cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aspects of Human Historiographic Explanation: A View from the Philosophy of Science

While some philosophers of history have argued that explanations in human history are of a fundamentally different kind than explanations in the natural sciences, I shall argue that this is not the case. Human beings are part of nature, human history is part of natural history, and human historical explanation is a species of natural historical explanation. In this chapter, I shall use a case study from the history of the American Civil War to show the variety of close parallels between natural and human historical explanation. In both instances, I shall argue that these explanations involve narrative descriptions of causal mechanisms. I shall show how adopting a mechanistic approach to explanation can provide resources to address some important aspects of human historiographic explanation, including problems concerning event individuation, historical meaning, agency, the role of laws, and the nature of contingency.
From Revolution to Evolution: The Changing Nature of the Christian Right

Etude des changements organisationnels et tactiques de la Droite chretienne de ses origines (fin des annees 1970) a nos jours. La Droite chretienne est passee par plusieurs phases, devenant progressivement un acteur politique traditionnel suivant les strategies conventionnelles de la politique americaine. L'A. etudie aussi la comprehension populaire et intellectuelle du developpement et de l'evolution de ce mouvement en accordant une attention particuliere aux paradigmes genant la comprehension de la Droite chretienne
Group transfer reactions of d0 transition metal complexes: redox-active ligands provide a mechanism for expanded reactivity

Group- and atom-transfer is an attractive reaction class for the preparation of value-added organic substrates. Despite a wide variety of known early-transition metal oxo and imido complexes, these species have received limited attention for atom- and group-transfer reactions, owing to the lack of an accessible metal-based two-electron redox couple. Recently it has been shown that redox-active ligands can support the multi-electron changes required to promote group-transfer reactivity, opening up new avenues for group- and atom-transfer catalyst design. This Perspective article provides an overview of group transfer reactivity in early-transition metal complexes supported by traditional ligand platforms, followed by recent advances in the atom- and group-transfer reactivity of d0 metal complexes containing redox-active ligands.
LC-MS/MS sensitivity enhancement using 2D-SCX/RPLC and its application in the assessment of pharmacokinetics of clonidine in dried blood spots

Background: Dried blood spot (DBS) technology offers distinctive preclinical and clinical advantages primarily ascribed to microscale sampling (e.g., 40–80 µl per time point), and the nature of solid-state samples in filter papers. Logistic benefits in sample collection, storage and shipping also result. However, the effective DBS samples available for bioanalysis are finite, that is, in the order of approximately 1 µl equivalent of plasma (3-mm punch) from a DBS of approximately 15–20 µl whole blood samples. This represents 20- to 100-times fewer samples for bioanalysis compared with a typical plasma assay. It is critical to increase LC–MS/MS sensitivity to accommodate DBS bioanalysis. Results: We developed a 2D strong cation exchange reversed-phase LC–MS/MS (2D-SCX/RPLC–MS/MS) for online enrichment, separation and detection of basic polar compounds, using clonidine hydrochloride as a model compound. Positively charged clonidine was retained and enriched in the first dimensional SCX column even in large ...
The challenge of integrating disparate high-content data: epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data collected during an in-hospital study of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness characterized by multiple unexplained symptoms including fatigue, cognitive impairment and pain. People with CFS have no characteristic physical signs or diagnostic laboratory abnormalities, and the etiology and pathophysiology remain unknown. CFS represents a complex illness that includes alterations in homeostatic systems, involves multiple body systems and results from the combined action of many genes, environmental factors and risk-conferring behavior. In order to achieve understanding of complex illnesses, such as CFS, studies must collect relevant epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data and then integrate, analyze and interpret the information so as to obtain meaningful clinical and biological insight. This issue of Pharmacogenomics represents such an approach to CFS. Data was collected during a 2-day in-hospital study of persons with CFS, other medically and psychiatrically unexplained fatiguing illnesses and nonfatigued controls identified from the general population of Wichita, KS, USA. While in the hospital, the participants’ psychiatric status, sleep characteristics and cognitive functioning was evaluated, and biological samples were collected to measure neuroendocrine status, autonomic nervous system function, systemic cytokines and peripheral blood gene expression. The data generated from these assessments was made available to a multidisciplinary group of 20 investigators from around the world who were challenged with revealing new insight and algorithms for integration of this complex, high-content data and, if possible, identifying molecular markers and elucidating pathophysiology of chronic fatigue. The group was divided into four teams with representation from the disciplines of medicine, mathematics, biology, engineering and computer science. The papers in this issue are the culmination of this 6-month challenge, and demonstrate that data integration and multidisciplinary collaboration can indeed yield novel approaches for handling large, complex datasets, and reveal new insight and relevance to a complex illness such as CFS.
Kinetics of Concomitant Degradation of Tetracycline to Epitetracycline, Anhydrotetracycline, and Epianhydrotetracycline in Acid Phosphate Solution

