cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Examination of the Antecedents of the Consumer Make-Or-Buy Decision

While businesses compete directly with each other, they also compete indirectly with households. Many of the products/services produced by businesses are also produced within the household and ther...
Computer Administered Safety Planning for Individuals at Risk for Suicide: Development and Usability Testing.

Background: Safety planning is a brief intervention that has become an accepted practice in many clinical settings to help prevent suicide. Even though it is quick compared to other approaches, it frequently requires 20 min or more to complete, which can impede adoption. A self-administered, Web-based safety planning application could potentially reduce clinician time, help promote standardization and quality, and provide enhanced ability to share the created plan. Objective: The aim of this study was to design, build, and test the usability of a Web-based, self-administered safety planning application. Methods: We employed a user-centered software design strategy led by a multidisciplinary team. The application was tested for usability with a target sample of suicidal patients. Detailed observations, structured usability ratings, and Think Aloud procedures were used. Suicidal ideation intensity and perceived ability to cope were assessed pre-post engagement with the Web application. Results: A total of 30 participants were enrolled. Usability ratings were generally strong, and all patients successfully built a safety plan. However, the completeness of the safety plan varied. The mean number of steps completed was 5.5 (SD 0.9) out of 6, with 90% (27/30) of participants completing at least 5 steps and 67% (20/30) completing all 6 steps. Some safety planning steps were viewed as inapplicable to some individuals. Some confusion in instructions led to modifications to improve understandability of each step. Ratings of suicide intensity after completion of the application were significantly lower than preratings, pre: mean 5.11 (SD 2.9) versus post: mean 4.46 (SD 3.0), t27=2.49, P=.02. Ratings of ability to cope with suicidal thoughts after completion of the application were higher than preratings, with the difference approaching statistical significance, pre: mean 5.93 (SD 2.9), post: mean 6.64 (SD 2.4), t27=−2.03, P=.05. Conclusions: We have taken the first step toward identifying the components needed to maximize usability of a self-administered, Web-based safety planning application. Results support initial consideration of the application as an adjunct to clinical contact. This allows for the clinician or other personnel to provide clarification, when needed, to help the patient build the plan, and to help review and revise the draft.
Relationship Between Grit with Academic Performance and Attainment of Postgraduate Training in Pharmacy Students

Objective. To determine if Grit-S scores correlate with academic success in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program, as well as the pursuit and attainment of pharmacy postgraduate (residency or fellowship) training.Methods. A 28-item survey was administered to third- and fourth-year (P3 and P4) pharmacy students. Variables queried included Grit-S score, demographics, pharmacy experience prior to the PharmD program, and factors that may affect academic performance during didactic coursework. Didactic coursework GPA was used as a surrogate for academic success. Information about pursuit and attainment of a postgraduate training position was also documented and used in the analyses.Results. There was no significant correlation between Grit-S scores and variables related to academic success. However, students were more likely to pursue postgraduate training with higher academic success and higher Grit-S. Lastly, students with higher Grit-S were also more likely to obtain a postgraduate training position.Conclus...
Ossification of the Achilles Tendon

Ossification of the Achilles tendon, as observed here in seven cases, is usually asymptomatic and requires no treatment. If symptoms occur, usually pain, a fracture should be suspected, and the ossified mass excised to prevent rupture of the tendon or persistence of symptoms.
Computational cell biology in the post-genomic era

Rapid accumulation of biological data from novel high throughput technologies characteristic of genomic and proteomic research as well as advances in more traditional biological disciplines are leading to wider use of detailed and complex computational models of cell behavior. These models address a variety of dynamic intracellular processes ranging from interactions within a gene regulation network to intracellular and intercellular signal transduction. This review focuses on the current trends in computation cell biology, particularly emphasizing the role of experimental validation. The recent successes and future challenges facing computational cell biology are also discussed.
Mergers, efficiency, and productivity in the railroad industry: an attribute-incorporated data envelopment analysis approach

Abstract This chapter examines the level of efficiency and productivity for US Class I railroads from 1983 to 2008, assesses the effects of merger activity on efficiency, and identifies the major factors associated with productivity growth. We introduce the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA) with an attribute-incorporated Malmquist productivity index, which allows firm-specific measures of efficiency and productivity to be calculated, a decomposition of the attribute-incorporated Malmquist productivity index into technical, efficient, and attribute components, the impacts of railroads mergers and the real source and change of productivity. We find that (1) the technology efficiency performance of the seven survivor firms has grown through time; (2) mergers overall do not lead significant technology and scale efficiency gains; (3) mergers in the 1980s do not have significant different effect on efficiency change comparing to those in the 1990s; and (4) the productivity gains were mostly contributed by the network and operation attributes change and industry technology improvement. Overall the mergers have no direct impact on the efficiency gains or losses in our study period.
Inhibition of protein interactions: co-crystalized protein–protein interfaces are nearly as good as holo proteins in rigid-body ligand docking

