cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The safety of celecoxib in patients with aspirin-sensitive asthma.

Objective To determine whether celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitor, cross-reacts in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) with asthma. Methods Sixty patients with asthma underwent double-blinded, placebo-controlled oral challenges with celecoxib (100 mg, 200 mg, and 2 placebos) over 48 hours in our General Clinical Research Center. The next day, sensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) was proven in all patients with the use of single-blinded ASA challenges. Results None of the 60 patients experienced any symptoms, changes in nasal examinations, or declines in forced expiratory volume in 1 second during the celecoxib challenges. All 60 patients experienced oculonasal and/or asthmatic reactions to ASA, with a mean provoking dose of 69 mg. The exact 1-sided confidence interval for the probability of celecoxib inducing cross-reactions in AERD patients was calculated to be between 0% and 5%. Conclusion Cross-reactivity between ASA and celecoxib does not occur in patients with AERD. These results do not preclude the possibility of other types of immune reactions occurring with celecoxib after prior exposure. Our results add to the growing body of evidence that inhibition of COX-1 is a critical initiating event in the precipitation of respiratory reactions in AERD patients following ingestion of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.
Strong-field optical control of vibrational dynamics: Vibrational Stark effect in planar acetylene

We perform quantum mechanical simulations of vibrational excitation of planar (5D) acetylene (HCCH) with linearly polarized, intense but nonionizing, infrared laser pulses, exploring one particular pathway for exciting the HCCH molecule into a CC-stretching state via the fundamental excitation in a two-pulse scheme. We optimize the pulse widths, time centers, and carrier frequencies of the two pulses to achieve the maximal projection onto the target CC-stretching state, (0,3,0,0,0) A1, subject to penalties related to peak electric field and pulse duration. The influences of Fermi resonance, the vibrational Stark effect, and avoided crossings on the selective excitation are discussed. Different sizes of “essential-states” representation are used and checked against the underlying 299 475-point discrete variable representation (DVR) basis. We find that an essential-states basis consisting of 362 A1 and B2 eigenstates represents the results of a full-grid calculation for the excitation process under study. M...
Future T&D Technology

Power Electronics has evolved over the past 20 years to be the main method of power conversion in terms of equipment volume, efficiency and cost. In power transmission and distribution systems power electronics does not compare in efficiency and cost and only provides support where conventional technology is not incapable of performing the task. With the promise of Silicon Carbide (SiC) based IGBTs rated at 10kV to be realised within the next year the paper examines what effect this might have on the role of Power Electronics within Power Transmission. In particular values of efficiency, weight and size are developed for 300MW PWM based HVDC converter equipment operating with both a 50Hz transformer and at 1kHz and 20kHz and concludes that with Silicon Carbide devices the cost of VSC-HVDC stations will reduce by about 30%. Changing to high frequency conversion using frequencies of up to 20kHz will result in comparable efficiencies and volumes with Si based VSC-HVDC stations, however the overall cost will increase by about 30%.
Increased Genome Instability and Telomere Length in the elg1-Deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mutant Are Regulated by S-Phase Checkpoints

Gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs) are frequently observed in cancer cells. Abnormalities in different DNA metabolism including DNA replication, cell cycle checkpoints, chromatin remodeling, telomere maintenance, and DNA recombination and repair cause GCRs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recently, we used genome-wide screening to identify several genes the deletion of which increases GCRs in S. cerevisiae. Elg1, which was discovered during this screening, functions in DNA replication by participating in an alternative replication factor complex. Here we further characterize the GCR suppression mechanisms observed in the elg1Delta mutant strain in conjunction with the telomere maintenance role of Elg1. The elg1Delta mutation enhanced spontaneous DNA damage and resulted in GCR formation. However, DNA damage due to inactivation of Elg1 activates the intra-S checkpoints, which suppress further GCR formation. The intra-S checkpoints activated by the elg1Delta mutation also suppress GCR formation in strains defective in the DNA replication checkpoint. Lastly, the elg1Delta mutation increases telomere size independently of other previously known telomere maintenance proteins such as the telomerase inhibitor Pif1 or the telomere size regulator Rif1. The increase in telomere length caused by the elg1Delta mutation was suppressed by a defect in the DNA replication checkpoint, which suggests that DNA replication surveillance by Dpb11-Mec1/Tel1-Dun1 also has an important role in telomere length regulation.
Individual-Difference Variables and Career-Related Coping

Because of the widespread use of downsizing and restructuring, employees in the United States are reaching their career plateaus earlier than before. This study examined the relationship between individual-difference variables and the use of commonly recognized coping strategies for plateaued employees. A sample of 120 plateaued U.S. employees was used to examine relationships between need for achievement, job involvement, negative affectivity, age, and tenure and 13 positive and negative career-plateau coping behaviors. Need for achievement and chronological age were most closely associated with choosing positive strategies. Negative affectivity was associated with the selection of negative strategies. Although job involvement and tenure had some significant associations, they did not co-vary in consistent directions with the coping strategies.
Extreme construction: making agile accessible

