cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time’s Speech in The Winter’s Tale : How the Past Can Be Undying*

The speech of Time in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is here closely analyzed as the poet’s statement of his philosophy of time. The play’s breach of Aristotle’s unity of time—the play at this point lets pass sixteen years—introduces several other breaches of received wisdom about time. Shakespeare rejects the view of time the destroyer in his sonnets, replacing it with a view of time that combines time as judge, as that which tries or tests, as maker of lawfulness and laws, as gardener and agent of growth, and as emergent consciousness. An early feminist work, the play sees the creative function of time as characteristic of female ethics and action. Most radically, time is constitutively recursive in its nature, not a simple dimension, radically unpredictable yet retrodictable once an event has occurred. Nothing is lost, though the past itself grows in meaning as new time accumulates upon it.
Vestibular nuclei: afferent and efferent projections.

Vestibular ganglion cells innervating the utricle project upon neurons in the ventral LVN; cells innervating the saccule project upon ventral LVN, group y and lateral IVN, while ganglion cells innervating the cristae ampullaris of the SD project mainly upon MVN and SVN. Cerebellar afferents to the VN arise ipsilaterally from the anterior lobe vermis (LVN), the flocculus (SVN, MVN and y ), the nodulus and uvula (MVN, IVN) and bilaterally from the fastigial nucleus (LVN, IVN). Commissural systems interconnect the MVN and peripheral SVN. The MVN, IVN and LVN receive modest projections from the dorsal regions of medullary and pontine RF. The SVN projects crossed and uncrossed fibres to TN and the OMC. The VST arises from the LVN and parts of other VN, provides collaterals to the LRN and projects preferentially upon cervical and lower lumbar segments by an elaborate collateral system. The MVN supplies the nuclei of the EOM and collaterals to cervical spinal segments. The IVN has diverse projections to the TN and the OMC, parts of the inferior olive, specific reticular nuclei, the cerebellum and the cervical spinal cord.
Petroleum, hydrocarbons, and coal

Organic compounds are the basis of life on earth, and hydrocarbons are considered to be the parent compounds for organic materials. This chapter reviews petroleum and coal as major sources of hydrocarbons, the air pollution problems, and the toxic effects of these hydrocarbons on terrestrial and marine life. Crude oil is the predominant source of hydrocarbons used for internal combustion and industrial processes, and is also a major source of environmental pollution. Petroleum contains sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, and other metal derivatives, and when burned, compounds containing these elements are emitted that contribute to the major environmental effects of petroleum. While automobile emissions cause atmospheric problems, catastrophic oil spills can have dramatic local environmental effects. Coal is another important source of hydrocarbons that contains a variety of inorganic ions. Several methods to obtain hydrocarbons from coal such as coal gasification, coal liquefaction, and direct conversion of coal to hydrocarbons are discussed in the chapter. The chapter also addresses the problems associated with oil spills and automobile emissions, hydrocarbon production from coal, and various approaches to mitigate them, such as use of skimmers or boats, and bioremediation.
Female Sexual Behavior: Hormonal Basis in Non-Mammalian Vertebrates

Sexual behavior in female nonmammalian vertebrates is similar to that in mammals – it involves attracting a mate and facilitating the union of egg and sperm. The endocrine control of both steps is highly conserved across vertebrate taxa and depends on the hormone estradiol. Because plasma estradiol concentrations usually peak around the time of ovulation, the coordination of sexual behavior with the availability of fertilizable eggs is enhanced. In the brain, estradiol has a priming effect in that it affects the responses of sensory regions to male courtship signals and it can interact with other factors, such as vasotocin and prostaglandins, to facilitate receptivity.
Using Computer Simulation Methods to Teach Statistics: A Review of the Literature

The teaching and learning of statistics has impacted the curriculum in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Because of this growing movement to expand and include statistics into al...
Portable refuge alternatives temperature and humidity tests

