cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Melatonin Treatment for Age-Related Insomnia

Older people typically exhibit poor sleep efficiency and reduced nocturnal plasma melatonin levels. The daytime administration of oral melatonin to younger people, in doses that raise their plasma melatonin levels to the nocturnal range, can accelerate sleep onset. We examined the ability of similar, physiological doses to restore nighttime melatonin levels and sleep efficiency in insomniac subjects over 50 yr old. In a double-blind, placebocontrolled study, subjects who slept normally (n 15) or exhibited actigraphically confirmed decreases in sleep efficiency (n 15) received, in randomized order, a placebo and three melatonin doses (0.1, 0.3, and 3.0 mg) orally 30 min before bedtime for a week. Treatments were separated by 1-wk washout periods. Sleep data were obtained by polysomnography on the last three nights of each treatment period. The physiologic melatonin dose (0.3 mg) restored sleep efficiency (P < 0.0001), acting principally in the midthird of the night; it also elevated plasma melatonin levels (P < 0.0008) to normal. The pharmacologic dose (3.0 mg), like the lowest dose (0.1 mg), also improved sleep; however, it induced hypothermia and caused plasma melatonin to remain elevated into the daylight hours. Although control subjects, like insomniacs, had low melatonin levels, their sleep was unaffected by any melatonin dose. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86: 4727–4730, 2001)
A new constrained Langevin method: application to protein crystallographic refinement

Abstract We present an algorithm to perform Langevin simulations with constraints. The algorithm iteratively solves a set of linear equations to find the Lagrange multipliers that satisfy the constraints. We apply the algorithm to a polypeptide, and demonstrate that it is stable within a range of timesteps. The algorithm is then used to perform X-ray crystallographic refinement of proteins.
Antioxidant potential of specific estrogens on lipid peroxidation

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in postmenopause. Estrogen administration in postmenopause lowers the risk of CHD by 50%. A variety of estrogen preparations are currently used in postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy. It is unknown, however, if structural differences in the estrogen molecule influence the cardioprotective effects of estrogens. In this communication we have shown that equine estrogens (especially equilin) exhibit higher antioxidant potency (as measured by fatty acids and sterols oxidation) when compared to estrone and estradiol-17 beta.
Polymorphisms in the PON gene cluster are associated with Alzheimer disease

Paraoxonase is an arylesterase enzyme that is expressed in the liver and found in the circulation in association with apoA1 and the high-density lipoprotein, and prevents the accumulation of oxidized lipids in low-density lipoproteins in vitro. Common polymorphisms in genes encoding paraoxonase are established risk factors in a variety of vascular disorders including coronary artery disease and carotid artery stenosis, but their association with Alzheimer disease (AD) is controversial. We tested the association of 29 SNPs in PON1, PON2 and PON3 with AD in 730 Caucasian and 467 African American participants of the MIRAGE Study, an ongoing multi-center family-based genetic epidemiology study of AD. Eight SNPs were associated with AD in the African American families (0.0001< or =P< or =0.04) and two SNPs were associated with AD in Caucasian families (0.01< or =P< or =0.04). Of note, the pattern of association for the PON1 promoter SNP -161[C/T] was the same in both ethnic groups (P=0.006). Haplotype analysis using sliding windows revealed 11 contiguous SNP combinations spanning the three PON genes with significant global test scores (0.006< or =P< or =0.04) in the two ethnic groups combined. The most significantly associated haplotype comprised SNPs in the region spanning the -161[C/T] SNP (P=0.00009). Our results demonstrate association between AD and variants in the PON gene cluster in Caucasians and African Americans.
MANAGEMENT STRATEGY AND THE REDESIGN OF WORKRULES

The redesign of workrules is rapidly becoming the most important issue in the industrial relations of the US. The arguments that follow present a taxonomy for understanding workrule changes and a series of propositions which explain the success of efforts to change workrules as a function of the general business that managements pursue in the product market and in their general approach to employees. Finally, the interaction between changes in different types of workrules is considered, as are the overall effects of a more flexible system of workrules on industrial relations at the firm.
Variation in Specific Capacity in Fractured Rocks, Pennsylvania

Statistical analyses were used to determine the relation of hydrogeologic, well construction, and field measurement factors to the extremely variable yield of wells located in consolidated rocks in the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Valley and Ridge provinces of Pennsylvania. Specific capacity values (a total of 4,391) from the U.S. Geological Survey well record file were chosen as a measure of yield. Results underscore the importance in regional analysis of accounting for differences due to variables related to well construction and field measurement of specific capacity before attempting to account for differences due to hydrogeology. The approach taken was to organize a hierarchy of variables that relate to differences in specific capacity. Linear regression using log-transformed specific capacity as the response variable provided estimates of the extent to which variables account for variation in the specific capacity values. Among the variables available for consideration, casing diameter, primary water use, and duration of discharge during the well production test are most important and can explain 24 percent of the variation observed in the specific capacity data. Lithology alone can account for only about 12 percent of the variation observed in the specific capacity data. However, a classification of rocks based on lithology and also accounting for differences in casing diameter, water use, duration of discharge, topographic setting, well depth, and casing depth can explain about half the variation in specific capacity values.
Stich against de dicto‐de re ambiguity

