cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sitagliptin and metformin -- novel combination therapy

Introduction: The historical background of the discovery of incretins became of particular interest when insulin response was found to be much more pronounced when glucose was given orally, rather than intravenously. The robust insulin secretion seen in response to oral glucose, as opposed to intravenous glucose, is due to incretin hormones. Since the discovery of incretins, the significance of sitagliptin and metformin combination therapy has become an essential strategy in combating diabetes. The use of combination therapy such as sitagliptin and metformin in achieving the desired level of glycemia in patients with diabetes is very important and is an additional armamentarium in the fight against diabetes. Areas covered: This article reviews the history of incretins, the pathophysiology of diabetes and the use of sitagliptin and metformin combination therapy. Expert opinion: Achieving optimum blood glucose control is crucial in avoiding or at least delaying the progression of complications related to di...
Character, Choice and Moral Agency: The Relevance of Character to Our Moral Culpability Judgments

Should a person who cannot appreciate the moral significance of legal norms qualify as a blameworthy actor simply because he has the capacity to comply with them for non-moral reasons? Such a person may lack any empathy for other human beings and view moral norms as arbitrary restraints on his self-interested behavior: does he nevertheless deserve moral blame when he makes an instrumentally “rational choice” to breach a norm governing his action? Should our answers to these questions depend on whether we believe that the actor is morally responsible for lacking these moral emotions and understandings? In short, must we concern ourselves with those aspects of the agent's character – his goals, desires, values, emotions, and perceptions of what courses of action are available to him – that motivate his rational choices? Or are questions about what motivates the actor to exercise his capacity for rational choice irrelevant to our judgments concerning his moral culpability for violating some governing norm?One way of thinking about such questions is to ask what attributes a person must possess to qualify as an appropriate addressee of moral norms and a suitable object of moral blame. Must a moral agent have the capacity to respond to moral norms as a reason for his choices? Must he also be able to control those aspects of his character that impair his capacity to make moral choices?Most legal theorists insist that moral agents do not need such capacities to be fairly blamed for violating the minimal moral restraints that the criminal law imposes on their self-interested acts.
A special checkpointing object method based primary-passive TMO replication scheme and middleware support

The PPTR (primary passive TMO replication) scheme is a passive real-time object replication scheme, which is based on the TMO (time-triggered message-triggered object) real-time object model. Compared to the active object replication schemes, the passive object replication schemes typically require fewer processor resources, but have longer fault recovery times. This paper describes a relatively simple and somewhat restrictive but still quite broadly applicable version of the PPTR scheme and its implementation into a real-time middleware architecture, ROAFTS. The PPTR scheme is compared against another existing active real-time object replication scheme supported by the ROAFTS middleware architecture.
Biochemical Evaluation of Organ Cultures from Primate Flexor Tendons

Recently our laboratory has reported, in a lacerated flexor tendon model, that the “early turnover” phase of the repair process extends for a longer period of time in vivo than previously documented. The extensive turnover of the collagenous matrix was consistent with the presence of collagenolytic activity in repairing tendon tissue and suggested a possible regulatory role for neutral metalloproteinases in flexor tendon repair. However, these in vivo observations could not distinguish the relative contribution by the tendon fibroblasts from that of the surrounding sheath and vascular tissue elements. To further define these interrelationships, the present study investigates the repair process of the flexor tendon in an in vitro tissue culture environment. The sequential changes in matrix formation were defined (i.e., proteoglycans/glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins, and collagenous proteins). The concomitant production of neutral metalloproteinases as well as prostaglandin E2 was determined in relation to...
Error-free and error-prone lesion bypass by human DNA polymerase κ in vitro

Error-free lesion bypass and error-prone lesion bypass are important cellular responses to DNA damage during replication, both of which require a DNA polymerase (Pol). To identify lesion bypass DNA polymerases, we have purified human Polκ encoded by the DINB1 gene and examined its response to damaged DNA templates. Here, we show that human Polκ is a novel lesion bypass polymerase in vitro. Purified human Polκ efficiently bypassed a template 8-oxoguanine, incorporating mainly A and less frequently C opposite the lesion. Human Polκ most frequently incorporated A opposite a template abasic site. Efficient further extension required T as the next template base, and was mediated mainly by a one-nucleotide deletion mechanism. Human Polκ was able to bypass an acetylaminofluorene-modified G in DNA, incorporating either C or T, and less efficiently A opposite the lesion. Furthermore, human Polκ effectively bypassed a template (–)-trans-antibenzo[a]pyrene-N 2 -dG lesion in an error-free manner by incorporating a C opposite the bulky adduct. In contrast, human Polκ was unable to bypass a template TT dimer or a TT (6-4) photoproduct, two of the major UV lesions. These results suggest that Polκ plays an important role in both error-free and errorprone lesion bypass in humans.
Enhanced brainstem encoding predicts musicians’ perceptual advantages with pitch

