cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The evolution of financial incentives in the U.S. health care system

The U.S. health care system continues to evolve toward value-based payment, rewarding providers based upon outcomes per dollar spent. To date, payment innovation has largely targeted primary care, with little consideration for the role of surgical specialists. As such, there remains appropriate uncertainty surrounding the optimal role of the urologic oncologist in alternative payment models. This commentary summarizes the context of U.S. health care reform and offers insights into supply-side innovations including accountable care organizations and bundled payments. Additionally, and importantly, we discuss the implications of rising out-of-pocket health care expenditures giving rise to health care consumerism and the implications therein.
The Next Hundred Years of Growth: Growth and Convergence

I use a Bayesian Markov-switching model to forecast world GDP per capita over the next 100 years. The switching model estimates the probability that a country is currently on a path to converge to the world frontier for each country in the world, as well as the probability that a country that is not currently converging will switch to a convergent path. Forecasts depend on both the rate of growth in income in countries at the world frontier and the rate at which other countries converge to that frontier. Convergence is a major course of growth, but this is largely due to countries which have already begun to converge. I forecast world income per capita to grow over the next hundred years at an annual rate of 2.5 percent. World income will be triple today’s U.S. income, although there will continue to be considerable inter-country inequality. Eighty percent of the world’s population will have income above today’s U.S. income, but only small fraction will have income above future U.S. income. A modest drop in the world Gini coefficient is predicted.
EFFECTS OF NICOTINE VERSUS PLACEBO E-CIGARETTE USE ON SYMPTOM RELIEF DURING INITIAL TOBACCO ABSTINENCE

Because electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) containing nicotine may relieve smoking abstinence symptoms similar to nicotine replacement therapy medication, we used within-subjects designs to test these effects with a first-generation e-cig in nonquitting and quitting smokers. In Study 1, 28 nontreatment-seeking smokers abstained overnight prior to each of 3 sessions. Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (MNWS) withdrawal (and craving item) relief was assessed following 4 exposures (each 10 puffs) over 2 hr to e-cigs that either did (36 mg/ml) or did not (i.e., placebo, 0 mg/ml) contain nicotine or after no e-cig. Relief was greater after nicotine versus placebo e-cig (p < .05) but not after placebo versus no e-cig, showing relief was due to nicotine per se and not simple e-cig use behavior. Using a crossover design in Study 2, smokers preparing to quit soon engaged in 2 experimental 4-day quit periods on separate weeks. In weeks 1 and 3, all received a nicotine or placebo e-cig on Monday to use ad libitum while trying to abstain from smoking on Tuesday through Friday. (Week 2 involved resumption of ad libitum smoking.) MNWS and Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU) craving were assessed at daily visits following 24-hr abstinence. Of 17 enrolled, 12 quit for ≥24 hr at least once, allowing test of relief because of e-cig use on quit days. Withdrawal and craving were reduced because of nicotine versus placebo e-cig use (both p < .05). In sum, compared with placebo e-cigs, nicotine e-cigs can relieve smoking abstinence symptoms, perhaps in a manner similar to Food and Drug Administration-approved nicotine replacement therapy products, although much more research with larger samples is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record
Ulnar Compressive Neuropathies

There are three different neuropathies defined by where the ulnar nerve is compressed that are much less common than cubital tunnel. Nerve conduction is used to confirm diagnosis of cubital tunnel, defined as symptomatic ulnar nerve dysfunction at the level of the elbow; this is treated either nonoperatively or operatively depending on severity. Guyon’s canal syndrome, another nerve compression syndrome, occurs when the ulnar nerve is compressed in the space at the base of the hypothenar eminence where it bifurcates. It can be caused by lesion, and Phalen’s sign is a positive presentative symptom.
Sub-micromolar concentrations of retinoic acid induce morphological and functional neuronal phenotypes in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells

Neuroblastoma cells are neural crest derivatives that can differentiate into neuron-like cells in response to exogenous agents, and are known to be particularly sensitive to retinoic acid. The spectrum of neuroblastoma responses, ranging from proliferation, migration, differentiation, or apoptosis, is difficult to predict due to the heterogeneity of these tumors and to the broad effective range of retinoic acid. Our study focused on the effects of nanomolar concentrations of retinoic acid on neuroblastoma differentiation in two cell lines cells: SK-N-SH (HTB-11) and IMR-32. Each cell line was treated with retinoic acid from 1 to 100 nM for up to 6 d. Morphological changes were quantified; immunocytochemistry was used to observe changes in neuronal protein expression and localization, while live-cell calcium imaging utilizing pharmacological agents was conducted to identify neuron-like activity. Retinoic acid-treated HTB-11 but not IMR-32 cells developed specific neuronal phenotypes: acquisition of long neurite-like processes, expression of neurofilament-200, increased responsiveness to acetylcholine, and decreased responsiveness to nicotine and epinephrine. In addition, nanomolar levels of retinoic acid elicited increased nuclear trafficking of the CRABP2, which is traditionally associated with gene expression of cellular pathways related to neuronal differentiation. Collectively, these results show that nanomolar concentrations of retinoic acid are capable of inducing both structural and functional neuron-like features in HTB-11 cells using CRABP2, suggesting differentiation in neuroblastoma cells into neuronal phenotypes. These have important implications for both chemotherapeutic design and for the use of neuroblastomas as in vitro models for neuron differentiation.
Dynamic Competition and Monopoly Regulation

