cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Civil Society in Hybrid Governance: Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Legitimacy in Mediating Wal-Mart’s Local Produce Supply Chains in Honduras

This paper challenges the notion that the incorporation of actors from civil society into hybrid governance arrangements improves outcomes and legitimacy. Multi-stakeholder collaborations are a popular hybrid governance approach to development, including NGOs’ work to integrate smallholder farmers into supermarket supply chains. As a result, NGOs’ service provision role has expanded to include market facilitation, often necessitating NGOs act as market intermediaries. This paper explores how this new role may jeopardize NGOs’ organizational legitimacy in the eyes of their constituents, other development organizations, and supermarket partners, and therefore ultimately affect their ability to represent civil society in hybrid governance arrangements. Drawing on qualitative data collected in the Central American country of Honduras, this paper focuses on NGOs’ role organizing producer associations to facilitate access to Wal-Mart supermarkets. Findings suggest that a lack of supply chain transparency, NGOs’ negotiation between commercial and aid-oriented goals, and the potential to exclude producers from development projects threaten NGOs’ legitimacy. These findings illustrate the difficulties of embedding philanthropic activities in market-based systems, and demonstrate how multi-stakeholder collaborations may be influenced more by commercial priorities than the elements of a partnership. Ultimately, development NGOs are products of neoliberal, hybrid governance, even as their activities are expected to ease the transition of small-scale producers into this system.
EFFECT OF SODIUM CHLORIDE CONCENTRATION ON CALCIUM UPTAKE INTO BRINED CUCUMBERS

Calcium from a CaCl 2 brine approximately iso-osmotic with cucumber cell sap penetrated cucumber fruit much more slowly than did calcium ions from a Nacl + CaCl 2 brine supra-osmotic with cucumber cell sap. After 96 h calcium that penetrated from the iso-osmotic brine was localized mostly in the exocarp and relatively little in the interior tissues, while calcium that penetrated from the supra-osmotic brine reached higher concentrations and was more evenly distributed among the exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp sections.
Ranking Scholarly Publishers in Political Science: An Alternative Approach

Previous research has documented how political scientists evaluate and rank scholarly journals, but the evaluation and ranking of scholarly book publishers has drawn less attention. In this article, we use data from a survey of 603 American political scientists to generate a ranking of scholarly publishers in political science. We used open-ended questions to ask respondents to identify those scholarly publishers (1) to which they would submit “a very strong book manuscript” in their area of expertise, and (2) that they “read regularly or otherwise rely for the best research” in their area of expertise. Based on these results, we created rankings of scholarly presses based on publication and reading preferences. We find that certain high-profile university presses constitute a clear first tier in American political scientists' preference orderings, followed by a mix of university and commercial presses that represent the second tier and beyond. Moreover, we confirm the validity of our approach by comparing the results of our rankings (based on open-ended questions) with results from previous research based on respondents' evaluations and derived from close-ended lists of scholarly presses. Our results demonstrate that the rankings of scholarly publishers are similar for both approaches. These rankings can be used to guide political scientists as they decide where to send their best book-length work.
Spermiogenesis in wild type and in a male sterility mutant of Drosophila melanogaster.

Spermiogenesis in the translocation heterozygote T (1; 2H) 25(20) y l 25/FM6 has been studied with the electron microscope and compared with that in wild type males. It appears that the genetic lesion in the male sterility mutant is associated primarily with a failure in differentiation of the head. In wild type flies, the spermatid nucleus assumes a conchoidal shape; chromatin accumulates along the convex surface. Adjacent to the concave surface a large bundle of microtubules runs parallel to the long axis of the spermatid. A single row of microtubules is juxtaposed against the convex surface of the head. As differentiation proceeds, the nucleus elongates, chromatin condenses, and the nucleus is compacted to a final diameter of about 0.3 µ. In the sterile mutant the spermatid nucleus has an irregular or wedge-shaped profile and no concavity is formed, nor is the bundle of microtubules observed. The row of microtubules, however, is usually present around the periphery. The change from lysine-rich to arginine-rich histone in mature wild type sperm does not occur in the sterile male. The substructure of the axial filament and mitochondrial derivatives, however, are similar to those in wild type.
Hemorrhagic-ischemic cerebral injury in the preterm infant: Current concepts

PV-IVH and adjacent white matter injury remains a significant problem in the premature infant. The potential mechanisms contributing to injury are complex and involve factors related to blood flow and its regulation, as well as cellular mediators including cytokines, free radical formation, and excitotoxin release. Although a reduction in the occurrence of severe IVH can be achieved with indomethacin, it does translate into long-term neurodevelopmental benefit. This reinforces the concept of a more diffuse injury to brain in sick premature infants than is apparent from the appearance of current neuroimaging techniques.
EFFICACY OF A STANDARDIZED PROLONGED HIGH–PRESSURE STENT DEPLOYMENT PROTOCOL COMPARED WITH A HIGH–PRESSURE RAPID INFLATION/DEFLATION SEQUENCE AS EVALUATED BY OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY

Previous studies have demonstrated that high–pressure stent deployment reduces the incidence of stent thrombosis (ST) and probably decreases in–stent restenosis. However, there is no consensus as to the protocol for high–pressure inflation. In patients undergoing routine PCI and in an attempt
Effect of West Nile virus DNA-plasmid vaccination on response to live virus challenge in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis)

Objective—To evaluate the safety and efficacy of an experimental adjuvanted DNA-plasmid vaccine against West Nile virus (WNV) in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). Animals—19 permanently disabled but otherwise healthy red-tailed hawks of mixed ages and both sexes without detectable serum antibodies against WNV. Procedures—Hawks were injected IM with an experimental WNV DNA-plasmid vaccine in an aluminum-phosphate adjuvant (n = 14) or with the adjuvant only (control group; 5). All birds received 2 injections at a 3-week interval. Blood samples for serologic evaluation were collected before the first injection and 4 weeks after the second injection (day 0). At day 0, hawks were injected SC with live WNV. Pre- and postchallenge blood samples were collected at intervals for 14 days for assessment of viremia and antibody determination; oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were collected for assessment of viral shedding. Results—Vaccination was not associated with morbidity or deaths. Three of the vaccinated bird...
Seasonal changes in song nuclei and song behavior in Gambel's white-crowned sparrows.

In males of several songbird species, the morphology of forebrain nuclei that control song changes seasonally. The only seasonally breeding songbird in which seasonal changes in the structure of song control nuclei have been reported not to occur is the nonmigratory Nuttall's subspecies of white-crowned sparrow. In the present study, we manipulated photoperiod and plasma testosterone concentrations in captive male white-crowned sparrows of the migratory Gambel's subspeices. Males exposed to photoperiods and plasma testosterone concentrations typical of those experienced by wild breeding males had larger song control nuclei than males held on a winter photoperiod. We also found seasonal change in stereotypy of spectral and temporal parameters of song in wild Gambel's white-crowned sparrows. We hypothesize that seasonal changes in song control nuclei may correlate with seasonal changes in song stereotypy. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Earnings management and board activity: an additional evidence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relation between earnings management behavior and the activity of both the board and audit committee.Design/methodology/approach – Different models to isolate abnormal accruals as a proxy for earnings management are applied to a sample of manufacturing companies.Findings – Earnings management is negatively related to both board and audit committee independence. Such negative relation is stronger when the audit committee is more active. However, this result is not valid for the board activity.Research limitations/implications – Results are limited by the accuracy of the models applied to isolate abnormal accruals.Practical implications – Results may have implications for corporate governance regulations such as board composition, audit committee composition, and their activity.Originality/value – Results of earnings management research are sensitive to the different models suggested in literature to isolate the abnormal accruals.
The Preparation and Electrical Properties of Bismuth Trisulfide

The direct synthesis of bismuth trisulfide was investigated by differential thermal analysis. It is demonstrated that bismuth trisulfide forms exothermically at about 285°C and melts at 760° ± 5°C. The probable reasons for the previous detonations in the preparation of this compound are elucidated. The thermoelectric properties of stoichiometric bismuth trisulfide and bismuth trisulfide doped with Pb, Ag, O2, and Sb were investigated. The thermoelectric figure of merit for stoichiometric bismuth trisulfide measured in the [001] crystallographic direction at 300°K is . Hall coefficient studies indicate that the mobility of stoichiometric bismuth trisulfide in the same crystallographic direction at 300°K is 21.3 cm2/volt‐sec, and acoustical lattice scattering is probably the predominant scattering mechanism in the temperature range 78°–300°K.
Thioridazine and chlordiazepoxide, alone and combined, in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia

Summary The clinical effects of thioridazine (5 mg./Kg.) and chlordiazepoxide (1 mg./Kg.) alone and combined at half strength (2.5 mg./Kg. and 0.5 mg./Kg.) in the treatment of 24 chronic schizophrenic males were observed in a fixed dosage double-blind crossover study. Eight-week treatment periods were separated by eight-week placebo periods. In global ratings, both thioridazine and the combined drug treatments were effective in twenty of the 22 subjects who completed the study. Chlordiazepoxide decreased global ratings in eleven of the 22 subjects. In psychopathological cluster scores, differences in therapeutic ranges for the treatments were observed, with the greatest number of improvement scores in disorders of affect, association, thought content, will, and mood for thioridazine and the combination. Deterioration occurred in a few instances, and these were mainly associated with chlordiazepoxide treatment. Single item analyses showed differences in the clinical efficacy of each drug alone and in combination, but there were only 15 items of psychopathology in which combined medication was superior to thioridazine treatment alone.
Macro-Policy Goals in the Postwar Period: Reply