Federal regulations require refuge alternatives in underground coal mines to sustain life for 96 h while maintaining an apparent temperature below 35 °C (95 °F). Research by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has shown that heat and humidity buildup is a major concern with refuge alternatives because they have limited ability to dissipate heat, and high internal air temperature and relative humidity (RH) may expose occupants to heat stress. The heat transfer process within and surrounding a refuge alternative is complex and not easily defined, analytically or experimentally. To investigate heat and humidity buildup in refuge alternatives, NIOSH conducted multiple in-mine, 96-h tests on a 10-person tent-type refuge alternative, a 23-person tent-type refuge alternative and a six-person metal-type refuge alternative. The results show that when moisture was introduced to represent perspiration and respiration from miners (wet tests), the average temperature at midheight increased by 10.5 °C (18.9 °F) and the RH approached 88 percent for the 10-person tent-type refuge alternative; the average temperature at midheight increased by 9.4 °C (16.9 °F) and the RH approached 94 percent for the 23-person tent-type refuge alternative; and the average temperature at midheight increased by 7.7 °C (13.9 °F) and the RH approached 95 percent for the six-person metal-type refuge alternative. For the dry tests, where no moisture was introduced, the average internal temperature increased by 12.6 °C (22.7 °F) for the 10-person tent-type refuge alternative, by 10.3 °C (18.5 °F) for the 23-person tent-type refuge alternative and by 8.4 °C (15.1 °F) for the six-person metal-type refuge alternative. These results may provide refuge alternative manufacturers and mine operators with guidelines and considerations for evaluating temperature profiles for portable refuge alternatives. The information may then be used to make decisions on occupancy ratings and heat mitigation strategies based on the thermal environment in which the refuge alternatives will be installed.
Advanced and Difficult Airway Management in the ICU

Endotracheal intubation in critically ill patients can be difficult and associated with significant morbidity and mortality [1–3]. Patients have underlying life-threatening pathology, may be hypoxemic and hypotensive, and may not tolerate induction and neuromuscular blockers well. Intubations in the ICU may differ vastly from intubations in the operating room which are often elective and performed in a controlled setting by trained anesthesiologists. Incidence of difficult intubation in the ICU as reported in literature ranges from 1% to 23% depending on the definition of the difficult intubation and center [4–7].
Effects of curricular emphasis in college on the GRE and its impact on the gender gap in performance

Abstract Previous research has indicated positive relations between a curricular emphasis during college and improvements in GRE performance for content that matches that emphasis. However, measurement issues and a lack of a theoretical approach have contributed to a lack of precision and detail in the estimates of the relation between college experiences and performance for relevant content. In the current study, we hypothesized that differences in training between students majoring in math related majors and students majoring in reading and writing related majors would be differentially related to the size of the changes on GRE performance. Further, we hypothesized the gender gap in GRE-Quant performance would be reduced when the higher likelihood of males majoring in math related majors was modelled. The expert performance approach was used to develop three path models (including curricular emphasis, college grade performance, previous performance on the SAT, and gender) to compare the effects of the relation of a curricular emphasis in math on GRE-Quant performance to the effects of the relation of an emphasis in reading and writing on GRE-Verbal performance. The results indicated support for our predictions that a math course emphasis was related to larger GRE performance gains and that gender differences in curricular emphasis during college partially mediated the large gender gap in GRE-Quant performance. Additionally, higher grade performance average was found to positively predict GRE performance with college experiences and previous performance statistically controlled. Implications for the relation between training accrued during college courses and changes in GRE performance are discussed.
Tolerance of ozone and drought in common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus)

Biological invasions in established cropping systems impact biodiversity and agricultural sustainability. Under conditions of multi-year drought and elevated tropospheric ozone (O3), several Amaranthus species have recently become problematic weeds in California. We examined responses of common waterhemp (A. tuberculatus) to 12-h mean O3 exposures of 4, 59, or 114 nmol O3 mol air−1, with two levels of irrigation, 33% (deficit irrigation, DI) or 100% (well-watered, WW) of field capacity. Daytime stomatal conductance (gs) was reduced by O3 but not by DI. Nocturnal gs was uncommonly large but unaffected by either treatment. Plant productivity was not affected by O3 or DI. Leaf mass per unit area and root mass per unit leaf area were reduced by O3 but not by DI. Tolerance of this species to O3 and deficit irrigation may increase its competitiveness with crops. High night-time water loss may reduce water availability for competing crops. The competitiveness of common waterhemp may increase, as climate ...
Correlates of Administrator Tenure in US Residential Care Communities.

Abstract Objective To determine community- and individual-level correlates of administrator tenure in US residential care communities (RCCs). Design Secondary data analysis of the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities designed by the National Center for Health Statistics. Analysis was conducted using Tobit regression. Setting and participants A nationally representative sample of RCCs in the United States (n = 2302). Measures The outcome measure for this study is RCC administrator tenure. Residential care community characteristics include chain ownership, size, occupancy rate, profit status, years of operation, if the building was purposely constructed as an RCC, Medicaid census, presence of a dementia care unit, and whether administrative staff provided care. Administrator characteristics included age, gender, race/ethnicity, and level of education. Results Over a quarter of administrators in this sample remained employed with the same RCC for 10 or more years (28%). Chain membership, community size, and presence of a dementia care unit are associated with shorter administrator tenure (P Conclusions/Implications Various community and administrator characteristics are associated with shorter or longer tenure within the same community. More setting-specific research is needed to identify how RCC administrators influence care quality and what different lengths of tenure indicate in the context of RCC operations.
Do the processes engaged during mathematical word-problem solving differ along the distribution of word-problem competence?

