cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health diagnostics with unexampled faulty states using a two-fold classification method

System health diagnostics provides diversified benefits such as improved safety, improved reliability and reduced costs for the operation and maintenance of engineered systems. Successful health diagnostics requires the knowledge of system failures. However, with an increasing complexity it is extraordinarily difficult to have a well-tested system so that all potential faulty states can be realized and studied at product testing stage. Thus, real time health diagnostics requires automatic detection of unexampled faulty states through the sensory signals to avoid sudden catastrophic system failures. This paper presents a hybrid inference approach (HIA) for structural health diagnosis with unexampled faulty states, which employs a two-fold inference process comprising of preliminary statistical learning based anomaly detection and artificial intelligence based health state classification for real time condition monitoring. The HIA is able to identify and isolate the unexampled faulty states through interactively detecting the deviation of sensory data from the known health states and forming new health states autonomously. The proposed approach takes the advantages of both statistical approaches and artificial intelligence based techniques and integrates them together in a unified diagnosis framework. The performance of proposed HIA is demonstrated with a power transformer and roller bearing health diagnosis case studies, where Mahalanobis distance serves as a representative statistical inference approach.
Vacancy charging on Si(100)-(2×1): Consequences for surface diffusion and STM imaging

The present work investigates the structure and energetics of charged vacancies on Si(100)-(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1) by calculations using density functional theory. The calculations predict multiple stable charge states for all vacancy structures investigated, although the neutral state is most stable for typical Si(100) surfaces. The multiplicity of possible states lends significant support to a hypothesized mechanism for nonthermal illumination influences on surface diffusion. The calculations also show that the +1 state of the upper dimer monovacancy is destabilized by structural relaxations, leading to negative-U properties. Implications of this work for possible artifacts in imaging by scanning tunneling microscopy are discussed.
Reversible Aggregation of α-Gliadin to Fibrils

Acetic-acid (0.01 molar) extracts of wheat flour contain fibrils of alpha-gliadin which are about 80 angstroms thick and up to several thousand angstroms long. These fibrils dissociate to globular protein subunits at very low ionic strength and low pH. The fibrils can be reformed by increasing the pH to 5.1 and the ionic strength to about 0.005.
CD40L is necessary for the priming of effector cells for lymphocytic and granulomatous experimental autoimmune thyroiditis.

The interaction of CD40 on antigen presenting cells (APC) with CD40L on mouse thyroglobulin (MTg)-specific T cells may deliver an essential signal for the development of CD4(+) experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) effector cells and anti-MTg producing B cells. To determine the requirement for CD40-CD40L interactions in G-EAT, donor mice were injected with an anti-CD40L monoclonal antibody (mAb) on days -1, 0, and +1 relative to immunization with MTg and adjuvant. Recipients of spleen cells from MTg-primed donor mice injected with anti-CD40L did not develop EAT, while spleen cells from similarly immunized hamster Ig-treated donors transferred severe G-EAT. Although the decreased EAT severity was accompanied by increased IL-4 mRNA expression by CD4(+) T cells from anti-CD40L-treated donors, the increased IL-4 was not necessary for suppression of EAT, since anti-CD40L treatment prevented EAT in IL-4-deficient mice. Addition of MTg-primed B cells during in vitro activation of spleen cells from anti-CD40L-treated donors did not induce EAT in recipients, suggesting that anti-CD40L suppresses EAT by preventing the sensitization of EAT effector cells. Addition of anti-CD40L during in vitro activation of MTg-primed spleen cells or treatment of recipients with anti-CD40L had no effect on EAT severity, indicating that CD40-CD40L interactions are not required after EAT effector cells are primed to MTg.
Terahertz Characterization of Dielectric Substrates for Component Design and Nondestructive Evaluation of Packages

In this paper, terahertz (THz) characterization of dielectric substrates, THz planar and quasi-optical components, THz probing of planar devices, and THz nondestructive evaluation (NDE) are demonstrated. In particular, the goals of this paper are: 1) characterization of dielectric substrates for THz packaging applications; 2) design, fabrication, and evaluation of THz components built using some of these dielectric substrates; and 3) the use of the dielectric characterization approach and dielectric properties in NDE of electronic packages. The background theory for characterizing dielectric substrates using THz time-domain signals is provided. The Nelder and Mead modified simplex optimization algorithm is utilized in order to extract the dielectric properties of different packaging materials encompassing organic, inorganic, and composite materials. A planar THz power splitter, a dielectric probe, and a low-cost polymer-based quasi-optical band-stop interference filter are demonstrated. THz NDE of electronics packages is demonstrated for packaging delamination and moisture ingression in dielectric films.
Mild trimethylaminuria caused by common variants in FM03 gene

Summary Mild to transient trimethylaminuria is caused by common variants in the FM03 gene leading to greatly reduced enzyme activity in vivo. FM03 deficiency may have clinical relevance well beyond unpleasant body odour.
Spatial and temporal variability of plant-available water in calcium carbonate-cemented soils and consequences for arid ecosystem resilience

