cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uninformed consent: Do medicine residents lack the proper framework for code status discussions?

BACKGROUND Conversations eliciting patient preferences about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are among the most common examples of informed consent. However, this is rarely recognized and therefore may not include all key elements of informed consent, namely, details and benefits of the procedure, significant risks involved, likelihood of the outcome, and alternative therapeutic options. OBJECTIVE Assess the content of code status discussions as reported by residents to examine whether residents meet requirements of informed consent. DESIGN Prospective, observational, single-center survey study. SETTING Internal medicine residents at an academic medical center. INTERVENTION Medicine residents were surveyed and data were anonymously collected. MEASUREMENTS Content of code status discussions and knowledge of CPR outcomes. RESULTS Among 100 respondents, 66% have code status discussions with most patients upon hospital admission. Two main barriers to discussing code status were lack of time (49%) and lack of rapport (29%). Only 8% reported discussing all 5 elements of informed consent. Less than 10% of the residents correctly answered questions testing knowledge regarding outcomes after cardiac arrest. In logistical regression analyses, residents who included all key elements of informed consent reported more confidence that they provided the information needed for patients to make an informed decision (odds ratio 1.7 [95% confidence interval: 1.2-2.3]). CONCLUSIONS Resident conversations regarding CPR are insufficient in the 5 key elements of informed consent. Framing code status discussions as examples of informed consent may be an effective strategy for educating residents or may improve the quality of these discussions, potentially leading to better patient decisions. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2015;10:000–000. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2015. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine
Learning to Make Decisions in Dynamic Environments: Effects of Time Constraints and Cognitive Abilities

This study investigated the effects of time constraints and cognitive abilities on dynamic decision making (DDM). The learning and performance of individuals trained in a DDM task with time constraints were compared with those who were trained without time constraints. Although all participants received the same total amount of time to perform the task, individuals under more stringent time constraints were given 3 times more practice trials on the first 2 days of the study than were people under less stringent time constraints. Despite the additional practice runs, participants under high time constraints performed worse than did participants under low time constraints on the 3rd day of the study. A subsequent analysis of cognitive abilities and decision heuristics revealed that individuals' actions corresponded with simple heuristic predictions more closely with minimal practice than with extended practice, under high rather than low time constraints, and in individuals with low rather than high cognitive abilities. These findings suggest that mere repetition of a task with less time within a trial is counterproductive to learning and that learning depends on cognitive abilities. Potential applications of this research include the design of training procedures for dynamic tasks.
The brain microenvironment and cancer metastasis

The process of metastasis consists of a series of sequential, selective steps that few cells can complete. The outcome of cancer metastasis depends on multiple interactions between metastatic cells and homeostatic mechanisms that are unique to one or another organ microenvironment. The specific organ microenvironment determines the extent of cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and survival. Many lung cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma patients develop fatal brain metastases that do not respond to therapy. The blood-brain barrier is intact in and around brain metastases that are smaller than 0.25 mm in diameter. Although the blood-brain barrier is leaky in larger metastases, the lesions are resistant to many chemotherapeutic drugs. Activated astrocytes surround and infiltrate brain metastases. The physiological role of astrocytes is to protect against neurotoxicity. Our current data demonstrate that activated astrocytes also protect tumor cells against chemotherapeutic drugs.
Using memory errors to attack a virtual machine

We present an experimental study showing that soft memory errors can lead to serious security vulnerabilities in Java and .NET virtual machines, or in any system that relies on type-checking of untrusted programs as a protection mechanism. Our attack works by sending to the JVM a Java program that is designed so that almost any memory error in its address space will allow it to take control of the JVM. All conventional Java and .NET virtual machines are vulnerable to this attack. The technique of the attack is broadly applicable against other language-based security schemes such as proof-carrying code. We measured the attack on two commercial Java virtual machines: Sun's and IBM's. We show that a single-bit error in the Java program's data space can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with a probability of about 70%, and multiple-bit errors with a lower probability. Our attack is particularly relevant against smart cards or tamper-resistant computers, where the user has physical access (to the outside of the computer) and can use various means to induce faults; we have successfully used heat. Fortunately, there are some straightforward defenses against this attack.
Indirect Dissolution of Sapphire into Silicate Melts

The forced-convective dissolution of sapphire into CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 melts was investigated at 1450° and 1550°C. Spinel, MgAl2O4, formed on the sapphire under all conditions although the morphology of the spinel, which varied from individual particles to a complete layer, depended on the MgO content of the melt, the rate of rotation of the specimens in the melt, and the temperature. The thermodynamic and kinetic conditions required for formation of spinel are considered, and the factors that are important in the development of a coherent spinel layer on sapphire are discussed. Although spinel inhibits the dissolution of sapphire into silicate melts, it does not stop the dissolution. Because the dissolution process occurs in an indirect manner when a complete layer of spinel forms, this type of dissolution process is designated as indirect dissolution.
In-silico identification of phenotype-biased functional modules

