cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Defense of Shepherd's Account of Cause and Effect as Synchronous

Lady Mary Shepherd holds that the relation of cause and effect consists of the combination of two objects (the causes) to create a third object (the effect). She also holds that this account implies that causes are synchronous with their effects. There is a single instant in which the objects that are causes combine to create the object which is their effect. Hume argues that cause and effect cannot be synchronous because if they were then the entire chain of successive causes and effects would all collapse into a single moment, and succession would not be possible. I argue that Shepherd has a ready, although implicit response, to Hume’s argument. Since causation is combination on Shepherd’s view, she is free to hold that there are times in between those instants in which combinations occur, during which times other, non-combinatory changes (such as changes in the location of objects) occur, which changes account for succession.
An undergraduate STEM interdisciplinary research program: factors predictive of studentsâ€™ plans for careers in STEM

In a year-long undergraduate research program, life science majors were paired with majors in the other STEM disciplines of computer science, engineering, mathematics and physical sciences, to work on interdisciplinary life science projects. Typical teams had one undergraduate in a life science and one from another STEM discipline, along with faculty and graduate student mentors from each of those disciplines. In a survey at the end of the program, undergraduates indicated their career plans: 74% staying in STEM, 26% moving to non-STEM, with most of the latter in healthcare. In the summer phase, the average and range of the total number of interactions between undergraduates and all of their mentors was about the same for students in both career groups. However, students differed in whether they tended to interact more frequently with mentors in their own discipline, or to interact with closer to equal frequency with mentors in both disciplines. Binary logistic regression analysis showed this differential frequency of interaction with mentors by discipline to be predictive of studentsâ€™ career decisions, with students in the non-STEM career group interacting much more within their own discipline and the students in the STEM career group tending to interact almost as frequently with mentors in both disciplines. Analysis also showed that, compared to students who planned on non-STEM careers, those who planned on STEM careers self-reported lower ease of communication with team members but higher ratings for their program experience. Consistent with national data, the studentâ€™s area of study was predictive: 56% of the life science and 91% of the other STEM majors planned for STEM careers. However, inconsistent with the predominance of men in the STEM workforce, in our program where there were almost equal numbers of men and women in both the life sciences and other STEM fields, 72 percent of men and 76 percent of women indicated their intention to pursue careers in STEM.
Judicial Independence in Post-Conflict Iraq: Establishing the Rule of Law in an Islamic Constitutional Democracy

Contemporary Iraq is facing the full range of challenges that come with post-conflict transitional justice, including “paving the road toward peace and reconciliation” and establishing a functional state, characterized by the Rule of Law. Prospects for the establishment of an independent judiciary in Iraq are obstructed by a number of factors, including (1) how to apply the explicit recognition of the law of Islam in the Iraqi Constitution, (2) the inability to pass legislation on the Federal Courts of Iraq, leaving several provisions of the Iraqi Constitution unimplemented, and other critical elements of judicial independence unaddressed, including provisions for tenure, reappointment and removal of judges, and (3) the impact of the de-Ba’athification authority in Iraq, which has sweeping power to remove judges, and other officials, from office based on allegations that they were too closely tied to the prior regime. Serious concerns about security for judges in Iraq further complicate the picture.Hopes for the Rule of Law in post-conflict Iraq depend heavily on Iraq’s ability to address these deficiencies in judicial independence, setting the stage for effective anti-corruption, reconciliation, peace-building and justice among a people who desperately need it, and who have lived without it for far too long.
Part-Time Bracing for At-Risk Mild Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis Curves: A Preliminary Single Center Retrospective Investigation

Background/Purpose Current standard of care for juvenile idiopathic scoliosis (JIS) is initiation of bracing at 25°; however, there are no established evidence based guidelines for bracing patients with JIS prior to this. The BrAIST study demonstrated that bracing is most effective with smaller curves, and several small studies have demonstrated effectiveness of part time bracing in JIS after curves have reached the 25° threshold. The purpose of this study is to assess …
Afterword: Haunted histories and the silences of everyday life

This Afterword explores the complex relations of anthropological thinking about silence and hauntology. It distinguishes among those papers that focus on silence and silencing in relation to histor...
Evaluating liability in the supervising physician, PA, and employer relationship.

