cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemistry of thienopyridines. XXVI. Synthesis of 6‐(γ‐diethylaminopropylamino)thieno[2,3‐b]pyridine

6-(γ-Diethylaminopropylamino)thieno[2,3-b]pyridine (3b) was obtained (58% yield) from copper-promoted aminodechlorination of 6-chlorothieno[2,3-b]pyridine at 168°. A mechanistic rationalization for the reaction and the mass spectral fragmentation pattern for 3b are presented.
Packing tubes on tori: An efficient method for low SNR analog error correction

In this study we introduce a new class of bandwidth-expansion source-channel codes for analog error correction that can work in any even dimensional space and show superior performance in the low SNR region. Our codes are constructed as geodesics on flat tori as previous studies have done, but we use a tube radius construct derived from the global circumradius function. We prove that geodesics on flat tori lead to constant generalized curvature curves and exploit that property to give a single-argument form for the circumradius function. We optimize encoder parameters by minimizing the global radius of curvature subject to harmonic frequency structure which leads to closed twisted tubes with maximal tube radius on the tori. We exploit the isometry of the flat torus with the hyperrectangle to derive simple closed-form decoders based on torus projections that come with 2 dB of the maximum likelihood decoder.
Corrected and calibrated I 2 absorption model at frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser wavelengths

We present a computer model for accurately predicting absorption profiles for molecular iodine cells over the tuning range of frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers. The model is compared with experimental data for a number of different cell conditions. This model is intended for use in the design and optimization of absorption filters and for data analysis in applications in which the accuracy of the measurement is related closely to the accuracy with which the filter profile is known.
27.6 A 0.7pF-to-10nF fully digital capacitance-to-digital converter using iterative delay-chain discharge

Capacitance sensors are widely used to measure various physical quantities, including position, pressure, and concentration of certain chemicals [1-6]. Integrating capacitive sensors into a small wireless sensor system is challenging due to their large power consumption relative to the total system power/energy budget, which can be as low as a few nW [4]. Typical capacitance-to-digital converters (CDCs) use charge sharing or charge transfer between capacitors to convert the sampled capacitance to voltage, which is then measured with an ADC [1-6]. This approach requires complex analog circuits, such as amplifiers and ADCs, increasing design complexity and often increasing power consumption. Moreover, the initial capacitance to voltage conversion essentially limits the input capacitance range because of output voltage saturation. This paper presents a fully digital CDC that is based on the observation that when a ring oscillator (RO) is powered from a charged capacitance, the number of RO cycles required to discharge the capacitance to a fixed voltage is naturally linear with the capacitance value. This observation enables a simple, fully digital conversion scheme that is inherently linear. As a result, the proposed CDC performs conversion across a very wide capacitance range from 0.7pF to over 10nF with < 0.06% linearity error. The CDC senses 11.3pF input capacitance with 35.1 pJ conversion energy and 141fJ/c-s FoM.
The chemistry of functional nanomaterials

Nanostructured materials are the core components of nanotechnology, providing basic building blocks for fabricating complex devices with desired functions. Thanks to their inherent quantum size and shape effects, nanomaterials have many important applications in electronics, optoelectronics, information processing, catalysis, biomedical science, environmental science, energy conversion and storage, advanced defense technologies, and many other fields. Chemistry plays a central role in the development of novel nanostructured materials. This themed issue on the chemistry of functional nanomaterials gives a broad overview of the synthesis, structural manipulation, characterization, surface modification, self-assembly, processing and integration of nanoscale materials into functional devices.
Extremely low-power intensity autocorrelation and chromatic dispersion monitoring for 10-GHz, 3-ps optical pulses by aperiodically poled lithium niobate (A-PPLN) waveguide

We demonstrate intensity autocorrelation of 10-GHz, 3-ps pulses at 43 dBm average input power with an A-PPLN waveguide. Chromatic dispersion monitoring at -45 dBm and 100-ms sampling time is also demonstrated.
Within herd estimates of heritabilities for six hoof characteristics and impact of dispersion of discrete severity scores on estimates

Abstract Heritabilities and repeatabilities of six hoof traits were estimated from 10 years of routine hoof trimming data of a research dairy herd. Heritabilities were estimated by DFREML with an animal model on original scores and Snell transformed scores. A sire threshold model was also tested, but was numerically unstable due to the small number of observations per sire. Estimated heritabilities based on 3821 records of the transformed scores were 0.05, 0.12, 0.06, 0.14, 0.02 and 0.08 for corkscrew claw, heel erosion, interdigital dermatitis, laminitis, sole ulcers and white line separation, respectively; and repeatabilities were 0.17, 0.19, 0.15, 0.19, 0.14 and 0.14, respectively. Highly consistent results were estimated from original scores. Low heritabilities with a relatively large proportion of permanent environmental variance to additive genetic variance implied that response to selection for a single score of corkscrew claw, interdigital dermatitis and sole ulcers would be small. Large proportions of environmental variances were consistent with two hypotheses: (1) corkscrew claw may be influenced by other diseases or inappropriate hoof care and (2) interdigital dermatitis or sole ulcers affect some cows repeatedly. Heritabilities of heel erosion and laminitis were more than 10% and improvement by traditional quantitative methods should be possible.
EFFECT OF USING DIFFERENT MODES TO ADMINISTER THE AUDIT-C ON IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS DRINKING AND ACQUIESCENCE TO TRIAL PARTICIPATION AMONG INJURED PATIENTS

