cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Sad Truth: Optimism, Pessimism, and Pragmatism

Pragmatists (such as William James) recommend optimism as a successful strategy, and recent psychological research has confirmed its value. But optimism comes at a price: optimists are less accurate in their assessments and expectations than are pessimists. Thus optimism ‘proves itself to be good in the way of belief’, and by pragmatic standards should count as true; but that makes the accuracy costs of optimism invisible (the problem is only exacerbated by Rorty's recommendation that pragmatists stop speaking of truth altogether). The problem prevents pragmatists from offering a Darwinian explanation of why pessimism survives, and also blocks any pragmatist account of the well-documented and highly successful exploratory behavior of many animal species.
Generation of Second and Fourth Harmonic Signals Using a Balanced Colpitts Oscillator With a Patch Antenna

A Colpitts oscillator that generates signal at 589 GHz using both phase superposition and nonlinearities of components is demonstrated in a 0.12 m SiGe BiCMOS process. This approach increases the ratio between fourth and second order harmonic power levels by more than 2 dB compared to that obtained using only linear phase superposition. The output power of this circuit with the highest operating frequency for transistor based signal generators is -37.7 dBm.
Productivity equations for an off-center partially penetrating vertical well in an anisotropic reservoir

Abstract This paper presents steady state and pseudo-steady state productivity equations for an off-center partially penetrating vertical well in an anisotropic reservoir, using a uniform line sink model. This paper also gives equations for calculating pseudo skin factor due to partial penetration. Compared with the equations for partially penetrating wells in the literature, the new equations, which are based on three dimensional models, are simple and accurate. If the well is in steady state with a circular cylinder drainage volume, and if the top and bottom reservoir boundaries are impermeable, the radius of the cylindrical system and off-center distance appear in the productivity equations. If the reservoir has a gas cap or bottom water, the effects of the radius and off-center distance on productivity can be ignored. A new equation is provided to calculate the productivity of a partially penetrating vertical well arbitrarily located in the anisotropic reservoir with a box-shaped drainage volume under pseudo-steady state. A convenient expression to calculate the Dietz shape factor is also presented. It is concluded that, for a partially penetrating vertical well, different productivity equations should be used under different reservoir boundary conditions.
The Effects of Parental Depressive Symptoms, Appraisals, and Physical Punishment on Later Child Externalizing Behavior

Examined a cognitive-behavioral pathway by which depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers increase risk for later child externalizing problem behavior via parents’ appraisals of child behavior and physical discipline. Participants were 245 children (118 girls) at risk for school-age conduct problems, and their parents and teachers. Children were approximately 3 years old at Time 1 (T1) and 5 ½ years old at Time 2 (T2). At T1, mothers and fathers reported their depressive symptoms, perceptions of their child’s reciprocal affection and responsiveness, frequency of physical punishment, and child externalizing problems. Mothers, fathers, and teachers provided ratings of externalizing behavior at T2. Structural equation modeling revealed that parents’ negative attributions mediated positive relations between their depressive symptoms and frequency of physical punishment for both fathers and mothers. More frequent physical punishment, in turn, predicted increased child externalizing behavior at T2. In future research, transactional mechanisms underlying effects of clinical depression on child conduct problems should be explored at multiple stages of development. For parents showing depressive symptoms, restructuring distorted perceptions about their children’s behavior may be an important component of intervention programs.
Experimental tests for particle size-dependent bioturbation in the deep ocean

The potential for particle size-dependent bioturbation rates was experimentally tested at 1,240 m in the Santa Catalina Basin (eastern Pacific). Spherical glass bead tracers in five size classes (816, 17-31, 32-62, 63-125, and 126-420 m) were spread over the sediment surface and tube cored 997 d later. Downcore concentrations of glass beads were enumerated in each of the five size categories and Page's L-test was used to test the null hypothesis of equal vertical penetration of all size classes of tracer. In all cores the null hypothesis was rejected; finer tracers penetrated deeper into the sediment. In two of the three cores, vertical biodiffusivities were computed from concentration profiles of downcore tracers. These also showed size dependence, with biodiffusivities ranging from 1 cm2 yr' for the 8-1 6-pm fraction to 0.1 cm2 yr' for the 1 25-420-pm size class. These data demonstrate that vertical bioturbation rates are particle size-dependent in Santa Catalina Basin. The likely cause is preferential ingestion and downward transport of fine particles by deposit feeders.
Spektroskopische Untersuchungen an polymeren Donator-Acceptor-Komplexen und Synthese von polymeren Elektronendonatoren. I. Polymere Derivate von Carbazol, Phenothiazin, Dimethylanilin und monomere Vergleichssubstanzen

