cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partitioning of spreading sequences for increased minimum distance using CPFSK modulation

By using continuous-phase frequency shift keying (CPFSK) in a direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) system, and by partitioning the spreading sequence so that differing patterns of plus and minus chips are multiplied onto successive data bits, the net phase change will differ from bit to bit, giving an apparent variation in modulation index similar to multi-h CPFSK. This gives similar coding gain effects as multi-h CPFSK when maximum-likelihood sequence detection is used. Improved probability of error performance in terms of increased minimum distance has been demonstrated when the spreading sequence of a CDMA system is properly overlaid on outgoing data bits in the CPFSK modulation scheme. At the best modulation index observed, h=5/7, a computer search shows /spl sim/1.4-dB advantage over binary phase shift keying, and a /spl sim/0.6-dB advantage over the best fixed-h CPFSK.
Invasion biology of thrips.

▪ Abstract Thrips are among the stealthiest of insect invaders due to their small size and cryptic habits. Many invasive thrips are notorious for causing extensive crop damage, vectoring viral diseases, and permanently destabilizing IPM systems owing to irruptive outbreaks that require remediation with insecticides, leading to the development of insecticide resistance. Several challenges surface when attempting to manage incursive thrips species. Foremost among these is early recognition, followed by rapid and accurate identification of emergent pest species, elucidation of the region of origin, development of a management program, and the closing of conduits for global movement of thrips. In this review, we examine factors facilitating invasion by thrips, damage caused by these insects, pre- and post-invasion management tactics, and challenges looming on the horizon posed by invasive Thysanoptera, which continually challenge the development of sustainable management practices.
Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Cells Respond to Chlamydia trachomatis in the Genital Mucosa

Following sexual transmission, Chlamydia trachomatis specifically targets genital tract epithelial cells. Because epithelial cells are readily recognized by CD8 + T cells, the response of CD8 + T cells to Chlamydia infection has been explored in a number of studies. It has been shown that CD8 + T cells are present in the genital tracts of mice following C. trachomatis infection, but the specificity of these T cells has remained undefined. To determine whether Chlamydia -specific CD8 + T cells migrate to the genital tract in response to Chlamydia infection, we generated retrogenic mice that express a TCR specific for a Chlamydia -specific T cell Ag CrpA. T cells from the retrogenic mice were transferred into naive recipient animals to increase the frequency of Chlamydia -specific T cells to a level at which they could be tracked during primary infection. We observed that the Chlamydia -specific retrogenic T cells proliferated in lymph nodes draining the genital tract in response to genital infection with C. trachomatis . Furthermore, we found that these cells acquired the ability to produce IFN-γ and migrated into the genital mucosa of the infected mice.
Equal-intensity map texture modeling for natural scene segmentation

For accurate segmentation of natural scenes, there is a need for powerful, yet simple, color and texture models. Many of the existing segmentation techniques are able to segment homogeneous color scenes as well as the textured images. Despite their computational power, these methods require the estimation of model parameters that are usually difficult to obtain. We propose a simple, yet effective, image model that can efficiently describe natural textures for color scene segmentation and, in turn, be utilized in texture synthesis.
Evidence for alkane coordination to an electron-rich uranium center.

A series of five uranium−alkane complexes of the general formula [(ArO)3tacn)U(alkane)]·(cy-alkane) has been synthesized and crystallographically characterized. In all cases, X-ray diffraction studies revealed a pseudo-six-coordinate trivalent uranium core structure, [(ArO)3tacn)U], with a coordinated alkane ligand at the axial position. The average U−C bond distance to the bound alkane was determined to be 3.798 A, which is considerably shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii of the U atom and a CH2 or CH3 unit (3.9 A). In all complexes, the alkane is coordinated in an η2-H,C fashion.
The Value of Statistical Life: Pursuing the Deadliest Catch

Observed tradeoffs between monetary returns and fatality risk identify estimates of the value of a statistical life (VSL), which inform public policy and quantify preferences for environmental quality, health and safety. To date, few investigations have estimated the VSL associated with tradeoffs between returns from natural resource extraction activities and the fatality risks they involve. Understanding these tradeoffs (and the VSL that they imply) may be used to inform resource management policy and safety regulations, as well as our general understanding of the value of life. By modeling a commercial fishing captain's choice to fish or not, conditional on the observed risk, this research investigates these topics from data on the Alaskan red king crab fishery. Using weather conditions and policy variables as instruments, our estimates of the VSL range from $4.6M to $4.9M (depending on the modeling assumption) and are robust to the incorporation of heterogeneous preferences.
Further observations of the burst source MXB 1728–34

