cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multidimensional moment error bounds for digital communication systems

In many digital communication systems with additive noise and random interference disturbances, the error probability can be expressed as the statistical expectation of the complementary noise distribution function with respect to some function of the random interference variable Z . Conditions are presented for constructing a new class of upper and lower error bounds, utilizing an arbitrary number of generalized moments of the random interference. These bounds are based on four forms of the principal representation of Krein in the theory of approximation. General results are given for an L -level input system, an arbitrary noise distribution function, and an arbitrary transformation f(Z) . A class of simple bounds using polynomial transformations on the centered Z for the binary input system with additive Gaussian noise is presented. These bounds depend on the signal-to-noise ratio, the maximum interference distortions, the number of moments, and the polynomial transformation integer. In general the bounds obtained are very tight and need only modest computational efforts. Indeed, this approach yields the tightest possible bounds for a given set of moments of the random interference. Two techniques are discussed for evaluating principal representations as well as relationships to generalized quadrature rules. Numerical results are presented illustrating the tightness of these bounds.
Gastrointestinal Features of Chronic Granulomatous Disease Found During Endoscopy

Background & Aims Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited disorder of the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase complex within phagocytic cells that predisposes people to bacterial and fungal infections. Approximately 40% of patients with CGD have gastrointestinal involvement. We aimed to characterize the endoscopic features of gastrointestinal CGD and define the role of endoscopy in patients. Methods We created a database of all patients with CGD seen at the National Institutes of Health from 1990 through 2010. We identified patients who had an endoscopy, and collected information from those with CGD-associated inflammatory bowel disease. We analyzed clinical data (demographic information and symptoms), endoscopic data (indication, preparation quality, degree of inflammation, mucosal findings, and complications), and pathologic data. Results A total of 211 endoscopies (96 esophagogastroduodenoscopies, 82 colonoscopies, and 33 flexible sigmoidoscopies) were performed at the National Institutes of Health on 78 patients with CGD. Esophageal, gastric, and duodenal inflammation were detected in 21%, 74%, and 37% of patients, respectively. Esophageal dysmotility and structural abnormalities were noted in 26%. Of the patients who had colonic CGD–inflammatory bowel disease, 74% had skip lesions and 93% had anorectal disease. Enteric fistulae were found in 18% of patients; 73% of these were perianal. Colonic strictures were observed in 24% of patients; 80% were in the anorectal area. Conclusions Based on an analysis of clinical and endoscopic data from 78 patients, CGD–inflammatory bowel disease is a distinct entity, primarily involving the anus and rectum, with skip lesions in the remaining bowel. Bowel strictures and fistulae are present in a significant number of patients. Upper gastrointestinal tract inflammatory disease is common, although typically not as severe as colonic disease. Upper and lower endoscopies are important in characterizing the gastrointestinal features of CGD.
One More Step for Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography Before Heart Valve Surgery

Coronary angiography (CA) to screen for the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is routinely performed before elective heart valve surgery. Its use is liberally advocated across a wide spectrum of patients by the writing committees for the treatment of patients with valvular heart disease (VHD) of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology.1,2 Class I indications, all with level of evidence C, include men 35 to 40 years or older, postmenopausal women, and premenopausal women with coronary risk factors, in addition to the more traditional considerations of suspected myocardial ischemia, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and any history or other signs of CAD. These recommendations are predicted on 2 major factors; namely, that clinical, ECG, echocardiographic, and radionuclide markers are less specific for CAD in the setting of severe VHD and that perioperative and long-term outcomes are improved in patients with significant CAD undergoing combined valve and coronary bypass surgery compared with patients in whom revascularization is not performed. The evidence base for this latter claim derives primarily from older, single-center observational studies in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and CAD.3,4 The more recent application of “hybrid” percutaneous coronary intervention with less invasive valvular heart surgery is gaining increasing acceptance,5 though there remains concern regarding the hazards and timing of dual antiplatelet therapy and institutional practices vary widely. Article see p 306 Technological advancements over the past 3 decades now allow for the safe and effective diagnosis and treatment of a variety of cardiovascular disorders using noninvasive or minimally invasive approaches. Lower procedural risks, faster recovery times, shorter hospital stays, reduced costs, and improved patient satisfaction underscore the increasing value of these innovations. As limited examples, consider the currently accepted roles of Doppler echocardiography for the evaluation of patients with valvular …
Effects of luxCDABEG induction in Vibrio fischeri : enhancement of symbiotic colonization and conditional attenuation of growth in culture