Background: Phenotypes exhibited by microorganisms can be useful for several purposes, e.g., ethanol as an alternate fuel. Sometimes, the target phenotype maybe required in combination with other phenotypes, in order to be useful, for e.g., an industrial process may require that the organism survive in an anaerobic, alcohol rich environment and be able to feed on both hexose and pentose sugars to produce ethanol. This combination of traits may not be available in any existing organism or if they do exist, the mechanisms involved in the phenotype-expression may not be efficient enough to be useful. Thus, it may be required to genetically modify microorganisms. However, before any genetic modification can take place, it is important to identify the underlying cellular subsystems responsible for the expression of the target phenotype. Results: In this paper, we develop a method to identify statistically significant and phenotypically-biased functional modules. The method can compare the organismal network information from hundreds of phenotype expressing and phenotype non-expressing organisms to identify cellular subsystems that are more prone to occur in phenotype-expressing organisms than in phenotype non-expressing organisms. We have provided literature evidence that the phenotype-biased modules identified for phenotypes such as hydrogen production (dark and light fermentation), respiration, gram-positive, gram-negative and motility, are indeed phenotype-related. Conclusion: Thus we have proposed a methodology to identify phenotype-biased cellular subsystems. We have shown the effectiveness of our methodology by applying it to several target phenotypes. The code and all supplemental files can be downloaded from (http://freescience.org/cs/phenotype-biased-biclusters/). Background Phenotypes that certain microorganisms express includes breaking down the lignocellulosic barrier of biomass, biodegradation of various environmental contaminants etc. Tackling problems in the areas of bioremediation and bioenergy with the help of genetic engineering requires as af irst step identifying the cellular subsystems that are involved in the phenotype-expression by an organism. The phenotype-related cellular subsystems may be detected using laboratory
Geographical Distribution of Insanity in America: Evidence for an Urban Factor

The geographic distribution of insanity and schizophrenia in the United States is examined for 9 separate years between 1880 and 1963. A concentration of these conditions in Northeastern and Pacific Coast States was remarkably consistent over the 83 years. States with a high prevalence rate had approximately three times more insanity and schizophrenia than those with a low prevalence rate. There is a direct regional correlation of insanity/schizophrenia with urbanization, which is consistent with previous studies. There is also a direct regional correlation of schizophrenia with socioeconomic status, which contradicts previous studies carried out in large cities in which the schizophrenic rates were inversely correlated with socioeconomic status. The apparent discrepancy can be explained by postulating that the direct regional correlations are due to correlations of urbanization and socioeconomic status (cities have higher mean incomes than rural areas) whereas, within a particular city, schizophrenia is more prevalent among lower socioeconomic groups because of drift and other factors. Social, stress and crowding, genetic, and biological factors are discussed as possible explanations for the urban factor associated with insanity/schizophrenia.
Low‐temperature migration of silicon through metal films importance of silicon‐;metal interface

The method of backscattering analysis has been employed to study the phenomenon of low-temperature migration of Si through thin films of Au and Ag evaporated in vacuum on substrates of single crystal Si. The Si begins to migrate at lower temperatures (≈200 °C) through Au, which has a low-temperature eutectic with Si, than it does through Ag (≈400 °C), which has a higher eutectic point. Migration of Si is also studied through double layers of Au with superimposed Ag, and vice versa. It is concluded that the interface between the Si substrate and the film plays a leading role in this process of low-temperature migration.
Hexameric Structure and Assembly of the Interleukin-6/IL-6 α-Receptor/gp130 Complex

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an immunoregulatory cytokine that activates a cell-surface signaling assembly composed of IL-6, the IL-6 alpha-receptor (IL-6Ralpha), and the shared signaling receptor gp130. The 3.65 angstrom-resolution structure of the extracellular signaling complex reveals a hexameric, interlocking assembly mediated by a total of 10 symmetry-related, thermodynamically coupled interfaces. Assembly of the hexameric complex occurs sequentially: IL-6 is first engaged by IL-6Ralpha and then presented to gp130in the proper geometry to facilitate a cooperative transition into the high-affinity, signaling-competent hexamer. The quaternary structures of other IL-6/IL-12 family signaling complexes are likely constructed by means of a similar topological blueprint.
Dyeability of Nomex® Aramid Yarn

Treatments in highly polar solvents, such as dimethyl formamide, dimethyl acet amide, and dimethyl sulfoxide, under suitable conditions have been found to improve the dyeability of Nomex® yam so th...
An Enhanced Deterministic Sequential Monte Carlo Method for Near-Optimal MIMO Demodulation

