cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Evaluation of the Disequilibrium Model to Increase Independent Seatwork for an Individual Diagnosed with Autism.

This brief practice is an evaluation of work output predicted by Timberlake’s (1980) disequilibrium model. Jacobs, Morford, King, and Hayes (2017) provided a downloadable, online tool using the disequilibrium model to assist practitioners in maximizing intervention outcomes. The disequilibrium model was used to predict the duration of independent seatwork for Marvin, a 17-year-old boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The disequilibrium model effectively predicted a work duration that Marvin was compliant with throughout the study. Practitioners should consider using the disequilibrium tool to select intervention parameters.
TheraBracelet Stimulation During Task-Practice Therapy to Improve Upper Extremity Function After Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study.

Background Peripheral sensory stimulation has been used in conjunction with upper extremity movement therapy to increase therapy-induced motor gains in patients with stroke. The limitation is that existing sensory stimulation methods typically interfere with natural hand tasks and thus are administered prior to therapy, requiring patients' time commitment. To address this limitation, we developed TheraBracelet. This novel stimulation method provides subthreshold (ie, imperceptible) vibratory stimulation to the wrist and can be used during hand tasks/therapy without interfering with natural hand tasks. Objective The objective was to determine the feasibility of using TheraBracelet during therapy to augment motor recovery after stroke. Design The design was a triple-blinded pilot randomized controlled trial. Methods Twelve chronic stroke survivors were assigned to the treatment or control group. All participants completed 2-hour task practice therapy sessions thrice weekly for 2 weeks. Both groups wore a small vibrator on the paretic wrist, which was turned on to provide TheraBracelet stimulation for the treatment group and turned off for the control group to provide sham stimulation. Outcome measures (Box and Block Test [BBT] and Wolf Motor Function Test [WMFT]) were obtained at baseline, 6 days after therapy, and at follow-up 19 days after therapy. Results The intervention was feasible with no adverse events. The treatment group significantly improved their BBT scores after therapy and at follow-up compared with baseline, whereas the control group did not. For WMFT, the group × time interaction was short of achieving significance. Large effect sizes were obtained (BBT d = 1.43, WMFT d = 0.87). No indication of desensitization to TheraBracelet stimulation was observed. Limitations The limitation was a small sample size. Conclusions TheraBracelet could be a promising therapy adjuvant for upper extremity recovery after stroke.
Working with the User Community

In this chapter, the rubber meets the road—users meet their IT systems. Consider a 360-degree view of care for the 21st century. The desired “outputs” of the healthcare system, well and well cared for patients, exist at the center of the system. Connecting patients to their care providers, care providers to each other, and to the body of actionable medical knowledge are the various IT systems. In this chapter we’ll cover training users, models for providing support during routine use and system failures, and use of the help desk.
Membrane Pore Formation by Peptides Studied by Fluorescence Techniques.

Pore formation in cellular membranes by pathogen-derived proteins is a mechanism utilized by a set of microbes to exert their cytotoxic effect. On the other hand, the host cells have developed a defense mechanism to produce antimicrobial peptides to kill the pathogens by a similar, membrane perforation mechanism. Furthermore, certain endogenous proteins or peptides kill the parent cells through membrane permeabilization. Analysis of the molecular details of membrane pore formation is often conducted using artificial systems, such as bilayer lipid membranes and synthetic peptides. This chapter describes two fluorescence-based methods to study peptide-induced membrane leakage. One method involves preparation of lipid vesicles loaded with a fluorophore (e.g., calcein or carboxyfluorescein) at a self-quenching concentration. If the externally added peptide forms relatively large pores (≥1 nm in diameter), the fluorophore leaks out and undergoes dequenching, resulting in time-dependent increase in fluorescence. The other method is designed to monitor smaller pores (<1 nm in diameter). It involves preparation of vesicles in a Ca2+-less buffer, containing a Ca2+-dependent fluorophore, such as Quin-2. Removal of external Quin-2 by a desalting column and addition of an appropriate concentration of CaCl2 externally sequesters Quin-2 and Ca2+ ions by the vesicle membrane. Addition of the pore-forming peptide to these vesicles results in membrane permeabilization, Ca2+ influx and binding to Quin-2. In both cases, the kinetics of the increase of fluorescence and its equilibrium levels allow quantitative analysis of the pore formation mechanism.
Yamanaka Factors as Drivers of Recovery in a Mouse Model of Heart Failure

