cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of isoproterenol on the cardiac conduction system: site-specific dose dependence.

Dose-Dependent Effects of Isoproterenol. Introduction: Isoproterenol is used to assess and facilitate AV nodal conduction, and thus potentiate the induction of supraventricular arrhythmias. It is commonly administered in increasing doses until a predetermined decrease in sinus cycle length, usually 20% to 30%, occurs. This regimen may result in undesirable side effects. We have observed that effects of isoproterenol on the AV node may occur prior to achieving the target sinus cycle length. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the sinus and AV nodes have equal sensitivity to isoproterenol. Methods and Results: Thirty-eight consecutive patients, who underwent electrophysiologic evaluation for a variety of indications, were given incremental doses of isoproterenol at 0.007, 0.014, 0.021, and 0.028 μ/g/kg per minute. Sinus cycle length and AV node function were assessed at baseline and after 5 minutes at each dose. The percent change from baseline in AV node function was compared with the change in sinus cycle length at each dose interval. Significantly greater decreases were observed in the anterograde and retrograde AV nodal Wenckebach cycle length (P < 0.0001) than in the sinus cycle length at the lowest isoproterenol dose (0.007 fig/kg per min). These differences were not apparent at higher doses. A sustained supraventricular tachycardia was inducible in 15 of 38 patients in the presence of isoproterenol, of which 40% occurred at the lowest dose. Conclusions: The AV node is more sensitive than the sinus node to the effects of isoproterenol. Lower doses of isoproterenol than those commonly used may often facilitate the induction of a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia, thus reducing side effects.
Functional and physiologic results of video-assisted thoracoscopic diaphragm plication in adult patients with unilateral diaphragm paralysis.

Background Plication of the hemidiaphragm for unilateral diaphragm paralysis is infrequently performed in adults. Barriers to diaphragm plication have included the perceived need for thoracotomy and uncertainty of the potential benefits. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effects of video-assisted thoracoscopic diaphragm plication in symptomatic adult patients with unilateral diaphragm paralysis. Methods Patients with unilateral diaphragm paralysis underwent an evaluation that included a chest radiograph, fluoroscopic sniff test, pulmonary spirometry, and the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea score. Patients with symptomatic unilateral diaphragm paralysis present for at least 6 months were offered video-assisted thoracoscopic diaphragm plication. Patients who underwent diaphragm plication as well as those who declined surgery were reassessed at 6 months with a chest radiograph, spirometry, and the MRC dyspnea score. Results Twenty-five patients underwent left (19) or right (6) diaphragm plication through video-assisted thoracoscopic diaphragm plication (22) or thoracotomy (3). There were no operative deaths. Mean hospital length of stay for diaphragm plication was 3.7 days for video-assisted thoracoscopic diaphragm plication and 5.4 days for thoracotomy. After diaphragm plication, mean forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume at 1 second, functional residual capacity, and total lung capacity improved by 17%, 21.4%, 20.3%, and 16.1%, respectively ( p p Conclusions Plication of the hemidiaphragm using minimally invasive techniques produced significant improvements in patients' functional status, pulmonary spirometry, and MRC dyspnea scores. Video-assisted thoracoscopic diaphragm plication should be considered appropriate therapy in symptomatic adult patients with unilateral diaphragm paralysis.
Optimal Interval Between Prostaglandin E2 Ripening of the Cervix and Oxytocin Induction of Labor: A Prospective Clinical Trial

Does altering the interval between prostaglandin E2 (PGE) gel application and oxytocin administration shorten induced labor without loss in efficacy? A prospective clinical trial was completed for 133 clinic patients who were candidates for the induction of labor with an unfavorable cervical status. All patients were randomly allocated to receive intracervical PGE gel 0.5 mg either 6 h or 1 h prior to the standardized administration of oxytocin. Repeat gel application and serial-day induction were offered to those judged medically stable who continued to meet inclusion criteria.The gel to delivery duration was significantly shortened when comparing the 6-h interval to the 12-h interval only among single-day induction patients (P = 0.004) and was associated with a nonsignificant trend toward higher rates of failed induction and cesarean delivery (P = 0.073). When all patients are included, no difference between the groups was observed in the progress or outcome of labor.A 6-h interval between PGE and oxyto...
Factors affecting consumer preference for chocolate-flavored milks.

