cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cone-penetrometer-deployed Samplers and Chemical Sensors

The development of rapid, cost-effective, accurate methods for environmental site characterization and monitoring has been a very active area of research during the past two decades. One approach that has recently received widespread attention involves the use of cone penetrometer technologies for in situ detection and mapping of environmental contaminants in subsurface soils and groundwater. The most recent technological developments include the incorporation of on-line analytical and in situ chemical detection techniques into the cone penetrometer. This article describes a variety of sampling and chemical sensing technologies that have been or are currently being adapted to cone penetrometer systems for the detection of subsurface contaminants, including petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POLs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), toxic metals, explosives/energetics, and radioactive wastes. For example, cone penetrometer devices that incorporate in situ isolation techniques to purge VOCs from groundwater eliminate the analysis of the sample media in the laboratory. A high level of agreement was found between an in situ purging technique and the conventional method of bailing a sample from a groundwater sampler, transferring the sample to a container, and analyzing the sample in the laboratory. Completion of a site characterization with this probe was estimated to require approximately 15% of the time needed for conventional methods, significantly reducing costs. The laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) sensor, which measures POLs, represents the first and most mature cone penetrometer chemical detection technology. Technology evaluations estimated that costs of site characterizations using the LIF probe are approximately 50% lower than costs of site characterizations using conventional methods for collecting soil cores, subsampling the cores, and analyzing the subsamples in the laboratory.
Extensive hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) Hurly stage III disease treated with intravenous (IV) linezolid and meropenem with rapid remission

A 57-year-old woman with Hurley Stage 3 hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and multiple co-morbidities is presented. She had failed multiple antibiotic therapies and etanercept. She had end stage renal disease and was on dialysis. Her HS was put into remission with one month of daily IV treatment with 1.2 grams linezolid and 1 gram of meropenem, administered daily through her dialysis shunt. Unfortunately, her disease flared again two weeks after the cessation of the IV treatment. Nevertheless, more conventional therapy was then able to maintain her disease at a level that was significantly improved over baseline prior to the IV treatment. This case highlights above all a primary etiology of HS is stimulus of immune system's over-reaction in HS to the bacterial microbiome. If antibiotics are administered to a patient with stage 3 HS powerful enough to wipe out the bacterial biome, the immune system having no target retreats, permanent scarring in its wake and retreats to a certain but hardly permanent normalcy.
Entrepreneurship and rural development: role of street-level bureaucracy in India

In this study, we apply the concept of street-level bureaucracy from public management to analyse the issues relating to the implementation of a mini Hydel project in India, and draw important lessons for entrepreneurs as well as policy planners for the promotion of rural development through entrepreneurship in emerging markets in general. India’s energy policy promotes ‘green energy’ as a renewable and eco-friendly alternative to the fast depleting conventional energy sources with a variety of fiscal and other incentives to encourage private investment in mini Hydel projects (India’s 11th five-year plan, 2002–2007: energy sector). In this paper, based on first-hand observation of one such power sector start-up in India over a three-year period, we carefully analyse the issues confronting entrepreneurs in dealing with street-level bureaucracy, and draw important lessons for entrepreneurs as well as policy planners for the promotion of entrepreneurship and rural development.
Second Thoughts On 'second Thoughts': Reconsidering The Lakatosian Progress Of 'the General Theory.'

In my paper ‘Second thoughts on Lakatos’ (Hands, 1985) I argued that Keynes's The general theory would not be considered progressive on a strict application of Lakatosian standards of progress. I viewed this (along with other arguments in the paper) to be an indictment of Lakatos's philosophy of science since Lakatos explicitly requires a successful methodology to reconstruct the ‘best gambits’ of the science as rational. At least two authors, Guy Ahonen and Mark Blaug, have written detailed criticisms of my evaluation of the Lakatosian progressivity of The general theory. This paper is my reply to these criticisms.
Nonequilibrium particle morphology development in seeded emulsion polymerization. III. Effect of initiator end groups

In previous work (L. Karlsson et al., Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2002, 2003, Vol. 90, pp. 905–915; J. M. Stubbs et al., Colloids and Surfaces A: Physiochemical and Engineering Aspects, 1999, Vol. 153, pp. 255–270) we have explained the development of composite particle morphologies produced by seeded emulsion polymerization in terms of the ability of second stage polymer radicals to diffuse into, or “penetrate,” the seed particles. This has been quantified (Stubbs et al., ibid) by calculating so-called “fractional penetration” values for the second-stage radicals. In this article the effect of the second-stage initiator type, specifically nonionic vs ionic initiators, on particle morphology is investigated. The question to be answered is whether charged (ionic) end groups (from the initiator) on second stage polymer chains “anchor” to the particle surface, making it more likely to form core–shell morphologies. This is investigated by using a poly(methyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) [P(MA-co-MMA)] seed latex and polymerizing styrene in the second stage in a semibatch manner using various feed rates of styrene. At each feed rate one reaction was conducted using potassium persulfate as the initiator, which produces charged end groups, and another using VA-086 initiator, which produces uncharged end groups. The morphologies of the resulting particles were then observed by transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that under some conditions ionic initiators do make it more likely to obtain core-shell morphologies, but that this effect is not dominant under most conditions. The resulting morphologies agree quite well with the predictions of the fractional penetration calculations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1538–1551, 2004
A large scale clustering scheme for kernel K-Means

