cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Electrocatalytic Behavior of Layered Li2MnO3 and Its Acid-Treated Form

The material H[H0.18Li0.15Mn0.67]O1.90, obtained by the delithiation of layered Li2MnO3 using acid, gives a 2-fold increase in oxygen reduction ability versus Li2MnO3. Using elemental analysis by the ICP technique, average oxidation state determination, acid−base titrations, and thermal analysis, we determined the chemical composition of the proton-exchanged material to be H[H0.18Li0.15Mn0.67]O1.90. Rietveld refinement shows that the structure of the delithiated material is a monoclinic distortion of the P3 structure resulting in the C2/m space group with cell parameters a =5.049(2) A, b = 8.707(2) A, c = 4.903(1) A, β = 109.17(2)°. The BET surface area for the materials increases from 18 to 57 m2/g upon delithiation. Application of H[H0.18Li0.15Mn0.67]O1.90 as an electrocatalyst in a lithium-air cell gives a specific discharge capacity of 1618 mA h g-1.
Tolerance of Healthy Adult Males to Intravenous Infusion of Cetiedil, a Vasoerythroactive Drug

: The intravenous infusion of cetiedil to a group of ten male volunteers elicited atropine-like side effects on salivation, bronchomotor tone and visual accommodation. With repeated infusions of cetiedil, the incidence as well as the duration of the side effects were reduced significantly, indicating the development of tolerance. Since normal subjects can tolerate repeated intravenous infusions of cetiedil, the clinical investigation of this drug in sickle cell disease can proceed, including those patients suffering from vasoocclusive crises.
Internal Contradictions versus External Pressures in the Transformation of the Former Soviet Economy

Argues that the collapse of socialism in the former Soviet Union as well as the collapse of that state resulted from a complex interaction of both internal and external factors. Internally the systemic transformation is significantly impeded by the hysteretic memory of the old system and its functioning. External pressures influence the pace and the scope of this transformation, conditioning Western assistance to the reform process by the demands for rapid convergence to the path of the resolute marketization. The evolution of the internal and external circumstances has brought about the current crisis in the former Soviet Union and raised the critical question of tactical and strategic goals.
Electrodiagnosis in Neuromuscular Disease

Electromyography (EMG) is an important diagnostic tool for the assessment of individuals with various neuromuscular diseases. It should be an extension of a thorough history and physical examination. Some prototypical characteristics and findings of EMG and nerve conduction studies are discussed; however, a more thorough discussion can be found in the textbooks and resources sited in the article. With an increase in molecular genetic diagnostics, EMG continues to play an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with neuromuscular diseases and also provides a cost-effective diagnostic workup before ordering a battery of costly genetic tests.
Calcium regulation of urinary bladder function

ABSTRACTPurpose: To investigate the effect of independently inhibiting calcium influx from extracellular sources and calcium release from intracellular stores on the ability of the urinary bladder to generate pressure and empty.Materials and Methods: Rabbit bladders were mounted in an in vitro whole organ bath and filled with 15 ml. saline. Each bladder was incubated separately in Tyrode's solution, with diltiazem (10 micro M), to block extracellular calcium influx, or with thapsigargin (40 micro M) and ryanodine (80 micro M), to block the uptake and release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The bladder was then stimulated isometrically with field stimulation (32 Hz), and to empty with field stimulation and with bethanechol (250 micro M), independently. During stimulation, transmural pressure and volume emptied were measured. From these, flow rate, power, and external mechanical work were calculated.Results: In the presence of diltiazem, the time to maximal pressure decreased while the rate of p...
Phonological variation in American Sign Language: The case of 1 handshape

This article examines variation in American Sign Language (ASL) signs produced with a 1 handshape, which include signs of nearly all grammatical classes. Multivariate analysis of more than 5,000 tokens, extracted from informal conversations among more than 200 signers in seven different regions of the United States, indicates that variation in the form of these signs is conditioned by multiple linguistic and social factors. Significant factor groups include grammatical function and features of the preceding and following segments, as well as a range of social constraints including age, regional origin, and language background. Two findings are especially notable. First, although the results for preceding and following segment effects show evidence of progressive and regressive assimilation, grammatical function is the first-order linguistic constraint on the use of two of the three main variants. Second, signers in all regions of the United States show similar patterns of variation, thus providing evidence that ASL signers constitute a single “speech” community.
Dependence of enhanced Kerr nonlinearity on coupling power in a three-level atomic system.

