cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical quantification of acoustic radiation force impulse-induced dynamics in a translucent phantom

The dynamic response in a translucent tissue-mimicking phantom resulting from an acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) was investigated with optically-based methods. Embedded microspheres (10-µm diameter) were tracked axially and laterally with an optical microscope; 0.5-µm displacement resolution was achieved in both dimensions with frame rates of up to 36 kHz. Tracking was achieved before, during, and after the ARFI excitation at depths of up to 4.8 mm from the phantom's nearest material boundary. Both on- and off-axis (i.e., shear wave) results are presented; these results are then corroborated with matched finite element method (FEM) modeling results. This optically-based tracking method provides high-frame-rate, 2D tracking data, and thus it could prove fruitful in the future investigation of complex ARFI-induced dynamics in experimental settings.
Associations of self-perceived successful aging in young-old versus old-old adults.

Author(s): Martin, Averria Sirkin; Palmer, Barton W; Rock, David; Gelston, Camille V; Jeste, Dilip V | Abstract: BackgroundThe aim of this research was to compare associations of self-perceived successful aging (SPSA) among Young-Old (Y-O; age 50-74 years) versus Old-Old (O-O; 75-99 years) community-dwelling adults. To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare respondents' self-perceptions of successful aging among O-O relative to Y-O adults.MethodsParticipants included 365 Y-O and 641 O-O adults. The two age groups were compared in terms of the association of SPSA with other preselected measures including sociodemographic information, physical and mental functioning, objective and subjective cognitive functioning, emotional health, and positive psychological constructs.ResultsThe O-O group reported higher levels of SPSA than the Y-O group. In multiple regression modeling examining predictors of SPSA in each group, there was a tendency toward lower associations in the O-O group overall. Most notably, the associations between physical and mental functioning with SPSA were significantly lower in the O-O versus Y-O group. There were no associations with SPSA that were significantly higher in the O-O versus Y-O group.ConclusionThe lower predictive power of physical and mental functioning on SPSA among O-O relative to Y-O adults is particularly noteworthy. It is apparent that SPSA is a multidimensional construct that cannot be defined by physical functioning alone. Continuing to clarify the underlying factors impacting SPSA between groups may inform tailored interventions to promote successful aging in Y-O and O-O adults.
Analytical methods for the design and optimization of chip-multiprocessor architectures

In this paper, we revisit Amdahl's law, expanding it to a generalized form, incorporating energy costs, and exploring its application to chip-multiprocessor architecture optimization. By formulating a system objective function that encompasses the system costs, we can solve for the optimal multiprocessor architecture for a given set of application and architectural parameters. First we use the derived cost function to examine the performance components of two architectures. Second, we apply it to a design example, finding the optimal architecture for a given set of application characteristics.
Intragenic and Extragenic Suppressors of Temperature Sensitive Mutations in the Replication Initiation Genes dnaD and dnaB of Bacillus subtilis

Background: The Bacillus subtilis genes dnaD and dnaB are essential for the initiation of DNA replication and are required for loading of the replicative helicase at the chromosomal origin of replication oriC. Wild type DnaD and DnaB interact weakly in vitro and this interaction has not been detected in vivo or in yeast two-hybrid assays. Methodology/Principal Findings: We isolated second site suppressors of the temperature sensitive phenotypes caused by one dnaD mutation and two different dnaB mutations. Five different intragenic suppressors of the dnaD23ts mutation were identified. One intragenic suppressor was a deletion of two amino acids in DnaD. This deletion caused increased and detectable interaction between the mutant DnaD and wild type DnaB in a yeast two-hybrid assay, similar to the increased interaction caused by a missense mutation in dnaB that is an extragenic suppressor of dnaD23ts. We isolated both intragenic and extragenic suppressors of the two dnaBts alleles. Some of the extragenic suppressors were informational suppressors (missense suppressors) in tRNA genes. These suppressor mutations caused a change in the anticodon of an alanine tRNA so that it would recognize the mutant codon (threonine) in dnaB and likely insert the wild type amino acid (alanine). Conclusions/Significance: The intragenic suppressors should provide insights into structure-function relationships in DnaD and DnaB, and interactions between DnaD and DnaB. The extragenic suppressors in the tRNA genes have important implications regarding the amount of wild type DnaB needed in the cell. Since missense suppressors are typically inefficient, these findings indicate that production of a small amount of wild type DnaB, in combination with the mutant protein, is sufficient to restore some DnaB function.
Lorenz attractors through Šil'nikov-type bifurcation. Part I†

