cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling and Simulating Terrorist Networks in Social and Geospatial Dimensions

A simple theoretical multiagent model reasons about the criticality of terrorists and regions as terrorist interactions coevolve in geographical and social spaces. Social and spatial relations evolve over time. Estimating their evolutions is important for management, command and control structures, and intelligence analysis research. By knowing future agent social and spatial distributions, an analyst can identify emergent leaders, hot spots, and organizational vulnerabilities. Historically, such estimations have depended heavily on qualitative data analyses by subject-matter experts. A few researchers approached the issue using multiagent models and simulation. The models addressed the complex nature of the organization and task assignments, resource distributions, or agent locations. The simulations addressed the near-term organizational changes. This research came from two perspectives: the effects of change in the social network and the effects of geospatial change. Both perspectives can project aspects of emerging organizational structure and future performance, but they can't examine the interaction between physical and social movements.
Climate policy: Ditch the 2 °C warming goal

Average global temperature is not a good indicator of planetary health. Track a range of vital signs instead, urge David G. Victor and Charles F. Kennel.
Stochastic Estimation and Non-Linear Wall-Pressure Sources in a Separating/Reattaching Flow

Simultaneous wall-pressure and PIV measurements are used to study the conditional flow field associated with surface-pressure generation in a separating/reattaching flow established over a fence-with-splitter-plate geometry. The conditional flow field is captured using linear and quadratic stochastic estimation based on the occurrence of positive and negative pressure events in the vicinity of the mean reattachment location. The results shed light on the dominant flow structures associated with significant wall-pressure generation. Furthermore, analysis based on the individual terms in the stochastic estimation expansion shows that both the linear and non-linear flow sources of the coherent (conditional) velocity field are equally important contributors to the generation of the conditional surface pressure.
Quark Mass Matrices in the A_4 Model

If the standard model of quark interactions is supplemented by a discrete A_4 symmetry (which may be relevant for the lepton sector), the spontaneous breaking of the electroweak gauge symmetry allows arbitrary quark masses, but all mixing angles are predicted to be zero. A pattern of the explicit breaking of A_4 is proposed, which results in a realistic charged-current mixing matrix.
Optical interconnections for digital systems

The replacement of electrical lines and connectors by free-space or guided-wave optics in high-performance digital systems is currently of active research interest. As clock rates approach or exceed 1 GHz, as the wiring density required by integrated circuits exceeds the capability of wire bonders, or as size, weight, and immunity to electromagnetic interference become issues, optical interconnections become an increasingly attractive alternative to electrical interconnections. Optical interconnections with only a laser, two lenses, and a detector are possible, and such a free-space board-to-board interconnection has been demonstrated at 1 Gb/s with an average power dissipation of only about 40 mW. Optical interconnections have prospects for even better performance with improved devices and should facilitate the development of advanced digital systems, particularly if the technology can be made cost effective. >
Paraventricular oxytocin neurons are involved in neural modulation of breathing

In this study, we determined the projections of oxytocin-containing neurons of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to phrenic nuclei and to the rostral ventrolateral medullary (RVLM) region, which is...
Effects of photoperiod and temperature on the development and diapause of the bark beetle Ips typographus

Abstract: Diapause was induced in a Central European population of Ips typographus grown at 20°C when the day length decreased below 16 h [50% diapause incidence occurred in the 14.7:9.3 h L:D (light:dark) regime]. The non-diapausing adults fed on days 2–6 and 10–14 after the ecdysis and swarmed after the second feeding bout with chorionated eggs in the ovaries and sperm in the spermiducts. Neither gonads nor the flight muscles matured and no swarming occurred in the diapausing adults. The development from egg to adult took about 34 days in both 18:6 h (no diapause) and 12:12 h L:D (diapause) regimes, but it was extended by up to 30% without diapause induction when only larvae or pupae were exposed to L:D 12:12 h. Diapause was induced in insects reared at L:D 12:12 h through the last larval and the pupal instars and/or in the adult stage. Temperature ≥ 23°C prevented diapause induction at L:D 12:12 h but diapause occurred at L:D 14:10 h associated with 26:6°C thermoperiod. The effect of thermoperiods on the developmental rate requires further research. Exposure of the non-diapausing adults to 5°C for several days blocked feeding and evoked a diapause-like state, whereas diapausing adults fed and their gonads slowly developed at this temperature. Diapausing adults exposed in forest to low night temperatures and transferred in October to 20°C readily reproduced at 18:6, but not 12:12 h L:D photoperiods. After 2-months at 5°C and darkness, they became insensitive to the photoperiod, matured and most of them also swarmed at 20°C in the 12:12 h L:D regime. In a Scandinavian population, diapause occurred at 18:6 h L:D and was terminated either by exposure to 5°C or by very long photoperiod (L:D 20:4 h) combined with high temperature (23°C).
Results availability from clinical research of female urinary incontinence.