We study the enhanced Kerr-nonlinear coefficient in a three-level Λ-type atomic system for various coupling-beam powers. The Kerr-nonlinear coefficient behaves very differently in the strong and the weak coupling power regions and changes sign when the coupling or probe frequency detuning changes sign. Comparisons of Kerr-nonlinear coefficients as functions of probe frequency detuning, coupling power, and coupling frequency detuning are presented.
Life, Death, and Harm: Staying Within the Boundaries of Nonmaleficence

Jotkowitz and colleagues claim that “the Groningen Protocol violates… the moral charge: to do no harm” (2008, 23) because it allows for non-voluntary active euthanasia of infants with hopeless and ...
Hybrid ARQ for turbo coded modulation with mixed combining

In this paper, we consider the hybrid automatic retransmission request (ARQ) for turbo coded systems with QAM modulations through block fading channels and the rates are different among (re)transmission blocks. Due to coexistence of incremental redundancy (IR) and repetition, both Chase combining (CC) and IR code combining are employed at the receiver. Based on the bucket-filling analysis for the hybrid ARQ process with mixed IR and repetitions, we obtain the error rates by applying the union-Bhattacharyya (UB) bound for parallel channels. We then form the throughput optimization of hybrid ARQ with mixed combining and obtain the optimal assignment rates and modulation set. The results show that the mixed combining performs better than non-adaptive IR and Chase combining based hybrid ARQ schemes.
In vivo detection of c-MET expression in a rat hepatocarcinogenesis model using molecularly targeted magnetic resonance imaging.

The multifunctional growth factor scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor and its tyrosine kinase receptor, c-MET, have been implicated in the genesis and malignant progression of numerous human malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinomas. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas in the United States has increased noticeably over the past two decades and is listed as the fifth major cancer in men worldwide. In this study, we used a choline-deficient l-amino acid (CDAA)-defined rat hepatocarcinogenesis model to visualize increased in vivo expression of the c-MET antigen in neoplastic lesion formation with the use of a super paramagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)–anti-c-MET molecularly targeted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. SPIO–anti-c-MET was used for the first time to detect overexpression of c-MET in neoplastic nodules and tumors within the livers of CDAA-treated rats, as determined by a decrease in MRI signal intensity and a decrease in regional T2 values. Specificity for the binding of the molecularly targeted anti-c-MET contrast agent was determined using rat hepatoma (H4-II-E-C3) cell cultures and immunofluorescence microscopic imaging of the targeting agents within neoplastic liver tissue 1 to 2 hours following intravenous administration of SPIO–anti-c-MET and MRI investigation. This method has the ability to visualize in vivo the overexpression of c-MET at early developmental stages of tumor formation.
Transient stability of high frequency AC power systems

The large-signal transient stability of generators running at frequencies higher than the usual 50 or 60 Hz was investigated as a function of system frequency in a micro-grid setting. A three phase bolted fault was taken as the mechanism for inciting potential instabilities. Simple rotor angle analysis leads one to believe that higher frequency power systems are inherently more unstable than lower frequency systems, and this point is substantiated by critical clearing time (CCT) tests. But more extensive simulation-based analyses paint a different picture: if circuit breaker speed can be increased proportionally to the increase of system frequency (e.g. opening after some number of cycles, irrespective of the frequency of those cycles), then higher frequency systems can have better stability than lower frequency systems. Conversely, if circuit breaker speed cannot be increased proportionally to system frequency, then higher frequency systems might present worse stability if no other method for improving system stability is implemented.
Fiber-optic strain gauge

Prototype fiber-optic strain gauges consisting of plastic fibers containing permanent microbends were fabricated and various properties were measured. Their strain sensitivity as a function of microbend amplitude is shown, and their transduction mechanism, which is primarily the drop in microbend amplitude under tension and the corresponding increase in the fibers' optical transmission, is discussed. >
The Nature and Correlates of Mexican-American Adolescents’ Time With Parents and Peers

Drawing on cultural–ecological and person–environment fit perspectives, this study examined links among Mexican-American adolescents' time with peers and parents, parents' cultural orientations, and adolescents' psychosocial adjustment and cultural orientations. Participants were 492 Mexican-American adolescents (Ms=15.7 and 12.8 years for older siblings and younger siblings) and their parents in 246 families. Family members described their family relationships, cultural orientations, and psychosocial functioning in home interviews, and time-use data were collected during a series of nightly phone calls. Mexican-American adolescents spent the majority of their peer time with Mexican youth. Some support was found for the hypothesis that the mismatch between parents' cultural orientations and adolescents' peer involvement is linked to adolescents' psychosocial functioning.
MicroRNAs in the Stressed Heart: Sorting the Signal from the Noise

The short noncoding RNAs, known as microRNAs, are of undisputed importance in cellular signaling during differentiation and development, and during adaptive and maladaptive responses of adult tissues, including those that comprise the heart. Cardiac microRNAs are regulated by hemodynamic overload resulting from exercise or hypertension, in the response of surviving myocardium to myocardial infarction, and in response to environmental or systemic disruptions to homeostasis, such as those arising from diabetes. A large body of work has explored microRNA responses in both physiological and pathological contexts but there is still much to learn about their integrated actions on individual mRNAs and signaling pathways. This review will highlight key studies of microRNA regulation in cardiac stress and suggest possible approaches for more precise identification of microRNA targets, with a view to exploiting the resulting data for therapeutic purposes.
Characterization of spatiotemporally complex gait patterns using cross-correlation signatures

