cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The importance of decision onset

The neural mechanisms of decision making are thought to require the integration of evidence over time until a response threshold is reached. Much work suggests that response threshold can be adjusted via top-down control as a function of speed or accuracy requirements. In contrast, the time of integration onset has received less attention and is believed to be determined mostly by afferent or preprocessing delays. However, a number of influential studies over the past decade challenge this assumption and begin to paint a multifaceted view of the phenomenology of decision onset. This review highlights the challenges involved in initiating the integration of evidence at the optimal time and the potential benefits of adjusting integration onset to task demands. The review outlines behavioral and electrophysiolgical studies suggesting that the onset of the integration process may depend on properties of the stimulus, the task, attention, and response strategy. Most importantly, the aggregate findings in the literature suggest that integration onset may be amenable to top-down regulation, and may be adjusted much like response threshold to exert cognitive control and strategically optimize the decision process to fit immediate behavioral requirements.
Perceived Helpfulness, Perceived Trustworthiness, and Their Impact upon Social Commerce Users’ Intention to Seek Shopping Recommendations

Understanding why people seek shopping recommendations from others on social commerce sites can help practitioners design effective strategies to encourage users’ engagement of social commerce. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of users’ intention to seek shopping recommendations on social commerce sites. A research model is developed which incorporates the perceived helpfulness of others’ shopping recommendations, the perceived trustworthiness of the social commerce site, and the perceived trustworthiness of other users on a social commerce site. The model is empirically validated via SEM analysis using survey data collected from over 200 subjects. The results reveal that perceived trustworthiness of other users can positively and significantly influence the perceived helpfulness of others’ shopping recommendations, perceived helpfulness, and perceived trustworthiness of a social commerce site can positively and significantly influence users’ intention to seek shopping recommendati...
What Is n’t Doing There?: French Expletive Negation in Comparative Clauses

This paper explores expletive ne in subordinate comparative clauses in French. I limit the discussion to (reduced) clausal comparatives, since expletive negation does not occur in (direct) phrasal comparatives. I show that expletive ne is favored in all comparative clauses, and argue that this provides direct evidence that it is still a part of synchronic French grammar. I propose that French comparatives should be analyzed as A-not-A constructions, and that expletive ne is a formally negative head that is licensed by a truth-value operator. Expletive ne thus functions concordally to mark the comparative subordinate clause as containing a negation.
A Study on Dead Band Measurement for Governing System Parameter Testing of Large-capacity Fossil-fired Generating Units

To study the dead band measurement for governing system parameter testing of large-capacity fossil-fired generating units,the dead band composition of digital electro-hydraulic control system(DEH) is investigated by four-quadrant static characteristic diagram and the method of quadrant mapping and converting.A static testing method which indirectly obtains the dead band of DEH by measuring the differential change extremum of unit speed is presented.The test method was successfully applied to the static dead band measurement for DEH of 1 036 MW turbo-unit in Huaneng Haimen Power Plant.
Biological Perspectives in Chronic Pain, Depression, and Organic Mental Disorders

The complex interrelationships between environmental, physiological, and psychological variables in hospitalized patients requires that disturbances in mood, cognition, and behavior be assessed through multidisciplinary paradigms. Within these evaluations, however, the psychiatrist must often provide expertise in the biological basis of pain, depression, and delirium.
Radiologic interpretation by family physicians in an office practice setting.

BACKGROUND Radiology is an integral part of the office practice of many family physicians. Nevertheless, data are sparse on the performance of family physicians in this endeavor. This study investigated the performance of family physicians at interpreting radiographs ordered in a free-standing family practice office. METHODS A consecutive series of radiographic studies performed at a family practice office during a 3-year period was surveyed. All radiographic studies included in this analysis (N = 1674) were separately interpreted by the family physician ordering the study and an overreading radiologist. If the interpretations agreed, the studies were accepted as having been correctly interpreted. Cases in which the interpretations disagreed were reexamined. RESULTS Family physicians correctly interpreted 92.4% of the radiographic studies (95% confidence interval, 91.0 to 93.6). Their accuracy with extremity films (96.0%) was significantly higher than their accuracy with chest films (89.3%, P < .001). Family physicians were more likely to correctly interpret normal films (95.2%) than abnormal ones (85.9%, P < .001). Thirty-five percent of the cases in which there were differences between family physician and radiologist interpretations were correctly interpreted by family physicians. CONCLUSIONS Family physicians showed a high degree of accuracy in radiologic interpretation in an office setting. Chest films were inherently more difficult to interpret than extremity films. Because correct interpretation depends on body part examined and the prevalence of disease, the performance of family physicians will probably vary in different practice settings.
Displacing the “I”: Uses of the First Person in Recent Argentine Biographical Documentaries

