cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative phase microscopy using dual-plane in-line digital holography

We present detailed theoretical evaluation and thorough experimental investigation of quantitative phase imaging using our previously demonstrated dual-plane in-line digital holographic microscopy technique [Opt. Lett.35, 3426 (2010)10.1364/OL.35.003426OPLEDP0146-9592]. This evaluation is based on the recording of two interferograms at slightly different planes and numerically reconstructing the object information. The zero-order diffracted wave is eliminated by using the method of subtraction of average intensity of the entire hologram, and the twin-image diffracted wave is removed by Fourier domain processing of the two recorded holograms. Experiments are performed using controlled amplitude and phase objects and human muscle cells to demonstrate the potential of this technique.
Laurenditerpenol, a New Diterpene from the Tropical Marine Alga Laurencia intricata that Potently Inhibits HIF-1 Mediated Hypoxic Signaling in Breast Tumor Cells

The degree of tumor hypoxia correlates with advanced disease stages and treatment resistance. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) promotes tumor cell adaptation and survival under hypoxic conditions. Therefore, specific HIF-1 inhibitors represent an important new class of potential tumor-selective therapeutic agents. A T47D human breast tumor cell-based reporter assay was used to examine extracts of plants and marine organisms for inhibitors of HIF-1 activation. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the lipid extract of the red alga Laurencia intricata yielded a structurally novel diterpene, laurenditerpenol (1). The structure of 1 was determined spectroscopically. The relative configurations of the substituents of each ring system were assigned on the basis of NOESY correlations. The absolute configuration of position C-1 was determined by the modified Mosher ester procedure (directly in NMR tubes). Compound 1 potently inhibited hypoxia-activated HIF-1 (IC50: 0.4 microM) and hypoxia-induced VEGF (a potent angiogenic factor) in T47D cells. Compound 1 selectively inhibits HIF-1 activation by hypoxia but not iron chelator-induced activation. Further, 1 suppresses tumor cell survival under hypoxic conditions without affecting normoxic cell growth. Compound 1 inhibits HIF-1 by blocking the induction of the oxygen-regulated HIF-1alpha protein. Mitochondrial respiration studies revealed that 1 suppresses oxygen consumption.
Comparing the Effects of Sampling Designs on the Diagnostic Accuracy of Eight Promising Screening Algorithms for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Background Past studies have used markedly different inclusion and exclusion criteria to form samples used to evaluate diagnostic tests, making it difficult to compare results across studies. The present investigation compared eight screening algorithms in the same sample but under two different design strategies. Methods The DSM-IV diagnoses were based on a semi-structured diagnostic interview (KSADS) with the parent and youth sequentially. Raters were blind to index test scores. Participants were 216 youths with bipolar spectrum diagnoses and 284 youths with other Axis I diagnoses or no diagnosis. T -tests evaluated whether areas under the curve (AUC) from receiver operating characteristic analyses differed under the two design conditions. Results All of the instruments discriminated bipolar cases better when inclusion and exclusion criteria duplicated those used in phenomenological research studies selecting narrow phenotypic cases (AUCs ranging from .90 to .81). The measures performed less well when more heterogeneous clinical presentations were included [AUCs ranging from .86 to .69, t (8) = 4.99, p = 001]. Conclusions Results indicate that checklists perform less well discriminating pediatric bipolar disorder under conditions that more closely resemble clinical practice. Test users must consider whether the sampling strategies and participant characteristics used to evaluate tests match the characteristics of their own patients.
A new SETX mutation producing AOA2 in two siblings.

Objective: In this paper, we document two cases of a new SETX mutation (820:A>G) combined with an established recessive SETX mutation (5927:T>G) causing ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2). Methods: The patients had a detailed neurological history and examination performed. Radiological imaging was obtained and genetic analysis was obtained. Results: Both siblings demonstrated healthy and normal growth until adolescence. At that time, slowed speech, hypophonia, dysarthria, extraocular muscle dysfunction and some mild choreiform movements began to appear. Family history included some movement disorder difficulties in second degree relatives. The diagnosis of AOA2 was confirmed by genetic testing. Conclusions: We describe a new SETX gene mutation, which when combined with a recognized SETX mutation results in AOA2. The clinical, radiographic and ancillary testing are described.
Assessing Students' Application and Transfer of a Mnemonic Strategy: The Struggle for Independence☆

