cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Situational awareness through reasoning on network incidents

Corporations worldwide work with teams of often dedicated system administrators to maintain, detect and prevent network infringements. This is a highly user-driven process that consumes hundreds (if not thousands) of man hours yearly. User reporting, the basis of most of these incident detection systems suffers from various biases and leads to below-par security measures. In the paper, we provide an approach for near real-time analysis of ongoing events on controlled networks, while requiring no end-user interaction and saving on system administrator's effort. Our proposed solution, ReasONets, a lightweight, distributed system, provides situational awareness in case of network incidents. ReasONets combines aspects of anomaly detection with Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) methodologies to reason about ongoing security events in a network, including their nature, severity and sources. We build a fully running prototype of ReasONets, to demonstrate the accuracy of the system, in doing reasoning and inference on the network status by exploiting events and network features. To the best of our knowledge, ReasONets is the first of its kind system combining detection and classification of network events with realtime reasoning while being capable of scaling up to large network sizes.
Renal medullary carcinoma in a patient with sickle-cell disease

Background A 36-year-old black male with sickle-cell disease, asthma, and dyslipidemia presented with shortness of breath, chest pain, lethargy, and recent fever. Physical examination revealed mild respiratory distress. Investigations Chest X-ray, CT, abdominal ultrasound, and MRI. Diagnosis Renal medullary carcinoma.
Fractionation of protein solutions by membrane partition chromatography.

HIGH flux preformed ultrafiltration membranes, serving as diffusive barriers to the transport of macromolecular species, have been found to be extremely useful for: the non-denaturant concentration of dilute protein solutions1; as a practical means of rapid dialysis and evaluation of micro-ion binding phenomena; for separating the products of proteolysis during digestion (unpublished work of Blatt, Robinson, Zipilivan and Hudson); and in the determination of lower molecular weight moieties2. These membranes are hydrous gels formed from the complex interaction product of polyanions and polycations and are marketed under the name of ‘Diaflo’ by the Amicon Corporation, Cambridge, Mass. The molecular weight retentive capacities of these membranes, ‘UM-2’ and ‘UM-1’, have been arbitrarily fixed at 500 and 10,000, respectively. In a recent study, a gel membrane with a more expanded structure (exclusion limit molecular weight 35,000) was investigated as a partitioning device in the removal of the albumin impurity from crystalline alpha lactalbumin3. Whereas these membranes are non-porous hydrous gels, ultrafilters with exclusion limits in excess of 40,000 require pored structures for formulation.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army and Space Warfare

Space warfare will be an integrated part of battle planning by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in any future conflict with the United States. The People's Liberation Army has carefully absorbed and is reacting to what the American armed forces have published on space warfare and counter-space operations. Chinese strategists and legal scholars are engaged in an internal debate on how traditional ideas of sovereignty and the laws of war apply in space. One authoritative volume explored the importance of ensuring that the People's Liberation Army sets out legal justifications for military actions in advance of any conflict. Chinese scholars believe that many of the concepts surrounding the conduct of war on the “common seas” apply in space. Also, there is disagreement between the United States and China on the American position on outer space. The United States treats “peaceful uses” to mean “non-aggressive,” whereas the Chinese interpretation is that to be peaceful uses, it must be “non-military.”
Urologic aspects of kidney-pancreas transplantation

The authors review the current indications, techniques and results of pancreas transplantation. Most importantly, this article emphasizes diagnostic and treatment algorithms the practicing urologist will need when confronted with pancreas transplant recipients and their unique complications.
Morphological transformations of image sequences: a lattice theory approach

We present a unifying approach for the morphological processing of image sequences. The mathematical tool that we choose to work with is lattice theory. Lattice theory allows us to introduce two different, in general, approaches to the problem of morphologically processing image sequences. The first approach formalizes and generalizes the vector approach suggested by Wilson. The second approach is new and extends the vector ideas, proposed by Astola, Haavisto, and Neuvo, regarding median filtering.
In vivo development of retinal ON-bipolar cell axonal terminals visualized in nyx::MYFP transgenic zebrafish

Axonal differentiation of retinal bipolar cells has largely been studied by comparing the morphology of these interneurons in fixed tissue at different ages. To better understand how bipolar axonal terminals develop in vivo, we imaged fluorescently labeled cells in the zebrafish retina using time-lapse confocal and two photon microscopy. Using the upstream regulatory sequences from the nyx gene that encodes nyctalopin, we constructed a transgenic fish in which a subset of retinal bipolar cells express membrane targeted yellow fluorescent protein (MYFP). Axonal terminals of these YFP-labeled bipolar cells laminated primarily in the inner half of the inner plexiform layer, suggesting that they are likely to be ON-bipolar cells. Transient expression of MYFP in isolated bipolar cells indicates that two or more subsets of bipolar cells, with one or two terminal boutons, are labeled. Live imaging of YFP-expressing bipolar cells in the nyx::MYFP transgenic fish at different ages showed that initially, filopodial-like structures extend and retract from their primary axonal process throughout the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Over time, filopodial exploration becomes concentrated at discrete foci prior to the establishment of large terminal boutons, characteristic of the mature form. This sequence of axonal differentiation suggests that synaptic targeting by bipolar cell axons may involve an early process of trial and error, rather than a process of directed outgrowth and contact. Our observations represent the first in vivo visualization of axonal development of bipolar cells in a vertebrate retina.
Diversity in the CDR3 Region of VH Is Sufficient for Most Antibody Specificities

