cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parental Influences on the Academic Motivation of Gifted Students: A Self- Determination Theory Perspective

The home environment that parents provide their gifted children can have a significant impact on academic motivation, yet limited research has focused on this topic. Self-determination theory, a comprehensive framework of motivation, was used in the current study to explore two research questions: (a) What attitudes do parents of gifted students have toward the academic motivation of their children? (b) What approaches do parents of gifted students use at home to develop academic motivation? Interviews with 30 parents of gifted children from across the United States revealed three higher order themes including Parents as Experts, Scaffolding, and Behavior Modification. From a self-determination theory perspective, results suggest that despite good intentions, the parents of this study were inconsistent in providing home environments that support their children's development of internalized forms of academic motivation.
Fundamental limits on bandwidth, efficiency, and parallelism in all-optical and hybrid fan-in

We present an investigation of relationships among the information bandwidth, the optical power efficiency, and the degree of parallelism for optical interconnection architectures that employ optical fan-in. The foundation for these relationships is the Lagrange invariant, or, more specifically, the constant-radiance theorem. We show that, when restrictions imposed by the constant-radiance theorem are combined with requirements on the probability of error, an upper limit is placed on the bandwidth that is reduced as the fan-in ratio increases. These limitations are significantly more severe when optical fan-in is used to perform analog summations. We then define a measure of processing efficiency that takes into account the influence of optical input power on the probability of error and is used to interpret the results.
Carbon respired by terrestrial ecosystems – recent progress and challenges

Net ecosystem production is the residual of two much larger fluxes: photosynthesis and respiration. While photosynthesis is a single process with a well-established theoretical underpinning, respiration integrates the variety of plant and microbial processes by which CO2 returns from ecosystems to the atmosphere. Limits to current capacity for predicting ecosystem respiration fluxes across biomes or years result from the mismatch between what is usually measured – bulk CO2 fluxes – and what process-based models can predict – fluxes of CO2 from plant (autotrophic) or microbial (heterotrophic) respiration. Papers in this Thematic Issue and in the recent literature, document advances in methods for separating respiration into autotrophic and heterotrophic components using three approaches: (1) continuous measurements of CO2 fluxes and assimilation of these data into process-based models; (2) application of isotope measurements, particularly radiocarbon; and (3) manipulation experiments. They highlight the role of allocation of C fixed by plants to respiration, storage, growth or transfer to other organisms as a control of seasonal and interannual variability in soil respiration and the oxidation state of C in the terrestrial biosphere. A second theme is the potential for comparing C isotope signatures in organic matter, CO2 evolved in incubations and microbial biomarkers to elucidate the pathways (respiration, recycling, or transformation) of C during decomposition. Together, these factors determine the continuum of timescales over which C is returned to the atmosphere by respiration and enable testing of theories of plant and microbial respiration that go beyond empirical models and allow predictions of future respiration responses to future change in climate, pollution and land use.
Evaluation and Modeling of Power Generator with Bimorph PZT Cantilever

Battery, the traditional power source in present wireless remote sensor systems, has large volume and requires large amount of maintenance. Therefore, piezoelectric power generator has been studied for a potential alternative to battery by scavenging or harvesting energy from its operating environment. The efforts for investigating such piezoelectric device have been especially enhanced by the miniaturization requirement and low energy consumption of advanced devices as well as the sufficient vibration energy sources and its high conversion efficiency. To utilize piezoelectric material as energy conversion transducer, the device should be designed to operate with high efficiency and simple configuration. PZT (Lead Zirconium Titanate) is an excellent candidate for energy conversion because of its large piezoelectric constant and coupling coefficient. In this study, power generators based on bimorph cantilever structure were designed and fabricated using PZT ceramic benders due to accessible large strain or energy. The parameters influencing the output energy of piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers including the dimensions of the cantilever and the proof mass, the loading ways of the proof mass, and the resonant frequency of the cantilever were systematically investigated. The robustness of cantilever structure was also considered for implementing piezoelectric power conversion devices in harsh environments. The final optimal design was realized by considering the balance between the output power and the safety factor through numerical analysis. The energy density generated by the optimized piezoelectric devices was higher than 1 mW at 1-g vibration, which could be enough to operate microsensor systems. To broaden the operation conditions, multiple-resonant frequency device was also explored.
Developing Student Collaborations across Disciplines, Distances, and Institutions

