cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Failure to Understand Dialytic Therapy

A 27 year old schizophrenic woman who is permanently hospitalized at a state psychiatric institute developed end-stage kidney disease due to lupus nephritis. It has been over six years since the patient conversed with anyone in a rational manner. Initial hemodialyses were accomplished by sedating the patient who awoke repeatedly, shouting and clashing with her attendants. Both arterial and venous lines were pulled out by the patient during each dialysis, leading to extensive hemorrhage on one occasion. A psychiatric consultant indicates that there is no likelihood of improvement in the patient’s psychosis which has not responded to electric shock, large doses of phenothiazines, and other drug regimens. The responsible nephrologist states her intent to not perform any further dialytic therapy.
CHANGES IN FOREST BIOMASS, LITTER DYNAMICS AND SOILS FOLLOWING SHIFTING CULTIVATION IN SOUTHERN MEXICO: AN OVERVIEW

ver the past four decades the southern Yucatan peninsular region has undergone increasing amounts and intensity of land use change, ranging from selective logging to widespread shifting cultivation agriculture to land clearing for intensive agriculture and village establishment. These land uses alter the structure and function of forested lands and often generate new feedbacks in terms of subsequent human use. Consequently, a major goal in assessing regional environmental change is to understand how biogeochemical processes respond to land use change, emphasizing the potential of a human-dominated landscape to sustain continued human use. One of the greatest challenges in these studies is to distinguish the effects of environmental gradients in climate, geology or natural disturbance from the effects of human activity. In the Southern Yucatan Peninsula Region project (SYPR), our approach to this challenge has been to investigate ecosystem processes in several study sites arrayed across the dominant environmental gradients while focusing on the influence of local, human-controlled factors within a given area. In the southern Yucatan, annual precipitation increases by more than 50% over 120km from the northeastern border of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve to the Guatemalan Border. Median annual precipitation varies from ca. 900mm in the north of our study area to ca. 1400mm in the south. This range encompasses approximately 50% of the variation in precipitation of dry tropical forests worldwide (Murphy and Lugo, 1986). Thus, the gradient represents a broad sampling of the environment of the southern Yucatan peninsula and provides data relevant to many other dry forests. Rainfall is highly variable on an annual and a monthly basis, but all sites share a distinct seasonal pattern regardless of total annual precipitation. A pronounced dry period (<50 mm/mo) may begin as early as November or December, but often begins in January. It may last from three to seven months, depending on the year and the latitude (Figure 1).
Prevention Research and Reality: Narrowing the Quality Chasm

The discovery-to-delivery gap in medical and public health services is receiving growing attention, and many observations have been made about the importance of closing the gap as well as about the challenges faced in promoting acceptance and implementation of evidence-based approaches into routine clinical practice. 1,2 Concurrently, the importance of primary care clinician intervention and patient-centered counseling has been researched and promulgated as an important factor in patient adoption of healthy lifestyle and adherence to cancer prevention and control
Brief communication. Tetraploid nature of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

The advent of bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) and development of high quality methods for fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to plant chromosomes offer revolutionary tools for plant genome analysis. We discovered a 45 kb sorghum BAC (22B2) that differentially hybridizes to centromere regions of 10 of the 20 chromosomes of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Moreover, hybridization of this BAC to plants trisomic (2n = 20 + 1) for the five available trisomes identified their respective subgenomic affiliations. Plants trisomic for chromosomes E, H, and I displayed 11 signals, indicating that these chromosomes are in the subgenome marked by the BAC-FISH signal, whereas plants trisomic for chromosomes D and G had only 10 signals and therefoe belong to the subgenome not displaying the FISH signals. The results provide strong evidence that sorghum is at least of tetraploid origin, and that there are two subgenomes of five chromosomes each in the S. bicolor genome.
Preliminary thoughts on the application of thermodynamics to the development of sustainability criteria

In this paper we address the problem of taking the general notion of sustainability as reported in the Brundtland Report and later in Arrow et al approach and interpreting it from a thermodynamics point of view, with a goal of developing operational principles of sustainability in terms of physical principles that complement economic views.
Long-Range Architecture in a Viral RNA Genome

We have developed a model for the secondary structure of the 1058-nucleotide plus-strand RNA genome of the icosahedral satellite tobacco mosaic virus (STMV) using nucleotide-resolution SHAPE chemical probing of the viral RNA isolated from virions and within the virion, perturbation of interactions distant in the primary sequence, and atomic force microscopy. These data are consistent with long-range base pairing interactions and a three-domain genome architecture. The compact domains of the STMV RNA have dimensions of 10–45 nm. Each of the three domains corresponds to a specific functional component of the virus: The central domain corresponds to the coding sequence of the single (capsid) protein encoded by the virus, whereas the 5′ and 3′ untranslated domains span signals essential for translation and replication, respectively. This three-domain architecture is compatible with interactions between the capsid protein and short RNA helices previously visualized by crystallography. STMV is among the simples...
Entangling single- and N -atom qubits for fast quantum state detection and transmission