Kernel functions can be viewed as a non-linear transformation that increases the separability of the input data by mapping them to a new high dimensional space. The incorporation of kernel functions enables the K-Means algorithm to explore the inherent data pattern in the new space. However, the previous applications of the kernel K-Means algorithm are confined to small corpora due to its expensive computation and storage cost. To overcome these obstacles, we propose a new clustering scheme which changes the clustering order from the sequence of samples to the sequence of kernels, and employs a disk-based strategy to control data. The new clustering scheme has been demonstrated to be very efficient for a large corpus by our experiments on handwritten digits recognition, in which more than 90% of the running time was saved.
Characteristic Analysis and Optimization of CNC Machine Tool Spindle Based on Finite Element Method

Relying on HTC3250µn and HTC2550hs high-speed precision CNC turning center, this paper analyzes the static and dynamic characteristics of CNC machine tool spindle with finite element analysis software. Based on the results and using ANSYS software, this paper considers the volume and amplitude of vibration model as the objective function to optimize the size of the spindle. According to the optimized size of spindle, this paper analyzes the static and dynamic characteristics of the CNC machine tool spindle again and concludes the optimization results.
Fungal pretreatment of aspen chips improves strength of refiner mechanical pulp

Pretreatment of wood chips with lignin-degrading fungi can improve the strength properties of unbleached refiner mechanical pulps. We studied the effect of two white-rot fungi (Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Dichomitus squalens) prior to refiner mechanical pulping. Strength and optical properties were compared in handsheets prepared from mechanical pulp of treated and untreated wood chips. Both fungal pretreatments resulted in handsheet strength properties better than the control when compared at an equivalent freeness. Fungal pretreatments decreased brightness and light-scattering coefficients but did not adversely affect opacity. Brightness of fungus pretreated pulps was restored to that of the control by use of hydrogen peroxide bleaching. Lignin content of the chips was reduced by the fungal pretreatments.
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Variants Selectively Infect and Kill Human Melanomas but Not Normal Melanocytes

Metastatic malignant melanoma remains one of the most therapeutically challenging forms of cancer. Here we test replication-competent vesicular stomatitis viruses (VSV) on 19 primary human melanoma samples and compare these infections with those of normal human melanocyte control cells. Even at a low viral concentration, we found a strong susceptibility to viral oncolysis in over 70% of melanomas. In contrast, melanocytes displayed strong resistance to virus infection and showed complete protection by interferon. Several recombinant VSVs were compared, and all infected and killed most melanomas with differences in the time course with increasing rates of melanoma infection, as follows: VSV-CT9-M51 < VSV-M51 < VSV-G/GFP < VSV-rp30. VSV-rp30 sequencing revealed 2 nonsynonymous mutations at codon positions P126 and L223, both of which appear to be required for the enhanced phenotype. VSV-rp30 showed effective targeting and infection of multiple subcutaneous and intracranial melanoma xenografts in SCID mice after tail vein virus application. Sequence analysis of mutations in the melanomas used revealed that BRAF but not NRAS gene mutation status was predictive for enhanced susceptibility to infection. In mouse melanoma models with specific induced gene mutations including mutations of the Braf, Pten, and Cdkn2a genes, viral infection correlated with the extent of malignant transformation. Similar to human melanocytes, mouse melanocytes resisted VSV-rp30 infection. This study confirms the general susceptibility of the majority of human melanoma types for VSV-mediated oncolysis.
Is Student Pathology Really Increasing? Seven Measures of the Acuity of Counseling Center Clients, 1992-2007.

Since 1992, an overwhelming consensus among counseling center directors has asserted that, year after year, the severity or psychopathology of counseling center clients has been increasing. In contrast to this perceptual consensus, the search for confirming evidence using client self-report measures has been frustrating. These studies have generally failed to confirm changes in client severity or qualitative psychopathology. The present study analyzed Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) data from 4,755 clients spanning a 15-year period from 1992–2007. Results indicated a stable proportion of clients warranting any Axis-I diagnosis (72%), no change in overall acuity, a significant decline in suicidality, and stable levels of severity within each of four groups of clients: those warranting a PAI-assigned diagnosis for (a) a mood disorder, (b) anxiety or phobic disorder, (c) dysthymic disorder, or (d) adjustment disorder. A number of processes are identified as likely contributors to the persisting but pe...
Neural responses to threat and reward interact to predict stress-related problem drinking: A novel protective role of the amygdala

