cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of Ca2+ handling in zebrafish ventricular myocytes

The zebrafish serves as a promising transgenic animal model that can be used to study cardiac Ca(2+) regulation. However, mechanisms of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) handling in the zebrafish heart have not been systematically explored. We found that in zebrafish ventricular myocytes, the action potential-induced Ca(2+) transient is mainly (80 %) mediated by Ca(2+) influx via L-type Ca(2+) channels (LTCC) and only 20 % by Ca(2+) released from the SR. This small contribution of the SR to the Ca(2+) transient was not the result of depleted SR Ca(2+) load. We found that the ryanodine receptor (RyR) expression level in zebrafish myocytes was ∼72 % lower compared to rabbit myocytes. In permeabilized myocytes, increasing cytosolic [Ca(2+)] from 100 to 350 nM did not trigger SR Ca(2+) release. However, an application of a low dose of caffeine activated Ca(2+) sparks. These results show that the zebrafish cardiac RyR has low sensitivity to the mechanism of Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release. Activation of protein kinase A by forskolin increased phosphorylation of the RyR in zebrafish myocardium. In half of the studied cells, an increased Ca(2+) transient by forskolin was entirely mediated by augmentation of LTCC current. In the remaining myocytes, the forskolin action was associated with an increase of both LTCC and SR Ca(2+) release. These results indicate that the mechanism of excitation-contraction coupling in zebrafish myocytes differs from the mammalian one mainly because of the small contribution of SR Ca(2+) release to the Ca(2+) transient. This difference is due to a low sensitivity of RyRs to cytosolic [Ca(2+)].
Point of collapse methods applied to AC/DC power systems

The authors describe an extension of the point of collapse method developed for studies of AC systems to the determination of saddle-node bifurcations in power systems including high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission. Bus voltage profiles are illustrated for an AC/DC test system. They significantly differ from the profiles of pure AC systems for typical system models. In particular, voltage dependent current order limits are shown to affect the voltage profiles and the loadability margin of the system. It is also shown that Hopf bifurcations, which are possible in purely AC lossless systems with second-order generator models, become plausible when the dynamics for the HVDC system are included. >
Relations of Social Skills, Personal Competence, and Adolescent Alcohol Use A Developmental Exploratory Study

Findings from school-based drug prevention interventions indicate that social skills and personal competence are an effective barrier against adolescent alcohol use. Efficacious and competent youth are hypothesized to possess skills to reduce offers for alcohol and invoke alternative strategies that offset peer pressure. To understand these developmental relations, a longitudinal model that specified effects of early alcohol use on later social skills and competence and their recursive influences was tested using data obtained from a cohort of nontreatment youth participating in a drug abuse prevention trial Social skills, personal competence, and consumption were temporally stable from the 8th through 10th grade. Early competence predicted lowered alcohol use, whereas social skills were associated with greater subsequent alcohol use. Social influence risk moderated the competence-consumption relations, underscoring the close developmental interplay between social context and intrapersonal risk. Findings ...
An adaptive power controlled MAC protocol for wireless ad hoc networks

Transmission power control (TPC) has been extensively used not only to save energy, but also to improve the network throughput in wireless ad hoc networks. Among the existing throughput-oriented TPC protocols, many can achieve significant throughput improvement but have to use multiple channels and/or multiple transceivers, and others just require a single channel and a single transceiver but can only have limited throughput enhancement. In this paper, we propose a new adaptive transmission power control protocol, ATPMAC, which can improve the network throughput significantly using a single channel and a single transceiver. Specifically, by controlling the transmission power, ATPMAC can enable several concurrent transmissions without interfering with each other. Moreover, ATPMAC does not introduce any additional signalling overhead. We show by simulations that ATPMAC can improve the network throughput by up to 136% compared to IEEE 802.11 in a random topology.
Inversion/Division in Galois Field Using Multiple-Valued Logic

In this paper, we present a pipelined inversion/division circuit in Galois field using AB circuit technique (where both A and B are elements in the finite field). We use composite Galois fields in a multiple-valued logic (MVL) approach to minimize the inversion/division circuit needed for binary Galois fields. The overall design, which connects basic cells in a systolic manner, thereby making effective use of pipelining, is shown. The fact that less literals are used speeds up the calculation operation. Also, our circuit shows a significant amount of savings in both transistor count and connections, which is so important in VLSI.
The capacity of associative memory by using new learning and retrieving algorithm

The second-order Hopfield associative memory has storage capacity of order O(n/log n). To improve the capacity of associative memory, a new storage and retrieval algorithm is proposed in this paper. Using this method, updating of the synaptic matrix is simple. >
Application of EEM fluorescence in combination with PARAFAC analysis to simultaneously monitor quercetin in its deprotonated, aggregated, and protein bound states

