cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strategies to Promote Cultural Competence in Distance Education

Cultural competence is a mainstay in health care and nursing education. With the expansion in the number of distance-based nursing programs across the country, innovative teaching methods for distance learning faculty are required to instill cultural competence in students. Faculty must be deliberate when planning distance-based learning activities that incorporate cultural experiences. This article describes several such strategies including the creative use of blogging, recorded lectures, the online synchronous classroom, social media, and cultural immersion projects. These methods capitalize on existing information technologies and offer distance-based students the opportunity to connect with one another, as well as develop the awareness, sensitivity, and respect that is required when providing culturally competent care. These teaching methods are modifiable to meet the teaching and learning needs of the faculty and the students, thereby allowing educators to support the integration of cultural competence into patient care for distance students.
A longitudinal study of effects of a developmental teacher preparation program on elementary prospective teachers’ mathematics beliefs

The universal emphasis in mathematics education on teaching and learning for understanding can require substantial paradigmatic shifts for many elementary school teachers. Consequently, a pressing goal of teacher preparation programs should be the facilitation of these changes during program experiences. This longitudinal, mixed methods study presents a thorough investigation of the effects of a distinctive teacher preparation program on important constructs related to prospective teacher preparedness to teach mathematics for understanding, including mathematics pedagogical and teaching efficacy beliefs, mathematics anxiety, and specialized content knowledge for teaching mathematics. The results indicate that the programmatic features experienced by the prospective teachers in this study, including a developmental two-course mathematics methods sequence and coordinated developmental field placements, provided a context supporting teacher change. These shifts are interpreted through the nature and timing of the experiences in the program and a model of teacher change processes. The findings provide insights for mathematics educators as to the outcomes of these programmatic features.
Personal history of major depression may put women at risk for premenstrual dysphoric symptomatology.

Abstract Background Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a chronic condition that significantly affects a woman's well-being on a monthly basis. Although co-occurrence of PMDD and major depressive disorder (MDD) is common, most studies examine whether women with PMDD are at risk for depression and investigations of PMDD in depressed women are scant. Therefore, the present study examined rates of PMDD in young depressed women. Methods PMDD was assessed using a structured clinical interview (SCID-PMDD) in a sample of 164 young women with (n=85) and without (n=79) any history of depression. Results Rates of PMDD were elevated among women with MDD in this sample. This result held true regardless of participants' MDD status (current, lifetime or past history-only symptoms of MDD) and regardless of whether all or most DSM-IV-TR PMDD criteria were met. Limitations Sample size in the present study was relatively small, and daily diary data were not available to confirm a PMDD diagnosis. Conclusions The current study highlights the need for clinicians to assess for PMDD in young female patients with major depression. Depressed women experiencing the added physical and psychological burden of PMDD may have a more severe disease course, and future studies will need to identify appropriate treatments for this subset of depressed women.
Absenteeism in Undergraduate Business Education: A Proposed Model and Exploratory Investigation*

One issue in undergraduate business education remaining underexamined is student absenteeism. In this article, the literature on undergraduate absenteeism is reviewed culminating in a proposed conceptual framework to guide future research, and an exploratory investigation of management students’ attitudes about absenteeism is conducted. Implications for research practice are discussed. Subject Areas: Absenteeism, Culture, Management Education, and Undergraduate Education.
P/12 Interaction of antenna carotenoid and retinal in the light-driven proton pump xanthorhodopsin

Xanthorhodopsin is a light-driven proton pump like bacteriorhodopsin, but made more effective for collecting light by its second chromophore, salinixanthin, a carotenoid. Action spectra for transport and fluorescence of the retinal upon excitation of the carotenoid indicate that the carotenoid functions as an antenna to the retinal. The calculated distance and angle of the two chromophores are ca. 11 A and 59°. As expected from their proximity, the carotenoid and the retinal closely interact. Tight binding of the carotenoid, as indicated by its sharpened vibration bands and intense induced circular dichroism in the visible, is removed by removal of the retinal, and restored upon reconstitution with retinal or retinal analogues. The influence of the retinal on the carotenoid depends mainly on steric interaction. Borohydride reduction of the retinal decreases spectral overlap and eliminates energy migration, and as expected, the fluorescence of the carotenoid increases and its excited state lifetime becomes longer. Studies of this antenna system, much simpler than photosynthetic complexes, may reveal fundamental features of excited-state energy migration.
Fatigue and Cyclic Plasticity Properties of a Super-Austenitic Stainless Steel

