cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical Studies of Three Dimensional Graphene Foam as an Electrode Material

Graphene foam is one kind of network of three dimensional (3D) graphene, which inherits the properties of two dimensional graphene and overcomes the aggregation/stacking of graphene sheets. In this work, graphene foam has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. A graphene foam electrode was evaluated as a new electrode material by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and used for the detection of trace level of Pb2+ by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). Under the optimized condition of deposition potential (-1.2 V) and deposition time (2 min), the detection limit is estimated to be 40 nM for Pb2+ based on the 3σ method.
Automatic inpatient palliative care consultation (PCC): Too little, too late to impact quality of life for advanced cancer patients?

e20565 Background: Patients with advanced cancer who are hospitalized have high symptom burden and a short life expectancy, which may warrant PCC. Methods: Using sequential cohorts, we prospectivel...
Consumer attitude formation from eWOM: interplay between cognition and affect

The goal of the current study is to investigate how affective and cognitive processing - two of the main components in forming an attitude - play roles in the impact of online consumer reviews on brand/product attitude formation, and, consequently, on purchase intention formation under various conditions (e.g. valence of consumer reviews, product type, and level of involvement). The main experiment was conducted under 2 × 2 × 2 experimentally designed conditions with manipulated valence (positive vs. negative), product type (hedonic vs. functional), and involvement level (high vs. low). The study found a dominant moderating effect from valence of consumer review, whereas the effects from the other moderating variables - product types and involvement levels - were merely detected. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Social skills plus relaxation training with a child with ASD in the schools

Abstract A social skills plus relaxation training (SSRT) program was developed using direct training, relaxation training, and reinforcement principles. The aim was to examine the effectiveness of SSRT on increasing the frequency of three target behaviors for one 8-year-old, student classified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A multiple-baseline across behaviors design was used to evaluate the effects of SSRT. During baseline, intervention, and maintenance sessions the student’s responses were videotaped and then subsequently viewed and coded after the session. During intervention, the student’s correct responses for the targeted social skills increased and were maintained 17 weeks after SSRT ended. This study adds support for the use of this SSRT program in a school setting with children who have ASD.
Trace element mobilization during incipient bioweathering of four rock types

Abstract Lithogenic trace element (TE) patterns of distribution, fate, and behavior in soils are influenced by plants and microorganisms. Our controlled mesocosm experiments quantified how incipient weathering of mineral-bound TEs (Be, V, Sr, Ba, Cr, Co, Ni, Mo, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Tl, and Pb) varies across four porous mineral substrates (basalt, rhyolite, granite, and schist), in the presence of buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides), associated bacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM), a common plant symbiont. Particular focus was given to the net transfer of elements between the solid and solution phases, including chemical denudation (loss of element from the rock to the solution), plant TE uptake, and total mobilization (sum of denudation loss and uptake into plant biomass). Results revealed differences in TE denudation among rocks, basalt having the highest loss and schist the lowest. TE leaching in solution was time-dependent and it was likely influenced by variations in pH and DOC that were rock- and treatment-specific. The element with the highest rock-normalized release to the solution and highest enrichment in plant biomass was Mo across all rocks. Plants decreased denudation loss compared to abiotic controls for a large number of TEs in all substrates due to plant uptake, but for some elements increase in weathering due to plant activity resulted in increased denudation. Differences in TE patterns of behavior could be related to their Goldschmidt groups. Plant uptake was controlled by TE availability in solution, as well as plant physiological requirements. Plants and associated microbiota significantly enhanced mobilization for the majority of TEs across all rocks. Mycorrhiza significantly increased above-ground plant biomass production in rhyolite and concentrations in plant tissues for a high number of TEs in basalt. TE uptake into biomass was positively correlated with percent mycorrhizal infection, particularly in basalt and rhyolite. Mycorrhizal fungi also influenced TE denudation, rock-water fractionation, and total mobilization according to the rock type. Mycorrhizal activity was associated with a significant decrease in pH and increase in DOC fluxes in schist, supporting the idea that fungi enhance production of root exudates especially in substrates that are difficult to weather. Our results highlight the importance of incipient weathering at the plant-rock interface for patterns of TE cycling. They also indicate the importance of mycorrhiza in mineral dissolution, TE denudation, plant element uptake, and biomass growth.
Systematic hardening of distributed component applications to improve their QoS

Although failure handling has been one of the most extensive research areas, distributed component applications are often written without advanced failure handling capabilities. Building a distributed component application that features sophisticated failure-handling capabilities faces two main challenges. Firstly, failure handling functionality cannot be easily expressed as separate components, which can be reused across different applications. Secondly, it is not clear how such failure handling strategies can be easily integrated with standard middleware. This research addresses these two challenges with an extensible hardening framework. Our framework allows the programmer to express failure handling functionality as reusable Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGi) components that can be configured to harden distributed component applications with resiliency to withstand various failure conditions. Our reference implementation leverages the capacities for R-OSGi---a distribution infrastructure for OSGi components. Our Middleware 2009 paper describes how our approach can harden distributed components to effectively deal with temporary network outages. The research described by this poster aims at generalizing our approach to effectively handle other kinds of failure, including system crashes, unresponsive components, and software bugs.
Eudaimonic Identity Theory: Identity as Self-Discovery

