cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparation of 6-O-Acyl Amylose Derivatives

Two new direct approaches for selective 6-O-acylation of amylose under homogeneous conditions were investigated. In the first method, amylose was initially brominated at C-6 using N- bromosuccinimide and triphenylphosphine in N,N-dimethylformamide containing lithium bromide. The procedure was found to be highly selective and proceeded with no detectable reaction at the secondary positions. Several 6-bromo-6-deoxyamylose derivatives were prepared with different degrees of substitution by changing the molar equivalence of the reactants. In the second stage these were converted into 6-laurate esters by treatment with cesium laurate in dimethylsulfoxide, which proceeded rapidly under mild conditions. In the second method, the feasibility of 6-O-benzoylation in one step using the Mitsunobu reaction was evaluated. Amylose was treated with diethylazodicarboxylate in the presence of triphenylphosphine and benzoic acid in dimethysulfoxide under ambient conditions. While exclusively 6-O-benzoylation resulted up to degree of substitutions of ca. 0.5, at higher values a small amount of esterification at secondary hydroxyl groups also occurred. Products were characterized by 13C NMR, FTIR and elemental analyses.
Using hydrogel filled, embedded tubes to sustain grass transplants for arid land restoration

Grass restoration on remote arid rangelands may require irrigation to stimulate establishment. However, irrigation on undeveloped sites is costly. Vertical irrigation tubes that direct applied moisture to subsurface zones where evaporation is reduced, and hydrogels that prevent applied moisture from infiltrating beyond plant root zones can maximize the portion of applied water available for plant uptake. The survival and growth of Bouteloua eriopoda (Torr.) Torr. transplants irrigated with either starch- or acrylic-based hydrogels contained in one of three embedded watering tube styles were evaluated in a greenhouse trial. A field trial evaluated differences in transplant survival and cover between treatments consisting of embedded watering tubes with or without acrylic hydrogels. Greenhouse transplants from all treatments grew 146 days on less than 1 L of water. Plants irrigated with starch hydrogels consumed the most water and exhibited the most growth. Variations in tube styles had minor effects on plant growth and water loss from tubes. In the field, heavy growing season precipitation was observed, and transplant survival was high for both treatments. No significant differences in cover were detected. Greenhouse data demonstrate potential for hydrogel filled, embedded tubes to provide adequate moisture for establishment and growth of deep-rooted black grama transplants. Field data indicate deep-rooted black grama transplants establish successfully when adequate moisture is available.
The Functional Form of Performance Improvements in Perceptual Learning Learning Rates and Transfer

The functional form of performance improvements has been extensively studied in speeded cognitive and motor tasks; in such tasks, reductions in response times have been characterized by the ubiquitous power law of learning or by a simpler exponential form. Performance improvements in perceptual capacities are also important in expertise, but their functional form is unknown. This study investigated the functional form of perceptual learning. For individual observers, reductions in thresholds were best described by an exponential function, rather than a power or compound exponential and power (apex) function. Learning was specific to orientation, a result that supports the perceptual locus of the learning, and was decoupled in high and low external noise, a result that reflects separable learning mechanisms in the two conditions. The simple exponential form of learning implies a constant relative rate of learning throughout practice; there was no evidence supporting multilevel hypotheses, such as serial reverse hierarchical and parallel-learning models, that posit multiple processes of learning characterized by different rates.
Characterization of Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus DNAs

Abstract The nuclear polyhedrosis virus DNAs characterized and compared in this study consist of the singly-enveloped nucleocapsids (SNPV) of Trichoplusia ni and the bundles of nucleocapsids common to a single envelope (MNPV) from Spodoptera frugiperda and Rachiplusia ou. The SNPV and MNPV DNAs are very similar in hydrodynamic properties and molecular weights. In addition, the NPV DNAs are similar in size to those extracted from the granulosis viruses that infect T. ni and S. frugiperda. As isolated from purified virus or directly from occluded virus, the nuclear polyhedrosis virus DNAs consist of a mixture of about 20 to 30% double-stranded covalently closed molecules and approximately 60% relaxed circles, with less than 10% in linear duplex form. The molecular weights of all nuclear polyhedrosis virus DNAs as compared in this study are slightly smaller than those of T4 bacteriophage DNA and perhaps slightly smaller than those of the granulosis virus DNAs. The best estimates of these molecular weights by neutral sucrose sedimentation for the nuclear polyhedrosis viruses range from 90 to 100 × 106 relative to a size of 108 × 106 for T4 DNA. The base compositions of the nuclear polyhedrosis viruses that infect T. ni and S. frugiperda are compared with the respective insect host DNAs.
Power control and QoS trade-offs for real-time wireless traffic

