cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Substitution of Rifapentine for Rifampin During Intensive Phase Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Study 29 of the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium

Background Rifapentine administered 5 days per week has potent activity in mouse models of antituberculosis chemotherapy, but efficacy and safety data are limited in humans. We compared the antimicrobial activity and safety of rifapentine vs rifampin during the first 8 weeks of pulmonary tuberculosis treatment. Methods In total, 531 adults with sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were randomized to rifapentine 10 mg/kg/dose or rifampin 10 mg/kg/dose, administered 5 days per week for 8 weeks (intensive phase), with isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. Coprimary outcomes were negative sputum culture on liquid and on solid media at completion of intensive phase. Results Negative cultures on solid media occurred in 145 of 174 participants (83.3%) in the rifampin group and 171 of 198 participants (86.4%) in the rifapentine group (difference, 3.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.3, 10.5); negative cultures in liquid media occurred in 110 of 169 (65.1%) in the rifampin group and 133 of 196 (67.9%) in the rifapentine group (difference, 2.8%; 95% CI: -6.9, 12.4). Among 529 participants who received study therapy, 40 of 254 participants (15.7%) in the rifampin group and 40 of 275 participants (14.5%) in the rifapentine group prematurely discontinued treatment (P=.79). Conclusions The rifapentine regimen was safe but not significantly more active than a standard rifampin regimen, by the surrogate endpoint of culture status at completion of intensive phase. Assessment of higher exposures to rifapentine for tuberculosis treatment is warranted. Clinical trials registration NCT00694629.
Innate Resistance to Babesia Infection Is Influenced by Genetic Background and Gender

Infection of severe combined immunodeficient mice with Babesia sp. strain WA1 was studied to assess the contributions of innate and adaptive immunity in resistance to acute babesiosis. The scid mutation showed little effect in genetically susceptible C3H mice and did not decrease the inherent resistance of C57BL/6 mice to the infection, suggesting that innate immunity plays a central role in determining the course of Babesia infection in these strains. In contrast, the scid mutation dramatically impaired resistance in moderately susceptible BALB/c mice, suggesting that acquired immunity may play an important secondary role. In comparison to their female counterparts, male mice of different genetic backgrounds showed increased resistance to the infection, indicating that the gender of the host may influence protection against babesiosis.
Informal social networks: Possibilities and limitations for their usefulness in social policy

Limited support for public programs to meet social needs is an impetus for psychologists to consider new roles in facilitating informal social networks. The value of social networks is supported by empirical research, and a variety of interventions have already been tried. The theoretical underpinning of these interventions is social exchange theory, which emphasizes reciprocal exchange in interpersonal interactions. This theoretical base implies difficulty in addressing problems requiring redistribution of resources, since social exchange networks tend to perpetuate existing imbalances of wealth. Problems in using informal networks as instruments of social policy also arise from their inherent elements of social control. On the other hand, these informal systems are especially suited for dealing with problems requiring exchange of highly particularistic resources such as love or esteem. Social networks might serve a broader range of needs if conceptions of equitable exchange could be expanded.
Essential role for fibrillin-2 in zebrafish notochord and vascular morphogenesis.

Recent studies demonstrate that lysyl oxidase cuproenzymes are critical for zebrafish notochord formation, but the molecular mechanisms of copper-dependent notochord morphogenesis are incompletely understood. We, therefore, conducted a forward genetic screen for zebrafish mutants that exhibit notochord sensitivity to lysyl oxidase inhibition, yielding a mutant with defects in notochord and vascular morphogenesis, puff daddygw1 (pfdgw1). Meiotic mapping and cloning reveal that the pfdgw1 phenotype results from disruption of the gene encoding the extracellular matrix protein fibrillin-2, and the spatiotemporal expression of fibrillin-2 is consistent with the pfdgw1 phenotype. Furthermore, each aspect of the pfdgw1 phenotype is recapitulated by morpholino knockdown of fibrillin-2. Taken together, the data reveal a genetic interaction between fibrillin-2 and the lysyl oxidases in notochord formation and demonstrate the importance of fibrillin-2 in specific early developmental processes in zebrafish. Developmental Dynamics 237:2844–2861, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Media Streaming Protocol: an adaptive protocol for the delivery of audio and video over the Internet

The introduction of audio and video content on the World Wide Web has greatly increased traffic on the Internet. Congestion within the network may delay the reception of frames and cause them to miss presentation deadlines. A new protocol, the Media Streaming Protocol (MSP), has been developed to stream audio and video over the Internet, which is fair in its consumption of network bandwidth. The protocol incorporates a novel technique to identify congestion within the system. The algorithm monitors the state of the system and is able to quickly adjust to the changing capacity of the network. The protocol reduces the amount of data being transmitted and minimizes the aural and visual defects during playback. Such a protocol is critical as network bandwidth is increasingly being consumed by audio and video applications.
Stressors and Vulnerabilities in Middle and Old Age: Opportunities for Prevention

