cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diurnal variation in water vapor over North America and its implications for sampling errors in radiosonde humidity

[1] Diurnal variations in atmospheric water vapor are studied by analyzing 30-min-averaged data of atmospheric precipitable water (PW) for 1996–2000 derived from Global Position System (GPS) observations from 54 North America stations. Vertical structures in the diurnal cycle of atmospheric water vapor are examined using 3-hourly radiosonde data from Lamont, Oklahoma, during the 1994–2000 period. Significant diurnal variations of PW are found over most of the stations. The diurnal (24 hour) cycle, S1, which explains over 50% of the subdaily variance, has an amplitude of 1.0–1.8 mm over most of the central and eastern United States during summer and is weaker in other seasons. The S1 peaks around noon in winter and from midafternoon to midnight in summer. The semidiurnal (12 hour) cycle is generally weak, with an amplitude of a few tenths of 1 mm. At Lamont, specific humidity in the free troposphere is significantly higher in the early morning (0000–0008 local solar time (LST)) than during the day (0800–1800 LST). This diurnal variation changes little from ∼4 to 16 km above the ground. Near the surface, specific humidity tends to be lower in the morning than in the afternoon and evening in all seasons except summer. This near-surface diurnal cycle propagates upward through the lower troposphere (up to ∼4 km). Errors in seasonal mean humidity due to undersampling the diurnal cycle with twice-daily synoptic soundings (at 0000 and 1200 UTC) are generally small (within ±3% or ±0.5 mm for PW), but it can easily reach 5–10% if there is only one random sounding per day. Several physical processes are proposed that could contribute to the diurnal variations in atmospheric water vapor.
Arabidopsis abi1-1 and abi2-1 Phosphatase Mutations Reduce Abscisic Acid–Induced Cytoplasmic Calcium Rises in Guard Cells

Elevations in cytoplasmic calcium ([Ca(2)+](cyt)) are an important component of early abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction. To determine whether defined mutations in ABA signal transduction affect [Ca(2)+](cyt) signaling, the Ca(2)+-sensitive fluorescent dye fura 2 was loaded into the cytoplasm of Arabidopsis guard cells. Oscillations in [Ca(2)+](cyt) could be induced when the external calcium concentration was increased, showing viable Ca(2)+ homeostasis in these dye-loaded cells. ABA-induced [Ca(2)+](cyt) elevations in wild-type stomata were either transient or sustained, with a mean increase of approximately 300 nM. Interestingly, ABA-induced [Ca(2)+](cyt) increases were significantly reduced but not abolished in guard cells of the ABA-insensitive protein phosphatase mutants abi1 and abi2. Plasma membrane slow anion currents were activated in wild-type, abi1, and abi2 guard cell protoplasts by increasing [Ca(2)+](cyt), demonstrating that the impairment in ABA activation of anion currents in the abi1 and abi2 mutants was bypassed by increasing [Ca(2)+](cyt). Furthermore, increases in external calcium alone (which elevate [Ca(2)+](cyt)) resulted in stomatal closing to the same extent in the abi1 and abi2 mutants as in the wild type. Conversely, stomatal opening assays indicated different interactions of abi1 and abi2, with Ca(2)+-dependent signal transduction pathways controlling stomatal closing versus stomatal opening. Together, [Ca(2)+](cyt) recordings, anion current activation, and stomatal closing assays demonstrate that the abi1 and abi2 mutations impair early ABA signaling events in guard cells upstream or close to ABA-induced [Ca(2)+](cyt) elevations. These results further demonstrate that the mutations can be bypassed during anion channel activation and stomatal closing by experimental elevation of [Ca(2)+](cyt).
Optimal PID controller design using standard optimal control techniques

An optimal PID controller design procedure is formulated for 2nd order systems where the computation of the PID gains is equivalent to a state feedback design problem. As a result, any optimal state feedback control design method can be used. Furthermore, this method can be extended to higher order systems using model reduction techniques. The procedure is verified experimentally using a ball and beam apparatus.
Activity patterns in New Kingdom Nubia: An examination of entheseal remodeling and osteoarthritis at Tombos

The effects of Egyptian imperial expansion into Nubia during the New Kingdom Period (1,550–1,069 BC) have been debated. Here, the impacts of the Egyptian Empire are investigated through an examination of osteological indicators of activity at the archaeological site of Tombos. Entheseal changes to fibrocartilaginous attachment sites and osteoarthritis are examined to infer what types of physical activities this colonial town was engaging in. Many of the skeletal remains at Tombos were comingled due to looting in antiquity; undisturbed burials are presented as a subsample of the population (n = 28) in which age, sex, and body size can be considered. The total sample (n = 85) is then analyzed to better understand overall levels of activity. A number of Nile River Valley bioarchaeological samples are used as points of comparison to the Tombos population. Results indicate that the inhabitants of Tombos had relatively low entheseal remodeling scores; this is highlighted when Tombos is juxtaposed with comparative samples, particularly in men. Furthermore, osteoarthritis, as assessed by eburnation, was also markedly infrequent at Tombos. Collectively, these results indicate a relatively low level of activity and support the hypothesis that Tombos may have served as an administrative center. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Low control voltage programming of floating gate MOSFETs and applications