Increased variability in precipitation, including frequency of drought, is predicted for many arid and semiarid regions globally. The ability of soils to retain water can increase resilience by buffering vegetation communities against precipitation extremes. Little is known, however, about water retention by carbonate- cemented soil horizons, which occur extensively in arid and semiarid ecosystems. It has been speculated that they may significantly modify vertical and temporal distribu- tion of plant-available water (PAW). To investigate this hypothesis, PAW was monitored at three sites in a mixed shrub-grass community in southern New Mexico, USA, across soils with differing degrees of carbonate horizon development: no carbonate horizon, a horizon partially cemented with carbonates (calcic), and a horizon contin- uously cemented with carbonates (petrocalcic). Results are presented from 3 years that included extremely dry and wet periods. Both carbonate-cemented horizons absorbed and retained significantly greater amounts of PAW for several months following an extremely wet winter and summer compared to the non-carbonate soil. Following a wet summer, continuously cemented horizons retained very high PAW (16-18% volumetric or *72-80% of soil water holding capacity) through early spring of the fol- lowing year, more than double the PAW retained by similar depths in the non-carbonate soil. Drying dynamics indicate both carbonate-cemented horizons release stored water into the grass rooting zone during growing seasons following extreme wet events. Water dynamics of these horizons during extreme events provide a mechanism to explain previous observations that perennial grasses exhibit greater resilience to drought when carbonate- cemented horizons occur at shallow depths (\50 cm). Water holding capacity of the entire profile, including horizons cemented with carbonates, should be considered when evaluating the potential resilience of vegetation communities to disturbance, including the increased vari- ability in precipitation expected to occur as a result of global climate change.
Ultrasonic Velocity and Attenuation in Alkali Halides Containing CN- I. Experimental Results

The ultrasonic velocity and attenuation were measured in KCl, KBr, KI, and NaCl containing CN− as a function of acoustic mode, temperature, concentration, frequency, plastic deformation, and static bias stress. The results are not compatible with stress ordering of an elastic dipole tensor represented by an ellipsoid of rotation with CN− axes having 〈100〉 equilibrium positions, as had been inferred from other measurements. A thermally activated relaxation peak was observed for a CN− dimer with a barrier height of 0.008 eV. In NaCl the CN− reorients by thermal activation over a 0.035 eV barrier as opposed to the tunneling in the potassium halides. Die Ultraschallgeschwindigkeit und -dampfung in CN−-dotiertem KCl, KBr, KJ und NaCl wurden als Funktion des Wellentyps, der Temperatur, Konzentration, Frequenz, plastischen Verformung und Vorspannung gemessen. Die Resultate konnen nicht mittels rotationssymmetrischer Dipoltensoren mit der CN−-Achse in einer der 〈100〉-Gleichgewichtslagen erklart werden. Ein thermisch aktiviertes Relaxationsmaximum wurde fur ein CN−-Doppelion mit einer Aktivierungsenergie von 0,008 eV gefunden. In NaCl orientiert sich das CN− mittels thermischer Aktivierung im Gegensatz zum Tunneln in den Kaliumhalogeniden.
Extraction and use of class dependency information for Java

In this paper, a method for extracting class dependency information from Java class files is described. Advantages and disadvantages of using this method are discussed The problems of virtual dependence and synthetic methods are explained, and solutions offered. A convenient user interface is presented for making use of the dependency information in the form of an interactive UML class diagram, which is automatically generated from Java class files. This interface is a component of the jGRASP integrated development environment.
Olfactory Classical Conditioning in Neonates

One-day-old, awake infants underwent an olfactory classical conditioning procedure to assess associative learning within the olfactory system of newborns. Experimental infants received ten 30-second pairings of a novel olfactory conditioned stimulus (a citrus odor of neutral value) and tactile stimulation provided by stroking as the reinforcing unconditioned stimulus (a stimulus with positive properties). Control babies received only the odor, only the stroking, or the stroking followed by the odor presentation. The next day, all infants, in either the awake or sleep state, were given five 30-second presentations of the odor. Results were analyzed from video tapes scored by an observer unaware of the infants' training condition. The results indicate that only those infants who received the forward pairings of the odor and stroking exhibited conditioned responding (head turning toward the odor) to the citrus odor. The performance of the conditioned response was not affected by the state of the baby during testing, because both awake and sleeping infants exhibited conditioned responses. Furthermore, the expression of the conditioned response was odor specific; a novel floral odor presented during testing did not elicit conditioned responses in the experimental babies. These results suggest that complex associative olfactory learning is seen in newborns within the first 48 hours of life. These baseline findings may serve as normative data against which observation from neonates at risk for neurological sequelae may be compared.
Evaluation of concave dose distributions created using an inverse planning system.