Research into neural mechanisms of drug abuse risk has focused on the role of dysfunction in neural circuits for reward. In contrast, few studies have examined the role of dysfunction in neural circuits of threat in mediating drug abuse risk. Although typically regarded as a risk factor for mood and anxiety disorders, threat-related amygdala reactivity may serve as a protective factor against substance use disorders, particularly in individuals with exaggerated responsiveness to reward. We used well-established neuroimaging paradigms to probe threat-related amygdala and reward-related ventral striatum reactivity in a sample of 200 young adult students from the ongoing Duke Neurogenetics Study. Recent life stress and problem drinking were assessed using self-report. We found a significant three-way interaction between threat-related amygdala reactivity, reward-related ventral striatum reactivity, and recent stress, wherein individuals with higher reward-related ventral striatum reactivity exhibit higher levels of problem drinking in the context of stress, but only if they also have lower threat-related amygdala reactivity. This three-way interaction predicted both contemporaneous problem drinking and problem drinking reported three-months later in a subset of participants. These findings suggest complex interactions between stress and neural responsiveness to both threat and reward mediate problem drinking. Furthermore, they highlight a novel protective role for threat-related amygdala reactivity against drug use in individuals with high neural reactivity to reward.
Testing Probability Matching and Episodic Retrieval Accounts of Response Repetition Effects in Task Switching

This study takes inventory of available evidence on response repetition (RR) effects in task switching, in particular the evidence for RR cost when the task switches. The review reveals that relatively few task-switching studies in which RR effects were addressed have shown statistical support for RR cost, and that almost all are affected by 1 of 2 potential artifacts, either a response bias caused by disallowing stimulus repetitions or the effect of including stimulus repetitions in data analysis. New results with these factors controlled support an episodic retrieval model in which features of the retrieved trace, including the stimulus but also the task, task cue, and response, facilitate or interfere with performance depending on whether they match or mismatch the current processing context.
HOME-RANGE SIZE AND USE OF SPACE BY ADULT MOHAVE GROUND SQUIRRELS, SPERMOPHILUS MOHAVENSIS

Abstract Using radiotelemetry, we studied home range and movements of 32 adult female and 16 adult male Mohave ground squirrels (Spermophilus mohavensis) in the western Mojave Desert of California during 1990 and from 1994 to 1997. In 3 of the 5 years of study (1990, 1994, and 1996), early winter precipitation (October–January) was <30 mm, and no reproduction occurred at the study site. Postmating home ranges of females varied considerably among years, with annual medians for minimum convex polygons ranging from 0.29 to 1.90 ha. Females used the largest home ranges both during years of ample rainfall and reproduction (1995 and 1997) and during the year of most extreme drought and no reproduction (1990). We hypothesize that variation in home-range size among drought years may result from varying levels of food availability. In 1997, we also studied movements of adults during the mating season, from mid-February to mid-March. During this period, adult males made extensive movements, resulting in median mini...
Effects of body mass index on gastric slow wave: a magnetogastrographic study

We measured gastric slow wave activity simultaneously with magnetogastrogram (MGG), mucosal electromyogram (EMG) and electrogastrogram (EGG) in human subjects with varying body mass index (BMI) before and after a meal. In order to investigate the effect of BMI on gastric slow wave parameters, each subject's BMI was calculated and divided into two groups: subjects with BMI ≤ 27 and BMI > 27. Signals were processed with Fourier spectral analysis and second-order blind identification (SOBI) techniques. Our results showed that increased BMI does not affect signal characteristics such as frequency and amplitude of EMG and MGG. Comparison of the postprandial EGG power, on the other hand, showed a statistically significant reduction in subjects with BMI > 27 compared with BMI ≤ 27. In addition to the frequency and amplitude, the use of SOBI-computed propagation maps from MGG data allowed us to visualize the propagating slow wave and compute the propagation velocity in both BMI groups. No significant change in velocity with increasing BMI or meal was observed in our study. In conclusion, multichannel MGG provides an assessment of frequency, amplitude and propagation velocity of the slow wave in subjects with differing BMI categories and was observed to be independent of BMI.
NOVEL METHODS FOR DEPOSITION OF BORON CARBIDE FILMS

By combining pentaborane (B 5 H 9 ) and decarborane (B 10 H 14 ) with methanein a plasma reactor, a variety of boron-carbides can be made over a wide range of compositions. The resulting thin films have uniform composition and appear to be polycrystalline.
An Investigation Into the Determinants of Flight Cancellations

