cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
No Clipping, No Printing Required: Antecedents of Consumers’ Intention to use SMS Coupons

Due to the recent development of mobile technology and the high penetration rate of mobile devices, many retailers are interested in sending coupons via a mobile channel. SMS (Short Message Service) coupons are digital coupons sent by a retailer to a consumer’s mobile device (e.g. GSM cell phones, smart phones, and PDA), which has internet connection and SMS plan after a consumer has opted-in to a retailer’s SMS coupon programs. Since 2009, many retailers have begun testing to introduce SMS coupon programs in some of their branches (e.g. J.C. Penny, Sears, Gap, Safeway, Kmart, McDonald’s, KFC, and Subway). However, Target is the only retailer who has offered SMS coupons in all of their branches since March 2010. One reason that retailers still hesitate to fully implement SMS coupon programs is that although they are quite certain about their SMS coupon technology readiness, they are still unsure about consumer acceptance.
Aristotle's Theory of Language and Meaning: Abstract Thought and Meaning

As a mode of sensory representation, phantasia is well placed to secure the reference of a common noun such as cat. An image derived from the perception of one cat resembles other cats. Aristotle's theory of meaning interpreted in light of his conception of phantasia faces several challenges, as we saw at the end of Chapter 7. The extension of his theory of meaning thus interpreted to include scientific definition raises additional questions. At best the image of a cat seems to convey minimal information about the essence of a cat, and so it appears to have little relevance for the logos that is captured in the real definition and is constitutive of knowledge. The image, moreover, presents as salient characteristics features that may be unique to the individual cat(s) perceived, yet ex hypothesi the mind derives the meaning of the generic term ‘cat’ from images of individual cats. How the mind grasps the essence remains a mystery, as does how the mind grasps the meanings of the terms that are common names of macroscopic objects. Aristotle's answer to these puzzles, if he has one, must be found in his conception of thought. The challenge he faces is to give an account that allows phantasia to play a crucial role in determining reference while avoiding the pitfalls sketched above. Were he to envisage thinking in a way that forced sensory representation to the sidelines by treating it as little more than a backdrop of moving imagery, sensory representation would become irrelevant or dispensable for the activity of thinking.
Biomedical Natural Language Processing and Text Mining

Natural language processing and text mining (“BioNLP”) are branches of biomedical informatics that deal with processing prose, whether in journal articles or electronic medical records, for purposes such as extracting information, cohort retrieval, and other uses. They are made difficult by the rampant presence of ambiguity and variability in human-produced prose. In addition, biomedical text poses special challenges on a number of levels. Machine learning and rule-based approaches both have a long history in biomedical natural language processing, and hybrid systems are common. Much progress has been made in biomedical natural language processing and text mining in recent years, and the field is poised for explosive growth as new resources should become available in the near future. Many open opportunities for research remain.
Impact Of Economic Freedom On Economic Development: A Nonparametric Approach To Evaluation

The paper examines the impact of economic freedom on economic development of European countries. Economic freedom is assessed using data from Heritage Foundation (Index of Economic Freedom). Nonparametric method - data analysis method is used which allows us to set a limit on the efficiency of the relationship between economic freedom and economic development. We assess to what extent the achieved degree of economic freedom in various countries is reflected in their level of economic performance, respectively what is the potential for better "assessment" of economic freedom to increase their economic level. The analysis confirmed that economic freedom creates better conditions for increasing economic performance. The decomposition of inefficiencies indicated that in the European transition economies there is a relatively strong area for improving economic performance through the extension of individual indicators of economic freedom.
Effects of Oxygen Vacancy Order–Disorder Phase Transition on Air Separation by Perovskite Sorbents

Perovskite oxide sorbents offer promise for adsorption-based separation of air to produce an oxygen enriched stream. The oxygen desorption rate however should be further improved. This work studies the oxygen sorption properties of three La1–xSrxCo1–yFeyO3-δ (LSCF) perovskite oxides with and without oxygen vacancy disorder–order phase transition. The LSCF with lower iron content [La0.1Sr0.9Co0.9Fe0.1O3-δ (LSCF1991)] shows the highest sorption capacity in 500–800 °C. The material with disorder–order phase transition during desorption also exhibits enhanced oxygen desorption rate during the TGA measurement. However, in the fixed-bed desorption process, no obvious rate enhancement resulting from the disorder–order phase transition in oxygen desorption is observed for the LSCF1991 sorbent. The LSCF1991 sample in the fixed-bed quenched at 600 °C after 2 h of desorption shows occurrence of disorder–order phase transition for the perovskite sorbent in the fixed-bed environment. The difference in oxygen desorptio...
Intranasal Capsaicin in Management of Nonallergic (Vasomotor) Rhinitis