Important to Western tonal music is the relationship between pitches both within and between musical chords; melody and harmony are generated by combining pitches selected from the fixed hierarchical scales of music. It is of critical importance that musicians have the ability to detect and discriminate minute deviations in pitch in order to remain in tune with other members of their ensemble. Event-related potentials indicate that cortical mechanisms responsible for detecting mistuning and violations in pitch are more sensitive and accurate in musicians as compared with non-musicians. The aim of the present study was to address whether this superiority is also present at a subcortical stage of pitch processing. Brainstem frequency-following responses were recorded from musicians and non-musicians in response to tuned (i.e. major and minor) and detuned (± 4% difference in frequency) chordal arpeggios differing only in the pitch of their third. Results showed that musicians had faster neural synchronization and stronger brainstem encoding for defining characteristics of musical sequences regardless of whether they were in or out of tune. In contrast, non-musicians had relatively strong representation for major/minor chords but showed diminished responses for detuned chords. The close correspondence between the magnitude of brainstem responses and performance on two behavioral pitch discrimination tasks supports the idea that musicians' enhanced detection of chordal mistuning may be rooted at pre-attentive, sensory stages of processing. Findings suggest that perceptually salient aspects of musical pitch are not only represented at subcortical levels but that these representations are also enhanced by musical experience.
PHOSPHOLIPIDS AS RELATED TO TOTAL LIPID AND DNA IN LIGHT AND DARK PORTIONS OF PORCINE SEMITENDINOSUS MUSCLE

SUMMARY –Phospholipids of the light and dark tissue of porcine semitendinosus muscle were studied in relation to total lipid and DNA concentrations. The dark portion contained more moisture and less lipid than the light. Phospholipid concentration was higher in dark than light tissue whether expressed in terms of tissue weight or as percent of total lipid. No difference was found in relative concentrations of lecithin, cephalin or sphingomyelin in the two portions. DNA content was higher in the dark tissue than in the light. Expression of phospholipid content in terms of DNA resulted in a reversal of the apparent difference between the two muscle portions: the phospholipid-DNA ratio was higher for light than for dark tissue.
Computer simulation for a high gain antenna including interactions with local scatterers

The simulation of complex antenna/scatterer interactions using advanced computational electromagnetic analysis in the computer-aided engineering/super minicomputer environment is discussed. The techniques are extended to permit the assessment of antenna siting and to enable the design engineer to maximize the realized antenna performance in a multiple scatterer environment. This analysis is critical when considering modern radar applications which often require high-gain antennas with low sidelobe performance. The major analytical programs utilized in this computer tool are the Numerical Electromagnetic Codes (NEC-MOM, NEC-BSC, NEC-REF), which generate calculations for the total electric field that arises from antenna/scattering structure interaction. Pre- and post-processing routines aid in generating input files and perform far-field pattern analysis and data reduction. >
Vanadate-induced activation of activator protein-1: role of reactive oxygen species.

The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that the toxicity and carcinogenicity of vanadium might arise from elevation of reactive oxygen species leading to activation of the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1). The AP-1 transactivation response has been implicated as causal in transformation responses to phorbol esters and growth factors. To investigate the possible activity of vanadium in the activation of AP-1, we treated mouse epidermal JB6 P 1 cells stably transfected with an AP-1 luciferase reporter plasmid with various concentrations of vanadate. This resulted in concentration-dependent transactivation of AP-1. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase inhibited AP-1 activation induced by vanadate, indicating the involvement of superoxide anion radical (O2 ‐ ·), hydroxyl radical (·OH) and/or H2O2 in the mechanism of vanadate-induced AP-1 activation. However, sodium formate, a specific ·OH scavenger, did not alter vanadateinduced AP-1 activation, suggesting a minimal role for the ·OH radical. NADPH enhanced AP-1 activation by increasing vanadate-mediated generation of O2 ‐ ·. N-acetylcysteine, a thiol-containing antioxidant, decreased activation, further showing that vanadate-induced AP-1 activation involved redox reactions. Calphostin C, a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), inhibited activation of AP-1, demonstrating that PKC is involved in the cell signal cascades leading to vanadate-induced AP-1 activation. Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements show that JB6 P 1 cells are able to reduce vanadate to generate vanadium(IV) in the presence of NADPH. Molecular oxygen was consumed during the vanadate reduction process to generate O2 ‐ · as measured by ESR spin trapping using 5,5-dimethyl-L-pyrroline N-oxide as the spin trapping agent. SOD inhibited the ESR spin adduct signal, further demonstrating the generation of O2 ‐ · in the cellular reduction of vanadate. These results provide support for a model in which vanadium, like other classes of tumor promoters, transactivates AP-1-dependent gene expression. In the case of vanadium, AP-1 transactivation is dependent on the generation of O2 ‐ · and H2O2, but not ·OH.
Biophysics of the Interaction of Electromagnetic Energy with Cells and Membranes

