cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of technical aspects of WISC‐R administration

The present study evaluated the technical aspects of three WISC-R administrations of five psychology graduate students using the WISC-R Administration Observational Checklist (WAOC). The observations also were used as a means of evaluating interrater agreement on the WAOC. Based on a total of 15 observations of two raters, Cohen's x was calculated for 29 of the measures on the checklist. The x values for 24 of these measures were significant (p < .01). Overall scores on the WAOC indicated that students performed significantly better on the second than on the first observation. Their level of performance was maintained, but was not significantly improved, at the time of a third observation made during the second semester. Error patterns were similar to those found by Fantuzzo, Sisemore, and Spradlin (1983), using the Criteria for Competent WISC-R Administration (CCWA).
Electroporation optimization to deliver plasmid DNA into dental follicle cells.

Electroporation DNA transfer is a simple and versatile approach to deliver genes. To develop an optimal electroporation protocol to deliver DNA into cells, we conducted square wave electroporation experiments with using rat dental follicle cells as follows: 1) the cells were electroporated at different electric field strengths with lac Z plasmid; 2) plasmid concentrations were tested to determine the optimal doses; 3) various concentrations of bovine serum albumin or fetal bovine serum were added to the pulsing buffer; and, 4) the pulsing durations were studied to determine the optimal duration. These experiments indicated that the optimal electroporation electric field strength was 375 V/cm, and that plasmid concentrations greater than 0.18 μg/μl were required to achieve high transfection efficiency. BSA or FBS in the pulsing buffer significantly improved cell survival and increased the number of transfected cells. The optimal pulsing duration was in the range of 45 to 120 milliseconds (ms) at 375 V/cm. Thus, an improved electroporation protocol was established by optimizing the above parameters. In turn, this electroporation protocol can be used to deliver DNA into dental follicle cells to study the roles of candidate genes in regulating tooth eruption.
Genome-wide characterization and selection of expressed sequence tag simple sequence repeat primers for optimized marker distribution and reliability in peach

Simple sequence repeats (SSR) in Prunus expressed sequence tags (EST) were mined, and flanking primers designed and used for genome-wide characterization and selection of primers to optimize marker distribution and reliability in peach. A total of 4,770 and 9,029 SSRs were identified from 12,618 contigs and 34,238 singlets, from which 3,695 and 6,849 primers were designed, respectively. Alignment of the 10,544 forward and reverse primer sequences (21,088 queries) against the peach reference genome at 9e-03 resulted in 23,553 hits (96,621 alignments) with 16,885 queries, and “no hits found” (NHF) for the remaining 4,203 queries. A majority of aligned primers had only one hit/alignment on the peach scaffolds, and the distribution of the 5,500 singly aligned primers (pairs) on each 500-kb genome interval was determined. The average number of ESR-SSR primers per 500-kb interval was 10.8. The primers were categorized into eight subgroups based on the difference between the genome amplicon size and expressed amplicon size of each primer, with 288 primers of optimized distribution and reliability selected for genotype evaluation. Only 2 of the 288 primers failed in all 4 peach cultivars screened, with an overall successful primer/sample rate of 97.2 %. The average number of alleles detected in the four cultivars was 3.84. The polymorphism information content (PIC) values suggested that a majority of the 288 primers had a high rate of allele polymorphism among the four peach cultivars. The advantages of genome-wide analysis of EST-SSR primers and options to improve the polymorphism rate are discussed.
Neurochemical control and reconfiguration of the medullary network controlling different oromotor behaviors

ingestion of food is as important for life as is breathing oxygen, and it is not surprising that the neural control circuits located in the phylogenetically “old” part of the brain are functioning almost automatically. The caudal brain stem of rats and human infants contains the complete
Decline in verbal memory during preclinical Alzheimer's disease: examination of the effect of APOE genotype.

A subtle decline in episodic memory often occurs prior to the emergence of the full dementia syndrome in nondemented older adults who develop Alzheimer's disease (AD). The APOE-epsilon4 genotype may engender a more virulent form of AD that hastens this decline. To examine this possibility, we compared the rate of decline in episodic memory during the preclinical phase of AD in individuals with or without at least one APOE epsilon4 allele. Nondemented normal control (NC; n = 84) participants, nondemented older adults who subsequently developed dementia within 1 or 2 years (i.e., preclinical AD; n = 20), and patients with mild AD (n = 53) were examined with 2 commonly employed tests of episodic memory, the Logical Memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised and the California Verbal Learning Test. Results revealed a precipitous decline in verbal memory abilities 1 to 2 years prior to the onset of the dementia syndrome, but there was little effect of APOE genotype on the rate of this memory decline. The presence of an APOE-epsilon4 allele, however, did have a differential effect on the sensitivity of the 2 types of memory tests for tracking progression and made an independent contribution to the prediction of conversion to AD.
Fiberarchitecture of the Hippocampal Formation: Anatomy, Projections, and Structural Significance

