cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exogenous testosterone in male Downy Woodpeckers leads to reduced calling behavior of both males and their female partners during the non-breeding period

Abstract Numerous studies have shown that testosterone (T) increases singing rates of passerine birds, but much less is known about the influence of T on non-song vocalizations, particularly in non-passerine species. Woodpeckers (order Piciformes) give several non-song vocalizations in a variety of social contexts throughout the year, including whinny and pik calls. We gave free-living male Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) subcutaneous T implants during the non-breeding period to determine whether the incidences of these calls were greater among experimental males and their female partners compared to control males and females. We also tested whether calls were given more or less often when pair members were spatially proximate, and whether T treatment affected this pattern. Both call types were more likely given when pair members were nearby (<40 m), and this was true regardless of T treatment. Surprisingly, both males with T-implants and their female partners showed significantly lower incidences ...
Recent Railroad Failures And Reorganizations

Number of miles placed in receivers' hands, 1907–17, 446. — List of principal companies which failed, 449. — Causes of failure, 454. — General nature of reorganizations, 462. — Provision for cash requirements, 466. — Reduction in fixed charges, 467. — Volume of capitalization before and after reorganization, 469. — Changes in rates of interest on outstanding bonds, 470. — Analysis of capitalization, 472. — The use of income bonds, 473. — Treatment of outstanding preferred stock, 476. — Treatment of general mortgage bonds, 481. — Conclusion, 483.
Inflation forecasting using a neural network

Abstract This paper evaluates the usefulness of neural networks for inflation forecasting. In a pseudo-out-of-sample forecasting experiment using recent U.S. data, neural networks outperform univariate autoregressive models on average for short horizons of one and two quarters. A simple specification of the neural network model and specialized estimation procedures from the neural networks literature appear to play significant roles in the success of the neural network model.
(Ethane-1,2-di­yl)bis­[bis­(3-methoxy­prop­yl)methyl­phospho­nium] bis­(tetra­phenyl­borate) diethyl ether solvate

In the course of substitution studies on the iron dihydrogen complex trans-[Fe(DMeOPrPE)2(H2)H](BPh4) {DMeOPrPE = 1,2-bis­[bis­(methoxy­prop­yl)phosphino]ethane}, we discovered an unexpected transformation of the diphosphine ligand to a diphospho­nium dication without the use of any typical methyl­ating reagent. The P atoms in the dication of the title compound, C20H46O4P22+·2C24H20B−·C4H10O, have a distorted tetra­hedral coordination with P—C(Me) distances of 1.791 (2) and 1.785 (2) A. The P—C—C—P torsion angle about the central dimethyl­ene bridge is −168.3 (1)°.
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis

A 44-year-old man with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma presented with an 18-month history of recurrent painful oral ulcers that predated the lymphoma diagnosis. Examination revealed ulcers on the ventral surface of his tongue ([Figure 1A][1]). The clinical appearance and histopathologic features of the
FK 506 pre-treatment is associated with reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 6 following hepatic ischemia/reperfusion

Using a rat model, the effect of pre-treatment with FK 506 on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury was investigated. All control animals died within 72 h of the ischemia/reperfusion injury. Pre-treatment of the animals with FK 506 (0.3 mg/kg in 0.5 ml saline) administered intravenously improved survival. The most striking protection against fatal ischemia/reperfusion injury was achieved in rats that were given FK 506 6 and 24 h prior to the induction of the hepatic ischemic insult (70% and 80% 10-day survival rates, respectively). The hepatoprotective effect of FK 506 was assessed further in a second experiment in which the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were measured. These results suggest that a 60-min period of hepatic ischemia and subsequent reperfusion triggers the release of both TNF and IL-6, and that FK 506 pre-treatment (6 h before the ischemic episode) significantly inhibits the production and/or release of these two cytokines compared to untreated controls. These data provide additional information concerning the immunosuppressive and hepatoprotective activities of FK 506. Based upon these data, it is probable that FK 506 attenuates hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury, at least in part, by reducing TNF and IL-6 levels.
A Transactional Model of Learning and Intelligence

A transactional model of intelligence is contrasted with main-effect and interactional models through the examination of perhaps the most important source of biological and social-cultural determinants to intellectual behavior; the family of origin. This examination allows the science of cognition both an understanding of intelligence and the development of intelligence. A method of investigation of intellectual development and cognitive science's ability to understand intelligence and learning is suggested.
Translating recursion equations into flow charts

This paper proposes the foundations for a systematic study of the translation of recursive function definitions into flow charts (often called the removal of recursions). Several notions of translation are presented. Emphasis is placed on translation which could be performed mechanically, operating only on the syntactical structure of the recursion equations. Systems of recursion equations are classified by structure and by the dynamics of their implicit computations. Theorems on the limitations of translation are based on these classifications. An effective first approximation to a syntactic characterization of one notion of translatability is presented. Finally, open problems are discussed. Space limitations prevent the inclusion of proofs or lengthy definitions.
Integrated Gate and Wire Sizing at Post Layout Level

The crosstalk noise induced on a net depends on its wire size, its driver size and the sizes of the aggressor gates driving its coupled nets. The problem of crosstalk noise optimization at post-route level is difficult due to the cyclic dependency on aggressor and victim driver sizes, resulting in a conflicting situation. Game theory provides a natural framework for handling conflicting objectives and allows simultaneous optimization of multiple parameters. The formulation of a convex objective function is a requirement in order to obtain better optimization in a game theoretic framework. This property is exploited to solve the cyclic dependency of crosstalk noise on its gate and wire sizes, while modeling the problem of simultaneous optimization of interconnect delay and crosstalk noise. A game is modeled with the crosstalk noise and interconnect delay of the chosen net as the players, the possible gate and wire sizes as the strategy set and the analytical expressions for crosstalk noise and interconnect delay as their respective expected payoffs. The time and space complexity of the proposed integrated sizing algorithm is linear in terms of the number of gates and wires in the design. Experimental results on several medium and large open core designs indicate average improvements of 27.52% and 34.03% for interconnect delay and crosstalk noise respectively, achieved by game theoretic gate sizing based on noise criticality over and above the optimization from the Cadence place and route tools without any area overhead or the need for rerouting
Shape of Menisci in Spinning Horizontal Tubes: Application to Contact Angle Determination

Abstract We have computed the shape of an axisymmetric fluid/liquid meniscus in a capillary that is spun about its horizontal axis. The solutions were used to establish the relationship between the fluid/liquid/solid contact angle on the one hand and several experimentally accessible parameters (tube radius, interfacial tension, densities, angular velocity, and certain meniscus dimensions) on the other. This opens the way to a novel method for determining contact angles. Using the results for single menisci, we have in addition developed a method whereby the contact angle may be obtained from the critical speed at which a finite drop (or "slug") is either released from the tube wall (if the drop phase is the less dense phase) or penetrated axially by the other phase (if the drop phase is the denser phase).
High-precision, rapid readout of cryogenic temperature sensors in the Space Shuttle environment

A compact and rugged system designed to perform four-wire determination of the resistance of germanium resistance thermometers (GRT) near 1 K to one part in 65000 in 1 s using 20-nW excitation is described. Constraints unique to cryogenic aerospace systems are addressed. A microcomputer-controlled, hybrid analog/digital design is presented. Test results are presented, and future developments are discussed. >
Release of Simulated Anthrax Particles from Disposable Respirators

A preliminary study was undertaken to evaluate the potential for a disposable respirator that has been contaminated with anthrax spores to release spores in handling after use. The release of inert particles from disposable respirators was measured for masks dropped 3 feet onto a hard surface. Ten experimental runs were conducted for each of two N95 mask types, the Moldex 2200N95 and the 3M 8210. Anthrax spores were simulated with a test aerosol of single and double 1-μm polystyrene spheres. For the Moldex mask loaded with approximately 20 million spheres on it, an average of 0.16% was released; for the 3M mask an average of 0.29% was released.
An autoradiographic study of midbrain-diencephalic projections to the inferior olivary nucleus in the opossum (Didelphis virginiana).

Techniques of intra-axonal transport were utilized to elucidate the organization of diencephalic and midbrain projections to the inferior olivary nucleus of the Virginia opossum. Retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase injected into olive suggests that terminals within it arise from the subparafascicular nucleus of the caudal thalamus, the nucleus of Darkschewitsch, the fields of Forel, the interstitial nucleus of Cajal, the periaqueductal grey, the caudla pretectal nucleus, the tegmentum dorsomedial to the red nucleus, the red nucleus (minimal), the nucleus linearis, as well as the dorsolateral midbrain tegmentum and tectum (Henkel et al., '75). Tritiated leucine injections were made into each of the above-mentioned cell groups so that the olivary terminals of their axons could be demonstrated autoradiographically. In general, the projection systems show three basic patterns of organization. Ventormedial areas of the midbrain, including the ventral periaqueductal grey, the interstitial nucleus of Cajal, part of the red nucleus and the tegmentum dorso-medial to it, provide a substantial and topographically organized projection to the principal nucleus of the olive, as well as minor inputs to the accessory neclei. Secondly, neurons within the subparafascicular nucleus, the nucleus of Darkschewitsch and the fields of Forel project most heavily to parts of the medial accessory nucleus, although they also provide input to the other major subdivisions of the olive. Third, axons from the dorsolateral tegmentum and tectum completely avoid the principal nucleus, while supplying small regions of the accessory nuclei.
Heterostyly and Microgametophytic Selection: The Effect of Pollen Competition on Sporophytic Vigor in Two Distylous Species

The gametophytic life stage has received relatively little attention from plant ecologists, perhaps because it has a short life span and its interactions lie hidden within the pistil. Pollination ecologists have traditionally focussed attention on the mechanics of pollen transfer and its consequences for seed set, excluding consideration of the interval between pollen deposition and fertilization. This interval may play a significant role in plant mating systems however, since differences in the growth rate of individual pollen grains can result in an unequal probability of fertilizing ovules, and the presence of large numbers of pollen tubes in the pistil creates an opportunity for gametophytic selection due to differences in pollen tube growth rates.
Time‐dependent changes in mechanical properties of neat and reinforced epoxy resins

Several neat and reinforced epoxy resin formulations were prepared and investigated. Solid glass microspheres, with and without coupling agent, were used as reinforcement. After completion of post-cure all samples were quenched into an ice-water bath. Upon removal from the ice-water bath, dynamic mechanical and fracture properties of all samples were evaluated as a function of time elapsed after quenching. Electron microscopic evidence was obtained for the existence of nodular morphology in all cured systems. The changes in dynamic mechanical and fracture parameters, induced by the sub-Tg annealing, were described in terms of the model of inhomogeneous thermoset morphology.
Reduction in Carotid Intima-Media Thickness After Pancreatic Islet Transplantation in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE Determine the impact of islet transplantation on carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), a marker for atherosclerosis, in type 1 diabetes without kidney disease. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Consecutive case series of 15 adults (mean age [SD], 49 years [10 years]; 87% female) with type 1 diabetes for ≥5 years (mean duration [SD], 30 years [12 years]; mean HbA 1c [SD], 7.2% [0.9%]), without kidney disease, presenting with severe hypoglycemic unawareness to undergo allogeneic pancreatic islet transplant(s) (one to three each) in a phase 1/2 and 3 clinical trial. Current follow-up ranges from 1 to 5 years (2005–2011). CIMT of the common and internal carotid arteries was measured before and every 12–16 months after the first transplant (two to six CIMTs each) by one ultrasonographer and one blinded reader. CIMT was analyzed as change from baseline to 12- and 50-month follow-up; a combined CIMT score was calculated as the sum of the standardized IMT scores (SD units [SDs]) of both arteries. RESULTS All patients achieved insulin independence after one to three transplants. CIMT decreased at 12 months ( n = 15) for the common carotid (−0.058 mm; P = 0.006) and combined score (−1.28 SDs; P = 0.004). In those with 50-month follow-up ( n = 7), the decrease in the combined score continued from 12 (−1.59 SDs; P = 0.04) to 50 months (−0.77 SDs; P = 0.04). During follow-up, the decreasing slope of change in CIMT was associated with decreasing slopes of change in HbA 1c , lipoproteins, and cardiovascular/inflammatory markers. CONCLUSIONS Islet transplantation may ameliorate diabetes-related atherosclerosis through improved glycemic control consequent to restoring endogenous insulin secretion, and optimal lipid management posttransplant also contributes.
Severe Ketoacidosis Associated with Canagliflozin (Invokana): A Safety Concern

Canagliflozin (Invokana) is a selective sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor that was first introduced in 2013 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Though not FDA approved yet, its use in type 1 DM has been justified by the fact that its mechanism of action is independent of insulin secretion or action. However, some serious side effects, including severe anion gap metabolic acidosis and euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), have been reported. Prompt identification of the causal association and initiation of appropriate therapy should be instituted for this life threatening condition.
A ReaxFF Investigation of Hydride Formation in Palladium Nanoclusters via Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Palladium can readily dissociate and absorb hydrogen from the gas phase, making it applicable in hydrogen storage devices, separation membranes, and hydrogenation catalysts. To investigate hydrogen transport properties in Pd on the atomic scale, we derived a ReaxFF interaction potential for Pd/H from an extensive set of quantum data for both bulk and surface properties. Using this potential, we employed a recently developed hybrid grand canonical-Monte Carlo/molecular dynamics (GC-MC/MD) method to derive theoretical hydrogen absorption isotherms in Pd bulk crystals and nanoclusters for hydrogen pressures ranging from 10–1 atm to 10–14 atm, and at temperatures ranging from 300 to 500 K. Analysis of the equilibrated cluster structures reveals the contributing roles of surface, subsurface, and bulk regions during the size-dependent transition between the solid solution α phase and the hydride β phase. Additionally, MD simulations of the dissociative adsorption of hydrogen from the gas phase were conducted to...
Screening for erectile dysfunction: rationale

A number of epidemiologic and clinical studies that have examined the relationship between erectile dysfunction, depression and cardiovascular disease are reviewed. Hypothetical mechanisms that can explain the correlations observed among these phenomena are described and a mutually reinforcing predictive model is proposed.
Model predictive control of reactive distillation for benzene hydrogenation

Abstract Benzene hydrogenation via reactive distillation is a process that has been widely adopted in the process industry. However, studies in the open literature on control of this process are rare and seem to indicate that conventional decentralized PI control results in sluggish responses when the reactive distillation column is subjected to disturbances in the feed concentration. In order to overcome this performance limitation, this work investigates model predictive control (MPC) strategies of a reactive distillation column model, which has been implemented in gPROMS. Several MPCs based upon different sets of manipulated and controlled variables are investigated where the remaining variables remain under regular feedback control. Further, MPC controllers with output disturbance correction and, separately, with input disturbance correction have been investigated. The results show that the settling time of the column can be reduced and the closed loop dynamics significantly improved for the system under MPC control compared to a decentralized PI control structure.
Recent progress in thin film lubrication and nano rheology

Recent progress in nano rheology and thin film lubrication, as well as their contributions to conventional tribology are summarized. As the lubricating film becomes molecularly thin, the confined lubricant undergoes a dramatic transition in its theological properties and physical state, including the formation of ordered structure, enhanced viscosity and slow relaxation, glass transition or solidification, and stick slip motion. The transition indicates that there is a special regime between EHL and boundary lubrication, identified as thin film lubrication, where lubricant flow and hydrodynamics are still in action but behave differently from expectations of the classical theory. Microscopic studies of thin film lubrication will provide a solid theoretical basis to the development of high tech micro devices, friction control and interface design.
PXR variants: the impact on drug metabolism and therapeutic responses

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) plays an important and diverse role in mediating xenobiotic induction of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters. Several protein isoforms of PXR exist, and they have differential transcriptional activity upon target genes; transcript variants 3 (PXR3) and 4 (PXR4) do not induce target gene expression, whereas transcript variants 1 (PXR1) and 2 (PXR2) respond to agonist by activating target gene expression. PXR protein variants also display differences in protein-protein interactions; PXR1 interacts with p53, whereas PXR3 does not. Furthermore, the transcript variants of PXR that encode these protein isoforms are differentially regulated by methylation and deletions in the respective promoters of the variants, and their expression differs in various human cancers and also in cancerous tissue compared to adjacent normal tissues. PXR1 and PXR4 mRNA are downregulated by methylation in cancerous tissue and have divergent effects on cellular proliferation when ectopically overexpressed. Additional detailed and comparative mechanistic studies are required to predict the effect of PXR transcript variant expression on carcinogenesis, therapeutic response, and the development of toxicity.
Chacoan Roads: Morphology

ABSTRACTThe functional interpretation of Chacoan roads has been hindered by limited analysis of regional configuration and a failure to use a common terminology for morphological attributes of road features and associated structures. To help correct this situation, relevant data on regional configuration and scale are summarized and evaluated. Chacoan architectural features associated with roads are described, and attributes of road construction are summarized. This summary provides a basis for an evaluation of road function.
A billion dollars for your thoughts

Excuse me? That has to be a misprint! Even with super-hyperinflation, how is it possible that a thought that used to cost a penny just a few years ago now is supposed to cost a billion dollars? Admittedly, the comparison is not quite fair. The random thought to be divulged at an unexpected point in time probably was not worth all that much. Maybe more than a penny, but certainly not hundreds of millions of dollars or more! By contrast, the billion offered today is really awarded for answers to a fundamental question of being human: how intelligent thoughts are formed, stored, and recalled. Many governmental funding agencies around the world are offering substantial amounts of research funds to figure out how our brain works. In the US alone, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, and various other public and private foundations have been supporting a wide spectrum of research topics in neuroscience for a long time. In addition to these ongoing programs, the US government announced in 2013 the launch of a brand new $100 million initiative with the goal of mapping the connections among the neurons in human and animal brains. The project is fittingly called BRAIN, or Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies, and has the ambitious goal of reconstructing the activities of individual neurons and their firing patterns in brain circuits. Specifically, the BRAIN initiative is being challenged to create new technologies that can simultaneously record the activity patterns of millions of neurons with a time resolution corresponding to actual mental processes. The expectation – or at least the hope – is that an understanding of these patterns will reveal how we create and manage thoughts and memories, what cognition is, how we learn and make inferences, and how molecular perturbations can lead to changes in behavior. A better understanding might also suggest how to intervene if the brain goes awry due to accidents or degenerative disease. In similar strategic efforts, the European Union plans to spend over a billion euros on simulations that explain brain circuits on the basis of neurotransmitter molecules and their dynamics, and several institutes for research in neuroscience have sprung up in Asia during the past two decades. So, the $1 billion in the heading of this chapter is really a vast underestimate.
Colored Coded Aperture Design in Compressive Spectral Imaging via Minimum Coherence

Colored coded aperture optimization in compressive spectral imaging is discussed. Based on the analysis of the coherence of the underlying sensing matrix, a general family of codes is derived. These designs lead to reconstructions of multispectral scenes of better quality than the ones obtained using the traditional random black and white coded apertures. The approach used in this work exploits the structure of the sensing matrices and reduces the problem of the design of a large-scale matrix to a subset of substantially smaller problems for which it is possible to obtain a closed form solution, leading to fast design algorithms.
The Reproduction of Picornaviruses

The term picornavirus, i.e., small RNA virus, was proposed in 1963 (International Enterovirus Study Group, 1963) as a category encompassing the small, ether-resistant, polyhedral, RNA-containing viruses of man and animals. Having survived for more than a decade in the face of numerous new proposals for the classification of viruses (Lwoff and Tournier, 1971), the term appears to have become firmly rooted in the vocabulary of virology.
Ending “poke until you get a gusher”: Part II—the evidence based approach to vascular access revisited

Key Points Puncture above the common femoral bifurcation and below the inguinal ligament is optimal A vast majority of femoral bifurcations occur below the middle third of the femoral head while the inferior epigastric artery rarely descends below the middle third Fluoroscopy or if possible, ultrasound, should be used for femoral access to optimize safe puncture
Asymmetries abound: Ideological differences in emotion, partisanship, motivated reasoning, social network structure, and political trust

Abstract This article is a response to Rao (2017), Krishna and Sokolova (2017), and Oyserman and Schwarz (2017), all of whom provided extremely thoughtful commentaries on a target article in which I summarized several lines of research in political psychology on liberal-conservative differences in personality, cognition, motivation, values, and neurological structures and functions (Jost, 2017a). I begin by correcting a possible misconception, namely that the theory of political ideology as motivated social cognition cannot explain dynamic shifts in ideological affinities; on the contrary, we have demonstrated that “top-down” situational—as well as “bottom-up” dispositional—processes work in conjunction to produce ideological outcomes, and this is why tailored forms of political persuasion can be highly effective in producing change. Next I describe additional evidence (including previously unpublished evidence) bearing on ideological symmetries and asymmetries with respect to emotion, partisanship, social identification, motivated reasoning, social network structure, and political trust. I end by asking consumer psychologists for their continued collaboration in addressing profound challenges associated with understanding and reconciling sources of ideological divergence—not only for the sake of research in behavioral science but also for the smooth functioning of democratic society.
Gel tears: a new medication for the treatment of dry eyes

Gel Tears, a clear, semisolid formulation of synthetic, high molecular weight, cross-linked polymers of acrylic acid, persists in the conjunctival sac for hours after topical instillation, slowly melting while absorbing fluid and retaining it locally. In the present study of 55 patients (106 eyes) with severe dry eyes, who were unable to obtain ocular comfort with frequent administration of a wide variety of commercially available artificial tear preparations, 78% were improved by Gel Tear therapy. Subjective symptoms such as burning, stinging, foreign body sensation, dryness, and photophobia were significantly (P less than 0.001) alleviated, while objective signs concurrently improved but to a lesser degree. No patient required Gel Tears more often than four times daily. Most maintained optimal comfort on a dose of twice daily or less, and several patients previously unable to obtain ocular comfort with hourly administered conventional artificial tears required Gel Tears less than once a day.
The seeds of tremendous gravity

The excellent resolution provided by radio interferometry provides a unique way to probe galaxy mergers and supermassive black hole binary dynamics.
The Global Epidemiology of Diabetes and Kidney Disease

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide, with the greatest increases occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In most developed countries, type 2 diabetes is presently the leading cause of end-stage renal disease and also contributes substantially to cardiovascular disease. In countries with weaker economies type 2 diabetes is rapidly replacing communicable diseases as a leading cause of kidney disease and is increasingly competing for scarce health care resources. Here, we present a narrative review of the prevalence and incidence of diabetes-related kidney disease worldwide. Mortality among those with diabetes and kidney disease will also be explored. Given the high morbidity and mortality associated with chronic kidney disease, we will also examine the level of awareness of this disease among people who have it.
The racially diverse affective expression (RADIATE) face stimulus set.

Abstract Faces are often used in psychological and neuroimaging research to assess perceptual and emotional processes. Most available stimulus sets, however, represent minimal diversity in both race and ethnicity, which may confound understanding of these processes in diverse/racially heterogeneous samples. Having a diverse stimulus set of faces and emotional expressions could mitigate these biases and may also be useful in research that specifically examines the effects of race and ethnicity on perceptual, emotional and social processes. The racially diverse affective expression (RADIATE) face stimulus set is designed to provide an open-access set of 1,721 facial expressions of Black, White, Hispanic and Asian adult models. Moreover, the diversity of this stimulus set reflects census data showing a change in demographics in the United States from a white majority to a nonwhite majority by 2020. Psychometric results are provided describing the initial validity and reliability of the stimuli based on judgments of the emotional expressions.
The Splitting Theorems and the Geometric Weight System of Topological Transformation Groups on Cohomology Projective Spaces

In this chapter, we take those manifolds of the cohomology type of projective spaces as the testing spaces for the study of topological transformation groups. From the cohomological point of view, the projective spaces certainly have the simplest, and yet non-trivial, cohomology algebras, namely, truncate polynomial rings. Geometrically, the so-called projective transformation groups which are induced by the linear transformation groups still provide abundant interesting examples that we shall again call them “linear models”. In other words, projective spaces, endowed with a simple cohomology structure and an abundance of transformation groups, provide the ideal setting for the study of the cohomology theory of transformation groups.
Endothelial dysfunction associated with drug-eluting stents what, where, when, and how?

The advent of drug-eluting stents (DES) into the practice of interventional cardiology has had a tremendous impact. After their demonstration of a significant reduction in restenosis in randomized trials and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for their use in 2003, the incorporation of DES
Lower Extremity Flexible Assist Devices for Locomotion

A cable-driven locomotor training system (CaLT) has been developed to improve locomotor function in individuals following hemispheric stroke or spinal cord injury (SCI). A key component of this new system is that it is highly backdrivable, which allows for variation to occur in the trajectory of the gait pattern. The new robotic trainer uses a lightweight cable driven with controlled forces applied to the leg (rather than a controlled trajectory). The refore, the CaLT is compliant, and gives patients the freedom to voluntarily move their legs in a natural gait pattern while providing controlled assistance/resistance forces during body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT).
Will the FTC’s Success Continue?

The FTC has enjoyed great success for decades, and I address four topics here in this paper presented at the opening session of the FTC’s “Hearing on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century.” First, what durable success means for an agency like the FTC. Then, the vision I shared with my friend and predecessor as FTC Chairman, Robert Pitofsky, reflected in the second ABA Kirkpatrick Commission, that has helped lead to the agency’s success. Next, I consider recent challenges to that vision, in both competition and consumer protection, from two “p’s,” paternalism in consumer protection and populism in antitrust. Both of these “isms” once dominated FTC work, particularly in the 1970s, with disastrous consequences for consumers and the FTC. Finally, I debunk the shibboleth that an economic cult based in the University of Chicago somehow dominates FTC thinking, particularly in antitrust.
Language and Echo Chambers

I develop a formal model of endogenous language convergence in organizations, and find empirical support for the model using a natural experiment in an informal online organization from the website...
Global Dance Education Connecting Communities in Accra, Ghana and Kuwait City, Kuwait: Tap(ing) to Togetherness through a Community Collaborative Program.

Parents and guardians are the first individuals who impact a child’s daily life. However, no single person is responsible for the growth and development of a nation’s children. Collaboration is cri...
Covariance Parameter Estimation

This chapter reviews fundamental ideas from linear model theory for dealing with dependent or heteroscedastic data when the nature of the dependence or heteroscedasticity is known. It then introduces general ideas for estimating dependence or heteroscedasticity when their exact natures are unknown. Most of the book, after this chapter, consists of applications of these ideas to specific models.
Design Rules for Efficient Charge Transfer in Metal–Organic Framework Films: The Pore Size Effect

In redox-active metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), charge transfer can occur by a redox hopping mechanism, i.e., electron hopping coupled with ion diffusion to balance electroneutrality. To elucidate the correlation between MOF structure and electron and ion diffusion, we prepared three ferrocene-doped MOF (Fc-MOF) films with different pore sizes (15-47 A) immobilized on conductive substrates. By applying a theoretical model to the chronoamperometric responses of three Fc-MOFs, the electron and ion diffusion coefficients (De ≈ 10-12-10-7 cm2 s-1; Di ≈ 10-16-10-12 cm2 s-1) and electron- and ion-transfer rate constants (ke-hop ≈ 103-107 s-1; ki-hop ≈ 10-3-101 s-1) were quantified independently. Increasing MOF pore size led to an increase in ki-hop and a decrease in ke-hop. The overall charge-transfer rate constant, khop, increased when MOF pore size increased, confirming the ability to enhance charge-transfer rates through control of MOF pore size.
High Voltage Mg-Ion Battery Cathode via a Solid Solution Cr–Mn Spinel Oxide

Lattice Mg2+ in a tailored solid solution spinel, MgCrMnO4, is electrochemically utilized at high Mn-redox potentials in a nonaqueous electrolyte. Complementary evidence from experimental and theor...
Outcomes of β-Hemolytic Streptococcal Necrotizing Skin and Soft-tissue Infections and the Impact of Clindamycin Resistance

Background β-Hemolytic streptococci are frequently implicated in necrotizing soft-tissue infections (NSTIs). Clindamycin administration may improve outcomes in patients with serious streptococcal infections. However, clindamycin resistance is growing worldwide, and resistance patterns in NSTIs and their impact on outcomes are unknown. Methods Between 2015 and 2018, patients with NSTI at a quaternary referral center were followed up for the outcomes of death, limb loss, and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Surgical wound cultures and resistance data were obtained within 48 hours of admission as part of routine care. Risk ratios for the association between these outcomes and the presence of β-hemolytic streptococci or clindamycin-resistant β-hemolytic streptococci were calculated using log-binomial regression, controlling for age, transfer status, and injection drug use-related etiology. Results Of 445 NSTIs identified, 85% had surgical wound cultures within 48 hours of admission. β-Hemolytic streptococci grew in 31%, and clindamycin resistance was observed in 31% of cultures. The presence of β-hemolytic streptococci was associated with greater risk of amputation (risk ratio, 1.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-3.01), as was the presence of clindamycin resistance among β-hemolytic streptococci infections (1.86; 1.10-3.16). Conclusions β-Hemolytic streptococci are highly prevalent in NSTIs, and in our population clindamycin resistance was more common than previously described. Greater risk of limb loss among patients with β-hemolytic streptococci-particularly clindamycin-resistant strains-may portend a more locally aggressive disease process or may represent preexisting patient characteristics that predispose to both infection and limb loss. Regardless, these findings may inform antibiotic selection and surgical management to maximize the potential for limb salvage.
Storage and Regulation of River Flows by Dams and Reservoirs

Water management in Texas is driven by dramatic spatial and temporal hydrologic variability, continual rapid population growth, declining groundwater supplies, and intensifying demands on surface water resources. Dams and reservoirs are essential for providing reliable water supplies and reducing flood risks. Numerous reservoir projects, most constructed during the 1940s through 1980s era of large scale water project construction nationwide, are operated throughout the state to store and regulate extremely variable river flows for beneficial purposes. This paper explores river system hydrology in Texas, operation of dams and reservoirs statewide to deal with extreme flow fluctuations, and associated complexities, issues, and water management strategies. The central focus of the paper is the role of large reservoirs in managing hydrologic variability and associated future uncertainty in an environment of growing demands on limited resources. Received 18 October 2019, Accepted 5 January 2021, Published online 22 February 2021 Citation: Wurbs RA. 2021. Storage and regulation of river flows by dams and reservoirs. Texas Water Journal. 12(1):10-29. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v12i1.7106.
Effects of modified risk tobacco product claims on consumer comprehension and risk perceptions of IQOS.

Introduction Tobacco industry studies on consumers’ perceptions of modified risk claims (MRCs) often had important omissions (eg, no control group, not investigating whether consumers understand what ‘switching completely’ means). This study examined the effects of IQOS MRCs on risk perceptions and behavioural intentions. Method Based on tobacco companies’ MRCs, we manipulated three MRC language features: explanation about ‘switching completely’ (absent vs present), number of diseases (single vs multiple) and language certainty (hypothetical vs certain). In an online experiment, we randomised 1523 US adult current smokers and 1391 young adult non-smokers to 1 of 9 conditions following a 2×2×2+1 control design. People reported their comprehension of ‘switching completely’, IQOS risk perceptions and behavioural intentions after message exposure. Results More smokers exposed to MRCs that included an explanation about ‘switching completely’ (22.2%) (vs explanation absent (11.2%) and control (10.7%)) mentioned that ‘switching completely’ meant smoking 0 cigarettes. Compared with the control, several MRCs (eg, certain language) produced lower perceived risk of IQOS, including for diseases not mentioned in the MRCs. MRCs using certain and hypothetical language did not differ on any outcomes. MRCs highlighting reduced risk for a single disease and multiple diseases did not differ on any outcomes. MRCs did not influence behavioural intentions. Conclusion The Food and Drug Administration should ensure that consumers understand what ‘switching completely’ means in an MRC and recognize that some language features may mislead consumers into believing that a product reduces the risk of diseases not mentioned in an MRC.
Maternal criticism and children's neural responses to reward and loss.

Abstract Parental criticism is linked to a number of detrimental child outcomes. One mechanism by which parental criticism may increase risk for negative outcomes in children is through children’s neural responses to valenced information in the environment. The goal of the current study, therefore, was to examine the relation between maternal criticism and children’s neural responses to monetary gains and losses. To represent daily environmental experiences of reward and punishment, we focused on reactivity to monetary gains versus losses in a guessing task. Participants were 202 children and their mothers recruited from the community. The average age of the children was 9.71 years (SD = 1.38, range = 7–11), with 52.0% of them male and 72.8% Caucasian. Mothers completed the Five Minute Speech Sample to assess expressed emotion–criticism, and of these dyads 51 mothers were rated as highly critical. In addition, children completed a simple guessing game during which electroencephalography was recorded. Children of critical mothers displayed less neural reactivity to both monetary gain and loss than children without critical mothers. Our results were at least partially independent of children’s and mothers’ current levels of internalizing psychopathology. These findings suggest that children exposed to maternal criticism may exhibit disruptions in adaptive responses to environmental experiences regardless of valence. Targeted interventions aimed at reducing expressed emotion–criticism may lead to changes in a child’s reward responsiveness and risk for psychopathology.
Using Information Divergence to Differentiate Deep from Superficial Resemblances Among Discourses

In comparative analyses of discourses that reflect particular cultural identities, it is often necessary to differentiate superficial distinctions that arise primarily as cultural markers from deeper distinctions that arise from differences in cultural structures. In this paper, we build on previous work in order to operationalize this distinction between deep and superficial relationships between discourses using computational methods. To do so, we draw on the notion of divergence from information theory to measure the extent to which lexical items from a discourse act as signals of one cultural identity over another. We carry out a series of three types of comparisons between the discourses of fourteen English-language online discussion communities primarily focused on religion and spirituality. In the first type of comparison, discourses are compared at the level of individual words and their frequencies. In the second type, they are compared at the level of word-usage patterns learned from topic models. In the third, they are also compared at the level of word-usage patterns, but from topic models trained on their discourses after removing highly distinguishing terms that represent superficial distinctions between them. Our results indicate that, while some discourses share close resemblances both superficial and deep, others may appear to share close resemblances only superficially or may only share close resemblances after accounting for their superficial differences. These findings suggest that the approach we describe may be of use to researchers studying language in a variety of comparative contexts.
A $300\mu \mathrm{W}$ Bluetooth-Low-Energy Backchannel Receiver Employing a Discrete-Time Differentiator-Based Coherent GFSK Demodulation

This paper presents a $300\mu \mathrm{W}$ backchannel receiver (RX) compatible with the Bluetooth-Low-Energy (BLE) standard for ultra-low power Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. A PLL-less, mixer-first zero-IF architecture is proposed to achieve the low power operation featuring an antenna-chip co-design for lossless quadrature (I/Q) generation in the RF path. A novel $10\mu \mathrm{W}$ switched-capacitor differentiator-based GFSK demodulator is presented. The demodulator exhibits a robust operation under I/Q phase and amplitude imbalances and operates at a 1MHz baseband clock frequency. The proposed backchannel communication within the packet's payload is achieved through 2× data repetition. The chip is designed and fabricated in CMOS 40nm technology. The RX achieves −69dBm sensitivity for 0.1% BER at 0.5Mbps effective data rate.
Dolos: Improving the Performance of Persistent Applications in ADR-Supported Secure Memory

The performance of persistent applications is severely hurt by current secure processor architectures. Persistent applications use long-latency flush instructions and memory fences to make sure that writes to persistent data reach the persistency domain in a way that is crash consistent. Recently introduced features like Intel’s Asynchronous DRAM Refresh (ADR) make the on-chip Write Pending Queue (WPQ) part of the persistency domain and help reduce the penalty of persisting data since data only needs to reach the on-chip WPQ to be considered persistent. However, when persistent applications run on secure processors, for the sake of securing memory many cycles are added to the critical path of their write operations before they ever reach the persistent WPQ, preventing them from fully exploiting the performance advantages of the persistent WPQ. Our goal in this work is to make it feasible for secure persistent applications to benefit more from the on-chip persistency domain. We propose Dolos, an architecture that prioritizes persisting data without sacrificing security in order to gain a significant performance boost for persistent applications. Dolos achieves this goal by an additional minor security unit, Mi-SU, that utilizes a much faster secure process that protects only the WPQ. Thus, the secure operation latency in the critical path of persist operations is reduced and hence persistent transactions can complete earlier. Dolos retains a conventional major security unit for protecting memory that occurs off the critical path after inserting secured data into the WPQ. To evaluate our design, we implemented our architecture in the GEM5 simulator, and analyzed the performance of 6 benchmarks from the WHISPER suite. Dolos improves their performance by 1.66x on average.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STIMULUS PATTERNS FOR HOST-PLANT RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE

Studies of lepidopterous larvae have indicated that at least for these plant feeding insects host-plant recognition and acceptance are based upon complex mixed olfactory and gustatory sensory information. Although a particular compound or category of compounds may dominate the chemical composition of a plant and may contribute the major sensory cue, it is the total chemical complex that forms the basis for perception. The receptor cells that are responsive to the vapors and solutions of which the plant consists are not narrowly specific in their sensitivities. Accordingly they transmit to the central nervous system a vast amount of information that forms the basis for central integration. Thus caterpillars are able to appreciate “flavor” in an analogous way that vertebrates sense it. Electrophysiological studies of the olfactory and gustatory receptors of several species of caterpillars, especially Danaus plexippusspecies of Papilio, and Malacosoma americana indicate that these receptors are sensitive to a very wide variety of plants both within and without the normal host range. This paper is concerned primarily with electrophysiological responses of olfactory receptors to natural plant odors.