cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy-regenerative model predictive control

Abstract This paper presents some solution approaches to the problem of optimal energy-regenerative model predictive control for linear systems subject to stability and/or dissipativity constraints, as well as hard constraints on the state and control vectors. The problem is generally non-convex in the objective and some of the constraints, thereby resulting in a non-convex optimization problem to be solved at each time step. Multiple extended convex relaxation approaches are considered. As a result, a more conservative semi-definite programming problem is proposed to be solved at each time step. The feasibility and stability of the resulting closed-loop system are also examined. The approaches are validated using a numerical example of maximizing energy regeneration from a single degree of freedom vibrating system subject to a level-set constraint on some performance metric characterizing the quality of vibration isolation achieved by the system. The constraint is described in terms of an upper bound on the L 2 - gain of the system from the input to a vector of appropriately selected system outputs.
The Effects of Cyclic Imides on Lipid Absorption from the Intestine and on Bile Lipids and Bile Acids of Sprague Dawley Rats

The cyclic imides, o-(N-phthalimido)acetophenone, 2,3-dihydrophthazine-1,4-dione and N(4-methyl phenyl)diphenimide, were evaluated for their effects on bile lipids, bile acids, small intestinal absorption of cholesterol and cholic acid and liver and small intestinal enzyme activities involved in lipid metabolism. The agent at 20 mg/kg/day orally elevated rat bile excretion of lipids, e.g. cholesterol and phospholipids, and increased the bile flow rate. These agents altered the composition of the bile acids, but there was no significant increase in lithocholic acid which is most lithogenic in rats. The three agents did decrease cholesterol and cholic acid absorption from isolated in situ intestinal duodenum loops in the presence of drug. Hepatic and small intestinal mucosa enzyme activities, e.g. ATP-dependent citrate lyase, acyl CoA cholesterol acyl transferase, cholesterol-7-alpha hydroxylase, sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyl transferase, phosphatidylate phosphohydrolase, and lipoprotein lipase were reduced. However, the cyclic imides did not accelerate HMG-CoA reductase activity, the regulatory enzyme for cholesterol synthesis, in a manner which would accelerate biliary cholesterol excretion. There was no evidence of hepatic cell damage afforded by the drugs based on clinical chemistry values which would induce alterations in bile acid concentrations after treatment of the rat.
Continuous light paradoxically reduces catecholamine-induced melatonin production.

Abstract Exposure of rats to continuous light for 14 days reduced the stimulation of melatonin content in the pineal gland produced by either isoproterenol administration or exposure to darkness. Since continuous light has been reported to enhance many intermediate biochemical events leading to the synthesis of melatonin, these results demonstrate the importance of examining the end-product of an organ when evaluating the physiological significance of biochemical changes in model biological systems.
Toward an integrated design methodology for fault-tolerant, multiple clock/voltage integrated systems

This paper describes a communication-centric design methodology that addresses the fundamental challenges induced by the emergence of truly heterogeneous systems-on-chip (SoCs). For such systems, the globally asynchronous design paradigm seems to be the most promising (if not the only) solution for providing an underlying substrate for cost-effective and power efficient on-chip communication among diverse, mixed technology IPs. Additional challenges are related to reliability and error resilience of on-chip communication architectures. The proposed on-chip communication methodology targets all levels of abstraction, from circuit, to microarchitecture and system-level by seamlessly integrating solutions for robust and efficient globally asynchronous communication among diverse IPs.
Identifying patterns of adverse event reporting for four members of the angiotensin II receptor blockers class of drugs: revisiting the Weber effect.

Purpose To evaluate the evidence for temporal reporting patterns, such as the Weber effect, in spontaneous post-marketing adverse event (AE) reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for four members of the angiotensin II receptor blockers drug class (ARBs). Methods For losartan, valsartan, irbesartan, and candesartan, we evaluated temporal trends in reporting for the total number of AE reports, serious AE reports, and direct reports from consumers or health care providers (direct reports) to FDA. Reporting patterns were considered consistent with the Weber effect when the peak occurred 2 years after US marketing and the number of reports declined thereafter. We tabulated the number of reports by year since the first report. We adjusted the total number of reports, number of serious AE reports, and number of direct reports by the number of US dispensed prescriptions. Results There were no clear temporal reporting patterns for the total number of reports, direct reports, or serious AE reports. We observed a consistent trend for the adjusted number of direct and serious AE reports. The adjusted number was highest in the first year and continually decreased over time for all four ARBs. For the adjusted total number of reports, the decline was not constant over time. Conclusion A characteristic temporal pattern in the adjusted number of reports, in which the adjusted number was highest in the first year and declined thereafter, was identified. However, we did not observe a pattern consistent with the Weber effect for these four ARBs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Applied ergonomics: Determining user needs in medical device design