MXB 1728-34 has been observed by the SAS 3 observatory on eight occasions. It was bursting 95-100 per cent of the time, with burst intervals from 4 to 8 hr. The burst intervals were not correlated with the burst intensities. Seven relatively hard bursts occurring in July 1976 were all observed at energies up to about 30 keV. Following each of these bursts, enhanced X-ray emission was observed for several minutes, with a much softer spectrum than that of the bursts themselves. No periodic pulsations were observed from the associated steady source.
Soviet Cybernetics and Computer Sciencesߞ1960

This is the author's report of his visit to the Soviet Union in June and July, 1960. The purpose of the trip was to attend the First Congress of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) as an official American delegate. The author also arranged to meet with certain scientists in psychology, physiology, and the computer sciences, and to visit some Russian research institutions doing work in these areas. Soviet research in cybernetics, neuro-cybernetics, artificial intelligence, mechanical translation, and automatic programming are discussed, and new developments in Soviet computing machines are described. The author describes his discussions with several important Soviet personalities in the computer sciences, which dealt with their particular work and the work of their research institutions. He concludes that Soviet research in the computer sciences lags behind Western developments, but that the gap is neither large nor based on a lack of understanding of fundamental principles. He believes that the Soviets will move ahead rapidly if and when priority, in terms of accessibility to computing machines, is given to their research.
Induction of arginase isoforms in the lung during hyperoxia

l-Arginine can be metabolized by nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) to produce NO or by arginase to produce urea andl-ornithine. In the liver, arginase (the AI isoform) is a key enzyme in the urea cy...
Vouchers and Buckley: The Need for 'Regime Change'

This article is part of a symposium issue in the University of Richmond Law Review on the book, "Voting with Dollars: A New Paradigm for Campaign Finance" by Bruce Ackerman and Ian Ayres. In the book, Ackerman and Ayres argue that their proposal for campaign finance vouchers and mandatory donor anonymity is consistent with the important Supreme Court campaign finance case of Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976). Unfortunately, the authors underestimate how the Buckley framework would limit the benefits of their proposal. Buckley's rules on issue advocacy and individual expenditure limits would render the voucher program and the mandatory donor anonymity plan far less effective than the authors suggest. Although the voucher plan would still be an improvement on the current system, many of the modern problems of campaign finance would remain. Comprehensive reform must await a fundamental change in our campaign finance regime.Part I sets forth the basics of campaign finance law as established in Buckley, Ackerman and Ayres' views on the correctness of Buckley, and an analysis of whether the authors' proposal is consistent with Buckley. Part II explains how Buckley interferes with the efficient working of the Ackerman/Ayres proposal. It illustrates the problems Buckley creates by drawing upon the book's hypothetical discussion of how the 2000 presidential election would have been conducted had the authors' proposal been put in place. It concludes with some thoughts on why massive reform must await the end of the Buckley regime.
EBRI Research Highlights: Retirement Benefits

The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy research organization based in Washington, DC, that has been researching economic security issues for almost 25 years. This EBRI Issue Brief synthesizes highlights of recent EBRI research on retirement benefits. Retirement data in this document include: Basics of employment-based benefits; Assets in retirement plans; Participants in retirement plans; 401(k) plan trends; Individual retirement accounts; Social Security; Lump-sum distributions; Public opinion on retirement; and, Small employers and retirement plans.
Multitendon xanthomatosis in a normo-cholesterolemic patient.

We present a rare case of multisite xanthomatosis occurring in a 38-year-old normocholesterolemic man without a familial history. More commonly, these conditions are associated with familial hypercholesterolemia and cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. Tendon xanthomas should prompt clinicians to perform a thorough investigation of the patient’s metabolic panel and family history. Rarely, these conditions occur in patients without demonstrable dysmetabolic state. The characteristic MR imaging findings are presented in conjunction with review of the literature.
Monitoring and Disrupting Dark Networks: A Bias Toward the Center and What It Costs Us

The goal of this chapter is to explore this analytic bias—how it is manifested, why it appears so extensive, and what unwitting limitations it imposes on our strategic options to counterterrorism. We use data from a study of the Syrian opposition network that was conducted in the CORE Lab at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California (Lucente and Wilson, Crossing the red line: social media and social network analysis for unconventional campaign planning, 2013). The original study sought to provide a window into the armed opposition units against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. This chapter proceeds as follows: We begin by reviewing the various strategies that can be used for disrupting dark networks. These can be broken down into two broad categories—kinetic and nonkinetic. The former uses coercive means for disruption while the latter seeks to undermine dark networks using with subtler applications of power. Drawing on a previous analysis, we illustrate how some of these strategies can be implemented, while at the same time highlighting our own bias in that study toward central actors. We then turn to an analysis of the Syrian opposition network, highlighting how a central focus can blind analysts to other important aspects of a network; in this case, elements that ultimately aligned themselves with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). We conclude with some implications for the future use of SNA to monitor and disrupt dark networks.
From Victims of Market Forces to Entrepreneurs: Rethinking the Role of Supported Employment and Social Entrepreneurship in Behavioral Health Interventions

ABSTRACTThe social work literature is largely silent regarding the role of supported employment and social entrepreneurship in promoting behavioral health. This article establishes a case for viewing clients with behavioral health challenges as entrepreneurs who can use employment and social entrepreneurship to improve health, mental health, and economic well-being. The author identifies the relevance of employment and social entrepreneurship to behavioral health by drawing on theories of recovery and rehabilitation and community, economic, and social development. Changes to social work education, research, and practice are recommended to establish a professional niche in integrating employment in behavioral health interventions.
Remotely Sensed Land Skin Temperature as a Spatial Predictor of Air Temperature across the Conterminous United States

AbstractRemotely sensed land skin temperature (LST) is increasingly being used to improve gridded interpolations of near-surface air temperature. The appeal of LST as a spatial predictor of air temperature rests in the fact that it is an observation available at spatial resolutions fine enough to capture topoclimatic and biophysical variations. However, it remains unclear if LST improves air temperature interpolations over what can already be obtained with simpler terrain-based predictor variables. Here, the relationship between LST and air temperature is evaluated across the conterminous United States (CONUS). It is found that there are significant differences in the ability of daytime and nighttime observations of LST to improve air temperature interpolations. Daytime LST mainly indicates finescale biophysical variation and is generally a poorer predictor of maximum air temperature than simple linear models based on elevation, longitude, and latitude. Moderate improvements to maximum air temperature int...
The eelectrochemical processing of refractory metals

Electrochemical processing is used extensively in the primary extraction of metals (electrowinning), the purification and recycling of metals (electrorefining), and the formation of metal coatings (electroplating). With respect to the refractory metals, electrochemical processing is conducted almost exclusively in nonaqueous media, predominantly in molten salts. Electrolysis infused salts as well as other nonaqueous media has enormous potential for materials processing. First, because of the special attributes of nonaqueous electrolytes, electrochemical processing in these media has an important role to play in the generation of advanced materials—materials with specialized chemistries or tailored microstructures (electrosynthesis). Second,as environmental quality standards rise beyond the capabilities of classical metals extraction technologies to comply, electrochemical processing may prove to be the only acceptable route from ore to metal.
Auto-Gerontology A Personal Odyssey

The four leading theories of optimal aging are activity, continuity, successful aging, and selective optimization with adaptation. All tend to support the slogan, "Use it or lose it." I have tried to continue using my abilities in four key areas: professional, volunteer, personal relationships, and physical fitness. Ageism also has become personal for me because I have made it a personal priority to do what I can to reduce ageism. This includes research and writing, developing a list of 45 advantages to aging, avoiding ageist jokes and language, developing positive slogans about aging, maintaining personal fitness, going on birthday adventures, and being proud of my age (85). I close with answers to some questions about auto-gerontology.
Research on cooperative detection efficiency for binary-detection acoustic sensor networks

In order to study the influence of the voting fusion regulation on detection efficiency of acoustic sensor network,sensor field is discretized into multiple grids,and two metrics are defined to evaluate the detection capability of the sensor network.Calculation methods for the metrics are given with theorem descriptions.Simulations indicate that the proposed metrics can evaluate the detection efficiency of the system in a quantitative style,and they can provide theoretic evidence for the parameter selection of the detection regulation and the optimization of the sensor deployment scheme.
Estimating Customer Service Times on a Rail Network from GPS Data

A key input to managing and scheduling customer service on a rail network is an accurate characterization of the time a particular train takes to serve a customer, based on the quantity of work the customer requires. The algorithm presented here estimates the customer service times of a train on a given day utilizing global positioning system (GPS) data from train locomotives, the known customers to be served on the day and some geographic knowledge of the customer’s tracks. The algorithm was built and evaluated on real data sets provided by CSX. This research was conducted as a joint effort between the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL and CSX Transportation, Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida.
Freedom, Failure, and Fate: Reading the Web of Wessex

Almost from infancy, it seems, Hardy sensed a discrepancy between the voices of heart and mind in an unnatural division which at best bruised his perception that life might be worth the living and at worst nullified his desire to proceed with the futile process of growing up. The melancholy effects of stained glass and hymns rich in ancient poesy moved the child to weeping during services at Stinsford Church; but at home, lying on his back in the sun while contemplating his own uselessness and trying to reason out cosmic ambiguity, his intellect detached him from religious doctrine and the emotional theatrics ritually inspired in him. Most of Hardy’s adult impressions of the mind are embedded in poetry where hugely varied rhyme schemes, metrics, and verse forms provide contexts for his equally varied polyphonic trying out of fictions regarding the nature and ultimate intent of God. While we can certainly discover ample emotion in his verse and intellectual voicings in his fiction, it is in the novels that Hardy preponderantly listens to the heart. If he declares in poetry that consciousness is a great source of man’s suffering, he also demonstrates in fiction that maladies of the heart just as severely compromise man’s well-being.
Effects of birds on sea urchins and algae: A lower-intertidal trophic cascade

