cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical evaluation of path-integral solutions to Fokker-Planck equations

A numerical method, based on the path-integral formalism, is presented to solve nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with natural boundary conditions. For one-dimensional stochastic processes, several specific examples possessing exact analytic solutions are evaluated numerically for purposes of comparison. Various discretization prescriptions are investigated and found to be equivalent as expected. The numerical method is shown to give accurate results provided the spatial discretization and the time step satisfy certain relationships determined by the drift and the diffusion functions of the nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations. 26 refs., 5 figs.
The relationship between selected measures of periodontal status and demographic and behavioural risk factors.

Objective: To assess differences between selected periodontal measures by demographic and behavioural factors in a nationally representative sample of the United States. Methods: Data for 11,347 person's ages 20-79 years from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) were used. Indices and measures constructed from NHANES III data used for this study were: derived community periodontal index (dCPI), attachment loss extent index (ALEI), attachment loss (AL) scores, and a Periodontal Status Measure (PSM) developed for this study. Results: The influence of demographic and behavioural factors varied across the four indices examined in multivariate cumulative logistic models. Moreover, there was significant effect modification by cigarette smoking with age in the ALEI and AL models. The odds ratio (OR) of increasing periodontal disease status among 20-39 year olds as measured by AL or ALEI for current smokers compared with non-smokers were OR = 6.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.1, 8.7) and OR = 5.6 (95% CI = 3.7, 8.7), respectively. In a similar comparison, the OR for dCPI was 2.6 (95% CI = 1.7, 3.8). Furthermore, Mexican American ethnicity was generally not significant in any models using dCPI, PSM, AL, or ALEI and prior dental visit was more likely to be significant only in the dCPI and PSM models. Discussion: Among the well-known demographic and behavioural influences on periodontal health status, some, such as race/ethnicity and prior dental visit status have different relationships with differing periodontal measures employed to assess periodontal status. Moreover, potential interactions among cofactors also are dependent upon the measure selected. Periodontal research findings may be influenced significantly by periodontal measure selection and its affect on measurement validity. This may have particular relevance to issues concerning disease surveillance and assessing reduction of disparities in oral health. Consequently, a renewed approach to developing appropriate measures for periodontal epidemiology is needed.
Polarization mapping of nanoparticle plasmonic coupling

We propose the use of polarization mapping as a tool to better separate the effects of plasmonic coupling from the local refractive index for molecular imaging and biosensing using gold nanoparticles. Polarization mapping allows identification of the orthogonal excitation mode when the particle dimer orientation is unknown, as may be the case when using plasmonic nanoparticles for cell labeling. This information can be used to sense relative changes in the dielectric environment, or for absolute dielectric sensing with additional a priori interparticle distance information. First, the theoretical scattering by nanoparticle pairs is modeled under parallel and orthogonal polarization orientations and increasing interparticle separation. Second, polarization mapping of substrate bound nanoparticles using dark-field microspectroscopy is investigated as a method to isolate the individual plasmonic coupling modes associated with a pair of nanoparticles without reorientation of the sample. The results of this study provide useful insight toward potential avenues for monitoring distances using plasmonic nanoparticles and sensing the local refractive index using nanoparticle pairs when the pair orientation is not known, as may be the case when using nanoparticles for cell receptor labeling.
Prospective evaluation of positron emission tomography for the detection of groin node metastases from vulvar cancer.

Abstract Objective. We set out to determine the ability of positron emission tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose to detect groin lymph node metastases from vulvar cancer. Methods. From January 2000 to August 2001, patients with squamous cell cancer of the vulva undergoing radical excision and lymphadenectomy were offered preoperative positron emission tomography. The imaging and pathologic status of each patient and groin were compared, and the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of positron emission tomography in predicting nodal metastasis were determined. Results. Fifteen patients underwent positron emission tomography prior to exploration of 29 groins. Six patients had positive scans, suggesting metastases in 8 groins. Pathologically, 5 patients had metastases in 9 groins, with positron emission tomography demonstrating metastases in 4 of 5 patients and 6 of 9 groins with disease. On a patient-by-patients basis, positron emission tomography had a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 90%, positive predictive value of 80%, and negative predictive value of 90% in demonstrating metastases. On a groin-by-groin basis, positron emission tomography had a sensitivity of 67%, specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 86%, and negative predictive value of 86%. Positron emission tomography was more accurate in detecting extranodal metastases than disease confined within the groin nodes ( P = 0.048). Conclusions. Positron emission tomography is relatively insensitive in predicting lymph node metastasis, and a negative study is not a reliable surrogate for a pathologically negative groin. However, the high specificity suggests that positron emission tomography is useful in planning radiation therapy and as an adjunct to lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node dissection.
Combining X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and vibrational microscopy to assess highly heterogeneous, actinide-contaminated materials