We hypothesize that spatiotemporal joint coupling patterns during gait are closely associated with musculoskeletal injury mechanics. Previous studies examining joint coupling, have primarily focused on coupling between single pairs of neighboring body segments or joints; thus falling short of characterizing the full spatiotemporal complexity across the entire gait apparatus. This study proposes the reliance on properties of the temporal cross-correlation of distinct joint variables as a means to characterize and detect differences in multiple segmental coupling pairs and to quantify how these couplings change between different gait conditions or test groups. In particular, for each subject, a characteristic diagram array is obtained whose entries include the maximum values of the crosscorrelation between all pairs of joint variables as well as the associated phase shifts at which these maxima are recorded. Paired t-tests are then used to highlight significant differences in the corresponding entries between two gait conditions. In the present study, this technique was applied to angular displacement and velocity histories across 12 lower extremity joint variables, for healthy subjects with and without a brace on the right knee. As expected, the statistical analysis indicated that the temporal cross-correlations associated with the right knee-angle variables differed the most between the two gait conditions. In addition, significant differences (p < 0.01) were found in the coupling between other pairs of joint variables, establishing a characteristic spatiotemporal signature for the changes from normative gait that result from reduced mobility at the knee.
Translocation of TRAF proteins regulates apoptotic threshold of cells.

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factors (TRAFs) are involved in signaling pathways triggered by members of the TNF receptor (TNFR) family and other cell surface proteins. After recruitment to a receptor, TRAFs initiate formation of multiprotein complexes that induce downstream events, such as translocation of transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Several proteins in these complexes play important roles in regulation of apoptosis. However, the fate of TRAF-containing complexes once assembled in response to receptor multimerization is not understood. In this report, we demonstrate that crosslinking of TNFR family members or interaction of TRAF2 with the cytoplasmic protein A20 leads to intracellular translocation of TRAF2. This redistribution leads to depletion of the cytoplasmic pool of TRAF2. The ratio between soluble and insoluble TRAF2 determines the sensitivity of cells to TNF-α-induced apoptosis and may play an important role in limiting further TRAF-dependent signal transduction.
Cognitive Executive Functioning in Relation to HIV Medication Adherence Among Gay, Bisexual, and other Men who have Sex with Men

A longitudinal study of 300 HIV-positive gay, bisexual or non-gay-identified men-who-have-sex-with-men was undertaken to consider patterns relating to HIV medication adherence. The purpose of our analyses was to consider the rate of adherence in relation to both age and executive functioning as assessed by the Trail Making Test A and B. Executive functioning was assessed at baseline and month 10. Our analytic sample consisted of 213 men who remained on the same protease inhibitor throughout the assessment timeframe. Adherence rates were relatively high with more than 50% of the sample maintaining a 95%+ adherence rate at both baseline and month 10. Analyses at baseline indicated executive functioning and age were related to rate of adherence. Analyses at month 10 indicated no significant relations. Findings support previous research and suggest that the status of executive functioning as well as age be given consideration when working with HIV-positive individuals.
Land Tenure Delegitimation and Social Mobility in Tropical Petén, Guatemala

Lack of legitimacy of land tenure institutions in the tropical Peten, Guatemala, contributes to tenure insecurity that encourages rapid colonization, deforestation, and forest conversion to agriculture. The author identifies social, political, and property rights trends that reduced the effectiveness of property rights in the Peten. Three case studies present the complexities of land tenure institutions. The first analyzes unregulated land invasions by small farmers, the second discusses land tenure barriers to protection of indigenous cooperatives, and the third analyzes attempts by the government and nongovernmental organizations to restrict settlements within the Maya Biosphere Reserve through negotiations. In the absence of operative legal land institutions, campesinos create land law by their invasions, presence, and practices. Unless campesinos are given a role within policy-making management decisions, there may be no means to restore legitimacy to land tenure in the Peten.
Innovative Designs for the Smart ICU: Part 3: Advanced ICU Informatics

This third and final installment of this series on innovative designs for the smart ICU addresses the steps involved in conceptualizing, actualizing, using, and maintaining the advanced ICU informatics infrastructure and systems. The smart ICU comprehensively and electronically integrates the patient in the ICU with all aspects of care, displays data in a variety of formats, converts data to actionable information, uses data proactively to enhance patient safety, and monitors the ICU environment to facilitate patient care and ICU management. The keys to success in this complex informatics design process include an understanding of advanced informatics concepts, sophisticated planning, installation of a robust infrastructure capable of both connectivity and interoperability, and implementation of middleware solutions that provide value. Although new technologies commonly appear compelling, they are also complicated and challenging to incorporate within existing or evolving hospital informatics systems. Therefore, careful analysis, deliberate testing, and a phased approach to the implementation of innovative technologies are necessary to achieve the multilevel solutions of the smart ICU.
The Carotenoid Nature of Yellow Pigment in the Chicken Iris