We propose a low-complexity, linear MMSE-based sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) technique as an alternative to the sphere decoder for near-optimal demodulation in MIMO systems. Prior to the SMC procedure, the received signal is passed through a linear MMSE-based preprocessing step, which also determines an optimal channel-dependent order of detection and produces a sequential structure. The algorithm then draws the symbol samples in a deterministic fashion, and the survivor paths are selected based on their importance weights. The proposed algorithm exploits the rectangular structure of the QAM signal constellation by separating the real and imaginary parts of the signal to reduce the complexity associated with the listing and weight update steps. We demonstrate through simulations that the new method achieves the sphere decoder performance for V-BLAST systems.
Profiling Sustainability Curriculum in AACSB Schools

This article describes the landscape of Sustainability Curriculum being used across the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)–accredited schools in the United States on the ...
Deadline and energy constrained dynamic resource allocation in a heterogeneous computing environment

Energy-efficient resource allocation within clusters and data centers is important because of the growing cost of energy. We study the problem of energy-constrained dynamic allocation of tasks to a heterogeneous cluster computing environment. Our goal is to complete as many tasks by their individual deadlines and within the system energy constraint as possible given that task execution times are uncertain and the system is oversubscribed at times. We use Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) to balance the energy consumption and execution time of each task. We design and evaluate (via simulation) a set of heuristics and filtering mechanisms for making allocations in our system. We show that the appropriate choice of filtering mechanisms improves performance more than the choice of heuristic (among the heuristics we tested).
Protein synthesis in vesicular stomatitis virus-infected HeLa cells.

Abstract A method is presented for maximizing the amount of radioactive precursors incorporated into vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) grown in suspension cultures of HeLa S3 cells. By varying the input multiplicity of infection, different relative rates of VSV protein synthesis and of host protein synthesis are found. All the virus-specific polypeptides resolved by polyacrylamide gel analysis are synthesized in the same relative proportions throughout the infectious cycle; the predominant species synthesized correspond to the polypeptides of the purified virion, and no evidence is found for a large polypeptide precursor to any of the virus-specific polypeptides. The molecular weights of the capsid polypeptides are 180,000, 67,000, 52,000, 40,000, and 25,000. As many as 9 additional polypeptides are seen in infected cells. The molecular weight of the RNA from purified virions is 3.6 × 106 daltons under both native and denaturing conditions. This size is sufficient to account for the total mass of polypeptides synthesized in the infected cell, provided that polypeptides larger than 70,000 daltons are disregarded.
Precise and reproducible deposition of thin and ultrathin carbon films by flash evaporation of carbon yarn in high vacuum

SUMMARY A simple, small device and its use for reproducible flash evaporation of carbon yarn in high vacuum are characterized. Using this flash evaporator, carbon films of any thickness up to 20 nm can be deposited without spark generation under minimized photon radiation, and with an accuracy better than ±0·2 nm. The films have less background structure (imaged in phase contrast) than conventionally rod evaporated films and are therefore suitable for many kinds of thin and ultrathin carbon film applications in electron microscopy, e.g. as backing for formvar films or sections, as isolating carbon layers for autoradiography, as ultrathin films (floated from mica) for support of macromolecules to be metal shadowed and as support and cover for negative staining of various specimens by the sandwich technique.
INDISCRIMINATE FEMALES AND CHOOSY MALES: WITHIN- AND BETWEEN-SPECIES VARIATION IN DROSOPHILA

The classic view of choosy, passive females and indiscriminate, competitive males gained theoretical foundations with parental investment theory. When females invest more in offspring than males, parental investment theory says that selection operates so that females discriminate among males for mates (i.e., females are choosy and passive) and males are indiscriminate (i.e., males are profligate and competitive). Here we report tests of predictions using Drosophila pseudoobscura and D. melanogaster, with typical asymmetry in gamete sizes (females > males), and in D. hydei with far less asymmetry in gamete size. Experimental observations revealed that the labels "choosy, passive females" and "profligate, indiscriminate males" did not capture the variation within and between species in premating behavior. In each of the species some females were as active in approaching males (or more so) than males in approaching females, and some males were as discriminating (or more so) than females. In pairs focal males and females responded differently to opposite-sex than to same-sex conspecifics. Drosophila hydei were less sex-role stereotyped than the other two species consistent with parental investment theory. However, D. pseudoobscura females approached males more often than did D. melanogaster females, and male D. hydei approached females as often as males of the other two species, both results inconsistent with parental investment theory. Male D. pseudoobscura and D. hydei were more likely to approach males in same-sex pairs than male D. melanogaster, inconsistent with parental investment theory.
A selective reagent for the removal and recovery of chromate, molybdate, tungstate, and vanadate from aqueous solution

Abstract 4-Aminobenzoic acid, (1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-(1-piperidinyl)ethyl ester, was synthesized and tested to determine its ability to selectively precipitate anions. Fifty-seven common anions were tested. The reagent reacted most readily with the oxyanions of Group VIB and vanadium. The precursor alcohol, 1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-(piperidinyl)ethanol, and the unsubstituted benzoate ester, 1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-(piperidinyl)ethyl benzoate, were also tested. Dissolution of the precipitates in a strong base followed by a methylene chloride wash removes the organic reagent and frees the anions for further analysis.
Fluorescence lifetime imaging for the two-photon microscope: time-domain and frequency-domain methods.

