cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How People Evaluate Online Reviews

The ability viewers have to contribute information to websites (i.e., user-generated content) is a defining feature of the participatory web. Building on warranting theory, this study examined how viewers’ evaluations of a target are more or less likely to be influenced by user-generated content. The results indicate that the more a target is perceived to be able to control the dissemination of user-generated reviews online, the less credence people place in those reviews when forming impressions of the target. In addition, the less people are confident that user-generated reviews are truly produced by third-party reviewers, the less people trust those reviews. The results provide novel support for warranting theory by illustrating how the warranting value of user-generated information can vary and thus differentially affect viewers’ evaluations of a target. The implications of the study’s results for warranting theory, online impression management, e-commerce, and future research are discussed.
Spatial models for hybrid zones

We introduce a spatially explicit model of natural hybrid zones that allows us to consider how patterns of allele frequencies and linkage disequilibria change over time. We examine the influence of hybrid zone origins on patterns of variation at two loci, a locus under selection in a two-patch environment, and a linked neutral locus. We consider several possible starting conditions that represent explicit realizations of two alternative scenarios for hybrid zone origins: primary intergradation and secondary contact. Our results indicate that in some circumstances, differences in hybrid zone origins will result in substantially different patterns of variation that may persist for thousands of generations. Our conclusions are generally similar to those previously derived from partial differential equations, but there are also some important differences.
Test generation for current testing of bridging faults in CMOS VLSI circuits

An efficient automatic test pattern generator for I/sub DDQ/ current testing of CMOS digital circuits is presented. The complete two-line bridging fault set is considered. Genetic algorithms are used to generate compact test sets. Experimental results for ISCAS85 and ISCAS89 benchmark circuits are presented.
Health-related behaviors and overweight: a study of Latino adolescents in the United States of America

OBJECTIVES: This study examined, by gender, differences in being overweight among adolescents of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and other Latin American heritage who live in the United States of America, and investigated the relationships between these differences and socioeconomic status, health-related behaviors, and family characteristics. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey study obtained and analyzed data from nationally representative samples of Latino 8th and 10th graders in the Monitoring the Future study from 1991 to 2004 (N = 11 265). RESULTS: A higher proportion of Mexican-American girls were overweight than other Latin American girls, both before and after adjusting for many confounders. For both genders, being overweight was inversely associated with socioeconomic status and frequency of vigorous exercise, and positively associated with the amount of television viewing. No family characteristic variable examined was associated with overweight. CONCLUSIONS: Time spent exercising and time spent watching television are two potentially modifiable risk factors that, if targeted, may result in important reductions in overweight. The findings indicate the need to identify gender- and culturally-appropriate interventions that can increase physical activity and reduce sedentary activities among Latino adolescents, particularly in families of low socioeconomic status.
Treatment for Medial and Lateral Scapular Winging: Tendon Transfers

Although rare, scapular winging can be a painful and disabling condition. Scapular winging has been categorized as medial or lateral winging, with medial being the more common type. Medial winging is the result of serratus anterior paralysis from injury to the long thoracic nerve. The most common etiology is neuropraxia after blunt or stretch injury. Lateral winging, from trapezius paralysis with injury to the spinal accessory nerve, is most likely iatrogenic from procedures involving the posterior cervical triangle. Recovery of nerve function can take up to 2 years. For those cases that do not have return of nerve function, operative treatment is an option. Tendon transfers were introduced in the early 1900s and have been met with satisfactory results in small case series. The purpose of this article is to describe the indications, operative technique, postoperative rehabilitation, and results of tendon transfer for medial and lateral scapular winging.
Spatial Vulnerability: Bacterial Arrangements, Microcolonies, and Biofilms as Responses to Low Rather than High Phage Densities

The ability of bacteria to survive and propagate can be dramatically reduced upon exposure to lytic bacteriophages. Study of this impact, from a bacterium’s perspective, tends to focus on phage-bacterial interactions that are governed by mass action, such as can be observed within continuous flow or similarly planktonic ecosystems. Alternatively, bacterial molecular properties can be examined, such as specific phage‑resistance adaptations. In this study I address instead how limitations on bacterial movement, resulting in the formation of cellular arrangements, microcolonies, or biofilms, could increase the vulnerability of bacteria to phages. Principally: (1) Physically associated clonal groupings of bacteria can represent larger targets for phage adsorption than individual bacteria; and (2), due to a combination of proximity and similar phage susceptibility, individual bacteria should be especially vulnerable to phages infecting within the same clonal, bacterial grouping. Consistent with particle transport theory—the physics of movement within fluids—these considerations are suggestive that formation into arrangements, microcolonies, or biofilms could be either less profitable to bacteria when phage predation pressure is high or require more effective phage-resistance mechanisms than seen among bacteria not living within clonal clusters. I consider these ideas of bacterial ‘spatial vulnerability’ in part within a phage therapy context.
A computational analysis of screw transformations in robotics