Because quantitative biology requires skills and concepts from a disparate collection of different disciplines, the scientists of the near future will increasingly need to rely on collaborations to produce results. Correspondingly, students in disciplines impacted by quantitative biology will need to be taught how to create and engage in such collaborations. In response to this important curricular need, East Tennessee State University and Georgia Technological University/Emory University cooperated in an unprecedented curricular experiment in which theoretically oriented students at East Tennessee State designed biophysical models that were implemented and tested experimentally by biomedical engineers at the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Technological University and Emory University. Implementing the collaborations between two institutions allowed an assessment of the student collaborations from before the groups of students had met for the first time until after they had finished their projects, thus providing insight about the formation and conduct of such collaborations that could not have been obtained otherwise.
Perceived barriers to teaching for critical thinking by BSN nursing faculty.

Abstract The ability to think critically is considered an essential skill of nursing graduates and competent nursing practice. Yet, the literature reports that teachers are having difficulty teaching for critical thinking and that critical thinking is lacking in new nursing graduates. This research study sought to identify barriers to the implementation of critical thinking teaching strategies by nursing faculty currently teaching in generic baccalaureate programs in Tennessee. Surveys were mailed to 262 nursing faculty; 194 were returned, and 175 were usable. Students' attitudes and expectations represented the single greatest barrier to the implementation of critical thinking teaching strategies, followed by time constraints and the perceived need to teach for content coverage. Recommendations to support and encourage faculty to teach for critical thinking are outlined.
Earthworm Immunoassays for Evaluating Biological Effects of Exposure to Hazardous Materials

A noncontroversial and cost-effective system of laboratory and in situ bioassays capable of integrating variables of environmental concentration, route of exposure and bioavailability with a broadly applicable suite of toxic endpoints is needed to assess biological risks of environmental pollutants from hazardous and Superfund waste sites, both before and after clean-up. The system also would be useful in screening or categorizing wastes, such as industrial and municipal solids, combustion residues from incinerated solids, sewage treatment sludge, and dredged sediments for appropriate landfill disposal i.e., sanitary versus hazardous). An extensive literature on the basic biology and ecology of earthworms (Edwards and Lofty, 1977; Satchell and Martin, 1981; Satchell, 1983; Lee, 1985; Fitzpatrick et al., 1989) and from laboratory and in situ toxicity and/or bioaccumulation studies (Appendix 1, No. 1) supports using several earthworm species to develop standardized protocols (Appendix 1, No. 2) for evaluating biological risks of terrestrial pollutants.
Isolation of Elusive Tetranuclear and Pentanuclear M(II)–Hydroximate Intermediates in the Assembly of Lanthanide [15-Metallacrown-5] Complexes

Two intermediates in the assembly of lanthanide metallacrowns (MCs) of divalent transition metals and ligands in the picoline hydroxamic acid (picHA)/α-amino hydroxamic acid family were synthesized and crystallographically characterized. Structures of the elusive MII[12-MCMII,L-4]2+ were obtained with M = Ni, Zn and L = picHA, quinaldic hydroxamic acid. Consistent with previous calculations, the complex is highly concave, particularly with Zn(II). ESI-MS and 1H NMR reveal that the complexes retain their structure in solution. The Zn(II) analogue reacts with Ln(III) ions to form LnIII[15-MCZn(II),picHA-5]3+ in pyridine. The greater stability of ZnII[12-MCZn(II),picHA-4]2+ relative to the Cu(II) and Ni(II) analogues is inferred and attributed to the square-pyramidal Zn(II) ions being complementary with the concave MC topology. A Zn4(picHA)2(OAc)4(DMF)2 species bearing a tetranuclear [6-MCZnII,picHA-2] motif was also isolated. A mechanism for MII[12-MCMII,L-4]2+ formation is proposed on the basis of structur...
Creativity and Causality

