cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of active R filters using only resistors and operational amplifiers

Active filters can be designed using only resistors and amplifiers as the circuit elements. The reactance for these filters is obtained from the parasitic capacitances associated with the amplifiers. The resonant frequency and Q of the poles and the location of the zeros can be controlled over a wide range by resistor feedback and feedforward circuits. General configuration for the first-, second- and third-order filter building blocks may be used in cascade to achieve any desired filtering function. The basic building block is constructed from only two amplifiers and three resistors. This circuit simultaneously exhibits low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass functions, respectively, at its three outputs. A simple summing network allows these outputs to be summed to obtain any second- or third-order filter function. In addition to simplifying the circuit configurations, the active R filter technique results in filters which may be operated at much higher frequencies than classical active RC filters. In fact, ...
Constrained controllability of deterministic discrete jump systems

Studies the constrained complete controllability to the origin of certain classes of deterministic, linear discrete time jump systems. The admissible controllers considered assume values in the unit balls of the sequence spaces l/sup p/.
Adventures In Cyberspace: The Status Of Cybersquatting And ADR

The University of Nowhere owns a trademark for the “University of Nowhere” and for the University of Nowhere “Winners,” the university’s sports teams. It also owns the domain name “www.un.edu.” The University uses its Internet site to inform the public about its academic programs as well as its accomplishments on the sports fields. The University has been recognized as one of the top universities in the United States for many years. The University has also competed successfully for numerous NCAA titles over the years. The University discovers that Mr. First, owner of Fast Services of America, Inc., registered and is using the Internet domain name “university of nowhere.com” and “universityofnowherewinners.com” on a continuing basis. The University contacts Mr. First, who informs the University that he has no intention of relinquishing the domain names unless the University pays him $10,000 and gives him two lifetime passes to all “Winner” games. The University declines the offer and writes a letter to Mr. First informing him that he must stop using the University domain names immediately. Mr. First responds by sending the University an invoice for $10,000 and two lifetime tickets to “Winner” events. The cover letter to the invoice states that he will not stop using the domain names until the invoice is paid. This is now a dispute. It is going to cost money for both parties, regardless of the outcome. Additionally, there is the new area of law to contend with that relates to alleged cybersquatting and the improper use of domain names. This paper will explore and review approaches for resolving this dispute through negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.
Fast-neutron Effects on Productivity of Young and Old Flour Beetles, Tribolium Castaneum. Herbst, and Alterations at Different Temperatures and after Exposure of Either or Both Sexes

SummaryVirgin day-old and three-week-old flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum, were given approximately 830 and 970 rads, respectively, of 4·6 MEV fast neutrons. Ten replicates of mating combinations in which neither sex, one sex, or both sexes were exposed were cultured at 25°c, 29°c and 32°c in 65–70 per cent relative humidity. Productivity, measured as adult progeny per reproducing female per day, was scored for 14 days.Decreases in temperature progressively delayed reproductive onset. Further delay in reproductive onset occurred when young female beetles were irradiated, indicating a greater radiation sensitivity of immature oogonia.Productivity of young beetles reached a plateau during the second week; that of old beetles after the first day. When one sex was irradiated, productivities were not significantly different within a temperature, but were less than when neither was exposed and more than when both sexes of a pair were exposed.
Recent developments in multiphysics computational models of physiological flows

A mini-symposium on computational modeling of fluid–structure interactions and other multiphysics in physiological flows was held at the 11th World Congress on Computational Mechanics in July 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. This special issue of Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics contains papers from among the participants of the mini-symposium. The present paper provides an overview of the mini-symposium and the special issue.
The History and Growth of the European Union: Part One

Whither the European Union? Whither the EURO? These questions have taken on heightened, global significance in the wake of the EURO-zone financial crisis that emerged in 2010 and remains ongoing. Answers, or at least approaches to answers, are important not only to bailing out Greece, Ireland and Portugal, but also Spain, Italy and the whole of the European Union, including Britain and other non-EURO members. Indeed, they are critical for the world as we know it. In this article, my approach to these questions is historical. In order to understand whither the European Union and EURO, it helps to understand whence they came. In Part One, I explore the history of European integration up to the watershed release of the EURO in 1999. I anticipate, in a sequel Part Two, carrying this historical approach to a conclusion amidst today’s crisis in Europe.
Adjusting Dynamic Models to Improve Their Predictive Ability

Dynamic models are a valuable research tool for analysis and projection. However, cumulative error may build up sufficiently to make the model virtually useless for either purpose. Several adjustments in dynamic models intended to improve their predictive ability are presented in this paper along with criteria for making these adjustments. Examples of these adjustments are shown as they were used in developing a semi‐annual model of the livestock‐meat economy. The research implications for adjustments in models after validation to simulate results of proposed policies or changes in the economic parameters of the model are examined.
Effect of exercise and tepary bean type diet on body composition and fat accretion in obese Zucker rats.

