cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carbon isotopic evidence for the origin of macromolecular aliphatic structures in kerogen

Abstract This study describes compound-specific stable carbon isotopic analyses of aliphatic hydrocarbon products from flash pyrolysis (800°C, 20 s) of kerogens representing a range of depositional environments (marine, estuarine, lacustrine) and ages (Recent to Ordovician). The carbon isotopic measurements were obtained, using isotope-ratio-monitoring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (irmGC-MS), for the major aliphatic pyrolysis products (n-hydrocarbons, acyclic isoprenoids and hopanoids). While isotopic compositions of n-hydrocarbons varied substantially between samples (average values ranged from −35 to −14 0 00 ), δ-values of n-alkenes and n-alkanes generated from a given sample generally ranged over less than ±3 0 00 . This isotopic uniformity implies a common origin for n-hydrocarbons (probably from thermal dissociation of biopolymers), supporting the concept of selective preservation of highly resistant aliphatic structures in kerogens. There are notable exceptions to this general relationship, in which either mixed biopolymeric sources (e.g. Guttenberg Fm) or minor contributions from aliphatic biopolymers (e.g. Monterey) must be inferred. In several cases, average n-hydrocarbon values also closely match the corresponding total organic carbon (TOC) δ-value, indicating that the n-hydrocarbons in these samples are derived from structurally important, or at least isotopically representative, constituents of the kerogen. In other samples significant discrepancies were observed between the δ-values for these products and δ 13CTOC. In these cases the presence of additional components not yielding hydrocarbons on pyrolysis is indicated. Isotopic compositions of isoprenoid hydrocarbons varied non-systematically relative to those of n-hydrocarbons, whereas hopanoid hydrocarbons were consistently depleted in 13C relative to both TOC and n-hydrocarbons, with δ-values as low as −50 0 00 .
Balancing accountability and privacy in the network

Though most would agree that accountability and privacy are both valuable, today's Internet provides little support for either. Previous efforts have explored ways to offer stronger guarantees for one of the two, typically at the expense of the other; indeed, at first glance accountability and privacy appear mutually exclusive. At the center of the tussle is the source address: in an accountable Internet, source addresses undeniably link packets and senders so hosts can be punished for bad behavior. In a privacy-preserving Internet, source addresses are hidden as much as possible. In this paper, we argue that a balance is possible. We introduce the Accountable and Private Internet Protocol (APIP), which splits source addresses into two separate fields --- an accountability address and a return address --- and introduces independent mechanisms for managing each. Accountability addresses, rather than pointing to hosts, point to accountability delegates, which agree to vouch for packets on their clients' behalves, taking appropriate action when misbehavior is reported. With accountability handled by delegates, senders are now free to mask their return addresses; we discuss a few techniques for doing so.
Packing Trees into the Complete Graph

Let c l 0.076122 and T1, T2,…, Tn be a sequence of trees such that mV(Ti)m l i−c(i−1). We prove that, if for each 1 l i l n there exists a vertex xi ∈ V(Ti) such that Ti−xi has at least (1−2c)(i−1) isolated vertices, then T1,…, Tn can be packed into Kn. We also prove that if T is a tree of order n+1−c′n, c′ l 1/25 (37−8 √21 ) a 0.0135748, such that there exists a vertex x ∈ V(T) and T−x has at least n(1−2c′) isolated vertices, then 2np1 copies of T may be packed into K2np1.
Life Course Impacts of Parenting a Child With a Disability

We contrasted parents who had a child with a developmental disability, a serious mental health problem, and a normative comparison group with respect to parental attainment and well-being at mid-life. Data are from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, collected when the respondents were 18, 36, and 53 or 54, on average. Although similar at age 18, group patterns of attainment and well-being diverged thereafter. Parents of a child with a developmental disability had lower rates of employment, larger families, and lower rates of social participation but were similar to parents without a child with a disability in educational and marital status, physical health, and psychological well-being. Parents whose child had a serious mental health problem had normative patterns of educational and occupational attainment and marriage, but elevated levels of physical symptoms, depression, and alcohol symptoms at mid-life.
Game theory model for selective forward attacks in wireless sensor networks

The problem of detecting malicious nodes in wireless sensor networks is considered. Since current security mechanisms are inadequate for wireless sensor networks, we must develop a new framework to detect malicious nodes using Zero-Sum game approach and selective node acknowledgements in the forward data path. The first few sections of the paper provide a game model with probability of cost required to defend the nodes and the subsequent sections derives the model to detect malicious nodes using the probability of acknowledgment at source.
The Gilgunn case: courage and questions.

Since the jury verdict was reported in the popular and professional press in 1995, clinicians and ethicists have been eager to hear more about the Gilgunn story. The verdict has been supported by attorney/ethicist George Annas [1] and criticized by attorney/ethicist Alexander Capron [2]. Now that the plaintiff has withdrawn her appeal, the first-person, bedside perspective may be told. Paris et al. [3] report in this issue in considerable detail not only the clinical events, but of the tense drama played out for over 2 months between professionals and family. How can we benefit from their experience? What ICU team or ethics consultant has not lived these weeks at some time? Different setting, different characters, different details, but the same issues, same tension, and same conflict. Could this case have been handled differently or better? Twelve Monday-morning quarterbacks (reviewing it 6 years after the fact) said it was handled acceptably. Now, 9 years after the patient's death, yet more wannabe quarterbacks have a chance to comment. This belated review looks briefly at the clinical considerations, the ethics deliberations, and the judicial proceedings.
Institutional variation in ordering complete blood counts for children hospitalized with bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND In the evaluation of infants with bronchiolitis there is little evidence to support the use of diagnostic testing, particularly complete blood counts (CBCs). However, the extent to which CBCs are ordered in the evaluation of infants with bronchiolitis is unknown. OBJECTIVES (1) To determine institutional variability in ordering of initial and repeat CBCs in infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis; (2) to examine the relationship between proportion of admissions with CBCs and mean hospital charges. METHODS We analyzed the Pediatric Health Information System database, which contains demographic and diagnostic data from 30 U.S. children's hospitals. We restricted our analysis to children less than 12 months old with a primary discharge diagnosis of bronchiolitis and an APR-DRG of bronchiolitis/asthma. We performed multivariate ANOVA to examine variability in initial and repeat CBC ordering across hospitals, controlling for potential confounders. We used stratified logistic regression to determine which factors were associated with repeat CBCs. We examined the relationship between proportion of admissions with CBCs and mean hospital charges using t tests. RESULTS 17,397 children were included in the analysis, and 48.2% had at least 1 CBC, whereas 7.8% had more than 1 CBC. The proportion of admissions with initial (23.2%-70.2%) and repeat (0%-18.6%) CBCs varied significantly across hospitals. Compared to those hospitals with the lowest proportion of admissions with CBCs, hospitals with higher proportions of CBCs had significantly higher mean hospital stay charges. CONCLUSIONS Given the potential downstream medical and financial consequences associated with CBC ordering in evaluation of infants with bronchiolitis, explanations for institutional variation warrant exploration. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2007;2:69–73. © 2007 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Mike Dash. Thug: The True History of India's Murderous Cult. London: Granta Books, 2005. 356 pp. Cloth £20. ISBN 1-86207-846-7. Martine van Woerkens. The Strangled Traveler: Colonial Imaginings and the Thugs of India

In a literal sense, the subject matter of these two excellent books is inappropriate for the journal Terrorism and Political Violence. It is interesting that most recent books on terrorism start ou...
A control approach with application to variable displacement pumps

In this paper, we aim to use singular perturbation theory to simplify control designs for hydraulic systems and to make the designs more feasible for engineering practice. The paper presents the derivations and simulations of a control law for a hydraulic displacement controlled actuator. Analysis of applied conditions and stability proofs are provided. The developed control design procedure is simplified and is robust to variations in the bulk modulus. The proposed design is simulated and applied to cases of different control input models. Position tracking error exponentially decays and control efforts are dominated by low frequency signals.
Sayana® Press: can it be a “game changer” for reducing unmet need for family planning? ☆

Sayana Press (SP) (also known as Depo subQ Provera) is a single dose of medroxyprogesterone packaged in an injection system. Recent published research has helped identify some of the challenges to SP reaching its full potential as a new contraceptive option in low-resource settings especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Central Asia. SP has been referred to as a “game changer” in part due to its potential for in-home or self-injection. Given the safety and ease of injections with SP some Ministries of Health may be more likely to shifty policy and allow community health workers to provide injectables in countries that only allow higher level providers to do so. At a reasonable price this option has the potential to expand contraception choice in underserved communities with limited access to injectable contraceptives. Drawing on history from USAID and PATH’s initial design work in 1987 to recent research and comments on findings from programs in Uganda Senegal and Ethiopia this editorial presents evidence for this “game changing” technology and its potential for future plans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From beginning to end: the importance of evidence-based policymaking in vaccination mandates.

Public health laws and policies often balance individual rights and public good. Evidence is the foundation for public health authority, and vaccination mandates require particular mindfulness due to intrusion on individual choice. New approaches are emerging in several states and must continue to be vetted using the best available evidence.
Imagery: The artistic style in the therapists communications

WHEREAS poetry and the arts seek to illuminate, psychoanalysis seeks to unravel. Both might address, at times, what Edmund Gosse has referred to, in his confidence to Henry James, as the “obstinate twist” in the hidden personality. Art, often, and psychological treatment more often, moves toward the achievement, for the individual, of that “quieter time” Gosse later reached: “Some beginnings of that Sophoclean period when the wild beast dies. He is not dead, but tamer; I understand him and the trick of his claws” (Hyde, 1969). A special affinity has often been felt between the psychoanalyst and the artistic. Perhaps one reason is that both share a common goal. There is a penetrating concern with the stuff of inner and outer reality, with life as it is lived and people as they underlyingly are. It is true that no single theory on the function of art will suffice, yet one of the ultimate ends of art is to humanize life to show and absorb one in experiencing its fullness and richness. Similarly, one of the ends of psychoanalytic treatment is also to enable the patient to get in touch with this richness, to experience a full immersion in existence. In the shadow area at the edge of consciousness lie the feelings without which a person can neither relatively know nor be himself. Beyond the removal of symptoms, an ideal goal of depth psychotherapy is to assist the patient’s inner self to stretch, breathe, look about, and grow. In the service of this goal, what is therapeutic is “feeling” to quote e. e. Cummings, “not knowing or believing or thinking.” Perhaps one of the deeper aims of therapy, like that of this poet for himself,’ is to enable the patient, on increasingly more basic levels, to express, as Cummings continues, oneself in words, because when you believe or you know, you’re a lot of but the moment you feel, you’re yourself.” “nobody:butthink or you other people: nobody but
Intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence imaging

We have developed a low-cost, safe, and easy to use NIR fluorescence intraoperative imaging system that permits the surgeon to see, in real time, surgical anatomy and invisible NIR fluorescence simultaneously.
Unraveling complex relationships between heterogeneous omics datasets using local principal components

There is a growing interest in studying the dependencies between multiple data sources. A common way to analyze the relationships between a pair of data sources based on their correlation is canonical correlation analysis (CCA) which seeks for linear combinations of all variables from each dataset which maximize the correlation between them. However, in high dimensional datasets, such as genomic data, where the number of variables exceeds the number of experimental units, CCA may not lead to meaningful information. Moreover, when collinearity exists in one or both the datasets, CCA may not be applicable. In this paper, we present a novel method to extract common features from a pair of data sources using local principal components and Kendalls ranking. The results show that the proposed method outperforms CCA in many scenarios and is more robust to noisy data. Moreover, meaningful results are obtained using the proposed method when the number of variables exceeds the number of observed units.
Mutations of the ER to plastid lipid transporters TGD1, 2, 3 and 4 and the ER oleate desaturase FAD2 suppress the low temperature-induced phenotype of Arabidopsis tocopherol-deficient mutant vte2.

Summary Previous studies with the tocopherol-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana vte2 mutant demonstrated an important role for tocopherols in the development of transfer cell walls and maintenance of photoassimilate export capacity during low-temperature (LT) adaptation. To further understand the processes linking tocopherol deficiency and the vte2 LT phenotypes, a genetic screen was performed for sve mutations (suppressor of the vte2 low temperature-induced phenotype). The three strongest sve loci had differing impacts on LT-induced sugar accumulation, photoassimilate export reduction and vascular-specific callose deposition in vte2. sve1 completely suppressed all vte2 LT phenotypes and is a new allele of fad2, the endoplasmic reticulum-localized oleate desaturase. sve2 showed partial suppression, and is a new allele of trigalactosyldiacylglycerol1 (tgd1), a component of the ER-to-plastid lipid ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. Introduction of tgd2, tgd3 and tgd4 mutations into the vte2 background similarly suppressed the vte2 LT phenotypes, indicating a key role for ER-to-plastid lipid transport in the vte2 LT phenotype. sve7 partially suppressed all vte2 LT phenotypes by affecting fatty acid and lipid metabolism at low temperatures only. Detailed analyses of acyl lipid composition indicated that all suppressors alleviated the increase in the level of linoleic acid esterified to phosphatidylcholine (PC-18:2) in LT-treated vte2, and this alleviation significantly correlated with their extent of suppression of photoassimilate export. Identification and characterization of the sve loci showed that the PC-18:2 change is an early and key component in vte2 LT-induced responses, and highlighted the interaction of tocopherols with non-plastid lipid metabolism.
Outcomes of children adopted from Eastern Europe

Behavioral problems are frequent among post-institutionalized Eastern European adoptees. However, risk factors related to outcomes have not been fully delineated. We evaluated 50 Eastern European adoptees, age 8—10 years, with their adoptive families for more than five years. Cognitive and behavioral outcomes and parenting stress were evaluated in relation to pre-adoptive risk factors, including arrival age, growth, and facial phenotype related to prenatal alcohol exposure. At follow-up, IQ and achievement scores were ≥ average in most children (≥74%). Behavioral and school problems were common (externalizing 44%, internalizing 18%, behavioral symptoms 50%, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 46%, learning disabilities 40%, mental health disorders 28%); 38% had multiple problems. Behavioral problems correlated inversely with IQ. Parent stress was high and correlated with child externalizing behaviors and inversely to child full scale IQ. Children with “severe behavioral disturbances” (24%) wer...
Combining cooperative learning and peer instruction in introductory computer science

CPSC 120, Principles of Computer Science I, is a first semester freshmen level course for computer science majors. Over a three semester comparison period, this course had an average WDF rate of 56% (i.e. percentage of students receiving a grade of “D” or “F”, or withdrawing from the course). In two sections of this course, two strategies, peer instruction and cooperative learning, were combined to lower the WDF rate for both sections to an average of 32.5%. The improvement was even more dramatic for the female students in the classes, who improved from a 53% WDF rate to a WDF rate of only 15%.
Duplication of radiology imaging studies in the emergency department: what is the cost?

Objective To quantify the rate of preventable duplication of imaging studies in the Emergency Department. Previously, to estimate potential savings from the Health Information Exchange, figures used to be based on expert opinion, as the actual rate of redundant imaging is unknown. Materials and methods We prospectively quantified the frequency of duplicate CT scans in tertiary care and community hospital emergency departments (ED) through a short questionnaire at the time the studies were ordered. Results During the study period, 9246 CT scans were performed with a preventable duplicate rate of 0.42%. Both sites had equivalent rates of preventable duplicates. Discussion and conclusions We used two EDs to quantify the rate of preventable duplicate CT scans ordered. Our results demonstrate that only 0.4% of CT scans performed in our EDs are preventable duplicates. Our rate of preventable duplicate studies was much lower than what experts and emergency practitioners suspected, which suggests that potential cost savings from elimination of preventable duplicates may also be much lower than currently estimated.
Flexibility principles in Boolean semantics: The interpretation of coordination, plurality, and scope in natural language. Yoad Winter. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. Pp. 307

Recent years have seen a whole series of book-length studies on the formal semantics of plurality and its relation to coordination, quantifier scope, and related phenomena (Landman, 2000; Lasersohn, 1995; Schein, 1993; Schwarzschild, 1996; etc.). Winter's book provides a very interesting and worthwhile addition to this list, and shows that despite the extensive attention this subject has received, there is a good deal more to be said.
Calibration and validation on-orbit plan of the NPOESS Crosstrack Infrared Sounder (CRIS)

Calibration and validation of sensors is important for understanding how a sensor operates during its mission and shows the level of measurements that can be expected. The calibration is an on-going process throughout the mission but is most critical when the complete system comes together and during its initial stage after reaching orbit. Careful planning is required to accurately and efficiently collect data that characterizes the sensors response, process the data in a timely manner to generate results that are useful to mission science, apply the results for processing algorithms, and have a process for improvement as additional information about the sensor becomes available. This paper describes the calibration and validation plan of early on-orbit operations of the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS). The CrIS sensor is currently integrated on the NPP spacecraft that is scheduled to launch in October 2011.
Turbulent Flow in Porous Media

An equation applicable for both laminar and turbulent flow in porous media has been developed and experimentally verified. This equation expresses the pressure drop per unit length as a function of the absolute viscosity and mass density of the fluid and the macroscopic velocity. Because this equation is dimensionally homogeneous, any consistent set of units (cgs, etc.) may be used. All of the experimental data are represented on a plot of the Fanning friction factor for porous media versus the Reynolds number for porous media, in which the characteristic length, in both cases, is the square root of the permeability. The analogy between this plot and similar plots for circular pipes is noted together with the differences. The relationship between filtration and sedimentation is also shown. Water was the fluid used in all of the experimental runs. Glass beads, ion exchange resin, sand, gravel, anthracite coal, and granular activated carbon were the porous media used; all of these media are commercially available. Some of the glass beads media were approximately uniform in size.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Vitro in Preimplantation Blastocysts of Prepuberal Rats Ovulated with Gonadotrophins

A method for flattening blastocysts, using 1% acetic acid, to count the total number of nuclei present in a blastocyst and to detect the in vitro incorporation of radioactive isotopes into the nuclei by autoradiography is described. The nuclei of blastocysts on day 5 of pregnancy synthesize DNA as indicated by the uptake of thymidine-3H, and the advance from the pre-DNA synthetic phase to the S-phase (DNA-synthetic phase) is asynchronous. The total number of nuclei in the afternoon is morethan that in the forenoon on the same day of pregnancy. There is no significant difference between blastocysts with or without zonae pellucidae with respect to the total number of nuclei and the number of nuclei which incorporate labeled thymidine. The variation in the average number of nuclei and the number of nuclei incorporated with thymidine-3H in the blastocysts from individual rats during the afternoon of day 5 of pregnancy is not statistically significant. (Endocrinology 85: 585, 1969)
Implications of seawater Mg/Ca variability for Plio-Pleistocene tropical climate reconstruction

Abstract Recent reconstructions of Mg and Ca concentrations of seawater indicate that seawater Mg/Ca changed significantly over the last 5 million years (Ma). Tropical sea surface temperature (SST) records for the last 5 Ma based on foraminiferal Mg/Ca paleothermometry assume constant seawater Mg/Ca. These SST records suggest that average equatorial Pacific SSTs remained thermally stable from 5 to 2 Ma, after which significant cooling occurred only in the eastern equatorial Pacific. This study examines the implications of adjusting available equatorial Pacific SST records based on Mg/Ca paleothermometry to account for the inferred past variations of seawater Mg/Ca. The results suggest that both the cold and the warm regions of the equatorial Pacific were much warmer during the early Pliocene (30–31 °C), and that both regions experienced a marked cooling from ∼ 4 Ma to ∼ 1 Ma. This new interpretation of foraminiferal Mg/Ca creates a discrepancy with alkenone unsaturation-based SST records from the eastern equatorial Pacific, which might be due to either overestimation of changes in past seawater Mg/Ca or to factors affecting the interpretation of the U K' 37 index. The adjusted SST records are consistent with the hypothesis that higher levels of greenhouse gases maintained the warmth of the early Pliocene.
Right-angle free beam lasers for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia

When comparing the efficacy of VLAP to TURP, the existing data are not entirely consistent. Several studies conclude that the two procedures have equivalent efficacy with respect to AUA symptom score, peak flow rate, and reduction of postvoid residual urine volume. None of these studies are designed to control for patient or investigator bias and generally only mean values are compared. To date, our study is the only double-blind, randomized trial that compares VLAP to TURP. Although the laser procedure was an effective alternative, it was not as effective as TURP as measured by the AUA symptom score, reoperation rate, or the patients' global assessment of symptomatic improvement. To be a useful procedure, it is not essential that the efficacy be equivalent to TURP, but it is clearly preferred particularly because an anesthetic is usually required. When comparing the efficacy of these two procedures, one cannot help asking an obvious question: What is the chance that the first attempt at a new procedure (VLAP), with relatively little prior testing, would be equally effective to a procedure (TURP) that has been performed hundreds of thousands of times and modified during the past 50 years? It should not be too disappointing or surprising that our data show the TURP to be more effective. These data represent the first attempts at laser treatment for BPH. Although it is an easy procedure for a urologist to learn, the optimal technique has not been defined. It is very likely that improvements in technology and technique will improve the efficacy while maintaining safety.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Evaluating Sentence Compression: Pitfalls and Suggested Remedies

This work surveys existing evaluation methodologies for the task of sentence compression, identifies their shortcomings, and proposes alternatives. In particular, we examine the problems of evaluating paraphrastic compression and comparing the output of different models. We demonstrate that compression rate is a strong predictor of compression quality and that perceived improvement over other models is often a side effect of producing longer output.
Expression of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Multiple Myeloma Patients after Treatment with the Proteasome Inhibitor Bortezomib

Aim: Clinical success of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib for multiple myeloma (MM) treatment highlights the potential of therapeutically targeting the ubiquitin (Ub) + proteasome system. However, bortezomib treatment invariably leads to therapeutic resistance through mechanisms that remain elusive and that limit long-term clinical efficacy. We hypothesized that individual E3 Ub ligases were differentially expressed in MM patients that did or did not respond to bortezomib. E3 ligases bind intracellular protein substrates leading to their subsequent ubiquitination that then triggers proteasomal degradation of the substrate. The aim of the present study was to analyze the gene expression profiles (GEPs) from MM patients and identify E3 Ub ligases that correlated with clinical response to bortezomib. Methods: MM tumor cells were collected by bone marrow biopsy from newly diagnosed patients, and RNA isolated and GEPs were correlated with individual patient response to bortezomib. Results: Expression of the E3 Ub ligase Skp1-Cullin-1-F-box (SCF)-Skp2 was significantly increased in MM patients that did not respond to bortezomib. However, SCF-Skp2 expression was not increased in GEPs from patients that did not respond to other anti-myeloma agents. Conclusion: Drugs that target the E3 Ub ligase SCF-Skp2 may overcome bortezomib resistance and display refined specificity with reduced adverse toxicities.
De We Stand Where We Sit? Political Science's Contribution to the Study of the Carceral State

Historically, political scientists have taken ownership of issues related to voting, gerrymandering, and political representation. They have taken up the issue of the disenfranchisement of American minorities wholeheartedly. Two inherently political issues for which the discipline seems to have little appetite are felon and ex-felon disenfranchisement statutes, and prison gerrymandering -- or for that matter any political question regarding the felon population, which is comprised disproportionately of racial and ethnic minorities. The main question asked in this work is, “Has the field of political science taken ownership of felon disenfranchisement and prison gerrymandering in the same way that it has taken up the issues of voting and gerrymandering within the general population and for racial minorities?” This work examines the contributions of political science to the study of the carceral state by investigating the receptivity of our top-tiered journals, which devote themselves to voting and other voting related issues without question, to scholarship on felon and ex-felon disenfranchisement and prison-based gerrymandering. It also compares political science contributions to those from the fields of law, criminology, and sociology. Using a content analysis of these fields’ top five journals (based on the Journal Citation Report’s 5-year impact factor for the years 2000-2010), this study determines that political science trails other disciplines significantly in its number of citations regarding felon disenfranchisement and prison gerrymandering. This leads to the conclusion that while political scientists are in fact talking about these issues, the discipline has not taken ownership of them, despite their expressly electoral and political implications.
THE EVALUATION OF HEART RATE VARIATIONS ON THE HUMAN FETUS USING SPECTRAL ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

Abstract Base line heart rate variability is considered to be an evaluation of the heart rate function. The heart rate function is taken to be the reciprocal of the time intervals between consecutive heart beats. Previous studies by the authors have shown lack of good correlation between the clinical evaluation of the patterns of change in heart rate and statistical estimators. For this study, sample fetal heart rate tracings were evaluated for base line variability by a panel of nine expert perinatologists using a previously described scoring system. Inter-observer agreement in the evaluation was high. Using the results of the evaluation, a variability quantification procedure is set forth. From the spectral estimates of the tracings, frequency bands were identified whose power correlated at a high level with the clinical evaluations. The root mean square of the digitally filtered heart rate function proved to be a very good correlate to the clinical evaluations.
Tuftsin‐driven experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis recovery requires neuropilin‐1

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of demyelinating autoimmune disease, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), which is characterized by central nervous system white matter lesions, microglial activation, and peripheral T-cell infiltration secondary to blood-brain barrier disruption. We have previously shown that treatment with tuftsin, a tetrapeptide generated from IgG proteolysis, dramatically improves disease symptoms in EAE. Here, we report that microglial expression of Neuropilin-1 (Nrp1) is required for tuftsin-driven amelioration of EAE symptoms. Nrp1 ablation in microglia blocks microglial signaling and polarization to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, and ablation in either the microglia or immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) reduces extended functional contacts between them and Treg activation, implicating a role for microglia in the activation process, and more generally, how immune surveillance is conducted in the CNS. Taken together, our findings delineate the mechanistic action of tuftsin as a candidate therapeutic against immune-mediated demyelinating lesions.
Effect of acute low body temperature on predatory behavior and prey-capture efficiency in a plethodontid salamander

The low-temperature limit for feeding in some salamander species (Desmognathus, Plethodontidae) has been inferred from field studies of seasonal variation in salamander activity and gut contents, which could not determine whether feeding is more dependent on environmental conditions influencing salamander foraging behavior or prey availability and movement. We performed two controlled laboratory experiments to examine the effect of short-term (acute) low body temperature on predatory behavior and prey-capture efficiency in a semiaquatic plethodontid salamander (Desmognathus conanti). In the first experiment, we quantified variation in the feeding responses of cold salamanders (at 1, 3, 5 and 7°C) to a video recording of a walking, warm (15°C) cricket to determine the lower thermal limit for predatory behavior, independent of any temperature effect on movement of prey. Experimental-group salamanders exhibited vigorous feeding responses at 5 and 7°C, large variation in feeding responses both among and within individuals (over time) at 3°C, and little to no feeding response at 1°C. Feeding responses at both 1 and 3°C were significantly less than at each higher temperature, whereas responses of control-group individuals at 15°C did not vary over time. In the second experiment, we quantified feeding by cold salamanders (at 3, 5, 7 and 11°C) on live, warm crickets to examine thermal effects on prey-capture ability. The mean feeding response to live crickets was significantly less at 3°C than at higher temperatures; however, 50% of salamanders captured and ingested prey with high efficiency at this temperature. We conclude that many individuals stalk and capture prey at very low temperatures (down to 3°C). Our results support a growing body of data that indicate many plethodontid salamanders feed at temperatures only a few degrees above freezing.
Production Lead Time in Serial Lines: Evaluation, Analysis, and Control

Production Lead Time $\mbi (LT)$ is the average time a part spends in the system, being processed or waiting for processing. In systems with unlimited buffers, $\mbi LT$ may be orders of magnitude larger than the total processing time, leading to serious economic and quality problems. At present, no systematic analytical methods for evaluation, analysis, and control of $\mbi LT$ in systems with machines having up- and downtime characterized by continuous random variables are available. This paper is intended to develop such methods. Specifically, we address synchronous serial lines with exponential machines and derive formulas for $\mbi LT$ as a function of machine parameters and raw material release rate. Using these formulas, we develop methods for open- and closed-loop raw material release, which result in the desired $\mbi LT$ . For asynchronous exponential lines, we provide an upper bound on $LT$ . For non-exponential lines (e.g., Weibull, gamma, and log-normal), we offer an empirical formula for $\mbi LT$ as an affine function of the coefficient of variation. The results reported in this paper enable a new paradigm for production systems management, namely: manage a production system so that the desired $\mbi LT$ is ensured, while the throughput is maximized.
The role of viral glycoproteins in adsorption, penetration, and pathogenicity of viruses.

The F Glycoprotein 43 Protease activation mutants of a paramyxovirus 45 The activating protease 45 Proteolytic cleavage and viral virulence ..... 46 Structure of the F protein 47 Specific inhibition of virus-induced membrane fusion and virus penetration by oligopeptides 48 Importance of antibodies to F glycoprotein in prevention of spread of paramyxovirus infection 49
Thin Film BaTiO3 Electrooptic Modulator and Its Dynamic Response

We report the first high frequency measurements on thin film BaTiO3 electrooptic modulators. Electrooptic modulation has been measured up to 20GHz and its 3dB bandwidth is ~1.5GHz.
Program innovations and character in Cub Scouts: Findings from Year 1 of a mixed-methods, longitudinal study

Youth development programs seek to promote positive development through mentoring and engaging youth in opportunities for individual growth and community connectedness. We present findings from the initial phase of a mixed-methods, longitudinal study aimed at assessing the impact of one such program, Cub Scouts, on character development. We assessed if Scouting, and a recent innovation in Scouting focused on program quality, are associated with the development of character and other positive youth outcomes. Participants were 1,083 Scouts and non-Scouts, aged 5-12 years. At the start of the study, there was no difference in indicators of character between Scouts and non-Scouts, once matched through propensity score analyses. Through content analyses of interviews and short- answer questionnaires administered to leaders, we found that leaders’ views of character and of their roles corresponded to those envisioned by Cub Scouts. Implications for character development, and for the role of program components in character development, are discussed.
A robust adaptive denoising framework for real-time artifact removal in scalp EEG measurements

Objective. Non-invasive measurement of human neural activity based on the scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) allows for the development of biomedical devices that interface with the nervous system for scientific, diagnostic, therapeutic, or restorative purposes. However, EEG recordings are often considered as prone to physiological and non-physiological artifacts of different types and frequency characteristics. Among them, ocular artifacts and signal drifts represent major sources of EEG contamination, particularly in real-time closed-loop brain–machine interface (BMI) applications, which require effective handling of these artifacts across sessions and in natural settings. Approach. We extend the usage of a robust adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) scheme ( filtering) for removal of eye blinks, eye motions, amplitude drifts and recording biases simultaneously. We also characterize the volume conduction, by estimating the signal propagation levels across all EEG scalp recording areas due to ocular artifact generators. We find that the amplitude and spatial distribution of ocular artifacts vary greatly depending on the electrode location. Therefore, fixed filtering parameters for all recording areas would naturally hinder the true overall performance of an ANC scheme for artifact removal. We treat each electrode as a separate sub-system to be filtered, and without the loss of generality, they are assumed to be uncorrelated and uncoupled. Main results. Our results show over 95–99.9% correlation between the raw and processed signals at non-ocular artifact regions, and depending on the contamination profile, 40–70% correlation when ocular artifacts are dominant. We also compare our results with the offline independent component analysis and artifact subspace reconstruction methods, and show that some local quantities are handled better by our sample-adaptive real-time framework. Decoding performance is also compared with multi-day experimental data from 2 subjects, totaling 19 sessions, with and without filtering of the raw data. Significance. The proposed method allows real-time adaptive artifact removal for EEG-based closed-loop BMI applications and mobile EEG studies in general, thereby increasing the range of tasks that can be studied in action and context while reducing the need for discarding data due to artifacts. Significant increase in decoding performances also justify the effectiveness of the method to be used in real-time closed-loop BMI applications.
The Relationship between Software Bug Type and Number of Factors Involved in Failures

Previous studies have defined different types of software bugs based on their complexity and reproducibility. Simple bugs, which involve only direct factors and are often easy to reproduce, have been called "Bohrbugs", while complex bugs, with at least one indirect factor and generally much more difficult to reproduce, were called Mandelbugs. Locating Mandelbugs in software is often difficult and expensive during the development phase due to their complexity. In this paper we consider the relationship between different types of software bugs and the average t-way interaction involved in triggering them. Analysis suggests that Mandelbugs have a higher interaction strength when triggering their faults. This suggests that both direct and indirect factors play a role in triggering the fault. By using combinatorial testing methods, we can have high assurance of locating Mandelbugs as long as the indirect factors are present at the time of testing.
Harassment and the First Amendment

The following case illustrates the balance of free speech for fans with protection from harassment for the athletes, coaches, fans and administration.
Genome Size and the Extinction of Small Populations

Although extinction is ubiquitous throughout the history of life, the factors that drive extinction events are often difficult to decipher. Most studies of extinction focus on inferring causal factors from past extinction events, but these studies are constrained by our inability to observe extinction events as they occur. Here, we use digital evolution to avoid these constraints and study “extinction in action”. We examine the genetic mechanisms driving the relationship between genome size and population extinction. We find that genome expansions enhance extinction risk through two genetic mechanisms that increase a population’s lethal mutational burden: an increased lethal mutation rate and an increased likelihood of stochastic reproduction errors. This result, contrary to the expectation that genome expansions should buffer mutational effects, suggests a role for epistasis in driving extinction. We discuss biological analogues of these digital “genetic” mechanisms and how large genome size may inform which natural populations are at an increased risk of extinction.
MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS IN ASSESSMENT OF THE DEGREE OF DEGRADATION PAVEMENT ELEMENTS FUNCTIONAL AIRPORTS MADE OF CEMENT CONCRETE

An important factor that affects the safety of aircraft operations is the proper management of airports, which should be based on the obtained in systematic way information about the state of the surface of the functional elements. One of the characteristic quantities of the technical condition of airport indicator is the assessment of the degree of degradation. It should be noted that the degradation is a slow process extended in time and is the lowering of the properties of the structure by external influences, which in turn generates the changes in their structure. Rating degrade surface should be conducted periodically, which period shall be estimated on the basis of information obtained from the process of the aircraft operation. Demotions surface is determined on the basis of the type and quantity survey found damage and made repairs. The basis for evaluating the degree of surface degradation is to obtain data from surveys conducted using the method of visual and inventory of them. Research by visual method, despite its apparent simplicity, it is difficult to implement. Qualification of damage or repairs to the appropriate group is often not clear, and therefore the inventory process is described in the documentation of quality management system. The multi-criteria analysis is a method of evaluating the weighted supporting estimating the degree of degradation airfield pavements based on data obtained through inspections performed. Its base is included in the determination of a number of criteria for the selection variant, taking into account different weights to each criterion. The value of the indicator characterizing the degree of surface degradation in relation to estimated criteria allows you to schedule the necessary resources needed to carry out repairs and rational planning of repairs. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/enviro.2017.125
Investigating the Criterion Domain of Embeddedness: The Mediating Role of Life Satisfaction

Drawing on attachment and spillover theories, we empirically examine work and community outcomes of both organizational and community embeddedness and also the underlying mechanism whereby the two forms of embeddedness influence both domain-specific and cross-domain outcomes. With data from 165 matched pairs of employees and their colleagues from a Midwestern US organization, we found that organizational and community embeddedness influence specific individual behaviors both within and across their respective domains. Additionally, we found support for the mediating role of life satisfaction in the relationships between embeddedness and various organizational and community outcomes.
Comparison of cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C: A 13-year nationwide population-based study in Asia

Abstract Background and aims Viral hepatitis infection has been linked to increased atherosclerosis. We therefore investigated cardiovascular outcomes in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Methods Electronic medical records during 2000–2012 were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Exclusion criteria were age Results 41,554 patients with diagnosis of HBV or HCV were retrieved from 2000 to 2012. After exclusion criteria, 31,943 patients were eligible for analysis and propensity score matched. The study population consisted of 6030 patients with HBV infection and 6030 patients with HCV infection. Risk of composite arterial events (acute coronary syndrome, peripheral artery disease, and acute ischemic stroke) was significantly higher in patients with HCV infection compared with patients with HBV infection (p = 0.012 at 5-year follow-up and p = 0.003 at the end of follow-up). All-cause mortality was significantly higher in patients with HCV infection compared with patients with HBV infection (p Conclusions In patients with chronic viral hepatitis, subjects with HCV infection had a significantly higher risk of composite arterial events and all-cause mortality compared with those with HBV infection.