Abstract Purpose : To evaluate and develop optimum inverse treatment planning strategies for the treatment of concave targets adjacent to normal tissue structures. Methods and Materials : Optimized dose distributions were designed using an idealized geometry consisting of a cylindrical phantom with a concave kidney-shaped target (PTV) and cylindrical normal tissues (NT) placed 5–13 mm from the target. Targets with radii of curvature from 1 to 2.75 cm were paired with normal tissues with radii between 0.5 and 2.25 cm. The target was constrained to a prescription dose of 100% and minimum and maximum doses of 95% and 105% with relative penalties of 25. Maximum dose constraint parameters for the NT varied from 10% to 70% with penalties from 10 to 1000. Plans were evaluated using the PTV uniformity index (PTV Dmax/PTV D95) and maximum normal tissue doses (NT Dmax/PTV D95). Results : In nearly all situations, the achievable PTV uniformity index and the maximum NT dose exceeded the corresponding constraints. This was particularly true for small PTV-NT separations (5–8 mm) or strict NT dose constraints (10%–30%), where the achievable doses differed from the requested by 30% or more. The same constraint parameters applied to different PTV-NT separations yielded different dose distributions. For most geometries, a range of constraints could be identified that would lead to acceptable plans. The optimization results were fairly independent of beam energy and radius of curvature, but improved as the number of beams increased, particularly for small PTV-NT separations or strict dose constraints. Conclusion : Optimized dose distributions are strongly affected by both the constraint parameters and target-normal tissue geometry. Standard site-specific constraint templates can serve as a starting point for optimization, but the final constraints must be determined iteratively for individual patients. A strategy whereby NT constraints and penalties are modified until the highest acceptable PTV uniformity index is achieved is discussed. This strategy can be used, in simple patient geometries, to ensure the lowest possible normal tissue dose. Strategies for setting the optimum dose constraints and penalties may vary for different optimization algorithms and objective functions. Increasing the number of beams can significantly improve normal tissue dose and target uniformity in situations where the PTV-NT separation is small or the normal tissue dose limits are severe. Setting unrealistically severe constraints in such situations often results in dose distributions that are inferior to plans achieved with more lenient constraints.
US trends in nutrient intake: the 1987 and 1992 National Health Interview Surveys.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined US trends in nutrient intake, using almost identical methods and nutrient databases in two time periods. METHODS: An extensive dietary intake questionnaire was included in supplements to the 1987 and 1992 National Health Interview Surveys. Dietary data from approximately 11,000 persons in each of those years were analyzed. RESULTS: The total and saturated fat intake and the percentage of energy from fat declined among Whites and Hispanics, but only minimal changes were seen in Black Americans. The changes in fat intake were attributable principally to behavioral changes in frequency and type of fat-containing foods consumed rather than to the increased availability of leaner cuts of meat. Dietary cholesterol showed one of the largest declines of the nutrients examined. Less desirable changes were also seen. Cereal fortification played an important role in the observed changes in several micronutrients. CONCLUSIONS: Educational campaigns on dietary fat and cholesterol have b...
Preliminary analysis of magnetic shielding design

The performance of micromachined sensors and actuators made of ferromagnetic material, such as nickel, is subject to environmental magnetic fields. To minimize such environmental interference, effective magnetic shielding is required. Preliminary magnetic field investigations are performed using finite element analysis (FEA). Effectiveness of the shielding versus the material properties of the shield, geometry of shield design, and orientation of the shield with respect to the magnetic field are analyzed. Experimental data are reported. The results agree well with the experimental data, except at higher magnetic flux density and a particular orientation. These analyses could be useful as a guide to improve magnetic shielding design and to enhance device performance.
Comparison of thin film cracking and delamination for aluminum and copper silicon interconnects with organic packaging

Silicon passivation cracking and interconnect metal thin film cracking and delamination are organic packaging failure modes that result from the global thermal expansion mismatch between the package and silicon plus local thermal expansion mismatch among various silicon build up interconnect metal and passivation materials. The risk of these two failure modes is different between aluminum and copper silicon interconnects. Modeling and experimental data suggest the risk of silicon passivation film cracking and delamination is no longer a major reliability issue as it was in the aluminum interconnect technologies, due to the planar surface topography in copper damascene and the lower coefficient of thermal expansion.
Sepsis-induced failure of hepatic energy metabolism.

