cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Saccharification of douglas‐fir wood by a combination of prehydrolysis and pyrolysis

A process has been investigated for the saccharification of wood, involving prehydrolysis, lignocellulose pyrolysis, and tar hydrolysis. In this process, ground wood was first prehydrolyzed to remove the more readily hydrolyzable hemicelluloses. The residual lignocellulose was then pyrolyzed rapidly to provide a tar containing levoglucosan and its condensation products. The tar was hydrolyzed to convert these products to glucose. Laboratory experiments have shown that this process can convert a common softwood such as Douglas-fir to 14% char and 42% hexoses. This amounts to a 59% recovery of the hexoses: 32% from prehydrolysis and 27% from pyrolysis. The prehydrolysis served not only to remove hemicelluloses, but also to increase the yield of glucose from pyrolysis and subsequent tar hydrolysis. It has been shown that this enhancement is due to the removal of inorganic ash and the catalytic effect of trace amounts of acid remaining in the lignocellulose. 3 figures, 3 tables.
Using near misses to improve risk management decisions

In the process safety literature it is often claimed that the analysis of near-miss incidents can improve process safety performance. However, empirical research has demonstrated that near miss events are interpreted as marginally successful, leading to riskier behavior due to lower perceived risk analyses. In other words, experiencing a near-miss incident can result in the false conclusion that the original risk was over-estimated. To be effective, the analysis of near-misses must be grounded in an objective evaluation of the event, the outcome, and the severity of the alternative outcome's consequences. In this article, several examples are presented where a near-miss incident preceded a serious incident with significant human injury or property damage. If the near-miss had been investigated, properly evaluated, and appropriate corrective actions been implemented, the more severe incident would not have occurred. A recurring theme in these examples is the underestimation of consequence severity, that is, the misinterpretation of the near-miss as a high probability, low-consequence severity scenario rather than a narrowly averted low-probability, high-consequence severity scenario. A deliberate consideration of the lower probability, more severe consequence scenario would have facilitated a more thoughtful evaluation of corrective actions. A methodology based on game theory is presented for evaluating the impact of near-misses on risk perception. A game-theoretical model is used to demonstrate the need for shifting payoffs away from lagging process safety indicators and toward leading indicators. An equally important outcome of this analysis is the effective communication of the risk at operational and managerial levels of the organization. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 32: 322–327, 2013
Does home Internet use influence the academic performance of low-income children?

HomeNetToo is a longitudinal field study designed to examine the antecedents and consequences of home Internet use in low-income families (http://www.HomeNetToo.org). The study was done between December 2000 and June 2002. Among the consequences considered was children’s academic performance. Participants were 140 children, mostly African American (83%), mostly boys (58%), and most living in single-parent households (75%) in which the median annual income was $15,000 (U.S. dollars) or less. Average age was 13.8 years. Ages ranged between 10 and 18 years, Internet use was continuously recorded, and multiple measures of academic performance were obtained during the 16-month trial. Findings indicated that children who used the Internet more had higher scores on standardized tests of reading achievement and higher grade point averages 6 months, 1 year, and 16 months later than did children who used it less. Older children used the Internet more than did younger children, but age had no effect on the nature or the academic performance benefits of Internet use. Implications for the digital “use” divide are discussed.
Engaging Students in Online Courses.

Online education is gradually being incorporated into college and university programs. It is proving to be an effective educational tool for our rapidly changing global marketplace. The fact that online courses operate differently than on ground courses cannot be ignored. Thus, they require teaching techniques and assessment techniques specifically geared for this educational experience. Group projects are quite familiar to students taking courses in the classroom. They are less familiar and perhaps feared by students taking courses online. The fact that participants in online courses do not physically interact with each other leads some to believe that this approach is not viable in an online course. This paper dispels this belief by discussing how group projects can be successfully incorporated into online courses. The paper also describes specific assessment tools which can be used to determine the success of online courses. Specifically, some formative assessment techniques are presented as particularly useful and appropriate for online courses.
A nonlinear elastic solution for 1-D subsidence due to aquifer storage and recovery applications

Applications of the aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) technology can cause land subsidence due to the net compression of one or more semi-pervious clay beds. In order to estimate the potential risk of aquifer system deformation in response to an injecting-pumping scheme, a one-dimensional analytical solution based on a conceptual sandwich model is solved. The analytical solution corresponds to boundary and initial conditions. The boundary condition comprises linear and periodic strains changing with time. The periodic strain is assumed to be a sinusoidal function of time. The solution is analyzed for a unit column of an idealized compressible semi-pervious layer. A complete mathematical description includes an initial condition, two sets of boundary conditions and a governing equation that is expressed directly in terms of the vertical displacement of the skeletal frame. The saturated aquifer system is assumed to behave like nonlinear poroelastic material (both recoverable and non-recoverable). The two idealized aquifers (one above the modeled semi-confining bed and the other beneath) can be pumped independently of each other. The analytical solution is analyzed and applied to estimate the potential risk of land subsidence caused by ASR applications at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA and the results are satisfactory. Estimate and prediction of land subsidence using the analytical solution provide a first-estimate type of guideline for city and regional planning and the exploration of water resources.
Organizational Innovation and Substandard Performance: When is Necessity the Mother of Innovation?

This study extends earlier empirical research into organizational decline which has found that substandard performance stimulates innovation in a wide range of manufacturing industries. Using data from 74 U.S. high technology firms, this research investigates the relationship between organizational performance and adoption of an organizational innovation, the decision to join an R&D consortium. The central premise of the study is that a firm's propensity to innovate fluctuates with organizational performance, rather than stemming solely from a firm's inherent characteristics such as size, structure, leadership, etc.. The study found that substandard performance stimulated early joiners of R&D consortia. More risk-averse, high performing firms were found to be late adopters of R&D consortia. However, the relationship between performance and innovation was somewhat more complex than traditionally envisioned. First, a distinct institutionalization effect occurred as R&D consortia became a commonly accepted method of conducting certain types of R&D projects. While substandard performance was necessary to stimulate the early adopters, over time, institutionalization of R&D consortia occurred, risks associated with adoption were lowered, and later adopters were no longer stimulated solely by substandard performance. Second, an adoption decision was observed to involve more than a single, dichotomous organizational choice, but included both an initial adopt/nonadopt component and a related decision involving the timing of adoption early/late. The relationship between organizational performance and innovation emerged only when the effects of the initial adoption decision adopt/nonadopt were separated from the effects of adoption timing early/late. The results here point rather strongly to the need to expand inquiry into the decision-making processes of late adopting firms, which are essentially "imitators," to complement the existing prodigious literature on early adopting, firms, perceived in the traditional literature as "innovators."
Non-Equilibrium Ionized Flow Simulations within Strong Electro-Magnetic Fields

ypersonicflow simulations require the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for compressible viscous flow and the equations describing the state of the high temperature gas, which may be in non-equilibrium. In addition, Maxwell‟s equations for including the effects of electromagnetic fields upon an ionized hypersonic flow through Lorentz forces may be required for realizing possible flow control advantages for both vehicle and propulsion design. Possible advantages include reduced heat transfer to the vehicle and flow acceleration within scramjet engines, using on board imposed magnetic and electric fields. This may enable hypersonic vehicles to pass more efficiently and safely through the atmosphere. Inclusion of these three sets of equations in the numerical simulation of hypersonic flow is computationally intensive. The present effort continues the algorithmic development required for solving the equations describing hypersonic flow. This paper uses both seven and eleven species non-equilibrium chemistry models for air, plus the addition of cesium and its ion to enhance electrical conductivity within the flow when desired. These models are used for simulating the RAM-C flight experiment, the flow about a hemi-spherically nosed body under the conditions of Ziemer‟s shock tube experiment and the flow acceleration within the exit of a scramjet engine.
Global Asymptotic Stability for Linear Fractional Difference Equation

, ...,0 } are nonnegative real numbers. We investigate the asymptotic behavior of the solutions of the considered equation. We give easy-to-check conditions for the global stability and global asymptotic stability of the zero or positive equilibrium of this equation.
Rational home management of diarrhoea

During the 1960s-1970s treatment of dehydration caused by diarrhea shifted from intravenous (IV) fluid replacement to use of oral rehydration salts (ORS). During diarrhea glucose through a sodium-coupled transport mechanism and water (ORS solution) improves the ability of the small intestine to absorb fluid. Initially the international health community ignored the potential usefulness of food especially carbohydrates and proteins in preventing and treating dehydration. The leading obstacle to acceptance of allowing food intake during diarrhea was variations in composition of local food staples. Food was almost always excluded during conventional clinical management of diarrhea (i.e. IV therapy). Health workers were advised to withhold food including breast milk during the first rehydration phase (first 24 hours). Despite the advice to withhold feeding mothers in many developing countries continued to feed and breast feed their children during diarrhea with no ill effects. The mothers tended to use cereal-based solutions or breast feed during diarrheal episodes. In the beginning health personnel were most concerned about access to ORS rather than acceptance. They assumed that oral rehydration therapy (ORT) was relatively easy to use. Experience showed that neither ORS nor home-prepared sugar and salt solutions (SSS) were easy to prepare correctly. In fact mothers/caretakers often prepared SSS with unsafe high concentrations of sodium. In 1987 WHO developed a guide to help Control of Diarrheal Diseases program managers select home-based fluids that were as ORS-like as possible. Diarrhea cases in hospitals tend to be more severe than those at home. Almost all hospital cases need treatment while those at home tend to be less severe and only need simple measures to prevent dehydration. Yet international health specialists designed home-treatment to be like hospital-treatment. This is a restrictive approach. More rational guidelines for ORS have since emerged due to ORS failures at home.
Locus of Control, Web Use, and Consumer Attitudes Toward Internet Regulation

