cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of stimulus strength on the speed and accuracy of a perceptual decision

Both the speed and the accuracy of a perceptual judgment depend on the strength of the sensory stimulation. When stimulus strength is high, accuracy is high and response time is fast; when stimulus strength is low, accuracy is low and response time is slow. Although the psychometric function is well established as a tool for analyzing the relationship between accuracy and stimulus strength, the corresponding chronometric function for the relationship between response time and stimulus strength has not received as much consideration. In this article, we describe a theory of perceptual decision making based on a diffusion model. In it, a decision is based on the additive accumulation of sensory evidence over time to a bound. Combined with simple scaling assumptions, the proportional-rate and power-rate diffusion models predict simple analytic expressions for both the chronometric and psychometric functions. In a series of psychophysical experiments, we show that this theory accounts for response time and accuracy as a function of both stimulus strength and speed-accuracy instructions. In particular, the results demonstrate a close coupling between response time and accuracy. The theory is also shown to subsume the predictions of Pieron's Law, a power function dependence of response time on stimulus strength. The theory's analytic chronometric function allows one to extend theories of accuracy to response time.
UAV Tracking with a Monocular Camera

A visual servo tracking controller is developed in this paper for a monocular camera system mounted on a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to track a leading UAV with a fixed relative position and orientation. Specifically, by comparing the feature points on the leading UAV from a prerecorded desired image with the corresponding feature points in the live image, projective geometric relationships are exploited to construct a Euclidean homography. A theoretical framework is developed for homography based visual servo technique for the general case in which both the camera and the object are moving relative to an inertial coordinate frame. This technique can also be applied to visual estimation of velocity or Euclidean struction of a moving object by a moving camera. The information obtained by decomposing the Euclidean homography is used to develop a robust kinematic controller which eliminates the knowledge of the leading UAV's velocities. A Lyapunov-based analysis is used to show that the proposed control strategy achieves global uniformly ultimately bounded (GUUB) position and orientation tracking.
SprB Is a Cell Surface Component of the Flavobacterium johnsoniae Gliding Motility Machinery

Cells of the gliding bacterium Flavobacterium johnsoniae move rapidly over surfaces by an unknown mechanism. Transposon insertions in sprB resulted in cells that were defective in gliding. SprB is a highly repetitive 669-kDa cell surface protein, and antibodies against SprB inhibited the motility of wild-type cells. Polystyrene microspheres coated with antibodies against SprB attached to and were rapidly propelled along the cell surface, suggesting that SprB is one of the outermost components of the motility machinery. The movement of SprB along the cell surface supports a model of gliding motility in which motors anchored to the cell wall rapidly propel cell surface adhesins.
Increased microvascular permeability and endothelial fenestration induced by vascular endothelial growth factor

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was originally described as vascular permeability factor due to its ability to increase microvascular permeability to plasma proteins. However, the vessel types (arteriolar, venular, and capillary) affected by VEGF and the modification of endothelial morphology in response to increased permeability induced by VEGF in vivo have not been precisely documented. By topical application or intradermal injection of recombinant human VEGF-165 we find that VEGF increases the permeability of postcapillary venules as well as muscular venules and capillaries. Surprisingly, we also find that endothelia of small venules and capillaries become fenestrated within 10 minutes of VEGF application. Fenestrations appeared in vascular beds which do not normally have fenestrated endothelium, namely the cremaster muscle and skin. Histamine, saline, and heat-inactivated VEGF do not cause fenestrations. Increased permeability is completely inhibited when VEGF is cleared by immunoprecipitation with anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies. The VEGF effect on permeability is unlike that of any other mediator described to date since both muscular venules and capillaries are affected.
Simulation of the dynamics of decompression sickness bubbles and the generation of new bubbles

This communication introduces a system of equations for simulating the dynamics of growth and decay of decompression bubbles. The equations are solved by a numerical method and account for gas diffusion, the action of surface tension, tissue N2 washout by blood, and the rate of ascent from depth. The simulations demonstrate how inward diffusion of N2 can generate a persistent gas bubble from a nucleation process or a nucleus (these are provisionally defined as entities that can give rise to a small bubble of a certain size); an explosive positive-feedback loop is set off as the enlarging radius decreases the pressure due to surface tension. Generation of persistent bubbles is most likely during ascent from depth when PN2 inside any gas phase is decreasing rapidly and PN2 outside is still high before appreciable tissue washout has occurred. The "susceptibility" for the generation of a persistent bubble at any time can be defined as the reciprocal of the difference, at that time, between partial pressure of the nitrogen in tissue and in a spherical bubble of the size that is characteristic of the nucleation process or nucleus; susceptibility is less when ascent is slow because PN2 in bubbles stays high while washout removes N2 from the tissue.
Simulation of digitalized power system using PMU and intelligent control

Electricity networks are becoming more complex structures with high penetration of distributed generation (DG) units. The operation of these systems requires advanced data acquisition techniques and the intelligent utilization of collected data. Phasor measurement units (PMU) and intelligent embedded algorithms enable operating the power systems easier by decreasing human intervention. This paper presents comprehensive simulation structure with synchronized time and embedded software intelligence to study possible operations in micro-grids based on actual power networks. Decentralization and interconnection of autonomous grids, energy transfer between the grids and the generator operating modes are examined. Grid connected operation; transition-to-islanded and the actual islanded-mode of operation issues were simulated. Distributed resources were assumed as inverter based with storage and synchronous generator which can be considered diesel or gas-turbine driven generator. The studies were performed based on computer simulation using Matlab/Simulink with level-2 S-function block.
Benchmarking FENDL-2.1 with impact of ENDF/B-VII.0 release on nuclear heating and damage

MCNP calculations for a calculational benchmark representative of an early ITER design were carried out to investigate the impact of ENDF/B-VII.0 release on FENDL-2.1. The results presented in this work clearly show that the previously observed differences in nuclear heating and radiation damage are removed when the correctly processed ENDF/BVII. 0 data are used. Differences in all nuclear parameters are very small (≪1%) implying that minimal impact is expected on ITER analysis and updating the FENDL-2.1 library is not urgently needed for ITER analysis. Calculations for an inertial fusion power plant showed larger changes in nuclear heating, and radiation damage due to the large changes in the H-3 and Au-197 data that affect the energy spectrum of neutrons emitted from the ICF target. The results confirm the need for updating FENDL-2.1 for use in analysis of fusion systems beyond ITER.
Key Issues Surrounding Faculty Development of Expertise In Instructional Design

Despite many successes in engineering education today, a need exists for transformational change that embraces current best-practices, meets expectations of industry, the NAE, NSF, and ABET, and produces faculty buy-in. This paper explores the following question: What are key elements faculty consider as they begin to develop expertise and implement the process of systematic instructional design? A qualitative case study of nine faculty participants in a five part workshop series was conducted. A holistic pattern analysis was performed on 217 pieces of data triangulated among a pre-workshop survey, focus group discussions, and document examination to reveal main themes. During the workshop series, a transformational shift towards a focus on outcome behaviors and skills rather than how to deliver content occurred in how faculty viewed their role in the delivery of instruction. Perceived benefits of utilizing systematic instructional design included the relevance of an outcomes based approach, elevated quality of instruction, and the utility of instructional design at multiple levels. These perceptions significantly outweighed perceived costs of time investment, frustration as learners, and risks due to the use of techniques outside of cultural norms
Properties of vanadium-base alloys irradiated in the dynamic helium charging experiment

One property of vanadium-base alloys that is not well understood in terms of their potential use as fusion reactor structural materials is the effect of simultaneous generation of helium and neutron damage. In the present Dynamic Helium Charging Experiment (DHCE), helium was produced uniformly in the specimen at linear rates of {approx} 0.4 to 4.2 appm helium/dpa by the decay of tritium during irradiation to 18--31 dpa at 425--600 C in Li-filled capsules in a sodium-cooled fast reactor. This paper presents results of postirradiation examination and tests of microstructure and mechanical properties of V-5Ti, V-3Ti-1Si, V-8Cr-6Ti, and V-4Cr-4Ti (the latter alloy has been identified as the most promising candidate vanadium alloy). Effects of helium on tensile strength and ductility were insignificant after irradiation and testing at > 420 C. However, postirradiation ductilities at {minus}150 C in DHCE specimens. Predominantly brittle-cleavage fracture morphologies were observed only at {minus}196 C in some specimens that were irradiated to 31 dpa at 425 C during the DHCE. For the helium generation rates in this experiment ({approx} 0.4--4.2 appm He/dpa), grain-boundary coalescence of helium microcavities was negligible and intergranular fracture was not observed.
Screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Are the Criteria Proposed by the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups Cost-Effective?

OBJECTIVE The International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) recently recommended new criteria for diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study was undertaken to determine whether adopting the IADPSG criteria would be cost-effective, compared with the current standard of care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We developed a decision analysis model comparing the cost-utility of three strategies to identify GDM: 1 ) no screening, 2 ) current screening practice (1-h 50-g glucose challenge test between 24 and 28 weeks followed by 3-h 100-g glucose tolerance test when indicated), or 3 ) screening practice proposed by the IADPSG. Assumptions included that 1 ) women diagnosed with GDM received additional prenatal monitoring, mitigating the risks of preeclampsia, shoulder dystocia, and birth injury; and 2 ) GDM women had opportunity for intensive postdelivery counseling and behavior modification to reduce future diabetes risks. The primary outcome measure was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). RESULTS Our model demonstrates that the IADPSG recommendations are cost-effective only when postdelivery care reduces diabetes incidence. For every 100,000 women screened, 6,178 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) are gained, at a cost of $125,633,826. The ICER for the IADPSG strategy compared with the current standard was $20,336 per QALY gained. When postdelivery care was not accomplished, the IADPSG strategy was no longer cost-effective. These results were robust in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS The IADPSG recommendation for glucose screening in pregnancy is cost-effective. The model is most sensitive to the likelihood of preventing future diabetes in patients identified with GDM using postdelivery counseling and intervention.
Non-Coulomb Emitters Under Multidimensional Dynamic EFs (Elliptically Polarized QEFs; Quasistatic EF plus QEF)

In this chapter we further discuss forbidden SL satellites. It turns out that such satellites are rather sensitive to the multidimensionality of dynamic EF (i.e. to the ellipticity degree or to a quasistatic constituent of the EF). In addition, some local features (dips, depressions) in SL profiles may be produced by joint action of static EFs and QEFs (as was shown in Sect. 4.2 for Coulomb radiators). The main results of Chap. 6 are contained in [6.1–5].
A Framework to Combine Three Remotely Sensed Data Sources for Vegetation Mapping in the Central Florida Everglades

A framework was designed to integrate three complimentary remotely sensed data sources (aerial photography, hyperspectral imagery, and LiDAR) for mapping vegetation in the Florida Everglades. An object-based pixel/feature-level fusion scheme was developed to combine the three data sources, and a decision-level fusion strategy was applied to produce the final vegetation map by ensemble analysis of three classifiers k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF). The framework was tested to map 11 land-use/land-cover level vegetation types in a portion of the central Florida Everglades. An informative and accurate vegetation map was produced with an overall accuracy of 91.1 % and Kappa value of 0.89. A combination of the three data sources achieved the best result compared with applying aerial photography alone, or a synergy of two data sources. Ensemble analysis of three classifiers not only increased the classification accuracy, but also generated a complementary uncertainty map for the final classified vegetation map. This uncertainty map was able to identify regions with a high robust classification, as well as areas where classification errors were most likely to occur.
The Role of Lake Expansion in Altering the Wetland Landscape of the Prairie Pothole Region, United States

Interannual variation in lake extent is well documented in the Prairie Pothole Region, but the role of surface-water expansion, including lake expansion, in merging with and subsuming wetlands across the landscape has been minimally considered. We examined how the expansion of surface-water extent, in particular, the expansion of lakes across parts of the Prairie Pothole Region can alter landscape-level hydrologic connectivity among substantial numbers of previously surficially disconnected wetlands. Temporally static wetland, lake, and stream datasets were fused with temporally varying Landsat-derived surface-water extent maps (1990–2011) to quantify changes in surface-water connectivity. Under deluge conditions, lakes were found to create significantly larger complexes of surficially-connected wetlands relative to non-lake surface-water connections (e.g., only wetlands or wetlands and streams). Analysis of three specific lakes showed that lakes can merge with and subsume wetlands located kilometers to tens of kilometers from the National Wetland Inventory defined lake perimeter. As climate across the Prairie Pothole Region is highly variable, understanding historic patterns of surface-water expansion and contraction under drought-to-deluge conditions will be integral to predicting future effects of climate change on wetland function, loss and influence on other aquatic systems, including downstream waters.
The dilemma of trade samples and the importance of museum vouchers--caveats from a study on the extinction of Steller's sea cow: a comment on Crerar et al. (2014).

Crerar et al. [[1][1]] recently argued that a population of Steller's sea cows ( Hydrodamalis gigas ) persisted on St Lawrence Island (SLI), Alaska, well into historical time. If true, then Steller's sea cows were hunted to extinction in multiple places at different times in the past millennium [[2
Renal responses to graded hemorrhage in conscious pig

We developed a conscious pig model with a chronically instrumented kidney to measure renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and excretory functions during hemorrhage. Seven to 10 days before experimentation, pigs were splenectomized, arterial and venous catheters were implanted, an ultrasonic flow probe was placed on the renal artery, and a pyelostomy was performed for nonocclusively placing a ureteral catheter. Measurements were taken before hemorrhage, and at hemorrhage volumes of 7, 14, 21, and 28 ml/kg (equivalent to 10.5, 21, 31, and 42% of the estimated blood volume), or at corresponding time points for controls. RBF was decreased by 30% when 21% of the blood (14 mg/kg) was removed, before arterial pressure, GFR, or urine flow or excretion was changed. At volumes of hemorrhage greater than 14 ml/kg, there were progressive decreases in RBF, GFR, urine flow rate, osmotic and electrolyte excretion, and arterial pressure. Thus pigs, like humans, respond to hypovolemia with an early redistribution of blood flow away from the kidney.
Children’s sedentary activity after hurricane exposure.