Appropriate consideration of the mechanism of interaction of electrical fields outside and inside a living being requires discussions of macroscopic “field coupling” effects and the effects of fields on cellular structures as well as molecular effects. We shall present here these coupling considerations as they pertain to potentials which are induced across membranes and inside cells for thT vrious dielectric dispersion ranges α, β, γ discussed before1, 2. In addition, we consider field interactions with cells as a whole, i. e. field induced cellular force effects. But we will not consider field effects on macromolecules. Macromolecular properties have been summarized in detail by Grant3 in this volume. Theoretical predictions based on the Langevin-equation and experimental evidence indicated that significant interactions with single macromolecules require substantial field strength levels well above those of interest here4. We shall also not summarize “subtle” interactions since they are discussed by Adey in this volume5 and by us previously6, 7. Their mechanism remains unknown and it is not clear if they occur at the molecular or cellular level or are caused by more macroscopic transduction phenomena.
Upper extremity deep venous thrombosis leading to pulmonary embolism after total hip arthroplasty

Upper extremity deep venous thrombosis most commonly occurs secondary to the presence of subclavian central venous catheters. Of all upper extremity deep venous thromboses, 12% may cause pulmonary embolism; however, pulmonary embolism from a so-called primary thrombosis is uncommon. We report an unusual case of pulmonary embolism after primary deep venous thrombosis in the down arm after total hip arthroplasty.
Optically augmented 3-D computer: technology and architecture

In order to achieve high performance parallel computing in terms of bandwidth versus power consumption and volume, denser and faster means of implementing interconnections while minimizing power and crosstalk are required. Global interconnections can be implemented using free-space interconnect technology and can be coupled to the wafer to wafer connection system developed at Hughes Research laboratories to obtain an optoelectronic 3-D computer with increased throughputs for routing or sorting operations. To this end, the 3-D optoelectronic computing architecture needs to be designed for optimal performance, light transmitters and receivers need to be integrated with the 3-D VLSI wafer stacks to allow optical inputs and outputs, and free-space optical interconnect elements need to be assembled with the modified 3-D wafer stacks. In the paper, the underlying concepts of the technology and architecture of the optically augmented 3-D computer are evaluated. >
Phase Transfer Catalysis: Chemistry and Engineering

Phase transfer catalysis (PTC) uses catalytic amounts of phase transfer agents which facilitate interphase transfer of species, making reactions between reagents in two immiscible phases possible. PTC is used widely in the synthesis of various organic chemicals in both liquid-liquid and solid-liquid systems. Existing literature on PTC is chemistry-intensive and a mere handful of recent articles constitute the entire information on engineering analysis. This article reviews the field comprehensively by combining the existing knowledge from chemistry with insights into mechanistic and kinetic analysis and mathematical modeling of soluble and insoluble PTC. By its very nature, PTC involves a series of equilibrium and mass-transfer steps, beside the two main reactions. Neglect of mass-transfer effects can grossly overpredict the conversion of a PTC mediated reaction. A practical way of using PTC, which enables easy separation, is to immobilize the catalyst on a solid support. Mass-transfer limitations and higher costs, however, have precluded its commercial use so far, requiring further analysis of mass-transfer limitations in these complex three-phase systems. The use of PTC, combined with other rate enhancement techniques like sonochemistry, microwaves, electroorganic synthesis, and photochemistry, is being increasingly explored. Applications in this area in the manufacture of organic intermediates and fine chemicals seem almost unlimited.
Development and evaluation of the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS) among low-literacy patients with chronic disease.

Abstract Objectives Patient literacy affects many aspects of medication use and may influence the measurement of adherence. The aim of the study is to design and evaluate a medication adherence scale suitable for use across levels of patient literacy. Methods The Adherence to Refills and Medications scale (ARMS) was developed, pilot tested, and administered to 435 patients with coronary heart disease in an inner-city primary care clinic. Psychometric evaluation performed overall and by literacy level, included an assessment of internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and factor analysis. Criterion-related validity was evaluated by comparing scores with Morisky's self-reported measure of adherence, medication refill adherence, and blood pressure measurements. Lexile analysis was performed to assess the reading difficulty of the instrument. Results The final 12-item scale had high internal consistency overall (Cronbach's α = 0.814) and among patients with inadequate (α = 0.792) or marginal/adequate literacy skills (α = 0.828). Factor analysis yielded two subscales, which pertained to taking medications as prescribed and refilling medications on schedule. The ARMS correlated significantly with the Morisky adherence scale (Spearman's rho=−0.651, P P Conclusion The ARMS is a valid and reliable medication adherence scale when used in a chronic disease population, with good performance characteristics even among low-literacy patients.
Liquidity Level or Liquidity Risk? Evidence from the Financial Crisis

