cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is There Really an Evolved Capacity for Number

Humans and other species have biologically endowed abilities for discriminating quantities. A widely accepted view sees such abilities as an evolved capacity specific for number and arithmetic. This view, however, is based on an implicit teleological rationale, builds on inaccurate conceptions of biological evolution, downplays human data from non-industrialized cultures, overinterprets results from trained animals, and is enabled by loose terminology that facilitates teleological argumentation. A distinction between quantical (e.g., quantity discrimination) and numerical (exact, symbolic) cognition is needed: quantical cognition provides biologically evolved preconditions for numerical cognition but it does not scale up to number and arithmetic, which require cultural mediation. The argument has implications for debates about the origins of other special capacities – geometry, music, art, and language.
Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Academic Interventions and Modifications on Student Behavior Outcomes.

The current study examined the effect of academic interventions and modifications on behavioral outcomes in a meta-analysis of 32 single-case design studies. Academic interventions included modifying task difficulty, providing instruction in reading, mathematics, or writing, and contingent reinforcement for academic performance. There was an overall small to moderate effect (ϕ = .56) on behavioral outcomes, with a stronger effect on increasing time on task (ϕ = .64) than on decreasing disruptive behavior (ϕ = .42). There was a small effect for using a performance-based contingent reinforcer (ϕ = .48). Interventions completed in an individual setting resulted in a moderate to large effects on behavior outcomes. Results of the current meta-analysis suggest that academic interventions can offer both positive academic and behavioral outcomes. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are included. (PsycINFO Database Record
Retrospective review of safety and efficacy of programmed cell death-1 inhibitors in refractory high grade gliomas

Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression has been reported in up to 61% of high grade gliomas (HGG). The purpose of this study was to describe safety and efficacy of PD-1 inhibition in patients with refractory HGGs. This Institutional Review Board approved single center retrospective study included adult patients with pathologically confirmed HGG who received a PD-1 inhibitor from 9/2014–10/2016 outside of a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Twenty five HGG patients received pembrolizumab as part of a compassionate use program. Median age was 50 years (range 30–72); 44% were men; 13 had glioblastoma (52%), 7 anaplastic astrocytoma (28%), 2 anaplastic oligodendroglioma (8%), 2 unspecified HGG (8%), and 1 gliosarcoma (4%). Median prior lines of treatments were 4 (range 1–9). Nineteen (76%) previously failed bevacizumab. Median KPS was 80 (range 50–100). Concurrent treatment included bevacizumab in 17 (68%) or bevacizumab and temozolomide in 2 (8%) patients. Median number of doses administered was 3 (range 1–14). Outcomes were assessed in 24 patients. PD-1 inhibitor related adverse events included LFT elevations, hypothyroidism, diarrhea, myalgias/arthralgias, and rash. Best radiographic response was partial response (n = 2), stable disease (n = 5), and progressive disease (n = 17). Median progression free survival (PFS) was 1.4 months (range 0.2–9.4) and median overall survival (OS) was 4 months (range 0.5–13.8). Three-month PFS was 12% and 6-month OS was 28%. While response rates are low, a few patients had a prolonged PFS. Pembrolizumab was tolerated with few serious toxicities, even in patients receiving concomitant therapy.
Evaluation of the Characteristics of a Workplace Assessment Form to Assess Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) in an Undergraduate Surgery Core Clerkship.

Objective Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are explicit, directly observable tasks requiring the demonstration of specific knowledge, skills, and behaviors that learners are expected to perform without direct supervision once they have gained sufficient competence. Undergraduate level implementation of EPAs is relatively new. We examined the characteristics of a workplace assessment form (clinic card) as part of a formative programmatic assessment process of EPAs for a core undergraduate surgery rotation. Design A clinic card was introduced to assess progression towards EPA achievement in the clerkship curriculum phase. Students completing their core eight (8) week clerkship surgery rotation submitted at least 1 clinic card per week. We compiled assessment scores for the 2015 to 2016 academic year, in which EPAs were introduced, and analyzed relationships between scores and time, EPA, training site, and assessor role. We surveyed preceptors and students, and conducted a focus group with clinical discipline coordinators of all core rotations. Setting This study took place at the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University in St. John′s, Newfoundland, Canada. Participants Third year medical students (n = 79) who completed their core eight (8) week surgery clerkship rotation during the 2015 to 2016 academic year, preceptors, and clinical discipline coordinators participated in this study. Results EPAs reflecting tasks commonly performed by students were more likely to be assessed. EPAs frequently observed during preceptor-student encounters had higher entrustment ratings. Most EPAs showed increased entrustment scores over time and no significant differences in ratings between teaching sites nor preceptors and residents. Survey and focus group feedback suggest clinic cards fostered direct observation by preceptors and promoted constructive feedback on clinical tasks. A binary rating scale (entrustable/pre-entrustable) was not educationally beneficial. Conclusions The findings support the feasibility, utility, catalytic and educational benefits of clinic cards in assessing EPAs in a core surgery rotation in undergraduate medical education.
Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium and Depression: A Review of the Evidence, Potential Mechanisms and Implications.