Untersucht wurden die Charge-Transfer (CT)-Spektren der polymeren Elektronendonatoren Poly-N-vinylcarbazol (PVCA), Polyacetal aus N-Methylphenothiazin-3-aldehyd und Polyvinylalkohol, Poly-N-methyl-3-vinyl-phenothiazin (PMVP), Poly-p-dimethylaminostyrol (PDA) und der monomeren Vegeleichssubstanzen N-Athylcarbazol (NACA), N-Methylphenothiazin (NMP), p-Dimethylaminotoluidin (DMT) mit mehreren Acceptoren unterschiedlicher Elektronenaffinitat. Die Ionisierungsenergie der Donatoren wurde aus den CT-Spektren berechnet. Es zeigte sich, das die spektrale Lage der CT-Banden der Polymeren Komplexe meist eine geringfugige Rotverschiebung gegenuber den monomeren Komplexen aufweist. Auch die CT-Spektren fester polymerer Komplexe, in denen die Acceptoren weitgehend an die Donatorgruppen des Polymeren gebunden sind, unterscheiden sich nur wenig von denen der monomeren Modell-Komplexe (in Losung). Im Falle einiger Komplexe des PDA mit starken Elektronenacceptoren konnte die Bildung von Radikalanionen nachgewiesen werden. Die Synthese einiger polymerer und monomerer Elektronendonatoren wird ausfuhrlich beschrieben. The investigations covered the charge-transfer spectra of the polymeric electron donors poly-N-vinylcarbazole (PVCA), polyacetal from N-methyl-phenothiazine-3-aldehyde and polyvinyl alcohol, poly-N-methyl-3-vinyl-phenothiazine (PMVP), poly-p-dimrthylaminostyrene (PDA), and of the monomeric reference substances N-ethylcarbazole (NACA), N-methyl-phenothiazine (NMP), p-dimethylaminotoluidine (DMT) with several acceptors of different electron affinity. The ionisation energy of the donors was calculated from the CT spectra. It was found that the position of the CT bands of the polymeric complexes mostly shows a slight red shift as compared with the monomers. Even the CT spectra of solid polymeric complexes, in which the acceptors are largely bound to the donor groups of the polymer, differ only slightly from those of the monomeric complexes (in solution). In the case of some complexes of PDA containing strong electron acceptors, radical anions have been identified. The synthesis of several polymeric and monomeric electron donors is described in detail.
Improving Workflow Efficiencies in Protein Formulation Laboratories Using Visual Basic for Applications

The protein formulation group develops stable formulations for both clinical and marketed protein therapeutics; this involves a systematic search of a large variable space. Several studies are set up each exploring the effect of a few variables at a time on protein stability. The amount of data generated from each study is substantial and is compounded as more studies are carried out. The business process from the data perspective was mapped to identify the data flow between the sub-processes. A number of redundancies in data entry that resulted in duplication of effort on the part of the researcher were identified. A custom Microsoft Excel Add-In package, using Visual Basic for Applications, has been developed in-house. To increase productivity and efficiency, at every step in the process, namely, planning, preparation, and execution and evaluation of the studies, these macros and templates allow automatic flow of information through the sub-processes. This has significantly reduced manual entry of data ...
First-Order Short-Range Mover Prediction Model (SRMPM)

An important problem for intelligent autonomous mobile systems/agents is the ability to predict the motions of other objects/agents. This has natural extensions to cooperative behavior control, where mobile agents avoid each other by predicting the other's motion. In this paper, we have formulated a spatial probability distribution for moving objects with respect to First-Order predictions, which take into account mobility characteristics and how they relate to probable motion. This is a novel method since the most common approach uses Kalman Filters to estimate future states based upon observed previous states only, assuming a geospatial 2-D Gaussian distribution with monolithic variances in both the normal and tangential directions of motion. Unlike prior approaches, our methodology takes into consideration specific dynamic constraints (e.g., Ackermann Steering), and probable decision making capabilities of the mover. By adding higher levels of fidelity to prediction models, more accurate and precise object tracking, avoidance, or engagement can be accomplished with already developed techniques.
Seismic effects of the Caloris basin impact, Mercury

Abstract Striking geological features on Mercury's surface have been linked to tectonic disruption associated with the Caloris impact and have the potential to provide information on the interior structure of Mercury. The unusual disrupted terrain located directly at the antipode of the 1500-km-diameter Caloris basin could have plausibly formed as a consequence of focused seismic waves generated by the massive impact event. In this paper, we revisit the antipodal seismic focusing effects of the Caloris impact by developing physically consistent structure models for Mercury and parameterized seismic source models for the Caloris impact. If the focused seismic body waves caused the disrupted terrain, then the amplitudes of the waves and the areal extent of surface disruptions could be used for estimating the seismic energy imparted by the impact. In this study, we show that effects of direct body waves are small relative to those of focused guided waves. Two types of guided waves are produced by the Caloris impact. One is the conventional Rayleigh wave generated by the impact. The second is the mantle guided waves trapped between the core and the free surface. Mantle guided waves, not recognized in previous studies, may have played an important role in the creation of the disrupted terrain. We find that the early core state has only moderate effects on the antipodal response to the Caloris impact. The fact that the zone of predicted disruption for both fluid and solid core cases is smaller than the observed region of chaotic terrain suggests either that the antipodal response to the Caloris impact was modulated by the shallow structure of Mercury, or that the energy imparted by the impact was larger than those used in this study.
A Modification of the Method for Prestaining Alpha and Beta Lipoproteins Separated by Paper Electrophoresis