Flavonoids, a group of naturally occurring polyphenols, attract great interest due to their many apparent health benefits including their anti-oxidant properties and anti-amyloidogenic properties. However, the behavior of flavonoids in aqueous environments can be unpredictable due to the potential formation of aggregates and hydrolysis products. A better understanding of the complex behavior of flavonoids is needed before flavonoid-based therapies can be developed. Employing excitation–emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence in combination with weighted-parallel factor analysis (WPARAFAC), a series of aqueous quercetin solutions were characterized at varying pH values and concentrations. Distinct pH and concentration-dependent fluorophores were observed with emission maxima of 540 and 600 nm, respectively. However, the excitation maxima of the two species were broad and highly overlapped ranging from 350 to 400 nm. In addition, the fluorescence of quercetin was characterized in the presence and absence of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Interaction with BSA resulted in a dramatic red-shift of the excitation maximum to 445 nm, while the emission maximum of the BSA–quercetin complex was slightly blue-shifted to 535 nm. Coupling of WPARAFAC and EEM fluorescence enabled simultaneous detection of multiple fluorescent quercetin species in solution at a wide range of conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Music as Performance Method: “The Score” in Experimental Performance

This article answers Philip Auslander’s call for theatre and performance scholars to take music seriously as an object of study. The study also extends that call by considering music as a performance method in experimental work. Specifically, the author offers an analysis of her own practice in a performance she created entitled “The Life and Times of King Kong” as a way to continue this conversation. Drawing on popular notions of a film’s score, the author offers multiple possibilities for including original music in live performance. Given the growing accessibility and interest in digital-electronic music making, this timely article encourages others to consider including original music in their productions. It ends with a practical list of possibilities for the use of original music in live performance.
Transoral palate-sparing nasopharyngectomy with the Flex® System: preclinical study.

Objectives/Hypothesis The nasopharynx remains one of the most challenging areas to surgically access given its deep location, narrow confines, and surrounding critical neurovascular anatomy. Various open and endoscopic approaches have been developed, all of which have been limited to some degree in their ability to bimanually instrument and visualize in this area. Study Design Cadaveric dissection. Methods Study using one fresh human cadaver. A novel, highly articulated endoscope with flexible instrumentation, the Flex System, was placed in the oral cavity and advanced around the soft palate into the nasopharynx to perform a nasopharyngectomy. Results A complete nasopharyngectomy was accomplished with the Flex System without palatal incisions or extended-access approaches. Conclusions The Flex System is a novel computer-assisted flexible endoscope with a highly articulated scope and flexible instruments that was successfully used to perform a nasopharyngectomy while avoiding any additional incisions. This system holds promise in minimally invasive skull base surgery. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 125:318–322, 2015
Crystal Structure of a Full-Length beta-Catenin

Summary β-catenin plays essential roles in cell adhesion and Wnt signaling, while deregulation of β-catenin is associated with multiple diseases including cancers. Here, we report the crystal structures of full-length zebrafish β-catenin and a human β-catenin fragment that contains both the armadillo repeat and the C-terminal domains. Our structures reveal that the N-terminal region of the C-terminal domain, a key component of the C-terminal transactivation domain, forms a long α helix that packs on the C-terminal end of the armadillo repeat domain, and thus forms part of the β-catenin superhelical core. The existence of this helix redefines our view of interactions of β-catenin with some of its critical partners, including ICAT and Chibby, which may form extensive interactions with this C-terminal domain α helix. Our crystallographic and NMR studies also suggest that the unstructured N-terminal and C-terminal tails interact with the ordered armadillo repeat domain in a dynamic and variable manner.
Effects of Urban Lakes on Quantity and Quality of Baseflow

: Man-made lakes have significant impacts on the hydrologic conditions in the watershed in which they are built. This paper examines the nature of the impact upon baseflow by comparing baseflow conditions at the outlet of the lakes with those elsewhere in the watershed. Situated in the upper reaches of a small watershed, the lakes studied have only a minor effect upon the magnitude of baseflow discharge, increasing it slightly from October to January, and decreasing it from May to September. Baseflow quality is substantially affected. Natural dissolved ions, as represented by magnesium, are generally decreased in concentration and total load by the lakes. Road salt related inons are substantially increased in both concentration and total load in the baseflow. Surface runoff stored in the lakes is extremely enriched in salt in the winter, and the storage capacity of the lakes is sufficient to maintain winter salt concentrations in the baseflow near the lakes until summer. The storage effect also tends to damp out seasonal fluctuations in baseflow chloride content which are extreme in suburban watersheds. The difference in quality between the lake and non-lake baseflows and the linear distance needed for complete mixing are used as measures of the magnitude and distal extent of the lake effect on baseflow quality.
Comparative conservation genetics of protected endemic fishes in an arid-land riverscape

Conservation genetic studies are challenged by the fact that populations of many imperiled species have experienced declines and fragmentation to the degree they no longer exhibit natural, self-sustaining metapopulation processes; characteristics of great importance to managers charged with their protection. Genetic patterns of species from minimally impacted systems can inform management practices for populations in more modified and fragmented systems. We assessed spatial and temporal patterns of intraspecific genetic diversity and differentiation using microsatellites for three imperiled fishes of the unfragmented upper Gila River, New Mexico, USA. Estimates of contemporary effective size were low for these species, but we observed little genetic evidence of inbreeding. Overall genetic structure was low (all species FST < 0.025) suggesting moderate to high gene flow for all species, but each exhibited different patterns of spatial structuring. Gila nigra (a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act) appears most at risk of short-term loss of genetic variation and local extinction relative to Meda fulgida or Rhinichthys (Tiaroga) cobitis (both federally endangered) because G. nigra exhibited the lowest diversity, smallest effective size (Ne ~100) and temporally unstable population structure. Meda fulgida and R. cobitis exhibited temporally stable spatial structure related to riverscape features but connectivity among occupied habitats is threatened by a proposed diversion structure. Data from this comparatively pristine system can inform management of these species in fragmented portions of their ranges.
Gender, Genetics, and Generation: Reformulating Biology in Lesbian Kinship

The complicated historical relationship between ideas about homosexuality and concepts of "the family" in American culture makes the idea of gay and lesbian families-"chosen" or "created"-a provocative one in the study of American kinship. Insofar as lesbians and gay men have been ideologically excluded from the realm of kinship in American culture (Weston 1991:4-6), it is perhaps not surprising that claims to the legitimacy of gay and lesbian family configurations are often articulated and contested in terms of their perceived difference from (or similarity to) normative ideologies of "the American family." In her pivotal work, Families We Choose (1991), Kath Weston argues for the distinctiveness of a certain configuration of gay and lesbian kinship in which biological ties are decentered and choice, or love, becomes the defining feature of kin relationships. For Weston, gay and lesbian chosen families are neither derivative of, nor substititutes for, "straight," biological families; rather, they are distinctive in their own right (1991:210). Ellen Lewin takes a markedly different approach to the value of distinctiveness in her recent book, Lesbian Mothers (1993). By her own account exceeding the goal of her earlier work on maternal custody strategies-showing that lesbian mothers are "just as good" as heterosexual mothers-Lewin finds that "motherhood" in American culture constitutes a defining feature of womanhood that indeed supersedes the "difference" of lesbian identity (1993:3). In this reading, there is nothing particularly unique about the ways in which lesbian mothers negotiate relatedness and relationships. Though they are not explicitly foregrounded in such terms, I would argue that these two pivotal ethnographies together suggest that "biology," broadly conceived, is a crucial axis around which claims to the "distinctiveness" of gay and lesbian kinship revolve. Thus the relative centrality of biology in gay and lesbian families might be seen to signal a corollary assimilation into, or depar-
The failure of simple empirical relationships to predict the viscosity of mixed aqueous solutions of guanidine hydrochloride and glucose has important implications for the study of protein folding

Viscosities of aqueous solutions of guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) were measured in the presence of varying amounts of glucose. At high concentrations of glucose or GuHCl, the measured viscosities showed significant deviation from the values computed using a method proposed by Tanford (1966, J Biol Chem 241:3228-3232). This method was originally derived to allow the calculation of the effects of buffer or low concentrations of salts and other additives on the density and viscosity of aqueous solutions of urea or GuHCl. Recently it has been used to estimate the viscosity of denaturant solutions that contain high concentrations of viscogens. Our results show that the extrapolation of this approach to solutions of highly concentrated viscous co-solutes leads to significant errors. The implications for experimental studies of the viscosity dependence of conformational transitions in proteins is discussed.
Solid-state cross-polarization magic angle spinning 13C and 15N NMR characterization of Sepia melanin, Sepia melanin free acid and Human hair melanin in comparison with several model compounds

This paper presents the high-resolution 13C and 15N cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR spectra of three natural melanin solids: Sepia officinalis melanin, Sepia officinalis melanin free acid (MFA) and Human hair melanin. The functional group characterization of Human hair melanin by NMR is the first to date and the 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra reported here show improved resolution of chemically inequivalent sites. The observed spectral regions of the solid melanin samples can be assigned to the postulated structural unit of the polymer chain of Sepia MFA derived from solution-state NMR studies. To assist in the assignment of functional groups in the spectra, the solid-state CP/MAS NMR spectra are compared with high-resolution 13C and 15N CP/MAS spectra of four model compounds, L-dopa, dopamine, 2-methoxycarbonyl-3-ethoxycarbonyl-4-methylpyrrole and ethyl 5,6-dimethoxyindole-2-carboxylate. To aid further in the assignment of protonated and non-protonated carbon atoms, CP contact time dependence and non-quaternary carbon suppression (NQS) experiments were performed on the melanin samples. The 15N CP/MAS spectra of the melanin samples confirm the presence of indole and pyrrole units in the melanin polymer chain. The NMR peaks observed in all of the melanin samples are relatively broad, presumably owing to the presence of free radicals. Electron spin resonance (ESR) data shows that all three melanin samples contain localized free radicals (g = 2.007), with the Sepia melanin containing a 10-fold higher free radical density than Human hair melanin. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electronic Structure and Spectroscopy of Polysilanes

Even before the advent of polysilane high polymers, the linear permethylpolysilane oligomers [Me(SiMe2)nMe, n = 2 to 10) were found to have strong electronic absorption bands in the ultraviolet region [1][2]. These absorptions intensify and shift to lower energy with increasing chain length, much like the excitations in conjugated polyenes. The polysilane absorptions are now firmly assigned to σ-σ* transitions involving the easily ionised electrons in the Si-Si bonds. Cyclic silane oligomers also show UV excitations that depend in a complex way upon ring size [3]. This observation may provide an early example of the conformational dependence of polysilane σσ * absorptions.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy, but it is poorly understood. It is a disorder of unexplained hyperandrogenic chronic anovulation and clearly heterogeneous in etiology; however, many women with PCOS are noted to have profound peripheral resistance to insulin-mediated glucose uptake. Despite evidence of familial clustering, no clear molecular or genetic mechanism has been identified to date to explain the vast majority of cases. Women with PCOS present with infertility, menstrual disorders, and hirsutism. They appear to be at increased risk for diabetes and display multiple risk factors for endometrial cancer and cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, there are few randomized, controlled trials of any treatment in PCOS to provide us with clear treatment guidelines. Therefore, treatment tends to be symptom based, although lifestyle interventions and pharmaceutical treatments directed at improving insulin sensitivity appear to improve multiple stigmata of the syndrome. For instance, studies with these agents have shown improvements in ovulation and hirsutism.
Unsafe from the Start: Serious Misuse of Car Safety Seats at Newborn Discharge.

Objective To estimate prevalence of car safety seat (CSS) misuse for newborns on hospital discharge; and to identify potential risk and protective factors for CSS misuse. Study design We randomly sampled 291 mother–baby dyads from the newborn unit of an academic health center. Participants completed a survey and designated someone (themselves or another caregiver) to position their newborn in the CSS and install the CSS in their vehicle. Certified child passenger safety technicians assessed positioning and installation using nationally standardized criteria. To examine factors associated with CSS misuse, we used logistic regression to compute ORs and 95% CIs. Results A total of 291 families (81% of those eligible) participated. Nearly all (95%) CSSs were misused, with 1 or more errors in positioning (86%) and/or installation (77%). Serious CSS misuse occurred for 91% of all infants. Frequent misuses included harness and chest clip errors, incorrect recline angle, and seat belt/lower anchor use errors. Families with mothers of color (OR, 6.3; 95% CI, 1.8-21.6), non-English language (OR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.1-21.2), Medicaid (OR, 10.3; 95% CI, 2.4-44.4), or lower educational level (OR, 4.5; 95% CI, 1.7-12.4) were more likely to misuse CSSs. However, families that worked with a child passenger safety technician before delivery were significantly less likely to misuse their CSSs (OR, 0.1; 95% CI, 0.0-0.4). Conclusion Nearly all parents of newborn infants misused CSSs. Resources should be devoted to ensuring families with newborns leave the hospital correctly using their CSS.
The effects of enalapril on blood pressure, renal hemodynamics, and renal function.

Abstract Since the introduction of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors into clinical use, much information has been accumulated in animal models and man regarding their effects on renal function in different disease states. Enalapril, the first nonsulfhydryl ACE inhibitor approved for general use in the United States, has demonstrated efficacy and safety in controlling blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension, renal parenchymal disease, renovascular hypertension, and diabetes with hypertension. Enalapril also appears capable of attenuating the progressive nature of renal disease in experimental models of chronic renal failure and diabetic nephropathy, perhaps through lowering intraglomerular pressures. The excellent blood pressure-lowering effects of ACE inhibitors, coupled with their potential to ameliorate renal hemodynamic abnormalities, make these compounds attractive for use in these clinical states.
Effect of surface roughness on inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 87-23 by new organic acid-surfactant combinations on alfalfa, broccoli, and radish seeds.

