cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Could ECT be effective in autism

Autism is increasingly diagnosed, but therapeutic options are limited in many children. ECT is considered as a safe, effective, and life-saving treatment in people of all ages who suffer from affective disorders, acute psychosis, and, in particular, catatonia. There are recent speculations that certain types of autism may be the earliest expression of catatonia and that both disorders have identical risk factors. Therefore, ECT may improve autism and, if started early enough, may prevent further development of autistic symptoms in some children. The use of ECT in autism has never been systematically assessed. There have been two large ECT studies in children in the 1940s. Autism was not assessed in these studies because the autistic syndrome was just then being recognized as a separate entity. Findings from these studies add little to the hypothesis that ECT may be effective in autistic children, but attest to the safety and feasibility of ECT in children. Another limitation is the use of older ECT techniques. What may well be the greatest deterrent to use ECT in autism is widespread anti- ECT sentiment not only among the public but within the medical community as well. All child specialists--psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists, and developmental pediatricians--should independently review the feasibility, potential, and risk of using ECT in autism. Unless anti-ECT prejudice can be overcome, it is unlikely that any ECT trial in autism is forthcoming. Research areas that may support the hypothesis that ECT is effective in autism should be pursued. First, any link between autism and catatonia should be further explored in clinical and biochemical studies. A GABA theory of autism and catatonia may be pivotal. Second, the role of abnormal GABAA receptor subunit genes in autism and catatonia should be further assessed. Candidate loci for autism and catatonia have been found on the long arm of chromosome 15 where three GABAA receptor subunits genes are located. The GABAA receptor beta 3 subunit gene (GABRB3) was the leading candidate gene for a subgroup of autism in two independent studies. Third, a novel genetic mouse model of autism should be tested. Mutant mice with a targeted deletion of the GABRB3 gene have a complete deficit of the beta 3 subunit of the GABAA receptor. This knockout mouse model seems promising to study developmental effects of altered GABAA receptor function as it relates to certain developmental disorders including autism.
Learning In Lattice Neural Networks that Employ Dendritic Computing

Recent discoveries in neuroscience imply that the basic computational elements are the dendrites that make up more than 50% of a cortical neuron's membrane. Neuroscientists now believe that the basic computation units are dendrites, capable of computing simple logic functions. This paper discusses two types of neural networks that take advantage of these new discoveries. The focus of this paper is on some learning algorithms in the two neural networks. Learning is in terms of lattice computations that take place in the dendritic structure as well as in the cell body of the neurons used in this model.
Shallow, Subsurface Growth and Burial Alteration of Middle Devonian Calcite Concretions

ABSTRACT Organic-rich, shale-hosted septarian and nonseptarian calcite concretions, in the Middle Devonian (Givetian) Hamilton Group of central New York State, formed early in the shallow subsurface as indicated by detailed petrography, SEM, X-radiographic, lithologic, geochemical, and isotopic analyses. 13Ccarb values suggest that carbon was derived from microbial breakdown of organic matter in the sulfate reduction zone at subsurface depths of less than 10 m. However, strongly depleted 18O (-7 to -10 PDB) suggests much greater burial depths. The SUP>18O data appear to represent an altered isotopic signature, as indicated by their narrow, depleted range and petrographic evidence for recrystallization of concretion carbonate. Evidence of primary porosity in concretions during growth indicates that early stage diagenetic alteration occurred in an open-marine, phreatic environment that homogenized isotopic and geochemical signatures of metastable carbonate minerals. The association of septarian calcite and bitumen, along with the depleted 18O values, suggests that late-stage diagenesis was a result of migration of warm, basin-derived, connate waters through the open system. Preburial condensation of sediments in younger stratigraphic units within the Hamilton Group, possibly caused by increased winnowing, bioturbation, and erosional events during shallowing of the Hamilton sea, has generated stratigraphic variations in concretion lithology and shape. Within any given unit, however, variation in characteristics of concretions remains a primary function of their timing of growth versus burial compaction. Unlike Cenozoic carbonate concretions in organic-rich marine sediments that possess a dolomitic matrix, no dolomite concretions were discovered in the Hamilton Group. Preliminary data suggest that restriction of calcite as the host mineral for Early to Middle Paleozoic concretions may be controlled by elevated sulfate concentrations that inhibited dolomite precipitation and/or primary secular variations in carbonate mineralogy.
Comparing electric shock and a fearful screaming face as unconditioned stimuli for fear learning

Abstract The potency of an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) can impact the degree of fear learning. One of the most common and effective UCSs is an electric shock, which is inappropriate for certain populations (e.g., children). To address this need, a novel fear learning paradigm was recently developed that uses a fearful female face and scream as the UCS. The present study directly compared the efficacy of the screaming female UCS and a traditional shock UCS in two fear learning paradigms. Thirty-six young adults completed two fear learning tasks and a measure of trait anxiety; fear learning was indexed with fear-potentiated startle (FPS) and self-reported fear ratings. Results indicated comparable FPS across the two tasks. However, larger overall startle responses were exhibited in the shock task, and participants rated the shock UCS and overall task as more aversive than the screaming female. In addition, trait anxiety was only related to FPS in the fear learning task that employed a shock as the UCS. Taken together, results indicate that, although both UCS paradigms can be used for fear conditioning (i.e., to produce differences between CS + and CS −), the shock UCS paradigm is more aversive and potentially more sensitive to individual differences in anxiety.
Fusional amplitudes: exploring where fusion falters.