This paper uses Bureau of Transportation data on 35 million US domestic flights between 1995 and 2001 to investigate the determinants of flight cancellations. The paper is novel in two regards, it focuses exclusively on flight cancellations, and it explores the service quality-flight revenue relationship. We find that carriers have some control over the occurrence of flight cancellations given that cancellations are significantly less likely on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and for the last flight of the day. There is some evidence linking cancellations with revenue.
Reducing Brownian motion in an electrostatically tunable MEMS laser

Brownian motion of a tunable vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) movable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) mirror is shown to broaden the spectral width of the laser emission line. A low-noise wavelength feedback system is presented and evaluated. This feedback system is employed to reduce measured linewidth from 1050 to 400 MHz fullwidth at half-maximum (FWHM), an improvement of 62%. The effects of device design parameters on closed-loop Brownian motion levels are analyzed. The potential increases in performance resulting from vacuum packaging and advanced controller design are discussed.
Ideas into Practice: How Well Does US Patent Law Implement Modern Innovation Theory?

The US Supreme Court’s decision in Graham v. John Deere (1966) placed neoclassical economic insights at the heart of modern patent law. But economic theory has moved on. Since the 1990s, legal scholars have repeatedly mined the discipline to propose ad hoc rules for individual industries like biotech and software. So far, however, they have almost always ignored the literature’s broader lessons for doctrine. This article asks how well today’s patent doctrine follows and occasionally departs from modern economic principles. The article starts by reviewing what innovation economists have learned since the 1970s. While it is conventional for legal scholars to divide the neoclassical literature into multiple competing “theories,” shared mathematical methods and modeling assumptions (e.g. profit-maximization) guarantee that the neoclassical literature’s various strands cannot disagree in any fundamental way. For this reason, whatever differences exist in the neoclassical literature are more accurately seen as special cases of a single underlying theory. We argue that this underlying theory must include at least three principles. The first limits reward to non-obvious inventions and explicitly entered the law through Graham’s PHOSITA standard. The second principle holds that patent breadth should be chosen to balance the benefits of innovation against the costs of monopoly. Though widely recognized by judges and scholars, the principle’s influence on doctrine remains remarkably incoherent. The final principle prescribes rules for allocating patent rewards where multiple inventors contribute to a shared technology. Unlike the first two principles, this insight was unknown in the 1960s and has yet to enter the law. Remarkably, patent doctrine uses a single concept – Graham’s “Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art” or “PHOSITA” – to address all three principles. This means that doctrinal solutions for one principle can have unintended impacts on the others. In some cases, this link is optional. For example, the article shows how the PHOSITA concept could be generalized to provide separate and distinct tests for, say, non-obviousness and patent breadth. However, other links are mandatory. In particular, the article shows that any doctrinal architecture built on Graham’s PHOSITA test automatically allocates reward among successive inventors. Though reasonable, these default outcomes fall short of the economic ideal. The article analyzes how changes in the Utility, Blocking Patents, Reverse Doctrine of Equivalents, and the Written Description doctrines can mitigate this problem. However, other gaps are inherent and cannot be eliminated without abandoning Graham itself. This radically revised architecture would probably cause more problems than it solves.
PION-PION INTERACTION IN THE REACTION /anti p/ + p $Yields$ 2$pi$$sup +$ + 2$pi$$sup -$ + n$pi$$sup 0$

Deviations from the expected two-pion effective-mass distributions have been found in the reaction $\overline{p}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}+2{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}+n{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$. These occur in two regions, 300 Mev and 750 Mev, and could be explained by the $T=0$, pion-pion interaction reported by Abashian, Booth, and Crowe and the widely observed $\ensuremath{\rho}$ meson ($T=1$, $J={1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ pion-pion resonance). The data in the 750-Mev region for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ combinations ($Q=0$) show an apparent double-peak structure---one at 720 Mev ($\ensuremath{\Gamma}=20$ Mev), the other at 780 Mev ($\ensuremath{\Gamma}=60$ Mev). However, the $|Q|=1$ data (${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ combinations) are consistent with the previously observed single $T=1$, $J={1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ resonance. Our data give ${M}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}=767$ Mev ($\ensuremath{\Gamma}=110$ Mev). As these parameters also fit the $Q=0$ data, a detailed discussion of the statistical significance of the one-peak and two-peak hypotheses is given. A search has been made for possible neutral modes of decay of the heavy mesons, and no evidence has been found.
Automated, high throughput exploration of process–structure–property relationships using the MapReduce paradigm

