cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overview of nanodielectrics: Insulating materials of the future

Several research groups worldwide have now been able to document some significant improvements that can be made in the electrical, and other, properties of polymer composites through the incorporation of nanoparticulates. Although it is now becoming clear that the mechanisms responsible for these changes are by no means universal, some of the benefits are substantial and rely on the large interface areas which are inherent in the introduction of materials of nanometric dimensions. By examining a variety of nanomaterials, this contribution seeks to review the property changes that can be brought about and examines the possibilities for commercial applications. This involves not only the electrical properties, but the implications for the attendant mechanical characteristics and the polymer processing necessary for utilization of this emerging breed of dielectric material. In this context, the functionalization of the particulate surfaces to provide preferential coupling to the host polymer will be explored since, by this means, a degree of preferred assembly can be accommodated. Through experimental examples, the use of this technique to tailor the properties of nanodielectrics is illustrated.
Mycoplasma arthritidis mitogen. Vβ engaged in mice, rats, and humans, and requirement of HLA‐DRα for presentation

OBJECTIVE Mycoplasma arthritidis mitogen (MAM) is mitogenic for mouse, rat, and human T cells, and behaves as a superantigen in mice through its capacity to bind to the alpha chain of I-E molecules and engage entire sets of T cells expressing specific V beta. Here, we have attempted to fully characterize the V beta-engaging activities of MAM in mice, and define similar activities in rats and humans. METHODS Multiprobe RNase-protection assays and mice transgenic for human DR alpha, DR beta, and DR alpha beta were utilized for this purpose. RESULTS MAM-reactive V beta in the mouse included not only the previously reported V beta 6, V beta 8.1, V beta 8.2, and V beta 8.3, but also V beta 5.1. In the rat, engagement of V beta 5.1, V beta 6, V beta 8.1, and V beta 8.2, but not V beta 8.3, was documented, whereas in humans, the engaged V beta included primarily V beta 19.1 (alternatively termed V beta 17.1) and, to a lesser extent, V beta 3.1, V beta 11.1, V beta 12.1, and V beta 13.1. In DR transgenic E alpha- E beta- mice, presentation of MAM and engagement of specific V beta was effected by DR alpha. CONCLUSIONS Homologous V beta are engaged by MAM in mice, rats, and humans, presumably through a binding site similar to that proposed previously for other superantigens. MAM presentation primarily via the nonpolymorphic DR alpha makes it unlikely that there is involvement of such a superantigen in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases known to be associated with certain DR haplotypes. The possibility cannot be excluded, however, that superantigen-activated T cells may lead to disease by cross-reactions with self-antigens presented by particular DR haplotypes.
Photoemission Study of the Physical Nature of the InP Near-Surface Defect States

The physical nature of the InP near-surface defect acceptor and donor states are studied by using photoemission spectroscopy. It is found that the In/n-InP(110) interface band bending does not start until the In coverage reaches about 0.3 monolayer (ML), while the In/p-InP(110) band bending is almost saturated at 0.3 ML. The annealing effect on the band bending of clean cleaved n-and p-type InP(llO) surfaces is also studied. It is found that annealing of the clean surface creates an irreversible band bending effect on the p-InP(110), but the n-InP(110) almost does not show any band bending after low temperature annealing. Based on these two striking differences in the band bending behavior of n- and p-type InP, it is proposed that the physical nature of InP near-surface defect acceptor and donor levels may be different and that phosphorus vacancies are the cause of p-InP surface Fermi level pinning.
Relationship between particulate air pollution and meteorological variables in Utah's Salt Lake Valley

Abstract Critical meteorological factors affecting daily particulate concentrations during winter for Utah's urbanized Salt Lake Valley are examined on the basis of forty years of data. In a typical winter, the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) is exceeded during 6 multi-day events comprising 18 winter days. Multi-day episodes of high stability produce these events, as synoptic-scale high-pressure ridges transit across Utah. The valley heat deficit, a bulk measure of atmospheric stability, exhibits large winter-to-winter variations that are highly related to similar variations in PM2.5. While control strategies have led to downward trends in concentrations for some primary pollutants, no long-term trends in valley heat deficit are evident over the 40 years. PM2.5 concentrations rise gradually over a period of days after a heat deficit threshold is exceeded as the air within the valley becomes decoupled from generally stronger winds aloft. Concentrations climb at a typical rate of about 10 μg m−3 d−1 over a four-day period to about 60 μg m−3 during these episodes. During episodes when PM2.5 concentrations exceed 35 μg m−3, the atmospheric column in the valley is characterized by: temperature below 0 °C; relative humidity in excess of 50%; and light wind speeds. PM2.5 concentrations in excess of 35 μg m−3 are four times more likely when the valley is snow covered than when it is not. A stepwise multiple linear regression based upon selected meteorological variables is used to estimate daily values of PM2.5 during two independent winters. The correlation between observed and estimated PM2.5 for these winters reaches 0.81.
Comparative transcriptomics in three Methylophilaceae species uncover different strategies for environmental adaptation

We carried out whole transcriptome analysis of three species of Methylophilaceae, Methylotenera mobilis, Methylotenera versatilis and Methylovorus glucosotrophus, in order to determine which metabolic pathways are actively transcribed in cultures grown in laboratory on C1 substrates and how metabolism changes under semi-in situ conditions. Comparative analyses of the transcriptomes were used to probe the metabolic strategies utilized by each of the organisms in the environment. Our analysis of transcript abundance data focused on changes in expression of methylotrophy metabolic modules, as well as on identifying any functional modules with pronounced response to in situ conditions compared to a limited set of laboratory conditions, highlighting their potential role in environmental adaptation. We demonstrate that transcriptional responses to environmental conditions involved both methylotrophy and non-methylotrophy metabolic modules as well as modules responsible for functions not directly connected to central metabolism. Our results further highlight the importance of XoxF enzymes that were previously demonstrated to be highly expressed in situ and proposed to be involved in metabolism of methanol by Methylophilaceae. At the same time, it appears that different species employ different homologous Xox systems as major metabolic modules. This study also reinforces prior observations of the apparent importance of the methylcitric acid cycle in the Methylotenera species and its role in environmental adaptation. High transcription from the respective gene clusters and pronounced response to in situ conditions, along with the reverse expression pattern for the ribulose monophosphate pathway that is the major pathway for carbon assimilation in laboratory conditions suggest that a switch in central metabolism of Methylotenera takes place in response to in situ conditions. The nature of the metabolite(s) processed via this pathway still remains unknown. Of the functions not related to central metabolism, flagellum and fimbria synthesis functions appeared to be of significance for environmental adaptation, based on their high abundance and differential expression. Our data demonstrate that, besides shared strategies, the organisms employed in this study also utilize strategies unique to each species, suggesting that the genomic divergence plays a role in environmental adaptation.
Multimodal search for effective video retrieval

Semantic search and retrieval of multimedia content is a challenging research field that has drawn significant attention in the multimedia research community. With the dramatic growth of digital media at home, in enterprises, and on the web, methods for effective indexing and search of visual content are vital in unlocking the value of this content. Conventional database search and text search over large textual corpora are both well-understood problems with ubiquitous applications. However, search in non-textual unstructured content, such as image and video data, is not nearly as mature or effective. A common approach for video retrieval, for example, is to apply conventional text search techniques to the associated closed caption or speech transcript. This approach works fairly well for retrieving named entities, such as specific people, objects, or places. However, it does not work well for generic topics related to general settings, events, or people actions, as the speech track rarely describes the background setting or the visual appearance of the subject. Text-based search is not even applicable to scenarios that do not have speech transcripts or other textual metadata for indexing purposes (e.g., consumer photo collections). In addition, speech-based video retrieval frequently leads to false matches of segments that talk about but do not depict the entity of interest. Because of these and other limitations, it is now apparent that conventional text search techniques on their own are not sufficient for effective image and video retrieval, and they need to be combined with techniques that consider the visual semantics of the content. The most substantial work in this field is presented in the TREC Video Retrieval Evaluation (TRECVID) community, which focuses its efforts on evaluating video retrieval approaches by providing common video datasets and a standard set of queries.
Fingerprinting orogenic delamination

A signifi cant portion of the Earth’s lithosphere is recycled into the deeper mantle, as required by mass balance considerations in orogenic environments. The two principal mechanisms for recycling are subduction at plate margins and delamination. Subduction is a well-understood process that is essential to the plate tectonic engine of planet Earth. Delamination, on the other hand, requires recycling via convective removal of the lower parts of the lithosphere, and is more diffi cult to detect. One chief argument for delamination comes from extreme shortening at continental convergent margins, which requires far thicker mantle lithospheres than observed (DeCelles et al., 2009). The second argument comes from the intermediate average composition of the continental crust (Rudnick, 1995), which requires a large ultramafi c complementary residue at the bottom of the continental crust; such a reservoir has not been identifi ed over large portions of continental areas. Delamination (Bird, 1979), convective removal, foundering, and lithospheric dripping are terms used for the process of detachment and sinking of the lower parts of the continental lithosphere other than those that may have been buried into the mantle via continental subduction. Most researchers using the term “delamination” refer to a density-driven process of foundering, and do not imply its original “peeling-off” signifi cance as defi ned by Bird (1979), which is closer to tectonic underplating in shallow subduction environments. Delamination is a form of vertical and spatially localized tectonics often generating amoeba-like or circular surface effects that are regional results of tectonomagmatic processes at convergent plate margins. Mantle delamination is the process of foundering of dense, unstable
Neuroimaging in Essential Tremor

Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder and one of the most frequent neurological disorders. The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for generating the action tremors are poorly understood, and the diagnosis remains predominantly clinical. There is accumulating evidence that ET is central in origin, and oscillatory circuits involving the brainstem, cerebellum, subcortical, and cortical motor system are involved in generating the tremors. Imaging applications in ET are currently performed for research purposes with the notable exception of single-photon computed tomography (SPECT) with [123I]-FP-CIT that is used clinically to help differentiate patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease (iPD) from those with ET. Advances in neuroimaging techniques and sophisticated computational techniques have allowed an improved understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. This chapter will review structural and functional neuroimaging research conducted in ET and provide a preview of future applications and their potential impact on the field.
Image coding using adaptive recursive interpolative DPCM with entropy-constrained trellis coded quantization

A predictive image coder having minimal decoder complexity is presented. The image coder utilizes recursive interpolative DPCM in conjunction with adaptive classification, entropy-constrained trellis coded quantization, and optimal rate allocation to obtain signal-to-noise ratios in the range of the most advanced transform coders. >
Chorion Gene Amplification in Drosophila: A Model for Metazoan Origins of DNA Replication and S-Phase Control

The mechanisms controlling duplication of the metazoan genome are only beginning to be understood. It is still unclear what organization of DNA sequences constitutes a chromosomal origin of DNA replication, and the regulation of origin activity during the cell cycle has not been fully revealed. We review recent results that indicate that chorion gene amplification in follicle cells of the Drosophila ovary is a model for investigating metazoan replication. Evaluation of cis sequence organization and function suggests that chorion loci share attributes with other replicons and provides insights into metazoan origin structure. Moreover, recent results indicate that chorion origins respond to S-phase control, but escape mechanisms that inhibit other origins from firing more than once in a cell cycle. Several identified genes that mediate amplification are critical for the cell cycle control of replication initiation. It is likely that further genetic screens for mutations that disrupt amplification will identify the cadre of proteins associated with origins and the regulatory pathways that control their activity. Furthermore, the recent development of methods to detect amplification in situ has uncovered new aspects of its developmental control. Examining this control will reveal links between developmental pathways and the cell cycle machinery. Visualization of amplifying chorion genes with high resolution also represents an opportunity to evaluate the influence of nuclear and chromosome structure on origin activity. The study of chorion amplification in Drosophila, therefore, provides great potential for the genetic and molecular dissection of metazoan replication.
Fostering Private – Public Partnerships in the Transition Economies: Helcom as a System of Implementation Review

Economic chaos, legislative and regulatory turmoil, and institutional upheaval have presented significant challenges for environmental protection implementation during the transition period of the formerly centrally planned economies. Russia's efforts to achieve compliance with Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) environmental guidelines are examined from the perspective of water resources planning in St Petersburg, the largest urban polluting source on the Baltic Sea. I focus on the case of the first private – public partnership at a public water authority in Russia. Water resources planning in St Petersburg is analyzed through the lens of the theoretical framework of systems of implementation review in order to assess how socioeconomic, institutional, and management changes have shaped water resources planning and environmental protection implementation in a transition economy. The broader issue of accumulation of social capital with foreign donors and investors is an important part of the pursuit of HELCOM co...
Variable-Range Hopping in the Array of Magnetic Quantum Dots

We analyzed the spin-dependent conductivity in the system of paramagnetic quantum dots embedded in semi-insulating matrix, which is due to bound magnetic polaron (BMP) inter-dot hopping. If such a system is characterized by wide distributions of the “bare” electron energies and BMP shifts, variable-range and variable-polaron-barrier hopping can be observed at low temperatures T . It results in the giant magnetoresistance,ρ( H, T ) governed by a non-activation law, lnρ /α [ T 0 ( H )/ T ] p , where T 0 ( H ) drops with magnetic field, H . Depending on the conditions, parameters of the material, and the dimensionality of the system, the exponent 0.25 T -dependence has been observed in GaMnAs and MnGe magnetic semiconductors.
An Analysis of International Accounting Research in U.S.‐ and Non‐U.S.‐Based Academic Accounting Journals

ABSTRACT: Faculty and administrators are called upon to evaluate international accounting researchers' performance, which requires knowledge of international accounting research journal outlets, journal rankings, topics, methods, and authorship. Both seasoned and novice international researchers are faced with the need to know the placement, turnaround review time, rankings, topics, methods, and authorship of potential international accounting research outlets. Thus, the objective of this study is to provide timely information to the international accounting research evaluator as well as to international accounting researchers, whether at the entrance, mid‐career, or senior level. We compare and analyze accounting research published in 41 U.S.‐ and non‐U.S.‐based academic journals from 1981–2000 in order to describe and discern the trends of international accounting research within five dimensions: quantity, internationality, topic, method, and author. Our regression‐based growth comparisons reveal an inc...
Real-time 3D Surface Tracking and Its Applications

We present a general technique for directly estimating and tracking surfaces from a stream of rectified stereo pairs in real-time. These techniques are based on the iterative updating of surface representations directly from image information and use no disparity search except during initialization. We perform the tracking through an iteratively re-weighted least squares minimization wherein a mask is incorporated to increase robustness to occlusion. The algorithms are formulated for a general family of linear in parameters surface models and discussed for the cases of planar surfaces and tensor product surfaces. These algorithms have been implemented on standard hardware and run at or near frame rate, with accuracy on the order of 1/20 of a pixel. We discuss applications of the technique including mobile robot localization, general deforming surface tracking, and biometry of biological surfaces.
Late Wisconsin to Holocene deformation in the New Madrid seismic zone

The New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812 produced regional deformation in northwestern Tennessee, southeastern Missouri, and northeastern Arkansas. Landforms such as the Lake County uplift, Reelfoot Lake, and the Sunklands of northeast Arkansas either formed or were reactivated during these great earthquakes. Two hundred and fifty three cores were used to construct a structure-contour map of the unconformity between the Eocene strata and the overlying Quaternary Mississippi River alluvium in the New Madrid seismic zone. This map reveals relief that mirrors the surface deformation and provides additional data on the distribution of regional deformation. We interpret the structure-contour map as a representation of the Late Wisconsin to the present strain field of the New Madrid seismic zone. This map provides constraints for future kinematic analyses of late Quaternary New Madrid faulting and allows forecasting of future coseismic deformation.
The regulatory influence of activated T cells on B cell responses to antigen.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the intimate mechanisms of the regulation of antibody responses by T cells, the significance of these phenomena for the regulatory processes of the immune system, and their possible implication for the pathogenesis of various immunopathological states. The chapter adheres to popular terminology to refer to the two distinct classes of immunocompetent lymphocytes—T cells and B cells. The T cells are lymphocytes that have differentiated under the influence of the thymus and are responsible for mediating cellular immune reactions—such as delayed hypersensitivity and transplantation reactions. These cells participate in the development of humoral immunity but are not capable of secreting humoral antibodies. Because T cells stimulated by antigen respond by a clonal expansion and differentiation; and by being activated to perform their specific function, the former is elected as “educated T cells” and the latter as “activated T cells.” Activated T cells may result from stimulation by agents other than specific antigen. The B cells are lymphocytes that have differentiated under the influence of the bursa or its analog in mammals and ultimately become the effector cells in humoral immunity by the virtue of synthesizing and secreting immunoglobulin antibodies.
Statin Use and Incident Cataract Surgery: A Case-Control Study

ABSTRACTPurpose: To determine the association between statin use and incident cataract surgery.Methods: Using the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a retrospective population-based, case-control study was performed. Cases included 6024 county residents aged 50 years and older who had first-eye cataract surgery between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2011. Controls included residents who had never had cataract surgery and were matched to cases by age, sex, and index date within 1 month of surgery. Statin medications continuously prescribed for at least 1 year before the surgery date (cases) or index date (controls) were examined. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression models.Results: There were 2557 (42%) statin users among cases having cataract surgery compared to 2038 (34%) statin users among controls never having had cataract surgery (p < 0.0001). Incident cataract surgery was significantly associated with increased odds of statin use ...
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Effects of Overlapping Institutions: A Preliminary Study

While much of the scholarly literature on the effects of international human rights institutions looks at the impact of one institution or mechanism in isolation, the human rights landscape is actually quite dense, being comprised of regional and international treaties and enforcement mechanisms. States face multiple and sometimes competing demands from these various human rights institutions. In this chapter, Hillebrecht addresses the interconnectivity of this human rights framework by focusing on the relationship between the Inter-American and United Nations (UN) human rights systems, the recommendations they issue and the ways in which states implement and comply with these mandates using the examples of Uruguay, Brazil and Mexico.
Incremental learning of human activity models from videos

We incrementally learn the human activity models with the newly arriving instances using an ensemble of SVM classifiers. It can retain the already learned information and does not require the storage of previously seen examples.We reduce the expensive manual labeling of the incoming instances from the video stream using active learning. We achieved similar performances comparing to the state-of-the-arts with less amount of manually labeled data.We propose a framework to incrementally learn the context model of the activities and the object attributes that we represent using a CRF. Learning human activity models from streaming videos should be a continuous process as new activities arrive over time. However, recent approaches for human activity recognition are usually batch methods, which assume that all the training instances are labeled and present in advance. Among such methods, the exploitation of the inter-relationship between the various objects in the scene (termed as context) has proved extremely promising. Many state-of-the-art approaches learn human activity models continuously but do not exploit the contextual information. In this paper, we propose a novel framework that continuously learns both of the appearance and the context models of complex human activities from streaming videos. We automatically construct a conditional random field (CRF) graphical model to encode the mutual contextual information among the activities and the related object attributes. In order to reduce the amount of manual labeling of the incoming instances, we exploit active learning to select the most informative training instances with respect to both of the appearance and the context models to incrementally update these models. Rigorous experiments on four challenging datasets demonstrate that our framework outperforms state-of-the-art approaches with significantly less amount of manually labeled data.
Function of the valves after transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defect with Xianjian~(TM) occluders

Objective To assess the function of valves after transcatheter closure of congenital ventricular septal defect (VSD) with local made XianjianTM occluder and compare with AmplatzerTM occluder and operations. Methods The rate of tricuspid valve regurgitation, tricuspid valve stenosis and aortic valve regurgitation at 1 week and 3 months after interventions were analyzed using Chi square test in XianjianTM occluder group (n = 76), AmplatzerTM occluder group (n = 34) and operation group (n = 56). Results The rate of aortic valve regurgitation of the XianjianTM occluder group at 1 week follow-up was higher than that of the operation group (P 0.05), but no significant differences in comparison with AmplatzerTM occluder group. Neither statistical differences between the XianjianTM occluder group and the AmplatzerTM occluder group, nor differences between the XianjianTM occluder group and the operation group were found in the rate of aortic valve regurgitation at 3 months follow-up (both P 0.05). There were no significant differences either between the XianjianTM occluder group and the AmplatzerTM occluder group, or between the XianjianTM occluder group and the operation group in the rate of tricuspid valve regurgitation, the rate of tricuspid valve stenosis at 1 week and 3 months follow-up (both P 0.05). Conclusions The XianjianTM VSD occluder is a new instrument of the transcatheter closure of VSD. The function of the valves are mildly impacted after the interventions but are improved during the short-term follow-up. To prevent its impact on the valves, it is important to strictly observe the indications for occluder implantation and closely monitor the implanting process by echocardiography, avoid violent manipulations and choose suitable devices.
Decomposition-Based Design Optimization of Hybrid Electric Powertrain Architectures: Simultaneous Configuration and Sizing Design

Effective electrification of automotive vehicles requires designing the powertrain’s configuration along with sizing its components for a particular vehicle type. Employing planetary gear systems in hybrid electric vehicle powertrain architectures allows various architecture alternatives to be explored, including single-mode architectures that are based on a fixed configuration and multi-mode architectures that allow switching power flow configuration during vehicle operation. Previous studies have addressed the configuration and sizing problems separately. However, the two problems are coupled and must be optimized together to achieve system optimality. An all-in-one system solution approach to the combined problem is not viable due to the high complexity of the resulting optimization problem. In this paper we propose a partitioning and coordination strategy based on Analytical Target Cascading for simultaneous design of powertrain configuration and sizing for given vehicle applications. The capability of the proposed design framework is demonstrated by designing powertrains with one and two planetary gears for a mid-size passenger vehicle.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Dynamically scheduled region-based image compositing

Algorithms for sort-last parallel volume rendering on large distributed memory machines usually divide a dataset equally across all nodes for rendering. Depending on the features that a user wants to see in a dataset, all the nodes will rarely finish rendering at the same time. Existing compositing algorithms do not often take this into consideration, which can lead to significant delays when nodes that are compositing wait for other nodes that are still rendering. In this paper, we present an image compositing algorithm that uses spatial and temporal awareness to dynamically schedule the exchange of regions in an image and progressively composite images as they become available. Running on the Edison supercomputer at NERSC, we show that a scheduler-based algorithm with awareness of the spatial contribution from each rendering node can outperform traditional image compositing algorithms.
Topoisomerase I inhibitors in the treatment of head and neck cancer.

A rapid self-sustaining solid-state precursor route to transition-metal borides, boride solid solutions, and boride composites has been developed. Solid-state metathesis (SSM) reactions between transition-metal chlorides and magnesium boride (MgB2) produce crystalline borides and magnesium chloride. Boride solid solutions are formed using mixed chloride precursors. By using a third precursor, such as NaN3, boride-nitride composites are synthesized. The reaction products are characterized by powder x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectroscopy. These boride reactions become self-propagating when the adiabatic temperature is greater than the melting point of the by-product salt, MgCl2 (mp 987 K).
Treating Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among People Living with HIV: a Critical Review of Intervention Trials

The prevalence rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) is significantly higher than the rate among the general population. Moreover, PTS symptoms have been linked with numerous negative health-related outcomes in PLWH. While these findings suggest that studies evaluating the efficacy of treatments for PTS symptoms among PLWH are sorely needed, according to prior reviews, such studies are lacking. The purpose of the present systematic review was to provide an updated critical evaluation of treatment studies that targeted PTS among PLWH. Following PRIMSA guidelines, we searched PubMed and PsycINFO and identified eight articles (representing seven studies) evaluating the impact of various individual and group treatments on PTS symptoms. The limited evidence base to date precludes clinical recommendations for this population. Future studies should examine the efficacy of existing evidence-based treatments for PTSD among PLWH and then, if necessary, evaluate the impact of any treatment modifications for this population.
Three-Dimensional Graphics

In this chapter, we again discuss some of the commands presented in the last chapter on two-dimensional (2D) graphics. We do this for two reasons: first, it enables us to give a comprehensive and detailed treatment of three-dimensional (3D) graphics, and second, there are, in fact, several differences between the 2D and 3D graphics primitives, directives, and options.
Cross-cultural perspectives on parent-adolescent discrepancies: existing findings and future directions

As summarized in this commentary, the first generation of cross-informant agreement research focused on perceptions of child and adolescent mental health. Contributions of this research include demonstrating that modest cross-informant agreement is a very robust phenomenon, utilizing numerous statistical approaches to measure degree of agreement, and identifying many factors that moderate agreement. An important focus of this work has been using multi-society international comparisons to examine cross-cultural similarities and differences in cross-informant agreement. The articles in this Special Issue represent a significant paradigm shift in which cross-informant agreement is examined as an independent variable predicting a wide variety of outcomes. Furthermore, moving beyond perceptions of adolescent mental health, these articles compare parent and adolescent perceptions of diverse aspects of family functioning (e.g., family conflict, parent-adolescent communication, family relationships, parental authority). Additionally, the research presented in this Special Issue employs innovative and sophisticated statistical techniques. Although the Special Issue represents some first steps toward considering cross-cultural aspects of perceptions of family functioning, much work still needs to be done in this area. Some suggestions for future research strategies to accomplish this goal conclude this commentary.
Novel agents and strategies in transplant-eligible patients with relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma

The majority of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma are cured with frontline therapy; however, 10% to 15% with early-stage disease and 20% to 30% with advanced stage require second-line therapy that includes a potentially curative transplant, of which an additional 50% to 55% are cured. Those with multiply relapsed disease traditionally would receive novel agents on a clinical trial or combination chemotherapy as a potential bridge to an allogeneic stem cell transplant. This treatment paradigm has changed with the availability of brentuximab vedotin, an antibody drug conjugate used pre- and post-ASCT, as well as for palliation. With the availability of the checkpoint inhibitors, nivolumab and pembrolizumab, there will be another shift in treatment, with these agents being used for palliation and potentially replacing allogeneic stem cell transplantation in certain patient populations. Finally, up-front management is also changing and this will have an impact on how patients in the relapsed and refractory setting will be treated.
AFFECTIVE ETHOLOGIES: monk parakeets and non-human inflections in affect theory

:Recent attempts to engage and develop modes of ethological practice that avoid deterministic and mechanistic accounts of animal action have often relied on affect as a way of articulating how animal bodies affect and are in turn affected by the animate and inanimate bodies around them. In this context affect has often functioned as an instigating site of change that opens up the experience of a particular animal to new possibilities for action and relation. This paper seeks to bring the significant role that affect has played in opening up new directions in ethological theory and practice in contact with a discussion of two currents in affect theory – one shaped by the genealogy of philosophical thought that stretches from Spinoza, through Gilles Deleuze, to contemporary thinkers such as Brian Massumi, and the other emerging from the reception of the American psychologist and cybernetics thinker Silvan Tomkins, in the context of queer theory, through the work of Eve Sedgwick and Adam Frank. The l...
Effect of PLLA coating on corrosion and biocompatibility of zinc in vascular environment

Zinc (Zn) has recently been introduced as a promising new metal candidate for biodegradable vascular stent applications with a favorable degradation rate and biocompatibility. Corrosion-resistant metal stents are often coated with drug-eluting polymer layers to inhibit harmful biological responses. Here, the authors aimed to investigate the interaction between biodegradable zinc metal and a conventional biodegradable polymer coating. Zinc wires with a diameter of 0·25 mm were surface-modified using 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (MPS) and then coated with a 1–12 μm film of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA). The corrosion behavior of PLLA/MPS-coated zinc wires was studied in simulated body fluid using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. An increase in the impedance from 15 000 Ω cm2 was recorded for the zinc wires after being coated with PLLA. The PLLA/MPS-coated zinc specimens were implanted into the abdominal rat aorta to assess their biodegradation and biocompatibility compared to uncoate...
Medicinal and therapeutic value of the shiitake mushroom.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes medicinal and therapeutic value of the shiitake mushroom. The shiitake mushroom is the second most popular edible mushroom in the global market. To explore and possibly exploit the shiitake myth, many scientists have attempted to document its traditional therapeutic value. The shiitake mushroom contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Hypolipidemic and anti-thrombotic substances have been identified; the nucleic acids induce interferon production. Reputed antitumor components vary in chemical nature, but the most important may prove to be a polysaccharide that acts as a host defense potentiator. The ability of the shiitake to lower blood cholesterol was first reported by Kaneda and Tokuda (1966), who found that a diet supplemented with the dried ground sporophores of L. edodes lowered average plasma cholesterol when fed to rats. As shiitake mushrooms are a rich source of dietary fiber, scientists fed rats a standard control diet and one containing cholesterol, along with whole shiitake or neutral detergent fiber (NDF) extract. The eritadenine-free NDF had a cholesterol-lowering effect distinct from that of eritadenine, which was attributed to its ability to bind to cholic acid salts.
Modest improvements in skilled birth attendants at delivery with increased Mutuelles coverage in Rwanda.

Background We revisit the question of the role health insurance coverage played in increasing use of skilled birth attendants (SBA) at delivery in Rwanda. Previous studies have suggested that enrollment in Mutuelles health insurance increased the odds of using an SBA by up to 163%. Methods We take advantage of latest Rwanda Demographic Health Survey (NISR M, Macro O. Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2010. National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda and Ministry of Health, 2012.) to increase the sample size and extend the time frame of analysis to 5 years (2005-10). We also adopt a stronger matching method, coarsened exact matching, to control for model dependence. Results We find that although enrollment in Mutuelles insurance increases use of SBAs at delivery, the size of the effect is an order of magnitude lower than previously published (12-18% versus 78-163%). We also find that the effect of education on use of SBA is similar in magnitude to that of Mutuelles insurance enrollment. Conclusions Our findings lead us to conclude that Mutuelles only had a modest effect on increasing use of SBA at delivery and therefore insurance alone may not be the 'magic bullet' that solves the problem of non-use of SBA at delivery.
Robust optimization vs. stochastic programming incorporating risk measures for unit commitment with uncertain variable renewable generation

Unit commitment seeks the most cost effective generator commitment schedule for an electric power system to meet net load, defined as the difference between the load and the output of renewable generation, while satisfying the operational constraints on transmission system and generation resources. Stochastic programming and robust optimization are the most widely studied approaches for unit commitment under net load uncertainty. We incorporate risk considerations in these approaches and investigate their comparative performance for a multi-bus power system in terms of economic efficiency as well as the risk associated with the commitment decisions. We explicitly account for risk, via Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) in the stochastic programming objective function, and by employing a CVaR-based uncertainty set in the robust optimization formulation. The numerical results indicate that the stochastic program with CVaR evaluated in a low-probability tail is able to achieve better cost-risk trade-offs than the robust formulation with less conservative preferences. The CVaR-based uncertainty set with the most conservative parameter settings outperforms an uncertainty set based only on ranges.
Sample Size Calculations with R: Level 1

Abstract A basic question that crops up at the planning stage of an experiment is what should be the sample size. Inference based on too small a sample size may not have a stamp of authority of the conclusions drawn. A too large sample means wastage of valuable resources. It is imperative that the researcher involved takes into account all the relevant factors in order to come up with the right sample size. The purpose of this chapter is to explain what goes into a sample size calculation and lay out the relevant R code for getting the number. The goals in this chapter are modest in the sense we just focus on one-sample, two-sample, and multisample problems only, for quantitative variables.
Perinatal Asphyxia and Renal Failure in Neonatal Patients

Herein we discuss oliguria and azotemia in neonatal patients associated with perinatal complications, including difficult labor and delivery, and respiratory asphyxia. Renal failure in these patients is accompanied by proteinuria, microscopic hematuria and red blood cell casts, and it generally resolves in 7 to 10 days. Umbilical aortography can be helpful in determining the presence of normal kidneys in these patients.
The Perception of Plant Allelochemicals That Inhibit Feeding

Plant-feeding insects have evolved an array of subtle discrimination capabilities involving their chemical senses. During the last 25 years an extensive list of plant chemicals that are detected by the contact and olfactory chemical senses of insects has accumulated. This list together with some 25–30 species of insects for which we have electrophysiological data on their chemical senses form the basis for our understanding of the chemical control of feeding. Many additional experiments at the behavioral level leave little doubt that the feeding of insects is regulated by some “umwelt” of plant chemicals, but the unique messages offered by host and nonhost plants have yet to be discovered (Dethier and Crnjar, 1982). The dynamic aspects of plant chemistry, as well as the many plant surface compounds that may have behavioral significance add to the complexity of this task (Fobes et al., 1985; Berenbaum, 1985; Gibson and Pickett, 1983; Woodhead, 1983). In addition, several types of physiological feedbacks that are important in regulating feeding have many details yet to be resolved (Shirahashi and Yano, 1984; Bernays and Simpson, 1982). These limitations in our understanding of the regulation of insect feeding come sharply into focus when we attempt to understand the importance of plant allelochemicals that inhibit feeding.
Thermochemie hoher Temperaturen

Wenn wir die Warmemenge kennen, die bei der Bildung einer Verbindung aus den Elementen oder bei einer doppelten Umsetzung entwickelt (oder aufgenommen) wird, vorausgesetzt, das sowohl die reagierenden Stoffe als die Produkte gewohnliche Temperatur besitzen, wie gros ist dann die entwickelte oder aufgenommene Warme in jedem der folgenden Falle: a) wenn die Ausgangsstoffe kalt, aber die Produkte heis sind, b) wenn die Ausgangsstoffe heis und die Produkte ebenfalls hois sind, c) wenn die Ausgangsstoffe heis, aber die Produkte kalt sind?
Partitioning the work-sparing effects of partial ventilatory support in airflow obstruction

Sweeping conclusions regarding the utility or nonutility of elevating expiratory pressure are not warranted. The effects of manipulating airway pressure in the setting of airflow obstruction depend heavily on the nature and severity of disease, as well as on the presence of airflow limitation during tidal breathing.
Using Technology to Improve Transportation Services

The life cycle concept has long been used by technologists and managers of research and development, and it is increasingly used by managers of firms and policy analysts (Ayres and Steger, 1985). It applies to products, and it uses a biological language. A product is conceived as an idea and birthed as a prototype. With subsequent refinement, it begins to be adopted by markets. Eventually, a rather standardized product saturates the market, senescence is boded when sales are mainly replacement ones or when competing products begin to nibble away markets.
Error value tradeoffs in social decision-making, and beyond: Do personality values consistently map onto tradeoff preferences?

Abstract Many decisions in life involve tradeoffs between two incommensurate options, so that one's choice reveals the values placed on the options. For example, judicial decisions weigh the possibilities of false convictions versus false acquittals. Using a signal detection model, this research demonstrate that Americans generally prefer a judicial error value tradeoff that favors relatively more false acquittals, a pattern generally consistent with the “Blackstone ratio” (i.e., 10:1) in legal history. At the same time, there is substantial variation in these error value tradeoffs and several individual difference measures were assessed as potential factors to account for this variation. Contrary to expectations, judicial error value tradeoff preferences were not significantly related to political liberalism/conservatism, individualism/communalism, social dominance orientation, or political party affiliation. There was, however, a significant relationship between greater authoritarianism and preference for less bias to avoid false convictions. A third study replicated this finding and extended the research scope to other error value tradeoff contexts (e.g., in military, immigration, and business regulation settings). Additionally, Study 3 found significant relationships between context-specific attitudes and libertarianism/authoritarianism, liberalism/conservativism, and social dominance orientation for immigration, military, business regulation contexts.
Efficacy of Bingocize®: A Game-Centered Mobile Application to Improve Physical and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults

Abstract Objective: A significant barrier to improving the health and well-being of older adults is that they often do not adhere to health-promoting programs. The present study examined whether Bi...
Olaf Schneewind, 1961–2019: Scientist, Mentor, Friend

On 26 May 2019 the scientific community lost Olaf Schneewind of the University of Chicago, who passed away following a three-year battle with cancer.…