cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Run by run process control

Summary form only given. The authors present an approach to process control in VLSI processing where the recipe is modified between every product run, based on measured results, in order to compensate for small drifts and shifts. This approach is implemented in the run-by-run controller, which is part of a process control system being developed at MIT. The run-by-run controller implements a form of adaptive control based on the sequential design of experiments. The algorithmic basis of the run controller is discussed with attention to the implementation of statistical process control (SPC) charting concurrent with run-by-run control. Examples of applications are presented. >
ACTIVE: Activity Concept Transitions in Video Event Classification

The goal of high level event classification from videos is to assign a single, high level event label to each query video. Traditional approaches represent each video as a set of low level features and encode it into a fixed length feature vector (e.g. Bag-of-Words), which leave a big gap between low level visual features and high level events. Our paper tries to address this problem by exploiting activity concept transitions in video events (ACTIVE). A video is treated as a sequence of short clips, all of which are observations corresponding to latent activity concept variables in a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). We propose to apply Fisher Kernel techniques so that the concept transitions over time can be encoded into a compact and fixed length feature vector very efficiently. Our approach can utilize concept annotations from independent datasets, and works well even with a very small number of training samples. Experiments on the challenging NIST TRECVID Multimedia Event Detection (MED) dataset shows our approach performs favorably over the state-of-the-art.
Effects of caffeine on prospective duration judgements of various intervals depend on task difficulty

The effects of caffeine on prospective duration judgements were investigated in two double-blind placebo-controlled experiments. After taking either 200 mg of caffeine or a placebo, participants performed a task that demanded considerable attention, driving a car in a simulator (Experiment 1) or a task that demanded relatively little attention, watching a videotaped scene from a driven car (Experiment 2). Each participant made duration judgements of three target intervals: 15 s, 60 s and 300 s. Actively driving participants in the caffeine condition judged it as shorter than did those in the placebo condition. Caffeine had no effect on duration judgements following passive viewing. When people must perform a relatively difficult task, caffeine causes participants to allocate relatively more of their attentional resources to the task and relatively less to duration timing. Although caffeine may increase the pacemaker rate of an internal clock (via dopamine D(1) agonism), when external events are attention-demanding, caffeine mainly influences the relative allocation of attention to external events or to time (via dopamine D(2) agonism) in cerebral areas subserving the executive control of attention. Language: en
Incidence of suicide ideation and attempts in adults: the 13-year follow-up of a community sample in Baltimore, Maryland.

Background. Utilizing a prospectively designed community sample, we set out to estimate the rate of newly-incident suicidal ideation and attempts (non-fatal suicide behaviour) in a community sample, to evaluate antecedent sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatric disorders, and to assess use of mental health services in relation to non-fatal suicide behaviour.Method. Prospectively-gathered data was utilized from 3481 continuing participants in the 13-year follow-up of the Baltimore sample of the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area survey interviewed in 1981, 1982 and 1993/6.Results. The incidence of suicide attempts was estimated at 148·8 per 100000 person-years and ideation at 419·9 per 100000 person-years. Persons in the youngest age group, in the lowest socio-economic status, and previously married persons were at increased risk for non-fatal suicide behaviour during the follow-up interval. Persons who reported suicidal ideation at baseline were more likely to report having attempted suicide at follow-up (RR = 6·09, 95% CI 2·58–14·36). Psychiatric disorders, especially depression and substance abuse, were associated with new-onset of non-fatal suicidal behaviour. While persons who reported newly-incident suicidal behaviour were more likely to report use of mental health services, few said that suicidal ideation or attempts were the reason for the visits.Conclusions. Suicidal ideation is a common and important antecedent to suicide attempts and deserves more attention in community and general medical settings.
Developing a Juvenile Justice System in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Rights, Diversion and Alternatives:

In the Dayton Agreement that marked the end of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995, the two entities comprising the state agreed to secure international human rights to all persons, incl...
Managing ASIC projects

The elements of a successful ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) project, from the front-end development point of view, are discussed. Personnel requirements and training, vendor and tool selection, project specification, and scheduling and budgeting are considered in detail. A successful project requires detailed planning and must be executed with strict management discipline. >
Enterocin A mutants identified by saturation mutagenesis enhance potency towards vancomycin‐resistant Enterococci

