography Identification and Validation of Individual Tricuspid Valve Leaflets

The present study demonstrates the usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the identification of individual leaflets of the tricuspid valve. Validation was obtained by selecting patients with specific lesions involving individual tricuspid leaflets and correlating the transesophageal echocardiographic findings with surgery.
Marital Quality of Newlywed African American Couples: Implications of Egalitarian Gender Role Dynamics

This research examined associations between husbands’ and wives’ gender role attitudes, division of household labor, and marital quality in a sample of 697 newlywed African American couples residing in the southern region of the United States. Guided by a cultural ecological framework, we tested hypotheses specific to the unique socio-cultural context of African Americans using a mixed model ANCOVA design. Results revealed that: (1) couples reported lower marital quality when husbands had relatively more traditional gender role attitudes; (2) husbands reported lower marital quality when the couple engaged in a relatively more traditional division of household labor; and (3) husbands with more traditional attitudes who also engaged in a traditional division of labor reported lower marital quality compared to all other husbands. Although African Americans are thought to have more flexible gender role orientations than other racial/ethnic groups within the U.S., these results document within group variability in couple gender dynamics and its association with variability in marital quality.
Contemporary management of tumors of the salivary glands

Management of tumors of the salivary glands requires a detailed understanding of the anatomy and pathologic processes affecting these glands. Salivary glands give rise to benign and malignant neoplasms and are affected by a variety of systemic diseases. CT remains the most common primary imaging study; magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound have also been explored. Fine-needle aspiration as part of the diagnostic evaluation remains controversial due to varying sensitivities and specificities. Surgical extirpation is the primary modality for management of tumors of the salivary glands. Parotid surgery carries a potentially high morbidity with possible unsightly scarring and facial nerve damage. Nontraditional surgical approaches and instrumentation, as well as facial nerve monitoring, can decrease the morbidity of a parotidectomy. In specific instances, malignant salivary gland tumors warrant cervical lymphadenectomy. Adjuvant therapy is primarily accomplished with radiation. Chemotherapy continues to play a palliative role in salivary gland malignancies; however, newer trials are investigating the therapeutic role of chemotherapy.
Delusions of halitosis

Abstract Review of the literature on delusions of halitosis confirms their fundamentally psychogenic basis. However, assessment of six recent cases reveals some new findings, especially that all six patients complained of sensations of bad taste. In such patients, with histories of medical problems such as rhinorrhea and rhinitis, distortions in taste physiology may contribute to the delusions of bad breath.
Application of a small forwarder in plantation thinning

The performance of the Gafner Iron Mule was examined in 2 trials in Louisiana in November 1980, and 1 in South Carolina in January 1981. The forwarders were less sensitive to weather and terrain and required less access area than the current most commonly used method, the bobtail truck system. Travel speeds were influenced only by the distance travelled. Forwarding production and costs were estimated for a hypothetical loblolly pine plantation thinning to examine the effects of pile size and log length. Estimates indicated that large piles of wood were less expensive to forward than small piles, and that production rates increased and cost rates decreased when longer logs were forwarded.
Control of peripheral sympathetic prevertebral ganglion neurones by colonic mechanosensory afferents

Sympathetic innervation of the gastrointestinal tract arises from abdominal prevertebral ganglia (PVG) comprising the coeliac, superior mesenteric, and inferior mesenteric ganglia. These ganglia are integrating centres between the central nervous system and enteric nervous system and their output regulates intestinal motility, intestinal blood flow, and water and electrolyte secretion.1 Much of the synaptic input to PVG neurones arises from cholinergic mechanosensory neurones whose cell bodies lie in the gut wall and provide the PVG with information about the mechanical state of the gut. The mechanosensory (“intestinofugal”) neurones and their axons constitute the afferent limb of a peripheral reflex between enteric and sympathetic PVG neurones. The efferent limb of the reflex consists of the PVG neurones and their axons, which carry inhibitory sympathetic output back to the gut.2Experiments were performed in vitro to examine the peripheral reflex loop between colonic enteric neurones and sympathetic superior mesenteric ganglion (SMG) neurones in mouse. Preparations consisted of the SMG attached via intermesenteric and colonic nerves to a segment of distal colon.3 The distal end of the colonic segment was attached to a fluid filled reservoir. With this set up, the segment could empty its contents into the reservoir during a contraction …
Multimarket Contact and Price Coordination in the Cellular Telephone Industry

