cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spheromaks and how plasmas may explain the ultra high energy cosmic ray mystery

In recent papers, we show how accretion disks around massive black holes could act as dynamos producing magnetic jets similar to the jets that create spheromaks in the laboratory. In this paper, we discuss how these magnetic astrophysical jets might naturally produce runaway ion beams accelerated to eV or more, finally ejected as ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) long regarded as one of the mysteries of astrophysics. The acceleration is mainly due to the drift cyclotron loss cone kinetic instability known from plasma research. Experiments and simulations are suggested to verify the acceleration process.
Access to Data: Comparing AccessMed With Query by Review

Objective : To evaluate the performance of tools for authoring patient database queries. Design : Query by Review, a tool that exploits the training that users have undergone to master a result review system, was compared with AccessMed, a vocabulary browser that supports lexical matching and the traversal of hierarchical and semantic links. Seven subjects (Medical Logic Module authors) were asked to use both tools to gather the vocabulary terms necessary to perform each of eight laboratory queries. Measurements : The proportion of queries that were correct; inter subject agreement. Results : Query by Review had better performance than AccessMed (38% correct queries versus 18%, p = 0.002), but both figures were low. Poor intersubject agreement (28% for Query by Review and 21% for AccessMed) corroborated the relatively low performance. Subjects appeared to have trouble distinguishing laboratory tests from laboratory batteries, picking terms relevant to the particular data type required, and using classes in the vocabulary's hierarchy. Conclusion : Query by Review, with its more constrained user interface, performed somewhat better than AccessMed, a more general tool. Neither tool achieved adequate performance, however, which points to the difficulty of formulating a query for a clinical database and the need for further work.
Frequency split reduction by directional lapping of fused quartz micro wineglass resonators

We present a study on the permanent frequency split reduction of fused quartz micro wineglass resonators by directional lapping. Using the technique, we demonstrated a near 6× reduction of frequency split (n=2 wineglass mode). The process included two steps. First, the orientations of the Principal Axes of Elasticity (PAE) were determined by measuring the mode shapes of the resonator. Then, the directional lapping was performed based on the information about PAE. Three devices were post-processed by directional lapping technique and the frequency split was reduced as predicted, demonstrating feasibility of the technique. The reduction of frequency split is directly correlated to improvements in structural isotropy and the overall performance of dynamic MEMS, such as rate and rate-integrating gyroscopes.
The other side of the coin: Exploring the effects of adolescent delinquency on young adult self-control

Abstract Purpose Although there is robust support for low self-control as a predictor of delinquent behavior, the question of whether delinquent behavior impacts self-control has been largely ignored. We ask, after accounting for baseline group differences in impulsivity and self-control, can delinquency be associated with later group differences in self-control? Methods Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health we employed propensity score matching to create comparable groups (i.e., on self-control and other delinquency correlates) of youth who did and did not participate in delinquent behavior in adolescence and compared them on self-control and impulsivity in later waves. Results Despite baseline similarity, the groups identified as delinquent at Wave II differed significantly from non-delinquent groups on self-control and impulsivity at Waves III and IV. Both groups experienced improvement in self-control and impulsivity over time though improvement was more marked for the non-delinquent youth. Conclusions We have established preliminary evidence that delinquent behavior may be associated with later levels of self-control. Participation in delinquency may remove youth from normal developmental patterns in which self-control strengthens over time. Future research should attempt to replicate our findings and determine the specific mechanisms through which delinquent behavior may impact later self-control.
Rapid Diagnostics in Infection Prevention

Significant advancements have been realized over the past few years in the expanding field of rapid diagnostics. Compared to traditional laboratory methods where final results are typically obtained within 48–72 h, rapid tests are able to provide identification within hours of organism growth or, in some cases, sample collection (Bauer KA, Perez KK, Forrest GN, Goff DA, Clin Infect Dis 59:S134–S145, 2014). A paradigm shift in organism and susceptibility identification, rapid diagnostics allow for earlier initiation of targeted antimicrobial therapy in infected patients, resulting in decreased mortality, hospital length of stay, broad-spectrum antimicrobial use, and health system costs (Bauer KA, Perez KK, Forrest GN, Goff DA, Clin Infect Dis 59:S134–S145, 2014; Huang AM, Newton D, Kunapuli A et al, Clin Infect Dis 57:1237–1245, 2013; Perez KK, Olson RJ, Musick WL et al, J Infect 69:216–225, 2014; Sothoron C, Ferreira J, Guzman N, Aldridge P, McCarter YS, Jankowski CA, J Clin Microbiol 53:3627–3629, 2015; Suzuki H, Hitomi S, Yaguchi Y et al, J Infect Chemother 21:849–856, 2015).
Health-Related Quality of Life and Urolithiasis

