cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparing Strawberries and Quandongs: A Cross-National Analysis of Crisis Response Strategies

The present study expands recent cross-sectional crisis response research identifying eight distinctive crisis response strategies (Diers, 2009) emerging from more than 40 individual tactics identified by predominantly case-study research in crisis communication (see, e.g., Benoit, 2004; Mohamed, Gardner, & Paolillo, 1999). This research tested previous findings industry and crisis type as critical factors affecting the selection of crisis response strategies by organizations in their public statements following a crisis. However, it also expands previous research by evaluating the effects of a corporation’s nation of origin, comparing social media versus traditional media as channels of engagement, and time in the crisis development as potential factors also affecting an organization’s crisis response. Therefore, this study followed eleven organizations in five industries from five different nations facing three distinctive types of crises over a period of eight weeks analyzing messages in press releases, social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter), and traditional media (i.e., print and broadcast). Findings largely support previous research on the emergence of distinctive crisis response strategies and demonstrate the importance of considering industry, crisis type, nation, channel, and time as critical factors affecting the strategic response to crises.
Reduction of bodily pain in response to an online positive activities intervention.

Abstract Inducing temporary positive states reduces pain and increases pain tolerance in laboratory studies. We tested whether completing positive activities in one's daily life produces long-term reductions in self-reported bodily pain in a randomized controlled trial of an online positive activities intervention. Participants recruited via the Web were randomly assigned to complete 0, 2, 4, or 6 positive activities administered online over a 6-week period. Follow-up assessments were collected at the end of 6 weeks and at 1, 3, and 6 months postintervention. We used linear mixed effects models to examine whether the intervention reduced pain over time among those who had a score P Perspective This study demonstrates that teaching people simple positive activities can decrease reported levels of bodily pain; moreover, these activities can be administered over the internet, a potential avenue for broadly disseminating health interventions at relatively low costs and with high sustainability.
Multiple core-hole coherence in x-ray four-wave-mixing spectroscopies

Correlation-function expressions are derived for the coherent nonlinear response of molecules to three resonant ultrafast pulses in the x-ray regime. The ability to create two-core-hole states with controlled attosecond timing in four-wave-mixing and pump probe techniques should open up new windows into the response of valence electrons, which are not available from incoherent x-ray Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy. Closed expressions for the necessary four-point correlation functions are derived for the electron-boson model by using the second order cumulant expansion to describe the fluctuating potentials. The information obtained from multidimensional nonlinear techniques could be used to test and refine this model, and establish an anharmonic oscillator picture for electronic excitations.
Using BDDs and ZBDDs for efficient identification of testable path delay faults

We present a novel framework to identify all the robustly testable and untestable path delay faults in a circuit. The method uses a combination of decision diagrams for manipulating path delay faults and Boolean functions. The approach benefits from processing partial paths or fanout free segments in the circuit rather than the entire path. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated experimentally. It is observed that the methodology identifies 350% more testable faults in the ISCAS'85 benchmark C6288 than any existing technique by utilizing only a fraction of the time compared to earlier work.
Campaign Support, Conflicts of Interest, and Judicial Impartiality: Can Recusals Rescue the Legitimacy of Courts?

This article investigates citizen perceptions of the impartiality and legitimacy of courts, focusing on a state (West Virginia) that has recently been a battleground for conflict over campaign support, perceived conflicts of interest, and loss of impartiality. We employ an experimental vignette embedded within a representative sample to test hypotheses about factors affecting perceived judicial impartiality. Perhaps not surprising is our finding that campaign contributions threaten the legitimacy of courts. More unexpected is evidence that contributions offered but rejected by the candidate have similar effects to contributions offered and accepted. And, although recusal can rehabilitate a court/judge to some degree, the effect of recusal is far from the complete restoration of the institution’s impartiality and legitimacy. The processes by which citizens form and update their opinions of judges and courts seem to involve preexisting attitudes, normative expectations of judges, and perceptions of contextu...
Neural network techniques for multi-user demodulation

Adaptive methods for demodulating multi-user communication in a direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access (DS/SSMA) environment are investigated. Adaptive radial basis function (RBF) networks that operate with knowledge of only a subset of the system parameters are studied. This approach is further bolstered by the fact that the optimal detector in the synchronous case can be implemented by an RBF network when all of the system parameters are known. The RBF network performance is compared with other multi-user detectors. The centers of the RBF neurons, when the system parameters are not fully known, are determined using clustering techniques. It is shown that the adaptive RBF network obtains near optimal performance and is robust in realistic communication environments. >
Predicting Localized CO2 Corrosion In Carbon Steel Pipelines

