cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When Language Gives Out: Conceptualization, and Aspect‐Seeing as a Form of Judgment

This article characterizes aspect-perception as a distinct form of judgment in Kant's sense: a distinct way in which the mind contacts world and applies concepts. First, aspect-perception involves a mode of thinking about things apart from any established routine of conceptualizing them. It is thus a form of concept application that is essentially reflection about language. Second, this mode of reflection has an experiential, sometimes perceptual, element: in aspect-perception, that is, we experience meanings—bodies of norms. Third, aspect-perception can be “preparatory”: it may help us to decide what linguistic norms to develop and how to conceptualize—make the world thinkable. Fourth, the article discusses the forms of justification for which aspect-perception allows—the necessity and normativity involved in employing this form of judgment.
Top-down and bottom-up multi-level cache analysis for WCET estimation

In many multi-core architectures, inclusive shared caches are used to reduce cache coherence complexity. However, the enforcement of the inclusion property can cause invalidation of memory blocks at higher cache levels. In order to ensure safety, analysis of cache hierarchies with inclusive caches for worst-case execution time (WCET) estimation is typically based on conservative decisions. Thus, the estimation may not be tight. In order to tighten the estimation, this paper proposes an approach that can more precisely analyze the behavior of a cache hierarchy maintaining the inclusion property. We illustrate the approach in the context of multi-level instruction caches. The approach first analyzes all the inclusive caches in the hierarchy in a bottom-up direction, and then analyzes the remaining non-inclusive caches in a top-down direction. In order to capture the inclusion victims and their effects, we also propose a concept of aging barrier and integrate it with the traditional must and persistence analyses to safely slow down their aging process so as to derive more precise analyses. We evaluate the proposed approach on a set of benchmarks and the evaluation reveals that the estimations are tightened.
Stent placement for delayed conduit obstruction at hiatus after esophagectomy.

We report a case of a 62-year-old male who presented with shortness of breath after having undergone a modified McKeown esophagectomy 6 months after induction chemotherapy for cT3N1 adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus. A chest computed tomography demonstrated a dilated gastric conduit with evidence of hiatal obstruction and aspiration pneumonia (Fig. 1A). Patient was subsequently intubated for respiratory distress, but eventually extubated three days later. Barium esophagram revealed a dilated gastric conduit with poor emptying (Fig. 1B). Patient underwent endoscopic evaluation revealing a dilated conduit with extensive food and gastric debris. The pylorus was found to be widely patent. However at the level of the hiatus just proximal to the pylorus, there was evidence of obstruction with passage of gastric contents impeded by redundant gastric conduit that formed a shelf at the hiatus with a resulting valve-like effect. A 10 cm × 18 mm Alimaxx™ stent was then placed across the area obstructed by the flap to just proximal to the pylorus (Fig. 1C). The area of obstruction was effectively opened with clearance of gastric content immediately evident. The patient subsequently underwent a barium swallow the succeeding day showing passage of contrast into the duodenum across the hiatus (Fig. 1D). The patient was started on clears and then was eventually discharged tolerating a soft solid diet. The patient remains free of obstructive symptoms for the past 12 months. Figure 1 (A) Chest computed tomography illustrating dilated gastric conduit with obstruction at level of hiatus. (B) Barium esophagram demonstrating a dilated gastric conduit with virtually no emptying of contrast into the duodenum. (C) Endoscopic view with stent ... Previous studies have reported an incidence for delayed gastric emptying post-esophagectomy of up to 50% [1-4]. Vagotomy, torsion of the stomach, size and compression of conduit and lack of accompanying drainage have been implicated in delayed gastric emptying. Patients who undergo intrathoracic anastomosis are more prone to gastric emptying problems from a redundant conduit as seen in our patient [5]. Our case report demonstrates that a fully covered stent is an effective treatment for delayed obstruction due to a redundant gastric conduit. The stent effectively relieves the obstruction so that regurgitation and aspiration pneumonia are avoided. The stent is also well tolerated by the patient and can be left in place for extended periods of time. In conclusion, our case report demonstrates the use of a stent to treat delayed gastric conduit obstruction after esophagectomy due to a redundant conduit.
The Illicit Use of Prescription Stimulants on College Campuses: A Theory-Guided Systematic Review

