cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing for Drugs of Abuse in Hair - Experimental Observations and Indications for Future Research.

The testing of hair for drugs of abuse is gaining popularity primarily due to the possibility that hair concentrations of drugs will reflect drug exposure for a longer period of time than either plasma or urine. Data produced by experimental research, rather than those resulting from anecdotal observations, uncontrolled research, or irrelevant experimental models, will be more likely to prove whether this is true and to determine whether drug concentrations in hair can be accurately interpreted in relation to drug dosage. Experimental observations have established that: (a) parent drug concentrations in hair are generally greater than their metabolites; (b) chemical structure of the drug is important in determining its incorporation into hair; (c) pigmentation of hair plays an important role in determining drug incorporation. Data resulting from models (including animal models, in vitro models, transplantation of human hair onto athymic mice, and human subjects) designed for studying hypotheses concerning the mechanism of drug incorporation into hair are also reviewed.
High-contrast enzymatic immunohistochemistry of pigmented tissues

Historically, standard enzyme immunohistochemistry has been accomplished with brown (DAB, diaminobenzidine) substrate. This can become problematic in pigmented tissues, such as the retina, where brown pigment of retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells can be easily confounded with brown substrate. Although immunofluorescence detection methods can overcome this challenge, fluorescence may fade over a period of weeks, while enzyme substrates allow for more long-lasting, archival results. In this report, we will describe a high-contrast enzyme immunohistochemistry method ideal for pigmented tissues that utilizes purple (VIP) substrate. We compared brown (DAB) and purple (VIP) substrates in enzyme immunohistochemistry experiments using human retina (paraffin sections) and monkey retinal pigmented epithelial cells (frozen sections), both containing brown pigmented cells. We compared substrates using several primary antibodies against markers that can be detected in the retina, including GFAP, VEGF, CD147 (EMMPRIN), RHO (rhodopsin) and PAX6. Methyl green was used as a counterstain for paraffin sections. A side-by-side comparison between DAB and VIP immunohistochemistry showed excellent contrast between pigmented cells and the purple VIP substrate in both human retinal tissue and monkey pigmented epithelial cells for all of the markers tested. This was a marked improvement over DAB staining in pigmented cells and tissues. For both paraffin sections and frozen sections of pigmented tissues, purple VIP substrate is an excellent alternative to brown DAB substrate and non-permanent immunofluorescence methods.
Can seed caching enhance seedling survival of Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) through intraspecific facilitation

Positive interactions among individual plants (facilitation) may often enhance seedling survival in stressful environments. Many granivorous small mammal species cache groups of seeds for future consumption in shallowly buried scatterhoards, and seeds of many plant species germinate and establish aggregated clusters of seedlings from such caches. Scatterhoards made by desert heteromyid rodents provide a major source of seedling recruitment for Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides), a perennial bunchgrass species occurring widely across arid southwestern deserts of North America. However, effects of the resulting clumping of seedlings on subsequent survival have not been quantified under field conditions, which include extended periods of excessive summer heat and little precipitation. We monitored Indian ricegrass seedlings transplanted into field exclosures at two western Nevada study sites as either single seedlings or clumps of 25 or 35 seedlings and compared their survival. Survival was positively correlated with the number of seedlings growing together, and survival of whole clumps of 25 or 35 seedlings was significantly greater than that of seedlings growing singly. Moreover, individual seedlings within clumps of 35 seedlings had significantly higher survival than seedlings growing singly. No single seedlings survived through the hot and very dry summer following their planting, but a small proportion (1.8–2.8 %) of individual seedlings within clumps survived. Results of this field experiment suggest that facilitative benefits accruing to Indian ricegrass due to seed-caching desert rodents can extend past seedling establishment and into the long-term survival of the plant.
Cold sintering process for 8 mol%Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 ceramics

Abstract In this communication, the cold sintering process was applied to benefit the green body compaction of 8 mol%Y 2 O 3 -stablized ZrO 2 ceramics (8Y-YSZ). Compared to conventionally processed ceramics, an enhanced densification behavior was demonstrated in cold sintering related ones following a second step conventional sintering process. Dense ceramics up to ∼96% of theoretical density were achieved after sintering at 1200 °C. The resulted ceramics demonstrated a fine microstructure with a grain size ∼200 nm. A mechanical performance with a Vickers hardness of 13.6 GPa and a fracture toughness of 2.85 MPa m 1/2 was also reported.
Successful Treatment of Mixed Hepatitis C Genotypes in a Cirrhotic Patient With an All-Oral, Interferon-Free Regimen