Effect of exercise and tepary bean type diet on body composition and fat accretion in obese Zucker rats
The Effect of Diethylstilbestrol on Choline Deficiency in the Chick

Abstract INTRODUCTION JUKES (1940) reported that choline is essential for the prevention of perosis in the chick. Further studies by Jukes and Welch (1942), Almquist and Grau (1944), Jukes, Olson and Dornbush (1945), and Jukes and Olson (1945) indicated that the intact choline molecule per se is responsible for the antiperotic properties of this substance. Betaine and other sources of labile methyl groups were ineffective in preventing perosis unless fed in combination with precursors of choline, such as monomethylethanolamine or dimethylethanolamine. However, little is known concerning the metabolic role of choline in preventing perosis. Since recent experiments in our laboratory have dealt with attempts to ascertain the role of choline in bone formation, a report by Miller et al. (1958) was of considerable interest. It was observed that the oral administration of diethylstilbestrol to choline-deficient rats protected them against death and produced certain lipotropic effects. This report is concerned with experiments …
Targeted Capture Sequencing in Whitebark Pine Reveals Range-Wide Demographic and Adaptive Patterns Despite Challenges of a Large, Repetitive Genome.

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) inhabits an expansive range in western North America, and it is a keystone species of subalpine environments. Whitebark is susceptible to multiple threats – climate change, white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle, and fire exclusion – and it is suffering significant mortality range-wide, prompting the tree to be listed as ‘globally endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and ‘endangered’ by the Canadian government. Conservation collections (in situ and ex situ) are being initiated to preserve the genetic legacy of the species. Reliable, transferrable, and highly variable genetic markers are essential for quantifying the genetic profiles of seed collections relative to natural stands, and ensuring the completeness of conservation collections. We evaluated the use of hybridization-based target capture to enrich specific genomic regions from the 30+ GB genome of whitebark pine, and to evaluate genetic variation across loci, trees, and geography. Probes were designed to capture 7,849 distinct genes, and screening was performed on 48 trees. Despite the inclusion of repetitive elements in the probe pool, the resulting dataset provided information on 4,452 genes and 32% of targeted positions (528,873 bp), and we were able to identify 12,390 segregating sites from 47 trees. Variations reveal strong geographic trends in heterozygosity and allelic richness, with trees from the southern Cascade and Sierra Range showing the greatest distinctiveness and differentiation. Our results show that even under non-optimal conditions (low enrichment efficiency; inclusion of repetitive elements in baits), targeted enrichment produces high quality, codominant genotypes from large genomes. The resulting data can be readily integrated into management and gene conservation activities for whitebark pine, and have the potential to be applied to other members of 5-needle pine group (Pinus subsect. Quinquefoliae) due to their limited genetic divergence.
Investigation on Occupational Hazards in Leather Factory of Changshu City

[Objective]To investigate the influence of benzene,toluene,xylene in a leather factory on the health of workers,and provide a scientific basis to develop control strategies. [Methods]The concentration of benzene,toluene,xylene in workplace air were determined by field investigation and laboratory testing,the benzene exposure group and control group were occupationally examined for the peripheral white blood cell(WBC),hemoglobin(Hb),platelet(PLT). [Results]The concentration of benzene,toluene in some operation sites of the production environment exceeded national hygienic standards.It is found that peripheral blood WBC,Hb,PLT decreased in 23.3%,9.8%,5.5% respectively of worker received occupational health examination. [Conclusion]The abnormal rate of blood indexes of workers in a leather factory is relatively high.It is necessary to pay much attention to the harm of benzene,toluene,xylene to the health of workers with exposure,and to strengthen the supervision and management of occupational health.
On the Role of Native Tree Species in Returning Farmland to Forest Project in Daxian

The climate,soil,river and forest vegetation in Daxian are introduced.The necessity of returning farmland to forest is analyzed,and the differences of qualities,ability of conserving soil and water between native tree species and introduced tree species are emphatically analyzed.The native tree species should be emphatically developed in returning farmland to forest to control the soil and water loss from the symptoms and root cause.
Histopathology of argon laser peripheral iridoplasty

We report the light and electron microscopic findings from two eyes treated with argon laser peripheral iridoplasty (ALPI) for bilateral angle-closure glaucoma. The patient, a 45-year-old man, died from complications of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome 16 days following ALPI. Ocular pathologic findings included contraction furrow formation and proliferation of fibroblast-like cells, accompanied by collagen deposition on the iris surface, denaturation of stromal collagen, and coagulative necrosis of blood vessels within the anterior two thirds of the iris stroma. These findings suggest that heat shrinkage of collagen may be responsible for the short-term response to ALPI, and that contraction of the fibroblastic membrane may be responsible for its long-term effects. Additionally, the presence of coagulative necrosis of iris blood vessels suggests that overt treatment may result in iris necrosis. To our knowledge this is the first report of the histopathology of ALPI.
Coherent Multibeam Arrays Using a Cold Aperture Stop

