cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water quality of ephemeral forest streams after site preparation with the herbicide hexazinone

Abstract Four small watersheds (1 ha) in the upper Piedmont of north Georgia were treated with 1.68 kg ha −1 active ingredient of hexazinone [3-cyclohexyl-6-(dimethylamino)-1- methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione] pellets. Residues in stormflow peaked in the first strom (442 mg m −3 , declined rapidly thereafter, and disappeared within 7 months. Loss of hexazinone in stormflow averaged 0.53% of the applied herbicide. Suspended solids concentrations in runoff from the treated watersheds averaged 50.4 ± 7.9 g m −3 and were slightly more than those of the control (36.4 ± 5.4 g m −1 ). Total sediment yields were increased by a factors of 2.5 due to increased runoff associated with site preparation using herbicide and salvage logging. However, sediment loadings remained below those produced by mechanical techniques and well within levels common in relatively undistributed forests. Hexazinone treatment produced a large increased in NO 3 N concentrations (peak of 5328 mg m −3 ), but NO 3 N levels returned to normal within 2 years. Data indicate that hexazinone may have produced some stimulation of nitrifying bacteria. Cation concentrations increased 30–100% as a result of hexazinone application, but these increases were also transient. Overall, water quality changes were small and short-lived.
Hyperkalemia-Induced Conversion of Chronic Atrial Fibrillation to Normal Sinus Rhythm;: A Case Report

The electrocardiographic manifestations of hyperkalemia have been well described. We report a patient with chronic congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation for 6years, who converted to sinus rhythm during an episode of hyperkalemia. To our knowl edge, this is the first report of hyperkalemia- induced conversion of chronic atrial fibrilla tion to sinus mechanism.
Gelatin nanofibers fabricated by extruding immiscible polymer solution blend and their application in tissue engineering

A novel and simple approach for fabricating polymeric nanofibers has been established, and gelatin nanofibers have been successfully fabricated. Specifically, gelatin aqueous solution was evenly dispersed in ethyl acetate solution of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) to form an immiscible polymer solution blend, and then this well dispersed blend was extruded through a die extruder to composite coarse fibers through a dry-spinning process. Finally gelatin nanofibers were obtained in dispersion form in acetone after removal of the CAB matrix. Viscosity ratio of the solutions played an important role in dispersion of gelatin solution in CAB solution and formation of nanofibers during the extrusion. A viscosity ratio close to 1 can increase the shear deformation between the two phases and formation of nanofibers. FT-IR results showed that the approach was a physical process and no chemical derivation was involved. The gelatin nanofibers in a suspension can be easily applied in thin layers onto many surfaces. The nanofiber morphology was completely retained after coating, and the gelatin nanofiber coated surface was able to significantly increase the cell adhesion efficiency onto the surfaces, indicating that the application of gelatin nanofiber could improve surface properties and biocompatibility of medical devices and implants.
Hannah Arendt's Eichmann Controversy as Destabilizing Transatlantic Text

The controversy surrounding Hannah Arendt's reportage on the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem and the subsequent book cannot be underestimated. For Arendt personally, the trial was the decisive event in the second half of her life and amounted to nothing less than a second exile. On the world stage, it marked not only a critical turning point in international consciousness of the Holocaust, but also both initiated and reflected a critical shift in intra-Jewish representations and expression. Arendt's book could in fact be considered as a master text for Judaic studies in the second half of the twentieth century. To mention two of many possible consequences, the controversy may be seen as a pivot point from which the culture of the public intellectuals of New York argued itself out of the spotlight, as well as a primary catalyst for two of the most significant works on the Holocaust penned by women: Lucy Davidowicz's The War against the Jews (1975) and Leni Yahil's The Holocaust (1987).
TASK COMPLEXITY AND AFFECT IN COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL

This research examined difference in affect of athletes performing complex tasks (offensive positions) and those performing relatively simple tasks (defensive positions). As hypothesized, defensive...
An all digital implementation of a modified Hamming net for video compression with prediction and quantization circuits

The hardware and algorithms used to vector quantize predicted pixel intensity differences for real-time video compression are described. The hardware is designed for rapid vector quantization (VQ) performance, which entails the development of application-specific associative memory circuits. A modified DPCM algorithm is originally examined to determine how neural circuitry could enhance its operation. It was determined that quantization and encoding could be improved by consolidating these two functions into one, and by increasing the amount of information (i.e. number of pixels) quantized at a time. The result is a predictive scheme that vector quantizes differential values. Some of the disadvantages of VQ algorithms are solved using associative memories. The video compression algorithm and the associative memory design are described. >
Adaptation and Sexual Offending