Many readers of Process and Reality have felt the absence of a robust theory of efficient causation in Whitehead's final position. There have been numerous remedies proposed, including Whitehead's own (in Adventures of Ideas ), but all of them fail to make what to me is a crucial distinction between creative and noncreative forms of activity. The activity of the superject, the basis for causal activity, is derived from the creativity of concrescence, but is itself noncreative. It is simply the impress of the past, lacking in itself any genuine novelty.
New Diagnoses Cover Venomous Toads and Exploding Spacecrafts

Many of us are shaking our heads as another deadline looms for health care reform (exhibiting diagnostic code Z734, inadequate social skills not elsewhere classified). October 1, 2015, is the newest date for conversion to a new classification for diseases used by virtually all medical practices for billing purposes. It impacts how medicine gets paid for what we do. For anyone employed in health care it has our attention with three letters and a number: ICD-10.
The Ehrlich-Chenzinsky-Plehn-Malachowski-Romanowsky-Nocht-Jenner-May- Grunwald-Leishman-Reuter-Wright-Giemsa-Lillie-Roe-Wilcox Stain: The mystery unfolds

This article gives a brief history of the evolution of the modern blood stain. Current theories of molecular mechanisms involved in the staining process are also reviewed.
Subacute sclerosing panencepahlitis: report of two cases.

Two cases of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis are described. Both were shown to be associated with measles-virus infection. Some aspects of this rare condition are described.
Extension Online: Utilizing Technology to Enhance Educational Outreach.

Extension Online is an Internet-based online course platform that enables the Texas AgriLife Extension Service's Family Development and Resource Management (FDRM) unit to reach tens of thousands of users across the U.S. annually with research-based information. This article introduces readers to Extension Online by describing the history of its development, outcomes achieved over a 5-year period, system features, and the strategies that have led to the growth of the online system. In 2011, over 77,000 online courses were completed through Extension Online, demonstrating that technology can be successfully used to dramatically enhance Extension's outreach capabilities.
Sovereignty and Sexuality: Transnational Perspectives on Colonial Age of Consent Legislation

Consent as a legal and a social principle has been applied in many fields, from medical practice to political governance. It has been a key and controversial element in the legislation of sexuality, that arena balanced so uneasily – and so very often – between the private and the public. Arguments over age of consent have resurfaced periodically and always controversially. In Britain, the most recent manifestation of this debate has been over equalizing the sexual age of consent for same-sex and for heterosexual partnerings, a debate resolved by the passage of legislation in 2000 that finally allowed gay men the same age of consent as straight men and women. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, however, it was heterosexual consent that was at issue, and most specifically female age of sexual consent. Male age of consent was, at this juncture, a non-issue.
Conclusion: Evolution of Timekeeper in Electrical World

Among the millions of signals in a microelectronic system, the clock signal is one that oscillates between a high and a low state and is utilized as a metronome to coordinate the actions/events of the system. It is the timekeeper in the electrical world. In the early days, a clock signal generator was only required to produce a pulse train of fixed frequency. The frequency divider and frequency multiplier are developed to generate more clock frequencies. The frequency divider includes analog dividers (e.g., regenerative frequency divider and injection-locked frequency divider) and digital divider. Frequency multiplication is achieved by using phase-locked loops (PLL). The divider and multiplier allow a variety of frequencies to be generated and thus potentially selected for system use without modifying the hardware. At the level of frequency generation capability, time average frequency-direct period synthesis (TAF-DPS) aims at the target of becoming a field programmable frequency generator (FPFG).
Canonical Duality Theory: Connections between Nonconvex Mechanics and Global Optimization

This chapter presents a comprehensive review and some new developments on canonical duality theory for nonconvex systems. Based on a tricanonical form for quadratic minimization problems, an insightful relation between canonical dual transformations and nonlinear (or extended) Lagrange multiplier methods is presented. Connections between complementary variational principles in nonconvex mechanics and Lagrange duality in global optimization are also revealed within the framework of the canonical duality theory. Based on this framework, traditional saddle Lagrange duality and the so-called biduality theory, discovered in convex Hamiltonian systems and d.c. programming, are presented in a unified way; together, they serve as a foundation for the triality theory in nonconvex systems. Applications are illustrated by a class of nonconvex problems in continuum mechanics and global optimization. It is shown that by the use of the canonical dual transformation, these nonconvex constrained primal problems can be converted into certain simple canonical dual problems, which can be solved to obtain all extremal points. Optimality conditions (both local and global) for these extrema can be identified by the triality theory. Some new results on general nonconvex programming with nonlinear constraints are also presented as applications of this canonical duality theory. This review brings some fundamentally new insights into nonconvex mechanics, global optimization, and computational science.
The Protectionist Mentality: An Accounting and Philosophical Analysis -- Part I

