cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and Application of an Innovative Transdiagnostic Treatment Approach for Pediatric Irritability.

Abstract Recent work has drawn attention to the previously underrecognized role that irritability plays in childhood psychopathology. Despite increased recognition of the clinical importance of pediatric irritability as a transdiagnostic symptom dimension, there is a lack of evidence-based treatments for this population that simultaneously and equitably addresses both child and contextual (e.g., parental) factors implicated in the development and maintenance of associated emotional and behavioral difficulties. In the current pilot study, we adapted the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children (UP-C) for the treatment of pediatric irritability in a sample of 19 children (ages 8 to 12) with primary presenting concerns of irritability and/or disruptive behaviors. Results supported the feasibility and acceptability of this treatment and provided preliminary evidence that such an approach may yield improved outcomes for symptoms of pediatric irritability and disruptive behaviors. Implications of these findings for future research and clinical interventions for pediatric irritability are discussed.
Objective short sleep duration increases the risk of all-cause mortality associated with possible vascular cognitive impairment

Abstract Objectives Cognitive impairment is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and cardiometabolic conditions are key contributors to its development. Short sleep is also a potential contributor to brain health; however, its role in predicting mortality remains poorly understood. We investigated whether objective short sleep duration increases the risk of all-cause mortality associated with coexisting cognitive impairment and cardiometabolic conditions, i.e., possible vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Design This is a longitudinal study. Setting This is a population-based, in-lab study. Participants A total of 1,524 adults (aged 48.9±13.4 years, 53.4% women) from the Penn State Adult Cohort were included in the study. Measurements All-cause mortality was estimated after 19.1±5.1 years of follow-up. Neuropsychological testing was performed to ascertain cognitive impairment. Clinical history and physical examination were performed to ascertain stage 2 hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Possible VCI was defined as the presence of any of these cardiometabolic conditions and cognitive impairment. In-lab, 8-hour polysomnography (PSG) was performed to ascertain short sleep duration (i.e., Results Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional-hazard models showed that the risk of all-cause mortality associated with cardiometabolic conditions (n=864) and possible VCI (n=122) was significantly increased in those who slept Conclusions Objective short sleep duration predicts the mortality prognosis of adults with possible VCI. Sleep duration and cognition should be objectively evaluated in patients presenting with a cluster of cardiometabolic conditions and sleep and cognitive complaints. Short sleep is a useful risk factor in the prediction of adverse cardiometabolic and brain health outcomes.
Effect of 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 on kidney and haemostatic function in cardiac surgical patients: a randomised controlled trial.

Whether third-generation hydroxyethyl starch solutions provoke kidney injury or haemostatic abnormalities in patients having cardiac surgery remains unclear. We tested the hypotheses that intra-operative administration of a third-generation starch does not worsen postoperative kidney function or haemostasis in cardiac surgical patients compared with human albumin 5%. This triple-blind, non-inferiority, clinical trial randomly allocated patients aged 40-85 who underwent elective aortic valve replacement, with or without coronary artery bypass grafting, to plasma volume replacement with 6% starch 130/0.4 vs. 5% human albumin. Our primary outcome was postoperative urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin concentrations, a sensitive and early marker of postoperative kidney injury. Secondarily, we evaluated urinary interleukin-18; acute kidney injury using creatinine RIFLE criteria, coagulation measures, platelet count and function. Non-inferiority (delta 15%) was assessed with correction for multiple comparisons. We enrolled 141 patients (69 starch, 72 albumin) as planned. Results of the primary analysis demonstrated that postoperative urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (median (IQR [range])) was slightly lower with hydroxyethyl starch (5 (1-68 [0-996]) ng.ml-1 ) vs. albumin (5 (2-74 [0-1604]) ng.ml-1 ), although not non-inferior [ratio of geometric means (95%CI) 0.91 (0.57, 1.44); p = 0.15] due to higher than expected variability. Urine interleukin-18 concentrations were reduced, but interleukin-18 and kidney injury were again not non-inferior. Of 11 individual coagulation measures, platelet count and function, nine were non-inferior to albumin. Two remaining measures, thromboelastographic R value and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation, were clinically similar but with wide confidence intervals. Starch administration during cardiac surgery produced similar observed effects on postoperative kidney function, coagulation, platelet count and platelet function compared with albumin, though greater than expected variability and wide confidence intervals precluded the conclusion of non-inferiority. Long-term mortality and kidney function appeared similar between starch and albumin.
The Effect of Sample Handling on Free Valproic Acid Levels.