Abstract Stephen P. Stich rejects the de dicto‐de re belief state and ascription distinction. He proposes an analysis by which belief sentences imply univocal doxastic predicates expressing functionally similar states of belief subjects and counterfactual third person belief ascribers, concluding that the apparent opacity of de dicto belief sentences is better explained by the unsystematic contextually‐sensitive similarity vaguenesses of belief ascriptions. But Stick's reduction appeals to contexts of background beliefs which themselves unavoidably exhibit ramified de dicto‐de re ambiguity. The distinction is presupposed rather than eliminated by Stick's method, which effectively blocks the extensional reduction of belief state opacity.
DanceAlong: supporting positive social exchange and exercise for the elderly through dance

The elderly face serious social, environmental, and physical constraints that impact their well-being. Some of the most serious of these are shrinking social connections, limitations in building new relationships, and diminished health. To address these issues, we have designed an augmented dancing environment that allows elders to select dance sequences from well-known movies and dance along with them. The goal of DanceAlong is twofold: (1) to provide entertainment and exercise for each individual user and (2) to promote social engagement within the group. We deployed DanceAlong in a cultural celebration at a senior community center and conducted evaluations. In this paper, we present the design process of DanceAlong, evaluations of DanceAlong, and design guidelines for creating similar interactive systems for the elderly.
Long-Run Growth Differences and the Neoclassical Growth Model

This paper shows that allowing factor income share differences across countries in a modified Solow model can imply differences in output growth rates across countries. Using cross‐sectional data for 52 countries, an empirical illustration shows that the parameters of the modified model are intuitively plausible, jointly significant, and possess modest explanatory power (R2 around 0.25). The paper emphasizes the methodological importance of simplifying assumptions on applied theory.
The Track Integrated Kinetic Energy of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones

In this paper the concept of track integrated kinetic energy (TIKE) is introduced as a measure of seasonal Atlantic tropical cyclone activity and applied to seasonal variability in the Atlantic. It is similar in concept to the more commonly used accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) with an important difference that in TIKE the integrated kinetic energy (IKE) is accumulated for the life span of the Atlantic tropical cyclone. The IKE is, however, computed by volume integrating the 10-m level sustained winds of tropical strength or higher quadrant by quadrant, while ACE uses the maximum sustained winds only without accounting for the structure of the storm. In effect TIKE accounts for the intensity, duration, and size of the tropical cyclones. In this research, the authors have examined the seasonality and the interannual variations of the seasonal Atlantic TIKE over a period of 22yr from 1990 to 2011. It is found that the Atlantic TIKE climatologically peaks in the month of Septemberand the frequency of storms with the largest TIKE are highest in the eastern tropical Atlantic. The interannual variations of the Atlantic TIKE reveal that it is likely influenced by SST variations in the equatorial Pacific and in the Atlantic Oceans. The SST variations in the central equatorial Pacificarenegativelycorrelated withthe contemporaneousseasonal(June‐November)TIKE.Thesizeofthe Atlantic warm pool (AWP) is positively correlated with seasonal TIKE.
The Use of Brain Electrophysiology Techniques to Study Language: A Basic Guide for the Beginning Consumer of Electrophysiology Information

This article provides a basic background for the pro- fessional who is interested in utilizing event-related potential (ERP) approaches to study language processes but has little background in or knowledge about the technique. First, a brief history of the emergence of this technology is presented, followed by definitions, a theoretical overview, and a practical guide to conducting ERP studies. The basis for choice of electrode positions, equipment characteristics (e.g., filter settings), and analyses are also discussed. Finally, examples of language studies that utilize this information in a research study are provided.
A high-performance linear predictor employing vector quantization in nonorthogonal domains with application to speech

Linear prediction (LP) is a powerful technique for efficient source-system model based representation of signals, such as speech, and video, with useful applications including compression, and recognition. This has been found to be particularly true when vector quantization is used to code the linear predictor coefficients. Recently, signal processing in multiple nonorthogonal domains has been reported that further enhances the efficiency of signal representation. In this contribution, a novel LP model based coding technique is presented where the advantages of multiple nonorthogonal domain representations of the LP coefficients and the prediction residuals are exploited in conjunction with vector quantization to yield considerable LP coding enhancement. The proposed signal coding technique is applied to one of the most commonly used signals, namely, speech. The resulting performance improvement is clearly demonstrated in terms of reconstruction quality for the same bit rate compared to the existing single domain vector quantization techniques.
Late Pleistocene mammoth herd structure, migration patterns, and Clovis hunting strategies inferred from isotopic analyses of multiple death assemblages