Abstract Hypothesis. Recent evidence suggests that sepsis may induce an uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. The purpose of this study was to quantify temporal changes in hepatic oxygen consumption and cellular energy state with increasing severity of sepsis and thus assess the interrelationship of these parameters as either primary defect or compensatory response. Main outcome measures. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was infused intravenously in eight instrumented anesthetized swine inducing a progressive severity of sepsis to shock. Eight other animals served as instrumented controls. Hepatic blood flow, oxygen use, and concentrations of ATP, ADP, AMP, NAD + , and NADH were measured at baseline and then sequentially during the study. Results. Except for an increase in heart rate, there were no temporal changes in measured values for the control animals. For swine receiving P. aeruginosa, hepatic oxygen delivery and consumption increased with early sepsis whereas there were no alterations in the concentrations of adenine nucleotides or NAD + /NADH within liver. Septic shock was notable for a decrease in oxygen delivery yet oxygen consumption remained elevated because of an increase in percent oxygen extraction. The hepatic concentrations of ATP and NADH decreased during septic shock. Conclusions. These findings suggest that any sepsis-induced limitation in phosphorylation may be initially compensated by an increase in oxygen use. This study also suggests that decreases in NADH availability may be a principal factor in the decompensation of sepsis to shock.
Spatial and temporal control of angiogenesis and arterialization using focal applications of VEGF164 and Ang-1.

Microvascular networks undergo patterning changes that determine and reflect functional adaptations during tissue remodeling. Alterations in network architectures are a result of complex and integr...
An assessment of three alternatives to linear trends for characterizing global atmospheric temperature changes

[1] Historical changes in global atmospheric temperature are typically estimated using simple linear trends. This paper considers three alternative simple statistical models, each involving breakpoints (abrupt changes): a flat steps model, in which all changes occur abruptly; a piecewise linear model; and a sloped steps model, incorporating both abrupt changes and slopes during the periods between breakpoints. First- and second-order autoregressive models are used in combination with each of the above. Goodness of fit of the models is evaluated using the Schwarz Bayesian Information Criterion. These models are applied to the instrumental record of global monthly temperature anomalies at the surface and to the radiosonde and satellite records for the troposphere and stratosphere. The alternative models often provide a better fit to the observations than the simple linear model. Typically the two top-performing models have very close values of the Schwarz Bayesian Information Criterion. Usually the two models have the same basic form and the same net temperature change but with a different choice of autoregressive model. However, in some cases the best fits are from two different basic models, yielding different net temperature changes and suggesting different interpretations of the nature of those changes. For the surface data during 1900–2002 the sloped steps and piecewise linear models offer the best fits. Results for tropospheric data suggest that it is reasonable to consider most of the warming during 1958–2001 to have occurred at the time of the abrupt climate regime shift in 1977. Two fundamentally different, but equally valid, descriptions of stratospheric cooling were found: gradual linear change versus more abrupt ratcheting down of temperature concentrated in postvolcanic periods (∼2 years after eruption). Because models incorporating abrupt changes can be as explanatory as simple linear trends, we suggest consideration of these alternatives in climate change detection and attribution studies.
Large order behavior of Perturbation theory

We examine the large-order behavior of perturbation theory for the anharmonic oscillator, a simple quantum-field-theory model. New analytical techniques are exhibited and used to derive formulas giving the precise rate of divergence of perturbation theory for all energy levels of the ${x}^{2N}$ oscillator. We compute higher-order corrections to these formulas for the ${x}^{4}$ oscillator with and without Wick ordering.
Substructure Classification of Silicate Glasses

It is proposed that silicate glasses be classified in terms of substructures uniquely identified with primary crystallization phases. All glasses having compositions within the ranges or areas covered by a given primary crystallization phase field should constitute a separate glass type or class. This classification is definitive for properties determined principally by the silica frameworks or substructures. Such composition-property relations can be reproduced by independent investigators if the properties are measured under temperature equilibrium conditions.
STIMULATION BY HYDROCHLORIC ACID IN THE CATFISH, SCHILBEODES.

1. The reaction of the catfish, Schilbeodes gyrinus Mitchill, to hydrochloric acid over a wide range of concentrations (from pH 1.82 to pH 6.83) has been studied under experimental conditions which reduced to a minimum all other stimuli. 2. As the [H+J increases within the limits mentioned, the reaction time of the fish decreases. In other words, the rate of the stimulation processes is an increasing function of the hydrogen ion concentration. 3. The effective stimulus is the hydrogen ion, since NaCl solutions of equivalent concentration were not stimulating. 4. Stimulation by hydrochloric acid is therefore correlated with the potential of the cation resulting from dissociation of the acid molecule.
Nonthermal plasma bio-active liquid micro and nano-xerography

Method of biochemical patterning which allows for micro- and nano-scale resolution on nonplanar substrates is presented. Utilizing this method, bio-molecules (including DNA, proteins, and enzymes) can be delivered to charged locations on surfaces by charged water buffer droplets. Charging of water droplets is accomplished using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma. DBD was effectively stabilized in the presence of high concentration of micron-size water droplets. The concepts of the proposed method, as well as first experimental results supporting the idea are discussed in this paper.
BRAIT, Beth (org). BAKHTIN: CONCEITOS-CHAVE. São Paulo: Contexto,2005.