All rearranging antigen receptor genes have one or two highly diverse complementarity determining regions (CDRs) among the six that typically form the ligand binding surface. We report here that, in the case of antibodies, diversity at one of these regions, CDR3 of the V(H) domain, is sufficient to permit otherwise identical IgM molecules to distinguish between a variety of hapten and protein antigens. Furthermore, we find that somatic mutation can allow such antibodies to achieve surprisingly high affinities. These results are consistent with a model in which the highly diverse CDR3 loops are the key determinant of specificity in antigen recognition in both T cell receptors (TCR) and antibodies, whereas the germline-encoded CDR1 and CDR2 sequences are much more cross-reactive.
Influence of aerobic microorganisms upon virus survival in soil.

Survival of human poliovirus type 1 in a sandy loam soil appeared to be deleteriously influenced by aerobic microorganisms. This effect was determined by comparing the survival of virus in soil under four different possible combinations of aerobic versus anaerobic (H2–CO2) atmosphere and sterile versus nonsterile condition. Storage of samples was done in humid chambers to prevent soil desiccation. The effect attributed to aerobic microorganisms was measurable and statistically significant at all three incubation temperatures used in the study (1, 23, and 37 °C), with the increase in inactivation rate attributable to aerobic microorganisms generally being two to threefold. No comparable effect was observed to occur for anaerobic microorganisms under the sets of conditions employed in the study.
CARRYING DOCUMENT CASES: AN INFORMAL LOOK

Malloy ( 1977) suggests that rhe attache-type document case is an accepted symbol of authority in the workplace and recommends its adoption by female execurives. Levy (1980) reinforces this counsel by pointing out how products surpass elemental practical usage by taking on societal significance and intricate symbolism. To gain some insight as to what might well be present practice, a simple inquiry was made of male and female commuters in a large northeastern city. Note was taken of people carrying document cases leaving a railroad station during the morning rush hour. Observations were made at the four major exits of the terminal: one exit per day for four consecutive days. Five hundred observations were made each day. About 1 out of 5 people passing the check points was a carrier. Of the 2,000 noted, 71.8% (1,436) were men and 28.2% (564) were women. AttachC-type cases were carried by 62.9% (903) of the men and 8.3% (47) of the women in the sample. The ochers, 37.1 % (533) men and 91.7% (517) women, had portfolio-type cases. The results suggest that the act of carrying a document case is the status symbol. However, considerations other than functional utility appear to have importance in the selection of document cases, with women having their own prestige norms. As has been implied by Dandridge, Mitroff, and Joyce (1980), an increased understanding of symbolism in organizational setrings might well be instrumental in enhancing a better understanding of dorkers'
On the effect of rotatory inertia and shear in beam vibration

Abstract An energy approach is used to account for rotatory inertia and shear in formulating beam vibration problems.
A Systematic Comparison of Cockcroft-Gault and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Equations for Classification of Kidney Dysfunction and Dosage Adjustment

BACKGROUND:The dosing of drugs in patients with kidney dysfunction is often based on the estimates of kidney function.OBJECTIVE:To systematically compare the performance of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and Cockcroft-Gault (CG) equations for dosage adjustment.METHODS:We assessed agreement (concordance, kappa statistics [κ,κω]) between CG and MDRD using a Food and Drug Administration database to evaluate the effect of renal function on the pharmacokinetics of 36 approved drugs. Across the approved drugs, we compared the correlation between these 2 equations for renal drug clearance (Clren) and area under the concentration-time curve. For 26 approved drugs that require renal dose adjustment, we also compared dosing regimens and expected exposure using these equations. Sensitivity analyses were performed by adjusting the MDRD estimates for individualized body surface area and/or range of serum creatinine assay calibration errors.RESULTS:In the pharmacokinetic database with 973 subjects (ag...
Sumoylation is tumor-suppressive and confers proliferative quiescence to hematopoietic progenitors in Drosophila melanogaster larvae