Modulating protein interaction pathways may lead to the cure of many diseases. Known protein–protein inhibitors bind to large pockets on the protein–protein interface. Such large pockets are detected also in the protein–protein complexes without known inhibitors, making such complexes potentially druggable. The inhibitor-binding site is primary defined by the side chains that form the largest pocket in the protein-bound conformation. Low-resolution ligand docking shows that the success rate for the protein-bound conformation is close to the one for the ligand-bound conformation, and significantly higher than for the apo conformation. The conformational change on the protein interface upon binding to the other protein results in a pocket employed by the ligand when it binds to that interface. This proof-of-concept study suggests that rather than using computational pocket-opening procedures, one can opt for an experimentally determined structure of the target co-crystallized protein–protein complex as a starting point for drug design.
Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease

Advances in diagnosis and treatment have dramatically impacted morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease over the past several decades.1 The discovery in 1960 of stem cells capable of regeneration and repair sparked interest in a new mode of therapy for heart disease beyond pharmaceuticals and cardiac devices.2 Over the past 10 years, work has focused on five key cell types - the endothelial mononuclear progenitor cell, the autologous skeletal myoblast, the allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell, the resident cardiac stem cell, and the human embryonic stem cell - as potential therapeutic agents, which may further contribute to gains in treating cardiovascular disease. This chapter aims to review these cell types, their preclinical underpinnings, the nascent clinical studies, and limitations observed in their use.
Residential DC House Cost Benefit Analysis

DC houses have a number of advantages over conventional AC houses in scenarios where DC distributed resources are integrated and much of the load is also DC. This paper proposes two types of DC house configurations based on FREEDM system solid-state transformer (SST) technology. In order to make a financial case for the DC house, a simulation test bed has been developed. Four types of houses with rooftop PV are modeled: AC house, retrofit DC house, FREEDM hybrid and FREEDM DC house. Annual simulation has been performed for five different locations and the hourly energy usage is estimated. From this, a comprehensive cost benefit analysis has been performed .Net present value and internal rate of return are used as the basis of comparison. The results show that FREEDM DC house is the most cost effective configuration among these four types of houses in the future where rooftop PV and EV are more commonly adopted.
Clay mineral–water interactions

Abstract The interaction of water with clay minerals is central to a wide range of disciplines that span from fundamental particles used in materials science and engineering to applied aspects in soil science and geotechnical engineering. Because water is the most abundant molecule on the surface of the Earth, and clay minerals are ubiquitous mineral phases, it follows that clay–water interactions play many important roles in the biosphere. In fact, water is an integral component of many clay mineral structures. This chapter reviews key elements of the structure of water, its interaction with ions, and the interaction of water with clay minerals. Surface interactions include hydrogen bonding, ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, and van der Waals interactions involving both neutral and charged clay mineral surfaces. Recent spectroscopic and molecular modelling studies of clay mineral–water interactions are presented in the framework of molecular probes and reporter groups.
Quantifying Innovation Patterns in Next Generation Solar Photovoltaics

There have been numerous emerging next generation solar cell technologies with the potential to disrupt the solar industry. Perovskites in particular have taken the spotlight recently with unprecedented efficiency improvements. To quantify the rate of innovation in next generation solar technologies, we used learning curves to model improvements in efficiency relative to three parameters: time since first publication, cumulative publications, and cumulative patents. The learning rates found for perovskite solar cells are compared to those of dye-sensitized, and quantum dot solar cells. In doing so, this analysis aims to elicit a better understanding of the drivers of innovation for emerging solar technologies and identify technologies demonstrating extraordinary technological progress.
Clonal Evolution and Epithelial Plasticity in the Emergence of AR-Independent Prostate Carcinoma

In spite of an initial clinical response to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), the majority of prostate cancer patients eventually develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Recent studies have highlighted the role of epithelial plasticity, including transdifferentiation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in the development of AR pathway-negative CRPC, a form of the disease that has increased in incidence after the introduction of potent AR inhibitors. In this review, we will discuss the switches between different cell fates that occur in response to AR blockade or acquisition of specific oncogenic mutations, such as those in TP53 and RB1, during the evolution to CRPC. We highlight the urgent need to dissect the mechanistic underpinnings of these transitions and identify novel vulnerabilities that can be targeted therapeutically.
The Elections Performance Index: Past, Present, and Future

The Elections Performance Index (EPI) has provided an objective assessment of the convenience and security of national elections starting with the 2008 election. This chapter begins by providing a historical, institutional, and intellectual introduction to the EPI’s creation and development over the past decade. The construction of an index such as this requires the trade-off of values, which are discussed at length. Average values of the EPI have increased over the past decade, which is a general tribute to the widespread improvement of election administration at the state level. At the same time, disaggregating sources of this improvement helps to highlight the EPI’s focus on online presence and data transparency. Finally, as the EPI enters a second decade, this chapter concludes with thoughts about how indicators might be added and adapted, and how the relative emphasis on ranking states might be adjusted to provide richer narratives about the development of election administration by the states.
Long-term outcomes of ablation for ventricular arrhythmias in mitral valve prolapse