Aims To ascertain possible publication bias by examining the completeness and publication of studies on nonsurgical treatments for female urinary incontinence (UI). Methods We analyzed information about studies from several trial registries through May 2010. We searched Medline using study registration identifiers to determine publication status, and compared percentages of completed and published studies by study and subject characteristics. Results Among the 166 closed studies, we found 120 completed (73%), 12 terminated (7%), 3 withdrawn (2%), and 4 (2%) that provided no reasons for noncompletion. Only 17% of closed registered studies (28/166 studies) were published in peer-reviewed journals; publication that did occur was an average of 2.2 years after study completion. The proportion of studies published did not increase over time. Studies sponsored by industry were published less often than those funded by NIH (OR = 0.04; 95%CI: 0.004–0.38). Drug studies were published less often than studies of other interventions (OR = 0.22; 95%CI: 0.05–0.96). Of the 166 closed studies, 7 (4%) posted results on the ClinicalTrials.gov website. Of Phases III and IV trials, 7% and 3% posted results, respectively. Conclusions The absence of results from a substantial proportion of conducted studies suggests that treatment decisions for women with UI are based on selected rather than comprehensive evidence of benefits and harms. Regulatory policy for clinical research should guarantee availability of the outcomes for the public, clinicians, and policymakers. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:22–29, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Changes in phospholipid composition of Thiobacillus neapolitanus during growth

During the stationary growth phase, the phospholipids of Thiobacillus neapolitanus consisted of phosphatidyl glycerol (PG), diphosphatidyl glycerol (DPG), phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine (PME) and phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) in increasing amounts. In general, the phospholipids increased to a maximum concentration during the stationary phase and then decreased in concentration. Individually, PG and PE increased to a maximum in late lag or early exponential phase and then decreased in concentration. DPG and PME increased during the transition between the exponential and the stationary phase and reached a maximum concentration in the stationary phase. In older cultures, a quantitative interconversion between PG and DPG and PE and PME was observed. A lyso-phospholipid compound also appeared in the late stationary phase.
Fluid absorption in the isolated midgut of adult female yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti)

ABSTRACT The transepithelial voltage ( V te ) and the volume of isolated posterior midguts of adult female yellow fever mosquitoes ( Aedes aegypti ) were monitored. In all experiments, the initial V te after filling the midgut was lumen negative, but subsequently became lumen positive at a rate of approximately 1 mV min −1 . Simultaneously, the midgut volume decreased, indicating spontaneous fluid absorption. When the midguts were filled and bathed with mosquito saline, the average rate of fluid absorption was 36.5±3.0 nl min −1 ( N =4, ±s.e.m.). In the presence of theophylline (10 mmol l −1 ), V te reached significantly higher lumen-positive values, but the rate of fluid absorption was not affected ( N =6). In the presence of NaCN (5 mmol l −1 ), V te remained close to 0 mV ( N =4) and fluid absorption was reduced (14.4±1.3 nl min −1 , N =3, ±s.e.m.). When midguts were filled with buffered NaCl (154 mmol l −1 plus 1 mmol l −1 HEPES) and bathed in mosquito saline with theophylline, fluid absorption was augmented (50.0±5.8 nl min −1 , N =12, ±s.e.m.). Concanamycin A (10 µmol l −1 ), ouabain (1 mmol l −1 ), and acetazolamide (1 mmol l −1 ) affected V te in different ways, but all reduced fluid absorption by 60–70% of the value before addition of the drugs.
Some Aspects of Research in the Marketing of Tobacco Leaf

"The marketing system for farm products serves two broad purposes: (1) through assembly, processing, transporting, storing, distributing, and similar operations to add form, time, and place utilities to the raw farm products in moving them from farm to consumer; (2) through the various mechanisms of exchange to allocate these commodities among buyers, and the returns for them among sellers, and thereby to give expression to consumer preferences as guides to the use of productive resources in both primary production and marketing itself. The 'efficiency' of the marketing system-and of its segments-must ultimately be evaluated in terms of effectiveness with which these purposes are served: the relationship between the consumption utility created and the resources used in its creation. "The problem is twofold. Within agriculture itself we desire that the system promote maximum output of consumption utility in relation to the input of resources in production and marketing. As part of the whole economy, we desire that it contribute to an over-all allocation of resources, especially between agriculture and other industries, that will maximize utility output, over time, from use of the resources available to the economy."'
Improved large scale purification procedure of natural human fibroblast interferon.