Combining X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry with micro-Raman and infrared spectroscopies is shown to be a powerful experimental approach in providing information on components present in highly heterogeneous materials which contain or have been in contact with actinides. In this initial study, the quantitative XRF data demonstrate a correlation in the relative amounts of plutonium with other elements such as strontium and yttrium. The XRF mapping provides further evidence for correlation of these (and other) elements and identifies regions of interest within the sample to be further studied. These regions were then examined by vibrational microscopy to supply information on molecular species present and their spatial distribution. This experimental approach provides insight into very complex samples and provides a technique capable of exploring interactions of molecular components with actinides in complex media.
The effect of hematoporphyrin and light on human platelets. III. Release of potassium and acid phosphatase

Human platelets, exposed to hematoporphyrin and light, were depleted of potassium and acid phosphatase. A linear relationship was demonstrated between the per cent depletion of potassium from irradiated platelets and the log dose of hematoporphyrin. The initial release of potassium and acid phosphatase from irradiated platelets was first order. Rate constants demonstrated that potassium was released five times faster than acid phosphatase. At 4°C, release of both potassium and acid phosphatase was the same as at 37°C. These results are compared to previous data on the release of serotonin from irradiated platelets.
Bird Migration: Influence of Physiological State upon Celestial Orientation

By means of photoperiod manipulation, the physiological states of spring and autumn migratory readiness were induced in indigo buntings. The orientational tendencies of these two groups of birds were tested simultaneously in May 1968, under an artificial, spring planetarium sky. Birds in spring condition oriented northward; those in autumnal condition, southward. These results suggest that changes in the internal physiological state of the bird rather than differences in the external stimulus situation are responsible for the seasonal reversal of preferred migration direction in this species.
Therapy of sepsis.

Abstract The term ‘sepsis' is often used synonymously with ‘infection' or ‘bacteremia'. Additional definitions, e.g. ‘systemic inflammatory response syndrome', have been proposed. These terms have been employed to establish entry criteria for clinical trials of antibiotic therapy and adjunctive therapies. It may be appropriate to utilize these descriptions when initiating therapy of suspected bacterial infections, since culture confirmation is often not available for days after initial clinical presentation. Empiric antibiotic therapy is now the rule rather than the exception for febrile hospitalized patients. No antimicrobial agent is superior for all major clinical situations and thus history and physical examination are critical factors which guide the clinician. Guidelines have been derived for the initial empiric management of serious infection. While these were initially refined for the immunocompromized host, they may be considered generally applicable for the hospitalized patient with a suspected serious systemic bacterial infection. Currently, monotherapy with agents such as cefepime, ceftazidime, imipenem/cilastatin and meropenem has been sanctioned on the basis of their broad antimicrobial coverage and stability to clinically important β-lactamases (although there is considerable variation from one compound to another). Perception of local epidemiologic patterns is a major factor in the selection of initial antibacterial therapy for hospital-acquired infection.
MAKING VOTERS COUNT: Evidence from Field Experiments about the Efficacy of Domestic Election Observation

Elections are important because they hold the promise of empowering voters to hold leaders accountable. The sad reality, however, is that voters in less than democratic states often are marginalized because of widespread election fraud. Field experiments in three different countries are here used to show that high-quality civil society ob- servers can reduce fraud on election day. The results also confirm that all regimes are not equally sensitive to such interventions. For the first time new fraud forensics techniques are used to examine observer effects. I argue that a reduction in detectable fraud forces authorities to engage with the electorate more directly, instead of focusing their efforts on bureaucratically manipulating the outcome. It is suggested that when faced with monitoring, autocrats substitute election fraud with other forms of manipulation, in the form of vote buying and intimidation. This in itself constitutes a perverse form of empowerment of voters, perverse since the process continues to be both un-free and unfair.
Applicability of research findings to conservation policy.

Baldwin et al. (2007 [this issue]) raise a number of concerns about our efforts to discern the independent effects of human activity levels and distributions on biodiversity (Brown & Laband 2006). Their central point of contention seems to be that we failed to acknowledge properly in our work that “land-use change due to sprawl is a leading threat to biological diversity in the United States.” We agree with much of their presentation, including (1) that populations of most states are growing; (2) that cities within most of those states are “sprawling”; and (3) that numerous species around those growing cities are affected negatively—even imperiled—by this dual-action process of urban population growth and subsequent urban expansion. We agree further that public policies should be implemented that address the cause(s) of this emerging and undisputed rise in species imperilment. Baldwin et al. appear to favor “exurban planning” and other urban-sprawl mitigation policies. We support policies that address specific (i.e., independent) causes of imperilment and derive from conclusions based on relevant empirical research. Insofar as we are aware, our research is the first and only effort to disentangle the independent and separate effects of changing levels of human presence and changing distributions of that presence. We sought to identify the individual effect of human population diffusion on species imperilment, controlling separately for the size or level of that population. Our concern was that the dual-action process of sprawl may affect biodiversity differently depending on whether (1) increased populations live within fixed areas; (2) fixed populations live within expanded areas; or (3) increased populations live within expanded areas. The definition of sprawl by Baldwin et al. does not differentiate between these possibilities even though they each may generate unique sets of policy prescriptions. The empirical chal-
Influence of Asymmetric Stiffness on the Structural and Aerodynamic Response of Synthetic Vocal Fold Models