Aims: We compared the effect of three different modes of questionnaire administration on screening for hazardous drinking and acquiescence to trial participation. Methods: A quasi-randomized controlled trial among injured patients seen in acute care clinics compared self-administered paper-and-pencil, self-administered electronic, and orally-administered interview questionnaires. Outcomes included positive AUDIT-C screens for hazardous drinking, willingness to participate in a (hypothetical) lifestyle intervention trial, and recruitment success. Differences were analyzed with nonlinear mixed models, controlling for age, sex, and facility. Structured interviews with staff explored levers and barriers to screening. Results: Of the 370 participants, 22.7% scored ≥4 and 7.8% ≥6 on the AUDIT-C. Electronic questionnaires were more likely than paper questionnaires to identify an AUDIT-C ≥ 6( OR= 1.96; 95% CI 1.10-3.48), but not ≥ 4( OR= 0.83; 95% CI 0.43-1.62). Oral questionnaires were as likely as paper questionnaires to identify an AUDIT-C ≥ 4( OR= 1.00; 95% CI 0.40-2.51) or ≥ 6( OR= 1.94; 95% CI 0.83-4.50). Electronic and oral questionnaires were more likely to elicit acquiescence to trial participation (OR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.23-2.07, and OR = 1.66; 95% CI 1.22-2.26, respectively). Oral questionnaires created problems with confidentiality, privacy, and disruption of patient flow, and reduced recruitment success (OR = 0.51; 95% CI 0.42-0.62). Conclusions: Among acutely injured patients in clinics who consented to screening, nearly one-fourth reported hazardous drinking. Compared to paper questionnaires, electronic screening produced less social desirability bias and greater acquiescence to trial participation. Oral questionnaires produced greater acquiescence, but barriers to use adversely affected recruitment. Electronic questionnaires may be preferable for screening for hazardous drinking and recruitment into intervention trials in acute care clinics.
Ewing's Sarcoma with Neuroblastoma-like Features

Four tumors with the clinical and light microscopic features of Ewing's sarcoma contained cells that possessed to varying degrees ultrastructural features suggestive of neuroblastoma. These neoplasms were considered to be Ewing's sarcoma of bone by radiologic examination and on clinical grounds, and light microscopy was consistent with the diagnosis in every case. It is suggested that the ultrastructural morphology of Ewing's sarcoma is broader than had been supposed and that the presence of dendritic processes in a small cell tumor of bone should not exclude the diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma.
La estimulación intracraneal reforzante en relación con los procesos de aprendizaje y memoria

El presente trabajo consiste en una revision de los efectos de la estimulacion electrica reforzante del cerebro sobre los procesos de aprendizaje y formacion de la memoria. Se consideran diferentes resultados en los que la estimulacion administrada por el propio experimentador o la autoestimulacion intracraneal facilitan o dificultan diversos tipos de aprendizaje. Se considera asimismo la hipotesis segun la cual el efecto de los reforzadores podria consistir en mantener las conexiones entre estimulos y respuestas durante un tiempo suficiente como para permitir la consolidacion de la informacion adquirida en los sistemas de memoria.
3D ultrasonic mapping of the microvasculature

The central goal of this work is the development and feasibility testing of systems capable of estimating velocity in small vessels at low flow velocities and mapping the vasculature in three dimensions. Specifically, we attempt to measure the velocity profile within vessels with a diameter of 100 microns or less. Estimation of flow within these vessels at the appropriate low velocities is challenging due to the small signal levels, the effect of cardiac and respiratory motion, and the unknown rate of fluctuation of the received signal from the small number of red blood cells contained within the sample volume. Three dimensional flow mapping of a region within the ciliary body of the rabbit eye has now been performed and the methods and results are described. We find that vessels as small as 40 microns can be mapped in 3D using a 38 MHz transducer. Realignment of the signal from a single line-of-sight is a critical part of this process and our method is presented in detail. Recognition of 3D continuity of a vessel tree is required to eliminate spurious noise.
Neuromorphic computing: A SoC scaling path for the next decades