Many late Pleistocene fossil localities contain the remains of multiple mammoths. Some of these sites have been interpreted as representing the mass death of an entire herd, or family group, of mammoths. These assemblages have been cited as evidence of intense human predation and used to reconstruct mammoth population dynamics. However, these interpretations remain controversial because the taphonomic settings of many sites are still debated. To reconstruct the taphonomic setting of each site and the movement patterns of mammoths among sites, I used anal- yses of carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotope ratios in mammoth tooth enamel. The carbon iso- topes of fossils vary with diet and local vegetation, oxygen isotopes vary with local climate, and strontium isotopes vary with local soil chemistry. If Pleistocene mammoths traveled together in small family groups, then mammoths from sites that represent family groups should have lower isotopic variability than mammoths from sites containing unrelated individuals. I tested this con- jecture by comparing the isotopic variability among mammoths from two sites—one that repre- sents the mass death of a single herd (Waco, Texas) and one representing a time-averaged accu- mulation (Friesenhahn Cave, Texas)—and then used these analyses to examine mammoths from three Clovis sites: Blackwater Draw, New Mexico; Dent, Colorado; and Miami, Texas. Low levels of carbon isotope variability were found to be the most diagnostic signal of herd/family group association. Although the variability of oxygen and strontium isotope ratios proved less useful for identifying family group assemblages, these signals did provide information about the movement patterns of individuals among different sites. High levels of variability in each of the isotope sys- tems at Clovis sites suggest that all of the sites examined represent time-averaged accumulations of unrelated individuals, rather than the mass deaths of family groups. In addition, analyses of the mean isotope values of Clovis mammoths show that although most mammoths from Blackwater and Miami had similar values, the values of Dent mammoths were significantly different. This demonstrates that the Dent mammoths belonged to a separate popu- lation and suggests that Clovis mammoths did not routinely undertake long distance ( $600 km) migrations.
Introduction to Relational Databases Using Structural Engineering Examples

An introduction to the basic issues of database management and to the concepts of the relational database model is presented. Structural engineering examples are used to describe the principal relational operations for data retrieval. Examples of an available relational data retrieval language developed for a current database management system are provided. The process of normalization is analyzed, and 6 different normal forms are described, to provide guidelines for database design.
The Fast Food of Modern Legal Realism

This essay reviews Judicial Jeopardy by West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Richard Neely. Neely is a prolific critic of the legal system who is able to write to an audience of educated laypersons. His overall point is that attorneys do a poor job of educating judges on the long-term effects of judicial decisions. He concludes that this results in pro-plaintiff, anti-business state common law and statutory interpretation decisions. He accuses attorneys of being far too concerned with their own economic interests to properly represent their business clients. The essay suggests that too much of the book is "petulant whine," but that it also provides a healthy dose of legal realism about the profession and the courts in the mid-1980s. Two major themes of the book are that courts, rather than legislatures, still hold most lawmaking authority in this era and that many decisions of their decisions are political rather than legal. Nelly also emphasizes the need to present "legislative facts" to courts, possibly through industry-funded seminars to educate judges on the particular problems of individual industries. Neely is an excellent communicator, who uses colorful metaphors that capture legal issues in ways that make it easy for non-lawyers to understand. Unfortunately, he is also insufficiently rigorous in questioning his assumptions or in developing his ideas. As such, the book too often seems to be a collection of highly entertaining sound bites rather than a developed thesis that can be used to reform law.
CD147 Required for Corneal Endothelial Lactate Transport