The stability of binocular vision depends on good fusional amplitudes, but the assessment of fusional amplitudes varies around the world. The author reviewed the literature on fusional amplitudes a...
The Group Engagement Measure

Abstract Engagement is important in the treatment of alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems. With a few notable exceptions, most conceptualizations of engagement view it as attendance in sessions. Although there has been discussion about engagement in AOD treatment, there has not been a conceptualization of engagement specifically for group work, a widely used modality for AOD treatment, until recently. This article reviews the research evidence to date on the multidimensional Group Engagement Measure (GEM), a reliable and valid instrument suitable for AOD treatment groups.
Milk yield, energy balance, hormone, follicular and oocyte measures in early and mid-lactation Holstein cows

Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of energy status on metabolic and endocrine measures, follicular development, and the quality of oocytes obtained from cows during early and mid-lactation (ML). We selected Holstein cows at calving to be assigned to the early lactation (EL) group ( n =8), while we assigned cows at about day 90 postpartum to the ML group ( n =7). We obtained blood samples twice weekly from 4 weeks before aspiration to the aspiration periods for metabolite and hormone determinations. We performed ultrasound-guided transvaginal follicular aspiration (TVFA) twice weekly on all cows for a 10-week period. We obtained follicular fluid from the largest follicle>10 mm in diameter for hormone determinations. We analyzed data by ANOVA, using the general linear model (GLM) procedures. Energy balance was positive (2.43±0.32 Mcal/kg) for ML cows and negative (−1.55±0.33 Mcal/kg) for EL cows. Serum progesterone (P 4 ) for ML cows decreased rapidly from the first aspiration session (2.7±0.1 ng/ml) and reached a nadir at Week 8 (0.33±0.1 ng/ml), while follicular fluid P 4 increased from 0.9±0.5 to 5.6±0.05 ng/ml. Serum and follicular fluid P 4 remained relatively constant over the entire aspiration period for EL cows. Follicular fluid insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations increased linearly for EL and ML cows, but the increase was more rapid (159±36 to 200±36 ng/ml) for ML cows than for EL cows (145±36 to 164±36 ng/ml). Serum IGF-I followed the same pattern for ML cows but declined for EL cows. Early lactation cows experienced a rapid decrease in serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA; 0.32±0.2 to 0.22±0.2 meq/l), while serum NEFA concentrations were relatively stable (0.19±0.2 to 0.22±0.2 meq/l) for ML cows over the aspiration period. The number of follicles obtained from the twice weekly aspiration sessions increased linearly for both EL and ML cows ( P
Mechanisms in COPD compared with asthma

Educational aims To discuss the similarities and differences in inflammation between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. To consider the clinical relevance of these differences. To speculate about the therapeutic implications of this basic research. Summary Both asthma and COPD are characterised by airway obstruction, which is variable and reversible in asthma but is progressive and largely irreversible in COPD. In both diseases, there is chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract, mediated by increased expression of multiple inflammatory proteins, including cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, inflammatory enzymes and receptors. In both diseases, there are acute episodes or exacerbations, when the intensity of this inflammation increases. The similarity between these airway diseases prompted the suggestion in the 1960s that asthma and COPD are part of a spectrum of a common disease (chronic obstructive lung disease) and this came to be known as the “Dutch hypothesis”. This was countered by the “British hypothesis”, which maintained that these diseases were separate entities; the debate continues today, with evidence both for and against these two views [1, 2].
Passover Plots: From Modern Fictions to Mark and Back Again

Various modern fictions, building upon the skeptical premises of biblical scholars, have claimed that the gospels covered up the real story about Jesus. Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is one recent, popular example. While conspiracy theories may seem peculiar to modern media, the gospels have their own versions of hidden secrets. For Mark, e.g., Roman discourse about crucifixion obscures two secret plots in Jesus’ passion, which the gospel reveals: the religious leaders’ conspiracy to dispatch Jesus and the hidden divine program to sacrifice Jesus. Mark unveils these secret plots by minimizing the passion’s material details (the details of suffering would glorify Rome), substituting the Jewish leaders for the Romans as the important human actors, interpreting the whole as predicted by scripture and by Jesus, and bathing the whole in an irony that claims that the true reality is other than it seems. The resulting divine providence/conspiracy narrative dooms Jesus—and everyone else—before the story effectively begins. None of this would matter if secret plots and infinite books did not remain to make pawns or “phantoms of us all” (Borges). Thus, in Borges’ “The Gospel According to Mark,” an illiterate rancher family after hearing the gospel for the first time, read to them by a young medical student, crucifies the young man. Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum is less biblical but equally enthralled by conspiracies that consume their obsessive believers. Borges and Eco differ from Mark, from some scholarship, and from recent popular fiction, in their insistence that such conspiracy tales are not “true” or “divine,” but rather humans’ own self-destructive fictions. Therein lies a different kind of hope than Mark’s, a very human, if very fragile, hope.
Perceived Discrimination, Peer Influence and Sexual Behaviors in Mexican American Preadolescents