Background Valproic acid (VPA) is a broad-spectrum anticonvulsant drug. Under normal conditions, this drug is highly protein bound. However, in patients with hypoalbuminemia, the free fraction can increase substantially while the total VPA levels remain in therapeutic range. The neurologic activity and toxicity of the drug are directly related to free drug levels. Methods Our in-house free VPA assay was validated using 20 patient samples obtained from a reference laboratory (RL1). It was further evaluated by parallel testing with RL1 using samples collected from our patients. Subsequently, sample handling effects were investigated by comparing free VPA levels measured in our laboratory to 3 selected RLs with different sample transportation conditions. Results No significant bias was observed between the in-house assay (y) and RL1 (x) assay in free VPA measurement (y = 1.12x + 0.072, r = 0.994). However, patient samples collected in our institution and sent to RL1 revealed significant negative bias (y = 0.776x - 3.861, r = 0.954). A large discrepancy in free VPA levels was further observed from identical aliquots of the same samples transported to 3 RLs in different conditions. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that sample handling has significant impact on free VPA levels. The observed magnitude of variation exceeds a clinically acceptable limit and could alter clinical decisions.
Challenges of early career extension agents in Florida

Extension agents serve a critical role in the land-grant mission as they disseminate research to local clientele in the form of educational programs. However, Extension agents face a myriad of challenges, such as the changing scope of clientele and programming, nature of the job, and burnout. Much research focuses specifically on new agent challenges within the first year, however, few studies have focused on early career Extension agents after the initial onboarding process is complete. We used a phenomenological approach to explore the challenges of early career Extension agents, which yielded eleven major themes, such as a lack of understanding Extension, the nature of the job and understanding their role, and personal pressure. Another major theme was the lack of Extension knowledge of early career Extension agents which could stem from the lack of formalized Extension education programs and professional development programs targeted to early career agents. Social capital theory could be used to better understand the social networks of early career Extension agents, how these networks form over time, and what type of impact social networks have on new Extension agents.
Simulation, Predictive Coding, and the Shared World

In general agreement with the predictive coding approach to cognitive processing, this chapter develops the thesis that our own mechanisms for decision-making and planning are also used concurrently for testing hypothetical explanations of the actions of others. It argues that in this inverse use, the top-down inputs to planning – typically classified as beliefs, desires, and emotions – would default to agent-neutral coding. That is, inputs remain undifferentiated between self and other, unless corrected, e.g., in response to predictive error. In such corrections, the inputs are tweaked (perhaps by way of Bayesian inference) with the aim of (re)producing the observed action. The default agent-neutral coding of inputs would have notable consequences. It would help explain the phenomenology of a shared world: why we seem to understand actions primarily in terms of a shared, mutually known world, and only secondarily (chiefly, when this proves inadequate) in terms of the mental states of individuals. It would also help explain why factivity and knowledge are central to our understanding of others. Finally, by defaulting to “one code fits all,” such a system for action interpretation would achieve maximum code compression – reason for confidence that it is the system we actually have.
Phase II trial of MEDI0457 and durvalumab for patients with recurrent/metastatic HPV-associated cancers.

2595Background: Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 or 18 drives oncogenesis for the majority of patients (pts) with cervical, anal, and some penile cancers via viral oncoproteins E6...
C-L Case Conference: A 73-Year-Old Man With "Altered Mental Status" and Agitation.

Abstract Background Delirium is one of the most common reasons for psychiatric consultation in the general hospital. Delayed recognition can lead to increased morbidity and mortality among other complications. Learning to identify and address delirium is an essential part of consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry training. Methods In this case conference we present a common clinical scenario of a patient with hyperactive delirium attributed to urinary tract infection and discuss the case through review of the literature to teach general principles in evaluation and management of delirium. Discussion A systematic approach to delirium includes screening, chart review, collateral interview, and the psychiatrist’s physical examination. The only definitive treatment of delirium is to diagnose and address underlying pathology. Thoughtful assessment includes standard tests paired with additional work-up tailored to the specifics of a given case. Nonpharmacological interventions can be helpful for delirium prevention, but antipsychotic medications are the mainstay for management of obstructive or dangerous psychomotor activity in hyperactive and mixed deliria. Conclusion The abilities to diagnose and manage delirium are core components of the C-L psychiatrist’s skill set. While the overall focus here is on practical guidance for trainees, C-L psychiatrists of all career stages would benefit from awareness of advancements in the field including the changing role of the electroencephalogram.
Covid-19: a view from the sidelines

Katherine Hoffman is a biostatistician in the pulmonary and critical care team of a New York City hospital, who found herself part of the Covid-19 response when the outbreak first hit in March 2020. This is her story.
Leveraging Multi-Faceted User Preferences for Improving Click-Through Rate Predictions