Abstract High school students participated in two experiments designed to investigate application and transfer of a mnemonic strategy. On Day 1 of Experiment 1, mnemonically instructed students outperformed nonmnemonic control students on both recall and application tests for the initial task of learning passage-embedded information about features of fictitious cities. No evidence of successful strategy transfer was obtained, however, on Day 2 passages about several U.S. presidents. In Experiment 2, mnemonically instructed students again recalled and applied more Day 1 city information than did control students. Moreover, with Day 2 transfer passages that were less complex and more similar to the Day 1 cities passages, there was qualified support for the hypothesis that mnemonic students could transfer their previously learned strategy to a set of new materials: Successful transfer was observed when the students were given an explicit hint to try to use a strategy similar to the one they had used previously (prompted transfer), but not when no such hint was provided (spontaneous transfer).
The multiplet cavity: A buncher for broad-bandwidth klystron amplifiers

The bandwidth of a klystron output cavity scales (approximately) as p/sup 0.8/P/sup 0.2/, where p is the beam perveance and P is the beam power. For high-perveance (p>10 /spl mu/pervs) high-power (P>10 kW) electron beams, it is relatively straightforward to design a broad-band output cavity. However, the design of the input cavity of the broad-band klystron is in some ways more difficult. The purpose of the input cavity is to produce a velocity-modulated electron beam with a frequency-dependent modulation amplitude that will optimize the bandwidth of the entire klystron system, while providing a magnitude of velocity modulation large enough to minimize the length of the klystron. This paper shows how a multiplet (multiple cavity) buncher cavity can be designed to provide broad-band (>20%) operation while keeping short the drift section length of the klystron.
Inverse association between adiposity and telomere length: The fels longitudinal study

Objectives—To assess the relationship between telomere length and adiposity, using dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in addition to conventional anthropometric proxies including body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Methods—A cross-sectional sample of 309 non-Hispanic white participants in the Fels Longitudinal Study aged 8 to 80 yr (52% female) was included. Average telomere length was measured by quantitative PCR. Results—Telomere length was negatively correlated with age (r = −0.32, P < 0.0001) and had numerous significant correlations with established cardiovascular disease risk factors including waist circumference (r = −0.33), apolipoprotein B (r = −0.26), systolic blood pressure (r = −0.28), and fasting serum glucose (r = −0.15); all P < 0.0025. In back-ward selection linear regression models of telomere length, adiposity measures were consistently retained in the best models; BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, total body fat, and visceral adipose tissue volume were all inversely associated with telomere length at the nominal P < 0.05 level or lower, independent of age, sex, systolic blood pressure, and fasting serum lipid, lipoprotein, and glucose concentrations. The negative association of BMI with telomere length was stronger among younger than older participants (P for interaction, 0.03). Conclusions—Individuals with higher total and abdominal adiposity have lower telomere length, a marker of cellular senescence, suggesting obesity may hasten the aging process. Longitudinal studies are required to establish the causal association of early life adiposity with biological aging. Telomeres are noncoding repeat sequences at the ends of chromosomes [5′-(TTAGGG)n–3′] that function to stabilize the chromosome during mitosis, prevent aberrant recombination, and protect the chromosomes from end-degrading enzymes (Moyzis et al., 1988). In somatic cells, telomere repeats are lost at each cell division due to the inability of DNA polymerase to fully replicate chromosome ends (Levy et al., 1992; Olovnikov, 1973), leading to declines in telomere length with age. When telomere length reaches a critically short length in one or more chromosomes (the “Hayflick limit”), the cell is signaled to arrest replication and
August: Ostomy Awareness Month

Ostomy Awareness Month is an attempt to combat the lack of public knowledge about ostomies and provide forums for the discussion of ostomy‐related issues among families, patients, health care professionals, and others.
Annotated List of the Leaf Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of Kentucky: Subfamily Galerucinae, Tribes Galerucini and Luperini

Abstract An examination of leaf beetle specimens (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the largest beetle collections in Kentucky, recent inventory work in state nature preserves and other protected areas, and a review of the literature revealed thirty species of the tribes Galerucini and Luperini (Subfamily Galerucinae) present in Kentucky, thirteen of which are previously unreported for the state. Distribution maps and label data are presented for the thirty Kentucky species including spatial (state and Kentucky county records), temporal (years and months of collection in Kentucky), and plant association information. The following species are reported from Kentucky for the first time: Derospidea brevicollis (LeConte), Monocesta coryli (Say), Trirhabda canadensis (Kirby), Galerucella nymphaeae (L.), Ophraella americana (F.), Ophraella cribrata (LeConte), Acalymma gouldi Barber, Acalymma vinctum (LeConte), Phyllecthris dorsalis (Olivier), Phyllecthris gentilis LeConte, Phyllobrotica limbata (F.), Phyllobrotica s...
Effect of Wheat Fiber and Vitamins C and E on Rectal Polyps in Patients With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Over a 4-year period in a chemoprevention trial on large bowel neoplasia, 58 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis were treated with 4 g of ascorbic acid (vitamin C)/day plus 400 mg of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E)/day alone or with a grain fiber supplement (22.5 g/day). In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we determined the effects of these supplements on rectal polyps in these patients. Analysis by intent to treat suggested that the high-fiber supplement had a limited effect. Analysis adjusted for patient compliance showed a stronger benefit from the high-fiber supplement during the middle 2 years of the trial. The results provide evidence for inhibition of benign large bowel neoplasia by grain fiber supplements in excess of 11 g/day in this study population. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that dietary grain fiber and total dietary fat act as competing variables in the genesis of large bowel neoplasia.
A Comprehensive Model for Managing Credit Risk on Home Mortgage Portfolios

