cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An approach to robust stability of matrix polytopes through copositive homogeneous polynomials

An approach to guaranteeing the stability of a polytope of matrices is proposed. Previous results in the literature have made the obvious connection between various robust stability problems and a test for positivity of a multivariable polynomial. Such results are extended in order to demonstrate that all matrices within a polytope are stable is and only if an associated homogeneous polynomial is strictly copositive. The additional structure obtained by exploiting homogeneity of this multivariable polynomial leads to several computationally tractable sufficiency tests for establishing either robust stability or instability of a polytope of matrices. >
Peak analysis for characterizing evolutionary behavior

Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) use a simplified abstraction of biological evolution to interact with a fitness landscape over multiple generations. The traditional approach to exploring evolutionary motivated search relies on performance comparisons of competing designs for a common problem domain. This approach has been useful in developing an intuition of when one mechanism is superior to another. However, this intuition has developed in the absence of a clear understanding of how fitness landscape topology impacts the search process in high-dimensional space, due to the lack of high-dimensional visualization tools. Proposed is a behavior measure derived from a known set of all problem domain optima, which is used as system of landmarks. Using these landmarks, evolutionary system progress can be tracked in the problem domain and characterized with an information theoretic metric. Thus, this technique provides an intuition that takes into account the problem domain topology, allowing the behavior of different algorithm configurations to be compared as they interact with a given topology.
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Congenital Heart Disease

As improved treatments for congenital heart disease (CHD) have increased life expectancy, neurodevelopmental impairments have been observed in many survivors. These impairments include developmental delays, difficulty in school, and challenges living independently. Understanding the causes of these impairments and minimizing their impact are important goals to allow survivors to have the best possible quality of life. CHD may affect the brain in several ways. First, the heart pumps blood that carries nutrients and oxygen to the brain to allow it to grow and develop. Some types of CHD may reduce the amount of blood reaching the brain or the oxygen content of the blood. Starting in the fetal period, reduced blood flow and oxygen content may impede brain maturation. Indeed, full-term babies with some types of heart defects have brain maturity that is about 1 month delayed (ie, similar to those of premature babies born at 36 weeks).1 Brain injury may also occur in CHD. Brain immaturity increases the risk of brain injury with stresses such as labor and delivery, blood pressure instability, or infection. White matter, a tissue connecting different regions of the brain, is particularly vulnerable to injury. White matter injury …
Effects of percutaneous revascularization of chronic total occlusions on clinical outcomes: a meta-analysis comparing successful versus failed percutaneous intervention for chronic total occlusion.

Background Chronic total occlusions (CTOs) represent the most complex and challenging coronary lesions for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). PCI for a CTO is a high-risk procedure and the long-term benefits of a successful percutaneous CTO recanalization over the medical management (as a result of failed PCI) are not clear, as the studies have shown conflicting results in the past. The goal of this analysis was to clarify this issue by performing a meta-analysis of the available literature. Methods Using major electronic databases, we searched for studies (randomized or observational) comparing death, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization (TVR) between patients who underwent PCI recanalization of CTOs versus those treated with medical management as a result of failed PCI attempts. Results We identified 23 observational studies comparing the desired clinical parameters between patients with successful CTO recanalization and those managed conservatively as a result of attempted but failed PCI. The total number of patients observed in all of the studies was 12,970 and the mean time of follow up was 3.7 ± 2.1 years. Our results indicated that successful recanalization of a CTO results in improved all-cause mortality (relative risk [RR] of 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] (0.45-0.65), P-value < 0.001), lower rates of MACE (RR of 0.70, 95% CI 0.60-0.83, P-value < 0.001) and reduced needs for subsequent bypass surgery (RR of 0.25, 95% CI (0.21–0.30), P-value < 0.001). The difference in long-term mortality remained statistically significant even after the adjustment for procedure related complications and in-hospital deaths. Conclusion As compared to conservative management (as a result of failed intervention), successful PCI recanalization of a CTO appears to be associated with improved long-term clinical outcomes; however, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to further confirm these results. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Intelligent Integration of a Wind Farm to an Utility Power Network with Improved Voltage Stability

The increasing effect of wind energy generation will influence the dynamic behavior of power systems by interacting with conventional generation and loads. Due to the inherent characteristics of wind turbines, non-uniform power production causes variations in system voltage and frequency. Therefore, a wind farm requires high reactive power compensation. Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices such as SVCs inject reactive power into the system which helps in maintaining a better voltage profile. This paper presents the design of a linear and a nonlinear coordinating controller between a SVC and the wind farm inverter at the point of interconnection. The performances of the coordinating controllers are evaluated on the IEEE 12 bus FACTS benchmark power system where one of the generators is replaced by a wind farm supplying 300 MW. Results are presented to show that the voltage stability of the entire power system during small and large disturbances is improved.
Vitamin A Deficiency Impairs Some Aspects of the Host Response to Influenza A Virus Infection in BALB/c Mice

We examined the impact of vitamin A deficiency on the host response to an acute, viral infection of the respiratory tract by infecting BALB/c mice with a mouse-adapted strain of influenza A virus. Several indicators of the severity of infection were examined, including the rate of virus clearance from the lungs, the extent of inflammatory lesions, and percentage of survival. None of these was affected by vitamin A deficiency. Following the acute phase of infection, however, the regeneration of normal, respiratory epithelium was impaired and adenomatoid, metaplastic lesions developed within inflammatory foci in the lungs of deficient animals. The antibody response to infection was also characterized: the influenza A-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) response in the respiratory tract was markedly decreased by vitamin A deficiency, but tracheal and lung lavage IgG titers were not affected. The serum IgM and IgG responses, and the serum hemagglutination-inhibition response, were also diminished by vitamin A deficiency. Decreased mucosal IgA titers and impaired regeneration of normal respiratory epithelium could impair recovery from a primary infection and increase susceptibility to opportunistic secondary infections.
Young women's attachment style and interpersonal engagement with female TV stars:

The present study builds on an emerging body of research that finds adult attachment style predictive of interpersonal engagement with fictional media personas in ways that are congruent to patterns that emerge in real life relationships. Results of a questionnaire study indicate that a preoccupied attachment style among college women is associated with increased idealization of a favorite female character's behavior and physical appearance. Additionally, the desire to look like a favorite female character was greatest for women selecting thin characters, while perceived similarity to a character's appearance was greatest for those selecting average weight characters. The psychological motivation behind such media involvement and its potential impact on the emotional well being of anxiously attached young women are discussed.
Survey of decentralized control methods for large scale systems

This paper surveys the control theoretic literature on decentralized and hierarchical control, and methods of analysis of large scale systems.
Seroprevalence Study Using Oral Rapid HIV Testing in a Large Urban Emergency Department

Abstract Background The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends universal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing for patients aged 13–64 years in health care settings where the seroprevalence is > 0.1%. Rapid HIV testing has several advantages; however, recent studies have raised concerns about false positives in populations with low seroprevalence. Study Objectives To determine the seroprevalence of HIV in our Emergency Department (ED) population, understand patient preferences toward rapid testing in the ED, and evaluate the performance of a rapid oral HIV test. Methods A serosurvey offered oral rapid HIV 1/2 testing (OraQuick ADVANCE, Bethlehem, PA) to a convenience sample of 1348 ED patients beginning August 2008. Subjects declining participation were asked to complete an opt-out survey. Results 1000 patients were tested. Twelve had positive results (1.2%), including one who had newly diagnosed HIV infection; 988 patients tested negative. Of these, 335 (33.3%) had never been tested; 640 had prior history of a negative HIV test. No false-positive rapid HIV results were detected; 98.7% received the results of their preliminary HIV test, including 100% of those who tested positive. Most subjects who declined testing cited either a recent negative HIV test (160/348) or low perceived risk (65/348). A minority cited a concern regarding their privacy (11/348) or that the test might delay their treatment (7/348). Conclusions The seroprevalence estimate of 1.2% was above the rate recommended by the CDC for routine universal opt-out testing in our study population. The acceptance rate of rapid HIV testing and the percentage of patients receiving results approximated other recent reports.
Serviceability limit state for cold-formed steel bolted connections

Publisher Summary This chapter investigates the tensile capacity, bearing capacity and the interaction of tension and bearing capacities of flat sheet cold-formed steel bolted connections. The influence of bolt hole deformation is also investigated. In the experimental investigation, single shear flat sheet connections are examined for single bolt and multiple bolt configurations. The intent of this investigation is to compare the current design equations for the nominal bearing and tensile capacities and to develop appropriate serviceability design criteria. The focus of this chapter is the development of a serviceability limit for the nominal bearing capacity of cold-formed steel flat sheet connections.
The presence of environmental objects to perceptual consciousness: a difference it makes for psychological functioning

Of the states that constitute William James's stream of consciousness, many are or include perceptual mental acts. These states present to consciousness one or more of their environmental objects themselves, as distinct from a mere internal representation of the latter. That is, a feature of the contents of such states is that their objects have phenomenological perceptual presence. Furthermore, this presence plays a role in mental functioning, beyond simply its being instantiated by many states of consciousness: We often base what we do next with respect to an environmental object that we perceive on its phenomenological perceptual presence to us.
Play and identity in gendered LEGO franchises