We study distributed power control for supporting real-time multimedia traffic over multiple access wireless links. The responsive nature of interference observed on wireless links coupled with the absence of a central co-ordinating entity makes distributed design a challenging problem. A trade-off between transmit power control and quality-of-service (QoS) arises naturally in such a setting. While transmitting at low power is "socially" beneficial in terms of reducing interference experienced by other links, it degrades the QoS experienced by the receiver. We capture this trade-off within a dynamic programming (DP) framework. We study the structural properties of the optimal power control policy under the assumption of unresponsive interference, and leverage the intuition thus gained to design power control policies for a responsive interference environment. We argue that the optimal policy has key fundamental differences compared to the classical Foschini-Miljanic type distributed power control. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed policies via simulation. We invoke the idea of inter-packet deadlines (IPD) to characterize real-time traffic, which leads to a tremendous reduction in the complexity of the state-space of the DP
Gondwanan/peri-Gondwanan origin for the Uchee terrane, Alabama and Georgia: Carolina zone or Suwannee terrane(?) and its suture with Grenvillian basement of the Pine Mountain window

The poorly known, suspect, Uchee terrane occupies a critical tectonic position with regard to how and when peri-Gondwanan (Carolina) and Gondwanan (Suwannee) terranes were sutured to Laurentia. It lies sandwiched between Laurentian(?) continental basement exposed in the Pine Mountain window and adjacent buried Gondwanan crust of the Suwannee terrane. The Uchee terrane has been proposed as both a septum of Piedmont rocks that once was continuous across the erosionally breached Pine Mountain window or part of the Carolina zone. To help resolve this issue, we conducted U-Pb (SHRIMP-RG) (sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe–reverse geometry) zircon studies and whole-rock isotopic analyses of principal metasedimentary and metaplutonic units. U-Pb ages for zircons from the Phenix City Gneiss suggest igneous crystallization at ca. 620 Ma, inheritance ca. 1000 to ca. 1700 Ma, and a ca. 300 Ma (Alleghanian) overprint recorded by zircon rims. Zircons from the metasedimentary/metavolcaniclastic Moffits Mill Schist yield bimodal dates at ca. 620 and 640 Ma. The 620 to 640 Ma dates make these rocks age-equivalent to the oldest parts of the Carolina slate belt (Virgilina and Savannah River) and strongly suggest a Gondwanan (Pan-African and/or Trans-Brasiliano) origin for the Uchee terrane. Alternatively, the Uchee terrane may be correlative with metamorphic basement of the Suwannee terrane. The ca. 300 Ma overgrowths on zircons are compatible with previously reported 295 to 288 Ma 40 Ar/ 39 Ar hornblende dates on Uchee terrane rocks, which were interpreted to indicate deep tectonic burial of the Uchee terrane contemporaneous with the Alleghanian orogeny recorded in the foreland. Temperature-time paths for the Uchee terrane are similar to that of the Pine Mountain terrane, indicating a minimum age of ca. 295 Ma for docking. In terms of tectono-metamorphic history of the Uchee terrane, it is important to note that no evidence for intermediate “Appalachian” dates (e.g., Acadian or Taconian) has been reported. This younger history, together with the ages of metaigneous rocks and evidence for pre-Grenville basement, suggests the Uchee terrane is likely of Gondwanan origin and may be related to Carolina zone terranes that accreted during the Alleghanian orogeny.
Development and evaluation of a support program for prostate cancer survivors in Alaska.

Background . Prostate cancer survivors in Alaska and elsewhere have unmet support needs. The Men’s Prostate Cancer Survivorship Retreat, or “men’s retreat,” was developed targeting Alaska Native and non-Native men who were survivors of prostate cancer. The program brought together survivors in a supportive environment to discuss and share their experiences. Objective . Despite the proven effectiveness of support groups for improving quality of life for cancer patients, men typically do not participate in formal support groups. This descriptive study was conducted to explore the needs of Alaska Native and non-Native prostate cancer survivors and assess satisfaction and acceptability of a men’s cancer survivorship retreat in Alaska. Methods . Prostate cancer survivors (N=80) who attended men’s retreats during 2009–2013 were asked to complete a retreat application and post-retreat evaluation. Comments regarding social support, helpful and valuable aspects of the retreat including overall satisfaction were reported. Results . A men’s retreat with activities that engage men can be successful for prostate cancer survivors. Many men returned for successive retreats. After the retreat, 97% of the participants said they would continue with support activities. Conclusion . The men’s retreat provides a valued opportunity for men to interact with other survivors and access information from health professionals. The results from this study highlight a successful model for social support and resources specific to male prostate cancer survivors. Keywords: survivorship; prostate cancer; social support; program evaluation; disparities (Published: 25 November 2015) Citation: Int J Circumpolar Health 2015, 74: 28605 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v74.28605
Abstract 296: Turbulence in Saphenous Vein Bypass Grafts by Duplex Ultrasound Imaging