Both discrimination and sexual health disparities have significant negative health implications for Latina/o preadolescent youth, including negative mental health outcomes, STIs/HIV, unintended pregnancy, and ongoing poverty. Studying these links within this population, therefore, has significant public health relevance, both in terms of promoting sexual health in general as well as serving the specific needs of Latina/o youth. This study explored the relationship between perceived discrimination, peer influence and sexual behaviors among 438 Mexican American preadolescents in the Southwest United States (55.3 % male). Additionally, this study examined whether psychological distress, substance use, and sexual motives mediated and whether gender moderated these relations. A multiple-group path analysis of the analytical model was performed to examine the hypothesized relations between perceived discrimination, peer influence, psychological distress, substance use, sexual motives and sexual behaviors. The findings indicated that perceived discrimination was directly linked to sexual behaviors among participants and indirectly linked via substance use. The findings also indicated that peer influence was indirectly linked to sexual behaviors via substance use among participants and via sexual motives among boys. This study underscores the importance of substance use in the perceived discrimination, peer influence and sexual behavior link in Mexican American preadolescents. Additionally, it highlights the importance of sexual motives in the link between peer influence and sexual behaviors of Mexican American boys.
Increased hypothalamic norepinephrine in genetically hypertensive rats following administration of diphenylhydantoin (38407).

SummaryDPH administration to GH rats caused changes in NE concentration in the hypothalamus, cerebellum and medial lower brainstem which resulted in circadian differences in the effect of this drug on the catecholamine. These effects have not been reported previously. Further investigations on the effect of DPH on neurotransmitters are fully warranted.
Comparative Concepts for ATLAST Optical Designs

The ATALST (Advanced Technology for Large Aperture Space Telescopes) effort has presented several design incarnations. Here we will compare the 9.2m segmented, the 8m monolithic on-axis and 8m x 6m off-axis concepts.
Ensemble cryo-EM uncovers inchworm-like translocation of a viral IRES through the ribosome

Internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) mediate cap-independent translation of viral mRNAs. Using electron cryo-microscopy of a single specimen, we present five ribosome structures formed with the Taura syndrome virus IRES and translocase eEF2•GTP bound with sordarin. The structures suggest a trajectory of IRES translocation, required for translation initiation, and provide an unprecedented view of eEF2 dynamics. The IRES rearranges from extended to bent to extended conformations. This inchworm-like movement is coupled with ribosomal inter-subunit rotation and 40S head swivel. eEF2, attached to the 60S subunit, slides along the rotating 40S subunit to enter the A site. Its diphthamide-bearing tip at domain IV separates the tRNA-mRNA-like pseudoknot I (PKI) of the IRES from the decoding center. This unlocks 40S domains, facilitating head swivel and biasing IRES translocation via hitherto-elusive intermediates with PKI captured between the A and P sites. The structures suggest missing links in our understanding of tRNA translocation.
Effects of endothelium regeneration on canine coronary artery function

During coronary catheterization under general anesthesia, the endothelium of a portion of the proximal left circumflex coronary artery of dogs was removed (injured). Segments from the denuded and n...
Femtosecond Thermomodulation of Single-Crystalline and Polycrystalline Gold Films

If a metal is excited by laser pulses for which the pulse duration is less than or comparable to the hot electron energy loss lifetime (τc), a transient inequality between the effective electron and lattice temperatures (Tc and Tl, respectively) occurs [1]. Previous femtosecond thermomodulation of metals have temporally resolved the decay of the hot electrons [2]. Although results for τe showed agreement with calculations [3], there remains unresolved the role of lattice imperfections on hot electron energy loss and transport.
The interplay and effects of deformation and crystallized melt on the rheology of the lower continental crust, Fiordland, New Zealand