Tension-compression, torsion and axial-torsion experiments were conducted on AL-6XN® alloy. The main goal was to investigate experimentally, in detail, the cyclic plasticity behavior as well as fatigue life of AL-6XN® steel. Details of cyclic stress-strain response were collected during the experiments, which can serve as a baseline for development of cyclic plasticity model for this material. Microscopic observations of cracking behavior conducted in the present study allow connecting the fracture mechanism with fatigue life prediction. It was observed, that fatigue life of this material is a function of the fracture mode (mixed or tensile). The mixed cracking was observed in the specimens tested under higher applied strain levels, while the tensile cracking was revealed in the tests under lower strain amplitudes. Strain-life curves of the specimens failed in mixed mode and of those failed in tensile mode run parallel to each other, but the specimens that exhibit mixed failure mode show lower fatigue life as compared to the tensile mode specimens. Transition between mixed and tensile cracking orientations was studied in detail. The results of the experimental work presented in this study can serve for design of fatigue models for this material in the future.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
A Monte Carlo method for multiple parameter estimation in the presence of uncertain data

Abstract Two characteristics that cause difficulties in formal Bayesian efforts to estimate parameters of models useful in probabilistic risk assessment are the large number of parameters involved and the presence of uncertainties in the available data. Both characteristics lead to multidimensional integrals that often cannot be evaluated using standard analytical or numerical techniques. The latter characteristic also requires the explicit development of a distribution for the uncertain data, a process that can become extremely burdensome when dealing with discrete data even when the amount of data is small. This paper discusses a Monte Carlo approach for performing the estimation that avoids these two problems. The approach is applied to problems involving discrete data and continuous data and is shown to be reasonably accurate, fast running, and easy to employ.
“Richard Baxter's Contribution to the Comprehension Controversy: A Study in Projected Church Union.”

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Boston University Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 307-325). Microfilm. s
The magnetic susceptibility of a compressible near the critical point

Abstract The magnetic susceptibility of an n -component elastically isotropic compressible magnet near its critical point is calculated. We obtain results correct to first order in ϵ = 4 − d using the trajectory integral technique.
The human diploid fibroblast senescence pathway is independent of interleukin-1α mRNA levels and tyrosine phosphorylation of FGFR-1 substrates

Abstract In vitro cellular senescence of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) may involve the intracellular activity of the signal peptide-less cytokine interleukin (IL)-1α. To determine whether senescence of other human diploid cells involves the function of IL-1α, we examined the steady-state expression of IL-1α mRNA in IMR-90 fibroblasts. The IL-1α transcript was not elevated in senescent IMR-90 cells. With the exception of the plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 transcript, other IL-1α-response gene mRNAs were not induced in senescent IMR-90, although the mRNA for each gene was induced by exogenous IL-1α. The mRNA expression of cell cycle-specific genes demonstrated that Fos and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) were induced in young and senescent cells in response to both serum and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-1. Histone (H)3 mRNA was induced by serum in young cells, but not in senescent cells, and FGF-1 failed to induce H3 mRNA in either young or senescent cells. Further, while young IMR-90 populations were able to respond to serum as an initiator of DNA synthesis and cell growth, they did not exhibit a response to exogenous FGF-1. FGF receptor (R)-1 substrates were not tyrosine phosphorylated in either young or senescent IMR-90 cells. These data demonstrate that IL-1α and FGF-1 may have different functions in HUVEC and IMR-90 fibroblast populations including distinct pathways for the regulation of cellular growth and senescence.
Effects of insulin on glucose metabolism in isolated heart myocytes from adult rats

The study examined the effect of insulin on glucose metabolism in freshly isolated calcium-tolerant heart myocytes from adult rats. The uptake of 2-deoxyglucose demonstrated an initial lag in response to insulin and the maximal insulin effect was not attained until after 3 min preincubation with the hormone. A dose-response study of 14CO2 production from [14C]glucose revealed that the maximum insulin stimulation of glucose utilization occurred with 5 mU/ml. Both the uptake and the oxidation of glucose proceeded at a linear rate in the absence and presence of insulin. However, insulin exerted a greater effect on the uptake (42-54%) than on the oxidation (17-22%) of exogenous glucose. Incorporation of glucose into glycogen was markedly increased by insulin and resulted in the myocyte glycogen concentration returning to in vivo levels. In the absence of insulin, glucose incorporation plateaued within 10 min of incubation and the glycogen concentration was not altered. Our findings also indicate that at equilibrium, insulin-treated cells exhibited a higher glycogen turnover rate. It thus appears that insulin exerts a differential effect on the different pathways in glucose metabolism in the isolated cardiac cells. This may be related in part to their quiescent state and lower energy demand.
Determinants of Forest Land Prices in Northern Minnesota: A Hedonic Pricing Approach

A hedonic price model was developed to analyze the market for undeveloped forestland in northern Minnesota. The data included 387 forestland parcels purchased in 2001 or 2002. Information describing parcel physical characteristics, amenity features, merchantable timber volume, development trends, terms of financing, and several proximity, distance, and adjacency conditions were tested for their influence on forestland prices. The model's independent variables collectively explained approximately 50% of the variation in per hectare sale price. The method by which forestland sales were financed, road access and density, proximity to population centers, and presence of lake or river frontage had the largest positive influences on per hectare sale prices. Adjacency to public land had an unexpectedly large, negative influence on sale price. Importantly, a parcel's merchantable timber volume was not found to be a significant predictor of forestland sale price. In general, forestland markets were driven by three major influences: land development pressures, presence of or close proximity to a water body, and the use of contract for deed financing. FOR .S CI. 53(1):25-36.
Genetic markers of immunoglobulin G as potential risk factors for IgG4-related disease.