Work on eudaimonistic identity theory began in an effort to answer the question: How is an individual trying to answer identity-related questions to know which of the many identity alternatives available is the “better” choice to make? Central to eudaimonistic philosophy is the construct of the daimon or “true self,” those potentials of each individual that represent the best that the person is able to become. “Living in truth to the daimon” is said to give rise to a particular form of happiness, termed eudaimonia, a set of subjective experiences I have labeled “feelings of personal expressiveness” (Waterman, 1990, 1993). In this chapter, I briefly review philosophical perspectives regarding the daimon and eudaimonia, starting with their origins in classical Hellenic philosophy, most notably in Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, and in the work of contemporary eudaimonistic philosophers and personality theorists. The constructs and principles of eudaimonistic identity theory are also presented. The goal of identity formation is identified as discovering the nature of one’s daimon and includes (a) the discovery of personal potentials, (b) choosing one’s purposes in living, and (c) finding opportunities to act upon those potentials and purposes in living. Marcia’s identity status paradigm is discussed as providing descriptions of the various ways in which individuals address the task of identity formation and the implications of the processes involved for the likelihood of achieving a successful outcome. Further, I propose that the construct of intrinsic motivation is central to understanding the how individuals come to recognize those personal potentials that represent better outcomes to the task of identity formation. Feelings of personal expressiveness (eudaimonia), flow, interest, and hedonic enjoyment constitute a constellation of subjective component experienced when engaged in intrinsically motivated activities. Important contextual predictors of intrinsic motivation include self-determination, a balance of challenges and skills, opportunities to act upon self-realization values, and effort. The contributions of these subjective experiences and predictors to the goals and processes of identity formation will be explored.
Using SCR to specify requirements of the BART advanced automated train control system

Since its introduction in 1978, the SCR (Software Cost Reduction) tabular notation has been used to represent the requirement of numerous safety-critical systems, including avionics systems, space systems, and control systems for nuclear plants. Our group has formulated a state-machine semantics for the SCR notation and a set of software tools for analyzing requirements specifications in the SCR tabular notation. To demonstrate the benefits of the SCR method for developing safety-critical systems, this chapter describes the application of SCR to a complex portion of the Advanced Automated Train Control (AATC) system under development for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. Examples from an SCR specification of the required behavior of the AATC system are provided. The positive impact of applying our approach to the construction of the AATC system is summarized, and some important issues raised during the case study are discussed.
Guelph Parliamentary Activities

Bismarck had to contend not only with illegal opposition to his plans for integration but also with legal opposition in the parliamentary arena. Of all the undertakings with which the Guelphs were connected, it is perhaps their association with politics which has most frequently brought their name to the public’s attention. Once Hanover had become a Prussian province, the Hanoverians received the right to participate in the Prussian legislature. As part of Prussia the people of Hanover were also permitted to vote for members of the Federal Reichstag. The Guelph followers were not slow in forming a political party to run in the Reichstag elections, for they knew that representation in the legislature could be an effective means of keeping the Guelph cause before the public.
Chocolate: Food or Drug?

Although addictive behavior is generally associated with drug and alcohol abuse or compulsive sexual activity, chocolate may evoke similar psychopharmacologic and behavioral reactions in susceptible persons. A review of the literature on chocolate cravings indicates that the hedonic appeal of chocolate (fat, sugar, texture, and aroma) is likely to be a predominant factor in such cravings. Other characteristics of chocolate, however, may be equally as important contributors to the phenomena of chocolate cravings. Chocolate may be used by some as a form of self-medication for dietary deficiencies (eg, magnesium) or to balance low levels of neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of mood, food intake, and compulsive behaviors (eg, serotonin and dopamine). Chocolate cravings are often episodic and fluctuate with hormonal changes just before and during the menses, which suggests a hormonal link and confirms the assumed gender-specific nature of chocolate cravings. Chocolate contains several biologically active constituents (methylxanthines, biogenic amines, and cannabinoid-like fatty acids), all of which potentially cause abnormal behaviors and psychological sensations that parallel those of other addictive substances. Most likely, a combination of chocolate's sensory characteristics, nutrient composition, and psychoactive ingredients, compounded with monthly hormonal fluctuations and mood swings among women, will ultimately form the model of chocolate cravings. Dietetics professionals must be aware that chocolate cravings are real. The psychopharmacologic and chemosensory effects of chocolate must be considered when formulating recommendations for overall healthful eating and for treatment of nutritionally related health issues.
Scientific Effort and Landscape Geochemistry

Scientific effort within a discipline, or disciplines, relates to one or more of a series of approximations each of which provides a more complete world picture than that which preceded it. In Chap. 3, four levels of scientific effort in environmental geochemistry were identified.
The role of androgens and estrogens in the pathogenesis of experimental nonbacterial prostatitis.

AbstractThe etiology and pathogenesis of nonbacterial prostatitis remains unclear. This study provides evidence that genetic background, advancing age, and hormonal imbalance are important etiologic factors for prostatitis in rats. It also demonstrates that Lewis and Wistar rats develop a spontaneous nonbacterial prostatitis with advancing age, making them good animal models for the laboratory investigation of this disease. Spontaneous nonbacterial prostatitis is much more common in Lewis rats (72%) than in Wistar rats (27%, p <.05), and does not occur in Sprague-Dawley rats. The incidence of spontaneous prostatitis is significantly higher in older animals than in younger animals (72% old adult Lewis rats vs. 30% young adult Lewis rats, p <.05). Administration of exogenous 17β-estradiol increases the incidence and severity of prostatitis in old Wistar rats (100% treated vs. 27% control, p <.01). Castration has a similar effect. Testosterone can block the effect of estradiol on prostatitis, however treatme...
Clinicopathogenomic analysis of mismatch repair proficient colorectal adenocarcinoma to uncover novel prognostic subgroups with differing patterns of genetic evolution.

e15043Background: Cancer somatic genetic evolution is a direct contributor to heterogeneity at the clonal and molecular level in colorectal adenocarcinoma (COAD). We sought to examine genetic evolu...
Legacy effects of Hurricane Katrina influenced marsh shoreline erosion following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Abstract Disturbance interactions occur when one perturbation influences the severity and perhaps the baseline state of succeeding disturbances. Natural and anthropogenic disturbances are frequent in dynamic coastal ecosystems and can often be linked. We evaluated potential for disturbance interactions associated with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, which was preceded by disturbance from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, by quantifying marsh shoreline retreat across both events. Our goal was to determine the degree to which Hurricane Katrina altered baseline rates of erosion prior to the DWH spill. We quantified erosion rate and fetch from aerial images of northern Barataria Bay, Louisiana marsh shorelines classified as reference, moderately-oiled, and heavily-oiled over three pre-spill time periods (1998–2004, prior to Hurricane Katrina; 2004–2005, during Katrina; 2005–2010, post-Katrina but pre-oil spill) and a post-spill period from 2010 to 2013. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, marsh shoreline erosion rates were low (from 0.38 to 1.10 m yr−1). In contrast during Hurricane Katrina (2004–2005), erosion increased by 661% and 756%, respectively, for shorelines that would subsequently become moderately and heavily-oiled; reference shoreline erosion increased by 59%. These high erosion rates were associated with increased fetch and higher wave action due to loss of protective geomorphic features such as small islands and spits and persisted during the post-Katrina/pre-spill period of 2005–2010 (0.62, 1.38, and 2.07 m yr−1 for reference, moderately, and heavily-oiled shorelines, respectively). Erosion rates increased modestly after the DWH event (reference = 1.13 m yr−1, moderate oiling = 1.45 m yr−1; heavy oiling = 2.77 m yr−1), but not significantly, compared to the post-Katrina period. Consequently, we could not detect a post-spill increase in marsh shoreline erosion. Rather, we concluded that Hurricane Katrina reset the erosion baseline, thereby connecting the two disturbances, and was the major driver of marsh shoreline erosion at our research sites during the study period.
Risk Factors for Falls, Falls With Injury, and Falls With Fracture Among Older Men With or at Risk of HIV Infection.

Background Falls and fall risk factors are common among people living with HIV (PLWH). We sought to identify fall risk factors among men with and without HIV. Methods Men aged 50-75 years with (n = 279) and without HIV (n = 379) from the Bone Strength Substudy of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study were included. Multinomial logistic regression models identified risk factors associated with falling. Results One hundred fourteen (41%) PLWH and 149 (39%) of uninfected men had ≥1 fall; 54 (20%) PLWH and 66 (17%) of uninfected men experienced ≥2 falls over 2 years. Five and 3% of PLWH and uninfected men, respectively, had a fall-related fracture (P = 0.34). In multivariate models, the odds of ≥2 falls were greater among men reporting illicit drug use, taking diabetes or depression medications, and with peripheral neuropathy; obesity was associated with a lower risk (all P Conclusions Identified risk factors for recurrent falls or fall with fracture included low physical activity, detectable HIV-1 RNA, use of efavirenz, or use of medications to treat diabetes and depression. Fall risk reduction should prioritize interventions targeting modifiable risk factors including increased physical activity, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and transition off efavirenz.
Exploring utilization options of heterogeneous architectures for multi-physics simulations