Abstract With the untrained panel method, consumer preference was evaluated for chocolate-flavored milks containing zero, 2, and 3.5% milk fat with 9, 10, and 12% milk-solids-not-fat at each fat level. In processing the milks, seven different cocoa powders were used. Organoleptic evaluations an d viscosity measurements were made after two and four days of storage at 4.4 C. There was a significantly greater preference for 2.0 and 3.5% milk fat containing milks at all levels of solids-not-fat when compared with the zero per cent milk fat milks, but no significant preference between the higher milk fat milks at any solids-not-fat content. At zero per cent milk fat, preference increased significantly as solids-not-fat increased.
D-Cycloserine Accelerates the Extinction of Cocaine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference in C57bL/c mice

Abstract Recently, it was shown that d -cycloserine (DCS, a NMDA partial agonist) facilitated extinction of fear as well as cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) in rats. Methods The present study examined the effects of DCS (15 mg/kg i.p. and 30 mg/kg i.p.) on extinction and renewal of cocaine-induced CPP in C57bL/c mice. In parallel, we examined the effects of DCS on locomotor activity. Results Extinction to cocaine CPP was significantly faster with DCS than with vehicle treatment (three versus six sessions, respectively). After extinction was achieved, mice were retested for CPP 1 and 2 weeks later. All animals maintained extinction to CPP 1 week later, but at 2 weeks, the vehicle and the 15 mg/kg DCS-treated animals maintained the extinction, but the 30 mg/kg DCS-treated mice had renewed CPP. During induction of cocaine CPP, mice displayed enhanced locomotor activity following treatment with cocaine, as expected, based on previous literature. During extinction, there were no differences in locomotor activity between the vehicle and the 15 mg/kg DCS-treated mice, whereas the 30 mg/kg DCS-treated animal showed significant locomotor activity inhibition. These results corroborate in mice the previously reported acceleration of extinction to cocaine-induced CPP by DCS in rats. However, we also show that the higher DCS doses facilitated CPP reestablishment after extinction. Thus, while DCS could be beneficial in accelerating the extinction to conditioned responses in addiction it could, at higher doses, increase the risk of relapse. Thus, studies evaluating the beneficial therapeutic effects of DCS should assess not only the short-term effects but also the potential of longer lasting undesirable effects.
Helping Students Manage Their Energy: Taking Their Pulse With the Energy Audit

This article introduces a tool to help students learn to better manage their energy. The tool asks students to assess their energy levels for each waking hour over at least 2 days in order to ident...
Consequences and Mechanisms of Spike Broadening of R20 Cells in Aplysia californica

We studied frequency-dependent spike broadening in the two electrically coupled R20 neurons in the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia. The peptidergic R20 cells excite the R25/L25 interneurons (which trigger respiratory pumping) and inhibit the RB cells. When fired at 1-10 Hz, the duration of the falling phase of the action potential in R20 neurons increases 2-10 fold during a spike train. Spike broadening recorded from the somata of the R20 cells affected synaptic transmission to nearby follower cells. Chemically mediated synaptic output was reduced by approximately 50% when recorded trains of nonbroadened action potentials were used as command signals for a voltage-clamped R20 cell. Electrotonic EPSPs between the R20 cells, which normally facilitated by two- to fourfold during a high frequency spike train, showed no facilitation when spike broadening was prevented under voltage-clamp control. To examine the mechanism of frequency-dependent spike broadening, we applied two-electrode voltage-clamp and pharmacological techniques to the somata of R20 cells. Several voltage-gated ionic currents were isolated, including INa, a multicomponent ICa, and three K+ currents--a high threshold, fast transient A-type K+ current (IAdepol), a delayed rectifier K+ current (IK-V), and a Ca(2+)-sensitive K+ current (IK-Ca), made up of two components. The influences of different currents on spike broadening were determined by using the recorded train of gradually broadening action potentials as the command for the voltage clamp. We found the following. (1) IAdepol is the major outward current that contributes to repolarization of nonbroadened spikes. It undergoes pronounced cumulative inactivation that is a critical determinant of spike broadening. (2) Activity-dependent changes in IK-V, IK-Ca, and ICa have complex effects on the kinetics and extent of broadening. (3) The time integral of ICa during individual action potentials increases approximately threefold during spike broadening.
A cross-layer design for delay-sensitive video streaming over EDCA wireless LAN

This paper proposed a cross-layer design for transmission of delay-sensitive video over 802.11e EDCA Wireless LAN. There are different access categories (ACs) defined for the 802.11e EDCA at the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. Each AC has its own queue and uses different parameters to provide differentiated services. We use the queuing delay at each AC queue to control how the video packets can be assigned to each AC. The proposed algorithm dynamically assigns the packets into different access category queue based on the importance of the packets and the delay of each AC queue. The algorithm is designed to maintain the queuing delay of AC queue at a desired value. At the same time it reduces the packet loss of important frames to improve the video quality. Simulation results prove that the proposed approach can improve both the video quality and end-to-end delay for delay-sensitive applications compared with standard 802.11e EDCA.
EFFECT OF TIME-OUT ON ADULT PERFORMANCE OF A VISUAL DISCRIMINATION TASK

The present study examined how the magnitude of time-out duration following incorrect responses affected the ability of adults to learn simple visual discriminations. Sixty-four college students were randomly assigned to one of four groups that received a 0-, 5-, 10-, or 20-s time-out duration after an incorrect response. Each participant completed a simple visual discrimination task by attempting to determine and remember the correct response for each of eight different color-shape combinations. The results indicated that timeout was effective at enhancing performance, even when reinforcers for correct responses were used. In addition, the effectiveness was dependent on the duration of the time-out.
Stimulatory effects of aluminum on growth of sugar maple seedlings

