cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supercritical CO2 as a Heat Transfer and Power Cycle Fluid for CSP Systems

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) utilizes solar thermal energy to drive a thermal power cycle for the generation of electricity. CSP technologies include parabolic trough, linear Fresnel, central receiver or “power tower,” and dish/engine systems. The parabolic trough is the most common system with nine Solar Electric Generating Stations (SEGS) operating in southern California for over two decades and new plants online in Nevada and Spain. The resurgent interest in CSP has been driven by renewable portfolio standards in southwestern states and renewable energy feed-in tariffs in Spain. CSP has cost advantages versus solar photovoltaic systems for large, centralized power plants. Certain CSP systems, in particular parabolic troughs and power towers, are also amenable to the incorporation of thermal energy storage. Thermal energy storage is much less expensive than electric storage and allows CSP plants to increase capacity factor and dispatch power as needed — for example, to cover an evening demand peak.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Quantum-electrodynamic model of isolated macroscopic systems with a recordable connection to surroundings.

Intermediate-range ``high-frequency'' electromagnetic interaction between varying-sized mesoscopic chunks of semicondensed electrically neutral matter favors spatial clustering of larger chunks into ``isolated'' macroscopic systems. A complementary aspect of QED provides, via lower-frequency coherent states (with a classical-radiation interpretation) and the Raman effect, quantum-mechanical meaning for ``awareness of surroundings'' by isolated macroscopic systems.
Detours and frolics on the Internet: Employer liability and management control of cybertorts

Abstract Most employers are aware of their legal right to monitor employees' computer activities, and they are increasingly doing so. Yet, few of those who do monitor are aware that exercising this right may impose a legal duty to monitor prudently in order to protect third parties and to report criminal activity to the appropriate authorities. This paper briefly examines employers' legal right to monitor their employees' computer activities. Our subsequent analysis of the ruling in Doe v. XYC Corp. [Doe v XYC Corp., 382 N.J. Super. 122, 887 A.2d 1156 (2005)]. illustrates that those businesses that do assert their rights to monitor may assume a duty to report child pornography to the authorities, as well as a duty of reasonable care when reacting to their employees engaging in so-called cybertorts. We discuss how this ruling may extend the doctrines of ‘detours’ and ‘frolics’ into cyberspace. We also discuss the potential for employers' liability for other cybercrimes and cybertorts committed by their employees. We conclude by examining the contours of computer monitoring policies that effectively serve employers' risk management objectives without unduly invading employees' privacy, and the likely consequences of failing to achieve such a balance.
Judgements about disease: A case study involving Ladinos of chiapas☆

Abstract This paper reports on a social medical study conducted among peasants residing in Tenejapa, a small town in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Social relations and their determinants and consequences, such as personality types and emotional states, play a critical role in the theory of disease as do other ideas involving physical factors and supernatural agencies. We chose to concentrate on selected themes in this theory and measure how they are used by different subgroupings. Residents of the town were asked to perform four rankings separately and these involved the relative importance of 12 emotions and 12 personality types on two independent dimensions of disease, namely disease susceptibility and disease severity. The ranks produced by this technique showed that a substantial degree of agreement exists, particularly in terms of factors which are considered most and least medically harmful. Although individual differences concerning the relative contributions of the emotions and personalities were observed, considerable consensus seems to exist about the contributions of certain emotions and personalities. Separate analyses of sex and age groupings supported this generalization. The association between the personalities and emotions and 24 specific types of (folk) diseases was also analyzed quantitatively. The pattern of responses showed high agreement regarding antecedents of a subset of illness conditions, though substantial differences across individuals were also noted. The results are discussed in terms of the general way in which lay theories of disease may function and also how residents of the region construe the roles of personality and emotion in disease. Also discussed were the limitations inherent in the approach, and the possibility that the results were affected by a “narrowness” of focus, or method, or by other variables implicit in the theory but not tested in this study.
Outcomes Research and the Challenge of Evidence-Based Surgery

Outcomes research is focused on measuring the results or end products of health care interventions, processes, and practices. Data derived from outcomes research informs clinical practice, quality assurance, and patient safety activities, and can be the nidus for hypothesis-driven, patient-oriented research. This article introduces a definition of outcomes research, reviews how outcomes research may guide evidence-based surgical practice and health care processes, and reviews a model for outcomes research.
The Incidence of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1980–2002