Despite advances in the neurosciences, many specialized terms are being used in different ways: first, to delimit anatomical structure and, second, to conceptualize function. In many instances, the two usages are incompatible. Examples are found where the term “reticular formation” is used as though it meant a morphological entity, while what is really being referred to is a physiological area. The same statement can be directed toward another functional conceptualization which has become increasingly popular, the “limbic system,” which refers to a functional system but derives its name from the border (i.e., “limbus”) structure of the cerebrum around the foramen of Monro. Indeed, it can be said that terms such as “reticular formation” and “limbic system” are becoming meaningless, especially with regard to morphology. Evaluation of papers concerning these topics often leaves one in a state of confusion as to the subject matter being covered. This type of confusion has prompted the suggestion to eliminate the concept of “limbic” in its entirety (Brodal, 1969). The orientation of this chapter will be strictly morphological in order not to confuse structure with function.
Ceres: software for the integrated analysis of transcription factor binding sites and nucleosome positions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

MOTIVATION: There is accumulating evidence that the chromatin environment of transcription factor (TF) binding sites in promoter regions has a critical influence on their regulatory potential. Recent studies have mapped TF binding sites and nucleosome positions throughout the yeast genome; however, there is a lack of computation tools to integrate these data types. RESULTS: We have developed the Ceres software to facilitate the integrated analysis of TF binding sites and nucleosome positions in the model eukaryote S. cerevisiae. Ceres enables users to dynamically display the spatial organization of TF binding sites and nucleosome positions of individual genes, or the average profiles for large gene sets. Ceres provides novel statistical tools to test for the enrichment of TF binding sites and chromatin environments for user-selected gene sets. Ceres also enables users to search the genome for combinations of TF binding sites that are associated with specific chromatin environments. Preliminary analysis using the Ceres software indicates that functional and conserved TF binding sites are often associated with specific chromatin environments. AVAILABILITY: http://bioinformatics1.smb.wsu.edu/Ceres. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Diagnostic models for sensor measurements in rocket engine tests

This paper presents our ongoing work in the area of using virtual reality (VR) environments for the Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) of rocket engine test stands. Specifically, this paper focuses on the development of an intelligent valve model that integrates into the control center at NASA Stennis Space Center. The intelligent valve model integrates diagnostic algorithms and 3D visualizations in order to diagnose and predict failures of a large linear actuator valve (LLAV). The diagnostic algorithm uses auto-associative neural networks to predict expected values of sensor data based on the current readings. The predicted values are compared with the actual values and drift is detected in order to predict failures before they occur. The data is then visualized in a VR environment using proven methods of graphical, measurement, and health visualization. The data is also integrated into the control software using an ActiveX plug-in.
The value of online friends: Networked resources via social network sites

This study investigated the instrumental value of resources embedded in online social networks. 49 primary participants solicited a total of 588 secondary participants who were asked to complete a modest task. Approximately 16 per cent of all secondary participants responded (N = 98) to the request. 8.5 per cent of weak ties responded and strong ties were about three times more likely to respond. Perceived reciprocity, contact frequency and a composite measure of tie strength were all positively related to enacted support.
Educational disparities in home smoking bans among households with underage children in the United States: can tobacco control policies help to narrow the gap?

BACKGROUND The prevalence of home smoking bans in the United States has increased overtime, but educational disparities have persisted. Little research has explored potential associations between tobacco control policies and disparities by socioeconomic status in home smoking bans. We examined educational disparities in home smoking bans in the United States from 1995 to 2007 and investigated the association between these disparities and statewide tobacco control policies, including cigarette taxes, smoke-free air laws, and media campaigns. METHODS We used data from the 1995-1996, 1998-1999, 2001-2002, and 2006-2007 Current Population Survey's Tobacco Use Supplement surveys (TUS-CPS) and data on state-level tobacco control policies. Disparities by level of education were calculated, and logistic regressions were estimated to explore the association between statewide tobacco control policies and educational disparities in the adoption of complete home smoking bans. RESULTS Between 1995 and 2007, average absolute educational disparities in complete home smoking bans between those with and without a college degree were 8.5 percentage points (pp) and 17.1 pp among nonsmoker and smoker households, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio for education increased among nonsmoker households over time (p < .01) but remained stable among households with smokers. Households with less than college were generally more responsive to antitobacco policies. Antitobacco media campaigns at the state level were associated with reduced disparities by education among households with smokers (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS More vigorous tobacco control policies at the state level may help promote the adoption of home smoking bans and reduce educational disparities in these protective behaviors.
Characterization and Regulation of a Cloned Ovine Gastrointestinal Peptide Transporter (oPepT1) Expressed in a Mammalian Cell Line

To investigate the kinetics of peptide transport by the peptide transporter, PepT1, Chinese hamster ovary cells were transfected with an expression vector containing our cloned ovine PepT1 cDNA. Transport was assessed by uptake studies using the radiolabeled dipeptide, [(3)H]-Gly-Sar. Expression of oPepT1 was detected at 8-24 h post-transfection with an optimal time of 16-24 h. Uptake of Gly-Sar by oPepT1 was pH-dependent with an optimal pH of 5.5-6.0, concentration-dependent and saturable with an apparent K(m) value of 1.0 +/- 0.1 mmol/L and a maximum velocity of 14.3 +/- 0.4 nmol/(mg protein x 40 min). Competition studies with nonradiolabeled peptides and [(3)H]-Gly-Sar showed that all di- and tripeptides inhibited uptake of [(3)H]-Gly-Sar. In addition, three tetrapeptides (Met-Gly-Met-Met, Pro-Phe-Gly-Lys, and Val-Gly-Ser-Glu) also inhibited [(3)H]-Gly-Sar uptake. There was no inhibition of [(3)H]-Gly-Sar uptake detected in the presence of nonradiolabeled free amino acids. Treatment of the cells with staurosporine, an inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC) significantly increased the transport system. This increase was specific and could be blocked if treatment was done in the presence of phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), an activator of PKC. The staurosporine- and PMA-induced changes in peptide transport activity were not affected by cotreatment with cycloheximide. These data demonstrate that the transport of peptide substrates by oPepT1 in transfected mammalian cells is similar to that in microinjected Xenopus oocytes and that PKC phosphorylation plays a regulatory role in oPepT1 function.
Pseudo-Riccati operator equations and feedback optimal control of semilinear systems

Concerns the quadratic optimal control of semilinear evolutionary systems. It is known that if a viscosity solution of the associated Hamilton-Jacobi equation exists, then its generalized derivative will provide a feedback optimal control. However, the global existence of a viscosity solution of the infinite-dimensional Hamilton-Jacobi equations remains open. Moreover, a real-time synthesis via a set-valued selection due to an involved generalized derivative is practically not implementable. A synthesis approach is presented for the semilinear evolution equations with a separate linear control term and a quadratic criterion of optimisation during a finite time interval. This approach features the pseudo-Riccati equation whose solution directly provides a feedback operator of the closed-loop optimal control.
Low-cost automated fiber pigtailing machine

Automated fiber pigtailing machines (AFPMs) have been designed and built under an ARPA-funded project The AFPM enables many of the critical technologies to perform automated sub-micron fiber pigtailing compatible with a low-cost manufacturing environment. These technologies include low-cost high-precision stages, computer vision to replace the labor-intensive coarse alignment, and many details of parts handling and feeding. Subsequent generations of the AFPM may build upon the design concepts developed here to pigtail fibers to OE devices in more complicated geometries. For example, all applications for this project use epoxy to attach the fibers, so no applications using solder or laser welding have been considered. Also, the stages to manipulate the fibers provide only three axes of translation, so no rotational degrees of freedom are available, including the very important roll axis for polarization-dependent applications. The third AFPM at LLNL will be used to develop some of these capabilities.
Buchsbaum-Hasegawa Resonances in Cylindrical Geometry

The relative strength and linewidth are calculated for electrostatic mode absorption resonances in (A) a circular microwave cavity containing an axial, axially magnetized plasma column and oscillating in the TE011 mode and (B) a waveguide through the narrow faces of which an axially magnetized plasma column is inserted; in both bases the excitation frequency is taken to be just below the second electron cyclotron harmonic. This is done by solving Maxwell's equations in a warm, inhomogeneous, magnetized plasma in cylindrical coordinates to produce an eigenfrequency equation for the cavity and a transmission coefficient for the waveguide. Collisional and end effects are included. An experimental check of the validity of the cavity eigensolutions was carried out.
“A Meeting of Minds” Using Clickers for Critical Thinking and Discussion in Large Sociology Classes

Because lecture-based teaching limits student learning, many instructors are interested in pedagogical strategies that support critical thinking, student participation, and group discussion in larg...
The synthesis of [3H] - indole-3-carbinol, a natural anti-carcinogen from cruciferous vegetables

Indole-3-carbinol is a natural anti-carcinogen found as a glucosinolate in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. A complete understanding of the mechanisms of anti-carcinogenesis by this dietary inhibitor requires improved insight into the disposition and metabolic fate of indole-3-carbinol in vivo. Such metabolic studies have been hampered by the lack of a commercial source of radiolabelled compound. This provided the main impetus for the work reported here, the synthesis of 5-[3H]-indole-3-carbinol from 5-bromoindole.
Effects of Antenna Material on the Performance of UHF RFID Tags