ABSTRACT To determine the effect of aluminum (Al) on sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), seedlings were grown in sand irrigated with nutrient solution (pH 3.8) containing 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg L−1Al. Seedling growth was enhanced at 2.5 and 5 mg L−1Al. Although higher levels of Al reduced calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) concentrations in leaves and caused root and foliar injury, no negative effects of Al on growth were observed.
Assessing the Impact of Supply Chain Integration on Firm Competitive Capability

Firms undertake efforts to compete along multiple fronts. First, they integrate internally in order to prepare a cohesive organizational response and to ready the ground for external integration. They then seek to integrate with both customers and suppliers which can increase the breadth and depth of resource endowments. Internal and external integration are posited to improve manufacturing related competitive capability. This study examines whether internal integration and external integration impact manufacturing related competitive capability. The findings indicate significant positive effects of internal integration on both supplier and customer integration. Each supply chain integration dimension has a significant direct effect on competitive capability. Testing for mediation effects indicates that customer integration and supplier integration partially mediate the effects of internal integration on competitive capability.
Stochastic method for disk resonating gyroscope mode matching and quadrature nulling

This work describes a new method for mode-matching and quadrature nulling of a MEMS wineglass mode gyroscope utilizing particle swarm optimization. Use of the derivative-free optimization scheme allowed for multiobjective optimization of gyroscopic performance parameters. Modal frequency split, quadrature and amplitude of both mode shapes were optimized through this method. Optimization greatly increased the scale factor of the sensor as well as enhanced the noise performance for all device geometries and materials studied. The stochastic nature of our method allowed robust calibration for devices of varying geometry and resonator material.
HORMONAL MODIFIERS OF INSULIN ACTION. NEW YORK DIABETES ASSOCIATION SYMPOSIUM. II. THE EFFECTS OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS ON INSULIN ACTION.

The effects of insulin and glucocorticoids on carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism of various isolated tissues have been summarized. Insulin is required for maximum glucose utilization by liver, muscle and adipose tissue, but is not required by the brain and nervous tissue. Glucocorticoids do not oppose or antagonize the primary effect of insulin which is to increase the permeability of cells to glucose. However, glucose phosphorylation by muscle is decreased by the presence of pituitary and adrenal cortical hormones in the absence of insulin. Insulin and the glucocorticoids do appear to play opposing roles in the mobilization of fatty acids (FFA). Many hormones promote FFA release from adipose tissue; however, the full lipolytic effect is not achieved in the absence of the adrenal cortex. Insulin, on the other hand, inhibits the lipolytic effect of catecholamines, glucagon, and ACTH. Ketosis is not observed in experimental diabetes if FFA mobilization is prevented by removal of the adrenals or pituitary. On the other hand, mobilization of FFA does not lead to ketosis if adequate insulin is available. An important aspect of glucocorticoid action in diabetes is probably in the area of FFA mobilization and ketone body production. However, the role of the adrenal cortex in protein catabolism and gluconeogenesis is of equal concern. Overproduction as well as under-utilization of glucose remains the central problem in attempting to regulate the diabetic patient.
Investigations of a new free piston expander engine cycle

Abstract This work examines the design and operation of a new, small-scale FPE (Free Piston Expander) engine that operates using low temperature waste heat sources to produce useful power output. The FPE is based on a sliding-piston architecture that eliminates challenges associated with MEMS-based rotating systems. A nonlinear lumped-parameter model is derived to study the factors that control the performance of the FPE engine and its unique operating cycle. This basic analysis considers a closed cycle operation of the FPE with low thermal or heat inputs and dimensions on the order of several millimeters. Key system design and operating parameters such as piston mass, external load, and heat input are varied to identify conditions and trends for optimal performance. The model indicated the pressure-volume diagram resembles a constant pressure cycle for a certain set of operating conditions but is also condition dependent. Increased heat inputs to the FPE reduced the engine natural or operating frequency while increasing the power output. Thermal efficiencies of the FPE are shown to be predictably low, on the order of 0.2% due to the small heat input and operating temperature gradients associated with waste heat. Key design features are identified that reveal FPE efficiency, operating frequency, and output power are dependent on piston mass, external load, input heat-rate, and duration of heat input.
Use of prisms in the treatment of phorias.