Purpose To determine the incidence of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) in Olmsted County, Minnesota from 1980 to 2002, determine the associated risk factors for CSC based on previously reported risk factors, investigate for any new risk factors not previously reported, and determine a population-based recurrence rate. Design Population-based retrospective cohort and case–control study. Participants Cases were all patients with newly diagnosed CSC in Olmsted County Minnesota, from January 1, 1980 through December 31, 2002. Controls were selected from the same general population. Control group 1 patients were matched for age, gender, length of medical follow-up, and index date (corresponding with date of diagnosis for cases). Control group 2 patients were matched for all the same criteria as control group 1, and they had documented normal eye examination results. Methods Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records linkage system, which captures virtually all medical care provided to residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, we identified all cases of CSC in county residents between 1980 and 2002. We reviewed the entire medical record of cases and applied standardized criteria for CSC. The medical records of cases and controls were reviewed for the presence of risk factors as well. Main Outcome Measure Incidence of CSC. Secondary outcomes were also evaluated. Results There were 74 cases (63 men, 11 women) of CSC. Mean annual age-adjusted incidences per 100 000 were 9.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.4–12.4) for men and 1.7 (95% CI, 0.7–2.7) for women. The incidence of CSC was approximately 6 times higher in men than in women ( P Conclusion The incidence of CSC has not previously been reported in a population-based study. In accordance with previous studies, we found that CSC occurs more frequently in men than in women.
On asymptotic summations of almost diagonal difference systems and their applications

In this paper, we derive some new results of asymptotic summations of left and right almost diagonal difference systems. In particular, we study a special case where the diagonal elements are constants with magnitude 1. Conditions on the perturbation matrices are given under which the system is left and right almost diagonal. An application of this result in a discrete adiabatic oscillator equation is discussed. We also introduce a result for the case when the diagonal matrix is approaching the identity matrix I. An example is given to illustrate that the new result can be applied to some cases that do not satisfy the ''Growth Condition''.
Cardiac nucleotide levels and mitochondrial respiration in copper-deficient rats

Abstract 1. 1. Male weanling Long-Evans rats were randomly assigned to either copper-adequate (6.0 mgCu/kg feed) or copper-deficient ( 2. 2. Cardiac ATP levels and energy charges did not differ between the two groups. Levels of NAD and phosphocreatine as well as the sum of pyridine nucleotides were greater in copper-deficient rats compared with copper-adequate rats using HPLC analysis. 3. 3. Mitochondrial respiratory control ratios and oxygen consumption rates from copper-deficient rat hearts were depressed, although ADP:O ratios were similar to copper-adequate rat hearts.
The effect of 19-electron formation constants on the electrochemistry and electron transfer induced substitution reactions of cyclopentadienylmetal halide complexes

Abstract The reduction of cyclopentadienylmetal halide complexes is generally considered to involve addition of an electron to an orbital that is antibonding with respect to the metal–halide bond. Subsequent metal–halide bond cleavage yields the halide and an organometallic radical. At inert electrodes, this radical is reduced further to an 18-electron anion. This series of reactions constitutes a prototypical ECE mechanism. Chemical reduction can be used to divert the radical into other pathways such as electron transfer chain catalyzed substitution. Attempts to initiate such reductively induced substitution reactions of CpFe(CO)2I and Cp′Mo(CO)3I give very different results, suggesting that these very similar complexes are reduced via substantially different mechanisms. Very likely, the molybdenum complex reacts via a DISP mechanism instead of ECE. The difference in electrochemical reduction mechanism as well as the different reactivity toward reductively induced substitution are explained in terms of a difference in the formation constants of 19-electron intermediates.
The thermal degradation of nanocomposites that contain an oligomeric ammonium cation on the clay

The thermal degradation of polystyrene, high-impact polystyrene, ABS terpolymer, poly(methyl methacrylate), polypropylene and polyethylene nanocomposites has been studied using thermogravimetric analysis coupled to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, TGA/FT-IR. The nanocomposites that have been studied include immiscible, intercalated and exfoliated systems and the evolved gases do not depend upon the type of nanocomposite and are qualitatively similar to those of the virgin polymer. In the case of the styrenics, the presence of clay promotes the production of oligomer, rather than monomer. It is suggested that this change in evolved products may offer an explanation for why some polymers give large reduction in peak heat release rates while others give much smaller reductions. According to this notion, any polymer that undergoes degradation to produce both oligomer and monomer should give a large reduction in peak heat release rate.
Beta-adrenergic blocker mortality trials in congestive heart failure

Abstract Many of the current discussions of β-adrenergic blocker therapy in patients with congestive heart failure have used fairy tales to describe the evolution of this treatment from contraindication to standard of care. This article reviews the early studies that initiated this revolution in heart failure therapy and discusses the major mortality trials that have demonstrated that these agents improve survival and limit the progression of congestive heart failure. These major trials have used 1 of 4 β blockers (metoprolol, bisoprolol, carvedilol, or bucindolol) in varying study designs with different patient populations. Each trial had different objectives and limitations, and these are described in the context of their impact on proving a survival benefit. In addition, the specific effect of β-blocker therapy on sudden death in patients with heart failure is briefly discussed. The weight of these trials suggests that β-adrenergic blocker therapy can save 1 life of every 35 patients treated in patients with mild-to-moderate heart failure. The data are compelling and the techniques for “starting low and going slow” with titrations have been well documented.
Automatic extraction of mosaic patterns in uterine cervix images