A mechanistic model is being developed with the aim of predicting localized CO2 corrosion in carbon steel pipelines. The model is built based on a galvanic coupling mechanism proposed to be responsible for pit propagation of carbon steel in a CO2 environment. Various phenomena associated with the localized corrosion process, such as electrochemical reactions, chemical reactions, mass transfer, FeCO3 film formation, passivation, depassivation and repassivation are taken into account in the model to generate a complete and realistic simulation of field conditions. Both uniform and localized corrosion rates can be predicted depending on how corrosion conditions evolve with time. The model calculates the change of corrosion condition at each time step to determine if a uniform or localized corrosion model should be used. In addition, this model provides users with other valuable information, such as local water chemistry, fluxes of species, and film morphology to help users understand the corrosion process. A parametrical study shows the effect of a variety of factors on the corrosion process which is in agreement with common knowledge about localized corrosion.
The Skin Immune System

The skin is the largest organ in the body. It serves many functions, including thermoregulation, endocrine homeostasis, and transduction of environmental stimuli. The latter can be from simple registering of heat and cold to photoreception [1] or to the complex haptic processing required to read Braille. The skin actively and passively defends against chemical, thermal, electrical, radioactive, physical, and other environmental and microbial insults. The latter defenses fall under the broad purview of the skin immune system. Nanotechnology exploits the unique properties of matter on the nanoscale to selectively target the skin immune system, either for the purposes of augmenting immunity, in the case of immunodeficiency or in generating an immune response against a tumor or pathogen, or for the purposes of selectively inhibiting the immune system, for example, to treat autoimmune disease or prevent the rejection of a grafted organ.
Generation of ultra-low-noise optical parametric combs

Generation of wideband optical frequency combs requires precise balance between nonlinear photon interaction and parasitic effects. While near-octave combs can be generated in both silica and silicon waveguides, it is not always possible to suppress the noise across the operational bandwidth. Principles and challenges of noiseinhibited, tunable frequency comb generation in cavity-free parametric mixers are described and discussed.
Comment on Uhlmann, Poehlman, and Nosek

The question “person or culture?” matters for law and policy because at issue is the viability of a new sort of “cultural defense.” That defense says that the (oftenembarrassing) automatic associations aren’t really measuring “me”; instead, they are measuring something about “culture.” So don’t blame me, and don’t hold me responsible. Uhlmann, Poehlman, and Nosek’s chapter demonstrates that a strong version of the cultural defense - that it has absolutely nothing to do with me - cannot withstand the evidence of predictive validity. What about a weaker version that concedes that automatic associations have something to do with me and have some predictive power, but that they do not amount to an “attitude” and instead influence behavior via “social norms”? In this brief Comment, I argue that from an ethical and legal perspective, it is unclear what if anything should turn on that fine distinction in state of mind. Far more important are two simple questions: First, do we consciously endorse the automatic associations in our heads? Second, what will we do to counter the automatic associations we consciously reject?
Pb(II)-Promoted Amide Cleavage: Mechanistic Comparison to a Zn(II) Analogue

Two new Pb(II) complexes of the amide-appended nitrogen/sulfur epppa (N-((2-ethylthio)ethyl)-N-((6-pivaloylamido-2-pyridyl)methyl)-N-((2-pyridyl)methyl)amine) chelate ligand, [(epppa)Pb(NO3)2] (4-NO3) and [(epppa)Pb(ClO4)2] (4-ClO4), were prepared and characterized. In the solid state, 4-NO3 exhibits κ5-epppa chelate ligand coordination as well as the coordination of two bidentate nitrate ions. In acetonitrile, 4-NO3 is a 1:1 electrolyte with a coordinated NO3–, whereas 4-ClO4 is a 1:2 electrolyte. Treatment of 4-ClO4 with 1 equiv Me4NOH·5H2O in CH3CN:CH3OH (3:5) results in amide methanolysis in a reaction that is akin to that previously reported for the Zn(II) analogue [(epppa)Zn](ClO4)2 (3-ClO4). 1H NMR kinetic studies of the amide methanolysis reactions of 4-ClO4 and 3-ClO4 as a function of temperature revealed free energies of activation of 21.3 and 24.5 kcal/mol, respectively. The amide methanolysis reactions of 4-ClO4 and 3-ClO4 differ in terms of the effect of the concentration of methanol (saturat...
Histogenesis of splenic lesions in Hodgkin's disease.

Histochemical markers were used to identify the various cellular and structural components of the human spleen, and to investigate the histogenesis of the splenic lesions of Hodgkin’s disease. The early lesions appear in areas near the central artery (periarterial lymphatic sheath) in the white pulp. The white pulp becomes hypertrophic. The lesions enlarge, extend into the red pulp, and compress the sinuses and the cords of Billroth. The derivations of various “histiocytes” contained with the lesions are differentiated by using cytochemical stains for lysosomal enzymes and for granulocytes. The epithelioid cells in the granulomas are rich in those lysosomal enzymes typically seen in phagocytic histiocytes, suggesting that they are indeed true histiocytes. The malignant “histiocytes,” including the mononuclear Hodgkin cells, the binucleated Sternberg-Reed cells, and the multinucleated giant cells, do not contain significant amounts of lysosomal enzymes and more closely resemble stimulated lymphocytes. The splenic lesions in Hodgkin’s disease may be the result of a lymphocytic and histiocytic cellular response to an unknown agent, which reaches the spleen through the central artery in the white pulp.
Effect of Chronic D-Fenfluramine Administration on Rat Brain Serotonin Levels and Release

