cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Applicant's Clothing on Interviewer's Decision to Hire

This research investigated the extent to which an applicant's clothing influenced interviewer's perceptions of management characteristics and decisions to hire women for management positions. One hundred nine respondents (from marketing and banking) viewed color videotapes of four women applicants interviewing for a management position. The applicants were wearing one of four experimental costumes which differed in masculinity. The respondents rated each applicant on five management characteristics and made hiring recommendations for each applicant. Clothing masculinity was significant in predicting the perception of all the management characteristics examined. Applicants were perceived as more forceful, aggressive and so on when wearing more masculine clothing. Applicants also received more favorable hiring recommendations when wearing more masculine clothing. The mediating effect of the respondent's gender and occupation on perception of management characteristics and hiring decisions was not significant. The findings are discussed from an integrated conceptual framework.
Multiple Metamorphism Along the Grenville Front, North of Georgian Bay, Ontario

Four periods and kinds of Precambrian metamorphism are recognized in a single small map area astride the Grenville Front north of Georgian Bay, Ontario. They are, from oldest to youngest: (1) low-grade Hudsonian (Penokean) regional metamorphism of Huronian sedimentary rocks and later, Nipissing? intrusive rocks; (2) moderately low-grade (northwest of the Grenville Front) to high-grade regional metamorphism and generation of granites of Killarnean age associated with development of the Grenville Front and related slip planes; (3) slightly later contact metamorphism about intrusive Killarnean granites, resulting in porphyroblastic growth of andalusite, cordierite, chlorite, muscovite, and perhaps garnet; and (4) nonpervasive post-Keweenawan? retrogressive metamorphism and cataclasis, resulting most commonly in cataclasites derived from the Killarnean granites.
The Alchemy of Charity: Of Class and Buddhism in Northern Thailand

This essay focuses on a form of unidirectional giving current in Theravada Buddhism: the institution of merit making as practiced in northern Thailand. Many scholars have noted its centrality in village religious practices but have failed to locate it within the broader context of class stratification. As a result, the prevailing paradigm of merit making misrepresents the character of the recipients, the donors, and their mutual interaction. This essay argues that cross-class, unidirectional forms of giving such as charity may be important in mediating hegemony and resistance in complex societies.
Measurements of turbulence for quantifying the impact of turbulence on underwater imaging

It has long been acknowledged that turbulence affects propagation of light in the ocean. Physically, this is because turbulent inhomogeneities of the flow are associated with fluctuations in temperature and salinity. Variations in these passive scalars alter the water density, inducing variations in the refractive index, which result in near-forward scattering from turbulent inhomogeneities. In applications such as underwater imaging, the near-forward scattering from turbulence becomes a limiting factor over longer ranges and under conditions of stronger turbulence. The magnitude of this degrading effect depends upon the underwater environment, and can rapidly degrade the quality of underwater imaging under certain conditions. Overcoming this degradation through enhancement of imaging systems and post processing is important for such applications as diving, navigation, robotics, communication and target and mine detection and identification. To investigate the impact of turbulence upon underwater imaging and to compare with our previously developed model, quantified observation of the image degradation concurrent with characterization of the turbulent flow is necessary, spanning a variety of turbulent strengths. Therefore, we present field measurements of turbulence from the Skaneateles Optical Turbulence Exercise (SOTEX, July 2010), during which images of a target were collected over a 5 m path length at various depths in the water column, concurrent with profiles of the turbulent strength, optical properties, temperature, and conductivity. Turbulence was characterized by the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation (TKED) and thermal dissipation (TD) rates, which were obtained in close proximity using both a Rockland Scientific Vertical Microstructure Profiler (VMP) and a Nortek Vector velocimeter in combination with a PME CT sensor. While the two instrumental setups demonstrate reasonable agreement, some irregularities highlight the difficulties of accurately quantifying the desired parameters, which are likely associated with the spatial and temporal variability of the turbulence field. Supplementary measurements with the Vector/CT in a controlled laboratory convective tank will shed additional light on the quantitative relationship between image degradation and turbulence strength.
NERJIT: Using Net Requirement Data in Kanban‐Controlled Jumbled‐Flow Shops

The bold lines that have separated the application of specific production planning and control techniques to specific production systems are being blurred by continuous advances in production technologies and innovative operational procedures. Oral communication among dispatchers and production units has given way to electronic communication between production planners and these units by continuous progress in information technologies. Current production literature alludes to the idea that, collectively, these advances have paved the way for application of Just-In-Time (JIT) production concepts, which were originally developed for mass production systems, in intermittent production systems. But this literature does not actually consider the possibility. This article presents a modification to JIT procedures to make them more suitable for jumbled-flow shops. This article suggests providing real-time information about net-requirements for each product to each work center operator for setting production priorities at each work center. Simulation experiments conducted for this study show that using Net-Requirements in JIT (NERJIT) reduces customer wait time by 45–60% while reducing inventory slightly. The analysis of work centers’ input and output stock-point inventories shows that using the information about net-requirements results in production of items that are in current demand. NERJIT results in smaller input stock-point inventory and availability of products with higher priority in the output stock-points of work centers.
NF-κB Activation Coordinated by IKKβ and IKKε Enables Latent Infection of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus

All herpesviruses share a remarkable propensity to establish latent infection. Human Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) effectively enters latency after de novo infection, suggesting that KSHV has evolved with strategies to facilitate latent infection. NF-κB activation is imperative for latent infection of gammaherpesviruses. However, how NF-κB is activated during de novo herpesvirus infection is not fully understood. Here, we report that KSHV infection activates the inhibitor of κB kinase β (IKKβ) and the IKK-related kinase epsilon (IKKe) to enable host NF-κB activation and KSHV latent infection. Specifically, KSHV infection activated IKKβ and IKKe that were crucial for latent infection. Knockdown of IKKβ and IKKe caused aberrant lytic gene expression and impaired KSHV latent infection. Biochemical and genetic experiments identified RelA as a key player downstream of IKKβ and IKKe. Remarkably, IKKβ and IKKe were essential for phosphorylation of S(536) and S(468) of RelA, respectively. Phosphorylation of RelA S(536) was required for phosphorylation of S(468), which activated NF-κB and promoted KSHV latent infection. Expression of the phosphorylation-resistant RelA S(536)A increased KSHV lytic gene expression and impaired latent infection. Our findings uncover a scheme wherein NF-κB activation is coordinated by IKKβ and IKKe, which sequentially phosphorylate RelA in a site-specific manner to enable latent infection after KSHV de novo infection.
Detecting subsurface contamination using ground penetrating radar and amplitude variation with offset analysis

Characterization of contamination in the subsurface is expensive, difficult, and often unreliable. Characterizing Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) contamination is especially difficult. Geophysical methods, including ground penetrating radar (GPR), are well-suited to measurement of NAPL contamination, as they offer the potential to detect isolated contaminant distributions that borehole monitoring or other methods may miss. We measure the Amplitude Variation with Offset (AVO) response of radar energy to a chlorinated solvent (3M Novec HFE-7200) in a laboratory experiment through controlled injections of the 7200 fluid into a saturated sand/clay system. We demonstrate well defined AVO anomalies associated with the simulate DNAPL spill. The experiment shows that AVO anomalies can be induced when the contaminant layer is as thin as 1/30 the wavelength of the signal at the dominant frequency.
Can undergraduates script their own refactorings

We present a status report on a project to build a refactoring engine whose primary goal is to allow undergraduate students to write classical and neo-classical refactorings (pull-up, class partitioning) and design patterns (visitor, framework) as parameterized refactoring scripts in Java. We explain the first step of our work that creates a reflection-like interface to expose the structure of an Eclipse JDT application as Java objects; methods of these objects are refactorings. Doing so hides the complexity of JDT refactoring code and tools, so that refactoring scripts can be written as compact Java methods. We present preliminary performance results of scripting JDT refactorings and sketch the next steps of our work.
How consumers’ use of brand vs attribute information evolves over time

Purpose – Prior research has identified that brands have a differential impact on consumer evaluations across various brand benefits. This paper investigates whether these effects are stable over time, or evolve in a consistent way. Design/methodology/approach – Consumer evaluations of brand benefits into overall brand and detailed attribute-specific sources through a standard confirmatory factor analysis approach have been decomposed. Two unique datasets have been analyzed; the first contains cross-sectional data from Kodak across four different consumer goods categories, and the other is a longitudinal dataset from the USA and Canada in the surface-cleaning category, covering seven brands over five years (2007-2011). Findings – A systematic evolution in brand effects has been demonstrated: a general trend is that over time and with experience, consumers rely more heavily on overall brand information to develop their evaluations. However, early in a brand’s life, or later when circumstances compel consum...
Two discrete events, human T-cell leukemia virus type I Tax oncoprotein expression and a separate stress stimulus, are required for induction of apoptosis in T-cells.

Background It is poorly understood why many transforming proteins reportedly enhance both cell growth (transformation) and cell death (apoptosis). At first glance, the ability to transform and the ability to engender apoptosis seem to be contradictory. Interestingly, both abilities have been widely reported in the literature for the HTLV-I Tax protein.
Growth by acquisition and the performance of large food retailers