This chapter analyzes the use of the first person in two Argentine biographical documentaries that tell the story of the underground scene in Buenos Aires in the 1980s: Luca (Rodrigo Espina, 2008) and La peli de Batato (Goyo Anchou and Peter Pank, 2011). The first-person enunciation in these films differs from the “memory documentaries” of the last three decades insofar as it adopts a gaze that displaces the “I” to focus on an object other than the self. Gomez’s analysis suggests that the prevalence of the “subjective turn” throughout the 1990s and the first decade of the 2000s is causing filmmakers to critique the normalization of first-person enunciation that has dominated documentary filmmaking in recent years.
Choosing Voters: Redistricting and Re-Apportionment

If there is any electoral institution in the United States where the rules affect outcomes, it is in redistricting and reapportionment, yet it is one of the least understood parts of the electoral institution. The formal rules created in every state in the nation (each of the 50 states create districts in varying ways with varying laws) also affect citizen participation in electoral decisions. Citizen votes translate into public policy via representation at the federal, state, and local levels. Within states, congress members represent approximately equal numbers of individuals, but not between states.1 Within states, state houses and senates are typically divided into equally populated geographic districts.
Abstract P30: Gender-Specific Profiles of Lifestyle Behaviors Among US Adults Treated for Hypertension

Background: The 7th Joint National Committee (JNC7) recommends lifestyle behavior modification as an essential strategy in the management of hypertension. Purpose: To identify gender-specific profi...
Elucidation of Cancer Drivers Through Comparative Omic Data Analyses

Past statistics suggest that one out of every two men and every three women in developed countries will develop cancer during his or her life time. Cancer accounts for 12.5 % of all disease-induced deaths and ranks number three behind cardiovascular diseases and infectious and parasitic diseases worldwide. Its ranking moves up to number two when only developed countries are surveyed. A central question to be addressed here is: What causes a cancer to initiate and develop?
Function of Cdc45 in DNA Replication and in Response to Genotoxic Stress

DNA replication is a highly conserved and tightly regulated process, with a variety of factors acting to ensure faithful duplication and stability of chromosomal DNA. During replication, positive s...
Unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus

Bullous systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare distinctive subepidermal blistering disorder that can occur in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is histologically characterized by a neutrophil-predominant infiltrate in the subepidermal region with deposition of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM), C3, and auto-antibodies against collagen VII. Herein, we report a case of a 13-year-old girl who presented with bullous SLE and Class III lupus nephritis, which is extremely rare at this age.
A Meta-Analysis of Class-Wide Interventions for Supporting Student Behavior

Off-task and disruptive classroom behavior impedes the learning of the children emitting these behaviors as well as the delivery of instruction to the entire class, which may lead to decreased acad...
Cortical branches of the posterior cerebral artery. Anatomic-radiologic correlation.

Variations in the course and distribution of the cortical branches of the posterior cerebral artery are described and a method presented for identification of the branches in the usual angiographic projections.
ASHP Guidelines for the Management of Investigational Drug Products.

The purpose of these guidelines is to describe a standardized approach for the management of investigational drug products by the clinical research pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, and cooperative and research network groups. The scope of these guidelines includes the receipt, accountability,
A global slowdown of tropical-cyclone translation speed

As the Earth’s atmosphere warms, the atmospheric circulation changes. These changes vary by region and time of year, but there is evidence that anthropogenic warming causes a general weakening of summertime tropical circulation1–8. Because tropical cyclones are carried along within their ambient environmental wind, there is a plausible a priori expectation that the translation speed of tropical cyclones has slowed with warming. In addition to circulation changes, anthropogenic warming causes increases in atmospheric water-vapour capacity, which are generally expected to increase precipitation rates 9 . Rain rates near the centres of tropical cyclones are also expected to increase with increasing global temperatures10–12. The amount of tropical-cyclone-related rainfall that any given local area will experience is proportional to the rain rates and inversely proportional to the translation speeds of tropical cyclones. Here I show that tropical-cyclone translation speed has decreased globally by 10 per cent over the period 1949–2016, which is very likely to have compounded, and possibly dominated, any increases in local rainfall totals that may have occurred as a result of increased tropical-cyclone rain rates. The magnitude of the slowdown varies substantially by region and by latitude, but is generally consistent with expected changes in atmospheric circulation forced by anthropogenic emissions. Of particular importance is the slowdown of 30 per cent and 20 per cent over land areas affected by western North Pacific and North Atlantic tropical cyclones, respectively, and the slowdown of 19 per cent over land areas in the Australian region. The unprecedented rainfall totals associated with the ‘stall’ of Hurricane Harvey13–15 over Texas in 2017 provide a notable example of the relationship between regional rainfall amounts and tropical-cyclone translation speed. Any systematic past or future change in the translation speed of tropical cyclones, particularly over land, is therefore highly relevant when considering potential changes in local rainfall totals.
Governance Built Step-by-Step: Analysing Sequences to Explain Democratization