Abstract The microstructure of a material intimately affects the performance of a device made from this material. The microstructure, in turn, is affected by the processing pathway used to fabricate the device. This forms the process–structure–property triangle that is central to material science. There has been increasing interest to comprehensively understand and subsequently exploit process–structure–property (PSP) relationships to design processing pathways that result in tailored microstructures exhibiting optimal properties. However, unraveling process–structure–property relationships usually requires systematic and tedious combinatorial search of process and system variables to identify the microstructures that are produced. This is further complicated by the necessity to interrogate the properties of the huge set of corresponding microstructures. Motivated by this challenge, we focus on developing a generic methodology to establish and explore PSP pathways. We leverage recent advances in high performance computing (HPC) and high throughput computing (HTC) with the premise that a domain expert should be able to focus on domain specific PSP problems while the highly specialized HPC/HTC knowledge needed to approach such problems should be hidden from the domain expert. Our hypothesis is that PSP exploration can be naturally formulated in terms of a standard paradigm in cloud computing, namely the MapReduce programming model. We show how reformulating PSP exploration into a MapReduce workflow enables us to take advantage of advances in cloud computing while requiring minimal specialized knowledge of HPC. We illustrate this generic approach by exploring PSP relationships relevant to organic photovoltaics. We focus on identifying microstructural traits that correlate with specific properties of the photovoltaic process: exciton generation, exciton dissociation and charge generation. We integrate a graph-based microstructure characterization tool, and a microstructure-aware device simulator into the MapReduce workflow to automatically generate, explore and identify highly correlated microstructural traits. Identification of these microstructural traits has significant implications for designing the next generation of organic photovoltaics.
The Investigation of Suitability of Aeronautical Decision-making Mnemonics in Tactical Environments

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the suitability of ADM mnemonics for training decision making in cadet pilots. Sixty instructor pilots and forty-seven cadet pilots in the Republic of China Air Force Academy participated. They assessed the suitability of five different ADM mnemonics (SHOR -Wohl, 1981; PASS -Maher, 1989; FOR-DEC -Hormann, 1995; SOAR -Oldaker, 1995; and DESIDE - Murray, 1997) in the 6 different basic types of decision-making situation described by Orasanu (1993). These included go/no go decisions; recognition-primed decisions; response selection decisions; resource management decisions; non-diagnostic procedural decisions, and problem-solving. The findings indicated that SHOR was regarded as the most suitable mnemonic for application in time-limited and critical, urgent situations and DESIDE was thought to be superior for knowledge-based decisions which needed more comprehensive consideration but were less time limited.
A High Performance Liquid Chromatographic System for the Analysis of Tetracycline Drug Standards, Analogs, Degradation Products and Other Impurities

This paper describes the high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of eight parent tetracycline standards: tetracycline, chlortetracycline, rolitetracycline, oxitetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline, democlocycline, methacycline; and three tetracycline epimers: epitetracycline, epianhydrotetracycline, and anhydrotetracycline. The HPLC system employs an octadecylsilane reverse phase column and an isopropanol-diethanolamine-phosphate-ammonium EDTA-water mobile phase. This system produced at least partial resolution of all eight parent compounds and many of their degradation products.
Experimental study on treatment of wastewater containing high concentration aliphatic amine

In order to realize the resource utilization of aliphatic amine-containing wastewater,catalytic oxidation stripping coupling with A/O process was used for its treatment.The influences of pH value,temperature,time,and catalyst dosage on the stripping effect were investigated.The results of the test showed that,under the condition that the mass concentration of CODCr was 2 000- 3 000,the pH value was 11,the temperature was 50 ℃,the stripping time was 2 h,the catalyst dosage was 5% of the wastewater quantity,the removal rate of TKN was above 80%.The wastewater from the catalytic oxidation stripping unit was treated by A/O shortcut nitrification and denitrification process,the various indexes of the effluent water all met the specification of grade 1 in GB 8978—1996 Integrated wastewater discharge standard,which indicated that,using catalytic oxidation stripping coupling with A/O process to treat aliphatic amine-containing wastewater was feasible.
ANTIFUNGAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING: Current State of Technology, Limitations, and Standardization

In parallel with the escalating incidence of serious, invasive fungal infections in the immune-compromised host has been the development and use of new, potentially efficacious antifungal agents as well as recognition of both primary and secondary resistance to such drugs by the etiologic mycotic agents. These findings have generated considerable enthusiasm for a reproducible and standardized means for the laboratory evaluation of antifungal drugs. For over a decade, global investigations have ensued in the hope of generating laboratory methods analogous to those used for antibacterial drugs that may predict the optimal therapeutic choice for clinicians treating mycoses. This article reviews the background, history, and development of in vitro antifungal susceptibility efforts, details the problems inherent in this area of laboratory medicine/infectious diseases, and assesses the contemporary aspects of standardization.
Experience with testosterone replacement in the elderly.

To date, most of the studies of androgen replacement have been done with healthy older men (age ≥55 years), and almost no data are available for frail elderly individuals. Treatment effects that make a relatively small difference in younger, more robust individuals may have a greater effect on the elderly, whose improvement in functioning and level of activity may be more dramatic. However, the frail elderly individual is also more vulnerable to adverse effects from treatment, and these potential risks and benefits must be weighed.
Enhancing Mathematical Problem Solving for Secondary Students with or at Risk of Learning Disabilities: A Literature Review.