Retomar os textos de Bakhtin, ou um de seus conceitos, e, para mim, perguntar-me nao so sobre a complexidade e riqueza de sua producao, mas sobre como pode esse pensador, no silencio que lhe impos a situacao politica em que estava inserido, no espaco de gelo em que viveu, conceber uma lingua tao acolhedora, tao cheia de vidas e vozes, essa lingua viva que a tantos fascina e que convida a um incessante retorno aos seus textos. Sao muitos os que tem perseguido os caminhos da escritura de Bakhtin, observado suas pegadas, tentando compreender as trilhas percorridas, os espacos por ele abertos. E foi justamente ao observar a atencao dedicada ao autor e seu Circulo nos ultimos anos que Beth Brait organizou Bakthin: conceitos-chave, publicado pela editora Contexto. O livro, que reune ensaios de pesquisadores, cujos trabalhos estao vinculados a producao desse filosofo da linguagem, e fruto de um intenso dialogo com/sobre as obras de Mikhail Mikhailovitch Bakhtin, que somente comecaram a ser conhecidas no ocidente, ainda de forma timida, nos anos 70, em especial pela vertente de suas analises literarias. Brait define, na introducao da obra, seu carater pontual: “responder a insistentes e constantes questoes que dizem respeito a maneira como conceitos, categorias e nocoes foram ganhando especificidade no conjunto dos trabalhos do Circulo” (p. 8). Seu proposito nao e, portanto, esgotar a analise sobre as nocoes apresentadas no livro, mas investigar os conceitos que, considera, formam os pilares do pensamento bakthiniano. Uma qualidade central dos ensaios reunidos na obra, e organizados em ordem alfabetica, e colocar a mostra o dialogo intenso dos textos de Bakhtin com a producao filosofica de seu tempo, alem de evidenciar a coerencia tematica e a clara linha conceitual, como comenta Sobral, que podemos encontrar nos trabalhos do Circulo. Debrucar-se sobre os ensaios organizados por Brait e como olhar um mapa de viagem. Cada conceito e o ponto de partida de uma caminhada instigante pela rica producao de Bakhtin e seu Circulo, e caminhar pelos textos e deixar ver os caminhos e um compromisso que a obra realiza. Esse, entendo, e o seu ponto forte, mostrar a intensa producao desse pensador e a intrincada rede conceitual que constroi. Cabe destacar, ainda, a preocupacao, em cada um dos ensaios, de trazer exemplos de aplicacao do conceito estudado. Por meio de analises, os autores fazem trabalhar as nocoes sobre as quais se debrucam, comprovando a atualidade do olhar proposto por Bakhtin sobre o discurso, que nos permite falar, a partir de seus textos, sobre processos/instâncias discursivas a respeito das quais, a exemplo do que diz Machado, ele nada disse, mas para as quais convergem suas formulacoes.
A note on martingale deviation bounds

Let {Yi}i=1n be a martingale difference sequence and Sn=∑i=1nYi. Probability deviation bounds for martingale difference sequences generally focus on upper bounds for probabilities of large deviations P(Sn>λ), particularly of maxima of Sn. In this article bounds for probabilities of moderate deviations P(Sn<λ) are studied. The motivation is estimating the probability that the cumulative drift of a Markov chain is moderate, and thus estimates derived from sampling the chain are reliable.
A novel approach for preparation of the antisera reagent for potency determination of inactivated H7N9 influenza vaccines

Background The potency of inactivated influenza vaccines is determined using a single‐radial immunodiffusion (SRID) assay and requires standardized reagents consisting of a Reference Antigen and an influenza strain‐specific antiserum. Timely availability of reagents is a critical step in influenza vaccine production, and the need for backup approaches for reagent preparation is an important component of pandemic preparedness.
Probing Structural Evolution and Charge Storage Mechanism of NiO 2 H x Electrode Materials using In Operando Resonance Raman Spectroscopy

In operando resonance Raman spectroscopy suggests quantitative correlation between phonon band properties and the amount of charge storage of high-energy density NiO2H x battery/pseudocapacitive material. Comparing the spectroscopic evolution using different electrolytes reveals the contributions of breaking/formation of O-H bonds and insertion/extraction of cations to electrochemical charge storage of NiO2H x .
Quantifying the influence of temperature setpoints, building and system features on energy consumption

HVAC systems are the major energy consumers in commercial buildings in the United States. Selection of setpoints impacts the amount of energy consumed by these systems. However, the influence of temperature setpoints on energy consumption and the potential energy savings are not yet fully identified. Through simulation this paper provides a systematic approach for quantifying the influence of different factors (i.e., construction category, climate, setpoint, and deadband) on building energy consumption. We implemented the approach on the medium-sized DOE reference office building of three construction categories in five climates using the EnergyPlus software. N-way ANOVA analysis ranked the factors as from the most influential to the least influential as: (1) construction category, (2) climate, (3) deadband, and (4) setpoint. Further analyses showed extending the deadband from 3 K to 6 K reduces energy consumption by 16.2%. Optimal annual setpoints varied across climates, and could lead to 6.63% average savings.
Exotic Outperformance Certificates —The Case of Outperformance Certificates Plus