The latter 1990s witnessed rapid growth among the largest retail food chain companies, much of it through acquisitions+An explanatory motive is that grocery chains could achieve greater scale economies and operating efficiencies, and increase their bargaining power with packaged food manufacturer-suppliers+This article begins to examine whether the largest retailers are realizing the promised financial rewards associated with this growth trend+ We examine the performance of the three largest U+S+ food retailers, Albertson’s, Inc+, The Kroger Company, and Safeway Inc+, over 7 fiscal years beginning in calendar year 1993 and ending in fiscal year 1999, a period that covers the recent increase in acquisition activity+ Overall, we find only modest evidence that the financial returns to the rapid growth strategies of the three largest food retailers have begun to be realized through fiscal year 1999+ @EconLit citations: G390, G340, Q130# © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc+ The latter 1990s witnessed rapid growth among the largest retail food chain companies, much of it through acquisitions that are reshaping the industry+ The three largest U+S+ food retailers, Albertson’s, Inc+, The Kroger Company, and Safeway Inc+, made significant acquisitions of other firms, and combined for over $111 billion in sales as of the beginning of 2000+An explanatory motive is that grocery chains should become larger in order to achieve greater scale economies and operating efficiencies, and to increase their bargaining power with packaged food manufacturer-suppliers+ Wal-Mart Stores, Inc+, is widely considered a model for this strategy, as it has efficient distribution and retail operations, and wields significant bargaining power against supplier-manufacturers+ WalMart has itself invested heavily in food retailing in the 1990s and has become the fifthlargest food retailer in the United States ~Kaufman, 2000!+ As industry structure evolves towards fewer and larger firms, increasing concentration also raises concern that food retailers may increase their product market power+ The purpose of this article is to begin to examine whether the largest retailers are realizing the promised financial rewards associated with this growth trend+ In particular, we examine the acquisition activity, growth, and financial performance of the three leading
Investigation of direct flux measurements in switched reluctance motors

This paper investigates the use embedded magnetic field sensors in estimating the torque produced by a switched reluctance motor. Recent advances in nanomaterials have enabled the development of very compact magnetic field sensors based on the giant magneto resistive (GMR) effect. This provides a direct measurement of internal magnetic flux levels of an electric machine during operation. With this capability, results are applied analytically to a switched reluctance motor to measure the flux distribution across the surface of a stator tooth. This data is then used in a discrete form of the Maxwell stress tensor to approximate the net torque at the motor shaft. Detailed results are given from a finite element study of a commercially produced switched reluctance motor.
Asset Float and Speculative Bubbles

We model the relationship between float (the tradable shares of an asset) and stock price bubbles. Investors trade a stock that initially has a limited float because of insider lock-up restrictions but the tradable shares of which increase over time as these restrictions expire. A speculative bubble arises because investors, with heterogeneous beliefs due to overconfidence and facing short-sales constraints, anticipate the option to resell the stock to buyers with even higher valuations. With limited risk absorption capacity, this resale option depends on float as investors anticipate the change in asset supply over time and speculate over the degree of insider selling. Our model yields implications consistent with the behavior of internet stock prices during the late nineties, such as the bubble, share turnover and volatility decreasing with float and stock prices tending to drop on the lock-up expiration date though it is known to all in advance.
Eclipse mapping of the hot circumstellar plasma in Algol binaries

Phase-resolved FUV observations of three Algol-type interacting binaries (V356 Sgr, TT Hya, and RY Per) have been made during totality with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer to map the location of the hot circumstellar plasma that produces emission lines of O VI, Si III,IV, S IV, C III, and N II. Since OVI shows very little variation in profile, strength, and velocity as the disk of the secondary occults the line formation region, we conclude that the emission originates in material that has a substantial flow perpendicular to the orbital plane (perhaps a bipolar jet). The behavior of the emission lines from the moderate-ionization species suggests that the plasma producing these emission features has a large equatorial component. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Mevastatin inhibits proliferation of rat ovarian theca–interstitial cells by blocking the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway

Objective To evaluate mechanisms involved in mevastatin-induced inhibition of proliferation of ovarian theca–interstitial cells. Design In vitro study. Setting Academic laboratory. Animal(s) Immature Sprague-Dawley female rats. Intervention(s) Ovarian theca–interstitial cells were cultured without and with mevastatin in the presence and absence of serum, mevalonic acid, and/or insulin. Main Outcome Measure(s) Proliferation was assessed by determination of DNA synthesis by thymidine incorporation assay. Activation of extracellular signal–regulated kinase (Erk1/2) and of Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) was determined by ELISA. Result(s) Mevastatin induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of theca–interstitial cell proliferation in the absence and in the presence of serum. Inhibitory effects of mevastatin were partly abrogated by mevalonic acid and by insulin. Mevastatin blocked basal and insulin-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2. In contrast, mevastatin had no significant effect on either basal or insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt/PKB. Conclusion(s) Mevastatin inhibits proliferation of theca–interstitial cells by a mechanism that involves depletion of mevalonic acid and selective inhibition of basal and insulin-induced activity of Erk1/2 pathway, but not Akt/PKB pathway. These effects of mevastatin may be a result of decreased isoprenylation of small GTPases.
Biomedical Innovation: A Risky Business at Risk