Requirements for reasoning, explaining, and generalizing mathematical concepts increase as students advance through the educational system; hence, improving overall mathematical proficiency is critical. Mathematical proficiency requires students to interpret quantities and their corresponding relationships during problem-solving tasks as well as generalizing to different contexts; both requirements are particularly challenging for many students with learning disabilities. An in-depth review of research was completed to (1) demonstrate how interventions targeting mathematical problem solving are categorized into heuristic, semantic, or authentic approaches; (2) explore the degree to which generalization is presented in each approach; and (3) determine the efficacy of each intervention approach. Experimental studies (n = 17) demonstrating the effects of interventions designed to enhance mathematical problem solving for secondary students with or at risk of learning disabilities were analyzed. Findings indicate that the efficacy of the three intervention approaches varies, and that the real-world connections differ. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Treating refractory mental illness with closed-loop brain stimulation: Progress towards a patient-specific transdiagnostic approach

Mental disorders are a leading cause of disability, morbidity, and mortality among civilian and military populations. Most available treatments have limited efficacy, particularly in disorders where symptoms vary over relatively short time scales. Targeted modulation of neural circuits, particularly through open-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS), showed initial promise but has failed in blinded clinical trials. We propose a new approach, based on targeting neural circuits linked to functional domains that cut across diagnoses. Through that framework, which includes measurement of patients using six psychophysical tasks, we seek to develop a closed-loop DBS system that corrects dysfunctional activity in brain circuits underlying those domains. We present convergent preliminary evidence from functional neuroimaging, invasive human electrophysiology, and human brain stimulation experiments suggesting that this approach is feasible. Using the Emotional Conflict Resolution (ECR) task as an example, we show that emotion-related networks can be identified and modulated in individual patients. Invasive and non-invasive methodologies both identify a network between prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, insula, and amygdala. Further, stimulation in cingulate and amygdala changes patients' performance in ways that are linked to the task's emotional content. We present preliminary statistical models that predict this change and allow us to track it at a single-trial level. As these diagnostic and modeling strategies are refined and embodied in an implantable device, they offer the prospect of a new approach to psychiatric treatment and its accompanying neuroscience.
Modeling Mouse Anxiety and Sensorimotor Integration: Neurobehavioral Phenotypes in the Suok Test

Animal behavioral tests are useful tools for modeling complex human brain disorders. The Suok test (ST) is a relatively new behavioral paradigm that simultaneously examines anxiety and neurological/vestibular phenotypes in rodents. The novelty and instability of the ST apparatus induces anxiety-related behavior in mice, whereas the elevation of the horizontal rod allows for the assessment of motor and neurological phenotypes. This chapter discusses the utility of the ST in detecting mouse anxiety, habituation, exploration, motorisensory deficits, and the interplay between these domains. With a growing number of laboratories using this model, a detailed protocol for the ST behavioral analysis (with a focus on video-tracking tools and novel applications) is also provided.
A long noncoding RNA signature for ulcerative colitis identifies IFNG-AS1 as an enhancer of inflammation

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) biology represents an exciting new field with implications in gene regulation. This field has only recently been investigated in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. ...
A role for miR-34 in colon cancer stem cell homeostasis

In recent years, cancer stem cells have taken center stage in studies involving cancer origins and metastasis ( 1 ). Unlike somatic cells, which often follow symmetric cell division yielding two identical daughter cells, stem cells often undergo asymmetric division leading to non-identical cell types such as progenitor cells of various tissue origins during embryogenesis ( 2 ). This unique asymmetric division feature helps stem cells maintain homeostasis, with a constant number of daughter stem cells and differentiated cells. Even though stem cells undergo asymmetric division in most cases, they do undergo symmetric division in some tissue contexts such as Lgr5 + crypt base columnar cells in intestine to stabilize the number of cells ( 3 ). Cancer stem cells, which are also known as tumor initiating cells, behave in a similar manner to stem cells and undergo asymmetric division in response to loss of tumor suppressors. Now a recent paper reveals an intriguing connection between colon cancer stem cells and a non-coding RNA called miR-34 (4).
Dividends and Accounting Earnings

This study analyzes the relation between dividends and earnings with respect to underlying permanent and transitory earnings conditions. The analysis expands upon Lintner's (1956) partial adjustment theory and the related work of Fama-Babiak (1968). Empirical findings indicate that permanent and temporary earnings conditions have differential affects upon the dividend decision. Management appears to use permanent earnings (as opposed to transitory earnings) to target dividend changes. These results also hold after controlling for affects of industry membership and firm distress. In addition, evidence indicates that firms anchor their dividend decision on their prior period's earnings information.
A study on the broadband transitions between microstrip line and post-wall waveguide in E-band

This paper proposes design considerations for broadband input and output (I/O) transition between microstrip line (MSL) and post-wall waveguide (PWW) for E-band applications. To truly realize broadband operation, design of an anti-pad has to be taken into consideration together with the length and position of a blind-via (feeding-pin). The anti-pad is a ring-shaped space formed into the top broad wall of the waveguide at around the blind-via. We show the effect of the anti-pad on the impedance bandwidth of the I/O transition through simulation and experiment. As a result, we realized the transition with 32.4% impedance bandwidth centered at 77.5 GHz in a silica-based PWW.
Structure of Methylobacterium extorquens malyl-CoA lyase: CoA-substrate binding correlates with domain shift.

