cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Cognitive and Functional Care Differences in Four Long-term Care Settings

Matching residential setting with cognitive and physical abilities is crucial for the provision of a supportive long-term care (LTC) environment. This study compares the cognitive and functional care differences of LTC residents on skilled nursing units designed for dementia care, chronic care, or ambulatory care, and an assisted living setting using the Minimum Data Set (MDS) Texas Index of Level for Effort (TILE) clinical categories (heavy care, rehabilitation/restorative, clinically unstable, clinically stable), MDS Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The goal of the comparison was to find a parsimonious approach for determining resident placement in LTC using the MDS and MMSE. Using a descriptive comparative design, the study took place at a not-for-profit, urban, continuing care retirement center (CCRC) with a 120-bed skilled nursing facility and a 34-unit assisted living facility. Sixty residents, 15 from each of the 3 skilled nursing units and assisted living unit, consented to participate. To understand the differences in the MDS and MMSE scores between units, a Level of Care Algorithm was constructed to analyze resident placement. Results revealed that MDS and MMSE scores placed greater than 75% of elders who had extremely poor cognitive or physical function but did not discriminate well for residents with moderate cognitive and/or physical impairment. For these residents, interaction between institutional philosophy (aging in place versus moving to a new location); resource availability; and elder, family, and staff values and preferences may have influenced placement.
Sexual antagonism and X inactivation – the SAXI hypothesis

X inactivation has evolved in the soma of mammalian females so that both sexes have the same ratio of X:autosomal gene expression. The X chromosome in the germ cells of XY males is also precociously inactivated for reasons that remain unclear. Unlike X inactivation in the soma, this germline X inactivation is not restricted to mammals but has evolved independently in several animal phyla. Thus, germline X inactivation might have been the precursor of somatic X inactivation in mammals. We now propose a hypothesis for the evolution of germline X inactivation. The hypothesis predicts a redistribution of late spermatogenic genes from the X chromosome to the autosomes, leading eventually to germline X inactivation as the X chromosome becomes 'demasculinized'. Sexual antagonism could be the mechanism driving this redistribution. Recent expression and genetic studies in mammals, nematodes and Drosophila support this hypothesis, and expression data on taxa that have not evolved germline X inactivation, such as birds and butterflies, should shed further light on it.
Cell deformation cytometry using diode-bar optical stretchers

The measurement of cell elastic parameters using optical forces has great potential as a reagent-free method for cell classifica- tion, identification of phenotype, and detection of disease; however, the low throughput associated with the sequential isolation and prob- ing of individual cells has significantly limited its utility and applica- tion. We demonstrate a single-beam, high-throughput method where optical forces are applied anisotropically to stretch swollen erythro- cytes in microfluidic flow. We also present numerical simulations of model spherical elastic cells subjected to optical forces and show that dual, opposing optical traps are not required and that even a single linear trap can induce cell stretching, greatly simplifying experimental implementation. Last, we demonstrate how the elastic modulus of the cell can be determined from experimental measurements of the equi- librium deformation. This new optical approach has the potential to be readily integrated with other cytometric technologies and, with the capability of measuring cell populations, enabling true mechanical- property-based cell cytometry. © 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation
Polymers and telomers of perfluoro‐1,4‐pentadiene

Perfluoro-1,4-pentadiene was prepared by pyrolysis of sodium 3,5,6-trichloroperfluorohexanoate and subsequent dehalogenation. The monomer was polymerized under a number of conditions of temperature and pressure using various periods and various dose rates of γ-ray initiation. The compound was found to undergo doublebond migration producing perfluoro-1,3-pentadiene. The polymer samples, some of them rubbery, others grainy, are assumed to be copolymers of the 1,4-pentadiene and the 1,3 pentadiene, the 1,4-diene polymerizing according to a cyclic mechanism and the 1,3-diene undergoing the 1,4-addition that is characteristic of butadienes under certain conditions. Infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance studies tend to support these assumptions. Under polymerization conditions the monomer also produced four distinct dimers and traces of two monomeric substances.
The ProgrammableWeb: Agile, Social, and Grassroot Computing

Web services, the semantic Web, and Web 2.0 are three somewhat separate movements trying to make the Web a programmable substrate. While each has achieved some level of success on their own right, it is becoming apparent that the grassroot approach of the Web 2.0 is gaining greater success than the other two. In this paper we analyze each movement, briefly describing its main traits, and outlining its primary assumptions. We then frame the common problem of achieving a programmable Web within the context of distributed computing and software engineering and then attempt to show why Web 2.0 is closest to give a pragmatic solution to the problem and will therefore likely continue to have the most success while the other two only have cursory contributions.
Electrically tunable and temperature compensated FBAR

This paper describes the design, fabrication and measurement of an electrically tunable, temperature compensated film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) that is formed by integrating FBAR with an electrostatic MEMS actuator. About 0.9% tuning (Δf ≅ 26 MHz) of the series resonant frequency at 2.8 GHz has been obtained with less than 10 V. This is the highest frequency tuning reported for FBAR operating above 1GHz without any extra power consumption. Moreover, the air-gap capacitor (that forms the MEMS actuator) passively reduces the FBAR’s temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) by about 40 ppm/°C.
Editorial: Research Progress in Early-Onset Schizophrenia

A substantial proportion of patients with schizophrenia experience the onset of their illness by age 18. Data from phenomenological, cognitive, neuroimaging, and genetic studies suggest a similar profile of clinical and neurobiological abnormalities between early- and adult-onset patients. However, children and adolescents with schizophrenia have been found to have more severe premorbid neurodevelopmental abnormalities, worse long-term outcome, more cytogenetic anomalies, and potentially greater loading of family histories for schizophrenia and associated spectrum disorders than their adult counterparts. Together, these data support a hypothesis that early-onset schizophrenia may reflect a more severe form of the disorder associated with a greater genetic predisposition. It is anticipated that future imaging and genetic studies of this cohort will provide further insight into the neurodevelopmental origins of schizophrenia and the complexity by which genetic and environmental factors interact to modulate susceptibility and/or disease phenotype. The articles on this theme provide updated findings from brain magnetic resonance imaging, neurocognition, and clinical trials in this unique cohort.
Depression, antidepressant medication, and functioning outcomes among pregnant women

Abstract Objectives To describe prenatal patterns of antidepressant use and their relationship to depression in pregnancy. Methods A total of 276 high risk women completed a structured clinical interview to investigate use of antidepressant medication. Results Of the women interviewed, 13% ( n = 36) reported current use of antidepressant medication; there were no differences in depression or health functioning outcomes between women taking antidepressants and those not using them. Conclusions Monitoring the depressive symptoms of women using pharmacotherapy during pregnancy is important to optimize their treatment.
A methodology for the placement and optimization of decoupling capacitors for gigahertz systems [CMOS VLSI]

This paper discusses a method for computing the effect of decoupling capacitors on the power delivery system for gigahertz packages and boards. A fast and accurate computational method is presented that can be used to estimate the amount of decoupling required, the type of capacitor to be used and its location (on-chip, package or board).
Distributional Preferences, Reciprocity-Like Behavior, and Efficiency in Bilateral Exchange

Under what conditions do distributional preferences, such as altruism or a concern for fair outcomes, generate efficient trade? I analyze theoretically a simple bilateral exchange game: each player sequentially takes an action that reduces his own material payoff but increases the other player’s. Each player’s preferences may depend on both his/her own material payoff and the other player’s. I identify two key properties of the second-mover’s preferences: indifference curves kinked around “fair” material-payoff distributions, and materials payoffs entering preferences as “normal goods.” Either property can drive reciprocity-like behavior and generate a Pareto efficient outcome.
Head Impact Exposure in Youth Football

The head impact exposure for athletes involved in football at the college and high school levels has been well documented; however, the head impact exposure of the youth population involved with football has yet to be investigated, despite its dramatically larger population. The objective of this study was to investigate the head impact exposure in youth football. Impacts were monitored using a custom 12 accelerometer array equipped inside the helmets of seven players aged 7–8 years old during each game and practice for an entire season. A total of 748 impacts were collected from the 7 participating players during the season, with an average of 107 impacts per player. Linear accelerations ranged from 10 to 100 g, and the rotational accelerations ranged from 52 to 7694 rad/s2. The majority of the high level impacts occurred during practices, with 29 of the 38 impacts above 40 g occurring in practices. Although less frequent, youth football can produce high head accelerations in the range of concussion causing impacts measured in adults. In order to minimize these most severe head impacts, youth football practices should be modified to eliminate high impact drills that do not replicate the game situations.
High-resolution parathyroid sonography

The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic utility of parathyroid ultrasonography to differentiate causes of hypercalcemia in dogs. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative ultrasound imaging findings and clinical pathology data from 33 dogs that underwent parathyroid ultrasound examination as part of the diagnostic evaluation for hypercalcemia. Diagnoses of the diseases causing hypercalcemia included parathyroid carcinoma (n = 5), parathyroid adenoma (n = 15), parathyroid adenomatous hyperplasia (n = 6), chronic renal insufficiency (n = 3), and hypercalcemia of malignancy (n = 4). All parathyroid lesions were round or oval and hypoechoic compared with surrounding thyroid parenchyma. Adenomatous and adenocarcinomatous glands were 4 mm or larger in longest linear measurement on US examination and were statistically significantly larger than hyperplastic glands. (p or = 4 mm are highly suspicious for parathyroid adenoma or carcinoma, while US lesions < 4 mm most likely represent primary adenomatous hyperplasia or secondary parathyroid hyperplasia. Parathyroid size estimation from ultrasound examination is an accurate predictor of true size.
Quantifying and comparing the predictive accuracy of continuous prognostic factors for binary outcomes.