Introduction Yamanaka Factors (OCT3/4, SOX2, KLF4 and C-MYC-OSKM) are a group of genes recently identified by Yamanaka et al. as important for the creation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). OSKM genes have shown effects on Mesenchymal to Endothelial transition (MET), a process that leads to the transition of a fibroblast to an endothelial cell. We have previously shown in a non-ischemic HF model of recovery that the phenotype of HF can reverse with natural mechanisms with a normalization of ejection fraction and resolution of fibrosis. Hypothesis Expression of OSKM genes is elevated in the early phase of recovery in a non-ischemic mouse model of HF recovery. Methods We used our non-ischemic mouse model of recovery from HF which consists of implantation of an osmotic pump which delivers angiotensin II (angII), combined with the addition of L-NAME and NaCl in the drinking water to induce heart failure. At the end of 5 weeks (HF) the pump runs out of angII and the water is returned to normal water to begin the recovery phase following heart failure. Mice were euthanized at different time points to observe gene expression from tissues collected from control mice, as well as week 3 and 5 (HF) and weeks 7 and 9 (recovery). Expression was represented as increase fold change compared to control. We assessed fibrosis and heart weight as surrogate markers of the degree of heart failure or recovery. PCR was used to quantitate OSKM gene expression. Results There is a trend of overall elevated expression in OSKM genes in the weeks after the injury was removed, which are considered the recovery weeks. SOX2, OCT4, and KLF4 are expressed in a progressive way from low to high, peaking by the end of recovery. Fibrosis percentage showed a statistically significant decrease in recovery compared to HF (p-value Conclusions The increased expression of OSKM in recovery period vs. HF suggest that Yamanaka factors might play an important role in recovery from HF. This could reflect contribution of these factors through stem cells or cell transitions (mesenchymal to endothelial) that finally mediate a recovery or antifibrotic process.
CHANGES IN THE MEDICARE HOME HEALTH CARE MARKET: THE IMPACT OF ACA REIMBURSEMENT POLICY

Background: The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 introduced 2 new reimbursement structures, the Interim Payment System (IPS, 1997– 2000) and the Prospective Payment System (PPS, begun October 2000) for Medicare home health agencies (HHAs) under the feefor-service program. Objective: This article describes and compares the impact of these changes on the Medicare home health market from a period before the BBA through the IPS and PPS in relation to agency characteristics. Research Design: A secondary analysis of 1996, 1999, and 2002 Provider of Services data was conducted on all Medicare-certified HHAs. Frequencies and rates of change were calculated by agency characteristics to describe changes in the number of active agencies through those years. Logistic regression models were used to compare factors associated with market exits under different payment systems. Results: The results indicate dramatic but disproportional changes in response to the IPS and the PPS among Medicare home health care agencies. Agency closures were greater and market entries fewer during the IPS, but more branch offices/subunits were closed during the PPS. Proprietary and freestanding agencies experienced greater volatility throughout, with the greatest number of closures seen in Region VI (Dallas). Conclusions: These results demonstrate the direct impact of policy changes on the home health care market and highlight the need to evaluate policy changes to understand both intended and unintended impacts on health markets. Future research should analyze the effect of these policy changes on other healthcare providers and systems and their impact on health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries.
Integrative CBT for anxiety disorders: an evidence-based approach to enhancing cognitive behavioral therapy with mindfulness and hypnotherapy: by Alladin, Assen, 2016, Chichester, John Wiley, 334 pp., $55.00 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-118-50979-1

This book describes Alladin’s integrated approach to psychotherapy. It is unique in blending the etiological theory of self-wounds (Wolfe, 2005), with traditional cognitive-behavioral conceptualiza...
Targeted systemic dendrimer delivery of CSF-1R inhibitor to tumor-associated macrophages improves outcomes in orthotopic glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer, with median survival of 16-20 months and a 5-year survival rates of <5%. Recent advances in immunotherapies have shown that addressing the tumor immune profile by targeting the colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) signaling pathway of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) has the potential to improve glioblastoma therapy. However, such therapies have shown limited successes in clinical translation partially due to lack of specific cell targeting in solid tumors and systemic toxicity. In this study, we present a novel hydroxyl dendrimer-mediated immunotherapy to deliver CSF-1R inhibitor BLZ945 (D-BLZ) from systemic administration selectively to TAMs in glioblastoma brain tumors to repolarize the tumor immune environment in a localized manner. We show that conjugation of BLZ945 to dendrimers enables sustained release in intracellular and intratumor conditions. We demonstrate that a single systemic dose of D-BLZ targeted to TAMs decreases pro-tumor expression in TAMs and promotes cytotoxic T cell infiltration, resulting in prolonged survival and ameliorated disease burden compared to free BLZ945. Our results demonstrate that dendrimer-drug conjugates can facilitate specific, localized manipulation of tumor immune responses from systemic administration by delivering immunotherapies selectively to TAMs, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy while reducing off-target effects.
Memory Lands: King Philip’s War and the Place of Violence in the Northeast: Christine M. DeLucia, ISBN 978 0 300201 17 8 | New Haven: Yale University Press, 2018 | 496 pp., 45 b/w illustrations | $40 (cloth)

Christine DeLucia writes in Memory Lands: King Philip’s War and the Place of Violence in the Northeast that ‘countless practices of placemaking hinge on invisible qualities, aspects of human connec...
Inference and Validation of the Structure of Lotka-Volterra Models