To the Editor: Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related disease is a relatively new fibroinflammatory systemic condition of unknown etiology. It is usually associated with elevated serum IgG4 concentrations1. Among the disease-initiating mechanisms, host genetic factors are thought to be important, but there is a paucity of genetic studies and to date only a few probable susceptibility factors have been described1. Our aim is to spur further genetic research by postulating Ig GM allotypes — highly polymorphic hereditary antigenic determinants expressed on γ chains — as possible risk factors for IgG4-related disease. GM (IgG marker) allotypes are encoded by 3 very closely linked genes on chromosome 14q32. They are localized on the … Address correspondence to Dr. J.P. Pandey, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. E-mail: pandeyj{at}musc.edu
Optimizing anti-terrorism resource allocation

Since spring of 2002 we have been working on a methodology, decision model, and cognitive support system to aid with effective allocation of anti-terrorism (AT) resources at Marine Corps installations. The work has so far been focused on the military domain, but the model and the software tools developed to implement it are generalizable to a range of commercial and public-sector settings including industrial parks, corporate campuses, and civic facilities. The approach suggests that anti-terrorism decision makers determine mitigation project allocations using measures of facility priority and mitigation project utility as inputs to the allocation algorithm. The three-part hybrid resource allocation model presented here uses multi-criteria decision-making techniques to assess facility (e.g., building, hangar) priorities, a utility function to calculate anti-terrorism project mitigation values (e.g., protective glazing, wall coatings, and stand-off barriers) and optimization techniques to determine resource allocations across multiple, competing AT mitigation projects. The model has been realized in a cognitive support system developed as a set of loosely coupled Web services. The approach, model, and cognitive support system have been evaluated using the cognitive walkthrough method with prospective system users in the field. In this paper we describe the domain, the problem space, the decision model, the cognitive support system and summary results of early model and system evaluations.
anti-Diastereo- and Enantioselective Carbonyl Crotylation from the Alcohol or Aldehyde Oxidation Level Employing a Cyclometallated Iridium Catalyst: α-Methyl Allyl Acetate as a Surrogate to Preformed Crotylmetal Reagents

Under the conditions of transfer hydrogenation employing an ortho-cyclometallated iridium catalyst generated in situ from [Ir(cod)Cl]2, 4-cyano-3-nitrobenzoic acid and the chiral phosphine ligand (S)-SEGPHOS, α-methyl allyl acetate couples to alcohols 1a−1j with complete levels of branched regioselectivity to furnish products of carbonyl crotylation 3a−3j, which are formed with good levels of anti-diastereoselectivity and exceptional levels of enantioselectivity. An identical set of optically enriched carbonyl crotylation products 3a−3j is accessible from the corresponding aldehydes 2a−2j under the same conditions, but employing isopropanol as the terminal reductant. Experiments aimed at probing the origins of stereoselection establish a matched mode of ionization for the (R)-acetate and the iridium catalyst modified by (S)-SEGPHOS, as well as reversible ionization of the allylic acetate with rapid π-facial interconversion of the resulting π-crotyl intermediate in advance of C−C bond formation. Additional...
Nomenclatural changes in the Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). IV. Plataspidae.

Replacement names are proposed for three primary junior homonyms within the hemipteran family Plataspidae: Coptosoma parapallens replacing C. dilutum Linnavuori, 1977, C. cachani replacing C. transversa Cachan, 1952, and C. jensonhaarupi replacing C. pygmaeum Jensen-Haarup, 1926.
Image sequence coding with hybrid block operation

A scheme of image sequence compression coding with hybrid block operations based on the classification of the blocks of the frame differences is presented in the paper. Frame differences are produced by a modified algorithm of motion compensation. Blocks are classified into 4 types, including the all zero blocks, the flat blocks, the midrange blocks and the edge blocks, each of which is quantized and encoded in a different manner. Simulation results show that good picture quality can be obtained using the proposed coding scheme. >
Double Standards in Sentence Structure: Passive Voice in Narratives Describing Domestic Violence

Previous research has shown that passive voice predominates in mass media reports describing male violence against women. However, there has been little systematic study of narratives describing female violence against men. The authors analyzed the impact of perpetrator gender on verb voice, first in a content analysis of published news stories and second in a new procedure for eliciting written narratives with male or female perpetrators. Results reveal an increased frequency of passive voice when perpetrators are male. These findings suggest that writers specifically prefer the passive voice to describe male-on-female violence rather than for violent or negative acts in general.
Psychology and epistemology: match or mismatch when applied to science education?