Mosaic vasculature is one crucial visual sign often indicating the existence of abnormality in the underlying cervix tissues. Automatic detection of this vascular pattern in uterine cervix images is a challenging task, especially in a large dataset, due to the factors such as fuzzy boundary, small vessel caliber, and appearance variation. In this paper, we present a supervised-learning based approach to segment the regions encompassing mosaic vasculatures, hoping to overcome these challenges. It is part of an automatic segmentation scheme that is aimed at assisting gynecologists in the study of cervical cancer. The affectivity of the method was tested and evaluated on a set of clinical uterine cervix images that were manually marked and categorized by medical experts.
IN PRAISE OF ANTHROPOMORPHISM

Who could imagine, replied Demea, that Cleanthes, the calm, philosophical Cleanthes, would attempt to refute his antagonists by affixing a nickname to them, and, like the common bigots and inquisitors of the age, have recourse to invective and declamation instead of reasoning? Or does he not perceive that these topics are easily retorted, and that anthropomorphite is an appellation as invidious, and implies as dangerous consequences, as the epiphet of mystic with which he has honoured us?
Flare Irradiance Spectral Model (FISM): Flare component algorithms and results

[1] The Flare Irradiance Spectral Model (FISM) is an empirical model developed for space weather applications that estimates the solar irradiance at wavelengths from 0.1 to 190 nm at 1 nm resolution with a time cadence of 60 s. This is a high enough temporal resolution to model variations due to solar flares, where few accurate measurements at these wavelengths exist, as well as the solar cycle and solar rotation variations. The FISM modeling of the daily component variations, including variations from the solar cycle and solar rotation, was the topic of the first FISM paper (Chamberlin et al., 2007). The modeling of the FISM flare component that includes the solar irradiance variations from both the impulsive and gradual phases of solar flares is the topic of this paper. The flare component algorithms and results are discussed, and comparisons show that FISM estimates agree within the stated uncertainties with measurements of the solar vacuum ultraviolet (VUV; 0.1--200 nm) irradiance. Results from FISM show that the relative change of the solar irradiance during flares for some wavelengths can exceed those of the solar cycle relative changes, ranging from factors of 60 times the quiet Sun irradiance during the gradual phase for emissions originating in the solar corona to factors of 10 in the transition region emissions during the flare’s impulsive phase. FISM fully quantifies, on all timescales, the changes in the solar VUV irradiance directly affecting satellite drag, radio communications, as well as the accuracy in the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Differential innate immune response programs in neuronal subtypes determine susceptibility to infection in the brain by positive-stranded RNA viruses

Although susceptibility of neurons in the brain to microbial infection is a major determinant of clinical outcome, little is known about the molecular factors governing this vulnerability. Here we show that two types of neurons from distinct brain regions showed differential permissivity to replication of several positive-stranded RNA viruses. Granule cell neurons of the cerebellum and cortical neurons from the cerebral cortex have unique innate immune programs that confer differential susceptibility to viral infection ex vivo and in vivo. By transducing cortical neurons with genes that were expressed more highly in granule cell neurons, we identified three interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs; Ifi27, Irg1 and Rsad2 (also known as Viperin)) that mediated the antiviral effects against different neurotropic viruses. Moreover, we found that the epigenetic state and microRNA (miRNA)-mediated regulation of ISGs correlates with enhanced antiviral response in granule cell neurons. Thus, neurons from evolutionarily distinct brain regions have unique innate immune signatures, which probably contribute to their relative permissiveness to infection.
Drug-induced QT interval prolongation: mechanisms and clinical management

The prolonged QT interval is both widely seen and associated with the potentially deadly rhythm, Torsades de Pointes (TdP). While it can occur spontaneously in the congenital form, there is a wide array of drugs that have been implicated in the prolongation of the QT interval. Some of these drugs have either been restricted or withdrawn from the market due to the increased incidence of fatal polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. The list of drugs that cause QT prolongation continues to grow, and an updated list of specific drugs that prolong the QT interval can be found at www.qtdrugs.org. This review focuses on the mechanism of drug-induced QT prolongation, risk factors for TdP, culprit drugs, prevention and monitoring of prolonged drug-induced QT prolongation and treatment strategies.
Potentiation of platelet responses in vitro by feline infectious peritonitis virus.

The effect of feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) on platelet aggregation and I4C-serotonin release induced by threshold levels of four agonists (adenosine diphosphate (ADP), collagen, arachidonic acid, and epinephrine) was examined in vitro in ten specific-pathogen-free cats. Purified suspensions of FIPV added to stirred platelet suspensions (virus to platelet ratio equal to 1 : 320) 1 minute prior to the addition of agonist potentiated the ADP-induced aggregation response by greater than 100% in seven cats. Platelet 14C-serotonin release was increased by greater than 100% in four cats. Collagen-induced platelet aggregation was enhanced in ten cats while collagen-induced 14C-~er~tonin release was enhanced in eight cats. Potentiation of arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation was observed in three cats, two of which demonstrated enhanced platelet I4C- serotonin release. Although epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation was enhanced in five cats, the samples displayed only fine microaggregates. Enhanced 14C-~er~tonin release from platelets in response to epinephrine was not demonstrated. Interaction with the outer platelet membrane and internalization of viral particles within the surface-connected open canalicular system were demonstrated by electron microscopy within 5 minutes of the addition of virus to platelet suspensions with or without added agonists. Decreasing the virus concentration by ten- or one hundred-fold abolished the potentiating effect observed previously, while increasing the concen- tration tenfold resulted in direct platelet activation in the absence of agonist. Although the specific mechanism of FIPV-induced platelet responses in vitro was not established, the ability of virus to directly activate platelets and the rapid potentiation of responses observed at lower virus concentrations suggested that virus-mediated ion fluxes across platelet membranes were involved.
Spectral methods for modeling chemically reacting flow fields

A research effort is underway at the NASA Langley Research Center to achieve a detailed understanding of important physical phenomena present in supersonic chemically reacting flow fields. Important phenomena include fuel-air mixing and ignition, flameholding and stability, fluld-chemistry coupling, and the physical structure of the resulting flame. Such flows are governed by the Navier-Stokes equations coupled to an additional set of continuity equations describing each species present due to chemical reaction. Chemical reaction in a supersonic flow is control]ed by both kinetics effects and the turbulent mixing of the fuel and air making up the flow field. The purpose of this paper will be to describe current work to develop an improved technique for solving the equations governing a chemically reacting flow field; this approach should offer both a high degree of accuracy as well as an acceptable level of computational efficiency. 1,2
Calcium and Vascular Smooth Muscle Contraction

Radioactive calcium flux in rabbit aorta was studied to evaluate factors regulating the movement of calcium into and out of the cell. Calcium content was estimated both from (1) the amount of 45Ca ...
The pupil as a measure of emotional arousal and autonomic activation

Pupil diameter was monitored during picture viewing to assess effects of hedonic valence and emotional arousal on pupillary responses. Autonomic activity (heart rate and skin conductance) was concurrently measured to determine whether pupillary changes are mediated by parasympathetic or sympathetic activation. Following an initial light reflex, pupillary changes were larger when viewing emotionally arousing pictures, regardless of whether these were pleasant or unpleasant. Pupillary changes during picture viewing covaried with skin conductance change, supporting the interpretation that sympathetic nervous system activity modulates these changes in the context of affective picture viewing. Taken together, the data provide strong support for the hypothesis that the pupil's response during affective picture viewing reflects emotional arousal associated with increased sympathetic activity.
Inductive reasoning about chimeric creatures

Given one feature of a novel animal, humans readily make inferences about other features of the animal. For example, winged creatures often fly, and creatures that eat fish often live in the water. We explore the knowledge that supports these inferences and compare two approaches. The first approach proposes that humans rely on abstract representations of dependency relationships between features, and is formalized here as a graphical model. The second approach proposes that humans rely on specific knowledge of previously encountered animals, and is formalized here as a family of exemplar models. We evaluate these models using a task where participants reason about chimeras, or animals with pairs of features that have not previously been observed to co-occur. The results support the hypothesis that humans rely on explicit representations of relationships between features.
The success and use of economic sanctions

This paper explains the use and the success of economic sanctions. In the model, a sender, nation A, uses sanctions to force a target, nation B, to alter its current policy. I use a continuous time, one sided incomplete information game to show that the decision of the sender to sanction is related to the decision of the target to resist I characterize the conditions under which sanctions occur, the conditions under which the sender threatens sanctions and the conditions under which sanctions are successful. The analysis reveals that the success of sanctions affects whether a nation chooses to sanction. I discuss how the implications of this result relates to the cases of sanctions that we empirically observe.
Psychosocial Treatments for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Across the Lifespan: New Developments and Underlying Mechanisms

Researchers have studied many interventions to address the core impairment in social interactions in autism spectrum disorder. We reviewed the social skills intervention literature over the past two years (2012-2014). Social skills intervention studies have increased by 35 % over our previous review of 2010- 2012. Nearly equal numbers of studies reported results using single subject research designs (n = 29) and group designs (n = 25). Consistent with our previous review, many studies focused on joint attention/joint engagement for young children and interventions addressing peer interactions for older children. Advancements in this review period included more replications of intervention models, longitudinal outcomes, and a focus on minimally verbal children. Notably absent are social interventions for adults, and interventions addressing school-based inclusion. In addition to these target areas, future studies should isolate active ingredients of social interventions, include broader participant representation, and further examine the relation between neural development and behavioral outcomes.
Early results of the Axium MicroFX for Endovascular Repair of IntraCranial Aneurysm (AMERICA) study: a multicenter prospective observational registry.