ABSTRACT Emerging case law demonstrates that physicians who collaborate with physician assistants (PAs), as well as the entity that employs the physician and PA, are facing allegations of liability. The allegations of liability arise from the actions of the PA, inaction of the physician, and failure to meet the regulatory requirements for the oversight of PA practice. In some instances, the physician and employer struggle to meet the complex state regulatory requirements that govern the relationship(s) between the PA and the physician. A review of case law demonstrated that courts generally assign liability for the actions of the PA to the PA, but liability to the physician and employer for failure to meet the statutory requirements for oversight of the PA. All stakeholders must use the lessons learned from case law to mitigate physician and employer liability.
Sex and Circuit Specific Dopamine Transporter Regulation Underlies Unique Behavioral Trajectories of Functional SLC6A3 Coding Variation

Virtually all neuropsychiatric disorders display sex differences in prevalence, age of onset, and/or clinical symptomology. In sex-biased disorders, one sex is often suggested to harbor protective mechanisms, rendering them resilient to genetic and/or environmental risk factors. Here, we demonstrate sex-biased molecular, pharmacological and behavioral effects induced by the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) coding variant Ala559Val, previously identified in subjects diagnosed with the male-biased disorders attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum spectrum disorder. In DAT Val559 mice, we identified sex differences in response to psychostimulants, social behavior, and cognitive traits. We reveal a sex by circuit dissociation in D2-type autoreceptor (D2AR) regulation of DAT wherein D2AR-dependent DAT phosphorylation and trafficking, detectable in the male dorsal striatum, does not occur in females but rather is a property of the ventral striatum, predicting sex-specific changes in behavior. Consequently, we found that a subset of altered behaviors can be normalized using the D2R antagonist sulpiride in DAT Val559 mice. Our studies provide a cogent example of how sex shapes the behavioral trajectory of DA signaling perturbations and identify the sex-dependent, locality-selective capacity for D2AR regulation of DAT as an unrecognized determinant of this trajectory. Rather than identifying one sex as resilient, we find that sex can drive alterative behavioral patterns from shared signaling perturbations that may result in females being underreported. Our work underscores the utility of model systems to study the functional intrusions of rare genetic variation to gain insights into pathways underlying normal and perturbed trait domains associated with common neuropsychiatric conditions.
Religion and justice in the war over Bosnia

This volume brings together a distinguished group of thinkers, working in ethics, religion and history, to explore moral and religious issues that underlie the violence in Bosnia. ********************************************************* This volume brings together a distinguished group of thinkers to explore the moral and religious issues that underlie the violence and atrocities in Bosnia. From diverse academic and philosophical perspectives, the works of Jean Bethke Elshtain, James Turner Johnson, Michael Sells, John Kelsay, and G. Scott Davis will inform not just scholars of ethics, politics and religion, but everyone concerned with the prospects for justice in the post Cold War world.
Neural network application to comprehensive engine diagnostics

The authors examine the application of trainable classification systems to the problem of diagnosing faults in engines at the manufacturing plant. It is demonstrated how a combination of conventional statistical processing methods and neural networks can be combined to create a classifier system for engine diagnostics. The most significant computational effort is required for the principal component analysis and to properly develop the hard-shell classifiers using data sets augmented with Monte Carlo methods. Once these procedures are carried out, the application of neural networks to the data set to obtain the trainable classifier is quite straightforward. >
Sarbanes‐Oxley Act

In July 2002, in response to a series of financials scandals that had rocked the corporate world in the United States (most notably Enron, Tyco, and Worldcom), Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), HR 2673, or “Corporate and Criminal Fraud Accountability Act.” Among the act's many provisions were a requirement that senior management sign off on the company's financial statements, and a requirement that management along with auditors establish internal controls and an effective monitoring system to maintain these controls. Keywords: accounting; fraudulent accounting activity; accountability; Worldcom; financial disclosure; corporate governance; laws & regulations; legal aspects of business; politics; internal controls
Boserup, Ester (1910–99)

Ester Boserup (1910–99) was a strong proponent of an interdisciplinary approach to problems of international development. She made significant contributions through her studies of agriculture, population growth, informal work, rural–urban migration, polygamy, property rights, education, and urban employment. Boserup's book, Woman's Role in Economic Development , generally is acknowledged as initiating the formal field of study: Women in International Development. By demonstrating that women are often marginalized in the course of development rather than gaining from the process, her work helped shift the focus of development research from growth of income toward people's well-being and agency.
Pharmacological Properties of T-Type Ca2+ Current in Adult Rat Sensory Neurons: Effects of Anticonvulsant and Anesthetic Agents

Todorovic, Slobodan M. and Christopher J. Lingle. Pharmacological properties of T-type Ca2+ current in adult rat sensory neurons: effects of anticonvulsant and anesthetic agents. J. Neurophysiol. 7...
Direct Bilirubin Higher Than Total Bilirubin

A 77-year-old man with multiple myeloma and recent cholecystostomy tube placement presented to the emergency department with pneumonia. His cholecystostomy tube was noted to be clamped shut. Total and direct serum bilirubin measurements were 0.2 and 1.66 mg/dL, respectively. Dilutions of the specimen were made, and the results …
A decision tree for the use of auditory prompting strategies

This article provides a decision tree for determining the most effective method of auditory prompting systems in order to increase workplace independence for employees with severe disabilities. A flow-through chart, The Auditory Prompts Decision Tree, is presented to guide this planning process. The Auditory Prompts Decision Tree is useful when analyzing why the breakdown in work performance is occurring and for selecting the types of auditory prompts that will support the employee's work performance needs. Specific examples from research studies are provided to illustrate the use of the Auditory Prompts Decision Tree for each type of auditory prompt.
Thermogenesis after lateral hypothalamic lesions: contributions of brown adipose tissue