Production of bioluminescence theoretically represents a cost, energetic or otherwise, that could slow Vibrio fischeri growth; however, bioluminescence is also thought to enable full symbiotic colonization of the Euprymna scolopes light organ by V. fischeri. Previous tests of these models have proven inconclusive, partly because they compared nonisogenic strains, or undefined and/or pleiotropic mutants. To test the influence of the bioluminescence-producing lux operon on growth and symbiotic competence, we generated dark luxCDABEG mutants in strains MJ1 and ES114 without disrupting the luxR-luxI regulatory circuit. The MJ1 luxCDABEG mutant out-competed its visibly luminescent parent approximately 26% per generation in a carbon-limited chemostat. Similarly, induction of luminescence in the otherwise dim ES114 strain slowed growth relative to DeltaluxCDABEG mutants. Some culture conditions yielded no detectable effect of luminescence on growth, indicating that luminescence is not always growth limiting; however, luminescence was never found to confer an advantage in culture. In contrast to this conditional disadvantage of lux expression, ES114 achieved approximately fourfold higher populations than its luxCDABEG mutant in the light organ of E. scolopes. These results demonstrate that induction of luxCDABEG can slow V. fischeri growth under certain culture conditions and is a positive symbiotic colonization factor.
Comments on current aspects of chemical kinetics

An aged kineticist was awakened in 1989 from a 50-year slumber. After arduous study he sized-up the present situation, with occasional reflections on the state of knowledge in 1939.
Characteristics of paid malpractice claims settled in and out of court in the USA: a retrospective analysis.

Objective An analysis of paid malpractice claims judged in court compared with those settled out of court may help explain perceptions of malpractice risk. Design A retrospective analysis and cross-sectional comparison of malpractice claims. Evaluated trends in the number and proportion of paid claims, and mean payment amount by resolution type; identified patient, physician and claim characteristics associated with each resolution type. Examined the effects of resolution type on payment amount and time to claim resolution. Setting Claims paid on behalf of US physicians reported in the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) from 2005 to 2009. Main outcome measures Type of resolution, claim characteristics, payment amount and time to resolution. Results Between 2005 and 2009, there were 58 667 claims paid on behalf of US physicians. Of these paid claims, 56 850 (96.9%) were settled outside court, and 1817 (3.1%) were judged in court. There was no significant change in the proportion of paid claims resolved by settlement versus judgement over time (p=0.83); nor was there a significant change in the mean payment amount in either resolution group (settlement, p=0.94; judgement, p=0.36). The claims in which the physicians were under 50, had prior malpractice reports, which were paid by a state malpractice programme, for adverse events to a fetus, and for surgical or obstetric error were more likely to be judged in court. The mean payment amount (US$592 283 vs US$317 447, p Conclusions Although only a very small percentage of paid malpractice claims in the USA are judged in court, a number of characteristics differ between settled and judged claims. Such differences may influence perceptions of malpractice risk and future reform efforts.
System-on-Chip Architecture Design for Intelligent Sensor Networks

While wireless sensor networks can generically be used for a wide variety of applications, breakthrough innovations are most often achieved when driven by a genuine need or application, with its specific system-level and science-related requirements and objectives. Hence, our work focuses on the development of wireless sensor network system-on-chip devices and supporting software for volcano monitoring, which we call Sensor Network for Active Volcanoes (SNAV). In this paper we present preliminary results of our research and development work on intelligent sensor networks for monitoring hazardous environments especially the SNAV system-on-chip design for active volcanoes monitoring.
Study of white-light flares observed by Hinode

White-light flares are considered to be the most energetic flaring events that are observable in the optical broad-band continuum of the solar spectrum. They have not been commonly observed. Observations of white-light flares with sub-arcsecond resolution have been very rare. The continuous high resolution observations of Hinode provide a unique opportunity to systematically study the white-light flares with a spatial resolution around 0.2 arcsec. We surveyed all the flares above GOES magnitude C5.0 since the launch of Hinode in 2006 October. 13 of these kinds of flares were covered by the Hinode G-band observations. We analyzed the peak contrasts and equivalent areas (calculated via integrated excess emission contrast) of these flares as a function of the GOES X-ray flux, and found that the cut-off visibility is likely around M1 flares under the observing limit of Hinode. Many other observational and physical factors should affect the visibility of white-light flares; as the observing conditions are improved, smaller flares are likely to have detectable white-light emissions. We are cautious that this limiting visibility is an overestimate, because G-band observations contain emissions from the upper atmosphere. Among the 13 events analyzed, only the M8.7 flare of 2007 June 4 had near-simultaneous observations in both the G-band and the blue continuum. The blue continuum had a peak contrast of 94% vs. 175% in G-band for this event. The equivalent area in the blue continuum is an order of magnitude lower than that in the G-band. Very recently, Jess et al. studied a C2.0 flare with a peak contrast of 300% in the blue continuum. Compared to the events presented in this letter, that event is probably an unusual white-light flare: a very small kernel with a large contrast that can be detected in high resolution observations.
Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Adolescents

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for adolescents 15 to 19 years old. Pediatricians can take steps to help reduce the incidence of adolescent suicide by screening for depression and suicidal ideation and behavior. This report updates the previous statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is intended to assist the pediatrician in the identification and management of the adolescent at risk of suicide. The extent to which pediatricians provide appropriate care for suicidal adolescents depends on their knowledge, skill, comfort with the topic, and ready access to appropriate community resources. All teenagers with suicidal thoughts or behaviors should know that their pleas for assistance are heard and that pediatricians are willing to serve as advocates to help resolve the crisis.
The communicator's role in project teams

Complex problems of government organizations and private companies are more frequently being addressed by project teams rather than by individuals. A communication specialist who is a member of a project team has the opportunity to create an expanded and satisfying role. The challenge is to recognize and demonstrate the skills that are needed by a team which has a particular style and approach to the group process.
THE MANY FACES OF FIGURINES

Figurines offer archaeologists intriguing insights into many aspects of prehistoric culture. Beyond their utility as chronological markers, figurines offer information regarding the social and cultural structures of a society. This paper will demonstrate how the figurines of Michoacan can be used as markers of ethnic identity and ethnic continuity in the Lake Patzcauro Basin. The high degree of continuity in decorative and production styles throughout much of the sequence serves as evidence for ethnic continuity and the identity of the people who made the artifacts. A preliminary typology for the Michoacan figurines is presented to support the idea that a distinctly Michoacan style of figurine exists. The application of this figurine typology reveals a high degree of continuity in the figurine record. This supports the hypothesis that the ethnic origins of the Michoacan people may reach back as far as the Late Preclassic/Early Classic period.
Copper-beryllium metal fiber brushes in high current density sliding electrical contacts

Abstract The use of copper–beryllium (UNS C17200) was demonstrated as a low wear, highly compliant material for the construction of high current density metal fiber brushes. Testing was conducted in a humidified carbon dioxide environment. Brush linear wear rates of 4 × 10 −11 m/m were achieved at sliding speeds and current densities as high as 7.5 m/s and 215 A/cm 2 (2 MA/m 2 ). Contact resistance values were on the order of 10 mΩ and friction coefficients varied from 0.30 at 2.5 m/s to 0.15 at 7.5 m/s. Characterization of the brush and slip-ring surfaces using SEM as well as the slip-ring subsurface using TEM is presented as evidence in favor of fatigue dominated wear of the copper–beryllium fiber tips. Debris flakes were observed forming on the fiber tips with characteristic widths in the range 10–100 μm and thickness on the order of 1 μm, in stark contrast to 1–10 μm wide flakes of thickness on the order of 1 μm observed forming on the slip-ring surface. Relatively clean contact resistance data at the end of the test is indicative of the robustness of the brush design and the ability of the fiber tips to remain in contact with the evolving slip-ring surface. The importance of material selection, particularly in regard to fatigue and yield strength, is highlighted in this work as key factors in improving brush design and understanding the wear phenomena observed in high current density sliding electrical contacts.
Estrogen Receptor GPR30 Reduces Oxidative Stress and Proteinuria in the Salt-Sensitive Female mRen2.Lewis Rat

The current study assessed whether activation of the novel estrogen receptor GPR30 ameliorates salt-dependent renal damage in intact mRen2.Lewis (mRen2) females. Hemizygous mRen2 rats were maintained on either a normal salt (0.5% Na) or high-salt (HS; 4.0% Na) diet for 10 weeks (5 to 15 weeks of age), and HS animals were treated with the GPR30 agonist G-1 or vehicle for 2 weeks. Systolic blood pressure markedly increased with HS diet (149±3 to 219±5 mm Hg; P<0.01), but G-1 did not influence pressure (P=0.42). G-1 and estradiol induced relaxation of preconstricted mesenteric vessels from normal salt mRen2 rats, but both responses were attenuated in the HS group. Despite the lack of an effect on blood pressure, G-1 decreased renal hypertrophy, proteinuria, urinary 8-isoprostane excretion, and tubular 4-hydroxynonenal staining. HS diet significantly increased GPR30 mRNA (1.01±0.04 versus 1.59±0.13; P<0.01) and protein (0.60±0.31 versus 3.99±0.75; P<0.01) in the renal cortex. GPR30 was highly expressed in the brush border of proximal tubules and colocalized with megalin. Finally, megalin expression was reduced by HS diet and restored with G-1. We conclude that GPR30-mediated beneficial effects in salt-sensitive mRen2 females occurred independent of changes in systolic blood pressure. The failure of G-1 to influence pressure may reflect a salt-induced impairment in GPR30-mediated vasorelaxation. The renoprotective actions of GPR30 may involve attenuation of tubular oxidative stress and activation of megalin-mediated protein reabsorption.
Disability Associated with Musculoskeletal Injuries

Musculoskeletal-related injuries and disabling conditions represent the fastest-growing subset of military disability claims over the last 30 years. From 1981 to 2005, the number of disabling conditions related to the musculoskeletal system increased from 70/100,000 persons to 950/100,000 persons for those exiting the military (The changing profile of disability in the U.S. Army: 1981–2005. Disabil Health J 1(1):14–24, 2008). While there are many factors, such as an increase in combat missions or an increasing recognition of disabling conditions, that may account for this increase, recent analysis has shown that the almost 12-fold increase in musculoskeletal disability claims is coming largely from young, enlisted servicemen and servicewomen with lower levels of education (The changing profile of disability in the U.S. Army: 1981–2005. Disabil Health J 1(1):14–24, 2008). These disabling conditions require a disproportionately large amount of resources to care for (Knee adduction moment, serum hyaluronan level, and disease severity in medial tibiofemoral osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum 41(7):1233–40, 1998; Resource utilization and disability outcome assessment of combat casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. J Orthop Trauma 23(4):261–6, 2009; Evaluating the predictive value of osteoarthritis diagnoses in an administrative database. Arthritis Rheum 43(8):1881–5, 2000), and it is imperative to have a basic understanding of these ailments to develop and implement effective injury prevention strategies and to optimize the care provided to these patients (An update on the relationship between occupational factors and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Curr Opin Rheumatol 14(2):89–92, 2002). This chapter discusses the burden of disability associated with some of the more common musculoskeletal injuries and conditions seen within the military.
Technologies of Entertainment

Historically, Hollywood has adopted a complex and to a certain extent ambivalent attitude toward emerging media and entertainment technologies, as they were made available. Chapter 7 identifies communication technology revolutions as potentially disruptive changes in the entertainment landscape, and analyzes the evolving regulatory environment and issues, as the rise of non-authorized diffusion of entertainment content in a digital environment.
Anatomy of Hepatic Resectional Surgery

Liver anatomy can be variable, and understanding of anatomic variations is crucial to performing hepatic resections, particularly parenchymal-sparing resections. Anatomic knowledge is a critical prerequisite for effective hepatic resection with minimal blood loss, parenchymal preservation, and optimal oncologic outcome. Each anatomic resection has pitfalls, about which the operating surgeon should be aware and comfortable managing intraoperatively.
The Impact of State Policies to Limit Debt Financing

The growing use of debt financing by all governments in the United States has attracted the attention of many observers.' Numerous observers have expressed alarm at that growth and have called for limitations on debt financing. The analysis that follows will assess the effectiveness of provisions designed to restrict the use of debt financing by state governments. Some analysts regard the growth in government debt as an inevitable outgrowth of public-sector budget processes. Agency officials seek to demonstrate their influence and to please program clienteles by pressing for expansion of agency budgets and preservation of established programs. Crises, citizen demands, and interest-group lobbying create pressure to provide more support for public programs, particularly when spending items are considered individually rather than in the context of overall totals. Elected officials try to placate program beneficiaries by approving increased appropriations, but taxpayers resist revenue increases. Deficit financing, therefore, offers direct, immediate benefits: more program benefits and lower taxes. The risk of resulting inflation is uncertain and remote; the cost of repaying the debt can be shifted partly to future generations.2 The combination of pressures to spend and reluctance to raise revenues produces an almost irresistible urge to finance programs by borrowing. Adherents of this perspective suggest that reforms of the budget process may be necessary in order to bring the situation under control. Balanced budget requirements, debt limits, and greater executive powers to restrain spending are among the reforms that have been proposed in order to reduce or eliminate reliance on borrowing.3
Psychotherapies for Late-Life Depression

Availability of tolerated and relatively safe antidepressants increased the use of antidepressants in late-life depression. However, only one third of depressed older adults achieve remission with any single agent.1 Treatment resistance to antidepressants prompted the development and investigation of effective psychotherapies for cognitively unimpaired, depressed older adults. Since late-life major depression is often accompanied by cognitive impairment, disability, and medical illnesses1,2, novel psychotherapies for depressed patients with cognitive impairment, disability, chronic medical illnesses or acute medical events have also been developed. Thus, the selection and planning of psychotherapy depends on the patient’s clinical state and requires a thorough assessment. Areas of assessment include not only the patient’s depressive symptoms, acute and chronic stressors, interpersonal context, skills and behavioral deficits, but also the presence and degree of the patient’s cognitive deficits, medical burden and disability. This article describes assessment procedures pertinent to psychosocial interventions and outlines psychosocial interventions for depressed older adults.
Saw It on Facebook, Drank It at the Bar! Effects of Exposure to Facebook Alcohol Ads on Alcohol-Related Behaviors