Managing credit risk in financial institutions requires the ability to forecast aggregate losses on existing loans, predict the length of time that loans will be on the books before prepayment or default, analyze the expected performance of particular segments in the existing portfolio, and project payment patterns of new loans. Described in this paper are tools created for these functions in a large California financial institution. A forecasting model with Markovian structure and nonstationary transition probabilities is used to model the life of a mortgage. Logistic and regression models are used to estimate severity of losses. These models are integrated into a system that allows analysts and managers to depict the expected performance of individual loans and portfolio segments under different economic scenarios. With this information, analysts and managers can establish appropriate loss reserves, suggest pricing differentials to compensate for risk, and make strategic lending decisions.
Neural network recognition of objects based on impact dynamics

A system is presented which can classify unknown objects by the waveform produced upon their impact with a known object. The output of an accelerometer mounted on the known object is read into a unit that computes the waveform's discrete Fourier transform (DFT), which is then fed into a two-layer neural network recognition module. The specific application described observes a collision between two objects, one of which is a wooden platform while the other is made out of a different material. After being shown sample waveforms produced by collisions with three types of objects, the system can then classify new collisions with the objects within 6 ms after the impact. Both the DFT unit and the classification network are implemented with Intel's 80170NX Electrically Trainable Analog Neural Network (ETANN). >
VIEW: a VIsual sciEntificWorkflow management system

In this demo, we present the current status of our visual scientific workflow management system called VIEW, highlighting the following two features: (i) the use of Semantic Web technology to represent, store, and query provenance metadata, leading to an interoperable and extensible provenance system, and (ii) the support of visualization of various provenance graphs and intermediate or final data products of a workflow run in the form of medical images or 3-D graphical models. VIEW seamlessly integrates the interoperability, extensibility, and reasoning advantages of Semantic Web technology, the querying and storage power of a RDBMS, and the appealing visual features of visualization techniques.
Memory-based robot learning

We present a memory-based local modeling approach to robot learning using a nonparametric regression technique, locally weighted regression. The model of the task to be performed is represented by infinitely many local linear models, the (hyper-) tangent planes at every query point. This is in contrast to other methods using finite set of linear models to accomplish a piecewise linear model. Architectural parameters of our approach, such as distance metrics, are a function of the current query point instead of being global. Statistical tests are presented for when a local model is good enough such that it can be reliably used to build a local controller. These statistical measures also direct the exploration of the robot. We explicitly deal with the case where prediction accuracy requirements exist during exploration: by gradually shifting a center of exploration and controlling the speed of the shift with local prediction accuracy, a goal-directed exploration of state space takes place along the fringes of the current data support until the task goal is achieved. We illustrate this approach by describing how it has been used to enable a robot to learn a juggling task. >
Selection in natural and experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura.

The inverted gene arrangements of Drosophila pseudoobscura were used by Th. Dobzhansky in pioneering analyses of natural selection. Recent experiments have shed light on the mechanisms of selection contributing to the balanced polymorphism for the gene arrangements. In experimental populations, both major components of fitness, viability and fertility, are frequency dependent, and rare genotypes often have a selective advantage. Viabilities are also density dependent. The frequency dependence and density dependence of the fitness components are not universal. Some karyotypes are strongly influenced by frequency or density, some are slightly influenced, and some do not appear to be influenced at all. The role of heterozygote advantage in the selection on the gene arrangements is not clear. It is probably one important element in the overall selection, but viability and fertility do not always show a heterozygote advantage. Viability and fertility components of selection seem to be about equally important i...
Neural correlates of a clinical continuous performance test