The role of brown adipose tissue in the thermogenic response to lateral hypothalamic (LH) lesions was investigated. Interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) temperatures were measured during the hours following bilateral electrolytic LH lesions in male rats sedated with pentobarbital sodium. Local temperature changes were also recorded from skin and colonic sites. Consistent with the view that brown adipose tissue plays a primary role in the hyperthermia produced by LH lesions, IBAT depot temperature rose before, at a faster rate, and to a higher level than the other sites. In two subsequent experiments, oxygen consumption, activity, and core temperature were monitored in freely moving male rats with LH lesions, both in warm (25 degrees C) and cold (5 degrees C) environments. The results of these experiments provide some support for the view that LH lesions produce an increase in the regulated level of body temperature. This hyperthermic and hypermetabolic state seems to be mediated, in part, by brown fat thermogenesis and may represent a general increase in sympathetic nervous activity induced by the lesion.
Gene delivery to differentiated neurotypic cells with RGD and HIV Tat peptide functionalized polymeric nanoparticles

A number of neurodegenerative disorders may potentially be treated by the delivery of therapeutic genes to neurons. Nonviral gene delivery systems, however, typically provide low transfection efficiency in post-mitotic differentiated neurons. To uncover mechanistic reasons for this observation, we compared gene transfer to undifferentiated and differentiated SH-SY5Y cells using polyethylenimine (PEI)/DNA nanocomplexes. Differentiated cells exhibited substantially lower uptake of gene vectors. To overcome this bottleneck, RGD or HIV-1 Tat peptides were attached to PEI/DNA nanocomplexes via poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) spacer molecules. Both RGD and Tat improved the cellular uptake of gene vectors and enhanced gene transfection efficiency of primary neurons up to 14-fold. RGD functionalization resulted in a statistically significant increase in vector escape from endosomes, suggesting it may improve gene delivery by more than one mechanism.
TEMPORAL EVOLUTION AND THE APPROACH TO EQUILIBRIUM OF A QUANTUM PARTICLE IN A SUDDENLY EXPANDED BOX.

The time evolution and its implications with regard to the approach to equilibrium of a single-particle system in a suddenly expanded box with perfectly reflecting walls is investigated using density-matrix techniques. It is shown that the time-dependent quantities exhibit a periodic behavior which is independent of the initial density matrix as long as the dimensions of the system are finite. The period is found to be $\frac{2\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\hbar}}{{E}_{1}}$ where ${E}_{1}$ is the ground-state energy of the expanded system. The continuum approximation is employed to determine the explicit time dependence of the particle density of a system initially in thermal equilibrium. It is found that the density for an expansion into a finite volume decays essentially as $\frac{1}{t}$ with small oscillations superposed on this behavior for times ranging from shortly after expansion up to one-fourth the characteristic period.
Escaping the Self: The Moderating Effect of Self-Complexity

The present experiment measured the speed with which people escaped from a highly self-focusing situation after an initial failure or success. Consistent with predictions, the fastest escapes were found among people who were low in self-complexity and who experienced initial failure. These results support the notion that high self-complexity serves as a buffer against the threatening implications of failure, presumably because many aspects of the self-concept remain untouched by the failure. Additional findings showed that failure impaired the subsequent performance (in writing an essay about the self of people with low self-complexity, but it actually improved the performance of people with high self-complexity. These results suggest that an identical failure may have different levels of global aversiveness and may elicit different coping styles as a function of self-complexity.
On the cohomology and deformations of differential graded algebras

In this paper we work out the deformation theory for differential graded algebras (dga's) and for differential graded Hopf algebras (dgha's). The constructions generalize the theory of deformations of algebras developed in late sixties by Gerstenhaber and of Hopf algebras, introduced more recently by Gerstenhaber and Schack and the authors. Namely, we introduce a cohomology theory for dga's and for dgha's, “controlling” their deformations. Our main example of a dga will be the de Rham algebra Ω of a smooth algebraic variety. We prove that H•(Ω, M) = H•(M) for any symmetric dg module M over Ω. From this result we deduce that the deformation cohomology of the de Rham algebra of a Lie group coincides with cohomology of its classifying space. We introduce the notion of a Poisson-de Rham Lie group — this is just a usual Poisson Lie group with a graded Poisson bracket on its de Rham algebra extending the Poisson bracket on functions. We prove that for any simple Lie group G the standard Poisson structure cannot be extended to a Poisson-de Rham structure. Hence, there are no deformations of the de Rham algebra of G extending the Drinfeld-Jimbo deformation.
Microprocessor-based digital control using delta modulation

