cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetorheology of ferrofluid composites

Composites consisting of nonmagnetic particles with sizes in the micron range suspended in a ferrofluid constitute an inverse magnetorheological fluid. Structuring occurs in an applied magnetic field and can result in the solidification of the composite. Above a critical level of applied stress the material further transforms to a liquid state. Data confirming the existence of a solidified state are presented based on constant shear rheological measurements. Measurements of the yield stress compare favorably with predictions of theory based on the analysis of unsymmetric stresses in the unyielded, anisotropic medium.
Local Manifestations of Yahweh and Worship in the Interstices: A Note on Kuntillet Ajrud

The Shema (Deut 6:4) has long posed a crux interpretum in studies of early Israelite religion. Although the verse is often understood as a rejection of “foreign” deities in favor of Israel’s God Yahweh, some have understood the verse as a textual consolidation of Yahweh’s multiple identities. The present study draws attention to the specific local manifestations of Yahweh at Kuntillet Ajrud and their respective archaeological contexts, locating those expressions within the larger regional and pan-Israelite religious system. Attentiveness to the archaeological provenance of each pertinent inscription suggests that distinctions obtained between the devotional expressions towards each local manifestation of Yahweh. Insofar as it is possible to draw conclusions from the extant epigraphic and iconographic data, the expressions of devotion towards Yahweh of Teman was officially sanctioned; no such official recognition of Yahweh of Samaria existed. When no sanctioned space existed for such recognition, personal expressions of piety were expressed interstitially.
Parity decreases methamphetamine-induced striatal dopaminergic perturbation.

Abstract The role of parity upon methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity of the striatal dopaminergic system was assessed. Female CD-1 mice either remained nulliparous or underwent one or three complete pregnancies and were designated as the 0, 1 or 3 pregnancy groups. The mice were then treated with a neurotoxic regimen of methamphetamine (MA – 40 mg/kg) or its saline vehicle (control) and striatal dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels were measured at 7-days post-MA. Basal levels of striatal DA, DOPAC and the DOPAC/DA ratio were similar among the saline (control) 0, 1 and 3 pregnancy groups. In response to MA, striatal DA and DOPAC were significantly decreased in the 0 and 1 pregnancy as compared with the control group. Mice with 3 pregnancies showed DA and DOPAC levels that did not differ from controls and were significantly greater than the 0 pregnancy group. The DOPAC/DA ratios of the 0 pregnancy group were significantly greater than all other groups (control, 1 and 3 pregnancy) which failed to differ among each other. These results demonstrate that parity decreases MA-induced striatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity, and the degree of this neuroprotection is related to the number of pregnancies experienced.
Stencils-based tutorials: design and evaluation

Users of traditional tutorials and help systems often have difficulty finding the components described or pictured in the procedural instructions. Users also unintentionally miss steps, and perform actions that the documentation's authors did not intend, moving the application into an unknown state. We introduce Stencils, an interaction technique for presenting tutorials that uses translucent colored stencils containing holes that direct the user's attention to the correct interface component and prevent the user from interacting with other components. Sticky notes on the stencil's surface provide necessary tutorial material in the context of the application. In a user study comparing a Stencils-based and paper-based version of the same tutorial in Alice, a complex software application designed to teach introductory computer programming, we found that users of a Stencils-based tutorial were able complete the tutorial 26% faster, with fewer errors, and less reliance on human assistance. Users of the Stencils-based and paper-based tutorials attained statistically similar levels of learning.
Plastic flow behavior of Inconel 718 under dynamic shear loads

Abstract The plastic deformation behavior of nickel–iron alloy Inconel 718 in shear was measured at strain rates of 0.01 s −1 and up to 3000 s −1 with a quasistatic torsion machine and a split torsional Hopkinson bar, respectively. The measurements were analyzed to determine Johnson–Cook parameters and obtain material constitutive information needed for finite element simulations.
Implementation of an Oxygen Therapy Clinic to Manage Users of Long-term Oxygen Therapy*