The main result of this paper is a construction of geometric Lorenz attractors (as axiomatically defined by J. Guckenheimer) by means of an Ω-explosion. The unperturbed vector field on ℝ3 is assumed to have a hyperbolic fixed point, whose eigenvalues satisfy the inequalities λ1 > 0, λ2 > 0, λ3 > 0 and |λ2|>|λ1|>|λ3|. Moreover, the unstable manifold of the fixed point is supposed to form a double loop. Under some other natural assumptions a generic two-parameter family containing the unperturbed vector field contains geometric Lorenz attractors.A possible application of this result is a method of proving the existence of geometric Lorenz attractors in concrete families of differential equations. A detailed discussion of the method is in preparation and will be published as Part II.
Faces as forms in the world of the newborn

Abstract A number of recent studies have indicated that newborns can learn to recognize mother's face within a few hours of birth. Two of the present authors suggested that a simple auto-associative net might explain that rapid learning. This paper reports three experiments in which the newborn's ability to recognize a learned face over three transformations was tested. The transformations were: (1) a photonegative transformation, (2) a size change and (3) rotation in the third dimension of visual space. Existing auto-associative nets cannot maintain identification across these transformations. The newborns succeeded with all three. An alternative proposal based on the idea that there is a built-in specification of the true shape of a face in the frontal parallel plane is outlined. These data present a challenge not only to associationist theories but also to their main rival, differentiation theory.
The Political Coherence of Educational Incoherence: The Consequences of Educational Specialization in a Southern Moroccan Community.

This article is based on an ethnographic study I conducted in southern Morocco during 2004. I explore the historical, ideological, and cultural background behind educational specialization among Moroccan university students. I describe how French colonial educational policies and postindependence Moroccan national schooling ideologies have created a national system of double standards that: (1) privileges French-educated urban middle- and upper-class students, (2) emphasizes the Arabization of the national education system, and (3) discriminates against Arabized, largely rural students, which have exacerbated regional educational and socioeconomic inequalities. I finally contend that educational specialization in noncompetitive degrees such as Arabic language and literature, Islamic studies, geography, and general law is the result of an ideological matrix I have termed political coherence of educational incoherence. Political coherence of educational incoherence naturalizes the reliance of certain disfranchised regional groups on a traditional preschool Islamic education that is largely based on memorization and inefficient pedagogy and is unsuitable for the modern educational requirements. [Islamic education, school ethnography, Arabization, school failure, minority education]
Effects of environmental variation on extinction and establishment

Theoretical models predict that increasing environmental variation increases the probability of extinction, decreases the probability of establishment, and influences the distribution of times to extinction or establishment. We conducted an experiment with 281 independent populations of Daphnia magna under controlled laboratory conditions to test these predictions. Consistent with the theory, the fraction of populations going extinct increased and the fraction of populations establishing self-sustaining populations decreased under higher levels of environmental variation compared with controls. Time to extinction decreased under higher levels of environmental variation, but we found no effect on time to establishment. These results are consistent with theoretical predictions from models of extinction. They therefore support the use of stochastic population models to predict the fates of introductions of non-indigenous species or native endangered species based on historic fluctuations and/or expected future conditions.
An empirical study of the effect of semantic differences on programmer comprehension

Software engineers face a wide range of difficult tasks. Understanding semantic relationships, such as the semantic differences between two programs, should aid a software engineer address many of these tasks. A series of experiments was conducted with an implementation of a semantic differencing algorithm for the C language. Sixty-three subjects participated in two controlled experiments. There is evidence that the experimental group, which had access to semantic differences, performed significantly faster (p=0.023) and more accurately (p=0.047) than the control group. The study provides empirical support to the assertion that semantic information assists program comprehension.
NON-LINEAR COUPLED TRANSVERSE AND AXIAL VIBRATION OF A COMPLIANT STRUCTURE, PART 2: FORCED VIBRATION

Responses of a beam undergoing both axial and transverse vibration are studied when the beam is subjected to transverse forces. The beam is supported by a torsional spring at the base and has a point mass at the free end. This is a simpli"ed model of a complaint o!shore structure. It is assumed that the environmental forces are due to waves and current. The semi-empirical Morison equation is used to model the #uid forces. Waves in this case are assumed to be random and their heights follow the Pierson}Moskowitz spectrum. Borgman’s method is used to obtain the wave height from the Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum, and the wave velocities and the accelerations are obtained from the wave height using the Airy linear wave theory. The wave velocities and accelerations are then used in the Morison equation to form the #uid forcing function. As a preliminary study, the harmonic force is used to model the #uid force. When the deterministic harmonic force at various frequencies is applied, subharmonic resonances of order 1/2 are observed. Parametric studies of random forcing are performed by varying current velocity and signi"cant wave height. ( 2000 Academic Press
Religiosity, alcohol use, and sex behaviors among college student-athletes.

College student-athletes tend to consume more alcohol, engage in sex, and report more sex partners than nonathlete students. The current study examined the relationship between religiosity (e.g., influence of religious beliefs and church attendance) and alcohol use and sex behavior among college student-athletes. Most of the student-athletes (n = 83) were religious. Influence of religious beliefs was a significant predictor of less alcohol use and less sexual activity (i.e., oral and vaginal sex, number of sex partners). However, increased church attendance was not found to be a protective factor. Findings suggest that religious beliefs may contribute to reduction of alcohol use and sexual risk among college student-athletes. Consideration should be given to incorporating religiosity aspects in sexual and alcohol risk-reduction interventions for student-athletes.
Watching conformational- and photo-dynamics of single fluorescent proteins in solution

Observing the dynamics of single biomolecules over prolonged time periods is difficult to achieve without significantly altering the molecule through immobilization. It can, however, be accomplished using the Anti-Brownian ELectrokinetic (ABEL) Trap, which allows extended investigation of solution-phase biomolecules - without immobilization -through real-time electrokinetic feedback. Here we apply the ABEL trap to study an important photosynthetic antenna protein, Allophycocyanin (APC). The technique allows the observation of single molecules of solution-phase APC for more than one second. We observe a complex relationship between fluorescence intensity and lifetime that cannot be explained by simple static kinetic models. Light-induced conformational changes are shown to occur and evidence is obtained for fluctuations in the spontaneous emission lifetime, which is typically assumed to be constant. Our methods provide a new window into the dynamics of fluorescent proteins and the observations are relevant for the interpretation of in vivo single-molecule imaging experiments, bacterial photosynthetic regulation, and biomaterials for solar energy harvesting.
Managing residential-level EV charging using network-as-automation platform (NAP) technology

The amount of power that can be provided for charging the batteries of the electric vehicles connected to a single neighborhood step-down transformer is constrained by the infrastructure. This paper presents a distributed and collaborative residential-level power grid management application to alleviate the need of costly infrastructure upgrade. The application is designed to be hosted in our in-house developed network-as-automation platform (NAP) technology where most of the control functionalities may be moved onto the networking devices. Moreover, we have adapted a service-oriented software engineering principle to achieve scalability, autonomous, and architecture agnostic properties for the residential-level EV charging. We demonstrate a functional prototype where off-the-shelf networking devices capable to host a Linux Operating system are used to showcase the NAP technology. Furthermore, we developed a web-based user interface that may be accessible from any standard computing device, e.g. iPhone, to monitor the runtime operation of this application.
Perception of highlight disparity at a distance in consumer head-mounted displays

Stereo rendering for 3D displays and for virtual reality headsets provide several visual cues, including convergence angle and highlight disparity. The human visual system interprets these cues to estimate surface properties of the displayed environment. Naive stereo rendering effectively doubles the computational burden of image synthesis, and thus it is desirable to reuse as many computations as possible between the stereo image pair. Computing a single radiance for a point on a surface, to be used when synthesizing both the left and right images, results in the loss of highlight disparity. Our hypothesis is that absence of highlight disparity does not impair perception of surface properties at larger distances. This is due to an ever decreasing angular difference between the surface and the two view points as distance to the surface is increased. The effect is exacerbated by the limited resolution of consumer head-mounted displays. We verify this hypothesis with a user study and provide rendering guidelines to leverage our findings.
Avian flu pandemic - flight of the healthcare worker?

Background: One of the ethical issues identified in response to a possible pandemic is healthcare workers’ duty to provide care during a communicable disease outbreak. Healthcare employees may be subject to a variety of work obligations under such conditions. Questions of duty to treat remain controversial, and debate continues as to the ethical articulation of a duty to treat. This study aimed to investigate opinions from healthcare workers themselves on the perceived duty to treat, and how they might respond to a severe avian flu pandemic. Methods: Using system-wide e-mail, we surveyed employees at our rural tertiary/quaternary care health system regarding their knowledge of our institution’s pandemic planning policy and their willingness to work in the event of a virulent avian pandemic. Results: Results (N=908) show that employees felt a responsibility for “duty to care.” Over 60% disagreed that it was ethical to abandon the workplace during a pandemic. However, opinions also stated that employees wanted autonomy to decide whether or not to work (65%). When asked about volunteering, 79% would agree to volunteer, given some incentives and protective options, the most salient being protective equipment (with relative training for use) and infectious disease training. Conclusions: Our research demonstrated that the healthcare workers at our institution voiced an earnest willingness to work in the event of an avian flu pandemic, if provided with the necessary input, protections and tools, and education. The use of an electronic methodology for dissemination of surveys allowed the low-cost solicitation of information from a vast proportion of the workforce with ease, providing the institutional ethics committee with the empirical data needed to articulate more meaningful, thoughtful, and robust suggestions for ethical pandemic planning.
Analysis of a series resonant converter pulsewidth-modulated or current-controlled for low switching loss