(1957). Use of Prisms in the Treatment of Phorias. American Orthoptic Journal: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 71-75.
A Recapitulation of the Rise and Fall of the Cell Lineage Research Program: The Evolutionary-Developmental Relationship of Cleavage to Homology, Body Plans and Life History

American biologists in the late nineteenthcentury pioneered the descriptive-comparativestudy of all cell divisions from zygote togastrulation – the cell lineage. Data fromcell lineages were crucial to evolutionary anddevelopmental questions of the day. One of themain questions was the ultimate causation ofdevelopmental patterns – historical ormechanical. E. B. Wilson's groundbreakinglineage work on the polychaete worm Nereis in 1892 set the stage for (1) an attackon Haeckel's phylogenetic-historical notion ofrecapitulation and (2) support for mechanisticexplanations of cleavage patterns. As morelineage work – especially Lillie's work on Unio and Conklin's on Crepidula – becameavailable in the mid-late 1890s, mechanism wastempered with more evolutionary, homology-basedviews. However, as I show by focusing on threemajor issues – homology, body plans and lifehistory – these views were primarily based onthe precocious segregation and prospectivesignificance – what the cell became not what itwas. Even on issues like adaptation, mostlineagists argued teleologically from the adultbackward. Most cell lineage workers, by 1900,were to varying degreesmechanist/experimentalist and recapitulationistsimultaneously. The exception was E. G.Conklin, whose views were more akin to aDarwinian evolutionist than either mechanist orrecapitulationist. Lineage work eventuallydeclined and by 1907 published accounts of newlineages had basically stopped. I argue thatestablished workers and younger researchersstopped wanting to take on cell lineageprojects because the general patterns were thesame for all the spiralians while the specificsshowed too much variation. It was hard totheoretically encompass or analyze the minutiaeof variation in a recapitulationist ormechanist framework. The only establishedworker who continued to do comparative lineagestudies was E. G. Conklin, perhaps because thevariation could best be accommodated byDarwinian evolution.
Classical Undersong, Text, ‘angels stopped upon the wing’

The Snowdon episode provides a striking conclusion for The Prelude, especially because it gives us the final evidentiary act confirming Wordsworth’s vocation. Here his classical undersong resonates with special elegance. Wordsworth fuses the ethical triad and narrativeepideictic Prelude process. He melds into a sinewed hold of poised Grecian balance nature, imagination, poet and text. Here he shows what poetry is, what a poet does, and he invites us to share in both. Here he reminds us of Horace so much so that the Epistle to Florus could very well serve as a key to Book 14. Now he is fully able to declare that he is ready to do the work of The Recluse because here the famously lyrical Wordsworth shows himself so convincingly to be both poet and prophet.
Introduction to Neurobiological Issues in Autism

In one respect this book has been more difficult to edit than the previous four volumes in this series. These difficulties have been generated by the communication obstacles raised by technical terms and jargon. One voice from our editorial muse advises that we cannot expect to read about new scientific methods and procedures without learning the new terminology born of scientific progress. Another voice insists that it is the authors’ responsibility to translate technical terms into understandable vocabulary, especially if they wish to have their work known to the general readers from various professional disciplines for whom this series is intended.
Abstract 3960: The role and therapeutic potential of miRNAs in colorectal liver metastasis

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. Liver metastasis occurs in 60% of CRC patients and usually responds poorly to treatment - contributing to mortality rate. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved, endogenously encoded small, non-coding RNA molecules regulating global gene expression. Their role in cancer pathogenesis, including CRC, has been well documented. Detailed miRNA expression analysis on a large cohort of CRC tumors is needed to identify clinically relevant miRNAs and explore their potential to target liver metastases. We analyzed miRNA expression data of 406 CRC tumors from publically available CRC genome sequencing project and identified 58 miRNAs, which were significantly downregulated. Using miRNA target prediction analysis, 10 miRNAs were selected for further studies as they were either known to target genes in cellular pathways associated with CRC liver metastases, or located within a chromosomal loci commonly lost in colorectal liver metastases. qPCR analysis of these 10 selected miRNAs in primary and colorectal liver metastasis tissues and in CRC cell lines demonstrated four miRNAs; miR-132, miR-378f, miR-605, and miR-1976 that are significantly down-regulated with 0.05). To investigate the anti-tumorigenic and metastatic properties of miR-132, -378f, -605, and -1976, we transfected 3 different CRC cell lines (SW620, HCT-116, and CT-26) with miR-mimics and subjected them to cell proliferation, apoptosis, soft agar, invasion, and migration assays. Ectopic expression of miR-378f, -605, and -1976 suppressed CRC cell proliferation, anchorage independent growth, migration, and invasion and increased apoptosis. Interestingly, CRC patients with high miR-378f and miR-1976 had better survival compared to low expressing patients (p<0.044). In conclusion, our in vitro findings suggest anti-tumorigenic/metastatic properties of miR-378f, -605, and -1976 in CRC. A further understanding of their function and in vivo therapeutic evaluation may help in developing novel therapeutic strategies for this malignancy. Citation Format: Smiti Snigdha Sahu, Sarah Nabinger, Jiang Guanglong, Allison Bates, Sangbin Lee, Tanaka Hiromi, Yunlong Liu, Janaiah Kota. The role and therapeutic potential of miRNAs in colorectal liver metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3960. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3960
Give the public the tools to trust scientists

