cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial activity against CA-MRSA and treatment of uncomplicated nonpurulent cellulitis.

Evaluation of: Pallin DJ, Binder WD, Allen MB et al. Clinical trial: comparative effectiveness of cephalexin plus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole versus cephalexin alone for treatment of uncomplicated cellulitis: a randomized controlled trial. Clin. Infect. Dis. 56(12), 1754–1762 (2013).The rise of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has complicated the empirical antimicrobial treatment of cellulitis. CA-MRSA is frequently the cause of purulent infections, to include purulent cellulitis. The role of CA-MRSA in nonpurulent cellulitis is less clear. Published clinical practice guidelines suggest that CA-MRSA plays only a minor role in nonpurulent cellulitis and that initial treatment should be primarily directed at β-hemolytic streptococci. Until now, there have been no data from prospective randomized control trials to support this recommendation. In this review, we examine the findings from a recent prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial that refutes th...
James Henry’s Poems and the Aeneidea

The poems—until lately ignored—of the Virgilian scholar James Henry enter into imaginative relation with many classical authors. So it is odd, given Henry’s dedication to the study of the Aeneid, that Virgil seems at first not to figure nearly so prominently as other authors (for instance, those in the satirical tradition, with whom Henry frequently and clearly signals his affinities). But reading Henry’s poems against his Virgilian commentary, the Aeneidea , reveals hidden links, and indicates that the Virgilian presence in Henry’s poems is both more pervasive and subtle than it seems. It is mediated by Henry’s scholarly prose, which in its themes, tone, energy and verbal nuances is strongly continuous with Henry’s poetry.
Does Social Media Influence Consumer Buying Behavior? An Investigation Of Recommendations And Purchases

This research investigates consumers who made a purchase of an item based on the recommendation of a peer or contact via social media (e.g., Facebook; Twitter). Using a sample of 249 consumer purchases, this research analyzes the type of product purchased, the cost of the item, and numerous other product dimensions related to the purchase. Results of the study, along with direction for future research, are presented.
Regional differences in the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of oceanographic habitat used by Steller sea lions

Over the past three decades, the decline and altered spatial distribution of the western stock of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Alaska have been attributed to changes in the distribution or abundance of their prey due to the cumulative effects of fisheries and environmental perturbations. During this period, dietary prey occurrence and diet diversity were related to population decline within metapopulation regions of the western stock of Steller sea lions, suggesting that environmental conditions may be variable among regions. The objective of this study, therefore, was to examine regional differences in the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of oceanographic habitat used by Steller sea lions within the context of recent measures of diet diversity and population trajectories. Habitat use was assessed by deploying satellite-depth recorders and satellite relay data loggers on juvenile Steller sea lions (n ¼ 45) over a five-year period (2000-2004) within four regions of the western stock, including the western, central, and eastern Aleutian Islands, and central Gulf of Alaska. Areas used by sea lions during summer months (June, July, and August) were demarcated using satellite telemetry data and characterized by environmental variables (sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a (chl a)), which possibly serve as proxies for environmental processes or prey. Spatial patterns of SST diversity and Steller sea lion population trends among regions were fairly consistent with trends reported for diet studies, possibly indicating a link between environmental diversity, prey diversity, and distribution or abundance of Steller sea lions. Overall, maximum spatial heterogeneity coupled with minimal temporal variability of SST appeared to be beneficial for Steller sea lions. In contrast, these patterns were not consistent for chl a, and there appeared to be an ecological threshold. Understanding how Steller sea lions respond to measures of environmental heterogeneity will ultimately be useful for implementing ecosystem management approaches and developing additional conservation strategies.
Bibliotherapy as an adjunct to stimulant medication in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

The effectiveness of bibliotherapy as an adjunct to stimulant medication in the treatment of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder was investigated. Subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental group, or the control group. Parents in the experimental group received a written protocol (bibliotherapy) outlining behavioral techniques for managing oppositional child behavior. Results indicated significant differences favoring the experimental group on standardized measures of the intensity of behavior problems in the home, parental knowledge of behavioral principles, and teacher ratings of behavior. This bibliotherapy approach appears to offer an inexpensive adjunct to stimulant medication in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder when individual or group behavior management training is not feasible.
Friends, brokers, and transitivity: Who informs whom in Washington politics?

