cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Catalytic and thermal effects during hydrotreating of bitumen-derived heavy oils

Abstract The relative magnitude of catalytic and thermal reactions during the hydrotreating of PR Spring bitumen-derived heavy oil was evaluated in a fixed-bed reactor as a function of temperature, residence time and catalyst selection. The relative effects of thermal and catalytic reactions were evaluated by hydrotreating the PR Spring bitumen-derived heavy oil over three catalysts: sulfided Ni/Mo/alumina HDN catalyst, Mo/alumina HDM catalyst and sodium-impregnated alumina. Catalytic and thermal effects for each of the catalysts were evaluated under a range of temperature (625–685 K) and liquid hourly space velocity (0.14–0.81 h−1). The reactor pressure, 13.7 MPa, and the hydrogen-to-oil ratio, 890 m3 m−3 (5000 scf H2 per bbl), were fixed in all experiments. The catalysts' activities were ranked as follows: HDN catalyst>HDM catalyst>sodium-impregnated alumina, based on their activities for nitrogen, sulfur and nickel removal as well as for the conversion of Conradson carbon residue (CCR) and residuum. The catalyst activities were strongly dependent on the metal loading and were dependent, to a lesser extent, on the acidity of the alumina support. CCR and residuum conversion was closely linked relative to heteroatom and metal removal. This is attributed to a significant overlap between moieties which are classified as CCR precursors and moieties which are classified as residuum. Catalyst selection significantly affected residuum conversion. This is because the high catalyst densities employed in packed bed reactors accentuate catalytic reactions relative to thermal reactions. Although sulfur was generally more reactive than nitrogen, sulfur conversions in excess of 70% were difficult to achieve. It was presumed that 30–40% of the sulfur was asphaltic in nature and exhibited low reactivity. For this reason it was easy to achieve significant sulfur conversion as low severities, but difficult to achieve deep desulfurization at high severities. The deactivation rates of HDN and HDM catalysts were 0.06 and 0.2°API per day, respectively.
Correspondence Theory and Phonological Blending in French

Though less productive than rival word-formation processes like compounding and affixation, blending is still a rich source of neologisms in French. Despite this productivity, however, blends are often seen by scholars as unpredictable, uninteresting, or both. This analysis picks up where recent studies of blending have left off, using Correspondence Theory and a bundle of segmental constraints to deal with this phenomenon as it pertains to French. More specifically, it shows that blending is the result of a single output standing in correspondence with two or more other outputs, and that we do not need to refer to prosodic information, which is crucial in accounts of blending in languages with lexical stress like English, to account for the process in French. The analysis also differs from previous studies in that it locates blending exclusively within the phonology, leaving its morphological and semantic characteristics to be handled by other processes in the grammar.
Predictors of tobacco control among nursing students.

Abstract As the most numerous health care providers, nurses could reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. A cross-sectional survey of 476 junior and senior students at 12 schools of nursing in the New York metropolitan area was conducted, to determine nurse knowledge of tobacco control, their attitudes, beliefs, and practices. Overall, 76% of all nursing students reported that they practiced tobacco control. Current smokers were less likely to participate in tobacco control with targets ranging from the nurse herself to the community than either never or ex-smokers. Nurses were more likely to engage in tobacco control among individual, family, or group clients than to advocate for changes in the community. Student nurses who were African American or Hispanic, had never smoked or were ex-smokers, those who had better knowledge of cessation approaches, and those who tended to have more confidence in their cessation counseling skills were more likely to engage in multi-target tobacco control than other similar nurses. Tailored interventions that emphasize discrete counseling skills are suggested.
Use of Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System Inhibitors Within the First Eight to Twelve Weeks After Renal Transplantation

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of early initiation of inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) in renal transplant patients.Data Sources:A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (1950–September 2007), PubMed (1966–September 2007), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–September 2007) with combinations of the following terms: angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs), and kidney transplant Articles obtained from this search were cross-referenced and bibliographies were checked for all relevant information.Study Selection and Data Extraction:All articles that examined the early (within 12 wk) initiation of either an ACE inhibitor or an ARB in renal transplant patients were included.Data Synthesis:A search of the literature revealed 7 studies that had examined the safety or efficacy of early use of ACE Inhibitors and ARBs in posttransplant patients. One study examined only plasma levels of a common mark...
When Will We Start Fertilizing the Brown Spots? An Urgent Call to Vocational Psychologists

In this article, the current state of multicultural vocational research on family of origin issues are evaluated and assessed based on Whiston and Keller’s review. Previous calls to researchers are highlighted and suggestions are provided for future vocational researchers engaging in multicultural studies.
A qualitative study of rural primary care clinician views on remote monitoring technologies.

Purpose: Remote monitoring technologies (RMTs) may improve the quality of care, reduce access barriers, and help control medical costs. Despite the role of primary care clinicians as potential key users of RMTs, few studies explore their views. This study explores rural primary care clinician interest and the resources necessary to incorporate RMTs into routine practice. Methods: We conducted 15 in-depth interviews with rural primary care clinician members of the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network (ORPRN) from November 2011 to April 2012. Our multidisciplinary team used thematic analysis to identify emergent themes and a cross-case comparative analysis to explore variation by participant and practice characteristics. Results: Clinicians expressed interest in RMTs most relevant to their clinical practice, such as supporting chronic disease management, noting benefits to patients of all ages. They expressed concern about the quantity of data, patient motivation to utilize equipment, and potential changes to the patient-clinician encounter. Direct data transfer into the clinic’s electronic health record (EHR), availability in multiple formats, and review by ancillary staff could facilitate implementation. Although participants acknowledged the potential system-level benefits of using RMTs, adoption would be difficult without payment reform. Conclusions: Adoption of RMTs by rural primary care clinicians may be influenced by equipment purpose and functionality, implementation resources, and payment. Clinician and staff engagement will be critical to actualize RMT use in routine primary care.
Diffuse, encasing lymphangioma of the supraglottis.

Abstract Background Lymphangioma of the head and neck is considered a rare congenital tumor with the vast majority presenting before two years of age. Surgical excision and sclerosing therapy using OK-432 are recognized as effective treatment options for the majority of these lesions; however, treatment options of laryngeal lesions are less straightforward due to the risk of airway compromise and the desire to maintain the integrity of a functional larynx. We present the case of a four month old male who presented with chief complaint of inspiratory stridor after a single episode of pneumonia. His clinical presentation, flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopic examination, and operative evaluation were consistent with a lymphangioma completely encasing the epiglottis and arytenoids and isolated to the supraglottis. This report outlines our approach to workup and treatment of this rare lesion. Method Case report of presentation, diagnosis and treatment is presented. Results A four-month old male presented to ENT clinic with inspiratory stridor, worsened with crying, without frank respiratory distress. History and initial examination was consistent with airway obstruction. Flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy showed laryngomalacia as well as diffuse and symmetric supraglottic edema. Surgical evaluation identified edema limited to the supraglottis, notably along the ventral surface of the epiglottis and dorsal surface of bilateral arytenoids. Biopsies were taken and immunohistochemical staining was performed with strong positivity for D2-40 and CD31, supporting the diagnosis of isolated lymphangioma of the supraglottis. Treatment was performed through multiple point spot welding with a fiber equipped CO2 LASER (OmniGuide TM) at 5 watt continuous power. Conclusion Isolated supraglottic lymphangioma was diagnosed via direct laryngoscopy, with pathologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. Carbon dioxide laser spot welding technique was used with excellent clinical improvement in stridor. Clinical improvement is sustained after 6 months follow-up.
The Challenge of Analyzing the Proteome in Humans with Autoimmune Diseases

Analysis of blood samples from patients suffering from autoimmune diseases remains a mainstay in the clinic for initial diagnosis, prognostication, and clinical decision making. In particular, testing for the presence of serum autoantibodies has proved to be one of the most useful confirmatory assays for many different diseases. Recent genomic and transcript profiling studies have implicated certain cytokines, surface receptors, signaling pathways, and cell types in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. The next obvious step is to delve into the much more complex level that follows the genome and transcriptome-the expressed proteome. This review focuses on several proteomics technologies being applied and/or developed by our laboratory for the study of autoimmunity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, all of which are known to be associated with defects in immunity and inflammation. The findings of other participants in the recent Human Immunology Conference hosted by the Dana Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences (May 17 & 18, 2005) are included. In particular, major pitfalls in the study of the human proteome are pointed out, and important areas for immediate investigation to move the field forward as rapidly as possible are proposed.
Improved high power thick-GaN-capped AlGaN/GaN HEMTs without surface passivation

A record high power density on sapphire without passivation was achieved using an epitaxial approach to dispersion reduction. SiN passivation has been employed to reduce DC-to-RF dispersion of GaN-based HEMTs, but is sensitive to surface and deposition conditions. A proposed epitaxial solution is to grow a thick GaN cap on top of the conventional HEMT to increase the distance between surface and channel, reducing the effect of surface potential fluctuations on device performance. Initial results from a gate-recessed device structure showed that dispersion was reduced greatly without surface passivation. Nevertheless, high gate leakage and low breakdown limited the output power. We investigate the cause of these leakage and breakdown issues, propose solutions, and discuss the results. As a consequence, 8.5 W/mm with a PAE of 57% was achieved at 50 V at 4 GHz from unpassivated HEMTs on sapphire, the highest power density reported.
Identification of a Novel Hypothalamic Neuropeptide Y Receptor Associated with Feeding Behavior

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays important roles in the central control of appetite and energy balance, but the receptor subtype responsible for this function has not been cloned. Here we report the cloning by expression of a novel NPY receptor subtype from a rat hypothalamus cDNA library. The novel receptor, referred to as the NPY Y5 receptor, has a transcript of approximately 2.6 kilobases with an open reading frame of 1335 base pairs that encodes a 445-amino acid protein. The amino acid sequence deduced from the rat Y5 cDNA clone shows only 30-33% identity to other NPY receptors, including Y1, Y2, and Y4/PP1. Using the rat Y5 receptor cDNA probe, the human homologue was obtained by low stringency hybridization. The human Y5 amino acid sequence has 88% identity to the rat Y5 receptor. Importantly, pharmacological analysis shows that the rat and human Y5 receptors have high affinity for the peptides that elicit feeding (e.g. NPY, PYY, (2-36)NPY, and (LP)NPY) and low affinity for nonstimulating peptides (e.g. (13-36)NPY and rat PP), suggesting that it is the NPY feeding receptor subtype.
HAb18G/CD147 Promotes pSTAT3-Mediated Pancreatic Cancer Development via CD44s

Purpose: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays a critical role in initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer. However, therapeutically targeting STAT3 has failed clinically. We previously identified HAb18G/CD147 as an effective target for cancer treatment. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential role of HAb18G/CD147 in STAT3-involved pancreatic tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo . Experimental Design: The expression of HAb18G/CD147, pSTAT3, and CD44s was determined in tissue microarrays. The tumorigenic function and molecular signaling mechanism of HAb18G/CD147 were assessed by in vitro cellular and clonogenic growth, reporter assay, immunoblot assay, immunofluorescence staining, immunoprecipitation, and in vivo tumor formation using loss or gain-of-function strategies. Results: Highly expressed HAb18G/CD147 promoted cellular and clonogenic growth in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo . Cyclophilin A (CyPA), a ligand of CD147, stimulated STAT3 phosphorylation and its downstream genes cyclin D1/survivin through HAb18G/CD147-dependent mechanisms. HAb18G/CD147 was associated and colocalized with cancer stem cell marker CD44s in lipid rafts. The inhibitors of STAT3 and survivin, as well as CD44s neutralizing antibodies suppressed the HAb18G/CD147-induced cell growth. High HAb18G/CD147 expression in pancreatic cancer was significantly correlated with the poor tumor differentiation, and the high coexpression of HAb18G/CD147-CD44s-STAT3 associated with poor survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. Conclusions: We identified HAb18G/CD147 as a novel upstream activator of STAT3, which interacts with CD44s and plays a critical role in the development of pancreatic cancer. The data suggest that HAb18G/CD147 could be a promising therapeutic target for highly aggressive pancreatic cancer and a surrogate marker in the STAT3-targeted molecular therapies. Clin Cancer Res; 19(24); 6703–15. ©2013 AACR .
THE ANNUAL VOLUME AND REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BRITISH SLAVE TRADE, 1780–1807

New, more complete and more detailed estimates of the volume and regional distribution of the British slave trade from 1780 to 1807 are presented. Conclusions are based on a data-set of 3, 3 68 voyages leaving ports in Great Britain or British America, including ventures organized by non-British merchants. More detailed information than previously utilized in similar studies comes from Liverpool muster rolls, Caribbean gazettes and Lloyd's Lists and indicates that more than 8 per cent of British ships headed out to Africa did not embark slaves along the coast. Previous studies have overestimated the volume of the late British trade because they did not take such ship losses into account. By developing the data on a year-by-year basis, according to the seven embarkation areas conventional in quantitative studies on the Atlantic slave trade (Senegambia, Sierra Leone, the Windward Coast, Gold Coast, Bight of Benin, Bight of Biafra and West-Central Africa), and by examining individual ports in the Bights of Benin and Biafra, this paper shows that British trade from Senegambia, the Gold Coast and the Bight of Benin has been underestimated for the years from 1780 to 1807, whereas British slave exports from the Bight of Biafra and West-Central Africa have been overestimated. Further, historians have understated the numbers of slaves exported from the Windward Coast. At ports in the Bights where the British dominated the slave trade, such as New Calabar, Bonny and Old Calabar, the data indicate cyclical supplies of slaves that reached their ceilings about every five years. In the Bight of Benin, data from Whydah, Porto-Novo and Lagos illustrate how Dahomian wars in the early 1800s disrupted slave supply routes. Previous studies, which have produced only decennial data, have thus left hidden significant annual fluctuations that suggest supply and demand factors in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Predicting worst-case charge buildup in power-device field oxides

Existing models for worst-case charge buildup in silicon dioxide are applied to single- and two-level field plate termination structures in n-channel power MOSFETs. It is shown that the field-collapse model, when properly applied to these termination structures, provides excellent agreement between experimental and simulation worst-case breakdown-voltage degradation results. Nonuniform charge buildup in the termination structure field oxide is identified, and two methods of doing device simulation that take the nonuniformity into account are introduced. Finally, simple analytical models are presented that enable the nonuniform charge distribution to be calculated for any field-plate structure. >
Postoperative Chemotherapy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

The Lung Cancer Study Group has performed a number of postoperative adjuvant trials in patients with resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Adjuvant cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (CAP) chemotherapy was compared with immunotherapy in the treatment of 130 patients with stage II or III adenocarcinoma or large cell undifferentiated carcinoma. Careful intraoperative staging was performed in all patients. Disease-free interval was significantly prolonged in the chemotherapy group (p = 0.032). After 7.5 years of follow-up, the difference in time to recurrence and cancer deaths remains statistically significant. Another study compared CAP chemotherapy plus radiotherapy with radiotherapy alone in advanced stages II and III resected NSCLC. Again, the chemotherapy arm had significantly increased disease-free survival. In a third study, patients with high-risk stage I NSCLC were randomized after surgery to CAP chemotherapy or observation. In this study there was no difference in recurrence-free survival or overall survival.
Mineral nitrogen transformations in and under seasonal snow in a high- elevation catchment in the Rocky Mountains, United States

In an effort to understand sources of nitrate (NO-) in surface waters of high- elevation catchments, nitrogen (N) transformations in and under seasonal snow were investigated from 1993 to 1995 on Niwot Ridge, an alpine ecosystem at 3,500 rn located in the Colorado Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Ammonium (NH-) and NO- labeled with 5N applied as nonconservative tracers to the snow showed no evidence of nitrification in the snowpack. Furthermore, NH- movement through the amended snowpack was highly correlated with a conservative chloride tracer (r 2 = 0.99). In an unamended snowpack NH- concentrations in meltwater before contact with the ground were highly correlated with NO- concentrations (r 2 = 0.98), which is consistent with no nitrification in the snowpack. The isotopically labeled 5NH- applied to the snowpack was found in underlying soils, showing that NH- released from snow can be rapidly immobilized. Resin bag (mixed-bed ion-exchange resins) measurements (n = 22) showed that 80% of the mobile inorganic N in unamended subnivial soils was NO-. Measurements of KCl-extractable inorganic N from surface soils showed that highest values were prior to the initiation of snowmelt and lowest values were during the growing season. The naturallSN abundance of unamended soils was negative and ranged from -12 to -2, suggesting that atmospheric deposition of $SN-depleted N is an important component of N cycling in these alpine soils. These results suggest that soil mineralization under seasonal snow, rather than snowmelt release of NO-, may control NO- concentrations in surface waters of high-elevation catchments.
Atrial pacing for cardioversion of atrial flutter in digitalized patients

To test the safety and reliability of atrial pacing as a conversion technique in patients with atrial flutter who are receiving digitalis therapy, atrial pacing conversion was attempted for 49 episodes of atrial flutter in 32 consecutive patients. All patients except one were receiving digitalis. To control ventricular rates most patients had received larger than usual therapeutic doses of digitalis glycoside before pacing. Fourteen of the 25 patients whose serum levels were measured had glycoside concentrations greater than 2 ng/ml. Before atrial pacing the mean atrial and ventricular rates were, respectively, 290 +/- 20.6 and 134 +/- 27.9/min (mean +/- standard deviation). Successful rhythm conversion was achieved on 48 occasions (98%) in 31 patients. One patient required transthoracic direct current synchronized countershock cardioversion. With atrial pacing, the atrial flutter rhythm reverted immediately to sinus mechanism in 23 instances, and there were 25 episodes of atrial fibrillation. Among those who experienced atrial fibrillation, the rhythm spontaneously reverted to sinus mechanism within 24 hours on 14 occasions; on 11 occasions; the rhythm reverted to atrial flutter and repeat pacing was required. Sinus mechanism was eventually established in all 31 patients.
Positive word-of-mouth for mobile location-based service retail apps usage

Mobile location-based service LBS retail apps, a prominent web 3.0 trend, offer customers reward opportunities when they physically walk into stores or scan the barcodes of certain products using mobile cameras. The purpose of our study was to examine: 1 whether m-internet users' characteristics were related to perceived multidimensional benefits such as conditional epistemic benefit, social self-concept benefit, emotional benefit, and functional benefit; 2 whether perceived multidimensional benefits were related to positive word-of-mouth WOM behaviours relative to mobile LBS retail apps. Data were collected from US female m-internet users n = 901. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the proposed model. Conditional epistemic benefit, social self-concept benefit, emotional benefit, and functional benefit affected positive WOM behaviours relative to mobile LBS retail apps. Economic orientation, mobile affinity, and recreational orientation all had an indirect influence on positive WOM behaviours, mediated by perceived multidimensional benefits.
Freezeout Doctrine: Going Private at the Intersection of the the Market and the Law

Delaware's fiduciary doctrine governing going private transactions by controlling stockholders is presently in disarray. Controllers generally select between single step cash-out mergers and tender offers followed by short-form mergers to do these freezeouts, and they are subject to very different equitable standards depending on the format selected. Further disarray arises because the courts' longstanding commitment to strict scrutiny in freezeouts is in tension with the popular disfavor towards private class-action litigation. This disarray threatens minority investors' interests in freezeouts, and capital market values more broadly. First, the disparities in freezeout doctrine have encouraged controllers to arbitrage the legal standards for freezeouts in their self-interest. The operation of a fair price requirement in one format and not the other has been particularly important in this regard. Second, recently proposed judicial reforms to freezeout doctrine would leave minorities in freezeouts stranded in a limbo between the market and the law - without adequate protections of either kind. Delaware's Chancery Court has become sensitive to this doctrinal disarray and has proposed fundamental reforms. In a recent trilogy of opinions it has attempted to unify freezeout doctrine. However, these cases also indict equity's longstanding commitment to reviewing freezeouts for Entire Fairness (fair dealings and fair price on the controller's part). They propose that minorities' claims of unfairness in freezeouts should be dismissible on the pleadings if the controller's deal received the seemingly freely given approval of disinterested directors and stockholders (Dual Ratification). The Article reviews the foundations of both lines of freezeout doctrine and proposes alternative standards for reform. It agrees with the recent cases that unifying freezeout doctrine is a positive objective; but it rejects the view that strict judicial oversight is gratuitous because minorities would be adequately protected by Dual Ratification. As envisioned in the recent cases, the latter would operate merely as a simulacrum of arms'-length dealings, and thus systematically advantage controllers over minorities. Entire Fairness should continue to apply as a standard of conduct and standard of review in all freezeouts, with one exception. Deferential judicial review (consistent with the business judgment rule) should apply to a freezeout only if prior to accepting the controller's offer, the target company's independent directors conducted an auction or market check to ascertain if better offers were available. Recent federal legislative and regulatory changes will make it easier for public companies to establish independent committees to oversee such auctions or market checks. Only in this situation will real market forces operate in freezeouts to ensure genuine arms'-length dealings between controllers and minority shareholders. Thus only in this situation should the courts presume the fairness of the controller's freezeout.
Review of Talbott's 'Which Rights Should Be Universal?'

This review essay sets out the key features of the human rights position developed by Bill Talbott in his Which Rights Should be Universal?. It then argues that Talbott's position is not so much an alternative to Rawls's position as it is a plausible and attractive answer to a question other than the one to which Rawls's own position on human rights is an answer.
The Development of a Self-regulation in a Collaborative Context Scale

Self-regulation has been shown as a critical factor in learning in a regular classroom environment (e.g. Wolters and Pintrich in Instr Sci 26(1):27–47, 1998. doi: 10.1023/A:1003035929216 ). However, little research has been conducted to understand self-regulation in the context of collaboration (Dinsmore et al. in Educ Psychol Rev 20(4):391–409, 2008. doi: 10.1007/s10648-008-9083-6 ). Recently, researchers have been exploring how learners regulate themselves in collaborative problem-solving environments using qualitative methods (e.g. Chan in Metacogn Learn 7(1):63–73, 2012. doi: 10.1007/s11409-012-9086-z ; Lajoie and Lu in Metacogn Learn, 2011. doi: 10.1007/s11409-011-9077-5 ). However, there is a lack of instruments to measure self-regulation in a collaborative context (SRCC). Therefore, the current study was intended to propose a new instrument to measure SRCC. One hundred and thirty-one college students from a Midwestern university completed a survey for SRCC after participating in a collaborative problem-solving task. The exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors: clarification and resolution, elaboration, refuting, and summarization. Three of the four factors were moderately correlated. The results contribute to our understanding of self-regulation in a collaborative context, which allows researchers to study this phenomenon quantitatively.
Studies on the Molybdenum Coactor. Synthesis of (±)-Form B (Dephospho)

The molybdenum cofactor (Moco), which is found in all molybdenum-containing enzymes with the single exception of nitrogenase, consists of a pterin (termed molybdopterin) carrying a unique ene-dithiol functionality which is complexed with MoVI. Several tungsten-containing enzymes from hyperthermophilic bacteria have also been shown to contain molybdopterin (see Fig. 1). More complex molybdopterin dinucleotides incorporating adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine and cytosine have been identified from bacteria.1–4
Analysis and Validation of a Teleoperated Surgical Parallel Continuum Manipulator

In this letter, we present the design, kinematic analysis, model validation, and teleoperation of a miniature eight-degree-of-freedom (8-DOF) parallel continuum manipulator with a cable-driven grasper. Our motivation is to provide increased dexterity and stability in confined-space surgical applications, particularly for intraluminal endoscopic procedures. The system design uses six superelastic NiTi (Nitinol) tubes in a standard Stewart-Gough configuration and an integrated end effector that provides 180° articulation of two jaws actuated by Kevlar cables that pass through the tube legs. A computationally efficient inverse kinematics model provides real-time, low-level actuator commands to enable teleoperation. We provide a kinematic workspace analysis of this design, which depicts how mechanical strain, dexterity, and the effect of force application vary over the reachable workspace. We also experimentally characterize the open-loop model accuracy and repeatability of our physical prototype, obtaining mean errors of approximately 1.19 mm and 3.81° and a repeatability RMS error of 0.88 mm and 1.96°. Finally, we demonstrate the feasibility of minimally invasive surgical applications by conducting user trials for a pick-and-place task under unilateral model-based teleoperation.
Status of the screwworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae) control program in the southwestern United States during 1977.

The total number of confirmed cases of screwworms, Cochliomyia hominivorax , reported in the United States during 1977 was only 457, compared with 29,671 for the previous year. The great improvement in program effectiveness resulted primarily from an improved surveillance system, use of an improved strain of flies, and the increased availability of sterile flies from the new factory in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico. The unusually cold winter in Texas during 1976–1977 and a dry spring also helped to reduce the overwintering population of 1976–1977.
Oral Perception: III. Texture Discrimination

Normative data for oral region texture discrimination are reported. Following a magnitude estimation paradigm, 24 normal speaking subjects assigned smoothness values to stimuli of varying textures ...
Efficient multi-instance learning for activity recognition from time series data using an auto-regressive hidden Markov model

Activity recognition from sensor data has spurred a great deal of interest due to its impact on health care. Prior work on activity recognition from multivariate time series data has mainly applied supervised learning techniques which require a high degree of annotation effort to produce training data with the start and end times of each activity. In order to reduce the annotation effort, we present a weakly supervised approach based on multi-instance learning. We introduce a generative graphical model for multi-instance learning on time series data based on an auto-regressive hidden Markov model. Our model has a number of advantages, including the ability to produce both bag and instance-level predictions as well as an efficient exact inference algorithm based on dynamic programming.
Pancreatic Differentiation from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

The ability to produce human pancreatic cells in vitro would open new possibilities for developing improved therapies through cell transplantation, disease modeling, and drug screening. Of particular medical importance are the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, which are lost or dysfunctional in diabetes. Furthermore, an in vitro model of human exocrine cells could help devise new therapies for pancreatic exocrine disease, most notably pancreatic cancer. In the past decade much progress has been made in developing protocols to generate multipotent pancreatic progenitor cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that are capable of differentiating into both endocrine and exocrine cells. The sole approach that has proven successful is to reproduce essential steps of in vivo development in vitro through directed step-wise differentiation of hPSCs. The directed differentiation entails sequential exposure of hPSCs to different signaling factors, thereby moving cells through several developmental intermediates towards the pancreatic fate. Upon implantation into mice, hPSC-derived pancreatic progenitor cells spontaneously differentiate into endocrine and exocrine cells. Here, we describe a detailed protocol for the generation of pancreatic progenitor cells from hPSCs. We provide methods for the directed differentiation as well as the characterization of pancreatic progenitor cells and lineage intermediates by immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry. With recently developed protocols, these pancreatic progenitor cells can be further differentiated in vitro into beta-like cells that functionally resemble immature human beta cells.
Thermodiffusion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in binary mixtures

Thermodiffusion in liquid mixtures may explain some counter-intuitive but naturally occurring phenomena such as hydrocarbon reservoirs with heavier component(s) stratified on top of lighter ones. However, beyond benchmark systems, systematic measurements of thermodiffusion in binary organic mixtures are lacking. We use an optical beam deflection apparatus to simultaneously probe Fickian and thermal diffusion in binary solution mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons dissolved in alkanes, and measure both Fickian diffusion D and the Soret coefficient ST, and then obtain the thermodiffusion coefficient DT. In a series of nine binary mixtures, we vary both the size of the aromatic compound from two to four rings, as well as the length of the alkane chain from 6 to 16 carbons. To probe the effect of increasing ring size, we include a 6-ringed aromatic compound, coronene, and toluene as a solvent, due to the insolubility of coronene in alkanes. Our results suggest that Fickian diffusion increases with the inverse of solvent viscosity and also with decreasing molecular weight of the solute. While both of these trends match our intuition, the behavior of ST and DT is more complicated. We find that ST and DT increase with the solute molecular weight when the solvent is held fixed and that the impact of solute ring size is higher in shorter chain alkane solvents.
Does Inefficient Risk Sharing Increase Public Self-Protection?

This paper studies how the risk of having an unequal distribution of income across the population affects the investment in a public self-protection policy, such as financial regulation or climate change mitigation. Two economies are compared. In the first economy, there is perfect risk sharing, i.e., individuals can credibly commit on a set of transfers that will remove ex-post inequalities in consumption. In the second economy, no risk sharing takes place. By referring to the literature on background risks, I determine some conditions in terms of change in risk aversion and prudence, which guarantee an increase in self-protection under inefficient risk sharing. Generally speaking, if self-protection reduces the risk of inequality, the investment tends to rise when either the probability of a catastrophic event and/or the risk of inequality are sufficiently low. If self-protection increases the risk of inequality, the investment tends to rise when both the probabilities of aggregate loss and the increase in the risk of inequality are sufficiently small.
"The Contingent Importance of Idiosyncratic, Relational, and Network Resources for Advantage."

A fundamental question in the field of strategic management involves the sources of competitive heterogeneity. An important debate in this literature regards the relative importance of resource-, relational-, and network-theories of advantage. Scholars have shown associations between access or control of resources and capabilities at the firm-, dyad-, and network- levels of analysis and measures of advantage. However, these views have rarely been compared. Indeed, as research on these three perspectives has largely occurred in isolation, there is disagreement as to whether these theories offer overlapping or distinct views of performance heterogeneity. This paper develops and tests a theory regarding the relative importance of resource-, relational-, and network-theories of competitive advantage. By theoretically and empirically showing that characteristics of the product market are key to interpreting the value and competitive qualities of firm resources, we illustrate the contingent value of each of the...
SEM-DIC Based Nanoscale Thermal Deformation Studies of Heterogeneous Material

Full-field thermal deformation experiments on electronic packaging materials for areas from 50 × 50 to 10 × 10 μm2 and temperatures from RT to ≈200 °C have been successfully performed in a Zeiss Ultraplus Thermal Field Emission SEM using 2D-DIC. First, polishing methods for heterogeneous electronic packages containing silicon, Cu bump, dielectric layer, substrate and FLI (First level interconnect) have been studied to achieve sub-micron surface flatness. Using novel self-assembly techniques, a dense, randomly isotropic high contrast pattern has been successfully applied over the surface of test samples. A high precision Physik Instrumente (PI) Piezo nanopositioning stage has been used to help implement essential drift and spatial distortion correction procedures, which were recently shown to be effective in removing distortions from SEM images. Using thin ceramic films to reduce thermal effects on the FEG SEM source, results indicate that the method is capable of measuring local thermal expansion in selected regions, improving our understanding of these heterogeneous material systems under controlled thermal environmental conditions.
The Effect of CEO Power on Organizational Innovation: An Empirical Investigation

Despite the mounting evidence on the effect of powerful CEOs on organizational decision-making and performance, their role in shaping the firm’s innovation agenda is less clear. This study seeks to...
Characterization of singly and multiply PEGylated insulin isomers by reversed-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography interfaced with ion mobility mass spectrometry.

Conjugation of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to protein drugs (PEGylation) is increasingly utilized in the biotherapeutics field because it improves significantly the drugs' circulatory half-life, solubility, and shelf-life. The activity of a PEGylated drug depends on the number, size, and location of the attached PEG chain(s). This study introduces a 2D separation approach, including reversed-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC) and ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS), in order to determine the structural properties of the conjugates, as demonstrated for a PEGylated insulin sample that was prepared by random amine PEGylation. The UPLC dimension allowed separation based on polarity. Electrospray ionization (ESI) of the eluates followed by in-source dissociation (ISD) truncated the PEG chains and created insulin fragments that provided site-specific information based on whether they contained a marker at the potential conjugation sites. Separation of the latter fragments by size and charge in the orthogonal IM dimension (pseudo-4D UPLC-ISD-IM-MS approach) enabled clear detection and identification of the positional isomers formed upon PEGylation. The results showed a highly heterogeneous mixture of singly and multiply conjugated isomers plus unconjugated material. PEGylation was observed on all three possible attachment sites (e-NH2 of LysB29, A- and B-chain N-termini). Each PEGylation site was validated by analysis of the same product after disulfide bond cleavage, so that the PEGylated A- and B- chain could be individually characterized with the same pseudo-4D UPLC-ISD-IM-MS method.
Horizontalidad, autogestión y protagonismo en Argentina

Este articulo trata los movimientos sociales autonomos que surgieron despues de la crisis economica y la posterior rebelion popular en Argentina en diciembre de 2001. Los movimientos autonomos en la Argentina, como tantos movimientos en el mundo de hoy, son movimientos basados en la creacion de nuevas relaciones sociales y comunidades ahora, al mismo tiempo que proyectan nuevas sociedades y las relaciones en y para el futuro. Son movimientos con una concepcion diferente del tiempo y el espacio. Son movimientos que entienden lo individual y lo colectivo como vinculados entre si.Hay mucho en comun entre la experiencia en la Argentina y las practicas e ideas anarquistas. Eso no significa que los que estan creando nuevas relaciones y comunidades en la Argentina sean anarquistas. Lo que este articulo intenta hacer es basarse en las experiencias de los movimientos sociales argentinos para iniciar una reflexion sobre las practicas e ideas que los anarquistas pueden prestar a los distintos movimientos y comunidades autonomas; y, a su vez, sobre lo que los movimientos autonomos en la Argentina puede dar a las ideas y practicas anarquistas.
Examining the Sustainability of Rural IT Interventions: Lessons from the Field

The idea that IT can be used to alleviate and fight poverty has been widely embraced. However, while most ITbased interventions in poor and rural communities and villages have tended to demonstrate initial success, their long-term viability still remains unclear. Based on field experiences in India, we present findings of a case study that highlights issues and concerns beyond initial success associated with IT intervention in rural settings. We analyze the primary concern of sustainability to extend far beyond simple economic viability in the longer run. Governance structures for the IT setup, value links associated with the IT setup, and the nature of IT linkages add up to influencing the sustainability of IT interventions in rural settings. We base our analysis on Habermas theory of communicative action (TCA) and conclude that sustaining the larger vision of empowerment and social change is more important that simply seeking economic viability for IT interventions. Our major implication from a policy perspective is to support IT interventions much longer than expected at present. The major implication for theory is the utility of TCA for assessing the value of IT investments.
Factored Markov Game Theory for Secure Interdependent Infrastructure Networks

With the integration of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) into critical infrastructures (CIs) such as 5G networks and the Internet of Things (IoTs), the CIs are becoming vulnerable to cyber threats at the same time improving its connectivity and functionalities. Hence it is essential to understand the risk of ICTs on CIs holistically as a cyber-physical system and design efficient security hardening mechanisms to reduce the cyber risks. To this end, we establish a game-theoretic framework to capture the system behaviors of the CIs under malicious attacks and the security design objectives. We propose the factored Markov game theory to enable a computationally scalable model of large-scale infrastructure networks and provide approximate algorithms for designing optimal mechanisms. The proposed theory builds on the factored graph that exploits the dependency structure of the nodes of CIs and the approximate dynamic programming tools for stochastic Markov games. This work focuses on a localized information structure and the single-controller game solvable by linear programming. Numerical results illustrate the proper trade-off of the approximation accuracy and computation complexity in the new design paradigm and show the proactive security at the time of unanticipated attacks.
THE PRODUCTIVITY OF LANGUAGE: RESPONSE TO PAUL GOCHET

Paul Gochet raises several interesting issues about my Chapter 13 discussion of productivity, compositionality, the context principle, meaning, and formalization. In my response I concentrate on the question of units of meaning in relation to the context principle, and on the question of infinity and formalization. Resumo: Paul Gochet levanta varias questoes interessantes sobre minhas consideracoes, no capitulo 13, sobre produtividade, composicionalidade, o principio do contexto e formalizacao. Concentro minha replica na relacao das unidades de significacao em relacao ao principio do contexto e na questao de infinitude e de formalizacao. Palavras chave: Linguagem. Composicionalidade. Principio do contexto. Significado. Produtividade.
Abstract 4484: Synthetic essentiality of chromatin remodeling factor CHD1 in PTEN-deficient cancer

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer death for men in the United States. Up to 70% of primary prostate tumors show loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the PTEN locus, and loss of PTEN is a key initiation event in PCa development. Synthetic and collateral lethality have provided conceptual frameworks to identify cancer-specific vulnerabilities. Here, we explored an approach to identify potential synthetic lethal interactions through screening mutually exclusive deletion patterns in cancer genomes. Methods: We sought to identify ‘synthetic essential9 genes, which might be occasionally deleted in some cancers but almost always retained in the context of a specific tumor suppressor deficiency, and posited that such synthetic essential genes would be therapeutic targets in cancers harboring specific tumor suppressor deficiencies. Results: In addition to known synthetic lethal interactions, this approach uncovered the chromatin helicase DNA-binding factor CHD1 as a putative synthetic essential gene in PTEN-deleted cancers. In PTEN-deleted prostate and breast cancers, the functional analysis showed that CHD1 depletion profoundly and specifically suppressed cell proliferation, survival, and tumorigenic potential. Mechanistically, functional PTEN stimulates GSK3β-mediated phosphorylation of CHD1 degron domains, which promotes CHD1 degradation via β-TrCP-mediated ubiquitination-proteasome pathway. Conversely, PTEN deficiency results in CHD1 protein stabilization, which in turn engages the H3K4me3 mark to activate transcription of the pro-tumorigenic TNFα/NF-κB gene network. In addition, we found CHD1 depletion significantly inhibits the progression of Pten-deficient prostate cancer genetic engineered mouse model. Conclusions: Together, this study identifies CHD1 as a novel downstream effector in PTEN pathway, and verifies CHD1 as a novel therapeutic target in PTEN deficient prostate cancer and breast cancer. Additionally, this study provides a framework for the discovery of trackable targets in cancers harboring specific tumor suppressor deficiencies. Citation Format: Di Zhao. Synthetic essentiality of chromatin remodeling factor CHD1 in PTEN-deficient cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4484.