As with many other questions in political science, explaining the timing of democratization may require a more nuanced focus on temporal mechanisms such as tempo and order. Based on a sample of independent regimes for the post World War II period from 1946 to 2008, I examine the order of regime change as part of a long-term institutional history. I argue that along with other conventional explanations for democratization, the institutional history of a country lends itself to empirical treatments based on patterns of prior regime change. The utility of sequence analysis is demonstrated by its ability to uncover obscure patterns—such as the delicate historical relationship between presidential democracy and military autocracy. Insofar as similar histories of regime change add to models of democratization, sequence analysis provides a way to go beyond duration and operationalize other forms of time-dependence. This analysis supports democratization research by focusing on new approaches to modeling the impact of time on democratization. It shows the usefulness of sequence analysis for answering important questions concerning the order and sequence of political events.
Therapy Analogues and Clinical Trials in Psychotherapy Research

The evaluation of psychotherapy continues to be a major topic in clinical psychology and psychiatry.1 Research is frequently designed to determine the efficacy of particular techniques, the relative effectiveness of alternative treatments, the combination of treatments that maximize change, and a variety of related questions (see Kazdin, 1980). Identification of effective psychotherapy techniques is a high priority for several reasons. First, estimates of the number of persons in the population at large who experience psychiatric dysfunction or problems of living and who might benefit from treatment have been as high as 15% to 25% (e.g., President’s Commission on Mental Health, 1978). Thus, the social, economic, and personal repercussions that mental health problems present are extensive (Kiesler, 1980). Although psychotherapy might not be expected to alleviate all mental health problems, certainly the availability of effective treatments would be of interest to a large body of consumers who might benefit directly.
Running on Empty

Did you read the news about the politician who co-opted a police helicopter, a harbor patrol boat and a compliment of Baltimore’s Finest to help him propose to his girlfriend? Did he really need police protection to propose? If so, aren’t there plenty of qualified private security firms available for the job?The real question this incident raises is whether being an elected official confers free access to public property? It shouldn’t, nor should status as an elected official create an entitlement to private property. But this happens not infrequently and recently it happened to music star Jackson Browne when John McCain’s campaign grabbed Browne’s music.They decided, after many beers I am sure, that Jackson Browne’s 1977 hit song RUNNING ON EMPTY fit the bill. The album on which the song was recorded was also called Running on Empty and was well known, having achieved Platinum status seven times over. That the song was subject to United States copyright protection should pose no problem, I am certain they thought. For them, the song was free for the plucking. They were, after all, a national political campaign, running a United States Senator for the highest elected office in the land. And pluck the song they did. The chemistry could not have been worse.
Confusion Regarding the DASH Diet and Sodium Restriction in Inner-city Clinic Patients: Association with Poor DASH Scores and Sodium Adherence (P04-111-19)

Adherence to the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is associated with slower progression of kidney disease and decreased cardiovascular risk. We evaluated the association between knowledge of the DASH diet, DASH scores and nutrient intake in an inner-City population. A random sample of patients from CKD (37), medicine/diabetes (18) and transplant clinic (31) was studied using 24-hour food recall, with nutrient intake analyzed by ASA24 software used to calculate DASH score. Patients were asked to respond to the question “Do you know what the DASH diet is?” Mean age was 63.8 ± 14.1yrs; 50% (43) had diabetes; 85% (73) had hypertension. 45% (39) reported income < $20 K/yr. 78% (67) stated that they were familiar with the DASH diet and defined it as decreased or “low” intake of sodium or salt (LoNa); 33% (28) were not familiar (NoAns). No patient was able to provide a correct explanation of the DASH diet as per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most common answers were “no salt” (26), “low salt” (38), 3 pts described the limit of sodium as 2gm (2) or <80 mg (1). Several patients commented “nasty” or “tasteless”. Mean DASH scores were poor and did not differ between the two groups (LoNa 3.75 ± 0.88 vs NoAns 3.8 ± 0.8, P = NS), nor did intake of sodium (LoNa 2.51 ±0.96 g vs NoAns 2.59 ± 1.3 g, P = NS). There was no difference in creatinine (LoNa 2.0 ± 1.6 vs 1.79 ± 1.3 mg/dl, P = NS), BMI, blood pressure systolic or diastolic, income, education or marital status between the two groups. 92% (57/62) pts in the LoNa group answered yes to the question “Are you familiar with a low sodium diet” vs 1% (1/16) in the NoAns group, P < 0.0001. In our population of inner-City pts: 1. Understanding of the DASH diet was poor and equated with low or absent sodium intake with unclear understanding of actual amount. 2. DASH adherence was poor in all groups. 3. There was no difference in sodium intake between pts who stated that they knew about the DASH diet and those who did not. Neither group met the recommendations for < 2gm/d intake. 4. Pts who answered they knew what a DASH diet was were more likely to report familiarity with low sodium diets. 5. Confusion regarding the DASH diet and sodium restriction is common. As the DASH eating pattern is a more comprehensive change in dietary habits, targeted education may be needed in this population to improve overall adherence. none.
Exploring dignity among elite athletes with disabilities during a sport-focused disability awareness program

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the meaning that elite athletes with disabilities ascribe to their participation in a sport-focused disability awareness program intended f...
Development and Initial Validation of Scores on the Lifestyle Practices and Health Consciousness Inventory (LPHCI).