Economical digital-based controllers with simple hardware for modern control applications are described. The digital portions of these controllers accept binary delta modulation sequences representing sensor signals and produce binary delta modulation sequences for the controls. These have no more than single-step error, eliminating numerical overflow and the associated problem of limit cycle behavior. The fixed-coefficient, variable delay nature of the controllers defines an important new class of transfer function or state variable synthesis problems.
$\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ polarization from deep inelastic muon scattering

We report results of the first measurements of $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ polarization produced in deep inelastic polarized muon scattering on the nucleon. The results are consistent with an expected trend towards positive polarization with increasing $x_{\rm F}$ . The polarizations of $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ appear to have opposite signs. A large negative polarization for $\Lambda$ at low positive $x_{\rm F}$ is observed and is not explained by existing models. A possible interpretation is presented.
A Randomized Clinical Trial of an Intervention to Relieve Thirst and Dry Mouth in Intensive Care Unit Patients

To test an intervention bundle for thirst intensity, thirst distress, and dry mouth, which are among the most pervasive, intense, distressful, unrecognized, and undertreated symptoms in ICU patients, but for which data-based interventions are lacking. This was a single-blinded randomized clinical trial in three ICUs in a tertiary medical center in urban California. A total of 252 cognitively intact patients reporting thirst intensity (TI) and/or thirst distress (TD) scores ≥3 on 0–10 numeric rating scales (NRS) were randomized to intervention or usual care groups. A research team nurse (RTN#1) obtained patients’ pre-procedure TI and TD scores and reports of dry mouth. She then administered a thirst bundle to the intervention group: oral swab wipes, sterile ice-cold water sprays, and a lip moisturizer, or observed patients in the usual care group. RTN#2, blinded to group assignment, obtained post-procedure TI and TD scores. Up to six sessions per patient were conducted across 2 days. Multilevel linear regression determined that the average decreases in TI and TD scores from pre-procedure to post-procedure were significantly greater in the intervention group (2.3 and 1.8 NRS points, respectively) versus the usual care group (0.6 and 0.4 points, respectively) (p < 0.05). The usual care group was 1.9 times more likely than the intervention group to report dry mouth for each additional session on day 1. This simple, inexpensive thirst bundle significantly decreased ICU patients’ thirst and dry mouth and can be considered a practice intervention for patients experiencing thirst.
Transforming the African Missionary Narrative: Rhetorical Innovation in Martin Delany's Official Report of the Niger Valley Exploring Party

This rhetorical analysis investigates Martin Delany's (1861) innovative yet understudied Official Report of the Niger Valley Exploring Party as a significant instance of nineteenth-century African American generic transformation and constitutive pan-Africanism. I explore how Delany recasts the genre of the mid-nineteenth-century African missionary narrative—with its white supremacist standpoint—into a lean, tightly controlled secular report intended to establish (1) Delany's African American readers’ agency as potential African emigrants; (2) the value of Delany's leadership in the emigration movement; and (3) a powerful constitutive pan-African ideological foundation for the emigration movement and for black uplift more generally.
Biosynthesis of sphingomyelin from Eryrtro-ceramides and phosphatidylcholine by a microsomal cholinephosphotransferase

Abstract Mouse liver microsomes were shown to be active in the synthesis of sphingomyelin from ceramide and phosphatidylcholine in a reaction independent of CDPcholine. The conversion was not inhibited by calcium chelating reagents, and no evidence for the involvement of phospholipase C activity in the transformation could be adduced. Activity was also demonstrated in monkey liver and heart microsomes. Mouse brain microsomes produced a sphingomyelin analogue, tentatively identified as ceramide phosphorylethanolamine, but not sphingomyelin. Both [ 14 C]ceramide and [G- 14 C]phosphatidylethanolamine were precursors of the brain product, while phosphatidylcholine was inactive. Progress in the partial characterization of the liver enzyme is also described.
Validation of an online questionnaire measure of the relative reinforcing value of food.

Abstract Laboratory methods and questionnaires to assess the relative reinforcing value of food (RRV-F) have been developed, but this is the first study to validate an online questionnaire measure of the RRV-F. Participants (281 college students) completed an online survey assessing demographic variables, food preferences, and the RRV-F. A subsample ( n = 21) also completed a laboratory food choice session. The online RRV-F instrument showed strong predictive validity for laboratory food choice behavior, convergent validity with overweight status, and discriminant validity with unrelated constructs (age, gender, height). Results suggest that online methodology is appropriate for assessing the RRV-F in a manner that is cost-effective, time-efficient, affords greater anonymity, and enables recruitment from larger samples over a broader geographic region.
Determination of optimal air flow rate in air drilling

Abstract Optimal design of any drilling program requires good knowledge of wellbore hydraulics. Established techniques are available for formulating some understanding of the associated wellbore hydraulics for conventional mud drilling, but this is not the case for air drilling. The wellbore hydraulics of air drilling present distinctly different problems from those associated with mud drilling. A systematic study of these problems, especially utilizing fundamental approaches, is lacking. This study addresses this problem using a fundamental, hydrodynamic multiphase flow model for air drilling. Extensive parametric analysis of the system is performed to validate the viability of the model as a predictive tool. The model is demonstrably capable of predicting the pressure-drop profile in the annulus and the optimal lifting velocity, an essential ingredient in the optimal design of air drilling. The results demonstrate the ability of the model to predict a number of phenomena that are associated with lifting cuttings from the hole during air drilling. The model possesses scale-up capability.
Cyclostationary-based low complexity wideband spectrum sensing using compressive sampling