Programming of EEPROM devices fabricated in standard processes often requires voltages that exceed the bulk-drain breakdown voltages of integrated circuits, making the full integration of the programming circuitry difficult. This paper presents a modified EEPROM device with two tunneling injectors that allows bidirectional, accurately controlled programming with voltages in the range of normal supply voltages. Additionally, two static voltages are required. This scheme allows full integration of the programming circuitry on chip. Applications in the areas of offset reduction for OPAMPs in clocked and continuous time systems as well as in neural network learning are presented. >
Genre, Activity, and Collaborative Work and Play in World of Warcraft: Places and Problems of Open Systems in Online Gaming

This article examines the characteristics of collaborative work and overlapping activity systems in the popular online game World of Warcraft. Using genre theory and activity theory as frames to work out the genre ecology of gameplay, the article focuses on how players coordinate ad hoc grouping activity across and through genres. It articulates the related development of open systems in online gaming in a discussion of interface modifications (AddOns) and online information databases that players generate, drawing on De Certeau's formulation of strategies and tactics and Warner's discussion of publics and counterpublics. The article concludes by discussing implications of online gaming for an open-systems approach to information design in professional communication and for professional communication in general.
Using Log Assignments to Foster Learning: Revisiting Writing across the Curriculum

During the past several years, the authors have conducted experiments in the use of writing to learn (WTL) techniques in sophomore-level engineering mechanics courses at West Virginia University (WVU). The work was a collaborative effort between a doctoral candidate in the Curriculum and Instruction Department and an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. This paper focuses on the effectiveness of several writing to learn strategies, assigned and completed in the Engineer's Log, which students identified as successful methods for learning. We present and discuss these strategies using sample log entries to illustrate their use and to suggest that expressive writing, or writing for the self, continues to prove itselfa successful technique for learning. Finally, we evaluate the data provided and discuss our results.
Measure and Topology

As the chapter title indicates, our purpose here is to study measures on classes of subsets of certain topological spaces. Given a topological space X, measures with pertinent properties will be studied on σ-rings and σ-algebras generated by the compact subsets of X, the closed subsets of X, the compact G δ subsets of X, or others. For the most part, X will be taken as a locally compact topological space.
A resource allocation approach for supporting time-critical applications in grid environments

There are many grid-based applications where a timely response to an important event is needed. Often such response can require a significant computation and possibly communication, and it can be very challenging to complete it within the time-frame the response is needed. At the same time, there could be application-specific flexibility in the computation that may be desired. We have been developing an autonomic middleware targeting this class of applications.
Multisurface method of pattern separation

Let two sets of patterns be represented by two finite point sets in an n -dimensional Euclidean space E^{n} . If the convex hulls of the two sets do not intersect, the sets can be strictly separated by a plane. Such a plane can be constructed by the Motzkin-Schoenberg error-correction procedure or by linear programming. More often than not, however, the convex hulls of the two point sets do intersect, in which case strict separation by a plane is not possible any more. One may then resort to separation by more than one plane. In this paper, we show how two sets can be strictly separated by one or more planes or surfaces (nonlinear manifolds) via linear programming. A computer program that implements the present method has been written and successfully tested on a number of real problems.
Decomposition of functions into pairs of intrinsic mode functions

The intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) arise as basic modes from the application of the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) to functions or signals. In this procedure, instantaneous frequencies are subsequently extracted from the IMFs by the simple application of the Hilbert transform, thereby providing a multiscale analysis of the signal's nonlinear phases. The beauty of this redundant representation method is in its simplicity and extraordinary effectiveness in many important and diverse settings. A fundamental issue in the field is to better understand these demonstrated qualities of the EMD procedures and the elementary modes they produce. For example, it is easily observed that when an EMD procedure is applied to the sum of two arbitrary IMFs, the original modes are rarely reproduced in the generated collection of IMFs. An interesting question from a representation point of view may be stated as follows: for any given sufficiently smooth function and fixed n ≥2, when is it possible to represent the function as a sum of (at most) n intrinsic modes? A more interesting question is whether such a decomposition is possible when the extracted modes are constructed from a common formulation of the intrinsic properties of the function being analysed. We provide an answer to these questions for a relaxed version of IMFs, called weak IMFs , which has been shown to be characterized in terms of eigenfunctions of Sturm–Liouville operators. The objective of this study is to further extend that analogy to the relationship between sums of weak IMFs and coupled Sturm–Liouville systems . The construction of this decomposition also provides a guide to an alternate characterization of the instantaneous frequency and bandwidth.
Antibodies to Avian Influenza Viruses in Canada Geese (Branta canadensis): A Potential Surveillance Tool?

Traditionally, the epidemiology of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds has been defined by detection of virus or viral RNA through virus isolation or reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Our goals were to estimate AIV antibody prevalence in Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and measure effects of age and location on these estimates. We collected 3,205 samples from nine states during June and July 2008 and 2009: Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, and West Virginia. Serum samples were tested for AIV antibodies with the use of a commercial blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Overall, 483 (15%) Canada geese had detectable antibodies to AIV. Significantly higher prevalences were detected in geese collected from northeastern and upper midwestern states compared with southeastern states. This trend is consistent with results from virus isolation studies reporting AIV prevalence in North American dabbling ducks. Within Pennsylvania, significantly higher antibody prevalences were detected in goose flocks sampled in urban locations compared to flocks sampled in rural areas. Antibody prevalence was significantly higher in after-hatch-year geese compared to hatch-year geese. No significant differences in prevalence were detected from 10 locations sampled during both years. Results indicate that Canada geese are frequently exposed to AIVs and, with resident populations, may potentially be useful as sentinels to confirm regional AIV transmission within wild bird populations.
On the Control of Environmental Conditions Using Personal Ventilation Systems

The concept of personal control is examined as this relates to the conceptual design of personal ventilation systems based upon the body's physiological and psychological homeostatic requirements. Literature on the effects of personal control of environmental conditions is reviewed. The concept of a “just noticeable difference in discomfort” that underpins the desire to initiate some personal control action is discussed. The concept of personal control is symmetrical for thermal conditions (hot or cold) but, apart from some pleasant fragrances, is asymmetric for indoor air quality (where less pollution is better). Factors that may influence the exercise of personal control will be summarized. Finally, important information for the design of PVS systems that are both energy efficient and effective in optimizing the micro-environmental conditions for workplace employees will be presented.
The Licensing of Null Arguments in American Sign Language

The distribution of null arguments across languages has been accounted for in terms of two distinct strategies: licensing by agreement and licensing by topic. Lillo-Martin (1986, 1991) claims that American Sign Language (ASL) exploits both strategies for licensing null arguments, depending on the morphological characteristics of the verb. Here we show that this is incorrect. Once the nonmanual correlates of agreement features (comparable to the nonmanual expressions of other syntactic features) in ASL are recognized, it becomes apparent that null arguments in this language are systematically licensed by an expression of syntactic agreement.
S/sup 2/YSCODE: a software laboratory for stochastic systems control and decision algorithms, FORTRAN and MATLAB versions

This paper presents an overview of the architecture and main features of S/sup 2/YSCODE, a software laboratory for stochastic systems control and decision algorithms. There are two versions currently available, one in FORTRAN 77 and the other a fully transportable MATLAB version. Our principal aims have been to develop a user-friendly, interactive and transportable software laboratory. The current state of development makes S/sup 2/YSCODE specially well suited for pedagogical purposes. The current focus is towards the implementation of algorithms better suited for large scale problems. >
Selective Disruption of One Cartesian Axis of Cortical Maps and Receptive Fields by Deficiency in Ephrin-As and Structured Activity

The topographic representation of visual space is preserved from retina to thalamus to cortex. We have previously shown that precise mapping of thalamocortical projections requires both molecular cues and structured retinal activity. To probe the interaction between these two mechanisms, we studied mice deficient in both ephrin-As and retinal waves. Functional and anatomical cortical maps in these mice were nearly abolished along the nasotemporal (azimuth) axis of the visual space. Both the structure of single-cell receptive fields and large-scale topography were severely distorted. These results demonstrate that ephrin-As and structured neuronal activity are two distinct pathways that mediate map formation in the visual cortex and together account almost completely for the formation of the azimuth map. Despite the dramatic disruption of azimuthal topography, the dorsoventral (elevation) map was relatively normal, indicating that the two axes of the cortical map are organized by separate mechanisms.
A moment for reflection.

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. –Charles Dickens I am writing this editorial shortly after the New Year's holiday. Unlike my more junior partners and trainees (and a younger version of myself), I am finding that in my sixth decade New Year means something different to me. I typically use it as a time for reflection on the past year and a time to set goals for the upcoming year. I find this to be the perfect a period for such rumination—a fresh start, brand new eyes on the excitement for the coming year, time to turn the page, etc. Plus, it provides for me an excuse to go to bed long before the stroke of midnight—you know, so I have time to think. In reality, one change I have noticed over the years is that my reflections and anticipation toward the New Year have taken a decidedly less individualistic tone. As a younger interventionalist, my goals largely revolved around issues centered on family, financial security, and personal and professional growth. Although the first priority has not changed, the second has lessened somewhat—and the last is almost now nonexistent on my list for 2015. I would like to consider that change a form of maturity (rather than laziness or lack of energy—do not judge), but I will note that it is a nearly palpable change. Perhaps, it is the slow transition into making positive changes in the world for one's children/grandchildren; perhaps, it is the need to feel that we are put on this world for some purpose greater than personal growth; or perhaps, it is indeed just a natural lack of drive that comes with age (maturity, please). Regardless of the cause, I am pleased with the change. My wife and I were out to dinner with friends a couple of weeks back. Tim and Valerie are two Emergency Medicine doctors at my current hospital, and both have been very actively involved in global health initiatives. I believe Tim is my age or perhaps a couple of years older—either way, we are at essentially the same stage professionally and personally. During the evening, conversation turned toward their volunteer efforts around the world. I could not help but wonder to myself how people like these two, who see such tragedy in their worldly travels, can keep their emotions in check and their perspective intact when they come back to the United States. How does one go from watching children die for lack of basic medical necessities to being empathic toward a middle-aged American complaining about their wait times for a knee MRI? I am convinced that I am not graced with whatever skill set these two possess—but I must admit how inspiring it is to listen to caring physicians like them. There are many ways we can contribute to greater society. Some of us will contribute as physicians, some as parents, some as spouses or partners, and some as adult children. Various venues give us the opportunity to meaningfully contribute, whether that is through our own communities or more globally. One thing of which I am convinced is that we all have certain choices to make, and those who give back always seem the most at peace.
A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase Domain 17 Regulates Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells and Chemosensitivity Via Notch1 Signaling

Evidence is accumulating for the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in mediating chemoresistance in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 17 (ADAM17; also known as tumor necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme [TACE]) was shown to be overexpressed and to mediate cell proliferation and chemoresistance in CRC cells. However, its role in mediating the CSC phenotype in CRC has not been well-characterized. The objective of the present study was to determine whether ADAM17 regulates the CSC phenotype in CRC and to elucidate the downstream signaling mechanism that mediates cancer stemness. We treated established CRC cell lines and a newly established human CRC cell line HCP-1 with ADAM17-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) or the synthetic peptide inhibitor TAPI-2. The effects of ADAM17 inhibition on the CSC phenotype and chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in CRC cells were examined. siRNA knockdown and TAPI-2 decreased the protein levels of cleaved Notch1 (Notch1 intracellular domain) and HES-1 in CRC cells. A decrease in the CSC phenotype was determined by sphere formation and ALDEFLUOR assays. Moreover, TAPI-2 sensitized CRC cells to 5-FU by decreasing cell viability and the median lethal dose of 5-FU and increasing apoptosis. We also showed the cleavage and release of soluble Jagged-1 and -2 by ADAM17 in CRC cells. Our studies have elucidated a role of ADAM17 in regulating the CSC phenotype and chemoresistance in CRC cells. The use of drugs that inhibit ADAM17 activity might increase the therapeutic benefit to patients with mCRC and, potentially, those with other solid malignancies.
Behavioral Law and Economics, Paternalism, and Consumer Contracts: An Empirical Perspective

Modern legal scholars frequently and increasingly base their analyses on the assumption, grounded largely in the extensive experimental literature, that individuals are subject to a number of systematic behavioral biases. Within the legal literature, behavioral economic analysis has been relied upon to generate a significant number of proposals for paternalistic regulation. These proposals are frequently accompanied by claims that neoclassical economics is insufficiently flexible to deal with these empirical observations, and that behavioral law and economics is as a superior guide for policy analysis. These claims must ultimately be resolved empirically and turn on whether incorporating insights from behavioral economics improves our ability to explain the law, understand the behavior of economic agents, or predict the consequences of legal change. This paper focuses on the shared interest of both neoclassical and behavioral economists in empiricism and explanatory power. It asks whether behavioral economic analysis of law has increased our knowledge in an area of "consumer contracts." Specifically, the paper surveys the available empirical evidence to assess claims from the behavioral law and economics literature involving exploitation of consumer biases with credit cards, standard form contracts, and shelf space contracts. I find that the empirical studies of firm and consumer behavior in these examples do not support the claims that behavioral law and economics generates greater predictive power than conventional price theory.
Rational approaches to osteoporosis therapy.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews pharmacological approaches to limiting bone loss and restoring bone mass. As effective intervention strategies must be founded on an understanding of the factors that regulate bone mass and the mechanisms by which they operate. The chapter summarizes human-skeletal organization, the central role of bone remodeling, the acquisition and maintenance of bone mass through life, and the structural characteristics of osteoporosis. Bone fragility depends on its material properties of which mineral content is an important component, as well as on its microarchitecture and geometry. Age-related trabecular bone loss is manifest not simply as a global loss of bone mass, but is characterized by a loss of trabecular connectivity and increased porosity. Bisphosphonates may be useful for managing established osteoporosis, but restoration of lost bone remains elusive. Dramatic gains in bone mass can be achieved with sodium fluoride, but serious questions concerning bone quality and drug toxicity limit the clinical utility of this agent.
Excited state and charge dynamics of hybrid organic/inorganic heterojunctions. II. Experiment

In our companion paper (Paper I) [C. K. Renshaw and S. R. Forrest, Phys. Rev. B 90, 045302 (2014)], we developed a model for charge transport and photogeneration at hybrid organic/inorganic semiconductor heterojunctions (OI-HJs). Here we apply the model to two planar bilayer hybrid photovoltaic devices: the first using the wide-band gap $n\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ in combination with the hole transporting tetraphenyl-dibenzoperiflanthene (DBP), and the second based on the moderate-band gap $n$-InP and the hole transporting pentacene (PEN). We measure the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and current density vs voltage ($J\text{\ensuremath{-}}V$) characteristics of both devices as functions of temperature. The EQE spectra for both ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$/DBP and InP/PEN provide convincing evidence that Frenkel states generated in the organic form hybrid charge transfer excitons (HCTEs) at the OI-HJ that are subsequently dissociated into free charges, and then collected at the opposing electrodes. The dissociation efficiency is found to be strongly influenced by the presence of surface states, particularly in the InP/PEN device. We further develop the $J\text{\ensuremath{-}}V$ model from Paper I to include an analytical expression for space-charge effects in the organic at high currents. Model fits to the $J\text{\ensuremath{-}}V$ data suggest that the temperature-dependent hole mobilities in both DBP and PEN result in increasing space-charge effects at low temperatures. Furthermore, we find that the $J\text{\ensuremath{-}}V$ characteristics of the ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$/DBP device both in the dark and under illumination are governed by interface recombination. In contrast, the dark current in the InP/PEN device is governed by injection over the OI-HJ barrier, whereas the photocurrent is dominated by interface recombination. This work elucidates the role of the HCTE state in photogeneration, and the applicability of our model to a range of important optoelectronic devices.
OC-13 - Safe and effective use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) versus conventional anticoagulation for the treatment of cancer-related venous thromboembolism.

Introduction Cancer is a risk factor for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The standard of care for the treatment of cancer-related VTE is a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) formulation. The treatment for these events can be painful, lengthy, and expensive. The development of DOAC has created new options for the treatment of VTE. Data from a recent systematic review suggested that the safety and effectiveness of DOAC in patients with cancer is equivalent to that of traditional therapies. If equivalent to LMWH, the use of DOAC in the treatment of cancer-related VTE would reduce the risk of VTE recurrence while giving patients freedom from subcutaneous injections. Aim Our primary aim was to determine the rate of VTE recurrence in patients on anticoagulation. Secondary aims were determination of the rate of anticoagulant-associated clinically relevant bleeding and VTE recurrence-free survival. Materials and Methods We performed retrospective analysis (2014-2015) of the electronic medical records (EMR) of adult patients with cancer-related VTE treated with anticoagulation. We selected 122 patients for our final analysis according to the inclusion criteria. Demographic, laboratory, cancer diagnosis, and VTE diagnosis data were collected. We documented VTE recurrence as well as clinically relevant bleeding. Non-parametric statistical procedures were used to determine differences in variables associated with this study among the anticoagulant class groups, with a test significance level of 0.05. Results Among 122 patients, 89 (73%) were treated with LMWH, 26 (21%) were treated with DOAC, and 7 (6%) were treated with warfarin. The majority of VTE occurred in patients with advanced disease. The most common index event was pulmonary embolism (49%) followed by catheter-associated deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (24%). Recurrence of VTE occurred in 7.7% of patients receiving DOAC and 7.9% of patients receiving LMWH (P = NS). Major bleeding occurred more often with the use of DOAC (11.5%) than with LMWH (10.1%), but non-major bleeding was more common in patients receiving LMWH (9.0% versus 7.7%). These differences were not statistically significant. There was no mortality attributed to bleeding complications. The VTE recurrence-free survival rates were not statistically different among LMWH versus DOAC (Figure 1). Download : Download high-res image (139KB) Download : Download full-size image Fig. 1 . Kaplan-Meier curve for VTE recurrence-free survival. Conclusions Recurrence of cancer-associated VTE is not uncommon, and the treatment of VTE has significant hemorrhagic risks. Our analysis suggests that there is no significant difference in the rate of VTE recurrence and anticoagulant-related bleeding when using oral DOACs versus LMWH. Further studies are needed to compare the safety and effectiveness of these methods of anticoagulation.
Minimally invasive approach to the supradiaphragmatic inferior vena cava: total thoracoscopic caval isolation.

Minimally invasive techniques for cardiac operations have evolved in safety and popularity. To our knowledge, a thoracoscopic technique for control of the inferior vena cava (IVC) has not been prev...
Factors affecting plasma clearance of (14C) cholic acid in patients with cirrhosis.

1. Clearance of [ 14 C]cholic acid from the systemic circulation was studied in six normal subjects and eight patients with biopsy-proven hepatic cirrhosis. In both groups, during fasting, the curve for disappearance of radioactivity from the serum during the first 100 min after [ 14 C]cholic acid injection was double-exponential in form. During the early phase, clearance was significantly more rapid, and concentrations of conjugated and free bile acid were significantly lower, in normals than in cirrhotics. 2. Radioactivity disappeared from the systemic circulation of normals within 3 h, and neither intravenous cholecystokinin nor the ingestion of food influenced serum radioactivity. Almost all cirrhotic patients had ‘spontaneous’ rises in serum radioactivity, which began approximately 2 h after [ 14 C]cholic acid injection. Cholecystokinin or food given 4–8 h after [ 14 C]cholic acid administration, produced rises. Continuous aspiration of duodenal juice markedly reduced these rises. Reinfusion of duodenal juice into the upper intestine was followed by a rise in serum radioactivity. 3. All rises were due, almost exclusively, to conjugated bile acids. 4. Impaired bile acid clearance in cirrhotics may result from inefficient hepatic extraction of bile acids, increased leakage of conjugated bile acids from hepatic cells and shunting from portal to systemic circulations. The latter factor is probably responsible for elevated, fluctuating, plasma bile acid concentrations in cirrhotic patients.
Evaluation of educational interventions for three lesser-known illnesses.

The objective of this report is to evaluate separate educational interventions that have been applied to three lesser- known illness (LKI), -- hemochromatosis, celiac disease, and Lyme disease.
The Action of Ethanol Upon the Contractility of Normal Ventricular Myocardium

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the action of ethanol upon the contractility of normal ventricular myocardium. The studies of the acute effects of ethanol upon the normal human heart do not lend themselves well to comparison with the studies in experimental animals. In many human studies, the quantity of alcohol given orally is too small to produce blood levels comparable to those that cause cardiac depression in experimental animals and in isolated cardiac tissues. The chapter describes an experiment that involved isolated tissues of animals, isolated perfused hearts and heart lung preparation, animals with intact or relatively intact cardiovascular systems, and normal human subjects. The measurements by which contractility was assessed ranged from fairly sensitive indices of contractility, such as developed isometric force and maximal rate of rise of force, to nonspecific indices such as arterial blood pressure and cardiac output. In the course of this investigation, two species with differing cardiac muscle ultrastructure were utilized.
The Common Property Nature of Market-inalienability

Societies have long sought to regulate ethically questionable activities by banning markets. Today, at the end of the 1990s, the United States bans markets in elephant tusks, endangered species, slaves, human organs, adopting babies, sex, forms of child labour, and certain hazardous activities. But whereas some market bans — such as those covering elephant tusks and endangered species — were enacted to prohibit trade altogether, the bans on markets in child adoption, sexual favours and human organs are characterized by a desire that the supply of these should flourish, but strictly on a donative, non-commercial basis.
Security threats and countermeasures of MAC layer in cognitive radio networks

Abstract Cognitive radio is a promising technology proposed to solve the scarcity of the radio spectrum by opportunistically allocating the idle channels of the licensed users to unlicensed ones. The effectiveness of the cognitive radio is highly dependent on fair and efficient management of the access to the unused portion of the frequency channels, which is performed by the media access control layer. Therefore, any malicious activities disrupting operation of this layer result in significant performance degradation of the cognitive radio networks. As a result, it is necessary to understand functions of the media access control layer of the cognitive radio and analyze the impacts of possible attacks these functions might encounter. This paper provides an overview of different attacks that target the media access control layer of cognitive radio and analyzes them based on this layer's functions. In addition, the paper describes and compares recent defense strategies related to each attack.
Acetaminophen-induced Acute Liver Failure Is More Common and More Severe in Women

Background & Aims Acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver injury (ALI) and acute liver failure (ALF) in the developed world. Sex differences in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity have not been described. Methods We collected data from the Acute Liver Failure Study Group cohort, a national registry of 32 academic medical centers in North America of adults with ALI or ALF, including 1162 patients with acetaminophen-induced ALI (n = 250) or acetaminophen-induced ALF (n = 912) from January 2000 through September 2016. We analyzed data on patient presentation, disease course, demographics, medical and psychiatric history, medication use, substance use, and details of acetaminophen ingestion. Sex differences in continuous and categorical variables were evaluated by Wilcoxon rank-sum and χ 2 analysis or the Fisher exact test. Our primary aim was to evaluate sex differences in the presentation and clinical course of acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury or liver failure, and our secondary goal was to compare overall and transplant-free survival between sexes. Results Most patients with acetaminophen-induced ALI (68%) or ALF (76%) were women. Higher proportions of women than men had psychiatric disease (60% of women vs 48% of men, P P P values P = .04) or mannitol (13% of women vs 6% of men, P P P P = .12). Conclusions In an analysis of the Acute Liver Failure Study Group cohort, we found acetaminophen-induced ALI and ALF to be more common among women. Women have greater critical care needs than men, and increased risk for severe HE, which could be due in part to increased use of sedatives. Future studies should investigate sex differences in acetaminophen metabolism and hepatotoxicity, particularly among users of opioids.
Perioperative Versorgung im Aufwachraum

Die perioperative Versorgung von Kindern im Aufwachraum unterscheidet sich in einigen Punkten von der Versorgung Erwachsener. Die Anwesenheit einer Bezugsperson im Aufwachraum ist bei Kindern ausdrucklich erwunscht. Umso wichtiger ist es, eine Ruhe und Sicherheit ausstrahlende Atmosphare fur Eltern und Kinder zu schaffen. Die praoperative Inhalation von Salbutamol bei Kindern mit entsprechender Indikation hat sich bewahrt. In diesem Kapitel werden die Besonderheiten der pra- und postoperativen Betreuung von Kindern im Aufwachraum sowie die Therapie spezieller postoperativer Probleme, wie z. B. Postextubationsstridor, postoperative Ubelkeit und Erbrechen oder Delir und Agitation beschrieben.
Matching 100,045 learned rules

This paper examines several systems which learn a large number of rules (productions), including one which learns 113,938 rules - the largest number ever learned by an AI system, and the largest number in any production system in existence. It is important to match these rules dficiently, in order to avoid the machine learning utility problem. Moreover, examination of such large systems reveals new phenomena and calls into question some common assumptions based on previous observations of smalkr systems. We first show that the Rete and Treat match algorithms do not scale well with the number of rules in our systems, in part because the number of rules affected by a change to working memory increases with the total number of rules in these systems. We also show that the sharing of nodes in the beta part of the Rete network becomes more and more important as the number of rules increases. Finally, we describe and evaluate a new optimization for Rete which improves its scalability and allows two of our systems to learn over 100,000 rules without significant performance degradation.
Integrated research components: a practical and effective alternative to senior projects

Many computer science programs, especially those in liberal arts colleges, include some form of senior project in their curriculum. This paper describes a practical alternative to the senior project that retains most of the advantages and eliminates some of the disadvantages, especially for small institutions, that we have discovered. In addition to describing the modifications that we have made to the traditional senior project concept and their advantages, both for faculty and for students, we will present results of our experiences in using this model over the last five years.
Trade secrets and cyber security breaches

Abstract We study the association between firms’ disclosures in Forms 10-K of the existence of trade secrets, and cyber theft of corporate data (which we refer to as “Breaches”). Prior academic research explaining occurrence of Breaches is scarce, and no prior study has focused specifically on Breaches that likely target trade secrets. We provide such evidence, and our use of Form 10-K contents related to trade secrets is a first step toward determining whether corporations actually attract Breach activity through their public disclosures. We find that firms mentioning the existence of trade secrets have a significantly higher subsequent probability of being Breached relative to firms that do not do so. Our results are stronger among younger firms, firms with fewer employees, and firms operating in less concentrated industries. By conducting a battery of additional tests, we attempt to go beyond merely establishing correlations to provide evidence whether such proprietary information can actually attract cyber attacks. Specifically, our results are robust to additional control variables, an instrumental variable approach, firm fixed effects, and a propensity score matching technique.
Rape Disclosure and Depression Among Community Women: The Mediating Roles of Shame and Experiential Avoidance

Many women who disclose a rape encounter victim-blaming responses, which are associated with negative outcomes. The present study examined rape-related shame and experiential avoidance as mediators of the relation between victim-blaming responses to rape disclosure and depression among 103 rape survivors drawn from a community sample. Results revealed that victim-blaming responses were positively associated with depressive symptoms through rape-related shame and experiential avoidance, and shame was indirectly related to depression via avoidance. Findings suggest clinical interventions should focus on rape-related shame and experiential avoidance in targeting depression among rape survivors, and future research should continue to examine how victim-blaming responses to rape disclosure may be related to these factors.
Activity-Based Shared Mobility Model for Smart Transportation

