cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correcting estimates of expected durations from discrete-time hazard models

Abstract This paper proposes corrections for estimating expected durations when “discrete-hazard” models are used to estimate the duration distribution in a two-state, event-history model. The corrections are based on the assumption that the continuous-time hazard rates are approximately constant within periods and make no parametric assumptions about the duration dependence of the continuous-time hazard rates. The corrections will be useful for applied work, especially when the time interval for the discrete-time model is quite long, as in the case of the SIPP data. The corrections are evaluated using simulations and are found to be robust for many types of hazard rates that display duration dependence. So long as the assumption that the hazards are constant within periods is not extremely violated, the corrected estimates of the expected durations are substantially better than the uncorrected estimates. Even if the hazards do change by extreme amounts within periods, the simulations indicate that two of the estimators still do very well as long as the volatility in the hazard is not early in new spells. An empirical application is explored and one of the estimators is found to be quite successful in correcting the bias.
The carotenemia of hypothyroidism.

Summary Twenty-five cases of hypothyroidismwere studied from the point of view of carotenemia, a number of them over a period of time during which thyroid medication was withdrawn and reinstituted. The occurrence of carotenemia in hypothyroidism, long known, is confirmed. However, it is found only in those who ingest food containing carotene, so is not likely to be encountered in infancy. It is regularly associated with lipemiaand cholesterolemia, but the carotene tends to be relatively more increased than the lipids or cholesterol. It was also found that when thyroidmedication was withdrawn or instituted the resultant rise or fall in carotene tended to lag behind that of the total lipid. It was pointed out that carotene was probably “carried” by the lipids and as a result would not only show some lag in movement but would tend to accumulate in the blood stream when the lipids were increased. It was felt that this behavior ofcarotene might well be a factor in the “failure” to convert carotene to vitamin A in hypothyroidism.
Revisiting the bioinformational model of tobacco dependence: Specific application to psychiatric populations

ABSTRACT Almost 15 years ago, Niaura, Goldstein, and Abrams (Niaura 1991, 593–97) described the bioinformational model of tobacco dependence, and suggested that the model could serve as a mechanism by which to integrate research and advance scientific progress. In addition to the research implications highlighted by Niaura and colleagues, the bioinformational model may be applied to the treatment of tobacco dependence, and may be particularly useful in understanding tobacco dependence within psychiatric patients (in which rates of tobacco dependence are elevated and smoking cessation is impeded). In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the problem of tobacco dependence and psychiatric comorbidity, and highlight tobacco science data within the bioinformational framework and as relevant to understanding and treating psychiatric smokers.
Activity benchmarks and requirements for Pt, Pt-alloy, and non-Pt oxygen reduction catalysts for PEMFCs

Abstract The mass production of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel-cell-powered light-duty vehicles requires a reduction in the amount of Pt presently used in fuel cells. This paper quantifies the activities and voltage loss modes for state-of-the-art MEAs (membrane electrode assemblies), specifies performance goals needed for automotive application, and provides benchmark oxygen reduction activities for state-of-the-art platinum electrocatalysts using two different testing procedures to clearly establish the relative merit of candidate catalysts. A pathway to meet the automotive goals is charted, involving the further development of durable, high-activity Pt-alloy catalysts. The history, status in recent experiments, and prospects for Pt-alloy cathode catalysts are reviewed. The performance that would be needed for a cost-free non-Pt catalyst is defined quantitatively, and the behaviors of several published non-Pt catalyst systems (and logical extensions thereof), are compared to these requirements. Critical research topics are listed for the Pt-alloy catalysts, which appear to represent the most likely route to automotive fuel cells.
Discrete second order adjoints in atmospheric chemical transport modeling

Atmospheric chemical transport models (CTMs) are essential tools for the study of air pollution, for environmental policy decisions, for the interpretation of observational data, and for producing air quality forecasts. Many air quality studies require sensitivity analyses, i.e., the computation of derivatives of the model output with respect to model parameters. The derivatives of a cost functional (defined on the model output) with respect to a large number of model parameters can be calculated efficiently through adjoint sensitivity analysis. While the traditional (first order) adjoint models give the gradient of the cost functional with respect to parameters, second order adjoint models give second derivative information in the form of products between the Hessian of the cost functional and a vector (representing a perturbation in sensitivity analysis, a search direction in optimization, an eigenvector, etc.). In this paper we discuss the mathematical foundations of the discrete second order adjoint sensitivity method and present a complete set of computational tools for performing second order sensitivity studies in three-dimensional atmospheric CTMs. The tools include discrete second order adjoints of Runge-Kutta and of Rosenbrock time stepping methods for stiff equations together with efficient implementation strategies. Numerical examples illustrate the use of these computational tools in important applications like sensitivity analysis, optimization, uncertainty quantification and the calculation of directions of maximal error growth in three-dimensional atmospheric CTMs.
Protein conformational transitions in the erythrocyte membrane