Today, older adults make up a larger segment of the population than at any other period of recorded history. With age comes the knowledge, experience, and wisdom of growing older; yet, it is also a time marked by an increased prevalence of diseases and disabilities, which undoubtedly will impact social, economic, and political policies as the country grapples with how to care for an aging population. Reducing the likelihood of disease occurrence would result in substantial benefits for individuals and the community. Although there are several positive aspects of aging, the focus of the present chapter is on age-related physical, cognitive, and psychological stressors and vulnerabilities. With this said, sometimes even the most vulnerable individuals seem to fare well in later adulthood. Successful aging is impacted by an individual’s ability to adapt to multiple behavioral factors which influence health and well-being. Unlike earlier developmental periods which have benchmarks that clearly define when successful maturation has occurred, the timing and course of adult development does not follow such clearly defined stages. Given markedly different life trajectories, the identification of modifiable factors and opportunities for prevention that may protect against age-related vulnerabilities is of great importance to an aging population.
Development of a Case-Based-Learning Curriculum to Engage Pre-clerkship Students in Principles of Health Equity, Quality, Safety, Teamwork, and Economics

Care delivery concepts such as healthcare quality, safety, equity, and teamwork are crucial in the care of patients. While the importance of these concepts becomes self-evident to many clerkship students, engaging pre-clerkship students has proven challenging. We created a three-session, case-based learning (CBL) curriculum that deliberately integrated care delivery concepts and basic science content. In this format, students demonstrated increased understanding of concept relevance and faculty assessments showed improved knowledge acquisition. CBL is both feasible and acceptable to pre-clerkship students as a method to teach care delivery topics.
How Customer Evolve: A New Framework for Customer Analysis

Most customer-focused enterprises now have the ability to maintain a historical record of their customer transactions over a period of time. In this study we propose a new framework for customer analysis that takes advantage of this historical record, identifying typical states or segments occupied by any customer at any point in time, and the pattern of movements by a customer-cohort among these states over time, thereby taking into account both the heterogeneity in needs and value across the customer base, and the fact that customer relationships evolve between the extreme stages of acquisition and termination. This new framework integrates two important concepts in customer relationship management- customer segmentation and customer lifecycle, as we discuss and illustrate with an analysis of newly-acquired customers by a retail bank.
Student Modeling in the ACT Programming Tutor: Adjusting a Procedural Learning Model With Declarative Knowledge

This paper describes a successful effort to increase the predictive validity of student modeling in the ACT Programming Tutor (APT). APT is an intelligent tutor constructed around a cognitive model of programming knowledge. As the student works, the tutor estimates the student’s growing knowledge of the component production rules in a process called knowledge tracing. Knowledge tracing employs a simple two-state learning model and Bayesian updates and has proven quite accurate in predicting student posttest performance, although with a small systematic tendency to overestimate test performance. This paper describes a simple three-state model in which the student may acquire non-ideal programming rules that do not transfer to the test environment. A series of short tests assess students’ declarative knowledge and these assessments are used to adjust knowledge tracing in the tutor. The resulting model eliminates over-prediction of posttest performance and more accurately predicts individual differences among students.
Development and Validation of Flight Dynamics Model of a UAV Airplane.

This paper presents the research being done in the Aerospace Engineering Department at Cal Poly Pomona at an undergraduate level on the flight dynamics and control of unmanned aerial vehicles. A flight dynamics model of 12' Telemaster UAV airplane was developed using Athena Vortex Lattice (AVL) software. The developed model was validated using flight data. The validated model was used in the Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation environment. The feedback control gains were systematically tuned in the closedloop flight tests of the airplane using Piccolo II autopilot.
A NUMERICAL INTEGRATION METHOD FOR QUANTITATIVE FIBER TEXTURE ANALYSIS ON THE OF HEXAGONAL SYSTEM MATERIALS

A Method for quantitative fiber texture analysis on the inverse pole figure of hexagonal system materials is developed and the corresponding algorithm program is compiled. Based on theoretical checkout and actual examination, it shows that the method is exact and reliable and the program is practicable.
Epidemiologocal investigation of several accidental poisoning caused by nassarius