A human brain weighs ∼1.5kg, and is made up of 100 billion neurons connected via an incredibly dense and complex neuron network. The network contains 4km of wire in every cubic millimeter, offering >100-million MIPS computing capability and <20W power. The neuromorphic computing model inspired by brain structure obtained the increased attentions from VLSI design and EDA communities following the recent device inventions like memristor, nanotube/wire, and CMOS/molecular circuitries. The three invited papers introduce the grand challenges of neuromorphic computing algorithm, system and architecture; discuss the-state-of-the-art neuromorphic systems, design methodologies, computing modeling, and applications, as well as and the implementation opportunities on System-on-Chip platform.
Complexity in Late-Life Depression: Impact of Confounding Factors on Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcomes:

Late-life depression is a heterogeneous syndrome. Although depression in elderly patients is highly treatable, a number of factors or confounds create complexity in its overall management. Patient factors, such as medical illness, neuropsychiatric comorbidity, and race, may interact with provider factors to make management more complex. Outcomes and services research indicate that these factors, particularly medical illness, affect whether late-life depression is appropriately detected, diagnosed, and treated. Attention to such factors must be included in an agenda for mental health services research, with emphasis on the delivery of effective treatment to elderly patients with depression and improved outcomes in clinical settings.
A global overview of ongoing misoprostol studies.

Clinical research has the potential to advance knowledge in the use of a technology and to help inform the decision-making process involving the public health benefits of such technology. In the last decade, one of the most important advances in maternal health, with special significance for developing countries, was the research on the gynecological indications of the use of misoprostol. Numerous studies have shown misoprostol' s efficacy in the management of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), pregnancy termination, labor induction, and cervical ripening. Its multiple non-parenteral routes of administration, long shelf-life, and stability without refrigeration under field conditions make it the perfect candidate for resource-poor settings, especially those with lack of skilled providers. Current evidence demonstrates that misoprostol is a powerful and relatively safe uterotonic agent [1]. Its side effects, which appear to be dose and route dependent, are mild, transient, and not lifethreatening [2]. It can be used in low resource settings, especially where no skilled attendants are available [3,4]. Although several studies are still ongoing (see Table 1) some countries have started to translate research into practice. In particular, steps have been taken to introduce misoprostol as a standard practice by (in no particular order): including it in the
Elastooptic photon signal modulation in collagenic fiber optics of tendon

In a test of a hypothesis of cell-to-cell communication via their endogenous photon emissions, the nearly pure collagen fibers in tendon were found to exhibit the fiber optic property of axially conducting light, providing a mechanism for photon exchange between nonadjacent cells. Further, it was found that light penetrates farther along the tendon fibers when tension is applied to an end-illuminated tendon, establishing that an elastooptic mechanism exists for the modulation of photon signals in transit between cells, in the hypothesized system of cell-to-cell photon communication.
Is aortic dilatation an atherosclerosis-related process? Clinical, laboratory, and transesophageal echocardiographic correlates of thoracic aortic dimensions in the population with implications for thoracic aortic aneurysm formation.

Abstract Objectives The study determined, in a population-based setting, whether dilatation of the thoracic aorta is an atherosclerosis-related process. Background The role of atherosclerosis in thoracic aortic dilatation and aneurysm formation is poorly defined. Methods The dimensions of the thoracic aorta were measured with transesophageal echocardiography in 373 subjects participating in a population-based study (median age 66 years; 52% men). The associations between clinical and laboratory atherosclerosis risk factors, aortic atherosclerotic plaques, and aortic dimensions were examined. Results Age, male gender, and body surface area (BSA) jointly accounted for 41%, 31%, 38%, and 47% of the variability in diameters of the sinuses of Valsalva, ascending aorta, aortic arch, and descending aorta, respectively. Adjusting for age, gender, and BSA: 1) smoking was associated with a greater aortic arch diameter, and diastolic blood pressure and diabetes were each associated with a greater descending aorta diameter (p Conclusions Age, gender, and BSA are major determinants of thoracic aortic dimensions. Atherosclerosis risk factors and aortic atherosclerotic plaques are weakly associated with distal aortic dilatation, suggesting that atherosclerosis plays a minor role in aortic dilatation in the population.
The Modern Spectrum of Renal Biopsy Findings in Patients with Diabetes