Detecting the presence of licensed users and avoiding interference to them is vital to the proper operation of a Cognitive Radio (CR) network. Operating in a wideband channel requires high Nyquist sampling rates, which is limited by the state-of-the-art A/D converters. Compressive sampling is a promising solution to reduce sampling rates required in modern wideband communication systems. Among various signal detectors, feature detectors which exploit a signal cyclostationarity are robust against noise uncertainties. In this paper, we exploit the sparsity of the two-dimensional spectral correlation function (SCF), and propose a reduced complexity reconstruction method of the Nyquist SCF from the sub-Nyquist samples. The reconstruction optimization is formulated as a regularized least squares problem, and its closed form solution is derived. We show that for a given spectrum sparsity, there exists a lower bound on sampling rates that allows reliable SCF reconstruction.
The Ribosome and TORC2: Collaborators for Cell Growth

The target of rapamycin complex 2 (TORC2) is a key regulator of cell growth. Zinzalla et al. (2011) now provide evidence that TORC2 is activated by direct association with the ribosome, which may ensure that TORC2 activity is calibrated to match the cell's intrinsic growth capacity.
N-way balanced incomplete block designs

We construct a family of n-dimensional designs with the property that all the two-dimensional margins are balanced incomplete block designs. Combinatorial and statistical properties of these designs as balanced main-effect plans are discussed. It is shown that there are nonisomorphic designs with different statistical efficiencies. Designs which are more efficient are identified.
Surface-induced ordering of alkanes on graphite: scanning tunneling microscopy and molecular dynamics studies

_We have conducted an investigation of the interaction of a series of n-alkanes with the surface of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulation. The alkanes studied in this work (CnH2n+2 with n=16, 17, 20, 28, and 32) yield STM images which are highly suggestive of an ordered quasi-two-dimensional phase on the graphite surface. Individual molecules on the graphite surface adopt a rod-like conformation and are arranged in a 'rank-and-file' structure. Analysis of the STM height profiles indicates the presence of two dominant spatial frequency components. The high-frequency component has a period of about 0.30 nm and is independent of the carbon number of the alkane. The low frequency components have periods ranging from 3 nm to 5.5 nm. These values correlate closely with those obtained from estimates of the length of fully extended alkanes and from molecular dynamics computer simulations of surface-adsorbed alkanes. These...
Approach to major abdominal vascular injury

Abdominal vascular injuries account for 25% to 30% of all vascular injuries seen in urban trauma centers where penetrating wounds are the most common cause of trauma. Patients have moderate hypotension if contained hematomas are present and present in extremis with massive abdominal distension, if hemorrhage into the peritoneal cavity is occurring. Injuries occur in five areas, each containing its own vessels and techniques of exposure and vascular repair. Included are the midline supramesocolic, midline inframesocolic, lateral perirenal, lateral pelvic, and portal areas. In these areas, arterial repair is essentially always attempted, whereas ligation of major veins, if necessary, is well tolerated in many instances. Survival depends on the number and magnitude of associated vascular and visceral injuries. If an operation can be performed soon after injury, survival with most major abdominal arterial injuries ranges from 35% to 85%. When major abdominal venous injuries are considered, the survival rate ranges from 50% to 95%. Postoperative complications include thrombosis of repairs, dehiscence of suture lines, and infection. Second-look operations may be beneficial to evaluate tenuous repairs, whereas various techniques are helpful in avoiding suture line breakdowns as a result of infection.
Pharmacokinetic studies of enalaprilat in the in vitro perfused human placental lobule system

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the transplacental kinetics and effects on placental function of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, enalaprilat, in the dually perfused human placental lobule system. When placed in the maternal perfusate at a high therapeutic serum concentration (150 ng/ml), enalaprilat was rapidly transferred from the maternal perfusate into placental tissue followed by a gradual release from the placenta into the fetal perfusate. C max and AUC values for enalaprilat in the maternal perfusate were approximately 3 times higher than in the fetal perfusate, and drug levels did not equilibrate between maternal and fetal perfusates during the 4-6 hours of perfusion. The more highly perfused regions of the placental lobule had higher drug levels than non-perfused areas. At the end of the perfusion period, the mean percent of total drug added in the maternal perfusate was 59%, with 23% in the fetal perfusate and the remainder (18%) in placental tissue. Despite the relatively high levels of drug found in placental tissue, there were no alterations in placental function as measured by fetal volume loss, fetal pressure, glucose utilization, lactate production, hCG release, net fetal oxygen transfer, and oxygen consumption. Results from this study clearly document placental transfer of enalaprilat in the perfused human placental lobule system. The lack of effect on placental function suggests that enalaprilat has no direct effect on fetoplacental vascular beds, and that fetal hypotension occurring from ACE inhibitor exposure may be due to direct effects on the fetal kidney and not to decreased perfusion of fetoplacental vascular beds; these findings require further validation in an in vivo model.
Between polis and poiēsis: on the ‘Cytherean’ ambiguities in the poetry of James G. March