New technologies produce familiar challenges for regulators assessing the causes and consequences of market power. Competition is now possible in most traditional regulated utility industries, which leaves regulators facing many questions previously the province of antitrust experts. In natural gas, telecommunications, and even electricity, regulators and legislators find it increasingly necessary to identify competitors, assess the extent of competition, and craft pro-competitive policies.
Microbiology of Antarctica

The association of microorganisms with chemical changes in organic materials was ably demonstrated by Lours Pasteur in the late 1850’s. These observations aroused the curiosity of naturalists and physicians who accompanied exploring vessels into the high latitudes. At a time when heterogenesis still had proponents, Nystrom (1868) aboard the Sofia repeated Pastrur’s classical “sterile broth” experiments at Spitzbergen. This demonstration of the presence of bacteria in Arctic air was apparently the first polar bacteriological study.
Resistance to Antimalarial Drugs: Parasite and Host Genetic Factors

Drug resistance in malaria is the most formidable obstacle in the fight against the disease since it jeopardizes the most elementary objective of malaria control – reducing suffering and eliminating mortality. Although several mechanisms have been described; an important cause of drug resistance appears to be point mutations in the malaria parasite protein-target genes. Clinically significant resistance to antimalarial agents seems to require the accumulation of multiple mutations. Efforts to circumvent antimalarial drug resistance range from the use of combination therapy with existing agents to studies directed toward discovering novel targets and therapies. However, the contribution of host genetic factors, particularly those associated with antimalarial drug metabolism, has not yet been explored. In addition, the link between in vivo drug concentrations and treatment outcome is often inconsistent. Evidence suggests that in a variety of drug-treated illnesses or diseases, metabolism has a major impact on the effectiveness of a drug. Here, to gain some understanding of the role variation in drug metabolism might play in malaria control, we provide background information on global distribution of malaria (Section 2), drugs available to treat malaria (Section 3), and the occurrence of antimalarial drug resistance in association with mutations in specific parasite genes (Section 4). In Section 5, we then turn our attention to variability in structure and function of enzymes involved in Phase I (cytochrome P450) and Phase II uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) drug metabolism pathways in the human host. Although relatively few studies have been performed, our review
Innovation, Innovation, Innovation

All businesses have a product or service to offer to consumers that would make their quality of life better. If that product or service is unique and makes an almost unexpected contribution to the individual’s well-being, then as the society’s quality of life enhances, the firm’s profitability increases. It was Solow (1957) who posited that the main drivers of economic growth are innovation and technical progress. More recently, researchers have commented that innovation is the leading indicator of future growth and profitability (Maddock and Viton 2008).
Love jihad in India’s moral imaginaries: religion, kinship, and citizenship in late liberalism

This paper examines moral panics about love jihad in contemporary India. Since 2009, right-wing Hindu activists have alleged that members of the Muslim community are conspiring to marry Hindu women...
The enhancement of viscous fingering with bidisperse particle suspension

Viscous fingering is observed experimentally when a bidisperse suspension displaces air inside a Hele-Shaw cell, despite the stabilising viscosity ratio between the invading (suspension) and defending (air) phases. Careful experiments are carried out to characterise this instability by either systematically varying the large-particle concentrations at constant total concentrations , or changing with fixed . Leading to the instability, we observe that larger particles consistently enrich the fluid–fluid interface at a faster rate than small particles. This size-dependent enrichment of the interface leads to an earlier onset of the fingering instability for bidisperse suspensions, compared to their monodisperse counterpart of all small particles. In particular, even the small presence of large particles is shown to effectively lower the total particle concentration needed for fingering, compared to the all-small-particle case. We hypothesise that the key mechanism behind this enhanced viscous fingering is the size-dependent nature of shear-induced migration of particles far upstream from the interface. A reduced equilibrium model is derived based on the modified suspension balance model to verify this hypothesis, in reasonable agreement with experiments.
Research Communication Futures: A Perspective on the FORCE11 Scholarly Communication Institute