Summary Background and objectives Renal biopsies performed in diabetic patients are increasing in number and complexity. This study sought to determine the usefulness of renal biopsy in patients with diabetes and the predictability of diagnosing diabetic nephropathy (DN) versus nondiabetic renal disease (NDRD) from clinical and laboratory data. Design, setting, participants, & measurements To assess modern trends, a retrospective study was performed of clinical-pathologic findings in all patients with diabetes who had a biopsy in 2011. Among 2642 native kidney biopsies, 620 (23.5%) were from patients with diabetes. Results The cohort included 371 men (60.7%) aged a median (interquartile range) 62 years (52–69) with 10-year (5–15) duration of diabetes mellitus (DM). Median serum creatinine was 2.5 mg/dl (1.6–4.4), and 52% of patients had stage 4–5 CKD. On biopsy, 37% of patients had DN alone, 36% had NDRD alone, and 27% had DN plus NDRD. In NDRD alone, FSGS (22%), hypertensive nephrosclerosis (18%), acute tubular necrosis (ATN) (17%), IgA nephropathy (11%), membranous GN (8%), and pauci-immune GN (7%) comprised 80% of diagnoses, compared with ATN (43%), hypertensive nephrosclerosis (19%), FSGS (13%), and IgA nephropathy (7%) for DN plus NDRD. In multivariate analyses, longer duration of DM was associated with a greater likelihood of DN and a lower likelihood of NDRD: each added year of DM reduced the odds of NDRD by 5% (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.91 to 0.98; P =0.004). DM duration ≥12 years was the best predictor (58% sensitivity, 73% specificity) of DN alone. Conclusions Approximately one-quarter of all renal biopsies are performed in patients with DM. Judicious use of renal biopsy has uncovered NDRD alone or superimposed on DN in the majority of such biopsies. ATN is emerging as an important category of NDRD, which has not been reported previously.
SUMO binding by the epstein-barr virus protein kinase BGLF4 is crucial for BGLF4 function

An Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein microarray was used to screen for proteins binding noncovalently to the small ubiquitin-like modifier SUMO2. Among the 11 SUMO binding proteins identified was the conserved protein kinase BGLF4. The mutation of potential SUMO interaction motifs (SIMs) in BGLF4 identified N- and C-terminal SIMs. The mutation of both SIMs changed the intracellular localization of BGLF4 from nuclear to cytoplasmic, while BGLF4 mutated in the N-terminal SIM remained predominantly nuclear. The mutation of the C-terminal SIM yielded an intermediate phenotype with nuclear and cytoplasmic staining. The transfer of BGLF4 amino acids 342 to 359 to a nuclear green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged reporter protein led to the relocalization of the reporter to the cytoplasm. Thus, the C-terminal SIM lies adjacent to a nuclear export signal, and coordinated SUMO binding by the N- and C-terminal SIMs blocks export and allows the nuclear accumulation of BGLF4. The mutation of either SIM prevented SUMO binding in vitro. The ability of BGLF4 to abolish the SUMOylation of the EBV lytic cycle transactivator ZTA was dependent on both BGLF4 SUMO binding and BGLF4 kinase activity. The global profile of SUMOylated cell proteins was also suppressed by BGLF4 but not by the SIM or kinase-dead BGLF4 mutant. The effective BGLF4-mediated dispersion of promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies was dependent on SUMO binding. The SUMO binding function of BGLF4 was also required to induce the cellular DNA damage response and to enhance the production of extracellular virus during EBV lytic replication. Thus, SUMO binding by BGLF4 modulates BGLF4 function and affects the efficiency of lytic EBV replication.
Content of Physician Referrals to Physical Therapists at Clinical Education Sites in Indiana

Background and Purpose. The content of physician referrals to physical therapists was studied as an indicator of the level of decision making required of physical therapists. Subjects and Methods. Seventeen managers of clinical education sites in Indiana provided diagnosis and treatment information on a total of 2,267 patient referrals. Results. Differential diagnoses were specified in 39.6% of the referrals, and specific treatment orders were present in 32.6% of the referrals. Outpatient referrals contained significantly fewer diagnoses (29.1%) and specific orders (28.2%) than did inpatient referrals (56.0% and 39.5%, respectively). Conclusion and Discussion. These results indicate that physical therapists working in clinical education sites in Indiana must frequently exercise independent decision-making skills in determining the nature of the patient complaint and the appropriate treatment for the complaint. Academic programs that choose to expose students to a full range of decision-making situations should ensure a balance between inpatient and outpatient experiences.
Transition metal/fluorite-type oxides as active catalysts for reduction of sulfur dioxide to elemental sulfur by carbon monoxide

Reduction of SO, by CO to elemental sulfur on fluorite oxide and transition metal/fluorite oxide composite catalysts is discussed within the redox framework. The oxygen vacancies on the fluorite oxide are active catalyst sites and their creation is a key step to initiate the redox reaction. Transition metal/fluorite oxide composites demonstrate a strong synergism for the reaction. A reduction kinetics study of the copper/ceria system as a model composite catalyst has found that surface oxygen is highly active but its activity is inhibited by SO, adsorption. The TPR profile of the copper/ceria catalyst shows a significantly lower reduction peak than the individual components.
The sense of an ending: Take III

Julian Barnes’s novel, The Sense of an Ending, follows his autobiographical meditation on mortality, Nothing to be Frightened Of, in offering a dystopian view of the meaningfulness of existence (“what it all adds up to”) in the face of an ending that amounts to annihilation, for the self and ultimately for the cosmos. In this he follows Frank Kermode’s elegant study in the theory of fiction, The Sense of an Ending, in which Kermode traces the fate of the modern novel in the wake, as he sees it, of the death of the traditional, biblically-grounded sense of existence as arising, continuing and ending under the providential hand of God. The present article provides the author’s own take on these issues, as exemplified in the experience—concurrent with reading Barnes—of a death in the family. The question arises, in this context: How do we assess competing claims to authenticy, and countering claims to mauvais foi, bad faith?
Multiple-scale perturbation analysis of slowly evolving turbulence