A procedure is described for prestaining serum lipids for paper electrophoretic evaluation.
Predicting Decade-Long Changes in Community Motor Vehicle Theft Rates Impacts of Structure and Surround

Motor vehicle theft (MVT) is arguably the most underresearched Part I crime. This work predicts long-term changes in community MVT rates, extrapolating from earlier work in community fabric and changing personal crime and delinquency rates and cross-sectional work on MVT. Police data on MVTs generated MVT rates in one Midwestern city in 1990-1991 and 2000-2001 that were linked with census block group data. MVT rates went up later in communities more racially mixed initially and in those surrounded by initially higher MVT rates, suggesting extant community structure and surrounding crime generate subsequently unfolding impacts on MVT. A second series of models links changing MVT rates with contemporaneously increasing racial heterogeneity, decreasing community instability, and increasing surrounding MVT rates. Some associations between community structure and changing delinquency or crime appear relevant to shifting MVT rates. Resident-based, target-linked, and offender-dependent processes to be investigat...
Mobility of Nanoparticles in Semidilute Polyelectrolyte Solutions

We measure the mobility of nanoparticles at low concentrations in non-Newtonian semidilute aqueous solutions of high-molecular-weight polyelectrolyte polymers. Using optical microscopy and particle tracking algorithms, we image and track hydrophilic polystyrene nanoparticles of diameter 400 nm moving in aqueous solutions of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide of molecular weight 8 000 000 Da and concentration of 0.042—4.2 g/L. The effective diffusivity of the nanoparticles in the semidilute polymer solutions, extracted from the long-time limit of the mean-squared displacement using the Stokes–Einstein relation, is greater than that calculated from the zero-shear-rate viscosity measured using bulk rheology. For concentrations c > 0.42 g/L, the mean-square displacements (MSD) of particles measured as a function of lag time revealed that the particle dynamics are subdiffusive at short time scales and are Fickian on long time scales. The time scale for the crossover from subdiffusive to Fickian dynamics incre...
Relative sensitivity and specificity of salivary and serum cotinine in identifying tobacco-smoking status of self-reported nonsmokers and smokers of tobacco and/or marijuana.

Abstract Serum and salivary cotinine levels were measured in 327 smoking and nonsmoking participants in a study of the health effects of marijuana with and without tobacco. These individuals had no reason to misrepresent their current tobacco-smoking status. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values positive and negative of the cotinine levels in distinguishing self-reported current tobacco smokers from nonsmokers was high (88–100%) and essentially the same for both fluids. Agreement between self-report and cotinine levels was not influenced by the presence or absence of marijuana smoking. A good correlation was found between serum and salivary cotinine levels in self-reported tobacco smokers (r = 0,84, p < 0,001). Mean average levels were 279 ± 144 (± standard deviation) ng/ml for serum and 360 ± 195 ng/ml for saliva. In a separate group of seven tobacco smokers, cotinine levels in saliva were found to be essentially independent of salivary flow rate. An analogous relationship has been observed...
Effects of grazing intensity on soil carbon stocks following deforestation of a Hawaiian dry tropical forest

The effects of forest-to-pasture conversion on soil carbon (C) stocks depend on a combination of climatic and management factors, but factors that relate to grazing intensity are perhaps the least understood. To understand the long-term impact of grazing in converted pastures, methods are needed that accurately measure the impact of grazing on recent plant inputs to soil C in a variety of pasture management and climate settings. Here, we present an analysis from Hawai’i of changes in vegetation structure and soil organic carbon (SOC) along gradients of grazing intensity and elevation in pastures converted from dry tropical forest 100 years ago. We used hyperspectral remote sensing of photosynthetic vegetation, nonphotosynthetic vegetation (NPV) and exposed substrate to understand the effects of grazing on plant litter cover, thus, estimating recent plant inputs to soils (the NPV component). Forest-to-pasture conversion caused a shift from C3 to C4 plant physiology, thus the d 13 C method was used in soil cores to measure the fraction of SOC accumulated from pasture vegetation sources following land conversion. SOC decreased in pasture by 5‐9kgCm ! 2 , depending upon grazing intensity. SOC derived from C3 (forest) sources was constant across the grazing gradient, indicating that the observed variation in SOC was attributable to changes in C inputs following deforestation. Soil C stocks were also reduced in pastures relative to forest soils. We found that long-term grazing lowers SOC following Hawaiian forest-to-pasture conversion, and that these changes are larger in magnitude that those occurring with elevation (climate). Further we demonstrate a relationship between remotely sensed measurements of surface litter and field SOC measurements, allowing for regional analysis of pasture condition and C storage where limited field data are available.
Seasonal and interannual particle export in an African rift valley lake: A 5-yr record from Lake Malawi, southern East Africa