Symptomatic urinary stone disease mandates treatment to help patients. Stone-free status has been the principle measure of success to determine how well stone formers have been treated. Although stone elimination remains paramount, success outcomes, as in other disease processes, will begin to include the patient’s perception of treatment and hopeful prevention of further disease. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) addresses more than simple assessments of desired endpoints, such as stone-free status, or physical symptoms, such as pain. Measuring HRQOL includes assessing domains related to physical, mental, emotional, and social functioning in order to evaluate the impact health status has on patient perception of quality of life.
Propositions and Analyticity

It has been nearly forty years since the publication of “Two Dogmas of Empiricism” (Quine [1951/1961]). Despite some vigorous rebuttals during that interval,1 Quine’s rejection of analyticity still prevails--in that philosophers en masse have either joined Quine in repudiating the “analytic”/“synthetic” distinction or remained (however mutinously) silent and made no claims of analyticity.
Here Begins Chapter Eleven on the Alloying of Monies

When it is made up from mixed silver and copper, no matter what is the face value, it indeed is called money. However money is called major when a pound of it contains more silver than copper, and it is the more desired. Minor money truly is when there is less silver. It is called alloying money when some given quantity of silver is put in a pound of money. And when we say, I have money with any number of ounces, as when we say with 2, we understand that in a pound of the money are had 2 ounces of silver. Money is alloyed indeed in three ways. The first way is when it is alloyed from a given quantity of silver or copper. The second is when it is alloyed from any given monies with the addition of silver, or copper, or both. The third is when it is alloyed only from given monies. And all are contained in this complete chapter which we separate into seven distinctions. The first will be on the alloying of money from a given quantity of silver or copper, the second will be on alloying [p144] when a given amount of money is put in, and another money is made with a pound having less silver than the original money; this alloy cannot be made without the addition of copper. The third similarly is when an amount of money is put in, and you will wish to make from it a money with a pound having more silver in it than in the original, and it cannot be made without the addition of silver. The fourth is when an unknown amount of money is put in, and from it you will wish to make some posed amount of any lesser money by the addition of copper.
The Aesthetics of Salvation in Sartre’s Nausea

The ending of Sartre’s Nausea (1938) is surprisingly upbeat. The protagonist, Roquentin, believes creating a work of art, a novel, can justify his otherwise meaningless existence and allow him to remember his past in other than disparaging terms. His decision immediately follows his coming to believe that the male composer and female singer of his favorite jazz record are ‘‘saved’’ from meaninglessness through their own creation. Roquentin’s proposal is quite striking, coming at the end of a novel detailing his growing awareness of the fundamental absurdity of life and the world. Its possible significance has puzzled generations of Sartre’s commentators. Can works of art save, in any meaningful sense? Is the proposal at the end even meant to be taken seriously, or is it yet another subtle piece of irony so pervasive in Sartre’s works? It seems there is indeed a joke involved, if we look closely enough. At the same time I want to suggest why we need to look beyond the irony and paradox Sartre builds into the ending. The young Sartre took the problem of art’s ability to justify seriously enough to make the issues surrounding it integral to the overall philosophical vision of the novel. The ending of Nausea consciously echoes long-standing debates in Western thought over ‘‘art for art’s sake,’’ whether works of art can and should remain independent of human purposes external to the sheer aesthetical enjoyment of the work. Nausea presents a literary microcosm of key aesthetical conflicts dividing art, religion, and metaphysics since Plato.1 Sartre’s own approach to art in Nausea and the problems it raises are better understood when viewed within the broader currents of 19th century European aesthetical philosophy beginning with Immanuel Kant. However, before looking at the aesthetics of Nausea in this wider context, it will first help to recount a few basic themes surrounding Roquentin’s proposal.
Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants on Soils

The effects of two types of atmospheric pollutants on soils, acid precipitation and metals, are considered. Potential acid precipitation effects include soil acidification, increased loss of plant nutrients, accelerated weathering of mineral components, decreased rates of organic matter decay, changes in soil organism populations, mobilization of aluminum ions, and reduction in cation exchange capacity. Soils that are poorly buffered, i.e., have low cation exchange capacity due to low clay and organic matter contents, are most likely to undergo appreciable change due to acid inputs. Acid precipitation inputs experienced thus far are generally low compared to the effects of agricultural fertilization and liming practices on soil pH.
Human cervical mucus. II. Changes in viscoelasticity during the ovulatory menstrual cycle.