The influence of asymmetric vocal fold stiffness on voice production was evaluated using life-sized, self-oscillating vocal fold models with an idealized geometry based on the human vocal folds. The models were fabricated using flexible, materially-linear silicone compounds with Young's modulus values comparable to that of vocal fold tissue. The models included a two-layer design to simulate the vocal fold layered structure. The respective Young's moduli of elasticity of the "left" and "right" vocal fold models were varied to create asymmetric conditions. High-speed videokymography was used to measure maximum vocal fold excursion, vibration frequency, and left-right phase shift, all of which were significantly influenced by asymmetry. Onset pressure, a measure of vocal effort, increased with asymmetry. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis showed significantly greater skewing of the glottal jet in the direction of the stiffer vocal fold model. Potential applications to various clinical conditions are mentioned, and suggestions for future related studies are presented.
Biological code breaking in the 21st century.

Mol Syst Biol. 2: 2006.0018 Just as early molecular biologists made the conceptual leap from the unique structure of DNA—with its precise sequence of nucleotides and complementary strands—to a theoretical and empirical solution to the genetic coding problem, four decades later a new generation of biologists is tackling a similar scientific challenge, this time of even greater complexity. How do DNA sequences specify the coordinated temporal and spatial expression patterns of functionally related genes throughout the life cycle of an organism? Whereas recognition of the fundamental relationships among DNA, RNA and protein provided the impetus for unraveling the genetic code, comparative sequence analysis, gene expression profiles, transcription factor binding site specificities, chromatin immunoprecipitation and powerful computational tools to analyze and integrate these diverse data sets are priming the way for deciphering the cis ‐regulatory codes that direct specific gene expression patterns. A paper by Ukkonen, Taipale and co‐workers (Hallikas et al , 2006) in a recent issue of Cell is among the latest important contributions to this quest. Detailed studies of transcriptional cis ‐regulatory elements from different species and biological contexts have yielded the general view that promoters and enhancers are modular; that is, they consist of closely clustered binding sites for one or more transcription factors. This structure facilitates combinatorial interactions among transcription factors, a mechanism that plays an essential role in generating gene expression specificity and diversity in metazoans (Levine and Tjian, 2003). Modularity also enables cis ‐regulatory elements to integrate convergent inputs from intrinsic factors—acquired early in the development of a cell—with later‐acting extrinsic signals (Carroll et al , 2005). Superimposed on this complexity is the need for a cell to simultaneously express genes encoding proteins with related functions. Perhaps the most economical solution to the latter problem is for coexpressed genes to contain similar cis …
Diabetic kidney disease: impact of puberty.

Puberty accelerates microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus, including nephropathy. Animal studies confirm a different renal hypertrophic response to diabetes before and after puberty, pro...
Phosphodiesterase 4D polymorphisms and the risk of cerebral infarction in a biracial population: the Stroke Prevention in Young Women Study

An association between polymorphisms within the phosphodiesterase 4D gene (PDE4D) and ischemic stroke was initially reported in older adults from Iceland and has been supported by studies in several other primarily elderly populations. In the present study, we examined the association between PDE4D polymorphisms and early-onset ischemic stroke in a biracial female population. A systematic search for polymorphisms in the highly evolutionary conserved regions of PDE4D was performed on 48 African-American and 48 Caucasian participants. Novel and known polymorphisms were then prioritized and genotyped in the entire study population of 224 cases of first ischemic stroke among women aged 15–49 and 211 age- and ethnicity-balanced control subjects. Forty novel and previously reported polymorphisms with a minor allele frequency greater than 0.05 were determined, with 23 polymorphisms selected for analysis in the full case–control sample. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), linkage disequilibrium and haplotype analyses were performed. SNP rs918592, found in an intron near the 5′ end of the gene, was significantly associated with stroke (age- and race-adjusted odds ratio (OR = 1.5, P = 0.007), with four other SNPs showing significant, albeit less strong, associations. The magnitude of association was similar across African-Americans and Caucasians and across multiple stroke subtypes (e.g. atherosclerotic, lacunar and non-lacunar of undetermined etiology). The association of rs918592 with stroke was confined exclusively to current smokers (OR = 3.2, P = 0.00014), with no association observed among never-smokers (OR = 0.9, P = 0.75) or former smokers (OR = 1.2, P = 0.66), demonstrating a gene–environment interaction (P = 0.03). A strong dose–response relationship was also seen among current smokers. No specific risk haplotypes were identified.
Adaptive control of system with unknown output backlash

Adaptive control schemes for systems with unknown backlash at the plant output are developed. In the case of known backlash, a backlash inverse controller guarantees exact output tracking. When the backlash characteristics are unknown, adaptive laws are designed to update the controller parameters and to guarantee bounded input-output stability. Simulations show significant improvements of the system performance achieved by such adaptive backlash inverse controllers. >
Defective mitochondrial disulfide relay system, altered mitochondrial morphology and function in Huntington's disease

A number of studies have been conducted that link mitochondrial dysfunction (MD) to Huntington's disease (HD); however, contradicting results had resulted in a lack of a clear mechanism that links expression of mutant Huntingtin protein and MD. Mouse homozygous (HM) and heterozygous (HT) mutant striatal cells with two or one allele encoding for a mutant huntingtin protein with 111 polyGln repeats showed a significant impairment of the mitochondrial disulfide relay system (MDRS). This system (consisting of two proteins, Gfer and Mia40) is involved in the mitochondrial import of Cys-rich proteins. The Gfer-to-Mia40 ratio was significantly altered in HM cells compared with controls, along with the expression of mitochondrial proteins considered substrates of the MDRS. In progenitors and differentiated neuron-like HM cells, impairment of MDRS were accompanied by deficient oxidative phosphorylation, Complex I, IV and V activities, decreased mtDNA copy number and transcripts, accumulation of mtDNA deletions and changes in mitochondrial morphology, consistent with other MDRS-deficient biological models, thus providing a framework for the energy deficits observed in this HD model. The majority (>90%) of the mitochondrial outcomes exhibited a gene-dose dependency with the expression of mutant Htt. Finally, decreases in the mtDNA copy number, along with the accumulation of mtDNA deletions, provide a mechanism for the progressive neurodegeneration observed in HD patients.
Low bending rippled structure design and frictional energy disturbance analysis for superconductive magnet energy storage

Friction between the structure and conductor is the largest potential thermal disturbance to superconductive magnetic energy storage (SMES) conductors. Direct calculation of the disturbance is difficult because input assumptions on friction coefficients and slippage distances are not reliable for a stick-slip occurrence. A general approach is presented in which the disturbance E/sub D/ is calculated as the difference in strain energy before and after slippage, which is independent of the friction coefficient and slippage details. The disturbance is found for the low bending ripple, circular ripple, and nonripple structures. The low bending ripple structure has a very small disturbance, approximately 2% of that for a nonripple structure.
Two Marine Species of Flabellula (Amoebida, Mayorellidae)*

SYNOPSIS. Two species of amoebae identified as Flabellula citata Schaeffer, 1926, and F. calkinsi (Hogue, 1914) were isolated from saltwater habitats on the Maine coast. Both species showed the locomotive form and behavior of the genus Flabellula emend. Bovee, 1965. Both showed a mitotic pattern distinct from that of the genus Vannella Bovee, 1965, supporting Bovee's subdivision of Schaeffer's genus Flabellula. Preparations of F. calkinsi had an unusually high proportion of cells with 2 or more nuclei. F. calkinsi is a voracious cannibal. Neither F. citata nor F. calkinsi formed cysts in culture. Both species could be cultivated on media made with highly dilute sea water, but neither survived in a medium equivalent to a freshwater medium.
Mutual information and posterior estimates in channels of exponential family type

Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the connections between information-theoretic and estimation-theoretic properties of various noisy channel models. For example, Guo, Shamai, and Verdu´ have shown that mutual information in Gaussian channels is related in a simple way to minimum mean-square error, regardless of the input distribution. In this paper, we consider the class of E-type channels, i.e., additive noise channels induced by an exponential family of distributions. We derive several differential and integral representations of the mutual information and the posterior information gain that are valid for any E-type channel regardless of input distribution. Next, we establish an extremal property of E-type channels that connects the Bayesian concept of a posterior estimate with a natural rate-distortion problem and makes precise a qualitative observation made by Mitter and Newton concerning information-theoretic properties of optimal nonlinear filters. Finally, we indicate how our results may be used to show monotonicity of the mutual information in E-type channels as a function of a “channel quality” parameter without assuming stochastic degradation.
0438 Differences in Occupational Injury Rates by Age Group, Industry and Injury Type

Objectives The US workforce, like workforces around the globe, is ageing - which creates new challenges for occupational health researchers and practitioners. Throughout their working lives, workers experience changes in occupational exposures, behaviours and time demands. The ways in which age-related changes in specific injury risk factors interact to influence injury risk are complex. Data reported in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports Data collected by the United States Bureau of Labour Statistics was analysed to compare age-related differences in occupational injury rates across several industrial sectors and subsectors. Method Occupational injury incidence rate estimates were developed to compare age-related patterns by industry and injury type. Injury count data from 2010, stratified by age group, industry sector and injury type, were provided by the US Bureau of Labour Statistics Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. The Current Population Survey was used to develop estimates of at-risk experience. Data from a diverse collection of industry subgroups (defined by NAICS codes) were analysed, including agriculture, transportation and warehousing, private hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, police protection and construction. Results There are significant differences in the rates of occupational injuries when stratified by age group, industry and injury type. Conclusions Additional research should explore the reasons why occupational injury rates differ by age group, industry and injury type. Occupational safety programs and policies should consider age-related differences in injury risks when allocating resources toward prevention efforts.
Towards G2G: systems of technology database systems

We present an approach and methodology for developing Government-to-Government (G2G) systems of technology database systems. G2G will deliver technologies for distributed and remote integration of technology data for internal use in analysis and planning as well as for external communications. G2G enables NASA managers, engineers, operational teams and information systems to "compose" technology roadmaps and plans by selecting, combining, extending, specializing and modifying components of technology database systems. G2G will interoperate information and knowledge that is distributed across organizational entities involved that is ideal for NASA future Exploration Enterprise. Key contributions of the G2G system will include the creation of an integrated approach to sustain effective management of technology investments that supports the ability of various technology database systems to be independently managed. The integration technology will comply with emerging open standards. Applications can thus be customized for local needs while enabling an integrated management of technology approach that serves the global needs of NASA. The G2G capabilities will use NASA's breakthrough in database "composition" and integration technology, will use and advance emerging open standards, and will use commercial information technologies to enable effective System of Technology Database systems
Longitudinal mechanical tension induces growth in the small bowel of juvenile rats.

Introduction: The aim of our study was to apply longitudinal force to the small bowel to increase the length of intestine in juvenile rats. Methods: Fifty juvenile rats had double barrelled, blind loop ostomies created using an isolated segment of bowel. Our intestinal lengthening device was inserted into one of the loops and the second loop served as a control. Once the device was deployed, the experimental, control, and in situ segments of bowel were evaluated for length, weight, histology, and disaccharidase enzyme activity. Results: Mechanical tension increased intestinal length by 149%. The lengthened bowel also exhibited a greater total weight (218%), greater mucosal weight (122%), and increased protein mass (164%) compared with the control limb of bowel. Histologically, there was a markedly increased thickness of the muscularis propria in the lengthened bowel (200% increase compared with the control limb). Functionally, we found increased total disaccharidase activity in the lengthened bowel (between 47% and 350%, depending on the particular enzyme tested; p Conclusion: Mechanical tension induces intestinal growth by increasing length, weight of the bowel and mucosa, and protein mass. Histological changes, such as increases in Paneth cells, suggest that increased proliferation and reorganisation of the mucosa and muscularis propria are a response to mechanical tension. Functionally, increased intestinal length corresponds with increased disaccharidase activity, thus implying potential increased absorptive capacity of the lengthened bowel.
The ligament of Marshall: a structural analysis in human hearts with implications for atrial arrhythmias.

Abstract OBJECTIVES We sought to study the anatomy of human ligament of Marshall (LOM). BACKGROUND Although the LOM has been implicated in the genesis of focal atrial tachyarrhythmias, its gross anatomic and microscopic features in humans hearts have not been completely defined. METHODS We studied seven postmortem human hearts from five men and two women with a mean age of 52 ± 26 years. Four did not have any heart disease. One woman had dilated cardiomyopathy, and two men had chronic atrial fibrillation. A block of tissue encompassing the LOM from the coronary sinus (CS) cephalad, between the atrial appendage and left pulmonary veins, was dissected. Serial sections from this tissue were then stained with hematoxylin and eosin, trichrome, and/or tyrosine hydroxylase. RESULTS The LOM consists of multiple sympathetic nerve fibers, ganglia, blood vessels and multiple myocardial tracts (Marshall Bundles) insulated by fibrofatty tissue. One or more myocardial tracts was inserted directly into the left atrial free wall and CS. The distance between insertion sites was 7.8 ± 2.5 mm. Nerve fibers, some tyrosine hydroxylase positive, were present within the fibrofatty matrix and within the myocardial tracts. CONCLUSIONS Human LOM 1) is innervated by sympathetic nerve fibers; 2) is more complex than the LOM in canine hearts; and 3) has multiple myocardial tract insertions into the left atrial free wall and CS, forming a substrate of reentry. Radiofrequency catheter ablation from the CS may fail to reach the free wall insertion.
Effects of atropine and isoproterenol on cardiac output, central venous pressure, and mean transit time of indicators placed at three different sites in the venous system.

Two milligrams of atropine given intravenously increased the cardiac output, the mean arterial pressure, and the heart rate and lowered the central venous pressure, stroke output, and peripheral resistance. Tsoproterenol given intravenously at the rate of 1 µg. per minute increased the cardiac output with only an average increase in pulse rate of nine beats per minute. The stroke volume was increased. The central venous pressure and the peripheral resistance were decreased. These observations on the circulation were made in the steady state. They demonstrate that the minute output of the heart can be increased by either a rise in rate or an increase in stroke volume in the presence of a fall in central venous pressure. They do not define the order of events leading to the steady state. When the indicator was placed in the superior vena cava, neither atropine nor isoproterenol changed the volume in which the indicator was diluted during its first circulation. Both atropine and isoproterenol decreased the volumes in which the indicators were diluted when they were injected into the antecubital or femoral veins.
Information systems and organizational learning: The social epistemology of organizational knowledge systems

Abstract Current literature on organizational learning tends to be theoretically fragmented, drawing on analogies to individual learning theory or simply using organizational learning as an umbrella concept for many different kinds of organizational change or adaptation. This paper introduces a framework for the analysis of organizations as knowledge systems (Holzner & Marx, 1979) composed of a collection of knowledge processes: constructing, organizing, storing, distributing, and applying. The knowledge system framework draws heavily on the sociology of knowledge and emphasizes the social nature of each of these constitutive processes. The paper uses the framework to analyze the case of a small engineering consulting company that implemented a new information system to automate one of its core business activities: energy audits of commercial buildings. Traditional approaches to organizational learning have emphasized the ways in which information systems can lower the costs and increase capacity for search, storage, and retrieval of information. The knowledge system framework suggests a deeper level of influence, whereby information systems can also affect the objects of knowledge and the criteria for knowledge construction.
Adhesion between polymers

This paper is concerned with recent work that relates to the adhesion between nonreacting polymers. Advances in the under- standing of cracks at bimaterial interfaces are considered, with particular emphasis on their implications in the interpretation of adhesion tests. An interpretation of the peel and blister tests is then discussed. Consideration is given to mechanisms of polymer failure as they relate to adhesion, with an emphasis on the distinctions between the properties of glassy and elastomeric materials. Polymer self-adhesion and its relation to interdiffusion are reviewed and compared with the adhesion of miscible polymers. In considering the adhesion between immiscible polymers, emphasis is given to the use of copolymers as coupling agents at the interface.
K 2 0 and the Equivalence Principle

It is shown that the existence of the long-lived neutral K meson, and the absence of its decay into two pions, establishes that the gravitational masses of the K/sup o/ and K/sup o/ are equal to a few parts in 10/sup -10/ of the K inertial mass. This is of interest since the K/sup o/ is the antiparticle of the K/sup o/, and is not identical with the K/sup o/. The gravitational mass of such a nonidentical antiparticle has never been directly measured. The K/sup o/ has opposite strangeness to the K/sup o/. Thus the argument rules out any linear dependence of the gravitational mass on the strangeness quantum number, a point on which all previous experiments say nothing. These observations are in accord with, and serve as a confirmation of, the equivalence principle of Einstein. (auth)
Preputial Glands in the White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Preputial glands in white-tailed deer consist of greatly enlarged sebaceous glands associated with a hair follicle. Sweat glands were not observed in the inner lining of the prepuce. No variations in the activity of these sebaceous glands was observed in response to season of the year or reproductive state of the animal. The morphology of the preputial gland in whitetails and other ungulates is compared.
Rational Design of a Block Copolymer with a High Interaction Parameter

A series of poly(4-tert-butylstyrene-block-2-vinylpyridine) [P(tBuSt-b-2VP)] block copolymers (BCPs) with varying volume fractions, molecular weights, and narrow dispersities were synthesized from the commercially available monomers by sequential living anionic polymerization. The copolymers were thoroughly characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, thermal gravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). To examine the effect of the tert-butyl group on the effective interaction parameter (χeff) relative to poly(styrene-block-2-vinylpyridine) [(P(S-b-2VP)], the self-assembly of symmetric copolymers was studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy. Order-to-disorder transitions (ODTs) were identified by both DSC and SAXS on five copolymers, to define the equation χeff(T) = (67.9 ± 1.3)/T – (0.0502 ± 0.0029), which shows a higher enthalpic contribution to χeff than P(S-b-2VP) and approximately 1.5 times larger χeff. This enab...
A Note on ‘Distributive Terms, Truth, and The Port Royal Logic’

A note correcting some technical terminology from linguistics found in ‘Distributive Terms, Truth, and The Port Royal Logic’, this journal, Jan. 17, 2013, 133–54.
Prospective Analysis of Payment per Hour in Head and Neck Reconstruction: Fiscally Feasible or Futile?

BACKGROUND The authors assess the fiscal viability of complex head and neck reconstructive surgery by evaluating its financial reimbursement in the setting of resources used. METHODS The authors prospectively assessed provider reimbursement for consecutive patients undergoing head and neck reconstruction. Total care time was determined by adding 15 minutes to the operative time for each postoperative hospital day and each postoperative follow-up appointment within the 90-day global period. Physician reimbursement was divided by total care time hours to determine an hourly rate of reimbursement. A control group of patients undergoing carpal tunnel release was evaluated using the same methods described. RESULTS A total of 50 patients met the inclusion criteria for study. The payer was Medicaid for nine patients (18 percent), Medicare for 19 patients (38 percent), and commercial for 22 patients (44 percent). The average provider revenue per case was $3241.01 ± $2500.65. For all patients, the mean operative time was 10.6 ± 3.87 hours and the mean number of postoperative hospital days was 15.1 ± 8.06. The mean reimbursement per total care time hour was $254 ± $199.87. Statistical analysis demonstrated difference in reimbursement per total care time hour when grouped by insurance type (p = 0.002) or flap type (p = 0.033). Of the 50 most recent patients to undergo carpal tunnel release, the average revenue per case was $785.27. CONCLUSION Total care time analysis demonstrates that physician reimbursement is not commensurate with resources used for complex head and neck reconstructive surgery.
A Review of Learning Behavior in Horses and its Application in Horse Training

A literature review of the equine learning research conducted in the past 20 yr revealed that the purpose of most of the studies was to determine whether horses respond to learning situations in the same way that other animals do
Prosecuting State Leaders for Crimes Against Humanity

Crimes against humanity are crimes organized by a State or State-like entity against a population or other group of people. Historically, it was States that were thought to be the only parties that should be sanctioned internationally when mass crimes occurred. By contrast, international criminal law has developed in the last fifty years on the assumption that individuals should be prosecuted for such mass crimes. But how are the acts of individuals related to the actions of a State? And which individuals should be subject to punishment for such mass crimes as ethnic cleansing? In Chapter 7, I looked at non-leaders, and argued that it should be hard to convict minor players for crimes against humanity. In this chapter, I show that heads of State should not be so easily relieved of responsibility. Even though I generally take a defendant-oriented approach to prosecutions in international criminal law, I do not think that we should be sympathetic to those heads of State who claim to be immunized against international criminal charges merely because they were acting in their official capacities. In this chapter, I will argue that the individual who should be prosecuted for a crime against humanity is normally the head of State. I will argue that the behavior of heads of State best satisfies the actus reus and mens rea requirements for being individually culpable for crimes against humanity.
3D printing of self-assembling thermoresponsive nanoemulsions into hierarchical mesostructured hydrogels

Spinodal decomposition and phase transitions have emerged as viable methods to generate a variety of bicontinuous materials. Here, we show that when arrested phase separation is coupled to the time scales involved in three-dimensional (3D) printing processes, hydrogels with multiple length scales spanning nanometers to millimeters can be printed with high fidelity. We use an oil-in-water nanoemulsion-based ink with rheological and photoreactive properties that satisfy the requirements of stereolithographic 3D printing. This ink is thermoresponsive and consists of poly(dimethyl siloxane) droplets suspended in an aqueous phase containing the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate and the cross-linker poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate. Control of the hydrogel microstructure can be achieved in the printing process due to the rapid structural recovery of the nanoemulsions after large strain-rate yielding, as well as the shear thinning behavior that allows the ink to conform to the build platform of the printer. Wiper operations are used to ensure even spreading of the yield stress ink on the optical window between successive print steps. Post-processing of the printed samples is used to generate mesoporous hydrogels that serve as size-selective membranes. Our work demonstrates that nanoemulsions, which belong to a class of solution-based materials with flexible functionalities, can be printed into prototypes with complex shapes using a commercially available 3D printer with a few modifications.
Enhance Your Leadership Through Influence

The 2016 Society for Young Clinical Laboratorians (SYCL) Workshop covered various aspects and perspectives of effective communication required by laboratory directors. I was honored by the invitation to speak about communicating with “your practice.” After accepting, I realized that I needed to figure out what this meant. What is our “practice”? Although we may not often recognize it, we can have a tremendous impact in our respective organizations. Our services and expertise are used by, and necessary for, almost all facets within a healthcare system, including patients and providers on …
Implications of Municipal Incorporation Activity in the USA

Newly incorporated municipalities (NIMs) can have dramatic consequences for the residents of the new municipality, as well as surrounding jurisdictions and citizenry. These consequences can impact fiscal matters, governance and representation, planning and/or the provision of public services. Fiscal challenges can revolve around the allocation of scarce resources and taxation. New municipalities mean a further balkanized political geography which can have impacts on governance and representation. Meanwhile, a myriad of planning-related items can also be impacted by new municipalities and can range from land use decisions to the provision of transportation facilities. Finally, the efficient and cost-effective delivery of public services is another issue that arises from the incorporation of new municipalities. While some communities decide to contract with existing service providers (e.g., Lakewood Plan cities), over time new cities often decide to provide their own services—thus duplicating services, which can lead to the inefficient use of taxpayer money. Unincorporated communities that wish to incorporate would be wise to explore the implications of their actions to themselves, as well as the surrounding region prior to formally incorporating. The issues raised by new cities are numerous, complex, and real.
Tracking Vibrio cholerae Cell-Cell Interactions during Infection Reveals Bacterial Population Dynamics within Intestinal Microenvironments.

Summary Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera. Although many V. cholerae virulence factors have been studied, the role of interbacterial interactions within the host gut and their influence on colonization are poorly understood. Here, we utilized the conjugative properties of a Vibrio -specific plasmid to serve as a quantifiable genetic marker for direct contact among V. cholerae cells in the infant rabbit model for cholera. In conjunction, we also quantified contact-dependent type 6 secretion system (T6SS)-mediated killing of co-infecting V. cholerae strains. Tracking these interbacterial interactions revealed that most contact-dependent cell-cell interactions among V. cholerae occur in specific intestinal microenvironments, notably the distal small intestine and cecum, and that the T6SS confers a competitive advantage within the middle small intestine. These results support a model for V. cholerae gut colonization, which includes microenvironments where critical microbial-host and bacterial-bacterial interactions occur to facilitate colonization by this pathogen.
Collision-induced dissociation of [U VI O 2 (ClO 4 )] + revisited: Production of [U VI O 2 (Cl)] + and subsequent hydrolysis to create [U VI O 2 (OH)] +

RATIONALE In a previous study [Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2004;18:3028-3034], collision-induced dissociation (CID) of [UVI O2 (ClO4 )]+ appeared to be influenced by the high levels of background H2 O in a quadrupole ion trap. The CID of the same species was re-examined here with the goal of determining whether additional, previously obscured dissociation pathways would be revealed under conditions in which the level of background H2 O was lower. METHODS Water- and methanol-coordinated [UVI O2 (ClO4 )]+ precursor ions were generated by electrospray ionization. Multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry (MSn ) for CID and ion-molecule reaction (IMR) studies was performed using a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. RESULTS Under conditions of low background H2 O, CID of [UVI O2 (ClO4 )]+ generates [UVI O2 (Cl)]+ , presumably by elimination of two O2 molecules. Using low isolation/reaction times, we found that [UVI O2 (Cl)]+ will undergo an IMR with H2 O to generate [UVI O2 (OH)]+ . CONCLUSIONS With lower levels of background H2 O, CID experiments reveal that the intrinsic dissociation pathway for [UVI O2 (ClO4 )]+ leads to [UVI O2 (Cl)]+ , apparently by loss of two O2 molecules. We propose that the results reported in the earlier CID study reflected a two-step process: initial formation of [UVI O2 (Cl)]+ by CID, followed by a very rapid hydrolysis reaction to leave [UVI O2 (OH)]+ .
Pursuing Intersectionality, Unsettling Dominant Imaginaries

Pursuing Intersectionality, Unsettling Dominant Imaginaries offers a sustained, interdisciplinary exploration of intersectional ideas, histories, and practices that no other text does. Deftly synthesizing much of the existing literatures on intersectionality, one of the most significant theoretical and political precepts of our time, May invites us to confront a disconcerting problem: though intersectionality is widely known, acclaimed, and applied, it is often construed in ways that depoliticize, undercut, or even violate its most basic premises. May cogently demonstrates how intersectionality has been repeatedly resisted, misunderstood, and misapplied: provocatively, she shows the degree to which intersectionality is often undone or undermined by supporters and critics alike. A clarion call to engage intersectionality’s radical ideas, histories, and justice orientations more meaningfully, Pursuing Intersectionality answers the basic questions surrounding intersectionality, attends to its historical roots in Black feminist theory and politics, and offers insights and strategies from across the disciplines for bracketing dominant logics and for orienting toward intersectional dispositions and practices.
Grounding natural language references to unvisited and hypothetical locations

While much research exists on resolving spatial natural language. to known locations, little work deals with handling references to unknown locations. In this paper we introduce and evaluate algorithms integrated into a cognitive architecture which allow an agent to learn about its environment while resolving references to both known and unknown locations. We also describe how multiple components in the architecture jointly facilitate these capabilities.
Dietary regulation of the origins of cancer

Understanding how diet and nutrients instruct intestinal stem cells and their daughter cells will provide insights into the beginnings of intestinal cancers.