Abstract Erythrocyte membranes prepared from human red blood cells by hypotonic lysis, contain protein in a mixture of α helical and “unordered” conformations. Using infrared absorption spectroscopy we have demonstrated that in the presence of adenosine triphosphate and Mg 2+ , the protein in these membranes undergoes a transition to an anti-parallel β structure, which is enhanced by the addition of Na + and K + . This transition can be prevented or reversed under conditions which inhibit the adenosine triphosphatase reaction. The results are discussed in the light of data previously obtained by infrared spectroscopy on rat liver mitochondria, in terms of a generalized membrane-energy transduction concept.
Efflux of 22Na and 86Rb from the crystalline lens

A lucite perfusion chamber was designed to study the efflux of labelled substances from the rabbit lens. 22 Na efflux was reduced by 10 −5 m -ouabain and by lowered temperature, exhibiting a Q 10 of 3·86. In the presence of ouabain, the Q 10 was 1·2. 86 Rb (which behaves like potassium) efflux, on the other hand, was essentially unaffected by ouabain and lowering the temperature caused a slowing in efflux which corresponded to a Q 10 of 1·2. Removal of the lens epithelium by manual decapsulation increased the efflux of 86 Rb, and rendered 22 Na efflux insensitive to ouabain. The Q 10 of 22 Na efflux from the decapsulated lens was 1·3. These observations agree with the view that the lens is capable of actively extruding sodium and accumulating potassium and that the major site of transport is in the epithelium. Also, on the basis of the present results and those of other investigations, it would appear that the lens epithelium presents a considerable barrier to the passive flux of sodium and potassium.
Luteinizing hormone releasing factor activity in peripheral blood from women during the midcycle luteinizing hormone ovulatory surge.

To test the hypothesis that the ovulatory surge of LH secretion in humans is induced by the release of LRF, peripheral plasma of women during the menstrual midcycle has been bioassayed for its effects on LH secretion in rats. Forty ml of plasma were serially extracted with increasing concentrations of methanol. The supernatant of each extraction was dried and redissolved in methanol. The final dry extract dissolved i n saline was assayed for LRF activity in the ovariectomized—estrogen—progesterone—thyroxine treated rat, the end point of the assay being the increase in radioimmunoassayable rat LH. I n preliminary studies this extraction method recovered all the LRF activity from porcine hypothalamic extracts added to plasma. Fifteen samples taken during the pre- or postovulatory period had low but detectable releasing effects when compared to saline controls (p < 0.025). Of 36 plasma samples taken between days 12–16, 6 specimens had LRF activity which exceeded the mean of nonovulatory responses by more tha...
On the Number of Multiplications for the Evaluation of a Polynomial and Some of Its Derivatives

A family of new algorithms is given for evaluating the first m derivatives of a polynomial. In particular, it is shown that all derivatives may be evaluated in 3n - 2 multiplications. The best previous result required 1/2n(n + 1) multiplications. Some optimality results are presented.
Phase-encoded retinotopy as an evaluation of diffuse optical neuroimaging

Optical techniques enable portable, non-invasive functional neuroimaging. However, low lateral resolution and poor discrimination between brain hemodynamics and systemic contaminants have hampered the translation of near infrared spectroscopy from research instrument to widespread neuroscience tool. In this paper, we demonstrate that improvements in spatial resolution and signal-to-noise, afforded by recently developed high-density diffuse optical tomography approaches, now permit detailed phase-encoded mapping of the visual cortex's retinotopic organization. Due to its highly organized structure, the visual cortex has long served as a benchmark for judging neuroimaging techniques, including the original development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography. Using phase-encoded visual stimuli that create traveling waves of cortical activations, we are able to discriminate the representations of multiple visual angles and eccentricities within an individual hemisphere, reproducing classic fMRI results. High contrast-to-noise and repeatable imaging allow the detection of inter-subject differences. These results represent a significant advancement in the level of detail that can be obtained from non-invasive optical imaging of functional brain responses. In addition, these phase-encoded paradigms and the maps they generate form a standardized model with which to judge new developments in optical algorithms and systems, such as new image reconstruction techniques and registration with anatomic imaging. With these advances in techniques and validation paradigms, optical neuroimaging can be extended into studies of higher-order brain function and of clinical utility with greater performance and confidence.
Against pragmatism: on efficacy, effectiveness and the real world

Explanatory and pragmatic trials represent ends of a continuum of attitudes about clinical trial design. Recent literature argues that pragmatic trials are more informative about clinical care in the real world. Although there is place for more pragmatic studies to inform clinical practice and health policy decision-making, we are concerned that it is generally under-appreciated that extrapolating the results of broadly inclusive pragmatic trials to the care of real patients may often be as problematic as extrapolating the results of narrowly focused explanatory or efficacy trials. Simplistic interpretation of pragmatic trials runs the risk of driving harmful policies.
Engineering change in a non-deterministic FSM setting

We propose a new formalism for the Engineering Change (EC) problem in a finite state machine (FSM) setting. Given an implementation that violates the specification, the problem is to alter the behavior of the implementation so that it meets the specification. The implementation can be a pseudo-nondeterministic FSM while the specification may be a nondeterministic FSM. The EC problem is cast as the existence of an "appropriate" simulation relation from the implementation into the specification. We derive the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution to the problem. We synthesize all possible solutions, if the EC is feasible. Our algorithm works in space which is linear, and time which is quadratic, in the product of the sizes of implementation and specification. Previous formulations of the problem which admit nondeterministic specifications, although more general, lead to an algorithm which is exponential. We have implemented our procedure using Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams.
Optical Coherence Tomography and Optical Coherence Domain Reflectometry for Deep Brain Stimulation probe guidance

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is FDA-approved for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. Currently, placement of DBS leads is guided through a combination of anatomical targeting and intraoperative microelectrode recordings. The physiological mapping process requires several hours, and each pass of the microelectrode into the brain increases the risk of hemorrhage. Optical Coherence Domain Reflectometry (OCDR) in combination with current methodologies could reduce surgical time and increase accuracy and safety by providing data on structures some distance ahead of the probe. For this preliminary study, we scanned a rat brain in vitro using polarization-insensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). For accurate measurement of intensity and attenuation, polarization effects arising from tissue birefringence are removed by polarization diversity detection. A fresh rat brain was sectioned along the coronal plane and immersed in a 5 mm cuvette with saline solution. OCT images from a 1294 nm light source showed depth profiles up to 2 mm. Light intensity and attenuation rate distinguished various tissue structures such as hippocampus, cortex, external capsule, internal capsule, and optic tract. Attenuation coefficient is determined by linear fitting of the single scattering regime in averaged A-scans where Beer’s law is applicable. Histology showed very good correlation with OCT images. From the preliminary study using OCT, we conclude that OCDR is a promising approach for guiding DBS probe placement.
Plasmonic Nanogalaxies: Multiscale Aperiodic Arrays for Surface-Enhanced Raman Sensing

The accurate and reproducible control of intense electromagnetic fields localized on the nanoscale is essential for the engineering of optical sensors based on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect. In this paper, using rigorous generalized Mie theory (GMT) calculations and a combined top-down/bottom-up nanofabrication approach, we design and experimentally demonstrate ∼10 8 spatially averaged, reproducible SERS enhancement in deterministic aperiodic arrays of Au nanoparticles with different length scales. Deterministic aperiodic arrays of 200 nm diameter nanocylinders are first fabricated using electron-beam lithography on quartz substrates, and smaller size (30 nm diameter) Au nanoparticles are subsequently positioned by in situ Au reduction at regions of maximum field enhancement. These multiscale structures, which we call “plasmonic nanogalaxies”, feature a cascade enhancement effect due to the strong electromagnetic interactions of small satellite nanoparticles with localized fields in aperiodic arrays of nanocylinders. The development of SERS substrates based on aperiodic arrays with different length scales provides a novel strategy to engineer plasmon-enhanced biosensors with chemical fingerprinting capability.
Structural biology of cellular machines.

Multi-component macromolecular machines contribute to all essential biological processes, from cell motility and signal transduction to information storage and processing. Structural analysis of assemblies at atomic resolution is emerging as the field of structural cell biology. Several recent studies, including those focused on the ribosome, the acrosomal bundle and bacterial flagella, have demonstrated the ability of a hybrid approach that combines imaging, crystallography and computational tools to generate testable atomic models of fundamental biological machines. A complete understanding of cellular and systems biology will require the detailed structural understanding of hundreds of biological machines. The realization of this goal demands a concerted effort to develop and apply new strategies for the systematic identification, isolation, structural characterization and mechanistic analysis of multi-component assemblies at all resolution ranges. The establishment of a database describing the structural and dynamic properties of protein assemblies will provide novel opportunities to define the molecular and atomic mechanisms controlling overall cell physiology
The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia: focus on the dopamine receptor

Alleviation of schizophrenic symptoms by phenothiazines and butyrophenones is associated with blockade of dopamine receptors, while exacerbation of symptoms by amphetamines appears to result from enhanced synaptic activity of dopamine and/or norepinephrine. The author suggests that biochemical labeling of the dopamine receptor with 3H-dopamine and 3H-haloperidol may clarify mechanisms of drug effects on the dopamine receptor.
A coding scheme for indexing multimodal biometric databases