We have applied ex vivo and in vivo methods to examine the possible effects of chronic d-fenfluramine administration on rat brain serotonin (5-HT) levels and release. Low anorectic doses of d-fenfluramine (1.25–5 mg/kg/day for 10 days) did not change hypothalamic 5-HT levels or release (basal and electrically-evoked) 6 days after the last treatment. Repeated administration of a higher dose of d-fenfluramine (10 mg/kg/day) reduced hypothalamic and frontal cortex levels of 5-HT. Evoked 5-HT release was proportionately decreased in both brain areas, but basal 5-HT release was unaffected. Administering a dose of tryptophan restored evoked 5-HT release in the frontal cortex. These data suggest that only at doses which far exceed those needed to inhibit of food intake does d-fenfluramine cause a prolonged reduction in brain 5-HT levels and release. These decrements may result in part from tryptophan depletion within serotoninergic nerve terminals.
Algorithmic Approaches for a Dependable Smart Grid

We explore options for integrating sustainable and renewable energy into the existing power grid, or even create a new power grid model. We present various theoretical concepts necessary to meet the challenges of a smart grid. We first present a supply and demand model of the smart grid to compute the average number of conventional power generator required to meet demand during the high consumption hours. The model will be developed using Fluid Stochastic Petri Net (FSPN) approach. We propose to model the situations that need decisions to throttle down the energy supplied by the traditional power plants using game-theoretic online competitive models. We also present in this paper the power-down model which has shown to be competitive in the worst case scenarios and we lay down the ground work for addressing the multi-state dynamic power management problem.
Empirical correlation between uncorrected standard penetration resistance (N) and shear wave velocity (VS) for Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

The indirect method of estimation of VS is more important as geophysical tests associated with direct determination of VS are not feasible in developing countries like Nepal; on the contrary, stand...
On the verbal behavior of relational frame theory: A post-skinnerian account of human language and cognition

The authors of the provocative subtitle, without embarrassment, set out to produce a revolution in the behavioral study of verbal behavior. I first consider their new definition and then suggest avoiding the definitional problem by describing the properties that characterize verbal behavior, including both those that are like nonverbal behavior and those that are unlike it. Conceding that this book is not an easy read, I nevertheless conclude that we all examine its assertions in detail and in research.
Phenomenology at the Edge of its Orbit

Although cultures far away and with other languages and customs are felt to be exotic by many in one s own culture, all cultures recognize the importance of a consistent bodily praxis as a basis for ethical behavior. I show that thinkers as diverse as Aristotle, Dewey, James, Peirce, Husserl, and Merleau-Ponty all acknowledge this habitual-bodily basis as well as its deeply social character. So does Confucius, even if he emphasizes ceremonial aspects more than Aristotle, the American pragmatists, and phenomenologists. Linking these thinkers is a common emphasis on the performative dimension of reliably repetitive bodily actions that engender effective social actions and interactions.
Explaining military defection and loyalty in the Mediterranean

How militaries respond to mass uprisings can make or break a revolution. If militaries decide to suppress protesters, as in Bahrain in 2011, autocrats can often re-establish control. If militaries ...
How are streamflow responses to the El Nino Southern Oscillation affected by watershed characteristics

Understanding the factors that influence how global climate phenomena, such as the El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), affect streamflow behavior is an important area of research in the hydrologic sciences. While large scale patterns in ENSO-streamflow relationships have been thoroughly studied, and are relatively well-understood, information is scarce concerning factors that affect variation in ENSO responses from one watershed to another. To this end, we examined relationships between variability in ENSO activity and streamflow for 2731 watersheds across the conterminous U.S. from 1970 to 2014 using a novel approach to account for the intermediary role of precipitation. We applied an ensemble of regression techniques to describe relationships between variability in ENSO activity and streamflow as a function of watershed characteristics including: hydroclimate, topography, geomorphology, geographic location, land cover, soil characteristics, bedrock geology, and anthropogenic influences. We found that variability in watershed scale ENSO – streamflow relationships was strongly related to factors including: precipitation timing and phase, forest cover, and interactions between watershed topography and geomorphology. These, and other influential factors, share in common the ability to affect the partitioning and movement of water within watersheds. Our results demonstrate that the conceptualization of watersheds as signal filters for hydroclimate inputs, commonly applied to short-term rainfall-runoff responses, also applies to long-term hydrologic responses to sources of recurrent climate variability. These results also show that watershed processes, which are typically studied at relatively fine spatial scales, are also critical for understanding continental scale hydrologic responses to global climate.
Cultivating communities of care: A qualitative investigation of the communication of support among incarcerated women