Background Axium MicroFX coils contain polymer (polyglycolic/polylactic acid, PGLA) microfilaments designed to significantly impact intra-aneurysmal flow and to encourage aneurysm thrombosis. To provide preliminary evaluation of the safety and suggested efficacy of the MicroFX design, we performed a multicenter prospective single-arm trial, Axium MicroFX for Endovascular Repair of IntraCranial Aneurysm study (AMERICA). Methods AMERICA is a prospective multicenter 100 aneurysm observational study evaluating the safety and efficacy of Axium MicroFX PGLA coils. Enrollment was started in April 2010 and completed in October 2012. Results 99 patients underwent treatment for 100 aneurysms at 13 centers. Mean age was 60.2 years, most were women (72%) and 18% of patients had previously undergone treatment for a separate aneurysm. 22% of patients underwent treatment after acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Of these patients, all were Hunt and Hess grade 1–3. Pre-procedure modified Rankin score (mRS) was 0–2 in 92% of patients. The majority of aneurysms were anterior circulation (86%), with the most common aneurysm locations being the anterior communicating artery (23%) followed by the supraclinoid internal carotid artery and posterior communicating artery (18% each). The mean maximum diameter was 6.5 mm. Axium MicroFX coils could be placed in all but one treatment (99%). Raymond grade at conclusion of coiling was I (complete) in 52%, II (dog ear or residual neck) in 33% and III (residual aneurysm) in 15%. Discharge mRS was significantly worse in patients with SAH (62% mRS 0–2) compared with electively treated aneurysms (mRS 0–2 in 94%, p Conclusions This prospective study of Axium MicroFX coils demonstrates excellent aneurysm occlusion rates. 52% of aneurysms were completely occluded post-procedure. Within the ruptured aneurysm group, post-procedure occlusion rates were 63.6%. Major AE rates were consistent with historical data.
Reproductive Ecology and Food Habits of the Blacknose Shiner, Notropis heterolepis, in Northern Illinois

Abstract Although once broadly distributed in the region, the blacknose shiner, Notropis heterolepis, has declined or has already been extirpated throughout much of the Midwest and little is known about its life history. We describe characteristics of reproductive biology and food habits for a lake population of N. heterolepis in northern Illinois to provide information for conservation and management. Gonado-somatic index scores and ovarian stage of female individuals indicated that multiple clutches of ova were produced over a prolonged period lasting from spring until mid-summer. The number of ova present in a clutch was positively related to standard length. However, this relationship weakened and less ova were present in clutches of larger individuals as the reproductive season progressed. Female individuals ≥34 mm SL were mature and the presence of tubercles on male pectoral fins suggested a similar size at maturity for males. Individuals consumed the greatest number of prey items during morning and...
Predictability Experiments Using a High-Resolution Limited-Area Model

Abstract Recently reported results indicate that limited-area mesoscale models with prescribed lateral boundaries do not exhibit the same predictability error growth as observed in large-scale (global) models. These results have been reanalyzed in greater detail. New methods of limited-area initialization and spectral analysis have been used. The new analyses indicate that several model properties act to restrict the growth of perturbation. These include: the Projection of initial perturbations onto gravity waves which interact only weakly with other, more significant motions; the “sweeping out” of errors by correct or perfect lateral boundaries; and the reduction of differences by subgrid dissipation. This last property suggests that there is a strong dynamical forcing of small scales by much larger scales, so that this forcing is only weakly affected by typical, small perturbations in this model. New experiments suggest that some quasi-geostrophic components of the forecasts, away from the inflow bounda...
Globalisation, Labour Markets, and Social Outcomes in Developing Countries

In this paper we seek to examine the relationship between globalisation in its current form and social outcomes (in particular, poverty and inequality) in developing countries with special reference to channels of causation that involve the effects of globalisation on labour markets. In particular, we focus on the effect of the current form of globalisation on employment, wages, and working conditions, and thereby on poverty and inequality. A priori dogmas concerning the impact of the current form of globalisation on social outcomes are not borne out by microeconomic theory or evidence, which suggests that the empirical impact has been mixed, and dependent on various pertinent factors. The state of knowledge suggests caution in the pursuit of any one macroeconomic prescription, and draws attention to the importance of complementary microeconomic measures directly aimed at the outcomes of concern.
Extent of inhibition of α-synuclein aggregation in vitro by SUMOylation is conjugation site- and SUMO isoform-selective.