A computational analysis and a comparison of line-oriented representations of general (i.e. rotational and translational) spatial displacements of rigid bodies are presented. Four mathematical formalisms for effecting a general spatial screw displacement are discussed and analyzed in terms of computational efficiency in performing common operations needed in kinematic analysis of multilinked spatial mechanisms. The corresponding algorithms are analyzed in terms of both sequential and parallel execution. It is concluded that the dual-unit quaternion representation offers the most compact and most efficient screw transformation formalism but that line-oriented methods in general are not well suited for efficient kinematic computations or real-time control applications. Owing to line-based geometry, underlying its definition, screw calculus represents a set of valuable tools in theoretical kinematics. However, the mathematical redundancy inherent in Plucker coordinate space representation makes the screw calculus computationally less attractive than the corresponding point-oriented formalisms. >
The Prophylactic Effects of E. coli‐Derived Bovine Interferon AlphaI1 on Bovine Virus Diarrhoea Virus Disease in Calves after Intramuscular Administration

Summary Five dairy calves infected with the Holmes strain of bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV) were treated with E. coli-derived bovine interferon αI1 (BoIFNαI1). Intramuscular administration with six daily doses of 104 (2 calves) or 105 (3 calves) units/kg of calf weight commencing with the day of infection, delayed the onset of clinical signs of illness and slightly reduced the disease severity. Neutralizing BVDV antibodies appeared in the serum of interferon-treated calves at the same time as in the virus controls (3 calves). After recovery, all seven calves were immune to rechallenge with the Holmes strain of virulent BVDV 40 days after initial infection. The delay of the onset of clinical signs and slightly-reduced severity of BVD in calves maintained under experimental conditions was encouraging and provides the basis for justifying trials with larger groups of susceptible cattle to evaluate the usefulness of E. coli-derived bovine interferon alphaI1 as a potential article of commerce. Zusammenfassung Die prophylaktische Wirkung eines von E. coli-Keimen produzierten bovinen Interferon Alpha 1 gegen eine Bovine Virusdiarrhoe-Infektion bei Kalbern nach intramuskularer Applikation 5 mit dem bovinen BVD-Virus (Homes Stamm) infizierte Milchkalber wurden mit einem von E. coli-Keimen produzierten bovinen Interferon αI1 (BoIFNαI1) behandelt. Die tagliche intramuskulare Applikation in den ersten 6 Tagen nach der Infektion von 104 (2 Kalber) oder 105 (3 Kalber) Einheiten pro kg Korpergewicht verzogerte den Beginn der Erkrankung und milderte die klinische Verlaufsform. Im Serum der mit Interferon behandelten Kalbern erschienen zur selben Zeit neutralisierende BVDV-Antikorper als in den Seren der Viruskontrollen (3 Kalber). Nach der Genesung waren alle 7 Kalber gegen eine Reinfektion (40 Tage nach der Erstinfektion) mit dem virulenten BVDV-Holmes-Stamm geschutzt. Das verzogerte Auftreten klinischer Symptome und der schwachere Krankheitsverlauf der behandelten Kalber nach einer experimentellen BVDV-Infektion sind ein ermutigendes Zeichen und rechtfertigen die Durchfuhrung von Versuchen an groseren Gruppen empfanglicher Rinder um die Nutzlichkeit eines in E. coli-Keimen produzierten bovinen Interferons AlphaI1 als mogliches kommerzielles Produkt endgultig zu bewerten.
MAGI: a Node.js web service for fast microRNA-Seq analysis in a GPU infrastructure

Summary: MAGI is a web service for fast MicroRNA-Seq data analysis in a graphics processing unit (GPU) infrastructure. Using just a browser, users have access to results as web reports in just a few hours—>600% end-to-end performance improvement over state of the art. MAGI’s salient features are (i) transfer of large input files in native FASTA with Qualities (FASTQ) format through drag-and-drop operations, (ii) rapid prediction of microRNA target genes leveraging parallel computing with GPU devices, (iii) all-in-one analytics with novel feature extraction, statistical test for differential expression and diagnostic plot generation for quality control and (iv) interactive visualization and exploration of results in web reports that are readily available for publication. Availability and implementation: MAGI relies on the Node.js JavaScript framework, along with NVIDIA CUDA C, PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), Perl and R. It is freely available at http://magi.ucsd.edu. Contact: ude.dscu@mik5j Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Regulatory Federalism in the Age of Broadband: A U.S. Perspective