The illicit use of prescription stimulants (IUPS) is a substance use behavior that remains prevalent on college campuses. As theory can guide research and practice, we provide a systematic review of the college-based IUPS epidemiological literature guided by one ecological framework, the theory of triadic influence (TTI). We aim to assess prevalence, elucidate the behavior's multietiological nature, and discuss prevention implications. Peer-reviewed studies were located through key phrase searches (prescription stimulant misuse and college, "prescription stimulant misuse" and "college," illicit use of prescription stimulants in college, and nonmedical prescription stimulant use in college students) in electronic databases (PubMed, PubMed Central, and EBSCO Host) for the period 2000 to 2013. Studies meeting inclusion criteria had their references reviewed for additional eligible literature. Statistically significant correlates of IUPS in the 62 retrieved studies were organized using the three streams of influence and four levels of causation specified in the TTI. Results show that the prevalence of IUPS varies across campuses. Additionally, findings suggest the behavior is multifaceted, as correlates were observed within each stream of influence and level of causation specified by the TTI. We conclude that IUPS is prevalent in, but varies across, colleges and is influenced by intrapersonal and broader social and societal factors. We discuss implications for prevention and directions for future research.
Teachers' Narratives About Their Relationships With Children: Associations With Behavior in Classrooms

Teachers' narratives concerning their relationships with children were elicited through semistructured interviews and examined in relation to teachers' characteristics and observations of teachers'...
Controllability, reachability, stabilizability and state reduction in automata

The authors present a state-equation-like approach to automata, which is used to model discrete event systems (DES). They define controllability, reachability and stabilizability in the usual manner and provide theorems to test these properties. Divisibility for matrices in Boolean algebra is defined. A theorem which determines if a given transformation to a reduce automaton is valid or not is proposed. It is claimed that the analogies in the concepts and setting help in the transfer of approaches in control theory to the area of DES control and also aid in hybrid system formulations. >
Antimicrobial Aspects of Inflammatory Resolution in the Mucosa: A Role for Proresolving Mediators

Mucosal surfaces function as selectively permeable barriers between the host and the outside world. Given their close proximity to microbial Ags, mucosal surfaces have evolved sophisticated mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis and preventing excessive acute inflammatory reactions. The role attributed to epithelial cells was historically limited to serving as a selective barrier; in recent years, numerous findings implicate an active role of the epithelium with proresolving mediators in the maintenance of immunological equilibrium. In this brief review, we highlight new evidence that the epithelium actively contributes to coordination and resolution of inflammation, principally through the generation of anti-inflammatory and proresolution lipid mediators. These autacoids, derived from ω-6 and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, are implicated in the initiation, progression, and resolution of acute inflammation and display specific, epithelial-directed actions focused on mucosal homeostasis. We also summarize present knowledge of mechanisms for resolution via regulation of epithelial-derived antimicrobial peptides in response to proresolving lipid mediators.
An analysis of Linux scalability to many cores

This paper analyzes the scalability of seven system applications (Exim, memcached, Apache, PostgreSQL, gmake, Psearchy, and MapReduce) running on Linux on a 48- core computer. Except for gmake, all applications trigger scalability bottlenecks inside a recent Linux kernel. Using mostly standard parallel programming techniques-- this paper introduces one new technique, sloppy counters-- these bottlenecks can be removed from the kernel or avoided by changing the applications slightly. Modifying the kernel required in total 3002 lines of code changes. A speculative conclusion from this analysis is that there is no scalability reason to give up on traditional operating system organizations just yet.
How Sophea Lost Her Sight

Sophea placed her warm hands on my face, feeling the contours of my nose and cheeks as if to remember me. This was my first time meeting this revered teacher of Cambodian Dharma songs, whose unrele...
Doe v. Ashcroft and Its Place in the Judicial Trend: How the Courts Have Advanced Civil Liberties in Step with Advances in Technology

As many jurists and scholars have noted, the United States has a long-standing history of encroaching upon the civil liberties of its citizens, especially during times of war or conflict. 2 For instance, during the Civil War, President Lincoln unilaterally suspended the writ of habeas corpus in response to increased violence and the threat of Southern succession. 3 During World War I, Postmaster General Albert Burleson used the Espionage Act to suspend mailing privileges for certain “non-mailable” materials, such as newspapers and other dissident publications critical of the war effort. 4
Surface tension of binary solutions of non-electrolytes

Abstract Various models for binary liquid mixtures have led to equations explicitly relating the surface tension of these solutions to the surface tension of the pure components and the mole fraction of the solution. A recent treatment by Shereshefsky, however, improperly exploits his model and so is wrong in principle. The case of an ideal solution of equal-sized molecules is analyzed, and it is shown that the correct equation for this case is the equation of Belton and Evans. Shereshefsky's equation specialized to this case is incorrect and his results are shown to be inconsistent with the Gibbs adsorption theorem. The success of Shereshefsky's equation in representing surface tension of a number of binary pairs of liquids is shown to result from the rather narrow range of surface tensions covered using a three parameter equation; the Belton and Evans equation fits the same data, on the average, rather better. Since most of the pairs selected are nonideal, this result must also be regarded as largely fortuitous.
The Effect of Fixed Charge in Tunnel-Barrier Contacts for Fermi-Level Depinning in Germanium

