cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying Recommendations from the Literature on Stereotype Threat: Two Field Studies

The objective of these two studies was to apply recommendations from the literature on stereotype threat to reduce the magnitude of subgroup differences in an employment context. With a sample of prospective applicants for the job of firefighter, the effects of “reduced-threat” preparation sessions about the test (Study 1) and about the job (Study 2) were examined, relative to conventional counterparts. In Study 1, there was no evidence to suggest that the reduced-threat test-related session was more effective than its conventional counterpart. In Study 2, the magnitude of subgroup differences was larger for those in the reduced-threat job-related session. No evidence was found to suggest that standard personnel practice exacerbates existing subgroup differences, as compared to efforts to apply the recommendations from the literature on stereotype threat. This is one of the few investigations to study test- and job-related stereotype threat in an employment context. Additionally, this investigation is unique in that it compares conventional practices to those derived from the literature on stereotype threat.
Configuration design for sensor integration

Due to the nature of many applications, it is difficult with present technology to use a single type of sensor to automatically, accurately, reliably, and completely measure or map, in 3D, objects, sites, or scenes. Therefore, a combination of various sensor technologies is usually the obvious solution. There are several 3D technologies, two of which; digital photogrammetry and triangulation laser scanning, are dealt with in this paper. The final accuracy achieved by the combination of various sensors is a factor of many sensor parameters and the quality of the image coordinate measurements of each sensor. The effect of those parameters must be determined to maximize the overall quality within the constraints imposed by the requirements of the application. The parameters affecting the accuracy of measurement, the test laboratory, and test results using intensity and range data, are presented. The configuration design of intensity and range sensors is discussed based on the results presented here and in two previous papers.
Detection of fruit fly infestation in pickling cucumbers using hyperspectral imaging

Fruit fly infestation can be a serious problem in pickling cucumber production. In the United States and many other countries, there is zero tolerance for fruit flies in pickled products. Currently, processors rely on manual inspection to detect and remove fruit fly-infested cucumbers, which is labor intensive and also prone to error due to human fatigue and the difficulty of visually detecting infestation that is hidden inside the fruit. In this research, a laboratory hyperspectral imaging system was used to detect fruit fly-infested pickling cucumbers. Hyperspectral reflectance (450-740 nm) and transmittance (740-1,000 nm) images were acquired simultaneously for 329 normal (infestation free) and fruit flyinfested pickling cucumbers of three size classes with the mean diameters of 16.8, 22.1, and 27.6 mm, respectively. Mean spectra were extracted from the hyperspectral image of each cucumber, and they were then corrected for the fruit size effect using a diameter correction equation. Partial least squares discriminant analyses for the reflectance, transmittance and their combined data were performed for differentiating normal and infested pickling cucumbers. With reflectance mode, the overall classification accuracies for the three size classes and mixed class were between 82% and 88%, whereas transmittance achieved better classification results with the overall accuracies of 88%-93%. Integration of reflectance and transmittance did not result in noticeable improvements, compared to transmittance mode. Overall, the hyperspectral imaging system performed better than manual inspection, which had an overall accuracy of 75% and decreased significantly for smaller size cucumbers. This research demonstrated that hyperspectral imaging is potentially useful for detecting fruit fly-infested pickling cucumbers.
1:42 Effects of aerobic exercise on mood and flexibility in patients with lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus

Abstract Purpose of study: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of moderate intensity aerobic exercise (AE) on mood profile scores and low back flexibility in patients with symptomatic lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP). Methods used: Seventy-five patients with symptomatic lumbar HNP were randomized into an AE (n=35) group and a control (C) (n=40) group. All patients were assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 12-week study period. The exercise prescription consisted of walking or cycling at 70% of age-predicted maximal heart rate, 4 days per week, for 45 minutes per session. Exercisers filled out a log listing the heart rate, days per week and minutes per exercise session and returned it weekly to the study coordinator. Exercise was unsupervised and performed at home. During the 12-week period, the C group received no exercise intervention but continued to receive usual care. In addition to descriptive statistics, group mean differences were analyzed using Student's t tests. Statistical significance was set at the .05 level. of findings: At baseline, only one of the seven Profile of Mood States (POMS) scores, anger, was significantly different, with the AE group demonstrating significantly more anger (ANG). There were no significant differences at baseline in all three low back flexibility measures at baseline: sit and reach (SR), functional reach (FR) and trunk forward flexion (TFF). After the 12-week study, the AE group demonstrated a significant improvement in the following mood profile scores: depression (DEP), ANG, vigor (VIG) and total mood disturbance (TMD). During this same time, the C group demonstrated a significant decrement in the following mood profile scores: confusion (Conf), anxiety (ANX), DEP, ANG, VIG and TMD. FR was significantly improved in the AE group after 12 weeks. No untoward effects of the exercise participation was reported by the patients. Relationship between findings and existing knowledge: There are few data currently regarding AE as a sole exercise treatment for low back pain (LBP) patients. AE has been shown to improve mood profile in LBP patients with mixed diagnoses (after 10 weeks of aerobic exercise) but has not been previously studied as an isolated exercise intervention for LBP patients with symptomatic lumbar HNP. Overall significance of findings: A home-based moderate intensity AE program is safe and associated with improvements in mood profile scores and low back flexibility measures in patients with symptomatic lumbar HNP. Disclosures: No disclosures. Conflict of interest: No conflicts.
Postvoid residual: a comparison and cost analysis of two techniques