Quantitative viscoelasticity measurements were made on individual human cervical mucus samples by microrheometry. Increases in mean values for mucus spinnbarkeit, ferning, and wet weight were associated with the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle, while no significant differences versus time were noted for mean values for sample pH or nondialyzable dry weight. A nadir in mucus nondialyzable solids (NDS) concentration and in viscoelasticity was seen at or near midcycle. Substantial, highly reproducible, variations in mucus viscoelasticity were observed when mucus from different donors was compared. When the contribution of [NDS] to viscoelasticity was minimized by data normalization or by sample reconstitution, a significant increase in viscoelasticity was associated with the ovulatory phase of the cycle, suggesting the occurrence of a relative increase in mucin concentration or a compositional change in the mucus.
The Environment, Science and Religion

As the students spoke about Nature during the interviews, it became apparent that for most of them, the environment is Nature.
Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Leukemic Cells in Culture

The human leukemic population is an heterogeneous collection of cells arising from a malignant clone of undifferentiated progenitor cells analogous in some respects to the normal hemopoietic cells (1–3). These leukemic progenitors are capable both of self-renewal and differentiation that very often is highly abnormal. The differentiation level (most immature stem cell or intermediate progenitor cell) at which the leukemic transformation occurs has been defined in lymphocytic leukemia, where marker events involving progressive rearrangement of specific genes (immunoglobulin genes for B-ALL and and T cell receptor genes for T-ALL) leave irreversible footprints in the DNA (32,33). In the case of acute undifferentiated leukemias (AUL) or acute myelogenous leukemias (AML) gene rearrangements during progression of differentiation do not occur, or at least they have not been identified and the differentiation stage of the progenitor cells that are targets for the various types of AML is still largely undefined.
Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts with sequential application of ozone and combined chlorine

Single-step inactivation experiments with ozone and monochloramine revealed the presence of a CT lag followed by pseudo-first order inactivation kinetics. Sequential disinfection experiments with ozone followed by monochloramine revealed that ozone pretreatment resulted in the removal of a more prominent CT lag observed for monochloramine. In addition, the rate of inactivation for ozone-pretreated oocysts was approximately 2.5× greater than that observed for the post-lag phase portion of the monochloramine primary inactivation curve.
The relationship of hospital market concentration, costs, and quality for major surgical procedures

Abstract Background Our objective was to determine the association between indicators of surgical quality – incidence of major complications and failure-to-rescue – and hospital market concentration in light of differences in costs of care. Methods Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), colon resection, pancreatic resection, or liver resection in the 2008–2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample were identified. The effect of hospital market concentration on major complications, failure-to-rescue, and inpatient costs was estimated at the lowest and highest mortality hospitals using multivariable regression techniques. Results A weighted total of 527,459 patients were identified. Higher market concentration was associated with between 4% and 6% increased odds of failure-to-rescue across all four procedures. Across procedures, more concentrated markets had decreased inpatient costs (average marginal effect ranging from -$3064 (95% CI: -$5812 - -$316) for CABG to -$4876 (-$7773 - -$1980) for liver resection. Conclusion In less competitive (more concentrated) hospital markets, higher overall risk of failure-to-rescue after complications was accompanied by lower inpatient costs, on average. These data suggest that market controls may be leveraged to influence surgical quality and costs.
Depressive, anxiety, and distress symptoms among cancer patients who endorse appearance problems.

Objective Body image is a vital and complex issue in cancer patients, but not well recognized. In the ambulatory psychiatric-oncology clinic, we assessed what portion of cancer patients endorsed appearance problems and if they differed in terms of depression, anxiety, or distress scores when compared with those who did not endorse appearance problems. Method All adult patients with active cancer diagnosis seen in the outpatient psychiatry oncology clinic (June 2014-January 2016) who provided informed consent were included (N = 1,939) in the cross-sectional study design. "Appearance problems" were assessed as a categorical, binomial variable (yes/no) using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer checklist. Other assessments included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Distress Thermometer, and Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale.ResultThe overall prevalence rate of individuals who endorsed appearance problems was approximately 36%; they were more likely to be younger, female, Black or Hispanic, and not in a committed relationship (all results for demographic variables were statistically significant; all p l .001). Importantly, those patients who endorsed appearance problems exhibited higher scores for depression (p l .0001), anxiety (p l .0001), and distress (p l .0001), and these differences were of medium effect size (Cohen's d = 0.5-0.6).Significance of resultsThe current results underscore the need to identify patients with body image problems early given that they are likely to exhibit higher magnitude of anxiety, depression and distress symptoms while undergoing cancer care. The results highlight the importance of body image issues and the need to evaluate them in cancer patients.
Blood collection in unstressed, conscious, and freely moving mice through implantation of catheters in the jugular vein: a new simplified protocol

