cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of surface films formed on lithium in propylene carbonate solutions

FTIR, IR, and XPS have been used to study the films formed on lithium in propylene carbonate solutions of ,, and . Over a range of conditions, the main components detected in the initial surface films were lithium alkyl carbonates . Another alkyl carbonate solvent, diethyl carbonate, was found to react with lithium to form lithium ethyl carbonate, . In addition to solvent reduction, XPS measurements gave indication of salt reduction reactions. , , and were reduced by lithium to form halide ions, which were detected on the lithium surface. Two possible mechanisms for the formation of alkyl carbonates are discussed. One is the nucleophilic reaction of propylene carbonate with basic species such as OH−, while the other involves one‐electron reduction of propylene carbonate by lithium metal, followed by free radical termination reactions. When high concentrations of water were present, lithium carbonate was formed by further reaction of the alkyl carbonates with water. On lithium surfaces without a mechanically stable surface film, such as those of lithium/mercury amalgams, the reduction reaction is believed to proceed by an overall two‐electron process, and the primary product is lithium carbonate.
Re-examination of the split cold front in the British Isles cyclone of 17 July 1980

An analysis of an MM5 model simulation of a cyclone that passed over the British Isles on 17 July 1980 indicates that the cyclone had some characteristics of both the split-cold-front model of Browning and Monk (1982) and of a schematic by Browning and Roberts (1996). Most importantly, the cyclone had the characteristic upper-level baroclinic zone and its associated vertical velocity in advance of the surface front. This is an integral part of both the split-cold-front model of Browning and Monk and Browning and Roberts's schematic, and confirms the analysis of Browning and Monk. Simultaneously at different locations, the cyclone also had the characteristics of a warm occlusion in the lower levels with the portion of the cold front that was above the warm front tipped forward with height. The lower and upper portions of the cold front were not only fronts in equivalent potential temperature, as proposed by Browning and Monk, but true baroclinic zones with significant associated vertical velocity. The complex structure of this cyclone in the British Isles was similar to that of some storms in the Pacific Northwest of the United States (Locatelli et al. 2005). Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society.
The Distribution of the Size of the Union of Cycles for Two Types of Random Permutations

We discuss some problems and permutation statistics involving two different types of random permutations. Under the usual model of random permutations, we prove that the shifted coverage of the elements of { 1 , 2, … , 𝑘 } of a random permutation over { 1 , 2, … , 𝑛 } ; that is, the size of the union of the cycles containing these elements, excluding these elements themselves, follows a negative hypergeometric distribution. This fact gives a probabilistic model for the coverage via the canonical cycle representation. For a different random model, we determine some random permutation statistics regarding the problem of the lost boarding pass and its variations.
Predicting El Niño's Impacts

The quasi-periodic cycle of warming and cooling in the eastern, near-equatorial Pacific Ocean known as the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is associated with marked ocean temperature changes in the tropics and with long-range weather connections across the globe. In western South America, the cool phase (La Nina) brings dry conditions and excellent fishing in the nutrient-rich upwelling water, whereas the warm phase (El Nino) leads to floods and cutbacks in the fishing industry ( 1 ). But the notoriety of ENSO lies in its impact on seasonal weather around the globe, from droughts in Australia, to changes in the Indian summer monsoon and global tropical cyclone activity. In a landmark report on page 77 of this issue ( 2 ), Kim et al. revisit the structure of ENSO. The study has important consequences for the predictability of global weather patterns.
The Incidence and Incentive Effects of Property Tax Credits: Evidence From Michigan

The objectives of this article are (1) to present the income and geogtaphic incidence of property tax credits in Michigan; (2) to evaluate the influence of localproperty taxes, local income, and credit parameters on those distributions; and (3) to measure the magnitude of the potential fiscal incentives created by the circuit-breaker program. The analysisis based on a 1% sample of Michigan individual income tax returns for 1976, 1977, and 1978 that includes all the necessary data to calculate circuit-breaker benefits for each taxpayer. It is shown that the credit is a progressive element in the state's tax structure, that the credit primarily favors agricultural counties and counties with relatively higher property tax rates or property values, and that the credit generates large incentives to increase property taxes by reducing marginal property tax cost by about 24%.
Responsiveness of the reproductive axis to a single missed evening meal in young adult males

