cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Bold Experiment: Iceland’s Genomic Venture

In 2008, like an overheated nuclear reactor, Iceland’s banking sector melted down. After investors pulled money out of Iceland en masse, the Icelandic government took control over the last and largest of the country’s three major banks and shut down the stock exchange.
Degradable Byzantine agreement

Traditional Byzantine agreement protocols require all fault-free receivers to agree on an identical value. The proposed degradable agreement approach achieves traditional agreement up to m faults and a degraded form of agreement up to u faults (u/spl ges/m), which allows fault-free receivers to agree on at most two different values (one of which is necessarily the default value). A degradable agreement algorithm and lower bounds are presented. >
Results of Low Dose Rate Testing of Legacy Intersil Products

We report the results of low and high dose rate 60Co testing of a total of eight Intersil parts, including dielectrically isolated and junction isolated types. The MIL-STD-883 procedure for ELDRS sensitivity determination was used.
A Cell-Intrinsic Requirement for NF-κB–Inducing Kinase in CD4 and CD8 T Cell Memory

NF-κB-inducing kinase [(NIK), MAP3K14] is an essential kinase linking a subset of TNFR family members to the noncanonical NF-κB pathway. To assess the cell-intrinsic role of NIK in murine T cell function, we generated mixed bone marrow chimeras using bone marrow from NIK knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) donor mice and infected the chimeras with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). The chimeras possess an apparently normal immune system, including a mixture of NIK KO and WT T cells, and the virus was cleared normally. Comparison of the NIK KO and WT CD4 and CD8 T cell responses at 8 d post infection revealed modest but significant differences in the acute response. In both CD4 and CD8 compartments, relatively fewer activated (CD44(hi)) NIK KO T cells were present, but within the CD44(hi) population, a comparable percentage of the activated cells produced IFN-γ in response to ex vivo stimulation with antigenic LCMV peptides, although IL-7R expression was reduced in the NIK KO CD8 T cells. Assessment of the LCMV-specific memory at 65 d post infection revealed many more LCMV-specific WT memory T cells than NIK KO memory T cells in both the CD4 and the CD8 compartments, although the small number of surviving NIK KO memory T cells responded to secondary challenge with virus. These results demonstrate a cell-intrinsic requirement for NIK in the generation and/or maintenance of memory T cells in response to acute viral infection.
Arachidonic acid modulation of α1H, a cloned human T-type calcium channel

Arachidonic acid (AA) and the products of its metabolism are central mediators of changes in cellular excitability. We show that the recently cloned and expressed T-type or low-voltage-activated Ca...
Constrained flow control in storage networks: Capacity maximization and balancing

This paper studies the control of distributed storage networks with guarantees of constraints satisfaction and asymptotic stability. We consider two problems: network capacity maximization and network balancing. In the first part of the paper we describe the two problems, highlight their importance in a wide number of engineering applications, and compare them by analyzing the properties of their solutions. In the second part we present algorithms for solving both problems by using a convex one-step model predictive controller (MPC) which guarantees persistent state and flow constraints satisfaction. We present simple conditions which link the network topology, the MPC weights and the asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system. A numerical example illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Soy-enhanced lunch acceptance by preschoolers

Abstract Objective To evaluate acceptance of soy-enhanced compared with traditional menus by preschool children. Soy-enhanced foods were substituted on a traditional cycle menu, and the amount eaten, energy, and nutrient values for traditional and soy-enhanced lunches were compared. Design A traditional three-week cycle menu, using the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern guidelines, was used to develop a comparable soy-enhanced menu. Traditional and soy-enhanced lunches were randomly assigned to respective days. Foods were portioned onto individual plates using standardized measuring utensils. Individual plate waste techniques were used to collect food waste. Subjects/setting Participants were preschool children, three to six years of age and of white and Hispanic origin, attending a part-day Head Start program. Statistical analyses performed Analysis of covariance was used to adjust lunch and food intakes for differences in average amounts of foods served. The Nutrient Data System was used to calculate energy and nutrient content of lunches. Analysis of variance was used to calculate differences in amounts eaten, energy values, and nutrient values of traditional and soy-enhanced lunches and foods. Data analyses were performed with the Statistical Analysis Software (version 8.0, 1999, SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Results Soy-enhanced foods were successfully substituted for 23 traditional foods included in the cycle menus. Soy-enhanced foods tended to be higher in energy, protein, and iron. Traditional lunches tended to be higher in fat, saturated fat, and vitamin A. Consumption was significantly less for energy, protein, fiber, and iron from foods eaten from traditional compared with soy-enhanced lunch menus. Applications/conclusions Acceptance of soy-enhanced lunches was shown because there were no significant differences in the average amount eaten (grams per meal) between traditional and soy-enhanced lunches. Preschool programs can substitute soy-enhanced for traditional foods, which will add variety to the diet without sacrificing taste, energy, or nutrient value. The fat and energy content of the lunches was higher than recommended, and soy-enhanced foods were not always lower in fat. There is a need for the food industry and foodservice personnel to address the energy and fat content of all foods served in lunches to preschool children because a few extra calories added to the daily intakes can contribute to weight gain. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:346-351.
DeepView: A Channel for Distributed Microscopy and Informatics

This paper outlines the requirements, architecture, and design of a "Microscopy Channel" over the wide area network. A microscopy channel advertises a listing of available online microscopes, where users can seamlessly participate in an experiment, acquire expert opinions, collect and process data, and store this information in their electronic notebook. The proposed channel is a collaborative problem solving environment (CPSE) that allows for both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration. Our testbed includes several unique electron and optical microscopes with applications ranging from material science to cell biology. We have studied current commercial CORBA services and concluded that three basic services are needed to meet the extensibility and functionality constraints. These include: Instrument Services (IS), Exchange Services (ES), and Computational Services (CS). These services sit on top of CORBA and its enabling services (naming, trading, security, and notification). IS provide a layer of abstraction for controlling any type of microscope. ES provide a common set of utilities for information management and transaction. CS provide the analytical capabilities needed for online microscopy and PSE.
Cryptic and Overlooked: Species Delimitation in the Mycoheterotrophic Monotropsis (Ericaceae: Monotropoideae)

Abstract Most recent treatments of Monotropsis recognize a single species of achlorophyllous, mycoheterotrophic herbs endemic to the southeastern U. S. A. (M. odorata), although four species have been described. This study reevaluates these proposed taxa using a comprehensive approach to species delimitation analyzing variation in morphology, phenology, geography, nuclear DNA, and chloroplast DNA. Principal components analysis of morphometric data reveals two clusters that are geographically distinct. These groups correspond to clades resolved with nuclear (ITS/26S and Xdh) and plastid (rpl32-trnL) DNA that are furthermore distinct phenologically. These data support recognition of M. reynoldsiae, a Florida endemic and M. odorata, an Appalachian endemic. Monotropsis lehmaniae, proposed based on an autumn flowering period and supposed floral differences, is shown to comprise individuals that are not yet in anthesis, and should not be recognized. Cryptophila pudica, named based on its disjunct geographical d...
The next generation air transportation system: An approach to function allocation

A method for function allocation was developed and applied to the conflict detection and resolution problem in the next generation air transportation system. The method identifies key capabilities required of agents, automated or human, to achieve the goals of the system through state-based modeling. For conflict detection and resolution in the next generation air transportation system, those capabilities include the ability to accurately identify current separation, predict future losses of separation and collisions, and identify four-dimensional trajectory changes that, when implemented, will result in proper future separation. The modeling method feeds into an analysis of potential levels of automation across four stages of information processing, yielding a taxonomy of possible function allocation schemes, which can then be analyzed with respect to system and operator performance needs. The taxonomy is identified and analyzed for the current and future conflict detection and resolution system in air traffic control. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Toward Open-Set Text-Independent Speaker Identification in Tactical Communications

We present the design and implementation of an open-set text-independent speaker identification system using genetic learning classifier systems (LCS). We examine the use of this system in a real-number problem domain, where there is strong interest in its application to tactical communications. We investigate different encoding methods for representing real-number knowledge and study the efficacy of each method for speaker identification. We also identify several difficulties in solving the speaker identification problems with LCS and introduce new approaches to resolve the difficulties. Experimental results show that our system successfully learns 200 voice features at accuracies of 90 % to 100 % and 15,000 features to more than 80% for the closed-set problem, which is considered a strong result in the speaker identification community. The open-set capability is also comparable to existing numeric-based methods
The Frontline Provider’s Appearance A Driver of Guest Perceptions

Based on a study that compared photographs of models, hotel guests ascribe greater assurance ability to clean-shaven men, and to men and women who smile and are attractive. For unknown reasons, the facial hair effect holds for Caucasian men, but not for African-American men. This study presented photographs of Caucasian men in one set of treatment conditions, and African-American men in another set to compare the two sets of men regarding facial attractiveness, genuine smiling, and effects of facial hair. The theoretical contribution of this research is the identification of the effects of these facial attributes on assurance perceptions. The practical implications of these findings are as follows: (1) Except under special circumstances, hotel firms should not permit their employees to wear beards; (2) hotel firms should incorporate genuine smiling training in their customer service training and should evaluate frontline provider smiling with programs such as mystery shopping; and (3) within appropriate l...
Responsivity optimization and stabilization in electro-optic field sensors

Electro-optic (EO) modulation devices, which utilize an external electric field to modulate a beam of optical radiation, are strongly affected by parasitic effects, which change the polarization state of the optical beam. As a result, very small changes in the birefringence or optical path length within the EO material can result in very large fluctuations of the amplitude and phase of the optical modulation signal. A method of actively analyzing the modulated beam is described and demonstrated, which eliminates these fluctuations and keeps the modulation device stably operating at its peak responsivity. Applications to electric field detection and measurements are discussed.
Recruiting Older African American Men to a Cancer Screening Trial (The AAMEN Project)

Purpose: This article describes the demographic characteristics of participants in a randomized trial (the AAMEN Project) designed to recruit older (aged 551 years) African American men to a cancer screening trial. Design and Methods: The AAMEN Project is a recruitment trial developed for African American men aged 551 years living in southeastern Michigan. Results: Of the 34,376 African American men in the study, 37.6% had low incomes and 62.4% had moderate-to-high incomes. The average age of the men was 63.3 years (SD 5 5.9 years). Among men who were eligible and interested in participating, the proportion of men with low incomes was significantly greater than the proportion of men with moderate-to-high incomes (p , .001). Implications: The AAMEN Project demonstrated success in recruiting a substantial proportion of men with low incomes as well as men with moderate-to-high incomes. These findings may facilitate the development of future recruitment efforts involving older African American men.
A Vertical Coordinate Mapping Technique for Semispectral Primitive Equation Models of Oceanic Circulation

Abstract A stretched coordinate technique for semispectral hydrodynamic models is described that allows for greater flexibility in the placement of model grid points. Stretching is implemented here for the vertical coordinate of an oceanic model that employs Chebyshey polynomials to represent the vertical structure. A three-dimensional test demonstrates how, for a fixed number of vertical levels, the technique may permit greater accuracy in the simulation of linear internal waves, by allowing the placement of grid points closer to the regions of maximum curvature in the represented velocity fields. A one-dimensional test demonstrates enhanced resolution of mixed-layer dynamics by allowing the placement of more of the available grid points, evenly spaced, near the ocean surface, with broader spacing below. These improvements are achieved with negligible computational overhead. While the method cannot yield improved accuracy for all situations, in appropriate cases it permits reduced computation for an accu...
A Tribute to Excellence

Greetings to one and all, and heartfelt congratulations to The Vermont Connection (TVC) for over 30 consecutive years of publication. And so, here I am again... and eternally grateful that I can say this. It is an honor to have been invited to share some brief reflections about the historical journey of TVC, and I am immediately thrust into a maze of memories about the evolution of this journal.
f-divergence cutoff index to simultaneously identify differential expression in the integrated transcriptome and proteome

The ability to integrate 'omics' (i.e. transcriptomics and proteomics) is becoming increasingly important to the understanding of regulatory mechanisms. There are currently no tools available to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across different 'omics' data types or multi-dimensional data including time courses. We present fCI (f-divergence Cut-out Index), a model capable of simultaneously identifying DEGs from continuous and discrete transcriptomic, proteomic and integrated proteogenomic data. We show that fCI can be used across multiple diverse sets of data and can unambiguously find genes that show functional modulation, developmental changes or misregulation. Applying fCI to several proteogenomics datasets, we identified a number of important genes that showed distinctive regulation patterns. The package fCI is available at R Bioconductor and http://software.steenlab.org/fCI/.
Controller synthesis for linear dynamical systems with adversaries

We present a controller synthesis algorithm for a reach-avoid problem in the presence of adversaries. Our model of the adversary abstractly captures typical malicious attacks envisioned on cyber-physical systems such as sensor spoofing, controller corruption, and actuator intrusion. After formulating the problem in a general setting, we present a sound and complete algorithm for the case with linear dynamics and an adversary with a budget on the total L2-norm of its actions. The algorithm relies on a result from linear control theory that enables us to decompose and compute the reachable states of the system in terms of a symbolic simulation of the adversary-free dynamics and the total uncertainty induced by the adversary. With this decomposition, the synthesis problem eliminates the universal quantifier on the adversary's choices and the symbolic controller actions can be effectively solved using an SMT solver. The constraints induced by the adversary are computed by solving second-order cone programmings. The algorithm is later extended to synthesize state-dependent controller and to generate attacks for the adversary. We present preliminary experimental results that show the effectiveness of this approach on several example problems.
Analysis of agronomic traits for Jianyou 388 in upper rice region of Yangtze River

The study analyzed the yield, growth period, blast resistance and rice quality of Jianyou 388 from the national regional test in 2010 to 2011 and production test in 2012. The results of regional test in two years showed that the average yield was 8 900 kg/hm2, 4.33% higher compared with Ⅱyou 838(CK); the growing stage was 159.7 d, 1.7 days longer than Ⅱyou 838; the blast resistance of Jianyou 388 was relatively well among the varieties in the regional test,obvious superior to Ⅱyou 838; for the rice quality, 6 and 3 indices were up to the first and second class standard of the agricultural ministry of high quality rice, respectively. Jianyou 388 should be promoted and applied in upper rice region of Yangtze River.
Research on the Method for Determination of Propylene in the Air of Workplace by Gas Chromatography

[Objective]To establish GC analytical method for propylene in the air of workplace sampling by charcoal tube.[Methods]Charcoal adsorption and thermal desorption were used for the sampling of propylene and analysis was performed by GC (FID).[Results] The RSD in the range of 46～363 mg/m~3 was 1.1%～2.3% (n=6).Regression formula was y=1659+25273 x,r=0.9999;Determination limit was 3.0×10~(-2)μg/ml (injection for 1.0 mL);The average desorption efficiency was 91.6%～93.9%.Breakthrough volume (BTV) was 2.6mg;In a tube containing 100mg absorption charcoal,274μg of propylene can be adsorbed.Keep this tube tightly closed until 3 days,the propylene can still remain stable with a recovery rate of 89.9%;The sampling efficiency is 100%.[Conclusion]The method is compatible with concentration detection of propylene in the air of workplace.
Free elections and political instability in Lesotho

Since 1993, Lesotho has had six free elections. Five have been followed by episodes of coercive regional diplomacy or military intervention to maintain order or sustain the elected government. Two of these interventions have occurred as Lesotho's electoral system was being transformed from a first-past-the-post dominant party system to a mixed member proportional pattern, and a third intervention is presently underway. This essay contends that the effort to remedy the prior lack of inclusiveness in Parliament has accentuated the fissiparous proclivities within Lesotho's political culture. Following the 2012 and 2015 elections, greater fragmentation among political parties led to hung parliaments and coalition governments with minimal parliamentary majorities. This essay questions whether Staffan Lindberg's conceptual model regarding the link between the consolidation of democracy and the experience of successive free and fair elections can adequately explain Lesotho's trajectory. Remarkably, the transfers of power by Pakalitha Mosisili to Motsoahae Thomas Thabane in 2012, and by Thabane back to Mosisili in 2015, were the first such exchanges between an incumbent government and an opposition party in southern Africa during the post-liberation era. Whether this positive development might be translated into more effective governance and regard for democratic norms will be explored.
Reconceptualizing the Sources of Teaching Self-Efficacy: a Critical Review of Emerging Literature

Teachers’ efficacy beliefs are thought to influence not only their motivation and performance but also the achievement of their students. Scholars have therefore turned their attention toward the sources underlying these important teacher beliefs. This review seeks to evaluate the ways in which researchers have measured and conceptualized the sources of teaching self-efficacy across 82 empirical studies. Specifically, it aims to identify what can be inferred from these studies and what important questions still remain about the origins of teachers’ efficacy beliefs. Results indicate that a number of methodological shortcomings in the literature have prevented a clear understanding of how teachers develop a sense of efficacy. Nonetheless, insights gleaned from existing research help to refine, and to expand, theoretical understandings of the sources of self-efficacy and their influence in the unique context of teaching. Implications for future research and practice are addressed.
As assistant principals enter their careers: a case for providing support

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer a viewpoint on the challenges that assistant principals (APs) face and to make the case for intentional mentoring, coaching, and sponsorship of individuals in these roles. Design/methodology/approach – The authors provide a professional viewpoint based on scholarly literature and their practitioner observation. Findings – The authors propose that by focussing on APs, being systematic about supporting APs, and expanding and deepening understandings of the hurdles and dilemmas they face, the schools will have a more robust leadership pipeline and more satisfied and effective APs. They recommend that school districts, whether in the USA or internationally, consider adopting specific and intentional strategies to mentor, coach, and sponsor new APs, with what they call Mentor-Sponsor Models. Originality/value – The author recommendation for school districts to create Mentor Banks of qualified, exemplary senior principals who can sponsor and mentor new APs as an “in house” model for developing district talent is an original idea that could be easily implemented in larger school districts.
Cerebral venous overdrainage: an under-recognized complication of cerebrospinal fluid diversion.

Understanding the altered physiology following cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion in the setting of adult hydrocephalus is important for optimizing patient care and avoiding complications. There is mounting evidence that the cerebral venous system plays a major role in intracranial pressure (ICP) dynamics especially when one takes into account the effects of postural changes, atmospheric pressure, and gravity on the craniospinal axis as a whole. An evolved mechanism acting at the cortical bridging veins, known as the “Starling resistor,” prevents overdrainage of cranial venous blood with upright positioning. This protective mechanism can become nonfunctional after CSF diversion, which can result in posture-related cerebral venous overdrainage through the cranial venous outflow tracts, leading to pathological states. This review article summarizes the relevant anatomical and physiological bases of the relationship between the craniospinal venous and CSF compartments and surveys complications that may be e...
Games and Kinds

In response to those who argue for `property cluster' views of natural kinds, I use evolutionary models of sim-max games to assess the claim that linguistic terms will appropriately track sets of objects that cluster in property spaces. As I show, there are two sorts of ways this can fail to happen. First, evolved terms that do respect property structure in some senses can be conventional nonetheless. Second, and more crucially, because the function of linguistic terms is to facilitate successful action in the world, when such success is based on something other than property clusters, we should not expect our terms to track those clusters. The models help make this second point salient by highlighting a dubious assumption underlying some versions of the cluster kinds view---that property clusters lead to successful generalization and induction in a straightforward way. As I point out, those who support property cluster kinds as natural can revert to a promiscuous realism in response to these observations.
A Taxonomic Analysis of Abstraction.

An important characteristic of knowledge is that it exists at multiple levels of abstraction. This article illustrates how different levels of abstraction influence perception, comprehension, categ...
Shame, Blame, and Status Incongruity: Health and Stigma in Rural Brazil and the Urban United Arab Emirates

Stigma is a powerful determinant of physical and mental health around the world, a perennial public health concern that is particularly resistant to change. This article builds from sociologist Erving Goffman's classic conception of stigma as a unitary social phenomenon to explore the stigma attached to two seemingly dissimilar conditions: food insecurity in rural Brazil, and obesity in the urban United Arab Emirates. Our analyses underscore that both conditions are stigmatized because they represent a departure from a deeply-held social norm, and in both cases, self-stigma plays an important role. Furthermore, in both cases, the stigma associated with food insecurity and obesity is likely at least as harmful to personal wellbeing as are the biological consequences of these conditions. Finally, evidence increasingly links obesity and food insecurity causally. Our analyses suggest that these forms of stigma transcend individuals and are largely structural in their origins, and therefore that they are most likely to be improved through structural change.
Recent Advances of 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Chemistry for Alkaloid Synthesis

Abstract The synthesis of heterocyclic compounds has attracted significant attention for decades. Among the various heterocycles isolated from nature, alkaloidal natural products have received significant attention due to their diverse bioactivity. As highlighted in this minireview, a growing area of interest in organic synthesis involves the use of substituted 1,3-dipoles for the preparation of different alkaloidal natural products. Cascade reactions proceeding by an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition chemistry are of particular interest to the synthetic organic community because of the increase in molecular complexity involved and the high isolated yields. The synthesis of numerous alkaloids has been elegantly accomplished in recent years using an assortment of synthetic dipole intermediates.
Correlation and unmediated cheap talk in repeated games with imperfect monitoring

This paper studies n-player $$(n\ge 3)$$ undiscounted repeated games with imperfect monitoring. We prove that all uniform communication equilibrium payoffs of a repeated game can be obtained as Nash equilibrium payoffs of the game extended by unmediated cheap talk. We also show that all uniform communication equilibrium payoffs of a repeated game can be reached as Nash equilibrium payoffs of the game extended by a pre-play correlation device and a cheap-talk procedure that only involves public messages; furthermore, in the case of imperfect public and deterministic signals, no cheap talk is conducted on the equilibrium path.
Ethylene biosynthetic genes are differentially regulated by ethylene and ACC in carnation styles

Treatment of intact carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus‘White Sim’) flowers with ethylene induced increased ethylene production from all flower organs and increased accumulation of transcripts from genes encoding enzymes involved in ethylene biosynthesis. Three members of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase gene family (DCACS1, 2 and 3) were differentially regulated by ethylene within the flower. Treatment of isolated flower organs with 10 µL L−1 ethylene for 24 h, enhanced ethylene production in ovaries and petals, but not styles. Transcripts from DCACS2, DCACS3, and DCACO1 (ACC oxidase 1) were increased in isolated treated styles, although not to the levels detected in styles from ethylene-treated flowers. Although ethylene treatment of isolated styles did not induce elevated ethylene biosynthesis, treatment with 100 µM ACC resulted in large increases in ethylene evolution from the style. ACC treatment induced increases in mRNA levels of DCACS1, DCACS2, DCACS3 and DCACO1. When flowers were pretreated with CoCl2, to prevent the conversion of ACC to ethylene, DCACS1, DCACS2, and DCACO1 transcripts were still induced, although to a lesser degree than following ACC treatment alone. Similar results were seen when flowers were treated with the ethylene action inhibitor, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), prior to ACC treatment. In styles, DCACS2, DCACS3, and DCACO1 genes were transcriptionally regulated by both ACC and ethylene. In petals, ACC increased transcript abundance of all 4 genes, but these transcripts were not detectable when flowers were pretreated with either CoCl2 or 1-MCP. These results confirm that ethylene is the primary regulator of ACS and ACO gene expression in petals.
Amendments to the Utah Clean Air Actâ€” Smoking In Private Establishments: Protected Right or Public Threat?

What is a protected right? Many opponents of smoking bans feel that they are entitled to certain rights or privileges when in reality what they claim as rights are not rights at all. This article describes the conflict between smokers and non-smokers and the debate of amending the Utah Clean Air Act to include a ban on smoking in all establishments, private or public. Through exploring the benefits of Clean Air policies, and national smoking ban court cases, this article will define whose rights are being violated, the establishment owners or those exposed to second hand smoke. The Author concludes that the rights being violated are those of the Non-Smoker and that the debate is not a smokerâ€™s rights issue but a health issue. Thus smoking should be banned in all locations where the public congregates.
Social Media Becomes Traditional: Sport Media Consumption and the Blending of Modern Information Pathways

ABSTRACTAs sports media evolves, it becomes more integrated. The mobile sport consumption only blurs these lines further, as fans may be finding “information” they do not regard as platform or outlet-specific. A survey of 199 sports fans reveals differences in the uses sought and gratifications from three forms of sports news social media offerings: (a) official team-managed social media outlets, (b) media-managed social media outlets, and (c) fan-managed social media outlets. Results showed that fan-managed social media outlets were less utilized than the other two forms of sport-related social media outlets and gratifications obtained from fan-managed social media were less than those for the other two options. Ramifications are offered on the theoretical and applied levels.
NAD(P)H and F420 Fluorescence Monitoring in Anaerobic Digestion

Abstract Anaerobic digesters are frequently upset by changes in the feed strength, changes in environmental conditions and toxic feed components. These can cause reactor failures and lead to lengthy and costly start-ups. Real-time on-line measurements are needed to assess the state of the digester and guide effective process control strategies. This paper presents initial investigations of the response of fluorescence probes for the coenzymes NAD(P)H and F to common causes of digester upsets, namely an increase in loading, a decrease in loading, and toxin (phenol) addition.
Disturbance instabilities in an adaptive system

Two types of disturbance instability of simple adaptive schemes are analyzed. A drift equation shows how stable equilibria are forced to infinity by infrequent but persistent switches of a constant disturbance. The ?-modification proposed by P. Ioannou counteracts these instabilities.
Providing Trainees With an Introduction and Decision-Making Framework for Pursuing an Academic Residency Position

Introduction Medical students are a significant source of the future academic medicine workforce, but surprisingly little is typically done to promote academic medicine career awareness during the ...
A Corresponding Renaissance: Letters Written by Italian Women, 1375–1650, by Lisa Kaborycha: Oxford: Oxford UP, 2016. xv + 302 pp. $29.95 (paper)

In the late 1430s, a collection of letters began to circulate among humanists in Venice that displayed a mastery of Ciceronian Latin and expressed the highest virtues; but what most caused a sensat...
Inactivation of the Ventrolateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Impairs Flexible Use of Safety Signals.

Abstract Survival depends on adaptation to shifting environmental risks and opportunities. Regarding risks, the mechanisms which permit acquisition, recall, and flexible use of aversive associations is poorly understood. Drawing on the evidence that the orbital frontal cortex is critical to integrating outcome expectancies with flexible appetitive behavioral responses, we hypothesized that OFC would contribute to behavioral flexibility within an aversive learning domain. We introduce a fear conditioning procedure in which adult male rats were presented with shock-paired conditioned stimulus (CS+) or a safety cue (CS−). In a recall test, rats exhibit greater freezing to the CS+ than the CS−. Temporary inactivation of the ventrolateral OFC with muscimol prior to conditioning did not affect later discrimination, but inactivation after learning and prior to recall impaired discrimination between safety and danger cues. This result complements prior research in the appetitive domain and suggests that the OFC plays a general role in behavioral flexibility regardless of the valence of the CS.
Digital neutron and gamma-ray radiography in high radiation environments with an MCP/Timepix detector

Abstract The radiation levels from used nuclear fuel make their post irradiation examination very difficult. Handling material removed from assemblies is almost exclusively performed inside shielded hot cells. Neutron radiography provides a non-destructive option for examining the internal structure, location and integrity of irradiated fuel. This paper addresses the performance and stability of a neutron imaging detector comprised of microchannel plates (MCPs) and a Timepix readout in gamma and neutron radiation environments. The detector is being considered as an alternative to the currently used activation foils and photographic film measurement techniques. The MCP/Timepix detector was used in neutron radiography experiment on a beam line at the Neutron Radiography Reactor (NRAD) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The detector was installed ∼ 17.5 m from the reactor core with a line of sight view to the core, which results in a fast and epithermal neutron spectrum as well as high intensity gamma radiation . The gamma-ray dose rate in the beam line was 812 mSv/hr. Complementary measurements were made using 137Cs and 60Co isotopic sources at gamma dose rates in excess of 6 Sv/hr. The detector functioned normally over several hours in this environment. These conditions are comparable to planned radiography of irradiated nuclear fuel assemblies. Experimental results using ASTM sensitivity and beam purity indicators suggest that a spatial resolution of μ m may be possible in neutron radiographic measurements using this detector for studies of irradiated nuclear fuel. Potential radiographic and tomographic applications are discussed. The results of present experiments are not limited to the studies of irradiated fuel assemblies, but rather are relevant to any experiment where imaging needs to be performed in a high radiation environment.
Fear and culture: contextualising mental health impact of the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa

The 2014–2016 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) outbreak in West Africa was the largest, longest, deadliest and most geographically expansive Ebola outbreak since the virus was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976.1–5 Given the unprecedented escalation of the outbreak, the WHO declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in August 2014,6 a designation that lasted for 20 months until March 2016.7 By the time the epidemic was controlled, it affected 10 countries through locally acquired or imported Ebola cases, resulting in 28 652 Ebola cases and 11 325 deaths from the disease reported to WHO.8 When comparing the 2014–2016 epidemic with the combined 24 previous Ebola outbreaks, there were 12 times more cases, 7 times more deaths and 21 times more patients with Ebola who recovered from and survived the disease. While Nigeria was more prompt in containing its Ebola outbreak, compared with Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, fear-driven behaviours aggregated adverse consequences on its economy and healthcare utilisation—described as fearonomic effect .9 10 Misinformation caused people to ingest large amounts of salt water (a rumoured curative), breaking quarantine to obtain ‘holy water’ in Lagos, also rumoured to cure the disease, and casual transmission beliefs caused people to avoid crowded areas—causing many businesses to fail—and health facilities. Ebola survivors and health workers were particularly affected by fear-driven stigmatisation. In Sierra Leone, Ebola survivors reported acute fear and depression when they initially suspected Ebola, as well as experiencing stigmatisation in the community after release from Ebola treatment centres.11 In Guinea, some Ebola survivors avoided disclosing their Ebola survivorship status to sexual partners, possibly due to the fear of stigmatisation and rejection.12 Few studies have attempted to assess the mental health impact of Ebola on directly affected populations such as Ebola survivors,11–15 …
Identification and feedback control in structures with piezoceramic actuators

In this lecture we give fundamental well-posedness results for a variational formulation of a class of damped second order partial differential equations with unbounded input or control coefficients. Included as special cases in this class are structures with piezoceramic actuators. We consider approximation techniques leading to computational methods in the context of both parameter estimation and feedback control problems for these systems. Rigorous convergence results for parameter estimates and feedback gains are discussed.
The Use of Quantitative Immunocytochemistry to Study the Regulation of Tyrosine Hydroxylase in Noradrenergic and Dopaminergic Neural Systems

Immunocytochemistry has now established itself as one of the most powerful techniques available for understanding the neurobiology of neuron- specific macromolecules in the brain. Using antibodies directed either against neurotransmitters, (Choy and Watkins, 1977; Steinbusch et al. 1978; Sternberger, 1979), the enzymes required for their biosynthesis (Pickel et al. 1975a, b; Sternberger, 1979), or even receptor associated molecules, (Strader, et. al. 1983) the distribution and biochemical anatomy of specific transmitter classes and their relationship to identifiable neuronal populations has been established.
Immunological Diversity with Similarity

A diverse immune repertoire is considered a hallmark of good health. However, other things being equal, current methods for measuring repertoire diversity cannot distinguish between a repertoire composed of similar sequences (clonotypes, clones) and a repertoire composed of different ones, even though the latter is intuitively more diverse. Here we describe a framework for incorporating similarity into diversity measures, and measure immunological diversity with similarity on 391 large-scale antibody and T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires. We find that while repertoires often contain millions of unique sequences, diversity with similarity suggests a landscape defined by at most a few thousand unrelated CDR3 binding targets. Naive/IgM repertoires have more unique sequences than memory/IgG, but with similarity, memory/IgG repertoires are more diverse. Diversity with similarity is sensitive to vaccination, infection, and aging, and unlike diversity without similarity is robust to sampling error. Finally, with similarity, repertoires from different people overlap significantly, suggesting a definable ceiling for the functional diversity of humanity. Similarity redefines diversity in complex systems.
The Bridge between Visual Input and Central Programming in Crustaceans

By good fortune, my professional and personal friendship with Kees Wiersma began more than 35 years ago. At the time, I was a graduate student at Harvard engaged in thesis research on neuromuscular transmission in crustaceans. In the summer of 1940, I worked for 3 months in Kees’s lab at Cal Tech. This marked the beginning of our close relationship (Fig. 1).
Polyvinyl alcohol-poly acrylic acid bilayer oral drug delivery systems: A comparison between thin films and inverse double network bilayers.

Polymer network structures in the design of bilayer hydrogels for oral drug delivery systems contribute to the mechanical stability as well as the stimulus responsive drug release. We report a stra...
Eczema herpeticum in Darier's disease: a topical storm

The occurrence of eczema herpeticum (EH) in patients with Darier's disease (DD) is a rare occurrence. It is considered a dermatologic emergency due to its high mortality rate if misdiagnosed or left untreated. Here, we present a case of a 42-year-old woman with a longstanding history of DD who presented with EH secondary to herpes simplex 1. Since the incidence of EH is now increasing in adults, we take this as an opportunity to raise awareness among clinicians on the importance of a timely diagnosis of EH and initiating prompt treatment so as to prevent or minimize complications.
"Yes We Can!" The Mental Health Significance for U.S. Black Adults of Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential Election.

This study examines the mental health significance of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential election for black adults. His election was a milestone moment. Hence, we expect black adults would experience...
Preliminary Assessment of a Hand and Arm Exoskeleton for Enabling Bimanual Tasks for Individuals With Hemiparesis

The design and preliminary assessment of a semi-powered hand and arm exoskeleton is described. The exoskeleton is designed to enable bimanual activities of daily living for individuals with chronic, upper-limb hemiparesis resulting from stroke. Specifically, the device augments the user’s grasp strength and ability to extend the affected hand for bimanual tasks and supplements wrist and elbow stability while conducting these tasks. The exoskeleton is battery-powered and self-contained with all electronics and power units placed within the device structure. A preliminary assessment of the exoskeleton was performed with three subjects having right-sided upper-limb motor deficit resulting from stroke. For subjects with limited hand and arm functionality, the exoskeleton increased grasp strength and improved the ability to perform representative bimanual tasks.
Language—AND—Social Psychology: Epilogue

This Epilogue discusses the papers in the Special Issue (JLSP 40th Anniversary) in terms of the broader field of language and social psychology. It reflects on the key terms (“language” and “social...
Genome wide association study of body weight, body mass index, adiposity, and fasting glucose in 3,173 outbred rats

Obesity is a global health crisis that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Rodent model organisms can be used to understand the biological and genetic basis of obesity and related morphological traits. A major advantage of model organisms is that they can be studied under uniform environmental conditions, thus reducing the complex role of environment and gene by environment interactions. Furthermore, fat pads and other tissues can be dissected and weighed, so that their role in determining body weight can be precisely defined. Highly recombinant populations allow for genetic fine-mapping of complex traits, greatly reducing the number of plausible candidate genes. We performed the largest rat GWAS ever undertaken, using 3,173 male and female adult N/NIH heterogeneous stock (HS) rats, which were created by mixing 8 inbred strains. We identified 31 independent loci for body weight, body length, body mass index, fat pad weight (retroperitoneal, epididymal, and parametrial), and fasting glucose. We observed strong evidence of pleotropic effects across multiple phenotypes. Three loci contained only a single gene (Epha5, Nrg1 and Klhl14), whereas others were larger and contained many genes. We replicated a locus containing Prlhr, and a second locus containing Adcy3, which we had previously identified in a smaller HS rat study. Finally, by subsampling our dataset, we showed an exponential growth of significant loci as sample size increased towards 3,173. Our results demonstrate the potential for rodent studies to add to our understanding of the molecular genetic factors that contribute to obesity-relevant traits and emphasize the importance of sample size.
Soft actuators by electrochemical oxidation of liquid metal surfaces.

The surface energy of liquid metals can be electrochemically controlled over a wide range of values – from near zero to 500 mJ m−2 – using a low voltage potential (∼1 V). This enables the ability to create soft-matter actuators that exhibit a high work density on small scales. We demonstrate that a liquid metal (LM) meniscus wetted between two copper pads can function as an electrochemical soft actuator whose force and shape are controllable by tuning the LM surface energy. Energy minimization models are presented in order to predict the actuator performance as a function of LM droplet and Cu pad dimensions. The results suggest that the electrochemical LM actuator has a unique combination of high work density, biologically-relevant activation frequency, and low operational voltage that stands out from other classes of soft-matter actuators.
Adaptive Bin Packing with Overflow

Motivated by bursty bandwidth allocation and by the allocation of virtual machines to servers in the cloud, we consider the online problem of packing items with random sizes into unit-capacity bins. Items arrive sequentially, but upon arrival an item's actual size is unknown; only its probabilistic information is available to the decision maker. Without knowing this size, the decision maker must irrevocably pack the item into an available bin or place it in a new bin. Once packed in a bin, the decision maker observes the item's actual size, and overflowing the bin is a possibility. An overflow incurs a large penalty cost and the corresponding bin is unusable for the rest of the process. In practical terms, this overflow models delayed services, failure of servers, and/or loss of end-user goodwill. The objective is to minimize the total expected cost given by the sum of the number of opened bins and the overflow penalty cost. We present an online algorithm with expected cost at most a constant factor times the cost incurred by the optimal packing policy when item sizes are drawn from an i.i.d. sequence of unknown length. We give a similar result when item size distributions are exponential with arbitrary rates. We also study the offline model, where distributions are known in advance but must be packed sequentially. We construct a soft-capacity PTAS for this problem, and show that the complexity of computing the optimal offline cost is $\#\mathbf{P}$-hard. Finally, we provide an empirical study of our online algorithm's performance.