Empirical studies have confirmed the prediction of theoretical models that contact in multiple markets may enhance firms' abilities to tacitly collude and consequently achieve higher prices and profits. It has remained largely unexplored, however, how firms coordinate their actions. This paper identifies a method of pricing in the cellular telephone industry that seems to enable firms to coordinate their actions across markets. This pricing pattern is found to raise prices by approximately 7–10%, and cannot be attributed to a variety of noncooperative explanations.
Comparing paper and tangible, multimodal tools

In command posts, officers maintain situational awareness using paper maps, Post-it notes, and hand-written annotations. They do so because paper is robust to failure, it is portable, it offers a flexible means of capturing information, it has ultra-high resolution, and it readily supports face-to-face collaboration. We report herein on an evaluation comparing maps and Post-its with a tangible multimodal system called Rasa. Rasa augments these paper tools with sensors, enabling it to recognize the multimodal language (both written and spoken) that naturally occurs on them. In this study, we found that not only do users prefer Rasa to paper alone, they find it as easy or easier to use than paper tools. Moreover, Rasa introduces no discernible overhead in its operation other than error repair, yet grants the benefits inherent in digital systems. Finally, subjects confirmed that by combining physical and computational tools, Rasa is resistant to computational failure
A socio-technical approach to improving the systems development process

Research on improving the systems development processes has primarily focused on mechanisms such as tools, software development methodologies, knowledge sharing and process capabilities. This research has yielded considerable insights into improving the systems development process, but the large majority of information systems development projects still continue to be over budget, late, and ineffective in meeting user needs. Together with the advent of software development moving offshore, or consisting of offshore team members, a more holistic approach is appropriate. Approached from a socio-technical perspective the software development process is viewed as a process embedded in a social and a technical subsystem. Drawing upon socio-technical work design principles, this paper suggests how capabilities of the development process can be improved. Data collected from a survey of software development practices in organizations indicates that organizations at different levels of process capabilities differ in work system characteristics as well as process performance. For example, the use of multi-skilled teams was found to be significantly related to the systems development process maturity level as well as significantly related to all the performance measures studied. This paper provides empirical support for the socio-technical approach and provides a theoretical foundation for designing software process initiatives in organizations.
Local Structure of Displacively Disordered Pyrochlore Dielectrics

Local cation environments in the pyrochlore dielectrics A2B2O6O‘ = (Bi,M)2(M,Nb)2O6O‘ (M = Zn, Fe) were determined from the extended X-ray absorption fine structure. The A cations and O‘ ions are displaced from their ideal positions, yielding the effective (4 + 2 + 2) coordination for the A cations. The A-cation displacements are directed toward a pair of the framework O atoms; the specific displacement directions are determined by the nature of the A cations (i.e., Bi, Zn, Fe) and the local Nb/Zn (or Nb/Fe) B-site configurations. Local correlations among the atomic displacements and both [A4O‘] and [A2B2O] configurations provide near-ideal bond valence sums for all constituent species in these pyrochlore structures.
Functional identification of NR2 subunits contributing to NMDA receptors on substance P receptor-expressing dorsal horn neurons