SUMMARY The positive and negative predictive values are standard ways of quantifying predictive accuracy when both the outcome and the prognostic factor are binary. Methods for comparing the predictive values of two or more binary factors have been discussed previously (Leisenring et al., 2000, Biometrics 56, 345–351). We propose extending the standard definitions of the predictive values to accommodate prognostic factors that are measured on a continuous scale and suggest a corresponding graphical method to summarize predictive accuracy. Drawing on the work of Leisenring et al. we make use of a marginal regression framework and discuss methods for estimating these predictive value functions and their differences within this framework. The methods presented in this paper have the potential to be useful in a number of areas including the design of clinical trials and health policy analysis.
On the Performance Potential of Bioelectrochemical Life Support Systems

An area of growing multi-disciplinary research and revolutionary development for bio-processing on Earth is bioelectrochemical systems. These systems exploit the capability of many microorganisms to act as biocatalysts, enhancing the performance of electrochemical processes which convert low-value materials into valuable products. Many varieties of such processes hold potential value for space exploration as means to recycle metabolic waste and other undesirable materials or insitu resources into oxygen, water, and other valuable substances. However, the wide range of possible reactants, products, configurations, and operating parameters, along with the early stage of development and application on the ground necessitate thorough consideration of which, if any, possibilities could outperform existing technologies and should thus receive investment for space applications. In turn, the decision depends on the theoretical and practical limits of performance and the value of the reactant-product conversions within spaceflight scenarios, and should, to the greatest extent possible, be examined from the perspective of a fully designed, integrated system, rather than as an isolated unit lacking critical components like valves and pumps. Herein, we select a series of possible reactant-product conversions, develop concept process flow diagrams for each, and estimate theoretical and (where sufficient literature data allows) practical performance limitations of each. The objective was to estimate the costs, benefits, and risks of each concept in order to aid strategic decisions in the early-phase technology development effort.
Delirium, a syndrome of cerebral insufficiency

Abstract The thesis is presented that a derangement in the general functional metabolism of the brain underlies all instances of delirium and that this is reflected at the clinical level by a characteristic disturbance in cognitive functions and at the physiologic level by a characteristic generalized slowing of the electroencephalogram. As background for this thesis are summarized the studies of a large number of patients exhibiting delirium in the setting of a wide variety of physiologic and biochemical derangements as well as instances of delirium experimentally induced by techniques known to affect cerebral metabolism adversely. The clinical characteristics of delirium are carefully delineated and the basis established for the identification of delirium and its differentiation from other types of psychologic disturbance commonly seen in organically ill patients.
Advances in neuroimaging of the visual pathways

Purpose To provide a practical review for the ophthalmologist of advances in neuroimaging of the visual pathways. Methods We reviewed recent advances in computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and angiography that are applicable to visual pathways imaging. Results For detailed ocular imaging, computed tomography complements ocular sonography for imaging of calcification, trauma, and masses. Magnetic resonance imaging may be helpful for localization and characterization of ocular masses in the setting of hemorrhage. For orbital imaging, computed tomography is most appropriate in the evaluation of suspected thyroid ophthalmopathy, infection, and trauma; otherwise, either computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is useful for detection and characterization of abnormality. For disorders affecting the sellar, retrochiasmal, and brainstem pathways, magnetic resonance imaging is the study of choice, except for acute hemorrhage, for which noncontrast computed tomography is preferable. Although magnetic resonance angiography has a role in the elective evaluation of cerebrovascular disease, conventional angiography is the definitive study for suspected aneurysm and for surgical planning. Conclusions A practical approach for selection of the most appropriate imaging modalities by the ophthalmologist is suggested on the basis of the anatomic location and type of disease suspected.
Toward a Calculus of Confidence

Programmers, and end-user programmers in particular, often have difficulty evaluating software, data, and communication components for reuse in new software systems, which effectively reduces the value programmers derive from those components. End-user programmers are especially ill equipped to exercise the customary high-ceremony means of evaluating software quality. We seek effective ways to use low-ceremony sources of evidence, such as online reviews and reputation data, to make components' quality attributes easier to establish, thereby facilitating more effective selection of components for reuse. Achieving this will require identifying sources of low-ceremony evidence, designing the meta-information required to track the differing sources and levels of credibility of various sources of evidence, and developing a method for combining pieces of disparate information into overall estimates of component value.
Auditing and Assessing Nutrient Management for Water Quality on Animal Feeding Operations1

Abstract Concentrated animal feeding operations (AFO) and many AFO are required to comply with state and federal environmental regulations specifically related to the protection of water quality. Most regulations are based on the need to account for and control nutrient flow on-farm to minimize buildup, leaching, and runoff of nutrients that may pose a risk to surface and ground water quality. Attempts to encourage the control of nutrient flow include the requirements for comprehensive nutrient management plans (CNMP), conservation practice plans, storm water pollution prevention plans, animal mortality management, and emergency action plans. The overall goal of the CNMP on a livestock and poultry farm is to sustain a whole farm nutrient mass balance. An extensive auditing and assessment program evaluates the status of nutrient management on-farm and develops an action plan to minimize water pollution. An annual audit and review checks the performance of the concentrated AFO and AFO on environmental stewardship and identifies areas needing improvement. Critical control points that need to be audited and assessed are 1) nutrients imported on-farm, 2) nutrients exported off-farm, 3) nutrient status of soils and water, 4) manure handling and storage facilities, 5) conservation practices, 6) runoff waste water control, 7) land application practices, 8) animal mortality practices, 9) record keeping system, 10) operation and maintenance plan, and 11) alternative treatment systems, if applicable. Professional animal scientists can contribute significantly to livestock and poultry producers by providing assessments and audits of nutrient management along with other qualified professionals in the development of CNMP.
Timing analysis: in search of multiple paradigms

Summary form only given. While timing analysis is a vital prerequisite for real-time schedulability tests, prior advances on timing analysis were sometimes incremental in addressing selected new processor features or limited source code annotations to provide safe but tight WCET bounds. In contrast, recent advances in timing analysis including a refreshing set of novel approaches to bound the worst-case execution time (WCET) of real-time tasks. These advances are in search of new methodologies to address the timing analysis problem and approach this problem in a more general manner. Examples are 1) the complexity wall of hardware that causes timing analysis tools to trail behind the curve of microarchitectural innovation, 2) severe restrictions on the knowledge of loop bounds, 3) the inability to analysis large application programs, 4) a lack of capitalizing on opportunities of dynamic scheduler interactions and 5) the challenge in expressing certainty levels of WCET bounds. We give an overview of selected approaches and contribute an initial account on the potential of the contributions for the field. Each of these novel approaches to timing analysis solves one problem in current toolsets. It appears that the diversity of approaches is a valuable asset to the research area. While a particular solution may prove best suitable for some problem, another approach may be required for different problems. Furthermore, many of the recent advances are complementing each other. Some can be used in conjunction to provide additional robustness to hard real-time systems.
Dynamical Higgs Mechanism and Hyperhadron Spectroscopy

A framework for implementing the Higgs mechanism — in a dynamical way — is described and discussed, and its experimental signatures are contrasted with those of the canonical theory with elementary spin-0 fields.
Overview of Hybrid Finite Element Methods for Solid Mechanics

The term “Hybrid Finite Element” is redefined to cover all elements that are derived by multi-field variational principles but the nodal values of only one field are left as unknowns in the matrix equation. Some recent trends in the development of hybrid finite elements are discussed.
Near-Field Optics for Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (Experiment, Theory, and Modeling)

One application of near-field transducers (NFT) is in heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). HAMR is similar to conventional magneto-optical (MO) recording in that the data are stored in magnetic bits on a disk by heating the area of the bit with a laser beam in the presence of an external field to set the magnetic orientation of the bit as it cools. The optical head in conventional MO recording is mounted on an actuator and optical feedback signals are used to maintain a constant spacing between the head and the recording medium, which is generally on the order of tens or hundreds of nanometers. Also, for conventional MO recording the applied magnetic field is very small (approximately 0.02 T), typically generated by a large fixed external magnet, and the laser energy rather than the magnetic field is modulated with the input data stream. On the other hand, for HAMR the integrated optical–magnetic head is mounted on a slider, which flies over the surface of the recording medium at 10 nm or less. The applied field for HAMR is highly localized, very large in magnitude (up to 1 T or more), and generated by a miniature recording pole positioned within tens of nanometers of the optical spot. For HAMR the magnetic field from the pole is modulated with the input data stream, while the laser energy on the medium can remain constant.
Probabilistic topological maps

Topological maps are light-weight, graphical representations of environments that are scalable and amenable to symbolic manipulation. Thus, they are well-suited for basic robot navigation applications, and also provide a representational basis for the procedural and semantic information needed for higher-level robotic tasks. However, their widespread use has been impeded in part by the lack of reliable, general purpose algorithms for their construction. In this dissertation, I present a probabilistic framework for the construction of topological maps that addresses topological ambiguity, is failure-aware, computationally efficient, and can incorporate information from various sensing modalities. The framework addresses the two major problems of topological mapping, namely topological ambiguity and landmark detection. The underlying idea behind overcoming topological ambiguity is that the computation of the Bayesian posterior distribution over the space of topologies is an effective means of quantifying this ambiguity, caused due to perceptual aliasing and environment variability. Since the space of topologies is combinatorial, the posterior on it cannot be computed exactly. Instead, I introduce the concept of Probabilistic Topological Maps (PTMs), a sample-based representation that approximates the posterior distribution over topologies given the available sensor measurements. Sampling algorithms for the efficient computation of PTMs are described. The PTM framework can be used with a wide variety of landmark detection schemes under mild assumptions. As part of the evaluation, I describe a novel landmark detection technique that makes use of the notion of "surprise" in measurements that the robot obtains, the underlying assumption being that landmarks are places in the environment that generate surprising measurements. The computation of surprise in a Bayesian framework is described and applied to various sensing modalities for the computation of PTMs. The PTM framework is the first instance of a probabilistic technique for topological mapping that is systematic and comprehensive. It is especially relevant for future robotic applications which will need a sparse representation capable of accomodating higher level semantic knowledge. Results from experiments in real environments demonstrate that the framework can accomodate diverse sensors such as camera rigs and laser scanners in addition to odometry. Finally, results are presented using various landmark detection schemes besides the surprise-based one.
Cyclic Variations in Urinary Excretion of Iodine in Women.

While investigating the daily urinary excretion of iodine in patients with goiter, we observed a rise in the urinary output of iodine during the first 2 days of menstruation in one (Fig. 1, B), with non-toxic nodular goiter, and a premenstrual rise in the other (Fig. 1, A), with exophthalmic goiter. Several investigators have reported an increase in the blood iodine during menstruation.1, 2, 3, 4 It has also been reported that menstrual blood is considerably higher in iodine content than venous blood.3, 5Since the urine was not obtained by catheterization some unavoidable contamination occurred. However, 50 to 100 cc. of menstrual blood would be required to give the increase found during the menstrual period in the patient (B), and blood was not grossly evident in the specimens. To further investigate this cyclic variation, 2 women without evidence of thyroid disease (C and D) were studied throughout the entire menstrual cycle.During these studies the subjects were allowed a general diet. Care was taken t...
Abstract SY01-03: The obesity-inflammation connection: Implications for breast carcinogenesis.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Obesity is a risk factor for the development of several malignancies including hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women and has been associated with an increased risk of recurrence and reduced survival. Chronic inflammation increases the risk of multiple malignancies. A link between obesity, breast inflammation and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer was previously unknown. Obesity causes subclinical inflammation in visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue, characterized by macrophages surrounding dead adipocytes forming crown-like structures (CLS). The synthesis of estrogen is catalyzed by aromatase, which is encoded by CYP19. Recently, we found increased numbers of CLS, activation of the NF-κB transcription factor, increased levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, PGE2) and elevated aromatase levels and activity in the mammary glands of obese mice. These preclinical findings raised the possibility that the obesity→inflammation →aromatase axis is important for breast carcinogenesis. Importantly, these findings have now been translated to women. Breast tissue was obtained from women who underwent mastectomy. CLS of the breast (CLS-B) were found in nearly 50% of patient samples. The severity of breast inflammation, defined as the CLS-B index, correlated with both body mass index and adipocyte size. Consistent with our preclinical findings, increased NF-κB binding activity, increased levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and elevated aromatase expression and activity were found in the inflamed breast tissue of overweight and obese women. Collectively, these results suggest that the obesity→inflammation →aromatase axis is present in the breast tissue of most overweight and obese women and is likely to contribute to the increased risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The presence of CLS-B may be a biomarker of increased breast cancer risk or poor prognosis. The discovery of the connection between obesity, breast inflammation and changes in the expression of genes linked to breast cancer provides a mechanistic rationale for the development of behavioral, dietary and pharmacological strategies to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Recently conducted preclinical experiments provide proof-of-principle evidence that obesity-related mammary gland inflammation can be rapidly reversed with caloric restriction. Citation Format: Andrew J. Dannenberg. The obesity-inflammation connection: Implications for breast carcinogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY01-03. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-SY01-03
Positive direct antiglobulin reaction in a patient population.

This study was undertaken to ascertain the incidence, the associated clinical diseases, and the serologic characteristics and significance of positive direct antiglobulin tests (DAT) in a hospital population. Forty-one (0.9%) of 4,664 medical–surgical patients had positive DAT’s on admission. Eight of these 41 people also had antibodies in their sera. Twelve patients were taking alpha-methyldopa and one cephalothin, seven had malignant tumors, nine had immunologic diseases, and 12 had miscellaneous conditions. Elution of antibodies from the erythrocytes of 36 patients was attempted: 17 eluates failed to react with panel cells; anti-K antibody was found in the eluates from two patients who had recently received transfusions; five eluates showed no blood-group specificity; and 12 agglutinated all panel cells. Eleven of the last 12 eluates, after absorption with Rh-negative cells, were tested with Rh cells of various phenotypes, and weaker or negative results with Rh null cells were obtained with seven absorbed eluates. Three of the 41 patients had mild to overt hemolysis.
Does the Structure of the Franchise Tax Matter

Conventional wisdom, supported by theory and evidence, has it that the franchise tax plays an important role in shaping Delaware corporate law.The literature, however, fails to address Delaware tax structure, and how such structure affects Delaware’s incentives. Delaware’s Compensation first submitted the view that if the tax matters, then the tax’s structure matters too. My second goal in Delaware’s Compensation was to draw attention to the state’s current tax structure and to argue that this structure is suboptimal. The third goal in Delaware’s Compensation was to offer potential reasons why Delaware’s tax is not better designed to reward Delaware for performance. In his thoughtful and detailed commentary, Professor Henderson offers two challenges to the view that the structure of the tax matters and that a change to the structure could create value. First, he argues, I do not offer a coherent theory as to why tax structure should affect legislative incentives. More particularly, he argues that the tax structure may not be relevant since Delaware’s legislative utility does not simply or wholly correspond with increasing tax revenues. Second, he argues, I do not take into account managers’ incentives to lobby Delaware’s legislature. This piece responds to Henderson's challenges
A simulation analysis on NO_2 gas leaking in a nitric acid project

Objective To estimate the coverage of NO2 leaking in a nitric acid project through the gas diffusion model and to provide scientific reference for the pre-evaluation of occupational health.Methods With the use of ALOHA as the analytical tool,the parameters of simulation analysis was defined according to the Risk Management Plan (RMP) of US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and then the quantitative analysis of leaking diffusion was made.Results Calculated was the diffusion distances of various destinations of the NO2 leaking and the indoor and outdoor time-concentration curve under the direction of the wind.Conclusion The simulation analysis of gas leaking is helpful to the risk management of occupational health pre-assessment in the construction projects and ALOHA is well applicable in this field.
Safety and Safety-Related System

In the process industry control, safety is cognized by more and more people. Safety-based control system, that is safety-related system, is being used in all application sectors to perform safety functions increasingly. The standard IEC61508 sets out a generic approach for all safety lifecycle activities for electrical/electronic/ programmable electronic systems (E/E/PES). Focusing around this IEC standard, expatiated on safety concept and its measurement, safety integrity level, design methodology of safety control systems, technology level and application of safety control systems currently, as well as their development in the future.
Variational Theory for Optimization under Stochastic Ambiguity

Stochastic ambiguity provides a rich class of uncertainty models that includes those in stochastic, robust, risk-based, and semi-infinite optimization and that accounts for uncertainty about parameter values as well as incompleteness of the description of uncertainty. We provide a novel, unifying perspective on optimization under stochastic ambiguity that rests on two pillars. First, ambiguity is formulated in terms of the (cumulative) probability distribution associated with the random elements; more specifically, ambiguity is expressed by letting this distribution belong to a subfamily of distributions that might, or might not, depend on the decision variable. We derive a series of estimates by introducing a metric for the space of distribution functions based on the hypo-distance between upper semicontinuous functions. In the process, we show that this metric is consistent with convergence in distribution (= weak$^\star$ convergence) of the associated probability measures. Second, we rely on the theory...
Near perfect light trapping in a 2D gold nanotrench grating at oblique angles of incidence and its application for sensing

A two-dimensional nanotrench cavity grating on a thick gold film was fabricated by using e-beam lithography. Optical reflection spectra from the fabricated device were measured at oblique angles of incidence for TE and TM polarizations. Near perfect light absorption was observed at different wavelengths for TE and TM polarizations at oblique angles of incidence. The peak absorption wavelength of TM polarization red-shifts significantly as angle of incidence increases. The peak absorption wavelength of TE polarization blue-shifts slightly as incident angle increases. Using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, two orders of magnitude magnetic field enhancement was revealed inside nanotrenches, indicating strong light trapping inside the nanostructure. The fabricated device was investigated as a refractive index chemical sensor. It was found that sensitivity increases for TM polarization and decreases for TE polarization when angle of incidence increases from zero.
Independent Component Analysis of Simulated 2D Electrophoresis Gels

We present a novel method to detect differentially expressed proteins in simulated two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) gels using spatial independent component analysis (ICA). We use an analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) approach as a benchmark for comparison and show that it yields improved detection power compared to currently used t-test based methods for 2DE gel analysis. However, ICA proves to be much faster than ANOVA and unlike ANOVA, it does not depend on any threshold. We also use ICA on wavelet-transformed 2DE gels. ICA in the wavelet domain offers increase in speed, and also, better performance for misaligned gels as compared to the ICA in the spatial domain.
Law, Belief and Aspiration

This project examines the relationships between what the law is, what people believe the law to be, and what people aspire for the law to be. It takes seriously the possibility that people do not know perfectly what the law is, and tests the hypothesis that people’s beliefs about the law may sometimes be better explained by people’s aspirations for what the law should be, rather than what the law actually is.To test this hypothesis, the paper presents the results of a survey asking 869 Americans in six states (California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Montana, and South Dakota) about ten of their own state laws: what they believed those laws to be, and what they thought those laws should be. The study then compares people’s reported beliefs to their aspirations, as well as to the actual state rules. Topics included in the study were: the death penalty, abortion waiting periods, handgun waiting periods, misprision of a felony, state income tax, drone deliveries, medical malpractice damage caps, state constitutional right to a clean environment, texting and driving, and at-will employment contract rules. The study finds that people often do not know the laws under which they live, even when they themselves believe those laws to be important. For example, 1 in 6 participants held inaccurate beliefs about whether their state has a state income tax; 1 in 4 participants held inaccurate beliefs about whether their state has a death penalty; 1 in 3 held inaccurate beliefs about whether their state has a waiting period for purchasing handguns; and fewer than half of participants knew whether they are legally required to report felonies. Somewhat disturbingly, participants were no more likely to know the law when they indicated that the topic was important, although they were more likely to know the law accurately when they felt confident about their knowledge.Furthermore, when people’s beliefs about the law are inaccurate, they tend to assume that the law reflects their aspirations for it: that the law already is whatever they believe it should be. In some cases, this wishful thinking is so strong that aspiration exceeds the actual rule in predicting people’s belief — or in other words, you can sometimes predict people’s beliefs about what the law is better by knowing what they think the rule should be, than by knowing what the rule in fact is.These findings have important implications for developing behavioral models that predict how people will respond to law: for example, behavioral theorists might question whether anyone is deterred by a law that no one knows. The findings also points to normative and democratic concerns: where citizens rely on a mistaken belief that their aspirations are already reflected in the law, they may not push for legal change, and even widely-held aspirations might fail to find reflection in the law.
Exercise and dietary factors affecting the micro biota: current knowledge and future perspectives

Gut micro biota degrades complex polysaccharides and synthesizes short chain fatty acids that regulate the intestinal barrier by stimulating mucin synthesis. Mucin maintains the integrity of the gut by forming a mucus layer that covers and protects the intestinal epithelium. Lactate- and butyrate-producing bacteria maintain gut integrity in healthy individuals, while non-butyrate-producing, lactate-utilizing bacteria prevent optimal mucin synthesis. The effect of the micro biota on the host physiology was first observed with animal experiments involving fecal transplantation, in which impressive metabolic effects were passed from the donor to the host. These experiments showed that the micro biota from obese donors has an increased capacity to harvest energy from the diet, thus affecting body composition in the long term. One of the potential mechanisms through which the micro biota could affect body composition is by regulating the delivery of orexigenic and anorexigenic hormones, as it has been shown that the concentration of these hormones is correlated with several groups of the gut micro biota. Gut micro biota has not only been linked to body composition outcomes but also to the development and severity of certain metabolic abnormalities such as autoimmune diseases (type I diabetes and lupus), necrotizing enterocolitis, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, acute diarrheal infections, and frailty. It is well established that lifestyle factors such as exercise, diet, and supplementation with pre- and/or pro biotics affects the gut micro biota. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the effect of exercise, diet, and supplementation with pre- and/or pro biotics on the gut micro biota of humans and animals models. Clinical perspectives and future research areas will also be discussed.
Genotypic and Phenotypic Variations in Botrytis spp. Isolates from Single Strawberry Flowers.

Gray mold, caused by Botrytis spp., is among the most devastating diseases affecting strawberry worldwide. The great diversity present in the pathogen enhances its ability to survive and adapt in t...
Rhodium Decahedral Nanocrystals: Facile Synthesis, Mechanistic Insights, and Experimental Controls

Decahedral nanocrystals have received great attention owing to their unique symmetry and strain-energy distribution. In contrast to other noble metals, it has been difficult to synthesize decahedral Rh nanocrystals. We report a robust, one-pot method based on polyol reduction for the facile synthesis of Rh decahedral nanocrystals in high purity, with sub-20 nm sizes. The success of the synthesis relied on our ability to manipulate reduction kinetics by systematically tuning experimental parameters. We found that the yield of Rh decahedral nanocrystals could be maximized by optimizing: i) the concentration of Rh(acac)3 (metal precursor); ii) the molecular weight and amount of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (colloidal stabilizer/capping agent); and iii) the chain length of the polyol (solvent/reducing agent), with tetraethylene glycol being the best. We believe the mechanisms elucidated herein can be extended to other syntheses to produce metal nanocrystals with multiply twinned structures.
Food and Nutrient Exposure Throughout the Life Span: How Does What We Eat Translate Into Exposure, Deficiencies, and Toxicities?

Abstract Adequate nutrient assessment is critical in evaluating an individual’s intake to compare it to current standards and determine if deficiencies or toxicities are present. Far more nutrients are of concern for underconsumption than overconsumption on a global basis. Children are more at risk for micronutrient malnutrition than adults. Certain nutrients, such as iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin D have a greater impact on health than other vitamins and minerals. Possible approaches to combat nutrient deficiencies are addressed including pill supplementation, fortification, multiple micronutrient fortification of specialty foods and beverages, micronutrient encapsulation, and genetically modified organisms. Further directions in research about the lifelong effects of nutrition include fruit and vegetable intake correlation with reduced cancer risk and new discoveries about the neonatal microbiome.
State of viral genome and proteins during persistent lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection.

Persistent infection of mice can be initiated in utero or at birth with several strains of wild type virus (TRaub 1936; HOtchin and CIntis 1958; BUchmeier et al. 1980) or by inoculation of adult immunocompetent mice with variant strain(s) of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) derived from lymphoid cells of mice persistently infected with wild type virus (AHmed et al. 1984; TIshon and OLdstone 1986). In all three systems, virus replicates to the highest titers 4–7 days postinfection, usually peaking at 107–108 plaque-forming units (PFU) of infectious virus (per milliliter serum or per gram tissue). Infectious virus is found in the blood and multiple tissues throughout the animal’s normal life span, with the titer dropping until it stabilizes at 103-105 PFU (per milliliter serum or per gram tissue). The persistent state is associated with a significant diminution of LCMV-specific, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity. This decrease in CTL activity accounts for the animal–s failure to clear viral materials from its tissues. Similarly, several experimental manipulations designed to impair the immune system (surgical thymectomy, use of genetically athymic mice, irradiation, cyclosporin, or cytotoxin medication) result in the establishment of persistent LCMV infection. Regardless of the mechanism by which persistent infection is initiated, infected mice fail to generate sufficient LCMV-specific, H-2-restricted CTLs to clear the virus.
Miniopen Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy: Surgical Technique and Initial Results

As minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has advanced to treat diverse diseases, there has been an increasing need for MIS surgery to be able to restore lumbar lordosis and treat sagittal balance abnormalities. In this article, the surgical technique and initial clinical and radiographic outcomes with a new miniopen pedicle subtraction osteotomy technique are outlined. Combining the MIS techniques of interbody fusion, percutaneous screw fixation, and facet fusion with a selective opening for the osteotomy site allows for safe and efficient deformity corrections. This technique resulted in an average increase of 29.2° of lumbar lordosis (range 17°-44°).
A longitudinal analysis of school discipline events among youth in foster care.

Abstract Youth in foster care experience major deficits on standardized measures of academic functioning, are at high risk of academic failure, and are more likely than their non-foster peers to be disciplined at school. School discipline-related problems increase risk of problematic educational and behavioral outcomes including dropping out of school, repeating a grade, and engagement in delinquent and criminal behavior. Identifying which youth are at greatest risk for experiencing school discipline is needed in order to improve the educational experiences of youth in foster care. The current investigation examined the effects of youth and contextual characteristics on school discipline events among 315 youth in foster care. Results revealed that being male, in a higher-grade, and a student of color, living apart from one's sibling, and school mobility significantly predicted discipline events. An additional statistical model divided youth into groups based on race, sex, and disability status taking into account the multiple identities youth have. These results suggest that gender, race, and disability status cumulatively inform school discipline experienced among youth in foster care.
A New Nearctic Species of Docosia Winnertz Fungus Gnat (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) from Michigan

A new species of Docosia Winnertz fungus gnat was discovered in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Two adult males flew in midsummer to a Malaise trap next to a pine swamp. The flies could not be identified by key to genus because wing vein R1 was longer than allowed by the key for Docosia. Adult females and juvenile stages of Docosia mcgrawi Taber are unknown.