Abstract Objective: To assess the cost effectiveness of a direct approach to measure postvoid residual volume (PVR) utilizing a retrograde fill method. Method: A retrospective study of patients who underwent corrective surgery for urinary incontinence during a 10-month period in the Division of Gynecology. For each patient a PVR was measured using one of two methods: 1) the traditional method in which the patient is allowed to void spontaneously and is recatheterized to measure residual urine, or 2) a retrograde method in which the patient’s bladder is filled using the Foley catheter until a strong urge to void is felt, at which point the Foley is removed and the patient is asked to void. The subtracted difference represents the PVR. Results: The study group is composed of 34 patients with a PVR measured by the traditional method and 22 patients measured with the retrograde method. The average time required to assess PVR was analyzed, and the cost of the increased hospital time required to perform the traditional PVR was quantified. The traditional method requires an average of 3 hours and 42 minutes, whereas the retrograde method requires an average of 9 minutes to perform. The cost of the additional hospital time to perform the PVR with the traditional approach is $499.50 per patient or $16,983.00 for the 34 patients. Conclusions: The retrograde method significantly reduces procedure time leading to a substantial savings to the health care system. The patient also is spared the discomfort of an additional catheterization. A prospective study to substantiate these finding is currently underway.
Detection of ribose-methylated nucleotides in enzymatic hydrolysates of RNA by thermospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Abstract A procedure has been developed for the detection and characterization of ribose-methylated dinucleotides of the type NmpN′ in enzymatic digests of RNA. Differences in reaction products from hydrolysis using RNase T2, which will not cleave NmpN′, and hydrolysis by nuclease P1 are analyzed by thermospray liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry. The method is applicable to dinucleotides present in nanogram range quantities and is suited for the characterization of new or unexpected ribose-methylated nucleotides for which chromatographic mobilities are not known.
Lessons from the past: Inaccurate credibility assessments made during crisis situations

This paper will illustrate and analyze various examples of incorrect credibility assessments that were made during crisis situations by decision makers. These situations include incorrect credibility assessments from assumed subject matter experts, computers and automated systems, distrust between groups and rumors. Various factors during an emergency such as stress and lack of experience may influence what cues the decision maker notices and how they interpret this information. Trusting and acting on this incorrect information often times prolonged the crisis and created additional problems to resolve. Recognizing the weaknesses in these credibility assessments can provide the basis for future training opportunities for emergency management decision makers.
Scanning tunneling microscopy and angle of mounds study of gallium arsenide grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaAs homoepitaxial films has been studied. Scanning tunneling microscopy images show that in the earliest stages of growth the surface morphology oscillates between one with two-dimensional islands and flat terraces. Concomitant with the decay of the RHEED oscillations, the surface morphology evolves to a dynamical steady state characterized by a constant value of the step density. Numerical models of the growth allow a prediction to be made for the asymtotic value of the step density. On a larger length scale (approximately 10 micrometers ) the surface morphology is found to consist of large mounds. The angle of the mounds with respect to the substrate is fixed and is determined by the separation between nucleating islands. This growth instability is found for singular surfaces and is absent for vicinal surfaces grown under step flow conditions.
Misdirection of membrane trafficking by HIV-1 Vpu and Nef: Keys to viral virulence and persistence.

The HIV-1 accessory protein Nef is well known for its manipulation of host cell endosomal trafficking. By linking transmembrane proteins to endosomal coats, Nef removes them from the surface of infected cells. Modulation of MHC proteins leads to viral evasion of cellular adaptive immunity, whereas modulation of receptors for the HIV envelope glycoprotein, including CD4, enhances viral infectivity. The other HIV-1 accessory proteins, Vif, Vpr and Vpu, share a mechanism of action distinct from Nef in that each interacts with a multi-subunit ubiquitin ligase complex to target cellular proteins for proteosomal degradation. However, newly uncovered functions and mechanistic aspects of Vpu likely involve endosomal trafficking: these include counteraction of the innate antiviral activity of the cellular transmembrane protein BST-2 (tetherin), as well as the removal of the lipid-antigen presenting protein CD1d and the natural killer cell ligand NTB-A from the cell surface. This review focuses on how Nef and Vpu i...
Receiving Tubes Employing Secondary Electron Emitting Surfaces Exposed to the Evaporation from Oxide Cathodes