Malyl-CoA lyase (MCL) is an Mg2+-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the reversible cleavage of (2S)-4-malyl-CoA to yield acetyl-CoA and glyoxylate. MCL enzymes, which are found in a variety of bacteria, are members of the citrate lyase-like family and are involved in the assimilation of one- and two-carbon compounds. Here, the 1.56 A resolution X-ray crystal structure of MCL from Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 with bound Mg2+ is presented. Structural alignment with the closely related Rhodobacter sphaeroides malyl-CoA lyase complexed with Mg2+, oxalate and CoA allows a detailed analysis of the domain motion of the enzyme caused by substrate binding. Alignment of the structures shows that a simple hinge motion centered on the conserved residues Phe268 and Thr269 moves the C-terminal domain by about 30° relative to the rest of the molecule. This domain motion positions a conserved aspartate residue located in the C-terminal domain in the active site of the adjacent monomer, which may serve as a general acid/base in the catalytic mechanism.
"I feel trapped": the tension between personal and structural factors of social isolation and the desire for social integration among older residents of a high-crime neighborhood

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the factors contributing to the social isolation of older residents of a high-crime neighborhood through the in-depth examination of their lived experiences. A deeper understanding of factors contributing to social isolation can allow policymakers and health care providers to create policies and programs to alleviate the social isolation of these vulnerable and understudied individuals. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were recruited through the support of the Housing Authority and Police and Fire Departments of Richmond, California, a town with a high-crime rate. Fifty-nine ethnographic interviews were conducted with 20 individuals of 58-95 years of age. Transcripts and fieldnotes were analyzed with a focus on the specific factors contributing the social isolation of participants. RESULTS: An overarching theme of tension between personal and structural factors of social isolation and desire for social integration emerged from qualitative content analysis. A tension emerged between a longing to participate in society and the immersion in a reality so dense with obstacles that made participation in society difficult to attain. Four specific themes also emerged. Three themes demonstrated underlying factors of social isolation stemming from the personal sphere and the physical and social environment. The fourth theme illustrated participants' desire for social integration. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Findings demonstrate the salience of interventions and programs to make neighborhoods safe and accessible to older residents. FINDINGS also suggest a need to reframe the conceptual framework for social isolation to better measure and alleviate this public health problem. Language: en
One Step Forward, One Step Back: White Male Top Manager Organizational Identification and Helping Behavior Toward Other Executives Following the Appointment of a Female or Racial Minority CEO

In this paper, we examine white male managers’ intrapsychic and behavioral responses to the appointment of a female or a racial minority CEO at their firm. Drawing from intergroup relations literatures, we theorize how and why the appointment of a minority-status CEO is likely to impact the amount of help that white male top managers provide to their fellow executives. We first explain how white male managers’ negatively biased perceptions of racial minority and female CEOs lead them to experience a diminished sense of organizational identification following the appointment of a minority-status CEO. We then examine how this diminished sense of organizational identification is likely to reduce white male managers’ general propensities to provide help to other executives at the firm. We finally consider how reduced identification might have especially strong negative implications for the amount of help that white male managers provide to colleagues who are racial minorities or women. Our results consistentl...
Vascular complications associated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is now an accepted pathway for aortic valve replacement for patients who are at prohibitive, severe and intermediate risk for traditional aortic valve surgery. However, with this rising uptrend and adaptation of this new technology, vascular complications and their management remain an Achilles heel for percutaneous aortic valve replacement. The vascular complications are an independent predictor of mortality for patients undergoing TAVR. Early recognition of these complications and appropriate management is paramount. In this article, we review the most commonly encountered vascular complications associated with currently approved TAVR devices and their optimal percutaneous management techniques.
Blind Digital Signature schemes with four particle entanglement states

Quantum Digital Signature (QDS) schemes provides authenticity of information that is guaranteed by quantum mechanics. This paper compares the blind signature schemes with two and three-bit quantum state bits and provides a implementation for the four quantum states. We proposed a technique where four partial entangled states are used to implement the blind signature scheme. The proposed technique improves the reliability factor of the scheme in terms of its encryption and decryption using quantum cryptosystem for interchanging the data in a protected mode. In the communication system, the encryption of messages was done with the help of the sender's private key. The third party verifies its authenticity along with blindness of the signature. Furthermore, future research trends were presented with a security analysis.
Phase Transitions in Tetramethylammonium Hexachlorometalate Compounds (TMA)2MCl6 (M = U, Np, Pt, Sn, Hf, Zr)