This paper provides an intellectual--historical reading of James G. March's poetic work, a facet of his production that may prove interesting to students of his contributions to the social sciences. To provide the appropriate historical understanding of that work, the paper draws an extended comparison between Dante as poet of a period in which civic life was paramount and March as representative of a more narrowly material civilization. The paper concludes that in its valuable readings of the contemporary milieu of Stanford and Palo Alto--exemplars of the modern American 'university city' or 'Ideopolis'--March's poetry offers insights into modes of life, both personal and social, that might be compared and contrasted with the poet's classic function in the traditional polis or city-republic. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.
Contemporary Approach to Paradoxical Embolism

A 63-year-old man with a history of systemic hypertension presented to the emergency department for evaluation of acute chest pain and shortness of breath that occurred while he was shoveling heavy snow. His heart rate was 114 bpm and blood pressure was 142/78 mm Hg. Peripheral oxyhemoglobin saturation was 91%, and his respiratory rate was 20 breaths per minute. During the physical examination, he developed severe left arm pain associated with complete loss of the left radial and brachial pulses. Urgent upper-extremity angiography demonstrated acute thromboembolism of the proximal left axillary artery (Figure 1A). Percutaneous transluminal embolectomy, followed by catheter-directed thrombolysis, was performed to successfully treat the arterial thrombus. However, thoracic computed tomographic (CT) angiography identified bilateral pulmonary emboli (Figure 1B). Coincidental venous and arterial thromboemboli raised suspicion for a paradoxical embolism. To evaluate this further, transthoracic echocardiography with agitated saline contrast was performed and demonstrated a patent foramen ovale (PFO) with evidence of right-to-left intracardiac shunt (Figure 1C). Three recent studies provide, for the first time, data from prospective, randomized trials to guide treatment in patients with PFO and paradoxical embolism.1–3 Figure 1. Clinical studies demonstrating paradoxical embolism. A 63-year-old man presented with chest pain and subsequently developed left arm ischemia from an axillary artery thromboembolism. Clinical investigation revealed the presence of a pulmonary embolism and patent foramen ovale, supporting a diagnosis of paradoxical embolism. A , Selective angiography demonstrates occlusive thrombus in the left axillary artery (arrowhead). B , Computed tomographic angiography of the pulmonary arteries identifies a filling defect within the right lower lobe pulmonary artery (arrowhead) extending into the segmental branches of the right lower lobes. Filling defects were also observed in the left lower lobe pulmonary artery and within the segmental branches of the left lower lobe. C , Transthoracic echocardiography performed ≈5 seconds …
Spectral Database for Instructors: A Living, Online NMR FID Database

A Web-based resource has been developed to assist instructors of organic spectroscopy courses. This Web site is populated by NMR FID files that can be freely downloaded by registered users. Current offerings include FID files for 1H and 13C NMR, DEPT, 1H–1H COSY, HMQC, HMBC, TOCSY, and 1D NOE experiments. External users can also submit their own data for use by other instructors. By supplying users with the FID files, it will be easier for them to emphasize certain areas of the spectrum for use during in-class discussions, problem sets, and exams.
Hydraulic Pressure During Fluid Flow Regulates Purinergic Signaling and Cytoskeleton Organization of Osteoblasts

During physiological activities, osteoblasts experience a variety of mechanical forces that stimulate anabolic responses at the cellular level necessary for the formation of new bone. Previous studies have primarily investigated the osteoblastic response to individual forms of mechanical stimuli. However in this study, we evaluated the response of osteoblasts to two simultaneous, but independently controlled stimuli; fluid flow-induced shear stress (FSS) and static or cyclic hydrostatic pressure (SHP or CHP, respectively). MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts-like cells were subjected to 12 dynes/cm2 FSS along with SHP or CHP of varying magnitudes to determine if pressure enhances the anabolic response of osteoblasts during FSS. For both SHP and CHP, the magnitude of hydraulic pressure that induced the greatest release of ATP during FSS was 15 mmHg. Increasing the hydraulic pressure to 50 mmHg or 100 mmHg during FSS attenuated the ATP release compared to 15 mmHg during FSS. Decreasing the magnitude of pressure during FSS to atmospheric pressure reduced ATP release to that of basal ATP release from static cells and inhibited actin reorganization into stress fibers that normally occurred during FSS with 15 mmHg of pressure. In contrast, translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) to the nucleus was independent of the magnitude of hydraulic pressure and was found to be mediated through the activation of phospholipase-C (PLC), but not src kinase. In conclusion, hydraulic pressure during FSS was found to regulate purinergic signaling and actin cytoskeleton reorganization in the osteoblasts in a biphasic manner, while FSS alone appeared to stimulate NFκB translocation. Understanding the effects of hydraulic pressure on the anabolic responses of osteoblasts during FSS may provide much needed insights into the physiologic effects of coupled mechanical stimuli on osteogenesis.
A mathematical model of a mesh system and its implementation