Professors Boddy and Crotty, hereafter referred to as BC, raise the important issue of the measurement of dynamic welfare weights. BC make the basic point that in the dynamic two-period case the equations are specified for a fixed horizon, while the regressions imply a moving horizon. Hence, according to BC, the regressions (r.3) are misspecified, and one cannot accept my conclusions concerning the relative magnitudes of the firstand second-period weights. The problem arises because of the use of time series data. With a fixed two-period horizon, at any time t, (r.2) is the correct specification of the second-period reaction function. But when one uses time series data over the sample of T observations (T= t, . . ., t+k), as soon as one uses t+ 1 as an observation on the dependent variable, one is implicitly assuming that the policy maker's horizon is not fixed but moving. This implies in turn that the use of (r.3) incorrectly specifies the second-period reaction function; hence the weights derived from (r.3) will not reflect the policy maker's true weights. While technically correct, BC's point is not really very helpful. Clearly, if one takes the moving horizon injunction seriously, there is no way at all to estimate the dynamic weights. In the case of a moving-horizon, two-period welfare function, the firstand secondperiod reaction functions would take the following form: (r.2') xtyt+y it+lyt+1 j=1, . . . m; (r.2') xi' = ' j 1, .. . i i (r3) xt+1 yt+l+Ey jt+l'y~t+l+>7yjt+2ytz+2 jl . ,ml
Analysis of common-cause and special-cause variation in the deterioration of transportation infrastructure: A field application of statistical process control for structural health monitoring

Abstract We present a statistical process control framework to support structural health monitoring of transportation infrastructure. We contribute an integrated, generally-applicable (to various types of structural response data) statistical approach that links the literatures on statistical performance modeling and on structural health monitoring. The framework consists of two parts: The first, estimation of statistical models to explain, predict, and control for common-cause variation in the data, i.e., changes, including serial dependence, that can be attributed to usual operating conditions. The ensuing standardized innovation series are analyzed in the second part of the framework, which consists of using Shewhart and Memory Control Charts to detect special-cause or unusual events. We apply the framework to analyze strain and displacement data from the monitoring system on the Hurley Bridge (Wisconsin Structure B-26-7). Data were collected from April 1, 2010 to June 29, 2011. Our analysis reveals that, after controlling for seasonal effects, linear trends are significant components of the response measurements. Persistent displacement may be an indication of deterioration of the bridge supports. Trends in the strain data may indicate changes in the material properties, i.e., fatigue, sensor calibration, or traffic loading. The results also show that autocorrelation and conditional heteroscedasticity are significant sources of common-cause variation. Use of the control charts detected 43 possible special-cause events, with approximately 50% displaying persisting effects, and 25% lasting longer than one week. Analysis of traffic data shows that unusually heavy loading is a possible cause of the longest special-cause event, which lasted 11 days.
THE EFFECT OF PARTIAL AND CLEARCUTTING ON STREAMFLOW AT DEADHORSE CREEK, COLORADO

Abstract Two subalpine forest subdrainages of Deadhorse Creek, Colarado, USA were used to demonstrate the comparable impact on water yield of two tree-harvesting practices. Of the 40 ha North Fork subdrainage 36% was clearcut commercially using five-tree height circular openings. In contrast, 40% of the basal area on the 41 ha Unit 8 was removed by partial cutting in the first step of a three-step shelterwood cut. Annual flow and peak flow from the clearcut watershed were increased significantly. The partial cut resulted in a significant increase in total water equivalent in the winter snowpack and an apparent increase in total annual streamflow that was comparable to the clearcut. The timber harvest on the two subdrainages, however, represented only 10% of the total basal area of the larger Deadhorse Creek Watershed in which they are located. Annual flow at the mainstream gage was not significantly increased as a result of harvest.
Baboon cervical colposcopy, histology, and cytology.

Abstract Colposcopic cervical/vaginal examinations were performed on 10 healthy adult baboons. Five of the ten baboons had a "satisfactory" colposcopic cervical examination with columnar epithelium visible on the exocervix. However, only three of five with "satisfactory" colposcopic exams had large visible transformation zones. The colposcopic findings were confirmed by histologic study. Probable squamous metaplasia was seen in one of the four animals who underwent cervical biopsies. The histologic and cytologic similarities of the human and baboon cervical transformation zones were noted. Only the three animals with the large visible cervical transformation zones were considered suitable for colposcopic studies of the transformation zone. Thus only 30% of the baboons examined were considered suitable subjects for studies involving colposcopy. Screening colposcopic exams would be necessary to find this subpopulation of baboons with large transformation zones visible on the exocervix. The implications of this study relative to the use of baboons as an animal model for studies of intraepithelial neoplasia are discussed.
On the tradeoff between privacy and efficiency: A bidding mechanism for scheduling non-commercial services