This paper describes methodology for determining user needs within the design process currently being used by the University of Cincinnati’s Medical Device Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program. Topics such as ethnography (user observation and interviews), task analysis, and human factors for product embodiment are discussed. Specific tools for data gathering, analysis and synthesis towards determining design considerations, requirements and specifications are defined.
Water Vapor Tracers as Diagnostics of the Regional Hydrologic Cycle

Numerous studies suggest that local feedback of evaporation on precipitation, or recycling, is a significant source of water for precipitation. Quantitative results on the exact amount of recycling have been difficult to obtain in view of the inherent limitations of diagnostic recycling calculations. The current study describes a calculation of the amount of local and remote sources of water for precipitation, based on the implementation of passive constituent tracers of water vapor (termed water vapor tracers, WVT) in a general circulation model. In this case, the major limitation on the accuracy of the recycling estimates is the veracity of the numerically simulated hydrological cycle, though we note that this approach can also be implemented within the context of a data assimilation system. In this approach, each WVT is associated with an evaporative source region, and tracks the water until it precipitates from the atmosphere. By assuming that the regional water is well mixed with water from other sources, the physical processes that act on the WVT are determined in proportion to those that act on the model's prognostic water vapor. In this way, the local and remote sources of water for precipitation can be computed within the model simulation, and can be validated against the model's prognostic water vapor. Furthermore, estimates of precipitation recycling can be compared with bulk diagnostic approaches. As a demonstration of the method, the regional hydrologic cycles for North America and India are evaluated for six summers (June, July and August) of model simulation. More than 50% of the precipitation in the Midwestern United States came from continental regional tracers, and the local source was the largest of the regional tracers (14%). The Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic 2 regions contributed 18% of the water for Midwestern precipitation, but further analysis suggests that the greater region of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean may also contribute significantly. In general, most North American land regions showed a positive correlation between evaporation and recycling ratio (except the Southeast United States) and negative correlations of recycling ratio with precipitation and moisture transport (except the Southwestern United States). The Midwestern local source is positively correlated with local evaporation, but it is not correlated with water vapor transport. This is contrary to bulk diagnostic estimates of precipitation recycling. In India, the local source of precipitation is a small percentage of the precipitation owing to the dominance of the atmospheric transport of oceanic water. The southern Indian Ocean provides a key source of water for both the Indian continent and the Sahelian region.
Natural History of Asymptomatic Mitral Valve Prolapse in the Community

Background— The outcome of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is controversial, with marked discrepancies in reported complication rates. Methods and Results— We conducted a community study of all Olmsted County, Minn, residents first diagnosed with asymptomatic MVP between 1989 and 1998 (N=833). Diagnosis, motivated by auscultatory findings (n=557) or incidental (n=276), was always confirmed by echocardiography with the use of current criteria. End points analyzed during 4581 person-years of follow-up were mortality (n=96, 19±2% at 10 years), cardiovascular morbidity (n=171), and MVP-related events (n=109, 20±2% at 10 years). The most frequent primary risk factors for cardiovascular mortality were mitral regurgitation from moderate to severe (P=0.002, n=131) and, less frequently, ejection fraction <50% (P=0.003, n=31). Secondary risk factors independently predictive of cardiovascular morbidity were slight mitral regurgitation, left atrium ≥40 mm, flail leaflet, atrial fibrillation, and age ≥50 years (all P<0.01...
Diphenylamine-induced renal papillary necrosis and necrosis of the pars recta in laboratory rodents

The nephrotoxicity of diphenylamine, the parent compound of the mefenamate family of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, was evaluated in male Syrian hamsters, male Sprague-Dawley rats, and male Mongolian gerbils. Total renal papillary necrosis was observed in four of ten, seven of ten, and six of ten male Syrian hamsters orally treated with diphenylamine at respective doses of 400 mg/kg body weight/day, 600 mg/kg body weight/day, and 800 mg/kg body weight/day. Total renal papillary necrosis was also observed in five of ten and four of ten male Syrian hamsters intraperitoneally treated with diphenylamine at respective doses of 600 mg/kg body weight/day and 800 mg/kg body weight/day. Focal intermediate renal papillary necrosis was induced in two hamsters orally given diphenylamine at 600 mg/kg body weight/day and in two of ten hamsters intraperitoneally given diphenylamine at 800 mg/kg body weight/day. Apex-limited necrosis of the medullary interstitial cells and vasa recta and degeneration of the renal interstitial matrix occurred in two Sprague-Dawley rats orally administered diphenylamine at 800 mg/kg body weight/day. Degeneration and necrosis of the pars recta was induced in seven of ten hamsters intraperitoneally given diphenylamine at 400 mg/kg body weight/day. Gross and microscopic renal lesions were not observed in any Mongolian gerbils. It was concluded that the Syrian hamster is more susceptible to the papillotoxic effects of diphenylamine than the Sprague-Dawley rat and the Mongolian gerbil. Renal papillary necrosis in the Syrian hamster treated orally with diphenylamine is reproducible, is of short onset, and is induced in a high proportion of the hamsters (70-90%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Biomedicalization of Cardiac Risk

