cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Fundamental Attribution Error as Applied to Governance and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Something akin to what social psychologists call the “fundamental attribution error” underlies many discussions of the responsibility of politicians – from Donald Trump to Jacinda Ardern – or the bad or good outcomes the nations they led had with the COVID-19 pandemic. Observers saw what the leaders did, and saw the outcomes. The fundamental attribution error is a tendency to explain the outcome more by pointing to what the leader did than to the context in which she acted. This Essay argues that we have to understand social events as the interaction between human agency and the constraints under which people act. The widespread governance failures in responding to the coronavirus pandemic tend to generate accounts that overemphasize agency and underemphasize constraint. The very scope of the failures – that only a handful of governance mechanisms around the world generated policies that did a decent job of keeping COVID-19 under control – suggests that we should look more closely at the constraints under which policy-makers operated. This Essay uses the distinction between agency and constraint as a tool for helping us think about the policy responses that were available and likely to be used in early 2020, when the “novel” coronavirus came on the international scene. The bottom line is this: given the context within which policy-makers acted (the constraints they faced) as the crisis developed, the pandemic was quite likely to be a human catastrophe. It’s not that nothing could be done to stop it, or even that nothing could be done to make it “merely” a disaster instead of a catastrophe. And it’s not that no one came up with – and sometimes implemented – policies that helped limit the disaster’s scope. The constraints under which policy-makers operated, though, meant that the chances of really successful outcomes were quite low – a suggestion consistent with the fact that outcomes around the world were basically pretty bad. The Essay proceeds by first identifying major features of the context as of early 2020 – the constraints and context for policy-making. Part II then describes what we know now, or have strong reason to believe, were the policies that could have done the most to minimize the virus’s effects on life, health, and economies. Part III examines the choices that were actually made, focusing, for reasons to be discussed, on nations with generally democratic systems of governance. A brief Conclusion returns to the fundamental attribution error: context and constraint probably mattered more than agency in generating the bad outcomes around the world.
Untold Truths: The Exclusion of Enforced Sterilizations from the Peruvian Truth Commission's Final Report

This Article argues that the exclusion of enforced sterilization cases from the Peruvian Truth Commission's investigation and Final Report effectively erases State responsibility and decreases the likelihood for justice and reparations for women victims-survivors of Statesponsored violence in Peru. In a context of deep cultural and economic divides and violent conflict, this Article recounts how the State's Family Planning Program violated Peruvian women's reproductive rights by sterilizing low-income, indigenous Quechua-speaking women without informed consent. This Article argues that these systematic reproductive injustices constitute an act of genocide, proposes an independent inquiry, and advocates for a more inclusive investigation and final report for future truth commissions whose goals include truth, accountability, and justice for all victims-survivors of state-sponsored violence. Leaders responsible for the enforced sterilization of more than 200,000 Peruvian women, including former President Alberto Ken'ya Fujimori, must be held accountable for past violations in order to fully realize future reconciliation and justice in Peru. * J.D., Cornell Law School; M.P.H., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; B.A., Cornell University. Women and Justice Fellow, Cornell Law School. The author would like to thank Lisa Laplante for her essential support and contributions to research conducted in Peru. In addition, the author would like to recognize Professor Billie Jean Isbell, Dr. Carlos Ivan Degregori Caso, Dr. Salomon Lerner Febres and Eduardo Gonzalez Cueva for their meaningful contributions toward an understanding of the context of the internal conflict in Peru. Also, the author thanks her family and friends for their undying love and support. Finally, the author would like to dedicate this Article to the women of the world who have suffered and died as a result of government campaigns of enforced sterilization. May their voices be heard and may we move toward a world where reproductive justice and freedom are rights enjoyed by all. 2 Boston College Third World Law Journal [Vol. 29:1 “[E]very society has the inalienable right to know the truth about past events, as well as the motives and circumstances in which aberrant crimes came to be committed . . . .”1
Lower blood malondialdehyde is associated with past pesticide exposure: findings in Gulf War illness and healthy controls.

Author(s): Golomb, Beatrice Alexandra; Devaraj, Sridevi; Messner, Alexis K; Koslik, Hayley Jean; Han, Jun Hee; Yik, Barnabas | Abstract: BackgroundMalondialdehyde (MDA) is a candidate general marker of oxidative stress (OS). We sought to assess the relation of MDA to Gulf War illness (GWI) and to a variety of exposures.MethodsThis is an observational study involving subjects from Southern California recruited from October 2011 to May 2014. MDA was assessed in 81 participants (41 GWI-cases, 40 controls). General and Gulf-specific exposures were elicited. MDA case-control comparison was restricted to 40 matched pairs. The potential association between MDA and exposures was assessed using regression analyses. Gulf-specific exposures were incorporated into a case-specific model.ResultsPlasma MDA was significantly lower in GWI-cases than controls. Composite pesticide and fuel-solvent exposures negatively predicted MDA in the total sample, as well as in the analyses that included either GWI-cases or controls only. Self-reported exposure to organophosphate (OP) nerve gas was a strong predictor for lower MDA level in veterans with GWI.ConclusionPast pesticide exposures predicted lower MDA in both veterans with GWI and in healthy controls.
F-1 Visa

Listen to the poem read by Saurabh Anand (author) with audio production by Ron Braxley: Check if it's OK with your visa and all?Writing Op-Eds on such things can be tricky.F-1 is like being behind the eight-ball. You’re not American, so why do their politics bother y’all?You’re here to study, yet locals may still go freaky.Check twice before you cause trouble with your visa and all. You don't even have a hyphenated identity. It's not your call,Don't ruin what you have. This path will not be easy.The F-1 visa keeps one behind the eight-ball. India and the U.S. are allies. Your decisions will declare you: mole.You’re a taxpayer but a stepchild in this country’s family,so check the consul’s small print on your visa and all. What if you get your dream job in this country after you graduate next Fall?You might afford a home, sponsor your parents, and live here freely,Don't take a chance at all. Being on F-1 is like being behind the eight-ball. I know how badly we both wanted to go to the #BLM protest at City Hall,But what if we get caught and need an attorney?Let’s check first. Would we be okay with the visa and all? Remember, we could loseour status, in an instant, since F-1s, at risk of being sunk,are forever behind the eight-ball.
Predictors of Poor Outcome in Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: Retrospective Analysis of Nationwide Inpatient Sample (S32.006)

OBJECTIVE: Retrospective cross sectional study to identify major complication rates and predictors of poor outcome in Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS). BACKGROUND: Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome is a rare condition and therefore large sample, real world population based studies identifying predictors of poor outcome are lacking. DESIGN/METHODS: Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was searched to identify patients with primary diagnosis of NMS (ICD-9 code 333.92). Patients with secondary diagnosis of encephalitis, malignant hyperthermia, serotonin syndrome, other extrapyramidal disorders, drug overdose, substance dependence, drug withdrawal, alcohol withdrawal, catatonia, thyrotoxicosis, pheochromocytoma and heat stroke were excluded to increase diagnostic certainty. Major complications were identified using their respective ICD-9 codes. In hospital death or patients undergoing tracheostomy or gastrostomy or jejunostomy were defined as having poor outcome. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of poor outcome. RESULTS: Total 1725 patients with NMS were identified from year 2000 to 2011. Out of them, 99 (5.8[percnt]) died and 183 (10.6[percnt]) patients had poor outcome. Major complications identified were rhabdomyolysis (24.1[percnt]), acute kidney injury (15.7[percnt]), cardiac dysrhythmias (8.8[percnt]), seizures (12.9[percnt]), acute respiratory failure (11.4[percnt]), acute myocardial infarction (1.7[percnt]), acute liver failure (1.3[percnt]) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (1[percnt]). Common infections were pneumonia (8.5[percnt]), urinary tract infection (18[percnt]) and sepsis (6.3[percnt]). In univariate analysis, rhabdomyolysis was significant predictor of acute kidney injury (OR 3.2; 95[percnt] CI 2.5 - 4.3; p<0.0001). In multivariate analysis, every decade increment in age, acute kidney injury, seizures and respiratory failure were significant positive predictors of poor outcome. Every calendar year increase was small but significant negative predictor of poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In patients admitted for neuroleptic malignant syndrome, every decade increment in age, acute kidney injury, seizures and respiratory failure were positive predictors of poor outcome. Every calendar year increase was a negative predictor of poor outcome. Study Supported by: Disclosure: Dr. Modi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dharaiya has nothing to disclose.
Analyzing Discrepancies in a Software Development Project Change Request (Cr) Assessment Process and Recommendations for Process Improvements

The Change Request (CR) assessment process is essential in the display development cycle. The assessment process is performed to ensure that the changes stated in the description of the CR match the changes in the actual display requirements. If a discrepancy is found between the CR and the requirements, the CR must be returned to the originator for corrections. Data was gathered from each of the developers to determine the type of discrepancies and the amount of time spent assessing each CR. This study sought to determine the most common types of discrepancies, and the amount of time required to assessing those issues. The study found that even though removing discrepancy before an assessment would save half the time needed to assess an CR with a discrepancy, the number of CR's found to have a discrepancy was very small compared to the total number of CR's assessed during the data gathering period.
Racial Differences in Heart Failure Outcomes: Evidence From the Tele-HF Trial (Telemonitoring to Improve Heart Failure Outcomes)

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are racial differences in patient-reported health status as well as mortality and rehospitalization after hospitalization for heart failure (HF). Background Little is known about whether racial differences exist in patient-reported outcomes after HF hospitalization. Methods We analyzed data from 1,427 patients (636 non-Hispanic African Americans [45%]; 791 non-Hispanic whites [55%]) enrolled in the Tele-HF (Telemonitoring to Improve Heart Failure Outcomes) trial. Health status was measured with the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) at baseline and then at 3 and 6 months. Generalized linear mixed models and propensity score methods were used to adjust for clustering within sites and differences between races. Results Although black patients reported better adjusted health status at baseline (black vs. white difference in KCCQ summary scores was 6.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.98 to 9.46; p Conclusions Compared with white patients, black patients with HF had better patient-reported health status shortly after HF admission but not at 3 or 6 months. Our study failed to show that black patients were disadvantaged with regard to health status after HF hospitalization. (Tele-HF: Yale Heart Failure Telemonitoring Study; NCT00303212 )
Patronage or Merit? Bureaucratic Recruitment in 19th and Early 20th Century Europe

The means by which governments select bureaucratic officials are likely to be closely associated with the performance of state bureaucracies. Merit-based recruitment may yield more productive officials than other methods of selection. Yet the choice of appointment mechanism has been subjected to scant theoretical scrutiny in comparative politics. The bulk of the literature on bureaucratic recruitment draws upon the US experience and thus may not be generalizable to other institutional settings. In this paper, I examine the choice between patronage and merit appointments with a very simple, general, theoretical framework. Patronage, I argue, is characterized by skilled and unskilled candidates bidding for offices by offering political services in exchange for posts. It is costly insofar as it may exclude qualified candidates from office if these candidates lack the means to secure a post. Patronage is, therefore, less likely to be adopted when excluded candidates are highly skilled.
Agostini v. Felton - The Court's Modification of the Lemon Test

This brief Article discusses the Supreme Court’s decision in Agostini v. Felton. The Agostini decision overruled the Court’s earlier decision in Aguilar v. Felton, which held that the Establishment Clause precluded publicly funded teachers from teaching secular, remedial courses in religious schools under a federally funded program that supported teaching at all schools, religious and non-religious. By overruling Aguilar, the Court refashioned the Lemon test in a way that became more accommodating of government interaction with religion.
chapter 2 – VECTOR ALGEBRA

Publisher Summary This chapter presents vector algebra, which is an important tool of physics. Vectors are mathematical quantities that are used to describe physical quantities that have both magnitude and direction. It describes the operations of vector addition, subtraction, and multiplication by a number. The chapter presents two types of vector multiplication, which are selected because of their usefulness in physics. The chapter presents all of the vector equations from both geometric and algebraic point of view. At first, the geometric approach seems easier to understand. However, later, as one gains proficiency in using vectors, one will find that the algebraic approach is better suited for precise computation. An advantage of using vector components is that graphical or geometric manipulation of complicated vector problems can be replaced by algebraic and numerical manipulation.
Effects of visual display mode on six hours of visual monitoring

An experiment was performed to assess the effects of visual display mode and 6 hr of monitoring on performance in a complex vigilance task. The task had 12 stimulus sources arrayed over 60 degrees, and alphanumeric signals that persisted for 6 sec. Each group of 15 subjects had a different display configuration: normally off, normally on, and normally on with noise. Display mode influenced overall mean performance, but not vigilance decrement. The amount of vigilance decrement was small despite the long session, and its magnitude was essentially the same as previous studies whose sessions were two-three hours duration. Earlier conclusions about the triviality of vigilance decrement when tasks are complex were supported.
Peptide antibiotics in mast cells of fish

Antimicrobial peptides are increasingly recognized as a critical first line of defence against many pathogens and have been isolated from epithelial tissues and blood cells of many vertebrates, as well as from prokaryotes, plants and invertebrates1,2. Here we show that 'piscidins', a previously undiscovered family of peptide antibiotics isolated from fish, reside in mast cells, an immune cell of uncertain function that is present in all vertebrate classes3,4. Until now, no peptide antibiotic has been isolated from the mast cells of any animal, and our discovery indicates that these cells may be critical in fighting many infectious diseases.
Flat datacenter storage

Flat Datacenter Storage (FDS) is a high-performance, fault-tolerant, large-scale, locality-oblivious blob store. Using a novel combination of full bisection bandwidth networks, data and metadata striping, and flow control, FDS multiplexes an application's large-scale I/O across the available throughput and latency budget of every disk in a cluster. FDS therefore makes many optimizations around data locality unnecessary. Disks also communicate with each other at their full bandwidth, making recovery from disk failures extremely fast. FDS is designed for datacenter scale, fully distributing metadata operations that might otherwise become a bottleneck.FDS applications achieve single-process read and write performance of more than 2GB/s. We measure recovery of 92GB data lost to disk failure in 6.2 s and recovery from a total machine failure with 655GB of data in 33.7 s. Application performance is also high: we describe our FDS-based sort application which set the 2012 world record for disk-to-disk sorting.
The Key Practice, Discuss and Debate Ideas: Conceptual Framework, Literature Review, and Provisional Learning Progressions for Argumentation

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive literature review on the development of key argumentation skills to lay a foundation for a framework of the key practice, discuss and debate ideas, which is centrally involved in the expectations for academic reading and writing. Specifically, the framework includes 5 phases of core activities and related sets of argumentation skills, and for each set of skills, a provisional learning progression is designed to identify qualitative shifts in the development of critical argumentation skills informed by the developmental literature. These learning may have the potential to support teachers' instructional decisions that effectively scaffold their students to the next level.
Experimental study on the ice pattern fabrication for the investment casting by rapid freeze prototyping (RFP)

The process of investment casting has come to occupy a key position in the range of modern metal casting techniques. Wax pattern is widely used in the investment casting. However, there exist some problems and technical difficulties in using it such as wax pattern expanding, ceramic shell cracking, etc. A new investment casting technology, named freeze cast process (FCP), has demonstrated the possibility and advantage of investment casting with ice patterns. But how to make ice patterns is really an important concern in the FCP process. RFP is a novel, environmentally conscious solid freeform fabrication process that can generate three-dimensional ice patterns by selectively depositing and rapidly freezing water layer by layer. With RFP it is possible to make ice patterns with better accuracy and more flexibility directly from CAD models in a short time, without the cost and other issues of mold making. In this paper, the current status of the experimental study of the RFP process was introduced. The effect of different processing parameters on the layer thickness and layer width was studied quantitatively and thoroughly. These parameters include: frequency of pulse signal, stagnation pressure, scanning velocity, distance between nozzle and building surface, duty cycle of pulse signal, layer offset (slant angle), environmental temperature, scanning trajectory, any depositing material. And further the effect of the processing parameters on the dimension accuracy and surface roughness were analyzed qualitatively. The optimal parameters were chosen and used to fabricate complex ice patterns based on these experiments and analyses. Finally, an example was given to demonstrate that an ice pattern can be used to make the metal prototype.The fabricated metal prototype has a very good appearance, although surface roughness and dimensional accuracy have not been measured. The experiment results showed that RFP provides an enabling way to quickly make ice patterns for the investment casting with better quality and more flexibility.
Novel parallel Hough Transform on multi-core processors

After analyzing the performance bottlenecks of the Hough transform on multi-core processors, this paper proposes a new Hough transform implementation. The performance of microprocessors improves significantly because of the introduction of multiple cores. To harness the computation power of such multi-core processors, we must effectively execute many threads at the same time. This paper first studies a coarse-grain and a fine-grain parallelization of a straightforward Hough transform implementation on an 8-core machine. Due to parallelization overheads and memory requirements, these schemes do not fully utilize computation power. After that, we propose a new Hough transform implementation for parallelization. Experimental data shows that the new Hough transform exposes a significant amount of concurrency and pretty good data locality. On the 8-core machine, the new implementation has 25% better performance than the old ones.
The epileptic spike.

UMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1. Some of the properties of epileptic neurons are discussed. It would appear that the major abnormalities reside in the dendrites. The epileptic spike is one consequence of this dendritic abnormality. 2. There is a variable relationship between dendritic and cell body discharge. 3. The propagation of the epileptic spike to normal cortex accounts for certain problems of mapping of the epileptogenic focus. RESUME ET CONCLUSIONS I. Discussion de quelques-unes des proprietes de neurones epileptiques. Il est probable que la plupart des anomalies resident dans les dendrites. La pointe epileptique est une consequence de l'anomalie dendritique. 2. Il existe une relation variable entre la decharge dendritique et celle du corps cellulaire. 3. La propagation de la pointe epileptique au cortex normal explique certains problemes de la cartographie du centre epileptogene.
Chandra Uncovers a Hidden Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nucleus in the Radio Galaxy Hydra A (3C 218)

We report the detection with Chandra of a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN) in the low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER) hosted by Hydra A, a nearby (z = 0.0537) powerful FR I radio galaxy with complex radio and optical morphology. In a 20 ks ACIS-S exposure during the calibration phase of the instrument, a point source is detected at energies 2 keV at the position of the compact radio core, embedded in diffuse thermal X-ray emission (kT ~ 1 keV) at softer energies. The spectrum of the point source is well fitted by a heavily absorbed power law with intrinsic column density N ~ 3 × 1022 cm-2 and photon index Γ ~ 1.7. The intrinsic (absorption-corrected) luminosity is L2-10 keV ~ 1.3 × 1042 ergs s-1. These results provide strong evidence that an obscured AGN is present in the nuclear region of Hydra A. We infer that the optical/UV emission of the AGN is mostly hidden by the heavy intrinsic reddening. In order to balance the photon budget of the nebula, we must either postulate that the ionizing spectrum includes a UV bump or invoke and additional power source (shocks in the cooling flow or interaction with the radio jets). Using an indirect estimate of the black hole mass and the X-ray luminosity, we infer that the accretion rate is low, suggesting that the accretion flow is advection dominated. Finally, our results support current unification schemes for radio-loud sources, in particular the presence of the putative molecular torus in FR I galaxies. These observations underscore the power of the X-rays and of Chandra in the quest for black holes.
On intensity calculations in radiative transfer

Abstract A post-processing technique is used with the spherical-harmonics method to develop an accurate result for the radiation intensity in a homogeneous plane-parallel medium that contains a source that varies with position. Anisotropic scattering is included in the monochromatic radiative-transfer model, and general reflecting boundary conditions are considered.
Prostate cancer risk assessment: choosing the sharpest tool in the shed.

Prostate cancer risk assessment has become increasingly complex, with a long and growing menu of risk assessment tools available. Instrument selection for clinical practice and research must balance accuracy, validation, and applicability.
A pilot study of gabapentin as treatment for acquired nystagmus.

The effects of the anticonvulsant gabapentin were measured on vision and eye movements in three patients with acquired pendular nystagmus. In two patients, the nystagmus was associated with multiple sclerosis and, in the other, i t followed brainstem stroke. A single oral 600 mg dose of gabapentin produced improvement of vision due to changes i n ocular oscillations in all three patients. The effect was sustained after five weeks of treatment in two patients who elected to continue taking gabapentin 900-1500 mg/day. The results of this pilot study suggest that a controlled trial of gabapentin should be conducted to evaluate its role i n the treatment of acquired forms of nystagmus.
Distancing Strategies White Women Preservice Teachers and Antiracist Curriculum

This study describes White women preservice teachers’ talk in and about an antiracist teacher education course aimed at raising students’ awareness of racial inequities. Rather than be fully engaged participants in classroom discussions, White women distanced themselves through strategies of silence, social disassociation, and separation from responsibility. They used these strategies in response to perceptions that they were being positioned as racist, directly implicated in institutional racism, or responsible for racial discrimination. The article concludes with thoughts about how instructors might engage White women and antiracist curriculum, and therefore affect their ability to effectively teach students from various cultural backgrounds, through metadialogic approaches to race discussions.
A large-volume water sampler

ABS>A 220-liter sampler is described which has been used successfuily to collect more than 300 subsurface water samples for ranioisotope measurement. The water sampler is fitted with a single door whdch can be sealed securely with an "0" rtng seal. A reversing thermometer pair and a boundon recorder are provided to indicate the depth of closing. The sampler can be made for use with an hydrographic wire or a langer diameter trawl wire. An inent plastic lining may be applied to the sampler for the collection of samples which are affected by metal contact. (D.L.C.)
Latex bread technique for detection of the plaque-forming cell response to teratocarcinoma tumor antigens

A latex bead technique modified for measuring the plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to teratocarcinoma tumor antigens in syngeneic animals is described. With this method one can detect both the primary (IgM) and the secondary (IgG) immune response to tumor antigens. Optimal detection of the PFC response depends on the proper ratio of sheep red blood cells to latex beads and the dose of tumor cell antigen used for immunization. The presence of fetal calf serum interfered with immunization of animals and the coating of the latex beads with the tumor cell antigens. The plaques obtained in response to immunization with teratocarcinoma cell antigens varied in size, probably reflecting the complex immune response to more than one class of antigens on tumor cells.
Effect of process distillation on mutagenicity and cell-transformation activity of solvent-refined, coal-derived liquids

Abstract Blended SRC-II process streams, representing a full boiling range distillate material, were fractionally distilled into non-overlapping 50 °F cuts with boiling points between 300 and 850 °F. Another set of 18 distillate cuts were obtained with boiling points ranging between 138 and 1055 °F. Distillate cuts were assayed for mutagenic activity using the histidine reversion assay with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537, as well as for mammalian-cell transformation activity in the Syrian hamster embryo test, and DNA damage in the prophage induction assay. Samples were also separated into chemical class fractions by alumina column chromatography and analysed by high resolution gas chromatography so that the chemical composition of the cuts could be related to their relative activity in the different assays. In the mammalian cell transformation and microbial mutagenicity assays, significant activity was found almost exclusively in distillate cuts with components boiling > 700 °F, with the highest activity in the transformation assay observed for cuts > 800 °F. All of the distillate cuts showed increased levels of DNA damage as expressed by lambda prophage induction in Escherichia coli 8177. However, the greatest activity was associated with distillate cuts with boiling points in the 800 °F + range. Chemical analysis of the 50 °F distillate cuts showed a variety of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and amino-PAH compounds to be present in the distillate cuts boiling > 700 °F and essentially absent from cuts boiling
Organ Donation Prior to Death—Balancing Benefits and Harms

In current clinical practice, there are three potential ways to become an organ donor. Donors can be patients who have been declared dead by neurologic criteria, patients who have been declared dea...
Fatigue damage evaluation in A36 steel using nonlinear Rayleigh surface waves

Abstract This research uses nonlinear Rayleigh waves to characterize the damage due to plastic deformation in A36 steel specimens subjected to quasi-static, monotonic tension, and low cycle fatigue. A36 steel is widely used in the civil infrastructure, such as steel bridges, where fatigue damage can lead to a catastrophic failure. Plastic deformation causes the generation of higher order harmonics in an initially monochromatic Rayleigh wave signal, and this measurable change occurs before macroscopic damage such as cracks appear in a specimen. This increase in the acoustic nonlinearity is produced by plasticity-induced microstructure changes, and thus can be taken as a direct measure of damage. Experiments are conducted using a pair of wedge transducers to generate and detect tone burst ultrasonic Rayleigh surface wave signals. The amplitudes of the first and second order harmonics are measured at different propagation distances to obtain the nonlinearity parameter for a given damage state throughout the fatigue life and monotonic loading process in three specimens. The results of the nonlinear ultrasonic measurements show an increase in the measured acoustic nonlinearity, especially in the early stages of fatigue life. In addition, there is a notably close relationship between the measured acoustic nonlinearity and the cumulative plastic deformation. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using nonlinear Rayleigh waves to characterize damage associated with plastic deformation, and this quantitative information can be a useful input for life prediction models.
BK-Virus and the Impact of Pre-Emptive Immunosuppression Reduction: 5-Year Results

A 1-year, single-center, randomized trial demonstrated that the calcineurin inhibitor or adjuvant immunosuppression, independently, does not affect BK-viruria or viremia and that monitoring and pre-emptive withdrawal of immunosuppression was associated with resolution of BK-viremia and absence of clinical BK-nephropathy without acute rejection or graft loss. A retrospective 5-year review of this trial was conducted. In cases of BK viremia, the antimetabolite was withdrawn and for sustained viremia, the calcineurin inhibitor was minimized. Five-year follow-up was available on 97% of patients. Overall 5-year patient survival was 91% and graft survival was 84%. There were no differences in patient-survival by immunosuppressive regimen or presence of BK-viremia. Immunosuppression and viremia did not influence graft survival. Acute rejection occurred in 12% by 5-years after transplant, was less common with tacrolimus versus cyclosporine (9% vs. 18%; p = 0.082), and was lowest with the tacrolimus-azathioprine regimen (5%, p = 0.127). Tacrolimus was associated with better renal function at 5-years (eGFR 63 FK vs. 52 CsA mL/min, p = 0.001). Minimization of immunosuppression upon detection of BK-viremia was associated with excellent graft survival at 5-years, low rejection rates and excellent renal function. It is a safe, short and long-term strategy that resulted in freedom from clinically evident BK-virus nephropathy.
The Meaning of Experience: Theoretical Dilemmas in Depicting a Peruvian Curandera's Philosophy of Healing'

In 1995, Professor Armin Geertz presented a paper at this Congress in which he very succinctly outlined some of the post-modern chal lenges to the study of religion which face contemporary scholars.2 In that paper, he re-emphasized his call for an "ethnohermeneutic" approach to the study of religion. As I understand it, this approach seeks to overcome the oppositional poles of positivist and herme neudc inquiry by locating and making explicit the perspectives of both researcher and subject of inquiry in the production and the presenta tion of knowledge. In this paper, I want to address how this "ethnohermeneutic" approach to inquiry fits into my own research agenda, as an ethnog rapher and anthropologist. I also want to outline some of the dilem mas I have encountered in attempting to apply the method which Professor Geertz advocates. If my presentation emphasizes concerns and questions more than answers and insights, it is because this is very much a work in progress. The context of my research is the following. For more than fifty years, an ancient tradition of shamanic healing in northern Peru has been studied by Peruvian and international investigators alike. In this
Cervical lymph node metastasis from unknown primary sites: An unresolved problem in management

The report concerns 35 cases referred for radiation therapy after thorough clinical and laboratory studies failed to reveal a primary tumor site. Treatment consisted of intensive radiation therapy with 1,000 kv to a total dose of about 5,000 rads in 30 days or less. In 5 cases the diagnosis was established during life after radiation. The primary sites in these cases were in the head and neck. In 11 cases the primary tumor was determined only at autopsy. In 8 of these cases the primary site was below the level of the clavicles, mostly bronchogenic carcinoma. In 7 cases even the autopsy failed to establish the primary site. Of the remaining 12 cases with unestablished primary sites one case is still alive while 3 cases showed a pulmonary infiltrate and one showed an abdominal mass. The high incidence of primary tumors below the level of the clavicles seems to indicate that the initial treatment should be radiation therapy rather than radical surgery. This would permit continued clinical observation to determine the primary source of the metastasis while avoiding unnecessary surgery. Treatment in any event is palliative since none of the cases survived 5 years.
Experimental system for ex vivo measurement of murine aortic stiffness

While vascular stiffness is universally studied using pulse wave velocity, this method overestimates the stiffness of small calibre blood vessels. We have developed and rigorously validated an ex vivo system for measuring stiffness of the mouse aorta. The system consists of a temperature-controlled tissue bath, a pressurization loop and a helium–neon laser micrometer. We harvested thoracic aortas from 8 (n = 56), 11 (n = 6) and 14 (n = 6) week male C57BL/6J mice, mounted them within a tissue chamber and applied an intraluminal pressure waveform while measuring mid vessel outer diameter. Vessel stiffness (Ep, mmHg) was calculated from the pressure–diameter response. Vessels were then stained for endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, elastin fibres and collagen. The data indicate highly reproducible stiffness measurements in 8 week mice (Ep = 602.4 ± 160.2; p = 0.934), age-related stiffening between 11 and 14 week mice (11 week Ep = 646.9 ± 62.4, 14 week Ep = 795.4 ± 87.5, p = 0.008), and a morphologically intact vessel wall. These results represent the first ex vivo measurements of murine aortic stiffness and illustrate that our methods are feasible and reliable. Since we demonstrate that the system is sensitive to age-related stiffening and does not damage the vessel, this approach is useful for investigating the pathophysiology of vascular disease from biomechanical and histological perspectives.
TCT-844 Risk of Thrombocytopenia with Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors Across Drugs and Patient Populations: A Meta-analysis of 28 Large Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trials

Thrombocytopenia (tcp) is associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients receiving glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI), yet the extent of this risk and differences between drugs and patient populations are uncertain. We evaluated the risk of tcp associated with GPI compared to placebo. Rate
A Notch Sweeter

Notch is a key signaling protein mediating cell-fate decisions during development. In this issue, Acar et al. (2008) describe a new gene called rumi that is required for Notch signaling in Drosophila. This gene encodes an O-glucosyltransferase that attaches glucose sugars to serine residues in the multiple EGF domains of the extracellular region of Notch. This modification by Rumi likely influences Notch folding and trafficking.
X-ray diffraction and resistivity studies of titanium-molybdenum alloys

The phase transformation behavior of the metastable beta phase in hydrogen charged Ti-Mo alloys was investigated using electrical resistivity and X-ray diffraction techniques. Hydrogen charging was found to have little effect on athermal omega phase formation in a highly susceptible alloy (16 wt pct Mo) but suppressed athermal omega in alloys with compositions near the critical composition for the transition to diffuse (incommensurate) type omega (∼20 wt pct Mo). No evidence was found for a hydrogen induced omega phase in a concentrated alloy (30 wt pct Mo). The incipient stages of the beta + beta’ phase separation in Ti-30 wt pct Mo were detected after aging slightly below the beta transus.
Vessel patency post irreversible electroporation.

Purpose The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) on vessel patency in close proximity to the ablation zone.
Carotid plaque inflammation in stroke assessed by PET A burning issue

Despite recent advances in medical and surgical treatments to prevent arterial stroke, the cerebrovascular burden of atherosclerosis remains high. Factors associated with a high risk for arterial stroke include stenosis >50% and ulcerated plaque. Given the important role of inflammation in atherosclerotic plaque progression and rupture, a measure of plaque inflammation may help stratify arterial stroke risk. Indeed, inflammatory markers have been associated with arterial stroke.1,2 A noninvasive imaging method to characterize atherosclerotic plaque inflammation could add to the assessment of plaque vulnerability and rupture risk.
Intermittent hypoxia induces time-dependent changes in the protein kinase B signaling pathway in the hippocampal CA1 region of the rat.

Abstract Intermittent hypoxia (IH) during sleep induces temporally defined increases in apoptosis within vulnerable brain regions such as the hippocampal CA1 region in rats. Protein kinase B (AKT) has emerged as major signal transduction protein underlying inhibition of apoptosis and consequent increases in cell survival. Sprague Dawley adult male rats were exposed during sleep to IH or to normoxia (RA) for periods ranging from 0 to 30 days, and expression of total and phosphorylated AKT, of forkhead family members FKHR and FKHRL1, and of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) was assessed. Decreases in phosphorylation occurred as early as 1 h IH exposure, reached a nadir at 6 h–3 days, and then progressively returned to baseline levels at 14–30 days. Phosphorylated AKT and GSK3β were intensely expressed and highly colocalized within neuronal cells (Neu-N positive) in the CA1 region. Thus, IH induces time-dependent biphasic changes in AKT survival pathways within the CA1 region that are temporally correlated with the initial increases and subsequent decreases in neuronal apoptosis.
T-lymphocytes mediate left ventricular fibrillar collagen cross-linking and diastolic dysfunction in mice

Abstract Aberrant concentrations of cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) fibrillar collagen cross-linking have been proposed to be an underlying cause of cardiac diastolic dysfunction however the role of the adaptive immune system in this process has yet to be investigated. Fibrillar collagen cross-linking is a product of the enzymatic activities of lysyl oxidase (LOX and LOXL-3) released by the cardiac fibroblast and possibly cardiac myocytes. Our hypothesis is that stimulation of the TH1 lymphocytes activates lysyl oxidase mediated ECM cross-linking and thereby alters left ventricular function. Three-month old C57BL/J female mice were treated with selective TH1 lymphocyte inducers — T-cell receptor Vβ peptides (TCR). After 6 weeks, candidate gene expression, tissue enzymatic activity, ECM composition, and left ventricular mechanics were quantified. Lymphocyte gene expression and cytokine assay revealed TH1 immune polarization with TCR administration which was associated with a 2.6-fold and 3.1-fold increase of LOX and LOXL3 gene expression, respectively, and a 55% increase in cardiac LOX enzymatic activity. The ECM cross-linked fibrillar collagen increased by 95% when compared with the control. Concurrently, there was a 33% increased ventricular stiffness, decreased cardiac output, and normal ejection fraction. These data implicate the TH1 lymphocyte in the pathogenesis of diastolic dysfunction which has potential clinical application in the pathogenesis of diastolic heart failure.
Fabrication of Microconfigured Multicomponent Ceramics

Microfabrication by coextrusion is a novel ceramic processing technique capable of creating complex ceramic‐metal structures. These structures are fabricated by multiple pass coextrusion of a feedrod comprised of several powder-filled thermoplastic compounds. The compounds contain either ceramic, metal, or fugitive powders. To illustrate the capabilities of microfabrication, a demonstration part containing lead manganese niobate‐lead titanate ceramic and silver palladium was fabricated. The final part was microconfigured, with a fenestrated structure containing 3110 repeat units per square centimeter. The repeat unit feature sizes were 15 and 5 µm for the ceramic and electrode, respectively. Microfabrication by coextrusion is proposed as a fabrication technique for the production of smart structures and materials.
Decanted interfaces and growth forms

Abstract Experiments have been performed on eutectic alloys in which the liquid metal is rapidly separated from the solid during solidification. They prove that a film of liquid remains on a decanted surface even under rapid decanting conditions. It is shown that the {111} and {100} faceted structures which are sometimes observed on decanted surfaces of pure metals can originate from the subsequent solidification of the remanent liquid film. The previous assumption that the facets represent the actual form of the interface during growth is repudiated. It is suggested that an anisotropic surface free energy favors the production of stepped, low-indexed crystallographic planes over an irrational surface on the free surface of metal crystals.
Administrative theory and large organizations of the future: whither bureaucracy?

The literature of administrative theory is rife with speculation about the future of large organizations (particularly bureaucracies), mostly in the United States but abroad as well. Some writers predicted the end of bureaucracies allegedly because such organizations are unable to adapt to rapidly changing environments. They forecast that bureaucracies would be supplanted gradually but inexorably by a spate of alternatives, none of which would become dominant to the point of assuming the exalted status of a new paradigm. They answered the question--whither bureaucracy?--in the negative. The central theme of this article is that such forecasts are turning out to be wide of the mark. The authors posit that suggested alternatives to bureaucracies are really just modifications to enhance their adaptability to their dynamic environments. Furthermore, the writers contend that during the last decade there was substantial growth of bureaucracies, corporate and governmental, and that this expansion will likely con...
Estrogen regulation of μ opioid receptor density in hypothalamic premammillary nuclei

The effect of estradiol on opioid receptor density in the hypothalamus of female rats was examined by in vitro receptor autoradiography using [3H]naloxone as the ligand. Exposure of ovariectomized rats to estradiol for 48 h markedly increased the density of [3H]naloxone binding in both the ventral and dorsal premammillary nuclei but not in other regions of the hypothalamus or amygdala. Thus, estrogen selectively modulates opioid receptor binding in posterior hypothalamic regions involved in gonadotropin secretion and temperature regulation.
The role of para-aortic lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common malignancy of the female reproductive tract and the fourth most common cancer overall. Approximately 20 % of patients with EC harbor disease outside the uterus, and 10 % of patients initially diagnosed with cancer confined to the uterus are found to have lymph node metastases. Para-aortic lymph node involvement occurs in approximately 7–8 % of EC patients overall and in about 50 % of patients with positive pelvic nodes. Metastases to the para-aortic lymph nodes are associated with poor prognosis. Factors associated with para-aortic lymph node dissemination include advanced stage, high histological grade, deep myometrial invasion, cervical involvement, lymphovascular space involvement, and the presence of pelvic lymph node metastases. Approximately 77 % of patients with para-aortic nodal involvement are found to have metastases above the level of the inferior mesenteric artery. Systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy with dissection optimally carried out to the renal vessels is important in high-risk patients in order to identify nodes present at distant sites, particularly above the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). While the definitive management of EC varies widely across the gynecological oncology community, there is a consensus that patients at risk for lymphatic metastases (high and intermediate risk) who are targeted with systematic lymphadenectomy may have an improved prognosis. Well-designed prospective studies evaluating the therapeutic role of systematic lymphadenectomy in EC are needed. Herein, we describe the role of para-aortic lymphadenectomy in the surgical staging of EC emphasizing its prerequisites, extent, and diagnostic and potential therapeutic advantages.