cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bud production and dynamics of flowering and vegetative tillers in Andropogon gerardii (Poaceae): the role of developmental constraints

 Premise of the Study: Perennial grasses maintain aboveground tiller populations through vegetative reproduction via belowground buds and sexual reproduction via seed. The maintenance of a bud bank has important demographic consequences for perennial grasses. A tradeoff between these reproductive modes would be expected for a plant with limited resource availability. However, the ontogeny of the tiller could affect its ability to allocate between these two modes of reproduction.  Methods: Vegetative bud production and dynamics and tiller production were examined biweekly through an annual cycle on vegetative and fl owering tillers of Andropogon gerardii .  Key Results: Andropogon gerardii maintains a large reserve of dormant buds. Although vegetative and fl owering tillers had similar bud phenology, fl owering tillers produced larger numbers of buds of larger size, and transitioned a larger proportion of their buds to tiller, than did vegetative tillers. Therefore, a negative consequence of sexual reproduction on vegetative reproduction was not evident at the tiller level. A size threshold for fl oral induction likely exists that results in fltillers having more buds per tiller than vegetative tillers. The increased bud outgrowth of fltillers could be a result of their larger bud size or weaker apical dominance as compared to vegetative tillers.  Conclusions: Plant development can place signifi cant constraints on tradeoffs between the reproductive modes in perennial grasses and could affect their plasticity in plant reproductive allocation. Differences in developmental phenology and bud production between fl owering and vegetative tillers may infl uence grass responses to environmental changes such as altered precipitation regimes or resource availability.
BioPediatric Complexities of Growth and Development

Although increased survival and ultimately cure of cancer remains the primary goal of treatment, the quality of survival is largely dependent on the toxicities of treatment. In particular, the late effects of treatment, which may manifest months to years or even decades after therapy, have been a driving force in the evolution of the treatment of many curable cancers. Advances in radiation oncology and diagnostic radiology have led to more conformal treatments that spare adjacent normal structures, and chemotherapy regimens have likewise evolved. In addition, in many cancers, perhaps most notably Hodgkin lymphoma, favorable subsets of patients are now treated with decreased doses of chemotherapy and radiation while maintaining overall efficacy.
Principles of protein misfolding.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the principles of protein misfolding. The process of incorrect folding is called “protein misfolding.” It is associated with a number of pathological states in humans, collectively termed “protein-misfolding diseases.” Among these protein-misfolding diseases, amyloid diseases are characterized by the presence of amyloid fibrils in different tissues where there is cell death and tissue degeneration. The process of protein misfolding is very complex and involves molecular machinery that assists from the moment a polypeptide is synthesized until a protein is secreted. Protein misfolding originates from the interactions between the regions of the polypeptide chain that are separate in the native protein and that may be stable enough to prevent folding from the proceeding (kinetically trapped intermediate) at a biologically relevant time scale. Nonnative states expose hydrophobic residues and segments of unstructured polypeptide backbone to a solvent; they readily self-associate into disordered complexes, which are driven by hydrophobic forces and interchain hydrogen bonding.
Disulfiram-Induced Hepatitis: Case Report and Review of the Literature

A case of hepatitis is reported in a 38-year-old alcoholic woman taking disulfiram to aid in maintaining sobriety. She presented with anorexia, vomiting, fatigue, right upper-quadrant pain, pruritus, darkened urine, and jaundice after about two weeks of disulfiram 500 mg/d. The patient also had been taking enalapril 10 mg/d for one year. Hepatocellular enzymes, total bilirubin, and eosinophils were significantly elevated. Hepatitis B core antibody, hepatitis A antibody, hepatitis B surface antibody, and antinuclear antibody were negative. After discontinuation of disulfiram, the clinical and biochemical manifestations of hepatitis began to resolve and the patient was discharged in a much improved condition. Seventeen previous cases of disulfiram-induced hepatitis are reviewed. It has been suggested that the mechanism of hepatotoxicity is an allergic or hypersensitivity reaction. The findings in this case are consistent with the earlier descriptions of hypersensitivity hepatitis, and lend further support to the possibility that disulfiram may cause hepatitis.
The categories of grammar : French lui and le

This book offers an analysis of the French clitic object pronouns lui and le in the radically functional Columbia school framework, contrasting this framework with sentence-based treatments of case selection. It suggests that features of the sentence such as subject and object relations, normally taken as pretheoretical categories of observation about language, are in fact part of a theory of language which does not withstand empirical testing. It shows that the correct categories are neither those of structural case nor those of lexical case, but rather, semantic ones. Traditionally, anomalies in the selection of dative and accusative case in French, such as case government, use of the dative for possession and disadvantaging, its use in the faire-causative construction, and other puzzling distributional irregularities have been used to support the idea of an autonomous, non-functional central core of syntactic phenomena in language. The present analysis proposes semantic constants for lui and le which render all their occurrences explicable in a straightforward way. The same functional perspective informs issues of cliticity and pronominalization as well. The solution offered here emerges from an innovative instrumental view of linguistic meaning, an acknowledgment that communicative output is determined only partially and indirectly by purely linguistic input, with extralinguistic knowledge and human inference bridging the gap. This approach entails identification of the pragmatic factors influencing case selection and a reevaluation of thematic-role theory, and reveals the crucial impact of discourse on the structure as well as the functioning of grammar. One remarkable feature of the study is its extensive and varied data base. The hypothesis is buttressed by hundreds of fully contextualized examples and large-scale counts drawn from modern French texts.
ℓ1 distributed networked controller design for networked systems

This paper considers the problem of finding the l1 optimal networked controller for a networked system, where both plant and controller are interconnected systems interacting over a directed causal network. Adopting Youla parametrization, the optimal l1 control problem is formulated. Results show that distributed input to output l1 optimal control problem is a convex problem under certain conditions, provide a controller that is realizable on the given network and a network realization.
Discontinuous CO2 Emission in a Small Insect, the Formicine Ant Campoxotus Vicixus

Standard rates of oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) and CO 2 production (VCO 2 ) were measured by constant-volume respirometry in the formicine ant, Camponotus vicinus Mayr, at temperatures ranging from 10 to 40°C. Over this range, the Q 10 with regard to VO 2 was 1.79, and with regard to VCO 2 , 1.84. Multiple regression equations relating VO 2 and VCO 2 of inactive ants to mass (0016–0088g) and temperature were calculated. Periodic CO 2 emissions (‘bursts9) were monitored with flow-through respirometry. Burst frequency increased exponentially with temperature (Q 10 = 3.05), from 814h −1 at 15°C to 81.4h −1 at 35°C, and was not significantly correlated with body mass over the mass range (0041–0086g) investigated. Burst volume, which could be accurately measured in one ant, decreased with temperature (Q 10 = 0.61). thus yielding the observed VCO 2 Q 10 of 1.84.
POPULATION GENETICS OF INTRAGAMETOPHYTIC SELFING.

Intragametophytic selfing is a mode of reproduction occurring in homosporous ferns where two gametes from the same haploid gametophyte form a completely homozygous sporophyte. The inbreeding equilibrium is derived for a population with partial intragametophytic selfing, selfing, and outcrossing. Procedures for directly estimating the extent of intragametophytic selfing and selfing using parent-offspring data are given. The conditions for a stable polymorphism from a heterozygous-advantage fitness model are more restrictive for partial intragametophytic selfing than for selfing. The rate of decay of gametic disequilibrium is slower for partial intragametophytic selfing than for selfing. Based on these findings, one would predict that plants with intragametophytic selfing would have less polymorphism for loci with a heterozygous advantage and more gametic disequilibrium between neutral loci than is expected for populations with an equivalent amount of selfing. Data from several studies are consistent with these predictions.
Isopiestic studies of H3PO4(aq) at elevated temperatures

Isopiestic molalities of aqueous solutions of phosphoric acid have been measured at 383.15 to 523.15 K. NaCl(aq) served as the isopiestic standard for the calculation of osmotic coefficients. The ion-interaction model gave an excellent fit to the experimental osmotic coefficients by treating H3PO4(aq) as a 1–1 weak electrolyte. Activity coefficients, both real and stoichiometric, were also obtained from the analysis of the isopiestic results. As expected, the ionization of H3PO4(aq) decreased with increasing temperature. However, at higher molalities, the ionization increased with increasing molality (reionization).
Competitive interactions and ecological strategies of Trichoderma species colonizing spruce litter.

Interactions among five species of Trichoderma were investigated in the laboratory in order to determine whether temperature affected the ability of species to survive on spruce litter in the face of competition from other Trichodermas. Ability of these species to inhibit the growth of competitors was also tested under a range of temperature regimes. Data showed that, in general, T. hamatum, T. koningii and isolate LP58 were more aggressive and less subject to displacement than were T. viride and T. polysporum. All species tested were antagonistic towards each other and towards Botrytis cinerea, but no marked effects of temperature were observed on antagonistic activity. Displacement experiments, however, showed that T. viride and T. polysporum survived better at lower temperatures. These data are discussed in relation to ecological strategies of Trichoderma species. It is suggested that Trichoderma species, though exhibiting some ruderal properties, should more properly be considered as exhibiting a competitive strategy. Within the genus, it is also suggested that T. polysporum and T. viride are showing stress-tolerant characteristics.
Effect of total pancreatectomy on cholesterol absorption and the serum cholesterol level in man.

SummaryTwo human subjects with total pancreatectomy showed very little absorption of orally administered cholesterol-4-14C following discontinuance of oral pancreatin. During this period their serum cholesterol dropped to under 100 mg/100 ml. When oral pancreatin was restored to one of the subjects, cholesterol was absorbed and the serum cholesterol level returned to 200 mg/100 ml. The results of the present study indicate that pancreatic secretions are necessary for the proper absorption of cholesterol and the maintenance of the blood cholesterol level in man.
Brightening the Mind: The Impact of Practicing Gratitude on Focus and Resilience in Learning

A growing body of groundbreaking research shows that gratitude has the power to heal, energize, and transform lives by enhancing people psychologically, spiritually, physically, and cognitively. This study contributes to the study of gratitude by exploring its impact on focus and resilience in learning. Specifically, this study examines the impact that practicing gratitude has on college students’ ability to focus in class and remain resilient in the face of difficulties while learning.
Developing a culture of commenting in a first-year seminar

In the context of diversifying college enrollment and rapidly evolving technologies this study explored how an interactive blogging community developed within a first-year seminar for low-income students (N=66) at a four-year public urban college. In collaboration with administrators and faculty, the researcher integrated a blogging activity into the first-year seminar. Four times during their first six months of college, students posted narratives reflecting on their transition experiences and were also encouraged to read and comment on peers' blog posts. The current study examined why some posts received more peer comments than others and how these trends changed over time. Using narrative analysis, the researcher measured the rates of specific evaluative devices in students posts. Multiple linear regression was then used to determine that psychological state evaluative devices per post predicted a small amount of the commenting variance at the beginning of the study. By the end of the study intensifying and psychological state evaluative devices per post predicted over 50% of the commenting variance. These findings illustrate how over time first-year students used the interactive writing platform to make sense of their college transition and develop a culture of commenting. First-year low-income students blogged about their transition to college.A narrative analysis identified psychological states and intensifying expressions.These evaluative expressions predicted the number of comments per post.Students responded to evaluative expressions increasingly over time.The blog became a tool for connecting with peers during the challenging transition.
The Arf Family Tree

A phylogeny of the Arf family of proteins has been constructed using sequence data available from the complete (or nearly complete) genomes of six model eukaryotic species; including three animals, two fungi and a protist. Our analyses reveal distinct groupings of three Arf and ten Arl (Arf-like) subfamilies. These Arf and Arl subfamilies have arisen by numerous gene duplications that took place at different times during eukaryotic evolution. Some apparently young subfamilies are comprised of proteins found only in animals, while older families include members from all of the eukaryotic lineages considered. Available functional information for these proteins is considered in light of their evolutionary relationships.
Theories of social competence from the top-down to the bottom-up: A case for considering foundational human needs.

Social competence is an oft-studied, little understood construct that nonetheless remains a hallmark of positive, healthy functioning across the life span. Social competence itself, however, remains a nebulous concept in the developmental literature, particularly in the peer relations field. Dodge (1985) pointed out that there are nearly as many definitions of social competence as there are researchers in the field. Likewise, Ladd (2005) outlined the century-long academic history of research on social competence and also noted its numerous conceptualizations.
Earnings Management from the Bottom Up: An Analysis of Managerial Incentives Below the CEO

Performance-based pay is an important instrument to align the interests of managers with the interests of shareholders. However, recent evidence suggests that high-powered incentives also provide managers with incentives to manipulate the firm's reported earnings. The previous literature has focused primarily on Chief Executive Officers, but managers further down in the firm hierarchy — division managers and Chief Financial Officers — are likely to have similar incentives, and perhaps even greater opportunity to influence reported earnings in a manner that maximizes these managers’ personal income. Moreover, previous research focuses on equity incentives and largely ignores other elements of incentive pay. We contribute to this literature by analyzing all forms of incentive pay for several types of managerial positions and include additional measures of earnings manipulation — end-of-year excess sales and class action litigation — in addition to the standard measure of discretionary accounting accruals. We find that the association between high-powered incentives and earnings manipulation varies by both type of incentive pay and position. Our findings have important policy implications and suggest that compensation committees should review pay policies of other managerial positions in addition to CEOs. Importantly, if the committees wanted to weaken incentive pay to get more truthful reporting, diluting the CFO’s bonus and stock options would be one place to start.
A home-based functional hand-extremity assessment system for stroke rehabilitation

This paper presents a novel hand-grip system for evaluation and rehabilitation of individuals with stroke. This system contains a pair of hand dynamometers, which are sensors for the input of grip force, and LabVIEW VI software to translate the grip force into meaningful data. The hand-grip system requires the subjects to move a small ball on a computer screen toward a target, using the hand grip sensor to control the movement of the ball. It goes far beyond measuring maximum grip strength, a common clinical assessment, to adapt grip force and coordinate hands to perform daily functional activities. This system also provides advancement in home-rehabilitation options to improve the hand-grip control of individuals with stroke.
Preparing for local adaptation: a study of community understanding and support

Aging and insufficient infrastructure contribute to urban runoff events, contaminating streets, basements, and waterways. Runoff events are expected to increase as climate change heralds more intense and frequent storm events. To manage the risk of these events, municipalities have created or are creating stormwater utilities using some combination of green and gray infrastructure. Municipalities face the challenge of garnering community support for a new utility fee with no perceptible benefits to many community members. To help municipalities develop stormwater communications, we surveyed 1385 Pittsburgh residents on the following: (1) beliefs and knowledge about stormwater, (2) perceived chances and drivers of stormwater runoff events, (3) support for green and gray stormwater infrastructure improvements in order to address the risks of stormwater runoff events, and (4) the factors that explain their support. We found that people largely understand the risks but do not feel that the risks are that high or that current infrastructure is lacking. Despite this, we found support for creating a dedicated source of funding to manage stormwater, especially among those who see that current infrastructure is adequately handling the risk of runoff events and with elevated risk perceptions. Furthermore, people tend to favor green infrastructure over gray. In summary, municipalities may have less to worry about than previously feared among those who are interested and aware of the topic. However, they may be able to garner more support with outreach efforts that focus on explaining the need for infrastructure and on its benefits.
Releasing the FKBP12 brake on hepcidin

In this issue of Blood , Colucci et al add to the understanding of hepcidin regulation by demonstrating a role for the immunophilin FKBP12 in dampening signaling via the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptor ALK2. 1
Situating Self-Concept Clarity in the Landscape of Personality

Personality may be understood in terms of three conceptual levels: dispositional traits (broad patterns of affect, cognition, and behavior, such as extraversion and agreeableness), characteristic adaptations (developmental and motivational variables, couched within certain contexts, such as personal goals), and integrative narratives of the self (life stories, which work to enhance a sense of continuity with the personal past, present, and [presumed] future). In this chapter, I present a review of the known relations between self-concept clarity and the many characteristics relevant to an understanding of personality. Evident from this review, self-concept clarity has been found to correspond significantly with constructs at each of these conceptual levels. This chapter concludes with the provision of several suggestions for future research examining self-concept clarity from a personality psychology perspective.
Understanding the Impact of Radar and In Situ Observations on the Prediction of a Nocturnal Convection Initiation Event on 25 June 2013 Using an Ensemble-Based Multiscale Data Assimilation System

AbstractThe initiation of new convection at night in the Great Plains contributes to a nocturnal maximum in precipitation and produces localized heavy rainfall and severe weather hazards in the region. Although previous work has evaluated numerical model forecasts and data assimilation (DA) impacts for convection initiation (CI), most previous studies focused only on convection that initiates during the afternoon and not explicitly on nocturnal thunderstorms. In this study, we investigate the impact of assimilating in situ and radar observations for a nocturnal CI event on 25 June 2013 using an ensemble-based DA and forecast system. Results in this study show that a successful CI forecast resulted only when assimilating conventional in situ observations on the inner, convection-allowing domain. Assimilating in situ observations strengthened preexisting convection in southwestern Kansas by enhancing buoyancy and locally strengthening low-level convergence. The enhanced convection produced a cold pool that,...
Sum rules & power–bandwidth limits to near-field optical response

We not only derive a sum rule for near-field optical response integrated over all frequencies, but also establish a general framework yielding a geometry-independent limit on bandwidth-averaged response, which we call the power-bandwidth limit.
"A threat on the ground": The consequences of witnessing stereotype-confirming ingroup members in interracial interactions.

OBJECTIVES Three studies explored interpersonal consequences of engaging in interracial interactions after witnessing racial ingroup members' stereotypical behavior. METHOD Study 1 used experience-sampling methodology to assess ethnic minority students' (n = 119) intergroup anxiety, metastereotypes, and anticipatory behaviors following one of three types of interpersonal interactions: (a) a White person and a racial ingroup member who had behaved stereotypically, (b) a White person and a nonstereotypical ingroup member, or (c) neither. Studies 2 (n = 273) and 3 (n = 379) experimentally examined whether witnessing an ingroup member's stereotypically negative behavior in interracial interactions, compared to stereotypically positive (Study 2) or nonstereotypically negative behavior (Study 3) differentially affected anxiety, metastereotypes, and anticipatory behaviors in interracial versus intraracial interactions among Black Americans. RESULTS In Study 1, minorities reported greater anxiety, metastereotypes, and motivation to disprove stereotypes, but less interest in future interracial contact, following interracial interactions involving stereotype-confirming ingroup members compared to other interactions. In Studies 2 and 3, adverse interaction consequences were most severe when ingroup behavior was both negative and stereotypical compared to neutral, stereotypically positive, and nonstereotypically negative ingroup behavior. Additionally, metastereotypes (and, to a lesser degree, anxiety) mediated individuals' motivation to disprove stereotypes and desire future interactions with White witnesses following stereotypically negative ingroup behavior in interracial (vs. intraracial) interactions. CONCLUSIONS This research highlights the emotional, metaperceptual, and motivational outcomes following ingroup members' stereotypical behavior in intergroup contexts that extend beyond dyadic encounters. (PsycINFO Database Record
Quantitative Video Coding of Therapist-Client Sessions

Approximately 58 million people, or one in four adults in the United States, suffer with a diagnosable mental illness. Forty (40) million people are diagnosed with anxiety disorder, and approximately 14 million people are diagnosed with major depression. Psychotherapy has been shown to be effective for treating a wide array of mental illnesses. However, only 25% of individuals who have a diagnosable mental illness will come to therapy; and of those, approximately half will drop out after the first session. There is substantial published evidence that the success of therapy does not strongly depend on the type of therapy but depends instead on the human relationship between the therapist and client. Observational approaches that investigate the emotional expressions in the therapeutic relationship have not been systematically applied before. The current chapter details how an affect-based coding system (the Specific Affect Coding System, SPAFF), originally developed for couples, can be applied to counselors and clients in a therapy setting to determine the quality of the therapeutic relationship. Case studies of video recordings describing the application of this approach are included.
Binaural Neurons in the Mustache Bat’s Inferior Colliculus: Physiology, Functional Organization, and Behavioral Implications

This report describes how sound localization cues contained within a narrow band of the echo spectrum may be encoded in the auditory midbrain of the mustache bat (Pteronotus parnellii). Binaural neurons were studied in the 60 kHz region of the inferior colliculus (IC), the region in IC that analyzes echoes of the second harmonic, constant frequency (CF) component of the mustache bat’s biosonar signal. In the enlarged 60 kHz region, binaural neurons are spatially segregated and available for detailed study. In particular, the responses of “EI” neurons were studied. These are excited by stimulation of the contralateral ear and inhibited by stimulation of the ipsilateral ear. Recordings of 60 kHz EI single units suggest what features of their response may encode interaural intensity differences (IIDs) and/or horizontal target location. These physiological studies suggest some directions for the behavioral study of echo localization.
Treatment outcome disparities for opioid users: Are there racial and ethnic differences in treatment completion across large US metropolitan areas?

Abstract Background The present study examined racial/ethnic disparities in initial treatment episode completion for adult clients reporting opioids as their primary problem substance in large US metropolitan areas. Methods Data were extracted from the 2013 TEDS-D dataset (Treatment Episode Dataset-Discharge) for the 42 largest US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Fixed effects logistic regression controlling for MSA was used to estimate the effect of race/ethnicity on the likelihood of treatment completion. The model was repeated for each individual MSA in a stratified design to compare the geographic variation in racial/ethnic disparities, controlling for gender, age, education, employment, living arrangement, treatment setting, medication-assisted treatment, referral source, route of administration, and number of substances used at admission. Results Only 28% of clients completed treatment, and the results from the fixed effects model indicate that blacks and Hispanics are less likely to complete treatment compared to whites. However, the stratified analysis of individual MSAs found only three of the 42 MSAs had racial/ethnic disparities in treatment completion, with the New York City (NYC) MSA largely responsible for the disparities in the combined sample. Supplementary analyses suggest that there are greater differences between whites and minority clients in the NYC MSA vs. other cities on characteristics associated with treatment completion (e.g., residential treatment setting). Conclusion This study underscores the need for improving treatment retention for all opioid using clients in large metropolitan areas in the US, particularly for minority clients in those localities where disparities exist, and for better understanding the geographic context for treatment outcomes.
Cytochrome b of the Respiratory Chain

As originally pointed out by Keilin and Hartree (1939), to whom we owe most of the basic definitions in this general field, cytochrome b can be distinguished from the other cytochromes of the respiratory chain, i.e., c and aa 3, on the basis of the following characteristic properties: an oxidation reduction potential permitting its ready reduction by succinate in the presence of the respiratory chain, or chemically by ascorbate, and its oxidation by cytochrome c., an absorption spectrum with its α-, β-, and γ-bands centered around 564, 530, and 432 nm, respectively, and a lack of reaction with typical heme ligands such as CN−. The reported CN−-insensitive oxidation by O2 of the reduced form of the non-covalently attached heme (ferro-protoporphyrin IX) prosthetic group is now known not to be a property of membrane-bound cytochrome b. Since then, a large number of additional cytochromes of the b type (cytochromes B) have been discovered in animal, plant, fungal, and bacterial cells and given rise to a bewildering array of both trivial (i.e., cytochromes b 1,b 2,...b 6) and systematic (e.g., cytochromes b-556, b 556, b-558, or b 558, and b-562 or b 562 of E. coli) designations. The discussion in this essay will be restricted to the classical form of cytochrome b tightly associated with the inner membrane of animal and fungal mitochondria, where it contributes to two segments of their respiratory chain (see below); about 80% of the cytochrome forms part of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase (complex III) and the remainder is associated with succinate-cytochrome c reductase (complex II). The reader is referred to a recent review (von Jagow and Sebald, 1980) for a discussion of nonmitochondrial and bacterial cytochromes of the b type and to an article by Bowyer and Trumpower (1981a,b) for a comparison of the mitochondrial bc 1 complex with a similar entity found in photosynthetic bacteria.
Nucleophilic Displacement and the Neighboring Group Participation

The nucleophilic substitution reaction of the type SN2 (bimolecular nucleophilic substitution) proceeds with formation, in a single step, of the trigonal bipyramidal pentacovalent carbon transition state 2 and results in the inversion of configuration at the reacting carbon atom (the configuration of 3 vs. 1) (Fig. 7.1); it usually follows the second-order kinetics.
Dementia and the Family

Any devastating illness has effects on members of a family as well as the patient. Though there may be evidences of sympathy and empathy, there are also different effects and degrees among the involved parties. In the case of dementia, there is a ripple effect that has been described for several years now. Usually, there is a primary caregiver, most often a spouse or middle-aged child, who becomes responsible for the care of the patient as the process moves slowly but inexorably to its termination. Increasing physical and mental demands accompany the changes, with physical illness and stress as potential outcomes for the caregiver. Even if the demands are handled successfully, there will be a need to consider legal and economic factors, including the eventual placement of the patient in a long-term care facility. The complex of such events has led to the awareness of multiple and severe “burdens” that must be faced and adjusted to by the primary caregiver. The challenge may be met, or it may become overwhelming.
Status of the HERA Electron Polarimeter

The status of the design and construction of the polarimeter for the HERA electron storage ring are presented.
Creatine Supplementation in Endurance Sports

Creatine (Cr) is a compound that is synthesized endogenously in the kidneys, liver, and pancreas by the transamidination and subsequent transmethylation of three constituent amino acids: glycine, agrinine, and methionine (1). As a result of its amino acid origin, Cr can also be manufactured and consumed as a nutritional supplement. Consequently, Cr is currently regarded as a true ergogenic aid, owing to many well-controlled clinical trials that have demonstrated increases in muscle strength, power output, and muscle mass in response to exogenous Cr consumption (1–6). In fact, aside from the potential ergogenic benefits of caffeine, Cr is the most widely marketed nutritional supplement in the world.
Construction of an Inexpensive Anechoic Chamber and Its Applications in Undergraduate Research [Education Corner]

Anechoic chambers provide isolated and controlled environments that minimize electromagnetic interference to enable measurements and testing of radio-frequency (RF) devices. Having access to such a facility enhances the learning experience of students as they undertake their first few electromagnetics courses. However, commercial anechoic chambers are expensive to acquire. In this article, we provide a set of instructions that were used to construct a simple, cost-effective rectangular anechoic chamber for educational use at The Catholic University of America (CUA). We hope that future teams will find these instructions useful if they would like to fashion a similar chamber. This apparatus was built as part of a yearlong senior project and will be used by undergraduate and graduate students at CUA
Long-term testing of acoustic system for tracking low-flying aircraft

Stevens Institute of Technology conducted a long-term test of an acoustic system designed to track low-flying small aircraft in remote locations. The system consists of 4 nodes located between 1 and 4 km apart in a mountainous terrain. Each node is comprised of a pyramid-shaped volumetric cluster of 5 microphones, an embedded computer, and a pan-tilt-zoom camera steered to detected targets in real time. A communication device was used to transfer data to a centralized location. Each node estimates the direction of arrival toward the sound sources and sends it along to a central processing computer. The central computer combines the data from all nodes to generate tracks and classify targets. The duration and the scale of the deployment allowed to identify and solve many problems, including the effects of propagation delays between nodes on cooperative localization and tracking, the seasonal changes in environmental noise, persistent and transient noise sources, and the diversity of targets of opportunity and their signatures. The propagation delay effects led to the development of separate trackers for review of target trajectories and for immediate action such as automatically steering the camera.
An examination of the psychometric properties of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CD-RISC10) among accounting and business students

Abstract Using a sample of 546 undergraduate accounting and business students from four US universities, one on the East Coast, two in the South, and one on the West Coast, this study examined the efficacy of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (Campbell-Sills & Stein, 2007; CD-RISC 10) for use with accounting and other designated business majors. The analyses included an examination of possible demographic differences in overall score, the scale’s factor structure, the invariance of its factor structure across major and gender, the scale’s reliability, and its convergent and divergent validity. The results indicate significant inter-major and gender differences in scores. Most troubling, female accounting majors report the lowest resilience levels, significantly below those recorded for male accounting majors, and male and female non-accounting majors. However, the scale has a common factor structure. We further find that a two-factor solution provides a superior fit to the data compared to the single factor structure used in most prior research. Spearman-Brown reliability coefficients, item-total correlations, and coefficient alphas each support the reliability of the items loading on the scale for the full sample, as well as for each of the above-referenced demographic subsamples.
Primary standardization of 224Ra activity by liquid scintillation counting

Abstract A standard for activity of 224Ra in secular equilibrium with its progeny has been developed, based on triple-to-double coincidence ratio (TDCR) liquid scintillation (LS) counting. The standard was confirmed by efficiency tracing and 4παβ(LS)-γ(NaI(Tl)) anticoincidence counting, as well as by 4πγ ionization chamber and NaI(Tl) measurements. Secondary standard ionization chambers were calibrated with an expanded uncertainty of 0.62% (k = 2). Calibration settings were also determined for a 5 mL flame-sealed ampoule on several commercial reentrant ionization chambers (dose calibrators).
Glioblastoma Recurrence Versus Treatment Effect in a Pathology-Documented Series.

Objective Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM) are treated with surgery followed by fractionated radiotherapy with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide. Patients are monitored with serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, treatment-related changes frequently mimic disease progression. We reviewed a series of patients undergoing surgery for presumed first-recurrence GBM, where pathology reports were available for tissue diagnosis, in order to better understand factors associated with a diagnosis of treatment-related changes on final pathology. Methods Patient records at a single institution between 2005 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Pathology reports were reviewed to determine diagnosis of recurrent GBM or treatment effect. Survival analysis was performed interrogating overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Correlation with radiation treatment plans was also examined. Results One-hundred-twenty-three patients were identified. One-hundred-sixteen patients (94%) underwent resection and seven underwent biopsy. Treatment-related changes were reported in 20 cases (16%). These patients had longer median OS and PFS from the time of recurrence than patients with true disease progression. However, there was no significant difference in OS from the time of initial diagnosis. Treatment effect was associated with surgery within 90 days of completing radiation. In patients receiving radiation at our institution (n = 53), larger radiation target volume and a higher maximum dose were associated with treatment effect. Conclusion Treatment effect was associated with surgery nearer to completion of radiation, a larger radiation target volume, and a higher maximum point dose. Treatment effect was associated with longer PFS and OS from the time of recurrence, but not from the time of initial diagnosis.
2 – A general equilibrium model for public sector analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter develops a baseline analytical model of an economy, variations of which are used for almost all mainstream public sector analysis. A model must possess four attributes to be used as a framework for a normative theory of the public sector. First, it must be a general equilibrium model of the economy. All general equilibrium models describe the three fundamental elements of any economy: the preferences of every consumer, the production technologies, and market clearance for all goods and services and factors of production. Second, the model must be flexible enough to consider a broad spectrum of public sector problems—particularly those associated with externalities, decreasing cost production, asymmetric information, the distribution of income, and various issues in the theory of taxation. Third, the model must be designed to highlight the public interest in efficiency and equity, the two main objectives of normative public sector theory. Finally, the model must be compatible with a market economy because the Western public sector economics assumes that the government operates within the context of a market system. Furthermore, a general equilibrium model can be specified in terms of quantities or prices. The quantity model is the simpler one because it requires fewer assumptions.
Achieving structural and composable modeling of complex systems

This paper describes a recently released, structural and composable modeling system called the Liberty Simulation Environment (LSE). LSE automatically constructs simulators from system descriptions that closely resemble the structure of hardware at the chosen level of abstraction. Component-based reuse features allow an extremely diverse range of complex models to be built easily from a core set of component libraries. This paper also describes the makeup and initial experience with a set of such libraries currently undergoing refinement. With LSE and these soon-to-be-released component libraries, students will be able to learn about systems in a more intuitive fashion, researchers will be able to collaborate with each other more easily, and developers will be able to rapidly and meaningfully explore novel design candidates.
Faith in Fat: A Multisite Examination of University Students' Perceptions of Fat in the Diet.

Despite recent relaxation of restrictions on dietary fat consumption in dietary guidelines, there remains a collective “fear of fat”. This study examined college students’ perceptions of health among foods with no fat relative to foods with different types of fats (unsaturated and saturated). Utilizing a multisite approach, this study collected data from college students at six university dining halls throughout the United States. Data were available on 533 students. Participants were 52% male and consisted largely of first-year students (43%). Across three meal types, the no-fat preparation option was chosen 73% of the time, the unsaturated fat option was selected 23% of the time, and the saturated fat option was chosen 4% of the time. Students chose the no-fat option for all meal types 44% of the time. Findings suggest that college students lack knowledge regarding the vital role played by the type and amount of fats within a healthy diet. Nutrition education and food system reforms are needed to help consumers understand that type of fat is more important than total amount of fat. Efforts across various sectors can encourage incorporating, rather than avoiding, fats within healthy dietary patterns.
Abstract 15042: Heart Rhythm Classification From an Optimal Lead Subset of the 12-lead Electrocardiogram by Deep Learning

Introduction: Deep learning (DL) has achieved promising performance on common heart rhythms classification using 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). However, two major concerns hinder the DL’s applica...
The Impact of Starspots on Mass and Age Estimates for Pre-main Sequence Stars

We investigate the impact of starspots on the evolution of late-type stars during the pre-main sequence (pre-MS). We find that heavy spot coverage increases the radii of stars by 4–10%, consistent with inflation factors in eclipsing binary systems, and suppresses the rate of pre-MS lithium depletion, leading to a dispersion in zero-age MS Li abundance (comparable to observed spreads) if a range of spot properties exist within clusters from 3-10 Myr. This concordance with data implies that spots induce a range of radii at fixed mass during the pre-MS. These spots decrease the luminosity and T eff of stars, leading to a displacement on the HR diagram. This displacement causes isochrone derived masses and ages to be systematically under-estimated, and can lead to the spurious appearance of an age spread in a co-eval population.
Self-expressive subspace clustering to recognize motion dynamics for chronic ankle instability

Ankle sprains and instability are major public health concerns. Up to 70% of individuals do not fully recover from single ankle sprains and eventually develop chronic ankle instability (CAI). The d...
Effect of lemongrass essential oil against multidrug-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg and its attachment to chicken skin and meat

Salmonella Heidelberg (S. Heidelberg) is a major pathogen implicated in foodborne outbreaks for which poultry products can serve as an epidemiological source. This study determined the efficacy of GRAS-status lemongrass essential oil (LGEO) against S. Heidelberg in vitro and on the pathogen's attachment to skin and meat. At first, employing in vitro assays, the effect of LGEO on multidrug-resistant S. Heidelberg multiplication and motility was examined. Biofilm inhibition and inactivation assays were also performed. The quorum-sensing modulating effect of LGEO was determined. In follow-up experiments, chicken skin or meat samples inoculated with S. Heidelberg were treated with various concentrations of LGEO at different time points at simulated scalding (54°C) and chilling (4°C) temperatures. The samples were incubated, and the surviving populations of S. Heidelberg were enumerated to determine if LGEO could be a potential processing aid in poultry operations. Duplicate samples were included in each treatment, and the experiments were repeated at least 3 times. Significant reductions of S. Heidelberg of at least 4.0 log10 CFU/mL after 24 h in nutrient broth and poultry cecal contents was observed with 0.5% LGEO. Complete inhibition of motility, biofilm formation, and inactivation of pre-formed biofilms was observed with 0.15% LGEO (P ≤ 0.05). Concentrations of LGEO at 0.5% and 1% affected violacein production (P ≤ 0.05). On skin samples, all concentrations significantly reduced S. Heidelberg by 1.2 to 3.9 log10 CFU/sample after 2 min at 54°C. We obtained a significant reduction of the pathogen in meat samples at 54°C and skin samples at 4°C with 2% LGEO. All concentrations significantly reduced S. Heidelberg from the treatment water kept at 4°C and 54°C (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, LGEO could potentially serve as a natural antimicrobial strategy in scalding and chilling waters to reduce S. Heidelberg during processing. However, additional studies are warranted before recommending its commercial use.
Hindcasting Violent Events in Colombia Using Internet Data

Colombia experienced a decades-long civil war between the government and many left-wing guerrilla groups. It was marked by violence, kidnappings, and large quantities of human displacement. Monitoring and forecasting civil wars are important to mitigate their potential impact but require access to ground truth data. We examine the use of Internet data streams, namely Google search queries, tweets related to politics, and traditional news sources to retrospectively forecast (i.e., hindcast) state-based armed violence in Colombia. We compare the results of statistical models using three combinations of these features to evaluate the predictive capabilities of each data stream. Our results show that the combination of Internet and traditional news data models perform most consistently, although Internet-only is surprisingly promising. Overall, we are able to produce high-quality models hindcasting the presence or absence of state-based armed violence in Colombia up to 6 months in advance. These results support the use of exogenous data streams to forecast evolving situations around the globe.
Primary and Secondary Immunodeficiencies

Primary immunodeficiencies are rare disorders that are frequently considered in critically-ill children that are admitted to the intensive care unit with recurrent life-threatening infections. In this chapter, we have briefly reviewed the primary and secondary immunodeficiencies that an intensivist is likely to encounter in the PICU. The immunodeficiencies have been categorized as primary defects of antibody production, combined Immunodeficiencies, primary defects of cellular immunity, complement deficiencies and phagocytic Disorders.