This paper examines the various arguments that have been put forth in favor of protectionism, from both an accounting and philosophical perspective. The author concludes that arguments against free trade are based on faulty premises, illogical reasoning or incorrect facts.
Personality development in adolescence

Abstract This chapter discusses personality development during the adolescent years. First, we discuss typologies and taxonomies commonly employed to describe adolescent personality, focusing on the relative utility of the Big Five personality classification scheme for adolescents. Second, we discuss personality trait change during the adolescent years, describing both the lack of clear normative age trends, as well as the capacity for variability in individual-level trajectories of change. Third, we consider two primary frameworks that may inform our predictions of individual-level fluctuations in personality change, namely the identity development and maturation processes ongoing in adolescence. Fourth, we touch upon the recent investigations into the development of narcissistic ideation and traits, as well as the evidence for normative or cross-cohort trends in adolescent narcissism. Finally, we consider future directions for research on adolescent personality development.
Nuclear plants — military hostages?

Recent events suggest that nuclear reactors could make tempting military or terrorist targets, as the following two articles point out. In either case, current protective standards are inadequate.
Assessing Coagulation by Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in Rivaroxaban-Anticoagulated Blood Using Hemostatic Agents

Introduction The use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) such as rivaroxaban (Xarelto) is increasingly common. However, therapies for reversing anticoagulation in the event of hemorrhage are limited. This study investigates the ability of hemostatic agents to improve the coagulation of rivaroxaban-anticoagulated blood, as measured by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). Hypothesis/Problem If a chitosan-based hemostatic agent (Celox), which works independently of the clotting cascade, is applied to rivaroxaban-anticoagulated blood, it should improve coagulation by decreasing clotting time (CT), decreasing clot formation time (CFT), and increasing maximum clot firmness (MCF). If a kaolin-based hemostatic agent (QuikClot Combat Gauze), which works primarily by augmenting the clotting cascade upstream of factor Xa (FXa), is applied to rivaroxaban-anticoagulated blood, it will not be effective at improving coagulation. Methods Patients (age >18 years; non-pregnant) on rivaroxaban, presenting to the emergency department (ED) at two large, university-based medical centers, were recruited. Subjects (n=8) had blood drawn and analyzed using ROTEM with and without the presence of a kaolin-based and a chitosan-based hemostatic agent. The percentage of patients whose ROTEM parameters responded to the hemostatic agent and percent changes in coagulation parameters were calculated. Results Data points analyzed included: CT, CFT, and MCF. Of the samples treated with a kaolin-based hemostatic agent, seven (87.5%) showed reductions in CT, eight (100.0%) showed reductions in CFT, and six (75.0%) showed increases in MCF. The average percent change in CT, CFT, and MCF for all patients was 32.5% (Standard Deviation [SD]: 286; Range:-75.3 to 740.7%); -66.0% (SD:14.4; Range: -91.4 to -44.1%); and 4.70% (SD: 6.10; Range: -4.8 to 15.1%), respectively. The corresponding median percent changes were -68.1%, -64.0%, and 5.2%. Of samples treated with a chitosan-based agent, six (75.0%) showed reductions in CT, three (37.5%) showed reductions in CFT, and five (62.5%) showed increases in MCF. The average percent changes for CT, CFT, and MCF for all patients were 165.0% (SD: 629; Range:-96.9 to 1718.5%); 139.0% (SD: 174; Range: -83.3 to 348.0%); and -8.38% (SD: 32.7; Range:-88.7 to 10.4%), respectively. The corresponding median percent changes were -53.7%, 141.8%, and 3.0%. Conclusions Rotational thromboelastometry detects changes in coagulation parameters caused by hemostatics applied to rivaroxaban-anticoagulated blood. These changes trended in the direction towards improved coagulability, suggesting that kaolin-based and chitosan-based hemostatics may be effective at improving coagulation in these patients. Bar J , David A , Khader T , Mulcare M , Tedeschi C . Assessing Coagulation by Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in Rivaroxaban-Anticoagulated Blood Using Hemostatic Agents. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(5):580–587.
Publication Rates of Social and Administrative Sciences Pharmacy Faculty in Non-Research Intensive Pharmacy Schools.