Regulatory and financial challenges conspire to stall the development and market approval of breakthrough medical products. Inconsistent parameters are used to assess the safety and efficacy of drugs, biologics, and devices; this glitch in the system introduces uncertainty, slows or blocks product approvals, and increases the costs of product development. Here, we consider how to balance the benefits and risks to the public in the assessment of innovative medical products. We also discuss the Institute of Medicine's recent report on the medical device approval process.
Double-beta decay and a massive Majorana neutrino

We consider the possibility that nuclear no-neutrino double-beta decay is mediated by a universally coupled heavy Majorana electron neutrino. From the known rates of nuclear double-beta decays we conclude that the mass of this neutrino must be at least 10/sup 4/ GeV. (AIP)
Fats and Oils

Fats and oils are made up primarily of triacylglycerol. The fatty acid profile of the triacylglycerol dictates the physical properties of the fat. Linoleic acid and fatty acids derived from linoleic acid are essential fatty acids; hence, these must be consumed preformed. Dietary patterns high in polyunsaturated and low in saturated fatty acids have been associated with optimal health outcomes. n -3 fatty acids are associated with lower and trans fatty acids with higher cardiovascular disease risk. Current general dietary recommendations are consistent with moderate-fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables, whole-grain products, low-fat and nonfat dairy products, legumes, and lean meats. It is important to take into consideration availability, price, and personal preference, including regional, cultural, and religious dietary patterns.
An Investigation of the Piping Problems Causing Water-Level Drops in Mountain Lake, Giles County, Virginia, USA

Mountain Lake, located in Giles County, Southwestern Virginia, is one of only two natural lakes in the state of Virginia. The lake exhibits rare self-draining (self-dumping) behavior, with recent episodes in 2008, 2011, and 2012 that drained the lake almost completely and revealed the presence of four sinkhole-like depressions, with piping holes at their bottoms and sides, near the northeastern and northwestern margins of the lake. The purpose of this study was to investigate the piping potential of lake-bottom sediment and its role in seepage and lake-level fluctuations. Sixteen grab samples of lake-bottom sediment were collected from the vicinity of the depressions. Additionally, five Shelby tube samples were gathered to determine the sediment’s field density. Grain size analysis, Atterberg limits, and a compaction-mold permeameter test were used to evaluate lake sediment’s susceptibility to piping. Grain size analysis and Atterberg limits tests reveal that the lake-bottom sediment consists predominantly of fine sand and silt of low and high plasticity, which are well known for their susceptibility to piping. Results of the compaction-mold permeameter test show that the hydraulic gradient at which the sediment starts to pipe, the critical hydraulic gradient (ic), ranges between 1 and 10, depending on the density, grain size distribution, and cohesion values of the sediment. These results demonstrate that piping of lake sediment is the primary mechanism responsible the formation of lake-bed depressions and lake-level fluctuations.
Transient Stabilization in Systems with Wind Power

This chapter analyzes transient stability problems in networks with high wind penetration. Disturbances caused by wind power perturbations and major equipment failures are considered, and their impact on system dynamics is analyzed. Next, the potential of power-electronically switched devices for the stabilization of system dynamics during high energy perturbations is considered. In particular, the use of shunt Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices, which are the most common power-electronically switched devices in today’s power grids as well as the use of flywheel energy storage systems is analyzed. The impact of nonlinear FACTS and flywheel control on the system stability is quantified by benchmarking it against today’s FACTS control using the electrical power system on the Flores Island. Major contributions are made in exploring the potential of nonlinear control logic using the dynamical model of the interconnected system.
Foreword: Silicon systems for the Internet of Everything

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 63rd International Solid-State Circuits Conference. The Conference continues its outstanding tradition of showcasing the most advanced and innovative work from industry and academe around the world, in the area of integrated circuits and systems. This year, the geographical distribution of the accepted technical papers reflects the truly international character of the Conference: 42% of the accepted papers are from North America, 34% are from the Far East, and 24% are from Europe. Of these papers, 53% are from academe, 39% are from industry, and 8% are from institutions/labs.
Depression, Social Support, and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis in African American Custodial Grandmothers.

Custodial grandparents raising grandchildren experience intense levels of stress that can lead to depression and other forms of psychological distress. Drawing on a coping model of family stress, adjustment, and adaptation, we explored the relationship between depression and mental health quality of life mediated by social support and moderated by grandparent's age. The sample consisted of 667 African American custodial grandmothers, dichotomized into two age groupings, ≤55 (n = 306) and 55 + (n = 361). All grandmothers participated in a 12-month support intervention. The prospective analysis revealed social support was a mediator in the association between depressive symptoms and mental health quality of life for older African American grandmothers; however, this same relationship did not hold for their younger counterparts. Study limitations and future research directions are discussed.
Is "the right stuff" the right stuff?