Services providers, such as public healthcare systems and government agencies, are under tremendous pressure to reduce costs and improve service quality. Scheduling is an important managerial component which has considerable impact on both the costs and quality of services. Service providers need customers' availability information to improve resource utilization. On the other hand, customers may be of ''two minds'' about communicating their private information. While communicating certain amount of availability might be necessary in order to obtain preferred schedules, too much communication place a potential cost due to privacy loss. In this paper, we present a bidding-based mechanism which aims at generating high quality schedules and, at the same time, protecting customers' privacy. We show that, under the proposed bidding procedure, myopic bidding is the dominant strategy for customers. We also evaluate the privacy and efficiency performance of the proposed mechanism through a computational study.
Cochlear Implantation in Older Adults

Cochlear implants allow individuals with severe to profound hearing loss access to sound and spoken language. The number of older adults in the United States who are potential candidates for cochlear implantation (CI) is approximately 150,000 and will continue to increase with the aging of the population. Should CI be routinely recommended for these older adults, and do these individuals benefit from CI? We reviewed our 12-year experience with CI in adults aged ≥60 years (n = 445) at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions to investigate the impact of CI on speech understanding and to identify factors associated with speech performance. Complete data on speech outcomes at baseline and 1 year post-CI were available for 83 individuals. Our results demonstrate that CI in adults aged ≥60 years consistently improved speech understanding scores, with a mean increase of 60.0% (SD 24.1) on HINT (Hearing in Noise Test) sentences in quiet. The magnitude of the gain in speech scores was negatively associated with age at implantation, such that for every increasing year of age at CI the gain in speech scores was 1.3 percentage points less (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.6-1.9) after adjusting for age at hearing loss onset. Conversely, individuals with higher pre-CI speech scores (HINT scores between 40% and 60%) had significantly greater post-CI speech scores by a mean of 10.0 percentage points (95% CI, 0.4-19.6) than those with lower pre-CI speech scores (HINT <40%) after adjusting for age at CI and age at hearing loss onset. These results suggest that older adult CI candidates who are younger at implantation and with higher preoperative speech scores obtain the highest speech understanding scores after CI, with possible implications for current United States Medicare policy. Finally, we provide an extended discussion of the epidemiology and impact of hearing loss in older adults. Future research of CI in older adults should expand beyond simple speech outcomes to take into account the broad cognitive, social, and physical functioning outcomes that are likely detrimentally affected by hearing loss and may be mitigated by CI.
The role of interferon-γ in the pathogenesis of acute intra-abdominal sepsis

Several studies indicate that IFN-γ facilitates systemic inflammation during endotoxin-induced shock. However, the pathobiology of IFN-γ in clinically relevant models of septic shock, such as CLP, is not well understood. In this study, the role of IFN-γ in the pathogenesis of CLP-induced septic shock was evaluated by examining IFN-γ production at the tissue and cellular levels. The impact of IFN-γ neutralization on systemic inflammation, bacterial clearance, and survival was also determined. Following CLP, concentrations of IFN-γ in plasma and peritoneal lavage fluid were low in comparison with concentrations of IL-6 and MIP-2, as was IFN-γ mRNA expression in liver and spleen. The overall percentage of IFN-γ+ splenocytes was <5% after CLP and not statistically different from control mice. Intracellular IFN-γ was present in a large proportion of peritoneal exudate cells after CLP, primarily in infiltrating myeloid cells and NK cells. i.p. myeloid cell activation was decreased in IFN-γKO mice, and plasma concentrations of IL-6 and MIP-2 were significantly lower in IFN-γKO mice and in mice treated with anti-IFN-γ compared with controls, but bacterial clearance was not affected. IFN-γKO mice were resistant to CLP-induced mortality when treated with systemic antibiotics. However, neutralization of IFN-γ with blocking antibodies did not improve survival significantly. These studies show that IFN-γ facilitates the proinflammatory response during CLP-induced septic shock. However, neutralization of IFN-γ did not improve survival uniformly.
Strategic Approaches to Unraveling Genetic Causes of Cardiovascular Diseases

DNA sequence variants are major components of the “causal field” for virtually all medical phenotypes, whether single gene familial disorders or complex traits without a clear familial aggregation. The causal variants in single gene disorders are necessary and sufficient to impart large effects. In contrast, complex traits are attributable to a much more complicated network of contributory components that in aggregate increase the probability of disease. The conventional approach to identification of the causal variants for single gene disorders is genetic linkage. However, it does not offer sufficient resolution to map the causal genes in small families or sporadic cases. The approach to genetic studies of complex traits entails candidate gene or genome-wide association studies. Genome-wide association studies provide an unbiased survey of the effects of common genetic variants (common disease–common variant hypothesis). Genome-wide association studies have led to identification of a large number of alle...
HOW DO WE COUNT? THE PROBLEM OF TAGGING PHRASAL VERBS IN PARTS

This paper examines the current performance of the stochastic tagger PARTS (Church 88) in handling phrasal verbs, describes a problem that arises from the statistical model used, and suggests a way to improve the tagger's performance. The solution involves a change in the definition of what counts as a word for the purpose of tagging phrasal verbs.
Comparison of F-Scan in-sole and AMTI forceplate system in measuring vertical ground reaction force during gait

To compare an insole foot pressure system (F-Scan) and forceplate (AMTI) system for assessing vertical ground reaction forces (GRF) during walking, 30 adults walked at a self-selected pace with both systems recording GRF data simultaneously. Univariate analysis of variance showed no statistical differences between the two systems (P >. 05) in first peak force (F1), minimum force (Fm), and second peak force (F2). F-Scan data, however, showed a significant delay (P . 7) for the 21-90% interval of the support phase than both the initial and a brief period before toe-off (r =. 05-.7). These results suggest that, with careful procedure, the F-Scan insole system could be a useful device to measure the vertical GRF during gait. However, caution should be exercised when interpreting the pressure and force data during the initial 21% and final 10% of the support phase of walking.
Practical strategies for chemical shift imaging on a human MR imager

Summary form only given. Issues associated with the design and operation of clinical chemical shift imaging (CSI) protocols on a whole body scanner are discussed. Line volume CSI methods are compared to the echo offset, or Dixon, method. The potential sources of error for the Dixon method are examined. It is noted, however, that line volume CSI artifacts do not have the spatial resolution of conventional imaging, which is a strong argument in favor of the Dixon method. >
Low-dimensionality energy landscapes: Magnetic switching mechanisms and rates

Abstract In this paper we propose a new method for the study and visualization of dynamic processes in magnetic nanostructures, and for the accurate calculation of rates for such processes. The method is illustrated for the case of switching of a grain of an exchange-coupled recording medium, which switches through domain wall nucleation and motion, but is generalizable to other rate processes such as vortex formation and annihilation. The method involves calculating the most probable (lowest energy) switching path and projecting the motion onto that path. The motion is conveniently visualized in a two-dimensional (2D) projection parameterized by the dipole and quadrupole moment of the grain. The motion along that path can then be described by a Langevin equation, and its rate can be computed by the classic method of Kramers [4] . The rate can be evaluated numerically, or in an analytic approximation—interestingly, the analytic result for domain-wall switching is very similar to that obtained by Brown in 1963 for coherent switching, except for a factor proportional to the domain-wall volume. Thus in addition to its lower coercivity, an exchange-coupled medium has the additional advantage (over a uniform medium) of greater thermal stability, for a fixed energy barrier.
AN INVARIANCE PROPERTY OF THE REPTON MODEL

It is required on physical grounds that the eigenvalues of the transition-rate matrix of the Rubinstein-Duke repton model for all values of the spatial wave number q be invariant to the choice of marker repton. This is not immediately obvious from the structure of the transition-rate matrix itself, but we show that these matrices for different choices of marker are related by similarity transformation and therefore have the same eigenvalues.
Evolution of functionally conserved enhancers can be accelerated in large populations: a population–genetic model

The evolution of cis-regulatory elements (or enhancers) appears to proceed at dramatically different rates in different taxa. Vertebrate enhancers are often very highly conserved in their sequences, and relative positions, across distantly related taxa. In contrast, functionally equivalent enhancers in closely related Drosophila species can differ greatly in their sequences and spatial organization. We present a population-genetic model to explain this difference. The model examines the dynamics of fixation of pairs of individually deleterious, but compensating, mutations. As expected, small populations are predicted to have a high rate of evolution, and the rate decreases with increasing population size. In contrast to previous models, however, this model predicts that the rate of evolution by pairs of compensatory mutations increases dramatically for population sizes above several thousand individuals, to the point of greatly exceeding the neutral rate. Application of this model predicts that species with moderate population sizes will have relatively conserved enhancers, whereas species with larger populations will be expected to evolve their enhancers at much higher rates. We propose that the different degree of conservation seen in vertebrate and Drosophila enhancers may be explained solely by differences in their population sizes and generation times.
Expectancy of Spousal Death and Adjustment to Conjugal Bereavement

Previous findings on the role of expectancy of spousal death in adjustment to bereavement are inconclusive due to methodological shortcomings. This study examined the impact of subjective and objective expectancy on adjustment, while addressing the methodological problems of previous studies. At six months postbereavement, 97 midlife bereaved adults responded to interview questions regarding expectancy of their spouse's death. They also completed the Beck Depression Inventory and Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, at 6, 13, and 25 months postbereavement. Greater objective expectancy was associated with lower symptoms at all three postbereavement periods. Subjective expectancy was not related to symptoms, however. The clinical implications of objective expectancy's role on bereavement-related adjustment are addressed.
Stochastic Vacancy Motion in B2 Intermetallics Detected by PAC

Using perturbed angular correlation of gamma rays (PAC), nuclear relaxation has been detected at high temperature in highly ordered B2 intermetallics that is attributed to stochastic motion of vacancies near 111 In/Cd probe atoms. The relaxation is of quadrupole interaction signals due to transition-metal vacancies in the first atomic shells of the probes. Possible relaxation mechanisms are reorientation of the vacancy with respect to the probe, detrapping of the vacancy, or trapping of a second vacancy. The relaxation reaches values of 10 MHz at temperatures of 1500K, 1200 K and 1170 K, respectively, for NiAI, FeAl and PdIn. For NiAl and FeAI, the onset of relaxation is abrupt, suggesting an activation enthalpy for the associated vacancy motion of several electron-volts. For PdIn, the relaxation has an activation enthalpy of 1.00(19) eV, a value significantly lower than might be expected naively on the basis of diffusion data. This difference gives insight into vacancy motion and diffusion mechanisms in PdIn.
Effects of instant messaging interruptions on computing tasks

This paper describes a study that probes the cost of interrupting users with instant messages during different phases of a computing task. We found that interrupting users during the "evaluation phase" of the task resulted in significantly longer completion times than interruptions in other phases. We also found that interruptions that were irrelevant to the task resulted in longer times to process the message and longer task resumption times than relevant messages. These initial results have implications for the principled design of intelligent interrupters and instant messages.
Contrast response of human visual mechanisms sensitive to orientation and direction of motion

Abstract A slowly moving grating of low spatial frequency differentially raises the threshold of various kinds of test targets. Systematic variation of the contrast of the adaptation grating separates two distinct components of this response. One component depends upon the grating's orientation and is a power function of contrast. This component is independent of the grating's movement. The other component is controlled by the direction of movement of the grating and is sensitive only to a restricted range of low contrasts.
Atypical umbilical naevi: histopathological analysis of 20 cases.

Aims Melanocytic naevi on the umbilicus have been described as a form of flexural naevi, with the most common feature being a ‘nested and dyshesive pattern’. We have encountered a distinct group of umbilical naevi with more significant atypia and prominent fibrosis, not reported previously. This study aimed to characterize these naevi more clearly. Methods and results Eighty-one umbilical naevi from 2000 to 2013 were reviewed retrospectively, 20 cases of which showed lamellar fibrosis and atypia and were designated as atypical umbilical naevi (AUN). Lamellar fibrosis in AUN was extensive and frequently entrapped dermal melanocytes, resulting in low-grade cytological atypia (74% of cases) and impaired maturation (47%) of the dermal component. Other common features included bridging (95%), shoulder architecture (94%), lentiginous growth (85%) and high-grade junctional cytological atypia (85%). ‘Nested and dyshesive pattern’ was observed in only 20% of AUN. Ki-67 immunostaining performed on 12 AUN revealed a consistently low proliferation index of <1%. All AUN in this series lacked junctional confluence, florid pagetoid spread and dermal mitoses. Conclusion A subset of special site naevi in the umbilical region demonstrate characteristic lamellar fibrosis, architectural disorder and cytological atypia. Familiarity with these site-related atypical features would avoid overdiagnosis of melanoma.
The interaction between ischemia-reperfusion and immune responses in the kidney

Kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) engages both the innate and adaptive immune responses. Cellular mediators of immunity, such as dendritic cells, neutrophils, macrophages, natural killer T, T, and B cells, contribute to the pathogenesis of renal injury after IRI. Postischemic kidneys express increased levels of adhesion molecules on endothelial cells and toll-like receptors on tubular epithelial cells. Soluble components of the immune system, such as complement activation proteins and cytokines, also participate in injury/repair of postischemic kidneys. Experimental studies on the immune response in kidney IRI have resulted in better understanding of the mechanisms underlying IRI and led to the discovery of novel therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
Shakespeare and the digital world

Although this book is titled Shakespeare and the Digital World, the essays it contains move beyond the bounds of ‘Shakespeare’ to early modern studies writ large. Similarly, these essays are about ...
Somatic hypermutation as a generator of antinuclear antibodies in a murine model of systemic autoimmunity.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by high-avidity IgG antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) that are almost certainly products of T cell–dependent immune responses. Whether critical amino acids in the third complementarity-determining region (CDR3) of the ANA originate from V(D)J recombination or somatic hypermutation (SHM) is not known. We studied a mouse model of SLE in which all somatic mutations within ANA V regions, including those in CDR3, could be unequivocally identified. Mutation reversion analyses revealed that ANA arose predominantly from nonautoreactive B cells that diversified immunoglobulin genes via SHM. The resolution afforded by this model allowed us to demonstrate that one ANA clone was generated by SHM after a VH gene replacement event. Mutations producing arginine substitutions were frequent and arose largely (66%) from base changes in just two codons: AGC and AGT. These codons are abundant in the repertoires of mouse and human V genes. Our findings reveal the predominant role of SHM in the development of ANA and underscore the importance of self-tolerance checkpoints at the postmutational stage of B cell differentiation.
FIR digital filters with sigma-delta modulated inputs and their implementation

Consideration is given to a finite impulse response (FIR) digital filter structure in which the input signal is encoded using sigma-delta modulation. This filter structure can be built using simple hardware, and it can accept analog signals directly without an additional analog-to-digital converter. The signal-to-noise ratio of this filter structure due to the encoding/decoding processes is derived. An efficient implementation of this filter is considered. >
Energy and fat intakes of children and adolescents in the united states: data from the national health and nutrition examination surveys.

Background: Dietary factors related to body weight and chronic disease risk are of interest because of recent increases in the prevalence of overweight. Objective: Secular trends in energy and fat intakes of youths aged 2-19 y were assessed. Current intakes were compared with recommendations. Design: Dietary 24-h recall data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) and earlier national surveys were examined. Results: Mean energy intake changed little from the 1970s to 1988-1994 except for an increase among adolescent females. Over the same time period, the mean percentage of energy from total and saturated fat decreased, but remained above recommendations, with overall means of 33.5% of energy from fat and 12.2% of energy from saturated fat. In 1988-1994, 1 in 4 youths met the recommendations for intakes of fat and saturated fat and 3 in 4 met the recommendation for cholesterol intake. Beverages contributed 20-24% of energy across all ages and soft drinks provided 8% of energy in adolescents. Except for adolescent girls, beverage energy contributions were generally higher among overweight than nonoverweight youths; soft drink energy contribution was higher among overweight youths than among nonoverweight youths for all groups. Conclusions: The lack of evidence of a general increase in energy intake among youths despite an increase in the prevalence of overweight suggests that physical inactivity is a major public health challenge in this age group. Efforts to increase physical activity and decrease nonnutritive sources of energy may be important approaches to counter the rise in overweight prevalence.
Many bills: engaging citizens through visualizations of congressional legislation

US federal legislation is a common subject of discussion and advocacy on the web, inspired by the open government movement. While the contents of these bills are freely available for download, understanding them is a significant challenge to experts and average citizens alike due to their length, complex language, and obscure topics. To make these important documents more accessible to the general public, we present Many Bills (http://manybills.us): a web-based set of visualization tools that reveals the underlying semantics of a bill. Using machine learning techniques, we classify each bill's sections based on existing document-level categories. We then visualize the resulting topic substructure of these bills. These visualizations provide an overview-and-detail view of bills, enabling users to read individual sections of a bill and compare topic patterns across multiple bills. Through an overview of the site's user activity and interviews with active users, this paper highlights how Many Bills makes the tasks of reading bills, identifying outlier sections in bills, and understanding congressperson's legislative activity more manageable.
Effects of uniaxial stress on magnetic field-induced domain wall motion

The applied AC magnetic field intensity dependence of asymmetry in an MAE (magnetoacoustic emission) burst under uniaxial compressive stress was investigated with a temper embrittled HY80 steel sample. The results showed that existence of a threshold in the AC field intensity that triggers the asymmetry. An increase in compressive stress magnitude was seen to increase this threshold value, and the maximum output of the currently available magnetizing unit was insufficient to create an asymmetric MAE pattern under 200 MPa. The degree of embrittlement may not affect the detection of residual compressive stress in this material. >
The Role of Nuclear Macromolecules in Innate Immunity

Nuclear macromolecules, in addition to their intracellular role in regulating cell function, can translocate into the extracellular space where they can activate innate immunity. This translocation can occur in various settings and reflects the dynamic nature of nuclear structure. Of nuclear molecules, DNA and the DNA-binding protein, HMGB1, display distinct patterns of immune activity. For DNA, immune activity depends on sequence, base methylation, and context. While bacterial DNA is an immune activator, mammalian DNA is either inert or inhibitory when free. In contrast, mammalian DNA in the form of immune complexes can trigger immune cell activation. As shown in in vivo and in vitro studies, DNA can exit cells during apoptotic as well as necrotic cell death in a process that may depend on the presence of macrophages. Like DNA, HMGB1 can exit cells and acquire immune properties. For HMGB1, the translocation occurs in macrophages that have been stimulated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands as well as cytokines; HMGB1 release can also occur with apoptotic as well as necrotic death. While HMGB1 alone can display cytokine activity, it may also activate cells in conjunction with other immune stimulators such as TLR ligands. For both DNA and HMGB1, the immune properties may therefore reflect the array of other endogenous as well as exogenous molecules present.
The dynamics of gut-associated microbial communities during inflammation.

Our intestine is host to a large microbial community (microbiota) that educates the immune system and confers niche protection. Profiling of the gut-associated microbial community reveals a dominance of obligate anaerobic bacteria in healthy individuals. However, intestinal inflammation is associated with a disturbance of the microbiota—known as dysbiosis—that often includes an increased prevalence of facultative anaerobic bacteria. This group contains potentially harmful bacterial species, the bloom of which can further exacerbate inflammation. Here, we review the mechanisms that generate changes in the microbial community structure during inflammation. One emerging concept is that electron acceptors generated as by-products of the host inflammatory response feed facultative anaerobic bacteria selectively, thereby increasing their prevalence within the community. This new paradigm has broad implications for understanding dysbiosis during gut inflammation and identifies potential targets for intervention strategies.
Obesity prevention practices of elementary school nurses in Minnesota: findings from interviews with licensed school nurses.

Elementary schools are an optimal setting to provide obesity prevention interventions, yet little is known about the obesity prevention practices of elementary school nurses. The purpose of this st...
True Celiac Artery Aneurysm Secondary to Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome

Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a rare disorder associated with chronic, postprandial abdominal pain and radiographic evidence of celiac artery compression. True arterial aneurysms distal to sites of chronic vascular compression due to post-stenotic dilatation have been described in other anatomic locations such as thoracic outlet syndrome and popliteal entrapment syndrome. We present the case of a patient who presented to vascular surgery clinic with a 35 year history of epigastric abdominal pain and bloating and was found to have a large celiac artery aneurysm with severe compression by the MAL.
DRY NEEDLING IN SUBJECTS WITH MUSCULAR TRIGGER POINTS IN THE LOWER QUARTER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

Background Trigger points, which have been defined as highly localized, hyperirritable locations in a palpable taut band of skeletal muscle fibers, have been identified with a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. The incidence of trigger point pain is high, with studies showing them as the primary source of pain in 30-85% of patients presenting in a primary care setting or pain clinic. Dry needling has emerged as a possible intervention for trigger points, but its effectiveness has not yet fully been determined. Purpose To assess and provide a summary on the current literature for the use of dry needling as an intervention for lower quarter trigger points in patients with various orthopedic conditions. Study design Systematic review. Methods CINAHL, NCBI-PubMed, PEDro, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Library, and APTA's PTNow were searched to identify relevant randomized controlled trials. Six studies meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed using the PEDro scale. Results Four of the studies assessed by the PEDro scale were deemed 'high' quality and two were 'fair' quality. Each of the six included studies reported statistically significant improvements with dry needling for the reduction of pain intensity in the short-term. Only one study reported a statistically significant improvement in short-term functional outcomes; however, there was no maintenance of improved function at long-term follow-up. Furthermore, none of the studies reported statistically significant changes regarding the effect of dry needling on quality of life, depression, range of motion, or strength. Conclusion A review of current literature suggests that dry needling is effective in reducing pain associated with lower quarter trigger points in the short-term. However, the findings suggest that dry needling does not have a positive effect on function, quality of life, depression, range of motion, or strength. Further high quality research with long-term follow-up investigating the effect of dry needling in comparison to and in conjunction with other interventions is needed to determine the optimal use of dry needling in treating patients with lower quarter trigger points. Levels of evidence 1.
Brief Interventions for Alcohol Use: Where, When, and How?

* Abbreviations: BI — : brief intervention ED — : emergency department SBIRT — : screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment More than one-third of US high school seniors report past-month alcohol consumption,1 and alcohol contributes to the top 3 causes of death among youth: unintentional injury (most of which are motor vehicle accidents), homicide, and suicide.2 Intervening early in adolescent substance use is critical because it can improve the life course trajectory of addiction and its harms.3 Because only 1 in 10 adolescents who need treatment of an alcohol use problem actually receive it,4 waiting for youth to seek help from a provider is not an effective strategy. To detect alcohol use and intervene early, major organizations,5–7 including the American Academy of Pediatrics,3 recommend routine alcohol screening, brief intervention (BI), and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for adolescents and young adults. Interpreting the evidence base for SBIRT is complex. Study designs can vary by substance (alcohol, drugs, or both), outcome (reduction in consumption, consequences of use, or both), setting (emergency department [ED], primary care, or school), sample (adolescents, young adults, or older adults), modality of the BI (given by a therapist or by a computer or mobile device), content of the BI (youth-friendly or otherwise), and timing of outcome measurement (months or even years later).8–11 Even once studies have shown efficacy, that is, improvement in … Address correspondence to Scott E. Hadland, MD, MPH, Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: scott.hadland{at}childrens.harvard.edu
Trust regions in Kriging-based optimization with expected improvement

The Kriging-based Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) method works well on many expensive black-box optimization problems. However, it does not seem to perform well on problems with steep and narrow global minimum basins and on high-dimensional problems. This article develops a new Kriging-based optimization method called TRIKE (Trust Region Implementation in Kriging-based optimization with Expected improvement) that implements a trust-region-like approach where each iterate is obtained by maximizing an Expected Improvement (EI) function within some trust region. This trust region is adjusted depending on the ratio of the actual improvement to the EI. This article also develops the Kriging-based CYCLONE (CYClic Local search in OptimizatioN using Expected improvement) method that uses a cyclic pattern to determine the search regions where the EI is maximized. TRIKE and CYCLONE are compared with EGO on 28 test problems with up to 32 dimensions and on a 36-dimensional groundwater bioremediation application i...