Objective. To assess the level of publication rates from 2011 through 2015 by Social and Administrative Sciences (SAS) faculty at non-research intensive pharmacy schools.Methods. The Web of Science database was searched using faculty names identified from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) faculty and professional staff roster. Publication rates of SAS faculty were calculated and compared using several demographic subcategories such as public/private school, part of an academic health center, schools with PhD program, funding status, etc.Results. The 208 SAS faculty members from 59 colleges contributed to 478 publications with a mean of 95.6 publications per year and 1.62 publications per institution per year. The number of publications increased 45% over the five years from 67 publications in 2011 to 122 in 2015.The average number of publications was 0.92 per year per SAS faculty compared to 0.82 publications per year per faculty from other basic pharmaceutical sciences divisions. Th...
Stability of lithium substituted silyls superalkali species

Abstract In this computational study we investigated superalkali species with the formula SiLin (n = 1–6) and the mixed silyl species containing both H and Li, SiHLi, SiHLi2, SiH2Li, SiHLi3, SiH2Li2, SiH3Li, SiHLi4, SiH2Li3, SiH3Li2, SiH4Li, SiHLi5, SiH2Li4, SiH3Li3, SiH4Li2, and SiH5Li. The CBS-QB3 composite model was employed to obtain optimized geometries and energetics. We found that these clusters increase in stability from SiLi to SiLi4, but decrease in stability from SiLi4 to SiLi6. Our findings also show that these clusters exhibit stronger superalkali properties when increasing the amount of substituted lithium.
Above- and below-ground allocation and functional trait response to soil water inputs and drying rates of two common savanna grasses

Abstract The study of functional trait plasticity and optimal allocation strategies in a water competition context may help to explain the mechanisms relating plant competition to ecological semi-arid patterns. We measured four functional plant traits –root to shoot ratio, superficial to deep roots ratio, root diameter, and root estimated surface area to shoot ratio– in wild populations of two C4 grasses in a Kenyan savanna to assess their responses to different water inputs (changing with latitude) and soil drying rates (driven by canopy cover). Root:shoot allocation was different between the two species. We show that to account for root architecture helps understanding root allocation strategies, especially in species with high plasticity in root geometry. Concretely, in our case, a higher root allocation in wetter conditions was driven by water storage and not water foraging in the species with high root diameter variability. Superficial root allocation responded to changes associated with drying rates but not to water input, and shallower root systems developed under higher water stress conditions, supporting rainfall intermittency models of savanna tree-grass competition. We also suggest self-shading as a facilitation mechanism that may affect spatial patterns according to the scale-dependent feedback hypothesis.
The No Free Lunch and problem description length

The No Free Lunch theorem is reviewed and cast within a simple framework for black-box search. A duality result which relates functions being optimized to algorithms optimizing them is obtained and is used to sharpen the No Free Lunch theorem. Observations are made concerning problem description length within the context provided by the results of this paper. It is seen that No Free Lunch results are independent from whether or not the set of functions (over which a No Free Lunch result holds) is compressible.
Evaluating Federal R&D in the United States

This chapter describes the practice of federal research impact evaluation. Evaluation of research impact is described for three cases: Research selection, where the work has not yet been performed; Research review, where work and results are ongoing; and ex-post research assessment, where research has been completed and results can be tracked. Qualitative methods (such as peer review), semi-quantitative methods (such as historiographic tracings of accomplishments and critical scientific events), and quantitative methods (such as cost-benefit analysis and bibliometrics) are described. While peer review in its broadest sense is the most widely used method in research selection, review, and ex-post assessment, it has its deficiencies, and there is no single method which provides a complete impact evaluation.
Role of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 Alpha (HNF4α) in Hepatocyte Regeneration

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4α) is the master regulator of hepatic differentiation because it regulates over 60% of genes involved in hepatocyte specific function. Recent studies from our...
Expressive Writing Intervention With Cuban-American and Puerto Rican Parents of LGBTQ Individuals:

Acceptance by parental figures is one of the most important protective factors for the mental health of LGBTQ individuals. To date, little is known about the experiences of Latinx parental figures ...
Markets as Unintentionally Moral Wealth Creators

Traditional moral defenses of the market do not really address the central moral criticism leveled against markets by their critics. Rather than (theoretically or empirically) evaluating the claim that markets are morally corrupting, the traditional defenses either avoid or (implicitly or explicitly) endorse the view that markets are potentially corrupting. In this chapter, we review and discuss the way that the market is traditionally defended on moral grounds. Specifically, we argue that both claims that the market neither promotes nor suppresses morality and that the market transforms private vice into public virtue are inadequate responses to the central moral criticism of markets.
Caregiver Medication Management and Understanding After Pediatric Hospital Discharge

OBJECTIVES: Caregivers frequently make mistakes when following instructions on discharge medications, and these instructions often contain discrepancies. Minimal literature reflects inpatient discharges. Our objective was to describe failures in caregiver management and understanding of inpatient discharge medications and to test the association of documentation discrepancies and sociodemographic factors with medication-related failures after an inpatient hospitalization. METHODS: This study took place in an urban tertiary care children’s hospital that serves a low-income, minority population. English-speaking caregivers of children discharged on an oral prescription medication were surveyed about discharge medication knowledge 48 to 96 hours after discharge. The primary outcome was the proportion of caregivers who failed questions on a 10-item questionnaire (analyzed as individual question responses and as a composite outcome of any discharge medication–related failure). Bivariate tests were used to compare documentation errors, complex dosing, and sociodemographic factors to having any discharge medication-related failure. RESULTS: Of 157 caregivers surveyed, 70% had a discharge medication–related failure, most commonly because of lack of knowledge about side effects (52%), wrong duration (17%), and wrong start time (16%). Additionally, 80% of discharge instructions provided to caregivers lacked integral medication information, such as duration or when the next dose after discharge was due. Twenty five percent of prescriptions contained numerically complex doses. In bivariate testing, only race and/or ethnicity was significantly associated with having any failure (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of caregivers had a medication-related failure after discharge, and most discharge instructions lacked key medication information. Future work to optimize the discharge process to support caregiver management and understanding of medications is needed.
Effect of Systemic Inflammation on Rat Attentional Function and Neuroinflammation: Possible Protective Role for Food Restriction

Background: Aging is characterized by subtle cognitive decline, which correlates with increased peripheral inflammation. Acute activation of the peripheral immune system, via lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, elicits deficits in hippocampal-dependent spatial memory. Little is known concerning the effect of chronic inflammation on prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dependent vigilance. We examined the impact of repeated LPS injections in young and middle-age rats on the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), expecting repeated LPS treatment to induce attentional deficits with greater disruption in middle-age. Methods: Male Fischer-344 rats, 4- and 12-months-old, were food restricted and trained on the 5-CSRTT. Once rats reached criterion, they were injected with LPS (1 mg/kg, i.p.) weekly for 4 weeks and testing started 48 h after each injection. To examine the possibility that mild food restriction inherent to the behavioral task influenced inflammation markers, a second group of food-restricted or ad-lib-fed rats was assessed for cytokine changes 48 h after one injection. Results: Performing LPS-treated rats exhibited a sickness response, manifesting as reduced initiated and completed trials during the first week but recovered by the second week of testing. After the first week, LPS-treated rats continued to exhibit longer response latencies, despite no change in food retrieval latency, suggestive of LPS-induced cognitive slowing. Similarly, LPS-induced impairment of attention was observed as increased omissions with heightened cognitive demand and increased age. Repeated LPS-treatment increased the level of PFC IL-1α, and PFC IL-6 was marginally higher in middle-age rats. No effect of age or treatment was observed for plasma cytokines in performing rats. Histological examination of microglia indicated increased colocalization of Iba1+ and CD68+ cells from middle-age relative to young rats. Examination of food restriction demonstrated an attenuation of age- and LPS-related increases in plasma cytokine levels. Conclusions: Systemic inflammation, induced through LPS treatment, impaired attentional function, which was independent of sickness and exacerbated by increased cognitive demand and increased age. Additional studies revealed that food restriction, associated with the task, attenuated markers of neuroinflammation and plasma cytokines. The results emphasize the need for improved methods for modeling low-level chronic systemic inflammation to effectively examine its impact on attention during aging.
A new quantitative load profile measure for demand response performance evaluation

