cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The replication activation potential of selected RNA polymerase II promoter elements at the simian virus 40 origin.

Abstract Binding sites for cellular transcription factors were placed near the simian virus 40 origin of replication, and their effect on replication and TATA-dependent transcription was measured in COS cells. The hierarchy of transcriptional stimulation changed when the plasmids replicated. Only one of seven inserted sequences, a moderately weak transcription element, stimulated replication detectably. However, when two nonstimulatory sites were present in multiple copies they did activate replication. Multiple sites for the chimeric activator GAL4-VP16 did not stimulate replication even though transcription was stimulated strongly. The results indicate that the ability of a binding site to stimulate replication from the simian virus 40 ori is not based on its transcriptional activation potential but is instead related to a separate replication activation potential that can be increased by having multiple sites.
Potassium channel regulation in Schwann cells during early developmental myelinogenesis

The presence of neuronal-like, voltage-gated ion channels on glia has raised questions concerning their physiological roles. Insights into glial channel function can be gained by examining regulation of channel expression during axoglial interactions. We examine the regulation of Schwann cell potassium channels in developing sciatic nerves of newborn rats when myelin is first laid down. During the initial postnatal week, cell-attached patch-clamp recordings at soma of Schwann cells with visible myelin revealed an inward rectifying potassium channel (KIR), to date described only in CNS glia but not Schwann cells, as well as an outward potassium channel (KO). Around the resting potential, the KO channel is virtually closed, while the KIR channel appears maximally open. Compared with the KO channel, the KIR channel is blocked by low concentrations of Cs+ and exhibits higher sensitivity to 4-aminopyridine (4AP). Further, the KIR channel appears similar to other mammalian inward rectifiers and rectification depends, in part, on cytoplasmic Mg2+. Channel regulation bears an interesting relation to early myelination: as the average number of myelin lamellae increases from 6 to 21 from day 2 to day 8, currents decrease by 80-90%. The reduction in KO current also parallels the known decrease in proliferation of Schwann cells as they are being committed to myelination, supporting the recently proposed notion of a functional link between potassium channels and proliferation. The KIR channels, by virtue of being open at the resting potential, may play a role in buffering activity-dependent K+ accumulation during early myelin formation. The subsequent reduction in somal channel density may parallel a diminished need for K+ buffering as electrogenesis is restricted to nodal regions.
Aerobic exercise and weight.

Abstract Obesity is due to an imbalance between caloric intake and expenditure. One component of expenditure that has been receiving increasing research attention is exercise. This paper reviews the research on activity level differences in thin and obese persons, and basic research on energy balance, or intake/expenditure relationships. Then meta-analysis techniques were used to study the effects of aerobic walking and jogging exercises for weight and fat loss, the selective effects of exercise for thin and heavy persons, and the parametric effects of increased frequency or expenditure on weight loss. The effects of exercise on weight were reliable, and directly related to expenditure. Assessment of energy balance shows persons do not typically lose as much weight as predicted by exercise, and thin persons show more energy compensation than heavy persons. Comparison of the results of exercise and other forms of weight control suggests the weight losses due to exercise are quite small.
Do indoor pollutants and thermal conditions in schools influence student performance? A critical review of the literature

To assess whether school environments can adversely affect academic performance, we review scientific evidence relating indoor pollutants and thermal conditions, in schools or other indoor environments, to human performance or attendance. We critically review evidence for direct associations between these aspects of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and performance or attendance. Secondarily, we summarize, without critique, evidence on indirect connections potentially linking IEQ to performance or attendance. Regarding direct associations, little strongly designed research was available. Persuasive evidence links higher indoor concentrations of nitrogen dioxide to reduced school attendance, and suggestive evidence links low ventilation rates to reduced performance. Regarding indirect associations, many studies link indoor dampness and microbiologic pollutants (primarily in homes) to asthma exacerbations and respiratory infections, which in turn have been related to reduced performance and attendance. Also, much evidence links poor IEQ (e.g., low ventilation rate, excess moisture, or formaldehyde) with adverse health effects in children and adults and documents dampness problems and inadequate ventilation as common in schools. Overall, evidence suggests that poor IEQ in schools is common and adversely influences the performance and attendance of students, primarily through health effects from indoor pollutants. Evidence is available to justify (1) immediate actions to assess and improve IEQ in schools and (2) focused research to guide IEQ improvements in schools.
Accurate measurements of pointing performance from in situ observations