Fluorescence lifetime images are obtained with the laser scanning microscope using two methods: the time-correlated single-photon counting method and the frequency-domain method. In the same microscope system, we implement both methods. We perform a comparison of the performance of the two approaches in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the speed of data acquisition. While in our practical implementation the time-correlated single-photon counting technique provides a better SNR for low-intensity images, the frequency-domain method is faster and provides less distortion for bright samples.
Activation of Endothelial Roundabout Receptor 4 Reduces the Severity of Virus-Induced Keratitis

Antiangiogenic molecules exert a feedback control to restrain pathological angiogenesis, which includes physical binding or inhibition of angiogenic signaling in blood vessel endothelial cells. The latter is the case in which Slit2 ligand-dependent activation of the blood vessel endothelial cell receptor roundabout 4 (Robo4) occurs. In this study, we demonstrate that Robo4 receptors are upregulated following HSV infection of the eye on the majority of the new blood vessel endothelial cells that occur in the corneal stroma. However, expression levels of the ligand for Robo4 receptors, Slit2, was not significantly increased during the disease process, and the knockdown of Slit2 gene expression using lentiviral short hairpin RNAs had no effect on the extent of pathological angiogenesis. In contrast, providing additional Slit2 protein by subconjunctival administration resulted in significantly reduced angiogenesis. The Slit2 binding to Robo4 was shown to block the downstream vascular endothelial growth factor signaling molecules Arf 6 and Rac 1 and reduce the antiapoptotic molecule Bcl-xL in blood vessel endothelial cells. Our results indicate that augmenting the host Robo4/Slit2 system could provide a useful therapeutic approach to control pathological angiogenesis associated with HSV induced stromal keratitis.
Is There A Correlation Between Cheating In Undergraduate Institutions And The Mess On Wall Street? ... Are We Addicted To Cheating?

A recent survey of undergraduate business students indicated that an overwhelming majority, over 75%, of the participants admitted to cheating. When graduate school majors were surveyed, research indicates that the biggest cheaters, 56% overall, were business majors. Are students behaving in response to societal rewards of corporate malfeasance resulting from corporate fraud? The defense and justification of “everybody does it” undermines the academic integrity standards and the financial reporting standards. A recent editorial likened the reports issued by Wall Street financial firms to a “fairy tale of assets.” This mindset of fraud and corruption infiltrates the learning process and establishes a diminished ethical expectation for the business students.
Observations and Modeling of NoX in an Urban Area

ABSTRACT Data from the Regional Air Pollution Study are surveyed to delineate the experience with NO and NO 2 concentrations in St. Louis, a metropolitan area in the central United States. Two-year time series are produced for the daily maximum 1-h average in the monitoring network and the 24-h average of central urban sites. Various aspects of the data are displayed graphically including the time and location of the maximum, the distribution of concentration, and the relation of high concentrations to meteorological factors. A stagnation episode is examined in detail, and predictions of an air quality model are compared with measured levels of O 3 , NO, NO 2 , and CO.
' Experiential Education Through the Vis Moot ' and ' Building on the Bergsten Legacy: The Vis Moot as a Platform for Legal Education '

Recent discussions of experiential education have at times considered the role of moot opportunities in legal education. Many, if not most, moot courts and related activities have been designed primarily as competitions. One moot, the Willem Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, is different in that it was designed, and has been consistently administered, as a tool for educating future lawyers. That education has included both skills training of the highest order and the development of a doctrinal understanding of important international legal instruments, especially those created and administered by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). This pair of essays begins with a description of the history and purpose of the Vis Moot, provided by the person who created and administered the Moot for its first twenty years. Professor Bergsten explains how what started as a small gathering has become an educational gathering of thousands each year, and a principal training ground for future arbitrators and arbitration counsel. Professor Brand follows with a description of how the Vis Moot platform has been used by the Center for International Legal Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law to aid law school curriculum development in transition countries and to provide new legal education opportunities.
The Choking Game on YouTube: An Update