Abstract THE ordinary iris color in both the chicken and the domestic pigeon is rich orange. In connection with a genetical study of iris coloration of the pigeon, it was desired to compare the two species with regard to the pigments involved. Examination of the living eye with the dissection microscope reveals that the orange color in each is made up of two components: a tangle of red surface capillaries and a yellow background. Warren and Gordon (1933) found considerable non-inherited variability in redness of iris in the Rhode Island Red breed. Birds which have been killed, bled, and scalded show no redness in the iris, but only an amber yellow. The back of the iris is black; this pigmentation is a continuation of the retinal pigment layer. Warren (1933) has shown that albino chickens lack this black layer; however, the front of the iris contains the normal yellow pigment. The . . .
Aboveground Invertebrate Responses to Land Management Differences in a Central Kansas Grassland

Macroinvertebrate communities in a central Kansas grassland were examined to assess their responses to differences in land management and explore their viability for biological assessment of grasslands. Canopy (drop-trap) and ground-dwelling (pitfall traps) communities were quantitatively sampled from June-September 1998 and 1999. The responses of the whole arthropod community and two focal groups, Coleopteran families and Orthopteran species, to three land use types (brome fields, old fields, and native prairies) were examined. Vegetation analyses reflected clear differences among land use types. Bromus inermis Leyss, an exotic grass, and Andropogon gerardii Vitman, a native grass, dominated brome fields and native prairie sites, respectively. Old fields were composed of a mixture of native and exotic plant species. Coleopteran family richness and diversity were significantly greater in native prairies than brome fields (P < 0.05), whereas orthopteran species richness and diversity peaked in brome fields. Diversity and richness of all arthropod groups examined were significantly, positively correlated with plant species diversity and richness in drop-trap samples (P < 0.05). Coleopteran family diversity and richness in pitfall samples were positively correlated with abundance of native plants, but orthopteran species diversity and richness were negatively correlated with native plant abundance. Coleopteran and orthopteran responses to land use appeared linked to differences in management practices. Whereas coleopterans appeared most influenced by plant community composition, orthopterans showed sensitivity to mechanical disturbance associated with haying on native prairie. Plant and arthropod group diversities were not consistently correlated, demonstrating that arthropod groups can reflect differences in a landscape that may not be apparent from examining plant communities alone.
Comparative facile methods for preparing graphene oxide–hydroxyapatite for bone tissue engineering

Motivated by the success of using graphene oxide (GO) as a nanofiller of composites, there is a drive to search for this new kind of carbon material as a bioactive component in ceramic materials. In the present study, biomineralized GO was prepared by two different approaches, represented by in situ sol-gel synthesis and biomimetic treatment. It was found that in the biocomposites obtained by the sol-gel approach, the spindle-like hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, with a diameter of ca. 5 ± 0.37 nm and a length of ca. 70 ± 2.5 nm, were presented randomly and strongly on the surface. The oxygen-containing functional groups, such as hydroxyl and carbonyl, present on the basal plane and edges of the GO sheets, play an important role in anchoring calcium ions, as demonstrated by FT-IR and TEM investigations. A different result was obtained for biocomposites after biomimetic treatment: an amorphous calcium phosphate on GO sheet was observed after 5 days of treatment. These different approaches resulted in a diverse effect on the proliferation and differentiation of osteogenic mesenchymal stem cells. In fact, in biocomposites prepared by the sol-gel approach the expression of an early marker of osteogenic differentiation, ALP, increases with the amount of GO in the first days of cell culture. Meanwhile, biomimetic materials sustain cell viability and proliferation, even if the expression of alkaline phosphatase activity in a basal medium is delayed. These findings may provide new prospects for utilizing GO-based hydroxyapatite biocomposites in bone repair, bone augmentation and coating of biomedical implants and broaden the application of GO sheets in biological areas. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The early Spanish and English writing development of simultaneous bilingual preschoolers

This qualitative study investigated the progression in the biliterate levels of conceptualization about writing in Spanish and English of 28 simultaneous bilingual preschoolers. Using a constructiv...
The Grain Tribute System of the Ch'ing Dynasty