Broadband is poised to transform many sectors of the economy in the United States. Indeed, the federal government, via the President, Congress, and the Federal Communications Commission, has identified this technology as a key tool for realizing an array of “national purposes,” including fundamental changes to how healthcare, energy, education, and an array of other services are delivered to and consumed by citizens. However, as broadband begins to inure itself into the business models of services that are largely regulated by the states, novel questions regarding the proper scope of regulatory federalism—that is, the ways in which federal and state government share oversight of a wide range of industries, from telecommunications to energy to healthcare—are likely to arise. This article examines the historical balance of federalism in the regulation of communications services, healthcare, and energy, identifies novel issues that have arisen and that are likely to arise as broadband is used to transform these services, and proposes a framework for efficiently and effectively addressing these issues.
Photocatalytic Reaction of Gas-Phase Naphthalene on Paint- and Sunscreen-Coated Surfaces

The uses of metal oxide nanoparticles in modern paint and sunscreen formulations are widespread. Through materials characterization and kinetic experiments, it is demonstrated that fresh surface coatings of paint and sunscreen photocatalytically degrade gaseous naphthalene. The primary metal oxides are TiO2 in the form of the rutile phase in paint and as anatase in sunscreen formulations. Other metal oxides present are Al2O3 and ZnO. Several organic fillers that are photochemically active are also present in paint and sunscreen samples but are unidentified. Reaction rate constants increased with increasing air relative humidity, due to the production of surface hydroxyl radical, and decreased with increasing coating thickness, due to mass transfer limitations. Photocatalytic degradation on these freshly generated surfaces is observed to be fast, with naphthalene half-lives shorter than 30 minutes. This work demonstrates that large, semivolatile organic compounds can react photochemically on freshly generated paint- and sunscreen-coated surfaces and may impact air quality in both indoor and outdoor environments.
Superconductor-normal-metal-superconductor junction in a strong magnetic field.

We consider an SNS junction, N being the two-dimensional electron gas, subjected to a magnetic field exceedingly large for weak superconductivity. We show that under the condition of Landau quantization the proximity effect induces a thin superconducting paramagnetic strip near the boundary of the N region. We obtain the expression for the supercurrent that accounts for multiple Andreev scattering of magnetic edge states. We also address Josephson coupling by bulk magnetic states.
Ten transgenic animal research conferences and counting

s from succeeding conferences were published, all in Transgenic Research. TARC X was special, in part because it was the 10th such conference and partly because technology has developed to remove most of the original limitations on the application of the technology (see Ward et al. 1986). Over the years the TARC conferences have consistently been a forum to show-case new and developing technologies. At the first conference in 1997 there were two presentations on the development of somatic cell nuclear transfer-based cloning, a break-through that allowed the production of an animal following the use of homologous recombination in vitro, and thus gene targeting, in livestock. Each succeeding conference started with sessions that documented the technology evolution over the past 18 years, including the development of lentiviral vectors, RNAi, transposons, ZFNs, TALENs, and ultimately CRISPR/cas 9, all before they were employed in livestock. Additional break-throughs were reported on improved approaches to produce GE chickens, including lentiviral vectors, primordial germ cell (PGC) culture, and most recently direct injection targeting circulating PGCs. J. D. Murray (&) P. J. Ross A. Van Eenennaam E. A. Maga The TARC Organizing Committee, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA e-mail: jdmurray@ucdavis.edu J. D. Murray The TARC Organizing Committee, Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA 123 Transgenic Res (2016) 25:271–272 DOI 10.1007/s11248-016-9931-y
Allocating the economic benefits of renewable energy between stakeholders on Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Arguments for a balanced approach

Abstract For many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) the cost of producing electricity from imported fossil fuels is so high and the cost of renewable energy technology has fallen so significantly that transitioning towards renewable energy is likely to produce cost savings. A recent workshop at NYU School of Law, which brought together SIDS utility representatives with a leading renewable energy developer and other stakeholders, provided strong support for this prediction. Utilities are likely to own the majority of renewable energy assets in SIDS and will therefore be the initial custodians of any cost savings renewable energy provides. This raises a key policy question: to what extent should SIDS utilities pass on these savings to consumers by lowering electricity rates? We analyze this overlooked element of energy policy and highlight undesirable consequences that complete disbursement of the savings to consumers could cause.
Guanine to inosine substitution leads to large increases in the population of a transient G·C Hoogsteen base pair.

We recently showed that Watson–Crick base pairs in canonical duplex DNA exist in dynamic equilibrium with G(syn)·C+ and A(syn)·T Hoogsteen base pairs that have minute populations of ∼1%. Here, using nuclear magnetic resonance R1ρ relaxation dispersion, we show that substitution of guanine with the naturally occurring base inosine results in an ∼17-fold increase in the population of transient Hoogsteen base pairs, which can be rationalized by the loss of a Watson–Crick hydrogen bond. These results provide further support for transient Hoogsteen base pairs and demonstrate that their population can increase significantly upon damage or chemical modification of the base.
Good medicine, good business, great leadership: the trust prescription for health care.