A multiple-scale perturbation expansion is applied to extract a closed system of two equations governing the scalar descriptors of the turbulence energy spectrum from a spectral closure model. The result applies when the length scale and total energy input of a force that maintains a steady state of homogeneous isotropic turbulence are perturbed slowly and the energy spectrum consequently evolves slowly compared to the time scales of the turbulence itself.
Vitamin K-dependent Proteins, Warfarin, and Vascular Calcification

Vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs) require carboxylation to become biologically active. Although the coagulant factors are the most well-known VKDPs, there are many others with important physiologic roles. Matrix Gla Protein (MGP) and Growth Arrest Specific Gene 6 (Gas-6) are two particularly important VKDPs, and their roles in vascular biology are just beginning to be understood. Both function to protect the vasculature; MGP prevents vascular calcification and Gas-6 affects vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis and movement. Unlike the coagulant factors, which undergo hepatic carboxylation, MGP and Gas-6 are carboxylated within the vasculature. This peripheral carboxylation process is distinct from hepatic carboxylation, yet both are inhibited by warfarin administration. Warfarin prevents the activation of MGP and Gas-6, and in animals, induces vascular calcification. The relationship of warfarin to vascular calcification in humans is not fully known, yet observational data suggest an association. Given the high risk of vascular calcification in those patients with chronic kidney disease, the importance of understanding warfarin's effect on VKDPs is paramount. Furthermore, recognizing the importance of VKDPs in vascular biology will stimulate new areas of research and offer potential therapeutic interventions.
Compact high-frequency mixing module for microfluidic chips

We present a compact microfluidic mixer module based on high-frequency flow segmentation (HFFS). The module consists of four PDMS valves switched synchronously by high- frequency (-200 Hz) clock signal. The rapid sequential switching of analyte and solvent plugs produces a high degree of mixing (0.8) within a short (1 mm) flow distance in very small (3 mm2) module footprint making such module suitable for large-scale integration in microfluidic chips.
Maternal Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations during Pregnancy and Infant Birthweight for Gestational Age: a Three-Cohort Study.

Background In response to inconsistent findings, we investigated associations between maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and infant birthweight for gestational age (BW/GA), including potential effect modification by maternal race/ethnicity and infant sex. Methods Data from 2558 pregnant women were combined in a nested case–control study (preterm and term) sampled from three cohorts: the Omega study, the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition study, and the Pregnancy Outcomes and Community Health study. Maternal 25(OH)D concentrations were sampled at 4 to 29 weeks gestation (80% 14–26 weeks). BW/GA was modelled as sex and gestational age-specific birthweight z-scores. General linear regression models (adjusting for age, education, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, season at blood draw, and smoking) assessed 25(OH)D concentrations in relation to BW/GA. Results Among non-Hispanic Black women, the positive association between 25(OH)D concentrations and BW/GA was of similar magnitude in pregnancies with female or male infants [beta (β) = 0.015, standard error (SE) = 0.007, P = 0.025; β = 0.018, SE = 0.006, P = 0.003, respectively]. Among non-Hispanic White women, 25(OH)D-BW/GA association was observed only with male infants, and the effect size was lower (β = 0.008, SE = 0.003, P = 0.02). Conclusions Maternal serum concentrations of 25(OH)D in early and mid-pregnancy were positively associated with BW/GA among non-Hispanic Black male and female infants and non-Hispanic White male infants. Effect modification by race/ethnicity may be due, in part, to overall lower concentrations of 25(OH)D in non-Hispanic Blacks. Reasons for effect modification by infant sex remain unclear.
Transplanting Secured Transactions Law: Trapped in the Civil Code for Emerging Economy Countries

It is time for Vietnam to amend its secured transactions law by creating a body of secured transactions law separate from the Civil Code. This new secured transactions law should embody the international community’s unitary approach. Separating secured transactions law from the Civil Code would allow Vietnam to revise its secured transactions law to respond and adapt to market reality, without waiting for the entire Civil Code to be revised all at once.
Migration, Social Organization, and the Sexual Partners of Mexican Men

We build on recent developments in social organization theory to examine the sexual partnering of Mexican men in a new area of immigrant destination. We elaborate on two levels of contextual influence: 1) how differences in social capital between sending and receiving communities affect partner formation and 2) how neighborhood social cohesion influences immigrants' behavior. Data come from an original survey conducted in Durham, NC and migrant sending communities in Mexico. We show dramatic differences in sexual partnering between Mexico and the U.S. that are directly linked to lack of social networks and familial support. Neighborhood level social cohesion in part counteracts those effects. The role of social capital and neighborhoods, however, is highly gendered. The presence of women is a critical dimension of the social organization of immigrant communities and its effect extends beyond mere partner availability.
Guest Editorial Introduction to the Special Section on the 8th International Conference on Nano/Molecular Medicine and Engineering (IEEE-NANOMED 2014)