We present a method for obtaining lab-quality measurements of pointing performance from unobtrusive observations of natural in situ interactions. Specifically, we have developed a set of user-independent classifiers for discriminating between deliberate, targeted mouse pointer movements and those movements that were affected by any extraneous factors. To develop and validate these classifiers, we developed logging software to unobtrusively record pointer trajectories as participants naturally interacted with their computers over the course of several weeks. Each participant also performed a set of pointing tasks in a formal study set-up. For each movement, we computed a set of measures capturing nuances of the trajectory and the speed, acceleration, and jerk profiles. Treating the observations from the formal study as positive examples of deliberate, targeted movements and the in situ observations as unlabeled data with an unknown mix of deliberate and distracted interactions, we used a recent advance in machine learning to develop the classifiers. Our results show that, on four distinct metrics, the data collected in-situ and filtered with our classifiers closely matches the results obtained from the formal experiment.
The gene expression messy genetic algorithm for financial applications

The paper introduces the gene expression messy genetic algorithm (GEMGA)-a new generation of messy GAs that may find many applications in financial engineering. Unlike other existing blackbox optimization algorithms, GEMGA directly searches for relations among the members of the search space. The GEMGA is an O(|/spl Lambda/|/sup k/(l+k)) sample complexity algorithm for the class of order-k delineable problems (Kargupta, 1995) (problems that can be solved by considering no higher than order-k relations) in sequence representation of length L and alphabet set /spl Lambda/. The GEMGA is designed based on the alternate perspective of natural evolution proposed by the SEARCH framework (Kargupta, 1995) that emphasizes the role of gene expression. The paper also presents the test results for large multimodal problems and identifies possible applications to financial engineering.
Transfer of mass-independent fractionation in ozone to other oxygen-containing radicals in the atmosphere

Mass-independent fractionation (MIF) of ozone has been observed in both the troposphere and stratosphere. Because ozone is a photochemically active species, its MIF signature can be imparted to other atmospheric molecules. Using a photochemical equilibrium model for short-lived radical species, I have computed the expected MIF for typical mid-latitude conditions. The model accounts for about ∼70% of recent measurements of Δ177O for H2O2 in rainwater, and predicts large MIF for NOx and ClO species (∼40–70‰), and their products (ClONO2 and HNO3). Furthermore, in the stratosphere oxygen exchange reactions between OH and NOx yield OH with Δ17O from 2 to 45‰. Stratospheric water produced during H abstraction by OH would be similarly mass-independently fractionated. In the troposphere rapid exchange between OH and H2O erases any MIF signature in OH. These model results depend on several O exchange reactions with unknown activation energies or with rate coefficients known only as upper limits.
Examining Personal Security and Avoidance Measures in a 12-City Sample

Existing research has recognized the multidimensional nature of self-protective behaviors. Using secondary data collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this study examined the predictive ability of measures related to policing, lifestyles, victimization, neighborhood conditions, and demographic characteristics in explaining six types of protective behavior. Results suggest that factors such as awareness of community policing, satisfaction with police, perceptions of disorder, and sex are consistently related to protective measures, whereas the influence of other factors (e.g., personal victimization, race) varies according to the behavior analyzed.
Branding Online News Providers: Brand Personality and the Image Congruence Effect

This study examined online news brand personality and conducted an empirical test of the image congruence hypothesis. A survey of 271 respondents gauged the brand personality of three online news brands (i.e., Google News, Yahoo! News, and CNN online) and respondents’ self-image perceptions to determine if self-brand image congruence relates to predispositions to behave in a favorable manner toward this brand type. Congruence scores served as indicators of the difference between respondents’ actual and ideal self-image and each brand’s personality assessed on five factors: sincerity, competence, sophistication, excitement, and ruggedness. Self-brand personality distance scores served as independent variables in stepwise regressions with brand attitude and likelihood of visiting/using the online brand as the dependent variables. Significant results, although not accounting for much variance, support the proposed relations, indicating that brand personality and image congruence are worthwhile topics of investigation for online news brands.
A pituitary tumor in a patient with thyroid hormone resistance: A diagnostic dilemma

Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is due to mutations in the beta-isoform of the thyroid hormone receptor (TR-beta). RTH patients display inappropriate secretion of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) from the hypothalamus and thyrotropin (TSH) from the anterior pituitary, despite elevated levels of thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyrotropin-secreting tumors are presumed to represent clonal expansion of abnormal cells. Because the diagnosis of TSH-secreting tumors tends to be delayed and curative surgical resection remains under 50%, early diagnosis is paramount. Current diagnostic strategies suggest that RTH patients are distinguishable from patients with TSH-secreting pituitary tumors by the use of standard laboratory tests and imaging. Here, we present a woman in whom the standard evaluation for inappropriate TSH secretion was insufficient to distinguish these entities. The patient had a low-normal TRH stimulation test and an unmeasurable alpha-glycoprotein subunit level; however, a pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an adenoma. More testing using a T3 suppression test supported a RTH diagnosis and a R438H mutation was found in the TR-beta gene. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of an apparently incidental pituitary adenoma in the setting of documented resistance to thyroid hormone. As such, it raises the question of whether RTH predisposes to pituitary hyperplasia and adenoma development.
Magnetic resonance imaging as a diagnostic tool for breast cancer in premenopausal women.

Background: Screening mammography has led to earlier diagnosis of breast cancer; however, the increased tissue density of young women can complicate mammographic interpretation. We hypothesized that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has value in detection of mammographically occult breast cancers, particularly in premenopausal women for whom the sensitivity of mammography is compromised. Methods: Data were available for 89 women with biopsy-proven breast cancer who had undergone both mammography and breast MRI. Variables evaluated included menopausal status and radiographic findings. Data were analyzed using Fisher's Exact test; P <.05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 89 women in our study, 69 were perimenopausal or postmenopausal and 20 were premenopausal at the time of diagnosis. The malignant lesion was identified on mammography and MRI for a majority of patients. One third of premenopausal women had negative mammography but positive MRI findings. Conclusions: Our findings support a role for breast MRI in supplementing conventional mammography for early detection of breast cancer in premenopausal women.
High-Resolution Modeling Assisted Design of Customized and Individualized Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Protocols

Objectives: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulatory technique that delivers low-intensity currents facilitating or inhibiting spontaneous neuronal activity. tDCS is attractive since dose is readily adjustable by simply changing electrode number, position, size, shape, and current. In the recent past, computational models have been developed with increased precision with the goal to help customize tDCS dose. The aim of this review is to discuss the incorporation of highresolution patient-specific computer modeling to guide and optimize tDCS. Methods: In this review, we discuss the following topics: 1) The clinical motivation and rationale for models of transcranial stimulation is considered pivotal in order to leverage the flexibility of neuromodulation; 2) the protocols and the workflow for developing high-resolution models; 3) the technical challenges and limitations of interpreting modeling predictions; and 4) real cases merging modeling and clinical data illustrating the impact of computational models on the rational design of rehabilitative electrotherapy. Conclusions: Though modeling for noninvasive brain stimulation is still in its development phase, it is predicted that with increased validation, dissemination, simplification, and democratization of modeling tools, computational forward models of neuromodulation will become useful tools to guide the optimization of clinical electrotherapy.
The Relationship of Dietary Phosphorus and Sodium Aluminosilicate to the Performance of Commercial Leghorns

Abstract To determine the influence of sodium aluminosilicate (SA) on hens (7 mo of age) fed different levels of phosphorus, 1,920 hens were fed diets containing .70, .57, .43, and .30% total phosphorus with and without the inclusion of 1.0% SA for 6 wk. Egg production, egg weight, egg specific gravity, and feed conversion were determined weekly. Birds fed .30% phosphorus with 1% SA had a much faster and greater decline in production than the hens fed .30% phosphorus without SA. For hens fed diets containing more than .43% phosphorus, egg production was not affected by level of phosphorus in the diet with or without SA. The inclusion of 1.0% SA improved egg specific gravity; also, the degree of improvement was unrelated to level of dietary phosphorus when the proportion of phosphorus was greater than .30%. Sodium aluminosilicate significantly reduced feed consumption when the level of dietary phosphorus was .30%. Hens fed diets containing .30% phosphorus with or without SA had significant reductions in egg size. However, hens fed SA at phosphorus levels above .30% had eggs that were .5 g heavier than those from hens fed the same level of phosphorus without SA. The author concluded that SA improved egg specific gravity, but had no effect on egg production when total phosphorus intake was 668 mg/hen per day or higher. Because of the strong interaction of SA by phosphorus for egg production, the level of dietary phosphorus must be considered when using SA.
Ensuring a valid source and destination for internet traffic

The Internet has become an indispensable resource for today's society. It is at the center of the today's business, entertainment, and social world. However, the core of our identities on the Internet, the IP addresses that are used to send and receive data throughout the Internet, are insecure. Attackers today are able to send data purporting to be from nearly any location (IP spoofing) and to reroute data destined for victims to the attackers themselves (IP prefix hijacking). Victims of these attacks may experience denial of service, misplaced blame, and theft of their traffic. These attacks are of the utmost importance since they affect the core layer of the Internet. Although the mechanisms of the attacks are different, they are essentially different sides of the same coin; spoofing attacks forge the identity of the sender, while hijacking attacks forge the identity of the receiver. They revolve around the same underlying lack of a secure identity on the Internet. This research reviews the existing state of the art IP spoofing and IP prefix hijacking research and proposes new defenses to close the missing gaps and provide a new level of security to our identities on the Internet. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants No. CNS-0520326 and CNS-1118101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This dissertation includes both previously published/unpublished and co-authored material.
Abortion policy in 1978: a follow-up analysis.

Abortion policy was a major issue in the politics of 1977; in 1978 it continued to touch every plane and branch of government in the American federal system. The year 1977 marked an important turning point in U.S. abortion policy. Congressional legislation resulted in a sharp cutback in federal funds for abortions; and the Supreme Court, while not altering the basic legal access to abortion established in Roe v. Wade (1973), gave recognition to state discretion in abortion funding policy. By December 1977 only 12 states and the District of Columbia were funding abortions at their pre-June 1977 level.Here we provide a brief update report on three important developments of abortion politics in 1978: evolving patterns of state funding response, the stepped up involvement of the federal courts in interpreting state funding responsibilities, and emerging forms of abortion politics throughout the federal system.
Oral narrative retelling among emergent bilinguals in a dual language immersion program

ABSTRACTOral narrative retelling is a complex linguistic and cognitive task that has been shown to map onto reading fluency and comprehension. Therefore, it is important to understand oral retelling skill, especially among emergent bilingual children – those who are learning two languages simultaneously. In this article, exploratory quantitative and qualitative findings from a study investigating the bilingual narrative retelling abilities of young heritage Spanish-speaking emergent bilingual children are reported. Kindergarten, first, and second grade children (N = 65) were assessed in each language separately using comparable wordless picture books, and their performance within and across languages was investigated. Two findings emerged: (1) children’s performance on retelling was significantly related across languages; but (2) individual children exhibited different patterns of bilingual strengths and challenges. These findings underscore the value of conducting academic oral assessments in both langua...
Zika Virus in the Americas: A Review for Clinicians

Zika virus has recently emerged as a new public health threat. An arthropod-borne virus named after the Zika forest in Uganda, it was first discovered in 1947. The virus caused only sporadic cases of Zika infection in Africa and Southeast Asia until 2007, when the first large outbreak occurred in the Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Another outbreak in French Polynesia in 2013 was notable for being associated temporally with an increase in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome. In 2015, the virus was first reported in Brazil and since then has spread explosively through several additional countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean. Simultaneously, several of these countries have seen a dramatic increase in the incidence of infants born with microcephaly. The rapid spread of Zika virus through the Americas, together with the association of infection with microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome, has resulted in the World Health Organization declaring a public health emergency. Zika virus has the potential to spread to new areas where the Aedes mosquito vector is present and therefore presents a risk to the United States. This concise review describes the clinical features of Zika virus infection and provides advice for clinicians on counseling travelers and others about the disease.
The Research of MC56F8323 Based Boost Single-phase PFC

The link between power electronics and digital control based on DSP gets more and more close.PFC rectifier is an important application in power electronics.In this paper.based on the Motorola new DSP chip-MC56F8323,we had implemented an digital PFC Rectifier,and gave the system frame and control parameters in detail,at last we had built a 500 watt prototype demo to verify the fa- vorable performance resulted from digital control.
Reuse of Three Kinds of Waste Mud in Off Field

There are a large number of mud additives in drilling mud, thus the solid-liquid separation method can be used to reduce the volume of waste mud and keep the effective components in the solid phase, which can be used to compound mud again. The experiments show that: all kinds of conventional functions, the anti-aging function and the anti-pollution function of the mud compounded again were up to the requirements of original mud ; in the meantime, adding amount of the mud additives was just one third of that of original mud, therefore the cost was reduced and this process has obvious economy benefits, social benefits and environment benefits
Comparison of Litter Adjustment Factors in Yorkshire and Landrace Data

National Swine Improvement Federation (NSIF) adjustment factors presently used to standardize litter data for age at 21 d, number born alive (NBA), 21-d litter weight, and number after transfer (NAT) were evaluated using 104,884 litters in 1,348 Yorkshire herds and 20,370 litters in 197 Landrace herds. In addition, adjustment factors for number weaned were calculated for standardization of this trait. Number weaned is adjusted for parity and NAT. The mixed-model least squares, maximum likelihood computer program described by Harvey was used in the analyses. Yorkshire and Landrace data were combined to test for breed effects and interactions involving breed. Breed interactions were different (P .05) from current NSIF values. However, in all three data sets, the intercepts and linear coefficients of the quadratic regression for age at weaning were different (P < .05) from NSIF's. A Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test was used to evaluate the NSIF groupings of parity and number after transfer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Can We Accurately Time the Administration of Antenatal Corticosteroids for Preterm Labor

Background. Accurate timing of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) has resulted in improved neonatal outcomes. Objectives. Our primary objective was to determine predictors for optimal timing of ACS in women presenting with spontaneous preterm labor. Study Design. A retrospective cohort study of women receiving ACS for spontaneous preterm birth was conducted. Women were included if they presented with preterm labor or preterm premature rupture of membranes. Accurate timing of ACS was defined as administration within 7 days of delivery. Maternal demographic and obstetrics characteristics were compared between the groups receiving ACS ≤7 days and >7 days from delivery. Statistical analyses were performed using parametric and nonparametric tests. was considered significant. Results. The study included 215 subjects. Median latency from ACS administration to delivery was 6 days (IQR 32). Accurate timing of ACS occurred in 113 (53%) women and was associated with rupture of membranes (OR 13.8, 95% CI 5.9–32.6), cervical change (OR 7.1, 95% CI 3.0–17.1), and cervical dilation ≥ 2 cm (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.5–10.3). Conclusions. Rupture of membranes, cervical change, and cervical dilation ≥ 2 cm were strong predictors of optimal timing. 53% of women with preterm labor received ACS optimally.
Entanglements of Discipline, Behavioral Intervention, Race, and Disability:

In 2011, an urban school district that had been cited for excessive and disproportionate suspension by race and disability sought to establish guidelines for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a remedy. District leaders held a PBIS planning meeting that included a broad collection of stakeholders. As they discussed data-driven protocols, a significant challenge to institutionalized racism embedded in behavioral expectations, analysis, and responses emerged. However, that challenge was met with repeated assertions that the apparently neutral parameters of PBIS would suffice. Thus, PBIS protocols were used to suppress questions of the cultural competence of teachers, administrators, and clinicians.
Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers’ Attitudes toward Early Entrants, Intellectually Advanced Students, and Average Students*:

The consistency of kindergarten and first grade teachers’ attitudes toward academically talented early entrants, relative to other types of students, was assessed in a survey conducted in a suburban school district. Teachers were asked to rank hypothetical candidates for their classrooms and to indicate the kinds of information about nonintellectual qualities that would be most helpful in evaluating each potential candidate. Kindergarten teachers consistently assigned lower ranks to early entrants than to other types of students; the rankings of first grade teachers were less consistent. Teachers who had taught early entrants did not assign higher ranks to these children than did teachers who lacked this experience. Information about a child's social maturity level was chosen as most helpful for evaluation of all types of children at both grade levels. Teachers suggested a variety of techniques for working with intellectually advanced students, but few made positive comments about the practice of early en...
GeoFlux: Hands-Off Data Integration Leveraging Join Key Knowledge

Data integration is frequently required to obtain the full value of data from multiple sources. In spite of extensive research on tools to assist users, data integration remains hard, particularly for users with limited technical proficiency. To address this barrier, we study how much we can do with no user guidance. Our vision is that the user should merely specify two input datasets to be joined and get a meaningful integrated result. It turns out that our vision can be realized if the system can correctly determine the join key, for example based on domain knowledge. We demonstrate this notion by considering a broad domain: socioeconomic data aggregated by geography, a widespread category that accounts for 80% of the data published by government agencies. Intuitively two such datasets can be integrated by joining on the geographic unit column. Although it sounds easy, this task has many challenges: How can we automatically identify columns corresponding to geographic units, other dimension variables and measure variables, respectively? If multiple geographic types exist, which one should be chosen for the join? How to join tables with idiosyncratic schema, different geographic units of aggregation or no aggregation at all? We have developed GeoFlux, a data integration system that handles all these challenges and joins tabular data by automatically aggregating geographic information with a new, advanced crosswalk algorithm. In this demo paper, we overview the architecture of the system and its user-friendly interfaces, and then demonstrate via a real-world example that it is general, fully automatic and easy-to-use. In the demonstration, we invite users to interact with GeoFlux to integrate more sample socioeconomic data from data.ny.gov.
The Lasting Lure of the Asian Mystery

Among the numerous accolades and awards garnered by viet thanh nguyen's debut novel, the sympathizer (2015), the one receiving the least attention from academic critics will probably be the Edgar Award, bestowed by the Mystery Writers of America. After all, The Sympathizer boasts aesthetic achievements that far exceed the generic confines of a conventional mystery novel. Also, even in the age of cultural studies, when the divide between the popular and the elite is supposed to have all but disappeared, literary scholars, if they are honest with themselves, still hang on to the notion that there is a qualitative difference, or a hierarchy, separating literary fiction from crime fiction, the highbrow from the lowbrow. It may be true that we no longer live at a time when an eminent critic like Edmund Wilson would attack mystery novels by asserting, as he did in 1945, partly in response to Agatha Christie's popular mystery novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, that “with so many fine books to read …; there is no need to bore ourselves with this rubbish” (qtd. in Bradford 117). And there is more than half a century separating us from the era when Ross Macdonald, one of the most accomplished practitioners of the mystery genre as well as a trained literary scholar, lamented in his 1954 lecture at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he had received a doctoral degree in English, that “[t]hough it is one of the dominant literary forms of our age, the mystery has received very little study” (11). Even after Jacques Lacan and Jacques Derrida enshrined Edgar Allan Poe's detective short story “The Purloined Letter” as a darling of poststructuralist analysis, most literary scholars worth their salt would continue to regard crime fiction as a subpar genre, something that, as Macdonald said, is reserved for their leisure hours, akin to crossword puzzles in a newspaper (11). Or, as Wilson put it, “Who cares who killed Roger Ackroyd?” (qtd. in Bradford 117).
Linearization of nonlinear components

The assumption of a linear system allows to apply the elegant solution methods in the Laplace- and z z -domain. However, in many instances, system components do not exhibit linear behavior. When a feedback control system is in operation and keeps the system near a defined operating point, a linear approximation for nonlinear components in the operating point can be derived. In this chapter, three approaches to linearize a component are presented: first, when the nonlinear characteristic equation of that component is known, second, when the characteristic of the component is provided as tabular data, and third, when the characteristic of the component is present only in graphical form, for example, a figure in a datasheet. Furthermore, this chapter covers saturation as a very common occurrence of nonlinear behavior and explains why a feedback system where a component saturates behaves like an open-loop system without control. Linearization of nonlinear components is another tool in the design engineer’s toolbox.
Analyzing the Performance of Local Search Algorithms Using Generalized Hill Climbing Algorithms

Generalized hill climbing algorithms provide a well-defined framework to model how local search algorithms address intractable discrete optimization problems. Monte Carlo search, simulated annealing, threshold accepting, and tabu search, among others, can all be formulated as particular generalized hill climbing algorithms. Moreover, generalized hill climbing algorithms provide a structure for classifying and studying a large body of stochastic and deterministic local search algorithms. In particular, the generalized hill climbing algorithm framework can be used to develop a general Markov chain model for the application of local search algorithms to intractable discrete optimization problems. Moreover, the generalized hill climbing algorithm framework has been used to evaluate the finite-time performance of local search algorithms. This analysis is of particular interest to practitioners for whom traditional convergence results are often of limited interest and value. This paper presents a survey of recent results on how the generalized hill climbing algorithm framework has been used to model and gain insight into the performance of local search algorithms. Many of these results provide tools for comparing and evaluating different types of local search algorithms using common performance measures.
Primary Prevention of Failure to Thrive

Over the past two decades the syndrome of FTT has received an increasing amount of attention from researchers. During this period, considerable effort has been made towards describing this problem and identifying and treating these children and families. However, relatively little research has focused on prevention of this disorder. In this chapter the authors will discuss the concept of prevention from both a “social epidemiological” and “health promotion” perspective; review the literature on prevention of FTT and related conditions such as child abuse and neglect; identify research and programmatic needs for prevention of this disorder; specify some methodological considerations; and discuss the goals, obstacles, and ethics which relate to the development of a primary prevention program.
Redefining Imperial Borders: Marking the Eastern Border of the Habsburg Monarchy in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century

In the eighteenth century, Eastern Europe became the stage for concurrent imperial expansion projects. The Habsburg-Russo-Ottoman military confrontations plagued the Danubian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, located immediately next to the eastern borders of the Habsburg Monarchy. Despite their alliance with Catherine the Great, the Habsburg rulers Maria Theresa (1740–1780) and Joseph II (1765–1790) witnessed fearfully from their Eastern province of Transylvania the Russian encroachment into the Ottoman lands. At such a time, Habsburg interests in the area had to be incessantly negotiated with their powerful rivals, and cartography became a strong weapon in defending Habsburg territory and even furthering expansionist projects. Historians have shown how the depiction of political borders on maps constituted an early-modern development, and how the concept of “border” acquired a linear visual expression with the help of cartography. In this paper I examine this transformation of the eastern border of the Habsburg Monarchy, namely the border of Transylvania with Moldavia. Using archival documents found in Vienna and Paris, I focus on Habsburg explorations and mapping enterprises from the 1750s to the mid-1770s on their eastern border. Whereas the 1750s maps of Stephan Lutsch von Luchsenstein encompassed the first detailed visual representation of the border regions, by the 1770s the Habsburgs had put into place an impressive system of imperial landmarks and had even infringed into Moldavian territory. I argue that cartographic representations of these borders gave weight to Habsburg pretensions in the region.
Updating American Administrative Law: WTO, International Standards, Domestic Implementation and Public Participation

The World Trade Organization has encouraged harmonization of domestic regulatory standards and policy in order to promote further liberalization of international trade. This harmonization agenda has come under sharp attack from critics arguing that it will result in a regulatory race to the bottom while eroding the opportunity of ordinary stakeholders to participate in the regulatory process. Despite the speculation, little is known about the actual impact that harmonization activities have on domestic regulatory law and policy. This paper offers the first systematic analysis of the impact that harmonization activities have had on domestic US regulatory policy. Finding that international regulatory activities, in particular the domestic use of international standards and mutual recognition agreements have had an impact on US administrative law and policy, the paper analyzes whether the internationalization of regulatory policy has also adversely impacted the ability of public stakeholders to participate in the regulatory process. Concluding that the internationalization of regulation has undermined public participation in regulation and administration, and threatens to return the United States to the regulatory environment that existed prior to the Ralph Nader-led participatory revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, the paper concludes by offering a few potential solutions to the legitimacy crisis facing international regulation.
Use of cell phones by elders with impairments: Overall appraisal, satisfaction, and suggestions

Continuity theory provides a rationalization for understanding older adult friendships. Older adults do not have to anticipate disengagement but can exercise their choice to actively participate in establishing and maintaining friendship structures. The role of friend is one a person can choose to maintain. Friendships are dynamic and progress on a continuum with beginnings, periods of endurance and change, and endings. Continuity theory provides ways to understand why particular people have developed and adapted distinct friendship and social support networks. This insight provides social service professionals, gerontologists, and family members ways to enable older adults to remain in their communities longer and maintain support stability.
The frequency of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in athletes with and without sports related concussion

Purpose of this study is to investigate the presence and frequency of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in post-concussed (PC) athletes compared to a group of healthy control (HC) athletes. A pre and post-test group design was used to compare a post-concussed group to a matched healthy control group of athletes. An archival database which included PC (n = 62) and HC (n = 62) participants matched on age, years of education and gender who completed a test battery at baseline and post injury, The test battery was comprised of a neurocognitive assessment, self-reported symptom inventory and PTSD symptom questionnaire. Post-concussion assessment was obtained within 0–13 days post-injury. PTSD symptom scores were greater in PC post injury group (Mdn = 0) than for the HC group (Mdn = 0.0), U = 1282.0, p = 0.000, r = 0.34. A Wilcoxon Signed-ranks test indicated that PTSD symptom scores post-injury (Mdn = 0) were significantly higher than pre-injury (Mdn = 0), Z = − 2.75, p = 0.000, r = 0.35. Within the PC post injury group athletes having “difficulty sleeping” was the highest reported symptom an average of 25.8% followed by “avoiding similar situations” at an average of 19.4%. “Having trouble keeping thoughts of incident out of your head” was reported at an average of 17.7% and “flashbacks” were reported at an average of 12.9%. “Nightmares” and “feeling numb and detached” were reported at an average of 8.1 and 6.5% respectively. Athletes who reported no PTSD symptoms prior to sports related concussion do exhibit symptoms of PTSD. Providing a PTSD symptom questionnaire may provide a more comprehensive treatment plan for PC post injury athletes who may be at risk of chronic PTSD symptoms.
Removal of organic contamination from Buffalo River sediment by froth flotation

Organic contaminants can be removed from river sediment using conventional flotation methods. Organic contamination in sediments is one of the most significant pollution problems facing the Great Lakes region. Using conventional flotation, the majority of the organic contamination can be collected in a concentrate, leaving a “clean” tailings. This provides a cost savings by reducing the amount of material requiring further treatment. The concentrate can then undergo additional flotation stages, or other contamination removal procedures, to further remove the organic contaminants.
Metacortandracin (prednisone) in bronchial asthma: Comparative effects of metacortandracin, hydrocortisone, and cortisone in bronchial asthma with diabetes mellitus and bronchial asthma with nasal polyps: Prelminary report

M ETACORTANDRACIN and metacortandralone, two new synthetic steroids, were subjected to clinical trial by Bunim, Pechet, and Bolletl in rheumatoid arthritis. Their preliminary observat,ions indicated that metacortandracin possessed the physiologic activit,y of an adrenal cortical hormone and that the antirheumatic potency and hormonal effects of both were similar. They showed that these drugs were several times more potent ns antirheumatic and antiinflammatory agents than cortisone or hydrocortisone and that the undesirable side effects were minor in nature and degree. A study was undertaken to determine whether metacortandracin will influence the symptoms of intractable bronchial asthma. Metacortandracin was administered to two patients. The first had chronic bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus and the second had chronic bronchial asthma ancl large nasal polyps. Both patients had previously received cortisone and hydrocortisone, and this afforded an opportunity for comparison of clinical responses and side effects. The duration of therapy wit,h metacortandracin in Case 1 was ninety-four days and in Cast 2, ninety-six days.
Autoregulation of pre-mRNA processing for buffering noisy gene expression

Abstract Stochastic variation in the level of a protein among cells of the same population is ubiquitous across cell types and organisms. These random variations are a consequence of low-copy numbers, amplified by the characteristically probabilistic nature of biochemical reactions associated with gene-expression. We systematically compare and contrast negative feedback architectures in their ability to regulate random fluctuations in protein levels. Our stochastic model consists of gene synthesizing pre-mRNAs in transcriptional bursts. Each pre-mRNA transcript is exported to the cytoplasm and is subsequently translated into protein molecules. In this setup, three feedbacks architectures are implemented: protein inhibiting transcription of its own gene (I), protein enhancing the nuclear pre-mRNA decay rate (II), and protein inhibiting the export of pre-mRNAs (III). Explicit analytic expressions are developed to quantify the protein noise levels for each feedback strategy. Mathematically controlled comparisons provide insights into the noise-suppression properties of these feedbacks. For example, when the protein half-life is long, or the pre-mRNA decay is fast, then feedback architecture I provides the best noise attenuation. In contrast, when the timescales of export, mRNA, and protein turnover are similar, then III is superior to both II and I. We finally discuss biological relevance of these findings in context of noise suppression in an HIV cell-fate decision circuit.
Inspiriting the Proleptic: Spirituality in a Postmodern Curriculum to Advance Well-Being in Schools

This paper examines the integration of curriculum as theological text in the classroom as a mechanism to promote well-being in schools. Specifically, Elfreich draws upon Slattery’s (2013) postmodern framework of proleptic eschatology in an effort to promote an inspirited version of Pinar’s currere . As such, currere(ing) the spirit creates a space for transcendence within education that acknowledges the interdependent nature of who we are in relation to others. Finally, in keeping with a postmodern framework, Elfreich provides a reflexive, auto-biographical narrative of the proleptic in relation to curriculum and well-being as an attempt to exemplify the interconnected nature of past, present, and future.
The Serialist’s Mentee: Commitment, Communication, Collaboration

This article is based on a presentation from the 2019 North Carolina Serials Conference that described the changing nature of the mentor/mentee relationship in the face of shrinking budgets, downsi...
Prompting second language writers for productive reflection using narrative questioning prompt

This paper aims to introduce a novel form of reflective tool ‘narrative questioning’ to facilitate students’ elaborate and graded reflection in two ESL composition classes in a university in the US. Little has been written about a reflective tool where students need to produce a graded and elaborate reflection and this paper will seek to narrow that gap. Narrative questioning is developed primarily from Barkhuizen and Wette’s (2008) narrative frames. Narrative frames employ “a series of incomplete sentences and blank spaces of varying lengths” (Barkhuizen, 2014, p. 13). Narrative questioning utilizes a series of questions through which students reflected on their perceived learning gain throughout the semester. This paper will first discuss research in narrative reflective tools. Then, it will describe the classroom pedagogical lesson that I conducted to introduce and guide students to write their reflection using narrative questioning. Thirdly, the data gathered through students' reflection and individual interviews of 10 students will be presented and discussed. The data illustrates the different ways of narrative questioning facilitate reflection. Limitations of the narrative questioning elicited from students' interviews will also be presented here along with the pedagogical implication of the study.
Large Temperature Coefficient of Resistance in Atomically Thin 2D Devices

The temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of thin metal lines is often used for applications in thermometry [1], phase change [2], or even thermal accelerometers [3]. However, the TCR of metals drops sharply in films thinner than ~10 nm due to strong surface scattering, preventing their use as ultra-fast thermal sensors, which require reduced thermal mass. In contrast, here we demonstrate for the first time that atomically-thin two-dimensional (2D) materials maintain large TCRs ( $>0.5\%$ ) even at sub-nm thickness. Fundamentally, these experiments illustrate that transport in high-quality 2D materials remains phonon-limited, unlike ultra-thin metals. From an application standpoint, high TCR in atomically-thin films is expected to enable fast thermal sensors.
Effects of different sponsorship disclosure message types on consumers’ trust and attitudes

Addressing the problem of increasing sponsored eWOM and diverse and confusing disclosure practices, this study examined the effects of different types of sponsorship disclosure messages on (1) cons...