Conventional research methods for understanding sources of individual differences in word-problem solving (WPS) only permit estimation of average relations between component processes and outcomes. The purpose of the present study was instead to examine whether and if so how the component processes engaged in WPS differ along the spectrum of WPS performance. Second graders (N = 1,130) from 126 classrooms in 17 schools were assessed on component processes (reasoning, in-class attentive behavior, working memory, language comprehension, calculation fluency, word reading) and WPS. Multilevel, unconditional quantile multiple regression indicated that 3 component processes, calculation fluency, language comprehension, and working memory, are engaged in WPS differentially depending on students' overall word-problem skill. The role of calculation fluency and language comprehension was stronger with more competent word-problem solving ability. By contrast, the role of working memory was stronger with intermediate-level than for strong problem solving. Results deepen insight into the role of these processes in WPS and provide the basis for hypothesizing how instructional strategies may be differentiated depending on students' overall level of WPS competence.
Risk factors for delay in surgery for patients undergoing elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is well-tolerated by most patients and commonly necessitates only a short hospital admission. Surgical delay after hospital admission, however, may result in longer hospital stays, consequently increasing hospital resource utilization. The current study evaluates risk factors for surgical delay in patients undergoing elective ACDF. Methods: A retrospective analysis of ACS-NSQIP data from 2006–2015 was performed. Patients undergoing elective ACDF were selected using current procedural terminology (CPT) codes (22251, 22252, 22554). A surgical delay was defined as surgery that occurred one day or later after initial hospital admission. Differences in outcomes between the non-delayed and delayed cohorts were evaluated with univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for surgical delay. Results: There were a total of 771 (2.0%) surgical delays out of 39,371 patients undergoing elective ACDF from 2006–2015. Multivariate analysis found partially dependent functional status (OR 5.88; 95% CI: 4.48–7.71; P<0.001), totally dependent functional status (OR 18.22; 95% CI: 9.60–34.59; P<0.001), ASA class 4 (OR 2.73; 95% CI: 1.70–4.38; P<0.001), bleeding disorders (OR 1.75; 95% CI: 1.08–2.85; P=0.024), male sex (OR 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03–1.38; P=0.019), and chronic steroid use (OR 1.76; 95% CI: 1.30–2.37; P<0.001) as independent predictors of delay. Univariate analysis found surgical delay was associated with a higher rate of post-operative major adverse events (4.8% vs. 1.1%; P<0.001), mortality (1.0% vs. 0.2%; P<0.001) and greater than five-fold increase in total length of stay (9.52 vs. 1.65 days; P<0.001). Conclusions: Impaired pre-operative functional status, a higher comorbidity burden, and chronic steroid use are risk factors for surgical delay, increased complications, and length of stay in patients undergoing elective ACDF. This is helpful information to consider given a rising incidence of cervical fusions in the Medicare population, a wide variation in costs, and increasing popularity of bundled-payment models. Level of Evidence: 3.
Assessing sedentary body movement with accelerometers and domain specific cognitive function during active sitting

Abstract The potential physiological and psychological consequences of active sitting are not self-evident. The purpose of this study was to determine how active sitting affects hip motion, as well as domain specific cognitive function. Thirty-seven participants sat for 10 min in three different sitting conditions including a chair with a backrest, chair without a backrest, and an exercise ball. Hip acceleration was monitored using an ActiGraph GT9X Link triaxial accelerometer, and cognitive function was assessed using three different tasks including typing, reading comprehension, and spatial direction estimates. A significant difference in hip acceleration was found between participants that sat on the exercise ball compared to a stool. Additionally, the participants sitting on the ball attempted fewer total direction estimates and fewer egocentric-based direction estimates than the participants who sat on the stool. There may be little or no cognitive benefit to active sitting for many typical work tasks.
Sampling bias mitigation for species occurrence modeling using machine learning methods

Abstract The identification and mitigation of sampling biases is commonly overseen in species distribution modeling, even though bias can seriously compromise the validity of modeling outcomes. Here we propose methods to 1) detect and mitigate spatial and detection sampling biases in the use of machine learning methods for modeling species occurrence and 2) assess the magnitude of bias and the effectiveness of bias mitigation on modeling prediction, variable importance, and model performance. We illustrate these techniques through the calibration of boosted decision trees for the prediction of annual occurrences of Aedes albopictus, an invasive disease vector, in South-East Pennsylvania between 2001 and 2015. Methods consist of the application of spatial filters and the assignment of sampling reliability weights to observed locations. We tested the performance of spatial bias mitigation by comparing the frequency distribution obtained for predictors before and after filtering with the distribution that would be obtained under an ideal sampling design. We also tested the performance of detection bias mitigation by comparing the importance of variables representing detection bias before and after the assignment of reliability weights. Results show that spatial filtering reduced differences between the frequency distribution obtained with the unfiltered data and the distribution that would be obtained under a reference sampling design. The assignment of sampling reliability weights to observations reduced the relative influence of detection bias on fitted models. The mitigation of spatial bias had a larger effect on modeling prediction and accuracy estimates compared to detection bias mitigation. Spatial sampling bias mitigation largely tended to reduce the number of years of predicted A. albopictus occurrence while detection bias mitigation tended to increase it. Our results highlight the importance of identifying, quantifying and mitigating observation biases as a standard practice in the use of machine learning methods for species occurrence modeling because biases can compromise the reliability of modeling outcomes and interpretation.
PETSc DMNetwork: A Library for Scalable Network PDE-Based Multiphysics Simulations

We present DMNetwork, a high-level package included in the PETSc library for the simulation of multiphysics phenomena over large-scale networked systems. The library aims at applications that have networked structures such as those in electrical, gas, and water distribution systems. DMNetwork provides data and topology management, parallelization for multiphysics systems over a network, and hierarchical and composable solvers to exploit the problem structure. DMNetwork eases the simulation development cycle by providing the necessary infrastructure through simple abstractions to define and query the network components. This article presents the design of DMNetwork, illustrates its user interface, and demonstrates its ability to solve multiphysics systems, such as an electric circuit, a network of power grid and water subnetworks, and transient hydraulic systems over large networks with more than 2 billion variables on extreme-scale computers using up to 30,000 processors.
The Concept of the Potential of Mean-Force in Enzyme Catalysis

When trying to understand the microscopic details of any chemical reactive process in a condensed phase it is always very useful to introduce the concept of a potential of mean-force. As we shall see below from a number of examples, this concept will tell us how the reaction coordinate (we assume here for simplicity a one-dimension reaction coordinate)is affected on the average by its environment. This concept is particularly useful when applied to enzyme catalysis as it can make more transparent and explain, at least in part, how enzymes are so successful in speeding up specific chemical reaction processes.
PyModPDE: A python software for modified equation analysis

Abstract The modified equation is a useful tool in the analysis of numerical methods for partial differential equations (PDEs). It gives insight into the stability, diffusion, and dispersion properties of a given numerical scheme. Its derivation, however, is rather tedious and error-prone due to the enormous amount of algebra involved. PyModPDE is a python software that uses a novel approach to generate the modified equation. It takes a discrete PDE as its input and outputs the modified equation in LaTeX format. We discuss the novel approach on which PyModPDE is based and then validate the software using one and two-dimensional PDEs. PyModPDE serves as an essential tool for computational scientists and engineers for both educational and research purposes.
Perforated Tableaux: A Combinatorial Model for Crystal Graphs in Type $A_{n-1}$

We present a combinatorial model, called \emph{perforated tableaux}, to study $A_{n-1}$ crystals, unifying several previously studied combinatorial models. We identify nodes in the $k$-fold tensor product of the standard crystal with length $k$ words in $[n]= \{ 1, \ldots n\}$. We model this crystal with perforated tableaux (ptableaux) with simpler crystal operators with which we can identify highest weights visually without computation (for all crystals directly, without reference to a canonical model of semistandard Young tableaux (SSYT)). We generalize the tensor products in the Littlewood-Richardson rule to all of $[n]^{\otimes k}$, and not just the irreducible crystals whose reading words come from SSYT. We relate evacuation (Lusztig involution) to products of ptableaux crystal operators, and find a combinatorial algorithm to compute commutators of highest weight ptableaux.
Ecophysiological Study of Paraburkholderia sp. Strain 1N under Soil Solution Conditions: Dynamic Substrate Preferences and Characterization of Carbon Use Efficiency

ABSTRACT We used time-resolved metabolic footprinting, an important technical approach used to monitor changes in extracellular compound concentrations during microbial growth, to study the order of substrate utilization (i.e., substrate preferences) and kinetics of a fast-growing soil isolate, Paraburkholderia sp. strain 1N. The growth of Paraburkholderia sp. 1N was monitored under aerobic conditions in a soil-extracted solubilized organic matter medium, representing a realistic diversity of available substrates and gradient of initial concentrations. We combined multiple analytical approaches to track over 150 compounds in the medium and complemented this with bulk carbon and nitrogen measurements, allowing estimates of carbon use efficiency throughout the growth curve. Targeted methods allowed the quantification of common low-molecular-weight substrates: glucose, 20 amino acids, and 9 organic acids. All targeted compounds were depleted from the medium, and depletion followed a sigmoidal curve where sufficient data were available. Substrates were utilized in at least three distinct temporal clusters as Paraburkholderia sp. 1N produced biomass at a cumulative carbon use efficiency of 0.43. The two substrates with highest initial concentrations, glucose and valine, exhibited longer usage windows, at higher biomass-normalized rates, and later in the growth curve. Contrary to hypotheses based on previous studies, we found no clear relationship between substrate nominal oxidation state of carbon (NOSC) or maximal growth rate and the order of substrate depletion. Under soil solution conditions, the growth of Paraburkholderia sp. 1N induced multiauxic substrate depletion patterns that could not be explained by the traditional paradigm of catabolite repression. IMPORTANCE Exometabolomic footprinting methods have the capability to provide time-resolved observations of the uptake and release of hundreds of compounds during microbial growth. Of particular interest is microbial phenotyping under environmentally relevant soil conditions, consisting of relatively low concentrations and modeling pulse input events. Here, we show that growth of a bacterial soil isolate, Paraburkholderia sp. 1N, on a dilute soil extract resulted in a multiauxic metabolic response, characterized by discrete temporal clusters of substrate depletion and metabolite production. Our data did not support the hypothesis that compounds with lower energy content are used preferentially, as each cluster contained compounds with a range of nominal oxidation states of carbon. These new findings with Paraburkholderia sp. 1N, which belongs to a metabolically diverse genus, provide insights on ecological strategies employed by aerobic heterotrophs competing for low-molecular-weight substrates in soil solution.
Understanding why we do what we do during a global pandemic.

We are, at this writing, slowly beginning to see the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. Eighteen percent of the population has now been vaccinated, and the national third wave of COVID-19 cases is on the wane. Both of these forces are conspiring to give us hope that the United States can soon start to move beyond the COVID-19 year, to start picking up the pieces from where the country left off when COVID-19 first hit. There is going to be much to do in the wake of COVID-19. The economy remains weak, and only about half of the jobs lost during COVID-19 have been recovered. There will have to be a rethinking of how the country works, a reckoning with the inequities laid bare by the pandemic, and a wholesale reimagining of how we can prevent future pandemics. Science will have an important role to play in this post-COVID reconstruction. The COVID-19 year was marked by an incredible explosion of science around COVID-19 (1). Aided by the rise of preprints and the ubiquitous reach of social media, science made a real-time contribution to national and global decisions that needed to be made to contain the evolving pandemic. There has perhaps never been a more visible time for science in the decision-making landscape, and, commensurately, never has there been a time more fraught with potential peril for science. Fundamentally, the work of science is slow and painstaking, with different groups of scientists building on the work of others until we arrive at some consensus on what we know. That is, of course, challenged when science is being produced at a breakneck pace, made public mostly before peer review has taken place (2), and often looked to by decision makers hoping for solutions before the field has had time … [↵][1]1Email: sgalea{at}bu.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Gait outcomes following proximal tibial tumor resection and endoprosthetic reconstruction.

Abstract Background Despite the proximal tibia being a common site of primary malignant bone tumors, there is limited information about gait function following proximal tibial tumor resection and endoprosthetic reconstruction (PTR). Research question What is the impact of PTR on gait and quality of life? Methods This was a cross-sectional study of patients ≥18 years old who were ≥2 years post-PTR compared to a control group of similar age and sex distribution. Eighteen participants (9 PTR, 9 Control) were recruited. Gait spatial-temporal data, joint kinematics and kinetics were collected at preferred and fast walking speeds. Community walking cadence, health-related quality of life (SF-36) and knee joint torque were assessed. Comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVAs with Bonferroni corrections for multiple comparisons. Nonparametric tests were used for data not normally distributed. Results Mean age was 31 years for each group (PTR range = 18–42 yrs, Control range = 18–44 yrs). Compared to both control and nonsurgical limbs, the surgical limb exhibited significantly decreased % single limb support time, reduced heel rise during terminal stance and an absence of normally occurring knee flexion angles, extensor moments and power generation during initial double limb support. Additionally, a reduced peak plantar flexor moment was found for the surgical as compared to the control limb. The number of gait abnormalities increased during fast walking. Significantly reduced surgical knee extensor torque on isokinetic testing and weakness of the knee and ankle on clinical examination support gait findings. During community walking, the number of low frequency strides was an average of 5.3 % greater for the PTR group (p Significance Gait abnormalities were consistent with ankle muscle resection and transposition and knee extensor mechanism disruption. Despite these deficits, walking speed and quality of life were relatively normal.
Pedagogic Value of 'Inflectional Morphology for Grammar Teaching

A sound knowledge of inflectional morphology is imperative for successful grammar teaching. Though modern English is a derivational language as far as its vocabulary is concerned, it is also inflectional as far as its grammar is concerned. The inflectional nature of English grammar constitutes the contents of English grammar teaching to a very large extent. Many practicing English grammar teachers do not know where to start or how different grammar elements are interrelated. Hence, they simply follow the order of units as provided either in the curriculum or in the contents of grammar books. Inflectional morphology is to grammar improvement what derivational morphology is to vocabulary development. This descriptive and reflective paper provides a bird’s eye-view of how four major grammatical classes of words are related to different grammatical sub-categories or notions, such as number, case, gender, person, degree, mood, voice, tense, and aspect.
Measurement of Trust in Automation: A Narrative Review and Reference Guide.

With the rise of automated and autonomous agents, research examining trust in automation has attracted considerable attention over the last few decades. Trust is a rich and complex construct which has sparked a multitude of measures and approaches to study and understand it. This comprehensive narrative review addresses known methods that have been used to capture trust in automation. We examined measurements deployed in existing empirical works, categorized those measures into self-report, behavioral and physiological indices, and examined them within the context of an existing model of trust. The resulting work provides a reference guide for researchers, providing a list of available trust in automation measurement methods along with the model-derived constructs that they capture including judgements of trustworthiness, trust attitudes and trusting behaviors. The article concludes with recommendations on how to improve the current state of trust in automation measurement.
Measuring Core/Facesheet Bond Toughness in Honeycomb Sandwich Structures

This study examines two test methods to evaluate the peel toughness of the skin to core debond of sandwich panels. The methods tested were the climbing drum (CD) peel test and the double cantilever beam (DCB) test. While the CD peel test is only intended for qualitative measurements, it is shown in this study that qualitative measurements can be performed and compare well with DCB test data. It is also shown that artificially stiffening the facesheets of a DCB specimen can cause the test to behave more like a flatwise tensile test than a peel test.
Parametric adjustments in the oculomotor system.

Publisher Summary Appropriate optical techniques are now available with which to challenge many of the major parameters governing oculomotor function. In many, but not all, instances it is known that the nervous system is able to respond positively to this challenge through adaptive processes that operate directly on the gain of the parameter in question. Such adaptive gain control has been demonstrated in a rich variety of species, including fish, birds and mammals. Carefully selected visual challenges generally elicit equally selective adaptation, but not always. Much of the initial interest in adaptive phenomena was motivated by concern with so-called plastic mechanisms underlying long-term learning, but it is clear that not all of the responses are necessarily of this type. Long-term plastic adjustments occur over hours or days, and show good retention of the altered state when the subject remains in darkness or is otherwise deprived of visual feedback. Presumably, slow changes of this kind are solely concerned with the maintenance of long-term stability. Furthermore, saccades are not necessary: the post-saccadic enhancement effect could be evoked by merely shifting the visual scene in a saccade-like way. Such observations suggest the need for extraordinary attention to detail when examining oculomotor responses.
Nutritional Management of Gastroenterocutaneous Fistulas

Despite significant improvements in medical and surgical treatments of gastroenterocutaneous fistulas (ECFs), they remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality for patients who develop them. A hypermetabolic response and profound disturbances in fluid and electrolyte levels, leading to dehydration, hyponatraemia, hypokalemia, and metabolic acidosis, are common, making this patient population a unique subgroup of critically ill patients vulnerable to further decline in nutritional status. In general, medical treatment and stabilization precede attempts at surgical intervention and remain a hallmark of therapy for ECFs. The most challenging aspect of ECF management is nutritional repletion because there is no standard protocol, and each patient and case is unique. The management requires patient- as well as fistula-specific factors to be considered for optimizing the best treatment regimen. Currently, there are no well-established, evidence-based clinical guidelines for managing the medications and nutrition care of these patients. Although it is often difficult and sometimes impossible to provide adequate enteral nutrition in the presences of an ECF, nutritional support should be implemented whenever possible. Many questions have been answered; however, there is no uniformity to these answers. This chapter reviews the roles of enteral and supplemental parenteral nutrition, somatostatin, and immune-modulating nutritional supplementation.
Gene Expression Analysis of RNA Purified from Embryonic Stem Cells and Embryoid Body–Derived Cells Using a High‐Throughput Microarray Platform

In this unit, starting with purified RNA, experimental protocols for performing microarrray expression analysis of embryonic stem cell lines compared to their corresponding differentiated embryoidal bodies are described. Methods for data analysis are suggested, with the goal of determining which genes are differentially expressed between the preparations. As an example, the use of the Affymetrix microarray expression platform is described, but alternative experimental options for analysis of RNA transcript levels are also summarized. This unit suggests quality control metrics, summazrizes the critical parameters necessary for obtaining reproducible experimental results, and outlines quantitative PCR methods for validating microarray results. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 2:1B.2.1-1B.2.36. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: embryonic stem cells; embryoid bodies; RNA expression analysis; microarray platform
The Federal Circuit's Inducement Conflict Resolution: The Flawed Foundation and Ignored Implications of DSU Medical

After years of uncertainty regarding the level of intent required to prove liability for inducing patent infringement, the Federal Circuit, in DSU Medical Corp. v. JMS Co., finally endorsed the specific intent standard detailed in the court’s Manville Sales Corp. v. Paramount Systems, Inc. decision. This article examines the ramifications of DSU Medical Corp., especially in relation to the opinion of counsel defense to willful infringement. This article argues that the Federal Circuit’s reliance on Manville Sales and MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster was misplaced, and that the adoption of the specific intent standard results in an elevated importance of the opinion of counsel defense to inducement. This could lead to confusion of willfulness and inducement intent for courts and juries, which, for policy reasons, should remain distinct.
The evaluation of the corrosion resistance of metallic substrates protected by a hydrophobic coating

In order to ascertain the performance of hydrophobic materials in corrosion service, metallic substrates of aluminum, copper, and steel were coated with a hydrophobic coating termed conformal and subjected to a variety of intensive analytical examinations including Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, real-time field studies, and scanning electron microscopy. To be able to gage the relative performance of the conformal coat, it was necessary to test similar uncoated metallic substrates as well as similar substrates treated with a non-hydrophobic corrosion preventative coat. This allowed direct comparisons to be made between the conformal coat and other commercially available coating products while allowing for an uncoated substrate to act as a baseline reference (i.e., a control). The results of these experiments show that the performance of conformal as a preventative measure against corrosion were below expectations, especially in comparison to other commercially available non-hydrophobic coatings. This is most likely due to inadequate adhesion at the polymer-metal substrate interface. Preliminary results show that significant improvements in corrosion resistance occur through the use of a base coating though the cause for this improvement cannot be determined at this time.
A Stochastic Approach to Delay Compensation in Integrated Communication and Control Systems

This brief paper focuses on compensation of (network-induced) randomly varying delays in Integrated Communication and Control Systems. An estimator is required to realize the delayed states if the compensation algorithm is based on the principle of dynamic programming. A stochastic output feedback regulator that does not require state estimation is being developed to improve robustness of the delay compensator. Some of the pertinent results of this ongoing research are presented.
Parsing “Mutual Non-Recognition and Mutual Non-Denial:” An International Law Perspective on Taipei’s Current Framework for Cross-Strait Relations

The Republic of China on Taiwan has never ceased to assert its sovereignty and dignity as a co-equal member of the international legal order. Yet different governments in Taipei – pan-Green (DPP-led) and pan-Blue (KMT-led) – have advanced vastly different versions of this sovereignty claim. Whereas the pan-Green government of President Chen Shui-bian contended provocatively that “the two sides of the Taiwan Strait ... are two independent, sovereign countries, with neither exercising jurisdiction over the other,” the succeeding pan-Blue government of President Ma Ying-jeou asserts that “the cross-strait relationship is not one between states, but a special relationship for which the model of recognition under conventional international law is not applicable.” President Ma’s formula of “mutual non-recognition and mutual non-denial” – in which Beijing and Taipei both persist in their full claims to sovereignty over the undivided whole of China, yet concede the authority of the other to govern the latter’s respective geographic zone – has proved a diplomatic success for the time being. Yet from an international law standpoint, the implications are uncertain. President Ma has invoked as precedent the 1972 Grundlagenvertrag, or Basis of Relations Agreement, between West and East Germany.This article assesses the juridical viability of “mutual non-recognition and mutual non-denial” framework, and the applicability of the analogy to the inter-German agreement. It argues that President Ma’s concession that “international law is not directly applicable to cross-strait relations” presents long-term dangers that diplomatic successes have tended to obscure, and that Taipei must walk a tightrope so as to preserve a legal foundation for Taiwan’s inviolability.
Expanding Materially-Instantiated Social & Spatial Relations: Almanac of the Dead as a Reconceptualization of History & Modernity

My study engages Leslie Marmon Silko’s Almanac of the Dead (1991) with Thomas Edison’s short film, “Sioux Ghost Dance,” from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (c.1894). I will demonstrate how Almanac re-imagines traditional social and spatial arrangements, revealing the historically-specific space of social relations and re-announcing the spatial and temporal proportions of that space. The novel’s re-mapping of the Americas constitutes an alternatively-networked politics of pure antagonism that simultaneously betrays the discord of “coherent” networks and territorially-confined forms of modernity, but also the antagonism that belies the identitarian subject him/herself. This paper elaborates Almanac ’s reading of capitalist networks and other Euro-American epistemologies as configuring a logic of stasis. Aligning Edison’s film with moments from the novel, I argue that such spatializations imagine actors within a blank space outside of history, figuring them as static scenery to the progress of modernity. Highlighting the virtual and material entanglement of spatial and social relations, Silko’s Almanac of the Dead asserts that social relations (as material practices) are limited to—and thus refigured by—the spatial formations that they actualize. The novel’s materialist strategy for resistance evades multiculturalism’s politicized and territorially-confined model of identity. Encountered in this manner, I argue that Silko’s novel performs a necessary re-configuration of alternatives to existing, static nationalisms and liberal multicultural identity politics. Key words : Silko; Agonism; Epistemology; The Americas; Marxism; Territory; Identity Politics
OASIS-an object-oriented and symbolic information system