Abstract Human fibroblast interferon, produced in tissue culture by a super induction procedure, was purified 10,000-fold by chromatography to ca 50% purity as judged by SDS-PAGE. The specific activity of the interferon preparation is 2×108 and the yield is 70%. The interferon preparation is suitable for clinical use.
Predicting Natural Gas Viscosity with a Mixture Viscosity Model for the Entire Fluid Region

A new predictive corresponding-states mixture viscosity model for the entire fluid region and large range of temperature and pressure is reported here. Using previously published parameters for pure n-alkanes, viscosity predictions with this model were made for the methane–ethane system and twelve component Qatari synthetic natural gas mixtures. For the synthetic natural gas mixtures studied, the new model presented here has comparable predictability to other literature models and superior predictability at higher (11 mol %) levels of N2 and CO2 content. The integral use of the PC-SAFT equation of state with the fluid mixture viscosity model introduced here provides an attractive unified approach for modeling flow in porous media.
NI-22NON-ENHANCING TUMOR RESPONSE USING QUANTITATIVE T2 MAPS PREDICTS SURVIVAL IN GLIOBLASTOMA TREATED WITH BEVACIZUMAB

BACKGROUND: Malignant gliomas are known to contain proportions of both neovascularized and infiltrative, non-enhancing tumor (NET). Additionally, a substantial proportion of treated tumors can have NET progression prior to contrast enhancement. There remains significant need for objective evaluation of NET; however, there remains much discrepancy and controversy behind the value of NET evaluation. We hypothesize that T2 relaxometry may be useful for objectively defining NET tissue using a specific range of T2 values and that volumetric changes in NET after therapy can predict survival. METHODS: Effective T2 maps were calculated from axial, dual echo, turbo spin echo images in 50 GBM patients at a single time point and a separate cohort of 24 GBM patients before and after bevacizumab. Tissue-specific T2eff measurements were obtained for normal white matter, NET, edema, and necrosis. NET was defined by a range of T2eff values with a highest sensitivity and specificity. The change in NET volume before and after bevacizumab was used to predict PFS and OS. RESULTS: ROC analysis demonstrated better delineation between tissue types at 3T compared with 1.5T (P < 0.05). A threshold of 125ms can delineate NET from NAWM with 96% sensitivity and 97% specificity at 1.5T and 94% sensitivity and 97% specificity at 3T. A threshold of 250ms can delineate NET from edema with a 91% sensitivity and 71% specificity at 1.5T and 98% sensitivity and 75% specificity at 3T. A decrease in the volume of NET (125ms< T2eff < 250ms) before and after bevacizumab in recurrent GBM was a significant predictor of OS9 (AUC = 0.87, P = 0.002) and PFS6 (AUC = 0.78, P = 0.022), and a decrease greater than 50% stratified TTP (Log-rank, P = 0.0141) and OS (Log-rank, P = 0.0205). CONCLUSION: Objectively defining NET tissue using T2eff maps allows for quantitative evaluation of NET response. This approach may be useful for defining NET response and progression in clinical trials.
System-Level Modeling of Microprocessor Reliability Degradation Due to Bias Temperature Instability and Hot Carrier Injection

Negative bias temperature instability (NBTI), positive bias temperature instability (PBTI), and hot carrier injection (HCI) are leading reliability concerns for modern microprocessors. In this paper, a framework is proposed to analyze the impact of BTI (NBTI and PBTI) and HCI on state-of-art microprocessors and to estimate microprocessor lifetimes due to each wearout mechanism. Our methodology finds the detailed electrical stress and the temperature of each device within a microprocessor system running a variety of standard benchmarks. Combining the electrical stress profiles, thermal profiles, and device-level models, we perform timing analysis on the critical paths of a microprocessor using our methodology to characterize the microprocessor performance degradation due to BTI and HCI and to estimate the lifetime distribution of logic blocks. In addition, we study dc noise margins in conventional 6T SRAM cells as a function of BTI and HCI degradation to estimate memory lifetime distributions. The lifetimes of memory blocks are then combined with the lifetimes of logic blocks to provide an estimate of the system lifetime distribution.
Expression of Ubiquitin in Peripherial Blood Mononuclear Cells of Children with Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

Objective:Observe the relationship between expression of ubiquitin and the onset or development of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome(INS) in children.Methods:We observed mRNA level of ubiquitin in peripherial blood mononuclear cells of children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome by the method of real-time quantitative PCR.Results:The ubiquitin mRNA level in INS group was significantly lower than that in normal control before treatment. After the treatment, the ubiquitin mRNA level in INS group increased significantly.The ubiquitin mRNA level in children with prednisone-sensitive INS was not significantly higher than that of children with partial prednisone-sensitive INS before and after treatment.Conclusion:The expression of ubiquitin might be linked with onset of INS.Prednisone and other immune inhibitory drugs might be efficient on the treatment of INS partially through improving the level of ubiquitin in peripherial blood mononuclear cells.
Determination of cephapirin and desacetylcephapirin in milk using automated liquid chromatographic cleanup and ion-pairing liquid chromatography