The papers in this special section were presented at the 8th International Conference on Nano/Molecular Medicine and Engineering (IEEE-NANOMED 2014).
A self-organizing model for decentralized virtual environments in agent-based simulation systems

For simulations to be meaningful, it is necessary to implement realistic models for both virtual agents and environment. A lot of attention has been given to the definition of accurate models for agents. Unfortunately not much has been done for the definition of virtual environments that mimic the complexity of real-world environments. The reason is twofold: 1) The construction of realistic virtual environments (also called open environments) is not a trivial task [3]. Such environments are inaccessible, non-deterministic, dynamic and continuous. 2) Realistic simulations involve the execution of a large-number of sensor-based perception agents in an open environment. Unfortunately, limited computational resources make this goal untenable on a single machine. A few MABS have proposed models for open virtual environments. Most of these models represent the environment as a single massive component that is managed by one control unit. Other models decompose the environment into regions that are also managed by a single control unit [4]. In both cases, centralized control creates a bottleneck and limits the scalability of the simulation. On the other hand, a very limited number of MABS have proposed a partitioned structure of the environment with control units managing specific spatial areas [2]. Unfortunately, these systems do not leverage several of the benefits enabled by decentralized control. In this paper we propose a model for the execution of large-scale MABS with open environments on a single host. In our approach, agents execute their behaviors and are not subjected to any resource management constraints (e.g., aggregation). The open environment has a decentralized structure that is supported by an underlying self-organizing system. During the execution of the simulation, virtual agents
BEHAVIOR ANALYTIC CONSULTATION FOR ACADEMIC REFERRAL CONCERNS

Applied behavior analysis provides a technology of human behavior that demonstrates great potential for improving socially important outcomes for individuals. School-based consultation may provide a vehicle for delivering applied behavior analysis services in schools to address academic referral concerns. In this article, we propose that school-based consultants should use the principles of applied behavior analysis as a guide for their consultation efforts. We provide the conceptual rationale for the use of applied behavior analysis as a guide for school-based consultants and specific procedural recommendations for applying a behavior analytic approach to school-based consultation.
Learning by Doing: Understanding Skill Acquisition through Skill Acquisition:

Learning-by-doing is a well-established pedagogical tool. This approach was incorporated into a semester-long course on skill acquisition. The primary goal for the course was to explore general issues in skill acquisition, transfer, and retention from both a methodological and a substantive perspective. Students read articles from the research literature on motor, perceptual, and cognitive skills; expertise, automaticity, and training. The research articles were selected to provide a foundation for theories of learning, models of skill acquisition, and controversies about optimal training methods. Each student also selected a skill to acquire during the semester and committed to practice 3–8 hours per week. This learning-by-doing aspect of the course included maintaining a journal, creating measures of their skill, participating in weekly discussions about their skill acquisition efforts, writing an integrative review paper about the domain of their skill, and demonstrating their improvement across the se...
Development of the Genii-UAS Demonstrator: a Small-Class Vehicle with Low Wing Loading and Fuel Cell Propulsion

A sub 25 kg class unmanned aerial system has been developed with the intent of flying with power derived from alternative energy systems. The aircraft has a wingspan of 5.5 m; its expected top speed is 23 m/s, maximum takeoff weight is 25 kg, and minimum takeoff distance is 87 m. This paper is focused on the aircraft design and performance calculations. An overview is also given on the aircraft’s construction technique and design of the hybrid drive train to incorporate alternative energy systems. Results of simplified design techniques for the aircraft performance are compared with numerical modeling for the wing lift coefficient and induced drag. Limited performance data of the initial flight with battery power is presented. Plans for future testing with gaseous and liquid hydrogen through a PEM fuel cell, and gasoline-electric generator are discussed.
LIFESPAN AND FECUNDITY PATTERNS IN ROTIFERS: THE COST OF REPRODUCTION

Life-history characteristics are usually viewed as adaptive. That is, changes in characteristics such as reproductive rate, duration of reproduction, and age of first reproduction usually have direct effects on an organism's fitness. However, increases in fitness gained by modifying one characteristic may lead to conflicting changes in other characteristics that decrease fitness. These conflicts are resolved and fitness maximized by tradeoffs between life-history characteristics. Reproductive pattern is the characteristic most often considered in this context (e.g., Cole, 1954. Williams, 1966; Cody, 1966; Gadgil and Bossert. 1970; Charnov and Krebs, 1973; Schaffer, 1974; Hirshfield and Tinkle, 1975; Giesel, 1976). A basic assumption in several of these studies is that of resource limitation; resources directed towards reproduction reduce those available for growth and maintenance. Thus one consequence of reproduction is presumed to be decreased survival. The existence of such a tradeoff between reproduction and future survival is a fundamental premise underlying most life-history theory. The evidence for such a tradeoff, however, is weak and indirect. Much of this evidence is summarized by Stearns (1976) and additional evidence can be found in Drosophila (Maynard-Smith, 1959), mice (Suntzeff et al., 1962), chaetognaths (MacLaren, 1966), beetles (Loschiavo, 1968), lizards (Tinkle, 1969), and plants (Harper and White, 1974). This evidence
The Effects of Authoritarian Iconography An Experimental Test

Do public images of state leaders affect individuals’ political attitudes and behaviors? If so, why do they have that effect and among whom? Authoritarian iconography could increase compliance with and support for the state via three causal mechanisms: legitimacy, self-interest, and coercion. This article uses a laboratory experiment in the United Arab Emirates to evaluate the effect of public images of state leaders on individuals’ compliance with and support for an authoritarian regime. Using a pre-registered research design, it finds no meaningful evidence that authoritarian iconography increases political compliance or support for the Emirati regime. Although these null results may be due to a number of factors, the findings have important implications for the future research agenda on how and why authoritarian leaders use political culture to maintain power.
Analysis of Flavonol Aglycones and Terpenelactones in Ginkgo biloba Extract: A Comparison of High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography and Column High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Advancements in automated high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) have made it feasible to assess its use for the quantitative analysis of marker compounds in botanical preparations. We report here the findings of method comparisons for the terpenelactones and flavonol aglycones by column high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with evaporative light scattering and UV detection, and HPTLC with a scanning densitometer. For the HPTLC assay of terpenelactones, total bilobalide, ginkgolide A, and ginkgolide B consistently achieved <70% of the total determined using HPLC, regardless of variations to postchromatographic derivatization time and temperature. Accuracy testing showed the possibility of a matrix interference. In contrast, a good relationship (95%) was determined between HPTLC and HPLC for determination of total flavonol glycosides (calculated from combined quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin) from an acid-hydrolyzed Ginkgo biloba L. (GBE) sample. The HPTLC flavonol aglycone method also performed well in terms of accuracy (overall average of 96% recovery for the 3 aglycones) and consecutive plate repeatability (overall percent relative standard deviation of 4.4). It is demonstrated that HPTLC can be a time-saving complement to HPLC for routine analysis of the flavonol glycosides in GBE.
Calcium Oxalate Crystal Interaction with Rat Renal Inner Papillary Collecting Tubule Cells

Abstract Rat renal inner papillary collecting tubule cells (RPCT) have been isolated and maintained in primary culture. The cells have been found to be of only one type and they have maintained the characteristics of RPCT cells. The RPCT cells in culture appear as a monolayer with intermittent clumps of rounded cells. When small calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals (COM) or calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals (COD) are added to the monolayer of RPCT cells, the crystals bind on or about these clumps of rounded-up cells. The use of this system as a model for the study of crystal membrane interactions in crystalluria and urolithiasis is discussed. (J. Urol., 138: 640–643, 1987)
Safety Quantification of Intersections Using Computer Vision Techniques

Vision-based safety analysis is a difficult task since traditional motion-based techniques work poorly when pedestrians and vehicles stop due to traffic signals. This work presents a tracking method in order to provide a robust tracking of pedestrians and vehicles, and quantify safety through investigating the tracks. Surrogate safety measurements are estimated including TTC and DTI values for a highly cluttered video of Las Vegas intersection and the performance of the tracking system is evaluated at detection and tracking steps separately.
Daily life negative mood and exhaled nitric oxide in asthma

Abstract Background Psychosocial stress and negative affect have been linked to asthma exacerbations, but longitudinal studies demonstrating a daily life association between negative affect and airway nitric oxide are missing. Objective The longitudinal association between negative mood fluctuations, exhaled nitric oxide, and lung function in asthma was examined. Methods Self-assessments of the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), spirometry (forced expiratory volume in the first second, FEV1), negative mood, and daily activities were obtained from 20 patients with asthma for 2 months, resulting in 1108 assessments for the analyses (approximately 55 per patient). Concurrent and prospective associations between FeNO, FEV1, and negative mood were analyzed using mixed effects regression models for longitudinal data. Results Negative mood was positively associated with changes in FeNO during the same day, and to a stronger extent when prior day negative mood was included in the prediction. FeNO and negative mood were positively associated with same-day FEV1, with the latter relation being partially mediated by changes in FeNO. Associations between FeNO and FEV1 were stronger in younger patients, with earlier onset of asthma, or with lower asthma control. Findings were not changed when controlling for physical activity, medication, cold symptoms, air pollution, and hours spent outside. Conclusion Daily life changes of negative mood in asthma are positively associated with FeNO changes and FeNO increases are associated with a mild bronchodilation. These findings indicate that psychological influences need to be considered when using FeNO as indicator of airway inflammation and guide for treatment decisions.
Avoidant Coping and Poor Sleep Efficiency in Dementia Caregivers.

