cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prodromal and residual symptoms in bipolar I disorder

The objective of the current study was to better understand the nature of prodromal and residual symptoms of mania and depression, as reported by patients with bipolar I disorder and their family members. Prodromal and residual symptoms of mania and depression were elicited from 74 patients with bipolar I disorder. In 45 cases, an adult family member provided similar information. Three clinicians classified the symptoms into six broad categories: behavioral, cognitive, mood, neurovegetative, social, and other. The clinicians also categorized symptoms as typical or idiosyncratic. Seventy-eight percent of the patients reported prodromal depressive symptoms and 87% reported prodromal manic symptoms; greater than half of the patients disclosed residual symptoms of depression (54%) and mania (68%). Within each of these four illness categories, cognitive symptoms were consistently the most common symptoms reported by patients. A substantial number of symptoms were idiosyncratic, particularly those reported for residual depression. Agreement between patient and family members on reported symptoms was strong for the prodromal phase of both polarities, but less so for the residual phases. These preliminary results suggest that patients with bipolar I disorder and their family members can identify prodromal and residual symptoms, that these symptoms are quite common, and that prodromal symptoms may be more prevalent or easier to identify than residual symptoms. Cognitive symptoms were consistently the most common symptoms reported by patients.
Solute distribution in crack tips under mixed mode I/II conditions

Concentration solutions of crack problems under steady state conditions are expressed in terms of the Westergaard stress function. The problem of a central crack in an infinite plate subjected to a biaxial stress field at any angle of inclination with respect to the crack axis is considered in detail. The concentration distribution in the vicinity of the crack tip is obtained and is expressed in terms of the opening-mode and sliding-mode stress intensity factors. Constant terms, usually omitted, are incorporated into the concentration solution. The crack growth criterion based on the maximum concentration of diffusing species in front of the crack tip is reformulated by incorporating the constant terms of the concentration solution. It is shown that the omission of the constant terms may result in a significant error in the prediction of the critical quantities for crack growth.
Computational and experimental study of interfacial bonding of single-walled nanotube reinforced composites

Abstract In the development of nanotube reinforced polymer composites, one of the fundamental issues that scientists and engineers are confronting is the nanotube/polymer interfacial bonding, which will determine load transfer capability from the polymer matrix to the nanotube. In this paper, the interfacial bonding of single-walled nanotube (SWNT) reinforced epoxy composites was investigated using a combination of computational and experimental methods. The interfacial bonding was predicted using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on a cured epoxy resin model, which was constructed by incorporating three-dimensional cross-links formed during curing reaction. Based on the pullout simulations, the interfacial shear strength between the nanotube and the cured epoxy resin was calculated to be up to 75 MPa, indicating that there could be an effective stress transfer from the epoxy resin to the nanotube. In the experiments, single-walled nanotube reinforced epoxy composites were fabricated, characterized and analyzed. The uniform dispersion and good interfacial bonding of the nanotubes in the epoxy resin resulted in a 250–300% increase in storage modulus with the addition of 20–30 wt% nanotubes. These experimental results provided evidence of stress transfer in agreement with the simulation results.
Alkali and alkaline earth rhenohydrides

It is shown that the compounds previously described by us(1) as rhenides are actually complex rhenohydrides of the general formula MeI(ReIIIH4)·2–4H2O, at least if prepared by the reduction of perrhenates with potassium in aqueous ethylenediamine. This has been demonstrated by quantitatively determining the hydrogen evolution during thermal decomposition.
A new perspective of geostrophic adjustment

Abstract When an unbalanced disturbance occurs in a region of the rotating fluid, a part of its energy will be converted to that of the low frequency flow in geostrophic or quasi-geostrophic balance while the rest will be carried by the fast moving inertial gravity wave to the surroundings. This energy ratio depends on the ratio μ between the horizontal scale of the disturbance and the deformation radium and whether the unbalanced initial disturbance is in velocity or in pressure. In the case of unbalanced velocity and barotropic flow, the geostrophic portion is close to unity for μ ≤ 0.2, but it diminishes to almost zero for μ ≥ 5.0. On the other hand, when the unbalanced initial field is pressure, the variation is in the reverse direction. The time needed to reach geostrophic equilibrium in the region is only a few hours when μ is smaller than 0.2, but it increases steadily with increasing μ and then involves slowly attenuating inertial oscillations. A detailed derivation of the initial value solution of the inertial gravity wave equation is also given. The influence of the dispersion in the vertical direction is also included in the baroclinic flow problem, where the scale effect becomes more prominent than that for the barotropic flow.
Generation and Diagnostics of an Electron Beam in a Plasma Cathode Electron (PCE) Source

Summary form only given. An electron beam source is under development at Los Alamos National Laboratory. We outline the generation of the electron beam in a plasma cathode electron (PCE) source. Our PCE source was created using 1.5 kW of microwave power at 2.45 GHz delivered in a static magnetic field of 875 Gauss. We were able to drive electron beams of greater than 100 A in our source with very high beam efficiencies by biasing the ECR source chamber to -140V. Diagnosis of the beam was done using spectroscopy and electric probes. We discuss both the generation method and the diagnostics we used in this experiment.
Antitransgene Rejection Responses Contribute to Attenuated Persistence of Adoptively Transferred CD20/CD19-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor Redirected T Cells in Humans

Immunotherapeutic ablation of lymphoma is a conceptually attractive treatment strategy that is the subject of intense translational research. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that are genetically modified to express CD19- or CD20-specific, single-chain antibody–derived chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) display HLA-independent antigen-specific recognition/killing of lymphoma targets. Here, we describe our initial experience in applying CAR-redirected autologous CTL adoptive therapy to patients with recurrent lymphoma. Using plasmid vector electrotransfer/drug selection systems, cloned and polyclonal CAR+ CTLs were generated from autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells and expanded in vitro to cell numbers sufficient for clinical use. In 2 FDA-authorized trials, patients with recurrent diffuse large cell lymphoma were treated with cloned CD8+ CTLs expressing a CD20-specific CAR (along with NeoR) after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and patients with refractory follicular lymphoma were treated with polyclonal T cell preparations expressing a CD19-specific CAR (along with HyTK, a fusion of hygromycin resistance and HSV-1 thymidine kinase suicide genes) and low-dose s.c. recombinant human interleukin-2. A total of 15 infusions were administered (5 at 108cells/m2, 7 at 109cells/m2, and 3 at 2 × 109cells/m2) to 4 patients. Overt toxicities attributable to CTL administration were not observed; however, detection of transferred CTLs in the circulation, as measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, was short (24 hours to 7 days), and cellular antitransgene immune rejection responses were noted in 2 patients. These studies reveal the primary barrier to therapeutic efficacy is limited persistence, and provide the rationale to prospectively define T cell populations intrinsically programmed for survival after adoptive transfer and to modulate the immune status of recipients to prevent/delay antitransgene rejection responses.
Physician-pharmacist comanagement of hypertension: a randomized, comparative trial.

Objective. To compare the effectiveness of an evidence-based, systematic approach to hypertension care involving comanagement of patients by primary care physicians and clinical pharmacists versus usual care in reducing blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Methods. Patients in a staff model medical group with uncontrolled hypertension were randomized to either a usual care (UC) or a physician-pharmacist comanagement (PPCM) group. All physicians in the study received both group and individual education and participated in the development of an evidence-based hypertension treatment algorithm. Physicians were then given the names of their patients whose medical records documented elevated blood pressures (defined as systolic ≥ 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic ≥ 90 mm Hg for patients aged < 65 yrs, and systolic ≥ 160 mm Hg and/or diastolic ≥ 90 mm Hg for those aged ≥ 65 yrs). Patients randomized to the UC group were managed by primary care physicians alone. Those randomized to the PPCM group were comanaged by their primary care physician and a clinical pharmacist, who provided patient education, made treatment recommendations, and provided follow-up. Blood pressure measurements, antihypertensive drugs, and visit costs/patient were obtained from medical records. Results. One hundred ninety-seven patients with uncontrolled hypertension participated in the study. Both PPCM and UC groups experienced significant reductions in blood pressure (systolic −22 and −11 mm Hg, respectively, p<0.01; diastolic −7 and −8 mm Hg, respectively, p<0.01). The reduction in systolic blood pressure was greater in the PPCM group after adjusting for differences in baseline blood pressure between the groups (p<0.01). More patients achieved blood pressure control in the PPCM than in the UC group (60% vs 43%, p=0.02). Average provider visit costs/patient were higher in the UC than the PPCM group ($195 vs $160, p=0.02). Conclusions. An evidence-based, systematic approach using physician-pharmacist comanagement for patients with uncontrolled hypertension resulted in improved blood pressure control and reduced average visit costs/patient.
METABOLIC EFFECTS OF SULFONYLUREAS IN NORMAL MEN and IN VARIOUS TYPES OF DIABETIC PATIENTS

The studies described in this report were initiated in an effort to elucidate the mechanism of action of the sulfonylurea compounds. It seemed to us that a broad clinical investigative approach, involving the study of a large number of conditions in which the metabolism of carbohydrate is disturbed, was most likely to eliminate quickly a number of possible modeg of action and to define more sharply the areas upon which further effort should be concentrated. Thus, extensive metabolic-balance studies and numerous individual testing procedures have been performed before, during, and following the administration of carbutamide (BZ-55) and/or tolbutamide (Orinasei) in the following subjects: (1) healthy young men; (2) three middle-aged, obese, stable diabetics; ( 3 ) an unstable diabetic of normal weight; (4) a patient with lipo-atrophic diabetes; ( 5 ) a totally depancreatized woman; (6) patients with coexisting diabetes mellitus and Addison’s disease, familial diabetes and Cushing’s syndrome, and diabetes and panhypopituitarism; and (7) an acromegalic with mild diabetes. Although the data reported below do not define a specific mode of action of the sulfonylurea compounds, they eliminate from consideration a number of important possibilities. Results
Humidity effects on the radiative properties of a hazy atmosphere in the visible spectrum

The present investigation deals with the humidity effect on the radiative properties of a strongly polluted atmosphere in the visible spectrum. For three relative humidity distributions covering the tropospheric humidity range from 30–70%, the local albedo, the absorption and transmission of the atmosphere are obtained. Corresponding global quantities are calculated also to speculate on possible climatic effects. Additionally, radiative heating rates are calculated for the entire atmosphere, but it is found that within the humidity range of the adopted distribution, the humidity effect is entirely negligible. Most significantly influenced by the humidity are local and global albedo and transmission of the atmosphere. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1976.tb00648.x
Phosphine-directed stereo- & regioselective Ni-catalyzed reactions of Grignard reagents with allylic ethers

Abstract Studies on the directed regio- and stereoselective Ni-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions involving methyl- and phenylmagnesium bromides and various acyclic and cyclic allylic ethers are reported. In the presence of a properly positioned internal Lewis base, CC bonds can be formed catalytically and with excellent levels of selectivity. Internal chelation allows Ni-catalyzed CC bond forming reactions that are otherwise non-selective, sluggish, or do not occur at all, to proceed to completion readily, in excellent yields, at ambient temperature and with high regio- and stereocontrol. Directed alkene isomerization highlights an especially attractive feature of the metal-catalyzed alkylation strategy: because the initial product contains a prostereogenic site that remains within reach of the internal Lewis base, it can be subjected to additional directed stereoselective manipulations.
Love Thy Neighbor: Replacing Paternalistic Protection as the Grounds for Research Ethics.

In a broad sense, I agree with the conclusions of the target article by Christine Grady and colleagues (2015), “Broad Consent for Research with Biological Samples: Workshop Conclusions.” Their reco...
Cooling via one hand improves physical performance in heat-sensitive individuals with Multiple Sclerosis: A preliminary study

Many individuals afflicted with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience a transient worsening of symptoms when body temperature increases due to ambient conditions or physical activity. Resulting symptom exacerbations can limit performance. We hypothesized that extraction of heat from the body through the subcutaneous retia venosa that underlie the palmar surfaces of the hands would reduce exercise-related heat stress and thereby increase the physical performance capacity of heat-sensitive individuals with MS. Ten ambulatory MS patients completed one or more randomized paired trials of walking on a treadmill in a temperate environment with and without cooling. Stop criteria were symptom exacerbation and subjective fatigue. The cooling treatment entailed inserting one hand into a rigid chamber through an elastic sleeve that formed an airtight seal around the wrist. A small vacuum pump created a -40 mm Hg subatmospheric pressure enviinside the chamber where the palmar surface of the hand rested on a metal surface maintained at 18–22°C. During the treatment trials, the device was suspended from above the treadmill on a bungee cord so the subjects could comfortably keep a hand in the device without having to bear its weight while walking on the treadmill. When the trials were grouped by treatment only, cooling treatment increased exercise durations by 33% (43.6 ± 17.1 min with treatment vs. 32.8 ± 10.9 min. without treatment, mean ± SD, p < 5.0·10-6, paired t-test, n = 26). When the average values were calculated for the subjects who performed multiple trials before the treatment group results were compared, cooling treatment increased exercise duration by 35% (42.8 ± 16.4 min with treatment vs. 31.7 ± 9.8 min. without treatment, mean ± SD, p < 0.003, paired t-test, n = 10). These preliminary results suggest that utilization of the heat transfer capacity of the non-hairy skin surfaces can enable temperature-sensitive individuals with MS to extend participation in day-to-day physical activities despite thermally stressful conditions. However, systematic longitudinal studies in larger cohorts of MS patients with specific deficits and levels of disability conducted under a variety of test conditions are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.
A differential 4-bit 6.5-10-GHz RF MEMS tunable filter

This paper presents a state-of-the-art RF microelectromechanical systems wide-band miniature tunable filter designed for 6.5-10-GHz frequency range. The differential filter, fabricated on a glass substrate using digital capacitor banks and microstrip lines, results in a tuning range of 44% with very fine resolution, and return loss better than 16 dB for the whole tuning range. The relative bandwidth of the filter is 5.1 /spl plusmn/ 0.4% over the tuning range and the size of the filter is 5 mm /spl times/ 4 mm. The insertion loss is 4.1 and 5.6 dB at 9.8 and 6.5 GHz, respectively, for a 1-k/spl Omega//sq fabricated bias line. The simulations show that, for a bias line with 10-k/spl Omega//sq resistance or more, the insertion loss improves to 3 dB at 9.8 GHz and 4 dB at 6.5 GHz. The measured IIP/sub 3/ level is > 45 dBm for /spl Delta/f > 500 kHz, and the filter can handle 250 mW of RF power for hot and cold switching.
PathNet: a tool for pathway analysis using topological information

Background: Identification of canonical pathways through enrichment of differentially expressed genes in a given pathway is a widely used method for interpreting gene lists generated from high-throughput experimental studies. However, most algorithms treat pathways as sets of genes, disregarding any inter- and intra-pathway connectivity information, and do not provide insights beyond identifying lists of pathways. Results: We developed an algorithm (PathNet) that utilizes the connectivity information in canonical pathway descriptions to help identify study-relevant pathways and characterize non-obvious dependencies and connections among pathways using gene expression data. PathNet considers both the differential expression of genes and their pathway neighbors to strengthen the evidence that a pathway is implicated in the biological conditions characterizing the experiment. As an adjunct to this analysis, PathNet uses the connectivity of the differentially expressed genes among all pathways to score pathway contextual associations and statistically identify biological relations among pathways. In this study, we used PathNet to identify biologically relevant results in two Alzheimer’s disease microarray datasets, and compared its performance with existing methods. Importantly, PathNet identified de-regulation of the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis pathway as an important component in Alzheimer’s disease progression, despite the absence of this pathway in the standard enrichment analyses. Conclusions: PathNet is a novel method for identifying enrichment and association between canonical pathways in the context of gene expression data. It takes into account topological information present in pathways to reveal biological information. PathNet is available as an R workspace image from http://www.bhsai.org/downloads/ pathnet/.
Introduction to the Software Technology Track

Welcome to the Software Technology (ST) Track. This year we have a total of nine minitracks on a wide variety of important topics in software technology: IS education, cyber security, software assurance, wireless networking, agile methods, agile organizations, digital forensics, virtualization, cloud computing, and other vital emerging research areas.
DNA-Directed Self-Assembly of Microscopic 1-D Carbon Nanotube Wire

Molecular wire construction using DNA-directed self-assembly of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) has been attempted. MWNTs were selected owing to their exceptional electrical and structural properties. DNA, which possesses specific molecular recognition properties, served as the engine for the assembly. Non-crosshybridizing (NCH) sequences were designed to impart specificity and high throughput reaction. Stepwise manufacturing of the wire was accomplished by first functionalizing the NCH 20 base pair single-stranded sequences to the tips of MWNT using amide linkage. The adducts were then utilized to self-assemble 1D nanotube wire through DNA hybridization reactions between two complementary ssDNAs functionalized to the MWNT tips. TEM, epi-fluorescent microscopy and AFM analyses showed successful assemblies of micrometer-scale 1D MWNT-DNA wires, ranging from 2.7-20 mum. The results demonstrate great potentials of the DNA-guided self-assembly process, which would provide an uncomplicated, versatile and inexpensive way to manufacture micrometer-scale molecular wires.
Micro-managing arthropod invasions: eradication and control of invasive arthropods with microbes

Non-indigenous arthropods are increasingly being introduced into new areas worldwide and occasionally they cause considerable ecological and economic harm. Many invasive arthropods particularly pose problems to areas of human habitation and native ecosystems. In these cases, the use of environmentally benign materials, such as host-specific entomopathogens, can be more desirable than broader spectrum control tactics that tend to cause greater non-target effects. The majority of successful eradication programs using arthropod pathogens have targeted invasive Lepidoptera with Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk), such as eradication efforts against the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), in North America and New Zealand. Both Btk and Lymantria dispar nucleopolyhedrovirus have been successfully used in efforts to limit the spread of L. dispar in the United States. For invasive arthropod species that are well established, suppression programs have successfully used arthropod-pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi and nematodes for either short- or long-term management. We will summarize the use of pathogens and nematodes in invasive arthropod management programs within a general context, and compare the use of microbes in gypsy moth management with diverse microbes being developed for use against other invasive arthropods.
A wideband, fixed gain BiMOS amplifier

Circuits which achieve precise gains without the use of negative feedback have recently become of interest because of their simplicity and large bandwidth. A new circuit architecture is proposed for precision, fixed gain amplifiers using an open loop approach. Two circuit implementations using the new architecture are presented. The first is constructed as a 9 /spl times/ 12 mil cell on an N-well CMOS process with a combination of MOS and bipolar devices. The second is constructed on a standard linear bipolar process using a semicustom array. >
Effect of gender on outcomes following radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: A critical analysis of 1,994 patients

Abstract Objective The oncological basis behind the observation that females experience worse outcomes following radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is unclear. This study was aimed at examining the sole effect of gender on postcystectomy UCB outcomes and identifying potential factors that may explain the poor prognosis in females using a balanced case-control approach. Materials and methods A review of 2,567 patients with UCB who underwent radical cystectomy identified 414 females (“cases”) who were matched 1:1 for demographic, tumor, and treatment characteristics with 414 male counterparts (“controls”). Cases were also compared with an independent male UCB cohort (n = 1,166). Differences between females vs. matched control and independent male patients with UCB were analyzed. Recurrence-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival were compared by univariable and multivariable Cox regression models. Results Median follow-up for cases, controls, and independent control cohort was 12.2, 8.6, and 13.5 years, respectively. Females were matched to male controls for tumor and nodal stages (P = 1.00), lymphovascular invasion and surgical margin status, age, prior intravesical treatment, and neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy administration (P = 0.61–1.00). Cases were also balanced with controls for grade, p53 status, nodal yield, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, presence of hydronephrosis, and times to diagnosis and cystectomy (P≥0.14). When thus matched, outcomes between females and males were not different (P≥0.34). However, when compared with an independent unmatched male control cohort, females had significantly poorer outcomes (P≤0.006). In this comparison, females presented with higher tumor (P Conclusions Females have similar UCB outcomes to males when matched for demographic, clinicopathologic, and management characteristics. However, they present with more advanced tumors, thus explaining the observation of poor outcomes.
Influence of La2O3, SrO, and ZnO Addition on PZT

Effect of ZnO, SrO, and La 2 O 3 additions on properties of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanopowder were investigated. Our objective was to densify PZT near 900°C to reduce lead loss and increase processing compatibility of these materials with IC fabrication technique for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). PZT nanopowders were synthesized using citrate nitrate autocombustion method. ZnO was used as sintering aid, which promoted liquid phase sintering. With only 2 wt% ZnO addition, 93% theoretical density was achieved after sintering at 900 C for 1 h. SrO and La 2 O 3 were used as A-site dopants in PZT to improve dielectric properties. Different amounts of SrO, La 2 O 3 , and a combination of both were added in 2 wt% ZnO-doped PZT. Between 93% and 95% of theoretical densities were obtained in all cases after sintering at 900°C for 1 h. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that increase in SrO content increased tetragonal phase formation. However, addition of La 2 O 3 stabilized both tetragonal and rhombohedral phases. Increase in SrO content increased the dielectric constant of PZT with a maximum dielectric constant of 1800 for 1 wt% SrO and 2 wt% ZnO sample. It was observed that an increase in La 2 O 3 up to 2 wt% increased dielectric constant, and the highest dielectric constant obtained was 1500. Combination of both SrO and La 2 O 3 addition showed even higher dielectric constant than their individual contribution. Highest dielectric constant of 2100 was measured for 2 wt% La 2 O 3 , 1 wt% SrO and 2 wt% ZnO-doped PZT which was sintered at 900°C for 1 h. This is one of the highest dielectric constant reported for PZT ceramics that was sintered below 1000 C.
An E-cient Euler Method on Non-Moving Cartesian Grids with Boundary-Layer Correction for Wing Flutter Simulations

This paper presents an e‐cient Euler method on Cartesian grids coupled with an integral Boundary-Layer method. The unsteady Euler equations are solved using cell-centered flnite volume method by the implicit-explicit dual-time stepping scheme. The wall boundary conditions on the wing are implemented on the wing chord plane by flrst order approximation so that non-moving Cartesian grids can be used. A two-dimensional integral boundarylayer solver is coupled with the three-dimensional unsteady Cartesian Euler solver in each spanwise cross-section in a quasi-steady manner. This method is very e‐cient and shown to yield very good results for steady, unsteady ∞ows and ∞utter simulations of airplane wings.
Impact of exposure measurement error in air pollution epidemiology: effect of error type in time-series studies

Background Two distinctly different types of measurement error are Berkson and classical. Impacts of measurement error in epidemiologic studies of ambient air pollution are expected to depend on error type. We characterize measurement error due to instrument imprecision and spatial variability as multiplicative (i.e. additive on the log scale) and model it over a range of error types to assess impacts on risk ratio estimates both on a per measurement unit basis and on a per interquartile range (IQR) basis in a time-series study in Atlanta.
A practical student model in an intelligent tutoring system

We consider two questions related to student modeling in an intelligent tutoring system: 1) what kind of student model should we build when we design a new system; and 2) should we divide the student model into different components depending on the information involved. We consider these two questions in the context of a conversational intelligent tutoring system, CIRCSIM-Tutor. We first analyze the range of decisions that the system needs to make and define the information needed to support these decisions. We then describe four distinct models that provide different aspects of this information, taking into consideration the nature of the domain and the constraints provided by the tutoring system. Finally, we briefly discuss our experiments with enhancing the student model in CIRCSIM-Tutor and some general problems regarding building and evaluating different student models.
Optimal Decision Stimuli for Risky Choice Experiments: An Adaptive Approach

Collecting data to discriminate between models of risky choice requires careful selection of decision stimuli. Models of decision making aim to predict decisions across a wide range of possible stimuli, but practical limitations force experimenters to select only a handful of them for actual testing. Some stimuli are more diagnostic between models than others, so the choice of stimuli is critical. This paper provides the theoretical background and a methodological framework for adaptive selection of optimal stimuli for discriminating among models of risky choice. The approach, called adaptive design optimization, adapts the stimulus in each experimental trial based on the results of the preceding trials. We demonstrate the validity of the approach with simulation studies aiming to discriminate expected utility, weighted expected utility, original prospect theory, and cumulative prospect theory models. This paper was accepted by Teck Ho, decision analysis.
Cerebral hypometabolism in progressive supranuclear palsy studied with positron emission tomography

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is characterized by supranuclear palsy of gaze, axial dystonia, bradykinesia, rigidity, and a progressive dementia. Pathological changes in this disorder are generally restricted to subcortical structures, yet the type and range of cognitive deficits suggest the involvement of many cerebral regions. We examined the extent of functional impairment to cerebral cortical and subcortical structures as measured by the level of glucose metabolic activity at rest. Fourteen patients with PSP were compared to 21 normal volunteers of similar age using 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose and positron emission tomography. Glucose metabolism was reduced in the caudate nucleus, putamen, thalamus, pons, and cerebral cortex, but not in the cerebellum in the patients with PSP as compared to the normal subjects. Analysis of individual brain regions revealed significant declines in cerebral glucose utilization in most regions throughout the cerebral cortex, particularly those in the superior half of the frontal lobe. Declines in the most affected regions of cerebral cortex were greater than those in any single subcortical structure. Although using conventional neuropathological techniques the cerebral cortex appears to be unaffected in PSP, significant and pervasive functional impairments in both cortical and subcortical structures are present. These observations help to account for the constellation of cognitive symptoms in individual patients with PSP and the difficulty encountered in identifying a characteristic psychometric profile for this group of patients.
Compensation Discrimination for Defensive Players: Applying Quantile Regression to the National Football League Market for Linebackers and Offensive Linemen

Keefer’s recent article in the Journal of Sports Economics, “Compensation discrimination for defensive players: applying quantile regression to the National Football League market for linebackers,” finds wage discrimination in the National Football League market for linebackers. Following Keefer, we examine both ordinary least squares and quantile analysis, as well as Oaxaca and quantile treatment effects decompositions though we explore the market not only for linebackers but also for offensive linemen and limit our study to rookie players. We would expect to find stronger evidence of discrimination, as rookies are captured sellers. However, we find no pattern of discrimination against Blacks.
Analytical model-based technique for efficient evaluation of noise robustness considering parameter variations

In this paper, we present an accurate method for analytical derivation of noise rejection curves (NRCs) and the associated noise susceptibility metric in the presence of variations in process and environmental parameters. The method involves modeling of the pull-up and pull-down resistances of combinational gates using approximated BSIM4 model-based device equations. Comparisons of the analytical model with circuit simulations show that the impact of parameter variations on the noise susceptibility is accurately captured by our model. The average (maximum) error associated with the noise susceptibility is found to be as low as 2.6% (6.7%). Our model can predict the noise susceptibility under parameter variations more than five orders of magnitude faster than circuit simulations, which makes it suitable for design optimization for noise robustness.
Employment Law & Ethics: 7 Things You Need to Know About Age Discrimination (Presentation Slides)

These slides cover the 7 most important areas of disability discrimination. Thy cover: the basic definition, the fact that the ADA only covers employees not contractors, the ADA itself and its definition of disability, what it means to be a qualified individual with a disability, how to bring a case, administrative remedies, retaliation, failure to accommodate claims and ADA remedies.
Porous Au Nanoparticles with Tunable Plasmon Resonances and Intense Field Enhancements for Single-Particle SERS

Porous Au nanoparticles with fine-controlled overall particle sizes have been fabricated using a kinetically controlled seed-mediated growth method. In contrast to spherical Au nanoparticles with smooth surfaces, the porous Au nanoparticles exhibit far greater size-dependent plasmonic tunability and significantly intensified local electric field enhancements exploitable for single-particle plasmon-enhanced spectroscopies. The effects of the nanoscale porosity on the far- and near-field optical properties of the nanoparticles have been investigated both experimentally by optical extinction and single-nanoparticle Raman spectroscopic measurements and theoretically through finite-difference time-domain calculations.
Hospital administrative characteristics and volunteer resource management practices

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the links between various characteristics of hospital administration and the utilization of classes of volunteer resource management (VRM) practices. Design/methodology/approach - This paper uses original data collected via surveys of volunteer directors in 122 hospitals in five Northeastern and Southern US states. Findings - Structural equation modeling results suggest that number of paid volunteer management staff, scope of responsibility of the primary volunteer administrator, and hospital size are positively associated with increased usage of certain VRM practices. Research limitations/implications - First, the authors begin the exploration of VRM antecedents, and encourage others to continue this line of inquiry; and second, the authors assess dimensionality of practices, allowing future researchers to consider whether specific dimensions have a differential impact on key individual and organizational outcomes. Practical implications - Based on the findings of a relationship between administrative characteristics and the on-the-ground execution of VRM practice, a baseline audit comparing current practices to those VRM practices presented here might be useful in determining what next steps may be taken to focus investments in VRM that can ultimately drive practice utilization. Originality/value - The exploration of the dimensionality of volunteer management adds a novel perspective to both the academic study, and practice, of volunteer management. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical categorization of VRM practices.
Current Treatment of Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis

For patients with cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, we consider treatment of the underlying disorder (if present) to be first-line therapy. For hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, antiviral therapy directed at HCV should be considered first-line treatment for patients who are candidates. Interferon-free direct acting antiviral regimens have been shown to be very effective in the treatment of chronic HCV infection and preliminary results of the use of these regimens are promising for the treatment of HCV-associated cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. Close collaboration with a gastroenterologist or hepatologist is needed, given the complexity in choosing from the various treatment options. Patients with severe life- or organ-threatening manifestations of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis may benefit by treatment with rituximab in addition and potentially prior to the initiation of antiviral therapy. We also recommend treatment with rituximab in patients who have a contraindication to or who have failed antivirals. Plasmapheresis, in conjunction with immunosuppression, can be used as adjunctive therapy to antiviral and/or rituximab therapy for patients with severe organ- or life-threatening disease. Cyclophosphamide use is best reserved for patients with severe disease who are unable to be treated with antiviral or rituximab therapy. The role of glucocorticoid use remains poorly defined, with some studies supporting moderate or high-dose prednisone use to treat active disease.
Study on Relationship between Land Use Changes and Surface Water Quality in Western Regions of Xinyang City

Taking western regions of Xinyang City for an example,based on the remote sensing images in 1980s,1990s and 2000s and surface water quality dataset during 1980~2007 years,the relationship between land use change and water quality is analyzed by using ArcGIS,SWAT and methods of comprehensive evaluation index and correlation analysis.The results show that dry fields,grassland and water body areas decreases first then increases by comparatively big change rates while paddy fields and garden areas increases first then decreases;there is no obvious change for forest area;urban and rural land use area has increased greatly since 1990s;surface water quality has been deteriorated with the main contaminants as NH3-N,TP and volatile phenol;DIN and TP concentrations are closely correlated with dry land area in three sub-watersheds without point sources of pollution while other land use types have no obvious influences on surface water quality.
Models of the Skies

Reasoning that adds content to scientific theories typically moves between the task of accurate reference and taxonomy, and the task of analysis, the theoretical search for conditions of intelligibility. Here we examine the development of models of astronomical systems, beginning with the early 17th century models of the solar system, and ending with late 20th century models of galaxies. In each case, we note both the distinction, and the interaction, between the aims of reference and analysis, and the ways in which disparate modes of representation combine to enlarge scientific knowledge.
On the Service Quality and Satisfaction Relationship: The Moderating Role of Consumer Entitlement

While the study of service quality and its impact on customer satisfaction has a rich history within the services marketing literature, there have been recent calls for research that provides a deeper understanding of this relationship, given its fundamental role in ensuring outcomes such as customer retention and profitability (Anderson 2007). This research study seeks to add to the literature by exploring the role of an under-researched construct known as consumer entitlement on the service quality-satisfaction relationship. Using a sample of season ticket holders of a professional sports franchise, this study hypothesized and found that consumer entitlement moderates the service quality-satisfaction relationship such that higher levels of consumer entitlement mitigate the positive impacts of service quality on satisfaction.
Semantic word embedding neural network language models for automatic speech recognition

Semantic word embeddings have become increasingly important in natural language processing tasks over the last few years. This popularity is due to their ability to easily capture rich semantic information through a distributed representation and the availability of fast and scalable algorithms for learning them from large text corpora. State-of-the-art neural network language models (NNLMs) used in automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural language processing also learn word embeddings optimized to model local N-gram dependencies given training text but are not optimized to capture semantic information. We hypothesize that semantic word embeddings provide diverse information compared to the word embeddings learned by NNLMs. We propose novel feedforward NNLM architectures that incorporate semantic word embeddings. We apply the resulting NNLMs to ASR on broadcast news and show improvements in both perplexity and word error rate.
Behavioral and Pharmacotherapy Interventions for Tobacco Smoking Cessation in Adults, Including Pregnant Women.