NMDA receptors are important elements in pain signaling in the spinal cord dorsal horn. They are heterotetramers typically composed of two NR1 and two of four NR2 subunits: NR2A-2D. Mice lacking specific NR2 subunits show deficits in pain transmission yet subunit location in the spinal cord remains unclear. We have combined electrophysiological and pharmacological approaches to investigate the composition of functional NMDA receptors expressed by lamina I, substance P receptor-expressing (NK1R+) neurons, as well as NK1R- neurons. Under low Mg2+ conditions (100 μM), the conductance of NMDA receptors at -90 mV (g(-90 mV)) with NR2A or NR2B subunits (NR2A/B) is low compared to conductance measured at the membrane potential where the inward current is maximal or maximal inward current (MIC) (ratio of ~0.07 calculated from Kuner and Schoepfer, 1996). For NR2C or NR2D subunits (NR2C/D), the ratio is higher (ratio ~0.4). NK1R+ and NK1R- neurons express NMDA receptors that give ratios ~0.28 and 0.16, respectively, suggesting both types of subunits are present in both populations of neurons, with NK1R+ neurons expressing a higher percentage of NR2C/D type NMDA receptors. This was confirmed using EAB318, an NR2A/B preferring antagonist, and UBP141, a mildly selective NR2C/D antagonist to increase and decrease the g(-90 mV)/g(MIC) ratios in both subpopulations of neurons.
Using an historical account book as a teaching tool

Abstract Historical account books from the 18th and 19th centuries are valuable historical documents reflecting the activities of individuals many years ago and shedding light on the way they lived. Such books can be used to teach accounting. From our experience, these books serve to motivate students to learn about the basic aspects of the accounting process. Students are curious about how a book of this nature was prepared, what specific purposes it served, and how it is similar to and different from modern account books. Using these books can also foster interdisciplinary instruction, i.e. accounting and history. Both subject areas relate to an account book. Attempting to explain and understand transactions requires some knowledge of the history of the period in which the book was prepared. In this study, specifics are given on the instructional approach we recommend. While a book of this kind can be used in different ways and degrees in a variety of accounting courses including introductory financial,...
The impact of mode of onset of psychosis on pathways to care in a hospitalized, predominantly African‐American, first‐episode sample

Aim: Given recent findings that mode of onset is a determinant of duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), along with a dearth of research coupling the mode of onset and pathways to care constructs, this study explored the possible effects of mode of onset on pathways to care. Methods: The study included 76 patients hospitalized for first-episode, nonaffective psychosis in two urban, public-sector psychiatric units. Consensus-based best estimates were derived for mode of onset, pathways to care variables and DUP. Associations between mode of onset and several types of pathways to care variables were examined: (i) two key duration variables during the pathway; (ii) four variables pertaining to services contacted, sources of help and reasons for psychiatric contact; and (iii) the number of help-seeking contacts during the pathway. Results: None of the sociodemographic or clinical variables examined (except DUP) were associated with mode of onset. In further assessing the association between mode of onset and DUP, mode of onset was related to the first component of DUP – delay in initiating any help contact – but not with the duration from initiating the first help contact until hospitalization. Mode of onset was not significantly associated with a number of other key pathways to care variables (e.g. type of first help-seeking contact, number of help-seeking contacts). Conclusion: The present findings suggest that both community-wide informational campaigns and early intervention programmes may benefit from focusing on gradually developing psychosis, which confers a longer delay to initiating care.
ICT – enabled market freedoms and their impacts in developing countries: Opportunities, frustrations, and surprises

One of the freedoms that Sen says promotes development is economic freedom – access to markets. ICTs can facilitate that access to markets by breaking down barriers of distance. But for all the promise that ICTs create, much research has found that small businesses in developing countries are not finding as much success through e-commerce as had been hoped. A longitudinal study of 23 Caribbean companies helps illustrate the specific experiences of small business people in developing countries. While they have found some success in reaching out to additional markets, they have also encountered many of the frustrations found by others: difficulty with shipping, inadequate local banks, and invisibility amongst a sea of web sites. Additionally, Caribbean businesses are encountering growing competition from the Amazon.coms of the world, companies that can now target small pockets of demand via their web sites. This study describes some of the responses these companies are taking, and proposes responses their g...