We discuss the use of Rydberg blockade techniques for entanglement of single-atom qubits with collective $N$-atom qubits. We show how the entanglement can be used to achieve fast readout and transmission of the state of single-atom qubits without the use of optical cavities.
Overgeneralization in Learning to Read

An acquisition model of decoding is proposed to explain the kinds of errors children make as they try to read. The model is based on data gathered from pronunciation errors of words presented in isolation. An analysis of the errors reveals that the kinds of errors made vary with reading competency. Less able readers make errors that appear to reflect reliance on a one-to-one correspondence between single letters and their sounds. More able readers make errors that suggest an understanding of letter-cluster-to-sound rules. The less able readers rely on less effective rules than do the more able readers. Differential understanding of the structure of letter-to-sound correspondences, particularly of vowel to sound patterns, is proposed to be the primary source of disparity in reading performance among beginning readers.
Effects of differences in starch content of diets with whole cottonseed or rice bran on milk casein.

Abstract Forty lactating Holstein cows in early to midlactation were used in a randomized complete block design to measure the effects of the following diets on milk casein. Treatments were four complete rations fed for ad libitum intake consisting of 1) 60% concentrate, 10% alfalfa hay, and 30% corn silage; 2) 45% concentrate, 10% alfalfa hay, 30% corn silage, and 15% whole cottonseed; 3) 60% concentrate, 5% alfalfa hay, 20% corn silage, and 15% whole cottonseed, and 4) 45% concentrate, 10% alfalfa hay, 30% corn silage, and 15% rice bran. Least squares means for daily DM intake all were significantly different and were 3.51, 3.90, 3.28, and 3.74% BW, respectively. Cows fed diet 3 had higher arterial glucose and insulin and venous insulin. Least squares means were significantly different for milk yield, 30.1, 31.4, 28.4, and 31.6 kg/d; for milk protein, 3.30, 3.13, 3.48, and 3.12%; and for casein N, .376, .358, .373, and .330%, respectively. However, milk protein and casein N yields were similar for all cows. The diet that contained the highest percentage of starch did not result in a significantly higher percentage of casein N in the milk but had the lowest milk production. Both whole cottonseed and rice bran, substituted for concentrate, depressed milk protein percentage.
Smoking cessation clinical practice guideline update and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality tobacco resources

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), formerly the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), sponsors and conducts research that provides information on health care outcomes, quality, cost, use, and access. The information helps health care decision makers—patients and clinicians, health system administrators, and policy makers—to make more informed decisions in order to improve the quality of health care services. AHRQ was established specifically to respond to the nation's need for knowledge about the health care system. AHRQ was established in December 1989 to enhance the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of health care services, and access to these services, through the establishment of a broad base of scientific research and through the promotion of improvements in clinical practice and in the organisation, financing, and delivery of health care services.1 Health plans and system administrators use the findings and tools developed through research sponsored by AHRQ to make choices on how to improve the health care system's ability to provide access and to deliver high quality, high value care. Purchasers use the products of AHRQ sponsored research to obtain high quality health care services. Other potential uses for AHRQ sponsored products include development of performance measures, quality improvement programs, coverage policies, and clinical practice guidelines. It has been more than two years since the publication of the AHRQ sponsored “Smoking cessation” clinical practice guideline2 and the success of …
Optical devices based on cylindrically anisotropic metamaterials

By exploiting resonance cones inside cylindrically anisotropic materials, we present two optical devices, an optical multiplexer based on the dispersive properties of a metal-insulator stack metamaterial, and a far-field bilayer subwavelength imaging system.
Quest for high-Curie temperature MnxGe1 x diluted magnetic semiconductors for room-temperature spintronics applications

A1. Quantum dots A1. Nanodisks A1. Nanowires A3. Molecular beam epitaxy B1. MnxGe1 � x B2. spinFET abstract In this paper, we report the non-equilibrium growth of various Mn-doped Ge dilute magnetic semiconductor nanostructures using molecular-beam epitaxy, including quantum dots, nanodisks and nanowires. Their detailed structural and magnetic properties are characterized. By comparing the results with those in MnxGe1 � x thin films, it is affirmed that the use of nanostructures helps eliminate crystalline defects and meanwhile enhance the carrier-mediate ferromagnetism from substantial quantum confinements. Our systematic studies provide a promising platform to build nonvolatile spinFET and other novel spintronic devices based upon dilute magnetic semiconductor nanostructures. & 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Assessing Psychopathology in Individuals and Groups Aggregating Behavior Samples to Form Overall Impressions