For close to a century, Lotka-Volterra (LV) models have been used to investigate interactions among populations of different species. For a few species, these investigations are straightforward. However, with the arrival of large and complex microbiomes, unprecedently rich data have become available and await analysis. In particular, these data require us to ask which microbial populations of a mixed community affect other populations, whether these influences are activating or inhibiting and how the interactions change over time. Here we present two new inference strategies for interaction parameters that are based on a new algebraic LV inference (ALVI) method. One strategy uses different survivor profiles of communities grown under similar conditions, while the other pertains to time series data. In addition, we address the question of whether observation data are compliant with the LV structure or require a richer modeling format. The code and data used in this manuscript are available at "https://github.com/LBSA-VoitLab/Inference_and_Validation_of_the_Structure_of_Lotka_Volterra_Models".
Forage and Woody Sprout Establishment on Cleared, Unbroken Land in Central Alberta

Five cultivated forages and rough fescue, a native bunchgrass, were successfully established on cleared but unbroken land in central Alberta that was either untilled or lightly tilled with a tandem disc. Woody suckers caused considerable competition for the forages and susceptible species were only partially controlled by one application of an herbicide. The sucker density of four shrub species increased greatly between the second and third year after clearing and seeding whereas the density of suckers of the only tree, aspen, declined. There was a one-third reduction in land-clearing costs using this method of forage establishment rather than using a crawler-tractor-drawn serrated disc or moldboard plow to break the land.
Handbook of Decision Making

Part I: Overview and Introduction Decision Making: An Overview of Theories, Contexts, and Methods, G. Morcol Part II: Theories of Decision Making The Contribution of Public Choice Analysis to Decision Making Theories in Public Administration: Past, Present, and Future, T. Heikkila Policy Making Through Disjointed Incrementalism, M. Hayes Bounded Rationality and Organizational Influence: Herbert Simon and the Behavioral Revolution, M. S. Mingus Practical Reasoning and Action: Simon's Administrative Behavior in Contex, P. Nieuwenburg Discourse, Decision, and the Doublet: An Essay on Crisis of Modern, T. J. Catlaw Evolution, Cognition, and Decision Making, S. A. Peterson Punctuated Equilibrium Models in Organizational Decision Making, S. E. Robinson Democratic Theory as a Frame for Decision Making: The Challenges by Discourse Theory and Governance Theory, E. Sorensen Governing Policy Networks, E. H. Klijn and J. F. M. Koppenjan Complex Systems Thinking and its Implications for Policy Analysis, K. A. Richardson The New Sensibilities of Nonlinear Decision Making: Timing, Praxis, and a Feel for Relationship, L. F. Dennard Decision Making in Interdisciplinary Studies, W. H. Newell Foundations of Confucian Decision Making, D. Jones Decision: Nishitani on Time and Karma, J. M. Wirth Theology and Decision Making: Judaism, A. A. Marcus Part III: Contexts of Decision Making Decision Making in Public Management Networks, R. Agranoff and M. Yildiz Political Decision Making within Metropolitan Areas, J. W. Meek The Rules of Drug Trafficking: Decision Making in Colombian Narcotics Enterprises, M. Kenney Information, Technology, and Decision Making, J. W. Dickey and I. A. Birdsall Decision-Making Models Used in E-Government Projects: Evidence from Turkey, M. Yildiz Budgeting as an Institutional Practice: Modeling Decision Making in the Budget, E. Choudhury Strategic Planning and Decision Making, O. Meilich and A. A. Marcus Part IV: Methods of Decision Making Experiments and Quasi-Experiments for Decision Making: Why, How, and How Good? M. M. Mark and J. Mills Cost Benefit Analysis, T. F. Nas Linear Programming and Integer Programming: Choosing the Optimal Mix of Alternatives, D. K. Gupta Queuing Theory and Simulations, D. K. Gupta Decision Making in Geographic Information Systems, A. Haque Q Methodology and Decision Making, D. W. Durning and S. R. Brown Methods of Assessing and Enhancing Creativity for Public Policy Decision Making, G. Morcol Participatory Decision Making: Using Conflict Management Theories, Methods, and Skills to Overcome the Rational and Irrational Sources of Conflict, S. Summers Raines Narrative Policy Analysis for Decision Making, E. Roe Index
Sources of Applications of Mathematics in Ecological and Environmental Subject Areas, Suitable for Classroom Use

Mathematics teachers are frequently dissatisfied with their sources of appropriate, realistic examples for classroom use. This paper, which is essentially a review and annotated bibliography (with the annotations appearing in the text itself) of selected articles and books that use mathematics in an ecological or “environmental” context, is a partial remedy for that dissatisfaction, I hope. The variety of mathematics that appears in biological, ecological, environmental, and resource economics literature is amazing—mathematical areas as diverse as Boolean algebra, optimal control theory, and Fourier analysis are used.
Selecting the best units in a fleet: performance prediction from equipment peers

We focus on the problem of selecting the few vehicles in a fleet that are expected to last the longest without failure. The prediction of each vehicle's remaining life is based on the aggregation of estimates from ‘peer' units, i.e. units with similar design, maintenance, and utilization characteristics. Peers are analogous to neighbors in Case-Based Reasoning, except that the states of the peer units are constantly changing with time and usage. We use an evolutionary learning framework to update the similarity criteria for peer identification. Results indicate that learning from peers is a robust and promising approach for the usually data-poor domain of equipment prognostics. The results also highlight the need for model maintenance to keep such a reasoning system vital over time.
Hydraulic and sediment transport properties of autogenic avulsion cycles on submarine fans with supercritical distributaries