Every body within a population is at risk to a certain extent at all times, however the elderly are the most at risk of death and physical ailments. In particular, older individuals are more likely to have a stroke, which means their risk of having a stroke is higher also. Cardiac risk treatment entails the same invasive procedures as emergency treatment, which relies on "ironic technology" to intervene with biological processes to prolong life (Kaufman 2010). By preventing the risk of sudden death, devices such as the implantable cardioverter defribrillator (ICD) prolong the total process of dying (Kaufman 2010). While cardiac problems have been treated medically for decades, the notion of cardiac risk has become biomedicalized as a technologically treatable phenomenon. For the 85+ population, biomedicalization of cardiac risk involves negotiating the value of a longer life at the expense of a particular identity. When patients elect to implant an ICD, the biomedical device becomes a form of self surveillance; but goes further than structuring healthy behavior by physically regulating a biological process. An international biomedical corporation, Biotronik, has developed an ICD that is remotely monitored. This innovation is celebrated because of the ways in which cardiac risk has been biomedicalized, and is worth examining because of its implications for the 6.6 million people that will be over the age of 85 in 2020. This paper intends to dissect the biomedical industry of risk and posit a new understanding of health technologies.
Roles of Glia Limitans Astrocytes and Carbon Monoxide in Adenosine Diphosphate-Induced Pial Arteriolar Dilation in Newborn Pigs

Background and Purpose— Astrocytes, neurons, and microvessels together form a neurovascular unit allowing blood flow to match neuronal activity. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) is an important signaling molecule in the brain, and dilation in response to ADP is astrocyte-dependent in rats and newborn pigs. Carbon monoxide (CO), produced endogenously by catabolism of heme to CO, iron, and biliverdin via heme oxygenase, is an important cell-signaling molecule in the neonatal cerebral circulation. We hypothesize ADP stimulates CO production by glia limitans astrocytes and that this CO causes pial arteriolar dilation. Methods— Experiments were performed using anesthetized piglet with closed cranial windows, and freshly isolated piglet astrocytes and microvessels. Astrocyte injury was caused by topical application of L-2-alpha aminoadipic acid (2 mmol/L, 5 hours). Cerebrospinal fluid was collected from under the cranial windows for measurement of ADP-stimulated CO production. CO was measured by gas chromatography-m...
Risk and return: The case of merging firms

Abstract This study examines the market for acquisitions and the impact of mergers on the returns to the stockholders of the constituent firms. While employing the two-factor market model as recently developed and applied by Black-Jensen-Scholes and Fama-MacBeth, this study also considers changes in risk in analyzing the impact of mergers on stock prices. The results of the study are consistent with the hypothesis that the market for acquisitions is perfectly competitive and with the hypothesis that information regarding mergers is efficiently incorporated in the stock prices. Stockholders of acquiring firms seem to earn normal returns from mergers as from other investment-production activities with commensurate risk levels. Stockholders of acquired firms earn abnormal returns of approximately 14%, on the average, in the seven months preceding the merger.
Student Use of Library Computers: Are Desktop Computers Still Relevant in Today's Libraries?

Academic libraries have traditionally provided computers for students to access their collections and, more recently, facilitate all aspects of studying. Recent changes in technology, particularly the increased presence of mobile devices, calls into question how libraries can best provide technology support and how it might impact the use of other library services. A two-year study conducted at California State University San Marcos library analyzed student use of the computers in the library, both the library’s own desktop computers and laptops owned by students. The results found that, despite the increased ownership of mobile technology by students, they still clearly preferred to use desktop computers in the library. It also showed that students who used computers in the library were more likely to use other library services and physical collections.
Perception of exertion and attention allocation as a function of visual and auditory conditions.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to test the role of auditory (e.g., music) and visual sensory modalities on perceived levels of exertion and attention processes across a 30% dynamometer-squeezing task. The study explored the dynamics embedded within the automated nature of the association– dissociation shift process. Method: Sixty young adults (33 male and 27 female; Mage ¼ 22.21 yrs, SD ¼ 3.49) were recruited to perform a handgrip-squeezing task. They were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 15 participants. After establishing the maximal squeezing value they performed 30% max squeezing-task under one of four assigned condition: full vision and preferred music, full vision and no music, blindfolded and preferred music, and blindfolded and no music until volitional fatigue. Rate of perceived exertion and attention strategies were administered at 30 s intervals. Results: A set of Repeated Measures ANOVAs indicated an additive effect of visual and auditory cues on the perception of exertion, and the dynamic pattern of attention shift. Participants who were given both forms of sensory information remained in a dissociative strategy for a significantly longer duration than participants in all other conditions. Conclusions: Several sensory modalities are required to affect perceived exertion and attention allocation while engaging in demanding workload. External stimuli may serve as mediating agents in diverting attention away from internal and painful stimuli. This distraction may likely contribute to the pleasantness of the exercise experience, ultimately leading to increased exercise participation and reduced dropout rates. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Natural Law - A Libertarian View

What follows from the following two propositions? Legal positivism views law as a command writ large. The commander is the person or group with the most power. Answer: this pernicious mind-set is responsible for our abandonment of personal liberty. For there can be no limit to the imagination and will power of the commander. The plenary jurisdiction of the commander paves the way for Big Government to move in and regulate every aspect of our lives and our privacy. The world wasn't always like this. Prior to the servility that positivism has induced, there was a now-forgotten secular natural law that was inherently limited to the needs of society and had no power beyond the outer edge of a person's zone of privacy.
The Epidemiology of Female Rape Victims Who Seek Immediate Medical Care: Temporal Trends in the Incidence of Sexual Assault and Acquaintance Rape

Women who seek medical care following sexual assault are usually evaluated and treated in an emergency department (ED). Therefore, EDs can be an important source of sexual assault surveillance data. The authors compared the incidence of sexual assault presenting for emergency care in a single county during July to November of 1974 and 1991. Participants included all female sexual assault victims aged 14 and older who presented for ED evaluation. Treating physicians prospectively collected data using standardized forms. The z statistic was used to compare sexual assault incidence. There was a 60% increase in the incidence of sexual assault victims presenting for emergency care in 1991 compared to 1974, primarily due to an increase in the incidence of women presenting to the ED after rapes by known assailants. In contrast, the annual incidence of reported stranger assaults was similar in the two study years.
On the completion of qualitative possibility measures

A relational description of a possibility introduced by D. Dubois and H. Prade in their 1988 book, called a qualitative possibility measure, is discussed. Among the requirements of these kinds of relationships is that they be complete. The focus is on the issue of completing these relationships. A measure associated with weak orderings, called buoyancy, is introduced. The principle of maximal buoyancy is suggested as a means for completion. The connection between the principle of maximal buoyancy and the principle of minimal specificity is shown. A special family of buoyancy measures, called BADD buoyancies, is also introduced that have the properties of entropy measures when the aggregates are restricted to be a probability distribution. >
Cyclin Aggregation and Robustness of Bio-switching

During the cell cycle, Cdc2-cyclin B kinase abruptly becomes active and triggers the entry into mitosis/meiosis. Recently, it was found that inactive Cdc2-cyclin B is present in aggregates in immature starfish oocytes and becomes disaggregated at the time of its activation during maturation. We discuss a possible scenario in which aggregation of Cdc2-cyclin B dramatically enhances robustness of this activation. In this scenario, only inactive Cdc2-cyclin B can form aggregates, and the aggregates are in equilibrium with inactive Cdc2-cyclin B in solution. During maturation, the hormone-triggered inactivation of Myt1 depletes the soluble inactive Cdc2-cyclin B and the turnover leads to dissolution of the aggregates. This phase change, when coupled with the instability of the signaling network, provides a robust bio-switch.
Performance of Transgenic Corn Hybrids in Missouri for Insect Control and Yield

The efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis-transformed corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids compared with comparable nontransformed corn hybrids for controlling first- and second-generation European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), and second-generation southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, was determined. Yield comparisons were obtained from the same plots of corn hybrids. Both generations of European and the second-generation of southwestern corn borer were effectively controlled, but the Bt hybrids varied in degree of control. Hybrids from Ciba Seeds, DEKALB, and Mycogen had more European corn borer tunneling than those from Novartis or Cargill, and this was generally ascribed to different transgenic events. The Bt-transformed hybrids had virtually no leaf-feeding damage and less tunneling than the non-Bt corn hybrids. Some Bt corn hybrids had no tunneling, whereas other Bt hybrids had a small amount of tunneling. All of the non-Bt hybrids had significant leaf-feeding damage and stalk tunneling from both insects. Only three live European corn borer larvae (stunted) were found in the Bt corn hybrids while splitting stalks to assess tunnel length. When insect damage was significant, and in some evaluations where damage was not significant, differences in yields among hybrids were observed. No significant insect population differences were observed for five genera of beneficial insects for Bt versus non-Bt corn hybrids. Corn hybrids that have been transformed with the Bt gene provide an effective means of control for corn borers and efforts to reduce the likelihood of development of borer resistance are warranted.
Chitosan hydrogels significantly limit left ventricular infarction and remodeling and preserve myocardial contractility.