Abstract This article proposes a novel quantitative measure of the load profile that can be used to compare demand response techniques for load shaping. This quantitative measure is a projection of the overall cost for electric power generation planning, and can be used to more effectively guide the determination of dynamic electric energy retail pricing tariffs, which can, in turn, improve the performance of demand response techniques from the overall generation expansion planning and utilization cost perspective. Traditionally, the peak-to-average ratio has been the popular choice to quantitatively measure the load profile, although it does not incorporate critical measures such as minimum power demand and load variation. In this paper, several load profiles are synthesized and their corresponding electricity supply cost is calculated. Then, the correlation coefficient between different statistical measures of the load profiles and the cost of their optimal generation expansion planning and utilization is measured. Several statistical factors of the load profile with a linear relationship with the overall cost are selected and their contribution level to the final measure is determined to form a quantitative load profile measure that accurately reflects the overall supply cost.
Induction of thrombocytopenia by thrombopheresis in man: patterns of recovery in normal subjects during ethanol ingestion and abstinence.

Using the technique of thrombophoresis (TP), platelet and megakaryocyte dynamics following acute thrombocytopenia were studied in two normal subjects during periods of ethanol ingestion and abstinence. Thrombocytopenia was induced over a period of 12 hr. A logarithmic decline in platelet count during TP and the serial morphologic changes in megakaryocytes during recovery from thrombocytopenia are described. Although these parameters were not affected by ethanol ingestion, platelet counts after TP did not return to normal until ethanol was discontinued. 51Cr-labeled platelet survival was normal in one subject studied, and no evidence of increased platelet sequestration was found. It is concluded that heavy ethanol ingestion induces, augments, or sustains thrombocytopenia by impairing megakaryocytopoiesis in man. The mechanism by which ethanol induces thrombocytopenia may be due, in part, to “ineffective thrombopoiesis,” impairment of the differentiation of precursor cells into the megakaryocytic compartment, or a combination of these factors.
Diet of Nile Monitors (Varanus niloticus) Removed from Palm Beach and Broward Counties, Florida, USA

Abstract Nile Monitors (Varanus niloticus) are large (up to 2.4 m in length), semiaquatic, carnivorous lizards native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Nile Monitors are reported from southeastern Florida nea...
Soybean Root System Architecture Trait Study through Genotypic, Phenotypic, and Shape-Based Clusters

We report a root system architecture (RSA) traits examination of a larger scale soybean accession set to study trait genetic diversity. Suffering from the limitation of scale, scope, and susceptibility to measurement variation, RSA traits are tedious to phenotype. Combining 35,448 SNPs with an imaging phenotyping platform, 292 accessions (replications = 14) were studied for RSA traits to decipher the genetic diversity. Based on literature search for root shape and morphology parameters, we used an ideotype-based approach to develop informative root (iRoot) categories using root traits. The RSA traits displayed genetic variability for root shape, length, number, mass, and angle. Soybean accessions clustered into eight genotype- and phenotype-based clusters and displayed similarity. Genotype-based clusters correlated with geographical origins. SNP profiles indicated that much of US origin genotypes lack genetic diversity for RSA traits, while diverse accession could infuse useful genetic variation for these traits. Shape-based clusters were created by integrating convolution neural net and Fourier transformation methods, enabling trait cataloging for breeding and research applications. The combination of genetic and phenotypic analyses in conjunction with machine learning and mathematical models provides opportunities for targeted root trait breeding efforts to maximize the beneficial genetic diversity for future genetic gains.
Exponentially Stabilizing and Time-Varying Virtual Constraint Controllers for Dynamic Quadrupedal Bounding *