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in 30 healthy adults to identify the location, magnitude, and extent of activation in brain regions that are engaged during the performance of Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Performance on the task during fMRI was highly correlated with performance on the standard Conners' CPT in the behavioral testing laboratory. An extensive neural network was activated during the task that included the frontal, cingulate, parietal, temporal, and occipital cortices; the cerebellum and the basal ganglia. There was also a network of brain regions which were more active during fixation than task. The magnitude of activation in several regions was correlated with reaction time. Among regions that were more active during task, the overall volume of supratentorial activation and cerebellar activation was greater in the left hemisphere. Frontal activation was greater in dorsal than in ventral regions, and dorsal frontal activation was bilateral. Ventral frontal region and parietal lobe activation were greater in the right hemisphere. The volume of clusters of activation in the extrastriate ventral visual pathway was greater in the left hemisphere. This network is consistent with existing models of motor control, visual object processing and attentional control and may serve as a basis for hypothesis-driven fMRI studies in clinical populations with deficits in Conners' CPT performance.
Accurate estimation of forward path geometry using two-clothoid road model

This paper describes a new model and method for accurate estimation of forward path geometry of an automobile. In this work the forward geometry is modelled by two contiguous clothoid segments with different geometries, but continuous curvature across the transition between them. This results in a closed-form parametric expression of the same polynomial order as previous models. A recursive estimation method based on the new road model is also described Performance evaluation of the proposed method on various simulated road geometries and comparing with previous approaches demonstrate the feasibility and higher accuracy of the proposed method This higher accuracy comes without a concomitant increase in computational cost or/and sensitivity to noise. The high accuracy estimation of forward path or road geometry is directly useful in applications that rely on detecting targets in the forward path of the host vehicle, e.g., adaptive cruise control and automotive collision warning.
On “Fermi accelerated” ions from an expanding plasma sheath

Abstract Ions with a velocity equal to twice the expansion velocity of a sheath are observed. The acceleration mechanism is interpreted in terms of “Fermi acceleration”.
Infectious Causes of Esophagitis

In recent years there has been an increasing awareness of infections in the esophagus and their potential to cause considerable morbidity and mortality in both normal subjects and immunocompromised patients. It is important to be cognizant of the pathogens involved, because their treatment is quite different from noninfectious esophagitis, and because inadequate treatment can lead to local complications in the esophagus or to dissemination of the infectious agent, especially in the immunocompromised host. Also, the esophagus is a site where opportunistic infections may present as one of the manifestations of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Crayfish Escape Behaviour: Commands for Fast Movement Inhibit Postural Tone and Reflexes, and Prevent Habituation of Slow Reflexes

SUMMARY Organized behaviour requires central neural mechanisms to prevent the simultaneous occurrence of incompatible movements. We investigated neural pathways in crayfish that suppress slow flexion of the abdomen during rapid flexions ('tailflips') produced by a separate set of muscles. The slow flexors are innervated in each half segment of the abdomen by five motor neurones and one peripheral inhibitor. In isolated preparations of the abdominal nervous system, stimulation of identified command neurones, which trigger tailflips in intact animals, inhibited spontaneous activity in the motor neurones to the slow flexors and excited the peripheral inhibitor. These effects are mediated by a population of interganglionic intemeurones interposed between the command cells and the slow flexor efferents. Slow flexor reflexes also were inhibited by escape commands. This inhibition includes pathways that act upon early stages of sensory input. As a result, habituation of reflexes, which normally is produced by repeated stimulation, is abolished if each sensory stimulus is preceded by a burst of impulses in the command neurone.
A spacer patterning technology for nanoscale CMOS

A spacer patterning technology using a sacrificial layer and a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) spacer layer has been developed, and is demonstrated to achieve sub-7 nm structures with conventional dry etching. The minimum-sized features are defined not by the photolithography but by the CVD film thickness. Therefore, this technology yields critical dimension (CD) variations of minimum-sized features much smaller than that achieved by optical or e-beam lithography. In addition, it also provides a doubling of device density for a given lithography pitch. This method is used to pattern silicon fins for double-gate metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) (FinFETs) and gate electrode structures for ultrathin body MOSFETs. Process details are presented.
Children's Cooperation at School: The Comparative Influences of Teacher Responsiveness and the Children's Home-Based Behavior

Examined the school social interactions of 33 child-teacher dyads who volunteered to participate in a 1-hr classroom observation. Observers coded child compliance, aggregate measures of the children's responsiveness and negativity, and the teachers' responsiveness to the children. In addition, observers coded the same three child behaviors in 1-hr observation sessions in the children's homes. Based on a state-trait model of social behavior, correlational analyses were used to predict the children's school behavior using measures of the children's home behavior and teacher responsiveness. Results showed that teachers' responsiveness covaried with children's responsiveness and negativity, and the children's home behavior also accounted for significant variance in their school behavior. When these home and school predictors were compared, teachers' responsiveness accounted for most of the variance in the children's classroom negativity, but children's home responsiveness was the better predictor of their responsiveness in the classroom. The findings were discussed within a state-trait model of children's social behavior.
The Changing of the Guard: What Generational Differences Tell us about Social-Change Organizations

Accounts by executive directors and staff working in progressive social change organizations allude to generation-gap problems in the nonprofit sector that threaten the future work of these groups as they attempt to change “the system”.To see how generational issues might be affecting social-change nonprofits, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews with executive directors (falling into two age groups) and with young staff (under 40 years old).The findings of the study refute the notion of large generational differences.Both older and younger people involved in these organizations have many of the same qualities: commitment, concern, energy, interest, and a strong belief in justice. However, differences are evident between those born in the Baby Boom generation and those who identify with Generation X in respect to their motivations to enter social change work, their concerns about the work/personal life divide, and their views of the future.Understanding these differences can help build strong leadership for the future.
Efficacy of retinal spikes in driving cortical responses.