A study of the phase transitions occurring in tetramethylammonium hexachlorometalate compounds with M = UIV, NpIV, ZrIV, SnIV, HfIV and PtIV were performed using single-crystal X-ray diffraction across the temperature range 120 - 400K. When the crystals were cooled, movement of the octahedral [MCl6]2- anions induces a phase transition from Fm¯3 m to Fd¯3 c with a doubling of the unit cell. For the actinide compounds, no correlation between the f-electron configuration and the transition temperature was observed, instead, a correlation between the transition temperatures and both the [MCl6]2- anion and the TMA cation size is highlighted. Two phase transitions were observed and characterized. The first phase transition occurs with the ordering of the TMA cation and the second from a rotation of the [MCl6]2- octahedra. A third phase transition was observed at lower temperatures and was ascribed to a tetragonal distortion of the [MCl6]2- anions. Synthesis and study of their deuterated compounds did not show a significant isotope effect. Raman spectra performed on the protonated and deuterated compounds indicate only weak hydrogen bonding interactions between the TMA cations and the [MCl6]2- octahedra.
Comparative Human Toxicity Impact of Electricity Produced from Shale Gas and Coal.

The human toxicity impact (HTI) of electricity produced from shale gas is lower than the HTI of electricity produced from coal, with 90% confidence using a Monte Carlo Analysis. Two different impact assessment methods estimate the HTI of shale gas electricity to be 1–2 orders of magnitude less than the HTI of coal electricity (0.016–0.024 DALY/GWh versus 0.69–1.7 DALY/GWh). Further, an implausible shale gas scenario where all fracturing fluid and untreated produced water is discharged directly to surface water throughout the lifetime of a well also has a lower HTI than coal electricity. Particulate matter dominates the HTI for both systems, representing a much larger contribution to the overall toxicity burden than VOCs or any aquatic emission. Aquatic emissions can become larger contributors to the HTI when waste products are inadequately disposed or there are significant infrastructure or equipment failures. Large uncertainty and lack of exposure data prevent a full risk assessment; however, the results...
Nested Newmark model to calculate the post-earthquake profile of slopes

Abstract The Newmark sliding block approach is a common means of evaluating permanent displacements of slopes undergoing seismic loading. However, the conventional Newmark approach omits the presence of multiple shear zones or regions of dispersed shear movement. The occurrence of these shear movements within slopes can often materialize with added vertical and lateral movements above the basal failure surface typically considered in the conventional Newmark approach. This study modifies the conventional Newmark sliding block approach by discretizing a given slope into a series of nested, critical failure wedges, each with an associated yield acceleration, termed a Nested Newmark Model (NNM). Use of the NNM enables assessment of a post-earthquake slope profile within a limit equilibrium framework based on the integration of relative displacements from the toe to the crest. The results demonstrate a different response than conventional Newmark approaches. The model outputs can account for the restriction of toe movements as well as heaving and slumping behavior of the slope face and crest, respectively. Larger seismic excitation resulted in further destabilization of nested wedges near the crest. The presented approach establishes a framework that can be extended to any type of failure geometry or series of failures, including rotational geometry. These results are compared to a numerical model, which exhibit similar behavior. This framework is conceptual, but builds upon the well-accepted Newmark sliding block approach to provide an alternative means of assessing post-earthquake slope movements.
Incisional and Parastomal Hernia Prevention

Incisional hernias occur commonly following abdominal operations with an incidence of approximately 10–20% and are the most common complication of laparotomy. Those developing incisional hernia frequently require further operations, either elective or emergent with significant costs to the healthcare system. Those requiring fecal diversion with either colostomy or ileostomy are at risk for development of not only incisional hernia but also parastomal hernia at a rate approaching 50%. Strategies to identify patients at risk for these hernias are required in order to develop preventative treatments. The use of prophylactic mesh has been studied in patients deemed at increased risk for the development of incisional hernia including those undergoing bariatric surgery, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, and gastrointestinal surgery with significant reductions in incisional hernia rates and rare mesh complications. Similarly, the placement of mesh at the site of a newly created stoma has proven efficacy in the reduction in the incidence of parastomal herniation. Although the ideal technique for placement of prophylactic mesh has not been clearly elucidated, the concept of hernia prevention has the potential to dramatically improve surgical outcomes and enhance quality of life for thousands of patients each year.
The Status of Pediatric Pain Control, 1997

The growth of new information in the area of pain in children is critically reviewed as is the influence of this information on pediatric practice. The efficacy of interventions to change practice patterns, such as education, regulation, and consumer pressure, is also examined.