Prior studies reporting efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation for complex ventricular ectopy in mitral valve prolapse (MVP) are limited by selective inclusion of bileaflet MVP, papillary muscle only ablation, or short-term follow-up. We sought to evaluate the long-term incidence of hemodynamically significant ventricular tachycardia (VT) or fibrillation (VF) in patients with MVP after initial ablation. We studied consecutive patients with MVP undergoing ablation for complex ventricular ectopy between 2013 and 2017 at our institution. Of 580 patients with MVP, we included 15 (2.6%, 10 women; mean age 50 ± 14 years, 53% bileaflet) with complex ventricular ectopy treated with initial ablation. Over a median follow-up of 3406 (1875-6551) days or 9 years, 5 of 15 (33%) patients developed hemodynamically significant VT/VF after their initial ablation and underwent placement of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Three of 5 also underwent repeat ablations. Sustained VT was inducible prior to index ablation in all 5 who developed VT/VF, compared to none of the 10 patients who did not develop VT/VF after index ablation (p = 0.002). Complex ventricular ectopy at index ablation was multifocal in all 5 patients who underwent repeat intervention versus 4 of 10 patients (40%) who did not (p = 0.04). All 3 patients with subsequent VT/VF who underwent repeat ablation had a new clinically dominant focus of ventricular arrhythmia and 3 of the patients with ICD had appropriate VT/VF therapies. In the long term, a subset of MVP patients treated with ablation for ventricular arrhythmias, all with multifocal ectopy on initial EP study, develop hemodynamically significant VT/VF. Our findings suggest the progressive nature of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with MVP and multifocal ectopy.
Adjuvant radiation for WHO grade II and III intracranial meningiomas: insights on survival and practice patterns from a National Cancer Registry.

WHO grades II (atypical) and III (malignant) meningiomas are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The role of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in management remains controversial. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of adjuvant RT on 5-year survival in patients with atypical and malignant meningiomas. We secondarily aimed to assess contemporary practice patterns and the impact of sociodemographic factors on outcome. We queried the National Cancer Database for patients ≥ 18 years of age with cranial atypical or malignant meningiomas from 2010 through 2015 who underwent surgical resection with or without adjuvant radiotherapy. Subjects with unknown WHO grade or radiation status and those not receiving any surgical procedure were excluded from analysis. The study includes 7486 patients, 6788 with atypical and 698 with malignant meningiomas. Overall 5-year survival was 76.9% (95% CI 75.5–78.3%) and 43.3% (95% CI 38.8–48.2%) among patients with WHO grades II and III meningiomas, respectively. Adjuvant RT correlated with improved survival in a multivariable model in patients with grade II tumors (HR 0.78; p = 0.029) regardless of the extent of resection. Age (HR 2.33; p < 0.001), male sex (HR 1.27; p < 0.001), Black race (HR 1.27; p = 0.011) and Charlson-Deyo Score ≥ 2 (1.35; p = 0.001) correlated with poorer survival whereas private insurance (HR 0.71; p < 0.001) correlated with improved survival. Adjuvant RT was also associated with improved 5-year survival among those with grade III tumors on univariate analysis (log-rank p = 0.006) but was underpowered for multivariable modeling. Utilization of adjuvant radiotherapy was only 28.4% and correlated with private insurance status. Academic institutions (25.3%) and comprehensive community cancer programs (21.4%) had lower radiotherapy utilization rates compared with integrated network cancer programs (30.5%) and community cancer programs (29.7%). Adjuvant RT may correlate with improved overall survival in patients with grades II and III intracranial meningiomas regardless of the extent of resection. There is poor utilization of adjuvant RT for patients with grades II and III meningiomas likely due to a paucity of quality data on the subject. These findings will be strengthened with prospective data evaluating the role of adjuvant RT.
A comprehensive understanding of conductive mechanism of RRAM: from electron conduction to ionic dynamics

Resistive random access memories (RRAMs) have been highlighted for being the potential candidate of the next generation nonvolatile memory devices in last decades, since Moore’s law is going to the end and the size of the traditional transistor almost reaches the physical limitation. Lots of previous studies on the conductive mechanism of RRAMs are intended to optimal the functionality of RRAMs. However, the classification of these mechanisms is very complex, which is not conducive to targeted function optimization. In this review, the electrons transition mode is described in detail, the classification of electrochemical metallization (ECM) is redefined, and the conductive mechanism of valence change memory (VCM) systems, which is often overlooked, is also discussed. At last, a prospective of RRAM relate to synapses then making wildly application is stated. In general, the review aims to understand conductive mechanisms of RRAMs systematically and provide a guidance for optimal the switching properties.
Meddling friends and family: Dark Tetrad traits predict interference in disliked couples’ romantic relationships:

Certain disapproving friends and family may interfere in others’ romantic relationships by undermining commitment processes. In the current study, we assessed whether friends and family members’ sc...
Abortion from the Perspective of Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism is, in part, a legal code comprising obligations (mitzvoth). Some are positive mitzvoth such as healing the sick, observing the Sabbath, and preserving life. Others are negative mitzvoth such as the prohibition of murder. The proper course of action in any particular situation is determined by identifying and weighing the mitzvoth that apply to that situation. There is unanimity that the fetus is not considered a completely full human life, and that the life of the mother takes precedence over the life of the fetus. There is also unanimity that abortion is prohibited. However, a difference of opinion exists regarding the exact nature of the prohibition. Some define the prohibition as similar to the prohibition of murder – a severe prohibition. As a result, exceptions to the prohibition are limited to instances when the mother’s life or health is in significant danger. Others define the prohibition of abortion as similar to the prohibition against wounding a person. This weaker prohibition is set aside in cases where the act of wounding provides significant benefit, such as easing physical or emotional distress. This understanding allows for a wider range of exceptions to the prohibition of abortion. However, abortion at will is never allowed, and the decision to destroy a fetus is always one that must be carefully and soberly considered.
Coherent Transient Infrared Spectroscopy

Ever since the advent of the laser in 1960, there has been considerable interest in optical analogs of the many transient phenomena seen in pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance experiments on spin systems. We refer to these phenomena as coherent transient effects and the interest in them is twofold. First, they exhibit very clearly the dynamics involved in the interaction of radiation and matter, and thus can be used to obtain a deeper understanding of this interaction. Second, it is found that the coherent transient effects can be used as a probe to study collisional decay processes in considerable detail as well as to obtain other spectroscopic information.
Stroke in HIV-infected African Americans: a retrospective cohort study

The risk of having a first stroke is nearly twice as high among African Americans compared to Caucasians. HIV/AIDS is an independent risk factor for stroke. Our study aimed to report the risk factors and short-term clinical outcomes of African Americans with HIV infection and new-onset stroke admitted at the Johns Hopkins Hospitals (2000–2012). Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the association between potential predictors and odds of an unfavorable outcome, defined as a higher modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score on hospital discharge. African Americans comprised 105/125 (84 %) of HIV-infected new-onset stroke inpatients (median age 50 years; 69 % men; median CD4 140/mL; ischemic 77 %; 39 % taking highly active antiretroviral therapy). Vascular risk factors were common: hypertension (67 %), cigarette smoking (66 %), dyslipidemia (42 %), hepatitis C (48 %), intravenous drug abuse (32 %), and prior myocardial infarction (29 %). Prior aspirin and statin use were uncommon (18 %, 9 %). Unfavorable outcome (mRS score 4–6, n = 22 of 90 available records) was noted in 24 % of patients, including seven in-hospital deaths. On multivariate analyses, higher CD4 count on hospital admission was associated with a lower mRS (−0.2 mRS points per 1 unit increase in CD4, 95 % CI (−0.3, 0), p = 0.03). Intracerebral hemorrhage was also associated with a lower mRS (1.0 points lower, 95 % CI (0.2, 1.8) compared to ischemic stroke, p = 0.01) after adjustment for other potential predictors. This underscores the importance of HIV infection on functional stroke outcomes beyond its recognized influence on stroke risk.
Visitor preferences for managing wilderness recreation after wildfire.

The 2003 Bear Butte and Booth (B&B) Fires burned much of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness in the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests, Oregon. A question for managers is how best to manage recreation in fire-affected areas in ways that minimize adverse impacts on visitor experiences and the recovering landscape. To help address this question, we used onsite surveys (n 221) asking visitors in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness about their past use and postfire changes in use and their preferences for managing recreation after fires. Results indicated that recreation use declined after the fires, but declines were less than those after recent policy and management decisions such as the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program. Visitor preferences for managing postfire recreation were mixed. Some visitors supported little or no management, some preferred access and use restrictions coupled with camping regulations, and some preferred either access and use restrictions or camping regulations alone.
Continuous-time sigma-delta modulator with an arbitrary feedback waveform

Two different approaches to transform a discrete-time sigma-delta modulator into a continuous-time system with an arbitrary feedback waveform are presented. Taking the real shape of the feedback pulse into account at system-level allows one to adjust the modulator coefficients in order to compensate for the circuit nonidealities.
Conjugation of Nanomaterials with Proteins

The sections in this article are Introduction Coupling of Inorganic Nanoparticles with Proteins Chemical Functionalization Methods Protein-assisted Assemblies of Inorganic Nanoparticles Crosslinking Route through Protein Recognition Template-directed Approach Supercritical Fluid Methods BSA-conjugated Silver Nanoparticles BSA-conjugated Semiconductor Nanoparticles Assembly and Disassembly of Nanoparticles through Protein Isomeric Conversion Coupling of Carbon Nanotubes and Proteins Non-specific Adsorption Specific Conjugation and Biorecognition Conclusions and Perspectives Acknowledgment
The Effect of Active Student Responding during Computer-Assisted Instruction on Social Studies Learning by Students with Learning Disabilities

An alternating treatments design with a best treatments phase was used to compare two active student response (ASR) conditions and one on-task (OT) condition on the acquisition and maintenance of s...
The Painlev\'e Integrability Test

The Painlev\'e test is a widely applied and quite successful technique to investigate the integrability of nonlinear ODEs and PDEs by analyzing the singularity structure of the solutions. The test is named after the French mathematician Paul Painlev\'e ....
Prevention of Pressure Ulcer

The number of hospital patients who develop pressure sores has risen by 63 % over the last 10 years, and nearly 60,000 deaths occur annually from hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. It has been estimated that it costs between 1.5 and 5.0 billion dollars a year to manage pressure ulcers in the United States [1]. In the United States in October of 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it will stop reimbursing hospitals for treating reasonably preventable conditions—pressure ulcers are among these conditions. That announcement has put hospitals into a state of anxiety, and with good reason, up until now, the majority of hospitals focus on the treatment of pressure ulcers, rather than preventing them. Section 5001(c) of the DRA required the Secretary to identify, by October 1, 2007, at least two conditions for which hospitals under the IPPS (Inpatient Prospective Payment System) would not receive additional payment beginning on October 1, 2008, if the condition was not present on admission. The conditions (a) must be of high cost or high volume or both, (b) must result in the assignment of a case to a DRG that has a higher payment when present as a secondary diagnosis, and (c) could reasonably have been prevented through the application of evidence-based guidelines. For discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2008, hospitals would not receive additional payment for cases in which one of the selected HACs was not present on admission. That is, the case would be paid as though the secondary diagnosis was not present. Pressure ulcers are one of the hospital-acquired complications that CMS deems to be preventable, and as a result, prevention is on the forefront of all hospital policies. Pressure ulcers can affect any patient that has limited mobility due to illness or disease. There are some patient populations that are at greater risk than others. Individuals with spinal cord injuries have a high incidence of pressure ulcer development. It has been estimated that 25 % of individuals will develop a pressure ulcer in a year, with 85 % having at least one pressure ulcer in his/her lifetime [1]. Individuals aging with spinal cord injuries will have increased risk as age-related changes affect the strength and elasticity of the skin. Niazi et al. found that the recurrence rate for patients with spinal cord injuries who develop pressure ulcers was 35 % [1]. The treatment of pressure ulcers is approximately 25 % of the cost of caring for individuals with spinal cord injury. The cost of prevention is approximately 10 % the cost of treatment [1, 2]. Another population at greater risk for pressure ulcer development is the elderly especially those in long-term care facilities. Twenty-five to thirty-five percent of elderly patients in these facilities develop pressure ulcers during their length of stay. Prevention is the key to improving these patients’ quality of life and reduces the burden that pressure ulcers place on our healthcare systems.
Eulerian-based virtual visual sensors to detect natural frequencies of structures

Natural frequency of vibration data are often used to study the behavior of structures. They are also used to calibrate finite element models and some studies have proposed that the presence and location of damage can be estimated using these data. Along this line, we earlier proposed the concept of Eulerian-based virtual visual sensors to estimate natural frequencies of structural vibrations based on the change of pixel intensity captured in a digital video. Benefits of this approach are that it allows for distributed sensing and is contactless. However, as intensity does not reflect any physical quantity, such as displacement, and the range of values is difficult to control, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be relatively low. Furthermore, impulsive changes of intensity caused by large deformations compared to the pixel size can result in an impulse train in the frequency domain which leads to ambiguity in determining peak frequencies. As a result, it is often only possible to estimate the first fundamental mode of vibration. In this paper, we present strategies using targets mounted to the structure combined with signal processing methods that significantly improve the SNR and allow for detecting higher natural frequencies of vibration. The concepts, their mathematical background, laboratory tests to prove the accuracy and enhancement of SNR, as well as an example of an in-service pedestrian bridge are presented and discussed.
The Housing Decisions of Older Households: A Dynamic Analysis

Abstract The housing decisions of older households are best modeled as dynamic rather than static decisions. A dynamic discrete choice econometric technique is applied to data on households whose heads are aged 50 years or older to estimate older households' preferences for living in homes with large and small amounts of equity, rental units, and dependent arrangements. The dynamic technique provides a better fit than a static analysis, and the results suggest that economic factors such as income and financial assets are more important to the decision than previous conventional analyses have suggested.
Modification of the Level of Histidine and Sodium Bicarbonate in the Illinois Crystalline Amino Acid Diet

Abstract Studies conducted over the past several years have resulted in certain revisions of the Illinois crystalline amino acid diet. Histidine has been increased from .30% to .33% and sodium bicarbonate has been increased from 1.0% to 1.5%. Also, it has been observed that dietary fat can occupy as little as 5% or as much as 15% of this diet with no loss in rate of growth.
Exploiting Transmit Buffer Information at the Receiver in Block-Fading Channels

It is well known that channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) leads to higher throughput in fading channels. We motivate the use of transmit buffer information at receiver (TBIR). The thesis of this paper is that having partial or complete instantaneous TBIR leads to a lower packet loss rate in block-fading channels assuming the availability of partial CSIT. We provide a framework for the joint design and analysis of feedback (FB) and feed-forward (FF) information in fading channels. We then introduce two forms of TBIR—statistical and instantaneous—and show the gains of each form of TBIR using a heuristic scheme. For a Rayleigh fading channel, we show that in certain cases the packet error rate reduces by nearly an order of magnitude with just one bit of feed-forward information of TBIR.
A triple product identity for Schur functions

Abstract In this paper we expand the product of n different classical theta functions into a Laurent sum of Schur symmetric functions of their arguments. This expansion is a natural extension of the Jacobi triple product identity. We derive our result from a q-binomial theorem for I. G. Macdonald's (Schur function) multiple basic hypergeometric series of matrix argument.
Catecholamine-induced mechanical sensitization of cutaneous nociceptors in the rat

Abstract C-Fiber mechanoheat (C-MH) nociceptors from the saphenous nerve were studied, in control rats and in rats that underwent surgical sympathectomy. Intradermal injection, alone, of either norepinephrine (NE) or the calcium ionophore, A23187, did not affect mechanical threshold. The combination of A23187 and NE, however, significantly decreased mechanical threshold. In the presence of the α2-adrenergic anatgonist, yohimbine, or the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, C-MHs were not sensitized by the combination of NE + A23187. One week after surgical sympathectomy, the number of C-MHs sensitized by NE + A23187 was significantly reduced. In summary, NE appears to sensitize nociceptors indirectly. These data are compatible with the suggestion that a sympathetic postganglionic neuron-dependent release of prostaglandins mediates the sensitization. NE appears to act at an α2-adrenergic receptor, only in the presence of an increased intracellular Ca2+.
Drug absorption V: Influence of food on oral absorption of phenobarbital in rats

This paper reports the effect of food on the oral absorption of phenobarbital in the rat. The presence of food was found to lower significantly the serum levels of intact drug and to reduce dramatically (and at low doses, 100 mg./kg., to eliminate) sleeping times induced by phenobarbital. The amounts of drug remaining unabsorbed in the stomach and intestines were determined in fasted and nonfasted rats. Greater than 90% of the amount unabsorbed was found in the stomach in both test conditions, but the amounts unabsorbed were greater in the nonfasted rats. In situ studies indicate that phenobarbital is primarily absorbed from the intestines. Thus, it is concluded that the presence of food decreased the pharmacological activity of phenobarbital by decreasing the rate of absorption and that this decreased absorption rate is due primarily to slowed gastric emptying. Since the drug is rapidly absorbed in the intestine, the extent of absorption is the same in the nonfasted rat as in the fasted rat.
Impact of precision of Bayesian network parameters on accuracy of medical diagnostic systems

ObjectiveOne of the hardest technical tasks in employing Bayesian network models in practice is obtaining their numerical parameters. In the light of this difficulty, a pressing question, one that has immediate implications on the knowledge engineering effort, is whether precision of these parameters is important. In this paper, we address experimentally the question whether medical diagnostic systems based on Bayesian networks are sensitive to precision of their parameters. Methods and materialsThe test networks include Hepar II, a sizeable Bayesian network model for diagnosis of liver disorders and six other medical diagnostic networks constructed from medical data sets available through the Irvine Machine Learning Repository. Assuming that the original model parameters are perfectly accurate, we lower systematically their precision by rounding them to progressively courser scales and check the impact of this rounding on the models' accuracy. ResultsOur main result, consistent across all tested networks, is that imprecision in numerical parameters has minimal impact on the diagnostic accuracy of models, as long as we avoid zeroes among parameters. ConclusionThe experiments' results provide evidence that as long as we avoid zeroes among model parameters, diagnostic accuracy of Bayesian network models does not suffer from decreased precision of their parameters.
Analysis of standard reference materials by absolute INAA

Three standard reference materials, flyash, soil, and ASI 4340 steel, were analyzed by a method of absolute instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Two different light water pool-type reactors were used to produce equivalent analytical results even though the epithermal to thermal flux ratio in one reactor was higher than that in the other by a factor of two.
“I Am Eating a Sandwich Now”: Intent and Foresight in the Twitter Age

Although the criteria of double effect is usually used with issues of warfare and human health, such as abortion and euthanasia, the authors suggest using T. A. Cavanaugh's version of double effect reasoning when deliberating about cases that deal with the social media. With the creation of a modified version of Cavanaugh's three criteria, both social media users and those who evaluate decisions in that medium will have an alternate ethical decision-making model to use. The authors show how one might use this model in the age of anytime, anywhere technology.
Robust Sliding Mode Control of Uncertain Dynamic Delay Systems in the Presence of Matched and Unmatched Uncertainties

A nonlinear continuous controller is developed for a class of uncertain dynamic delay-systems in the presence of matched and unmatched uncertainties. The controller designed guarantees uniform ultimate boundedness of all motions of the class of uncertain time-delay systems considered. Furthermore, the parameters of the controller can be adjusted so that the deviation from ideal sliding mode can be made arbitrarily small. Finally, an example is included to illustrate the proposed design procedure.
Evidence of elevated pressure and temperature during burial of the Salem Limestone in south-central Indiana, USA, and its implications for surprisingly deep burial

Abstract A minor, normal fault related to compaction of the grainstone shoal facies of the Salem Limestone in south-central Indiana provides an unusual opportunity to test the pressure and temperature of both faulting and associated stylolitization. Syn-deformational sphalerite occurs in voids along the fault where it intersects an organic-rich shale parting in the sand flat facies overlying the grainstone. The sphalerite contains fluid inclusions that can be used for microthermobaric measurements. Most fluid inclusions in the sphalerite are demonstrably cogenetic with the host sphalerite and of the two-phase aqueous type common in Indiana, although many contain petroleum and others contain gas. Crushing tests in kerosene indicate that the aqueous inclusions contain dissolved methane in varying amounts as high as 1000 ppm. Microthermometry shows that late sphalerite growth, late fault movement, and late stylolitization all occurred as conditions approached 108°C and 292 bars. This pressure is in accord with a normal, basinal, geothermal gradient of 32.5°C/km that would produce the observed temperature under hydrostatic conditions at a burial depth of 2.7 km using an average fluid density of 1.1 g/cm 3 . These results serve as a reminder that fluid inclusions in diagenetic minerals hold important temperature and pressure information regarding burial diagenesis of Paleozoic rocks across the North American midcontinent. Detailed study of dissolved gases in fluids trapped in disseminated sphalerite that is common across the midcontinent could help resolve the enigma of sedimentary rocks with high thermal maturity exposed at the surface across the region.
Teaching secure coding: the myths and the realities

Teaching secure coding has never been more important. The CS2013 Ironman draft includes Information Assurance and Security as a new Knowledge Area and recommends that security be cross-cutting across all undergraduate computer science curricula. The Summit on Education in Secure Software recommended: 1) increasing the number of faculty who understand the importance of secure programming principles, and will require students to practice them; 2) integrating computer security content into existing technical and non-technical courses; and 3) using innovative teaching methods to strengthen the foundation of computer security knowledge. In this panel, we will speak to these recommendations and the new curricular guidelines and discuss the importance and challenges of teaching secure coding.
Dietary adaptations of two goat ancestors and evolutionary considerations

Abstract A comparative tooth microwear data base of twenty extant ungulates (eight browsing species, four mixed feedingspecies, and eight grazing species) was established and analyzed. The three dietary categories are reflected by the tooth microwear results, as browsers have more pits and fewer total scratches, and grazers have fewer pits and more total scratches. The data of the mixed feeders form bimodal distributions, consisting of a browsing group and a grazing group, which indicates that they either graze or browse. Based on the tooth microwear results, Pachytragus crassicornis, one of the extinct ancestors of modern Caprini (goats and sheep) found on the Miocene localities of Samos in Greece (7.2 – 8.5 Ma), was most likely a mixed feeder. Pachytragus laticeps was a grazer. The masticatory morphology of both Pachytragus species are similar to a few mixed feeders, such as Tragelaphus scriptus and Gazella grunti. According to the local biostratigraphy at Samos, the horn core morphology of several species, and the tooth micowear data, P. laticeps most likely evolved from P. crassicornis. In P. crassicornis, the masticatory morphology was synchronized with the dietary adaptation, in P. laticeps, which evolved rapidly, it was not. The origin of Capra may be best related to Pachytragus solignaci, which is 17 Ma. Sheep and goats may have had distinct origins prior to 17 Ma. The tribe Pseudotragini is revived and includes Protoryx carolinae, Protoryx enanus, Pseudotragus capricomis, Caprotragoides potwaricus, Sporadotragus parvidens, Pachytragus solignaci, Pachytragus laticeps and Pachytragus crassicornis.
Reproduction in mallards fed selenium

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were fed diets containing 1, 5, 10, 25 or 100 ppm selenium as sodium selenite, a diet containing 10 ppm selenium as seleno-DL-methionine or a control diet. There were no effects of 1, 5 or 10 ppm selenium as sodium selenite on either weight or survival of adults or on reproductive success, and there did not appear to be a dose-response relationship at these lower levels. The 100 ppm selenium diet killed 11 of 12 adults; one adult male fed 25 ppm selenium died. Selenium at 25 and 100 ppm caused weight loss in adults. Females fed 25 ppm selenium took longer to begin laying eggs and intervals between eggs were longer than in females in other treatment groups. Hatching success appeared to be reduced in birds fed 10 ppm selenium as selenomethionine, but the reduction was not statistically significant. The survival of ducklings and the mean number of 21-d-old ducklings produced per female were reduced in the 25 ppm selenium as sodium selenite group and the 10 ppm selenium as selenomethionine group. Egg weights were not affected by any selenium treatment, but 25 ppm selenium lowered the Ratcliffe Index. Duckling weights at hatching and at 21 d of age were reduced 28 and 36%, respectively, in birds fed 25 ppm selenium, as compared with controls. Body weights measured on day 21 were lower for ducklings fed 10 ppm selenium as selenomethionine than in some other groups. Selenium in concentrations of 10 and 25 ppm as sodium selenite caused mainly embryotoxic effects, whereas 10 ppm as selenomethionine was more teratogenic, causing hydrocephaly, bill defects, eye defects (microphthalmia and anophthalmia) and foot and toe defects, including ectrodactyly. Selenomethionine was much more readily taken up by mallards and passed into their eggs than was sodium selenite, and a greater proportion of the selenium in the eggs ended up in the white when selenomethionine was fed. Adult males accumulated more selenium than did females, probably because of the females' ability to eliminate selenium in their eggs.
Gamma-Irradiation of Kaolinite

Studies have been made of the changes in physical and chemical properties of kaolinite produced by doses of 0.667 meV gamma-radiation ranging from 1018 to 1022 eV/g of ferrous ion dosimetry solution. Changes were observed in the degree of crystallinity, specific surface area, particle size, cation exchange capacity, and grinding properties. These changes are discussed in terms of the observed atomic displacements produced in the kaolinite structure by the radiation. Gamma-irradiation appears to provide a method for obtaining controlled variations in certain properties of kaolinite without the introduction of other complicating parameters.
Superconducting properties of V/Fe superlattices

Measurements are reported on the superconducting properties of V/Fe superlatitices showing the interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity. When the V layer thickness is on the order of the BCS coherence length and the Fe layer is only a few atomic planes thick, a 2D–3D crossover is observed in the temperature dependence of the parallel upper critical field Hc2‖. This implies the coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in the Fe layers. Three-dimensional behavior for thinner Fe layers is observed (∼1 atomic plane) and 2D behavior for thicker Fe layers (>10 atomic planes).
Enzymic and biochemical composition of smooth and rough microsomal membranes from monkey, guinea pig and mouse liver.

Abstract Smooth and rough microsomal membranes, prepared by density gradient centrifugation from livers of mice, guinea pigs and monkeys, were compared on the basis of biochemical composition, enzyme distribution, and fine structure. Phospholipid and cholesterol distribution varied considerably between smooth and rough membranes and between animal species. The following components of microsomal drug metabolism were studied: ethylmorphine demethylase, l -benzphetamine demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, NADPH cytochrome c reductase, cytochrome P-450, and spectral changes resulting from microsome-substrate interaction. Expressed per milligram of protein, all these components were concentrated about 2-fold in the smooth membranes of monkey and guinea pig liver, but were approximately evenly distributed between smooth and rough membranes of mouse liver. The results support the concept of heterogeneity among microsomal membranes. In addition to the well recognized species differences in microsomal drug metabolism, our data indicate important species differences in submicrosomal membrane composition and enzyme distribution.
Induction of tetraploidy through loss of p53 and upregulation of Plk1 by human papillomavirus type-16 E6

Cancer cells are insensitive to many signals that inhibit growth of untransformed cells. Here, we show that primary human epithelial cells expressing human papillomavirus (HPV) type-16 E6/E7 bypass arrest caused by the DNA-damaging drug adriamycin and become tetraploid. To determine the contribution of E6 in the context of E7 to the resistance of arrest and induction of tetraploidy, we used an E6 mutant unable to degrade p53 or RNAi targeting p53 for knockdown. The E6 mutant fails to generate tetraploidy; however, the presence of E7 is sufficient to bypass arrest while the p53 RNAi permits both arrest insensitivity and tetraploidy. We published previously that polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is upregulated in E6/E7-expressing cells. We observe here that abnormal expression of Plk1 protein correlates with tetraploidy. Using the p53 binding-defective mutant of E6 and p53 RNAi, we show that p53 represses Plk1, suggesting that loss of p53 results in tetraploidy through upregulation of Plk1. Consistent with this hypothesis, overexpression of Plk1 in cells generates tetraploidy but does not confer resistance to arrest. These results support a model for transformation caused by HPV-16 where bypass of arrest and tetraploidy are separable consequences of p53 loss with Plk1 required only for the latter effect.