Objective To investigate several cases of food poisoning incidents due to the ingestion of nassarius,and discuss the methods of prevention in order to provide the scientific basis for the formulating prevention and control measures. Methods It has reported 21 cases of food poisoning patients,among them 6 cases was seriously ill from July 8,2012 to July 10,2012. The analysis of field epidemiological investigation indicated this food poisoning was closely related to nassarius eaten by the 21 patients. The remain nassarius samples and patients urine samples were collected to detect in labotorary. Results The 21 patients reported from Wenzhou Longwan and Rui'an were confirmed was caused by nassarius which was poisoned. The clinical symptoms include difficulty in breathing,generalized weakness,paralysis of limbs,and so on. 20 cases were cured and 1 cases died by symptomatic treatment after discharge. Tetrodotoxin( TTX) were detected in four patients urine samples,its concentrations were 135 μg / L,31 μg / L,5 μg / L and 3 μg / L. Tetrodotoxin( TTX) was also detected in the residual nassarius,and its concentrations were 10. 3 mg / L. Conclusion The field epidemiological investigation,clinical manifestations and laboratory analysis results confirmed that the nassarius poisoning incidents was caused by tetrodotoxin( TTX).
Analysis of Measles Surveillance in Shantou from 2001 to 2005

Objective To analyze epidemiological and serological characteristics of measles in shantou from 2001 to 2005, and provide basis for preventive and control measures of the disease. Methods The descriptive epidemiological method was applied to analyze the data of measles surveillance. Results 661 suspected measles cases were reported altogether from 2001～2005, with 520 cases confirmed. From 2001～2005 the average morbidity in Shantou was 2.20/100000, with the seasonal peak in April and May. Preschoolers and adolescents were predominantly affected by the disease. Among the confirmed cases, 13.62% (58/426) had a history of measles immunization, 40.38% (172/426) had no immunization history and 46.01% (196/426) were uncertain. In urban area most of the cases occurred in the floating population(86.85%), while in rural areas mainly occurred in the native population(65.80%).917 sera from healthy population were detected for measles antibodies, with a seropositive rate of 96.62% and protective rate of 85.61%. The geometric mean titer (GMT ) was 1∶1437. The anti-measles IgG antibodies positive rate showed significant differences among different age group ( 2-4 years,6-8 years,13-15 years)(?字2=16.95,P0.001). Conclusion Prompt actions should be taken to reduce the measles morbidity in native children. Immunization programme should be implemented to increase the coverage for floating children.[
The genetics of epilepsy.

Among 520 sibships, in which at least one child was an epileptic and for which the family history and clinical findings were quite complete, there were 294 with one parent affected, 222 with neither parent, and 4 with both parents affected. Numerical tests on the pooled data show quite definitely that epilepsy is inherited as if due to a simple autosomal dominant gene with approximately 65% penetrance. Since about 65% of all epilepsy is genetic and since there is about 65 penetrance in genetic epilepsy, the 2 factors effectively balance one another, so that the incidence of epilepsy in the population, 1 in 200, may be taken as the frequency of individuals with a genetic constitution for epilepsy. Assuming random mating, the gene frequency for the dominant gene for epilepsy is 0.0025 and for the normal recessive allele the value is 0.9975. It follows that only about 1 in 160,000 is homozygous for the dominant gene for epilepsy and that 99.5% of the population are genetically normal. For the genetic counselor it is of interest that if one parent has a genetic constitution for epilepsy the frequency among the children is about 36%, and if one child in such a family has epilepsy the empirical probability of another child having epilepsy is about in 1 in 8, which having regard to the standard error, agrees with the degree of concordance (10.3±1.8%) in dizygotic twins, as should be expected.
Protein Modifications and Their Significance in rab5 Function

Rab5 belongs to a subset of proteins that are post-translationally modified at their carboxytermini via geranylgeranylation and carboxymethylation. We are studying hydrophobic modifications of cell-free synthesized rab5 and how these structural additions contribute to rab5 function. Prenylation of nascent peptide can be identified by in vitro translation in the presence of the appropriate radiolabelled precursor. We find that cell-free synthesized rab5 exists in at least two isoforms, with the addition of mevalonate (100 μM) shifting the peptide to a greater mobility on urea-gradient gels (Fig. 1). The isoform of greater mobility incorporates radiolabel upon addition of [3H]mevalonate to the in vitro system, clearly demonstrating that this form of the peptide is polyisoprenylated. Cell-free synthesized rab5 will also incorporate radiolabel in the presence of [3H]S-adenosyl methionine, however, we have found this reaction to be substoichiometric and non-specific. Additional factors appear to be required for the methylesterification of rab5 in vitro. In contrast, expression of rab5 in the cell-free reaction strongly enhances the stable methylation of an endogenous protein that runs with a broad mobility of 17/19kD (Fig. 2). The novel 17/19kD species is also methylated in response to the presence of proteins implicated to participate in vesicle traffic, including βγ subunits of trimeric G proteins. While the alpha subunit of Gi3 also supports modification of p17/19kD, related factors (e.g. alpha subunits of Gi1 and Gs) do not. The pattern of methylation in response to various GTP-binding proteins indicates that elements specifically involved in vesicle traffic interact with p17/19 to influence its methylesterification. What role this may play, for example, in rab5 endocytic function is still unclear. To identify domains of interaction, a series of truncated rab5 molecules have been constructed and expressed in vitro. Our analysis of the functional ability to support methylation of p17/19 indicates that while rab5 molecules lacking C-terminal cysteines, and thus non-prenylated forms, support methylesterification of p17/19, deletion of 16 upstream amino acids produces a form of rab5 that is apparently unable to influence the methylation of p17/19. Thus, rab5 C-terminal structural elements, exclusive of the isoprenylated cysteine residues, are required for interaction with p17/19. We are continuing studies to define the relative contributions of hydrophobic modifications of both rab5 and p17/19 in endocytic vesicle traffic.
Dissolution of Renal Uric Acid Calculus with Allopurinol and Alkalization of Urine: A Case Report

AbstractA case of the successful treatment of uric acid nephrolithiasis with allopurinol and alkalization of urine is reported.
The English Law of Marriage and the Family (1500–1640)

This paper provides a survey of English matrimonial law and practice between 1500 and 1640. Throughout this period, the English church retained its hold on this aspect of human life. The Reformation did not lead to eclipse of the canon law or the end of ecclesiastical jurisdiction over marriage and divorce, as happened in Scotland and in parts of Germany. That jurisdiction included a criminal side—prosecution of lay men and women who had offended against principles of Christian morality—as well as a civil side—disputes over the validity of marriage contracts and impediments to existing marriages. Based on the surviving records of the ecclesiastical courts, the chapter shows how practice was touched by both stability and change during this period. The former predominated. Most important, the Church of England rejected the Council of Trent’s decree Tametsi. Private exchanges of words of present consent continued to be specifically enforceable as valid marriages. Some tightening of the requirements necessary to prove their legal existence did occur, but no change in the substantive law took place. The church also continued to exercise its ex officio jurisdiction; in fact the courts slightly expanded its scope, punishing some offenses that had been left to the penitential forum during the Middle Ages. Whether this continuity was the result of lawyerly inertia or instead a product of increasing moral seriousness among the English people during these years remains an open question.
Chapter 26 – Interfering with the 5-Lipoxygenase Pathway as a Novel Way to Treat Asthma

Publisher Summary The cysteinyl leukotrienes are potent airway contractile agonists that are known to be produced by eosinophils and mast cells. They can be recovered from body fluids of patients with asthma during induced or spontaneous asthmatic episodes. The inhibition of their synthesis or action has a salutary effect on the clinical symptoms of asthma. Taken together, these data strongly support the importance of leukotrienes as critical effector molecules in asthma. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, with eosinophils as the predominant infiltrating effector cell and mast cells as the predominant constitutive effector cell. Each of these cells has the capacity to produce a number of distinct chemical mediators. A complete characterization of the role of the leukotrienes in asthma involves examining the biochemistry of their formation, their actions on the airways, their recovery in asthmatic conditions and the effects of inhibiting their action or formation in induced or spontaneous asthma.
Abstract 1780: Differences in pancreatic cancer incidence across five racial/ethnic populations in the Multiethnic Cohort

Background: The pancreatic cancer incidence is steadily increasing and the death-to-incidence ratio approaches one. While disparity in pancreatic cancer incidence between US blacks and whites has been observed, no study has been conducted to examine disparity in other populations. We examined racial/ethnic differences in pancreatic cancer incidence and assessed the extent to which known risk factors for pancreatic cancer account for differences in risk among African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos and whites in the Multiethnic Cohort Study. Methods: During a 16.2 year follow up period, 1,415 incident pancreatic cancer cases were identified among 183,269 at risk participants. Data on risk factors were obtained from the baseline questionnaire (1993-1996). Cox regression was used to calculate the age- and sex-adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pancreatic cancer associated with risk factors and race/ethnicity. Results: Current smoking status (RR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.71; RR ≥20 pack-years = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.42, 2.09, P trend 2 ) (RR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.47), history of diabetes (RR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.60), family history of pancreatic cancer (RR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.44, 2.54), and intake of red meat (RR highest vs. lowest quartile = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.48, P trend = 0.025) were associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer. The RRs for pancreatic cancer (vs. whites) were 1.76 (95% CI: 1.42, 2.18) for Native Hawaiians, 1.34 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.58) for African Americans, 1.28 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.48) for Japanese Americans, and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.11) for Latinos. After further adjustment for the risk factors above, the RRs were 1.56 (95% CI: 1.26, 1.95) for Native Hawaiians, 1.20 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.43) for African Americans, 1.29 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.50) for Japanese Americans, and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.73, 1.04) for Latinos. Conclusions: In the MEC, Native Hawaiians were at the highest risk of developing pancreatic cancer, followed by African Americans, Japanese Americans, whites, and Latinos. Interethnic differences in pancreatic cancer risk do not appear to be explained by differences in the distribution of known risk factors. The greater risks in Native Hawaiians and Japanese Americans compared to whites are new important findings and elucidating the causes of these high rates may improve our understanding of the disease. Citation Format: Veronica Wendy Setiawan, Christopher A. Haiman, Daniel O. Stram, Stephen J. Pandol, Lynne R. Wilkens, Loic Le Marchand, Kristine R. Monroe. Differences in pancreatic cancer incidence across five racial/ethnic populations in the Multiethnic Cohort. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1780.
Public Health Education: Changing Times