Previous use of secondary-emission multiplication in receiving tubes has been accompanied by difficulties with life and has been accomplished in oxide cathode tubes by shielding the secondary emitter from cathode evaporation. This shielding required a complicated tube structure and additional electrodes and leads. This paper describes methods of controlling cathode evaporation to obtain satisfactory tube life and even to enhance secondary emission gain in simple tube constructions in which the secondary emission surface is directly exposed to the oxide cathode evaporation. A 1.4-volt filament tube is described which may be operated to give a transconductance of three times the normal input transconductance, or may be operated to give the normal input transconductance with a reduction to 40 per cent of the original total battery power. The construction and characteristic curves of an indirectly heated oxide cathode tube with the dynode directly exposed to the cathode are given. A transconductance of 24 ma/volt and a wide-band figure of merit of two to three times that of conventional tubes is obtained. A high cathode temperature reduces dynode life, but a variation of ±10 per cent in heater voltage seems satisfactory.
Phase matching of high-order harmonic generation in helium- and neon-filled gas cells

Abstract 10 mJ laser pulses are used to study high-order harmonic generation in helium- and neon-filled gas cells of various lengths. Harmonic orders in the range 50–100 are investigated. A semi-infinite cell geometry produces brighter harmonics than subcentimetre cells. In the semi-infinite geometry, the gas occupies the region from the focusing lens to a thin exit foil near the laser focus. Restricting the laser beam with an aperture in front of the focusing lens increases the emission of most harmonic orders observed by as much as an order of magnitude. Counter-propagating light is used to probe the region in the focus where the high harmonics are generated. In neon, the harmonics are generated in the last few millimetres before the exit foil. In helium, the harmonics are produced over a longer distance, indicating good phase-matching conditions.
Beef, Dog, and Other Mythologies: Connotative Semiotics in Mahāyoga Tantra Ritual and Scripture

Scholars have long debated how the antinomian elements in the Buddhist Tantras are to be interpreted. Some maintain that they are to be taken literally; others that they are figurative or "symbolic." Both, however—in approaching these statements as examples of directly denotative natural language—miss the most essential aspect of the semiology of these traditions. This paper demonstrates that the Buddhist Mahāyoga Tantras employ a form of signification (theorized by Roland Barthes) called "connotative semiotics," in which signs (a signifier–signified union) from natural language function as signifiers in a higher-order discourse. Employing these semiological tools enables criticism to recognize that what is fundamentally operative—in both ritual performance and scriptural narrative—is a grammar of purity and pollution in significant dialog with both earlier Buddhist Tantras and broader Indian religious norms. This suggests that such antinomianism—far from representing either "tribal" practices or rarified yogic codes—reflects concerns native to mainstream Indian religion.
Enzymatic Synthesis of 4-Amino-3,5-diethylphenyl Sulfate, a Rodent Metabolite of Alachlor

Rat liver tissue homogenates were utilized for in vitro enzymatic conversion of 2,6-diethylaniline (DEA) to the important alachlor metabolite 4-amino-3,5-diethylphenyl sulfate (ADEPS), which was also generated as a radiolabeled standard for use in metabolism studies. ADEPS formation in rodents is associated with the production of other reactive metabolites implicated in alachlor rodent carcinogenesis, making dependable access to an ADEPS standard highly desirable. 14C-DEA was oxidized by rat liver microsomes to 14C-4-amino-3,5-diethylphenol, which was further converted to ADEPS via addition of the phosphosulfate transferase cofactor adenosine-3‘-phosphate-5‘-phosphosulfate. Microprobe NMR was used in conjunction with high-resolution mass spectrometry to fully characterize the resulting 14C-ADEPS and confirm its structure. Because microgram quantities sufficed for full characterization, the enzymatic transformation provides a viable alternative to radiosynthesis of 14C-ADEPS. Keywords: Alachlor; enyzmes; m...
IDENTIFYING SETS OF FOUR AND FIVE POSITIONS THAT GENERATE DISTINCTIVE CENTER-POINT CURVES

The fixed pivots of a planar 4R linkage that can achieve four design positions are constrained to a center-point curve. The curve is a circular cubic function and plots can take one of five different forms. The center-point curve can be generated with a compatibility linkage obtained from an opposite pole quadrilateral of the four design positions. This paper presents a method to identify design positions that generate distinctive shapes of the center-point curves. The form of the center-point curve is dependent on whether the shape of the opposite pole quadrilateral is an open or closed form of a rhombus, kite, parallelogram, or when the sum of two sides equals the other two. Interesting cases of three and five position synthesis are also explored. Four and five position cases are generated that have center points at infinity allowing a PR dyad with line of slide in any direction to achieve the design positions. Further, a center-point curve for five specific design positions is revealed.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The non-regulation of food intake in humans: hope for reversing the epidemic of obesity.