Micronutrient deficiency and depression are major global health problems. Here, we first review recent empirical evidence of the association between several micronutrients—zinc, magnesium, selenium—and depression. We then present potential mechanisms of action and discuss the clinical implications for each micronutrient. Collectively, empirical evidence most strongly supports a positive association between zinc deficiency and the risk of depression and an inverse association between zinc supplementation and depressive symptoms. Less evidence is available regarding the relationship between magnesium and selenium deficiency and depression, and studies have been inconclusive. Potential mechanisms of action involve the HPA axis, glutamate homeostasis and inflammatory pathways. Findings support the importance of adequate consumption of micronutrients in the promotion of mental health, and the most common dietary sources for zinc and other micronutrients are provided. Future research is needed to prospectively investigate the association between micronutrient levels and depression as well as the safety and efficacy of micronutrient supplementation as an adjunct treatment for depression.
Effects of Ketamine Compared with Urethane Anesthesia on Vestibular Sensory Evoked Potentials and Systemic Physiology in Mice

The injectable anesthetic mixture ketamine-xylazine is commonly used for electrophysiologic experiments in laboratory animals, especially rodents. General anesthesia can induce significant changes in systemic physiology, including those that compromise neural function, thus introducing research confounds. The extent of such concerns varies by agent. Here in mice, we compared the effects of ketamine-xylazine and urethane-xylazine anesthesia on systemic physiologic parameters and the vestibular sensory evoked potential (VsEP), a tool used commonly to assess peripheral vestibular function. Urethane-xylazine anesthesia provided longer anesthesia, prolonged survival times, and less compromised respiratory and cardiovascular function, compared with ketamine-xylazine. In the absence of countermeasures, mice anesthetized with either ketamine-xylazine or urethane-xylazine showed evidence of hypoxemia and fluctuations in brain temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, and VsEP response latency. The levels of hypoxemia had no effect on VsEP response parameters over the period of study (2 to 5 h). Hypoxemia was effectively countered with O2 supplementation, which stabilized respiratory rates and improved mean survival times by 160% in mice anesthetized with ketamine-xylazine. Monitoring and controlling brain temperature reduced variation in VsEP latency. VsEP thresholds, latencies, and amplitudes did not differ between mice under ketamine-xylazine compared with urethane-xylazine when the brain temperature was held at the same set point. These findings demonstrate that urethane-xylazine provides improved systemic physiologic conditions during anesthesia in mice and may be substituted for ketamine-xylazine in studies using the VsEP to evaluate peripheral vestibular function. Such advantages may prove useful to research in other neuroscience areas and might reduce the number of animals used to achieve adequate sample sizes.
Toward a Psychobiological Integration: Affective Illness as a Final Common Path to Adaptive Failure

In the late 1930s the philanthropist William T. Grant provided the financial means to study a group of male university students through the normal life cycle.2 Many of these men are now in their early 60s. Initially individuals were included in the study because they appeared healthy, and although all have experienced challenge and disappointment, many have stayed so. Reviewing something of what has been learned through study of the lives of these men, George Vaillant has observed that the most striking feature has been their ability to adapt to changing circumstance. Psychological health, Vaillant concludes, is realistic adaptation, orchestrating life’s demands so that they fall within one’s ability to manage. Adapting with some degree of success, or at least struggling on reasonably equal terms with one’s environment, may be termed coping. Consistent coping brings mastery.
Efficient Implementation of NOCI-MP2 Using the Resolution of the Identity Approximation with Application to Charged Dimers and Long C-C Bonds in Ethane Derivatives.

An efficient implementation of the perturb-then-diagonalize nonorthogonal configuration interaction method with second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (NOCI-MP2) is presented. Relative to other low scaling multireference perturbation theories, NOCI-MP2 often requires a much smaller active space because of the use of nonorthogonal reference configurations. Reworking the NOCI-MP2 equations with the resolution of the identity (RI) approximation enables the method to have the same memory requirements and computational scaling as single reference RI-MP2. The working equations are extended to include single substitutions as required when the reference determinants do not satisfy the Hartree-Fock equations. A detailed computational algorithm is presented along with timings to establish the performance of the implementation. NOCI-MP2 is applied to the binding energy and charge resonance energy in dication and monocation π dimers, as well as didiamantane ethane, and hexaphenylethane. A well-defined set of nonorthogonal determinants are obtained using absolutely localized molecular orbitals (ALMOs), as solutions to the self-consistent field for molecular interactions (SCF-MI) equations corresponding to covalent and ionic determinants. Agreement with experimental information where available, and other multireference methods, is satisfactory, with the use of an 0.3 au level shift to guard against large MP2 amplitudes. For didiamantane ethane and hexaphenylethane, large dispersion forces help stabilize the molecules despite the steric repulsion. By contrast, in the case of hexaphenylethane, the energy penalty from the geometric distortion of the fragments significantly weakens the bond.
Box-bender: a 3D dispersion and pathlength-matched polarization interferometer.