Subjects were presented with vocabulary definitions that were to be used in assessing emotional disturbance in a single patient ('Mr. Green') or in a group of patients. Some respondents were initially presented with a high-pathology series of definitions, whereas others received more benign (low-pathology) definitions. All respondents then received a set of midscale definitions. Assessments of Mr. Green, both at the beginning and at the end of the experimental session, were directly related to the available information (definitions). Ratings of the group initially followed a similar course. However, at the end of the experiment, there was clear evidence of a reversal (crossover pattern); in their final assessments, respondents who had initially received a pathological set of definitions judged the group-as-a whole to be less disturbed than did the respondents who had initially been provided with nonpathological definitions. Theoretical implications of these results are discussed.
A specification language design for the Java Modeling Language (JML) using Java 5 annotations

Design by contract specification languages help programmers write their intentions for a piece of code in a formal mathematical language. Most programming languages do not have built-in syntax for such specifications, so many design by contract languages place specifications in comments. The Java Modeling Language (JML) is one such specification language for Java that uses comments to specify contracts. However, starting with version 5, Java has introduced annotations, a syntactical structure to place metadata in various places in the code. This thesis proposes an initial design to writing JML contracts in the Java 5 annotation syntax and evaluates several criteria in the areas of specification languages and Java language design: whether these annotations are expressive enough to take advantage of annotation simplicity and tool support, and whether the annotation syntax is expressive enough to support handling a large specification language such as JML.
Homotopy analysis method applied to electrohydrodynamic flow

In this paper, we consider the nonlinear boundary value problem (BVP) for the electrohydrodynamic flow of a fluid in an ion drag configuration in a circular cylindrical conduit. We present analytical solutions based on the homotopy analysis method (HAM) for various values of the relevant parameters and discuss the convergence of these solutions. We also compare our results with numerical solutions. The results provide another example of a highly nonlinear problem in which HAM is the only known analytical method that yields convergent solutions for all values of the relevant parameters.
EG-08IDH MUTATIONS IN GLIOMAS ASSOCIATED WITH ENCHONDROMATOSIS

The enchondromatoses, Ollier's disease and Maffucci syndrome, are non-heritable developmental disorders characterized by multiple enchondromas (Olllier's) in association with hemangiomas (Maffucci). Glial neoplasms are reported in both disorders but a pathogenic mechanism underlying this association has not been identified. We report a case of anaplastic astrocytoma in a 23 year old man with Maffucci syndrome whose tumor carried a substitution mutation of arginine for cysteine at position 132 (R132C) of the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) protein. This mutation, commonly found in Maffucci-associated enchondromas and hemangiomas, was not detected on routine immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of the astrocytoma using the R132H mutation-specific antibody, commonly applied in clinical laboratories. The R132C mutation was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequently confirmed using a SNaPshot assay. Because somatic mosaic IDH mutations are associated with enchondromas and hemangiomas in Maffucci syndrome, we looked for the R132C mutation in a hemangioma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) and histologically normal brain surrounding the tumor from this patient. The mutation was present in the hemangioma, absent in PBMNC, and present in 2% of alleles in ‘normal’ brain. The low level in surrounding brain tissue is consistent with tumor cell infiltration, not mosaicism, as a S173T p53 mutation in the tumor showed similar results. Using IHC, we further demonstrated that the mutant IDH1 protein in this glioma functions as an oncometabolite. Two repressive histone trimethylation marks were strongly positive in the tumor, supporting a role for 2-hydroxyglutarate in the inhibition of histone demethylation. Together, these data demonstrate that an IDH1 mutation common in enchodromatoses underlies the association of glial tumors reported in both Ollier's disease and Maffucci syndrome.
Contraction and accommodation of guinea pig duodenum in vitro.

Because duodenal resistance to gastric emptying depends in part on duodenal capacity, we examined the changes of duodenal diameter, length, and luminal pressure that occur in response to injection of bolus volumes. Filling the duodenum led to a powerful, nonpropagating contraction of the duodenum. After the end of filling, sequential duodenal segments widened and duodenal pressure and length returned to baseline; i.e., there was accommodation. Accommodation was volume dependent and ceased at volumes greater than or equal to 1.2 ml. The entire duodenum unfolded almost immediately and the initial increase of pressure and length was abolished when the duodenal musculature was inhibited by exposure to tetrodotoxin or to Ca(2+)-free solution. Pressures and pressure accommodation were larger, occurred earlier, and lasted longer when the duodenal musculature was stimulated by exposure to carbachol. Filling of the duodenum from the distal end led to rapid distribution of the bolus through the duodenum and to accommodation similar to that seen with proximal filling. However, phasic duodenal contractions were less powerful on distal than on proximal injection. Spontaneous phasic contractions of the duodenum were accompanied by a similar sequence of changes in duodenal configuration as was observed with filling. We conclude that 1) the duodenum adjusts the tension of its walls at small volumes, and beyond this is fairly rigid; 2) filling the duodenum triggers contraction responses similar to those that occur with spontaneous contractions; and 3) the direction from which the duodenum is filled does not affect its accommodation. We postulate that the filling response of the duodenum may critically affect gastric emptying.
Ideology in America: The Operational-Symbolic Disconnect