Using a 2 (beverage: beer versus water) × 2 (brand familiarity: familiar versus unfamiliar) × 3 (message repetition) mixed factorial experiment, this study investigated the effects of exposure to Facebook alcohol advertisements on intentions to consume alcohol and alcohol-related behaviors (gift card choice: bar versus coffee shop). Participants (N = 121) were exposed to Facebook ads for familiar or unfamiliar beer or water brands. Participants were more likely to select a bar than a coffee shop gift card upon exposure to beer versus water ads, which was moderated by brand familiarity and risky alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT]). In addition, participants’ expression of intentions to consume alcohol was conditional to AUDIT and brand familiarity. Findings are discussed within the framework of the mere exposure and priming effects. The policy implications of social media advertising of alcohol are discussed.
Reaction of Brain Copper Proteins with Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate in Normal and in Hepatolenticular Degeneration.

Summary1) Less than 15% of copper in crude bovine cerebrocuprein I (Cu content 0.15%) and in fraction I copper proteins from normal human brain reacted directly with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate. 2) In brains from 2 cases of hepatolenticular degeneration 29 to 45% of the fraction I copper reacted directly. This direct-reacting copper, amounting to more than 7.5 μg/g fresh tissue i.e. more than 20-fold the amount of direct-reacting copper in normal human fraction I, may represent copper bound to brain proteins which are normally copper-free.
Transplantation of Cadaver Kidneys from a Donor with Crossed Nonfused Renal Ectopia

AbstractCrossed nonfused renal ectopia is a rare congenital renal anomaly. Two kidneys were recovered from a 45-year-old cadaver donor with this anomaly and transplanted successfully. Complex renal anomalies should not prevent the use of such kidneys in cadaver renal transplantation.
Friction and surface characteristics of synthetic fibers

Publisher Summary This chapter presents that in the context of friction and surface characteristics, revolutionary developments have been made through utilization of the friction phenomenon for creating special adhesion effects and through modification of surface texture for achieving special thermal and moisture transfer characteristics. The chapter provides an overview on many of those developments. The chapter discusses friction and surface characteristics of synthetic fibers. It highlights the key design parameters that can assist in modifying the surface characteristics and the frictional behavior of fibers. Those parameters, which could be changed during the spinning process of most fibers, included: surface area, fiber cross section, fiber crimp, fiber orientation, and surface roughness. In addition, the impressive development in nanotechnology has made it possible to alter fiber surface at the nano level without influencing key physical characteristics of fiber. The chapter also highlights friction in wet media by discussing the effect of wetting on fiber friction and that of surface texture on the extent of wettability of fibers.
Epilogue: Looking Backwards, and Ahead

Puritanism began with the beliefs of zealous men and women who were convinced that they had a responsibility to serve God by perfecting the Church of England, and, eventually, all of Christendom. Puritans were inspired by access to the Bible in their own tongue, and possessed of a belief that God would provide them through his Holy Spirit with grace that would enable them to see the truth in the Bible. They sought each other out to share their insights and experiences, creating dynamic communities of godly believers. They were to be lights to lead others to the biblical truths. They valued the insights of clergymen who had superior education, but were divided over how important that was, many believing that the experience of grace, more than book learning, was the essential means that enabled a Christian to recognize and edify fellow believers.
Victim Politics: Psychoanalyzing the Neoliberal Conservative Counter-Revolution

This chapter argues that we cannot understand aspects of the current conservative backlash movement if we do not comprehend the role played by fantasies of victimhood. In turning to Freud’s original insights into hysteria and masochism, I show that victim identification is one of the strongest political forces in the world today. Not only do religious fundamentalists base their identity on real and imagined scenes of victimhood, but after 9/11, the strongest countries in the world were able to present themselves as victims, and as we learn from psychoanalysis, victims always see themselves as innocent and pure as they reject all criticism and justify all vengeful hostility.
Declining State Funding and Efficiency Effects on Public Higher Education: Government Really Does Matter

A stochastic cost frontier with inefficiency effects is estimated to investigate the impacts of decreases in state funding support on the operating efficiency of public colleges and universities in the U.S. Panel data for 378 institutions spanning 10 academic years, 2004 through 2013, captures the efficiency effects of declines in state funding from 32 % to 23 %. There are several improvements over early work of like kind that was, however, confined to four academic years, 2005 through 2008, and could not account for the accelerated effects of state funding decreases that followed the financial crisis. Inefficiency effects are extended to include both private giving as a substitute revenue source and federally funded Pell Grants. Empirical results are robust and support the notion that government does matter. Decreases in state funding create inefficiency in producing public higher education. Results also suggest the same for private giving and Pell Grant support, although the former was statistically weak at best. On the cost side, the results, not surprisingly, indicate that university administrators held costs down with hiring increases in non-tenure track faculty and staff relative to tenure track and tenured faculty.
Avatar Life-Review: Seniors Reminiscing Through Virtual Bodies

This paper will discuss experiences of older adult participants and the artist as a mediator and participant in ten avatar life-review sessions held at a senior living facility in Richmond, Virginia. The avatar system uses lip-synchronization, motion detection, and sentiment analysis to playfully engage the user’s life-review process. The system offered female and male interactive avatars for four developmental stages: childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and elderhood. Participants’ experiences are studied anthropologically as a mode of personal and communal ritual and person-centered care in a common theatrical environment.
How speakers select synthetic and analytic forms of English comparatives: An experimental study

This research examines the influence of prosodic shape, token frequency, and recency on comparative form preferences in English. To examine this, participants completed an unprimed and a primed forced-choice acceptability-judgment task. While the unprimed study’s results show that comparative form selection is largely influenced by an adjective’s prosodic shape and token frequency, the primed study shows that recency also plays a role in comparative form selection. More specifically, when primed with a synthetic comparative, participants were less likely to choose the comparative form that the adjective typically occurs in. These results are paralleled by the reaction time results, suggesting that recency of a synthetic comparative may cause either a facilitatory or inhibitory effect when selecting a comparative form.
MODELS OF DIRECTION ESTIMATION WITH SPHERICAL-FUNCTION APPROXIMATED CORTICAL RECEPTIVE FIELDS

Spatial sensitivity of auditory cortex to free-field sound sources has been recognized for many years. Azimuthal sensitivity of auditory cortex to free-field tones, noise, and clicks has been studied by several investigators (see (1974) and (1981) for early work). (1990) and (1990ab) have shown that about 80% of the neurons can be classified as azimuthal sensitive. Neurons could be generally classified as having contralateral (most prevalent), ipsilateral, central, multipeaked, or omnidirectional response properties. With the development of advanced signal processing techniques, virtual-space stimuli, rather than free-field stimuli, have been used to characterize, in detail, spatial receptive fields in the cat (Brugge, Reale, Hind, Chan, Musicant, and Poon, 1994). A benefit of using virtual stimuli, aside from the efficiency of stimulus generation, is that the stimuli can be manipulated in systematic ways to dissociate specific factors shaping a cortical spatial receptive field.
Anarchist Epistemologies and the Separation of Science and State: The Critique and Relevance of Paul Feyerabend to Educational Foundations

This article synthesizes Paul Feyerabend's controversial contributions to 20th-century philosophy of science through the synthesis of his works and the secondary literature, with specific foci on current trends in educational foundations and the potentials and pitfalls for applying Feyerabendian logics to our work. First, I situate his strains of thought within 20th-century philosophy of science contributions from Popper, Lakatos, and Kuhn. Drawing on this explication, the second section pushes against the primary misconception/controversy regarding Feyerabend as a science-hater. In reality, his contributions promote a pluralistic methodology, termed by Feyerabend (1975) as “anarchist epistemologies,” whereby (a) knowledge seekers draw from scientific methodologies and other traditions to develop competing theories and (b) they adjudicate the best methods to move forward as they seek knowledge and/or solve problems. In the third section, I tease out Feyerabend's complicated relationship to anarchism, wher...
Transnational Jihadism & Civil Wars

When rebels also employ terrorism, civil wars can become more intractable. Since the 1980s, jihadism, a form of violent transnational activism, has mobilized civil war rebels, outside entrepreneurs...
CD8 + T Cells in Immunotherapy, Radiotherapy, and Chemotherapy

CD8+ T-cell tumor infiltration is a favorable prognostic factor for a broad spectrum of human cancers. CD8+ T cells traffic to the tumor microenvironment and execute tumor clearance by recognizing specific tumor-associated antigens (TAA) on cancer cells and mediating tumor cytotoxic activity. PD-L1 and PD-1 checkpoint blockade unleashes the effector function of CD8+ T cells and results in significant objective response in patients with different types of cancer. Adoptive transfusion of ex vivo-expanded tumor-specific CD8+ T cells and of CAR-T cells has achieved important clinical response in specific cancer patient populations. In addition, recent studies have revealed that antibody-based biologically targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy mediate tumor regression via partially stimulating the innate and adaptive immunity. The convergence of immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy on CD8+ T cells provides scientific rationales for combination therapy to achieve better disease control and reduce adverse effect.
Biomaterials: Facts and Fiction

Worldwide, 30–50 million men and women benefit from implanted devices. Therefore, the clinical experiences with synthetic materials in intimate contact with human cells and tissues exceeds by three orders of magnitude the number of laboratory animals sacrificed in the elusive quest for “biocompatibility.” Furthermore, the much longer duration of observation characteristic of human implants, compared to animal studies, adds two orders of magnitude to the superiority of clinical and anatomopathological experience over laboratory animal studies. This glaring disparity must be kept in mind in the assessment of materials through in vitro and small animal studies, and the regulatory agencies’ pronouncements based on such evidence. Another sobering fact is that over 95% of the materials utilized for implants are standard commercial substances originally developed for industrial purposes. Those products which have been found to be appropriate for a specific medical device are labeled “biomaterials” (or more modestly, materials for medical use) on the grounds of established specifications and quality control, supported by continuing feedback from the clinical experience. The major obstacle to the advent of custom-designed biomaterials is that the medical device market is so small (not in numbers of implants and impact on health care budgets, but in the quantity of material used per implant) that large-scale production and amortization of industrial production expenditures is well nigh impossible for truly novel substances. In litigious countries such as the USA, suppliers are pulling out of the market because of the excessive cost of defending against legal action when materials allegedly fail in the body environment. Against this background, biomaterials science is bravely searching for new solutions to old problems. The ill-defined property of biocompatibility is slowly making way for the notion of bio acceptance as we expand our knowledge of the cellular aspects of tissue-material interactions. Bioacceptance can seek two diametrically opposed end points: biointegration, meaning that the material and the surrounding living structures form a continuum with stable, low-grade interactions; and biopassivation, meaning that the material is hardly recognized by surrounding body fluids or tissues and that its stealth characteristics can persist for clinically meaningful periods of use.
Vanadium in the Biosphere

This opening chapter will strive to give an overview of the role of vanadium in the biosphere and to help place the subsequent chapters in the overall context of vanadium research. The amount of work on vanadium in biological systems has exploded since the late 1970’s when Cantley and Josephson (1978) characterized the inhibition of the Na, K ATPase by vanadate and vanadium was shown to be a structural metal in algael bromoperoxidases (DeBoer and Wever, 1988) and bacterial nitrogenases (Smith et al., 1988). Interest in vanadium was also intensified by the discovery of the insulin-like activity of vanadate in whole cell systems (Dubyak and Kleinzeller, 1980; Shechter and Karlish, 1980). The meticulous work of my colleagues who have assembled excellent reviews of various aspects of this field within the last few years will be heavily utilized and the reader is urged to consult these earlier articles. The potential role of vanadium in cellular regulation has been explored by Ramasarma and Crane (1981). The intriguing systems of the bivalve molluscs and tunicates, who accumulate large amounts of vanadium has been reviewed by Kustin and McLeod (1983). The biochemistry of vanadium has been surveyed with strong sections concerning the chemistry of vanadium by Boyd and Kustin (1984) and Chasteen (1983). The mechanisms of action of vanadium with an emphasis of the effects of vanadium on whole organ physiology was recently reviewed by Nechay (1984). In 1985 a FASEB Symposium was devoted to a discussion of the role of vanadium in Biology (Nechay et al., 1986).
The Selling Cycle: A Unifying Guide for Sales Management Decisions

The selling cycle is a concept rarely discussed in sales management literature except those articles and books targeted to practitioners. This paper proposes that the selling cycle should be considered as a major dimension of sales jobs which can help in devising taxonomies and analyzing performance, and in particular as a key unifying factor guiding sales management policies regarding hiring, training, compensation, and other major decisions affecting the sales force.
Effects of hypoxia exposure on apoptosis and expression of membrane steroid receptors, ZIP9, mPRα, and GPER in Atlantic croaker ovaries.

Abstract Hypoxia exposure causes endocrine disruption in croaker resulting in impairment of ovarian growth and oocyte development, but the effects of hypoxia on non-classical steroid actions in fish ovaries in vivo remain largely unknown. Membrane androgen receptor (ZIP9) enhances apoptosis of cultured Atlantic croaker ovarian follicle cells via upregulation of p53 and Bax, and increased caspase 3 activity through non-classical steroid signaling. Conversely, apoptosis is inhibited in these cells by non-classical steroid mechanisms through membrane progestin receptor alpha (mPRα) and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). Apoptosis and the expression of ZIP9, mPRα, and GPER were investigated in ovaries of croakers that had been exposed to normoxia (7.0 mg DO/L) or hypoxia (2.0 mg DO/L) for 6 weeks during their period of gonadal recrudescence. The proportion of tertiary yolk stage oocytes was decreased, and the proportions of atretic and apoptotic ovarian follicles were increased in ovaries from hypoxia-exposed fish compared to controls. Ovarian expression of all three receptors was altered after hypoxia exposure. Expression of mPRα and GPER mRNA and protein levels were decreased after hypoxia exposure, consistent with a decline in anti-apoptosis. In contrast, ZIP9 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated 4-fold in hypoxia-exposed fish compared to normoxic controls. The enhanced apoptosis in ovaries of hypoxia-exposed fish was associated with increased caspase-3/7 activity and elevated expression of the pro-apoptotic genes, Bax and p53. The finding that ZIP9 expression was increased in ovaries of croaker exposed to hypoxia provides in vivo evidence supporting ZIP9's proposed function in mediating ovarian follicle cell apoptosis.
Using IBM-Q to study and visualize the ground state properties of the Su-Schrie.er-Heeger model

IBM has developed an API allowing users to build and execute quantum programs on their quantum computers built using superconducting circuits, ranging from 4 to 20 qubits. Using the SSH model as our system to study, we compare the accuracy of the ground state found classically to the ground state calculated by the variational quantum eigensolver. We also explore how varying parameters such as number of qubits, quantum depth and shots affected the accuracy of the algorithm.
Wall Stress and Geometry Measures in Electively Repaired Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a vascular disease characterized by the enlargement of the infrarenal segment of the aorta. A ruptured AAA can cause internal bleeding and carries a high mortality rate, which is why the clinical management of the disease is focused on preventing aneurysm rupture. AAA rupture risk is estimated by the change in maximum diameter over time (i.e., growth rate) or if the diameter reaches a prescribed threshold. The latter is typically 5.5 cm in most clinical centers, at which time surgical intervention is recommended. While a size-based criterion is suitable for most patients who are diagnosed at an early stage of the disease, it is well known that some small AAA rupture or patients become symptomatic prior to a maximum diameter of 5.5 cm. Consequently, the mechanical stress in the aortic wall can also be used as an integral component of a biomechanics-based rupture risk assessment strategy. In this work, we seek to identify geometric characteristics that correlate strongly with wall stress using a sample space of 100 asymptomatic, unruptured, electively repaired AAA models. The segmentation of the clinical images, volume meshing, and quantification of up to 45 geometric measures of each AAA were done using in-house Matlab scripts. Finite element analysis was performed to compute the first principal stress distributions from which three global biomechanical parameters were calculated: peak wall stress, 99th percentile wall stress and spatially averaged wall stress. Following a feature reduction approach consisting of Pearson’s correlation matrices with Bonferroni correction and linear regressions, a multivariate stepwise regression analysis was conducted to find the geometric measures most highly correlated with each of the biomechanical parameters. Our findings indicate that wall stress can be predicted by geometric indices with an accuracy of up to 94% when AAA models are generated with uniform wall thickness and up to 67% for patient specific, non-uniform wall thickness AAA. These geometric predictors of wall stress could be used in lieu of complex finite element models as part of a geometry-based protocol for rupture risk assessment.
Pricing Disclosure: Crowdfunding's Curious Conundrum

Crowdfunding occupies a hybrid regulatory space. Directed to “public investors,” it receives an exemption from Securities Act registration similar to that available to “private issuers.” Critical to the success of this regulatory experiment, which has great potential and much risk, is the disclosure of how securities (whether equity or debt) are priced in a crowdfunding offering. Pricing disclosure in “public offerings” is prospectus boilerplate, giving little clue about the behind-the-scenes negotiations between the offering’s managing underwriter and the issuer. Pricing disclosure in “private offerings” is similarly opaque, assuming that sophisticated investors are keenly aware of the pricing models and multiples that underlie their negotiations with the issuer. In an online crowdfunding, neither small investors nor small issuers will know the valuation techniques the cognoscenti use to determine price. For crowdfunding to be successful – for both issuers and investors – structures must exist for pricing analysis, disclosure and protection. The new crowdfunding law takes some steps in this direction. It requires intermediation by a securities firm or Internet portal. It requires crowdfunding investors receive “investor education.” And it creates negligence liability for misinformation, imposed both on the issuer and the intermediary. But as useful as these provisions may be, the critical (and yet to be implemented) wildcard will be pricing disclosure standards. To ensure both investor protection and efficient capital formation, securities valuation/pricing should be seen as “material.” And any failure by issuers (and their intermediaries) to explain to investors how the offering price was determined should be treated as fraudulent. But there is a conundrum. As a practical matter, crowdfunding is capped at $500,000 per offering. Effective enforcement is problematic: public SEC enforcement would likely happen only in egregious cases; private litigation would be a stretch; and arbitration may be a panacea. Most realistic is some financial “guarantee” offered by crowdfunding intermediaries, similar to how other online merchants gain customer trust. Time will tell.
Estimation of a Production Function for Philippine Retail Stores

The purpose of this paper is the estimation of a production function for retail stores in the Philippines. A generalized Cobb-Douglas production function is utilized for this purpose. Ordinary Least Squares is used in obtaining the coefficients for labor and capital. The results show that the marginal product of labor to be higher than the marginal product of capital and the hypothesis of constant returns to scale is not rejected.