Agreement on the causes of sexual offending has eluded scholars because of an emphasis on studying proximate causes—as with crime in general, there are numerous variables that correlate with sexual offending. A more consilient view of sexual offending includes an evolutionary approach that attempts to answer ultimately why such behavior exists. To guide this research, Camilleri (The Oxford handbook of evolutionary perspectives on violence, homicide, and war, New York, 173–196) proposed a typology of sexual offenders that classifies offending based on two dimensions: (1) whether the behavior is an adaptation, by-product, or disorder and (2) if the mechanism is obligate or facultative. Categories resulting from this typology seem to capture the variability of sexual offending behavior. This chapter mostly reviews evidence of how sexual offending could function as an adaptation, draws links from nonhuman behavior literature, and briefly reviews alternative explanations, including by-products and disorders.
Easy axis dispersion in high moment Fe-Co-Ni thin films electrodeposited on various underlayers

Summary form only given The high frequency performance of write heads depends on the easy axis dispersion of the pole materials. in this work soft, high moment Fe-Co-Ni films (50-1200 nm thick) were electrodeposited on non-magnetic (100 nm Cu), ferromagnetic F (100 nm Fe/sub 20/Ni/sub 80/), antiferromagnetic AF (10 nm FeMn), and composite AF/F (F on top) underlayers in order to investigate the influence of F and AF coupling on the easy axis dispersion. Underlayers were DC sputtered onto a Si substrate, without stripping its native oxide. The influence of the underlayers on alloy composition, structure and magnetic properties - in particular, dispersion of the easy axis, coercivity and anisotropy field - was investigated. Film composition (as determined by EDX) was approximately constant at Fe/sub 33/Co/sub 47/Ni/sub 20/ (at %) down to a thickness of /spl sim/ 200nm. Below this thickness, Ni content increased slightly and Fe content correspondingly decreased. All films exhibited mixed FCC/BCC phases, with the relative amount of FCC phase increasing with thickness. In all cases, an increase in saturation magnetization Ms with decreasing thickness was observed. Films grown on Cu or FeMn exhibit an open hard axis loop, with coercivity H/sub c/ /spl sim/ 4 Oe. FeCoNi films on Fe/sub 20/Ni/sub 80/ underlayer exhibit a well-defined uniaxial anisotropy, M/sub s/ /spl sim/ 21 kG, easy axis H/sub c/ =1.5 Oe, anisotropy field H/sub k/ /spl sim/ 20 Oe, and very small hard axis hysteresis. Films grown on FeMn/Fe/sub 20/Ni/sub 80/ underlayers show very similar properties. The Permalloy layer can thus improve the uniaxial anisotropy of FeCoNi through exchange coupling, while FeMn does not exchange couple effectively to FeCoNi, perhaps due to oxidation of the underlayer upon exposure to air prior to deposition. The permeability at 10 MHz for all films is in the range 800-1300, showing no definite dependence on the film thickness or underlayer.
Linking phase field and finite element modeling for process-structure-property relations of a Ni-base superalloy

Abstract Establishing process–structure–property relationships is an important objective in the paradigm of materials design in order to reduce the time and cost needed to develop new materials. A method to link phase-field (process–structure relations) and microstructure-sensitive finite-element (structure–property relations) modeling is demonstrated for subsolvus polycrystalline IN100. A three-dimensional experimental dataset obtained by orientation imaging microscopy performed on serial sections is utilized to calibrate a phase-field model and to calculate inputs for a finite-element analysis. Simulated annealing of the dataset realized through phase-field modeling results in a range of coarsened microstructures with varying grain size distributions that are each input into the finite-element model. A rate-dependent crystal plasticity constitutive model that captures the first-order effects of grain size, precipitate size and precipitate volume fraction on the mechanical response of IN100 at 650 °C is used to simulate stress–strain behavior of the coarsened polycrystals. Model limitations and ideas for future work are discussed.
An efficient transitive closure algorithm for distributed databases

Because most of the recognizable queries in deductive databases can be transformed into transitive-closure (TC) problem, the development of efficient algorithms to process the different forms of TC problems within the context of large database systems has recently attracted a large amount of research efforts. However, the parallelization of the computation of TC is still a new issue and there are only a few and recent parallel TC algorithms. Most of these parallel algorithms mere developed for shared-nothing architectures. We present a new efficient algorithm for full TC problem for shared-nothing architecture. Using simulation, we also study and examine the performance of the algorithm. >
Metal-Dependent Activity of Fe and Ni Acireductone Dioxygenases: How Two Electrons Reroute the Catalytic Pathway