Recent experiments have demonstrated a reduction of Fermi-level pinning in contacts to n-type Ge by the insertion of a thin tunnel barrier at the interface. The presence of fixed charge in these interface layers can contribute to Schottky-barrier reduction. This work theoretically studies the effect of tunnel-barrier fixed charge on the specific contact resistivity. By simulating various tunnel-barrier materials and fixed-charge densities, we estimate the magnitude of fixed charge required for this mechanism to play an important role in Fermi-level unpinning.
The Natural Enemies of Brachycolus asparagi in New Jersey and Delaware

From 1970–1972 and in 1975, thirty-one species of natural enemies were found attacking an asparagus aphid, Brachycolus asparagi Mordvilko, a pest insect introduced into New Jersey and Delaware. Coccinellidae and Chrysopidae were the most abundant. The aphid has not become a serious pest of asparagus in New Jersey and Delaware because of the effective control provided by these native predators and by parasites and disease.
Pterin and Folate Salvage. Plants and Escherichia coli Lack Capacity to Reduce Oxidized Pterins

Dihydropterins are intermediates of folate synthesis and products of folate breakdown that are readily oxidized to their aromatic forms. In trypanosomatid parasites, reduction of such oxidized pterins is crucial for pterin and folate salvage. We therefore sought evidence for this reaction in plants. Three lines of evidence indicated its absence. First, when pterin-6-aldehyde or 6-hydroxymethylpterin was supplied to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), pea (Pisum sativum), or tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) tissues, no reduction of the pterin ring was seen after 15 h, although reduction and oxidation of the side chain of pterin-6-aldehyde were readily detected. Second, no label was incorporated into folates when 6-[3H]hydroxymethylpterin was fed to cultured Arabidopsis plantlets for 7 d, whereas [3H]folate synthesis from p-[3H]aminobenzoate was extensive. Third, no NAD(P)H-dependent pterin ring reduction was found in tissue extracts. Genetic evidence showed a similar situation in Escherichia coli: a GTP cyclohydrolase I (folE) mutant, deficient in pterin synthesis, was rescued by dihydropterins but not by the corresponding oxidized forms. Expression of a trypanosomatid pterin reductase (PTR1) enabled rescue of the mutant by oxidized pterins, establishing that E. coli can take up oxidized pterins but cannot reduce them. Similarly, a GTP cyclohydrolase I (fol2) mutant of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was rescued by dihydropterins but not by most oxidized pterins, 6-hydroxymethylpterin being an exception. These results show that the capacity to reduce oxidized pterins is not ubiquitous in folate-synthesizing organisms. If it is lacking, folate precursors or breakdown products that become oxidized will permanently exit the metabolically active pterin pool.
Neurons of the periaqueductal gray matter as revealed by Golgi study

Neurons of the periaqueductal gray matter of the normal adult cat are classified into seven general types, Ia, Ib, II, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, and IIId, based on the Golgi-Cox impregnated materials. Types Ia and Ib are spindle shaped bipolar neurons with one straight dendritic process forming varicosities and short stemmed spines. Type Ia is small in size and Ib is larger. The axon of each neuron emerges from another pole and projects beyond the PAG region. Occasionally it may share the origin with a dendrite or a tuft of dendrites. Type II, triangular shaped, had an apical dendrite that traverses a long distance within the PAG and an axon emerging from the basal portion and projecting beyond the PAG. Type IIIa, b, c, and d are pleomorphic multipolar neurons. Type IIIa has a rhomboid-shaped soma and dichotomically branching dendrites. Type IIIb has a spheroidal soma and short axons that terminate within the PAG. Type IIIc has a piriform soma and spiny dendrites that ramify perfusely and an axon which terminates within the PAG. Type IIId has the largest soma of all these neurons and the structure resembles an undifferentiated motor neuron of the CNS. Axons of the types IIIa and IIId are projecting in nature. Type Ia is found exclusively in the area immediately surrounding the aqueduct, the nucleus medialis. Types IIIc and IIId are found exclusively in the lateral region of the PAG which corresponds to the nucleus lateralis while the remaining cell types are found mostly in nuclei lateralis and dorsalis.
Multireader multicase variance analysis for binary data

Multireader multicase (MRMC) variance analysis has become widely utilized to analyze observer studies for which the summary measure is the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. We extend MRMC variance analysis to binary data and also to generic study designs in which every reader may not interpret every case. A subset of the fundamental moments central to MRMC variance analysis of the area under the ROC curve (AUC) is found to be required. Through multiple simulation configurations, we compare our unbiased variance estimates to naive estimates across a range of study designs, average percent correct, and numbers of readers and cases.
An Estimated Model with Macrofinancial Linkages for India

This paper develops a small open economy dynamic stochastic general-equilibrium model with macrofinancial linkages. The model includes a financial accelerator -- entrepreneurs are assumed to partially finance investment using domestic and foreign currency debt -- to assess the importance of financial frictions in the amplification and propagation of the effects of transitory shocks. We use Bayesian estimation techniques to estimate the model using India data. The model is used to assess the importance of the financial accelerator in India and the optimality of monetary policy.
Immunological properties of entomocidal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis and its insecticidal activity