The concentrations of tetracycline, epitetracycline, anhydrotetracycline, and epianhydrotetracycline in pH 1.5 phosphate solution were followed as a function of time at four temperatures. Separation and quantification of all four species were accomplished using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Through nonlinear regression analysis, rate constants for the reversible first-order epimerization of tetracycline and anhydrotetracycline and for the first-order dehydration of tetracycline and epitetracycline were obtained. Solutions to the differential equations obtained through Laplace transforms successfully predict concentrations found experimentally. The energy of activation for each reaction step was calculated and ranged from 15 to 27 kcal/mole. The rate constants for tetracycline and epitetracycline dehydration conform with those of earlier studies that used different experimental methods. The study shows that epimerization of tetracycline and anhydrotetracycline can take place at a low pH.
Structural interpretation of protein-protein interaction network.

Currently a huge amount of protein-protein interaction data is available from high throughput experimental methods. In a large network of protein-protein interactions, groups of proteins can be identified as functional clusters having related functions where a single protein can occur in multiple clusters. However experimental methods are error-prone and thus the interactions in a functional cluster may include false positives or there may be unreported interactions. Therefore correctly identifying a functional cluster of proteins requires the knowledge of whether any two proteins in a cluster interact, whether an interaction can exclude other interactions, or how strong the affinity between two interacting proteins is. In the present work the yeast protein-protein interaction network is clustered using a spectral clustering method proposed by us in 2006 and the individual clusters are investigated for functional relationships among the member proteins. 3D structural models of the proteins in one cluster have been built – the protein structures are retrieved from the Protein Data Bank or predicted using a comparative modeling approach. A rigid body protein docking method (Cluspro) is used to predict the protein-protein interaction complexes. Binding sites of the docked complexes are characterized by their buried surface areas in the docked complexes, as a measure of the strength of an interaction. The clustering method yields functionally coherent clusters. Some of the interactions in a cluster exclude other interactions because of shared binding sites. New interactions among the interacting proteins are uncovered, and thus higher order protein complexes in the cluster are proposed. Also the relative stability of each of the protein complexes in the cluster is reported. Although the methods used are computationally expensive and require human intervention and judgment, they can identify the interactions that could occur together or ones that are mutually exclusive. In addition indirect interactions through another intermediate protein can be identified. These theoretical predictions might be useful for crystallographers to select targets for the X-ray crystallographic determination of protein complexes.
Survival of Listeria monocytogenes in commercial cheese brines.

The survival of Listeria monocytogenes was determined in commercial cheese brines collected from cheese factories in Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Survival of L. monocytogenes inoculated into commercial cheese brines ranged from <7 d to over 259 d. Survival did not correlate with pH, salt content, nitrogen content, mineral content, or inherent microbial populations but was negatively associated with addition of sodium hypochlorite at the dairy plant. The L. monocytogenes generally survived longer in brines held at 4°C than at 12°C. Sodium hypochlorite or hydrogen peroxide inactivated L. monocytogenes when added to commerical brines in the lab at 10 to 100 ppm or 0.001% to 0.02%, respectively. Addition of 1% potassium sorbate or 1% sodium benzoate also decreased survival of L. monocytogenes. Laboratory filtration of commercial brines had a negative effect on survival in one of three brines tested. The L. monocytogenes did not grow during incubation in any of the commercial brine samples tested.
Effect of Bioaccumulation of Cs and Sr Natural Isotopes on Foliar Structure and Plant Spectral Reflectance of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea)

The objectives of this study are: (1) Evaluate the capacity of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) for uptake and accumulation of Cs and Sr natural isotopes. (2) Identify foliar structural and other physiological changes (biomass, relative water content etc.) resulted from the accumulation of these two elements. (3) Monitor the Cs and Sr uptake and bioaccumulation process by spectral reflectance. Potted Indian mustard plants were exposed to different concentrations of Cs (50 and 600 ppm) and Sr (50 and 300 ppm) natural isotopes in solution form for 23 days. Bioaccumulation of Cs and Sr were found in the order of leaves > stems > roots for both Cs- and Sr-treated plants. The highest leaf and root Sr accumulations are observed to be 2,708, and 1,194 mg kg−1, respectively; and the highest leaf and root Cs accumulations are 12,251, and 6,794 mg kg−1, respectively. High translocation efficiency for both elements is documented by shoot/root concentration ratios greater than one. Biomass decreases were observed for plants treated with higher concentration of Cs or Sr. Cs accumulation affected the pigment concentration and internal structure of the leaf and the spectral characteristics of plants. Within the applied concentration range, Sr accumulation resulted in no significant changes in relative water content (RWC), leaf structural and spectral characteristics of mustard plants. Cs shoot concentration showed significant negative correlation with relative water content (RWC; r = −0.88*) and normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) value (r = −0.68*) of plant shoots. The canopy spectral reflectance and NDVI analysis clearly revealed (p < 0.05) the stress caused by Cs accumulation.
An experimental investigation of dielectric-coated antennas