Bird predators (glaucous-winged gulls [Larus glaucescens], American black oystercatchers [Haematopus bachmani], and northwestern crows [Corvus caurinus]) were excluded over a period of 2 years with...
Classification in dynamic streaming networks

Traditional network classification techniques will become computationally intractable when applied on a network which is presented in a streaming fashion with continuous updates. In this paper, we examine the problem of classification in dynamic streaming networks, or graphs. Two scenarios have been considered: the graph transaction scenario and the one large graph scenario. We propose a unified framework consisting of three components: a subgraph extraction method, an online version of an existing graph kernel, and two kernel-based incremental learners. We demonstrate the advantages of our framework via empirical evaluations on several real-world network datasets.
INFLUENCE OF LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION ON CAUSE-SPECIFIC MORTALITY IN HEART FAILURE WITH PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION: THE TOPCAT TRIAL

Background: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is principal determinant of cardiovascular (CV) risk in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the impact of EF on cause specific death in HFpEF is unknown. We utilized TOPCAT data to assess the relationship between EF and cause specific
Physician toxicity attribution in phase I trials: Evaluating the effect of dose on the frequency of 11,909 toxicities.

e17674 Background: Accurate classification of toxicity in Phase I trials as related or unrelated to study drug is critical. Attribution in Phase I has not been widely studied and assessing it is co...
G193(P) An unexpected, significantly large intramuralduodenal hematoma post upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy

Aims/Introduction Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is a common procedure for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Complications are usually rare and include bowel perforation and bleeding. We present an uncommon complication of post upper GI endoscopy, intramural duodenal haematoma (IDH). The incidence of IDH post biopsy not well established, but estimations are 1:1250 (both adult and paediatrics). Method/Description of case A 6 year old girl with inflammatory bowel disease, vasculitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. She was having poor response on Infliximab suggested by increasing blood and mucus in her stool, high faecal calprotectin and positive infliximab antibodies. A planned re-evaluation endoscopy and biopsy showed no evidence of significant inflammation apart from worm infestation. On day 2, she developed severe upper abdominal pain and persistent vomiting with blood. She was kept nil orally and started on iv fluids and antiemetics. Abdominal ultrasound showed an IDH involving first (D1) and second (D2) part of duodenum with narrowing of lumen. Intravenous omeprazole and NG sucralfate were added. She looked very pale too and FBC showed drop in haemoglobin from 81 to 57 for which she required blood transfusion. Platelet count and clotting were normal. She was discussed with our Surgical team who advised conservative management. On day 7, she had further clinical deterioration and a CT Abdomen confirmed a 75×74×68 mm size heterogeneous mass in D2 suggestive of IDH with no ongoing active bleeding. Following a 10 day course of parenteral nutrition and soft diet, she was weaned onto normal diet. In view of the unexpected significant large haematoma, a Haematological opinion was taken which found no haematological aetiology. Result An unexpected large Intramural Duodenal hematoma post endoscopy and biopsy, managed conservatively. Conclusion Upper GI endoscopy is described as a safe procedure routinely done as a day case. Our case had an extremely rare but known complication of a significantly large duodenal hematoma leading to symptoms of acute bowel obstruction, post endoscopy. The case highlights the need to keep a high suspicion for possibility of developing this complication and reiterates significance of careful radiological investigations in the post procedure period to avoid catastrophic consequences due to delay in confirming this diagnosis.
AN INSECT GROWTH REGULATOR (PRO-DRONE) FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE)

Pro-Drone, an insect growth regulator (IGR) with juvenile hormone activity, was aerially applied twice at the rates of 11.86 g AI/ha in large-scale field trials for control of the red imported fire...
Understanding the Findings

Using allegations of police misconduct that resulted in a settlement or jury award as a measure of police misconduct, the study provided evidence of the increasing incidences as well as costs of police misconduct in Brooklyn, New York. To address these increases, it is necessary to have a general understanding of what underlies them.
Khitan (Liao) Empire

The Liao dynasty (907–1125) of China and the Western Liao (1124–1211), its successor, were founded by the Khitan, a proto-Mongol people who were originally nomadic pastoralists residing in modern Inner Mongolia, Mongolia, Manchuria, and perhaps as far north as Lake Baikal. Mentioned in Chinese sources as early as the 4th century ce, the Khitan, like other pastoral nomads, depended largely on their animals for survival. This reliance on animals in regions plagued by high winds and considerable snow and ice made them vulnerable to their capricious environment. A devastating winter could lead to the deaths of many of their animals. In those circumstances, China often provided a safety net by permitting the pastoral nomads to trade for such necessities as grain and craft articles and such luxuries as silk and tea. On the other hand, when China was disunited, its northern pastoral neighbors would, on occasion, capitalize on its weakness to annex Chinese territories. Keywords: 10th–12th centuries ce ; China; Eastern Asia; imperialism and conquest; nomads
Politics and Aging in the United States