Investigators used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to validate scores on the Lifestyle Practices and Health Consciousness Inventory, a screening tool for integrated aspects of physical...
Sodium-Ion Batteries Paving the Way for Grid Energy Storage

Author(s): Hirsh, Hayley S; Li, Yixuan; Tan, Darren HS; Zhang, Minghao; Zhao, Enyue; Meng, Y Shirley
"Personal road map for recovery:" examining the therapeutic use of weblogs by stroke survivors with aphasia.

Background Strokes are a leading cause of disability in the United States. Approximately 25-40% of individuals who experience a stroke will have aphasia. Individuals with aphasia experience many life changes and some have found that writing activities, such as publishing text entries on a personal website, or weblog, to be therapeutic. Purpose This study aimed to gain a greater understanding of the therapeutic use of blogs for stroke survivors with aphasia. Design Inductive qualitative content analysis. Methods Potential, publicly available weblogs written by people with aphasia were identified using a pre-determined search method and five met inclusion criteria. Data were collected from websites and collated into 453 pages of narratives. An inductive qualitative content analysis process was used to extract codes that were reduced to sub-categories and generic categories. Results A main category of therapeutic healing and three generic categories of (1) living with aphasia, (2) accepting a new identity, and (3) creating a community were identified. Conclusion Weblog writing was therapeutic for stroke survivors with aphasia. Authors reported benefits across cognitive, psychological, emotional, and social domains. Health professionals should consider recommending weblog writing, journaling, or other methods of writing for stroke survivors with aphasia.Implications for rehabilitationCreating illness weblog posts can be therapeutically beneficial for stroke survivors with aphasia as a tool that addresses psychological, emotional, and social aspects in their recovery.Blogging appeared to offer a medium for stroke survivors with aphasia to practice writing, to express what living with aphasia is like, to explore changes in their post-stroke identities, and to create a community with others.Health professionals should consider recommending weblog writing, journaling, or other methods of writing for stroke survivors with aphasia.
Feedback-Assisted Feedforward Hysteresis Compensation: A Unified Approach and Applications to Piezoactuated Nanopositioners

Hysteresis is a nonlinear effect that remarkably deteriorates the performance of smart actuators. To deal with this issue, numerous models have been proposed in the past several decades. However, to date, modeling hysteresis with sufficiently high accuracy is still challenging, since it is usually asymmetric, rate dependent, and amplitude dependent. Besides, how to efficiently convert the developed models into compensators for control purposes is another primary concern, which calls for novel solutions. In this article, we propose a unified approach to solve these problems. First, a feedback-assisted model inversion method, which functions regardless of the adopted model, is developed and tested under various conditions. Next, by fusing classical models and machine learning techniques into a disturbance estimation framework, it is found that both modeling and control performance can be significantly improved. Experimental validations are then conducted on a piezoactuated nanopositioner, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method. As the developed model inversion technique requires minimum efforts for implementation, it thus can benefit a wide range of applications where hysteresis effect exists.
Labels Improve Emergency Medicine Physician Comfort and Ability to Use a Slit Lamp

Slit-lamp (SL) biomicroscopy is an important skill for emergency medicine (EM) clinicians. However, residents and faculty have varying levels of comfort and skill with this procedure. While some of the discomfort may be from a knowledge gap, we hypothesized that at least some difficulty came from infrequent use and forgetting which of the many knobs, levers, buttons, and switches of the SL create the desired effects. We strategically labeled a SL and tested the impact of this on the ability of 39 EM faculty and residents to identify a target on a maladjusted SL. Time to target identification was significantly lower with the labeled SL compared to the unlabeled SL, with median (IQR) time decreasing from 93 (31.5-154.5) seconds to 47 (0-141) seconds (p < 0.0001). Comfort level, as measured by a written survey and a graphic rating scale, also increased significantly with the labeled SL compared to the unlabeled SL.
A Quick-Start Guide to Teaching Online

This guide is intended to help you move traditional face-to-face courses online quickly. It starts with four general points: start by planning to teach as you normally do, make tweaks to maintain or enhance your interaction with students, remember to communicate to your students that you care about them, and invite guests to help you teach. The guide then walks through some useful approaches to synchronous classes, asynchronous instruction, and assessment. The guide assumes teachers and students are using Zoom and Canvas, but because it is focused more on teaching than technology, most of the lessons apply to other platforms.
Proposing A Novel Method for Prevention and Intervention of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs) with Assistance of Wearable Sensor Technology