Abstract The authors empirically examine how locus of control, an important consumer behavior construct, differentiates among consumers’ Web use in a marketing policy context and argue that consumers’ general expectancies as to whether they or others control events can predict their Web use and their beliefs regarding the regulation of content on the Internet. The authors test a series of hypotheses pertaining to locus of control and consumer behavior on the Internet among consumers classified as “internals” or “externals” using data collected in conjunction with the tenth WWW User Survey of the Graphics, Visualization, and Usability Center, Georgia Institute of Technology. The authors also assess scale measurement properties using single-factor confirmatory factor analysis models and test hypotheses using a correlational and structural equation modeling framework.
Redundant and on-line CORDIC for unitary transformations

Two-sided unitary transformations of arbitrary 2/spl times/2 matrices are needed in parallel algorithms based on Jacobi-like methods for eigenvalue and singular value decompositions of complex matrices. This paper presents a two-sided unitary transformation structured to facilitate the integrated evaluation of parameters and application of the typically required transformations using only the primitives afforded by CORDIC; thus enabling significant speedup in the computation of these transformations on special-purpose processor array architectures implementing Jacobi-like algorithms. We discuss implementation in (nonredundant) CORDIC to motivate and lead up to implementation in the redundant and on-line enhancements to CORDIC. Both variable and constant scale factor redundant (CFR) CORDIC approaches are detailed and it is shown that the transformations may be computed in 10n+/spl delta/ time, where n is the data precision in bits and /spl delta/ is a constant accounting for accumulated on-line delays. A more area-intensive approach using a novel on-line CORDIC encoded angle summation/difference scheme reduces computation time to 6n+/spl delta/. The area/time complexities involved in the various approaches are detailed. >
Determination of optimal call admission control policy in wireless networks

This paper investigates the optimal call admission control (CAC) policy for non-priority scheme (NPS) and reserved channel scheme (RCS) in wireless networks, respectively. Both new call and handoff call arrival processes are assumed to be Poisson processes, and the call holding times are exponentially distributed with different rate for new call and handoff calls. Admitting each call would bring a reward to the network provider but holding each call in the system would also incur some expenses (or cost) to the provider. We concentrate on the optimization problems of when to admit or reject a call in order to achieve the maximum total expected discounted reward. By establishing a discounted semi Markov decision process (SMDP) model, we verify that the optimal policies are state-related control limit policies for both NPS and RCS. Our numerical results explained in both tables and diagrams are consistent with our theoretic results.
Soft breakdown in thin gate oxide - a measurement artifact

Experimental evidence is reported here to show that the often-reported soft breakdown in ultra thin gate oxides under electrical stress is likely an experimental artifact induced by the inability to eliminate the current surge at the moment of the formation of a percolation path. Soft breakdown may not happen in real circuit under normal operation. Thus the percolation model will not be suitable for gate oxide reliability projections. Instead, model calculation of total SILC including multi-trap assisted tunneling at very high trap density will be more relevant to gate oxide reliability.
Composition-modified matrices improve identification of homologs of saccharomyces cerevisiae low-complexity glycoproteins.

Yeast glycoproteins are representative of low-complexity sequences, those sequences rich in a few types of amino acids. Low-complexity protein sequences comprise more than 10% of the proteome but are poorly aligned by existing methods. Under default conditions, BLAST and FASTA use the scoring matrix BLOSUM62, which is optimized for sequences with diverse amino acid compositions. Because low-complexity sequences are rich in a few amino acids, these tools tend to align the most common residues in nonhomologous positions, thereby generating anomalously high scores, deviations from the expected extreme value distribution, and small e values. This anomalous scoring prevents BLOSUM62-based BLAST and FASTA from identifying correct homologs for proteins with low-complexity sequences, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae wall proteins. We have devised and empirically tested scoring matrices that compensate for the overrepresentation of some amino acids in any query sequence in different ways. These matrices were tested for sensitivity in finding true homologs, discrimination against nonhomologous and random sequences, conformance to the extreme value distribution, and accuracy of e values. Of the tested matrices, the two best matrices (called E and gtQ) gave reliable alignments in BLAST and FASTA searches, identified a consistent set of paralogs of the yeast cell wall test set proteins, and improved the consistency of secondary structure predictions for cell wall proteins. The ability to accurately align protein sequences is central to inferences about the evolutionary history of genes and therefore to the evolution of organelles and organisms as well. In addition, homology modeling and even functional inference through the annotation of similar sequences depends on alignment accuracy. For low-complexity sequences such as fungal cell wall proteins, errors caused by anomalous high scores for nonhomologous sequences will inevitably lead to erroneous inferences for evolution, structure, and function. Low-complexity sequences in the proteome. Proteins with low-complexity sequences are common and functionally important but are not well aligned by existing procedures. These proteins are rich in a few amino acids and thus have overall composition significantly different from the “average” compositions seen in the multiple alignments used to construct the
Chapter 5: Nitrogen Fixation and Respiration: Two Processes Linked by the Energetic Demands of Nitrogenase

Nitrogen fixation allows a diverse array of bacteria, either free-living in the environment or in symbiosis with plants, to grow in areas where fixed N is deficient. This confers them a large advantage over their non-N2 fixing competitors. Nevertheless, N2 fixation is an energy-demanding process, so that energy-generating respiration is oftentimes closely associated with efficient N2 fixing systems. The root nodule bacteria have many (O2-binding) terminal oxidases that differ in expression depending on whether the bacterium exists in free-living or in the symbiotic state. Many of the aerobic N2 fixers contain a very high O2 affinity terminal oxidase, like one that can function at free O2 levels as low as 7nM when the bacteria are surrounded in leghemoglobin within legume root nodules. The previously described ‘uncoupled’ nature of some oxidases of N2 fixing bacteria may not be the case, from more recent studies. The N2 fixing enzyme, nitrogenase is labile to O2 exposure; this creates a physiological problem for aerobic diazotrophs. The many strategies to overcome this problem must ensure a steady supply of ATP during nitrogenase function yet permit the enzyme to be protected from O2 inactivation. Strategies include living in aggregated or within viscous slimy sheaths, or in O2-restricted root nodule barriers or forming specialized cells lacking oxygenic O2-evolving photosynthetic machinery. The temporal separation of N2 fixation from O2 evolving photosynthesis is a mechanism used by some marine filamentous cyanobacteria. Employing vigorous respiratory activity at the membrane so that the inside of the cell is nearly anaerobic, or the use of a small redox-active iron-sulfur protein that binds to and protects nitrogenase from O2 inactivation are well studied mechanisms. Most of the protection mechanisms, even the expression of terminal oxidase activities are generally co-regulated with N2 fixation genes, and some of these protection systems may concomitantly combat oxidative stress. This additional stress is related to reactive oxygen species produced from N2 fixation related proteins.
Vertical structure and transient behavior of convective-stratiform heating in TOGA COARE from combined satellite-sounding analysis

Abstract Datasets of daily high-resolution upper-air soundings and Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) passive microwave measurements from the Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) intensive operation period are used for large-scale diagnostic budget calculations of the apparent heat source (Q1), the apparent moisture sink (Q2), and latent heating to investigate the mechanisms of diabatic heating and moistening processes within the TOGA COARE Intensive Flux Array (IFA). Latent-heating retrievals are obtained from The Florida State University SSM/I-based precipitation profile retrieval algorithm. The estimates are correlated well with heating calculations from the soundings in which approximately 70% of the total heating arises from latent heat release. Moisture-budget processes also have a strong relationship with the large-scale environment, in which drying from condensation is mainly balanced by large-scale horizontal convergence of moisture f...
ASSOCIATION OF IL-10 EXPRESSION BY MUCOSAL LYMPHOCYTES WITH INCREASED EXPRESSION OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM EPITOPES IN INFECTED EPITHELIUM

The objective of this study was to determine whether changes in the ileal intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) phenotype and function occurred prior to development of diarrhea in Cryptosporidium parvum–infected calves. Calves were orally inoculated with 108 oocysts and maintained in enteric pathogen-free conditions until their use in experiments. Age-matched uninfected calves were used for comparisons. Ileal IELs were isolated and phenotyped to determine whether changes in lymphocyte population dynamics had occurred by 3 days postinoculation (PI). Ex vivo reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) from IELs from infected calves was compared with controls to determine whether changes in cytokine expression had occurred by 3 days PI. No significant changes in lymphocyte population dynamics were documented; however, IELs isolated from 4 out of 8 infected calves, but not from 8 out of 8 control calves, expressed mRNA for interleukin-10 (IL-10). IL-10 expression by IELs wa...
RN-driven, evidence-based practice.

“In Our Unit” highlights unique practices, innovations, research, or resourceful solutions to commonly encountered problems in critical care areas and settings where critically ill patients are cared for. If you have an idea for an upcoming “In Our Unit, ” send it to CRITICAL CARE NURSE, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; fax, (949) 362-2049; e-mail, ccn@aacn.org. By using RN-driven, evidencebased practice, our unit safely reduced the amount of sedating drugs our patients received. Immediately after undergoing open-heart surgery, patients are brought to our intensive care unit (ICU) intubated and anesthetized, receiving propofol, with routine orders to wean and extubate under physician-specified parameters. It is primarily the responsibilit y of bedside registered nurses (RNs) to judge sedation level and turn off the propofol. When the patient meets parameters as measured by arterial blood gas values, the RN and the respiratory therapy staff determine whether the patient can be safely extubated. In 2001, our nurses recovered 1300 open-heart surgery patients in our 22-bed cardiac ICU. Our unit’s mean extubation time was 12.5 hours after surgery, significantly higher than the national mean number of hours. The goal of our practice issue was to reduce the amount of mean extubation time in our unit. Prolonged intubation increases a patient’s risk of ventilator-associated complications and delays the recovery and rehabilitation process.
Depression of Pyrite Flotation by Microorganisms as a Function of pH

Abstract It has been reported in the literature that microorganisms, particularly the bacteria Thiobacillus ferrooxidans , can depress the flotation of pyrite particles during coal flotation. The study reported in this paper was conducted to answer two questions that have not been adequately addressed in the literature: 1. How much ability do the bacteria have to depress pyrite flotation in a normal high-sulfur bituminous coal, under flotation conditions that are commonly used industrially; and 2. What is the effect of pH on the depression of coal-pyrite and mineral-pyrite flotation by microorganisms. Results are given which show that, for a randomly-selected coal sample under normal coal flotation conditions, and particularly at near-neutral or alkaline pH, pyrite depression by microorganisms was of no significant benefit.
Return Periods and Return Levels Under Climate Change

We investigate the notions of return period and return level for a nonstationary climate. We discuss two general methods for communicating risk. The first eschews the term return period and instead communicates yearly risk in terms of a probability of exceedance. The second extends the notion of return period to the non-stationary setting. We examine two different definitions of return period under non-stationarity. The first, which appears in Olsen et al. (Risk Anal 18:497–510, 1998), defines the m-year return level as the level for which the expected waiting time until the exceedance is m years. The second, which appears in Parey et al. (Clim chang 81(3):331–352, 2007) and Parey et al. (Environmetrics 21:698–718, 2010), defines the m-year return level as the level for which the expected number of events in an m year period is one. We illustrate the various risk communications with an application to annual peak flow measurements for the Red River of the North.
Valuation with the Discounted Dividend Model When Corporations Repurchase

The discounted dividend model is the most widely recognized share valuation model. The model, as customarily presented and applied, however, will undervalue corporations that use share repurchases in addition to dividends to return cash to investors. Because many corporations now regularly repurchase, those who use the model should be aware of this problem. This article illustrates why the problem arises and the way to correct it.
Assessing 'Drones for Good' -- Public UASs in the Middle East

The future challenges and opportunities in aviation are encapsulated by the projected billion dollar unmanned aerial system (“UAS”) or “drone” industry. While public perception is predominated by a militarized narrative of UAS applications, the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) is showcasing the technology’s versatility and welfare-enhancing and humanitarian uses through its “Vision 2021” initiative. This paper evaluates existing UAS aviation laws and regulatory regimes abroad to conclude that issues of airspace management, safety, and security must be managed if the UAE’s proposed model for civil UAS functionality is to be exportable to the private sector globally, whatever its success achieved domestically.
How to Avert the Risk of Deflation in Europe: Rethinking the Policy Mix and European Economic Governance

This policy brief discusses the risks of deflation for the European economy. It critically evaluates the European economic governance for not having averted this risk and discusses how a more coordinated approach to both fiscal policy and collective wage bargaining, both aiming at national inflation targets in the context of macroeconomic dialogue, could help stimulate aggregate demand and move the European economy away from the brink of deflation.
Exometabolomics Assisted Design and Validation of Synthetic Obligate Mutualism.

Synthetic microbial ecology has the potential to enhance the productivity and resiliency of biotechnology processes compared to approaches using single isolates. Engineering microbial consortia is challenging; however, one approach that has attracted significant attention is the creation of synthetic obligate mutualism using auxotrophic mutants that depend on each other for exchange or cross-feeding of metabolites. Here, we describe the integration of mutant library fitness profiling with mass spectrometry based exometabolomics as a method for constructing synthetic mutualism based on cross-feeding. Two industrially important species lacking known ecological interactions, Zymomonas mobilis and Escherichia coli, were selected as the test species. Amino acid exometabolites identified in the spent medium of Z. mobilis were used to select three corresponding E. coli auxotrophs (proA, pheA and IlvA), as potential E. coli counterparts for the coculture. A pooled mutant fitness assay with a Z. mobilis transposon...
Neural Control Adaptation to Motor Noise Manipulation

Antagonistic muscular co-activation can compensate for movement variability induced by motor noise at the expense of increased energetic costs. Greater antagonistic co-activation is commonly observed in older adults, which could be an adaptation to increased motor noise. The present study tested this hypothesis by manipulating motor noise in twelve young subjects while they practiced a goal-directed task using a myoelectric virtual arm, which was controlled by their biceps and triceps muscle activity. Motor noise was increased by increasing the coefficient of variation of the myoelectric signals. As hypothesized, subjects adapted by increasing antagonistic co-activation, and this was associated with reduced noise-induced performance decrements. A second hypothesis was that a virtual decrease in motor noise, achieved by smoothing the myoelectric signals, would have the opposite effect: co-activation would decrease and motor performance would improve. However, the results showed that a decrease in noise made performance worse instead of better, with no change in co-activation. Overall, these findings suggest that the nervous system adapts to virtual increases in motor noise by increasing antagonistic co-activation, and this preserves motor performance. Reducing noise may have failed to benefit performance due to characteristics of the filtering process itself, e.g. delays are introduced and muscle activity bursts are attenuated. The observed adaptations to increased noise may explain in part why older adults and many patient populations have greater antagonistic co-activation, which could represent an adaptation to increased motor noise, along with a desire for increased joint stability.
Commutators and the Commutator Subgroup

(1977). Commutators and the Commutator Subgroup. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 84, No. 9, pp. 720-722.
Pervasive Effects of Aging on Gene Expression in Wild Wolves

Gene expression levels change as an individual ages and responds to environmental conditions. With the exception of humans, such patterns have principally been studied under controlled conditions, overlooking the array of developmental and environmental influences that organisms encounter under conditions in which natural selection operates. We used high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) of whole blood to assess the relative impacts of social status, age, disease, and sex on gene expression levels in a natural population of gray wolves (Canis lupus). Our findings suggest that age is broadly associated with gene expression levels, whereas other examined factors have minimal effects on gene expression patterns. Further, our results reveal evolutionarily conserved signatures of senescence, such as immunosenescence and metabolic aging, between wolves and humans despite major differences in life history and environment. The effects of aging on gene expression levels in wolves exhibit conservation with humans, but the more rapid expression differences observed in aging wolves is evolutionarily appropriate given the species' high level of extrinsic mortality due to intraspecific aggression. Some expression changes that occur with age can facilitate physical age-related changes that may enhance fitness in older wolves. However, the expression of these ancestral patterns of aging in descendant modern dogs living in highly modified domestic environments may be maladaptive and cause disease. This work provides evolutionary insight into aging patterns observed in domestic dogs and demonstrates the applicability of studying natural populations to investigate the mechanisms of aging.
Imagined Identities: Defining the Racial Group in the Crime of Genocide

The provisions on genocide protect four exclusive, amongst others the racial, groups. Yet, international criminal tribunals are manifestly uncomfortable with collective groupings and interpret 'race' rather inconsistently. Nevertheless, there is a tendency to a subjective approach based upon the perpetrator's perception of the targeted group. The victim's membership is accordingly not determined objectively, but by the perception of differentness. This article incorporates the theory of imagined identities into law, thereby providing tribunals with a tool to define 'race'. Its essence is that even if the group does not exist, it must be granted protection because of its perceived and thereby socially relevant differentness. This partially socio-anthropological approach will have to be brought into conformity with the principle of strict legality. It will be demonstrated that the theory of imagined identities has been applied in case law, thereby enhancing not only its theoretical, but also its practical relevance.
Ca2+ mediates the effect of inhibition of Na+-K+-ATPase on the basolateral K+ channels in the rat CCD.

We investigated the effect of inhibiting Na+-K+-ATPase on the basolateral 18-pS K+ channel in the cortical collecting duct (CCD) of the rat kidney. Inhibiting Na+-K+-ATPase with strophanthidin decr...
Cross-Frequency rs-fMRI Network Connectivity Patterns Manifest Differently for Schizophrenia Patients and Healthy Controls

Patterns of resting state fMRI functional network connectivity in schizophrenia patients have been shown to differ markedly from those of healthy controls. While some studies have explored connectivity within fixed frequency bands, the question of network phase synchrony across disparate frequency bands, or cross-frequency connectivity , has remained surprisingly underexplored. Computational modeling at the neuronal scale however has long acknowledged the existence of coupled fast and slow subsystems. Here, we present preliminary evidence that cross-frequency coupling exists at the network level, that it patterns in meaningful ways over functional domains, and that this patterning differs between the healthy population and individuals with diagnosed schizophrenia.
Recurrent Shoulder Dystocia

Prior shoulder dystocia is the strongest risk factor for a recurrent shoulder dystocia. Prior macrosomia, abnormal labor, and operative delivery dramatically increase the injury rate in subsequent pregnancies. Early induction of labor or cesarean section is indicated unless the infant is significantly smaller. Prediction of future outcomes is not a realistic endeavor in modern-day obstetric practice.
Some Determinants of the Returns to Manufacturing Industries

A basic premise of this empirical research is that the returns to an industry depend on the size of its capital stock. It follows that some of the differences in the measured rates of return among industries are explained by the omission of certain components of their “true” capital. An important empirical task is to determine and, if possible, to measure all of the components of an industry’s capital stock. The data used in this study are from two sources; the 1963 Census of Manufactures and the employment turnover statistics of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The reasons for using the former in a study of this nature are obvious, and we shall soon see the relevance of the labor force turnover figures.
The Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in Providing Early Childhood Special Education

This chapter provides an overview of the varied roles of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in working with teams of professionals and the family surrounding a child with disabilities within the early childhood special education context. SLPs often participate in all phases of early intervention from screening to diagnosis, intervention planning and implementation, and monitoring and making adaptations to meet the child and family’s changing needs. SLPs contribute specialized knowledge and skills related to communication, language, speech, feeding, swallowing, and augmentative and alternative communication. Their roles may vary from limited interactions such as consulting with other professionals or the family to serving as a primary service provider. To provide the most effective services to children and families, SLPs use the best available research evidence, along with clinician and family wisdom, values, and beliefs, to guide decision making in all phases of early intervention.
High-Speed (20 kHz) Digital In-line Holography (DIH) to Quantify the Impact of a Viscous Drop on a Thin Film

Digital in-line holography (DIH) quantifies the fragments formed when a drop impacts a thin film. High-speed recording allows for quantification of transient dynamics. For the viscous liquids investigated here, a multimodal size distribution is observed.
Proposed low-energy absolute calibration of nuclear recoils in a dual-phase noble element TPC using D-D neutron scattering kinematics

Abstract We propose a new technique for the calibration of nuclear recoils in large noble element dual-phase time projection chambers used to search for WIMP dark matter in the local galactic halo. This technique provides an in situ measurement of the low-energy nuclear recoil response of the target media using the measured scattering angle between multiple neutron interactions within the detector volume. The low-energy reach and reduced systematics of this calibration have particular significance for the low-mass WIMP sensitivity of several leading dark matter experiments. Multiple strategies for improving this calibration technique are discussed, including the creation of a new type of quasi-monoenergetic neutron source with a minimum possible peak energy of 272 keV. We report results from a time-of-flight-based measurement of the neutron energy spectrum produced by an Adelphi Technology, Inc. DD108 neutron generator, confirming its suitability for the proposed nuclear recoil calibration.
Unusual Pancreatic Neoplasms: Imaging

‘Unusual’ pancreatic neoplasms can be thought of as a heterogeneous group of tumors that are infrequently seen in any given individual clinical practice. Even large referral centers may see fewer than 10 cases over a decade. There is no strict definition as to what tumors comprise this group of neoplasms. Probably the single most important reason why these lesions are being seen with any frequency is directly related to the widespread use of imaging (STEPHENS 1997). These lesions display clinical, demographic, and imaging features that are sufficiently different from pancreatic adenocarcinoma, islet-cell neoplasms, or cystic tumors that an ‘unusual’ histology is anticipated when they are encountered on imaging studies
Improving the Diagnosis of Neonatal Hypoglycemia in a Well-Baby Nursery

Point of care glucose (POCG) measurements, used for detecting neonatal hypoglycemia, can have variable accuracy. The appropriate diagnosis of neonatal hypoglycemia in babies with low POCG measurements involves confirmatory serum glucose (CSG) testing. At our institution, no babies with low POCG measurements had CSG testing in their evaluation of neonatal hypoglycemia over a three year period. Our aim was to increase the percentage of CSG testing in babies with a low POCG. A secondary aim was to decrease the percentage of low-risk, asymptomatic babies who received POCG testing. Interventions included the design and implementation of an evidence-based protocol for the diagnosis and management of neonatal hypoglycemia (cycle 1), along with supportive education for multi-disciplinary providers on best practices related to neonatal hypoglycemia (cycle 2). Data were analyzed using statistical process control. During Cycle 1, the percentage of CSG testing in babies with POCG ≤40 mg/dL significantly increased from 0 to 33%, and increased further to 63% during Cycle 2. The initial gain was sustained over 2 years. The percentage of POCG testing among low-risk asymptomatic babies was 40% at baseline and did not change during the project period. 18 babies with low POCG results were spared from a diagnosis of neonatal hypoglycemia based on CSG testing. Implementation of a neonatal hypoglycemia protocol, along with supportive education, significantly improved rates of CSG testing, but not POCG overutilization, in our newborn population. Factors related to POCG overutilization should be further explored.
Concomitant Medication Use and New-Onset Diabetes among Medicaid Beneficiaries with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract Use of multiple prescription medications is common among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) because of coexisting inflammatory-related conditions. Specifically, the use of antidepressants, inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs), and statins may place individuals with COPD at high risk for new-onset diabetes. The objective was to examine the relationship between the use of antidepressants, ICSs, and statins and new-onset diabetes among Medicaid beneficiaries with COPD. This study used a retrospective longitudinal cohort design using multiple years (2005–2008) of Medicaid claims for beneficiaries with newly diagnosed COPD (n = 15,287), who were diabetes free at baseline. National Drug Codes were used to determine the receipt of antidepressants, ICSs, and statins, and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes were used to define new-onset diabetes (250.x2). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the adjusted relationship b...
Reaction condition optimization and kinetic investigation of roasting zinc oxide ore using (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4

An orthogonal test was used to optimize the reaction conditions of roasting zinc oxide ore using (NH4)2SO4. The optimized reaction conditions are defined as an (NH4)2SO4/zinc molar ratio of 1.4:1, a roasting temperature of 440°C, and a thermostatic time of 60 min. The molar ratio of (NH4)2SO4/zinc is the most predominant factor and the roasting temperature is the second significant factor that governs the zinc extraction. Thermogravimetric–differential thermal analysis was used for (NH4)2SO4 and zinc mixed in a molar ratio of 1.4:1 at the heating rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20 K·min−1. Two strong endothermic peaks indicate that the complex chemical reactions occur at approximately 290°C and 400°C. XRD analysis was employed to examine the transformations of mineral phases during roasting process. Kinetic parameters, including reaction apparent activation energy, reaction order, and frequency factor, were calculated by the Doyle–Ozawa and Kissinger methods. Corresponding to the two endothermic peaks, the kinetic equations were obtained.
Margaret Schlauch, The Gift of Tongues: “Modem Age Books.” New York, 1942.

(1943). Margaret Schlauch, The Gift of Tongues. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 235-237.
Parallelizing Under-Determined Inverse Problems for Network Applications

In this paper, we introduce a new technique for partitioning a large-scale under-determined linear inverse problem into multiple smaller subproblems that can be efficiently solved independently, and in parallel. When it is impossible or inefficient to solve a large-scale under-determined linear inverse problem, this technique can be used to significantly speed up the computation process without compromising the accuracy of the solution. We present numerical results that show the effectiveness of this approach when applied to network inference problems including traffic matrix estimation and network anomaly detection, both are important for managing large, complex networks and cyber security. Our proposed framework is applicable to other emerging applications in computational intelligence that can be formulated as under-determined linear inverse problems.
Comment on Article by Scutari

Scutari’s paper studies properties of the distribution of graphs ppGq. This is an interesting angle because it differs from many works that focus on distributions over parameter spaces for a given graph ppΘ | Gq. The paper’s investigation of ppGq centers around its implied covariance matrix “ CovpGq. The major theoretical results, as I see it, concern eigenvalues of as well as variance and covariance elements of in the maximum entropy case for DAGs (i.e., a uniform distribution over all DAGs). While these results are certainly very worth noting by their own intellectual merits, what practical difference they might make is unclear to me. Eigenvalues of might be hard to interpret in terms of their intuitive connections with underlying graph structures. The maximum entropy case is somehow limited as it is rarely the case for posterior graph distributions and is also often less preferred than sparser cases for prior graph distributions. More discussions on the implications of these theoretical results on real data analysis will be very helpful. The more general point raised by the paper is more interesting to me. It calls attention to deeper investigation on statistical properties of distributions of graphs ppGq. In the literature of my own research topic of Gaussian graphical models (Dempster 1972), existing studies usually only focus on a point estimation of G from ppGq – the mean or the mode of ppGq is often used to represent prior belief or to summarize posterior information. The paper’s framework extends this sort of simple summary to the covariance matrix of ppGq. It is then tempting to ask what will be gained from these extra efforts. Specific questions include how to construct a prior ppGq with a consideration beyond the implied mean or mode graphs, and how to put into a perspective that better illustrates graph structures than a point estimate alone. I attempt to explore these questions in this discussion from a more applied point of view than the paper. In addition, I have some doubts about the paper’s argument of using variability measures in choosing learning algorithms or hyperparameters. The context of my discussion is Gaussian graphical models under a fully Bayesian treatment (Jones et al. 2005). Generalizations of the following points might be made to other undirected graphs or even DAGs too.