Anita Makri argues that the form of science communicated in popular media leaves the public vulnerable to false certainty.
New Flexible Non-parametric Data Transformation for Trans-Gaussian Kriging

This paper proposes a new flexible non-parametric data transformation to Gaussian distribution. This option is often required because kriging is the best predictor under squared-error minimization criterion only if the data follow multivariate Gaussian distribution, while environmental data are often best described by skewed distributions with non-negative values and a heavy right tail. We assume that the modeling random field is the result of some nonlinear transformation of a Gaussian random field. In this case, the researchers commonly use a certain parametric monotone (for example, power or logarithmic) or variants of normal score transformation. We discuss drawbacks of these methods and propose a new flexible non-parametric transformation. We compare the performance of simple kriging with the proposed data transformation to several other data transformation methods, including transformation based on a mixture of Gaussian kernels and multiplicative skewing with several base distributions. Our method is flexible, and it can be used for automatic data transformation, for example, in black-box kriging models in emergency situations.
Chemoselective Lewis pair polymerization of renewable multivinyl-functionalized γ-butyrolactones.

Multivinyl-functionalized γ-butyrolactones, γ-vinyl-γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone ( γ VMMBL) and γ-allyl-γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone ( γ AMMBL), have been synthesized from biorenewable ethyl levulinate and effectively polymerized by Lewis pairs consisting of an organic N -heterocyclic carbene Lewis base and a strong organo-Lewis acid E(C 6 F 5 ) 3 (E = Al, B). This Lewis pair polymerization is quantitatively chemoselective, proceeds exclusively via polyaddition across the conjugated α-methylene double bond without participation of the γ-vinyl or γ-allyl double bond, and produces high-molecular-weight functionalized polymers with unimodal molecular-weight distributions. The Al-based Lewis pair produces a polymer with approximately 5.5 times higher molecular weight than that produced by the B-based Lewis pair. The resulting vinyl-functionalized polymers are soluble in common organic solvents and stable at room temperature, and can be thermally cured into crosslinked materials. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Frustrated Lewis pair chemistry’.
Carvacrol reduces Clostridium difficile sporulation and spore outgrowth in vitro.

Purpose. Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic spore-forming pathogen that causes a serious toxin-mediated enteric disease in humans. Therapeutic agents that are capable of reducing C. difficile spore production could significantly minimize the transmission and relapse of C. difficile infections. This study investigated the efficacy of a food-grade, plant-derived compound, carvacrol (CR), in reducing C. difficile spore production, germination and spore outgrowth. Methodology. Two hyper-virulent C. difficile isolates (ATCC BAA 1870 and 1805) were grown with or without a sub-inhibitory concentration (SIC) of CR. Total viable counts and heat-resistant spore counts were determined at different time intervals. Moreover, spores and vegetative cells were visualized using phase-contrast microscopy. To determine the effect of CR on C. difficile germination and spore outgrowth, C. difficile spores were seeded in germination medium with or without the SIC and MIC of CR, and spore germination and spore outgrowth were measured by recording optical density at 600 nm. The effect of CR on C. difficile sporulation genes was also investigated using real-time qPCR. Results. Carvacrol significantly reduced sporulation in C. difficile and down-regulated critical genes involved in spore production (P<0.05). The SIC or MIC of CR did not inhibit C. difficile spore germination; however, the MIC of CR completely inhibited spore outgrowth. Conclusion. The results suggest that CR could potentially be used to control C. difficile by reducing spore production and outgrowth.
Chapter 7 – Payout Policy

This paper surveys the literature on payout policy. We start out by discussing several stylized facts that are important to the development of any comprehensive payout policy framework. We then describe the Miller and Modigliani (1961) payout irrelevance proposition, and consider the effect of relaxing the assumptions on which it is based. We consider the role of taxes, asymmetric information, incomplete contracting possibilities, and transaction costs. The tax-related literature on dividends explores the implications of differential taxes on dividends and capital gains on stocks’ valuation and firms’ propensity to pay out cash in the form of dividends. The issues investigated in this literature are of central importance to corporate finance and asset pricing. It is important to understand the degree to which investor taxes are impounded into security prices, which in turn can affect investment returns, the cost of capital, capital structure, investment spending, and governmental revenue collection. The overall empirical evidence on this issue appears to indicate that from a tax perspective, dividends should be minimized. We review the theoretical as well as empirical literature on Signaling/Adverse Selection models and Agency models. The accumulated evidence indicates that changes in payout policies are not motivated by firms’ desire to signal their true worth to the market. There is no evidence that firms that increase their dividends experience an unexpectedly high earnings or cash flow in subsequent periods. The literature does point out however, that changes in cash payments are negatively associated with firms’ risk profile. This and other evidence seem to be consistent with the notion that both dividends and repurchases are paid when firms have excess cash flows in order to reduce potential overinvestment by management. We also review the issue of the form of payout and the increased tendency to use open market share repurchases. Evidence suggests that the rise in the popularity of repurchases increases overall payout and increases firms’ financial flexibility. It seems that young, risky firms prefer to use repurchases rather then dividends. We also observe that many large, established firms and those with more volatile earnings substitute repurchases for dividends. We believe that the choice of payout method and how payout policy interacts with capital-structure decisions (such as debt and equity issuance) are important questions and a promising field for further research.
Situation in Time and Place of This Exercise