Abstract Background Left ventricular myocardial infarctions (MIs) consist of a central area of myocardial necrosis that is surrounded by areas of myocardial injury and ischemia. We hypothesized that chitosan hydrogels, when injected around the perimeter of MIs in rats, could decrease left ventricle (LV) wall stress by the Law of LaPlace, and therefore myocardial oxygen requirements, and prevent the ischemic and injured myocardium from becoming necrotic. In this manner, chitosan gels could limit LV infraction size and LV remodeling. Chitosan hydrogels are liquid at 25°C but gel at 37°C. Methods Seventy Sprague–Dawley rats with ligation of the left coronary artery were treated with either Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) or chitosan hydrogel in DMEM, which was injected around the infarct perimeter. Echocardiograms were obtained before MI and at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 wk after MI. Hearts from randomly selected rats were harvested at baseline and at the time of echocardiography for determinations of LV infarct size, remodeling, and histopathology. Results Infarct sizes as a percentage of the total ventricular myocardium in the DMEM group averaged 17% versus 14% in the chitosan group at 4 wk (P Conclusions Chitosan gel can increase LV myocardial wall thickness, decrease infarct size and LV remodeling, and preserve LV contractility.
Crude Oil Supply and Demand

The industrial world economies run on oil. When will the supply of crude oil run out? How will markets react as evidence ultimately appears in the form of rising oil prices that world crude oil reserves and resources are in a persistent decline phase? How will ultimately declining oil supplies affect the United States, and sub-regions including the West Coast and California? These are the questions to be addressed in this chapter.
Book Review, Ellen Holmes Pearson, Remaking Custom: Law and Identity in the Early American Republic (2011)

Book review of Ellen Holmes Pearson, Remaking Custom: Law and Identity in the Early American Republic (2011).
Mite specific IgE levels of asthmatic children in Zhengzhou, China

Abstract The prevalence of pediatric asthma in Zhengzhou District, China, was investigated by detecting serum mite specific IgE in patients. Blood samples collected from asthmatic children and non-asthmatic controls were analyzed for serum mite (Dermatophagoides farinae, Df) specific IgE (sIgE) levels by the UniCAP system. A total of 573 asthmatic children and 300 normal controls aged from 2 months to 13 years were recruited for this experiment. The positive rates of serum Df sIgE for three age groups of ∼3, ∼7, and ∼13-years were 31.4%, 63.7%, and 85.8%, respectively, and the total positive rate averaged 61.6%. In contrast, the total positive rate in non-asthmatic children was only 13.7% (P<0.01). The positive rates and levels of mite Df sIgE increased, but the frequency of higher Df sIgE levels decreased significantly with age in asthmatic children in Zhengzhou (P<0.005).
SOX Generated Changes in Board Composition: Have They Impacted Dividend Payouts?

The way management handles their firm’s free cash flows (FCF) has been an issue, because it is difficult to determine whether management works for their own or for their shareholder’s benefit. Boards of directors control dividend payout decisions. This article examines whether the 2002 legal response to financial reporting scandals was relevant to dividend payouts. This question is investigated by noting that some firms had already introduced the use of independent directors and fully independent committees prior to their being made compulsory in 2002. The results obtained reveal that there is a significant positive relationship between firms that were compelled by law to change their boards and increases in both their dividend payout ratios and their dividend yields, when compared to firms that had pre-adopted these board composition requirements
Electoral Competition and Political Corruption

In this project, we examine the effects of electoral competition on political corruption. Specifically, we propose that electoral competition may facilitate some types of corruption, while mitigating others. We argue pressures of competitive elections may increase incentives for candidates and their supporters to violate laws that regulate the conduct of elections. We will examine if â€œelection crimesâ€? (defined by the DOJ as voter fraud and campaign finance violations) are more likely in competitive electoral settings. To examine this relationship we rely on data culled from the Department of Justice, Federal Elections Commission, and the Census Bureau. Specifically, we use information compiled by the Department of Justiceâ€™s (DOJ) Public Integrity Section regarding federal prosecutions of elected officials, Federal Elections Commission data on electoral competition in the setting where the official broke the law, and census data regarding demographics of the setting. The project will advance extant scholarship by linking data on several years of federal prosecutions to the electoral context of the violation.
orthodenticle activity is required for the development of medial structures in the larval and adult epidermis of Drosophila

Lethal alleles of orthodenticle (= otd) cause abnormalities in the embryonic head that reflect an early role in anterior pattern formation. In addition, otd activity is required for the development of the larval and adult epidermis. Clonal analysis of both viable and lethal alleles shows that the adult requirement for otd is restricted to medial regions of certain discs. When otd activity is reduced or removed, some medial precursor cells produce bristles and cuticle characteristic of more lateral structures. Similar medial defects are observed in the larval epidermis of embryos homozygous for lethal otd alleles. Antibodies to otd recognize a nuclear protein found at high levels in the medial region of the eye antennal discs, the leg discs, the genital discs and along the ventral midline of the ventral epidermis of the embryo. These results suggest that the otd gene product is required to specify medial cell fates in both the larval and adult epidermis.
Toward a semantic stability index (SSI) via a preliminary exploration of translation looping