Although generally considered safe assets, liquid stocks underperformed illiquid stocks during the financial crisis of 2008–2009. The performance of stocks during the crisis can be better explained by their historical liquidity betas (risk) than by their historical liquidity levels. Stocks with different historical liquidity levels did not experience different returns after controlling for liquidity risk. The authors’ findings highlight the importance of accounting for both liquidity level and liquidity risk in risk management applications.
Improved GMM-based language recognition using constrained MLLR transforms

In this paper we describe the application of a feature-space transform based on constrained maximum likelihood linear regression for unsupervised compensation of channel and speaker variability to the language recognition problem. We show that use of such transforms can improve baseline GMM-based language recognition performance on the 2005 NIST Language Recognition Evaluation (LRE05) task by 38%. Furthermore, gains from CMLLR are additive with other modeling enhancements such as vocal tract length normalization (VTLN). Further improvement is obtained using discriminative training, and it is shown that a system using only CMLLR adaption produces state-of-the-art accuracy with decreased test-time computational cost than systems using VTLN.
Tidal disruption rate of stars by spinning supermassive black holes

A supermassive black hole can disrupt a star when its tidal field exceeds the star's self-gravity, and can directly capture stars that cross its event horizon. For black holes with mass $M\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{10}^{7}{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$, tidal disruption of main-sequence stars occurs close enough to the event horizon that a Newtonian treatment of the tidal field is no longer valid. The fraction of stars that are directly captured is also no longer negligible. We calculate generically oriented stellar orbits in the Kerr metric, and evaluate the relativistic tidal tensor at the pericenter for those stars not directly captured by the black hole. We combine this relativistic analysis with previous calculations of how these orbits are populated to determine tidal-disruption rates for spinning black holes. We find, consistent with previous results, that black-hole spin increases the upper limit on the mass of a black hole capable of tidally disrupting solarlike stars to $\ensuremath{\sim}7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$. More quantitatively, we find that direct stellar capture reduces tidal-disruption rates by a factor $\ensuremath{\sim}2/3\text{ }(1/10)$ at $M\ensuremath{\simeq}{10}^{7}\text{ }({10}^{8}){M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$. The strong dependence of tidal-disruption rates on black-hole spin for $M\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{10}^{8}{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ implies that future surveys like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope that discover thousands of tidal-disruption events can constrain supermassive black-hole spin demographics.
Psychiatric agents and implications for perioperative analgesia

The use of antidepressants, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, anticonvulsants, and major tranquilizers introduces neurochemical, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional factors that increase the complexity of medical and surgical tasks. Increasingly, various classes of psychotropic medications are being prescribed in the perioperative setting for their analgesic properties in patients with or without a psychiatric diagnosis. In many cases, the precise mechanisms of action and dose–response relationships by which these agents mediate analgesia are largely unclear. An appreciation of the side effects and adverse-effect profiles of such medications and familiarity with the clinically relevant drug interactions that may occur in the perioperative setting are imperative to ensure the best possible outcome in dealing with patients on these medications. This review focuses on various classes of psychotropic agents, which are addressed individually, with particular focus on their analgesic properties. The latest published research is summarized, deficiencies in our current collective knowledge are discussed, and evidence-based recommendations are made for clinical practice.
Processing aids for chlorinated polyvinyl chloride

Comparative studies of melt processability showed that chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) had low melt index and high Brabender melt temperature and torque, as compared with conventional rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Of 3 processing aids at 10 percent concentration, triphenyl phosphate increased melt index 30-fold, fusion rate 10-fold, melt temperature 20°C, and torque 31 percent in CPVC. Two other processing aids, an acrylic and a styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer, were less effective. Improvements in PVC were less dramatic than in CPVC. Overall, use of processing aids made CPVC processability equal or even superior to conventional rigid PVC.
The ESCRT-Associated Protein Alix Recruits the Ubiquitin Ligase Nedd4-1 To Facilitate HIV-1 Release through the LYPXnL L Domain Motif