Capsaicin is a selective transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) ion channel agonist and has been demonstrated to reduce nerve conduction of nociceptive C fibers in the trigeminal nerve without affecting conduction in Aδ fibers. This chapter reviews the classification of chronic rhinitis subtypes, the prevalence and epidemiology of nonallergic rhinitis (NAR), postulated pathophysiology and mechanisms of NAR including the role of transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels and discusses the potential therapeutic benefits of capsaicin in the treatment of chronic rhinitis subtypes, specifically NAR. Evidence supports that hypersensitivity of TRP ion channels on sensory afferent neurons innervating nasal mucosa is responsible for inducing NAR symptoms. These symptoms, characterized as excessive nasal glandular secretion, nasal congestion, and headache, are mediated through neuropeptide release during axonal and parasympathetic reflexes which are initiated by a spectrum of nonspecific irritants that activate TRP channels. Rational approaches to treat the pathophysiology of NAR would be to develop therapies with selective TRPV1 agonist activity like capsaicin that target desensitization of TRP ion channels on sensory afferent nerves.
Structured Operative Autonomy: An Institutional Approach to Enhancing Surgical Resident Education Without Impacting Patient Outcomes

Background Although barriers to granting surgical residents autonomy in the operating room are well described, few have proposed practical strategies to overcome these barriers. Our department adopted a multidisciplinary approach to develop a rotation that aimed to grant chief residents structured operative autonomy. In this study, we assess the feasibility of implementation, impact on patient safety, and educational benefit to residents after the program's pilot year. Study Design During a 1-month rotation, chief residents began cases alone using their own operative block time. The attending surgeon was notified when the critical portion of the operation was reached and supervised its completion. Postoperative complications, intraoperative adverse events, readmissions, operation duration, and length of stay in a subset of patients that underwent a cholecystectomy or appendectomy were compared with patients operated on by standard resident services. Follow-up surveys were administered to residents 1 year after graduation. Results One hundred and twenty-four operations, which ranged in complexity, were performed by chief residents. Unadjusted subset analysis comparing the structured operative autonomy (n = 54) and standard resident (n = 718) services outcomes for appendectomies and cholecystectomies revealed no significant differences in 30-day postoperative complications (5.6% vs 4.0%; p = 0.59), major intraoperative adverse events, or readmissions (3.7% vs 3.8%; p = 1.00), respectively. Multivariate analysis performed for 30-day complications (odds ratio 0.8; 95% CI 0.2 to 3.2; p = 0.76) and readmissions (odds ratio 0.4; 95% CI 0.1 to 2.1; p = 0.3) corroborated unadjusted findings. All participants (n = 8) strongly agreed that the rotation eased their transition to fellowship or independent practice. Conclusions Structured operative autonomy overcomes known barriers to granting chief residents autonomy in the operating room. When used for select general surgery cases, resident education is enhanced without impacting patient outcomes. This training model has the potential to improve the surgical independence of graduating residents.
Communication with unstable basis functions

Abstract Work by Corron et al. [1,2] represented a chaotic signal as a set of basis functions, and built a matched filter for the resulting signal. This paper makes use of basis functions without an underlying chaotic system. Matched filtering is still possible, allowing communication in noisy environments, but the resulting signals can be broad band, which is useful for producing signals that are hard to detect. The receiver design retains the simplicity of Corron et al. [1,2], which is good when weight, power consumption or bandwidth are constraints on the receiver.
Science Gateways in HPC: Usability Meets Efficiency and Effectiveness

The amount of available data as well as computational methods for research have grown faster in the last decade than ever before. Methods that address compute-intensive and data-intensive challenges often apply sophisticated computing and data infrastructures such High-Performance Computing. Effectiveness and efficiency are the basis to achieve meaningful results in reasonable time in such infrastructures and science gateways consider additionally usability to support users in their research. The main goals of science gateways are to lower the barrier of using complex methods and infrastructures; to connect computing and data resources seamlessly behind an easy-to-use interface; and to share methods and data in a community. We go into detail on the concept of science gateways and their design requirements. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges for sharing research in science gateways and thus, aiming at reusability of scientific methods and reproducibility of science.
The Endockscope Using Next Generation Smartphones: "A Global Opportunity".

Abstract Introduction: The Endockscope combines a smartphone, a battery powered flashlight and a fiberoptic cystoscope allowing for mobile videocystoscopy. We compared conventional videocystoscopy ...
A Survey of Wireless Security in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks: Challenges and Available Solutions

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a self-configurable, self-organizing, infrastructureless multi-hop wireless network. By self-configurable and self-organizing, we mean that an ad hoc network can be formed, merged together or partitioned into separated networks on the fly depending on the networking needs, and few administrative actions need to be performed for network setup and maintenance. By infrastructureless, we mean that an ad hoc network can be promptly deployed without relying on any existing infrastructure such as base stations for wireless cellular networks. By multi-hop wireless, we mean that in an ad hoc network the routes between end users may consist of multi-hop wireless links, as compared to the single wireless hop in a wireless LAN or a cellular network, where only the last hop, e.g. from the end user to the access point or the base station, is wireless, all the links beyond that point remain wired. In addition, each node in a mobile ad hoc network is capable of moving independently and forwarding packets to other nodes. The rapidly deployable and self-organizing features make mobile ad hoc networking very attractive in military applications, where fixed infrastructures are not available or reliable, and fast network establishment and self-reconfiguration are necessary. Primary applications of mobile ad hoc networks include the tactical communications in battlefields and disaster rescue after an earthquake, for example, where the environments are hostile and the operations are security-sensitive, yet fast and reliable deployments are a must. Recently, due to the availability of wireless communication devices that operate in the ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) bands and other unlicensed band, the interest in mobile ad hoc networks has been extended to civilian life such as on-the-fly setup for conferencing and home-area wireless networking.
The Application of Newer Concepts of Oxygen Transport to the Evaluation of the Potential Utility of Reduced Hb-O2 Affinity

Recent studies indicate that the pO2 of the immediate environment of normally functioning intracellular mitochondria is a fraction of a tore and the pO2 immediately beyond the capillary wall is also very low.2 Thus while arterial pO2 normally is in essential equilibrium with alveolar pO2 3, the notion that local venous pO2 is in equilibrium with, and reflects “tissue pO2 ” may no longer by tenable.2
Unravelling the enigma of ultrafast excited state relaxation in non-emissive aggregating conjugated polymers

We investigate a class of non-emissive conjugated polymers with very short excited state lifetimes believed to undergo singlet fission and relaxation to mid-gap forbidden excited states. Poly(3-decylthieneylenvinylene) (P3DTV) and its heavy atom analog, poly(3-decylseleneylenvinylene) (P3DSV), are strongly aggregating conjugated polymers that experience large excited state displacements along multiple vibrational modes. We demonstrate this Franck-Condon vibrational activity effectively disperses excitation energy into multiple non-radiative channels that can be explained using a simple, two-state potential energy surface model. Resonance Raman spectroscopy is sensitive to early Franck-Condon vibrational activity and we observe rich harmonic progressions involving multiple high frequency CC backbone symmetric stretching motions (∼1000-1600 cm-1) in both systems reflecting mode-specific excited state geometrical displacements. Transient absorption spectra confirm that efficient non-radiative processes dominate excited state relaxation dynamics which are confined to π-stacked aggregated chains. Surprisingly, we found little influence of the heteroatom consistent with efficient vibrational energy dissipation. Our results highlight the importance of aggregation and multi-dimensional Franck-Condon vibrational dynamics on the ability to harvest excitons, which are not usually considered in materials design and optimization schemes.
Review: The Soldier's Life: Martial Virtue and Manly Romanitas in the Early Byzantine Empire, by Michael Edward Stewart

Michael Edward Stewart, The Soldier's Life: Martial Virtue and Manly Romanitas in the Early Byzantine Empire . Romanitas. Leeds: Kismet Press, 2016. Pp. xviii + 385, 11 black and white figures. ISBN: 97809956717. $35.00. Stewart's monograph is an attempt to nuance the broad scholarly consensus that the triumph of Christianity almost completely revised Roman culture and cultural values along Christian lines. His specific topic is the enduring importance of conceptions of masculinity defined by military service or prowess from the late fourth through the seventh centuries C.E. Although sensitive to the ways in which Christianity affected the development of Roman culture, Stewart contends that the story of Roman masculinity, especially the public masculinity communicated in literature and imperial iconography, was one of continuity rather than change. Stewart's first chapter, the introduction, argues for the connection between Romanitas , political legitimacy, and conceptions of masculinity. It includes a discussion of the terminology, both modern and ancient, that the author employs, as well as an outline of the monograph. The work begins in earnest in chapter 2, “The Study of Men as a Gender,” in which Stewart argues that the rhetorically exaggerated men who appear in the pages of ancient sources, in particular secular historiography, can be used to reconstruct popular attitudes towards masculinity. The chapter also includes brief discussions of scholarship on intertextuality and genre, before concluding with a survey of recent scholarly work on ancient masculinity. Hereafter, the chapters proceed in a roughly chronological order. Chapter 3, “ Vita Militaris : The Soldier's Life,” demonstrates the longstanding connection between military service and authentic masculinity in Roman thought before turning to …
Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty-acid supplementation on neuropathic pain symptoms and sphingosine levels in Mexican-Americans with type 2 diabetes.

Purpose To determine whether dietary supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) reduces neuropathic pain symptoms in Mexican-Americans with type 2 diabetes. Methods Forty volunteers with type 2 diabetes enrolled in the "En Balance-PLUS" program, which provided weekly nutrition-diabetes education and daily supplementation with 1,000 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-200 mg eicosapentaenoic acid over 3 months. The study assessed self-reported neuropathic pain symptoms pre/postintervention using the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), monitored clinical laboratory values at baseline and 3 months, and performed baseline and 3-month metabolomic analysis of plasma samples. Results A total of 26 participants self-reported neuropathic pain symptoms at baseline. After 3 months of omega-3 PUFA supplementation, participants reported significant improvement in SF-MPQ scores (sensory, affective, and visual analogue scale; P<0.001, P=0.012, and P<0.001, respectively). Untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed that participants in the moderate-high SF-MPQ group had the highest relative plasma sphingosine levels at baseline compared to the low SF-MPQ group (P=0.0127) and the nonpain group (P=0.0444). Omega-3 PUFA supplementation increased plasma DHA and reduced plasma sphingosine levels in participants reporting neuropathic pain symptoms (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Increased plasma DHA levels significantly correlated with improved SF-MPQ sensory scores (r=0.425, P=0.030). Improved SF-MPQ scores, however, did not correlate with clinical/laboratory parameters. Conclusion The data suggest that omega-3 PUFAs dietary supplementation may reduce neuropathic pain symptoms in individuals with type 2 diabetes and correlates with sphingosine levels in the plasma.
Probing Strain-Induced Band Gap Modulation in 2D Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskites

In photovoltaics and flexible electronics applications, two-dimensional (2D) hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) are often subjected to mechanical strain arising from materials processing, device functioning, and thermal expansion. Here we report for the first time a study of the band gap response to uniaxial tensile strain in thin 2D HOIP flakes with a general formula of (CH3(CH2)3NH3)2(CH3–NH3)n−1PbnI3n+1. At large n (n > 3), the band gap will increase as the strain increases, and the strain response of band gap can be as high as 13.3 meV/% for n = 5, which is due to the rotation of the inorganic [PbI6]4– octahedra and the consequential Pb–I bond stretching and increase of Pb–I–Pb. Our findings provide a route to engineer the electronic properties of 2D HOIPs. The observed band gap–strain relationship can be harnessed to map the local mechanical strain in 2D HOIP-based devices and allow 2D HOIPs for sensing applications.
The Causes of Character Incompatibility

A character state tree can be construed as an hypothesis about evolutionary relationships, and as such it can be true or false. First I will make clear what assertions are hypothesized by a character state tree. These are the ways in which character state trees can be false. Then I will review how to determine whether two character state trees are logically compatible, and in cases when they are not, how to tell what assertions hypothesized by them are in contradiction. Finally, I will discuss how information revealed in the tests for compatibility of two character state trees can suggest ways to revise character state trees for subsequent re-evaluation.
Superior Endurance Performance of 22-nm Embedded MRAM Technology

We present superior endurance performance of 22-nm FD-SOI embedded MRAM macro designed for industrial-grade MCU applications. This macro shows zero endurance failure across operating temperature (-40~ 125 °C), while meeting the data retention requirement at 260 °C (median post-reflow BER < 1E-7). Based on extensive TDDB characterizations, we confirm sufficient endurance margins for < 1 ppm failure rate after 1E6 cycles, and also examine the feasibility of achieving nearly unlimited endurance for cache-like SRAM applications.
Investigate Transitions into Drug Addiction through Text Mining of Reddit Data

Increasing rates of opioid drug abuse and heightened prevalence of online support communities underscore the necessity of employing data mining techniques to better understand drug addiction using these rapidly developing online resources. In this work, we obtained data from Reddit, an online collection of forums, to gather insight into drug use/misuse using text snippets from users narratives. Specifically, using users' posts, we trained a binary classifier which predicts a user's transitions from casual drug discussion forums to drug recovery forums. We also proposed a Cox regression model that outputs likelihoods of such transitions. In doing so, we found that utterances of select drugs and certain linguistic features contained in one's posts can help predict these transitions. Using unfiltered drug-related posts, our research delineates drugs that are associated with higher rates of transitions from recreational drug discussion to support/recovery discussion, offers insight into modern drug culture, and provides tools with potential applications in combating the opioid crisis.
Emotion Socialization and Developmental Risk: Interactive Effects of Receptive Language and Maltreatment on Reminiscing

Emotional reminiscing, or mother-child discussion of past emotional experiences, is a critical aspect of emotion socialization that predicts a range of child outcomes and is central to parent-child interventions. Thus, understanding individual differences in emotional reminiscing will advance our ability to identify families at-risk for poor emotion dialogues and to adapt interventions for diverse populations, such as families affected by maltreatment and mothers and children with low language abilities. The present study examined associations among maternal and child receptive language with emotional reminiscing and the moderating role of maltreatment. Two hundred and twenty three underserved, racially diverse mothers (144 maltreating) and their preschool aged children completed measures of receptive language (PPVT-4). Emotional reminiscing was comprehensively measured using maternal report and observations of emotion dialogues, including ratings of elaborations, maternal sensitive guidance, and child cooperative exploration. Child language was positively associated with all observed aspects of child reminiscing, and the association between child language and maternal reminiscing was moderated by maltreatment. For nonmaltreating families, child language was positively associated with maternal factual elaborations and sensitive guidance. For the maltreating families, these associations were not significant, demonstrating that maltreatment disrupted the association between child language and reminiscing. Maternal language was significantly associated with maternal report of emotion dismissing behaviors, regardless of maltreatment status. Results highlight that language is an essential individual difference factor contributing to variance in emotion dialogues, and that maltreatment influences how child language relates to reminiscing. Future directions and clinical implications for families affected by developmental risk are considered.
Canonizing the wieszcz: The subjective turn in Polish literary biography in the 1860s

In the Polish literary tradition, the romantic age marks an important turning point in the development of an explicitly national literature. While many features of literary romanticism, such as its emphasis on folk culture and the development of national languages, contributed to "the rise of the modern nation-state in Europe" (Brennen 48), in the Polish context the lack of an independent state in this period only strengthened the connection between literature and national identity. In the words of Jerzy Ziomek, "upon the loss of independence, Polish literature assumed the function of replacing and substituting for the non-existent state institutions" (23). Similarly, Beth Holmgren maintains that Polish literature afforded "the most revered and accessible expression of nationhood after Poland's political erasure in the late eighteenth century" (11). Adam Mickiewicz quickly came to occupy a central position in the Polish literary canon as a national figure, being recognized by critics as a national poet soon after the publication of his first two volumes of poetry in his early twenties.1 But the shift from being recognized as a national poet by a cultural elite to being accepted as a poet-prophet, or wieszcz, by a large part of the populace was enormous and required decades of cultural work. In the Austrian, Russian, and Prussian partitions of Poland, a good deal of this work was carried out at the institutional level of primary, secondary, and higher education. John Guillory has argued that it is largely through educational curricula that literary and cultural canons are formed (vii-xiii). Even though (and, it could be argued, precisely because) Mickiewicz's works were the object of strict censorship in the partitions of Poland, textbooks of literature played a large role in the process of his literary canonization. As Mieczyiawa Mitera-Dobrowolska states in her study of the presentation of Mickiewicz in nineteenth-century school primers,
Magnesia-Stabilized Calcium Oxide Absorbents with Improved Durability for High Temperature CO2 Capture

Calcium oxide based materials are attractive regenerable absorbents for separating CO{sub 2} from hot gas streams because of their high reactivity, high CO{sub 2} capacity, and low material cost. Their high carbonation temperature makes it possible to recover and use high quality heat released during CO{sub 2} capture, which increases overall process efficiency. However, the performance of all reported CaO-based absorbents deteriorates as the number of carbonation-decarbonation cycles increases. This is caused by absorbent sintering during the highly exothermic carbonation process. We have found that sintering can be effectively mitigated by properly mixing with a modest amount of MgO. A class of CaO-based absorbents with improved durability and CO{sub 2} reactivity were prepared by physical mixing of Ca(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2} with small MgO particles followed by high temperature calcination. With 26 wt % MgO content, a CaO-MgO mixture prepared by this method gives as high as 53 wt % CO{sub 2} capacity after 50 carbonation-decarbonation cycles at 758{sup o}C. Without MgO addition, the CO{sub 2} capacity of pure CaO obtained from the same source decreases from 66 wt % for the first cycle to 26 wt % for the 50th cycle under the same test conditions.
Housing insecurity and adolescent well-being: Relationships with child welfare and criminal justice involvement.

Abstract Background Housing insecurity is endemic among low-income, marginalized families throughout the United States. Unstably housed families face increased likelihood of coming into contact with various social systems that upend family routines and norms, but the roles of these contacts in linking housing insecurity with long-term adolescent outcomes are unknown. Objective The present study tested whether family contacts with the criminal justice and child welfare systems mediated links between housing insecurity and adverse adolescent outcomes. Participants and setting Data came from at-risk families with children born 1998–2000 in 20 large American cities followed over 15 years (N = 2,892). Methods Structural equation modeling estimated a measurement model using confirmatory factor analysis and a structural model testing direct and indirect pathways from housing insecurity to adolescent depression and delinquency via contact with the criminal justice and child welfare systems. Results Housing insecurity was associated with increased contact with both the criminal justice and child welfare systems. Housing insecurity at age 5 was directly associated with adolescent depression at age 15 (β = 0.09, p Conclusions Families with high needs may face stigma or seek assistance that increases surveillance of families and thus likelihood for sanctioning by the criminal justice and child welfare systems. Providers and systems working with low-income, insecurely housed families must consider stigma faced by clients to avoid further marginalizing underserved populations.
Lung Epithelial Regulation of BCL2 Related Protein A1 (BCL2A1) by Coronaviruses (SARS-CoV) and Type I Interferon Signaling

Highly pathogenic respiratory viruses such as 1918 influenza (HIN1) and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) induce significant lung injury with diffuse alveolar damage, capillary leak, and extensive cell death resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Direct effects of the virus, as well as host immune response such as proinflammatory cytokine production, contribute to programmed cell death or apoptosis. Alveolar lung epithelial type II (AT2) cells play a major role in the clearance of respiratory viruses, secretion of surfactant proteins and antimicrobial substances into the bronchoalveolar fluid as well as repair of lung injury. Gene expression in AT2 cells is regulated in a tissue and cell-specific manner and in a temporal fashion. The availability of tissue and cell-specific RNA datasets in Human Protein Atlas led to the identification of localized expression patterns of BCL-2 family members such as BCL2 related protein A1 (BCL2A1) in AT2 cells and immune cells of the lung. BCL2A1 expression was regulated by multiple stimuli including Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands, interferons (IFNs), inflammatory cytokines, and inhibited by the steroid dexamethasone. In this study, regulation of BCL2A1 gene expression in human lung epithelial cells by several respiratory viruses and type I interferon signaling was investigated. SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly induced BCL2A1 expression in human lung epithelial cells within 24 hours that required the expression of Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). BCL2A1 mRNA induction by SARS-CoV-2 was correlated with the induced expression of IFN-{beta} and IFN-regulated transcription factor mRNA. BCL2A1 was induced by IFN-{beta} treatment or by infection with influenza virus lacking the non-structural protein1(NS1) in NHBE cells. Furthermore, bioinformatics revealed that a subset of BCL-2 family members involved in the control of apoptosis and transcription such as BCL2A1, BCL2L14, BCL3, and BCL6 were regulated in the lung epithelial cells by coronaviruses and in the lung tissue samples of COVID-19 patients. Transcriptomic data also suggested that these genes were differentially regulated by the steroid drug dexamethasone.
Telomerase as a therapeutic target in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults and it continues to have a dismal prognosis. The development of targeted therapeutics has been particularly challenging, in part due to a limited number of oncogenic mutations and significant intra-tumoral heterogeneity. TERT promoter mutations were first discovered in melanoma and later found to be present in up to 80% of glioblastoma samples. They are also frequent clonal alterations in this tumor. TERT promoter mutations are one of the mechanisms for telomerase reactivation, providing cancers with cellular immortality. Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase ribonucleoprotein complex that maintains telomere length in cells with high proliferative ability. In this article we present genomic and pre-clinical data that supports telomerase as a potential "Achilles' heel" for glioblastoma. We also summarize prior experience with anti-telomerase agents and potential new approaches to tackle this target.
A Review of the Degradation of Geosynthetic Reinforcing Materials and Various Polymer Stabilization Methods

The paper describes the two major degradation mechanisms of geosynthetics: oxidation of polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene), and hydrolysis of polyester (polyethylene terephthalate). These are the polymers which comprise the vast majority of geotextiles and geogrids used for soil reinforcement. Details of the degradation mechanisms of each material and their consequences are described based on the presently available literature. The influence of material structure, in particular the orientation, and ambient environmental conditions on the degradation are also discussed. The mechanisms and methods of stabilization which are currently used to minimize degradation are also presented. Finally, the paper concentrates on various possible test methods which can be used for monitoring the degradation of geosynthetic materials. (A) For the covering abstract see IRRD 860243.
Therapy of myasthenia gravis.

Publisher Summary Therapy of myasthenia gravis (MG) is directly based on concepts of the pathophysiology and immunology of MG. This chapter describes the physiological abnormalities at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), and the immunological basis of the autoimmune attack to provide an understanding for a successful practical treatment of MG. The changes at the myasthenic NMJ—a reduction in the number of available acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) and alteration of postsynaptic membrane structure—account fully for the clinical and electrophysiological features of MG. The goal of treatment of MG is defined in terms of clinical benefit, that is, to restore the patient to fully functional status, and maintain the improved condition without recurrence or adverse effects of the treatments. The steps in the treatment program may be divided into: (1) preliminaries, (2) selection of agents to use, (3) avoidance of agents or treatments that pose undue risks, (4) adjusting the treatment parameters as needed for the individual patient throughout the entire disease course. Although current treatments for MG are highly effective in most patients, they have the potential for adverse side effects, including overall suppression of the immune system as a whole. Future treatments fall into two categories: new immunosuppressive agents with improved profiles of safety and/or efficiency, and novel treatments designed to inhibit only the autoimmune response to the autoantigen, without interfering with the immune system. The ideals of specific immunotherapy, and even a cure, may emerge from the novel strategies that are currently being pursued.
Repeated treatment with haloperidol and clozapine exerts differential effects on dye coupling between neurons in subregions of striatum and nucleus accumbens

The delayed onset of action of antipsychotic drugs (APDs) during the treatment of schizophrenia has been hypothesized to temporally correlate with the induction of depolarization block in rat mesencephalic dopamine (DA) cell groups. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether these drugs also exert a delayed action on the dopaminoceptive postsynaptic target cells in the striatal complex. Using in vivo intracellular recording and dye labeling techniques, the effects of APDs on dye coupling were examined in subregions of the striatal complex defined by double staining for calbindin immunoreactivity. Rats treated repeatedly with APDs were found to exhibit a 66-71% higher incidence of coupling that occurred in a drug- and a region-specific manner, that is, both drug treatments increased dye coupling in the limbic-associated accumbens shell region whereas only haloperidol increased dye coupling in the motor-related striatal matrix and accumbens core regions. In addition, cells located in regions in which dye coupling was altered also showed significantly higher input resistance. These changes were not observed in response to DA receptor blockade by acute drug administration or when haloperidol was administered for a period sufficient to induce DA receptor supersensitivity but not DA cell depolarization block (i.e., 2 weeks). Therefore, alteration in dye coupling appears to be correlated temporally with the induction of DA cell depolarization block. The finding that both APDs exert a common action on neurons in the accumbens shell region is consistent with its identification as the site of therapeutic drug actions, whereas the capacity of haloperidol to also affect cells in the motor-related matrix and core regions correlates with its high propensity to induce extrapyramidal side effects.
Justifying a dolev-yao model under active attacks

We present the first idealized cryptographic library that can be used like the Dolev-Yao model for automated proofs of cryptographic protocols that use nested cryptographic operations, while coming with a cryptographic implementation that is provably secure under active attacks. To illustrate the usefulness of the cryptographic library, we present a cryptographically sound security proof of the well-known Needham-Schroeder-Lowe public-key protocol for entity authentication. This protocol was previously only proved over unfounded abstractions from cryptography. We show that the protocol is secure against arbitrary active attacks if it is implemented using standard provably secure cryptographic primitives. Conducting the proof by means of the idealized cryptographic library does not require us to deal with the probabilistic aspects of cryptography, hence the proof is in the scope of current automated proof tools. Besides establishing the cryptographic security of the Needham-Schroeder-Lowe protocol, this exemplifies the potential of this cryptographic library and paves the way for the cryptographically sound verification of security protocols by automated proof tools.
Adapted wavelet analysis from theory to software

This detail-oriented text is intended for engineers and applied mathematicians who must write computer programs to perform wavelet and related analysis on real data. It contains an overview of mathematical prerequisites and proceeds to describe hands-on programming techniques to implement special programs for signal analysis and other applications. From the table of contents: - Mathematical Preliminaries - Programming Techniques - The Discrete Fourier Transform - Local Trigonometric Transforms - Quadrature Filters - The Discrete Wavelet Transform - Wavelet Packets - The Best Basis Algorithm - Multidimensional Library Trees - Time-Frequency Analysis - Some Applications - Solutions to Some of the Exercises - List of Symbols - Quadrature Filter Coefficients
The WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System, 4th edition.

T recently revised WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System (4th edition, 2007) follows in the highly successful footsteps of previous editions of this widely used reference.1–3 The latest version is the product of the combined efforts of an international group of oncologic neuropathologists and brain tumor researchers that culminated in an Editorial and Consensus Conference convened in Heidelberg, Germany, on November 17 and 18, 2006.4 The World Health Organization (WHO) scheme for brain tumor classification and grading has been widely adopted worldwide, and it commonly serves as the recommended reference standard for central nervous system tumor research studies and clinical protocols as, for example, in the ‘‘Protocol for the Examination of Specimens From Patients With Tumors of the Brain/Spinal Cord’’ described by Parisi and colleagues in this issue of the ARCHIVES.5,6 The 2007 WHO Classification includes a number of significant modifications compared with the preceding volume (WHO 2000), which it supplants. Among the modifications are newly introduced tumor entities, variants, patterns, and tumor syndromes, changes in grade for some tumor types, clarification of grading criteria for others, reorganization of
The DBOM standard: a specification for efficient product data transfer between manufacturers and demanufacturers