Submarine fans, like other distributive systems, are built by repeated avulsion cycles. However, relative to deltas and alluvial fans, much less is known about avulsions in subaqueous settings. In this study, we ran a set of subaqueous fan experiments to investigate the mechanics associated with autogenic avulsion cycles of self-formed channels and lobe deposits on steep slopes. The experiments used saline density currents with crushed plastic to emulate sustained turbidity currents and bed load transport. We collected detailed hydraulic and bathymetric measurements and made use of a 1-D laterally expanding density current model to better understand different aspects of the avulsion cycle. Our results reveal three major components of the avulsion cycles: (1) distributary channel incision, extension, and stagnation; (2) mouth bar aggradation and hydraulic jump initiation; and (3) hydraulic jump sedimentation and upstream retreat. Interestingly, in all but one experiment, the avulsion cycles led to fans that remained perched above the basin slope break. Experimental data and hydraulic theory were used to unravel actual mechanics associated with cycles. We found that channels stopped extending into the basin due to a decay in sediment transport capacity relative to sediment supply and that the reduction in capacity was primarily an outcome of expansion-driven velocity reduction; dilution played a secondary role. Once channel extension ceased, mouth bar deposits aggraded to a thickness approximately equal to the critical step height needed to create a choked flow condition. The choke then initiated a hydraulic jump on the upstream side of the bar. Once formed, the jump detained a majority of the incoming sediment and forced the channel-to-lobe transition upstream, filling the channel with steep backset bedding and capping the entire channel with a mounded lobate deposit. These intrinsic processes repeated through multiple avulsion cycles to build the fan.
Steps from explanation planning to model construction dialogues

Human explanatory dialogue is an activity in which participants interactively construct explanatory models of the topic phenomenon. However, current explanation planning technology does not support such dialogue. In this paper we describe contributions in the areas of discourse planning architectures, heuristics for knowledge communication, and user interface design that take steps towards addressing this problem. First, our explanation planning architecture independently applies various constraints on the content and organization of explanation, avoiding the inflexibility and contextual assumptions of schematic discourse plans. Second, certain planning operators simulate a human explainer's efforts to choose and incrementally develop models of the topic phenomenon. Third, dialogue occurs in the medium of a "live information" interface designed to serve as the representational medium through which the activities of the machine and human are coupled. Collectively these contributions facilitate interactive model construction in human-machine dialogue.
Efficient terahertz phase modulation using vanadium dioxide meta-surfaces

Voltage-controlled terahertz phase modulation using vanadium dioxide reconfigurable meta-surfaces is presented and a proof-of-concept phase modulator operating at sub-THz frequencies is fabricated. We demonstrate the highest reported phase modulation of 60o at 85 GHz through a fully-integrated device platform.
Picosecond pulse generation with a cw GaAlAs laser diode

We report the generation of 20‐ps optical pulses at microwave repetition rate from a GaAlAs double‐heterostructure diode operating cw at room temperature. The diode is operated in an external optical resonator and is actively modulated at 3 GHz. The pulses are measured by autocorrelation using SHG in LiIO3. They are the shortest pulses ever reported for a cw laser diode.
Frames, Footing, and Teacher-Initiated Questions: An Analysis of a Beginning French Class for Adults

Unlike children learning to speak, adults come to the language-learning process with years of life experience. They may be beginners in a new language, but they are not beginners in their own lives. Yet, some of the most common types of teacher/student exchanges, especially those that follow a teacher-initiated question, may lead to situations in which students who are speaking about familiar topics still feel, act, and are treated as novices. This paper explores a beginning French class for adults, asking how the class participants deal with dual — and sometimes conflicting — roles. On the one hand, the teacher‘s knowledge of French puts her in the role of expert, especially in comparison to her beginning-level students. At the same time, teacher and students are all adults who, outside of the classroom, would meet as equals in terms of general knowledge and experience. These shifting roles can be seen especially clearly in interchanges following questions about students‘ own lives. While it seems evident that a student would know more about her background than anyone else, such questions often seem more like tests of how well students can answer in French than actual requests for information.
The Metallic Bond for Monolayer Transition Metal Layers on Transition Metal Surfaces

This present work discusses changes in the electronic and chemical properties of some transition metal layers on transition metal substrates, and presents a simple framework for understanding the results.
Agonist Trapping by GABAA Receptor Channels

