cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
World Of Riders: Exercising is Fun

In the future, people will go to gym not only to workout, but also to have fun. Gym clients will not need to worry about their workout anymore, they will have different games that they can play by using different exercise devices. Those games are fun, engaging and effective. Players through a cooperative or competitive environment (depending on the game) can have fun while unconsciously exercising. Gyms will be a place of social interaction and fun for everybody. World of Riders1 is a first approach to make this prediction become true. World of Riders is a virtual reality (VR) based massive multiplayer online exergame, players join a match as soon as they start exercising, in the match they are able to see other players and they have to work together to defeat a boss. In order to play the game, the player have to move to certain areas on the map. The game is designed to let players vary their exercise intensity over time to implement a high intensity interval training. Players also are able to exchange items during the fight to help each other and so cooperation is one of the features of the game
The Jefferson Lab High Power THz Facility

Jefferson Lab has commissioned a high power terahertz source facility utilizing the broadband (5 cm-1 to visible) output of the JLab IR Demo FEL accelerator. Synchrotron and edge radiation from the 300 fs relativistic electron beam pulses at up to 75 MHz repetition rate is imaged in a User Lab where it is analyzed and made available for experiments. A number of state-of-the-art diagnostic tools are available for use with the beam. This talk will present the results of early studies on the beam.
A digital-circuit-based evolutionary-computation algorithm for time-interleaved ADC background calibration

Evolutionary computation, learning theory, neural networks, and fuzzy logic, are just few of the disciplines known as computational intelligence. In today's science and technology, computational intelligence techniques are widely used. They make use of computers' storage-and-speed abilities to address complex mathematical problems, which are difficult to be solved by conventional mathematical reasoning. In this paper, we introduce the design of a complex digital system implementing an evolutionary-computation algorithm to calibrate the mismatches affecting the performance of a time-interleaved Analog-to-Digital converter (TIADC). An error function (EF) is devised by modeling the three main issues limiting time-interleaved ADC performance: gain mismatches, offset mismatches and timing skews. The digital system is implemented on a Field-Programmable-Gate-Array (FPGA) and its digital logic and functionalities are tested by matching its simulation results against a Verilog-A behavioral model of the complete TIADC.
The Promise and Limitations of a College-Going Culture: Toward Cultures of Engaged Learning for Low-SES Latina/o Youth:

Background/ContextLiteratures on college-going cultures offer patterns and lists of practices that promote schoolwide attention to college-going for nondominant youth, often with organization-level...
Book Review: Faith and the State: A History of Islamic Philanthropy in Indonesia

(2015). Book Review: Faith and the State: A History of Islamic Philanthropy in Indonesia. South East Asia Research: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 278-282.
Configurational Energies of Nanoparticles Based on Metal–Metal Coordination

Nanoparticle sintering remains a fundamental problem in heterogeneous catalysis, motivating mechanistic studies toward mitigating deactivation of precious metal catalysts. We present a model based on the local coordination environment of metal atoms that can be used to provide total energy estimates for metal nanoparticles in a space of generic configurations. All energies are based only on a small set of density functional theory calculations of single metal atom adsorption on metal slabs. A model that can provide accurate nanoparticle energies is an important step toward the goal of understanding their sintering behavior in practical catalytic contexts.
Abstract 16504: Multipotent Compact Bone-Derived Stem Cells Support the Injured Heart through Transdifferentiation into Five Distinct Phenotypes

Introduction: Clinical trials have demonstrated moderate functional benefits of bone marrow-derived stem cells given after myocardial infarction (MI). Some animal studies have suggested that the me...
Adversarial Machine Learning in Malware Detection: Arms Race between Evasion Attack and Defense

Since malware has caused serious damages and evolving threats to computer and Internet users, its detection is of great interest to both anti-malware industry and researchers. In recent years, machine learning-based systems have been successfully deployed in malware detection, in which different kinds of classifiers are built based on the training samples using different feature representations. Unfortunately, as classifiers become more widely deployed, the incentive for defeating them increases. In this paper, we explore the adversarial machine learning in malware detection. In particular, on the basis of a learning-based classifier with the input of Windows Application Programming Interface (API) calls extracted from the Portable Executable (PE) files, we present an effective evasion attack model (named EvnAttack) by considering different contributions of the features to the classification problem. To be resilient against the evasion attack, we further propose a secure-learning paradigm for malware detection (named SecDefender), which not only adopts classifier retraining technique but also introduces the security regularization term which considers the evasion cost of feature manipulations by attackers to enhance the system security. Comprehensive experimental results on the real sample collections from Comodo Cloud Security Center demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed methods.
Emergence of reward expectation signals in identified dopamine neurons