This poster proposes the novel idea of semantic stability and hypothesizes that the relative stability of words, as they undergo algorithmic manipulations, can be measured. It attempts to move toward a proof-of-concept for measuring the relative stability of words, by putting forward a preliminary Semantic Stability Index (SSI) and speculates upon the potentials, next steps, and future directions of such an approach.
Motivational Interviewing: Creating a Leadership Role for Social Work in the Era of Healthcare Reform

To better address the needs of individuals with a range of complex health conditions, the Affordable Care Act has shifted the focus from acute care to prevention through behavior change and promoted the integration of physical and behavioral healthcare systems. Central to healthcare reform is delivering person-centered care, which means actively engaging people in their treatment decisions and managing their wellness. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is perhaps the most widely used intervention to promote behavior change. Although MI is utilized across most health disciplines, social workers are uniquely positioned to lead dissemination and on-going training efforts in this area.
Language policies and voter turnout - evidence from South Africa

While many studies have probed the relationship between ethnic diversity and voter turnout, few have examined how voter turnout might be influenced by state policies that afford ethnic groups differing levels of official recognition. This study draws on theories at the intersection of political science and sociolinguistics, to develop and test an argument about the effect that language recognition practices in multilingual democratic societies have on voter turnout. Using data from South Africa, the study finds evidence that inclusive language recognition is linked to higher turnout rates for targeted groups. The study utilises aggregate data collected at ward level, but assesses the results in a preliminary fashion with individual-level data from Afrobarometer.
Oriented multiphase needles in garnet from ultrahigh-temperature granulites, Connecticut, U.S.A.

This study investigates distinctive oriented, needle-shaped multiphase inclusions found within cores of garnets from felsic granulites of the Upper Member of the Bigelow Brook Formation and the Brimfield Schist (northeastern Connecticut, U.S.A.). The rocks crop out in the southern end of the Central Maine Terrane and thus are a part of the Acadian/Neoacadian Orogen. The typical mineral assemblage is garnet + sillimanite + K-feldspar + plagioclase + quartz + cordierite + biotite ± spinel. The sillimanite is commonly pseudomorphous after kyanite. The multiphase needle inclusions and associated exsolved needles of rutile and ilmenite are mostly oriented parallel to of garnet. The multiphase needles contain various combinations of quartz, micas, chlorite, rutile, graphite, a siliceous compositionally variable phase (“Phase-CV”), Zn-spinel, apatite, zircon, and rare ilmenite. We hypothesize that they represent inclusions of fluid that adhered to exsolving Ti±Fe oxide needles (mostly rutile) or extended along zones of weakness in garnet. This requires that multiphase needle formation occurred in response to cooling and/or decompression. The needles ultimately decrepitated during retrogression. We note that micaceous needle-shaped multiphase inclusions are rarely described; the closest analogs of which we are aware are found in UHP garnets of the Erzgebirge (Perchuk 2008). The Brimfield Schist in this area underwent ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism (UHTM) of ~1000 °C at a minimum pressure of ~1 GPa (Ague et al. 2013). Here we provide new temperature estimates for the adjacent Upper Member of the Bigelow Brook Formation. Ternary feldspar reintegration using the activity model of Benisek et al. (2004) and Zr-in-rutile thermometry (Tomkins et al. 2007) give average temperatures of ~990 and ~1010 °C, respectively, at 1 GPa for this unit. Therefore, the recently discovered UHT zone in the Brimfield Schist of northeastern Connecticut extends to the east to include the Upper Member of the Bigelow Brook Formation. Consequently, the first confirmed regional UHT locality in the United States is larger than initially recognized, and is at least 25 km long and 5–10 km wide. The oriented, elongate multiphase inclusions and petrographically obvious oriented Ti±Fe oxide needles may be useful indicators of extreme temperature and/or pressure rocks in other field areas.
Origin of stationary domain wall enhanced ferroelectric susceptibility

Ferroelectrics usually adopt a multidomain state with domain walls separating domains with polarization axes oriented differently. It has long been recognized that domain walls can dramatically impact the properties of ferroelectric materials. The enhancement of low-field susceptibility/permittivity under subswitching conditions is usually attributed to reversible domain wall vibration. Recent experiments highlight the stationary domain wall contribution to the dielectric susceptibility irrespective of any lateral displacements or deformations of the wall. We study the effects of domain walls on the low-field permittivity of ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}$ with density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations. The static dielectric constant is calculated as a function of increasing domain wall density and temperature. We find an increase of dielectric permittivity with increasing domain wall density, which is expected to occur at a low driving field where the lateral motion of domain walls is forbidden. Real-space decomposition of the dielectric response reveals that frustrated dipoles within the finite width of the domain walls are responsible for the enhanced low-field permittivity. We explain the $100%$ enhancement of the dielectric susceptibility form domain walls, which arises from the softer potential wells within them.
Origin of pKa Shifts of Internal Lysine Residues in SNase Studied Via Equal-Molar VMMS Simulations in Explicit Water.

Protein internal ionizable groups can exhibit large shifts in pKa values. Although the environment and interaction changes have been extensively studied both experimentally and computationally, direct calculation of pKa values of these internal ionizable groups in explicit water is challenging due to energy barriers in solvent interaction and in conformational transition. The virtual mixture of multiple states (VMMS) method is a new approach designed to study chemical state equilibrium. This method constructs a virtual mixture of multiple chemical states in order to sample the conformational space of all states simultaneously and to avoid crossing energy barriers related to state transition. By applying VMMS to 25 variants of staphylococcal nuclease with lysine residues at internal positions, we obtained the pKa values of these lysine residues and investigated the physics underlining the pKa shifts. Our calculation results agree reasonably well with experimental measurements, validating the VMMS method fo...
The Immunology of Behavior-Exploring the Role of the Immune System in Brain Health and Illness.

The Immunology of Behavior—Exploring the Role of the Immune System in Brain Health and Illness
Sticky Wage Models with a Pro-Cyclical Real Wage

It is generally believed that the sticky wage model implies a counter-cyclical real wage and evidence of a pro-cyclical real wage has been interpreted as an “unsatisfactory feature of the sticky wage model.” (Shapiro, 1987). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a fallacy in this interpretation. Specifically, it is shown that the sticky wage model is consistent with a pro-cyclical real wage if the wage elasticity of labor supply to an individual firm is finite.
Starting Point and Engaging Background

This essay is an inquiry into the philosophical concern with truth in view of its three major distinct but related dimensions and their relations: i.e., the metaphysical dimension concerning the nature of (non-linguistic) truth, the explanatory-role dimension concerning the explanatory role of the notion of truth, and the linguistic dimension concerning the linguistic functions of the truth predicate. I intend to suggest an account of truth, substantive perspectivism, which attempts to capture our basic pre-theoretic understanding of non-linguistic truth and provides an explanation of the nature of truth, the linguistic functions of the truth predicate, the explanatory role of the concept of truth, and how they are related.
Perceived family impact of volunteering among reintegrating Post-9/11 veterans.

Family issues are common among returned post-9/11 Veterans. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression are each independently related to divorce whereas community ties and social support are protective factors for the family during reintegration. Evidence from elders on the benefits of one intervention, community volunteering, may indicate “spillover effects” of these benefits into the family. Few measures exist to assess the impact of military Veteran volunteering on the family. The authors report (1) an adaption of a benefits measure from elders to Veterans, (2) its preliminary reliability and validity, and (3) differences among subgroups. Reintegrating post-9/11 Veterans (N = 346) who completed a 6-month, stipended volunteer program were surveyed. Perceived impact of volunteering on the family was assessed after completion of the program using an 11-item self-report measure. Rank-based nonparametric tests were used to detect significant differences among...
A retrospective analysis on patients at high-risk for obstructive sleep apnea undergoing ear, nose, and throat surgeries.

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be related to episodes of oxygen de-saturation, hypercapnia, cardiovascular dysfunction, cor-pulmonale, and pulmonary hypertension. STOP-BANG is an acronym for eight specific questions used to assess the likelihood of OSA. If the individual exhibits three or more of these indicators, he/she should be considered to be at high risk for OSA complications. Therefore, the decision of proceeding with inpatient versus outpatient ENT surgery still remains controversial. The primary objective of the study was to identify and correlate desaturation (SPO2 <90%) episodes and risk factors. Methods We conducted a single-center retrospective study between October 1, 2011 and August 31, 2014 in order to identify postoperative complications during the first 24 hours that justify postoperative monitoring and hospital admission. A total of 292 subjects were included for data analysis. Patients were divided into two groups based on the number of OSA risk factors: group A with 3-4 risk factors (n = 166), and group B with ≥5 risk factors (n = 126). The following information was collected: demographics, ASA, preoperative STOP-BANG score, length of surgery, intraoperative complications, opioid consumption, post anesthesia care unit (PACU) and overall length of stay, supplemental oxygen requirement, oxygen desaturation, and postoperative opioid consumption. Results No statistically significant difference was found when comparing demographic variables between both groups. All STOP-BANG variables showed statistical significance. PACU and inpatient variables were similar among both groups, with the exception of length of hospital stay (longer stay in group B when compared to group A [p = 0.003]). Desaturation differences between both groups during PACU were statistically significant (p = 0.008). A post-hoc analysis showed a 0% incidence of overall desaturation in the group with three STOP-BANG indicators. Conclusions Our retrospective analysis concluded that patients diagnosed with three STOP-BANG risk factors did not experience postoperative complications and hospital admission was not justified. Level of Evidence 4.
Effectiveness of a patient education plan on knowledge of post-op venous thromboembolism survival skills