ABSTRACTIn 2014, a female-only detention and re-entry facility was restructured to implement new rehabilitative philosophies rooted in strategies to prepare incarcerated women for successful transi...
Genetic Variation and Expected per Cycle Biomass Yield Gain in Lowland Switchgrass

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a native of the North American prairies, has been selected for bioenergy research. With a focus on biomass yield improvement, this study aim (i) to estimate the genetic variation in biomass yield and important agronomic traits in ‘Alamo’, (ii) to determine correlations between biomass yield and agronomic traits, and (iii) to compare efficiency of phenotypic selection from a sward plot and advanced cycle half-sibs (ACHS) on the basis of space-plant performance. Sixty-two Alamo half-sib families (AHS) from a 4-yr-old Alamo sward and 20 advanced cycle half-sib families (ACHS) were evaluated in replicated field trials under simulated swards in Knoxville and Crossville, TN. Results showed significant variation (P < 0.05) among AHS for biomass yield, tillering ability, and spring vigor, suggesting the importance of additive genetic variation in these traits. Overall mean biomass yield of AHS was not different from the Alamo control, demonstrating the inefficiency of phenotypic selection from swards. Mean biomass yield of ACHS was 15 and 20% less than that of the control and AHS, respectively. Such results could be attributable to the influence of environment and genotype × environment interaction. However, results showed great potential for biomass yield improvement through selection on the basis of family performance. Using 10% selection intensity, parental control of two, and a narrow-sense heritability estimate of 0.11, gain per cycle selection from half-sib family selection is estimated to be 23%. Spring vigor showed potential use for indirect selection due to its high genetic correlation (rG = 0.75) with biomass yield. However, it is impeded by the low heritability estimate (h² = 0.34).
Eye movements and decrement in the Muller-Lyer illusion.

Two experiments are reported in which a decrement in the magnitude of the Muller-Lyer illusion was found if free eye movements were allowed. Little or no decrement was obtained if Ss fixated one point of the figure during inspection. In one experiment eye movements were recorded. Saccades across the perceptually short side of the Muller-Lyer figure were found to be shorter than across the perceptually long side. After inspection with free eye movements, the saccades became more nearly equal on the two sides. Such changes in eye movements did not occur if Ss fixated one point during the inspection period. The data are interpreted in terms of perception being determined by the efferent readiness activated by visual input. According to this interpretation, the decrement in the magnitude of the illusion results from recalibration of the efferent programs.
9/11 + 3/11 + 7/7 = ? What Counts in Counterterrorism

The recent bombings in London and Madrid raise the specter of episodic terror attacks in the United States that fall short of the "mushroom cloud" scenarios discussed in the aftermath of 9/11 and the run-up to the Iraq war. Despite the smaller scale of these attacks, they have the potential to generate widespread fear and anger. This article builds on new work in behavioral law and economics to show how these emotional responses can generate systematic biases that motivate and direct counterterrorism policy. These biases should be cause for concern, not least when they lead us to adopt policies that are more burdensome on others instead of those that are most effective at preventing further attacks. Not surprisingly, policies which impose burdens on others - and therefore appear less costly - tend to interfere with civil liberties, particularly those of non-citizens. Recent psychological studies offer an unprecedented opportunity to recognize and understand these biases, and to take action to correct them. One process-oriented corrective that I propose here is to conduct systematic human rights impact assessments during the formulation of counterterrorism law and policy. These assessments should lead to measures more protective of both liberty and security.
Impact of Life Style Factors on Oxidative Stress

There are convincing epidemiologic data to support the role of increased physical activity and exercise with reduced risks of various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and osteoporosis. Reversing global population trends in physical inactivity is therefore a major public health priority. Better understandings of the biologic mechanisms that link sedentary lifestyle to poor health are needed to refine and support physical activity guidelines. Traditionally, the underlying mechanisms that have been proposed to link physical inactivity to various disease outcomes have been disease specific. For example, reduced circulating estrogens are often cited as one mechanism that links physical activity to reduced risk of breast cancer; in parallel, reduced insulin and insulin like growth factors are regularly offered to explain the link between physical activity and colon cancer. More recently, data are emerging to suggest that persistent physical activity may decrease resting levels of oxidative stress. At first, this connection may seem paradoxical since acute exercise transiently increases local and systemic oxidative stress levels.This paradox is resolved by the concept of hormesis: low-to-moderate level of reactant species that form during non-exhaustive exercise may lead to adaptations in the antioxidant defense system. Whether reduced resting levels of oxidative stress further translate to reduced risks of chronic disease is another emerging research question. While some studies support a connection between oxidative stress and chronic disease, prospective and well-powered studies are still relatively rare.
Estimation of the acoustic environment through machine learning techniques

