cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Substantia nigra pars compacta is critical to both the acquisition and expression of learned orienting of rats

Novel events produce characteristic orienting responses (ORs), which typically habituate rapidly with repeated stimulus presentation. However, they may re-emerge if those stimuli become predictors of biologically significant events. This acquisition of conditioned ORs may reflect a broader range of enhancements in top-down attentional processing of cues that predict important consequences. Previous research from this laboratory showed that a neural circuit that includes the amygdala central nucleus (CeA), substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is essential for the learning and expression of one example of conditioned orienting, the rearing of rats to visual stimuli paired with food. Other studies showed that the CeA is critical to the acquisition of these conditioned ORs, but not their expression, and that normal DLS function is required for the expression of previously acquired conditioned ORs, but not for learning itself. The experiments reported here considered the roles of the SNc in conditioned orienting by examining the effects of transient inactivation of the SNc during the acquisition of new associations and during the expression of previous learning. SNc function was critical to both the acquisition and expression of conditioned ORs but not to the display of unconditioned ORs or the learning and expression of conditioned responses directed to the food source. Together with our previous findings, these results suggest that the SNc is trained by the CeA during learning and maintains acquired information so that it may modulate DLS sensory-motor function at the time of action.
Autonomic oil reservoir optimization on the Grid: Research Articles

The emerging Grid infrastructure and its support for seamless and secure interactions is enabling a new generation of autonomic applications where the application components, Grid services, resources, and data interact as peers to manage, adapt and optimize themselves and the overall application. In this paper we describe the design, development and operation of a prototype of such an application that uses peer-to-peer interactions between distributed services and data on the Grid to enable the autonomic optimization of an oil reservoir. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simple Clothoid Lane Change Trajectories for Automated Vehicles Incorporating Friction Constraints

This paper demonstrates that an autonomous vehicle can perform emergency lane changes up to the friction limits through real-time generation and evaluation of bi-elementary paths. Path curvature and friction determine the maximum possible speed along the path and, consequently, the feasibility of the path. This approach incorporates both steering inputs and changes in speed during the maneuver. As a result, varying path parameters and observing the maximum possible entry speed of resulting paths give insight about when and to what extent a vehicle should brake and turn during emergency lane change maneuvers. Tests on an autonomous vehicle validate this approach for lane changes near the limits of friction.
Circling syndrome produced in mice by dimethylaminohexose reductone.

Conclusions1. A permanent circling syndrome can be produced in mice by a single injection of dimethylaminohexose reductone. 2. The syndrome is characterized by frequent head tossing and running in circles. Body temperature, oxygen consumption and basic activity are not altered but ability to resist stress by staying on a rotating rod is decreased.
Charge Transfer through Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids

We studied the charge transfer properties of bipyridine-modified peptide nucleic acid (PNA) in the absence and presence of Zn(II). Characterization of the PNA in solution showed that Zn(II) interacts with the bipyridine ligands, but the stability of the duplexes was not affected significantly by the binding of Zn(II). The charge transfer properties of these molecules were examined by electrochemistry for self-assembled monolayers of ferrocene-terminated PNAs and by conductive probe atomic force microscopy for cysteine-terminated PNAs. Both electrochemical and single molecular studies showed that the bipyridine modification and Zn(II) binding do not affect significantly the charge transfer of the PNA duplexes.
A mathematical model for representing farmer decision processes

This paper presents a mathematical modeling technique that allows for formulating a farmer decision problem. We use fuzzy logic and binary integer programming respectively to represent the factors and decision utilities in the problem. We will briefly look at the data requirements for this model. The techniques used in determining the fuzzy rule base will be discussed. We will show the application of artificial neural networks for determining the rule base in our model. A mathematical representation of the system will be created, which can act as an approximation for any problem formulation. Finally, we will use all these techniques on a sample problem, which uses simulated data.
Lymph node reactivity. I. Non-cancer patients.

A study is made of the structure of lymph nodes removed at autopsy and at the time of surgery from patients with non-neoplastic diseases. The lymph node structure is evaluated by means of H&E and ammoniacal silver staining. A variety of recognizable patterns are identified and designated as: control, non-immune phagocytosis, recognition, reactive, immune SH and degenerative syncytial histiocytosis . The findings are discussed in terms of antigen-induced reactivity and antibody synthesis.
Judgment studies: Significance testing and effect size estimation

Once we have defined the variables to be investigated in our research, perhaps first redefining them into composites as described in the last chapter, we can begin to analyze “the results” of our research. Too often in the behavioral sciences, however, the results are equated with a series of tests of significance that may be only tangentially related to the questions that motivated the research in the first place. Two reasons why tests of significance are not informative enough for them to serve as the definition of the results of our research are: a. They give no indication of the magnitude of the effect under investigation, and b. They are often based on more than a single df in the numerator of an F test or on more than a single df for a χ 2 test. In both cases a significant result alone does not tell us how a specific variable X is related to a specific variable Y . It is more useful to think of the results as the answer to the question: What is the relationship between any variable X and any variable Y ? (Rosenthal, 1984). The variables X and Y are chosen with only the constraint that their relationship be of interest to us.
Synthesis, thermal analysis, and linear and nonlinear optical characterization of substituted polyphosphonates derived from 1,12-dodecanediol