Objectives: Turbulent flow distal to stenoses in saphenous vein bypass grafts (SVBG) may influence vein graft remodeling including intimal hyperplasia. This study aims to develop and validate ultrasound indices for turbulence intensity that may be useful in predicting stenosis, occlusion, and remodeling in SVBG. Methods: 25 patients with leg SVBG’s underwent regularly scheduled duplex ultrasounds and simultaneous measurement of turbulence indices, using a Philips iU22 ultrasound module and 9-3 MHz linear transducer. 14 patients had significant stenosis and downstream turbulence. In each of these 14 patients, color Doppler at maximal stenosis was used to determine the color scale to avoid aliasing. Then color Doppler video loops were recorded downstream of the stenosis. Color Doppler videos were also recorded in a normal region absent of stenosis for comparison. Custom image analysis algorithms were used to determine percent area reverse flow (%ARF), reverse mean velocity (RMV), and turbulent flow volume (TFV = %ARF х RMV) as surrogates for turbulence intensity. Results: Peak %ARF was 20±21 in normal segments and 56±27 in turbulent segments (P=.0002). Peak RMV was 7.7±7.6 cm/s in normal segments and 16.7±7.7 cm/s in turbulent segments (P=.01). Peak TFV was 1.3±1.3 m/s in normal segments and 6.5±3.4 m/s in turbulent segments (P=.0001), and correlated with upstream peak systolic velocity (see figure). Conclusions: Surrogates for SVBG turbulence can be detected and quantified using duplex ultrasound. These measures correlate with percent stenosis, and may predict progressive stenosis and remodeling; turbulence imaging may also be useful in situations where a stenosis is inadequately imaged on ultrasound or its hemodynamic significance is uncertain. A larger study with appropriate follow-up to determine clinical and ultrasound outcomes in these patients’ SVBGs is underway. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Effect of oxidant challenge on contractile function of the aging rat diaphragm

Although controversial, growing evidence indicates that reactive oxygen species (ROS) alter contractions of skeletal muscle, including the diaphragm. However, the impact of ROS on contractility of the aging diaphragm is unknown. The xanthine oxidase (0.01 U/ml) system was used as an ROS generator, imposing an oxidant challenge. Contractile function [twitch tension; twitch time to peak tension; twitch one-half relaxation time; tension at 10 and 20 Hz; maximal tetanic tension (Po) at 100 Hz] of costal diaphragm fiber bundles from young (4 mo) and old (25 mo) Fischer 344 rats was examined in vitro before and after treatment with control Krebs solution [young control (YC) and old control (OC)], or with xanthine oxidase (XO; 0.01 U/ml) plus hypoxanthine (0.29 mg/ml) substrate [young XO treated (YXO) and old XO treated (OXO)]. Contractile function of fiber bundles was reassessed after oxidant challenge in an unfatigued state (Post-u) or 10 min after a fatiguing stimulation protocol (Post-f). Oxidant challenge in the unfatigued fiber bundles increased twitch tension and tension at 10 and 20 Hz in YXO, but not OXO, without increasing Po. Conversely, XO significantly depressed fatigued diaphragm twitch and low-frequency tension in both OXO and YXO, compared with controls. Po was depressed Post-f in OXO but not YXO. Oxidant challenge also increased twitch one-half relaxation time of the fatigued diaphragm in both age groups. Furthermore, fiber bundles from old rats suffered greater fatigue during the stimulation protocol. We conclude that the response to oxidant challenge and increased contractile demand is impaired in the aging diaphragm.
It’s a Dog’s Life

Because there are millions of living things, a system was developed to organize and classify all kinds of life. A man named Linnaeus (also known as Linne) published a book in 1735 called Systema Naturae that was only 14 pages long, but it made the case for naming natural phenomena.
Operating Room Management

The operating room (OR) is responsible for significant hospital and practitioner revenue in US hospitals. However, the OR is also well recognized as a high-cost, high-risk environment, whose resources are often perceived as poorly utilized. The goal of OR management is to create a safe, efficient, and structured environment at minimal cost. OR management is responsible for the coordination of the components of the surgical suite to optimize patient outcome and surgeon access and minimize patient delay while maximizing resource efficiency (personnel, equipment, and time) and maintaining an effective workplace for all personnel (surgical, nursing, and anesthesiology). Effective OR management has become vital for stability and success as hospitals struggle in a declining revenue environment.
Does Character’s Visual Style Affect Viewer’s Perception of Signing Avatars?

The paper reports a study that aimed to determine whether character’s visual style has an effect on how signing avatars are perceived by viewers. The stimuli of the study were two polygonal characters that presented two different visual styles: stylized and realistic. Each character signed four sentences. Forty-seven participants with experience in American Sign Language (ASL) viewed the animated signing clips in random order via web survey. They (1) identified the signed sentences (if recognizable), (2) rated their legibility, and (3) rated the appeal of the signing avatar. Findings show that while character’s visual style does not have an effect on subjects’ perceived legibility of the signs and sign recognition, it has an effect on their interest in the character. The stylized signing avatar was perceived as more appealing than the realistic one.
Whole-blood platelet counts with an impedance-type particle counter.