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) advised that keeping the public healthy required not only a well-educated and prepared public health workforce but also an educated citizenry, thus leading to its recommendation that “…all undergraduates should have access to education in public health” (Institute of Medicine (2003) Who will keep the public healthy? Educating public health professionals for the twenty-first century. National Academy Press, Washington, p. 144). To respond to this call, a wide breadth of knowledge, adaptable skills, principled values, and a sense of social responsibility is required to prepare the public health workforce and citizenry to effectively respond to the public health challenges of today’s society. This chapter describes several responses to this call prepared by academic institutions and public health professional associations. One approach involves preparing a population of undergraduate learners who possess “life tools” based in a liberal education viewpoint that enables them to improve the health of their society as educated citizens. Several national pathways to public health education are discussed including the Education for Health Framework; Educated Citizen and Public Health; public health majors, minors, certificates, and articulation agreements; and the role for community colleges in answering the IOM’s call to action. In addition, national public health education initiatives developed by the American Public Health Association, Association of Schools of Public Health, and the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research are described. Lastly, this chapter examines the importance of public health literacy not only for the undergraduate students but also its role in developing an educated citizenry.
Study protocol: the Fueling Learning through Exercise (FLEX) study – a randomized controlled trial of the impact of school-based physical activity programs on children’s physical activity, cognitive function, and academic achievement

Physical activity (PA) is critical to preventing childhood obesity and contributes to children’s overall physical and cognitive health, yet fewer than half of all children achieve the recommended 60 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Schools are an ideal setting to meeting PA guidelines, but competing demands and limited resources have impacted PA opportunities. The Fueling Learning through Exercise (FLEX) Study is a randomized controlled trial that will evaluate the impact of two innovative school-based PA programs on children’s MVPA, cognitive function, and academic outcomes. Twenty-four public elementary schools from low-income, ethnically diverse communities around Massachusetts were recruited and randomized to receive either 100 Mile Club® (walking/running program) or Just Move™ (classroom-based PA program) intervention, or control. Schoolchildren (grades 3–4, approximately 50 per school) were recruited to participate in evaluation. Primary outcome measures include PA via 7-day accelerometry (Actigraph GT3X+ and wGT3X-BT), cognitive assessments, and academic achievement via state standardized test scores. Additional measures include height and weight, surveys assessing psycho-social factors related to PA, and dietary intake. School-level surveys assess PA infrastructure and resources and intervention implementation. Data are collected at baseline, mid-point (5–6 months post-baseline), and post-intervention (approximately 1.5 years post-baseline). Demographic data were collected by parents/caregivers at baseline. Mixed-effect models will test the short- and long-term effects of both programs on minutes spent in MVPA, as well as secondary outcomes including cognitive and academic outcomes. The FLEX study will evaluate strategies for increasing children’s MVPA through two innovative, low-cost, school-based PA programs as well as their impact on children’s cognitive functioning and academic success. Demonstration of a relationship between school-based MVPA with neutral or improved, rather than diminished, academic outcomes in a naturalistic environment has the potential to positively influence investment in school PA programs and initiatives. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02810834 . Registered May 11, 2015. (Retrospectively registered)
Managing Rootworm Larvae With Insecticidal Treatments, 2015

Corn rootworm (NCR/WCR) management efficacy trials were conducted to evaluate transgenic insect–resistant hybrids, liquids, and granular insecticide combination treatments near Brookings, Bryant, Cavour, and Colman in South Dakota. The experimental plot was arranged in an RCBD with four ∼50-ft. long replications. Four row treatments were established using rows that were spaced 30 in. apart at planting-time. Granular insecticides were applied with Noble metering units or the SmartBox delivery system. Planting-time liquid insecticides were applied using CO2-powered …
Functional Aspects of Protein-Protein Interactions of Cytochrome P450 Cytochrome b5 and Cytochrome P450 Reductase

While cytochrome P450 has only been known for a relatively short time (1), and its role in xenobiotic metabolism has been known for an even shorter period (2), cytochrome b5 has been known for a much longer time (see review, 3). Both of these hemoproteins are present in the endoplasmic reticulum of a number of tissue, particularly the liver. Only in the last two decades has cytochrome b5 been found to play a role in liver microsomal monooxygenations (4–6). The original report of cytochrome b5 involvement in P450 monooxygenations (7) was an attempt to explain NADH synergism of NADPH-supported drug oxidations (8). Subsequent studies including those discussed in this lecture, have resulted in implication of cytochrome b5 in P450 monooxygenations, but do not explain the earlier reported NADH-synergism.
Optimal location and size of distributed energy resources using sensitivity analysis-based approaches