The syntheses of a series of substituted polyphosphonates of the type [OP(X)(Ar)O(CH2)12]n (X = O, S, Se; Ar = phenyl, 2,2′-bithienyl-5-yl) are reported. The M¯ns for the polyphosphonates range from 1.1 to 4.6 × 104 Da and are significantly higher than those previously reported for polyphosphonates synthesized via polycondensation reactions. Thermal characterization indicates that all of the polymers are in the rubbery state at room temperature and have thermal stabilities as high as 290 °C. The linear absorption spectra, emission spectra, and emission quantum yields of the 2,2′-bithenyl-5-yl substituted polyphosphonates show distinct trends with respect to the chalcogen attached to the phosphorus. Solutions of these polymers show emission at wavelengths ranging from 380 to 400 nm and, depending on the choice of X, the quantum yields are considerably larger than that of 2,2′-bithiophene. Nonlinear optical measurements of the polyphosphonates with 2,2′-bithenyl-5-yl substituents show that nonlinear absorbance increases with increasing molecular weight of X. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016
The Medical Library Association guide to data management for librarians

It has been clear for more than a decade, even before “Big Data” became the buzzword du jour, that all areas of research have seen a shift from human-scale data to data sets that are beyond human-s...
Hypersensitivity and Asthma

The cognate (acquired) immune system recognizes and responds to invading microbes with humoral and cellular defenses to effectively combat infection and contribute to wound healing. Under most circumstances these responses are appropriate and necessary for maintenance of healthy tissue. In some cases however, the immune system may also react against foreign or even self proteins that offer no pathogenic threat. If these responses go unchecked, or are amplified with intermittent or continued antigen exposure, inflammatory processes normally associated with beneficial host defenses may cause a variety of forms of tissue damage collectively known as hypersensitivity or allergic reactions.
LEARNING, ADAPTATION, AND WEATHER IN A CHANGING CLIMATE

Climate change will push the weather experienced by people affected outside the bounds of historic norms, resulting in unprecedented weather events. But people and firms should be able to learn from their experience of unusual weather and adjust their expectations about the climate distribution accordingly. The efficiency of this learning process gives an upper bound on the rate at which adaptation can occur and is therefore important in determining the adjustment costs associated with climate change. Learning about climate change requires people to infer the state of a changing probability distribution (climate) given annual draws from that distribution (weather). If the climate is stationary, it can be inferred from the distribution of historic weather observations, but if it is changing, the inference problem is more challenging. This paper first develops different learning models, including an efficient hierarchical Bayesian model in which the observer learns whether the climate is changing and, if it is, the functional form that describes that change. I contrast this with a less efficient but simpler learning model in which observers react to past changes but are unable to anticipate future changes. I propose a general metric of learning costs based on the average, discounted squared difference between beliefs and the true climate state and use climate model output to calculate this metric for two emissions scenarios, finding substantial relative differences between learning models and scenarios but small absolute values. Geographic differences arise from spatial patterns of warming rates and natural weather variability (noise). Finally, I present results from an experimental game simulating the adaptation decision, which suggests that people are able to learn about a trending climate and respond proactively.
Wealth-destroying private property rights

Abstract According to conventional wisdom, privatizing the commons will create wealth. Yet in cases found throughout the developing world, privatizing the commons has destroyed wealth. To explain this phenomenon, we develop a theory of wealth-destroying private property rights. Privatization’s effect on social wealth depends on whether privatizing an asset confers net gains or imposes net losses on society. The decision to privatize, however, depends on whether privatizing an asset confers net gains or imposes net losses on property decision makers. When decision makers are residual claimants, these effects move in tandem; privatization occurs only if it creates social wealth. When decision makers are not residual claimants, these effects may diverge; privatization occurs if it benefits decision makers personally even if privatization destroys social wealth. We apply our theory to understand wealth-destroying land privatization in Kajiado, Kenya.
Immersion Versus Embodiment: Embodied Cognition for Immersive Analytics in Mixed Reality Environments

Visualization techniques are used to analyze and understand data within the context of the underlying conceptual and physical model. We collect and generate data at an increasingly fast rate, but visual analysis capabilities are lagging. The challenges of visual data analysis and exploration are associated with very large data sets, increased dimensionality, and the consideration of data semantics, including features, focus and context. Typically, visual analysis is done using Coordinate Multiple Views (CMV) tools that support linking and brushing (selection) of data in multiple synchronized views. The recent advances in MR technologies provide a great opportunity to support deployment and use of MR applications for visualization and visual analytics. Direct mapping of CMV tools to an MR environment arguably creates more problems than it solves. Embodied interactions and embodied user interfaces lead towards invisible user interfaces and move the visualization and analysis from a computer screen to physical space and place. It is necessary to explore various interaction and visualization modalities in MR environments to identify best practices to leverage embodied cognition and interactions. Such explorations can benefit from a framework and an evaluation testbed for embodied interactive immersive analysis. The framework provides services for data access, data visualization (views), both traditional two-dimensional view and a three-dimensional equivalent, views assembly, gestures, and interaction devices. An Internet of Things based Smart Built Environment example is used to illustrate the proposed approach.
The Physical and Macromolecular Structure of Coals