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we use a mixed methods approach to compare the multimodal ‘building blocks' of play provided by the LEGO Friends franchise, which is primarily aimed at female audiences, and several other LEGO series that are marketed to similar-age male audiences. Using both quantitative and qualitative analyses, we examine if and how certain configurations of play and gendered-discourses may be privileged through preferred set constructions (i.e. those provided by LEGO via instructions and marketing materials) and associated media narratives (i.e. video games and videos). Initial quantitative analyses suggest that LEGO sets for girls may be at a slightly more developmentally advanced level than those for boys. Qualitative analyses suggest that the sets, games, and materials both challenge and affirm traditional gender stereotypes.
The Robbins – Monro Algorithm: An Application in Macroeconomic

The paper is a journey into the dilemmas faced by economists attempting to justify and expand the scope of the theory in the direction of bounded rationality. The Robbins-Monro Algorithm that introduces stochastic approximation could be applied to more rational decisions making. Some of the methodological issues regarding the construction of new models on hypothesis other than that of rationality are discussed.
Case Report: Renal Hypophosphatemic Osteomalacia Unmasked by Hyperthyroidism

A case of renal hypophosphatemic osteomalacia (RHO) that was unmasked by hyperthyroidism is presented. The patient presented at age 64 with pathologic leg fractures. There was no family history of osteomalacia or rickets. Initial evaluation revealed hyperthyroidism, which was treated with radioactive iodine. Despite control of thyroid function, the patient had recurrent pathologic fractures. Further evaluation revealed histologically proven osteomalacia and the biochemical findings of RHO: elevated serum alkaline phosphatase, decreased serum phosphate and tubular resorption of phosphate, and normal serum calcium, parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D levels. Other causes of osteomalacia were excluded. Treatment with phosphate and calcitriol reversed the osteomalacia. This case demonstrates that hyperthyroidism, and possibly other illnesses that affect vitamin D or bone metabolism, may unmask metabolic bone disease and that physicians should be alert for the subtle clinical and biochemical indicators of unrecognized metabolic bone disease in adults.
The Most Brilliant Young Man I Know

Arthur Cecil Pigou, generally remembered as the architect of welfare economics, was the scion of several families of military officers, minor aristocrats, privileged officeholders, and freebooters whose fortunes prospered with the increasing power and wealth of the British empire in the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. His forebears included a number of colourful figures, men who proved quite adept at exploiting opportunities created by the rapidly changing conditions for success in the British polity and economy.
Experimental Design for the Evaluation of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Clinical Medicine

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging is a relatively safe, noninvasive technique. Different tissue types produce different NMR responses. Organs, components of organs, and different states of tissue (e.g. cancerous, inflammatory, normal) have been distinguished in experiments suggesting the use of NMR in early diagnosis. Space prohibits discussion of more than one design so we outline only our design for diagnosing kidney transplant rejection.
Carotid Artery Stenosis: Discussion

Despite recent advances in the diagnosis and management, stroke remains one of the most common causes of death and the leading cause of disability in adulthood in developed countries. More than 700,000 new and recurrent strokes occur in the United States each year [1]. Carotid atherosclerotic disease is an important cause of stroke and is responsible for up to 30 % of acute cerebrovascular accidents. Effective prevention remains the best option for reducing the burden of stroke. Therapeutic options include medical treatment, carotid endarterectomy (CEA), and carotid artery stenting (CAS). To choose the appropriate treatment strategy, the risks, benefits, and costs of each option should be assessed. CEA has been established as an effective management strategy in patients with high-grade carotid stenosis and is considered the standard of care for the primary and secondary prevention of stroke related to carotid artery stenosis [2]. With technological advancements in balloon catheter and stent technology, CAS has become widely used, both in the management of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with carotid disease. However, the debate regarding the best treatment of carotid stenosis has led to the development of a multitude of randomized controlled trials that compared the safety and efficacy of CEA and CAS and their roles in the management of carotid atherosclerotic disease. In patients undergoing CAS, the most important acute complication is related to the distal embolization of particles generated during the endovascular procedure. Another debate has emerged questioning the use of embolic protection devices (EPD) in patients treated with CAS and the role of these devices in preventing the occurrence of thromboembolic events. In this chapter, we aim to shed the light on the major clinical trials dealing with CAS and CEA and compare the safety and efficacy of these two interventions in the management of carotid stenosis.
Effects of wildfire on the value of recreation in western North America

Wildfires play an integral role in forest ecosystems of western North America. In an attempt to measure the level and value of ecosystem damage caused by wildfires, papers employing nonmarket valuation techniques—stated preference, revealed preference, and combined methods—are reviewed. A systematic review of results shows a portion of visitors finding conditions desirable in the initial years following moderate burn. Common individual traits and other site characteristics are also found to have significant effect on recreational trip demand. The conclusions reached in this study may assist in providing future guidance to forest and natural resource management programs on the role of fire in influencing value for recreational services derived from national forestlands.
Editorial Perspective: The use of person-first language in scholarly writing may accentuate stigma

Numerous style guides, including those issued by the American Psychological and the American Psychiatric Associations, prescribe that writers use only person-first language so that nouns referring to persons (e.g. children) always precede phrases referring to characteristics (e.g. children with typical development). Person-first language is based on the premise that everyone, regardless of whether they have a disability, is a person-first, and therefore everyone should be referred to with person-first language. However, my analysis of scholarly writing suggests that person-first language is used more frequently to refer to children with disabilities than to refer to children without disabilities; person-first language is more frequently used to refer to children with disabilities than adults with disabilities; and person-first language is most frequently used to refer to children with the most stigmatized disabilities. Therefore, the use of person-first language in scholarly writing may actually accentuate stigma rather than attenuate it. Recommendations are forwarded for language use that may reduce stigma.
Multi-vehicle cooperation and nearly fuel-optimal flock guidance in strong background flows

Abstract A multi-vehicle flocking and guidance control scheme is proposed for small autonomous underwater vehicles in the presence of strong ocean flows that exceed vehicles’ actuation capabilities. The flocking problem and flock guidance problem are simultaneously addressed by enduing fluid properties to the vehicle swarm. This control scheme generates cohesive flocking behavior with inherent inter-vehicle collision avoidance and velocity consensus. The vehicle flock is guided along a fuel-optimal trajectory calculated for an individual vehicle based on background flow predictions, allowing us to compute a single optimal trajectory while still achieving robust flocking performance and near optimality for all vehicles. Resultant vehicle trajectories are nearly fuel-optimal when the spatial variation of background flow velocities across the flock is small. Dimensional analysis uncovers two important independent parameters dictating the balance between swarm compressibility and the degree of velocity consensus. The efficiency of the presented method is demonstrated in simulations with two synthetic background flow fields resembling realistic ocean flow patterns, and a flow field reconstructed based on ocean model data. A quantitative comparison with a generic artificial potential based control scheme shows that, owing to the inherent velocity consensus effect, the proposed method results in better flocking behavior and less actuation energy consumption.
Ensemble projection of the sea level rise impact on storm surge and inundation at the coast of Bangladesh

Abstract. The hydrodynamic model Delft3D is used to study the impact of sea level rise (SLR) on storm surge and inundation in the coastal region of Bangladesh. To study the present-day inundation scenario, the tracks of two known tropical cyclones (TC) were used: Aila (Category 1; 2009) and Sidr (Category 5; 2007). Model results were validated with the available observations. Future inundation scenarios were generated by using the strength of TC Sidr, TC Aila and an ensemble of historical TC tracks but incorporating the effect of SLR. Since future change in storm surge inundation under SLR impact is a probabilistic incident, a probable range of future change in the inundated area was calculated by taking into consideration the uncertainties associated with TC tracks, intensities and landfall timing. The model outputs showed that the inundated area for TC Sidr, which was calculated as 1860 km2, would become 31 % larger than the present-day scenario if a SLR of 0.26 m occurred during the mid-21st-century climate scenario. Similarly to that, an increasing trend was found for the end-21st-century climate scenario. It was found that with a SLR of 0.54 m, the inundated area would become 53 % larger than the present-day case. Along with the inundation area, the impact of SLR was examined for changes in future storm surge level. A significant increase of 14 % was found in storm surge level for the case of TC Sidr at Barisal station if a SLR of 0.26 m occurred in the mid-21st century. Similarly to that, an increase of 29 % was found at storm surge level with a SLR of 0.54 m in this location for the end-21st-century climate scenario. Ensemble projections based on uncertainties of future TC events also showed that, for a change of 0.54 m in SLR, the inundated area would range between 3500 and 3750 km2, whereas for present-day SLR simulations it was found within the range of 1000–1250 km2. These results revealed that even if the future TCs remain at the same strength as at present, the projected changes in SLR will generate more severe threats in terms of surge height and the extent of the inundated area.
Enhanced near room temperature magnetocaloric effect in La0.6Ca0.4MnO3 for magnetic refrigeration application

Perovskite manganite La0.6Ca0.4MnO3 (LCMO) nanomaterials were synthesized by a modified Pechini sol–gel process followed by high temperature sintering. Polyethylene glycol of various molecular weights was used to control the particle size and morphology of the materials. XRD and Scherrer analysis were used to confirm the crystal structure and crystallite size of the LCMO nanomaterials. The LCMO nanomaterials showed a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition at 277 K. The maximum change in entropy was calculated to be 19.3 J kg−1 K−1 for a field change of 0–3 T and 8.7 J kg−1 K−1 for a field change of 0–1 T, and the relative cooling power was determined to be 627 J kg−1. The La0.6Ca0.4MnO3 reported in this work demonstrated an enhanced magnetocaloric effect compared to the current literature. These results showed the LCMO nanomaterials to be an excellent candidate for magnetic refrigeration applications as they are less costly in comparison to Gd based compounds.
First Report of Rust caused by Puccinia arachidis on Peanut in South Carolina

Puccinia arachidis Speg. (phylum Basidiomycota, class Pucciniomycetes) causes rust on peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and is a biotroph. In September 2016, several plants exhibiting numerous rust-colored pustules characteristic to peanut rust (Subrahmanyam 1997) on abaxial leaf sides were observed in two plots (12.19 × 12.67 m) at approximately 5% incidence of total leaflets (≈3% severity) in a localized area of approximately 2 × 2 m in a peanut field in Blackville, SC (Barnwell County) on the commercial variety ‘Georgia 12Y’. Also in September, identical symptoms were observed in a localized area of approximately 3 × 3 m (80% leaflet incidence, 40% severity) in a commercial field (≈40 hectares) of ‘Georgia 06G’ (industry-standard runner variety) in Orangeburg County, SC. Both locations were managed under reduced fungicide programs. The Barnwell County location received four applications of chlorothalonil alone as part of a separate disease study, whereas the Orangeburg County field received five chlorothalo...
Two-Dimensional Electronic-Vibrational Spectroscopy

Two-dimensional infrared and electronic spectroscopies have reached considerable levels of maturity as articles elsewhere in this volume demonstrate. Two-dimensional electronic-vibrational (2DEV) spectroscopy.
Intracellular Pressure: A Driver of Cell Morphology and Movement.

Abstract Intracellular pressure, generated by actomyosin contractility and the directional flow of water across the plasma membrane, can rapidly reprogram cell shape and behavior. Recent work demonstrates that cells can generate intracellular pressure with a range spanning at least two orders of magnitude; significantly, pressure is implicated as an important regulator of cell dynamics, such as cell division and migration. Changes to intracellular pressure can dictate the mechanisms by which single human cells move through three-dimensional environments. In this review, we chronicle the classic as well as recent evidence demonstrating how intracellular pressure is generated and maintained in metazoan cells. Furthermore, we highlight how this potentially ubiquitous physical characteristic is emerging as an important driver of cell morphology and behavior.
Destruction from the Flames

I chose natural disasters to be my inspiration because of the impact they have on the world. They bring chaos and destruction and escalation to the already uncontrollable weather. The purpose of this dress was to make the flowers look like they were on fire, indicating such natural disaster as a forest fire.
Gene Therapy for the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Gene therapy has been the focus of much attention and expectation in recent years. Many conditions have been identified as being likely targets for gene therapy, most of which are either heritable disorders or cancers. Recently acquired disorders, including acute lung diseases, have been identified as potential applications for gene therapy. Gene therapy has evolved from a concept to clinical application via phase I safety studies in humans. Due to current limitations of gene transfer technology little headway has been made in terms of true impact on human disease. Principal limitations of current technology have included lack of prolonged expression of transgenic proteins at physiologically relevant levels in an adequate number of target cells. Despite these stumbling blocks, optimism for gene therapy continues due to the belief that it will create new avenues for therapies that are not currently possible or imaginable. Gene therapy research continues to thrive due to its unrealized potential and with the hope that it will some day be common place therapy for a large number of conditions.
Hands-on Station: Thermal Spread with Bipolar Electrosurgery

The purpose of this station is for the user to demonstrate the safe use of bipolar energy in the laparoscopic setting. After completion of this station, the user will be able to set up a bipolar unit and demonstrate the safe use of a laparoscopic bipolar instrument while completing a simple surgical task. The user will transect ex vivo tissue while recognizing and controlling his or her thermal spread. The equipment needed for the lab is listed below. A thermal imaging camera can be used to monitor the user’s thermal spread during the task.
Fc alpha/microR: single member or first born in the family?

The innate immune system relies heavily upon Fc receptors to rid the body of pathogens. An Fc receptor that recognizes IgM has finally been cloned.
The influence of gender, hypertension risk, and aerobic fitness on cardiovascular responses to laboratory-induced stress

The study sought to evaluate the influence of gender, hypertension risk, and aerobic fitness on cardiovascular responses to laboratory-induced stress. Sixty nonsymptomatic subjects (30 males, 30 females) participated in the experiment. Half of the subjects had at least one biological parent with hypertension, while half had no parental history of hypertension and served as comparison subjects. Subjects completed a laboratory procedure measuring cardiovascular responses (i.e., pulse rate and blood pressure) while performing stressful laboratory tasks (i.e., the Stroop Color Naming Test and a sham IQ test). Aerobic fitness (i.e., VO2max using the Bruce protocol) was also determined using a submaximal treadmill test in the laboratory. Results suggest that males with a family history of hypertension were more stress responsive based on systolic blood pressure, while females were more stress-responsive according to pulse rate activity. Fitness levels were significantly associated with diastolic blood pressure throughout the stress and recovery periods but were unrelated to pulse rate and systolic blood pressure.
Cryosurgical ablation of soft tissue sarcomas: a phase I trial of feasibility and safety.

Department of Medical Oncology, USC UniversityHospital, University of Southern California, Los An-geles, California.Presented in abstract form at the Ninth AnnualInternational Symposium of Limb Salvage Sur-geons Meeting, New York, New York, September,1997.Address for reprints: Lawrence R. Menendez,M.D., University of Southern California, 1510 SanPablo Street, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90033.Received April 7, 1998; revisions received July 31,1998 and February 12, 1999; accepted February12, 1999.
Hydrogen production from pine-derived catalytic pyrolysis aqueous phase via microbial electrolysis

Abstract Microbial electrolysis of an aqueous phase generated from catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust was investigated for renewable hydrogen production. The microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) performance was investigated at an organic loading rate ranging from 2 to 50 g/L-day. A maximum hydrogen productivity of 5.8 ± 0.18 L/L-day was obtained, however, the productivity increased linearly only up to a loading rate of 10 g/L-day. The highest current density achieved was 6.8 ± 0.1 A/m2. The efficiency of conversion of the substrate to current in the anode decreased with increasing loading, but the initial maximum Coulombic efficiency was 98 ± 0.04%. The cathode efficiency, on the other hand, increased with loading up to a maximum of 89 ± 1.4%. Total hydrogen recovery was relatively constant for most runs at 30%, which is equivalent to an yield of 0.6 moL H2/mole COD, except at the highest loading rate. The operation of the MEC under batch mode, however, resulted in a higher hydrogen recovery of 63 ± 4%. The conversion of a wide range of compounds, including carboxylic acids, anhydrosugars, furanic and phenolic compounds present in the aqueous phase is reported. The results demonstrate potential for hydrogen production from a waste stream which can improve the total biofuel or energy yield of the biorefinery.
Overall and cause-specific mortality in the Sentinel system: A power analysis.

Purpose Mortality data within the Sentinel Death Tables remain generally uncharacterized. Assessment of mortality data within Sentinel will help inform its utility for medical product safety studies. Methods To determine if Sentinel contains sufficient all-cause and cause-specific mortality events to power postmarketing safety studies. We calculated crude rates of all-cause mortality and suicide and proportional mortality from suicide from 2004 to 2012 in seven Sentinel data partners. Results were stratified by data partner, sex, age group, and calendar year and compared with national estimates from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research. We performed sample size estimations for all-cause mortality and 10 leading causes of death. Results We observed 479 694 deaths, including 5811 suicides, during 68 million person-years of follow-up. Pooled mean death and suicide rates in the data partners were 710 and 8.6 per 100 000 person-years, respectively (vs 810 and 11.8 nationally). The mean proportional mortality from suicide among the data partners was 1.2%, compared with 1.5% nationally. National trends of decreasing overall mortality and increasing proportional mortality for suicide were reflected within Sentinel. We estimated that detecting hazard ratios of 1.25 and 3 would require 16 442 and 460 exposed patients, respectively, for overall mortality, and 1.3 million and 37 411, respectively, for suicide. Conclusions This was the first study to investigate mortality data in the Sentinel death tables. We found that all-cause mortality appeared well powered for use as a safety outcome and cause-specific mortality outcomes may be adequately powered in certain circumstances. Further investigation into the quality of the Sentinel death data is needed.
The Influence of Polysaccharides on Film Stability and Bubble Attachment at the Talc Surface

The wetting characteristics and water film stability at the talc surface have been studied, particularly the effect of polysaccharides such as guar gum, starch, and dextrin. Talc is a gangue mineral in the flotation of base metal sulfide ores, precious metal sulfide ores, and platinum group metal (PGM) sulfide ores. Talc surfaces were investigated using surface analysis techniques including atomic force microscopy, high-speed video bubble attachment measurements, and wetting film stability measurements using a synchronized tri-wavelength reflection interferometry microscope (STRIM). In the presence of polysaccharides, there is a significant increase in bubble attachment time at the talc surface, but only a slight change in contact angle, which suggests that polysaccharide depression of talc is due primarily to the slow rate of bubble attachment and not due to a change in contact angle. The critical rupture thickness (hc) for a hydrophobic talc surface was found to be 56 nm, while the hydrophilic phlogopite surface of similar structure has an equilibrium film thickness (he) of 25 nm. At low polysaccharide concentrations, the wetting films formed on the talc surfaces were unstable, but at high concentrations the wetting films became stable with similar thickness values as the critical rupture thickness, and bubble attachment did not occur. However, it was found that the critical and equilibrium film thickness values do not change significantly with the polysaccharide type or concentration. The results from this research help us understand further details of film rupture and displacement during bubble attachment.
Globalization in Education

Globalization has brought about tremendous changes to every aspect of human life in the twenty-first century. Education, traditionally a local practice confined by geographical and political boundaries, has too been affected. This article reviews the emerging trends of globalization in education. Specifically, the article discusses the trends of global standardization of education, global enterprising of educational systems and institutions, global migration of students, and the need for global citizenship. The article concludes with discussions of the most challenging issues facing education in the age of globalization.
A Structure for Pedagogical Art Criticism

Amheim (1986) claims that the two basic interdependent procedures of intelligent cognition are intuition and intellect. An examination of the literature of pedagogical methods of art criticism leads to a perception that there is a split between those which emphasize intellectual analysis at the expense of intuition, and those that stress intuition at the expense of systematic analysis. The following method, beginning from a base which structurally resembles the Feldman (1987) and Mittler (1980) genre, attempts to reconcile intuitive and analytic thinking by systematically incorporating the affective and intuitive into all stages of an analytic, pedagogically specific methodology.
rFIA: An R package for estimation of forest attributes with the US Forest Inventory and Analysis database

Abstract Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) is a US Department of Agriculture Forest Service program that aims to monitor changes in forests across the US. FIA hosts one of the largest ecological datasets in the world, though its complexity limits access for many potential users. rFIA is an R package designed to simplify the estimation of forest attributes using data collected by the FIA Program. Specifically, rFIA improves access to the spatio-temporal estimation capacity of the FIA Database via space–time indexed summaries of forest variables within user-defined population boundaries (e.g., geographic, temporal, biophysical). The package implements multiple design-based estimators, and has been validated against official estimates and sampling errors produced by the FIA Program. We demonstrate the utility of rFIA by assessing changes in abundance and mortality rates of ash (Fraxinus spp.) populations in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan following the establishment of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis).
Osmoregulatory actions of prolactin in the gastrointestinal tract of fishes

Abstract In fishes, prolactin (Prl) signaling underlies the homeostatic regulation of hydromineral balance by controlling essential solute and water transporting functions performed by the gill, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, urinary bladder, and integument. Comparative studies spanning over 60 years have firmly established that Prl promotes physiological activities that enable euryhaline and stenohaline teleosts to reside in freshwater environments; nonetheless, the specific molecular and cellular targets of Prl in ion- and water-transporting tissues are still being resolved. In this short review, we discuss how particular targets of Prl (e.g., ion cotransporters, tight-junction proteins, and ion pumps) confer adaptive functions to the esophagus and intestine. Additionally, in some instances, Prl promotes histological and functional transformations within esophageal and intestinal epithelia by regulating cell proliferation. Collectively, the demonstrated actions of Prl in the gastrointestinal tract of teleosts indicate that Prl operates to promote phenotypes supportive of freshwater acclimation and to inhibit phenotypes associated with seawater acclimation. We conclude our review by underscoring that future investigations are warranted to determine how growth hormone/Prl-family signaling evolved in basal fishes to support the gastrointestinal processes underlying hydromineral balance.
Random Number Generators

Random number generators (RNGs) serve many important uses in statistics: bootstrapping, Monte-Carlo, simulation, and numerical integration of distribution functions are just a few examples. In most applications the random numbers are generated from an algorithm and so are technically called quasi- or pseudo-random numbers, because such numbers are not random at all, but deterministic. However, what matters in applications is that the numbers appear to be random. Therefore, as long as the pseudo-random numbers appear to be random, the fact that they are calculated deterministically is largely irrelevant.
Rationale and Design of a Pharmacist-led Intervention for the Risk-Based Prevention of Heart Failure: The FIT-HF Pilot Study

Background: Given rising morbidity, mortality, and costs due to heart failure (HF), new approaches for prevention are needed. A quantitative risk-based strategy, in line with established guidelines for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease prevention, may efficiently select patients most likely to benefit from intensification of preventive care, but a risk-based strategy has not yet been applied to HF prevention. Methods and Results: The Feasibility of the Implementation of Tools for Heart Failure Risk Prediction (FIT-HF) pilot study will enroll 100 participants free of cardiovascular disease who receive primary care at a single integrated health system and have a 10-year predicted risk of HF of ≥5% based on the previously validated Pooled Cohort equations to Prevent Heart Failure. All participants will complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire and undergo cardiac biomarker (B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP] and high-sensitivity troponin [hsTn]) and echocardiography screening at baseline and one-year follow-up. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to either a pharmacist-led intervention or usual care for one year. Participants in the intervention arm will undergo consultation with a pharmacist operating under a collaborative practice agreement with a supervising cardiologist. The pharmacist will perform lifestyle counseling and recommend initiation or intensification of therapies to optimize risk factor (hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol) management according to the most recent clinical practice guidelines. The primary outcome is change in BNP at one-year, and secondary and exploratory outcomes include changes in hsTn, risk factor levels, and cardiac mechanics at follow-up. Feasibility will be examined by monitoring retention rates. Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04684264 Conclusions: The FIT-HF pilot study will offer insight into the feasibility of a strategy of quantitative risk-based enrollment into a pharmacist-led prevention program to reduce heart failure risk.
The GATT Agreement on Government Procurement in Theory and Practice

When the Uruguay Round GATT Agreement on Government Procurement (AGP) became effective January 1, 1997, it appeared that American state and local government had eliminated their preference barriers against foreign suppliers. Upon closer examination, the author contends, this impression becomes misleading. By examining Congress's failure to repeal the Buy America Act, states' preferences for in-state suppliers, and AGP's limited scope, the author demonstrates how, even under AGP, Congress's desire to favor domestic employment continued to emerge. In addition, the author discusses how the sparse legal resources AGP granted to aggrieved foreign suppliers further reflected a desire to protect states' rights. Despite these protectionist undertones, the author posits that limited AGP remedies serve valuable political purposes that provide flexibility in the political sphere. For the author, this decision to forgo rigid legal rules demonstrates the government's preference for federalism, which, despite its effects on economics, makes good political sense.
Constructing International Security: Alliances, Deterrence, and Moral Hazard

1. Understanding the design of security commitments 2. A typology of third-party commitments 3. Time consistency and entrapment 4. Evidence of moral hazard in military alliances 5. A theory of commitment design 6. Testing the implications for alliance design 7. Deterrent commitments in East Asia 8. Constructing security in today's world.
STUDIES OF INCORPORATION OF RADIOACTIVITY INTO LIPIDS BY HUMAN BLOOD. I. PATTERN OF INCORPORATION OF RADIOACTIVITY INTO FATTY ACIDS BY BLOOD FROM NORMAL SUBJECTS AND PATIENTS IN DIABETIC ACIDOSIS.

We have incubated whole blood from normal and comatose diabetic subjects with 1-C14 acetate to determine the pattern of incorporation of C14 into fatty acids. Fatty acid methyl esters were separated by gas liquid chromatography and incorporation of radioactivity into individual fatty acids was determined. Blood from control subjects incorporated a significantly greater percentage of total fatty acid radioactivity into lauric, myristic and palmitic acids (p < .001) and a significantly smaller percentage of C14 into stearic and oleic acids (p < .005) than did blood from comatose diabetics. These abnormalities could not be corrected by incubation of whole blood from comatose diabetics with insulin, nor could they be produced by decreasing pH of normal blood to as lows as 6.6. The pattern of incorporation of C14 into whole blood fatty acids returned to normal following treatment of diabetic acidosis. Thus, qualitative changes in fatty acid fromation, presumably reflecting a marked and relatively selective suppression of de novo synthesis of fatty acids, can be detected in whole blood from comatose diabetics. Blood cells appear to be useful for studying certain aspects of lipid metabolism in human diabetics.
Reasoning with Reasons in Case-Based Comparisons

In this work, we are interested in how rational decision makers reason with and about reasons in a domain, practical ethics, where they appear to reason about reasons symbolically in terms of both abstract moral principles and case comparisons. The challenge for reasoners, human and artificial, is to use abstract knowledge of reasons and principles to inform decisions about the salience of similarities and differences among cases while still accounting for a case's or problem's specific contextual circumstances. TRUTH-TELLER is a program we have developed and tested that compares pairs of cases presenting ethical dilemmas about whether to tell the truth. The program's methods for reasoning about reasons help it to make context sensitive assessments of the salience of similarities and differences.
3-D visualization of program information (extended abstract and system demonstration)

This paper details our work on providing 3-D visualization of program information. We have a project currently underway that attempts to use 3-D workstations to provide insight into programs, their structure and their execution, through the use of a variety of user-definable displays. We provide a variety of different presentation styles and utilize a variety of different layout methods and heuristics.