The p6 region of HIV-1 Gag contains two late (L) domains, PTAP and LYPXnL, that bind Tsg101 and Alix, respectively. Interactions with these two cellular proteins recruit members of the host's fission machinery (ESCRT) to facilitate HIV-1 release. Other retroviruses gain access to the host ESCRT components by utilizing a PPXY-type L domain that interacts with cellular Nedd4-like ubiquitin ligases. Despite the absence of a PPXY motif in HIV-1 Gag, interaction with the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2 was recently shown to stimulate HIV-1 release. We show here that another Nedd4-like ubiquitin ligase, Nedd4-1, corrected release defects resulting from the disruption of PTAP (PTAP−), suggesting that HIV-1 Gag also recruits Nedd4-1 to facilitate virus release. Notably, Nedd4-1 remediation of HIV-1 PTAP− budding defects is independent of cellular Tsg101, implying that Nedd4-1's function in HIV-1 release does not involve ESCRT-I components and is therefore distinct from that of Nedd4-2. Consistent with this finding, deletion of the p6 region decreased Nedd4-1-Gag interaction, and disruption of the LYPXnL motif eliminated Nedd4-1-mediated restoration of HIV-1 PTAP−. This result indicated that both Nedd4-1 interaction with Gag and function in virus release occur through the Alix-binding LYPXnL motif. Mutations of basic residues located in the NC domain of Gag that are critical for Alix's facilitation of HIV-1 release, also disrupted release mediated by Nedd4-1, further confirming a Nedd4-1-Alix functional interdependence. In fact we found that Nedd4-1 binds Alix in both immunoprecipitation and yeast-two-hybrid assays. In addition, Nedd4-1 requires its catalytic activity to promote virus release. Remarkably, RNAi knockdown of cellular Nedd4-1 eliminated Alix ubiquitination in the cell and impeded its ability to function in HIV-1 release. Together our data support a model in which Alix recruits Nedd4-1 to facilitate HIV-1 release mediated through the LYPXnL/Alix budding pathway via a mechanism that involves Alix ubiquitination.
Extending the evidence base for prolonged exposure: significant effectiveness noted with sexual abuse-related PTSD in adolescent girls

Children and adolescents exposed to traumatic events, such as sexual abuse and rape, are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies of trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), the child PTSD treatment with the greatest empirical support, have typically only included adolescents up to age 14.1 Studies of prolonged exposure (PE) and cognitive processing therapy, the adult PTSD treatments with the most empirical support, with few exceptions (Foa et al ),2 have focused almost exclusively on individuals over the age of 18.
Non-fragile H ∞ filter design for discrete-time systems via LMI approach

This paper presents new non-fragile Hinfin filter design methods for linear discrete-time systems. The filter to be designed is assumed to be with additive gain variations, which reflect the FWL effects in filter digital implementations. A notion of structured vertex separator is proposed to approach the problem, and exploited to develop sufficient conditions for the non-fragile Hinfin filter design in terms of solutions to a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Moreover, to reduce the design conservativeness, the slack variable method is adopted to realize the decoupling between the Lyapunov matrix and the system dynamic matrix. The designs render the augmented system asymptotically stable and guarantee the Hinfin attenuation level less than a prescribed level. A numerical example is given to illustrate the design methods and the design benefits.
Conserved Gene Expression Programs in Developing Roots from Diverse Plants

The molecular basis for the origin and diversification of morphological adaptations is a central issue in evolutionary developmental biology. Here, we defined temporal transcript accumulation in developing roots from seven vascular plants, permitting a genome-wide comparative analysis of the molecular programs used by a single organ across diverse species. The resulting gene expression maps uncover significant similarity in the genes employed in roots and their developmental expression profiles. The detailed analysis of a subset of 133 genes known to be associated with root development in Arabidopsis thaliana indicates that most of these are used in all plant species. Strikingly, this was also true for root development in a lycophyte (Selaginella moellendorffii), which forms morphologically different roots and is thought to have evolved roots independently. Thus, despite vast differences in size and anatomy of roots from diverse plants, the basic molecular mechanisms employed during root formation appear to be conserved. This suggests that roots evolved in the two major vascular plant lineages either by parallel recruitment of largely the same developmental program or by elaboration of an existing root program in the common ancestor of vascular plants.
Markers of Developmental Synesthesia in Childhood

The prevalence and development of grapheme-color synesthesia in children in the UK and US and its progression in longitudinal testing over 12 months (from ages 6/7 to 7/8) were studied at the Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Plasmon Dephasing in Gold Nanorods Studied Using Single-Nanoparticle Interferometric Nonlinear Optical Microscopy

We report the polarization-dependent and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) properties of gold nanorods (AuNRs). AuNRs corresponding to three different length-to-diameter aspect ratios (AR)—1.86, 2.91, and 3.90—were examined using single-nanorod spectroscopy and imaging; the nanorod volume was approximately constant over the three sample types. For each AuNR, an aspect ratio-independent transverse plasmon resonance (TSPR) was detected at 2.41 eV. Aspect-ratio-dependent longitudinal surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) were observed at 2.08 ± 0.19 eV, 1.76 ± 0.12 eV, and 1.53 ± 0.15 eV for the 1.86-AR, 2.91-AR, and 3.90-AR samples, respectively. On the basis of both excitation and emission polarization-resolved two-photon photoluminescence (TPPL) measurements, AuNR PL emission proceeded by plasmon-mediated radiative electron–hole recombination. The resonant LSPR mode frequencies of the nanorods were determined from interferometrically detected TPPL signals. For these measurements, the interpulse time delay...
Comparison of a branch-and-bound heuristic, a newsvendor-based heuristic and periodic Bailey rules for outpatients appointment scheduling systems