Coals are surely the most complex materials whose structure determination has ever been attempted by chemists. It is an endlessly fascinating material; each new level of understanding raising yet more questions and each new technique providing answers and new questions in equal measure. It is clear from this brief discussion that there are major areas of coal physical structure where we have essentially no experimental information. There are areas where our understanding is not limited by our observations, but by theory and our ability to understand our observations. In all of this, the interrelationship between coal reactivity and structure has been alluded to only briefly. One of the reasons for this is that, except under conversion conditions, there are a very limited number of reactions which have been performed on coals in a manner such that relative reactivities could be determined. Coals are fascinating materials. They are worth studying not only because such studies may have practical impact, but also because they provide a formidable challenge to both the experimental tools and the theoretical insight of chemists.
Arithmetic Progressions and Tic-Tac-Toe Games

This paper is partly an overview of the subject (see Sections 1–4), in fact, as far as I know, the first attempt to do that, and partly an ordinary research paper containing proofs for new results (Sections 5–8). I use many different sources; to make the reader’s life easier, I decided to keep the paper (more-or-less) self-contained - this explains the considerable length.
Phosphorylation-dependent down-modulation of CD4 requires a specific structure within the cytoplasmic domain of CD4.

Several structural features of the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 including phosphorylation of Ser-408 have been shown to be important in its endocytosis (Shin, J., Doyle, C., Yang, Z., Kappes, D., and Strominger, J.L. (1990) EMBO J. 9, 425-434). A series of cytoplasmic domain truncations have now indicated that the membrane proximal region of the cytoplasmic domain from Arg-396 to Lys-417 is sufficient for phorbol ester-induced internalization; this segment is predicted to be an alpha-helix. The severe impairment of endocytosis resulting from the mutation Ser-408 to Ala-408 is largely restored by a compensating mutation Ala-404 to Ser-404; phosphorylation of Ser-404 has been directly demonstrated. Furthermore, mutation of Met-407, Ile-410, Leu-413, or Leu-414 to a hydrophilic residue eliminated CD4 endocytosis as did domain truncation at Arg-412. Ser-408 was normally phosphorylated in all of these mutants, suggesting that other residues in this region, including the four hydrophobic amino acids, are also required for CD4 endocytosis. Immunofluorescence microscopy following staining of intact and permeabilized cells showed that all endocytosis defective mutants indeed remained on the cell surface even after phorbol ester treatment, while wild type CD4 was endocytosed and degraded in lysosomes. These data indicate that endocytosis requiring residues 397-417 and binding of lymphocyte tyrosine kinase at residues 417-429 are functions of independent segments of the cytoplasmic region and lead to a hypothesis regarding some features of the endocytic process.
Generic fundamental polyhedra for kleinian groups

For aficionados of fundamental polyhedra in the study of the kleinian groups, it is helpful to be able to choose in each particular case a polyhedron with the simplest possible local structure about its edges and vertices. For example, in the study of small deformations as in [4], a fundamental polyhedron for one group is compared to those of nearby groups; if the one polyhedron is as simple as possible, the nearby ones will tend to be as well. It is the purpose of the present note to find such polyhedra. Indeed, we will show that the “generic” fundamental polyhedra for a given group are as simple as the algebraic/geometric structure of the group allows. When the group has no elliptic transformations, the features of the generic polyhedra will be precisely identified. In groups with torsion, on the other hand, certain configurations of elliptic transformations, for example three elliptics whose axes are pairwise coplanar, involve additional difficulties and we have decided to leave these cases aside.
PA 17-5-2801 Orangic dust: a health risk underestimated by grain farmers