This chapter is an explication of the first section (“Situation in Time and Place of this Exercise”) of “The Freudian Thing.” Lacan opens his 1955 ecrit by employing references to the location of its original presentation, Vienna, so as to reflect upon the position of Freud in relation to European history and culture. In so doing, Lacan brings to light the revolutionary and subversive facets of Freud’s epoch-making discovery of the unconscious. He then sharply contrasts these thus-illuminated facets with the bastardizations and betrayals Freud suffers at the hands of the post-Freudians of the International Psychoanalytic Association. The ego psychology dominant in the English-speaking analytic world comes in for special criticism as a dangerous pseudo-Freudianism.
Shape Sensitivities for Optimal Design: A Case Study on the Use of Continuous Sensitivity Equation Methods

One of the most important applications of sensitivity analysis is gradient computation for optimal design. This paper focuses on the use of Continuous Sensitivity Equation Methods (CSEMs) for shape sensitivity calculations within an optimal design problem. Two methods for computing the shape sensitivities are introduced. The implementations of the methods are very similar; however, the sensitivity approximations obtained from these methods have different convergence properties. Furthermore, gradient approximations computed using each of the sensitivities significantly impact the performance of a trust region algorithm used for parameter identification. This paper includes an overview of the CSEMs and detailed results of the optimization algorithm for each of the CSEM implementations.
Residential development alters behavior, movement, and energetics in an apex predator, the puma

Human development strongly influences large carnivore survival and persistence globally. Behavior changes are often the first measureable responses to human disturbances, and can have ramifications on animal populations and ecological communities. We investigated how a large carnivore responds to anthropogenic disturbances by measuring activity, movement behavior, and energetics in pumas along a housing density gradient. We used log-linear analyses to examine how habitat, time of day, and proximity to housing influenced the activity patterns of both male and female pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We used spatial GPS location data in combination with Overall Dynamic Body Acceleration measurements recorded by onboard accelerometers to quantify how development density affected the average distances traveled and energy expended by pumas. Pumas responded to development differently depending on the time of day; at night, they were generally more active and moved further when they were in developed areas, but these relationships were not consistent during the day. Higher nighttime activity in developed areas increased daily caloric expenditure by 10.1% for females and 11.6% for males, resulting in increases of 3.4 and 4.0 deer prey required annually by females and males respectively. Our results support that pumas have higher energetic costs and resource requirements in human-dominated habitats due to human-induced behavioral change. Increased energetic costs for pumas are likely to have ramifications on prey species and exacerbate human-wildlife conflict, especially as exurban growth continues. Future conservation work should consider the consequences of behavioral shifts on animal energetics, individual fitness, and population viability.
Trace Element Behavior in Methane-Rich and Methane-Free Groundwater in North and East Texas

There is concern about adverse impacts of natural gas (primarily methane) production on groundwater quality; however, data on trace element concentrations are limited. The objective of this study was to compare the distribution of trace elements in groundwater samples with and without dissolved methane in aquifers overlying the Barnett Shale (Hood and Parker counties, 207 samples) and the Haynesville Shale (Panola County, 42 samples). Both shales have been subjected to intensive hydraulic fracturing for gas production. Well clusters with high dissolved methane were previously found in these counties and are thought to be of natural origin. Overall, groundwater in these counties is of excellent quality with typically low elemental concentrations. Several statistical analyses strongly suggest that most trace element concentrations, generally at low background levels, are no higher and even reduced when dissolved methane is present. In addition, trace element concentrations are not correlated with distance to gas wells. The reduction in trace element concentrations is attributed to anaerobic microbial degradation of methane, is associated with a higher pH (>8.5), and, likely, with precipitation of carbonates and pyrite and formation of clays. Trace and other elements are likely incorporated within the precipitating mineral crystalline network or sorbed. High pH values are found throughout these high-methane clusters (e.g., Parker-Hood cluster), even in subregions where methane is not present, which is consistent with a pervasive natural origin of dissolved methane rather than a limited gas well source.
Dlaczego odnowa teorii społecznej i politycznej to ciągle aktualna kwestia

The paper is a transcript of the lecture delivered by Richard J. Bernstein at the University of Lower Silesia on July 17, 2016. It concerns the contemporary relevance of his book The Restructuring of Social and Political Theory , first published in 1979 and recently published in Polish by University of Lower Silesia Press. The author has three aims. First, he wants to examine the book’s context from a historical perspective, reaching back to the French Enlightenment and considering early hopes for what the social sciences might achieve. Second, he wants to focus on the immediate context for writing the book to explain what he set out to show. Finally, he wants to demonstrate the contemporary relevance of his main theses.
Metabolic Responses of Meniscus to IL-1β.

