cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anticipating where to look: predicting the movements of mobile agents in complex terrain

This paper describes a method for making short-term predictions about the movement of mobile agents in complex terrain. Virtual humans need this ability in order to shift their visual attention between dynamic objects-predicting where an object will be located a few seconds in the future facilitates the visual reacquisition of the target object. Our method takes into account environmental cues in making predictions and it also indicates how long the prediction is valid, which varies depending on the context. We implemented this prediction technique in a virtual pilot that flies a helicopter in a synthetic environment.
The relationship between self-esteem and language disordered children:

This study examined the proposition that the high level of emotional and behavioural problems in language disordered children was due to their low self-esteem, this being due to the difficulties the children encountered because of their language disorder. The Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale, Coopersmith Inventory (school form) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Junior EPQ) were administered to 14 children. The results of the present study did not find significant differences between the mean scores of the language-disordered children and the mean of the standardization samples on either the Piers-Harris or the Coopersmith questionnaires.
Large-system analysis of blind and group-blind multiuser receivers

We characterize the asymptotic SINR and residual interference distribution of blind multiuser receivers. Our results indicate that the capacity of a wireless system with blind receivers is not only interference-limited, but also estimation-error limited.
Parental decisions to abort or continue a pregnancy with an abnormal finding after an invasive prenatal test.

Objective To determine the importance of various factors on the decisions whether to terminate or continue a pregnancy after an abnormal result. Methods The decisions of 1467 women who had an abnormal result after an invasive prenatal test were examined according to their religion, the time of diagnosis and the severity of the disorder. Results When the examinations were performed by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) among both Jews and non-Jews most of the women opted to terminate the affected pregnancy. After amniocentesis the rate of termination of pregnancy was still very high among cases in which Down syndrome or other significant chromosomal aberrations were diagnosed among Jews. For all the other diagnostic groups either among Jews or non-Jews there was a significant proportion of the cases in which the women decided to continue the pregnancy. A significant exception about the decisions of the couples was in the case of hemoglobinopathy-affected pregnancies among Arabs since both after CVS and amniocentesis many women often decided to continue the pregnancy. Conclusion The main factor in the decision to terminate or continue the pregnancy is the severity of the disorder diagnosed. However, among Arabs other factors are important, in particular the time at which the diagnosis is made. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Concordance of stroke symptom onset time. The Second Delay in Accessing Stroke Healthcare (DASH II) Study.

PURPOSE: This study examines the concordance between symptom onset obtained during an interview in the emergency department (ED) compared to that recorded in the medical record among patients with stroke-like symptoms and characterizes the frequency of missing symptom onset information in the medical record. METHODS: Interviews with patients presenting with signs and symptoms of acute stroke were completed in the ED of seven hospitals to determine symptom onset time. Symptom onset recorded in the medical record was abstracted after the patient was discharged. RESULTS: Among the patients who presented to the ED with stroke-like symptoms, 60.2% overall n = 583 and 61.9% among stroke patients n = 252 had a symptom onset date and time recorded in the medical record. The Pearson correlation of prehospital delay time, comparing symptom onset obtained by interview to that obtained by the medical record was 0.80 and among stroke patients was 0.91. Concordance of prehospital delay time for stroke within ± 1 h between the interview and the medical record was 60.1%. For stroke patients, concordance was more likely for those who had higher functional status prior to the acute episode. CONCLUSIONS: Symptom onset time was often missing from the medical record. Standardized and systematic recording of delay time in the medical record could increase its utility as a clinical measure and as a research tool for acute stroke.
The Graveyard Point Intrusion: an Example of Extreme Differentiation of Snake River Plain Basalt in a Shallow Crustal Pluton

The Graveyard Point intrusion is the only known example of a wellexposed differentiated mafic pluton associated with the late Miocene^Pleistocene magmatism of the western Snake River Plain (SRP). It is exposed in a 6 km by 4 km area adjacent to the Oregon^ Idaho border, and exposures range in thickness from 20 to 160 m.The thicker parts of the intrusion are strongly differentiated and contain a 25^60 m thick section of well-laminated cumulus-textured gabbros that grade upward into pegmatoidal ferrogabbro. Evolved liquids formed sheets of Fe-rich siliceous granophyre. At least two injections of magma are indicated by abrupt discontinuities in the rock and mineral compositions, and by the lack of mass balance between the bulk intrusion and its chilled borders. The laminated gabbros are interpreted to have formed from a tongue of augite and plagioclase crystals that were carried in with the second pulse of magma. Following the final emplacement of the intrusion, in situ differentiation proceeded through a two-stage process: the ferrogabbros are explained as interstitial liquids forced out of the crystal mush by compaction, and the siliceous granophyres are interpreted to be residual liquids that migrated out of the partly crystallized ferrogabbros in response to the exsolution of volatiles. Because the geochemical trend inferred for the mafic to intermediate composition liquids in the Graveyard Point intrusion is similar to the trend for many western Snake River Plain lavas, the pluton may be a good model for shallow sub-volcanic magma chambers elsewhere in the SRP. However, some western SRP lavas contain anomalously high concentrations of P2O5, which are best explained by mixing within the active crustal mush column or with partial melts of previously formed differentiated mafic intrusions.
Sexual Objectification and Substance Abuse in Young Adult Women

Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provides an important perspective for understanding the experiences of women living in a culture that sexualizes and objectifies the female body. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between interpersonal sexual objectification experiences and women’s substance abuse in a sample of 289 young adult women. Findings indicate that both everyday (e.g., body evaluation) and extreme (i.e., sexual victimization) forms of sexual objectification experiences were positively correlated with alcohol, nicotine, and other drug abuse. Furthermore, the findings provide support for a theorized mediated model in which sexual objectification is linked to women’s substance abuse both directly and indirectly via self-objectification, body shame, and depression.
English language education among young learners in East Asia: A review of current research (2004–2014)

The teaching of foreign languages to young learners is growing in popularity around the world. Research in this field, particularly of English as a second/foreign language education in East Asia, is a relatively new area of empirical inquiry, and it has the potential to make significant contributions to child second-language acquisition (Child-SLA) theory building, research methodologies, and policies in East Asia and beyond. This article reviews relevant peer-reviewed literature on English education among young learners in East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan). I begin by reviewing policy literature to illustrate the social and policy contexts of early English education, identifying major policy-related concerns. Next, I review empirical studies of English learning and teaching, organizing them by their relevance to the previously identified policy concerns. The article concludes with suggestions for future research.
Computed Tomography: Overview

The development of computed tomography (CT), resulting in widespread clinical use of CT scanning by the early 1980s, was a major breakthrough in clinical diagnosis across multiple fields. The primary advantage of CT was the ability to obtain thin cross-sectional axial images, with improved spatial resolution over ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and magnetic resonance imaging. This imaging avoided super-position of three-dimensional (3D) structures onto a planar 2D representation, as is the problem with conventional projection X-ray (fluoroscopy). CT images, which are inherently digital and thus quite robust, are amenable to 3D computer reconstruction, allowing for ultimately nearly an infinite number of projections. From a cardiac perspective, the increased spatial resolution is the reason for its increase in sensitivity for atherosclerosis, plaque detection, and coronary artery disease (CAD). With CT, smaller objects can be seen with better image quality. Localization of structures (in any plane) is more accurate and easier with tomography than with projection imaging like fluoroscopy. The exceptional contrast resolution of CT (ability to differentiate fat, air, tissue, and water), allows visualization of more than the lumen or stent, but rather the plaque, artery wall, and other cardiac and noncardiac structures simultaneously.
Intercondylar T fractures of the humerus in the adult. A comparison of operative and non-operative treatment in twenty-nine cases.

The treatment of intercondylar fractures in adults should be determined on the basis of the amount of rotatory deformity and comminution. Severely comminuted fractures do not lend themselves to open reduction and are best treated with skeletal traction and gentle closed manipulation when necessary. In the minimally displaced fractures, good results can be obtained by immobilization in a plaster cast. The findings in this small series suggest that fractures with significant rotatory deformity but without gross comminution are more likely to have a good result when skeletal traction is used rather than open reduction and internal fixation. Open reduction and adequate internal fixation are not easy and would seem to offer little chance of a good outcome. We feel that open reduction is very rarely indicated.
The New Racially Restrictive Covenant: Race, Welfare and the Policing of Black Women in Subsidized Housing

This Article explores the race, gender, and class dynamics that render poor Black women vulnerable to racial surveillance and harassment in predominately white communities. In particular, this Article interrogates the recent phenomenon of police officers and public officials enforcing private citizens’ discriminatory complaints, which ultimately excludes Black women and their children from publicly subsidized housing in traditionally white neighborhoods. The Article suggests that these particular mechanisms represent a confluence of the racially exclusionary workings of the social welfare state and the criminal justice system. I thus argue that the concerted effort of welfare and criminal policing institutions, together with private actors, to restrict the housing choices of poor Black women functions in ways that are analogous to the formally repudiated racially restrictive covenant.
Precautionary Practices of Respiratory Therapists and Other Health-Care Practitioners Who Administer Aerosolized Medications

