cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of successful and unsuccessful attempts at humor in human-computer interaction and computer-mediated communication

Studies of interpersonal interaction show that using humor can increase one's likability, promote cooperation, and have other "positive" effects. But do such outcomes occur in task-oriented computer-mediated communication (CMC) and human-computer interaction (HCI)? Four experiments were conducted to elucidate the effects of successful and unsuccessful attempts at humor in these cases. Experiment 1a and Experiment 1b each had a 2-condition (successful humor or control) between-subjects design. In Experiment 1a (N = 28), participants performed a task, ostensibly with another person in a different room, via a networked computer (CMC). All participants received preprogrammed comments, differing only in whether humorous remarks were inserted. Successful-humor participants rated the "other person" as more likable and competent, and reported greater cooperation with and similarity to their partner than did control participants. Successful-humor participants also made more jokes, responded more sociably, and demonstrated more mirth. Humor had no effect on participants' task time or the "other person's" persuasiveness. Experiment 1b used the same general method as Experiment 1a, but participants were told they were interacting with a computer in another room (HCI). The Experiment 1b findings were generally consistent with those from 1a, the research literature on humor, and the "social responses to communication technologies" (SRCT) model. The next two experiments replicated and extended the first two, with additional measures and conditions in which unfunny jokes were presented. Results from the CMC study, Experiment 2a (N = 38), were mostly consistent with those from Experiment 1a, and they showed few differences between measures for the unsuccessful-humor and control groups. New measures showed no effects for negative affect or recall memory, but the unsuccessful-humor group responded more unsociably than the others. The Experiment 2b results were generally consistent with those from 2a and the SRCT model. Comparisons of the data from the HCI and CMC experiments showed that compared to HCI participants, CMC participants felt more similar to their interaction partner, were more sociable, demonstrated more mirth and more negative affect, and liked their partner less, suggesting a revision to the SRCT model. The study's implications for communication, social psychology, and interaction design are discussed.
Liquid architecture

Summary form only given. We present an implementation of a liquid-architecture system that supports efficient development, prototyping, and performance evaluation of custom architectures. The implementation integrates the LEON soft-core, SPARC-compatible processor into the field-programmable port extender (FPX). The resulting platform can be instantiated, configured, and executed via the Internet.
A Commentary on Army Officer Research: From Alpha to Delta

This special issue offers five articles that contribute new insights for officer selection and classification. This commentary connects these articles to historical antecedents and describes their ...
Soil and water conservation benefits and suitability of different forestation trees in tableland-gully area of the Loess Plateau

【Objective】 Soil and water conservation benefits and suitability of different young afforested trees were evaluated in tableland-gully area of the Loess Plateau.【Method】 The runoff,soil erosion,soil water content and physiological characteristics of,mono-species of R.pseudoacacia,P.tabulaeformis,P.orientalis,H.rhamnoides and their mixtures in vegetated runoff plots were analyzed taking grassland as a control.【Result】 The results demonstrated that in the early stage of afforestation,the benefits of water and soil conservation were relatively poor for all afforested tree species and afforestation methods.The differences of soil erosion amounts between each tree species under monoculture or biculture resulted from differences in vegetation cover.The relationship between soil erosion and vegetation cover could be expressed by a quadratic function.Regression analysis showed that soil erosion was not severe when vegetation cover was more than fifty percent.Soil water content varied with the soil depth within the top 250 cm in grassland and each woodlot,but it became more or less constant below the 250 cm depth.R.pseudoacacia consumed most soil water,followed by P.orientalis,P.tabulaeformis,and H.rhamnoides with the last two being similar to the grassland.There were no significant differences in soil water contents between mono-species and its binary mixtures,except for R.pseudoacacia and its mixtures.Water use efficiency followed the order of:P.orientalis P.tabulaeformis ≈H.rhamnoides R.pseudoacacia.The leaf water use efficiencies of both P.tabulaeformis and H.rhamnoides in the mixture were significantly increased compared to the monocultures.The leaf transpiration rates followed the order of:R.pseudoacacia ≈H.rhamnoides P.tabulaeformis P.orientalis.Compared to their monocultures,the leaf transpiration rates of P.tabulaeformis and R.pseudoacacia decreased in their biculture mixed with H.rhamnoides,while the transpiration rates of H.rhamnoides remained relatively constant.【Conclusion】 Considering soil and water conservation benefits and adaptability of each tree species,we could conclude that the biculture of H.rhamnoides and P.tabulaeformis is very likely suitable for afforestation in tableland-gully areas of the Loess Plateau.
Training Parents to Implement Early Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Parents have been trained to implement many of the most common early interventions used with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Parents have unequaled access to their children and, in many cases, may be the most efficient and natural intervention agents. However, parent implemented interventions have also been identified as a source of stress for some families and obstacles, such as limited time, may preclude effective parent-implemented early intervention (EI). The purpose of the current chapter is to selectively summarize research related to parent-mediated EI for young children, ages 12–60 months, with or at risk for ASD, and to offer suggestions for practice and future research. The chapter is organized into the seven sections of (a) overview of parent involvement in early intervention; (b) targeted parent skills and desired outcomes; (c) parent education and training methods; (d) training parents to address core symptoms of ASD; (e) summary and suggestions for future research; (f) implications for practice; and (g) conclusion.
Parkin regulates lipopolysaccharide-induced proinflammatory responses in acute lung injury