α-Synuclein, the major aggregating protein in Parkinson’s disease, can be modified by the small protein SUMO, indicating a potential role in disease. However, the effects of SUMOylation on α-synuclein aggregation remain controversial due to heterogeneous nature of the proteins previously investigated. Here we used protein semisynthesis to obtain homogeneously SUMOylated α-synuclein and discovered site- and isoform-dependent effects of SUMOylation on α-synuclein aggregation. Our results indicate that SUMOylation at K102 is a better inhibitor of aggregation than corresponding modification at K96 and SUMO1 modification, a better inhibitor than SUMO3.
Recovery Orientation of Treatment, Consumer Empowerment, and Satisfaction with Services: A Mediational Model

Objective This study explores the relationship between the recovery orientation of treatment and subjective experiences of consumer empowerment and satisfaction with services for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Methods Instruments measuring perceptions of empowerment, recovery orientation of treatment, and satisfaction with services were administered to 45 participants enrolled in two demographically similar mental health treatment programs in Tampa, Florida - a community mental health center and an Assertive Community Treatment team. Analyses were conducted according to traditional mediation models. Empowerment was expected to mediate the relationship between the recovery orientation of treatment and consumer satisfaction with services. Results A recovery-based treatment orientation significantly predicted both consumer empowerment and satisfaction with services. Empowerment mediated the relationship between treatment orientation and consumer satisfaction. Conclusions These preliminary findings highlight the impact of the recovery orientation of treatment on empowerment and satisfaction with services among individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.
Defect and Raman Spectroscopy of Chemical Vapor Deposition Grown Diamond Films

Using photoelectron emission and Raman spectroscopy, we characterize normally unoccupied states that have an energy 2.41-2.71 eV below the conduction band of polycrystalline diamond films. The films are grown using chemical vapor deposition with methane to hydrogen gas concentrations of 0.10%, 0.20%, 0.30%, 0.45%, 0.60% and 0.70%. Photoelectron emission is performed using visible light from an argon laser. The light is focussed on a 5-10 µm diameter area of the sample. The emitted electrons are collected with high efficiency using a microchannel plate detector. Raman spectroscopy is performed simultaneously with photoelectron emission to determine the morphology and diamond versus graphite content of the photoelectron emission area. The photoelectron emission rate is observed to have a quadratic dependence on the incident light power showing that the photoelectron emission process is a two-photon process involving the excitation of electrons from normally unoccupied states. The photoelectric yield versus incident photon energy, and the photoelectric yield as a function of methane concentration are presented.
Epidemiological Analysis on varicella in Pinggu District of Beijing City in 2011

[Objective]To analyze the epidemic features of varicella in Pinggu District of Beijing City in 2011,and provide epidemic evidence for its control.[Methods]The descriptive epidemiology was adopted to analyze the data of varicella in Pinggu District in 2011 from infectious diseases surveillance system.[Results] A total of 536 cases of varicella were reported in Pinggu District in 2011.The incidence rate was 131.6 /100 000.Five outbreaks were reported,involving 2 kindergartens,3 primary schools.Most patients were children unders 15 years old in kindergarten primary and secondary school;the ratio of male to female was 1.10∶ 1.The peak incidence appeared in spring and winter.In order to control the outbreak and sporadic outbreaks,varicella emergency vaccination was performed in this region,with 2 738 person times.[Conclusion]The reported number of 2011 is basically in line with former years.The control of outbreaks in kindergarten,primary and secondary school in winter and spring,the expanding emergency vaccination can effectively control the incidence and spread of varicella.
High catalytic activity and pollutants resistivity using Fe-AAPyr cathode catalyst for microbial fuel cell application

For the first time, a new generation of innovative non-platinum group metal catalysts based on iron and aminoantipyrine as precursor (Fe-AAPyr) has been utilized in a membraneless single-chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC) running on wastewater. Fe-AAPyr was used as an oxygen reduction catalyst in a passive gas-diffusion cathode and implemented in SCMFC design. This catalyst demonstrated better performance than platinum (Pt) during screening in "clean" conditions (PBS), and no degradation in performance during the operation in wastewater. The maximum power density generated by the SCMFC with Fe-AAPyr was 167 ± 6 μW cm(-2) and remained stable over 16 days, while SCMFC with Pt decreased to 113 ± 4 μW cm(-2) by day 13, achieving similar values of an activated carbon based cathode. The presence of S(2-) and showed insignificant decrease of ORR activity for the Fe-AAPyr. The reported results clearly demonstrate that Fe-AAPyr can be utilized in MFCs under the harsh conditions of wastewater.
The influence of typologies of school leaders on teacher retention: A multilevel latent class analysis