To this point, our discussions have dealt with operational and symbolic ideology as aggregate concepts: how the electorate as a whole thinks of itself in ideological terms and the views that the electorate as a whole holds with respect to important issues of public policy. These analyses have provided a look into the fundamental character of mass preferences in the United States. At the very least, these analyses should be able to provide leverage on one of the most fundamental questions of American public opinion: On balance, what do citizens want from their government? Do citizens prefer a “liberal” government, one that is active in redistributing wealth, regulating the economy, and distributing social benefits to citizens? Do they prefer a “conservative” government, one that gives primacy to the value of markets and individual choice and keeps taxes and social benefits correspondingly low? Or does the government that citizens want vary as a function of the political context, with demands for a more “liberal” government when conditions warrant a strong collective response to important social problems and a “conservative” one when they do not? Our analyses of symbolic and operational ideology each provide clear answers to this question. The problem, of course, is that the answers conflict. Figure 5.1 illustrates the point. This figure simply incorporates the measures of operational and symbolic ideology for the years for which we have data for both.
Diversity and Aging in the United States

Publisher Summary The New World, including the United States, has become ever more ethnically and racially diverse since the first Europeans arrived in the 15th century. Cultural homogeneity was historically confined to tribal societies, or small provinces, and regions defined by mountain ranges or other geological barriers that kept people separated and in their own culturally and linguistically unique worlds. Exploration and the mass migration of peoples put an end to that isolation, and the nations of the New World have been defined from their founding by cultural and ethnic mixing. The European immigrants who in earlier eras were the often-rejected and reviled newcomers are today's old-stock Americans. The new arrivals speak various versions of Spanish and a wide range of Asian languages and dialects. America's dynamic cities have always been a mosaic of cultures and languages, and newspapers, magazines, and books written in different languages have been readily available. Currently, the United States is moving rapidly into a period in which the majority of the white population will become the minority. Other groups, religions, and creeds will change and enrich an already rich melange of cultures.
The Macroeconomic Significance of the Savings and Loan Insolvencies

For financial firm failures to be macroeconomically significant, they must cause or threaten to cause a recession and slow recovery resulting in substantial cumulative output loss. Absent this, from an economic standpoint, they are of no greater or lesser concern than are failures of nonfinancial businesses. At the time they occurred, the savings and loan insolvencies were considered the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. What was their actual or threatened damage to the real economy? I estimate cumulative output losses for 1981-1984, 1991-1995 and 2007-2024 (the latter utilizing forecasts and projections along with actual data through 2013). For a final comparison, I consider 1929-41. These estimates, along with other evidence that the failed thrifts lacked systemic importance, lead to the conclusion that the insolvencies, contrary to what was widely believed and/or implied at the time, and in sharp contrast with 2007-09, had little macroeconomic significance. The failures may have had political ramifications, but from the standpoint of national economic policy, they were not a crisis. We cheapen the term by referring to them as such.
Temporomandibular Joint Ganglion Cyst: A Unique Case of Complete Resolution Following Subtotal Excision.

Ganglion cysts of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are a rare entity. Most often, ganglions present in anatomic regions, such as the hand, wrist, knee, foot, or ankle. Ganglion cysts are pseudocysts characterized by a fibrous connective tissue lining that lacks synovial cells and contains a thick gelatinous material. The etiology remains unclear, but might involve myxoid degeneration or softening of the collagen and connective tissue after long-term irritation and trauma. Ganglion cysts of the TMJ most commonly present as a swelling in the preauricular region, produce limited or no pain, and often have no effect on mouth opening. Because of the infrequent involvement of ganglion cysts with the TMJ and the nonspecific clinical presentation, the diagnosis is challenging. Diagnostic imaging tools, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, have aided in diagnosis; however, only histopathologic examination will lead to a definitive diagnosis. The precise management of ganglion cysts of the TMJ remains uncertain owing to the uncommon appearance of these lesions. Treatment has focused on surgical excision without regard for lesion size or symptoms. This seems to be due to the decreased rate of recurrence after complete excision and microscopic examination providing the best method for a definitive diagnosis. This report describes a unique case of an 88-year-old woman with a large multilocular ganglion cyst of the right TMJ that completely resolved approximately 1.5 years after subtotal cystectomy.
Cyber Security Research Frameworks For Coevolutionary Network Defense