This paper introduces an analytical approach based on sensitivity analyses of various objective functions with respect to load constraints to determine optimum locations and sizes of distributed energy resources (DERs). This method is based on sequentially calculating Lagrange multipliers of the dual solution of an optimization problem for various load buses. Determining the best candidate locations based on the sensitivity analyses with the assumption that an active constraint would remain active for all source sizes could produce inaccurate results. The reason is that buses that are ranked as the best candidates based on Lagrange multipliers may not be valid for large DERs since Lagrange multipliers change with the change in the system loading. In this work, locations and sizes are jointly determined in a sequential manner based on the validity of the active constraints. The proposed method can be applied with any objective function; however, in this paper, minimum generation cost is used as an objective function in the optimization problem. The method is demonstrated on several test systems including the IEEE RTS, IEEE 14, 30, 57, 118 and 300 bus test systems and the results showed the effectiveness of the proposed method against the traditional sensitivity analysis methods. Also, the results of the proposed method are validated using genetic algorithm.
Comparing the Effects and Regulations of Cofilin on Actin Barbed Ends Generation in Lamellipodia vs. Invadopodia using Mathematical Modeling

Cofilin is an important regulator of actin polymerization and cell motility. It severs old actin filaments, generates new barbed ends, and thus enhances actin polymerization from capped F-actin. We build mathematical models and analyze the dynamics of cofilin activation and subsequent actin barbed end generation based on data from the lamellipodia and invadopodia of mammary carcinoma cells. At first glance, it appears that cofilin plays similar roles during the early dynamics/formation of these two distinct motility structures.
Equity-linked annuity pricing with cliquet-style guarantees in regime-switching and stochastic volatility models with jumps

Abstract In this paper, we develop a novel and efficient transform-based method to price equity-linked annuities (ELAs), including equity-indexed annuities (EIAs) and cliquet-style payoff structures popular in the insurance market under a general class of stochastic volatility models with jumps. We utilize frame duality and density projection combined with a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) weak approximation scheme and spectral filtering. Contracts considered include EIAs with return guarantees of a cliquet style. Models considered include exponential Levy processes, regime-switching Levy processes, and stochastic volatility models with a general jump size distribution including Heston, Scott’s, Hull–White, Schobel–Zhu, and the 3/2 models. We also consider some recently proposed stochastic volatility models in the literature such as the α -Hypergeometric model, and the 4/2 model. Our framework encompasses and extends the current literature on EIAs with highly efficient and accurate valuation methods. Numerical experiments confirm our findings.
Recent Advances in the Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability of Carotenoids and Effects of Other Dietary Lipophiles

Abstract This article aims to highlight discoveries during the past 5 years regarding aspects of the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and apo-carotenoids, their uptake by intestinal cells, and their absorption that have received less attention in other recent reviews. New discoveries on the impact of various types of lipid on carotenoid bioavailability, their liberation from plant chromoplasts, and the effects of components such as pectin in the food matrix are discussed. Comparison of thermal and non-thermal processing techniques, as well as various styles of food preparation, also are considered. Finally, present knowledge of the impact of dietary lipids, including omega-3 fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins, phytosterols, and minerals, as well as novel excipient foods on carotenoid bioaccessibility and bioavailability, are considered.
Social policy and crash fatalities: a multivariate time series analysis

This paper is concerned with changes over time in road safety. Most research, rooted in the deterrence hypothesis, focuses on the impact of reductions in the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit...
O Novo Modelo de Constitucionalismo da Comunidade Britânica

O “novo modelo de constitucionalismo da Comunidade Britânica” se refere a uma estrutura ou abordagem geral comum subjacente as cartas de direitos introduzidas no Canada (1982), Nova Zelândia (1990) e Reino Unido (1998). Como um experimento recente e continuo em design constitucional, o novo modelo da Comunidade Britânica pode ser algo inedito. Ele representa uma terceira abordagem a estruturacao e institucionalizacao de disposicoes constitucionais basicas que ocupa o ponto intermediario entre as duas tradicionais opcoes de supremacia legislativa e judicial, que se excluiam mutuamente. Ele tambem prove tecnicas novas e – pode-se argumentar – melhores para proteger direitos dentro de uma democracia por meio da realocacao de poderes entre cortes e legislaturas, o que estabelece maior equilibrio que qualquer desses dois modelos assimetricos. Dessa forma, o novo modelo da Comunidade Britânica promete ser para os modelos de constitucionalismo o que a economia mista e para formas de organizacao economica: uma terceira via distinta e atraente, entre dois extremos mais puros, porem falhos.
A comparative study of strain and Ge content in Si 1−x Ge x channel using planar FETs, FinFETs, and strained relaxed buffer layer FinFETs

Strained Si 1−x Ge x channel pFinFETs and planar pFETs are fabricated on a strain relaxed buffer virtual substrate to comparatively study the electrical impact of strain and Ge content in the Si 1−x Ge x channel. By comparing the transistor electrical properties of Si 1−x Ge x pFETs on SRB with Si 1−x Ge x pFETs on Si substrate, we successfully decouple the influence of strain and Ge content in the Si 1−x Ge x channel on device performance such as gate stack quality, reliability, and carrier transport. Based on these understandings, dual channel Si/Si 1−x Ge x FinFETs on the SRB with the optimized surface orientation is proposed to further improve the device performance.
Welcome to AI matters 4(1)

Welcome to the first issue in our fourth year of AI Matters. This issue has lots of great new ways for you to catch up on the latest in AI News, beginning with reports on conferences and events. The first is a report on the first AAAI/ACM Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Society, which SIGAI helped to start. We also have a discussion on the 2018 AAAI job fair. We also have a forward looking vision of what AI could be like in 2017, from the perspective of four prominent AI researchers who discussed this issue at IJCAI 2017.
The ECG of the Athlete and the Differential Diagnosis With the Brugada ECG Pattern

Abstract A Brugada-like ECG on an athlete's ECG can present a diagnostic challenge. A Type 1 pattern on an athlete's ECG is very rare, but if seen, further evaluation is warranted. A more common finding is an rSr′ pattern in the precordial leads that could be a true Type 2 pattern or one of a number of phenocopies, such as ECG lead misplacement or pectus excavatum. Early repolarization patterns, especially in black athletes, may also resemble a Type 1 or Type 2 Brugada ECG. A number of criteria have been proposed to help distinguish between rSr′ patterns. This chapter reviews the diagnosis and approach to a potential Brugada ECG pattern in the athlete.
Subfreezing Phenomena in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

One of the most critical aspects of proper fuel cell design is water management: too little water, and the membrane will dry out; too much water, and the catalyst layer will flood and block access of the reactant gases to the electro-catalyst surface. Developers have put considerable effort into the optimization of three-dimensional structures that can accommodate the simultaneous demands of membrane hydration and gas access to the catalyst layer under normal operating conditions, as well as of the power-plant-level designs that can ensure water is properly distributed and managed. In fuel cell power plants that operate intermittently and are exposed to atmospheric conditions, such as in automotive applications, the challenges of water management are complicated by the fact that the system will frequently have to be started from subfreezing conditions. Given the volume change associated with freezing water, one expects that any water retained in the pores of the catalyst layer or at the catalyst layer interface with the gas-diffusion layers will expand and can therefore create considerable stresses on the porous materials, possibly deforming them from their initial state. To design a cell that can accommodate these changes, a thorough understanding of the physics of water movement and freezing is necessary. Researchers have seen degradation associated with freeze/ thaw cycles and, more specifically, with drawing current from the fuel cell when the temperature of the cell itself is below freezing, a procedure that will be frequently experienced for fuel cell power plants deployed in automotive applications. Experiments demonstrate a marked increase in the mean pore size and width of the pore size distribution of the catalyst layer after thermal cycling. Modeling of the phase transition associated with thawing and freezing, however, as well as the coupled phenomena of water management and thermal management under partially frozen conditions is rather limited in the open literature. In this chapter, we examine the limits of current understanding, as well as the data that suggest freezing-point depression in polymer electrolyte fuel cell materials and the implications of lowered temperatures on fundamental kinetic processes.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE RETENTION OF POSITIVE PLATE ACTIVE MATERIAL IN THE LEAD–ACID BATTERY

ABSTRACT Microscopic examination of the plates of various manufacturers has indicated that under certain conditions a reticulate structure of a-PbOa is formed which is continuous throughout the plate and of such a physical configuration that it can act as a supporting grid for the remainder of the active material. It has been found that the presence of such a structure improved the capacity, and prevented softening and shedding in batteries floated for long periods. Some indication was found that such a structure also improves life and assists in retaining active material in the plates of cycled batteries.
Specificity and generalizability of spontaneous phonetic imitation.

The imitation paradigm [1, 2], in which subjects' speech is compared before and after they are exposed to target speech, has shown that subjects shift their production in the direction of the target, indicating the use of episodic traces in speech perception as well as the close tie between speech perception and production. By using this paradigm, the current study aims to investigate the psychological reality of three levels of linguistic unit (i.e., word, phoneme, and feature). An experiment was designed to test whether spontaneous phonetic imitation can be generalized from words across (a) new words which share the same initial phoneme, and (b) new words with a new phoneme falling in the same natural class (sharing a feature); and also whether word-level specificity can be obtained through physical measurements instead of perceptual assessments. The feature manipulated in the experiment was aspiration, or [+spread glottis], on the phonemes /p/ and /k/. The results showed that subjects produced significantly longer VOTs after they were exposed to target speech with longer VOTs, replicating [2] in a non-shadowing paradigm. Furthermore, the modeled feature (increased aspiration) was generalized to new instances of /p/ (i.e., in new words) as well as to the new segment /k/. At the same time, subjects’ post-exposure VOT was significantly longer for those items that were in the target speech than items which they had not previously heard. These results, taken together, indicate that speakers possess both sub-phonemic and wordlevel representations. Index Terms: speech perception, speech production
E-Cigarettes: Facts for the Osteopathic Family Physician

Electronic cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular in the United States, but misperceptions among consumers are common. There is a sense that they are safer than traditional cigarettes, however, there is limited research on long-term effects regarding the safety of these devices. They have not been proven to be efficacious for use in smoking cessation. The toxic effects may be increased in those using cartridges with flavoring compounds in the solution. The younger demographic is more likely to utilize e-cigarettes, especially flavored versions, than traditional cigarettes. Manufacturers are aware of this and produce flavoring additives such as bubble gum and cotton candy to sell more of these products. Parents may be unaware that their children use e-cigarettes as a delivery mechanism for cannabis. Osteopathic physicians should be aware of the health risk of e-cigarettes to their patients, and counsel appropriately.
Exploring the Influence of Slack Resources and Absorptive Capacity on Strategic Flexibility Using the Miles and Snow Taxonomy: A Review and Future Research Agenda

Small business strategy making and development have not been the top priority of discussion in the small business and entrepreneurial literature. Strategy making in a general sense has been axiomatically viewed from a perspective of planning, whereby an unplanned strategy is deemed to be causative enough of the successes or failures of a firm’s strategy and performance outcomes. Simply, there is a lack of studies explicating the effects of slack resources and absorptive capacity (ACAP) on small business-level strategy transitions. The current research approaches small business strategy from a resource-based view of the firm (J. B. Barney, 1986; Feurer & Chaharbaghi, 1994; Robins & Wiersema, 1995) using the theoretical basis of strategic flexibility, which suggests that when business owners are flexible with internal resources (i.e., assets, human capital, information, knowledge, and technology), they are better able to create dynamic strategies that allow tactical changes in its environmental positions and adaptiveness (Matthyssens, Pauwels, & Vandenbempt, 2005; Srour, Baird, & Schoch, 2016; Zhou & Wu, 2010). This study provides three propositions for future research to confirm the impact of slack resources and ACAP on firm strategy flexibility in tumultuous business landscapes.
On Committee Representations of Adversarial Learning Models for Question-Answer Ranking

Adversarial training is a process in Machine Learning that explicitly trains models on adversarial inputs (inputs designed to deceive or trick the learning process) in order to make it more robust or accurate. In this paper we investigate how representing adversarial training models as committees can be used to effectively improve the performance of Question-Answer (QA) Ranking. We start by empirically probing the effects of adversarial training over multiple QA ranking algorithms, including the state-of-the-art Multihop Attention Network model. We evaluate these algorithms on several benchmark datasets and observe that, while adversarial training is beneficial to most baseline algorithms, there are cases where it may lead to overfitting and performance degradation. We investigate the causes of such degradation, and then propose a new representation procedure for this adversarial learning problem, based on committee learning, that not only is capable of consistently improving all baseline algorithms, but also outperforms the previous state-of-the-art algorithm by as much as 6% in NDCG.
Promotional Strategy in a Service Industry: A Case Study

Promotion strategy of the better marketers in the sample emphasizes heavier advertising and more personal selling effort than the competition. Nevertheless, promotion is a major problem for all sample members, in part because of consumer perceptions of high risk in the purchase of services.
Bashon: A Hybrid Crowd-Machine Workflow for Shell Command Synthesis

Despite advances in machine learning, there has been little progress towards creating automated systems that can reliably solve general purpose tasks, such as programming or scripting. In this paper, we propose techniques for increasing the reliability of automated systems for program synthesis tasks via a hybrid workflow that augments the system with input from crowds of human workers. Unlike previous hybrid workflow systems, which have been focused on less complex tasks that crowd workers can do in their entirety (e.g., image labeling), our proposed workflow handles tasks that untrained crowd workers cannot do alone (i.e., scripting). We evaluate our approach by creating BashOn, a system that increases the performance of an automated program that generates Bash shell commands from natural language descriptions by ~30%. Our approach can not only help people make program synthesis tools more robust, reliable, and trustworthy for end-users to use, but also help lower the cost of downstream data collection for program synthesis when a preliminary model exists.