cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On an anytime algorithm for control

We present an algorithm to calculate the control input when the processing resources available are time-varying. The basic idea is to calculate the components of the control input vector sequentially, in order to maximally utilize the available processing resources at every time step. Alternatively, the algorithm can be viewed as using a sequence of increasingly complicated but accurate models of the process to refine the control input. For the LQG case, we provide analytical performance and stability expressions. For more general cases, we present a receding horizon control based implementation and indicate through numerical simulations that the increase in performance due to the proposed algorithm can be significant.
Lessons From Another Field: Applying Coteaching Strategies to Gifted Education

Because research has found that differentiation of instruction for gifted students does not typically occur within the general classroom, collaboration between gifted and general education teachers...
Distributed Field Estimation With Randomly Deployed, Noisy, Binary Sensors

The reconstruction of a bounded deterministic field from binary-quantized observations of sensors which are randomly deployed over the field domain is studied. The sensor observations are corrupted by bounded additive noise. The study focuses on the extremes of lack of deterministic control in the sensor deployment, lack of knowledge of the noise distribution, and lack of sensing precision and reliability. Such adverse conditions are motivated by possible real-world scenarios where a large collection of low-cost, crudely manufactured sensors are mass-deployed in an environment where little can be assumed about the ambient noise. A simple estimator that reconstructs the entire field from these unreliable, binary-quantized, noisy observations is proposed. Technical conditions for the almost sure and mean squared error (MSE) convergence of the estimate to the field, as the number of sensors tends to infinity, are derived and their implications are discussed. For finite-dimensional, bounded-variation, and Sobolev-differentiable function classes, specific MSE decay rates are derived.
Understanding the management of client perceived response time

Understanding and managing the response time of web services is of key importance as dependence on the World Wide Web continues to grow. We present Remote Latency-based Management (RLM), a novel server-side approach for managing pageview response times as perceived by remote clients, in real-time. RLM passively monitors server-side network traffic, accurately tracks the progress of page downloads and their response times in real-time, and dynamically adapts connection setup behavior and web page content as needed to meet response time goals. To manage client perceived pageview response times, RLM builds a novel event node model to guide the use of several techniques for manipulating the packet traffic in and out of a web server complex, including fast SYN and SYN/ACK retransmission, and embedded object removal and rewrite. RLM operates as a stand-alone appliance that simply sits in front of a web server complex, without any changes to existing web clients, servers, or applications. We have implemented RLM on an inexpensive, commodity, Linux-based PC and present experimental results that demonstrate its effectiveness in managing client perceived pageview response times on transactional e-commerce web workloads.
Commanding and reactive control of peripherals in the TMO programming scheme

Although high-level real-time distributed computing objects are generally written in forms independent of execution platforms, input and output (I/O) activities involving peripherals are inherently platform-dependent. Yet, writing parts of real-time objects for controlling peripherals should be done in forms compatible with the adopted real-time object programming styles. Basic issues are discussed in the context of an object-oriented real-time programming scheme called the time-triggered message-triggered object (TMO) programming scheme. A desirable goal here is to facilitate both commanding and reactive control of peripherals in TMOs in general forms while enabling relatively easy analysis of the timing behavior of such TMOs. This paper presents several techniques to meet these requirements.
Trait Mindfulness Predicts Attentional and Autonomic Regulation of Alcohol Cue-Reactivity.

The trait of mindfulness varies among meditation-naive individuals and is associated with attentional and autonomic regulation, two neurocognitive functions that become impaired in addiction. It was hypothesized that alcohol dependent inpatients with comparatively high levels of trait mindfulness would exhibit significant autonomic recovery from stress-primed alcohol cues mediated by greater attentional disengagement from such cues. Fifty-eight alcohol dependent inpatients participated in affect-modulated psychophysiological cue-reactivity protocol and a spatial cueing task designed to assess alcohol attentional bias (AB). Associations between trait mindfulness, alcohol AB, and an index of autonomic activity, high-frequency heart rate variability (HFHRV), were examined via multivariate path analysis. Higher trait mindfulness was significantly associated with less difficulty resisting the urge to drink and greater HFHRV recovery from stress-primed alcohol cues. After statistically controlling for the corre...
Regulating Transportation in New Nonattainment Areas Under the 8-Hour Ozone Standard

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promulgated a new National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone in July 1997, beginning a process that (after some litigation-induced delays) will soon lead to the designation of new nonattainment areas that will be subject to the transportation conformity regulations. The history of the 8-h ozone standard is reviewed, the process of designating the boundaries of new nonattainment areas is described, and the types and geographic locations of the new nonattainment areas are suggested. Drawing on previous research, the institutional challenges that will face the new and expanded nonattainment areas are explored. The experiences of Georgia, North Carolina, and Oklahoma in preparing for implementation of the new standard are presented. Finally, several recommendations for transportation agencies involved in implementing the new standards are given.
Nasopharyngeal Carriage of Respiratory Pathogens in Children Undergoing Pressure Equalization Tube Placement in the Era of Pneumococcal Protein Conjugate Vaccine Use

Objective: To define carriage of bacterial respiratory pathogens in children undergoing pressure equalization tube placement. Study Design: Nasopharyngeal cultures were performed during tube placement. Antibiotic susceptibilities and serotypes of pneumococci were determined. Results: Sixty-nine Streptococcus pneumoniae, 72 Haemophilus influenzae (41% β-lactamase positive), and 39 Moraxella catarrhalis (all β-lactamase positive) were isolated from 201 children. Overall, 42% of pneumococci were nonsusceptible to penicillin, and 34.8% were resistant to macrolides. In relation to the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, 17.4% were vaccine, 31.9% vaccine-related, and 50.7% nonvaccine serotypes. Conclusion: Twenty-five percent of children colonized with pneumococci carried antibiotic resistant nonvaccine serotypes rarely detected before the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, including serotype 19A isolates (7%) resistant to all oral agents tested and type 35B isolates (12%) nonsusceptible to penicillin and cefuroxime. Significance: Pneumococcal colonization suggests replacement of vaccine serotypes with vaccine related and nonvaccine serotypes, many of which are resistant to common oral antimicrobials.
Resolution Acuity is better than Vernier Acuity

Our impressive sensitivity to vernier offsets as compared to resolution acuity has long inspired vision researchers to study the phenomena in great detail. In this study we use the test-pedestal framework to compare resolution and vernier acuity. In these experiments the test stimulus is the same for both tasks, only the pedestals differ. When thresholds are expressed in common units of test strength, vernier acuity thresholds are higher (worse) than for resolution and contrast discrimination tasks over the range of pedestal strengths tested. This apparent reversal of sensitivity is actually consistent with expectations based on the presumed underlying visual mechanisms involved in the tasks.
Protection against heat-induced cell killing by alanine.

When L-alanine was added either to full growth medium or to Hanks″ balanced salt solution (HBSS) prior to hyperthermia, survival of heated cells was significantly increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Maximal heat protection was not immediate, but required at least 1 h at 37°C incubation prior to heating. Heat protection was principally reflected in an increased Dq on the 45°C survival curve; for example, with 100 mM L-alanine, the Dq increased from ≈20 (control) to 30 min at 45°C. Hyperthermia of 1 h at temperatures between 42°C and 45°C indicated that 100 mM alanine had shifted the isotoxic temperature by 0.5°C. Comparable heat protection was also observed with D-alanine and amino acid dimers, such as alanyl-alanine or alanyl-leucine. Leucine at similar concentrations by itself, without alanine, did not protect cells against heat killing, but increased cellular heat sensitivity. The data suggest that heat protection by alanine does not require incorporation of alanine into cellular protein, but...
Redescription of the Late Cretaceous (late Santonian) ammonite Desmoscaphites bassleri Reeside, 1927, from the Western Interior of North America

The Late Cretaceous scaphitid ammonite Desmoscaphites bassleri Reeside, 1927, is redescribed based on newly collected material from Montana. This species is an important index fossil and demarcates the uppermost Santonian in the U.S. Western Interior. It is widely distributed and extends from Alberta to New Mexico, primarily along the western margin of the Interior Seaway. The adult shell is moderately stout and closely coiled, with small ventrolateral tubercles on the body chamber. Microconchs are smaller than macroconchs but otherwise similar in morphology. There is an abrupt change in ornamentation on the late juvenile whorls from coarse, widely spaced ribs to threadlike, more closely spaced ribs, with a pronounced sinuosity. The ribs later become more widely spaced on the shaft of the body chamber and more closely spaced again near the aperture. The early whorls are characterized by constrictions, which represent flexures in the shell wall. The constrictions first appear at a shell diameter of approximately 3 mm and occur regularly thereafter at intervals of 65–90° up to a shell diameter of approximately 15 mm. The suture is characterized by a trifid first lateral lobe. This lobe does not pass through an asymmetrically bifid stage during ontogenetic development.
Calculation of pull-in voltages for carbon-nanotube-based nanoelectromechanical switches

We study the pull-in voltage characteristics of several nanotube electromechanical switches, such as double-wall carbon nanotubes suspended over a graphitic ground electrode. We propose parametrized continuum models for three coupled energy domains: the elastostatic energy domain, the electrostatic energy domain and the van der Waals energy domain. We compare the accuracy of the continuum models with atomistic simulations. Numerical simulations based on continuum models closely match the experimental data reported for carbon-nanotube-based nanotweezers. An analytical expression, based on a lumped model, is derived to compute the pull-in voltage of cantilever and fixed-fixed switches. We investigate the significance of van der Waals interactions in the design of nanoelectromechanical switches.
Validation of the General Attitude and Belief Scale

The purpose of this study was to provide further validational information on the General Attitude and Belief Scale (e.g., DiGiuseppe, Leaf, Exner & Robin, 1988). Particular interest was in determining further the factor structure of the General Attitude and Belief Scale as confirming REBT theory concerning the nature of irrational thinking. A sample of 236 males and 490 females drawn from a variety of populations completed the General Attitude and Belief Scale as well as a number of cross-validational measures (Spielberger's Trait Anxiety, Curiosity and Anger Scales, Spielberger's Anger Expression Scale, Beck's Depression Inventory (short-form) and Diener's Life Satisfaction Scale). A second sample of 18 couples receiving on-going marriage counselling and 43 couples not receiving counselling also completed the General Attitude and Belief Scale. A principal factors analysis yielded one factor of rationality and six irrationality factors (need for achievement, need for approval, demands for fairness, need for comfort, self-downing and other-downing). Significant correlations were obtained between the seven sub-scales of the General Attitude and Belief Scale and cross-validational measures. The clinical group of distressed couples scored lower in rationality and higher on three of the six sub-scales of irrationality. The findings support the continued use of the General Attitude and Belief Scale as a research instrument and of value to practitioners.
“Green Is the New Black”: Celebrity Chic and the “Green” Commodity Fetish

AbstractIn the April 2006 “Green” issue of Vanity Fair, the editor, Graydon Carter, declared “Green Is the New Black.” Fashion designers, such as Giorgio Armani, Oscar de la Renta, Stella McCartney, Betsey Johnson, and Todd Oldman are creating ecofashions for the runways, boutiques, mass markets, and especially for celebrities. Current eco-conscious designers create ecofashions far different than the stereotypical images of “eco-dress,” such as rope sandals, tie-dye T-shirt, and hemp cargo pants established in the 1960s and often associated with the Hippie subculture that represented anti-fashion and empowered the wearer visual cues of his/her sociopolitical ideals and values associated with animal and human rights, and environmental issues. As a result, stereotypical eco-dress functioned as a “green” commodity fetish imbued with “magical” value that reflected the eco-conscious lifestyle.The introduction of current ecofashions challenges these understood stereotypical images and identities, especially amo...
Incommensurability and Alterity in Contemporary Jurisprudence

The argument and purpose of this comment will be to cross-pollinate value incommensurability theory and Levinasian deconstruction so as to begin to develop a social and legal theory that (1) is motivated by an ethical commitment to the irreducibility of human subjects, institutions, and goods and (2) negotiates between those incommensurable subjects and values through democratic procedural mechanisms. This hybridization of the two schools of thought will provide ethical grounding for legal incommensurability theorists, and political grounding for Levinasian critical theory.
Survival of the Neonatal Calf

Factors that influence passive transfer of immunoglobulins from colostrum to the calf include timing of colostrum intake, immunoglobulin concentration of the colostrum, presence of the dam, season, and individual calf variation in efficiency of absorption. This article describes a study conducted to determine the effect of body condition at calving and calving difficulty on calf vigor and calf serum immunoglobulin concentrations, and to determine the relationship of calf serum immunoglobulin concentration and calf growth at weaning.
Pathogen analysis in a case of food poisoning caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Objective To use pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE)to analyze microbial strains responsible for food poisoning in order to provide evidence of the cause of the poisoning and trace its origins. Methods Samples were collected from patients,food preparers,the environment,and retained food in order to isolate and identify the pathogen responsible.Isolated strains were analyzed using PFGE. Results In total,137 samples were collected.Eleven strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus were detected in these samples;5were from patients,3were from cooks,1was from raw scallops,and 2were from a lobster pool and a mandarinfish pool.With the exception of 1strain from a patient sample,the similarity of the remaining 10 strains was 60%.The similarity of the 10 strains to Vibrio parahaemolyticus was 100%Conclusion Molecular subtyping by PFGE can indicate the epidemiological relationships among microbial strains,providing molecular epidemiological evidence with which to analyze the cause and trace the source of outbreaks.
DNA methylation in hematopoietic development and disease

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that can have profound and widespread effects on gene expression and on cellular fate and function. Recent work has indicated that DNA methylation plays a critical role in hematopoietic development and hematopoietic disease. DNA methyltransferases and Ten-eleven translocation enzymes are required to add and remove methyl "marks" from DNA, respectively, and both sets of genes have been found necessary for proper formation and maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells and for differentiation of downstream hematopoietic lineages during development. DNA methylation and demethylation enzymes have also been implicated in hematopoietic disorders such as acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. Here, we review some of the recent literature regarding the role of DNA methylation in hematopoietic health and disease.
Weighted Variable Fuzzy Safety Assessment Method Based on Fuzzy Entropy and Its Application

The essence of variable fuzzy assessment was multi-model combination assessment.Base on the analysis of variable fuzzy assessment method,for the shortfall of variable fuzzy assessment method,a variable fuzzy assessment method considering the model weight was presented.Firstly the synthesized relative membership degree of samples was calculated by variable fuzzy assessment model.Then the weight of models is calculated by improved two element contrasting method base on fuzzy entropy.Further composite rank feature value was obtained,and made assessment.Finally a practical example of risk assessment of coal and gas outburst was given to show the effectiveness of the research in appUcation.The results show that improved method is feasible,effective and more objective.
Effects of barbital on amino acid metabolism in Escherichia coli.

Barbital (0.02 M) inhibits growth of E. coli B in a glycerol medium. The inhibition is partially overcome by addition of amino acids. L-Alanine oxidation by intact cells is inhibited by barbital, but washed cells previously grown in barbital have an enhanced ability to oxidize alanine. The same effects are seen with cell-free extracts. Barbital does not inhibit alanine uptake or pyruvate oxidation. Conversion of L-alanine to pyruvate is apparently accomplished by alanine racemase and a D-alanine oxidase. Barbital inhibits the latter competitively, but has no direct effect on the racemase. Cells grown in barbital have increased racemase and D-alanine oxidase activity. Both enzymes are also induced by L-alanine. This E. coli system is considered as a model for studying effects of prolonged drug administration, such as the development of tolerance, addiction, and the withdrawal syndrome. It is proposed that enzyme inhibition by a drug may be followed by derepression of synthesis of the same enzyme. The resulting increase in amount of the enzyme, despite its partial inhibition, could restore normal enzyme activity. Withdrawal symptoms could appear when the derepressed enzyme is suddenly released from drug inhibition. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This investigation was supported by Public Health Service research grants No. CA02797, from the National Cancer Institute (to Avram Goldstein), and No. AM08431, from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases (to D. B. Goldstein).
Weaving Peripheral Interaction Within Habitable Architectures

As researchers and practitioners seek to operationalize peripheral interaction, many key questions remain unresolved. Where might such technologically mediated interventions best be deployed? What might they look like? How might such deployments age and evolve through time? Toward engaging these questions, one path is to consider related exemplars from centuries past and use these to inform forward-looking prototypes and envisionments. With an eye toward the future of peripheral interaction and as description of our particular trajectory, we begin by reflecting on early “tangible bits” peripheral interaction experiences. We follow these with ancient examples from the walls of Lascaux, Ur, and Babylon. Drawing from these inspirations, we illustrate and discuss three grounding envisionments upon the halls and walls of habitable spaces.
What Are Intuitions

One apparently distinctive feature of current methodology in the broad tradition known as “analytic philosophy” is the appeal to intuition. Crude rationalists postulate a special knowledge- generating faculty of rational intuition. Crude empiricists regard “intuition” as an obscurantist term for folk prejudice, a psychological or social phenomenon that cannot legitimately constrain truth-directed inquiry. Linguistic or conceptual philosophers treat intuitions more sympathetically as the deliverances of linguistic or conceptual competence.... [T]he common assumption of philosophical exceptionalism is false. Even the distinction between the a priori and the a posteriori turns out to obscure underlying similarities. Although there are real methodological differences between philosophy and the other sciences, as actually practiced, they are less deep than is often supposed. In particular, so-called intuitions are simply [armchair] judgments (or dispositions to [armchair] judgment); neither their content nor the cognitive basis on which they are made need be distinctively philosophical.
Look to the earth: the search for ritual in the context of mound construction

In North America mound research traditionally focuses on how these earthen structures functioned -- as mortuary facilities, ceremonial platforms, observatories, and the residences of political elites and/or ritual practitioners. This paper acknowledges mound building as the purposeful selection of soils and sediments for specific color, texture, or engineering properties and the organization of deposits suggesting that the building process reflects both shared knowledge and communicates specific information. We present two examples: Late Archaic period Poverty Point site Mound A, and Mississippian period Shiloh site Mound A, in the exploration of structured deposits to identify ritual in contrast to a more mundane or purely practical origin. We argue the building of these earthen monuments was not only architecturally important as a means to serve a subsequent purpose but that the act of construction itself was a ritual process intended to serve its own religious and social purposes. In these contexts, ritual does much more than communicate underlying social relationships; it is instrumental to their production.
Gemeinschaftsgrundrechte im harmonisierten Steuerrecht

Der Topos „Europaisches Primarrecht und mitgliedstaatliches Steuerrecht“ weckt meist Assoziationen an die Implikationen von Grundfreiheiten und Beihilfeverbot im Recht der direkten Steuern. Daneben besteht aber noch ein zweites bedeutsames Einfallstor fur eine primarrechtliche Einwirkung auf das nationale Steuerrecht: Die Bindung des Richtliniengebers und der Mitgliedstaaten an die allgemeinen Rechtsgrundsatze und namentlich die Gemeinschaftsgrundrechte im Bereich des harmonisierten Steuerrechts. Der nachfolgende Beitrag beleuchtet die Bedeutung von Gleichheits- und Freiheitsrechten fur die Auslegung und Gultigkeitsprufung der einschlagigen Richtlinien sowie der nationalen Umsetzungs- und Vollzugsakte. Er nimmt ferner kritisch Stellung zum Konkurrenzverhaltnis zwischen nationalen und Gemeinschaftsgrundrechten und den sich daraus ergebenden Folgerungen fur den gerichtlichen Rechtsschutz.
ON THE SPECIES OF OCYPUS LEACH OF THE CARPATHIAN BASIN WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SPECIES OF ROMANIA (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE: STAPHYLININAE: STAPHYLININI)

Material of the genus Ocypus Leach from the Carpathian Basin, mainly from Romania, is studied. Fourteen Ocypus species are certainly present for the Romanian fauna. Ocypus serotinus (Adam, 1992), previously considered a nomen dubium, represents a distinct species. The male genitalia of 12 species are illustrated. A diagnostic key and a catalogue are provided for the Ocypus species of Romania. The distributions of 13 species in Romania are mapped. The distribution in the Carpathian Basin is given for Ocypus kuntzeni (G. Muller), O. tenebricosus (Gravenhorst), O. biharicus (G. Muller), O. macrocephalus (Gravenhorst) and O. ormayi (Reitter).
The role of RNase H2 in processing ribonucleotides incorporated during DNA replication

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNase H2 resolves RNA-DNA hybrids formed during transcription and it incises DNA at single ribonucleotides incorporated during nuclear DNA replication. To distinguish between the roles of these two activities in maintenance of genome stability, here we investigate the phenotypes of a mutant of yeast RNase H2 ( rnh201-RED ; ribonucleotide excision defective) that retains activity on RNA-DNA hybrids but is unable to cleave single ribonucleotides that are stably incorporated into the genome. The rnh201-RED mutant was expressed in wild type yeast or in a strain that also encodes a mutant allele of DNA polymerase e ( pol2-M644G ) that enhances ribonucleotide incorporation during DNA replication. Similar to a strain that completely lacks RNase H2 ( rnh201 Δ), the pol2-M644G rnh201-RED strain exhibits replication stress and checkpoint activation. Moreover, like its null mutant counterpart, the double mutant pol2-M644G rnh201-RED strain and the single mutant rnh201-RED strain delete 2–5 base pairs in repetitive sequences at a high rate that is topoisomerase 1-dependent. The results highlight an important role for RNase H2 in maintaining genome integrity by removing single ribonucleotides incorporated during DNA replication.
A Public Health of Consequence: Review of the January 2017 Issue of AJPH.

An introduction is presented in which the authors discuss various reports within the journal on topics including the impact of poverty on health outcomes and the social conditions in America's poorest and wealthiest counties, behavioral interventions, and U.S. public health spending.
SANS Evidence of Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation Leading to Inversion of Crystallization Rate of Broadly Distributed Random Ethylene Copolymers

Aiming to understand the inversion of crystallization kinetics observed by DSC, detailed SANS investigations of the melt structure of a broadly distributed ethylene–1-hexene copolymer have been undertaken in a wide range of temperatures that were reached either by heating the solid or cooling from the homogeneous melt state. In both cases, the observed SANS signal transitions from a scattering cross section consistent with a homogeneous melt state (high temperature range) to an intensity that in the low Q region displays the characteristics of the Porod region for particles dispersed in a homogeneous matrix (low melt temperature range). The latter structure is consistent with demixing of the highly branched molecules and corroborates the postulated liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) as an explanation for the peculiar crystallization kinetics observed by DSC. The solution temperature is found at 160 °C by heating the solid and at 150 °C when cooling from the one-phase melt, thus denoting the effect of c...
Multiple Parallel Mass Spectrometry for Liquid Chromatography

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI), and electrospray ionization (ESI) have gained widespread popularity to couple liquid chromatography to mass spectrometry (MS). APCI-MS and APPI-MS produce similar mass spectra, whereas ESI-MS produces mostly adduct ions useful for further MS/MS, unless some energy is provided to induce up-front collision-induced dissociation. Because of the complementary nature of these atmospheric pressure ionization (API) techniques, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of publications describing either sequential analyses using two or more API techniques, combination sources allowing more than one API technique, or multiple API techniques used simultaneously in parallel, which is the topic of this chapter. Benefits, drawbacks, and special considerations for each API technique are discussed, and examples of quadruple parallel MS (LC1/MS4) are discussed. Finally, an example is provided to demonstrate use of four mass spectrometers as detectors in a comprehensive LC × LC experiment, for LC2/MS4 or LC1/MS2 × LC1/MS2.
“Challenge Me!”: Using Confirmation Theory to Understand Coach Confirmation as an Effective Coaching Behavior

Confirmation theory is a theoretical framework that forwards that the communication of acceptance and challenge to recipients promotes prosocial environments that foster positive affect, attitudes,...
A phase I study of intravenous artesunate in patients with advanced solid tumor malignancies.

The artemisinin class of anti-malarial drugs has shown significant anti-cancer activity in pre-clinical models. Proposed anti-cancer mechanisms include DNA damage, inhibition of angiogenesis, TRAIL-mediated apoptosis, and inhibition of signaling pathways. We performed a phase I study to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of intravenous artesunate (IV AS). Patients were enrolled in an accelerated titration dose escalation study with planned dose levels of 8, 12, 18, 25, 34 and 45 mg/kg given on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. Toxicities were assessed using the NCI CTCAE (ver. 4.0), and response was assessed using RECIST criteria (version 1.1). Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies were performed during cycle 1. A total of 19 pts were enrolled, 18 of whom were evaluable for toxicity and 15 were evaluable for efficacy. DLTs were seen at dosages of 12 (1 of 6 patients), 18 (1 of 6) and 25 mg/kg (2 of 2), and were neutropenic fever (Gr 4), hypersensitivity reaction (Gr 3), liver function test abnormalities (Gr 3/4) along with neutropenic fever, and nausea/vomiting (Gr 3) despite supportive care. The MTD was determined to be 18 mg/kg. No responses were observed, while four patients had stable disease, including three with prolonged stable disease for 8, 10, and 11 cycles, for a disease control rate of 27%. PK parameters of AS and its active metabolite, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), correlated with dose. The MTD of intravenous artesunate is 18 mg/kg on this schedule. Treatment was well tolerated. Modest clinical activity was seen in this pre-treated population. NCT02353026.
Examination of CEO–CFO social interaction through language style matching: Outcomes for the CFO and the organization.

This study proposes that CEO-CFO language style matching (LSM)—a form of unconscious verbal mimicry based on function words—can provide insights into social interaction processes between CEOs and CFOs. We argue and empirically verify that high CEO-CFO LSM reflects CFOs’ strong attempts to ingratiate CEOs. Because ingratiation of superiors can lead to the superiors’ positive evaluations of subordinates, CFOs who exhibit higher LSM with CEOs will receive higher compensation and are more likely to become board members of the associated firms. In addition, the proposed relationships will be stronger when CEOs are more powerful. Yet, in the presence of high CEO-CFO LSM, CFOs are less likely to voice different viewpoints and challenge CEOs in strategic decision processes. As a result, firms tend to undertake more mergers and acquisitions (M&As), and such M&As will be paid with a low percentage of cash (vs. stock) and realize lower announcement returns. Using a sample of over 2,000 U.S. firms in 2002-2013, we fi...
Development of Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex Function in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Objective Abnormal engagement of the posterior medial frontal cortex (pMFC) occurs during performance monitoring in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including in pediatric patients. Yet, the development of pMFC function in OCD-affected youth remains poorly understood. Method A total of 69 patients with pediatric OCD and 72 healthy controls (HC), 8 to 19 years of age, were scanned during the Multisource Interference Task (MSIT). The effects of group, age, performance, and interactions on pMFC response to errors and interference were tested in the region of interest [ROI]) and whole-brain analyses. Secondary analyses considered bilateral anterior insula/frontal operculum (aI/fO), given the contribution of these regions with pMFC to a cingulo-opercular network (CON) for task control (e.g., error and interference processing). Results Error-related pMFC activity was greater for OCD patients than for HC, increased with age in OCD patients, but decreased with age in HC. Greater pMFC activation associated with better performance in HC but not OCD patients. In the patients, greater pMFC activation to errors was associated with lower OCD severity. Altered error-related activation and performance associations were also observed in the right aI/fO in OCD patients, whereas the left aI/fO response to interference was associated with lower OCD severity. Conclusion Atypical increase in error-related pMFC activation with age in pediatric OCD suggests altered development of pMFC function during the early course of illness. Greater pMFC activation with better performance in HC, and with age and lower symptom severity in OCD patients, suggests an adaptive function of heightened pMFC response to errors that could be further enhanced (e.g., via cognitive training) to improve outcomes in OCD from the early course of illness.
Training Needs of Agricultural Extension Agents in Delta State, Nigeria

This study examined the training needs of agricultural extension agents in Delta State, Nigeria. A sample of 102 respondents was drawn from extension agents in the States’ Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MANR) and the FADAMA Programme. Data were collected in February 2017 by using a structured and validated questionnaire. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Mean scores, percentage, frequency count and standard deviation were used to summarize data, while Spearman Rank Order correlation coefficient (rho) was used to determine the relationship between competence and training needs of extension agents. Results reveal that extension agents are competent in the following professional skills: teaching farmers, public speaking, determination of farmers’ needs and planning extension programmes. It was also found that extension agents need training in some professional skills which include: production of teaching aids, planning excursion and field trips, providing market information and simplifying agricultural research results. Constraints to training of agricultural extension agents identified by the study include: poor funding, high cost of training, poor training incentives and limited training opportunities. A strong relationship was found between extension agents’ competence and their training needs. This study therefore recommends that training opportunities should be created by relevant agencies to enable extension agents improve their competence and performance. Also, constraints to training identified in this study should be tackled to allow for sustainable training programmes.
Imaging of electrical activity in small diameter fibers of the murine peripheral nerve with virally-delivered GCaMP6f

Current neural interfaces are hampered by lack of specificity and selectivity for neural interrogation. A method that might improve these interfaces is an optical peripheral nerve interface which communicates with individual axons via optogenetic reporters. To determine the feasibility of such an interface, we delivered the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6f to the mouse peripheral nerve by intramuscular injection of adenoassociated viral vector (AAV1) under the control of the CAG (chicken beta actin- cytomegalovirus hybrid promoter). Small diameter axons in the common peroneal nerve were transduced and demonstrated electrically inducible calcium transients ex vivo. Responses to single electrical stimuli were resolvable, and increasing the number of stimuli resulted in a monotonic increase in maximum fluorescence and a prolongation of calcium transient kinetics. This work demonstrates the viability of using a virally-delivered, genetically-encoded calcium indicator to read-out from peripheral nerve axons.
Induction of c-Fos mRNA in rat lymphoma Nb-2 cells

Cyclosporin A, immunosuppressive agent, reversibly blocks the mitogenic effect of prolactin in rat lymphoma Nb-2 cells and removal from the medium leads to a rapid and transient induction of c-fos mRNA. Activators of protein kinase C, such as TPA, mellitin and phospholipase C and the calcium ionophore, A23187, induced c-fos mRNA in the presence or absence of cyclosporin A. Activators of the cAMP pathway such as forskolin, dBcAMP and cholera toxin failed to induce c-fos mRNA in the presence or absence of cyclosporin A. These results suggest that cyclosporin A may act at the level of protein kinase C.
Severe hypokalemia with cardiac arrest as an unusual manifestation of alcoholism.

Introduction: Unhealthy use of alcohol can be associated with serious adverse events. Patients with alcoholism and malnutrition are at high risk for electrolyte disturbances, commonly hypokalemia. ...
A Motion Planning Approach for Marsupial Robotic Systems

This paper outlines an algorithmic approach for the automatic coordination and planning of heterogeneous multi-robot teams. Specifically, this work addresses the marsupial-based subset of multi-robot teams, where “carrier” robots transport and deploy “passenger” robots. The approach starts with a high-level watershed segmentation of the world to determine the free-space regions accessible by each robot in the team. Topological graph planning then decides the high-level motion plan for each robot between these free-space regions. Finally, a low-level path planner generates optimized, dynamically-feasible trajectories for each robot along the topological path. The performance of the approach is evaluated in simulation and through hardware experiments.
Dependency-based Text Graphs for Keyphrase and Summary Extraction with Applications to Interactive Content Retrieval.

We build a bridge between neural network-based machine learning and graph-based natural language processing and introduce a unified approach to keyphrase, summary and relation extraction by aggregating dependency graphs from links provided by a deep-learning based dependency parser. We reorganize dependency graphs to focus on the most relevant content elements of a sentence, integrate sentence identifiers as graph nodes and after ranking the graph, we extract our keyphrases and summaries from its largest strongly-connected component. We take advantage of the implicit structural information that dependency links bring to extract subject-verb-object, is-a and part-of relations. We put it all together into a proof-of-concept dialog engine that specializes the text graph with respect to a query and reveals interactively the document's most relevant content elements. The open-source code of the integrated system is available at this https URL . Keywords: graph-based natural language processing, dependency graphs, keyphrase, summary and relation extraction, query-driven salient sentence extraction, logic-based dialog engine, synergies between neural and symbolic processing.
Multiparametric MRI-guided high-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy with focal dose boost to dominant intraprostatic lesions

The use of multiparametric MRI (mp-MRI) can reliably identify dominant intra-prostatic lesions (DILs) within prostate cancer. Dose escalation to DILs using high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy may improve tumor control probability. In this study, we retrospectively investigated a total of 17 patients treated by HDR prostate brachytherapy, each of whom has mp-MRI and CT images acquired pre-treatment. 21 DILs were contoured based on mp-MRI and propagated to CT images after registration using a newly developed deformable image registration method. A boost plan was created for each patient and optimized on the original needle pattern. In addition, separate plans were generated using a virtually implanted needle around the DIL in order to simulate mp-MRI guided needle placement. Both plans were optimized to maximize DIL V150 coverage while meeting OAR sparing constraints. DIL V150, prostate coverage, and OAR sparing were compared with original plan results. Overall, optimized boost plans significantly escalate dose to DILs while meeting OAR constraints. The addition of mp-MRI guided virtual needles facilitate increased coverage of DIL volumes, achieving a V150 <90% in 85% of DILs compared with 57% of boost plan without an additional needle. These results strongly indicate that the proposed mp-MRI guided DIL boost in HDR brachytherapy is feasible without violating OAR constraints. This retrospective study suggests the use of mp-MRI-defined DIL to optimize needle placement through the deformable MRI-ultrasound registration in the operating room may represent a strategy to personalize treatment delivery and improve tumor control.
Mechanical Pre-treatments Evaluation of Cattle Manure Before Anaerobic Digestion

Pre-treatments are often applied in anaerobic digestion in order to improve the performance of the process: increased methane yield and rate. Physical pretreatments are the most commonly used for anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste. The main purpose of this work was to evaluate the effects of different lab-scale mechanical pretreatments on cattle manure. Three mechanical pre-treatments were sequentially applied to cattle manure: shredding, mixing and blending. An original set of analytical procedures was performed before and after mechanical pretreatments, in order to assess physical, chemical and biological properties of the feedstock. Thus, shredding and mixing pre-treatments were not significantly efficient in terms of methane production yield and rate. In contrast, methane production rate increased with blending treatment, and methane yield was slightly improved as well. An increase of soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) was also reported with blending pretreatment. The reduction of particle size was mainly between 31.5 and 4 mm for all pretreatments and it led to an increase of water retention capacity of the cattle manure. Therefore, mechanical pre-treatments do not only affect the biochemical characteristics of agricultural waste. It also influences its structure and reactivity. In this context, blending pretreatment showed as the most performant pretreatment among the evaluated pretreatments with an increase of 18% on methane rate and a higher COD solubilisation.
Transvaginal surgery in treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy

Objective To explore the clinical value of transvaginal surgery observing its curative effect for cesarean scar pregnancy. Methods The clinical data of 26 cases of cesarean scar pregnancy diagnosed and treated at our hospital from January, 2013 to May, 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients had the history of cesarean section and were treated by surgery. Among which, 15 cases were treated by trans-vaginal surgery and the other 11 cases by laparoscopic surgery. The curative effects of the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results The operation time, bleeding volume, hospital stay, and hospitalization expense were better in the transvaginal group than in the laparoscopic group [ (55.6±7.8) min (117.0±28.2) min, (120±36.4) ml vs. (254.5±85.0) ml, (4.3±0.82) d vs. (5.6±0.92) d, (8 388.5±1 190.4) vs. yuan (10 281.2±562.4) yuan], with statistical differences (all P<0.05). Conclusions Transvaginal surgery in the treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy is more effective and suitable for primary hospitals than laparoscopic surgery. Key words: Transvaginal surgery; Cesarean scar pregnancy; Curative effect
Synthesis, Photophysics, and Reverse Saturable Absorption of trans-Bis-cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes (C^N^C)Ir(R-tpy)+ (tpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-Terpyridine) with Broadband Excited-State Absorption

Extending the bandwidth of triplet excited-state absorption in transition-metal complexes is appealing for developing broadband reverse saturable absorbers. Targeting this goal, five bis-terdentate...
Assessment of tumor treatment response using active contrast encoding (ACE)-MRI: Comparison with conventional DCE-MRI.

Purpose To investigate the validity of contrast kinetic parameter estimates from Active Contrast Encoding (ACE)-MRI against those from conventional Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced (DCE)-MRI for evaluation of tumor treatment response in mouse tumor models. Methods The ACE-MRI method that incorporates measurement of T1 and B1 into the enhancement curve washout region, was implemented on a 7T MRI scanner to measure tracer kinetic model parameters of 4T1 and GL261 tumors with treatment using bevacizumab and 5FU. A portion of the same ACE-MRI data was used for conventional DCE-MRI data analysis with a separately measured pre-contrast T1 map. Tracer kinetic model parameters, such as Ktrans (permeability area surface product) and ve (extracellular space volume fraction), estimated from ACE-MRI were compared with those from DCE-MRI, in terms of correlation and Bland-Altman analyses. Results A three-fold increase of the median Ktrans by treatment was observed in the flank 4T1 tumors by both ACE-MRI and DCE-MRI. In contrast, the brain tumors did not show a significant change by the treatment in either ACE-MRI or DCE-MRI. Ktrans and ve values of the tumors from ACE-MRI were strongly correlated with those from DCE-MRI methods with correlation coefficients of 0.92 and 0.78, respectively, for the median values of 17 tumors. The Bland-Altman plot analysis showed a mean difference of -0.01 min-1 for Ktrans with the 95% limits of agreement of -0.12 min-1 to 0.09 min-1, and -0.05 with -0.37 to 0.26 for ve. Conclusion The tracer kinetic model parameters estimated from ACE-MRI and their changes by treatment closely matched those of DCE-MRI, which suggests that ACE-MRI can be used in place of conventional DCE-MRI for tumor progression monitoring and treatment response evaluation with a reduced scan time.
Certain L^2-norm and Asymptotic bounds of Whittaker Function for GL(n)

Whittaker functions of $GL(n, \mathbb R)$ , are most known for its role in the Fourier-Whittaker expansion of cusp forms. Their behavior in the Siegel set, in large, is well-understood. In this paper, we insert into the literature some potentially useful properties of Whittaker function over the group $GL(n, \mathbb R)$ and the mirobolic group $P_n$. We proved the square integrabilty of the Whittaker functions with respect to certain measures, extending a theorem of Jacquet and Shalika . For principal series representations, we gave various asymptotic bounds of smooth Whittaker functions over the whole group $GL(n, \mathbb R)$. Due to the lack of good terminology, we use whittaker functions to refer to $K$-finite or smooth vectors in the Whittaker model.