Surface roughness has been reported as one of the factors affecting microbial attachment and removal. Seed surfaces are complex, and different seed varieties have different surface topographies. As a result, a sanitizer effective in eliminating pathogenic bacteria on one seed may not be as effective when applied to another seed. The objectives of this research were (i) to investigate the efficacy of malic acid and thiamine dilaurylsulfate (TDS) combined treatments for inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 strain 87-23 on alfalfa, broccoli, and radish seeds, (ii) to quantify surface roughness of the seeds, and (iii) to determine the correlation between microbial removal and surface roughness. The surface roughness of each seed type was measured by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and surface profilometry. Surface roughness (Ra) values of the seeds were then calculated from CLSM data. Seeds inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 87-23 were washed for 20 min in malic acid and TDS solutions and rinsed for 10 min ...
New Act on Promoting Electronic Health Records in USA:meaningful use standard

As a part of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act(ARRA),US government will provide a reimbursement incentive for electronic health records(EHR),thus Meaningful Use(MU)standard,which is an allocation scheme,is newly introduced. The paper introduces 23 targets which should be achieved by the hospitals in MU evaluating standards,elaborates the demands of different users for MU standards,points out the key contents,current problems,challenges and possible impacts of meaningful use standards.
Escherichia Coli O:14 and colon hemagglutinating antibodies in inflammatory bowel disease.

This study has shown that the incidence of germ-free rat feces, germ-free rat colon, and Escherichia coli 0:14 antibodies is more common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease than in other patients or in healthy controls. However, there is no difference in the incidence of positive titers between patients with granulomatous inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative inflammatory bowel disease. Furthermore, if the granulomatous group is subdivided into disease affecting only the small bowel (regional enteritis) and disease affecting the colon alone, or as well (granulomatous colitis), there is also no difference in the incidence of positive titers. Similarly, when patients with ulcerative inflammatory disease are subdivided into those with only localized proctitis or into a more universal distribution of the disease, the incidence again remains unchanged. The occurrence of positive titers also bears no relation to age, sex, or whether the individual is of Jewish extraction. Although the tests will not differentiate between the various nonspecific inflammatory bowel diseases, they might have some limited usefulness in differentiating ulcerative colitis and granulomatous colitis from other conditions causing inflammation of the intestine.
Welcome to the Journal of Obesity & Eating Disorders

We are very delighted to announce the launching of the Journal of Obesity & Eating Disorders. The epidemic wave of obesity and its associated metabolic disorders is spreading to both developed as well as developing countries and carrying with it an increase in number of debilitating illnesses like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
Subthreshold linear modeling of dendritic trees: A computational approach

The design of communication systems based on the transmission of information through neurons is envisioned as a key technology for the pervasive interconnection of future wearable and implantable devices. While previous literature has mainly focused on modeling propagation of electrochemical spikes carrying natural information through the nervous system, in recent work the authors of this paper proposed the so-called subthreshold electrical stimulation as a viable technique to propagate artificial information through neurons. This technique promises to limit the interference with natural communication processes, and it can be successfully approximated with linear models. In this paper, a novel model is proposed to account for the subthreshold stimuli propagation from the dendritic tree to the soma of a neuron. A computational approach is detailed to obtain this model for a given realistic 3D dendritic tree with an arbitrary morphology. Numerical results from the model are obtained over a stimulation signal bandwidth of 1KHz, and compared with the results of a simulation through the NEURON software.
Development of International-mindedness and Preferences for World Music in Teacher Preparation Coursework

In higher education we aspire to prepare students to develop international-mindedness suited to become world citizens. The purpose of this study is (1) to investigate the development of international-mindedness during students’ participation in music methods coursework and (2) to find out how international-mindedness is related to preference for world music. Results indicate that participants grew in the characteristics of international-mindedness as well as in their preference for a wide variety of world music examples by the end of the semester.
The Value of Collaborative Research before Independent Research in Undergraduate Music Education.

Increasing evidence points to the importance of undergraduate research in teacher education programs. Before undertaking independent research, it is essential that music education students gain exp...
Perceptions of candidate spouses in the 2012 presidential election: the role of gender, race, religion, and partisanship

The wives, and more recently, the husbands, of presidential candidates have taken on vital roles in campaigns, acting as surrogates for their partners, mobilizing voters, fundraising, and making high-profile speeches as well as appeals to targeted groups of voters. Despite their importance, presidential candidate spouses represent an under-investigated set of political actors. This project draws on American National Election Study data to analyze public perceptions of the 2012 presidential candidate spouses, Michelle Obama and Ann Romney, and explore how these perceptions compare to attitudes about previous presidential candidate spouses going back to 1992. Since these two spouses represent historic firsts, with Michelle Obama the first Black presidential candidate spouse and Ann Romney the first Mormon presidential candidate spouse, our analysis pays particular attention to the role of gender, race, and religion in public evaluations of these two women. This study also explores how and why candid...
Auction-based tolling systems in a connected and automated vehicles environment: Public opinion and implications for toll revenue and capacity utilization

Abstract Autonomous and connected vehicles are expected to enable new tolling mechanisms, such as auction-based tolls, for allocating the limited roadway capacity. This research examines the public perception of futuristic auction-based tolling systems, with a focus on the public acceptance of such systems over current tolling practices on highways (e.g., dynamic and fixed tolling methodologies). Through a stated-preference survey, responses from 159 road-users residing in Virginia are elicited to understand route choice behavior under a descending price auction implemented on a hypothetical two-route network. Analysis of the survey data shows that there is no outright rejection of the presented auction-based tolling among those who are familiar with the current tolling methods. While males strongly support the new method, no clear pattern emerges among other demographic variables such as income and education level, and age. While high income respondents and regular commuters are more likely to pay higher tolls, no statistical significance between different genders, age groups, household sizes, and education levels is found. Based on the modeling results and the hypothetical road network, it is found that descending price tolling method yields higher average toll rates, and generates at least 70% more revenue when travel time saving is 30 min, and improves capacity utilization of the toll road significantly compared to fixed tolls.
The effect on turnout of campaign mobilization messages addressing ballot secrecy concerns: A replication experiment

Given the persistence of public doubts about the integrity of ballot secrecy, which depress turnout, two prior experiments have shown precise evidence that both official governmental and unofficial mobilization campaigns providing assurances about ballot secrecy increase turnout among recently registered nonvoters. To assess whether these findings replicate in other political settings, we describe a replication experiment where a non-governmental, non-partisan mobilization campaign sent similar treatment mailings containing assurances about ballot secrecy protections to recently registered nonvoters during the 2014 general election in Mississippi. We find that sending this mailer has no effect on turnout rates in this setting, which is characterized by an unusually low baseline turnout rate. These results are consistent with past research concluding that nonpartisan Get Out The Vote (GOTV) mail has very weak effects among very low turnout propensity registrants, and suggest that there are heterogeneous effects of ballot secrecy treatments associated with subjects' characteristics and the electoral context.
Hysteroscopy in Complex Müllerian Anomalies

Mullerian anomalies include embryologic abnormalities of the uterus, cervix, and vagina, and are believed to occur secondary to the in utero disruption of the embryological development of the paramesonephric (Mullerian) ducts. The incidence of Mullerian anomalies is difficult to estimate because many patients are asymptomatic; uterine septum is the most common anomaly. A number of classification systems exist to facilitate diagnosis and treatment options. The most recently developed European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the European Society of Gynecologic Endoscopy (ESGE) system takes into account anomalies of the uterus as well as those of the cervix and vagina. Using classification systems aids in the diagnosis of anomalies through multiple imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance imaging, 3D ultrasound, and hysteroscopy. Hysteroscopy is an extremely valuable tool in assessing female reproductive organs, and its minimally invasive approach has made it a vital therapeutic tool in the outpatient setting for women. Major advances in hysteroscopic surgery and instrumentation have led to hysteroscopic septoplasty virtually replacing open surgery in recent years. Hysteroscopy is cost-effective, and patients benefit from a quick recovery, minimal complications, and good reproductive outcomes.
Adiabatic Thermoelastic Measurements

The adiabatic thermoelastic effect in elastic solids is the small, reversible temperature change resulting from the dilatational deformation of matter. If cyclic extensional strains are applied at a rate that is high enough to preclude heat transfer between elements of the material and their surroundings (i.e., ensuring adiabatic conditions), the temperature of the material will vary with the same wave form and frequency as the applied load. Pointwise temperature changes can then be related to stress and strain with the theory of thermoelasticity. Modern infrared radiometers have the sensitivity and response time required to measure these temperature changes on the surface of a stressed material. One such apparatus has been marketed by Ometron*** under the trade name SPATE (Stress Pattern Analysis by Thermal Emission) specifically for full-field stress measurements.
Metastable Activity Patterns in Cortical Dynamics and the Illusion of Localized Representations

This essay studies the relationship between recent advances in brain monitoring and modeling techniques, with the promise of identifying neural correlates of higher cognitive functions and consciousness. In this work we address the issue of the interpretation of the corresponding results, with special emphasis on the hypothesis of localized brain representations. We propose a dynamical systems theory framework to resolve the apparent contradiction between localized representations and large-scale, distributed (global) brain processing principles. Our dynamic model is a manifestation of Dreyfus’ situated intelligence, following the traditions of Merleau-Ponty. This approach finds its applications in embodied intelligent systems and intentionality in animals and in man-made devices.
Residually Small Varieties Revisited