A time-sequencing sediment trap was deployed at 300–350 m in Lake Malawi, East Africa, from 1987 to 1992 to measure particulate export to the deep, anoxic hypolimnion in the northern and central lake regions. The monthly settling particulate samples provide a data set of seasonal and interannual export fluxes of organic carbon, biogenic opal, calcium carbonate, and lithogenic material. Maximum total particle fluxes (~50–400 mg m−2 d−1) occurred primarily during the dry, windy season (April through October) when algal productivity is high because of wind induced upwelling of nutrient-enriched metalimnion and hypolimnion waters. Peak-flux particulates contained an abundance of Aulacoseira and Stephanodiscus diatom valves and chains. The total particle mass flux during the wet, austral summer months (November through March) was consistently one to three orders of magnitude less than that measured during the dry months and consisted of mineral shards, terrestrial plant debris, and scattered diatom tests. The 5-yr trap data provide support for the claim that the light-dark lamination couplets, abundant in northern and central lake cores, reflect seasonal delivery to the sediments of diatom-rich particulates during the windy months and diatom-poor material during the wet season. However, interannual and spatial variability in upwelling and productivity patterns, as well as El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-related rainfall and drought cycles, appears to exert a strong influence over the magnitude and geochemical composition of particle export to the deep hypolimnion of Lake Malawi.
Researching the spiritual dimensions of alcohol and other drug problems

Although religions have been far from silent on the use of psychoactive drugs, and spirituality has long been emphasized as an important factor in recovery from addiction, surprisingly little research has explored the relationships between these two phenomena. Current findings indicate that spiritual/religious involvement may be an important protective factor against alcohol/drug abuse. Individuals currently suffering from these problems are found to have a low level of religious involvement, and spiritual (re)engagement appears to be correlated with recovery. Reasons are explored for the lack of studies testing spiritual hypotheses, and promising avenues for future research are discussed. Comprehensive addictions research should include not only biomedical, psychological and socio-cultural factors but spiritual aspects of the individual as well.
Transplantation of crossed fused ectopic kidneys into a single recipient.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Crossed renal ectopia is a rare (1 in 1000 live births) congenital anomaly in which both renal masses are located on one side of the abdomen and in 90% of cases are fused. Although this condition is not typically associated with underlying renal pathology or symptoms, complex vascular anatomy is commonly encountered. STUDY DESIGN: A report of the successful transplantation of crossed fused ectopic kidneys as a single allograft. RESULTS: With careful attention to the complex anatomy presented by this anomaly, the course of the patient's transplantation and postoperative convalescence were uncomplicated and resulted in excellent longterm graft function. We report the first successful transplantation and longterm function of crossed fused ectopic kidneys as a single allograft. CONCLUSIONS: Given the shortage of cadaveric renal allografts, patients with this anomalous condition should not be excluded as potential organ donors. Transplant surgeons should have an understanding of this anomaly and its anatomic variants to ensure proper utilization of this limited but valuable resource.
Diaphragmatic fatigue and high-intensity exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at a mechanical disadvantage and should be predisposed to the development of diaphragmatic fatigue when the ventilatory system is stressed by exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients with moderately severe COPD develop contractile fatigue of the diaphragm after cycle exercise to the limits of tolerance. Twelve male patients with COPD, age 61.4 +/- 3.0 yr, participated. Their forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) was 1.79 +/- 0.14 L, 49.6 +/- 3.4% of predicted. Patients cycled at 60-70% of their predetermined maximal work capacity until they had to stop because of intolerable symptoms. Twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi,tw) was measured during cervical magnetic stimulation before and 10, 30, and 60 min after exercise. A persistent fall in Pdi,tw postexercise of >/= 10% was considered potentially indicative of contractile fatigue of the diaphragm. Patients cycled for 10.2 +/- 2.0 min at a workload of 59.9 +/- 4.3 W. Patients exercised maximally relative to their capacity reaching a peak oxygen consumption (V O(2)) of 108.1 +/- 2.8% of the peak V O(2) obtained during a preliminary maximal incremental exercise test. Pdi,tw was not significantly different from baseline at any time postexercise. Pdi,tw was 19.9 +/- 1.6 cm H(2)O at baseline, 19.6 +/- 2.0 cm H(2)O at 10 min postexercise, 18. 6 +/- 2.0 cm H(2)O at 30 min postexercise, and 19.5 +/- 1.7 cm H(2)O at 60 min postexercise. In the individual patients, two of the patients had a persistent >/= 10% fall in Pdi,tw postexercise, potentially indicative of contractile fatigue of the diaphragm. In conclusion, the majority of patients with moderately severe COPD do not develop contractile fatigue of the diaphragm after high-intensity constant workload cycle exercise to the limits of tolerance.
Obesity and symptoms and quality of life indicators of individuals with disabilities