The shared mobility model of transportation services in cities has gained significant attention due to the proliferation of on-demand ride-sharing applications and the advancement of autonomous driving technologies. In this paper, a new shared mobility model is proposed accommodating the activity attribute of users' trip requests. Our key goal is to determine the minimum fleet size required to satisfy all on-demand requests while minimizing the total travel costs. Since this is an NP-hard problem, the model leverages a set of novel heuristic-based components including the clustering-based formation of ride-sharing groups, carpool-like schedule and ridesharing schedule generation, and clique-based trip integration. All work together to obtain the set of energy-efficient shared route schedules. The proposed model can also be extended for a heterogeneous vehicle fleet configuration (e.g. vehicles of various capacity and functionality) to work for different types of trip activities.
Identifying the powers, players, and emotions associated with REDD+ implementation: The case of Guyana’s LCDS

REDD+ remains a critical tool for dealing with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Like other global-level initiatives, REDD+ has strong supporters and critics. Despite the division over its merits, little has been done to understand how a national-level audience responds to the program’s arrival in a partner country and which players drive a program’s implementation. Here we coded the archives of two Guyanese newspapers to identify the policy actors, institutions, and concepts (players) that drove the implementation of the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). Two groups of players—super-key and key—dictated the direction of the LCDS implementation. Super-key players used the state-owned media to advocate their positions, while players who felt they would be punished by the LCDS implementation published their positions in the privately-owned media. Therefore, like responses to other global-level environmental challenges, views around the LCDS were divided.
Anaerobic digestion of synthetic food waste-cardboard mixtures in a semi-continuous two-stage system

A two-stage anaerobic digestion system consisting of a continuously-stirred tank reactor and upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (CSTR-UASB) in series was evaluated for semi-continuous digestion of food waste and corrugated cardboard mixtures. CSTR organic loading rates (OLRs) were 8 to 32 g chemical oxygen demand (COD) L−1 d−1 with varying mixture ratios. The CSTR VFA yield reached a maximum of 24% (COD basis) at 8 g COD L−1 d−1 and 65% food waste/35% corrugated cardboard. The UASB methane yield decreased from >90% (at CSTR OLRs of 8 to 16 g COD L−1 d−1 and all mixture ratios) to 75% (at 32 g COD L−1 d−1). The greatest methane production was achieved at a CSTR OLR of 16 g COD L−1 d−1 and 65% food waste/35% corrugated cardboard, and the UASB remained operable in all testing phases. While the CSTR-UASB system was able to accommodate changes in feed composition and OLR, both CSTR and UASB microbial communities diverged in response to these imposed changes. This study provides new insights about the simultaneous digestion of cardboard and food waste, major components of municipal solid waste.
Role of the ketogenic diet in acute neurological diseases

The current review outlines the role of ketogenic diet (KD) in the management of acute neurological conditions namely traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, status epilepticus and primary aggressive brain tumor. An overview of the scientific literature- both clinical and pre-clinical studies is presented along with the proposed mechanism of ketogenic diet. The review also describes different formulations of commercially available ketogenic diets along with the common adverse effects and dosing recommendations.
Novel retinoic acid derivative induces differentiation and growth arrest in neuroblastoma.

Abstract Introduction Retinoic acid (RA) is a differentiating agent utilized as maintenance therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma (NB), but associated toxicities limit its use. We have previously shown that a non-toxic, novel rexinoid, 9-cis-UAB30 (UAB30), decreased NB cell proliferation and in vivo tumor growth. A second generation, mono-methylated compound, 6-Methyl-UAB30 (6-Me), has been recently designed having greater potency compared with UAB30. In the current study, we hypothesized that 6-Me would inhibit NB cell proliferation and survival and induce differentiation and cell-cycle arrest. Methods Proliferation and viability were measured in four human NB cell lines following treatment with UAB30 or 6-Me. Cell-cycle was analyzed and tumor cell stemness was evaluated with extreme limiting dilution assays and immunoblotting for expression of stem cell markers. A xenograft murine model was utilized to study the effects of 6-Me in vivo. Results Treatment with 6-Me led to decreased proliferation and viability, induced cell cycle arrest, and increased neurite outgrowth, indicating differentiation of surviving cells. Furthermore, treatment with 6-Me decreased tumorsphere formation and expression of stem cell markers. Finally, inhibition of tumor growth and increased animal survival was observed in vivo following treatment with 6-Me. Conclusion These results indicate a potential therapeutic role for this novel rexinoid in neuroblastoma treatment.
Ambiguity and Beliefs in the Principal-Agent Model

A Principal-Agent model in which the principal and the agent are ambiguity averse is examined. A novel role for the optimal contract is to induce a speci c partition of the state space for the agent as a means of manipulating the ambiguity he faces, thereby providing more efficient contracting. In contrast to the standard principal-agent model, the optimal contracts in this environment may be fairly simple. For example, the frequently observed step-function compensation schemes may be optimal when the agent is ambiguity averse. This insight has important implications for other fields of research, including security design and asset pricing.