Abstract Top supercomputers in the TOP500 list have transitioned from homogeneous node architectures toward heterogeneous manycore nodes with accelerators and CPUs. These new architectures present significant challenges to developers of large-scale multiphysics applications, especially at DOE laboratories that have invested heavily in scalable MPI codes over decades. Much of these scientific application porting efforts for the new heterogeneous architectures are focused on running the computation on the accelerators, which usually comprise > 90% of the FLOPS of the system, typically using one core per GPU to offload work. We describe an approach to utilizing the remaining FLOPS on a heterogeneous machine by running a portion of the computation on the CPUs cooperatively with the GPU computation. Orthogonally, we evaluate using the additional cores to also offload work to GPUs, effectively oversubscribing the GPUs. We present a proof-of-concept implementation in ARES, a multiphysics ALE-AMR code at LLNL. ARES uses a portability layer, RAJA, which enables us to utilize the same source code for both the CPU and the GPU. We develop an approach to utilize both types of processors cooperatively in a heterogeneous system. Our implementation divides the work between the computing resources via domain decomposition, and utilizes all cores of the CPU and all of the GPUs on the node for computation. Load balancing is necessary to use the heterogeneous resources effectively. We present preliminary results on early delivery pre-Sierra machines at LLNL, showing up to 40% performance benefit of oversubscribing the GPUs (with caveats), and up to an 18% performance benefit of using the CPUs on the heterogeneous nodes for computing in addition to using the GPUs.
Bethany: A Woman Recalling Her Traumatic History

This chapter illustrates how the EBP practice decision-making process is undertaken in Employee Assistance Program work with a Bethany, 32-year-old, biracial woman who has come to a sudden awareness of her early trauma history. Issues of assessment are addressed, and the six steps of the EBP process are each explored in detail. How EBP is done in practice is examined fully as it applies to the specifics of Bethany’s needs and strengths.
Building Biased Jurors: Exposing the Circularity of the Inherent Bias Rationale for Felon-Juror Exclusion

Justifying the statutory exclusion of convicted felons from jury service, lawmakers and courts allege that convicted felons harbor an inherent bias, making them sympathetic to the plight of crimina...
Factoring Polynomials, Their Roots, and Some Applications

This chapter focuses on the relationship between polynomials with real coefficients, roots which may be complex numbers or rational roots, and \(\mathrm{GCD}\) and \(\mathrm{LCM}\) for polynomials.
Effect of Gaze Angle During the Vertical Video Head Impulse Test Across Two Devices in Healthy Adults and Subjects With Vestibular Loss.

Objective To evaluate the effect of gaze angle on vertical vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain using two different video head impulse (vHIT) devices in healthy adults and subjects with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL). Study design Prospective study. Setting Hospital research laboratory. Subjects Twenty-four healthy adults (mean [standard deviation {SD}] age = 32 [4.8]; 23-42; 8 men) and four subjects with previously diagnosed BVL (mean age [SD] = 32 [8.2]; 21-40; 3 men) participated. Intervention Vertical canal vHIT was administered with two different devices using three gaze angles (-45 degrees, 0 degree, +45 degrees). These devices have different gain calculation algorithms and different head and gaze angle protocols. Main outcome measures Vertical canal gain and presence or absence of reset saccades. Results A significant stepwise reduction in vHIT gain was noted as gaze moved away from the plane of the canals stimulated (from -45 degrees to 0 degree, to +45 degrees) for both healthy adults and subjects with BVL. vHIT gain was able to separate the two groups using gaze angles -45 degrees and 0 degree. Conclusions In spite of their differences in gain algorithm and recommended head position and gaze angle, each device was able to appropriately separate healthy adults from subjects with BVL with high sensitivity/specificity.
100 – Cocaine Overdose

Publisher Summary This chapter describes physiological effects of cocaine. In a healthy human, intranasal cocaine increases blood pressure (BP) and activates baroreceptor reflexes, thereby reflexively decreasing sympathetic nerve activity (SNA), the neural stimulus for norepinephrine (NE) release. If there is little stimulus for NE release into the synaptic cleft, there should be little NE available for reuptake by the transporter and thus little transporter activity to be blocked by cocaine. Effects of cocaine on the heart rate, myocardial contractility, and coronary tone are also assumed to be related to inhibition of the cardiac NE reuptake. However, studies in humans challenged this hypothesis because these excitatory effects of cocaine were seen only with the systemic route of administration. Intranasal cocaine increased heart rate and caused α-adrenergic-mediated coronary vasoconstriction in humans, whereas infusion of cocaine directly into the coronary circulation, even at the dose that produced very high local concentration, did not produce the same effects. Treatment of cocaine-induced acute hypertension should be targeted to minimize the increase in cardiac output. Because cocaine causes a sympathetic increase in heart rate, a β-blocker theoretically should be the treatment of choice.
A Biophysical Model for Plant Cell Plate Development

Plant cell division involves de novo formation of a cell plate that partitions the cytoplasm of the dividing cell. Cell plate formation is directed by orchestrated delivery of cytokinetic vesicles via the phragmoplast, vesicle fusion, and membrane maturation to the nascent cell wall by the timely deposition of polysaccharides such as callose, cellulose, and crosslinking glycans. In contrast to the role of endomembrane protein regulators the role of polysaccharides, particularly callose, in cell plate development is poorly understood. It has been suggested that the transient accumulation of callose provides an anisotropic spreading force which helps the transition of earlier, membrane-network cell plate stages into a more mature fenestrated sheet stage. Here we present a biophysical model based on the Helfrich free energy for membranes that models this spreading force. We show that proper cell plate development in the model is possible, depending upon the selection of the bending modulus, with a two-dimensional spreading force parameter of between 2-6pN/nm, an osmotic pressure difference of 2-10kPa, and a range of spontaneous curvature between 0-0.04nm^(-1). With these conditions, we can achieve stable membrane conformations in agreement with observed sizes and morphologies corresponding to intermediate stages of cell plate development. Altogether, our mathematical model predicts that a spreading force generated by callose and/or other polysaccharides, coupled with a concurrent decrease in spontaneous curvature, is vital for the transition of a membrane network to a nearly mature cell plate
The Complexities of Race and Place: Childhood Neighborhood Disadvantage and Adult Incarceration for Whites, Blacks, and Latinos:

The author uses restricted geocoded tract-level panel data (1986–2014) that span the prison boom and the acceleration of residential segregation in the United States from two cohorts of the Nationa...
Malignant tumours of the uterus and ovaries with Mullerian and germ cell or trophoblastic components have a somatic origin and are characterised by genomic instability.

Aims Tumours of the female genital tract with a combination of malignant Mullerian and germ cell or trophoblastic tumour (MMGC/T) components are usually diagnosed in postmenopausal women, and pursue an aggressive clinical course characterised by poor response to therapy and early relapses. These clinical features suggest that MMGC/T are somatic in origin, but objective molecular data to support this interpretation are lacking. This study evaluates the molecular features of nine MMGC/T, including seven tumours containing yolk sac tumour (YST), one tumour containing choriocarcinoma and one tumour containing epithelioid trophoblastic tumour. The objectives were to: (i) investigate whether MMGC/T show a distinct genetic profile and (ii) explore the relationship between the different histological components. Methods and results Next-generation sequencing of paired samples demonstrated that the mutational profile of the Mullerian and non-Mullerian components of the tumour were almost identical in all cases. Moreover, the driver mutations identified were those expected in the specific subtype of Mullerian component present in each case. In contrast, variants expected in postpubertal germ cell tumours and gestational trophoblastic tumours were not identified, and FISH for i(12p) was negative in all cases tested. In this study, mismatch repair-proficient MMGC/T (eight of nine) were characterised by a complex copy-number variant profile, including numerous focal, regional, arm-level and chromosome-level events. Conclusions Comparison of paired samples supports that the YST and trophoblastic tumour components of MMGC/T have a somatic origin and often show numerous copy-number variants, suggestive of underlying genomic instability.
Blockchain Traceability Valuation for Perishable Agricultural Products Under Demand Uncertainty

Various perishable agricultural products are recalled due to harmful health risks. Blockchain has been used to reduce the amount of such products wasted and disposed. Specifically, a supply chain with a wholesaler, a retailer, and customers is considered where the retailer decides when to switch from a conventional supply chain information management system (SCIMS) to a blockchain-based SCIMS. This article models the uncertain customers' demand as a geometric Brownian motion process and shows how to obtain the optimal demand threshold above which the switch occurs and the corresponding expected time. Next, the model is extended by incorporating two types of government subsidies (i.e., a fixed subsidy on the switching cost and a variable subsidy per unit demand). Through sensitivity analysis and numerical studies, the impacts of key parameters on the optimal demand threshold and expected time of switching are presented. Finally, managerial insights and policy implications are derived.
A scoping review of social network analyses in interorganizational collaboration studies for child mental health

Abstract Purpose Twenty percent of children in the U.S. experience mental illness; yet, only 30% receive treatment. These disparities are exacerbated by barriers to access and resources. Interorganizational collaboration of community-based organizations (CBOs) can help minimize these barriers, but challenges to accessing treatment remain persistent. Social network analysis (SNA) offers a systems-level approach to address issues related to existing service fragmentation and service silos in CBOs. However, SNA is not fully realized in interorganizational research with CBO systems involved in child MH services. Methods A scoping review was conducted on a subset of empirical studies (n = 28) utilizing SNA to assess interorganizational collaboration among CBOs involved in child MH. Guided by the PRISMA, the study aimed to (a) describe the state of the existing literature and (b) identify outcomes affiliated with using SNA in these contexts. Results Whole network studies were synthesized based on primary interorganizational network outcomes, highlighting the advantages of using SNA to map interactions in collaboration, drive decisions for resource distribution and funding allocation, and explain the underlying processes in access to resources and power. Conclusions There is a need to better support CBOs and a need to identify strategies that can inform ongoing efforts implementing child mental health practices. SNA is a promising approach that provides practical insights into how CBOs can leverage networks to support collaborative efforts to improve child MH access and outcomes.
“You Have to Be Against Bilingualism!” Sociolinguistic Theory and Controversies Over Bilingualism in Catalonia

“Bilingualism” has long been a provocative term in Catalonia, where the concept is more often treated as ideology than as a description of sociolinguistic fact. I present a critical overview of con...
Evaluation of Hologram Distances in Reducing Shoulder Stress During Augmented Reality Interactions

This study investigated the effect of different hologram distances on the shoulder postures, muscle activities, and the task performance (speed) during Augmented Reality (AR) interactions. With a r...
Apoptotic DNase network: Mutual induction and cooperation among apoptotic endonucleases

DNA fragmentation produced by apoptotic DNases (endonucleases) leads to irreversible cell death. Although apoptotic DNases are simultaneously induced following toxic/oxidative cell injury and/or failed DNA repair, the study of DNases in apoptosis has generally been reductionist in approach, focusing on individual DNases rather than their possible cooperativity. Coordinated induction of DNases would require a mechanism of communication; however, mutual DNase induction or activation of DNases by enzymatic or non-enzymatic mechanisms is not currently recognized. The evidence presented in this review suggests apoptotic DNases operate in a network in which members induce each other through the DNA breaks they produce. With DNA breaks being a common communicator among DNases, it would be logical to propose that DNA breaks from other sources such as oxidative DNA damage or actions of DNA repair endonucleases and DNA topoisomerases may also serve as triggers for a cooperative DNase feedback loop leading to elevated DNA fragmentation and subsequent cell death. Therefore, mutual induction of apoptotic DNases has serious implications for studies focused on activation or inhibition of specific DNases as a strategy for therapeutic intervention aimed at modulation of cell death.
A New Model of Interactive Percolation

The most widely used model for the study of disordered systems is the percolation model [1], in which the only parameter is the concentration p. Percolation can be illustrated by a simple irreversible cluster-growth process, in which sites on an initially empty lattice are selected at random and then occupied. Nearest-neighbor sites are considered to be connected, forming clusters of varying sizes and geometries. The concentration increases with time, and above a critical concentration p c a cluster extends across the entire system. Its formation signals a geometric phase transition, and the region around p c can be analyzed for scaling behavior and critical exponents.
Mechanism of Action and Development of Resistance to a New Amidino Penicillin

The mechanism of killing of Escherichia coli by a novel beta-lactam antibiotic, an amidino penicillin, has been investigated. This compound converts E. coli to relatively stable spherical forms at low concentration. However, the amidino penicillin caused no alteration in any of those parameters of peptidoglycan synthesis which can be studied. Above 10 mug of the antibiotic per ml the cells began to lyse, and a second mode of killing appeared. Mutants resistant to the amidino penicillin were isolated and several were studied in detail. Three mutant phenotypes were distinguished: (i) spherical shape and hypersensitive to lysis by either amidino penicillin or ampicillin; (ii) spherical shape and normally sensitive to lysis; (iii) rod shape, converted to viable spheres by amidino penicillin and normally sensitive to lysis.
Reconstructive denaturation of immunoglobulins by sodium dodecyl sulfate. Circular dichroism studies.

Abstract Circular dichroism (CD) of two individual specimens of human 7-S myeloma IgG immunoglobulins (one of the κ and the other of the λ antigenic type) was measured in the presence and absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. In the absence of dodecyl sulfate, the κ-type immunoglobulin had a positive CD band at 200 nm and negative bands at 217 and 236 nm, whereas the λ-type globulin had two positive bands at 190–200 nm, a negative peak at 217 nm, and a shoulder at 225–228 nm. In the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (mass ratio 0.6–18 g sodium dodecyl sulfate per 1 g protein) the far ultraviolet CD spectra of both proteins were converted into spectra indicating a moderate α-helix content. In the near ultraviolet zone, the CD spectra of the immunoglobulins differed strongly from each other and the changes induced by sodium dodecyl sulfate were complex. With low concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate, the CD bands of the κ-type protein at 250–290 nm underwent a positive shift, whereas only the strongly negative bands of the λ-type immunoglobulin at 250–280 nm became more positive but the presumably tryptophanyl bands at 286–300 nm shifted toward the negative direction. At high concentrations of dodecyl sulfate (1.6–4 g and more sodium dodecyl sulfate per 1 g protein), the near ultraviolet spectra of both proteins were similar and were characterized by several negative CD bands at 260–290 nm. The transitions were promoted by acid and they were insensitive to moderate changes of ionic strength. The data indicate that sodium dodecyl sulfate caused a profound change in conformation which cannot be qualified as disorganization. The term “reconstructive denaturation” is proposed for these transitions.
Promotion of adventitious root formation of difficult-to-root hardwood tree species

North American hardwood tree species, such as alder (Alnus spp.), ash (Fraxinus spp.), basswood (Tilia spp.), beech (Fagus spp.), birch (Betula spp.), black cherry (Prunus seratina), black walnut (Juglans nigra), black willow (Salix nigra), elm (Ulmus spp.), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), hard maple (Acer spp.), hickory (Cazya spp.), oak (Quercus spp.), pecan (Cazya spp.), sassafras (Sassafras albidium), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), sycamore (Platanus spp.), and yellow poplar (Liriodendran tulipifera), are important resources for the forest products industry worldwide and to the international trade of lumber and logs. The economic market for these tree species can be very high. Many of these hardwood species are also planted in the urban landscape, plantations, or orchards for seed or nut production.
A multicenter, primary-care-based, open-label study to assess the success of converting opioid-experienced patients with chronic moderate-to-severe pain to morphine sulfate and naltrexone hydrochloride extended-release capsules using a standardized conversion guide.

Objective To evaluate the conversion of opioid-experienced patients with chronic moderate-to-severe pain to extended-release morphine sulfate with sequestered naltrexone hydrochloride (MSN) using a standardized conversion guide.
Music in Ancient China: An Archaeological and Art Historical Study of Strings, Winds, and Drums during the Eastern Zhou and Han Periods (770 BCE–220 CE)

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Ingrid Furniss Year: 2008 Pages: 523 Publisher: Cambria Press ISBN: 9781604975208 (hard cover). Prices: $159.95 USD(hard cover).
On Jacobians for robots containing closed kinematic chains

Computation of the Jacobian for manipulators containing closed kinematic chains is addressed. Definition of a sufficient minimal Jacobian and its development is presented. This Jacobian is obtained on any of the path-dependent Jacobians using the constraint equations and the concept of a selection matrix. An example based on the GE P-50 robot is presented. >
Development of performance assessment tools for a highway bridge resulting from controlled progressive monitoring

As highway bridges continue to deteriorate given the increased service life, increase in vehicle demand and exposure to harsh environmental climates, new methods of monitoring their in situ performance are of high priority. Damage within the structure can alter various load demand and capacity characteristics, affecting the overall integrity of the bridge. Discussed in this paper is the monitoring of a simple span bridge superstructure under various induced damage states. Strain measurements were recorded at the midspan and north abutment of each girder. Six levels of damage progression were implemented at a rocker bearing and various diaphragms to girder connections. Transverse load distribution factors (DFs) and neutral axis (NA) locations were measured for each damage case and evaluated against the baseline undamaged response. These measurements serve to provide a possible method of damage detection using load-testing parameters already employed by various transportation agencies. Next, a performance index (PI) is developed for this stringer/multi-girder bridge utilising the NA and DF response from the steel girder system and the allowable stress design load-rating data. The ratio of NA to DF was compared to the inventory load rating for each girder at each damaged state. The data were fitted with a power regression model to form the PI. Furthermore, a 95% prediction interval was used around the predicted response to capture all the data from the testing. The model was applied to the damaged structure as well as two additional stringer/multi-girder bridges. The objective of the PI is to complement existing qualitative assessment protocols with quantitative results for improving the condition assessment process.
Horarios largos y cortos: qué puede aprender Norteamérica de Europa?

espanolResumen: Mediante arquetipos europeos hemos identificado cuatro regimenes de horario de trabajo, diferenciados segun el grado de flexibilidad en el horario y la equidad de genero. Comparamos esos arquetipos con tres paises de Norteamerica: Mexico, Canada y Estados Unidos. Los paises norteamericanos han adoptado practicas de horario de trabajo que inhiben el progreso hacia la equidad de genero. En sus regi menes liberales de flexibilizacion del horario de trabajo los horarios largos son comunes, especialmente para los trabajadores de genero masculino. Las mujeres que quieren combinar el trabajo asalariado con trabajo no remunerado se concentran en trabajos de medio tiempo. Las reducciones en la semana de trabajo estandar son una mejor solucion a largo plazo para alcanzar la equidad de genero en el mercado de trabajo y la redistribucion del trabajo domestico. EnglishAbstract: Using archetypes from Europe, we identify four Work Time Regimes, differentiated according to the degree of flexibility in work hours and gender equity. These archetypes are compared with three North American countries, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The North American countries have adopted flexible work time practices that inhibit progress toward gender equity. In these Liberal Flexibilization Work Time Regimes, long hours of work are common, especially for male workers. Women who want to combine paid and unpaid labor are concentrated in part time jobs. Reductions in the standard work week are a better long-term solution for achieving gender equity in the labor market and the redistribution of domestic labor.
A Blanket Injunction Against Disciplinary Use of Spanking Is Not Warranted by the Data

As Dr Larzelere9s review of quality studies documents, a blanket injunction against disciplinary spanking by parents is not scientifically supportable. My brief commentary will consist of seven propositions that pertain to his conclusions. PROPOSITION 1 The effects of parents9 disciplinary methods are mediated by children9s perception of their legitimacy. Reasoning with a child helps to legitimate parental authority, but to be maximally effective when a child disobeys, reasoning must be backed up periodically by consequences. Reasoning used in conjunction with power-assertive methods clarifies the behavioral contingencies for the child by specifying what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. When compliance cannot be obtained by repeating the directive, the addition of aversive consequences, which can include a couple of smart spanks, may be indicated. With defiant children, an additional aversive consequence enhances the effectiveness of time-out. 1 Brief explanations prior to or subsequent to punishment convey the purpose behind the rules, simultaneously reinforce their inevitability, and allow the child to evaluate the reasons given. Reasoning broadens the context in which compliance is expected by generalizing from a specific act to a rule governing the larger class of behavior expected of the child. By explaining the objectives of discipline, parents enable their children to control punishment by controlling the behavior on which punishment is contingent. PROPOSITION 2 The use of reasoning in conjunction with power-assertive methods, including physical punishment, can encourage internalization. The judicious and limited use of power-assertive methods, including punishment, does not prevent children from internalizing parents9 values. 2 For example, power assertion together with explanations has been shown to increase rather than to decrease the likelihood that children will share even after instructions to do so are discontinued. 3
The ultraviolet behavior of N = 4 Yang-Mills and the power counting of extended superspace☆

Abstract A two-loop calculation in the N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory is performed in various dimensions. The theory is found to be two-loop finite in six dimensions or less, but infinite in seven and nine dimensions. The six-dimensional result can be explained by a formulation of the theory in terms of N = 2 superfields. The divergence in seven dimensions is naively compatible with both N = 2 and N = 4 superfield power counting rules, but is of a form that cannot be written as an on-shell N = 4 superfield integral. The hypothesized N = 4 extended superfield formalism therefore either does not exist, or at least has weaker consequences than would have been expected. This leads one to expect that four-dimensional supergravity theories diverge at three loops. Some general issues about the meaning of finiteness in nonrenormalizable theories are discussed. In particular, we discuss the use of field redefinitions, the generalization of wave function renormalizations to nonrenormalizable theories, and whether counterterms should be used in calculations in finite theories.
The Resources Allocation Effects of Indonesia's Financial Repression in the 1974–1983 Period

We found that the selective credit policy of the 1974-83 period benefitted the Indonesian economy in a way unanticipated by the protagonists in the financial repression debate. The selective credit policy by favoring the manufacturing and trade sectors reduced their decimation by the overvalued exchange rate created by expansionary macroeconomic policies. The existence of a sizeable tradeable sector when the negative balance of payments shocks hit after 1981 enabled Indonesia to earn enough foreign exchange to service its external debts and thus avoid the type of prolonged economic crisis experienced by Latin America. (It must be stressed that the selective credit policy constituted only one of the policy actions that preserved the economic viability of the tradeable sector.) Since the selective credit policy was not undertaken with the expectation of negative balance of payments shocks in 1980s, its beneficial effects on economic development were entirely fortuitous.
Control of the Biosynthesis of Phenylalanine and Tyrosine in Plant Tissue Cultures: Lack of Repression of Chorismate Mutase

Tobacco, rice, carrot and tomato tissue cultures were grown in liquid media containing l-phenylalanine or l-tyrosine, or both together. The addition of these amino acids increased their respective cellular levels (4–20 fold), but did not lower the level of chorismate mutase, an enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of phenylalanine and tyrosine. These results indicate that the biosynthesis of phenylalanine and tyrosine in cultured plant cells is not regulated by repression of the synthesis of chorismate mutase by phenylalanine or tyrosine.
A decade of change in nets and plastic litter from fisheries off Alaska

Abstract Ten 1 km beaches on Amchitka Island, Alaska, were surveyed once annually in 1972–1974 and in 1982 to determine weights and numbers of fish-net fragments and other plastic litter items. Most litter was from Japanese and Soviet fishing vessels. Litter rapidly increased during 1972–74 (from 122 to 345 kg km−1 of beach) but decreased 26% by 1982 to 255 kg km−1. There was a 37% reduction in weight of trawl web on Amchitka beaches, and the number of gill-net floats declined 47%. The decrease in litter between 1974 and 1982, attributed to fewer trawlers and gill-netters fishing off Alaska, shows that marine litter could be rapidly reduced if disposal of litter at sea were restricted.
Creativity and self-determination in personality.

Four measures of self-determination (SD) were correlated with two measures of trait creativity. In Study 1, subjects high on the Creative Personality Scale (Gough, 1979) and the Problem-Solving/Creativity scale (Marsh & O'Neill, 1984) were found to strive for self-determined reasons, to strive toward greater SD, and to evidence higher SD in measures of both motivational orientation and self-concept. Study 2 replicated most of these findings and also showed that creative subjects perceived their parents to be more autonomy supportive. Results are interpreted in terms of a general disposition to be self-determining that may help attune creative people to deeper cognitive resources and capacities within themselves.