cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Color image segmentation in RGB using vector angle and absolute difference measures

This paper introduces a multi-pronged approach for segmentation of color images of man-made structures like cargo containers, buildings etc. A combination of vector angle computation of the RGB data and the absolute difference between the intensity pixels is used to segment the image. This method has the advantage of removing intensity based edges that occur where the saturation is high, while preserving them in areas of the image where saturation is very low and intensity is high. Thus, unlike previous implementations of vector angle methods and edge detection techniques, relevant objects are better segmented and unnecessary details left out. A novel method for connecting broken edges after segmentation using the Hough transform is also presented.
Mixed group ranks: preference and confidence in classifier combination

Classifier combination holds the potential of improving performance by combining the results of multiple classifiers. For domains with very large numbers of classes, such as biometrics, we present an axiomatic framework of desirable mathematical properties for combination functions of rank-based classifiers. This framework represents a continuum of combination rules, including the Borda Count, Logistic Regression, and Highest Rank combination methods as extreme cases. Intuitively, this framework captures how the two complementary concepts of general preference for specific classifiers and the confidence it has in any specific result (as indicated by ranks) can be balanced while maintaining consistent rank interpretation. Mixed Group Ranks (MGR) is a new combination function that balances preference and confidence by generalizing these other functions. We demonstrate that MGR is an effective combination approach by performing multiple experiments on data sets with large numbers of classes and classifiers from the FERET face recognition study.
In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy of Rapidly Solidifying Aluminum

How microstructures evolve during solidification is of scientific and technological importance. Here we studied the morphological and structural changes in metallic thin films induced by rapid liquidsolid transformations with nanoscale spatial and 15 nanosecond temporal resolution using the dynamic transmission electron microscope (DTEM) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Figure 1a) [1]. This unprecedented time resolution allows the detailed study of phenomena associated with slow as well as ultrafast solidification processes. We discuss the rapid solidification of laser melted zones in nanocrystalline 80 nm thick Al films deposited on 100 nm thick amorphous Si3N4 membranes. The DTEM experiments were performed by, first, melting the Al films with a single 12ns, 1064nm laser pulse (Figure 1b). After a pre-selected time delay, as short as 15 ns, an electron pulse then illuminates this previously laser-pulse molten area to acquire image or diffraction data (Figure 1b). Acquiring series of pulsed electron exposures with different time delays permits direct observation of morphological and structural changes during the entire solidification process.
Las diversas influencias de la tecnología en el desarrollo de la mente

ResumenEl presente articulo trata sobre cinco clases de efectos de la tecnologia en el desarrollo de la mente: a) la creacion de metaforas, b) la estimulacion de nuevas diferenciaciones, c) la clase de asociacion con la tecnologia, d) el cultivo de habilidades y e) la intemalizacion de instrumentos tecnologicos y representaciones. La variedad de los efectos discutidos difieren segun tres dimensiones: el origen del efecto, el rol del individuo en producir el efecto y el grado en que el efecto depende del contenido. Las variaciones de estos diferentes efectos segun estas tres dimensiones permitiran la creacion de nuevas metaforas a traves de una asociacion indirecta con la tecnologia, el descubrimiento de nuevas diferenciaciones cognitivas gracias al uso directo y mentalmente comprometido de la tecnologia y la creacion de nuevas asociaciones intelectuales y reorganizaciones a partir del uso de la henamienta tecnologica que posibilite no solo la realizacion de tareas habituales en menos tiempo y con mayor ef...
Sex Differences in the Educational-Occupational Expectation Process

This study presents a path analytic model of status expectations that focuses on how sex influences the educational and occupational expectations of a large sample of American adolescents. While female and male expectations can be predicted by the same model variables, the process is by no means identical for both sexes. Exogenous background variables have greater total effects for females, while intervening social-psychological and achievement related variables have substantially lesser effects for females than males. The same-sex parent is found to have a greater effect on adolescent expectations than the opposite-sex parent. No significant sex differences are found in the mean level of either expectation, but the distribution of occupational choices parallel the current sex segregation of the occupational sector. Further, relative to academic achievement, the females have lower expectations than the males. These results are interpreted as consequences of traditional sex role socialization. Research on social inequality has shown that women are underrepresented in the higher echelons of the American occupational structure. Women constitute approximately 40 percent of the labor force; more than half of all adult women work outside of the home. Yet only 8 percent of all physicians, dentists, and other related practicioners are women; the ratio of women to men in managerial and administrative positions is low (.20), and even lower (.05) among lawyers and judges (Featherman and Hauser; U.S. Bureau of the Census). Undoubtedly, the relatively low occupational attainment of women, given their large numbers in the labor force, reflects in large part the discrimination they encounter seeking work and on the job: among other things, discriminatory employment practices severely limit women's occupational choices and channel them into positions with highly restricted chances for promotion. But job discrimination does not tell the *This research was supported by a grant to the senior author from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH-23542).
Effect of Algin/Calcium Binder Levels on Various Characteristics of Structured Beef

Six levels of algin/calcium binder (0, 0.28, 0.57, 0.85, 1.13, 1.42%) were evaluated in raw and cooked structured beef. Binder levels of 0.57% gave higher cook yield and greater cooked product bind scores than products without binder. Sensory evaluation scores for product bind and hardness increased (P 0.05) among cooked samples. Raw product bind scores increased with higher levels of binder, while cooked product bind scores were similar with binder levels above 0.57%.
Singular measures with absolutely continuous convolution squares.(Corrigendum)

Mr Denis Lichtman has kindly pointed out to us that an added hypothesis is needed in Theorem (4·1). The revised theorem follows.
Antigen-Specific Lymphocyte Sequestration in Lymphoid Organs: Lack of Essential Roles for αL and α4 Integrin-Dependent Adhesion or Gαi Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling

Selective lymphocyte sequestration was described over 30 years ago as the transient withdrawal of Ag-specific lymphocytes from the circulation as a result of their activation in secondary lymphoid organs. We used a TCR-transgenic adoptive transfer system to further characterize the Ag and adjuvant dependence of this process in mice. In addition, we examined the contribution of the alpha(L) and alpha(4) integrin chains as well as Galpha(i) protein-coupled receptor signaling to the retention of Ag-specific T cells in peripheral lymph nodes. Our results demonstrate that selective lymphocyte sequestration is T cell autonomous and adjuvant independent, and that the duration of sequestration is not controlled by the continued presence of Ag in secondary lymphoid organs. This process is not critically dependent on the alpha(L) and alpha(4) integrin chains or Galpha(i) protein-coupled receptor signaling. Selective lymphocyte sequestration may be mediated by redundant mechanisms and/or controlled by novel or nonclassical adhesion or trafficking molecules.
Measuring cognitive reserve based on the decomposition of episodic memory variance

In later adulthood brain pathology becomes common and trajectories of cognitive change are heterogeneous. Among the multiple determinants of late-life cognitive course, cognitive reserve has been proposed as an important factor that modifies or buffers the impact of brain pathology on cognitive function. This article presents and investigates a novel method for measuring and investigating such factors. The core concept is that in a population where pathology is common and variably present, ‘reserve’ may be defined as the difference between the cognitive performance predicted by an individual's level of pathology and that individual's actual performance. By this definition, people whose measured cognitive performance is better than predicted by pathology have high reserve, whereas those who perform worse than predicted have low reserve. To test this hypothesis, we applied a latent variable model to data from a diverse ageing cohort and decomposed the variance in a measure of episodic memory into three components, one predicted by demographics, one predicted by pathology as measured by structural MRI and a ‘residual’ or ‘reserve’ term that included all remaining variance. To investigate the plausibility of this approach, we then tested the residual component as an operational measure of reserve. Specific predictions about the effects of this putative reserve measure were generated from a general conceptual model of reserve. Each was borne from the results. The results show that the current level of reserve, as measured by this decomposition approach, modifies rates of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia, modifies rates of longitudinal decline in executive function and, most importantly, attenuates the effect of brain atrophy on cognitive decline such that atrophy is more strongly associated with cognitive decline in subjects with low reserve than in those with high reserve. Decomposing the variance in cognitive function scores offers a promising new approach to the measure and study of cognitive reserve.
Factors Associated With Frequent Admissions to an Acute Geriatric Psychiatric Inpatient Unit

As a first step toward developing strategies to reduce the frequency of psychiatric hospitalizations, the authors retrospectively collected and analyzed demographic and clinical variables from 424 consecutive admissions to a university-based geriatric psychiatry inpatient unit over a 20-month period. The study sample was dichotomized into patients who were admitted more than one time (35.6%) versus those with a single admission. Factors associated with rehospitalization were examined with multivariate logistic regression analysis. The great majority of readmissions (81%) occurred in the first 3 months after discharge. The logistic regression model indicated that significant predictors of rehospitalization were single relationship status, male gender, and bipolar disorder diagnosis. Our findings overlap with findings from previous similar studies and suggest that information readily obtainable on admission to an acute geriatric psychiatry inpatient unit may provide a useful indication of risk for frequent psychiatric hospitalizations and may contribute to readmission prevention strategies.
Identifying Leading Characteristics Associated with Juvenile Drug Court Admission and Success: A Research Note

Since first appearing in the late 1980s, drug courts have quickly become one of the leading intervention strategies for offenders exhibiting problems with drug abuse. Popular with policy makers for their innovative approach to breaking the drugs-crime nexus, drug courts are now considered one of the hallmarks of both the adult and juvenile justice systems of corrections. Empirical research has indicated that drug courts are one of the most promising contemporary correctional strategies in reducing recidivism among substance abusing offenders. This study examined a juvenile drug court in an effort to answer some recent research questions that have been proffered by empiricists. Results suggested that clients with a history of mental health problems had greater odds of being admitted to the drug court. No client characteristics, however, were predictive of client success in the drug court. Policy implications are also considered.
Morphological variation of the palatal organ and chewing pad of catostomidae (Teleostei: Cypriniformes)

We studied the morphology and shape variation of the palatal organ and chewing pad of sucker fishes, family Catostomidae. The palatal organ is a muscularized structure that forms a large mass on the roof of the posterior part of the buccopharyngeal cavity in cypriniform fishes. It functions in coordination with the branchial arches to separate food items from inorganic debris during feeding. The palatal organ exhibits considerable variability in morphology among catostomids. It is shorter, narrower, and thinner in species of the subfamily Cycleptinae (e.g., Cycleptus elongatus) than in other catostomid subfamilies. The thickest and widest palatal organ is seen in species of the subfamily Ictiobinae (e.g., Ictiobus cyprinellus). The shape and size of the palatal organ generally varies between these extremes in species of subfamily Catostominae (e.g., Catostomus and Moxostoma species). Principal components analysis and analysis of variance has differentiated means of various palatal organ measurements for each monophyletic subfamily and tribe of Catostomidae with statistical significance. These results corroborate previously established typological classification of catostomids based on pharyngeal tooth count, pharyngeal tooth morphology, and diet. A keratinized chewing pad forms on the posterior surface of the palatal organ in catostomids or on a skeletal process in cyprinids and serves as an occlusion surface for pharyngeal teeth. The chewing pad is lunate in catostomids and generally ovoid in cyprinids. It is absent from the species of loaches (e.g., botiids, cobitids, and nemacheilids) and gyrinocheilids examined. A synonymy of terms used in the past to describe the palatal organ and chewing pad of Cypriniformes is provided.
Phosphorus enhancement of mineralization of low concentrations of p‐nitrophenol by Flavobacterium sp. in lake water

Abstract A study was conducted to determine whether the supply of inorganic phosphorus in lake water was sufficient for the mineralization of p -nitrophenol (PNP) by a Flavobacterium sp. The bacterium grew following its inoculation into sterile lake water amended with only 20 or 200 ng PNP per ml, but depending on when the water sample was taken, either PNP was not mineralized or it was mineralized slowly. PNP at both concentrations was rapidly mineralized if 10 mM P was added. The degradation of 200 ng PNP per ml was most rapid if the lake water was amended with 10 mM P, it proceeded more slowly with 1 mM P and the initiation of mineralization was delayed to equal extents if the sterile water received 0.1 mM, 0.01 mM or no P. The possible significance of these findings to biodegradation in natural waters is discussed.
A low spur fractional-N frequency synthesizer architecture

A new architecture of a fractional-N phase-locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer is presented in this paper. The unique feature of the proposed frequency synthesizer is a loop filter with a discrete time comb filter which allows for the efficient suppression of fractional spurs. The proposed loop filter architecture can be efficiently implemented using switched capacitor techniques. The benefits of this approach are a low power frequency synthesizer design with low spur levels. An analysis of the fractional spurs in the fractional-N frequency synthesizers is also presented.
A two-site randomized clinical trial of integrated psychosocial treatment for ADHD-inattentive type.

Objective:This study evaluated the efficacy of the Child Life and Attention Skills (CLAS) program, a behavioral psychosocial treatment integrated across home and school, for youth with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder-inattentive type (ADHD-I).Method:In a 2-site randomized controlled trial, 199 children (ages 7‐11 years) were randomized to CLAS (N!74), parent-focused treatment (PFT,N!74), or treatment as usual (TAU,N!51). We compared groups on parent and teacher ratings of inattention symptoms, organizational skills, social skills, and global improvement at posttreatment and also at follow-up during the subsequent school year.Results:CLAS resulted in greater improvements in teacher-reported inattention, organizational skills, social skills, and global functioning relative to both PFT and TAU at posttreatment. Parents of children in CLAS reported greater improvement in organizational skills than PFT and greater improvements on all outcomes relative to TAU at posttreatment. Differences between CLAS and TAU were maintained at follow-up for most parent-reported measures but were not significant for teacherreported outcomes.Conclusions:These findings extend support for CLAS across 2 study sites, revealing that integrating parent, teacher, and child treatment components, specifically adapted for ADHD-I, is superior to parent training alone and to usual care. Direct involvement of teachers and children in CLAS appears to amplify effects at school and home and underscores the importance of coordinating parent, teacher, and child treatment components for cross-setting effects on symptoms and impairment associated with ADHD-I.
Low-temperature thermal history and landscape development of the eastern Adirondack Mountains, New York: Constraints from apatite fission-track thermochronology and apatite (U-Th)/He dating

The Adirondack Mountains in northern New York State form an elongate, domal exposure of mainly high-grade metamor- phic tectonites in a mountainous setting with topographic relief of ~1 km. The origin of the Adirondack Mountains and this relief has long been enigmatic, since the Adirondacks presently lie within an intracratonic setting, inboard of the North American passive mar- gin and far from any active plate boundaries. Through the application of apatite fi ssion- track (AFT) thermochronology and apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) dating within the eastern Adirondack Mountains, this study provides constraints on both the thermal and ero- sional effects of Mesozoic passage near a hot- spot and the timing of relief development. AFT thermochronology and AHe dating record relatively stable thermal conditions within the eastern Adirondacks from the Middle Jurassic into the Early Cretaceous. During the Early Cretaceous (ca. 130- 120 Ma), the region underwent heating as- sociated with progressive movement near the Great Meteor hotspot, resulting in the temporary establishment of an elevated geo- thermal gradient. Following regional heat- ing, cooling rates increased considerably (ca. 105-95 Ma), likely due to both thermal doming, producing an increase in erosion rate, and the relaxation of isotherms after passage near the hotspot. The regional distribution of AFT ages across the eastern Adirondacks reveals no systematic age gradient from core to periph- ery, which would be expected under con- ditions of persistent high relief during the decay of a crustal root over many tens to hun- dreds of millions of years. Instead, thermo- chronological data suggest that the present relief developed during the Late Cretaceous- Cenozoic through plateau dissection during periodic base-level changes.
Role Stress, the Type A Behavior Pattern, and External Auditor Job Satisfaction and Performance

This study examines the relationship between elements of role stress and two important external auditor job outcome variables: job satisfaction and performance. The study extends prior research by examining the moderating influence of the Type A behavior pattern on these relationships. The need to re‐examine the linkages between the elements of role stress and both job satisfaction and job performance using theoretically based moderators, such as the Type A behavior pattern, has been highlighted in the role‐stress literature. Analysis of survey data confirmed that both role conflict and role ambiguity are significantly negatively associated with auditor job performance and job satisfaction. However, the expected moderating role of the Type A behavior pattern on the relationships between the components of role stress and job satisfaction and auditor job performance was not found. Interestingly, however, a direct positive relationship between the Type A behavior pattern and both job outcome variables was ap...
Choosing Wisely: highest-cost tests in outpatient neurology.

Identifying the tests/procedures ordered by neurologists that contribute most to health care expenditures is a critical step in the process of creating the neurology top 5 list for the Choosing Wisely initiative. Using data from the 2007–2010 National Ambulatory Care Medical Survey, we found that $13.3 billion (95% confidence interval = $10.1–$16.5 billion) was spent on tests ordered at neurologist visits. The tests/procedures with the highest expenditures were magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; 51% of total expenditures; $7.5 billion), electromyography (EMG; 20% of expenditures; $2.6 billion), and electroencephalography (EEG; 8% of expenditures; $1.1 billion). MRI, EMG, and EEG should receive close scrutiny in the development of the neurology top 5 list. Ann Neurol 2013;73:679–683
Reputation in the joint venture game

In many settings, agents need to identify competent partners to assist them in accomplishing tasks. Direct experience may not provide sufficient data to learn the competence of other agents. Reputation---a community-based assessment of agent competence---can augment direct experience, but is prone to error. This paper addresses the question of when reputation information is useful, examining a variety of multiagent settings. It provides a systematic study of the way the utility of reputation varies by group size, group competency, level of error, and whether reputation information is available. Results demonstrate that the utility received from reputation increases as group size increases. However, the experiments also show that reputation is useful in small groups, during early rounds of a game series. These results also revealed a "pigeonholing phenomenon" in which highly capable agents are miscategorized by the reputation system as having low competence based on early sequences of low performance. This effect can be countered by introducing a systematic positive bias to the system.
A new method of modulation classification for digitally modulated signals

A modulation model representation of a signal is used to provide a convenient form for subsequent analysis. The modulation model is formed by estimating the instantaneous frequency and bandwidth using autoregressive spectrum analysis. In particular, the instantaneous bandwidth and derivative of the instantaneous frequency prove to be valuable parameters in estimating modulation type. This method performed extremely well for input carrier-to-noise ratios as low as 15 dB. Additionally, since the autoregressive fit to the frequency spectrum is second order, the autoregressive polynomials coefficients and corresponding roots can be computed with closed-form expressions. Thus, the method is computationally efficient. >
Editorial Commentary: Is the Debate About Treatment of Candida parapsilosis Complex Infections With Echinocandins Much Ado About Nothing?

Keywords. Candida parapsilosis; echinocandins; candidemia; observational study; propensity scoring. The development of the echinocandin class of antifungals represents an important advance in the treatment of candidemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis. The echinocandins demonstrate very good efficacy, afavorable safety profile, and very few drug interactions. They have significant fungicidal activity against all Candida species. They are emerging as the treatment of choice for candidemia—but are they a panacea? They are only available for parenteral administration, have poor penetration into cerebrospinal fluid, and some species, such as Candida parapsilosis complex, demonstrate less in vitro susceptibility to the echinocandins than do most other Candida species, which raises the concern that infections caused by C. parapsilosis complex may be less responsive clinically to echinocandin therapy. A recent study in a murine model of disseminatedCandidainfectionevaluated the efficacy of caspofungin against strains of C. parapsilosis with a range of susceptibilities and revealed differences among isolates. Caspofungin reduced the tissue burden of mice infected with isolates with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ≤0.5 μg/mL but was less effective against those with MICs of 1 μg/mL [1]. This concern has not been definitively addressed by the published, randomized clinical trials of the 3 echinocandins. Clinical and microbiological response rates for the echinocandins vs comparators in C. parapsilosis complex infection were not statistically significantly different in clinical trials. However, there were numerically higher numbers of persistent candidemia due to C. parapsilosis complex in the caspofungin arm compared with the amphotericin B deoxycholate arm and during standard-dose caspofungin compared with high-dose caspofungin, and the eradication rate of C. parapsilosis complex infection was lower with anidulafungin than with fluconazole [2–4]. None of these trialshadsufficient powertoassessnoninferiority of echinocandins for C. parapsilosis complex,however. Ina recent patient-level quantitative review of the same clinical tri
The amino- and carboxyl-terminal sequence of bovine rhodopsin

The amino terminus of bovine rhodopsin is blocked and has the sequence x-Met-Asn(CHO)-Gly-Thr-Glu-Gly-Pro-Asn-Phe-Tyr-Val-Pro-Phe-Ser-Asn(CHO)-Lys-Thr-Gly-Val-Val-Arg, where CHO represents sites of carbohydrate attachment. The carboxyl-terminal sequence of rhodopsin is Val-Ser-Lys-Thr-Glu-Thr-Ser-Gln-Val-Ala-Pro-Ala. Upon short-term digestion of rod outer segment (ROS) membranes with thermolysin, opsin (similar to 35,000 daltons) is converted to a membrane-bound fragment O' (similar to 30,500 daltons) and 2 peptides containing 12 amino acids are released from the carboxyl terminus of rhodopsin into the supernatant. Upon long-term digestion of ROS with thermolysin, opsin and O' are replaced by the membrane-bound fragments F1 (similar to 25,000 daltons), and F2 (similar 9,500 daltons). When 32P-ROS are digested, F2 carries the 32P. Both O' and F1 contain the amino-terminal glycopeptide.
Order Matters: Using the 5E Model to Align Teaching with How People Learn

“I have to teach someone to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. How am I supposed to do that? What should I start with? How can this be so hard?” I have found that teaching anything to another person is rife with far more decisions and dilemmas than I could have ever imagined at first. Years ago, I had a college roommate who wanted to participate in a summer teaching program. For her interview, she had to develop a lesson plan to teach someone else how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Have you ever thought about teaching someone else how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? She had asked for my input, and once we started to really consider the possibilities, our minds reeled. How would you start? What would you do first? Next? After that? Who was the learner anyway? And had they made a sandwich before? Were they allergic to peanuts? How old were they? Should we let them have a knife? Should we show them how first? Talk them through it? Let them have a go at it on their own? Should we first teach them the names of all the tools and things we were going to use? Should we ask them why they needed to learn how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the first place? What were the critical issues in teaching someone how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Much like in the “PBJ Dilemma” as we came to call it, there are many decisions to be made in designing effective learning experiences in undergraduate biology classes—and instructors are making these decisions constantly. It can seem overwhelming, yet the research literatures from cognitive science, psychology, and science education about how people learn suggest guidelines about constructing effective learning experiences (National Research Council [NRC], 1999 ). Much like the PBJ Dilemma, the order in which we decide to do things with students when we teach is critical, yet the order of things happening in a class session often goes undiscussed and unexamined. At first glance, the most pressing teaching dilemmas in our biology classrooms—student motivation, student retention of information, student understanding of difficult concepts—may seem unrelated to the order in which things are happening; however, what we do first, second, third, and so on can have many ramifications. For many instructors who have primarily learned from and used a lecture-based teaching approach, considerations of order have been primarily about the order of ideas. With the increasing use of active-learning strategies, class sessions are moving from having a single component—a lecture—to having many components over the course of even 50 minutes (e.g., a video clip, a pair discussion on a biology-based problem, a clicker question, a mini-lecture, and a final index card reflection). So, what is the optimal order for sequencing these elements to maximize student learning of biology?
Eigenvector approximation leading to exponential speedup of quantum eigenvalue calculation.

We present an efficient method for preparing the initial state required by the eigenvalue approximation quantum algorithm of Abrams and Lloyd. Our method can be applied when solving continuous Hermitian eigenproblems, e.g., the Schrodinger equation, on a discrete grid. We start with a classically obtained eigenvector for a problem discretized on a coarse grid, and we efficiently construct, quantum mechanically, an approximation of the same eigenvector on a fine grid. We use this approximation as the initial state for the eigenvalue estimation algorithm, and show the relationship between its success probability and the size of the coarse grid.
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Blockers in Elderly Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease without Diabetes Mellitus or Proteinuria.

Objectives To compare the effect of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers with that of other antihypertensive agents on outcomes in a cohort of elderly veterans with incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) without diabetes mellitus or proteinuria. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Veterans Affairs (VA) Upstate New York Healthcare System. Participants All participants were seen in primary care clinic in Veterans Integrated Service Network 2, which comprises five VA medical centers and 29 community-based outpatient clinics, from April 2001 to April 2008. Veterans with incident CKD who were taking antihypertensive medications and did not have proteinuria or diabetes mellitus on the date of onset of CKD were selected from this population. Measurements The outcome variables studied were progression of kidney disease (doubling of serum creatinine level or Stage 5 CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <15 mL/min per 1.73 m2)), all-cause mortality, and combined outcome. Results Analysis included 2,474 participants, 47.9% of whom were taking RAAS blockers at baseline and the rest other antihypertensives. Time-varying Cox proportional hazards analyses did not reveal a statistically significant difference in primary combined outcome in participants taking RAAS blockers and those taking other antihypertensives (hazard ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval = 0.93–1.27). There was also no significant effect on individual outcomes (death or progression of kidney disease). Conclusion Use of RAAS blockers was not associated with less hazard of combined and individual outcomes (doubling of serum creatinine, Stage 5 CKD, death) in elderly veterans with incident CKD without diabetes mellitus or proteinuria.
Racial Equality and the Law: Creating an Effective Statute and Enforcement Model for Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government has commenced a public consultation exercise on a bill to prohibit racial discrimination, which is expected to be introduced in the Legislative Council in early 2005. The government has proposed to model the bill on the existing Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) and the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO). While there are advantages to adopting a familiar format, the author argues that the SDO and DDO can be improved upon, in particular, that a more flexible definition of indirect discrimination should be adopted and that special provisions be drafted to address discrimination against new immigrants from Mainland China. The author takes the view that this is an opportune time to strengthen the enforcement model for all of Hong Kong's anti-discrimination laws. The author proposes that officers at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) be empowered to take a more proactive approach and that a specialist equal opportunities tribunal should be established outside the auspices of the EOC.
Automated Fall Risk Assessment and Detection in the Home: A Preliminary Investigation

Falls are a major problem for older adults. A continuous unobtrusive in-home monitoring system that provides an accurate automated assessment of fall risk and detects when falls have occurred would allow for timely intervention and prevention allowing individual to remain healthier and independent longer. Sensor networks have been installed in apartments of older adult volunteers at TigerPlace, an independent senior living community. Initial results comparing gait parameters captured with a Microsoft Kinect with ground truth clinical fall risk assessments and GAITRite data are presented.
Assessing the Relationship Between Differentiation and Infidelity

SUMMARY Differentiation and infidelity have been theoretically related. However, few studies have tested whether the concepts in differentiation are statistically related to infidelity. One hundred nineteen participants in the present study completed two inventories assessing their level of differentiation and engaging in infidelity. Two-step structural equation modeling is used to determine the degree to which differentiation relates to infidelity. Results indicated that, though differentiation may be part of a plausible model of infidelity behavior, there are potentially other models that may be relevant in engaging in infidelity. The findings and implications are discussed.
Gentlemanly Price-Fixing and Its Limits: Collusion and Competition in the U.S. Explosives Industry during the Civil War Era

During the Civil War era, when the U.S. explosives industry was already dominated by a handful of firms, the leading manufacturers of black powder tried repeatedly–with mixed success–to fix prices in commercial and military markets. Their surviving correspondence reveals some of the dynamics of oligopolistic collusion and competition. In commercial markets, price-fixing by leading explosives makers was undermined not only by competition from small powder manufacturers but also by rivalry among their own selling agents. The same agency problems that made price-fixing more difficult, however, may have actually made it easier for manufacturers to sustain the social foundations of cooperation by allowing them to blame the failures of their agreements on forces outside their control. Maintaining cooperative relations over the long run proved useful to manufacturers in wartime military markets, in which price agreements were easier to sustain. But during the Civil War, the leading powder producers found that even successful collusion in the military supply business did not guarantee high profits, because government bureaus could prove to be demanding consumers.
An Audience of One: Behaviorally Targeted Ads as Implied Social Labels

“Behavioral targeting” is an Internet-based targeting strategy that delivers digital ads to individuals based on their online behavior (e.g., search, shopping). This research explores the unique ways in which consumers respond to ads using this type of targeting (vs. to ads that use more traditional forms of targeting), demonstrating that a behaviorally targeted ad can act as a social label even when it contains no explicit labeling information. Instead, when consumers recognize that the marketer has made an inference about their identity in order to serve them the ad, the ad itself functions as an implied social label. Across four studies, behaviorally targeted ads lead consumers to make adjustments to their self-perceptions to match the implied label; these self-perceptions then impact behavior including purchase intentions for the advertised product and other behaviors related to the implied label. Importantly, these effects only hold when the label is plausibly connected to consumers’ prior behavior (i.e., when the targeting is at least moderately accurate).
Comparable Worth in the Equal Pay Act

What is actually entailed in implementing the principle of “equal pay for equal work”? Far from being an uncontroversial proposition with none of the problems attendant on the theory of comparable worth, we show that this slogan, in practical implementation, raises many of the same issues. We use hypothetical fact situations to clarify the particular issues that may arise in an Equal Pay Act case. Our discussion focuses attention on the fact that the many ways in which “comparable worth” has engendered criticism are already and inevitably involved in the practical administration of the Equal Pay Act.
Using Video to Automatically Detect Learner Affect in Computer-Enabled Classrooms

Affect detection is a key component in intelligent educational interfaces that respond to students’ affective states. We use computer vision and machine-learning techniques to detect students’ affect from facial expressions (primary channel) and gross body movements (secondary channel) during interactions with an educational physics game. We collected data in the real-world environment of a school computer lab with up to 30 students simultaneously playing the game while moving around, gesturing, and talking to each other. The results were cross-validated at the student level to ensure generalization to new students. Classification accuracies, quantified as area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), were above chance (AUC of 0.5) for all the affective states observed, namely, boredom (AUC = .610), confusion (AUC = .649), delight (AUC = .867), engagement (AUC = .679), frustration (AUC = .631), and for off-task behavior (AUC = .816). Furthermore, the detectors showed temporal generalizability in that there was less than a 2p decrease in accuracy when tested on data collected from different times of the day and from different days. There was also some evidence of generalizability across ethnicity (as perceived by human coders) and gender, although with a higher degree of variability attributable to differences in affect base rates across subpopulations. In summary, our results demonstrate the feasibility of generalizable video-based detectors of naturalistic affect in a real-world setting, suggesting that the time is ripe for affect-sensitive interventions in educational games and other intelligent interfaces.
Seven Steps to Help you Become More Knowledgeable About U.S. Copyright Law

ABSTRACTAs copyright law is so closely ingrained with library services, it is important for librarians to learn about it and how to balance the law with the needs of users. Unfortunately, many Library and Information Science degree programs do not address copyright issues as part of course curriculum. As such, librarians may have to educate themselves about the law. This article will identify seven steps librarians can take to facilitate this process.
Postprandial lipemia and the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

Objective Excessive levels of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins during postprandial lipemia (PPL) have been reported to be atherogenic. However, it is unclear whether the degree of PPL independently predicts cardiovascular disease (CVD) given the scarcity of longitudinal data with standardised measures of postprandial change. We reexamined associations of PPL with incident CVD events in a population-based cohort using detailed measures of postprandial change from a standardised fat challenge. Research design and methods Postprandial triglycerides, TG-rich lipoprotein triglycerides, retinyl palmitate and apolipoprotein B48 to B100 ratio were measured before (following a 12-hour fasting period) and after a fat-tolerance test meal in a middle-aged, biracial subcohort without CVD (coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke) from the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study in 1990–1993. Using these measures, we estimated associations of postprandial change with incident CVD (CHD, stroke) through 2012. Stratified analyses by race, obesity and carotid atherosclerotic severity were also conducted. Results Of 559 participants, 127 (23%) developed CHD and 27 (5%) experienced a stroke over more than 20 years of follow-up. None of the measures of postprandial change were associated with incident CVD events in the overall sample, or by subgroups of race, obesity or carotid atherosclerotic severity (all p>0.3). Conclusions The degree of PPL was not shown to predict excess CVD risk in extended follow-up of a population-based sample. While our study is the largest to examine the association between PPL and incident CVD using standardised postfat challenge measures, prospective investigation with similar assessment of PPL in more powered samples is warranted.
Un-“Chartered” Waters: Balancing Montessori Curriculum and Accountability Measures in a Charter School

ABSTRACTMore than 6,000 charter schools exist in the United States, and of these 120 are Montessori charter schools. When studying charter school practices, researchers often examine issues such as performance accountability measures and effectiveness of charter school curricula. In doing so, the outcomes often overlook the challenges for teachers as they attempt to blend the demands of being a charter school with performance accountability and charter school philosophies, such as the Montessori philosophy. In this longitudinal case study, I examined the ways in which teachers in a charter Montessori school used professional development to help balance the demands for standardized testing performance and Montessori goals. The findings illustrate that significant challenges exist for teachers blending multiple educational goals but that professional development can aid teachers in filling in gaps in their existing curricula. This study encourages (1) researchers to question the ways in teachers can be supp...
Factors Associated With Staff Engagement in Patients' Tobacco Treatment in a State Psychiatric Facility.

BACKGROUND: Persons with mental illnesses (MI) who use tobacco are likely to experience poorer physical health and worsened psychiatric symptomology as compared to their non–tobacco-using counterparts. Therefore, engaging them in treatment is an important aspect of evidence-based care. OBJECTIVE: To use the theory of planned behavior to examine factors associated with intentions to provide and the provision of evidence-based tobacco treatment. DESIGN: This study is based on a cross-sectional analysis of survey data from 195 staff at a state psychiatric hospital. Results: When controlling for demographic variables, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control toward providing tobacco treatment were associated with intentions to provide tobacco treatment, but only subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were associated with reported provision of evidence-based tobacco treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding factors that influence provider delivery of tobacco treatment can better det...
Reaction products of hexamethylene diisocyanate vapors with "self" molecules in the airways of rabbits exposed via tracheostomy.

1. Hexamethylenediisocyanate (HDI) is a widely used aliphatic diisocyanate and a well-recognized cause of occupational asthma.2. “Self” molecules (peptides/proteins) in the lower airways, susceptib...
Case Study: The Manually Annotated Sub-Corpus

This case study describes the creation process for the Manually Annotated Sub-Corpus (MASC), a 500,000 word subset of the Open American National Corpus (OANC). The corpus includes primary data from a balanced selection of 19 written and spoken genres, all of which is annotated for almost 20 varieties of linguistic phenomena at all levels. All annotations are either hand-validated or manually-produced. MASC is unique in that it is fully open and free for any use, including commercial use.
ON THE SECANT METHOD FOR SOLVING NONSMOOTH EQUATIONS AND NONDISCRETE INDUCTION

In this study we are concerned with the problem of approximating a locallyunique solution of an operator equation in Banach space using the Secant method, and nondiscrete mathematical induction. The differentiability of the operator involved is not assumed. Using a flexible point-based approximation we provide a local as well as a semilocalconvergence analysis for the Secant method. Our results are justified by numerical examplesthat cannot be handled with earlier works.
Application of a multi-port solid state transformer for volt-VAR control in distribution systems

Distribution systems need significant voltage support with growing penetration of distributed generations especially intermittent renewable energy resources and smart loads. This paper introduces the application of the Multi-Port Solid State Transformer (MPSST) as an effective tool to support grid voltage at distribution level while integrating distributed energy resources. The solid state transformer replaces the conventional transformer between two voltage zones of distribution systems. Matlab/Simulink environment is used to simulate the IEEE 14 bus test system with an MPSST as a case study. The simulation results prove the effectiveness of the MPSST supporting the distribution system at local level in a fast and efficient manner in response to disturbances caused by load variations.