To increase the mapping speed of a given area-of-sky, multibeam heterodyne arrays may be used. Since typical heterodyne arrays are spatially arranged sparsely at approximately 4· Nyquist sampling (i.e., two full-width-half-maximum beam widths), many pointings are required to sample fully the area of interest. A cold aperture stop may be used to increase the packing density of the detectors, which results in a denser instantaneous spatial sampling on-sky. Combining reimaging optics with the cold stop, good aperture efficiency can be obtained. As expected, however, a significant amount of power is truncated at the stop and the surrounding baffling. We analyze the consequence of this power truncation and explore the possibility of using this layout for coherent detection as a multibeam feed. We show that for a fixed area-of-sky, a “twice-Nyquist” spatial sampling arrangement may improve the normalized point source mapping speed when the system noise temperature is dominated by background or atmospheric contribution.
Nanotechnology Solutions for Improving Water Quality

Publisher Summary This chapter reveals that nanotechnology has great potential for providing efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally acceptable solutions for improving water quality and for increasing quantities of potable water. Nanomaterials have a number of key physicochemical properties that make them particularly attractive as separation media for water purification. On a mass basis, they have much larger surface areas than bulk particles. Thus, they are ideal building blocks for developing high-capacity sorbents with the ability to be functionalized to enhance their affinity and selectivity. Nanomaterials can serve as high-capacity and recyclable ligands for cations, anions, radionuclides, and organic compounds. They provide unprecedented opportunities for developing more efficient water-purification catalysts and redox active media due to their large surface areas and their size- and shape-dependent optical and electronic properties.
The Statistical Copenhagen Interpretation

The main goal of this chapter is to present “the statistical Copenhagen interpretation,” developed by the present author. This interpretation will be compared with the Bayesian interpretation of quantum mechanics, or a set of such interpretations, specifically nonrealist ones. The chapter also considers Bohr’s interpretation from this perspective and argues that Bohr appears to have ultimately inclined to a statistical view close to that of the statistical Copenhagen interpretation, which, however, expressly adopts a stronger form of the RWR principle, by placing quantum objects and processes not only beyond representation but also beyond conception, beyond thought. Following a brief introduction given in Sect. 4.1, Sect. 4.2 is devoted to the statistical Copenhagen interpretation, and Sect. 4.3 to the discussion of Bohr’s position concerning the statistical vs. probabilistic (Bayesian) view of quantum mechanics.
Robust Spectral Ensemble Clustering

Ensemble Clustering (EC) aims to integrate multiple Basic Partitions (BPs) of the same dataset into a consensus one. It could be transformed as a graph partition problem on the co-association matrix derived from BPs. However, existing EC methods usually directly use the co-association matrix, yet without considering various noises (e.g., the disagreement between different BPs or outliers) that may exist in it. These noises can impair the cluster structure of a co-association matrix and thus degrade the final clustering performance. In this paper, we propose a novel Robust Spectral Ensemble Clustering (RSEC) approach to address this challenge. First, RSEC learns a robust representation for the co-association matrix through low-rank constraint, which reveals the cluster structure of a co-association matrix and captures various noises in it. Second, RSEC finds the consensus partition by conducting spectral clustering. These two steps are iteratively performed in a unified optimization framework. Most importantly, during our optimization process, we utilize consensus partition to iteratively enhance the block-diagonal structure of the learned representation to further assist the clustering process. Experiments on numerous real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our method compared with the state-of-the-art. Moreover, several impact factors that may affect the clustering performance of our approach are also explored extensively.
Ionic Polyimides: Hybrid Polymer Architectures and Composites with Ionic Liquids for Advanced Gas Separation Membranes

Polyimides and ionic liquids (ILs) are two classes of materials that have been widely studied as gas separation membranes, each demonstrating respective advantages and limitations. Both polyimides and ILs are amenable to modification/functionalization based on selection of the requisite precursors. However, there have been but a handful of reports considering how polyimides and ILs could be integrated to obtain fundamentally new materials with synergistic properties. In this manuscript, we demonstrate a new and versatile way to synthesize polyimides with imidazolium cations directly located within the polymer backbone to form polyimide–ionene hybrids, or “ionic polyimides”. Our strategy for synthesizing ionic polyimides does not require the use of amino-functionalized ILs. Instead, the imidization reaction occurs prior to polymerization in the formation of an imidazole-functionalized diimide monomer. This monomer is then reacted via step-growth (condensation) polymerization with p-dichloroxylene via Mensh...
Chemistry and Structure–Activity Relationships of Psychedelics

This chapter will summarize structure–activity relationships (SAR) that are known for the classic serotonergic hallucinogens (aka psychedelics), focusing on the three chemical types: tryptamines, ergolines, and phenethylamines. In the brain, the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor plays a key role in regulation of cortical function and cognition, and also appears to be the principal target for hallucinogenic/psychedelic drugs such as LSD. It is one of the most extensively studied of the 14 known types of serotonin receptors. Important structural features will be identified for activity and, where possible, those that the psychedelics have in common will be discussed. Because activation of the 5-HT2A receptor is the principal mechanism of action for psychedelics, compounds with 5-HT2A agonist activity generally are quickly discarded by the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, most of the research on psychedelics can be related to activation of 5-HT2A receptors. Therefore, much of the discussion will include not only clinical or anecdotal studies, but also will consider data from animal models as well as a certain amount of molecular pharmacology where it is known.
Identification and electrophysiological characterization of early left atrial structural remodeling as a predictor for atrial fibrillation recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation

Background Voltage-guided substrate ablation following pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) improves atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation outcomes. However, by setting upper voltage cutoff of 0.5 mV during sinus rhythm (SR) to guided substrate ablation using electroanatomic voltage mapping (EAVM), mildly affected low voltage area (maLVA) may be undetected. We sought to determine the optimal bipolar voltage cutoff to identify maLVA, its electrogram complexity, and the implication on ablation outcome. Methods and Results Left atrial (LA) EAVM were obtained in patients without AF and structural heart disease (control) to devise a voltage cutoff to identify maLVA. Subsequently, we investigated 100 patients without LVA of 1.17 mV. maLVA, defined as <1.1mV, was present in 43% of AF patients, associated with higher prevalence of abnormal electrograms (44.1 vs. 4.4%, P < 0.001). During a median of 2.4 years, patients with maLVA had higher recurrence rate (Log-rank P < 0.001), and maLVA was an independent predictor for recurrence in a multivariate analysis (HR 3.944; CI, 1.292-12.042; P = 0.016). Conclusions A control-derived LA voltage cutoff of <1.1 mV for EAVM in SR reveals maLVA, harboring abnormal electrograms, as an independent predictor for recurrences after PVI alone in patients without LVA (< 0.5 mV). Adjunctive maLVA-guided substrate ablation targeting mildly remodeled and potentially arrhythmogenic LA substrate may further improve the long-term outcome of AF ablation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Fathering style influences health outcome in common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) offspring

In the cooperative breeding common marmoset monkey, Callithrix jacchus, fathers share the care responsibility and energetic load with their mate from the time their infants are born. However, not all fathers show the same level of participation in direct infant care. Here we present the first results demonstrating that fathering style can improve both survival and growth trajectory of a male's offspring during the first 30 weeks of life and that these infant outcomes are consistent within a father throughout successive births. Twenty-four marmoset fathers were tested for their responsiveness to an infant distress call when their infants were approximately two weeks old. These fathers were categorized as either responsive (RS) or nonresponsive (NRS) based on their response to the calls. Survival past 1 month was then determined and bi-monthly weights of current infants through 30 weeks of age were taken. Infant survival to the first month was significantly higher with RS fathers than with NRS fathers during this critical time period. Infants from RS fathers also had a higher growth trajectory with significant differences in body weight in the 28th and 30th week after birth. Only the RS fathers showed a significant increase in serum testosterone in response to infant cries suggesting a physiological role of testosterone in the motivation to search for the infant. Furthermore, all offspring born to RS fathers from subsequent births also showed a significantly higher survival rate and higher growth trajectory than for offspring of NRS fathers. These results suggest that fathering style is a consistent trait and responsive fathers improve infant survival rate and growth during the first 30 weeks. Such fathering style traits may be passed on to the male offspring due to environmental or genetic factors.
Do Sentiment and Exchange Rate Share Memories? An Application of Multifractional Process Modeling

We use the notion of local Holder regularity to investigate the roughness of the pattern of EUR/USD exchange rate process as well as the corresponding investor sentiment dynamic process. Specifically, we use the pointwise Holder exponent to measure the local Holder regularity of a multifractional process. This application extends the increment ratio method to estimate the pointwise Holder exponent of multifractional Brownian motion function. Our testing and comparison results show that both the exchange rate and the sentiment proxy's local Holder regularities are time-varying and are more homogeneous during crises periods. More importantly, in contrast to the optimistic sentiment, the roughness of the pessimistic sentiment dynamic process displays only slightly higher similarity to that of EUR/USD exchange rate. These results suggest that the EUR/USD exchange rate process and the pessimistic sentiment dynamic process share a common pattern of smoothness, which implies that they share a similar "memory" pattern.
Microfluidic fabrication of hollow protein microcapsules for rate-controlled release

Droplet-based microfluidics is an emerging technique that is capable of producing sophisticated supramolecular microcapsules in one step. However, food materials, due to their physical and chemical complexity, have limited success with microfluidic processes. The objectives of this work were to produce food-grade protein microcapsules in a microfluidic system and to control their structural properties by adjusting the formulation and flow rates. In this study, a T-junction microfluidic chip was used to create an interface for zein to self-assemble, and therefore form microcapsules with tunable particle sizes, pore distributions, and permeabilities. Our SEM and CLSM results show that the particle size and number of pores increased with the flow rate of the dispersing phase, while the pore size decreased with the flow rate of the dispersing phase. In order to quantify the release profiles, the release half-life (t50) was used as an indicator for the particle permeability. A wide range of t50, from 3 to 62 minutes, was achieved by changing the zein concentration and flow rate of the dispersing phase. Using Rhodamine B as an encapsulant, the release rate was positively correlated with the zein concentration and flow rate of the dispersing phase. Finally, response surface analysis of the formulation and flow rate was applied to aid the design of a carrier with a desirable release rate.
Studies on erythropoiesis. II. A method of segregating immature from mature adult rabbit erythroblasts.

A method is described of assessing the degree of maturation of erythroblasts in the marrow of adult rabbits. It has advantages over the conventional system of classification into pronormoblasts, basophilic, polychromatic and orthochromatic erythroblasts. Examples are given of the normal and two different extreme pictures: severe anemia (phenylhydrazine) and the early recovery stage after a nearly lethal injection of nitrogen mustard. A method is described for segregating erythroblasts from adult normal rabbit marrow according to their degree of maturation. The erythroblasts are fractionated by centrifugation is a bovine serum albumin density gradient. A useful adjuvant procedure was prior lysis of the initial marrow cell suspension by an antiserum (goat) to rabbit erythrocytes. The appropriate concerntration of antiserum, with complement, lysed nearly all the acidophilic erythroblasts, reticulocytes and erythrocytes; basophilic erythroblasts remained, fewer, but more immature, the higher the concentration of antiserum used. Erythroblasts of the severely anemic (phenylhydrazine) rabbit were not fractionated as well as those of the normal by the centrifugation and not at all by the immune hemolysis procedure.
Mosaic Evolution of Activity Pattern, Diet, and Color Vision in Haplorhine Primates

One important component of an animal’s niche is the temporal axis, or daily activity pattern (e.g., Kronfeld-Schor et al., 2001). Numerous studies have shown that activity pattern is an important constraint on the behavior and ecology of primate species. Activity pattern is correlated with resource availability, predation pressure, social structure, mating system, and diet, among other factors. Dissimilar activity patterns, such as diurnality or nocturnality, may allow even ecologically similar species to partition their environments and thereby eliminate direct competition between them (Kronfeld-Schor and Dayan, 1999; Kronfeld-Schor et al., 2001). Nocturnal primates are often insectivorous or frugivorous, never habitually terrestrial, and tend to be solitary and cryptic or live in small, monogamous groups (Clutton-Brock and Harvey, 1977; Crook and Gartlan, 1966; Janson, 1992; Terborgh and Janson, 1986). Conversely, diurnal species are more frugivorous or folivorous, arboreal and terrestrial, and often live in larger groups with more diverse and complex social systems (Clutton-Brock and Harvey, 1977; Crook and Gartlan, 1966; Janson, 1992; Terborgh and Janson, 1986).
A Glimpse into the Effects of Climate Adaptation on Shaping the Goat Genome

The goat is one of the most adaptable livestock species, present worldwide in many different environments. The ADAPTMAP consortium collected DNA from goats worldwide to investigate the genetic basis of adaptation to these environments. The major findings were that animals in the Tropical areas had genetic differences likely associated with genes that influence the size (smaller animals), while in the other environments, different forms of the same gene were seen in different environments suggesting natural or artificial selection.
Adiponectin moderates antidepressant treatment outcome in the combining medications to enhance depression outcomes randomized clinical trial

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often comorbid with metabolic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. A potential link between these disorders is adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived circulating hormone with insulin-sensitizing, anti-inflammatory, and neuroplasticity effects. Reductions in plasma levels of adiponectin have been reported in both humans with depression and in the chronic-defeat mouse model of depression. However, the predictive value of adiponectin for treatment response to depression has not been determined. Methods We investigated the potential predictive effect of baseline adiponectin levels in patients who provided plasma and were undergoing one of three pharmacological treatments (escitalopram monotherapy; escitalopram plus bupropion; and venlafaxine plus mirtazapine) in the Combining Medications to Enhance Depression Outcomes clinical trial (n = 160). Specifically, we assessed whether adiponectin moderates—that is, differentially predicts—treatment response among the treatment arms. Improvements with treatment were assessed using change in the clinician-rated 30-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-C) from baseline through week 12. Moderator effects were tested using separate pairwise repeated measures mixed-effects models with a treatment-arm-by-adiponectin interaction. Results Baseline adiponectin levels moderated treatment outcome between two combination therapies. Specifically, low adiponectin predicted better response to escitalopram plus bupropion compared to venlafaxine plus mirtazapine, whereas high adiponectin predicted better response to venlafaxine plus mirtazapine compared to escitalopram plus bupropion (F = 4.84, p = 0.03). Adiponectin levels did not correlate with baseline depression severity (r = −0.03, p = 0.59). Conclusions Antidepressant selection for patients with MDD can be personalized using pre-treatment blood-based biomarkers, such as adiponectin, thereby improving treatment outcomes.
The Evaluation of Psychological Therapy

Hans Eysenck’s landmark study (1952) poses an intellectual challenge to any clinician who provides a theoretical explanation of the efficacy of any form of psychological treatment of psychological disorders. According to Eysenck, any theoretical account of the therapeutic efficacy of any form of psychological therapy is only supported by successful therapeutic outcomes if these treatments produce improvement (or cure) rates superior (and significantly superior) to those rates achieved by clients who receive no form of psychological therapy. Any positive evaluation of any form of psychological therapy must demonstrate improvement rates superior to “spontaneous remission.” Eysenck’s own conclusions about the uselessness of psychoanalytic therapies (and usefulness of behavior therapies [1960, 1965]) have been the object of vigorous and sustained criticism, largely based upon the questionable nature of the criteria that Eysenck employed to make judgments of therapeutic success and failure (Bergin, 1971; Lambert, 1976; Miles, Barrabee, & Finesinger, 1951; Rozenzweig, 1954). This “interminable debate” (Skelton-Robinson, 1980) rages on.
Environmental Trolley Problems and Ethical Assumptions in the Geoengineering Debate

Stephen Gardiner and Augustin Fragniere (hereafter GF) offer a thorough critique of the Oxford Principles meant to govern geoenegineering in their paper ‘The tollgate principles for the governance ...
Regulation of cyclin T1 during HIV replication and latency establishment in human memory CD4 T cells.

The regulatory cyclin, Cyclin T1 (CycT1), is a host factor essential for HIV-1 replication in CD4 T cells and macrophages. The importance of CycT1 and the Positive Transcription Elongation Factor b (P-TEFb) complex for HIV replication is well-established, but regulation of CycT1 expression and protein levels during HIV replication and latency establishment in CD4 T cells is less characterized. To better define the regulation of CycT1 levels during HIV replication in CD4 T cells, multiparameter flow cytometry was utilized to study the interaction between HIV replication (intracellular p24) and CycT1 of human peripheral blood memory CD4 T cells infected with HIV in vitro. CycT1 was further examined in CD4 T cells of human lymph nodes. In activated (CD3+CD28 costimulation) uninfected blood memory CD4 T cells, CycT1 was most significantly upregulated in maximally activated (CD69+CD25+ and HLA.DR+CD38+) cells. In memory CD4 T cells infected with HIV in vitro, two distinct infected populations of p24+CycT1+ and p24+CycT1- cells were observed during 7 days infection, suggestive of different phases of productive HIV replication and subsequent latency establishment. Intriguingly, p24+CycT1- cells were the predominant infected population in activated CD4 T cells, raising the possibility that productively infected cells may transition into latency subsequent to CycT1 downregulation. Additionally, when comparing infected p24+ cells to bystander uninfected p24- cells (after bulk HIV infections), HIV replication significantly increased T cell activation (CD69, CD25, HLA.DR, CD38, and Ki67) without concomitantly increasing CycT1 protein levels, possibly due to hijacking of P-TEFb by the viral Tat protein. Lastly, CycT1 was constitutively expressed at higher levels in lymph node CD4 T cells compared to blood T cells, potentially enhancing latency generation in lymphoid tissues. CycT1 is most highly upregulated in maximally activated memory CD4 T cells as expected, but may become less associated with T cell activation during HIV replication. The progression into latency may further be predicated by substantial generation of p24+CycT1- cells during HIV replication.
Psychological predictors of nutritional adherence in adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

Summary Background & aims The CF medical regimen is notoriously burdensome, comprised of respiratory treatments, oral medications, and nutritional demands. Adequate caloric intake has been identified as a challenge over the lifespan; however, we lack detailed information about nutritional adherence in teens, and the contextual drivers of these behaviors. Adolescence is a time of increased responsibility, reduced parental monitoring, and growing peer connections. There is no literature examining the impact of familial attitudes (e.g., privacy, disease disclosure) and the social milieu (e.g., friendships) on teen nutritional adherence behavior. We hypothesized that better teen nutritional adherence behaviors would be predicted by more favorable familial privacy attitudes, better relationship quality, and greater comfort in disease disclosure. Methods Assessment included questionnaires of caregiver privacy attitudes, relationship quality, and disease disclosure. Teens tracked PERT adherence for 1 month and logged daily caloric intake for 2 weeks. This produced detailed information on daily enzyme adherence, caloric intake, and eating frequency. Results Average PERT adherence, caloric intake, and eating frequency were suboptimal in this sample. More comfort in disease disclosure and less teen/mother discord predicted better PERT adherence. Higher caregiver privacy and lower teen closeness with friends predicted greater caloric intake and eating frequency. Conclusions Results suggest that comfort in disease disclosure supports consistent PERT adherence across environments. Adolescents with close friendships may have less time for self-management (e.g., eating). Future research should collect more detailed information about friendships of teens with CF. Results suggest that daily structure and positive, appropriately supportive relationships should be encouraged by care teams.
Behavior of Structural Insulated Panels Subjected to Short-Term Axial Loads

AbstractStructural insulated panels, commonly known as SIPs, constitute a panelized building system composed of external facer panels, such as oriented strandboard (OSB) sheets, bonded to a lightwe...
On a new definition of quantal states

The concept of states of a physical system is, perhaps, the most fundamental of all the concepts of physics. In fact, it seems possible to defend the thesis that the history of physics is the same as the history of the concept of state; that the emergence of a new physical theory has often been consequent upon the emergence of a new conception of state. Thus, Galilei - Newtonian Physics emerged by rejecting the preceeding Aristotlian conception of state and adopting a new one in its place. Thermodynamics was built upon a newer non-mechanical conception of state. Gibbs-Boltzmann statistical mechanics attempting to reduce the concept of state in thermodynamics to the older mechanical conception of state required the enlarged concept of the Mixture states or statistical ensembles. The old (Bohr-Sommerfeld) quantum theory signaled a drastic departure from the classical conception of state. And lastly, quantum theory as we know it today has emerged as a result of a most profound criticism and revision of the classical concept of state. It is therefore, not unexpected, that the concept of state in quantum mechanics should be, in its turn, the subject of vigorous critical analysis as it has been in recent years.
Individuals with and without Normal Tension Glaucoma Exhibit Comparable Performance on Tests of Cognitive Function

Aim: Glaucoma and dementia are both age-related neurodegenerative diseases with significant societal impact. Despite evidence suggesting an association between normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and dementia, lack of consensus remains due to conflicting reports. This cross-sectional cohort study administered a battery of neurocognitive tests targeting executive function, learning, and memory in subjects with NTG and unaffected controls to evaluate aspects of cognition impacted by dementia. Methods: Fifty NTG and 50 control patients ≥ 50 years of age were recruited from the UCSF Department of Ophthalmology. Demographic data and glaucoma parameters were extracted from electronic medical records for both groups. Tests of executive function (Executive Abilities: Measures and Instruments for Neurobehavioral Evaluation and Research [EXAMINER]) and learning and memory (California Verbal Learning Test Second Edition [CVLT II]) were administered to both NTG and Controls. Race, handedness, best-corrected visual acuity, maximum intraocular pressure, optic nerve cup to disc ratio, visual field and optic nerve optical coherence tomography parameters, and a measure of general health (Charlson Comorbidity Index) were compared between NTG and Controls as well as within NTG subgroups. Multivariate linear regression was used to compare group performances on the EXAMINER battery and CVLT II while controlling for age, sex, and years of education. Results: NTG and Controls were comparable with respect to age, sex, race, education, handedness, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (p>0.05 for all). Performance on the EXAMINER composite score and the CVLT II did not differ between NTG and Controls (p>0.05 for both). Conclusions: This is the first prospective study in which the cognitive function of subject with NTG were evaluated using a comprehensive, computerized neurocognitive battery. Subjects with NTG subjects did not perform worse than unaffected controls on tests of executive function, learning, and memory. Results do not support the hypothesis that individuals with NTG are at higher risk for cognitive dysfunction and/or dementia.
Intra-Meadow Variation in Seagrass Flowering Phenology Across Depths

Variation in the timing of sexual reproduction, as well as differences in the relative investment in asexual vs sexual reproduction, commonly occurs among populations. Less is known about such variation within populations, yet small-scale differences in phenology and reproductive investment have the potential to limit gene flow and consequently the adaptive capacity of populations. We examined within-site variation in sexual reproduction in seagrasses, marine angiosperms that can reproduce asexually via clonal propagation or sexually via flowering, and that form the foundation of critical marine ecosystems globally. Many factors, including light availability, temperature, nutrient availability, and genetic identity, influence the rate and timing of seagrass flower development, yet little is known about how phenology varies across common environmental gradients within individual seagrass meadows. Here, we investigate how the density, morphology, and phenology of eelgrass (Zostera marina) differs across depths within multiple sites in New England. Despite variation in the proportion of reproductive vs vegetative shoots across sites, reproductive investment did not differ across depths within sites. However, a comparison of developmental stages of flowering shoots revealed delays in flower development for deep plants compared with shallow plants for all sites, demonstrating a consistent offset in reproductive phenology across depths. Our results suggest that differences in the timing of flowering may limit gene flow across seagrass meadows, with the potential for repeated genetic divergence in eelgrass populations spanning a depth gradient.
Online Appendix -- Does Borrower and Broker Race Affect the Cost of Mortgage Credit?

This appendix contains six sections. The first section compares our sample to the broader subprime mortgage market. The second section describes our algorithm for inferring broker race and ethnicity. The third section considers rejection and funding uncertainty as potential explanations for pricing disparities. The fourth and fifth sections consider contract and borrower/broker selection, respectively. The sixth section considers language differences as an explanation for pricing disparities. The final section includes supplemental tables and figures.
A new approach to medical diagnostic decision support

Data mining is a powerful tool to reduce costs and mitigate errors in the diagnostic analysis and repair of complex engineered system, but it has yet to be applied systematically to the most complex and socially expensive system - the human body. The currently available approaches of knowledge-based and pattern-based artificial intelligence are unsuited to the iterative and often subjective nature of clinician-patient interactions. Furthermore, current electronic health records generally have poor design and low quality for such data mining. Bayesian methods have been developed to suggest multiple possible diagnoses given a set of clinical findings, but the larger problem is advising the physician on useful next steps. A new approach based on inverting Bayesian inference allows identification of the diagnostic actions that are most likely to disambiguate a differential diagnosis at each point in a patient's work-up. This can be combined with personalized cost information to suggest a cost-effective path to the clinician. Because the software is tracking the clinician's decision-making process, it can provide salient suggestions for both diagnoses and diagnostic tests in standard, coded formats that need only to be selected. This would reduce the need to type in free text, which is prone to ambiguities, omissions and errors. As the database of high-quality records grows, the scope, utility and acceptance of the system should also grow automatically, without requiring expert updating or correction.
An approach to separating Pu, U, and Ti from high-purity graphite for isotopic analysis by MC-ICP-MS

Information about elemental and isotopic systematics of ultra-trace level actinides (e.g. U and Pu) and main group elements (e.g. Ti) present within nuclear grade graphite is vital to the nuclear community for improved reactor operation and security. In support of this, extensive effort has been placed on improving analysis methods (i.e., inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry). However, significantly less effort has been devoted to the optimization of chemical separation methods. Within the separation community, commercially available Eichrom™ resins are often employed, as their elution characteristics for various elements have been well studied, but the direct optimization of actinides and trace metal separations from a single sample have not been widely investigated. Here, methods using various Eichrom pre-packed cartridges were explored to achieve separation of ultra-trace levels of U, Pu, and Ti from a variety of graphite samples. Once the validity of the combined separation scheme was established using certified reference materials, the method was applied to historic, unirradiated and irradiated, graphite samples. For all samples investigated, precise isotope ratio measurements for the titanium isotope systems were made.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Correctional Staff in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Objectives. To examine SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) epidemiology and risk factors among Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) staff in the United States.Methods. We calculated the SARS-CoV-2 case rate among 37 640 BOP staff from March 12 to June 17, 2020, using payroll and COVID-19-specific data. We compared occupational factors among staff with and without known SARS-CoV-2 using multiple logistic regression, controlling for demographic characteristics. We calculated relative risk among staff in stand-alone institutions versus complexes (> 1 institution).Results. SARS-CoV-2 was reported by 665 staff across 59.8% of institutions, a case rate of 1766.6 per 100 000. Working in dorm-style housing and in detention centers were strong risk factors, whereas cell-based housing was protective; these effects were erased in complexes. Occupational category was not associated with SARS-CoV-2.Conclusions. SARS-CoV-2 infection was more likely among staff working in institutions where physical distancing and limiting exposure to a consistent set of staff and inmates are challenging.Public Health Implications. Mitigation strategies-including augmented staff testing, entry and exit testing among inmates, limiting staff interactions across complexes, and increasing physical distancing by reducing occupancy in dorm-style housing-may prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections among correctional staff.
Training device for upper limb motor rehabilitation

Robot-assisted upper limb rehabilitation techniques are advanced rapidly in recent decades. Its diverse interactive strategies allow the personalization of the treatment, through a specialist, for each patient. Thus, the use of assistive robotics provides the individual with rehabilitation and restoration of motor functions, if not totally, at least in part, which directly impacts their quality of life. One of the existing aspects in rehabilitation is game therapy, the therapy based on games and challenges, this brings greater involvement and entertainment for the patient. Through information on limb position or muscle activity of the patient, the game performs a dynamic operation based on information from the sensors. Muscle movements and activations that were previously involuntary on a daily basis in therapy become intentional for the treatment and evaluation of the patient. In this work, an auxiliary system for the treatment, recovery and strengthening of muscle and physiotherapy is developed through surface electromyography data and inertial sensors.