Abstract Microstructural, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and misorientation analyses of a migmatitic granulite-facies orthogneiss from the exhumed lower crust of a Cretaceous continental arc in Fiordland, New Zealand show how deformation was accommodated during and after episodes of melt infiltration and high-grade metamorphism. Microstructures in garnet, omphacite, plagioclase, and K-feldspar suggest that an early stage of deformation was achieved by dislocation creep of omphacite and plagioclase, with subsequent deformation becoming partitioned into plagioclase. Continued deformation after melt infiltration resulted in strain localization in the leucosome of the migmatite, where a change of plagioclase deformation mechanism promoted the onset of grain boundary sliding, most likely accommodated by diffusion creep, in fine recrystallized plagioclase grains. Our results suggest three distinctive transitions in the rheology of the lower crust of this continental arc, where initial weakening was primarily achieved by deformation of both omphacite and plagioclase. Subsequent strain localization in plagioclase of the leucosome indicates that the zones of former melt are weaker than the restite, and that changes in deformation mechanisms within plagioclase, and an evolution of its strength, primarily control the rheology of the lower crust during and after episodes of melting and magma addition.
Survival After Cardiac Transplantation in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background— Heart transplant is a treatment option for selected patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, the prevalence, clinical profile, and outcome of this subgroup of HCM patients are uncertain. Therefore, we sought to determine the occurrence, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of HCM patients who underwent cardiac transplantation in the United States during a 15-year period. Methods and Results— Demographic, clinical, and survival outcomes of 26 706 adult (age ≥18 years), heart-only transplant recipients between January 1990 and December 2004 were acquired from the United Network of Organ Sharing Registry. Pretransplant diagnoses were classified as follows: HCM (n=303, 1%) and non-HCM (26 403, 99%), comprising 3 patient subgroups: (1) ischemic cardiomyopathy (n=14 308, 54%), (2) dilated cardiomyopathy (n=11 760, 44%), and (3) restrictive cardiomyopathy (n=335, 1%). Study follow-up began at the time of heart transplant and was 76±44 months (mean±SD) among survivors. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year overall transplant survival for HCM patients was 85%, 75%, and 61%, respectively, with a trend toward greater survival compared with that of non-HCM transplant patients (82%, 70%, and 49%, respectively; log-rank test, P =0.05). However, propensity-matched, covariate-adjusted, Cox regression model analysis showed better survival over time ( P <0.01) among the HCM patients. When HCM posttransplant survival was compared with that in each of the non-HCM patient subgroups, HCM patients had more favorable survival than did those transplanted for ischemic cardiomyopathy ( P =0.02). In contrast, HCM posttransplant survival did not differ from that of patients transplanted for restrictive ( P =0.08) or dilated ( P =0.25) cardiomyopathy. Conclusions— HCM patients compose a small subset (1%) of the overall population of patients who undergo heart transplantation in the United States. Nonetheless, survival after transplant among HCM patients is comparable to that of patients transplanted for non-HCM cardiovascular diseases, with possible enhanced survival over time.
ICT4D 2016: New Priorities for ICT4D Policy, Practice and WSIS in a Post-2015 World

In 2016, the Millennium Development Goals will be replaced by the post-2015 development agenda (PTDA). The foundational content is in place for this new agenda, which will be the single most-important force shaping the future of international development and, hence, the single most-important force shaping the future of information-and-communication-technology-for-development (ICT4D). In planning prospective ICT4D priorities, we should therefore pay close attention to the PTDA.This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of the post-2015 development agenda versus the current content and future direction of ICT4D policy and practice, as exemplified by WSIS+10 documentation. These latter documents bring together nearly 1,000 pages of text that review the current state of ICT4D ten years after the foundational World Summits on the Information Society; and that seek to set out a vision of WSIS and of ICT4D beyond 2015.From this analysis, the paper identifies a set of post-2015 priorities in international development which have to date been under-emphasised within ICT4D. In all, 16 ICT4D gaps are identified for a world from 2016. These gaps, plus other key topics, are used to create a map of post-2015 ICT4D priorities; a map which will be of significant value to policy-makers, strategists and practitioners planning their future ICT4D activities.Alongside these specific topics, the paper diagnoses a set of cross-cutting issues. It recognises the need for practice to break out of the ?ICT4D bubble? and engage more with the development mainstream through a reorientation of ICT4D?s scope, language and worldview. And it discusses ICT4D?s future structure, process and vision. It identifies the need to retain specialist centres of ICT4D expertise alongside mainstreaming, and the value of multi-stakeholder participation. It highlights the current absence of a compelling narrative and vision for the future of ICT4D: ICT?s transformative potential ? and the possibilities of ?Development 2.0? ? might form one such vision. The implications of all these issues are outlined for ICT4D generally and for WSIS specifically beyond 2015.
Growing season variability in carbon dioxide exchange of irrigated and rainfed soybean in the southern United States

Abstract Measurement of carbon dynamics of soybean (Glycine max L.) ecosystems outside Corn Belt of the United States (U.S.) is lacking. This study examines the seasonal variability of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and its components (gross primary production, GPP and ecosystem respiration, ER), and relevant controlling environmental factors between rainfed (El Reno, Oklahoma) and irrigated (Stoneville, Mississippi) soybean fields in the southern U.S. during the 2016 growing season. Grain yield was about 1.6 t ha− 1 for rainfed soybean and 4.9 t ha− 1 for irrigated soybean. The magnitudes of diurnal NEE (~ 2-weeks average) reached seasonal peak values of − 23.18 and − 34.78 μmol m− 2 s− 1 in rainfed and irrigated soybean, respectively, approximately two months after planting (i.e., during peak growth). Similar thresholds of air temperature (Ta, slightly over 30 °C) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD, ~ 2.5 kPa) for NEE were observed at both sites. Daily (7-day average) NEE, GPP, and ER reached seasonal peak values of − 4.55, 13.54, and 9.95 g C m− 2 d− 1 in rainfed soybean and − 7.48, 18.13, and 14.93 g C m− 2 d− 1 in irrigated soybean, respectively. The growing season (DOY 132–243) NEE, GPP, and ER totals were − 54, 783, and 729 g C m− 2, respectively, in rainfed soybean. Similarly, cumulative NEE, GPP, and ER totals for DOY 163–256 (flux measurement was initiated on DOY 163, missing first 45 days after planting) were − 291, 1239, and 948 g C m− 2, respectively, in irrigated soybean. Rainfed soybean was a net carbon sink for only two months, while irrigated soybean appeared to be a net carbon sink for about three months. However, grain yield and the magnitudes and seasonal sums of CO2 fluxes for irrigated soybean in this study were comparable to those for soybean in the U.S. Corn Belt, but they were lower for rainfed soybean.
Local Buckling of Beams under Stress Gradient

A study of local buckling of wide-flange and box section beams subjected to stress gradients due to transverse loading is presented. The resulting eigen matrices are solved using a search technique. Buckling coefficients for typical cases are presented. Results are compared with those used for customary design procedure.
Forces that shape fission yeast cells

One of the major challenges of modern cell biology is to understand how cells are assembled from nanoscale components into micrometer-scale entities with a specific size and shape. Here I describe how our quest to understand the morphogenesis of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe drove us to investigate cellular mechanics. These studies build on the view that cell shape arises from the physical properties of an elastic cell wall inflated by internal turgor pressure. Consideration of cellular mechanics provides new insights into not only mechanisms responsible for cell-shape determination and growth, but also cellular processes such as cytokinesis and endocytosis. Studies in yeast can help to illuminate approaches and mechanisms to study the mechanobiology of the cell surface in other cell types, including animal cells.
The effect of brief sensory deprivation upon responses to a word association test

It has been assumed that in the absence of external stimulation, an individual’s behavior is influenced noticeably by the primary process. Consequently, it was hypothesized that under conditions of sensory deprivation subjects would respond in a more deviant manner to projective test stimuli. Using Rapaport’s Word Association Test, the responses of 20 college subjects exposed to three hours of sensory deprivation were compared to those of 20 non-deprived college subjects in terms of reaction time, popular associations, errors in recall, and reactions to traumatic words. The two groups did not differ significantly on any of the four criteria. The specific hypothesis was not supported.
How to write a plugin to export job, power, energy, and system environmental data from your Cray® XC™ system

Summary In this paper, we take a deep dive into writing a plugin to export power, energy, and other system environmental data from a Cray® XC™ system. With the release of the System Management Workstation 8.0 software, Cray has enabled customers to create site-specific plugins to export all of the data that can flow into the Cray Power Management Database into site-specific infrastructure. In this paper, we give practical information on what data are available using the plugin, and how to write, test, and deploy a plugin. We also share and explain example plugin code, detail design considerations when architecting a plugin, and look at some practical use cases supported by exporting telemetry data off a Cray® XC™ system. This paper is targeted at plugin developers, system administrators, data scientists, and site planners. The plugin feature was developed by Cray in response to discussions with and requirements from select members of the CUG XTreme SIG. This paper demonstrates lessons learned developing prototype plugins that export data off Cray® XC™ systems using Kafka, Redis Pub/Sub, and RabbitMQ. This plugin capability is in-use internally at Cray, used in production at NERSC, and is under consideration for deployment on systems at LANL and Sandia.
Mapping Spatiotemporal Tourist Behaviors and Hotspots Through Location-Based Photo-Sharing Service (Flickr) Data

Social media services and location-based photo-sharing applications, such as Flickr, Twitter, and Instagram, provide a promising opportunity for studying tourist behaviors and activities. Researchers can use public accessible geo-tagged photos to map and analyze hotspots and tourist activities in various tourist attractions. This research studies geo-tagged Flickr photos collected from the Grand Canyon area within 12 months (2014/12/01–2015/11/30) using kernel density estimate (KDE) mapping, Exif (Exchangeable image file format) data, and dynamic time warping (DTW) methods. Different spatiotemporal movement patterns of tourists and popular points of interests (POIs) in the Grand Canyon area are identified and visualized in GIS maps. The frequency of Flickr’s monthly photos is similar (but not identical) to the actual tourist total numbers in the Grand Canyon. We found that winter tourists in the Grand Canyon explore fewer POIs comparing to summer tourists based on their Flickr data. Tourists using high-end cameras are more active and explore more POIs than tourists using smart phones photos. Weekend tourists are more likely to stay around the lodge area comparing to weekday tourists who have visited more remote areas in the park, such as the north of Pima Point. These tourist activities and spatiotemporal patterns can be used for the improvement of national park facility management, regional tourism, and local transportation plans.
Integrating lean systems in the design of a sustainable supply chain model