AbstractThe FORCE11 Scholarly Communication Institute (FSCI), held July 28 through August 3, 2018, was an intensive weeklong summer school, tackling essential but often overlooked elements of the research information life cycle. Featuring a mix of librarians, scientists, data specialists, and other professionals, FSCI offered a remarkable educational experience as well as fertile ground for networking. Classes on research information management (RIM) infrastructure, detection of questionable journal publishing practices, and analysis of article processing charges (APCs) gave participants a deeper understanding of the research information life cycle in addition to hands-on skills in data analysis and visualization. For librarians, these takeaways add valuable context to serials and licensing work and highlight new directions for library skill building and visioning.
(309) Virtual Reality Walking for Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury: Preliminary Efficacy Findings

Approximately 70% SCI patients report chronic pain, with a third characterizing their pain as debilitating. SCI-NP accompanies 40%-60% of SCI cases and is regarded as more severe than nociceptive pain. SCI-NP remains minimally responsive to existing pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments. Pharmacological agents (e.g., antidepressants, antiepileptics, opioids) provide only a third of patients’ 50% pain reduction and present significant side effects including constipation, toxification, and addiction. Visual feedback (e.g., “mirror”) therapies have shown promise in addressing SCI-NP. These therapies target post-injury cortical changes associated with NP by reinstating sensory input via visual illusion. Preliminary studies utilizing “illusory walking” – wherein participants experience the illusion of normal gait were associated with reduced NP in individuals with SCI. The current study comprised initial feasibility and efficacy testing of the first fully immersive VR walking interface, which allows individuals with SCI-NP to control virtual legs using gait-related arm movement. The goal-directed nature of this interface aims to address key efficacy limitations of existing illusory walking interventions, which have relied exclusively on passive observation. Participants (9 male, mean time since injury=16yrs) had complete paraplegia with disruptive SCI NP. Intervention occurred over 10 days, with two 5-10 minute in-home sessions per day. NP intensity was recorded using the Neuropathic Pain Scale (NPS) and Numerical Rating Scale (0-10 NRS) prior to and following the 10-day intervention. Participants showed statistically significant declines in NPS (F(1,9)=18.51, p
Urinary apolipoprotein AI in children with kidney disease

Although high-density lipoprotein (HDL) modulates many cell types in the cardiovascular system, little is known about HDL in the kidney. We assessed urinary excretion of apolipoprotein AI (apoAI), the main protein in HDL. We enrolled 228 children with various kidney disorders and 40 controls. Urinary apoAI, albumin, and other markers of kidney damage were measured using ELISA, apoAI isoforms with Western blot, and renal biopsies stained for apoAI. Patients followed in nephrology clinic had elevated urinary apoAI vs. controls (median 0.074 μg/mg; interquartile range (IQR) 0.0160–0.560, vs. 0.019 μg/mg; IQR 0.004–0.118, p < 0.001). Patients with tubulopathies, renal dysplasia/congenital anomalies of the kidney and urogenital tract, glomerulonephritis, and nephrotic syndrome (NS) in relapse had the greatest elevations (p ≤ 0.01). Patients with NS in remission, nephrolithiasis, polycystic kidney disease, transplant, or hypertension were not different from controls. Although all NS in relapse had higher apoAI excretion than in remission (0.159 vs. 0.0355 μg/mg, p = 0.01), this was largely driven by patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Many patients, especially with FSGS, had increased urinary apoAI isoforms. Biopsies from FSGS patients showed increased apoAI staining at proximal tubule brush border, compared to diffuse cytoplasmic distribution in minimal change disease. Children with kidney disease have variably increased urinary apoAI depending on underlying disease. Urine apoAI is particularly elevated in diseases affecting proximal tubules. Kidney disease is also associated with high molecular weight (HMW) apoAI isoforms in urine, especially FSGS. Whether abnormal urinary apoAI is a marker or contributor to renal disease awaits further study.
Statistical estimation of operating reserve requirements using rolling horizon stochastic optimization

We develop a multi-period stochastic optimization framework for identifying operating reserve requirements in power systems with significant penetration of renewable energy resources. Our model captures different types of operating reserves, uncertainty in renewable energy generation and demand, and differences in generator operation time scales. Along with planning for reserve capacity, our model is designed to provide recommendations about base-load generation in a non-anticipative manner, while power network and reserve utilization decisions are made in an adaptive manner. We propose a rolling horizon framework with look-ahead approximation in which the optimization problem can be written as a two-stage stochastic linear program (2-SLP) in each time period. Our 2-SLPs are solved using a sequential sampling method, stochastic decomposition, which has been shown to be effective for power system optimization. Further, as market operations impose strict time requirements for providing dispatch decisions, we propose a warm-starting mechanism to speed up this algorithm. Our experimental results, based on IEEE test systems, establish the value of our stochastic approach when compared both to deterministic rules from the literature and to current practice. The resulting computational improvements demonstrate the applicability of our approach to real power systems.
Long-term stability and Red Queen-like strain dynamics in marine viruses.