The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious condition resulting from direct or indirect lung injury that is associated with high mortality and morbidity. A key biological event in the pathogenesis of the acute lung injury (ALI) that causes acute respiratory distress syndrome is activation of the lung endothelium cells (ECs), which is triggered by a variety of inflammatory insults leading to barrier disruption and excessive accumulation of neutrophils. Recently, we demonstrated that imatinib protects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced EC activation by inhibiting c-Abl kinase. In the present study, we explored the role of parkin, a novel c-Abl substrate, in ALI. Parkin is an E3 ubiquitin ligase originally characterized in the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease; however, its potential role in acute inflammatory processes and lung EC function remains largely unknown. Using parkin deficient (PARK2−/−) mice, we now demonstrate that parkin mediates LPS-induced ALI. After LPS, PARK2−/− mice have reduced total protein and cell levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) compared to wild type. Moreover, in LPS-treated PARK2−/− lungs, the sequestration and activation of neutrophils and release of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α]) are significantly reduced. The BAL levels of soluble VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 are also decreased in LPS-treated PARK2−/− mice compared to wild type. In cultured human lung endothelial cells, downregulation of parkin by small interfering RNA decreases LPS-induced VCAM-1 expression, IL-8 and IL-6 secretion, and NF-kB phosphorylation. These results suggest a previously unidentified role of parkin in mediating endotoxin-induced endothelial proinflammatory signaling and indicate that it may play a critical role in acute inflammation.
Generic attack against robust steganography based on spring transform and geometrization

There have been many robust image steganography methods that are invented in recent decades. However, this technique also may be used by malicious users to transmit dangerous information through the Internet beyond the control of the security agencies. How to detect and/or block potentially dangerous information transmission on the Internet through billions of images while not affecting the normal digital images becomes a challenging problem. Existing steganalysis methods or steganography attacking methods cannot be used for analyzing a large volume of digital images in a short time. In this paper, we propose an effective steganography attacking method that is not limited by the types of the steganography method. The proposed method can process the digital images to remove the potentially dangerous hidden information while keeping the digital image in a high visual quality. Inspired by the way in which printers and scanners work, our method decouples the human visual perception and the digital image's numerical values. It causes the numerical values of the image to change dramatically, and then the hidden information are largely damaged, while at the same time, the visual image quality can be maintained. Our experimental results have demonstrated that the peak signal-to-noise ratio of images can be above 32dB while the stego data are destroyed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Oxidation and water treeing in XLPE cable insulation

It is well known that polymer insulated high-voltage cables experience a form of degradation in service referred to as water treeing. Small tree-like growths consisting of water-filled microvoids, slowly grow in an electrically stressed insulation exposed to moisture causing a reduction in the breakdown strength. Although the subject of water treeing has been studied extensively for at least ten years, the mechanisms of treeing and how the trees lead to breakdown are not well understood. The role of oxidative degradation on the initiation and growth of water trees and the final breakdown of the insulation is not clear. At this conference last year it was hypothesized that the decomposition of hydroperoxides formed during oxidation was a major factor in the treeing process [l]. However these authors did not measure polymer oxidation directly. Bernstein et at.[2] could not find any significant difference in the level of oxidation between treed and non-treed polyethylene taken from miniature cables. This paper describes some results of an investigation into the oxidation levels of XLPE cable insulation removed from field and laboratory-aged cables. The oxidation was measured by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Oxidation Induction Time analysis (OIT).
A workload adaptive voltage scaling multiple clock domain architecture

This thesis presents a comprehensive system for allowing a Multiple Clock Domain (MCD) processor to adapt to its workload in an efficient manner. We present adaptive techniques at both the architecture and software levels. These techniques allow our system to either meet specified throughput demands while consuming the least possible energy, or to stay within an average power budget while providing the highest possible throughput. We first present an architecture-level adaptive system. This system adapts the voltage/frequency configuration of the MCD processor to meet the workload of a single application efficiently. As its input, this system can take either a throughput goal to meet using the least possible energy, or an average power level to remain below. We also show that our adaptive system can give an MCD processor increased tolerance to changes in performance and power dissipation due to variations. Next, we extend this adaptivity to multiprogrammed workloads. We present a scheduling algorithm that considers the throughput goals of each running application. Using this feedback, it schedules the applications in such a way as to minimize total energy consumption without altering the throughput of the individual applications. Finally, we present a system that allows individual applications to determine their throughput by comparing their actual progress to their desired progress rate. This system acts as a bridge between our architectural and inter-program adaptive systems. Each application's desired throughput is used in two ways. First, this throughput becomes the target throughput for our architecture-level system. Second, this throughput information provides the feedback that allows our scheduler to determine how it should schedule the application workload to minimize energy.
Chapter I: Instrumentation and measurements

The growth of science both stimulates and requires a variety of accurate measurements. An important influence toward more careful measurements has been the increased magnitude of such efforts as space probes or modern ocean cables.
Interactivity and Learning

Two claims for artificial intelligence techniques in education are that they can increase positive interactive experiences for students, and they can enhance learning. Depending on one's preferences, the critical question might be “how do we configure interactive opportunities to optimize learning?” Alternatively, the question might be, “how do we configure learning opportunities to optimize positive interactions?” Ideally, the answers to these two questions are compatible so that desirable interactions and learning outcomes are positively correlated. But, this does not have to be the case --interactions that people deem negative might lead to learning that people deem positive, or vice versa. The question for this talk is whether there is a “sweet spot” where interactions and learning complement one another and the values we hold most important. I will offer a pair of frameworks to address this question: one for characterizing learning by the dimensions of innovation and efficiency; and one for characterizing interactivity by the dimensions of initiative and idea incorporation. I will provide empirical examples of students working with intelligent computer technologies to show how desirable outcomes in both frameworks can be correlated.
East Meets West in Civil Disobedience Theory and Beyond: Lessons from Mohandas K. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mohandas K. Gandhi merged Eastern and Western legal, religious, and philosophical thought to create a basis for a theory of civil disobedience — “satyagraha” — that he applied with great efficacy in fighting against racial and social injustice in India. Martin Luther King, Jr., subsequently based one of his principal strategies for pursuing racial and social justice in the United States on Gandhi’s theory. In this Comment, I argue that the fusion of Eastern and Western thought underlying satyagraha is a significant reason for its consistent and increasing salience in national and international policy debates. I then examine the actions of Edward Snowden in light of this theory. I conclude with the suggestion that the power of this merger of disciplines and cultural norms should be extended beyond theories of civil disobedience to realize the potential power of law as a tool for advancing human health, safety, and dignity, and environmental protections.
Virulence of invasive Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 in animal models of infection

Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type (ST) 313 produces septicemia in infants in sub-Saharan Africa. Although there are known genetic and phenotypic differences between ST313 strains and gastroenteritis-associated ST19 strains, conflicting data about the in vivo virulence of ST313 strains have been reported. To resolve these differences, we tested clinical Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 and ST19 strains in murine and rhesus macaque infection models. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) was determined for three Salmonella Typhimurium ST19 and ST313 strains in mice. For dissemination studies, bacterial burden in organs was determined at various time-points post-challenge. Indian rhesus macaques were infected with one ST19 and one ST313 strain. Animals were monitored for clinical signs and bacterial burden and pathology were determined. The LD50 values for ST19 and ST313 infected mice were not significantly different. However, ST313-infected BALB/c mice had significantly higher bacterial numbers in blood at 24 h than ST19-infected mice. ST19-infected rhesus macaques exhibited moderate-to-severe diarrhea while ST313-infected monkeys showed no-to-mild diarrhea. ST19-infected monkeys had higher bacterial burden and increased inflammation in tissues. Our data suggest that Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 invasiveness may be investigated using mice. The non-human primate results are consistent with clinical data, suggesting that ST313 strains do not cause diarrhea.
Particle Counting of Liquid Systems Using a Scanning Electron Microscope

A procedure to filter particles with diameters as low as 0.2 μm, and statistically quantify them using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was developed and found to be limited with liquid reagents. Counting particles with this procedure indicated that large differences existed between automated counters and the SEM technique.
An Introduction to Gaussian Spaces

In this chapter we give a brief introduction in the theory of Gaussian processes by means of the technique of Fock spaces. This approach, which appeared in quantum field theory, simplifies both Wiener’s approach based on Hermite polynomials in several variables and Ith’s method of stochastic integrals.
Ultrasonic Criteria for Surgically Salvageable Pre-Phthisical Eyes

Ultrasound has proven of invaluable aid in the evaluation of traumatized eyes. Lacerating or perforating injuries almost invariably produce an immediate opacification of the ocular media which prevents visual examination. Ultrasonographic evaluation can identify ocular changes, such as retinal detachment, and characterize the extent of change, such as location and organization of vitreous hemorrhage.
Phase Diagram of Solid Methane

Two phase transitions of higher order have been detected in solid CH4 by previous investigators. The first study of the phase boundaries was made by Trapeznikova and Miljutin,1 who used a calorimetric technique that employed helium as the pressure-transmitting medium. Their measurements, which were carried out at temperatures in the range 18° to 30°K and at pressures up to 2000 kg/cm2, yielded a phase diagram composed of two lines that can be represented by the equations: T 1 = 4.84 × 10-3 p + 20.4, T 2 = 8.33 × 10-3 p + 10, where T 1 and T 2 are the transition temperatures of what we shall refer to as the first and second transitions, respectively, and p is the pressure in kg/cm2. Measurements by both Stevenson2 and Stewart,3 who used the piston-displacement technique of Bridgman,4 indicated that the second transition line T 2 did not extend to zero pressure, but leveled out below 18°K at a nearly constant pressure; however, Stewart found this pressure to be 2000 kg/cm2, a value 1000 kg/cm2 greater than that obtained by Stevenson.
Devitrification and microstructural coarsening of a fluoride-containing barium aluminosilicate glass

Barium aluminosilicate (BAS) glass-ceramics have the potential to be used in the production of cast prostheses for biomedical applications because of their radiopacity and increased strength compared with traditional feldspathic porcelains. It is essential to understand the crystallization kinetics of these materials in order to fabricate products with increased fracture resistance rapidly. It was hypothesized that the addition of fluoride (F) to the composition of BAS glass would reduce the necessary processing time and temperatures by obviating the need for a separate crystal nucleation treatment. BASF glass was subjected to both linear non-isothermal and one-stage isothermal crystallization treatments, and the resulting glass-ceramics were characterized using x-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and stereology. BASF glass had a low energy barrier to crystallization (397 kJ/mol) and transformed to 76 ± 2% crystallinity within 30 min at 975°C. A fine-grained microstructure was produced by bulk crystallization without the need for a separate crystal nucleation stage. After the initial crystal precipitation, the mean crystal size and mean free path between crystals increased over time at elevated temperature by a diffusion rate-limited coarsening mechanism.
Sensory Processing and Information Theory

Biological sensory processing systems are exquisitely complex and varied. Nonetheless, optimization principles and methods rooted in information theory can be used to understand and to make predictions concerning certain aspects of sensory processing. A brief overview of some work in this field is presented. A particular principle, that of ‘maximum information preservation,’ states that a sensory system should preserve as much information as possible at each processing stage, in the presence of noise and subject to various constraints. This optimization principle is applied to a couple of model systems to illustrate how the principle generates ordered maps and processing units (filters) whose properties are similar to those found in biological systems, as well as being useful for constructing artificial learning networks.
Use of QTc-prolonging medications among patients with lung cancer: implications for clinical trials and standard clinical care.

e20529Background: Exclusion from cancer clinical trials is common for patients taking QTc-interval prolonging drugs. To estimate the potential impact on accrual, we determined the prevalence of QTc...
Bicarbonate directly modulates activity of chemosensitive neurons in the retrotrapezoid nucleus.

Key points Changes in CO2 result in corresponding changes in both H+ and HCO3- and despite evidence that HCO3- can function as an independent signalling molecule, there is little evidence suggesting HCO3- contributes to respiratory chemoreception. We show that HCO3- directly activates chemosensitive retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) neurons. Identifying all relevant signalling molecules is essential for understanding how chemoreceptors function, and because HCO3- and H+ are buffered by separate cellular mechanisms, having the ability to sense both modalities adds additional information regarding changes in CO2 that are not necessarily reflected by pH alone. HCO3- may be particularly important for regulating activity of RTN chemoreceptors during sustained intracellular acidifications when TASK-2 channels, which appear to be the sole intracellular pH sensor, are minimally active. Abstract Central chemoreception is the mechanism by which the brain regulates breathing in response to changes in tissue CO2 /H+ . The retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) is an important site of respiratory chemoreception. Mechanisms underlying RTN chemoreception involve H+ -mediated activation of chemosensitive neurons and CO2 /H+ -evoked ATP-purinergic signalling by local astrocytes, which activates chemosensitive neurons directly and indirectly by maintaining vascular tone when CO2 /H+ levels are high. Although changes in CO2 result in corresponding changes in both H+ and HCO3- and despite evidence that HCO3- can function as an independent signalling molecule, there is little evidence suggesting HCO3- contributes to respiratory chemoreception. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine whether HCO3- regulates activity of chemosensitive RTN neurons independent of pH. Cell-attached recordings were used to monitor activity of chemosensitive RTN neurons in brainstem slices (300 μm thick) isolated from rat pups (postnatal days 7-11) during exposure to low or high concentrations of HCO3- . In a subset of experiments, we also included 2',7'-bis(2carboxyethyl)-5-(and 6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) in the internal solution to measure pHi under each experimental condition. We found that HCO3- activates chemosensitive RTN neurons by mechanisms independent of intracellular or extracellular pH, glutamate, GABA, glycine or purinergic signalling, soluble adenylyl cyclase activity, nitric oxide or KCNQ channels. These results establish HCO3- as a novel independent modulator of chemoreceptor activity, and because the levels of HCO3- along with H+ are buffered by independent cellular mechanisms, these results suggest HCO3- chemoreception adds additional information regarding changes in CO2 that are not necessarily reflected by pH.
Cross-talk between NKT cells and tumor associated macrophages in the tumor microenvironment

CD1d-reactive Va24-invariant NKT cells (NKTs) control tumor growth via yet poorly understood interactions with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and other myeloid cells. TAMs comprise M1- and M2-like subsets, but only CD163 high M2-like TAMs are associated with poor outcome in neuroblastoma (NB) and other tumors. Here, we demonstrate that NKTs selectively target M2-like TAMs via contact-dependent and independent mechanisms. Upon direct contact with antigen-pulsed M1 or M2 macrophages, NKTs selectively killed the latter. Although the killing was strictly CD1d-dependent, CD1d expression between macrophage subsets was equivalent. In contrast, only M2-polarized macrophages expressed CD204, a scavenger receptor responsible for cellular uptake of CD1d ligands. Anti-CD204 blocking mAb inhibited NKT-cell cytotoxicity against M2 in vitro while lentiviral transduction with CD204 cDNA rendered M1 sensitive to NKT cytotoxicity. We also found that antigen-activated NKTs could reprogram M2- into functional M1-like macrophages via GM-CSF production. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of human NKTs resulted in a M1-like polarization of TAMs in metastatic NB xenografts in humanized NSG mice. However, tumors progressed even after NKT cell treatment, suggesting a tumor escape mechanism. Indeed, we found that exposure to activated NKTs resulted in rapid up-regulation of PD-L1 on both M2 and M1 subsets, which correlated with suppressed NKT proliferation and cytokine production. Thus, our results reveal a novel mechanism of immune regulation, in which NKTs control tumor-supportive inflammation via killing or reprogramming of M2-like TAMs. However NKT function is negatively regulated by TAMs at least in part in a PD-1-dependent manner.
Neonatal Laryngoscopy and Bronchoscopy

Surgical endoscopy in the neonate requires a high level of technical skills, diagnostic acumen, and proper instrumentation to ensure a safe outcome. Prenatal development and physiological response to anesthetic agents will be dependent on the patient’s age and associated medical comorbidities. Neonatal laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy can be quite challenging for care providers because of this increased risk of hypoxemia. Neonates requiring bronchoscopy for respiratory failure are innately at higher surgical risk, secondary to possible underlying congenital anomalies and/or the precipitating factors that occur during the endoscopic evaluation of their airway. In addition, specific sizes of the laryngoscopes and bronchoscopes utilized must be available and functioning properly, preferably in at least duplicate sizes. Neonatal airway distress is apparent in the first minutes or hours of life. Therefore, the first attempts to secure and maintain the airway in the delivery room or the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provide essential information for the airway team (anesthesiologists, otolaryngologists, pediatric surgeons, respiratory therapists, and perioperative nurses). A thorough cardiac and pulmonary evaluation should be performed to assess for congenital abnormalities that may prevent or limit proper oxygenation of the neonate’s blood. Hypoventilation may result from combined factors including the primary airway pathology, associated anomalies, anesthesia, airway manipulation, or trauma, in addition to those specific factors related to the physiology of neonates. Premature neonates are even more susceptible and vulnerable to these challenges.
Progressive changes in metabolism of cows during induction of ketosis and treatment of ketosis with intestinal administration of glucose

A protocol for Inducing ketosls and a technique for Its prevention were used to characterize the metabolic effects of development and early treatment of ketosls in cows. During the 9 wk immediately after parturition, 18 high-producing cows were assigned among three treatments: ad-lib-fed control, ketosls Induction by restricting fed to 80% of ad lib intake plus supplementation with 1,3-butanedlol, and glucose-treated cows who received ketosls induction plus continuous intraduodenal Infusion of glucose at 500 g/d between d 25 and 40 postpartum. Ketosls induction was begun at d IS postpartum and caused ketonemla and gradual development of ketosls over 25 to 30 d. Ketotlc cows maintained constant milk production until a 12% decrease 1 wk before and a 31% decrease at ketosls. Cows treated with glucose showed no decrease. Free fatty acid concentration in plasma of ketotlc cows was Increased by 3.0-, 2.6-, and 1.9-fold at 3 wk before, 2 wk before, and at ketosls, but glucose-treated cows Increased slightly then returned to baseline. Beta-hydroxybutyrate increased 3.5-, 5.8-, and 8.4-fold for the same periods for the cows receiving ketosls Induction, but only a maximum of 1.6-fold for glucose-treated cows. Plasma glucose was decreased by 20% for ketosls and Increased by 9% for glucose-treated cows. Liver glycogen content was nearly zero by 2-wk before ketosls in ketotlc cows, but glycogen in glucose-treated cows increased to prepartal
Methodical and Applied Aspects of Creation and Application of Cyber Ranges

The methodical and applied aspects of the creation and application of cyber ranges are proposed in the article. The new solutions for analysis, synthesis and the development of applied scientific and technological principles of construction and realization of cyber ranges are given. These cyber ranges can be used for: research issues of cyber monitoring, cyber defense and cyber influence; design of fundamental and applied bases of constructing mathematical support of software and hardware assets for realization of monitoring processes, analytical information processing, forecasting, planning and implementation of passive and active countermeasures against information and cyber threats in cyber space. This makes it possible to check the effectiveness of new and innovative forms and methods of countermeasures against challenges and threats of terrorism, of protecting critical infrastructures, society, authorities, and person through the realization of complexes of information security in cyber space.
Programmable Exposure of Pt Active Facets for Efficient Oxygen Reduction

To produce efficient ORR catalysts with low Pt content, PtNi porous films (PFs) with sufficiently exposed Pt active sites were designed by an approach combining electrochemical bottom-up (electrodeposition) and top-down (anodization) processes. The dynamic oxygen-bubble template (DOBT) programmably controlled by a square-wave potential was used to tune the catalyst morphology and expose Pt active facets in PtNi PFs. Surface-bounded species, such as hydroxyl (OH* , *=surface site) on the exposed PtNi PFs surfaces were adjusted by the applied anodic voltage, further affecting the dynamic oxygen (O2 ) bubbles adsorption on Pt. As a result, PtNi PF with enriched Pt(111) facets (denoted as Pt3.5 % Ni PF) was obtained, showing prominent ORR activity with an onset potential of 0.92 V (vs. RHE) at an ultra-low Pt loading (0.015 mg cm-2 ).
Zionist Frontiers: David Ben-Gurion, Labor Zionism, and transnational circulations of settler development

This article examines how settler colonial narratives, structures and relations constitute development. The article offers a new concept, settler development, to show how development, as a colonial...
The clinicopathological features of long-term survivors of metastatic gastric cancer

Abstract Background Metastatic gastric cancer has a poor prognosis. Overall survival in these patients is approximately 1 years, despite the development of chemotherapeutic and biological agents. The incidence of long-term survivors of metastatic gastric cancer beyond 5 years after the initiation of chemotherapy has been reported to be less than 10%. Methods The characteristics of long-term survivors were compared with those of poor responders to determine the specific factors that regulate chemosensitivity. Those who died within six months after the initiation of chemotherapy were considered as poor responders in this analysis. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to determine the clinicopathological features of metastatic gastric cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in Nagoya Memorial Hospital. Statistical analyses were carried out by Fisher’s exact test and then a multivariate analysis. Differences with P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The chart review was approved by ethics committee of Nagoya Memorial Hospital. Results We experienced 8 long-term survivors and 12 poor responders. The analysis showed that number of metastatic sites might be different between 2 groups (P = 0.0144). The objective response rates of long-term survivors and poor responders were 62.5% (CR 4, PR 1) and 0%, respectively. Conclusions We found that tumor burden might be associated with the prognosis of affected patients. Good response to systemic chemotherapy should be essential for prolonged survival of patients with distant metastases.
Characteristics and Incidence of Inpatient Ophthalmology Consultations to Screen for Papilledema

Objective A frequent reason for ophthalmology consultation is to rule out papilledema. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of consultations to screen for papilledema in an acute inpatient setting and determine the frequency and factors associated with a positive diagnosis of bilateral optic nerve swelling. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of consecutive adult and pediatric inpatient ophthalmology consultations at a tertiary hospital system to “rule out papilledema” from September through November 2016. All patients had a detailed neuro-ophthalmology examination including a dilated fundus exam. Results A total of 36 consults—13 males and 23 females—with a mean age of 19.8 (range: 3–71) years were called to screen for papilledema. The most common service to request the consult was pediatrics (44%), followed by neurosurgery (42%), medicine (8%), and neurology (6%). The most frequent reason for consultation was headache (61%), followed by visual changes (30.5%) and nausea/vomiting (25%). A positive diagnosis of bilateral optic nerve swelling occurred in 14% (5/36) of consults. Of these five consults, four of them were sent into the hospital by an ophthalmologist who noted the bilateral optic nerve swelling and one was noted by an emergency room pediatrician. Conclusion No new cases of bilateral optic nerve swelling were found in screening consults to “rule out papilledema.” All of the positive diagnoses in our study had been previously identified by another physician and known to the primary team prior to ophthalmology consultation. Screening consultations for optic nerve swelling may not be an effective way to rule out papilledema.
Improving model robustness for soybean iron deficiency chlorosis rating by unsupervised pre-training on unmanned aircraft system derived images

Abstract Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) is a major yield-limiting factor for soybean production in the mid-western USA. The most practical solution in mitigating losses due to IDC is the development and characterization of IDC tolerant varieties. Leveraging the advanced technique of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and the thriving deep learning methodology, a convolutional neural network (CNN) could be trained to assist breeders with IDC resistance selection. However, a known difficulty in IDC screening is that the symptoms often vary across diverse genetic backgrounds and spatial or temporal soil heterogeneities. A robust CNN model is desired to mitigate such difficulty. While high robustness usually relies on a sufficiently large labeled training data, the available labeled samples in most breeding programs are normally not enough. Under this limitation, it is critical to find an alternative way to train a robust model. The solution proposed in this study was to apply unsupervised pre-training on the unlabeled aerial images that are much easier to obtain by the UAS. Specifically, a convolutional autoencoder (CAE) was pre-trained on unlabeled sub-images clipped from aerial RGB images; then, the pre-trained weights were reused to initialize the CNN model that was trained on labeled plot-wise sub-images clipped from stitched RGB maps. To test the robustness of this CAE initialized model (CAE1-CNN), two baseline models were equally trained: the first was CAE2-CNN, where the CAE2 was pre-trained with three times of unlabeled data as that of CAE1, by adding wniter wheat and sorghum aerial images; the second was Ran-CNN where the CNN was randomly initialized. Three conditions were considered for testing model robustness: different soybean trials, field locations and vegetative growth stages. Results revealed that both the CAE1-CNN and the CAE2-CNN had relatively better robustness than the Ran-CNN model, i.e., higher R2 and lower RMSE values, especially on different soybean trials and growth stages, which proved that the unsupervised pre-training added gains to the model robustness across diverse trials and growth stages. Similar performances were found between the CAE1-CNN andthe CAE2-CNN model, suggesting that augmenting the unlabled data did not bring significant improvement to model robustness. Additionally, during robustness test on different soybean trials, the unsupervised pre-training seemly showed the potential of alleviating the required number of labeled training samples. These promising findings could contribute to the research on crop stresses by providing a potential path towards developing a robust system for classifying or predicting stress severities under more varied conditions.
Recombinant vectored vaccines

Abstract: Protective protein antigens from pathogenic bacteria or viruses can be cloned into other nonpathogenic organisms called vectors. If the vector cannot cause disease, then these recombinants can be used as vaccines. The most widely employed vectors used in animal vaccines are poxviruses such as vaccinia or canarypox. However, other vectors include adenoviruses, herpesviruses, and the insect viruses called baculoviruses. Vectors may also include some bacteria, yeasts, and even plants. These vectored vaccines are highly immunogenic and very safe. They have been widely and successfully used in many animal species. Vaccinia vectored vaccines have been used extensively to control rabies in wildlife.
Daily and near-daily cannabis use is associated with HIV viral load suppression in people living with HIV who use cocaine

Disparities remain in HIV viral load (VL) suppression between people living with HIV (PLWH) who use cocaine and those who do not. It is not known how cannabis use affects VL suppression in PLWH who...
Naturopathy: a critical appraisal.

"Naturopathic medicine" is a recent manifestation of the field of naturopathy, a 19th-century health movement espousing "the healing power of nature." "Naturopathic physicians" now claim to be primary care physicians proficient in the practice of both "conventional" and "natural" medicine. Their training, however, amounts to a small fraction of that of medical doctors who practice primary care. An examination of their literature, moreover, reveals that it is replete with pseudoscientific, ineffective, unethical, and potentially dangerous practices. Despite this, naturopaths have achieved legal and political recognition, including licensure in 13 states and appointments to the US Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee. This dichotomy can be explained in part by erroneous representations of naturopathy offered by academic medical centers and popular medical Web sites.
Circulating Lymphocyte Counts Early During Radiation Therapy Are Associated With Recurrence in Pediatric Medulloblastoma.

Purpose Decreased peripheral lymphocyte counts are associated with survival after radiation therapy (RT) in several solid tumors, although they appear late during or after the radiation course and often correlate with other clinical factors. Here we investigate if absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs) are independently associated with recurrence in pediatric medulloblastoma early during RT. Methods and Materials We assessed 202 patients with medulloblastoma treated between 2000 and 2016 and analyzed ALC throughout therapy, focusing on both early markers (ALC during week 1 – ALCwk1; grade 3+ Lymphopenia during week 2 – Lymphopeniawk2) and late markers (ALC nadir). Uni- and multivariable regressions were used to assess association of clinical and treatment variables with ALC and of ALC with recurrence. Results Thirty-six recurrences were observed, with a median time to recurrence of 1.6 years (range, 0.2-10.3) and 7.1 years median follow-up. ALC during RT was associated with induction chemotherapy (P Conclusions ALC during weeks 1 and 2 of RT was associated with recurrence, and low ALC is an independent prognostic factor in medulloblastoma. Strategies to mitigate the risk of radiation-induced lymphopenia should be considered.
Pathogenesis of IgE-mediated food allergy and implications for future immunotherapeutics

Our understanding of the immune basis of food allergy has grown rapidly in parallel with the development of new immune-targeted interventions for the treatment of food allergy. Local tissue factors, including the composition of skin and gastrointestinal microbiota and production of Th2-inducing cytokines (TSLP, IL-33, and IL-25) from barrier sites, have been shown not only to contribute to the development of food allergy, but also to act as effective targets for treatment in mice. Ongoing clinical trials are testing the targeting of these factors in human disease. There is a growing understanding of the contribution of IL-13 to the induction of high-affinity IgE and the need for continual T-cell help in the maintenance of long-lived IgE. This provides a strong rationale to test biologics targeting both IL-4 and IL-13 in the treatment of established food allergy. Various forms of allergen immunotherapy for food allergy have clearly shown that low specific IgE and elevated specific IgG4 are predictive of sustained treatment effect. Treatments that mimic that immune response, for example, lowering IgE, with monoclonal antibodies such as omalizumab, or administering allergen-specific IgG, are in various stages of investigation. As we gain more opportunities to use immune-modifying treatments for the treatment of food allergy, studies of the immune and clinical response to those interventions will continue to rapidly advance our understanding of the immune basis of food allergy and tolerance.
Natural Resource Endowment and Regional Economic Growth

We are concerned in this chapter with the relationship between the natural resources within the various parts, or regions, of a country and what might be called the geography of national economic expansion.
R&D Choice in Restructured Industries: In-house v/s Collaborative Research in the US Electricity Industry

This paper studies the impact of market restructuring on the character of research and development (R&D) expenditures. Using a political economy approach, we consider the likely differences in internal and collaborative R&D activities under regulatory and market regimes, and test the predictions on R&D investments by a panel of investor owned electric utilities between 1990 and 2000. We find that spending on internal projects declines with the uncertainty associated with restructuring, but recuperates for companies in states that transition to relative competitive market regimes. Alternatively, external R&D expenditures (outsourced or consortium activities) are initially higher for firms subject to the uncertainty of the policy transition but subsequently decline in restructuring states. Our analysis yields insights into the incentives for firms to perform research internally or to outsource it, and suggests some new guidelines for effective public technology programs.
Genetics and Biology of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Ciliopathies are a growing class of disorders caused by abnormal ciliary axonemal structure and function. Our understanding of the complex genetic and functional phenotypes of these conditions has rapidly progressed. Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) remains the sole genetic disorder of motile cilia dysfunction. However, unlike many Mendelian genetic disorders, PCD is not caused by mutations in a single gene or locus, but rather, autosomal recessive mutation in one of many genes that lead to a similar phenotype. The first reported PCD mutations, more than a decade ago, identified genes encoding known structural components of the ciliary axoneme. In recent years, mutations in genes encoding novel cytoplasmic and regulatory proteins have been discovered. These findings have provided new insights into the functions of the motile cilia, and a better understanding of motile cilia disease. Advances in genetic tools will soon allow more precise genetic testing, mandating that clinicians must understand the genetic basis of PCD. Here, we review genetic mutations, their biological impact on cilia structure and function, and the implication of emerging genetic diagnostic tools.
Theory of semiclassical transition probabilities for inelastic and reactive collisions. IV. Classically-inaccessible transitions calculated by integration along complex-valued trajectories

We calculate semiclassical S-matrix elements S_(mn) by numerical integration along complex-valued trajectories, by avoiding (simply) previously reported trajectory divergences. Now, one can numerically calculate even ❘S_(mn)❘ ≈ 10^(−11) for the Secrest-Johnson system (their lowest ❘S_(mn)❘^2), instead of only ❘S_(mn)❘^2 > 10^(−3). Agreement is excellent.