GABAergic IPSCs have a relatively slow decay (deactivation) that appears to result from GABA A receptor channel openings that occur well beyond the predicted duration of free GABA at central synapses. Open and desensitized states have been suggested to prevent dissociation of agonist from the receptor, thus prolonging deactivation. However, simultaneous assessment of GABA binding and channel gating has not been possible. We developed a functional assay for occupancy of the GABA binding site or sites to test the GABA “trapping” hypothesis. Deactivation currents were compared in the absence and presence of bicuculline, a competitive antagonist that also allosterically inhibits GABA A receptors. This provided a model-independent, functional test of the hypothesis that GABA is trapped on the receptor during gating: bicuculline could only inhibit the channel if it was open but unbound by GABA. Although bicuculline inhibited spontaneous and neurosteroid-activated GABA A receptor currents, it failed to alter the deactivation time course of GABA-activated GABA A receptor currents. Protection of deactivation current from bicuculline block indicated that GABA remained bound to the receptors while the channel was open, thus suggesting that all open states, as well as all closed and desensitized states from which channel opening can occur, must be GABA liganded states. Trapping may be specific to agonists, because the positive allosteric modulator diazepam unbound from GABA A receptors independent of GABA binding and channel activity.
Geospatial ecology of adolescent problem behavior: contributions of community factors and parental monitoring

Addressed the ecology of deviant peer involvement, antisocial behavior and alcohol use, utilizing publically available information for indices of community risk/protective factors. A geospatial model was developed, combining geographic data (census, crime proximity, race/ethnicity, transportation accessibility) with information gathered for individual adolescents/household, geo-coded by home address. Adolescent-report of delinquency, association with deviant peers, substance use, and parental monitoring was obtained, along with parent-report of demographic characteristics. Deviant peer involvement was predicted by the Crime Proximity Index, with closeness of crime being associated with more deviant peer affiliation, as well as the Transportation Index, with greater accessibility leading to more involvement with troubled peers. Antisocial behaviors also increased with greater access to transportation. Adolescent alcohol use was lower in communities with a higher proportion of a non-Caucasian population, and increased with greater transportation access. Adolescent outcomes were associated with different prediction models, yet parental monitoring emerged as a consistent contributing factor.
Vitamin E Nutrition in the Rhesus Monkey

SummaryTwo normal monkeys were fed a vitamin E-free diet containing 3.6% calories as linoleic acid. Plasma α-tocopherol concentrations fell to 50% of initial values by 21 days and then remained essentially stable for another 39 days. d-α-Tocopherol was then added to the diet, 5 mg/kg for 40 days followed by 10 mg/kg for 60 days. The lower supplement stabilized the plasma level in one animal and gave a slight elevation in the other. The higher supplement produced progressive increases in both monkeys. It was estimated that the minimum requirement was slightly more than 0.36 mg d-α-tocopherol/g linoleic acid and that 0.72 mg was nutritionally adequate. Fecal excretion studies of normal doses of radioactive d-α-tocopherol gave an apparent intestinal absorption of about 50%.
Family structure and children's educational outcomes: blended families, stylized facts, and descriptive regressions.

This article adds to the growing literature describing correlations between children’s educational outcomes and family structure. Popular discussions have focused on the distinction between two-parent families and single-parent families. This article shows that educational outcomes for both types of children in blended families—stepchildren and their half-siblings who are the joint children of both parents—are similar to each other and substantially worse than outcomes for children reared in traditional nuclear families. We conclude that as a description of the data, the crucial distinction is between children reared in traditional nuclear families (i.e., families in which all children are the joint children of both parents) and children reared in other family structures (e.g., single-parent families or blended families). We then turn from “stylized facts” (i.e., simple correlations) that control only for family structure to “descriptive regressions” that control for other variables such as family income. When controls for other variables are introduced, the relationship between family structure and children’s educational outcomes weakens substantially and is often statistically insignificant.
Compositional Effect of Thin Electrode Functional Layers on the Performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Anode supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) were fabricated by addition of various metal oxides such as Fe2 O3 , Co3 O4 and TiO2 to thin anode functional layers between the electrolyte (yttria-stabilized zirconia, YSZ) and electrode materials (anode support: YSZ-NiO). Effect of the additives on the power density and impedance spectra of SOFC was studied. It was found that addition of Co3 O4 to anode functional layer was most effective towards improvement of power densities and reduction of the total ohmic resistance as well as the area specific resistance of the cells, while addition of TiO2 to anode functional layer resulted in lower power densities. Possible mechanisms on the relationship between the additives in electrode functional layers and the cell performance were briefly discussed.
Could Spinoza have known Bodin's coloquium Heptaplomares?