Why and how do groups share information in politics? Most studies of information exchange in politics focus on individual-level attributes and implicitly assume that communication between any two policy actors is independent of the larger communication network in which they are embedded. We develop a theory stating that the decision of any lobbyist to inform another lobbyist is heavily conditioned upon their mutual relationships to third parties. We analyze over 40,000 dyadic relationships among lobbyists, government agencies, and congressional staff using sociometric data gathered in the 1970s health and energy policy domains. The results cohere with recent findings that lobbyists disproportionately inform those with similar preferences and show in addition that political communication is transitive: holding constant the degree of preference similarity, a lobbyist is more likely to communicate with another lobbyist if their relationship is brokered by a third party.
Effects of interactions on the topological classification of free fermion systems

We describe in detail a counterexample to the topological classification of free fermion systems. We deal with a one-dimensional chain of Majorana fermions with an unusual T symmetry. The topological invariant for the free fermion classification lies in Z, but with the introduction of interactions the Z is broken to Z_8. We illustrate this in the microscopic model of the Majorana chain by constructing an explicit path between two distinct phases whose topological invariants are equal modulo 8, along which the system remains gapped. The path goes through a strongly interacting region. We also find the field-theory interpretation of this phenomenon. There is a second-order phase transition between the two phases in the free theory, which can be avoided by going through the strongly interacting region. We show that this transition is in the two-dimensional Ising universality class, where a first-order phase transition line, terminating at a second-order transition, can be avoided by going through the analog of a high-temperature paramagnetic phase. In fact, we construct the full phase diagram of the system as a function of the thermal operator (i.e., the mass term that tunes between the two phases in the free theory) and two quartic operators, obtaining a first-order Peierls transition region, a second-order transition region, and a region with no transition.
A multidisciplinary approach to assess erectile dysfunction in high-risk cardiovascular patients

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is increasingly considered as one manifestation of systemic vascular disease. Accordingly, ED and coronary artery disease share mutual risk factors and frequently coexist. Sexual health is an important aspect of our patients' lives, and ED is a common concern of the cardiovascular patient. Despite this, sexual function is under-addressed in the cardiac patient. Even when this topic is broached by the primary care physician or urologist, ED frequently remains untreated due to safety concerns involving cardiac disease and other comorbidities. This article describes our experience with this unique patient population, as well as our approach to building a multidisciplinary clinic designed to specifically address the important issue of ED in the cardiac patient.
Cellular repair of CNS disorders: an immunological perspective

Cellular repair is a promising strategy for treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Several strategies have been contemplated including replacement of neurons or glia that have been lost due to injury or disease, use of cellular grafts to modify or augment the functions of remaining neurons and/or use of cellular grafts to protect neural tissue by local delivery of growth or trophic factors. Depending on the specific disease target, there may be one or many cell types that could be considered for therapy. In each case, an additional variable must be considered--the role of the immune system in both the injury process itself and in the response to incoming cells. Cellular transplants can be roughly categorized into autografts, allografts and xenografts. Despite the immunological privilege of the CNS, allografts and xenografts can elicit activation of the innate and adaptive immune system. In this article, we evaluate the various effects that immune cells and signals may have on the survival, proliferation, differentiation and migration/integration of transplanted cells in therapeutic approaches to CNS injury and disease.
The order parameter for the superconducting phases of UPt3

Abstract I review the principal theories that have been proposed for the superconducting phases of UPt3. The detailed H-T phase diagram places constraints on any theory for the multiple superconducting phases. Much attention has been given to the Ginzberg-Landau region of the phase diagram where the phase boundaries of three phases appear to meet at a tetracritical point. It has been argued that the existence of a tetracritical point for all field orientations eliminates the two-dimensional (2D) orbital representations coupled to a symmetry-breaking field (SBF) as a viable theory of these phases and favours either a theory based on two primary order parameters belonging to different irreducible representations that are accidentally degenerate, as described by Chen and Garg 1993, or a spin-triplet, orbital one-dimensional representation with non spin-orbit coupling in the pairing channel, as described by Machida and Ozaki 1991. I comment on the limitations of the models proposed so far for the superconduct...
Caulobacter chromosome segregation is an ordered multistep process

Despite its fundamental nature, bacterial chromosome segregation remains poorly understood. Viewing segregation as a single process caused multiple proposed mechanisms to appear in conflict and failed to explain how asymmetrically dividing bacteria break symmetry to move only one of their chromosomes. Here, we demonstrate that the ParA ATPase extends from one cell pole and pulls the chromosome by retracting upon association with the ParB DNA-binding protein. Surprisingly, ParA disruption has a specific effect on chromosome segregation that only perturbs the latter stages of this process. Using quantitative high-resolution imaging, we demonstrate that this specificity results from the multistep nature of chromosome translocation. We propose that Caulobacter chromosome segregation follows an ordered pathway of events with distinct functions and mechanisms. Initiation releases polar tethering of the origin of replication, distinction spatially differentiates the two chromosomes, and commitment irreversibly translocates the distal centromeric locus. Thus, much as eukaryotic mitosis involves a sequence of distinct subprocesses, Caulobacter cells also segregate their chromosomes through an orchestrated series of steps. We discuss how the multistep view of bacterial chromosome segregation can help to explain and reconcile outstanding puzzles and frame future investigation.
Thermopower Measurement of Cation Distribution in Magnetite

The cation distribution in stoichiometric Fe3O4 was determined from thermopower measurements at 600° to 1500°C. The distribution varies from inverse at low temperature to random at ∼1450°C. The equilibrium constant for cation distribution can be expressed as In KCD=2770/T−1.61, indicating temperature-independent enthalpy and nonconfigurational entropy terms of −23.0 and −13.4 J/mol-K, respectively.
Plastid movement in statocytes of the arg1 (altered response to gravity) mutant

The ability of a plant to respond to gravity is crucial for growth and development throughout the life cycle. A key player in the cellular mechanisms of gravitropism is ARG1 (altered response to gravity), a DnaJ-like protein that associates with components of the vesicular trafficking pathway and carries a C-terminal domain with similarities to cytoskeleton-associated proteins. The arg1-2 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana has reduced and delayed gravitropism in roots, shoots, and inflorescence stems when grown in the light or dark. We performed light microscopic studies of plastid movement in the gravity-perceiving statocytes (endodermal cells) of hypocotyls of arg1-2 and WT light-grown seedlings following reorientation to better characterize the role of ARG1 in gravitropism. Cryofixation/freeze substitution procedures were used because they provide a reliable indication of rapid cellular events within the statocytes. Our results suggest that ARG1 affects gravitropism by reducing plastid movement/sedimentation, a process known to be essential for early phases of signaling cascades in the statocytes.
Coupling of Human δ-Opioid Receptor to Retinal Rod Transducin in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to identify the pertussis toxin (Ptx)-sensitive G protein α-subunit pool in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and mouse fibroblast (B82) cells. We detected the presence of mRNA for G iα2 , G iα3 , and G oα in both cell lines. G iα1 and G αz mRNAs were not detected. We also found a homolog of the retinal rod transducin (G tα1 ) in CHO, and the mouse cone transducin (G tα2 ) in B82 cells. The presence of the transducin α-subunit proteins in CHO and B82 cells was confirmed by immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies. To test the interaction of heterologously expressed receptors with transducin in CHO cells, a Ptx-insensitive (C347S) rod transducin mutant was transfected into a CHO cell line stably expressing the human δ-opioid receptor (hDOR/CHO). (+)-4-[(α R )-α-((2 S ,2 R )-4-allyl-2,5-dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)-3-methoxybenzyl]- N , N -diethylbenzamide, a selective δ-opioid receptor agonist, stimulated guanosine-5′- O -(3-[ 35 S]thio)triphosphate binding by 293 ± 36% after Ptx pretreatment in the mutant cell line with an EC 50 value of 54 ± 32 nM, showing that transducin can functionally couple to the human δ-opioid receptors in these cells.
Influence of stator-rotor gap on axial-turbine unsteady forcing functions

This paper investigates the effects of stator-to-rotor axial gap on the two-dimensional propagation of pressure disturbances due to potential-flo w interaction between the blade rows and viscous-wake effects from upstream blade rows in axial-turbine-blade rotor cascades. Results are obtained by modeling the effects of the upstream stator viscous wake and potential-flowfield on the downstream rotor flowfield, and computing the unsteady flowfields in the rotor frame. The amplitudes of the two types of disturbances for typical turbines are based on a review of available experimental and computational data. The potential-flowfield is modeled as a sinusoidal pressure disturbance of amplitude 4% of the local pressure across the stator trailing edges that decays downstream. This potential-flow disturbance from upstream is affected by the potential-flowfield of the downstream cascade. The velocity wake is modeled as a Gaussian velocity defect of varying amplitude and width, depending on the stator-rotor gap between the blade rows. The wake amplitudes and widths are based on conservation of loss of incoming momentum to the rotor due to the wake. The axial gap between rotor and stator is varied to show how the two disturbances propagating in different directions reinforce or counteract each other at different stator-rotor gaps. The corresponding forces on rotor blades are computed for typical values of reduced frequency. Analyses of this type will enable turbomachinery designers to predict (and with geometric design modifications to reduce) the unsteady stresses acting on turbomachiner y blades.
A First Dilemma in Cardiovascular Medicine: Adherence Versus Personalized Therapy

![Figure][1] Adherence to therapy refers to “the extent to which patients follow a general strategy of medical instructions, this implying an active patient participation about the timing, dosage, and frequency of taking medications, as well as about compliance with health-related
From Culture to Cultural Nationalism: A Study of New Confucianism of the 1980s and 1990s

Having been a prime target of attack and denunciation for more than half a century, Confucianism enjoyed a robust revival in China in the 1980s and 1990s. By all accounts, this resurgence of Confucianism was spectacular. Rather than a relic of feudalism and a stumbling block to Chinese modernity as the May Fourth cultural iconoclasts once described, Confucianism was seen as an indispensible cultural force that would deliver China into global capitalism. Rather than a sociopolitical system that exploited women, peasants, and the poor as the Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution once despised, Confucianism was considered the wellspring of cultural authenticity that would anchor China’s rise in the twenty-first century. A result of this spectacular revival is that Confucianism has become, once again, an important social and cultural force in China after 30 years of absence. This rapid return gives rise to speculations that a transformation “from Communism to Confucianism” is underway. In this chapter, I will analyze the New Confucian research project headed by Fang Keli 方克立. Funded by the Chinese government as part of the seventh (1986–96) and the eighth (1991–95) five year plans for philosophy and the social sciences, Fang’s research project defined the scale and scope of New Confucianism. It also directly linked New Confucianism to Confucian capitalism, thereby inserting the research into the debate of building “socialism with Chinese characteristics.” More importantly, it helped to start a discourse of state-capitalism that focused on modernity rather than revolution.
Aging Farmers and Agricultural Policy

THE PURPOSE of this article is to explore the aging of our farm operators and to suggest some policy implications inherent in that aging. Farmers in the United States are growing old, largely because men once fully committed to farming leave it reluctantly and slowly; but also because young men refuse to enter farming in past numbers as long as income prospects are so poor. Normal aging processes will greatly reduce the number of farmers in another generation, but for the next two decades the proportion of older farmers will rise considerably. Agricultural policy might well be modified to meet the needs of farmers of different ages. Basic to this discussion is the belief that farm policy should be concerned primarily with the welfare of farm people and adapted to their needs. U.S. farm policy over the past three decades has, in my opinion, been excessively preoccupied with agricultural supply and demand relations, price supports, surpluses and related problems. Such matters are important, and farm income directly affects farm family welfare; but there are many other facets to agricultural policy, which in large part have been neglected. It has long been recognized that higher prices for farm commodities mean relatively little to the farmer who has very little to sell; but agricultural programs to aid low income and noncommercial farmers have been few and faltering. The price-support and related programs have focused on land and on output; it is probable that their chief effect has been to bolster farm land values and to maintain or increase land rents.
Mid-IR Laser Filamentation in air at a kHz Repetition Rate

We present 2.1-μm-pumped, self-guided laser filamentation in air at kHz repetition rate. Efficient odd-harmonic generations to 9th order at ultraviolet and extension to mid-IR are observed. Absorption spectroscopy of atmospheric CO2 is demonstrated.
Numerical simulations for aerodynamic derivatives of trestle bridge deck

In order to shorten the designing time and the lower the testing cost,Computational Fluid Dynamics technique was used to analyze the attribution of wind field around the trestle bridge.Aerodynamic derivatives of the trestle bridge deck were identified by using the forced-vibration method and the moving-mesh technology.Under different converted wind speeds,aerodynamic derivative values of the elevated trestle from calculation and from Theodorsen theory,which are close to each other,have similar change trends.This approach gains good effect in the calculation of aerodynamic derivatives on the section of Sotong Bridge.The results indicate that it is feasible to identify aerodynamic derivatives of the trestle bridge with CFD method,which is a highly efficient way to design the trestle bridge considering wind attribution and can be used as a powerful tool for wind tunnel test.
Study on Chemical Controlling Weed in the Potato fields in Northwest Hebei

[Objective] In order to search the effective chemical control method on weed in the potato fields in Northwest Hebei.[Method] Weed control experiment was carried out by 15% Fluazifop emulsifiable concentrate(EC) and 24% oxyfluorfen emulsifiable concentrate(EC) in potato fields which were treated by 48% Trifluralin EC and 50% Acetochlor EC formerly.[Result] The result showed that 50% Acetochlor EC got better effect in germination rate of potato on pre-sowing treatments of soil than 48% Trifluralin EC.Weed could effective controlled by 24% oxyfluorfen EC(300,450 ml/hm2) in pre-sowing treatments of soil by 50% Acetochlor EC.The application time of 24% oxyfluorfen EC was at seedling stage.Using of chemical weed control in potato field,the expenditure could lower and reach to 1 050-1 080 Yuan/hm2 in northwest in Hebei province.[Conclusion] Pre-sowing treatments of soil with chemicals combining with chemical control at seedling stage is a effective way of controlling weed in the potato fields in Northwest Hebei.
Analysis on Non-recurrent Property of Nonlinear Time Series Under the Interference of Random Environment

This paper tries to establish a RENLAR model X n+1 =T(X n)+e n+1 (Z n+1 ) by introducing a random interfe rence into the typical model of nonlinear time series model X n+1 =T (X n)+e n+1 . Utilizing general state space Markov chain theorem, w e find the sufficient condition of RENLAR model as non-recurrent.
RECOGNITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF METAL FRACTURE SURFACE MODELS BASED ON WAVELET TRANSFORM

A new method of recognition and classification of metal fracture surface models based on wavelet transform is presented in the paper. Two-level wavelet transform was applied to fracture surface images by selecting four-point Daubechies wavelet and adopting standard pyramided structure wavelet transform. L1 norm, energy and entropy of each output wavelet transform frequency band are regarded as characteristics of fracture surface classification, and these characteristics are weighted according to their own disperse degrees. Linear minor distance classifier was used to classify six typical fracture surface models: equiaxed dimples, eroded fatigue, stream design, elongated dimples, tenacity fatigue striations and intergranular cracking. Experiment results show that the metal fracture surface models can be properly recognized and classified by means of the proposed method.
Acute graft-versus-host disease

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant and is a reaction of donor immune cells against host tissues. Activated donor T cells damage host epithelial cells after an inflammatory cascade that begins with the preparative regimen. About 35%- 50% of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients will develop acute GVHD. The exact risk is dependent on the stem cell source, age of the patient, conditioning, and GVHD prophylaxis used. Given the number of transplants performed, we can expect about 5500 patients/year to develop acute GVHD. Patients can have involvement of three organs: skin (rash/dermatitis), liver (hepatitis/jaundice), and gastrointestinal tract (abdominal pain/diarrhea). One or more organs may be involved. GVHD is a clinical diagnosis that may be supported with appropriate biopsies. The reason to pursue a tissue biopsy is to help differentiate from other diagnoses which may mimic GVHD, such as viral infection (hepatitis, colitis) or drug reaction (causing skin rash). Acute GVHD is staged and graded (grade 0-IV) by the number and extent of organ involvement. Patients with grade III/IV acute GVHD tend to have a poor outcome. Generally the patient is treated by optimizing their immunosuppression and adding methylprednisolone. About 50% of patients will have a solid response to methylprednisolone. If patients progress after 3 days or are not improved after 7 days, they will get salvage (second-line) immunosuppressive therapy for which there is currently no standard-of-care. Well-organized clinical trials are imperative to better define second- line therapies for this disease. Additional management issues are attention to wound infections in skin GVHD and fluid/nutrition management in gastrointestinal GVHD. About 50% of patients with acute GVHD will eventually have manifestations of chronic GVHD.
The Catholic Herald and VIsitor and the Catholic

Roman Catholic newspapers are important but overlooked sources providing an intimate window into Catholic thought in Civil War–era Pennsylvania. A sizeable portion of Philadelphia's and Pittsburgh's Civil War–era populations were Roman Catholic, mostly recent Irish and German immigrants. Indeed, an estimated 225,000 Philadelphians were Catholic; the diocese included 160 churches, 158 priests, and three colleges by 1861. In Pittsburgh, there were an estimated 50,000 Catholics, 86 priests, 77 churches, and one college. Throughout the conflict, Philadelphia's Catholics found a voice in the Catholic Herald and Visitor. Catholics in western Pennsylvania published their own weekly in Pittsburgh named the Catholic. For most of the war, the Herald was the "official organ" of Bishop James Wood of Philadelphia, while the Catholic was published with the approbation of Pittsburgh's Bishop Michael Domenec. These weeklies were the only locally edited English-language Catholic papers in the state, a fact that gave them an important role in shaping Catholic opinion in Pennsylvania during the Civil War.
The Evolution of Epigenetics: From Prokaryotes to Humans and Its Biological Consequences

The evolution process includes genetic alterations that started with prokaryotes and now continues in humans. A distinct difference between prokaryotic chromosomes and eukaryotic chromosomes involves histones. As evolution progressed, genetic alterations accumulated and a mechanism for gene selection developed. It was as if nature was experimenting to optimally utilize the gene pool without changing individual gene sequences. This mechanism is called epigenetics, as it is above the genome. Curiously, the mechanism of epigenetic regulation in prokaryotes is strikingly different from that in eukaryotes, mainly higher eukaryotes, like mammals. In fact, epigenetics plays a significant role in the conserved process of embryogenesis and human development. Malfunction of epigenetic regulation results in many types of undesirable effects, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. This review provides a comparative analysis and new insights into these aspects.
Protostring scattering amplitudes

We calculate some tree-level scattering amplitudes for a generalization of the protostring, which is a novel string model implied by the simplest string bit models. These bit models produce a light-cone world sheet which supports $s$ integer moded Grassmann fields. In the generalization we supplement this Grassmann world-sheet system with $d=24\ensuremath{-}s$ transverse coordinate world-sheet fields. The protostring corresponds to $s=24$ and the bosonic string to $s=0$. The interaction vertex is a simple overlap with no operator insertions at the break/join point. Assuming that $s$ is even we calculate the multistring scattering amplitudes by bosonizing the Grassmann fields, each pair equivalent to one compactified bosonic field, and applying Mandelstam's interacting string formalism to a system of $s/2$ compactified and $d$ uncompactified bosonic world-sheet fields. We obtain all amplitudes for open strings with no oscillator excitations and for closed strings with no oscillator excitations and zero winding number. We then study in detail some simple special cases. Multistring processes with maximal helicity violation have much simpler amplitudes. We also specialize to general four-string amplitudes and discuss their high energy behavior. Most of these models are not covariant under the full Lorentz group $O(d+1,1)$. The exceptions are the bosonic string whose Lorentz group is $O(25,1)$ and the protostring whose Lorentz group is $O(1,1)$. The models in between only enjoy an $O(1,1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}O(d)$ spacetime symmetry.
A Novel Visualization Tool for Evaluating the Accuracy of 3D Sensing and Reconstruction Algorithms for Automatic Dormant Pruning Applications

Agricultural tree pruning is one of the most essential procedures in specialty crop production. During winter, skilled workers have to remove certain primary branches of the dormant trees in order to increase the productivity of those trees. The process is particularly challenging as it needs huge workforce and costs, besides, seasonal availability of skilled workers. In this paper, we introduce a novel multifunctional graphical user interface which operates in two different modes, namely, manual and automatic, and serves the following purposes - (1) validating 3D reconstruction algorithms, (2) automating the decision making process for selecting candidate branches to be pruned, (3) providing an easy interface with any robotic pruners, (4) training unskilled seasonal pruners, and (5) disseminating the knowledge. The paper describes the operating modes of the proposed tool and highlights various features and functionalities of the software by conducting experiments on an exemplar apple tree.
CLINICAL PRACTICE. Acute Sinusitis in Adults.

Key Clinical PointsAcute Sinusitis in Adults The diagnosis of acute bacterial sinusitis is based on the presence of purulent nasal discharge accompanied by nasal obstruction; facial pain, pressure, or fullness; or both that persists for at least 10 days without improvement or worsens within 10 days after initial improvement. Analgesics, nasal irrigation with saline, and topical intranasal glucocorticoids or decongestants may be used to relieve symptoms. Randomized trials that primarily involve otherwise healthy nonpregnant adults seen in primary care settings have compared watchful waiting (without antibiotics) with initial antibiotic therapy. These trials have shown small clinical benefits of antibiotics over placebo (number needed to treat to reduce symptoms, 7 to 18). Both of these approaches are valid initial management options. Watchful waiting is offered only if the clinician is sure that the patient will return for follow-up if the symptoms do not decrease. Antibiotic therapy is initiated if the pa...
Finite stage asymmetric repeated games: Both players' viewpoints

In asymmetric zero-sum games, one player has superior information about the game over the other. It is known that the informed players (maximizer) face the tradeoff of exploiting its superior information at the cost of revealing its superior information, but the basic point of the uninformed player (minimizer)'s decision making remains unknown. This paper studies the finite stage asymmetric repeated games from both players' viewpoints, and derives that not only security strategies but also the opponents' corresponding best responses depends only on the informed player's history action sequences. Moreover, efficient LP formulations to compute both player's security strategies are provided.
Usability evaluation of an emergency department information system prototype designed using cognitive systems engineering techniques

This article presents an evaluation of novel display concepts for an emergency department information system (EDIS) designed using cognitive systems engineering methods. EDISs assist emergency medicine staff with tracking patient care and ED resource allocation. Participants performed patient planning and orientation tasks using the EDIS displays and rated the display's ability to support various cognitive performance objectives along with the usability, usefulness, and predicted frequency of use for 18 system components. Mean ratings were positive for cognitive performance support objectives, usability, usefulness, and frequency of use, demonstrating the successful application of design methods to create useful and usable EDIS concepts that provide cognitive support for emergency medicine staff. Nurse and provider roles had significantly different perceptions of the usability and usefulness of certain EDIS components, suggesting that they have different information needs while working.
Re-irradiation for recurrent and second primary cancers of the head and neck.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate a single-institutional experience with the use of re-irradiation for recurrent and new primary cancers of the head and neck. Methods The medical charts of 80 consecutive patients who underwent re-irradiation for local-regionally recurrent or second primary head and neck cancer between November 1998 and December 2015 were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard and logistic regression to determine predictors of clinical outcomes. Results Seventy-six of the 80 patients were evaluable. The median age was 57.5 (range 26.6–84.9); Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was used in 71 (93.4%) patients with a median dose of 60 Gy. Thirty-one patients (40.8%) underwent salvage surgery before re-irradiation and 47 (61.8%) received concurrent systemic therapy. The median time interval between radiation courses was 25.3 months (range 2–322 months). The 2-year estimates of overall survival, progression free survival, locoregional control, and distant control were 51.0%, 31.3%, 36.8% and 68.3%, respectively. Patients who underwent salvage surgery prior to re-irradiation had significantly improved locoregional control, progression free survival, and overall survival (p Conclusions Re-irradiation for recurrent or second primary head and neck cancer is feasible and effective in select patients with head and neck cancer. The high observed rate of treatment-related morbidity highlights the continue challenges that accompany this approach.
Using corn gluten feed in post-partum diets of young beef cows to optimize reproductive performance

