cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diurnal rhythms of fetal and maternal heart rate in the baboon.

To investigate the organization of diurnal rhythmicity during gestation, the relationship between daily cycles of maternal and fetal heart rate were measured in long-term studies of healthy chronically instrumented pregnant baboons. In each of six pregnancies, hourly mean values over a 168 h time series were obtained during a 7 to 10 day interval between 135 and 160 days of gestation. Data were modeled by a least squares fit to a cosine function with a period of 24 h. Hourly mean heart rate in the fetus ranged from 161 to 172 bpm (167.9±0.6 bpm), and the mother from 105 to 125 bpm (107.9±1.4 bpm). The amplitude of the daily fluctuations were 15 to 25 bpm for the fetuses and 25 to 60 bpm for the mothers. The relation between time series data and model estimates were significant (P<0.001) in all cases with aggregate r2=0.747 for fetuses and 0.737 for the mothers. On average the time of day of the peak in fetal heart rate (15:05±0.3 h) was about 45 min after the maternal peak (14:21±0.4 h). This phase delay was significant (t=2.63, P<0.05). There was significant (P<0.01) diurnal periodicity for each of six parameters used to assess different aspects of fetal heart rate variability with peak variability at night (23:00 to 2:00). Thus, during the latter third of pregnancy in both the maternal and fetal baboon 24 h periodicities of heart rate are present with peak rates in the midafternoon. The daily rhythms in fetal heart rate are linked with periodicities in maternal heart rate with a phase delay in the majority of cases. The synchrony of 24 h fluctuations in rate with parameters of rate variability is consistent with diurnal input into the fetal autonomic nervous system.
Colonic sterilization for natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures: a comparison of two decontamination protocols

Background This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two different sterilization protocols on the bacterial counts in the swine colon as preparation for natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) surgery.
‘Steal’ Is an Unestablished Mechanism for the Clinical Presentation of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations

Background and Purpose Focal neurological deficits (FNDs) in patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) have been widely attributed to the phenomenon of “cerebral steal.” The incidence of focal deficits was investigated in a large prospective sample. Methods Using data from patient history and examination, CT or MRI, and transcranial Doppler sonography, we studied 152 consecutive, prospective AVM patients for evidence of FNDs unrelated to a hemorrhagic event. Feeding mean arterial pressure was measured during superselective angiography. Results Two (1.3%) of 152 patients met the criteria for a progressive FND. Nonprogressive FNDs were seen in 11 (7.2%) patients (stable in 4.6%, reversible in 2.6%). The median observation time period was 17 months (range, 1 to 60 months). There were no differences in transcranial Doppler mean velocities in feeding arteries in FND versus non-FND groups (118±44 versus 112±37 cm/s, P >.05) or pulsatility indexes (0.53±0.20 versus 0.55±0.15, P >.05). Feeding artery pressure was similar in FND (n=10) and non-FND (n=96) groups (39±16 versus 39±16 mm Hg at a systemic pressure of 82±18 versus 75±14 mm Hg, NS). Conclusions Nonhemorrhagic focal neurological syndromes in AVM patients are infrequent. Progressive deficits are especially rare. There was no relation between feeding artery pressure or flow velocities and FND. There does not appear to be sufficient evidence to assign steal as an operative pathophysiological mechanism in the vast majority of AVM patients.
Architect's dream or developer's nightmare?

Event-based systems offer many benefits. They enable loose coupled, composable solutions that can be highly scalable. They also resemble the real world---major parts of our daily lives are governed by events: the phone rings, a customer places an order, the fuel warning lamp in the car comes on. Unfortunately, the architectural benefits are often offset by the complexity of developing event-based solutions. This talk examines why building event-based solutions can be challenging and how we can make it more approachable.
Analysis of superplastic metal forming by a finite element method

A finite element velocity method for analysing the superplastic sheet metal forming process is presented. This method is developed from the principle of virtual work and is based on the use of isoparametric continuum elements. The large inelastic deformation of the superplastic material is modelled as the behaviour of an incompressible non-linear viscous flow material. The contact and friction problem is solved by using the compatibility load step method, which is an extension of an earlier work. The finite element method is applied to selected problems to illustrate the applicability of the solution procedure.
Agonistic behavior and electrical stimulation of the antennae induces Fos-like protein expression in the male cricket brain.

Immediate early genes (IEG) such as c-Fos and Fos-related antigens (FRA) have been used as markers of neuronal activation. In this study, we determined whether the expression of c-Fos/FRAs is increased in the brains of adult male Acheta domesticus crickets following agonistic interactions. We looked for c-Fos/FRA proteins in the brain of un-fought, control male crickets and of dominant and subordinate male crickets sacrificed at different time periods following an agonistic interaction. Using immunoblot analysis, we found four different c-Fos/FRA-like proteins in the adult cricket brain. Continuous agonistic interaction increased c-Fos/FRA protein expression in the brains of subordinate males compared to control and dominant males. In addition, direct electrical stimulation of the male cricket antennae increased c-Fos/FRA-like protein in the brain. We identified the specific brain regions that exhibit c-Fos/FRA-like immunoreactivity in crickets. We detected c-Fos/FRA-like cellular immunoreactivity in different functional regions of the adult brain including the pars intercerebralis, protocerebrum, deutocerebrum, and the cortex of the mushroom bodies. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Serine 171, a Conserved Residue in the γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A (GABAA) Receptor γ2 Subunit, Mediates Subunit Interaction and Cell Surface Localization

Abstract Serine 171 in the GABAA receptor γ2 subunit is highly conserved in the ligand-gated ion channel superfamily. In this paper, we report that mutating serine 171 within γ2 to glycine or cysteine prevents the interaction of γ2 with α2 and β1 when these subunits are co-expressed in human embryo kidney 293 cells, resulting in intracellular retention of γ2. Structure analysis based on a three-dimensional homology model of γ2 (Ernst, M., Brauchart, D., Boresch, S., and Sieghart, W. (2003) Neuroscience 119, 933-943) reveals that serine 171 may play a critical role in the formation and stabilization of an exposed turn structure that is part of the subunit interaction site. Mutation of serine 171 in the γ2 subunit could therefore result in alteration of the structure of the subunit interaction site, preventing correct subunit assembly.
Preparing Teachers to Teach Mathematics to Students with Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this article is to put forth a discussion of teacher preparation in mathematics in a manner that recognizes the Professional Standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Knowledge and Skills Competencies list for teachers of students with learning disabilities compiled by the Division for Learning Disabilities.
Ultrastructure of the feline area postrema

The morphology of the feline area posterma (AP), a circumventricular organ, has been studied by scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In SEM preparations the boundary of the AP was sharply delineated by the absence of kinocilia. Microvilli were numerous and seemed to be concentrated at the junction between ependymal cells, imparting a polygonal surface pattern superimposed on cell boundaries. Some cell processes were present on the AP surface, but no supra-ependymal cell bodies could be seen over the AP proper. In TEM preparations the AP was characterized by blood vessels with distinct perivascular spaces. These spaces contained fibroblasts and collagen, and were limited by basal laminae. Capillary endothelial cells were typically fenestrated and contained numerous pinocytotic vesicles. Bulbous ending of attenuated cellular processes terminated on the external basal laminae of AP vasculture. Some of these endings could be traced to the cells covering the ventricular surface of the AP. These cells demonstrated several features co-mon to ependymal cells which have been identified as tanycytes. The presence of small neurons frequently seen in groups of three or four confirm previous light microscopic studies. Synapses predominantly of the axodendritic variety were observed, and both dense cored and clear cored vesicles were present on the same ending. Myelinated and unmyelinated axons were a consistent finding in the AP with the former being more abundant in the lateral margins of the AP and in the region of the area subpostrema. The chemoreceptive function of the AP has been widely accepted; however, studies indicate that it is not possible to distinguish species possessing an emetic reflex on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. The possibility that the AP serves functions in addition to emetic chemoreception is considered.
The Evolving Shapes of o Ceti and R Leonis

The sizes and shapes of the stars o Ceti and R Leonis have been measured in the mid-infrared. The observations were made using the UC Berkeley Infrared Spatial Interferometer (ISI), and they reveal details about the size, shape and asymmetry of both stars over several epochs in 2006. The star o Ceti appears to be rather symmetric, while the shape of R Leonis appears more consistent with a uniform disk plus a point source that provides approximately 9% additional intensity somewhere in the southern half of the star.
Concerning the decreased D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase activity in the liver and heart of hyperthyroid rats.

Whereas in rat liver mitochondria the hyperthyroid state causes an increase both in fatty acid unsaturation and in the Ea of D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and a decrease in phase transition temperature, in hyperthyroid rat heart mitochondria these changes are negligible. D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in both the liver and the heart mitochondria of hyperthyroid rats is reduced by about 35% [l2] but this reduction is not due to changes in membrane fluidity in either tissue. Hypothyroidism, on the other hand, affects BDH activity in neither heart nor liver.
Assignment of absolute stereochemistry to an insect pheromone by chiral amplification.

Abstract Chiral amplification, a new strategy for determining the absolute configuration of difficultly available natural secondary alcohols or analogous amines, is described. Using this technique, the R configuration can be assigned to both components of the male sex pheromone emitted by the longhorn beetle, Anaglyptus subfasciatus . The application of this approach to fourteen alcohols and four amines illustrates its scope and limitations.
Enhanced antioxidant and cytoprotective abilities of vitamin E succinate is associated with a rapid uptake advantage in rat hepatocytes and mitochondria

Numerous in vitro studies attest to the enhanced ability of vitamin E succinate (TS), as compared with conventional vitamin E compounds such as unesterified d-alpha-tocopherol (T) and d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (TA), to protect hepatocytes from toxic oxidative stress. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that this unique protective ability is related to an enhanced cellular accumulation of TS. The results of this study indicate, using both in vitro and in vivo model systems, that acute TS administration results in a rapid increase in T and TS content and antioxidant protection of hepatocytes and mitochondria. In contrast, conventional vitamin E compounds such as T and TA lack these same protective properties. We suggest that TS acts as a unique delivery system for T, rapidly accumulating in cellular and mitochondrial membranes and gradually releasing active T to prevent membrane oxidative damage. We propose that TS administration may prove useful for the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-mediated diseases, especially those of mitochondrial origin.
A computational study of acid catalyzed aerosol reactions of atmospherically relevant epoxides

Epoxides are important intermediates of atmospheric isoprene oxidation. Their subsequent reactions in the particle phase lead to the production of organic compounds detected in ambient aerosols. We apply density functional theory to determine the important kinetic factors that drive epoxide reactions in the particle phase. Specifically, the importance of acid catalysis and solvent polarity are investigated using a variety of epoxides and nucleophiles. The condensed phase is modeled using molecular clusters immersed in a dielectric continuum and a majority of the calculations are performed with the M062x density functional and the 6-311++G** basis set. Calculations of acid catalyzed epoxide hydrolysis transition states for simple primary, secondary and tertiary epoxides are consistent with an A-2 mechanism where the nucleophile (water) interacts with an epoxide carbon in the transition state. By applying transition state theory to this mechanism, the overall rate constants of epoxide reactions such as hydrolysis, organosulfate formation, organonitrate formation and oligomerization are determined. The calculations indicate that the acid catalyzed hydrolysis rate constant of 2-methyl-2,3-epoxybutane-1,4-diol (β-IEPOX – an isoprene epoxide produced under low NOx conditions) is approximately 30 times greater than 2-methyl-2,3-epoxypropanoic acid (MAE – methacrylic acid epoxide derived from isoprene and produced at high NOx concentrations). Furthermore, acid catalyzed organosulfate formation and epoxide oligomerization reactions are competitive and appear to be kinetically favorable over the hydrolysis of IEPOX.
Learning About Categories in the Absence of Training: Profound Amnesia and the Relationship Between Perceptual Categorization and Recognition Memory

Previous evidence suggests that amnesics can categorize stimuli as well as normal individuals but are significantly worse at recognizing those stimuli. In an extreme case, a profoundly amnesic individual, E.P., was found to have near-normal categorization, yet, unlike most amnesics, was unable to recognize better than chance. This evidence has been used to argue against the possibility that a common memory system underlies these cognitive processes. However, we provide evidence that the experimental procedures typically used to test amnesic individuals may be flawed in that initial exposure to category members may be unnecessary to observe accurate categorization of test stimuli. We experimentally “induced” profound amnesia in normal individuals by telling them they had viewed subliminally presented stimuli, which were never actually presented. Using the same experimental paradigm used to test amnesics, we observed that participants' recognition performance was completely at chance, as should be expected,...
Work in progress: the relationship between objective and/or subjective admissions criteria and success outcomes in undergraduate engineering

University admissions policies throughout the country are undergoing review and revision, and universities are considering options which range from basing admissions most heavily upon objective criteria, such as SAT/ACT scores and/or high school rank, to favoring more holistic approaches, including individualized subjective reviews of accomplishments and characteristics reported in applications, and application essays. Variations of these approaches have been in practice at Texas A&M University for quite some time, yet little was known about how these admission practices were actually predicting the retention, academic performance, and graduation of students throughout the institution. Moreover, less was known about how accurately university-wide objective and/or subjective admission criteria predicted success for the students of very different colleges. This study identifies the admission criteria, which have best predicted academic success among engineering students from freshman cohorts 1997 through 2001. It specifically examines the predictive effectiveness of using "objective" merit-based criteria, in combination with subjective criteria, vs. using only "objective" admission criteria. Success outcomes of the subpopulation of students exempt from admission review due to high school rank or high SAT/ACT, are examined in relation to objective criteria only. The outcomes of the students who did not meet exemption criteria and were admitted due to favorable review of both objective and subjective admission criteria are examined in relation to objective criteria alone, and also in relation to objective and subjective criteria together. Results are observed and reported for male & female, white, Hispanic & African American subpopulations.
An inquiry into the development of critical reflection in secondary student teachers

Abstract The extent, nature, and development of critical reflection was examined in three secondary social studies preservice teachers over the course of one semester of student teaching. Using an action research case study methodology, the researcher looked for evidence of the study participants’ deliberation about the ethical and moral basis of their work as teachers, and reflection on the broader social conditions of schooling. The study revealed limited, but significant, evidence of critical reflection and critically reflective teaching. Factors of influence are also discussed. The results lend support to the view that critical reflection can be a practical aim of preservice teacher education.
ON LIFETIME ESTIMATION IN THE PRESENCE OF LENGTH-BIASED SAMPLING PLAN

In the presence of length-biasedness, a lifetime measure of interest may be estimated in two ways: (i) by modeling the data correctly using a length-biased distribution and using the resulting estimators in the original model as an adjustment, or (ii) by modeling the data correctly using a length-biased distribution, and obtaining the original lifetime measure of interest via a transformation, if one exists. Here we examine sufficiency in information context under transformations.
Design and Implementation of a Grassroots Precollege Program for Latino Youth

This article discusses the design and implementation of a grassroots culturally and linguistically sensitive program designed to promote the pursuit of higher education among Latino youth. Latinos en Camino al Exito Universitario is an example of a culturally responsive program delivered out of a university counseling center as part of the training for multicultural competency for interns. Participants were 30 middle and high school students with supplementary parental involvement. Although outcome data were limited, positive outcomes included increased knowledge and confidence about college and precollege experiences. This article discusses how the program was developed, from recruitment to implementation, and how it was designed to meet the unique needs of Latino youth.
The ContextCam: Automated point of capture video annotation

Rich, structured annotations of video recordings enable interesting uses, but existing techniques for manual, and even semi-automated, tagging can be too time-consuming. We present in this paper the ContextCam, a prototype of a consumer video camera that provides point of capture annotation of time, location, person presence and event information associated to recorded video. Both low- and high-level metadata are discovered via a variety of sensing and active tagging techniques, as well as through the application of machine learning techniques that use past annotations to suggest metadata for the current recordings. Furthermore, the ContextCam provides users with a minimally intrusive interface for correcting predicted high-level metadata during video recording.
Filtering Abstract Senses From Image Search Results

We propose an unsupervised method that, given a word, automatically selects non-abstract senses of that word from an online ontology and generates images depicting the corresponding entities. When faced with the task of learning a visual model based only on the name of an object, a common approach is to find images on the web that are associated with the object name and train a visual classifier from the search result. As words are generally polysemous, this approach can lead to relatively noisy models if many examples due to outlier senses are added to the model. We argue that images associated with an abstract word sense should be excluded when training a visual classifier to learn a model of a physical object. While image clustering can group together visually coherent sets of returned images, it can be difficult to distinguish whether an image cluster relates to a desired object or to an abstract sense of the word. We propose a method that uses both image features and the text associated with the images to relate latent topics to particular senses. Our model does not require any human supervision, and takes as input only the name of an object category. We show results of retrieving concrete-sense images in two available multimodal, multi-sense databases, as well as experiment with object classifiers trained on concrete-sense images returned by our method for a set of ten common office objects.
Comment on Lowrance's ‘Graphical manipulation of evidence in structured arguments’

Lowrance's use of template-based structured argumentation and a collaborative tool in which graphical depictions convey lines of reasoning from evidence to conclusions has real potential for supporting legal tasks such as complaint drafting, especially if the tool were extended in various ways.
Biomarkers and updates on pediatrics lupus nephritis

Lupus nephritis is a common complication of systemic lupus erythematosus in children and adolescents. This article reviews the clinical relevance of lupus nephritis and its current treatment. The reader is introduced to novel biomarkers that are expected to improve the management of lupus nephritis in the future, and support the testing of novel medication regimens.
Hormonal Regulation of Phospholipases

It is now widely accepted that many hormones, neurotransmitters, and related agonists exert some of their biological effects by breaking down phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) a minor phospholipid in the plasma membrane of their target cells. This produces two signaling molecules: inositol trisphosphate (IP3) which releases intracellular Ca2+, and diacylglycerol (DAG) which activates protein kinase C (Berridge 1987). There is much evidence that the phospholipase C that catalyzes the breakdown of PIP2 is regulated by a guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G-protein) which is activated when the relevant plasma membrane receptors are occupied by agonists (Exton 1988a).
Serum stimulation of phospholipase A2 and prostaglandin release in 3T3 cells is associated with platelet-derived growth-promoting activity

Abstract Sera from mouse, rat, and calf sources stimulate cellular phospholipase A2 activity (PLase; phosphatide 2-acylhydrolase, EC 3.1.1.4) and prostaglandin synthesis in 3T3 Swiss mouse fibroblasts, releasing up to 33% of biosynthetically incorporated [3H]arachidonic acid as hydrolysis products in 1 hr. The PLase stimulated by mouse serum exhibits specificity for arachidonic acid residues on phospholipids. It is stimulated 2.5-fold by 1.8 mM Ca2+ in the presence of 5 microM divalent cation ionophore A23187, consistent with a Ca2+-dependent enzyme possessing a cytoplasmic Ca2+ binding site. The percentage maximal PLase- and growth-stimulating activities of the three sera exhibit similar concentration dependencies, with the homologous (mouse) serum exhibiting the highest specific activities. Confluent 3T3 cells deplete PLase-stimulating activity from medium containing calf serum at a rate similar to the depletion of cell growth-stimulus activity. The PLase-stimulating activity in rat and mouse sera is derived from the leukocyte fraction of blood, presumably from platelets. In rat leukocyte lysates the PLase-stimulating activity exhibits properties similar to those reported for platelet-derived cell growth factors from rat and human sources--i.e., stability to exposure to 100 degrees C for 2 min or to pH 2 or pH 11, and cationic properties. Purified preparations of human platelet-derived growth factor also exhibit 3T3 PLase-stimulating activity.
α-Synuclein in α-helical conformation at air–water interface: implication of conformation and orientation changes during its accumulation/aggregation

α-Synuclein, a natively unstructured protein important in the neuropathology of Parkinson's disease, was found to form a Langmuir monolayer in an α-helical conformation with its helical axis parallel to the air–water interface. This study sheds light on the role of vesicles in neuronal cells in the accumulation/aggregation of α-synuclein.
Retrieval of aerosol optical depth in vicinity of broken clouds from reflectance ratios: Sensitivity study

Abstract We conducted a sensitivity study to better understand the potential of a new method for retrieving aerosol optical depth (AOD) under partly cloudy conditions. This method exploits ratios of reflectances in the visible spectral range and provides an effective way to avoid three-dimensional (3D) cloud effects. The sensitivity study is performed for different observational conditions and random errors in input data. The results of the sensitivity study suggest that this ratio method has the ability to detect clear pixels even in close proximity to clouds. Such detection does not require a statistical analysis of the two-dimensional (2D) horizontal distribution of reflected solar radiation, which makes it suitable for operational retrievals. In comparison with previously suggested approaches, the ratio method has the capability to increase the “harvest” of clear pixels. Similar to the traditional independent pixel approximation (IPA), the ratio method has a low computational cost for retrieving AOD. In contrast to the IPA method, the ratio method provides much more accurate estimations of the AOD values under broken cloud conditions: pixel-based and domain-averaged estimations of errors in AOD are about 25% and 10%, respectively. Finally, both the ratio-based cloud screening and the accuracy of domain-averaged ratio-based AOD values do not suffer greatly when 5% random errors are introduced in the reflectances.
Improved fabrication of double-barreled recessed cathode O2 microelectrodes

Polarographic recessed cathode gold microelectrodes are the preferred type of O2 microelectrode for tissue measurements, but the method originally described for their construction is difficult. An improved method of constructing such electrodes consists of several steps: 1) insertion of a rod made of a special low-melting point alloy into a pulled glass micropipette, 2) heating of the electrode tip as the alloy is pushed toward the tip, 3) beveling, and 4) gold plating the alloy, leaving a recess of the desired length. This method can be used to make single- or double-barreled electrodes in which the O2 barrel is as small as 2–3 micron. The electrodes retain their characteristics for several weeks.
(S)-2-Oxotetra­hydro­furan-3-aminium bromide

In the title HBr salt of (S)-homoserine lactone, C4H8NO2+·Br−, the five-membered ring has an envelope conformation, with the –CH2– C atom adjacent to the N-substituted C atom at the flap position. The four-atom mean plane (r.m.s. deviation = 0.005 A) of the envelope forms a dihedral angle of 32.12 (9)° with the three-atom flap plane. The distorted square-pyramidal coordination about the anion involves five surrounding cations, with the square base defined by three N—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds [Br⋯N = 3.3046 (10), 3.3407 (12) and 3.3644 (13) A] and near-contact with an H atom attached to C [Br⋯C = 3.739 (1) A]. Another Br⋯C contact of 3.427 (1) A defines the apex. There is also an N—H⋯O hydrogen bond present linking the cations.
Recurrence patterns after endovenous laser treatment of saphenous vein reflux.

IntroductionThe patterns of recurrent varicose veins after endovascular ablation of the saphenous veins are not well described.MethodsThe current study describes the ultrasound defined recurrence p...
Growth mode of nitride semiconductors on nano‐patterned sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

In this paper we report on the growth mode by plasmaassisted MBE of nitride films on nano-patterned sapphire substrates. Such substrates were fabricated using nano-sphere and nano-imprint lithographies, which led to cone-and cylinder-shaped patterns respectively. The data indicate that the pillars of the patterned substrate act a seeds for the subsequent growth and that the growth proceeds through the formation of a fully faceted pyramidal top surface. As the growth proceeds to more than 3 µm, the growth is dominated by the lateral growth of the top (0001) facets since the fluxes of the precursors on the inclined facets are lower. Eventually, these hexagonal (0001) facets coalesce leading to a continuous film with a smooth surface morphology. This multifaceted growth mode at the initial stages has the potential of lateral expulsion of threading dislocation by the inclined facets leading to nitride pillars with minimum number of threading dislocations. Cathodoluminescence measurements indicate significant increase in the emission intensity from the films grown on the nanopatterned sapphire substrates, compared to the emission from the films grown on the un-patterned sapphire substrates. This increase is partly due to improvements in light extraction and partly to the improved crystalline quality of the films. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Las diﬁcultades para la inserción laboral de los inmigrantes por cuenta propia en España

When the immigrant population in Spain embarks on free–lance activity, they typically experience their own speciﬁc problems, as well as those encountered by other groups of entrepreneurs. This text, based on interviews with experts in the ﬁeld, aims to pinpoint these problems. Regulations governing the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain as dictated by Organic Law 4/2000 consider incorporation into the labor market as the main prerequisite for the authorization of residence permits. For this reason we consider it of the utmost importance to know the difﬁculties experienced by the immigrant population on their path to self–employment.
Hydrolases in Insects and Mammals

A survey of hydrolases in insects and mammals was carried out to obtain leads for the preparation of new selective poisons. The hydrolysis of 7 amides, 6 esters and 1 nitrile have been studied in whole homogenates of 5 insect species and the mouse, and in liver homogenates of rat, mouse and rabbit. No amidase activity was found. The results with esters are in agreement with the observations on the metabolism of known selective organophosphates.
Clinical Applications of Rorschach-Based Visual Imagery Reactivity

A diverse set of findings from recent research suggests the value of visual imagery techniques in clinical practice.
Invited Commentary on the ICF and Physical Therapist Practice

Escorpizo and colleagues1 present a thoughtful argument for the well-defined utilization of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)2 in physical therapist practice documentation. To accomplish this goal, they advocate for the systematic use of assessment tools based on the ICF, specifically, the ICF Core Sets.2,3 They propose that an ICF Core Set, a short and manageable list of categories applicable to a health condition or event, can be used in clinical practice to describe and monitor the most salient aspects of the disability experience related to a patient's health condition or event. They advocate that each ICF Core Set, the product of a systematic development process that involved extensive input from experts, patients, and review of the literature, be used as the documentation template in physical therapy clinical encounters. In a companion article, Rauch et al4 illustrate how the ICF Core Sets might be used as a documentation template in a case report of a patient with spinal cord injury. I strongly endorse the use of the ICF framework as a common language to facilitate communication among and within health care professions.5,6 Furthermore, I applaud the authors' stated goal that the physical therapy profession adopt systematic and concrete assessments based on the ICF framework for use in clinical encounters as …
Health Literacy and Weight Change in a Digital Health Intervention for Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Primary Care Practice

In the United States, 90 million adults have low health literacy. An important public health challenge is developing obesity treatment interventions suitable for those with low health literacy. The objective of this study was to examine differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics as well as weight and intervention engagement outcomes by health literacy. We randomized 194 participants to usual care or to the Shape Program intervention, a 12-month digital health treatment aimed at preventing weight gain among overweight and Class I obese Black women in primary care practice. We administered the Newest Vital Sign instrument to assess health literacy. More than half (55%) of participants had low health literacy, which was more common among those with fewer years of education and lower income. There was no effect of health literacy on 12-month weight change or on intervention engagement outcomes (completion of coaching calls and interactive voice response self-monitoring calls). Low health literacy did not preclude successful weight gain prevention in the Shape Program intervention. Goal-focused behavior change approaches like that used in Shape may be particularly helpful for treating and engaging populations with low health literacy.
Test and analysis on infection of Clonorchis sinensis in Liwan district of Guangzhou

Objective To study the infection status of Clonorchis sinensis of people in Liwan district. Methods Random test for Clonorchis sinensis infection in Liwan 2010-2012 was performed by Kato-Katz. Results The positive rate in all 1018 individuals was 5.60%(57 / 1 018), with averaged age of 41-60 years old. The positive rate among women(16 / 486, 3.30%)was significantly lower than that among men(41 / 532, 7.71%)(P 0.05). The infection of people in original Fangcun district was more than people in original Liwan district(P0.05). Through the unconditional logistic regression, the influence factors of Clonorchis sinensis of people were sex and age. Conclusion The infection of Clonorchis sinensis of people in Liwan district was so high that the government and related departments should collaborate to prevent and control Clonorchis sinensis in Liwan district.
Viewpoint: signal transduction during natural killer cell activation.

The various subsets of lymphocytes all express multisubunit immune recognition receptors. However, this viewpoint forwards the perspective that receptor ligation on natural killer (NK) cells initiates a subset of signaling events that are specifically linked to specialized cytotoxic lymphocyte functions. This includes roles for src-family protein tyrosine kinases and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in coupling receptor stimulation to granule release and cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Novel receptors (e.g. receptors recognizing MHC class I, or carbohydrate domains) also clearly generate signals modulating NK cell activation. Emerging data also suggest that alternative modes of NK-cell-mediated killing (i.e. antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity vs. natural cytotoxicity) are regulated by distinct signaling pathways. Discussion is provided on the technological approaches that seem most likely to advance our understanding of how receptor-initiated signals in NK cells precisely control their cellular responses.
Capacity Evaluations of Psychiatric Patients Requesting Assisted Death in the Netherlands

Background Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide (EAS) of psychiatric patients is legal in some countries but remains controversial. Objective This study examined a frequently raised concern about the practice: how physicians address the issue of decision-making capacity of persons requesting psychiatric EAS. Methods A review of psychiatric EAS case summaries published by the Dutch Regional Euthanasia Review Committees. Directed content analysis using a capacity-specific 4 abilities model (understanding of facts, applying those facts to self, weighing/reasoning, and evidencing choice) was used to code texts discussing capacity. A total of 66 cases from 2011–2014 were reviewed. Results In 55% (36 of 66) of cases, the capacity-specific discussion consisted of only global judgments of patients' capacity, even in patients with psychotic disorders. Further, 32% (21 of 66) of cases included evidentiary statements regarding capacity-specific abilities; only 5 cases (8%) mentioned all 4 abilities. Physicians frequently stated that psychosis or depression did or did not affect capacity but provided little explanation regarding their judgments. Physicians in 8 cases (12%) disagreed about capacity; even when no explanation was given for the disagreement, the review committees generally accepted the judgment of the physician performing EAS. In one case, the physicians noted that not all capacity-specific abilities were intact but deemed the patient capable. Conclusion Case summaries of psychiatric EAS in the Netherlands do not show that a high threshold of capacity is required for granting EAS. Although this may reflect limitations in documentation, it likely represents a practice that reflects the normative position of the review committees.
Evaluating Text Summarization Systems with a Fair Baseline from Multiple Reference Summaries

Text summarization is a challenging task. Maintaining linguistic quality, optimizing both compression and retention, all while avoiding redundancy and preserving the substance of a text is a difficult process. Equally difficult is the task of evaluating such summaries. Interestingly, a summary generated from the same document can be different when written by different humans (or by the same human at different times). Hence, there is no convenient, complete set of rules to test a machine generated summary. In this paper, we propose a methodology for evaluating extractive summaries. We argue that the overlap between two summaries should be compared against the average intersection size of two random generated baselines and propose ranking machine generated summaries based on the concept of closeness with respect to reference summaries. The key idea of our methodology is the use of weighted relatedness towards the reference summaries, normalized by the relatedness of reference summaries among themselves. Our approach suggests a relative scale, and is tolerant towards the length of the summary.
Die Erforschung des Erdinneren

Der Mensch hat Bergwerke bis in Tiefen von uber 4000 m angelegt, um Gold und Minerale zu fordern, und er brachte auf der Suche nach Kohlenwasserstoffen Bohrungen bis in fast 10.000 m Tiefe nieder. Trotz dieser zweifellos hervorragenden Leistungen haben diese Tiefenaufschlusse lediglich die Oberflache unseres Planeten angekratzt. Der in diesen Tiefen der Erde herrschende, alles zerstorende Druck und die gluhend heisen Temperaturen machen das Innere unseres Planeten in absehbarer Zeit und wohl auch in der Zukunft vollig unzuganglich. Dennoch hat man inzwischen aus Messungen an und uber der Erdoberflache zahlreiche Informationen uber den Aufbau und die Zusammensetzung des Erdinneren gewonnen.
Capuchins, space, time and memory: an experimental test of what-where-when memory in wild monkeys

There is considerable controversy about the existence, extent and adaptive value of integrated multimodal memory in non-human animals. Building on prior results showing that wild capuchin monkeys in Argentina appear to recall both the location and amount of food at patches they had previously visited, I tested whether they also track and use elapsed time as a basis for decisions about which feeding patches to visit. I presented them with an experimental array of eight feeding sites, at each of which food rewards increased with increasing elapsed time since the previous visit, similar to the pattern of ripe fruit accumulation in natural feeding trees. Over the course of 68 days, comprising two distinct renewal rate treatments, one group repeatedly visited sites in the feeding array, generating 212 valid choices between sites. Comparison of observations against simulated movements and multinomial statistical models shows that the monkeys' choices were most consistent with dynamic memory for elapsed time specific to each of the eight sites. Thus, it appears that capuchin monkeys possess and use integrated memories of prior food patch use, including where the patch is relative to their current location, how productive the patch is and how long it has been since they last visited the patch. Natural selection to use such integrated memories in foraging tasks may provide an ecologically relevant basis for the evolution of complex intelligence in primates.
IRS and corporate taxpayer effects of geographic proximity

Abstract We investigate whether geographic proximity between corporate headquarters and IRS regional offices affects corporate tax avoidance and the likelihood and productivity of IRS examinations. Using geographic distance to represent information asymmetry, we find that corporations avoid more tax when located closer to the IRS unless they are close to an IRS industry specialist. This finding is consistent with taxpayers believing proximity provides them with an information advantage over the IRS. From the perspective of the IRS, we find that the Service is more likely to audit nearby companies and to assess more tax per hour from nearby taxpayers, except during constrained budget years. IRS audit likelihood and productivity are unaffected by the presence of nearby industry specialists, consistent with industry specialist proximity already constraining avoidance. Our tax compliance setting provides dual-party evidence on the proximity-information asymmetry hypothesis.
An energy-efficient wireless video sensor node with a region-of-interest based multi-parameter rate controller for moving object surveillance

This paper presents a lightweight video sensor node for moving object surveillance using region-of-interest (ROI) based coding and an on-line multi-parameter rate controller. The proposed ROI-based coding scheme determines ROI blocks, pre-processes non-ROI blocks using bit-truncation, and encodes all blocks using Motion JPEG. The on-line rate controller modulates the parameters of the ROI-based coding scheme to match the encoded data rate and transmission data rate under the variations in channel bandwidth and input video content. The low-complexity hardware of the ROI-based coding scheme reduces computation energy, and the on-line rate controller minimizes buffer requirement. The sensor node is designed in 130nm CMOS and prototyped in a Virtex-V FPGA. Simulations show that, under the same ROI quality, the proposed approach reduces system energy by 61% compared to H.264/AVC.
PEE–PEO Block Copolymer Exchange Rate between Mixed Micelles Is Detergent and Temperature Activated

We examine the kinetics of polymer chain exchange between mixed block copolymer–detergent micelles, a system relevant to the synthesis of protein-containing biomimetic membranes. While chain exchange between block copolymer (BCP) aggregates in water is too slow to observe, and detergent molecules exchange between micelles on a time scale of nanoseconds to microseconds, BCP chains exchange between mixed detergent–polymer micelles on intermediate time scales of many minutes to a few days. We examine a membrane-protein-relevant, vesicle-forming, ultrashort polymer, poly(ethyl ethylene)20-poly(ethylene oxide)18 (PEE20–PEO18). PEE20–PEO18 was solubilized in mixed micelles with the membrane protein compatible nonionic detergent octyl-β-d-glucoside (OG). Using cryo-TEM and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), we demonstrate complete solubilization of the polymer into micelles. Using time-resolved SANS (TR-SANS), we provide the first direct evidence that detergents activate BCP chain exchange and determine kine...
Human subject review standards and procedures in international research: Critical ethical and cultural issues and recommendations.

There is unprecedented and accelerated expansion in the field of psychology to the developing world spawning a need for evidence-based treatment and culturally sensitive models. Researchers with ti...
Integrated Pound-Drever-Hall laser stabilization system in silicon.

Low noise stable lasers have far-reaching applications in spectroscopy, communication, metrology and basic science. The Pound−Drever−Hall laser stabilization technique is widely used to stabilize different types of lasers in these areas. Here we report the demonstration of an integrated Pound−Drever−Hall system that can stabilize a low-cost laser to realize a compact inexpensive light source, which can ultimately impact many fields of science and engineering. We present an integrated architecture utilizing an electronically reconfigurable Mach−Zehnder interferometer as the frequency reference to reduce the frequency noise of semiconductor lasers by more than 25 dB and the relative Allan deviation by more than 12 times at 200 μs averaging time. Compared to the bench-top implementations, the integrated Pound−Drever−Hall system has significantly lower power consumption, less sensitivity to the environmental fluctuations and occupies an area of only 2.38 mm2. The photonic and electronic devices are integrated on a standard 180 nm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor silicon-on-insulator process. Frequency-stable laser systems are important for many applications, like optical communications, that require high precision and low noise. Here, Idjadi and Aflatouni demonstrate that the widely used Pound-Drever-Hall technique can be fully integrated on-chip, miniaturizing the stabilization setup.
The Constant-Parameter Arrhenius Plot in Coking and Poisoning

Abstract A general technique is described which can be used to determine the extents of site suppression and pore choking during deactivation. The technique uses rate data at actual reaction conditions over the actual catalyst over a wide range of temperatures and deactivation levels. The technique is applied to the coking deactivation of REY zeolite during cumene cracking, and to coking and poisoning deactivation of Shell 324M (NiMo/alumina) catalyst during the hydrotreatment of coal-derived liquid.