Two virtually identical acireductone dioxygenases, ARD and ARD', catalyze completely different oxidation reactions of the same substrate, 1,2-dihydroxy-3-keto-5-(methylthio)pentene, depending exclusively on the nature of the bound metal. Fe(2+)-dependent ARD' produces the α-keto acid precursor of methionine and formate and allows for the recycling of methionine in cells. Ni(2+)-dependent ARD instead produces methylthiopropionate, CO, and formate, and exits the methionine salvage cycle. This mechanistic difference has not been understood to date but has been speculated to be due to the difference in coordination of the substrate to Fe(2+)versus Ni(2+): forming a five-membered ring versus a six-membered ring, respectively, thus exposing different carbon atoms for the attack by O2. Here, using mixed quantum-classical molecular dynamics simulations followed by the density functional theory mechanistic investigation, we show that, contrary to the old hypothesis, both metals preferentially bind the substrate as a six-membered ring, exposing the exact same sites to the attack by O2. It is the electronic properties of the metals that are then responsible for the system following different reaction paths, to yield the respective products. We fully explain the puzzling metal-induced difference in functionality between ARD and ARD' and, in particular, propose a new mechanism for ARD'. All results are in agreement with available isotopic substitution and other experimental data.
Using the Discrete Event System Specification to model Quantum Key Distribution system components

In this paper, we present modeling a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system with its components using the Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) formalism. The DEVS formalism assures the developed component models are composable and exhibit well-defined temporal behavior independent of the simulation environment. These attributes enable users to assemble a valid simulation using any collection of compatible components to represent complete QKD system architectures. To illustrate the approach, we introduce a prototypical “prepare and measure” QKD system, decompose one of its subsystems, and present the detailed modeling of the subsystem using the DEVS formalism. The developed models are provably composable and exhibit behavior suitable for the intended analytic purpose, thus improving the validity of the simulation. Finally, we examine issues identified during the verification of the conceptual DEVS model and discuss the impact of these findings on implementing a hybrid QKD simulation framework.
Short-term ceftriaxone therapy for treatment of severe non-typhoidal Salmonella enterocolitis.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a short-course ceftriaxone therapy in the treatment of paediatric patients with severe non-typhoidal Salmonella enterocolitis. METHODS: During a 1 y period, all paediatric patients who were suspected having Salmonella enterocolitis by the presentation of bloody and/or mucoid diarrhoea with or without fever were eligible for the study. Patients with either negative stool cultures or bacteraemia were excluded. Severe enterocolitis was defined as a bloody and/or mucoid diarrhoea associated with high fever persisting for longer than 48 h and signs of moderate or severe dehydration. The patients with severe enterocolitis were assigned to treatment with ceftriaxone (50 mg kg(-1) d(-1)) for 3-5 d, while the rest were given supportive treatment only. Before treatment all study patients received blood testing for white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP) level and blood culture. The duration of the fevers was recorded. Patients were followed up after clinical recovery for the possibility of relapse. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients with culture-confirmed Salmonella enterocolitis without bacteraemia were analysed. The duration of fever was longer in severe cases who were treated with ceftriaxone than those who were not. However, rapid defervescene was found after short-course ceftriaxone therapy in those patients with severe enterocolitis. CRP was significantly higher in severe cases. There was no significant difference in the WBC count between the two groups of patients. No relapse was found in these patients. CONCLUSION: High CRP, prolonged high fever and signs of moderate or severe dehydration appear appropriate to define severe cases of Salmonella enterocolitis. Short-course ceftriaxone therapy is clinically beneficial to these patients. Neither clinical nor microbiological relapse was seen after therapy.
The Use of Glass Substrates with Bi-Functional Silanes for Designing Micropatterned Cell-Secreted Cytokine Immunoassays

It is often desirable to sequester cells in specific locations on the surface and to integrate sensing elements next to the cells. In the present study, surfaces were fabricated so as to position cytokine sensing domains inside non-fouling poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel microwells. Our aim was to increase sensitivity of micropatterned cytokine immunoassays through covalent attachment of biorecognition molecules. To achieve this, glass substrates were functionalized with a binary mixture of acrylate- and thiol-terminated methoxysilanes. During subsequent hydrogel photopatterning steps, acrylate moieties served to anchor hydrogel microwells to glass substrates. Importantly, glass attachment sites within the microwells contained thiol groups that could be activated with a hetero-bifunctional cross-linker for covalent immobilization of proteins. After incubation with fluorescently-labeled avidin, microwells fabricated on a mixed acryl/thiol silane layer emitted ∼ 6 times more fluorescence compared to microwells fabricated on an acryl silane alone. This result highlighted the advantages of covalent attachment of avidin inside the microwells. To create cytokine immunoassays, micropatterned surfaces were incubated with biotinylated IFN-γ or TNF-α antibodies (Abs). Micropatterned immunoassays prepared in this manner were sensitive down to 1 ng/ml or 60 pM IFN-γ. To further prove utility of this biointerface design, macrophages were seeded into 30 μm diameter microwells fabricated on either bi-functional (acryl/thiol) or mono-functional silane layers. Both types of microwells were coated with avidin and biotin-anti-TNF-α prior to cell seeding. Short mitogenic activation followed by immunostaining for TNF-α revealed that microwells created on bi-functional silane layer had 3 times higher signal due to macrophage-secreted TNF-α compared to microwells fabricated on mono-functional silane. The rational design of cytokine-sensing surfaces described here, will be leveraged in the future for rapid detection of multiple cytokines secreted by individual immune cells.
Association of human immunodeficiency virus infection and autoimmune phenomena

Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus have a variety of presentations including fevers, lymphadenopathy, rash, renal dysfunction, and neurologic and hematologic disorders. Many of these features are also seen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Herein are described five patients ultimately diagnosed as having acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC) in whom the differential diagnosis included SLE because of multi-system disease and autoimmune phenomena, especially positive antinuclear antibodies. Serum samples from 151 consecutive patients with AIDS or ARC were examined and 19 with low titer-positive antinuclear antibodies were found (17 at 1:20 and two at 1:160). These observations suggest that SLE and human immunodeficiency virus infection may share clinical and serologic features.
Asymptotic Capacity of Large Fading Relay Networks under Random Attacks

In this paper, we investigate the asymptotic e-outage capacity of a half-duplex large fading relay network, which consists of one source node, one destination node, and N relay nodes. The relay nodes are assumed to be randomly deployed in a given area and under fatal independent random attacks with probability p. With a total power constraint on all the nodes, we examine the e-outage rate of the amplify-and-forward (AF) strategy when N tends to infinity, assuming no channel state information at the relays. We further quantify the gap between the e-outage rate and the e-outage cut-set bound, which is determined by the attack probability p, the source vs. sum power allocation factor α, and the topology of the networks. Moreover, we examine the effect of random attacks on the e-outage rate, and calculate the relative losses in low and high SNR regimes, respectively. Finally, for general SNR, we show that it is a quasiconcave problem to determine the optimal power allocation between the source and the relays, and we could obtain the optimal α efficiently.
Chromatin Structure of the Simian Virus 40 Late Promoter: a Deletional Analysis

The goal of this study was to determine the minimal sequence within the simian virus 40 (SV40) late promoter region, nucleotides (nt) 255 to 424, capable of phasing nucleosomes as measured by its ability to confer the greatest endonuclease sensitivity on adjacent DNA sequences. To identify the minimal sequence, a deletional analysis of the late region was performed by utilizing a SV40 recombinant reporter system. The reporter system consisted of a series of unique restriction sites introduced into SV40 at nt 2666. The unique restriction sites allowed the insertion of test sequences as well as measurement of conferred endonuclease sensitivity. The results of the deletional analysis demonstrated that constructs capable of conferring the greatest nuclease sensitivities consistently included nt 255 to 280. The activator protein 4 (AP-4) and GTIIC transcription factor binding sequences lie within this region and were analyzed individually. Their abilities to confer nuclease sensitivity upon the reporter nearly matched that of the entire late domain. These results suggest that transcription factors AP-4 and transcription-enhancing factor which binds the GTIIC sequence are able to confer significant levels of nuclease sensitivity and are likely involved in the formation of the SV40 nucleosome-free region.
On the torsional properties of single osteons

Ascenzi et al. (1994) recently reported high shear moduli in tests upon wet single human femoral osteons of various fiber architectures. The shear moduli, 23 GPa for osteons with longitudinal fibers, and 17 GPa for osteons with lamellae of alternate orientation, were more than four times higher than moduli reported in the literature for macroscopic specimens of bone tissue. The authors discussed some artifactual processes which could have raised the moduli, as well as structural features of bone. We consider the authors’ reported moduli to be correct as they stand. It is the purpose of this communication to elucidate the reasons, both in the structural view and in the continuum view, for the difference in moduli between osteons and bone. Human bone is a natural composite with a very complex structure. The cement lines between osteons constitute a structural feature of prime importance in understanding the relationship between osteons and whole bone. Although the cement substance is not well characterized, we consider that there is substantial experimental and theoretical evidence that the cement lines as compliant interfaces account for most of the difference in stiffness between osteons and whole bone. Bone under prolonged torsional load (corresponding to very low frequency) exhibits localized slippage, suthcient to be observable as a microscopic displacement, at the cement lines in bovine plexiform bone (Lakes and Saha, 1979) and in human Haversian bone. Bone under load at high frequencies associated with ultrasonic tests is anisotropic, and the anisotropy is consistent with a composite theoretical model in which ground substance at the cement line was inferred to be about one quarter as stiff as
A Comparative Case Study of State-Level Virtual Universities.

How three state-level virtual universities engage colleges and universities in their distance education activities.
User modeling for full-text federated search in peer-to-peer networks

User modeling for information retrieval has mostly been studied to improve the effectiveness of information access in centralized repositories. In this paper we explore user modeling in the context of full-text federated search in peer-to-peer networks. Our approach models a user's persistent, long-term interests based on past queries, and uses the model to improve search efficiency for future queries that represent interests similar to past queries. Our approach also enables queries representing a user's transient, ad-hoc interests to be automatically recognized so that search for these queries can rely on a relatively large search radius to avoid sacrificing effectiveness for efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach can significantly improve the efficiency of full-text federated search without degrading its accuracy. Furthermore, the proposed approach does not require a large amount of training data, and is robust to a range of parameter values.
Successive discrimination reversal (SDR) performances of American alligators and American crocodiles on a spatial task.