Abstract Few doubt that human feeding behavior is part of larger biology regulatory system of energy stores, but the extent to which eating behavior is controlled by these biology systems and how much is due to responses to environmental stimuli is presently under debate. The results of a series of studies are presented which have attempted to determine the responsiveness of human feeding behavior to some of the “classic” biological variables that have conventionally been used to argue the biological basis of eating behavior. When humans are challenged with either overfeeding, underfeeding, or alterations of the caloric density of the diet, they fail to demonstrate precise caloric compensation. When challenged with changes in environmental stimuli, on the other hand, humans appear to be very sensitive to changes in portion size, the number of people with whom they eat, the amount that others eat and the variety of foods available. Other more chronic influences demonstrate that body weight appears to change when people move from one area of the world to another, when they enter the college environment, or when they either marry or break up. It is argued that because humans appear to be more responsive to the external environment than internal biological cues, it should be possible to curb or even reverse the epidemic of obesity by changing aspects of the external environment or human interactions with environmental variables rather than changing their internal environment through pharmacology.
RE-GREENING OF LYCHEE (LITCHI CHINENSIS SONN.) LEAVES WITH FOLIAR APPLICATIONS OF IRON SULFATE AND WEAK ACIDS

Lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn. cv. ‘Mauritius’) trees growing in calcareous soils are prone to iron (Fe) deficiency, typically prevented by soil application of chelated Fe, which is very expensive compared to iron sulfate (FeSO4). Therefore, the effects of foliar applications of weak acids (ascorbic or dilute sulfuric acid), weak acids plus FeSO4, or a soil drench of chelated iron (Fe-EDDHA) on leaf chlorophyll index, leaf ferrous iron (Fe2+) and total Fe concentrations, leaf gas exchange and plant dry weight were determined for 2-year-old lychee trees growing in calcareous soil in containers. Treatments were: foliar applications of ascorbic acid in deionized (DI) water plus surfactant, sulfuric acid in DI water plus surfactant, ascorbic acid in DI water plus FeSO4 plus surfactant, sulfuric acid in DI water plus FeSO4 plus surfactant, FeSO4 in DI water plus surfactant, FeSO4 in DI water with no surfactant, FeSO4 in well water plus surfactant, sulfuric acid plus FeSO4 in well water plus surfactant, surfact...
Using Copyright to Combat Revenge Porn

The phenomenon of “revenge porn” – defined as sexually explicit images that are publicly shared online, without the consent of the pictured individual – has attracted national attention. Victims of revenge porn often suffer devastating consequences, including losing their jobs, but have had limited success using tort laws to prevent the spread of their images. Victims need a remedy that provides takedown procedures, civil liability for uploaders and websites, and the threat of money damages. Copyright law provides all of these remedies. Because an estimated 80 percent of revenge porn images are “selfies,” meaning that the subject and the photographer are one in the same, the vast majority of victims can use copyright law to protect themselves. Although copyright is not a perfect solution, it provides a powerful tool to combat revenge porn. In Part I, I examine how Section 230 protects revenge porn traffickers, like IsAnyoneUp, from liability. Part II discusses why harassment, stalking and privacy laws are often inadequate means of fighting revenge porn. In Part III, I explain why existing and proposed legislation presents problems for both victims and free speech. Finally, Part IV outlines why copyright functions as a powerful tool to combat revenge porn.
Docetaxel (taxotere) in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Docetaxel (Taxotere®) is a taxoid derived from the needles of the European yew tree, Taxus baccata. With an overall prostate-specific antigen response rate of 42% in four Phase II studies, docetaxel has important single-agent activity in androgen-independent prostate cancer. Phase II studies suggest that the addition of estramustine (Emcyt®) to docetaxel results in higher response rates but also increased toxicity. Docetaxel with and without estramustine is being evaluated in Phase III studies that will provide definitive information about its role in androgen-independent prostate cancer. Novel combinations of docetaxel with biologic response modifiers are in early stages of development. Similarly, a number of investigators are conducting exploratory trials that incorporate docetaxel into multimodality approaches to high-risk localized prostate cancer treatment.
EFFECT OF PRESSURE ON CARBONIC ACID, BORIC ACID, AND THE pH IN SEAWATER1

ABSTBACT The pressure coefficients of the apparent dissociation constants of carbonic and boric acids in seawater were determined for pressures up to 1,000 atm at 2, 11.6, and 22C in seawater of 34.8% salinity and at 13.X in seawater of 38.5% salinity. The results were used to calculate the effect of pressure on the pH and the distributions of the various inorganic carbon species in a deep station in the North Pacific Ocean.
Late Neuropsychological Outcomes in Preterm Infants of Normal IQ: Selective Vulnerability of the Visual System

Evaluated neuropsychological outcomes in 635 children, ages 7 to 10 years, in relation to birth weight group: 2,500 g. The prevalence of low IQ ( 84 (N = 475): (a) Birth weight was unrelated to Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, Full-scale IQ, or reading achievement; (b) extremely low birth weight (ELBW) children achieved more poorly in mathematics than did other birth weight groups (p < .05); (c) ELBW and very low birth weight children performed more poorly on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, a complex visual processing task, than did heavier birth weight children (p < .05), but performance on the Beery Test of Visuomotor Integration was not related to birth weight. Results are consistent with heightened neurobehavioral vulnerability of visual processing to preterm birth.
Choosing a Starting Configuration for Particle Swarm Optimization

The performance of Particle Swarm Optimization can be improved by strategically selecting the starting positions of the particles. This work suggests the use of generators from centroidal Voronoi tessellations as the starting points for the swarm. The performance of swarms initialized with this method is compared with the standard PSO algorithm on several standard test functions. Results suggest that CVT initialization improves PSO performance in high-dimensional spaces.
Quasi-static analysis of three-line microstrip symmetrical coupler on anisotropic substrates

A method for analyzing three asymmetrically coupled microstrip lines on an anisotropic substrate has been developed. Computer programs based on the method of moments have been employed and the coupler mode impedance, coupling constant, and phase velocity, as functions of the anisotropy ratio, have been obtained. >
Fluorescence diffuse optical image reconstruction with a priori information

This paper addresses fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (FDOT) reconstruction problem with a priori information. We assume that approximate location of the fluorophore concentration is known from physiology of the disease and nature of the fluorophore injected. In addition, we assume the anatomical edge structures from an anatomical image modality partially coincident with the edges of the fluorophore concentration image. We formulate FDOT reconstruction in Bayesian framework and model a priori information of FDOT into a Gaussian Markov random field (GMRF) with several unknown parameters. We simultaneously estimate the optical image and the unknown a priori model parameters. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the a priori information could effectively improve the image reconstruction results.
JMTP: an architecture for exploiting concurrency in embedded Java applications with real-time considerations

Using Java in embedded systems is plagued by problems of limited runtime performance and unpredictable runtime behavior. The Java Multi-Threaded Processor (JMTP) provides solutions to these problems. The JMTP architecture is a single chip containing an off-the-shelf general purpose processor core coupled with an array of Java Thread Processors (JTPs). Performance can be improved using this architecture by exploiting coarse-grained parallelism in the application. These performance improvements are achieved with relatively small hardware costs. Runtime predictability is improved by implementing a subset of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) specification in the JTP and trimming away complexity without excessively restricting the Java code a JTP can handle. Moreover, the JMTP architecture incorporates hardware to adaptively manage shared JMTP resources in order to satisfy JTP thread timing constraints or provide an early warning for a timing violation. This is an important feature for applications with quality-of-service demands. In addition to the hardware architecture, we describe a software framework that analyzes a Java application for expressed and implicit coarse-grained concurrent threads to execute on JTPs. This framework identifies the optimal mapping of an application to a JMTP with an arbitrary number of JTPs. We have tested this framework on a variety of applications including IDEA encryption with different JTP configurations and confirmed that the algorithm was able to obtain desired results in each case.
Application of Quality of Life and Weli-Being Measurement as Input into Cost-Effectiveness Analyses

For the most part, cost-effectiveness analysis has attempted to incorporate the effects of medical treatments on patients’quality of life by adjusting years of survival with an index of the quality of fife in the surviving years. The construction of such a quality-adjusted year index is typically based on implicitly value-laden assumptions regarding tradeoffs of hypothetical situations, ie, survival periods with or without a disabling condition. The construction of the index relies on judgments and other procedures that have been shown to generate figures that are widely discrepant from those suggested by empirical studies. Indeed, only empirical studies based on individuals’ direct assessments of their quality of life, and those which focus on the persons subjected to the treatments at issue, can provide the necessary valid input to cost-effectiveness analysis. It is therefore suggested that cost-effectiveness analysis should rely on quality-oflife data generated by empiricalstudies of persons subjected to the treatments; and it should report separately the cost of treatment per year of life and per quality of life expressed in effect size units. The latter effect size units in quality of life should be specified separately for global measures of physical, mental, and social functioning and well being, as well as for specific measures of the presenting symptoms and disabilities that are produced in these areas of life by the disease. The degree of relationship among these various aspects of quality of life can provide yet another itnportant indication of the overall effect of the treatment. The advantages of focusing on quality-of-life data in terms of effect size units stem from: (a) the greater convergence in the conceptualization of quality of life than in the use of specific measures, and (b) the availability of meta-analytic technigues for synthesizing effect size units from different studies and comparing them across different treatments.
The role of surfactant in neonatal adaptation

Abstract The fetal lung has complex mechanisms for surfactant accumulation and secretion that prepare the fetus for an uncomplicated transition to air breathing. Recent experiments indicate that this transition is not just a process of secretion of accumulated stores, but involves dynamic processes of mobilization of intracellular pools, alveolar surfactant reuptake, and complex changes in alveolar surfactant fractions. The intricacies of these processes and the relative importance of the various proposed secretogogs remain to be further explored. Surfactant is necessary, but not sufficient for normal neonatal pulmonary adaptation. Without adequate central respiratory drive, respiratory muscles, and lung structural maturation, normal respiratory adaptation will not occur.
Reduction of NaCl increases survival of mammalian spinal neurons subjected to dendrite transection injury

Neurites were transected from spinal neurons in media with normal (125 mM) or reduced NaCI (sucrose substitution). After 12 h the normal ionic environment (conditioned medium with serum) was restored. A one-factor ANOVA comparison found a significant difference in 48 h survival (P = 0.0001). Survival was highest when NaCl was reduced 50% (74% ± 19 vs. 22% ± 19 in normal NaCI). Na+ - and Cl−-mediated deterioration may contribute to both gray and white matter injury in CNS trauma.
Karl barth on the eternal existence of Jesus Christ

Central to Barth's doctrine of election is the notion that Jesus Christ is the subject of election. This implies that Jesus Christ existed from all eternity. I discuss four possible interpretations of this proposition. I analyse these interpretations both in terms of their internal consistency and in terms of their consistency with Barth's overall proposal. Three of the four interpretations, defended by Emil Brunner, Cornelius Berkouwer, John Colwell and Bruce McCormack, I find wanting. With the fourth interpretation I lay my own cards on the table and argue that part of the problem lies in Barth's formulation itself. The context of Barth's saying that ‘Christ is the subject of election’ suggests that for Barth, Jesus Christ is not so much identical not with a subject, but with an act: the divine reaching out to that what is not God. This act establishes the act and object of election.
Salvage prostate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer failure after external beam radiation therapy.

Abstract Purpose To determine the toxicity and clinical outcome of salvage prostate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer failure after external beam radiation therapy. Methods and materials Twenty-one patients underwent 103 Pd salvage brachytherapy (median minimum peripheral dose, 90 Gy) after local failure after external beam radiation (median dose, 66.6 Gy) from 1/21/1998 to 4/5/2005. The median age was 72 years. Six patients had prior transurethral resection of the prostate. The median Gleason score was 7 and the median preimplant prostate-specific antigen was 3.8. Twelve patients received concurrent androgen ablation with prostate brachytherapy. Biochemical failure was defined as three consecutive rises in prostate-specific antigen scored at the call date, initiation of hormone therapy, or clinical failure. Toxicity was defined according to the National Cancer Institute common toxicity criteria and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer late radiation morbidity scoring scheme. Results With a median followup of 36 months, the actuarial 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 81% and 81%, and the biochemical failure-free survival rates were 94% and 38%, respectively. There was no significant difference in biochemical failure-free survival ( p = 0.98) and overall survival ( p = 0.13) for patients who had androgen ablation. Four patients developed biochemical failure and 1 patient developed distant metastasis at 59 months from treatment. Four patients had Grade 2 genitourinary adverse events, 2 patients had Grade 1 genitourinary adverse events, and 1 patient had a Grade 2 gastrointestinal adverse event. There were no Grade 3 or higher adverse events. All three deaths were secondary to other medical comorbidities. Conclusions Salvage prostate brachytherapy after external beam radiation failure can be safely performed with acceptable biochemical control. This treatment option should be considered for patients who have prolonged life expectancy after localized external beam radiation failure.
Decentralized control of large-scale systems using single hidden layer neural networks

A decentralized adaptive control design procedure for large-scale uncertain systems is developed using Single Hidden Layer neural networks. The subsystems are assumed to be feedback linearizable and non-affine in the control, and their interconnections bounded linearly by the tracking error norms. Single Hidden Layer neural networks are introduced to approximate the feedback linearization error signal online from available measurements. A robust adaptive signal is required in the analysis to shield the feedback linearizing control law from the interconnection effects. The tracking errors are shown to be uniformly ultimately bounded, and all other signals uniformly bounded. The proposed adaptive algorithm is implemented in simulation to stabilize an interconnected double inverted pendulum.
Home ranges of Recent mammals

The data provided here include home range and body sizes for 285 species of mammals in 177 genera. Data were extracted from 552 published sources, and have been used in multiple papers since we originally published results of analyses in 1999 and 2001. While this likely is the most comprehensive such data set available, it is arguably biased taxonomically and geographically. While some mammal orders are well represented taxonomically most are not. Hence, while all genera in Monotremata, Proboscidea, and Pholidota are represented, these comprise only 60, 66, and 20% of species, respectively; moreover, these are relatively minor radiations. In contrast, we have no species of Paucituberculata, Microbiotheria, Notoryctemorphia, Tubulidentata, Hyracoidea, Cingulata, Scandentia, Dermoptera, and Primates (the latter likely reflecting a bias in data acquisition). The modal proportion of genera and species across 27 terrestrial orders is zero; the median values are 10.8% (genera) and 3.7% (species), suggesting tha...
Glutamatergic and GABAergic input to rat spinothalamic tract cells in the superficial dorsal horn

The distribution of synaptic terminals onto spinothalamic tract cells (types I and II) of the superficial dorsal horn was determined with special reference to the amino acid transmitters glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid. Fifteen spinothalamic cells retrogradely labeled from the thalamus with the neuroanatomical tracer wheatgerm agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase were sectioned for electron microscopy. Serial sections from several levels through each cell were immunostained for glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid using a postembedding immunogold technique. Perimeter measurements of spinothalamic cell somata and dendrites and the lengths of apposition for all terminal profiles in contact with the spinothalamic cells were obtained from electron micrographs using a digitizing tablet. These data were used to determine the density of terminals on the soma and dendrites. In addition, the terminal population on these cells was categorized by transmitter content (glutamate, γ-aminobutyric acid, or unlabeled). The results demonstrate that terminal density increased on dendrites relative to their distance from the soma. Glutamatergic and GABAergic input composed 37% and 20% of the terminal population, respectively, and these percentages remained uniform for the soma and dendrites. There were no significant differences among the 15 cells analyzed for this study. The results, therefore, suggest that both type I and type II STT cells of the superficial DH have similar synaptic organizations. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A novel IGBT inverter module for low-power drive applications

This paper presents a novel three-phase IGBT module called the SPM (Smart Power Module). This is a new design developed to provide a very compact, low cost, high performance and reliable motor drive system. Several distinct design concepts were used to achieve the highly integrated functionality in a new cost-effective small package. An overall description to the SPM is given and actual application issues such as electrical characteristics, circuit configurations, thermal performance and power ratings are discussed.
Sex Differences in the Acute Nasal Antioxidant/Antielectrophilic Response of the Rat to Inhaled Naphthalene

Naphthalene is a nasal carcinogen, inducing respiratory adenomas in male and olfactory neuroblastomas in female rats, respectively. The reasons for the site and sex-specific tumorigenic response are unknown. Naphthalene is bioactivated to electrophilic metabolites; cytotoxicity followed by regenerative cell proliferation is likely involved in the tumorigenic response. To examine sex differences in the acute nasal response to naphthalene, male and female F344 rats were nose-only exposed to 0, 1, 3, 10, or 30 ppm naphthalene vapor for 4 or 6 h. Following exposure, respiratory/transitional mucosa (RTM) and olfactory mucosa (OM) were isolated and analyzed for markers of oxidant/electrophilic stress and/or toxicity, including reduced/oxidized glutathione levels (GSH/GSSG), mRNA levels of electrophile-responsive genes, and epithelial cytoxicity (as measured by membrane permeability to ethidium homodimer-1). Naphthalene caused significant depletion of GSH in RTM and OM with no increase in GSSG. Cytotoxicity was apparent at concentrations of 15 and 30 ppm. No consistent sex differences were observed in these responses. Sex differences were observed in the induction of antielectrophilic genes in OM: glutamyl cysteine ligase (catalytic subunit) (Gclc), NADPH quinone oxidase 1 (Nqo1), and heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) were all induced to a greater extent in the male OM compared with the female. No consistent sex differences were observed in the RTM. Although the mechanism of the sex difference in the RTM adenoma response remains enigmatic, sex differences in the induction of antioxidant/electrophile-responsive genes may contribute to the heightened sensitivity of the female OM to the carcinogenic effects of naphthalene.
Environmental LCA and Financial Analysis to Evaluate the Feasibility of Bio-based Sugar Feedstock Biomass Supply Globally: Part 1. Supply Chain Analysis

Chemical production from crude oil represents a substantial percentage of the yearly fossil fuel use worldwide, and this could be partially offset by renewable feedstocks such as woody biomass and energy crops. Past techno-economic and environmental analyses have been conducted for isolated feedstocks on a regional or national scope. This study encompasses complete supply chain logistics analysis, delivered cost financial analysis, national availability, and environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) for 18 selected cellulosic feedstocks from around the world. A biochemical conversion route to monomeric sugars is assumed for estimated sugar yields and biosugar feedstock cost analysis. US corn grain was determined to have the highest delivered cost, while rice hulls in Indonesia resulted in the lowest cost of the feedstocks studied. Monomeric sugar yields from literature ranged from 358 kg BDMT-1 for US forest residues to 700 kg BDMT-1 for corn syrup. Environmental LCA was conducted in SimaPro using ecoinvent v2.2 data and the TRACI 2 impact assessment method for mid-point impacts cradle-to-incoming biorefinery gate. Carbon absorption during biomass growth contributed most substantially to the reduction of net global warming potential. Rice hulls and switchgrass resulted in the highest global warming potential, followed closely by corn and Thai sugarcane bagasse. Contribution analysis shows that chemical inputs such as fertilizer use contribute substantially to the net environmental impacts for these feedstocks.
Diet Composition of Mummichogs, Fundulus heteroclitus, from Restoring and Unrestricted Regions of a New England (U.S.A.) Salt Marsh

Diet composition of mummichogs, Fundulus heteroclitus, from three marsh habitats (creeks, pools, and marsh surface) within tidally restored and an adjacent unrestricted (reference) region of Sachuest Point salt marsh (Middletown, RI, U.S.A.) was examined. Major diet components were detritus, copepods, diatoms, insects (larvae and adults), ostracods, and chironomids. Total length, wet weight, and gut fullness of mummichogs were equivalent within habitats between the restoring and unrestricted marshes. Diet composition and percent abundance of diet items were also similar within habitats between the unrestricted and restoring marshes. However, differences in diet patterns were observed among habitats (creeks, pools, and marsh surface) within each marsh. Fish collected from creeks had fuller guts than those sampled from the marsh surface for both the restoring and unrestricted marsh. Diet composition also differed among marsh habitats, but only within the restoring marsh. In the restoring marsh, fish sampled from the creeks consumed primarily detritus, diatoms, and ostracods, whereas fish from the pools consumed mainly detritus, copepods, chironomids, and insects. Differences in diet composition among habitats were most likely a reflection of prey availability. This study provides evidence that tidally restored marshes can provide similar food resources as unrestricted marshes, in terms of consumption patterns of dominant marsh consumers, within the first year after restoration, before major shifts in dominant vegetation (i.e. from Phragmites australis to Spartina spp.) occur.
Predicting Juniors’ and Seniors’ Persistence and Attrition

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the power of quality of learning experience (QLE) indicators in predicting juniors’ and seniors’ persistence and attrition and to identify the relative salience of each of the QLE components in explaining persistence. Two different models were defined and assessed: the compensatory model and the multiple hurdles model. The models were tested using logistic regression and discriminant analysis. The major findings of the study were: (a) QLE indicators played a significant role in predicting juniors’ and seniors’ persistence. The R2 coefficients for the compensatory and multiple hurdles models were 0.32 and 0.37, respectively, whereas the percentages of correct classifications were 85% and 88%. (b) The predictability and classification power were weaker for the compensatory model and stronger for the multiple hurdles framework. (c) The three dominant predictors of juniors’ and seniors’ persistence were student-faculty contact, students’ involvement in their ac...
Driver models for personalised driving assistance

We propose a learning-based driver modelling approach which can identify manoeuvres performed by drivers on the highway and predict the future driver inputs. We show how this approach can be applied to provide personalised driving assistance. In a first example, the driver model is used to predict unintentional lane departures and a model predictive controller is used to keep the car in the lane. In a second example, the driver model estimates the preferred acceleration of the driver during lane keeping, and a model predictive controller is implemented to provide a personalised adaptive cruise control. For both applications, we use a combination of real data and simulation to evaluate the proposed approaches.
How Do State Policies Affect Solar Development

As a result of a variety of political, social and economic factors, photovoltaic installations are increasing rapidly throughout the United States. Renewable development has varied immensely across states; this research seeks to discern if state public policy is causing these discrepancies. Is state solar development primarily a result of factors outside policymakers’ control, such as solar irradiance, natural endowment, or political culture? Or, can specific policies trigger significant development and substantial changes in the local energy industry? This thesis uses fixed effects and ordinary least squares regression models to test state policies on resulting energy development. The study examines the effects of solar set-asides and credits within the renewable portfolio standard, tax rebates and personal tax credits, net metering policies, public benefits funds, and sales and property tax exemptions. According to the models, set-asides are the only policy with measurable, singular effects on photovoltaic development. While net metering policies and tax rebates likely encourage purchases, outside economic factors (such as electricity prices and political culture) may mitigate these effects. Finally, public benefits funds, property and sales tax exemptions have not singularly generated substantial solar development. As there is limited data available on state specific solar generation in 2011, this study recommends additional analysis in subsequent years as the solar energy market expands, and public sources better track photovoltaic installations. This research additionally recommends studying individual decision making patterns specifically relating to the use of solar tax incentives.
Homosexual Men in San Francisco: Simulations and Sensitivity Analysis

Since homosexual men in San Francisco (SF) are probably the most studied AIDS population in the world, it is useful to demonstrate that one can simulate HIV and AIDS in this population in a manner consistent with all available information. The analysis in Chapter 5 and this chapter is important not only for a better understanding of HIV and AIDS in homosexual men in SF but also as a foundation for further work. It provides a basis for simulation modeling in later chapters of other geographic locations and other risk groups.
Grain Legumes and Their Dietary Impact: Overview

Grain legumes are Fabaceae plants whose dry seeds are consumed by humans for food. They stave off malnutrition in food-deficit regions and reduce diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in food surplus regions. Grain legumes benefit from a unique symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium that frees legumes from the need to access soil sources of fixed nitrogen, but seed yield can be hampered by the plants' sensitivities to environmental stress. The global contribution of grain legumes on diets could be substantially enhanced by addressing constraints to consumption such as low digestibility, antinutritional factors, and stigmatization as the food of the poor.