Cognitive psychology's descriptions of an individual's knowledge resemble those philosophers’ offer of scientific theory. Both offer resources for conceptual change teaching. Yet the similarities mask tensions ‐philosophers stress rationality and psychologists focus on causal structure. Both domains distinguish two kinds of change in knowledge structures‐one common and cumulative, the other rare and non‐cumulative. The structures facilitate incremental development but resist major revisions. Unless instruction actively induces restructuring, students’ knowledge will be confused and incomplete. Knowledge is largely organized by schemata, representing the significant concepts and relations in a domain. But using knowledge also requires procedures for recalling, applying and revising schemata. Questions discussed include: When should we present a theory in the context of justification‐‐where knowledge claims are systematically but a historically delineated; and when in the context of development‐‐where knowl...
Mixing-Zone Diagenesis in the Subsurface of Florida and the Bahamas

Abstract Three cores from Great Bahama Bank and southern Florida contain examples of mixing-zone diagenesis where typical shallow-water, aragonite-rich sediments were altered to low-Mg calcite. The 40–50 m thick mixing zones are identified on the basis of downcore covariant trends from depleted meteoric (δ18O = -3.2 ± 0.7‰; δ13C = -1.6 ± 1.8‰) to enriched marine isotopic values (δ18O = +1.0 ± 0.3‰; δ13C = +1.9 ± 0.7‰). The age of the mixing zones varies from late Pliocene to Pleistocene, so these cores provide three independent examples of mixing-zone diagenesis. Mixing-zone diagenesis produced a limestone composed of low-Mg calcite with petrographic fabrics including moldic porosity, blocky to dogtooth calcite cementation, and recrystallization of lime mud to micrite and microspar. The mixing-zone diagenetic model predicts alteration in only part of the mixing zone. Because the alteration recorded in these cores shows continuous alteration through the entire mixing zone, we consider the mixing of waters itself to be largely irrelevant. Rather, diagenesis was probably driven by the difference in solubility between aragonite and calcite with some additional dissolution of aragonite driven by the microbial oxidation of buried organic matter. The mixing zone has been proposed as a likely location for dolomitization. With the exception of some clearly sea-floor dolomite in one core (Unda), the mixing zones in these cores lack dolomite despite the sediment clearly having been altered in the mixing zone. The lack of dolomite in these mixing zones, combined with the extensive literature questioning the chemical reasoning for mixing-zone dolomite, supports rejection of the mixing-zone dolomite model.
Flux enhancement effects of ionic surfactants upon passive and electroosmotic transdermal transport

This study focused upon the enhancement effects of ionic surfactants upon passive and electroosmotic transdermal flux. The first phase of the study involved validating theories relating surface properties of a membrane to electroosmotic solvent flow under appropriate experimental conditions using a synthetic model membrane (stack of 50 Nuclepore membranes). Numerical solutions to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation and the equations of fluid motion served as the theoretical basis for the experimental studies. Important outcomes of the model membrane studies were that electroosmotic solvent flow velocity was enhanced by the addition of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and reversed by the addition of a cationic surfactant, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide. The effective membrane pore wall surface charge densities were determined under a variety of experimental conditions. Adsorption of dodecyl sulfate to the pore wall increased the net negative charge on the pore wall. A reversal of the net pore wall surface charge density resulted from the adsorption of dodecyltrimethylammonium. The interrelationship between electroosmosis, surfactant adsorption, and ionic strength was also evaluated. The second phase of the study was an investigation of the effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate upon the transport of neutral polar permeants through human epidermal membrane (HEM). Fluxes of [14C]urea and [3H]sucrose were simultaneously measured across HEM samples under passive and 250 mV conditions; flux measurements were made before, during, and after HEM exposure to sodium dodecyl sulfate. A systematic analysis of the experimental data made it possible to elucidate the specific contributions of sodium dodecyl sulfate and the applied electric potential to the overall flux enhancement. Sodium dodecyl sulfate enhanced the intrinsic passive permeability of the HEM, and it also enhanced the contribution of electroosmosis to the flux during iontophoresis.
The LQ Regulator

Exercise 1.2.8, 1.2.9, 1.2.10, and 1.2.11 should be worked out before starting this section.
Big Social Savings in a Small Laggard Economy: Railroad-Led Growth in Brazil

Railroad development had a profound impact in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Brazil. Direct benefits were small for passengers, but large for freight services, and contributed heavily to the transition from stagnation to growth. Domestic-use activities received a differentially large stimulus. Estimates of the social rate of return reveal that Brazil did not overinvest in railroads. A different allocation of subsidies to railroad capital could have generated additional gains. Backward linkages did little for industry, but the “leakage” attributable to imported inputs was modest. Institutional externalities were mixed. By 1913 railroads had paved the way for dramatically improved economic growth.
Lithium Tetrafluoro Oxalato Phosphate as Electrolyte Additive for Lithium-Ion Cells