In recent years agile software development methodologies have become important. Extreme programming (XP) is perhaps the best known of these. XP involves about a dozen key practices that work synergistically to provide quality software in an environment in which change is likely to occur. Here we present an exercise that we have developed and used successfully to train novices in the techniques. This exercise is novel in that it is accessible to programmers and non-programmers alike. In an industrial setting, this makes it available to managers and customers. In the educational setting, it becomes possible to teach the techniques to novices before they have learned any programming. It is intended for those who require some deep understanding of the synergies of agile methodology. Extreme construction is a game that is both fun and informative. It teaches the fundamentals of any agile methodology while helping build a closely-knit team.
Effect of carbon dioxide sorption on the phase behavior of weakly interacting polymer mixtures: Solvent‐induced segregation in deuterated polybutadiene/polyisoprene blends

The effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) sorption on the lower critical solution temperatures of deuterated polybutadiene/polyisoprene blends was determined with in situ small-angle neutron scattering. CO2 was a poor solvent for both polymers and exhibited very weak selectivity between the blend components. The sorption of modest concentrations of CO2, at pressures up to 160 bar, induced phase segregation at temperatures well below the binary-phase-separation temperature and caused an in- creased asymmetry in the lower critical solution temperature curve. The origin of solvent-induced phase segregation in this weakly interacting polymer blend system was attributed predominantly to an exacerbation of the existing disparity in the compress- ibility of the components upon CO2 sorption. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3114 -3126, 2003
Region of interest identification in collimated x-ray images utilizing nonlinear preprocessing and the Radon transform

The identification of the region of interest (ROI) in collimated x-ray images remains an important, open problem. The x-ray scattering present in all practical cases complicates the identification of a clearly defined ROI. Such scattering degrades image quality by producing a blurring of the boundaries delineating the ROI as well as corrupting the underlying gray-scale histogram. The construction of a proper identification scheme to locate the ROI in x-ray images will result in x-rays with improved visual clarity. A robust two-stage method of nonlinear preprocessing in the spatial domain to enhance the ROI boundary followed by extraction in the projection domain is proposed as an efficient means of ROI identification. The method proves effective for a wide variety of x-ray images taken with varying dosages. The results of simulations run in comparison with commonly used snake-based methods, which attempt to identify arbitrary ROIs using force on control points, show the proposed method yields better success rates in high- and low-SNR cases.
Determinants of Innovation in Organizations

The present study is an attempt to identify the determinants of innovation in public agencies, i.e., the degree to which they adopt and emphasize programs that depart from traditional concerns. Innovation is suggested to be the function of an interaction among the motivation to innovate, the strength of obstacles against innovation, and the availability of resources for overcoming such obstacles.The significance of the research can be viewed in terms of Hyneman's observation nearly twenty years ago that bureaucratic agencies “… may fail to take the initiative and supply the leadership that is required of them in view of their relation to particular sectors of public affairs. …” His concern was the responsiveness of the public sector not only to expressed wants but to public wants that may go unexpressed, or be only weakly expressed, and whose utility is much more easily recognized by the informed bureaucratic official than by the ordinary citizen.While the results and conclusions to be reported appear to be largely valid for organizations in general, the empirical focus will be local departments of public health which, as a class, have had a rather dramatic succession of opportunities to respond to new public problems over the past twenty-five years. A brief introductory paragraph will orient the reader to the applied setting.
Controllability and motion planning of a multibody Chaplygin's sphere and Chaplygin's Top

SUMMARY This paper studies local configuration controllability of multibody systems with nonholonomic constraints. As a nontrivial example of the theory, we consider the dynamics and control of a multibody spherical robot. Internal rotors and sliders are used as the mechanisms for control. Our model is based on equations developed by the second author for certain mechanical systems with nonholonomic constraints, e.g. Chaplygin’s sphere and Chaplygin’s top in particular, and the multibody framework for unconstrained mechanical systems developed by the first and third authors. Recent methods for determining controllability and path planning for multibody systems with symmetry are extended to treat a class of mechanical systems with nonholonomic constraints. Specific results on the controllability and path planning of the spherical robot model are presented. Copyright q 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Received 16 February 2007; Revised 23 May 2007; Accepted 23 June 2007
Primordial quantum nonequilibrium and large-scale cosmic anomalies