Gene expression profiling allows us to look into a tumor cell to see how genetic information is communicated and affects cell behavior. Data gathered during the development of the 70-gene assay (MammaPrint) set the stage for future assay development. Recently, a 21-gene assay (Oncotype DX) was recommended by ASCO and NCCN as a standard of care for newly diagnosed, stage 1 or 2, node-negative, estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer patients.
A Focus on Others and Commitment to Social Justice A Social Cognitive Perspective

As the importance of social justice advocacy is increasingly emphasized in vocational psychology, it is imperative for researchers to explore the development of individuals’ interest in and commitment to social justice work. With a diverse sample of 298 undergraduate students, this study sought to replicate findings from Miller et al. which supported the use of social cognitive career theory in predicting social justice interest and commitment from social justice self-efficacy and outcome expectations. In addition, person inputs related to a focus on others were examined as predictors of social justice variables. Specifically, we explored whether collectivistic values and a calling orientation toward work predicted social justice outcomes. Results demonstrated replicability of Miller et al.’s model. Additionally, collectivism and sense of calling were each found to directly and indirectly predict social justice variables. Findings indicate that extent to which individuals endorse collectivism and a sense ...
Going to Work at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch: Potentials of Rhetorical and Ethnographic Methods for Cultural Studies

Most studies of media focus on production, representation, or audience. Using rhetorical analysis and ethnographic field methods, my article offers one way to study media production contexts, representations, and audience interactions in relation to one another. For this project, I conducted a narrative rhetorical analysis of the reality docu-series Cathouse that takes place in a legal brothel in Nevada, the Moonlite Bunny Ranch. In addition, I visited the brothel and used ethnographic field methods of participant observation and interviewing to investigate the lived experiences of the women working at the Ranch. My analysis revealed a web of intertextual discourses of prostitution that I could not have accessed had I not used these methods in conjunction with one another. By bringing perspectives from rhetorical inquiry, cultural and media studies, and ethnography into conversation with one another, I provide a framework for analyzing production, representation, and audience for the Cathouse series, whil...
Aversive Behavior in the Nematode C. elegans Is Modulated by cGMP and a Neuronal Gap Junction Network

All animals rely on their ability to sense and respond to their environment to survive. However, the suitability of a behavioral response is context-dependent, and must reflect both an animal’s life history and its present internal state. Based on the integration of these variables, an animal’s needs can be prioritized to optimize survival strategies. Nociceptive sensory systems detect harmful stimuli and allow for the initiation of protective behavioral responses. The polymodal ASH sensory neurons are the primary nociceptors in C. elegans. We show here that the guanylyl cyclase ODR-1 functions non-cell-autonomously to downregulate ASH-mediated aversive behaviors and that ectopic cGMP generation in ASH is sufficient to dampen ASH sensitivity. We define a gap junction neural network that regulates nociception and propose that decentralized regulation of ASH signaling can allow for rapid correlation between an animal’s internal state and its behavioral output, lending modulatory flexibility to this hard-wired nociceptive neural circuit.
S100B raises the alert in subarachnoid hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a devastating disease with high mortality and mobility, the novel therapeutic strategies of which are essentially required. The calcium binding protein S100B has emerged as a brain injury biomarker that is implicated in pathogenic process of SAH. S100B is mainly expressed in astrocytes of the central nervous system and functions through initiating intracellular signaling or via interacting with cell surface receptor, such as the receptor of advanced glycation end products. The biological roles of S100B in neurons have been closely associated with its concentrations, resulting in either neuroprotection or neurotoxicity. The levels of S100B in the blood have been suggested as a biomarker to predict the progress or the prognosis of SAH. The role of S100B in the development of cerebral vasospasm and brain damage may result from the induction of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation after SAH. To get further insight into mechanisms underlying the role of S100B in SAH based on this review might help us to find novel therapeutic targets for SAH.
Morphology in Parallel Distributed Processing

Parallel distributed processing or connectionist models have been applied to many aspects of cognition and their brain bases. Their role in explaining language has been controversial, largely because of attempts to apply them to inflectional morphology. PDP models explain behavior in terms of the aggregate behavior of large numbers of neuronlike processing units. The networks learn from experience to perform tasks, such as generating the past tense of a verb from its present tense. The models suggest that well-formedness is a graded function of multiple probabilistic constraints, encoded by weights on connections between units in the network. Models of inflectional morphology in English suggest that the main constraints are semantic and phonological, picked up by the child from input evidence. On this view, grammatical theories represent generalizations about aspects of the behavior of the underlying network. The debate over the past tense in English has led to models of greater sophistication and scope, and to close examination of the empirical phenomena.
Strychnine Binding in Rat Spinal Cord Membranes Associated with the Synaptic Glycine Receptor: Cooperativity of Glycine Interactions

