cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Work family conflict and wellbeing: Moderating Role of Spirituality

Although literature on work-family conflict and wellbeing is quite extensive, previous research has not examined the role of spirituality as a mechanism for coping with work-family conflict. In thi...
Decision analysis for habitat conservation of an endangered, range‐limited salamander

Many species of conservation concern are habitat limited and often a major focus of management for these species is habitat acquisition and/or restoration. Deciding the location of habitat restoration or acquisition to best benefit a protected species can be a complicated subject with competing management objectives, ecological uncertainties and stochasticity. Structured decision making (SDM) could be a useful approach for explicitly incorporating those complexities while still working toward species conservation and/or recovery. We applied an SDM approach to Red Hills salamander Phaeognathus hubrichti habitat conservation decision making. Phaeognathus hubrichti is a severely range-limited endemic species in south central Alabama and has highly specific habitat requirements. Many known populations live on private lands and the primary mode of habitat protection is habitat conservation planning, but such plans are non-binding and not permanent. Working with stakeholders, we developed an objectives hierarchy linking land acquisition or protection actions to fundamental objectives. We built a model to assess and compare the quality of the habitat in the known range of P. hubrichti. Our model evaluated key habitat attributes of 5814 pixels of 1 km2 each and ranked the pixels from best to worst with respect to P. hubrichti habitat requirements. Our results are a spatially explicit valuation of each pixel, with respect to its probable benefit to P. hubrichti populations. The results of this effort will be used to rank pixels from most to least beneficial, then identify land owners in the most useful areas for salamanders who are willing to sell or enter into a permanent easement agreement.
Changing referral pattern in off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery: a strategy for improving surgical results.

BACKGROUND We have previously shown that a less invasive surgical approach (LISA) can reduce mortality and morbidity in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This appears to have led to the referral of increasingly high risk patients for this procedure as compared to patients undergoing traditional CABG. The purpose of this paper is to compare preoperative risk factors and postoperative complications in both LISA and conventional CABG cases using the New York State database. METHODS From January 1997 to September 1998, 1,993 patients underwent CABG in our institution: 1,384 with CPB (group A) and 609 without CPB (group B). In group B (LISA), a well defined strategy was followed in an effort to prevent hemodynamic instability during coronary exposure, avoid myocardial ischemia, verify graft patency, and use alternative surgical incisions in reoperations. RESULTS Analysis of preoperative risk factors using the NYS database showed a significant increase in comorbidities in group B (p < 0.005), while at the same time postoperative complications and risk-adjusted mortality were lower (p = NS). CONCLUSION Our data demonstrates that by using the LISA, high risk patients can undergo CABG with equal or lower mortality and morbidity than traditional CABG.
Developing Your Own Philosophy of Education: Principles, Not Personalities

Any reader who has made it this far—especially after the previous chapter on agape—will anticipate my skepticism of all views assuming that good pedagogy depends on personally intimate and emotionally intense interactions between students and teachers. In this skepticism, however, I am in the minority. We live in a culture in love with love and which tends to value feelings more than logic, reason, and evidence as credible guides to right conduct. Like the feel of sex and the taste of food, intense emotions are compelling to experience or observe, and many people assume that emotions possess a default legitimacy on the grounds of intensity alone. Moreover, our culture combines its prejudice in favor of rhapsodic emotions with its endless appetite for celebrity worship in a way that turns celebrity watching into a kind of pop art form for the ceaseless expression of our passion for passion. It is a disquieting thought but an obvious truth that there are millions of people in America who really care about whether or not well-known celebrity couples are having affairs, getting married, getting divorced, getting fat, getting thin, getting drunk, getting sober, getting religion, looking bad, looking good, having liposuction, having babies, getting rich, getting bored, getting it on, or just getting along.
Whole genome sequence analysis of serum amino acid levels.

Blood levels of amino acids are important biomarkers of disease and are influenced by synthesis, protein degradation, and gene–environment interactions. Whole genome sequence analysis of amino acid levels may establish a paradigm for analyzing quantitative risk factors. In a discovery cohort of 1872 African Americans and a replication cohort of 1552 European Americans we sequenced exons and whole genomes and measured serum levels of 70 amino acids. Rare and low-frequency variants (minor allele frequency ≤5%) were analyzed by three types of aggregating motifs defined by gene exons, regulatory regions, or genome-wide sliding windows. Common variants (minor allele frequency >5%) were analyzed individually. Over all four analysis strategies, 14 gene–amino acid associations were identified and replicated. The 14 loci accounted for an average of 1.8% of the variance in amino acid levels, which ranged from 0.4 to 9.7%. Among the identified locus–amino acid pairs, four are novel and six have been reported to underlie known Mendelian conditions. These results suggest that there may be substantial genetic effects on amino acid levels in the general population that may underlie inborn errors of metabolism. We also identify a predicted promoter variant in AGA (the gene that encodes aspartylglucosaminidase) that is significantly associated with asparagine levels, with an effect that is independent of any observed coding variants. These data provide insights into genetic influences on circulating amino acid levels by integrating -omic technologies in a multi-ethnic population. The results also help establish a paradigm for whole genome sequence analysis of quantitative traits.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Chronic Lung Disease of Infancy and Long-Term Pulmonary Outcomes