The choking game (TCG) is an adolescent activity in which asphyxiation is used to obtain a “high,” occasionally resulting in seizures or death. A plethora of TCG information is available through YouTube, though this content has not been evaluated recently. The current study described TCG as portrayed in YouTube videos and compared views and ratings of TCG videos to unrelated videos. The TCG videos demonstrated diverse methods of asphyxiation, with a minority showing injury to the participants. TCG videos were less likely to be commented on or rated positively than non–choking game videos. TCG prevention videos differed significantly from actual TCG videos in the way they depicted the social context of TCG. Thus, TCG videos are accessible through YouTube, but the prevention materials available on YouTube are not accurate or representative. Accurate and educational online prevention materials should be created to decrease the occurrence of TCG.
Future Cropland Requirements and Projection Sensitivity

Ranges are developed within which it is judged there are two out of three chances that 1968 demand and yield outcomes will occur. Five crop categories for 10 regions are considered. Drawing on a theorem pertaining to the probability distribution of a quotient, we use the foregoing results to estimate ranges for the regional-commodity cells. Ranges for regional cropland totals and national totals for each crop category are estimated as the sum of approximately normally distributed variables. The 1968 ranges are compared with recent acreages to determine if it is likely that particular acreages will expand or contract.
Perching heights and nocturnal communal roosts of some tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in southeastern Peru.

When disturbed, diurnally active species of tiger beetles flew from the forest floor, where they foraged, to temporary perches in the vegetation. The height of these perches was correlated with the size of the species. At night, these species roosted for 10-12 hours at the same height as their temporary daytime perches. Some species congregated nocturnally on communal roosts of 2-9 individuals during the early rainy season. Species from sandy edges of rivers roosted on grass blades at night. When 10 individuals were removed one at a time from the grass and placed on the ground, four were captured and ingested within two minutes by large nocturnally-active tiger beetles. ROOSTING AND PERCHING BEHAVIOR in insects is a readily observed and quantifiable pattern in tropical forest habitats. This paper presents data from observations of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in south-eastern Peru that can be compared to patterns of perching behavior and nocturnal roosting behavior described for other groups of tropical forest insects. For instance, perch height is correlated with body size for tropical scarabaeid beetles (Howden and Nealis 1978); this pattern has been attributed to searching behavior for a limiting resource (Peck and Forsyth 1982). Nocturnal roosts, often communal, of butterflies have been attributed to thermoregulation and protection from physical factors (Young 1979) as well as predation (Young and Thomason 1975; Turner
Ultrastructure of the Spore Wall in Echinostelium

It was recently proposed (Olive, 1970) that the Myxomycetes evolved, via the primitive genus Echinostelium, from the flagellate protostelids. Of the latter, the most likely progenitor was thought to be Cavostelium, which has 1-2-spored fruiting bodies and flagellate cells similar to those of Myxomycetes. Various stages in the life cycle of Cavostelium, especially C. bisporum Olive & Stoianovitch, have been studied under the electron microscope, with considerable attention being given to the ultrastructure of the fruiting bodies and spores (Furtado, Olive, and Jones, 1971). The present study was made to continue the comparison between the two genera. The two species of Echinostelium included in this investigation were E. lunatum Olive & Stoianovitch (1971), the smallest known myxomycete, and the pinkish-spored form of E. minutum de Bary, which occurs commonly on the bark of oak trees in our area. The fruiting bodies of both were treated with the conventional glutaraldehyde-osmium fixation and embedded in Epon-Araldite. Sections were stained with lead citrate and examined with the Hitachi HU-11E electron microscope. The spore wall of both species of Echinostelium was found to be composed of two major layers-an electron-dense outer layer and a nearly electron-transparent inner layer (FIGS. 1, 5-7). In E. minutum (FIG. 1) the inner layer is much wider (250-500 my) than the outer (ca. 100 m,u), but in E. lunatum (FIGS. 6, 7) the two layers tend to have more nearly the same width. Under higher magnifications the outer layer in both species reveals a conspicuous fibrous network (FIGS. 2-4, 7). In earlier stages of development it appears as a homogeneous electron-dense component, but in E. lunaturn, as the outer layer matures,
f-Element coordination and extraction selectivity of a carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide ligand based on a tripodal phosphine oxide scaffold

Abstract We report here the synthesis and study of a multipodal ligand bearing three CMPO units attached to a trialkylphosphine oxide cap along with the resultant Ln3+, Th4+ and UO22+ metal complexes. This tripodal ligand demonstrates extraction efficiencies of 47% and 44% for the actinide species Th(NO3)4 and UO2(NO3)2 out of 1 M nitric acid into a solution of dichloromethane, while all lanthanide nitrates were extracted with relatively low efficiencies. Further extraction studies utilizing 5 M nitric acid solutions resulted in nearly quantitative actinide extraction. The ability of this ligand to sensitize the metal-centered luminescence of Eu3+ and Tb3+ in DMSO solutions was also investigated. Finally, possible conformations for the structure of the [La(NO3)-ligand]2+ complex were calculated using density functional theory.
Racist housing practices as a precursor to uneven neighborhood change in a post-industrial city