Abstract Lean based systems include several practices and tools that have the potential to facilitate an organization to be economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. The objective of this research is to integrate applications of lean systems in the design and planning model of a supply chain to improve sustainability performances of the overall business. The study defines and identifies antecedents, enablers, and ingredients of sustainable supply chain based on the literature. It also identifies practices and outcomes of Lean based systems that may be applied to supply chain functions in the perspectives of established sustainability criteria. Such practices and outcomes of lean based systems are then incorporated in the design of a sustainable supply chain to become enabler, antecedents or ingredients of sustainability to improve overall business performances. A numerical example illustrates the applicability of the approach.
Cummings, Merrill, and Borrelli’s Inquiry into Small Screen Use by Academic Library Users: Timing is Everything

A Review of: Cummings, J., Merrill, A., & Borrelli, S. (2010). The use of handheld mobile devices: Their impact and implications for library services. Library Hi Tech, (28)1, 22-40. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831011026670 Abstract Objective – The authors undertook this study to understand the relatively new phenomenon of handheld computing and the use of small-screen devices among academic library users. They sought to determine if users would be inclined to search the online library catalogue on their devices and, by extension, if there would be a growing demand for small-screen compatible library services. Design – Online and paper surveys were used with both closed and open questions. Respondents included students, faculty, and staff at Washington State University (WSU). Setting – Washington State University Library, Pullman, Washington, United States of America. Subjects – The survey was open to any user of the Washington State University (Pullman) Library. The 206 respondents included 126 (61.2%) undergraduates, 26 (12.6%) graduate or professional students, 32 (15.3%) WSU employees, and 15 (7.3%) faculty members. Methods – A survey was distributed both online and on paper. The online version used Surveymonkey.com and participation was solicited through various social media. It was open for three months during the Spring semester, 2007. The paper version was distributed to all library users on two days in June 2007. Eighty-four online and 122 paper responses were received. Main Results – Most of the respondents (58.4%) who owned a personal digital assistant (PDA) or Web-enabled cell phone (WECP) indicated that they would search the library catalogue on a small-screen device. Responses to the open question “How would you use the OPAC [online public access catalogue] if it was available on a PDA or WECP?” were mixed, both positive and negative. The positive responders noted the possible time savings associated with the availability of more information on their devices. The negative responders noted the cost of data, the annoyance of public phone use, and the complex format of the current catalogue that would not transfer to a small screen. Conclusion – The authors cited the growing usage trends in handheld devices, along with the willingness of current owners to use their devices, to predict an increase in usage of small screen searching. They speculated that further research should investigate how small screens would be used and what would that experience look like, rather than if patrons would use them.
Enrichment-triggered prodrug activation demonstrated through mitochondria-targeted delivery of doxorubicin and carbon monoxide

Controlled activation is a critical component in prodrug development. Here we report a concentration-sensitive platform approach for bioorthogonal prodrug activation by taking advantage of reaction kinetics. Using two ‘click and release’ systems, we demonstrate enrichment and prodrug activation specifically in mitochondria to demonstrate the principle of the approach. In both cases, the payload (doxorubicin or carbon monoxide) was released inside the mitochondrial matrix following the enrichment-initiated click reaction. Furthermore, mitochondria-targeted delivery yielded substantial augmentation of functional biological and therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo when compared to controls, which did not result in enrichment. This method is thus a platform for targeted drug delivery that is amenable to conjugation with a variety of molecules and is not limited to cell-surface delivery. Taken together, these two 'click and release' pairs clearly demonstrate the concept of enrichment-triggered drug release and the critical feasibility of treating clinically relevant diseases such as acute liver injury and cancer.
Optical system contamination: formation of films and droplets

Molecular film contamination is known to degrade the optical performance of space system components, including solar arrays and thermo-optical, second surface mirrors. In the form of a contaminant film, the resulting performance loss rate can be evaluated using traditional models for absorption and reflection. In recent years, however, some space-borne optical sensors have suffered severe and rapid performance degradation due to the formation of contaminant droplets that fog interior lenses, mirrors, and windows. Optical system analysts tasked with predicting the loss of throughput due to molecular film contamination have not addressed the impact of droplets in great depth. This paper investigates the conditions leading to the formation of films or droplets resulting from the outgassing products of typical spacecraft materials. A simplified view of surface energy and the wetting parameter are used to show that typical outgassed contaminants and optical substrates favor the formation of droplets. Therefore, analysis of throughput losses due to the scattering of droplets is critical. The droplets can be converted into films or extended islands when exposed to vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation. This observation shows why droplets are rarely observed on external thermal control mirrors and solar arrays but might be considered highly likely in a low-VUV environment.
A model of the effects of scopolamine on human memory performance