Study objectives To evaluate the initial benefits of establishing an oxygen therapy clinic (OTC) to manage users of long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). Design Cross-sectional observational study. Setting Military-affiliated, tertiary care hospital. Patients or participants Current users of LTOT at our institution and patients with new oxygen prescriptions between June 2000 and May 2001. Intervention The OTC evaluation consisted of a focused medical interview and physical examination by a respiratory therapist. Demographic data, indications for supplemental oxygen, oxygen-related diagnoses, cardiopulmonary review of systems, pertinent physical examination findings, pulmonary function testing, and oximetry data were recorded. Patients prescribed oxygen during hospitalization were followed up for recertification within 90 days based on the recommendations of the Fifth Oxygen Consensus Conference. Also, patients with existing oxygen prescriptions and new oxygen prescriptions during the study period were evaluated in the OTC. Data are provided for the initial evaluation in this clinic. Measurements and results A total of 283 patients were evaluated in the OTC during the study period. Ninety-seven patients with a new oxygen prescription during hospitalization were evaluated, with a mean ŷ SE time from discharge to evaluation of 2.6 ŷ 0.4 months. At follow-up, 50.5% of these patients no longer met Medicare guidelines for LTOT. A significant change in oxygen prescription was required in 27.9% of these patients. A total of 95 outpatients with existing oxygen prescriptions were contacted for recertification in the OTC. Of these patients, 31.6% no longer met Medicare criteria for LTOT and 26% required a significant change to their oxygen prescription. Oxygen therapy was discontinued in 22% of the 91 patients who were referred from other outpatient clinics, and the oxygen prescription was changed in another 29.7%. Conclusions Results of this initial evaluation suggest that the institution of a respiratory therapist-managed OTC to manage home oxygen patients can significantly decrease inappropriate supplemental oxygen use, which can result in significant cost savings while providing improved health-care delivery. Further evaluation is necessary to identify the long-term benefits and cost savings in this population.
Nonparametric Analysis of Adolescent Deviant Behavior

The impact of certain personal characteristics on marijuana use while controlling for routine activities in everyday life is analyzed. The assumptions underlying several logistic regression models, as well as the parametric analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) model, are violated in this example. More critical from the practical point of view is the fact that the covariate is measured on an ordinal (noninterval) scale, implying that the results from such analyses depend on the chosen scale. The analysis of main effects and interactions while accounting for the presence of the covariate using this nonparametric model is compared with similar analyses using the parametric ANCOVA and logistic regression models. The formal analysis is supplemented by new exploratory data analysis plots. Significance tests for certain ordered and other patterned alternatives are proposed and evaluated via simulations. Results are compared with those using logistic regression models treating the levels of the factors as ordinal.
Protecting with Sensor Networks: Attention and Response

Sensor networks are expected to play an important role in hybrid protection infrastructures when combined with robots and human decision makers. In order to be effective, detection of intruders needs to be attended to, and a timely response needs to be made. Intruders, on the other hand, if they can't avoid detection may make use of strategies to overload attention or dilute the response. Such strategies are related to denial of service attacks in electronic security. This paper develops the conceptual framework for modeling the game between intruders and defenders
Life skills development through sport: current status and future directions

This review is designed to summarize and critique current life skills through sport research. In particular, life skills are defined, the conditions needed to examine life skills development are explored, and the possible theoretical explanations of how, when, under what conditions and why life skills develop in sport participants are discussed. A heuristic model of coaching life skills is offered. To conclude, future research directions are forwarded and include the need for: (a) quantitative and qualitative research; (b) the development of valid life skills through sport measures; (c) an examination of sport program type differences; (d) evaluation research; (e) longitudinal studies; (f) studies focusing on identifying theoretical explanations for the life skill development sport participation link; (g) the utilization of experimental designs; and (h) an examination of the transferability of life skills. The importance of conducting this type of research for both theoretical and practical reasons is emp...
Cutaneous and systemic manifestations of drug-induced vasculitis.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the literature for published cases of drug-induced vasculitis with cutaneous and/or systemic manifestations.DATA SOURCES:The MEDLINE database was searched from 1965 to December 1999 for articles focusing on drugs and vasculitis, using various search terminologies (e.g., Churg-Strauss syndrome, Goodpasture's syndrome, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, various drugs suspected to induce vasculitis). Cases were included when they met the established criteria as described in the methodology.DATA SYNTHESIS:Drugs found to be most frequently associated with vasculitis were propylthiouracil, hydralazine, colony-stimulating factors, allopurinol, cefaclor, minocycline, D-penicillamine, phenytoin, isotretinoin, and methotrexate. The interval between the first exposure and appearance of symptoms was reported to be extremely variable (hours to years). Vasculitis has occurred after drug dosage increases and after rechallenge with the suspected drug. In the majority of cases, vasculitis has resolved after d...
State sciences and development histories: encoding local forestry knowledge in Bengal.