AbstractRacial dynamics and discrimination have been extremely important in influencing decline in the American Rust Belt. The mid-twentieth century departure of white and middle-class populations from cities was precipitated by a breakdown of discriminatory housing practices. This study examines the relationship among housing condition, vacancies, poverty, and demographics in Flint, Michigan, from 1950 to 2010. Historical census data from the National Historical GIS and housing condition data from the City of Flint government are aggregated to neighborhoods defined by economic condition factor (n = 102). Results of rank-difference correlation and geographically weighted regression indicate that, across neighborhoods with the greatest decline in housing condition, the strongest correlate was most often the increase in vacancy rates driven initially by racially motivated suburbanization – suggesting that demographic change alone is not primarily responsible for neighborhood decline. This research is import...
Plant and Crop Databases

Databases have become an integral part of all aspects of biological research, including basic and applied plant biology. The importance of databases continues to increase as the volume of data from direct and indirect genomics approaches expands. What is not always obvious to users of databases is the range of available database resources, their access points, or some basic elements of database querying. This chapter briefly summarizes the history of data access via the Internet and reviews some basic terms and considerations in dealing with plant and crop databases. The reader is directed to some of the major publicly available Internet-accessible relevant databases with summaries of the major focuses of those databases, and several examples are given to illustrate how to access plant genomics data. Finally, an outline is given of some of the issues facing the future of plant and crop databases.
Design and Human-in-the-Loop Testing of Reduced-Modification Input Shapers

Many systems require a human in the control loop. When the controlled system has flexibility, the human can have significant difficulties operating the machine. Input-shaping control has been shown to improve the control of flexible systems by reducing system vibration. However, it may negatively affect the control of the driven base or vehicle that the operator is directly controlling. This brief presents a new type of input shaper that modifies the operator's command less than traditional input shapers, thereby improving the control of the driven base. A manual tracking experiment compared the tracking performance and subjective difficulty using both the new and traditional input shapers. Input shapers generally improved the tracking performance of the system's flexible element, and the new input shapers did not significantly degrade tracking of the system’s driven base.
Digital Subtraction Angiography for Evaluating Patients With Renal Carcinoma

AbstractIntravenous digital subtraction angiography has been performed on 39 patients with renal carcinoma. In 19 patients (group 1) imaging of the renal arteries was done following injection of 40 cc intravenous contrast medium through an antecubital vein. In 20 patients (group 2) 40 cc intravenous contrast medium were injected through a femoral vein and digital subtraction imaging of the inferior vena cava was obtained. In 12 of these patients the renal arteries also were visualized from the same injection of contrast medium. Intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography of the renal arteries also was done in 5 patients in group 2.Intravenous digital subtraction angiography satisfactorily demonstrated main renal arterial anatomy in 29 of 35 patients (83 per cent) over-all but failed to delineate the renal mass in most cases. Excellent visualization of the inferior vena cava was obtained in all 20 patients in group 2. Intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography yielded an accurate diagnosis of renal ...
Applications of the Theory of ( n + 1)-Webs

In this chapter we consider the applications of the theory of (n + 1)-webs which we have developed in Chapters 1 – 4 to the theory of point correspondences among n + 1 projective lines (Section 6.1) and n + 1 projective spaces (Section 6.2) and to the theory of holomorphic mappings between polyhedral domains (Section 6.3).
Cybersecurity in India

India is facing domestic and international pressures to build CS measures and the country has launched a number of initiatives on this front. Nonetheless, CS-related activities in India are underwhelming compared to other major economies. Internal and external CS concerns are less clearly defined. The lack of commitment of resources required to develop CS capabilities has been a key problem facing India. While the Government of India released the National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP) in July 2013, some also argue that the NCSP provides insufficient details regarding the implementation and resources and steps have not been clearly identified. A public–private partnership has been an institutional means of dealing with underdeveloped CS-related institutions.
Isopycnic and Hybrid Ocean Modeling in the Context of GODAE

An ocean forecasting system has three essential components (observations, data assimilation, numerical model). Observational data, via data assimilation, form the basis of an accurate model forecast; the quality of the ocean forecast will depend primarily on the ability of the ocean numerical model to faithfully represent the ocean physics and dynamics. Even the use of an infinite amount of data to constrain the initial conditions will not necessarily improve the forecast against persistence of a poorly performing ocean numerical model. In this chapter, some of the challenges associated with global ocean modeling are introduced and the current state of numerical models formulated in isopycnic and hybrid vertical coordinates is reviewed within the context of operational global ocean prediction systems.
Phospha-Michael addition reaction of maleimides employing N-heterocyclic phosphine-thiourea as a phosphonylation reagent: synthesis of 1-aryl-2,5-dioxopyrrolidine-3-yl-phosphonate derivatives