The effects of scopolamine on human memory function are simulated in a network model of the hippocampal formation, incorporating simplified simulations of neurons and synaptic connections. In this model, the dentate gyrus, CAI and CA3 maintain sparse representations of list items and their associated context allowing simulation of recognition and free recall. Blockade of cholinergic effects within this computational representation models the effects of scopolamine. This blockade of cholinergie effects impairs the encoding of new input patterns (as measured by delayed free recall), but not retrieval of previously learned patterns. Additionally, this cholinergic blockade has no significant effect on recognition tasks. The model also accomodates qualitative aspects of both the List Strength Effect and the List Length Effect.
Policy, Productivity, and Teacher Evaluation

Indeed, as we now see with painful clearness, we have, in the long run, for the maintenance of our pre-eminent industrial position in the world, nothing to depend on except the brains of our people. Public education has, therefore, insensibly come to be regarded not as a matter of philanthropy undertaken for the sake of the individual children benefited, but as a matter of national concern undertaken in the interest of the community as a whole. (Sidney Webb in London Education, 1904, quoted in Vaizey, 1962, p. 9)
A Pilot Arabic CCGbank

We describe a process for converting the Penn Arabic Treebank into the CCG formalism. Previous efforts have yielded CCGbanks in English, German, and Turkish, thus opening these languages to the sophisticated computational tools developed for CCG and enabling further cross-linguistic development. Conversion from a context free grammar treebank to a CCGbank is a four stage process: head finding, argument classification, binarization, and category conversion. In the process of implementing a basic CCGbank conversion algorithm, we reveal properties of Arabic grammar that interfere with conversion, such as subject topicalization, genitive constructions, relative clauses, and optional pronominal subjects. All of these problematic phenomena can be resolved in a variety of ways - we discuss advantages and disadvantages of each in their respective sections. We detail these and describe our categorial analysis of each of these Arabic grammatical phenomena in depth, as well as technical details on their integration into the conversion algorithm.
Engineered Polymer Nanoparticles with Unprecedented Antimicrobial Efficacy and Therapeutic Indices against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria and Biofilms

The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial "superbugs" with concomitant treatment failure and high mortality rates presents a severe threat to global health. The superbug risk is further exacerbated by chronic infections generated from antibiotic-resistant biofilms that render them refractory to available treatments. We hypothesized that efficient antimicrobial agents could be generated through careful engineering of hydrophobic and cationic domains in a synthetic semirigid polymer scaffold, mirroring and amplifying attributes of antimicrobial peptides. We report the creation of polymeric nanoparticles with highly efficient antimicrobial properties. These nanoparticles eradicate biofilms with low toxicity to mammalian cells and feature unprecedented therapeutic indices against red blood cells. Most notably, bacterial resistance toward these nanoparticles was not observed after 20 serial passages, in stark contrast to clinically relevant antibiotics where significant resistance occurred after only a few passages.
Playing the Festival Queen in Appalachia: Exploring the Influences of Local Culture on Classroom Play

ABSTRACTThis case study using ethnographic methods addresses how teachers shape cultural processes related to girlhoods, and the roles of children’s play in this dynamic. Poststructuralist theory of the carnival was used to analyze gendered, classed power dynamics within two rural Appalachian preschool classrooms influenced by a popular local festival. The findings indicate that the “feminist” approach to cultivating “good” girls for the community—those who could go to college to gain the capital to support men if needed (and thus the turbulent extractive industries)—did not always have “feminist” effects of equalizing gender roles. It masked a status quo that supported the domination by men and young boys over women and girls, including the classroom teachers and girls in this study. In addition, it supported the myth of the meritocracy and the role(s) of extractive economies in its construction, a narrative that continually excluded the working class from middle-class girls’ play spaces. The research su...
Layer by Layer deposition of CsPbI 3 perovskite: Device optimization and Characterization

Organometallic halide perovskites have emerged as a promising photovoltaic material achieving more than 22% power conversion efficiency. However, poor environmental and photo-stability still plague methyl ammonium based perovskites. Replacing the organic cation with an inorganic cation (Cs) have shown promising results. In this report, we have developed a layer-by-layer deposition technique for CsPbI 3 perovskite. A p-in- device architecture of ITO/ PTAA/ CsPbI 3 / PCBM/Al with power conversion efficiency of 10% was achieved by varying the molar ratios of CsI and PbI 2 and substrate temperature. We report the energy band gap and doping density of the CsPbI 3 perovskite.
Global CD uniformity improvement using dose modulation and pattern correction of pattern density-dependent and position-dependent errors