Purpose – While school leadership literature has searched for practices with the largest effect on outcomes, we know little about how these behaviors vary by context. Further, recent shifts to include teachers in leadership have prompted a need for purposeful distinction between teacher and principal perceptions and roles. Person-centered statistics offer a means to study differences in how teachers and principals perceive leadership by context, how these perceptions interact, and the extent to which this interaction influences teacher decisions, such as whether or not to remain at their current school. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This study applies a two-level latent class analysis (LCA) with a cross-level interaction to the 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), n=35,560 teachers across n=7,310 US public schools. SASS includes a comprehensive set of leadership measures, not found in other surveys, collected when US schools restructured to include teachers...
Public Policy Involvement by Certified Health Education Specialists: Results of a National Study.

Background. Advocating for health-related activities is an essential part of being a health educator and knowing how to advocate is an important part of the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam. However, based on previous research, there may be a gap between knowing how to and actually participating in public policy activities. The purpose of this study was to determine public policy involvement of CHES. Method. Surveys were mailed to a random sample of 500 CHES (41% response rate). Results. The highest selected public policy activities by CHES were the following: voting at an election (88.9%), contacting a public office (49%), and providing policy-related information (42.9%). The number of locations CHES individuals selected in having training on advocacy was a predictive factor in their confidence to perform advocacy. Positive correlations between perceived knowledge and effectiveness of the public policy process and self-reported involvement in public policy were found. Conclusion. Althoug...
Issues in multidrug resistance

Tumor cell resistance to multiple « natural product » anticancer drugs, known as multidrug resistance (MDR), is now a well-documented phenomenon, and some excellent reviews have recently summarized its pharmacology and cell and molecular biology [1–5]. Several types of natural product MDR have been described: one is associated with P-glycoprotein overexpression (Pgp-MDR) [1–5], another with alterations in DNA topoisomerase II (at-MDR) [6], and a third with features similar to Pgp-MDR but without Pgp overexpression [7, 8]. Although Pgp-MDR appears to have clinical correlates, we do not yet know about the clinical relevance of other forms of MDR.
GraFEA: a graph-based finite element approach for the study of damage and fracture in brittle materials

In this paper the conventional finite element method for linear elastic response is reformulated in such a way that makes it favorable for the study of damage and fracture in brittle materials. This modified finite element framework is based on the idea presented by Reddy and Srinivasa (Finite Elem Anal Des 104:35–40, 2015), where it was shown that for discretized hyperelastic materials, the magnitude of the nodal forces (in the discretized form) can be written in terms of the axial strains along the edges of the elements and that the equilibrium equations at each node can be written in terms of the forces along the edges alone. Using this concept and by exploiting the fact that FEM discretization leads to an undirected cyclic graph with nodes and edges whose connectivity is related to the elements of the FEM, one can reformulate the displacement-based finite element framework with constant strain triangular elements to represent the continuum as a nonlocal network. The network representation of the continuum is “nonlocal” in the sense that the force along any given edge doesn’t only depend on the strain along that edge, but on a collective behavior of the strains along the edges neighboring the edge of interest. This method is named as GraFEA (for graph-based finite element analysis). Damage is introduced using a nonlocal damage criterion originating from the idea of the weakest links statistics proposed by Lin, Evans, and Ritchie (J Mech Phys Solids 34(5):477–497, 1986). This idea, which was very successful in studying cleavage fracture of mild steel at very low temperatures, can be used to impose a damage criterion to the nolocal network. GraFEA has the major advantage that one can impose an edge-based failure criterion using the weakest link thoery directly on the discretized body, and potentially simulating crack initiation, crack growth, and branching without the need for extra enrichment functions (as with other methods). The simplicity of the method and the fact that it is based on conventional finite element method makes it suitable for integration into commercial softwares. The governing equations for this approach are derived and applied to two simple crack growth simulations (as a proof of concept) in two-dimensional regions with a hole.
Emulsion Polymerization of Tung Oil-Based Latexes with Asolectin as a Biorenewable Surfactant

Bio-based vesicles, with potential application in drug delivery and/or catalyst encapsulation, have been prepared by the free radical emulsion co-polymerization of tung oil, divinylbenzene (DVB), n-butyl methacrylate (BMA), and asolectin in a xylene/water mixture. The free radical polymerization was initiated by di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) at 100 °C in a convection oven. Molecular weights of approximately 11,000 Da were measured by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight (Maldi-TOF) for tung oil-asolectin copolymers, verifying that significant polymerization occurs under the cure conditions employed. The cure of the co-monomer mixture employed in this work was monitored by Dielectric Analysis (DEA), while changes in the Raman spectrum of all co-monomers before and after the cure, along with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, have been used to verify the need of a post-cure step and completion of the polymerization reaction. Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) images of the emulsion after polymerization indicate that vesicles were formed, and vesicle size distribution of samples prepared with different amounts of tung oil were determined using a Zetasizer.
Where the Insurgents Aren’t: Rurality, Information, and Nonterritorial Insurgency