Lithium tetrafluoro oxalato phosphate LTFOP was investigated as an electrolyte additive to improve the life of mesocarbon microbead MCMB/Li1.1Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/30.9O2 NCM cells for high power applications. With the addition of 1‐3 wt % LTFOP to MCMB/NCM cells, the capacity retention after 200 cycles at 55°C significantly improved. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the LTFOP addition in the electrolyte increased the initial impedance but lowered the impedance growth rate during cycling. Aging tests at 55°C indicated that the capacity retention of the negative electrode significantly benefited as a result of the LTFOP addition. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the safety of the lithiated MCMB is significantly improved with the LTFOP addition.
An investigation of hydrogen as an internal combustion fuel

Abstract The culmination of a pure research project in undergraduate mechanical engineering is presented, wherein the reader is invited to follow the student's investigation of hydrogen as an automotive fuel. Hydrogen cannot be considered as an internal combustion fuel without some evaluation of the general aspects of hydrogen energy. Fossil fuels are limited in supply, and an alternative energy source must be developed. The attraction of hydrogen is its minimal environmental impact, so the research is conducted from that perspective. Since the primary use of fossil fuels is as gasoline, the concentration is on hydrogen as an automotive fuel. The research includes history, current developments, benefits, limitations, cost, safety, implementation and possible competitors of hydrogen fuel. The most promising application is a compression-ignition engine designed specifically for hydrogen, with the onboard fuel stored as a cryogenic liquid.
Alternative Splicing of the Drosophila Dscam Pre-mRNA Is Both Temporally and Spatially Regulated

The Drosophila melanogaster Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) gene encodes an axon guidance receptor that can express 38,016 different mRNAs by virtue of alternative splicing. The Dscam gene contains 95 alternative exons that are organized into four clusters of 12, 48, 33, and 2 exons each. Although numerous Dscam mRNA isoforms can be synthesized, it remains to be determined whether different Dscam isoforms are synthesized at different times in development or in different tissues. We have investigated the alternative splicing of the Dscam exon 4 cluster, which contains 12 mutually exclusive alternative exons, and found that Dscam exon 4 alternative splicing is developmentally regulated. The most highly regulated exon, 4.2, is infrequently used in early embryos but is the predominant exon 4 variant used in adults. Moreover, the developmental regulation of exon 4.2 alternative splicing is conserved in D. yakuba. In addition, different adult tissues express distinct collections of Dscam mRNA isoforms. Given the role of Dscam in neural development, these results suggest that the regulation of alternative splicing plays an important role in determining the specificity of neuronal wiring. In addition, this work provides a framework to determine the mechanisms by which complex alternative splicing events are regulated.
Interference Between Two Adeno-associated Satellite Viruses: a Three-Component System

Adenovirus-associated satellite viruses interfere with the replication of their helper adenoviruses. According to a previous report, this interference is not mediated by interferon. A three-component system comprising simian adenovirus SV15 and satellites types 1 and 4 was studied to determine whether satellite viruses also interfere with one another. Satellite type 1 interfered with the replication of type 4 and vice versa. The degree of interference was directly proportional to the dose of interfering satellite. The events leading to mutual satellite interference were operative during the first 12 hr of replication, the period associated with active synthesis of viral deoxyribonucleic acid.
Velocity limit in DPD simulations of wall-bounded flows

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is a relatively new mesoscopic simulation approach, which has been successfully applied in modeling complex fluids in periodic domains. A recent modification [X.J. Fan, N. Phan-Thien, S. Chen, X.H. Wu, T.Y. Ng, Simulating flow of DNA suspension using dissipative particle dynamics, Physics of Fluids 18 (6) (2006) 063102] has allowed DPD simulations of polymers for realistic values of the Schmidt number. However, DPD and its extensions encounter difficulties in simulating even simple fluids in wall-bounded domains. The two main problems are wall boundary conditions and compressibility effects - the topic of the present work - which limit the application of DPD to low Reynolds number (Re) flows (e.g., Re<100). Here, we establish an empirical criterion that provides an upper limit in velocity and correspondingly in Re for a fixed computational domain, assuming a deviation from Navier-Stokes solutions of at most 5%. This limit could be increased by increasing the size of the computational domain at approximately linear computational cost. Results are presented for the lid-driven cavity flow reaching, for first time, Re=1000, and similar extensions can be established for other complex-geometry flows. A systematic investigation is presented with respect to both different types of boundary conditions and compressibility effects for the standard DPD method as well as the modified version that simulates highly viscous fluids.
Precise delay generation using the Vernier technique

The authors show a new technique for generating precise clock delays. The Vernier technique exploits the difference between two coarse delays to achieve delay resolutions much smaller than an intrinsic gate delay. This resolution limit is usually smaller than a conventional gate delay, the limit for most conventional delay generation methods. The Vernier technique has the additional advantage of being easy to implement. Simulations show that this technique is capable of resolutions as small as 50 ps using 2.0 µm CMOS.
A Paradox for the Birds