How cell-intrinsic regulation of the cell cycle and the extrinsic influence of the niche converge to provide proliferative quiescence, safeguard tissue integrity, and provide avenues to stop stem cells from giving rise to tumors is a major challenge in gene therapy and tissue engineering. We explore this question in sumoylation-deficient mutants of Drosophila. In wild type third instar larval lymph glands, a group of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells acquires quiescence; a multicellular niche supports their undifferentiated state. However, how proliferative quiescence is instilled in this population is not understood. We show that Ubc9 protein is nuclear in this population. Loss of the SUMO-activating E1 enzyme, Aos1/Uba2, the conjugating E2 enzyme, Ubc9, or the E3 SUMO ligase, PIAS, results in a failure of progenitors to quiesce; progenitors become hyperplastic, misdifferentiate, and develop into microtumors that eventually detach from the dorsal vessel. Significantly, dysplasia and lethality of Ubc9 mutants are rescued when Ubc9(wt) is provided specifically in the progenitor populations, but not when it is provided in the niche or in the differentiated cortex. While normal progenitors express high levels of the Drosophila cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 homolog, Dacapo, the corresponding overgrown mutant population exhibits a marked reduction in Dacapo. Forced expression of either Dacapo or human p21 in progenitors shrinks this population. The selective expression of either protein in mutant progenitor cells, but not in other hematopoietic populations, limits overgrowth, blocks tumorogenesis, and restores organ integrity. We discuss an essential and complex role for sumoylation in preserving the hematopoietic progenitor states for stress response and in the context of normal development of the fly.
A look at the MPEG video coding standard for variable bit rate video transmission

The MPEG video coding standard for the transmission of variable-bit-rate video on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)-based broadband ISDN is examined. The focus is on its use for real-time transmission of broadcast-quality video. The impact of two key parameters, the intraframe to interframe picture ratio and the quantization index that are defined in the standard, on the bit rates per frame was studied. These parameters can be used to control video sources depending on the state of the network. Also, as opposed to previous work which looks only at bit rates per frame, the bits generated per macroblock are studied. This is the basic MPEG coding unit. By packetizing these bits, insight was obtained into the cell arrival process to a network for a MPEG video source. >
Impact of prior antibiotic therapy for acute otitis media on pathogen susceptibility in a subsequent episode

Abstract Prior antibiotic treatment may cause a shift toward resistant bacterial strains in subsequent infections due to selection pressure. This analysis was conducted to investigate the potential impact of prior antimicrobial therapy on susceptibility of Streptococcus and Haemophilus influenzae isolates to penicillin, ampicillin, cefprozil, and clarithromycin in a prospective, multicenter trial of treatment for acute otitis media (AOM). A subset of children from that trial (n = 113) had received prior AOM therapy with amoxicillin or amoxicillin/clavulanate, a macrolide, or a cephalosporin within 1 year before study entry and had a pathogen isolated by tympanocentesis at the pretreatment visit. One hundred forty-two pathogens that are known etiologic agents of AOM were identified from the previously treated children; of these pathogens, 123 (87%) were Spneumoniae or H influenzae . For S pneumoniae (n = 68), 50% were penicillin-susceptible isolates, 12% were intermediately penicillin resistant, and 38% were penicillin resistant; 64% of the H influenzae isolates (n = 55) produced beta-lactamase. If the most recent prior AOM therapy was amoxicillin or amoxicillin/clavulanate (n = 57 isolates), the rates of resistance of the S pneumoniae or H influenzae isolates to penicillin (36.4% resistance), ampicillin (58.3%), clarithromycin (3.7%), and cefprozil (10.5%) differed significantly; if prior therapy was a macrolide (n = 10 isolates), resistance to penicillin (50.0%), ampicillin (50.0%), clarithromycin (40.0%), and cefprozil (0%) differed significantly; and if prior therapy was a cephalosporin (n = 56 isolates), resistance to penicillin (38.7%), ampicillin (56.0%), clarithromycin (19.6%), and cefprozil (1.8%) differed significantly. Prior antibiotic therapy may influence pathogen susceptibility in recently treated AOM in children. Such information should be considered in the subsequent selection of antimicrobial therapy. Prospective clinical trials specifically designed to monitor resistance rates are recommended to investigate these findings further.
Community evolution in Greater Antillean Anolis lizards: phylogenetic patterns and experimental tests

Phylogenies can be useful not only as a means of examining evolutionary hypotheses, but also as a source of hypotheses that can be tested using extant taxa. I illustrate this approach with examples from the study of community evolution in Caribbean Anolis lizards. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that not only are Anolis communities on Jamaica and Puerto Rico convergent in structure, but they have attained their similarity by evolving through a nearly identical sequence of ancestral communities. Examination of the pattern of community evolution suggests that interspecific competition is the driving force behind anole adaptive radiation. This hypothesis can be tested by investigating whether anoles shift their habitat use in the presence of competitors and, if so, whether such shifts lead to morphological adaptation to the new habitat. These hypotheses have been tested experimentally by introducing lizards onto small islands. Preliminary results indicate the existence of ecological interactions among sympatric anoles and that shifts in habitat use are accompanied by microevolutionary changes in morphology.
Gaussian distributions of shell-model eigenvector components

Abstract The distribution of basis-vector amplitudes in realistic sd shell-model eigenfunctions has been calculated and compared with the gaussian distribution expected from the theory of random matrices. The states in the region of high level density show the expected behavior. The largest deviations from gaussian are found for the states at the ends of the spectrum where the level density is low compared to the off-diagonal hamiltonian matrix elements. It is essential to use basis vectors with good J and T rather than M-scheme vectors in order to obtain a gaussian distribution.
Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy of imidazole adsorbed on electrode and colloidal surfaces of Cu, Ag, and Au

Surface-enhanced Raman spectra have been obtained from imidazole adsorbed on Cu and Ag electrodes, and on Cu, Ag, and Au colloids at pH ranging from 5.6 to 11.0. For these pHs, the imidazole molecule is coordinated through its unshared electron pair on its ‘pyridine’ nitrogen to the metal surfaces. On the Cu and Au colloidal systems, the imidazole molecule adsorbs with the ring perpendicular to the metal surface since only in-plane vibrations are observed. On the other hand, both the in-plane and out-of-plane vibrations are observed on the Cu and Ag electrodes, and on the Ag colloid, therefore the adsorbed imidazole is tilted at an angle with respect to the surface normal. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regional Simulation of Atmospheric Pollutants with the CAPITA Monte Carlo Model.

Presented is a Monte Carlo model for the simulation of regional scale transport, transformation, and dry and wet removal. The model was newly re-designed in a modular framework, separating the emis...
Expression and antibody inhibition of P-type calcium channels in human small-cell lung carcinoma cells

P-type channels, a recently described form of voltage-gated calcium channels, are found in many central and peripheral neurons. In the present study, a partial cDNA clone sharing extensive nucleotide identity with a putative P-type voltage-gated calcium channel alpha 1 subunit was isolated from a small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cell line. Anti-peptide antibodies generated to a unique acidic stretch in the IVS5-S6 linker region of the putative SCLC P-type channel reacted specifically with a SCLC fusion protein produced in bacteria and with a cell surface molecule in SCLC cells. Calcium currents in SCLC cells, measured by whole-cell patch clamp, were inhibited by these antibodies and by the P-type channel-specific toxin omega-agatoxin IVA. The inhibitory effects of the antibody and the toxin were not additive, consistent with their proposed action on the same type of channel. These results provide evidence for the expression of P-type calcium channels by SCLC cells. The expression of neuron-related molecules by these cells is of particular interest because small-cell lung carcinoma is frequently associated with paraneoplastic disorders affecting the nervous system.
Ab initio calculation of tight-binding parameters

We calculate ab initio values of tight-binding parameters for the f- electron metal Ce and various phases of Si, from local-density functional one-electron Hamiltonian and overlap matrix elements. Our approach allows us to unambiguously test the validity of the common minimal basis and two-center approximations as well as to determine the degree of transferability of both nonorthogonal and orthogonal hopping parameters in the cases considered.
Graphite nanoplatelet pastes vs. carbon black pastes as thermal interface materials

Abstract Comparison of graphite nanoplatelet (GNP) and carbon black (CB) pastes as thermal interface materials shows that the optimum filler content for attaining the maximum thermal contact conductance (copper proximate surfaces, roughness 15 μm) are 2.4, 15 and 2.4 vol.% for GNP, CB (Tokai) and CB (Cabot), respectively. Except for CB (Cabot), the optimum filler content is diminished when the roughness is decreased from 15 to 0.009 μm. Comparing the fillers at their respective optimum contents shows that (i) GNP is similarly effective as CB (Tokai) for rough (15 μm) surfaces, but is less effective than CB (Tokai) for smooth (0.009 μm) surfaces, and (ii) GNP is more effective than CB (Cabot) for rough surfaces, but is slightly less effective than CB (Cabot) for smooth surfaces. GNP gives higher thermal conductivity and greater bond line thickness than CB (Tokai or Cabot), whether the comparison is at the same filler content or at the respective optimum filler contents. In spite of the high thermal conductivity, the effectiveness of GNP is limited, due to the high bond line thickness. CB (Tokai) gives higher thermal conductivity than CB (Cabot), thus causing CB (Tokai) to be more effective than CB (Cabot).
Renal effects of leptin in normotensive, hypertensive, and obese rats

The hemodynamic, hormonal, and renal excretory effects of intravenous bolus administration of synthetic murine leptin were examined in groups of anesthetized normotensive (Sprague-Dawley), hyperten...
Permanent Pacing in Ebstein's Anomaly

Patients with Ebstein's anomaly present unique challenges to permanent pacing due to anatomical variations and tricuspid valve replacement. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with permanent pacing in patients with Ebstein's anomaly between 1976 and 1993. We identified 401 patients with Ebstein's anomaly, of whom 15 (3.7%) required permanent pacing (1 of the 15 was implanted elsewhere). Of the 15, there were 8 females and 7 males (mean age 32 years [range 7-74]); the indications for pacing were AV block in 11 and sinus node dysfunction in 4. Eight patients were programmed with VVI and seven with DDD. All VVI patients were paced epicardially. Two patients with DDD pacemakers had transvenous atrial and ventricular leads, 4 DDD patients had transvenous atrial leads and epicardial ventricular leads, and 1 patient had both epicardial and transvenous systems. Associated surgical procedures included tricuspid valve replacement in 14 of 15, atrial septal defect repair in 10 of 15, atrioplasty in 7 of 15, prior tricuspid annuloplasty in 4 of 15, pulmonary vein dilation in 1 of 15, and conduction system ablation in 2 of 15. Patients had a mean follow-up of 35 months (range 1-168 months). Complications requiring operative intervention occurred in four patients. One patient had displacement of a transvenous ventricular lead. A second patient had an epicardial lead failure. A third patient had a nonfunctioning atrial lead that displaced across the tricuspid valve, causing severe tricuspid regurgitation. The fourth patient had multiple epicardial and endocardial leads exit block with secondary diaphragmatic stimulation. Permanent pacemakers were required in 3.7% of patients with Ebstein's anomaly, with the indication being intrinsic conduction disease in the majority of patients. Ninety-three percent of patients required tricuspid valve replacement, suggesting more severe manifestation of Ebstein's anomaly. Twenty-seven percent had complications requiring surgical intervention. Thus, permanent pacing in patients with Ebstein's anomaly can be challenging and should be approached by an experienced physician.
Identification of toxic neuropathies: cardinal tenets

ABSTRACT: Human toxic peripheral neuropathies (TxPN) due to occupational chemical exposure are relatively rare compared with medically related peripheral neuropathies. They are however difficult to diagnose due to their clinical and electrophysiologic similarity to nontoxic peripheral neuropathy. Understanding the cardinal tenets of neurotoxicology, as it applies to TxPN, helps differentiate between the toxic and nontoxic peripheral neuropathy. These tenets include: strong dose–response relationship, consistency of clinical response, proximity of symptoms to exposure, correlation between severity of neuropathy and degree of exposure, and improvement of PNS signs and symptoms follows cessation of exposure. A thorough clinical and occupational history is essential in identifying the possibility of a TxPN.
The Evolution of Surgery for Breast Cancer

The Evolution of Surgery for Breast Cancer David P. Winchester, MD, FACS, Lucrecia Trabanino, MD, Marvin J. Lopez, MD* Department of Surgery, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, 2650 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201, USA Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Medical School, 251 East Huron Street, Galter 3-150, Chicago, IL 60611-2950, USA Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA Department of Surgery, Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center of Boston, 736 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02135, USA
Evidence for Interventions for Young Offenders

Young offenders are an issue of global concern. Despite a greater understanding of the aetiology of conduct disorder and juvenile delinquency, the research on treatments and the use of evidence-based methods of interventions has not kept pace. This review critically and selectively examined interventions for young offenders, and organises them based on levels of care. The challenge is to intervene using empirical strategies that are implemented based on our emerging understanding of aggression.
Nitrogen inputs accelerate phosphorus cycling rates across a wide variety of terrestrial ecosystems.

Summary •Biologically essential elements – especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) – constrain plant growth and microbial functioning; however, human activities are drastically altering the magnitude and pattern of such nutrient limitations on land. Here we examine interactions between N and P cycles of P mineralizing enzyme activities (phosphatase enzymes) across a wide variety of terrestrial biomes. •We synthesized results from 34 separate studies and used meta-analysis to evaluate phosphatase activity with N, P, or N×P fertilization. •Our results show that N fertilization enhances phosphatase activity, from the tropics to the extra-tropics, both on plant roots and in bulk soils. By contrast, P fertilization strongly suppresses rates of phosphatase activity. •These results imply that phosphatase enzymes are strongly responsive to changes in local nutrient cycle conditions. We also show that plant phosphatases respond more strongly to fertilization than soil phosphatases. The tight coupling between N and P provides a mechanism for recent observations of N and P co-limitation on land. Moreover, our results suggest that terrestrial plants and microbes can allocate excess N to phosphatase enzymes, thus delaying the onset of single P limitation to plant productivity as can occur via human modifications to the global N cycle.
Persistent pathogens linking socioeconomic position and cardiovascular disease in the US