The mouse has become the most common mammalian animal model used in biomedical research. However, laboratory techniques used previously in rats and other larger animals to sample blood had to be adapted in mice due to their lower mouse plasma volume. Sampling is further confounded by the variability in plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations that can occur from the stress or the anesthesia that accompanies the collection. In this article, we describe in detail a protocol we developed for blood sampling in conscious, unrestrained mice. Our protocol implements the use of chronic indwelling catheters in the right external jugular vein, allowing the mice to recover fully in their home cages, untethered until the time of blood sampling. This protocol employs catheters that remain patent for days and does not require the purchase of expensive equipment. We validated this protocol by measuring the time course of plasma norepinephrine (NE) concentration during and after the relief of acute immobilization stress in wild type (WT) and pendrin knockout (KO) mice and compared these results with our previously published values. We found that following relief from immobilization stress, it takes longer for plasma NE concentration to return to basal levels in the pendrin KO than in the wild type mice. These results highlight the potential utility of this protocol and the potential role of pendrin in the neuroendocrine response to acute stress.
Sensitivity of Uncertainty in Wind Characteristics and Wind Turbine Properties on Wind Turbine Extreme and Fatigue Loads

Abstract. Wind turbine design relies on the ability to accurately predict turbine ultimate and fatigue loads. The loads analysis process requires precise knowledge of the expected wind-inflow conditions as well as turbine structural and aerodynamic properties. However, uncertainty in most parameters is inevitable. It is therefore important to understand the impact such uncertainties have on the resulting loads. The goal of this work is to assess which input parameters have the greatest influence on turbine power, fatigue loads, and ultimate loads during normal turbine operation. An Elementary Effects (EE) sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the most sensitive parameters. Separate case studies are performed on (1) wind-inflow conditions and (2) turbine structural and aerodynamic properties, both using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5-MW baseline wind turbine. The focus is on individual parameter sensitivity, though interactions between parameters are considered. The results of this work show that for wind-inflow conditions, turbulence in the primary wind direction and shear are the most sensitivity parameters for turbine loads, which is expected. Secondary parameters of importance are identified as veer, u-direction integral length, and components of the IEC coherence model (au and bu), as well as the exponent (γ). For the turbine properties, the most sensitive parameters are yaw misalignment (θ) and outboard lift coefficient (Cl,t) distribution. This information can be used to help establish error bars around the predictions of engineering models during validation efforts, and provide insight to probabilistic design methods and site-suitability analyses.
Efficient tunable mid-infrared lasing from Cr2+:Cd0.85IVIn0.15Te

The discovery of mid-infrared lasing from Cr2+-doped ZnS and ZnSe has spurred interest in evaluating other Cr2+-doped II-VI semiconductors as possible solid-state laser materials.1−4
Epstein-Barr virus in B lymphocytes: viral gene expression and function in latency.

Publisher Summary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a herpesvirus that infects all human populations. It is carried in “latent” form in peripheral blood B lymphocytes and is shed in the form of virus particles from a site in the oropharynx. This chapter discusses the expression and function of EBV genes during latency. EBV transforms the B lymphocytes of humans and other primates to continuous proliferation in culture, a process called immortalization. The resultant, latently infected lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), support a predominantly latent viral life cycle in which only a few of the 100 or so viral genes are expressed. Viral genes expressed during latency are candidate immortalizing genes. Of all the viral gene products of the latent cycle, function has been demonstrated most clearly for Epstein-Barr nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNAl). The chapter discusses the structure of viral transcripts and promoters for the EBV latent genes and perspective on viral gene expression in the LCL model. The discovery that EBV in BL tumors expresses only EBNAl clearly limits the applicability of the LCL model to other situations. RNA from BL biopsy material and from group I BL cell lines is clearly the focus of study. Information from such studies, particularly the structure of EBNA 1 -expressing transcripts, could aid polymerase chain reaction studies of viral gene expression in peripheral blood B lymphocytes from healthy seropositive individuals.
Pattern of benign and malignant uptake within the abdomen and pelvis on FDG positron emission tomography-computed tomography