A description is given of OASIS (Object-oriented And Symbolic Information System), a database system being developed at Rutgers University. the goal of the OASIS project is to extend the conventional Unix programming environment with persistent customized objects, object-oriented database programming, and symbolic information management. The fundamental concepts and the basic architecture of OASIS are outlined. The language constructs that can be used in OASIS to define, access, and operate on objects are discussed. >
Echocardiographic detection of pulmonary hypertension in extremely low birth weight infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia requiring prolonged positive pressure ventilation

The goal of this study was to delineate the epidemiology of echocardiographically diagnosed pulmonary hypertension (PH) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) requiring prolonged positive pressure ventilation (PPV), and to determine the independent relationship between PH and mortality in these patients. Our retrospective cohort included ELBW infants, with BPD requiring prolonged PPV, hospitalized in Cincinnati, Ohio during 2003–2009, as recorded in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network Database. Following chart review, a logistic regression model was constructed to understand the contribution of PH to mortality in infants with BPD requiring prolonged PPV. We identified 216 patients (19%) with BPD requiring prolonged PPV among 1156 ELBW infants. Of these patients, 41% received echocardiography after 4 weeks of life, with 37% showing evidence of PH. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that infants with BPD requiring prolonged PPV, with PH detectable by echocardiogram, were four times more likely to die (adjusted odds ratio): 4.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.3–16.5) when compared with infants with BPD requiring prolonged PPV without echocardiographic evidence of PH. Pulmonary hypertension appears to be an important, independent determinant of death in infants with BPD requiring prolonged PPV.
Dominant Languages in a Plural Society: English and Kiswahili in Post-Colonial East Africa

Within the regional constellation of languages in East Africa English and Kiswahili have been the most influential trans-ethnic languages. The sociopolitical dynamics of these languages, however, have varied from one country to another along three interrelated parameters: (1) the confluence of indigenous, Islamic and Western traditions; (2) the divide, in power relations, between imperial, hegemonic and preponderant languages; and (3) the difference in the sociolinguistic values of sentiment and instrumentality. In this interaction of social forces the languages have played complementary and competitive roles and have acquired both convergent and divergent functions. As the East African multilingual context continues to favor a state of polylingualism, English and Kiswahili have been struggling for greater legitimacy, the former by getting increas ingly localized and the latter by seeking universalist credentials.
The competence of criminal defendants: A theoretical reformulation.

"Competence" of criminal defendants is best viewed not as an open-textured single construct but rather as two related but separable constructs-a foundational concept of competence to assist counsel, and a contextualized concept of decisional competence. This approach has several advantages. First, it provides a useful explanatory framework for the settled features of existing law. Second, it helps to clarify the issues in areas where the law is unsettled or controversial, such as the circumstances under which incompetence bars adjudication and the abilities required for decisional competence. Third, it exposes the similarities between competencies in criminal defense and competencies in other legal contexts, and thereby helps to link what have been discrete literatures in both law and behavioral science. Fourth, because this approach is derived from a theoretical analysis of the purposes of the pertinent legal rules, it provides a framework for defining the "psycho-legal abilities" that are encompassed by each of the two competence constructs. In this respect, a relatively simple reconceptualization has surprisingly concrete implications for designing a program of empirical research and, eventually, for improving the scientific basis of competence assessments in criminal cases. Language: en
Trace elements in soils and plants: An overview

Abstract The movement of both essential and non‐essential trace elements through agricultural ecosystems and food chains is a complex phenomenon. Such elements as As, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, U, V, and Zn, are generally present in soils in low concentrations but concentrations may be elevated because of natural processes and human activities, such as fossil fuel combustion, mining, smelting, sludge amendment to soil, fertilizer application, and agricultural practices. Although a significant effort has been expended over the past 40 years to evaluate and quantify the transfer of trace elements from soils to plants, more attention needs to be given to mechanisms within the soil and plant systems, which influence their solubility, chemical speciation, mobility, and uptake by and transport in plants. The prediction of movement of trace elements in the agricultural ecosystem must be partially based on understanding the soil and plant processes governing chemical form and the uptake and behavior of trace ...