Scholars often find that highlands and rural areas foster insurgencies. However, others have argued that cities can also be centers of insurgent activity and that nonterritorial insurgencies are different from territorial guerilla wars. We expect that in a nonterritorial insurgency, the high quality of local knowledge makes populated rural areas inhospitable to nonterritorial insurgent activity. Using data from a random sample of about 750 Medaille de la Resistance Francaise recipients, we find that departments with more residents in cities and large towns had more medal recipients than rural departments. Analyses of repression patterns (finding that insurgent arrests are less likely in cities than rural areas) and the historical record provide further evidence for the information mechanism.
Learning to read irregular text with attention mechanisms

We present a robust end-to-end neural-based model to attentively recognize text in natural images. Particularly, we focus on accurately identifying irregular (perspectively distorted or curved) text, which has not been well addressed in the previous literature. Previous research on text reading often works with regular (horizontal and frontal) text and does not adequately generalize to processing text with perspective distortion or curving effects. Our work proposes to overcome this difficulty by introducing two learning components: (1) an auxiliary dense character detection task that helps to learn text specific visual patterns, (2) an alignment loss that provides guidance to the training of an attention model. We show with experiments that these two components are crucial for achieving fast convergence and high classification accuracy for irregular text recognition. Our model outperforms previous work on two irregular-text datasets: SVT-Perspective and CUTE80, and is also highly-competitive on several regular-text datasets containing primarily horizontal and frontal text.
TIPS in the Treatment of Variceal Bleeding

Variceal bleeding is a life-threatening complication of portal hypertension. In recent years, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation has cemented a role in the management of acute refractory bleeding and recurrent variceal hemorrhage. This article aims to review the use of TIPS in patients with variceal bleeding, with a focus on accepted procedure indications, patient selection criteria, TIPS technique, clinical outcomes, and contemporary issues, such as early TIPS in acute variceal hemorrhage, the role of adjuvant embolotherapy, and TIPS utility for gastric varices.
Broader autism phenotype in parents of children with autism: a systematic review of percentage estimates.

The broader autism phenotype (BAP) is a collection of sub-diagnostic autistic traits more common in families of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than in the general population. BAP is a latent construct that can be defined using different domains, measured using multiple instruments, and reported using different techniques. Therefore, estimates of BAP may vary greatly across studies. Our objective was to systematically review studies that reported occurrence of BAP in parents of children with ASD in order to quantify and describe heterogeneity in estimates. We systematically searched PubMed and Scopus using PRISMA guidelines for studies quantifying percentage of parents of children with ASD who had BAP. We identified 41 studies that measured BAP in parents of children with ASD. These studies used eight different instruments, four different forms of data collection, and had a wide range of sample sizes (N = 4 to N = 3299). Percentage with BAP ranged from 2.6% to 80%. BAP was more prevalent in fathers than mothers. Parental BAP may be an important tool for parsing heterogeneity in ASD etiology and for developing parent-mediated ASD interventions. However, the variety in measurement instruments and variability in study samples limits our ability to synthesize estimates. To improve measurement of BAP and increase consistency across studies, universal methods should be accepted and adopted across studies. A more consistent approach to BAP measurement may enable efficient etiologic research that can be meta-analyzed and may allow for a larger evidence base that can be used to account for BAP when developing parent-mediated interventions.
Declining Return Migration from the United States to Mexico in the late-2000s Recession

Addresses the assertation that return migration from the U.S. to Mexico has increased substantially, remained unchanged, or declined slightly in response to the 2007-2009 U.S. recession and global financial crisis.
Muslim Modernity: Poetics, Politics, and Metaphysics

I start with two citations: first from Milestones 1 Sayyid Qutb’s manifesto written in 1964, and the second from The Last Crusade, a book by Michael Palmer, published in the United States in 2007. These are the two extremes that frame the discussion of Islam in the United States and, to some extent, in the rest of the world. Both these authors, however, share certain striking visions. For Qutb, the nature of Western aggression has changed from the naked form of dominance to something more complex which has replaced the ‘unveiled crusading spirit’ that underwrote the crusades. For Michael Palmer, it is this crusading spirit that must posit itself as what it is. His idea of Americanism must use the naked force – as a secular crusade – to forcefully modernize the Islamic world.