The Clay-Adams Ultra-Flo 100® whole-blood platelet counter provides results that are accurate and precise for platelet counts greater than 20 × 109 per liter with virtually zero carryover from one specimen to the next. Comparison of results with those obtained by manual reference and Technicon Autocounter® methods shows excellent correlation. The advantage of the Ultra-Flo 100 over the Technicon Autocounter lies in a smaller space requirement in the laboratory, a short start-up time, and minimal maintenance. This makes the Ultra-Flo 100 especially ideal for the stat laboratory. Operating costs of the Ultra-Flo 100 are comparable to those of other methods investigated, but rapid speed.
Comparison of Microbiologic Assay and Radioisotope Kit Methods

Serum folate levels were measured prospectively in 72 patients and six normal controls using the Lactobacillus casei microbiologic method and a commercially available sequential-binding radioassay kit method. Values between 0 and 14 ng/ml (0 and 31.78 nmol/1) (clinically significant range) obtained by the microbioassay and sequential-binding radioassay were analyzed statistically. The data suggest that comparable values are obtained by the two technics (Y = 0.9 X where Y = radioassay value). Data obtained by the sequential-binding radioassay and a competitive protein-binding radioassay kit were then compared and subjected to statistical analysis. Values obtained by the two radioassay methods were found to be comparable clinically, but significantly different statistically. The authors conclude that these commercially available radioassay kits for measuring serum folate yield reliable values that can be applied to the clinical evaluation of patients with anemia, and can be readily performed in a clinical radioisotope laboratory.
Perspectives of Special Education Teachers on General Education Curriculum Access.

This qualitative research study sought to understand the perspectives of teachers of students with significant cognitive disabilities regarding general education curriculum access. The participants in this study raised many questions about what general education curriculum access is and how it might be realized. This study illuminated the need for inclusive education reform to assist general and special educators in the logistics of ensuring general education curriculum access. Continued professional development and support for decision making relating to what to teach, how to prioritize instruction, and alignment among a student’s individualized education plan, alternate assessment, and curriculum are also discussed.
Antineurofilament and antiretinal antibodies in AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis.

Abstract Sera obtained from AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis before and after treatment with foscarnet, AIDS patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) retinopathy, AIDS patients without retinal disease, and normal healthy controls with and without positive CMV serologies were assayed for the presence of antibodies against the 200-kDa outer, 160-kDa middle, and 68-kDa core subunits of the neurofilament triplet. Additional studies were performed to determine the presence of antibodies reactive with proteins extracted from crude human retinal antigen preparations. Antibodies against the 200-, 260-, and 68-kDa proteins of the neurofilament triplet were detected in 15 of 15 AIDS patients with CMV retinitis. The expression of these antibodies was unaffected, qualitatively, by successful treatment with foscarnet. In contrast, only 30% of patients with HIV retinopathy unrelated to CMV, fewer than 35% of AIDS patients with positive CMV titers but without evident retinitis, and fewer than 25% of healthy controls with positive or negative CMV titers possessed antibodies against any of the triplet proteins (P < 0.001). Antibodies against several clusters of retinal antigens were also identified in the sera of patients with CMV retinitis. In summary, the data indicate that retinal elements damaged by CMV infection induce an antibody response against the 200-, 160-, and 68kDa components of the neurofilament triplet as well as other, as yet undefined retinal antigens.
Estimation of the operation pressure of vertical water tube boiler before explosion based on physical explosion model

In a certain vertical water tube boiler explosion analysis,all the safety accessories and records have been damaged and no data related with before explosion could be found.Based on the physical explosion model in safety evaluation,the boiler energy and operation pressure before explosion was estimated by the measurement of flying debris.The estimated results which were consisted with the results of other methods provided important reference basis for the accident analysis.
Closed semi-enclosed calcium carbide furnace ways of saving energy

In this paper,calcium carbide production plant,discusses the closed,semi-closed production of calcium carbide furnace caused during the high production cost factors,from the inductive energy saving measures possible to improve plant efficiency and reduce cost of production of calcium carbide.
Strategies for Human Tumor Virus Discoveries: From Microscopic Observation to Digital Transcriptome Subtraction

Over 20% of human cancers worldwide are associated with infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Various methods have been used to identify human tumor viruses, including electron microscopic observations of viral particles, immunologic screening, cDNA library screening, nucleic acid hybridization, consensus PCR, viral DNA array chip, and representational difference analysis (RDA). With the Human Genome Project, a large amount of genetic information from humans and other organisms has accumulated over the last decade. Utilizing the available genetic databases, Patrick S. Moore, Yuan Chang, and colleagues developed digital transcriptome subtraction (DTS), an in silico method to sequentially subtract human sequences from tissue or cellular transcriptome, and discovered Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) from Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Here we review the background and methods underlying the human tumor virus discoveries and explain how DTS was developed and used for the discovery of MCV.
A case report of acute flaccid paralysis following the pre-inoculation with oral poliomyelitis attenuated live vaccine

Objective To investigate whether the occurrence of acute flaccid paralysis was caused by the vaccination of oral poliomyelitis Attenuated Live Vaccine. Methods The investigation of the case,collecting case,s medical records,presenting the diagnostic opinion after summary and analysis. Results The case,with vaccination history of oral poliomyelitis vaccine 16 days later, had main symptoms of fever,limb weakness,etc.The case had inpatient treatment successively in a municipal hospital and a provincial hospital,and was diagnosed of acute flaccid paralysis and poliomyelitis.Polio virus and other enteroviruses were not detected in the case's specimens.The opinions of the municipal diagnosis experts group on adverse events following immunization for the diagnosis was that the patient did not meet the diagnostic conditions of vaccine associated paralytic poliomyelitis,but clinical polio compatible. Conclusion There was relationship between acute flaccid paralysis and the vaccinations of oral poliomyelitis attenuated live vaccine.
New options in diagnosis and management of mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome

The article entitled “Diagnosis and Management of Mycosis Fungoides” by Shira Galper, Benjamin Smith, and Lynn Wilson is an excellent contemporary summary of the workup and management of mycosis fungoides (MF) and its leukemia variant, Sezary syndrome (SS). In their discussion of the diagnosis and staging of MF and SS, the authors include a discussion of proposed revisions by the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphoma and the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (ISCL/EORTC) which seek to identify prognostic subgroups. In addition, there is a complete overview of the various treatment options for management of MF and SS. This treatment overview closely parallels the 2010 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Practice Guidelines for MF and SS.
Porous Hollow Fiber Anti-Solvent Crystallization-Based Continuous Method of Polymer Coating on Submicron and Nanoparticles

Using porous hollow fiber membranes, systems/methods for continuously synthesizing polymer-coated particles by anti-solvent crystallization are provided. The disclosed systems/methods provide for synthesis of polymer-coated drug particles/crystals from solutions of the polymer and the drug particles in suspension by exposing the solution to an anti-solvent through a porous hollow fiber device. A feed solution of a coating polymer with suspended drug particles can be exposed to an anti-solvent through hollow fiber pores, thereby causing the polymer to precipitate on and coat the drug particles. In addition, a feed solution of a coating polymer with drug in solution can be exposed to an anti-solvent through hollow fiber pores, thereby causing the drug to crystallize from the solution and the polymer to precipitate/coat the drug. Results indicate that a uniformly coated, free-flowing product may be developed in this advantageous porous hollow fiber anti-solvent crystallization method. The coated drug particles can be used for controlled release of the drug, and the molecule and the crystal structure are not affected by the process.
Marketing Educational Services to International Students at the University of North Alabama

International students are important in bringing diversity to higher education. This is true whether a college is a large, well-known school or a smaller regional university. Recruiting students from other countries, however, is no simple matter. A starting point is to determine reasons why international students select one school over another. The present research reveals that there are many differences in college selection factors between international and domestic students.
Response of lactating dairy cows to various densities of sorghum grain.

To examine the effects of various densities of sorghum grain resulting in graded levels of ruminally degradable starch on lactational performance, 32 lactating Holstein cows (90 d in milk [DIM]) were assigned to four treatments for 58 d. Diets contained 37% alfalfa hay, 3% cottonseed hulls, 10% whole cottonseed, 6% soybean meal, 5% of a molasses-mineral-vitamin supplement, and 39% sorghum grain. Treatments were dry-rolled sorghum (DRS) at 643 g/L or stream-flaked sorghum (SF) at 437, 360, and 283 g/L. Dry matter intake was highest for DRS followed by SF360, with the linear (P < .01) and cubic (P < .05) effects significant. The linear decrease in milk (P < .05) and 3.5% fat corrected milk (FCM, P < .025) with decreased density of sorghum was because of large decreases on SF283. Steam-flaking increased total tract digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, starch, and ADF when compared with dry-rolling. Efficiency of conversion of feed DM to FCM and feed CP to milk protein were greater for sorghum flaked at 437 and 360 g/L than for DRS or the 283 g/L flake. The 283 g/L flake decreased DMI, milk yield, and milk fat percentage. Addition of buffer (1% NaHCO3) tended to ameliorate the decrease in DMI. These data show greater efficiency of feed utilization and conversion of feed CP to milk protein in cows fed sorghum grain flaked at 437 and 360 g/L compared with those fed dry-rolled sorghum or that flaked at 283 g/L.
Identifying Patients with Pneumonia from Free-Text Intensive Care Unit Reports