The immunological properties of the proteinaceous component of the parasporal crystal (δ-endotoxin) of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki were analyzed by rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Two antisera, one against the k-l-type crystal containing two components, and the other against the k-73-type crystal containing one component, were made in rabbits. The antigens consisting of purified and dissociated crystals were run in electrophoresis with these two antisera. The ratio between the two peak heights of precipitin lines, which were formed by the dissociated crystal of one B. thuringiensis isolate in two antisera, was compared with the ratios of other isolates under identical conditions. The difference in the ratio reflected a difference in the structure of the crystal component and correlated closely with the insecticidal activity spectrum. This method can be used to evaluate a newly isolated B. thuringiensis, and it can further differentiate the isolates which have been classified as one serotype.
Graphic sequences that have a realization with large clique number

We prove that for k ≥ 5, every (2k + 2)-element graphic sequence of positive terms with sum at least 4k(k - 1) can be realized by a graph containing Kk+1. Also, this bound is sharp. Furthermore, for 2k + 3 ≤ n ≤ k(5k - 11)-(2k - 4), we construct a graphic n-element positive sequence with sum (2k - 4)(2k - 1) + 2(n - 1) that has no realization containing Kk+1. This construction partially answers a question of Erdos et al. in the negative. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 34: 2029, 2000 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 05C35, 05C99, 06A06.
Paleozoic Age Determinations: ABSTRACT

The integration of classical paleontological methods and "absolute" radiometric methods for the establishment of the time parameter for geologic processes during the Paleozoic Era has been barely initiated. Sufficient preliminary radiometric data have been obtained on stratigraphically assignable materials to give approximate time interval assignments to the Paleozoic Era and its constituent periods. Yet there are fewer than half a dozen correlation points which begin to possess the documentation from both approaches that is necessary and feasible. For each of the various Paleozoic systems it is a reasonable estimate that 20 ± 10 resolvable faunal zones can be distinguished consistently. Accepting present estimates for the duration of the Paleozoic in absolute time, this could provide the corresponding average resolving power of ± 2-3 m.y. if the faunal zones were successfully calibrated. Utilizing optimal geological materials and adequate sampling and analytical procedures, it should be possible to establish radiometric ages with precisions of ± 5 to ± 2 m.y. from the beginning to the end of the Paleozoic. Discrepancies in radioactive decay constants can be normalized to ^lgr U238, adequately, for such purposes. Thus the potential resolving power of the radiometric and paleontologic methods is com arable. A successful effort at cross-calibration could provide the basis for the determination of the important time constants for the great host of significant geologic processes ranging from faunal evolution to orogeny recorded for the Paleozoic interval. The keys to such an effort are: (1) a careful geologic search for the definitive sampling sites; (2) realistic evaluation of stratigraphic assignments using as many independent faunal elements as possible; and (3) persistent application of several radiometric methods to materials whose geologic context at the sample site has been established by careful mapping and petrologic study. A preliminary evaluation suggests that numerous sites containing intraformational tuffs, intercalated volcanic rocks, and stratigraphically assigned plutonic ro ks exist in North America and Europe. A coordinated interlaboratory effort should be a major geological objective in the next 5 years. End_of_Article - Last_Page 455------------
Health literacy and anticoagulation-related outcomes among patients taking warfarin.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether health literacy affects anticoagulation-related outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess how health literacy is associated with warfarin knowledge, adherence, and warfarin control (measured by the international normalized ratio [INR]). DESIGN: Survey. PARTICIPANTS: Patients taking warfarin through an anticoagulation clinic. MEASUREMENTS: Health literacy was measured using the short-form Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (s-TOFHLA), dichotomized as “limited” (score 0 to 22) and “adequate” (score 23 to 36). We asked patients to answer questions relating to their warfarin therapy and used multivariable logistic regression to assess whether health literacy was associated with incorrect answers. We also assessed whether health literacy was associated with nonadherence to warfarin as well as time in therapeutic INR range. RESULTS: Bilingual research assistants administered the survey and s-TOFHLA to 179 anticoagulated English- or Spanish-speaking patients. Limited health literacy was associated with incorrect answers to questions on warfarin’s mechanism (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.8 [1.3 to 17.6]), side-effects (OR6.4 [2.3 to 18.0]), medication interactions (OR 2.5 [1.1 to 5.5]), and frequency of monitoring (OR 2.7 [1.1 to 6.7]), after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, cognitive impairment, and years on warfarin. However, limited health literacy was not significantly associated with missing warfarin doses in 3 months (OR 0.9 [0.4 to 2.0]) nor with the proportion of person-time in therapeutic INR range (OR 1.0 [0.7 to 1.4]). CONCLUSIONS: Limited health literacy is associated with deficits in warfarin-related knowledge but not with self-reported adherence to warfarin or INR control. Efforts should concentrate on investigating alternative means of educating patients on the management and potential risks of anticoagulation.
Personal experience with climate change predicts intentions to act