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, when internal disorder and the impact of Western influences began to work striking changes in the structure of Chinese governmental finance, the revenue of the Ch'ing dynasty may be divided into five main categories. The first and most important was the land tax, which was imposed on most agricultural land throughout the empire and provided the major portion of the funds with which the routine administrative operations of both the central and provincial governments were financed. The second, far smaller in amount than the first, was the grain tribute, which was imposed like the land tax on agricultural land but was levied only in certain areas and was devoted normally to the feeding of the official population of Peking, including the metropolitan garrison, the court, and the metropolitan bureaucracy. The third was the governmental monopoly of the production and distribution of salt. The fourth and fifth categories were respectively the regular (or “native”) customs and certain miscellaneous indirect taxes.
Research of Audio Codec System Based on SPI Protocol and Its Design

The paper introduced SPI communication protocol,proposed a design scheme of audio-stream decoding system by use of ARM-controller LPC2368 and voice-processing chip VS1003,and described structure,transmission theories of SCI and SDI of the system and design of key codes of the system's software in details.The system can realize playing function of audio-analog signals perfectly by initialization debugging and sine-wave testing.
Treatment of metastatic prostate cancer of the spine.

SUMMARY There is a wide spectrum of presentations for prostate cancer metastatic to the spine. Important factors are the patient's age and general health; the extent and location of spinal involvement; the patient's neurologic status and degree of pain; the relative contribution of a blastic or lytic response; and the experience and training of the spinal surgeon, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist. The spine is both a weightbearing structure and a housing for the spinal cord, and failure to consider both functions may lead to unsatisfactory treatment results. Treatment options include hormonal therapy, inhibitors of bone metabolism, glucocorticoid therapy, radiotherapy, halo-vest, surgical debridement, decompression and stabilization, and appropriate pain management and support. One must not lose sight of the fact that the goals are palliation and that ultimate demise is unavoidable in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.
Contribution of regional-scale fire events to ozone and PM2.5 air quality estimated by photochemical modeling approaches

Abstract Two specific fires from 2011 are tracked for local to regional scale contribution to ozone (O 3 ) and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) using a freely available regulatory modeling system that includes the BlueSky wildland fire emissions tool, Spare Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE) model, Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) meteorological model, and Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) photochemical grid model. The modeling system was applied to track the contribution from a wildfire (Wallow) and prescribed fire (Flint Hills) using both source sensitivity and source apportionment approaches. The model estimated fire contribution to primary and secondary pollutants are comparable using source sensitivity (brute-force zero out) and source apportionment (Integrated Source Apportionment Method) approaches. Model estimated O 3 enhancement relative to CO is similar to values reported in literature indicating the modeling system captures the range of O 3 inhibition possible near fires and O 3 production both near the fire and downwind. O 3 and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) are formed in the fire plume and transported downwind along with highly reactive VOC species such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde that are both emitted by the fire and rapidly produced in the fire plume by VOC oxidation reactions. PAN and aldehydes contribute to continued downwind O 3 production. The transport and thermal decomposition of PAN to nitrogen oxides (NO X ) enables O 3 production in areas limited by NO X availability and the photolysis of aldehydes to produce free radicals (HO X ) causes increased O 3 production in NO X rich areas. The modeling system tends to overestimate hourly surface O 3 at routine rural monitors in close proximity to the fires when the model predicts elevated fire impacts on O 3 and Hazard Mapping System (HMS) data indicates possible fire impact. A sensitivity simulation in which solar radiation and photolysis rates were more aggressively attenuated by aerosol in the plume reduced model O 3 but does not eliminate this bias. A comparison of model predicted daily average speciated PM 2.5 at surface rural routine network sites when the model predicts fire impacts from either of these fires shows a tendency toward overestimation of PM 2.5 organic aerosol in close proximity to these fires. The standard version of the CMAQ treats primarily emitted organic aerosol as non-volatile. An alternative approach for treating organic aerosol as semi-volatile resulted in lower PM 2.5 organic aerosol from these fires but does not eliminate the bias. Future work should focus on modeling specific fire events that are well characterized in terms of size, emissions, and have extensive measurements taken near the fire and downwind to better constrain model representation of important physical and chemical processes (e.g. aerosol photolysis attenuation and organic aerosol treatment) related to wild and prescribed fires.
WE-F-BRC-00: Keynote Address: Learning From Medical Errors: A Partnership for Progress

Leilani Schweitzer understands medical error as few others do: through the death of her child. Faced with this profound loss, she has made a choice. Instead of pursing action through the courts she works with healthcare community to understand why mistakes happen and what can be done to respond to them in a meaningful way. In this keynote address for the TG100 Certificate Course on Risk Analysis, she will share her story and the lessons that have emerged. She will highlight the importance of investigating and understanding errors, as well as the role of leadership in accomplishing this. She will describe the advances that she has made in partnership with the healthcare community. Her experience is a powerful reminder of the errors that no one wants to happen and what can be done to stop them. Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize the impact of medical errors on patients and their families 2. Understand the value of systems thinking as opposed to a culture of blaming the provider 3. Appreciate the recent advances made in error and risk reduction
Incognito: The Subconscious Nature of Implicit Expectations