The characteristics of a monopole antenna embedded in a cylinder of low-loss dielectric have been measured. A cylinder of infinite length was approximated by extending the length of a finite cylinder until the admittance did not change. Admittance and current distribution data are represented as a function of antenna length for various diameters and dielectric constants of the cylinders. The results compare well with a theoretical analysis by Ting. The effect of the cylinder is to increase the electrical length of the antenna and decrease the bandwidth.
Auctions as a Dynamic Pricing Mechanism for E-Services

Increasing role of services in developed economies around the world combined with ubiquitous presence of computer networks and information technologies result in rapid growth of e-services. Markets for e-services often require flexible pricing to be efficient and therefore frequently use auctions to satisfy this requirement. However, auctions in e-service markets are recurring since typically e-services are offered repeatedly, each time for a specific time interval. Additionally, all e-services offered in an auction round must be sold to avoid resource waste. Finally, enough bidders must be willing to participate in future auction rounds to prevent a collapse of market prices. Because of these requirements, previously designed auctions cannot work efficiently in e-service markets. In this chapter, we introduce and evaluate a novel auction, called Optimal Recurring Auction (ORA), for e-services markets. We present also simulation results that show that, unlike the traditional auctions, ORA stabilizes the market prices and maximizes the auctioneer’s revenue in e-service markets.
Multiresolution sinusoidal modeling using adaptive segmentation

The sinusoidal model has proven useful for representation and modification of speech and audio. One drawback, however, is that a sinusoidal signal model is typically derived using a fixed frame size, which corresponds to a rigid signal segmentation. For nonstationary signals, the resolution limitations that result from this rigidity lead to reconstruction artifacts. It is shown in this paper that such artifacts can be significantly reduced by using a signal-adaptive segmentation derived by a dynamic program. An atomic interpretation of the sinusoidal model is given; this perspective suggests that algorithms for adaptive segmentation can be viewed as methods for adapting the time scales of the constituent atoms so as to improve the model by employing appropriate time-frequency tradeoffs.
Detection and classification of underwater acoustic transients using neural networks

Underwater acoustic transients can develop from a wide variety of sources. Accordingly, detection and classification of such transients by automated means can be exceedingly difficult. This paper describes a new approach to this problem based on adaptive pattern recognition employing neural networks and an alternative metric, the Hausdorff metric. The system uses self-organization to both generalize and provide rapid throughput while utilizing supervised learning for decision making, being based on a concept that temporally partitions acoustic transient signals, and as a result, studies their trajectories through power spectral density space. This method has exhibited encouraging results for a large set of simulated underwater transients contained in both quiet and noisy ocean environments, and requires from five to ten MFLOPS for the implementation described. >
2-APB reduces the complexity of hippocampal γ oscillations in rats

Previous studies suggested that γ oscillations in the brain are associated with higher order cognitive function including selective visual attention, motor task planning, sensory perception, working memory and dreaming REM sleep. These oscillations are mainly observed in cortical regions and also occurs in neocortical and subcortical areas and the hippocampus. In this paper, we investigate the influence of acute exposure to 2-APB exposure on the complexity of hippocampal γ gamma oscillations. Our central hypothesis is that acute exposure to 2 APB significantly reduce the hippocampal γ oscillations. In order to test this hypothesis, we use brain-slice recordings and the advanced nonlinear dynamical analysis method based on the Lempel-Ziv estimator. Our nonlinear dynamical analysis of brain slice recordings results suggested that 2-APB exposure significantly reduces the hippocampal gamma oscillations.
Maturation of Bladder Reflex Pathways During Postnatal Development

Neuroanatomical and electrophysiological techniques have provided new insights into the organization of the spinal cord circuitry and the neurotransmitter mechanisms involved in primitive voiding reflexes in neonatal animals. In addition, studies of unitary synaptic transmission in spinal cord slice preparations indicate that developmental and spinal cord injury induced plasticity in sacral parasympathetic reflex pathways is due in part to alterations in glutamatergic excitatory transmission between interneurons and parasympathetic preganglionic neurons. It is proposed that these synaptic changes are due to competition between segmental and supraspinal inputs. Thus synaptic remodeling in the sacral parasympathetic nucleus is likely to be an important factor in the postnatal maturation of voiding reflexes.
A convex approach to sparse ℋ∞ analysis & synthesis

In this paper, we propose a new robust analysis tool motivated by large-scale systems. The ℋ∞ norm of a system measures its robustness by quantifying the worst-case behavior of a system perturbed by a unit-energy disturbance. However, the disturbance that induces such worst-case behavior requires perfect coordination among all disturbance channels. Given that many systems of interest, such as the power grid, the internet and automated vehicle platoons, are large-scale and spatially distributed, such coordination may not be possible, and hence the ℋ∞ norm, used as a measure of robustness, may be too conservative. We therefore propose a cardinality constrained variant of the ℋ∞ norm in which an adversarial disturbance can use only a limited number of channels. As this problem is inherently combinatorial, we present a semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation based on the l1 norm that yields an upper bound on the cardinality constrained robustness problem. We further propose a simple rounding heuristic based on the optimal solution of our SDP relaxation, which provides a corresponding lower bound. Motivated by privacy in large-scale systems, we also extend these relaxations to computing the minimum gain of a system subject to a limited number of inputs. Finally, we also present a SDP based optimal controller synthesis method for minimizing the SDP relaxation of our novel robustness measure. The effectiveness of our semidefinite relaxation is demonstrated through numerical examples.
The Erosion of the Middle Ground: Native Peoples of the Great Lakes Region after 1815

Indian Country was never the same following the War of 1812. If Native aspirations were to maintain their land base and relative autonomy, then the war was most of all a loss for Native peoples throughout eastern North America.
Optimal Integrated Guidance and Control Design for Line-of-Sight Based Formation Flight

This paper presents an integrated guidance and control design for a formation flight of multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The guidance law is based on the line-of-sight (LOS) method which has ability to transfer UAVs to different formation patterns through a single parameter change. The guidance law is integrated with the optimal control law and is applied to a linear dynamic model. The problem is formulated as a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control problem for a line-of-sight based circular coordination formation flight configuration of a leader and three follower UAVs. The mission is to have a coordinated encirclement around a ground maneuvering target. The design objective is to achieve a zero vertical spatial offset (i.e. same commanded altitude) and a 90 degree horizontal angular offset among four UAVs. In order to verify the performance of the proposed system, numerical simulation using a linear coupled six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) model is demonstrated for a circular multi-vehicle coordination flight of four UAVs.
Compositional data analysis of the microbiome: fundamentals, tools, and challenges.

Abstract Purpose Human microbiome studies are within the realm of compositional data with the absolute abundances of microbes not recoverable from sequence data alone. In compositional data analysis, each sample consists of proportions of various organisms with a sum constrained to a constant. This simple feature can lead traditional statistical treatments when naively applied to produce errant results and spurious correlations. Methods We review the origins of compositionality in microbiome data, the theory and usage of compositional data analysis in this setting and some recent attempts at solutions to these problems. Results Microbiome sequence data sets are typically high dimensional, with the number of taxa much greater than the number of samples, and sparse as most taxa are only observed in a small number of samples. These features of microbiome sequence data interact with compositionality to produce additional challenges in analysis. Conclusions Despite sophisticated approaches to statistical transformation, the analysis of compositional data may remain a partially intractable problem, limiting inference. We suggest that current research needs include better generation of simulated data and further study of how the severity of compositional effects changes when sampling microbial communities of widely differing diversity.
Combined autoshaping-operant (AO) training: CS-UCS interval effects in rats

The time between lever presentation (CS) and free delivery of food (UCS) was varied in an autoshaping procedure which also contained the operant contingency of immediate food reinforcement for leverpressing. Without prior magazine training or adaptation to the apparatus, naive rats readily acquired leverpressing when the CS-UCS interval was 30 sec. In contrast, rats trained under a 5-sec interval showed no development of leverpressing and displayed typical “freeloading” behavior. Subsequent work, which confirmed and extended these findings, is summarized.
Child and Family Education Research Content Analysis

Content analysis method as a text-oriented analysis and evaluation methods have been used in the field of education.Child and family education has always been a hot topic of domestic academic research,relevant research results rich.This paper uses content analysis of 1981-2010 between the pool of knowledge resources in China-KNCI series database to "Child and Family Education" the theme of 205 for search of the literature.The results show that from two aspects: the issue of family education of children for quantitative analysis,study of the problem involves many disciplines,research literature showing increasing trend of the year;and qualitative analysis found that the theoretical basis of existing research,research methods and showed a wide range of content like state.Future research should focus on issues of context,comprehensive and dynamic,and gradually improve the quality of research,the integration of multi-disciplinary research to enhance the prediction of the forward-looking.
Continuing Education in Disease Control and Prevention Agencies in Chengdu

Objective To evaluate continuing education in Chengdu disease prevention and control agencies in the past 20 years.Method To observe the change in record of formal schooling and professional speciality before and after participating in continuing education,interviews with workers,telephone interviews,and consulting to personnel files or technical files and so on were carried out.Result After contnuing education 241 CDC employees without professional qualifications received secondary education and above and among them,57 personnel(23.65%)obtained preventive enedicine schooling record.368 CDC employees with secondary or higher degree of professional qualifications improved the speciality qualifications and among them,166 personnel(46.65%)obtained preventive medicine schooling record.Conclusion In the past 20 years,CDC work force education level was improved through continuing education.But due to the lack of specific guidance,a certain blindness of professional choice existed,then affected workers improving the professional quality.
Acquired Notch1 Mutations in Murine Precursor-T Leukemia/Lymphoma Models.

NOTCH1 has been implicated in hematopoiesis, T-cell differentiation, and the pathogenesis of precursor T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (pre-T LBL). Although rare patients with pre-T LBL have chromosomal translocations that activate NOTCH1 , it has recently been shown that over 50% of human pre-T LBL samples which did not have chromosomal aberrations involving NOTCH1 had activating mutations in the NOTCH1 heterodimerization (HD) and/or the PEST domain. We examined murine pre-T LBL cell lines as well as primary thymic tumors that arose in SCL/LMO1, OLIG2, OLIG2/LMO1, LMO1, NUP98/HOXD13 transgenic mice, and [ p27 (− /−) / SMAD3 (−/+)] mice for evidence of Notch1 mutations. We also investigated the timing of Notch1 mutation in SCL/LMO1 transgenic mice. We found that 13/19 cell lines and 29/49 primary thymic tumors had Notch1 mutations in either the HD or PEST domain, but not both. Of the thirteen cell lines with Notch1 mutations, twelve had mutations in the PEST domain. The cell lines with Notch1 mutations were sensitive to gamma-secretase inhibitor treatment, indicating that the mutations were important for the survival of these cells. Of twenty-nine tumors with Notch1 mutations, 23 were in the PEST domain and 6 in the HD. All HD mutations were single base substitutions, whereas all PEST domain mutations were insertion/deletion mutations. Intriguingly, half of the PEST domain mutations mapped to one of two mutational hot spots, suggesting that these regions may be prone to insertion/deletion mutations. Thymocytes from clinically healthy SCL/LMO1 mice aged 5 weeks showed evidence of oligoclonal T-lymphocyte expansion, but did not have Notch1 mutations and did not form tumors when injected into nude mice (pre-malignant thymocytes), whereas thymocytes from SCL/LMO1 mice aged 8–12 weeks had Notch1 mutations and formed tumors upon transplantation into nude mice. Thus, Notch1 mutations are very frequent secondary events that can cooperate with a wide range of primary events as cells progress from a pre-malignant to a fully transformed state.
Learned, Indefatigable, Deep-Thinking Germany

It is next to impossible to undertake any examination of British representations of Germany before 1914 without close reference to fiction and literature. Nearly every major work of history on Anglo-German relations in the period before the outbreak of the Great War refers to the literary evidence as a cultural reflection of moves towards outright antagonism between the two powers, around the turn of the twentieth century.2 Literary scholars too have explored the fictional representation of Germany by the British (and Britain by the Germans) using the political and diplomatic events of the period as part of historicist criticism.3 As noted earlier, in my introduction, the most famous such study is undoubtedly Voices Prophesying War, which explores the early twentieth-century representations of Germany in the new ‘invasion’ genre of English fiction.
What is Professionalism

Professionalism, a concept that can vary by region, ethnicity, culture and time period, is the foundation of the trust patients place in their caregivers. Changes in health-care delivery, increasing public expectations, corporate involvement, and the digital revolution threaten professionalism standards. Different experts emphasize different aspects of professionalism, but overall, it embodies the characteristics of the individual professional, the relationship between the professional and the patient, and health-care’s contract with society. It is closely related to ethics and boundaries. Even minor boundary crossings can complicate treatment and compromise professionalism standards. Social media and Internet technology now permeate society and the clinical space, and provide more opportunities for breaches in professionalism. Because of the nature of digital technology, such breaches can occur rapidly and broadly, and are difficult to repair.
Law of large numbers system design

To date we have relied on the "Law of Large Numbers" below the device level to guarantee deterministic device behavior (e.g. dopant ratios, transition timing, electron state storage). However, at the nanoscale, we hope to build devices with small numbers of atoms or molecules (e.g. wires which are 3-10 atoms wide, diodes built from 1-10 molecules), and we hope to store state with small numbers of electrons (e.g. 10's). If we are to build devices at these scales, we will no longer be able to rely on the "Law of Large Numbers" below the device level. We must, instead, employ the "Law of Large Numbers" above the device level in order to obtain predictable behavior from atomic-scale phenomena which are statistical in nature. At the same time, the "Law of Large Numbers" can also help us by providing statistical differentiation at scales smaller than those we can pattern directly or economically using lithography. In this chapter, we examine various applications of the "Law of Large Numbers" above the device level to build reliable and controllable systems from nanoscale devices and processes that only have statistically predictable behavior.
Infection Control in Alternative Health Care Settings: An Update

With changing health care delivery, patients receive care at various settings including acute care hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient primary care and specialty clinics, and at home, exposing them to pathogens in various settings. Various health care settings face unique challenges, requiring individualized infection control programs. Infection control programs in nursing homes should address surveillance for infections and antimicrobial resistance, outbreak investigation and control plan for epidemics, isolation precautions, hand hygiene, staff education, and employee and resident health programs.
Wireless Participant Incentives Using Reloadable Bank Cards to Increase Clinical Trial Retention With Abused Women Drinkers: A Natural Experiment:

Retaining participants in longitudinal studies is a unique methodological challenge in many areas of investigation, and specifically for researchers aiming to identify effective interventions for women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Individuals in abusive relationships are often transient and have logistical, confidentiality, and safety concerns that limit future contact. A natural experiment occurred during a large randomized clinical trial enrolling women in abusive relationships who were also heavy drinkers, which allowed for the comparison of two incentive methods to promote longitudinal retention: cash payment versus reloadable wireless bank cards. In all, 600 patients were enrolled in the overall trial, which aimed to incentivize participants using a reloadable bank card system to promote the completion of 11 weekly interactive voice response system (IVRS) phone surveys and 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up phone or in person interviews. The first 145 participants were paid with cash as a result of logistical delays in setting up the bank card system. At 12 weeks, participants receiving the bank card incentive completed significantly more IVRS phone surveys, odds ratio (OR) = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.01, 1.69]. There were no significant differences between the two groups related to satisfaction or safety and/or privacy. The bank card system delivered lower administrative burden for tracking payments for study staff. Based on these and other results, our large medical research university is implementing reloadable bank card as the preferred method of participant incentive payments.
Hardware accelerated SAT solvers—A survey

Abstract Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) is a problem that holds great importance both theoretically and in practical applications. Although the general SAT problem is NP-complete, advancements in solver algorithms and heuristics have meant that many industrial problems can be quickly and efficiently solved. Much of this progress has been made in the field of sequential SAT solvers; however, there have been significant recent contributions to the field of hardware SAT accelerators. This paper offers a short overview of the current state of SAT solvers in general and surveys recent contributions to hardware accelerated SAT solvers. This paper also aims to analyze the trends, challenges, and open questions facing reconfigurable SAT solvers in an extremely competitive application area.
Cold Pools and Their Influence on the Tropical Marine Boundary Layer

AbstractCold pools dominate the surface temperature variability observed over the central Indian Ocean (0°, 80°E) for 2 months of research cruise observations in the Dynamics of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) experiment in October–December 2011. Cold pool fronts are identified by a rapid drop of temperature. Air in cold pools is slightly drier than the boundary layer (BL). Consistent with previous studies, cold pools attain wet-bulb potential temperatures representative of saturated downdrafts originating from the lower midtroposphere.Wind and surface fluxes increase, and rain is most likely within the ~20-min cold pool front. Greatest integrated water vapor and liquid follow the front. Temperature and velocity fluctuations shorter than 6 min achieve 90% of the surface latent and sensible heat flux in cold pools. The temperature of the cold pools recovers in about 20 min, chiefly by mixing at the top of the shallow cold wake layer, rather than by surface flux.Analysis of conserved variables shows ...
Molecular Determinants of TMEV Pathogenesis

Strains of Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) can be divided into two subgroups based on their distinct biological activities. Members of the GDVII subgroup are highly neurovirulent and cause an acute, fatal encephalomyelitis. In contrast, members of the TO subgroup cause a mild encephalomyelitis early after infection followed by a late disease that is characterized by virus persistence, a low level of virus gene expression, and inflammatory demyelination.
Gene expression changes linked to efficacy in human tumor xenografts treated with the CDK4/6 inhibitor PD0332991

4755 Phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) by cyclin dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) is typically required for human cancer cell proliferation. PD0332991 is a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable inhibitor of CDK4/6. In human tumor xenografts, PD0332991 caused significant reductions in tumor mass and/or growth delay in several xenograft models but had less effect in others despite effectively blocking Rb phosphorylation in all models. To investigate differences in sensitivity to PD0332991, we characterized gene expression in human tumor cell cultures and xenografts treated with PD0332991 using Affymetrix GeneChip (HU133A) technology. Three human xenograft tumors were chosen that varied in response to PD0332991: Colo205 (tumor regression), MDAMB435 (tumor stasis), and SW620 (slight tumor growth delay). There was an apparent association between the extent of gene modulation (both in number of genes and in magnitude of response for individual genes) and the sensitivity to tumor growth delay of the xenograft model. Indeed, the capacity of PD0332991 to modulate gene expression as determined by number of gene changes (≥2-fold, p ≤0.05) was correlated with objective measures of tumor growth delay across the 3 xenograft models and 3 dose levels, suggesting that efficacy is mechanistically linked to the ability of PD0332991 to alter gene expression. The physiological roles of genes regulated by PD0332991 were characterized using Gene Ontology annotation. In both MDAMB435 cell cultures and the 3 xenograft models, PD0332991 primarily downregulated genes associated with DNA replication and repair, cell cycle, signal transduction, and mitosis. Many genes modulated by PD0332991 have been previously characterized as being transcriptionally activated by E2F transcription factors. Gene changes shared between models were identified. This gene cohort was similar to the previously described proliferation gene signature noted in several cancer types and may be an appropriate efficacy related clinical biomarker for PD0332991. Changes in gene expression were confirmed for selected markers using RT-PCR, ELISA, and western blotting. The results suggest that PD0332991, by selectively blocking Rb phosphorylation, causes transcriptional down-regulation of genes required for cancer cell proliferation. Differences in sensitivity to PD0332991 may be due to factors that associate with hypophosphorylated Rb to regulate transcription.
Latinos in the war on drugs: The role of offender citizenship status and family ties on downward departures

The present study analyzes Latino drug offenders sentenced in U.S. federal courts from 2006–2014 in order to assess whether any family ties effects were contingent on offenders’ citizenship status....
Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects of Alcoholic Liver Disease

The socioeconomic health impact of alcoholism is enormous. In the United States in 1975, $ 12.74 billion was spent for health and medical expenses associated with alcoholism (Berry et al. 1977). The total number of deaths directly related to alcoholism in 1977 ranged between 18,066 and 34,724 (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 1978), 85% of these being associated with alcoholic liver disease. Indeed, death from cirrhosis ranks fourth among causes of death in the United States (US Bureau of Census 1975).
Gender, Race, and Mourning in American Modernism: Gender, melancholy, and the whiteness of impersonal form in The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925) provides an illuminating starting point for this investigation. It is a powerful example of a work that embeds within itself an account of the material processes giving rise to modern white manhood, a record of the losses entailed in that emergence, and a poignant if politically troubling effort to grieve those losses. The book's initial, materialist account takes the form of an allegory about the loss of male creativity: a residual, lyrically creative masculinity that's figured through tropes of beneficent femininity (i.e., Gatsby) is destroyed by the representative of an emergent male “hardness” that's linked, paradoxically, to a traditional ruling class (i.e., Tom Buchanan). Though this allegory of loss entails a condensation, displacement, and representational disfigurement of the historical processes with which it is concerned, it nonetheless offers a trenchant critique of how the traditional ruling class allies itself with an emergent regime of gender to extend its dominion over the socially vulnerable (especially over women and “feminine” men). This allegory is overwritten, however, by a second and more disturbing set of imperatives. Because Fitzgerald had also internalized the demands of the new gender order, his novel begins to disparage the “femininity” it values in its protagonist, defending against it, too, with increasing emphasis on Gatsby's “masculine” qualities.
A phase I dose-escalation of hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) carboplatin for the frontline treatment of advanced ovarian cancer.

5554Background: Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) at the time of frontline ovarian cancer surgery has shown preliminary overall survival benefit, but selection of chemotherapy agent...
The Role of Risk Perception and Political Culture: A Comparative Study of Regulating Genetically Modified Food

Policymakers in industrialized countries have responded differently to the perceived opportunities and threats regarding the genetic modification of agricultural food production. In particular, a biotechnology policy divide has emerged since the 1990s between North America and some countries in South America on the one hand and many countries in the European Union. This study asks whether national differences in political culture, as expressed through different levels of tolerance for uncertainty and risk affect the formulation of protective regulatory policy in the area of genetically modified food. To answer this question, the analysis applies elements of the cultural model developed by Hofstede and uses a modified version of the Margolis Risk Matrix to assess risk tolerance in regards to the regulation of genetically modified food in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and the European Union.
Organic Bulk Heterojunction Infrared Photodiodes for Imaging Out to 1300 nm

This work studies organic bulk heterojunction photodiodes with a wide spectral range capable of imaging out to 1.3 μm in the shortwave infrared. Adjustment of the donor-to-acceptor (polymer:fullere...
Benefits in Speech Recognition in Noise with Remote Wireless Microphones in Group Settings

Background Although hearing aids (HAs) and cochlear implants (CIs) can provide significant benefits to persons with hearing loss, users frequently report difficulty hearing in noisy environments, particularly when there are multiple talkers. Little is known about the benefits provided by currently available wireless microphones in multitalker situations. Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the benefits received in speech recognition in noise by adults with hearing loss when using two different wireless microphone types in a simulated group setting. Research Design A quasi-experimental, repeated-measures design was used where performance in a control condition, HA/CI alone, was compared with performance in two wireless microphone intervention conditions. Study Sample Participants included ten listeners, aged 20-92 years, with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss who were experienced HA or CI users. Intervention The two wireless microphones by Phonak, Roger Pen, and Roger Select used the same digital modulation protocol to transmit the signal to compatible receivers. However, the Roger Pen operated in a fixed omnidirectional mode, whereas the Roger Select operated in an adaptive directional mode. Data Collection and Analysis Participants were asked to repeat Hearing in Noise Test sentences presented in restaurant noise in three conditions: HA/CI alone, HA/CI with a Roger Pen, or HA/CI with a Roger Select microphone placed in the center of a round table. Sentences were presented from one of five loudspeakers equally spaced with the participant, while restaurant noise was presented on each side at four signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), including +5, 0, −5, and −10 dB. A two-way, repeated-measures analysis of variance was performed with main effects of listening condition and noise level. Results Significantly greater speech recognition performance was achieved with the wireless microphones than with listening with just the HA or CI. Furthermore, at the −5- and −10-dB SNR conditions, the Roger Select resulted in significantly better performance than the Roger Pen microphone. Conclusions The results suggest that the Roger Select microphone can provide significant benefits in speech recognition in noise over the use of HA/CI alone (61%) and also significant benefits over the use of a Roger Pen (16%) in a simulated group dining experience.
Robotic Repair of Giant Inguinal Hernias

The re-introduction of herniated bowel back into the abdominal cavity due to a large, scrotal hernia will alter many aspects of a patient’s cardio-pulmonary and vascular systems. In addition, placing them under a general anesthesia will affect their peri-operative and post-operative course. The surgeon who is tackling this type of hernia will need to coordinate numerous pre-operative and post-operative consults. Progressive Pneumoperitoneum is a technique and when combined with Botulinum Toxin A (Botox) can increase the abdominal wall musculature length acting as a chemical component separation. Performance of a robotic inguinal hernia should be the same as described by many authors and may need to be modified to accommodate the additional intestines into the abdominal cavity. Complications need to be monitored for and post-operative Intensive Care Unit is frequently necessary. Large scrotal hernias can be approached using robotic and laparoscopic techniques but preparation is paramount to a successful repair, no matter what technique or approach is selected.
Importance of Outcome Domain for Patients With Musculoskeletal Pain: Characterizing Subgroups and Their Response to Treatment.

Background Patient-centered care models allow for the ability to tailor treatment to outcomes of importance to patients. Objective The purposes of this study were to (1) define patient subgroups based on outcomes of importance; (2) determine whether patient subgroups based on outcomes of importance differed in demographic, clinical, and psychological measures; and (3) determine whether outcome domain subgroups differed in treatment responses. Design This was a prospective, longitudinal observational study. Methods This was a secondary analysis of the Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome study. Patients in the development phase completed the Patient Centered Outcome Questionnaire (PCOQ) and questionnaires related to negative mood, fear avoidance, and positive coping, as well as region-specific questionnaires. Patients in the validation cohort completed the PCOQ, measures of treatment satisfaction and region-specific questionnaires at 4 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. A hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis identified profiles based on importance outcomes as determined by the PCOQ. Analysis of variance and chi-squared assessed baseline subgroup differences in demographics, psychological factors, and clinical outcomes. Repeated-measure analysis of variance considered subgroup differences in outcomes longitudinally. Results Cluster analysis identified 3 subgroups: (1) "Multiple Outcome Domains Important" subgroup characterized by high importance attached to improvement in all domains, (2) "Pain and Function Outcomes Important" subgroup characterized by high importance attached to improvement in pain and interference, and (3) "Pain Important" subgroup characterized by greatest importance attached to improvement in pain. Limitations Our sample included patients from outpatient physical therapy and may not be representative of patients in other settings. Conclusion Patients can be characterized by the importance attached to improvement in outcome domains. The identified subgroups differed in baseline measures as well as response to treatment.