Informed by debates on development discourse local knowledge and the history of colonial conservation this article argues for a careful historical investigation of the manner in which scientific managerial knowledge emerges in the field of forestry. It makes its case by focusing on the specific period in the history of Bengal (1893-1937) when scientific forestry was formalized and institutionalized. The processes and conflicts through which local knowledge gets encoded as scientific canon have to be understood to generate effective managerial devolution in participatory projects. This requires an engagement with public understandings of science as practice that arises from a dynamic critique of static and undifferentiated notions of development discourse or local knowledge. (authors)
Transmission Switching in Expansion Planning

Transmission switching (TS) is introduced to add flexibility to the transmission and generation capacity expansion planning problem. TS could improve the performance of the capacity expansion planning model and reduce the total planning cost. The capacity expansion planning problem is decomposed into a master problem and two subproblems. The master problem utilizes the candidate set for additional generating unit and transmission capacity investments to find the optimal plan throughout the planning horizon. The subproblems use the optimal plan, apply transmission switching to relieve any transmission flow violations, and calculate the optimal dispatch of generating units. The transmission network contingencies are also considered in the subproblems. The case studies exhibit the effectiveness of the proposed expansion planning approach.
The relationship between hip abductor muscle strength and iliotibial band tightness in individuals with low back pain

Background: Shortening of the iliotibial band (ITB) has been considered to be associated with low back pain (LBP). It is theorized that ITB tightness in individuals with LBP is a compensatory mechanism following hip abductor muscle weakness. However, no study has clinically examined this theory. The purpose of this study was to investigate the muscle imbalance of hip abductor muscle weakness and ITB tightness in subjects with LBP. Methods: A total of 300 subjects with and without LBP between the ages of 20 and 60 participated in this crosssectional study. Subjects were categorized in three groups: LBP with ITB tightness (n = 100), LBP without ITB tightness (n = 100) and no LBP (n = 100). Hip abductor muscle strength was measured in all subjects. Results: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with the body mass index (BMI) as the covariate revealed significant difference in hip abductor strength between three groups (P < 0.001). Post hoc analysis showed no significant difference in hip abductor muscle strength between the LBP subjects with and without ITB tightness (P = 0.59). However, subjects with no LBP had significantly stronger hip abductor muscle strength compared to subjects with LBP with ITB tightness (P < 0.001) and those with LBP without ITB tightness (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The relationship between ITB tightness and hip abductor weakness in patients with LBP is not supported as assumed in theory. More clinical studies are needed to assess the theory of muscle imbalance of hip abductor weakness and ITB tightness in LBP.
Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy of Human Immunodeficiency Virus gp41 Protein That Includes the Fusion Peptide: NMR Detection of Recombinant Fgp41 in Inclusion Bodies in Whole Bacterial Cells and Structural Characterization of Purified and Membrane-Associated Fgp41

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of a host cell begins with fusion of the HIV and host cell membranes and is mediated by the gp41 protein, a single-pass integral membrane protein of HIV. The 175 N-terminal residues make up the ectodomain that lies outside the virus. This work describes the production and characterization of an ectodomain construct containing the 154 N-terminal gp41 residues, including the fusion peptide (FP) that binds to target cell membranes. The Fgp41 sequence was derived from one of the African clade A strains of HIV-1 that have been less studied than European/North American clade B strains. Fgp41 expression at a level of ~100 mg/L of culture was evidenced by an approach that included amino acid type (13)CO and (15)N labeling of recombinant protein and solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy of lyophilized whole cells. The approach did not require any protein solubilization or purification and may be a general approach for detection of recombinant protein. The purified Fgp41 yield was ~5 mg/L of culture. SSNMR spectra of membrane-associated Fgp41 showed high helicity for the residues C-terminal of the FP. This was consistent with a "six-helix bundle" (SHB) structure that is the final gp41 state during membrane fusion. This observation and negligible Fgp41-induced vesicle fusion supported a function for SHB gp41 of membrane stabilization and fusion arrest. SSNMR spectra of residues in the membrane-associated FP provided evidence of a mixture of molecular populations with either helical or β-sheet FP conformation. These and earlier SSNMR data strongly support the existence of these populations in the SHB state of membrane-associated gp41.
Electrical endogenous heating of insect muscles for flight control

In our ongoing effort to reliably control insect flight with pupae-inserted electronics, we demonstrate using heat to control insect flight initiation or take-off from standing position. We have previously developed reliable surgical methods to implant neuromuscular prosthetic devices in insect flight muscle for directing flight electrically. Here, we present, for the first time, a tissue embedded micro heater to decrease the preflight warm-up duration of hybrid electronic insect micro-air-vehicles. The biological takeoff-time at room temperature of 5–10 minutes was reduced to 58–seconds by thorax heating. Minimization of takeoff-time will enable higher bandwidth and reliable control for repeated takeoff and landing applications.
Automatic generation of don't cares for the controlling finite state machine from the corresponding behavioral description

A symbolic analysis method is described and applied to register-transfer microprograms describing control units of hardware controllers. It automatically generates program invariants and next uses them to optimize the logic realization of the control finite state machine (FSM). The method calculates the microprogram invariants, symbolic states, and relations. These data are used to find products of predicate values (predicates are the signals from the data path to the control unit) that have constrained values for some of the control unit states. If a state transition exists from internal state S/sub i/ to state S/sub j/ under a product of predicate values that cannot be satisfied in state S/sub i/, then this transition is replaced in the state table with a don't care. This is beneficial because a state table composed of a large number of don't cares facilitates the processes that optimize the realization of the FSM logic circuit: the state minimization, the state assignment of input and internal states, and the Boolean minimization. A computer implementation of these methods that uses extensively symbol manipulation and artificial intelligence techniques is also described. >
An Empirical Analysis of Rock Climbers' Response to Hazard Warnings

This paper reports the results of a field test of the hazard warning system used in rock climbing. The system is succinct; it differentiates between magnitudes of hazard; and it establishes a "warnings vocabulary." The empirical hazard response models include an "individuating factor," which influences the likelihood of injury, and the severity of injury as independent variables. The models indicate that climbers do assess a "personal" probability of injury and incorporate the hazard warning message when choosing climbing routes. Climbers of greater technical ability are more likely to climb hazardous routes, but they mitigate the likelihood of the hazardous outcome by reducing the technical difficulty of the hazardous route chosen. The response increases with the degree of hazard involved. Language: en
On computing sensitivities for parameter estimation in hybrid systems

Inverse problems have received much attention. In these problems, one deals with a mathematical model and attempts to identify unknown parameters in the model based on certain observations of the underlying phenomenon. Most often, these problems are formulated as optimization problems in an infinite dimensional state space where one must determine the parameter from some admissible parameter set that minimizes the given cost function. Quasilinearization has been shown to be an effective to system identification problems. Although quasilinearization has been used quite successfully, implementation requires certain smoothness properties of the state with respect to the unknown parameter. In fact, the success of quasilinearization depends on the accurate determination of the derivative of the state with respect to the unknown parameter, i.e. the sensitivity. In this short note we use a finite element method to directly solve the sensitivity equations for the state sensitivity and compare the results to brute force finite difference methods.
Shiver me titin! Elucidating titin's role in shivering thermogenesis

Shivering frequency scales predictably with body mass and is ten times higher in a mouse than a moose. The link between shivering frequency and body mass may lie in the tuning of muscle elastic properties. Titin functions as a muscle "spring," so shivering frequency may be linked to titin's structure. The muscular dystrophy with myositis ( mdm ) mouse is characterized by a deletion in titin's N2A region. Mice that are homozygous for the mdm mutation have a lower body mass, stiffer gait, and reduced lifespan compared to their wildtype and heterozygous siblings. We characterized thermoregulation in these mice by measuring metabolic rate and tremor frequency during shivering. Mutants were heterothermic at ambient temperatures of 20-37°C while wildtypes and heterozygotes were homeothermic. Metabolic rate increased at smaller temperature differentials (i.e., the difference between body and ambient temperatures) in mutants than in non-mutants. The difference between observed tremor frequencies and shivering frequencies predicted by body mass was significantly larger for mutant mice than for wildtypes or heterozygotes, even after accounting for differences in body temperature. Together, the heterothermy in mutants, the increase in metabolic rate at low temperature differentials, and decreased tremor frequency demonstrate the thermoregulatory challenges faced by mice with the mdm mutation. Oscillatory frequency is proportional to the square root of stiffness, and we observed that mutants had lower active muscle stiffness in vitro . The lower tremor frequencies in mutants are consistent with reduced active muscle stiffness and suggest that titin affects the tuning of shivering frequency.
Security-Constrained Unit Commitment With Natural Gas Transmission Constraints

The contribution of this paper focuses on the development of a security-based methodology for the solution of short-term SCUC when considering the impact of natural gas transmission system. The proposed methodology examines the interdependency of electricity and natural gas in a highly complex transmission system. The natural gas transmission system is modeled as a set of nonlinear equations. The proposed solution applies a decomposition method to separate the natural gas transmission feasibility check subproblem and the power transmission feasibility check subproblem from the hourly unit commitment (UC) in the master problem. Gas contracts are modeled and incorporated in the master UC problem. The natural gas transmission subproblem checks the feasibility of natural gas transmission as well as natural gas transmission security constraints for the commitment and dispatch of gas-fired generating units. If any natural gas transmission violations arise, corresponding energy constraints will be formed and added to the master problem for solving the next iteration of UC. The iterative process will continue until a converged feasible gas transmission solution is found. A six-bus power system with seven-node gas transmission system and the IEEE 118-bus power system with 14-node gas transmission system are analyzed to show the effectiveness of the proposed solution. The proposed model can be used by a vertically integrated utility or the ISO for the short-term commitment and dispatch of generating units with natural gas transmission constraints.
Web 2.0: What Is It And Is It For Me?