We present the 3D box-bender interferometer, which folds a Mach–Zehnder into a symmetric box using a polarization-rotating periscope with a 90° geometric phase shift to rotate the polarization in one arm for interfering two broadband orthogonally-polarized beams with equal optical pathlength and dispersion. We demonstrate its utility by interfering the orthogonally-polarized diffracted and undiffracted beams from an acousto-optic tunable filter.
Revision Fixation of Distal Humerus Fracture Nonunions in Older Age Patients with Poor Bone Quality or Bone Loss – Is This Viable as a Long-term Treatment Option?

Background: The purpose of this retrospective study was to analyze the long-term results of revision ORIF, jointcontracture release, and autogenous bone-grafting in the treatment of distal humerus frac-ture nonunions in older agedpatients with poor bone quality or bone loss who would have been candidates for total elbow arthroplasty.Methods: Seven patients (average age at index procedure: 53.3 years, range: 41-75) with a distal humerus fracturenonunion treated with revision ORIF, joint contracture release and autogenous bone grafting between 1989-2000 wereavailable for follow-up. Radiographic union and arthrosis were assessed using the most recent radiograph. Pain-relatedoutcomes were measured using PROMIS Pain Interference scores. Functional outcomes were evaluated using theMayo Elbow Perfor-mance Index (MEPI).Results: After an average follow-up of 22 years (range: 19-27 years), all nonunions were healed after the indexprocedure and had an average arc of ulnohumeral motion of 80°, flexion of 112°, and flex-ion contracture of 32°.Average arthrosis grade was moderate joint-space narrowing with osteo-phyte formation. One patient had exertionaldiscomfort but none required chronic pain medica-tions. PROMIS-Pain Interference scores were no different than thegeneral population (mean [95%CI] = 49.2 [41.8, 56.6], P=0.83). Per the MEPI, the functional result was excellent in fivepatients, good in one, and poor in one.Conclusion: Despite older age and worse bone quality, distal humerus fracture nonunions can be treated using revisionORIF, joint contracture release and autogenous bone-grafting with acceptable long-term outcomes.Level of evidence: IV
AgileSLAM: A Localization Approach for Agile Head Movements in Augmented Reality

Realistic augmented reality systems require both accurate localization of the user and a mapping of the environment. In a markerless environment this is often done with SLAM algorithms which, for localization, pick out features in the environment and compare how they have changed from keyframe to current frame. However, human head agility, such as seen in video gaming tasks or training exercises, poses a problem; fast rotations will cause all previously tracked features to no longer be within the field of view and the system will struggle to localize accurately. In this paper we present an approach that is capable of tracking a human head's agile movements by using an array of RGB-D sensors and a reconstruction of this sensor data into 360 degrees of features that is fed into our SLAM algorithm. We run an experiment with pre-recorded agile movement scenarios that demonstrate the accuracy of our system. We also compare our approach against single sensor algorithms and show a significant improvement (up to 15 to 20 times better accuracy) in localization. The development of our sensor array and SLAM algorithm creates a novel approach to accurately localize extremely agile human head movements.
The Effects of Novel Antimicrobials on Quality and Shelf-Life Characteristics of Blade Tenderized Beef Strip Loins

ObjectivesBeef tenderness is an important palatability attribute relating to consumer satisfaction. To enhance tenderness, and consumer satisfaction, blade tenderization (BT) is commonly employed; however, foodborne outbreaks have been associated with BT products. Application of antimicrobial interventions prior to BT is commonly employed by the meat industry to reduce the inherent risk of BT. As new antimicrobial technologies arise, they must also be tested to ensure quality and shelf life is not compromised. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of pulse ultra-violet light (PUV), 5% levulinic acid + 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate (LVA+SDS), and electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW; 50 ppm Cl), on beef strip loin (SL) subprimals prior to BT, and assess their effects on shelf life and sensory characteristics compared to SL treated with 4.5% lactic acid (LA), and no antimicrobial intervention (CON).Materials and MethodsWhole USDA Choice beef SL (n = 75) of known date were assigned randomly to antimicrobial interventions across 3 replicates. Pulse UV samples were treated for 15 s at 5.754 J/cm2 6 ± 2 cm from the quartz window. All other treatments were applied to subprimals using a 6-nozzle sanitizing cabinet (0.42 L/nozzle·min–1 at 275.79 kPa). After treatment, all SL made a single pass, lean side up, through a mechanical tenderizer (Ross TC700MC). After BT, SL were vacuum packaged, boxed, and stored (0 ± 1°C) for 7 d. Following storage, subprimals were squared and 2 steaks (2.54 cm) were cut from the anterior face with 1 designated for Warner-Bratzler shear force and the other for trained sensory analysis. Pulse UV samples were not included in sensory analysis due to the PUV equipment being previously utilized in pathogen studies. After steak removal, roasts (5 cm) were cut for shelf life analysis, packaged in Styrofoam trays with PVC overwrap and randomly assigned to 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 d of display in open top coffin display cases (0 ± 1.5°C, 2 defrost cycle every 24 h) and 24 h lighting (1600- 2100 lux; 30000K). On each day objective color was measured on d 7 roasts for L*, a*, b*, hue, chroma, and ∆E. Aerobic plate count (APC) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance analysis (TBARS) were also quantified on d 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 roasts. Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed (V9.4, SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) as a randomized split-plot where subprimal was the whole plot and steak or roast was the subplot. The PDIFF option of least squares means was utilized to test for differences (ɑ ≤ 0.05).ResultsAntimicrobial treatment prior to BT did not (P > 0.05) affect objective color measures. However, as display progressed L*, a*, b*, and chroma decreased (P 0.05) among CON (5.64 log CFU/cm2), PUV (5.20 log CFU/cm2), and EOW (5.78 log CFU/cm2), both LVA+SDS- and LA-treated roast had lower (P 0.05) affect lipid oxidation, WBSF, or sensory characteristics.ConclusionThe results from this study suggest that LVA+SDS could be used as an antimicrobial prior to SL BT without compromising quality or sensory characteristics.
Protecting All corporate stakeholders: Fraudulent transfer law as a check on corporate distributions