Aims and objectives To investigate the effectiveness of a multimethod venous thromboembolism prevention patient education plan on participants' knowledge retention. Background A potential complication of surgery requiring general anaesthesia, worldwide, is the development of life-threatening venous thromboembolism. Patients need education on preventing, recognising and immediately responding to a suspected thromboembolism. Written instructional materials given to patients at discharge may be inadequate. Design A randomised controlled trial. Methods Setting was multiple general surgery units at a large Midwestern United States academic medical centre. Sample included patients recovering from surgery with general anaesthesia: (N = 66), 68% female, 34 = experimental, 32 = usual care. Prior to discharge, participants in the experimental group were given a multimethod venous thromboembolism prevention education plan including a video, pamphlet and verbal instruction; control group received usual instructional pamphlet. Both groups received a knowledge test immediately before instruction. Two weeks following discharge, a phone call was made to participants to complete the postinstruction test. The relevant EQUATOR guideline, CONSORT checklist, was used for reporting this study. Conclusions There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, race, length of stay, surgery and history of venous thromboembolism among participants and group or test score results. No statistically significant difference in postinstruction score was found between groups. However, there was a trend in greater perception of importance in all groups and higher knowledge scores in the experimental group, with the percentage of participants in the experimental group answering all questions correctly rising from 38.2% correct to 73.5% correct. Relevance to clinical practice Teaching patients the importance of knowing venous thromboembolism signs and preventive/survival skills is potentially life-saving and nurses must know the importance of using the most effective methods for the learning needs of their patients. Further research including different education methods and testing is suggested.
Liberating Consequences of Creative Work: How Creative Outlets Lift the Physical Burden of Secrecy (WITHDRAWN)

A newly emerging stream of research suggests creativity can be fruitfully explored, not as an outcome variable, but as a contributor to the general cognitive and behavioral responding of the indivi...
Discourse Parsing, Automatic

A discourse parser takes as input a sequence of sentences, i.e., a text, and automatically derives its discourse structure representation. This article reviews the state of the art in the area of automatic discourse parsing by discussing the most influential discourse representations in the field; the sources of knowledge that are used to infer discourse relations, a core ingredient of most discourse representations; the algorithms used for discourse relation and discourse structure derivation; and the public resources and software that facilitate research in this area.
Topology optimization with supershapes

This work presents a method for the continuum-based topology optimization of structures whereby the structure is represented by the union of supershapes. Supershapes are an extension of superellipses that can exhibit variable symmetry as well as asymmetry and that can describe through a single equation, the so-called superformula, a wide variety of shapes, including geometric primitives. As demonstrated by the author and his collaborators and by others in previous work, the availability of a feature-based description of the geometry opens the possibility to impose geometric constraints that are otherwise difficult to impose in density-based or level set-based approaches. Moreover, such description lends itself to direct translation to computer aided design systems. This work is an extension of the author’s group previous work, where it was desired for the discrete geometric elements that describe the structure to have a fixed shape (but variable dimensions) in order to design structures made of stock material, such as bars and plates. The use of supershapes provides a more general geometry description that, using a single formulation, can render a structure made exclusively of the union of geometric primitives. It is also desirable to retain hallmark advantages of existing methods, namely the ability to employ a fixed grid for the analysis to circumvent re-meshing and the availability of sensitivities to use robust and efficient gradient-based optimization methods. The conduit between the geometric representation of the supershapes and the fixed analysis discretization is, as in previous work, a differentiable geometry projection that maps the supershapes parameters onto a density field. The proposed approach is demonstrated on classical problems of 2-dimensional compliance-based topology optimization.
Preparation and Characterization of Isolated Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Their Use in Studying Intestinal Transport

Progress in our understanding of the nature of biological transport systems characteristic of intestinal tissue has been closely paralleled by the development of methods which allow various aspects of transport to be evaluated. Indeed, the rate of growth in our understanding of intestinal transport is to a high degree determined by the rate of development of innovative techniques coupled with ever-growing bodies of knowledge in biochemistry, physiology, and related biological disciplines. Any historical overview of a basic science will reflect the quantum leaps in understanding which are in part produced by innovations in methodology and are in part the driving force for further innovation. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but invention is both the mother and daughter of basic research.