Forty-eight primiparous and diparous Angus-Simmental cows were fed 1 of 3 diets; 1) total mixed ration (TMR) based of corn silage and corn stalks (CON), 2) TMR with 3.3 kg/d DM of corn gluten feed (CGF; MID), or 3) TMR with 6.7 kg/d DM of CGF (HIGH). From 11 ± 5 days post-partum (DPP) to 105 ± 5 DPP, all diets were formulated to be isocaloric for a post-partum ADG targeted at 0.22 kg, but CP exceeded requirements in both CGF diets. Blood samples were collected from cows starting at trial initiation until estrous synchronization for determination of plasma progesterone concentration (7 d intervals), as an indicator of resumption of cyclicity, as well as for plasma urea nitrogen (PUN; 21 d intervals). Milk production was assessed at 62 ± 5 DPP via a weigh-suckle-weigh procedure, and milk samples were collected at 64 ± 5 DPP for composition analysis. A 5 d Co-Synch + Control Internal Drug Release (CIDR) protocol was used and cows were bred by timed artificial insemination (TAI). Trans-rectal ultrasonography was used for the evaluation of the dominant follicle at TAI, as well as pregnancy diagnosis. Nineteen days post-TAI, cow and calf pairs were managed as a single group until weaning (205 ± 5 DPP) and exposed to natural mating for a total of a 60 d breeding season. Dam ADG was not significantly different among treatments (P = 0.849), but, DMI decreased with increasing CGF in the diet (P = 0.049). There were no differences in final BW (P = 0.779), however, final BCS was lower in the HIGH treatment when compared to the MID (P = 0.042). Milk production (P = 0.457), as well as, milk components (P ≥ 0.188) were not different, with the exception of milk fat, which tended to be greater in the HIGH treatment (P = 0.059) when compared to the MID. A treatment by week interaction (P < 0.0001) was found for PUN concentrations. Concentrations were greater in the HIGH treatment compared to the MID treatment at 63, 84, and 105 d, and greater than the CON treatment at all time points except d-42. There were no differences in resumption of cyclicity (P = 0.419), dominant follicle (P = 0.648), or TAI conception rates (P = 0.761). However, season long pregnancy rates were significantly greater in the CGF treatments when compared to the CON (P = 0.009). In summary, feeding high or intermediate amounts of CGF neither has a positive nor negative effect on TAI conception rates of beef cows, however, it positively affected season long pregnancy.
Quarrying History and Use of the Buena Vista Freestone, South-Central Ohio: Understanding the 19th Century Industrial Development of a Geological Resource

The Buena Vista Member of the Mississippian Cuyahoga Formation is an economically valuable freestone that is homogeneous with almost no sedimentary structures. The Buena Vista was one of the earliest clastic rocks quarried in Ohio. Early quarries dating at least back to 1814 were located in the hills on the north bank of the Ohio River near the village of Buena Vista, south-central Ohio. By the 1830s, quarries had also opened up along the route of the Ohio & Erie Canal in the Portsmouth area to the east; followed by quarries that opened along a railway line that ran north up the Scioto River valley. Waterways transported the Buena Vista to many cities and towns, including Cincinnati, Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana, on the Ohio River, New Orleans on the Mississippi River, and Dayton and Columbus on the Ohio canal system. Later railways transported this stone further afield to Illinois, Wisconsin, and Alberta. Census reports, industry magazines, and other historical accounts document the use of this stone across much of the eastern US and into Canada. Historically, it has been used for a variety of items, including entire buildings, canal structures, fence posts, and laundry tubs. Some 19th-century structures built with this stone remain in cities where it was once commonly used. Literature reviews, field observations, and lab analyses are here compiled as a useful reference to both the urban and field geologist in the identification of the Buena Vista Member, a historically important building stone, in buildings and outcrops, respectively.
Students in Fully Online Programs Report More Positive Attitudes toward Science Than Students in Traditional, In-Person Programs

Following the growth of online, higher-education courses, academic institutions are now offering fully online degree programs. Yet it is not clear how students who enroll in fully online degree programs are similar to those students who enroll in in-person ("traditional") degree programs. Because previous work has shown students' attitudes toward science can affect their performance in a course, it is valuable to ask how attitudes toward science differ between these two populations. We studied students who completed a fully online astrobiology course. In an analysis of 451 student responses to the Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience survey, we found online program students began the course with a higher scientific sophistication and a higher sense of personal value of science than those in traditional programs. Precourse attitudes also showed some predictive power of course grades among online students, but not for traditional students. Given established relationships between feelings of personal value, intrinsic motivation, and, in turn, traits such as persistence, our results suggest that open-ended or exploration-based learning may be more engaging to online program students due to their pre-existing attitudes. The converse may also be true, that certain pre-existing attitudes among online program students are more detrimental than they are for traditional program students.
Don Quixote’s Affective Thoughts

Although much recent work in neurocognitive science and evolutionary studies concludes that emotion and feeling both underlie and provide biological support for a range of cognitive functions, and that emotion and reason are no more separable than are mind and brain or nature and nurture, this study of Don Quixote’s “affective thoughts” is focused not on demonstrating that feeling influences, colors, or determines Don Quixote’s thinking, but rather is concerned with the way that Cervantes deals with his protagonist’s thoughts and feelings at a few specific times in his novel. That is to say, the essay is concerned with the narrative technique employed in the novel at certain crucial moments in Don Quixote’s life. Cervantes’ narrative technique is contrasted with that of other, chronologically later, writers often admired for the way they deal with the psychology of their characters. Dealing with the presentation of thought and affect in literature in terms of Theory of Mind and empathy, this chapter maintains that Cervantes is an extraordinary master of narrative presentation of inferential thought, which is neither direct thought, thought report, nor free indirect thought. Rather, it is stated or implied that the character is thinking, but there is no specific indication of what those thoughts might be. The narrator and/or the characters establish a context by means of what they say and/or do and the reader must infer what the character is thinking.
Cognitive and Physical Aging: Genetic Influences and Gene–Environment Interplay

Maintaining or stimulating cognitive functioning while offsetting the extent and timing of cognitive decline, particularly reducing dementia risk, has become of principal importance to the research community and to the related industries that have emerged with respect to brain training and other health-promoting activities. Past research has attempted to distinguish normative cognitive change from dementia-related loss, however, the new criteria for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) recognize a potentially long pre-clinical period (10 years or longer) under which physiological changes occur before clear clinical signs are manifest. This stance implies: (i) that the etiologies underlying normative cognitive change and dementia risk may be partly shared, and (ii) that physiological changes occurring before clinical signs of dementia may indicate a shared etiology or even dynamic relationships between physical and cognitive functioning. Thus, in this chapter while focusing on relevant research in normative cognitive aging, we must also consider the associated etiologies of dementia and physical aging. Building on earlier Handbook chapters, we highlight newer directions in cross-domain work with physical aging traits (e.g., body mass index, pulmonary functioning, blood pressure, heart rate variability, grip strength, functional ability), measured genetic and environmental influences, and biological markers of gene–environment interplay processes.
Intergenerational associations of the approximate number system in toddlers and their parents.

From birth, humans are able to discriminate quantities using the approximate number system (ANS). However, previous methods have only been suitable to examine ANS functioning in infancy and older children. The goals of this study were twofold: first, to modify an existing method of assessing ANS functioning for toddlerhood; and second, to investigate individual differences in toddlers' ANS performance by examining correlations with their parents' ANS acuity. Using a preferential looking paradigm, we found that 1- to 3-year-olds (N = 46) looked significantly longer to numerically changing images compared to numerically constant ones suggesting that the paradigm is a suitable measure of ANS functioning in toddlerhood. Furthermore, we found a positive relation between toddlers' ANS performance and that of their parents (assessed using a non-symbolic number comparison task) independent of children's vocabulary or parents' perceived math ability or preference for math. These findings are consistent with a specific intergenerational transmission of the ANS. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Past methods used to examine ANS functioning were only suitable for infants and older children. Little research has examined sources underlying individual difference in ANS acuity. What does this study add? We developed a preferential looking task to assess ANS functioning in toddlerhood. Individual differences in toddlers' ANS functioning are correlated with their parents' ANS acuity.
Palestine and the Olympics – A History

When Palestinian runner Majdi Abu Marahil crossed the finish line in the men’s 10,000-metre race at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, a decades-long struggle to have Palestine participate in the Olympics ...
Gathered Food and Culture Change:: Traditions in Transition in Northeastern Thailand

The traditional diet in Northeastern Thailand is widely known for its non-domesticated, gathered food component. In this region, gathered food especially plants, can act as a link among individuals, families and community members. Women's gathering activities create an intensive interaction between members of the community and the plant resources. These interactions are being affected by the recent increase in the marketing of gathered food resources. Changes are occurring in the selection and management of certain plants, in gathering practices, in dietary patterns, and in social relationships involving reciprocity and exchange of gathered food. These findings are discussed in the context of increasing participation in the cash economy and regional environmental changes.
Convergence Rate of the P-Algorithm for Optimization of Continuous Functions

The P-algorithm is an adaptive algorithm for approximating the global minimum of a continuous function on an interval, motivated by viewing the function as a sample path of a Gaussian process. In this paper we analyze the convergence of the P-algorithm for arbitrary continuous functions, as well as under the assumption of Wiener measure on the objective functions. In both cases the convergence rate is described in terms of a parameter of the algorithm and a functional of the objective function.