We study incomplete relaxation to quantum equilibrium at long wavelengths, during a preinflationary phase, as a possible explanation for the reported large-scale anomalies in the cosmic microwave background. Our scenario makes use of the de Broglie--Bohm pilot-wave formulation of quantum theory, in which the Born probability rule has a dynamical origin. The large-scale power deficit could arise from incomplete relaxation for the amplitudes of the primordial perturbations. We show, by numerical simulations for a spectator scalar field, that if the preinflationary era is radiation dominated then the deficit in the emerging power spectrum will have a characteristic shape (an inverse-tangent dependence on wave number $k$, with oscillations). It is found that our scenario is able to produce a power deficit in the observed region and of the observed (approximate) magnitude for an appropriate choice of cosmological parameters. We also discuss the large-scale anisotropy, which might arise from incomplete relaxation for the phases of the primordial perturbations. We present numerical simulations for phase relaxation, and we show how to define characteristic scales for amplitude and phase nonequilibrium. The extent to which the data might support our scenario is left as a question for future work. Our results suggest that we have a potentially viable model that might explain two apparently independent cosmic anomalies by means of a single mechanism.
Digenic descent measures for finite populations

The development of a set of two-locus descent measures is reviewed. The three digenic measures, inbreeding coefficient and parental and recombinant descent coefficients, are considered in detail. The derivations of these three in pedigrees, fixed mating systems, and random mating in monoecious or dioecious populations are given. General expressions for digenic frequencies and disequilibria functions at any time are found by applying the three digenic descent measures to two types of initial populations. The final or equilibrium status of the population is also given. As the inbreeding coefficient is the same as the recombinant descent coefficient in the case of complete linkage, avoidance or promotion of early inbreeding has similar effects on the two coefficients. Estimable components of linkage disequilibrium and other measures of association within and among populations are elaborated.
Posttraumatic symptoms and growth of Kosovar war refugees: The influence of hope and cognitive coping

Research on war trauma has been dominated by a pathological focus for decades. Researchers have now counterbalanced studies of trauma with a new focus, positive changes following crisis. This prospective study examines how specific psychological factors might influence post-war adaptive outcomes (the coexistence of posttraumatic growth [PTG] and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptoms) in a sample of 50 Kosovar war refugees. Individual differences in positive attitude and coping strategies were explored. Hope assessed during resettlement, and cognitive coping strategies, employed between resettlement and follow-up, were associated with PTG, controlling for war-related trauma and baseline symptoms. PTG and symptoms were unrelated. No predictors for present symptoms were identified. Future mental health practice with refugees should address both positive and negative aspects.
A proposed origin for palimpsests and anomalous pit craters on Ganymede and Callisto

The hypothesis that palimpsests and anomalous pit craters are essentially pristine crater forms derived from high-velocity impacts and/or impacts into an ice crust with preimpact temperatures near melting is explored. The observational data are briefly reviewed, and an impact model is proposed for the direct formation of a palimpsest from an impact when the modification flow which produces the final crater is dominated by 'wet' fluid flow, as opposed to the 'dry' granular flow which produces normal craters. Conditions of 'wet' modification occur when the volume of impact melt remaining in the transient crater attains a volume comparable to the transient crater. The normal crater-palimpsest transition is found to occur for sufficiently large impacts or sufficiently fast impactors. The range of crater diameters and morphological characteristics inferred from the impact model is consistent with the observed characteristics of palimpsests and anomalous pit craters.
Importance of self-induced carrier-density modulation in semiconductor lasers

Semiconductor lasers have a built-in mechanism for modulating the carrier density at multiples of the longitudinal-mode spacing. This mechanism is believed to be relatively unimportant for solitary laser diodes since the mode spacing typically exceeds 50 GHz. A general numerical model capable of including self-saturation, cross saturation, and four-wave mixing occurring due to both interband and intraband effects is presented, and the self-induced carrier-density modulation is shown to play an important role in solitary laser diodes. In particular, it can severely degrade the gain margin and the mode-suppression ratio in single-mode semiconductor lasers when the operating current is increased. Degradation depends on the linewidth enhancement factor and the laser length and can be especially severe when the cavity length exceeds 1 mm. >
Aicardi syndrome: More than meets the eye

An eight-month-old girl with infantile spasms and apparent blindness had electroencephalographic findings compatible with Aicardi syndrome. In addition to optic nerve hypoplasia, there were multiple congenital retinal malformations in the right eye, including chorioretinal lacunae, anomalous retinal vessels, posterior scleral ectasia, and a peripheral fibrous ridge. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated agenesis of the corpus callosum, absence of the septum pellucidum, optic nerve and chiasmal hypoplasia, pachygyria, cortical heterotopias, colpocephaly, and hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis. This patient illustrates the broad spectrum of cerebroretinal malformations now known to characterize Aicardi syndrome.
Bio-active compounds of bitter melon genotypes (Momordica charantia L.) in relation to their physiological functions