Clinical research studying critical illness phenotypes relies on the identification of clinical syndromes defined by consensus definitions. Pneumonia is a prime example. Historically, identifying pneumonia has required manual chart review, which is a time and resource intensive process. The overall research goal of our work is to develop automated approaches that accurately identify critical illness phenotypes. In this paper, we describe our approach to the identification of pneumonia from electronic medical records, present our preliminary results, and describe future steps.
The Ghost of the Declaration Present: The Legal Force of the Declaration of Independence Regarding Acts of Congress

We can distinguish three ways by which references to the Declaration of Independence might enter into American legal argument. In primary-legal mode, the Declaration ranks as supreme law beside or above the Constitution, setting mandates as the Constitution does for other purported exercises of legal authority, from Acts of Congress on down. In interpretive-contextual mode, the Declaration provides informative historical context for determinations of the meanings of the Constitution and other laws. In creedal mode, the Declaration serves as a canonical marker for axiomatic principles of good or right government. Creedal uses of the Declaration are common and benign. Interpretive-contextual uses invite debates like those attending other uses of history in legal interpretation. A supreme law status for the Declaration finds little support in our legal history, nor is there good reason to press for it.
An Entropy Measure for Revealing Deterministic Structure in Spike Train Data

The limiting behavior of the time-dependent Kolmogorov entropy, K Δt (T), obtained from computer generated spike trains digitized using rectilinear grids of length T→∞ and grid spacing Δt→0, is used to identify chaotic (i.e., deterministic) structure, which is a necessary (but not a sufficient) condition for significant information to be encoded in the precise temporal spike sequence.
Unitary Quantum Relativity

A quantum universe is expressed as a finite unitary relativistic quantum computer network. Its addresses are subject to quantum superposition as well as its memory. It has no exact mathematical model. It Its Hilbert space of input processes is also a Clifford algebra with a modular architecture of many ranks. A fundamental fermion is a quantum computer element whose quantum address belongs to the rank below. The least significant figures of its address define its spin and flavor. The most significant figures of it adress define its orbital variables. Gauging arises from the same quantification as space-time. This blurs star images only slightly, but perhaps measurably. General relativity is an approximation that splits nature into an emptiness with a high symmetry that is broken by a filling of lower symmetry. Action principles result from self-organization pf the vacuum.
The Plain Dealer: Honour, Courage and Heroism

Although The Country Wife is Wycherley’s most studied and performed comedy, many of his contemporaries regarded The Plain Dealer as his finest play, praising Wycherley, as did John Dryden, for having ‘obliged all honest and virtuous men, and enrich’d our stage by one of the most bold, most general, and most useful satires, which has ever been presented on the English theatre’.1 However, Wycherley’s last comedy is not merely his harshest and most comprehensive satire by virtue of its attack against the world at large, as Dryden suggests, it is also one of the most ambiguous and contradictory plays in all of Restoration drama, and while a number of critics today echo Dryden’s overall praise of the play, most find themselves in a position similar to that of the premiere’s audience on 11 December 1676 who, as John Dennis reported, ‘appeared doubtful what judgement to form of it’.2 Saving the play from oblivion in its own day were Wycherley’s fellow Court Wits whose ‘loud approbation of it’, Dennis further noted, ‘gave it both a sudden and a lasting reputation’ among theatregoers, thereby helping to secure its place in the permanent repertory well into the eighteenth century.
News or Noise

This study investigates the quality of the U.S. News annual ranking of national universities and liberal arts colleges. The main finding is that current rankings changes have a strong tendency to revert over the following two rankings. Using a simple model, this study estimates that about 70 to 80 percent of the variation in rankings changes is transitory and reversible. Thus, most of the “news” in the annual rankings is essentially meaningless noise. An analysis of possible explanations suggests that the noise in annual ranking changes is most likely due to various measurement, estimation, and other information processing errors in the rankings' underlying components.
Constitutive modeling for thermo-mechanical low-cycle fatigue-creep stress–strain responses of Haynes 230

Abstract Haynes 230 (HA 230), a Nickel-based superalloy, is the primary material of combustor liners in airplane gas turbine engines. This component operates in the temperature range between ambient to as high as 1000 °C. Such thermal cycles together with the resulting strain cycles in a combustor liner may induce thermo-mechanical fatigue-creep (TMFC) damage and initiate cracks earlier than the estimated life. Use of a robust unified constitutive model (UCM) for nonlinear analysis based design may improve fatigue life estimation of high temperature components. Available UCMs in the literature or commercial software packages are unable to simulate the TMFC responses reasonably. Hence, this study developed a UCM incorporating the modeling features of rate and temperature dependence, static-recovery, various kinematic hardening evolutions, and strain-range dependence, and validated the model against a broad set of TMFC experimental responses of HA 230. This modified UCM is capable of simulating the mean-stress evolution under both the out-of-phase and in-phase TMFC loading cycles. The modified UCM can adequately simulate most of the characteristic cyclic phenomena of HA 230 including the influence of maximum temperature on the out-of-phase and in-phase TMFC hysteretic responses, stress amplitude, and stress relaxation during strain-dwell. The time-derivative of the elastic modulus is an essential modeling feature for accurately simulating the inelastic strains under TMFC loading. These simulations demonstrate the progresses made in UCM.
Maximum Lifetime Body Mass Index and Mortality in Mexican American Adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (1988-1994) and NHANES 1999-2010.