A 40-year-old woman presents for a routine antepartum visit. She is 20 weeks pregnant and smokes half a pack of cigarettes per day despite efforts to quit. She has no other concerns, and her physical examination findings are normal. The patient asks if your clinic offers services to help with tobacco smoking cessation and if she should try using e-cigarettes to stop smoking.
Differences between Israeli Jews and Arabs in morbidity and mortality rates for diseases potentially associated with dietary risk factors.

Background Cancer, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and diabetes together comprise almost 70% of the causes of death in Israel. Dietary factors such as total caloric intake, saturated fats, polyunsaturated fatty acids, trace elements, vitamins, certain proteins, and fiber have all been suggested as playing a role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Aim In this study, patterns of mortality and morbidity (where available) for selected diseases were compared between the Jewish and Arab population groups in Israel. Methods Data on cause-specific mortality in Israel between 1973 and 1994 were obtained from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Age-adjusted rates for selected diseases were compared between the Jewish and Arab population groups. Results Until 1987, the age-adjusted ischemic heart disease mortality rates in the Arab population were slightly lower than those in the Jewish population. Since 1990, they have been slightly higher. Cerebrovascular disease mortality rates have consistently been higher in the Arab population and the gap has been increasing. Similarly, the mortality rates for diabetes mellitus were slightly higher in the Arab population during the 1970 and 1980s and the gap has increased markedly. On the other hand, age-adjusted mortality rates from colorectal cancer are about three times as high and breast cancer mortality rates about twice as high in the Jewish population. The differences for incidence rates are even greater. Conclusions This study demonstrates the contradictory mortality rates for cardiovascular disease as compared with colon and breast cancer in the Jewish and Arab population. While representative dietary data for the populations are lacking, there is evidence that the dietary patterns of the Jewish and Arab population groups differ in many important aspects. It is possible that this may at least partly explain the contradictory differences in mortality and morbidity. The national nutrition surveys currently being initiated by the Ministry of Health should contribute to a better understanding of this subject.
Developing Alternative Retail Marketing Strategies: An Evolutionary Orientation

This paper maintains that there are four key retail marketing strategies. These are: mass retailing, differentiating, segmenting and positioning. Positioning is considered to be one of the most widespread retailing strategies. At the present time it is only gaining momentum. It is likely to follow the patterns product marketing has been setting. Product marketing strategies have included positioning as one of the key alternatives for a decade or so. It is maintained that retailing follows product marketing strategies with a time lag of 5 to 10 years.
Effect of clpP and clpC deletion on persister cell number in Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for a wide variety of infections that include superficial skin and soft tissue infections, septicaemia, central nervous system infections, endocarditis, osteomyelitis and pneumonia. Others have demonstrated the importance of toxin–antitoxin (TA) modules in the formation of persisters and the role of the Clp proteolytic system in the regulation of these TA modules. This study was conducted to determine the effect of clpP and clpC deletion on S. aureus persister cell numbers following antibiotic treatment. Deletion of clpP resulted in a significant decrease in persister cells following treatment with oxacillin and erythromycin but not with levofloxacin and daptomycin. Deletion of clpC resulted in a decrease in persister cells following treatment with oxacillin. These differences were dependent on the antibiotic class and the CFU ml−1 in which the cells were treated. Persister revival assays for all the bacterial strains in these studies demonstrated a significant delay in resumption of growth characteristic of persister cells, indicating that the surviving organisms in this study were not likely due to spontaneous antibiotic resistance. Based on our results, ClpP and possibly ClpC play a role in persister cell formation or maintenance, and this effect is dependent on antibiotic class and the CFU ml−1 or the growth phase of the cells.
Total Quality Management: the way ahead

Quality is no longer achieved through monitoring or auditing by quality specialists but rather through a participative style of management by everyone involved in the process. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a new package of customer focused philosophy, participative management and appropriate measurement tools which has assisted many companies to achieve total quality, for many years
The School-to-Prison Pipeline, Youth from Diverse Families, and the Politics of Educational Policy and Practice: A Call to Educate, not Incarcerate

Abstract: In this article, I present a theoretical analysis of the school-to-prison pipeline in relation to youth from diverse families and the politics of educational policy and practice and call for equitable education without recourse to incarceration. First, by deconstructing historical documents, I highlight the philosophical and discursive production of the criminalization of youth from diverse families who do not conform to dominant norms of Western European tradition. Second, I juxtapose historical documents with contemporary events showing how current educational policies normalize the school-to-prison pipeline and subjugate youth from diverse families to exclude them from equitable education. Third, bearing witness to the ways youth resist socialization and exclusion, I recommend an interdisciplinary, multilevel socio-eco-pol-edu approach calling upon policy makers, teacher educators and researchers to develop new theoretical frameworks, policies and practices for equitable education and social justice.