Abstract Background Health risks of obesity are well known, but effects of obesity on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) have not been well-studied in people with physical disabilities. Objective/hypothesis We examined the association between obesity and HRQOL in people with disabilities relative to the general US population. We hypothesized (a) overall, individuals with disabilities will report worse HRQOL than the general US population and (b) obese individuals with disabilities will report worse HRQOL than non-obese individuals. Methods Individuals with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, and spinal cord injury ( N = 1849) completed Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures of fatigue, pain interference, physical and social function, depression, sleep disturbance, and sleep-related impairment. Participants were classified as obese or non-obese based on self-reported weight and height (BMI) and/or waist circumference (WC). PROMIS T-scores were compared to norms and between obesity groups. Results Mean BMI was 26.4 kg/m 2 with 23.4% classified as obese. Mean WC was 37.5 inches (males) and 34.0 inches (females); 26.4% reported abdominal obesity. Based on BMI and/or WC, 33.3% ( n = 616) were classified obese. Compared to PROMIS norms, obese individuals reported worse HRQOL on all domains ( p p Conclusions Obesity in people with physical disabilities is associated with poorer HRQOL. More research is needed to inform clinicians in identifying obese patients and helping them achieve healthy weight, reduce symptom burden, and improve QOL.
Embryo biometry of three broadcast spawning euphausiid species applied to identify cross-shelf and seasonal spawning patterns along the Oregon coast

Morphology and biometry of eggs spawned by females of Euphausia pacifica, Thysanoessa spinifera and Thysanoessa inspinata were compared with eggs collected along the Oregon coast to identify the eggs in preserved samples to species level and to infer species spawning areas and intensity of spawning events in the field. The average chorion diameter (CD) and embryo diameter (ED) were significantly larger for E. pacifica than for T spinifera. Euphausia pacifica eggs usually have a significantly greater perivitelline space, and the chorion is firm, transparent, smooth, elastic and completely spherical, while T spinifera embryos are not completely spherical and typically are soft and sticky with particles attached. Eggs of the twitching stage embryo of T. spinifiera have an elliptical shape, while those of E. pacifica are spherical to very slightly elliptical even after hatching as nauplii. The CD and ED of T inspinata eggs were smaller than those of the other two species and they were transparent and spherical with a non-sticky chorion. Biweekly time series of eggs (identified to species), of nauplii + metanauplii and of ripe females collected along the Newport hydrographic line (44°40'N) during 1970―1972 show that E. pacifica and T spinifera spawn mainly < 40 km from the coast from March to October, but E. pacifica also spawns regularly at oceanic locations. A meta-analysis of the egg CD and ED values of 38 euphausiid species around the world indicates that these variables alone cannot be used to identify eggs to species, excepting specific regions where one or two broadcast spawners dominate the euphausiid assemblage.
Efficient simulation of postexposure bake processes in STORM

An efficient software tool, STORM, is described for simulating 2D line-edge profiles and line-end shortening in chemically-amplified resist (CARs). The most difficult aspect of modeling CARs is emulating the amplification reaction and reaction state dependent transport. The difficulty arises primarily out of the nonlinearity associated with the behavior of diffusion with reacted materials state. These phenomena have important impacts in horizontal and vertical cross section profiles of post- exposure baked resists. They also impact line-ends which are three dimensional but may be approximated using the two horizontal dimensions.
Methyl tert butyl ether is anti-angiogenic in both in vitro and in vivo mammalian model systems.

Methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a well known gasoline oxygenate, and FDA approved gallstone treatment, has been previously shown to specifically target teleost embryonic angiogenesis. The studies reported here were to determine if similar vascular disrupting effects occurred in higher vertebrate models. Rat brain endothelial cells were isolated and allowed to form microcapillary-like tubes on Matrigel. MTBE (0.34–34.0 mM) exposure resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of tube formation, with the LOAEL at 0.34 mM, while MTBE’s primary metabolite, tertiary butyl alcohol had no effect on tube formation. HUVECs, a primary cell line representing macrovascular cells, were able to form tubes on Matrigel in the presence of MTBE (1.25 – 80 mM), but the tubes were narrower than those formed in the absence of MTBE. In a mouse Matrigel plug implantation assay, 34.0 mM MTBE completely inhibited vessel invasion into plugs containing Endothelial Cell Growth Supplement (ECGS) compared to control plugs with ECGS alone. When timed-pregnant Fisher 344 rats were gavaged with MTBE (500–1500 mg/kg) from day 6 of organogenesis through 10 days post parturition, no organ toxicity or histological changes in pup vasculature were observed. Therefore, MTBE is anti-angiogenic at mM concentrations and therefore a potential use as an anti-angiogenic treatment for solid tumors with minimal toxicity.
Revascularization in heart failure: the role of percutaneous coronary intervention

Despite being technically challenging and carrying a higher periprocedural risk, the performance of revascularization in patients who have heart failure of ischemic origin can provide substantial clinical benefits. Although several studies have demonstrated a benefit of the performance of coronary artery bypass grafting over percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among patients who have depressed ejection fraction undergoing revascularization, most of these studies were conducted during the balloon angioplasty era and before the widespread use of drug-eluting stents that have dramatically reduced the need for repeat revascularization among patients undergoing PCI. The use of lower profile intra-aortic balloon catheters and other novel cardiac support devices may extend the use of PCI and lower rates of periprocedural complications among this high-risk population.
Prevention and reversal of diet-induced leptin resistance with a sugar-free diet despite high fat content.

