cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modular design of minicomputer applications

Modular design techniques in minicomputer applications, as in most large software efforts, is critical, particularly in the laboratory research environment where the demands on the computer system for data acquisition and control continually change because of changing demands by the experimental program. The subject of this paper is some of the successful modular techniques and minicomputer applications at Argonne.
Pilgrim's Progress III: A Trend Analysis of Family Theory and Methodology†

Exciting developments in family theory construction over the past few years demand a constant survey and evaluation of measurable progress. This paper documents some developmental trends that have taken place in family theory construction and its applications, as well as in the relation of theory to advances in methodology. Many of these trends are examined in the light of two earlier reports, Pilgrim's Progress I (21) and Pilgrim's Progress II (13).
Low prevalence of coeliac disease in patients with systemic sclerosis: a cross-sectional study of a registry cohort

Objectives. Two prior studies suggested that coeliac disease (CD) has a higher prevalence rate (8%) in SSc than in the general population (1%), but these studies were limited by small numbers and the use of traditional coeliac screening antibody tests, where newer ones with improved accuracy have since emerged. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of CD in a larger SSc population using a more modern serological approach to coeliac testing and to correlate coeliac antibody status with gastrointestinal symptoms. Methods. Stored sera from 72 SSc patients in the Scleroderma Registry at the Hospital for Special Surgery were tested for anti-tissue transglutaminase (traditional) and anti-deamidated gliadin peptide (novel) antibodies. If any of these antibodies were positive, anti-endomysial antibodies were tested and confirmatory small-bowel endoscopy and biopsy were obtained. Registry clinical data were used to determine whether antibody status correlated with gastrointestinal symptoms. Results. The prevalence of coeliac antibodies in our SSc population was 3/72 (4%). No significant differences with respect to gastrointestinal symptoms were seen in the coeliac antibody-positive compared with -negative SSc patients. No cases of confirmed CD were seen in our cohort.
Development of a fission yeast-based high throughput screen to identify chemical regulators of cAMP phosphodiesterases

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) comprise a superfamily of enzymes that serve as drug targets in many human diseases. There is a continuing need to identify high-specificity inhibitors that affect individual PDE families or even subtypes within a single family. We describe a fission yeast-based high throughput screen to detect inhibitors of heterologously-expressed cAMP PDEs. The utility of this system is demonstrated by the construction and characterization of strains that express mammalian PDE2A, PDE4A, PDE4B, and PDE8A and respond appropriately to known PDE2A and PDE4 inhibitors. High throughput screens of two bioactive compound libraries for PDE inhibitors using strains expressing PDE2A, PDE4A, PDE4B, and the yeast PDE Cgs2 identified known PDE inhibitors and members of compound classes associated with PDE inhibition. We verified that the furanocoumarin imperatorin is a PDE4 inhibitor based on its ability to produce a PDE4-specific elevation of cAMP levels. This platform can be used to identify PDE activators, as well as genes encoding PDE regulators, which could serve as targets for future drug screens.
Data caching issues in an information retrieval system

Currently, a variety of information retrieval systems are available to potential users.… While in many cases these systems are accessed from personal computers, typically no advantage is taken of the computing resources of those machines (such as local processing and storage). In this paper we explore the possibility of using the user's local storage capabilities to cache data at the user's site. This would improve the response time of user queries albeit at the cost of incurring the overhead required in maintaining multiple copies. In order to reduce this overhead it may be appropriate to allow copies to diverge in a controlled fashion.… Thus, we introduce the notion of quasi-copies, which embodies the ideas sketched above. We also define the types of deviations that seem useful, and discuss the available implementation strategies.—From the Authors' Abstract
'Moa's Ark' or 'Goodbye Gondwana': is the origin of New Zealand's terrestrial invertebrate fauna ancient, recent, or both?

Evaluating the hypothesis of New Zealand’s total submersion during the Oligocene requires the strictest tests, including sound phylogenetic data and dating of phylogenies. Although New Zealand has been traditionally considered to host ancient biota that originated by vicariance after it separated from Australia ~80 Mya, the ancient origins of its biota have been recently questioned, with some authors even suggesting that all current land organisms had to arrive to the islands after it re-emerged from the ocean 22 million years ago. Here we examine examples of short-range endemic soil-dwelling invertebrates and find compelling evidence that at least some of them are the result of old lineages that diversified in New Zealand before the hypothesised submersion event 22 million year ago. We conclude that New Zealand indeed has old lineages as well as recently diversified lineages and compare this situation with that of other more stable areas of the Neotropics.
Power Amplifier Predistortion Linearization using a CMOS polynomial generator

We report an analog predistortion chip developed in 0.18 mu CMOS technology. Linearity improvement of 6-7 dB for power amplifiers has been demonstrated over 60 MHz bandwidth. The chip was also applied for the linearization of externally modulated fiber-optic links where SFDR improvement of 8 dB was achieved for a bandwidth of 40 MHz.
Transformations to symmetry and homoscedasticity

Abstract This article considers transformations in regression to eliminate skewness and heteroscedasticity of the response. We work with the transform-both-sides model where the relationship between the median response and the independent variables has been identified, at least tentatively. To preserve this relationship, the response and the regression model are transformed in the same way. Extending the work of others for the location parameter case, we propose an estimator that eliminates skewness. We also develop an estimator to eliminate heteroscedasticity and an estimator that attempts to induce both symmetry and homoscedasticity. Both and appear new. By comparing and we develop a test of the null hypothesis that there exists a transformation to both symmetry and homoscedasticity. We study the question When does the estimator of λ behave (in terms of asymptotic variance) as if the regression parameter β were known (and vice versa)? The results are of use for telling when the optimal estimator of λ do...
Evaluation of Listener-Based Anuran Surveys with Automated Audio Recording Devices

Volunteer-based audio surveys are used to document long-term trends in anuran community composition and abundance. Current sampling protocols, however, are not region- or species-specific and may not detect relatively rare or audibly cryptic species. We used automated audio recording devices to record calling anurans during 2006–2009 at wetlands in Maine, USA. We identified species calling, chorus intensity, time of day, and environmental variables when each species was calling and developed logistic and generalized mixed models to determine the time interval and environmental variables that optimize detection of each species during peak calling periods. We detected eight of nine anurans documented in Maine. Individual recordings selected from the sampling period (0.5 h past sunset to 0100 h) described in the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) detected fewer species than were detected in recordings from 30 min past sunset until sunrise. Time of maximum detection of presence and full chorusing for three species (green frogs, mink frogs, pickerel frogs) occurred after the NAAMP sampling end time (0100 h). The NAAMP protocol’s sampling period may result in omissions and misclassifications of chorus sizes for certain species. These potential errors should be considered when interpreting trends generated from standardized anuran audio surveys.
Are there too few trades during the NFL draft

ABSTRACTCollege football players are initially assigned to teams in the National Football League (NFL) through the league’s draft selection process. At each team’s turn to pick, the team has the option of exercising the pick itself or trading it to another team. If gains from trade are exhausted, draft picks should be exercised by the team with the highest expected value. That is, the expected player contribution garnered from a given pick should not be dependent on whether the pick was traded or retained. Regression results, however, indicate that controlling for a player’s draft position, when a team trades up to acquire a player, that player is more likely to have greater on-field success. This suggests that there are too few draft day trades. Plausible reasons are high transaction costs or the fear of media scrutiny that draft trades can engender.
Influence of The Local Microstructure on The Macroscopic Properties of Si1-x-yGexCy, Alloys

We performed a theoretical study of the microscopic arrangement of the C atoms in Si 1–x–y Ge x C y , alloys using the Sankey local-orbital density-functional formalism. Our first-principles calculations show that in the dilute limit, the lattice constant in Si 1–y C y , alloys decreases much more (by about 2/3) with concentration than predicted by Vegard's law. We show thatthis result is consistent with Raman and infrared experiments and with previous empiricalcalculations. As the C concentration increases, the interactions between the C atoms become important: Interstitial C becomes more abundant and increases the lattice constant, and the substitutional C atoms array under appropriate growth conditions. The effect of this ordering on the lattice constant is small, but it can be seen in the Raman spectra of layer-by-layer grown samples.
Multi-state Stochastic Processes: A Statistical Flowgraph Perspective

Summary Two-state models (working/failed or alive/dead) are widely used in reliability and survival analysis. In contrast, multi-state stochastic processes provide a richer framework for modeling and analyzing the progression of a process from an initial to a terminal state, allowing incorporation of more details of the process mechanism. We review multi-state models, focusing on time-homogeneous semi-Markov processes (SMPs), and then describe the statistical flowgraph framework, which comprises analysis methods and algorithms for computing quantities of interest such as the distribution of first passage times to a terminal state. These algorithms algebraically combine integral transforms of the waiting time distributions in each state and invert them to get the required results. The estimated transforms may be based on parametric distributions or on empirical distributions of sample transition data, which may be censored. The methods are illustrated with several applications. Resume Les modeles a deux etats (fonctionnement/panne ou vivant/mort) sont largement utilises dans l’analyse de fiabilite et de survie. Par contraste, les processus stochastiques aetats multiples procurent un cadre de travail plus riche pour la modelisation et l’analyse de la progression d’un processus allant d’un etat initial a un etat final, ce qui permet d’incorporer plus de details du mecanisme de processus. Nous passons en revue les modeles aetats multiples, en nous concentrant sur les processus semi-Markoviens (PSM) homogenes en temps et nous decrivons ensuite le cadre de travail statistique du graphique de flux, qui comprend les methodes d’analyse et les algorithmes servant a calculer les quantites d’interet comme la distribution des premiers temps de passage vers un etat final. Ces algorithmes combinent de maniere algebrique les transformees integrales des distributions de temps d’attente dans chaque etat et les inversent pour obtenir les resultats exiges. Les transformees estimees peuvent se baser sur les distributions parametriques ou sur les distributions empiriques des donnees de transition d’echantillon, qui peuvent etre censurees. Les methodes sont illustrees avec plusieurs applications.
Do Variations in Mast Cell Hyperplasia Account for Differences in Radiation-Induced Lung Injury among Different Mouse Strains, Rats and Nonhuman Primates?

The role of mast cell infiltrates in the pathology of radiation damage to the lung has been a subject of continuing investigation over the past four decades. This has been accompanied by a number of proposals as to how mast cells and the secretory products thereof participate in the generation of acute inflammation (pneumonitis) and the chronic process of collagen deposition (fibrosis). An additional pathophysiology examines the possible connection between mast cell hyperplasia and pulmonary hypertension through the release of vasoactive mediators. The timing and magnitude of pneumonitis and fibrosis are known to vary tremendously among different genetic mouse strains and animal species. Therefore, we have systematically compared mast cell numbers in lung sections from nine mouse strains, two rat strains and nonhuman primates (NHP) after whole thorax irradiation (WTI) at doses ranging from 10–15 Gy and at the time of entering respiratory distress. Mice of the BALB/c strain had a dramatic increase in inter...
Using direct force measurements to determine the mechanism of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) function

The molecular mechanism of homophilic adhesion between neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) was investigated by direct force measurements. The force-distance profiles demonstrated that multiple domains are involved in adhesion. In addition, the effect of polysialylation on the interprotein forces provided insights into the molecular mechanism by which posttranslational modification regulates NCAM function.
Observations of internal beam production in barium titanate phase conjugators

We have observed a variety of internal beam configurations in photorefractive BaTiO3 pumped by a cw Ar+ laser at 514.5 nm. Among these configurations was a total-internal-reflection ring resonator contained entirely within the crystal, with light circulating unidirectionally in the plane of the beam fanning. Phase-conjugate responses were in general found to depend critically on system parameters, in particular, on the separation between the pump focusing lens and the crystal. During the pulsation mode of the phase-conjugate reflection, a sudden frequency shift of 5–10 Hz was observed to occur during the pulse’s trailing edge. Certain internal beam patterns were found to be frozen into the crystal and were nearly invariant to small lateral motions of the pump beam across the crystal. Phase-conjugate returns, which would appear to the naked eye to be cw, were often found to possess nearly periodic fluctuations in amplitude and in center frequency.
The Carbon Arc as an Infra-Red Source*†

The desirability of very high temperature sources for infra-red spectroscopy is pointed out. The crater radiation of the low intensity carbon arc is examined and recommended for practical use in this application. Details of arc mounting and use are given.
Disciplined concurrent programming using tasks with effects

Concurrent programming has become ubiquitous, but today's widely-used concurrent programming models provide few safety guarantees, making it easy to write code with subtle errors. Models that do give strong guarantees often can only express a relatively limited class of programs. We argue that a concurrent programming model should offer strong safety guarantees, while still providing the flexibility and performance needed to support the many ways that concurrency is used in complex, interactive applications.To achieve this, we propose a new programming model based on tasks with effects. In this model, the core unit of work is a dynamically-created task. The key feature of our model is that each task has programmer-specified, statically-checked effects, and a runtime scheduler is used to ensure that two tasks are run concurrently only if their effects are non-interfering. Our model guarantees strong safety properties, including data race freedom and a form of atomicity. We describe this programming model and its properties, and propose several research questions related to it.
Policy Design and Implementation Effectiveness

This study examines the successful implementation of a major structural change in a county criminal court, an institution particularly resistant to change. Implementation effectiveness is mainly attributed to policy design factors, especially the establishment by “lop” slate Supreme Court officials of an institutional mechanism to implement their selected policy goals. Composed of hey county court participants at the “bottom,” the mechanism facilitated lateral coordination among divergent interests by providing a forum for bargaining and the resolution of disputes. The bargaining entailed the distribution of benefits, as well as the externalization and redistribution of costs, arising from the structural changes.
The pig as a valuable model for testing the effect of resveratrol to prevent cardiovascular disease

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in the skin of red grapes, peanuts, and red wine that has been shown to modify many cardiovascular risk factors. Small animal models have been extensively used to investigate cardiovascular disease, but the results often fail to translate in clinical trials. Disease-specific pig models are emerging as clinically useful tools that may offer insight into cardiovascular disease and the effect of drugs such as resveratrol on cardiovascular health. In this paper, we discuss the advantage of using clinically relevant pig models of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and myocardial ischemia to investigate the role of resveratrol in cardiovascular disease prevention.
Nuclear Power: Economic, Safety, Health, and Environmental Issues of Near-Term Technologies

Nuclear power is confronted with a number of challenges in the near term. One major constraint is the economics of nuclear power, driven by both the high capital costs and financial uncertainties. The second is concern about catastrophic accidents; despite the development of newer reactor designs, the possibility of such an accident has not been completely eliminated. A third is to find a way of disposing nuclear waste that is technically feasible and politically acceptable to the public.
Multi-rule quality control for the age-related eye disease study

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), sponsored by the National Eye Institute, was designed to study the natural history and risk factors of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract, and to evaluate the effect of high doses of antioxidants and zinc on eye disease progression. AMD and cataract are leading causes of visual impairment and blindness in the U.S., with frequency of both diseases increasing dramatically after age 65. Participants were randomly chosen to receive antioxidant or placebo tablets. Blood was drawn annually from a subset of patients, and serum concentrations of 17 different nutritional indicators were measured. Because of the complexity of the analytical methods, and possibility of instrument error due to failure of any one of many component parts, several different instruments were used for most analytes. In addition, to assure that the measurement systems were performing adequately across a wide range of concentrations, multiple control pools were monitored with analyte concentrations at low, medium, and high concentrations. We report here the multi-rule quality control system (MRQCS) used during the later part of the trial (AREDS Phase III). This system was designed to monitor systematic error and random within- and among-run error for analytical runs using 1-3 different quality control pools per run and 1-2 measurements of each pool per run. We demonstrate the features of the MRQCS using quality control (QC) data associated with vitamin C measurements. We also provide operating characteristics to demonstrate how the MRQCS responds to increases in systematic and/or random error.
A Role for Differentiation Arrest in the Development of Neural Crest Tumors

All cancers are characterized by excessive growth and proliferation of tumor cells. Such malignant cells may arise from mature cells which have lost the ability to respond to normal growth control mechanisms, or alternatively, they may arise from immature cells which have never developed the ability to respond to these growth inhibitory signals. These origins should be reflected in the biologic characteristics of some tumors, and an understanding of the events regulating normal cellular differentiation should provide insight into the altered growth characteristics of these malignant tumors.
The ABA’s Modest Changes to the Rules of Professional Conduct: Correspondent’s Report from the United States

This short article, which will appear as the Correspondent's Report from the United States in the journal Legal Ethics, describes the recent changes that the ABA has made to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
Comparing Two Formats for Practising Electrocardiograph Interpretation

Learning to interpret electrocardiographs (ECGs) requires knowledge of the features and patterns that characterize various pathological and normal conditions. Although there are varied ways of teaching these components skills, practice and the performance feedback accompanying practice may be a significant factor in attaining competence in this skill. This study examined the effects of immediate vs. delayed feedback in third-year medical students practising ECG interpretation on 30 tracings during their Internal Medicine clerkship. The findings indicated that the timing of the feedback had no discernible impact on learning, but that even this modest level of practice had a major impact on ECG interpretationm accuracy when compared with a historical control group which had similar training but no opportunity to practice on real ECGs.
Particle-Assisted Oriented Deposition of Diamond Thin Films

We have developed a method for oriented diamond film synthesis using micron-sized diamond particles. Different size of diamond powders were electrophoretically seeded on silicon substrates using diamond suspensions in organic solvents (acetone, methanol, and ethanol). Diamond suspension in acetone was found to be the best for obtaining uniform diamond seeding by electrophoresis. The thickness of diamond seeded films was changed by varying the applied voltage to observe the effect on the orientation of diamond particles. Then diamond films were deposited by the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) process. A preferred orientation with direction normal to the substrate was obtained for monolayer coatings. The surface morphology, crystal orientation, and quality of diamond films were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffractometry, and Raman spectroscopy.
Application of Plant Information Database in Smart Substation

Based on the application case of plant information(PI) real-time /historical database in the retrofit of 500 kV Lanxi Zhiyan Smart Substation in Jinhua,this paper elaborates the role of the database in the retrofit and presents the cross-regional data communications method and the existing problems in detail according to the internal and external secure communication requirements.
A new method for the localization of atrial septal puncture by using atrial septal electrocardiogram

A new method for the localization of atrial septal puncture was reported, which is the key technique for percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty. When the exploratory electrode was laid against the fossa ovalis floor (FOF), the atrial septal electrocardiogram registered only a slight or no injury curve; when the exploratory electrode pressed on any other area of the atrial septum or atrial walls, a bizarre monophasic injury curve was elicited in the atrial septal electrocardiogram. Based on different patterns of the atrial septal electrocardiogram between the muscular atrial septum and FOF, the sites of atrial septal puncture were successfully localized by using a Brockenbrough needle as an exploratory electrode in all of the 10 cases without any complication. By using this technique, no cardioangiography is needed to show the outline of the left atrium and also the bilateral projection catheterization bed. So this method is convenient, practical and precise.
An overview of political and economic development in Ghana from 1957-2008

This paper examines the overview of the political and economic development in Ghana from 1957 to the year 2008. The past five decade has witnessed morass in the political and the economic landscape of Ghana. Governments, both civilian and military all came to power with the promise of a better Ghana for Ghanaians. However, for over fifty years after independence, the country has not experienced a major economic take-off, even though there has been some level of stability in the political terrain. The study adopted both primary and secondary sources of data to examine the political and the economic development of Ghana from 1957 to 2008. Out of 68 respondents, 52% asserted that Ghana, like most developing countries, lacks the capital needed to enhance economic growth and development. Hence, donor assistance has played a significant role in the development of the country. As a result of the continuous flow of assistance from the developed world to aid the development of the country, Ghana has become aid dependent.Seventy two percent (72%) of Ghanaians are of the view that Ghana is donor dependent. The inability of the country to internally generate revenue for budget funding makes it impossible for the country to wean itself off donor assistance. This study therefore concludes that political stability is very relevant in the search for sustainable economic growth and development in the search for sustainable economic growth and development in Ghana.
Death Sentiments and Death Themes

This chapter “reads” the Wordle canvases that have been generated for each Death Cafe participant and event. The most important aspect of my research appears in this chapter as I employ Jonathan Feinberg’s Wordle text analysis program and tag cloud generator to present key themes emphasized during dialog, as well as situate these themes within the framework of participants’ utterances. Wordle takes inputted text and subsequently outputs word compilations where a larger word size indicates greater use of that particular word in the text (Viegas et al., Visualization and Computer Graphics, IEEE Transactions, 15(6): 1–8, 2009). Thus, tag clouds display text data about text data: they are outputs of all words presented on a spatial canvas, with larger sized words assumed to be more suggestive than their smaller sized counterparts. From the tag clouds, cautious extrapolations of Wordle outputs will be made so as to make visible key themes and concerns of each participant and of each Death Cafe. Following our Wordle analyses, I discuss how Habermas’ communicative action manifested during dialog. In the process, I note how narratives shared by attendees are becoming foundational themes for a bona fide death identity, one that generates coping mechanisms for death very much ahead of schedule, one that allows for a degree of the personal in terms of attending to the logistics of the corporeal as well as the metaphysics of the beyond. From the thematic data, the chapter notes how a death identity has been assembled to reinforce a critical appreciation of life and living.
West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viral genetic determinants of avian host competence

West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis (SLEV) virus are enzootically maintained in North America in cycles involving the same mosquito vectors and similar avian hosts. However, these viruses exhibit dissimilar viremia and virulence phenotypes in birds: WNV is associated with high magnitude viremias that can result in mortality in certain species such as American crows (AMCRs, Corvus brachyrhynchos) whereas SLEV infection yields lower viremias that have not been associated with avian mortality. Cross-neutralization of these viruses in avian sera has been proposed to explain the reduced circulation of SLEV since the introduction of WNV in North America; however, in 2015, both viruses were the etiologic agents of concurrent human encephalitis outbreaks in Arizona, indicating the need to re-evaluate host factors and cross-neutralization responses as factors potentially affecting viral co-circulation. Reciprocal chimeric WNV and SLEV viruses were constructed by interchanging the pre-membrane (prM)-envelope (E) genes, and viruses subsequently generated were utilized herein for the inoculation of three different avian species: house sparrows (HOSPs; Passer domesticus), house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) and AMCRs. Cross-protective immunity between parental and chimeric viruses were also assessed in HOSPs. Results indicated that the prM-E genes did not modulate avian replication or virulence differences between WNV and SLEV in any of the three avian species. However, WNV-prME proteins did dictate cross-protective immunity between these antigenically heterologous viruses. Our data provides further evidence of the important role that the WNV / SLEV viral non-structural genetic elements play in viral replication, avian host competence and virulence.
Effect of NH3 on c-AMP associated activities and extracellular c-AMP production in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract A model of morphogenetic regulation in Dictyostelium discoideum (1) is based on the assumption that NH3 inhibits the synthesis and/or release of extracellular 3′,5′-cyclic AMP and that by topographical restriction of c-AMP production to specified zones within the cell aggregate, NH3 is presumed to set up the conditions for apical dominance and directed morphogenetic movements. This study indicates that: exposure of preaggregative cells to exogenous NH3 + NH4+ inhibits the acquisition of c-AMP-induced properties associated with aggregation competence (accumulation of specific contact sites required to form EDTA resistant aggregates and the synthesis of extracellular and membrane-bound c-AMP phosphodiesterase); exposure of aggregation competent cells which are actively producing extracellular c-AMP to exogenous NH3 + NH4+ is followed by the immediate cessation of extracellular c-AMP release. The pH dependence of these effects suggests that the active species is NH3.
Einsatzmöglichkeiten von Markovschen Prozessen bei der Kalkulation von Lebensversicherungsprodukten

In dieser Arbeit stellen wir ein Modell zur Kalkulation von Lebensversicherungsprodukten mit Hilfe zeitstetiger Markov-Prozesse vor, und zwar anhand einer aufgeschobenen Rentenversicherung mit Beitragsruckgewahr in der Aufschubzeit, verbunden mit einer Berufsunfahigkeitsversicherung. Das Modell umfasst die bisher in Deutschland verwendete Kalkulationsmethode, ist wesentlich flexibler und erlaubt vielfaltige Produktvarianten, wie z.B. beliebige Kombinationen von Vertragsdauer, Karenzzeit, Wartefrist, Rentenzahlungsdauer. Bei Diskretisierung des Modells zeigt sich, dass hierbei die herkommlichen Barwert-Formeln fur Deckungsruckstellungen und andere relevante Grosen entstehen. Dies macht eine Abbildung in herkommlichen Vertragsverwaltungssystemen moglich, wodurch das vorliegende Modell praktisch einsetzbar wird. Der Vorteil der Nutzung von Markov-Prozessen liegt dabei in der flexiblen Modellierung der notigen Ubergangswahrscheinlichkeiten.
Hemispheric dominance and imagaic writing

human qualities were personified and conceptualized as attributes of the gods. The verbal, analytical, and logical mode of thinking was related to the god Apollo, while the imagistic, holistic, and intuitive style was associated with the god, Dionysius. It was Dionysius who imparted inspiration to poets (Hamilton, 1940). With the advent of the science of experimental psychology in the 1880s, the human mind was subjected to observation and experimentation via the method of introspection. The early investigators of the mind soon dichotomized their sub­ jects on the basis of their thinking styles, using such
Microprocessor Design Using 3D Integration Technology

Previous chapters have described various aspects of 3D integration technology, including the fundamentals of process technology and EDA design flows for 3D IC design. In this chapter, we discuss how to leverage the emerging 3D integration technology for future microprocessor design.
Chemistry of Drugs Used against Arthropod Parasites

The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the chemical data on control agents currently used against arthropod parasites of man and animal. Given the large number of different chemical structures that are active and useful in one or more host-parasite relationships — and given space limitations — this treatment is of necessity somewhat cursory. Our scope is limited to compounds that are intentionally and directly applied to man or animal for parasite control; thus, materials used in such applications as mosquito abatement, household pest control, and space sprays in livestock barns are not considered within the scope of this review. Also not presented in this section are generally widely known compounds or mixtures (e.g., xylene, chloroform, essential oils, petroleum fractions) that are often included in pesticidal formulations and that in fact may contribute to pesticidal activity. We have, perhaps paradoxically, opted to include the rather limited number of arthropod repellents used directly on man or domestic animals.
Leadership in the Society of Counseling Psychology and the Academy: Insights and Reflections:

In this Presidential Address, I reflect on my leadership journey both within the Society of Counseling Psychology and within the academy. Consistent with the theme of my presidency, Leadership Thro...
Multimodal Pain Management for Cesarean Delivery: A Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of perioperative multimodal pain management in reducing opioid use after elective cesarean delivery (CD). Study Design A single-center, double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial of women undergoing elective CD. Participants were allocated 1:1 to receive the multimodal protocol or matching placebos. The multimodal protocol consisted of a preoperative dose of intravenous acetaminophen, preincision injection of subcutaneous bupivacaine, and intraoperative injection of intramuscular ketorolac. Primary outcome was total opioid intake at 48 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were pain scores, time to first opioid intake, neonatal outcomes, and total outpatient opioid intake on postoperative day (POD) 7. Data were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests and quantile regression as appropriate. Results A total of 242 women were screened with 120 randomized, 60 to the multimodal group and 60 to control group. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome of opioid use nor in the secondary outcomes. Smokers and patients with a history of drug use had higher median postoperative opiate use and earlier administration. On POD 7, only 40% of prescribed opioids had been used, and there was no difference between the groups. Conclusion This perioperative multimodal pain regimen did not reduce opioid use in 48 hours after CD. Patients who smoke or with a history of drug use required more opioids in the postoperative period. Providers significantly overprescribed opioids after CD.
A Rare Case of HIV-Induced Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy.

Background: Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) is an uncommon form of neuropathy in HIV-infected patients that can cause pain, sensory disturbance, and motor weakness. Case presentation: A 23-year-old African American male with past medical history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), Lyme disease, and sexually transmitted infections including syphilis and chlamydia presented with acute back pain radiating to bilateral lower extremities with worsening right foot weakness for four days. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies including meningoencephalitis panel were negative as well as blood tests for Lyme disease and HIV antibody testing. Patient was initially treated with penicillin for positive treponemal serology but without improvement in lower extremity weakness. Electromyogram showed evidence of early demyelinating motor polyneuropathy. Four days after presentation, repeat HIV antibody testing returned positive. Recurrent AIDP in this case was suspected to be secondary to acute HIV infection, and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was administered along with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Muscle strength improved with therapy and patient was expected to have continued improvement with intensive rehabilitation after discharge. Conclusion: Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) tends to present early in course of HIV infection. Therefore, HIV testing should be obtained in individuals presenting with new neurological deficits. Our patient received HAART therapy, in addition to the traditional modalities to manage AIDP, which led to a substantial recovery of his sensorimotor function.
AlGaN nanocrystals: building blocks for efficient ultraviolet optoelectronics

AlGaN nanocrystals have emerged as the building blocks of future optoelectronic devices operating in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range. In this article, we describe the design and performance characteristics of AlGaN nanocrystal UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and surface-emitting UV laser diodes. The selective-area epitaxy and structural, optical, and electrical properties of AlGaN nanocrystals are presented. The recent experimental demonstrations of AlGaN nanocrystal LEDs and laser diodes are also discussed.
To the American internist: 1972.

Excerpt The medical profession, like all special units of society, sees criticism or intervention from without as a threat to its purposes; but certainly the public have a right to demand that thei...
Initial Steps Towards a Family of Regular-Like Plan Description Logics

A wide range of ordinary Description Logics (DLs) have been explored by considering collections of concept/role constructors, and types of terminologies, yielding an array of complexity results. Representation and reasoning with plans is a very important topic in AI, yet there has been very little work on finding and studying DL constructors for plan concepts.
Herpes Virus Entry Mediator (HVEM): A Novel Potential Mediator of Trauma-Induced Immunosuppression

Abstract Background Herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM) is a coinhibitory molecule which can both stimulate and inhibit host immune responses. Altered expression of HVEM and its ligands is associated with increased nosocomial infections in septic patients. We hypothesize critically ill trauma patients will display increased lymphocyte HVEM expression and that such alteration is predictive of infectious events. Materials and methods Trauma patients prospectively enrolled from the ICU were compared with healthy controls. Leukocytes were isolated from whole blood, stained for CD3 (lymphocytes) and HVEM, and evaluated by flow cytometry. Charts were reviewed for injuries sustained, APACHE II score, hospital course, and secondary infections. Results Trauma patients (n = 31) were older (46.7 ± 2.4 versus 36.8 ± 2.1 y; P = 0.03) than healthy controls (n = 10), but matched for male sex (74% versus 60%; P = 0.4). Trauma patients had higher presenting WBC (13.9 ± 1.3 versus 5.6 ± 0.5 × 106/mL; P = 0.002), lower percentage of CD3+ lymphocytes (7.5% ± 0.8 versus 22.5% ± 0.9; P Conclusions HVEM expression on CD3+ cells increases after trauma. Patients developing secondary infections have less circulating HVEM+CD3+. This implies HVEM signaling in lymphocytes plays a role in maintaining host defense to infection in after trauma. HVEM expression may represent a marker of infectious risk as well as a potential therapeutic target, modulating immune responses to trauma.
Offspring Self-Disclosure Predicts Substance-Related Outcomes in an Emergency Department Sample of Young Adults with Traumatic Injury.

ABSTRACTBackground: Hundreds of thousands of individuals visit the emergency department (ED) every year, with many visits occurring following alcohol misuse. Parent–child relationship factors are a...
Anatomical subsite modifies survival in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: National Cancer Database study.

BACKGROUND Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) can occur in either tonsillar related areas (TRA) or nontonsillar areas (nTRA). The prognostic differences between these sites are unclear. This study investigated this question using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), controlling for other confounders including human papillomavirus (HPV) status. METHODS This NCDB study was conducted by stratifying the HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer cohort into two primary groups, TRA and nTRA. Kaplan Meier survival analysis was stratified according to HPV status, and further analysis was conducted using multivariable Cox regression. RESULTS A total of 23 297 patients were included in this study. In the multivariable cox regression analysis, OPSCC subsite was found to be an independent prognostic factor for survival (TRA vs nTRA HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86, P < .0001). CONCLUSION In this large cohort, OPSCC subsite was found to be an independent prognostic factor for survival.
Genetic variabilities of agronomic traits and bacterial leaf blight resistance of high yielding rice varieties.

Hundred of high yielding and bacterial leaf blight ( Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, Xoo ) resistant rice varieties released since the 1960s are important sources of genetic materials for exploring superior genotypes. The study aimed to evaluate the genetic resistance of 177 rice varieties to Xoo and their agronomic traits. The evaluations were conducted at the Indonesian Center for Rice Research Experimental Station during the wet season (December 2015-March 2016). The bacterial leaf blight resistance was evaluated for Xoo pathotypes III, IV, and VIII using the clipping method. The genetic variation among genotypes was categorized as low (0–10%), medium (10–20%), and high (>20%), whereas the heritability was categorized as low (0-30%), medium (30-60%), and high (>60%). The variability of resistance to Xoo pathotypes, grain yield, and spikelet fertility was low, while the variability of plant height, productive tiller number, filled grain, and total spikelet was medium, and the variability of unfilled grain number was high. The 29 varieties were categorized as superior based on their agronomic traits or resistance to Xoo pathotypes. In conclusion, Batutegi and Fatmawati were superior in the total spikelet number, while Rojolele and Inpari 2 were supreme in the thousand-grain weight. Dodokan had a very short maturity, and Inpari 24, Conde, Kalimas, Angke, Inpari 17, and Inpara 8 had the highest resistance to Xoo pathotypes. The study implies that the identified rice superior genotypes could be used as genetic materials to design cross combinations for higher yield potential and BLB resistance varietal improvement.
Alternative perspectives to Armando Simón's “Goodbye Sigmund Freud: The case for exorcising the ghost of Freud from the field of psychology”

ABSTRACTThe present article is a response to Armando Simon's article: “Goodbye Sigmund Freud: The Case for Exorcising the Ghost of Freud from the Field of Psychology.” I acknowledge Freud’s shortco...
Uncovering temporally sensitive targeting motifs for traumatic brain injury via phage display

The heterogeneous injury pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a barrier to developing highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tools. Embracing neural injury complexity is critical for the development and advancement of diagnostics and therapeutics. The current study employs a unique discovery pipeline to identify targeting motifs that recognize specific phases of TBI pathology. This pipeline entails in vivo biopanning with a domain antibody (dAb) phage display library, next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis, and peptide synthesis. Here, we identify targeting motifs based on the HCDR3 structure of dAbs for acute (1 day) and subacute (7 days) post-injury timepoints using a mouse controlled cortical impact model. Their bioreactivity was validated using immunohistochemistry and candidate target epitopes were identified via immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry. The acute targeting motif recognizes targets associated with metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction whereas the subacute motif was largely associated with neurodegenerative processes. This phage display biomarker discovery pipeline for TBI successfully achieved discovery of temporally specific TBI targeting motif/epitope pairs that will advance the TBI diagnostics and therapeutics.
Extended Abstract: STEAM Communication in the Third Space: Perspectives From a Graduate Professional Development Program

This paper explores the potential of graduate professional development programs for multimodal STEAM communication training.
Requirements and Technologies for Operations Management Decision Support Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the general decision support systems (DSS) requirements, supporting technologies and their application for decision support. A DSS combines intellectual and computer technologies. Computer technologies are the hardware/software technologies used to store information and knowledge and to make these available for decision-making. The DSS concept was conceived in the business sector in the mid-1970s as a means to better utilize information technologies (IT) to support strategic, financial and investment decisions. The concept has been adopted in other sectors to support design and operations management decisions and has served to focus attention on the ultimate objective of all IT applications, namely, to support decision-making. While the literature on the topic is extensive, the work is to develop a specific DSS, explicit knowledge is needed about the organization, the types of decisions/problems to be assisted, the types of decision-makers to be served and their individual preferences. The DSS should advise users of the strengths and limitations of the IT-based tools in the context of the problems to which they are being applied.
David Oliver: Squaring the circle on ward visiting.

A recent BMJ column of mine, “When visitors return to the wards,”1 sparked a great many private emails and several lively Twitter exchanges. In most healthcare facilities visitors are now back on the wards, and not just to visit critically ill or dying patients. Some precautions remain in place, however.2 Staff who have worked for many months with few visitors present, caring for patients who are desperate to see families and friends, and spending hours on sensitive discussions by phone that might work better in person, are now readjusting. My virtual mailbag prompted me to revisit this theme, and the responses fell into three broad categories. The first group were shop floor doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals who were grateful to see someone acknowledge some disadvantages to having visitors back on the wards. They were glad that I was talking so …