In this paper we introduce a new financial product named Outperformance Certificates PLUS and we provide detailed descriptions of the product specifications. We show that the payoff of an Outperformance Certificates PLUS can be duplicated by the combination of a long position in the underlying asset, a short position on zero coupon bonds, a long position in down-and-out call options on the underlying asset, and a long position in down-and-in call options on the underlying asset. We develop a pricing formula to price the certificates. Finally, we apply the pricing model for Outperformance Certificates PLUS to a certificate issued by Commerzbank AG to examine how well the model fits empirical data. The results are in line with previous studies pricing other structured products.
Eccentricity and Indulgence in Autocratic Rulers

Social scientific analyses concerned with autocratic rulers of states typically either assume that rulers pursue wealth and power to the virtual exclusion of all else, or else describe rulers' motivations in an entirely post hoc fashion. These perspectives can be improved upon. I predict that eccentricity and sexual indulgence—that is, the pursuit of desires other than power and wealth—on the part of autocratic rulers will be neither infrequent nor negligible. I predict that such behaviors are more likely to emerge when rulers inherit rather than win the throne, and that they are more likely to be reformed in the face of severe threats. These predictions are tested using four dynasties of autocratic rulers.
Deliquescence Phase Transition Measurements by Quartz Crystal Microbalance Frequency Shifts

Measurements of the hygroscopic properties of aerosols are needed to better understand the role of aerosols as cloud condensation nuclei. Several techniques have been used to measure deliquescence (solid to liquid) phase transitions in particular. In this study, we have measured the deliquescence relative humidity (DRH) of organic and inorganic salts, organic acids (glutaric and succinic acid), and mixtures of organic acids with ammonium sulfate using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The QCM allows for measurement of the deliquescence phase transition due to inherent measurement differences between solids and liquids in the oscillation frequency of a quartz crystal. The relative humidity dependent frequency measurements can be used to identify compounds that adsorb monolayer amounts of water or form hydrates prior to deliquescence (e.g., lithium chloride, potassium and sodium acetate). Although the amount of water uptake by a deliquescing material cannot be quantified with this technique, deliquescenc...
Bypassing the Bottleneck: The Advantage of Fingertip Shear Feedback for Navigational Cues:

Multiple resource models suggest that there will be less interference between tasks that do not share the same processing resources or modalities. Most in-vehicle navigational systems rely on some type of auditory modality, which can be problematic in situations with high levels of background noise or when one is engaged in a secondary auditory task, such as talking on a cell phone. The haptic or tactile sensory modality may be an effective alternative for presenting important navigational information in a vehicle. The current study compared the effectiveness of auditory vs. tactile navigational instructions to the operator of a moving vehicle. Tactile shear cues were provided to the participants' index fingers as they gripped the steering wheel. These tactile cues provided directional information that coincide with the direction of the applied skin displacement. In single task driving, participants made accurate lane changes in response to both auditory and tactile instructions. In dual-task driving, whe...
“I Am Artistic”: Mixed Method Case Study Research of Preservice Generalists’ Perceptions of Arts in Education

Teacher education students not involved in the arts often claim to have negative assumptions about their arts abilities and a lack of experience when teaching in the arts. These negative perspectives contribute to their apprehension about engaging in arts practices with future students. This article presents mixed methods case study findings exploring changes in student perceptions throughout an arts in education course for education majors. This study considers the influences of space, pedagogy, modes of engagement, and content on changes in perceptions. Data collection involved Likert questionnaires, along with course portfolios. Utilizing the emergent qualitative analytical lens of crystallization to illuminate a complex picture of experiences within this specific arts in education context, students’ perceptions of the role of the arts in education and their own artistic abilities were seen to increase, also noting positive perceptions of the physical classroom space in which the course takes place.
Signature Pedagogies in Global Competence Education: Understanding Quality Teaching Practice

How might we support young people to understand who they are in an interconnected world, prepare them to consider multiple perspectives as they collaborate with others across cultures and languages to improve conditions, and provide opportunities for them to participate positively in civic life, school, and work? Preparing students for today’s world requires not only that we think about what matters most for students to learn, but also what kind of teaching and learning will prove most effective. Building on Lee Shulman’s idea of signature pedagogies, we propose a pedagogical approach uniquely tailored to nurturing deep, relevant, and compelling global learning and a concomitant framework for developing teacher expertise. We define signature pedagogies in global education as a pervasive set of teaching practices that nurture students’ capacity and disposition to understand and act on matters of global significance. Signature pedagogies organize learners’ experience to inculcate in them hallmark global competence habits of mind: investigating the world, taking perspective, communicating across difference, and taking action. They offer students ample opportunities to engage in “junior versions” of authentic practices in relevant fields, and represent instructional tropes, paths, or motifs. Using illustrative cases at the elementary school level, we describe two types of signature pedagogies in global education: research expedition and purposeful comparisons. Research expedition pedagogy focuses on learner’s understanding and experience of a distant place – geo-physical and environmental qualities, built and natural landscapes, people and social organizations, as well as manifestations of culture in the form of taste, values, practice, relationships and beliefs – and helps them develop a sense of personal connection to it. Purposeful comparisons pedagogy builds on the premise that an individual can understand the world by examining a single phenomenon across multiple locations through the lens of a question that makes cross-case analysis necessary. It often involves creating a model or a frame that helps us distil relevant aspects of each case, identifying similarities and differences to inform our understanding. When such signature pedagogies are designed to be a regular part of the learning experience, they nurture understanding of the world and key global dispositions in learners.
Caring for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth in Inclusive and Affirmative Environments

