cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Current Status for Metformin Use in Reproductive Medicine

Metformin has been used extensively in multiple reproductive settings to ameliorate hyperandrogenism and chronic anovulation, to treat infertility, to prevent miscarriage and to prevent later pregnancy complications as well. Metformin does result in modest improvements in the PCOS phenotype with reductions in circulating insulin and testosterone levels, weight loss, and improved menstrual/ovulatory frequency. It is relatively ineffective as a solo agent to treat infertility, and further has a relative anti-fecundity compared to clomiphene alone. Clomiphene remains the first choice for infertility therapy and the gold standard for women with PCOS. Metformin may be useful in preventing OHSS when used in conjunction with gonadotropins. The use of metformin to prevent pregnancy loss or to prevent pregnancy complications is still experimental and better trials are needed to guide therapy.
Diffusion Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Central Nervous System

Diffusion magnetic resonance (MR) imaging offers a wealth of information on the physiologic condition and microstructure of the brain. This chapter starts with a description of the fundamentals of MR and MR diffusion measurements. This is ­followed by descriptions of: (1) the role of water apparent diffusion coefficient measurements in detecting tissue injury, (2) the use of diffusion anisotropy measurements to assess the development of and injury to cerebral cortex and white matter, and (3) diffusion-based measurements of white matter connections (“tractography”). The chapter concludes with a brief summary of the utility of measurement of diffusion of molecules other than water in the central nervous system.
DenseFS: a cache-compact filesystem

As nonvolatile memory technologies with access latencies comparable to DRAM proliferate, the CPU performance of previously storage-bound workloads becomes increasingly important. In this paper we examine the effects of the filesystem on cache behavior, a key aspect of CPU performance. We then develop DenseFS, a specialized filesystem that aims for a highly compact cache footprint and hence tries to minimize its cache pollution and the performance penalties it incurs. We find that DenseFS is effective in reducing the performance penalty of filesystem operations on user code, and can achieve dramatic reductions in cache miss rates as compared to existing filesystems.
Case 10: Zone I/II Open Globe Injury from Blunt Trauma with a Wrench

A 24-year-old man presented with a Zone I-II open globe injury of the left eye from a wrench. The patient underwent repair of this open globe injury with specific care directed towards re-aligning the limbus. The patient also had a choroidal rupture which necessitated close followup with the Retina service.
Each and Everyday, Love us Free: Critical Pedagogy as a Living-Loving Praxis

According to Giroux (2011) we can, through critical pedagogy, engage the world as “an object of critical analysis” and as a place of “hopeful transformation” (p. 14). Giroux’s (2011) approach requires building and maintaining spaces where “the complexity of knowledge, culture, values and social issues can be explored in open and critical dialogue” (p. 124). Through these spaces, he argues, we are able to work to understand and disrupt oppressive power dynamics kept in place by systems of domination and control and move toward struggling for a more socially just world (Giroux, 2011, p. 7). bell hooks’ (2010) understanding that “love matters and that it brings strength and power (pp. 166-167) can contribute to our understanding of these spaces. hooks (2000) contends that “great social movements for freedom and justice” promote “a love ethic”, one in which we “utilize all the dimensions of love-care, commitment, trust, responsibility, respect, and knowledge-in our everyday lives” (p. 94). Ascribing to the critical pedagogical view that education should be a “critical practice” (Freire, 2001, p. 30) in which those involved “make ourselves different tomorrow from what we are today” (Shapiro, 2012, p. 50), “transform the world we live in” (hooks, 2010, p. 188) and employ an understanding of the power and ethic of love as integral to “working for a collective good” (hooks, 2000, p. 214), I argue that we should engage critical pedagogy as living-loving praxis in all the places of lives, including the personal and romantic.
Observations of Departure Processes at Logan Airport to Support the Development of Departure Planning Tools

Field observations at Boston Logan International airport and data analyses comparing Logan to other major airports are conducted in order to identify the flow constraints that impede departure operations in an airport system. These observations and the associated analyses are discussed for each of the components of the airport system. It is concluded that the airport system is a complex interactive queuing system, that the different airport components contribute to cause delays and inefficiencies to different degrees, and that the runway system is the main flow constraint. The observations and analyses discussed reveal important implications for Departure Planning (DP) tools. The DP tools have competing objectives such as increasing the efficiency of the runway system, reducing delays and environmental impact, and maintaining fairness among all airport users and acceptable workload levels for air traffic controllers. The interactions and dynamics between the different components of the airport system dete...
Strain Relaxation in Misfitting Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayer Superlattices: Wrinkling vs Misfit Dislocation Formation

Two-dimensional (2D) superlattices composed of chemically heterogeneous transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been proposed as key components in next-generation optoelectronic devices. For potential applications, coherent, defect-free compositional interfaces are usually required. In this paper, a combination of scaling theory and numerical analysis is employed to investigate strain relaxation mechanisms in misfitting, chemically heterogeneous TMDs. We demonstrate that, in free-standing superlattices, wrinkling of the monolayer is asymptotically preferred over misfit dislocation formation in both binary and ternary superlattices. For substrate-supported monolayers, however, misfit dislocation formation is thermodynamically favored above a critical superlattice width, implying the presence of an upper limit to the thermodynamic stability of coherent, misfitting 2D superlattices. Finally, it is shown numerically that the critical superlattice width is only weakly dependent on the misfit.
Machine Learning Aided Hybrid Beamforming in Massive-MIMO Millimeter Wave Systems

Beamforming has been one of the most important enabling techniques for millimeter wave (mmWave) communications and massive multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) systems. Due to the hardware limitation, fully digital beamforming has been proven to be difficult to achieve for commercial cellular communication systems. Consequently, the hybrid beamforming, as a combination of digital baseband precoders and analog RF phase shifters, has been intensively investigated in an attempt to achieve a performance close to the fully digital beamformers. In this paper, we further step to develop a more flexible and feasible hybrid beamforming system that utilizes the machine learning techniques, to improve the achievable spectral efficiency. After using the traditional convex optimization techniques to optimize the baseband and phase shifter outputs, the results are then introduced to different machine learning approximation networks to approach the performance of fully digital beamforming. Simulation results show that the suggested two-step algorithm can attain almost the same efficiency as that can be achieved by fully digital architectures.
Incidence of graft versus host disease in peri transplant hospitalization after clostridium difficile infection.

7542Background: Hyperacute graft versus host disease (GVHD) after allogenic stem cell transplantation (SCT) has adverse outcomes with increased rates of chronic GVHD and relapse. GVHD risks include...
Approaches to Disease Modification for Parkinson’s Disease: Clinical Trials and Lessons Learned

Despite many clinical trials over the last three decades, the goal of demonstrating that a treatment slows the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains elusive. Research advances have shed new insight into cellular pathways contributing to PD pathogenesis and offer increasingly compelling therapeutic targets. Here we review recent and ongoing clinical trials employing novel strategies toward disease modification, including those targeting alpha-synuclein and those repurposing drugs approved for other indications. Active and passive immunotherapy approaches are being studied with the goal to modify the spread of alpha-synuclein pathology in the brain. Classes of currently available drugs that have been proposed to have potential disease-modifying effects for PD include calcium channel blockers, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, iron-chelating agents, glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists, and cAbl tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The mechanistic diversity of these treatments offers hope, but to date, results from these trials have been disappointing. Nevertheless, they provide useful lessons in guiding future therapeutic development.
Protestant Interpretation, Conventions, and Legal Truth

Gerald Postema has made influential contributions to many parts of legal philosophy (as well as moral philosophy, political philosophy, and the history of philosophy). This article focuses on the intersection of just two of those points of influence -- his critique of Ronald Dworkin’s work and with his equally important discussion of the role of conventions at the foundation of legal practice and legal theory – to consider some implications for the difficult question of truth in law. Postema’s work, supplemented by the works of other scholars along similar lines, directs us towards important interlocking insights regarding the nature of law and the nature of legal truth. The emphasis on the shared, social, and institutional nature of law both raises and helps us to begin to respond to issues about how to understand what makes propositions about law true or false. In the article, Part I introduces Dworkin’s ‘Protestant approach’ and the critique it evoked from Postema (supplemented by points raised by Robert Cover and Sanford Levinson). Part II looks at Postema’s discussions about the conventional groundings of law, and explores how this offers both answers and further questions regarding the nature of legal truth.
Photodistributed toxic epidermal necrolysis in association with lamotrigine and tanning bed exposure

Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare, life-threatening immune-mediated conditions characterized by mucocutaneous epidermal necrosis.1 In 80% to 95% of SJS/TEN cases, exposure to an offending drug can be identified approximately 6 to 14 days prior to the presentation.1 The eruption classically begins as scattered, dusky, erythematous macules distributed on the head, neck, and trunk, and it progresses to the extremities in larger confluent patches, which can be detached with lateral pressure (Nikolsky sign). As necrosis spreads, flaccid bullae develop, leading to a diffuse epidermal detachment. Painful erosions of the oral, ocular, and genital mucosa are present in 87% to 100% of TEN cases.1 The pathogenesis of SJS/TEN is incompletely understood; however, a high density of CD8+ lymphocytes within the epidermis and blister fluid has been demonstrated. It has been hypothesized that CD8+ T lymphocytes drive a complex inflammatory response, leading to expansive keratinocyte apoptosis.1 It has occasionally been reported that SJS/TEN occurs in a photodistribution. Sulfasalazine,2 antimalarials,3 ciprofloxacin,4 clobazam,5 itraconazole,6 and naproxen have been reported in association with photodistributed SJS/TEN.7 At present, little is known about the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the metabolism of culprit drugs, or drug–immune system interplay. We present a case of photodistributed TEN associated with lamotrigine and tanning bed use and discuss the possible pathogenesis of this distinct presentation.
The Evolving Role of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Cerebral Organoids in Treating and Modeling Neurosurgical Diseases.

Over the past decade, the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs), as both direct therapeutics and building blocks for 3D in vitro models, has exhibited exciting potential in both helping to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms and treating diseases relevant to neurosurgery. Transplantation of IPSCs is being studied in neurological injuries and diseases, such as spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease, whose clinical manifestations stem from underlying neuronal and/or axonal degeneration. Both animal models and clinical trials have shown that IPSCs have the ability to regenerate damaged neural tissue. Such evidence makes IPSCs a potentially promising therapeutic modality for patients who suffer from these neurological injuries/diseases. In addition, the cerebral organoid, a 3D assembly of IPSC aggregates that develops heterogeneous brain regions, has become the first in vitro model to closely recapitulate the complexity of the brain extracellular matrix, a 3-dimensional network of molecules that structurally and biochemically support neighboring cells. Cerebral organoids have become an exciting prospect for modeling and testing drug susceptibility of brain tumors, such as glioblastoma and metastatic brain cancer. As patient-derived organoid models are becoming more faithful to the brain, they are becoming an increasingly accurate substitute for patient clinical trials; such patient-less trials would protect the patient from potentially ineffective drugs, and speed up trial results and optimize cost. In this review, we aim to describe the role of IPSCs and cerebral organoids in treating and modeling diseases that are relevant to neurosurgery.
Anti-melanoma effects of concomitant inhibition of SIRT1 and SIRT3 in BrafV600E/PtenNULL mice.

Novel therapeutic strategies are required for the effective and lasting treatment of metastatic melanoma, one of the deadliest skin malignancies. In this study, we determined the anti-melanoma efficacy of 4'-bromo-resveratrol (4'-BR), which is a small molecule dual inhibitor of SIRT1 and SIRT3 in a BrafV600E/PtenNULL mouse model that recapitulates human disease, including metastases. Tumors were induced by topical application of 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen on shaved backs of 10-week-old mice, and the effects of 4'-BR (5-30 mg/kg b.wt.; intraperitoneally; 3d/week for 5 weeks) were assessed on melanoma development and progression. We found that 4'-BR at a dose of 30 mg/kg significantly reduced size and volume of primary melanoma tumors, as well as lung metastasis, with no adverse effects. Further, mechanistic studies on tumors showed significant modulation in markers of proliferation, survival and melanoma progression. As SIRT1 and SIRT3 are linked to immunomodulation, we performed differential gene expression analysis via NanoString PanCancer Immune Profiling panel (770 genes). Our data demonstrated that 4'-BR significantly downregulated genes related to metastasis-promotion, chemokine/cytokine-regulation, and innate/adaptive immune functions. Overall, inhibition of SIRT1 and SIRT3 by 4'-BR is a promising anti-melanoma therapy with anti-metastatic and immunomodulatory activities warranting further detailed studies, including clinical investigations.
Qualification and initial characterization of a high-purity 233U spike for use in uranium analyses

Abstract Several high-purity 233 U items potentially useful as isotope dilution mass spectrometry standards for safeguards, non-proliferation, and nuclear forensics measurements are identified and rescued from downblending. By preserving the supply of 233 U materials of different pedigree for use as source materials for certified reference materials (CRMs), it is ensured that the safeguards community has high quality uranium isotopic standards required for calibration of the analytical instruments. One of the items identified as a source material for a high-purity CRM is characterized for the uranium isotope-amount ratios using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Additional verification measurements on this material using quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) are also performed. The comparison of the ICPMS uranium isotope-amount ratios with the TIMS data, with much smaller uncertainties, validated the ICPMS measurement practices. ICPMS is proposed for the initial screening of the purity of items in the rescue campaign.
Partisan Selective Exposure in the Digital Age: Evidence from Field Experiments

The possibility that citizens expose themselves to information in biased ways — so-called selective exposure — is increasingly important in a high-choice media environment, but support for the idea that citizens prefer congenial information is notably mixed. Methodological challenges likely contribute to the inconclusive nature of findings, as researchers face trade-offs between the artificiality of lab environments and the difficult-to-disentangle confounds of observational analysis. We try to improve understanding of selective exposure in two ways. First, we consider how message content may affect the preference for congenial political information in the context of a U.S. presidential election. Economic news is minimally enticing to partisans, irrespective of whether the news is good or bad for their candidate. In contrast, citizens find news regarding the personal foibles or gaffes of candidates much more attractive, particularly when it is embarrassing for the opposing party. Second, we arrive at these conclusions by way of a field experiment that provides a passive and naturalistic measure of selective exposure to electoral news content while retaining the benefits of random assignment. This allows us to reach more confident conclusions about the genuine manifestation of partisan selection exposure under certain conditions. Overall, our results help to illuminate underpinnings of the oft-lamented tendency for campaign media to focus on personalities and candidate miscues rather than substantive policy differences.
International Capital Flows in a World of Greater Financial Integration

International capital flows have increased dramatically since the 1980s, with much of the increase being due to trade in equity and debt markets. Such developments are often attributed to the increased integration of world financial markets. We present a model that allows us to examine how greater integration in world financial markets affects the structure of asset ownership and the behavior of international capital flows. Our model predicts that international capital flows are large (in absolute value) and very volatile during the early stages of financial integration when international asset trading is concentrated in bonds. As integration progresses and households gain access to world equity markets, the size and volatility of international bond flows fall dramatically but continue to exceed the size and volatility of international equity flows. We also find that variations in the equity risk premia account for almost all of the international portfolio flows in bonds and equities. We argue that both effects arise naturally as a result of increased risk sharing facilitated by greater financial integration. The paper also makes a methodological contribution to the literature on dynamic general equilibrium asset-pricing. We present a new technique for solving a dynamic general equilibrium model with production, portfolio choice and incomplete markets.
Chronic Inflammatory Disease Alters Adhesion Molecule Requirements for Acute Neutrophil Emigration in Mouse Skin

Mutant mice triply deficient in ICAM-1, E-selectin, and P-selectin did not develop the neutrophilic skin lesions that spontaneously arise in mutants doubly deficient in E-selectin and P-selectin. Thus, ICAM-1 is essential to skin disease resulting from endothelial selectin deficiency. During experimental dermatitis, acute neutrophil emigration was completely prevented in young mice deficient in both selectins (E/P and E/P/I mutants). However, older E/P mutants with spontaneous skin lesions displayed an endothelial selectin-independent pathway for acute neutrophil emigration. In contrast, emigration remained compromised in E/P/I mutants and CD18 mutants regardless of age or lesions. Experimentally induced chronic lesions elicited this pathway for acute emigration in young E/P mutants. Thus, an endothelial selectin-independent pathway for acute neutrophil emigration is induced in E/P mice by chronic inflammation at distant sites, and this pathway may contribute to skin disease resulting from endothelial selectin deficiency.
Exploring Eucladoceros Ecomorphology Using Geometric Morphometrics

An increasingly common method for reconstructing paleoenvironmental parameters of hominin sites is ecological functional morphology (ecomorphology). This study provides a geometric morphometric study of cervid rearlimb morphology as it relates to phylogeny, size, and ecomorphology. These methods are then applied to an extinct Pleistocene cervid, Eucladoceros, which is found in some of the earliest hominin-occupied sites in Eurasia. Variation in cervid postcranial functional morphology associated with different habitats can be summarized as trade-offs between joint stability versus mobility and rapid movement versus power-generation. Cervids in open habitats emphasize limb stability to avoid joint dislocation during rapid flight from predators. Closed-adapted cervids require more joint mobility to rapidly switch directions in complex habitats. Two skeletal features (of the tibia and calcaneus) have significant phylogenetic signals, while two (the femur and third phalanx) do not. Additionally, morphology of two of these features (tibia and third phalanx) were correlated with body size. For the tibial analysis (but not the third phalanx) this correlation was ameliorated when phylogeny was taken into account. Eucladoceros specimens from France and Romania fall on the more open side of the habitat continuum, a result that is at odds with reconstructions of their diet as browsers, suggesting that they may have had a behavioral regime unlike any extant cervid. Anat Rec, 298:291–313, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Metaphysical Neutrality of Husserlian Phenomenology

I argue that Husserlian phenomenology is metaphysically neutral, in the sense of being compatible with multiple metaphysical frameworks (including frameworks Husserl argued against). For example, though Husserl dismisses the concept of an unknowable thing in itself as “material nonsense”, I argue that the concept is coherent and that the existence of such things is compatible with Husserl’s phenomenology. I defend this metaphysical neutrality approach against a number of objections and consider some of its implications for Husserl interpretation.
The controversial formation of elemental fluorine in a chemical process

Abstract Five years before Moissan prepared elemental fluorine by electrolysis, elemental fluorine was obtained by Brauner in thermal decomposition of lead tetrafluoride and cerium tetrafluoride and their complex salts. His experiments were not fully duplicated. The controversies in the chemical method of the preparation of fluorine will be discussed.
The Social Support Function in Epilepsy Self-Help Groups.

The nature of self-help groups is discussed and considered with special reference to those composed of epileptics. Results of a preliminary survey of epilepsy self-help group members are presented,...
Sexual selection and adult male orangutan long calls

Abstract Long calls given by adult male orangutans ( Pongo pygmaeus ) have been hypothesized to mediate interindividual spacing among male orangutans and to attract female orangutans, to high-ranking mates over long distances. To test these two hypotheses I conducted observations of calling behaviour and a series of experimental playbacks of recorded long calls. The findings were consistent with the male-spacing hypothesis but did not support the mate-attraction hypothesis. Experimental playbacks demonstrate that long calls regulate spacing between males through an approach-avoidance system based on dominance relationships: the highest-ranking adult male approaches calls, while lower-ranking, males avoid calls. The results of playbacks also reveal that sexually active females do not move toward long calls, and therefore do not indicate that long calls function in attracting mates. This latter finding suggests that female mate choice may not have been an important selective factor during the evolution of long calls.
STUDIES ON STREPTOCOCCUS BACTERIOPHAGE : II. THE INFLUENCE OF LYTIC PRINCIPLES UPON THE AGGLUTINATION OF HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI.

A series of experiments was carried out on various strains of streptococci in order to ascertain the changes which bacteriophage produces in the phenomena of agglutination of these organisms. The results can be placed in the following categories. 1. Loss of specific agglutinability was observed with partial and with what appeared as complete loss of specific agglutinin absorption and agglutinogenic properties. 2. Partial modification of the antigen, bringing about inagglutinability of the strains with complete preservation of agglutinogenic and agglutinin-absorption properties. Coincidentally, additional components appeared. Some of these were related to the specific antigens of the organisms from which they were derived, while others were not. In two instances these components were of "group" character. 3. "Complete" modification observed with two strains consisting of complete transformation of the normal culture agglutinogens into antigens of an entirely different specificity. It appears from these studies that the bacteriophage phenomenon may play an intricate ro1e in serological grouping of various strains of pathogenic streptococci.
Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution at low overpotentials by cobalt macrocyclic glyoxime and tetraimine complexes.

Cobalt complexes supported by diglyoxime ligands of the type Co(dmgBF2)2(CH3CN)2 and Co(dpgBF2)2(CH3CN)2 (where dmgBF2 is difluoroboryl-dimethylglyoxime and dpgBF2 is difluoroboryl-diphenylglyoxime), as well as cobalt complexes with [14]-tetraene-N4 (Tim) ligands of the type [Co(TimR)X2]n+ (R = methyl or phenyl, X = Br or CH3CN; n = 1 with X = Br and n = 3 with X = CH3CN), have been observed to evolve H2 electrocatalytically at potentials between −0.55 V and −0.20 V vs SCE in CH3CN. The complexes with more positive Co(II/I) redox potentials exhibited lower activity for H2 production. For the complexes Co(dmgBF2)2(CH3CN)2, Co(dpgBF2)2(CH3CN)2, [Co(TimMe)Br2]Br, and [Co(TimMe)(CH3CN)2](BPh4)3, bulk electrolysis confirmed the catalytic nature of the process, with turnover numbers in excess of 5 and essentially quantitative faradaic yields for H2 production. In contrast, the complexes [Co(TimPh/Me)Br2]Br and [Co(TimPh/Me)(CH3CN)2](BPh4)3 were less stable, and bulk electrolysis only produced faradaic yields fo...
Recovery of Productivity and Species Diversity in Tussock Tundra following Disturbance

Tundra ecosystems appear to recover slowly from disturbance, but little long-term data concerning plant diversity has been available. We examined recovery of tundra vegetation in Alaska, U.S.A., 23 yr after fire and 24 yr after bulldozing. Primary productivity, depth of thaw, and vascular plant diversity were compared between disturbed and undisturbed tundra to determine whether recovery was complete. Productivity, species richness, and diversity did not differ between burned and unburned plots. Depth of thaw, however, remained greater in burned relative to unburned plots. In contrast, depth of thaw was the only characteristic that did not differ between bulldozed and control plots. Productivity and species richness were greater in bulldozed plots, but diversity was less than control plots. The differences between the two disturbances suggest that, ultimately, recovery depends more on the impact of disturbance on vegetation than changes in the abiotic environment. Vegetative propagules persisted in the soil after fire, but not bulldozing. Therefore, recolonization after fire included plants from the seed bank and vegetative propagules. Vegetation on bladed plots was dominated only by seed bank species. Thus, more than two decades after disturbance, recovery of tundra vegetation appeared to be a function of the nature of the disturbance.
MAX: A Maximal Transmission Concurrency MAC for Wireless Networks with Regular Structure

Multi-hop wireless networks facilitate applications in metropolitan area broadband, home multimedia, surveillance and industrial control networks. Many of these applications require high end-to- end throughput and/or bounded delay. Random access link-layer protocols such as carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) which are widely used in single-hop networks perform poorly in the multi-hop regime and provide no end-to-end QoS guarantees. The primary causes for their poor performance are uncoordinated interference and unfairness in exclusive access of the shared wireless medium. Furthermore, random access schemes do not leverage spatial reuse effectively and require routes to be link- aware. In this paper, we propose and study MAX, a time-division- multiplexed resource allocation framework for multi-hop networks with regular topologies. MAX tiling delivers optimal end-to-end throughput across arbitrarily large regularly structured networks while providing bounded delay. It outperforms CSMA-based random access protocols by a factor of 5 to 8. The MAX approach also supports network services including flexible uplink and downlink bandwidth management, deterministic route admission control, and optimal gateway placement. MAX has been implemented on IEEE 802.15.3 embedded nodes and a test-bed of 50 nodes has been deployed both indoors and outdoors.
Children's empathy responses and their understanding of mother's emotions.

This study investigated children's empathic responses to their mother's distress to provide insight about child factors that contribute to parental socialisation of emotions. Four- to six-year-old children (N = 82) observed their mother's sadness and anger during a simulated emotional phone conversation. Children's facial negative affect was rated and their heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded during the conversation, and their emotion understanding of the conversation was measured through their use of negative emotion words and perspective-taking themes (i.e., discussing the causes or resolution of mother's emotions) in narrative accounts of the conversation. There were positive quadratic relationships between HRV and ratings of facial affect, narrative references to mother's negative emotions and perspective-taking themes. High and low HRV was associated with high facial negative affect, suggesting well-regulated sympathy and poorly regulated personal distress empathic responses, respectively. Mode...
IFLP-II: a decision support system

Abstract In this study, we propose a revised version of our previous interactive fuzzy linear programming. Interactive fuzzy linear programming — II (IFLP-II) integrates all possible situations of fuzzy linear programming problems, and further provides a decision support system for improving the flexibility and robustness of linear programming techniques. The interactive concept provides a learning process about the system, whereby the decision maker can learn to recognize good solutions, the relative importance of factors in the system and then, design a high-productivity system, instead of optimizing a given system.
Did the "shock therapy" approach work in the economic restructuring of Eastern Europe? Some evidence from Poland and Russia: a brief review

In 1989, the world witnessed the beginning of one of the most dramatic changes in economic systems. It was the revolutionary changes in Poland in 1989 that initiated the collapse of the Soviet–style command economic system of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The economic system transformation that followed did not have any precedence or established theories to rely on. Thus, some countries opted for a "shock therapy" approach while most opted for the "gradual therapy" approach to economic restructuring. Ten years after, this paper attempts to shed some light on the relative success of these two alternative approaches.
Albuminuria Within the “Normal” Range and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Death in American Indians: The Strong Heart Study

Background "Normal" albuminuria has been defined as urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) less than 30 mg/g (3.4 mg/mmol). Whether higher UACR within this range independently predicts cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD death is uncertain. Methods A total of 3,000 participants aged 45 to 74 years with a UACR less than 30 mg/g and free of CVD at the baseline examination of the Strong Heart Study (SHS) were evaluated. Survival time was calculated from the baseline examination to the first nonfatal CVD, fatal CVD, or December 31, 2002. Results During follow-up (average, 10.4 years), 383 incident nonfatal CVD and 145 fatal CVD cases were ascertained. After adjustment for conventional CVD risk factors, participants with a UACR in the third (UACR ≥ 5.4 to Conclusion In the SHS cohort of middle-aged to elderly American Indians, albuminuria levels less than the traditional cutoff value predict CVD. Our findings agree with a growing number of studies questioning the concept that UACR less than 30 mg/g is normal.
Diffusion theory as an asymptotic limit of transport theory for nearly critical systems with small mean free paths

An approximation method for solving certain types of neutron transport problems makes use of asymptotic expansions in terms of a dimensionless parameter, which is assumed small and is usually defined as epsilon = typical mean free path/characteristic length of the physical system. The system must also be nearly critical. The solutions to such problems are expressed in terms of the solution of a diffusion problem such that diffusion theory is an asymptotic limit of transport theory. The main ideas involved and some of the results obtained are summarised. Several gaps in the asymptotic theories discussed are briefly examined.
Implementation of real-time digital signal processing systems

Special purpose hardware implementation of DFT Computers and digital filters is considered in the light of newly introduced algorithms and IC devices. Recent work by Winograd on high-speed convolution techniques for computing short length DFT's, has motivated the development of more efficient algorithms, compared to the FFT, for evaluating the transform of longer sequences. Among these, prime factor algorithms appear suitable for special purpose hardware implementations. Architectural considerations in designing DFT computers based on these algorithms are discussed. With the availability of monolithic multiplier-accumulators, a direct implementation of IIR and FIR filters, using random access memories in place of shift registers, appears attractive. The memory addressing scheme involved in such implementations is discussed. A simple counter set-up to address the data memory in the realization of FIR filters is also described. The combination of a set of simple filters (weighting network) and a DFT computer is shown to realize a bank of uniform bandpass filters. The usefulness of this concept in arriving at a modular design for a million channel spectrum analyzer, based on microprocessors, is discussed.
Conformations and torsional potentials of poly (3-hexylthiophene) oligomers: Density functional calculations up to the dodecamer

Abstract Fully optimized conformations of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) oligomers up to the decamer and torsional potentials up to the dodecamer (302 atoms) are investigated by large-scale density functional calculations (B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)). Fully relaxed P3HT oligomers were investigated at a variety of conformational minima, many with skeletal structures far from planarity. The lowest energy conformations found have each hexyl group ≈74° out of plane and each backbone twist angle out of plane by ≈47°. The energies of these non-planar conformations are lower than that of the planar reference geometry by ≈30 meV per monomer. Backbone torsional potentials and hexyl torsional potentials converge with oligomer length by the octamer. A wide variety of oligomer conformations are sufficiently close in energy (∼ kT ) that the actual conformations found in a condensed phase will be determined primarily by intermolecular interactions, and substantial conformational disorder might be expected in the heterogenous environment of practical solar devices.
Effect of Coordinated Correction of Tie-Line Bias Control in Interconnected Power System Operation

Nathan Cohn's newly proposed technique of coordinated, system-wide correction of time error and inadvertent interchange is examined and validated by computer simulations. Area and system performances are investigated for a sudden change in load or generation in a three-area power system. The following effects are examined: changing the time of correction; simultaneous versus individual correction of time error and inadvertent interchange; the type of disturbance; the governor delay time; and the presence of sustained errors.
HIGH TEMPERATURE CAPTURE OF CARBON DIOXIDE: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REVERSIBLE REACTION BETWEEN CaO(s) and CO2(g)

Abstract The reversible reaction between CaO(s) and CO2(g) may ultimately find application in a high temperature process to control CO2 emissions from advanced power generation processes. At appropriate temperature and pressure combinations, CO2(g) is removed from the gas phase and captured as CaC3(s). At higher temperature and/or lower pressure, the reaction is reversed to produce a gas stream having high CO2(g) concentration suitable for use or ultimate disposal. Both the calcination and carbonation reactions have been studied in an electrobalance reactor as a function of temperature, pressure, and gas composition. Multicycle tests have provided preliminary information on sorbent durability. Solid structural property characteristics have been measured as a supplement to the reaction studies. Rapid and complete calcination of CaCO3 can be achieved at temperatures as low as 750°C under one atmosphere of N2. Higher pressure reduces the calcination rate while the presence of CO2 in the calcination atmospher...
STRUCTURAL AND BONDING TRENDS IN PLATINUM-CARBON CLUSTERS

Density functional calculations with the B3-LYP functional were used to optimize the platinum−carbon cationic clusters, PtCx+, 1 ≤ x ≤ 16, in both the doublet and quartet states of the linear, fan, open-ring, closed-ring, and one-carbon-ring geometries. Trends in stability, Pt+−Cx binding energy, doublet-quartet excitation energy, and Pt−C bond lengths were investigated. Explanations for these patterns are provided in terms of orbital interactions and changes imposed on the carbon chain by the metal atom. In accord with the previously studied palladium−carbon cations, the PtCx+ clusters favored a linear geometry for 3 ≤ x ≤ 9. For larger clusters, the open-ring (Pt inserted in Cx ring) and closed-ring (Pt bound to two atoms of closed Cx ring) families exhibit the lowest-energy structures. The stability and the nature of the Pt−C bonding in both the closed-ring and one-carbon-ring (Pt bound to one atom of closed Cx ring) PtCx+ structures depend greatly on the aromaticity of the corresponding Cx ring. Howev...
Effect of Crime Seriousness on Simulated Jurors' Use of Inadmissible Evidence

The effect of crime seriousness on American student jurors' use of inadmissible evidence was examined. Previous research has shown that sometimes simulated jurors disregard inadmissible evidence, and sometimes they do not. Various factors have been investigated in an attempt to account for these mixed results (reactance, direction of the inadmissible evidence, objections, and rulings). In the present study, students read a brief trial summary of a crime that was low, intermediate, or high in seriousness (vandalism, arson, or murder). Half of the sample was exposed to ambiguous evidence, and the other half was exposed to damaging, inadmissible evidence. Across crimes, all factors were held constant except for descriptions of the crimes themselves. Only when the crime was not serious were students biased by the inadmissible evidence. Crime seriousness was positively correlated with guilt judgments when the evidence was ambiguous, but not when damaging inadmissible evidence was added.
The auto-disturbances rejection control of TCSC

Abstract In this paper, a new kind of practical controller for thyristor controlled series capacitors, based on the theory of auto-disturbances rejection control, is designed. Differing from existing thyristor-controlled series capacitor (TCSC) controllers, the new controller is less dependent on the model of the controlled system, uses a local signal to realize its control, and has very simple structure; thus, it can be easily realized in practical engineering applications. The results of computer simulations demonstrate that the controller cannot only immediately regulate the impedance of the transmission line, increase the damping, and improve the stability feature of the power system, but also has good adaptability and robustness.
GAL4 Activates Gene Expression in Mammalian Cells

Abstract GAL4, a protein that activates transcription in yeast, is shown to activate the mouse mammary tumor virus promoter in mammalian cells. Activation depends upon a GAL4-binding sequence inserted upstream of the gene. Deletion mutants of GAL4 bearing one or both of the "activating regions" required for activation in yeast also activate transcription in mammalian cells. A derivative of GAL4 that binds to DNA but cannot activate transcription in yeast also fails to activate transcription in mammalian cells. We also show that GAL4 and the glucocorticoid receptor activate the mouse mammary tumor virus promoter synergistically.
Stuck in the Middle: Challenges and Trends in Optimizing Middleware

To begin with, lets discuss what we mean by the term “middleware”. Exactly what is middleware in the middle of? There are two similar but slightly different approaches to this question. One approach views middleware as being in the middle of a sea of distributed components, such as applications, directories, databases, etc. Middleware serves as the glue that allows all of these components to interact with one another. Using this approach, middleware is seen as enabling the horizontal composition of components. The second approach views middleware as the stuff in between an application and lower level services offered by the distributed network. In other words, middleware serves as the abstraction layer that allows an application programmer to easily access distributed services without having to worry about the details of connectivity, protocol conversion, data transformation, load balancing etc. Using this approach, middleware is seen as enabling the vertical composition of an application with lower level services. Both approaches are correct and they describe two important functions of middleware: enabling component interaction and simplifying the programming model for application writers.
Chronic antidepressant treatments increase basic fibroblast growth factor and fibroblast growth factor-binding protein in neurons.

One of the mechanisms proposed for antidepressant drugs is the enhancement of synaptic connections and plasticity in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is a growth factor essential for the proper formation of synaptic connections in the cerebral cortex, maturation and survival of catecholamine neurons, and neurogenesis. In this report, we attempted to establish a correlation between antidepressant treatments and FGF2 expression in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, two brain areas relevant for depression. Desipramine (DMI, 10 mg/kg) or fluoxetine (FLU, 5 mg/kg) was injected acutely (single injection) or chronically (daily injection for two weeks) in adult rats. Chronic, but not acute, antidepressant treatments increase FGF2 immunoreactivity in neurons of the cerebral cortex and in both astrocytes and neurons of the hippocampus. FGF2 immunoreactivity in the cortex was increased mainly in the cytoplasm of neurons of layer V. Western blot analyses of nuclear and cytosolic extracts from the cortex revealed that both antidepressants increase FGF2 isoforms in the cytosolic extracts and decrease accumulation of FGF2 immunoreactivity in the nucleus. To characterize the anatomical and cellular specificity of antidepressants, we examined FGF-binding protein (FBP), a secreted protein that acts as an extracellular chaperone for FGF2 and enhances its activity. DMI and FLU increased FBP immunoreactivity in both cortical and hippocampal neurons. Our data suggest that FGF2 and FBP may participate in the plastic responses underlying the clinical efficacy of antidepressants.
A scalable multi-FPGA framework for real-time digital signal processing

FPGAs have emerged as the preferred platform for implementing real-time signal processing applications. In the sub-45nm technologies, FPGAs offer significant cost and design-time advantages over application-specific custom chips and consume significantly less power than general-purpose processors while maintaining, or improving performance. Moreover, FPGAs are more advantageous than GPUs in their support for control-intensive applications, custom bit-precision operations, and diverse system interface protocols. Nonetheless, a significant inhibitor to the widespread adoption of FPGAs has been the expertise required to effectively realize functional designs that maximize application performance. While there have been several academic and commercial efforts to improve the usability of FPGAs, they have primarily focused on easing the tasks of an expert FPGA designer rather than increasing the usability offered to an application developer. In this work, the design of a scalable algorithmic-level design framework for FPGAs, AlgoFLEX, is described. AlgoFLEX offers rapid algorithmic level composition and exploration while maintaining the performance realizable from a fully custom, albeit difficult and laborious, design effort. The framework masks aspects of accelerator implementation, mapping, and communication while exposing appropriate algorithm tuning facilities to developers and system integrators. The effectiveness of the AlgoFLEX framework is demonstrated by rapidly mapping a class of image and signal processing applications to a multi-FPGA platform.
Design and fabrication of extruded retroreflective polymer fibers

Extruded polymer fibers with submillimeter diameters are considered for tailored optical and near-IR properties. Retroreflection of light is demonstrated. Simulated and measured reflection spectra are compared and found to agree. Additional simulations suggest that retroreflection from gold coated 12-pointed star fibers could exceed retroreflection from microbeads on t-shirt. Finally, a novel, robust, extruded retroreflective fiber with performance approaching microbeads is presented.
High-performance liquid chromatography of homologous titanaindene complexes

The high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) behavior of homologous titanaindene complexes has been investigated. Various polar (silica, cyano-bonded, phenyl-bonded) and non-polar (C18-bonded) adsorbents were employed in this study for normal-phase and reversed-phase HPLC, respectively. Data reported include capacity factors (k′), separation efficiencies (N), tailing factors (T) and compound resolutions (R). Normal-phase separation of a titanaindene structural isomer pair on a phenyl-bonded silica column is demonstrated.