Background American agriculture is a diverse and dangerous industry, and has limited oversight by U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). As with other industries, risks for occupational health exposures occur everyday as workers complete their daily tasks. When these practices occur on private, family-owned property, there is much left to the unknown. NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) report crop workers having significantly elevated mortality and morbidity for a number of respiratory conditions, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asthma, bronchitis, histoplasmosis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and influenza. Mortality for hypersensitivity pneumonitis is more than ten times higher than expected. While agricultural technologies have changed drastically over the past 100 years, with small grain operations becoming more efficient and highly specialized, health and safety professionals must continue to understand the occupational health concerns. They must also develop prevention strategies that will be used by today’s agricultural workforce. Methods Ohio grain farmers (n=182) were surveyed using a 4-part, 62-item questionnaire to determine farmers’ knowledge about organic dust and their behaviors during work at their on-farm storage system. Respirable dust samples were also collected on farm sites. Findings Approximately 82% farmers reported some knowledge about their health risks of organic dust exposure. However, only 33.4% farmers identified adequate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to protect themselves from organic dust. During the farm visits, researchers observed farmers not always wearing the appropriate PPE. During the sampling phase, organic dust measurements at 75% of the farms visited, contained dust concentration levels over the permissible exposure limit of 10 mg/m3 – criteria set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and NIOSH. Conclusion The research shows a mismatch between knowledge and workplace practices. Organic dust is an underestimated risk for Ohio grain farmers. There is a need for better prevention and education efforts within this farm community.
Optogenetic stimulation of brain cholinergic networks suppresses inflammation

Brain cholinergic muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) signaling regulates peripheral inflammation via the inflammatory reflex ( Nat Rev Endocrinol, 2012, 8:743). Here we provide further insight into this regulation by utilizing optogenetic stimulation, a method allowing precise spatiotemporal neuronal activation. Laser light (473 nm) and transgenic mice expressing light activated channelrhodopsin-2 coupled to a fluorescent protein (ChR2-YFP) under the control of the choline acetyl transferase (ChAT) promoter were used. Optogenetic stimulation of the medial septum, a major source of brain cholinergic output to areas with abundant M1 mAChR localization significantly suppressed serum TNF levels, as compared to sham stimulation (P 0.0398) in ChAT-ChR2-YFP mice during endotoxemia. In contrast to ChAT-ChR2-YFP mice, using the same approach in control (non-carrier) endotoxemic mice did not alter serum TNF. In addition, intracerebroventricular administration of the selective M1 mAChR agonist benzyl quinolone carboxylic acid (5 μg/kg) significantly decreased serum TNF, as compared to vehicle administration (P 0.0180) in C57Bl/6 mice during endotoxemia. These results from ongoing studies reveal a role for forebrain cholinergic M1 mAChR-mediated signaling in controlling peripheral inflammation. These findings may be of interest for development of new approaches for selective brain modulation for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.
All life is artificial life

In this essay I want to explore a series of claims regarding life, situating this discussion within the scholarly context of a series of turns to life (that now might be thought of as ‘Life 2.0’1),...
Multi-target Motion Parameter Estimation Exploiting Collaborative UAV Network

We propose a distributed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network performing collaborative radar sensing for multi-target localization and motion parameter estimation. Two UAV network topologies are considered for data propagation and information fusion. In the former, we form a sequential UAV node chain, whereas in the latter, the UAV nodes are grouped into clusters and the information among different clusters is propagated through the cluster master nodes. Sparse reconstruction methods are used to fuse the target state information from previous nodes or clusters with the data measured in the underlying nodes or clusters, depending on the adopted topology, to achieve improved target state estimates. In order to minimize the communication traffic in the UAV network, each node transmits the estimated Doppler signatures or sparse target state estimates to the next UAV node in the network or the cluster master node, in lieu of the large volume of raw sampled data. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed approaches and compare the performance between the two UAV network topologies.
Dual coherent and incoherent two-photon luminescence in single gold nanorods revealed by polarization and time-resolved nonlinear autocorrelation

It is well known that gold nanorods (AuNRs) readily emit two-photon luminescence (TPL) when excited by a broad bandwidth laser pulse that is tuned to the AuNRs’ localized surface plasmon resonance. The nature of the mechanism (i.e., especially its degree of coherence) is under active debate. In this work, we measured the TPL emission from single nanorods while varying the angle θ between the linearly polarized laser electric field and the nanorod’s orientation. Data were best fit with a linear combination of cos4 θ and cos2 θ functions. While the former function may represent TPL signals arising from both coherent and incoherent processes, the later function is indicative of a purely incoherent process. To further validate this assessment, we measured TPL emission from single nanorods in a time-resolved collinear autocorrelation setup. The autocorrelation signal exhibited a large peak at zero delay, which is characteristic of coherent two-photon absorption and two lower intensity wings extending to a few picoseconds, which demonstrates the existence of a long-lived intermediate state that contributes to a two-step incoherent absorption process. We conclude that TPL in AuNRs can result from a combination of coherent and incoherent absorption processes.
Cultural humility: Conclusion to the special issue:

We conclude the special issue by addressing some ongoing limitations within scholarship on humility and cultural humility that ought to temper our reading of the extant literature. We also discuss ...
Tipon: Insight into Inka Hydraulic Engineering Practice

The site of Tipon, Peru, located about 30 km east of Cuzco, provides an example of Inka knowledge of hydraulic engineering and the civil engineering practices used in the design and operation of the complex water system. The inhabitants of Tipon used river- and spring-sourced surface and subterranean channels to convey, distribute, and drain water to and from multiple agricultural platforms, reservoirs, and urban ceremonial centers. Intricate intersecting surface and subterranean channel systems that combined and regulated water flows from different sources controlled the water to and drainage from 13 terraced agricultural platforms. This design served to maintain different ground moisture levels to sustain specialty crops. Within the site are fountains and multiple water display features requiring sophisticated hydraulic engineering necessary for aesthetic displays. To understand the technology used by the Inka to design the water systems at Tipon, I used computational fluid dynamics methodology and modern hydraulic engineering theory. I made computer models of key elements of the Principal Fountain and the Main Aqueduct to reproduce water flow patterns in these features as intended by Inka engineers’ designs and calculations. The Inka hydraulic technology used complex engineering principles similar to those in modern civil engineering practice centuries ahead of their formal discovery in Western hydraulic science.
Breakthroughs in Basic Research

ABSTRACT Over the last few years several basic research studies have led to new therapeutic insights into the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These include genomic studies of lung cancers which have revealed novel potential therapeutic targets. One such target is fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 1 which has been found to be amplified in a subset of squamous cell lung cancers. Preclinical studies have further demonstrated that inhibition of FGFR1 kinase activity using FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may be clinically effective in this subset of NSCLC. Clinical trials are now underway using FGFR TKIs in this subset of NSCLC. A second example is the identification of novel genomic rearrangements of the RET oncogene in NSCLC. These rearrangements lead to a fusion gene (KIF5B-RET) which is transforming in vitro and in vivo. Several already approved kinase inhibitors, including vandetinib, sorafenib and sunitinib, also inhibit RET and may be effective as clinical therapies in this subset of NSCLC. In addition, several more potent RET TKIs are under preclinical development and undergoing validation in model systems. A second recent basic science advance is the use of mouse models of lung cancer to mirror ongoing or planned clinical trials. These “co-clinical” trials aim to use the murine models to determine if they can predict the outcome of human trials and/or be used to further understand the success and limitations of the therapeutic approach. A recent example evaluated docetaxel and the MEK inhibitor selumetinib compared to docetaxel alone in a genetically engineered mouse model of Kras mutant NSCLC. In this mouse model the combination led to a greater response rate and progression free survival compared to docetaxel alone. The result was similar in a recent clinical trial of the same therapeutic design in KRAS mutant NSCLC. Interestingly, in the mouse model, those tumors with concurrent Lkb1 loss (occurs in about 30% of KRAS mutant NSCLC in humans), the combination of docetaxel/selumetinib was significantly less effective. These findings open the possibility of evaluating the impact of LKB1 loss in KRAS mutant NSCLC patients treated with selumentib/docetaxel and more broadly underscore the potential utility of animal models in informing the design of human clinical trials. Disclosure P.A. Janne: I have acted as a consultant to Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Astra-Zeneca, Roche, Genentech and Sanofi
Using Moonlight to Explore Intersectionality in Counselor Education

Counselor educators are encouraged to intentionally find ways to foster education that is culturally relevant and anti-oppressive. Films are a vessel for which culturally responsive pedagogy can be...
Liebesschwindel im Cyberspace

Der internetbasierte Romantikbetrug („Romance Scams“) ist eine der perfidesten Betrugsmaschen der letzten Jahre. Die Tater kontaktieren ihre Opfer mit falschen Identitaten im Rahmen des mittlerweile weit verbreiteten Online-Datings, bauen geschickt eine vermeintliche Liebesbeziehung auf und veranlassen das Opfer in der Folge zur Zahlung hoher Geldbetrage. Trotz beachtlicher Fallzahlen, teils immenser Schadenssummen und gravierender finanzieller wie psychischer Folgen fur die Geschadigten ist bislang nur wenig uber dieses Cybercrime-Delikt bekannt. Das Kapitel liefert erstmalig eine umfassende und systematische Zusammenfassung uber den internationalen Forschungsstand. Die behandelten Aspekte umfassen die Definition und Pravalenz des Delikts „Romantikbetrug“, seinen typischen Verlauf in mehreren Phasen und taterbezogene sowie viktimologische Erkenntnisse. Weiterhin werden verschiedene psychologische und soziologische Erklarungen fur die Wirkungsweise des Romantikbetrugs angefuhrt und einige (internationale) Praventionsmasnahmen dargestellt.
Invited) Localized High Concentration Electrolytes for Li Metal and Li Ion Batteries

It is well known that a stable and high efficiency Li metal anode (LMA) is critical for rechargeable Li metal batteries (LMBs). Although LMA is kinetically unstable with non-aqueous electrolyte, Localized High Concentration Electrolytes (LHCEs) can largely minimize the side reaction between LMA and electrolyte, therefore enable a dynamically stable LMA for long term cycling of li metal batteries. In this work, we report a series of LHCEs we developed recently that are highly stable with both LMA and high voltage cathode such as Ni rich LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (x ≥ 0.6), LiCoO2 etc. These LHCEs not only exhibit the advantage of high concentration electrolyte, but also exhibit low viscosity, low cost of the low concentration electrolytes. Furthermore, these electrolytes can be tailored to be non-flammable and stable at low temperature. With appropriate additives, these LHCEs can also largely improve the stability of Si based Li ion batteries. The excellent performance of these batteries are mainly due to the formation of inorganic rich (such as LiF and Li2O) solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on LMA and cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) in these electrolytes. The monolithic solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) generated in some of these electrolytes is largely different with those of mosaic- or multilayer-type SEIs reported before. These electrolytes not only can improve the stability of LMA, but also greatly suppresses the phase transformation (from layer structure to rock salt) of the cathode and prevent dissolution of transition metal element in bulk cathode. Therefore, excellent cell performances in terms of long-term cycling stability and high rate capability is realized in high voltage LMBs together with reduced safety concerns. The fundamental mechanism behind the stability of these electrolytes to both LMA and high voltage cathode will also be discussed.
Value Assessment in Cystic Fibrosis: ICER's Rejection of the Axioms of Fundamental Measurement.

One of the features of the ICER stakeholder involvement in the development of ICER evidence reports is the ability for public comment. Unfortunately, and this may just a miscommunication, the replies from ICER to public comments frequently miss the point or fail to provide backup for their claims. The purpose of this commentary is to review ICER’s responses to public comments by the author on the just released final evidence report on cystic fibrosis. The message is quite simple: the ICER value assessment framework lacks credibility. It fails to meet the standards of normal science. This is seen in ICERs apparent ignorance or rejection of the axioms of fundamental measurement which point quite clearly to the mathematical impossibility of creating QALYs from generic multiattribute utility scores. The ICER report also fails standards by creating a model from prior assumptions; there is no logical basis for constructing a value assessment claim. Either ICER should withdraw its value claims or admit the dubious basis on which the model is built, as a duty to its readership. Article Type: Commentary
Joint Estimation of Behind-the-Meter Solar Generation in a Community

Distribution grid planning, control, and optimization require accurate estimation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and electric load in the system. Most of the small residential solar PV systems are installed behind-the-meter making only the net load readings available to the utilities. This paper presents an unsupervised framework for joint disaggregation of the net load readings of a group of customers into the solar PV generation and electric load. Our algorithm synergistically combines a physical PV system performance model for individual solar PV generation estimation with a statistical model for joint load estimation. The electric loads for a group of customers are estimated jointly by a mixed hidden Markov model (MHMM) which enables modeling the general load consumption behavior present in all customers while acknowledging the individual differences. At the same time, the model can capture the change in load patterns over a time period by the hidden Markov states. The proposed algorithm is also capable of estimating the key technical parameters of the solar PV systems. Our proposed method is evaluated using the net load, electric load, and solar PV generation data gathered from residential customers located in Austin, Texas. Testing results show that our proposed method reduces the mean squared error of state-of-the-art net-load disaggregation algorithms by 67%.
Analyzing Radiation Use during Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation.

Abstract Portal vein access during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation was examined in 11 patients. Radiation metrics (kerma area product, reference point air kerma, and fluoroscopy times) during portal vein access were significantly greater for conventional versus intravascular US–guided transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (54.8 mGy ∙ cm2 ± 27.6 vs 8.4 mGy ∙ cm2 ± 5.0, P = .009; 210.4 mGy ± 109.1 vs 29.5 mGy ± 18.4, P = .009; 19.1 min ± 8.6 vs 8.9 min ± 4.6, P = .04). Wedged hepatic venography is a major contributor to radiation exposure. Intravascular US guidance is associated with significantly reduced radiation use.
Using Loseke to examine the influence of laws, myths, and claims making on sex offenders' socially constructed realities.

The realities surrounding sex offenders in the United States can often times be inundated with preconceived and even false certainties. A consequence of such misleading beliefs for sex offenders can be the creation of urban legends and myths that motivated individuals can use to back an agenda and that can bring unintended collateral damage creating false realities for offenders, their families, law enforcement, and the community. This study utilizes Loseke’s lens to examine the socially constructed realities in which sex offenders in the United States are forced to live. The history of the treatment of sex offenders is detailed from colonial America through child sexual abuse panic of the 1980s and into the current cyber age. We review laws passed in the 1990s, through the first part of the new millennium, which fueled individuals’ fear of sex offenders. Additionally, we explore how claims-makers use myths and socially constructed realities to create social problems for sex offenders, generate public fear and resentment, and pressure policy makers and legislatures to pass laws that promise false hope and false security to communities. Finally, myths associated with cyber sexual offenders are explored. Solutions to combat myths are offered to legitimize the true reality surrounding sex offenders.
Effects of bacteriophages and peroxyacetic acid applications on beef contaminated with Salmonella during different grinding stages

Abstract Research has suggested that the incidence of Salmonella in ground beef may be associated with contaminated lymph nodes that are not removed from trimmings destined for grinding. In this study, we tested the application of bacteriophages and peroxyacetic acid solutions on trimmings and on coarse and fine ground beef to simulate different scenarios of contamination. Overall, peroxyacetic acid applications did not reduce Salmonella loads on ground beef when applied on trimmings or at any stage of grinding. When applied on contaminated trim, bacteriophage solutions at 1 × 108 PFU/g and 1 × 109 PFU/g reduced more than 1 log cfu/g of Salmonella. When applied directly on contaminated coarse or fine ground beef, bacteriophage solutions at 1 × 109 PFU/g reduced approximately 1.6 log cfu/g. Results of this study suggest that bacteriophage applications on contaminated, comminuted beef may be used as an aid to decrease Salmonella loads.
Detecting rotational vacuum friction by optically levitated nanorotor

We propose to measure rotational vacuum friction between an optically levitated nanosphere and a nearby surface. We show the feasibility by analyzing the calculated vacuum friction torque with the air damping and the sensitivity.
Performance of a Maternal Abdominal Surface Electrode System for Fetal Heart Rate and Uterine Contraction Monitoring from 34 to 37 Weeks.

Objective: Compare performance of a maternal surface electrode patch with ultrasound- and tocodynamometer-based monitoring to detect fetal heart rate and uterine contractility in late preterm labors. Study design: Thirty women between 340/7 and 366/7 weeks’ gestation were monitored simultaneously with a Doppler/tocodynamometer system and a wireless fetal-maternal abdominal surface electrode system. Fetal and maternal heart rate and uterine contraction data from both systems were compared. Reliability was measured by the success rate and percent agreement. Deming regression and Bland-Altman analysis estimated the concordance between the systems. Uterine contractions were assessed by visual interpretation of monitor tracings. Results: The success rate for the surface electrode system was 89.5 (95% CI 85.7,93.3)% and for ultrasound 88.4 (84.9,91.9)%; p=0.73, with a percent agreement of 88.1 (84.2,92.8)%. Results were uninfluenced by the subjects’ body mass. The mean Deming slope was 1.0 and the y-intercept -3.0 bpm. Bland-Altman plots also showed a close relationship between the methods, with limits of agreement <10 bpm. The percent agreement for maternal heart rate was 98.2 (97.4,98.8)% and for uterine contraction detection was 89.5 (85.5,93.4)%. Conclusions: Fetal heart rate and uterine contraction monitoring at 34-366/7 weeks using abdominal surface electrodes was not inferior to Doppler ultrasound-tocodynamometry for fetal-maternal assessment. Registration: clinicaltrials.gov/February 20, 2017/ Identifier NCT03057275
Who Really Loses in American Democracy

In a recent APSR article, Hajnal (2009) explores the question of who loses in American democracy, and finds that African Americans are more likely than whites to vote for a losing candidate. This finding is extremely troublesome, as it suggests that African Americans’ voices are systematically being shut out of the political process. We revisit this question and show that Hajnal’s analyses are too broad in their scope, and that they do not account for the sampling procedures unique to each national exit poll. When we disaggregate his results by year, weight the data according to each exit poll’s probability sampling weight, cluster standard errors to take account of the first-stage precinct-wide sampling frame, and examine a longer time period, we arrive at different conclusions. We find a surprising number of elections where minority voters are more likely than whites to vote for a winning candidate. However, we also find many elections where minority voters lose, and we find that Hajnal overestimates the extent to which Latinos and Asian Americans win in some U.S. elections. The picture of “who loses” in American democracy may not be as bleak as Hajnal suggests for African Americans, but is somewhat less positive than he suggests for Latinos and Asian Americans.
Fast thermal analysis for VLSI circuits via semi-analytical Green's function in multi-layer materials

In this paper, a novel thermal analysis method for VLSI circuits based on the Green's function of heat conduction problem is proposed. With the method the temperature distribution can be very efficiently evaluated for the simulated chip via the proposed semi-analytical Green's function technique, by which the Green's function can be calculated online using the Green's function library obtained by inexpensive pre-characterization for the given chip structure. Experimental results validate the accuracy of the semi-analytical Green's function and demonstrate the efficiency of the thermal analysis method. Our thermal analysis approach can well adapt to the situation of thermal simulation for chips with multilayer heterogeneous heat conduction materials.
Dead-zone-free atomic magnetometry with simultaneous excitation of orientation and alignment resonances.

Atomic magnetometers have very high absolute precision and sensitivity to magnetic fields but suffer from a fundamental problem: the vectorial or tensorial interaction of light with atoms leads to ``dead zones,'' certain orientations of the magnetic field where the magnetometer loses its sensitivity. We demonstrate a simple polarization modulation scheme that simultaneously creates coherent population trapping (CPT) in orientation and alignment, thereby eliminating dead zones. Using $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ in a 10 Torr buffer gas cell we measure narrow, high-contrast CPT transparency peaks for all orientations and also show the absence of systematic effects associated with nonlinear Zeeman splitting.
Using measures of vocal entrainment to inform outcome-related behaviors in marital conflicts

Behavioral entrainment is an important, naturally-occurring dynamic phenomenon in human interactions. In this paper, we carry out two quantitative analyses of the vocal entrainment phenomenon in the context of studying conflictual marital interactions. We investigate the role of vocal entrainment in reflecting different dimensions of couple-specific behaviors, such as withdrawal, that are commonly-used in assessing the effectiveness on the outcome of couple therapy. The results indicate a statistically-significant relation between these behaviors and vocal entrainment, as quantified using our proposed unsupervised signal-derived computational framework. We further demonstrate the potential of the signal-based vocal entrainment framework in characterizing influential factors in distressed couples relationship satisfaction outcomes.
A Review of: “When Marriages Fail: Systemic Family Therapy Interventions and Issues: A Tribute to William C. Nichols”

When Marriages Fail: Systemic Family Therapy Interventions and Issues by Everett and Lee (2006) provides a wealth of information about divorce for beginning and seasoned therapists alike. The book ...
Construction of a poliovirus type 1/type 2 antigenic hybrid by manipulation of neutralization antigenic site II.

Abstract There are three serotypes of poliovirus, poliovirus type 1 (PV-1), PV-2, and PV-3. These viruses each display four distinct neutralization antigenic sites, designated N-AgI, N-AgII, N-AgIIIA, and N-AgIIIB. It has been demonstrated previously that part of N-AgI can be replaced with heterogeneous amino acid sequences, resulting in hybrid viruses expressing heterogeneous antigenic determinants. To study whether hybrid viruses could be constructed by modifying another antigenic site, a part of N-AgII (amino acids 158 to 173 of VP2) of PV-1(Mahoney) was replaced with the equivalent sequence from PV-2(Lansing). The resulting hybrid was viable and expressed both PV-1 and PV-2 antigenic determinants. When inoculated into rabbits, the hybrid induced neutralizing antibodies against both PV-1 and PV-2, showing that amino acids 158 to 173 of VP2 are able to function as an antigenic site independent of the rest of N-AgII. Manipulation of N-AgII represents a useful alternative method for the production of hybrid polioviruses.
An Endogenous Prostaglandin Enhances Environmental Phthalate-Induced Apoptosis in Bone Marrow B Cells: Activation of Distinct but Overlapping Pathways

Phthalate esters are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that are produced for a variety of common industrial and commercial purposes. We have shown that mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), the toxic metabolite of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, induces bone marrow B cell apoptosis that is enhanced in the presence of the endogenous prostaglandin 15-deoxy-Delta((12, 14))-PGJ(2) (15d-PGJ(2)). Here, studies were performed to determine whether 15d-PGJ(2)-mediated enhancement of MEHP-induced apoptosis represents activation of an overlapping or complementary apoptosis pathway. MEHP and 15d-PGJ(2) induced significant apoptosis within 8 and 5 h, respectively, in a pro/pre-B cell line and acted cooperatively to induce apoptosis in primary pro-B cells. Apoptosis induced with each chemical was accompanied by activation of a combination of initiator caspases (caspases-2, -8, and -9) and executed by caspase-3. Apoptosis induced with MEHP and 15d-PGJ(2) was reduced in APAF1 null primary pro-B cells and accompanied by alteration of mitochondrial membranes, albeit with different kinetics, indicating an intrinsically activated apoptosis pathway. Significant Bax translocation to the mitochondria supports its role in initiating release of cytochrome c. Both chemicals induced Bid cleavage, a result consistent with a truncated Bid-mediated release of cytochrome c in an apoptosis amplification feedback loop; however, significantly more Bid was cleaved following 15d-PGJ(2) treatment, potentially differentiating the two pathways. Indeed, Bid cleavage and cytochrome c release following 15d-PGJ(2) but not MEHP treatment was profoundly inhibited by Z-VAD-FMK, suggesting that 15d-PGJ(2) activates apoptosis via two pathways, Bax mobilization and protease-dependent Bid cleavage. Thus, endogenous 15d-PGJ(2)-mediated enhancement of environmental chemical-induced apoptosis represents activation of an overlapping but distinct signaling pathway.
The DØ upgrade program and its physics potential

The Fermilab Collider will be upgraded in a series of steps over the coming five years, with a 50‐fold luminosity increase and shortening of the bunch crossing time from 3.5 μs to 400 ns. These changes in environment necessitate changes in several of the DO/ detectors, their electronics, and the triggers. In addition, we expect that with the large increase in accumulated luminosity and based upon the analysis of data from the first few runs, new physics opportunities shall be available. This evolution of the physics program in the era preceding the SSC also affects the choices for the DO/ upgrade. The upgraded detector which has been proposed and partially approved will be motivated and described.
Negative parity states of /sup 71/Ge

Energy spectra and spectroscopic factors of negative-parity states in /sup 71/Ge are calculated within the framework of the quasiparticle-vibration coupling approach in the unified nuclear model. The calculated results are in very good agreement with the experimental data.