N-Heterocyclic phosphine (NHP)-thiourea as a novel phosphonylation reagent has been successfully applied for the phospha-Michael reaction of maleimides under catalyst and additive free reaction conditions. This methodology enables desymmetrization of a variety of maleimide derivatives to provide 1-aryl-2,5-dioxopyrrolidine-3-yl-phosphonates in up to 92% yield. Synthetic manipulation of this Michael adduct afforded an ethylphosphonate and a phosphino lactam. Furthermore, a scale-up experiment for its practical usage as a versatile precursor in organic synthesis was readily demonstrated.
Technologies of Taste

One unique aspect of our new digital media ecology is the massive proliferation of technologies of taste - recommendation engines that use collaborative or contentbased filtering (or both). As technology allows us to move from a broadcast to an on-demand media culture, scholars and practitioners need to monitor the way people segregate themselves to media and entertainment content that reinforces their world views, and to look at the social, psychological, and economic effects of this new media ecosystem. However, it is shortsighted to assume that recommendation systems are hard-wired to insulate people from one another. In fact, there is an acute business interest in not allowing that to happen.
Learning pure-strategy Nash equilibria in networked multi-agent systems with uncertainty

A multi-agent system with uncertainty entails a set of agents intent on maximizing their local utility functions that depend on the actions of other agents and a state of the world while having partial and different information about actions of other agents and the state of the world. When agents repeatedly have to make decisions in these settings, we propose a general class of decision-making dynamics based on the Fictitious Play (FP) algorithm with inertia. We show convergence of the proposed algorithm to pure Nash equilibria for the class of weakly acyclic games—a structural assumption on local utility functions that guarantees existence of pure Nash equilibria—as long as the predictions of the agents of their local utilities satisfy a mild asymptotic accuracy condition. Using the results on the general dynamics, the paper proposes distributed implementations of the FP algorithm with inertia suited for networked multi-agent systems and shows its convergence to pure Nash equilibria. Numerical examples corroborate the analysis providing insights to convergence time.
Go baby go café: a case study on an immersive rehabilitation environment to improve functional outcomes and quality of life.

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of involving traumatic brain injury survivors in a novel “enriched rehabilitation environment” in which physical, cognitive, social and speech impairments ar...
Applying a Social Justice Framework to Photovoice Research on Environmental Issues: A Comprehensive Literature Review

The need to address the environmental crisis is becoming more urgent. The consequences of unsustainable environmental practices are detrimental to the wellbeing of people globally as well as the environment. This is of concern to social workers as they recognize their role in responding to the environmental crisis and resulting social injustices. This literature review explores how the photovoice technique is being used in environmental research. By applying a social justice framework in a content analysis of the literature (N=17), we describe how photovoice is being used to promote environmental and social justice through its research processes and outcomes.
The Creative Arts: What Role Do They Play?

Publisher Summary The expressive and creative arts have emerged as a potent healing force that offers a direct response to psychological disorders. Each art form—singly and together—has proven a powerful antidote to all manner of psychological and psychosomatic illness. Most vitally, art promotes the health of body, mind, and spirit; it is not concerned with disease or with pathology. This chapter focuses on the role of creative arts on the treatment of mental health. Visualization—the deliberate creation of images—aided by dance and drum and chant, remain integral to shamanic healing practice, restoring health and harmony to both the individual and the community. Such healing remains the staple of two-thirds of the world's population, in cultures that are arguably as healthy—psychologically, socially, environmentally, and spiritually—as Western cultures. The application of the disciplines of performance art to settings ranging from psychiatric inpatient units to psychosocial rehabilitation, self-help, and support groups, they have been shown to broaden and deepen the psychotherapeutic process. The use of dramatic performance, spontaneous dance and movement, and the deliberate application of psychodynamic process have been shown in several studies to facilitate trapped emotional expression, to enhance self-esteem, self-understanding, and self-acceptance, to give insights into and resolution of past traumatic events, to broaden perspective and empathy, and to heighten a sense of shared humanity. Furthermore, this chapter discusses different treatment approaches including storytelling, visual arts, and language arts for specific illness and disabilities.
The Works of Pedro Juan Soto: Puerto Rican Suffering and Christian Soteriology

This chapter explores selected works of Pedro Juan Soto, demonstrating how they communicate a challenge to the ongoing colonial relationship with the USA through an examination of suffering. After providing a brief biological sketch of Soto, the chapter proceeds with a literary analysis of his works, demonstrating an emphasis on suffering as a central theme which corresponds with the Christian doctrine of salvation (Christian soteriology). The chapter continues with a brief overview of various perspectives on that doctrine, engaging Christopher Morse’s Not Every Spirit: A Dogmatics of Christian Disbelief as a critical guide. The chapter concludes with a vision of a Puerto Rican decolonial soteriology that emerges from the Puerto Rican story; not allowing suffering to be the final word, a Puerto Rican decolonial soteriology takes seriously the historical and spiritual salvation from suffering, which includes decolonial options. Topics The Works of Pedro Juan Soto Biographical Sketch Literary Analysis: “Why is this happening to me?” Puerto Rican suffering in dialogue with the doctrine of salvation Constructing a prophetic decolonial Puerto Rican soteriology
Simulations and measurements of hot-electron generation driven by the multibeam two-plasmon-decay instability