We define and implement a mathematical model for a general 2-d mesh system, which is arrays of processors with a bounded mesh architecture. As one of the simplest distributed architecture with fixed-connection, the 2-d mesh system has found many applications in computer sciences and engineering, particularly in computer communication. We use mathematical structures to characterize the mesh system and use C to have implemented an executable version of this model. In this paper, we will present the mathematical model itself, discuss some corresponding implementation issues and compare its behaviors with a simulator which we have been using to observe system behaviors.
Mastering One’s Destiny Mastery Goals Promote Challenge and Success Despite Social Identity Threat

We used an achievement goal framework to enhance identity-threatened individuals' motivation and performance by way of an understudied mechanism, namely, challenge appraisals. In three experiments, women were given a mastery goal (focus on building skills) or a performance goal (perform well, avoid errors) before a mock job interview. Women who focused on mastery rather than performance felt more challenged and less threatened when anticipating an identity-threatening interview; goals did not affect appraisals of a nonthreatening interview (Experiment 1). Mastery relative to performance goals enhanced women's intention to be assertive (Experiment 2) and their actual face-to-face performance during the job interview (Experiment 3); challenge appraisals (but not threat appraisals) served as a mediator for these effects. Whereas a great deal of prior work has alleviated identity threat by altering construals of one's identity, the current research uses an alternative strategy--modifying appraisals of the situation, leaving one's self-concept intact.
Gratings: why frequency discrimination is sometimes better than detection

Two models that assume independent processing among frequency-selective analyzers are presented. These are a distance model and an integration model derived from signal-detection theory. The models permit quantitative comparisons between detection and discrimination performance and lead to an empirical comparison that is sensitive to effects of correlated noise and interactions among the responding mechanisms. The stimuli were four pairs of sine-wave gratings that differed in spatial-frequency separation. They were presented to observers in a signal-detection rating paradigm, which was used for both detection and discrimination judgments. The results indicate the presence of properties, such as inhibitory interactions or correlated noise among responding mechanisms, that favor discrimination over detection.
Feeding Response of the Chinese Rose Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to Nonstructural Carbohydrates in Plants

Feeding indices for 31 plants species known as a food source for the Chinese rose beetle, Adoretus sinicus Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), were determined in paired choice experiments using snap beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Hawaiian Wonder’, as the standard. The amount of non structural carbohydrates in the tested plant species was quantified. The results indicate a relationship between feeding damage by the Chinese rose beetle and the non structural carbohydrate content in plant species leaves. Additional paired choice feeding tests were conducted using leaves of relatively less preferred plant species that were experimentally manipulated to increase the nonstructural carbohydrates and favored plant species that were manipulated to reduce the nonstructural carbohydrates present in the leaves. Although other factors are involved in host acceptability, the results of these tests confirmed that the Chinese rose beetle preferentially selects the leaves of host plant species that are relatively high in nonstructural carbohydrates as a food source.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Resident Use of iPad Mini Mobile Devices.

Abstract Background Previous research on the use of tablet devices in residency programs has been undertaken in radiology and medicine or with standard-sized tablet devices. With new, smaller tablet devices, there is an opportunity to assess their effect on resident behavior. This prospective study attempts to evaluate resident behavior after receiving a smaller tablet device. Objective To evaluate whether smaller tablet computers facilitate residents' daily tasks. Design Prospective study that administered surveys to evaluate tablet computer use. Setting Residency program. Participants Thirteen physical medicine and rehabilitation residents. Methods Residents were provided 16-GB iPad Minis and surveyed with Redcap to collect usage information at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Survey analysis was conducted using SAS (SAS, Cary, NC) for descriptive analysis. Main Outcome Measurements To evaluate multiple areas of resident education, the following tasks were selected: accessing e-mail, logging duty hours, logging procedures, researching clinical information, accessing medical journals, reviewing didactic presentations, and completing evaluations. Then, measurements were taken of: (1) residents' response to how tablet computers made it easier to access the aforementioned tasks; and (2) residents' response to how tablet computers affected the frequency they performed the aforementioned tasks. Results After being provided tablet computers, our physical medicine and rehabilitation residents reported significantly greater access to e-mail, medical journals, and didactic material. Also, receiving tablet computers was reported to increase the frequency that residents accessed e-mail, researched clinical information, accessed medical journals, reviewed didactic presentations, and completed evaluations. After receiving a tablet computer, residents reported an increase in the use of calendar programs, note-taking programs, PDF readers, online storage programs, and file organization programs. Conclusions These physical medicine and rehabilitation residents reported tablet computers increased access to e-mail, presentation material, and medical journals. Tablet computers also were reported to increase the frequency residents were able to complete tasks associated with residency training.
Pharmacologic strategies for the treatment of meningeal malignancy