Debt-funded dividends is a recent aggressive practice that is a product of post-recession low interest rates. On numerous occasions, private-equity funds have forced the companies they invest in to borrow substantial sums of money to pay out a dividend. The companies that pay such dividends precipitously experience adverse consequences. With not enough cash to satisfy their operational needs and debt obligations, the companies’ credit ratings get downgraded. Liquidity issues cause these companies to quickly spiral into bankruptcy, in some instances resulting in liquidation. Depletion of corporate resources to pay dividends reverses the order of claim and interest repayment, putting shareholders ahead of creditors. An examination of the aggressive and risky strategy of financing dividends with borrowed funds reveals the need to reconcile state statutes imposing limitations on distributions with the standard that applies in fraudulent transfer actions. In addition to the current legal capital and insolvency limitations imposed by corporate law, statutes restricting dividends should specifically incorporate fraudulent transfer standards: dividends must be made unlawful if their distribution would violate fraudulent transfer laws. State-law restrictions on dividends have over the years ceased to serve their original purpose of protecting creditors. Several jurisdictions including Delaware apply lax standards for dividend authorization, allowing directors significant latitude in determining the corporation’s financial condition. Even modern statutes that test insolvency as an inability to pay debts when due in addition to a pure balance sheet calculation are inadequate and inconsistent with fraudulent transfer laws. Thus, directors often evade liability for authorizing dividends even if these dividends turn out to be fraudulent transfers. Yet, shareholder recipients of dividends may be defendants in future avoidance actions which allow creditors to recover the full amount of the payout. This Article argues that incorporation of fraudulent transfer standards into corporate-law statutes would provide uniformity and encourage careful decision-making by the board based on a diligent determination of solvency. Imposing liability on directors for authorizing fraudulent transfers would also foster responsible borrowing and entice the board to consider more productive alternatives.
Optimal Capital Structure and Hedging Policies for Banks: The End of Bailouts

We find that the volatility of bank equity returns can be reduced by 34% if banks hedge their exposure to bank-index risk. We then investigate the joint optimal hedging and capital structure decisions of banks when bank-industry risk is hedged using a convertible forward contract. Compared to the no-hedge benchmark, optimally hedged banks increase equity valuations, lower default probabilities (in spite of choosing higher leverage), and mostly eliminate systemic risk. That banks choose not to hedge bank index risk is consistent with managers internalizing bank bailouts. Governments can eliminate bailouts by forcing firms to insure against industry-risk.
Borderland Battles: Violence, Crime, and Governance at the Edges of Colombia’s War: by Annette Idler, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2019, 496 pp., $36.95 (paperback) and $105.00 (hardcover), ISBN: 9780190849146

Annette Idler’s Borderland Battles: Violence, Crime, and Governance at the Edges of Colombia’s War is a pathbreaking work on social order and security in border areas. The book draws from and contr...
Uncovering a Gatekeeper: Why the SEC Should Mandate Disclosure of Details Concerning Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance Policies

This Article explores the connection between corporate governance and D&O insurance. It argues that D&O insurers act as gatekeepers and guarantors of corporate governance, screening and pricing corporate governance risks to maintain the profitability of their risk pools. As a result, in a well-working insurance market, D&O insurance premiums would convey the insurer’s assessment of a firm’s governance quality. Simply stated, firms with better corporate governance would pay relatively low D&O premiums, while firms with worse corporate governance would pay more. This simple relationship could signal important information to investors and other capital market participants. Unfortunately, the signal is not being sent. Corporations lack the incentive to disclose this information on their own initiative, and U.S. securities regulators do not require registrants to do so. This Article therefore advocates a change to U.S. securities regulation, making mandatory the disclosure of D&O policy details—specifically, premiums, limits, and retentions under each type of coverage, as well as the identity of the insurer.
L - *Forced Oscillations of a Self-Oscillating Bimolecular Surface Reaction Model