The material composition of the bottom of shallow waterways can have significant effects on the corresponding acoustic environment, which autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) rely upon for sensing, navigation, and communication. Techniques that require an adequate environmental model are often used onboard AUVs to interpret the sensor data, but such techniques are often sensitive to even small deviations between the model and reality. A proposed approach to reduce this deviation is to use data from local soil and bathymetry surveys to generate environmental model approximations that may be loaded onto the vehicle in advance. During the early stage of deployment, the vehicle uses a K-nearest-neighbor classification approach to compare field calibration measurements with the various models, and select the most suitable solutions for use during the remainder of the active mission. Acoustic field simulations based on the environmental models are produced using normal mode theory as well as wavenumber integration, then compared with field array data. The techniques developed here could be used to facilitate the use of environment-sensitive approaches for detection and tracking during autonomous operations. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]
Protecting Infrastructure Data via Enhanced Access Control, Blockchain and Differential Privacy

Protecting critical infrastructure data is challenging because it typically includes sensitive information that is often needed by analysts to answer crucial questions about the critical infrastructure. For example, in the healthcare sector, epidemiologists need to analyze personally identifiable information to track the spread of diseases or regional emergency services managers may need to view details of all 911 calls made during a hurricane or terrorist incident. In other situations where personally identifying information is not needed to perform analyses, studies have shown that anonymization approaches such as k-anonymity or l-diversity cannot safeguard the information from inadvertent or malicious exposure. Additionally, recent data breaches involving critical infrastructure information demonstrate that current access control mechanisms, including role-based access control, are neither sufficient to secure the information nor adequate to prevent the ensuing loss of privacy. This chapter presents a novel approach that integrates existing access control mechanisms with blockchain and differential privacy to protect infrastructure data.
Lernunterstützende Rückmeldung in Lernentwicklungsgesprächen

Lernentwicklungsgesprache (LEG) sind eine Form der Leistungsruckmeldung, die eine gute Chance bietet, lernunterstutzendes Feedback zu geben. Befunde belegen, dass Feedback dann besonders effektiv ist, wenn es sich auf das konkrete Lernen und Lernprozesse bezieht. Um zu klaren, ob in LEG lernunterstutzende Ruckmeldung gegeben wird, wurden in einem querschnittlichen Design in 31 Klassen der Jahrgangsstufen 1 bis 3 Kinder, Eltern und Lehrkrafte zu der erhaltenen Ruckmeldung befragt. Zudem wurden 39 LEG anhand eines Beobachtungsrasters untersucht. Es zeigt sich, dass grundsatzlich lernunterstutzende Ruckmeldungen gegeben werden, wenngleich die Umsetzung einzelner Elemente unterschiedlich wahrgenommen wird. Grunde fur diese Abweichungen und Moglichkeiten weiterer Forschung werden diskutiert.
The generality of the nitroso-glyoxylate reaction: Conversion ofp-nitronitrosobenzene to the hydroxamic acid

The reaction of glyoxylic acid withp-nitronitrosobenzene (1b) in dilute aqueous solution gave the hydroxamic acid (2b) as the major detectable product. The significance of this observation with respect to the title reaction is discussed.
Recent development of hydrothermal liquefaction for algal biorefinery.

Abstract Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is considered as one of the most promising methods for converting algal biomass to bio-oil and other value-added chemicals. The conventional HTL process, however, is limited by its incapability of recovering high-value bioactive compounds that are desirable for enhancing overall process feasibility. The two-stage sequential hydrothermal liquefaction (SEQHTL) process was proposed as an alternative to overcome this limitation. SEQHTL operates at reduced temperature and pressure to facilitate production of co-products in addition to bio-oil. This article offers a comprehensive review of the SEQHTL process in comparison with conventional HTL. Main topics include: operation principles and targeting final products of HTL, reaction mechanisms of algal biomass in the HTL process, recent publications on algae-related HTL studies, features of the SEQHTL process, advantages of the SEQHTL process for production of high quality bio-oil as well as extraction of prospective high-value co-products that may be harvested from microalgae biomass, cost advantage of the SEQHTL process, challenges identified with techno-economic and life-cycle assessments, and suggested future HTL research and development in comparison with other conversion technologies. All these aspects collectively provide an overview of the SEQHTL technology.
Primate Orbitofrontal Cortex Codes Information Relevant for Managing Explore-Exploit Tradeoffs