Coherent control of purposive actions emerges from the coordination of multiple brain circuits during learning. Dissociable brain circuits and cell-types are thought to preferentially participate in distinct learning mechanisms. For example, the activity of midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons is proposed to primarily, or even exclusively, reflect reward prediction error signals in well-trained animals. To study the specific contribution of individual circuits requires observing changes before tight functional coordination is achieved. However, little is known about the detailed timing of the emergence of reward-related representations in dopaminergic neurons. Here we recorded activity of identified dopaminergic neurons as naive mice learned a novel stimulus-reward association. We found that at early stages of learning mDA neuron activity reflected both external (sensory) and internal (action initiation) causes of reward expectation. The increasingly precise correlation of action initiation with sensory stimuli rather than an evaluation of outcomes governed mDA neuron activity. Thus, our data demonstrate that mDA neuron activity early in learning does not reflect errors, but is more akin to a Hebbian learning signal - providing new insight into a critical computation in a highly conserved, essential learning circuit.
POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS AND POSTPARTUM THYROIDITIS

Abstract The term postpartum psychosis refers to a group of severe and heterogeneous disorders with psychotic symptoms that occur most frequently in the context of a mood disorder during the postpartum period. We report a case of ‘postpartum psychosis’ possibly associated with postpartum thyroiditis in a 29 year-old woman. The appearance of psychotic symptoms was chronologically related to the onset of postpartum thyroiditis and resolution of psychosis synchronized with the achievement of biochemical euthyroidism. The patient had typical symptoms of ‘classic postpartum psychosis’ (a historical term not included in DSM-IV, but used frequently by many physicians to describe diagnostic and therapeutic challenges posed by puerperal psychoses). Three months postpartum, the patient began to believe that she was pregnant with the Christ child, although she was not pregnant. Her delusions revolved around the ‘pregnancy’ and harm to her ‘unborn’ child. She also believed that her child (Jesus) was going to be killed. Other key symptoms included hallucinations, mixed mood symptoms, agitation and transient disorientation. Her DSM-IV diagnosis on admission was major depression with psychotic features and her discharge diagnosis (most likely diagnosis) was psychotic disorder due to thyrotoxicosis caused by postpartum thyroiditis. The differential diagnosis of co-occurring psychosis and postpartum thyroiditis can be examined relative to four possibilities: (1) psychosis due to thyrotoxicosis caused by postpartum thyroiditis; (2) a coincidence (no association between psychosis and postpartum thyroiditis); (3) precipitation of psychotic symptoms and disorientation related to postpartum thyroiditis in a woman with a pre-existing mood disorder; or (4) both psychosis and thyroiditis caused by a pre-existing defect in autoimmunity. The authors stress the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment of postpartum psychosis. They discuss the indications for thyroid screening in postpartum psychoses. Further research is needed to clarify the nosology and mechanisms of severe postpartum disorders and to elucidate treatment-relevant and etiologically-distinct subsets of postpartum psychosis. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Infinite divisibility and the identification of singular waveforms

Infinitely divisible probability density functions on the half-line t ≥ 0 form a convolution semigroup on t ≥ 0, as they describe stochastic processes with stationary, non-negative, independent increments. A subclass D of such densities are C∞ functions on the whole t-line when extended by zero for t < 0. Such functions may be viewed as physically realizable,causal, C∞ approximations to the Dirac δ-function, with further positivity properties. The use of such probe waveforms for system identification is particularly advantageous in transient wave propagation problems, where the system’ impulse response is typically highly singular. An ill-posed deconvolution problem must be solved to recover the system’s response; the semigroup and positivity properties of the input probe enable this deconvolution problem to be implemented as a Cauchy problem for a diffusion equation. This approach allows the analyst to monitor the gradual and systematic development of sharp singularities in the presence of noise. One important context where this theory applies is ultrasonic flaw detection in nondestructive evaluation.
The functional response: the influence of predatory behavior upon dynamics

Several decades ago, Solomon (1949) chose to approach the question of predation’s role in population dynamics by partitioning the response of predators to changing prey numbers into a numerical change in predator density and a functional change in the rate of predation per individual predator. In other words, predators can respond to an increase in numbers of prey both by increasing their own numbers and by eating more per predator. In the context of the basic theory used in this book, Equations (2.7) and (2.8), the numerical response is the Equation (2.8), and the functional response is the function f(H). This chapter will discussf(H), the factors that determine its shape, and its implications for population dynamics.
Photophysical processes in uv laser photodecomposition of Bi2Sr2Ca1CU2O8 and YBa2Cu3Ox+6

The laser ablation technique has been used to grow c-axis oriented thin films of both the YBa2Cu3Ox+6 (YBaCuO) [1] and Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu208 (BiSrCaCu:2212)[2] high temperature superconductors (HTc). The technique has also been applied to the growth of layered HTc superlattices [3--4] and in particular tailoring HTc thin films by site selective substitution [5]. These applications employ high laser fluence ablation for stoichiometric mass transfer. At low laser fluences, we have measured both a wavelength dependence in the removal of specific adsorbates (Fe/Ag) [6], and ion kinetic energy (KE) distributions that suggest a site selective excitation process. These results can be developed to prepare multilayer devices with near contaminant-free interfaces at a fraction of the cost of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). In addition, by regulating the laser fluence, it is possible to adjust the mass removal between stoichiometric bulk transfer and atomic level species-specific selectivity. The latter process may allow the modification of surfaces with site-specific atomic level control.
Soft lithography based on photolithography and two-photon polymerization