In Shlomo Pines' fascinating_ essay, "The Jewish Religion, after the Destruction of Temple and State: The Views of Bodin and Spinoza," the author shows some startling similarities between the views voiced by Bodin's Jewish protagonist, Salomo, and those of Uriel da Costa, Juan de Prado and Spinoza concerning the invalidity of Jewish ceremonial law after the Fall of the Temple and the ancient Jewish state, and the universal validity of natural law, before Moses, and up to the present. 1 At the conclusion of his essay, Pines stressed that Bodin's, or his character, Salamo's views, on Judaism ought to be studied in the context of Marrano thought. Spinoza raised in such a milieu, may have, according to Pines, read Bodin's Heptaplomares, and taken over some of its views, or Spinoza may have been influenced by someone who had read Bodin. z In his final footnote, 58, Pines considered whether Spinoza could have known the contents of the Heptaplomares. 3 The prevailing scholarly opinion both of Chauvir6, who edited a French translation of the work, 4 and Marion Daniel Kuntz, who edited the English, is that copies were rare in the first half of the seventeenth century. Queen Christina had difficulty in obtaining a copy. Later on, post Spinoza, copies were most easily obtainable. We are told that Grotius had a copy. John Milton had one, as did Henri de Mesmes and Johannes Cordesius in Paris. The latter's copy is thought to be the source of both Grotius's copy and Christina's. Queen Christina apparently borrowed a copy in 1654, and returned it in 166 l, and then had her own copy, which is in the Vatican Library. 5 Spinoza, as far as we know, was not acquainted with any of the persons mentioned above, and probably had no access to their libraries. However, a close friend and personal acquaintance of Spinoza, Henry Oldenburg, not only knew the text, and apparently had a copy, but was anxiously trying to get the leader of the
Microbial enhancement of oil recovery

Microorganisms and microbial products can be used to recover oil from reservoirs. To be successful, the complexity of oil and the physical constraints in the reservoir must be taken into account. The three general approaches are: stimulation of the endogenous microbial population; injection of microorganisms with proven ability to perform well in situ; and the use of microbial products, such as xanthan gum, produced by Xanthomonas campestris.
Surface Cracks in Toroidal Shells

Toroidal shells containing a surface crack and subjected to various symmetric and antisymmetric loading conditions are considered. A singular integral formulation of a through crack located along a principal line of curvature of a shell is used along with the line spring model to treat the surface crack problem. Transverse shear deformations are taken into account in the shell theory. Locating the crack along a line or principal curvature uncouples the symmetric mode I deformations from the antisymmetric mode II and III deformations, which are inherently coupled. Mode I loadings considered include membrane loading and bending, while the mode II and III cases include in plane shear, twisting and transverse shear. In addition to these loadings, residual stresses resulting in mode I deformations are considered. Stress intensity factors for the various loadings are given for shell geometries representative of spherical caps, cylindrical pipes and pipe elbows for a number of crack locations.
Rapid redistribution of auxin-regulated RNAs during gravitropism

Gravitropism, the bending of plants in response to gravity, is caused by differential growth rates on two sides of a responding organ. The general belief, although somewhat controversial, is that auxins play a major role in gravitropism by controlling the rate of cell extension. The tissue print technique was used to ascertain the distribution of auxin-regulated RNAs during the gravitropic response of soybean hypocotyls. In vertically oriented seedlings, auxin-regulated RNAs are symmetrically distributed in the elongating region of the hypocotyl. In horizontally orientated seedlings the distribution becomes asymmetrical within 20 minutes and the greatest asymmetry coincides with the onset of rapid bending. The results provide a clear correlation between the dynamic expression of genes under auxin control and a morphogenetic phenomenon traditionally known as an auxin response.
Long-term assessment of cryopreserved vein bypass grafting success***

Abstract Purpose: When autogenous vein is unavailable, cryopreserved veins have been used in patients as a means of attempted limb salvage. We evaluated the long-term patency and limb salvage rates for patients undergoing bypass grafting with cryopreserved veins. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for patients undergoing cryovein bypass grafting at two hospitals from 1992 to 1997. Follow-up data were obtained from subsequent admissions and office records. Primary outcomes were death, amputation, and primary patency. Skin integrity and additional bypass grafting procedures were assessed when data were available. Analysis was performed by means of life-table and χ 2 analyses with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: Seventy-six patients (mean age, 70 ± 11 years) underwent 80 procedures. Indications for surgery were tissue loss (63%), rest pain (24%), acute ischemia (11%), and other (2%). Early complications included 3 deaths (4%), 14 acute thromboses (18%), and 7 major amputations (9%). The mean follow-up period was 17.8 ± 20.89 months (range, 0-77 months). The primary patency rate was determined to be 36.8% at 1 year and 23.6% at 3 years by means of life-table analysis. The limb salvage rate was 65.5% at 1 year and 62.3% at 3 years. Skin integrity was found to be compromised in 17 (55%) of 31 patients who were available to follow-up. Nine patients (11.3%) underwent additional ipsilateral revascularization or revisions, with one of three of these patients eventually requiring a major amputation. Conclusion: Cryopreserved vein may be a reasonable alternative conduit for limb salvage when no autogenous tissue is available; it has an acceptable limb salvage rate (62.3%) at 3 years. Long-term patency remains relatively poor, with only 23.6% of originally placed grafts patent at 3 years. The use of cryopreserved veins should be strictly confined to limb salvage after a thorough search for autogenous tissue has been exhausted. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:528-32.)
Finite transform solution of the temperature of a plate heated by a moving discrete source.

Thin plate temperature distribution from solving conduction equation, considering boundary convection losses and moving discrete heat source
Platelets guide the formation of early metastatic niches.