OBJECTIVES Caring for a spouse with dementia is a source of chronic stress and is associated with a heightened prevalence of self-reported sleep problems. Styles and strategies for coping with stress have been associated with objective measures of sleep in non-caregiver populations. The current study evaluated relationships between caregiver coping style and sleep disturbance using in-home polysomnography. METHODS Sixty spousal caregivers (mean [standard deviation] age = 73.31 [7.05] years; 81.7% female) completed the Brief Cope, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and three nights of in-home polysomnography. Participants were categorized into two groups based on the presence or absence of clinically significant low sleep efficiency (<80%). A factor analysis of the Brief Cope yielded higher-order factors that included approach coping and avoidant coping (explained variance, 27.2% and 16.9%, respectively). Coping factors were entered into a binary logistic regression predicting sleep efficiency group while controlling for sleep apnea, medication use, and depression, as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. RESULTS In fully adjusted models, for each unit increase on the avoidant coping factor, participants were 3.4 times more likely to be classified in the low sleep efficiency group (B = 1.224, χ2(1) = 4.967, p = .026, exp(B) = 3.401, 95% confidence interval = 1.159-9.981). Approach coping was unrelated to sleep efficiency in both adjusted and unadjusted models. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the importance of coping among caregivers and indicate that avoidant coping may be a modifiable predictor of sleep disturbance in conditions of chronic stress.
Life of Henry Brougham

Henry Brougham, whose public life has been documented by five book-length biographies, numerous shorter articles and his three-volume autobiography, was a very active public figure.1 He was for many years considered to be the most popular parliamentarian in England and the most powerful speaker in the House of Commons. Later in his career he was elevated to the top legal position in the country, that of Lord Chancellor. Although Brougham’s political activities were an important and visible part of his life, he was more than a mere politician. He participated in the anti-slavery movement, helped found the Edinburgh Review, served as legal advisor to Princess Caroline and her daughter Princess Charlotte and vigorously supported law reform. Moreover, he was a tireless advocate of the education movement and, at least early in his career, a devoted student of the increasingly important subject of political economy.
Transformation and signal-separation neural networks

This chapter presents transformation and signal-separation neural networks into three parts: the first part describes the neurodynamical aspects of neural networks, the second part deals with principal component analysis (PCA) and with related neural networks, and the third part deals with independent component analysis (ICA) and neural architectures performing signal separation. Neural networks are excellent candidates for feature extraction and selection and also for signal separation. The underlying architectures mostly employ unsupervised learning algorithms and are viewed as nonlinear dynamical systems. Several neural network models such as the generalized Hebbian algorithm, adaptive principal component extraction, and the linear and nonlinear Oja's algorithms are reviewed. As an application for principal component analysis, the emerging area of medical image coding is chosen. ICA is gaining importance in artifact separation in medical imaging. The chapter reviews the most important algorithms for ICA such as the Infomax, FastICA, and topographic ICA. Imaging brain dynamics is becoming the key to the understanding of cognitive processes associated with the human brain. The chapter describes artifact separation based on ICA for two modalities of imaging brain dynamics, magnetoencephalographic recordings and the functional magnetic resonance imaging. The chapter examines two unsupervised learning laws: signal Hebbian learning law and competitive learning law or Grossberg law. It also presents neural network architectures that extract the principal components in a self-organized manner and discusses the PCA-type neural networks by examining their use for solving medical image coding.
A novel approach for generating fast multi-class SVM topologies with nested dichotomies

Support vector machines (SVM), originally introduced as powerful binary classifiers, can also be used for multi-class recognition with the help of creative meta-learning strategies such as commonly used one-vs-rest, one-vs-one and majority voting. In this paper, we explore the potential of creating informed nested dichotomies based on clustering pseudo-labels and probability estimates generated a priori through separate supervised training. Across six diverse public datasets, we found that in majority of the cases the final tree structure is unbalanced with one-off elimination of a single class in each branch. When compared to traditional multi-class SVM topologies, the proposed method shows no statistically significant change in accuracy. However, the on-demand testing time is reduced quite substantially with a range of 2-to-25-fold decrease in the computational load compared to baseline classifiers across different datasets. Finally, the proposed algorithm can be adjusted for class frequencies in imbalanced datasets to improve testing time even further for applications such as letter recognition.
Niche partitioning and the role of intraspecific niche variation in structuring a guild of generalist anurans.

Intra-population niche differences in generalist foragers have captured the interest of ecologists, because such individuality can have important ecological and evolutionary implications. Few resea...
NGO strategy toward the reintegration of child soldiers in Liberia, Africa: An online survey of services, roles, and activities:

This research investigates the roles of international and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Liberia 10 years after the 14-year civil war ended in 2003. Soldiers of the war included a l...