The saturable binding of [3H]strychnine to synaptic membrane fractions of the rat spinal cord appears to involve an interaction with the synaptic receptor sites for the neurotransmitter actions of glycine. Binding exhibits a dissociation constant for strychnine of 2.6-4 nM and an EC50 for glycine inhibition of strychnine binding of 25 µM. Association kinetics is bimolecular, with a rate constant of 1.0 x 107 M-1 sec-1, while dissociation of the strychnine-receptor complex is first-order, with a rate constant of 1.54 x 10-2 sec-1. The dissociation constant (k2/k1) of 1.54 nM is similar to that obtained from equilibrium data. Monovalent cations increase specific and decrease nonspecific strychnine binding, while divalent cations are without effect. Detergents such as deoxycholate and Triton X-100 decrease receptor binding in concentrations which solubilize membrane protein. Displacement curves of [3H]strychnine by glycine indicate cooperative interactions with a Hill coefficient of 1.7, whereas the Hill coefficient for displacement of [3H]strychnine by unlabeled strychnine is 1.0. Diazonium tetrazole and acetic anhydride preferentially inhibit displacement of [3H]strychnine binding by glycine and reduce the Hill coefficient of glycine displacement curves. Guanidine, N-ethylmaleimide, and increases in pH also lower the Hill coefficient for glycine displacement. Diazonium tetrazole slows the dissociation of [3H]strychnine elicited by excess glycine without altering dissociation produced by excess unlabeled strychnine. Glycine and strychnine appear to bind to distinct sites which interact in a cooperative fashion.
B Cell Depletion in IgG4-Related Disease

As IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) emerged and then began to come into sharper clinical focus during the first decade of the new century, those who have studied the disease have been privileged to appreciate many “Eureka” moments. One such moment was the observation of the substantial effect of B cell depletion on the clinical features and laboratory manifestations on IgG4-RD. Investigations of the use of this treatment strategy and studies of its mechanistic effects have led to important observations and are likely to yield important additional information about the nature of this disease.
Agricultural Credit Market and Farmers’ Response: A Case Study of Turkey

Agriculture is an important sector in Turkey’s economy. Access to credit financing is critical for timely acquisition of different inputs, farm productivity, and ultimately farmers’ financial well-being. Historically, Ziraat Bank and Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, supported by Turkish government, have been the principle supplier of loanable funds in the agricultural sector. However, since 2000, many private banks have discovered the potential of this market and entered the competition. This study was designed to investigate the structure of the agricultural credit market in Turkey and identify factors that influence farmers’ preference among alternative lenders. It was found that although the 550 Turkish farmers surveyed had several options among lenders, low interest rates and attainable eligibility criteria emerged as the most important differentiators among banks. Results from the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) demonstrate the rising role of private banks’ credit. However, Ziraat Banks’ subsidized credits still dominant and its composite weight is 30.74% of total amount of agricultural credit market.
Why Not Eminently Maritime UN Peacekeeping Operations

Abstract: Although the UN Charter does not explicitly provide for Peacekeeping Operations (PKOs), they have become one of the UN’s most important means of preserving peace and interna-tional security. Some of the greatest threats to international peace and security do not occur on ‘UN Member States territory’, but at sea. The internationally significant and long-standing phenomenon of maritime piracy initially led to international action off the coast of Somalia, but other regions affected by criminal acts at sea (including the Straits of Malacca, the Gulf of Guinea and the Medi-terranean Sea) are reinforcing the need for international action. In most of these situations, the UN has not acted directly, but called on multilateral or regional bodies to do so. Earlier experiences in PKOs at sea, in Cambodia, East Timor, Haiti, and most recently in Lebanon, undertaken by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), begin to provide a basis for building a naval PKO doctrine. This article argues that it is legitimate for the UN to undertake direct action when facing threats to maritime security, making use of an empirical example and suggests that new instances of criminal acts at sea, such as those in the Gulf of Guinea, may best be dealt with under a direct UN mandate.
An innovative community-based model for improving preventive care in rural counties

