cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Broadening accessibility through special interests: a new approach for software customization

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often fixate on narrow, restricted interests. These interests can be highly motivating, but they can also create attentional myopia, preventing individuals from pursuing a broad range of activities. Interestingly, researchers have found that preferred interests can be used to help individuals with ASD branch out and participate in educational, therapeutic, or social situations they might otherwise shun. When interventions are modified, such that an individual's interest is properly represented, task adherence and performance can increase. While this strategy has seen success in the research literature, it is difficult to implement on a large scale and therefore has not been widely adopted. This paper describes a software approach designed to solve this problem. The approach facilitates customization, allowing users to easily embed images of almost any special interest into computer-based interventions. Specifically, we describe an algorithm that will: (1) retrieve any image from the Google image database; (2) strip it of its background; and (3) embed it seamlessly into Flash-based computer programs. To evaluate our algorithm, we employed it in a naturalistic setting with eleven individuals (nine diagnosed with ASD and two diagnosed with other developmental disorders). We also tested its ability to retrieve and process examples of preferred interests previously reported in the ASD literature. The results indicate that our method was an easy and efficient way for users to customize our software programs. While we believe this model is uniquely suited for individuals with ASD, we also foresee this approach being useful for anyone that might like a quick and simple way to personalize software programs.
Smoothened Is a Fully Competent Activator of the Heterotrimeric G Protein Gi

Smoothened (Smo) is a 7-transmembrane protein essential to the activation of Gli transcription factors (Gli) by hedgehog morphogens. The structure of Smo implies interactions with heterotrimeric G proteins, but the degree to which G proteins participate in the actions of hedgehogs remains controversial. We posit that the Gi family of G proteins provides to hedgehogs the ability to expand well beyond the bounds of Gli. In this regard, we evaluate here the efficacy of Smo as it relates to the activation of Gi, by comparing Smo with the 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5-HT1A) receptor, a quintessential Gi-coupled receptor. We find that with use of [35S]guanosine 5′-(3-O-thio)triphosphate, first, with forms of Gi endogenous to human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cells made to express epitope-tagged receptors and, second, with individual forms of Gαi fused to the C terminus of each receptor, Smo is equivalent to the 5-HT1A receptor in the assay as it relates to capacity to activate Gi. This finding is true regardless of subtype of Gi (e.g., Gi2, Go, and Gz) tested. We also find that Smo endogenous to HEK-293 cells, ostensibly through inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, decreases intracellular levels of cAMP. The results indicate that Smo is a receptor that can engage not only Gli but also other more immediate effectors.
Impact of EMI components on conducted emissions in servo drives

This paper presents a methodology for assessing the impact of critical components in a PWM VSI servo drive on conducted electro-magnetic interference. Conducted emissions at the ac mains input are caused in part by the coupling and leakage of high frequency common-mode currents through complex return paths in the drive system. Common-mode currents are caused by switching of IGBTs at high slew rates which then charge and discharge various parasitic elements in a drive system such as motor cable capacitance, motor and other common-mode elements inside the drive hardware. Understanding the impact of critical components in a IGBT driven servo drive will help designers to focus on the design of these components which will help to minimize cost, size and design iterations. To understand the impact of various components on conducted emissions in PWM VSI servo drives, a servo drive system including drive, motor and cable is modeled in Matlab. Simulation results along with experimental results from an actual servo drive system for validation of models are presented. Methodology proposed in this paper can be used to design EMI filter components integrated into the servo drive.
Pretrial publicity and civil cases: a two-way street?

Published pretrial publicity (PTP) research has been conducted almost exclusively with criminal cases and has focused on PTP that is detrimental to the defense. The current research examined the effects of PTP in a civil case to determine if PTP can have a biasing effect against either the defendant or the plaintiff in civil litigation. In Experiment 1, participants exposed to PTP biased against the defendant were more likely to reach a liable verdict than participants who read a control article or PTP biased against the plaintiff. Experiment 2 demonstrated that a judicial admonition did not reduce the biasing effect of PTP about a civil defendant. However, participants given the admonition both before and after the trial evidence viewed the defendant as less culpable than participants given the admonition after the trial only or not at all. The implications for the legal system are discussed.
Federally Qualified Health Centers and Private Practice Performance on Ambulatory Care Measures

Methods: The study was a cross-sectional analysis of visits in the 2006 –2008 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Performance of FQHCs and look-alikes on 18 quality measures was compared with private practice PCPs. Data analysis was completed in 2011. Results: Compared to private practice PCPs, FQHCs and look-alikes performed better on six measures (p0.05); worse on diet counseling in at-risk adolescents (26% vs 36%, p0.05); and no differently on 11 measures. Higher performance occurred in ACE inhibitors use for congestive heart failure (51% vs 37%, p0.004); aspirin use in coronary artery disease (CAD; 57% vs 44%, p0.004); -blocker use for CAD (59% vs 47%, p0.01); no use of benzodiazepines in depression (91% vs 84%, p0.008); blood pressure screening (90% vs 86%, p0.001); and screening electrocardiogram (EKG) avoidance in low-risk patients (99% vs 93%, p0.001). Adjusting for patient characteristics yielded similar results, except that private practice PCPs no longer performed better on any measures. Conclusions: FQHCs and look-alikes demonstrated equal or better performance than private practice PCPs on select quality measures despite serving patients who have more chronic disease and
Living With Arthritis Using Self-Management of Valued Activities to Promote Health