The current study examined the potential impact of a natural disaster, Hurricane Ike, on children’s levels of sedentary activity. Sedentary activity is a health risk behavior associated with poor chronic health outcomes. Hurricane exposure (perceived and actual life threat) and recovery stressors (hurricane-related and major life events) were expected to be associated with posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and sedentary activity. Children (n 204; 51% girls; M age 9.23 years; 73% ethnic minorities) from Galveston, Texas, were evaluated 8 months posthurricane. Child-report measures of traumatic experiences, major life events, PTS symptoms, height and weight, and sedentary activity were collected; actual height and weight measurements were collected for a subset of 53 children. Consistent with expectations, hurricane exposure and recovery stressors were significantly associated with PTS symptoms and sedentary activity. Findings also suggest that PTS symptoms may mediate the relationship between stressors and sedentary activity. Implications for schools, families, and future research are discussed.
A Picture for the Derivative

(1977). A Picture for the Derivative. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 84, No. 6, pp. 470-471.
Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Social and Economic Benefits of Wind Power Consumption

In order to evaluate the social and economic benefits of wind power consumption,the level- evaluation model with the optimized index scale was established based on the built evaluation index system,as well as the social and economic benefits of different schemes of wind power consumption were evaluated. Taking the supporting wind power in UHVDC project as example,this paper compared three installed capacities of wind power and obtained the comprehensive evaluation results of social and economic benefits of wind power consumption.
Genetic testing for neurologic diseases. A rose with thorns.

Recent developments in medical genetics will increase the number of hereditary conditions that can be detected presymptomatically. This type of testing raises a number of ethical concerns that must be addressed when predictive testing is undertaken. The most critical issues are determined by the purpose for which testing is done and the nature of the condition in question. In general, these include informed consent, test reliability, counseling and support, and confidentiality.
Estimation of total organic carbon and brittleness volume

AbstractThe Barnett Shale in the Fort Worth Basin is one of the most important resource plays in the USA. The total organic carbon (TOC) and brittleness can help to characterize a resource play to assist in the search for sweet spots. Higher TOC or organic content are generally associated with hydrocarbon storage and with rocks that are ductile in nature. However, brittle rocks are more amenable to fracturing with the fractures faces more resistant to proppant embedment. Productive intervals within a resource play should therefore contain a judicious mix of organics and mineralogy that lends to hydraulic fracturing. Identification of these intervals through core acquisition and laboratory-based petrophysical measurements can be accurate but expensive in comparison with wireline logging. We have estimated TOC from wireline logs using Passey’s method and attained a correlation of 60%. However, errors in the baseline interpretation can lead to inaccurate TOC. Using nonlinear regression with Passey’s TOC, nor...
BCR-ABL Transcript Levels at Time of Complete Cytogenetic Remission Achieved after Salvage with Dasatinib or Nilotinib.

Achievement of a CCyR is a favorable threshold response in CP CML, associated with an expected degree of BCR-ABL transcript reduction. Transcript level at the time of CCyR has been reported for ‘late CP’ (post-IFN) and IRIS trial cases as median reductions of 2–2.5 logs below a standard baseline. The level of BCR-ABL transcripts at the time of CCyR may be predictive of subsequent relapse risk, and expectations and relative levels of BCR-ABL transcript reduction may differ in patients with imatinib refractory CML. 28 CP CML patients were treated at our center with nilotinib (n=1) or dasatinib (n=26) or both (n=1), 27/28 on phase II clinical trials for imatinib refractory or intolerant CP CML. 15 of 28 patients received nilotinib or dasatinib for imatinib failure, achieved subsequent CCyR, and had a quantitative PCR (qPCR) result at the time of CCyR and were analyzed. 8/28 who did not achieve CCyR, 2/28 without a paired qPCR sample, and 3/28 switched for imatinib intolerance were excluded. 20-cell karyotype of BM metaphases was used to determine CCyR and qPCR was expressed as % BCR-ABL/G6PDH RNA ratio and log reduction below standard baseline. The median reduction of BCR-ABL transcripts at time of CCyR for this cohort was 1.6 logs (range 0 - 4.2, mean 1.7). Patient characteristics are shown in Table 1. One case had no reduction below standard baseline and only a 3-fold reduction (19 to 6.6%) in BCR-ABL transcripts at time of CCyR; cytogenetics prior to salvage therapy demonstrated duplication of the Ph chromosome in 100% of metaphases. Another case with a 4.2 log reduction (nested qPCR (+) only) in transcripts at time of CCyR had undergone prior allografting and received dasatinib for imatinib refractory cytogenetic relapse post transplant. BCR-ABL transcript reduction in the setting of salvage therapy after imatinib failure may have different kinetics than the setting of de novo CML and primary imatinib exposure, as the median reduction at time of CCyR in this cohort is noticeably lower that expected for late CP (∼2 log reduction) and newly diagnosed CP (∼2.5 log reduction) cases. Transcript level reduction may be variably affected by different mechanisms of resistance such as BCR-ABL amplification in the setting of duplication of the Ph chromosome. Further study in larger cohorts is warranted to better describe kinetics of transcript reduction in the salvage setting.
Hemodynamic profile and behavioral characteristics during induction of anesthesia in pediatric patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

AIM There is no consensus regarding the administration of stimulant drugs preoperatively, particularly in pediatric patients diagnosed with ADHD. The primary objective of the current study was to assess differences in blood pressure and heart rate before and after induction of anesthesia between patients on chronic amphetamine or methylphenidate therapy who receive their normal dose preoperatively compared to patients in whom the prescribed medication was withheld. Secondary objectives were to assess the anxiety level during the induction of anesthesia and the effect of premedication with midazolam. METHOD Patients, ranging in age from 2 through 18 years, were enrolled if they were diagnosed with ADHD, were taking amphetamines or methylphenidate at any time in the 6 months prior to admission, and were undergoing an outpatient surgical or diagnostic procedure. The study cohort was divided into those who took their ADHD medications prior to surgery and those who did not take their medications preoperatively. The primary objective was addressed by comparing heart rate, systolic and diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure before and during anesthetic induction between the two groups. Hypotension after anesthetic induction was defined as systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure <5th percentile for age. To address the secondary objectives, modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) scores assessed prior to induction and during induction were compared between groups. RESULTS Fifty patients were enrolled, 14 of whom took their ADHD medication and 34 of whom did not take ADHD medication preoperatively. Two patients with unknown ADHD medication status were excluded from the primary analysis (stratification by medication withholding), but all 50 patients were used for the secondary analysis (stratification by midazolam use). There was no intraoperative hypotension in either group. Despite weak evidence for a difference in heart rate between the group receiving medication and the group with no medication (96.8 ± 14.0 vs 88.0 ± 14.0 beats/min; difference of means = 8.8; 95% CI of difference: 0.2, 17.7; P = 0.055), there was no evidence for differences between the groups in systolic BP, diastolic BP, or mean arterial pressure. There were no differences between groups in mYPAS at the two time periods assessed. CONCLUSION The evidence suggests that continuing preoperative stimulant medication is not associated with cardiovascular instability in the pediatric population. The evidence suggests that withholding or allowing stimulant medication preoperatively does not improve behavior on anesthetic induction or reduce the need for anxiolytic medication. Research efforts should focus on perioperative management strategies that will decrease the likelihood of long-term behavioral issues.
Evaluation of a Food and Drug Administration Mandate to Limit Acetaminophen in Prescription Combination Products

In 2014, the US Food and Drug Administration limited the production of prescription acetaminophen-opioid combination products to 325 mg per dose unit. The goal of this mandate was to decrease the likelihood of unintentional acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. This study was designed to determine if this federal regulation has succeeded in reducing unintentional acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity from opioid combination products. Using data from the National Poison Data System (NPDS), we analyzed all calls to US Poison Control Centers in the years 2013 and 2015 for acetaminophen-opioid combination product exposures. We then excluded cases that were classified as intentional and those aged 12 years and younger. We used a primary endpoint of N-acetylcysteine administration; secondary endpoints included evidence of hepatotoxicity as aspartate aminotransferase elevation, opioid antagonist administration and severity of overall medical outcome. A total of 18,259 calls between the two yearlong periods met inclusion criteria. 5.16 and 5.01% of calls resulted in N-acetylcysteine administration in 2013 and 2015, respectively. 3.63 and 4.02% received naloxone in 2013 and 2015, respectively, and 0.9% in each year developed hepatotoxicity. Rates of N-acetylcysteine administration, naloxone administration, and hepatotoxicity did not differ significantly between 2013 and 2015. Severity of medical outcome was worse in 2015 as compared to 2013 with more cases being categorized as “major effect” and fewer cases being categorized as “no effect.” The Food and Drug Administration limitation on acetaminophen content per dose unit in opioid combination products did not reduce the occurrence of unintentional acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity or N-acetylcysteine administration as reported to NPDS.
Owning Immigration: Messenger Ethnicity, Issue Ownership, and Support for Latino Candidates

The public opinion literature stresses the importance of source cues in determining which types of messages affect attitudes and which types do not. Building upon such research, we seek to determine if messenger ethnicity influences how individuals evaluate candidates speaking on immigration in the context of a campaign. Do Americans (and Anglo Americans in particular) view Latino candidates as more experienced, stronger leaders, more trustworthy, and more qualified on immigration than Anglo candidates? Moreover, do such relationships hold regardless of the valence of the message itself? Through an original survey experiment presenting subjects with immigration talk on the campaign trail, we find Latino candidates are reviewed more positively than Anglo candidates when it comes to the immigration messages they speak (especially when it comes to pro-immigration messages). Such findings give us insight into whether or not Latino candidates have the potential to “own” the issue of immigration, as well as offering another path by which Latino candidates can gain a strong foothold with the public in the context of a campaign.
Extension of the Advanced Test Reactor Operating Envelope Via Enhanced Reactor Physics Validation Techniques

AbstractThe Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is currently in the process of qualifying a low-enriched-uranium fuel element design for the new Ki-Jang Research Reactor (KJRR). As part of this effort, a prototype KJRR fuel element was irradiated for several operating cycles in the northeast flux trap of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory. The KJRR fuel element contained a very large quantity of fissile material (618 g 235U) in comparison with historical ATR experiment standards (<1 g 235U), and its presence in the ATR flux trap was expected to create a neutronic configuration that would be well outside of the approved validation envelope for the reactor physics analysis methods used to support ATR operations.Accordingly, it was necessary to conduct an extensive set of new low-power physics measurements in the ATR Critical Facility (ATRC), a companion facility to the ATR, located in an immediately adjacent building and sharing the same fuel storage canal. The new measureme...
Phoenix: The Arc of Intergroup Interactions and the Political Future

So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. – Genesis 11:8 In this book, in order to study the influence of context, I have moved across space and time. One way to experience a change in context on a tremendous scale, across both space and time, is to travel south across the United States toward the Mexican border. Start at a city in the Midwest, say Chicago, and as you travel south, with each mile toward the border, the Anglo proportion of the population will decline and the culture and people will become more Latino. Figuratively, you will be moving through time as the cities become not only less Anglo but also generally less dense, with the older, more compact cities of the Northeast and Midwest giving way to the newer, sprawling, car-based cities of the Southwest. In a Midwestern city like Chicago, where so much social science – including parts of this book – has been focused, you are in the urban past. When you reach a city like Phoenix – low-density and only 120 miles from the Mexican border – you are in the urban future. Chicago and other big cities of the Northeast and Midwest represent not only the urban past but also, with their large Anglo white and African American populations, the demographic past. The populations of these cities were a result of the previous great migration – northward and westward – of African Americans from the South. Now, different currents are flowing: Anglos are moving south and west and Latinos are coming north. The demographic future of the United States is found in the meeting of Anglos and Latinos in these sprawling, fast-growing communities near the Mexican border. Keep pushing south from Phoenix on Interstate 19 through Tucson and into the emptiness of the beautiful Sonoran Desert and, right before the road terminates, it will bend sharply east and put you on the dusty streets of Nogales, Arizona, a community straddling the border with Mexico. Here, you will find the extreme conclusion of demographic change.
Intracranial Pressure (ICP) Trajectories: a Novel Tool that may Inform Outcome and Mortality in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (P4.299)

Objective: 1) define ICP-trajectories over time in severe TBI, 2) determine whether ICP-trajectory groups predict outcome 3) determine whether ABCC8-genetic polymorphisms associated with traditional edema-measures differed across ICP-trajectory groups. Background: ICP is dynamic and influenced by genetics, TBI injury complex and medical/surgical treatments. Existing studies use point ICP-measures for patient categorization with important temporal trends potentially lost. ABCC8, encoding sulfonylurea-receptor-1 is a putative regulator of cerebral edema in TBI and other neurological diseases. Design/Methods: We included prospective observational data from 446 severe TBI patients (GCS≤ 8, 2001–2014). Trajectories were modeled from hourly ICP measurements (hours 1–120 after ventriculostomy/monitor placement). We used Group Based Trajectory Modeling (GBTM) incorporating clinically relevant risk factor adjustment (age, sex, initial GCS score, emergent craniectomy, primary hemorrhage pattern). We employed censored-normal distributions and Bayesian Information Criteria to select best models. We compared 6-month disability, mortality, and relevant ABCC8 tag-single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2237982, rs7105832) across ICP-trajectory groups. Results: A six trajectory-group model best fit the data, identifying subcohorts that differed in initial ICP, ICP-evolution/longitudinal trajectory, and number of ICP spikes >20 mmHg. There were pattern differences in age, hemorrhage pattern, and craniectomy rates between groups. Glasgow Outcome Scale score (p=0.006), Disability Rating Scale score (p=0.001), mortality (p Conclusions: We employed a novel dynamic ICP-classification approach to investigate patterns in severe TBI and identified 6 distinct ICP-trajectory groups. Disability, mortality and ABCC8 polymorphism rs2237982 differed across groups. Groups with more favorable outcomes had greater ICP variability. Trajectory modeling may represent a powerful new vista to ICP-directed care. Combining patient characteristics with ICP-trajectory groups may help prognosticate and guide precision-medicine. Study Supported by: Research reported in this publication was supported by the following grants to which we are grateful: NIH(NINDS) K23NS101036 (RMJ), NIH(NINDS) 1K23NS097629 (JE) NINR R01NR013342 (YPC), NINR R00 NR013176 (AMP), NCATS KL2-TR000146 (RMJ), NCATS KL2-TR001856 (RMJ). Disclosure: Dr. Jha has nothing to disclose. Dr. Elmer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zusman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Puccio has nothing to disclose. Dr. Okonkwo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Park has nothing to disclose. Dr Shutter has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wallisch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Conley has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kochanek has nothing to disclose.
Female breast cancer in Central Sudan - A tragedy of young age and late presentation

3851 Statistics on the clinical profile of breast cancer in Sudan are lacking for want of a population-based cancer registry, socioeconomic and demographic infrastructure, and awareness by women. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical presentation and outcome of Sudanese women with breast cancer and determine breast cancer tissue estrogen and progesterone receptors status. Data from 1255 patients, registered and treated at the Faculty of Medicine and Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Molecular Biology, and Oncology (INMO), University of Gezira from January 1999 to December 2006, were analyzed for age, histologic type of breast cancer, site and size of the tumor, and stage at presentation. In stark contrast to the situation in other countries, premenopausal women (age 10.0 cm. Tumors tended to occur predominantly on the left (50%) upper lateral quadrant (54.75%). Tumors were staged as 0 (0.48%), I (11.31%), IIA (8.21%), IIB (19.28%), IIIA (18.09%), IIIB (18.01%), and IV (24.62%). We conclude that breast cancer patients in Sudan tend to be younger than those in other countries, but present with a higher histologic grade and later stage at the time of diagnosis.
The Organization of Justificatory Discourse in Interaction: A Comparison Within and Across Cultures

Previous scholarship has focused on inductive and deductive patterns as the two predominant modes of reasoning. In this paper, we argue that there are many ways that people from diverse cultures organize their justificatory reasoning in conversation with others and that these patterns are connected, in part, to cultural beliefs and values. We report on a study of people who identify themselves as being in one of four cultural groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, Asians, and European Americans. The types of organization they used in their conversations included deductive, inductive, abductive, and narrative patterns. Abduction occurred as often as induction and deduction across groups. Narratives were used equally by all of the groups, but they occurred less frequently than the other types. Asian Americans used inductive patterns more than other types, and Asians were most likely to reason deductively. These choices did not appear to have an effect on partners' judgments, although Asians received the lowest appropriateness ratings, and both Asians and Asian Americans were given the lowest effectiveness ratings.
Detection of Left-to-Right Shunts by Inhalation of Oxygen-15-Labeled Carbon Dioxide

The general properties of 15O-labeled carbon dioxide have been reviewed1,2 and published.3 The most striking property of this gas is that, when inhaled, it causes the sudden labeling of pulmonary venous blood water and, subsequently, a mathematically predictable clearance from the lungs into the left heart. This property, as we will see, can be most useful in the detection and quantitation of left-to-right intracardiac shunts. We will outline the general methods of shunt detection and quantitation here, and with this as background, a method utilizing the special properties of C15O2 inhalation will be developed and demonstrated.
Methylnaltrexone: A Peripherally Acting Opioid Antagonist

Opioids are widely used analgesics in patients with moderate or severe pain. Their effectiveness for pain relief is often limited, however, by the most frequently occurring side effect, opioid-induced constipation. Unlike the analgesic effects of opioids, which are centrally mediated, constipation is mediated mainly by peripheral opioid receptors in the gut. Conventional laxatives are often ineffective in treating opioid-inducded constipation. Methylnaltrexone is a novel quaternary derivative of naltrexone that does not cross the blood—brain barrier in humans and acts as a selective peripheral opioid receptor antagonist, recently approved by the FDA and other regulatory agencies for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in patients with advanced illness receiving palliative care. This chapter reviews preclinical studies and data from trials of methylnaltrexone bowel dysfunction induced by opioids. Other potential clinical roles for methylnaltrexone are also briefly presented.
Techniques of Upper Endoscopy

An increasingly central component to the practice of general surgery is flexible endoscopy. At least half of the practicing surgeons in the USA depend on basic upper and lower endoscopy for a substantial portion of their practice. In fact, outside of most urban centers, the burden of providing endoscopy falls entirely on the general surgeon. Many common surgical disease treatments have already shifted, or are rapidly shifting towards less invasive approaches which increasingly include interventional flexible endoscopic procedures. A brief look in the recent past underlines this fact. Common bile duct exploration, pancreatic pseudocyst drainage, colectomy for benign or early neoplasia, and esophagectomy for Barrett’s disease are but a few of the conditions that are now treated endoscopically instead of surgically. As this trend continues, surgeons unskilled in flexible endoscopy will find themselves increasingly cut out of the treatment of these diseases.
Paradigmatic Behaviorism: Unified Theory for Social-Personality Psychology*

Publisher Summary To understand the character and role of stimulus–response (S–R) approaches in social psychology, it is necessary to have an understanding of the characteristics of behaviorism. The first generation of behaviorism focuses on the discovery and experimental stipulation of the basic conditioning principles. The second generation of behaviorism focuses on systematizing the multiple principles and findings of the study of animal learning into general animal learning theories. This chapter considers the general nature of social psychology with respect to its disunity–unity and the S–R conceptions that have penetrated. The multilevel theory methodology of paradigmatic behaviorism, the effect of these theories on the field's unification, and a general methodology for producing unified theory are also reviewed in the chapter. A particular approach that aims to provide the unifying articulation of the field is also considered in the chapter. It also indicates the progress of S–R approaches in the areas of social-personality psychology and its contribution to the progress of that general framework..
Facile Synthesis of Sustainable High Internal Phase Emulsions by a Universal and Controllable Route

We demonstrate a universal route for facile synthesis of high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs), requiring only the centrifugation of ultrasonically produced oil-loaded microspheres. By sonochemically cross-linking the dispersant layer at the oil/water interface, we can engineer these microspheres against coalescence under high centrifugal force, while simultaneously obtaining a high internal phase volume fraction up to 89.5%. The properties of these HIPEs and resulting porous materials can be controlled by simply adjusting the acoustic intensity. We can also deposit the non-cross-linked dispersed materials back to the microsphere surface, creating an extra electrostatic layer and polyelectrolyte complexes coating, thus further reinforcing the processability of HIPEs. Our strategy could work for nearly any material as long as it can be cross-linked during acoustic cavitation. Thus, these scalable HIPEs can be fully sustainable as they are solely stabilized by natural materials, such as proteins and polysac...
Perspectives and Preparedness regarding ISO-9000 International Quality Standards

With increasing globalization of trade, and growing reliance on quality as a competitive weapon, the ISO-9000 international quality standards have become a major force to be reckoned with for U.S. ...
Making China safe for Coke: how Coca-Cola shaped obesity science and policy in China

Susan Greenhalgh investigates how, faced with shrinking Western markets, the soft drink giant sought to secure sales and build its image in China
Maritime Piracy, Military Capacity, and Institutions in the Gulf of Guinea

ABSTRACTWest African security threats have become more frequent in recent years, most notably in the Gulf of Guinea. As increasing quantities of the world’s trade pass through the maritime domain, ...
The effectiveness of self-regulated strategy development instruction for improving writing abilities in a school-age child with cochlear implants: A single subject research design study

Objectives: The two-fold purpose of this feasibility study was to determine if (a) self-regulated strategy development intervention would improve the writing skills of a child who uses cochlear imp...
Pevonedistat, a NEDD8‐activating enzyme inhibitor, induces apoptosis and augments efficacy of chemotherapy and small molecule inhibitors in pre‐clinical models of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma

We studied the biological activity of pevonedistat, a first-in-class NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE) inhibitor, in combination with various cytotoxic chemotherapy agents and small molecule inhibitors in lymphoma pre-clinical models. Pevonedistat induced cell death in activated B-cell (ABC) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cell lines and to a lesser degree in germinal center B-cell (GCB) DLBCL cell lines. In pevonedistat sensitive cells, we observed inhibition of NFκB activity by p65 co-localization studies, decreased expression of BCL-2/BCL-XL and upregulation of BAK levels. Pevonedistat enhanced the activity of cytarabine, cisplatin, doxorubicin and etoposide in ABC-, but not in the GCB-DLBCL cell lines. It also exhibited synergy with ibrutinib, selinexor, venetoclax and A-1331852 (a novel BCL-XL inhibitor). In vivo, the combination of pevonedistat and ibrutinib or pevonedistat and cytarabine prolonged survival in SCID mice xenograft models when compared with monotherapy controls. Our data suggest that targeting the neddylation pathway in DLBCL is a viable therapeutic strategy and support further clinical studies of pevonedistat as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy or novel targeted agents.
Financial Crises, History of

This article reviews the history of financial crises on the basis of recent historiography on the subject. First, it presents the main definitions of crises, banking, debt, currency, and other forms such as inflation and sudden stops. Then after reviewing the issue of contagion it describes a general pattern of boom and bust, from the initial euphoria to the distress stage. The last section reviews historical examples with a particular focus on the frequency of different types of crises in advanced and emerging economies.
Leg Extension Strength, Explosive Strength, Muscle Activation, and Growth as Predictors of Vertical Jump Performance in Youth Athletes

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among leg extension strength, explosive strength, muscle activation, and measurements of growth to predictions of vertical jump performance in youth athletes. Height, body mass, skinfolds, and quadriceps femoris muscle cross-sectional area were measured in 39 sports active children (20 females, 19 males, age = 12.52 ± 0.62 years old). Peak torque (PT), rate of torque development (RTD), rate of velocity development (RVD), and rate of electromyographic amplitude rise (RER) were measured during isometric and isokinetic leg extensions. PT, RTD, and RVD were expressed in absolute terms and normalized to body mass. Estimated jump height (JH) and peak power (PP) were assessed during static (SJ), counter-movement (CMJ), and drop (DJ) jumps. JH exhibited greater correlations with PT normalized to body mass (r = 0.387–0.758) than absolute PT (r = 0.338–0.417), whereas PP exhibited greater correlations with absolute PT (r = 0.368–0.837). Only negligible to moderate relationships existed between JH and PP across all jumps (r = 0.053–0.605). Over 50% of the variability in PP was predicted in 24 of 30 regression models with absolute muscle strength, muscle activation, and measurements of growth, while only 6 of 30 models predicted more than 50% of the variability in JH. Overall, absolute static and dynamic muscle strength, muscle activation, and growth better explained PP measured during vertical jumps than estimated JH.