1239 Learning Objectives 1. Review the fundamentals, pathophysiology, and FDG PET-CT imaging findings of various abdominopelvic PET-avid lesions and correlation with other imaging modalities including MRI. 2. Review pearls and pitfalls of FDG PET-CT imaging. FDG PET-CT is one of the key imaging techniques in body imaging to evaluate oncologic processes. Due to the overall increase in worldwide incidence of cancer, role of FDG PET-CT is ever expanding. The unique combination of structural and functional information obtained from FDG PET-CT allows for a variety of application including (1) initial evaluation of a neoplasm and the extent of malignant disease which assist in cancer staging, (2) assess treatment response and (3)evaluate for tumor recurrence. FDG PET-CT like other diagnostic modalities is not 100% specific as there are a fair number of benign (physiologic and inflammatory) entities that appear FDG PET-avid and may be misinterpreted as neoplastic. Benign uptake of FDG has been reported in over 25% of cases with most common cause of benign uptake reported has been inflammation whether infectious or noninfectious. Increased uptake is likely from increased WBC recruitment which carry GLUT 3 and lesser extent GLUT 1 receptors. The specificity of these findings can be improved by anatomic uptake localization and characterization on CT. In this exhibit, we will review fundamentals (physics and physiology) of FDG PET and PET/CT imaging, review common clinical uses of PET-CT and case-based discussion of clinical features, pathophysiology, histology features, imaging findings ( CT, PET-CT and/or MRI) highlighting radiological pearls, treatments and prognosis of various neoplastic and benign conditions including: appendicitis, diverticulitis, Biguanides, esophagitis, barret’s esophagus, colitis, messenteric fat necrosis, UTI, pyelonephritis, obtructive uropathy, bladder diverticula, atherosclerosis, endograft etc.
The Home Literacy Environment in Rural Rwanda and Its Relationship to Early Grade Reading

The developing world faces a learning crisis, wherein children fail to master basic skills despite years of primary school attendance. The literature indicates that both in-school and at-home exper...
Comparative analysis of different molecular and serological methods for detection of Xylella fastidiosa in blueberry.

Bacterial leaf scorch, caused by Xylella fastidiosa, is a major threat to blueberry production in the southeastern United States. Management of this devastating disease is challenging and often requires early detection of the pathogen to reduce major loss. There are several different molecular and serological detection methods available to identify the pathogen. Knowing the efficiency and suitability of these detection techniques for application in both field and laboratory conditions is important when selecting the appropriate detection tool. Here, we compared the efficiency and the functionality of four different molecular detection techniques (PCR, real-time PCR, LAMP and AmplifyRP® Acceler8™) and one serological detection technique (DAS-ELISA). The most sensitive method was found to be real-time PCR with the detection limit of 25 fg of DNA molecules per reaction (≈9 genome copies), followed by LAMP at 250 fg per reaction (≈90 copies), AmplifyRP® Acceler8™ at 1 pg per reaction (≈350 copies), conventional PCR with nearly 1.25 pg per reaction (≈ 440 copies) and DAS-ELISA with 1x105 cfu/mL of Xylella fastidiosa. Validation between assays with 10 experimental samples gave consistent results beyond the variation of the detection limit. Considering robustness, portability, and cost, LAMP and AmplifyRP® Acceler8™ were not only the fastest methods but also portable to the field and didn’t require any skilled labor to carry out. Among those two, AmplifyRP® Acceler8™ was faster but more expensive and less sensitive than LAMP. On the other hand, real-time PCR was the most sensitive assay and required comparatively lesser time than C-PCR and DAS-ELISA, which were the least sensitive assays in this study, but all three assays are not portable and needed skilled labor to proceed. These findings should enable growers, agents, and diagnosticians to make informed decisions regarding the selection of an appropriate diagnostic tool for X. fastidiosa on blueberry.
Evaluation of mobile gamma camera imaging in sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma independent of pre-operative lymphscintigraphy.

e19062 Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard method for staging cutaneous melanoma and involves identifying the first node(s) draining a tumor, by detecting an intradermally...
General anesthetic techniques for enhanced recovery after surgery: Current controversies

General anesthesia technique can influence not only immediate postoperative outcomes, but also long-term outcomes beyond hospital stay (e.g., readmission after discharge from hospital). There is lack of evidence regarding superiority of total intravenous anesthesia over inhalation anesthesia with regards to postoperative outcomes even in high-risk population including cancer patients. Optimal balanced general anesthetic technique for enhance recovery after elective surgery in adults includes avoidance of routine use preoperative midazolam, avoidance of deep anesthesia, use of opioid-sparing approach, and minimization of neuromuscular blocking agents and appropriate reversal of residual paralysis. Given that the residual effects of drugs used during anesthesia can increase postoperative morbidity and delay recovery, it is prudent to use a minimal number of drug combinations, and the drugs used are shorter-acting and administered at the lowest possible dose. It is imperative that the discerning anesthesiologist consider whether each drug used is really necessary for accomplishing perioperative goals.
Jurisdiction, State Immunity, and Judgments in the Restatement (Fourth) of U.S. Foreign Relations Law