Background: Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia L) is one of the most popular cooked vegetables in many Asian countries. Its experimental use in mice has indicated improvement in glucose tolerance against Type II diabetes and reduction in blood cholesterol. However, it has not been proven which alkaloids, polypeptides, or their combinations in the Bitter Melon extract are responsible for the medicinal effects. Green and white varieties of Bitter Melon differ strikingly in their bitter tastes, green being much more bitter than white. It is not yet known whether they are different in their special nutritional and hypoglycemic properties. Nutritional qualities of Bitter Melons such as protein, amino acids, minerals, and polyphenolics contents were determined using four selected varieties such as Indian Green [IG], Indian White [IW], Chinese Green [CG], and Chinese White [CW] grown at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff [UAPB] Agricultural Research Center. Results indicated that protein levels of IW were significantly higher than IG in both flesh and seed.
Reminiscence: a nonformal technique for improving cognitive functioning in the aged.

This study investigated the effect of a structured reminiscent intervention program upon cognitive functioning of the elderly. The sample consisted of 105 volunteers residing in a public housing complex in central Pennsylvania. Using an experimental design, the volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. One group was given learning tasks to be performed using material from their past personal lives. A second group was asked to perform operations on new material and a control group was pre and posttested but given no treatment. It was found that females in the reminiscent group significantly improved scores of cognitive functioning as measured by the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices. Secondly, compared with the control group, both the reminiscent and new material groups improved performance as a result of the planned learning activities. Both findings suggest that attempts to stimulate cognitive functioning in older people are worth undertaking, and that memories can provide the...
Fast multiresolution photon-limited image reconstruction

The techniques described in this paper allow multiscale photon-limited image reconstruction methods to be implemented with significantly less computational complexity than previously possible. Methods such as multiscale Haar estimation, wedgelets, and platelets are all promising techniques in the context of Poisson data, but the computational burden they impose makes them impractical for many applications which involve iterative algorithms, such as deblurring and tomographic reconstruction. With the advent of the proposed implementation techniques, hereditary translation-invariant Haar wavelet-based estimates can be calculated in O (N log N) operations and wedgelet and platelet estimates can be computed in O (N/sup 7/6/) operations, where N is the number of pixels; these complexities are comparable to those of standard wavelet denoising (O (N)) and translation-invariant wavelet denoising (O (N log N)). Fast translation-invariant Haar denoising for Poisson data is accomplished by deriving the relationship between maximum penalized likelihood tree pruning decisions and the undecimated wavelet transform coefficients. Fast wedgelet and platelet methods are accomplished with a coarse-to-fine technique which detects possible boundary locations before performing wedgelet or platelet fits.
Single-photon switches for quantum information processing

Recent work towards the realization of low-loss, high-speed, optical switches designed to accommodate single photon qubits is discussed. Preliminary results from an all-optical switch and plans for an electro-optical switch are described.
Nonsense mutations in the dihydrofolate reductase gene affect RNA processing.

Abstract Steady-state dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) mRNA levels were decreased as a result of nonsense mutations in the dhfr gene. Thirteen DHFR-deficient mutants were isolated after treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cells with UV irradiation. The positions of most point mutations were localized by RNA heteroduplex mapping, the mutated regions were isolated by cloning or by enzymatic amplification, and base changes were determined by DNA sequencing. Two of the mutants suffered large deletions that spanned the entire dhfr gene. The remaining 11 mutations consisted of nine single-base substitutions, one double-base substitution, and one single-base insertion. All of the single-base substitutions took place at the 3' position of a pyrimidine dinucleotide, supporting the idea that UV mutagenesis proceeds through the formation of pyrimidine dimers in mammalian cells. Of the 11 point mutations, 10 resulted in nonsense codons, either directly or by a frameshift, suggesting that the selection method favored a null phenotype. An examination of steady-state RNA levels in cells carrying these mutations and a comparison with similar data from other dhfr mutants (A. M. Carothers, R. W. Steigerwalt, G. Urlaub, L. A. Chasin, and D. Grunberger, J. Mol. Biol., in press) showed that translation termination mutations in any of the internal exons of the gene gave rise to a low-RNA phenotype, whereas missense mutations in these exons or terminations in exon 6 (the final exon) did not affect dhfr mRNA levels. Nuclear run-on experiments showed that transcription of the mutant genes was normal. The stability of mature dhfr mRNA also was not affected, since (i) decay rates were the same in wild-type and mutant cells after inhibition of RNA synthesis with actinomycin D and (ii) intronless minigene versions of cloned wild-type and nonsense mutant genes were expressed equally after stable transfection. We conclude that RNA processing has been affected by these nonsense mutations and present a model in which both splicing and nuclear transport of an RNA molecule are coupled to its translation. Curiously, the low-RNA mutant phenotype was not exhibited after transfer of the mutant genes, suggesting that the transcripts of transfected genes may be processed differently than are those of their endogenous counterparts.
Single Input Single Output Fuzzy Systems

In the previous chapter we have described in detail Fuzzy Inference Systems. These have fuzzy sets as inputs, and their output is a fuzzy set as well, so these systems work exclusively in a fuzzy setting. Often, in practical applications we need to be able to accept crisp inputs and also, the system needs to produce a crisp number for the output. Surely this is often a well defined classical functional relationship between inputs and outputs. Naturally raises the question why do we need fuzzy systems when we have a crisp relationship, crisp input and also a crisp output for a classical system. The reason for this fact lies in epistemic uncertainty. However we have a crisp relationship, this is often unknown or only partially known to us.
The Strategy of Normalization in the South African Lgbt Movement

*† The article theorizes and presents normalization as a movement-level strategy available to social movements dealing with an internal threat. By defining themselves against an internal threat’s abnormality through a process of normalization, social movement organizations assert how they and the movement operate within socially and politically respectable parameters. Drawing on ethnographic, interview, and newspaper data, I show how mainstream South African lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movement organizations deployed normalization to marginalize and expel an internal threat, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance, between 1998 and 2006.
Economic Pressure, Individual and Family Processes, and Children’s Reticence in Romanian Families

Using Conger’s family stress model as a theoretical framework, a series of mediated associations among economic hardship, perceived economic pressure, parental depression, marital conflict, psychologically controlling parenting, and children’s reticent behaviors in Romanian families were studied. The sample consisted of 121 Romanian mothers and fathers of 4–5-year-old children. Children’s kindergarten teachers living in urban and rural locations evaluated child reticence. Findings generally support the family stress model. Structural equation modeling showed that after controlling for living in a rural location, economic pressure was indirectly linked with marital conflict through depression. Depression was indirectly related to psychological control through marital conflict, and marital conflict was indirectly linked to child reticence through psychological control. Directions for future research and recommendations for interventions and public policy are described.
Electrophoretic Studies on New-Born Calf Serum

Summary(a) The serum of new-born calves, before the ingestion of colostrum contains no γ globulin and only small amounts of β globulin, (b) During the nursing period the composition of calf serum changes rapidly.The γ globulin appears. Both γ and β increase in concentration and then decrease. The concentration of α and albumin decrease during nursing, with that of the albumin finally increasing, (c) During the period of greatest change in composition of the serum, the protein fractions exhibit an abnormally high mobility.
Crystallite Size and Lattice Strain of Various Kinds of Silicon Nitride Powders

Crystallite size and lattice strain of commercial silicon nitride powders were calculated by Hall's equation from the powder X-ray diffraction patterns. α-percent in the crystal phase of silicon nitride powders was determined by using a calibration curve. Silicon nitride powder obtained from the nitridation of metallic silicon powders have a tendency to show little lattice strain and large crystallite size. The powder produced from silica showed large lattice strain. The powder synthesized from ammonolysis of SiCl4 and vapor phase reaction showed little crystallite size and a large littice strain.
DNA Damage as a Critical Factor of Stem Cell Aging and Organ Homeostasis

Decline in regenerative capacity due to depletion or dysfunction of stem cells is a prominent hallmark of aging across tissues and organisms. Molecular damages such as protein, organelle, and DNA damages are commonly recognized as drivers of age-related stem cell decline. In this review, we discuss diverse damage types and respective avoidance strategies used by stem cells across species with specific focus on avoidance of genotoxic damage and evasion of DNA-damage induced death. Within DNA damage management by stem cells, protective strategies range from asymmetric damage exclusion to downregulation of DNA damage checkpoints and upregulation of pro-survival factors. We also discuss systemic impact of stem cell DNA damage from the angle of its organ-damaging role and from the unexpected pro-homeostatic angle. We use examples of progeroid syndromes and acute irradiation exposure to outline the impact of stem cell DNA damage on the aging process.
Biosynthesis of polyamines and polyamine-containing molecules

Polyamines are evolutionarily ancient polycations derived from amino acids and are pervasive in all domains of life. They are essential for cell growth and proliferation in eukaryotes and are essential, important or dispensable for growth in bacteria. Polyamines present a useful scaffold to attach other moieties to, and are often incorporated into specialized metabolism. Life has evolved multiple pathways to synthesize polyamines, and structural variants of polyamines have evolved in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. Among the complex biosynthetic diversity, patterns of evolutionary reiteration can be distinguished, revealing evolutionary recycling of particular protein folds and enzyme chassis. The same enzyme activities have evolved from multiple protein folds, suggesting an inevitability of evolution of polyamine biosynthesis. This review discusses the different biosynthetic strategies used in life to produce diamines, triamines, tetra-amines and branched and long-chain polyamines. It also discusses the enzymes that incorporate polyamines into specialized metabolites and attempts to place polyamine biosynthesis in an evolutionary context.
The effects of perceived quality on behavioral economic demand for marijuana: A web-based experiment.

Abstract Background Given the growing legalization of recreational marijuana use and related increase in its prevalence in the United States, it is important to understand marijuana's appeal. We used a behavioral economic (BE) approach to examine whether the reinforcing properties of marijuana, including “demand” for marijuana, varied as a function of its perceived quality. Methods Using an innovative, Web-based marijuana purchase task (MPT), a sample of 683 young-adult recreational marijuana users made hypothetical purchases of marijuana across three qualities (low, mid and high grade) at nine escalating prices per joint, ranging from $0/free to $20. Results We used nonlinear mixed effects modeling to conduct demand curve analyses, which produced separate demand indices (e.g., P max , elasticity) for each grade of marijuana. Consistent with previous research, as the price of marijuana increased, marijuana users reduced their purchasing. Demand also was sensitive to quality, with users willing to pay more for higher quality/grade marijuana. In regression analyses, demand indices accounted for significant variance in typical marijuana use. Conclusions This study illustrates the value of applying BE theory to young adult marijuana use. It extends past research by examining how perceived quality affects demand for marijuana and provides support for the validity of a Web-based MPT to examine the appeal of marijuana. Our results have implications for policies to regulate marijuana use, including taxation based on the quality of different marijuana products.
State formation on China’s southern frontier: Vietnam as a shadow empire and hegemon

State formation in Vietnam followed an imperial pattern, namely, a process of conquests and annexations typical of an empire. At its peak in the early nineteenth century, the frontier of the Vietnamese empire encompassed much of today’s Cambodia and Laos. This imperial pattern was the basis on which the French built their Indochinese colony and the Vietnamese communist state built its modern hegemony. By re-examining Vietnamese history as that of an empire and hegemon, this paper challenges the nationalist historiography’s assumption about Vietnam’s need for survival from China as the driving force of Vietnamese history. In contrast, I argue that the threat to Vietnamese survival has come less from China than from other states on China’s southern frontier. Vietnam has in fact benefited from a positive synergy with China in much of its premodern and modern history. By situating Vietnamese state formation in the context of mainland Southeast Asia, I hope to correct the tendency in many studies that focus exclusively on Sino-Vietnamese dyadic interactions and that posit the two as opposites. Treating Vietnam as an empire or hegemon over a large area of mainland Southeast Asia also is essential to understand why Vietnamese sometimes did not automatically accept Chinese superiority despite the obvious “asymmetry” between them.
Clinical decision support system as a risk assessment tool to aid in earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal form of cancer. More than 85% of diagnoses are made during the advanced stage and currently, there is no systematic approach for early diagnosis. Therefore, we developed a clinical decision support system that can be used as a heuristic approach in identifying pancreatic cancer risk levels in individuals and in turn, lead to earlier diagnosis. The design method included the use of 14 common pancreatic cancer risk factors stratified into five weight groups. Twelve case scenarios were used to test the system and the results show that it is possible to develop a system that can identify pancreatic cancer risk levels but the impact the system will have on earlier diagnoses of pancreatic cancer is uncertain. Further studies are needed to identify the specific weights and stratifications of the risk levels and risk factors for pancreatic cancer to develop a more effective CDSS.
Unabated occupational risk in a patient with rheumatoid pulmonary fibrosis.

Background This case highlights the importance of considering hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) in the differential diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and of obtaining an occupational history so that remediable risk factors may be identified and managed. Aims To report a case of a chicken sexer with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who developed progressively worsening dyspnoea and restrictive lung disease associated with pulmonary fibrosis. Methods Clinical investigation included physical examination, occupational history, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), chest imaging and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), as well as serological tests including standard IgE bird feather mixture and local IgG precipitin preparation to chicken excrement. Lung histopathology was examined post-mortem. Results The patient had worked as a chicken sexer for 29 years with limited control of exposure to chicken bioaerosols. PFTs initially showed mild restriction with a moderate gas transfer defect and computerized tomography of the chest exhibited extensive interstitial infiltrates throughout with severe honeycombing at the bases. Cytology from a BAL revealed multinucleated giant cells (MNGs). Specific serologic tests for bird antigens were negative. Histopathology demonstrated diffuse interstitial fibrosis with honeycombing, poorly formed granulomas and MNGs. Conclusions Findings were consistent with a diagnosis of HP with RA-associated ILD. The patient's history of severe RA biased the diagnosis to one of RA-associated ILD and her occupational risk had been less emphatically addressed. Obtaining a thorough occupational history can uncover exposures to workplace respiratory hazards and may create opportunities for intervention to limit morbidity from chronic lung disease.
Effect of complexation by natural organic ligands on the toxicity of copper to a unicellular alga, Monochrysis lutheri1

The effect of copper on the division rate of a unicellular alga, Monochrysis Zutheri, was tested in media with different concentrations of natural organic ligands. Filtered river water containing a high concentration of organic matter was added in different proportions to culture media to vary the level of copper complexation. Increased binding of copper by natural ligands was associated with decreased toxicity of a given concentration of added CuSO,+ The decrease in copper toxicity with increasing complexation could be explained quantitatively in terms of a dependency of toxicity on the concentration of free cupric ion. These results indicate that complexation of copper by organic ligands should considerably influence the toxicity of copper in natural waters through the effect of such complexation reactions on free cupric ion concentrations.
Method Validation of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and α-Fetoprotein in Cerebrospinal Fluid: Aiding the Diagnosis of Intracranial Germ Cell Tumors.

Background: Our study objective was to validate 2 individual methods to measure α-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on the Roche cobas ® 6000 analyzer. A 3-year retrospective chart review of CSF samples analyzed for AFP and hCG was also conducted. Methods: Serum samples with high concentrations of AFP or hCG were added to aliquots of pooled CSF. Precision, linearity, detection limit, recovery, carryover, stability, and interference studies of the AFP and hCG+β assays were performed. Results: Within-day and day-to-day assay imprecision for AFP and hCG assays were Conclusions: The Roche cobas 6000 AFP and hCG+β assays accurately quantify AFP and hCG in CSF, facilitating rapid and accurate diagnosis as well as monitoring of intracranial germ cell tumors.
Lower bounds on rate of fixed-length source codes under average- and 6-fidelity constraints

This paper studies lossy coding of discrete memoryless sources and derives new asymptotic lower bounds on the rate of optimal fixed-length codes. Both average and excess-probability distortion constraints are studied. We show that in each case the rate of optimal codes is lower bounded by R(D) + R 2 / √ n + (log n)/(2n) + R 4 /n + o(1) where n is the block length, R(D) is Shannon's rate-distortion function, R 2 is the second-order coding rate, and R 4 a constant that is explicitly identified.
Combination of Searches for the SM Scalar Boson Decaying to Taus

The two searches presented in Chaps. 7 and 8, respectively \(ZH\rightarrow \ell \ell \tau \tau \) and \(WH\rightarrow e\mu \tau _h\), are combined with searches for the SM scalar boson decaying to taus and produced in gluon-gluon fusion and vector boson fusion productions, as well as with searches in the WH channel but with other final states (\(WH\rightarrow \ell \tau _h\tau _h\) and \(WH\rightarrow \mu \mu \tau _h\)).
Team-Based Learning: A Faculty Learning Community at Salem State College

Our paper presents the research design created by a multidisciplinary group of Salem State College instructors to study the effectiveness of team-based learning, a pedagogical approach that is growing in popularity. According to its advocates, team -based learning fosters durable learning because it requires students to apply concepts rather than merely memorize them. In addition, this teaching strategy may develop students’ collaborative skills, promote a sense of accountability and create high-energy classroom exchanges. A Faculty Research Community at Salem State College has been set-up to test these assumptions. This paper will present its methodology and preliminary results, specifically examining whether team-based learning, which is more commonly used in business and science courses, can translate into political science and liberal arts classes. The paper will also discuss how faculty research communities help improve teaching and learning, and it will suggest that such groups at teaching-centered colleges are well positioned to evaluate new pedagogical approaches.
Knee kinematics with a high-flexion posterior stabilized total knee prosthesis: an in vitro robotic experimental investigation.

Background: An analysis of contemporary total knee arthroplasty reveals that, on the average, patients rarely flex the knee beyond 120°. The biomechanical mechanisms that inhibit further flexion after total knee arthroplasty are unknown. The objective of the present study was to investigate the capability of a single design of a fixed-bearing, high-flexion posterior stabilized total knee arthroplasty system (LPS-Flex) to restore the range of flexion to that of the intact knee. Methods: Thirteen cadaveric human knees were tested, with use of a robotic testing system, before and after total knee arthroplasty with the LPS-Flex prosthesis. The passive path and the kinematics under an isolated quadriceps force of 400 N, under an isolated hamstring force of 200 N, and with these forces combined were determined. Posterior femoral translation of the lateral and medial femoral condyles and tibial rotation were recorded from 0° to 150° of flexion. Results: The medial and lateral condyles of the intact knee translated posteriorly from full extension to 150°, reaching a mean peak (and standard deviation) of 22.9 ± 11.3 mm and 31.9 ± 12.5 mm, respectively, under the combined muscle forces. Following total knee arthroplasty, the amount of posterior femoral translation was lower than that observed in the intact knee. At 150°, approximately 90% of the intact posterior femoral translation was recovered by the total knee replacement. Internal tibial rotation was observed for all knees throughout the range of motion. The camspine mechanism engaged at approximately 80° and disengaged at 135°. Despite the absence of cam-spine engagement, further posterior femoral translation occurred from 135° to 150°. Conclusions: The tibiofemoral articular geometry of the intact knee and the knee after total knee arthroplasty with use of the LPS-Flex design demonstrated similar kinematics at high flexion angles. The cam-spine mechanism enhanced posterior femoral translation only at the mid-range of flexion. The femoral component geometry of the LPS-Flex total knee prosthesis may improve posterior tibiofemoral articulation contact in high flexion angles. Clinical Relevance: Although sufficient posterior femoral translation and tibial rotation were restored following total knee arthroplasty with the LPS-Flex prosthesis, these conditions alone may not be sufficient to fully produce the amount of knee flexion that is observed in the intact knee. The clinical outcome after total knee arthroplasty may be affected by other factors, such as preoperative range of motion, flexion space balancing, posterior tibiofemoral articular contact stability, quadriceps contraction, and patient motivation.
An Exploration of OpenCL for a Numerical Relativity Application

AbstractCurrently there is considerable interest in making use of many-core processor architectures, such as Nvidia and AMDgraphics processing units (GPUs) for scientiﬁc computing. In this work we explore the use of the Open ComputingLanguage (OpenCL) for a typical Numerical Relativity application: a time-domain Teukolsky equation solver (alinear, hyperbolic, partial diﬀerential equation solver using ﬁnite-diﬀerencing). OpenCL is the only vendor-agnosticand multi-platform parallel computing framework that has been adopted by all major processor vendors. Therefore,it allows us to write portable source-code and run it on a wide variety of compute hardware and perform meaningfulcomparisons. The outcome of our experimentation suggests that it is relatively straightforward to obtain order-of-magnitude gains in overall application performance by making use of many-core GPUs over multi-core CPUs andthis fact is largely independent of the speciﬁc hardware architecture and vendor. We also obs erve that a single high-end GPU can match the performance of a small-sized, message-passing based CPU cluster.Keywords: GPU, OpenCL, CPU, Relativity, Astrophysics, multi-core, many-core1. IntroductionComputational scientists and engineers have begunmaking use of many-core GPU architectures becausethese can provide signiﬁcant gains in the overall per-formance of many numerical simulations at a relativelylow cost. However, to the average computational sci-entist, these GPUs usually employ a rather unfamiliarand specialized programming model that often requiresadvanced knowledge of their architecture. In addition,these typically have their own vendor- and platform-speciﬁc software developmentframeworks(SDKs), thatare diﬀerent from the others in signiﬁcant ways. Forexample: Nvidia’s GPUs use CUDA SDK [1], AMD’sGPUs use Stream SDK [2], the STI Cell BE uses IBMCell SDK [3], while traditional multi-core processors(from Intel, AMD, IBM) typically employ an OpenMP-based parallel programming model [4]. Therefore, theaverage computational scientist, with limited time andresources available to spend on deeply specialized soft-ware engineering aspects of these modern processors,
Moral Categoriality & Moral Being

For the moment, we shift gears. Having investigated the constitution of the Ego and the Other, we eventually want to turn to the ethical implications of such a social ontology. I begin, though, with an inquiry into the nature of moral action and the degree to which being moral is a necessary human way of being as opposed to a voluntary choice made in certain situations.
Absolute calibration of the DANCE thermal neutron beam using sodium activation

Abstract The measurement of the neutron capture cross section as a function of energy in the thermal range requires a precise knowledge of the absolute neutron flux . In this paper a method of calibrating a thermal neutron beam using the controlled activation of sodium is described. The method is applied to the FP-14 Time Of Flight neutron beam line at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center to calibrate the beam to an uncertainty level of ± 5 %.
Interacting fruit flies synchronize behavior

Abstract Social behaviors are ubiquitous and crucial to an animal’s survival and success. The behaviors an animal performs in a social setting are affected by internal factors, inputs from the environment, and interaction with others. To quantify social behaviors, we need to measure both the stochastic nature of behavior of isolated individuals and how these behaviors change as a function of the environment and features of social interaction. We probed the behavior of male and female fruit flies in a circular arena as individuals and within all possible pairings. By combining measurements of the animals’ position in the arena with an unsupervised analysis of their behaviors, we fully define the effects of position in the environment and the presence of a partner on locomotion, grooming, singing, and other behaviors that make up an animal’s repertoire. We find that geometric context tunes behavioral preference, pairs of animals synchronize their behavioral preferences across trials, and paired individuals display signatures of behavioral mimicry.
NAIL: A General Interactive Fiction Agent.

Interactive Fiction (IF) games are complex textual decision making problems. This paper introduces NAIL, an autonomous agent for general parser-based IF games. NAIL won the 2018 Text Adventure AI Competition, where it was evaluated on twenty unseen games. This paper describes the architecture, development, and insights underpinning NAIL's performance.