Chronic consumption of a Western-type diet, containing both elevated sugar and fat, results in leptin resistance. We hypothesised that fructose, as part of the sugar component of Western-type diets, is one causative ingredient in the development of leptin resistance and that removal of this component will prevent leptin resistance despite high fat (HF) content. We fed rats a sugar-free (SF), 30 % HF (SF/HF) diet or a 40 % high-fructose (HFr), 30 % HF (HFr/HF) diet for 134 d. The HFr/HF diet resulted in impaired anorexic and body-weight responses to both peripherally (0·6 mg/kg, assessed on day 65 of the diet) and centrally (1·5 μg/d, assessed on days 129–134) administered leptin, whereas SF/HF-fed rats were fully leptin responsive. At day 70, half the HFr/HF-fed animals were switched to the SF/HF diet, reversing the leptin resistance (assessed 18 d after the diet switch). The HFr/HF diet elevated serum leptin and reduced adiponectin, and levels were restored abruptly at day 3 after switching to the SF/HF diet. These data demonstrate that a diet containing both HFr and fat leads to leptin resistance, while an isoenergetic SF/HF diet does not. Moreover, removal of fructose from this diet reverses the leptin resistance and the elevated leptin, suggesting a cause-and-effect relationship. These data suggest that fructose is the bioactive component of a HF/high-sugar diet that is essential for the induction of leptin resistance.
A Developmental Framework for Instructional Leadership

Instructional leadership has long been hailed as one of the most significant responsibilities of school principals. Although there has been much advocacy for principal instructional leadership, there has been far less explicit conceptualization of what instructional leadership encompasses. This chapter reports on interviews with 40 principals from 11 states in which the principals talk about their work in this era of high stakes accountability. Specifically, in this chapter, we focus on their instructional leadership practice. Based on the analysis of the data, we propose a developmental framework of instructional leadership. We categorize instructional leadership into direct and indirect forms, with direct forms including linear, organic, and prophetic instructional leadership, and indirect forms being relational, empowering, and political instructional leadership.
Biomechanics of the Barrier Function of Human Stratum Corneum

In this chapter, we review new approaches to characterize and model the fundamental biomechanics of human stratum corneum (SC) and skin damage processes. We describe how the drying stresses that develop in SC provide a mechanical driving force for dry skin damage such as chapping and cracking. We review techniques to quantitatively characterize these stresses after environmental conditioning and application of moisturizing and damaging treatments. We discuss the critical effect of water content on the mechanical properties of SC, and demonstrate the relationship between the SC drying stress and water in the drying environment. Finally, using our biomechanical model, we demonstrate how damaging treatments enhance and moisturizing treatments alleviate the propensity for dry skin damage.
Modeling ESL Word Choice Similarities By Representing Word Intensions and Extensions

Automatic error correction systems for English as a Second Language(ESL) speakers often rely on the use of a confusion set to limit the choices of possible correction candidates. Typically, the confusion sets are either manually constructed or extracted from a corpus of manually corrected ESL writings. Both options require the involvement of English teachers. This paper proposes a method to automatically construct confusion sets for commonly used prepositions from non-ESL corpus without manual intervention. The proposed method simulates how ESL learners learn both the intensions and extensions of English words from standard English text. Our experimental results suggest that the automatically constructed confusion sets based on the similarities between the learned words’ intensions is competitive with those directly learned from an ESL corpus containing about 150K preposition usages.
Athletics from a Historical and Educational Standpoint

(1909). Athletics from a Historical and Educational Standpoint. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 1-9.
A Modern Radiotherapy Series of Survival in Hispanic Patients with Glioblastoma

Background Studies have shown racial differences in cancer outcomes. We investigate whether survival differences existed in Hispanic patients with glioblastoma (GBM) compared with other ethnicities from our modern radiotherapy series, because no study to date has focused on outcomes in this group after radiation therapy. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 428 patients diagnosed with GBM from 1996 to 2014 at our institution, divided into 4 groups based on self-report: white, black, Hispanic, and Asian/Indian. The primary outcome was overall survival. We analyzed differences in prognostic factors among the whole cohort compared with the Hispanic cohort alone. Results Baseline characteristics of the 4 racial groups were comparable. With a median follow-up of 387 days, no survival differences were seen by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Median overall survival for Hispanic patients was 355 days versus 450 days for the entire cohort. Factors significant for patient outcomes in the entire cohort differed slightly from those specific to Hispanic patients. Low Karnofsky Performance Status was significant on multivariate analysis in the whole population, but not in Hispanic patients. Extent of resection, recursive partitioning analysis class, and radiation therapy total dose were significant on multivariate analysis in both the whole population and Hispanic patients. Conclusions We found that Hispanic patients with GBM had no difference in survival compared with other ethnicities in our cohort. Differences exist in factors associated with outcomes on single and multivariate analysis for Hispanic patients with GBM compared with the entire cohort. Additional studies focusing on Hispanic patients will aid in more personalized treatment approaches in this group.
On the effect of inlet conditions on particle/droplet dispersion in a shear layer