Mixed hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype infection is emerging with improved methods of detection. It is commonly seen in hemodialysis patients and intravenous drug users due to repeated HCV exposure and absence of protective immunity, and can contribute to treatment failure. Direct-acting antiviral regimens have been extensively studied in patients with different individual HCV genotypes; however, there are no reported data on their use in patients with mixed HCV genotype. We present a case of mixed HCV genotype 1a and 2 infection in a decompensated cirrhotic patient treated successfully with sofosbuvir, ledipasvir, and ribavirin.
Spectroscopic and Computational Investigations of Ligand Binding to IspH: Discovery of Non-diphosphate Inhibitors

Isoprenoid biosynthesis is an important area for anti-infective drug development. One isoprenoid target is (E)-1-hydroxy-2-methyl-but-2-enyl 4-diphosphate (HMBPP) reductase (IspH), which forms isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate from HMBPP in a 2H+ /2e- reduction. IspH contains a 4 Fe-4 S cluster, and in this work, we first investigated how small molecules bound to the cluster by using HYSCORE and NRVS spectroscopies. The results of these, as well as other structural and spectroscopic investigations, led to the conclusion that, in most cases, ligands bound to IspH 4 Fe-4 S clusters by η1 coordination, forming tetrahedral geometries at the unique fourth Fe, ligand side chains preventing further ligand (e.g., H2 O, O2 ) binding. Based on these ideas, we used in silico methods to find drug-like inhibitors that might occupy the HMBPP substrate binding pocket and bind to Fe, leading to the discovery of a barbituric acid analogue with a Ki value of ≈500 nm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa IspH.
Finding a Holistic Design for Elderly People to Type on Smartphones

The small size of keyboard and keys makes typing difficult on smartphones. Fast and accurate text entry is highly desired by elderly smartphone users. However, human factors heavily affect their experience of typing on a miniature surface. More and more applications require additional and precise typing while ambiguity arises when the 62-character alphanumeric scheme is mapped to a smartphone keyboard with fewer keys, leading to ambiguity. In this paper, we propose a novel text entry approach called PluralTap that breaks up a traditional smartphone keyboard layout and allows concurrent key tapping on different surfaces. By discretely displacing input elements PluralTap improves the speed and accuracy of text entry, enabling elderly users with more finger engagement and less finger movement. Results from our pilot study reveal that PluralTap is a more efficient approach for text entry than using existing key layouts.
Review: Lipid-lowering drugs decrease CAD events but not all-cause or CAD mortality in men with no history of CAD

Source Citation Pignone M, Phillips C, Mulrow C. Use of lipid lowering drugs for primary prevention of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ. 2000 Oct 21;321:983-6. 11039962
Pediatric gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a commentary on the value of referral clinics for rare pediatric tumors.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract that originates from intestinal pacemaker cells, also known as interstitial cells of Cajal (1). Most cases are seen in adults between the 4 th and 6 th decade of life. Children and adolescents are rarely affected, and only 1.4% to 2.7% of all GISTs occur in this population (2). The most common clinical scenario in younger patients is the diagnosis of a gastric GIST that usually occurs in adolescent females (3). Pediatric GIST has unique clinical, biological and genetic features that are distinct from adulthood GIST (4). While most GISTs in adults have an activating mutation of the KIT or platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) proto-oncogenes, this is only present in only 10% of pediatric GISTs. GISTs that lack KIT or PDGFR mutations are considered wild-type GISTs (WT-GISTs) (5). Several receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as Imatinib have proven effective in treating GIST that shows KIT or PDGFR mutations (6). Treatment of GIST is based on surgical resection with negative margins, since it is resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. The addition of receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors is recommended for patients with KIT or PDGFR mutations.
Hot shoulder PET/CT lesion: Unusual presentation of tenosynovial giant cell tumor.

Abstract We present a case of a tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) incidentally discovered at the shoulder on PET/CT, in a patient with history of thyroid cancer. Many documented cases of TGCT have been incidentally imaged by PET/CT and have been found to have varying levels of metabolic activity, however the shoulder location is unusual. This type of musculoskeletal lesion often has MRI characteristics, such as gradient echo blooming, which can render a confident diagnosis without need for biopsy.
Community Ecology of Plant Viruses

The ecology of plant viruses has been little studied, particularly in natu- ral ecosystems where symptoms often go unnoticed. Interactions between a plant virus and its host plant are embedded in a broader community of species, many of which can influence the dynamics of both virus and plant. Plant viruses tend to have a limited number of effective vectors, and vector population dynamics, host preference, and movement have a strong influence on virus ecology. Vector dynamics and behavior are strongly influenced by the diversity and structure of the plant community. Ecological interactions between viruses within a host, such as cross-protection, mutual suppression, or competitive exclusion, also impact virus populations. The potential for linked disease and community dynamics is illustrated by experiments that reveal community-shaping apparent competition between plants, resulting from the spillover of plant viruses from reservoir hosts to less susceptible hosts. Moreover, virus suppression of otherwise dominant plant species can have significant consequences in plant communities. Recent studies on the role of viruses in plant invasions suggest that landscape-level changes have resulted from the interactions of viruses and hosts within a community context that includes competing plant species, reservoir hosts, herbivores, and microbial symbionts of plants. As ecological research on plant viruses in natural ecosystems increases, we are likely to see more examples of strong impacts of viruses on the structure of plant communities.
An argument for reducing family medicine training to 2 years.

A residency program director supports a shortened 2-year family medicine residency program that emphasizes primary care in the ambulatory setting and also allows family physicians to receive additional postgraduate training in their specialty areas of interest. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Crystallization of Gutta Percha Networks and Associated Elasticity

The force exerted by an amorphous, stretched rubbery network held at constant length varies directly with temperature. But crystallizable networks exhibit deviations from force-temperature linearity once temperature falls below the melting temperature into the crystallization region. Incipient crystallization drives the force downward1, sometimes sharply so2. A select few networks display a resurgence of force as temperature continues to fall3–5;. Polyethylene3,4 and gutta percha5 are examples. Gutta percha exhibits the U- or V-shaped stress-temperature profile in a spectacular fashion. Upon cooling its stress falls precipitously to negative values, reemerges in the positive domain at still lower temperatures, and climbs back to a high level5.
Dyslexia, Genetics of

Dyslexia is a developmental language disorder which mainly affects the acquisition of reading and spelling skills. Genetic studies of dyslexia have depended on a careful cognitive analysis of the dyslexia phenotype, which has found that most poor readers have a primary problem with printed word recognition mainly caused by a deficit in phonological coding, the ability to convert novel printed letter strings into speech. Dyslexia defined in this way is moderately familial and heritable. The approximate locations of genes influencing dyslexia has begun to be identified using molecular genetic methods. For instance, a dyslexia locus on the short arm of chromosome 6 has now been found in five samples of families with dyslexia by three different laboratories. There is also some preliminary evidence for dyslexia loci on other chromosomes. Because dyslexia is a complex behavioral disorder, it is very likely that multiple genes and multiple environmental risk factors are involved in its etiology. Genes influencing complex phenotypes like dyslexia are currently conceptualized as quantitative trait loci (QTLs), meaning that alleles of these genes act to decrease or increase the levels of a quantitative trait. Such QTLs are risk factors for a disorder like dyslexia, but it is unlikely that a single QTL is either necessary or sufficient to produce the disorder. Research on the genetics of dyslexia has the potential to address several key questions concerning the development of this disorder. These questions include (a) what environmental factors act to increase or decrease the risk for dyslexia (b) why does dyslexia co-occur with other developmental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and speech and language disorder (c) are deficits in other cognitive components of reading, such as those required for reading exception words (like yacht), influenced by the same QTLs that influence phonological coding deficits? and (d) how do genetic influences alter brain development to increase the risk for dyslexia and these related phenotypes?
Electrical Transmission Systems and Smart Grids, Introduction

Transmission systems represent the backbone of the electric energy. They support transport of electric energy from large producers (power plants) to the load centers (residential areas, manufacturing facilities, business centers or a combination thereof). Those networks are probably among the largest human-made engineering systems – the transmission network in the United States covers over 300,000km of lines and is served by 500 companies (electric utilities).
Laparoscopic-Assisted Myomectomy

Benign diseases of the uterus are encountered commonly in gynecologic practice and account for a large proportion of laparotomies and hysterectomies. Most of these procedures can be performed laparoscopically, with substantial advantages, for example: results equivalent to laparotomy, and moreover, shorter hospitalization, decreased pain, faster recovery and financial savings. This chapter describes laparoscopic-assisted myomectomy (LAM). Nezhat et al. [1] developed LAM and reported on it in 1994. It has been advocated as a technique that retains the benefits of a laparoscopic procedure without the raised concerns of a complete laparoscopic myomectomy, namely, technically demanding procedure, prolonged anesthesia time, increased blood loss, possibly a higher risk of postoperative adhesion formation, and unprotected intracorporeal morcellation [2].
Participating Through Data: Charting Relational Tensions in Multiplatform Data Flows

Engagements with social media today frequently involve the use of multiple platforms, which often exchange personal data about users. We explore individuals' experiences with the flow of personal data across platforms through interviews about dating apps, often requiring integration with a Facebook account. Inductive analysis revealed complex and, at times, conflicted ideas over what appropriate behaviors around personal data should look like in multiplatform engagements-central to these tensions were the multiple relationships that must be managed through participation in these ecosystems. For example, individuals talked of resignation in relation to specific platforms and the 'cost" of using free services (people:platform), a lack of clarity and agency in defining what personal data might be shared between platforms (people:platform:platform), and, of course, the role of personal data in their efforts to establish and maintain relationships with other users in these 'social discovery" ecosystems (people:people). We explore how these attitudes can be understood as morally charged, drawing attention to the ways in which personal data flows can enact expectations and obligations between various sociotechnical actors in personal data ecosystems and how these compound relationships reveal the complexity and texture of multiplatform participation.
Optimal design of 3D borehole seismic arrays for microearthquake monitoring in anisotropic media during stimulations in the EGS collab project

Abstract Multiple U.S. national laboratories, universities and industrial collaborators are conducting collaborative research under the EGS Collab project supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, to understand the fracture creation and imaging during fracturing in enhanced geothermal systems. Microearthquake hypocenter locations and focal mechanisms are used to monitor hydraulic fracturing growth and characterization at the EGS Collab experimental site at the Sanford Underground Research Facility using seismic receivers in multiple monitoring wells. We develop a methodology for optimal design a 3D borehole seismic array for cost-effective seismic monitoring in anisotropic media using not only the relationship between receiver distributions and standard deviation errors of microearthquake hypocenter locations, but also that between receiver distributions and focal-mechanism inversion errors. Our results indicate that microearthquake hypocenter locations and focal mechanisms can be reasonably well reconstructed for the EGS Collab Experiment I using six monitoring wells, including four fracture-parallel monitoring wells and two orthogonal wells. Eight seismic receivers evenly distributed in four parallel monitoring wells or twelve receivers in all six monitoring wells are required for hypocenter location, and twelve receivers evenly distributed in six wells or sixteen receivers in four wells are needed for focal-mechanism inversion.
The influences of neighborhood disorder on early childhood externalizing problems: The roles of parental stress and child physical maltreatment.

AIMS The current study examined both the direct and indirect influences of neighborhood disorder on early childhood externalizing problems among 3,036 three-year-old children. METHODS AND RESULTS Data used in this study were drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3,036). The results of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that living in disordered neighborhoods is directly associated with higher levels of early childhood externalizing problems. Moreover, parental stress and physical maltreatment significantly mediated the relationship between neighborhood disorder and externalizing problems at children's age 3. CONCLUSION Parents living in chaotic neighborhoods may accumulate higher levels of parental stress and physically maltreat their children, which in turn increased their children's externalizing problems. Our findings support the importance of interventions of early childhood externalizing problems at both the micro and macro levels. Intervention programs that address neighborhood disorders, as well as challenges in parenting, are recommended.
TOPICS RELATED TO MAPPINGS

This chapter discusses various methods of introducing topologies onto a collection of mappings and of approximating a continuous function over a T 2 -space by special functions. It discusses the extent the properties of the range space and domain space of a continuous mapping will affect each other. Every metric space is the image of a zero-dimensional metric space by a compact, closed, and continuous mapping. The chapter discusses countably compact closed mappings onto metric spaces. A topological space R is called an M -space if there is a metric space S and a countably compact, closed, and continuous mapping of R onto S . Such a mapping is called a quasi-perfect mapping. Therefore, every metrizable space and every countably compact space is an M -space. The chapter also describes relations among various generalized metric spaces.
Slow-Light Waveguides in the Practical Realm

Waveguide systems for slow-light propagation have attracted increased attention in the last decade owing to their promising capabilities for delaying, trapping and enhancing EM fields. These capabilities are of high interest in modern photonics systems and applications such as integrated photonics or frequency conversion and mixing platforms. Despite the intense research efforts in this research area it appears that significant obstacles remain in utilizing the full potential of slow-light waveguide systems for practical applications. We discuss here what are the challenges in meeting application demands with slow-light waveguide systems. Based on these we propose design principles that would lead to better performing slow-light waveguides. By utilizing specific examples of metamaterial-based waveguides we apply these design principles and verify that they lead to high-performing systems with large light slow-down factors and EM intensity enhancement.
Detection of Gray Mold in Plants Using a Multispectral Imaging System

Gray mold disease caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea damages many crop hosts worldwide and is responsible for heavy economic losses. Early diagnosis and detection of the disease would allow for more effective crop management practices to prevent outbreaks in field or greenhouse settings. Furthermore, having a simple, non-invasive way to quantify the extent of gray mold disease is important for plant pathologists interested in quantifying infection rates. In this paper, we design and build a multispectral imaging system for discriminating between leaf regions, infected with gray mold, and those that remain unharmed on a lettuce (Lactuca spp.) host. First, we describe a method to select two optimal (high contrast) spectral bands from continuous hyperspectral imagery (450-800 nm). We then built a system based on these two spectral bands, located at 540 and 670 nm. The resultant system uses two cameras, with a narrow band-pass spectral filter mounted on each, to measure the multispectral reflectance of a lettuce leaf. The two resulting images are combined using a normalized difference calculation that produces a single image with high contrast between the leaves9 infected and healthy regions. A classifier was then created based on the thresholding of single pixel values. We demonstrate that this simple classification produces a true positive rate of 95.25% with a false positive rate of 9.316%.
Impact of Transients Caused by PV Transformer Energization on Active Industrial Loads

The importance and impact of transient studies with appropriate distribution system modelling is highlighted in the present work. New and realistic modelling techniques to be employed in modern dis...
Packaging Development for a 1200V SiC BiDFET Switch Using Highly Thermally Conductive Organic Epoxy Laminate

A novel 1.2 kV/10A, 4H-SiC monolithic, bidirectional switch has been developed for use in cycloconverter applications to facilitate high-frequency direct AC-to-AC power conversion and enables new power converter topologies. A new packaging solution, utilizing a 100 μm flexible polyimide organic laminate substrate is developed to mitigate thermo-mechanical stress during power cycling and enable smaller form factor and lower cost. Multiphysics simulations and static tests were conducted to show performance characterization of the module and compare it against metallic substrates. A new organic laminate epoxy resin composite dielectric (ERCD) is also evaluated for superior thermal performance and shows 63% reduction in junction to case resistance compared to DBC substrates
Ayman al-Zawahiri and the Challenges of Succession in Terrorist Organizations

What challenges do newly appointed terrorist leaders face? The paper proposes four primary needs all new leaders consider, including acceptance by the organization’s members, assuming control, main...
A Hierarchical Digital Control System for Medium-Voltage Modular Converters Enabling Peak Current Mode Control for Parallel Operation

One of the key characteristics of modular converters is scalability; therefore, precise parallel operation of multiple modular converters with current mode control is desired. Furthermore, a well-structured digital control scheme allows for the programmability of the modular converter to achieve different functions, and thus needs to be carefully defined. This paper introduces a hierarchical digital control system for medium-voltage modular converters which uses gate drivers for pulse width modulations (PWMs). The gate driver, which features a PCB-embedded Rogowski current sensor and a local FPGA with peripherals, is capable of directly sensing the switching currents of SiC devices and locally implementing PWM. As an application example in this paper, a modular converter system is constructed and operated as paralleled-synchronous buck converters with peak current mode control. Each modular converter employs a hierarchical control structure where the local controller is responsible for the arithmetic calculation of control schemes, and the gate drivers conduct peak current mode modulation. Data transmission between the local controller and the gate drivers occurs digitally through fiber optic cables, which further increase the noise immunity of the modular converter. Good load current sharing between the paralleled modular converters is achieved, and test results are demonstrated in this paper.
Improved osteogenesis in rat femur segmental defects treated with human allograft and zinc adjuvants

Bone allograft is widely used to treat large bone defects or complex fractures. However, processing methods can significantly compromise allograft osteogenic activity. Adjuvants that can restore the osteogenic activity of processed allograft should improve clinical outcomes. In this study, zinc was tested as an adjuvant to increase the osteogenic activity of human allograft in a Rag2 null rat femoral defect model. Femoral defects were treated with human demineralized bone matrix (DBM) mixed with carboxy methyl cellulose containing ZnCl2 (0, 75, 150, 300 µg) or Zn stearate (347 µg). Rat femur defects treated with DBM-ZnCl2 (75 µg) and DBM-Zn stearate (347 µg) showed increased calcified tissue in the defect site compared to DBM alone. Radiograph scoring and µCT (microcomputed tomography) analysis showed an increased amount of bone formation at the defects treated with DBM-Zn stearate. Use of zinc as an adjuvant was also tested using human cancellous bone chips. The bone chips were soaked in ZnCl2 solutions before being added to defect sites. Zn adsorbed onto the chips in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Rat femur defects treated with Zn-bound bone chips had more new bone in the defects based on µCT and histomorphometric analyses. The results indicate that zinc supplementation of human bone allograft improves allograft osteogenic activity in the rat femur defect model.
Renormalization Group Approach to Cellular Automata-Based Multi-scale Modeling of Traffic Flow

A key problem in modeling and analyzing emergent behaviors in complex systems such as traffic flows, swarms, and ecosystems, is to identify the appropriate scale at which such emergent behaviors should be modeled. Current traffic flow modeling techniques can be neatly categorized as operating at one of three spatial scales: microscopic, mesoscopic, or macroscopic. While significant research effort has been expended on developing models in each of these three modeling approaches, a fundamental question remains unanswered: what is the ‘appropriate’ scale at which to model traffic flow that will enable optimal observation and prediction of emergent traffic dynamics? Recent techniques that attempt to merge models at different scales have yielded some success, but have not yet answered this fundamental question. In the presented work, we seek to use statistical mechanics-inspired traffic flow models, coupled with renormalization group theoretic techniques to allow for modeling of traffic flow dynamics at spatial scales that are arbitrarily multiples of an individual car length. While we do not yet answer the question about optimal spatial scales for observing emergent behaviors, this method provides a stepping stone towards that goal. In addition, the presented method also provides a single mechanism to link microscopic and macroscopic models of traffic flow. Numerical simulations indicate that the traffic phenomena such as backward moving waves and emergent traffic jams are retained with this modeling technique.
Nowcasting Gentrification: Using Yelp Data to Quantify Neighborhood Change

We demonstrate that data from digital platforms such as Yelp have the potential to improve our understanding of gentrification, both by providing data in close to real time (i.e. nowcasting and forecasting) and by providing additional context about how the local economy is changing. Combining Yelp and Census data, we find that gentrification, as measured by changes in the educational, age, and racial composition within a ZIP code, is strongly associated with increases in the numbers of grocery stores, cafes, restaurants, and bars, with little evidence of crowd-out of other categories of businesses. We also find that changes in the local business landscape is a leading indicator of housing price changes, and that the entry of Starbucks (and coffee shops more generally) into a neighborhood predicts gentrification. Each additional Starbucks that enters a zip code is associated with a 0.5% increase in housing prices.
In-Band Full-Duplex Operation in High-Speed Mobile Environments: Not So Fast!

In-band full-duplex (IBFD) technology is promised to deliver us from the scarcity of spectral resources as well as create novel multifunction wireless systems [1] . This concept was initially investigated in the 1960s for continuous-wave radar applications [2] , and, in the past decade, it has undergone a shift in research toward communications [3] – [7] and converged RF systems [8] , [9] . Since 2010, more than 600 IEEE publications alone have focused on at least one aspect of the technology, including more than 400 conference papers, 200 journal articles, and 20 magazine features [10] . After digesting these numbers, it is fair to ask: Why has IBFD functionality not been incorporated into a wireless standard yet?
Bowling and the Warm-Up Effect

Abstract College male subjects (N = 132) who participated in the Intramural Bowling League served as subjects for this study. During 5 weeks of bowling, one night a week, frame by frame and game by game score analysis was made. In game one, frames 5 and 10 yielded significantly greater scores than frame 1. As to the 3-game scores, the third game totals were significantly higher than the first game totals.
Bandwidth extension of telephone speech using frame-based excitation and robust features

The standards that are still in use for telephone communications since the 1950s limit the information bandwidth to 300–3400Hz. However, in normal conversational speech, the frequency content is mainly between 0–8000Hz. This constraint degrades not only the sound quality but also the intelligibility of the transmitted signal. Instead of modifying the present telecommunication infrastructures, which would cost billions of dollars, many researchers have been studying more efficient methods to increase the quality of telephone speech. This paper develops an innovative solution to bandwidth extension, which is based upon the Linear Source Filter Model that breaks speech up into two parts: the excitation and the spectral envelope. Novel approaches are used to extend the frequency information for both parts. This algorithm particularly emphasizes low frequency reconstruction without neglecting high frequencies. Furthermore, different feature sets to model the spectral envelope are employed for better performance under noisy conditions.
International and US citizen women

Purpose – This paper aims to examine a subset of survey data collected through the Computing Research Association's Graduate Cohort Program to see how well theoretical and empirical factors fit with the actual motivations of women graduate students from different cultural backgrounds.Design/methodology/approach – Survey responses from international and US women participants in a support program for CSE graduate women in the USA are compared.Findings – These analyses indicate that US and international women are similar in what drew them to graduate computing programs. It was chiefly their interest in and enjoyment of computing. They differ in the attraction of particular career features, influence of peers, and belief in the value of competition among graduate students.Research limitations/implications – This study is limited by the extent to which these data permit thorough testing of theoretical models, and by lack of comparison with men in computing or women who chose not to enter a graduate computing p...
Marine EM Climatic Parameters

Abstract : Recently there has been increased interest within the U.S. Navy in the use of climatology-based products to support the planning and execution of military operations. Climatological databases of atmospheric features that impact electromagnetic (EM) propagation have been developed to provide guidance on weapons and sensor system performance for expected environmental conditions. However, the marine EM propagation climatology currently in use by the U.S. Navy was developed in the mid-1980s, based on a limited dataset and a now obsolete model, and was focused on open ocean regions. The objective of the Marine EM Climatic Parameters effort is to develop means to improve climatological parameterizations of marine atmospheric refractive effects on low-level microwave propagation. These climatological parameterizations will describe marine surface layer effects for predicting the performance of EM systems in both open ocean and coastal environments, and ultimately for assessing the ranges at which targets can be detected, as well as other measures of system performance, in different geographical regions and seasons, and in various climatic regimes.
Technology strategy and managementThe puzzle of Apple

Given Apple's unique characteristics, should it strive to be a platform or a product leader?
Regulation of Adipogenesis and Key Adipogenic Gene Expression by 1, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D in 3T3-L1 Cells

The functions of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1, 25-(OH)2D3) in regulating adipogenesis, adipocyte differentiation and key adipogenic gene expression were studied in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Five concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100nM) of 1, 25-(OH)2D3 were studied and lipid accumulation measured by Oil Red O staining and expression of adipogenic genes quantified using quantitative real-time PCR. Adipogenic responses to 1, 25-(OH)2D3 were determined on 6, and 12 h, and days 1-10 after induction of adipogenesis by a hormonal cocktail with or without 1, 25-(OH)2D3. In response to 1, 25-(OH)2D3 (1, 10, and 100 nM), lipid accumulation and the expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα, FABP4 and SCD-1 were inhibited through day 10, and vitamin D receptor expression was inhibited in the early time points. The greatest inhibitory effect was upon expression of FABP4. Expression of SREBP-1c was only affected on day 2. The lowest concentrations of 1, 25-(OH)2D3 tested did not affect adipocyte differentiation or adipogenic gene expression. The C/EBPα promoter activity response to 1, 25-(OH)2D3 was also tested, with no effect detected. These results indicate that 1, 25-(OH)2D3 inhibited adipogenesis via suppressing adipogenic-specific genes, and is invoked either during PPARγ activation or immediately up-stream thereof. Gene expression down-stream of PPARγ especially FABP4 was strongly inhibited, and we suggest that the role of 1, 25-(OH)2D3 in regulating adipogenesis will be informed by further studies of adipogenic-specific gene promoter activity.
Exploring the mechanism of β-amyloid toxicity attenuation by multivalent sialic acid polymers through the use of mathematical models

β-Amyloid peptide (Aβ), the primary protein component in senile plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been implicated in neurotoxicity associated with AD. Previous studies have shown that the Aβ-neuronal membrane interaction plays a role in the mechanism of Aβ toxicity. More specifically, it is thought that Aβ interacts with ganglioside rich and sialic acid rich regions of cell surfaces. In light of such evidence, we have used a number of different sialic acid compounds of different valency or number of sialic acid moieties per molecule to attenuate Aβ toxicity in a cell culture model. In this work, we proposed various mathematical models of Aβ interaction with both the cell membrane and with the multivalent sialic acid compounds, designed to act as membrane mimics. These models allow us to explore the mechanism of action of this class of sialic acid membrane mimics in attenuating the toxicity of Aβ. The mathematical models, when compared with experimental data, facilitate the discrimination between different modes of action of these materials. Understanding the mechanism of action of Aβ toxicity inhibitors should provide insight into the design of the next generation of molecules that could be used to prevent Aβ toxicity associated with AD.
Affective Discrimination and the Implicit Learning Process

A modified version of the mere exposure effect paradigm was utilized in an implicit artificial grammar learning task in an attempt to develop a procedure that would be more sensitive in assesing nonconscious learning processes than the methods currently utilized within the field of implicit learning. Subjects were presented with stimuli generated from a finite-state artificial grammar and then had to either (a) decide if novel items conformed to the rule structure of the grammar or (b) rate the degree to which they liked novel items. Because the latter task was the more indirect of the two procedures, subjects' ability to discriminate between well-formed and ill-formed items on this liking task was taken as a more sensitive piece of evidence of implicit learning, compared to performance on the rule conformity task. A subsequent test of subjects' explicit knowledge of the rules of the grammar showed that subjects do have some conscious knowledge of the artificial grammar, but subjects initially making liking decisions exhibited significantly less conscious rule knowledge than subjects initially making rule-conformity judgments. The findings are discussed in relation to the synergistic relationships among implicit perception, implicit memory, and implicit learning processes.
On a mean field model for 1D thin film droplet coarsening

A thin liquid film coating a solid substrate is unstable and the late stage morphology is essentially quasiequilibrium droplets connected by an ultra thin film. Droplets exchange mass and coarsening occurs—the total number of droplets N(t) decreases while the average size of droplets increases. It is predicted that N(t) obeys a power law N(t) ~ ct−2/5 in the 1D case. We study a mean field model proposed by Gratton and Witelski for the one-dimensional thin film coarsening and prove a universal one-sided bound on N(t) that partially justifies the power law. A corresponding bound on the average drop size is also obtained. Then we study the relation of this model and the mean field model for Ostwald ripening and show that they are equivalent after a nonlinear rescaling of time. Finally we present some further estimates on the coarsening rates for the Ostwald ripening.
Electron Transfer Photofragmentation Reactions in Monolayer Films at the Air/Water Interface

A series of photoinduced electron-transfer fragmentation reactions have been studied in compressed monolayer films at the air/water interface. The reactions investigated involve amphiphilic and polymeric derivatives of fragmentable amino alcohol, 1,2-diamine, and pinacol donors and light-absorbing acceptors, which are reactive in solution-phase studies from their triplet states. For intralayer studies a surfactant anthraquinone derivative was the light-absorbing acceptor. For comparable interfacial studies, the water soluble cation tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II)2+ (Ru(bpy) 32+) was the photoactive acceptor from the subphase. The fragmentation reactions all involve oxidative cleavage of a relatively strong C-C bond in the donor. Reaction was followed in each case by monitoring changes in surface pressure that occur when the compressed film is irradiated and maintained at a constant area. Reaction was readily observed in most cases where the donor and light-absorbing substrate are present; however the consequences were found to be quite dependent upon the specific donor substrate. Thus for simple single-chain amphiphiles containing either amino alcohol or 1,2-diamine donor sites, both intralayer and interfacial reactions result in rapid decrease in surface pressure, consistent with destruction of the film as the more hydrophilic redox products are solubilized into the subphase. For a polymeric diamine, much more complex behavior is observed, consistent with a situation where single fragmentation events do not lead to removal of material from the film but multiple fragmentation reactions culminate in film solubilization. Finally, a double-chain amphiphilic pinacol was found to undergo interfacial fragmentation with Ru(bpy) 32+ in the subphase with a concurrent increase in surface pressure to form stable films that do not dissolve' into the subphase. The isotherms observed following irradiation, decompression, and recompression are consistent with an expansion that occurs as the two-chain amphiphile undergoes redox fragmentation to produce two equivalents of a single-chain amphiphile.
The Idealized Self and the Situated Self as Predictors of Employee Work Behaviors

This article presents a model integrating research on idealized and situated selves. Our key premise is that identity-relevant behaviors are most likely to occur in the workplace when identities are psychologically central and activating forces make those identities salient. Analysis of matched data from 278 employees, supervisors, and organizational records generally supported our model. Helping identity and industrious work identity were positively associated with related role behaviors only when time-based occupancy in the role of organization member was high. Industrious work identity was positively associated with role behaviors only when reflected appraisals from coworkers were consistent with that identity. In contrast, reflected appraisal of helping identity had an independent relationship with identity-relevant role behaviors. Results demonstrate the importance of theory linking the idealized self and the situated self to understanding identity relations with work performances.
NetLinx open network architecture

The NetLinx Architecture is a combination of network services, a common protocol and open software interfaces to ensure the efficient and seamless flow of information and control data. It is designed to allow you to control, configure and collect data on a single network and bring you a more efficient way to combine networks without sacrificing performance.
The role of primary jet injection on mixing in gas turbine combustion

The role of primary jet injection on the aerothermal structure and overall performance of a model gas turbine combustor is addressed in an experimental study. The impact of momentum ratio between the primary jets and the swirl air as well as the relative position of the jet row to the swirler injection plane are investigated in a combustor operated on propane at atmospheric pressure. The aerodynamic and thermal fields are characterized using laser anemometry and a thermocouple probe respectively. Species concentrations are acquired at the exit plane via extractive probe sampling. Four regimes are identified that describe the degree of interaction of the primary jets with, the swirl-induced recirculation zone. For each regime, the degree of jet penetration and entrainment in the recirculation zone and, as a result, the aerothermal structure of the dome region are substantially different.
Selecting relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients for treatment: The case for early treatment

Richard A. Rudick , Andrew Goodman , Robert M. Herndon , Hillel S. Panitch d a Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Department of Neurology, CleOeland Clinic Foundation, CleOeland, OH 44106, USA b Department of Neurology, UniOersity of Rochester School of Medicine, USA c Department of Neurology, UniOersity of Mississippi School of Medicine, USA d Department of Neurology, UniOersity of Maryland School of Medicine, USA
Recycling Contaminated Spent Blasting Abrasives in Portland Cement Mortars Using Solidification/Stabilization Technology

The use of abrasive blasting to remove lead-based paint from steel bridges produces contaminated spent blasting abrasives that may be classified as hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency. If the spent abrasives leach lead, chromium, and cadmium greater than the EPA limits, the spent abrasives are classified as hazardous and must be rendered nonhazardous prior to disposal. An alternative to disposing of the spent blasting abrasives is to recycle them in an environmentally sound application. This study investigates the feasibility of recycling spent blasting abrasives in portland cement mortars using solidification/stabilization technology to produce a usable construction material. Field application guidelines for recycling spent blasting abrasives in portland cement mortars are established based upon the results of this study.