The RFID industry is growing rapidly, especially in the UHF frequency band that is being used extensively in supply chain management. Traditionally, inlays have been constructed from etched copper or aluminum. Etching is a subtractive process that uses chemicals and can creates waste. Recently, inlays are manufactured using silver-based inks. Printing is an additive process, so it has a number of advantages. However, silver inks suffer from two important drawbacks: relatively poor conductivity and environmental concerns. Those concerns have spurred developments in other additive technologies, such as vapor-deposited aluminum, electroplated, and electro-less deposited copper. This paper quantizes by measurement the performance of antennas with three materials, four line widths, and various thicknesses, which may serve as guidelines about how to design antennas with the various materials.
Large-signal analysis of the effect of dispersive propagation on the intensity modulation response of semiconductor lasers

Summary form only given. The technologically important problem of the effect of dispersive fiber propagation on the intensity modulation response of semiconductor lasers has been treated in the past assuming either small-signal modulation or low dispersion. In this work we extend the analysis to the large-signal case, which more closely approximates conditions in both coherent detection and intensity modulation-direct detection systems.
Scaling of exciton binding energy with external dielectric function in carbon nanotubes

Abstract We develop a scaling relationship between the exciton binding energy and the external dielectric function in carbon nanotubes. We show that the electron–electron and electron–hole interaction energies are strongly affected by screening yet largely counteract each other, resulting in much smaller changes in the optical transition energy. The model indicates that the relevant particle interaction energies are reduced by as much as 50% upon screening by water and that the unscreened electron–electron interaction energy is larger than the unscreened electron–hole interaction energy, in agreement with explanations of the “ratio problem.” We apply the model to measurements of the changes in the optical transition energies in single, suspended carbon nanotubes as the external dielectric environment is altered.
Wavelet-based feature extraction from oceanographic images

Features in satellite images of the oceans often have weak edges. These images also have a significant amount of noise, which is either due to the clouds or atmospheric humidity. The presence of noise compounds the problems associated with the detection of features, as the use of any traditional noise removal technique will also result in the removal of weak edges. Recently, there have been rapid advances in image processing as a result of the development of the mathematical theory of wavelet transforms. This theory led to multifrequency channel decomposition of images, which further led to the evolution of important algorithms for the reconstruction of images at various resolutions from the decompositions. The possibility of analyzing images at various resolutions can be useful not only in the suppression of noise, but also in the detection of fine features and their classification. This paper presents a new computational scheme based on multiresolution decomposition for extracting the features of interest from the oceanographic images by suppressing the noise. The multiresolution analysis from the median presented by Starck-Murtagh-Bijaoui (1994) is used for the noise suppression.
Connectivity, clusters, and transport: use of percolation concepts and atomistic simulation to track intracellular ion migration

The cytoskeleton is an intracellular highway system, teeming with signalling ions that zip from site to site along filaments. These tiny particles alternately embrace and slip free of protein receptors with wide-ranging affinities, as they propagate in a blur of motion along cytoskeletal corridors at transport rates far exceeding ordinary diffusive motion. Recent experimental breakthroughs have enabled optical tracking of these single ion-binding events in the physiological and diseased states. However, traditional continuum modelling methods have proven ineffective for modelling migration of biometals such as copper and zinc, whose cytosolic concentrations are putatively vanishingly small, or very tightly controlled. Rather, the key modelling problem that must be solved for biometals is determination of the optimal placement of biosensors that bind and detect the metal ions within the heterogeneous environment of the cell. We discuss herein how percolation concepts, in combination with atomistic simulation and sensor delivery models, have been used to gain insights on this problem, and a roadmap for future breakthroughs.
The retribution heuristic

Cognitive heuristics are mental shortcuts that enable quick and efficient decision-making. Several converging lines of evidence suggest the existence of a retribution heuristic, which guides reactions to wrongdoing toward retributive punishment. Although cognitive heuristics can generally be relied upon to produce sound decisions, they also are associated with cognitive biases and errors of judgment. We show that the retribution heuristic produces systematic errors of judgment, and argue that the resulting “Fundamental Retribution Errors” serve to legitimize overly harsh, unjust, and ineffective criminal sanctions.
Hypopituitarism, A Sequel to TBI

Investigators at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, OH, studied the prevalence of hypopituitarism in children with inflicted traumatic brain injury.
Visualizing NLP annotations for Crowdsourcing

Visualizing NLP annotation is useful for the collection of training data for the statistical NLP approaches. Existing toolkits either provide limited visual aid, or introduce comprehensive operators to realize sophisticated linguistic rules. Workers must be well trained to use them. Their audience thus can hardly be scaled to large amounts of non-expert crowdsourced workers. In this paper, we present CROWDANNO, a visualization toolkit to allow crowd-sourced workers to annotate two general categories of NLP problems: clustering and parsing. Workers can finish the tasks with simplified operators in an interactive interface, and fix errors conveniently. User studies show our toolkit is very friendly to NLP non-experts, and allow them to produce high quality labels for several sophisticated problems. We release our source code and toolkit to spur future research.
Discussion: Imputation of Production to Technologies

Heady and Auer are to be congratulated on a painstaking research job of monumental proportions. Their efforts to unscramble the technological and other sources of yield increases in our major crops are especially timely because of a new provision in the Food and Agriculture Act of 1965. The act authorizes the use of projected yields in lieu of normal yields in federal farm programs. In the past, many of us have greatly underestimated the upward trend in crop yields in the United States. More solid research efforts, such as those by Heady and Auer, are needed to jar us loose from our traditional conservatism. Ability to project the future course of yields more accurately is becoming increasingly important to policy formulation and operation of federal programs in U. S. agriculture. The authors note that lack of data caused them to measure yield-related variables imperfectly. Heady and Auer, as well as other researchers in this area, were plagued with scarcity of data, and had to spend a major portion of their effort on estimating input variables. Much better data are needed if we are to achieve the research results required for better understanding of yield trends. Heady and Auer are careful to point out inadequacies in their statistical methods and data manipulation as a basis for improvement of future research efforts with similar objectives. The rest of my remarks will be in this same vein of constructive criticism.
Seismic Data Decomposition Using Singular Points With a Matching Pursuit Scheme

Using a simple thin-bed tuning concept, spectral decomposition is routinely used to map subtle stratigraphic features in both clastic and carbonate terrains, thin bed tuning effects. However, spectral decomposition also forms the mathematic basis for many Q-estimation, pore-pressure prediction, chronostratigraphic mapping, unconformity mapping, and bandwidth extension algorithms. We extend earlier introduced concepts of maximum modulus lines to better decompose a seismic trace into its constituent wavelet components, resulting in an algorithm that is a generalization of the popular matching technique. In this paper, we reconstruct the most important information of the data and remove steeply dipping noise using multiple levels of ridges. We also note that these ridges are sensitive to waveform dispersion, suggesting that we can extend the bandwidth of the data, compensate for geometric and intrinsic Q.
Two types of gamma-globulin differing in carbohydrate content.

Summary1. The heavy components (19 S) have been highly concentrated from normal human serum by repeated cycling in the preparative ultracentrifuge. Electrophoresis of such preparations has permitted isolation of a high molecular weight γ-globulin fraction. 2. Analyses of this material indicate a high carbohydrate content with hexose sugars and sialic acid present at approximately 5 times the concentration found for the main 7 S γ-globulin. The hexosamine-hexose ratio is approximately 0.5. 3. Markedly reduced levels were found in the sera of 4 patients with agammaglobulinemia. The possibility that certain antibodies fall into the 19 S fraction and are similarly rich in carbohydrate is discussed.
Evolving Effective Microbehaviors in Real-Time Strategy Games

We investigate heuristic search algorithms to generate high-quality micromanagement in combat scenarios for real-time strategy (RTS) games. Macro- and micromanagement are two key aspects of RTS games. While good macro helps a player collect more resources and build more units, good micro helps a player win skirmishes and battles against equal numbers and types of opponent units or win even when outnumbered. In this paper, we use influence maps and potential fields as a basis representation to evolve short-term positioning and movement tactics. Unit microbehaviors in combat are compactly encoded into 14 parameters. A genetic algorithm evolves good microbehaviors by manipulating these 14 parameters. We compared the performance of our evolved ECSLBot with two other state-of-the-art bots, UAlbertaBot and Nova , on several skirmish scenarios in a popular RTS game StarCraft . The results show that the ECSLBot tuned by genetic algorithms outperforms UAlbertaBot and Nova in kiting efficiency, target selection, and fleeing. Further experiments show that the parameter values evolved in one scenario work well in other scenarios and that we can switch between preevolved parameter sets to perform well in unseen scenarios containing more than one type of opponent unit. We believe our representation and approach applied to each unit type of interest can result in effective microperformance against melee and ranged opponents and provides a viable approach toward complete RTS bots.
Small Angle X-ray Scattering of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Monolayers Formed on a Liquid Surface

In situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is used to show that iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) of a range of sizes form hexagonally ordered monolayers (MLs) on a diethylene glycol liquid surface, after drop-casting the NPs in hexane and subsequent hexane evaporation. The formation of the ordered NP ML is followed in real time by SAXS when using a heptane solvent. During drying, the NPs remain in the hexane or heptane layer, and an ordered structure is not formed then. After drying, the NPs are farther apart than expected from only van der Waals attraction between the NP cores and Brownian motion considerations, which suggests the importance of ligand attraction in binding the NPs.
Exploration of Confucian "Loving the People" Ethic Ideas ——Its Enlightment on Modern Moral Concern

Confucian "Loving the People" includes "Loving the mass universally", concerning and sympathizing people and respecting individual personality and dignity, and so on. Confined by his times and class, there also existed shortcomings, such as patriarchal hierarchy and ignorance to the unity of individual and mutual being-a-subject. Therefore, the modern moral concern should absorb its positive elements, fostering the moral spirits of "the benevolence loving the people" and "loving the mass universally", establishing a two-way moral concern model, and laying emphasis on concerning the disadvantaged, hence creating warm atmosphere of socialist large family.
Discharge Characteristics of CO_2 in the Plate-plate and Sphere-sphere Electrodes

To obtain the insulation characteristics of CO2, we conducted power-frequency voltage withstanding tests and lightning-impulse voltage withstanding tests using CO2. In the tests, we used two types of electrodes, plate-plate and sphere-sphere, taking the electrode gap and gas pressure as the variables, and the ambient temperature and relative humidity were kept the same. The experimental results indicate that the insulation strength of CO2(with volume fraction of 99.99%) increases with lengthening electrode gap and increasing gas pressure, which is consistent with the variation tendency described in classical breakdown theories. In the power-frequency tests, the insulation performance of CO2 is enhanced significantly when the gap pressure reaches 0.6 MPa. In the lightning impulse tests, the insulation characteristics of CO2 at 0.5 and 0.6 MPa are almost identical with each other. Moreover, according to the breakdown voltage waveform, minor polarity effect can be observed in the lightning impulse tests in uniform electric fields, whereas remarkable polarity effect can be observed for the quasi-uniform electrodes, specifically, the breakdown voltage of reverse impulse is far less than that of forward impulse, and the difference between the two reduces with shortening gap. Thereby, it is suggested that, for applications of CO2 insulation in 110 k V devices, the pressure of CO2 should be not less than 0.6 MPa.
Multiple Mechanisms for Processing Reward Uncertainty in the Primate Basal Forebrain.

The ability to use information about the uncertainty of future outcomes is critical for adaptive behavior in an uncertain world. We show that the basal forebrain (BF) contains at least two distinct neural-coding strategies to support this capacity. The dorsal-lateral BF, including the ventral pallidum (VP), contains reward-sensitive neurons, some of which are selectively suppressed by uncertain-reward predictions (U−). In contrast, the medial BF (mBF) contains reward-sensitive neurons, some of which are selectively enhanced (U+) by uncertain-reward predictions. In a two-alternative choice-task, U− neurons were selectively suppressed while monkeys chose uncertain options over certain options. During the same choice-epoch, U+ neurons signaled the subjective reward value of the choice options. Additionally, after the choice was reported, U+ neurons signaled reward uncertainty until the choice outcome. We suggest that uncertainty-related suppression of VP may participate in the mediation of uncertainty-seeking actions, whereas uncertainty-related enhancement of the mBF may direct cognitive resources to monitor and learn from uncertain-outcomes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To survive in an uncertain world, we must approach uncertainty and learn from it. Here we provide evidence for two mostly distinct mechanisms for processing uncertainty about rewards within different subregions of the primate basal forebrain (BF). We found that uncertainty suppressed the representation of certain (or safe) reward values by some neurons in the dorsal-lateral BF, in regions occupied by the ventral pallidum. This uncertainty-related suppression was evident as monkeys made risky choices. We also found that uncertainty-enhanced the activity of many medial BF neurons, most prominently after the monkeys9 choices were completed (as they awaited uncertain outcomes). Based on these findings, we propose that different subregions of the BF could support action and learning under uncertainty in distinct but complimentary manners.
Laplacian Hamiltonian Monte Carlo

We proposed a Hamiltonian Monte Carlo HMC method with Laplace kinetic energy, and demonstrate the connection between slice sampling and proposed HMC method in one-dimensional cases. Based on this connection, one can perform slice sampling using a numerical integrator in an HMC fashion. We provide theoretical analysis on the performance of such sampler in several univariate cases. Furthermore, the proposed approach extends the standard HMC by enabling sampling from discrete distributions. We compared our method with standard HMC on both synthetic and real data, and discuss its limitations and potential improvements.
Factors associated with infection after reconstructive shoulder surgery for proximal humerus tumors.

Background The main reconstruction techniques for proximal humerus tumors include osteoarticular allografts (OAs), endoprostheses (EPs), or allograft prosthetic composites (APCs). A common complication is infection, and constructs involving the use of allografts are believed to be at a higher risk of infection. Literature comparing infection rates between different modalities of reconstruction is scarce and underpowered. The study purposes were (1) to determine and compare the prevalence of infection in patients who underwent reconstruction of the proximal humerus including OAs, EPs, and APCs; (2) to identify preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative predictors of infection that might be modifiable; and (3) to present our protocol of treatment in patients with superficial and deep infections. Methods We reviewed 150 patients of all ages with proximal humerus tumors treated by an OA, EP, or APC at 2 tertiary institutions. The prevalence of infection for each modality was calculated and compared between groups. We identified potential predictors of infection with stepwise backward multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results An infection developed in 19 patients (12%): 5 of 45 (11%) in the OA group, 12 of 85 (14%) in the EP group, and 2 of 20 (10%) in the APC group ( P = .740). A lower preoperative hemoglobin blood level and low preoperative albumin blood level were independently associated with infection. Conclusions We found similar infection rates compared with previously reported series. However, we did not identify a higher infection prevalence in constructs using allografts. Patients with a lower preoperative hemoglobin or albumin level are at higher risk of infection and should undergo optimization before surgery.
Bifunctional Strategy Coupling Y2O3-Catalyzed Alkanal Decomposition with Methanol-to-Olefins Catalysis for Enhanced Lifetime

Bifunctional strategies exploiting the selective and catalytic decomposition of formaldehyde by Y2O3 improve the lifetime of CHA zeotypes and zeolites for methanol-to-olefins catalysis 4-fold, as quantified by total turnovers, without disrupting the inherently high selectivity to light olefins. The improvement in catalyst lifetime increases with increasing proximity between H+ sites of the zeotype/zeolite and the surface of the rare earth metal oxide. This proximity effect demonstrates crucial transport of formaldehyde between and within zeotypic/zeolitic domains on catalyst lifetime. These results provide mechanistic insights revealing formaldehyde as an accelerant for the initiation and termination of chain carriers and exemplify a strategy for designing improved methanol-to-olefins catalysts by optimizing (bi)functionality and reaction-transport dynamical phenomena.
Direct and Indirect Pathways From Social Support to Health

Objectives We aimed to investigate potential direct and indirect pathways linking social support and health, while considering mental health and chronic inflammation as inter-related outcomes. The study also contributes to the literature through testing potential bidirectional relationships between social support, mental health, and chronic inflammation. Methods This study uses Structural Equation Modeling and two waves of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), including 1,124 community-living older adults aged 57-85 years at Wave 1 (2005). Results Analyses show that social support influenced mental health indirectly through better self-esteem. Moreover, social support was associated with lower levels of chronic inflammation but chronic inflammation did not influence social support. Discussion The growing number of older adults with an aging population urgently calls for a greater understanding of factors influencing their physical and mental health. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of social support in older adults' health, while specifically focusing on understudied indirect pathways from social support to health.
“She Pursued Her Life-Work”: The Life Lessons of American Women Educators, 1800–1860

In 1855, Catharine Badger published a tribute to Martha Whiting, principal of the Charlestown Female Seminary in Massachusetts. Badger believed that it was “the path of duty” to tell Whiting’s life story, so that her students and friends might “receive one more lesson as from her.” This chapter focuses on the careers of women educators such as Martha Whiting, Martha Hazeltine Smith, Abigail Hasseltine, and Anna Sill, in order to examine the changing educational landscape in nineteenth-century America. Although these women have been largely forgotten today, they were celebrated within their own era for their pioneering educational work. Significantly, they were all the subjects of published memoirs and praised for “the energy, enthusiasm, and hearty purpose, with which she pursued her life-work.” Their life lessons remain historically significant not only because of their individual achievements, but because their contemporaries expressed such deep interest in their stories. This chapter explores how these women squared the unconventional nature of their career ambitions with dominant prescriptions of “true womanhood.” Through their roles as principals and educators at female seminaries, these women helped implement large-scale institutional changes, while forging new models of womanhood that celebrate female usefulness and accomplishment.
Personalized learning in high technology charter schools

In recent years, there has been an increase in the popularity of personalized learning (PL) and educational technology in American K-12 schools. In particular, school models that use technology to deliver personalized learning experiences for students have proliferated. Still, few studies have investigated these phenomena in K-12 contexts, with no studies to date examining the implementation and evolution of PL models over time. Toward closing this gap in the current literature on PL models, this qualitative case study uses Activity Theory to understand how and why a PL school in the United States evolved from its inaugural year through its third year of implementation. Findings indicate that the school exhibited substantive changes in organizational practice rooted in: (1) a disconnect between vision and practice; (2) the implementation of a “No Excuses” model and the school-level prioritization of accountability; and (3) the reprioritization of PL. Implications for educators and organizations interested in developing and implementing PL are discussed.
Ecological Echoing: Following the Footsteps

Freedman’s essay argues that the best way to access, assess, and applaud much of the new eco-experiential, ecocritical work—such as Tom Montgomery Fate’s Cabin Fever and Ian Marshall’s Storyline: Exploring the Literature of the Appalachian Trail or Walden by Haiku—is for the critic to adopt a place-based, experiential, personal, ecological approach herself. This essay enacts these ideas, sauntering, to explain and further explore the use of personal criticism in literature of the environment and place it in the context of the broader rise of personal criticism since the 1980s. The traditional abstract included here is merely a content teaser and, we hope, reads ironically against the innovative critical work that follows. If you wish to read more about the process by which this author undertook writing this essay, as well as the critical stakes of its production, please see the introduction to the volume as well as the accompanying anti-abstract at the close of the chapter.
Patient-Centered Radiology Reporting: Using Online Crowdsourcing to Assess the Effectiveness of a Web-Based Interactive Radiology Report.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a patient-centered web-based interactive mammography report. Methods A survey was distributed on Amazon Mechanical Turk, an online crowdsourcing platform. One hundred ninety-three US women ≥18 years of age were surveyed and then randomized to one of three simulated BI-RADS ® 0 report formats: standard report, Mammography Quality Standards Act–modeled patient letter, or web-based interactive report. Survey questions assessed participants' report comprehension, satisfaction with and perception of the interpreting radiologist, and experience with the presented report. Two-tailed t tests and χ 2 tests were used to evaluate differences among groups. Results Participants in the interactive web-based group spent more than double the time viewing the report than the standard report group (160.0 versus 64.2 seconds, P P P Conclusions Radiology report format likely influences communication effectiveness. For result communication to a non-medical patient audience, patient-centric report formats, such as a Mammography Quality Standards Act–modeled patient letter or web-based interactive report, may offer advantages over the standard radiology report. Future work is needed to determine if these findings are reproducible in patient care settings and to determine how best to optimize radiology result communication to patients.
SEG Forum at NAPE Summit 2018: Technologies that deliver a solid ROI

Geoscientists and engineers appreciate the answers that technology can provide, but when making application decisions there are always the questions: Where does the technology work? What is the ris...
A stochastic asymptotic-preserving scheme for the bipolar semiconductor Boltzmann-Poisson system with random inputs and diffusive scalings

Abstract In this paper, we study the bipolar Boltzmann-Poisson model, both for the deterministic system and the system with uncertainties, with asymptotic behavior leading to the drift diffusion-Poisson system as the Knudsen number goes to zero. The random inputs can arise from collision kernels, doping profile and initial data. We adopt a generalized polynomial chaos approach based stochastic Galerkin (gPC-SG) method. Sensitivity analysis is conducted using hypocoercivity theory for both the analytical solution and the gPC solution for a simpler model that ignores the electric field, and it gives their convergence toward the global Maxwellian exponentially in time. A formal proof of the stochastic asymptotic-preserving (s-AP) property and a uniform spectral convergence with error decaying exponentially in time in the random space of the scheme is given. Numerical experiments are conducted to validate the accuracy, efficiency and asymptotic properties of the proposed method.
Teacher Victimization in Authoritative School Environments.

BACKGROUND Victimization in schools is not limited to students. Teachers increasingly face threats and attacks from their students. An authoritative school environment, characterized by high structure and support, has been associated with lower rates of victimization. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between authoritative school environments and teacher victimization rates. METHODS Researchers examined public school teacher responses (N = 37,497) from the Schools and Staffing Survey regarding rules and issues facing the school community. Descriptive statistics were gathered, and a hierarchical regression technique was employed to assess the impact of a structured, supportive school environment on teacher victimization. RESULTS Results indicate an authoritative school environment helped reduce rates of teacher victimization. White, female teachers are among the teachers most likely to experience violence from students. Enforcing school rules, by both teachers and administrators, is the most effective way to diminish episodes of teacher victimization. CONCLUSIONS P-12 school personnel should emphasize the importance of enforcing school rules and reducing negative issues, such as student truancy and apathy within each school. As high levels of structure and support reduce instances of violence, these findings have important implications for school environments and teacher health.
An inducible MAO-B mouse model of Parkinson’s disease: a tool towards better understanding basic disease mechanisms and developing novel therapeutics

Several studies have suggested that increases in astrocytic monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) levels in conjunction with Parkinson's disease (PD) may contribute to subsequent neuropathology associated with the disorder. MAO-B inhibitors are currently widely used as symptomatic therapeutics for PD and, although somewhat controversial, these drugs may also exhibit disease-modifying properties. To obtain a better understanding of the potential role of MAO-B in disease neuropathology, we created an inducible astrocyte-specific transgenic MAO-B mouse model. Here, we summarize findings associated with this model, including neuropathological PD features associated with it.