URTIs are a group of seasonal bacterial and viral infections. Symptoms related to URTIs are the number one cause of missed school and work (Keech et al., 1998). This proposed study would examine ho...
A unique series of chromium(III) mono-alkynyl complexes supported by tetraazamacrocycles

Described herein is the synthesis and characterization of macrocyclic CrIII mono-alkynyl complexes. By using the meso-form of the tetraazamacrocycle HMC (HMC = 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), trans-[Cr(HMC)(C2Ph)Cl]OTf (1a), trans-[Cr(HMC)(C2Np)Cl]OTf (2a), trans-[Cr(HMC)(C2C6H4tBu)Cl]OTf (3a), and trans-[Cr(HMC)(C2(3,5-Cl2C6H3))Cl]OTf (4a) complexes have been realized. These complexes were synthesized in high yield through the reaction of trans-[Cr(meso-HMC)(C2Ar)2]OTf (1b–4b) with stoichiometric amounts of methanolic HCl. Single crystal X-ray diffraction showed that the trans-stereochemistry and pseudo-octahedral geometry is retained in the desired mono-alkynyl complexes. The absorption spectra of complexes 1a–4a display d–d bands with distinct vibronic progressions that are slightly red shifted from trans-[Cr(HMC)(C2Ar)2]+ with approximately halved molar extinction coefficients. Time-delayed measurements of the emission spectra for complexes 1a–4a at 77 K revealed phosphorescence with lifetimes ranging between 343 μs (4a) and 397 μs (1a). The phosphorescence spectra of 1a–4a also exhibit more structuring than the bis-alkynyl complexes due to a strengthened vibronic coupling between the CrIII metal center and alkynyl ligands.
The State of Diversity in the Association for Applied Sport Psychology: Gaining Momentum or Still Swimming Upstream?

The purpose of the current study was to determine if the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) has made significant changes in the past decade regarding diversity in conference programmin...
Could Alabama Keep Its BCS Title Despite Possible NCAA Violations

A review of how alleged violations involving former Alabama player D.J. Fluker may impact Alabama's ability to retain the BCS Titles it won while Fluker was a student-athlete at the school.
Correcting QUEST Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Sensitive Free Radical Production in the Outer Retina In Vivo Does Not Correct Reduced Visual Performance in 24-Month-Old C57BL/6J Mice.

Purpose To test the hypothesis that acutely correcting a sustained presence of outer retina free radicals measured in vivo in 24-month-old mice corrects their reduced visual performance. Methods Male C57BL/6J mice two and 24 months old were noninvasively evaluated for unremitted production of paramagnetic free radicals based on whether 1/T1 in retinal laminae are reduced after acute antioxidant administration (QUEnch-assiSTed [QUEST] magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]). Superoxide production was measured in freshly excised retina (lucigenin assay). Combining acute antioxidant administration with optical coherence tomography (i.e., QUEST OCT) tested for excessive free radical-induced shrinkage of the subretinal space volume. Combining antioxidant administration with optokinetic tracking tested for a contribution of uncontrolled free radical production to cone-based visual performance declines. Results At two months, antioxidants had no effect on 1/T1 in vivo in any retinal layer. At 24 months, antioxidants reduced 1/T1 only in superior outer retina. No age-related change in retinal superoxide production was measured ex vivo, suggesting that free radical species other than superoxide contributed to the positive QUEST MRI signal at 24 months. Also, subretinal space volume did not show evidence for age-related shrinkage and was unresponsive to antioxidants. Finally, visual performance declined with age and was not restored by antioxidants that were effective per QUEST MRI. Conclusions An ongoing uncontrolled production of outer retina free radicals as measured in vivo in 24 mo C57BL/6J mice appears to be insufficient to explain reductions in visual performance.
DIRECTED QUESTIONS A NON-SOCRATIC DIALOGUE ABOUT NON-SOCRATIC TEACHING

Legal pedagogy can change for the better. Despite frequent criticism of Socratic and case-method teaching, the core teaching in most foundational law classes has been remarkably stagnant. But in a time of turmoil and reexamination of the traditions we have all inherited, there is also opportunity for meaningful adaptation to the modern era. This Article introduces Directed Questions methodology as an alternative to the traditional teaching models currently operating in most law schools. Directed reading pedagogy allows legal educators to seamlessly transition to a modern and effective pedagogy incorporating best practices which recognizes that fostering inclusion and the success of diverse students is mandatory in post-Langdellian legal education. The Article takes the form of an extended discourse between two experienced legal educators, and in that way simultaneously explains and partially exemplifies the Directed Questions learning method.
Bicyclist Stress Perceptions and Heart Rate Variability