In 2018, the American Law Institute published the Restatement (Fourth) of Foreign Relations Law, which restates the law of the United States governing jurisdiction, state immunity, and judgments. These issues arise with great frequency in international cases brought in US courts, including cases involving Chinese parties. This article provides an overview of many of the key provisions of the Restatement (Fourth). The article describes the Restatement (Fourth)’s treatment of the customary international law of jurisdiction, as well the rules of US domestic law based on international comity that US courts apply when deciding international cases.
Metabolic demand regulates selective cell death in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson′s Disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative condition that affects over 10 million people across the world, causing tremors and muscle weakness. Its mechanisms are unknown, but one key feature is selective cell death: neurons in the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta (SNc) die, but their neighbors, the cells in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA), remain healthy. To study this phenomenon, we used an established single neuron model of the SNc, adapting its biophysical and bioenergetic properties to match that of the VTA. We discovered that reducing calcium influx correlates with higher ATP and lower ROS concentrations in the cell, suggesting in silico the importance of calcium influx in metabolic stress and selective vulnerability for Parkinson′s Disease. Future efforts may target calcium channel inhibition as a therapeutic strategy, although caution is needed with potential metabolic side effects.
Plant Population Effect on Open-Pollinated Corn

As seed technology fees rise, use restrictions tighten and market options narrow, more organic and conventional producers are re-examining open-pollinated seed corn. These producers need to have more information about how to manage open-pollinated corn. The objective of this study was to start to identify the optimum plant density for planting open-pollinated corn.
The growth-regulating activity of polyanions: a theoretical discussion of their place in the intercellular environment and their role in cell physiology.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the theoretical role of polyanions as growth regulators. Natural and synthetic polyanions inhibit tumor growth. Recently, it has been found that the synthetic polyanion, pyran copolymer, possesses interferon-inducing capacity and can act similarly to polynucleotides in its action in enhancing in vivo immunological responsiveness. The mechanism for this action is unknown but may be pertinent to the action of these agents in controlling tumor growth. The stimulation of phagocytosis may be the prime mechanism through which both immunological and interferon polyanion effects are manifested. The common pathway for stimulation of both interferon and antibody production by polynucleotides and synthetic polyanions may be through their enhancement of phagocytosis. Polyanions inhibit hormonal action, activate or inhibit enzyme action, possesses cell surface effects, and interact with nucleohistone. The chapter discusses the action of polyanions as the controllers of enzyme action and presents their theoretical relationships to ATP, the cell membrane, surface charge, cell adhesion, and calcium. It outlines the possible importance of surface polysaccharides and the place of polyanions in colloidal stability and the formation of hydrophilic gels. The effects of polyanions on the components of the intercellular matrix and the dynamics of protoplasmic change are also presented in the chapter, along with emphasis on the importance of polyanions in the dynamics of cell multiplication in normal and malignant growth.
Effects of vasopressin on pulmonary and systemic vascular mechanics

The direct effects of vasopressin on the resistance and capacitance properties of the pulmonary and systemic vasculature were studied in nine aneural dogs on systemic and pulmonary bypass. The systemic and pulmonary pressure-flow, the systemic and pulmonary arterial pressure-volume, and the systemic and pulmonary venous pressure-volume relationships were determined for five levels of infused vasopressin. Vasopressin levels of approximately 10, 30, 150, 300, and 500 pg/ml were achieved by intravenous infusions. Samples of venous blood were drawn before and after each set of pressure-flow and pressure-volume relationships for the determination of vasopressin level by radioimmunoassay. A linear relationship was found between vasopressin level and systemic vascular resistance. Systemic vascular resistance increased 0.072 +/- 0.011 mmHg.kg.min.ml-1 for a change in vasopressin level of 100 pg/ml. Vasopressin did not affect pulmonary vascular resistance or any vascular compliance. High doses of infused arginine vasopressin were necessary to elicit substantial vasoconstriction.
Stabilization of a class of nonlinear systems using backstepping

The backstepping procedure is a systematic method for nonlinear feedback design. This method can only be applied to a class of systems that are transformable into the "pure feedback form". Here, we propose a new procedure for a class of systems that do not satisfy the transformability of the pure feedback form.
Judicial Supervision of Attorney Fees in Aggregate Litigation: The American Vioxx Experience as Example for Other Countries

The American legal system has much stronger procedural devices for aggregating like cases -- such as consolidation and class actions -- than do other countries. Other countries have eyed the American approach to "aggregate litigation" with both interest and suspicion. There is recognition that the traditional single-party model of adjudication is not well-suited to situations today when the claims of many individuals arise from the same basic conduct of a defendant, whether it involve defective products, environmental hazards, or wrongful business conduct. But other countries have been troubled by what they consider to be the excesses of American class actions and "entrepreneurial litigation." Nevertheless experimentation with aggregate procedures has quickened in other countries, and the U.S. is no longer alone in allowing class, representative, or group litigation, or in consolidating similar litigation.Aggregate litigation invariably impacts the individual attorney-client relationship. What was understood as to the attorney's responsibilities may be altered as aggregate committees of attorney consortia assume principal roles in the litigation. Nevertheless, in consolidated cases the individual attorney-client relationship remains, with attorneys continuing to perform services on behalf of their individual clients. Conflicts as to fees between attorneys who have fulfilled different functions have arisen, and courts are having to determine how much supervisory authority they can and should exercise. The experience of the Vioxx consolidated multi-district litigation case, with its unique global settlement extending across jurisdictional lines and its order capping contingent fees at 32%, provides a crucible for testing the parameters of judicial supervision in aggregate litigation. The growing experience of American courts in dealing with these issues should be of interest to other countries as they move towards greater aggregate litigation.
What is Known about Student Learning Outcomes and How does it relate to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this essay is to provide a broad review of topics relevant to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Sources from the international community have been utilized to provide summaries on the issues of assessment of student learning, accountability concerns, learning expectations, student motivation, and approaches to learning. Multiple theories of learning are discussed in relation to memory, cognition, constructionist viewpoint, self-defined reality, schemas, the mindful engagement of student learners, and the interplay of the learning environment and individual student characteristics. Each micro summary can be a potential building point for those new to SoTL as well as for its veterans.
Myometrium and leiomyomas in endometrial carcinoma; failure of involution and reactivation of smooth muscle tissue.

Abstract Gross and histologic studies on 58 uteri with endometrial carcinoma showed in a great percentage of cases failure of involution or reactivation of the myometrium (rejuvenation). Leiomyomas present in uteri with endometrial carcinomas showed similar changes, leading to enlargement and reactivation of formerly dormant tumors. Statistical comparison of malignant and nonmalignant uteri demonstrated higher weights in the former group, the weight difference percentagewise increasing with age. The pathogenetic significance of these findings is discussed and correlated with findings of the literature and of our own observations supporting the view of a hormonal impact hitting the uterus in its totality, sometimes leading only to late endometrial hyperplasia, in other cases to carcinoma or sarcoma accompanied by myometrial hyperplasia. The significance of these studies for a possible earlier clinical recognition of endometrial carcinoma is stressed.
Enterprise-Wide Strategic Management: Enterprise-wide strategic leadership: Creating value and sustainable success

Introduction Enterprise-wide strategic leadership (ESL) and sustainable success are two relatively new constructs of engaging in contemporary strategic management that are easy to understand but difficult to define. Strategic leadership has been in use for many decades, usually among the higher levels of management such as corporate executives, senior group management, and general managers of strategic business units (SBUs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It may also include the general management of the value delivery systems in large corporations. These are the business leaders responsible for setting vision and/or strategic direction, establishing principles and values, crafting objectives and strategies, determining high-level policies and behaviors, and assuring governance, reporting, and ethical practices among many other aspects. ESL involves all aspects of strategic leadership, except that the perspectives are broader and include strategic thinking and management of the company and its SBUs as well as the extended enterprise(s). It includes leading change within the company, linking the SBUs with their extended enterprises, ensuring that the whole enterprise is functioning properly, and achieving success across the business environment. The same is true for SMEs. ESL requires a mindset that envisions a more assertive and inclusive vision for the future based on the underpinnings and perspectives of enterprise-wide strategic management (ESM), the principles of sustainable business development (SBD), and an architectural blueprint that integrates the value delivery system.
Neuroscience of alcohol for addiction medicine: Neurobiological targets for prevention and intervention in adolescents

Structural and functional neuroimaging studies indicate that heavy alcohol use during adolescence may be neurotoxic to the brain. This chapter reviews the neuroimaging findings in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of adolescent heavy alcohol users. These youth exhibit reductions in prefrontal, hippocampal, and cerebellar brain volume, decreased frontoparietal, and increased frontolimbic white matter integrity, as well as alterations in blood oxygen level-dependent response during working memory, inhibitory control, verbal encoding, decision making, and reward processing-some of which appear to differ between males and females. Although some exist, additional longitudinal studies will significantly advance addiction medicine by aiding prevention scientists and treatment providers to develop neurobiologically informed ways of strengthening neural networks prior to and after the onset of heavy alcohol use, thereby promoting healthy cognitive functioning across the adolescent period.
Anger and the Reactive–Proactive Aggression Distinction in Childhood and Adolescence

Years ago, Averill (1982) stressed that all anger does not result in aggression, and that all aggression is not the result of anger. The second half of this idea, that aggression can have other catalysts besides anger, foreshadows the distinction between reactive and proactive aggression. Reactive aggression is defensive, retaliatory, and in response to real or perceived provocation. Proactive aggression, on the other hand, is displayed to reach a goal, whether that goal involves material or territorial gain or social dominance. This chapter will review and critique existing empirical work demonstrating that anger is positively related to reactive aggression, but not proactive aggression, in children and adolescents. Our review will include both questionnaire-based and laboratory-based studies. We will also include a section on the assessment of reactive and proactive aggression, how this assessment is often confounded with the measurement of anger, and ideas for untangling these constructs.
Brainstem auditory evoked potentials and flash visual evoked potentials in Vietnamese miniature pot-bellied pigs