This article identifies the potential mechanisms of action for meniscal degeneration in response to joint inflammation and potential contributions of the meniscus to the development and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). It was hypothesized that interleukin-1β (IL-1β) stimulation of meniscal explants would result in significant increases in nitric oxide (NO), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) production and activity, and relevant cytokine production compared with controls. Canine meniscal explants (4 mm) were cultured for 21 days with (IL-1) or without (negative control [NC]) 50 ng/mL rcIL-1β (n = 6/group). Media were changed every 3 days and analyzed for MMP activity, ADAMTS-4 activity, MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13, NO, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), IL-6, IL-8, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) concentrations. Media NO and PGE2 concentrations were significantly higher in the IL-1 group at all time points except for days 9 and 12. The concentrations of MMP-13 were significantly higher in the IL-1 group at days 3, 6, 9, and 12. The production of MMP-2 was significantly lower in the IL-1 group on days 3 through 15. ADAMTS4 activity was significantly higher in the IL-1 group on days 6 through 18. MMP-3 concentrations and general MMP activity were significantly higher in the IL-1 group at all time points. Concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, and KC were significantly higher in the IL-1 group at most time points. Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) content decreased significantly (p = 0.009) in the IL-1 group compared with the NC group. Proinflammatory mediators appear to directly influence degradative processes in the meniscus, which in turn contribute to development and progression of OA by production of proinflammatory and degradative mediators. These findings have important clinical implications for the management of the degenerative meniscus and the osteoarthritic knee.
A 2MHz 150-to-400V input isolated DC-DC bus converter with monolithic slope-sensing ZVS detection achieving 13ns turn-on delay and 1.6W power saving

The growing development of industrial power supplies demands DC-DC converters that are increasingly efficient and reliable. Industrial bus supplies that operate from a front-end PFC could experience fluctuations from 150V to 400V [1]. This requires isolated DC-DC converters to function over a wide range of the high-input condition. Zero-voltage switching (ZVS) with proper dead-time control is essential in these converters to remove the dominant switching power loss for achieving better power efficiency. Specifically, each power FET should be controlled to turn on right after its ZVS operation is complete. If the dead time is set too short, the power FET would be turned on with large drain-to-source voltage, resulting in large turn-on loss. The converter would also suffer from large reverse conduction loss of the power FETs due to excessive dead time [2,3]. Since the ideal dead time varies with different input voltages and load currents, the capability of generating adaptive dead time with minimal turn-on delay (t don ) in the ZVS converters is important, especially for high-frequency converter operation, but is challenging to realize. Previously, a valley switching scheme was reported to provide adaptive dead-time control under different conditions. However, it requires an off-chip auxiliary winding that complicates the magnetic design, and needs t don of >100ns that limits the converter operation in the MHz range [4].
Time to get Personal: A Framework for Personalized Targeting of Oxidative Stress in Neurotoxicity and Neurodegenerative Disease.

Abstract The annual cost for neurological disorders in the United States was $789 billion in 2014, and with an aging population these numbers are expected to significantly increase in the next 50 years. Neurodegenerative diseases make up a significant portion of these costs. Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the loss of neuronal populations in specific regions of the brain. Although the cause is still unknown for most of these diseases, both genetic and environmental factors are thought to play important roles. There are multiple convergent mechanisms underlying the unique susceptibility of neurons to degeneration, including aging, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress (OS) is of particular importance because evidence indicates that the neuronal populations lost in neurodegenerative diseases are particular susceptible to OS. OS is a complex neurotoxic mechanism that arises from excessive generation of free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduction in anti-oxidant factors, or a combination of the two. A complex interplay between the endogenous susceptibility of the brain, genetic factors, and environmental exposures leads to the harmful generation of OS in the brain and contributes significantly to the initiation and/or progression of neurodegeneration. Unfortunately, therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases have consistently failed in clinical trials. Thus, a better understanding of the interplay between genetic susceptibility and common molecular mechanisms of environmental contributors to OS generation could aid in elucidation of novel therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases. This review will explore the current picture of oxidative stress in the brain as it relates to neurotoxicity, specifically exploring common mechanisms behind the endogenous susceptibility of the brain to OS, genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures leading to neurotoxicity, to identify precision/personalized medicine approaches for improving therapeutic outcome.
STM Studies of Clusters