This article will define Web 2.0 and determine if it is “right” for you. The author has been teaching with technology for over ten years and has identified Web 2.0 categories that are emerging in higher educational institutions. A summary of seven categories of the “Education Winners” as well as a comparison of each of the winners will be provided. After reading this article, one should be able to determine if Web 2.0 tools might be of interest to them in using in order to promote learning in the classroom. Moreover, the reader will be able to determine what tools are of interested to them in order to determine where the starting point should be for them and their students.
Frameworks for Applying Social Psychological Processes to Social Issues

This volume is the first of a planned series on applications of fundamental social psychological processes to social problems. As such it is part of a much larger effort by the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues to sponsor the publication of works that address the causes, nature, and possible solutions to societal concerns. Other aspects of this effort include SPSSI’s programs at professional conferences, the Journal of Social Issues, dozens of books on special topics such as international relations and racism, and the Applied Social Psychology Annual series that was initially edited by Leonard Bickman and concluded under the editorship of Stuart Oskamp. In effect, the present volume represents a continuation of the latter series but with a different focus owing to a change in publishers and editors. While most of the publications sponsored by SPSSI have emphasized a single social issue, usually discussed from the standpoint of diverse theoretical and empirical traditions, this volume takes the complementary approach of considering diverse social issues within the framework of theory and research on the single but broadly defined process of social influence. The complementarity of these alternative ways of presenting applied social science can be seen by taking a perspective that combines both general social processes and social issues.
Defacing Democracy?: The Changing Nature and Rising Importance of As-Applied Challenges in the Supreme Court's Recent Election Law Decisions

This article examines the evolution of the doctrine concerning facial and as-applied challenges to election laws. Recent Supreme Court decisions have indicated a refinement of the doctrine in a direction that makes certain voting rights lawsuits less likely to be brought and more difficult to win. However, the Court's decisions in Crawford v. Marion County, Washington State Grange v. Washington State Republican Party, and FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life suggest less of a systematic preference for as-applied over facial challenges, than a redefinition of when facial and as-applied challenges are appropriate. Moreover, the debate over the propriety of one or the other type of challenge represents a proxy war of sorts concerning the merits of arguments challenging campaign finance, voter identification, or party regulations. The article ends with an epilogue suggesting the potential implications of this shift for the Court's consideration of the constitutionality of section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
Accounting for residential propagule pressure improves prediction of urban plant invasion

Plant invasions substantially impact the ecosystem services provided by forests in urbanizing regions. Knowing where invasion risk is greatest helps target early detection and eradication efforts, but developing an accurate predictive model of invasive species presence and spread on the basis of habitat suitability remains a challenge due to spatial variation in propagule pressure (the number of individuals released) which is likely conflated with suitability. In addition to neighborhood propagule pressure that originates with propagules dispersing from naturalized populations within invaded habitats, we expect residential propagule pressure arising from the widespread use of exotic plants in the yards of single‐family residences to be an important driver of invasions, and to notably improve the predictive accuracy of species distribution models (SDMs). To this end, we collected presence/absence data for a widespread forest invader, Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet), from 400 stratified random plots located along an urban gradient across the Charlotte, North Carolina metropolitan area. We assessed the relative contribution of residential propagule pressure and neighborhood propagule pressure to improving the predictive performance of a probit SDM for Chinese privet that only contains environmental predictors. Our results indicate that, although the environment‐only model predicted the highest geographic area to be at risk of invasion by privet, it also had the highest rate of failure to accurately predict observed privet occurrences as indicated by the omission (incorrectly predicted absence) and commission (incorrectly predicted presence) error rates. Accounting for residential propagule pressure substantially improved model performance by reducing the omission error by nearly 50%, thereby improving upon the ability of the model to predict privet invasion in suboptimal habitat. Given that this increase in detection was accompanied by a decrease in the geographic area predicted at risk, we conclude that SDMs for invasive exotic shrubs and potentially for other synanthropic generalist plants may be highly inefficient when residential propagule pressure is not accounted for. Accounting for residential propagule pressure in models of invasive plants results in a more focused and accurate prediction of the area at risk, thus enabling decision makers to feasibly prioritize regional scale monitoring and control efforts.
Comparative Migration Policies

How should the countries of western Europe deal with the f ac t that they have often become reluctant lands of immigration? A recent conference held to mark the opening of the European Forum for Migration Studies, an institute at the University of Bamberg, demonstrated that there is as yet no European consensus on the definition of the immigration and integration problem, helping to explain the slow movement toward pan-European immigration and integration policies favored by many academics and politicians. Three themes ran through the conference. First, it is evident that no country considers its immigration and integration policies to be a beacon for itself or others during the 1990s-discussion of current policies tended to emphasize shortcomings rather than achievements. Second, Europeans are discovering that few policies and institutions can be "borrowed" from the so-called classical immigration countries-the United States, Canada, and Australia. Third, confusion over the best immigration and integration policies for the 1990s is most obvious in Gemiany, the country with onethird of Europe's foreigners and one-third of its economy. As befits a conference initiating the founding of a new migration studies center, far more questions were raised than answers provided. To an American observer, the leitmotiv of the discussion was the remarkable range of problem definitions. Since the definition of problems tends to suggest solutions, there was a perhaps understandable gap between American observers who pressed for answers to the fundamental immigration ques? tions of how many, from where, and in what status, and Europeans who preferred to debate whether the first step to successful integration is dual citizenship of support for a particular type of multicultural society.
Website Blocking Revisited: The Effect of the UK November 2014 Blocks on Consumer Behavior

Whether and how copyrights should be enforced in the digital age has become an important policy question and an important question for empirical research. In a prior study, we found that the court ordered blocking of the Pirate Bay website in the UK in April 2012 had only a small impact on total piracy and no impact on paid legal streaming, but that the blocking of 19 major piracy websites in November 2013 caused a significant decrease in total piracy and a significant increase in usage of paid legal streaming sites.In this update, we ask whether the blocking of 53 piracy websites in the UK in November 2014 — which more than doubled the total number of sites being blocked in the country — had an impact on consumer behavior and how that impact compared to the previous blocks. We found that these blocks caused a 90% drop in visits to the blocked sites while causing no increase in usage of unblocked sites. This led to a 22% decrease in total piracy for all users affected by the blocks (or a 16% decrease across all users overall). We also found that these blocks caused a 6% increase in visits to paid legal streaming sites like Netflix and a 10% increase in videos viewed on legal ad-supported streaming sites like BBC and Channel 5.The evidence suggests that blocking large numbers of sites can still “move the dial” in terms of consumer behavior, but that there may be diminishing returns as remaining pirates may be more dispersed or else have lower willingness to pay for legal content. Nonetheless, such blocks can serve to mitigate the possibility of a long-term return to the prior status quo.
Ultra-short-term forecasting of microgrid surplus loadbased on hybrid intelligence techniques

As the accurate forecasting of distributed generation and short-term load is the basis of operational control and energy management of microgrid,the concept and calculation method of microgrid surplus load are proposed and the features and influencing factors of its ultra-short-term forecasting are discussed.With the consideration of historical power outputs,loads and weather data,an ultra-short-term forecasting model of microgrid surplus load is developed,which integrates k-means clustering analysis,genetic algorithm and artificial neural network.A simulation model of microgrid with wind farms,micro-turbines and fuel cells is established and results show that,the forecasting outputs of distributed generators and the forecasting load of microgrid are very close to the measured data,which verifies the accuracy of the proposed forecasting model.
Quality control of equipment used for radiotherapy

Due to the modifications of components, to unexpected breakage of elements or to electronic dysfunctions, the performance of radiotherapy machines may decrease with age. Quality Assurance procedures and maintenance program are necessary to guarantee the performances. For linear accelerators, modus operandi of control tests and their frequency are based on regulations and recommendations widely published, that are presented here. Concerning accessories, especially those recently developed (multileaf collimators, dynamic wedges, ...), recommendations remains to be defined. Simple tests are proposed. Concerning numerical imaging systems, widely used for three dimensional dosimetry, image quality and geometry controls must be performed with phantom tests. For portal imaging, a quality assurance program is proposed. A strict and complete Quality Assurance program is essential to guarantee quality and safety of the treatment. A regular control of linear accelerator is one of the important component of this program. It suppose the implementation of permanent tests procedures, periodically modified following technological progresses and treatment techniques. Measurements must be sensible to variations below the tolerance level defined during the installation process. The analysis of the variations of measurements with time are an objective criterion of quality.
Multitime coherent spectroscopies of complex molecules: from infrared to X-ray

Femtosecond visible and infrared analogues of multiple-pulse NMR techniques provide novel snapshot probes into the structure and electronic and vibrational dynamics of complex molecular assemblies such as photosynthetic antennae, proteins, and hydrogen-bonded liquids. The response of complex molecules to a series of femtosecond optical laser pulses provides a multidimensional view into molecular structure as well as a vibrational motions, interactions, and relaxations. In complete analogy with NMR techniques, spreading the spectroscopic information in more than one dimension helps resolve congested spectra, eliminates certain static broadening mechanisms and provides structural and dynamical information unavailable from one-dimensional measurements. The basic concepts underlying these generalized techniques will be surveyed.
‘I will if You will’: The Effect of Social Network Ties on the Adoption of Mobile Applications

This study examines the rate of diffusion and acceptance of app technology among mobile phone users; specifically, it studies the effect of strong and weak social ties on the adoption rates of apps among young adults.
Funding the Organization through Supply Chain Finance: A Longitudinal Investigation

Supply chain finance (SCF) is an emerging phenomenon which allows firms to fund the organization through its supply chain relationships. This is achieved through a combination of shrinking inventories, collecting money from customers faster, and simultaneously delaying payments to suppliers. Utilizing Inventory Theory to illustrate the firm’s SCF benefits, our results demonstrate that inventory strategy changes have the largest and longest-lasting impacts on the firm’s financial performance. Interestingly, changing the firm’s payment terms result in only small, short-term effects. Based on our findings, we also offer suggestions to future research extensions in exploring the emerging field of supply chain finance.
Biomagnetism: Inhibition of Root Elongation

Summary Soaked seeds of mustard, radish, cucumber, field corn and pea were subjected to non-homogeneous electro-magnetic fields (flux gradient between 1500 and 2000 gauss). Seeds were subsequently allowed to germinate in geomagnetic conditions. No differenee was observed in the viability of control and treated seeds. The root of all species, however, proved sensitive to magnetic exposure, the observed inhibition in radish, cucumber and earn being signifieantly pronounced.
A Robust and intuitive 3D interface for teleoperation of autonomous robotic agents through immersive virtual reality environments

In this paper an intuitive human interface is presented which allows for an operator immersed in a virtual environment to remotely control a teleoperated agent with minimal cognitive overload and minimal risk of accidental input. Additionally, a cursor-based interface is presented allowing for the placement of navigation nodes for the agent, thus facilitating robot's autonomous navigation functions to be executed.
Engaging Subjectivity in Understanding Individual Differences

This chapter was an early argument for the scientific legitimacy of theories that engaged a subjectively-defined social environment in which behavior occurred, theories that may appropriately be termed phenomenological. Such theories, in sharp contrast with the then dominant behaviorist theories that relied on physical or geographic definitions of the environment, relied instead on the meanings that the environment had for the actor. The central thesis of the chapter is that the data language of psychology was different from the data language of physics and that a psychology of human behavior required a psychological data language that could reflect the nature of human experience.
Classroom-Based Strategies to Incorporate Hypothesis Testing in Functional Behavior Assessments:

When results of descriptive functional behavior assessments are unclear, hypothesis testing can help school teams understand how the classroom environment affects a student’s challenging behavior. This article describes two hypothesis testing strategies that can be used in classroom settings: structural analysis and functional analysis. For each strategy, we (a) review relevant examples from the literature, (b) identify advantages and disadvantages, and (c) offer recommendations for when and how to use them.
Prediction of Human Brain Penetration of P-glycoprotein and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein Substrates Using In Vitro Transporter Studies and Animal Models

Abstract Four P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) substrates with human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations and preclinical neuropharmacokinetics were used to assess in vitro – in vivo extrapolation of brain penetration in preclinical species and the ability to predict human brain penetration. Unbound brain (C b,u ), unbound plasma (C p,u ), and CSF compound concentrations (C CSF ) were measured in rats and nonhuman primates (NHPs), and the unbound partition coefficients (C b,u /C p,u and C CSF /C p,u ) were used to assess brain penetration. The results indicated that for P-gp and BCRP dual substrates, brain penetration was severally impaired in all species. In comparison, for P-gp substrates that are weak or non-BCRP substrates, improved brain penetration was observed in NHPs and humans than in rats. Overall, NHP appears to be more predictive of human brain penetration for P-gp substrates with weak or no interaction with BCRP than rat. Although C CSF does not quantitatively correspond to C b,u for efflux transporter substrates, it is mostly within 3-fold higher of C b,u in rat and NHP, suggesting that C CSF can be used as a surrogate for C b,u . Taken together, a holistic approach including both in vitro transporter and in vivo neuropharmacokinetics data enables a better estimation of human brain penetration of P-gp/BCRP substrates.
Patterns of Distant Failure by Intrinsic Breast Cancer Subtype in Premenopausal Women Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Abstract Purpose To identify patterns of distant failure (DF) in premenopausal women receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer. Patients and Methods Premenopausal patients treated with NAC between 2005 and 2015 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Timing and location of local, regional, and distant metastases were described. Predictors for DF and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results Of 225 patients, there were 24 (10.7%) local, 30 (13.3%) regional, and 63 (28.0%) distant recurrences. Cumulative incidence of DF was higher in patients younger than age 40 (P = .01), in those with residual tumor size > 2 cm (P Conclusion Patterns of DF after NAC in premenopausal women vary by breast cancer subtype, with DF more common than locoregional failure. Young age remains an independent poor prognostic factor, and OS differs by breast cancer subtype.
Comparing Processing-based, Stimulus-based, and Subject-based Factors in Metacognition

We investigated the reliability of individual differences in metacognitive accuracy in two experiments, examining within-subjects performance on 4 different tasks: (a) ease of learning judgments, (b) feeling of knowing judgments, (c) judgments of learning, and (d) text comprehension monitoring. In addition, we tested the same individuals twice (with a one-week delay). If a general metacognitive factor exists, we would expect to find reliable correlations between metacognitive accuracy across the four tasks. Additionally, we would expect significant test-retest correlations: metacognitive accuracy on a given task should be consistent even if the tests are separated by a one-week delay. Although individual differences in memory and confidence were stable across both sessions and tasks, differences in metacognitive accuracy were not. These results argue against the notion of general metacognitive factor.
Raman Spectroscopy of Molecular Monolayers in Inelastic Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy Junctions

The intensity of Raman scattering from molecules in solution suggests that the observation of Raman scattering from molecular monolayers should be very difficult given the small number of molecules involved. However, recent experimental work on Raman scattering from molecules adsorbed on the surface of metal electrodes in electrochemical cells has shown that strong Raman scattering can be obtained from a monolayer of adsorbed molecules.1,2,3 It has been estimated that the Raman cross section of a pyridine molecule adsorbed on an electrochemically prepared Ag surface in a KC1 solution is six orders of magnitude larger than for the same molecule in solution.2 Although this large enhancement has stirred considerable experimental and theoretical interest, its microscopic origins remain unknown.4,5,6
Obtaining and Reporting Background Information

Rule III-A01 : In hospital settings or other settings subject to Joint Commission standards, verify your examinee’s identity. Also do so in any circumstance in which an examinee might have an incentive to send another person for testing in his or her place.
The Internet of Tiny Things: Recent Advances of Millimeter-Scale Computing

Editor’s note: This article presents a summary of the state-of-the-art advances in mm-scale computing focusing on the mm3 platform.—Shreyas Sen, Purdue University
Facilitating Student Outcomes by Supporting Autonomy: Implications for Practice and Policy:

All students come to the classroom with inner motivational resources that, when supported, catalyze engagement, motivation, learning, and achievement. Teachers’ support for student autonomy is an e...
Influence of Cattle Backgrounding Systems on Animal and Carcass Characteristics

ObjectivesCattle can be managed differently during the backgrounding segment, which may alter long-term animal and carcass characteristics. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to 1) measure carcass composition over time, and 2) determine the effect of different backgrounding diets on animal growth and carcass characteristics.Materials and MethodsAngus and Angus × Simmental crossed calves (n = 65) were stratified by dam age, birth date, weaning weight, breed, and sex post weaning in a completely randomized design to one of three treatments: (1) perennial pasture (PP; grazing quack grass, orchard grass; smooth brome grass, red clover, and alfalfa); (2) summer annual cover crop (CC; grazing cereal oats, purple top turnips, hunter forage brassica, and graza forage radish); and (3) dry lot (DL; bunk fed a haylage ration consisting of 28 NEm Mcal/50.8 kg DM) during backgrounding for 55 d. Concluding backgrounding, the CC and PP treatments were transported to pens where all treatments were sorted by gender and acclimated to a finishing ration over a period of 14 d and continued receiving 3 step-up diets over the next 25 d. Two pens during the finishing segment were utilized to house heifers and steers, respectively. The heifers were top dressed with melengestral acetate till harvest, which was determined by targeting a common backfat thickness per treatment. From backgrounding to harvest, cattle were weighed to determine body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG) and hip height (HH) measurements were recorded every 28 d. Five periodic carcass ultrasound measures were recorded to evaluate ultrasound rib eye area (uREA), rib fat thickness (uRFT), and percent intramuscular fat (uIMF). At harvest, carcass measurements included hot carcass weight (HCW), LMA, 12th rib backfat (FT), kidney, pelvic and heart fat (KPH), marbling and maturity score and objective color (L*, a*, b*). Statistical analyses were conducted using mixed model procedures and animal weaning weight was used as a covariate. Least square means were computed and separated using least significant differences when treatment effects were significant at α ≤ 0.05.ResultsCattle ADG, uREA, uRFT, and HH did not differ (P ≥ 0.05) among treatments from backgrounding to harvest (Table 2). Cattle in DL were heavier (P ≤ 0.05) in BW than CC and PP, which were similar (P ≥ 0.05). Percent uIMF was greater (P ≤ 0.05) for DL and similar (P ≥ 0.05) to PP though CC was lower (P ≤ 0.05) and similar (P ≤ 0.05) to PP.ConclusionTreatments utilizing different backgrounding diets influence average body weights and ultrasound intramuscular adipose. Cattle grazing forages have lighter body weights and lower ultrasound intramuscular adipose though, cattle grazing perennial pastures were most variable in carcass ultrasound intramuscular adipose.Table 2Least squares mean performance responses and ultrasound-measured composition (averaged across all periodic measurements) according to the backgrounding treatment1