cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A scalable app for measuring autism risk behaviors in young children: A technical validity and feasibility study

In spite of recent advances in the genetics and neuroscience of early childhood mental health, behavioral observation is still the gold standard in screening, diagnosis, and outcome assessment. Unfortunately, clinical observation is often subjective, needs significant rater training, does not capture data from participants in their natural environment, and is not scalable for use in large populations or for longitudinal monitoring. To address these challenges, we developed and tested a self-contained app designed to measure toddlers' social communication behaviors in a primary care, school, or home setting. Twenty 16-30 month old children with and without autism participated in this study. Toddlers watched the developmentally-appropriate visual stimuli on an iPad in a pediatric clinic and in our lab while the iPad camera simultaneously recorded video of the child's behaviors. Automated computer vision algorithms coded emotions and social referencing to quantify autism risk behaviors. We validated our automatic computer coding by comparing the computer-generated analysis of facial expression and social referencing to human coding of these behaviors. We report our method and propose the development and testing of measures of young children's behaviors as the first step toward development of a novel, fully integrated, low-cost, scalable screening tool for autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders of early childhood.
Actions Can Speak Louder Than [Written] Words: Surrogate Decision Making Based on Stated Preferences

Baek (2016) eloquently recounts the case of an unfortunate gentleman who sustained a severe neurologic insult and had a poor likelihood of meaningful neurological recovery. This report is illustrat...
Research Development on Nickel Recovery Technologies from Nickel-bearing Laterite

Nickel has been widely used since the middle 1980s,with stainless steel as the main product of its consumption.With the sulfide nickel ore becoming deficient day by day as a resource,the development of the laterite-nickel ore will be the main source of nickel industry in the future.In this paper,to provide the reference for the reasonable utilization of the nickel-bearing laterite,hydrometallurgy,pyrometallurgy,chloridizing-magnetic separation,sulfide reducing roasting-magnetic separation and microbial leaching are introduced as the main ways of treating nickel-bearing laterite,which according to the different layers of the laterite deposit.
Self-reported use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to purchase soda in a public health center population: Los Angeles County, California, 2012.

To better inform local program planning for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health used self-reported data from a public health cen...
Force-based stability margin for multi-legged robots

Stability analysis of multi-legged robots is necessary for control especially under dynamic situations. This paper presents the Foot Force Stability Margin, a force-based stability margin that utilizes measured contact normal foot forces as the stability metric, simplifying data and computational requirements. The Foot Force Stability Margin assumes tumbling instability and sufficient friction to prevent slippage. A modified extension of the Foot Force Stability Margin is provided to enhance stability sensitivity to desired robot characteristics. The Foot Force Stability Margin and its modified variant were validated through numerical and physical experiments. The numerical simulations compare the Foot Force Stability Margin with its modified variant, the Force Angle Stability Margin, and the Zero Moment Point. The physical experiments were conducted using a Lynxmotion hexapod robot retrofitted with a Gumstix and force sensitive resistors. The experimental results confirm that the Foot Force Stability Margin and its modified variant are accurate, simple with regard to computational cost, sensitive to robot characteristics, and applicable to flat and uneven terrain, making it practical for use within on-line controllers. FFSM stands for Foot Force Stability Margin, a new force-based stability criterion for legged robots.FFSM has been modified (MFFSM) to adjust stability sensitivity of the robot.FFSM/MFFSM can be used to determine system stability in real-time usable for stability control.FFSM and MFFSM are compared with the Force Angle Stability Margin, and the Zero Moment Point.Both simulation and physical experiments validate the proposed stability margin (FFSM and MFFSM).
Microvascular Pathologic Alterations in Nonhealing Wounds

The role of microvascular abnormalities is not well appreciated in chronic wound pathology specimens. The goal of this retrospective study was to determine if wound small vessel disease was associated with gangrenous necrosis in different body sites. 71 wound cases with small vessel pathology were evaluated to determine if they were associated with gangrenous …
MantisBot Uses Minimal Descending Commands to Pursue Prey as Observed in Tenodera Sinensis

Praying mantises are excellent models for studying directed motion. They may track prey with rapid saccades of the head, prothorax, and legs, or actively pursue prey, using visual input to modulate their walking patterns. Here we present a conductance-based neural controller for MantisBot, a 28 degree-of-freedom robot, which enables it to use faux-visual information from a head sensor to either track or pursue prey with its prothorax and appropriate movements of one of its legs. The controller can switch between saccades and smooth tracking, as seen in pursuit, modulating only two neurons in its model thoracic ganglia via descending commands. Similarly, the neural leg controller redirects the direction of locomotion, and automatically produce reflex reversals seen in other insects when they change direction, via two simple descending commands.
CHAPTER 45 – Nutrition and Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common, life-threatening autosomal recessive disorder. It is a generalized disease of the exocrine glands characterized by abnormal sodium and chloride transport, leading to elevated electrolyte levels in the sweat glands. The causes of malnutrition in CF are multiple and can be attributed to three primary mechanisms such as increased energy and nutrient losses, increased energy expenditure; and decreased energy and nutrient intakes. Moreover, other factors may also contribute to energy and nutrient losses. For example, diabetes mellitus may increase energy losses due to glycosuria if not adequately controlled. The clear associations between nutritional status and clinical outcomes in CF mandate careful nutritional assessment, management, and monitoring of all patients with CF. In this way, the goals of normal growth and prevention of malnutrition can be attained, which can improve the prognosis and quality of life for patients with CF.
Characteristic properties of organosolv lignin/polylactide copolymers

A polylactide (PLA)/switchgrass organosolv lignin graft copolymer was synthesized via ring-opening polymerization. The resulting copolymer was characterized by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Phenolic hydroxyl content, percent lignin retained, and ultraviolet (UV) light transmission were investigated by UV light spectroscopy. Hydrolytic degradation and water vapor transmission rates were also investigated.It was found that the addition of organosolv switchgrass lignin to the polymer slowed the rate of degradation and water vapor transmission rate of the copolymer compared to the PLA homopolymer at varying temperatures. UV light transmission was also reduced with the addition of lignin.
Molecular Fine Structure

Weak interactions in the complete many-body Hamiltonian are an important part of modern chemical theory and experiment.(1) As we have seen in this volume, these terms are usually neglected in the construction of electronic wave functions because they account for relatively small amounts of energy, typically on the order of cm-1. Nevertheless, they can be measured to very high accuracy, such as in EPR experiments that probe the coupling of the electron spins with themselves and with the angular momenta of their orbital motion.(2,3) These particular interactions, which are the subject of this chapter, are so small that they act as perturbations to split the nonrelativistic electronic states into a “fine structure” of levels. Since the spacings between these spin multiplets are often very sensitive to the details of the charge distribution, they provide a test of the zero-order wave functions that are used to calculate them.* We are, therefore, dealing with weak forces that have conspicious, measurable, and calculable effects.
Selective T-cell depletion targeting CD45RA reduces viremia and enhances early T-cell recovery compared with CD3-targeted T-cell depletion.

BACKGROUND T-cell depletion (TCD) effectively reduces severe graft-versus-host disease in recipients of HLA-mismatched allografts. However, TCD is associated with delayed immune recovery and increased infections. We hypothesized that specific depletion of CD45RA+ naive T cells, rather than broad depletion of CD3+ T cells, can preserve memory-immunity in the allografts and confer protection against important viral infections in the early post-transplant period. METHODS Sixty-seven patients who received TCD haploidentical donor transplantation for hematologic malignancy on 3 consecutive trials were analyzed. RESULTS Patients receiving CD45RA-depleted donor grafts had 2000-fold more donor T cells infused, significantly higher T-cell counts at Day +30 post transplant (550/μL vs 10/μL; P < .001), and higher T-cell diversity by Vbeta spectratyping at Day +100 (P < .001). Importantly, these recipients experienced a significant reduction in both the incidence (P = .002) and duration (P = .02) of any viremia (cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, or adenovirus) in the first 6 months post transplant. Specifically, recipients of CD3-depleted grafts were more likely to experience adenovirus viremia (27% vs 4%, P = .02). CONCLUSION CD45RA-depletion provided a large number of donor memory T cells to the recipients and was associated with enhanced early T-cell recovery and protection against viremia.
TEST FOR THE PRESENCE OF INJECTION-EXTRACTION AND OF UMKLAPP QUANTUM 1/f NOISE IN THE COLLECTOR OF SILICON TRANSISTORS

It was found that injection-extraction quantum 1/f noise and Umklapp quantum 1/f noise could not be observed in the collector current of p + -n-p (GE82-185) and n + -p-n (NEC57807) silicon bipolar transistors. Possible reasons for these results are discussed.
Excess deposition of collagen in mammary glands of tamoxifen-treated Holstein heifers is associated with impaired mammary growth.

Abstract It is established that the ovary and estrogen are essential to bovine mammary development with the onset of puberty. Recent studies have shown that ovariectomy in the very early prepubertal period, well before onset of puberty, also dramatically impairs mammary growth. Similarly, prepubertal heifers treated with the antiestrogen tamoxifen (TAM) also exhibit markedly impaired mammary growth in correspondence with reduced estrogen receptor α (ESR1) expression. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of TAM on the mammary stroma and specifically to determine if the reported decrease in mammary development was related to changes in TAM-induced alterations in the stroma surrounding the mammary parenchyma. Briefly, 16 Holstein heifers calves were randomly assigned to one of 2 treatment groups: TAM-injected or control. Calves were administered TAM (0.3 mg kg1 d1) or placebo from 28 to 120 d of age. At day 120, calves were euthanized and udders removed. Mammary tissue from near the boundary between the parenchyma and surrounding mammary fat pad was collected for histology and morphometric analysis, expression of selected extracellular matrix–related genes, and quantitation of stromal collagen deposition by study of Sirius Red-stained tissue sections imaged with polarized light. Compared with tissue from control heifers, TAM heifers frequently exhibited areas with abundant fibroblasts and mesenchymal cells especially within the intralobular stroma, as well as less complex ductal structures. Among the array of extracellular matrix–related genes tested, only a small difference (P
Closed Models of Open Systems: Boundary Considerations

Publisher Summary Cultural systems are open systems. Semipermeable boundaries separate them from one another and from noncultural systems. In contrast, any explicit model must be closed, as it must incorporate a definite number of variables and must specify the relationships among them. An anthropologist has to deal with the problem of effectively modeling an open system as though it were closed. This chapter reviews the consequences of such modeling in terms of system and model boundaries—a crucial focus inasmuch as the impermeability of its boundary is what closes a system's model. This focus suggests the methodological importance of a topical focus on the frontiers of social systems. While models focused on stability and change are useful for investigating the effects of particular processes on system structure, models in which stability is assumed are useful for investigating the effects of system structure on system behavior.
X-ray crystal structure of 2-hydroxy-2′-(1,4-bisoxo-6-hexanol)-1,1′-biphenyl

The X-ray crystal structure of 2-hydroxy-2′-(1,4-bisoxo-6-hexanol)-1,1′-biphenyl, 3, is presented. This molecule crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n (a = 9.440(2), b = 12.679(3), c = 11.679(3) A β = 94.60(2)° V = 1382.5(5) A3; Z = 4). One of the unique features of the X-ray structure of 3 is the intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The hydrogens of the phenolic and hydroxy groups occupies bridging positions via hydrogen bonding to an ether oxygen (O1) and a phenolic oxygen (O4), respectively. This hydrogen bonding does not affect the interplanar angle between phenyl rings (49.34°), which is in the range expected for ortho-disubstituted biphenyl compounds. The hydrogen bonding of this type explains why it is difficult to alkylate both phenoxy groups of 2,2′-biphenol with tetrahydropyranyl protected 2-(2′-chloroethoxy)ethanol.
Active Sites of Biological Macromolecules and Their Interaction with Heavy Metals

Metal ions are required for many biological processes in which biomacromol-ecules are engaged. These molecules frequently contain metal ions on the active site, e.g., in carboxypeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, carbonic anhydrase, cytochrome c, hemoglobin, ferredoxins, etc. The metal ions in such substances are directly involved in the mechanism of the biological process which the macro-molecules are designed to mediate.
Orbital Complications in Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

Endoscopic sinus surgery can result in both minor and major complications. Among these, orbital complications—including retroorbital hematoma—are among the most feared. Injuries can be direct or in...
Design and Implementation of Patient Portal-Based Advance Care Planning Tools.

Abstract Background Electronic health record–based portal tools may help patients engage in advance care planning (ACP). We designed and implemented portal-based ACP tools to enable patients to create a medical durable power of attorney (MDPOA). Measures MDPOA documentation and System Usability Scale were assessed. Intervention Stakeholder-informed portal-based ACP tools include an electronic MDPOA form, patient educational webpage, online messaging, and patient access to completed advance directives. Outcomes A total of 2814 patients used the tools over 15 months. Patients had a mean age 45 years (17–98 years) and 69% were women. Eighty-nine percent completed an MDPOA form, 2% called or sent online messages, and 8% viewed the MDPOA form but did not complete it. The tools were rated highly usable. Conclusions/Lessons Learned Patients demonstrated willingness to use the portal to complete an MDPOA and rated the new ACP tools as highly usable. Future work will optimize population-based outreach strategies to engage patients in ACP through the portal.
PTSD Symptomology and Motivated Alcohol Use Among Military Service Members: Testing a Conditional Indirect Effect Model of Social Support.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and problematic alcohol use commonly co-occur among military service members. It remains critical to understand why these patterns emerge, and under...
UNIT 23.1 Overview of Gene Targeting by Homologous Recombination

Formerly unit 9.15, this unit has been moved to the opening spot of our new chapter on Embryonic Stem Cell technology. The unit has also been updated, and now includes information about the Cre-lox and FlP/FRT recombinase systems.
Dynamic Pricing Strategies for Multiproduct Revenue Management Problems

This chapter reviews multi-product dynamic pricing models for a revenue maximizing monopolist flrm. The baseline model studied in this chapter is of a seller that owns a flxed capacity of a resource that is consumed in the production or delivery of some type of product. The seller selects a dynamic pricing strategy for the ofiered product so as to maximize its total expected revenues over a flnite time horizon. We then review how this model can be extended to settings where the flrm is selling multiple products that consume this flrm’s capacity, and flnally highlight a connection between these dynamic pricing models and the closely related model where prices are flxed, and the seller dynamically controls how to allocate capacity to requests for the difierent products. Methodologically, this chapter reviews the dynamic programming formulations of the above problems, as well as their associated deterministic (∞uid) analogues. It highlights some of the key insights and pricing heuristics that are known for these problems, and brie∞y mentions possible extensions and areas of current interest.
Alice Childress’s Wedding Band and the Black Feminist Nation

This chapter situates Alice Childress’s Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White (1966) in the shifting landscape of racial politics as the Black Power and Arts Movements emerged in the United States. Seen as a minor historical drama during its time, Childress’s feminist play was not read as part of the Black Arts Movement because it neither depicts revolutionary violence nor employs experimentalism. Childress’s play, however, shifts black nationalism into a feminist frame, troubling the interpretation of Black Power-era nationalism as monolithically sexist. Childress was one of the foremost authors to script black America’s disillusionment with the traditional civil rights movement, as well engage both the advantages and the shortcomings of black nationalism for women.
Tracing the Historical DNA and Unlikely Alliances of the American Charter School Movement

More than three million children in the United States are currently enrolled in charter schools, with increasing enrollments despite strong evidence of academic gains. This historical analysis moves beyond a focus on academic outcomes and traces the success of the charter school movement, in part, to the foundational premise of restoring agency to educational stakeholders. State-mandated schooling was a counterintuitive feature of American policy that chafed against the founding ideals of the Republic and gradually engendered resentment among mostly white conservatives. Concurrently, in the aftermath of Brown, factions of African American policymakers began to look for equitable educational alternatives. The unlikely alliance of these two antithetical constituencies resulted in the creation of a unique—albeit fragile—coalition and the passing of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and paved the way for the nation’s inaugural charter school policy passed in Minnesota in 1991.
A Survey on Privacy in Social Media: Identification, Mitigation, and Applications

The increasing popularity of social media has attracted a huge number of people to participate in numerous activities on a daily basis. This results in tremendous amounts of rich user-generated data. These data provide opportunities for researchers and service providers to study and better understand users’ behaviors and further improve the quality of the personalized services. Publishing user-generated data risks exposing individuals’ privacy. Users privacy in social media is an emerging research area and has attracted increasing attention recently. These works study privacy issues in social media from the two different points of views: identification of vulnerabilities and mitigation of privacy risks. Recent research has shown the vulnerability of user-generated data against the two general types of attacks, identity disclosure and attribute disclosure. These privacy issues mandate social media data publishers to protect users’ privacy by sanitizing user-generated data before publishing it. Consequently, various protection techniques have been proposed to anonymize user-generated social media data. There is vast literature on privacy of users in social media from many perspectives. In this survey, we review the key achievements of user privacy in social media. In particular, we review and compare the state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of the privacy leakage attacks and anonymization algorithms. We overview the privacy risks from different aspects of social media and categorize the relevant works into five groups: (1) social graphs and privacy, (2) authors in social media and privacy, (3) profile attributes and privacy, (4) location and privacy, and (5) recommendation systems and privacy. We also discuss open problems and future research directions regarding user privacy issues in social media.
Longitudinal Monitoring of Flow-Diverting Stent Tissue Coverage After Implant in a Bifurcation Model Using Neurovascular High-Frequency Optical Coherence Tomography.

Background Tissue growth over covered branches is a leading cause of delayed thrombotic complications after flow-diverter stenting (FDS). Due to insufficient resolution, no imaging modality is clinically available to monitor this phenomenon. Objective To evaluate high-frequency optical coherence tomography (HF-OCT), a novel intravascular imaging modality designed for the cerebrovascular anatomy with a resolution approaching 10 microns, to monitor tissue growth over FDS in an arterial bifurcation model. Methods FDS were deployed in a rabbit model (n = 6), covering the aortic bifurcation. The animals were divided in different groups, receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) (n = 4), aspirin only (n = 1), and no treatment (n = 1). HF-OCT data were obtained in vivo at 3 different time points in each animal. For each cross-sectional image, metal and tissue coverage of the jailed ostium was quantified. Scanning electron microscopy images of harvested arteries were subsequently obtained. Results Good quality HF-OCT data sets were successfully acquired at implant and follow-up. A median value of 41 (range 21-55) cross-sectional images were analyzed per ostium for each time point. Between 0 and 30 d after implant, HF-OCT analysis showed a significantly higher ostium coverage when DAPT was not given. After 30 d, similar growth rates were found in the DAPT and in the aspirin group. At 60 d, a coverage of 90% was reached in all groups. Conclusion HF-OCT enables an accurate visualization of tissue growth over time on FDS struts. The use of FDS in bifurcation locations may induce a drastic reduction of the jailed-branch ostium area.
Positive Balance at the Developmental Level: Eudaimonia

In this chapter, I offer a definition of positive mental health based on the concept of positive balance at the developmental level and discuss nine programs of research supporting this definition: hedonic versus eudaimonic happiness; virtue ethics and character strengths; self-determination theory; personal expressiveness; psychological well-being; purpose and meaning in life; authentic happiness and orientations to happiness; flourishing; resilience; and satisfaction of the full spectrum of human developmental needs. The definition is as follows: Individuals characterized as high in positive mental health tend to experience a preponderance of positive psychological traits (personal growth, purpose in life, environmental mastery, autonomy, positive relations with others, etc.) relative to negative psychological traits (pessimism, hopelessness, depressive disorder, neuroticism, impulsiveness, etc.). Following this discussion, I describe how positive balance expressed in eudaimonia (at the developmental level) is produced in part by life satisfaction (at the meta-cognitive level) mediated by a process involving personal growth and intrinsic motivation. Specifically, life satisfaction at the meta-cognitive level mediated by a process involving high personal growth results in high levels of eudaimonia at the developmental level; and conversely, life dissatisfaction mediated by a process involving low personal growth results in low levels of eudaimonia.
Heat Removal for Adsorbed Natural Gas Storage: Lab to Industrial Scale

The objective of this paper is to present different possible scenarios of heat removal for adsorbed natural gas storage (ANG) technology applied to diurnal peak shaving in connection with the gas p...
Bilateral globus pallidus lesions.

This report highlights a striking image of incidentally discovered selective symmetrical chronic bilateral globus pallidus infarction in a 28-year-old man as a result of cocaine use. He presented to the emergency department for evaluation of acute onset of left arm weakness, most prominent distally
Facial expressions of anger improve neural correlates of memory retrieval but not encoding of only same-race faces.

Abstract The other-race effect is the phenomenon that people are better able to recognize and remember faces of their same race. Angry faces have been shown to facilitate processes that promote face recognition as reflected in the proportion of remembered faces after study. The other-race effect may be diminished when other-race faces display negative expressions, but no event-related potential studies have examined whether this improvement in other-race face recognition occurs during facial encoding or recognition. The current study used the old-new recognition task to examine whether anger reduces the other-race effect by improving face memory for other-race faces in comparison to neutral faces and whether this improvement would be reflected during encoding or retrieval. Caucasian and African American faces were rated as angry or neutral by a separate pool of Caucasian participants. Caucasian and African/African American participants in the old-new task studied the faces rated as most angry or neutral and later identified them among distractors in the test phase. The Dm, FN400, and parietal old-new effect were recorded during the study and test phase for Caucasian participants. Anger did not improve other-race face memory in behavior for either race of participants. For Caucasian participants, activation increased during retrieval of previously studied angry Caucasian faces, which indicates more detailed memory retrieval of same-race as compared to other-race angry faces. This is evidence that experience with same-race faces and not stereotypes of other-race faces influences the other-race effect during memory retrieval.
Continuous measurement of labeled carbon dioxide output from small tissue samples, using a low-background system. Applications to glucose metabolism in dorsal root ganglia of chicken enbryos, with effects of age and composition of medium.

Abstract A stream of 5% CO 2 -95% O 2 , which passes continuously over an excised tissue bathed in a suitable medium containing a substrate labeled with 14 C, transports the 14 CO 2 released by the tissue through a chamber attached to a Geiger counter. With calibration, the counting rate can be converted to moles of substrate carbon released per unit weight of tissue per unit time. Procedures are described for correcting the results for methodological delays, in order to obtain a more accurate description of the time course of the release by the tissue. Such information on the time course of the rise of 14 CO 2 output, after transfer to a labeled substrate, can give more information on the partitioning of the substrate between alternative metabolic pathways than is obtained from brief or steady-state measurements alone. The method has been used on preparations of embryonic sympathetic and dorsal root ganglia of chickens, some with dry weights as small as 20 μg. Its use is illustrated by experiments on glucose metabolism in lumbar dorsal root ganglia from chicken embryos, 14–16 days of age. After addition of labeled glucose, the rate of 14 CO 2 output rose with a time course well-represented by a single exponential to reach a final steady-state rate. The steady-state rates were higher and the time constants of rise were shorter when using [1- 14 C]glucose than when using [6- 14 C]glucose, presumably due to metabolism through the pentose cycle. With both labels, the steady-state rates were higher and the rise times shorter for ganglia bathed in a physiological salt solution than for ganglia in an enriched culture medium. Steady-state rates in the salt solution were reduced and the rise times were usually lengthened by adding fetal calf serum, chicken embryo serum, or glutamine. In the unmodified salt solution, the output rates per unit weight declined as age increased.
Nonlethal Self-Defense, (Almost Entirely) Nonlethal Weapons, and the Rights to Keep and Bear Arms, Defend Life, and Practice Religion

Much has been written about the law of lethal self-defense, but comparatively little has been written about nonlethal self-defense. And very little has been written on what is likely the most significant restrictions on nonlethal self-defense - restrictions on possessing and carrying stun guns and irritant sprays, which are indeed almost always nonlethal. Seven states and several cities, for instance, totally ban private possession of stun guns, even in the home. And that’s so even though in all those states gun possession in the home is perfectly legal. This article discusses the most common such nonlethal weapon restrictions: (1) general bans on possession or carrying, (2) bans on possession by minors (including older minors), (3) bans on possession by felons (including nonviolent felons), (4) bans on possession or carrying in public universities, public housing, and public transportation systems, and (5) bans on carrying in public parks and in places that sell alcohol. All of these, it argues, are generally bad policy, though the case against them is stronger as to some restrictions than others. It also argues that many such restrictions should be seen as unconstitutional under the right to bear arms, whether federal or state (at least 40 state constitutions secure an individual right to bear arms). It argues that they should be seen as unconstitutional under the right to defend life, which is expressly secured by 21 state constitutions and that might be implicitly secured by the federal constitution. And it argues that when a law allows possession of deadly weapons and not nondeadly weapons, then people who have religious beliefs that forbid deadly force (even in self-defense) but allow nondeadly force should get religious exemptions from such rules, in the roughly half the states that have presumptive religious exemption regimes.
IFD: Iterative Feature and Data Clustering.

In this paper, we propose a new clustering algorithm, IFD1, based on a cluster model of data coefficients D and feature coefficients F . The coefficients denote the degree (or weights) of the data and features associated with the clusters. Clustering is performed via an iterative optimization procedure to mutually reinforce the relationships between the coefficients. The mutually reinforcing optimization exploits the duality of the data and features and enable a simultaneous clustering of both data and features. We have shown the convergence property of the clustering algorithm and discussed its connections with various existential approaches. Extensive experimental results on both synthetic and real data sets show the effectiveness of IFD algorithm.
ANOMALOUS SUPERCONDUCTING STATE GAP SIZE VERSUS TC BEHAVIOR IN UNDERDOPED BI2SR2CA1-XDYXCU2O8+DELTA

We report angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements of the excitation gap in underdoped superconducting thin films of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Dy}}_{x}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8+\ensuremath{\delta}}$. As ${T}_{c}$ is reduced by a factor of 2 by underdoping, the superconducting state gap $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ does not fall proportionally, but instead stays constant or increases slightly, in violation of the BCS mean-field theory result. The different doping dependences of $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ and $k{T}_{c}$ indicate that they represent different energy scales. The measurements also show that $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ is highly anisotropic and consistent with a ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$ order parameter, as in previous studies of samples with higher dopings. However, in these underdoped samples, the anisotropic gap persists well above ${T}_{c}$. The existence of a normal state gap is related to the failure of $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ to scale with ${T}_{c}$ in theoretical models that predict pairing without phase coherence above ${T}_{c}$.
Influence of dietary protein concentrations on performance and nitrogen repletion in stressed calves.

Three trials were conducted to determine the influence of dietary CP concentration on health and performance of market-transport-stressed feeder calves (Exp. 1 and 2) and on repletion of nutrients lost during a 3-d feed and water deprivation period in steers fed at maintenance energy intake (Exp. 3). In Exp. 1 (84 calves) and 2 (256 calves), feeder calves averaging 184 kg were transported from Tennessee to Texas. In Exp. 1, calves were fed receiving diets containing either 12 or 16% CP. In Exp. 2, calves were fed diets containing 12 or 16% CP and .8 or 1.3% potassium in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. In Exp. 3, four Hereford steers averaging 253 kg were used in an N balance trial. Steers were deprived of feed and water for 3 d and then were limit-fed (1 x maintenance energy requirements) diets calculated to meet 100, 120, 140 or 160% of CP maintenance requirements for 14 d in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. In Exp. 1, calves fed the 16% CP diet had faster (P less than .05) daily gains and higher (P less than .10) feed consumption than calves fed the 12% CP diet during the first 14 d. In Exp. 2, calf performance was not affected by diet CP or K content. Calves fed the 16CP-1.3K diet had lower (P less than .10) mortality than calves on the remaining treatments. In Exp. 3, N balance and serum urea N increased linearly (P less than .05) with increasing dietary CP. Results of these studies are interpreted to indicate that the CP requirement (g/d) of market-transport-stressed feeder calves is similar to requirements of nonstressed calves; however, the CP concentration of the diet of stressed calves may need to be increased when feed intakes are low.
Solving over-constrained Disjunctive Temporal problems with preferences

We present an algorithm and pruning techniques for efficiently finding optimal solutions to over-constrained instances of the Disjunctive Temporal Problem with Preferences (DTPP). Our goal is to remove the burden from the knowledge engineer who normally must reason about an inherent trade-off: including more events and tighter constraints in a DTP leads to higher-quality solutions, but decreases the chances that a solution will exist. Our method solves a potentially over-constrained DTPP by searching through the space of induced DTPPs, which are DTPPs that include a subset of the events in the original problem. The method incrementally builds an induced DTPP and uses a known DTPP algorithm to find the value of its optimal solution. Optimality is defined using an objective function that combines the value of a set of included events with the value of a DTPP induced by those events. The key element in our approach is the use of powerful pruning techniques that dramatically lower the time required to find an optimal solution. We present empirical results that show their effectiveness.
Estimating the physical effort of human poses

This paper deals with the problem of estimating the effort required to maintain a static pose by human beings. The problem is important in developing effective pose classification as wells as in developing models of human attention. We estimate the human pose effort using two kinds of body constraints – skeletal constraints and gravitational constraints. The extracted features are combined together using SVM regression to estimate the pose effort. We tested our algorithm on 55 poses with different annotated efforts with excellent results. Our user studies additionally validate our approach.
Dealing with Difficult Patients: Do Customer Service Initiatives Improve Patient Satisfaction at an Interdisciplinary Pain Center?

Chronic pain patients can be difficult to manage due to complicated medical and psychiatric comorbidities. This study focused on strategies designed to improve patient treatment satisfaction within a tertiary urban hospital-based pain management center. Information was obtained of monthly patient satisfaction and Press Ganey scores in 2009 based on patient perceptions of staff and telephone access, frequency of returned phone calls, staff empathy and responsiveness, and overall patient experience with their pain treatment. Information was also obtained of the number of formal complaints made to the Patient Relations Department of the hospital. A customer service program designed to target patient's phone access, response to phone calls, improved patient experiences, and service friendliness was initiated in March 2010. Six hundred eleven patients (n = 611) were randomly surveyed 3 months after their treatment between 2009 and 2012 and rates of formal patient complaints were monitored. Thirty-three (n = 33) staff members were encouraged to attend monthly 1.5-hour customer service meetings and participate in specialized work teams between March 2010 and December 2012. Patient satisfaction scores rose from a low of 80.3 (average of 83.5%) in 2009 to a high of 91.2 (average 88.9%) in 2012. Annual formal complaints to Patient Relations decreased by 40.5% over 4 years (112 in 2009 to 30 in 2012). Phone abandonment rates also decreased by 20% and the center scored 12% higher than average total practice scores in patient satisfaction based on secret shopper ratings. This study demonstrates that customer service initiatives that engage staff participation and that are designed to target specific improvements in patient satisfaction can effectively change the way pain patients perceive treatment at an interdisciplinary anesthesia-based pain center.
Diastolic Dysfunction: Association with Hypertension and Potential Target for Antihypertensive Therapy

The origins of diastole lie in the preceding systole. Echocardiographic evaluation for diastolic function in hypertension incorporates evaluation for morphologic changes such as left ventricular hypertrophy and functional changes, especially abnormalities in left ventricular relaxation and compliance. Investigational tools such as studies of cardiac mechanics are proving useful in elucidating the various stages of the adaptation of the heart to pressure load and for understanding the transition from asymptomatic diastolic dysfunction to heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. The effects of treatment on cardiac morphology and function continue to generate controversy with regard to whether there is evidence for unique cardiac benefits of certain antihypertensive therapies beyond adequate blood pressure control. New insights into the treatment of co-morbidities that cluster with hypertension as strategies for controlling diastolic function, and pharmacologic therapies targeted toward myocardial fibrosis, have the potential to expand the options currently available for treating hypertensive heart disease.
Wavelength Correlation in Free Space Optical Communication Systems

Free space optical (FSO) communication systems are attractive for the military because such systems are capable of transmitting extremely high data rates over very long point-to-point links. However, in the presence of atmospheric turbulence the FSO channel will be distorted and this limits the effective data rate that can be transmitted over the link. These distortions can affect the signal in the spatial, time and wavelength (frequency) domains. It is well known that channel coding and diversity techniques can be employed to mitigate the channel distortions and improve the performance of the communication link. For these techniques to be effectively utilized the FSO channel properties have to be characterized. In this paper we will examine the correlation of the FSO channel across wavelengths under the weak turbulence propagation model. Specifically, we will determine the wavelength correlation of the FSO signal for the satellite-to-ground and ground-to-satellite links with coherent and direct detection schemes.
André Michaux's Sumac—Rhus michauxii Sargent: Why Did Sargent Rename It and Where Did Michaux Find It?1

In 1794 Andre Michaux discovered dwarf sumac Rhus michauxii in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and in 1803 published a species description under the name Rhus pumila. In 1895 C.S. Sargent assigned the name R. michauxii to correct Michaux's use of a homonym and to honor its discoverer. The type location is now in Union County, North Carolina, which was formed from part of Mecklenburg County in 1842.
Rose bengal activates the Ca2+ release channel from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum

The photooxidizing xanthene dye rose bengal (10 nM to 1 microM) stimulates rapid Ca2+ release from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Following fusion of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles to an artificial bilayer, reconstituted Ca2+ channel activity is stimulated by nanomolar concentrations of rose bengal in the presence of a broad-spectrum light source. Rose bengal does not appear to affect K+ channels present in the SR. Following reconstitution of the sulfhydryl-activated 106-kDa Ca2+ channel protein into a bilayer, rose bengal activates the isolated protein in a light-dependent manner. Ryanodine at a concentration of 10 nM is shown to lock the 106-kDa channel protein in a subconductance state which can be reversed by subsequent addition of 500 nM rose bengal. This apparent displacement of bound ryanodine by nanomolar concentrations of rose bengal is also directly observed upon measurement of [3H]ryanodine binding to JSR vesicles. These observations indicate that photooxidation of rose bengal causes a stimulation of the Ca2+ release protein from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum by interacting with the ryanodine binding site. Furthermore, similar effects of rose bengal on isolated SR vesicles, on single channel measurements following fusion of SR vesicles, and following incorporation of the isolated 106-kDa protein strongly implicates the 106-kDa sulfhydryl-activated Ca2+ channel protein in the Ca2+ release process.
The use of impaction grafting in revision total knee arthroplasty.

Impaction grafting has been used successfully in revision total knee arthroplasty. Histology and preliminary clinical results show that this technique may be useful in situations in which bone loss is extensive. In contrast to bulk allografts, morcellized graft remodels and incorporates with the host. The preliminary results and technique are reviewed briefly.
Legislative Activity in the Canadian House of Commons: Does Majority or Minority Government Matter?

This study assesses the impact of majority and minority governments on legislative activity in the Canadian House of Commons. The quantitative analysis spans the 22nd to the 40th Parliaments (1953–2009) and examines legislative productivity and success by government type. The analysis of descriptive data confirms that minority governments are somewhat less productive and successful than their majority counterparts. However, the analysis emphasizes significant variation for majority governments. Neither governing context guarantees success or failure as contextual factors largely condition legislative activity.
Preservation of biodiversity in small rainforest patches: rapid evaluations using butterfly trapping

Determining the capacity of small forest remnants to support biodiversity is of critical importance, especially in the tropics where high rates of land conversion coincide with extraordinarily high species richness and endemism. Using fruit-baited traps, we conducted rapid evaluations in 1993 and 1994 of the forest butterfly diversity of seven small patches (3–30 ha) and a single remaining large patch (227 ha) of Costa Rican mid-elevation moist forest. Our results suggest that even recently isolated 20–30 ha fragments of primary forest retain surprisingly depauperate butterfly faunas relative to that supported by the 227 ha patch only 0.5–1.0 km away. If forest butterflies are an index of the diversity of small-bodied organisms in general, preservation of the latter may require unexpectedly large patches. In 1994 we also surveyed a 16 ha botanical garden, situated between and contiguous to both the 227 ha patch and an exceptionally species-rich 25 ha patch. In the garden, we discovered adults of many butterfly species associated with forest interior, suggesting that even heavily managed systems of largely exotic plants (such as agricultural systems) could be designed to serve as corridors for butterflies and perhaps some other groups of organisms. We discuss some implications for a planned restoration of biotic connections between lowland and montane forests in southern Costa Rica.
The Effect of Temperature and Damage Energy on Amorphization in Zircon

Several groups have irradiated single crystals of synthetic and natural zircon (ZrSiO4) with a wide range of ions (from He to Bi) over a wide range of temperatures. The results of these studies show that amorphization in zircon is controlled by a variety of parameters and is a more complex process than previously thought. The critical dose for amorphization increases with temperature, similar to other materials. However, the critical displacement dose (in dpa) for amorphization is significantly higher at lower temperatures (below 500 K) for very heavy ions, such as Pb and Bi. This unusual dependence on the damage energy density has not been observed previously in other materials. Possible explanations for this behavior in terms of amorphization mechanisms are discussed. In addition, there is a significant difference in the temperature dependence of the critical dose in synthetic and natural zircons, which suggests that the impurities in natural zircons may affect the kinetics of recovery processes.