Abstract The public's willingness to engage in mitigation actions has not received as much attention as the level of belief in Global Warming (GW), especially on the international stage. Research in Western nations indicates that people systematically misunderstand GW and the actions required for mitigation. Important factors that influence judgments about mitigation actions include personal experiences, beliefs, knowledge, values, and worldviews. We present results of an international survey (25 samples from 24 countries) measuring general intentions to act and willingness to engage in specific actions. Our analysis reveals that endorsement of specific actions is (a) lower than general endorsement of mitigation, (b) accompanied by higher intra-individual variance, and (c) more strongly related to personal experiences with GW. This pattern can be attributed to the compatibility between the proximal construal of specific actions and the nature of the personal experience. Lastly we provide recommendations on how these findings can be used to encourage mitigation action.
Resistance to central norepinephrine depletion and decreased mortality in rats chronically exposed to electric foot shock.

We have compared the effects of electric foot shock in unhandled rats with those observed in rats previously exposed to repeated shock sessions. Acute electric shock causes a decrease in the concentration of norepinephrine in the brain. We have found, however, that prior shock experience modifies the physiological response of the rat to electric stimuli such that subsequent shock causes a smaller net depletion of brain norepinephrine. This effect is long-lasting and is associated with a decrease in the lethality of electric foot shock.
On lasso for censored data

In this paper, we propose a new lasso-type estimator for censored data after one-step imputatation. While several penalized likelihood estimators have been proposed for censored data variable selection through hazards regression, many such estimators require parametric or proportional hazards assumptions. The proposed estimator, on the other hand, is based on the linear model and least-squares principles. Iterative penalized Buckley-James estimators are also popular in this setting but have been shown to be unstable and unreliable. Unlike path-based learning based on least-squares approximation, our method requires no covariance assumption and the method is valid for even modest sample sizes. Our calibration estimator is the minimizer of a convex loss function using synthetic data and yields reproducible coefficient estimates and coefficient paths. The numerical algorithms are fast, reliable, and readily available because they build on existing software for complete, uncensored data. We examine the large and small sample properties of our estimator and illustrate the method through simulation studies and application to two real data sets.
Linear diattenuation of a front-side-illuminated CCD

An experiment was performed on a front-side illuminated CCD to measure its linear diattenuation at 550 nm and 650 nm as a function of angle of incidence. The linear diattenuation of the CCD varies from 0 to 12 percent for 550 nm light from 0 to 40 deg and is less for the longer wavelength.
Missile Defenses and Mother Russia: Scarecrow or Showstopper?

Abstract Missile defenses will neither derail the post-Cold War political relationship between the US and Russia nor repeal the existence of mutual deterrence as between their respective nuclear arsenals. Because politics rules strategy and strategy must pay homage to the realities of physics, missile defenses will emerge into arsenals gradually, if at all. Whether missile defenses exacerbate political tensions, or can be deployed cooperatively by the United States and/or NATO and Russia, is not a technological given, but a political decision point that will require care taking by the current and prospective administrations in Washington and Moscow.
Acute Toxicity of Ammonia and Nitrite to Cutthroat Trout Fry

Abstract The toxicity of ammonia and of nitrite was tested on cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki) fry (1-3 g) for periods up to a month in eight laboratory flow-through bioassays. Median lethal concentration (LC50) values for ammonia (mg/liter un-ionized NH3) were 0.5-0.8 for 96 hours, and 0.3-0.6 for 36 days. Nitrite LC50 values (mg/liter NO2-N) were 0.5-0.6 for 96 hours, and 0.4 for 36 days. Tissues of fish exposed for 29 days to 0.34 mg/liter un-ionized ammonia evidenced degenerative changes in gills, kidneys, and livers. Cutthroat trout fry are comparable to rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) fry in their susceptibility to acute toxicity from aqueous ammonia and nitrite.
Phonocardiography in interventricular septal defects.