Imagine the following scenario. A person sits behind a computer to view two brief movie reels, each one lasting only 16 seconds and presented on a purely random basis. Frame by frame, this individual sees nothing more on the screen than another person's face as it evolves from happiness, to an ambiguous expression, and then to anger. The individual watching these reels is simply instructed to press the space bar the moment he or she senses a shift in the facial expression of the person on the screen, from pleasant-looking to outright menacing. How long do you think it will take someone to detect anger in the face of another? The answer is that it will depend on that person's level of implicit attitude. More precisely, it will depend on their implicit attitude toward African Americans. For the one difference between the two reels just described is the race of the person that is showcased in each one. In one film, the person is conspicuously African American; in the other, the person is identifiably white. In fact, when two social psychologists conducted a set of experiments along these lines (Hugenberg and Bodenhausen 2003), they discovered that individual differences in implicit attitude toward blacks (as measured by the Implicit Association Test [IAT]) explained the alacrity with which participants sensed anger in the African American person's face, but not the white person's expression. Specifically, individuals with more negative implicit attitudes toward blacks were about 2.5 seconds faster at detecting a menacing facial expression, even if the face was objectively ambiguous – neither happy nor angry in clearly visible terms. In a manner reminiscent of Mark Lyttle's mistaken deportation to Mexico (Chapter 1), implicit attitude led some individuals to see something that was not really there, without their knowing that it had. This is, of course, only one report from one research team. Yet dispatches from other studies conducted by other social psychologists suggest similar patterns (e.g., Fazio and Dunton 1997; Gawronski et al. 2003). The cumulative lesson from these laboratory investigations seems to be this: implicit attitude can color how individuals interpret the world around them, and it can do so without people being fully aware of this influence.
Temporal dynamics of maize plant growth, water use, and leaf water content using automated high throughput RGB and hyperspectral imaging

We conduct a greenhouse phenotyping study on two maize genotypes with two water regimes.Plant projected area accurately predicts shoot fresh weight, dry weight, and leaf area.Daily water consumption is derived and found to be determined by water treatments.Water use efficiency is derived and determined by plant genotype.Leaf spectra from hyperspectral images accurately predicts plant leaf water content. Automated collection of large scale plant phenotype datasets using high throughput imaging systems has the potential to alleviate current bottlenecks in data-driven plant breeding and crop improvement. In this study, we demonstrate the characterization of temporal dynamics of plant growth and water use, and leaf water content of two maize genotypes under two different water treatments. RGB (Red Green Blue) images are processed to estimate projected plant area, which are correlated with destructively measured plant shoot fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW) and leaf area. Estimated plant FW and DW, along with pot weights, are used to derive daily plant water consumption and water use efficiency (WUE) of the individual plants. Hyperspectral images of plants are processed to extract plant leaf reflectance and correlate with leaf water content (LWC). Strong correlations are found between projected plant area and all three destructively measured plant parameters (R20.95) at early growth stages. The correlations become weaker at later growth stages due to the large difference in plant structure between the two maize genotypes. Daily water consumption (or evapotranspiration) is largely determined by water treatment, whereas WUE (or biomass accumulation per unit of water used) is clearly determined by genotype, indicating a strong genetic control of WUE. LWC is successfully predicted with the hyperspectral images for both genotypes (R2=0.81 and 0.92). Hyperspectral imaging can be a very powerful tool to phenotype biochemical traits of the whole maize plants, complementing RGB for plant morphological trait analysis.
Supply Chain Network Design under Demand Uncertainty and Supply Disruptions

We develop a robust optimization model for designing a three-echelon supply chain network that consists of manufacturers, distribution centers, and retailers under both demand uncertainty and supply disruptions. The market demands are assumed to be random variables with known distribution and the supply disruptions caused by some of the facilities faults or connection links interruptions are formulated by several scenarios with unknown occurrence probabilities. In particular, we assume the probabilities that the disruption scenarios happen belong to the two predefined uncertainty sets, named box and ellipsoid uncertainty sets, respectively. Through mathematical deductions, the proposed robust SCN design models can be transformed into the tractable linear program for box uncertainty and into second-order cone program for ellipsoid uncertainty. We further offer propositions with proof to show the equivalence of the transformed problems with the original ones. The applications of the proposed models together with solution approaches are investigated in a real case to design a tea supply chain network and validate their effectiveness. Numerical results obtained from model implementation and sensitivity analysis arrive at important practical insights.
Bayesian analysis of piecewise growth mixture models with skew-t distributions: Application to AIDS studies.