How does a single retinal ganglion cell (RGC) affect the firing of simple cells in the visual cortex? Although much is known of the functional connections between the retina and the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and between LGN and visual cortex, it is hard to infer the effect of disynaptic connections from retina to visual cortex. Most importantly, there is considerable divergence from retina to LGN, so cortical neurons might be influenced by ganglion cells through multiple feedforward pathways. We recorded simultaneously from ganglion cells in the retina and cortical simple cells in the striate cortex with overlapping receptive fields and evaluated disynaptic connections with cross-correlation analysis. In all disynaptically connected pairs, the retinal receptive field center and overlapping cortical subregion always shared the same sign (either both ON or both OFF). Connected pairs were similar in other respects, such as relative position and timing of their receptive fields, and thus obeyed the same rules of connectivity found previously for retinothalamic and thalamocortical connections. We found that a single RGC directly contributed on average to3% of the activity of its cortical target. The relative timing of pairs of spikes from the retinal cell affected their efficacy in driving the cortical cell. When two retinal spikes were closely spaced (10 msec), the second spike was several times more likely to drive the cortical target. The relative magnitude of this disynaptic paired spike enhancement was considerably larger than has been found previously for retinogeniculate and geniculocortical connections. The amplified paired spike enhancement from retina to cortex ensures that signal transmission from retina to cortex is particularly effective when the retina fires a series of closely spaced action potentials.
System level self-healing for parametric yield and reliability improvement under power bound

Post-silicon process compensation or “healing” of integrated circuits (ICs) has emerged as an effective approach to improve yield and reliability under parameter variations. In a System-on-Chip (SoC) comprising of multiple cores, different cores can experience different process shift due to local within-die variations. Furthermore, the cores are likely to have different sensitivities with respect to system power dissipation and system output parameters such as quality of service or throughput. Post-silicon healing has been addressed earlier at core level using various compensation approaches. In this paper, we present a system level healing algorithm for compensating SoC chips for a specific output parameter under power constraint. We formulate the healing problem as an ordinal optimization problem, where individual cores need to be assigned the right amount of healing that satisfies the target system performance and power requirement. Next, we propose an efficient solution to the problem using a priori design-time information about the relative sensitivities of the cores to system performance and power. Simulation results for example systems show that the proposed healing approach can achieve higher parametric yield and better settling time compared to conventional healing approaches.
Mechanical Response and Microprocesses of Reconsolidating Crushed Salt at Elevated Temperature

Design, analysis and performance assessment of potential salt repositories for heat-generating nuclear waste require knowledge of thermal, mechanical, and fluid transport properties of reconsolidating granular salt. To inform salt repository evaluations, we have undertaken an experimental program to determine Bulk and Young’s moduli and Poisson’s ratio of reconsolidated granular salt as a function of porosity and temperature and to establish the deformational processes by which the salt reconsolidates. Tests were conducted at 100, 175, and 250 °C. In hydrostatic tests, confining pressure is increased to 20 MPa with periodic unload/reload loops to determine K. Volume strain increases with increasing temperature. In shear tests at 2.5 and 5 MPa confining pressure, after confining pressure is applied, the crushed salt is subjected to a differential stress, with periodic unload/reload loops to determine E and ν. At predetermined differential stress levels the stress is held constant and the salt consolidates. Displacement gages mounted on the samples show little lateral deformation until the samples reach a porosity of ~10 %. Interestingly, vapor is vented only for 250 °C tests and condenses at the vent port. It is hypothesized that the brine originates from fluid inclusions, which were made accessible by heating and intragranular deformational processes including decrepitation. Identification and documentation of consolidation processes are inferred from optical and scanning electron microstructural observations. Densification at low porosity is enhanced by water film on grain boundaries that enables solution-precipitation phenomena.
Beat to Beat: A Measured Look at the History of Pulse Oximetry

It can be argued that pulse oximetry is the most important technological advancement ever made in monitoring the well-being and safety of patients undergoing anesthesia. Before its development, the physical appearance of the patient and blood gas analysis were the only methods of assessing hypoxemia in patients. The disadvantages of blood gas analysis are that it is not without pain, complications, and most importantly does not provide continuous, real-time data. Although it has become de rigueur to use pulse oximetry for every anesthetic, the road leading to pulse oximetry began long ago.
REA: An Evolutionary Perspective

Controversial features of REA divide AIS educators on the virtues of teaching REA versus traditional AIS models. Some educators on both sides of the issue consider REA and traditional AIS to be mutually exclusive propositions. This article demonstrates that REA is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary concept that is rooted in traditional AIS models. The article examines the evolutionary relationship between REA and the manual process, the flat-file, and the data base models. The article shows that REA and traditional AIS can and should share the same podium. In fact, a sound appreciation of REA principles follows from insight gained by studying and understanding traditional AIS models. The appendix to the article presents a strategy for teaching REA within the structure of a traditional AIS course.
Justiciability of a Non-Merit Condition Precedent to Arbitration

On December 2, 2013, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments regarding a United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s decision in Republic of Argentina v. BG Group PLC. The opinion vacated an arbitration tribunal’s award of damages in the amount of $185 million. The appellate court held that it was for a court — not an arbitrator — to decide whether a company violated a specific precondition to arbitration. The Petitioner claims that this decision violates the Federal Arbitration Act’s dictate that courts must not be hostile to arbitration. The Petitioner attempts to establish that a circuit split now exists and the value of arbitration is drastically undermined by a ruling that incentivizes litigation over arbitration. Because the Brief in Opposition implicitly ignores the merits of the Petitioner’s claim, this Article directly refutes the Petitioner’s assertion that an arbitrator has the right to decide whether a party has satisfied a precondition to arbitration that is unrelated to the merits of a case.
On Certain Entomogenous Fungi

While it is customary to think of the entomogenous fungi as members for the most part of the groups Entomophthorales, Ascomycetes and Fungi Imperfecti, there are in literature several records in which such a habit has been attributed to certain Basidiomycetes. Among the latter may be mentioned the various species of Septobasidium and the form called Hirsutella entomophila by Patouillard. The present paper deals with certain fungi that are evidently closely related to the latter. It will be shown, however, that they should not be considered as Basidiomycetes, but rather that they should be looked upon as constituting a rather definite form genus of the Fungi Imperfecti, with which group they must apparently be associated until the perfect stages are found. The paper by Patouillard (I892) in which Hirsutella entomophila is described, although without illustrations, is otherwise quite comprehensive, and there is little doubt in the opinion of the writer that the fungus mentioned is closely allied to members of the group herein considered, and in fact it is looked upon as identical with one of them.
Effects of Phenobarbital Pretreatment on the Response of Rat Liver to Halothane Administration

SummaryAdministration of halothane ip to rats pretreated with phenobarbital caused hepatic functional impairment in the immediate postanesthetic period. This impairment was manifested by a significant reduction of hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 levels and by a significant prolongation of zoxazola-mine induced paralysis times. Both changes were noted in comparison with anesthetic control values. Similar phenobarbital-halothane-treated animals were killed at 24 hr after anesthesia, and their livers were prepared for histologic evaluation. These livers invariably revealed multiple, discrete foci of parenchymal necrosis; many also displayed patchy subcapsular necrosis, as well. Equal amounts of halothane anesthesia produced neither functional impairment nor hepatic necrosis in rats pretreated with saline instead of phenobarbital.Figure
A new Bayesian lasso

Park and Casella (2008) provided the Bayesian lasso for linear models by assigning scale mixture of normal (SMN) priors on the parameters and independent exponential priors on their variances. In this paper, we propose an alternative Bayesian analysis of the lasso problem. A different hierarchical formulation of Bayesian lasso is introduced by utilizing the scale mixture of uniform (SMU) representation of the Laplace density. We consider a fully Bayesian treatment that leads to a new Gibbs sampler with tractable full conditional posterior distributions. Empirical results and real data analyses show that the new algorithm has good mixing property and performs comparably to the existing Bayesian method in terms of both prediction accuracy and variable selection. An ECM algorithm is provided to compute the MAP estimates of the parameters. Easy extension to general models is also briefly discussed.
Asian Dust Detection from the Satellite Observations of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

Asian dusts exert significant influences on regional air quality, weather, and climate. Detection of these highly variable aerosol events is challenging due to several factors, such as short lifetime, multiple scales, and strong interactions with local and regional surface and meteorological conditions. Since dust particles can directly alter solar and earth radiation in both visible (VS) and infrared (IR) spectral regions through scattering and absorption processes, both VS and IR remote sensing techniques can be used to detect dust plumes in the atmosphere. A dust detection system for multi-channel satellite imagers was applied in this study. The detection is based on the analysis of reflectance (or radiance) in VS channels or brightness temperature (BT) in IR channels. The magnitude of the difference in reflectance and/or BTs in selected channels due to dust is used to infer the signature of the dust particles. Descriptions of the detection system and its application for Asian dust using the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite measurements are provided. The performance of the algorithm for Asian dust detection and its usefulness for monitoring the outbreaks and dispersion of Asian dust events were emphasized in the current study.
Working with Existing Materials

These days, there are few areas of the world where there is no previous work at all on the languages spoken there. There have been many anthropologists, missionaries, linguists and others searching out ‘uncontacted’ peoples for a hundred years or more. However, much of this material is unpublished and there is great variation in both quality and quantity.
Restrictions on the Accumulation of Human and Physical Capital: Traditional Explanations

Chapters 3 and 6 argued that policies aimed at modifying the payments to certain types of incomes (for example, of the unskilled) could have some potential for spreading the benefits of growth in Mexico. However, the analysis suggested that focusing on the income- side of the problem, as we have done so far, imposes three types of risks. First, the most obvious policy alternatives (for example expanding public education or increasing the resources allocated to the social safety-net Pronasol) may produce outcomes similar to those of universal multiplicative transfers that provide benefits in relation to the position of each individual in the distribution. Second, some mechanisms that could avoid resource leakages to the nontarget population (for example public works programmes or a subsidy to the minimum wage) are characterized by providing short term temporary relief, but are not likely to provide long-lasting solutions to the problem. Third, as the policies we could identify do not directly affect the distribution of income-earning assets, they may leave the beneficiaries in their original position when discontinued.
Linguistic Understanding of Complaints and Praises in User Reviews

Traditional sentiment analysis has been focused on predicting the polarity of texts as positive or negative at different granularity. This broad categorization does not account for informativeness of the underlying text. For many real-world applications such as social listening, brand monitoring and e-commerce platforms, the opinions that really matter are the informative opinions describing why something is good or bad. In this paper, we try to understand the properties of complaints and praises which is an informative subset of the negative and positive categories. Our analysis in the context of user reviews shows that complaints and praises have distinct properties that differentiate it from positive only or negative only sentences.
Calcium content in pond sediment and its effect on neutralizing capacity of water and fish production

This paper deals with the assessment of the available insoluble calcium compounds in pond sediment and their conversion into soluble bicarbonate; its impact on the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) or alkalinity of water and the influence of bioturbation by fish stock. The objective of the study was the assessment of the influence of different Ca contents in pond sediments of two groups of ponds: LCa (with a low content of available Ca) and HCa (with a high content of available calcium) on acid neutralizing capacity of water, conductivity and pH. In our experiments, the turbidity of water, content of chlorophyll, nutrients and natural gain of fish in general have been observed as well. The results revealed that ponds with a higher content of calcium with a mean concentration of 27.45 ± 7.9 mmol Ca/kg in dry matter reported a higher ANC (alkalinity; mean value of 2.31 ± 0.33 mmol/l); pH with smaller fluctuations (7.69 ± 0.37; p < 0.05) and higher average values of turbidity (30.9 ± 17.4 NTU) and conductivity of water (291 ± 40.5 μS/cm−1; p < 0.01). Tight relations of the content of Ca in sediments and acid neutralizing capacity, conductivity and water pH during the growing season have been proven. The natural gain of fish was higher in the ponds with a higher content of available Ca in the sediment and a higher value of acid neutralizing capacity of water. The natural gain of fish was positively influenced also by a higher content of nutrients and chlorophyll, which was observed particularly in HCa ponds.
The role of restoration in the prevention of a large-scale native species loss: Case study of the invasive emerald ash borer

Abstract Prevention and restoration are two options for minimizing environmental and economic damages caused by invasive species. Prevention lowers the probability of an invasive species arriving. However, once invasive species have invaded an ecosystem, it is rarely economically or physically viable to eradicate them. Policy after invasion then focuses on restoration or returning habitats to their un-invaded states. We determine the optimal prevention of invasion of the emerald ash borer in Colorado, given the timing of invasion is uncertain and that managers may be able to restore the invaded ecosystem upon an invasive species arrival. Results are used to generate a switching frontier where it is optimal to invest (or not) in prevention given combinations of the probability of invasion, effectiveness of prevention efforts, and restoration possibilities.
The End of Written Informed Consent for HIV Testing: Not With a Bang but a Whimper

In 2014, only two states in the United States still mandated specific written informed consent for HIV testing and, after years of controversy, New York ended this requirement, leaving only Nebraska. New York’s shift to opt-out testing meant that a singular feature of what had characterized the exceptionalism surrounding HIV testing was eliminated. We trace the history of debates on written informed consent nationally and in New York State. Over the years of dispute from when HIV testing was initiated in 1985 to 2014, the evidence about the benefits and burdens of written informed consent changed. Just as important was the transformation of the political configuration of HIV advocacy and funding, both nationwide and in New York State. What had for years been the subject of furious debate over what a rational and ethical screening policy required came to an end without the slightest public protest. (Am J Public Health. 2017;107:1259–1265. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.303819)
OpenMP Memkind: An Extension for Heterogeneous Physical Memories

Recently, CPU and graphics processors have been increasing the degree of on-chip parallelism in order to combat the decrease in traditional Moore's Law scaling. As a result, these new processors are increasing their appetite for faster memory devices with higher bandwidth. Component manufacturers have resorted to disparate or hierarchical fast memory device architectures such as shared local memory (SLM), scratch pad memory (SPM), and high bandwidth memory (HBM) to provide sufficient bandwidth. Following this trend, the physical memory locality gradually becomes a performance feature that users would like to explicitly manage. Inspired by this idea, this research is conducted to create a heterogeneous memory interface based on a new declarative data storage directive, or "memkind", for the OpenMP parallel programming specification to explicitly manage physical memory locality. Our approach is implemented as an OpenMP directive in order to avoid allocating data inside parallel regions, thus avoiding performance degradation due to sequential operating system routines. We demonstrate our approach as an extension to the LLVM OpenMP implementation, that enables the portability of our approach to be rapidly ported to any LLVM-supported architecture target. Our contributions in this work are a detailed design analysis of the memkind directive as well as a detailed implementation in the LLVM compiler infrastructure. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach using a synthetic benchmark application that records the execution performance and memory allocation efficiency.
Establishment of a reference standard database for use in the qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical contact materials within an extractables survey by GC-MS.

Abstract The analysis of reference standards may be performed to enhance the qualitative and quantitative data generated by non-specific screening methods utilized in extractables studies performed on pharmaceutical contact materials. However, the establishment of a database containing relative response factor and retention index values obtained from these standards has not been published. In this study, the establishment of such a database for GC–MS, a methodology commonly included in extractables studies, on an intra-lab basis was investigated. A set of 154 organic compounds representing a diverse range of chemical functionalities and properties was analyzed at eight time points on four GC–MS instruments that represent the diversity of age and model at our laboratory. The results of this study have shown that any variance in relative response factor between instruments was not significant from a practical perspective as supported by the coefficient of variation values (n = 32), which were ≤15% and ≤10% for 75% and 45% of the compounds tested, respectively. Furthermore, the retention index of the compounds, as expressed by retention time and relative retention time, did not have more than a 2% coefficient of variation between instruments or columns in most cases. It was concluded that a database of these values could be established for future use in extractables studies on an intra-laboratory basis.
ENDOTHELIN-1 PREDICTS INCIDENT HEART FAILURE, INCIDENT MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY, AND ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING DIAGNOSTIC CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY: RESULTS FROM THE CATHETER SAMPLED BLOOD ARCHIVE IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CASABLANCA) STUDY

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a vasoconstrictor produced by vascular endothelial cells and may play a role in cardiovascular disease. We investigated prognostic meaning of ET-1 in 1084 patients referred for coronary angiography. ET-1 was measured. Patients were followed for a median of 3.8 years for
Longitudinal Follow-up of Impedance Drift in Deep Brain Stimulation Cases.

Background: Impedance is an integral property of neuromodulation devices that determines the current delivered to brain tissue. Long-term variability in therapeutic impedance following deep brain stimulation (DBS) has not been extensively investigated across different brain targets. The aim was to evaluate DBS impedance drift and variability over an extended postoperative period across common DBS targets. Methods: Retrospective data from 1,764 electrode leads were included and drawn from 866 DBS patients enrolled in the University of Florida Institutional Review Board-approved INFORM database and analyzed up to 84 months post implantation. An exploratory analysis was conducted to identify trends in impedances using a Mann–Kendall test of trend. Results: There were 866 patients and 1,764 leads available for analysis. The majority of subjects had Parkinson’s disease (60.7%). The mean age at implantation was 58.7 years old and the mean follow-up time was 36.8 months. There were significant fluctuations in the mean impedance of all electrodes analyzed that largely stabilized by 6 months except for the subthalamic nucleus (STN) target, in which fluctuations persisted throughout the duration of follow-up with a continued downward trend (p < 0.001). Discussion: The drift in impedance observed primarily within the first 6 months is in keeping with prior studies and is likely due to surgical micro-lesioning effects and brain parenchyma remodeling at the electrode–tissue interface, typically at values approximating 1,000 Ω . The differences in impedance trends over time in the various DBS targets may be due to underlying differences in structure and tissue composition.