An exaustive survey on the topics of amalgamation, congruence extension, residual smallness, injectivity and related concepts and properties is E.W. Kiss, L. Marki, P. Prohle, W. Tholen [10]. Our paper has a more modest aim. We focus almost exclusively on residual smallness. After a brief introduction, we discuss the current status of a fascinating open question that concerns the sizes of subdirectly irreducible algebras in finitely generated varieties.
What Can Be Done

Here is what an independent political party can accomplish: it can levy higher inheritance taxes, progressive taxation on all income, a wealth tax. It can tax corporations where their profits are made, avoiding tax havens. It can let banks fail and then nationalize them and make them whole again. It can stop guaranteeing risky assets like derivatives. It can deny banks access to pension funds. It can rebuild the firewall between investment and commercial banks. It can bring back usury laws. It can democratize corporations by putting workers on the boards of directors; embrace universal single-payer healthcare; deny drug companies the right to patent life or indefinite patents. It can establish sovereign wealth funds that can be used for the benefit of entire nations and establish a basic income for all citizens, a minimum that would be paid from birth.
Offender vocational rehabilitation services and postrelease employment: A case for inmates with disabilities

Offender rehabilitation has received widespread attention in the field of criminology. However, researchers have often overlooked its effects on an important demographic in prison—offenders with di...
How Have Shanghai, Saudi Arabia, and Supply Chains Affected U.S. Inflation Dynamics?

Understanding and forecasting inflation has always been a key focus of macroeconomics and monetary policymaking. Historically, many macroeconomists and central banks have relied on the ?Phillips curve? framework for this purpose. Recently, however, the Phillips curve framework has not been performing well. This article examines a number of possible explanations for the breakdown of the ?Phillips curve? relationship between slack and inflation. These explanations include the possibility that the curve may have flattened or shifted, that standard measures may not be capturing key aspects of the relationship, or that a series of ?unfortunate? and unprecedented events may have obscured the underlying relationship. Each of these explanations has some merit and support, but each seems unable to explain how inflation dynamics have evolved over the past decade. This article suggests that what is missing is a more comprehensive treatment of how globalization has affected domestic prices, through channels such as increased trade flows, the greater economic heft of emerging markets, and increased ease of using global supply chains to shift parts of production to cheaper locations. This greater role for globalization in explaining inflation, however, does not mean that the standard Phillips curve framework is ?dead.? Rather, macroeconomists and monetary policymakers should update their existing models in two key ways: to include global parameters more explicitly and allow these parameters to adjust over time with the world economy.
Role of driver behaviors and environmental characteristics in evaluating safety effectiveness of roadway countermeasures: a novel approach of estimating crash modification factors

The cross-sectional method has been widely used in research to estimate the effect of a parameter toward the target outcome. This method has been used to evaluate the safety effectiveness of counte...
Robotic sleeve lobectomy-technically possible but is it being overused?

Dr. Luo and colleagues present an excellent article and video describing their robotic-assisted right upper lobectomy. They use an Si Davinci system and have a 3-port plus assistant-port approach. The dissection is performed using monopolar hook cautery with an assistant port for suction dissection and assistance with knot tying. The manuscript joins a number of other recent papers documenting technical methodology and small cohort series of sleeve lobectomies (1-3). What this manuscript lacks, is what plagues the other manuscripts is on “why” robotic sleeve lobectomy should be performed. Yes, sleeve lobectomy allows patients to avoid a possible pneumonectomy. But are all sleeve lobectomies needed? Or, could bronchoplasty or just primary closure of the bronchial stump be performed?
On a generalization of the Jensen-Shannon divergence and the JS-symmetrization of distances relying on abstract means.

The Jensen-Shannon divergence is a renown bounded symmetrization of the unbounded Kullback-Leibler divergence which measures the total Kullback-Leibler divergence to the average mixture distribution. However the Jensen-Shannon divergence between Gaussian distributions is not available in closed-form. To bypass this problem, we present a generalization of the Jensen-Shannon (JS) divergence using abstract means which yields closed-form expressions when the mean is chosen according to the parametric family of distributions. More generally, we define the JS-symmetrizations of any distance using generalized statistical mixtures derived from abstract means. In particular, we first show that the geometric mean is well-suited for exponential families, and report two closed-form formula for (i) the geometric Jensen-Shannon divergence between probability densities of the same exponential family, and (ii) the geometric JS-symmetrization of the reverse Kullback-Leibler divergence. As a second illustrating example, we show that the harmonic mean is well-suited for the scale Cauchy distributions, and report a closed-form formula for the harmonic Jensen-Shannon divergence between scale Cauchy distributions. We also define generalized Jensen-Shannon divergences between matrices (e.g., quantum Jensen-Shannon divergences) and consider clustering with respect to these novel Jensen-Shannon divergences.
High-Throughput Analysis Reveals Rules for Target RNA Binding and Cleavage by AGO2

Summary Argonaute proteins loaded with microRNAs (miRNAs) or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) form the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which represses target RNA expression. Predicting the biological targets, specificity, and efficiency of both miRNAs and siRNAs has been hamstrung by an incomplete understanding of the sequence determinants of RISC binding and cleavage. We applied high-throughput methods to measure the association kinetics, equilibrium binding energies, and single-turnover cleavage rates of mouse AGO2 RISC. We find that RISC readily tolerates insertions of up to 7 nt in its target opposite the central region of the guide. Our data uncover specific guide:target mismatches that enhance the rate of target cleavage, suggesting novel siRNA design strategies. Using these data, we derive quantitative models for RISC binding and target cleavage and show that our in vitro measurements and models predict knockdown in an engineered cellular system.
Studies on hemoglobin E. III. Homozygous hemoglobin E and variants of thalassemia and hemoglobin E; a family study.

The results of a study of ten members of an unusual family are presented; the mother and four children were found to have homozygous Hgb E disease, the father and three childrens either thalassemia-heterozygous Hgb E or thalassemia-homozygous Hgb E disease. It was impossible to make a definite diagnosis in one boy who might have had any one of the three conditions presented by the rest of the family. It is not possible from the genetic, clinical and hematologic data to differentiate thalassemia-homozygous Hgb E from thalassemia-heterozygous Hgb E disease in the various members of the family. The difficulty of differentiating mild thalassemia-heterozygous Hgb E from homozygous Hgb E is presented. Confusion arises in the overlapping of values obtained in the laboratory for the two conditions. The presence of large numbers of target cells in the peripheral blood is a striking feature in the family. A consideration is made that the abnormality accompanying the Hgb E disease may be a hereditary defect in target cell production which may or may not be a variant of thalassemia. Suggestive evidence is presented for a minimal hemolytic component in homozygous Hgb E disease manifested by a slightly shortened red cell survival time and a moderate increase in erythrocytic elements in the bone marrow.
Criticisms of the Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct

Beginning in 1953 the American Psychological Association (APA) has advanced twelve iterations of a professional ethical code. In recent years the adequacy of the Ethics Code as well as APA’s ethics...
Geotechnical Properties and Microstructure of Liquid Polymer Amended Fine-Grained Soils

The paper presents the effect of liquid polymer on the geotechnical properties and microstructure of two fine-grained soil. Commercially available liquid polymer was used to stabilize a commercially available soil (Soil I, type ML) and natural soil (Soil II, type CH). Various physical properties test has been conducted to characterize the soils. The liquid polymer was mixed at various percentages (i.e. 2, 3, 4, and 5%) on dry weight basis. The polymer-stabilized soil samples were cured for 7, 14, and 28 days under confined and open-air environment. Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) test and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test were conducted to evaluate the strength of polymer-stabilized soil. The results show that with the addition of polymer; UCS value for ML samples prepared at its OMC increases up to 75% in open-air environment and up to 14% in confined air environment. CH soil samples prepared at its OMC shows cracks while curing in open-air environment and there is no significant change of strength in confined air environment. For CH soil UCS samples were prepared with reduced moisture contents and cured in open air environment shows increase in UCS strength up to 10%. CBR test results shows that there was marginal increase (i.e. 14%) in CBR value for CH soil but a significant increase (i.e. 340%) in CBR value for ML soil. X-ray diffraction test was conducted for ML and CH to determine the mineralogical composition of virgin and liquid polymer-stabilized soil. It was observed that, no new minerals were formed with the addition of polymer. Scanning electron microscope test was also conducted to analyze the microstructure of the virgin and polymer-stabilized soils.
Base-triggered self-amplifying degradable polyurethanes with the ability to translate local stimulation to continuous long-range degradation

A new type of base-triggered self-amplifying degradable polyurethane is reported that degrades under mild conditions, with the release of increasing amounts of amine product leading to self-amplified degradation. The polymer incorporates a base-sensitive Fmoc-derivative into every repeating unit to enable highly sensitive amine amplified degradation. A sigmoidal degradation curve for the linear polymer was observed consistent with a self-amplifying degradation mechanism. An analogous cross-linked polyurethane gel was prepared and also found to undergo amplified breakdown. In this case, a trace amount of localized base initiates the degradation, which in turn propagates through the material in an amplified manner. The results demonstrate the potential utility of these new generation polyurethanes in enhanced disposability and as stimuli responsive materials.