Publisher Summary The United States is just beginning to experience the demographic transition that will rapidly increase the proportion of the population aged 65. Another reason for focusing on the US is that it presents an interesting context for examining the politics of aging. This chapter examines the political behavior of older Americans and analyzes the impact that they and old-age-based organizations have had on public policy. Models featuring both “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” factors can help to explain seniors' relative rise in participation. Models featuring both “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” factors can help to explain seniors' relative rise in participation. These various strategies for targeting seniors during election campaigns are used because political consultants and parties know that seniors are a swing group that turns out to vote at a relatively high rate. There is also a cluster of professional organizations that focuses on promoting aging-related research, education, and favorable conditions for professional practice in the field of aging. The old-age interest groups that have the greatest potential for political power are those that have mass memberships of older persons because their members are part of the latent voting constituency of older voters that, in principle, might be influenced by their parent organizations in upcoming elections.
Euclid's Fifth Postulate

This chapter discusses Euclid's fifth postulate. It presents Euclid's theory of parallels in which two straight lines are parallel if they are in the same plane and do not meet. Straight lines parallel to the same straight line are also parallel to one another. Many notable facts of Euclidean geometry besides the properties of parallel lines are consequences of Postulate 5. Among them are the Pythagorean Theorem, the formulas for the circumference and area of a circle, the fact that through any three noncollinear points there passes a circle, the existence of similar figures that are not congruent, the formula for the sum of the angles of a triangle, and the numerous consequences of that formula. The chapter presents substitutes for Postulate 5 and proofs of some of them.
Sozialverhalten in einer staatsfernen Region: Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivien)

Die diesem Band zugrunde liegende These vom anomischen Staat besagt, das der Staat in Lateinamerika haufig keineswegs ein Garant offentlicher Sicherheit und Ordnung ist, sondern seine Vertreter durch ihr Willkurverhalten im Gegenteil noch zur Steigerung der allgemeinen Regellosigkeit und Unsicherheit beitragen. Die meisten Beitrage haben versucht, diese These positiv zu belegen, indem sie anomieproduzierende Verhaltenspraktiken staatlicher (und parastaatlicher) Agenten herausgearbeitet und begrundet haben. Wenn sie im Prinzip stimmt, muste sie sich aber auch im Umkehrschlus bewahren, d.h. es muste sich nachweisen lassen, das sich die Absenz staatlicher Instanzen und Vertreter tendenziell anomiemindernd auf die sozialen Interaktionen und das soziale Klima einer Gesellschaft auswirkt.
Pater Occultus : The Latin Bern Riddles and Their Place in Early Medieval Riddling

Although the enigmas found in the seventh-century anonymous Latin collection known as the Bern riddles are highly interesting and dramatic, they have been relatively neglected by scholars. This essay explores the Bern riddles’ place among other early medieval Latin riddle collections. It first explores the question of where the Bern riddles might have been written; as others have noted, it appears that its author was familiar with Mediterranean plants and products, and was thus probably native to southern Europe. The essay then seeks to outline the author’s relationship to the late-classical riddler known as Symphosius and the Anglo-Latin poet and scholar Aldhelm. The essay finds that the Bern riddler was clearly influenced by and drew upon the riddles of Symphosius, but developed this source material in dynamic ways. Furthermore, although the evidence is ambiguous, phrasing and choice of subjects appears to suggest that the Bern riddler preceded and influenced Aldhelm. Overall, the essay attempts to demonstrate that the Bern riddles demonstrate a significant achievement in the development of the Latin riddle form, and are worthy of study in and of themselves.
Control of Polymer Surface Erosion by the use of Excipients

Polymers that contain hydrolytically labile linkages in their backbone can hydrolyze by two different mechanisms. These are bulk erosion and surface erosion. In a bulk-eroding polymer, the hydrolytic process occurs throughout the bulk of the material, whereas in surface erosion the hydrolysis is confined to the outer surface of a solid device (1).
Working the red carpet: a framework for analysing celebrities’ red carpet labour

This article critically assesses celebrities’ labour on the red carpet, with particular attention to the ways in which they engage with a variety of social and political issues. Through a discursiv...
Uveitis in spondyloarthropathies: Current concepts

Uveitis is the inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, the Uvea. Spondyloarthropathies are systemic disorders with common clinical and pathological features. Uveitis is an important and frequent extraarticular manifestation of spondyloarthropathies. Recently, there has been a remarkable enhancement in the management of uveitis with the approval of biologics. This review discusses epidemiology, clinical features and management of uveitis associated with spondyloarthropathies.
Recovery of Consciousness and Cognition after General Anesthesia in Humans

Abstract Understanding how consciousness and cognitive function return after a major perturbation is important clinically and neurobiologically. To address this question, we conducted a three-center study of 30 healthy humans receiving general anesthesia at clinically relevant doses for three hours. We administered a pre- and post-anesthetic battery of neurocognitive tests, recorded continuous electroencephalography to assess cortical dynamics, and monitored sleep-wake activity before and following anesthetic exposure. We hypothesized that cognitive reconstitution would be a process that evolved over time in the following sequence: attention, complex scanning and tracking, working memory, and executive function. Contrary to our hypothesis, executive function returned first and electroencephalographic analyses revealed that frontal cortical dynamics recovered faster than posterior cortical dynamics. Furthermore, actigraphy indicated normal sleep-wake patterns in the post-anesthetic period. These recovery patterns of higher cognitive function and arousal states suggest that the healthy human brain is resilient to the effects of deep general anesthesia.
Reduced activity of Adenylyl Cyclase 1 Attenuates Morphine Induced Hyperalgesia and Inflammatory Pain in Mice

Abstract Opioid tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia during repeated opioid administration and chronic pain are associated with upregulation of adenylyl cyclase activity. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that a reduction in adenylyl cyclase 1 (AC1) activity or expression would attenuate morphine tolerance and hypersensitivity, and inflammatory pain using murine models. To investigate opioid tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia, mice were subjected to twice daily treatments of saline or morphine using either a static (15 mg/kg, 5 days) or an escalating tolerance paradigm (10-40 mg/kg, 4 days). Systemic treatment with an AC1 inhibitor, ST03437 (5 mg/kg, ip), reduced morphine tolerance and morphine hyperalgesia in mice. Lumbar intrathecal administration of a vector incorporating adeno-associated virus and short-hairpin RNA against Adcy1 reduced morphine induced hypersensitivity compared to control vector treated mice. In contrast, morphine antinociception, along with baseline thermal paw withdrawal latencies, motor performance, exploration in an open field test, and burrowing behaviors were not affected by intrathecal Adcy1 knockdown. Knockdown of Adcy1 by intrathecal injection also attenuated inflammatory mechanical hyperalgesia after intraplantar administration of Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) after one week post injection. This Adcy1 knockdown strategy also increased burrowing and nesting activity after CFA injection when compared to controls. Together, these data indicate targeting AC1 to mitigate opioid-induced adverse effects, or as a method to treat chronic pain, are appropriate as a clinical approach and further development into generating pharmaceuticals targeting these genes/proteins may prove beneficial in the future.
Efficient Trajectory Library Filtering for Quadrotor Flight in Unknown Environments

Quadrotor flight in cluttered, unknown environments is challenging due to the limited range of perception sensors, challenging obstacles, and limited onboard computation. In this work, we directly address these challenges by proposing an efficient, reactive planning approach. We introduce the Bitwise Trajectory Elimination (BiTE) algorithm for efficiently filtering out in-collision trajectories from a trajectory library by using bitwise operations. Then, we outline a full receding-horizon planning approach for quadrotor flight in unknown environments demonstrated at up to 50 Hz on an onboard computer. This approach is evaluated extensively in simulation and shown to collision check up to 4896 trajectories in under 20µs, which is the fastest collision checking time for a MAV planner, to the best of the authors’ knowledge. Finally, we validate our planner in over 120 minutes of flights in forest-like and urban subterranean environments.
Entanglement and the topology of tensor networks

Given a background space and a quantum tensor network, we de- scribe how to construct a new topological space, that welds the network and the background space together. This construction embodies the principle that quantum entanglement and topological connectivity are intimately related.
Examining brief and ultra-brief anxiety and depression screening methods in a real-world epilepsy clinic sample.

Abstract Objective Recent epilepsy quality measure recommendations for depression and anxiety screening endorse ultra-brief screeners, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2). Thus, it is important to assess how symptom detection may be affected using ultra-brief screeners compared with slightly longer, well-validated instruments: Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory-Epilepsy (NDDI-E) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The objective was to compare symptom detection by brief versus ultra-brief depression and anxiety screeners in a large real-world epilepsy clinic sample. Methods This was a prospective, cross-sectional assessment of consecutive patients in an adult tertiary epilepsy practice who completed the GAD-7 and NDDI-E with embedded ultra-brief scales (GAD-2; GAD-Single Item: GAD-SI; NDDI-E 2 item: NDDIE-2) on a tablet and had clinic staff administered ultra-brief PHQ-2 (yes/no version) documented in the medical record at the same visit. Prevalences of positive anxiety and depression screens were calculated for each instrument overall, and by epilepsy status. Concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) were calculated comparing the ultra-brief with brief anxiety and depression instruments, and receiver operating curves (ROC) were calculated using the longer instruments as alternative standards. Results Among N = 422 individuals the prevalence of positive anxiety screen by GAD-7 was 24% and positive depression screen by NDDI-E was 20%. Positive anxiety and depression screens were significantly less prevalent among seizure-free individuals than those with continued seizures. The verbally administered yes/no PHQ-2 had only 1 positive screen (0.2%). Other than poor concordance between the PHQ-2 and NDDI-E, the screener pairs had acceptable concordance (CCC 0.79 to 0.92). Areas under the ROC curves were acceptable for the NDDIE-2, GAD-2 and GAD-SI (0.96, 0.98, and 0.89, respectively). Significance In this sample, clinic staff interview-administered yes/no PHQ-2 had exceedingly low sensitivity compared with the NDDI-E self-reported on a tablet. Further investigation is warranted to assess if poor detection is due to characteristics of this PHQ-2 in epilepsy samples, or method of administration in this clinic. The other ultra-brief anxiety and depression instruments demonstrated good concordance with the longer, well-validated instruments and may be useful in clinical practice.
Evaluation of Motor and Cognitive Performance in People with Parkinson's Disease Using Instrumented Trail-Making Test.

INTRODUCTION Parkinson's disease (PD) progressively impairs motor and cognitive performance. The current tools to detect decline in motor and cognitive functioning are often impractical for busy clinics and home settings. To address the gap, we designed an instrumented trail-making task (iTMT) based on a wearable sensor (worn on the shin) with interactive game-based software installed on a tablet. The iTMT test includes reaching to 5 indexed circles, a combination of numbers (1-3) and letters (A&B) randomly positioned inside target circles, in a sequential order, which virtually appears on a screen kept in front of the participants, by rotating one's ankle joint while standing and holding a chair for safety. By measuring time to complete iTMT task (iTMT time), iTMT enables quantifying cognitive-motor performance. PURPOSE This study's objective is to examine the feasibility of iTMT to detect early cognitive-motor decline in PDs. METHOD Three groups of volunteers, including 14 cognitively normal (CN) older adults, 14 PDs, and 11 mild cognitive impaireds (MCI), were recruited. Participants completed MoCA, 20 m walking test, and 3 trials of iTMT. RESULTS All participants enabled to complete iTMT with <3 min, indicating high feasibility. The average iTMT time for CN-Older, PD, and MCI participants were 20.9 ± 0.9 s, 32.3 ± 2.4 s, and 40.9 ± 4.5 s, respectively. After adjusting for age and education level, pairwise comparison suggested large effect sizes for iTMT between CN-older versus PD (Cohen's d = 1.7, p = 0.024) and CN-older versus MCI (d = 1.57, p < 0.01). Significant correlations were observed when comparing iTMT time with the gait speed (r = -0.4, p = 0.011) and MoCA score (r = -0.56, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION This study demonstrated the feasibility and early results supporting the potential application of iTMT to determine cognitive-motor and distinguishing individuals with MCI and PD from CN-older adults. Future studies are warranted to test the ability of iTMT to track its subtle changes over time.
Impact of primary and secondary cytoreduction in BRCA mutated (BRCAm) patients with ovarian/peritoneal/tubal carcinoma

Objectives: To evaluate the Impact of primary and secondary cytoreduction on survival in patients with BRCA mutated ovarian/peritoneal/tubal carcinoma (BRCAm). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with BRCA mutated EOC treated in our health care system to determine effect of primary and secondary surgery. Results: 241 patients with germ-line (230) or somatic (11) BRCAm were studied. 191 patients underwent primary surgery (PS) and 50 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NEO). 145 of the PS patients had stage III and IV disease while all 50 of the NEO patients had stage III or IV disease. The median survival for stage III/IV patients with PS was 103.9 months vs 53.8 months with NEO, HR 2.47 (1.48,4.12), p Download : Download high-res image (86KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Patients with stage IIIC BRCAm who underwent primary surgery for bulk tumor removal had significant improvements in survival. Patients with BRCA mutations with recurrent disease who underwent SCS had significant improvements in survival.
Mesoporous nanocrystalline TiO2 supported metal (Cu, Co, Ni, Pd, Zn, and Sn) catalysts: Effect of metal-support interactions on steam reforming of methanol

Abstract Mesoporous TiO2 supported Cu, Co, Ni, Pd, Sn and Zn catalysts (M-TiO2) were synthesized using facile one-step synthesis method and were characterized using BET, XRD, TGA-DSC, TEM, SEM-EDX, ICP-OES, and H2-TPR studies. The catalysts were further tested for steam reforming of methanol (SRM) to investigate their comparative catalytic performance. Depending on the nature of the metal component, the catalysts exhibited surface area, pore sizes, and TiO2 crystallite sizes in the range of 99–309 m2/g, 2.63–4.69 nm and 6.8–17.2 nm, respectively. N2-physorption, TGA-DSC and XRD analysis demonstrated that the presence of metal in the TiO2 matrix stabilized the mesoporous structure by hindering the crystal growth during heat treatment and thereby preventing the collapse of porous structure. Furthermore, the characterization of 5–20% Zn-TiO2 catalysts indicated that there exist an optimum Zn loading to obtain highest surface area which was found to be 15% in the present study giving a high surface area of ∼258 m2/g. This was consistent with the SRM studies where the activity increased up to 15% and then decreased significantly with further increase in Zn loading to 20%. The results of the SRM studies coupled with extensive TPR analysis of different M-TiO2 catalysts suggest that the specific metal-support interactions play a crucial role in controlling its performance on H2 production. The SRM activity order for different metals incorporated in mesoporous TiO2 was observed to be: Pd > Ni > Zn > Co >> Cu >> Sn. The Zn-TiO2 catalyst showed the lowest CO selectivity among the different catalysts studied.
Post-session verbal reports and the experimental analysis of behavior.

Experimental analyses of the performance of verbal subjects often include verbal reports, obtained during post-session interviews, about within-session covert verbal behavior (e.g., hypotheses about the contingencies). But such post-session reports are not necessarily accurate, and procedural details of how the samples were obtained are typically inadequate. Even when the post-session reports are accurate, the within-session hypotheses do not have the status of causes of within-session nonverbal performance. In an experimental analysis, it is important to treat such reports as instances, not causes, of behavior.
Assessing Language and Content

Best practices in language assessment have typically sought to draw a dividing line between assessing language skills and assessing content knowledge. With the advent of specific purposes courses and content-integrated language models, this separation is not longer possible, or even appropriate. Assessment practices have necessarily broadened, as the goals of such courses are both language development and subject matter learning. This chapter will explore both the theoretical and the practical implications of assessment practices in those settings where students are expected to learn both language and content and, hence, where the assessment must account for language knowledge and topical knowledge in a reliable and valid manner. The context selected as the focus of this chapter is K-12 education in the USA, where population shifts have brought increasing numbers of second language students into mainstream classes. English learners in this setting must develop the proficiency needed for all communicative purposes, and this includes both the skills required for the everyday use of language and the levels of proficiency needed to succeed academically in school. Keywords: Assessment evaluation; ESL/EFL; Language for academic purposes; Second language acquisition
Nsamenang, A. Bame

A. Bame Nsamenang is associate professor of psychology and learning sciences at the Advanced School of Education of Yaounde University in Cameroon. He is also director of the Human Development Resource Centre (HDRC), which he co-founded, in Bamenda, Cameroon. Following receipt of the Ph.D. in clinical child psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1984, he was a Fogarty Fellow at the National Institute of Child Health and Development in the United States (1987−1990), Nehru Chair Visiting Professor at Baroda University in India, and resident scholar at the Stanford University Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (2002−2003). Keywords: children; child development; indigenous psychology
The relationship of loneliness, social isolation, and physical health to dietary adequacy of independently living elderly

This study evaluated the dietary adequacy of elderly individuals to determine whether factors such as loneliness, social isolation, or physical health were related to nutrient intake. The participants (n = 61) were independently living individuals aged 60 to 94 years recruited through senior citizen centers, residential housing areas, and social agencies in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Three-day food records were used to collect dietary data, and nutrient intakes were compared with the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances. Three-day social contact diaries were used to measure frequency of interaction with others. The Physical Health Questionnaire was used to evaluate subjectively the number and severity of disease states, and the loneliness index was computed using the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Energy and calcium were most likely to be underconsumed, and poor physical health was related to decreased intakes of vitamin A and ascorbic acid. Loneliness was related to dietary inadequacies. We recommend emphasis on education and services to provide home-delivered meals and groceries as well as affordable convenience foods of high nutrient density to enable older individuals to achieve adequate nutrient intake while maintaining an independent life-style.
The Personal is Political on Social Media: Online Civic Expression Patterns and Pathways Among Civically Engaged Youth

Social media have dramatically altered the communication landscape, offering novel contexts for individual expression. But how do youth who are civically engaged off-line manage opportunities for civic expression on social media? Interviews with 70 U.S.-based civic youth aged 15 to 25 revealed three main patterns characterizing the relationship between off-line participation and online expression: blended, bounded, and differentiated. Five sets of empirically derived considerations influencing expression patterns emerged: organizational policies, personal image and privacy, perceived alignment with civic goals, attitudes toward the platform(s), and perceptions of their audience(s). Most civic youth express the civic online, yet a minority highlight tensions that lead them to refrain from sharing in certain or all online contexts.