In this paper we present the DBOM (Disassembly Bill of Materials) standard, which attempts to facilitate the transfer of product disassembly and recycling data from OEMs to the recycling community. We believe this standard will not only improve disassembly and recycling economics, but will also increase the number of product types that are demanufactured. The DBOM provides a representation of the physical structure of the product in a disassembly context. Our analysis reveals that to facilitate efficient disassembly, the DBOM must contain information about the parts, the fasteners, and the fastening structure. We present a standard coding structure for documenting and transmitting this knowledge. The DBOM part list is usually an aggregated version of the assembly bill of materials, since details about all parts is typically not required. We provide guidelines to determine whether a group of mating parts should be listed as one part in the DBOM. The DBOM also relates each part to a material recycling stream and provides an estimate of its purity. In the future we expect the product manufacturer to create and distribute the DBOM to potential collection and disassembly facilities through product labeling or a public access website.
The effect of anticoagulants on the high-energy phosphate content of rat auricles☆

Abstract Various oral anticoagulants and nitrophenols were found to depress the amplitude of contraction of isolated rat auricles. Associated with the depression of contractility, there was a depression of the creatine phosphate content of the auricles. In the case of Warfarin and 2,4-dinitrophenol, the depression of contraction was reversed by washing out the drug. After the contraction amplitude was restored, the creatine phosphate content was also restored to the normal range.
Effect of vacancies on incipient plasticity during contact loading

Atomistic simulations and experimental nanoindentation tests were used to examine the effect of vacancies on the inception of plastic deformation in Ni. Molecular dynamics have shown the effect of vacancy position on the yield load and demonstrate a variety of mechanisms which are responsible for the inception of plastic deformation during indentation. In cases where the vacancy position is close to regions of high shear stresses the nucleation of dislocations is related to the location of a vacancy; however, homogeneous nucleation of dislocations is also observed for vacancy-containing crystals. Complementary experiments have been used to demonstrate the effect of indenter size on the onset of yielding in the presence of vacancies. Both the simulations and experiments show that larger indenter tips increase the chance of weakening the material in the presence of vacancies.
The influence of age on perceptions of anticipated financial inadequacy by palliative radiation outpatients

Abstract Objective A consistent body of knowledge suggests that with advancing age, adults tend to report lower financial strain from their current economic condition. But are more negative perceptions shifted onto their expectations about their future economic condition? This study of seriously ill outpatients investigates whether advancing age is related to more negative expectations of future health-related financial strain, in which illness progression would necessitate greater health care consumption. Methods Ordinal probit multivariate regression was conducted on survey findings from 268 outpatients initiating palliative radiation for recurrent cancer. Half were retirees age ≥ 65. Age comparisons are reported when there was no recent work transition. Results As age advances (from 40 to 84), outpatients incurring low objective financial stress were more likely to reveal that their health insurance and finances would be less adequate to meet future health needs. Conclusion Previously, these outpatients were reported to minimize perceptions of current financial strain as age advances. Therefore, older outpatients may cope with current circumstances by displacing perceptions of financial inadequacy onto plausible future situations of cancer progression demanding greater healthcare consumption. Practice implications Financial strain may be hidden in older outpatients initiating palliative radiation. These outpatients appear at risk of foregoing appropriate healthcare. Targeted screening and advocacy are warranted.
The flavor chemistry of wood smoke

Abstract The objectives of this review are to summarize the types, formation pathways, and sensory properties of important classes of flavor compounds associated with wood smoke; and to discuss the role of wood source, smoke generation conditions, and storage in resulting volatiles.
Understanding the relationships among brands, consumers, and resellers

This article examines the historical evolution of the relationships among brands, consumers, and resellers in a world increasingly dominated by very large retail organizations with substantial power within the marketing channel. It is widely believed that manufacturers' brands are becoming less important as major retailers are becoming more powerful. This view is based on the mistaken assumption that brands are relationships with consumers, not resellers. Arguments about the decline of brands are often confused with arguments about changes in the brand management function. As major firms redefine their customer as the reseller, not the consumer, there are substantial implications for brand management and the role of the brand manager. Marketing strategy implementation will require increasingly careful coordination of marketing programs with sales strategy to achieve the necessary coordination of reseller- and consumer-targeted communications to maximize the value of the brand to both the retailer and the end user.
Individual differences and interrelationships among a select set of cognitive skills.

An experiment was conducted to investigate individual differences and interrelationships in performance on three short-term memory processing and visual processing tasks. Parameters of models for these tasks were correlated. High correlations (.97 and .83) were obtained for some intertask parameters. indicating that elemental component processes for different tasks can be identified that are similar or highly related. Psychometric measures (SATM and SATV) were also correlated with the information processing model parameters. High multiple correlations of SATV and SATM were obtained using model parameters as predictors. when the data were analyzed separately for female and male subjects. The results are suggestive of sex differences in the interrelationships of the cognitive processes under investigation.