The recent development in the research of small supported clusters and nanogranular thin films using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is reviewed. Metal clusters are imaged with atomic resolution on atomically flat graphite single crystal substrates. The adsorbed clusters tend to have their atoms situated above lattice sites of the graphite surface. Strong cluster-substrate interaction is observed yielding a broad variety of superstructures in regions close to the adsorption sites. The superstructure pattern are assigned to periodic charge density modulations (PCDM), and 15 observed pattern can be explained by just one type of charge density lattice superimposed on the graphite lattice with different phase adjustments.
Inquiring Systems: Theoretical Foundations for Current and Future Information Systems

Inquiring systems have been a part of the information systems discipline for the past 40 years. In this chapter, we highlight the impact that the inquiring systems have had on the information systems in use in contemporary organizations as well as the potential for inquiring systems to form the theoretical foundations of the information systems of tomorrow.
Antioxidant vitamins and nuclear opacities: the longitudinal study of cataract.

Abstract Objective The association of antioxidant nutrients and risk of nuclear opacification was evaluated in the Longitudinal Study of Cataract. Design Nutritional data were collected at baseline on the 764 participants, which included assessment of dietary intake, use of vitamin supplements, and plasma levels of vitamin E. Ophthalmologic and other data were collected at baseline and at yearly follow-up visits, including lens photographs, which were graded using the Lens Opacities Classification System III protocol. Main outcome measures Analyses examined whether the nutritional factors at baseline were related to increases in nuclear opacification at follow-up. The MULCOX2 approach, an extension of the Cox regression model, was used. Results are presented as relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals. Intervention Intervention was not applicable. Results The risk of nuclear opacification at follow-up was decreased in regular users of multivitamin supplements (RR = 0.69; 0.48–0.99), vitamin E supplements (RR = 0.43; 0.19–0.99), and in persons with higher plasma levels of vitamin E (RR = 0.58; 0.36–0.94). Conclusions In regular users of multivitamin supplements, the risk of nuclear opacification was reduced by one third; in regular users of vitamin E supplements and persons with higher plasma levels of vitamin E, the risk was reduced by approximately half. These results are similar to those obtained in our earlier case-control study. Because these data are based on observational studies only, the results are suggestive but inconclusive. The possible effect of nutritional supplements on the lens requires confirmation by ongoing clinical trials.
Quantitative measure of fitness in tri‐trophic interactions and its influence on diet breadth of insect herbivores

Herbivore-plant interactions should be studied using a tri-trophic approach, but we lack a quantitative measure of the combined effect of top-down and bottom-up forces on herbivore fitness. We propose the combination of the bi-trophic fitness slopes as a tri-trophic fitness measure. We use the relationship between fitness associated with top-down and bottom-up forces and the frequency of host plant use to calculate the top-down and bottom-up fitness slopes, which we then combine to obtain three possible directions of tri-trophic slopes. A positive tri-trophic slope indicates that herbivores have overall greater tri-trophic fitness on the more frequently used hosts. A null tri-trophic fitness slope indicates that herbivores have similar fitness on all host plants. A negative tri-trophic slope indicates that herbivores have generally lower fitness on the more frequently used hosts. We tested the explanation power of our method using data from the literature that tested herbivore host shifts and experimentally using a generalist herbivore with variable diet breadth across populations. We found that in host shifts, herbivores have higher tri-trophic fitness on the novel host, while in generalist populations, herbivores use most frequently the best host available. We present applications in other research areas and consider the limitations of our approach. Our approach is a first step towards a comprehensive model of multiple selective forces acting on the evolution of interactions.
Long-Term Patency of Individual Segments of Different Internal Thoracic Artery Graft Configurations.

Background Internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafts are the most durable conduits available for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, little is known about long-term angiographic outcomes of ITA grafts used in different configurations and whether sequential or Y grafting compromises patency of the inflow ITA graft. Methods From January 1972 to August 2016, 60,500 patients underwent primary isolated CABG, of whom 326 received ITA grafts placed in sequential or Y configuration and were studied angiographically (median 4.8 years to first follow-up angiogram). Each sequential or Y segment was studied individually using a mixed-effects longitudinal model with the patient as the random effect. Results At 15 years, patency of the proximal ITA segment (n = 331) was 99%; of a sequential segment (n = 222), 97%; and of the segment beyond anastomosis of a Y graft (n = 109), 99%. Patency of the Y grafts (n = 109) was 92% at 5 years, 91% at 10 years, and 90% at 15 years. After adjusting for proximal stenosis and graft location, Y grafts were associated with greater occlusion than the inflow segment of ITA grafts (odds ratio; 51, 95% confidence interval, 6.1 to 422; p = 0.003) and of sequential grafts (odds ratio, 12; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 120; p = 0.04). Conclusions Long-term patency of ITA grafts in sequential or Y configuration is similar qualitatively, but not quantitatively, to the known patency of single ITA-to-left anterior descending grafts. Sequential or Y grafting does not compromise patency of the inflow portion of an ITA graft. Y-graft patency is lower than sequential graft patency but is still better than known patency of saphenous vein grafts.