This paper describes the relationship between a physiological marker of stress (heart rate variability) and survey-based stress responses from a cross-over real-world bicycling experiment. The analysis shows that while heart rate variability was inversely associated with survey-based estimates of stress, large uncertainty in the relationship indicates carefully controlled experiments are still needed before we can be confident that bicyclist stress can be measured through heart rate variability.
Examination of Institutional Structures in Multiple Resource, Multiple Management Systems: A Control Theoretic Approach

The constraints which management institutions impose upon resource productivity is a common concern to resource analysts and has been addressed through various means. In this paper, an approach is presented which utilizes control theoretic concepts to determine the effect of multiple institutional constraints upon the achievement of management targets. The method is illustrated by application to a scenario of anadromous fishery and water resource management.
Cocoa and Chocolate

Cacao originated in the Americas, probably in the jungles of the Orinoco and Amazon valleys. Cultivated by the Aztecs of Mexico and by the Mayas of Central America, cacao was being used by them at the time of the discovery of America by Columbus and the conquest of Mexico by Cortes. Columbus brought some cacao beans back to Europe. A beverage called chocolatl made from these beans was consumed in large amounts by the Emperor Montezuma. The basic concoction comprised cakes made from the fluid mass of ground chocolate, to which corn and spices as well as vanilla were added. Parts of the cakes were beaten with water and the other ingredients were added resulting in a final product that had the approximate consistency of honey. The Spaniards were said to have been attracted to it only when it was sweetened.
Twenty-First Century Corporate Governance: The World Turns from West to East - An Essay for Professor John Farrar

Prompted by a seemingly shift in geographical focus, I have written about the changes I have detected in the 20 plus years that John Farrar and I have been colleagues, teaching corporate governance at the University of Melbourne (Australia). They include: 1. The emergence of “emerging markets” (Indonesia, the PRC, the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China)) and further emergence of so-called “frontier markets” (Vietnam, Pakistan, Mongolia, Romania, Kazakhstan). 2. Reprise of the two-tiered board structure, once thought to be uniquely German and mainly for purposes of labor representation. 3. Realization that, worldwide, most capitalism is dominant shareholder (family, state-owned) rather than the dispersed shareholder capitalism of the UK or the US, which presents an altogether different challenge for governance. What are those challenges? 4. Turning from capital to labor, the plantation production phenomenon and where it might lead. 5. Monitoring and management of risk, especially as a board responsibility, quickly moving to center stage. 6. Sustainability rather than profit maximization and shareholder values emergence as the watchword in the Twenty-First Century. 7. Board composition and board diversity, most particularly an increase in women on corporate boards of directors and in senior management positions.
News on the Air: The New York Herald, Newspapers, and Wireless Telegraphy, 1899–1917

In 1899, the New York Herald used the wireless equipment of Guglielmo Marconi to cover the America's Cup yacht race. This event, which has been referenced by numerous radio historians, was the first major demonstration of Marconi's technology in the United States and was closely monitored by the US Navy. Very few historical studies, by contrast, have noted that the Herald continued to experiment with wireless telegraphy. This study is the first comprehensive account of the Herald's use of wireless telegraphy, and it seeks to bridge the gap between prior works that have looked at newspapers and telegraphy and those that have examined newspapers and radio. In contrast to popular perspectives that the Internet is a revolutionary new technology, this study also emphasizes that newspapers have been dabbling with “new media” for more than a hundred years.
Enteral Nutrition in Infants With Congenital Heart Disease and Growth Failure

To determine an effective nutritional regimen for management of growth failure in infants with congenital heart disease and congestive heart failure, the authors studied 19 infants with cardiac anomalies who were not candidates for early corrective surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three feeding groups: group 1 (n = 7) received continuous, 24-hour nasogastric alimentation; group 2 (n = 5) received overnight, 12-hour nasogastric infusions plus daytime oral feedings as tolerated; and group 3 (n = 7) received oral feedings alone. For all patients, commercial infant formula (cow's milk or soy protein) was supplemented to a calorie density of approximately 1 kcal/mL. During a 5.25 +/- 0.45 month study period, only group 1 infants achieved intakes greater than 140 kcal/kg per day (mean = 147 kcal). Serial anthropometric measurements demonstrated that only 24-hour infusions (group 1) were associated with significantly improved nutritional status, when assessed by z scores for weight (P less than .01) and length (P less than .05). Group 1 infants also showed marked increases in midarm muscle circumference and triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses (P less than .01, compared with groups 2 and 3). These data suggest that infants with congenital cardiac defects complicated by malnutrition manifest increased nutrient requirements for growth and weight gain. Continuous, 24-hour, nasogastric alimentation is a safe and effective method for achieving both increased nutrient intake and improved overall nutritional status in these infants.
The information literacy instruction assessment cycle: A guide for increasing student learning and improving librarian instructional skills