ABSTRACTA major problem in HIV/AIDS studies is the development of drug resistance to antiretroviral (ARV) drug or therapy. Estimating the time at which such drug resistance would develop is usually sought. The goal of this article is to perform this estimation by developing growth mixture models with change-points and skew-t distributions based on longitudinal data. For such data, following ARV treatment, the profile of each subject’s viral load tends to follow a ‘broken stick’ like growth trajectory, indicating multiple phases of decline and increase in viral loads. These multiple phases with multiple change-points are captured by subject-specific random parameters of growth curve models. To account for heterogeneity of drug resistance among subjects, the change-points are also allowed to differ by subgroups (subpopulations) of patients classified into latent classes on the basis of trajectories of observed viral loads. The proposed methods are illustrated using real data from an AIDS clinical study.
Successful Treatment of Advanced and Refractory AML with Sirolimus Based Non-Myeloablative Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Abstract Non-myeloablative conditioning has extended the use of allogeneic hematopoietic transplant to many previously ineligible patients but has to date been disappointing in patients with advanced acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). We added the immunosuppressive and antitumor agent sirolimus (rapamycin) to an established transplant regimen of fludarabine 25 mg/M2 days -7 through -3 and cyclophosphamide 1000mg/M2 days −7 and −6, with tacrolimus and methotrexate immunoprophyllaxis. 23 patients with AML were treated, with median age 59 (range 28–72) at transplant. 6 patients received matched sibling, 11–unrelated donor, 1–5/6 matched and 5-haploidentical (“haplo” −3/6 or 4/6 matched) transplants. The haplo recipients also received antithymocyte globulin on days −1, 1, 3, and 5. Only 7 patients in total were in CR, but all of these were at high risk for relapse because of prior MDS, chromosome status, or other features. 9 patients were in chemotherapy refractory progression, and 7 were primarily refractory to induction therapy. All patients engrafted. In patients without graft versus host disease by day 30 (9 patients) tacrolimus was discontinued between days 45 and 100 while sirolimus was continued. 12/23 patients survive at 61–903 days of followup post transplant (median 525) and 11/12 survivors are currently free of detectable leukemia. 3 of these 12 relapsed at 83, 88, and 243 days, but the first 2 of these have received chemotherapy and DLI and are in CR 771 and 311 days from relapse. The figure below shows overall and progression free survival (PFS). All survivors but the single patient undergoing therapy for progression have performance status 0 or 1 and are free of need for transfusion. 9/12 survivors continue on sirolimus therapy. Only 2 patients, both recipients of haploidentical cells, have died from transplant related causes. Non-myeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation with sirolimus (rapamycin) based immunosuppression effectively treats many patients with advanced and poor prognosis AML. Given the very limited anti-leukemic activity of the conditioning chemotherapy, this suggests that disease control has been via graft versus leukemic effects alone or combined with anti-leukemic activity of the sirolimus. Download : Download high-res image (103KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure
The limited reach of authoritarian powers

ABSTRACTAuthoritarian states often command tremendous resources, but their ability to fundamentally change regimes abroad remains in question. Proponents of an “authoritarian resurgence” have speculated that China and Russia are rolling back democracy around the world, much like fascist powers in the interwar period. By contrast, the introductory article of this special issue theorizes that current authoritarian powers are not catalyzing autocracy far afield. Rather, they are prudentially defending the surrounding political order. The present article applies this framework to make sense of cross-national trends in democracy and authoritarianism. The bulk of evidence supports the notion that authoritarian powers have regionally shored up existing regimes, rather than globally subverting democracy. Evidence from around the world indicates the number of electoral democracies has been growing, democracy has remained tenuous in lower-income countries, and democratic breakdowns have owed more to unfavourable lo...
Chapter 71 – Negative Allosteric Modulators of the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 5 for the Treatment of Cocaine Use Disorder

Abstract Cocaine use disorder remains a significant problem worldwide, contributing to a large socioeconomic and health concern for individuals, their families, and society. The transition from recreational cocaine use to compulsive use despite known adverse outcomes is a hallmark of addiction and is associated with numerous pathophysiological brain changes that disrupt the balance between reward-related and goal-directed behaviors. As described by the DSM-V, long-term cocaine use also leads to stimulant-induced disorders including depressive, anxiety, neurocognitive, and sleep disorders that can persist for months to years of abstinence and can hinder efforts to remain abstinent. At present there are no FDA-approved treatments for cocaine addiction. One unique pharmacological approach for the treatment of many symptoms associated with cocaine abuse is antagonism of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5). We will review the preclinical data supporting the ability of antagonism of mGlu5 to block the acute behavioral effects of cocaine, to prevent relapse, and potential to ameliorate multiple stimulant-induced disorders.
Impact of bladder cancer on health-related quality of life.