The impact of the inlet conditions on particle/droplet dispersion in a post-transitional shear layer is investigated using two-dimensional numerical simulations. The flow inlet conditions are varied between a monotonically changing inlet velocity profile (errorfunction) and one that exhibits a wake deficit reminiscent of the presence of the upstream splitter plate. The particle field inlet conditions are varied by altering the particle inlet location. Monodisperse dilute particle fields of various diameters are considered. The numerical models for both the time-dependent and un-averaged flow and particle fields are Lagrangian yielding a totally grid-free approach. The well known relationship between the particle Stokes number and dispersion is verified. Results also indicate that, under most conditions, dispersion is increased if particles are introduced from the fast stream side and as close as possible to the layer centerline. This trend is more pronounced for the wake-modified than the error-function inlet profile flow. The impact of the Stokes number on this trend is secondary. This suggests that the origin of this behavior lies in the flow dynamics which is known to favor entrainment from the fast stream. For the error-function case the dispersion trend is reversed if particles are introduced far enough from the shear layer so that they do not get entrained into the rotational flow. This is due to the tendency of the shear layer to tilt towards the slow stream. For the wake-modified case, however, this reversal does not occur. This, and the above noted enhanced asymmetry in the dispersion patterns for this case are attributed to the presence of positive vorticity on the slow speed side of the shear layer. This vorticity, which is counter-rotating with respect to the overall vorticity field has its origin in the inlet condition. While its effect on the large scale flow structure is secondary, it tends to weaken the entrainment patterns locally and thus diminishes the entrainment and subsequent dispersion of particles. Copyright © 1998 by M. C. Soteriou. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. with permission. T Assistant Professor, member AIAA. ? Graduate Student.
Characteristics of 24 h dynamic blood pressure and pulse pressure in aged patients with essential hypertension

Objective:To explore the characteristics of 24h dynamic blood pressure and pulse pressure(PP) in aged patients with essential hypertension.Methods:The characteristics of 24h dynamic blood pressure and PP were compared between aged group(n=65) and middle-aged group(n=32) by case control study.Results:The 24h average PP(APP),day PP(dPP),night PP(nPP) and hight systolic blood pressure(nSBP) were higher in aged group than those in middle-aged group(P0.01 all);24h average diastolic blood pressure(ADBP),day DBP(dDBP) and night DBP(nDBP) were lower in aged group than those in middle-aged group(P0.05 all).Conclusion:Compared with middle-aged patients,the dynamic DBP decreased and the dynamic PP increased in aged patients with essential hypertension.
Analysis on the Status of Personalized Information Service Based on the Bibliometrics

On the basis of Chinese Journal of Full-text,using the method of bibliometrics analyzed the papers of personalized information service in China,from the time distribution,spatial distribution,journal and authors distribution,and study,revealed its research status,summarized the research focus and forecasted its future trends of personalized information service by clustering analysis and visualization.
Emergent Task Allocation for Mobile Robots

Multi-robot systems require efficient and accurate planning in order to perform mission-critical tasks. However, algorithms that find the optimal solution are usually computationally expensive and may require a large number of messages between the robots as the robots need to be aware of the global spatiotemporal information. In this paper, we introduce an emergent task allocation approach for mobile robots. Each robot uses only the information obtained from its immediate neighbors in its decision. Our technique is general enough to be applicable to any task allocation scheme as long as a utilization criteria is given. We demonstrate that our approach performs similar to the integer linear programming technique which finds the global optimal solution at the fraction of its cost. The tasks we are interested in are detecting and controlling multiple regions of interest in an unknown environment in the presence of obstacles and intrinsic constraints. The objective function contains four basic requirements of a multi-robot system serving this purpose: control regions of interest, provide communication between robots, control maximum area and detect regions of interest. Our solution determines optimal locations of the robots to maximize the objective function for small problem instances while efficiently satisfying some constraints such as avoiding obstacles and staying within the speed capabilities of the robots, and finds an approximation to global optimal solution by correlating solutions of small problems.
Banks and Stocks: The Financial Industrial Complex

Money is the lubricant of any modern economy — too little, and the economy stalls, too much, and its prices overflow. A lack of money characterized America’s first three centuries. Coin was always scarce. Tobacco leaves and wampum during the early colonial era and banknotes during the early republican era were the primary mediums of exchange. Although “greenbacks” appeared briefly during the Civil War, the United States did not even have a standard national currency until the early twentieth century. All along, neither the government nor the banks could raise enough money to feed entrepreneurial demands. Uncertainty over unregulated financial markets undoubtedly led millions of Americans to squirrel away their savings in cookie jars rather than bank vaults. The scarce supply of finance kept interest rates high and borrowers limited. Entrepreneurs who hoped to build canals, railroads, or factories had to look abroad for much of their capital. Foreign investors tended to spirit their profits overseas rather than spend or save it within the United States, leaving America all the poorer.
Shame, Women, and Group Psychotherapy