In biometric identification systems, the identity associated with the input data is determined by comparing it against every entry in the database. This exhaustive matching process increases the response time of the system and, potentially, the rate of erroneous identification. A method that narrows the list of potential identities will allow the input data to be matched against a smaller number of identities. We describe a method for indexing large-scale multimodal biometric databases based on the generation of an index code for each enrolled identity. In the proposed method, the input biometric data is first matched against a small set of reference images. The set of ensuing match scores is used as an index code. The index codes of multiple modalities are then integrated using three different fusion techniques in order to further improve the indexing performance. Experiments on a chimeric face and fingerprint bimodal database indicate a 76% reduction in the search space at 100% hit rate. These results suggest that indexing has the potential to substantially improve the response time of multimodal biometric systems without compromising the accuracy of identification.
Delegation and Authority: Authoritarian Liberalism Today

In light of the reforms undertaken for the sake of the Euro, the article revisits the concept authoritarian liberalism that was introduced in 1933 by the German public law scholar Hermann Heller. This notion seeks to capture the liaison between the ‘strong state’ and economic liberalism. The article suggests that this notion can be fruitfully used to designate the new governance of economic and monetary union. It argues, particularly, that it makes sense to speak of an authoritarian style of governance even if the latter does not wear vestiges of outright repression. Two different faces of authoritarian liberalism can be distinguished: one that looks more towards authoritarianism and another one that views authoritarian rule as a managerial strategy that is good for the economy. The article then speculates whether the EU has been, indeed, successful because it shifts between the two. Disturbingly, there may be something deeply as well as more accidentally authoritarian about European integration.
Trends in Caffeine Use and Association between Clinical Outcomes and Timing of Therapy in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants

Objective To examine the effect of early initiation of caffeine therapy on neonatal outcomes and characterize the use of caffeine therapy in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Study design We analyzed a cohort of 62056 VLBW infants discharged between 1997 and 2010 who received caffeinetherapy. Wecompared outcomes ininfantsreceiving earlycaffeine therapy (initial dosebefore 3days oflife) and those receiving late caffeine therapy (initial doseat orafter3 days oflife) throughpropensity scoring using baseline and early clinical variables. The primary outcome was the association between the timing of caffeine initiation and the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or death. Results We propensity score–matched 29070 VLBW infants at a 1:1. Of infants receiving early caffeine therapy, 3681 (27.6%)diedordeveloped BPD,compared with4591infants(34.0%)receiving late caffeine therapy(OR, 0.74; 99% CI, 0.69-0.80). Infants receiving early caffeine had a lower incidence of BPD (23.1% vs 30.7%; OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.63-0.73) and a higher incidence of death (4.5% vs 3.7%; OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.05-1.43). Infants receiving early caffeine therapy had less treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.55-0.65) and a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation (mean difference, 6 days; P < .001). Conclusion Early caffeine initiation is associated with a decreased incidence of BPD. Randomized trials are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of early caffeine prophylaxis in VLBW infants. (J Pediatr 2014;164:992-8).
Magnetic and Optoelectronic Properties of Gold Nanocluster–Thiophene Assembly†

Nanohybrids consisting of Au nanocluster and polythiophene nanowire assemblies exhibit unique thermal-responsive optical behaviors and charge-transfer controlled magnetic and optoelectronic properties. The ultrasmall Au nanocluster enhanced photoabsorption and conductivity effectively improves the photocurrent of nanohybrid based photovoltaics, leading to an increase of power conversion efficiency by 14 % under AM 1.5 illumination. In addition, nanohybrids exhibit electric field controlled spin resonance and magnetic field sensing behaviors, which open up the potential of charge-transfer complex system where the magnetism and optoelectronics interact.
Impact of Small Repeat Sequences on Bacterial Genome Evolution

Intergenic regions of prokaryotic genomes carry multiple copies of terminal inverted repeat (TIR) sequences, the nonautonomous miniature inverted-repeat transposable element (MITE). In addition, there are the repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP) sequences that fold into a small stem loop rich in G–C bonding. And the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) display similar small stem loops but are an integral part of a complex genetic element. Other classes of repeats such as the REP2 element do not have TIRs but show other signatures. With the current availability of a large number of whole-genome sequences, many new repeat elements have been discovered. These sequences display diverse properties. Some show an intimate linkage to integrons, and at least one encodes a small RNA. Many repeats are found fused with chromosomal open reading frames, and some are located within protein coding sequences. Small repeat units appear to work hand in hand with the transcriptional and/or post-transcriptional apparatus of the cell. Functionally, they are multifaceted, and this can range from the control of gene expression, the facilitation of host/pathogen interactions, or stimulation of the mammalian immune system. The CRISPR complex displays dramatic functions such as an acquired immune system that defends against invading viruses and plasmids. Evolutionarily, mobile repeat elements may have influenced a cycle of active versus inactive genes in ancestral organisms, and some repeats are concentrated in regions of the chromosome where there is significant genomic plasticity. Changes in the abundance of genomic repeats during the evolution of an organism may have resulted in a benefit to the cell or posed a disadvantage, and some present day species may reflect a purification process. The diverse structure, eclectic functions, and evolutionary aspects of repeat elements are described.
Effect of H-7 and Lat-B on retinal physiology.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of H-7 and Latrunculin B (Lat-B) on retinal vascular permeability and electrophysiology at concentrations that increase outflow facility in monkeys. Methods: One eye of 1 rhesus and 22 cynomolgus monkeys received an intravitreal bolus injection of H-7 or Lat-B; the opposite eye received vehicle. Multifocal electroretinograms (mfERGs), and photopic and scotopic full-field electroretinograms (ffERGs, sERGs) were recorded in subsets of monkeys at baseline and at multiple time-points post-H-7 or Lat-B. Vitreous fluorophotometry (VF) and fluorescein angiography (FA) were also performed. Results: No differences between the H-7 or Lat-B treated and control eyes were found in ffERGs, mfERGs, sERGs, or in FAs in any monkey. No significant difference was found in vitreous fluorescein levels between H-7 treated or Lat-B treated vs. control eyes. Conclusions: No effect on retinal vascular permeability or retinal electrophysiology was apparent after intravitreal administration of H-...
Induction of syncytia by neuropathogenic murine leukemia viruses depends on receptor density, host cell determinants, and the intrinsic fusion potential of envelope protein

Infection by the neuropathogenic murine leukemia virus (MLV) TR1.3 results in hemorrhagic disease that correlates directly to in vivo syncytium formation of brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC). This phenotype maps to amino acid 102 in the envelope (Env) protein of TR1.3. Substitution of glycine (G) for tryptophan (W) at this position (W102G Env) in the nonpathogenic MLV FB29 induces both syncytium formation and neurologic disease in vivo. Using an in vitro gene reporter cell fusion assay, we showed that fusion either with murine NIH 3T3 cells or with nonmurine target cells that expressed receptors at or below endogenous murine levels mirrored that seen in BCEC in vivo. In these instances only TR1.3 and W102G Env induced cell fusion. In contrast, when receptor levels on nonmurine cells were raised above endogenous murine levels, FB29 Env was as fusogenic as the neuropathogenic TR1.3 and W102G Env. These results indicate that TR1.3 Env and W102G Env are intrinsically more fusogenic than FB29 Env, that the induction of fusion requires a threshold number of receptors that is greater for FB29 Env than for TR1.3 or W102G Env, and that receptor density on murine NIH 3T3 cells and BCEC is below the threshold for FB29-dependent fusion. Surprisingly, receptor density on NIH 3T3 cells could not be increased by stable expression of exogenous receptors, and FB29-dependent fusion was not observed in NIH 3T3 cells that transiently expressed elevated receptor numbers. These results suggest that an additional undefined host cell factor(s) may limit both receptor expression and fusion potential in murine cells.
Method of Exposing Vesicourethral Anastomotic Site During Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy

AbstractA simple semicircular catheter retractor is describe that allows for better visualization of the vesicourethral anastomotic site during radical retropubic prostatectomy.
RADIATION BY ATOMS IN RESONANT CAVITIES

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on radiation by atoms in resonant cavities. In a study described in the chapter, the time-dependence of the excited atomic state was investigated by using Laplace transform methods. Its decay amplitude can be approximated by a sum of complex exponential functions exp(S j t) in which the coefficients were can be determined by solving a complex generalization of the familiar secular equation for a system of coupled oscillators. The procedures applied to cavity couplings of all sorts are most easily dealt with. When the modes are not too closely spaced in frequency, the secular equation is algebraic and had been solved directly. If the modes are closely spaced, on the other hand, the atom would tend to interact with relatively few of the multiple reflections its radiated field generates within the cavity.
Altered Saturated and Monounsaturated Plasma Phospholipid Fatty Acid Profiles in Adult Males with Colon Adenomas

Background: Altered lipid metabolism and plasma fatty acid (FA) levels are associated with colorectal cancer. Obesity and elevated waist circumference (WC) increase the likelihood of developing precancerous colon adenomas. Methods: Venous blood was collected from 126 males, ages 48 to 65 years, who received routine colonoscopies. Plasma phospholipid (PPL) FAs were isolated, derivatized, and then analyzed using gas chromatography. ORs and 95% confidence intervals were determined using polytomous logistic regression after adjusting for confounding factors [i.e., age, smoking, WC, and body mass index (BMI)]. Results: PPL palmitic acid (PA) was inversely correlated with the presence of colon adenomas ( P = 0.01). For each unit increase in palmitoleic acid (OR, 3.75; P = 0.04) or elaidic acid (OR, 2.92; P = 0.04), an individual was more likely to have adenomas relative to no colon polyps. Higher enzyme activity estimates (EAE) of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1; P = 0.02) and elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein-6 (ELOVL-6; P = 0.03) were associated with an individual being approximately 1.5 times more likely to have an adenoma compared with no polyps. Conclusions: PPL FAs and EAEs, which have previously been associated with colorectal cancer, are significantly different in those with adenomas when compared with those without polyps. PPL PA, elaidic acid, and SCD-1 and ELOVL-6 EAEs are associated with adenomas independent of BMI and WC. Impact: PPL PA, elaidic acid, and SCD-1 and ELOVL-6 EAEs are associated with adenomas even after adjusting for obesity-related risk factors and may function as novel biomarkers of early colorectal cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(3); 498–506. ©2015 AACR .
Hothouse Flowers: The Vices and Virtues of Climate Federalism

Federal law preempts state regulation of motor vehicle emissions. California alone is allowed to seek a waiver of such preemption, and unsuccessfully sought such a waiver for the state's regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. The debate and pending litigation over California's effort to obtain a waiver of preemption has focused attention on the state role in climate change policy. This paper explores the role of state governments in developing climate change policy, with a particular focus on how federalism principles and practice should inform judgments about the division of authority between the state and federal governments. As a general matter, the arguments for state leadership and independence are greatest where environmental concerns are localized, and weakest where environmental concerns cross jurisdictional boundaries, as is the case with global climate change. After consideration of the vices and virtues of state climate policy initiatives, the paper considers the legal issues surrounding California's waiver request in some detail. The paper then considers what environmental law might look like if the federal government took the idea of environmental waivers more seriously and afforded states greater opportunities to seek relief from federal environmental strictures. The final portion of the paper outlines the basic case for granting states access to waivers throughout federal environmental law, and briefly details what such a waiver provision might look like.
Refraction in Humans from Birth to Five Years

The results of refraction of 400 human infants from birth to five years of age are reported. In contrast to the traditional view that spherical equivalent refraction (SER) is hyperopic at birth, our results indicate that newborns are relatively myopic. With increasing age there is a decline in the myopic SER, becoming emmetropic around 6 months of age and hyperopic thereafter. Our results also show that the SER distribution is bell shaped at birth with a large variance. The degree of variance decreases with age and approaches the adult value close to one year of age. Incidence of astigmatism (≥ 1 D) is high in neonates, peaks around two to three months, and thereafter decreases slowly. The incidence is 35% for the age groups 129-256 weeks, which is still higher than 10% found in adults. Incidence of myopia (≥ 1 D) on the other hand decreases from 35% in the neonates to about 5% for the oldest age group (129-256 weeks). Incidence of hyperopia remains constant at 35% throughout the first five years of life. The lability of refraction during the first few years of life accompanies the fast rate of growth of the eye.
An Algorithmic Approach to Communication Reduction in Parallel Graph Algorithms

Graph algorithms on distributed-memory systems typically perform heavy communication, often limiting their scalability and performance. This work presents an approach to transparently (without programmer intervention) allow fine-grained graph algorithms to utilize algorithmic communication reduction optimizations. In many graph algorithms, the same information is communicated by a vertex to its neighbors, which we coin algorithmic redundancy. Our approach exploits algorithmic redundancy to reduce communication between vertices located on different processing elements. We employ algorithm-aware coarsening of messages sent during vertex visitation, reducing both the number of messages and the absolute amount of communication in the system. To achieve this, the system structure is represented by a hierarchical graph, facilitating communication optimizations that can take into consideration the machine's memory hierarchy. We also present an optimization for small-world scale-free graphs wherein hub vertices (i.e., vertices of very large degree) are represented in a similar hierarchical manner, which is exploited to increase parallelism and reduce communication. Finally, we present a framework that transparently allows fine-grained graph algorithms to utilize our hierarchical approach without programmer intervention, while improving scalability and performance. Experimental results of our proposed approach on 131,000+ cores show improvements of up to a factor of 8 times over the non-hierarchical version for various graph mining and graph analytics algorithms.
PREDICTING DRAG POLARS FOR FIXED -WING MICRO AIR VEHICLES

Drag polars for three fixed-wing Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) ‡ were measured at Reynolds numbers of 70,000, 50,000, and 30,000 and compared to predictions generated using a classical approach. The MAVs tested had aspect ratios varying from 1.2 to 1.6 and ratios of wetted surface area to planform area from 2.6 to 3.9. A force balance was used to measure the lift and drag on the MAVs at angles of attack ranging from -5° (or -10°) to 10°. The force balance allowed the MAVs to rotate in the pitching axis. The MAV angle of attack was set using an elevator installed on the MAV and controlled using a standard radio control used by RC plane enthusiasts. Uncertainty analysis performed on the data showed the uncertainty for high Reynolds numbers was dominated by velocity uncertainty, and uncertainty for the lower Reynolds numbers was dominated by uncertainty in the force measurements. The measured and predicted drag polars agreed with each other, with the measured drag generally being no more than 2.5 times the predicted drag. For the majority of the tests, the drag coefficients followed the expected Reynolds number trend: increasing with decreasing Reynolds number.
Group Comprehensive Evaluation Method based on Dual Differentiation

For determining the experts' weights in group decision making,a method based on dual differentiation is suggested.In this method,the group evaluation vector can be obtained by the deviation maximization method.The experts' weights can be determined by the information differentiation of each expert,which is measured by the difference between group evaluation result and the partial group evaluation result with this evaluator's absence.Then the overall evaluation value of each alternative can be obtained by the aggregation of experts' weights and the evaluation information.A numerical example shows the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Mechanistic Role of Acyl Glucuronides

Acyl glucuronides can be reactive metabolites capable of undergoing hydrolysis, intramolecular acyl migration, and covalent binding to proteins, both in vitro and in vivo. Glucuronidation occurs primarily in the liver and intestines, and is the major route of elimination for many xenobiotic and endogenous compounds containing a carboxylic acid function. Although glucuronidation is recognized as a detoxification process, acyl-linked glucuronides are considered chemically reactive electrophiles capable of covalent modification with nucleophilic sites on proteins. The extent of covalent binding with lysine amino groups of proteins correlates well with acyl glucuronide degradation rates (acyl migration and hydrolysis) and occurs either through a direct transacylation reaction or by a Schiff base mechanism via the open-chain aldehyde form of the acyl-migrated isomer. Subsequent formation of drug protein adducts has been proposed to elicit a direct toxicity or an immune-based reaction, both of which are consistent with the idiosyncratic toxicity commonly associated with carboxylic acid-containing drugs.
Natural history of a retreat-building midge, Pagastia partica , in a regulated reach of the upper Colorado River

The retreat-building midge Pagastia prob. partica (Roback) is an abundant and conspicuous member of the benthic community of the upper Colorado River. We investigated the ecology and behavior of P. partica in this regulated stream using both qualitative observations and quantitative surveys. Our studies revealed that P. partica foraged primarily by grazing algae from their retreats and adjacent surfaces and exhibited territorial behavior toward other P. partica larvae. Pagastia partica were widely distributed among streambed surfaces but preferred those with higher biomasses of periphyton and swifter currents. The retreats of P. partica were composed largely of silk and colonized algae and were important structural habitat features for other benthic fauna. We found numerous small benthic invertebrates cohabiting retreats, while larger insects were observed to have distinct affinities for or aversions to retreat-structured surfaces. Our results indicate that P. partica is not only an abundant member of this benthic community, but also a habitat engineer whose retreats represent an important component of streambed habitat for upper Colorado River benthos.
Liabilities and benefits: Examining the two sides of the foreignness coin from entrepreneurial perspective

Abstract This paper provides an in-depth examination of foreignness at the individual level by studying it in the context of entrepreneurs. Based on data collected from 470 domestic and foreign entrepreneurs operating in the U.S., it was concluded that foreignness has a curvilinear relationship with entrepreneurial performance. There was also evidence of moderating effects of entrepreneurial orientation on the relationship between foreignness and performance. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Comparing direct and indirect encodings using both raw and hand-designed features in tetris

Intelligent agents have a wide range of applications in robotics, video games, and computer simulations. However, fully general agents should function with as little human guidance as possible. Specifically, agents should learn from large collections of raw state variables instead of small collections of hand-designed features. Learning from raw state variables is difficult, but can be easier when agents are aware of the geometry of the input space. Indirect encodings allow agents to take advantage of the geometry of the task, and scale up to large input spaces. This research demonstrates the relative benefits of a direct and indirect encoding using raw or hand-designed features in Tetris, a challenging video game. Specifically, the direct encoding NEAT is compared against the indirect encoding HyperNEAT Both algorithms create neural networks to play the game, but HyperNEAT makes better use of raw screen inputs, due to its ability to generate large networks that take advantage of the domain's geometry. However, hand-designed features lead to higher scores with both algorithms. HyperNEAT makes better use of hand-designed features early in evolution, but NEAT eventually overtakes it. Since each method succeeds in different circumstances, approaches combining the strengths of both should be explored.
d 15 -Enhanced shear-extensional aluminum nitride resonators with k 2 t > 4.4% for wide-band filters

This paper presents a novel aluminum nitride (AlN) resonator technology that fuses transverse (d 31 ) and shear (d 15 ) piezoelectric constants to realize a large electromechanical coupling factor (k2 t ), while having a frequency defined by the lateral dimensions. An antisymmetric Lamb wave with co-existing in-plane extensional and thickness-shear elastic energy distribution is used to simultaneously exploit transverse and shear electromechanical coupling of AlN film. Specifically, the shear transduction (k2 t,15 ) benefits from the large d 15 constant (due to the columnar single crystallinity of the film) as well as low in-plane (e 11 ) relative permittivity (due to the in-plane poly crystallinity) of the AlN film, and hence significantly improves the overall k2 t . A proof of concept device at 733MHz is demonstrated based on this technology, showing a Q of ∼1,400 with a k2 t of ∼4.4%. A ladder filter is also demonstrated, through electrical coupling of the d 15 -enhanced resonators, with a −3dB-bandwidth of 18MHz, at 745MHz.
Deformation and fatigue resistance of Al/a-Si core-shell nanostructures subjected to cyclic nanoindentation

Abstract Nanostructure-textured surfaces can reduce friction and adhesion of micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). For MEMS/NEMS incorporating moving parts, the fatigue properties of nanostructures pose a challenge to their reliability in long-term applications. In this study, the fatigue behavior of hemispherical Al/a-Si core-shell nanostructures (CSNs), bare hemispherical Al nanodots, and a flat Al/a-Si layered thin film have been studied using nanoindentation and nano-scale dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) techniques. Fatigue testing with nano-scale DMA shows that the deformation resistance of CSNs persists through 5.0 × 104 loading cycles at estimated contact pressures greater than 20 GPa. For bare Al nanodots which lack the hard a-Si shell, significant nanostructure deformation results due to repeated cyclic loading. In addition, for the Al/a-Si layered thin film which lacks the geometric and dislocation confinement properties of CSNs, cyclic loading results in fatigue failure of the a-Si layer. Even at elevated contact pressures, CSNs demonstrate none of the failure mechanisms exhibited by the other two control structures. The unique properties displayed by CSNs when subjected to fatigue testing establish their prolonged reliability and durability when implemented in micro- and nano-scale applications.
Have we neglected hierarchies in the study of public sector leadership

This article was written to encourage scholars to not forget to include the power of hierarchy in their studies of leadership in public sector organizations. Contemporary theories of leadership too often assume that hierarchy will wither away once the leader imposes his or her will on the organization, an assumption that does not seem to work in reality given the bureaucratic nature of public organizations. Instead it is argued that we can learn about public sector leadership needs by remembering the power of hierarchy and what it demands in terms of leadership from different levels in the organization. The article concludes with speculation as to how future research on leadership might be directed with hierarchy in mind.
Applying the Methodology to a Payables Processing System

This case study involved software developed by an internal systems group of a Fortune 200 manufacturing company. The study provided several unique opportunities. First, it enabled development guidelines to be provided to the project team as the software was being developed rather than waiting until testing at a specific installation. Second, the system was developed with a more advanced software language. Finally, because the system is fairly small, a complete report of the results could be included.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL PREDICTION MODELS VERSUS A CLINICIAN'S ASSESSMENT FOR THE PREDICTION OF OBSTRUCTIVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH CHEST PAIN

Multiple prediction models are used to predict the presence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with chest pain. We aimed to compare these models to a senior clinician's assessment utilizing coronary angiography (CA) as a reference. We prospectively enrolled patients without
Aging-associated changes in cerebral vasculature and blood flow as determined by quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography.

Normal aging is associated with significant alterations in brain's vascular structure and function, which can lead to compromised cerebral circulation and increased risk of neurodegeneration. The in vivo examination of cerebral blood flow (CBF), including capillary beds, in aging brains with sufficient spatial detail remains challenging with current imaging modalities. In the present study, we use 3-dimensional (3-D) quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to examine characteristic differences of the cerebral vasculatures and hemodynamics at the somatosensory cortex between old (16 months old) and young mice (2 months old) in vivo. The quantitative metrics include cortical vascular morphology, CBF, and capillary flow velocity. We show that compared with young mice, the pial arterial tortuosity increases by 14%, the capillary vessel density decreases by 15%, and the CBF reduces by 33% in the old mice. Most importantly, changes in capillary velocity and heterogeneity with aging are quantified for the first time with sufficiently high statistical power between young and old populations, with a 21% (p < 0.05) increase in capillary mean velocity and 19% (p ≤ 0.05) increase in velocity heterogeneity in the latter. Our findings through noninvasive imaging are in line with previous studies of vascular structure modification with aging, with additional quantitative assessment in capillary velocity enabled by advanced OCTA algorithms on a single imaging platform. The results offer OCTA as a promising neuroimaging tool to study vascular aging, which may shed new light on the investigations of vascular factors contributing to the pathophysiology of age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
Principles and development of diffraction tomography

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the principles and development of diffraction tomography. Inversion techniques that utilize X-rays, light, ultrasonic waves, and electron beams have been remarkably successful in recent times and have led to major breakthroughs in fields, such as condensed matter physics, biology, and medicine. The best known of them is computerized axial tomography, often referred to as CAT. The basic theory of diffraction tomography was formulated more than a quarter of a century ago; it is only now that it is beginning to find applications. In this chapter, the basic mathematical principles of diffraction tomography are reformulated in a manner that provides a new physical insight into this technique and, which brings into evidence its close relationship to the well-known technique of structure determination of crystals from X-ray diffraction measurements. The chapter briefly describes the main contributions to diffraction tomography and finally it also reviews recent developments in this field.