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease most commonly seen in premature infants who required mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy for acute respiratory distress. While advances in neonatal care have resulted in improved survival rates of premature infants, limited progress has been made in reducing rates of BPD. Lack of progress may in part be attributed to the limited therapeutic options available for prevention and treatment of BPD. Several lung-protective strategies have been shown to reduce risks, including use of non-invasive support, as well as early extubation and volume ventilation when intubation is required. These approaches, along with optimal nutrition and medical therapy, decrease risk of BPD; however, impacts on long-term outcomes are poorly defined. Characterization of late outcomes remain a challenge as rapid advances in medical management result in current adult BPD survivors representing outdated neonatal care. While pulmonary disease improves with growth, long-term follow-up studies raise concerns for persistent pulmonary dysfunction; asthma-like symptoms and exercise intolerance in young adults after BPD. Abnormal ventilatory responses and pulmonary hypertension can further complicate disease. These pulmonary morbidities, combined with environmental and infectious exposures, may result in significant long-term pulmonary sequalae and represent a growing burden on health systems. Additional longitudinal studies are needed to determine outcomes beyond the second decade, and define risk factors and optimal treatment for late sequalae of disease.
Crosstalk between Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) B-Cells and Marrow Stromal Cells: Implication for CLL B-Cell Activation and Survival.

Abstract It is believed that malignant cells “condition” the microenvironment to facilitate tumor cell survival. We hypothesized that crosstalk between CLL B-cells and marrow stromal cells impacts both cell types bi-directionally and ultimately contributes to leukemic cell apoptotic resistance. To test this hypotheses, bone marrow stromal cells from core bone biopsies from CLL patients were isolated and cultured using methods we have previously described (Leuk Res 2007 31(7):899). Subsequently, we determined the impact of co-culture on CLL B-cell features including apoptosis and CD38 expression. In addition, we evaluated the release of angiogenic cytokines on co-culture and signal events in the stromal cells. Immunophenotyping demonstrated that cultured bone biopsy derived stromal cells were CD73+, CD105+, CD146+, CD14−, CD45−, CD34−, HLA-DR-, suggesting they were mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Co-culture of these MSC with CLL B-cells protected CLL B-cells from both spontaneous apoptosis (SA) and drug-induced (fludarabine and chlorambucil) apoptosis (DA). For SA, the mean survival of CLL B-cells with or without co-culture of MSC for 5 days were 56.9 ± 10.0 and 7.7 ±3.7 (p
Long-distance dating relationships, relationship dissolution, and college adjustment.

Long-distance dating relationships (LDDRs) and the dissolution of these relationships may have implications for day-to-day affect and behaviors. The current study examined the associations of relat...
Improvements in cardiometabolic risk markers, aerobic fitness, and functional performance following a physical therapy weight loss program.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to determine the efficacy of a current physical therapy and weight loss program model on exercise performance, physical function, and cardiometabolic ri...
Semantic deflationism deflated

Deflationism is the view that certain metaphysical debates are defective, leaving it open whether the defect is best explained in semantic, conceptual, or epistemic terms. Local semantic deflationism is the thesis that familiar metaphysical debates, which appear to be about the existence and identity of material objects, are merely verbal. It’s a form of local deflationism because it restricts itself to one particular area of metaphysics. It’s a form of semantic deflationism because the defect it purports to identify in these debates is explained in terms of the broadly semantic notion of a merely verbal disputation. Three questions about this thesis are asked and answered here. Does a commitment to the principle of interpretive charity support it? No. Does it avoid the problems that plagued Carnap? No. Does it support a linguistic turn with respect to questions about the nature of material things? No. The central take-home message is that local semantic deflationism is unstable: advocates of the view must (on pain of inconsistency) admit that debates about material coincidence and identity are substantive.
ROS generation and JNK activation contribute to 4-methoxy-TEMPO-induced cytotoxicity, autophagy, and DNA damage in HepG2 cells.

4-Methoxy-TEMPO, a derivative of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO), is a stable nitroxide radical and is generally used in organic and pharmaceutical syntheses for the oxidation of alcohols. Previously, we reported the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) in TEMPO-induced apoptosis in mouse L5178Y cells. In this study, we investigated 4-methoxy-TEMPO induced toxicity in human HepG2 hepatoma cells and its underlying mechanisms. Treatments with 4-methoxy-TEMPO (0.5-5 mM for 2-6 h) caused oxidative stress as demonstrated by increased intensity of the ROS indicator H2DCF-DA, decreased levels of glutathione. 4-Methoxy-TEMPO treatment also induced DNA damage as characterized by increased levels of DNA tail intensity in the Comet assay, increased phosphorylation of related proteins including γ-H2A.X, p-Chk1, and p-Chk2, and activation of MAPK signaling pathways. In addition, 4-methoxy-TEMPO also induced autophagy as demonstrated by the conversion of LC3B-I to II, decreased level of p62, and the appearance of GFP-LC3B punctae. To investigate the crosstalk between different signaling pathways, pretreatment of HepG2 with N-acetylcysteine, an ROS scavenger, attenuated 4-methoxy-TEMPO-induced DNA damage, suppressed JNK activation, and diminished autophagy induction. Furthermore, inhibiting JNK activation by a JNK-specific inhibitor, SP600125, decreased DNA damage levels induced by 4-methoxy-TEMPO. These results suggest that multiple mechanisms including ROS generation, DNA damage, and MAPK activation contribute to 4-methoxy-TEMPO-induced toxicity.
Uncertainty propagation in a model of dead-end bacterial microfiltration using fuzzy interval analysis

Abstract Uncertainty is inherent in experimentation, modeling, and analysis. Variations and errors in parameter estimates or physical processes are unavoidable and can affect the reliability of model predictions. Therefore understanding the role of uncertainty is embedded in the process of modeling and approximating the real world. In this manuscript we consider uncertainty propagation in a theoretical model of water/wastewater treatment. In dead-end microfiltration contaminated water is fed through a membrane that filters out colloids, bacteria, and protozoa. However, these particles foul the membrane reducing the filter productivity, which is alleviated by periodically reversing the flow, i.e. backwashing. We investigate how uncertainty in sensitive parameter estimates propagates to the estimates of the optimal amount of volume of water that is filtered in a fixed time period and the associated backwashing timing and duration. We find that the model provides conservative estimates for the total volume since the uncertainty is not propagated symmetrically with respect to over and underestimating specific measurable quantities. The uncertainty in the timing is more symmetric implying that there is essentially an equal amount of uncertainty for increasing or decreasing the frequency and duration of backwashing. We identified biofilm production as propagating the most uncertainty in the volume estimate. The fouling rate has the most effect on the timing estimates. Additionally we explored the affect of asymmetric parameter distributions and find that, for most parameters, asymmetry does not lead to increased asymmetry in predicted optimal regimes, implying that uncertainty in the skewness is likely not an issue.
Multi-fidelity modeling for analysis of serial production lines

Analytical and simulation models are two common types of approaches used to estimate and predict the performance of complex production systems. Typically analytical models are fast to run but can have reduced accuracy. On the other hand simulation models can achieve high accuracy, but only at the cost of large simulation time and number of replications. Traditionally, the research has been focusing on the development of models able to achieve a satisfactory trade off between accuracy and computational effort. Nevertheless, such an approach implies the choice of a single model to approximate the system behavior. There is still lack of a generic model that can deliver high accuracy and low computational cost for production systems. In this paper, we attempt to address this issue and present a multi-fidelity modeling approach, utilizing both analytical models and simulation models at different levels of fidelity, to efficiently and effectively estimate the performance of asynchronous serial lines with exponential machines. Experimental results show that the multi-fidelity model provides better estimation of the production rate of the studied example Such a model has demonstrated potential in evaluating a large number of solutions with limited computational budget.
Society’s Eyes: The Little Green Dress

Consumers have seen the advertising posted throughout local grocery stores, plastered on magazines, and printed on flyers and brochures. “Going Green” and conserving the environment is an ever increasing trend in society today. There are rising concerns on how the way we are living today will affect the quality of life for those in the future. In attempt to help raise global awareness, June 5th has become “World Environment Day”, and is run by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Simple steps can be taken by any individual in society to help reduce the carbon footprint left on our planet.
Multi-Level Channel Valuations and Coalitional Subgames in Spatial Spectrum Reuse

To enable heterogeneous channel valuations in spatial spectrum reuse, user characteristics involving the supply and demand relationship need to be considered. In this paper, we design a channel transaction mechanism for non-symmetric networks and maximize the social welfare in consideration of multi-level channel valuations of the secondary users (SUs). Specifically, we group the SUs into allowable user crowds (AUCs) through a modified Bron-Kerbosch algorithm. We introduce a Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG) auction, in which the participants are limited to the AUCs. To facilitate the bid formation, we transform the constrained VCG auction to a step-by-step decision process. In each step, the truthful bidding of an AUC is to reveal the accumulated channel valuation of the coalition. Meanwhile, the SUs in a coalition play a coalitional game with transferable utilities. We use the Shapley value to realize fair payoff distribution among the SUs in a coalition. Furthermore, we approach the optimal channel allocation via a greedy algorithm and batch allocation. In our simulation, we compare the low-complexity algorithms and demonstrate the efficiency of the channel transaction mechanism.
Nonequilibrium Effects in Immiscible Two-Phase Flow

Two-dimensional, high-resolution, numerical solutions for the classical formulation and two widely accepted nonequilibrium models of multiphase flow through porous media are generated and compared. Flow equations for simultaneous flow of two immiscible phases through porous media are written in a vorticity stream-function form. In the resulting system of equations, the vorticity stream-function equation is solved using a spectral method and the transport equation is discretized in space using a central-upwind scheme. A semi-implicit time-stepper is used to solve the coupled system of equations. The solutions reveal that inclusion of dynamic capillary pressure sharpens the front and lengthens the viscous fingers. The inclusion of nonequilibrium effects in constitutive relations introduces diffusion and smears the otherwise highly resolved viscous fingers in the saturation front.
Analysis of Simulated Crowd Flow Exit Data: Visualization, Panic Detection and Exit Time Convergence, Attribution, and Estimation

This paper describes the results of exploratory analyses of black box simulation data modeling crowds exiting different configurations of a one-story building. The simulation data was created using the SteerSuite platform. Exploratory analysis was performed on the simulation data without knowledge of simulation algorithm. The analysis effort provided a hands-on introduction to issues in crowd dynamics. Analyses focused on visualization, panic detection, exit convergence pattern discovery, identification of parameters influencing exit times, and estimation of exit times. A variety of mathematical and statistical methods were used: k-means clustering, principal component analysis, normalized cut grouping, product formula representation of dyadic measures, logistic regression, auto-encoders, and neural networks. The combined set of results provided insight into the algorithm and the behavior modeled by the algorithm and revealed the need for quantitative features modeling and distinguishing the shapes of the building configurations.
So Ordered: The Techniques of Great Judicial Stylists

This article showcases and analyzes the writing techniques of the nation’s best judicial writers and describes six strategies that every legal writer should emulate. The article argues that while examples of unapproachable legal analysis abound, the goal of legal writing has always been plain language. James Madison called for concise, straightforward language when the founders were drafting the Constitution. And among the more recent calls, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner slashed a district court judge’s opinion from 3,237 words to 602. His chief reasons for the edits were that the opinion lacked focus, forethought, and editing. From the U.S. Supreme Court to the trial courts, the best judicial stylists today write more conversationally. They use contractions, sentence fragments, and consistently break other conventional grammar rules to make their prose more lively and informal. The article highlights the plain language and authoritative style that make judicial orders and opinions a pleasure to read — and a challenge to write.
Understanding Scalability and Fine-Grain Parallelism of Synchronous Data Parallel Training

In the age of big data, deep learning has emerged as a powerful tool to extract insight and exploit its value, both in industry and scientific applications. With increasing complexity of learning models and amounts of training data, data-parallel approaches based on frequent all-reduce synchronization steps are increasingly popular. Despite the fact that high-performance computing (HPC) technologies have been designed to address such patterns efficiently, the behavior of data-parallel approaches on HPC platforms is not well understood. To address this issue, in this paper we study the behavior of Horovod, a popular data-parallel approach that relies on MPI, on Theta, a pre-Exascale machine at Argonne National Laboratory. Using two representative applications, we explore two aspects: (1) how performance and scalability is affected by important parameters such as number of nodes, number of workers, threads per node, batch size; (2) how computational phases are interleaved withall-reduce communication phases at fine granularity and what consequences this interleaving has in terms of potential bottlenecks. Our findings show that pipelining of back-propagation, gradient reduction and weight updates mitigate the effects of stragglers during all-reduce only partially. Furthermore, there can be significant delays between weights update, which can be leveraged to mask the overhead of additional background operations that are coupled with the training.
Introduction to Manifolds and Lie Groups

In this chapter we define precisely manifolds, Lie groups, and Lie algebras. One of the reasons that Lie groups are nice is that they have a differential structure, which means that the notion of tangent space makes sense at any point of the group. Furthermore, the tangent space at the identity happens to have some algebraic structure, that of a Lie algebra. Roughly speaking, the tangent space at the identity provides a “linearization” of the Lie group, and it turns out that many properties of a Lie group are reflected in its Lie algebra, and that the loss of information is not too severe. The challenge that we are facing is that unless our readers are already familiar with manifolds, the amount of basic differential geometry required to define Lie groups and Lie algebras in full generality is overwhelming.
Differential Morphological Profile Neural Network for Object Detection in Overhead Imagery

Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) have been the dominant methodology in the field of computer vision over the last decade, using various architectural organizations of successive convolutional layers to extract and assemble low level image features into visual component detectors. One of the tradeoffs that have been made as the community has migrated to deep neural models is the loss of explainability and understanding of which salient visual components are being recognized by a model for a particular task. However, there exists a significant heritage in the remote sensing community that has developed advanced algorithms to analyze the signal and structural characteristics of anthropogenic features. One such approach is the use of morphological image processing techniques to extract objects from imagery and aid in the structural analysis of shapes. In particular, the differential morphological profile (DMP) has had great success extracting object shapes, while naturally grouping the extracted shapes into scale ranges. In this research, we present a novel architecture that integrates an explicit (definable and explainable) scaled object extraction into the network architecture, allowing shallower convolutional layers and lower complexity neural models. The architecture is evaluated on a challenging remote sensing dataset of object classes, providing insights to this approach and illuminating future directions of integrating morphology into neural architectures for enhanced explainability.
FRI0009 Infliximab in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (ra): referral patterns, response to treatment, and adverse events in a real world setting

Background Infliximab is a chimeric, monoclonal antibody against tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, recently developed to complement methotrexate therapy in RA patients with a less than optimal response to treatment. To date it has only been studied in clinical trials. Objectives To describe referral patterns, patient response to treatment, and adverse events in a cohort of RA patients treated with infliximab in a real world setting. Methods Patients who had received their first dose of infliximab between 1/00 and 6/00 were included to ensure the possibility of at least 6 months of drug exposure. We evaluated patients at baseline, and followed them prospectively every 2 months for a total of 6 months. Patients completed several questionnaires regarding RA history, treatment, and disease activity (HAQ, pain, fatigue, tender and swollen joint counts) at each infusion. All subjects were contacted between infusions for reporting of side effects. Results 36 patients were treated with infliximab between January 1 – June 30, 2000 (female n = 33, mean age = 63 ± 12.9 y, disease duration = 15.3 ± 10.2 y). They had previously failed an average of 3 DMARDs. 24 patients were on oral steroids at baseline. 16 patients received infliximab without concurrent MTX. 12 of 36 patients discontinued treatment before 6 months. Discontinuation reasons were inadequate response (n = 5), repeated episodes of dyspnea (n = 3), asthma (n = 1), chest tightness (n = 1), phlebitis (n = 1), and patient noncompliance (n = 1). Table 1 shows individual measures of disease activity in 24 patients who completed 6 months of infliximab. We detected a significant improvement in HAQ scores, and trends toward improvement in pain scores and tender joint counts. HAQ scores improved in 19/24, stiffness in 14/24, pain in 13/24, fatigue in 13/24, tender joint counts in 13/24 and swollen joints in 15/24 of patients. Since initiating infliximab therapy, of the 36 patients receiving 198 infusions, 18 patients reported a total of 33 adverse events (headaches n = 8, nausea n = 2, abdominal pain n = 2, chest pain n = 1, chills n = 2, dyspnea n = 3, myalgias n = 3, pruritis n = 4, fatigue n = 3, and rash n = 5). Conclusion Infliximab is often used in more difficult RA patients (older, long-standing RA, multiple DMARD failures). This referral pattern may explain the increased incidence of adverse events and suboptimal clinical response noted in our cohort. However, our results suggest a trend towards rapid, clinically important improvement in measures of disease activity. Ongoing follow-up of this growing group of patients will provide necessary information regarding the appropriate role of infliximab in the treatment of RA.
The Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist DORA-22 Improves Mild Stress-induced Sleep Disruption During the Natural Sleep Phase of Nocturnal Rats.

Abstract Dual orexinergic antagonists (DORAs) have been recently developed as a pharmacotherapy alternative to established hypnotics. Hypnotics are largely evaluated in preclinical rodent models in the dark/active period yet should be ideally evaluated in the light/inactive period, analogous to when sleep disruption occurs in humans. We describe here the hypnotic efficacy of DORA-22 in rodent models of sleep disturbance produced by cage changes in the light/inactive period. Rats were administered DORA-22 or the GABA receptor-targeting hypnotic eszopiclone early in the light period, then exposed to six hourly clean cage changes with measurements of NREM sleep onset latency. Both compounds initially promoted sleep (hours 1 and 2), with DORA-22 exhibiting a more rapid hypnotic onset; and exhibited extended efficacy, evident six hours after administration in a sleep latencies test. A common complaint concerning hypnotic use is lingering hypersomnolence, and this is a concern in pharmacotherapy of the elderly. A second study was designed to determine a minimal dose of DORA-22 which would initially promote sleep but exhibit minimal extended hypnotic effect. Animals were administered DORA-22, then exposed for six hours to a single cage previously dirtied by a conspecific, followed by return to home cage. EEG measures indicated that all DORA-22 doses largely promoted sleep in the first hour. The lowest dose (1 mg/kg) did not decrease sleep onset latency at the six-hour timepoint, suggesting no residual hypersomnolence. We described here DORA-22 hypnotic efficacy during the normal sleep period of nocturnal rats, and demonstrate that well-chosen (low) hypnotic doses of DORA-22 may be hypnotically effective yet have minimal lingering effects.
Measuring travel behavior in Houston, Texas with mobility data during the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak

COVID-19, a respiratory virus violently spread worldwide, has deeply affected people’s daily life and travel behaviors. We adopted an autoregressive distributed lag model to analyze changes in trav...
Impact of hesperidin in 100% orange juice on chronic disease biomarkers: A narrative systematic review and gap analysis.

Hesperidin in orange juice may affect chronic disease biomarkers. This narrative systematic review aimed to determine appropriate recommendations toward the dose and frequency of hesperidin consump...
An Exploration of Client Experiences in a Combination of Individual and Family Counseling

Researchers explored client meaningful experiences in a combination of individual and family counseling in this constructivist phenomenological study. The sample consisted of seven participants (th...
Would you like to donate your reward points today? Mental accounting and checkout charity

Checkout charity is the solicitation of charitable donations from consumers during the checkout process via a cashier or computer automated system. Although checkout charity has become ubiquitous in the retail industry, consumers often felt pressured to donate and wished not to be asked to donate. How can we encourage consumers to donate when they encounter online checkout charity and make feel good about it? This study tried to address this question by identifying how online shoppers’ attitudes and donation behavior could be influenced by donation payment method based on mental accounting. The result confirms that requesting a donation in reward points would enhance consumers’ attitude toward the retailer and their intention to donate to an online checkout charity. This study provides important managerial implications for companies, charities, and practitioners regarding how they can improve their online checkout charity practice to increase donations and sales and garner the benefits of enhanced corporate image by aligning themselves with charities.
Contribution of sandwiches to USDA food patterns components, What We Eat In America, NHANES 2009-2010 (393.5)

Consumption of sandwiches is commonplace in the American diet, but little is known about how they contribute to overall intake of recommended food groups. To describe the contribution of sandwich i...
Uprooted Minds: Surviving the Politics of Terror in the Americas

Uprooted Minds: Surviving the Politics of Terror in the Americas by Nancy Caro Hollander Routledge , New York, NY 2010 ; 403 pp; $36.95 The complicity of psychoanalysis with authoritarian politica...
Technique for Estimating Low Numbers of a Bacterial Strain(s) in Soil

A technique is described for obtaining most probable number estimates of the number of cells of a bacterial strain(s) when it is present in low numbers in the soil. The technique is based on the bacteriophage response that is elicited when a known number of bacteriophage for the bacterium of interest is incubated with soil dilutions in a nutrient broth. The technique was evaluated for use with gram-negative bacteria.
A tunable amplifier using reconfigurable liquid-metal double-stub tuners

A tunable amplifier using reconfigurable liquid-metal double-stub tuners is presented. The impedance tuners are implemented using liquid-metal slugs that are electrically actuated using continuous electrowetting. The amplifier can be configured to multiple frequency states from 3.37 to 6.02 GHz by adjusting the physical lengths of the liquid-metal double-stub tuners.
Growth rate regulation of translation initiation factor IF3 biosynthesis in Escherichia coli

infC, the gene encoding translation initiation factor IF3 in Escherichia coli, can be transcribed from three promoters. Two of these promoters, PI1 and PI2, are located in the upstream thrS sequence which codes for threonyl-tRNA synthetase. Previous studies had shown that PI2 was the major promoter for infC. In the present study, the extent of transcription from PI1 and/or PI2 at a variety of steady-state growth rates was analyzed by promoter fusion studies. PI2 was the more active promoter (two- to threefold stronger than PI1) at all growth rates tested. A fusion plasmid containing both PI1 and PI2 exhibited a transcription level approximately equal to the sum of those observed with the fusion plasmids containing the individual promoters. The transcriptional activities of PI1 and PI2 did not change as the growth rate was varied from 0.3 to 1.7 doublings per h. In contrast, a fusion plasmid carrying the rrnB P1 promoter displayed the expected growth rate response. The steady-state concentrations of infC mRNA in cells grown at different rates were measured and found not to vary. These results indicate that the previously reported growth rate regulation of IF3 biosynthesis neither is accomplished by transcriptional control nor is a result of differential mRNA stability. In view of these results, the steady-state levels of IF3 in cells grown at a number of different growth rates were determined by quantitative immunoblotting. IF3 levels were found to vary with growth rate in a manner essentially identical to that observed for ribosomes. A model accounting for these results and describing a mechanism for coordinate growth rate-regulated expression of ribosomes and IF3 is presented.
Kv2 channels regulate firing rate in pyramidal neurons from rat sensorimotor cortex

The largest outward potassium current in the soma of neocortical pyramidal neurons is due to channels containing Kv2.1 α subunits. These channels have been implicated in cellular responses to seizures and ischaemia, mechanisms for intrinsic plasticity and cell death, and responsiveness to anaesthetic agents. Despite their abundance, knowledge of the function of these delayed rectifier channels has been limited by the lack of specific pharmacological agents. To test for functional roles of Kv2 channels in pyramidal cells from somatosensory or motor cortex of rats (layers 2/3 or 5), we transfected cortical neurons with DNA for a Kv2.1 pore mutant (Kv2.1W365C/Y380T: Kv2.1 DN) in an organotypic culture model to manipulate channel expression. Slices were obtained from rats at postnatal days (P7-P14) and maintained in organotypic culture. We used biolistic methods to transfect neurons with gold 'bullets' coated with DNA for the Kv2.1 DN and green fluorescent protein (GFP), GFP alone, or wild type (WT) Kv2.1 plus GFP. Cells that fluoresced green, contained a bullet and responded to positive or negative pressure from the recording pipette were considered to be transfected cells. In each slice, we recorded from a transfected cell and a control non-transfected cell from the same layer and area. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings obtained after 3-7 days in culture showed that cells transfected with the Kv2.1 DN had a significant reduction in outward current (∼45% decrease in the total current density measured 200 ms after onset of a voltage step from -78 to -2 mV). Transfection with GFP alone did not affect current amplitude and overexpression of the Kv2.1 WT resulted in greatly increased currents. Current-clamp experiments were used to assess the functional consequences of manipulation of Kv2.1 expression. The results suggest roles for Kv2 channels in controlling membrane potential during the interspike interval (ISI), firing rate, spike frequency adaptation (SFA) and the steady-state gain of firing. Specifically, firing rate and gain were reduced in the Kv2.1 DN cells. The most parsimonious explanation for the effects on firing is that in the absence of Kv2 channels, the membrane remains depolarized during the ISIs, preventing recovery of Na(+) channels from inactivation. Depolarization and the number of inactivated Na(+) channels would build with successive spikes, resulting in slower firing and enhanced spike frequency adaptation in the Kv2.1 DN cells.
Structure and pose from single images of symmetric objects with applications to robot navigation

In this paper, we provide a principled and unified explanation how knowledge in global 3-D structural invariants, typically captured by a group action on a symmetric structure, can significantly facilitate the task of reconstructing a 3-D scene from one or more images. More importantly, the "absolute" pose between the camera frame and the canonical frame that symmetric objects (e.g., buildings, hallways) provide us overwhelming clues to their orientation and position. We give the necessary and sufficient conditions under which this pose can be uniquely determined, and when such conditions are not satisfied, exactly to what extent this pose can be recovered. We show how algorithms from conventional multiple-view geometry, after properly modified and extended, can be effectively applied to perform such recovery. Since the structure, pose and even camera calibration can be recovered from a single image; the techniques naturally apply to vision-based robot navigation where global position and orientation is important.
It’s All About Uncertainty

This chapter is aimed at providing the foundation for common sense issues that underlie why and what statistics is, so it is not a math chapter, relax! We will start with the concepts of “the universe” and a “sample”, discuss the conceptual issues of estimation and hypothesis testing and put into context the question of how certain are we that a research result in the sample studied reflects what is true in the universe.
Being at Home in a Global Society: A Model for Families’ Mobility and Immigration Decisions

Home as a concept has several dimensions and aspects of theoretical importance. From a family and individual perspective "being at home" can mean a variety of different statuses and experiences. In the global society the question arises as to how families and their members are able to negotiate establishing a home and having a place as well as group identity. For this analysis the term home will be used to capture the differences between family household and the interactions around relocation and immigration. (excerpt)
Shock-tube measurements of excited oxygen atoms using cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy

We report the use of cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy (CEAS) using two distributed feedback diode lasers near 777.2 and 844.6 nm for sensitive, time-resolved, in situ measurements of excited-state populations of atomic oxygen in a shock tube. Here, a 1% O2/Ar mixture was shock-heated to 5400-8000 K behind reflected shock waves. The combined use of a low-finesse cavity, fast wavelength scanning of the lasers, and an off-axis alignment enabled measurements with 10 μs time response and low cavity noise. The CEAS absorption gain factors of 104 and 142 for the P35←S520 (777.2 nm) and P0,1,23←S310 (844.6 nm) atomic oxygen transitions, respectively, significantly improved the detection sensitivity over conventional single-pass measurements. This work demonstrates the potential of using CEAS to improve shock-tube studies of nonequilibrium electronic-excitation processes at high temperatures.
Mammographic density as a mediator for breast cancer risk: analytic approaches

Mammographic breast density has been found to be associated with breast cancer risk. Many of the traditional risk factors for breast cancer are themselves associated with mammographic breast density. A natural question that arises in this setting is the extent to which the effects of breast cancer risk factors are mediated by breast density and the extent to which such effects are through other pathways. We discuss analytic approaches to address these questions of mediation and also discuss how such approaches can accommodate potential interaction between risk factors and mammographic density and can accommodate case-control study designs.
Severe Encephalopathy Following Cerebral Arteriogram in a Patient with End‐Stage Renal Disease

Disruption of blood brain barrier (BBB) with subsequent subarachnoid contrast extravasation and cerebral edema is a rare complication of intra-arterial contrast administration. We report a patient with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who developed such a complication. A 63-year-old man with a history of left orbital apex syndrome on hemodialysis (HD) was admitted with massive epistaxis. A pseudo-aneurysm of the left internal carotid artery (ICA) required a cerebral arteriogram with coil embolization; a total of 910 ml of isosmolar intra-arterial contrast was used. Shortly thereafter, the patient developed severe alteration in his mental status. A CT study without contrast of the head showed bilateral subarachnoid hyper-attenuation with diffuse cerebral edema consistent with contrast-induced encephalopathy syndrome. The patient was urgently and repetitively dialyzed to remove the contrast leading to a remarkable improvement in his mental status and resolution of both subarachnoid hyper-attenuation and brain edema. The large volume of intra-arterial contrast that may be required in neurologic interventional procedures is occasionally associated with breakdown of BBB leading to subarachnoid accumulation and cerebral edema resulting in a severe encephalopathy syndrome. Hemodialysis seems particularly well suited for the patient who has renal failure in whom this syndrome develops.
Detection and Isolation of actuator and sensor faults of a segmented telescope testbed

Fault Detection and Isolation is one of the necessary requirements to guarantee the stability and performance of a control system under fault conditions. This paper will focus on observer based detection and isolation of actuator and sensor faults for a segmented primary dish telescope testbed using a relationship between sensors. This testbed is located at the Structures Pointing And Control Engineering (SPACE) laboratory at California State University, Los Angeles.
To Be Free and Normal: Addiction, Governance, and the Therapeutics of Buprenorphine

Methadone maintenance has dominated opiate addiction treatment in the United States for decades. Since 2002, opiate addiction has also been treated in general medical settings with a substance called buprenorphine. Based on interviews and participant observation conducted in northern California, this article analyzes how discourses of freedom and normalcy in patient and provider narratives reflect and affect experiences with this treatment modality. I discuss how buprenorphine treatment, in contrast to methadone maintenance, offers patients and providers a greater sense of autonomy and flexibility in how they receive and deliver treatment. It presents them with new obligations, responsibilities, and choices around care and conduct. It simultaneously perpetuates and shapes a desire to be “free” and “normal.” I argue that the therapeutics of buprenorphine govern patients and providers through this desire for freedom and normalcy. Buprenorphine is thus a technology of governmentality that extends neoliberal discourses and values and produces self-governing subjects.
Carbon-14, tree rings, and urban air pollution

Abstract Differences in natural 14 C content of rings from trees from urban and rural locations have been compared on a year by year basis. The differences as a fraction of the urban tree's radioactivity reflect the local excess 14 C-free carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion in the urban environment. New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C., show different degrees of excess carbon dioxide. New York City averages about 6% excess carbon dioxide between 1950 and 1970. From this is infered an average carbon monoxide concentration during this period of 5 ppm.
Navier-Stokes solver using Green's functions I: Channel flow and plane Couette flow

Numerical solvers of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations have reproduced turbulence phenomena such as the law of the wall, the dependence of turbulence intensities on the Reynolds number, and experimentally observed properties of turbulence energy production. In this article, we begin a sequence of investigations whose eventual aim is to derive and implement numerical solvers that can reach higher Reynolds numbers than is currently possible. Every time step of a Navier-Stokes solver in effect solves a linear boundary value problem. The use of Green's functions leads to numerical solvers which are highly accurate in resolving the boundary layer, which is a source of delicate but exceedingly important physical effects at high Reynolds numbers. The use of Green's functions brings with it a need for careful quadrature rules and a reconsideration of time steppers. We derive and implement Green's function based solvers for the channel flow and plane Couette flow geometries. The solvers are validated by reproducing turbulence phenomena in good agreement with earlier simulations and experiment.