The effects of forced oscillations in the partial pressure of a reactant is studied in a simple isothermal, bimolecular surface reaction model in which two vacant sites are required for reaction. The forced oscillations are conducted in a region of parameter space where an autonomous limit cycle is observed, and the response of the system is characterized with the aid of the stroboscopic map where a two-parameter bifurcation diagram for the map is constructed by using the amplitude and frequency of the forcing as bifurcation parameters. The various responses include subharmonic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic solutions. In addition, bistability between one or more of these responses has been observed. Bifurcation features of the stroboscopic map for this system include folds in the sides of some resonance horns, period doubling, Hopf bifurcations including hard resonances, homoclinictangles, and several different codimension-two bifurcations.
Simultaneous Channel Phased-Array Calibration Using Orthogonal Codes and Post-Coding

An alternative approach to calibrating arrays is presented that employs orthogonal CDMA coding on all elements to allow for simultaneous channel measurements. Additionally, a technique for post-coding the channel codes to correct phase shifter non-idealities is demonstrated. These techniques are demonstrated on a 5G phased array at 28 GHz demonstrating the methods effectiveness.
Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Microglia (hiPSC-Microglia)

Microglia are crucial mediators of brain development and homeostasis. In recent years, it has been additionally suggested that modulation of microglial function may prove to be a useful therapeutic technique in many neurological contexts. However, before we can develop therapeutics, we need to better understand homeostatic microglial processes at the cellular and molecular level. For this reason, it has become crucial to develop better models to study human microglia which are known to be quite distinct from murine models. Here we provide a detailed method to differentiate homeostatic microglia from human pluripotent cells. Additionally, due to the innate sensitivity of these immune cells, we have provided detailed notes for best practices of handling cultured microglia.
MAXIMIZING EFFICIENCY OF FUEL PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION

An experimental study was undertaken to determine the influence of fuel octane quality, engine compression ratio, and ignition timing adjustment on fuel utilization efficiency. This information, combined with data on refinery energy consumption for producing fuel of various octane qualities, can be used to estimate the potential for improvement in miles traveled per barrel of crude oil consumed. The vehicle selected for this investigation incorporated a closed-loop, air/fuel ratio control system using an oxygen sensor and a three-way catalyst. Ignition timing was adjusted for minimum fuel consumption at each of three compression ratios with the engine operating on fuels of various octane quality. An ignition timing retard system was used for those combinations of compression ratio and fuel quality which precluded use of best ignition timing.
National review of ambient air toxics observations.

ABSTRACTAmbient air observations of hazardous air pollutant (HAPs), also known as air toxics, derived from routine monitoring networks operated by states, local agencies, and tribes (SLTs), are analyzed to characterize national concentrations and risk across the nation for a representative subset of the 187 designated HAPs. Observations from the National Air Toxics Trend Sites (NATTS) network of 27 stations located in most major urban areas of the contiguous United States have provided a consistent record of HAPs that have been identified as posing the greatest risk since 2003 and have also captured similar concentration patterns of nearly 300 sites operated by SLTs. Relatively high concentration volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene exhibit the highest annual average concentration levels, typically ranging from 1 to 5 µg/m3. Halogenated (except for methylene chloride) and semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and metals exhibit concentrations typically 2–3 orders o...
Involvement of Radicals in Chemical Carcinogenesis

Chemical carcinogens comprise a large and structurally diverse group of synthetic and naturally occurring compounds. It appears almost axiomatic that such compounds must react with tissue components in order to induce neoplastic transformation. With the exception of the carcinogenic alkylating agents, most chemical carcinogens are not reactive per se and must be converted to reactive forms either chemically or metabolically. Data are emerging to indicate that electrophilic reactants are the ultimate form of most, if not all, chemical carcinogens (Miller, 1970). The proximate forms of a number of chemical carcinogens might be convertible to free radicals, i.e., electrophilic reactants, and suggest a possible role for the free radical in carcinogenesis. The presence of free radicals in tobacco smoke has been demonstrated (Lyons and Spence, 1960; Bluhm et al., 1971) and the increased incidence of lung cancer in cigarette smokers based on epidemiological studies is well known. The chemical and metabolic conversion of a number of chemical carcinogens to free radicals and the interaction of these radicals with DNA will be described in this communication.
The Role of Adenosine in the Metabolic Regulation of Coronary Blood Flow

Coronary blood flow is closely related to the metabolic activity of the heart. When the oxygen supply is insufficient for the oxygen needs of the myocardium, adenosine formation is increased and its release into the interstitial fluid dilates the coronary resistance vessels. A key to understanding the role of adenosine as mediator of coronary dilation is an accurate estimate of the interstitial fluid adenosine concentration. Since direct measurement is still technically impossible, indirect methods have been used. These include pericardial infusates and small fluid-filled chambers on the surface of the dog heart, collection of cardiac transudates from rat and guinea pig hearts, and the application of small porous disks to the epicardial and endocardial surfaces of the left ventricle of the isolated perfused guinea pig heart. Interventions that increase the oxygen requirements or decrease the oxygen supply augment the levels of adenosine in the interstitial fluid, as reflected by these indirect methods. The porous disk technique reveals that the ventricular endocardial adenosine concentrations are about 12-fold greater than the epicardial concentrations. The high endocardial adenosine levels may be responsible for the lower intravascular resistance of the endocardial vessels relative to the epicardial arterial vessels in the face of a greater extravascular resistance in the endocardium.
1-D blood vessel modeling: vessel area and flow rate control

In this paper, we introduce blood vessel modeling and discuss several methods. We illustrate derivation of the one-dimensional (1-D) model and, using a finite element method for discretizing the spatial derivative, we yield our simplified model to apply control techniques for stabilizing blood flow and vessel area. We linearize the model using classical techniques and apply linear optimal control. We then simulate the nonlinear system and demonstrate nonlinear control. All control techniques were successful in removing steady-state error. The relative benefits of nonlinear control, particularly sliding mode, are also discussed.
Chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction in young children.

Abstract We studied 8 young children (4 boys and 4 girls) with chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction. Intestinal pseudoobstruction, recurrent urinary tract infections, and dysuria occurred between the ages of a few weeks to 5 yr old. All had marked dilatation of the entire gastrointestinal tract distal to the esophagus, and megacystis. Conventional pathologic examinations of the full-thickness specimens of the gastrointestinal tract were normal in 5 and abnormal in 2 patients. The abnormalities included increased fibrosis and lipofuscin pigment in the smooth muscle cells. Myenteric plexus examination, using the Smith's method in 2 patients, was normal. Biopsy specimens from urinary bladders examined in 3 patients revealed separation of individual smooth muscle cells by collagen fibers. Intestinal manometric studies performed in 3 patients showed only weak and infrequent contractions during fasting and after feeding. Severe and extensive dysfunction of the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts with relatively normal histologic appearance are typical for these children.
Brief Report: Infusion of Isologous Immune Plasma in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

This report describes the results obtained by the infusion of cytotoxic isoantibodies into patients having chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Each study was followed by transient lymphopenia and decrease in lymph node size. The fractional catabolic rate of large amounts of labeled isoantibody (IgG) was more rapid than of normal IgG.
Finite Element Analysis of Layered Wood Systems

The major factors which must be considered in the analysis of layered wood systems, such as wood joist floors, are the orthotropic and variable properties of the wood materials, the incomplete composite action due to interlayer slip, and gaps in sheathing layers at joints between pieces of sheathing. The development of a finite element method for the analysis of layered wood systems, which correctly incorporates all major factors for the first time, is described. Comparisons of measured and computed deflections for T-beams and floors are given and show generally excellent agreement.
Augmenting the Deliberative Method for Ranking Risks

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) characterized and prioritized the physical cross-border threats and hazards to the nation stemming from terrorism, market-driven illicit flows of people and goods (illegal immigration, narcotics, funds, counterfeits, and weaponry), and other nonmarket concerns (movement of diseases, pests, and invasive species). These threats and hazards pose a wide diversity of consequences with very different combinations of magnitudes and likelihoods, making it very challenging to prioritize them. This article presents the approach that was used at DHS to arrive at a consensus regarding the threats and hazards that stand out from the rest based on the overall risk they pose. Due to time constraints for the decision analysis, it was not feasible to apply multiattribute methodologies like multiattribute utility theory or the analytic hierarchy process. Using a holistic approach was considered, such as the deliberative method for ranking risks first published in this journal. However, an ordinal ranking alone does not indicate relative or absolute magnitude differences among the risks. Therefore, the use of the deliberative method for ranking risks is not sufficient for deciding whether there is a material difference between the top-ranked and bottom-ranked risks, let alone deciding what the stand-out risks are. To address this limitation of ordinal rankings, the deliberative method for ranking risks was augmented by adding an additional step to transform the ordinal ranking into a ratio scale ranking. This additional step enabled the selection of stand-out risks to help prioritize further analysis.
Job satisfaction and organizational characteristics: results of a nationwide survey of baccalaureate nursing faculty in the United States