Background Numerous studies have documented a strong inverse association between cardiovascular disease and socioeconomic position (SEP). Several infections are associated with both cardiovascular disease and SEP; hence infection may form an important link between SEP and cardiovascular disease. This study examines whether seropositivity to cytomegalovirus (CMV), to herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1), and/or to both pathogens mediates the relationship between SEP and cardiovascular disease history in a nationally representative sample of the United States. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of subjects 545 years of age, who were tested for seropositivity to CMV, HSV-1 or both pathogens and assessed for cardiovascular disease history in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. Cardiovascular disease history was defined as history of stroke, heart attack and/or congestive heart failure and SEP as education level. Results SEP was associated with CMV, HSV-1 and seropositivity to both pathogens. CMV seropositivity was associated with cardiovascular disease history even after adjusting for confounders as well as SEP. The odds of reporting a history of cardiovascular disease for those with less than a high school education compared with those with more than a high school education decreased by 7.7% after adjusting for CMV (Sobel mediation test for CMV, P ¼ 0.0006). In contrast, neither seropositivity to HSV-1 nor to both pathogens was associated with cardiovascular disease history after adjusting for SEP. Conclusions Persistent pathogens such as CMV infection may explain a portion of the relationship between SEP and cardiovascular disease in the United States. Further studies examining additional pathogens and sociobiological mechanisms are warranted.
Hyperspectral remote sensing for shallow waters: 2. Deriving bottom depths and water properties by optimization

In earlier studies of passive remote sensing of shallow-water bathymetry, bottom depths were usually derived by empirical regression. This approach provides rapid data processing, but it requires knowledge of a few true depths for the regression parameters to be determined, and it cannot reveal in-water constituents. In this study a newly developed hyperspectral, remote-sensing reflectance model for shallow water is applied to data from computer simulations and field measurements. In the process, a remote-sensing reflectance spectrum is modeled by a set of values of absorption, backscattering, bottom albedo, and bottom depth; then it is compared with the spectrum from measurements. The difference between the two spectral curves is minimized by adjusting the model values in a predictor–corrector scheme. No information in addition to the measured reflectance is required. When the difference reaches a minimum, or the set of variables is optimized, absorption coefficients and bottom depths along with other properties are derived simultaneously. For computer-simulated data at a wind speed of 5 m/s the retrieval error was 5.3% for depths ranging from 2.0 to 20.0 m and 7.0% for total absorption coefficients at 440 nm ranging from 0.04 to 0.24 m-1. At a wind speed of 10 m/s the errors were 5.1% for depth and 6.3% for total absorption at 440 nm. For field data with depths ranging from 0.8 to 25.0 m the difference was 10.9% (R2 = 0.96, N = 37) between inversion-derived and field-measured depth values and just 8.1% (N = 33) for depths greater than 2.0 m. These results suggest that the model and the method used in this study, which do not require in situ calibration measurements, perform very well in retrieving in-water optical properties and bottom depths from above-surface hyperspectral measurements.
Detecting and monitoring NO, SNO and nitrite in vivo

The detection and quantification of nitric oxide and related reactive nitrogen species in vivo is vital to the understanding of the pathology and/or treatment of numerous conditions. To that end, several detection and quantification methods have been developed to study NO, as well as its redox relatives, nitrite and S-nitrosothiols. While no single technique can offer a complete picture of the nitrogen cycle in a given system in vivo, familiarity with the benefits and limitations of several common tools for NOx determination can assist in the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics.
Serotonin Transporter Genetic Variation is Differentially Associated with Reflexive- and Reflective-Optimal Learning

Learning to respond optimally under a broad array of environmental conditions is a critical brain function that requires engaging the cognitive systems that are optimal for solving the task at hand. Serotonin is implicated in learning and decision-making, but the specific functions of serotonin in system-level cognitive control remain unclear. Across 3 studies, we examined the influence of a polymorphism within the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR polymorphism in SLC6A4) on participants' ability to engage the task appropriate cognitive system when the reflexive (Experiments 1 and 2) or the reflective (Experiment 3) system was optimal. Critically, we utilized a learning task for which all aspects remain fixed with only the nature of the optimal cognitive processing system varying across experiments. Using large community samples, Experiments 1 and 2 (screened for psychiatric diagnosis) found that 5-HTTLPR S/LG allele homozygotes, with putatively lower serotonin transport functionality, outperformed LA allele homozygotes in a reflexive-optimal learning task. Experiment 3 used a large community sample, also screened for psychiatric diagnosis, and found that 5-HTTLPR LA homozygotes, with putatively higher serotonin transport functionality, outperformed S/LG allele homozygotes in a reflective-optimal learning task.
Determining if Mandatory Arbitration is 'Fair': Asymmetrically Held Information and the Role of Mandatory Arbitration in Modulating Uninsurable Contract Risks

