cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Real mean girls? Reality television viewing, social aggression, and gender-related beliefs among female emerging adults.

The popularity of reality TV programming exceeds that of any other genre, particularly among young female viewers. Past research suggests a link between viewing reality TV, gender stereotyping, and social aggression among young women, but little is known theoretically about this relationship. The present study of U.S. female emerging adults (N 174) takes a media psychology approach to understand how reality TV may contribute to gender stereotyping and belief in social aggression as a necessary means to getting ahead in life. Reception variables are studied to advance theoretical thinking about the influence of reality TV. Findings suggest that female emerging adults who perceive the lifestyles in reality programming to be realistic and desirable hold more stereotypical views of women and see greater value in social aggression. “First-person desire,” or a viewer’s desire to experience a reality TV lifestyle firsthand, proved theoretically important as an explanatory variable for the relationship between viewing the makeover and docusoap reality subgenres and the stereotyping of women and girls as socially aggressive. Overall, viewing of popular subgenres of reality TV produced unique results. Suggestions are made for future experimental work.
Measuring Consumer Surplus Benefits of Water Supply Extensions in Developing Countries

: For investments in water mains serving new households, consumer surplus benefits may far outweigh those measured by revenues recoupled from user fees. While consumer surplus might be capitalized in the value of sites with access to mains, empirical attempts to measure such capitalization have not proved inveriably successful. In this note an alternative technique based upon the direct estimation of the demand curve is applied. An analysis of Penang Island, Malaysia indicates that the consumer surplus benefits are one and one-half times greater than the revenues recoupled through user fees. The applicability of this technique to cost-benefit analysis of water supply investments is discussed.
Perfect spatial hashing

We explore using hashing to pack sparse data into a compact table while retaining efficient random access. Specifically, we design a perfect multidimensional hash function -- one that is precomputed on static data to have no hash collisions. Because our hash function makes a single reference to a small offset table, queries always involve exactly two memory accesses and are thus ideally suited for parallel SIMD evaluation on graphics hardware. Whereas prior hashing work strives for pseudorandom mappings, we instead design the hash function to preserve spatial coherence and thereby improve runtime locality of reference. We demonstrate numerous graphics applications including vector images, texture sprites, alpha channel compression, 3D-parameterized textures, 3D painting, simulation, and collision detection.
Environmental controls and the influence of vegetation type, fine roots and rhizomorphs on diel and seasonal variation in soil respiration

Characterization of spatial and temporal variation of soil respiration coupled with fine root and rhizomorph dynamics is necessary to understand the mechanisms that regulate soil respiration. A dense wireless network array of soil CO2 sensors in combination with minirhizotron tubes was used to continuously measure soil respiration over 1 yr in a mixed conifer forest in California, USA, in two adjacent areas with different vegetation types: an area with woody vegetation (Wv) and an area with scattered herbaceous vegetation (Hv). Annual soil respiration rates and the lengths of fine roots and rhizomorphs were greater at Wv than at Hv. Soil respiration was positively correlated with fine roots and rhizomorphs at Wv but only with fine roots at Hv. Diel and seasonal soil respiration patterns were decoupled with soil temperature at Wv but not at Hv. When decoupled, higher soil respiration rates were observed at increasing temperatures, demonstrating a hysteresis effect. The diel hysteresis at Wv was explained by including the temperature-dependent component of soil respiration and the variation dependent on photosynthetically active radiation. The results show that vegetation type and fine root and rhizomorph dynamics influence soil respiration in addition to changes in light, temperature and moisture.
Antiepileptic Drug Mechanisms of Action

Clinically used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) decrease membrane excitability by interacting with ion channels or neurotransmitter receptors. Currently available AEDs appear to act on sodium channels, GABAA receptors, or calcium channels. Phenytoin, carbamazepine, and possibly valproate (VPA) decrease high-frequency repetitive firing of action potentials by enhancing sodium channel inactivation. Benzodiazepines and barbiturates enhance GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition. Ethosuximide and possibly VPA reduce a low-threshold calcium current. The mechanisms of action of AEDs currently under development are less clear. Lamotrigine may decrease sustained high-frequency repetitive firing. The mechanisms of action of felbamate are unknown. Gabapentin (GBP) appears to bind to a specific binding site in the central nervous system with a restricted regional distribution, but the identity of the binding site and the mechanism of action of GBP remain uncertain.
Memristor Applications for Programmable Analog ICs

This paper demonstrates that memristors can be used to implement programmable analog circuits, leveraging memristor's fine-resolution programmable resistance without causing perturbations due to parasitic components. Fine-resolution programmable resistance is achieved by varying the amount of flux across memristors. The resistance programming can be achieved by controlling the input pulsewidth and its frequency. For demonstration, a memristor is designed for a pulse-programmable midband differential gain amplifier with fine resolution.
Ion beam imprinting system for nanofabrication

An ion beam imprinting system has been developed in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In order to push ion beam imprinting technology to nanometer regime, it is very important to fabricate membranes with arrays of apertures only a few nanometers in diameter. In this article, we describe a simple method of forming nanopore arrays by simultaneously shrinking apertures of micrometer dimensions using plasma-assisted thin-film deposition. Nanopores of 13nm in diameter and nanoslits of 20nm in width have been fabricated.
The amended DSeSC power method for polynomial root-finding

Cardinal's matrix version of the Sebastiao e Silva polynomial root-finder rapidly approximates the roots as the eigenvalues of the associated Frobenius matrix. We preserve rapid convergence to the roots but amend the algorithm to allow input polynomials with multiple roots and root clusters. As in Cardinal's algorithm, we repeatedly square the Frobenius matrix in nearly linear arithmetic time per squaring, which yields dramatic speedup versus the recent effective polynomial root-finder based on the application of the inverse power method to the Frobenius matrix.
Annual prevalence of diagnosed schizophrenia in the USA: a claims data analysis approach

Background. Schizophrenia is a debilitating chronic mental illness. However, the annual prevalence of schizophrenia is not well understood because of under-representation of schizophrenia patients in epidemiological surveys. This study used multiple administrative claims databases to estimate the annual prevalence of diagnosed schizophrenia in the USA. Method. The annual prevalence of diagnosed schizophrenia in the USA was estimated for different health insurance coverage groups. The prevalence for privately insured individuals was calculated from an administrative claims database of approximately 3 million privately insured beneficiaries covering the period 1999–2003. The prevalence for Medicaid enrollees was calculated from California Medicaid claims covering the period 2000–2002. The prevalence for Medicare and Medicaid/Medicare dual eligibles was estimated using a combination of both databases. Published statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of schizophrenia in the uninsured and veteran populations and to weight the prevalence rates obtained to the population of the USA. Results. The 12-month prevalence of diagnosed schizophrenia in the USA in 2002 was estimated at 5·1 per 1000 lives. The Medicaid population was identified with the highest prevalence rate among the populations studied. Sensitivity analyses taking into consideration the Veterans Affairs population only changed the estimate slightly to 5·3 per 1000 lives. Conclusion. Analyses of administrative claims data contribute to the understanding of the prevalence of diagnosed schizophrenia.
Tissue shape and deformation as a characterization of the seating interface

A review of pressure measurements and previous studies that have utilized shape and deformation measurement for analysis of the seating interface is presented. A conceptual model is then developed which provides a rationale for using tissue shape and deformation as opposed to interface pressure as the primary parameterization of the seating interface. It is shown that measurement of interface pressure distribution alone cannot predict tissue distortion since in addition to the loading and boundary conditions (seating surface or cushion), mechanical properties of skin, fat, muscle, and bone contribute to the resultant tissue configuration from a particular pressure distribution. >
Databases supporting Hangul (or Korean script)

A major obstacle to building databases supporting both modern and ancient Hangul is that not all ancient complex characters are known yet. It is shown that a very flexible code, keyboard, and output method can be developed to overcome this obstacle. The author proposes an ancient-Hangul code that can be added to ISO 8859, a three-set ancient-Hangul keyboard, and an output method. Because the framework of the current Korean government standard modern-Hangul code and keyboard do not allow the development of an efficient ancient-Hangul code and keyboard, the author suggests that the government abandon the current framework and adopt the development of the suggested framework. >
Regional Differences in Junior Colleges

This study examines the geographical distribution of various junior college characteristics. Scores for 6 factors or categories of college characteristics, identified in earlier ACT research, were computed for each of 581 accredited junior colleges. When these junior colleges were classified and analyzed by geographical region, significant differences were found among regions on all 6 factors—Cultural Affluence (or Private Control), Technological Specialization, Size, Age (or Conventionalism), Transfer Emphasis, and Business Orientation (or High Cost). The regional differences are discussed and implications are suggested for research and counseling as well as for junior college planning.
High resolution speech feature parametrization for monophone-based stressed speech recognition

This letter investigates the impact of stress on monophone speech recognition accuracy and proposes a new set of acoustic parameters based on high resolution wavelet analysis. The two parameter schemes are entitled wavelet packet parameters (WPP) and subband-based cepstral parameters (SBC). The performance of these features is compared to traditional Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) for stressed speech monophone recognition. The stressed speaking styles considered are neutral, angry, loud, and Lombard effect speech from the SUSAS database. An overall monophone recognition improvement of 20.4% and 17.2% is achieved for loud and angry stressed speech, with a corresponding increase in the neutral monophone rate of 9.9% over MFCC parameters.
Evaluation and improvement of fault coverage of conformance testing by UIO sequences

The fault coverage of testing protocols using unique input/output (UIO) sequences is analyzed. UIO sequences can be efficiently employed in checking the conformance specifications of protocols by using transition testing. The test sequence is found using the rural Chinese postman tour algorithm. A comprehensive fault model is developed, and analytical expressions are given for the fault coverage. The conditions for undetectability are analyzed, and a new algorithm is proposed. Simulation results and illustrative examples are presented. Overhead issues are discussed, and significant improvements are shown for achieving 100% fault coverage. The major advantage of the proposed approach is that it provides the theoretical basis for fault coverage evaluation of protocol testing using UIO sequences. >
A Comparison of the Neuromuscular Blocking and Vagolytic Effects of ORG NC45 and Pancuronium

ORG NC45, a neuromuscular blocking agent not producing tachycardia, was examined first, to establish the kinetics of the anatagonism it produces, and second, to test the hypothesis that the tachycardia seen with pancuronium and gallamine reflects an action on vagal postganglionic nerve endings. The action of ORG NC45 was studied on end-plate depolarization and neuromuscular transmission in the guinea pig lumbrical muscle. Also, the effect of ORG NC45 on the response of the cardiac pacemaker to carbachol and on the response of the pacemaker to pre- and postganglionic vagal stimulation was examined in isolated guinea pig atria. ORG NC45 was a potent neuromuscular blocking agent (twice as potent as pancuronium) in this species and showed typical competitive kinetics with a dissociation constant of 0.0103 micro M. However, ORG NC45 affected the atrial system only at very high concentrations and did not affect release of transmitter from vagal nerve terminals. These results thus confirm the hypothesis that presence or absence of vagolytic action goes hand-in-hand with tachycardia or its absence clinically.
Metabolites Are Key to Understanding Health Effects of Wine Polyphenolics

Phenolic compounds in grapes and wine are grouped within the following major classes: stilbenes, phenolic acids, ellagitannins, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins. Consumption of foods containing phenolic substances has been linked to beneficial effects toward chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and colorectal cancer. However, such correlations need to be supported by in vivo testing and bioavailability studies are the first step in establishing cause and effect. Class members from all phenolic groups can be glucuronidated, sulfated, and/or methylated and detected at low concentrations in the bloodstream and in urine. But the majority of phenolic compounds from grapes and wine are metabolized in the gastrointestinal tract, where they are broken down by gut microflora. This typically involves deglycosylation, followed by breakdown of ring structures to produce phenolic acids and aldehydes. These metabolites can be detected in bloodstream, urine, and fecal samples by using sophisticated instrumentation methods for quantitation and identification at low concentrations. The health effects related to grape and wine consumption may well be due to these poorly understood phenolic acid metabolites. This review discusses the known metabolism of each major class of wine and grape phenolics, the means to measure them, and ideas for future investigations.
Use of Home Care Nursing Resources by the Elderly

We explored the influence of nursing dependency over and above sociodemographic factors and medical conditions on the use of home care nursing resources by patients 65 years of age and older. Use measures were number of visits made by home care nurses, and length of nursing stay. Nurses' reports, direct observation of nursing care provided, patient interviews, and record abstraction were used to obtain data on 236 patients who were admitted to and discharged from a certified public home health agency. Nursing dependency explained a significant amount of variance over and above sociodemographic factors and medical conditions in number of visits made by nurses and length of nursing stay. Measures of nursing dependency should be incorporated into future studies that examine factors related to use of home care nursing resources.
Effect of lidocaine on contracture, intracellular sodium, and pH in ischemic rat hearts

The relationships among intracellular Na concentration ([Na+]i), intracellular pH, [ATP], and contracture during global ischemia were studied in isolated, perfused rat hearts. Intracellular Na was monitored by 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy using thulium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetra(methylene phosphonate) (TmDOTP5-) as the paramagnetic shift reagent. High-energy phosphates and pH were monitored under the same conditions using 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Lidocaine (130 microM), a class IB fast Na channel blocker known to protect ischemic myocardium, prolonged the time to contracture in both unpaced and paced hearts (240 beats/min). After 10 min of global ischemia in paced hearts, [Na+]i was lower in the lidocaine-treated group compared with untreated hearts. The addition of lidocaine also significantly attenuated the depletion of ATP as well as development of intracellular acidosis. At the time of contracture, however, there was no difference in [Na+]i or pH between the two groups. Interestingly, the effect of lidocaine on Na+i accumulation during ischemia was manifested during the first 5-10 min of ischemia, while its effect on pH occurred after 9 min. This finding suggests that a mechanism other than the Na-H exchanger may play a role in the accumulation of Na+i early in the course of ischemia.
Marketing Mix Decisions for New Products

In evaluating a new product idea, it can be misleading to consider only one conception of the product's attributes and marketing program. Different conceptions of the marketing mix will yield diffe...
Research Progress of Health Promotion to Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control for Pre-School Children

A review with 30 references is given on the hazards and prevention status progress of lead poisoning for preschool children.In view of the results of current health educations to reduce lead exposure validity were unsatisfactory and the part of the study were designed flawedly,a health promotion of prevention and control lead poisoning was needed and had a scientific basis for pre-school children.
Manufacturers' Ordering Strategy under Cap-and-trade Mechanism

In order to investigate the impact of cap-and-trade mechanism of manufacturers' ordering strategy, this paper incorporates the transport costs into the order cost, while considering carbon emissions in the process of manufacturers' order and storage. This paper proposes a model of inventory cost with carbon emissions and obtains the order quantity and the maximum the backordering quantity with carbon constraint when the cost is optimal. The computing experiment shows that:(1) the optimal order quantity decreases with the increase of carbon credits;(2) the order quantity and the backordering quantity are obviously higher than the scenario without carbon constraints; and(3)the higher the credits are, the less the influence of manufacturers' operational cost is.
311 IDENTIFICATION OF AN ACTIVE P450 REDUCTASE PROTEIN IN TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI

Trypanosoma cruzi, the cause of Chagas disease, affects nearly 18 million people in South and Central America, of whom 50,000 will die each year. One possible target for new drugs to treat Chagas disease is the sterol biosynthesis pathway. T. cruzi uses the sterol biosynthesis pathway to generate ergosterol, a molecule used to stabilize the cell membrane. Sterol biosynthesis enzymes have been successfully exploited as drug targets for other diseases, such as leishmaniasis and fungal infections. One enzyme which has been the focus of drug development for Chagas disease is sterol 14-demethylase, a cytochrome P450 enzyme. This molecule is oxidized and inactivated during sterol biosynthesis and thus requires the presence of a P450 reductase (P450R) to return it to its active state. The goal of this project was to clone, express, and purify the functional T. cruzi P450 reductase so that it could be used in concert with the T. cruzi sterol 14-demethylase enzyme in assays to screen for novel inhibitors of the pathway. Identification of compounds that inhibit T. cruzi sterol 14-demethylase will potentially lead to new drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease. The P450R gene from Trypanosoma brucei, a related trypanosome, had previously been cloned by the lab and served as the starting point for my studies, as we predicted it would have cross activity with the T. cruzi sterol 14-demethylase. This gene was ligated into a pET 100 TOPO vector regulated with a lac promoter and containing a six histidine-tag for purification. We attempted to express the protein in BL21* E. coli. A cytochrome C assay was used to identify activity of the protein. Although some activity was identified, purification using a nickel bead column was unsuccessful. The T. brucei P450R gene was recloned from this plasmid and inserted into an alternative E. coli expression vector, pET 14b. Candidate T. cruzi P450R genes TcR60, TcR70, and TcR120 were cloned from genomic T. cruzi DNA and inserted into the pET 14b vector by ligation independent cloning (LIC). We attempted to express these four genes in BL21* E. coli. An appropriate 68 kDa protein representing TcR120 was expressed, and protein was confirmed to have the expected 6-histidine tag on a Western blot using nickel-conjugated alkaline phosphatase. This protein, however, did not appear to have active reductase capabilities as determined by a cytochrome C assay. Ongoing expression studies are underway with recombinant expression of the additional T. cruzi P450R candidate genes to establish if one of these can yield functional reductase activity.
Medicare catastrophic coverage: a postmortem.

As we move beyond the 1980s, it is worth reflecting on the rise and fall of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-360). Hailed by nearly everyone at its passage as both sensible and needed, it died less than two years later without ever becoming viable. Attacked vigorously by the elderly whom it was designed to serve, the measure finally succumbed to political pressure and passed from the scene, except for some items relating to Medicaid, on the first day of this year. This article examines the Act and the circumstances that led to its demise.
CHAPTER 7 – Fractal Dimension and the Dissociation Rate Coefficient

A confirmable fractal analysis only of the binding of antigen (or antibody) in solution to antibody (or antigen) immobilized on the biosensor surface provides a quantitative indication of the state of disorder (fractal dimension bind) and the binding-rate coefficient on the surface. Including the fractal dimensions for the dissociation step and dissociation-rate coefficients provides a more complete picture of the analyte–receptor reactions occurring on the surface. One may also use the numerical values for the rate coefficients for the binding and dissociation steps to classify the analyte–receptor biosensor system. The fractal dimension value provides a quantitative measure of the degree of heterogeneity that exists on the surface for the analyte–receptor systems. The degree of heterogeneity for the binding and dissociation phases is different for the same reaction. This indicates that the same surface exhibits two degrees of heterogeneity: one for the binding and one for the dissociation reaction. In this chapter examples are provided where either a single- or a dual-fractal analysis was required to describe the binding kinetics. The dual-fractal analysis was used only when the single-fractal analysis did not provide an adequate fit. This was determined using the regression analysis provided by Sigma plot. The dissociation step was adequately described by a single-fractal analysis for all the examples presented in the chapter.
A Species by Species Overview of Echinacea

The nine species of Echinacea have subtle but distinctive differences in their morphology. For the most part they also have separate ranges. We have mapped these species accurately in the following maps by carefully examining species in herbaria throughout their range to make sure that unusual locations are indeed native locations of these species and that they are correctly identified. We encourage readers to help us improve these maps.
Non-Fermi-liquid magic angle effects in high magnetic fields

We investigate a theoretical problem of electron-electron interactions in an inclined magnetic field in a quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) conductor. We show that they result in strong non-Fermi-liquid corrections to a specific heat, provided that the direction of the magnetic field is far from the so-called Lebed's magic angles (LMAs). If magnetic field is directed close to one of the LMAs, the specific heat corrections become small and the Fermi-liquid picture restores. As a result, we predict Fermi-liquid--non-Fermi-liquid angular crossovers in the vicinities of the LMA directions of the field. We suggest to perform the corresponding experiment in the Q1D conductor ${(\mathrm{Per})}_{2}\mathrm{Au}{(\mathrm{mnt})}_{2}$ under pressure in magnetic fields of the order of $H\ensuremath{\simeq}25\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\text{T}$.
Religiousness and Psychological Distress in Jewish and Christian Older Adults.

ABSTRACTObjectives: In this study, the authors explore how the association between religiousness and psychological distress varies by religious affiliation. Prior work has shown that the association between religious belief and psychological distress is stronger for Christians than Jews, while religious activity is associated with lower psychological distress for both groups.Methods: Interviews were conducted using a community sample of 143 Christian and Jewish older adults, ages 65 and over. Quantitative measures were used to assess levels of organizational and intrinsic religiosity, as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety.Results: Christians who are highly involved in the organizational aspects of their religion report fewer depressive symptoms than Jews who have high levels of organizational religiosity, and the opposite is the case at lower levels of organizational religiosity. No significant group differences were found in the relationship between religiousness and anxiety.Conclusions: The resu...
Bringing new high-technology products to market: Six perils awaiting marketers

Abstract In fewer than ten days during the summer of 2016, millions of smartphone users around the world went crazy over Pokemon Go, an augmented reality videogame app. If only all new high-technology products—and their investors—could enjoy such runaway success! Alas, the road to new technologies can be bumpy, and marketers of new high-tech products face numerous obstacles. Six perils await these marketers: significant market uncertainty, significant technological uncertainty, issues of compatibility within a product's complex multi-component system, struggles to orchestrate self-reinforcing network effects, challenges of navigating ecosystem complexities and competition, and inherent risks of making hard choices among multiple product-market options with significant path dependency. This article discusses these dangers and concludes with advice regarding steps marketers can and should take to make the journey to market less perilous.
Appstract: on-the-fly app content semantics with better privacy

Services like Google Now on Tap and Bing Snapp enable new user experiences by understanding the semantics of contents that users consume in their apps. These systems send contents of currently displayed app pages to the cloud to identify relevant entities (e.g., a movie) appearing in the current page and show information related to such entities (e.g., local theaters playing the movie). These new experiences come with privacy concerns as they can send sensitive on-screen data (bank details, medical data, etc.) to the cloud. We propose a novel approach that efficiently extracts app content semantics on the device, without exfiltrating user data. Our solution consists of two phases: an offline, user-agnostic, in-cloud phase that automatically annotates apps' UI elements with stable semantics, and a lightweight on-device phase that assigns semantics to captured app contents on the fly, by matching the annotations. With this automatic approach we annotated 100+ food, dining, and music apps, with accuracy over 80%. Our system implementation for Android and Windows Phone---Appstract---incurs minimal runtime overhead. We built eight use cases on the Appstract framework.
The Supreme Court and Student Speech

The U.S. Supreme Court has, over the course of the past 50 years, created guidelines for student expression within the public school system. Salkin and Shenkel depict the four key Supreme Court cases that formed these guidelines: Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, Bethel School District v. Fraser, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, and Morse v. Frederick. As a result of these precedents, student speech that is related to illegal drug use can be regulated per Morse, speech that is lewd or vulgar can be regulated per Fraser, speech that is reasonably seen as school-sponsored can be regulated per Hazelwood, and all other student speech regulation is assessed by the Tinker standard, which allows regulation only for student speech that materially disrupts the academic environment.
Technology Assessment and the Road to Reimbursement of Genomic Based Diagnostics

As the science of genomics matures, the number of genetic tests available for use in clinical care has increased greatly. By mid-2016, the National Institutes of Health’s Genetic Testing Registry included more than 48,000 tests related to more than 9,700 medical conditions [1]. The number of available tests is expected to increase in the years ahead as technology platforms and bioinformatics capabilities improve.
A comparison of TLD and film for personnel dosimetry.

Abstract The film badge is today the most widely used personnel monitoring device for want of a more reliable and accurate system. Recent evaluations of the performance of the available commercial film badge services report a wide variation in both the accuracy and consistency of the reported exposures. The best accuracy that one can obtain for X- and gamma-radiation appears to be –50 to +200%. This paper reports the feasibility of using the thermoluminescence of single crystals of LiF (TLD-100) ‡ to measure exposure levels of X- and gamma-radiation encountered in the personnel dosimetry range. The use of single crystals greatly reduces the contribution of the non-radiation induced thermoluminescence. The variation in response of individual crystals was taken into account by calibration of the crystal in place at the time of read-out. LiF single crystals in lucite capsules were attached to film badge holders and given known test exposures from X- and gamma-ray sources and mixtures of these radiations. The performance of the TLD system is compared with the measured values reported by the film badge suppliers. No correction was made for the slight energy dependence of LiF at the low keV exposures. The over-all accuracy of the TLD system is about ± 30% for X- and gamma-ray energies above 25 keV effective.
Mallacc: Accelerating Memory Allocation

Recent work shows that dynamic memory allocation consumes nearly 7% of all cycles in Google datacenters. With the trend towards increased specialization of hardware, we propose Mallacc, an in-core hardware accelerator designed for broad use across a number of high-performance, modern memory allocators. The design of Mallacc is quite different from traditional throughput-oriented hardware accelerators. Because memory allocation requests tend to be very frequent, fast, and interspersed inside other application code, accelerators must be optimized for latency rather than throughput and area overheads must be kept to a bare minimum. Mallacc accelerates the three primary operations of a typical memory allocation request: size class computation, retrieval of a free memory block, and sampling of memory usage. Our results show that malloc latency can be reduced by up to 50% with a hardware cost of less than 1500 um2 of silicon area, less than 0.006% of a typical high-performance processor core.
The Non-Code Security Interests: A Study of Japanese Case Law

This paper is a study of the legal perimeters delineated by judicial precedent for three widely used security devices in Japan—the joto tampo, the uriwatashi tampo, and the daibutsu bensai no yoyaku or "preliminary contract for substitute performance." They are distinct creations of Japanese case law. Without direct basis in either code or statute, their justification is found in contract law, more properly the law of obligations (saikenho). One can, however, view each as the result of clever manipulation of contract formulas by lenders, judges, or lawyers to create a security device not provided in the Civil Code or supplementary legislation. In any event, they number among the "obligation theory security interests" or the non-code security devices of Japanese law. The purpose of this paper is to gain some insight into the function of Japanese courts and the adaptation of law, Western or other, to needs and demands in Japanese society. The three security devices examined are judicial creations distinct to the Japanese legal system. Their continuing legal development offers concrete illustration of that process so anomalous in theory to the civilian tradition—case law—in the context of basic economic needs, traditional patterns, and social policies. The development of these security devices should quash any notion that Japanese civilian courts play a far less decisive role in the evolution of law than their common law counterparts. What contrast there is in the process of judge-made law between Japan and the United State may lie more in the approach than the result. In 1971, when this LL.M. thesis was written, many people believed that civil law systems like Japan’s gave only the slightest weight to judicial precedent. Since then, comparativists have recognized much more nuance, but this careful study of precedent still makes a contribution to the field.
Aortic Stenosis and Atrial Fibrillation Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion—Could We? If So, How and When?

A Venn diagram which includes the overlap of aortic stenosis and atrial fibrillation presents challenges but also substantial opportunities.1 As the incidence of both aortic stenosis and atrial fib...
Range-gating technology for millimeter-wave radar remote gesture control in IoT applications

Touchless hand gesture using portable millimeter-wave radar sensors an enabling technology for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of using a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar with noise removal and range gating method to recognize human hand gesture for a user moving in the radar's field of view. These detected hand gestures will be applied to remote control of computers or smart TVs at a distance from 0.3 m to 1.2 m.
Bringing Ethics to Wild Lives: Shaping Public Policy for Barred and Northern Spotted Owls

Ethics reviews are not part of environmental policy or wildlife management in the United States. This changed when, for the first time, the US Fish and Wildlife Service conducted such a review with respect to the barred and northern spotted owls. Spotted owls are endangered throughout their range by a variety of anthropogenic and natural forces. The interspecific competition between barred and spotted owls is a key factor second only to habitat destruction. A proposed lethal experiment to remove barred owls raised ethical concerns among wildlife agencies, citizens, and advocacy groups. Seeking to better understand these concerns, the Service created the Barred Owl Stakeholder Group. Using an innovative method and instrument in the form of an ethics-based policy dialogue and an ethics brief, the stakeholder group explored the ethical dimensions of the removal experiment. This process holds lessons for how public policy can bring ethics to bear on wild lives.
The Therapeutic Use of Reading: A Qualitative Study.

This paper presents a qualitative study of therapeutic reading intended to provide understanding of the process underlying bibliotherapy. Using the Colaizzi (1978) method, interviews with eight participants were analyzed and the structure of the experience and characteristics of therapeutic reading identified. The structure of the experience of therapeutic reading was recognition of self evolving into ways of feeling and ways of knowing. The structure of the characteristics of therapeutic reading was intentional, relational and transporting.
Costs and Productivity in Higher Education: Theory, Evidence, and Policy Implications

Cost issues in higher education have received considerable attention in the literature of higher education over the past three decades. Since the early 1970s, numerous studies (e.g., Witmer, 1972; Allen and Brinkman, 1984; Brinkman and Leslie, 1987; Tsang, 1989; Schapiro, 1993; Brinkman, 1990; St. John, 1994; Olson, 1996) have provided extensive reviews of the literature on the subject. Studies examining institutional costs to analyze internal efficiency have used various frameworks and methods. These studies have examined a large number of concepts (e.g., unit costs, expenditures by function, the structures of costs, and economies of scale and scope) in order to better understand the use of resources in higher education to produce certain outputs. The majority of the studies have examined instructional costs. Typically, they were interested in the following types of questions: How much does it cost to educate each student? Are there any significant variations in the cost of educating students across institutions or within institutions? How much was spent by function (e.g., instruction, research, administration, outreach services, and various forms of infrastructure support)? Have there been significant changes over time in per student costs or expenditures by function (i.e., trend analyses). Are there economies of scale and scope?
Chapter 11 – Macrophages

Publisher Summary This chapter examines macrophages, which are a family of mononuclear leukocytes that are widely distributed throughout most tissues. They vary considerably in phenotype depending on the local microenvironment, involved in the scavenging of dying cells, pathogens, and molecules through phagocytosis and endocytosis. Macrophages within tissues make a vital contribution to immune and inflammatory responses. Macrophages are crucial for early recognition of microbes, particulates, and immunogens; the initiation and regulation of inflammatory responses and adaptive immunity; and the ingestion and killing of invading microbes. Monocytes/macrophages require continuous reconstitution. This can be achieved by self-renewal of differentiated cells, by proliferation of bone marrow-derived precursors in peripheral tissues or by the continuous extravasation and differentiation of circulating mononuclear phagocyte precursors. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are derived from blood monocytes and from proliferating macrophage precursors in the interstitium of the lung. The early nonantigen-specific activation of macrophages is one of the first events in the innate immune response and is often very effective in eliminating microbes. Innate immune macrophage activation fills a gap between microbial entry into the host and the development of antigen-specific immunity. Macrophages produce numerous growth factors for fibroblasts including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), TGF- α and TGF- β, and insulin-like growth factor.
Enforcement economics in Exclusive Economic Zones

The establishment of Exclusive Economic Zones places enormous burdens on the resources of coastal states' enforcement agencies. An economic problem looms in that decisions must be made as to how much to allocate to enforcement relative to the expected benefits that can be derived. In this paper, the objective is to review the economic methods available for analysis of enforcement programs. A second objective is to report on the enforcement problems and prospects in three areas with important fishery resources.
The Lebesgue Integral

We construct the Lebesgue integral in three steps. First for simple functions, then for positive measurable functions, and finally for all real valued measurable functions. The more technical work is done for simple functions and is then used for the more general sets of functions.
Sequential transplantation and implications for clinical management: OLT followed by HCT and consequent RT in a pediatric patient.

We report a case of a pediatric patient who required three separate transplants: OLT at the age 5, HCT at age 13 (8 years post-OLT), and cadaveric RT at age 15 (10 years post-OLT). The child initially presented with fulminant liver failure without known cause, ultimately undergoing OLT from his mother. He then developed SAA, for which he required HCT. Unfortunately, he developed ESRD secondary to prolonged CNI exposure, for which he underwent cadaveric RT. These processes then resulted in 7 years largely free from complications, during which a multi-disciplinary team monitored the patient for complications. Regrettably, at the age of 21 he developed poorly differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma of the colon which ultimately led to his demise. While there are case reports of patients requiring two sequential transplants, there is a paucity of reports of successfully completing three separate organ transplants in the same patient. Our case demonstrates progression of a pediatric patient through OLT, HCT, and RT with discussion of notable clinical implications. Secondarily, this case highlights the importance of coordination of care amongst various subspecialties to facilitate tandem transplantations and manage the complications of these processes. As pediatric patients have improved survival rates and may require multiple transplants, it remains important to highlight the feasibility as well as the complications of the tandem transplant process.
Stress-induced neural activation is altered during early withdrawal from chronic methamphetamine.

Abstract Chronic methamphetamine (MA) use can lead to increased symptoms of depression and anxiety during abstinence. Less is known about the specific brain regions that are altered following repeated MA that may be associated with these behavioral perturbations. Furthermore, MA has been reported to recruit and activate microglia in the brain, which may exacerbate stress-associated behavioral changes. In the present study, male and female mice were injected with MA (5 mg/kg) or saline once daily for 10 days, and during early withdrawal were assessed for alterations in immediate early gene (c-Fos) responses to a forced swim stressor. Chronic MA exposure increased floating and decreased swim time in the forced swim test in male and female mice tested 48 h after the final dose, indicating elevated depressive-like behavior. Furthermore, assessment of nest building, a measure of distress or despair-like behavior, revealed a sex-specific effect with only MA-treated females showing impairments. The c-Fos response to forced swim was attenuated by prior MA exposure in the central amygdala , CA3 hippocampal region, prefrontal cortex, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST). In the BST this attenuation occurred only in males. Neither the total number of microglia or activated microglia were altered by chronic MA exposure in regions examined. The primary findings indicate that chronic MA exposure attenuates activation of select stress-associated brain regions, a dysregulation that might contribute to alterations in mood-related behaviors.
Enhanced Methodology for the Identification of Locations with High Risk of Wet Crashes

About 18% of crashes on Virginia’s interstates from 2014 to 2016 were reported to be wet crashes. Although extensive research on crashes has been conducted, limited attention has been devoted to th...
Discrepancies in access and institutional risk tolerance in heart transplantation: A national open cohort study

BACKGROUND The impact of center volume on heart transplantation is widely recognized and serves as a benchmark for certification and reimbursement. STUDY AIMS Study sociodemographic variables associated with access to high-volume centers and substantiate the importance of extending access to underserved populations. METHODS This study focused on adults undergoing heart transplantation between 2006 and 2015. Centers were clustered into terciles (>25, 14-25, or <14 transplants per year) and factors associated with receiving care in different terciles were identified through multinomial regression. RESULTS During the study period, 18 725 patients were transplanted at 145 centers. Younger age (<30 years) (P = .005), lower educational level (P < .001), and government-based insurance (P < .001) were associated to lower odds of receiving care at a high-volume center. These centers had higher risk recipients and accepted organs from higher risk donors, when compared to intermediate- and low-volume centers. Receiving care at high (odds ratio [OR], 1.212; P = .017) and intermediate-volume centers (OR, 1.304; P = .001) was associated with greater odds of 1-year survival when compared with low-volume centers. CONCLUSION Social, demographic, and geographic factors affect access to high- and intermediate-volume centers. High-volume centers tolerate more risk while providing excellent survival. Awareness of this impact should prompt an extension of access to care for underserved patient populations.
Substrate-specificity of cytochrome P450-mediated detoxification as an evolutionary strategy for specialization on furanocoumarin-containing hostplants: CYP6AE89 in parsnip webworms

The parsnip webworm, Depressaria pastinacella, is restricted to two hostplant genera containing six structurally diverse furanocoumarins. Of these, imperatorin is detoxified by a specialized cytochrome P450, CYP6AB3. A previous whole-larva transcriptome analysis confirmed the presence of nine transcripts that belong to the CYP6AE subfamily. Here, by examining midgut-specific gene expression patterns we determined that CYP6AE89 transcripts were highly expressed and furanocoumarin-inducible. Computer docking and energy-minimization of a CYP6AE89 model with all six furanocoumarins showed that 5-methoxylated bergapten and 8-methoxylated xanthotoxin had the smallest distances from the heme to the proton-donor residue in the catalytic I-helix, and that the 5,8-dimethoxylated isopimpinellin and bergapten had the smallest energy-minimized distance from the heme oxygen to the furan ring double bond. To evaluate this prediction, we expressed the CYP6AE89 protein in an Escherichia coli system, and used it to detect high catalytic activity against the two mono-methoxylated linear furanocoumarins - bergapten and xanthotoxin - and weak activity against isopimpinellin. Thus, CYP6AE89, like CYP6AB3, is probably specialized for detoxifying only a subset of hostplant furanocoumarins. A maximum-likelihood tree built with six representative lepidopterans with manually annotated cytochrome P450s shows that CYP6AE89 may have evolved much faster than the other CYP6AE proteins, possibly indicative of host selection pressure.