BACKGROUND: Respiratory therapists (RTs) and other health-care workers are potentially exposed to a variety of aerosolized medications. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers describes current exposure control practices and barriers to using personal protective equipment during administration of selected aerosolized medications. METHODS: An anonymous, multi-module, web-based survey was conducted among members of health-care professional practice organizations representing RTs, nurses, and other health-care practitioners. A module on aerosolized medications included submodules for antibiotics (amikacin, colistin, and tobramycin), pentamidine, and ribavirin. RESULTS: The submodules on antibiotics, pentamidine, and ribavirin were completed by 321, 227, and 50 respondents, respectively, most of whom were RTs. The relatively low number of ribavirin respondents precluded meaningful interpretation of these data and may reflect the rare use of this drug. Consequently, analysis focused on pentamidine, classified by NIOSH as a hazardous drug, and the antibiotics amikacin, colistin, and tobramycin, which currently lack authoritative safe handling guidelines. Respondents who administered pentamidine were more likely to adhere to good work practices compared with those who administered the antibiotics. Examples included training received on safe handling procedures (75% vs 52%), availability of employer standard procedures (82% vs 55%), use of aerosol delivery devices equipped with an expiratory filter (96% vs 53%) or negative-pressure rooms (61% vs 20%), and always using respiratory protection (51% vs 13%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the availability of safe handling guidelines for pentamidine, implementation was not universal, placing workers, co-workers, and even family members at risk of exposure. Although the antibiotics included in this study lack authoritative safe handling guidelines, prudence dictates that appropriate exposure controls be used to minimize exposure to the antibiotics and other aerosolized medications. Employers and employees share responsibility for ensuring that precautionary measures are taken to keep exposures to all aerosolized medications as low as practicable.
Diagnosing chronic diastasis of the syndesmosis: a novel measurement using computed tomography.

Background:Chronic diastasis of the syndesmosis has been recognized as a cause of persistent pain and dysfunction after a rotational ankle injury. Recently, there has been an increased effort to de...
Double Trouble: Influenza and S aureus Co-infection

Nguyen T, Kyle UG, Jaimon N, et al. Co-infection with Staphylococcus aureus increases risk of severe coagulopathy in critically ill children with influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. Crit Care Med. 2012; 40 (12): 3246– 3250; doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e318260c7f8[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Investigators from Baylor College of Medicine conducted an observational study of pediatric patients admitted to the PICU from 2009 to 2010 with either confirmed or suspected influenza infection to assess the effect of bacterial co-infection on morbidity and mortality. Confirmed influenza infection was defined as any positive laboratory test for influenza A or B virus infection. Confirmed cases were further subtyped using PCR for H1N1, but this was incomplete since the study began prior to the introduction of PCR primers specific for H1N1. A clinically relevant bacterial co-infection was defined as: (1) empiric treatment of a clinical diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia, (2) bacterial super-infection within 72 hours of the initial PICU … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DCritical%2Bcare%2Bmedicine%26rft.stitle%253DCrit%2BCare%2BMed%26rft.aulast%253DNguyen%26rft.auinit1%253DT.%26rft.volume%253D40%26rft.issue%253D12%26rft.spage%253D3246%26rft.epage%253D3250%26rft.atitle%253DCoinfection%2Bwith%2BStaphylococcus%2Baureus%2Bincreases%2Brisk%2Bof%2Bsevere%2Bcoagulopathy%2Bin%2Bcritically%2Bill%2Bchildren%2Bwith%2Binfluenza%2BA%2B%2528H1N1%2529%2Bvirus%2Binfection.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1097%252FCCM.0b013e318260c7f8%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22971587%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1097/CCM.0b013e318260c7f8&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22971587&link_type=MED&atom=%2Faapgrand%2F29%2F4%2F43.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000311427100018&link_type=ISI
Influence of Thermoammoniation and Supplementation on Digestibility of Roughage1

Abstract Forty-eight H×A steers were used in nine separate digestion studies in a 2×4 factorial arrangement of treatments. Variables measured were DM digestibility (DMD), DE coefficient, and kcal DE/kg DM, percent nitrogen retained (%Nret), and percent N digested (%Ndig). Nine roughages evaluated were: bermudagrass hay (BG), endophyte-infected fescue hay (ElF), johnsongrass hay (JG), ryegrass hay (RG), cottonseed hulls (CSH), soybean stubble (SBS), wheat straw (WS), soybean stubble previously ammoniated under black plastic (SBSBP), and wheat straw previously ammoniated under black plastic (WSBP) ammoniated under black plastic. Roughages were either thermoammoniated (TA) or nonammoniated (NA) and were fed as roughage only (control), supplemented with corn, SBM, or both. TA increased DMD, DE coefficient, and kcal DE/kg DM of BG. TA increased %Nret of RG. TA increased %Nret and %Ndig of SBS. TA increased %Ndig of WS. TA decreased DMD, DE coefficient, kcal DE/kg DM, %Nret, and %Ndig of JG. TA decreased DE coefficient and kcal DE/kg DM of RG and SBS. TA decreased DMD, DE coefficient, and kcal DE/kg DM of WS. T A decreased %Ndig of WSBP. Supplementation of BG, ElF, JG, RG, and SBSBP with corn, SBM, or corn-SBM increased DMD, DE coefficient, and kcal DE/kg DM. Supplementation of SBS with SBM or cornSBM increased DE coefficient and kcal DE/kg DM. Supplementation of JG, CSH, and WS with corn, SBM, or corn-SBM increased %Nret. Supplementation of RG and WSBP with SBM or corn-SBM increased %Nret. Supplementation of all roughages w1th SBM or corn-SBM increased %Ndig. Supplementation of WS with corn decreased DE coefficient and kcal DE/kg DM. Supplementation of SBS with corn decreased %Ndig. TA was beneficial to BG digestibility. Addition of SRM increased %Ndig for all roughages. Supplemental energy appeared to increase %Nret.
Comparison of curative effect of Ibuprofen,Lysine acetylsalicylate and Paracetamol on infection fever of children

Objective: To compare the defervescence effect of Ibuprofen,Lysine acetylsalicylate and Paracetamol on acute respiratory tract infection with high fever of children.Methods: 170 children suffering acute respiratory tract infection with high fever were chosen and divided into three groups at random,and treated with Ibuprofen suspension,Lysine acetylsalicylate for injection and Paracetamol suppository respectively.Results: In the first hour,the defervescence of Lysine acetylsalicylate injection was significantly faster than that of Ibuprofen suspension or Paracetamol suppository,and Ibuprofen suspension was significantly faster than Paracetamol suppository(SS0.01).In the second hour,the defervescence of Ibuprofen suspension was significantly faster than that of Paracetamol suppository or Lysine acetylsalicylate injection,and Paracetamol suppository was significantly faster than Lysine acetylsalicylate injection(P0.01).In the third hour,there was no obvi ous difference between the defervescence speed of Ibuprofen suspension and Lysine acetylsalicylate injection(P0.05).They were significantly faster than Paracetamol suppository(P0.01).Body temperature rise occurred in the group treated with Paracetamol suppository.During 3～8 hours,Ibuprofen suspension still showed defervescence effect,it was significantly better than Paracetamol suppository and Lysine acetylsalicylate injection.Body temperature rise occurred in the groups treated with Paracetamol suppository and Lysine acetylsalicylate injection.The body temperature of the group treated with Ibuprofen suspension fell to the normal level at 2 hours,which maintained to 8 hours.The body temperature of the group treated with Lysine acetylsalicylate injection fell to the normal level at 2 hours,which maintained to 3 hours and began to rise at 3～6 hours.The body temperature of the group treated with Paracetamol suppository began to rise at 2 ～3 hours.The efficiency ratios of Ibuprofen suspension,Lysine acetylsalicylate injection and Paracetamol suppository were 100.0%,100.0% and 94.0%,respectively.Their obvious efficiencies were 90.0%,92.0% and 36.0%,respectively.There was no obvious difference between the defervescence effect of Ibuprofen suspension and Lysine acetylsalicylate injection(P0.05).They were significantly better than Paracetamol suppository(P0.01).Conclusion: Ibuprofen suspension shows a great and long function of defervescence.Lysine acetylsalicylate for injection shows a great function of defervescence,but the maintaining time of defervescence is medium.Paracetamol suppository shows a weak and short function of defervescence.
Research on the performance of new-type protective coating on water-wall tubes for thermal power plant

In order to solve the hot corrosion problem on the water-wall tubes in thermal power plants, HVFS technology was used to prepare the Fe-Al/SiC composite coating, and the bonding strength, micro hardness, thermal shock and hot corrosive resistance performance of the coating were studied. The results show that the matrix of Fe-Al/SiC composite coating is Fe-Al phase (Fe3Al、FeAl) and the SiC hard phase is distributed all over the coating and is well bonded to the matrix. The whole coating is of compact structure with typical layered structure characteristic, high bonding strength, micro hardness, low void ratio, good thermal shock and hot corrosion resistance performance. The weight gain of Fe-Al/SiC composite coating after 150 h corrosion test was about 30% that of steel 20 under the same test condition. The cost of this coating material is comparatively less and it is convenient to put into use on site with wide application prospect.
Abstract B097: Innate immune response to cell death in the post-partum mammary gland increases malignancy of parity-associated mammary tumors

Pregnancy-associated breast cancers (PABCs) are associated with decreased overall survival as compared to breast cancers not associated with pregnancy, due in large part to macrophage-dependent changes that occur in the mammary gland during post-lactational involution. We have used the MMTV-PyVmT spontaneous mouse mammary tumor model to demonstrate that, while tumor latency, growth rate and burden were similar in parous and nulliparous mice, metastasis of parity-associated mammary tumors was increased 17-fold over tumors from age-matched virgin nulliparous mice. Th2 cytokines produced in the tumor microenvironment (TME) correlate with increased tumor malignancy. We found profoundly upregulated expression of Th2 cytokines in parity-associated mammary tumors over tumors from nulliparous mice, including interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, and IL-10. Serum harvested from parous mice induced tumor cell invasion to a greater extent than serum from nulliparous mice. MerTK, a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) of the Tyro-3/Axl/MerTK family expressed in M2c tissue macrophages and TAMs, suppresses Th1 cytokine production and promotes Th2 cytokine expression. MerTK expression was profoundly upregulated in parous mammary tumors during post-lactational involution, similar to previous findings of MerTK upregulation in normal mammary glands during involution. Although loss of MerTK did not affect latency or growth of parity-associated mammary tumors, we observed decreased metastasis and Th2 cytokine production in MerTK-deficient tumors. Serum from MerTK-deficient parous mice induced tumor cell invasion to a lesser extent than serum from parous wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that MerTK enhances malignancy of parity-associated mammary tumors, and may represent a therapeutic target to improve the outcome in PABC. Citation Format: Jamie C. Stanford, Barbara FIngleton, Phil Owen, Rebecca S. Cook. Innate immune response to cell death in the post-partum mammary gland increases malignancy of parity-associated mammary tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Oct 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2013;11(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B097.
Walking compass with head-mounted IMU sensor

Emerging wearable technologies offer new sensor placement options on the human body. Particularly, head-mounted glass-wear opens up new data capturing possibilities directly from the human head. This allows exploring new cyber-robotics algorithms (robotics sensors and human motor plant). Glass-wear systems, however, require additional compensation for head motions that will affect the captured sensor data. Particularly, pedestrian dead-reckoning (PDR), activity recognition, and other applications are limited or restricted when head-mounted sensors are used, because of possible confusion between head and body movements. Thus, previous PDR approaches typically required to keep the head pointing direction aligned with the walking direction to avoid positional errors. This paper presents a head-mounted orientation system (HOS) that identifies and filters out interfering head motions in 3 steps. Step 1 transforms inertial sensor data into a stable normalized coordinate system (roll/pitch motion compensated). Step 2 compares walking patterns before and after a rotating motion. Step 3 eliminates interfering head motions from sensor data by dynamically adjusting the noise parameters of the extended Kalman filter. HOS has been implemented on a Google Glass platform and achieved high accuracy in tracking a person's path even in the presence of head movements (within 2.5% of traveled distance) when tested in multiple real-world scenarios. By eliminating head motions, HOS not only enables accurate PDR, but also facilitates the task for downstream activity recognition algorithms.
Emergency myocardial revascularization. Cleveland Clinic experience.

Approximately 500,000 to 600,000 people die annually from acute myocardial infarction. The authors have pursued an aggressive surgical approach in patients with impending myocardial infarction and early acute myocardial infarction. A brief summary of their experience and a discussion of surgical technique is provided.
Oligomeric procyanidins stimulate innate antiviral immunity (154.9)

Oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs) have been shown to have antiviral and immunostimulatory effects. OPCs isolated from non-ripe apple peel, found in the dietary supplement Applepoly®, were tested for capacity to reduce dengue virus (DENV) titers. Similar to published accounts, OPCs exhibited direct antiviral activity. OPCs also enhanced expression of critical innate antiviral products during DENV infection of human PBMCs. Specifically, expression of MXI and IFNB transcripts in DENV infected cells, and phosphorylation of STAT2 in response to recombinant type I IFN (IFN I), were increased by OPC treatment. During low MOI infection, addition of OPCs also increased expression of STAT1 transcripts, MHC I and TNFα protein production. Thus, OPCs exhibited innate immune stimulation of DENV-infected human cells, bystander cells in infected cultures, and uninfected cells treated with IFN I. To test the effects of OPC ingestion in vivo, mice were fed a rich source of OPCs and injected with polyIC to mimic innate responses to viral infection. Ingestion of OPCs resulted in enhanced innate antiviral responses in vivo. While OPCs from a number of sources are known to exhibit antiviral effects, their mechanisms are not precisely defined. The capacity of OPCs to enhance innate antiviral immunity could be broadly applicable to many viral infections and two separate antiviral mechanisms, direct and immunomodulatory, suggest that OPCs may represent a novel, robust antiviral therapy.
Convergence of Diffusion-Drift Many Particle Systems in Probability Under a Sobolev Norm

In this paper we develop a new martingale method to show the convergence of the regularized empirical measure of many particle systems in probability under a Sobolev norm to the corresponding mean field PDE. Our method works well for the simple case of Fokker Planck equation and we can estimate a lower bound of the rate of convergence. This method can be generalized to more complicated systems with interactions.
Out of the pan and into the fire: empires at war

On 28 June 1914, a young Bosnian Serb terrorist decided to ignore last-minute orders from the Serbian army's General Staff to scrub his mission and fired two shots, killing the Austro-Hungarian heir apparent Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo, the capital of the former Ottoman province of Bosnia. Austria-Hungary, backed by Germany, moved against Serbia on 28 July. The “Third Balkan War” had begun. Russia mobilized in response, spurring Germany to declare war on both Russia and its ally, France, lest it wait and find itself trapped between the Russian steamroller coming from the east and the French in the west. By 3 August war had engulfed the continent of Europe. The Eastern Question that had bedeviled the Ottomans had not disappeared with their retreat, but had remained to plunge Europe and much of the world into the greatest cataclysm humankind had yet witnessed. The outbreak of war presented a dilemma to the Ottomans. On the one hand, this time the war did not directly involve them, and they were not ready for another. As Enver had advised his fellow cabinet members in the spring, the Ottoman army needed at least five years of peace before it would be ready for a major war. On the other hand, it was not clear that they could have the luxury of sitting it out. General expectations in Europe and elsewhere were that the war would revise the balance of power in Europe and beyond.
Efficient Bargaining Through a Broker

This paper studies how trading with a partially informed broker could improve efficiency by alleviating bargaining frictions due to asymmetric information. We first give a general necessary condition for the existence of an ex post efficient and non-subsidized mechanism. This contrasts to the result in Myerson and Satterthwaite (1983), where an uninformed broker would need to provide a subsidy to achieve the efficiency. Our result shows that the partially informed broker can reduce information rents left to the buyer and the seller. Our model can shed light on the prevalence of brokers in many real world settings.
SIGCSE technical symposium 2016 review

The 2016 SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education took place in Memphis, Tennessee March 2-5. The conference program offered presentations in parallel tracks consisting of papers, panels, special sessions, workshops, birds-of-a-feather (BOFs), posters, lightning talks and demos. In addition, pre-symposium and affiliated events, the student research competition, and keynote talks rounded out the program. The exhibit hall was filled with booths from both long-time and brand new SIGCSE supporters - we cannot thank them all enough for helping make SIGCSE 2016 a resounding success.
Sampling for Scalable Visual Analytics

Sampling is becoming an essential tool for scalable interactive visual analysis. After outlining prior work by the database community on sampling for visualization of aggregation queries, this article considers how these results might be improved and extended to a broader setting. The goal is to better understand how users interact with sampling to enable wider adoption of sampling for scalable visual analytics.
A novel hybrid approach for severity assessment of Diabetic Retinopathy in colour fundus images

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Detecting DR and grading its severity is essential for disease treatment. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have achieved state-of-the-art performance in many different visual classification tasks. In this paper, we propose to combine CNNs with dictionary based approaches, which incorporates pathology specific image representation into the learning framework, for improved DR severity classification. Specifically, we construct discriminative and generative pathology histograms and combine them with feature representations extracted from fully connected CNN layers. Our experimental results indicate that the proposed method shows improvement in quadratic kappa score (κ2 = 0.86) compared to the state-of-the-art CNN based method (κ2 = 0.81).
Apical Membrane Alterations in Non-intestinal Organs in Microvillus Inclusion Disease.

Microvillus inclusion disease (MVID) is a severe form of neonatal diarrhea, caused mainly by mutations in MYO5B. Inactivating mutations in MYO5B causes depolarization of enterocytes in the small intestine, which gives rise to chronic, unremitting secretory diarrhea. While the pathology of the small intestine in MVID patients is well described, little is known about extraintestinal effects of MYO5B mutation. We examined stomach, liver, pancreas, colon, and kidney in Navajo MVID patients, who share a single homozygous MYO5B-P660L (1979C>T p.Pro660Leu, exon 16). Sections were stained for markers of the apical membrane to assess polarized trafficking. Navajo MVID patients showed notable changes in H/K-ATPase-containing tubulovesicle structure in the stomach parietal cells. Colonic mucosa was morphologically normal, but did show losses in apical ezrin and Syntaxin 3. Hepatocytes in the MVID patients displayed aberrant canalicular expression of the essential transporters MRP2 and BSEP. The pancreas showed small fragmented islets and a decrease in apical ezrin in pancreatic ducts. Kidney showed normal primary cilia. These findings indicate that the effects of the P660L mutation in MYO5B in Navajo MVID patients are not limited to the small intestine, but that certain tissues may be able to compensate functionally for alterations in apical trafficking.
Just a Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Messages Go Down: Using Stories and Vicarious Self-Affirmation to Reduce e-Cigarette Use.

While prior research has demonstrated the benefits of self-affirming individuals prior to exposing them to potentially threatening health messages, the current study assesses the feasibility of ind...
Mitral annuloplasty ring flexibility preferentially reduces posterior suture forces.

Abstract Annuloplasty ring repair is a common procedure for the correction of mitral valve regurgitation. Commercially available rings vary in dimensions and material properties. Annuloplasty ring suture dehiscence from the native annulus is a catastrophic yet poorly understood phenomenon that has been reported across ring types. Recognizing that sutures typically dehisce from the structurally weaker posterior annulus, our group is conducting a multi-part study in search of ring design parameters that influence forces acting on posterior annular sutures in the beating heart. Herein, we report the effect of ring rigidity on suture forces. Measurements utilized custom force sensors, attached to annuloplasty rings and implanted in normal ovine subjects via standard surgical procedure. Tested rings included the semi-rigid Physio (Edwards Lifesciences) and rigid and flexible prototypes of matching geometry. While no significant differences due to ring stiffness existed for sutures in the anterior region, posterior forces were significantly reduced with use of the flexible ring (rigid: 1.95 ± 0.96 N, semi-rigid: 1.76 ± 1.19 N, flexible: 1.04 ± 0.63 N; p
Development, assessment, and evaluation of laboratory experimentation for a mechanical vibrations and controls course:

A vibrations and controls course in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Mississippi State University was reorganized by implementing substantial laboratory experimentation. Team projects we...
Archaeology and Philosophy of Science

Archaeologists have long been concerned with questions that are central to philosophy of science: questions about the scientific status of archaeology, and about its epistemic goals and standards. With the advent of the New Archaeology, these internal debates turned explicitly philosophical; the pivotal issue in the 1970s and 1980s was whether positivist theories of science are appropriate models for archaeological practice. Philosophers and archaeologists were drawn into sustained interaction as a consequence of this debate but have increasingly shifted the focus of their attention from questions about whether archaeology fits external models of science to the development of models of research practice that are specific to archaeology. These include, for example, analyses of archaeological explanation, archaeological uses of evidence, and interpretive inference. Together these lines of inquiry constitute a growing field of inquiry at the interface between philosophy and archaeology that some refer to as ‘metaarchaeology.’
Respiratory Effects of Short Term Peak Exposures to Sulfur Dioxide

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a common air pollutant emitted from both anthropogenic and natural sources, and has long been known to cause adverse respiratory health effects. SO2 has been established as the chemical indicator for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for gaseous sulfur oxides under the US Clean Air Act. Current SO2 standards have been promulgated for 24-h and annual average concentrations; however, there is a strong body of evidence demonstrating adverse respiratory effects at much shorter exposure durations. Studies of controlled human exposures have consistently observed increases in respiratory symptoms and decreases in lung function among exercising asthmatics following 5- to 10-min exposures to SO2. These findings are supported by epidemiologic studies that have demonstrated associations between ambient SO2 levels and both respiratory symptoms and emergency department visits and hospitalizations for respiratory causes.
Current Status of in vitro Production of Porcine Embryos

Approximately 210,000 primordial follicles exist in a porcine ovary.1 The establishment of an efficient system to produce porcine embryos in vitro from follicular oocytes of slaughterhouse ovaries would reduce the cost for procurement of embryos for various research purposes. Further, it would accelerate the use of embryos in the study of embryo micromanipulation directed toward production of transgenic pigs, embryological development and cryopreservation of gametes. As reviewed by the authors2,3 and others,4–7 research on in vitro maturation (IVM) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) has been conducted recently in an effort to resolve serious problems that prevented the in vitro production of porcine embryos, such as a high incidence of polyspermy8–10 and a reduced incidence of male pronuclear formation.8,10 In turn, in vitro techniques for production of embryos have been developed that result in acceptable rates of blastocyst development11–14 and have produced live piglets.11,15,16 Here we review these technological advancements.
Biological Clocks in the Retina: Cellular Mechanisms of Biological Timekeeping

Publisher Summary This chapter describes and evaluates the progress that has been made in understanding the cellular basis of circadian rhythms. It focuses on experimental results from Aplysia and Bulla retina. The chapter also discusses strategies for studying low-frequency biological rhythms, an elaborate qualitative approach to pacemaker study, and the adequacy of the conceptual framework that guides the cellular circadian research. The eyes of a number of opisthobranchs express circadian rhythms. The circadian pacemaker systems of Bulla and Aplysia are imbedded within gastropod retinas. The Bulla retina consists of a large spheroidal lens surrounded by a layer of photoreceptors and pigmented support cells. In Bulla , each basal retinal neuron (BRN) is a competent circadian pacemaker. Intracellular recording from the large photoreceptors and from BRNs indicate that only they exhibit circadian rhythms in membrane potential, whereas the resting potential of the large photoreceptors remains stable over a 24-hour period. Surgical removal of the photoreceptor layer surrounding the lens does not prevent expression of the circadian rhythm or block the ability of the pacemaker to be phase shifted by light signals.
Irish Theatre: An Actor’s Theatre

Irish theatre is renowned for its playwrights, its politics and, to a lesser extent perhaps, its performers. It is widely considered a tradition of great literary wealth, of postcolonial significance, but what of the people who actually perform it? Who, night after night, take to our stages to sometimes almost empty houses in frustrating roles or substandard working conditions—what of the actors?
Nöldeke, Theodor (1836–1930)

Theodor Noldeke (1836–1930), preeminent German philologist and historiographer of Islam, offered seminal scholarship on the ancient Semitic languages and original documents from pre-Islamic and Islamic civilization. Noldeke remains beloved by those Semitists and scholars of Islam who recognize the genius of his original work and its enduring importance for generations of researchers to come.
Mutual interplay of Ca2+ and ROS signaling in plant immune response

Second messengers are cellular chemicals that act as "language codes", allowing cells to pass outside information to the cell interior. The cells then respond through triggering downstream reactions, including transcriptional reprograming to affect appropriate adaptive responses. The spatiotemporal patterning of these stimuli-induced signal changes has been referred to as a "signature", which is detected, decoded, and transmitted to elicit these downstream cellular responses. Recent studies have suggested that dynamic changes in second messengers, such as calcium (Ca2+), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and nitric oxide (NO), serve as signatures for both intracellular signaling and cell-to-cell communications. These second messenger signatures work in concert with physical signal signatures (such as electrical and hydraulic waves) to create a "lock and key" mechanism that triggers appropriate response to highly varied stresses. In plants, detailed information of how these signatures deploy their downstream signaling networks remains to be elucidated. Recent evidence suggests a mutual interplay between Ca2+ and ROS signaling has important implications for fine-tuning cellular signaling networks in plant immunity. These two signaling mechanisms amplify each other and this interaction may be a critical element of their roles in information processing for plant defense responses.
Conclusion: Strengthening Climate Actions Through Emancipatory and Transformative Mobilizations

The contemporary climate action movement can be strengthened by reorienting its campaigns toward becoming hegemony-changing exercises. To achieve this grand vision, histories of past social mobilizations suggest key mechanisms that the Movement can add in its campaign repertoires and initiate new cultures of progressive climate activism. These mechanisms are: visioning and identity-building; culturing and framing; peer pressure; diversity; publicity; and networks. Using these mechanisms, the Movement can mobilize its constituency through stronger forms of traditional protests while expanding new opportunities for prefiguring desirable futures across multiple and heterogeneous spaces and places. All climate actions, nonetheless, need to be accomplished with an end-view of achieving the grand vision of replacing neoliberal capitalism with a new hegemony based on principles of just emancipation and sustainable transformations.
ASSESSMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS USING THE 21ST CENTURY BLOOM’S TAXONOMY MODEL

Studies on critical thinking skills development with specific curriculum materials and instructional methods in economics are few and have been highly theoretical. This paper outlines the framework for developing the 21st Century Bloom’s Taxonomy model across a four-year undergraduate curriculum, enabling students to master critical thinking skills through a clearly defined six-stage process. An example Country Report project from an undergraduate Principles of Macroeconomics course is presented to demonstrate a specific strategy for advancing and assessing critical thinking skills. A critical thinking assessment instrument is also presented to compare student and instructor evaluations from the Country Report assignment. Article visualizations:
“Perpetual power” from the tides in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 1813–1858

From 1822 to 1858, a “perpetual power” system supplied continuous, uniform tidal power to Boston industries. A 2.4 km dam in the Charles River estuary and a shorter cross dam formed two basins. Industries drew water from a “full” basin that was replenished at high tide, passed it through breast wheels, and discharged it to a “receiving” basin that emptied at low tide. Unlike owners of conventional, intermittent tide mills, who sold services or products, the managers of this system sold energy to industrial customers, as modern utilities do. They created new opportunities for Boston’s inventors and artisans, and the roads built on their dams became important transportation links for the city. Yet the project also degraded the estuarine environment and generated complaints about pollution. When population growth and falling costs for steam power made the extensive basins and mill sites more valuable for urban development than for generating renewable energy, a novel earth-moving process filled the basins to form Boston’s prestigious Back Bay district. This little-known, unique tidal-power development overcame daunting technological challenges in a period when American civil engineering was in its infancy.
Hermit Points on a Box.

(2008). Hermit Points on a Box. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 12-23.
On conformally Kähler, Einstein manifolds

We prove that any compact complex surface with c1 > 0 admits an Einstein metric which is conformally related to a Kahler metric. The key new ingredient is the existence of such a metric on the blow-up CP2#2CP2 of the complex projective plane at two distinct points.