The specification of mask global CD uniformity (GCDU) is ever tightening. There is no exception at the 65-nm node. Some of the key contributors affecting GCD non-uniformity is pattern-density effects such as fogging effect from the e-beam writer and macro loading effect from the etcher. In addition, the contributions from position-dependent effects are significant, and these contributions included resist developing, baking, as well as aberrations of the wafer-imaging lens. It is challenging to quantify these effects and even more so to correct them to improve the GCDU. Correction of the fogging and etch loading effects had been reported by various authors. In addition to correction for these effects, we are reporting the position-dependent effects in this paper. Currently, the fogging effect induces 5 nm of CD error and an additional 5~15 nm of CD errors is induced by the etch-loading effect within a 60-mm radius area. We improved the GCDU by pattern-dependent corrections. Using position-dependent dose correction in mask writing, we managed to effectively compensate for intra-field non-uniformity on wafer, which is induced by lens aberrations and illumination non-uniformity.
Identifying Chicago's High Users of Police-Involved Emergency Services.

Objectives. To identify individuals at risk for behavioral health (BH)–involved encounters with police in Chicago, Illinois.Methods. We linked Chicago Police Department (CPD) arrest and Fire Depart...
Energy and CO2 implications of decarbonization strategies for China beyond efficiency: Modeling 2050 maximum renewable resources and accelerated electrification impacts

Abstract Energy efficiency has played an important role in helping China achieve its domestic and international energy and climate change mitigation targets, but more significant near-term actions to decarbonize are needed to help China and the world meet the Paris Agreement goals. Accelerating electrification and maximizing supply-side and demand-side renewable adoption are two recent strategies being considered in China, but few bottom-up modeling studies have evaluated the potential near-term impacts of these strategies across multiple sectors. To fill this research gap, we use a bottom-up national end-use model that integrates energy supply and demand systems and conduct scenario analysis to evaluate even lower CO2 emissions strategies and subsequent pathways for China to go beyond cost-effective efficiency and fuel switching. We find that maximizing non-conventional electric and renewable technologies can help China peak its national CO2 emissions as early as 2025, with significant additional CO2 emission reductions on the order of 7 Gt CO2 annually by 2050. Beyond potential CO2 reductions from power sector decarbonization, significant potential lies in fossil fuel displaced by renewable heat in industry. These results suggest accelerating the utilization of non-conventional electric and renewable technologies present additional CO2 reduction opportunities for China, but new policies and strategies are needed to change technology choices in the demand sectors. Managing the pace of electrification in tandem with the pace of decarbonization of the power sector will also be crucial to achieving CO2 reductions from the power sector in a scenario of increased electrification.
Towards membrane-electrode assembly systems for CO2 reduction: a modeling study

Membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) are an attractive cell design for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 because they exhibit low ohmic loss and high energy efficiency. We describe here the development and application of a multiphysics model to investigate the fundamental limitations of two MEA designs: one with gaseous feeds at both the anode and cathode (full-MEA), and the other with an aqueous anode feed (KHCO3 or KOH exchange solution) and a gaseous cathode feed (exchange-MEA). The total current density for the three cases follows the order: KOH-MEA > KHCO3-MEA > full-MEA. This trend is established by examining the distribution of the applied voltage. We show that the main charge-carrying species are carbonate anions for an MEA that uses an anion-exchange membrane (AEM). The amount of CO2 consumed but not converted to CO decreases with increasing current densities above 100 mA cm−2 for a full-MEA, but converges to 50% for exchange-MEAs. The full-MEA becomes limited by ohmic resistance as the membrane dehydrates with increasing cell temperature, and eventually becomes limited due to water mass transport. The exchange-MEAs can maintain membrane hydration and the local ion concentration at the anode, but are limited by salt precipitation at the cathode, as well as a higher tendency to flood. Finally, we explore the effects of temperature and discuss the possibility of increasing water supply to the full-MEA to improve its performance at elevated temperatures. The MEA model and the understanding of MEA performance for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 presented in this study should help guide the design of next-generation CO2 reduction cells.
Measurement of Theoretical Constructs for Health Behavior: Issues in Selecting and Developing Measures

Measurement theory and practice defines how well we can measure the most important constructs in the health behavior field. This article reviews the sequential process of measurement development that builds upon both theory and evidence, as well as building toward the future of measurement development. Some basic measurement theory and concepts are reviewed, including types of reliability and validity. The process of scale development and selection is described in some detail with clear advise for choosing measures and criteria for selecting items and scales. Finally two different examples of theory-based measurement development are described in detail: one of an alcohol expectancy scale grounded in Social Learning Theory, and the other of scales assessing confidence in remaining quit and temptation to smoke, grounded in the Transtheoretical model conceptualization of self efficacy. These examples illustrate two different ways that measurement development efforts can produce good scales, with different strengths. Finally, some future directions for the field are discussed within the context of health behavior measurement.