Appointment-based service systems admit limited number of customers at a specific time interval to make service providers more accessible by reducing customers’ waiting time and make the costly resources more productive. A traditional approach suggests the Bailey rule, which assigns one or more customers at the initial block and only one customer at remaining blocks. We prescribe two heuristic approaches and variations of the traditional Bailey rule to appointment scheduling systems with the objective of minimizing total expected costs of delay and idle times between blocks. The first heuristic adopts a branch-and-bound approach using forward dynamic programming and tries to fully enumerate with some restrictions. The second heuristic uses a sequential-inverse newsvendor approach using a starting solution. We conduct numerical tests, which show that both heuristics get near-optimal solutions in a quicker time than a commercial solver, CPLEX and that the second approach gives near-optimal solutions far faster than the first approach. In addition, we suggest the use of a periodic Bailey rule, which can be implemented easily in practice, and provides a close solution to the best result of both heuristics, depending upon cost parameters and service-time variances.
The 21st century population-energy-climate nexus

Abstract World population is projected to reach 10.9 billion by 2100, yet nearly one-fifth of the world's current 7.2 billion live without access to electricity. Though universal energy access is desirable, a significant reduction in fossil fuel usage is required before mid-century if global warming is to be limited to 50% renewable energy needs to occur by 2028 in a
Lessons from Across the Pond: Comparable Approaches to Balancing Contractual Efficiency and Accountability in the U.S. Bid Protest and European Procurement Review Systems

This article compares the U.S. and European bid protest systems and their differing approaches to ensuring accountability in the contract formation process. The integrity of any public procurement system depends on the extent to which contractors and government authorities adhere to the system’s rules. Many procurement systems around the world have implemented procedures that allow unsuccessful tenderers (also known as “disappointed bidders” or “disappointed offerors”) to challenge procurements they believe were awarded unlawfully. Review procedures have been incorporated into numerous legal and regulatory frameworks, free trade agreements, and international procurement regimes, such as the Model Procurement Law of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA).This article offers an American perspective on recent trends in European procurement law by comparing Europe’s recent shift away from pacta sunt servanda with the United States’ whole-hearted adoption of terminations for convenience in the 1960s. Indeed, both Europe and the United States, while initially emphasizing different considerations, have now recognized the need to ensure the availability of effective bid protest remedies while still maintaining finality in the procurement system. While the methods used by the European Union and the United States may be different, this Article will demonstrate that both systems are attempting to balance the desire for contractual certainty with the need to hold contracting authorities accountable.
Microinjection of Urea into the Protoplasm of Amoeba dubia.

Urea is slowly but progressively toxic to amebae when added to the immersing fluid. This toxic condition is evidenced by withdrawal of radiate pseudopods, change to unipodal form of locomotion, and, finally, by rounding up and quiescence. If sedimentation of granules and crystals is taken as a criterion of fluidity, it is concluded that the endoplasm is in a state of liquefaction in a high percentage of cases (M/12 to M/48 urea).Injection of urea into the internal protoplasm uniformly produces liquefaction. The contractile vacuole, thus deprived of a gelated region for mechanical support,∗ becomes greatly dilated. It is usually carried anteriorly, and may be artificially emptied by pressure of a blunt microneedle. Small accessory vacuoles of the explosive type may still function in the gelated area maintained just under the plasmalemma. After injections of strong solutions, the plasmalemma blisters over the entire surface. Dilute injections cause the formation of clusters of uroid-like pseudopods.It is pr...
The Emergence of a Two-Party System in Republican Philadelphia, 1924–1936

THE national political realignment of the 1920s and 1930s transformed Philadelphia. In 1924 Coolidge swept the city with 78 percent of the vote, not an atypical margin given that Republican majorities often reached 80 percent proportions and hundreds of voting divisions returned near unanimous ballots. All city and county offices had been Republican since the turn of the century except where statute required otherwise. The Democratic party was a "kept minority," a subservient auxiliary of the dominant Republican organization, existing for and subsisting on minority patronage.1 In 1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt won Philadelphia by a 60 percent landslide, inaugurating a sequence of Democratic presidential victories that has not been broken since. The Republicans prevailed in city and county politics, but their monopoly grip on city hall was broken in 1933. The existence of a revitalized and independent Democratic party organization made Philadelphia politics after 1933 two party and competitive. Within the dominant Republican organization, a coup d'etat in 1934 overthrew a leadership that had controlled the party since 1916.2 Much of the discussion of the New Deal realignment has centered on an attempt to classify some single election contest as the critical one, where long-term political cleavages first took shape. The most popular thesis has been that of Samuel Lubell who contends that the unique appeal of Al Smith and the ethnic arousal that resulted from his campaign set the arena for American politics for the next several decades, marked the appearance of
Baby bust: Towards political demography

Despite the persistence of Malthusian arguments that human population will grow to outstrip the Earth’s capacity and resources, current demography actually foretells the impending end of growth in ...
Transcending as a driver of development

This paper draws from three different bodies of research to discuss the hypothesis that age-appropriate experiences enhance brain and cognitive development throughout the life span. These age-appropriate experiences could be considered as the drivers of development at each age, including drivers to foster development beyond adult abstract thinking, as described in Piaget's formal operational stage. We explore how a nurturing caregiver is the driver in the first 2 years of life, how language learning is the driver from 3 to 10 years, and how problem solving is the driver in the teenage years. To develop beyond adult rational thinking, we suggest that the driver is transcending thought, which can result when practicing meditations in the automatic self-transcending category, such as Transcendental Meditation.
The influence of test-based accountability policies on teacher stress and instructional practices: a moderated mediation model

AbstractThe present study examined the use of student test performance for merit pay and teacher evaluation as predictive of both educator stress and counterproductive teaching practices, and the moderating role of perceived test value. Structural equation modelling of data from a sample of 7281 educators in a South-eastern state in the United States supported the hypothesis that educators who perceived the test as an invalid measure of teaching effectiveness were more likely to report high levels of test stress and to use counterproductive teaching practices, including fear appeals, in an attempt to motivate students for test-taking. This study provides initial evidence for the hypothesised relationships of test-based accountability policy with teacher mental health and instructional practices. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Gastric oxygen uptake during autoregulatory escape from sympathetic stimulation

To assess the effects of sympathetic stimulation on gastric blood flow and oxygen utilization, the perivascular nerves were stimulated at 2, 4, 6, and 8 Hz in chambered segments of canine gastric corpus perfused at constant pressure. Spectrophotometric arteriovenous oxygen difference and electromagnetic blood flow were recorded continuously. Except at the lowest frequency of stimulation (2 Hz), total blood flow exhibited autoregulatory escape, i.e., blood flow decreased initially but then returned toward control. The fall in total blood flow at the onset of sympathetic stimulation was smaller at 2 Hz than at 4 Hz, but stimulation at 6 and 8 Hz caused no further reductions in total blood flow. However, at all frequencies, total blood flow escaped to the same steady-state value (approximately 17 ml.min-1.100 g-1). Although total blood flow was still less than control (approximately 25 ml.min-1.100 g-1), oxygen extraction increased proportionately so that oxygen consumption was not significantly less than control at any frequency of stimulation. We conclude that autoregulatory escape from sympathetic stimulation is mediated by local mechanisms acting to maintain tissue oxygenation in the stomach.
Preliminary Evaluation of a Parallel Trace Replay Tool for HPC Network Simulations

This paper presents a preliminary evaluation of TraceR, a trace replay tool built upon the ROSS-based CODES simulation framework. TraceR can be used for predicting network performance and understanding network behavior by simulating messaging on interconnection networks. It addresses two major shortcomings in current network simulators. First, it enables fast and scalable simulations of large-scale supercomputer networks. Second, it can simulate production HPC applications using BigSim’s emulation framework. In addition to introducing TraceR, this paper studies the impact of input parameters on simulation performance. We also compare TraceR with other network simulators such as SST and BigSim, and demonstrate TraceR ’s scalability using various case studies.
Adverse Impact of Sleep Restriction and Circadian Misalignment on Autonomic Function in Healthy Young Adults

Insufficient sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances have been each associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in epidemiological studies, but experimental evidence for a causal link is scarce. The present study compares the impact of circadian misalignment (CM) to circadian alignment (CA) on human autonomic function using a nonrandomized parallel group design to achieve the same total sleep time in both conditions. After baseline assessments (3 days with 10-hour bedtimes), 26 healthy young adults were assigned to sleep restriction (SR; eight 5-hour bedtimes) with either fixed nocturnal bedtimes (CA; n=13) or bedtimes delayed by 8.5 hours on 4 of the 8 days (CM; n=13). Daytime ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate (HR; CA, n=11; CM, n=10) and 24-hour urinary norepinephrine levels (CA, n=13; CM, n=13) were assessed at baseline and the end of SR. Nocturnal HR and HR variability were analyzed during sleep at baseline and during the fourth and seventh nights of SR (CA, n=8; CM, n=12). SR resulted in a significant increase in daytime HR in both groups, without changes in blood pressure. SR increased 24-hour urinary norepinephrine in the CM group (30±4 versus 21±2 μg), but not in the circadian alignment group (group×condition, P=0.005). In contrast to the lack of detectable impact of CM on daytime autonomic function, SR with CM elicited greater increases in nocturnal HR, as well as greater reductions in vagal indices of HR variability, than SR without CM (group×condition, P<0.05). In conclusion, SR and CM both result in impaired autonomic function that could lead, under chronic conditions, to enhanced cardiovascular risk.
Markerless Evaluation of Lung Tumor Motion Throughout Radiotherapy

We present a complete solution to evaluate lung tumor motion from planning CT scan, patient positioning for treatment, to treatment delivery, without the requirement of implanted fiducial markers.
Beliefs about savoring in older adulthood: Aging and perceived health affect temporal components of perceived savoring ability

Abstract The ability to savor positive life events is associated with higher emotional well-being; however, few studies have examined savoring ability in older adults. The present study used a longitudinal design to examine changes in perceived savoring abilities and associations with perceived health in older adulthood. Older adults ( N = 131) reported on beliefs about savoring and perceived health at baseline and 2 1/2 years later. Perceived anticipation (savoring the future) and reminiscing (savoring the past) abilities declined from baseline to follow-up. Better perceived health at baseline predicted greater perceived reminiscing and anticipation abilities at follow-up. Greater perceived ability to savor the present moment at baseline predicted better perceived health at follow-up. Aging and poorer health focus older adults' thoughts on present-moment pleasures, which may benefit health, but may also lead to reductions in perceived anticipation and reminiscing abilities.
Modeling a grinding circuit using genetic programming

Accurate and efficient computer models of mineral processing systems are becoming increasingly important as the mineral industry strives to improve the efficiency of beneficiation systems. This paper considers the approach of using genetic programming for developing a data-driven model of grinding, one of the most prominent unit operations in the processing of minerals.
Knowledge and practice of recreational tanning among female college students in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. A cross sectional study

Abstract Recreational tanning has become popular among young Saudi women. This study investigates whether Saudi female college students are practicing recreational tanning and analyzes the level of their awareness regarding the consequences of tanning as a cause for skin cancer and photoaging. A cross-sectional study of randomly selected female college students from two non-medical universities from the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The total number of participants was n = 249. About 21.5% of participants with skin type I–II preferred outdoor tanning and no one preferred indoor tanning. Of those with skin type III–V, 23% preferred outdoor tanning, and 2.5% preferred indoor tanning. Among subjects who practiced both indoor and outdoor tanning 63% stayed more than 20 min while 36% stayed less than 20 min. The use of sunscreen was practiced in 70% of those who tanned. Sixty percent of subjects did not know that tanning caused early skin aging and 44% did not know the relationship of skin cancer and tanning. A significant number of Saudi female college students practice recreational tanning, regardless of their skin type. There is a clear lack of knowledge on tanning effect on risk of skin cancer and photoaging.
Reframing inequality? The health inequalities turn as a dangerous frame shift

Background Politicians in many countries have embraced the notion that health inequalities derive from socioeconomic inequalities, but European governments have for the most part failed to enact policies that would reduce underlying social inequalities. Methods Data are drawn from 84 in-depth interviews with policy-makers in four European countries between 2012 and 2015, qualitative content analysis of recent health inequalities policy documents, and secondary literature on the barriers to implementing evidence-based health inequalities policies. Results Institutional and political barriers are important barriers to effective policy. Both policy-making institutions and the ideas and practices associated with neoliberalism reinforce medical-individualist models of health, strengthen actors with material interests opposed to policies that would increase equity, and undermine policy action to tackle the fundamental causes of social (including health) inequalities. Conclusions Medicalizing inequality is more appealing to most politicians than tackling income and wage inequality head-on, but it results in framing the problem of social inequality in a way that makes it technically quite difficult to solve. Policy-makers should consider adopting more traditional programs of taxation, redistribution and labor market regulation in order to reduce both health inequalities and the underlying social inequalities.
"Titirangi Is the Mountain": Representing Maori Community in Auckland

Although "culture movements" of the sort that have become increasingly common in the Pacific and elsewhere are reactions and responses to colonialism and globalization, and are often at least partly inspired by imported models, they nevertheless have locally (culturally) specific content and effects. This is because the things that are "revived" are always grounded in particular local institutions, genres of practice, traditions of interpretation, and modes of expression. Form in these cases carries content, and the content is for that reason rooted in local socially inherited traditions. Contemporary New Zealand Maori liken urban communities to those based on kinship, and they do so by employing a variety of representational conventions, ranging from songs to carved meeting houses. These forms connect asserting kinship to making claims about land, and link land to culture and to a distinctive status within the nation-state.
Addressing Common Questions Encountered in the Diagnosis and Management of Cardiac Amyloidosis

Advances in cardiac imaging have resulted in greater recognition of cardiac amyloidosis in everyday clinical practice, but the diagnosis continues to be made in patients with late-stage disease, suggesting that more needs to be done to improve awareness of its clinical manifestations and the potential of therapeutic intervention to improve prognosis. Light chain cardiac amyloidosis, in particular, if recognized early and treated with targeted plasma cell therapy, can be managed very effectively. For patients with transthyretin amyloidosis, there are numerous therapies that are currently in late-phase clinical trials. In this review, we address common questions encountered in clinical practice regarding etiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of cardiac amyloidosis, focusing on recent important developments in cardiac imaging and biochemical diagnosis. The aim is to show how a systematic approach to the evaluation of suspected cardiac amyloidosis can impact the prognosis of patients in the modern era.