In this article, we explore how adults with arthritis use self-care strategies in their valued leisure activities, and variations in use based on their access to environmental resources. We conducted six focus groups (N = 34) with adults aged 55 and older with a diagnosis of arthritis. Adults living in residential communities were recruited, with 31% of the sample residing in subsidized housing. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using content analysis based on themes of selective optimization with compensation. We found some differences in strategy use between the resource-rich and resource-poor participants. Adults highlighted the value of their leisure activities and the importance of leisure in maintaining their health and well-being. Our findings point to the need to incorporate leisure education into interventions and programs targeting adults with arthritis.
Estimation of constraint parameters in optimal power flow data sets

Large-scale electric power system analysis depends upon representation of vast numbers of components whose individual models must be populated with parameters. The challenge of populating such component models is particularly apparent in optimal power flow applications, in which incorrect parameters and/or constraint limits can yield overall system representations with either unrealistically large feasible regions or an empty feasible set. Unfortunately, many data sets, particularly those of publicly available test cases, were originally developed to illustrate simpler “power flow only” applications, and may contain unrealistic values or wholly omit important constraint limits. This paper describes engineering-based approaches to obtain credible estimates for parameters and limits associated with line-flow constraints and generator capability curves, as may be employed in a number of steady state analyses such as the optimal power flow. These can substitute for missing or unrealistic data in test systems for which more fully detailed, “real-world” component specifications and limits are not available, and thereby make such test systems more valuable as research tools.
A polynomial-time approximation algorithm for joint probabilistic data association

Joint probabilistic data association (JPDA) is a powerful tool for solving data association problems. However, the exact computation of association probabilities {/spl beta//sub jk/} in JPDA is NP-hard, where /spl beta//sub jk/ is the probability that j-th observation is from k-th track. Hence, we cannot expect to compute association probabilities in JPDA exactly in polynomial time unless P = NP. In this paper, we present a simple Markov chain Monte Carlo data association (MCMCDA) algorithm that finds an approximate solution to JPDA in polynomial time. For /spl epsiv/ > 0 and 0 < /spl eta/ < .5, we prove that the algorithm finds good estimates of /spl beta//sub jk/ with probability at least 1 - /spl eta/ in time complexity O(/spl epsiv//sup -2/ log /spl eta//sup -1/N(N log N + log /spl epsiv//sup -1/))), where N is the number of observations.
Financial Reforms as a Market-Constrained Political Process

This paper attributes evolution in regulatory regimes to market and political responses to changing opportunities for circumventing burdensome regulations. Principal-agent models predict that top government officials can and will use disinformation to build political support for regulatory regimes that serve their personal and bureaucratic interests and to lessen their accountability for society-wide costs they recognize to be inherent in these regimes. In representative democracies, in-place information, monitoring, and enforcement systems survive until events unfold that undermine their sponsoring coalition's disinformational allegations and redistribute political support toward other schemes. By lowering the costs of avoiding burdensome patterns of regulation, recent changes in financial technology have accelerated the rate at which financial disinformation decays and made accountability resistance harder to disguise.
Equal opportunity targeting in chronic GVHD.

In this issue of Blood, studies by Rangarajan et al comprehensively analyzing the clonotypic T-cell response provide evidence that the effector T cells that mediate chronic GVHD may have a unique specificity that includes recognition of self.1
Treatment of hepatopulmonary syndrome with Allium sativum L. (garlic): a pilot trial.

AbstractNo medical therapy exists for subjects with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS). A patient with HPS was reported to have improvement in arterial oxygenation while self-administering garlic. Our goal was to determine whether a standardized garlic powder improves arterial oxygenation and dyspnea in
Photopolymerization of Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Systems: A New Route to Nanostructured Materials

In recent years, a considerable amount of research has been dedicated to synthesizing highly ordered nanostructured materials. One way to achieve this is through templated polymerizations. A novel route to fabricating such materials is through the use of lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) that possess highly ordered nanostructures. However, LLC phases lack the necessary physical robustness. So, templating LLC phase morphology onto other materials such as organic polymers would give a nanostructure retained as part of a robust polymeric matrix. This study focuses on the photopolymerization behavior and structure retention of hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) / dodecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB) / water system in a select LC phase. The results suggest that the polymerization behavior is heavily dependent on the type of LLC structure. Specifically, lamellar aggregates polymerize faster than either cubic or isotropic morphologies due to diffusional limitations on the growing polymer chain. Monomer segregation also plays a role in determining the polymerization rates. Results also indicate that the original LLC order of these systems is largely retained upon photopolymerization although some LLC phases do change upon cure. This order would be useful in applications such as ultrafiltration membranes, separation media, and drug delivery systems.
On the Measurement of Entrepreneurial Behavior in Not-For-Profit Organizations: Implications for Social Marketing

This article explores the concept of entrepreneurship as it relates to social marketing and not-for-profit organizations. The nature of entrepreneurship is examined, as are contemporary efforts to measure it within established profit-seeking organizations. Based on this foundation, the interface between entrepreneurship and social marketing is assessed. It is argued that entrepreneurship lies at the heart of social marketing andthat concepts from the field of entrepreneurship can enhance the management of social marketing efforts. The application of entrepreneurship is then extended to the not-forprofit sector. The adaptation of private sector measures of entrepreneurship to social marketing and not-for-profit contexts is explored, and the implications of such measurement efforts in these contexts are discussed
Pathology of epithelial ovarian cancer.

SUMMARY Ovarian epithelial tumors can be benign, LMP, and malignant. The prognoses of these three types of tumors are entirely different. A frozen section has to be done on all ovarian tumors to determine if they are benign. All lesions that are LMP or malignant have to be surgically and pathologically staged. The stage of disease is the most important prognostic factor. Other prognostic indicators vary with the type of epithelial tumor and are discussed in the text.
Quantitative risk assessment methods for cancer and noncancer effects.

Abstract Human health risk assessments have evolved from the more qualitative approaches to more quantitative approaches in the past decade. This has been facilitated by the improvement in computer hardware and software capability and novel computational approaches being slowly recognized by regulatory agencies. These events have helped reduce the reliance on experimental animals as well as better utilization of published animal toxicology data in deriving quantitative toxicity indices that may be useful for risk management purposes. This chapter briefly describes some of the approaches as described in the guidance documents from several of the regulatory agencies as it pertains to hazard identification and dose–response assessment of a chemical. These approaches are contrasted with more novel computational approaches that provide a better grasp of the uncertainty often associated with chemical risk assessments.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the second most common nonmelanoma skin cancer in the United States, with 700,000 new cases diagnosed yearly. Keratoacanthoma, squamous cell carcinoma in situ, precancerous lesions and CSCC will be discussed in this chapter. As more studies report the self-healing tendency of Keratoacanthoma (KA), cryosurgery is used frequently unless the tumor is already beginning to regress. Excision or shave biopsy, which can be followed by freezing for 30–60 s, extirpates these tumors frequently. Excisional biopsy, intralesional therapy or topical therapy and radiotherapy are other options.
Role of Osmolytes on the Thermodynamic and Aggregation Properties of an ELP-Drug Carrier

The intracellular environment is crowded by biomolecules that occupy 40% of cell volume and generates a large excluded volume that perturbs the macromolecular environment. Here we investigate the role of organic osmolytes (TMAO, Betaine, Arginine and PEG) on the stability of a protein-drug carrier ELP, an engineered pentapeptide repeat comprised of [VPG(V5G3A2)G]150. To investigate the impact of steric crowding on ELP aggregation, we are measuring the dependence of ELP and Doxorubicin labeled-ELP solubility on inert solutes, osmolytes and serum proteins. Here we show that the phase change accompanying ELP aggregation is NaCl concentration dependent, and is due to an increased surface tension and decreased ELP solubility. The slope showing a linear decrease of ELP's TT with increasing salt concentration can be fitted to a linear equation T=T0+c[M] (Cho Younhee et al., 2008) with T0 being the TT of ELP in the absence of salt and the slope c showing the dependence of surface tension on salt concentration. We show that TMAO and Betaine preferentially hydrate the ELP out of solution as the ELP's TT linearly decreases with increasing osmolyte concentrations. Thus Betaine and TMAO alter ELP solubility without altering ELP structure (as measured by CD). In contrast, Arginine preferentially interacts with the ELP and suppresses aggregation by increasing its TT and solubility in solution. Finally, using different molecular weights PEG we show that inert additives enhance ELP aggregation consistent with an excluded volume effect. These results show that ELP aggregation is driven by solvent interactions and that changes in the solvent environment upon addition of different osmolytes enhance or diminish the aggregation of ELP. Future experiments will look at serum and serum proteins (BSA, HSA, IgG) to understand the impact of physiological solutions on ELP delivery.
The Journey of “A Good Type”

Odo, David. The Journey of “A Good Type”: From Artistry to Ethnography in Early Japanese Photography. Foreword by Elizabeth Edwards. Cambridge, Mass.: Peabody Museum Press; distributed by Harvard U...
Pulse Shape and Timing Dependence on the Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity Response of Ion-Conducting Memristors as Synapses.

Ion-conducting memristors comprised of the layered materials Ge2Se3/SnSe/Ag are promising candidates for neuromorphic computing applications. Here, the spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) application is demonstrated for the first time with a single memristor type operating as a synapse over a timescale of 10 orders of magnitude, from nanoseconds through seconds. This large dynamic range allows the memristors to be useful in applications that require slow biological times, as well as fast times such as needed in neuromorphic computing, thus allowing multiple functions in one design for one memristor type – a “one size fits all” approach. This work also investigated the effects of varying the spike pulse shapes on the STDP response of the memristors. These results showed that small changes in the pre and postsynaptic pulse shape can have a significant impact on the STDP. These results may provide circuit designers with insights into how pulse shape affects the actual memristor STDP response and aid them in the design of neuromorphic circuits and systems that can take advantage of certain features in the memristor STDP response that are programmable via the pre and postsynaptic pulse shapes. In addition, the energy requirement per memristor is approximated based on the pulse shape and timing responses. The energy requirement estimated per memristor operating on slower biological timescales (ms to s) is larger (nJ range), as expected, than the faster (ns) operating times (~0.1 pJ in some cases). Lastly, the memristors responded in a similar manner under normal STDP conditions (pre- and post-spikes applied to opposite memristor terminals) as they did to the case where a waveform corresponding to the difference between pre- and post-spikes was applied to only one electrode, with the other electrode held at ground potential. By applying the difference signal to only one terminal, testing of the memristor in various applications can be achieved with a simplified test set up, and thus be easier to accomplish in most laboratories.
A control-oriented combustion model for a turbulent jet ignition engine using liquid fuel:

A control-oriented engine model is necessary for developing and validating the associated engine control strategies. For engines equipped with the turbulent jet ignition system, the interaction bet...
Teacher learning in a combined professional development intervention

Abstract The study examines geometry teachers' video club discussions in a two-year professional development intervention that combined lesson study, video clubs, and animation discussions to promote teacher noticing of students' prior knowledge. Most discussions pertained to student conceptions (78%), followed by pedagogy (19%). Discussion of students' prior knowledge surfaced only when talking about student conceptions or pedagogy. There was statistically significant evidence that teacher-initiated discussions of students' prior knowledge were more substantial than facilitator-initiated discussions. The findings suggest that the professional development model and the facilitators’ moves promoted and sustained teacher noticing of student thinking throughout the intervention.
Epithelial Transport of Heavy Metals

There is no rigorous chemical definition of what constitutes a heavy metal. In the biological context the classification generally includes polyvalent metals present in aqueous solution as complex ions or chelate compounds. The heavy metals as a class include many frankly toxic elements such as lead and cadmium for which no convincing biological functions has yet been described. Other heavy metals, while toxic at higher concentrations, may play an essential role at low levels, as has been suggested, for instance, for Cr (Mertz 1969).
Aligning Public Health, Health Care, Law and Policy: Medical-Legal Partnership as a Multilevel Response to the Social Determinants of Health

In the wake of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health law scholars as well as the Institute of Medicine have argued for better integration between medicine and public health goals to advance prevention and reduce health disparities. This article explores current health care, public health, legal and public policy responses to the major driver of health disparities – the social determinants of health (SDH) – and the potential for the ACA to provide mechanisms for reducing health disparities through addressing SDH. It then argues that medical-legal partnerships, which incorporate screening for unmet legal needs and the enforcement of legal rights on behalf of individual patients, families and communities into the health care setting, serve to integrate medicine and public health. Furthermore, by incorporating legal intervention into health care, medical-legal partnerships create an effective community-level mechanism for identifying and addressing systemic and policy issues which impact the health of vulnerable populations.
Knowing the score: how sport teaches us about philosophy (and philosophy about sport)

David Papineau is a prominent philosopher known for his work outside of philosophy of sport, primarily in philosophy of science, epistemology, and metaphysics and philosophy of mind. Knowing the Sc...
The euro after Meseberg

The Meseberg Declaration of June 2018 summarizes the state of play on euro area reform. It indicates areas where there is agreement in principle between leading governments on measures to strengthen the resilience of their monetary union, but no agreement as yet on how to implement those measures. It indicates also areas where there is not even agreement in principle. It thus provides a basis for addressing the question of whether Europe is ready for the next crisis. The absence of bank concentration charges, a European safe asset, European deposit insurance, changes in ESM governance and meaningful fiscal reform suggests that the answer is no. More positively, Meseberg at least recommends some small steps in these directions.
Strain‐Release Amination.

A general and operationally simple method for the propellization, azetidinylation, cyclobutylation, and cyclopentylation of a wide range of amines is developed.
Susan Rose-Ackerman Recommends “Corruption, Norms, and Legal Enforcement: Evidence from Diplomatic Parking Tickets” by Raymond Fisman and Edward Miguel

The article by Ray Fisman and Edward Miguel, “Corruption, Norms, and Legal Enforcement” illustrates an important strategy for empirical researchers to use when faced with difficult-to-study topics. It should inspire others to be similarly creative in locating usable data that can be an alternative to randomized controlled trials. Such trials, although a valuable tool, cannot answer many important social science issues. Even if done well, they ought not to replace other forms of data gathering.
Basic principles of optical biosensing using a smartphone

Abstract In the previous chapter, we learned the definition of biosensor and two most popularly used transducers for biosensors: optical and electrochemical. In this chapter, we will learn about the biosensors with optical transducers, or simply optical biosensors, and how such optical biosensing can be demonstrated using a smartphone.
Investigating educational affordances of virtual reality for simulation-based teaching training with graduate teaching assistants

This study investigated the affordances and constraints of a VR-based learning environment for the teaching training of university graduate teaching assistants in relation to the task, goal-based scenarios, and learning support design. Seventeen graduate teaching assistants participated in a multiple-case study with an OpenSimulator-supported, simulation-based teaching training program. The study indicated that the VR-based learning environment fostered participants’ performance of interactive teaching and demonstrative instruction, while training them to notice and attend to students’ actions/reactions during the instruction. On the other hand, there is a competition between physical reality and functional intelligence in the VR environment. We propose the integration of experience, affordance, and learner analyses in planning and designing a VR-supported learning intervention.
Interannual temporal patterns of DeSoto Canyon macrofauna and evaluation of influence from the Deepwater Horizon

Abstract Submarine canyons are highly dynamic and productive ecosystems, but time-series studies of metazoan benthic communities in canyons are scarce. Deep-sea macrofauna from the DeSoto Canyon in the northern Gulf of Mexico were sampled annually from 2012 through 2014 from five stations within the Canyon and from two stations in 2013 and 2014 on the adjacent open slope, for analysis of interannual dynamics, temporal variability, and potential influence of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DwH), which occurred nearby in 2010. At a few sites, elevated abundance was observed at the start of the time-series for overall macrofauna and for deposit feeder abundance. However, diversity metrics showed no difference within stations among time points. Community and feeding guild structure varied by station, as expected, but showed no statistical difference among time points within a station. Some temporal variability was visible in temporal trajectory overlays. Cluster analyses showed grouping more by station than by time point. Metrics utilized for measuring potential oil contamination impact and overall community stress including the benthic polychaete/amphipod ratio, feeding guild abundance, macrofaunal indicators designed from the DwH, and community dispersion, generally exhibited a paucity of evidence of impact, both yearly and with site-to-site comparisons. This suggests low levels of impact in the canyon consistent with the low deposition of hydrocarbons, the timing of sampling, and quick recovery of canyon foraminifera. Taken together these results suggest relatively low levels of temporal variability within the DeSoto Canyon macrofauna with little evidence of oil influence on these sites within the studied time range.
Apremilast Uses and Relevance to the Military.

Apremilast is a small-molecule biologic approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Behcet disease. Although apremilast is seemingly a less favorable choice for treating psoriasis in the era of injectable biologics, the drug is an important option for patients in the military. In this article, we review on-label indications and off-label uses for apremilast; highlight the importance of apremilast for managing psoriasis in the military population; and propose other patient populations in whom the use of apremilast is favorable. We also present a case report that highlights and embodies the benefit of apremilast for military service members.
Artificial Intelligence and Mapping a New Direction in Laboratory Medicine: A Review.

Background Modern artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods are now capable of completing tasks with performance characteristics that are comparable to those of expert human operators. As a result, many areas throughout healthcare are incorporating these technologies, including in vitro diagnostics and, more broadly, laboratory medicine. However, there are limited literature reviews of the landscape, likely future, and challenges of the application of AI/ML in laboratory medicine. Content In this review, we begin with a brief introduction to AI and its subfield of ML. The ensuing sections describe ML systems that are currently in clinical laboratory practice or are being proposed for such use in recent literature, ML systems that use laboratory data outside the clinical laboratory, challenges to the adoption of ML, and future opportunities for ML in laboratory medicine. Summary AI and ML have and will continue to influence the practice and scope of laboratory medicine dramatically. This has been made possible by advancements in modern computing and the widespread digitization of health information. These technologies are being rapidly developed and described, but in comparison, their implementation thus far has been modest. To spur the implementation of reliable and sophisticated ML-based technologies, we need to establish best practices further and improve our information system and communication infrastructure. The participation of the clinical laboratory community is essential to ensure that laboratory data are sufficiently available and incorporated conscientiously into robust, safe, and clinically effective ML-supported clinical diagnostics.
Tissue-specific autophagy responses to aging and stress in C. elegans

Cellular function relies on a balance between protein synthesis and breakdown. Macromolecular breakdown through autophagy is broadly required for cellular and tissue development, function, and recovery from stress. While Caenorhabditis elegans is frequently used to explore cellular responses to development and stress, the most common assays for autophagy in this system lack tissue-level resolution. Different tissues within an organism have unique functional characteristics and likely vary in their reliance on autophagy under different conditions. To generate a tissue-specific map of autophagy in C. elegans we used a dual fluorescent protein (dFP) tag that releases monomeric fluorescent protein (mFP) upon arrival at the lysosome. Tissue-specific expression of dFP::LGG-1 revealed autophagic flux in all tissues, but mFP accumulation was most dramatic in the intestine. We also observed variable responses to stress: starvation increased autophagic mFP release in all tissues, whereas anoxia primarily increased intestinal autophagic flux. We observed autophagic flux with tagged LGG-1, LGG-2, and two autophagic cargo reporters: a soluble cytoplasmic protein, and mitochondrial TOMM-7. Finally, an increase in mFP in older worms was consistent with an age-dependent shift in proteostasis. These novel measures of autophagic flux in C. elegans reveal heterogeneity in autophagic response across tissues during stress and aging.
Chapter 3 Experimental Techniques for Investigation of the Amphibian Lens Epithelium

Publisher Summary This chapter presents experimental techniques for the study of the amphibian lens epithelium. Such techniques can be applied, with slight modifications, to the investigations of lens epithelium in almost any vertebrate organism. Many techniques can be applied to investigate the lens epithelium of amphibians (and other animals as well), and newer approaches will be applicable with the passage of time. The question of whether such techniques can pave the way for a more acute understanding of cellular activities is important. It is a homogeneous group of cells existing in as simple an array as has been found in any multicellular organism. Thus, when proliferation is stimulated—for example, by mechanical injury, the trouble related to the possibility of other types of cell complicating the picture dissappear. Routine tissue culture should render possible the investigation of almost any question relating to cellular function—for example, work on membrane transport. The lens, therefore, emerges as an extraordinarily versatile kind of experimental system, a system upon which it is possible to execute biochemical, histochemical, and microscopic investigations at almost all technical levels in use.
Use of a Hemoglobin-Trapping Approach in the Determination of Nitric Oxide in In Vitro and In Vivo Systems

We describe methods for measuring the release of nitric oxide (NO) derived from organic nitrates in vitro, using triple wavelength and difference spectrophotometry in the presence and absence of concentric microdialysis probes. These methods are based on the ability of NO to oxidize oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb) to methemoglobin (MetHb) quantitatively in aqueous solution. Isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN), a thiol-dependent organic nitrate, increased MetHb concentration in 45 min from 2.47 ± 0.47 to 4.15 ± 0.12 μM (p < 0.05) and decreased OxyHb concentration from 2.13 ± 0.35 to 0.33 ± 0.26 μM (p < 0.05) at 37°C. At 27°C, the OxyHb concentration was not significantly altered (2.04 ± 0.23 to 1.60 ± 0.04 μM) by ISDN, nor was the MetHb concentration (from 2.68 ± 0.50 to 2.59 ± 0.25 μM). Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a thiol-independent organic nitrate, increased MetHb concentrations in 30 min from 4.21 ± 0.26 to 6.00 ± 0.56 μM (p < 0.05) at 37°C, and from 4.23 ± 0.39 to 5.90 ± 0.43 μM (p < 0.01) at 27°C. SNP also decreased OxyHb concentrations in 30 min from 1.99 ± 0.32 to 0.13 ± 0.12 μM (p < 0.01) at 37°C, and from 2.25 ± 0.31 to 0.13 ± 0.09 μM (p < 0.01) at 27°C. Difference spectrophometry indicated that 0.25-5 mM SNP significantly increased NO production in a dose-dependent fashion. This hemoglobin-trapping technique was also useful in quantifying the concentrations of NO released from SNP in aqueous solution in vitro, using concentric microdialysis probes. The NO concentration following exposure to SNP was 530 ± 50 nM, as determined using the difference spectrophotometric technique. To demonstrate the applicability of this technique to in vivo microdialysis, we implanted concentric microdialysis probes into hippocampus and cerebellum of conscious and anesthetized rats. Baseline NO concentrations in hippocampus of conscious and anesthetized rats were 11 ± 2 nM and 23 ± 9 nM, respectively, while in the cerebellum NO concentrations were 28 ± 9 nM and 41 ± 20 nM, respectively. These results demonstrate that microdialysis using a novel hemoglobin-trapping technique possesses adequate sensitivity to measure the NO levels produced from organic nitrates in aqueous solutions, and further document the applicability of this approach to in vivo systems.
Investigation of Research on Exclusion Policy

Universities exclude a large number of students into our society. However, there is little research on these students after they have left universities. This study is an effort to fill the vacancy with two objectives. First objective is to recommend interdisciplinary research among three streams of research: exclusion in primary and secondary education, exclusion in higher education, and social exclusion. Second objective is to bring a better understanding of excluded students through analyzing SAT and high school GPA scores. This study revealed that over 68.36% of all excluded students have an SAT score of 901 - 1100 and 43.12% of all excluded students have a high school GPA of 3.00 - 4.00. This study proposes using these students as a target group for exclusion research. By targeting this group, we may efficiently and effectively increase the retention rate.
Introduction to knowledge systems

1. Symbol Systems 2. Search and Problem Solving 3. Knowledge and Software Engineering 4. Systematic Representations: Representing Time, Space, Certainty, and Vagueness 5. Representing and Reasoning about Space 6. Representing and Reasoning about Uncertainty and Vagueness 7. Classification 8. Configuration 9. Diagnosis and Troubleshooting
LABOR-MARKET ADJUSTMENT IN OPEN ECONOMIES: EVIDENCE FROM US STATES

Abstract In this paper we analyze whether regional economic integration across US states conditions local labor-market adjustment. We examine the mechanisms through which states absorb changes in labor supplies and whether industry production techniques are similar across states. There are two main findings. Firstly, states absorb changes in employment primarily through changes in production techniques that are common across states and through changes in the output of traded goods, with the former mechanism playing the larger role. In contrast, state-specific changes in production techniques, which are one indication of state-specific changes in relative factor prices, account for relatively little factor absorption. Secondly, industry production techniques are very similar across states, especially for neighboring states and states with similar relative labor supplies. Both sets of results are consistent with productivity-adjusted FPE across either large states or groupings of related states.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED DRIVER EYE POSITION MODEL

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Recommended Practice J941 describes the eyellipse, a statistical representation of driver eye locations. Eye position data collected recently at University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) suggest that the SAE J941 practice could be improved. SAE J941 currently uses the SgRP (vehicle seating reference point) location, seat track travel (L23), and design seatback angle (L40) as inputs to the eyellipse model. However, UMTRI data show that the characteristics of empirical eyellipses can be predicted more accurately using seat height, steering wheel position, and seat track rise. A series of UMTRI studies collected eye location data from groups of 50 to 120 drivers with statures spanning over 97 percent of the United States population. Data were collected in thirty-three vehicles. Significant and consistent differences were observed between eye position data collected before and after driving, indicating that actual driving is an important protocol feature for accurate measurement of driver eye position. In six vehicles, eyellipses obtained with two-way and six-way seat track travel were only slightly different. On average, drivers select seatback angles that are about 1.6 degrees more upright than design seatback angles. Stepwise regression techniques were used to identify the vehicle variables that have important effects on the distribution of driver eye locations. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 492369.
Inhibition of intestinal iron absorption by laundry starch.

The pathogenesis of iron deficiency anemia associated with amylophagia is usually attributed to dietary iron lack. However, large quantities of starch may inhibit intestinal iron absorption. Accordingly, studies were carried out to determine the effect of laundry starch on the intestinal absorption of inorganic and hemoglobin iron. In vitro, laundry starch bound 19 to 80% of the available 39FeSO4 and 34 to 68% of the available 39Fehemoglobin. Binding of both forms of iron was pH-dependent, with maximal binding at pH 7.0. In vivo, laundry starch significantly inhibited mucosal uptake of 39FeSO4 from isolated duodenal loops. In nonanemic rats, administration of laundry starch (100 mg) 1 hr before a 100-μg dose of 39FeSO4 significantly decreased the absorption of 39FeSO4, as compared to saline or low iron chow controls (6.2 ± 2.0 versus 14.9 ± 2.1 and 11.8 ± 1.7, respectively, P
Engineering case reports. Effectiveness of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) in controlling engineered nanomaterial emissions during reactor cleanout operations.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal agency that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths....
Comparative dosing and efficacy of sorafenib in hepatocellular cancer patients with varying liver dysfunction

Background: Sorafenib is the only FDA-approved systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In clinical practice, dose reductions are often required, although there are limited efficacy data related to dose modifications. Given the prevalence of HCC in South Texas, we assessed the efficacy and safety of sorafenib therapy in relation to dose and Child Pugh (CP) score. Methods: A retrospective analysis was done of advanced HCC patients, starting sorafenib at 400 mg twice daily, or at physician discretion at 400 mg daily, with the goal of titrating to twice daily. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed. Results: Among 107 patients, median OS (mOS) was 10.2 months; median PFS (mPFS) was 5.2 months. mOS for sorafenib 400 mg/day was 6.6 vs. 800 mg/day was 12.8 months [hazard ratio (HR), 0.59; P=0.04]; mPFS was 3.5 vs. 5.9 months, respectively (HR, 0.66; P=0.07). For Child Pugh A class (CP-A) patients, mOS was 15.8 months for 400 mg/day vs. 12.8 months for 800 mg/day (HR, 1.48; P=0.35); mPFS was 9.0 vs. 5.9 months, respectively (HR, 1.23; P=0.56). For Child Pugh B class (CP-B) patients, mOS was 5.0 months for 400 mg/day vs. 11.2 months for 800 mg/day (HR, 0.33; P=0.002); mPFS was 2.1 vs. 5.6 months, respectively (HR, 0.41; P=0.006). No differences in adverse events (AEs) were observed in CP-A vs. CP-B. Conclusions: Patients with CP-A or CP-B advanced HCC should be offered sorafenib at 400 mg twice daily with optimal management of AEs in order to improve survival.
Intensity and coherence contours during self-regulated high alpha activity.

Abstract Spectral intensity and coherence analysis of EEG activity during rest and during a period of self-regulated high alpha in two subjects indicate that: (1) Slow frontal activity, which is due primarily to eye movements, is less intense during successful alpha regulation than during baselines. (2) There is little evidence for increased intensity in frequency ranges other than the alpha range during alpha regulation. (3) Occipital alpha tends to be more coherent with frontal than with temporal alpha during occipital alpha regulation.
Current Emotion Research in Sociology: Advances in the Discipline

This article provides a survey and analysis of recent research in the sociology of emotions. I address theoretical advances by discussing three theories that have been making some inroads into the ...
Lead accumulation by wild oats (Avena fatua) in a contaminated area.

THE input of lead into the environment has increased during the last two decades1–4, especially with the development of lead-containing gasolines2. The body-burden of lead is now much greater in man than in his modern ancestors5 and as one source of lead is food, its acquisition, mobility and effects in plants and animals, as well as its partitioning among the air, soil, water and biotic fractions, must be understood.
Tritium permeation through 304 stainless steel at ultra-low pressures

Abstract Many recent studies on the permeation of hydrogenic gases through metals suggest that deviation from classical behavior (permeation rate proportional to the half-power of the driving pressure) should occur at low pressures. In particular, Strehlow and Savage predict a transition region that is caused by competitive permeation through the metal itself and a defect-riddled coating. This work reports tritium permation measurements with a new apparatus that is capable of maintaining driving pressures as low as 10 −7 Pa — more than three orders of magnitude lower than those of previously reported experiments. The results with 304 stainless steel at 573 to 723 K confirm the Strehlow-Savage model and, in addition, indicate the existence of a thin but tough, residual film on the surface.
Single flux quantum one-decimal-digit RNS adder

Residue number system (RNS) arithmetic has a promising role for fault-tolerant high throughput superconducting single flux quantum (SFQ) circuits for digital signal processing (DSP) applications. We have designed one of the basic computational blocks used in DSP circuits, one-decimal-digit RNS adder. A new design for its main component, the single-modulus adder, has been developed. It combines simple and robust RSFQ elementary cells, both combinational and sequential. The central units are a circular shift register, a code converter, and the clock control circuitry. Our mod5 adder employs 195 Josephson junctions, consumes 50 μW of power, and occupies an area of less than 2 mm2. Chips were fabricated at HYPRES, Inc. using 1 kA/cm2 low-Tc Niobium technology. The mod5 adder was successfully tested at low speed, and gave experimental bias margins of ±26%.
Diffuse reflectance infrared and temperature-programmed decomposition studies of (η6-benzene)tricarbonylchromium(0) and (η6-anisole)tricarbonylchromium(0) on NaX zeolite

Abstract The decomposition of (η 6 -benzene)tricarbonylchromium(0) (BTC) and (η 6 -anisole)tricarbonylchromium(0) (ATC) supported on NaX zeolite has been studied by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and temperature-programmed decomposition (TPDE). TPDE shows that CO gas is evolved from both samples between about 425 and 575 K, with a maximum near 470 K. The DRIFTS spectra indicate that both BTC and ATC adsorb on NaX zeolite in two different sites. Samples of the adsorbed complexes prepared at different temperatures have a considerable amount of the Cr(CO) 3 /NaX surface species present below 425 K, the temperature at which CO begins to be evolved. The (arene)tricarbonylchromium(0) decomposes by forming the surface chromium tricarbonyl as the arene becomes detached from the chromium. Carbon monoxide is evolved when the surface tricarbonyl decomposes. By adding either benzene or anisole to a sample of Cr(CO) 3 /NaX at about 403 K, BTC or ATC is formed within the NaX zeolite.
An adaptive multivariate signed-rank test for the one-sample location problem

A multivariate affine-invariant adaptive test procedure is proposed for the one-sample location problem. The procedure suggested uses the multivariate sign test based on interdirections suggested by Randles, a multivariate signed-rank procedure suggested by Peters and Randles, and a light-tailed version of the signed-rank procedure. A selection statistic constructed from univariate Mahalanobis distances is used to choose the appropriate sign or signed-rank procedure yielding a large sample test which performs well for a broad class of distributions. The performance of the adaptive procedure is assessed via Monte Carlo simulation results.