INTRODUCTION Studies in US Hispanic adults indicate no deleterious association between obesity and death. We tested the hypothesis that accounting for weight history would provide more insight into this nonassociation. METHODS We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to examine associations between maximum lifetime body mass index (BMI) and all-cause and cause-specific mortality among US-residing Mexican American adults. BMI was classified as underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25.0-29.9), obese class I (30.0-34.9), and obese class II (≥35.0). We used Cox proportional hazards to examine the association between maximum lifetime BMI and BMI at survey and all-cause and specific causes of death (ie, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other) controlling for age, sex, and smoking in 6,242 Mexican American adults enrolled in NHANES III (1988-1994) and NHANES 1999-2010. RESULTS Mexican Americans categorized as obese class II at maximum lifetime and time of survey had increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54 - 2.93 and HR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.10-2.10). Those reporting a maximum lifetime BMI of class I or class II obesity but who were classified as normal weight at survey had increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 2.49; 95% CI, 1.72-3.61 and HR = 3.56; 95% CI, 1.15-11.06, respectively). CONCLUSION Increased all-cause mortality risk in Mexican Americans with a lifetime BMI of 35 or greater refutes prior studies, suggesting that maximum lifetime BMI should be included when evaluating obesity-mortality associations in this population.
Mortality associated with less intense risk-factor control among adults with diabetes in the United States

Abstract Aims Determine the mortality experience among adults with diabetes in meeting and not meeting less intense control for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), and cholesterol. Methods National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2010 participants with self-report of diagnosed diabetes (N = 3335), measured HbA1c, BP and non-HDL cholesterol were linked to the National Death Index through December 31, 2011. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of meeting HbA1c Results Over a mean 5.4 person-years of follow-up, participants meeting all less intense control had a 37% lower mortality (HR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.54, 0.74) relative to those who did not meet the goals. Of approximately 306,000 deaths per year that occur among Americans with diabetes, we estimate 39,400 might have been averted by improving the care of those who have not met these less intense control goals. Conclusions Meeting the less intense control goals is associated with 37% reduction in mortality and could lead to 39,400 fewer deaths per year.
Censorship in the Era of Limited Self-Government: Negotiating Their Way Through “the Wreckages of Unsuccessful Experiments” in an Expanding Public Sphere

During the 1860s, with the broadening of electoral rights and the further retreat of censorship, the officials became ever more concerned. In order to counter what they considered to be a hostile press, they sought protection in the ill-fated effort to create a pro-government public opinion, first through the licensing of government-friendly independent papers, and then, when that failed, through the even more unlikely tactic of licensing a great number of papers in the hope that they would dilute the opposition through competition. The government was hooked on the horns of its own dilemma. If it ignored criticism, it failed in its mission to protect the public. If it prosecuted, it enhanced the reputations of the accused.
Creation and validation of the barriers to alcohol reduction (BAR) scale using classical test theory and item response theory.

Abstract Those who binge drink are at increased risk for alcohol-related consequences when compared to non-binge drinkers. Research shows individuals may face barriers to reducing their drinking behavior, but few measures exist to assess these barriers. This study created and validated the Barriers to Alcohol Reduction (BAR) scale. Participants were college students (n = 230) who endorsed at least one instance of past-month binge drinking (4+ drinks for women or 5+ drinks for men). Using classical test theory, exploratory structural equation modeling found a two-factor structure of personal/psychosocial barriers and perceived program barriers. The sub-factors, and full scale had reasonable internal consistency (i.e., coefficient omega = 0.78 (personal/psychosocial), 0.82 (program barriers), and 0.83 (full measure)). The BAR also showed evidence for convergent validity with the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (r = 0.39, p
Exploring Diversity within the Hispanic Market:An Investigation of Shopping Experiences among Puerto Rican Consumers

Hispanics are currently the largest minority group in the United States, accounting for 16% of the total population of the country, with Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans comprising the largest subgroups (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Although there has been some progress in terms of defining consumption behaviors of Hispanics in general, the existing research tends to consider Hispanic consumers as a homogeneous market and therefore does not address the potential cultural differences that may exist (e.g., Chattaraman & Lennon, 2007; Seok & Sauls, 2007).
Utility of concurrent direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy with drug induced sleep endoscopy in pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Abstract Objectives The goal of this report was to find the frequency of synchronous airway lesions (SAL) identified during microdirect laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy (MDLB) that influenced treatment decisions beyond the information provided by drug induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) alone in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of all pediatric patients who underwent drug induced sleep endoscopy in conjunction with direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy as part of a comprehensive airway evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Results Three hundred thirty-five patients with obstructive sleep apnea were evaluated with both sleep endoscopy and direct laryngoscopy with bronchoscopy. Five percent of patients had SAL identified on MDLB contributing to airway obstruction. Three patients (0.9%) who underwent MDLB for OSA required surgical correction of SAL that was identified. Conclusion In a limited subset of patients, direct laryngoscopy with bronchoscopy provides additional positive findings to aid with treatment planning for obstructive sleep apnea.
Diffuse Optical Imaging for Particle Characterization in Dense Colloidal Dispersions

We explore the potential of Diffuse Optical Imaging (DOI) as an analytical method for particle characterization in dense colloidal dispersions. We propose a perpendicular DOI configuration to simultaneously estimate the extinction coefficient along the direction of incident radiation and the phase function along an orthogonal to this direction. Our experiments show that estimating the two independent parameters allows simultaneous quantification of both particle size and concentration in optically dense monodisperse colloids.
Stability and Variability in Skilled Rhythmic Action—A Dynamical Analysis of Rhythmic Ball Bouncing

The task of rhythmically bouncing a ball in the air serves as a model system that addresses many fundamental questions of coordination and perceptual control of actions. The task is simplified such that ball and racket movements are constrained to the vertical direction and the ball cannot be lost. As such, a discrete nonlinear model for the kinematics of periodic racket motions and ballistic ball flight between ball-racket contacts was formulated which permitted a set of analyses and predictions. Most centrally, linear stability analysis predicts that the racket trajectory should be decelerating prior to ball contact in order to guarantee dynamically stable performance. Such solutions imply that small perturbations need not be explicitly corrected for and therefore provide a computationally efficient solution. Four quantitative predictions were derived from a deterministic and a stochastic version of the model and were experimentally tested. Results support that human actors sense and make use of the stability properties of task. However, when single larger perturbations arise, human actors are able to adjust their racket trajectory to correct for errors and maintain a stable bouncing pattern.
Automatic learning and generation of social behavior from collective human gameplay

Current approaches to authoring behavior and dialogue for agents that interact with humans in virtual environments are labor intensive, yet often yield less robust results than desired in the face of the incredible variance possible in human input. The growing number of people playing multiplayer games online provides a potentially better alternative to hand-authored content -- capturing behavior and dialogue from human-human interactions, and automating agents with this data. This paper documents promising results from the first iteration of a Collective Artificial Intelligence system that generates behavior and dialogue in real-time from data captured from over 11,000 players of The Restaurant Game. We first describe the game, the collective memory system, and the proposal-critique driven agent architecture, and then demonstrate quantitatively that our system preserves the texture, or meaningful local coherence, of human social interaction.
An Open Source Software Defect Estimation Tool (SweET)

Engineered systems increasingly depend on software. As a result, system and software engineers require efficient methods to track defect identification and removal efforts during the software development lifecycle. To support such activities, we have developed a free and open source version of the SoftWare Error Estimation Program (SWEEP), named SweET (Software Defect Estimation Tool), which has not been publicly available to the software engineering community for several years. SWEEP's four modes have been simplified and combined into three modes namely, (i) timebased, (ii) phase-based, and (iii) defect insertion in SweET. Moreover, SweET uses the Weibull model, which is more flexible than the Rayleigh model included in SWEEP. Furthermore, the model fitting performed with least squares estimation in SWEEP has been replaced with an expectation conditional maximization (ECM) algorithm, which is both stable and efficient.
Concurrent coupling of peridynamics and classical elasticity for elastodynamic problems

Abstract In this paper, a coupled peridynamic-finite element method for modeling mechanical behavior and damage growth in materials is developed. Peridynamics is a nonlocal continuum model which, in contrast to other continuum models, uses integration instead of spatial derivations in its governing equations. Utilizing integration instead of derivatives is advantageous in modeling fracture since the governing equations remain valid even after the initiation or growth of discontinuities. Although peridynamics can capture material fracture effectively, however due to its nonlocal formulation peridynamics is computationally expensive. To reduce the computational costs, we propose to couple peridynamics with finite elements and use peridynamics only in small zones where higher accuracy is needed. The main challenge in developing such a coupling method is to eliminate the artifacts introduced by the interface of the two subdomains. One of the main issues is spurious wave reflections which occurs because high frequency waves traveling from peridynamic region cannot enter the finite element zone and spuriously reflect back into the peridynamic zone. This will lead to an increase in the energy of the peridynamic zone and will drastically reduce the computational accuracy. The main feature of the proposed method is eliminating the spurious wave reflections such that the coupled method is as accurate as the pure peridynamics.