Multibeam experiments relevant to direct-drive inertial confinement fusion show the importance of nonlinear saturation mechanisms in the common-wave two-plasmon-decay (TPD) instability. Planar-target experiments on the OMEGA laser used hard x-ray measurements to study the influence of the linear common-wave growth rate on TPD-driven hot-electron production in two drive-beam configurations and over a range of overlapped laser intensities from 3.6 to 15.2 × 1014 W/cm2. The beam configuration with the larger linear common-wave growth rate had a lower intensity threshold for the onset of hot-electron production, but the linear growth rate made no significant impact on hot-electron production at high intensities. The experiments were modeled in 3-D using a hybrid code LPSE (laser plasma simulation environment) that combines a wave solver with a particle tracker to self-consistently calculate the electron velocity distribution and evolve electron Landau damping. Good quantitative agreement was obtained between ...
Model Theory and the Philosophy of Mathematical Practice: Formalization without Foundationalism

Major shifts in the field of model theory in the twentieth century have seen the development of new tools, methods, and motivations for mathematicians and philosophers. In this book, John T. Baldwin places the revolution in its historical context from the ancient Greeks to the last century, argues for local rather than global foundations for mathematics, and provides philosophical viewpoints on the importance of modern model theory for both understanding and undertaking mathematical practice. The volume also addresses the impact of model theory on contemporary algebraic geometry, number theory, combinatorics, and differential equations. This comprehensive and detailed book will interest logicians and mathematicians as well as those working on the history and philosophy of mathematics.
A new dimensionless thermal hydraulics parameter for the heat exchangers

Abstract Thermal and hydraulic considerations are crucial for the design of an efficient heat exchanger (HX) which allow boiling. Steam generator is one of the biggest and most expensive components of most nuclear power plants. Therefore, design perfections of heat exchangers can lead to improved design of steam generators. Two-phase heat transfer coefficient (HTC) strongly depends on the prevailing flow regime for a given surface pattern as well. The enhancement in HTC is associated with an increase in frictional pressure drop. A single parameter for characterization of heat transfer surfaces based on thermal and hydraulic consideration doesn’t exist. A new di mensionless number for t hermal and hydraulics ch aracterization (DITCH) of the heat exchanger surface has been derived for evaluation of heat transfer surfaces. It captures the hydraulic behavior of coolant due to phase change and wall friction. Its value characterizes different flow regimes of two phase flow. Analysis of a selected data reveals that DITCH increases with quality ‘x’ and the mass flow rate ‘ m ’. A steep increase up to x = 0.4 is followed by lesser slope. It is also observed that bubbly flow regime has a least value of this parameter whereas slug flow regime has a value less than 1. This ratio is nearly equal to one or higher for the annular flow region. It is therefore concluded that in annular flow regime, compared to the other flow regimes, heat transfer coefficient is getting significant and pressure drop is getting insignificant.
Evaluation of microbial contamination of canine plasma eyedropper bottles following clinical use in canine patients.

Objective To investigate microbial contamination of canine plasma eye drops when used clinically and to compare the effect of two different eyedropper bottles on contamination rate. Methods Forty-six bottles containing plasma were randomly dispensed for use on 42 dogs with ulcerative keratitis. Of these, 23 were standard eyedropper bottles and 23 were Novelia® bottles designed to prevent contamination. After use for up to 2 weeks, samples for bacterial culture were obtained from a drop of plasma, the bottle tip, the plasma inside the bottle, and the corneal surface. Fungal culture was performed from a drop of plasma. Results The overall microbial contamination rate was 17.4% (8/46 bottles); however, only one bottle had growth from the plasma inside the bottle. There was a lower contamination rate of Novelia® bottles (3/23 = 13.0%) compared to standard bottles (5/23 = 21.7%), but this difference was not statistically significant (P = .57). There were also no significant differences in contamination rate of bottles used greater than 7 days compared to less than or equal to 7 days, or in bottles used greater than 4 times daily compared to 4 times daily or less. Three corneal samples (6.5%) had bacterial growth, but none matched contamination from the bottles. Conclusions Novelia® bottles may decrease contamination of plasma eye drops used clinically. However, while microbial contamination of plasma bottles was documented, no clinically relevant complications were observed. This study supports safe use of plasma eye drops for up to 2 weeks when refrigerated and dispensed from either Novelia® or standard eyedropper bottles.