Abstract In 1979 the author Tom Wolfe linkened US astronauts to sacrificial gladiators characterized by competitiveness, independence, self-sufficiency, extroversion and a sense of moral righteousness and superiority — in short, ‘the right stuff’. But are these the qualities needed for long-duration international missions? The author's hunch is that they are on the whole still necessary but not sufficient, but he emphasizes that systematic study of past behavioural reactions and analogous environments is needed if vital questions of interpersonal dynamics are to be answered correctly.
Hybrid Technique for Coherent Raman Spectroscopy

We develop a hybrid technique for coherent Raman spectroscopy, and apply it to pyridine. The comparison with spontaneous Raman measurements shows 105-fold increase in Raman-scattering efficiency and provides an estimate for the excited coherence (~0.5×10-3).
Using Text-to-speech (TTS) for Audio Computer-assisted Self-interviewing (ACASI)

We evaluate the use of text-to-speech (TTS) technology for audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI). We use a quasi-experimental design, comparing the use of recorded human voice in the 20...
Experience of Surgical Treatment for Residual Coxa Vara of Perthes' Disease

We studied ten patients with residual coxa vara deformity treated surgically by distal advancement of the greater trochanter and femur lengthening by callotasis in late severe Perthes' disease. Patients who had residual coxa vara deformity complained gluteal muscle pain and dullness, and gluteus medius gait. The average operation age was 13.4 years old. The average articulo-trochanteric distance (ATD) was 2.6mm, and leg length discrepancy was 18.4mm. Callotasis was performed 27.1mm. Finally, the average ATD improved 26mm, and leg length discrepancy improved 2.8mm. Their complaints and limping disappeared completely.
The Larruping Poetry and Humanity——About the Feature of Yan Wenjing's Works

Yan Wenjing's works contain three phases,there is plenty of education in 1940's,in order to bring up excellent intending people.There is coalescent of full-bodied poetry and profound meaning in the "shiqi nian"when his style begins to mature.There is throrough digging in the humanity after "xin shiqi" when the profound meaning is enhanced distinctly.
Effect of noise on cardiovascular system of steel rolling workers

[Objective]To understand the effect of noise on cardiovascular system of steel rolling workers.[Methods]424 steel rolling workers who were exposed to noise in an Iron and Steel Group Company were collected as the exposure group,325 office workers and logistic workers who have not been exposed to noise were collected as the control group,two groups received the blood pressure measurement and electrocardiogram examination,and the results were analyzed statistically.[Results]The abnormal rate of blood pressure in the exposure group and the control group was 8.73% and 4.00% respectively,and the difference was significant(P0.05).The abnormal rate of electrocardiogram in the exposure group and the control group was 22.88% and 16.31% respectively,and the difference was significant(P0.05).The blood pressure value of noise exposed workers increased with the increasing of cumulative noise exposure.The abnormal rate of electrocardiogram decreased with the increasing of working age at first,and then increased.[Conclusion]Noise can damage the cardiovascular system of steel rolling workers,so the health surveillance of workers should be strengthened.
Simultaneousdetermination of aflatoxin B1,B2,G1 and G2 in peanuts by liquid chromatography – triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer

Objective Developing a method to determine 4 aflatoxins in peanuts by LC /MS /MS.Methods The samples were extracted by 70% methanol,purified with immunoaffinity column and then determined the content of aflatoxin B1,B2,G1 and G2 in food in MRM mode by LC / MS / MS method.Results The average recovery of the aflatoxins was 77% ～ 109% in peanuts,the relative standard deviations was 3.2% ～ 5.7%.The method has a good linearity in the concentration range of 0.1 ng / ml ～ 100 ng / ml,and the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.999.The detection limit was less than 0.08 μg / kg,and the quantification limit was less than 0.3 μg / kg.Conclusion The method is more simple,rapid,sensitive,specific and suitable for the qualitative and quantitative determination of aflatoxin B1,B2,G1 and G2 in foods simultaneously.
Monte Carlo calculations of PET coincidence timing: single and double-ended readout.

We present Monte Carlo computational methods for estimating the coincidence resolving time (CRT) of scintillator detector pairs in positron emission tomography (PET) and present results for Lu2SiO5 : Ce (LSO), LaBr3 : Ce, and a hypothetical ultra-fast scintillator with a 1 ns decay time. The calculations were applied to both single-ended and double-ended photodetector readout with constant-fraction triggering. They explicitly include (1) the intrinsic scintillator properties (luminosity, rise time, decay time, and index of refraction), (2) the exponentially distributed depths of interaction, (3) the optical photon transport efficiency, delay, and time dispersion, (4) the photodetector properties (fill factor, quantum efficiency, transit time jitter, and single electron response), and (5) the determination of the constant fraction trigger level that minimizes the CRT. The calculations for single-ended readout include the delayed photons from the opposite reflective surface. The calculations for double-ended readout include (1) the simple average of the two photodetector trigger times, (2) more accurate estimators of the annihilation photon entrance time using the pulse height ratio to estimate the depth of interaction and correct for annihilation photon, optical photon, and trigger delays, and (3) the statistical lower bound for interactions at the center of the crystal. For time-of-flight (TOF) PET we combine stopping power and TOF information in a figure of merit equal to the sensitivity gain relative to whole-body non-TOF PET using LSO. For LSO crystals 3 mm × 3 mm × 30 mm, a decay time of 37 ns, a total photoelectron count of 4000, and a photodetector with 0.2 ns full-width at half-maximum (fwhm) timing jitter, single-ended readout has a CRT of 0.16 ns fwhm and double-ended readout has a CRT of 0.111 ns fwhm. For LaBr3 : Ce crystals 3 mm × 3 mm × 30 mm, a rise time of 0.2 ns, a decay time of 18 ns, and a total of 7600 photoelectrons the CRT numbers are 0.14 ns and 0.072 ns fwhm, respectively. For a hypothetical ultra-fast scintillator 3 mm × 3 mm × 30 mm, a decay time of 1 ns, and a total of 4000 photoelectrons, the CRT numbers are 0.070 and 0.020 ns fwhm, respectively. Over a range of examples, values for double-ended readout are about 10% larger than the statistical lower bound.
Visible-Light-Mediated Alkenylation, Allylation, and Cyanation of Potassium Alkyltrifluoroborates with Organic Photoredox Catalysts

Iridium- and ruthenium-free approaches to protected allylic amines and alkyl nitriles under photoredox conditions are reported. An inexpensive organic dye, eosin Y, catalyzes coupling of Boc-protected potassium α-aminomethyltrifluoroborates with a variety of substituted alkenyl sulfones through an α-aminomethyl radical addition–elimination pathway. Allylic and homoallylic amines were formed in moderate yields with high E/Z selectivity. The mechanistic approach was extended using tosyl cyanide as a radical trap, enabling the conversion of alkyltrifluoroborates to nitriles via a Fukuzumi acridinium-catalyzed process.
A Rare Case of Glossitis due to Pasteurella multocida after a Cat Scratch

Pasteurella is one of the zoonotic pathogens that can cause variety of serious infections in animals and humans such as bacteremia, septic shock, endocarditis, meningitis, prosthetic and native valve infections, osteomyelitis, skin and soft tissue infections, abscesses, and even pneumonia with empyema. However, there have been few reports of upper respiratory involvements like tonsillitis and epiglottitis in humans. We present a case of recurrent Pasteurella glossitis after a cat scratch which has not been reported in humans.
Driving Improvement in Health and Health Care Setting Metrics for Medicaid Outcomes

Clinical performance metrics are the foundation of the design and ultimate performance of North Carolina's Medicaid reform plan. This commentary describes the general approach of the state's Department of Health and Human Services in setting metrics, including goals, assumptions, and starting principles.
Electroanalytical measurements of binary-analyte mixtures in molten LiCl-KCl eutectic: Uranium(III)- and Magnesium(II)-Chloride

Abstract The electrochemical behavior of MgCl2 in molten LiCl-KCl eutectic was investigated to evaluate its suitability as a surrogate for PuCl3 in studies related to the eletrorefining of used nuclear fuel. The reduction of Mg2+ was found to be electrochemically reversible up to 300 mV s−1 at 773 K. The diffusion coefficient for Mg2+ was calculated to be 1.74 and 2.17 × 10−5 cm2 s−1 with and without U3+ present, respectively, at 773 K using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Upon comparison to literature data, the diffusion coefficient of Mg2+ differs by only 8.8% (with U3+ present) from that of Pu3+ and the difference in peak potentials was only 79 mV. Binary-analyte mixtures of UCl3 and MgCl2 in eutectic LiCl-KCl were further investigated using CV, normal pulse voltammetry (NPV), chronoamperometry (CA) and open-circuit potential (OCP) measurements for the purpose of comparing each technique's accuracy in measuring U3+ and Mg2+ concentrations. Of all the techniques tested, NPV resulted in the lowest error which was, on average, 11.4% and 9.81% for U3+ and Mg2+, respectively.
Pulmonary Intraparenchymal Blood Patching Decreases the Rate of Pneumothorax-Related Complications following Percutaneous CT–Guided Needle Biopsy

Abstract Purpose To investigate whether an autologous intraparenchymal blood patch (IPB) reduces the rate of pneumothorax-related complications associated with computed tomography (CT)–guided lung biopsies. Materials and Methods This study included 834 patients: 482 who received an IPB and 352 who did not. Retrospective review was performed of all CT–guided lung biopsies performed at a single institution between August 2006 and September 2013. Patients were excluded if no aerated lung was crossed. The rate of pneumothorax, any associated intervention (eg, catheter placement, aspiration), chest tube placement, and chest tube replacement requiring hospital admission were compared by linear and multiple regression analysis. Results Patients who received an IPB had a significantly lower rate of pneumothorax (145 of 482 [30%] vs 154 of 352 [44%]; P P P Conclusions Autologous IPB placement is associated with a decreased rate of pneumothorax and associated interventions, including chest tube placement and hospital admission, after CT–guided lung biopsies, with no evidence of any adverse effects. These results suggest that an IPB is safe and effective and should be considered when aerated lung is traversed while performing a CT–guided lung biopsy.
Migraine, Medication Overuse Headache and

Migraine is a common neurological disorder that manifests with disabling attacks of headache, hypersensitivities to environmental stimuli, nausea, and vomiting. Although most people with migraine have episodic migraine, 2% of the general population suffers from chronic migraine. Chronic migraineurs have headaches on at least 15 days per month, with full-blown migraines on at least 8 days per month. Frequent use of migraine abortive medications is an important risk factor for transformation from episodic to chronic migraine, and overuse can result in ‘medication-overuse headache.’ This article reviews the clinical aspects of chronic migraine and medication-overuse headaches.
American forestry and forest management - An introduction.

The first essential step towards an understanding of American forestry is an adjustment to one's scale of thinking. There are 650 million acres of forest land in the United States and over half of this area is in private ownership. As one would expect in such a vast country, there is a very wide range of vegetation types - from sub-tropical swamps to sub-arctic tundra. In this short paper it is impossible to present a comprehensive picture of American forestry. Consequently, I intend to consider a few aspects of American forestry which may be of interest to the Irish Forester. [...]
Design and evaluation of the highly insidious extreme phishing attacks

Abstract One of the most severe and challenging threats to Internet security is phishing, which uses spoofed websites to steal users' passwords and online identities. Phishers mainly use spoofed emails or instant messages to lure users to the phishing websites. A spoofed email or instant message provides the first-layer context to entice users to click on a phishing URL, and the phishing website further provides the second-layer context with the look and feel similar to a targeted legitimate website to lure users to submit their login credentials. In this paper, we focus on the second-layer context to explore the extreme of phishing attacks; we explore the feasibility of creating extreme phishing attacks that have the almost identical look and feel as those of the targeted legitimate websites, and evaluate the effectiveness of such phishing attacks. We design and implement a phishing toolkit that can support both the traditional phishing and the newly emergent Web Single Sign-On (SSO) phishing; our toolkit can automatically construct unlimited levels of phishing webpages in real time based on user interactions. We design and perform a user study with 194 participants to evaluate the effectiveness of the phishing attacks constructed from this toolkit. The results demonstrate that extreme phishing attacks are indeed highly effective and insidious as over 90% of the participants became the “victims”. It is reasonable to assume that extreme phishing attacks will be widely adopted and deployed in the future, and we call for a collective effort to effectively defend against them.
Planning Azolla Research for the 1980’s

During the past five years interest in Azolla as a source of biologically fixed nitrogen for rice has increased dramatically. Azolla cultivation, which developed in conjunction with labor intensive lowland rice cultivation in northern Vietnam and coastal China, is now under study in one or more countries in Africa, Europe, South America, North America, and throughout much of Asia and Southeast Asia. In this paper we review the components of Azolla research we have found useful for evaluating Azolla as a nitrogen source for rice cultivated under mechanization in California, U.S.A. In chronological order these research areas are: defining the limiting conditions for Azolla production within a given region, screening Azolla populations for tolerance to these limiting conditions, optimizing Azolla productivity, and preliminary economic assessment. Concepts related to mechanization of Azolla cultivation and breeding more productive Azolla are also briefly summarized.
Selecting and Interpreting Alcohol Biomarker Tests: Enough to Drive You to Drink.

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs)2 are common and lead to unintentional and intentional health consequences from liver disease to death. Approximately 4% of deaths worldwide are because of an AUD and up to 20% of hospital inpatients have an AUD (1). Treatment of alcohol-dependent individuals varies by clinical setting and physician type (e.g., general practitioners vs addiction specialists). Routine screening and behavioral intervention for alcohol misuse is one of the most cost-effective clinical preventative services and is recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Forces (2, 3). Although various interview formats are used to quantify alcohol intake, such as the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption, laboratory tests for alcohol biomarkers are seen as complementary objective measures to supplement self-reporting and comprehensive patient history/physical examination (4). One of the challenges is selecting an alcohol biomarker and applying appropriate cutoff concentrations to monitor alcohol use/abstinence and …
Micro-Level Welfare Impacts of Agricultural Productivity: Evidence from Rural Malawi

This article analyses the micro-level welfare impacts of agricultural productivity using a two-wave nationally representative, panel data from rural Malawi. Welfare is measured by various dimension...
A Broader Perspective

This concluding chapter considers the broader applications of some of the diagnostic, treatment, research, and service innovations discussed in this book. Specifically, it addresses the challenge of attempting to transpose the modern mental-retardation systems model so as to directly serve chronically mentally ill citizens. The achievements of mental retardation professionals in the last 20 years have been of great importance in demonstrating effective programs and systems for helping chronically disabled persons who had previously been deemed beyond help. It is time to attempt to apply these innovations on a broader scale to meet the needs of other devalued individuals, who, although they are not mentally retarded, could well be served by programs and services previously thought applicable only to the retarded. Of specific concern are the chronically mentally ill and the “at-risk” elderly; it is obvious that, as human service professionals, we must hasten the development of more effective systems of care for promoting the healthy adaptation and societal integration of these individuals.
Attractor sets and multiple equilibria in the resonance of topographically forced waves

The resonance of topographically forced waves is studied using a quasi-geostrophic spectral model on the rotating sphere. The use of complete spectral expansions without truncation leads to the exact solutions of the nonlinear coupling equations by means of the random phase approximation and the projection operator techniques under the dissipation-vanishing limit. The energy transfer process between topographically forced wave ensemble and zonal mean flow is described.
Tissue-Specific Sparse Deconvolution for Low-Dose CT Perfusion

Sparse perfusion deconvolution has been recently proposed to effectively improve the image quality and diagnostic accuracy of low-dose perfusion CT by extracting the complementary information from the high-dose perfusion maps to restore the low-dose using a joint spatio-temporal model. However the low-contrast tissue classes where infarct core and ischemic penumbra usually occur in cerebral perfusion CT tend to be over-smoothed, leading to loss of essential biomarkers. In this paper, we extend this line of work by introducing tissue-specific sparse deconvolution to preserve the subtle perfusion information in the low-contrast tissue classes by learning tissue-specific dictionaries for each tissue class, and restore the low-dose perfusion maps by joining the tissue segments reconstructed from the corresponding dictionaries. Extensive validation on clinical datasets of patients with cerebrovascular disease demonstrates the superior performance of our proposed method with the advantage of better differentiation between abnormal and normal tissue in these patients.
Comparative Methodology as the Human Condition: Conwy Lloyd Morgan and the Use of Animal Models in Science

Conwy Lloyd Morgan's life (1852–1936) was a trajectory of systematic efforts to find answers to basic questions in science. His background is that of a child who was eager to read poetry and the philosophy of Berkeley but who was sent to the Royal School of Mines in London (in 1869) to get a practically useful profession in mining and metallurgy. Morgan imbued a hypothetical chronometer with the power of investigation—the capability to observe the external appearances of other timepieces, as well as that of introspecting about one's internal clockwork. Such a hypothetical chronometer would move from oneself "outwards"—to other similar specimens—while creating an understanding about clocks at large. One's construction of knowledge is strictly based upon experiencing the behavior of others—but understood in terms of one's own introspection. Similarly, psychology has been cross-culturally under-appreciative.
Analysis of Whole-Genome Sequences for the Prediction of Penicillin Resistance and β-Lactamase Activity in Bacillus anthracis

ABSTRACT Penicillin (PEN) is a low-cost option for anthrax treatment, but naturally occurring resistance has been reported. β-Lactamase expression (bla1, bla2) in Bacillus anthracis is regulated by a sigma factor (SigP) and its cognate anti-sigma factor (RsiP). Mutations leading to truncation of RsiP were previously described as a basis for PEN resistance. Here, we analyze whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data and compare the chromosomal sigP-bla1 regions from 374 B. anthracis strains to determine the frequency of mutations, identify mutations associated with PEN resistance, and evaluate the usefulness of WGS for predicting PEN resistance. Few (3.5%) strains contained at least 1 of 11 different mutations in sigP, rsiP, or bla1. Nine of these mutations have not been previously associated with PEN resistance. Four strains showed PEN resistance (PEN-R) by conventional broth microdilution, including 1 strain with a novel frameshift in rsiP. One strain that carries the same rsiP frameshift mutation as that found previously in a PEN-R strain showed a PEN-susceptible (PEN-S) phenotype and exhibited decreased bla1 and bla2 transcription. An unexpectedly small colony size, a reduced growth rate, and undetectable β-lactamase activity levels (culture supernatant and cell lysate) were observed in this PEN-S strain. Sequence analysis revealed mutations in genes associated with growth defects that may contribute to this phenotype. While B. anthracisrsiP mutations cannot be exclusively used to predict resistance, four of the five strains with rsiP mutations were PEN-R. Therefore, the B. anthracissigP-bla1 region is a useful locus for WGS-based PEN resistance prediction, but phenotypic testing remains essential. IMPORTANCE Determination of antimicrobial susceptibility of B. anthracis is essential for the appropriate distribution of antimicrobial agents for postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) and treatment of anthrax. Analysis of WGS data allows for the rapid detection of mutations in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in an isolate, but the presence of a mutation in an AMR gene does not always accurately predict resistance. As mutations in the anti-sigma factor RsiP have been previously associated with high-level penicillin resistance in a limited number of strains, we investigated WGS assemblies from 374 strains to determine the frequency of mutations and performed functional antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Of the five strains that contained mutations in rsiP, only four were PEN-R by functional antimicrobial susceptibility testing. We conclude that while sequence analysis of this region is useful for AMR prediction in B. anthracis, genetic analysis should not be used exclusively and phenotypic susceptibility testing remains essential.