Abstract Physiologic studies in patients with interventricular septal defects have, in recent years, demonstrated a whole spectrum of abnormalities. 1,2 At one end, there are the small left-to-right shunts, with pressures and resistances in the pulmonary and systemic circuits remaining normal. The magnitude of the shunt is regulated in these cases by the size of the opening and the pressure gradient across it. In the larger defects, however, the anatomic communication presents less of an obstruction. Here the magnitude of the left-to-right shunt is controlled by the relative resistance of the pulmonary and systemic arterioles. 3 There may be very large shunts, several times the systemic flow, in cases in which pulmonary resistance is low. The pulmonary resistance, however, may reach such a magnitude that the left-to-right shunt will be much reduced in volume, and a right-to-left shunt may appear. The classic physical findings are altered with these modifications in flows and pressures. Recently, phonocardiographic studies have been utilized in the assessment of these patients who are now often under consideration for surgical repair of the defect. 4 The present study demonstrates the relationship between the phonocardiographic findings and the physiologic abnormalities as disclosed by cardiac catheterization.
A STUDY OF THE FOUR-PATH MODEL FOR SCATTERING FROM AN OBJECT ABOVE A HALF SPACE

A study of scattering from a dielectric object located above a half space is performed to clarify the accuracy of a “four-path” model which includes single scattering effects only. An iterative method-of-moments solution is used for comparison, and both frequency- and time-domain examples are illustrated to clarify the scattering interactions which occur. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 30: 130–134, 2001.
Saturation transfer electron parametric resonance of an indane-dione spin-label. Calibration with hemoglobin and application to myosin rotational dynamics

We have used a recently synthesized indane-dione spin label (2-[-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrrolin-3-yl)methenyl]in dane-1,3-dione (InVSL) to study the rotational dynamics of myosin, with saturation-transfer electron paramagnetic resonance (ST-EPR). To determine effective rotational correlation times (tau effr) from InVSL spectra, reference spectra corresponding to known correlation times (tau r) were obtained from InVSL-hemoglobin undergoing isotropic rotational motion in aqueous glycerol solutions. These spectra were used to generate plots of spectral parameters vs. tau r. These plots should be used to analyze ST-EPR spectra of InVSL bound to other proteins, because the spectra are different from those of tempo-maleimide-spin-labeled hemoglobin, which have been used previously as ST-EPR standards. InVSL was covalently attached to the head (subfragment-1; S1) of myosin. EPR spectra and K/EDTA-ATPase activity showed that 70-95% of the heads were labeled, with > or = 90% of the label bound to either cys 707 (SH1) or cys 697 (SH2). ST-EPR spectra of InVSL-S1 attached to glass beads, bound to actin in myofibrils, or precipitated with ammonium sulfate indicated no submillisecond rotational motion. Therefore, InVSL is rigidly immobilized on the protein so that it reports the global rotation of the myosin head. The ST-EPR spectra of InVSL-myosin monomers and filaments indicated tau effr values of 4 and 13 microseconds, respectively, showing that myosin heads undergo microsecond segmental rotations that are more restricted in filaments than in monomers. The observed tau effr values are longer than those previously obtained with other spin labels bound to myosin heads, probably because InVSL binds more rigidly to the protein and/or with a different orientation. Further EPR studies of InVSL-myosin in solution and in muscle fibers should prove complementary to previous work with other labels.
Patient-specific instrumentation in total knee arthroplasty provides no improvement in component alignment.

Abstract Improved component alignment in TKA remains a commonly cited benefit of MRI based patient-specific instrumentation (PSI). We hypothesized that PSI would lead to improved alignment versus traditional instrumentation (TI) during primary TKA. Fifty-eight knees (54 patients) that underwent TKA with PSI were compared to 62 knees that had previously undergone TKA with TI. Radiographs were evaluated for mechanical axis and alignment of the femoral and tibial components. Alignment was similar between the groups. However, the PSI group showed fewer knees in the target range for posterior tibial slope (PSI 38% vs. TI 61%, P =0.01) in addition to a trend for fewer knees in target range for femoral flexion (PSI 40% vs. TI 56%, P =0.07). This study demonstrated no improvement in overall alignment and perhaps a worsening of the tibial slope.
Viewpoint: Diversity Curricula in the Business School

Abstract As courses and modules on the management of diversity become more widespread in business schools, risks to professors and their institutions are of some concern. This article suggests how business schools can establish organizational systems to improve the integration of diversity topics into the management curriculum and to minimize diversity stress.
Protective glove material permeation by organic solids.

A method has been developed for the determination of permeation characteristics of glove materials by organic solids. The system employs a stainless steel exposure cell and allows rapid and uniform contact of either solid disks or powders with minimal membrane bowing. A gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector was used for monitoring the permeation process, which provided detection limits of 0.9–1.2 ng for the organic solids evaluated. By using an automated system for instrument control and data collection, breakthrough times, steady-state times, and steady-state permeation rates have been determined for five common glove materials when exposed to nine organic solids.
The impact of governance characteristics on the stock price of cross listed companies

The study examines the relationship between the country-specific governance characteristics of the origination country and the post-listing returns of cross-listed firms. In addition, the study researches the relative impact of those governance indicators on the abnormal returns of cross-listed stocks following the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act. The positive abnormal returns experienced by foreign companies around their listing in the U.S. are shown to be driven by the governance indicators of their home countries, i.e., the worse the governance characteristics of the origination country are, the higher the abnormal return for a cross-listed firm is. The governance indicators that influence abnormal returns to the highest degree are director liability, rule of law, control of corruption, political and economic development, and the integrity of the legal system. The abnormal returns generated by cross-listed foreign firms after the adoption of SOX are higher than those experienced by cross-listed foreign firms in the pre-SOX period. This outcome is pronounced for companies which score the worst on the combined set of country-specific governance characteristics. Thus, the main implication of the study is that foreign companies with a specific set of governance characteristics should consider listing on the U.S. stock markets. To be specific, companies from countries with lower governance standards, as reflected in low scores on director liability and control of corruption, are likely to derive the highest benefits from cross- listing on the NYSE or NASDAQ exchanges.
Preliminary study on reducing oral moist snuff use.

Abstract Background: Tobacco exposure reduction may be an alternative treatment approach for those tobacco users who are unwilling or unable to quit tobacco use. However, very little information is available on the feasibility of this type of intervention, especially in the area of oral moist snuff tobacco (ST). This pilot study examined whether reducing ST use using various methods can be achieved and whether this reduction results in lower exposure to carcinogens. Methods: Moist snuff users (N=40 males) were randomly assigned to 4 mg nicotine gum, non-tobacco mint snuff, brand switching, or elimination of ST use in specific situations. These approaches were used to reduce ST use or nicotine exposure by at least 25% for the first 2 weeks and 50% the subsequent 6 weeks of treatment. Follow-up sessions occurred at 12 and 26 weeks. Results: Significant reductions were observed in tins per week and cotinine levels across all conditions. Among the intent-to-treat population, the abstinence rate was 15% at 26 weeks. Reduction in nicotine exposure was associated with reduction in exposure to nitrosamines. Conclusion: Reduction in ST use may be a viable approach for those oral moist ST users with no immediate quit plans. Future research in this area is needed.
Catastrophes in the Elmo bumpy torus

The simple neoclassical nonresonant-point model of Hedrick et al. is slightly modified by leaving the ion transport unspecified (since it is now known to be resonant). Small continuous changes in the microwave power/neutral density can cause hysteresis and catastrophe jumps in the equilibria, in qualitative agreement with experiment.
The normal mediastinum in blunt traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta and brachiocephalic arteries

In a review of 52 articles, published between 1953 and 1989, 656 patients with blunt traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta or brachiocephalic arteries were identified. Of these, 608 (92.7%) had an abnormal mediastinum on initial chest radiographs obtained in the emergency department, thus allowing early detection of the vascular injury. Unfortunately, 48 (7.3%) of these patients had a normal mediastinum on their initial chest radiographs. This appears to occur when the traumatic pseudoaneurysm is not accompanied by associated mediastinal hemorrhage or hematoma formation, and the pseudoaneurysm is either small or is situated in such a way that it does not alter the mediastinal contour. The use of accessory clinical and radiographic signs to indicate the need for aortography has been shown to be of very low yield, but would have allowed the early detection of an additional 5.6% of the reported cases. Performing aortography solely on the basis of a history of major decelerating blunt trauma to the thorax remains the only way, in the acute emergency department setting, to detect the 1.7% of patients with aortic or brachiocephalic arterial rupture who have no mediastinal abnormality or accessory clinical or radiographic signs of vascular injury. There is evidence from the literature, however, to suggest that the evaluation of serial chest radiographs obtained at close intervals for the first month following trauma for the development of mediastinal abnormality or large hemothorax is an acceptable alternative to the routine performance of aortography in those blunt chest trauma victims with no clinical or radiographic suspicion of vascular injury.
Deployment of a spatial light modulator-based beam-shaping system on the OMEGA EP laser

A beam-shaping system, based on a liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulator, has been deployed on two of the long-pulse UV beamlines of the OMEGA EP laser. Simultaneous control of both amplitude and phase with a single spatial light modulator is possible by encoding intensity information on a high-frequency carrier phase, which is subsequently removed by a low-pass spatial filter. The beam-shaping system has been integrated into operations of the existing front-end laser source and has demonstrated improved beam uniformity at multiple points in the laser. The system operates in closed loop to optimize the input infrared beam’s spatial-amplitude profile prior to amplification and frequency conversion. Measured amplified beam profiles from near-field cameras along the laser beam’s path are used to specify the desired input infrared beam shape. The system is used to correct local hot spots in the input beam profile and to refine the amplifier gain precompensation profile that is applied to the input beam with separate static apodizers. At present, the beam-shaping system is used only to correct amplitude variations in the beam profile, but future use may also utilize the system’s capability to apply wavefront corrections to the beam.
Crashworthiness Study on Fuselage Section and Struts under Cabin Floor