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and flash visual evoked potentials (VEP) were recorded from juvenile (5-7 weeks of age) and adult Vietnamese miniature pot-bellied pigs to provide normative data for clinical applications. BAEP responses were collected in response to stimulus intensities of 85, 95, and 105 dB nHL. VEP responses were collected in response to flashes of white light in a darkened room. Left-right ear and left-right eye responses did not differ significantly, and were combined for analysis, with each animal providing two data points for each response. BAEP responses in juvenile subjects were mature, and in all subjects showed the typical pattern of decreasing peak latencies and increasing peak amplitudes with increasing stimulus intensity. VEP responses in juvenile subjects were near to mature values, but the latencies still exceeded those of adults. Differences in response maturation between precocial and altricial species are discussed.
Scaphoid fracture displacement with forearm rotation in a short-arm thumb spica cast.

Abstract Three-dimensional motion between the fragments of an experimental scaphoid waist fracture was measured during dynamic forearm pronation and supination in a short-arm thumb spica cast with and without applied tendon loads. Metal markers placed in each fragment were tracked using high-speed biplane radiographic image sequences and stereophotogrammetric analysis. Peak displacements (from the intact state) exceeded 1 mm in all specimens, with the largest movements occurring in the radial direction during pronation (mean: 2.1 mm unloaded, 2.5 mm loaded). Total range of displacement motion between fragments exceeded 3 mm (mean ulnar/radial direction: 3.4 mm unloaded, 4.1 mm loaded). Dorsal/palmar and proximal/distal displacements were minimal except at the extremes of forearm pronation/supination. Rotations between fragments were small (within ±6°) and varied considerably across specimens. No significant differences were found between loaded and unloaded trials. Thus, in the absence of long-arm thumb spica casting to limit forearm rotation, significant motion between the fragments of a scaphoid waist fracture is likely. (J Hand Surg 1999;24A:984–991. Copyright © 1999 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.).
SEM and magnetic fabric study of a compacting sediment

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and anisotropy of anhysteretic remanence (AAR) studies were conducted on kaolinite/magnetite samples compacted to pressures between O and 0.2 MPa to determine if clay and magnetic fabric development mimic a change in compaction behavior marked by a break in slope in the compaction curve. This break in slope indicates that the rate of void ratio decrease with increasing pressure abruptly slows down at pressures of about 0.04 MPa. About one-half of a compaction-caused inclination decrease occurs at pressures less than 0.04 MPa. SEM photomicrographs show that horizontal clay fabric develops inhomogeneousIy within a sample at pressures below the break in slope. Since pore spaces are larger than magnetite grains at low pressures below the break in slope the observed pattern of inclination decrease during compaction may be due to magnetite grains being attached to clay particles and constrained to follow clay fabric development. This interpretation is supported by the observation that AAR minimum axes become vertical at pressures above the break in slope. This may indicate that magnetic fabric is developing at low pressures and that most of the magnetite particles are constrained to lie subhorizontally. The AMS maximum axes tend to lie 90° from a strong remanence in these samples suggesting single domain magnetic behavior. Measurement of AMS after alternating field demagnetization yields maximum axes which cluster near to the AAR maximum axes suggesting multidomain behavior. This apparent contradiction aay be due to magnetic conditions prior to AMS aeasurement controlling domain wall nucleation.
Corporate finance, the theory of the firm and organizations

In his classic 1937 article, ‘‘The Nature of the Firm,’’ Ronald Coase asked one of the most fundamental questions in economics: Why are there firms? Or, in Coase’s words, ‘‘If production could be carried out without any organisation at all, well might we ask, why is there any organisation?’’ Initially, few economists seemed interested in answering Coase’s question, but it is now one of the central questions in economic theory, industrial economics and management strategy. Five years before the publication of Coase’s article, Adolf Berle and Gardiner Means (1932) published their now famous book, The Modern Corporation and Private Property. Berle and Means documented that a large portion of corporate assets were controlled by managers with minimal ownership stakes in their firms. Like Coase, they raised a fundamental question about the functioning of firms: Will corporate managers continue to act in the interest of investors despite their small ownership stakes? Understanding the agency costs stemming from the ‘‘divorce of ownership from control’’ is now the central issue in corporate finance, and has been for some time. Over half a century after these famous works, we have some of the answers to these questions. Williamson (1975), Klein, Crawford, and Alchian (1978), Grossman and Hart (1986), and Hart and Moore (1990) have made substantial progress answering Coase’s question. Alchian and Demsetz (1972), Mirrlees (1976), Jensen