Several architectures have been created for developing and testing systems used in network security, but most are meant to provide a platform for running cyber security experiments as opposed to automating experiment processes. In the first paper, we propose a framework termed Distributed Cyber Security Automation Framework for Experiments (DCAFE) that enables experiment automation and control in a distributed environment. Predictive analysis of adversaries is another thorny issue in cyber security. Game theory can be used to mathematically analyze adversary models, but its scalability limitations restrict its use. Computational game theory allows us to scale classical game theory to larger, more complex systems. In the second paper, we propose a framework termed Coevolutionary Agent-based Network Defense Lightweight Event System (CANDLES) that can coevolve attacker and defender agent strategies and capabilities and evaluate potential solutions with a custom network defense simulation. The third paper is a continuation of the CANDLES project in which we rewrote key parts of the framework. Attackers and defenders have been redesigned to evolve pure strategy, and a new network security simulation is devised which specifies network architecture and adds a temporal aspect. We also add a hill climber algorithm to evaluate the search space and justifymore » the use of a coevolutionary algorithm.« less
Simulating environmental effects on brown shrimp production in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Brown shrimp ( Farfantepenaeus aztecus ) support a commercially important fishery in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and juveniles use coastal estuaries as nurseries. Production of young shrimp from any given bay system, and hence commercial harvest of sub-adults and adults from the Gulf, is highly variable from year to year. We describe development of a spatially-explicit, individual-based model representing the cumulative effects of temperature, salinity, and access to emergent marsh vegetation on the growth and survival of young brown shrimp, and we use the model to simulate shrimp production from Galveston Bay, Texas, U.S.A. under environmental conditions representative of those observed from 1983 to 2012. Simulated mean annual (January through August) production ranged from 27.5 kg ha −1 to 43.5 kg ha −1 with an overall mean of 34.3 kg ha −1 (±0.70 kg ha −1 SE). Sensitivity analyses included changing values of key model parameters by ±10% relative to baseline. Increasing growth rates 10% caused a 16% increase in production, whereas a 10% decrease resulted in an 18% decrease in production. A 10% increase in mortality probabilities resulted in a production decrease of 15% while a 10% decrease resulted in an 18% increase in production. We also changed values of environmental input data by ±10%. Mean production estimates increased 11% in response to increasing tide heights (and thus, marsh habitat access) and decreased 19% with a decrease in tide height (and marsh access). The thirty year mean production was affected negatively by both the 10% increase and decrease in air temperature (−2% and −14%, respectively). Simulations in which bay water salinities were entirely low (0–10 PSU), intermediate (10–20 PSU), or high (>20 PSU) resulted in mean baseline production rates being reduced by 55, 7, and 0%, respectively. Uncertainty in model estimates of shrimp production were related to the magnitude and the timing of postlarval shrimp recruitment to the bay system. Simulations indicated that mean production decreased when recruitment occurred earlier in the year under all environmental conditions. Mean production varied with environmental conditions, however, when recruitment was delayed. The model reproduced biomass and size distribution patterns observed in field data. Although annual variability of modeled shrimp production did not correlate well ( R 2 = 0.005) with fisheries independent trawl data from Galveston Bay, there was a significant correlation with similar trawl data collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico ( R 2 = 0.40; p = 0.0005). Identifying and representing spatially variable factors such as predator distribution and abundance among bays, therefore, may be the key to understanding bay-specific contributions to the adult stock.
Developing Appropriate Economic Strategies

Indigenous people and ethnic minorities face economic and social pressures that potentially disturb the social order, undercut cooperation, and spawn distrust. Such pressures can threaten prosperity, peace, and security for all. Strategies are needed that help distinctive groups gain parity, self-determinism, and sustainability. Supplementing neoclassical economic models with more socially relevant paradigms (such as substantive economic anthropology and the triple bottom line) are means of doing so. Regions ethnic groups are showcased to demonstrate to value of such an approach. Keywords: Indigenous people, ethnic minorities, Berber, Kurds, Kuchi, Triple Bottom Line, anomie, cultural stress, mitigation, neoclassical economics, substantive economics.
When does virtuality help or hinder teams? Core team characteristics as contingency factors

In this paper, we seek to encourage scholars to consider how reliance on technology-mediated communications can bring both promises and perils to team-based work structures. Specifically, we argue that a team's core characteristics (including skill differentiation, temporal stability, and authority differentiation) will differentially affect the challenges and opportunities presented by the team's reliance on virtual means of communication. First, we will discuss how varying degrees of each core characteristic can affect outcomes when teams rely on virtual communication. We then propose how configurations of the three characteristics and virtuality can enhance understanding in both research and practice. We advance propositions that we hope will serve as a starting point for scholarly discussion about how the literature on virtual teams can leverage the existing theories and knowledge on team structure and interdependencies.
Very Low Reynolds Number Flow Over Non-Spherical Particles: Applications to Pollen Aerodynamics