Over the past decades, soft lithography has greatly facilitated the development of microfluidics due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Besides, numerous fabrication techniques such as multi-layer photolithography, stereolithography and other methods have been developed to fabricate moulds with complex 3D structures nowadays. But these methods are usually not beneficial for microfluidic applications either because of low resolution or sophisticated fabrication procedures. Besides, high-resolution methods such as two-photon lithography, electron-beam lithography, and focused ion beam are often restricted by fabrication speed and total fabricated volume. Nonetheless, the region of interest in typical microfluidic devices is usually very small while the rest of the structure does not require complex 3D fabrication methods. Herein, conventional photolithography and two-photon polymerization are combined for the first time to form a simple hybrid approach in fabricating master moulds for soft lithography. It not only benefits from convenience of photolithography, but also gives rise to complex 3D structures with high resolution based on two-photon polymerization. In this paper, various tests have been conducted to further study its performance, and a passive micromixer has been created as a demonstration for microfluidic applications.
Weight improvement with the use of protein and energy enriched nutritional formula in infants with a prolonged PICU stay.

Background: Reaching an optimal nutritional intake is challenging in critically ill infants. One possible way to minimise nutritional deficits is the use of protein and energy-enriched (PE)-formulas. We aimed to describe weight achievement and gastrointestinal symptoms in infants admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) while receiving PE-formula for a prolonged period. Methods: Records from infants admitted to a multidisciplinary PICU and using PE-formula were analysed retrospectively. Infants were eligible if they received PE-formula daily for at least 2 weeks. Weight achievement was determined as the difference between weight-for-age (WFA) Z-scores at the start and end of PE-formula use. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including gastric residual volume, constipation and vomiting, were evaluated as tolerance parameters. Results: Seventy infants with a median [interquartile range (IQR)] age of 76 (30–182) days were eligible. The PICU duration was 50 (35–83) days during which they received PE-formula for 30 (21–54) days. Predominant admission diagnoses were post-cardiac surgery, respiratory and cardiac diagnosis. A significant mean (SD) WFA Z-score increase of 0.48 (1.10) (P < 0.001) and a median (IQR) weight gain of 5.80 (3.28–9.04) g kg−1 day−1 was observed. Multivariate regression showed that a lower WFA Z-score at start was associated with a higher WFA Z-score increase during PE-formula use (β −0.35 (95% confidence interval = −0.50 to −0.19); P < 0.001). The maximum 24-h gastric residual volume was 8.1 mL (IQR = 2.2–14.3) for each 1 kg in bodyweight. Three (4%) infants were treated for diarrhoea and three infants were treated for vomiting. Conclusions: The majority of infants with a prolonged PICU stay showed weight improvement when using PE-formula. PE-formula was well tolerated because gastrointestinal symptoms only occurred in few infants.
Short-term, not long-term, average spectra of preceding sentences bias consonant categorization

Phoneme perception is influenced by spectral properties of surrounding sounds. For example, listeners perceive /g/ (lower F3 onset) more often after sentences filtered to emphasize high-F3 frequencies, and perceive /d/ (higher F3 onset) more often after sentences filtered to emphasize low-F3 frequencies. These biases are known as spectral contrast effects (SCEs). Much of this work examined differences between long-term average spectra (LTAS) of preceding sounds and target phonemes. Stilp and Assgari (2018 ASA) revealed that spectra of the last 500 ms of precursor sentences, not the entire LTAS, predicted biases in consonant categorization. Here, the influences of Early (before the last 500 ms) versus Late (last 500 ms) portions of precursor sentences on subsequent consonant categorization were compared. Sentences emphasized different frequency regions in each temporal window (Early = low-F3 emphasis, Late = high-F3 emphasis, and vice versa) naturally or via filtering. Entire-sentence LTASes predicted that SCEs would not bias consonant categorization, but instead responses were biased by the spectrum of the Late window. This was replicated when the Early window did not emphasize either frequency region but the Late window did. Results endorse closer consideration of patterns of spectral energy over time in preceding sounds, not just their LTAS.Phoneme perception is influenced by spectral properties of surrounding sounds. For example, listeners perceive /g/ (lower F3 onset) more often after sentences filtered to emphasize high-F3 frequencies, and perceive /d/ (higher F3 onset) more often after sentences filtered to emphasize low-F3 frequencies. These biases are known as spectral contrast effects (SCEs). Much of this work examined differences between long-term average spectra (LTAS) of preceding sounds and target phonemes. Stilp and Assgari (2018 ASA) revealed that spectra of the last 500 ms of precursor sentences, not the entire LTAS, predicted biases in consonant categorization. Here, the influences of Early (before the last 500 ms) versus Late (last 500 ms) portions of precursor sentences on subsequent consonant categorization were compared. Sentences emphasized different frequency regions in each temporal window (Early = low-F3 emphasis, Late = high-F3 emphasis, and vice versa) naturally or via filtering. Entire-sentence LTASes predicted that...
Multiple local σ-aromaticity of nonagermanide clusters.

Nonagermanide clusters are widely used in inorganic synthesis and are actively studied by experimentalists and theoreticians. However, chemical bonding of such versatile species is still not completely understood. In our work we deciphered a bonding pattern for various experimentally obtained nonagermanide species. We localized the electron density via the AdNDP algorithm for the model structures ([Ge9]4−, [Ge9{P(NH2)2}3]−, Cu[Ge9{P(NH2)2}3] and Cu(NHC)[Ge9{P(NH2)2}3]) and obtained a simple and chemically intuitive bonding pattern which can explain the variety of active sites and the existence of both D3h and C4v geometries for such clusters. Moreover, the [Ge9]4− core is found to be a unique example of an inorganic Zintl cluster with multiple local σ-aromaticity.
Using Social Network Analysis to Assess Professional Network Development among AGESW Pre-Dissertation Fellowship Program Participants

ABSTRACTProfessional networks are important for the success of doctoral students and early career faculty members, yet there is little research about what types of experiences help emerging scholar...
Relationship Outcomes Following Involuntary Pregnancy Loss: The Role of Perceived Incongruent Grief:

Involuntary pregnancy loss is a common and often traumatic event for couples. To examine the impact of pregnancy loss on relationship stability, this study examined how perceived incongruent grief ...
Gut Microbiome and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Enterocolitis

The gut microbiome is increasingly being described as one of the underlying mechanisms for development of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced colitis. Similarities in gut microbiome profiles have been found among various diseases associated with intestinal inflammation, including inflammatory bowel disease. Certain bacterial species have been reported to be preventive for colitis, as well as beneficial for cancer outcome, in patients receiving ICI therapy. Alternatively, other bacterial classes have been shown to be associated with immunologic alterations causing intestinal inflammation with subsequent increase in the risk of ICI-related colitis. Gut microbiome manipulation by fecal transplantation has been proposed as one of the modalities to ameliorate inflammation in patients with ICI-related colitis refractory to immunosuppressive therapy. Additional investigations are needed to clarify the role of gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of ICI-related colitis.
Long-Term Outcomes After Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane Surgery.

Purpose To report anatomic and logMAR best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) outcomes with long-term follow-up after pars-plana vitrectomy and epiretinal membrane peeling (PPV-MP). Design A retrospective case-series. Participants Patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM) who underwent PPV-MP performed by one surgeon. Methods Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was recorded as a logMAR preoperatively and, when available, at 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10 years after surgery. The integrity of outer retinal layers was evaluated using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Main Outcome Measures Postoperative BCVA at different follow-up visits and its correlation with different OCT parameters. Results Fifty-five eyes of 49 patients were followed postoperatively with a mean of 8.6± 2.6 years (median: 9 years, range 5-16 years). The mean BCVA improved from 0.56±0.29 (20/72) preoperatively to 0.33±0.25 (20/42) at 1 year, 0.29±0.27 (20/38) at 2 years, 0.25±0.28 (20/35) at 3 years, 0.29±0.32 (20/38) at 5 years, 0.28±0.31 (20/38) at 8 years, and 0.28±0.25 (20/38) at 10 years (p<0.001). The BCVA improved at each of the first 3 years postoperatively and remained stable at 5, 8, and 10 years. Postoperative improvement in the integrity of ELM, and EZ, on SD-OCT correlated with improved BCVA. Conclusion BCVA continues to improve after PPV-MP during the first 3 years postoperatively and remains stable. Improved anatomic integrity of outer retinal layers correlated with improved BCVA.
Stochastic Analysis Probes the Role of the Chaperone Hfq in E. coli Sugar Shock Response

Small RNAs (sRNAs) play a crucial role in the regulation of bacterial gene expression by silencing the translation of target mRNAs. SgrS is an sRNA that relieves glucose-phosphate stress, or "sugar shock" in E. coli. The power of single cell measurements is their ability to obtain population level statistics that illustrate cell-to-cell variation. Here, we utilize single molecule super-resolution microscopy in single E. coli cells coupled with stochastic modeling to analyze glucose-phosphate stress regulation by SgrS. We present a kinetic model that captures the combined effects of transcriptional regulation, gene replication and chaperone mediated RNA silencing in the SgrS regulatory network. This more complete kinetic description, simulated stochastically, recapitulates experimentally observed cellular heterogeneity and is used to describe the dynamics of SgrS stabilization by the chaperone protein Hfq.
COVID-19 Presenting as Acute Icteric Hepatitis

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, so does the understanding of different presentations of disease. In this case report, we describe a patient whose presentation of COVID-19 was with acute icteric hepatitis without respiratory symptoms. This is the first case in the literature to our knowledge to report jaundice as the initial presentation of disease and adds to just a handful of cases in the literature of acute hepatitis as the sole presentation of COVID-19. Additionally, despite severe hepatitis, the patient had a benign course of COVID-19 and did not require aggressive medical care; this strays from conventional paradigms that associate severity of COVID-19 with a degree of aminotransferase elevation. The purpose of this report is to make physicians aware of acute icteric hepatitis as a presentation of COVID-19 infection and to facilitate discussion and further research in the area of COVID-19-induced hepatitis.
Inflammation, depressive symptoms, and emotion perception in adolescence.

Abstract Background Individuals with depression often demonstrate an altered peripheral inflammatory profile, as well as emotion perception difficulties. However, correlations of inflammation with overall depression severity are inconsistent and inflammation may only contribute to specific symptoms. Moreover, measurement of the association between inflammation and emotion perception is sparse in adolescence, despite representing a formative window of emotional development and high-risk period for depression onset. Methods Serum interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-1β were measured in 34 adolescents aged 12-17 with DSM-IV depressive disorders (DEP) and 29 healthy controls (HC). Participants were evaluated using the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) and symptom subscales were extracted based on factor analysis. Participants also completed a performance-based measure of emotion perception, the Facial Emotion Perception Test (FEPT), which assesses the accuracy of categorizing angry, fearful, sad, happy, and neutral facial emotions. Results IL-6 and TNF-α correlated with reported depressed mood and somatic symptoms, respectively, but not total CDRS-R score, anhedonia or observed mood, across both DEP and HC. DEP demonstrated lower accuracy for identifying angry facial expressions. Higher IL-6 was inversely related to accuracy and discrimination of angry and neutral faces across all participants. IL-1β was associated with reduced discrimination of fearful faces. Conclusions Inflammatory markers were sensitive to affective and somatic symptoms of depression and processing of emotional threat in adolescents. In particular, IL-6 was elevated in depressed adolescents and therefore may represent a specific target for modulating depressive symptoms and emotion processing
Motivational Interviewing with Adolescents and Young Adults

Part I: The Guide. Introduction: Why Motivational Interviewing with Adolescents and Young Adults? Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Brief Review of Development. The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing. Person-centered Guiding Skills. Responding to Resistance. Change Talk. Commitment. Integrating Motivational Interviewing into Your Practice. Part II: Side Trips. Hernandez, Barnett, Sindelar-Manning, Chun, Spirito, Alcohol Problems. Walker, Marijuana Use. Stein, The Juvenile Justice System. Koken, Outlaw, Green-Jones, Sexual Risk Reduction. Horn, Smoking. Merlo, Gobat, Psychiatric Disorders. Treasure, Lopez, Macdonald, Eating Disorders. Spruijt-Metz, Barnett, Davis, Resnicow, Obesity in Minorities. Naar-King, Ellis, Self-care for Chronic Medical Conditions. D'Amico, Ewing, Engle, Hunter, Osilla, Bryan, Group Alcohol and Drug Treatment. Kaplan, Engle, Austin, Wagner, Applications in Schools. Channon, Rubak, Family-based Intervention. Part III: Choosing Your Own Path. Ethical Considerations. Developing Proficiency in Motivational Interviewing.
LARGE DEFLECTIONS OF RECTANGULAR PLATES

An approximate rigid, perfectly plastic analysis which retains the influence of finite deflections is presented herein for a uniformly loaded, fully clamped rectangular plate. This theoretical procedure provides reasonable engineering estimates of the recent experiments of R. Hooke and B. Rawlings on plates with aspect ratios in the range 1/3 equal to or less than beta equal to or less than 1. The approximate method also predicts values which agree fairly well with the tests of Young on long rectangular plates (beta equal 1/3), and for large permanent deflections gives similar values to the analysis by J.E. Greenspon when beta equal 1.
Strictures, Rings, Webs (Peptic, Caustic, Radiation, Anastomotic)

Mechanical dysphagia has many possible etiologies, though all commonly share the process of narrowing the lumen of the esophagus with subsequent delay in passage of solid foods. Benign strictures, webs, and rings are among the most common causes of mechanical obstruction of the esophagus.
e‐Commerce and Online Trust

This entry provides an overview of research findings and theories regarding trust and privacy in electronic commerce. Trust and privacy are particularly important in the area of e-commerce given the considerable risk associated with the commercialization of products and services via the internet and mobile technology. The entry reviews key concepts from the trust and privacy literature, including the antecedents and outcomes of e-commerce trust, the impact of privacy concern on consumer behaviors, and privacy policies and regulations. Keywords: consumer behavior; e-commerce; internet; mobile communication; privacy; risk; trust
Modeling, Pricing, and Risk Management of Assets and Derivatives in Energy and Shipping

Derivatives are financial contingent claims designed for the pricing, transfer, and management of risk embedded in underlying securities in the fixed income, equity, and foreign exchange markets. Their rapid growth spurred their introduction to the energy commodity and shipping markets where the underlying assets are real commodities, crude oil, refined products, natural gas, electricity, and shipping tonnage. Risk-neutral pricing and stochastic models developed for financial derivatives have been extended to energy derivatives for the modeling of correlated commodity and shipping forward curves and for the pricing of their contingent claims. This has enabled the valuation and risk management of a wide range of assets and derivatives in the energy and shipping markets. They include storage for natural gas, floating storage of crude oil, products and liquefied natural gas in tankers, refineries, power plants and utility scale wind farms, shipping structured securities, cargo vessels, and shipping derivatives portfolios. Keywords: shipping; derivatives; futures; options; forward curves; forward freight agreements; principal components analysis; canonical correlation analysis; hedging; risk management; stochastic optimal control; risk-neutral valuation; energy commodities; crude oil floating storage; The Wall Street Journal; structured securities; natural gas storage
Still an American? Mortality Salience and Treatment of Suspected Terrorists

In today's post-9/11 world, it is important to consider the psychological factors related to beliefs about the proper treatment of those suspected of terrorist involvement. We report 2 experiments on the impact of mortality salience on people's willingness to deny procedural protections to terror suspects. Reminders of mortality led participants to extend more procedural protections to an American terrorism suspect, but fewer toward a Saudi Arabian. In Study 2, we replicated and extended the results of Study 1 by showing that support of extreme interrogation measures was specific to members of enemy out-groups (e.g., Saudis), as opposed to non-enemy out-groups (e.g., Bulgarians). The results are discussed in terms of terror-management theory.
The Effects of Aspartame on Human Mood, Performance, and Plasma Amino Acid Levels

Consumption of the artificial sweetener aspartame raises plasma phenylalanine levels, thereby increasing brain phenylalanine and, conceivably, affecting the syntheses of monoaminergic brain neurotransmitters known to underlie various types of behavior. We have thus assessed the effects of single aspartame doses on certain types of behavior, particularly those relating to mood and performance. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, a single dose of aspartame (60 mg/kg), or the same dose in combination with 37 g of carbohydrate, was administered to 20 male volunteers. [Carbohydrates enhance the entry of circulating phenylalanine into the brain by lowering plasma levels of competing large neutral amino acids (LNAA)]. A lower dose of aspartame (20 mg/kg) was also tested. Aspartame alone, or in combination with carbohydrate, did not alter any aspect of behavior that we assessed, nor did it produce detectable side effects. The ratios of plasma phenylalanine and tyrosine concentrations to those of the other LNAA were significantly increased by administration of aspartame. Since anecdotal reports of aspartame-associated neurological or behavioral side effects almost always describe effects as occurring after multiple aspartame exposures, it would be important to repeat our study using a protocol involving repeated aspartame administration.
Acoustic Recognition Between Mother and Cubs in Raccoons (Procyon Lotor)

Two vocalizations, utilized by raccoon (Procyon lotor) mothers ("chitter") and their dependent cubs ("whistle") to establish and maintain contact among each other, are studied in captive groups containing a total of 6 mothers and their 23 cubs. The paper describes frequency of occurrence of the calls, contexts of the callers, individual variation in the call's structure and the responses of the callees both in uncontrolled situations and in playback experiments. Maternal chitters are most frequently used during the month following the first excursion of the cubs from the litter den by females approaching the cubs or leading them to the food. The frequency of whistling in cubs is high during the nestling period and decrease when they become mobile. The main context of whistling in the cub-mother relationship is answering maternal chitters. Mobile cubs follow their chittering mother silently. The chitters of 4 females differ individually, the main distinctive feature being frequency and pulse rate. The whistles of 12 cubs are individually distinctive, too; duration and frequency measures differ most between individuals. Hence, mothers and cubs have the potential for individual acoustic identification. Seven-week-old nestlings, tested in an experimental arena with successive playbacks, answered maternal chitters on average more often and faster than alien ones, warning grunts or a noise. Mobile cubs approached maternal chitters more often when tested in simultaneous playback experiments. Only 2 of 6 females, however, confronted with whistle-playbacks of their own vs alien cubs in their cages, responded more strongly to calls of their offspring. Results indicate that raccoons may be capable of recognizing family members by acoustic cues alone on a familiar vs strange basis. Advantages of using vocalizations in mother-young relationship and of the potential for acoustic identification and recognition in a solitary mammal are discussed.
Association Between Hand-off Patients and Subject Exam Performance in Medicine Clerkship Students

BACKGROUND Teaching hospitals increasingly rely on transfers of patient care to another physician (hand-offs) to comply with duty hour restrictions. Little is known about the impact of hand-offs on medical students.
Expression of rat steroid 5α-reductase (isozyme-1) in Spodoptera Frugiperda, SF21, insect cells: Expression of rat steroid 5α-reductase

Abstract The enzyme steroid 5α-reductase (5αR) catalyzes the reduction of testosterone (T) to 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In this study, the baculovirus expression system was used to overexpress rat 5αR type 1 isozyme (r5αR 1). The full length of r5αR1 cDNA was inserted into the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (Ac-MNPV) genome and expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda . Sf21, insect cells. The expressed recombinant r5α-R1 showed maximal enzymatic activity when the infected cells were harvested on day 3 of post-transfection. The K m values for NADPH and T were 17 μM and 2.7 μM, respectively. Inhibition of the recombinant r5αR1 by N,N diethyl-4-aza-4-methyl-3-oxo-5α-androstane-17β-carboxamide (4MA) was competitive with respect to the substrate (T), and a Ki of 3 nM was obtained. The enzyme was located primarily in the nuclear fraction, and the maximum velocity for the recombinant r5αR1 in this fraction was 60 nmoles DHT/min/mg. Immunoblot analysis indicated a single immunoreactive band at 26 kDa, which corresponds to the molecular weight of r5αR1. Photoaffinity labeling by [2′-32P]-2-azido-NAD P + ([2′- 32 P]2N 3 -NAD P + ) and [1,2 3 H] N-4(benzylbenzoyl)-3-oxo-4-aza-4-methyl-5α androstane-17β-carboxamide ([3H]-4MABP) also showed a labeled protein band at 26 kDa.
A further note on the bathtub vortex

Using identical equipment, an attempt was made to reproduce the unexpected flow reversals obtained by Sibulkin (1962) in his study of the vortex motion associated with draining a liquid from a vessel through an orifice in its bottom. Reversal of the initial direction of rotation was found only for counter-clockwise filling with large initial heads and settling times, unless during settling or draining of the vessel a shock was applied to the system, in which case the tendency to reversal was generally more pronounced with clockwise filling. Re-reversal of the motion was also observed in a number of cases. An alternative explanation is proposed, based on a consideration of the surface waves generated by a shock.
Microstructure in the Sedimentation of Anisotropic and Deformable Particles

We use large-scale simulations to study the microstructure and concentration fluctuations in sedimenting suspensions of anisotropic particles such as spheroids, and deformable particles such as viscous droplets in the Stokes flow regime. An efficient method based on point-particle interactions is used allowing the simulation of full-scale suspensions with both periodic and slip boundary conditions, where the latter are used to qualitatively reproduce the effects of container walls. The concentration instability occurring in such systems is adequately captured, and we show that the formation of inhomogeneities is closely linked to the large-scale fluctuations of the disturbance flow. In particular, our simulations suggest that the presence of walls is important for a wavenumber selection to be observed, as they lead to a decay of the initial large-scale recirculation that otherwise dominates the flow in periodic systems. Results for the sedimentation rates and orientation distributions are also presented, and show good agreement with published experimental results.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Persistent violaceous papules on the ears.

An 11-year-old boy presented with a 3-month history of a slow-growing asymptomatic nodule on his back. His adoptive mother reported that the lesion, which was initially thought to be an insect bite, did not respond to treatment with topical steroids or antibiotics. The patient had been adopted from the Ukraine Republic when he was 5 years old. Since the adoption, his medical history had been unremarkable and he was otherwise healthy. Physical examination showed a 3-cm reddish purple nodular lesion surrounded by a whitish halo in the right scapular region (Figure 1). There was no adenopathy or other skin lesions. A cutaneous punch biopsy specimen was obtained from the erythematous portion of the lesion (Figure 2 and Figure 3). What is your diagnosis?
Elevated Plus Maze Behavior, Auditory Startle Response, and Shock Sensitivity in Predisease and in Early Stage Autoimmune Disease MRL/lpr Mice

Abstract Behaviors indicative of anxiety have been suggested to emerge with the onset of autoimmune disease in MRL/MpJ-Faslpr (MRL/lpr) mice. This study extends the behavioral characterization of MRL/lpr and congenic MRL/MpJ+/+ (MRL/+) mice using the elevated plus maze (EPM), acoustic startle response, and foot-shock sensitivity tasks. In the elevated plus maze, predisease MRL/lpr mice exhibited less anxiety while MRL/lpr mice in the early stage of autoimmunity did not differ from age-matched control MRL/+ mice. MRL/lpr mice exhibited lower startle responses compared to MRL/+ mice. Similarly, predisease MRL/lpr mice were less reactive to various foot-shock levels than MRL/+ mice. Both the MRL/lpr and the MRL/+ strains exhibited startle habituation deficits, implicating the background MRL strain in the impairment in this process. These data do not support the hypothesis that increased anxiety is apparent with the emergence of autoimmune disease in MRL/lpr mice; however, anxiety may appear as the disease advances.
Adult growth hormone deficiency in patients with fibromyalgia.

Adult growth hormone (GH) deficiency is a welldescribed clinical syndrome with many features reminiscent of fibromyalgia. There is evidence that GH deficiency as defined in terms of a low insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) level occurs in approximately 30% of patients with fibromyalgia and is probably the cause of some morbidity. It seems most likely that impaired GH secretion in fibromyalgia is related to a physiologic dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) with a resulting increase in hypothalamic somatostatin tone. It is postulated that impaired GH secretion is secondary to chronic physical and psychological stressors. It appears that impaired GH secretion is more common than clinically significant GH deficiency with low IGF-1 levels. The severe GH deficiency that occurs in a subset of patients with fibromyalgia is of clinical relevance because it is a treatable disorder with demonstrated benefits to patients.
Examination of Electron Transfer Through DNA Using Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence

Three aminoalkanethiols that have large electron-transfer rate constants, SH−(CH2)n−NH2 (n = 6, 8, and 11), were individually self-assembled on Au electrodes, followed by covalent attachment of tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+) moieties onto the end of the thiols. Two separate electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) waves were observed upon anodic potential scanning from 0 to 1.40 V vs Ag/AgCl (3 M KCl) over the electrode placed in 0.10 M tri-n-propylamine (TPrA)/0.10 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) solution. The first ECL wave, located at ∼0.88 V vs Ag/AgCl, was associated with the direct oxidation of TPrA at the electrode, and the second ECL wave, located at ∼1.12, 1.22, and 1.35 V vs Ag/AgCl for n = 6, 8, and 11, respectively, was directly related to the oxidation of the tethered Ru(bpy)32+ species. The electron transfer behavior through DNA was examined at Au electrodes, which were covalently immobilized with 15-mer and 20-mer single-stranded (ss) DNA, respectively, and then hybridized with ...
Short‐Term changes in hepatic HMG‐CoA reductase in rats fed diets containing cholesterol or oat bran

In vivo regulation of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) (mevalonate: NADP+ oxidoreductase [acylating CoA]; EC 1.1.1.34] by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation has not been demonstrated. Rats were meal-fed semipurified diets; effects of inclusion of cholesterol (2%) or oat bran (15%) in a single meal on expressed (phosphorylated) and total (dephosphorylated) activities of HMGR were measured from 15 min to 4 hr after presentation of the meal. Expressed activity was not significantly altered in response to the control diet during the time periods examined, while total HMGR activity declined by 15 min and increased through 4 hr to an activity about 1.5 times control levels. Addition of cholesterol resulted in little change in expressed activity but a greater and more sustained reduction in total activity. Oat bran caused reductions in both total and expressed activities, which were maintained through 4 hr. Total HMGR activity was best correlated with apparent demand for cholesterol synthesis.
Panel Stacking, Panel Sequencing, and Stack Locating in Residential Construction: Lean Approach

AbstractA current trend in residential construction is the use of prefabricated wall panels. Panels are manufactured at a factory, then arranged into stacks for transporting to the construction site, where they are assembled. Current approaches to planning panelized construction are focused on stacking and transport efficiency, with little consideration given to assembly. This results in excessive panel material handling during construction, increased construction lead time, and increased risk of worker overload and/or injury. This paper proposes a lean approach to panel stacking, panel sequencing, and stack locating, where panels within each stack form a continuous structure and are erected via continuous flow. The objectives are to minimize the quantity of stacks, panel material handling distance, and the work required to position and brace panels—panel interference is ignored. Few researchers have addressed this problem: a single algorithm has been reported, and this only works for certain building sha...
Development and validation of a toddler silhouette scale

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a toddler silhouette scale. A seven-point scale was developed by an artist based on photographs of 15 toddlers (6 males, 9 females) varying in race/ethnicity and body size, and a list of phenotypic descriptions of toddlers of varying body sizes. Content validity, age-appropriateness, and gender and race/ethnicity neutrality were assessed among 180 pediatric health professionals and 129 parents of toddlers. Inter- and intrarater reliability and concurrent validity were assessed by having 138 pediatric health professionals match the silhouettes with photographs of toddlers. Assessments of content validity revealed that most health professionals (74.6%) and parents of toddlers (63.6%) ordered all seven silhouettes correctly, and interobserver agreement for weight status classification was high (kappa = 0.710, r = 0.827, P < 0.001). Most respondents reported that the scale represented toddlers aged 12-36 months (89%) and was gender (68.5%) and race/ethnicity (77.3%) neutral. The inter-rater reliability, based on matching silhouettes with photographs, was 0.787 (Cronbach's alpha) and the intrarater reliability was 0.855 (P < 0.001). The concurrent validity, based on the correlation between silhouette choice and the weight-for-length percentile of each toddler's photograph, was 0.633 (P < 0.001). In conclusion, a valid and reliable toddler silhouette scale that may be used for male or female toddlers, aged 12-36 months, of varying race/ethnicity was developed and evaluated. This scale may be used clinically or in research settings to assess parents' perception of and satisfaction with their toddler's body size. Interventions can be targeted toward parents who have inaccurate perceptions of or are dissatisfied with their toddler's body size.
Variation in microneedle geometry to increase shear strength

Abstract This research aims to validate the effect of geometrical variations on the fracture strength of hollow silicon microneedles. Needle failure due to axial and shear loads may be due to heterogeneous peak stresses within the bulk material. Analytical determination of physical usage limits of microneedles can be misleading, as beam fracture models do not translate well to the micro-scale. Needle failure due to breakage can generally attributed to shear forces. In the study, 35 and 36 gauge hollow microneedles with a conventional circular lumen and those with enhanced ‘letter I’ shaped lumen geometry were fabricated. Due to their geometry, the ‘I’ shaped needles have a higher second moment of inertia, which leads to higher strength. The fracture limits of these needles due to shear forces were quantified. Average shear fracture limits of 36 gauge needles was 36.51 gf for circular geometry, while for the ‘I’ shaped needles it was 96.64 gf along the lateral direction. For 35 gauge needles the average fracture limits were 79.9 gf for circular needles, and 148.65 gf along the lateral direction for the enhanced geometry needles. Along the weaker axis, the enhanced geometry resulted in marginally lower strength than the circular counterparts for the 35 gauge needles, while it appreciably increased for the 36 gauge needles. The effect of geometry on shear strength was significantly higher for smaller microneedles.
Rapid, Steady-State Measurement of the Effective Diffusion Coefficient of Gases in Closed-Cell Foams

Mesures de la permeabilite a O 2 , CO 2 et N 2 , methode rapide appliquee au polyurethanne