Viruses that infect microorganisms dominate marine microbial communities numerically, with impacts ranging from host evolution to global biogeochemical cycles1,2. However, virus community dynamics, necessary for conceptual and mechanistic model development, remains difficult to assess. Here, we describe the long-term stability of a viral community by analysing the metagenomes of near-surface 0.02–0.2 μm samples from the San Pedro Ocean Time-series3 that were sampled monthly over 5 years. Of 19,907 assembled viral contigs (>5 kb, mean 15 kb), 97% were found in each sample (by >98% ID metagenomic read recruitment) to have relative abundances that ranged over seven orders of magnitude, with limited temporal reordering of rank abundances along with little change in richness. Seasonal variations in viral community composition were superimposed on the overall stability; maximum community similarity occurred at 12-month intervals. Despite the stability of viral genotypic clusters that had 98% sequence identity, viral sequences showed transient variations in single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and constant turnover of minor population variants, each rising and falling over a few months, reminiscent of Red Queen dynamics4. The rise and fall of variants within populations, interpreted through the perspective of known virus–host interactions5, is consistent with the hypothesis that fluctuating selection acts on a microdiverse cloud of strains, and this succession is associated with ever-shifting virus–host defences and counterdefences. This results in long-term virus–host coexistence that is facilitated by perpetually changing minor variants. Metagenomic sequencing of near-surface marine viral communities sampled monthly over 5 years revealed that overall communities were stable over time, although minor population variants were more variable, which is consistent with Red Queen-like dynamics.
Economic Effects of Antitrust Laws on Mergers and Acquisitions

The absence of a consensus as to the meaning of the pursued goal (s) at the center of the antitrust enforcement leads to an insecurity. While many enforcement agencies claimed that the consumer protection shall be the ultimate goal under the competition review, most of them do not specifically define consumer welfare and appear to have different economic understandings of the term. The megamergers that have taken place over the past 30 years in pharmaceuticals, among/between big airlines, or big banks have not improved customers’ welfare. Instead, some megamergers like AT&T and Time Warner have crushed customer welfare.
The Influence of Baseline Diastolic Blood Pressure on the Effects of Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering on Cardiovascular Outcomes and All-Cause Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To examine whether low baseline diastolic blood pressure (DBP) modifies the effects of intensive systolic blood pressure (SBP) lowering on cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes Blood Pressure trial (ACCORD BP), a two-by-two factorial randomized controlled trial, examined effects of SBP ( RESULTS Intensive SBP lowering decreased the risk of the cardiovascular composite (hazard ratio [HR] 0.76 [95% CI 0.59–0.98]) in the standard glycemic arm but not in the intensive glycemic arm (HR 1.06 [95% CI 0.81–1.40]). Spline regression models relating the effects of the intervention on the cardiovascular composite across the range of baseline DBP did not show evidence of effect modification by low baseline DBP for the cardiovascular composite in the standard or intensive glycemic arms. The relation between the effect of the intensive SBP intervention and baseline DBP was similar between glycemic arms for the cardiovascular composite three-way interaction (P = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS In persons with T2DM, intensive SBP lowering decreased the risk of cardiovascular composite end point irrespective of baseline DBP in the setting of standard glycemic control. Hence, low baseline DBP should not be an impediment to intensive SBP lowering in patients with T2DM treated with guidelines recommending standard glycemic control.
On the Conceptual Confusions of Jurisprudence

For more than half a century, legal theorists have tried to identify and describe the concept of law, employing a method called “conceptual analysis” to pursue this goal. Yet the details of that methodology remain obscure, its merits largely accepted without careful analysis. A reassessment is long past due. This paper offers the first comprehensive survey of the way conceptual analysis has been used in legal theory. The paper identifies four different forms of conceptual analysis – the empirical, intuitive, categorical and contingent methods of analysis. After clarifying the core assumptions of each approach, the paper evaluates whether any of the four methods represent an appealing way of doing legal philosophy. The assessment, though preliminary, yields a sharply negative conclusion. Properly understood, the methods of conceptual analysis offer little appeal. Dramatic claims made by leading practitioners turn out to be, on closer inspection, either banal or wildly implausible. This conclusion, if accurate, raises deep concerns about the state of legal theory today. It means that theorists face a critical challenge – to identify a new methodology that can replace conceptual analysis as the dominant approach to jurisprudence. The paper concludes with a few thoughts on what that methodology might be, and how it might generate a more fruitful, more interesting, form of legal philosophy.
Ecology of active viruses and their bacterial hosts in frozen Arctic peat soil revealed with H218O stable isotope probing metagenomics

Abstract Winter carbon loss in northern ecosystems is estimated to be greater than the average growing season carbon uptake. However, most ecosystem carbon measurements neglect winter months since carbon losses (primarily driven by microbial decomposers) are assumed to be negligible at low temperatures. We used stable isotope probing (SIP) targeted metagenomics to reveal the genomic potential of active soil microbial populations under winter conditions, with an emphasis on viruses and virus-host dynamics. Peat soils from the Bonanza Creek LTER site in Alaska were incubated under subzero anoxic conditions with H218O for 184 and 370 days. We identified 46 bacterial populations (MAGs; spanning 9 bacterial phyla) and 243 viral populations (vOTUs) that actively took up 18O and produced significant CO2 throughout the incubation. Active hosts, predicted for 33% of the active vOTUs, were some of the most abundant MAGs and capable of fermentation and organic matter degradation. Approximately three-quarters of the active vOTUs carried auxiliary metabolic genes that spanned five functional categories, including carbon utilization, highlighting the potential impact of viruses in this peat soil’s microbial biogeochemistry. These results illustrate significant bacterial and viral activity and interactions occur in frozen soils, revealing viruses are a major community-structuring agent throughout winter months.
Tryptophan catabolism is dysregulated in leiomyomas

Objective To determine the expression and functional roles of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) in leiomyoma. Design Experimental study. Setting Academic research laboratory. Patient(s) Women undergoing hysterectomy for leiomyoma. Intervention(s) Blockade of IDO1 and TDO2. Main Outcome Measure(s) Expression of IDO1 and TDO2 in leiomyoma and the effects of their inhibitors on the extracellular matrix. Result(s) Leiomyoma expressed significantly higher levels of IDO1 and TDO2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA; 60.3%, 35/58 pairs and 98.3%, 57/58 pairs, respectively) and protein (54%, 27/50 pairs and 92%, 46/50 pairs, respectively) as well as the enzyme activity marker kynurenine (78.3%, 36/46 pairs for IDO1/TDO2) compared with levels in matched myometrium. The expression of TDO2 but not IDO1 mRNA was significantly higher in fibroids from African American compared with that in Caucasian and Hispanic patients. The TDO2 but not the IDO1 protein and mRNA levels were more abundant in fibroids bearing the MED12 mutation compared with results in wild-type leiomyomas. Treatment of leiomyoma smooth muscle cell and myometrial smooth muscle cell spheroids with the TDO2 inhibitor 680C91 but not the IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat significantly repressed cell proliferation and the expression of collagen type I (COL1A1) and type III (COL3A1) in a dose-dependent manner; these effects were more pronounced in leiomyoma smooth muscle cells compared with myometrial smooth muscle cell spheroids. Conclusion(s) These results underscore the physiological significance of the tryptophan degradation pathway in the pathogenesis of leiomyomas and the potential utility of anti-TDO2 drugs for treatment of leiomyomas.
Wave–particle interaction effects in the Van Allen belts

Discovering such structures as the third radiation belt (or "storage ring") has been a major observational achievement of the NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes program (renamed the "Van Allen Probes" mission in November 2012). A goal of that program was to understand more thoroughly how high-energy electrons are accelerated deep inside the radiation belts-and ultimately lost-due to various wave-particle interactions. Van Allen Probes studies have demonstrated that electrons ranging up to 10 megaelectron volts (MeV) or more can be produced over broad regions of the outer Van Allen zone on timescales as short as a few minutes. The key to such rapid acceleration is the interaction of "seed" populations of ~ 10-200 keV electrons (and subsequently higher energies) with electromagnetic waves in the lower band (whistler-mode) chorus frequency range. Van Allen Probes data show that "source" electrons (in a typical energy range of one to a few tens of keV energy) produced by magnetospheric substorms play a crucial role in feeding free energy into the chorus waves in the outer zone. These chorus waves then, in turn, rapidly heat and accelerate the tens to hundreds of keV seed electrons injected by substorms to much higher energies. Hence, we often see that geomagnetic activity driven by strong solar storms (coronal mass ejections, or CMEs) commonly leads to ultra-relativistic electron production through the intermediary step of waves produced during intense magnetospheric substorms. More generally, wave-particle interactions are of fundamental importance over a broad range of energies and in virtually all regions of the magnetosphere. We provide a summary of many of the wave modes and particle interactions that have been studied in recent times.
Ergonomic Design for Material Handling Systems

Facility Layout Job Design Equipment People Training Material Handlers Screening Material Handlers Ergonomic Design of Workplace and Work Task Conclusion Index
An Element-ary Education

In the introduction to an obscure text from 1856, The Philosophy of the Weather, Thomas Beldon Butler wrote, “The atmospheric conditions and phenomena which constitute ‘The Weather’ are of surpassing interest.... Normal conditions, and varied changes, and violent extremes, potent for good or evil, are continually alternating above and around us.... None can prudently disregard them; few can withhold from them a constant attention.”1 While Butler’s philosophic work went largely unrecognized,2 his message of the unceasing presence and impact of the weather on fundamental human existence is a familiar thought. There are many names for the things outside our windows: environment, climate, ecology, atmosphere, bios, or nature (a concept rife with philosophical controversy3). But weather — the day-today movements like rain, sun, humidity, or sleet — is a boldly apparent elemental force. Even in a complicated “natural environment” like the modern metropolis, weather is with us. More than plants, animals, or even other humans, we can rely on its changeable yet constant presence.
The Dust Properties of High-Mass Star-Forming Regions

Using the IRAS database, we have constructed radial intensity profiles of nearby, high-mass, star-forming regions. The model calculations we use to try to fit these profiles require four (4) fixed parameters and four (4) free parameters. The 100 µm profiles can be well, but non-uniquely, fit. However, only one model is consistent with other, independently determined source properties, such as total mass and total 60 µm and 100 µm fluxes. In general, the best-fit parameters consistent with the 100 µm profiles yield models of the 60 µm, 25 µm, and 12 µm emission which do not fit the data.
Near-death experience: arising from the borderlands of consciousness in crisis

Brain activity explains the essential features of near-death experience, including the perceptions of envelopment by light, out-of-body, and meeting deceased loved ones or spiritual beings. To achieve their fullest expression, such near-death experiences require a confluence of events and draw upon more than a single physiological or biochemical system, or one anatomical structure. During impaired cerebral blood flow from syncope or cardiac arrest that commonly precedes near-death, the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness is often indistinct and a person may enter a borderland and be far more aware than is appreciated by others. Consciousness can also come and go if blood flow rises and falls across a crucial threshold. During crisis the brain's prime biologic purpose to keep itself alive lies at the heart of many spiritual experiences and inextricably binds them to the primal brain. Brain ischemia can disrupt the physiological balance between conscious states by leading the brainstem to blend rapid eye movement (REM) and waking into another borderland of consciousness during near-death. Evidence converges from many points to support this notion, including the observation that the majority of people with a near-death experience possess brains predisposed to fusing REM and waking consciousness into an unfamiliar reality, and are as likely to have out-of-body experience while blending REM and waking consciousness as they are to have out-of-body experience during near-death.
π-Conjugated Furan-Based Polymers

Conjugated organic semiconducting materials have received significant attention for use in low-cost, rapidly processed, large-area electronic devices. Much of this work has focused on benzenoid-building blocks such as benzene, thiophene, and pyrrole due to the ease of synthesis coupled with the inherent environmental stability and relatively high performance characteristics of the resulting materials. Furan has been for the most part overlooked, although the past 3 years have witnessed a resurgence of interest. This resurgence is due to the weaker aromaticity of the furan ring, the greater solubilities of furan-containing π-conjugated materials relative to other benzenoid systems and the availability of furan-based starting materials from renewable resources. In this article, we will address the properties of furan-containing π-conjugated materials and the synthetic methods employed in the construction of conjugated oligomer and polymer structures before highlighting several contemporary examples of furan-based conjugated polymers. Keywords: conjugated polymers; π-electron; furan; organic electronics; biodegradable polymers
Concurrent nonlinear predictive control and economic management of energy-integrated systems

We consider a class of process systems with significant energy recovery. Revisiting our previous results concerning the two time scale dynamics of such systems, we demonstrate that the fast dynamics is asymptotically stable in most physically-relevant cases. On this basis, we propose a hierarchical controller design, comprised of a simple, linear control system for the fast dynamics and a MISO NMPC for the slow dynamics. We prove that this composite controller ensures exponential stability for the two time scale system. We establish a parallel between this approach and the concept of economic model predictive control, and show its implications in optimal energy management. Finally, we provide an illustrative simulation case study.
Performance Modeling of Enterprise Grids

Modeling has long been recognized as an invaluable tool for predicting the performance behavior of computer systems. Modeling software, both commercial and open source, is widely used as a guide for the development of new systems and the upgrading of exiting ones. Tools such as queuing network models, stochastic Petri nets, and event driven simulation are in common use for stand-alone computer systems and networks. Unfortunately, no set of comprehensive tools exists for modeling complex distributed computing environments such as the ones found in emerging grid deployments. With the rapid advance of grid computing, the need for improved modeling tools specific to the grid environment has become evident. This chapter addresses concepts, methodologies, and tools that are useful when designing, implementing, and tuning the performance in grid and cluster environments
Evaluation of Proxemic Scaling Functions for Social Robotics

This paper introduces and empirically evaluates two scaling functions to alter a robot’s physical movements based on proximity to a human. Previous research has focused on individual aspects of proxemics, like the appropriate distance to maintain from a human, but has not explored autonomous methods to adapt robot behavior as proximity changes. This paper proposes that robots in a social role should modify their behavior using a continuous function mapped to proximity. The method developed calculates a gain value from proximity readings, which is used to shape the execution of active behaviors on the robot. In order to identify the effects of different mappings from proximity to gain value, two different scaling functions were implemented on an affective search and rescue robot. The findings from a 72 participant study, in a high-fidelity mock disaster site, are examined with attention given to a new measure to determine proxemic awareness. The results indicated that for attributes of intelligence, likability, proxemic awareness, and submissiveness, a logarithmic-based scaling function is preferred over a linear-based scaling function, and over no scaling function. In areas of participant comfort and participant stress, the results indicated both logarithmic and linear scaling functions were preferred to no scaling.
Managing the terror of a dangerous world: Political attitudes as predictors of mental health stigma

BACKGROUND: Previous research has associated self-reported political conservatism to mental health stigma. Although the limitations of self-reported political attitudes are well documented, no study has evaluated this relationship from a more nuanced perspective of sociopolitical identity. AIMS: To assess the relationship between political attitudes and mental health stigma (i.e. negative stereotypes and intended social distance), particularly from a standpoint of Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) - a more specific measure of political conservatism. METHOD: A sample of 505 New York State residents completed an online survey. RESULTS: The results of this study indicated significant relationships between endorsements of self-reported conservatism and RWA to negative stereotypes and social distance in relation to mental illness. Individuals with 'High RWA' were more likely to see individuals with mental illness as dangerous and unpredictable, and less willing to want to socially associate with individuals with mental illness. These results remained statistically significant even when controlling for other factors that consistently predict mental health stigma. Negative stereotypes also partially mediated individuals with RWA's significant relationship to social distance. CONCLUSION: Characteristics of political conservatives and right-wing authoritarians (e.g. threat-aversion, personal responsibility) are predictive of mental health stigma. Terror Management Theory may also help to explain this phenomenon. Language: en
The development of peer perception systems in childhood and early adolescence

During an individual interview, each of 64 subjects, aged 8 to 14 years, generated a peer perception grid in which 17 supplied figures were rated on 10 individually elicited bipolar concepts. Three aspects of the system are examined: the attributional characteristics of the concepts employed, the level of differentiation between peer figures, and the organizational complexity of relations between concepts. It is found that the frequency of concepts concerned with appearance, social role and behavior decreases with maturity, whereas the use of personality concepts increases steadily. With age, concepts become more adequately descriptive, less likely to involve a personal frame of reference, of greater "depth", and of increasing discriminatory potential. Girls are generally precocious with respect to these transformations. These trends are paralleled by a progressive change in figure differentiation. With the youngest subjects marked sex stereotyping is found, and a developmental shift from stereotypic to differential processes in the perception of familiar peers is indicated. Despite this onto-genetic pattern, no age or sex differences are found in the complexity of relations between concepts, and it is suggested that this either raises doubts about the grid method of assessment or jeopardizes certain theoretical ideas about the growth of social cognition.
Task specific decrements in the duration of attention

Eighty undergraduates viewed a series of 80 color photographs under instructions asking them to view each stimulus for as long as they wished. The results indicated that a significant decrease in looking time occurred as a function of the number of previous stimuli viewed. These results were interpreted in terms of considering the looking situation as an information processing task.
Conformational changes in yeast phosphoglycerate kinase upon substrate binding

Abstract Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to measure the radius of gyration ( R g ) of solutions of phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) in a variety of substrate environments in D 2 O. The R g of 24.0 A was measured for native PGK. A decrease in R g was observed for the following: 23.7 A for PGK + sulphate; 23.5 A for PGK + β,γ-bidentate Cr(H 2 O) 4 ATP (CrATP); 23.3 A for PGK + 3-phospho- d -glycerate (PGA) + CrATP; 22.9 A for PGK + CrATP + sulphate; 22.6 A for PGK + PGA + CrATP + sulphate. The statistical error was about ± 0.3 A, which is less than systematic effects in this system. These results are consistent with catalysis by a hinge-bending motion of the enzyme. Since CrATP is not hydrolyzed, these results represent the conformational states of the bound substrates in the catalytically relevant ternary complex in the absence of product formation. The second virial coefficient is also measured for this system and this is consistent with that calculated from the protein volume only.
The construction of multi-state life tables: comments on the article by Willekens et al

Summary The basic step in the construction of multi-space life tables is the computation of the probabilities of transition, for a cohort, based on the observed occurrence/exposure rates. It is shown in this article that the formula described by Willekens et al. for this purpose (Population Studies, 1982) can lead to unreasonable results. An alternative formula, based on more realistic assumptions, is presented. An extension of this formula which allows for the analysis of multi-state mortality by cause of death is also given.
Zen and the Art of Basketball in Lawrence Shainberg's One on One

(1980). Zen and the Art of Basketball in Lawrence Shainberg's One on One. Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 5-20.
Kinematic Analysis Procedures In Biomechanics Cinematography

The key to kinetic analysis procedures via cinematography is the determination of the kinematics of the situation under analysis. Calculation of kinematic parameters of a body, namely, its displacement, velocity, and acceleration, is dependent on the precise and accurate location of points in two- or three-dimensional space. To insure optimal precision (reliability) and accuracy (validity) of the resulting kinematic data, consideration must be given to the selection and implementation of appropriate photographic procedures, as well as to data reduction procedures that will minimize errors.
Recent advances in MRI technology: Implications for image quality and patient safety

Recent advances in MRI technology are presented, with emphasis on how this new technology impacts clinical operations (better image quality, faster exam times, and improved throughput). In addition, implications for patient safety are discussed with emphasis on the risk of patient injury due to either high local specific absorption rate (SAR) or large cumulative energy doses delivered during long exam times. Patient comfort issues are examined as well.
DNA synthesis and myogenesis

Abstract Differentiating muscle cells synthesizing myosin, the meromyosins, and actin do not concurrently synthesize DNA. Presumptive myoblasts which synthesize DNA do not concurrently synthesize myosin, the meromyosins or actin. The multinucleated skeletal muscle fiber is the product of cell fusion.
The Universality of Management: A Reply

The article presents William V. Muse's response to a letter about his June 1967 article “The Universality of Management,” from Fred E. Case.
Uses of Thrombin in Ocular Surgery: Effect on the Corneal Endothelium

• Thrombin is a hemostatic factor that induces platelet aggregation and catalyzes the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. The potential for its increasing application to a variety of anterior and posterior segment surgery led us to investigate the in vitro effect of thrombin on the corneal endothelium in a sheep model. We examined freshly excised sheep corneas stained with alizarin red and try-pan blue after exposure to two different concentrations of thrombin for four hours. The structure of the corneal endothelium appeared to be intact even after prolonged exposure to thrombin at concentrations of 100 and 1000 U/mL. Thrombin appears to be nontoxic to the corneal endothelium in this experimental model.
Vector bundles over Grassmannians and the spectral geometry of the Riemann tensor

Abstract Methods from algebraic topology are often used to relate the algebraic properties of the Riemann curvature tensor to the geometry and topology of the underlying manifold. This paper provides a study of vector bundles over Grassmannians suitable for analyzing the spectral geometry of the Riemann tensor. Primarily, we study bundles over Gr k ( m ) , k ⩾ 3 , which are sub-bundles of the trivial bundle of rank m .
Berry-Esseen bounds for finite-population t-statistics

Abstract In this paper, the Berry—Esseen bound for finite-population t -statistics is established under some mild conditions.
Instructional strategies for a graduate level information security management course

This paper presents instructional strategies used in a graduate level information security management course to provide value-added learning to students. New technologies are making it possible to add interactivity to course materials. A graduate level course relies primarily on discussions and case study evaluations of security related topics. Using a theoretical framework of information security, development of instructional activities in the course built around the framework are presented. Details about discussions, case studies, online component using web based learning, and experiential learning are also mentioned. Student evaluations of the course are then presented to give educators an idea of how interactive course components can benefit students in graduate information security courses.
HEALTH PRACTICES AND MENTAL HEALTH REVISITED

The relationships of seven health practices with a measure of mental well-being were explored in a sample of 490 university students. Mental well-being was associated with moderate exercise and regular sleep.
Fructose and Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease

Fructose and glucose in soft drinks and fruit drinks account for just under 50 % of added sugars. Soft drinks intake has risen five-fold between 1950 and 2000, and this increase in intake of simple sugars has raised health concerns. The risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity and the metabolic syndrome have all been related to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in several, but not all meta-analyses. Fructose and sugar-sweetened beverages have also been related to the risk of gout in men, and to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Studies show that the calories in sugar-sweetened beverages do not produce an adequate reduction in the intake of other foods, leading to increased caloric intake. Plasma triglycerides are increased by sugar-sweetened beverages, and this increase appears to be due to fructose, rather than to glucose in sugar. Several 10-week to 26-week randomized trials of sugar-containing soft drinks show increases in triglycerides, body weight, and visceral adipose tissue; there were also increases in muscle fat and liver fat, which might lead to non-alcoholic-fatty liver disease.
Critical Connections: Personal Learning Environments and Information Literacy

Personal learning environments (PLEs) and critical information literacies (CILs) are two concepts that have been presented as responses to the challenges of the rich and complex information landscape. While both approaches support learners’ critical engagement with new information environments, each was developed within a different field. This paper connects and contrasts PLEs and CILs in order to explore the design of pedagogical responses to the information environment. Through a careful examination of PLE and CIL literature, the paper demonstrates that information literacy education intersects with the concepts and goals of PLEs. As such, the authors suggest that PLE scholarship informed by CIL scholarship, and vice versa, will yield a deeper understanding of modern learning contexts as well as a more holistic and responsive learner framework. The example of the research assignment will be used to demonstrate the viability of this approach. With these propositions, the authors invite educators, librarians and information technologists to engage in a dialogue about these concepts and the potential for pedagogical change. Keywords: personal learning environments; information literacy; information landscape; self-directed learning Citation : Research in Learning Technology 2015, 23 : 21193 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.21193