Recommender systems have been widely adopted by many firms across various industries over the past decade, as they could provide numerous economic benefits to the industry, such as influencing consumer choices, generating the lift in sales, and enhancing consumer trust. Many currently-deployed recommender systems primiarily optimize the similarity measure following the Collaborative Filtering paradigm during the recommendation performance, which focuses on the matching between targeted users and items of their interests. Although effective and useful in many cases, these still face several important challenges to fully address consumers’ concerns. In particular, they usually provide recommendations of the most similar items related to the consumption records, without taking into account the multi-faceted consumer preferences. For example, some consumers would be satisfied to receive recommendations that are novel and unexpected to broaden their horizons, while others might be interested to receive recommendations from other product categories to expand their interests. Falling to do so would lead to the filter bubble and exploration-exploitation trade-off phenomenon, which is undesirable because it would significantly reduce sales diversity and deteriorate user satisfaction with recommender systems. In my thesis proposal, I will describe new methods to design recommender systems following two research streams to tackle the aforementioned challenges, namely unexpected recommender system and cross-domain system. In particular, unexpected recommender systems address consumers’ desire for variety, and aim at providing novel and useful recommendations simultaneously, while cross-domain recommender systems learn consumer preferences from their behaviors in other domains to better predict their behaviors in the target domain. The proposed models are capable of significantly improving recommendation performance and user satisfaction, as demonstrated through extensive offline and online experiments discussed in this proposal.
Optimizing Crowd Space in Public Facilities with Restrictions of COVID-19

In a time where social distancing and wearing masks is the norm, businesses still need to operate in order to survive and people are wanting to be able to live their lives to the most normal way they can. It is very important to compute the number of occupancies during pandemic. The problem in trying to accomplish this is how facilities can be best suited to allow the occupancy numbers to be the greatest while keeping everyone at safe distance from each other. People need a way to be safe at where they are. According to CDC, the general guideline to slow the spread of COVID-19 is by wearing face masks and social distancing at least six feet from people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Offices, businesses, and sports stadiums still want people to come in and work or enjoy themselves, responsibly. A calculator that takes into consideration the shapes and used spaces of an area can be used to find out how much of a given space that an office or sporting area can be filled with people. The objective of this paper is to develop algorithms for computing the number of people or area of a space for offices and sports stadiums during a pandemic like COVID-19. These algorithms will also be used to determine the shape of the area needed to occupy the people. The algorithms can be used by architects to design efficient office and sports venues spaces.
Will We Trust What We Don't Understand? Impact of Model Interpretability and Outcome Feedback on Trust in AI.

Despite AI's superhuman performance in a variety of domains, humans are often unwilling to adopt AI systems. The lack of interpretability inherent in many modern AI techniques is believed to be hurting their adoption, as users may not trust systems whose decision processes they do not understand. We investigate this proposition with a novel experiment in which we use an interactive prediction task to analyze the impact of interpretability and outcome feedback on trust in AI and on human performance in AI-assisted prediction tasks. We find that interpretability led to no robust improvements in trust, while outcome feedback had a significantly greater and more reliable effect. However, both factors had modest effects on participants' task performance. Our findings suggest that (1) factors receiving significant attention, such as interpretability, may be less effective at increasing trust than factors like outcome feedback, and (2) augmenting human performance via AI systems may not be a simple matter of increasing trust in AI, as increased trust is not always associated with equally sizable improvements in performance. These findings invite the research community to focus not only on methods for generating interpretations but also on techniques for ensuring that interpretations impact trust and performance in practice.
Impact of Drainage Water Management on Crop Yield, Drainage Volume, and Nitrate Loss

Conventional plot tile lines were installed at a depth of 4 ft and a spacing of 60 ft. Shallow and controlled drainage plots represent drainage water management. Controlled tile lines were the same design as the conventional. Shallow plot tile lines were installed at a depth of 2.5 ft with a spacing of 40 ft. All plots were designed to have a maximum drainage coefficient of 0.75 in./day. The controlled drainage boards are typically removed in mid-April prior to planting to allow free flow to reduce the height of the water table for improved trafficability. The boards are replaced after planting.
Peptide regulation of mast-cell function.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the peptide regulation of mast-cell function. The ability of peptides of immune, neural, and endocrine origin to affect mast-cell function is now well established. Once viewed with only passing pharmacological interest and believed to be of little physiological relevance, peptides are now recognized as important regulators of mast-cell secretion, growth, and development. Besides, they are now believed to participate with mast cells in allergic disease, in bronchial asthma, and in various states of inflammation. The ability of peptides to modulate mast-cell function could contribute to the suggested roles for mast cells in the control of the microenvironment and in tissue growth and repair. Mast cells have been studied because of their prominent role in the reactions of immediate-type hypersensitivity. A widely distributed fixed tissue cell, the mast cell, is particularly prevalent in organs with a high percentage of connective tissue and is most numerous in the skin and in the linings of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and reproductive tracts, tissues that interface with the external environment. In these various locations, mast cells are frequently found in close proximity to small blood vessels and nerves. This prominence of the mast cell in tissues that interface with the external world is strategic to its role as the sentinel cell of the inflammatory response.
Immortalized porcine liver sinusoidal endothelial cells: an in vitro model of xenotransplantation-induced thrombocytopenia.