There have been significant strides in the treatment and prevention of meningeal cancer, particularly meningeal leukemia, during the past thirty years. These advantages are a direct result of innovative therapeutic approaches specifically designed to overcome the limitations of systemically administered chemotherapy. Such approaches include the administration of intrathecal chemotherapy by intralumbar or intraventricular injection, the administration of very high-dose systemic chemotherapy, and the administration of cranial or craniospinal irradiation. A better understanding of the central nervous system pharmacokinetics of commonly used anticancer agents has also resulted in improvements in the treatment of meningeal cancer. In this article, the clinical pharmacology of the most commonly used intrathecal agents and pharmacologic strategies for the treatment of meningeal cancer will be discussed. In addition, an overview of new agents for intrathecal administration and other novel CNS targeted therapies will be presented.
Code breaking: The RNAPII modification code in pluripotency

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are able to self-renew and to differentiate into all somatic cell types, a property termed “pluripotency.” To maintain these remarkable properties ESCs must silence the genes responsible for differentiation, but in a manner compatible with later activation. Developmental gene silencing is dependent on the Polycomb repressor complexes (PRCs), histone modifiers whose loss in ESCs leads to differentiation. PRCrepressed genes may also be occupied by active histone modifications, and the balance of both activators and repressors was thought to provide developmental genes with the potential for subsequent activation. We previously showed that PRCrepressed genes could also be bound by RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) and transcribed. However, the prevalence of this configuration across the ESC genome was unclear, and whether activating RNAPII and silencing PRC could bind simultaneously was not tested. This is especially pertinent considering recent discussion of the heterogeneity of ESC populations, caused by dynamic fluctuations in transcription factor levels. Furthermore, cells asynchronously cycle in culture, so a snapshot of “co-occupancy” may reflect antagonistic complexes switching on and off the chromatin at distinct time points. To elucidate the interplay between RNAPII and PRCs across the ESC genome, we generated genome-wide maps of the modifications which occur to RNAPII as it progresses through the transcription cycle. RNAPII modifications are dispensable for its enzymatic activity, per se, but play critical roles in Code breaking The RNAPII modification code in pluripotency
Promoting Effect of TiO2 on the Hydrodenitrogenation Performance of Nickel Phosphide

TiO2-containing bulk Ni2P catalysts (Tix-Ni2P) were prepared by coprecipitation and in situ H2 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and characterized by XRD, CO chemisorption, TEM, XPS, TPR, and NH3-TPD. Their hydrodenitrogenation performances were studied by using quinoline and decahydroquinoline (DHQ) as the model molecules. Both the hydrogenation and C−N bond cleavage activities of Ni2P were improved by the introduction of TiO2. The TiO2 species were mainly located separately on the surface of the catalysts and had strong interactions with surface Ni and P species. The reducibility of the precursors as well as the surface electronic properties of Ni2P catalysts were affected by the addition of TiO2. Tix-Ni2P showed higher CO uptake but less acid sites than Ni2P. The promoting effect of TiO2 was discussed by considering the electronic interactions between surface Ti and Ni2P species and changes in the adsorption geometries of quinoline, DHQ, as well as the partially hydrogenated intermediates over Ti...
Reflection and absorption of electrostatic waves in an inhomogeneous plasma

Abstract The experimental observation of the reflection and absorption of an electrostatic wave at frequencies of the order of an electron plasma frequency in an inhomogeneous plasma is reported.
Margin status and multimodal therapy in infantile fibrosarcoma.

The rarity of infantile fibrosarcoma (IF) has precluded comprehensive treatment evaluation. The purpose of this study was to better define the extent of surgical resection required and the role of chemotherapy. Patients (0–2 years) with IF were evaluated from the National Cancer Data Base (1985–2007). Survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method stratifying patients by margin status and treatment with or without chemotherapy. Of the 224 patients, 171 (76.3 %) were <1 year of age. Of the 64 (28.6 %) with positive margins, 36 (56.3 %) had microscopic disease, 12 (18.8 %) had macroscopic disease, and 16 (25 %) had unknown margin status; none were found to have metastases. Most were managed with surgical resection (171, 76.4 %). The proportion treated with both surgery and chemotherapy increased over time (18–40 %, p = 0.025). Disease-free survival was 90.6 %. No significant survival difference was noted in this retrospective, non-randomized cohort based on margin status, nodal involvement, tumor size, or treatment modality. The use of multimodal therapy has increased over time. There was a small increase in survival associated with negative margins and the use of multimodal therapy, however, neither result reached significance. Future studies investigating tumor biology and chemosensitivity will likely determine the optimal management of IF.