Reinforcement learning (RL) refers to the behavioral process of learning to obtain reward and avoid punishment. An important component of RL is managing explore-exploit tradeoffs, which refers to the problem of choosing between exploiting options with known values and exploring unfamiliar options. We examined correlates of this tradeoff, as well as other RL related variables, in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) while three male monkeys performed a three-armed bandit learning task. During the task, novel choice options periodically replaced familiar options. The values of the novel options were unknown, and the monkeys had to explore them to see if they were better than other currently available options. The identity of the chosen stimulus and the reward outcome were strongly encoded in the responses of single OFC neurons. These two variables define the states and state transitions in our model that are relevant to decision-making. The chosen value of the option and the relative value of exploring that option were encoded at intermediate levels. We also found that OFC value coding was stimulus specific, as opposed to coding value independent of the identity of the option. The location of the option and the value of the current environment were encoded at low levels. Therefore, we found encoding of the variables relevant to learning and managing explore-exploit tradeoffs in OFC. These results are consistent with findings in the ventral striatum and amygdala and show that this monosynaptically connected network plays an important role in learning based on the immediate and future consequences of choices.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been implicated in representing the expected values of choices. Here we extend these results and show that OFC also encodes information relevant to managing explore-exploit tradeoffs. Specifically, OFC encodes an exploration bonus, which characterizes the relative value of exploring novel choice options. OFC also strongly encodes the identity of the chosen stimulus, and reward outcomes, which are necessary for computing the value of novel and familiar options.
From Rough Waters to Calm Seas: The Challenges and Successes of Building a Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development Program

San Diego State University recently embarked on a major initiative to revitalize the Precalculus, Calculus 1, and Calculus 2 sequences. In addition to program features such as course coordination, ...
Autism and Autism Treatment: Evolution of Concepts and Practices from Kanner to Contemporary Approaches

In this chapter, we examine how the understanding of the nature and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has evolved over the past decades. Advances in the field have been shaped by growing scientific knowledge as well as shifts in societal views, marking a progression from the widespread use of unethical and unsupported treatments to the increasing appreciation and integration of evidence-based practices and inclusive approaches. However, advising families in search for the best intervention to help their children with ASD is challenging, due to the proliferation of intervention options, difficulties accessing services, and the heterogeneity of intervention needs within the ASD population. Current knowledge and ongoing challenges in the area are discussed.
Analogical Comparison Promotes Theory‐of‐Mind Development

Theory-of-mind (ToM) is an integral part of social cognition, but how it develops remains a critical question. There is evidence that children can gain insight into ToM through experience, including language training and explanatory interactions. But this still leaves open the question of how children gain these insights-what processes drive this learning? We propose that analogical comparison is a key mechanism in the development of ToM. In Experiment 1, children were shown true- and false-belief scenarios and prompted to engage in multiple comparisons (e.g., belief vs. world). In Experiments 2a, 2b, and 3, children saw a series of true- and false-belief events, varying in order and in their alignability. Across these experiments, we found that providing support for comparing true- and false-belief scenarios led to increased performance on false-belief tests. These findings show that analogical comparison can support ToM learning.
Impact of Sarcopenia on Survival in Patients With Early-Stage Lung Cancer Treated With Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy.

Background Sarcopenia has been associated with poor survival among cancer patients. Normalized total psoas area (NTPA) has been used as a surrogate for defining sarcopenia. Few data exist characterizing the impact of sarcopenia and other metrics of fitness on clinical outcomes in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated non-invasively with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Methods To assess the association between sarcopenia and clinical outcomes, we conducted a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients treated with SBRT from 2013 to 2019 . Overall survival (OS), local failure free survival (LFS), distant failure free survival (DFS), NTPA, body mass index (BMI), and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) were included for analysis. NTPA was calculated by measuring the psoas volume at the L3 vertebra and normalizing for patient height and gender. Survival functions were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test and Cox-proportional hazards were performed for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Significance was set as p < 0.05. Results A total of 91 patients met the criteria. The median age was seven years and Karnofsky Performance Status score (KPS) was 80 (range: 60-100). Approximately 79% of patients had T1 tumors. Median radiation dose and number of fractions were 60 Gy (range: 45-60) and 5 fractions (range: 3-5). Median NTPA was 531.16 mm2/m2 (range: 90.4-1356.2). After normalization (sarcopenia: <385 mm2/m2, female; <585 mm2/m2, male), 39 patients (42.8%) had sarcopenia. NTPA had no association with OS (p = 0.7), LFS (p = 0.9), or DFS (p = 0.5). Increasing BMI was associated with improved OS (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83-0.98). With a median follow-up of 23.4 months, median OS was 60, 60, and 45.9 months (p = 0.37) in all patients, non-sarcopenic patients, and sarcopenic patients, respectively. Conclusion Sarcopenia was not associated with OS, LFS, or DFS. Increasing BMI is associated with improved OS. Future, prospective work is needed to define the impact of sarcopenia and other fitness metrics on clinical outcomes among NSCLC patients treated non-invasively with SBRT.
An ontology of off-task behavior in a number activity: The body, space-time, and mathematics:

This article aims to interrogate the Cartesian rationality determining current early childhood mathematics by highlighting the irrational aspect of mathematics learning, which is usually underempha...
The Linear Stability of Reissner–Nordström Spacetime: The Full Subextremal Range $$|Q|<M$$