There is general agreement that birds and mammals, but not fish, can display error reduction on successive discrimination reversal (SDR) tasks. Reptiles, however, show error reduction on some but n...
Helicobacter pylori FlhB processing-deficient variants affect flagellar assembly but not flagellar gene expression.

Regulation of the Helicobacter pylori flagellar gene cascade involves the transcription factors σ 54 (RpoN), employed for expression of genes required midway through flagellar assembly, and σ 28 (FliA), required for expression of late genes. Previous studies revealed that mutations in genes encoding components of the flagellar protein export apparatus block expression of the H. pylori RpoN and FliA regulons. FlhB is a membrane-bound component of the export apparatus that possesses a large cytoplasmic domain (FlhBC). The hook length control protein FliK interacts with FlhBC to modulate the substrate specificity of the export apparatus. FlhBC undergoes autocleavage as part of the switch in substrate specificity. Consistent with previous reports, deletion of flhB in H. pylori interfered with expression of RpoN-dependent reporter genes, while deletion of fliK stimulated expression of these reporter genes. In the ΔflhB mutant, disrupting fliK did not restore expression of RpoN-dependent reporter genes, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of the ΔflhB mutation is not due to the inability to export FliK. Amino acid substitutions (N265A and P266G) at the putative autocleavage site of H. pylori FlhB prevented processing of FlhB and export of filament-type substrates. The FlhB variants supported wild-type expression of RpoN- and FliA-dependent reporter genes. In the strain producing FlhBN265A, expression of RpoN- and FliA-dependent reporter genes was inhibited when fliK was disrupted. In contrast, expression of these reporter genes was unaffected or slightly stimulated when fliK was disrupted in the strain producing FlhBP266G. H. pylori HP1575 (FlhX) shares homology with the C-terminal portion of FlhBC (FlhBCC) and can substitute for FlhBCC in flagellar assembly. Disrupting flhX inhibited expression of a flaB reporter gene in the wild-type but not in the ΔfliK mutant or strains producing FlhB variants, suggesting a role for FlhX or FlhBCC in normal expression of the RpoN regulon. Taken together, these data indicate that the mechanism by which the flagellar protein export apparatus exerts control over the H. pylori RpoN regulon is complex and involves more than simply switching substrate specificity of the flagellar protein export apparatus.
Developing an Effective Lung Cancer Program in a Community Hospital Setting

Abstract Lung cancer remains the largest source of cancer-based mortality in men and women. Although there are several highly acclaimed centers in the treatment of patients with lung cancer nationally, the vast majority of lung cancer care occurs in community hospital settings. The importance of proper lung cancer care in the community hospital setting cannot be overemphasized. We have had the opportunity to develop several highly successful community hospital—based lung cancer programs over the past several years. Using a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of patients with lung cancer, we have been able to achieve survival results better than all state and national averages stage for stage, in some cases doubling national survival rates. Key components of a successful program include holding a weekly multidisciplinary lung cancer tumor board meeting with representatives from medical oncology, thoracic surgery, pulmonary medicine, radiology, radiation oncology, and nuclear medicine to discuss patient presentation, test results, treatment history, and plans for therapy. A dedicated thoracic surgeon committed to the program is essential. A surgeon skilled in video-assisted thoracic surgery procedures, in particular minimally invasive lobectomy, is an added bonus and demonstrates a dedication to modern technology and improved patient care. A nurse navigator is used to help patients through the process from detection to recovery and provide a personal bond that greatly improves patient satisfaction. Treatment guidelines provide continuity and guidance and a starting point for a group to develop specialized treatment strategies. Physician education by personal office visits or continuing medical education—style talks helps the medical doctors in the community know what you are doing. We offer doctors the opportunity to have their patients presented at the weekly meetings for numerous free second opinions. All patients are seen within 24 hours of referral, and all patients are sent back to the primary medical doctor, who is kept in the loop at all times. A computed tomography screening program (low cost if possible) adds to our program despite the controversy in the journals and press. Numerous early cancers have been detected and treated as a result of this program. A dedicated cancer center shows a commitment to cancer care and allows for many services to be offered at a single location, thereby greatly improving convenience for the patient and interaction among the physicians. Access to research protocols is essential to provide the most up-to-date care and offer the patients in your community the opportunity to be treated similar to that provided at major centers across the country. To summarize, several simple steps help to provide a quality lung cancer program in a community hospital setting, resulting in improved outcomes.
Bluetooth Network-Based Misuse Detection