In this article I posit that mandatory arbitration serves to neutralize a class of business risks rarely considered by those who want to eliminate it. Business entities enter into business relationships based on the best available current information about those with whom they do business. Unfortunately, that information can degrade over time due to undisclosed evolving circumstances thereby leaving the business entity at a distinct disadvantage. In other words, asymmetrically-held information can create "new" risks, risks that weren't anticipated when the original relationship came into being. These "new" risks are particularly pronounced in situations involving consumer credit, employment and franchises. And for the most part they are uninsurable. For those providing credit the risk involves the deterioration of credit worthiness; for an employer it involves morale and business interruption; and for the franchiser it involves the reputation of the franchise. Once discovered, survival requires a business entity to search for any and all measures to defuse the "new" risk and restore the equilibrium. Mandatory arbitration is one such measure because by design it is flexible, cost efficient and speedy. Mandatory arbitration makes it possible for the business entity to quickly secure an award with relief appropriate to the circumstances. It not only levels the playing field but it acts as a partial substitute for insurance because it transfers the impact of the "new" risk away from the business entity. Congress is currently considering amendments to the Federal Arbitration Act that would ban mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts for consumer credit, employment and franchises. The Arbitration Fairness Act of 2009 fails to take into account the market driven need for self help measures such as mandatory arbitration. This article looks at the role asymmetric information plays from the perspective of the business entity and at the potential impact that the proposed reforms are likely to have on the commercial environment.
Core biopsy of masses and solid organs

Ultrasound-guided biopsy of a mass or solid organ is a safe and reliable method for obtaining tissue specimen in children. Pre-procedural workup is crucial and must include evaluation of the indications and contraindications, development of a follow-up plan, and visualization of a safe sonographic window. Familiarity with the indications for percutaneous biopsies is important as it will determine the type of percutaneous biopsy (core needle vs. fine-needle aspiration) needed. Contraindications to the procedure are generally similar to those in adult patients and include poor songraphic visibility, lack of a safe needle tract, and uncorrectable coagulopathy. Poor cardiopulmonary reserve, an unstable patient, or lack of patient cooperation may be relative contraindications.
Uh and um in children with autism spectrum disorders or language impairment

Atypical pragmatic language is often present in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), along with delays or deficits in structural language. This study investigated the use of the "fillers" uh and um by children ages 4-8 during the autism diagnostic observation schedule. Fillers reflect speakers' difficulties with planning and delivering speech, but they also serve communicative purposes, such as negotiating control of the floor or conveying uncertainty. We hypothesized that children with ASD would use different patterns of fillers compared to peers with typical development or with specific language impairment (SLI), reflecting differences in social ability and communicative intent. Regression analyses revealed that children in the ASD group were much less likely to use um than children in the other two groups. Filler use is an easy-to-quantify feature of behavior that, in concert with other observations, may help to distinguish ASD from SLI. Autism Res 2016, 9: 854-865. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Acquired Platelet Dysfunction-Related Bleeding Episode in an Elderly Patient With Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a bone marrow neoplasm with dysplastic forms and decreased numbers of hematopoietic cells encompassing multiple lineages. Platelet hypoactivity in patients with MDS is a known fact, but is seldom the cause of significant bleeding. Although bleeding associated with thrombocytopenia related to MDS is well known, and physicians monitor platelet …
Affiliative social tuning reduces the activation of prejudice

Past research on affiliative social tuning has shown that individuals who experience affiliative motivation toward another person come to exhibit implicit prejudice consistent with the apparent bel...
A new system dynamics framework for modeling behavior of vehicle sharing systems

One-way vehicle sharing systems are convenient mobility systems consisting of parking stations and a fleet of shared vehicles. Users can pick up a vehicle from any station and drop it off to any other station. However, due to asymmetric demand patterns eventually all vehicles end up at the stations with no demand, decreasing throughput performance. This paper presents an ongoing research for a new computational framework in System Dynamics that describes distribution of resource allocation in a vehicle sharing system under non homogenous demand patterns by simulating the resource flow between areas of high density to areas of low density as demand pattern changes. The framework will be used as study tool to understand behavior and explore organizational solutions.
Two Players One Goal? Sport in the European Union edited by Walter Tokarski, Dirk Steinbach, Karen Petry & Barbara Jesse

The editors of this book are based at the German Sport University in Cologne, whilst the contributors are drawn from sports federations, academic institutions and government departments from across Europe. The ‘two players’ are obviously the EU and sport. The ‘one goal’, as stated on page 8 is ‘ to preserve the diversity of sports in Europe ’. The insertion of a question mark after the title rightly indicates caution. An obvious irony with the goal of preserving the diversity of European sport is that it appears to require the intervention of sporting federations and the EU both of whom exercise monopolistic and supranational control over their members. Whilst this model may protect the conception of diversity often described as a ‘European model of sport’, it may well stifle another. What of a model which allows for a diversification of organisation through the emergence of new market entrants, a diversification of talent through the genuine free movement of labour and a diversification of viewing choice for fans through the adoption of less restrictive broadcasting contracts? This is the alternative vision that commercial interests have asked the EU to promote. In this connection, this text makes two assumptions that may well undermine the diversity claim. First, that a ‘diversified’ European model of sport actually exists and second, that the EU is a monolithic entity committed and able to preserve it. At best, what both parties are actually seeking is a clarification of the legal environment in which sport operates. The level of clarification (sporting autonomy) will always be subject to debate, but the goal allows sport to remodel their constitutions with greater legal certainty and it frees the EU from having to make time consuming and politically contentious judgements about issues of which it knows little.
Design of a Dexterous Hand for a Multi-hand Task

