cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Financial ratios and bankruptcy predictions: An international evidence

We study bankruptcy prediction over the international market using Compustat Global database. First, we apply a popular variable selection method, adaptive LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator), to select a parsimonious set of default predictor variables. When different market infrastructures are presented, our empirical study demonstrates an advantage in forecasting defaults with the adaptively selected default predictor variables. Second, with selected default predictor covariates, we apply the discrete hazard model to examine the performance for the international market with time varying panel data over different prediction horizons. Our empirical study shows that for Japan market, three predictor variables, including Retained Earning/Total Asset, Total Debt/Total Asset and Current Liability/Sales are selected by adaptive-LASSO method. Such selection results are strikingly consistent for different sampling periods over different prediction horizons. The model using those three financial ratios alone demonstrates strong predictability in forecasting corporate default. For Japan market, the model with adaptive-LASSO selected variables shows superior out-of-sample predictive power over the Altman's Z-score model. On the other hand, for some Europe countries including UK, Germany and France, the equity ratio variable, Equity/Total Liability, is consistently selected across different prediction horizons, whereas, the rest of selected variables are mixed.
Quality Hospice Care in Adult Family Homes: Barriers and Facilitators.

Abstract Objectives Older adults in need of residential services are increasingly spending their final days in small, domestic-style care settings such as adult family homes. In this study, we sought to identify processes that facilitated the provision of quality hospice care to seriously ill residents of adult family homes and their family members. Design We conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected as part of a randomized clinical trial of a problem-solving intervention for family members of hospice patients. Setting The original trial was conducted in partnership with 2 large, community-based hospice agencies in the state of Washington. Participants Data from 73 family members of residents of adult family homes receiving hospice services were included in the analysis. Measurements Data were collected via semi-structured individual interviews, which were audio-recorded and transcribed prior to analysis. Results Family members described quality hospice care in the adult family home as care that is consistent with residents and families' values and that results in comfort and social connectedness for residents while promoting peace of mind and decreasing burden for residents' families. They identified numerous processes that facilitated the provision of quality care including personalizing care, sharing information and expertise, working together to resolve conflicts, and prioritizing residents and families' values over existing or competing philosophies of care. Conclusion The adult family home setting can amplify both the benefits and challenges associated with receipt of hospice. When choosing an adult family home, older adults and their families should strongly consider selecting a home with a track record of positive collaborations with hospice agencies if the need for end-of-life care is anticipated.
Sex- and dose-dependent abuse liability of repeated subanesthetic ketamine in rats.

Abstract Rationale Subanesthetic ketamine (KET) elicits rapid, robust, but transient antidepressant effects. KET's antidepressant actions can be augmented and maintained for a longer duration when repeatedly delivered. However, KET is recreationally abused, raising long-term treatment safety concerns. Women are more likely than men to seek treatment for depression, escalate from casual to compulsive drug use, and are more sensitive to antidepressants. Similarly, female rodents are more sensitive than males to KET's rapid antidepressant-like behavioral effects; dose-response thresholds in these assays equal 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg (i.p.), respectively. This suggests the utility of preclinical rodent models in optimizing sex-differential KET therapy protocols and minimizing adverse drug reactions. Objectives Here, we assessed behavioral and biochemical correlates of abuse liability following six serial KET treatments on alternating days at three subanesthetic, antidepressant-like doses (2.5, 5.0, or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) in adult male and female rats. A potential role for ΔFosB-mediated transcription in the nucleus accumbens is outlined in the context of KET-mediated locomotor sensitization. Results Antidepressant-like threshold doses (2.5, 5.0 mg/kg KET) failed to evoke a conditioned place preference in all animals, but only males positively responded to a higher dose (10 mg/kg). Behavioral sensitization to 5.0 or 10 mg/kg KET's locomotor-activating effects was established in both sexes, and females' sensitized response to 5.0 mg/kg was greater than males'. KET-induced hyperlocomotion positively correlated with ΔFosB protein expression in the nucleus accumbens. rAAV-ΔJunD inhibition of ΔFosB-mediated transcription in the accumbens failed to block locomotor sensitization to 10 mg/kg KET. Conclusions These data suggest that in rats, six alternating-day treatments with 2.5 mg/kg KET do not induce apparent behavioral signatures of abuse liability despite accumulation of ΔFosB protein in the accumbens. Additionally, females are more sensitive than males to KET's locomotor-stimulant properties, both acutely and after repeated treatments. More studies are needed to determine brain regions and neural mechanisms responsible for KET-induced behavioral adaptations and to extrapolate these data to inform sex-dependent strategies for long-term KET therapy protocols for depression.
Alcohol-induced blackouts, subjective intoxication, and motivation to decrease drinking: Prospective examination of the transition out of college.

Abstract Objective We prospectively examined whether subjective intoxication serves as a risk factor for experiencing alcohol-induced blackouts. We then examined whether subjective intoxication and/or blackouts predicted motivation to decrease their drinking, and whether this motivation to change would promote future changes in drinking behavior. Method Participants (N = 1854, 62.1% female, 53.2% Caucasian, Mage = 21.8) were recruited the summer prior to matriculating into a large, public university to complete a 6-year longitudinal study. Self-reported motivation to decrease their drinking behavior, their frequency of blackouts, quantity of alcohol consumption, and subjective intoxication (i.e., feeling drunk) were assessed annually during the transition out of college (Years 4–6). Results In a cross-lagged model, subjective intoxication (i.e., feeling drunk) prospectively predicted experiencing blackouts (p Conclusions Subjective intoxication is a robust predictor of blackouts across time. Additionally, blackouts are modest, developmentally-limited predictors of motivation to change drinking behavior, but blackouts do not predict future behavior change.
A Sustainability Science-Based Framework for Science Education

The final chapter first summarizes the main results of our empirical investigations. We then present our sustainability science-based framework for how science education should represent ecology and environmental science topics to better respond to the needs of the Anthropocene Epoch. The proposed framework is based on our conviction that we need a science education in our schools where learning undergirded by ethical commitments of intellectual rigor, civility, and care leads to praxis. Further, engagement in praxis should in turn occasion critical reflections back on science content and its ethical considerations. Our framework is defined by (a) the acknowledgment of an explicit ethical stance that needs to be the foundation of science education, (b) its compatibility in terms of content with the latest developments in ecology and environmental sciences, and (c) a definite orientation towards praxis in the service of social-ecological justice.
Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty in Patients With Neuropathic (Charcot) Arthropathy: Contemporary Results.

Abstract Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for neuropathic (Charcot) arthropathy is technically challenging with higher complication rates than primary TKA for osteoarthritis. There is a paucity of data regarding outcomes of TKA in contemporary cohorts with modern implants, techniques, and indications. Our study aimed to determine the (1) survivorship of implants, (2) rates and types of complications, (3) clinical outcomes, and (4) radiographic outcomes in patients treated with primary TKA for Charcot arthropathy. Methods Twenty-seven patients undergoing 37 TKAs for Charcot arthropathy from 2000 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Mean patient age and follow-up were 60 years and 6 years, respectively. Eighty-one percent were treated with either a varus-valgus constrained or rotating-hinge device, and 81% had supplemental stem fixation. Metaphyseal cones were utilized in 19% of cases. Results The 10-year survivorship free of aseptic revision was 88% and free of any revision was 70%. There were 6 revisions (16%): 4 for infection, 1 for tibial component loosening, and 1 for global instability. There were 3 reoperations (8%). Additional complications occurred in 6 patients (16%) including 3 patients with an intraoperative fracture. Mean Knee Society scores improved from 37 preoperatively to 82 postoperatively (P Conclusions Primary TKA for Charcot arthropathy with selective use of increased constraint and enhanced metaphyseal component fixation led to significant improvement in pain and clinical outcomes when compared with older techniques; however, there was a high perioperative complication rate. While 10-year survivorship free of aseptic revision was 88%, periprosthetic joint infection led to the poorer survivorship free of any revision of 70% at 10 years. Level of Evidence Level IV.
Real-time management of incident learning reports in a radiation oncology department.

Abstract Purpose The optimal approach to managing incident learning system (ILS) reports remains unclear. Here, we describe our experience with prospective coding of events reported to the ILS with comparisons of risk scores on the basis of event type and process map location. Methods and materials Reported events were coded by type, origin, and method of discovery. Events were given a risk priority number (RPN) and near-miss risk index (NMRI) score. We compared workflow versus near-miss events with respect to origin and detection in the process map and by risk scores. A χ2 test was used to compare the differences between workflow and near-miss events. A comparison of RPN scores was done by independent t test. Results During 2016, 1351 events were reported. Of these events, 1300 (96.2%) were workflow and 51 (3.8%) near-miss events. Workflow events were more likely to both originate (1041 of 1300 events; 81.2%) compared with near-miss events (31 of 51 events; 62.7%; P = .005) and be detected in pre-treatment (997 of 1300 events; 76.7%) compared with near-miss events (24 of 51 events; 47%; P Conclusions Our experience demonstrates that workflow event reports are far more common than near-misses and that near-miss events are more likely to both originate and be discovered in later treatment phases. The frequency of workflow reports highlights the imperative need for safety and operational teams to work collaboratively to maximize the benefit of ILS. We suggest a potential utility of the RPN system to guide mitigation strategies for future near-miss events.
Reduction in age of puberty in gilts consuming melatonin during decreasing or increasing daylength.

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether oral administration of melatonin alters the onset of puberty in gilts during naturally increasing or decreasing daylength. In Exp. 1, 20 crossbred prepubertal gilts weighing 77.5 f .5 kg at 171.8 f 1.0 d of age were assigned randomly to receive either a daily oral dose of 3 mg of melatonin (MEL) or ethanol vehicle 0 at 1530 from August 31 to December 1, 1987 (decreasing daylength). Gilts were exposed to mature boars for 20 min thrice weekly and blood samples were collected twice weekly. Serum concentrations of progesterone were used to establish age at puberty and length of estrous cycle. In Exp. 2, 20 crossbred prepubertal gilts weighing 67.7 f .7 kg at 143.8 f 1.1 d of age received either MEL or ETlW treatment from February 1 to May 15, 1988 (increasing daylength). Age of puberty was less in gilts that received MEL than in gilts that received ETH in both Exp. 1 (198 f 3 vs 228 f 7 d; P < .Ol) and Exp. 2 (183.8 f 2.7 d vs 194.3 f 3.3 4 P < .OS). Gilts that received MEL reached puberty at a lighter weight than gilts that received ETH in Exp. 1 (95.6 f 2.1 vs 112.4 f 3.9 kg; P < .01) and Exp. 2 (88.1 f 1.5 vs 96.0 f 1.8 kg; P < .01). Serum concentrations of LH and FSH, length of estrous cycles, and percentage of muscle of carcasses were similar between MEL and E'EI gilts. These data indicate that daily administration of 3 mg of MEL at 1530 hastened the onset of puberty in gilts regardless of
Selective breakdown of phonon quasiparticles across superionic transition in CuCrSe 2

Superionic crystals exhibit ionic mobilities comparable to liquids while maintaining a periodic crystalline lattice. The atomic dynamics leading to large ionic mobility have long been debated. A central question is whether phonon quasiparticles—which conduct heat in regular solids—survive in the superionic state, where a large fraction of the system exhibits liquid-like behaviour. Here we present the results of energy- and momentum-resolved scattering studies combined with first-principles calculations and show that in the superionic phase of CuCrSe2, long-wavelength acoustic phonons capable of heat conduction remain largely intact, whereas specific phonon quasiparticles dominated by the Cu ions break down as a result of anharmonicity and disorder. The weak bonding and large anharmonicity of the Cu sublattice are present already in the normal ordered state, resulting in low thermal conductivity even below the superionic transition. These results demonstrate that anharmonic phonon dynamics are at the origin of low thermal conductivity and superionicity in this class of materials. Neutron and X-ray scattering studies combined with first-principles calculations suggest that the large, liquid-like ionic mobility in the canonical superionic crystal CuCrSe2 is due to anharmonic phonon dynamics.
Flexible Self-Healing Router for Reliable and High-Performance Network-an-Chips Architecture

NoCs are a well established research topic and several implementations have been proposed for fault tolerance or self-healing. Self-healing multi-core architectures are getting wide attention, which integrates redundant cores to improve the manufacturing yield or aging faults. Self-healing is the ability of a system to detect faults or failures and fix them through healing or repairing. In current research, there are some challenges such as area overhead, power consumption, scalability, and reliability. NoC' $s$ performance will decrease with faulty routers which isolate process element (PE) from other routers. This paper presents an approach of self healing router to make PE connected to the network and using it as a path for routing. The proposed approach is based on adding self-healing block in each router to heal the network and make it works within expected performance. To evaluate the method, the reliability of the proposed technique is studied and compared to conventional system with different failure rates. The proposed method is implemented using VHDL and the simulation results are obtained using ISE Xilinx Vertex 5. The area overhead is 18% for the proposed approach which is much lower compared to other approaches using redundancy. Also, the latency and throughput of the proposed approach is investigated after accounting for faulty routers.
Venous and Peritoneal Access in Renal Failure

There are numerous options for chronic dialysis, including peritoneal dialysis (PD), intravenous catheter-based dialysis, and arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs). The choice of dialysis depends on many factors such as patient age, social situation, opportunities for kidney transplantation, and options for venous access. With the promotion of the Fistula First National Vascular Access Improvement Initiative (www.fistulafirst.org), however, there have been increased efforts to create AVFs as the primary hemodialysis access in children.
Perspectives in clinical Alzheimer’s disease research and the development of antidementia drugs

Current treatment approaches in Alzheimer’s disease are primarily symptomatic, with the major therapeutic strategy based on acetylcho-linesterase inhibition. Alzheimer’s disease research should advance over ensuing decade(s) to yield better symptomatic therapies, drugs designed to slow the rate of progression, and disease preventing agents. The next generation of cholinergic agents will include long acting cholinesterase inhibitors with a good safety profile and brain specific muscarinic agonists. The most critical advances in Alzheimer’s disease treatment, however, will target slowing of disease progression and prevention of dementia. Therapeutic agents are being developed that interfere with the synthesis, deposition and aggregation of β-amyloid protein. Clinical trials are presently being conducted with small molecules having nerve growth factor like activity (e.g. AIT-082, cerebrolysin). In addition, estrogen, anti-inflammatory agents (e.g. cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors) and antioxidant approaches (e.g. vitamin E) are currently being proposed or utilized in disease prevention trials.
Optimization of data acquisition and analysis for fiber ball imaging.

Abstract The inverse Funk transform of high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) data provides an estimate for the fiber orientation density function (fODF) in white matter (WM). Since the inverse Funk transform is a straightforward linear transformation, this technique, referred to as fiber ball imaging (FBI), offers a practical means of calculating the fODF that avoids the need for a response function or nonlinear numerical fitting. Nevertheless, the accuracy of FBI depends on both the choice of b-value and the number of diffusion-encoding directions used to acquire the HARDI data. To inform the design of optimal scan protocols for its implementation, FBI predictions are investigated here with in vivo data from healthy adult volunteers acquired at 3 T for b-values spanning 1000 to 10,000 s/mm2, for diffusion-encoding directions varying in number from 30 to 256 and for TE ranging from 90 to 120 ms. Our results suggest b-values above 4000 s/mm2 with at least 64 diffusion-encoding directions are adequate to achieve reasonable accuracy with FBI for calculating axon-specific diffusion measures and for performing WM fiber tractography (WMFT).
Fundamentals and Source Characteristics of Renewable Energy Systems

This textbook is intended for an audience with little or no power engineering or renewable energy background. The book covers electric energy from alternative energy sources, including solar, wind, water, hydropower, geothermal, and ocean energy. Core issues discussed include wind and solar resource estimates and analysis, solar thermal systems, solar collectors, photovoltaics, wind turbines, geothermal energy, energy small hydropower, wave, tide and ocean energy, and characteristics of energy conversion, control, and electrical aspects. This is one of the most comprehensive textbooks for students, engineers, and professionals who study renewable energy. There are several questions and problems, presented with increasing difficulty, most of which focus on practical applications. The materials and problems are drawn from the author’s extensive experience in renewable energy analysis, assessment, design, control, and the power electronics of wind and solar energy conversion systems. Each section of the book contains several solved examples, as well as practical and advanced discussions, that instill critical thinking and apply to industrial applications. The book is divided into eight chapters and covers the most important aspects of renewable energy sources and technologies.
Time reversal focusing of high amplitude sound in a reverberation chamber: Optimizing the placement of transducers

Time reversal (TR) is a signal processing technique that may be used to intentionally generate high amplitude focusing of sound. The use of time reversal in room acoustics has been studied previously, but an analysis of the dependence of spatial positioning of the transducers in the room, and its effect on high amplitude focus signals has not previously been explored. Experiments are carried out in two reverberation chambers of differing size with eight compression drivers. Using these drivers, the impulse response is found and reversed in time. The spatial dependence of the transducers position is measured by calculating the time reversed impulse response at various transducer positions and then measuring the peak focal amplitude generated when the time reversed signal is broadcast to those positions. Multiple measurements suggest that the amplitude of the focus signal changes with both room size and proximity to a reflecting surface in the chambers.
Using 3D Printing in Science for Elementary Teachers

3D printing technology is an emerging educational tool that is becoming increasingly available in schools, public libraries, museums, and higher education institutions. Oftentimes, 3D printers are underutilized because instructors have limited experience with this technology and do not know how to integrate it into curricula. This chapter describes how 3D printing technology can be (1) introduced in a science teacher preparation program as a means of engaging prospective elementary teachers in active, collaborative, problem-based learning and (2) integrated into an existing science curriculum. We designed a 3D Printing Science Project to model a lesson for prospective teachers that they could implement with their future students in the elementary science classroom. After completing the project, prospective teachers reported a moderately high usefulness and ease of use of 3D printing technology and significantly higher design thinking abilities and attitudes toward science and teaching science. An analysis of participants’ project reflections, classroom discussions, and 3D printed objects provided further insight into their collaborative design experiences.
Blood biomarkers of traumatic brain injury and cognitive impairment in older veterans.

Objective To determine whether blood-based biomarkers can differentiate older veterans with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cognitive impairment (CogI). Methods We enrolled 155 veterans from 2 veterans9 retirement homes: 90 without TBI and 65 with TBI history. Participants were further separated into CogI groups: controls (no TBI, no CogI), n = 60; no TBI with CogI, n = 30; TBI without CogI, n = 30; and TBI with CogI, n = 35. TBI was determined by the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method. CogI was defined as impaired cognitive testing, dementia diagnosis, or use of dementia medication. Blood specimens were enriched for CNS-derived exosomes. Proteins (neurofilament light [NfL], total tau, glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], α-synuclein, β-amyloid 42 [Aβ42], and phosphorylated tau [p-tau]) and cytokines (tumor necrosis factor–α [TNF-α], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and interleukin-10) were measured using ultrasensitive immunoassays. Results Veterans were, on average, 79 years old. In participants with TBI history, 65% had mild TBI; average time from most recent TBI was 37 years. In adjusted analyses, the TBI and CogI groups differed on CNS-enriched exosome concentration of p-tau, NfL, IL-6, TNF-α (all p Conclusions Increased levels of blood-based, CNS-enriched exosomal biomarkers associated with TBI and CogI can be detected even decades after TBI. Classification of evidence This study provides Class II evidence that in veterans with a history of TBI, CNS-enriched exosome concentration of p-tau, NfL, IL-6, and TNF-α are associated with CogI.
When Trust Matters: The Case of Gun Control

Declining trust in government is often cited as the cause of declining support for policies that require ideological sacrifices. Yet pivotal to the effect of trust is the broader political context, which can vary over time. In a context of deep partisan divisions, for individuals who do not trust the government, even small ideological costs can signal the beginning of a process that leads to much larger ideological costs down the line—a process akin to a “slippery slope.” We demonstrate the conditional relationship between partisan divides, governmental trust, and support for policy through empirical tests that focus on the case of gun control. We first show that the effect of trust in government on conservatives’ gun control attitudes increases as polarization over the issue grows. We then use a continuum of gun control policies to demonstrate that the effect of trust on policy support can follow a slippery slope structure during polarized points.
Effect of double bond in unsaturated long-chain monoglyceride in self-emulsified nanoemulsion on tight junction opening

Abstract Unsaturated long chain monoglycerides (LCMs) used to formulate self-emulsified nanoemulsion (SEN) are varied in their degree of unsaturation which may influence their activities on membrane permeability. Therefore, this study highlights the impact of double bond in LCMs on the tight junctions of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell monolayer. Two LCMs, Glyceryl monooleate (one double bond) and Glyceryl monolinoleate (two double bonds) were formulated into SENs (SEN2 and SEN3, respectively) with Glyceryl tricaprylate and PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil (1:1:2), and compared to the SEN (SEN1) consisted of only Glyceryl tricaprylate and PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil (1:4). Lucifer Yellow (LY, MW 457) or Fluorescein isothiocyanate–Dextran4K (FD4, MW 3000-5000) was added to the aqueous phase of the SENs and tested for their transport across the cell monolayer. The cumulative transport of LY and FD4 achieved by SEN2 and SEN3 were significantly (p
Adult Bicycle Collisions: Impact of Helmet Use on Head and Cervical Spine Injury.

Abstract Background No states currently require adult bicycle riders to wear helmets. Opponents of a universal helmet law argue that helmets may cause a greater torque on the neck during collisions, potentially increasing the risk of cervical spine fracture (CSF). This assumption has not been supported by data for motorcyclists. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the risk of CSF and cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) in helmeted bicyclists (HBs) versus nonhelmeted bicyclists (NHBs) involved in collisions. We hypothesize that in adult HBs, there is an increased incidence of CSF and injury but lower rates of severe head injury and mortality than in NHBs. Materials and methods The Trauma Quality Improvement Program (2010-2016) was queried for adult bicyclists involved in collisions, comparing HBs with NHBs. A multivariable logistic regression model was used for analysis. Results Of 25,047 bicyclists, 14,234 (56.8%) were NHBs. NHBs were more often black (13.3% versus 2.3%, P Conclusions HBs involved in collisions have a higher risk of CSF and CSCI; however, NHBs have a higher risk of severe head injury and mortality. Consideration for a universal helmet law among bicyclists and ongoing research regarding helmet development is needed.
The Routledge companion to the Hispanic Enlightenment: edited by Elizabeth Franklin Lewis, Mónica Bolufer Peruga, and Catherine M Jaffe, London: Routledge, 2019, 446 pp. (ISBN 97811387477919)

Elizabeth Lewis, Monica Bolufer Peruga and Catherine Jaffe’s new edited volume on the Enlightenment in the Hispanic world offers one of the most ambitious and far-reaching collections of essays on ...
The specificity principle in adoption

Abstract The Specificity Principle in Adoption asserts that specific setting conditions for adoption of specific adoptees born to specific birth parents and adopted by specific adoptive parents at specific times moderate specific domains in all members of the adoption tetrad by specific processes. Understanding adoption depends critically upon what is studied in whom, how, and when. This article defines, explains, and illustrates the Specificity Principle as applied to adoption. Research hypotheses about adoption can be more adequately tested, inconsistencies and discrepancies in the adoption literature can be more easily identified and resolved, adoptions can be refined to be improved for all parties, and adoption policies can be brought to more differentiated levels of effectiveness if the specificity principle that governs adoption is more widely recognized and applied.
Attitudes toward a mindfulness-based intervention from African American women living with HIV: A qualitative study.

Introduction:Mindfulness-based interventions train participants to pay attention to their own emotions in the current moment without judging themselves. This study aims to assess the attitudes towa...
Ambivalent Appropriation: Engagement with Apollo in Jewish and Christian Texts and Material Culture

This article considers ancient Jewish and Christian engagement with Apollo traditions in texts and material objects from the second century BCE to the sixth century CE. I track a shared strategy in...
"What I Said Was 'Here Is Where I Cash In'": the Instrumental Role of Congressman Hatton Sumners in the Resolution of the 1937 Court-Packing Crisis

The New Deal had suffered a litigation problem in the last two years of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term: eight unconstitutionality rulings by the Supreme Court and more than 2,000 injunctions against implementation of New programs by federal officials. Roosevelt's proposed solution was to pack the Court with up to six more justices. In the legal and historical analyses of the resulting court-packing crisis, one figure has been almost completely overlooked or ignored, that of Congressman Hatton W. Sumners. He was a classic Southern Democratic congressman who expressed deep racial prejudice but who, with substantially all other Southern congressmen, joined with FDR to help create the New Deal. Sumners chaired the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives and worked with the President to shape and enact the New Deal, particularly its amendments to the criminal law and the federal legal system. He is famously known for supposedly uttering the words "Boys, here's where I cash in my chips" upon departing the briefing about the packing plan that President Franklin Roosevelt conducted in the White House on February 5th. But Sumners did not speak those final two words, "my chips," and more importantly he did not desert Roosevelt, although he strongly disliked the plan. Instead, as seen through lenses of legal biography, legislative history, and political history qua legal history, he pressed to enactment his two already filed bills, one to hasten and facilitate the retirement of the superannuated justices, the Retirement Act on March 1st, and the other to mandate notice and opportunity to intervene for the Attorney General in any case in any federal court in which an issue of the constitutionality of a federal statute is raised, the Intervention Act on August 24th. These two statutes worked to solve the litigation problem of the New Deal for FDR and, moreover, have served as permanent improvements to the federal judicial system. What Sumners meant when he remarked that he was "cash[ing] in" was that he believed he was the one to save the Court and the President from the crisis created by the court-packing plan, and he did so by means of his two bills whose enactments bookended the resolution of the crisis. Accordingly, his role was instrumental and warrants a place for him in the story of the crisis.
Systems Thinking Approach to an Artificial Intelligence Reality within Healthcare: From Hype to Value

The healthcare system is undergoing a transformational change due to the buildup of frustration against rising costs, inefficient services, long wait times and declining population health outcomes in the United States (US). At the same time, there is a growing excitement about the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in order to mitigate these inefficiencies. Many of the AI initiatives in healthcare are generally focused on highly domain specific solutions. There has not been widespread adoption of systemic solutions proposed. Improving care coordination is a national priority in the US and it is thought to be critical to avoiding unnecessarily hospitalizations. Given the increase in the aging population and the mounting complexity of care dynamics as patients age, the time is ripe to apply systems thinking approaches to model the dynamics of these complex care trajectories with the implication of utilizing AI technologies to augment care transitions. This paper outlines the rationale and approach for utilizing systems thinking in AI implementation design focused on improving care coordination as a driver for high value care.
The USA-Advisor: A Case Study in Answer Set Planning

In this work we show how control knowledge was used to improve planning in the USA-Advisor decision support system for the Space Shuttle. The USA-Advisor is a medium size, real-world planning application for use by NASA flight controllers and contains over a dozen domain dependent and domain independent heuristics. Experimental results are presented here, illustrating how this control knowledge helps improve both the quality of plans as well as overall system performance.
Abortive Infection of Canine Cells by Herpes Simplex Virus. III. The Interference, of Conditional Lethal Virus with an Extended Host Range Mutant.

Abstract Two related phenomena take place in dog kidney (DK) cells doubly infected with MPdk−, a conditional lethal strain of herpes simplex virus, and MPdk+sp, a mutant capable of multiplying in DK cells. On one hand, the formation of infectious MPdk− virions is considerably increased (enhancement). On the other, the yield of infectious MPdk+sp is greatly reduced (interference). The relationship between enhancement and interference was studied by incubating DK cells at different temperatures after simultaneous and after staggered infection with the two mutants. The results show that conditions of infection which favor enhancement also favor minimal interference. Conversely, conditions favoring maximal interference do not favor enhancement. The results do not satisfy the hypothesis that MPdk− competes with MPdk+sp for cellular sites or for functional proteins specified only by MPdk+sp virus. The results are in accord with the predictions arising from the hypothesis that interference results from the formation of nonfunctional aggregates consisting of defective MPdk− subunits and potentially functional subunits specified by MPdk+sp.
Biological Control of Weeds and Plant Diseases: Advances in Applied Allelopathy

Not a new edition of Rice's 1984 monograph on Allelopathy, but an update covering selected topics that have been researched most actively, i.e., agriculture and forestry, with considerable research in those areas directed at the biological control of weeds and plant diseases. The volume is based ch
Selenium Attenuates HPV-18 Associated Apoptosis in Embryo-Derived Trophoblastic Cells but Not Inner Cell Mass In Vitro.

Objectives. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are associated with cell cycle arrest. This study focused on antioxidant selenomethionine (SeMet) inhibition of HPV-mediated necrosis. The objectives were to determine HPV-18 effects on embryonic cells and to evaluate SeMet in blocking HPV-18 effects. Methods. Fertilized mouse embryos were cultured for 5 days to implanted trophoblasts and exposed to either control medium (group 1), HPV-18 (group 2), combined HPV-18 and 0.5 µM SeMet (group 3), or combined HPV-18 and 5.0 µM SeMet (group 4). After 48 hrs, trophoblast integrity and, apoptosis/necrosis were assessed using morphometric and dual-stain fluorescence assays, respectively. Results. HPV-18 exposed trophoblasts nuclei (253.8 ± 28.5 sq·µ) were 29% smaller than controls (355.6 ± 35.9 sq·µ). Supplementation with 0.5 and 5.0 µM SeMet prevented nuclear shrinkage after HPV-18 exposure. HPV-18 infected trophoblasts remained larger with SeMet supplementation. HPV-18 decreased cell viability by 44% but SeMet supplementation sustained cell viability. Apoptosis was lower when SeMet was present. HPV-18 decreased inner cell mass (ICM) viability by over 60%. Conclusions. HPV-18 decreased nuclear size and trophoblast viability but these effects were attenuated by the antioxidant SeMet. SeMet blocked HPV-18 associated apoptosis process in trophoblasts but not ICM cells suggesting involvement of different oxidative stress pathways.
Project lachesis: Parsing and modeling location histories

A datatype with increasing importance in GIS is what we call the location history–a record of an entity’s location in geographical space over an interval of time. This paper proposes a number of rigorously defined data structures and algorithms for analyzing and generating location histories. Stays are instances where a subject has spent some time at a single location, and destinations are clusters of stays. Using stays and destinations, we then propose two methods for modeling location histories probabilistically. Experiments show the value of these data structures, as well as the possible applications of probabilistic models of location histories.
Remote sensing signatures database - challenges and opportunities

Growing use of remote sensing in scientific and forensic analysis requires collecting large quantities of signature data from a variety of sensors requiring various techniques as well as careful consideration of environmental conditions. The quantity of collected signature data continues to grow rapidly and the challenge of storing, classifying, searching and exchanging of signatures has significantly increased. For example, the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) Integrated Signatures Program (ISP) has collected approximately one million IR, Raman, Mass Spec, RF and other signatures that must be effectively managed. This paper discusses approaches for standardizing metadata across different phenomenology, data interchange formats, unique identification of signatures, signature quality metrics, facilitating third party analysis tools and large signature library management and distribution. Each of these items must be considered when developing a standard for collected signatures.
Prediction of the instantaneous and steady state torque of the switched reluctance motor using the finite element method (FEM)

The locked rotor torque and instantaneous current and torque waveforms for a switched-reluctance motor (SRM) have been calculated using a two-dimensional finite-element method. The effects of switching the stator winding excitation on and off at different positions of the rotor are included. Experimental results for a 10-hp Oulton switched-reluctance motor are shown. In addition, the authors compare the SRM with a Century electric induction motor of the same rating. >
Nonglycosylated G-Protein Vaccine Protects against Homologous and Heterologous Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Challenge, while Glycosylated G Enhances RSV Lung Pathology and Cytokine Levels.

ABSTRACT New efforts are under way to develop a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that will provide protective immunity without the potential for vaccine-associated disease enhancement such as that observed in infants following vaccination with formalin-inactivated RSV vaccine. In addition to the F fusion protein, the G attachment surface protein is a target for neutralizing antibodies and thus represents an important vaccine candidate. However, glycosylated G protein expressed in mammalian cells has been shown to induce pulmonary eosinophilia upon RSV infection in a mouse model. In the current study, we evaluated in parallel the safety and protective efficacy of the RSV A2 recombinant unglycosylated G protein ectodomain (amino acids 67 to 298) expressed in Escherichia coli (REG) and those of glycosylated G produced in mammalian cells (RMG) in a mouse RSV challenge model. Vaccination with REG generated neutralizing antibodies against RSV A2 in 7/11 BALB/c mice, while RMG did not elicit neutralizing antibodies. Total serum binding antibodies against the recombinant proteins (both REG and RMG) were measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and were found to be >10-fold higher for REG- than for RMG-vaccinated animals. Reduction of lung viral loads to undetectable levels after homologous (RSV-A2) and heterologous (RSV-B1) viral challenge was observed in 7/8 animals vaccinated with REG but not in RMG-vaccinated animals. Furthermore, enhanced lung pathology and elevated Th2 cytokines/chemokines were observed exclusively in animals vaccinated with RMG (but not in those vaccinated with REG or phosphate-buffered saline [PBS]) after homologous or heterologous RSV challenge. This study suggests that bacterially produced unglycosylated G protein could be developed alone or as a component of a protective vaccine against RSV disease. IMPORTANCE New efforts are under way to develop vaccines against RSV that will provide protective immunity without the potential for disease enhancement. The G attachment protein represents an important candidate for inclusion in an effective RSV vaccine. In the current study, we evaluated the safety and protective efficacy of the RSV A2 recombinant unglycosylated G protein ectodomain produced in E. coli (REG) and those of glycosylated G produced in mammalian cells (RMG) in a mouse RSV challenge model (strains A2 and B1). The unglycosylated G generated high protective immunity and no lung pathology, even in animals that lacked anti-RSV neutralizing antibodies prior to RSV challenge. Control of viral loads correlated with antibody binding to the G protein. In contrast, the glycosylated G protein provided poor protection and enhanced lung pathology after RSV challenge. Therefore, bacterially produced unglycosylated G protein holds promise as an economical approach to a protective vaccine against RSV.
Gravel Size Analysis from Photographs

Gravel sizes measured from photographs of river beds are biased estimates of size when compared to standard sieve analysis. Mean apparent short axis size (for gravel coarser than 8 mm) from photographs may be converted to sieve-equivalent mean size by subtracting 0.1 phi (if mean size in phi units) or multiplying by 1.07 (if mean size in mm). Percentile of the distribution also differ by the same factors. Measures of grain size standard deviation from photographs are approximately equivalent to sieve values. For sizes in phi units the photograph and sieve size frequency distribution curves have similar shape, but are offset by the same bias as the mean size.
Is 20S RNA naked

Abstract The 20S RNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a single-stranded, circular RNA virus. A previous study suggested that this RNA is part of a 32S ribonucleoprotein particle, being associated with multiple copies of a 23-kilodalton protein. We show here that this protein is, in fact, the chromosome-encoded heat shock protein Hsp26. Furthermore, it is apparently not associated with 20S RNA and plays no obvious role in the life cycle of the virus.
Influence of composition and annealing on the structure development in biaxially stretched PEN/PEI/PEEK ternary blends

Abstract The effect of biaxial stretching and annealing on the structure development in ternary blends of PEN/PEI/PEEK on mostly PEN-rich compositions has been investigated. Both PEN and PEEK are melt miscible with PEI. The addition of PEI greatly suppresses the crystallizability of the PEN while enhancing the glass transition temperature. The addition of PEEK to high PEI containing PEN/PEI recovers this crystallizability with the end result being the high T g materials that can strain harden. The crystallization habit is mostly PEN at PEN-rich corner of the ternary diagram. The increase of PEI concentration beyond 20% eliminates the crystallizability of PEN and addition of as little as 10% PEEK causes these blends to crystallize upon stretching in the rubbery state.
Experimental validation of a coding-based digital beamformer

In this paper, we propose an experimental validation of a novel hardware-reduced digital beamformer. Particular to this receiver is the use of a coding technique that allows a single analog-to-digital converter to serve all antenna array elements. The proposed validation testbed consists of two signal path receiver with discrete off-the-shelf components. The digital post-processing and beamforming is performed using a field programmable gate array (FPGA).
Separating polymer solutions using high pressure lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phenomena

A lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase split can be used as an alternative to steam stripping for separating polymer solutions, By adding a supercritical fluid (SCF) additive to the polymer solution, the LCST can be lowered, thus minimizing the possibility of polymer degradation and also reducing the thermal energy requirements for the process. Experimental results for the poly(ethylene-co-propylene)-hexane-SCF ethylene system are shown as an example of the type of phase behavior observed with polymer-solvent-SCF additive solutions. Adding 20 percent (w/w) ethylene to the polymer solution lowers the temperature of the LCST by 109°C. The addition of 30 percent (w/w) ethylene to the polymer solution lowers the temperature of the LCST curve sufficiently to merge this curve with the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) curve. When the lower critical end point (LCEP) is plotted against the critical temperature of the solvent the data for poly(ethylenie-co-propylene)-solvent systems are well represented by a single curve. A more fundamental modeling approach is needed to estimate the pressure of the LCEP and the concentration of SCF additive necessary to merge the LCST and the UCST curves. Patterson's theory of corresponding states can be used for these calculations.
Solubilization of Some Steroid Hormones in Aqueous Solutions of Bile Salts

Abstract Solubilities of testosterone propionate, methyltestosterone, and 19‐nortestosterone in aqueous sodium cholate and deoxycholate were determined. Solubilizing capacity values show that deoxycholate is a better solubilizer than cholate and that both bile salts solubilize more 19‐nortestosterone than other testosterone derivatives. A possible mode of solubilization is discussed.
Identification and distribution of megakaryocyte colonies in murine spleen

This study is the first report on the utilization of specific cell function to identify splenic megakaryocytic colonies. Stem cell differentiation into megakaryocytes was studied by injecting each irradiated murine syngeneic recipient with 1 x 10(6) spleen cells. Morphological identification of erythroid, granulocytic, megakaryocytic, and mixed and undifferentiated colonies was done by staining consecutive cryostat sections with hemotoxylin and eosin, benzidine, myeloperoxidase, and acetylcholinesterase. The variation in the distribution of hemopoietic colonies within the spleen was reflected in the different ratio values derived for erythroid, granulocytic, and megakaryocytic colonies at varying depth within the spleen. An increase by 50% of megakaryocyte colonies was seen within the splenic pulp in the midzone region, compared with the surface. This suggests a localized microenvironment conducive for megakaryocytopoiesis. The data emphasizes the importance of identifying colonies of all cell types in histological sections of the spleen and evaluating spleen sections at least at two levels, one adjacent to the surface and the other in the midzone area.