Wang Z-Y, Paris LL., Chihara RK., Tector AJ., Burlak C. Immortalized porcine liver sinusoidal endothelial cells: an in vitro model of xenotransplantation-induced thrombocytopenia. Xenotransplantation 2012; 19: 249–255.. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Background: Xenotransplantation has the potential to solve the critical shortage of human organs available for allotransplantation. The major barrier to porcine liver xenotransplantation is sequestration of human platelets causing thrombocytopenia. Porcine liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) bind and phagocytose human platelets at least in part through binding of the asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1). Our purpose was to generate an immortalized porcine LSEC (iLSEC) line that mimics primary LSEC in ASGR1 expression and phagocytosis of human platelets. Porcine iLSEC would enable continued study of xenotransplantation-induced thrombocytopenia in vitro with fewer animals sacrificed. Methods: Primary domestic porcine LSEC were transduced with lentiviral vector expressing the large and small T antigen of SV40 (SV40 TAg). The phenotype and genotype of the immortalized LSEC were compared with primary LSEC. Results: A total of eight clones expressing SV40 TAg were isolated, and one clone was subcultured and analyzed for growth, phenotype, and function during passages 15–40. Expression of the SV40 TAg was confirmed by confocal microscopy and western blot. MTS cell proliferation assay demonstrated that the clone rapidly grew in culture medium with 2–10% fetal bovine serum. iLSEC expressed the endothelial cell marker, CD31, as determined by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Activation of iLSEC by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in upregulation of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL 6) by qPCR and ELISA. iLSEC phagocytosed human serum albumin and latex beads as measured by flow cytometry. Human platelets were phagocytosed by immortalized porcine LSEC. Conclusions: Immortalized porcine LSEC retain a phagocytic phenotype, making them a good model for the study of xenotransplantation-induced thrombocytopenia and may provide further insight into the phagocytic role of LSEC.
Effect of Sym Plasmid Curing on Symbiotic Effectiveness in Rhizobium fredii

A mutant, USDA 206C, of Rhizobium fredii USDA 206 was obtained by passage on acridine plates. This mutant was cured of its 197-megadalton Sym plasmid but retained its symbiotic effectiveness. Multiple plasmid and chromosomally borne nif gene copies have previously been shown in R. fredii USDA 206. HindIII and EcoRI restriction enzyme digests of plasmid and total DNA showed that at least two nif gene copies are probably missing in USDA 206C. To compare the symbiotic effectiveness of USDA 206 and USDA 206C, plant tests were carried out. Statistically significant differences were obtained for nodule number, nodule mass, nitrogenase activity per plant, nitrogenase specific activity, and total plant dry weight. There was an apparent correlation between loss of Sym plasmidborne nif gene copies and reduction of overall symbiotic effectiveness. Delayed nodulation by strain USDA 206C relative to strain USDA 206 also indicated an association with the loss of plasmidborne nodulation functions and the reduced symbiotic effectiveness of strain USDA 206C. Images
A reconfigurable approach to low cost media processing

In this paper we have proposed a new approach to the design of media intensive appliances using a CPU and a modest amount of FPGA for hardware acceleration. From implementations of representative algorithms (a digital filter and a dynamic programming match), we have demonstrated that a small amount of reconfigurable logic can be used to achieve high performance. For these algorithms the equivalent of around 500 Xilinx CLBs, plus a small local memory, can increase performance 12 to 21 times when compared to an optimised CPU-only implementation.
A method-oriented, dramatic technical and professional writing course

To help students learn a process orientation to technical writing, the author and a colleague teach a method-oriented, dramatic technical and professional writing course. Their major concern is to discourage the mechanistic notion of technical writing as a sort of fill-in-the-blanks activity. First, they make a distinction between technical writing classes and English composition classes; they insist that a noncompositional approach is most appropriate even with lower-division students. The method orientation subsumes document types under a problem-solving organization that is approached as a single, coherent process. The focus is on the problem-solving process that professional and technical writing. The teachers also want students to practice investing their principles and ethical stances in their work, so they will see political and ethical concerns as essential parts of the problem-solving approach. To adequately represent the human concerns of technical writing, they use scenarios of some detail so that ethical, political, and professional issues get in-depth coverage. >
Minnesota v. Mille Lacs : gateway to tribal/state resource management

Minnesota v. Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians is the United States Supreme Court's most recent decision to focus on the continued existence of tribal off-reservation hunting, fishing, and gathering rights (usufructuary rights) as guaranteed by 19th century treaties entered into between the Lake Superior Chippewa and the federal government. This paper addresses three issues. First, a fundamental flaw with the Petitioner's position is a misconceptualization of the legal theory that governs Indian treaty interpretation and Indian sovereignty. The Petitioner proceeds on the mistaken premise that the Respondent's usufructuary interests are granted privileges rather than reserved rights. Second, in finding that the Respondents still possessed usufructuary rights in the territory ceded in the Treaty of 1837 we can conclude, based on the Court's interpretation and application of federal Indian jurisprudence, that the Respondent, as well as the other signatories to the Treaty of 1855, still possesses usufructuary rights in the 1855 ceded territory despite the lack of explicit treaty language reserving that right. Third, the Court's response to the Petitioner's Equal Footing argument supports the conclusion that the tribes have a shared interest with the state in wildlife and natural resource regulation. No longer are tribes in the passive position of merely being not subject to state hunting and fishing regulations. Rather they are in an equal, "shared" position with the state in actively developing wildlife and fisheries policy in the ceded territories where tribes still retain usufructuary rights.
Assessing Intimate Partner Violence in Health Care Settings Leads to Women's Receipt of Interventions and Improved Health

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether disclosure of violence to health care providers and the receipt of interventions relate to women's exit from an abusive relationship and to their improved health. METHODS: A volunteer sample of 132 women outpatients who described intimate partner violence during the preceding year were recruited from multiple hospital departments and community agencies in suburban and urban metropolitan Boston. Through in-person interviews, women provided information on demographics, past year exposure to violence, past year receipt of interventions, and whether they disclosed partner violence to their health care provider. They also described their past month health status with the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey and further questions. RESULTS: Of the 132 women, 44% had exited the abusive relationship. Among those who were no longer with their partner, 55% received a domestic violence intervention (e.g. advocacy, shelter, restraining order), compared with 37% of those who remained with their partner. Talking to their health care provider about the abuse increased women's likelihood of using an intervention (odds ratio [OR]=3.9). Those who received interventions were more likely to subsequently exit (OR=2.6) and women no longer with the abuser reported better physical health based on SF-12 summary scores (p=0.05) than women who stayed. CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers may make positive contributions to women's access to intimate partner violence services. Intimate partner violence interventions relate to women's reduced exposure to violence and better health. Language: en
Evaluating Transformational Leaders: The Challenging Case of Eric Shinseki and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Evaluating less than fully successful transformational leaders is difficult. One common method of assessing leadership is to focus on a single temporal narrative. A second approach uses a particular theory, such as transformational leadership, to frame the analysis. The latter, less common strategy is used with the example of Eric Shinseki, who served as both chief of staff of the U.S. Army and as secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The analytic framework used here has six major elements that are specified by 22 factors. Using those factors to evaluate Shinseki's tenure at the VA, he is found to be very poor in only 2 factors but poor in 11, adequate in 6, good in 1, and excellent in only 2. While using a list of factors does not eliminate subjectivity or the challenges of reaching a single assessment, it does clarify the elements of judgment and weighting.
Static generator model for analog power flow computation

Accurate analog models of power system components are required in order to realize an analog computation engine for power systems. Analog computation is an area of continued interest and has certain advantages over traditional digital computation. Among the advantages are physically realizable solutions and significantly faster computation times. This paper focuses on the development of an algebraic static generator model designed for a previously proposed method of analog power flow computation. Prior research in this field has focused on modeling generators dynamically without VAR limitations. The static model proposed here can yield steady state results faster than the prior dynamic models and provides added functionality by incorporating VAR limitations. The model is constructed and verified via analog behavior modeling in PSpice software.
Persistent and Pervasive Community New Communication Technologies and the Future of Community

Two affordances of digital communication technologies, persistent contact and pervasive awareness, are ushering in fundamental change to the structure of community. These affordances break from the mobility narrative that has described community since the rise of urban industrialism, including accounts of networked individualism and a postindustrial or a network society. In contrast to images of late modernity, which suggest that mobility will be maximized to the point where people are nearly free from the constraints of time, space, and social bonds, persistent–pervasive community renews the constraints and opportunities of premodern community structure. As a result of persistence—a counterforce to mobility—relationships and the social contexts where they are formed are less transitory than at any time in modern history. Through the ambient, lean, asynchronous nature of social media, awareness supplements surveillance with the informal watchfulness typified in preindustrial community. It provides for clo...
FPGA synthesis using Look-Up Table and Multiplexor Based architectures

In Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) realizations, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA's) play an increasingly important role; their costs go down every year, and relevant development tools improve rapidly. For fast and efficient designs, logic synthesis and technology mapping are crucial, as well as the quality of the target FPGA architecture. In this paper we consider two of the most interesting and popular classes of FPGA's, Look-Up Table and Multiplexor Based, and we present experimental results obtained synthesizing several to-date benchmark circuits using commercial FPGA's of these two classes. Our purpose is to provide ASIC designers with a criterion which might help in choosing the most appropriate FPGA architecture for the implementation of the circuit under development. >
The computer connection at the US Military Academy

The approach to the establishment of a personal computer (PC) network at the United States Military Academy is reported. The network, called the Cadet Barracks local area network, includes four Ethernets and one channel pair on an older broadband cable. The Ethernets originate in the centralized computing center and use fiber optic cables and repeaters to reach the barracks areas. Connectivity among the four Ethernets, the broadband cable, and an older research Ethernet is provided by media access level bridges. The existing broadband cable is used to reach those buildings that are not part of the barracks complex. Therefore, limited computing resources are conveniently shared and full connectivity among the diverse computer assets is achieved. Smaller departmental networks augment the Cadet Barracks LAN and extend the connectivity to the faculty and administration of the academy. A description is given of the system's benefits, tradeoffs, and unique features. >
Accelerating the development and diffusion of new energy technologies: Beyond the “valley of death”

There are at least three motivations for government intervention in GHG mitigation: (1) inducing the private sector to reduce GHG emissions directly by setting a price on emissions, (2) increasing the amount of innovative activity in GHG mitigation technology development, and (3) educating the public regarding GHG-reducing investment opportunities, allowing consumers to make better private decisions. This paper discusses the pros and cons of policy instruments that might be used to respond to these motivations and makes recommendations for an appropriate mix of policy instruments over time given both economic and policital/instituional considerations.
The Science of Nuclear Materials: A Modular, Laboratory-based Curriculum

The development of a curriculum for nuclear materials courses targeting students pursuing Master of Arts degrees at The George Washington University is described. The courses include basic concepts such as radiation and radioactivity as well as more complex topics such the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear weapons, radiation detection and technological aspects of non-proliferation.
Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for separation anxious children exhibiting school phobia.

Abstract Two children—a 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl—who exhibited severe school phobia (nonattendance for 6 consecutive weeks before referral), participated in an intervention program based on a psychodynamically oriented cognitive approach. The children were “nonresponders” both to imipramine therapy and to enrollment in a program to combat depression. The six-step program included the assessment of (a) cognitive analysis of the child: (b) environmental analysis; and (c) cognitive analysis of the parents; followed by (d) cognitive self-instructing of children; (e) cognitive restructuring of parents; and (f) environmental restructuring. Both children improved rapidly: subject 1 returned to school by week 4; subject 2 by week 2. The authors' approach to combating school phobia is described; more rigid research designs to evaluate the program are suggested.
Language and Literacy Connections for Children Who are African American

Abstract Focusing on the links between language and literacy, this paper discusses possible reasons for the persistent reading skill gap between African American and White children. Three theories ...
Home Economics: Knowledge in Search of Design

Home economics is a subject area with an implied rather than an obvious struc ture. Although professionals are expected to interpret the field to clients in a somewhat uniform manner, considerable diversity exists among professionals applying home economics content. To assist practitioners in interpreting home economics subject-matter content more accurately, it is helpful to use a concep tual inquiry approach. The approach enables those who study the field to clarify common threads tying subject matter specialties to the basic concept of home economics. By using a structure designed to enhance the coherence of a field of study, researchers may clarify their understanding of the status of home econom ics' body of knowledge and its unique mission.
Bimetallo-radical carbon-hydrogen bond activation of methanol and methane.

Carbon−hydrogen bond cleavage reactions of CH3OH and CH4 by a dirhodium(II) diporphyrin complex with a m-xylyl tether (·Rh(m-xylyl)Rh·(1)) are reported. Kinetic-mechanistic studies show that the substrate reactions are bimolecular and occur through the use of two Rh(II) centers in the molecular unit of 1. Second-order rate constants (T = 296 K) for the reactions of 1 with methanol (k(CH3OH) = 1.45 × 10-2 M-1 s-1) and methane (k(CH4) = 0.105 M-1 s-1) show a clear kinetic preference for the methane activation process. The methanol and methane reactions with 1 have large kinetic isotope effects (k(CH3OH)/k(CD3OD) = 9.7 ± 0.8, k(CH4)/k(CD4) = 10.8 ± 1.0, T = 296 K), consistent with a rate-limiting step of C−H bond homolysis through a linear transition state. Activation parameters for reaction of 1 with methanol (ΔH⧧ = 15.6 ± 1.0 kcal mol-1; ΔS⧧ = −14 ± 5 cal K-1 mol-1) and methane (ΔH⧧ = 9.8 ± 0.5 kcal mol-1; ΔS⧧ = −30 ± 3 cal K-1 mol-1) are reported.
Mediation Through Militarization: Indigenous Soldiers and Transcultural Middlemen of the Rio Doce Divisions, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 1808–1850

In 1825, a Maxakali Indian and soldier named Inocencio walked several hundred miles from northeastern Minas Gerais to the royal court in Rio de Janeiro, seeking an audience with Emperor Dom Pedro I. Accompanying him were 14 Indians from the vicinity of Belmonte, a town located on the border of Bahia and Minas Gerais. The journey, requiring several weeks, took Inocencio through thickly forested hilly terrain with few established roads.
The pemetrexed/gemcitabine combination in pancreatic cancer

Gemcitabine has modest antitumor activity in advanced pancreatic cancer. New agents are clearly needed. Pemetrexed (ALIMTA®) is a novel antifolate that inhibits thymidylate synthase, dihydrofolate reductase, and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase. Pemetrexed has shown in vitro activity against pancreatic cancer cell lines. In a Phase I trial of pemetrexed, two patients with pancreatic cancer achieved partial responses on the once every 21 days schedule. A Phase II trial of pemetrexed in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer showed an objective response rate of 6%, a one year survival of 28%, and a mild toxicity profile. The combination of pemetrexed and gemcitabine is synergistic in vitro and was broadly active in a Phase I trial. The pemetrexed/gemcitabine combination was evaluated in a Phase II trial in 42 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The promising activity observed in this study has led to an ongoing international, randomized, Phase III trial in 520 patients comparing the pemetrexed/gemcitabine combination with gemcitabine alone.
Epitaxial Growth of DNA-Assembled Nanoparticle Superlattices on Patterned Substrates

DNA-functionalized nanoparticles, including plasmonic nanoparticles, can be assembled into a wide range of crystalline arrays via synthetically programmable DNA hybridization interactions. Here we demonstrate that such assemblies can be grown epitaxially on lithographically patterned templates, eliminating grain boundaries and enabling fine control over orientation and size of assemblies up to thousands of square micrometers. We also demonstrate that this epitaxial growth allows for orientational control, systematic introduction of strain, and designed defects, which extend the range of structures that can be made using superlattice assembly. Ultimately, this will open the door to integrating self-assembled plasmonic nanoparticle materials into on-chip optical or optoelectronic platforms.
Early Upper Pleistocene Adaptations in the Levant

Human remains firmly associated with Mousterian artifacts and exhibiting characteristics transitional between those of Neanderthal and fully modern man are known from two Levantine sites. A survey of the archeological evidence suggests that three climatic zones were differentially exploited by Neanderthal man and that some of the sites document a shift in subsistence away from a generalized hunting pattern to the specialized hunting of large, migratory herd animals. The hypothesis is offered that the formal changes documented for the Upper Paleolithic occurred in response to this basic shift in human ecology.
Is a Transition to Semipermanent Drought Conditions Imminent in the U.S. Great Plains

AbstractHow Great Plains climate will respond under global warming continues to be a key unresolved question. There has been, for instance, considerable speculation that the Great Plains is embarking upon a period of increasing drought frequency and intensity that will lead to a semipermanent Dust Bowl in the coming decades. This view draws on a single line of inference of how climate change may affect surface water balance based on sensitivity of the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI). A different view foresees a more modest climate change impact on Great Plains surface moisture balances. This draws on direct lines of analysis using land surface models to predict runoff and soil moisture, the results of which do not reveal an ominous fate for the Great Plains. The authors’ study presents a parallel diagnosis of projected changes in drought as inferred from PDSI and soil moisture indicators in order to understand causes for such a disparity and to shed light on the uncertainties. PDSI is shown to be an ...
Evaluation of Production Models for Load Rating Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts

Analyses of two production-oriented culvert load-rating demand models were performed using live-load test data from three instrumented RC box culverts under four cover soil depths. The demand models were a two-dimensional (2D) structural-frame model and a 2D soil-structure interaction model. As expected, increased sophistication in the soil-structure model compared with the structural-frame model resulted in higher precision and accuracy for predicted moments. The impact of modeling accuracy for sections in a culvert where the demand moments approach zero was deemed practically insignificant. When evaluating model accuracy, it is of first importance that the models predict meaningful load magnitudes. Variations in predicted moment accuracy and precision were not uniform but were a function of the location of the critical section in the culvert structure. Improvements in modeling prediction associated with increased modeling sophistication were seen only when the structural-frame model was very imprecise.
SOLID ADSORBENTS IN BATCH FERMENTATIONS

The addition of a non-specific solid adsorbent reduces the liquid-phase substrate concentration at the start of a batch fermentation. Then, as product is generated, it displaces the substrate from the adsorbent, reducing liquid-phase product concentration. So both substrate and product inhibition can be reduced and the productivity of the fermentation increased. A mathematical model for this process is developed including a modified Langmuir bi-solute adsorption isotherm, and both growth- and non-growth-associated product formation. The model agrees well with experimental data on the effect of Linde JXC activated carbon on the fermentation of glucose to ethanol by S. cerevisiae. Only product inhibition is considered and NH3 is the sole nitrogen source to avoid complications arising from the adsorption of organic nitrogen compounds. Since ethanol is very hydrophilic and high concentrations of activated carbon are apparently toxic to yeast, there is little increase in volumetric productivity for this fermen...
THE EFFECT OF MATERNAL PERCEPTION OF SEVERITY OF ILLNESS IN HER CHILD AND SEPARATION ANXIETY DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE

Sixty mothers of sick neonates (study group) were compared with sixty mothers of term newborn infants. Groups were equivalent for demographic variables such as race, maternal education and socioeconomic status. Mothers were interviewed prior to their discharge and one year later. Perception of neonate's illness was scored by mothers as mild, moderate, severe, and severe with possible death. Anxiety levels were scored based on duration of time it required the mother to separate from her infant and were defined as none (0-2 mths), as mild (2-6 mths), and moderate (6-12-mths). Data was analyzed comparing the two groups as to separation anxiety (Table 1); maternal perception of illness was related to anxiety separation for the study group (Table 2). These data suggest that maternal perception of illness has a significant impact on her ability to separate from her infant during the first year of life, emphasizing the need for ongoing parental counseling.
Analysis of Interaction in Binary Odorant Mixtures

An understanding of the olfactory system of any animal must account for how odor mixtures are perceived and processed. The present experiments apply associationist models to the study of how elements are processed in binary odorant mixtures. Using experimental designs for Proboscis Extension Conditioning of honey bees, I show that learning about a pure odorant element is frequently affected by its occurrence in a mixture with a second odorant. Presence of a background odor when an odorant is associated with sucrose reinforcement decreases the rate and/or asymptotic level of associative strength that accumulates to that odorant. This interaction is in part due to synthetic qualities that arise in sensory transduction and initial processing. In addition, it involves an attention-like processing system like that involved in overshadowing. Therefore, a model that includes representations of the component and configural qualities of odorants in mixtures is needed to provide a more complete account of learning about odor mixtures.
Stable real-time pricing and scheduling for serving opportunistic users with deferrable loads

In this paper, we address real-time pricing and control of opportunistic consumers with deferrable demands that are motivated by the envisioned smart electrical grid. In the smart grid, demand-side flexibilities from deferrable loads enable consumers to respond to real-time electricity prices for their own economic benefit. However, the aggregate load created by many such economically-driven consumers can be highly time-varying, which can cause significant fluctuations in both the electricity demand and the real-time price, and ultimately incur additional generation and capacity costs for the suppliers. In this paper, we propose a distributed pricing and load scheduling algorithm that alleviates such undesirable fluctuations and high volatility. In particular, we formulate the pricing and scheduling problem as an optimization problem with proximal terms that incur penalty for rapid consumption changes over time. Through a continuous-time approximation, we show how the overall system evolves towards the optimal operating regime under the proposed algorithm. In the limiting operating regime, even though the individual consumption of each consumer may still exhibit oscillatory behavior, the aggregate load and the real-time price at any time stay arbitrarily close to a stable operating point. Our design also enables third-party intermediaries to adjust the change of load penalty to balance the payments made by the consumers to the suppliers, thereby achieving market clearance.
Separation of urinary aromatic acids and measurement of vanilmandelic acid by high-performance liquid chromatography

The rapid separation of urinary aromatic acids by reversed-phase chromatography on 5-μm octadecyl-silica columns and with gradient elution is described. The use of a tandem UV- and fluorescence detector system is demonstrated. The technique can be employed either to obtain chromatographic profiles of over 100 components in less than 30 minutes, or for the quantitative determination of some of the clinically significant aromatic acids. The latter approach is illustrated by the measurement of vanilmandelic acid (VMA) in human urine.
An unusual skin lesion in a pediatric patient with Wegener's granulomatosis.

Cutaneous manifestations occur in a significant number of patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG); however, the presentation and histopathology of these lesions are highly variable and may present problems in diagnosis We report the presentation of a single large skin lesion in a pediatric patient with a history of WG and the characterization of this lesion by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathology. MRI was helpful in delineating the extent of the lesion, although a skin biopsy was necessary to confirm the diagnosis of the vasculitic natur of the lesion.