During metastasis, host cells are recruited to disseminated tumor cells to form specialized microenvironments (“niches”) that promote metastatic progression, but the mechanisms guiding the assembly of these niches are largely unknown. Tumor cells may autonomously recruit host cells or, alternatively, host cell-to-host cell interactions may guide the formation of these prometastatic microenvironments. Here, we show that platelet-derived rather than tumor cell-derived signals are required for the rapid recruitment of granulocytes to tumor cells to form “early metastatic niches.” Granulocyte recruitment relies on the secretion of CXCL5 and CXCL7 chemokines by platelets upon contact with tumor cells. Blockade of the CXCL5/7 receptor CXCR2, or transient depletion of either platelets or granulocytes prevents the formation of early metastatic niches and significantly reduces metastatic seeding and progression. Thus, platelets recruit granulocytes and guide the formation of early metastatic niches, which are crucial for metastasis.
Current and future trends in the prevention, treatment and control of rabies.

Rabies remains a global zoonosis of major public health, agricultural and economic significance. Dogs are the major animal reservoirs in developing regions, wildlife maintain cycles of infection even in developed countries and new viral etiological agents continue to emerge. Nearly all human rabies cases are related directly to animal bite and thus, primary disease prevention requires minimization of suspected exposures. Once exposure occurs, modern prophylaxis entails immediate wound care, local infiltration of rabies immune globulin and parenteral administration of modern cell culture vaccines in multiple doses. Pre-exposure vaccination should occur in selected population groups at risk of occupational exposure. Historically, survival from fatal rabies by at least five human patients, vaccinated prior to the onset of clinical signs, signaled initial optimism as to the theoretical utility of medical intervention. Recently, the heroic recovery of an unvaccinated teenager from clinical rabies offers hope o...
CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF E‐RATER® IN SCORING TOEFL® ESSAYS

This study examined the construct validity of the e-rater® automated essay scoring engine as an alternative to human scoring in the context of TOEFL® essay writing. Analyses were based on a sample of students who repeated the TOEFL within a short time period. Two e-rater scores were investigated in this study, the first based on optimally predicting the human essay score and the second based on equal weights for the different features of e-rater. Within a multitrait-multimethod approach, the correlations and reliabilities of human and e-rater scores were analyzed together with TOEFL subscores (structured writing, reading, and listening) and with essay length. Possible biases between human and e-rater scores were examined with respect to differences in performance across countries of origin and differences in difficulty across prompts. Finally, a factor analysis was conducted on the e-rater features to investigate the interpretability of their internal structure and determine which of the two e-rater scores reflects this structure more closely. Results showed that the e-rater score based on optimally predicting the human score measures essentially the same construct as human-based essay scores with significantly higher reliability and consequently higher correlations with related language scores. The equal-weights e-rater score showed the same high reliability but significantly lower correlation with essay length. It is also aligned with the 3-factor hierarchical (word use, grammar, and discourse) structure that was discovered in the factor analysis. Both e-rater scores also successfully replicate human score differences between countries and prompts.
ACT2 peer-driven intervention increases enrollment into HIV/AIDS medical studies among African Americans/Blacks and Hispanics: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

African American/Black and Hispanic persons living with HIV/AIDS (“AABH-PLHA”) are under-represented in HIV/AIDS medical studies (HAMS). This paper evaluates the efficacy of a social/behavioral intervention to increase rates of screening for and enrollment into HAMS in these populations. Participants (N = 540) were enrolled into a cluster randomized controlled trial of an intervention designed to overcome multi-level barriers to HAMS. Primary endpoints were rates of screening for and enrollment into therapeutic/treatment-oriented and observational studies. Intervention arm participants were 30 times more likely to be screened than controls (49.3 % vs. 3.7 %; p < .001). Half (55.5 %) of those screened were eligible for HAMS, primarily observational studies. Nine out of ten found eligible enrolled (91.7 %), almost all into observational studies (95.2 %), compared to no enrollments among controls. Achieving appropriate representation of AABH-PLHA in HAMS necessitates modification of study inclusion criteria to increase the proportion found eligible for therapeutic HAMS, in addition to social/behavioral interventions.
Harmonic mode locking of the Nd:YAG laser

We present experimental and theoretical results for N th harmonic mode locking of a Nd:YAG laser with an intracavity phase modulator operating at N = 2, 3, 4, and 5 times the fundamental c/2L frequency. The bandwidths of the resulting mode-locked spectra depend upon modulation frequency, modulation depth, and laser cavity losses in good agreement with the Gaussian-pulse analysis of Kuizenga and Siegman [5]. For modulation at N(c/2L) the resulting pulse-repetition frequency is also N(c/2L) in all cases. However, in the N = 2 case, for example, the mode-locked optical spectrum includes every adjacent axial mode component if the laser rod is located near the center of the laser cavity, but only every other axial mode when the rod is located at the end of the laser cavity. This behavior is explained by a Lamb-type theoretical analysis taking into account the competition between the two "hypermodes," or sets of interleaved next-adjacent axial modes, that can oscillate separately or simultaneously in the N = 2 case.
Temporal Relationship and Prognostic Significance of Atrial Fibrillation in Heart Failure Patients With Preserved Ejection Fraction A Community-Based Study

Background—In patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), atrial fibrillation (AF) may predate, concur with, or develop after HFpEF diagnosis. We sought to define the temporal relationship between AF and HFpEF, to identify factors associated with AF, and to determine the prognostic impact of prevalent and incident AF in HFpEF. Method and Results—From 1983 to 2010, 939 Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents (age, 77±12 years; 61% female) newly diagnosed with HFpEF (EF ≥0.50) were evaluated. Baseline rhythm classification included prior AF (>3 months before HFpEF diagnosis), concurrent AF (±3 months), or sinus rhythm. Incident AF (>3 months after HFpEF diagnosis) and all-cause mortality were ascertained through February 2012. Prior AF (29%) and concurrent AF (23%) were associated with older age, higher brain-type natriuretic peptide, and larger left atrial volume index at HFpEF diagnosis compared with sinus rhythm. Of HFpEF patients in sinus rhythm at diagnosis, 32% developed AF over ...
Nest box selection by floor laying and reproductively naive captive cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus)

Abstract These experiments examined the effects of offering captive cockatiels a choice of two types of nest boxes which differed primarily in type of nest entrance. The nest entrance to cavity-type boxes was circular and relatively small (6.4 cm diameter), while that to shelf-type boxes was rectangular and relatively large (15.2 cm × 26 cm). Cockatiels with histories of laying in cavity-type boxes tended to choose cavity-type boxes for their first and subsequent clutches. Cockatiels with histories of either laying on cage floors or not laying in the previous breeding trial were more likely to choose shelf-type boxes for first clutches but then switched to cavity-type boxes for subsequent clutches. Approximately one-third of reproductively naive cockatiels also chose shelf-type boxes for first clutches but increasingly used cavity-type boxes for subsequent clutches. Cockatiels laid in cavity-type boxes never switched to shelf-type boxes. Fertility, hatchability and fledging success (survival to 3 weeks of age) were all greater in cavity-type boxes, resulting in greater chick production. These results indicate that chronic floor laying can be corrected by offering cockatiels shelf-type boxes and that shelf-type boxes may be useful for improving captive reproductive performance of non-layers and naive layers as well.
A Novel Automethylation Reaction in the Aspergillus nidulans LaeA Protein Generates S-Methylmethionine

The filamentous fungi in the genus Aspergillus are opportunistic plant and animal pathogens that can adapt to their environment by producing various secondary metabolites, including lovastatin, penicillin, and aflatoxin. The synthesis of these small molecules is dependent on gene clusters that are globally regulated by the LaeA protein. Null mutants of LaeA in all pathogenic fungi examined to date show decreased virulence coupled with reduced secondary metabolism. Although the amino acid sequence of LaeA contains the motifs characteristic of seven-β-strand methyltransferases, a methyl-accepting substrate of LaeA has not been identified. In this work we did not find a methyl-accepting substrate in Aspergillus nidulans with various assays, including in vivo S-adenosyl-[methyl-3H]methionine labeling, targeted in vitro methylation experiments using putative protein substrates, or in vitro methylation assays using whole cell extracts grown under different conditions. However, in each experiment LaeA was shown to self-methylate. Amino acid hydrolysis of radioactively labeled LaeA followed by cation exchange and reverse phase chromatography identified methionine as the modified residue. Point mutations show that the major site of modification of LaeA is on methionine 207. However, in vivo complementation showed that methionine 207 is not required for the biological function of LaeA. LaeA is the first protein to exhibit automethylation at a methionine residue. These findings not only indicate LaeA may perform novel chemistry with S-adenosylmethionine but also provide new insights into the physiological function of LaeA.
Behavioral teratology investigation of l-propanol administered by inhalation to rats

Abstract Due to their structural similarity to ethanol, a human teratogen, and their widespread use in industry, a series of industrial alcohols are being investigated for developmental toxicity. This paper presents the results of exposures to 7000 ppm l-propanol, which is minimally toxic to maternal animals and produces a low incidence of teratogenicity, and to 3500 ppm l-propanol, which is not toxic to maternal rats and produces no teratogenicity. Propanol vapors or filtered air was administered for 7 hr/day to 15 pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats throughout gestation or to 18 male rats daily for 6 weeks. Tests of offspring were: a) ascent on a wire mesh screen, b) rotorod, c) open field and optically monitored activity, d) running wheel, e) avoidance conditioning, and f) progressive fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement. Brains from 10 rats per group were dissected into cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and midbrain, and were assayed for protein, acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, β-endorphin, Met-enkephalin, and substance P. Overall, the results indicate that exposure to high concentrations of l-propanol can affect fertility in exposed males (only 2 of 17 produced litters), but there were no consistent effects seen in the behavioral or neurochemical tests measured. This lack of effects is surprising based on predictions from the structural similarity of l-propanol to ethanol, and on long-standing observations that toxicity (to adult animals) increases with carbon chain length among the aliphatic alcohols.