A simple and sensitive method was developed for determination of cephapirin and its metabolite, desacetylcephapirin, in milk. For extraction/deproteinization, 2 mL 0.2M tetraethylammonium chloride and 28 mL acetonitrile are added to 10 mL milk, and 20 mL clear filtrate (= 5 mL milk) is collected. Filtrate is evaporated to 1-2 mL and made up to 4 mL with water, filtered, and transferred to 4 mL autosampler vials. For cleanup, 2 mL filtrate is loaded onto a Supelcosil LC-18 column in 0.01M KH2PO4 (A) using a Waters WISP autosampler. The column is eluted with an acetonitrile (B) gradient from 100% A (0-3 min) to 70%A:30%B (24 min). Fractions corresponding to cephapirin and desacetylcephapirin are collected. A 0.02M pH 2.26 buffer of 0.01M decanesulfonate-acetonitrile was used for cephapirin (80 + 20) and 0.02M pH 1.96 buffer of 0.01M decanesulfonate-acetonitrile was used for desacetylcephapirin (84 + 16) on a Polymer Laboratories PLRP-S column. Recoveries at 0.01-10 ppm were 91-98%; estimated detection limits were near 2 ppb and were comparable to sensitive screening tests.
Will, reflection, and self-overcoming: Schopenhauer and Nietzsche

Probably no nineteenth-century thinker or writer has shaped contemporary discussions of selfhood more than Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche has attracted followers (as well as enemies and critics) for varied reasons, but many who declare themselves his disciples emphasize his pioneering and sharp criticism of traditional notions about the self, his powerful denials that the ego is or can be coherent or stable, and that human beings should be regarded as “subjects” in the senses presumed by science, morality, or citizenship. Nietzsche's powerful rejection of such views has provided much ammunition and inspiration for later thinkers who have found reason to announce or welcome the death of the self, the author, or the subject. Nietzsche's attack on the idea that ordinary individuals possess coherence or autonomy did not issue in a declaration of human weakness. Quite the contrary, his whole intellectual project was carried out on behalf of a search for hidden sources of vitality and strength; these he sought to uncover so that they could nurture a new and higher type of humanity, which he named “the strong,” “the free spirits,” or most famously the Ubermensch or overman. The life of impotence, sickness, and decay to which most people were condemned belonged to a world where ordinary and traditional ideas about the self reigned, notions inherited from religious ideas about the soul or rooted in scientific conceptions that attributed regularity and causal order to the universe and its contents.
Enhancing Memory Access for Less Skilled Readers.

ABSTRACTLess skilled readers’ comprehension often suffers because they have an impoverished representation of text in long-term memory; this, in turn, increases the difficulty of gaining access to backgrounded information necessary for maintaining coherence. The results of four experiments demonstrated that providing less skilled readers with additional explicit interconnections enhanced their text representations in memory and increased their ability to maintain coherence. Experiments 1a and 1b confirmed the finding that less skilled readers were not disrupted by global inconsistencies. Experiments 2a and 2b showed that text manipulations designed to enhance the accessibility of global information led to less skilled readers being disrupted by global inconsistencies.
Reduced-complexity ML multi-user detection for dispersive UWB signal based on combined stack and Viterbi trellis search

We propose a novel reduced-complexity maximum-likelihood (ML) detector for multi-user impulse radio ultra-wideband (UWB) signals in multi-path channels. By utilizing the unique trellis feature of a multi-user impulse radio UWB signal, and introducing a novel combined stack and Viterbi based trellis search (CSVS) algorithm, the proposed detector is optimal and enjoys much lower computation complexity compared with the brute-force search based ML detector. Simulation results show that the proposed detector achieves much better performance than the conventional simple matched filter UWB detector.
A Cognitive-Emotional-Behavioural Enrichment Retreat Weekend

SynopsisThe unique advantages to be derived from integrating cognitive emotional behavioural principles into existing models of marriage enrichment retreats are presented. An outline for such an event is given which explains both the overall structure and the content of each session. The significance of intrapersonal communication and conflict negotiation are stressed in addition to interpersonal communication, life stages and futuring exercises.Recommendations are given in regard to the utilization of reading materials, films and videotapes.
Methods for dynamic analysis of distribution feeders with high penetration of PV generators

An increase in the number of inverter-interfaced photovoltaic (PV) generators on existing distribution feeders affects the design, operation, and control of the distribution systems. Existing distribution system analysis tools are capable of supporting only snapshot and quasi-static analyses. Capturing the dynamic effects of PV generators during the variation in distribution system states is necessary when studying the effects of controller bandwidths, multiple voltage correction devices, and anti-islanding. This work explores the use of dynamic phasors and differential algebraic equations (DAE) for impact analysis of PV generators on the existing distribution feeders.
The Large-Scale Part of Tropical Mesoscale Convective System Circulations A Linear Vertical Spectral Band Model