Flows at the very low Reynolds number regime (<10) typically have application to the understanding of the dispersion of micro-scale particulates in the atmosphere, as well as microorganisms. Most particulates are non-spherical, requiring specialized studies in order to determine their settling velocities, drag forces, or interactions. The present study considers flow over saccate pollen with the goal of better understanding their flight dynamics. The pollen grains of several gymnosperm groups consist of a main body and one to three air-filled bladders, or sacci, forming ellipsoidal lobes. Previous studies have demonstrated that sacci increased the resistance coefficient of the grain compared to one without sacci, thereby improving its aerodynamic efficiency by increasing dispersal distance. In order to better quantify the effect of sacci position, size, and orientation on pollen dispersion, scaled-up physical models were created based on electron microscopy images. Furthermore, surface ornamentation or texture could be added to the models, adding a higher degree of realism. The models were suspended inside of a glycerin-filled tank capable of translating at very low speeds, producing Reynolds numbers as low as 0.05. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure velocity fields in the wake of the pollen models. This experimental arrangement facilitated the ability to produce both steady and unsteady (i.e. accelerating or decelerating) flows. Differences among the wake flowfields were related to previously made measurements of pollen shape factors. These studies suggested that both sacci size, orientation or relative position on the main body, as well as surface texture affected this shape factor. The PIV measurements are capable of resolving wake details which demonstrate a wide stagnant flow region behind the main body and between the sacci. This is in contrast to a typical spherical or ellipsoidal geometry, which would be characterized by a single stagnation streamline at the aft, with the flow remaining attached and no wake present when Re<1. At these low Reynolds numbers, there does not appear to be evidence of flow reversal between the sacci; however rapid flow deceleration was capable of producing such reversals.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Survival analysis at multiple scales for the modeling of track geometry deterioration

Defects in track geometry have a notable impact on the safety of rail transportation. In order to make the optimal maintenance decisions to ensure the safety and efficiency of railroads, it is nece...
Review of the Greek Legislative Framework for Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) and Suggestions for its Improvement

The current paper presents an overview of the Greek legislation which is directly or indirectly related to ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. The legislative acts which concern, among others,geothermal potential, shallow geothermal energy, installation of heating/cooling systems and domestic hot water production, use of surface water or groundwater, heat pumps, development of renewable energy sources (RES), energy related products and energy efficiency of buildings are outlined in this study. Furthermore, the relevant European directives and decisions with which the Greek legislation has been harmonized are presented. The Greek legislative framework for the development of GSHPs has been improved over time mainly due to the relevant European directives and decisions; however further improvements and developments are required. Therefore, changes regarding the legislative framework involving the licensing process for the installation of GSHP systems are recommended, concerning: a) system definition, b) installation specifications, c) clarification of responsibilities of involved departments, d) technical issues and e) simplification of the process.
Uptake and Transport of Heavy Metals by Heated Seawater: A Summary of the Experimental Results

In general, the chemistry of seawater experimentally reacted with basalt is in accord with the observed chemistry of the 350°C vent waters from 21°N on the East Pacific Rise. Experiments at 350°C, 500 bar, and a water/rock ratio of ≤10 reproduce most of the major components in the vent waters, in particular the low Mg and SO4 and high Si02, Ca, and K. In comparison with the vent waters however the experimental fluids are deficient in H+ and heavy metals. Experiments with natural and evolved seawater (Mg and SO4 depleted) at ≥400 C and 500 bars or 375°C and ~375 bars under rock-dominated conditions more closely reproduce the vent-water chemistry.
A EXTINÇÃO DE EMPRESAS DO COMÉRCIO VAREJISTA DE CANOAS: ASPECTOS RELACIONADOS À DEMANDA DE MÃO-DE-OBRA

As micro e pequenas empresas no Brasil representam uma parcela significativa no que se refere ao numero de unidades produtivas, a criacao de empregos, ao fornecimento de bens e servicos para o mercado interno e, dessa forma, contribuindo para o desenvolvimento regional. Apesar de sua influencia no mercado, observa-se, sobretudo no comercio varejista, que ha um crescente numero de empresas que encerram suas atividades em decorrencia do desconhecimento de mercado, inclusive de aspectos primarios, como custos com a mao-de-obra. Utilizando-se das metodologias descritiva, revisao bibliografica e pesquisa empirica, na forma de aplicacao de questionarios, em empresas extintas, o trabalho propoe-se a apresentar: a evolucao do numero de empresas constituidas e extintas no RS e Canoas, salientando o Comercio Varejista deste ultimo a partir de 2000; algumas causas que levaram a mortalidade dessas empresas; proposicao de acoes e melhorias para o desenvolvimento e a manutencao do comercio local. Concluiu-se que as empresas do comercio varejista canoense apresentam fragilidades decorrentes de fatores de ordem estrutural, como, por exemplo, a proximidade com Porto Alegre, a falta de conhecimento do mercado, por parte dos empresarios, a baixa escolaridade destes, requisitos relativos a demanda por mao-de-obra e outros encargos tributarios. Palavras-Chave: Canoas. Comercio Varejista. Constituicao e Extincao das Empresas. Demanda por Mao-de-Obra.
A response to Martina and Wimmer’s review of The Given

AbstractIn this paper I respond to Martina and Wimmer’s review of The Given, focusing on their criticisms of the awareness of awareness thesis.
Cerium dioxide (CeO2) nanoparticles decrease arsenite (As(III)) cytotoxicity to 16HBE14o- human bronchial epithelial cells.

Abstract The production and application of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) are increasing in demand with the rapid development of nanotechnology. However, there are concerns that some of these novel materials could lead to emerging environmental and health problems. Some NPs are able to facilitate the transport of contaminants into cells/organisms via a “Trojan Horse” effect which enhances the toxicity of the adsorbed materials. In this work, we evaluated the toxicity of arsenite (As(III)) adsorbed onto cerium dioxide (CeO2) NPs to human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE14o-) using the xCELLigence real time cell analyzing system (RTCA). Application of 0.5 mg/L As(III) resulted in 81.3% reduction of cell index (CI, an RTCA measure of cell toxicity) over 48 h when compared to control cells exposed to medium lacking As(III). However, when the cells were exposed to 0.5 mg/L As(III) in the presence of CeO2 NPs (250 mg/L), the CI was only reduced by 12.9% compared to the control. The CeO2 NPs had a high capacity for As(III) adsorption (20.2 mg/g CeO2) in the bioassay medium, effectively reducing dissolved As(III) in the aqueous solution and resulting in reduced toxicity. Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the transport of CeO2 NPs into 16HBE14o- cells. NP uptake via engulfment was observed and the internalized NPs accumulated in vesicles. The results demonstrate that dissolved As(III) in the aqueous solution was the decisive factor controlling As(III) toxicity of 16HBE14o- cells, and that CeO2 NPs effectively reduced available As(III) through adsorption. These data emphasize the evaluation of mixtures when assaying toxicity.
Sentinel-2A multi-temporal misregistration characterization and an orbit-based sub-pixel registration methodology

Abstract The European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2A Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI) provides global coverage 10 m to 60 m optical wavelength data in fixed geolocated tiles. Recently, it became apparent that when multi-temporal Sentinel-2A tile acquisitions are compared, they can be misregistered by more than one 10 m pixel. This study quantifies the multi-temporal misregistration by application of a recently published matching algorithm to all the available Sentinel-2A data sensed in six months (June 2nd to November 30th 2016) over 1400 × 3000 km of southern Africa. The Sentinel-2A L1C tile product processing software was updated by ESA on June 15th 2016. The results of our analysis show that the update reduced the mean multi-temporal Sentinel-2A tile misregistration from about 1.6 10 m pixels (standard deviation >0.9 pixels) to 0.4 10 m pixels (standard deviation of about 0.2 pixels). Future updates to the ESA L1C tile product processing software are expected to further reduce this misregistration error. Meanwhile, users should exercise care when using multi-temporal Sentinel-2A data for applications that require precise sub-pixel registration. In solution, an orbit-based registration methodology that uses a least-squares adjustment applied to matches derived among Sentinel-2A tile acquisitions sensed in different orbits is described and demonstrated. For all the tile acquisitions in an orbit in a Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) map projection zone, they are registered in the same manner, meaning that there are no relative shifts among the tile acquisitions from the same orbit in the registered data, and that the tile acquisitions that are obscured by cloud or that have a large amount of missing data can still be registered. Over 97% of the study data, including the data sensed before June 15th 2016, were registered. The mean tile registration precision was better than 0.15 10 m pixels (standard deviation 0.06 pixels) and is shown qualitatively to provide multi-temporal data with no visually obvious misregistration at 10 m resolution.
Some Electrochemical Aspects of the Stability of Materials

That materials wear out and break down is one of the common facts of experience. The mechanisms of deterioration (which limit the life of most metallic structures to a few decades) maybe divided into two broad categories. The first is termed erosion; the name given to decay processes associated with the rubbing of one substance upon another. The second is termed corrosion; the name given to the decay and breakdown of materials which occur as a result of their contact with an environment containing ionically conducting species. Corrosion is electrochemical. Its essential act is anodic dissolution of an atom of the material concerned to form an ion in the adherent ionically conducting phase. This process is then coupled as a condition of its continuous nature to the functioning of a cathodic reaction (usually oxygen reduction or hydrogen evolution).
Big Questions in Contemporary Public Management: What Can We Learn from Public Budgeting and Financial Management?