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci infections are a significant clinical problem. One proposed solution is to use probiotics, such as lactic acid bacteria, to produce antimicrobial peptides at the site of infection. Enterocin A, a class 2a bacteriocin, exhibits inhibitory activity against E. faecium and E. faecalis, which account for 86% of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci infections. In this study, we aimed to engineer enterocin A mutants with enhanced potency within a lactic acid bacterial production system. Peptide mutants resulting from saturation mutagenesis at sites A24 and T27 were efficiently screened in a 96-well plate assay for inhibition of pathogen growth. Several mutants exhibit increased potency relative to wild-type enterocin A in both liquid- and solid-medium growth assays. In particular, A24P and T27G exhibit enhanced inhibition of multiple strains of E. faecium and E. faecalis, including clinically isolated vancomycin-resistant strains. A24P and T27G enhance killing of E. faecium 8 by 13 ± 3- and 18 ± 4-fold, respectively. The engineered enterocin A/lactic acid bacteria systems offer significant potential to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.
Multilateration system development history and performance at Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport

The long search for a method to provide accurate secondary radar beacon surveillance with aircraft ID over the whole airport surface has succeeded, using the Mode S squitter and whisper shout technologies to provide signal sources on which to make multilateration position measurements. The resulting multilateration system will greatly improve the situational awareness of the ground controllers, and provide inputs to automation functions, providing improvements in airport safety and capacity.
Foreign Language Instruction in U.S. Schools: Results of a National Survey of Elementary and Secondary Schools

Abstract: How well are our schools preparing students to become global citizens who can communicate in languages other than English? To answer this question, we surveyed a nationally representative sample of more than 5,000 U.S. public and private elementary and secondary schools. Results identify current patterns and shifts over time in five key areas of K–12 foreign language education: amount of language instruction; languages and program types offered; curriculum and instruction; teacher certification, professional development, and teacher shortages; and the effects of education reform. Results reveal that despite some positive developments, overall foreign language instruction has decreased over the past decade and the achievement gap has widened. The article concludes with recommendations on how to progress toward achieving foreign language proficiency for all students.
Incremental planar motion

A cellular engineer typically estimates system performance via simulation. An important input to this simulation is the average busy hour subscriber location distribution. The performance of some system features, such as admission control or carrier, antenna, or beam assignment, requires a dynamic mobility model which matches and maintains that distribution. The author discusses the requirements of such a model and presents easily implementable models satisfying those requirements.
Mechanisms and consequences of efferocytosis in advanced atherosclerosis

Throughout atherosclerotic lesion development, intimal macrophages undergo apoptosis, a form of death that usually prevents cellular necrosis. In advanced atherosclerotic lesions, however, these apoptotic macrophages become secondarily necrotic and coalesce over time into a key feature of vulnerable plaques, the necrotic core. This event is critically important, as necrotic core formation in these advanced atheromata is thought to promote plaque disruption and ultimately, acute atherothrombotic vascular disease. Increasing evidence suggests that the mechanism behind postapoptotic macrophage necrosis in advanced atherosclerosis is defective phagocytic clearance or "efferocytosis" of the apoptotic cells. Thus, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of efferocytosis in atherosclerosis and why efferocytosis becomes defective in advanced lesions is an important goal. Molecular-genetic causation studies in mouse models of advanced atherosclerosis have provided evidence that several molecules known to be involved in efferocytosis, including TG2, MFG-E8, complement C1q, Mertk, lysoPC, and Fas, play important roles in the clearance of apoptotic cells in advanced plaques. These and future insights into the molecular mechanisms of defective efferocytosis in advanced atheromata may open the way for novel therapeutic strategies for atherothrombotic vascular disease, the leading cause of death in the industrialized world.
Mechanisms of endothelial survival under shear stress.

Endothelial cells (ECs) are exposed to cytotoxic reactive oxygen species and oxidation products of NO, yet they are characterized by low apoptotic rates and have an average life span of many years. EC exposure to flow has been shown to downregulate cell cycle-related genes and cause cytoskeletal rearrangement. We hypothesized that exposure to flow also causes molecular and physiological changes that induce antioxidant properties in ECs. We used cDNA array expression profiling and protein analysis to study the responses of human ECs exposed to flow in a hollow fiber apparatus or the same ECs grown under static conditions. Our results show that shear-induced synchronized expression of processes control oxidant production; these changes included upregulation of NADH-producing enzymes (Krebs cycle dehydrogenases and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [GAPDH]) accompanied by simultaneous decrease in NADH-depleting pathways (e.g., lactate dehydrogenase [LDH]) and diminished production of lactate. Exposure...
Stable Particle Motion in a Linear Accelerator with Solenoid Focusing

We derived the equation governing stable particle motion in a linear ion accelerator containing discrete rf and either discrete or continuous solenoid focusing. We found for discrete solenoid focusing that cos ? = (1 + d?) cos ?/2 + (l?/? - d?/21 - ??d2/41) sin ?/2 ? = 1/f and l + 2d = s?, where ?, ?, f, l, and d are the phase advance per cell, precession angle in the solenoid, focal length of the rf lens, length of the solenoid in one cell, and the drift distance between the center of the rf gap and the effective edge of the solenoid. The relation for a continuous solenoid is found by setting d equal to zero. The boundaries of the stability region for ? vs ? with fixed l and d are obtained when cos ? = +1.
The Market Revolution in Bank and Insurance Firm Governance: Its Logic and Limits

This article addresses the question whether the recent changes in bank and insurance firm governance suggest that U.S. financial firm governance will soon replicate the governance of nonfinancial firms. In addressing this question, the Article starts from the assumption that we must consider both corporate governance and the background insolvency procedures to fully appreciate the overall governance framework. In particular, the relationship between corporate governance and insolvency tends to be complementary. The governance of nonfinancial U.S. firms, for instance, relies on ex post correctives such as takeovers to address the conflicts of interest between managers and widely scattered shareholders; and if the firm fails, offers a manager-driven reorganization option. In other nations, such as Germany and Japan, banks and other large investors actively participate in corporate governance; bankruptcy is characterized by immediate displacement of managers and liquidation of the firm. I describe U.S. governance as an "ex post" framework, and the German and Japanese alternative as an "ex ante" approach. Unlike nonfinancial firms, the governance of U.S. banks and insurance companies has long been ex ante in character. Takeovers and other ex post correctives have been rare, and insolvency means immediate removal of the managers and liquidation of the firm. Although the principal overseer of bank and insurance managers is a governmental regulator, rather than a private investor, the overall governance framework functions very much like the approach used by nonfinancial firms in Germany and Japan. The recent changes in bank and insurance firm governance have introduced a significantly greater market component, but the regulatory framework puts real limits on how far the transition can or will go. Despite the changes, bank and insurance governance has retained much of its traditional character. As the discussion thus far suggests, much of the analysis is descriptive rather than normative in character. In discussing the treatment of insolvent banks and insurers, however, the article offers several prescriptions for improving the governance framework. In order to reduce managers' current incentive to avoid insolvency proceedings at all costs, and to harness managers' superior information about the firm, the article calls for changes to both bank and insurance insolvency law. In banking, managers should be permitted to propose a "prepackaged" purchase and assumption transferring the banks assets and liabilities to another bank; and a traditional reorganization option should be added to insurance insolvency. The article also argues that lawmakers should add insurance insolvency (though not bank insolvency) to the Bankruptcy Code.
An improved time-slot assignment algorithm for TDM hierarchical switching systems

It is shown that any hierarchical switching system can be modeled by a special class of flow networks called unit networks. Using the results available for finding maximum flow through a unit network, a time-slot assignment (TSA) algorithm that runs in O(min(L,M/sup 2/)*min(N, square root M)*M/sup 2/) time is presented. This is an O(max(M/N, square root M)) improvement over the TSA algorithm proposed by M.A. Bonucelli (1989). >
The California Casual and His Revolt

I. The Wheatland Episode, 110.— The Durst hop ranch, 111.—Wages system. 111.—The strike and the shooting, 113.—II. The California Casual, 115. — Agricultural specialization, 116. — Characteristics of the casual, 117. — III. Labor Camps, 119. — Shifting Labor, 120.— The "jungle stake," 121. —IV. Winter Unemployment, 122. — Kelly's "Army," 123. — The I. W. W., 124. — Conclusion, 126.
Good days, bad days: Do sacrifices improve relationship quality?

We utilized interdependence theory and conservation of resources to understand how relational sacrifices and hassles impact positive relationship quality constructs (i.e., satisfaction, closeness, and commitment) in romantic relationships (N = 164 couples; 328 individuals). Using daily diary data to examine actor and partner effects, we found that individuals’ sacrifices were positively linked with their own commitment but not with satisfaction or closeness. We also found that hassles were negatively linked with one’s own and one’s partner’s satisfaction and closeness but not with commitment. When examined together, sacrifices remained beneficial for one’s own commitment but only when increased sacrifices occurred on days with low hassles. We discuss the unique pathways of sacrifices and hassles, both on their own and considered together.
Complementary curriculum: the work of ecologically minded teachers

Myriad international efforts exist to infuse and reform schools with ecological perspectives, but in the US those efforts remain largely on the fringes of schooling. The purpose of this study is to offer a perspective on this issue from inside schools. If one looks to the future success of environmental education, one must consider the work of teachers. To that end, this qualitative study explores the intentions and practices of three ecologically‐minded teachers in traditional public high schools in the US. The research methodology used was eco‐educational criticism, an arts‐based inquiry method with an ecological lens. The teachers were interviewed about their intentions for their students, and then observed to see how those intentions were manifested in the classroom. A follow‐up interview then synthesized the connection between their ecological beliefs and their general intentions for students.
Laser beam collimation using a phase conjugate Twyman-Green interferometer

This paper presents an improved technique for testing laser beam collimation using a phase conjugate Twyman-Green interferometer. The technique is useful for measuring laser beam divergence. It is possible using this technique to detect the defocusing of the order of one micrometer for a well corrected collimating lens. A relation is derived for the defocusing that can be detected by the phase conjugate interferometer.
Hierarchical timing analysis using conditional delays

We present a novel method to perform timing analysis of hierarchical circuits. It is based on the representation of circuit modules by conditional delay matrices (CDMs) which combine module delays with event propagation conditions. The CDM model is independent of module complexity and allows automatic identification of false paths. We exploit hierarchy information to perform efficient delay computation. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated on a high-level model of the ISCAS-85 circuit c6288, which is difficult to analyze using traditional approaches. The method has been implemented in a symbolic timing analysis program called CAT. The application of CAT to carry-skip adders shows that hierarchical timing analysis is faster by an order of magnitude than gate-level analysis.
Treatment guidelines for cerebral arteriovenous malformation microsurgery

The goal of cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) treatment is to eliminate intracerebral hemorrhage risk and to preserve or maximize neurological functions of the patient. Interventional planning must determine the modality or combination of modalities with the greatest success rate according to patient characteristics, AVM architecture, and the capabilities of the treatment option to fulfill the goals of treatment. Although there is a lack of data from randomized trials to guide AVM management, microsurgery is a mainstay of therapy in patients receiving definitive intervention. In this paper, we review current guidelines for surgical planning, risk-benefit analysis, and prediction of outcome in AVM patients.
THE IN VITRO DIFFERENTIATION OF MAST CELLS : Cultures of Cells from Immunized Mouse Lymph Nodes and Thoracic Duct Lymph on Fibroblast Monolayers

When cells from lymph nodes or thoracic duct of mice hyperimmunized with protein antigens are cultivated on embryo monolayers in the presence of the antigen, numerous clones of mast cells appear. The histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics of the cells permit their identification as mast cells and distinguish them from the phagocytic histiocytes that usually arise in abundance in similar cultures from unimmunized mouse cells or from immunized mouse cells cultured in the absence of the antigen. Only a few colonies of mast cells appeared in the latter cultures. The basis for the induction of mast cell differentiation is not known.
Examining the Impact of a State Law Prohibiting Discrimination Against Group Homes for People With Developmental Disabilities

To assess the impact of a 1979 Connecticut law forbidding zoning discrimination against small group homes serving developmentally disabled (DD) individuals, we compared residences for the DD and emotionally disturbed children established before and after the law took effect. There were significant increases in the number of DD facilities and in the socioeconomic characteristics of census tracts for both types of residences following passage of the law. In addition, there was a clear trend to locate residences for both groups away from urban centers. The failure to find a differential advantage favoring DD residences following the implementation of the law suggested that the observed changes cannot be clearly attributed to the legislation. Other confounding factors, as well as the need for evaluation efforts regarding such legislation, are discussed.
Making sense of meaning: Leveraging social processes to understand media semantics

In this position paper, we propose the idea that emergent and evolutionary aspects of semantics, which are complementary to the problem of semantic detection, are foundational to multimedia computing. We show that media rich social networks reveal certain implicit assumptions in concept learning about semantics, including semantic stability, emergence, and stability of context. We study the problem of semantic evolution in the context of media rich networks — (a) since meaning is an emergent artifact of human activity, it is crucial to study how human beings interact with, consume and share media data. (b) The ready availability of large scale social interaction datasets of blogs including sites such as Flickr and YouTube, allows us to instrument the relationship between media and human activity at a scale not available to earlier researchers. We have identified three initial problem areas critical to evolutionary aspects of semantics — community discovery, information flow and semantic diversity. We shall present examples of research problems addressed in each of the three areas.
The NST: First results and some lessons for ATST and EST

In January 2009, first light observations with the NST (New Solar Telescope) in Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) were made. NST has a 1.7 m primary with a 1.6 m clear aperture. First observational results in TiO and Hα are shown and discussed. The NST primary mirror is the most aspheric telescope mirror deployed to date. The NST is early in its commissioning, and the plans for this phase will be sketched. Lessons learned in building and implementing the NST are germane for the ATST and EST telescopes and will be discussed. The NST has an off-axis Gregorian configuration consisting of a parabolic primary, heat-stop, elliptical secondary and diagonal flats. The focal ratio of the primary mirror is f/2.4. The working wavelength range covers from 0.4 to 1.7 µm in the Coude Lab beneath the telescope and all wavelengths including the far infrared at the Nasmyth focus on the dome floor (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Coronary vascular effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the isolated perfused rat heart.

Abstract The potency and mechanism of action of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) for producing coronary vasodilation was investigated in the isolated perfused heart of the rat. VIP reduced coronary vascular resistance in a dose-dependent manner, starting at 1×10 −10 M, and maximally reduced coronary vascular resistance by 49% at 1×10 −8 M. The potency of VIP for reducing coronary vascular resistance (EC 50 =3.02×10 −10 M) was considerably greater than that of adenosine (EC 50 =6.17×10 −8 M) and sodium nitroprusside (EC 50 =2.45×10 −6 M). The vasodilatory action of VIP was more easily observed after increasing vascular tone by perfusion of the hearts with a modified physiological solution containing reduced concentrations of potassium (3.2 mM) and calcium (1.2 mM). Under these conditions, VIP maximally reduced coronary resistance by 54% at 7×10 −9 M. The potency of VIP for reducing coronary resistance in these hearts, however, decreased 16-fold (EC 50 =4.90×10 −9 M) while that of SNP remained unaltered (EC 50 =3.39×10 −6 M), compared with hearts perfused with higher levels of potassium (5.9 mM) and calcium (2.5 mM). The vasodilatory effect of VIP occurred without a significant change in heart rate, myocardial contractility or oxygen consumption. In additional studies, the dose-dependent effect of VIP on cyclic nucleotide release from the heart was determined by infusing VIP into the coronary circulation in a cumulative fashion to produce final concentrations between 1×10 −11 and 1×10 −9 M. VIP increased cyclic AMP at 1×10 −9 M but did not increase cyclic GMP. Studies using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry clearly demonstrated the presence of two VIP receptor subtypes, VPAC1 and VPAC2, in the arteries and arterioles of the heart. In conclusion, VIP is a potent vasodilator in the coronary circulation of the rat and the role of VIP in the control of coronary vascular resistance depends on the circulating levels of potassium and calcium. This vasodilatory effect involves binding to specific coronary cell surface receptors, VPAC1 and/or VPAC2, and is dependent on cyclic AMP only during maximal vasodilation.
Pathwise observability through arithmetic progressions and non-pathological sampling

We consider the problem of establishing pathwise observability for a class of switched linear systems with constant, autonomous dynamics, but with switched measurement equations. Using Van der Waerden's theorem, a standard result in Ramsey theory, we give a sufficient condition on the components of the system for it to be pathwise observable. This first result then enables us to extend the KaIman-Bertram criterion, which concerns the conservation of observability after the introduction of sampling, to switched linear systems. We then dualize these results to pathwise controllability.
A federated peer-to-peer network game architecture

A federated peer-to-peer game is one in which many small areas of interest within a game each supported using a peer-to-peer model are "knitted" together to form a game capable of supporting a very large number of players. Our work has involved determining whether such an architecture is a feasible alternative to the more common central server architecture for supporting large multiplayer network games.
Tunneling Decay of Unstable Particles in a Quantum Field Theoretic Model

Abstract We discuss in general the possibility in quantum field theories of quantum tunneling decays of classically stable, localized, non-trivial field configurations. Such tunneling events would correspond to the decay of metastable particles in the field theory. We illustrate this phenomenon by constructing a model, based on a simple one-space, one-time dimensional field theory, in which such “particle tunneling decays” can actually occur. Using collective coordinate techniques similar to those applied to calculations of nuclear fission, we study the tunneling decay and estimate the lifetimes of the metastable particles. We comment briefly on the role of higher quantum corrections to tunneling and on possible additional examples of these particle tunneling decays.
Blue Nevus (“cellular” blue nevus)

The so called cellular blue nevus is a form of blue nevus which is composed of ovoid, pale, scarcely pigmented, non dendritic cells, while usually having at least a few dendritic, heavily pigmented melanocytes of the “common” form. These pale ovoid cells have a distinct inclination to aggregate in tightly packed round to oval nests. The term “cellular” reflects the high cellular density of the lesion. As noted in the section on common blue nevus, the dichotomy between “common” and cellular blue nevus is an oversimplification, but one that avoids the bewildering array of terms that more precise designations arise, as it somewhat correlate with clinical findings.
Respite Care for Single Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Single mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders are rarely studied, yet they may experience unique stressors. Researchers asked 122 single mothers to complete questionnaires concerning respite care, daily hassles/uplifts, depression, and caregiver burden. More than half (59.8%) accessed respite care, which was provided for 1 h per day, often by multiple sources (41%), such as grandparents and community agencies; most were satisfied with this care. Most mothers (77%) were at risk for clinical depression. While uplifts were negatively correlated with depression, hassles and caregiver burden were positively correlated with depression. Respite care was positively related to daily uplifts, and uplifts mediated the relationship between respite care and depression. Recommendations for researchers, policymakers, and school personnel are offered.
Intelligence and wisdom.

INTELLIGENCE AND WISDOM Some people, like Mohandas Gandhi or Nelson Mandela, radiate both intelligence and wisdom. Other people, like Joseph Stalin or Adolph Hitler, seem to have been intelligent in a narrow sense, but certainly were not wise. Still others seem to be wise but perhaps not conventionally intelligent: Many of us have known older people, perhaps relatives, who have shown their wisdom but who have not shown the kinds of achievements or talents typically associated with conventional intelligence. And of course, there are many people who are neither wise nor intelligent. Given all the possible relations we see in people between wisdom and intelligence, just what is the nature of their interrelation? Theories of intelligence seem to have little to say about wisdom. Regardless of the metaphor of mind underlying the theory of intelligence (Sternberg, 1990a), wisdom seems to be viewed as outside the purview of the large majority of theories of intelligence. But intelligence plays an important role in many theories of wisdom (see Sternberg, 1990b). In this chapter, I will consider the interrelation between the two, suggesting that the asymmetry in reference across the two literatures results from wisdom being a special case of a special kind of intelligence, practical intelligence. One possibly can discuss intelligence without dealing with wisdom, but one cannot adequately discuss wisdom without dealing with intelligence. Wisdom can be defined as the “power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action, based on knowledge, experience, understanding, etc.” ( Webster's New World College Dictionary , p. 1533).
The Keys to Success in Doctoral Studies: A Preimmersion Course.

This article will review an innovative on-line preimmersion course for a hybrid doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program and a traditional face-to-face doctor of philosophy nursing program. The doctoral candidates include both postbaccalaureate and postmaster's students. The authors of the preimmersion course developed and initiated the course in order to address various issues that have surfaced in discussions between students and faculty. Examples of common themes identified include writing skills, statistics, life–work–school balance, and navigating instructional technology. Doctoral studies may pose challenges to students studying nursing, in regard to academic rigor and experiencing on-line education for the first time, especially for students who have been out of school for an extended amount of time or are not accustomed to a nontraditional classroom; thus, having a preimmersion course established may facilitate a smooth transition to rigorous academic studies in a hybrid program. The course, which was developed and delivered through Blackboard, a learning management system, includes the following 9 preimmersion modules: academic strategies (learning styles, creating an effective PowerPoint presentation), library support (introduction to the university library, literature review tutorial, and citation styles), mindfulness, wellness, statistics essentials, writing express, DNP capstone, netiquette, and DNP/doctor of philosophy mentorship. Each module consists of various tools that may promote student success in specific courses and the programs in general. The purpose of designing the preimmersion course is to decrease attrition rates and increase success of the students. While the majority of students have succeeded in their coursework and been graduated from the program, the authors of this article found that many students struggled with the work, life, and school balance. Future work will include the evaluation of results from graduate students enrolled in the program.
Beyond Low Rank + Sparse: Multiscale Low Rank Matrix Decomposition

We present a natural generalization of the recent low rank + sparse matrix decomposition and consider the decomposition of matrices into components of multiple scales. Such decomposition is well motivated in practice as data matrices often exhibit local correlations in multiple scales. Concretely, we propose a multiscale low rank modeling that represents a data matrix as a sum of block-wise low rank matrices with increasing scales of block sizes. We then consider the inverse problem of decomposing the data matrix into its multiscale low rank components and approach the problem via a convex formulation. Theoretically, we show that under various incoherence conditions, the convex program recovers the multiscale low rank components either exactly or approximately. Practically, we provide guidance on selecting the regularization parameters and incorporate cycle spinning to reduce blocking artifacts. Experimentally, we show that the multiscale low rank decomposition provides a more intuitive decomposition than conventional low rank methods and demonstrate its effectiveness in four applications, including illumination normalization for face images, motion separation for surveillance videos, multiscale modeling of the dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and collaborative filtering exploiting age information.
Subsegmental Parsing: Floating Features in Chaha and Yawelmani

Floating features, which link to existing segments, and ghost or latent segments, such as the Slavic yers, which manifest themselves as independent segments when they appear (Clements & Keyser (1983), Hyman (1985), Kenstowicz & Rubach (1987), Archangeli (1991), Tranel (1993), Szpyra (1992), Rubach (1993)), are considered to be distinct entities whose differences correlate with the presence or absence of a root node (1) (Rubach (1993)).
Model of visual detection and discrimination

A model of visual detection and discrimination is presented which incorporates recent concepts of multiple, spatially-tuned channels. Predictions about performance on detection and discrimination tasks are derived and supporting data presented. The predictions and data are inconsistent with threshold-type models. Language: en
INTERACTION OF AUTOLOGOUS COMPLEMENT WITH RED CELLS IN THE ABSENCE OF ANTIBODY.

SummaryThe molecular interaction between complement and red cells has been analyzed in autologous human systems. Instead of anti-red cell antibody, polyethylene glycol was used as a non-specific sensitizer. It was found that as a result of complement-cell membrane interaction, certain complement components form a direct and firm link with membrane receptors. Polyethylene glycol mediates the action of complement on cells apparently through reversible aggregation of γ-globulin, Cell bound neuraminic acid seems to have a protective effect against the cytolytic action of complement. In the autologous system employed, significant uptake of complement and subsequent hemoly-sis occurred only after pre-treatment of the red cells with trypsin or neuraminidase.
Influence of Strain Rate Effect on Behavior of Solder Joints Under Drop Impact Loadings

The strain rate dependent Johnson-Cook material model and the rate independent elastic-plastic model of lead-free solders are used to investigate the influence of strain rate effect on the mechanical behavior of solder joints under drop impact loadings. Failure of the solder joints is predicted and the results are compared with the experimental observations. The strain rate effect of lead-free solders has no influence on the deflection of the PCB during the drop impact but has significant influence on the stress and strain in solder joints. The rate independent elastic-plastic solder material model always underestimates the stress and overestimates the strain of the solder joints. The material model that takes the strain rate effect into account can predict more realistic behavior of the solder joints.
Favorable conditions for deliberation

Normative controversies in the literature Establishing favorable conditions for deliberation is not a straightforward task because, empirically, deliberation is a multidimensional phenomenon. This was not fully recognized for a long time in the philosophical literature. In the Habermasian ideal speech situation, all deliberative elements have high values. Habermas acknowledges that this ideal speech situation hardly ever occurs and is as rare as “islands in the ocean in everyday praxis.” Therefore, particular speech acts in the real world are always more or less distant from the ideal speech situation. Most theorists do not pay sufficient attention to the possibility that for a particular speech act some deliberative elements may be closer to the ideal speech situation than others. The prevailing assumption is that for a given speech act all deliberative elements have more or less the same distance to the ideal speech situation. If, for example, actors justify their claims in a rational way, they also show respect toward the claims of others. If, on the other hand, the level of justification is low, the level of respect is also low. In this way, deliberation is seen as a one-dimensional phenomenon. All elements cluster together in a single dimension, and if one element goes up or down, all other elements do the same. Also, not enough attention is paid by many theorists to the possibility that during a decision process the level of deliberation may fluctuate over time. Robert E. Goodin was the first theorist to systematically investigate the multidimensional and sequential aspects of deliberation. We have already encountered part of his argument in Chapter 5. There, we have seen that for Goodin it is not necessary that all phases of a decision process are open to the public. His larger point is that deliberation has to be seen in sequences of a decision process and that not all deliberative elements need to be present in all sequences. What counts for Goodin is “having all of the deliberative virtues on display at some point or another in the decision process.” He emphasizes the multidimensional and sequential character of deliberation when he postulates “deliberative virtues coming in the right combination and the right order,” and he acknowledges that there may be “interactions between different deliberative virtues.”
Intrinsic Moral Evils in the Middle Ages: Augustine as a Source of the Theological Doctrine:

Contemporary historians examining moral theology in the Middle Ages question whether the practice of proscribing certain kinds of human acts as intrinsic moral evils has a legitimate basis in the Christian ethical tradition. John Dedek argues that this proscription does not fully emerge until the work of the fourteenth-century thinker Durandus of St. Pourcain. Dedek’s historical focus, however, is upon theological discussions which consider God’s absolute power and his ability to dispense from or command any human act whatsoever. The focus for addressing this question should be instead to examine how medieval thinkers understand the structural elements of a human act, especially in response to the ethical intentionalism promoted by the twelfth-century thinker Peter Abelard. An examination of Peter Lombard’s response to Abelard reveals that certain human acts were proscribed as intrinsic moral evils long prior to Durandus, and that Augustine serves as a source for this doctrine.
Early Fungicidal Activity as a Candidate Surrogate Endpoint for All-Cause Mortality in Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

Background Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a leading cause of HIV-associated mortality. In clinical trials evaluating treatments for CM, biomarkers of early fungicidal activity (EFA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been proposed as candidate surrogate endpoints for all- cause mortality (ACM). However, there has been no systematic evaluation of the group-level or trial-level evidence for EFA as a candidate surrogate endpoint for ACM.
Trauma Simulation Training Increases Confidence Levels in Prehospital Personnel Performing Life-Saving Interventions in Trauma Patients

Introduction. Limited evidence is available on simulation training of prehospital care providers, specifically the use of tourniquets and needle decompression. This study focused on whether the confidence level of prehospital personnel performing these skills improved through simulation training. Methods. Prehospital personnel from Alachua County Fire Rescue were enrolled in the study over a 2- to 3-week period based on their availability. Two scenarios were presented to them: a motorcycle crash resulting in a leg amputation requiring a tourniquet and an intoxicated patient with a stab wound, who experienced tension pneumothorax requiring needle decompression. Crews were asked to rate their confidence levels before and after exposure to the scenarios. Timing of the simulation interventions was compared with actual scene times to determine applicability of simulation in measuring the efficiency of prehospital personnel. Results. Results were collected from 129 participants. Pre- and postexposure scores increased by a mean of 1.15 (SD 1.32; 95% CI, 0.88-1.42; P < 0.001). Comparison of actual scene times with simulated scene times yielded a 1.39-fold difference (95% CI, 1.25-1.55) for Scenario 1 and 1.59 times longer for Scenario 2 (95% CI, 1.43-1.77). Conclusion. Simulation training improved prehospital care providers' confidence level in performing two life-saving procedures.
Investigation of novel crystal structures of Bi-Sb binaries predicted using the minima hopping method.

Semi-conducting alloys BixSb1−x have emerged as a potential candidate for topological insulators and are well known for their novel thermoelectric properties. In this work, we present a systematic study of the low-energy phases of 35 different compositions of BixSb1−x (0 < x < 1) at zero temperature and zero pressure. We explore the potential energy surface of BixSb1−x as a function of Sb concentration by using the ab initio minima hopping structural search method. Even though Bi and Sb crystallize in the same Rm space group, our calculations indicate that BixSb1−x alloys can have several other thermodynamically stable crystal structures. In addition to the configurations on the convex hull, we find a large number of metastable structures which are dynamically stable. The electronic band structure calculations of several stable phases reveal the presence of strong spin–orbit interaction leading to the Rashba–Dresselhaus spin-splitting of bands which is of great interest for spintronics applications. We also find an orthorhombic structure of BiSb in the Imm2 space group which exhibits signatures of type-II Weyl semimetal. Additionally, we have studied the thermoelectric properties of the selected structures. Regarding thermoelectric properties, we find that the compositions which crystallize in the rhombohedral structure exhibit values of the Seebeck coefficient and the power factor similar to that of Bi2Te3 at room temperature, while the theoretical maximum figure of merit (ZeT) is smaller than that of Bi2Te3. We observe enhancement in the thermopower with the increase in the strength of the Rashba–Dresselhaus spin-splitting effect.
Use of Oral Anticoagulation in the Management of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with ESRD: Pro

Warfarin has had a thin margin of benefit over risk for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with ESRD because of higher bleeding risks and complications of therapy. The successful use of warfarin has been dependent on the selection of patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at relatively high risk of stroke and systemic embolism and lower risks of bleeding over the course of therapy. Without such selection strategies, broad use of warfarin has not proven to be beneficial to the broad population of patients with ESRD and nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. In a recent meta-analysis of use of warfarin in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and ESRD, warfarin had no effect on the risks of stroke (hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.69 to 1.82; P=0.65) or mortality (hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.81 to 1.13; P=0.60) but was associated with increased risk of major bleeding (hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 1.56; P<0.01). In pivotal trials, novel oral anticoagulants were generally at least equal to warfarin for efficacy and safety in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and mild to moderate renal impairment. Clinical data for ESRD are limited, because pivotal trials excluded such patients. Given the very high risk of stroke and systemic embolism and the early evidence of acceptable safety profiles of novel oral anticoagulants, we think that patients with ESRD should be considered for treatment with chronic anticoagulation provided that there is an acceptable bleeding profile. Apixaban is currently indicated in ESRD for this application and may be preferable to warfarin given the body of evidence for warfarin and its difficulty of use and attendant adverse events.
Individualität erweckt Widerstand

In vielen fruheren Versuchen, Gewebe von einem Tier auf das andere zu verpflanzen, wurde der heute so selbstverstandliche Befund erhoben, das ein Lebewesen Zellgewebe eines anderen als homocellu-lares Transplantat nicht ohne Abwehrreaktionen annimmt. Der neue Wirt ist feindlich; er betrachtet das fremde Gewebe als anders, als „nicht zu sich gehorig“. Er mochte es verwerfen und abstosen. Obwohl eine solche Abstosung in Laborversuchen oft beobachtet wurde, blieben viele Fragen offen: Was ist der eigentliche Grund dieses Abstosungsvorganges? Ist da etwas Neues, Besonderes in der allgemeinen Biologie oder ist er nur eine neue Form einer bekannten biologischen Reaktion? Kann diese Abstosung wissenschaftlich analysiert und biologisch verstanden werden?
Neglected — Cancer Care and Mental Health in Rural America

The woman had neglected breast cancer, but the root of her problem was bipolar disorder, for which her family, feeling guilty about committing her in the past, would no longer compel treatment. Moreover, much of rural America has less than 1 psychiatrist per 30,000 people.