Objective This quasi-experimental pilot study aimed to implement and evaluate a sustainable, rural community-based patient outreach model for preventive care provided through primary care practices (PCPs) located in a rural county in Oklahoma. A Wellness Coordinator (WC) working with PCPs, the county health department, the county hospital, and a health information exchange (HIE) organization helped county residents receive evidence-based preventive services. Methods The WC used a community wellness registry connected to electronic medical records via HIE and called patients at the county level based on PCP-prioritized and tailored protocols. The registry flagged patient-level preventive care gaps, tracked outreach efforts, and documented the delivery of preventive services throughout the community. Return on investment (ROI) for prioritized preventive services was estimated in participating organizations. Results Six of the 7 PCPs in the county expressed interest in the project. Three of these practices fully implemented the 1-year outreach program starting in mid 2015. The regional HIE supplied periodic data updates for 9138 county residents to help the coordinators address care gaps using the community registry. A total of 5034 outreach calls were made by the WC in the first year and 7776 prioritized recommendations were offered when care gaps were detected. Of the 5034 distinct patients who received a call, 1146 (22%) were up to date on all prioritized services, whereas 3888 (78%) were due for at least 1 of the selected services. Health care organizations in the county significantly improved the delivery of selected preventive services (mean increase, 35% across 10 services; P = .004; range, 3% to 215%) and realized a mean ROI of 80% for these services (range, 32% to 122%). The health system that employed the WC earned an estimated revenue of $52,000 realizing a 40% ROI for the coordinator position. Conclusions Although more research is needed, our pilot study suggests that it may be feasible and cost effective to implement an innovative, county-level patient outreach program for improving preventive care in rural settings.
Rediscovering the adult play group

ABSTRACTThe study of recurring groups of adults involved in common leisure activity is scant. Adult play groups are important to participants, and studying them furthers our understanding of the community-building potential of leisure. In this paper, I seek to rediscover adult play group by outlining five themes. Borrowing from Huizinga, I begin by arguing that participation in leisure activities contributes to the emergence of play groups. I then argue that group members strive collectively to facilitate order by creating boundaries that set themselves apart from others. I then explain that play groups vary in the extent to which friendships are integral to their long-term functioning. Next, I describe how play groups influence participants’ frequency of involvement in leisure activities. Finally, I argue that play groups provide participants an important context for resisting dominant ideologies and discourses.
Optical Imaging of Cancer: Neuro-oncologic Applications

Tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) present unique challenges to the clinician with respect to diagnosis and therapeutics. Location of the tumors within the brain confined by the calvaria and the complex boney architecture of the skull base also present difficulty in efficiently imaging lesions especially in computer tomographic (CT) imaging of lesions in the posterior fossa. The most common central nervous system (CNS) tumors are metastatic lesions that arise from tumors elsewhere in the body, of which lung and breast primaries constitute a large proportion. Primary brain tumors, those that arise from cellular constituents residing within the brain such as glial cells and neurons, are particularly vexing in both diagnosis and treatment improvements in imaging technology with the combined use of neurophysiological monitoring have lead to more aggressive surgical resections of tumors.
The Marketing of Counterfeit International Pharmaceutical Products: The Problem and a Proposed Solution

The increase in product counterfeiting has been significant in the last five years. The most dramatic modification in counterfeiters’ strategies involves the sale of bogus industrial and medical products, rather than solely focusing on nationally branded consumer products. The impact of counterfeit pharmaceutical products being sold in the United States could be devastating to consumer confidence in the prescription drug industry. This paper depicts one method of reducing access to the marketplace for (foreign) pharmaceutical counterfeiters by increasing control over the distribution of prescription drugs in the domestic market.
Energy response of diamond sensor to beta radiation.

Abstract This paper demonstrates the ability of diamond sensors to respond to beta radiation. A Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) single crystal diamond was used in this work. The diamond crystal has a dimension of 4.5 × 4.5 by 0.5 mm thick. Metal contacts were fabricated on both sides of the diamond using titanium and palladium metals with thicknesses of 50 nm and 150 nm, respectively. The energy response of the diamond sensor was experimentally measured using three beta isotopes that cover the entire range of beta energy: 147Pm, a weak beta radiation with a maximum energy of 0.225 MeV, 2°4Tl, a medium energy beta radiation with a maximum energy of 0.763 MeV, and 9°Sr/9°Y, with both a medium energy beta radiation with a maximum energy of 0.546 MeV, and a high energy beta radiation with a maximum energy of 2.274 MeV. The beta measurements indicate that diamond sensors are sensitive to beta radiation and are suitable for beta spectroscopy. This is important in estimating dose since diamond is tissue equivalent, and the absorbed dose is easily determined from the energy and the mass of the active volume. The high energy betas from 2°4Tl and 90Sr/90Y penetrates the sensor without depositing sufficient energy in the active area because their range is larger than the thickness of sensor. The sensitivity of the detector is limited because of its small volume and can be improved by combining smaller area sensors since growing large size diamond is currently a challenge.
Homogeneous Assay for Target Engagement Utilizing Bioluminescent Thermal Shift