Objectives To identify changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after diagnosis of bladder cancer in older adults in comparison with a group of adults without bladder cancer (controls). Patients and methods Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries were linked with Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS) data. Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years in the period 1998-2013, who were diagnosed with bladder cancer between baseline and follow-up through the MHOS, were matched with control subjects without cancer using propensity scores. Linear mixed models were used to estimate predictors of HRQoL changes. Results After matching, 535 patients with bladder cancer (458 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer [NMIBC] and 77 with muscle-invasive bladder cancer [MIBC]) and 2 770 control subjects without cancer were identified. Both patients with NMIBC and those with MIBC reported significant declines in HRQoL scores over time vs controls: physical component summary -2 and -5.3 vs -0.4, respectively; bodily pain -1.9 and -3.6 vs -0.7; role physical -2.7 and -4.7 vs -0.7; general health -2.4 and -6.1 vs 0; vitality -1.2 and -3.5 vs -0.1; and social functioning -2.1 and -5.7 vs -0.8. All scores ranged from 0 to 100. When stratified by time since diagnosis, HRQoL improved over 1 year for some domains (role physical), but remained lower across most domains. Conclusions After diagnosis, patients with bladder cancer experienced significant declines in physical, mental and social HRQoL relative to controls. Decrements were most pronounced among individuals with MIBC. Methods to better understand and address HRQoL decrements among patients with bladder cancer are needed.
Using a Life Cycle Approach in Analyzing the Net Energy and Global Warming Potential of Power Production via Fossil Fuels with CO2 Sequestration Compared to Biomass

An analysis was performed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to examine the global warming potential and energy balance of power generation from fossil and biomass systems including C02 sequestration. To get the true environmental picture, a life cycle approach, which takes into account upstream process steps, was applied. Each system maintained the same constant generating capacity and any lost capacity due to CO2 sequestration was accounted for by adding power generation from a natural gas combined-cycle system. This paper discusses the systems examined and gives the net energy and GWP for each system.
Profiling the Frequent Clothing Shopper

Frequent shoppers are an important segment of consumers for the clothing industry because they account for a disproportionate amount of sales and profits and play an important role in the fashion diffusion process. The purpose of this study was to test hypothesized characteristics that distinguish frequent shoppers clothing from other buyers. We focused on characteristics that have been studied by previous researchers and characteristics that have received less study, but are no less interesting and potentially important to clothing marketing and management.
Prefetch-guard: Leveraging hardware prefetches to defend against cache timing channels

Cache timing channels are a form of information leakage that operate through modulating cache access latencies and ultimately exfiltrate sensitive user information to adversaries. Among the many forms of timing channels, covert channels are particularly dangerous as they involve two insider processes (trojan and spy) colluding with each other to send out sensitive information, and are often difficult to detect or prevent. In this paper, we propose Prefetch-guard, an efficient and low-cost mitigation mechanism against cache-based timing channels. Prefetch-guard leverages hardware prefetchers to obfuscate the effect of timing modulation intentionally created by the trojan and spy. Our detection mechanism identifies the target cache sets that are being exploited for information leakage, and cache blocks are prefetched to fuzz the pattern of cache misses and hits created to construct timing channel between the trojan and the spy. With prefetch-guard, we observe that the cache timing channels suffer a 53% bit error rate which makes it very hard or impossible for the spy to decipher any useful information.
Computational Experiments in Trigonometry

In this chapter, the equation (6.1) where a, b and c are real parameters, a 2 + b 2 ≠ 0, will be considered. A problem-solving technique based on reducing trigonometric Eq. (6.1) to the system of simultaneous algebraic equations, (6.2–6.3) will be explored. In the digital era, trigonometry curriculum can be made enjoyable provided that computer applications are used to illuminate mathematical ideas. Towards this end, the chapter will emphasize the importance of technology for the teachers’ understanding of connections that exist between trigonometry and geometry.
Environmental Management of New Mining Operations in Developed Countries: The Regional Copper-Nickel Study

The Regional Copper-Nickel (Cu-Ni) Study which is described in this chapter is the result of a unique effort by a state government in the United States (US) to guide the development of major mineral resources of Cu, Ni, and Co in an orderly, comprehensive, and environmentally sound manner. In the early 1970s, the state recognized that exploration of the resource, which is located in northeastern Minnesota within the Superior National Forest (SNF) and adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), could bring both large economic benefits and widespread damage to an environmentally sensitive region of the country.
What Principles Are Used to Judge the Fairness of Retrenchment Actions

The present study identified the bipolar principles that workers use for evaluating the fairness of a broad range of negative organizational events. Two hundred forty-eight respondents were asked to describe recent negative events that occurred in their organizations, and explain the reasons for their fairness perceptions of the events. The responses were coded to yield 5 principles associated with outcome fairness and 8 principles associated with process fairness; this set included principles not found in earlier taxonomies. Support for previous justice models and needed areas of research are discussed.