Pulsewidth modulation (PWM) and current-controlled switching are applied to a full-bridge series resonant converter to regulate the output from no load to full load with low switching loss and with a narrow range of frequency variation. Drive strategies, control law, component stress, and other steady-state functions are analyzed for both switching modes.
BAFF inhibition does not significantly impair immunization responses in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Vaccination remains an important strategy in the care of autoimmune disease patients. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for infection due to disease-induced immune dysregulation; however, vaccine efficacy can be impaired by concomitant immunomodulators [1, 2]. Tabalumab is a human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes both soluble and membrane-bound B-cell activating factor (BAFF) [3] and was previously investigated for the treatment of RA and systemic lupus erythematosus. While tabalumab development was discontinued following insufficient efficacy observed in phase 3 RA/systemic lupus erythematosus studies, other BAFF pathway drugs are approved for (belimumab) or being investigated in (atacicept, briobacept) other autoimmune indications, and BAFF bi-specific molecules are in development. Given the importance of immunizations to decrease infection risk in autoimmune diseases and the potential for BAFF antagonists to affect responses, we wished to share data from a tabalumab vaccine substudy in RA. Patients with RA on background methotrexate (MTX) therapy received either a 240 mg loading dose followed by 120 mg of tabalumab monthly (120/Q4W), 180 mg loading dose followed by 90 mg of tabalumab every bi-weekly (90/ Q2W), or placebo, and were vaccinated with tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis vaccine (TDaP) and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV-23) 24 weeks after drug start. A study flow chart shows this in more detail (Additional file 1). Detailed patient demographic information and study methods are included as Additional file 2 (Methods and Supplemental Table 1). The study protocol was approved by the local institutional review boards in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable laws, and all patients provided voluntary written informed consent. Findings
Fluorescent Probes in the Study of Nucleic Acids and Chromatin in Living Cells

Fluorescence analysis provides a sensitive, selective, nondegradative approach to the measurement of nucleic acids in intact cells. Fluorophores of high quantum yield can be detected in very low concentrations, and, by the analysis of fluorescence quantities such as intensity, spectra, polarization, and decay time, it is possible to obtain significant information about the environment of the fluorophore. The position and interaction of the fluorophore with the intact structures within a cell can be determined. Usually this is done after fixation of the cell, because this allows access through the cell membrane for the probe and other reagents. There are a number of fluorophores that complex selectively with nucleic acids, but few that complex only with DNA or RNA. Selectivity can be improved by enzymatic digestion of RNA or DNA before application of the probe. Although fixed cells offer these technical advantages, there are many reasons for probing cells that retain full integrity, metabolic capacity, and viability. Recent reports indicate that this is becoming possible, and it is hoped that this review will help to stimulate further activity in this promising field.
Structural dynamics of potassium-channel gating revealed by single-molecule FRET

Crystallography has provided invaluable insights regarding ion-channel selectivity and gating, but to advance understanding to a new level, dynamic views of channel structures within membranes are essential. We labeled tetrameric KirBac1.1 potassium channels with single donor and acceptor fluorophores at different sites and then examined structural dynamics within lipid membranes by single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). We found that the extracellular region is structurally rigid in both closed and open states, whereas the N-terminal slide helix undergoes marked conformational fluctuations. The cytoplasmic C-terminal domain fluctuates between two major structural states, both of which become less dynamic and move away from the pore axis and away from the membrane in closed channels. Our results reveal mobile and rigid conformations of functionally relevant KirBac1.1 channel motifs, implying similar dynamics for similar motifs in eukaryotic Kir channels and in cation channels in general.
Single Sign-on(SSO) to Cloud based Services and Legacy Applications “Hitting the IAM wall”

Single Sign-On (SSO) projects are a special case of Identity and Access Management (IAM) projects. They are usually undertaken with the aim of increasing the user friendliness of Corporate IT systems’ user log-on processes. This should result in abolishing the use of multiple username and password combinations the user has to remember and change at different intervals. The SSO aim should be achieved without jeopardizing information security in any way. Increasing user convenience in such a manner will increase user satisfaction with the IT department along with general productivity levels.
Lead extractions in patients with cardiac implantable electronic device infections: Single center experience.

Background Lead extraction using laser sheaths is performed mainly for cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections. However, there are few reports concerning the management of CIED infections in Japan.
Polymerization of Unsaturated Fatty Acids. II.