Bluetooth, a protocol designed to replace peripheral cables, has grown steadily over the last five years and includes a variety of applications. The Bluetooth protocol operates on a wide variety of mobile and wireless devices and is nearly ubiquitous. Several attacks exist that successfully target and exploit Bluetooth enabled devices. This paper describes the implementation of a network intrusion detection system for discovering malicious Bluetooth traffic. The work improves upon existing techniques, which only detect a limited set of attacks (based on measuring anomalies in the power levels of the Bluetooth device). The new method identifies reconnaissance, denial of service, and information theft attacks on Bluetooth enabled devices, using signatures of the attacks. Furthermore, this system includes an intrusion response component to detect attacks in progress, based on the attack classification. This paper presents the implementation of the Bluetooth intrusion detection system and demonstrates its detection, analysis, and response capabilities. The tool includes a visualization interface to facilitate the understanding of Bluetooth enabled attacks. The experimental results show that the system can significantly improve the overall security of an organization by identifying and responding to threats posed to the Bluetooth protocol.
Neural correlates of own- and other-race face perception: spatial and temporal response differences.

article i nfo Humans show an "other-race effect" for face recognition, with more accurate recognition of own- versus other-race faces. We compared the neural representations of own- and other-race faces using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in combination with a multi-voxel pattern classifier. Neural activity was recorded while Asians and Caucasians viewed Asian and Caucasian faces. A pattern classifier, applied to voxels across a broad range of ventral temporal areas, discriminated the brain activity maps elicited in response to Asian versus Caucasian faces in the brains of both Asians and Caucasians. Classification was most accurate in the first few time points of the block and required the use of own-race faces in the localizer scan to select voxels for classifier input. Next, we examined differences in the time-course of neural responses to own- and other-race faces and found evidence for a temporal "other-race effect." Own-race faces elicited a larger neural response initially that attenuated rapidly. The response to other-race faces was weaker at first, but increased over time, ultimately surpassing the magnitude of the own-race response in the fusiform "face" area (FFA). A similar temporal response pattern held across a broad range of ventral temporal areas. The pattern-classification results indicate the early availability of categorical information about own- versus other-race face status in the spatial pattern of neural activity. The slower, more sustained, brain response to other-race faces may indicate the need to recruit additional neural resources to process other-race faces for identification.
Factorial experimental designs

Intervention studies are typically performed as ‘experiments,’ in the sense that a single ‘factor’ is allowed to vary while the others are held constant or accounted for in the analyses. However, i...
The Role of the Media in the Creation of Public Police Violence

The process by which incidents of police violence come to public, governmental, and police attention, and the reactions by various actors in these groups, consists of a complex web of responses, reactions, consequences, effects, and implications, hereafter labeled "outcomes." Central to this process is the role of the mass media. Police violence can be thought of as similar to Freud's characterization of the mental process whereby 10 percent is conscious or above the surface, and 90 percent is unconscious or below the surface. The majority of police violence takes place beyond the knowledge of the public; only a small percentage of such activities become public knowledge.Through a review of the literature and series of interviews conducted with police and crime reporters, editors and producers, police public affairs personnel, and other actors in the criminal justice system in Denver, New York City, and Toronto, I developed a model of the process by which information on police violence is transformed into articles in the press and stories that are broadcast on radio and television.
Making JFK Matter: Popular Memory and the Thirty‐fifth President. By Paul H. Santa Cruz. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 2015. 332 pp.

Making JFK Matter: Popular Memory and the Thirty-fifth President. By Paul H. Santa Cruz. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 2015. 332 pp. The contestation of public memory continues to be a subject of theoretical interest and debate. Paul H. Santa Cruz's Making JFK Matter, however, is not the place to look for theory development in studies of collective or public memory. While the author acknowledges that his thinking on these matters has been influenced by Pierre Nora's notion of lieu de memoire (i.e., "site of memory," p. 15), there is no serious attempt in the book to outline that particular theoretical frame in detail nor, for that matter, any other theory-based explanation. Instead, Santa Cruz is particularly interested in what he terms "popular memory" (p. 13) as it relates to President John F. Kennedy (or JFK). In the Introduction, he defines it as "the general, or prevailing, conceptions the American people have of President Kennedy" (p. 13). Three primary case studies, related in Chapters 1-3, serve as the staging ground for parsing out this notion. The first involves the city of Dallas's efforts to memorialize the slain president. The other two case studies focus on the uses of public memory as rhetorically inscribed by President Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy, each of whom, Santa Cruz argues, had their own political agendas when invoking JFK's memory. In Chapter 4, Santa Cruz highlights what he labels "Other Sites of Memory" (p. 185), a potpourri of activities and establishments that include Jackie Kennedy's careful planning of the president's funeral and her references to Camelot; Oliver Stone's JFK, a film portrayal that reinforced the conspiracy themes associated with the Kennedy assassination; and the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, a site for creating, contesting, and extending public memory in multiple forms. In this section, Santa Cruz's analysis might have been strengthened had he drawn theory from disciplines other than history. For example, Craig Dickinson, Carol Blair, and Brian L. Ott's edited volume, Places of Public Memory: The Rhetoric of Museums and Memorials (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2010), offers a collection of essays that might have been quite useful in parsing out specific aspects of the complex subjects tackled in this section. Nevertheless, the chapter--much like the three preceding it--offers a serviceable analysis and a fair-minded evaluation. While the writing in these chapters is a bit repetitive at times, Santa Cruz gives us much to cogitate over and identifies some intriguing threads. In Chapter 5, the book confronts the contradictions between historians' judgments of JFK's presidential legacy and how public memory regards the president. At this point, the discussion turns on the difference between style and substance--or, as others have put it, between promise and performance. Here the historians and public memory, of course, part ways. …
High satisfaction and low decisional conflict with advance care planning among chronically ill patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart failure using an online decision aid: A pilot study:

ObjectiveMany patients with chronic illnesses report a desire for increased involvement in medical decision-making. This pilot study aimed to explore how patients with exacerbation-prone disease tr...
Accuracy of Smartphone-Based Barometry for Altitude Determination in Aircraft Flight Testing

Low-cost digital data acquisition systems have substantially transformed how aircraft flight testing is taught at The Ohio State University. With the advent of smartphones with built-in sensor suites, students now have access to modern data acquisition techniques and an expanded envelope of aircraft characteristics that can be measured in flight, and with much greater fidelity. A recent AIAA conference paper (Gregory and Jensen, AIAA-2012883) details the initial implementation of digital data acquisition techniques for flight testing education, with a specific focus on smartphone-based systems. However, that work showed that altitude measurement with smartphone-based GPS was highly erroneous. This work seeks to assess the accuracy of barometric pressure sensors on smartphones for measurement of altitude in flight, and how well cabin pressure may be used as a proxy for freestream static pressure. Results presented here indicate a measurement accuracy of ±40 ft, which improves to ±15 if the difference between freestream static and cabin pressures is calibrated and accounted for.
TACTUAL RECOGNITION OF SHAPES BY NORMAL AND RETARDED CHILDREN

Because of evidence to the contrary, Gibson (1963) has questioned the popular belief that to~lch provides the primitive basis for form perception. Perhaps equally false is the notion that retardates develop particular skills to compensate for deficiencies in the verbal and general intellectual areas. The presenc study was designed as a partial replication of earlier work (Hermelin & O'Connor, 1961) in which retardates were superior to normals in tacnlal recognition of letter-shapes. Further, retardates were more inferior in visual than in tactual recognition. Twenty retarded and 20 normal children were tested. They were matched for sex, and the mean MA of both groups was 6.5 on the Stanford-Binet. The mean CA of the retardates was 9.4 (range = 7 to 12); the normals had a mean CA of 6.5 (range = 5 to 7).
A recursive approach for adaptive parameters selection in a multifunction radar

The challenge of using radar resource management (RRM) to provide the attention element of cognition for radar systems is addressed in this paper. A multifunction radar model is introduced that is used to develop a radar resource allocation approach. We propose a recursive form of the radar resource allocation problem by adapting the radar parameters every time the radar revisits the target. The approach is applied to the problem of tracking multiple targets with different RCS configuration. We show how the approach can provide better utilization of the radar resources by giving the correct attention to the target track task.
Spontaneous β2-Adrenergic Signaling Fails To Modulate L-Type Ca2+ Current in Mouse Ventricular Myocytes

A receptor can be activated either by specific ligand-directed changes in conformation or by intrinsic, spontaneous conformational change. In the β2-adrenergic receptor (AR) overexpression transgenic (TG4) murine heart, spontaneously activated β2AR (β2-R*) in the absence of ligands has been evidenced by elevated basal adenylyl cyclase activity and cardiac function. In the present study, we determined whether the signaling mediated by β2-R* differs from that of a ligand-elicited β2AR activation (β2-LR*). In ventricular myocytes from TG4 mice, the properties of L-type Ca2+ current (ICa), a major effector of β2-LR* signaling, was unaltered, despite a 2.5-fold increase in the basal cAMP level and a 1.9-fold increase in baseline contraction amplitude as compared with that of wild-type (WT) cells. Although the contractile response to β2-R* in TG4 cells was abolished by a β2AR inverse agonist, ICI118,551 (5 × 10−7 M), or an inhibitory cAMP analog, Rp-CPT-cAMPS (10−4 M), no change was detected in the simultaneously recorded ICa. These results suggest that the increase in basal cAMP due to β2-R*, while increasing contraction amplitude, does not affect ICa characteristics. In contrast, the β2AR agonist, zinterol elicited a substantial augmentation of ICa in both TG4 and WT cells (pertussis toxin-treated), indicating that L-type Ca2+channel in these cells can respond to ligand-directed signaling. Furthermore, forskolin, an adenylyl cyclase activator, elicited similar dose-dependent increase in ICa amplitude in WT and TG4 cells, suggesting that the sensitivity of L-type Ca2+channel to cAMP-dependent modulation remains intact in TG4 cells. Thus, we conclude that β2-R* bypasses ICa to modulate contraction, and that β2-LR* and β2-R* exhibit different intracellular signaling and target protein specificity.
Residential tourists and the half-life of European cosmopolitanism in post-crisis Spain:

This article examines British homeowners in Spain after the 2008 economic crisis and their struggles to navigate Spain’s troubled real estate sector. It argues that foreign residents previously embraced European cosmopolitanism but disputes over illegal home construction soured their opinion of European Union (EU) integration. Using ethnographic research and interviews, the article shows how these homeowners contested the idea that EU cohesion policies produced uniform legal systems related to housing and urban development. It also shows that while cosmopolitanism was often spurred at the level of formal politics, cosmopolitan ‘practices’ were subtly endorsed to delineate between those who had agency, and were successfully dealing with the crisis, and those who seemed to be floundering. The article confirms contemporary studies of EU regional polarization and the stalled project of creating ‘social Europe’, while showing how personal conceptions of mobility are highly linked to class.
An Evaluation of Central Nervous System Cross-Contamination Due to Carcass Splitting in Commercial Beef-Packing Plants

Four experiments were conducted in commercial beef-packing facilities The objectives of these experiments were to: (i) determine and validate a carcass sampling technique and location to determine if central nervous system (CNS) cross-contamination exists/occurs; (ii) determine if residual CNS tissue contamination remains on splitting saws after sanitation procedures; (iii) determine the prevalence of CNS cross-contamination in commercial slaughter facilities; (iv) determine whether washing treatments reduce or eliminate CNS tissue presence in carcass-splitting saws; (v) determine the effectiveness of commercial spray-washing systems in removing CNS tissue from beef carcasses; and (vi) compare residual CNS tissue levels on the blade and in the housings of the Jarvis Buster IX and Buster IV carcass-splitting saws. CNS tissue remained, albeit at very low levels, in the housings and on the blades of carcass-splitting saws after carcass splitting and operational sanitation. Additionally, after splitting carcasses, CNS tissue remaining in the splitting saw housings and on saw blades was found to cross-contaminate subsequent carcasses during splitting. Most splitting saw operational sanitation procedures reduced the amount of CNS tissue remaining in the splitting saw housings and on splitting saw blades, but no treatment eliminated CNS tissue from either to levels below the detection limit of the assay (6 ng/100 cm 2 ). Washing in carcass spray-washing cabinets at three of the five commercial beef-packing facilities reduced, but did not eliminate, presence of CNS tissue in the aitch bone area of carcasses. Carcass spray washing in cabinets at three of the five facilities reduced (P < 0.05) the concentration of CNS tissue in the fourth thoracic vertebra area. While extremely low concentrations of CNS tissue remained in the splitting saw housings, on the splitting saw blades, and on carcasses, it is unknown whether these levels would pose a human food safety risk because the exact amount of bovine spongiform encephalopathy-infected spinal cord capable of transmitting the disease to humans is dependent on the infectivity titer, which is not readily known.
Introduction: Computer Vision Research at NECI

This special issue of the International Journal of Computer Vision highlights research on computer vision at the NEC Research Institute. The purpose of this preface is to provide some context to how this work reflects our broader goals and themes of computer vision research at NECI.
Stochastic Iwan-Type Models for Joint Variability Modeling

This chapter focuses overall on the development and validation of stochastic models to describe the dissipation and stiffness properties of a bolted joint for which experimental data, i.e., stiffness and dissipation measurements obtained in harmonic testing of nine nominally identical bolted joints, is available and exhibits a large scatter. The four-parameter Iwan model is considered first for this effort and it is found to characterize accurately either dissipation or stiffness properties but not both. Accordingly, two extensions of this model are investigated. The first one, referred to as the split four-parameter model, adopts the four-parameter Iwan representation but with different parameters for the dissipation and stiffness properties. The second extension of the four-parameter Iwan model involves dynamic and static coefficients of friction differing from each other and thus leading to a five-parameter representation. The applicability of this latter extension is investigated using this data and is found to provide very good fits of the experimental data for each bolted joint, notwithstanding the significant variability of their behavior. This finding suggests that this variability can be simulated through the randomization of only the parameters of the proposed extended Iwan-type models (split four-parameter and five-parameter). The distribution of these parameters is next selected based on maximum entropy concepts and their corresponding parameters, i.e., the hyperparameters of the model, are identified using a maximum likelihood strategy. Proceeding with Monte Carlo simulations of the stochastic Iwan models demonstrates that the experimental data fits well within the uncertainty bands corresponding to the 5th and 95th percentiles of the model predictions which well supports the adequacy of either model.