Does 'a is a red herring' confirm 'All ravens are black'? In some contexts, it does not. Context 1. X has already settled as part of his corpus of knowledge that all ravens are black He then makes an observation and adds to his corpus 'a is a red herring'. Clearly, the observation report does not confirm 'All ravens are black'; for the generalization is already an established part of the corpus of knowledge and is as confirmed as it could be. Of course, an observation of a black raven contributes nothing to the confirmation of 'All ravens are black' either. Context 2. X includes in his corpus of settled knowledge 'Some ravens are not black'. Once more, neither 'a is a red herring' nor 'a is a black raven' confirms 'All ravens are black'. Clearly, if 'a is a red herring' is to confirm 'All ravens are black', the truth value of the generalization cannot be settled as a matter of knowledge prior to the observation. But even in situations where the truth value of 'All ravens are black' is not decided by deduction from the corpus of knowledge, we cannot conclude that red herrings, black ravens or anything else will confirm 'All ravens are black'. Data confirm hypotheses only in contexts where these hypotheses are taken to be potential answers to some question taken as seriously meriting investigation. To illustrate, consider the following context: Context 3. X wants to find out whether some crows are black or not. On at least one plausible reading of X's question, the only consistent potential answers to his question are representable by 'Some ravens are black' and 'No ravens are black'. There is another response which can, in an extended sense, be regarded as a potential answer. X can suspend judgement between 'Some ravens are black' and 'No ravens are black'. On some occasions, suspension of judgement may be warranted by the evidence rather than the two alternatives and, in this sense, should be considered a potential answer.
Quantification of Left Ventricular Function With Premature Ventricular Complexes Reveals Variable Hemodynamics

Background—Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are prevalent in the general population and are sometimes associated with reduced ventricular function. Current echocardiographic and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging techniques do not adequately address the effect of PVCs on left ventricular function. Methods and Results—Fifteen subjects with a history of frequent PVCs undergoing cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging had real-time slice volume quantification performed using a 2-dimensional (2D) real-time cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging technique. Synchronization of 2D real-time imaging with patient ECG allowed for different beats to be categorized by the loading beat RR duration and beat RR duration. For each beat type, global volumes were quantified via summation over all slices covering the entire ventricle. Different patterns of ectopy, including isolated PVCs, bigeminy, trigeminy, and interpolated PVCs, were observed. Global functional measurement of the different beat types bas...
Response of the Parasitoid Microterys flavus to the Brown Soft Scale and its Honeydew

Honeydew produced by the brown soft scale, Coccus hesperidum L., is a search stimulant for the parasitoid Microterys flavus (Howard). Solvent extraction and paper chromatography were used to characterize and identify the active chemicals. The results indicate that fructose and sucrose and an unidentified ninhydrin component are active. The role of the honeydew in stimulating parasitoid searching and retention in host infested areas is discussed. Although honeydew was a major factor in host searching, shape also played a role in the host selection process.
Antibody to human leucocyte interferon may enhance the frequency of rhinovirus isolation

Rhinoviruses may be isolated with increased frequency, if interferon α present in nasal wash is first neutralised by the addition of antibody to human leucocyte interferon. This finding is of particular relevance when exogenous interferon α may be present in specimens.
Nathaniel Berman. Passion and Ambivalence. Colonialism, Nationalism and International Law

This quotation lends a title to the third chapter, "But the Alternative is Despair", that in some ways captures the core compulsion of Nathaniel Berman's book, Passion and Ambivalence. Colonialism, Nationalism and International Law. Warding off despair through a ground clearing operation for a more imaginative and hopeful future seems to fuel Berman's own passions in the series of dazzling readings of international legal history that make up this book. It is a book that runs against the grain of dominant approaches to internationalism and its historical role. Berman seeks to wrest international law from the sterility of formalism and interest calculation on the one hand, and, on the other, the contortions that emerge from formalism and pragmatism's discursive acrobatics in denying and advancing passions. Instead, Berman centres internation - alism's fantasies and fears (represented here by nationalism, there by colonialism), even as he seeks to de-centre the discipline's own self-conception. From Jerusalem to Kosovo, Berman holds international legal projects most innovative, vital, and resourceful when passion is not expelled from the internationalist terrain, but where internationalism's ambivalent relationship to its passions is fore-grounded, mined, and negotiated.
Should patients receiving long-term gastric acid inhibition therapy be evaluated for vitamin B12 deficiency?

Very few patients actually deplete their body stores of vitamin B12 but supplementation is benign.
On the Perfectly Matched Layer for the Boltzmann-BGK Equation and its Application to Computational Aeroacoustics

Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) absorbing boundary conditions are proposed for the discreet velocity BGK Boltzmann equation (DVBE). Following a study of the linear waves supported by DVBE, nonreflecting absorbing boundary conditions are derived using a proper space-time transformation, Linear analysis shows that the proposed equations are stable for practical numerical calculations. The accuracy of the absorbing boundary condition is validated by numerical solutions where the Boltzmann-BGK equation is solved by a finite difference scheme. Numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed equations. Several IMEX Runge-Kutta schemes are considered to increase efficiency of time integration.
A Quantitative Analysis of Anions and pH on the Growth of Bimetallic Nanostructures

Symmetrically branched and shape-controlled alloyed nanocrystals composed of Au and Pd are synthesized via seed-mediated coreduction, in which the two metals are simultaneously deposited onto Au seeds. Here, a qualitative evaluation of morphology development (obtained via SEM of product from reaction aliquots) is coupled with a quantitative analysis of metal deposition rates (obtained via ICP-MS of the same samples) to elucidate the roles of anions and pH in bimetallic nanostructure formation. Different anion environments and total precursor concentration were found to influence metal deposition rates and nanostructure morphology. In contrast, reaction pH did not alter the deposition rates significantly despite dramatic changes in morphology. The latter is surprising given the often-cited pH-dependent reduction process in similar systems. These experiments are a first effort at quantitatively analyzing the kinetics of metal deposition in a bimetallic system, where understanding the shape-directing effects...
Complexity column

We have learned a great deal about algorithms and computational complexity over the last half century. However, the lack of progress answering certain questions has been stunning. in particular, we have huge trouble proving lower bounds, i.e., that we need at least a certain amount of time or space to solve a particular problem. Here is a beautifully written survey by Ryan Williams explaining some new approaches with which he and his coauthors have achieved state-of-the-art complexity lower bounds. The methods - using the potential power of circuits against themselves - should be particularly appealing to logicians.
Progress and tradition in medieval Ashkenaz

Intellectual historians have identified differing attitudes toward the notion of progress among the churchmen of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in western Europe. The present study aims to trace the views of rabbinic figures in medieval Ashkenaz during this period. Tosafists such as Isaiah di Trani, Samson of Sens, and Asher b. Yehiel felt that subsequent teachers and decisors could progress beyond the formulations and rulings of their predecessors, while Rashi and Rashbam believed that progress within the post-Talmudic period, at least with respect to legal rulings, was virtually impossible. At the same time, there was a consensus that the spirituality of earlier generations was greater, and that certain prerogatives in ritual matters which were accepted in the earlier period were no longer valid. As in the Christian world, those who were partisans of progress were criticized by others for their stance. Within the Sefardic orbit, Maimonides was virtually alone in his view that the ``decline of the generations'' was not an inexorable process. Those Tosafists who agreed with this position were his nearest contemporary allies. The application of dialectic by the Tosafists to justify existing Ashkenazic practices that appeared to be contrary to Talmudic law parallels the activities of canon lawyers, as do their efforts to deal with new technologies. Even the more conservative group of Ashkenazic rabbinic thinkers looked upon the idea of newness itself quite favorably.
Correlation of energy disorder and open-circuit voltage in hybrid perovskite solar cells

Organometal trihalide perovskites have been demonstrated as excellent light absorbers for high-efficiency photovoltaic applications. Previous approaches to increasing the solar cell efficiency have focused on optimization of the grain morphology of perovskite thin films. Here, we show that the structural order of the electron transport layers also has a significant impact on solar cell performance. We demonstrate that the power conversion efficiency of CH3NH3PbI3 planar heterojunction photovoltaic cells increases from 17.1 to 19.4% when the energy disorder in the fullerene electron transport layer is reduced by a simple solvent annealing process. The increase in efficiency is the result of the enhancement in open-circuit voltage from 1.04 to 1.13 V without sacrificing the short-circuit current and fill factor. These results shed light on the origin of open-circuit voltage in perovskite solar cells, and provide a path to further increase their efficiency. Ongoing efforts are devoted to raising the efficiency of solar cells in converting energy from solar radiation. Now, improved structural order in the charge transport layers of perovskite solar cells is shown to increase the efficiency from 17.1% to 19.4%.
A nano-ampere 2nd order temperature-compensated CMOS current reference using only single resistor for wide-temperature range applications

This paper presents a new second-order temperature-compensated current reference which uses only one resistor. The behavior of the proposed bias circuit is analyzed in this paper, and the current reference circuits were designed and simulated in a 130 nm CMOS technology. From the simulation results, the proposed current reference achieved 327 ppm/°C in the temperature range of −30 °C to +150 °C, which is very wide. Its nominal current is 27 nA with a current variation of + 3% at a supply voltage of 1.2 V. Compared to a conventional first-order temperature-compensated current bias circuit designed for nano-amperes, the proposed current reference provides a current that is 4.7 times more stable over the temperature range of −30 °C to +150 °C. Also, the current drift from process corner variations deviates less than 3.7% from the simulation results.
Fibromuscular Dysplasia: Looking Beyond the "String of Beads".

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a nonatherosclerotic arterial disease that predominately affects women between the ages of 20 and 60 but may occur at any age [(1,2)][1]. Before 1990, it was believed that FMD affected the renal arteries in more than 70% of patients and the carotid arteries in 25% of
Automated assessment of postural stability system

The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is one of the most commonly used clinical tests to evaluate static postural stability deficits resulting from traumatic brain events and musculoskeletal injury. This test requires a trained operator to visually assess balance and give the subject a performance score based on the number of balance “errors” they committed. Despite being regularly used in several real-world situations, the BESS test is scored by clinician observation and is therefore (a) potentially susceptible to biased and inaccurate test scores and (b) cannot be administered in the absence of a trained provider. The purpose of this research is to develop, calibrate and field test a computerized version of the BESS test using low-cost commodity motion tracking technology. This ‘Automated Assessment of Postural Stability’ (AAPS) system will quantify balance control in field conditions. This research goal is to overcome the main limitations of both the commercially available motion capture systems and the standard BESS test. The AAPS system has been designed to be operated by a minimally trained user and it requires little set-up time with no sensor calibration necessary. These features make the proposed automated system a valuable balance assessment tool to be utilized in the field.
Development of CXCR4 modulators by virtual HTS of a novel amide-sulfamide compound library.

CXCR4 plays a crucial role in recruitment of inflammatory cells to inflammation sites at the beginning of the disease process. Modulating CXCR4 functions presents a new avenue for anti-inflammatory strategies. However, using CXCR4 antagonists for a long term usage presents potential serious side effect due to their stem cell mobilizing property. We have been developing partial CXCR4 antagonists without such property. A new computer-aided drug design program, the FRESH workflow, was used for anti-CXCR4 lead compound discovery and optimization, which coupled both compound library building and CXCR4 docking screens in one campaign. Based on the designed parent framework, 30 prioritized amide-sulfamide structures were obtained after systemic filtering and docking screening. Twelve compounds were prepared from the top-30 list. Most synthesized compounds exhibited good to excellent binding affinity to CXCR4. Compounds Ig and Im demonstrated notable in vivo suppressive activity against xylene-induced mouse ear inflammation (with 56% and 54% inhibition). Western blot analyses revealed that Ig significantly blocked CXCR4/CXCL12-mediated phosphorylation of Akt. Moreover, Ig attenuated the amount of TNF-α secreted by pathogenic E. coli-infected macrophages. More importantly, Ig had no observable cytotoxicity. Our results demonstrated that FRESH virtual high throughput screening program of targeted chemical class could successfully find potent lead compounds, and the amide-sulfamide pharmacophore was a novel and effective framework blocking CXCR4 function.
The Central Role of Etiology in Science and Practice in Intellectual Disability

Abstract Over the past 30 years, the link between etiology and outcome has played an increasingly more central role in the fields of intellectual disability (ID) science and practice. This paper reviews the expansion of behavioral and developmental science in the field of etiology-related ID research over the past few decades, with an emphasis on the range of etiology-related research approaches that have become prominent. Methodological issues and challenges are considered, as well as new directions for etiology-specific educational approaches, treatments, and interventions.
Submesoscale contribution to subduction: Tracer and momentum fluxes.

An important component of the carbon-cycle is subduction, for example of dissolved carbon, from the surface layers to depths of ( 102– 103)m. Recently, attention has been focused on the contribution by small-scale, mesoscale M, and submesoscale SM eddies. In the Southern Ocean, the M contribution to subduction was found to be negative and of an order of magnitude smaller than the positive one by vertical diffusion. Since there is now observational evidence that SM export organic carbon but they have not yet been included in subduction studies, the goal of this work is to derive the following results needed to carry out such studies: (a) OGCMs used in C-cycle studies solve the equations for the mean temperature, mean salinity, and mean concentration. We derive the forms of the 3-D arbitrary tracer fluxes in terms of resolved fields. (b) The same OGCMs also solve the mean momentum equation. We derive the form of the SM momentum fluxes (Reynolds Stresses) also in terms of resolved fields. (c) It is shown that whether there is subduction or obduction depends on the ratio h/H, where h is depth of the SM regime and H is the mixed-layer depth. We show that in the ACC the ratio depends on the specific location and that both subduction and obduction occur but with a topology different than that of mesoscales.
Generation of Random Samples and Permutations

In applications of statistical techniques as well as in Monte Carlo studies it is often necessary to take a random sample from a given finite set. A common form of random sampling is simple random sampling without replacement, in which a sample of n items is selected from a population N in such a way that every subset of size n from the universe of N items has an equal chance of being the sample chosen. This is equivalent to a selection mechanism in which n different items are selected, each with equal probability, n/N, and without regard to which other items are selected.