Kinematic synthesis applied to tree topologies is a tool for the design of multi-fingered robotic hands, for a simultaneous task of all fingertips. Dexterous multi-fingered robotic hands can be designed to perform collaborative tasks that are traditionally performed by more than one robotic manipulator. Such collaborative tasks require multiple robotic arms and a method to control their coordinate operation. In this work, the synthesis process for the design of a single robotic hand for a bimanual task is discussed, with application to the task of holding and peeling an orange.
The Right to a Political Education

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses political education, which fosters the realization of universal political participation and respect for everyone's civil rights. Before beginning an exploration of political education, it is necessary to distinguish among political socialization, political education in a general sense, and political education that fosters human rights. Political socialization is the totality of experiences through which one develops cognitive understandings and attitudes toward the political world. Both formal and non-formal educational experiences contribute to political socialization. Political education consists of those aspects of education that are planned particularly to develop students' competencies in thinking about and acting in political arenas. Political education can be thought of as developing four dimensions—information, values, inquiry skills, and participation. Political education most often conveys information about the structure and function of government, the rights and responsibilities of citizens, and how the political process works. Political education may attempt to develop values of national loyalty and concern for justice, equality, and freedom.
Enforcing correct array indexes with a type system

We have built the Index Checker, a type checker that issues warnings about array, list, and string accesses that are potentially unsafe. An example is shown in Figure 1. As with any sound tool, some of its warnings may be false positives. If the Index Checker issues no warning, then the programmer is guaranteed that no array access will cause an IndexOutOfBoundsException at run time (modulo suppressed warnings and unchecked code). The Index Checker ships with knowledge of Java APIs. The developer can optionally write a few type annotations in the program to make the Index Checker more precise. Our system includes five new type qualifiers, defined in Figure 2, that can be applied to integral types such as Java int. These are dependent types that indicate the relationship between the int and given arrays. Figures 3 and 4 show the relationship among these type qualifiers. The type system also contains a type qualifier for arrays, @MinLen, which is a lower bound on its length and permits use of literal integers to access the array or to construct a new array. The Index Checker is built upon the Checker Framework (http://CheckerFramework.org/).
A taxonomy of hotel revenue management implementation strategies

Academic literature has not yet been able to address the many important considerations involved in Revenue management (RM) implementation decisions. Using a qualitative and inductive approach, this paper aims to fill this gap in RM research by examining a range of strategies, such as in-house, centralized, corporate outsourcing, third-party outsourcing, and the use of a mixed method. Content analysis of 188 hotel managers’ responses to an open-ended question embedded within a large-scale web-based survey led to their discrete categorization. From this, a taxonomy of RM strategies was created with the goal of identifying and examining various implementation strategies of RM systems and their benefits and drawbacks for the hotel industry. This paper suggests that the implementation choice of RM is a relationship between external factors (e.g., costs associated with implementation choice, uncertainty about markets), internal factors (e.g., resources, organizational capability), and psychosocial factors (e.g., attitudes toward outsourcing, perceived risks).
New data, old tensions: Big data, personalized learning, and the challenges of progressive education:

Personalized learning has become the most notable application of big data in primary and secondary schools in the United States. The combination of big data and adaptive technological platforms is ...
Superconducting accelerator magnet technology in the 21st century: A new paradigm on the horizon?

Abstract Superconducting magnets for accelerators were first suggested in the mid-60’s and have since become one of the major components of modern particle colliders. Technological progress has been slow but steady for the last half-century, based primarily on Nb–Ti superconductor. That technology has reached its peak with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Despite the superior electromagnetic properties of Nb 3 Sn and adoption by early magnet pioneers, it is just now coming into use in accelerators though it has not yet reliably achieved fields close to the theoretical limit. The discovery of the High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) in the late ’80’s created tremendous excitement, but these materials, with tantalizing performance at high fields and temperatures, have not yet been successfully developed into accelerator magnet configurations. Thanks to relatively recent developments in both Bi-2212 and REBCO, and a more focused international effort on magnet development, the situation has changed dramatically. Early optimism has been replaced with a reality that could create a new paradigm in superconducting magnet technology. Using selected examples of magnet technology from the previous century to define the context, this paper will describe the possible innovations using HTS materials as the basis for a new paradigm.
Effectiveness of Brief DBT-informed Group Therapy on Psychological Resilience: A Preliminary Naturalistic Study

This naturalistic study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a 4-week skill-based group therapy that focuses on building resilience. The group, informed by Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT...