cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated georeferenced user position tracking for contextual information retrieval on construction sites

This paper presents research that is evaluating the capability of an automated location-based methodology in identifying and retrieving contextual project information on indoor and outdoor construction sites for supporting decision-making tasks of site personnel. Under this methodology, construction entities visible in a user’s field of view at any given time and location can be identified and cross-referenced with corresponding design and “as-built” data residing in construction databases and management information systems. The presented research attempts to achieve this by integrating outdoor positioning technologies together with location-based wireless technologies. Outdoor positioning techniques have been investigated and validated in other research efforts [1] [2] through the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and magnetic orientation tracking devices. For indoor environments, this paper aims at identifying Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) indoor positioning technique, a cheap, easily deployable and universally compatible location system for indoor use.
Remote Outsourcing Services for Multiple Branch Offices and Small Businesses via the Internet

Maintaining a reliable computing infrastructure encompassing servers, clients, printers and Internet connections is one of the major problems faced by branch office managers and small business owners. The cost associated with good systems administration is too high for either small businesses or branch offices. At the same time large service corporations don't see this market as attractive due to the high startup and infrastructure cost. We at IBM Almaden Research Center developed a research prototype that enables remote outsourcing services for multiple small offices from a central location via the Internet using the already available commercial software. This technology provides a solution for both small business owners (branch office managers) and service providers. We use the term small business for any company with one to 100 client machines. For our purposes branch offices can be categorized as small businesses. By combining our newly developed systems management technologies with an existing Internet connectivity server, small office LANs can be remotely monitored and managed via the Internet. At the same time the need for expensive leased lines and dedicated routers for secure connectivity is removed since both routing and security are provided through software. In this paper we will describe the approach taken as well as utilized software and hardware components.Now that we described the target environment we introduce all of the components of the solution. In the second section we describe implementation details. Short summary of the work is given at the end of the article.
Theory Construction and Model‐Building Skills: A Practical Guide for Social Scientists ‐ by James Jaccard and Jacob Jacoby

Theory Construction and Model-Building Skills: A Practical Guide for Social Scientists. James Jaccard and Jacob Jacoby. New York: Guilford Press. 2010. 391 pp. ISBN: 606233399. $35.00 paper. ISBN: 806233405. $55.00 cloth. Family studies programs often offer a family theory course at the graduate level and sometimes at the undergraduate level. Depending on the type of academic unit in which family studies is located, there may be additional theory courses on topics such as human development or sociological theory. Graduate students in family studies also have several methodology courses that cover statistical analysis and qualitative analysis. What is missing is the link between each of the theory courses, each of the methods courses, and, most important, between the methods courses and the theory courses. James Jaccard and Jacob Jacoby provide the missing link. Theory Construction and Model-Building Skills: A Practical Guide for the Social Scientists will be as useful in traditional family studies programs as it will be in psychology, sociology, and health science programs. There are many books on theory construction, but generally the other books do not explicitly link a broad range of research methods, applications, and theory. The subtitle of the book, "A Practical Guide," is important. The book lacks the rigor of a philosophy-of-science text and cannot offer the theoretical depth of monographs on specific frameworks. It is a great place, however, to start learning about a wide range of concepts and about how to relate them to training in quantitative or qualitative methods and training in theory courses. Each chapter includes a list of key terms, exercises to reinforce the terms, and exercises to apply the key concepts. The chapter on grounded and emergent theory lists 68 key terms, has 21 exercises to help students think through the meaning of those terms, and features 3 detailed exercises in which the key concepts can be applied. Similarly rich opportunities to apply the ideas follow each chapter. Family studies graduate students often take a series of statistics courses in which they learn an array of procedures but fail to learn why those procedures are useful. Students learn how to estimate a structural equation model but not how to relate that either inductively or deductively to theory. Typical methodology courses use key concepts in statistics such as mediation, moderation, multilevel analysis, or personcentered research with little understanding of what those have to do with family theory. This is especially true when graduate students complete their statistical training through courses in other disciplines in which the examples may not be especially helpful. When family studies graduate students take their family theory course, the course is often quite abstract, and they develop theories without the needed linkage to the appropriate qualitative or quantitative methods. …
Direct-sequence spread-spectrum communications for multipath channels

Direct-sequence spread spectrum has been adopted for many current and future cellular CDMA communication systems, and it is also used widely for military communication networks and systems. One of the motivations for employing direct-sequence spread spectrum is its ability to combat fading due to multipath propagation. The use of direct-sequence spread spectrum to resolve multipath signals is discussed and illustrated. The role of a rake receiver is described, and tradeoffs in the selection of the chip rate for the spread-spectrum system are discussed.
Application of the variational theorem for creep of shallow spherical shells

The variational theorem for creep is used to study the creep deflections and collapse times for simply supported thin shallow spherical shells under uniform external pressure. The initial and subsequent forms of the stress resultants and displacements are obtained with the aid of the elastic theory of thin shallow spherical shells. The variational theorem for creep leads to a set of simultaneous ordinary differential equations with prescribed initial conditions. Numerical solutions are generated by means of the Runge-Kutta method. Theoretical predictions for creep deflections and collapse times are compared with experimental data for five test shells at each of three different pressure levels for Type 6/6 Nylon. It was found that the theory predicts creep deflections that are consistently smaller than the experimental values, whereas the theoretical collapse times are consistently larger than the experimental collapse times. The discrepancy between the theoretical predictions for creep deflections and collapses times and the experimental data is believed to be due largely to the deviations which occur between the theoretical and actual stress and displacement mode shapes with the passage of time. Closer agreement should be expected when more time flexibility is built into these mode forms.
Crossing Global Boundaries: Beyond Intercultural Communication

This article analyzes the benefits of experiential learning in cross-disciplinary global learning environments by recounting work in the Global Classroom Project, which electronically links students and professors from Russia and America. The author asserts that students learn by experience what cannot be taught and claims that they benefit from synthesizing the viewpoints, ideologies, and frames of reference of diverse co-participants. In doing so, students prepare for a future in which synthetic thinking that leads to innovative, imaginative problem solving and invention will be desirable and necessary.
General Relativistic Bound States of a Fermion and a Scalar Interacting via a Massive Scalar

A complete set of numerical solutions is obtained, in the ladder approximation, to the Bethe-Salpeter equation describing bound states of a spin-\(\frac{1}{2}\) fermion and spin-0 boson with arbitrary masses that interact via the exchange of a massive, spin-0 boson. The equation has been used previously, without solutions actually being calculated, to derive some properties of nucleons by treating the physical nucleon as a bound state of a “bare” nucleon and a “bare” meson. It is likely that most, if not all, two-body, bound-state Bethe-Salpeter equations can be solved in the ladder approximation using the method discussed here.
Remembering over the short-term: the case against the standard model.

▪ Abstract Psychologists often assume that short-term storage is synonymous with activation, a mnemonic property that keeps information in an immediately accessible form. Permanent knowledge is act...
Modern staged repair of bladder exstrophy: a contemporary series.

Abstract Objective Many changes have occurred in the treatment of bladder exstrophy over the last few years and many repairs are now offered. The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term outcomes in a select group of patients in whom modern staged repair (MSRE) was undertaken. Patients and methods From an institutionally approved database were extracted 189 patients who had undergone primary closure between 1988 and 2004. The records of 131 patients (95 males) who underwent MSRE with a modified Cantwell-Ransley repair by a single surgeon in 1988–2004 were reviewed with a minimum 5-year follow up. Results Sixty-seven patients with a mean age of 2 months (range 6 h to 4 months) underwent primary closure, and 18 underwent osteotomy at the same time. Mean age at epispadias repair was 18 months (8–24). Mean age at bladder neck reconstruction (BNR) was 4.8 years (40–60 months) with a mean capacity of 98 cc (75–185). Analysis of bladder capacity prior to BNR revealed that patients with a mean capacity greater than 85 cc median had better outcomes. Seventy percent (n = 47) are continent day and night and voiding per urethra without augmentation or intermittent catheterization. Social continence defined as dry for more than 3 h during the day was found in 10% (n = 7). Six patients required continent diversion after failed BNR. Seven patients are completely incontinent. The mean time to daytime continence was 14 months (4–23) and the mean time to night-time continence was 23 months (11–34). No correlation was found between age at BNR and continence. Conclusions Patients with a good bladder template who develop sufficient bladder capacity after successful primary closure and epispadias repair can achieve acceptable continence without bladder augmentation and intermittent catheterization.
Ultrasound diagnosis of adrenal hemorrhage in meningococcemia.

Two cases of adrenal hemorrhage in meningococcemia detected by ultrasound are reported. Antemortem detection of adrenal pathology may have important prognostic and therapeutic implications. The sonographic appearance may be echofree, mixed, or echogenic. Abdominal ultrasound examination can be an effective non-invasive tool in diagnosing adrenal hemorrhage.
Prospective study of the natural history of infectious mononucleosis caused by Epstein-Barr virus.

BACKGROUND Knowledge regarding the clinical characteristics and natural history of acute infectious mononucleosis is based largely on older, often retrospective, studies without systematic follow-up. Differences in diagnosis, methodology, or treatment between historical and current practice might affect an understanding of this illness. METHODS Using a prospective case series design, we enrolled 150 persons with an acute illness serologically confirmed as Epstein-Barr virus infection. The goal of the study was to assess symptoms, physical examination findings, laboratory tests, and functional status measures during the acute presentation and 1, 2, and 6 months later. RESULTS Acutely, infectious mononucleosis was characterized by the symptoms of sore throat and fatigue and substantial functional impairment. Objective physical and laboratory examination findings included pharyngitis and cervical lymphadenopathy, a moderate absolute and atypical lymphocytosis, and mildly elevated transaminase levels. The traditional signs of fever and splenomegaly were relatively uncommon. By 1 month, most symptoms and signs and all laboratory tests had returned to normal. Fatigue, cervical lymphadenopathy, pharyngitis, and functional health status improved more slowly. CONCLUSIONS In contemporary practice most of the classical illness features of infectious mononucleosis are observed. Symptoms, signs, and poor functioning might be protracted in some patients.
Linking Speech Errors and Generative Phonological Theory

Speech errors are a critical source of data on the tacit knowledge that underlies our creative use of language. Studies of errors in spontaneous speech, in experimental paradigms such as tongue twisters, and those produced by aphasic individuals reveal the influence of linguistic principles on the production of speech. Linguistic representations from distinctive features and gestures to prosodic structure shape speech error distributions. Speech errors respect allophonic and allomorphic relationships between linguistic forms. Phonological well-formedness – as measured by cross-linguistic markedness and within-language frequency – influences which structures are (mis)produced in errors. Recent advances in constraint-based generative phonological theories (Optimality Theory, Harmonic Grammar, and Maximum Entropy Grammars) may provide insight into these patterns. Formal models of variation and computational models of constraint satisfaction may provide the means to quantitatively link phonological principles and speech error distributions.
The impact of the net percentage growth rate in the number of small firms on differential state-level employment growth rates in the US: an exploratory empirical note

ABSTRACTThis brief exploratory empirical note seeks to identify key determinants of geographic differentials in the percentage growth rate of state-level employment in the US, with the primary focus being on the percentage net growth rate in the number of small firms (i.e., those with fewer than 20 employees) in each state, where this variable serves as a de facto reflection of ‘entrepreneurship’. In the interest of identifying other key factors that influence state-level employment growth rates, the effective income tax rate in each state, quality of life elements and labour market considerations are also included in the analysis. The study period runs from the year 2000 to the year 2007, ending just prior to the ‘Great Recession’. The estimation results imply that the state-level employment growth rate in the US was an increasing function of the percentage net growth rate in the number of small firms in each state. Thus, it appears that the small firms growth rate may in fact be a significant source.
HOST STATUS OF MAMEY SAPOTE, POUTERIA SAPOTA (SAPOTACEAE), TO THE WEST INDIAN FRUIT FLY, ANASTREPHA OBLIQUA (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) IN PUERTO RICO

The authors evaluated the host status of mamey sapote, Pouteria sapota (Sapotaceae) to Anastrepha obliqua by collecting mature fruits and monitoring them for the emergence of larval Tephritidae. Fruits were also scarred and placed in cages with female A. obliqua and monitored for the emergence of larvae and adults. Multi-lure traps baited with putrescine and ammonium acetate were used to compare the number of flies in orchards of mamey sapote to the number of flies in nearby orchards of carambola (Averrhoa carambola: Oxalidaceae). There are a number of references citing mamey sapote as a host of A. obliqua in different countries. However, we only found two unidentified tephritid larva from 1,160 mamey sapote fruits collected in the field and these fly larvae did not survive to adulthood. We were not able to rear adult A. obliqua on scarred, mature fruit of mamey sapote, whereas we were able to do so on mango under identical conditions. Abundance in orchards based on trapping indicates that flies are very rarely encountered in orchards of mamey sapote compared with orchards of carambola. We conclude that in Puerto Rico mamey sapote has a very low (undetectable) rate of infestation by fruit flies in the family Tephritidae.
Vanderbilt Pelletron - Low Energy Protons and Other Ions for Radiation Effects on Electronics

Vanderbilt University School of Engineering's Pelletron has been used to conduct single event effects, displacement damage and total ionizing dose testing on electronics and materials. A custom vacuum chamber with adjustable stage and various feedthroughs facilitate testing. Beam scattering using thin gold foils provide good beam uniformity over approximately 1 inch diameter. Over 25 peer reviewed papers have been published that include results from tests performed. External users are invited to use this facility.
Pacing rate, halothane, and BDM affect fura 2 reporting of [Ca2+]i in intact rat trabeculae

Experiments were done on intact trabeculae from rats. Fura 2 in the salt form was microinjected directly into the myoplasm. The experiments were conducted at 30°C, with 2 mM extracellular Ca2+ conc...
Bridging Scale Particle and Finite Element Methods

We summarize the strengths and limitations of currently available multiple-scale techniques, where the emphasis is made on the latest prospective approaches, such as the bridging scale method, multiscale boundary conditions, and multiscale fluidics. Example problems, in which multiple-scale simulation methods yield equivalent results to full atomistic simulations at fractions of the computational cost, are shown. We conclude by discussing future research directions and needs in multiple-scale analysis, and also discuss the ramifications of the integration of current nanoscale research into education.
Association of exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk in adult NHANES participants (2001-2008).

Abstract Background and objectives Exposure to particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) has been associated with increased cardiovascular outcomes, mediated by a hypothesized biological mechanism of systemic inflammation and oxidation. Although PM 10 has been linked to inflammatory markers in a nationally representative sample (NHANES) using data from earlier cycles (1989–1994); no study has considered these relationships for PM 2.5 in more recent time periods. We examined the association of ambient PM 2.5 exposure and inflammatory markers in adult NHANES participants for cycles 2001–2008. Methods We linked each of the adult NHANES participant's address with meteorological and modeled air pollution data for each census tract in conterminous United States. The effects of short and long term PM 2.5 on C-reactive protein, white blood cells, fibrinogen and homocysteine were analyzed using multiple linear regression, adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, temperature and ozone. SAS SURVEYREG was used to account for the complex survey design of NHANES. Results In the overall population, no significant positive associations were noted for either short or long term PM 2.5 exposures for any of the biomarkers after controlling for confounders. However, stronger associations were found among obese, diabetics, hypertensive and smokers. For every 10 μg/m 3 increase in PM 2.5 , there was an increase of (a) 36.9% (95% CI: 0.1%, 87.2%) in CRP at annual average PM 2.5 (adjusting for short term exposure) among diabetics (b) 2.6% (95% CI: 0.1%, 5.1%) in homocysteine at lag 0 among smokers. Conclusions In a nationally representative sample of individuals we noted no overall association between PM 2.5 and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk. However, sensitive subgroups manifested increases in these markers to PM 2.5 exposure. Further studies should concentrate on the impact of PM 2.5 on these biomarkers in those with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.
Association of Mild Cognitive Impairment With Exposure to General Anesthesia for Surgical and Nonsurgical Procedures: A Population-Based Study

Abstract Objective To examine whether exposure to general anesthesia for operations and procedures after the age of 40 years is associated with incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly patients. Patients and Methods A population-based, prospective cohort of Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents aged 70 to 89 years at enrollment, underwent baseline and 15-month interval evaluations that included the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, a neurologic evaluation, and neuropsychological testing. Anesthesia records after the age of 40 years until last evaluation for MCI were abstracted. Proportional hazards regression, adjusting for other known MCI risk factors, was used to assess whether exposure to surgical general anesthesia after the age of 40 years is associated with the incidence of MCI. Results Of 1731 participants (mean age, 79 years), 536 (31.0%) developed MCI during a median follow-up of 4.8 years. Anesthesia exposure was not associated with MCI when analyzed as a dichotomous variable (any vs none; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.07; 95% CI, 0.83-1.37; P=.61), the number of exposures (adjusted HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.78-1.42; adjusted HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.86-1.47; and adjusted HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.76-1.34, for 1, 2-3, and ≥4 exposures compared with no exposure as the reference; P=.73), or the total cumulative duration of exposure (adjusted HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.98-1.01, per 60-minute increase; P=.83). In secondary sensitivity analyses, anesthesia after 60 years of age was associated with incident MCI (adjusted HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.02-1.55; P=.04), as was exposure in the previous 20 and 10 years. Conclusion We found no significant association between cumulative exposure to surgical anesthesia after 40 years of age and MCI. However, these data do not exclude the possibility that anesthetic exposures occurring later in life may be associated with an increase in the rate of incident MCI.
Coming to Terms With the IMPACT Act of 2014

The Improving Medicare Post-Acute Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014 will set the course for much of postacute care well into the next decade. It (1) authorizes a uniform method of patient assessment in postacute care; (2) sets a timetable for developing, implementing, and reporting quality measures; and (3) lays the groundwork for future payment reform in postacute care. This article places the IMPACT Act into the larger arc of health care reform and change. It summarizes the law's key provisions and presents a contrarian analysis of this much-heralded bipartisan legislation. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 already gives the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services the authority to implement what the IMPACT Act requires. The IMPACT Act may even slow down the changes envisioned in the ACA. The article concludes by noting the implications for occupational therapy both as a practice and a profession.
Analysis of the HFMD laboratory test results in Tongchuan during 2010-2013

Objective The hand-foot-mouth disease( HFMD) laboratory test results were analyzed to understand the HFMD epidemic characteristics,and provide the etiological basis for the prevention and control of HFMD. Methods Collecting the throat swabs of 517 patients with HFMD by surveillance platform in Tongchuan,submitted by the county CDC censorship agencies during 2010-2013. The enterovirus nucleic acid virus in the suspected HFMD specimens collected from CDCs in countries was detected using real-time quantitative PCR( RT-PCR). Results Between 2010 and 2013 in districts and counties,there were varying degrees of HFMD epidemic. The epidemic time is mainly from April to August and the patients were mainly the children under five years old scattered in family or gathered in kindergarten. During 2010-2013 there were 517 cases of suspected HFMD cases from monitored specimens,among which,through viral nucleic acid testing,325 copies were positive,the positive rate was 62. 86%. Among the 325 positive samples,85 samples of Cox A16 type were positive,the constituent ratio 26.15%. 106 samples of EV71 were positive,the constituent ratio 32. 62%. Intestinal universal positive unclassified samples were134,the constituent ratio 41. 23%. Conclusion The virus causing HFMD in Tongchuan in 2010 was Cox A16,during 2011-2012 it was EV71; In 2013 the major pathogen of HFMD was other types of intestinal pathogens.
Neuronal Plasticity and Recovery from Stroke

Many patients make good functional recoveries after a stroke despite significant initial deficits. The mechanisms of recovery are largely unknown. Partially damaged areas probably recover some of their functions. In addition, clinical observations, neuroanatomical studies, functional imaging, and neurophysiological investigations all suggest that recovery also involves reorganization of undamaged regions of the brain. NEUROSCIENTIST 4:68-70, 1998
Liquid chromatographic method for determination of triglycerides in vegetable oils in terms of their partition numbers : summary of collaborative study

The IUPAC Commission on Oils, Fats and Derivatives undertook development of a method and collaborative study for the determination of triglycerides in vegetable oils by liquid chromatography. Three collaborative studies were conducted from 1985 to 1987. Refinements were made in the method after the first collaborative study, and the second and third collaborative studies demonstrated that the method produces acceptable results. Materials studied were soybean oil, almond oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil, and blends of palm and sunflower oils, and almond and sunflower oils. Six test samples were analyzed by 18 laboratories from 11 countries in the second study; 4 test samples were analyzed by 16 laboratories from 12 countries in the third study. The method for determination of triglycerides (by partition numbers) in vegetable oils by liquid chromatography was adopted first action by AOAC INTERNATIONAL as an IUPAC-AOCS-AOAC method.
Considerations for Working Safely with Infectious Disease Agents in Research Animals

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on various considerations that one has to take for working safely with infectious disease agents in research animals. Guidelines for establishing appropriate combinations of facilities, containment, practices, and procedures have been published for working with vertebrate animals used in infectious disease research. Published in the CDC/NIH publication, Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, are Agent Summary Statements that presents recommendations for the safe handling of those pathogens known to have caused laboratory-acquired infections. Recent recommendations have been published for containment facilities used for the safe housing and handling of livestock and poultry infected with pathogenic agents. Special requirements for work involving recombinant DNA molecules have also been published. If an animal is a natural host for the infectious agent, the agent may grow to high titers and become a potential source for infecting other susceptible animals. This generally will require containment and isolation of infected animals. Specific work practices will be required to minimize fomite transfer by care-givers. If the animal is known not to be susceptible to the infectious agent and the agent is non-infectious to humans, less stringent caging and housing requirements are required. The route of transmission is a salient factor in evaluating the risk. Agents spread by the aerosol route dictate more stringent facility containment requirements than agents spread by blood-to-blood contact. Isolation caging must be used, care must be taken while transferring animals from cage to cage, and respiratory-protective equipment must be worn by animal care-givers to protect against inhalation of infectious aerosols. When the agent is spread in urine or feces, special waste-handling procedures or treatment may be required to minimize exposure of other animals, humans, or the environment.
The Problems of Intergroup Accommodation and Pluralism in the Politics of Pakistan

On 14 August 1947 two of the most populous independent states, India and Pakistan, were born in South Asia. On that day, the last British Viceroy of the Indian sub-continent, Lord Mountbatten, first flew from Delhi to Karachi to proclaim, and to participate in the celebrations of, the birth of Pakistan. A few hours later, he flew back to Delhi to preside over the independence ceremonies of India, a nation inhabited by the second largest population in the world.
SOC power off - power noise analysis

Advancing to sub-micron processes, power gating using MTCMOS has been widely adopted in complex SOC to reduce the leakage current. Increasing computing applications especially mobile and wireless chip designs require extensive power gating design to power on and off modules in designs. The power signature goes hand-in-hand with the end-product usage model. Even though power gating helps to reduce the leakage, it generates significant power noise which affects chip functional stability. This paper focuses on the analysis of power noise caused by power off operation. It describes the noise coupling at both the system and the die levels in section II. The power-off circuit modeling will be explained in section III. A comparison of silicon measurement result to spice simulation as well as a prominent power noise EDA tool are presented in section IV.
High-Profile Female Executive Candidates and the Political Engagement of Women: A Multilevel Analysis

The number of salient female executive leaders has dramatically increased over the last two decades. In many countries, executive politics is no longer an exclusive male domain. Using data from the four waves of the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems surveys and from several waves of the AmericasBarometer surveys, I investigate whether the presence of salient female executive candidates in high-profile national elections influences women’s political engagement in the electoral process. The analysis reveals that the presence of viable female candidates has no immediate impact on women’s political engagement at the mass level.
Thermodynamics of manganese oxides: Sodium, potassium, and calcium birnessite and cryptomelane

Manganese oxides with layer and tunnel structures occur widely in nature and inspire technological applications. Having variable compositions, these structures often are found as small particles (nanophases). This study explores, using experimental thermochemistry, the role of composition, oxidation state, structure, and surface energy in the their thermodynamic stability. The measured surface energies of cryptomelane, sodium birnessite, potassium birnessite and calcium birnessite are all significantly lower than those of binary manganese oxides (Mn3O4, Mn2O3, and MnO2), consistent with added stabilization of the layer and tunnel structures at the nanoscale. Surface energies generally decrease with decreasing average manganese oxidation state. A stabilizing enthalpy contribution arises from increasing counter-cation content. The formation of cryptomelane from birnessite in contact with aqueous solution is favored by the removal of ions from the layered phase. At large surface area, surface-energy differences make cryptomelane formation thermodynamically less favorable than birnessite formation. In contrast, at small to moderate surface areas, bulk thermodynamics and the energetics of the aqueous phase drive cryptomelane formation from birnessite, perhaps aided by oxidation-state differences. Transformation among birnessite phases of increasing surface area favors compositions with lower surface energy. These quantitative thermodynamic findings explain and support qualitative observations of phase-transformation patterns gathered from natural and synthetic manganese oxides.
Terrorist Assassination and Institutional Change in Repressive Regimes

ABSTRACTMissing from the political violence literature is an in-depth and systematic examination of the effects of terrorist assassination on state political institutions in repressive regimes. By broadening the scope and depth of empirical research into terrorist assassinations, the potential exists to enhance our understanding of the outcomes of assassination by terrorist actors as well as our overall understanding of political violence in repressive regimes. Utilizing survival analysis and data from the Global Terrorism Database, the Polity IV Project, and the Political Terror Scale, this project focuses on the post-terrorist assassination institutional outcomes in repressive regimes. While the effects are long-term, the most repressive regimes are the most likely to experience political institutional shifts in the wake of terrorist assassinations. The direction of the institutional shifts is mixed, but results indicate that the level of state repression in existence prior to a terrorist assassination ...
Mito-Apocynin Prevents Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Microglial Activation, Oxidative Damage, and Progressive Neurodegeneration in MitoPark Transgenic Mice

Abstract Aims: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive motor deficits and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Caused by a number of genetic and environmental factors, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress play a role in neurodegeneration in PD. By selectively knocking out mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) in dopaminergic neurons, the transgenic MitoPark mice recapitulate many signature features of the disease, including progressive motor deficits, neuronal loss, and protein inclusions. In the present study, we evaluated the neuroprotective efficacy of a novel mitochondrially targeted antioxidant, Mito-apocynin, in MitoPark mice and cell culture models of neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Results: Oral administration of Mito-apocynin (10 mg/kg, thrice a week) showed excellent central nervous system bioavailability and significantly improved locomotor activity and coordination in MitoPark mice. Importantly, Mito-apocynin also ...
Whole Organ Culture of the Mouse Mammary Gland

Whole mammary glands from pubescent mice, primed for 9 days with estrogen and progesterone, cultured in the presence of the lactogenic hormone mix of insulin, aldosterone, hydrocortisone, and prolactin develop pregnancy-like lobuloalveolar structures and synthesize milk protein. Withdrawal of prolactin from the medium (with or without the steroids) results in involution of the gland in a manner comparable to that which occurs in vivo. Reincubation with the four-hormone mix plus epidermal growth factor results in a second round of development. Thus, whole organ culture provides an excellent model system to study systematically the hormonal and growth factor requirements that regulate the biochemical events that occur during these processes.
Molecular Genetic Analysis of the Human Lewis Histo-blood Group System*

The expression of Lewis histo-blood group antigen is determined by the Lewis type alpha(1,3/1,4) fucosyltransferase encoded in Fuc-TIII gene (Le gene) on chromosome 19. Weak hemagglutination reactions are often observed in the Lewis blood typing to cause false-negative reactions. The level of CA19-9 tumor marker, defined as sialylated Le(a) (sLe(a)), is influenced by the Lewis blood phenotype. The sLe(a) antigen is also considered to play a role in hematogenous metastasis of tumor cells. The accurate genotyping of Fuc-TIII gene would be, therefore, necessary for solving above questions. In addition to the two missense mutations previously reported by us, i.e. the T59G and the G508A, further sequence analyses revealed a new single base substitution, the T1067A, changing the Ile356 to Lys in the catalytic region. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methods were developed for the detection of these three missense mutations and applied in 15 Lewis negative (le/le) and 65 Lewis positive individuals (Le/Le or Le/le). These methods were found to be useful for genetic diagnosis for the Lewis histo-blood typing. All le alleles had the T59G mutation, whereas none of the Le alleles did. The le alleles were divided in two types, le1, having the G508A mutation, and le2, having the T1067A mutation. The T1067A mutation reduced the enzyme activity less than 10%, whereas the G508A mutation in the catalytic domain made the enzyme completely inactive. The frequency of occurrence of Le, le1, and le2 in the Japanese population by random sampling study was found to be 66, 30, and 4%, respectively.
The Role of Urban Food Needs in Regional Development, Puno, Peru

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of urban food needs in regional development in Puno, Peru. There is a strong tendency for the upper classes to live in the cities. Although urban residents of whatever class position do not usually produce their own food, upper-class urban residents have the wherewithal to purchase a greater variety of foodstuffs. Nonetheless, all urban residents must deal with the agricultural countryside. As transport costs consume too much value for bulky food staples to come from afar, urban food needs determine the composition and operation of markets because only what the city classes eat will be brought in for sale. The distinctions of urban demand and rural supply underlie the analysis of marketing in Puno. In the earlier era, markets were small, isolated, and local happenings. Markets barely provisioned the upper classes in each district when each capital depended upon the production of its administrative hinterland. To document the existence of a central-place system, markets were classed into levels based on whether or not they offered certain index goods.
Generation of correlated random variables and stochastic processes

Abstract Random variables and stochastic processes are present in various areas, such as physics, engineering, ecology, biology, medicine, psychology, finance, and others. For analysis and simulation, random variables and stochastic processes need to be modeled mathematically, and procedures are required to generate their samples for numerical calculations. Various methods have been developed to model and generate a single random variable based on its probability distribution and a single stochastic process according its probability density and spectral density. Nevertheless, in some problems, multiple correlated random variables or stochastic processes are involved, and representative models and procedures to generate their samples are required. The present paper first gives a brief review of procedures to generate two or more correlated random variables with Gaussian distributions and with a given joint probability density. Then a method is presented to generate two correlated Gaussian white-noise processes. Based on these results, the method of linear filters is proposed to generate two correlated Gaussian processes with spectra of low − pass and single peak shape.
Horizontal and Vertical Scaling of Cloud Geometry Inferred from CloudSat Data

AbstractA method is described to characterize the scale dependence of cloud chord length using cloud-type classification reported with the 94-GHz CloudSat radar. The cloud length along the CloudSat track is quantified using horizontal and vertical structures of cloud classification separately for each cloud type and for all clouds independent of cloud type. While the individual cloud types do not follow a clear power-law behavior as a function of horizontal or vertical scale, a robust power-law scaling of cloud chord length is observed when cloud type is not considered. The exponent of horizontal length is approximated by β ≈ 1.66 ± 0.00 across two orders of magnitude (~10–1000 km). The exponent of vertical thickness is approximated by β ≈ 2.23 ± 0.03 in excess of one order of magnitude (~1–14 km). These exponents are in agreement with previous studies using numerical models, satellites, dropsondes, and in situ aircraft observations. These differences in horizontal and vertical cloud scaling are consisten...
Rehospitalization for Heart Failure: Problems and Perspectives

With a prevalence of 5.8 million in the United States alone, heart failure (HF) is associated with high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditures. Close to 1 million hospitalizations for heart failure (HHF) occur annually, accounting for over 6.5 million hospital days and a substantial portion of the estimated $37.2 billion that is spent each year on HF in the United States. Although some progress has been made in reducing mortality in patients hospitalized with HF, rates of rehospitalization continue to rise, and approach 30% within 60 to 90 days of discharge. Approximately half of HHF patients have preserved or relatively preserved ejection fraction (EF). Their post-discharge event rate is similar to those with reduced EF. HF readmission is increasingly being used as a quality metric, a basis for hospital reimbursement, and an outcome measure in HF clinical trials. In order to effectively prevent HF readmissions and improve overall outcomes, it is important to have a complete and longitudinal characterization of HHF patients. This paper highlights management strategies that when properly implemented may help reduce HF rehospitalizations and include adopting a mechanistic approach to cardiac abnormalities, treating noncardiac comorbidities, increasing utilization of evidence-based therapies, and improving care transitions, monitoring, and disease management.
Thrombosis and Modern Anticoagulation Options for the Adult with Congenital Heart Disease

The anatomy and physiology of adults with congenital heart disease place them at increased risk for thrombosis. This chapter discusses the most common thromboses, namely, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, arrhythmias and thromboembolic stroke, thrombosis associated with prosthetic valves, and special concerns of the adult with Fontan circulation. The chapter closes with a discussion of therapeutics for thrombosis prevention and management.
Modeling apparent camouflage-pattern color using segment-weighted spectra

ABSTRACTCamouflage patterns for military applications, typically upon base materials such as dyed fabrics, consist of highly detailed camouflage patternings that are characterized by combined refectance spectra. The complexity of these camouflage patterns establishes a need for modeling camouflage-pattern reflectance for pattern evaluation as a function of distance. A metric for pattern evaluation is the apparent-camouflage-pattern reflectance spectrum, which is the total reflectance due to all contributions from component segments, within a wavelength range of interest, for light reflected from sufficiently large fabric samples (≥1m2), as a function of standoff distance. This follows in that camouflage patterns tend to lose contributions to the total reflectance from component segments, having less coverage, with increasing standoff distance. Eventually, with increasing distance, reflectance of pattern segments having more coverage combine to produce the “apparent spectrum” of the camouflage pattern at f...
Incidence and Outcome of Neurological Complications in Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support for Cardiogenic Shock

Purpose Neurological complications (NC) are potentially devastating for cardiogenic shock patients receiving veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support. The purpose of this study was to investigate the overall incidence and pattern of NC and their impact on outcome. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 498 consecutive patients who received VA-ECMO support for cardiogenic shock between March 2007 and May 2018. Information on NC type, including stroke, altered mental status, seizure, encephalopathy, and transient ischemic attack and other neurological events was collected. Survival to discharge was compared between patients with and without neurological complications. Results Median age of the entire cohort was 60 years (IQR 49-68), and 69% were male. Etiology of cardiogenic shock included post-cardiotomy shock (n=154, 33%), acute myocardial infarction (n=124, 27%), post-transplant graft failure (n=60, 13%), acute decompensated heart failure (n=65, 14%), and others (n=57, 12%). Eighty-seven patients were cannulated via the ascending aorta (18%), 37 via the axillary artery (7%), and 374 (75%) via the femoral artery. In total, 125 patients (25%) were diagnosed with NC: altered mental status was most common n=62 (12%), stroke n=29 (6%), encephalopathy n=16 (3%), seizure n=15 (3%), transient ischemic attack/others n=16 (3%). NC diagnosis was significantly associated with higher in-hospital mortality rates (74%, n=93) vs. non-NC diagnosis (61%, n=229), (p=0.008). Among NC subtypes, encephalopathy had the highest in-hospital mortality rate (94%, n=15), followed by stroke (72%, n=21) and AMS (71%, n=44). Conclusion Neurological disorders are common in cardiogenic shock patients who receive VA-ECMO and significantly impact in-hospital mortality rates.
The group A Streptococcus accessory protein RocA: regulatory activity, interacting partners, and influence on disease potential

The group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes diseases that range from mild (e.g. pharyngitis) to severely invasive (e.g. necrotizing fasciitis). Strain- and serotype-specific differences influence the ability of isolates to cause individual diseases. At the center of this variability is the CovR/S two-component system and the accessory protein RocA. Through incompletely defined mechanisms, CovR/S and RocA repress the expression of more than a dozen immunomodulatory virulence factors. Alleviation of this repression is selected for during invasive infections, leading to the recovery of covR, covS or rocA mutant strains. Here, we investigated how RocA promotes CovR/S activity, identifying that RocA is a pseudokinase that interacts with CovS. Disruption of CovS kinase or phosphatase activities abolishes RocA function, consistent with RocA acting through the modulation of CovS activity. We also identified, in conflict with a previous study, that the RocA regulon includes the secreted protease-encoding gene speB. Finally, we discovered an inverse correlation between the virulence of wild-type, rocA mutant, covS mutant and covR mutant strains during invasive infection and their fitness in an ex vivo upper respiratory tract model. Our data inform on mechanisms that control GAS disease potential and provide an explanation for observed strain- and serotype-specific variability in RocA function.
Blockchain Democracy: Technology, Law and the Rule of the Crowd

In Blockchain Democracy, William Magnuson provides a breathtaking tour of the world of blockchain and bitcoin, from their origins in the online scribblings of a shadowy figure named Satoshi Nakamoto, to their furious rise and dramatic crash in the 2010s, to their ignominious connections to the dark web and online crime. Magnuson argues that blockchain's popularity stands as a testament both to the depth of distrust of government today, and also to the fervent and undying belief that technology and the world of cyberspace can provide an answer. He demonstrates how blockchain's failings provide broader lessons about what happens when technology runs up against the stubborn realities of law, markets, and human nature. This book should be read by anyone interested in understanding how technology is changing our democracy, and how democracy is changing our technology.