cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-speed highly-flexible reconfigurable data acquisition system for astronomy

We have developed a high speed, flexible, data acquisition system and targeted it to astronomical imaging. The system is based on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and provides a gigabit/sec fiber optic link between the electronics located on the instrument and the host computer. The FPGAs are reconfigurable over the fiber optic link for maximum flexibility. The system has initially been targeted at DRS Technologies' 256x256 Si:As and Si:Sb detectors used in FORCAST1, a mid-IR camera/spectrograph built by Cornell University for SOFIA. The initial configuration provides sixteen parallel channels of six Msamples/second 14-bit analog to digital converters. The system can coadd 256x256 images at over 1000 frames per second in up to 64 different memory positions. Array clocking and sampling is generated from uploaded clocking patterns in two independent memories. This configuration allows the user to quickly create, on the fly, any form of array clocking and sampling (destructive, non-destructive, sample up the ramp, additional reset frames, Fowler, single frames, co-added frames, multi-position chop, throw away frames, etc.) The electronics were designed in a modular fashion so that any number of analog channels from arrays or mosaics of arrays can be accommodated by using the appropriate number of FPGA boards and preamps. The preamp/analog to digital converter boards can be replaced as needed to operate any focal plane array or other sensor. The system also provides analog drive capability for controlling an X-Y chopping secondary mirror, nominal two position chopping, and can also synchronize to an externally driven chop source. Multiple array controllers can be synchronized together, allowing multi-channel systems to share a single chopping secondary, yet clock the focal planes differently from each other. Due to the flexibility of the FPGAs, it is possible to develop highly customized operating modes to maximize system performance or to enable novel observations and applications.
A Fast Response Instrument for Measurement of Power System Phase Angles

A phase-angle measuring device is described which has a response time of one cycle of the signals whose phase angles are being measured. It has an adjustable full scale range which allows high-accuracy readings of small phase angle changes. An output is provided for continuous, fast response recording of phase angle changes suitable for use on an oscillograph. Some test results using the device are shown.
Special Education as a Constraint on Teacher Education Reform.

Current proposals to reform teacher edu cation have omitted from consideration the relationship between programs that prepare teachers of the handicapped and those that prepare regular class room teachers. The failure to address the place of special education in the con text of reform appears to be based on the belief that little, if any, relationship exists. Pugach argues that the existence of programs to prepare special educa tion teachers influences general teacher education in ways that pose serious con straints on educational reform. The major argument presented is that teacher education programs in special education create a dependency mental ity that constrains and artificially nar rows the conceptualization of the profes sional responsibilities of general class room teachers and thus the content of their preparation. Dependence of this nature is faulty primarily because many services provided by special education do not differ substantially from those that should routinely be available in gen eral...
Sequential Propagation of Seismic Fragility across Interdependent Lifeline Systems

Realistic models of service networks must consider the evolution of interactions with external systems to evaluate emergent response effects on individual network performance. This paper introduces...
The biogeographical relations of the frogs and snakes of Sundaland

Aim We seek to relate the present distributions of frogs and snakes of Sundaland and the known geological history of the region. Location From the Isthmus of Kra to Java and Sulawesi. Methods We relate the known ecological requirements of frogs and snakes to their geographical distributions and information on geological history. Results Microhabitat requirements for larvae of various groups of frogs are strong predictors of the breadth of their geographical distributions. At the species level, the frog faunas of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra are the most similar. The Sulawesi frog fauna, mainly derived from Sundaland lineages, shows almost no similarity to the other frog faunas at the species level. The ecological zones occupied by snake species show association with the breadth of their geographical distributions There are only minor differences among similarity ratios for the Malay Peninsula–Sumatran, Malay Peninsula–Borneo, and the Borneo–Sumatra pairs. The Sulawesi snake fauna has distinctly lower similarity with the faunas of the other areas. The similarity ratios between faunas are larger for snakes than for frogs. This difference between the two groups reflects the difference between them in ability to cross salt water barriers, frogs being extremely vulnerable to saline water. Also snakes may establish founder populations more easily as a single gravid female or one carrying stored sperm may introduce a clutch into previously unoccupied territory. Conclusions A few species of frogs and snakes probably reached their present, almost ubiquitous distributions in Sundaland within the last few millenia or even more recently. Other widely distributed species may have been able to disperse among land masses within Sundaland until 10,000–17,000 yr BP; the frogs of this category are common in environments that almost certainly characterized the exposed area of the South China Sea. The distributions of other frogs common to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo probably antedate the Pleistocene, as their larval development requires hilly topography which was not generally available on the Pleistocene-exposed bed of the South China Sea. Many of the endemic species of frogs and snakes probably owe their origins to events of the Miocene or earlier. Several genera of frogs and one genus of snakes have undergone extensive speciation and display considerable sympatry and elevational stratification of species, suggesting their present distributions are the result of events as old as the Eocene. We have cast these conclusions in the form of hypotheses that can be tested mainly by the use of molecular genetics, but in some cases, by additional field sampling.
ASCORBIC ACID DEFICIENCY IN CULTURED HUMAN FIBROBLASTS

Fibroblasts grown in medium containing less than 1 µg of ascorbic acid per milliliter showed evidence of ascorbic acid deficiency when compared with cells grown in medium containing 50 µg of ascorbic acid per milliliter. This was manifested morphologically by dilated endoplasmic reticulum, a decrease in number, size, and intensity of staining of the mitochondria, by defective intercellular fibril formation, and by easy disaggregation of the cells from the intercellular matrix after treatment with pronase. When 50 µg per milliliter of ascorbic acid was incorporated into the medium, the altered morphology was corrected, banded fibrils were produced which were organized into bundles, and the cells were tightly bound in a matrix which was resistant to disaggregation with a variety of proteolytic enzymes. Collagen and sulfated glycosaminoglycan synthesis were less in the control than in the ascorbic acid supplemented cells. Similar morphological and chemical changes have been reported in the connective tissue of scorbutic animals. The effects of low ascorbic acid concentration on fibroblasts in culture indicate that these cells require ascorbic acid to maintain connective tissue functions.
Is Monogamy or Committed Relationship Status a Marker for Low Sexual Risk among Men in Substance Abuse Treatment? Clinical and Methodological Considerations

Background: HIV prevention interventions often promote monogamy to reduce sexual risk. However, there is little consensus about how to define monogamy. Objective: To determine the extent to which recent monogamy and/or being in a committed relationship serve as markers for low sexual risk among men in substance abuse treatment. Methods: Participants were 360 men enrolled in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network “Real Men Are Safe” protocol who completed all assessments (baseline, 3 months, and 6 months). Self-reported behaviors included number of sexual partners, type of relationships, frequency of vaginal/anal intercourse, and percentage of condom use. Results: The rate of self-reported monogamy in the prior 90 days was stable across assessments (54.2%, 53.1%, 58.3%). However, at each assessment 7.5–10% of monogamous men identified their partner as a casual partner, and only 123 (34.2%) reported being monogamous at every assessment. Of these, 20 (5.6%) reported being monogamous wit...
Actions of Diphenylhydantoin on the Electrical Properties of Isolated Rabbit and Canine Atria

The effects of diphenylhydantoin (DPH), 10-8 to 10-4M, were studied on the various types of cells in the isolated right atrial preparation and on the specialized cells of Bachmann's bundle in atrial preparations obtained from puppies. High concentrations of DPH (10-4M) slowed sinoatrial rate but lower concentrations had little effect. These chronotropic effects of DPH were direct. DPH in concentrations above 10-5M decreased the slope of phase 4 depolarization in cells in the sinoatrial node and venous automatic tissue. DPH in concentrations of 10-8 to 10-6M had no effect on transmembrane action potentials recorded from any cell studied; concentrations of 10-4M, however, prolonged the terminal phase of repolarization. High concentrations (10-4M) also prolonged the effective refractory period of Bachmann's bundle and ordinary atrial and perinodal fibers by an average of 10%. DPH markedly increased the dv/dt of phase 0 of the action potential and membrane responsiveness of ordinary atrial and specialized Bachmann's bundle fibers under control conditions and produced more striking increases when these two variables had been decreased by ouabain. DPH was also proved capable of reversing ouabain-induced sinoatrial block. This unique ability of DPH to enhance membrane responsiveness and to improve conduction in the absence of significant effects on the effective refractory period and automaticity of atrial cells suggests that this may be the sole mechanism of its antiarrhythmic action.
Accelerating architectural exploration using canonical instruction segments

Detailed microarchitectural simulators are not well suited for exploring large design spaces due to their excessive simulation times. We introduce AXCIS, a framework for fast and accurate design space exploration. AXCIS achieves fast simulation times by exploiting repetitions in program behavior to reduce the number of instructions simulated. For each dynamic instruction encountered during an initial full run of a benchmark, AXCIS builds an instruction segment, which concisely represents performance-critical information. AXCIS then compresses the string of dynamic segments into a table of canonical instruction segments (CIST) to give a compact representation of the entire benchmark trace. Given a precompiled CIST and a target microarchitecture configuration, AXCIS can quickly and accurately estimate performance metrics such as instructions per cycle (IPC). For the SPEC CPU2000 benchmarks and all simulated configurations, AXCIS achieves an average IPC error of 2.6%. While cycle-accurate simulators can take many hours to simulate billions of dynamic instructions, AXCIS can complete the same simulation on the corresponding CIST within seconds.
Constructional morphology within the head of hammerhead sharks (sphyrnidae).

The study of functional trade-offs is important if a structure, such as the cranium, serves multiple biological roles, and is, therefore, shaped by multiple selective pressures. The sphyrnid cephalofoil presents an excellent model for investigating potential trade-offs among sensory, neural, and feeding structures. In this study, hammerhead shark species were chosen to represent differences in head form through phylogeny. A combination of surface-based geometric morphometrics, computed tomography (CT) volumetric analysis, and phylogenetic analyses were utilized to investigate potential trade-offs within the head. Hammerhead sharks display a diversity of cranial morphologies where the position of the eyes and nares vary among species, with only minor changes in shape, position, and volume of the feeding apparatus through phylogeny. The basal winghead shark, Eusphyra blochii, has small anteriorly positioned eyes. Through phylogeny, the relative size and position of the eyes change, such that derived species have larger, more medially positioned eyes. The lateral position of the external nares is highly variable, showing no phylogenetic trend. Mouth size and position are conserved, remaining relatively unchanged. Volumetric CT analyses reveal no trade-offs between the feeding apparatus and the remaining cranial structures. The few trade-offs were isolated to the nasal capsule volume's inverse correlation with braincase, chondrocranial, and total cephalofoil volume. Eye volume also decreased as cephalofoil width increased. These data indicate that despite considerable changes in head shape, much of the head is morphologically conserved through sphyrnid phylogeny, particularly the jaw cartilages and their associated feeding muscles, with shape change and morphological trade-offs being primarily confined to the lateral wings of the cephalofoil and their associated sensory structures. J. Morphol. 276:526–539, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Novel Machine Translation Method for Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language

It is not easy for western people to learn Chinese. Native German speakers find it difficult to understand how Chinese sentences convey meanings without using cases. Statistical machine translation tools may deliver correct German-Chinese translations, but would not explain educational matters. This article reviews some interdisciplinary research on bilingualism, and expounds on how translation is carried out through cross-linguistic cue switching processes. Machine translation approaches are revisited from the perspective of cue switching concluding that: the word order cue is explicitly simulated in all machine translation approaches, and the case cue being implicitly simulated in statistical machine translation approaches can be explicitly simulated in rule-based and example-based machine translation approaches. A convergent result of machine translation research is to advocate an explicit deep-linguistic representation. Here, a novel machine translation method is motivated by blending existing machine translation methods from the viewpoint of cue-switching, and is firstly aimed as an educational tool. This approach takes a limited amount of German-Chinese translations in textbooks as examples, whose cues can be manually obtained, and for which we have developed MultiNet-like deep linguistic representations and cross-linguistic cue-switching processes. Based on this corpus, our present tool is aimed at helping native German speakers to learn Chinese more efficiently, and shall later be expanded to a more comprehensive machine translation system.
INVERSE SPREAD LIMIT OF A NONNEGATIVE MATRIX

For a given nonnegative n × n matrix A consider the following quantity as long as the denominator is positive. It is simply the ratio between the smallest and the largest entries of Am. We call s(Am) the inverse spread of Am which is interpreted as a measure of the maximum variation among the entries of Am in the multiplicative and reciprocal sense. Smaller s(Am) means a larger variation for Am. Clearly 0 = s(Am) = 1 for all m = 1, 2, . . . We study the asymptotic behavior of s(Am), that is, the behavior of s(Am) as m ? 8. The study arises from evolutionary biology.
Deterministic simulation in LOGSPACE

In this paper we show that a wide class of probabilistic algorithms can be simulated by deterministic algorithms. Namely if there is a test in LOGSPACE so that a random sequence of length (log n)2 / log log n passes the test with probability at least 1/n then a deterministic sequence can be constructed in LOGSPACE which also passes the test. It is important that the machine performing the test gets each bit of the sequence only once. The theorem remains valid if both the test and the machine constructing the satisfying sequence have access to the same oracle of polynomial size. The sequence that we construct does not really depend on the test, in the sense that a polynomial family of sequences is constructed so that at least one of them passes any test. This family is the same even if the test is allowed to use an oracle of polynomial size, and it can be constructed in LOGSPACE (without using an oracle).
Results of a Type 2 Translational Research Trial to Prevent Adolescent Drug Use and Delinquency: A Test of Communities That Care

Objective To test whether the Communities That Care (CTC) prevention system reduces adolescent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and delinquent behavior communitywide. Design The Community Youth Development Study is the first randomized trial of CTC. Setting In 2003, 24 small towns in 7 states, matched within state, were randomly assigned to control or CTC conditions. Participants A panel of 4407 fifth-grade students was surveyed annually through eighth grade. Intervention A coalition of community stakeholders received training and technical assistance to install the CTC prevention system. They used epidemiological data to identify elevated risk factors and depressed protective factors in the community, and chose and implemented tested programs to address their community's specific profile from a menu of effective programs for families, schools, and youths aged 10 to 14 years. Main Outcome Measures Incidence and prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and delinquent behavior by spring of grade 8. Results The incidences of alcohol, cigarette and smokeless tobacco initiation, and delinquent behavior were significantly lower in CTC than in control communities for students in grades 5 through 8. In grade 8, the prevalences of alcohol and smokeless tobacco use in the last 30 days, binge drinking in the last 2 weeks, and the number of different delinquent behaviors committed in the last year were significantly lower for students in CTC communities. Conclusion Using the CTC system to reduce health-risking behaviors in adolescents can significantly reduce these behaviors communitywide.
High-mobility group box 1 protein is an inflammatory mediator in necrotizing enterocolitis: protective effect of the macrophage deactivator semapimod

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a late mediator of endotoxemia known to stimulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines that are putative mediators of intestinal inflammation associated ...
The program of protein synthesis during heterocyst differentiation in nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae

Abstract The program of protein synthesis that accompanies cellular differentiation following transfer of the blue-green alga Nostoc muscorum from nitrogen-containing to nitrogen-free medium has been determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole cell proteins labeled with 35 SO 4 = during successive intervals of the differentiation. Differentiating cells (proheterocysts, which become heterocysts) are distinguished from vegetative cells on the basis of the latter's susceptibility to lysis with lysozyme. At least ten sets of proteins can be distinguished on the basis of the time at which they are synthesized or the type of cell in which they are located. Regulation of most of these sets can be accounted for by classical induction or repression involving NH 4 + or a simple derivative of NH 4 + . An additional mechanism is required to explain how the synthesis of several sets of proteins is initiated in all cells following transfer to nitrogen-free medium, but is permitted to continue only in developing proheterocysts. The structural polypeptides of the nitrogenase enzyme complex are members of the latter set. In differentiated filaments, very few proteins are synthesized in both vegetative cells and heterocysts. The qualitatively different pattern of protein synthesis is established very early, within the first 9 hr after transfer. Moreover, the proteins present in proheterocysts at that time are already qualitatively different from those of vegetative cells. Rapid turnover of vegetative cell proteins appears to be a characteristic of the early development of proheterocysts.
GABA inactivation at the crayfish neuromuscular junction

Changes in the effective membrane resistance of the abductor muscle of the dactylopodite of the caryfish were used to indicate changes in the GABA concentration in the synaptic cleft. Following bath application of GABA (10(-5) to 5 X 10(-5) M), the muscle membrane resistance decreased and then increased slowly over the next few minutes. Renewing the solution or stirring the bath restored the GABA effect. Higher GABA concentrations produced a large stable decrease in membrane resistance. An active uptake system for GABA in the junctional region is suggested by the observation that the slow increase in membrane resistance following GABA application was decreased by cooling to 2 degrees C or by the addition of known GABA uptake blockers such as L-DABA, beta-guanidinopropionic acid, or nipecotic acid. The transport inhibitors, PCMBS and chlorpromazine, produced irreversible decreases in muscle membrane resistance, which precluded examining their effects on GABA inactivation. The decrease in GABA effect was not dependent on the external sodium concentration or on the degree of receptor activation. Nipecotic acid, which blocked GABA inactivation, did not affect the decay of the neurally evoked inhibitory junctional potential.
Coordinated control of bile acids and lipogenesis through FXR-dependent regulation of fatty acid synthase

We discovered a nuclear receptor element in the FAS promoter consisting of an inverted repeat spaced by one nucleotide (IR-1) and located 21 bases downstream of a direct repeat sequenced by 4 nucleotides (DR-4) oxysterol liver X receptor response element. An IR-1 is present in promoters of several genes of bile acid and lipid homeostasis and binds farnesoid X receptor/retinoid X receptor (FXR/RXR) heterodimers to mediate bile acid-dependent transcription. We show that FXR/RXRalpha specifically binds to the FAS IR-1 and that the FAS promoter is activated approximately 10-fold by the addition of a synthetic FXR agonist in transient transfection assays. We also demonstrate that endogenous FXR binds directly to the murine FAS promoter in the hepatic genome using a tissue-based chromatin immunoprecipitation procedure. Furthermore, we show that feeding wild-type mice a chow diet supplemented with the natural FXR agonist chenodeoxycholic acid results in a significant induction of FAS mRNA expression. Thus, we have identified a novel IR-1 in the FAS promoter and demonstrate that it mediates FXR/bile acid regulation of the FAS gene. These findings provide the first evidence for direct regulation of lipogenesis by bile acids and also provide a mechanistic rationale for previously unexplained observations regarding bile acid control of FAS expression.
Teaching Object-Oriented Software Engineering through Problem-Based Learning in the Context of Game Design

Although Object Orientation is emphasized in software engineering education, few have attempted to alleviate the initial learning curve associated with an inexperienced audience in non-computer science disciplines. The authors propose a Problem-Based Learning curriculum centered on game development to deliver basic Object-Oriented programming concepts in an interactive and engaging manner. Class activities occur within the context of the Object-Oriented Rational Unified Process. One of the most significant contributions of this paper lies in the design of class modules containing tasks intended to educate students on Object-Oriented Software Engineering in an incremental and self-actuated way.
Effects of Ferrocenyl Proximity and Monomer Presence during Oxidation for the Redox-Switchable Polymerization of l-Lactide

A titanium(IV) salfen catalyst bearing a redox-active ferrocenyl center in close proximity to the active metal site was examined for the redox-switchable polymerization of l-lactide. The catalyst displayed an atypical β-cis geometry in both the solid- and solution-states, and placement of the redox-active moiety in close proximity to the active metal site was shown to provide an enhancement in catalytic “on–off–on” switching behavior when the redox events were performed in the presence of lactide monomer. More importantly, when comparing oxidized and reduced catalytic species, completely contrasting trends in polymerization behavior were observed, depending on whether the catalyst was oxidized in the absence or in the presence of lactide monomer. On the basis of NMR spectroscopic analysis, we propose that this unusual behavior is a result of a rapid switch in ligand coordination geometry that is facilitated by monomer coordination prior to any redox reactions. Additionally, when redox reactions were condu...
METABOLISM OF FREE FATTY ACIDS IN OBESE HUMANS.

SummaryTo study the metabolism of FFA in obese patients compared to normal subjects, measurements were made of recovery of expired C14O2 from oxidation of 10 μc of albumin-bound 1-C14 palmitate. Specific activity of C14O2 was normal in 5 moderately obese women. The response to glucose administration was abnormal in 4 of 5 obese patients who failed to show the usual marked decrease in C14O2 specific activity. In contrast, glucose elicited the usual fall in serum FFA. These findings suggest that the adipose tissue response to glucose is normal but there is a defect in the mechanism by which glucose diverts FFA from oxidation to storage in muscle and liver. It is suggested that adaptation to fat utilization might explain the defect.
Effects of Fiscal Transfer Payment on Regional Disparity——the Case of Gansu Province

The fiscal transfer payment is an important measure to adjust interregional economy development. Utilizing the counties data in Gansu province from 1994 to 2005, this paper indicates that the fiscal transfer payment can promote the economic growth of the recipient areas and has the capacity to reduce regional disparities. Unfortunately, more fiscal transfer payment is paid to relative developed areas of Gansu Province and leads to an enlargement of regional disparities.
Noble Metal Nanoparticle Biosensors

Receptor-ligand binding assays are central to medical diagnostics, proteomics, drug discovery, environmental monitoring and food processing. A typical binding assay uses a “capture molecule” (often loosely termed as the “receptor”) which is typically an antibody, DNA, peptide, or protein, that binds to a target analyte (ligand) of interest in a sample with high affinity and specificity. Binding of the analyte to the “receptor” is coupled to a transduction step to enable detection of the binding event and quantification of the analyte concentration in the sample. Based on their mode of detection, most binding assays can be divided into two categories. The first category includes assays that require a label or tracer-a radioisotope, chromophore or fluorophore-to transduce the binding event into a quantifiable signal. The second category of analyte binding assays is label-fi-ee assays that do not require the addition of extrinsic reagents or labels. Instead, a change in a physical parameter upon analyte binding such as the mass, thickness, or refractive index, is directly transduced into a measurable signal. These two categories are broad, and some overlap exists between them. For example, recent protein engineering approaches have yielded direct fluorescence biosensors, in which binding is coupled to a change in the fluorescence of the receptor through allostery.
Direct measurement of free Ca in organelles of gastric epithelial cells.

When loaded as the acetoxymethyl ester (AM) derivative, the fluorescent probe mag-fura 2 accumulates in both the cytoplasm and the subcellular compartments. The relatively high dissociation constan...
Enhanced cosyntropin stimulation test performance enabled by electronic medical record

To improve performance of the cosyntropin stimulation test (CST) used for diagnosis of adrenal-cortisol insufficiency by implementing an electronic medical record (EMR) system protocol. We implemented a SmartForm protocol of the validated CST in our EMR system (CS-Link™, EPIC) system and compared medical staff test performance before and after protocol implementation. Correct performance of the CST improved significantly after EMR implementation. The number of correctly performed CSTs increased from 16.1 % before to 53.5 % after implementation (p < 0.0001) while those performed incorrectly and were uninterpretable decreased from 36.2 to 7.1 % (p < 0.0001). This performance improvement result in a calculated cost savings of $50,414 for every 100 tests performed. The EMR system is useful for guiding medical staff to accurately perform the CST, reduce the number of wasted tests, and maximize staff time and resources.
MUC16/CA125 specific targeting of critical signaling kinases in ovarian cancer

e22112 Background: The serum marker CA125 is known to originate from the transmembrane protein, MUC16; however, the biological importance of MUC16 is not known. Our lab previously created fluoresce...
Time for Foucault? Reflections on the Roman Self from Seneca to Augustine

The essay approaches the idea of the self as this was most often formulated in antiquity from Heraclitus to Augustine—not as the object of self-fashioning and self-care, but as an irresolvable problem that was a productive if disconcerting source of inquiry. The self is less cultivated than it is “unbounded,” less wedded to regimes of truth and discovery than it is exposed, precariously, to crises of identity and coherence in the face of a constantly changing and unfathomable world. The self on this view of it does not conform to the accounts that are given by Foucault, Hadot, or Gill. Readings of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Augustine are used to support this first attempt at an alternative picture of the self in antiquity.
Psychosocial Issues in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

Children with kidney disease are at a higher risk for incurring psychosocial issues by virtue of the fact that they have a life-limiting medical condition. It has been determined that children, families and health-care payers benefit from management of psychosocial problems. In addition, not addressing psychosocial issues has been shown to have an adverse impact of disease progression and health-care costs. This chapter summarizes research regarding psychosocial issues of an emotional or behavioral nature, psychosocial issues within educational and occupational environments and psychosocial issues pertaining to physical functioning and social functioning. In addition, mediators of psychosocial morbidity are discussed and clinical and research recommendations are offered.
Estimation and Uncertainty

The examples in previous chapters, involving experimental settings ranging from human and animal behavior, to neuroimaging, EEG and EMG, neural spike trains, and in vitro recording, have illustrated the way statistical models describe regularity and variability of neural data.
Changes in Muscle Thickness Across Positions on Ultrasound Imaging in Participants With or Without a History of Low Back Pain

Context: Injury-prediction models have identified trunk muscle function as an identifiable factor for future injury. A history of low back pain (HxLBP) may also place athletes at increased risk for future low back pain. Reduced muscle thickness of the lumbar multifidus (LM) and transversus abdominis (TrA) has been reported among populations with clinical low back pain via ultrasound imaging in multiple positions. However, the roles of the LM and TrA in a more functional cohort and for injury prediction are still unknown. Objectives: To (1) assess the reliability of LM and TrA ultrasound measures, (2) compare changes in muscle thickness across positions between persons reporting or not reporting HxLBP, and (3) determine the ability to distinguish between groups. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Participants were 34 people who did not report HxLBP (age = 22 ± 7 years, body mass index = 23.7 ± 2.7) and 25 people who reported HxLBP (age = 25 ± 1...
The New Rhetoric and Dialectics

Chaim Perelman’s New Theory of Argumentation has become an indispensable continuation of the dialectical method, while dialectics is the foundation and the nervous system of the New Rhetoric. The New Rhetoric is the long sought focus which adds new vitality to traditional dialectics and pushes it to new phases of creativity and development.
Covariances, Characteristics, and General Equilibrium: A Critique

We question a deep-ingrained doctrine in asset pricing: if an empirical characteristic-return relation is consistent with investor “rationality,” the relation must be “explained” by a risk factor model. The investment approach changes the big picture of asset pricing. Factors formed on characteristics are not necessarily risk factors: characteristics-based factor models can be linear approximations of firm-level investment returns. The evidence that characteristics dominate covariances in horse races does not necessarily mean mispricing: measurement errors in covariances are likely to blame. Most important, the investment approach completes the consumption approach in general equilibrium, especially for cross-sectional asset pricing.
Caching propensities and effectiveness of five coexisting heteromyid rodent species as dispersers of Indian ricegrass ( Achnatherum hymenoides ) seeds

Recruitment of Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) seedlings occurs primarily from surface seed caches made by scatter-hoarding desert rodents of the family Heteromyidae. We used radiolabeled Indian ricegrass seeds in field seed-caching experiments with 5 coexisting heteromyid species (Dipodomys deserti, D. merriami, D. microps, Microdipodops pallidus, and Perognathus longimembris) to compare their potential effectiveness as dispersers. Dipodomys microps individuals deposited seeds almost exclusively in larders rather than in scatter hoards, implying that this species is unlikely to be an important seed disperser. Among the other species, individual caches made by larger species had more seeds than those made by smaller species, but smaller species made more caches. At the level of individual animals, M. pallidus was the most effective disperser in a quantitative sense; they made more caches than other species tested and placed fewer excess seeds in caches relative to optimal cache sizes for Indian ricegrass seedling establishment. However, because D. merriami individuals were considerably more abundant at the study site than other species and were also avid scatter hoarders, D. merriami is likely to be the most quantitatively effective disperser of Indian ricegrass seeds at the species level. Ranking species according to qualitative effectiveness (e.g., by considering effects such as the caching microsite on seedling establishment) was more ambiguous. For example, P. longimembris made relatively shallow caches that most closely match optimal planting depths for Indian ricegrass seedling emergence, but such shallow caches are probably more likely than deeper caches to be discovered by foraging rodents before they can germinate. With the possible exception of D. microps, any of the species we tested may be effective dispersers of Indian ricegrass seeds.
CRT-D IMPLANTATION IN A PATIENT WITH NO SUPERIOR VENA CAVA

Absence of the Superior Vena Cava (SVC) is a rare congenital anomaly of thoracic venous system that can make access to right side of heart difficult via subclavian approach. A 66-year-old female with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and left bundle branch block presented for implantation of CRT-D
Does Manualized Psychodynamic Psychotherapy have an Impact on Youth Anxiety Disorders

An open, pilot clinical trial of Child and Adolescent Anxiety Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (CAPP), a 24-session, 12-week, manualized psychodynamic psychotherapy, was conducted in 10 patients, ages 8...
Towards a Unified Model of Information Technology Business Value

Research on information technology (IT) business value posit complex relationships from either a resource based view (RBV) or transaction cost economics (TCE) viewpoint. In contrast with the rich theoretical work, empirical studies have taken a ' black box' approach, testing relatively simple models. In this study, we integrate the theoretical and empirical work into a unified model of IT value. This study attempts to address these issues. Our first research question is ' what are the intermediating and moderating factors in the impact of IT on firm performance?' We approach this question from a top-down, theory-driven approach as well as a bottom-up, empirically driven approach. First, we review the theory and the empirical literature on IT business value. Then, we integrate the various theoretical and empirical findings into a single model. We group the variables in previous empirical studies into antecedent variables, intermediate variables, and outcome variables. Antecedent variables include complementary assets and IT assets. Intermediate variables include process efficiency and firm structure. Outcome variables include financial performance and strategic advantage. Through this, we see that we need to look beyond simple information technology to firm performance relationships, and look at intermediate impacts of information technology, including business processes and complementary assets. We then compare and contrast the findings on various streams. These streams include IT spending to firm performance, IT spending to process efficiency, IT spending to firm structure, and complementary assets that moderate the IT spending to firm performance relationship. We integrate the theoretical and empirical work in an attempt to open the ' black box' and analyze the complexity of IT impact. To address these research questions, we gather data from a variety of secondary sources, including databases of IT spending, and firm financial and structural variables from the Compustat database.
An integrated view of p53 dynamics, function, and reactivation

The tumor suppressor p53 plays a vital role in responding to cell stressors such as DNA damage, hypoxia, and tumor formation by inducing cell-cycle arrest, senescence, or apoptosis. Expression level alterations and mutational frequency implicates p53 in most human cancers. In this review, we show how both computational and experimental methods have been used to provide an integrated view of p53 dynamics, function, and reactivation potential. We argue that p53 serves as an exceptional case study for developing methods in modeling intrinsically disordered proteins. We describe how these methods can be leveraged to improve p53 reactivation molecule design and other novel therapeutic modalities, such as PROteolysis TARgeting Chimeras (PROTACs).
A novel evolutionary-concordance lifestyle score is inversely associated with all-cause, all-cancer, and all-cardiovascular disease mortality risk.

Evolutionary discordance may contribute to the high burden of chronic disease-related mortality in modern industrialized nations. We aimed to investigate the associations of a 7-component, equal-weight, evolutionary-concordance lifestyle (ECL) score with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Baseline data were collected in 2003–2007 from 17,465 United States participants in the prospective REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. The ECL score’s components were: a previously reported evolutionary-concordance diet score, alcohol intake, physical activity, sedentary behavior, waist circumference, smoking history, and social network size. Diet was assessed using a Block 98 food frequency questionnaire and anthropometrics by trained personnel; other information was self-reported. Higher scores indicated higher evolutionary concordance. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate ECL score–mortality associations. Over a median follow-up of 10.3 years, 3771 deaths occurred (1177 from cardiovascular disease [CVD], 1002 from cancer). The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) (95% confidence intervals [CI]) for those in the highest relative to the lowest ECL score quintiles for all-cause, all-CVD, and all-cancer mortality were, respectively, 0.45 (0.40, 0.50), 0.47 (0.39, 0.58), and 0.42 (0.34, 0.52) (all P trend < 0.01). Removing smoking and diet from the ECL score attenuated the estimated ECL score–all-cause mortality association the most, yielding fifth quintile HRs (95% CIs) of 0.56 (0.50, 0.62) and 0.50 (0.46, 0.55), respectively. Our findings suggest that a more evolutionary-concordant lifestyle may be inversely associated with all-cause, all-CVD, and all-cancer mortality. Smoking and diet appeared to have the greatest impact on the ECL–mortality associations.
Use of behavioral health care in Medicaid managed care carve-out versus carve-in arrangements.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate differences in access to behavioral health services for Medicaid enrollees covered by a Medicaid entity that integrated the financing of behavioral and physical health care ("carve-in group") versus a Medicaid entity that separated this financing ("carve-out group"). DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Medicaid claims data from two Medicaid entities in the Portland, Oregon tri-county area in 2016. STUDY DESIGN In this cross-sectional study, we compared differences across enrollees in the carve-in versus carve-out group, using a machine learning approach to incorporate a large set of covariates and minimize potential selection bias. Our primary outcomes included behavioral health visits for a variety of different provider types. Secondary outcomes included inpatient, emergency department, and primary care visits. DATA COLLECTION We used Medicaid claims, including adults with at least 9 months of enrollment. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The study population included 45,786 adults with mental health conditions. Relative to the carve-out group, individuals in the carve-in group were more likely to access outpatient behavioral health (2.39 percentage points, p < 0.0001, with a baseline rate of approximately 73%). The carve-in group was also more likely to access primary care physicians, psychologists, and social workers and less likely to access psychiatrists and behavioral health specialists. Access to outpatient behavioral health visits was more likely in the carve-in arrangement among individuals with mild or moderate mental health conditions (compared to individuals with severe mental illness) and among black enrollees (compared to white enrollees). CONCLUSIONS Financial integration of physical and behavioral health in Medicaid managed care was associated with greater access to behavioral health services, particularly for individuals with mild or moderate mental health conditions and for black enrollees. Recent changes to incentivize financial integration should be monitored to assess differential impacts by illness severity, race and ethnicity, provider types, and other factors.
Statistically bias-corrected and downscaled climate models underestimate the adverse effects of extreme heat on U.S. maize yields

Efforts to understand and quantify how a changing climate can impact agriculture often rely on bias-corrected and downscaled climate information, making it important to quantify potential biases of this approach. Here, we use a multi-model ensemble of statistically bias-corrected and downscaled climate models, as well as the corresponding parent models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), to drive a statistical panel model of U.S. maize yields that incorporates season-wide measures of temperature and precipitation. We analyze uncertainty in annual yield hindcasts, finding that the CMIP5 models considerably overestimate historical yield variability while the bias-corrected and downscaled versions underestimate the largest weather-induced yield declines. We also find large differences in projected yields and other decision-relevant metrics throughout this century, leaving stakeholders with modeling choices that require navigating trade-offs in resolution, historical accuracy, and projection confidence. Historical annual maize yields in the U.S. are overestimated by CMIP5 models and underestimated by bias-corrected and downscaled models due to differences in temperature and precipitation hindcasts, according to a multi-model ensemble comparison.
Utilizing Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Self-Assess Enucleation Ratio in Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate.

OBJECTIVES To determine if transition zone (TZ) volume as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlates closely with specimen weight and postoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and to determine if this correlation improved with increased experience. We hypothesize that information from a preoperative MRI can be leveraged to self-assess competency in HoLEP. METHODS From August 2018 to June 2021 567 men were identified who underwent HoLEP by a single surgeon and had their data entered into a database. Ninety seven men were identified who had an MRI in our image archives. A radiologist blinded to the specimen weight measured the transition zone (TZ) using image analysis software. TZ volume was then correlated with specimen weight for the entire study period and subdivided into four consecutive periods. Preoperative and Postoperative PSA data was analyzed. RESULTS Seventeen percent of men who underwent HoLEP at our institution had an MRI preoperatively. The TZ to total prostate volume ratio was 70%. The overall correlation coefficient between TZ volume and specimen weight was 0.914 (p-value <0.001). There was no statistically significant improvement in correlation coefficient over time when divided into 4 equal subgroups. Median PSA reduction was 91% (7.9 to 0.7 ng/dL). CONCLUSIONS Preoperative MRI derived TZ volume correlates closely with specimen weight. We present a reference cohort from a high volume HoLEP center to facilitate HoLEP learners to self-assess competency. Lack of increased correlation over time is likely due to an experienced HoLEP surgeon who is on the flatter portion of his learning curve.
CRIMES AND OFFENSES Child Custody: Amend Interference with Custody Law

The Act amends the Code definition of interference with custody to include the willful and intentional retention of a child past the period of legal visitation. The Act applies to children retained within the state. July 1, 1987
Airborne Science Program: Observing Platforms for Earth Science Investigations

This slide presentation reviews the Airborne Science Program and the platforms used for conducting investigations for the Earth System Science. Included is a chart that shows some of the aircraft and the operational altitude and the endurance of the aircraft, views of the Dryden Aircraft Operation Facility, and some of the current aircraft that the facility operates, and the varieties of missions that are flown and the type of instrumentation. Also included is a chart showing the attributes of the various aircraft (i.e., duration, weight for a payload, maximum altitude, airspeed and range) for comparison