This study examines the relationship between job satisfaction of nursing faculty and the organizational characteristics of the institutions and nursing programmes in which they teach. A stratified random sample of 48 baccalaureate nursing programmes throughout the United States was selected for the study, of which 25 (52%) of the programme deans agreed to participate. Two questionnaires were used in data collection: (a) The Job Descriptive Index (Revised), which was sent to 576 nursing faculty at the participating programmes, resulting in 327 (57%) usable questionnaires; and (b) The Organizational Characteristics Questionnaire which was completed by the nursing programmes deans. Dimensions of job satisfaction measured were: work on present job, present pay, opportunities for promotion, supervision, coworkers and job in general. The organizational characteristics examined were: institutional control (public, private), size (student enrolment), nursing degrees offered, programmes offered (undergraduate, graduate), number of nursing faculty, number of nursing students, budget, tenure and salary. Although nursing faculty tended to be satisfied with their jobs, correlation and multiple regression analyses indicated weak to negligible relationships between job satisfaction and the organizational characteristics examined. Further study of the dimensions of job satisfaction within the academic environment is needed to understand the complexity of these relationships fully.
Downstream clinical consequences of stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance based on appropriate use criteria

Background Appropriate use criteria (AUC) have been developed by professional organizations as a response to the rising costs of imaging, with the goal of optimizing test-patient selection. Consequently, the AUC are now increasingly used by third-party-payers to assess reimbursement. However, these criteria were created by expert consensus and have not been systematically assessed for CMR. The aim of this study was to determine the rates of abnormal stress-CMR and subsequent downstream utilization of angiography and revascularization procedures based on the most recent AUC.
Technique: Laparoscopic TAPP and IPOM

Laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy provides a posterior reinforcement of the myopectineal orifice. The established indications for a laparoscopic repair include bilateral defects and recurrent hernias following an anterior approach. The transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) technique and the intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) procedure both utilize a transabdominal approach, which provides excellent visualization of both inguinal regions. Once proficiency in the technique is achieved, the recurrence rates are comparable to all open mesh repairs. The laparoscopic approach minimizes dissection and potential damage to the sensory nerves in the groin. Arguably, there is less postoperative pain and earlier return to activity. More promising is the prospect of reducing chronic, post-herniorrhaphy inguinodynia, which is under appreciated. For this reason, all patients should be considered for a laparoscopic repair.
Three Attempts at Peace in Sri Lanka: A Critical Muslim Perspective

This paper examines three instances of attempted rapprochement between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government in 1987, 2002 and 2005, and the inadequate response to the security and economic concerns of the Muslim minority community. The state's indifference to Muslim concerns has been due to the fact that minorities continue to be considered less than worthy citizens, and the conflict has been understood to concern only the state and the LTTE. Muslims' chosen methods of engagement in politics, and recent community choices regarding self-representation, through the 'piety movement', for instance, have also contributed to their exclusion. This paper argues that Muslims will need to find new ways of engagement with different levels of Sri Lankan civil and political society if they are to have their concerns addressed under the new political regime and changing social conditions within the country.
Near-field Second Harmonic Imaging of Granular Membrane Structures in Natural Killer Cells

Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) has been used in combination with a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) to image biological samples for the first time. Near-field SHG images of azure B stained mouse natural killer (NK) cells were recorded at four different wavelengths using a tunable near-infrared femtosecond laser. The surface specificity of SHG allows membrane structures to be selectively imaged with subdiffraction spatial resolution under ambient conditions. Resonance enhancement of SHG is shown to provide a chemically specific contrast mechanism in NSOM imaging, revealing submicron features associated with the cytolytic granular membrane.
Cucurbit[7]uril: an amorphous molecular material for highly selective carbon dioxide uptake

Cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), in its amorphous solid state, shows one of the highest CO2 sorption capacities among known organic porous materials at 298 K and 0.1 and 1 bar. In addition to the highest CO2 capacity, CB[7] also shows remarkable selectivity of CO2 over N2 and CH4. These properties, along with the existence of readily available precursors, indicate amorphous CB[7] might find applications in recycling CO2 particularly considering the easy synthesis and potentially low manufacturing costs.
The Composition of Stigmatic Exudate from Lilium longiflorum Labeling Studies with Myo-inositol, d-Glucose, and l-Proline

Stigmatic exudate, a secretion product recovered from the upper surface of Lilium longiflorum pistils, has been examined. Over 99% of the exudate is accounted for as water, carbohydrate, and protein. Exclusive of water, 95% is a high molecular weight, protein-containing polysaccharide composed of galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, and galacturonic acid.Detached pistils supplied with myo-inositol-U-(14)C, myo-inositol-2-(3)H, d-glucose-1-(14)C, or l-proline-U-(14)C produce labeled stigmatic exudate. When myo-inositol is supplied, the exudate is rich in labeled arabinose and uronic acids, but some label also recycles through the hexose phosphate pool of secreting cells, causing label to appear in galactose and rhamnose residues. When glucose is provided, galactose is the major constituent labeled but all of the other carbohydrate constituents are also labeled. Proline produces a pattern very similar to that obtained with glucose.Stigmatic exudate also contains a small amount of low molecular weight carbohydrate. If myo-inositol is used to label exudate, free labeled myo-inositol cannot be detected in the low molecular weight fraction until it has been subjected to acid hydrolysis. Similarly, if d-glucose is the source of label, free labeled glucose is found in the low molecular weight fraction only after acid hydrolysis.
Use of helper T cells to identify potential vaccine antigens of Babesia bovis