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth may experience interpersonal and structural stigma within the health care environment. This article begins by reviewing special considerations for the care of LGBTQ youth, then turns to systems-level principles underlying inclusive and affirming care. It then examines specific strategies that individual providers can use to provide more patient-centered care, and concludes with a discussion of how clinics and health systems can tailor clinical services to the needs of LGBTQ youth.
Personality disorders and the "difficult" dermatology patient: Maximizing patient satisfaction.

Abstract Personality disorders (PDs) are stable and enduring patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior that deviate from one's cultural norms and cause impairment in functionality. Patients with PDs are commonly encountered in the dermatologic setting and can be perceived by providers as "difficult." Given that PDs are chronic, rigid, and frustrating to deal with, it is important to be skillful in the approach to such patients, especially in the era of the value-based reimbursement system, in which patient satisfaction is crucial for reimbursement. This contribution discusses four PDs most commonly encountered in the dermatology setting: Borderline, histrionic, obsessive-compulsive, and narcissistic. Although the details regarding the approach to patients for each PD differ as discussed, once a PD is identified, there are few key management strategies that can be helpful in minimizing conflict and enhancing outcomes. In patients with PD, the presenting skin complaint is often a secondary problem, as there may be an underlying psychologic issue (somatization). Understanding the underlying psychologic aspect of the patients' dermatologic complaints and adapting behaviors to the patients' needs are fundamental for maximizing patient satisfaction.
Best practices to support and improve pavement management systems for low-volume paved roads

The most important issue in managing low-volume roads (LVRs) is to define standards and practices applied on roads. In recent years, transportation agencies have dealt with considerable challenges ...
Chloroplast ATP Synthase Modulation of the Thylakoid Proton Motive Force: Implications for Photosystem I and Photosystem II Photoprotection.

In wild type plants, decreasing CO2 lowers the activity of the chloroplast ATP synthase, slowing proton efflux from the thylakoid lumen resulting in buildup of thylakoid proton motive force (pmf). The resulting acidification of the lumen regulates both light harvesting, via the qE mechanism, and photosynthetic electron transfer through the cytochrome b6f complex. Here we show that the cfq mutant of Arabidopsis, harboring single point mutation in its γ-subunit of the chloroplast ATP synthase, increases the specific activity of the ATP synthase and disables its down-regulation under low CO2. The increased thylakoid proton conductivity (gH+) in cfq results in decreased pmf and lumen acidification, preventing full activation of qE and more rapid electron transfer through the b6f complex, particularly under low CO2 and fluctuating light. These conditions favor the accumulation of electrons on the acceptor side of PSI, and result in severe loss of PSI activity. Comparing the current results with previous work on the pgr5 mutant suggests a general mechanism where increased PSI photodamage in both mutants is caused by loss of pmf, rather than inhibition of CEF per se. Overall, our results support a critical role for ATP synthase regulation in maintaining photosynthetic control of electron transfer to prevent photodamage.
miR-29b supplementation decreases expression of matrix proteins and improves alveolarization in mice exposed to maternal inflammation and neonatal hyperoxia.

Even with advances in the care of preterm infants, chronic lung disease or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) continues to be a significant pulmonary complication. Among those diagnosed with BPD, a s...
Using Statistics to Summarize Data Sets

Abstract Our objective in this chapter is to develop measures that can be used to summarize a data set. These measures, formally called statistics, are quantities whose values are determined by the data. We study the sample mean, sample median, and sample mode. These are all statistics that measure the center or middle value of a data set. Statistics that indicate the amount of variation in the data set are also considered. We learn about what it means for a data set to be normal, and we present an empirical rule concerning such sets. We also consider data sets consisting of paired values, and we present a statistic that measures the degree to which a scatter diagram of paired values can be approximated by a straight line.
Gravitational waves: History of black holes revealed by their spin

Four probable detections of gravitational waves have so far been reported, each associated with the merger of two black holes. Analysis of the signals allows formation theories of such black-hole systems to be tested. See Letter p.426 One of the best-measured parameters from the gravitational wave chirps caused by merging binary black holes is the effective spin of the binary—a combination of the spins of the individual black holes. If the black holes came from a pre-existing binary star system, then the expectation is that the spins will be aligned. On the other hand, if the binary black hole systems were formed through dynamical interactions, the spins will be randomly aligned. William Farr et al. examine the spin parameters for the four mergers reported so far and find at 2.4σ significance that the spins were not aligned. Only ten more merger events will be needed to raise this to 5σ if most of the spins are not aligned.
Sandinist Impact on Nicuaraguan Gender Relations

Over the centuries, three streams of cultural attitudes have shaped gender relations in Central America. Men, as result of Spanish machismo , have developed greater sense of invincibility that has guarded them against vulnerability; whereas women, as a result of their more submissive roles, have been more vulnerable and subject to greater instances of social discrimination in comparison to the Spanish male. The Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula has further colored gender attitudes to the extent that women have often been considered “sinful from birth [and] must be subdued with a stick and guided by the ‘reins of religion’.”
Interleukin-1 Beta as a Target for Atherosclerosis Therapy: Biological Basis of CANTOS and Beyond

Inflammatory pathways drive atherogenesis and link conventional risk factors to atherosclerosis and its complications. One inflammatory mediator has come to the fore as a therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease. The experimental and clinical evidence reviewed here support interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) as both a local vascular and systemic contributor in this regard. Intrinsic vascular wall cells and lesional leukocytes alike can produce this cytokine. Local stimuli in the plaque favor the generation of active IL-1β through the action of a molecular assembly known as the inflammasome. Clinically applicable interventions that interfere with IL-1 action can improve cardiovascular outcomes, ushering in a new era of anti-inflammatory therapies for atherosclerosis. The translational path described here illustrates how advances in basic vascular biology may transform therapy. Biomarker-directed application of anti-inflammatory interventions promises to help us achieve a more precise and personalized allocation of therapy for our cardiovascular patients.
Central venous pressure and ultrasonographic measurement correlation and their associations with intradialytic adverse events in hospitalized patients: A prospective observational study.

Abstract Purpose To investigate correlation of central venous pressure (CVP) with ultrasonographic measurement of central veins, along with association between these variables and occurrence of intradialytic adverse events in hospitalized patients. Materials and methods Patients requiring hemodialysis via dialysis catheter were prospectively enrolled. CVP measurements through catheter, internal jugular vein aspect ratio, subclavian vein collapsibility, inferior vena cava (IVC) maximal diameter, and IVC collapsibility were recorded before and after hemodialysis. Predictive accuracy of ultrasonographic measurements in discriminating high versus low CVP and their association with intradialytic adverse events were evaluated. Area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated. Results Fifty-nine patients were enrolled. Median (interquartile range) pre- and post-dialysis CVPs were 8 (4–13) mm Hg and 6 (3–10) mm Hg, respectively (P 8 mm Hg. In post-dialysis, IVC maximal diameter had the highest AUC (0.86, P Conclusions Highest accuracy in predicting low and high CVP was observed with ultrasonographic assessment of IVC diameter and collapsibility. Adverse events were not predicted by pre-dialytic CVP or ultrasonographic measurements.
Complicating Silence: A Case Study Investigation of Optimal Student Writing Ecologies

In this article, the authors report on a study designed to explore college students’ experiences in two writing environments, or ecologies: a media-free, silent zone and a media-saturated zone. Par...
MeetOpt: A multi-event coaching decision support system

Abstract Track and field is one of the most popular and fastest growing high school sports in the United States. The teams' coaching staffs are often part-time employees that lack the time, budgets, and/or ability for the pre-competitive tactical analysis required for optimal assignment of athletes to events. In response to this often overlooked aspect of coaching, we present a new open-source spreadsheet-based DSS, MeetOpt, that offers coaches a decision making tool for the optimal athlete-to-event assignment. MeetOpt utilizes mixed-integer programming to create a lineup that maximizes the expected team score under a variety of common meet formats and assignment constraints. In addition, this framework is flexible enough to allow for the inclusion of opponent performance scenarios through the use of stochastic mixed-integer programming. We use real data to illustrate the value of this DSS in comparison with a commonly used decision aid utilizing a simple ranking criteria. In addition, we discuss the additional complexities when competing against teams in double duals - a meet with three teams scored as two head-to-head meets. Our results illustrate the sensitivity of a meet outcome to a selected lineup and the complexity associated with this decision process.
Multimedia Enhancements for General Purpose Processors

The JPEG and MPEG standards make it easier now to encode and exchange images and video streams across different computing platforms and networks. Video in particular has the potential to become just another data type. Realtime video processing on PCs and workstations is now handled with special video boards and custom circuits. This is similar to the way most of the advanced graphics processing was performed in the 1980s. Special hardware may yield the highest performance but at a considerable cost to the end user.
HOJE EM DIA, SOMOS TODOS DEMOCRATAS

Titulo original em ingles WELCOME BACK, DEMOCRACY! Artigo sobre a eleicao de Obama em The Beaver , periodico da London School of Economics, 6 de novembro de 2008. Traducao de Guaracy Bolivar Araujo Mendes Junior