This paper addresses gender-related experiences of shame, focusing on the shame-prone woman. Specifically the varied manifest behaviors, dynamics, and defenses commonly observed in shame-prone women are described. It is recommended that the addition of group therapy to individual treatment, once the client is ready, can expedite progress for these patients, as they are more able to integrate previously disowned and shamed aspects of themselves. A number of potential problems when working with these patients in group are identified and explored.
Aging Precursor Identification and Lifetime Estimation for Thermally Aged Discrete Package Silicon Power Switches

Thermal/power cycles are widely acknowledged methods to accelerate the package related failures. Many studies have focused on one particular aging precursor at a time and continuously monitored it using custom-built circuits. Due to the difficulties in taking sensitive measurements, the reported findings are more on the quantities requiring less sensitive measurements. In this paper, two custom-designed testbeds are used to age a number of power MOSFETs and insulated gate bipolar transistors. An automated curve tracer is utilized to capture parametric variations in I – V curves, parasitic capacitances, and gate charges at certain time intervals. The results suggest that the only viable aging precursors are the on-state voltage drop/on-state resistance, body diode voltage drop, parasitic capacitances, and gate threshold voltage for die attach solder and gate-oxide degradation mechanisms. Based on the experimental results, gate threshold voltage variation is empirically modeled to estimate the remaining useful lifetime of the switches experiencing gate oxide degradation. The model parameters are found by the least squares method applied to inliers determined by the random sample and consensus outlier removal algorithm.
The predictable influence of soil temperature and barometric pressure changes on vapor intrusion

Abstract Intrusion of volatile organic compounds in the gas phase has impacted many buildings in many different locations. Various building and environmental factors such as buoyancy of heated air and changes in barometric pressure can influence indoor air concentrations due to vapor intrusion in these buildings resulting in seasonal and daily variability. One environmental factor that previous research has not adequately addressed is soil temperature. In this study we present two northern region study sites where the seasonal trends in indoor air VOC concentrations positively correlate with soil temperature, and short-term (days) variations are associated with barometric pressure changes. We present simple and multivariate linear relationships of indoor air concentrations as a function of soil temperature and barometric pressure. Results from this study show that small changes in soil temperature can result in relatively large changes in indoor air VOC concentrations where the gas phase VOCs are sourced from non-aqueous phase liquids contained in the soil. We use the results from this study to show that a five degree Celsius increase in soil temperature, a variation in soil temperature that is possible in many climatic regions, results in a two-fold increase in indoor air VOC concentrations. Additionally, analysis provides insight into how building ventilation, diffusion, and the relative rate of soil-gas flow across the slab both from the subsurface into the building and from the building into the subsurface impact short term variations in concentrations. With these results we are able to provide monitoring recommendations for practitioners.
DataBasic: Design Principles, Tools and Activities for Data Literacy Learners

The growing number of tools for data novices are not designed with the goal of learning in mind. This paper proposes a set of pedagogical design principles for tool development to support data literacy learners. We document their use in the creation of three digital tools and activities that help learners build data literacy, showing design decisions driven by our pedagogy. Sketches students created during the activities reflect their adeptness with key data literacy skills. Based on early results, we suggest that tool designers and educators should orient their work from the outset around strong pedagogical principles.
On the mineralogy of the “Anthropocene Epoch”

The “Anthropocene Epoch” has been proposed as a new post-Holocene geological time interval—a period characterized by the pervasive impact of human activities on the geological record. Prior to the influence of human technologies, the diversity and distribution of minerals at or near Earth’s surface arose through physical, chemical, and/or biological processes. Since the advent of human mining and manufacturing, particularly since the industrial revolution of the mid-eighteenth century, mineral-like compounds have experienced a punctuation event in diversity and distribution owing to the pervasive impact of human activities. We catalog 208 mineral species approved by the International Mineralogical Association that occur principally or exclusively as a consequence of human processes. At least three types of human activities have affected the diversity and distribution of minerals and mineral-like compounds in ways that might be reflected in the worldwide stratigraphic record. The most obvious influence is the widespread occurrence of synthetic mineral-like compounds, some of which are manufactured directly for applications (e.g., YAG crystals for lasers; Portland cement) and others that arise indirectly (e.g., alteration of mine tunnel walls; weathering products of mine dumps and slag). A second human influence on the distribution of Earth’s near-surface minerals relates to large-scale movements of rocks and sediments—sites where large volumes of rocks and minerals have been removed. Finally, humans have become relentlessly efficient in redistributing select natural minerals, such as gemstones and fine mineral specimens, across the globe. All three influences are likely to be preserved as distinctive stratigraphic markers far into the future.