Aircraft fuselage and struts under the cabin floor play important impact resisting roles in the crashworthiness of an aircraft. This study first investigates the performance of the struts which support floor beams in a typical fuselage section, and compares the energy absorption characteristics of two typical struts—C shape and Wide-flange shape. Then, the vertical drop numerical test of a fuselage section at a velocity of 9 m/s is conducted. The performances of the aircraft fuselage with different struts in cross section and orientation angle are compared. The results show that the specific energy of Wide-flange is higher than that of C shape when subjected to axial impact load. However, in a fuselage section, the struts are subjected to a complex loading condition, resulting in complex impact energy dissipation process in the vertical crash process. The bending rigidity of Wide-flange is greater than that of C shape, as a result that the initial acceleration peak transferred by the strut with Wide-flang...
Management of the stroke patient with patent foramen ovale: New insights and persistent questions in the wake of recent randomized trials

Stroke without a known cause, or cryptogenic stroke, accounts for up to 30 % of all ischemic strokes. Paradoxical embolism through a patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been implicated as a potential cause of cryptogenic cerebral ischemia, particularly in young patients. Epidemiological studies have noted an association between PFO and cryptogenic stroke and observational studies have suggested the potential superiority of percutaneous PFO closure over medical therapy. However, until recently, there were no randomized data to test the hypothesis that PFO closure reduces the risk of recurrent cerebral ischemia. The publication of three such trials, all failing to demonstrate a therapeutic advantage for closure over medical therapy in intention-to-treat analyses, provides valuable new data in the field. We review epidemiological evidence linking PFO and stroke and recent observational and randomized trial data evaluating different treatment strategies.
Status change during adulthood: life–history by–product or kin selection based on reproductive value?

When dominance status predicts fitness, most adaptive models of dominance relationships among cercopithecine primate females predict lifetime maintenance of status. These models and alternative ones positing rank decline as a non-adaptive by-product have remained largely untested, however, because lifetime status of older adults has been virtually unknown for natural populations. In a 25-year study of adult female savannah baboons (Papio cynocephalus), in each of three social groups, rank losses were common among the 66 females that lived past median adult age. These losses were not accounted for by loss in relative rank from group growth or by loss in absolute rank from reversals in rank between members of different maternal families or between sisters. Rather, females that had mature daughters experienced loss of dominance status to these offspring, a characteristic of all but the top-ranking matriline of each group. Among proposed hypotheses for rank reversals between adults, that of kin selection based on relative reproductive value is most clearly supported by these data. In contrast, observed patterns of rank loss are not consistent with alternative models that postulate that changes during adult lifespan are a product of accumulated risk, physical decline during ageing, or coalitionary support among females within or between matrilines.
Inhibition of Cranial Neural Crest Adhesion in Vitro and Migration in Vivo Using Integrin Antisense Oligonucleotides

Although it is well-established that β_1 integrins play a functional role in the migration of cranial neural crest cells, little is known about the number or importance of their associated α subunits. Here, we have utilized antisense oligonucleotides (aONs) against various mammalian integrin α subunits to functionally “knock out” integrinsin vitro and in vivo. First, we examined the attachment in vitro of cranial neural crest cells to fibronectin and laminin in the presence of antisense or reversed-sense oligonucleotides using a quantitative adhesion assay. We found three α integrin aONs that blocked attachment to fibronectin substrates only, one that blocked attachment to laminin substrates only, and one that blocked attachment to both fibronectin and laminin. As expected, an aON to chick β_1 integrin reduced attachment to both fibronectin and laminin substrates. These results suggest that there are three or more functionally distinct integrin heterodimers on avian cranial neural crest cells. Second, we examined the ability of aONs against various α integrin subunits to perturb cranial neural crest migrationin vivoby injecting the oligonucleotides into the cranial mesenchyme through which neural crest cells migrate. Those α aONs that inhibited cell attachment in vitro also caused neural crest and/or neural tube abnormalities after injection in vivo.In addition, two aONs that had no effect in vitro did affect emigration of neural crest cells in vivo. Immunoprecipitations revealed that some integrin subunits were depleted after treatment with antisense but not reversed-sense oligonucleotides both in vivo and in vitro. The results suggest that integrin α subunits are required for cranial neural crest cell attachment and emigration.
PEON: privacy-enhanced opportunistic networks with applications in assistive environments

Opportunistic Networking holds a great deal of potential for making communications easier and more flexible in pervasive assistive environments. However, security and privacy must be addressed to make these communications acceptable with respect to protecting patient privacy. In this position paper, we propose Privacy-Enhanced Opportunistic Networking (PEON), a system for using opportunistic networking in privacy-preserving way. PEON uses concepts from anonymous communications, rerouting messages through groups of peer nodes to hide the relation between the sources and destinations. By modifying group size, we can trade off between privacy and communication overhead. Further, individual nodes can make a similar trade off by changing the number of intermediate groups. We describe the cryptographic tools needed to facilitate changes in group membership and the design of simulation experiments that we will conduct to evaluate the overhead and effectiveness of our approach.