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present the Information Literacy Instruction Assessment Cycle (ILIAC), to describe the seven stages of the ILIAC, and to offer an extended example that demonstrates how the ILIAC increases librarian instructional abilities and improves student information literacy skills.Design/methodology/approach – Employing survey design methodology, the researcher and participants use a rubric to code artifacts of student learning into pre‐set rubric categories. These categories are assigned point values and statistically analyzed to evaluate students and examine interrater reliability and validity.Findings – By engaging in the ILIAC, librarians gain important data about the information behavior of students and a greater understanding of student strengths and weaknesses. The ILIAC encourages librarians to articulate learning outcomes clearly, analyze them meaningfully, celebrate learning achievements, and diagnose problem areas. In short, the ILIAC results in improved student lear...
Not Kids Anymore: A Need for Punishment and Deterrence in the Juvenile Justice System

This Note surveys the history of the juvenile justice system, including the philosophy behind its formation and its similarities and differences with the adult criminal system. Recently, many states have implemented changes to their juvenile justice systems. This Note advocates a system like that of Massachusetts, where certain juvenile defendants are automatically transferred to adult court, and where other juvenile defendants, who remain in juvenile court but meet certain requirements, may receive a blended juvenile and adult sentence. This system retains the goal of rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents while also focusing on punishment and deterrence.
Using Rubrics to Increase the Reliability of Assessment in Health Classes

This study examined the use of rubrics in scoring a performance-based assessment. After receiving a health lesson of ways to have a healthy brain, fifth grade students were given an assignment to illustrate and write a booklet that demonstrated their knowledge of the topic. From students’ responses the researchers constructed four sample papers based on their work that demonstrated varying levels of knowledge about the brain. A “true” score for each sample paper was the result of the researchers’ agreement when the papers were scored independently using rubrics. Then, sixteen pre-service teachers assessed the four sample papers without using a rubric and a second time using a rubric developed by the researchers. Those 16 scores were compared to the “true” scores for each paper. Inferential statistical analyses indicated the scores produced without using rubrics significantly inflated students’ scores for three of the four papers. Analyses of the scores produced when using rubrics indicated no significant differences across all four papers. Thus, the pre-service teachers’ assessment for the four sample papers was closer to the “true” score when using rubrics. The results suggest the need to develop and use rubrics to ensure the reliability of assessments addressing critical thinking skills.
Inhibin in normal and abnormal pregnancy: Maternal serum concentration and partial characterization

Abstract OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated maternal serum inhibin concentration and molecular distribution in normal and abnormal pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: Serum inhibin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 33 abnormal pregnancies (23 singleton are 10 multiple gestations) and 33 matched controls and were compared with pregnancy variables. RESULTS: In the controls serum inhibin concentrations rose with gestational age (correlation coefficient 0.358, p p p p CONCLUSIONS: Maternal serum inhibin concentrations are affected by gestational age, fetal gender and complications of pregnancy. Most of the immunoreactive inhibin in maternal circulation is a large-molecular-weight form.
Expectations equilibrium and informational efficiency for stochastic environments

Abstract This paper studies the existence of expectations equilibria for message processes on stochastic exchange environments. A message process which permits the general existence of expectations equilibria is termed admissible. The main results are: (1) Every admissible process satisfies a weakened version of the Hurwicz “privacy” condition. (2) The competitive process is admissible, and has a message space of locally minimal size among admissible nonwasteful processes. (3) The only admissible condensations of the competitive process are constant functions.
Methylmercury effects on Syrian hamster metaphase II oocyte chromosomes.

Methylmercury (MM) denatures DNA and can induce chromosomal aberrations. In addition, it destroys microtubules and increases the incidence of aneuploidy and mitotic arrest. Although MM is distributed to gonads, data relating the cytogenetic effects of MM on mammalian germ cells in vivo have not been found. To determine whether MM increases the incidence of cytogenetic damage in oocytes, Syrian hamsters were divided into three groups: (1) negative controls; (2) positive controls, 0.25 mg Trenimon (T)/kg; and (3) 10 mg methylmercury chloride (MMC)/kg. Superovulation was utilized and metaphase II oocytes analyzed for numerical and structural chromosome aberrations. A highly significant (P = .015, Fisher's exact test) difference in the incidence of hyperploid (N = 23) oocytes was obtained between negative controls (0/150) and the MMC group (6/ 150). The incidence of hypoploid (N = 21) oocytes in negative controls and the MMC group was 12/150 and 21/150, respectively (P = .069). Structural aberrations were not observed. Of 281 oocytes analyzed in the T group, 42.7% had structural aberrations. These results primarily indicate that MMC increases the incidence of hyperploidy and not structural aberrations.
The Faithfulness of God and The Priority of Israel in Paul's Letter to the Romans

It is a joy for me to contribute to a volume of essays dedicated to Krister Stendahl. I owe him a particular debt of gratitude. From the time that I—an immigrant from Holland—started to teach at Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1955 until today, Krister has been a model for me of what it means to be not only a conscientious scholar but also a Christian theologian. Through the turbulent years of the sixties and early seventies he always found time to counsel and guide me—however much we were geographically separated from each other.
On Impasse Points of Quasilinear Differential Algebraic Equations

Abstract : This paper presents a mathematical characterization of the impasse points of quasilinear DAE's A(x) = G(x), where then A(x) is a nxn matrix having constant but not full r<n in the domain of interest. We show that a reduction procedure permits to reduce the DAE to a quasilinear ODE Al(xi)xi'=G1(xi) Rr and that impasse points correspond to special singularities of the reduced ODE. Impasse points of higher index DAE's can also be defined; the only difference is that the above reduction procedure takes more than one step.
Converging miRNA functions in diverse brain disorders: A case for miR-124 and miR-126

A growing body of information on the biology of miRNAs has revealed new insight into their roles in normal homeostasis and pathology of disease. miRNAs control all steps of the cellular expression machinery acting through a “single miRNA/multiple targets” or “multiple miRNAs/single target” mechanism. They have profound impact on the regulation of signaling pathways, which govern common and specific functions across different cellular phenotypes. There is increasing evidence that various diseases share similar disturbances in gene expression networks. Since miRNAs have both common and varying effects in different cellular contexts, they might also influence overlapping signaling pathways in different organs and disease entities. Here, we review this concept for two miRNAs highly abundant in the brain, miR-124 and miR-126, and their potential role in diseases of the brain.
Efficient fault tolerant algorithms for resource allocation in distributed systems

Solutions to resource allocation problems in distributed systems are examined with respect to the measures of response time, message complexity, and failure locality. Response time measures the time it takes for an algorithm to respond to the requests of a process, message complexity measures the number of messages sent and received by a process, and failure locality characterizes the size of the network that is affected by the failure of a single process. An algorithm that achieves a constant failure locality of four along with a quadratic response time and a quadratic message complexity is presented.
The effect of monophasic combinations of ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone on gonadotropins, androgens and sex hormone binding globulin: A randomized trial

The effects of different monophasic combinations of ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone on FSH, LH, sex hormone binding globulin, total testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in non-obese, non-hirsute women were compared. Retrospective analysis of frozen serum from a prospective randomized trial in which women received one of three oral contraceptive pills containing ethinyl estradiol 50 micrograms/norethindrone 1 mg, ethinyl estradiol 35 micrograms/norethindrone 1 mg or ethinyl estradiol 35 g/norethindrone 0.5 mg for nine cycles was conducted. Blood samples were obtained prior to treatment and during the third, sixth and ninth pill cycles. Ethinyl estradiol 50 micrograms/norethindrone 1 mg and ethinyl estradiol 35 micrograms/norethindrone 1 mg suppressed FSH, LH, and total testosterone and increased sex hormone binding globulin to a similar degree. Ethinyl estradiol 35 micrograms/norethindrone 0.5 mg resulted in less suppression of FSH, LH, and total testosterone, but greater elevation of sex hormone binding globulin. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate was suppressed to a similar degree with ethinyl estradiol 35 micrograms/norethindrone 1 mg and ethinyl estradiol 35 micrograms/norethindrone 0.5 mg, but ethinyl estradiol 50 micrograms/norethindrone 1 mg resulted in the least suppression of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. Ethinyl estradiol 35 micrograms/norethindrone 1 mg caused greater suppression of androstenedione than did the other two oral contraceptives. Oral contraceptive-induced changes in gonadotropins, androgens, and sex hormone binding globulin can be predicted by considering the relative amounts of estrogen and progestin in the pill. When combined with 1 mg of norethindrone, 50 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol did not result in greater suppression of FSH, LH, or total testosterone or in greater elevation of sex hormone binding globulin than did 35 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol.
A framework of scaling for inter-tenant collaborative systems

To deliver scalability for business processes running in multi-tenant cloud environment has become a critical goal for enterprise business service providers. Many such software systems are composed of data intensive operations, offered via the Internet as services, and they often perform collaborative analysis of data. Collaborative analysis of data imposes new requirements of scalability on the underneath platform. We need to approach a supporting platform for multiple systems in a multi-tenant cloud environment to achieve better performance. We present our solution of scaling-out for inter-tenant data flows between collaborative data-intensive cloud systems deployed with different VMs. In this paper, we define an abstraction of “shared data flows” to capture data co-analysis and dependency among services of such systems. We describe a model based on the abstraction that is designed with elements to address the challenges in supporting multi-tenant environment to achieve an improved scalability. Our objective is to provide optimization opportunities on bandwidth and throughput of the collaborative service systems of various tenants.