Questions of how public organizations control and manage resources have been relegated to an insular subfield of contemporary public management. This is both unfortunate and unnatural because insights from the study of budgeting and financial management have traditionally been a driving force of public management’s conceptual and empirical development. In this paper we seek to address this problem by reconnecting contemporary findings from the budgeting and financial management subfield to broader concerns in public management. We focus our discussion on the centrality of management technique in contemporary public management, and we argue that research in select areas of contemporary public budgeting and financial management has and will continue to illuminate the implications of reform and innovation in management technique, particularly in our current environment of amorphous institutional arrangements and diffuse, shared power.
Variation in Function of Sex Chromosomes

The so-called “normal function” of the sex chromosomes was discussed in Chapter 5. As there are genetic factors that upset the normal function of the autosomes, there are naturally also those that upset the normal function of sex chromsomes. Since the sex chromosomes constitute a distinct group with a much specialized task of specific genetic expression their special treatment is warranted and is presented in this chapter.
Perception from an AGI Perspective

This paper argues that according to the relevant discoveries of cognitive science, in AGI systems perception should be subjective, active, and unified with other processes. This treatment of perception is fundamentally different from the mainstream approaches in computer vision and machine learning, where perception is taken to be objective, passive, and modular. The conceptual design of perception in the AGI system NARS is introduced, where the three features are realized altogether. Some preliminary testing cases are used to show the features of this novel approach.
Training Future Cybersecurity Professionals in Spear Phishing using SiEVE

Most enterprise network attacks are the result of spear phishing, a highly personalized form of social engineering attack that is increasingly common. It is imperative that future cybersecurity professionals understand how to protect against such attacks, as well as how to effectively and efficiently perform such attacks during penetration testing. To help such education efforts, this paper introduces a process for creating spear phishing attacks called the Social Engineering Vulnerability Evaluation, or SiEVE for short. The step-by-step process relies solely on open source data and includes the steps of (1) identifying targets, (2) profiling targets, and (3) crafting spear phishing messages. SiEVE was evaluated as part of an experiment that compared performance of two groups of students in a 3rd year University Cybersecurity class: those with SiEVE (n=27) and those without SiEVE. (n=24). Findings show that those using the SiEVE process (a) did not identify more targets, though SiEVE students had significantly lower variance, (b) did identify more information about targets, and (c) did lead to more effective spear phishing attacks. The study illustrates the value of providing simple guidelines on improving performance of social engineering activities.
Direct thermo-optical tuning of silicon microresonators for the mid-infrared

We use light from a visible laser diode to directly tune silicon-on-chip microresonators by thermo-optical effect. We show that this direct tuning is local, non invasive and has a much smaller time constant than global temperature tuning methods. Such an approach could prove to be highly effective for Kerr comb generation in microresonators pumped by quantum cascade lasers, which cannot be easily tuned to achieve comb generation and soliton-mode locked states.
Factors Affecting Adherence in a Pragmatic Trial of Annual Fecal Immunochemical Testing for Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer screening by fecal immunochemical test (FIT) reduces the burden of colorectal cancer. However, effectiveness relies on annual adherence, which presents challenges for clinic staff and patients. Describe FIT return rates and identify factors associated with FIT adherence over 2 years in a mailed FIT outreach program in federally qualified health centers. Observational study nested in the Strategies and Opportunities to Stop Colon Cancer in Priority Populations (STOP CRC) trial. Five thousand one hundred ninety-five patients had an initial FIT order and were followed for ≥ 2 years (3574 also had a FIT order in the second year). FIT return percent in each year and patient- and neighborhood-level characteristics associated with FIT adherence. Overall, the proportion of FIT orders that were completed was 46% in the patients’ first year and 41% in the patients’ second year. Of the 5195 patients with a FIT order in year 1, 3574 (69%) also had a FIT order in year 2 (71% of year 1 adherers and 67% of year 1 non-adherers, p = 0.009). Among those with a FIT order in the second year, the FIT return rate was about twice as high among those who were adherent in the first year (952/1674, or 57%) as among those who were not (531/1900, or 28%, p < 0.0001). Patient-level characteristics associated with higher odds of FIT return were a history of FIT screening at baseline, age over 65 (vs 50–65), no current tobacco use, recent receipt of a mammogram or flu vaccine, Asian ancestry (compared to non-Hispanic white), and non-English preference. The only neighborhood factor associated with lower FIT return rate was patient’s larger residential city size. Our findings can inform the customization of programs to promote FIT return among patients who receive care at federally qualified health centers. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov