cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Small and stable descriptors of distributions for geometric statistical problems

This thesis explores how to sparsely represent distributions of points for geometric statistical problems. A coreset C is a small summary of a point set P such that if a certain statistic is computed on P and C, then the difference in the results is guaranteed to be bounded by a parameter e. Two examples of coresets are e-samples and e-kernels. An e-sample can estimate the density of a point set in any range from a geometric family of ranges (e.g., disks, axis-aligned rectangles). An e-kernel approximates the width of a point set in all directions. Both coresets have size that depends only on e, the error parameter, not the size of the original data set. We demonstrate several improvements to these coresets and how they are useful for geometric statistical problems. We reduce the size of e-samples for density queries in axis-aligned rectangles to nearly a square root of the size when the queries are with respect to more general families of shapes, such as disks. We also show how to construct e-samples of probability distributions. We show how to maintain "stable" e-kernels, that is, if the point set P changes by a small amount, then the e-kernel also changes by a small amount. This is useful in surveillance and tracking problems, and the stable properties leads to more efficient algorithms for maintaining e-kernels. We next study when the input point sets are uncertain and their uncertainty is modeled by probability distributions. Statistics on these point sets (e.g., radius of smallest enclosing ball) do not have exact answers, but rather distributions of answers. We describe data structures to represent approximations of these distributions and algorithms to compute them. We also show how to create distributions of e-kernels and e-samples for these uncertain data sets. Finally, we examine a spatial anomaly detection problem: computing a spatial scan statistic. The input is a point set P and measurements on the point set. The spatial scan statistic finds the range (e.g., an axis-aligned bounding box) where the measurements inside the range are the most different from measurements outside of the range. We show how to compute this statistic efficiently while allowing for a bounded amount of approximation error. This result generalizes to several statistical models and types of input point sets.
Self-collected breath sampling for monitoring low-level benzene exposures among automobile mechanics.

Automobile mechanics are exposed to benzene through their contact with gasoline vapor and engine exhaust. This study investigated the benzene uptake associated with these exposures. We first evaluated the reliability of self-collected breath samples among a subset of subjects and found good agreement between these samples and those collected under expert supervision (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.79, n = 69). We then used self-monitoring together with a longitudinal sampling design (with up to three measurements per worker) to measure benzene in air and benzene in end-exhaled breath among 81 workers from 12 automobile repair garages in North Carolina. A statistically significant difference (P 0.05). Mixed effects regression analysis using backwards elimination yielded five significant predictors of benzene concentration in breath, namely benzene exposure (P < 0.0001), pre-exposure benzene concentration in breath (P = 0.021), smoking status (P < 0.0001), fuel system work (P = 0.0043) and carburetor cleaner use (P < 0.0001). The between-person variance component comprised only 28% of the total variance in benzene levels in breath, indicating that differences among individuals related to physiological and metabolic characteristics had little influence on benzene uptake among these workers.
Studies of lignin biosynthesis using isotopic carbon. XIII. The phenylpropanoid system in lignification.

Techniques of isotope competition and trapping were used to study the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway in lignifying wheat plants. The results in general confirm earlier findings that phenyllac...
EFFECTIVE MODULI OF PLANE POLYCRYSTALS WITH A RANK-ONE LOCAL COMPLIANCE TENSOR

Recently, Grabovsky and Milton have studied effective properties of plane polycrystals made of a crystal with a rank-one local compliance tensor and a positive definite ‘weak’ direction. This paper continues their investigation. By using several complementary approaches, it is proved that the effective compliance tensor of such a polycrystal has exactly one weak direction. The new proofs clarify the link of the degenerate polycrystal problem with previously obtained results on the polycrystal properties. Investigation of the phase boundary conditions has allowed us to find the L-closure set of the effective properties of all polycrystals that can be constructed by sequential laminations of the original degenerate crystals. Bounds on the G-closure, i.e. a set of the effective properties of all the polycrystals that can be built from the given set of degenerate crystals, are found. They are given by a polygonal set in the plane of two linear invariants of the effective compliance tensors. The effective moduli of the polycrystals made from crystals with non-definite ‘weak’ directions are also studied.
Adhesin Expression in Matched Nasopharyngeal and Middle Ear Isolates of Nontypable Haemophilus influenzae from Children with Acute Otitis Media † 866

The HMW1 and HMW2 proteins, Hia, and hemagglutinating pili are important adherence factors in nontypable H. influenzae. To gain insight into the relative importance of these adhesins in nasopharyngeal colonization and localized respiratory tract disease, we assessed their expression in simultaneous nasopharyngeal and middle ear isolates of nontypable H. influenzae from 17 children with acute otitis media. In all patients, including 11 with bilateral disease, the matched isolates were isogenic based on total protein profiles and genomic fingerprints. Of the nasopharyngeal isolates, 14 expressed only HMW1/HMW2-like proteins, one expressed only Hia, one expressed only pili, and one expressed both Hia and pili. Further analysis revealed concordance between nasopharyngeal isolates and the matched middle ear isolates for expression of HMW1/HMW2-like proteins and Hia. In contrast, in the two children with piliated organisms colonizing the nasopharynx, the corresponding middle ear isolates were nonpiliated and could not be enriched for piliation. Nevertheless, Southern analysis revealed that these two middle ear isolates contained all five hif genes required for pilus biogenesis and had no evidence of major genetic rearrangement. In summary, the vast majority of isolates of nontypable H. influenzae associated with acute otitis media express HMW1/HMW2-like proteins, with expression present in both the nasopharynx and the middle ear. A minority of isolates express Hia, again both in the nasopharynx and the middle ear. A smaller fraction of isolates express pili, which are irreversibly inactivated upon transit from the nasopharynx to the middle ear. We speculate that the HMW adhesins and Hia are important at multiple steps in the pathogenesis of otitis media, while pili contribute to early colonization and then become dispensible.
Metabolic Syndrome Components in African-Americans and European-American Patients and Its Relation to Coronary Artery Disease

A number of factors used to define the metabolic syndrome (MS) differ between African-American and European-American patients, which raises the question whether the individual constellation of MS components would impact cardiovascular risk. Our objectives were to assess the association between the MS and coronary artery disease (CAD) across ethnicities and to explore whether the constellation used to define the syndrome would impact any such association. We studied the distribution of the MS and its relation to CAD in 304 European-American subjects and 224 African-American subjects undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. The overall prevalence of the MS in European-American and African-American subjects were 65.5% and 49.1%, respectively. Compared with European-American subjects, the lipid components of the syndrome were less frequent among African-American subjects (44% vs 64% [p 2 = 0.542, p
Reliability of MR perfusion-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging mismatch measurement methods

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We investigated 2 methods of measuring MR imaging perfusion-diffusion mismatch to determine whether reliability is improved by direct measurement on a single, blended map. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Image software was used for measurement of lesion volumes from diffusion-weighted images (DWI) and mean transit time (MTT) calculated from perfusion-weighted (PWI) images on 64 patients with acute stroke. For the first method, the DWI and MTT lesions were measured separately. For the second method, the mismatch volume was measured directly on the blended images created from the registered DWI and MTT images. RESULTS: Test-retest agreement was 100% and 97% for the separate and blended methods using mismatch cutoffs of 20% or more versus less than 20%. There were no significant differences in the mismatch statistics between the methods. CONCLUSIONS: Mismatch volumes by a single reader can provide highly reliable and consistent results even when separately measuring DWI and MTT lesions. Propagation of measurement error was not demonstrated, and the methods were statistically comparable.
Robust Chebyshev FIR Equalization

In Chebyshev finite-impulse response (FIR) equalization, we design an FIR filter that minimizes the Chebyshev equalization error, i.e., the maximum absolute deviation between the equalized and the desired frequency response functions, assuming the unequalized response function is known exactly. In robust Chebyshev FIR equalization, we take into account uncertainty in the unequalized response function, described as a set of possible values for the unequalized response at each frequency, by designing an FIR filter that minimizes worst-case Chebyshev equalization error over all possible unequalized response functions. When the uncertainty in unequalized response function is described by a complex uncertainty ellipsoid, at each frequency, we show that the robust Chebyshev FIR equalization design problem can be formulated as a semidefinite program (SDP), and therefore efficiently (and globally) solved. When the uncertainty is given by a complex disk, the design problem can be formulated as a second-order cone program (SOCP), which can be solved almost as fast as the nominal Chebyshev equalization problem (ignoring uncertainty). The robust equalizer design method is demonstrated with a numerical example.
The effect of soy protein and soy isoflavones on calcium metabolism in postmenopausal women: a randomized crossover study

Background: Evidence suggests that soy isoflavones act as estrogen agonists and have beneficial skeletal effects, but the effects on calcium metabolism in humans are not known. Objective: This study tested whether soybean isoflavones, soy protein, or both alter calcium metabolism in postmenopausal women. Design: Calcium metabolism in 15 postmenopausal women was studied by using metabolic balance and kinetic modeling in a randomized, crossover design of three 1-mo controlled dietary interventions: soy protein isolate enriched with isoflavones (soy-plus diet), soy protein isolate devoid of isoflavones (soy-minus diet), and a casein-whey protein isolate (control diet). Results: There was no significant difference between the diets in net acid excretion (P = 0.12). Urinary calcium excretion was significantly (P < 0.01) less with consumption of either of the soy diets (soy-plus diet: 85 +/- 34 mg/d; soy-minus diet: 80 +/- 34 mg/d) than with consumption of the control diet (121 +/- 63 mg/d), but fractional calcium absorption was unaffected by treatment. Endogenous fecal calcium was significantly (P < 0.01) greater with consumption of the soy-minus diet than with consumption of the other diets. Total fecal calcium excretion, bone deposition and resorption, and calcium retention were not significantly affected by the dietary regimens. Conclusions: The lower urinary calcium seen with the consumption of an isolated soy protein than with that of an isolated milk protein was not associated with improved calcium retention. This finding reinforces the importance of evaluating all aspects of calcium metabolism. Soy isoflavones did not significantly affect calcium metabolism.
Using Contingent Valuation in Recreation Planning

Planners responsible for the economic evaluation of plans and projects increasingly are using a particular type of survey, the contingent valuation (CV) survey, to estimate the value of public goods such as water quality and recreation. It is argued in this article that CV is a useful tool for planning and that, following Throgmorton, planners will be more effective if they accept the idea that the results of CV surveys are both scientific and contestable. In this study, the CV-type questions about willingness to pay provided information not available from conventional surveys and helped local decision makers gauge the strength of local support for a parks board. Effective use of CV, like use of other survey data, requires that planners be competent technically and politically.
Hedgehog signalling regulates liver sinusoidal endothelial cell capillarisation

Objective Vascular remodelling during liver damage involves loss of healthy liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) phenotype via capillarisation. Hedgehog (Hh) signalling regulates vascular development and increases during liver injury. This study therefore examined its role in capillarisation. Design Primary LSEC were cultured for 5 days to induce capillarisation. Pharmacological, antibody-mediated and genetic approaches were used to manipulate Hh signalling. Effects on mRNA and protein expression of Hh-regulated genes and capillarisation markers were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR and immunoblot. Changes in LSEC function were assessed by migration and tube forming assay, and gain/loss of fenestrae was examined by electron microscopy. Mice with acute or chronic liver injury were treated with Hh inhibitors; effects on capillarisation were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results Freshly isolated LSEC expressed Hh ligands, Hh receptors and Hh ligand antagonist Hhip. Capillarisation was accompanied by repression of Hhip and increased expression of Hh-regulated genes. Treatment with Hh agonist further induced expression of Hh ligands and Hh-regulated genes, and upregulated capillarisation-associated genes; whereas Hh signalling antagonist or Hh ligand neutralising antibody each repressed expression of Hh target genes and capillarisation markers. LSEC isolated from Smo loxP/loxP transgenic mice that had been infected with adenovirus expressing Cre-recombinase to delete Smoothened showed over 75% knockdown of Smoothened. During culture, Smoothened-deficient LSEC had inhibited Hh signalling, less induction of capillarisation-associated genes and retention of fenestrae. In mice with injured livers, inhibiting Hh signalling prevented capillarisation. Conclusions LSEC produce and respond to Hh ligands, and use Hh signalling to regulate complex phenotypic changes that occur during capillarisation.
Slavery and the Slave Trade in Colonial Africa

The European conquerors of Africa found themselves to be rulers of slave populations whose numbers reached into the millions. The new rulers, rather than emancipate the slaves they encountered, adopted gradualist policies; they abolished overt slave trade, and later de-legalized slavery. While censuses of interwar slave populations were hardly feasible, it may be that several million Africans remained in slavery in 1920, a total perhaps comparable to the number of New World slaves in I86o.1 This collection of essays addresses directly the problem of slavery in twentiethcentury Africa.2 The title emphasizes the end of slavery, yet the content of the chapters gives almost equal emphasis to the continuation of slavery well into the colonial era. Suzanne Miers, co-editor of a well-known collection which focused on nineteenth-century slavery, has now joined with Richard Roberts to produce this sequel.3 Roberts and Miers introduce the book with an interpretive dilemma: 'Slavery in Africa sometimes ended suddenly, causing widespread disruption, and sometimes petered out with apparently minimal repercussions. Some scholars, therefore, see its demise as precipitating a crisis, while others view it as a nonevent ". ' Did the world of African slave-holders end with a bang or with a whimper? Various contributions to the volume support each alternative. Raymond Dumett and the late Marion Johnson, contesting Gerald McSheffrey's earlier analysis, argue that the ending of slavery in Gold Coast 'must be one of the quieter social revolutions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries'. Jan Hogendorn and Paul Lovejoy emphasize Lugard's careful efforts to ensure a gradual and smooth end to slavery among the Hausa. Richard Roberts, in contrast, provides
Management and computers

As our society evolves into a more service-oriented society, the problems of management and processing information are increasing. The computer-based information system function has changed considerably in its 20-year history. Hardware and software have evolved significantly. Applications have been added in abundance. Methods of managing the technology, human resources, and system and user/computer interfaces have evolved, and most recently, the technological advances in the software for storing, retrieving, and manipulating data have made significant advances.
X-Ray Mineralogical Discrimination of Depositional Environments of the Krishna Delta, Peninsular India

ABSTRACT X-ray mineralogical analyses were applied to 107 surface and vibracore samples from the Krishna Delta of peninsular India to determine whether mineralogical assemblages produce distinct criteria for the recognition of modern deltaic subenvironments. Standard techniques were used to estimate the quantities of quartz, dolomite, K-feldspar, plagioclase, amphibole, calcite, clinoptilolite, and total clay mineral abundance in each sample. Clay mineral abundance in the m fraction was measured by a technique employing NEWMOD simulated patterns as standards. Discriminant function analysis was applied to 69 of the samples from eight subenvironments (lagoon, river mouth bar, mudflat, barrier island, mangrove swamp, foreshore, tidal creek, and channel) with 100% classification success when the whole-sample results included estimates of ideal clay-mineral layer types and a loss-on-ignition estimate of the organic content. The 38 additional samples were used as an overlay to provide a limited test of the canonical equations established by the first DFA analysis and also were 100% successful in the classification analysis. Most of the mineralogical changes can be attributed to grain-size sorting in the subenvironments of the delta. The major factors contributing to the success of the analysis are associated with quartz enrichment in the subenvironments falling within the marine-dominated part of the delta and smectite enrichment in the riverine-process-dominated subenvironments. The associations revealed by the study of this delta may be generally applicable to the discrimination of subenvironments in other modern and ancient deltas.
Dust dynamics and radiation in fusion plasmas

Dust is commonly found in current magnetic fusion devices. In reactors like ITER dust can pose safety hazards and impact plasma performance. However, the properties, generation rate, dynamics, and role of dust in fusion plasmas are still not well understood. In this work we simulate dynamics of dust particles in tokamaks with the Dust Transport, DUSTT, code and analyze the visibility of dust particles of different sizes in fusion plasmas by modern fast framing cameras. Using the DUSTT code, the dust density, radius and velocity distributions at different locations in the edge plasma are simulated and evaluated against the available experimental data. We compare the simulated dust trajectories with ones experimentally measured on NSTX with the fast camera imaging technique. The imaging is possible because dust heating and ablation by plasma creates two sources of radiation: thermal radiation from the heated dust particle and radiation from the ablation cloud interacting with the surrounding plasma. The analysis of spectral characteristics of the radiation can provide information as on dust (size, temperature, composition), as well as on dust-plasma interaction processes (ablation dynamics, local plasma parameters). We calculated the intensity of both the thermal radiation from a carbon dust particle and the radiation from the ablation cloud surrounding it for various plasma parameters. This allows to estimate minimal size of the visible dust and the ablation cloud characteristics in different tokamak plasma regions. We have also analyzed dust radius distribution resulting from laser scattering measurements on DIII-D taking into account non-Rayleigh regimes of light scattering as well as dust evaporation due to heating by laser radiation.
Overreaction in the thrift IPO aftermarket

Abstract We study the initial returns and long-run performance of a unique sample of thrifts that have recently converted from mutual to stock form. In addition to a full claim on all IPO proceeds, new investors in a converted thrift also receive a claim on all pre-conversion market value at no cost. Thus, the average firm in our sample has a degree of underpricing automatically built into its offer price. We find that after removing the large initial returns, cumulative excess returns for the firms in our sample are positive for 12 months after the IPO. Beginning in the second year after the IPO, the average firm in our sample undergoes a significant price correction that lasts approximately 18 months and which produces negative cumulative abnormal returns for up to 5 years post-issue. Differences in risk-adjusted returns also indicate negative long-run returns, with poor performance concentrated in the second and third years following the IPO. The return differences are most pronounced among the small thrifts in our sample, and are broadly consistent with investor overreaction at the time of the IPO that continues for 6–12 months before prices begin reverting back to fundamental value.
Effect of dry period dietary energy level in dairy cattle on volume, concentrations of immunoglobulin G, insulin, and fatty acid composition of colostrum

The objective was to investigate the effect of different dry cow feeding strategies on the volume, concentration of IgG and insulin, as well as fatty acid composition of colostrum. Our hypothesis was that different dry period diets formulated to resemble current feeding practices on commercial dairy farms and differing in plane of energy would have an effect on IgG and insulin concentration, as well as composition of fatty acid of colostrum. Animals (n=84) entering parity 2 or greater were dried off 57 d before expected parturition and fed either a diet formulated to meet, but not greatly exceed energy requirements throughout the dry period (CON), or a higher energy density diet, supplying approximately 150% of energy requirements (HI). A third group received the same diet as group CON from dry-off until 29 d before expected parturition. After this time point, from 28 d before expected parturition until calving, they received a diet formulated to supply approximately 125% of energy requirements (I-med). Concentration of IgG and insulin in colostrum were measured by radial immunodiffusion and RIA, respectively. Composition of fatty acids was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The IgG concentration was highest in colostrum of cows in group CON [96.1 (95% CI: 83.3-108.9) g/L] and lowest in group HI [72.4 (60.3-84.5) g/L], whereas insulin concentration was highest in group HI [1,105 (960-1,250) μU/mL] and lowest in group CON [853 (700-1,007) μU/mL]. Colostrum yield did not differ between treatments and was 5.9 (4.5-7.4), 7.0 (5.6-8.4), and 7.3 (5.9-8.7) kg in groups CON, I-med, and HI, respectively. A multivariable linear regression model showed the effect of dietary treatment group on IgG concentration was independent of the effect of dry matter. Cows in groups CON, I-med, and HI had an average colostral fat percentage of 5.0 (4.1-5.9), 5.6 (4.8-6.4), and 6.0 (5.2-6.8) and an average fat yield of 289 (196-380), 406 (318-495), and 384 (295-473) g, respectively. Colostrum of cows fed to exceed predicted energy requirements during the last 4 wk of the dry period (groups I-med and HI) exhibited a higher concentration and yield of de novo fatty acid and lower concentrations but similar yield of preformed fatty acid compared with cows in group CON. Feeding a controlled energy diet during the dry period increased colostral IgG concentration in this study, whereas overall colostrum yield was not affected. Exceeding energy requirements during the period of colostrogenesis led to higher concentrations of insulin and de novo fatty acid in colostrum.
Oil-material fractionation in Gulf deep water horizontal intrusion layer: Field data analysis with chemodynamic fate model for Macondo 252 oil spill

Among the discoveries of the Deepwater Horizon blowout was the so-called "sub-surface plume"; herein termed the "oil-trapping layer". Hydrocarbons were found positioned at ~1100-1300m with thickness ~100-150m and moving horizontally to the SW in a vertically stratified layer at the junction of the cold abyssal water and the permanent thermocline. This study focuses on its formation process and fate of the hydrocarbons within. The originality of this work to the field is two-fold, first it provides a conceptual framework which places layer origin in the context of a horizontal "intrusion" from the near-field, vertical, blow-out plume and second, it offers a theoretical model for the hydrocarbon chemicals within the horizontal layer as it moves far-afield. The model quantifies the oil-material fractionation process for the soluble and fine particle. The classical Box model, retrofitted with an internal gradient, the "G-Box", allows an approach that includes turbulent eddy diffusion coupled with droplet rise velocity and reactive decay to produce a simple, explicit, transparent, algebraic model with few parameters for the fate of the individual fractions. Computations show the soluble and smallest liquid droplets moving very slowly vertically through the layer appearing within the trapping layer at low concentration with high persistence. The larger droplets move-through this trapping zone quickly, attain high concentrations, and eventually form the sea surface slick. It impacts the field of oil spill engineering science by providing the conceptual idea and the algorithms for projecting the quantities and fractions of oil-material in a deep water, horizontal marine current being dispersed and moving far afield. In the field of oil spill modeling this work extends the current generation near-field plume source models to the far-field. The theory portrays the layer as an efficient oil-material trap. The model-forecasted concentration profiles for alkanes and aromatics against the available field data support the proposed theory and the resulting model.
Adjudicating Litigotiation: A Snapshot of Cases Filed in the Family Court of Mumbai between 2010-2014

How does litigation fare in Indian courts? How long do cases last and how are they disposed? Do men and women litigate equally and do they receive equal justice? In this paper, I offer a statistical 'snapshot' of litigation in the Family Court of Mumbai during the 5 year period between 2010-2014. Using data extracted from about 32000 cases made available online by the Family Court, I was able to arrive at indicative figures for the gender distribution of litigants, average disposal times, the manner of disposal, and the primary grounds of seeking relief. The data presented in this paper indicates that family courts today largely serve as venues for what Marc Galanter has, in the American context, termed ‘Litigotiation’ – the “strategic pursuit of (mediated) resolution through mobilizing the court process”. The data also reveals latent patterns of discrimination in the adjudication of women’s economic rights.This paper is offered as a modest demonstration of the potential that methodologies of jurimetrics, elsewhere titled “digital humanities” can offer to Indian legal research.
Evidence for a functional role of pyruvate kinase in decreasing gluconeogenesis in the perfused rat liver.

SummaryThe inverse relationship between the rate of gluconeogenesis from lactate and the pyruvate kinase/phosphoe-nolpyruvate carboxykinase ratio in the perfused livers from rats fed a 65% glucose diet, a 65% fructose diet, and a 90% casein diet suggested that phosphoenolpyruvate synthesized from oxaloacetate was available to pyruvate kinase for conversion to pyruvate. The intermediate or intermediates of gluconeogenesis and glycolysis which may intermix are not clear, but the earliest intermediate in gluconeogenesis at which intermixing could occur is phosphoenolpyruvate. This implied the absence of functional compartmentation between the metabolic intermediates of gluconeogenesis and glycolysis at the level of phosphoenolpyruvate and that control of pyruvate kinase activity serves to regulate the rate of gluconeogenesis. Thus, the observed decrease in pyruvate kinase activity reported for liver during gluconeogenic conditions is probably of considerable physiological significance in permitting a greater...
Actuator Allocation Algorithm Using Interior Linear Programming

*† This paper proposes a new algorithm for actuator allocation problems, e.g., reaction wheel torque distribution and jet selection logic. The algorithm is based on an interior-point linear programming (LP) algorithm. Compared to the simplex LP algorithm, the interiorpoint LP algorithm exhibits several advantages at the cost of reasonably increased computation. They encompasses greater robustness to uncertainty in actuator models, smoother actuation command over time, and greater flexibility in incorporating nonlinear operations such as quantization. These advantages stem from the fact that the interior algorithm searches for a suboptimal solution among the interior points of a feasible set and not among the extreme points or corner points of the feasible set as in the simplex algorithm. The proposed approach has been applied to the problem of reaction wheel torque distribution for the attitude control of an autonomous rendezvous and docking (ARD) robotic spacecraft and demonstrated to yield more effective solutions for the actuator allocation problem than a simplex LP approach.
DEVELOPMENT OF TACTILE-VISUAL RELATIONS IN LOWER-CLASS CHILDREN

The present study examined whether changes in sensory dominance which occur over age in middle-class white children were restricted m that class or were also characteristics of lower-class children. In a previous study (2) of 3- to 9-yr.-old children a change in sensory hierarchy from tactile to visual dominance occurred with increasing age and for most children between ages 5 and 7 yr. The present study examined 112 white children 4 to 9 yr. old. Lower social class was determined by family income, parental occupation, rent, public housing occupancy, and free school lunch. Using simple reaction time (RT), responses to a light were interrupted by and resumed after 3 min. of tactile stimulation to the forearms. In a similar manner tactile RT was interrupted by light (increased general illumination). The interpolated stimulation showing the greater effect can be said to be the relatively more effective or dominant sensory system. Pretesting established a common RT baseline in both modalities for each subject by varying the intensity of the visual stimulus until RT m it was equalized with RT to a constant tactile stimulus. See Kaufman, et al. (2) for a full description of method and procedure. The results showed that at the youngest ages (4 and 5 yr.) tactile interpolation caused significantly larger mean increases in visual RT than did visual interpolation on mean tactile RT and at the oldest ages (7, 8, 9 yr.) the opposite occurred. Moreover, a gradient of change was evident so that the greatest effect of tactile interpolation occurred in 4-yr.-olds, with a lessened effect shown by 5-yr.-olds. An equivalent effect of interpolation was seen in 6-yr.-olds, and a greater and increasing visual interpolation effect occurred in the 7- to 8- to 9-yr.-olds. A frequency count of individuals showed a similar gradient of change. It may be concluded that children from both poor and affluent circumstances manifest a developmental change in sensory hierarchy from tactile to visual dominance. This finding supports the view that vision is not the dominant system from birth onward (3) but rather it comes to be so in later childhood succeeding earlier proximoceptor
Statistical quality modeling of approximate hardware

Beyond traditional bit truncation, recently proposed arithmetic and logic approximations have enriched the quality versus energy design space for custom hardware kernels in signal processing and other error-tolerant applications. Systematic exploration of such trade-offs requires fast, accurate, and generic quality-energy models that can drive datapath optimizations. Existing quality estimation approaches, however, are either based on slow simulation or limited in supported approximation types and quality metrics. In this paper, we propose a novel semi-analytical quality model that can predict a wide range of statistical metrics for arbitrary hardware approximations with deterministic error behavior. Input and error dependencies are captured using one-time error-free simulation only. Combining our quality estimation with a faithful energy model considering both switching activity and voltage scaling, we provide a complete quality-energy optimization flow. Optimization results for FFT and IDCT benchmarks show that our approach is 28x faster than purely simulation-based exploration, and 2x faster than existing hybrid approaches, all while achieving comparable estimation accuracy.
Quality of life in patients receiving radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To determine whether perceptions of quality of life (QOL) change over time in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who receive curative radiation therapy (XRT). DESIGN Descriptive, longitudinal. SETTING Radiotherapy clinic of a comprehensive cancer center. SAMPLE 23 patients with NSCLC, selected by nonprobability, consecutive sampling, receiving curative XRT. METHODS Subjects completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L) before, during, and twice after completion of the XRT treatment course. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a multivariate approach to analysis of variance for repeated measures. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLE QOL. FINDINGS FACT-L scores were significantly lower during XRT than before XRT, were significantly higher one month after XRT than before or during XRT, and were not significantly different from the pretreatment level four months after XRT. CONCLUSION Perceptions of QOL change over time in patients with NSCLC receiving curative XRT. If the study findings are validated in a larger sample, nurses may be able to counsel patients with NSCLC receiving XRT. Nurses can inform patients that although QOL declines during XRT, the change is temporary because QOL will return to a level at least as high as the pretreatment level. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE Nurses need to assess patients perceptions of QOL throughout the course of XRT and assess for sequelae of treatment that affect QOL. Nursing interventions need to be developed and implemented to more effectively manage treatment sequelae and maintain QOL in patients with NSCLC while they receive curative XRT.
Non-Melanoma-Associated Dyschromia of the Proximal Nail Fold.

Subungual melanoma with pigmentation beneath the nail that extends to involve the proximal nail fold is referred to as Hutchinson's sign. Black or brown subungual discoloration involving the proximal nail fold secondary to other etiologies has been referred to as pseudo-Hutchinson's sign. Three patients with nail discoloration and concurrent dyschromia of the proximal nail fold are described: a female with a chronic subungual hematoma and pseudo-Hutchinson's sign, a male with culture-confirmed Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) of the nail with green discoloration involving the proximal nail fold, and a male with an acute subungual hematoma with red-purple subungual discoloration affecting the proximal nail fold. PubMed was searched for the following: black, brown, chloronychia, discoloration, dyschromia, green, hematoma, Hutchinson's sign, nail, nail fold, proximal, pseudo-Hutchinson's sign, red, subungual melanoma, syndrome. The papers were reviewed and appropriate references evaluated. In conclusion, melanoma-associated black proximal nail fold pigmentation is referred to as Hutchinson's sign, and non-melanoma-associated black pigmentation has been designated as pseudo-Hutchinson's sign. Subungual nail plate discoloration extending to involve the proximal nail fold may be black, green, or red-purple in patients with melanocytic and non-melanocytic lesions, bacterial infection (Pseudomonas), and acute subungual hematoma, respectively. Instead of creating a new terminology, we suggest that non-black subungual discoloration (green or red-purple) extending to involve the proximal nail fold be referred to as pseudo pseudo-Hutchinson's sign.
Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Bundled Fresh Produce Claims at Farmers’ Markets

ABSTRACTThis study uses a conditional logit with systematically varying parameters model to analyze consumer survey data collected at farmers’ markets in Utah. The purpose of this study is to examine consumption preferences and willingness to pay for differentiated fresh produce among farmers’ market shoppers in Utah. Three primary differentiating claims, namely conventionally grown of unknown origin, conventionally grown local (in-state), and organically grown of unknown origin, are investigated. Results indicate that consumer preferences and willingness to pay are higher for the conventionally grown local origin claim, emphasizing the importance of local origin labeling for directed marketed fresh produce. This claim was especially preferred among frequent farmers’ market shoppers and those who spend above average. Those who receive WIC and/or food stamp benefits show lower preferences for fresh produce. The shoppers are significantly sensitive to price increases. This study implies that marketing strat...
Glia Maturation Factor-Gamma Mediates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation Via p38 MAPK and NF-Kappab.

Abstract 3598 Poster Board III-535 Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in the circulation and provide a primary innate immune defense function against bacterial pathogens before the development of a specific immune response. Activation of TLR4 signaling pathways by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leads to the production of a broad array of cytokines and mediators that coordinate the immune response. The TLR4-mediated inflammatory response is tightly regulated, since excessive activation of TLR4 may induce a variety of inflammatory diseases, so the negative regulation of TLR-triggered inflammatory response attracts much attention. Glia maturation factor gamma (GMFG), a novel factor in actin cytoskeleton reorganization, is preferentially expressed in inflammatory cells, but its function in leucocytes is undefined. In this study, we investigated whether GMFG participates in the molecular events underlying the inflammatory reaction and how GMFG mediated neutrophils inflammatory response to LPS. We show here that small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of GMFG expression in leukocytes exhibited greater than 80% inhibition of the endogenous expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 using quantitative RT-PCR. These decreased cytokine productions could be partially restored by stimulation with TLR4 agonist LPS, but exhibit significantly lower level in silencing of GMFG cells compared to non-targeting silencing control cells (inhibition by 71%+/−3.9% of TNF-alpha, 68%+/−6.9% of IL-1beta, 50%+/−4.3% of IL-6 and 40%+/−3.1% of IL-8). Knockdown of GMFG expression results in decreased phospho-p38 MAPK levels as well as suppressed NF-kappaB by Western blot analysis. These data suggest that endogenous expression of GMFG is required for basal cytokine and chemokine response and their induced response to LPS stimulation. Moreover, immunofluorescence analysis revealed that gene silencing of GMFG inhibited LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB in myeloid HL-60 and THP-1 cells. In contrast, transient overexpression of GMFG significantly enhanced endogenous level of proinflammatory cytokines by 1.8∼2.2 fold, phosphor-p38 MAPK and nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB in the absence of LPS stimulation. These results suggest that GMFG-mediated regulation of inflammatory cytokines occurs through activation of p38 MAPK and NF-kappaB signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings identify GMFG as a novel factor that participates in the regulation of TLR4-mediated control of cytokine and chemokine expression through the p38 MAPK and NF-kappaB pathway. These data, if confirmed in in vivo experiments, implicates GMFG as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in neutrophil-mediated autoimmune disease. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Research progress from the SCI Model Systems (SCIMS): an interactive discussion on future directions

Context/Objective: To describe current and future directions in spinal cord injury (SCI) research.Design: The SCI Model Systems (SCIMS) programs funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) during the 2011 to 2016 cycle provided abstracts describing findings from current research projects. Discussion among session participants generated ideas for research opportunities.Setting/Participants: Pre-conference workshop before the 2016 American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) annual meeting. A steering committee selected by the SCIMS directors that included the moderators of the sessions at the ASIA pre-conference workshop, researchers presenting abstracts during the session, and the audience of over 100 attending participants in the pre-conference workshop.Methods/Results: Group discussion followed presentations in 5 thematic areas of (1) Demographics and Measurement; (2) Functional Training; (3) Psychosocial Considerations; (4) Assistive Technology...
Implementation of group visits to improve outpatient oncology advance care planning.

11Background: Oncology patients that participate in advance care planning (ACP) and complete advance directives (AD) are more likely to receive goal-concordant end of life care. The AD documentation rate within our academically-affiliated community outpatient oncology clinic is below national and institutional averages. A group medical visit effectively facilitated ACP in a geriatric primary care setting. This quality improvement project implemented a similar ACP conversation group (ACPCG) in an outpatient oncology setting. Methods: Adult patients in a community oncology clinic were contacted and invited to participate in ACPCG by a nurse practitioner who works in the clinic. Using a facilitation guide, the 2-session intervention included sharing past ACP experiences, identifying surrogate decision makers, starting conversations, and discussing surrogate flexibility. Recruitment, retention, and patient ACP outcomes were measured. Results: Seventy-six patients were successfully contacted and seventeen sign...
Towards enhancing tax abatement transparency: Reviewing the promises and limitations of GASB 77

Abstract In August 2015, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) adopted Statement 77, requiring government disclosure in audited financial reports of a particular type of tax expenditure, tax abatements. GASB's reporting standards move tax abatements from a budgetary environment to an accounting environment. This paper evaluates GASB 77's provisions to encourage an early and on-going dialogue about the Statement's prospects for achieving greater transparency compared to existing tax expenditure reporting efforts. We conclude that GASB 77 will be most beneficial to consumers of financial information in medium and large jurisdictions where there is no alternative tax abatement disclosure platform, or where the alternative offers less transparency than what can be achieved through financial reporting.
Confocal Imaging of Nerve Cells

Confocal laser scanning microscopy has been widely utilized for real-time, cytochemical, or immunofluorescence image analysis in many studies using various types of biological samples. Recently developed fluorophores and fluorescent proteins with higher fluorescence intensities in narrower ranges of excitation and emission wavelengths give researchers more choices for selections of fluorescent tags and labeling combinations. This chapter provides brief introduction of confocal microscopy, autofluorescence with focus on aging brains, signal and noise ratio, and common fluorophore selections/combinations. In addition, this paper describes general procedures for confocal image analysis using live cells or fixed samples, using examples for (1) real-time imaging analysis of intracellular ROS response of Neuro-2A cells to specific treatments and (2) triple-labeling immunofluorescence confocal microscopy using mouse brain sections.
Proportionality: An Addition to the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes’ Fair and Equitable Treatment Standard

The fair and equitable treatment standard, established in state law, customary law, and bilateral investment treaties, requires that states treat investors in a consistent and transparent manner. With its decision in Occidental Petroleum Corp., Occidental Exploration and Production Company v. Republic of Ecuador, the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) interpreted the ever-expanding fair and equitable treatment standard to include the principle of proportionality. After concluding that Ecuador’s termination of the investor’s contract was a disproportionate response to the investor’s breach of that contract, the ICSID Tribunal awarded an incredible $1.77 billion in damages. The potential for crushing liability for host countries and the overprotection of investors has resulted in the recent withdrawal of a number of host countries from the ICSID and from Bilateral Investment Treaties. This retreat will continue until the Tribunal recalibrates the fair and equitable treatment standard to provide balanced protection for both the investor and the host coun-