We prove the linear stability of subextremal Reissner–Nordstrom spacetimes as solutions to the Einstein–Maxwell equation. We make use of a novel representation of gauge-invariant quantities which satisfy a symmetric system of coupled wave equations. This system is composed of two of the three equations derived in our previous works (Giorgi in Ann Henri Poincar, 21: 24852580, 2020; Giorgi in Class Quantum Grav 36:205001, 2019), where the estimates required arbitrary smallness of the charge. Here, the estimates are obtained by defining a combined energy-momentum tensor for the system in terms of the symmetric structure of the right hand sides of the equations. We obtain boundedness of the energy, Morawetz estimates and decay for the full subextremal range $$|Q|<M$$ , completely in physical space. Such decay estimates, together with the estimates for the gauge-dependent quantities of the perturbations obtained in Giorgi (Ann PDE 6:8, 2020), settle the problem of linear stability to gravitational and electromagnetic perturbations of Reissner–Nordstrom solution in the full subextremal range $$|Q|< M$$ .
Lower Tropospheric Processes; A Control on The Global Mean Precipitation Rate

The spread in global mean precipitation among climate models is explored in two ensembles using the complementary perspectives of surface evaporation and energy budgets. Models with higher global-m...
Collaboration versus Concreteness: Tensions in Designing for Scale:

BackgroundSubstantial research on reform implementation highlights numerous challenges to implementing innovations at scale with depth and sustainability, yet new reforms continue to encounter many...
An exploratory magnetic resonance imaging study of suicidal ideation in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis

Suicide is a major cause of death in psychosis and associated with significant morbidity. Suicidal ideation (SI) is very common in those at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) and predicts later suicide. Despite substantial work on the pathobiology of suicide in schizophrenia, little is known of its neurobiological underpinnings in the CHR or putatively prodromal state. Therefore, in this pilot study, we examined the neurobiology of SI in CHR individuals using structural MRI. Subjects were aged 14-30 and met criteria for the Attenuated Positive Symptom Psychosis-Risk Syndrome (APSS) delineated in the Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes (SIPS). Suicidality was assessed using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Volumetric MRI scans were obtained on a 3T Phillips scanner. MRI data were available for 69 individuals (19 CHR without SI, 31 CHR with SI and 19 healthy control subjects). CHR individuals with SI had thicker middle temporal and right insular cortices than CHR individuals without SI and healthy control subjects. The location of these findings is consistent with neurobiological findings regarding suicide in syndromal psychosis. These findings underscore the potential for the use of brain imaging biomarkers of suicide risk in CHR individuals.
Direct targeting of amplified gene loci for proapoptotic anticancer therapy

Gene amplification drives oncogenesis in a broad spectrum of cancers. A number of drugs have been developed to inhibit the protein products of amplified driver genes, but their clinical efficacy is often hampered by drug resistance. Here, we introduce a therapeutic strategy for targeting cancer-associated gene amplifications by activating the DNA damage response with triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs), which drive the induction of apoptosis in tumors, whereas cells without amplifications process lower levels of DNA damage. Focusing on cancers driven by HER2 amplification, we find that TFOs targeting HER2 induce copy number-dependent DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and activate p53-independent apoptosis in HER2-positive cancer cells and human tumor xenografts via a mechanism that is independent of HER2 cellular function. This strategy has demonstrated in vivo efficacy comparable to that of current precision medicines and provided a feasible alternative to combat drug resistance in HER2-positive breast and ovarian cancer models. These findings offer a general strategy for targeting tumors with amplified genomic loci. Amplified loci in cancer genomes are directly targeted with triplex-forming oligonucleotides.
Ferdinand II, Counter-Reformation Emperor, 1578-1637

Emperor Ferdinand II (1619–37) stands out as a crucial figure in the Counter-Reformation in central Europe, a leading player in the Thirty Years War, the most important ruler in the consolidation of the Habsburg monarchy, and the emperor who reinvigorated the office after its decline under his two predecessors. This is the first biography since a long-outdated one written in German in 1978, and the first ever in English. It looks at his reign as territorial ruler of Inner Austria from 1598 until his election as emperor and especially at the influence of his mother, the formidable Archduchess Maria, in order to understand his later policies as emperor. This book focuses on the consistency of his policies and the profound influence of religion throughout his career, and follows the contest at court between those who favored consolidation of the Habsburg lands and those who aimed for expansion in the empire.
Factoring Risks to the Heart

A Change of Heart . How the Framingham Heart Study Helped Unravel the Mysteries of Cardiovascular Disease. By Daniel Levy and Susan Brink . Knopf, New York, 2005. 268 pp. $26.95, C$37.95. ISBN 0-375-41275-1. The authors blend together history, anecdotes, and lessons for reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease drawn from the almost 60 years of a landmark epidemiological study.
Identification of a C-terminal Region That Regulates Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Kinase-1 Cytoplasmic Localization and ERK Activation

The C-terminal region of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-1 and 2 (MKK1 and MKK2) may function in regulating interactions with upstream kinases or the magnitude and duration of ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase activity. The MKK C-terminal region contains a proline-rich region that reportedly functions in regulating interactions with the Raf-1 kinase and ERK activity. In addition, phosphorylation sites in the C terminus of MKK1 have been suggested to either sustain or attenuate MKK1 activity. To further understand how phosphorylation at the C terminus of MKK1 and protein interactions regulate MKK1 function, we have generated several MKK1 C-terminal deletion mutants and examined their function in regulating MKK1 localization, ERK protein activation, and cell growth. A deletion of C-terminal amino acids encompassing two putative alpha-helices between residues 330 and 379 caused a re-distribution of mutant MKK1 proteins to membrane compartments. Immunofluorescence analysis of MKK1 mutants revealed a loss of homogenous cytosolic distribution that is typically observed with MKK1 wild type, suggesting this region regulates MKK1 cellular localization. In contrast, MKK1 C-terminal deletion mutants localized to various sized punctate regions that overlapped with lysosome compartments. ERK activation in response to constitutively active Raf-1 or growth factor stimulus was attenuated in cells expressing MKK1 C-terminal deletion mutants. This could be partly explained by the inability of Raf-1 to phosphorylate MKK1 C-terminal deletion mutants even though the phosphorylation sites were intact in these mutants. Finally, we show that cells expressing MKK1 C-terminal deletion mutants displayed characteristic patterns of apoptotic cell death and reduced cell proliferation. These findings identify a novel C-terminal region between amino acid residues 330 and 379 on MKK1 that is necessary for regulating the cytoplasmic distribution and subsequent ERK protein activation necessary for cell survival and viability.
Regulation and processing of a secreted protein that mediates sensing of cell density in Dictyostelium

During Dictyostelium development, the expression of some genes is dependent on cell density. This effect is mediated by soluble factors referred to as conditioned medium factors (CMFs) which the developing cells secrete at very low rates and simultaneously sense. There are at least two classes of CMFs: one is an 80 × 10(3) Mr glycoprotein and the other is a heterogeneous group of molecules, with relative molecular masses between 6.5 × 10(3) and 0.65 × 10(3). Interestingly, the two classes of molecules do not need to be combined for activity. We find that the 80 × 10(3) Mr CMF but not the small CMF is sequestered in vegetative cells. The 80 × 10(3) Mr CMF is then secreted by cells during early development, while the small CMF appears only during late development. Like the 80 × 10(3) Mr CMF, the small CMFs are trypsin-sensitive and contain N- and O-linked glycosylation. The breakdown products of a fraction containing 80 × 10(3) Mr CMF cochromatographed from a Sephadex G-50 column and a reverse-phase HPLC column with small CMFs. The specific activity of CMF increases roughtly 100-fold upon breakdown. The results suggest that, during differentiation, the slowly diffusing 80 × 10(3) Mr CMF is first produced from a precursor pool already present in vegetative cells, allowing differentiation of only those cells in the immediate vicinity of the aggregation center. The breakdown of 80 × 10(3) Mr CMF to a faster-diffusing, higher specific activity form then might enable cells farther from the aggregation center to differentiate.
On optimal cell assignments in PCS networks

We address a problem of network design for personal communication services (PCS). The objective is to assign cells optimally to the switches in mobile as well as personal communications. Two types of costs are considered: the cost of handoffs between cells and the cost of cabling (or trunking) between a cell site and its associated switch. The problem is constrained by the call volume that each switch can handle. We adapt a powerful combinatorial search technique, called scatter search, to this optimization problem. We also develop a new optimization paradigm, called bounded scatter search, based on limited discrepancy search. Empirical results show promising performance with quality improvement.
On the Use of the Negative Binomial in Epidemiology

The use of the negative binomial, or the method of inverse sampling (e.g. (1), (2)), is suggested for prospective studies. This method usually has the advantage of fostering an early decision on the statistical significance of some etiological factor in examining successive patient records. Several limiting situations for the distribution are discussed regarding the prevalence of a disease. An example illustrates the method.
Test Pattern Generation for Sequential MOS Circuits by Symbolic Fault Simulation

The COSMOS symbolic fault simulator generates test sets for combinational and sequential MOS circuits represented at the switch level. All aspects of switch-level networks including bidirectional transistors, stored charge, different signal strengths, and indeterminate (X) logic values are captured. To generate tests for a circuit, the program derives Boolean functions representing the behavior of the good and faulty circuits over a sequence of symbolic input patterns. It then determines a set of assignments to the input variables that will detect all faults. Symbolic simulation provides a natural framework for the user to supply an overall test strategy, letting the program determine the detailed conditions to detect a set of faults. Symbolic preprocessing of switch-level networks, combined with efficient Boolean manipulation makes this approach feasible.