The polymerization of methyl linoleate in the presence of aluminium halides, AlI3, AlBr3, AlCl3 and AlF3 at 300°C was studied. The result shows that only aluminium iodide among the halides promotes the polymerization. The effects of reaction conditions on the polymerization of methyl linoleate with aluminium iodide were studied further. The main results obtained are as follows : (1) The increase of catalyst concentration at 300°C decreases the time required for the polymer content to reach 70%. (2) As the reaction temperature increased in the polymerization with 2mol% aluminium iodide in 250325°C, the amount of polymer formed was increased. (3) The maximum polymer content of the product under the following reaction condition was about 75%, catalyst concentration 2mol%, reaction temperature 325°C, and reaction time 10hr.The dimer separated from polymerization product with aluminium iodide was catalytically dehydro-genated. From the results of analyses of the dehydrogenated dimer and other information, it is considered that the polymerization of methyl linoleate with aluminium iodide catalyst involves mainly the Diels-Alder reaction.
A Matrix Technic for Comprehensive Methods Documentation

This article presents an approach to total documentation of clinical laboratory methods that is practical and comprehensive. Primary reference documents including the bench method, all aspects of instrumentation, calibration, quality control, safety, results, and reporting conventions and back-up research data are entered into a matrix by section. This system has proved to be of great utility particularly in meeting regulatory demands and for the use and orientation of staff technologists.
Electrically Injected InGaN/GaN Disk-in-Nanowire Lasers Monolithically Grown on (001) Silicon

The growth and characteristics of a monolithically grown, electrically injected InGaN/GaN disk in nanowire edge emitting green laser (λ = 533 nm) operating at room temperature are demonstrated.
Distribution of the Grape Mealybug on Pear

The motile stages of the grape mealybug ( Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn)) distribute themselves in a nonrandom pattern on the pear host. The number of mealybugs varies inversely with the distance from the scaffold limbs and with the height from the ground. A curvilinear (logarithmic) regression line appeared to characterize these data. The number of mealybugs per leaf on shoots arising directly from the scaffold limbs increased with an increase in diameter of the scaffolds. There were also indications that the insect prefers the undersides of leaves on upward-growing shoots.
Choosing Useful Word Alternates for Automatic Speech Recognition Correction Interfaces

Speech recognition is an increasingly important input modality, especially for mobile computing. Because errors are unavoidable in real applications, efficient correction methods can greatly enhance the user experience. In this paper we study a reranking and classification strategy for choosing word alternates to display to the user in the framework of a tap-to-correct interface. By employing a logistic regression model to estimate the probability that an alternate will offer a useful correction to the user, we can significantly reduce the average length of the alternates lists generated with no reduction in the number of words they are able to correct.
Group Sparsity in Nonnegative Matrix Factorization.

A recent challenge in data analysis for science and engineering is that data are often represented in a structured way. In particular, many data mining tasks have to deal with group-structured prior information, where features or data items are organized into groups. In this paper, we develop group sparsity regularization methods for nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF). NMF is an effective data mining tool that has been widely adopted in text mining, bioinformatics, and clustering, but a principled approach to incorporating group information into NMF has been lacking in the literature. Motivated by an observation that features or data items within a group are expected to share the same sparsity pattern in their latent factor representation, we propose mixednorm regularization to promote group sparsity in the factor matrices of NMF. Group sparsity improves the interpretation of latent factors. Efficient convex optimization methods for dealing with the mixed-norm term are presented along with computational comparisons between them. Application examples of the proposed method in factor recovery, semi-supervised clustering, and multilingual text analysis are demonstrated.
The Intentionality of Psychodiagnostic Seeing

A phenomenologically based psychology seeks to investigate the phenomena of human experience as manifested in concrete situations. One of the specific interests of phenomenological psychology is how consciousness is involved in structuring the world of everyday life: What is going on such that there is 1 this or that experience? How is experience given to us, both as lived and as known? The “givenness” of experience refers to both the active and the passive ways in which the experiencing person becomes aware of something. Such an interest is characteristic of the phenomenologist’s focus upon the “constitution” of experience. Previous philosophical investigations of constitution (Husserl, 1973, 1982, 1989) have given us the concept of “intentionality,” which refers to the structural (i.e., dynamic, dialectical, and irreducible) relationship between the perceiver and the perceived. An intentional analysis of experience is an examination of the ways in which the perceiver is present to an object such that there is a thematic grasp of the object as having a particular quality or meaning. Phenomenological philosophy raises the question of givenness or constitution at the transcendental2 level, that is, within the realm of “pure” subjectivity. In contrast, an existential-phenomenological psychology at the empirical level takes as its domain the intentionality of human subjects in specific situations.
Underlying Dimensions and Communications Strategies of the Advertising Agency-Client Relationship

Borrowing concepts from both services and industrial marketing, this paper examines the advertising agency-client relationship, revealing that active relationship management today requires more effort than the traditional account manager-advertising department linkage. Understanding the types of advertising tasks and the roles played by decision-makers allows today's managers to develop appropriate communication strategies important in maintaining this service relationship. Managerial implications and recommendations for other service agencies are discussed as well.
Regulation of Expression in Times Square and the First Amendment

This Comment explores the recent New York City Department of Transportation regulations that dictate how and where people can solicit for tips, donations or other contributions. These regulations create separate zones in Times Square, with each zone having different rules on solicitation and panhandling. After analyzing these regulations, this Comment discusses relevant background material on the First Amendment, notably the recent decision of Reed v. Town of Gilbert. Then this Comment analyzes what constitutional issues the regulations may raise, and concludes by offering suggestions to ensure that the regulations leave First Amendment freedoms intact.
Democracy and Economic Openness in an Interconnected System: Democracy and Development

INTRODUCTION The effect of democracy on economic development has captivated many thinkers. De Tocqueville (1835) and Schumpeter (1942), for example, believe democracy provides the social securities required for development. Hayek (1944) argues that democracies exhibit relatively less unrest and political instability, promoting development. Friedman (1962) asserts that democracy promotes development by keeping state power in check. North (1990) expects autocrats to prey on their subjects, and Olson (1993) argues that autocrats are corrupt and promote their cronies, which are bad for development. Going a step further, Fukuyama (1992) argues that capitalism and democracy work in unison to promote welfare, a view many observers share (e.g., The Economist , 1994; Cohen, 2007). In contrast, Marx (1867, 1871) and Lenin (1911) argued that democracy came out of capitalist development as a tool for the elite to deprive and appease the masses. John S. Mill (1860), a supporter of democracy, is skeptical about its ability to promote development. Huntington (1968) argues that democracies exhibit high state expenditures in response to their citizens' demands, reducing the excess that is expendable for development. Olson (1982) argues that special interests in democracy shape public policy to promote their own interests, undermining the economy. Wade (1996) argues that strong autocrats can resist popular pressure for policies to save doomed industries, which is good for development. Barro (2000) and Bueno de Mesquita and Downs (2005) argue that autocrats can effectively pursue prodevelopment policies.
Maximum sustainable yield problem for robot foraging and construction system

We introduce the Maximum Sustainable Yield problem for a multi-robot foraging and construction system, inspired by the relationship between the natural resource growth and harvesting behaviors in an ecosystem. The resources spawn according to the logistic model and are vulnerable to over-harvesting. The robots must maintain sustainability while maximizing productivity. The foraging robots harvest different types of resources, which enable a construction robot to build new foraging robots. We design algorithms to perform robot construction, assignment, and scheduling. We propose an adaptive algorithm to overcome the problem that resource growth model is often unknown. We demonstrate that our algorithms are robust to noises in the actuation and the environment. The case where the observation noise could harm sustainability is discussed.
Surgical Therapies for Vitiligo

Surgical management is a safe and effective treatment modality for select patients with vitiligo. Many techniques of vitiligo surgery exist, each with unique advantages and disadvantages. Preoperative screening for appropriate candidates, selection of surgical technique, and postoperative management are all key elements in enabling patients to achieve maximal repigmentation.
Role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the pathogenesis of distention-associated abdominal pain in bowel obstruction.

Background Previous studies found that visceral sensitivity is increased in bowel obstruction (BO). We hypothesized that mechanical stress-induced expression of BDNF in smooth muscle cells (SMC) of the distended bowel plays a critical role in visceral hypersensitivity in BO by altering voltage-gated K+ channel (Kv ) activity in sensory neurons. Methods Partial colon obstruction was maintained in rats for 7 days. Colon-projecting neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG, T13 to L2) were isolated for electrophysiological and gene expression studies. Key results Compared to controls, membrane excitability of colon-projecting DRG neurons was markedly enhanced in BO. The densities of total Kv and transient A-type (IA ) K+ currents, but not sustained delayed IK current, were significantly reduced in the neurons in BO. The mRNA expression of IA subtype Kv 1.4 in colon neurons was down-regulated in BO. Expression of BDNF mRNA and protein was dramatically increased in colonic smooth muscle of the distended segment, but not in the non-distended aboral segment. Mechanical stretch of colon SMC in vitro increased BDNF expression. Treatment with anti-BDNF antibody restored total Kv and IA currents of neurons from BO rats. Administration of Trk B inhibitor ANA-12 blocked BO-associated changes of neuronal excitability, Kv activity and gene expression in obstruction. Conclusions and inferences Mechanical stress-induced expression of BDNF in colon SMC plays a critical role in visceral hypersensitivity in BO by suppressing A-type K+ currents and gene expression in sensory nerve. These findings help to identify therapeutic targets for distention-associated abdominal pain in the gut.
Moving Closer to the Positional Cloning of Legume Nodulation Genes

The analysis of developmental processes in legumes is aided by genetic and molecular genetic approaches. Of special significance are processes which do not occur in other so-called model plants [Kolchinsky et al, 1994] such as Arabidopsis thaliana and rice. These are the nodulation and nitrogen fixation capabilities of many legumes, and the ability to interact with mycorrhizae (apparently absent in Arabidopsis).
Prolonged Vaginal Bleeding in an Adolescent Secondary to a Foreign Body: Need for a Comprehensive Assessment and Complex Surgery

Abstract Background Heavy, prolonged menstrual bleeding is common in adolescents and results from a variety of etiologies. Case A 13-year-old, virginal girl was referred for prolonged, heavy vaginal bleeding despite combined oral contraceptive use and elected management with a levonorgestrel intrauterine device. A preprocedure exam revealed a plastic foreign body embedded in the posterior vaginal fornix, however, attempted removal in the office was unsuccessful. Subsequent computed tomography imaging of the pelvis revealed a vaginal foreign body, complex adnexal mass, and hydroureter. The patient underwent exam under anesthesia and diagnostic laparoscopy, but required conversion to exploratory laparotomy for removal of a foreign body because of vaginal perforation abutting the rectum. Summary and Conclusion Foreign bodies not easily removed in the outpatient setting should be considered for surgical removal with consideration of preoperative multidisciplinary coordination when imaging reveals intra-abdominal pathology, such as tubo-ovarian abscess and hydroureter.
Managing Diabetes and Preventing Heart Disease: Have We Found a Safe and Effective Agent?

Objective: While improving glycemic control with antihyperglycemics has been demonstrated to reduce microvascular complications, the benefits of reduction in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have not...
CHAPTER 10 – Phylogeny in Studies of Bird Ecology, Behavior, and Morphology

The chapter explores three fundamental issues: phylogenetic accuracy, adaptation, and phylogenetic constraint. These issues are central to historical ecology and cover a broad range of subjects in the field. The most important step to successful historical ecology is the collection of appropriate, accurate, ecological, and phylogenetic data. Although obvious, this assertion is remarkably underemphasized in ecophylogenetic studies. Emphasis is placed primarily on the quality of ecological data, which are viewed as dependent variables, instead of on the accuracy of phylogeny, which is generally viewed as an independent variable without error. However, phylogenetic estimates have error distributions, but these are commonly ignored because they are too complicated to quantify. Historical ecology is burgeoning because it provides structure to the study of ecological patterns and evolutionary processes. Emphasis on the use of accurate phylogenetic data is crucial because the interpretation of evolutionary patterns obviously changes as relationships among taxa change. Although progress may be limited without knowledge of the quantitative genetics of specific traits, initial hypothesis testing is possible with prudent use of the phylogenetic approach, provided that multiple examples of potential evolutionary phenomena are examined.
Changing trends in West Africa’s drug policy terrain: a theoretical perspective

This article examines the challenges of narcotic drugs in West Africa following the region's emergence as a major transit zone for the trafficking of cocaine and other illicit drugs to many countri...
Description of Process and Content of Online Dementia Coaching for Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia

Family caregivers of persons with dementia encounter resistance to care behaviors (RCBs). The purpose of this methods paper was to describe the process and content of six weekly 60-min caregiver coaching sessions delivered synchronously through an online platform to 26 family caregivers of persons with dementia. All session notes were analyzed for process; two coaching sessions from five purposely-selected participants were transcribed and analyzed thematically for content. The six sessions followed an overall pattern. The first session included the most teaching and goal-setting; the coaches also queried the family caregiver about the premorbid personality, work history, and interpersonal attributes of the person with dementia. Sessions two through five were the most active coaching sessions; previously suggested strategies were evaluated and tailored; caregivers also role-played with the coaches and developed scripts designed to curtail RCB. The sixth session served as a review of successful caregiver strategies and concluded the coaching relationship. Four primary content themes emerged in the coaching process: (1) education; (2) caregiver communication; (3) affirmation of the caregiver; and (4) individualized strategies. These four content categories were used throughout the coaching process and were interwoven with each other so that the participant knew why the behavior was occurring, how to verbally address it, how to use a strategy effectively, and affirmation of the result. The coaching process and content demonstrated alignment with person-centered practices and relationship-centered care.
Cost-effectiveness of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) at interval debulking of epithelial ovarian cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Abstract Objectives A recent randomized controlled trial demonstrated an overall survival benefit to the addition of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for stage III epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The objective of the current study was to quantify the cost-effectiveness of HIPEC in this setting. Methods A decision analytic cost-effectiveness model was designed from a payer perspective to compare 2 surgical management strategies for EOC: (1) interval cytoreductive surgery (ICS); (2) ICS + HIPEC. Overall survival and ostomy rates with HIPEC were modeled from published studies. We assumed that 25% of each arm would later undergo secondary cytoreductive surgery, with the ICS arm eligible for HIPEC at that time. Costs were obtained from Medicare data, published studies, and the financial department of an academic hospital. Quality of life was not different between the arms; we assigned utilities based on a prior time-trade off study of ovarian cancer treatment. A Monte Carlo probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed in the base case; primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), expressed in 2017 US Dollars/quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Results ICS was the least costly strategy at $78,849, compared to ICS + HIPEC at $79,954. ICS + HIPEC was more effective than ICS (2.9 QALYs versus 2.45 QALYs for ICS). ICS + HIPEC was highly cost-effective, with an ICER of $2436/QALY compared to ICS. In one-way sensitivity analyses, probability of ostomy reversal and use of HIPEC at secondary cytoreduction did not substantially impact the cost-effectiveness of ICS + HIPEC. Conclusion ICS + HIPEC constitutes cost-effective management of stage III EOC when NACT is performed.
Varied heat treatments and properties of laser powder bed printed Inconel 718

Abstract The effects of post-build heat-treatments on the microstructure, phase formation, recrystallization behavior, and mechanical properties of laser powder bed additively manufactured Inconel 718 superalloy were investigated. Several heat-treatment schedules were used, including simulated hot isostatic pressing (HIP), and variations of the standard double aging treatment with various soaking times and quench procedures. Their effects on the precipitation, grain morphology, grain size, texture sharpness and mechanical properties were all documented. For the as-built coupons, columnar grains with inter-dendritic micro-segregation were formed along the build direction (xz-plane) with equiaxed grains forming on perpendicular sections to the build direction (xy-plane). After prolonged soaking times during the simulated HIP process, the microstructure transitioned from heterogeneous columnar grains to homogenous recrystallized grains with MC-type carbide precipitates. This leads to changes of microhardness (281 HV2.0 to 171 HV2.0), Young's modulus (209 GPa–229 GPa) and texture intensity. However, aging treatments increased both hardness and Young's modulus possibly because of formation of γ″ and γ′ precipitates in the Ni-matrix and the small effective grain size. Phase analysis using XRD confirmed the evolution of the precipitate formation. The combination of additive manufacturing and post-build heat-treatments can result in optimized microstructures and mechanical properties for specific applications depending on part requirements and operating conditions.
Ending Open Defecation: A Struggle to Evoke Behavioral Change

Evolution of toilet, a significant chapter in the history of human civilization, is a link between life and health, society and environment. To promote Sustainable Development Goals and National He...
Ontology Based Test Case Generation for Black Box Testing

Software systems are not considered complete unless properly tested and verified. In existing literature, a growing interest on establishment of automated testing techniques has been observed. However, tedious manual process of test case generation largely depends upon domain knowledge and formalized representation of user requirements. The advent of semantic web engineering has led the foundation for developing ontologies as a mean to express information and knowledge semantics regarding particular domain efficiently. In software testing, ontologies can be significantly helpful to automate testing phase as they encode domain knowledge in machine interpretable format. We have proposed automatic test case generation framework that involves ontology-based requirement specification and learning based methods for conducting black box testing. Our approach integrates knowledge-based system (ontology) with learning-based testing algorithm to automate: generation of test cases, test execution and test verdict construction. Proposed framework includes, requirement ontology to formalize requirement specification, Dialogue Manager that enables selection of available test cases and Learning Based Testing to generate counter examples of test cases through system learning. The contribution of this paper is to enable 1) requirement elicitation and specification using ontologies 2) test data selection from existing ontologies and 3) automatic test case generation from existing test cases. To represent the applicability of this research, ontology for requirement elicitation and specification is developed. Framework proposed in this research paper is an effort to provide software testing tools to save time, cost and efforts during test design phase.
More Cowbell: Lessons Learned in Developing the Skim Reaper

Payment card fraud results in billions of dollars in losses annually. We developed the Skim Reaper, the first device that detects the physical properties of skimmers. We discuss the challenges and key lessons learned in transitioning our technology to practice.
Gender as a Moderating Variable between Delay Discounting and Text-Message Dependency in College Students

The present study examined the role of gender and delay discounting in text-message dependency. Participants completed a questionnaire on their level of text-message dependency. Based on this information, they were first stratified into the high-dependency group or the low-dependency group. They were grouped once more by gender. Participants in all groups completed a delay-discounting task with hypothetical monetary reinforcers. In this task, they made repeated choices between $1,000 to be obtained after a delay and an equal or lower amount of money to be obtained immediately. The results show that high-dependency males did not significantly differ from low-dependency males in terms of their rate of delay discounting, whereas high-dependency females discounted delayed monetary reinforcers at a greater rate than low-dependency females. These findings support the conclusion that gender acts as a moderating variable in the relation between text-message dependency and delay discounting.