The linear response of the tropical troposphere to a heat source resembling a moderately large mesoscale convective system (MCS) is modeled. The spectral representation of vertical structure, with and without rigid lids atop the atmosphere, is illustrated graphically and discussed physically. The spectrum characterizing a mean radar-observed MCS heating profile in an unbounded realistically stratified atmosphere can be well approximated with just two spectral bands. The equations governing the wind and height amplitudes of each spectral band are linear shallow-water equations, combined with a time-dependent spatial smoothing that accounts for the finite spectral widths of the bands. This spectral band smoothing mimics the tropospheric smoothing effects of the preferential upward propagation of high horizontal wavenumber components. During the periods from 0-72 hours after the MCS, the flow evolves from initially circular expanding wavelike rings, toward the planetary-wave patterns studied by Matsumo, Gill, and others. This size expansion is not truly an up-scale evolution: the red horizontal spectrum of scales excited by a meso-sized heat source merely undergoes phase evolution with time- Small scales do preferentially propagate upward, however. An interesting feature strongly excited by an equatorial MCS is a zonally, elongated inertio-gravity motion along the equator, which cools the troposphere 18 hours after a brief heating event. This oscillation has a large zonally-symmetric component. The linear solutions developed here are superposed to obtain estimates of the wind and temperature changes forced by satellite-observed ensembles of MCSs. Low-level winds comparable to observed Australian monsoon winds spin up from rest in just 2-3 days, while some of the monsoon convective heating escapes into the equatorial waveguide as downwelliug Kelvin and mixed Rossby-gravity waves. Synthetic data constructed from model fields illustrate how observing systems experience the effects of MCS heating events. Deep vertical motion on tropical rawinsonde-array scales responds rapidly to convective heating, with a response time (1-2 h) small compared to the observed lifetime of MCSs (6-12 h). These results indicate that rawinsunde array observations of a quasi-equilibrium' between large-scale vertical motion and convection may be due to the rapid response of the former to the latter, not vice versa as has sometimes been supposed.
An Analysis of Recent Empirical Data on ‘Ought’ Implies ‘Can’

Recent experimental studies dispute the position that commonsense morality accepts ‘Ought’ Implies ‘Can’ (OIC), the view that, necessarily, if an agent ought to perform some action, then she can perform that action. This paper considers and supports explanations for the results of these studies on the hypothesis that OIC is intuitive and true.
The Austro-Hungarian Dilemma

War in its initial stages generally has the effect of fostering an atmosphere of unity within each of the belligerent powers. The Burgfriede in Germany, the French Union Sacre, and the closing of ranks in the British Isles all testified to solidarity in the face of crisis. Superficially the Dual Monarchy experienced the same unity. Professions of loyalty to the Hapsburgs came from every national group. Mobilization proceeded with a minimum of incidents. Enthusiasm for victory was in the air. The professional pessimists in Vienna admitted their surprise at the vitality of the state, and former skeptics acclaimed the ‘Austrian Miracle.’ 1 Ominous, however, was the fact that the Austrian parliament, of all the legislative bodies in the belligerent nations, had not been called into session to debate or ratify the decision for war. From the outset Hungary declared her virtual administrative independence, although the Tisza regime ruled with the aid of the War Service Act of 1913 and the secret War Surveillance Office. Identical secret and unconstitutional measures at once changed the temper of government in Austria. The diplomats had failed to preserve the Monarchy by peaceful means; now the generals, supported by the civilian bureaucracy, sought to perpetuate its existence by force. Assuming an eventual victory, and for the immediate purposes of military efficiency, they introduced a ruthless and destructive rule by usurpation of civil authority, by centralization and Germanization. Five of the eight major nationalities of the Monarchy—the Czechs, Slovaks, Roumanians, Serbians, and Italians—were from the very outset suspect of high treason and subject to execution, persecution, and confiscation of their national literatures. These nationalities had ample reason to fear a victorious Austria-Hungary, little matter whether it stood alone or was integrated into some form of Mitteleuropa.2
The terrorist attacks in the Volga region, 2012–13: hegemonic narratives and everyday understandings of (in)security

Discussions generated in Russian and Western academic, policy-making and media circles by recent terrorist attacks in the Middle Volga and Urals (Idel-Ural) derive primarily from hegemonic state di...
The tumour microenvironment links complement system dysregulation and hypoxic signalling.

The complement system is an innate immune pathway typically thought of as part of the first line of defence against "non-self" species. In the context of cancer, complement has been described to have an active role in facilitating cancer-associated processes such as increased proliferation, angiogenesis and migration. Several cellular members of the tumour microenvironment express and/or produce complement proteins locally, including tumour cells. Dysregulation of the complement system has been reported in numerous tumours and increased expression of complement activation fragments in cancer patient specimens correlates with poor patient prognosis. Importantly, genetic or pharmacological targeting of complement has been shown to reduce tumour growth in several cancer preclinical models, suggesting that complement could be an attractive therapeutic target. Hypoxia (low oxygen) is frequently found in solid tumours and has a profound biological impact on cellular and non-cellular components of the tumour microenvironment. In this review, we focus on hypoxia since this is a prevailing feature of the tumour microenvironment that, like increased complement, is typically associated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, interesting links between hypoxia and complement have been recently proposed but never collectively reviewed. Here, we explore how hypoxia alters regulation of complement proteins in different cellular components of the tumour microenvironment, as well as the downstream biological consequences of this regulation.
Nonlinear Optical Properties

Photonic technologies operate by the optical processing and transmission of information and require a variety of materials with appropriate properties to facilitate the modulation of light. Polymers containing organic nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores allow the modulation of the phase, the state of polarization, and/or the frequency of light beams, as required for the optical encoding, transmission, and routing of information. Both secondand third-order NLO effects are potentially useful [1]. Materials with large secondand third-order nonlinearities can be useful for the doubling and tripling, respectively, of the frequency of optical signals. They can also be used for routing and switching applications in which NLO effects involving the ability to vary the refractive indices of the materials using an applied electric field are important. The refractive index of second-order NLO materials is dependent on electric field; this effect is known as the linear electro-optic (EO) or Pockels effect. Materials with large EO coefficients can be used for the fabrication of ultrafast low-power EO modulators that can be integrated with electronics. In third-order NLO materials, the refractive index is dependent on the intensity of light and so can bemodulated with an optical control pulse, negating the need to integrate electronics directly with the NLO material and facilitating all-optical modulation, which holds promise for ultrafast signal processing, potentially enabling much higher bandwidth communications. In organic materials with large secondor third-order nonlinearities, these nonlinearities are largely due to the interaction of light with conjugated p-systems. Here a simple model is described that has helped to provide design strategies for the optimization of second-order and third-order nonlinear optical effects in quasi-linear organic molecules.
New Guidelines for Cancer Screening in Older Patients

For patients in their late 70s with significant comorbidities, colonoscopies provide minimal, if any, benefit and are not recommended by guidelines. Physicians are not obligated to offer tests that are not medically indicated, but they must work with the patient to reach an agreement that works for both parties.
Preperceptual Auditory Storage in Speech Recognition

Given that the acoustic stimulus for speech perception is extended in time and that perception cannot be immediate, it seems necessary to postulate a preperceptual auditory storage that holds the first part of the sound pattern until it is complete and perception has occurred. The duration of this preperceptual auditory storage places an upper time limit on the sound patterns functional in speech recognition. A recognition masking task has been developed to study the properties of preperceptual auditory storage and the temporal course of the speech perception process. In this task, a short speech stimulus is preceded or followed after some variable silent interval by a second sound. Both sounds are presented at a normal listening intensity. A number of studies have shown that the second sound interferes with the perception of the first if the second sound is presented before recognition of the first is complete. Backward masking results have shown that speech perception is not immediate but requires time for the synthesis of the sound pattern held in preperceptual auditory storage. The present studies evaluate some of the properties of preperceptual auditory storage and the primary recognition process. The fact that a second sound can interfere with perception of a first sound even if the sounds are presented to opposite ears locates preperceptual auditory storage at a central rather than a peripheral level. A first sound can interfere with a second sound if the sounds occur within roughly 80 msec, whereas the second interferes with the first out to an intersound interval of roughly 250 msec.
Thermodynamics of Solutions

This chapter begins the discussion of open systems for which the fundamental relation introduced in Chapter 2 needs to be modified to U = U(S, V, n1, n2 …), where ni is the mole numbers of the component i, thus leading to a new intrinsic thermodynamic property known as the chemical potential, μi, and formulation of chemical equilibrium in terms of this new property. This is followed by the introduction of the concepts of partial molar property, fugacity and activity of a component in a solution, ideal and non-ideal solutions and their limiting behaviors, the latter being applied to understand speciation of water in silicate melts; thermodynamic analysis of stability and decomposition a solution and the criteria for the existence of upper and lower critical points; decomposition of a solid solution and its application to “solvus thermometry”; effect of electrical and gravitational fields on chemical potential and their consequences including isotopic fractionation in a gravitational field and osmotic pressure and its applications.
Quasi-Static and Dynamic Poisson’s Ratio Evolution of Hyperelastic Foams

Poisson’s ratio of soft, hyperelastic foam materials such as silicone foam is typically assumed to be both a constant and a small number near zero. However, when the silicone foam is subjected to large deformation into densification, the Poisson’s ratio may significantly change, which warrants careful and appropriate consideration in modeling and simulation of impact/shock mitigation scenarios. The evolution of the Poisson’s ratio of foam materials has not yet been characterized. In this study, radial and axial measurements of specimen strain are made simultaneously during quasi-static and dynamic compression test on a silicone foam. The Poisson’s ratio was found to exhibit a transition from compressible to nearly incompressible based on strain level and reached different values at quasi-static and dynamic rates.
If you can't Beat Them, Augment Them: Improving Local WiFi with Only Above-Driver Changes

The basic MAC mechanisms in IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) have remained largely unchanged for over 20 years. In this paper, we argue that the prevalence of WiFi makes it almost impossible to improve its performance through changes that require modifying hardware, firmware, or drivers. New applications, however, continue to exert novel performance demands. We suggest that changes should be developed as augmentation-only solutions through above-driver, kernel-level software modifications. An augmentation-only solution needs to maintain inter-operability and afford transparency in performance to existing WiFi devices, as well as enable minimum overhead upgradability. Our goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of MAC augmentation according to these principles. To this end, we leverage soft scheduling, where nodes are asked for a best-effort attempt to adhere to a given schedule. We allow the soft scheduler to coexist with and work at a different time scale from WiFi's Distributed Coordination Function (DCF); allowing it to reduce the time nodes spend contending for the medium while allowing DCF to handle only missed schedule slots and schedule divergence. We present a new Soft Token Passing Protocol (STPP) as an instance of this family of Soft Scheduling Protocols. We then show how STPP can be made part of a MAC protocol with specific performance improvement goals by developing the Wireless Low-Latency Local Links (WL4) system. We evaluate WL4 on a five node microbenchmark and quantify the system's overhead on network throughput and latency. We show that soft scheduling, via STPP, enables WL4 to adhere to our augmentation principles while improving the latency within the system.
Genetically Increased Telomere Length and Aging-related Physical and Cognitive Traits in the UK Biobank

ABSTRACT Background Telomere length (TL) shortens over time in most human cell types and is a potential biomarker aging. However, the causal impact of TL on physical and cognitive phenotypes that decline with age has not been extensively examined. Using a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, we utilized genetically increased TL (GI-TL) to estimate the impact of TL on aging-related traits among UK Biobank (UKB) participants. Methods We manually curated >50 aging-related traits from UKB and restricted to unrelated participants of British ancestry (n=337,522). We estimated GI-TL as a linear combination of nine TL-associated SNPs, each weighted by its previously-reported association with leukocyte TL. Regression models were used to assess the associations between GI-TL and each trait. We obtained MR estimates using the two-sample inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach. Results We identified 5 age-related traits associated with GI-TL (Bonferroni-corrected threshold p Conclusions These findings suggest that longer TL increases pulmonary function and blood pressure traits. Further research is necessary to evaluate TL in cardiovascular and pulmonary age-related decline. KEY MESSAGES Telomere length (TL) is a potential biomarker and cause of aging, however, the causal relationship between TL and aging-related traits has not been thoroughly examined using a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. We evaluated genetically increased TL (GI-TL) and its association with over 50 aging-related traits in the UK Biobank cohort using regression models and MR approaches. Pulmonary function (FEV1 and FVC) and blood pressure (SBP, DBP, and PP) traits were positively associated with GI-TL in the expected and unexpected direction, respectively. Using inverse probability weights to account for the non-representativeness of the UKB, our observed associations for GI-TL with blood pressure traits and pulmonary function persisted. Using simulated data to examine study selection as a potential source of collider bias, we concluded that selection bias was unlikely to explain the observed associations.
Yet We Live, Strive, and Succeed: Using Photovoice to Understand Community Members’ Experiences of Justice, Safety, Hope, and Racial Equity

Residents’ experiences provide rich insight into the factors that drive widening social and health disparities, and those experiences are not homogeneous. Only through attending to people’s lived experiences will society begin to see these as issues of the entire community, and only by engaging residents in the process of community change can the kinds of change that are needed ever be achieved. Photovoice is a participatory qualitative research method that gives voice to participants’ experiences and perspectives while simultaneously facilitating critical consciousness-raising for social action and social change. This study employed a Photovoice process to explore experiences and perspectives of residents and people working in organizations that serve West Louisville, and to facilitate dialogue and action leading to social change. Forty-three individuals across eight groups completed the Photovoice project, representing youth, older adults, LGBTQ people, faith leaders, educators, activists, and two groups of Black men. Analysis of photos and group dialogue within and across the eight groups identified several common themes that pointed at the historical and present structural racism in the community, the city’s lack of concern for the Black community, the importance of Black history, and the need for collective community action. The public Photovoice exhibit helped inform the subsequent agenda for the city’s Center for Health Equity.
The Factor Structure of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, Third Edition.

Objective: The Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) is one of the most commonly used aphasia batteries. The newest edition has undergone significant revisions since its original publication in 1972, but existing evidence for its validity is lacking. We examined the construct validity of BDAE-3 and identified the factor structure of this battery. Method: A total of 355 people with aphasia of various types and severity completed neuropsychological evaluations to assess their patterns of language impairment. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation was conducted to examine the components of BDAE-3 subtests. Results: Five components accounting for over 70% of the BDAE-3 total variance were found. The five language factors identified were auditory comprehension/ideomotor praxis, naming and reading, articulation-repetition, grammatical comprehension, and phonological processing. Conclusions: Our results show that the BDAE-3 demonstrates good construct validity, and certain language functions remain primary, distinct language domains (i.e., receptive vs. expressive language) across severities of aphasia. Overall, our findings inform clinical practice by outlining the inherent structure of language abilities in people with aphasia. Clinicians can utilize the findings to select core BDAE-3 tests that are most representative of their respective functions, thereby reducing the total testing time while preserving diagnostic sensitivity. (JINS, 2019, 25, 772–776)
ESRA19-0264 Delayed attainment of physical therapy milestones with the addition of an adductor canal block to local infiltration analgesia following total knee arthroplasty

Background and aims Retrospective data and prior studies suggest a synergistic analgesic effect of an adductor canal blockade (ACB) added to local infiltration analgesia (LIA) compared to LIA alone. Our hypothesis was that physical therapy (PT) milestones would be reached earlier with ACB + LIA than LIA alone. Methods After IRB approval, patients scheduled for unilateral primary TKA were randomized to receive either ACB or a sham block (saline) in addition to the LIA administered by the surgeon. Exclusion criteria included significant systemic disease, substance abuse and chronic pain. Spinal anesthetic and postoperative pain management were standardized. ACB was performed at the mid-thigh level with 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine with 1:200,000 adrenaline. LIA was performed by the surgeon using bupivacaine, ketorolac, adrenaline and morphine, as well as liposomal bupivacaine. Data collected included passive and active ROM of the knee in flexion and extension; 2-minute walk test; total distance ambulated on the day of surgery and the first and second post-operative days; and pain NVS before, during and after physical therapy sessions. Results Preliminary results of 63 patients out of 150 planned are reported. Pain scores, measured as an AUC for the initial 48 hours, were not different between groups. However, total distance ambulated and 2-minute walk tests were lower in the group that received the ACB in addition to LIA at each of the time points. Conclusions While these interim results remain to be confirmed, the data suggest that LIA alone is preferable to LIA + ACB.
Examining longitudinal associations between externalizing and internalizing behavior problems at within- and between-child levels

Externalizing and internalizing behavior problems are known to often co-occur, but mechanisms underlying this co-occurrence remain unclear: whether the associations are due to causal influences of one domain on the other or due to common risk processes influencing both domains. This study aimed to better understand the sources of co-occurring behavior problems by disentangling within- and between-child levels of associations between the two across the five years of childhood, from pre-kindergarten to Grade 3. We analyzed a longitudinal sample of 1060 children from non-urban settings in the U.S. using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) as an alternative to the commonly-used standard CLPMs. Results indicate that co-occurring externalizing and internalizing problems can be explained partly by a unidirectional influence from externalizing to internalizing problems operating within children and partly by stable differences between children that influence both domains of problems. Further analyses indicate that an executive function deficit in early childhood is an important shared risk factor for both problems, suggesting the utility of executive function interventions in preventing or addressing externalizing and internalizing problems in childhood.
Circulating Tumor Cells and Early Relapse in Node-positive Melanoma

Purpose: There is a need for sensitive, reproducible biomarkers for stage III melanoma patients to guide clinical decision making. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be detected in melanoma patients; however, there is limited data regarding their significance in stage III disease. The aim of this study was to determine if CTCs are associated with early relapse in stage III melanoma. Experimental Design: We prospectively assessed CTCs at first presentation in clinic (baseline) for 243 stage III melanoma patients. CTCs were measured using the CellSearch System. Relapse-free survival (RFS) was compared between patients with one or more baseline CTC versus those with no CTCs. Log-rank test and Cox regression analysis were applied to establish associations of CTCs with RFS. Results: At least one baseline CTC was identified in 90/243 (37%) patients. Forty-five (19%), 67 (28%), 118 (49%), and 13 (5%) patients were stage IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, or IIID, respectively. CTC detection was not associated with sub stage, or primary tumor characteristics. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that the detection of ≥1 baseline CTC was significantly associated with decreased 6 month RFS (log-rank p
Performance of 2D Synthetic Mammography Versus Digital Mammography in the Detection of Microcalcifications at Screening

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of 2D synthetic mammography (SM) to that of full-field digital mammography (FFDM) in the detection of microcalcifications and to e...
Original contributionEndosonography-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy in the evaluation of pancreatic masses

OBJECTIVES: Diagnosis of pancreatic tumors can be problematic. This study aimed to determine the performance of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (EUS FNA) in pancreatic malignancy when prior biopsies performed by CT guidance or ERCP were negative. METHODS: A total of 185 patients with known or suspected pancreatic masses were prospectively evaluated with EUS FNA. Before EUS FNA, all patients were evaluated with abdominal CT (61 with CT-guided biopsy) and 91 with ERCP (41 had brushings or biopsy). RESULTS: EUS had greater sensitivity than CT in detecting a mass (99% vs 57%, p < 0.0001). In 58 patients with negative CT-guided biopsies, EUS FNA had 90% sensitivity for malignancy, 50% specificity for benign disease and 84% accuracy. Similarly, in 36 patients with negative ERCP tissue sampling, results for EUS FNA were 94%, 67% and 92%, respectively. Complications were mild and infrequent (0.5%). CONCLUSION: EUS FNA of pancreatic masses safely and accurately diagnoses pancreatic malignancy when prior biopsy techniques have been unsuccessful.