Objectives: The male reproductive axis is responsive to energetic deficits, including multiday fasts, but little is known about brief periods of fasting (<24 hours). Reduced testosterone in low-energy balance situations is hypothesized to reflect redirection of resources from reproduction to survival. This study tests the hypothesis that testosterone levels decrease during a minor caloric deficiency by assessing the effects of a single missed (evening) meal on morning testosterone in 23 healthy male participants, age 19–36. Methods: Participants provided daily saliva and urine samples for two baseline days and the morning following an evening fast (water only after 4 PM). Testosterone, cortisol, and luteinizing hormone were measured with enzyme immunoassays. Results: Fasting specimens had significantly lower overnight urinary luteinizing hormone (P 5 0.045) and morning salivary testosterone than baseline (P 5 0.037). In contrast to morning salivary testosterone, there was a significant increase in overnight urinary testosterone (P 5 0.000) following the evening fast, suggesting an increase in urinary clearance rates. There was a marginal increase in overnight urinary cortisol (P 5 0.100), but not morning salivary cortisol (P 5 0.589). Conclusion: These results suggest the male reproductive axis may react more quickly to energetic imbalances than has been previously appreciated. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 22:775–781, 2010. ' 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the effects of testosterone are energetically expensive, and may play an energy-allocating role in the life history trade off between reproduction and survival (Charnov, 1993; Folstad and Karter, 1992; Muehlenbein, 2008; Muehlenbein and Bribiescas, 2005). High testosterone levels are hypothesized to lead to increased investment in reproduction, including behavioral strategies and secondary sexual characteristics (Muehlenbein and Bribiescas, 2005). Testosterone plays an important role in increasing and maintaining male muscle mass, which can enhance competitive ability and mate attraction (Bhasin et al., 1996; Bribiescas, 2001). This comes at a cost: not only is muscle energetically expensive (Lassek and Gaulin, 2009), but high levels of testosterone also increase the catabolism of fat tissues, depleting reserves that could be essential during periods of food shortage (Bhasin et al., 2005). Studies of male human and nonhuman primates suggest that short-term fasts can have significant down-regulatory effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, prior to any change in body weight or composition (Aloi et al., 1997; Bergendahl and Veldhuis, 1995; Cameron et al., 1991). In human males, fasting appears to significantly reduce the number, and amplitude of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) pulses, thus decreasing
Wearable Sensor/Device (Fitbit One) and SMS Text-Messaging Prompts to Increase Physical Activity in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract Background: Studies have shown self-monitoring can modify health behaviors, including physical activity (PA). This study tested the utility of a wearable sensor/device (Fitbit® One™; Fitbit Inc., San Francisco, CA) and short message service (SMS) text-messaging prompts to increase PA in overweight and obese adults. Materials and Methods: Sixty-seven adults wore a Fitbit One tracker for 6 weeks; half were randomized to also receive three daily SMS-based PA prompts. The Fitbit One consisted of a wearable tracker for instant feedback on performance and a Web site/mobile application (app) for detailed summaries. Outcome measures were objectively measured steps and minutes of PA by intensity using two accelerometers: Actigraph™ (Pensacola, FL) GT3X+ (primary measure) at baseline and Week 6 and Fitbit One (secondary measure) at baseline and Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Results: Mixed-model repeated-measures analysis of primary measures indicated a significant within-group increase of +4.3 (standard erro...
Application of spectral hole burning to the study of in vitro cellular systems

Chapter 1 of this thesis describes the various stages of tumor development and a multitude of diagnostic techniques used to detect cancer. Chapter 2 gives an overview of the aspects of hole burning spectroscopy important for its application to the study of cellular systems. Chapter 3 gives general descriptions of cellular organelles, structures, and physical properties that can serve as possible markers for the differentiation of normal and cancerous cells. Also described in Chapter 3 are the principles of cryobiology important for low temperature spectroscopy of cells, characterization of MCF-10F (normal) and MCF-7 (cancer) cells lines which will serve as model systems, and cellular characteristics of aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (APT), which was used as the test probe. Chapters 4 and 5 are previously published papers by the author pertaining to the results obtained from the application of hole burning to the study of cellular systems. Chapter 4 presents the first results obtained by spectral hole burning of cellular systems and Chapter 5 gives results for the differentiation of MCF-10F and MCF-7 cells stained with APT by an external applied electric (Stark) field. A general conclusion is presented in Chapter 6. Appendices A and B provide additional characterization of the cell/probe model systems. Appendix A describes the uptake and subcellular distribution of APT in MCF-10F and MCF-7 cells and Appendix B compares the hole burning characteristics of APT in cells when the cells are in suspension and when they are examined while adhering to a glass coverslip. Appendix C presents preliminary results for a novel probe molecule, referred to as a molecular thumbtack, designed by the authors for use in future hole burning applications to cellular systems.
Dimensional stability and detail reproduction of irreversible hydrocolloid and elastomeric impressions disinfected by immersion

Abstract Statement of problem. Because irreversible hydrocolloid impressions imbibe blood and saliva, immersion rather than spray disinfection may be more effective. Polyether has been shown to be dimensionally sensitive to immersion disinfection. Purpose. The aim of this study was to determine whether irreversible hydrocolloid and polyether impressions could be disinfected by immersion without sacrificing accuracy and surface quality. Material and methods. Impressions were made of a master mandibular arch containing a crown preparation. Changes between the master and working casts were assessed. Irreversible hydrocolloids (Jeltrate; Palgaflex), a polyether (Impregum F), and an addition silicone (President) were used. Disinfectants were an iodophor (Biocide), a glyoxal glutaraldehyde (Impresept de), and a phenol glutaraldehyde (Sporicidin). The control was without disinfection. Casts were formed in Type IV gypsum. The roughness of working dies was also recorded and an analysis of variance was used for statistical evaluation. Results. Casts from disinfected irreversible hydrocolloid and elastomeric impressions maintained accuracy for anteroposterior and cross arch dimensions where differences from the master was less than 0.1%. Buccolingual and mesiodistal dimensions of working dies (disinfected and control) were 6 to 8 μm larger than the master for addition silicones and 11 to 16 μm for polyethers. The occlusogingival dimension of dies for control and disinfected polyether was 9 μm longer than the master compared with −3 μm for addition silicone. The range of mean surface roughness of working dies made from irreversible hydrocolloids was 1.4 to 1.7 μm and ranged from 0.5 to 0.7 μm for elastomeric impressions. Conclusion. Immersion disinfection of Jeltrate material with iodophor and Palgaflex material with glyoxal glutaraldehyde produced casts and dies as accurate as the control. Control and disinfected elastomeric impression produced dies as clinically accurate and smooth as the master. Disinfection of irreversible hydrocolloid impressions with the glyoxal and phenol glutaraldehyde produced a surface smoother than controls. (J Prosthet Dent 1998;79:446-53.)
Lvophilic Liouid Porosimetry and a New Liouid Autoporosimeter

Lyophilic liquid porosimetry determines the volumes of different size pores by measuring the amount of liquid in these pores, thus, providing pore volume distribution (PVD) data for porous structures. Any liquid that wets the sample may be used. This opens unique opportunities for porous structure evaluation. It provides realistic PVD analysis when the liquid of interest changes the porous structure. It determines uptake/drainage hysteresis of real liquids. It allows direct measurements of uptake and retention capillary pressures with different amounts of liquid in a sample. Lyophilic liquid porosimetry determines liquid/solid contact angles of different size pores within the sample. It can also be used for PVD analysis of both soft, brittle materials and porous metal materials.
Large‐Scale Structure in Turbulent Diffusion Flames ‐ Evidence, Implications, Origins

This work reviews some evidence for the existence of large-scale structures in turbulent diffusion flames, at low and high Reynolds numbers, for free jets and jets in crossflow over a range of buoyancy conditions. The striking differences between the velocity field and the scalar field will be highlighted and implications for mixing and reaction are explored. The origins of these differences are discussed by analogy to simple large-scale wave motions in the velocity field leading to complex mixing patterns in the scalar field.
Metabolic benefits of resistance training and fast glycolytic skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle exhibits remarkable plasticity with respect to its metabolic properties. Recent work has shown that interventions such as resistance training, genetic alterations and pharmacological strategies that increase muscle mass and glycolytic capacity, and not necessarily oxidative competence, can improve body composition and systemic metabolism. We review here recent advances in our understanding of the signaling and transcriptional regulatory pathways of this strategy and review new evidence obtained from mice and humans that supports the notion that increasing muscle mass and glycolytic capacity may effectively counter insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The Values of Academe: Sexism as a Natural Consequence.

The status of women in modern American society may be understood by examining cultural values created and transmitted by educational institutions. Examination of the effectiveness of educational institutions at the individual, organizational, and societal levels reveals a variety of forms of sex discrimination that have profound effects on all women. Although some forms of discrimination have been declared illegal, other forms continue unchecked. Recent developmental theories of sex differences in the valuing of social relationships and individual achievement help in understanding the nature of sex discrimination in educational institutions. These theories also help to identify ways in which such discrimination may be eliminated.
Mixed Methods, Triangulation, and Causal Explanation.

This article distinguishes a disjunctive conception of mixed methods/triangulation, which brings different methods to bear on different questions, from a conjunctive conception, which brings different methods to bear on the same question. It then examines a more inclusive, holistic conception of mixed methods/triangulation that accommodates ostensibly divergent findings by bringing them under a more comprehensive framework. Intertwined with this analysis, the article distinguishes mechanical from agential causation. Mechanical causation accounts for ordered processes of human behavior on the model of the natural sciences; agential causation accounts for ordered processes of human behavior in terms of norm-governed institutions and practices. The article concludes that there are no barriers to triangulating qualitative and quantitative methods (disjunctively or conjunctively) with respect to either mechanical or agential causation, taken separately. However, it also concludes that more comprehensive, “holi...
Retrieval of rainrate over rough sea surfaces as measured by the Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR)

The Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) was deployed during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) from January 4 to February 24, 1993. The configuration of the AMPR instrument limited the scanning angle to 45 degrees left and right of nadir. Because of this configuration, one-half of the data acquired are nadir or quasi-nadir looking for which the influences of emission and half-space scattering of rough sea surface are significant. For tropical ocean rainfall measurements, sea surface condition is important, because it determines the lower boundary condition for microwave radiative transfer. A two-scale composite rough sea surfaces model developed by Wu and Fung was used to characterize tropical ocean's rainfall brightness signatures with the use of acquired sea truths (field collected sea surface wind speed and sea surface temperature data) when available. The results of computation with the use of acquired atmospheric data from other instruments was used to develop a retrieval algorithm by which the AMPR measurements (brightness signatures) can be used to infer the measurements of rainrate, cloud liquid water content and other physical parameters. The developed analysis technique and the results of data analysis is presented. >
Proposta e Avaliação Preliminar de um Assistente Virtual para Recomendação de Conteúdos

Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta um modelo para assistentes virtuais que combina a habilidade de comunicacao em linguagem natural a capacidade de recomendacao, integrando um mecanismo de interacao baseado em AIML a um sistema de recomendacao. O artigo descreve a arquitetura do assistente e sua utilizacao no ambiente de aprendizagem de algoritmos 3A, bem como as tecnicas de interacao e recomendacao empregadas. Um experimento para validacao do assistente envolvendo 53 alunos de graduacao da Universidade de Caxias do Sul e apresentado. Os resultados obtidos sao discutidos no artigo, e propostas de trabalhos futuros sao apresentadas. Abstract: This paper proposes a virtual assistant model that combines natural language communication with recommendation capabilities, integrating an AIML engine with a recommender system. The paper describes the architecture of the virtual assistant and its use in the 3A learning environment for algorithms, and presents the techniques used for interaction and recommendation of contents. An experiment for the validation of the assistant involving 53 undergraduate students at the University of Caxias do Sul is presented. The paper discusses the results obtained and presents directions for future work.
Synthesis of a class of data format converters with specified delays

We propose a design methodology for synthesis of a special class of Data Format Converters (DFCs) in which the site of I/O sequences and the delays between I/O sequences are specified. The need for such DFCs arises in many signal and image processing applications. Our DFCs are based on a two-dimensional architecture. The designs using our methodology have maximum throughput rate and are area-efficient. A VLSI architecture for computing the discrete wavelet transform is given as an example to illustrate the proposed design methodology. The design of a Zig-zag Scanner is also given. For several representative problems, the area requirements of our designs are compared against those obtained by earlier design methodologies. For all the problems considered, our methodology leads to compact designs. >
Compact architecture for high-throughput regular expression matching on FPGA

In this paper we present a novel architecture for high-speed and high-capacity regular expression matching (REM) on FPGA. The proposed REM architecture, based on nondeterministic finite automaton (RE-NFA), efficiently constructs regular expression matching engines (REME) of arbitrary regular patterns and character classes in a uniform structure, utilizing both logic slices and block memory (BRAM) available on modern FPGA devices. The resulting circuits take advantage of synthesis and routing optimizations to achieve high operating speed and area efficiency. The uniform structure of our RE-NFA design can be stacked in a simple way to produce multi-character input circuits to scale up throughput further. An n-state m-character input REME takes only O (n X log2m) time to construct and occupies no more than O (n X m) logic units. The REMEs can be staged and pipelined in large numbers to achieve high parallelism without sacrificing clock frequency.Using the proposed RE-NFA architecture, we are able to implement 3 copies of two-character input REMEs, each with 760 regular expressions, 18715 states and 371 character classes, onto a single Xilinx Virtex 4 LX-100-12 device. Each copy processes 2 characters per clock cycle at 300 MHz, resulting in a concurrent throughput of 14.4 Gbps for 760 REMEs. Compared with the automatic NFA-to-VHDL REME compilation [13], our approach achieves over 9x throughput efficiency (Gbps*state/LUT). Compared with state-of-the-art REMEs on FPGA, our approach also indicates up to 70% better throughput efficiency.
Gigantocellular vasodepressor area is tonically active and distinct from caudal ventrolateral vasodepressor area

The gigantocellular depressor area (GiDA) is a functionally defined subdivision of the medullary gigantocellular reticular formation where vasodepressor responses are evoked by glutamate microinjections (Aicher, S. A., D. J. Reis, D. A. Ruggiero, and T. A. Milner. Neuroscience 60: 761-779, 1994). The present experiments sought to determine whether the GiDA 1) tonically inhibits the sympathetic nervous system; 2) is necessary for baroreflex function; and 3) is functionally distinct from adjacent vasodepressor regions in the medullary reticular formation, including the midline raphe nuclei and the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVL). Excitotoxic lesions of the GiDA abolished the baroreflex and significantly increased sympathetic nerve activity in anesthetized rats. Equivalent injections into the midline raphe nuclei elevated sympathetic activity but did not alter baroreflex responses. Therefore, the GiDA is functionally distinct from the raphe nuclei, although both contain tonically active sympathoinhibitory neurons. Because the effects of GiDA lesions were identical to those seen after lesions of the CVL, further studies were required to demonstrate that the GiDA and CVL are functionally and anatomically distinct. First, intramedullary injections of kynurenic acid produced hypertension and blocked the baroreflex when placed in the CVL, but not when placed in the GiDA. Second, muscimol inactivation of the RVL blocked the hypertension produced by excitotoxic lesions of the CVL, but failed to block the hypertension produced by similar lesions of the GiDA. Third, CVL neurons project to the RVL but not the spinal cord, whereas GiDA neurons project to the spinal cord but not the RVL. These studies show that the CVL and GiDA are both tonically sympathoinhibitory regions, but they are distinct with regard to their functional connectivity with other autonomic regions.
Galactic substructure and direct detection of dark matter

We study the effects of substructure in the Galactic halo on direct detection of dark matter, on searches for energetic neutrinos from weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP) annihilation in the Sun and Earth, and on the enhancement in the WIMP annihilation rate in the halo. Our central result is a probability distribution function (PDF) P(rho) for the local dark-matter density. This distribution must be taken into account when using null dark-matter searches to constrain the properties of dark-matter candidates. We take two approaches to calculating the PDF. The first is an analytic model that capitalizes on the scale-invariant nature of the structure-formation hierarchy in order to address early stages in the hierarchy (very small scales; high densities). Our second approach uses simulation-inspired results to describe the PDF that arises from lower-density larger-scale substructures which formed in more recent stages in the merger hierarchy. The distributions are skew positive, and they peak at densities lower than the mean density. The local dark-matter density may be as small as 1/10th the canonical value of ~=0.4 GeV cm^-3, but it is probably no less than 0.2 GeV cm^-3.
Predictors of Triptan Response in Pediatric Migraine

Abstract Background Migraine is common in children and adolescents and can be disabling. Being able to predict which patients will respond to triptans based on their clinical phenotype would be helpful. Adult data suggest cranial autonomic symptoms and aura predict triptan response. This study examined clinical predictors of triptan response in pediatric migraineurs. Methods This chart review study included all patients less than 18 years old with migraine who were seen at the University of California, San Francisco Headache Center in 2014. Univariate χ 2 analyses were performed, followed by multivariate logistic regression modeling. Results Of 127 pediatric migraineurs, 70 (55%) had chronic migraine and 24 (19%) had aura. The majority (55%) had at least one cranial autonomic symptom. Of 65 with triptan outcome data, 47 (73%) benefitted from a triptan. In univariate analyses, triptan benefit was seen in 65% with chronic migraine versus 88% with episodic migraine ( P = 0.048), 67% with aura versus 74% without ( P = 0.66), and 70% with cranial autonomic symptom versus 74% without ( P = 0.76). In a multivariate logistic regression model, chronic migraine, aura, and cranial autonomic symptom were not statistically significant predictors of triptan benefit: chronic migraine: 0.25 (0.06-1.04); aura: 0.65 (0.09-4.45); cranial autonomic symptom: 0.75 (0.22-2.52). Conclusions In univariate analysis, individuals with chronic migraine were less likely to benefit from triptans. In contrast to what has been documented in adults, cranial autonomic symptoms and aura did not predict triptan response, although our small sample size limited the study's power. Larger pediatric studies are needed, and future pediatric triptan trials should provide response rates stratified by clinical variables such as aura.
Pervasive Computing and the Internet of Things

The pervasive computing and Internet of Things communities examine similar problems and face similar challenges. Some might argue that pervasive computing focuses more on HCI issues, while IoT focuses more on connecting the devices, yet both communities share largely overlapping technical interests and goals. Both are interested in issues beyond just technology, such as privacy, security, and ethics, and both are pursuing similar use cases. Ebling thus encourages the two communities to join forces and work together to achieve common goals.
Characterization of passive permeability at the blood–tumor barrier in five preclinical models of brain metastases of breast cancer

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is compromised in brain metastases, allowing for enhanced drug permeation into brain. The extent and heterogeneity of BBB permeability in metastatic lesions is important when considering the administration of chemotherapeutics. Since permeability characteristics have been described in limited experimental models of brain metastases, we sought to define these changes in five brain-tropic breast cancer cell lines: MDA-MB-231BR (triple negative), MDA-MB-231BR-HER2, JIMT-1-BR3, 4T1-BR5 (murine), and SUM190 (inflammatory HER2 expressing). Permeability was assessed using quantitative autoradiography and fluorescence microscopy by co-administration of the tracers (14)C-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) and Texas red conjugated dextran prior to euthanasia. Each experimental brain metastases model produced variably increased permeability to both tracers; additionally, the magnitude of heterogeneity was different among each model with the highest ranges observed in the SUM190 (up to 45-fold increase in AIB) and MDA-MB-231BR-HER2 (up to 33-fold in AIB) models while the lowest range was observed in the JIMT-1-BR3 (up to 5.5-fold in AIB) model. There was no strong correlation observed between lesion size and permeability in any of these preclinical models of brain metastases. Interestingly, the experimental models resulting in smaller mean metastases size resulted in shorter median survival while models producing larger lesions had longer median survival. These findings strengthen the evidence of heterogeneity in brain metastases of breast cancer by utilizing five unique experimental models and simultaneously emphasize the challenges of chemotherapeutic approaches to treat brain metastases.
Optimal treatment of hepatic abscess.

Many treatment strategies have been proposed for pyogenic liver abscesses; however, the indications for liver resection for treatment have not been studied in a systematic manner. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the role of surgical treatment in pyogenic abscesses and to determine an optimal treatment algorithm. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who had a pyogenic liver abscess at Rhode Island Hospital between 1995 and 2002. Abscesses and treatment strategies were classified into three groups each. The abscess groups included Abscess Type I (small 3 cm, unilocular), and Abscess Type III (large >3 cm, complex multilocular). The treatment strategy groups included Treatment Group A (antibiotics alone), Treatment Group B (percutaneous drainage plus antibiotics), and Treatment Group C (primary surgical therapy). Descriptive statistics were calculated and chi2 used for comparison with a P 3 cm), multiloculated abscesses had a significantly higher success rate than percutaneous drainage plus antibiotic therapy (33% versus 100%, P < or = 0.01). The mortality rate for the percutaneous drainage plus antibiotic group was not significantly different from the primary surgical group (4.2% versus 7.4%, P = 0.40). We propose a treatment algorithm with small abscesses being treated with antibiotics alone; large, uniloculated abscess with percutaneous drainage plus antibiotics; and large, multiloculated abscessed treated with surgical therapy.
Dune Erosion and Sediment Profile Due to Wave Uprush

Shorelines are continuously adjusting in response to the changing hydraulic and meteorological conditions. Storms that generate large waves and surge conditions can alter the nearshore topography and relocate the beach shorelines, often with substantial amounts of beach and dune erosion. Such storms pose a major threat to coastal developments for which the economic impact can be significant. The ability to predict the rate of erosion and, consequently the shoreline change, is important in making decisions regarding the planning and managing of the coastal regions. In general, the available methods for the prediction of beach and dune erosion are based on the assumption of post-storm equilibrium profile. In this approach it is assumed that, for a given set of wave and surge conditions, the entire beach reaches a steadystate, and that the volume of sand released from the dune is equal to the volume of sand required to establish this profile. Existing methods that are based on this concept include those developed by Edelman (1968, 1972), Vellinga (1982, 1983, 1986), Kriebel and Dean (1984), Sargent and Birkemeier (1985), and Kobayashi (1987).. The reliance of these methods on the assumption of steady-state condition limits their application to extreme events generated by severe storms. Generally, storms do not have sufficient duration or intensity, such that the beach profile attains equilibrium during the storm.
Extracting Product Features from Online Consumer Reviews

The exponential growth of user-generated content in online environment calls for techniques that can help to make sense of the content. Despite of a host of research on online consumer reviews, there is still a great demand for research to improve the techniques for feature extraction. To this end, we proposed extraction methods based on detailed categorization of review features. By taking into account of the characteristics and patterns of different types of features, the proposed methods not only identify new features but also filter irrelevant features. The results of an experiment demonstrate that our proposed methods outperform the state-of-the-art techniques.
The Development of General Management Capabilities in a Global World

Many of the graduates of today’s business schools are well prepared to excel in applying the functional knowledge and skill they have acquired. The world needs people who can do this. Yet the business profession expresses a growing need for general managers and leaders, people who can knit together the work of many technicians, who take an enterprise point of view, and who create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. As business grows more global in form and content, the need for leaders who can synthesize activities across borders grows more urgent. The gap between what schools produce and what business needs is at the heart of a chorus of criticism of business education.
On the Social Side of Self-Knowledge

Philosophical conceptions of introspection and self-knowledge typically emphasize first-person access to one’s own mind, an orientation which we have analyzed in various ways throughout this book. More recent philosophical and scientific work emphasizes third-person objectivity which I have also brought into the mix to provide a more accurate and well-rounded understanding of introspection, as well as to mitigate some of the over-inflated epistemic privilege that has been granted to the first-person perspective, especially in Cartesian approaches to the mind. However, self-knowledge involves second-person interpersonal processes as well, through social interactions in which epistemic agents learn about themselves from others. The second-person stance is often not considered in philosophical and scientific work on the mind, though some have made efforts to give it more attention (e.g., Thompson, 2001; Ratcliffe, 2007, pp. 152–185). This chapter establishes a framework for bringing second-person social interaction into our understanding of introspection and self-knowledge. In particular, I will look at how substantial components of self-knowledge are acquired through social navigation and interpersonal testimony, via an agent’s ability to navigate her position in social environments through what others say to her.
Advocating an Open Agenda For Comparative Literature: The Legacy of Douwe Fokkema

A brief discussion of Douwe Fokkema's contributions to the field of comparative literature.
Design of energy storage system to improve inertial response for large scale PV generation

With high-penetration levels of renewable generating sources being integrated into the existing electric power grid, conventional generators are being replaced and grid inertial response is deteriorating. This technical challenge is more severe with photovoltaic (PV) generation than with wind generation because PV generation systems cannot provide inertial response unless special countermeasures are adopted. To enhance the inertial response, this paper proposes to use battery energy storage systems (BESS) as the remediation approach to accommodate the degrading inertial response when high penetrations of PV generation are integrated into the existing power grid. A sample power system was adopted and simulated using PSS/E software. Impacts of different penetration levels of PV generation on the system inertial response were investigated and then BESS was incorporated to improve the frequency dynamics.
Silicone Molding and Lifetime Testing of Peripheral Nerve Interfaces for Neuroprostheses

Implantable peripheral nerve cuffs have a large application in neuroprostheses as they can be used to restore sensation to those with upper limb amputations. Modern day prosthetics, while lessening the pain associated with phantom limb syndrome, have limited fine motor control and do not provide sensory feedback to patients. Sensory feedback with prosthetics requires communication between the nervous system and limbs, and is still a challenge to accomplish with amputees. Establishing this communication between the peripheral nerves in the arm and artificial limbs is vital as prosthetics research aims to provide sensory feedback to amputees. Peripheral nerve cuffs restore sensation by electrically stimulating certain parts of the nerve in order to create feeling in the hand. Cuff electrodes have an advantage over standard electrodes as they have high selective stimulation by bringing the electrical interface close to the neural tissue in order to selectively activate targeted regions of a peripheral nerve. In order to further improve the selective stimulation of these nerve cuffs, there is need for finer spatial resolution among electrodes. One method to achieve a higher spatial resolution is to increase the electrode density on the cuff itself. Microfabrication techniques can be used to achieve this higher electrodemore » density. Using L-Edit, a layout editor, microfabricated peripheral nerve cuffs were designed with a higher electrode density than the current model. This increase in electrode density translates to an increase in spatial resolution by at least one order of magnitude. Microfabricated devices also have two separate components that are necessary to understand before implantation: lifetime of the device and assembly to prevent nerve damage. Silicone molding procedures were optimized so that devices do not damage nerves in vivo, and lifetime testing was performed on test microfabricated devices to determine their lifetime in vivo. Future work of this project would include fabricating some of the designed devices and seeing how they compare to the current cuffs in terms of their electrical performance, lifetime, shape, and mechanical properties.« less
Drosophila melanogaster retrotransposon and inverted repeat-derived endogenous siRNAs are differentially processed in distinct cellular locations

Endogenous small interfering (esi)RNAs repress mRNA levels and retrotransposon mobility in Drosophila somatic cells by poorly understood mechanisms. 21 nucleotide esiRNAs are primarily generated from retrotransposons and two inverted repeat (hairpin) loci in Drosophila culture cells in a Dicer2 dependent manner. Additionally, proteins involved in 3’ end processing, such as Symplekin, CPSF73 and CPSR100, have been recently implicated in the esiRNA pathway. Here we present evidence of overlap between two essential RNA metabolic pathways: esiRNA biogenesis and mRNA 3' end processing. We have identified a nucleus-specific interaction between the essential esiRNA cleavage enzyme Dicer2 (Dcr2) and Symplekin, a component of the core cleavage complex (CCC) required for 3' end processing of all eukaryotic mRNAs. This interaction is mediated by the N-terminal 271 amino acids of Symplekin; CCC factors CPSF73 and CPSF100 do not contact Dcr2. While Dcr2 binds the CCC, Dcr2 knockdown does not affect mRNA 3' end formation. RNAi-depletion of CCC components Symplekin and CPSF73 causes perturbations in esiRNA abundance that correlate with fluctuations in retrotransposon and hairpin esiRNA precursor levels. We also discovered that esiRNAs generated from retrotransposons and hairpins have distinct physical characteristics including a higher predominance of 22 nucleotide hairpin-derived esiRNAs and differences in 3' and 5' base preference. Additionally, retrotransposon precursors and derived esiRNAs are highly enriched in the nucleus while hairpins and hairpin derived esiRNAs are predominantly cytoplasmic similar to canonical mRNAs. RNAi-depletion of either CPSF73 or Symplekin results in nuclear retention of both hairpin and retrotransposon precursors suggesting that polyadenylation indirectly affects cellular localization of Dcr2 substrates. Together, these observations support a novel mechanism in which differences in localization of esiRNA precursors impacts esiRNA biogenesis. Hairpin-derived esiRNAs are generated in the cytoplasm independent of Dcr2-Symplekin interactions, while retrotransposons are processed in the nucleus.
Introduction to Education for Sustainable Peace

This chapter examines education for sustainable peace as a comprehensive education strategy for introducing positive change and contributing to sustainable peace in fragile and post-conflict contexts. The book aims to articulate the practice and theory of education that enables the emergence of conditions for sustainable peace. It does so by examining the agency of different actors involved in educational programs and initiatives that contribute to conflict-resilient communities and the dynamical process of their interaction with the larger societal structures. The chapter also sets out to define the concept of resilience by discussing the ideas of self-correction, openness to learning and inquiry, and adaptation to change. Furthermore, the chapter maps out the structure of the book, whose analysis will address innovative solutions as well as major issues facing education in conflict-stricken societies such as the use of memory, economic factors, gender, and extremism.
The Relational Context of Social Support in Young Adults: Links with Stress and Well-Being

This study examined the roles of relationship-specific social support and gender in the associations between perceived stress and well-being. Three sources of support (family, friends, and romantic partners) and three well-being indicators (loneliness, depressive symptoms, and physical health) were assessed in 628 young adults attending college (M age = 19.72; range of 18–24). Stress directly predicted all well-being indicators, and indirectly predicted well-being through social support in relationship-specific ways. Family support mediated the relationship between stress and physical health, friend support mediated the association between stress and loneliness, and romantic partner support mediated the relationships of stress with both loneliness and depressive symptoms. With regard to loneliness and physical health, women were more strongly impacted when they had less support from friends.
Distributed Decoupling of Partially-Unknown Interconnected Linear Multiagent Systems: State and Output Feedback Approaches

Abstract Distributed consensus algorithms have been widely designed for physically decoupled linear time-invariant multiagent systems operating at a fixed operating point. However, they do not guarantee the closed-loop stability and performance of multiagent systems in the presence of physical interconnections or changes in operating conditions of agents. In this paper, we propose a class of state- and output-coupled linear multiagent systems where each agent is characterized by its individual unknown operating point. Under the effect of these varying operating points of agents, we propose the distributed decoupling problem in order to mitigate the effect of interconnections, and ensure that each agent can operate at its individual operating point independent of its neighbors. We reformulate this decoupling task, and propose two linear quadratic regulator-based distributed leaderless consensus algorithms using coupled-state and -output measurements. In both scenarios, we establish sufficient conditions guaranteeing global exponential decoupling of agents.
Learning speaker normalization using semisupervised manifold alignment

As a child acquires language, he or she: perceives acoustic information in his or her surrounding environment; identifies portions of the ambient acoustic information as languagerelated; and associates that language-related information with his or her perception of his or her own language-related acoustic productions. The present work models the third task. We use a semisupervised alignment algorithm based on manifold learning. We discuss the concepts behind this approach, and the application of the algorithm to this task. We present experimental evidence indicating the usefulness of manifold alignment in learning speaker normalization. Index Terms: speaker normalization, manifold alignment, language acquisition
Toward a Psychology of Human Agency: Pathways and Reflections:

Social cognitive theory is founded on an agentic perspective. This article reviews the core features of human agency and the individual, proxy, and collective forms in which it is exercised. Agency operates through a triadic codetermination process of causation. Knowledge from this line of theorizing is widely applied to effect individual and social change, including worldwide applications that address some of the most urgent global problems.
ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC SUPPRESSOR FACTOR IN HUMAN LEUKOCYTE DIALYSATES SUPPRESSES IN VIVO FOOTPAD REACTIVITY IN IMMUNIZED BALB/C MICE

Publisher Summary This chapter presents preliminary studies that compare the in vivo suppressive effects of crude dialyzable extracts (DLE), inducer factor depleted DLE, and inducer and suppressor factor depleted (sham) DLE with those of immunoadsorbant purified inducer and suppressor factors. Pooled human DLE obtained from D.Tox-immune individuals was further fractionated into the following fractions: (1) inducer depleted, (2) inducer and suppressor depleted, (3) purified inducer, and (4) purified suppressor fractions. These preparations are tested for suppressor activity, both early and prolonged. No suppressor activity was detectable in the purified inducer or in the inducer/suppressor depleted DLE. Inducer depleted DLE demonstrated both early and prolonged suppressor activity as did the purified suppressor fraction, although the potency of the latter appears to be diminished. Nevertheless, the results suggest that the suppressor activity detected in the in vitro LMI assay has potent in vivo activity.
Africa's Intrastate Conflicts: Relevance and Limitations of Diplomacy

The African continent remains besieged by many conflicts. Since 1970, Africa has seen more than thirty wars which have resulted in more than half of all war-related deaths worldwide and have produced about 9.5 million refugees (The Observer, June 15, 2003). The conflicts have led to genocide in Rwanda and gross violations of human rights, including gruesome mutilations of large numbers of people, in Sierra Leone, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Sudan, and Uganda. In addition to causing the collapse or near collapse of some states, these conflicts have produced severe economic dislocation and disruption in the provision of public services. Moreover, there are growing indications that they have directly or indirectly exacerbated the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.