Protein thermal shift assays (TSAs) provide a means for characterizing target engagement through ligand-induced thermal stabilization. Although these assays are widely utilized for screening libraries and validating hits in drug discovery programs, they can impose encumbering operational requirements, such as the availability of purified proteins or selective antibodies. Appending the target protein with a small luciferase (NanoLuc) allows coupling of thermal denaturation with luminescent output, providing a rapid and sensitive means for assessing target engagement in compositionally complex environments such as permeabilized cells. The intrinsic thermal stability of NanoLuc is greater than mammalian proteins, and our results indicate that the appended luciferase does not alter thermal denaturation of the target protein. We have successfully applied the NanoLuc luciferase thermal shift assay (NaLTSA) to several clinically relevant protein families, including kinases, bromodomains, and histone deacetylases...
Delayed tree mortality, bark beetle activity, and regeneration dynamics five years following the Wallow Fire, Arizona, USA: Assessing trajectories towards resiliency

Abstract Warm/dry mixed conifer forests have undergone changes in disturbance regimes, forest structure, species composition, and surface fuel accumulation which have led to increased susceptibility to large, uncharacteristically severe wildfires and pathogenic outbreaks. Ecosystems resilient to fire events return to a similar set of structures (e.g., forest and understory composition and density) or processes (e.g., fire, decomposition rates); however, when exposed to disturbances outside the evolutionary envelope, may transition to a different state (e.g., type conversion). We sampled warm/dry mixed conifer forest stands treated prior to the 2011 Wallow Fire and paired untreated sites five years following the fire. Our objective was to evaluate mid-term ecosystem resiliency in terms of forest structure, bark beetle activity, and tree regeneration. We hypothesized that treated units would have higher mid-term post-fire resiliency compared to untreated units. In 2016, average total tree density remained significantly lower in treated compared to paired untreated units; conifer density and BA decreased in both treated and untreated units. Diameter distributions in 2016 treated units remained similar to those observed in 2012 with the exception of increased density in the smallest diameter class. In untreated units, the majority of tree density reductions occurred in the 10–30 cm dbh classes. Post-fire tree mortality was stable across treated and untreated units, with no significant differences; however, abundant ingrowth of small hardwoods occurred throughout the study area. Large-tree density decreased by about 20% in both treated and untreated units between 2012 and 2016. Evidence of post-fire bark beetles was generally low and patchy throughout the study site; however, beetle activity was more widespread in untreated units. Twice as many trees were attacked by bark beetles in untreated versus treated units suggesting treatments may have reduced post-fire beetle activity. Following wildfire, observed conifer regeneration was lower and hardwood regeneration was higher with increasing burn severity; conifer regeneration was nearly three times higher in treated units. This study suggests that pre-fire fuel reduction treatments contribute less to mid-term resiliency than to short-term resiliency of forested ecosystems. We observed trends of higher resilience to insect outbreaks and potential implications for type change from conifer to deciduous forest. Furthermore, our study underscores the importance of understanding mid-term post-fire recovery, and while it provides insights regarding recovery of these ecosystems, additional monitoring and research is needed to fully understand the implications toward long-term resiliency.
Identification, characterization and putative function of HvRin4, a barley homolog of Arabidopsis Rin4 ☆

Abstract RIN4 is a signaling molecule that plays a key role in disease resistance responses in plants. Barley RIN4 ( Hv RIN4) was first identified as an interactor of the stem rust resistance protein RPG1 in a yeast two-hybrid system. Therefore, we isolated, characterized and studied Hv RIN4 role in barley. Yeast two hybrid analysis, employing several deletion mutants of Hv RIN4 revealed that the C-terminal end and a partial deletion of N-terminal end of Hv RIN4 are important for interacting with RPG1. Hv RIN4 interactions with RPG1 mutated proteins, which inactivate autophosphorylation, suggested that autophosphorylation or the amino acids required for autophosphorylation of RPG1 are essential for interaction.
To Secure the Blessings

The Constitution’s Preamble states, in part: “We the people of the United States, in order to… secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” While the word “blessings” in this context might mean simply benefits, it might have a more specifically ethical and dispositional meaning, such as benefits for which we should be grateful. Those who favor an evangelical reading of the Constitution might further specify the ethical and dispositional meaning, so that “blessings” recalls God’s promise to Abraham and Israel and the relationship that this promise initiates. On this evangelical reading, the Preamble’s aspiration to blessings fits within a familiar Biblical warrant for American exceptionalism.An ampler Biblical account of blessings (and curses), however, questions this warrant. The ampler account is ironizing; it tends to reveal incongruities throughout our picture of ourselves as blessed and as blessing others. Relocating or transposing the Preamble’s Blessings Clause into this Biblical frame has a salutary ironizing effect, enabling us to see the whole project of securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity in a more critical light. Without irony, what is otherwise virtuous – our disposition to gratitude – is tainted by the vice of complaceny. Without gratitude, the virtue in irony declines into a self-congratulatory sarcasm.Suppose we read the Preamble’s Blessings Clause in light of Biblical stories about how Jacob secured blessings to himself and his posterity. In this reading, the framers of the law (“fathers”) suppose that they “secure the blessings” to and for the generations to come, but the children actually “secure the blessings” from the “fathers” (by deceit if necessary). “To secure the blessings” it is necessary to overthrow the law (albeit for the sake of realizing it). Ultimately, the blessings are not “secure,” but instead open or at risk in a way that gives depth of significance to life and law. Life graced with blessings is not “secure,” and the prosperity or abundance in “blessings” offers no immunity against the human circumstances of pain, loss, grief, anxiety, and guilt. The ground and source of the blessings upon “ourselves and our posterity” require that “we the people” mediate blessings to all humankind; but we exchange blessings for curses if do not act with humility and in awareness of our limitations and mixed motives.
Anomalous hopping exponents of ultrathin metal films