Babesia bovis is an economically important hemoprotozoon parasite o f cattle that is prevalent in many, tropical and subtropical regions o f the world. Effective vaccines against this tick-transmitted parasite consist o f live organisms attenuated by passage through splenectomized calves. However, the nature o f acquired resistance to challenge infection with heterologous isolates of this parasite has not been clearly defined. Unsuccessful attempts to select protective antigens have relied upon the use of antibodies to identify immunodominant proteins. In this review, Wendy Brown and Allison Rice-Ficht discuss the limitations of this approach and the rationale behind using helper T cells to select potential vaccine antigens.
An improved determination of the 216.615 nm absorption coefficient for methyl radicals

Abstract Shock tube experiments which incorporate improved selection and handling of chemical precursors provide a corrected determination of 216.615 nm absorption coefficient for methyl radicals at high temperatures (1311–2506 K). The revised expression is approximately one-half that given by us previously.
Extended depth of field microscopy by using digital optics

The shallow depth of field (DOF) of the microscope is the inherent problem due to its high numerical aperture (NA), the paper proposed a method to extend the DOF by using spherical phase coding, DOF can be extended 2 times
The program dependence web: a representation supporting control-, data-, and demand-driven interpretation of imperative languages

The Program Dependence Web (PDW) is a program representation that can be directly interpreted using control-, data-, or demand-driven models of execution. A PDW combines a single-assignment version of the program with explicit operators that manage the flow of data values. The PDW can be viewed as an augmented Program Dependence Graph. Translation to the PDW representation provides the basis for projects to compile Fortran onto dynamic dataflow architectures and simulators. A second application of the PDW is the construction of various compositional semantics for program dependence graphs.
EHMTI-0311. Effect of physical activity and hours of sleep on symptoms scores following migraine

Physical activity and regular sleep are a common recommendation by all physicians to mitigate a myriad of disorders. Migraine treatment typically targets reduction of symptoms after onset of the migraine as their primary objective, yet little data exist comparing the symptom scores for medication choices.
A new species of the genus Thyrisoma (Acari: Oribatei)

A description is given of a new species of oribatid mite, Thyrisoma ovata, from North America. This species differs principally from the Canadian species, T. spinifera (Hammer), and the South Ameri...
Nontrivial solutions for p-Laplacian systems

Abstract The paper deals with the existence and nonexistence of nontrivial nonnegative solutions for the sublinear quasilinear system div ( | ∇ u i | p − 2 ∇ u i ) + λ f i ( u 1 , … , u n ) = 0 in Ω , u i = 0 on ∂ Ω , i = 1 , … , n , where p > 1 , Ω is a bounded domain in R N ( N ⩾ 2 ) with smooth boundary, and f i , i = 1 , … , n , are continuous, nonnegative functions. Let u = ( u 1 , … , u n ) , ‖ u ‖ = ∑ i = 1 n | u i | , we prove that the problem has a nontrivial nonnegative solution for small λ > 0 if one of lim ‖ u ‖ → 0 f i ( u ) ‖ u ‖ p − 1 is infinity. If, in addition, all lim ‖ u ‖ → ∞ f i ( u ) ‖ u ‖ p − 1 is zero, we show that the problem has a nontrivial nonnegative solution for all λ > 0 . A nonexistence result is also obtained.
Fracture analysis of cracked rubber components in two and three dimensions

Abstract This paper presents a non-linear fracture analysis of cracked rubber components. The fracture parameter, tearing energy for rubber materials is computed for two- and three-dimensional bodies using the virtual crack extension method. The crack propagation direction is found by a maximum tearing energy fracture criterion. To illustrate the finite element procedures developed, three design applications were studied. The results obtained are compared to those available in the literature. The procedures developed predict the crack propagation direction in cracked rubber solids.
Microethnographic discourse analysis in an inquiry classroom

This article addresses the relationship among theories related to classroom language and literacy events by first examining the researcher’s theoretical perspective on discourse and sociocultural theories of learning development. The analytical heuristic for a microethnographic approach using a variety of theoretical tools is discussed and supported with empirical data. This article provides evidence from the data collection and analysis involving research regarding how students make sense of text in a first-grade, inquiry-based classroom to show how discourse analytical methodologies account for language identity and power as socially situated and co-constructed phenomena.
The Effectiveness of Explicit Demand and Emotional Expression Apology Cues in Predicting Victim Readiness to Accept an Apology

This study examines the effects of apology cues following a relational transgression. Three competing theoretical explanations are examined in a test of two types of cues a victim might use to encourage an apology: An emotional expression cue in which the victim states the negative outcomes of the transgression and an explicit demand cue in which the victim demands an apology directly. We cross completely emotional expression and explicit demand cues in an experimental design to compare their independent and conjoint effects on the victims' psychological readiness to accept an apology. Results suggest that both cue types are associated with more positive relational outcomes than a spontaneous apology.