Purpose CD147/basigin is a chaperone for lactate:H(+) cotransporters (monocarboxylate transporters) MCT1 and MCT4. We tested the hypothesis that MCT1 and -4 in corneal endothelium contribute to lactate efflux from stroma to anterior chamber and that silencing CD147 expression would cause corneal edema. Methods CD147 was silenced via small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) transfection of rabbit corneas ex vivo and anterior chamber lenti-small hairpin RNA (shRNA) pseudovirus in vivo. CD147 and MCT expression was examined by Western blot, RT-PCR, and immunofluorescence. Functional effects were examined by measuring lactate-induced cell acidification, corneal lactate efflux, [lactate], central cornea thickness (CCT), and Azopt (a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor) sensitivity. Results In ex vivo corneas, 100 nM CD147 siRNA reduced CD147, MCT1, and MCT4 expression by 85%, 79%, and 73%, respectively, while MCT2 expression was unaffected. CD147 siRNA decreased lactate efflux from 3.9 ± 0.81 to 1.5 ± 0.37 nmol/min, increased corneal [lactate] from 19.28 ± 7.15 to 56.73 ± 8.97 nmol/mg, acidified endothelial cells (pHi = 6.83 ± 0.07 vs. 7.19 ± 0.09 in control), and slowed basolateral lactate-induced acidification from 0.0034 ± 0.0005 to 0.0012 ± 0.0005 pH/s, whereas apical acidification was unchanged. In vivo, CD147 shRNA increased CCT by 28.1 ± 0.9 μm at 28 days; Azopt increased CCT to 24.4 ± 3.12 vs. 12.0 ± 0.48 μm in control, and corneal [lactate] was 47.63 ± 6.29 nmol/mg in shCD147 corneas and 17.82 ± 4.93 nmol/mg in paired controls. Conclusions CD147 is required for the expression of MCT1 and MCT4 in the corneal endothelium. Silencing CD147 slows lactate efflux, resulting in stromal lactate accumulation and corneal edema, consistent with lactate efflux as a significant component of the corneal endothelial pump.
115 EXOGENOUS TESTOSTERONE ALONE OR WITH FINASTERIDE INCREASES PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE, GRIP STRENGTH, AND LEAN BODY MASS IN OLDER MEN WITH LOW SERUM TESTOSTERONE

Purpose Testosterone (T) therapy in older men with low serum T levels increases lean body mass (LBM) and decreases fat mass (FM). These changes might improve physical performance and strength; however, it has not been established whether T therapy improves functional outcome in older men. Moreover, concerns exist about the impact of T therapy on the prostate in older men. The administration of finasteride, which blocks the conversion of T to the more potent androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), attenuates the impact of T replacement on prostate size and PSA. We hypothesized that T replacement in older hypogonadal men would improve physical performance and that the addition of finasteride to T would not impact these T-induced improvements. Methods and Results Seventy men with low serum T (≤350ng/dl), age 65 and older, were randomly assigned to receive one of three regimens for 36 months: T enanthate 200 mg intramuscularly every two weeks with placebo pills daily (T-only), T enanthate 200 mg every two weeks with 5 mg finasteride daily (T+F), or placebo injections and pills (placebo). We obtained serial measurements of timed physical performance, grip strength, lower extremity strength, body composition (by DEXA), fasting cholesterol profiles and hormones. After 36 months, T therapy significantly improved performance in a timed functional test when compared to baseline and placebo (4.3±1.6% [mean± SEM, T-only] and 3.8±1.0% [T+F] vs. -5.6±1.9% for placebo, [P≤0.002 for both T and T+F versus placebo; and increased handgrip strength compared to baseline and placebo [P≤0.05]. T therapy increased LBM, and decreased FM, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and leptin, without affecting high-density lipoprotein (HDL), adiponectin or fasting insulin levels. Summary T therapy in older men with low serum T improves physical performance, strength, LBM, FM, and serum cholesterol over 36 months both when administered alone or when combined with finasteride. Conclusion These data suggest that T therapy may improve functional outcome in older men with low serum T and that DHT is likely not essential for these beneficial effects of T.
Evaluation on routine immunization rate surveillance in xinhui District, 2010-2012

Objective To find out routine immunization situation of Xinhui District in recent years, and promote the development of immunization programs. Methods Through the system of Chinese immunization program monitoring and management, collecting data of routine immunization coverage during 2010-2012, calculate the estimated vaccination rates. using the difference(D)evaluation and the ratio(R)evaluation methods for comparative analysis. Results The completion rate of routine immunization coverage reports in Xinhui District during 2010-2012 is 100.00 %; the reported vaccination rate of routine immunization is 97.33 %~99.43 %, the estimating vaccination rate is 86.27 %~98.36 %,the evaluation of difference(D), ratios(R)and drop-out rate is basically either credible or suspect. Conclusions The reported vaccination rate of routine immunization in Xinhui District were totally reported at a high level, but still has a certain gap to the estimating vaccination rate, accurately grasping the number of children which need vaccination is the emphasis of monitoring and evaluation of vaccination rate, strengthen the prevention and vaccination of migrant children,can promote the comprehensive development of immunization programs' work.
Mixed-Initiative Long-Term Interactions with an All-Day-Companion Robot

As robots become incorporated into our environments, they must be equipped with the ability to communicate effectively with us. In particular, robots that perform longer tasks for a small set of people (e.g., a companion robot to escort visitors to meetings all day) need to be able to start and maintain interesting and relevant dialog with any and all humans involved.In this work, we present our ongoing work on our robot, CoBot, which is assigned an all-day task to escort a visitor around our building and perform tasks for her. We first describe CoBot's dialog manager which is responsible for the task-oriented dialog, including dialog to meet the visitor's needs, CoBot's notifications of interesting locations around the building, and the robot's own requests for help. We, then, focus two aspects of the dialog manager: 1) how CoBot can invoke more accurate answers to its requests for help from the visitor and 2) how to reduce repetitive dialog which can happen during all-day interactions. We provide an example dialog between CoBot and a visitor to illustrate the dialog manager's capabilities.
The price of distrust: Trust, anxious attachment, jealousy, and partner abuse

Trust is essential to the development of healthy, secure, and satisfying relationships (Simpson, 2007a). Attachment styles provide a theoretical framework for understanding how individuals respond to partner behaviors that either confirm or violate trust (Hazan & Shaver, 1994). The current research aimed to identify how trust and attachment anxiety might interact to predict different types of jealousy and physical and psychological abuse. We expected that when experiencing lower levels of trust, anxiously attached individuals would report higher levels of both cognitive and behavioral jealousy as well as partner abuse perpetration. Participants in committed romantic relationships (N = 261) completed measures of trust, attachment anxiety and avoidance, jealousy, and physical and psychological partner abuse in a cross-sectional study. Moderation results largely supported the hypotheses: Attachment anxiety moderated the association between trust and jealousy, such that anxious individuals experienced much higher levels of cognitive and behavioral jealousy when reporting lower levels of trust. Moreover, attachment anxiety moderated the association between trust and nonphysical violence. These results suggest that upon experiencing distrust in one's partner, anxiously attached individuals are more likely to become jealous, snoop through a partner's belongings, and become psychologically abusive. The present research illustrates that particularly for anxiously attached individuals, distrust has cascading effects on relationship cognitions and behavior, and this should be a key area of discussion during therapy.
The management of Shy-Drager syndrome with propantheline and intermittent self-catheterization: a case report.

Abstract Patients with the Shy-Drager syndrome have autonomic neuropathy and present with urinary urge incontinence and retention. We report on a patient with these features. Urodynamic studies showed hyperreflexia but an inability to void as a result of ineffective detrusor contractions. Symptoms were controlled with propantheline and intermittent self-catheterization.
XFEM-Based CZM for the Simulation of 3D Multiple-Cluster Hydraulic Fracturing in Quasi-Brittle Shale Formations

The cohesive zone model (CZM) honors the softening effects and plastic zone at the fracture tip in a quasi-brittle rock, e.g., shale, which results in a more precise fracture geometry and pumping pressure compared to those from linear elastic fracture mechanics. Nevertheless, this model, namely the planar CZM, assumes a predefined surface on which the fractures propagate and therefore restricts the fracture propagation direction. Notably, this direction depends on the stress interactions between closely spaced fractures and can be acquired by integrating CZM as the segmental contact interaction model with a fully coupled pore pressure–displacement model based on extended finite element method (XFEM). This integrated model, called XFEM-based CZM, simulates the fracture initiation and propagation along an arbitrary, solution-dependent path. In this work, we modeled a single stage of 3D hydraulic fracturing initiating from three perforation clusters in a single-layer, quasi-brittle shale formation using planar CZM and XFEM-based CZM including slit flow and poroelasticity for fracture and matrix spaces, respectively, in Abaqus. We restricted the XFEM enrichment zones to the stimulation regions as enriching the whole domain leads to extremely high computational expenses and unrealistic fracture growths around sharp edges. Moreover, we validated our numerical technique by comparing the solution for a single fracture with KGD solution and demonstrated several precautionary measures in using XFEM in Abaqus for faster solution convergence, for instance the initial fracture length and mesh refinement. We demonstrated the significance of the injection rate and stress contrast in fracture aperture, injection pressure, and the propagation direction. Moreover, we showed the effect of the stress distribution on fracture propagation direction comparing the triple-cluster fracturing results from planar CZM with those from XFEM-based CZM. We found that the stress shadowing effect of hydraulic fractures on each other can cause these fractures to coalesce, grow parallel, or diverge depending on cluster spacing. We investigated the effect of this arbitrary propagation direction on not only the fractures’ length, aperture, and the required injection pressure, but also the fractures’ connection to the wellbore. This connection can be disrupted due to the near-wellbore fracture closure which may embed proppant grains on the fracture wall or screen out the fracture at early times. Our results verified that the near-wellbore fracture closure strongly depends on the following: (1) the implemented model, planar or XFEM-based CZM; and (2) fracture cluster spacing. Ultimately, we proposed the best fracturing scenario and cluster spacing to maintain the fractures connected to the wellbore.
Evaluating Psychological Research Requires More Than Attention to the N.

The article discusses research being done on the use of effect-size estimates in testing psychological theories. It references the study "Small Telescopes: Detectability and the Evaluation of Replication Results," by U. Simonsohn published in the 2015 issue. The variables considered include the correlation between mood and weather, intensity of the mood, and the correlation between life satisfaction and marital satisfaction.
JCrypt: Towards Computation over Encrypted Data

Cloud computing allows clients to upload data and computation to untrusted servers, which leads to potential violations to the confidentiality of client data. We propose JCrypt, a static program analysis which transforms a Java program into an equivalent one, so that it performs computation over encrypted data and preserves data confidentiality. JCrypt minimizes computation over encrypted data. It consists of two stages. The first stage is a type-based information flow analysis which partitions the program so that only sensitive parts need to be encrypted. The second stage is an inter-procedural data-flow analysis, similar to the classical Available Expressions. It deduces the appropriate encryption scheme for sensitive variables. We implemented JCrypt for Java and showed that our analysis is effective and practical using five benchmark suites. JCrypt encrypts a significantly larger percentage of benchmarks compared to MrCrypt, the closest related work.
New standard reference dielectric specimens at NBS

A survey of several materials1 indicated that fluorinated ethylene — propylene copolymer (FEP) is a satisfactory material for standard reference specimens for relative dielectric constant (e').
On the Break-Even Point between Cloud-Assisted and Legacy Routing (Short Paper)

As more than 40K service providers are advertising 600K or more IP prefixes, scalability of routing has emerged to be a matter of great concern. In this paper, to explore a spectrum of designs, we consider a Cloud-Assisted Routing (CAR) framework which follows a hybrid and opportunistic approach by keeping the high priority tasks at the router and use an adaptive router-cloud integration when beneficial. In particular, it maintains most of the control plane functions at the cloud and least of it at local router and vice versa for the data plane. Comparing the performance and monetary cost benefits between CAR, we discuss: i) What is the break-even point? ii) What are the key components of CAR to be monetarily beneficial? iii) What are the constraints that will make the traditional routing favorable than CAR?
Ultrasonography Detects Ulnar Nerve Dislocation Despite Normal Electrophysiology and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Background Dislocation of the ulnar nerve (UN) occurs in a subset of patients with ulnar neuropathy. Electrodiagnostic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are performed to support the clinical diagnosis. We report the case of a patient with ulnar neuropathy with normal electrodiagnostic and MRI studies but with ultrasonography (US) showing UN dislocation, which prompted successful treatment by UN submuscular transposition. Case Description A healthy 15-year-old female softball player presented with right medial elbow pain and paresthesias of the fourth and fifth digits. She had 4+/5 strength in the right hand intrinsic muscles and a Tinel sign at the right elbow. A snap was palpated at the elbow upon flexion. MRI showed mild common flexor tendonitis, and electrodiagnostic studies showed normal motor responses and no conduction block at the elbow. High-resolution US showed dislocation of the UN over the medial epicondyle. UN dislocation was confirmed intraoperatively, and, after UN submuscular transposition, the patient reported complete resolution of her preoperative symptoms at 6-week follow-up and continued resolution at 1 year. Conclusions Normal findings on electrodiagnostic or MRI studies should not immediately dissuade surgeons from operating on a symptomatic patient with a clinical examination supporting ulnar neuropathy and with US evidence of UN dislocation, because such a patient may experience postoperative symptom relief. Furthermore, the dynamic capability of US imaging complements data obtained from electrodiagnostic and MRI studies, especially when these tests are normal, and it should be considered by clinicians when evaluating patients with medial elbow pain or signs of ulnar neuropathy.
Making Sense of Abstract Algebra: Exploring Secondary Teachers’ Understandings of Inverse Functions in Relation to Its Group Structure

ABSTRACTThis article draws on semi-structured, task-based interviews to explore secondary teachers’ (N = 7) understandings of inverse functions in relation to abstract algebra. In particular, a concept map task is used to understand the degree to which participants, having recently taken an abstract algebra course, situated inverse functions within its group structure (i.e., the set of invertible functions under composition). In addition, their particular conceptions of functions and function composition throughout the interviews were then also considered as a means to explore further their responses during the interviews. Findings indicate that only two participants showed evidence of the desirable mathematically powerful understandings from abstract algebra in relation to inverse functions, and further analysis suggests a variety of challenges in terms of developing meaningful connections, which were more related to conceptions about secondary content than to the abstract algebra content. Implications f...
Problematizing war: reviving the historical focus of peace education

AbstractIn the last forty years, peace education has broadened its focus from primarily international peace and the prevention of war to an approach that encompasses social justice, environmental education, critical theory, and multicultural education. While this is a positive evolution in many respects, there is a danger in de-emphasizing the actual critique of war and militarism. This article looks at the reasons why peace education should revive its strong historical focus on problematizing war. There is a strong emphasis on how educators can implement this in the classroom by fostering an environment where students can critique both past and contemporary conflicts. This renewed focus is of special importance in our modern globalized world, especially in militarily powerful nations such as the United States.
Enhancing P300-BCI performance using latency estimation.

AbstractBrain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) offer restoration of communication to those with the most severe movement impairments, but performance is not yet ideal. Previous work has demonstrated that latency jitter, the variation in timing of the brain responses, plays a critical role in determining BCI performance. In this study, we used Classifier-Based Latency Estimation (CBLE) and a wavelet transform to provide information about latency jitter to a second-level classifier. Three second-level classifiers were tested: least squares (LS), step-wise linear discriminant analysis (SWLDA), and support vector machine (SVM). Of these three, LS and SWLDA performed better than the original online classifier. The resulting combination demonstrated improved detection of brain responses for many participants, resulting in better BCI performance. Interestingly, the performance gain was greatest for those individuals for whom the BCI did not work well online, indicating that this method may be most suitable for improvi...
A novel approach to estimate emissions from large transportation networks: Hierarchical clustering-based link-driving-schedules for EPA-MOVES using dynamic time warping measures

EPA-MOVES (Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator) is often integrated with traffic simulators to assess emission levels of large-scale urban networks with signalized intersections. High variations in sp...
Goals in Conservation Policy

The movement to conserve the national resources of the United States is not new. It had its beginnings in the latter half of the last century. Those farsighted individuals who observed the fast dwindling forest resources of the country began the movement. At first major attention was given to the conservation of the forests of the United States. This movement gathered momentum when Gifford Pinchot and President Theodore Roosevelt became active participants in it. Under the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt the movement broadened to include resources other than forests. The National Conservation Commission was appointed in 1908 and made its report in 1909. The task of this commission was to make an inventory of the existing national resources, to estimate the proportion of them that had been utilized or exhausted and to estimate the time that these resources would last at the existing and probable future rates of use. To some degree the public became conservation conscious under the dynamic leadership of Theodore Roosevelt. However, the movement lost momentum when he passed from power. Interest in conservation lagged from 1909 until recent years. The later conservation movement had a somewhat different birth from the earlier movement. During the recent depression soil conservation work was undertaken as a worth-while project for the unemployed. When the Supreme Court of the United States declared certain vital portions of the Agricultural Adjustment Act unconstitutional, many of those concerned with agricultural welfare in the United States sought ways and means of continuing some kind of a federally sponsored agricultural program. The present agricultural conservation legislation was attached to the law providing for soil conservation work and the agricultural conservation program was the result. The earlier movement made some impression on public consciousness for a time but it was soon out of the public mind. Other affairs seemed much more important than conserving natural resources. One logically wonders if the present movement toward conservation will meet a similar fate and pass from the public consciousness with time. The answer lies in the goals or objectives that are the basis of the policies underlying the programs put into effect. If these objectives, as understood by the public, are such that they endure it is to be expected that the present conservation movement
Postplacental intrauterine device expulsion by 12 weeks: a prospective cohort study

Background An intrauterine device placed immediately following a delivery can serve as an effective and safe contraceptive strategy in the postpartum period. There is limited evidence that the levonorgestrel intrauterine system may have a higher rate of expulsion compared to the copper intrauterine device; however, rates of expulsion for these 2 intrauterine device types have not been compared directly. Objective We sought to compare expulsion rates by 12 weeks’ postpartum for the levonorgestrel intrauterine system and copper intrauterine device. Study Design We enrolled women who received postplacental intrauterine devices at 2 urban hospitals. Eligible women were ≥18 years old, English- or Spanish-speaking, with singleton vaginal delivery at ≥35 weeks’ gestation. Intrauterine devices were inserted within 10 minutes of placental delivery by trained providers using ring forceps or the operator’s hand. Intrauterine device location was evaluated via abdominal ultrasound at 24-48 hours’ postpartum, and via transvaginal ultrasound 6 and 12 weeks later, categorizing position of the intrauterine device at the fundus, below the fundus but above the internal os, any part of the intrauterine device below the internal os (partial expulsion), or no intrauterine device visualized. Outcomes included intrauterine device expulsion and method continuation. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with expulsion. Results We enrolled 123 women ages 18-40 years. Of these, 68 (55%) initiated levonorgestrel intrauterine system and 55 (45%) initiated copper intrauterine device. Groups were similar except more copper intrauterine device users were Hispanic (66% vs 38%) and fewer were primiparous (16% vs 31%). Among the 96 (78%) with 12-week follow-up, expulsion was higher for levonorgestrel intrauterine system users (21/55 or 38%) than for copper intrauterine device users (8/41 or 20%) (odds ratio, 2.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.99–6.55; P = .05). At 24 hours’ postpartum, there was no significant difference in median distance from the intrauterine device to the fundus between intrauterine device types or between those who did or did not experience expulsion. Of expulsions, 86% occurred ≤6 weeks’ postpartum. All complete expulsions were clinically identified, but of the partial expulsions, only 4/10 (40%) were clinically suspected prior to ultrasound. The only independent predictor of expulsion was intrauterine device type. Including reinsertions, intrauterine device use at 12 weeks was not significantly different for levonorgestrel intrauterine system and copper intrauterine device users (80% vs 93%; P = .14). Conclusion Women initiating postplacental levonorgestrel intrauterine system are more likely to experience complete expulsion than those initiating copper intrauterine device. Using sonographic criteria results in higher expulsion rates than previously reported. It is unclear if such high expulsion rates would be identified following standard clinical practice.
A review of air conditioning motor loads stalling on voltage recovery in the saudi electric grid

The paper discusses the impact of air conditioning motor stalling in the Saudi electric grid. Slow voltage recovery after fault events is a result of high concentration of prone-to-stall motors in the grid. Multiple mitigation solutions are discussed from technical, regulatory, economical and planning perspectives.
Constrained Agency Theory and Leadership: A New Perspective to Understand How Female Police Officers Overcome the Structural and Social Impediments to Promotion:

Substantial research has examined both the barriers preventing women from entering and flourishing in policing and the coping mechanisms used to adapt to the gendered institution of policing. Howev...
Neurocognitive and Health Correlates of Overweight and Obesity among Ten-Year-Old Children Born Extremely Preterm.

Objective To assess the relationship between overweight (body mass index [BMI] percentile ≥85 and Study design This was an observational cohort study of children born extremely preterm and then assessed at age 10 years for neurocognitive function and parent-reported behavior and health outcomes. Participants included 871 children aged 10 years. To describe the strength of association between overweight or obesity and outcomes, we used logistic regression models adjusting for confounders. Neurocognitive function, academic achievement, parent-reported health outcome surveys, and height and weight were measured. Results BMI category at 10 years of age was not associated with differences in intelligence, language, or academic achievement. Parents of children with obesity were more likely to report their child had asthma (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.4-3.5), fair/poor general health (OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.4-7.5), and decreased physical function (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1-2.9) but less likely to have physician diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.3-0.97) or an individualized education plan (OR 0.6; 95% CI 0.4-0.99). Conclusion Among children born extremely preterm, an elevated BMI, compared with normal or low BMI, is not associated with a difference in neurocognitive function. However, asthma, fair/poor general health, and decreased physical function were more prevalent among study participants with obesity, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and individualized education plan were less prevalent.
'Intuitive Federalism' and Public Opinion Toward Government

Recent research has shown that citizens attribute different policy responsibilities to the national, state, and local governments. We call this set of public orientations "intuitive federalism.'' Building upon previous work in this area, we use new and unique data from a national-level internet survey of the American electorate to confirm the existence of meaningful public opinion on topics of federalism. We also show that attitudes about the policy aspects of federalism influence citizens' more general assessments of government and the political system. Specifically, satisfaction with government and society is affected not only by what public officials are doing, but also by which levels of government are doing it. American citizens possess relatively sophisticated understandings of federalism and this has important consequences for broader evaluations of the political system.
Intervento sulla crisi con soggetti tossicodipendenti

La dipendenza da sostanze e una malattia cronica, progressiva, primaria e potenzialmente fatale, con fattori genetici, psicosociali e ambientali che ne influenzano lo sviluppo e le manifestazioni; e caratterizzata da una mancanza di controllo — continua o periodica — sul bere, da una preoccupazione per la droga o l’alcol e da un uso di droghe o di alcol nonostante le conseguenze avverse e le distorsioni nel pensiero, soprattutto la negazione (Yeager e Gregoire, 2005).
A new feedback predictive control approach for processes with time delay in the manipulated variable

Abstract The scope of this work is time delay (θ) in the manipulated variable (MV) and not in the controlled variable (CV), addressed by approaches such as the Smith Predictor. The classical algorithm for dead time in MV is model predictive control (MPC). The MPC control law is for the future predicted value of CV to be at the set point an integer value of sampling time steps (J) beyond θ time in the future. Hence, the effectiveness of MPC depends strongly on the accuracy of the future prediction of CV, which decreases as J increases. In addition, the larger the time lag for MV, the longer it takes to reach the set point and the greater J will be also. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, this work presents a new FBC predictive control approach that has a control law that uses a future prediction of CV a distance θ into the future. Thus, it prediction horizon is minimal and it is not affected by the MV time lag. This approach is compared with MPC in two studies. The first one uses a mathematical transfer function model and the second study uses a mathematically simulated CSTR.