The temperature dependence of the resistance $R(T)$ of ultrathin quench-condensed films of Ag, Bi, Pb, and Pd has been investigated. In the most resistive films, ${R(T)=R}_{0}\mathrm{exp}{(T}_{0}{/T)}^{x},$ where $x=0.75\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05.$ Surprisingly, the exponent x was found to be constant for a wide range of ${R}_{0}$ and ${T}_{0}$ in all four materials, possibly implying a consistent underlying conduction mechanism. The results are discussed in terms of several different models of hopping conduction.
INSIGHT responsive parenting intervention and infant feeding practices: randomized clinical trial.

What, when, how, how much, and how often infants are fed have been associated with childhood obesity risk. The objective of this secondary analysis was to examine the effect of a responsive parenting (RP) intervention designed for obesity prevention on parents’ infant feeding practices in the first year after birth. Primiparous mother-newborn dyads were randomized to the Intervention Nurses Start Infants Growing on Healthy Trajectories (INSIGHT) Study RP intervention or child safety control. Research nurses delivered intervention content at home at infant age 3–4, 16, 28, and 40 weeks, and at a research center at 1 year. RP feeding guidance advised feeding that was contingent (i.e., feed in response to hunger and satiety signs, alternatives to using food to soothe), and developmentally appropriate (i.e., delaying introduction of solids, age-appropriate portion sizes). Infant feeding practices (i.e., bottle use, introduction of solids, food to soothe) were assessed by phone interviews and online surveys and dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. RP mothers were more likely to use of structure-based feeding practices including limit-setting (p < 0.05) and consistent feeding routines (p < 0.01) at age 1 year. RP group mothers were less likely to use non-responsive feeding practices such as pressuring their infant to finish the bottle/food (p < 0.001), and using food to soothe (p < 0.01), propping the bottle (p < 0.05) assessed between 4 and 8 months, and putting baby to bed with a bottle at age 1 year (p < 0.05). Few differences were seen between groups in what specific foods or food groups infants were fed. Anticipatory guidance on RP in feeding can prevent the use of food to soothe and promote use of more sensitive, structure-based feeding which could reduce obesity risk by affecting how and when infants are fed during the first year. The Intervention Nurses Start Infants Growing on Healthy Trajectories (INSIGHT) Study. www.clinicaltrials.gov . NCT01167270. Registered 21 July 2010.
Enterprise resource planning systems: systems, life cycle, electronic commerce, and risk

Enterprise Resource Planning Systems can provide the foundation for a wide range of e-commerce based processes including web-based ordering and order tracing, inventory management, and built-to-order goods. This book examines the pros and cons of ERP systems, explains how they work, and highlights their role at the heart of e-commerce. The author begins by explaining the background to ERP systems and goes on to discuss specific systems and their capabilities. He then focuses on the ERP life cycle, from initial implementation through to the time when the system goes live. After covering the use of ERP in e-commerce, he concludes by discussing the risks associated with the adoption of ERP systems. The book contains several detailed case-studies and will be an invaluable guide to managers and consultants working with ERP systems. It will also be a useful reference for MBA students taking courses in information systems management.
Cost Goals and Information Timing: How They Interact to Affect Cost Reduction in a Product Design Environment

Greater competition has increased pressure to reduce product costs and design times. To introduce products more quickly, some companies begin designing products before all relevant design information is available and continue modifying product specifications during the design process. We experimentally examine how cost goals (specific cost target versus general cost goal) and information timing (receive all design information upfront versus staggered throughout the design period) interact to influence cost reduction. Using goal-setting theory and literature on information timing, we predict and find that information timing has a moderating effect on the effectiveness of cost goals. Specifically, we find that staggered, as opposed to upfront, information improves performance for groups with a general cost goal, but hinders performance with a specific cost target. Additionally, consistent with prior goal research, we find that groups with a specific cost target outperform those with a general cost goal when all information is received upfront. However, when groups receive staggered design information, having a specific cost target produces results not significantly different than a general goal. Thus, our findings suggest that information timing is a potential boundary condition within goal setting’s theoretical framework and may help explain why more companies have not adopted target costing.