cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Choosing Among Risk Profiles

To solve risk management problems using the expected utility (EU) framework, one must first represent different decision options by their risk profiles using QRA modeling methods such as those in chapters 2–4. Then, it is necessary to choose the option corresponding to the most-preferred risk profile. This chapter covers methods for choosing among risk profiles — or, equivalently, cumulative probability distribution functions (CDFs) — when the consequences of interest can be summarized and compared using a single numerical attribute. This is not necessarily a severe restriction, as the attribute may be a synthetic one such as “net benefit” or “value” that summarizes preferences for consequences. The results in this chapter can be used to construct explicit utility functions for single-attribute consequences so that the expected utilities of prospects can be calculated. They also allow some pairs of prospects to be compared even without defining an explicit utility function, using various dominance criteria.
Microbial Biodegradation of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid and Chlorophenols

Maintaining the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur balances in the environment is one of the main tasks of microorganisms in nature; microorganisms degrade most compounds so that their basic elements can be recycled. However, naturally occurring chlorinated hydrocarbons are rather rare (25). Chlorinated synthetic chemicals such as PCBs, dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane (DDT), and 2,4,5-T, generally are degraded only slowly (20,23,24), mostly through co-oxida-tive metabolism (1,23), The persistence of these compounds is thought to be due to a lack of the ability of microbial cells to derive their energy and cellular constituents from the oxidative metabolism of these compounds (1), Persistence of chemicals in nature will amplify our pollution problems as time progresses, so that even what seems like an insignificant amount of a given chemical, if applied repeatedly, will accumulate until its environmental impact is felt.
Diffuse, Collective, and Homogeneous Individual Rights(Derechos Difusos, Colectivos e Individuales Homogéneos)

The paper discusses the types of group rights that can be pursued through class litigation, as they are conceived in some countries of the civil law tradition: diffuse, collective, and homogeneous individual rights. El articulo discute los tipos de derecho de grupo que pueden ser objecto de demandas colectivas, como los derechos difusos, colectivos e individuales homogeneos.
Los fantasmas del American Dream. Simulacro y restauración afectiva en "Los vivos y los muertos"

espanolEste articulo examina la apropiacion que hace Edmundo Paz Soldan de imagenes y estereotipos sobre la clase media blanca estadounidense diseminadas por la cultura de masas en "Los vivos y los muertos". Sostendremos que el autor boliviano, en la linea del transnacionalismo latinoamericano actual, construye un “simulacro” de la vida americana, con el objeto de revelar los aspectos negativos de la expansion del neoliberalismo, la saturacion de sus practicas de consumo o los excesos del control y vigilancia estatal, proponiendo, ademas, la funcion sanadora de la escritura. EnglishThis article examines the appropriation that Edmundo Paz Soldan makes of images and stereotypes of American white middle class disseminated by mass culture in his novel "Los vivos y los muertos". We argue that the Bolivian author, in line with the current Latin American transnational narrative, build a “simulacra” of American life, in order to reveal the negative aspects of the expansion of neoliberalism, the saturation of its consumption practices or excesses of control and state surveillance, proposing, moreover, the healing function of writing.
Does donor group size matter? The response of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) to disturbance cues from conspecific and heterospecific donors

Prey are under immense pressure to make context-specific, behavioural decisions. Prey use public information to reduce the costs associated with making inappropriate decisions. Chemical cues are co...
1918—1968—2018: A Tissue of Laws and Choices and Chance:

2018 marks the fiftieth anniversary of 1968 and Humanae Vitae as well as the centenary of the 1918 Armistice ending the Great War. The negative reception of Humanae Vitae is frequently viewed withi...
Chapter 2 – The First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics

This chapter focuses on First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics. The First Law of Thermodynamics, given by Clausius, says the energy of the universe is constant. The First Law is often referred to as the Law of Conservation of Energy; energy cannot be created or destroyed. The First Law predicts that energy added to or removed from a system must be accounted for by a change in the internal energy ΔU. Energy is added to or removed from a system as work (w) or heat (q). Heat and work represent ways that energy can be transferred from one system to another, and they are dependent upon the path followed in making the transfer. Clausius statement of the Second Law involves cyclic processes and engines. It can be stated as: it is impossible to construct a device which, operating in a cycle, will produce no other effect than the transfer of heat from a cooler to a warmer body.
Nanoparticle-Encapsulated Doxorubicin Demonstrates Superior Tumor Cell Kill in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Subtypes Intrinsically Resistant to Doxorubicin

The effect of size and release kinetics of doxorubicin-nanoparticles on anti-tumor efficacy was evaluated in a panel of human cancer cell lines, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells that frequently demonstrate resistance to doxorubicin. Different nano-formulations of sol-gel-based Doxorubicin containing nanoparticles were synthesized. Increased cell kill in chemoreffactory triple-negative breast cancer cells was associated with the smallest size of nanoparticles and the slowest release of Dox. Modeling of dose-response parameters in Dox-sensitive versus Dox-resistant lines demonstrated increased EMax and area under the curve in Dox-resistant mesenchymal TNBC cells, implying potentially favorable activity in this molecular subtype of breast cancer. Mesenchymal TNBC cells demonstrated a high rate of fluorescent bead uptake suggestive of increased endocytosis, which may partially account for the enhanced efficacy of Dox-np in this subtype. Thus, manipulation of size and release kinetics of this nanoparticle platform is associated with enhanced dose-response metrics and tumor cell kill in therapeutically recalcitrant TNBC cell models. This platform is easily customizable and warrants further exploration.
The Tobacco Control Experience: A Model for Substance Use Prevention?

Through a combination of governmental and private sector interventions, with an emphasis on policies, tobacco control has dramatically reduced smoking and its burden of preventable premature disease and death. Since publication of the first Surgeon General’s report in 1964, the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the USA has dropped by nearly two-thirds and tobacco control has been credited with averting eight million premature deaths. Extensive research has established which interventions have been effective and which not. For example, cigarette taxation and smoke-free workplace laws both have reduced smoking significantly, while warning labels and school health education have contributed relatively less to population-level impact. The documented impacts of tobacco control interventions offer insights into interventions that might be adopted to combat other forms of substance abuse. For example, based on the evidence that cigarette taxation has reduced initiation of smoking by youth and increased adult cessation, proponents of obesity control are advocating taxation of snack foods and sugary beverages; several jurisdictions have adopted such taxes. Lessons can go in both directions, however. Tobacco control has much to learn from experiences with harm reduction regarding other forms of substance abuse, including, as a notable example, treatment of heroin addiction with methadone. This is relevant to the current divisive debate about the use of electronic cigarettes as a substitute for smoking.
Acute Effect of Eating Sweets on Alcohol Cravings in a Sample with At-Risk Drinking

Background Alcohol craving, or the desire to drink alcohol, has been identified as a key experience preceding alcohol use. Alcoholics Anonymous has long claimed that individuals can allay alcohol cravings by eating sweets. Empirical tests of this strategy are limited to a few preclinical studies in rats, and there is no existing experiment testing the acute effect of eating sweets on alcohol cravings in humans. Purpose The current study sought to experimentally test the acute effect of eating sweets on alcohol cravings in a sample with at-risk drinking. Methods After being exposed to an alcohol cue, individuals with at-risk drinking (N = 150) were randomly assigned to eat sweets (n = 60), eat calorie-equivalent bland food (n = 60), or watch a video (n = 30). Caloric amounts were manipulated. Individuals with at-risk drinking were then exposed to a second alcohol cue. Changes in alcohol cravings from after the first to after the second alcohol cue were measured via visual analog scale and heart rate. Results There were no significant between-group differences in changes in alcohol cravings. Caloric amounts did not modify effects. Conclusions Experimental findings did not provide evidence to support the clinical lore that eating sweets can reduce alcohol cravings, albeit only acutely and for those with at-risk drinking. Other empirically supported strategies for managing alcohol cravings (e.g., pharmacotherapies, mindfulness) could instead be promoted.
Engaging in Global Nursing Education.

The nursing profession in the Sultanate of Oman in the past 50 years has undergone considerable growth and development. Its modernization was assisted by visiting professors from outside the countr...
E-cigarettes and social media: attitudes and perceptions of young adults to social media messages

Electronic devices that deliver nicotine, e-cigarettes (e-cigs), pose significant risks and can be addictive. Young adults have the highest prevalence of e-cig usage and are among the most frequent...
Formation of escherichia coli O157: H7 Persister Cells in the Lettuce Phyllosphere and Application of Differential Equation Models to Predict Their Prevalence on Lettuce Plants in the Field

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EcO157) infections have been recurrently associated with produce. The physiological state of EcO157 cells surviving the many stresses encountered on plants is poorly understood. EcO157 populations on plants in the field generally follow a biphasic decay in which small subpopulations survive over longer periods of time. We hypothesized that these subpopulations include persister cells, known as cells in a transient dormant state that arise through phenotypic variation in a clonal population. Using three experimental regimes (with growing, stationary at carrying capacity, and decaying populations), we measured the persister cell fractions in culturable EcO157 populations after inoculation onto lettuce plants in the laboratory. The greatest average persister cell fractions on the leaves within each regime were 0.015, 0.095, and 0.221%, respectively. The declining EcO157 populations on plants incubated under dry conditions showed the largest increase in the persister fraction (46.9-fold). Differential equation models were built to describe the average temporal dynamics of EcO157 normal and persister cell populations after inoculation onto plants maintained under low relative humidity, resulting in switch rates from a normal cell to a persister cell of 7.7 × 10−6 to 2.8 × 10−5 h−1. Applying our model equations from the decay regime, we estimated model parameters for four published field trials of EcO157 survival on lettuce and obtained switch rates similar to those obtained in our study. Hence, our model has relevance to the survival of this human pathogen on lettuce plants in the field. Given the low metabolic state of persister cells, which may protect them from sanitization treatments, these cells are important to consider in the microbial decontamination of produce. IMPORTANCE Despite causing outbreaks of foodborne illness linked to lettuce consumption, E. coli O157:H7 (EcO157) declines rapidly when applied onto plants in the field, and few cells survive over prolonged periods of time. We hypothesized that these cells are persisters, which are in a dormant state and which arise naturally in bacterial populations. When lettuce plants were inoculated with EcO157 in the laboratory, the greatest persister fraction in the population was observed during population decline on dry leaf surfaces. Using mathematical modeling, we calculated the switch rate from an EcO157 normal to persister cell on dry lettuce plants based on our laboratory data. The model was applied to published studies in which lettuce was inoculated with EcO157 in the field, and switch rates similar to those obtained in our study were obtained. Our results contribute important new knowledge about the physiology of this virulent pathogen on plants to be considered to enhance produce safety.
The Basic Functions of Music

In this chapter we will focus on the basic functions of music and divide its focus into two distinguished approaches, theoretical and empirical. In the theoretical approach we will deduce the basic function of music based on theoretical frameworks based on evolutionary and non-evolutionary approaches. Within the empirical functions we will discuss the role of music in daily life, as well as discover potential fundamental dimensions implied by the multiple functions of music. Then we discuss how music acts on the human brain like a drug through the hippocampal gate function.
How Do Children Affect the Need to Save for Retirement

Children consume a substantial portion of a household’s income while living at home, but are usually financially independent by the time the parents reach retirement age. Relatively little attention has been paid to how children affect parents’ need to save for retirement. In this paper I use expenditure data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to construct life cycle expenditure patterns from households with children and childless households, comparing the two to gain insights on how children affect household consumption and how these differences may affect retirement planning strategies for parents versus childless adults. For households who had children, expenditures from ages 65 through 69 are 3 percent lower than from ages 45 to 49, while for childless households expenditures rise 33 percent from ages 45 to 49 through ages 65-69. Similarly, parental household expenditures at age 65-69 are equal to about 80 percent of earnings from ages 45-49, versus 94 percent for nonparental households. These life cycle expenditure patterns appear sufficiently distinct that both households planning for retirement and analysts evaluating the adequacy of household retirement saving should consider the presence of children in the household as a factor affecting the wealth necessary for retirees to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living in retirement.
2.6 – Desalination

To cope with the rising demand for fresh water, desalination of brackish groundwater and seawater is increasingly being viewed as a pragmatic option for augmenting fresh water supplies. The large scale deployment of desalination is likely to demonstrably increase electricity use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other pollutants. The widespread use of desalination also gives rise to the need for environmentally sensitive concentrate management practices. The coupling of desalination with renewable energy, the use of low-grade heat to drive thermal desalination, and increased operational efficiency are avenues to minimize the adverse impacts of desalination while meeting the need for fresh water.
Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) screencasts for the resident inpatient oncology service: A pilot study evaluating feasibility and effectiveness.

11025Background: Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) screencasts have been viewed positively in some undergraduate and graduate medical settings. JiTT screencast effectiveness has not yet been evaluated f...
Optimizing Block-Sparse Matrix Multiplications on CUDA with TVM

We implemented and optimized matrix multiplications between dense and block-sparse matrices on CUDA. We leveraged TVM, a deep learning compiler, to explore the schedule space of the operation and generate efficient CUDA code. With the automatic parameter tuning in TVM, our cross-thread reduction based implementation achieved competitive or better performance compared with other state-of-the-art frameworks.
Barriers to Prenatal Care Among Food-Insufficient Women: Findings from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System

Background: This study examines the relationship among food insufficiency, adequacy of prenatal care, and barriers to prenatal care. Materials and Methods: Using data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2009-2016, negative binomial and logistic regression models were used to assess the association among food insufficiency during pregnancy, late onset of prenatal care, the number of prental care visits, as well as barriers to prenatal care. Results: Findings indicate that food insufficiency is associated with not initiating prenatal care during the first trimester and having fewer overall visits. In addition, food insufficiency is associated with more overall barriers to prenatal care, and this association operates through several specific barriers, including not having enough money, lacking transportation to get to the clinic or doctor's office, not being able to get time off work, not having a Medicaid card, having too many other things going on, and having no one to take care of children. Conclusion: Considering the adverse consequences of both food insufficiency and a lack of sufficient prenatal care for maternal and child health, study findings suggest a need to develop targeted interventions that expand access and remove barriers to prenatal care among food-insufficient women.
Do Voters Trust Deliberative Minipublics? Examining the Origins and Impact of Legitimacy Perceptions for the Citizens’ Initiative Review

Deliberative theorists argue that democracies face an increasing legitimacy crisis for lack of effective representation and robust decision-making processes. To address this problem, democratic reformers designed minipublics, such as Citizens Juries, Citizens Assemblies, and Deliberative Polls. Little is known, however, about who trusts minipublics and why. We use survey experiments to explore whether minipublics in three US states were able to influence the electorate’s policy knowledge and voting choices and whether such influences hinged on legitimacy. On average, respondents were uncertain or tilted towards distrust of these minipublics. We found higher levels of trust among people of color compared to Whites, poor compared to rich, and young compared to old. Specific information about minipublic design features did not boost their perceived legitimacy. In fact, one result suggests that awareness of balanced partisan testimony decreased trust. Finally, results show that minipublics can sway voters and improve knowledge, above and beyond the effects of a conventional voter pamphlet, but these effects were largely independent of minipublic trust.
Measurement of the van der Waals interaction by atom trajectory imaging

a single-atom imaging technique. From the average pair correlation function of the atom positions we obtain the initial atom-pair separation and the terminal velocity, which yield the van der Waals interaction coecient C6. The measured C6 value agrees well with calculations. The experimental method has been validated by simulations. The data hint at anisotropy in the overall expansion, caused by the shape of the excitation volume. Our measurement implies that the interacting entities are individual Rydberg atoms, not groups of atoms that coherently share a Rydberg excitation. PACS numbers: 32.80.Ee, 34.20.Cf
Organizational Design: Decision Rights and Incentive Contracts

We explore the interaction between the allocation of decision rights over investment opportunities and the design of incentive contracts to induce unobservable effort in a multiagent, multitasking agency framework. These are linked in our model because the only available performance measures confound the two: the returns to investments are not directly observed by the principal, but instead affect the means of the signals on effort. In our model, the optimal effort-inducing incentives give very bad incentives for selecting investments, while providing incentives to make the right investment decisions is costly in terms of inducing effort. In this set-up, hierarchy can emerge endogenously, with one agent being given authority to decide about implementing projects developed by another. The agents then get very different incentive contracts. Other solutions may involve each agent being empowered to adopt projects he has developed or both having to agree before a project is accepted. Bringing in a third agent to make investment decisions may also be optimal.
The Functional Significance of Shyness in Anorexia Nervosa

The defining features of anorexia nervosa (AN) include disordered eating and disturbance in the experience of their bodies; however, many women with AN also demonstrate higher harm avoidance (HA), lower novelty seeking, and challenges with interpersonal functioning. The current study explored whether HA and novelty seeking could explain variation in disordered eating and social functioning in healthy control women ( n = 18), weight-restored women with a history of AN (n = 17), and women currently-ill with AN (AN; n = 17). Our results indicated that clinical participants (AN + weight-restored women) reported poorer social skills than healthy control participants. Moreover, the relationship between eating disorder symptoms and social skill deficits was mediated by HA. Follow-up analyses indicated that only the 'shyness with strangers' factor of HA independently mediated this relationship. Collectively, our results suggest a better understanding of shyness in many individuals with eating disorders could inform models of interpersonal functioning in AN.
The Democracy-Forcing Constitution

During my freshman year in college, I was told not to judge a book by its cover. The book in question Lolita; the cover suggested something quite salacious. My professor explained that a soldier, who had purchased Lolita to work out some of the kinks of military life, found himself tossing the book out, proclaiming in disgust "Literature!" Well, I cannot claim precisely the same reaction to Cass Sunstein's One Case at a Time1 (my expectations were lower than the soldier's). Nevertheless, for those expecting a lefty defense of judicial restraint, One Case at a Time is not your book. Rather, Sunstein very much wants the Supreme Court to play an active role in abortion, affirmative action, the right to die, and much more. But Sunstein's brand of activism is minimalist. Rather than
The Carbon Monoxide Distribution in the Inner Galaxy

The latitude distribution of the emission from the 12CO J=l→0 rotational transition has been surveyed for the region 350° ⩽ 1 ⩽ 25° at b = 0′, “math type po dito”. Most of the 12CO emission in the inner Galaxy, the region extending from the galactic center to 4 kpc radius, is produced by three large and massive objects: the nuclear disk/bar, the 3-kpc arm and the “+135 km s−1 feature”. These structures all have observed HI counterparts and each shows extremely large deviations (50–180 km s−1) from circular motion. Observations of 13CO in selected directions show that the two structures outside the nuclear disk each span at least 2 kpc in length and that together they imply ⩾ 1055 ergs in kinetic energy of expansion away from the galactic nucleus.
Structure-Encoded Global Motions and Their Role in Mediating Protein-Substrate Interactions.

Recent structure-based computational studies suggest that, in contrast to the classical description of equilibrium fluctuations as wigglings and jigglings, proteins have access to well-defined spectra of collective motions, called intrinsic dynamics, encoded by their structure under native state conditions. In particular, the global modes of motions (at the low frequency end of the spectrum) are shown by multiple studies to be highly robust to minor differences in the structure or to detailed interactions at the atomic level. These modes, encoded by the overall fold, usually define the mechanisms of interactions with substrates. They can be estimated by low-resolution models such as the elastic network models (ENMs) exclusively based on interresidue contact topology. The ability of ENMs to efficiently assess the global motions intrinsically favored by the overall fold as well as the relevance of these predictions to the dominant changes in structure experimentally observed for a given protein in the presence of different substrates suggest that the intrinsic dynamics plays a role in mediating protein-substrate interactions. These observations underscore the functional significance of structure-encoded dynamics, or the importance of the predisposition to favor functional global modes in the evolutionary selection of structures.
Facilitators of War with China

The Military Lens: Doctrinal Difference and Deterrence Failure in Sino-American Relations. By Twomey Christopher. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2010. 260 pp., $35.00 paperback (ISBN 978-0-8014-4914-7). In this important and engaging study, Twomey, a professor of national security affairs and a specialist in China–America relations at the Naval Postgraduate School, insightfully explores the proposition that clashes between governments with different understandings of how military victory is achieved are far more likely to escalate into war. His data lead to a careful and vivid analysis of failed deterrence in Korea in 1950 and of successful deterrence in Taiwan. The book is illuminating and riveting. This is excellent scholarship. Twomey's rich, documentary study is on communication and miscommunication, on why signals do or do not get through. Making use of broad and deep knowledge of military history and military doctrine, Twomey has many things to teach, although, as shown by his chapter on wars between Israel and Egypt in 1967 and 1973, his goal is to provide help to governments in general, advice that will make wars less likely, with an especial focus on Taiwan in China–America relations. This is an admirable book of policy analysis. Yet I am not persuaded by Twomey's hypothesis on failed deterrence. It overemphasizes the weight of military doctrine in decisions for war or peace and underestimates the importance of domestic political factors for the choices made by political leaders. The real keys are the political priorities of Mao Zedong and Harry S. Truman. Believing that America's march north of the 38th parallel forced China to militarily intervene in Korea, Twomey asks why US troops marched into the DPRK (North Korea) whose …
The Inflation-Hedging Effectiveness of Real Estate

Inflation has become one of the predominant financial concerns of the late twentieth century. In the late 1970s, public opinion polls ranked inflation as the number one problem in the United States...
Improving Efficiency of Drayage Operations at Seaport Container Terminals Through the Use of an Appointment System

Designs of seaport container terminals involve three major infrastructure components: berth, container yard, and gate. In addition, Information Technology (e.g. terminal operations system, gate automation, and wireless handhelds) is becoming an integral component of container terminals. Beyond these traditional components, an emerging and potentially effective strategy, terminal planners need to consider to improve gate throughput, is the appointment system. Not only the use of an appointment system by a terminal can facilitate the movement of trucks in and out of the terminal, it can also help the terminal to manage its labor and yard resources. There are challenges to designing an effective appointment system. In this paper, two aspects of the appointment system are examined to provide insight to terminal planners. One parameter of an appointment system is the cap (i.e. limit) on the number of trucks that can enter a zone in the yard per time window. Limiting truck arrivals can be beneficial to some extent; however, if the caps are not set properly, it could be detrimental to both the terminal and truckers. The effect of limiting truck arrivals on crane utilization will be explored in this paper. A second aspect of the appointment system that will be examined in this paper is the scheduling rules (individual appointment system versus block appointment system) and their effects on resource utilization and truck turn time in grounded operations.
Identifying Information and Reason for Referral

This chapter offers a discussion of how to present the identifying information and the reason for referral sections of a report. Both sections are among the first you will encounter when reading a psychoeducational report. They present important contextual information that set the stage for the rest of the report.
Improving the power-performance of multicore processors through optimization of lithography and thermal processing

It is generally assumed that achieving a narrow distribution of physical gate length (Lpoly) for the poly conductor layer helps improve power performance metrics of modern integrated circuits. However, in advanced 90 nm technologies, there are other drivers of chip performance. In this paper we show that a global optimization of all variables is necessary to achieve the optimum performance at the lowest leakage. We will also describe how systematic physical gate-length variation can improve core matching in multicore designs.
The equivalence of several initial value methods for solving integral equations

Recently Kalaba et al. [3, 6, 7], have introduced a method for numerically computing solutions to a class of Fredholm integral equations based on reducing the integral equation to an initial-value problem for a pair of integro-differential equations. On discretizing these equations one is led to a numerical procedure based on integrating a Cauchy problem for a finite system of ordinary differential equations. The question immediately arises as to whether the approximate solution obtained in this fashion differs from the solution obtained by solving a related set of linear algebraic equations. It is the purpose of this paper to establish the equivalence of the two methods. In particular we see that Kalaba's intial-value method converges whenever an associated method based on algebraic equations converges.
1-D test-bed calibration of a 3-D Lake Superior biogeochemical model

Abstract Complex circulation models are commonly coupled with ecosystem models to characterize large-scale biogeochemical processes. While the reliability of these models is highly dependent upon accurate parameterization, the large computational expense associated with general circulation models generally prohibits the application of formal parameter estimation techniques to ecological model components in situ . Here, a 1-D model, driven by 3-D model output, is developed to provide an efficient test-bed environment in which model parameters are estimated using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach. The spatial and temporal uncertainty of model predictions due to parameter estimation error is quantified. A simple ecosystem model is calibrated for Lake Superior that is capable of reproducing most of the major features in observed concentration profiles of nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, and chlorophyll at the calibration location in the western basin of the lake. However, the optimized model is unable to reconcile observations of these variables with measured primary productivity during the stratified period. The test-bed calibrated parameters perform well in the 3-D framework at off-shore locations throughout the lake, and result in a 43% improvement in fit to validation data over manually adjusted parameters. The test-bed approach presented here represents a practical approach to the calibration of 3-D coupled models and has the potential to significantly improve model performance.
Homeodomain Only Protein X is down-regulated in human heart failure

Homeodomain only protein x (Hopx) is an unusual homeodomain protein that has diverse effects on cardiac growth. Manipulation of Hopx function in murine models is associated with cardiac hypertrophy, dilation and fibrosis. In the present study, we examined the expression profile of Hopx in various models of pathologic cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Hopx expression is significantly reduced in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes after α/β adrenergic receptor agonist treatment. Cardiac hypertrophy and failure induced by transaortic constriction in mice causes marked down-regulation of Hopx expression. Interestingly, HOPX expression was significantly reduced in hearts of humans with end-stage heart failure when compared to non-failing control hearts, and HOPX levels remain low after LVAD support. Our findings suggest that HOPX/Hopx expression is reduced in multiple examples of human and murine cardiac hypertrophy and failure.
CONTROL OF MULTI-ROBOT TEAMS BASED ON LTL SPECIFICATIONS

Abstract In this paper we address the problem of planning and controlling a group of point robots from specifications given in terms of LTL formulas over regions of interest of a polytopal environment. Our approach consists in three main steps. First, the problem is discretized by abstracting the motion capabilities of each robot. Second, a transition system abstracting the motion capabilities of the whole team is constructed, and a discrete solution to the problem is found by using an approach similar to model checking. Third, the discrete solution is adapted back to the continuous world. The main challenge in this adaptation is the design of a synchronization strategy for the whole team. The approach is fully automated and illustrative examples are included.
Outcomes of Total Knee Arthroplasty After Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation.

Background:Fresh osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is an effective treatment for osteochondral defects. Some patients require further surgical intervention, such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The effects of prior OCA transplantation on TKA outcomes are unknown.Purpose:This study evaluated TKA failure rates after long-term follow-up and identified factors that may have contributed to an inferior outcome. Its aims were to (1) assess if having a prior OCA transplantation would increase the surgical complications of the subsequent TKA, (2) measure the infection and failure rates following TKA, (3) ascertain subjective outcomes scores from patients with intact TKA at latest follow-up, and (4) identify potential factors that contributed to inferior outcomes.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:A total of 35 patients who underwent TKA after OCA were identified. Pain, symptoms, function, and quality of life were evaluated using the Knee Society Function score and Knee injury and ...
Metallothionein I and II Attenuate the Thalamic Microglial Response following Traumatic Axotomy in the Immature Brain

The clinical manifestations of inflicted traumatic brain injury in infancy most commonly result from intracranial hemorrhage, axonal stretch and disruption, and cerebral edema. Often hypoxia ischem...
Collecting attribute data using voice recognition

Abstract Voice recognition provides a natural means of operator/computer communication and is quickly moving from the laboratory to the factory floor and office places. This paper describes the design, development and installation of a voice recognition/playback system using a personal computer. The system will replace manual attribute data collection in a manufacturing plant. This application of voice communication will save time and money.
Quasi-decentralized output feedback model predictive control of networked process systems with forecast-triggered communication

This work presents a framework for quasi-decentralized output feedback model predictive control (MPC) design with an adaptive forecast-triggered communication strategy. Based on distributed Lyapunov-based control, an MPC controller is initially designed for local control of every subsystem in the entire networked process system. A supervisory observer that has access to the process input and output information generates estimates of the process state. And the state estimates can be used to update the model states of the local controllers and we show that this quasi-decentralized MPC design is able to practically stabilize the entire networked process system if the model states are updated at every sampling instant. In order to minimize the communication from the supervisory observer to the local control systems, an adaptive forecast-triggered communication strategy is proposed. A key idea of this strategy is to forecast the future evolution of each subsystem and generate a worst-case estimate by using the closed-loop stability properties as well as the information about the current operating status of each subsystem. Whenever the forecast indicates possible instability in the future, the observer estimate will be immediately transmitted to update the model state within the control system that needs attention in order to preserve stability; if the forecast shows no signs of instability, then the local control system will continue to rely on the model. The implementation of the developed methodology is demonstrated using a simulated model of a chemical process.
A Modeling Study of the Dryline

Abstract Results of a modeling study of the 24 May 1989 dryline are presented. A nonhydrostatic, two-dimensional version of the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (CSU-RAMS) is used to deduce the impact of east-west variability of soil moisture and vegetation on convective boundary layer evolution and dryline formation. The effects of the initial moisture and wind fields and the impact of the Coriolis force on the model results are also examined. Model output is compared with special airborne and sounding observations of the 24 May dryline. Several findings of an earlier observational study of the 24 May dryline are supported in the present study. The modeled drylines are broadly comparable to the observed dryline with respect to the following properties: 1) width, 10 km; 2) strong horizontal moisture and virtual potential temperature gradients, >4 g kg−1/10 km and 2 K/10 km; 3) strong horizontal convergence, updraft, W–E shear of N–S wind component, 8 × 10−4 s−1, 1 m s−1, 10 m...
N-acetylglutamate and N-acetylaspartate in Soybeans (Glycine Max L.), Maize (Zea Mays L.), [Corrected] and Other Foodstuffs

N-Acetylglutamate (NAG) and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) are amino acid derivatives with reported activities in a number of biological processes. However, there is no published information on the presence of either substance in foodstuffs. We developed a method for extracting and quantifying NAG and NAA from soybean seeds and maize grain using ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The lower limit of quantification for both NAG and NAA was 1 ng/mL. The method was then utilized to quantify NAG and NAA in other foodstuffs (fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, milk, coffee, tea, cocoa, and others). Both NAG and NAA were present in all of the materials analyzed. The highest concentration of NAG was found in cocoa powder. The highest concentration of NAA was found in roasted coffee beans. Both NAG and NAA were found at quantifiable concentrations in all foods tested indicating that these two acetylated amino acids are common components of the human diet.
Growth of rats infected with Trypanosoma lewisi

Abstract Six experiments charting the growth of albino rats with and without infection with Trypanosoma lewisi were done. These extended over every period of a year. Starting body weights ranged from weanling (56 gm) to young adult (185 gm). Those rats infected with the trypanosome showed a consistently greater rate of growth than uninfected animals. Animals receiving a smaller initial dose of trypansomes sometimes had greater parasitemias that continued longer than those whose infections were begun with a larger inoculum of parasites, but there was no positive correlation with greater growth stimulation of rats.
Role of the coracoid bone block in the modified Bristow procedure

In 20 shoulders (19 patients) with a Bankart lesion, the isolated coracoid process was transferred as a bone graft to the anterior rim of the glenoid. The graft was positioned directly at the site of the Bankart lesion without displacing the insertion of the conjoined tendon or subscapularis. The average age of the patients was 22.5 years (range, 15 to 42). Follow-up examination at a minimum of 3 years (average, 55 months) showed 17 of 20 shoulders (85%) presented with good or excellent results. One recurrent dislocation was noted. There were no complications related to screw fixation of the coracoid process. External rotation loss of the operated arm in 90 degrees of abduction averaged only 5 degrees. Ten of 12 patients (83%) with an operation on the dominant shoulder returned to throwing sports and overhead motion activities. However, a 15% fair or poor rate suggests that this procedure may control dislocation, but that subluxation is not as well controlled.
Xeroderma pigmentosum group C splice mutation associated with autism and hypoglycinemia

A 4 y old boy of Korean ancestry had xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) with sun sensitivity, multiple cutaneous neoplasms, and inability to speak. Neurologic examination revealed hyperactivity and autistic features without typical XP neurologic abnormalities. Cultured skin fibroblasts (XP22BE) showed decreased post-UV survival, reduced post-UV plasmid host cell reactivation and defective DNA repair (16% of normal unscheduled DNA synthesis in intact cells and undetectable excision repair in a cell free extract). In vitro and in vivo complementation assigned XP22BE to XP group C (XPC) and a markedly reduced level of XPC mRNA was found. Two XPC cDNA bands were identified. One band had a deletion of 161 bases comprising the entire exon 9, which resulted in premature termination of the mutant XPC mRNA. The larger band also had the same deletion of exon 9 but, in addition, had an insertion of 155 bases in its place (exon 9a), resulting in an in-frame XPC mRNA. Genomic DNA analysis revealed a T-->G mutation at the splice donor site of XPC exon 9, which markedly reduced its information content. The 155 base pair XPC exon 9a insertion was located in intron 9 and was flanked by strong splice donor and acceptor sequences. Analysis of the patient's blood showed persistently low levels of glycine (68 microM; NL, 125-318 microM). Normal glycine levels were maintained with oral glycine supplements and his hyperactivity diminished. These data provide evidence of an association of an XPC splice site mutation with autistic neurologic features and hypoglycinemia.
Multiple Actions of Pituitary Adenylyl Cyclase Activating Peptide in Nervous System Development and Regeneration

Pituitary adenylyl cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) is widely expressed in the embryonic brain at the onset of neurogenesis, and is strongly upregulated in several models of nerve injury. Moreover, high-affinity PACAP receptors are expressed in proliferative zones in the embryonic and postnatal nervous system suggesting that PACAP regulates the development of both neuronal and glial precursors. Tissue culture studies indicate that PACAP exerts a variety of growth factor-like actions that depend on the origin of the cell population and developmental stage. These effects include regulation of proliferation, survival, maturation, neurite outgrowth, and expression of trophic factors, cytokines and trk receptors. The presence of other growth factors can also markedly affect these actions of PACAP, for example, reversing PACAP's effect from proliferative to antiproliferative. In vivo models now provide additional evidence that PACAP acts in neural development and regeneration.
Crack Front Stability and Hackle Formation in High Velocity Glass Fracture

Optical and scanning electron microscopy of “hackle streaks” and interference microscopy on fracture surfaces showed that major velocity hackle features can be produced at substantially lower K values than that associated with the hackle boundary in glass fracture. A novel method was used to determine crack propagation velocity along the streaks. Hackle generation was associated with distortion along the crack front from prior fracture events or from stress pulses generated at other hackle features. Explanations are presented for changes in velocity hackle at mist and hackle boundaries and for the low experimental values of the terminal velocity for fracture in glass.
Restructuring Russian urban budgets: 1991–1995

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUDGETS contain information about economic and political priorities. Sufficient time has elapsed since the break-up of the former Soviet Union to allow us to examine budgetary records from 1991 to 1995 in order to uncover the imprint and significance of those priorities during a particular time in history-largescale social and economic restructuring. Do local conditions now drive budgetary policy in the post-centrally planned era? Has the former emphasis on the national economy given way to a new focus on local needs that shifts part of the influence over future population and economic patterns from the central government to urban governments? How has capitalisation of the Russian economy changed local expenditure patterns? The monetisation and capitalisation of the Russian economy certainly form one of the hallmarks of the post-Soviet period. While attention to the national level can highlight the institutional arrangements and structure for the future economy, focus on the local experience adds the essential element of understanding how fiscal decentralisation policies are implemented. The hierarchical nature of the Soviet politicaladministrative system severely limited local action and added strong predictability to analyses of economic geography.' If political status still limits the ability of local governments to act in the economy, then we shall see limited local access to capital and market institutions as a holdover of the Soviet system and a continued hindrance to local economic development. But, in a less centralised system, local conditions and political arrangements should influence local policy making. Has this indeed happened in Russia? A case study methodology is used to identify trends in local2 budgetary policy formation and local institutional interaction. The purpose is to highlight the economic role of local governments in the post-Soviet period and consequences of restructuring local fiscal policy. Findings suggest that in the first five years of restructuring continuity and change describe the local experience of restructuring the Soviet system. The initial restructuring period, from 1991 to September 1993, was characterised by great fluctuations in public expenditure and local experimentation signifying real changes to the fiscal system and the elevation of importance of local policy. A more recent period, from 1994 until 1996, is characterised by the stabilisation of patterns and recentralisation of fiscal authority that recall the Soviet system. During the entire period, however, the budgeting process and the budget itself lack transparency, resulting in the inability to determine clearly expenditure structure and the degree to which the local public sector subsidises the private sector. The lack of