This paper aims to develop time-varying virtual constraint controllers that allow stable and agile bounding gaits for full-order hybrid dynamical models of quadrupedal locomotion. As opposed to state-based nonlinear controllers, time-varying controllers can initiate locomotion from zero velocity. Motivated by this property, we investigate the stability guarantees that can be provided by the time-varying approach. In particular, we systematically establish necessary and sufficient conditions that guarantee exponential stability of periodic orbits for time-varying hybrid dynamical systems utilizing the Poincare return map. Leveraging the results of the presented proof, we develop time-varying virtual constraint controllers to stabilize bounding gaits of a 14 degree of freedom planar quadrupedal robot, Minitaur. A framework for choosing the parameters of virtual constraint controllers to achieve exponential stability is shown, and the feasibility of the analytical results is numerically validated in full-order simulation models of Minitaur.
Planning Education and “Free-Choice” Learners: Teaching the YouTube Classroom:

“Free-choice” learners are people who learn outside of a formal learning environment. The video platform YouTube is a popular place for free-choice learners to educate themselves. The author of thi...
Image-Guided Radiation Therapy

The goal of radiation therapy treatment is to deliver the therapeutic dose to target volumes while reduce the radiation exposure to the adjacent normal structures. In the past, a large three-dimensional planning margin was utilized to account for geometric and setup uncertainties, which resulted in unnecessary radiation doses to the surrounding normal tissues. Since the late 1990s, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which delivers highly conformal dose distributions to the target, has been widely adopted as standard treatment for treatment sites such as the head and neck, prostate, etc. (Butler et al. 1999; Manning et al. 2001; Zelefsky et al. 2000; De Meerleer et al. 2000). IMRT enables a more precise conformal radiation dose distribution to the target area without increasing radiation doses to the normal tissue. To translate the advantages of IMRT into better tumor control and reduction of treatment-related toxicity, more accurate and reproducible patient setup is crucial (Qi et al. 2013a).
CAKE FILTRATION EXPERIMENTS

Experimental collection of basic cake filtration data using simple apparatus has been a practice for nearly a century. Contemporary design and development of cake filtration apparatus can be traced to the work of Grace (1953) . Considerable efforts have been made because the work of Grace to further improves the capability and precision of cake filtration apparatus by a number of investigators. Tarleton and Hancock (1997) and Tarleton (2004) developed a mechatronic cake filtration apparatus through the integration of electronics, computer control, and technology. Another example of the recently developed cake filtration apparatus is the multifunction test cell of the National University of Singapore. As a measure of the quality of the cake formed, the wet to dry cake mass ratio m is often used. For more detailed examination of cake formation and growth, information such as the filtrate pressure (and therefore cake compressive stress) and cake solidosity (or porosity) profiles and their evolutions are required. The various methods that can be used for their determination are described in this chapter. As may be expected, the results of the rather large number of experimental studies reported in the literature are not always consistent. A brief description and discussion of some of these results are also given here.
Induction of vanilloid receptor channel activity by protein kinase C

Capsaicin or vanilloid receptors (VRs) participate in the sensation of thermal and inflammatory pain. The cloned (VR1) and native VRs are non-selective cation channels directly activated by harmful heat, extracellular protons and vanilloid compounds. However, considerable attention has been focused on identifying other signalling pathways in VR activation; it is known that VR1 is also expressed in non-sensory tissue and may mediate inflammatory rather than acute thermal pain. Here we show that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) induces VR1 channel activity at room temperature in the absence of any other agonist. We also observed this effect in native VRs from sensory neurons, and phorbol esters induced a vanilloid-sensitive Ca2+ rise in these cells. Moreover, the pro-inflammatory peptide, bradykinin, and the putative endogenous ligand, anandamide, respectively induced and enhanced VR activity, in a PKC-dependent manner. These results suggest that PKC may link a range of stimuli to the activation of VRs.
Schema-Based Learning: Biologically Inspired Principles of Dynamic Organization

We propose a generalized framework Schema-based learning (SBL) for the design of complete and integrated adaptive autonomous agents incorporating general principles of adaptive organization e.g., bootstrap coherence and coherence maximization principles. A schema is an evolutionarily or experience-based constructed recurrent pattern of interaction or expectation (perceptual, motor, reactive, and predictive schemas) with the environment, and coherence is a measure of the congruence between the result of an interaction with the environment and the expectations the agent has for that interaction. SBL attempts to provide a general and formal framework independent of the particularities of implementation, thus allowing the design and analysis of a wide variety of agents. SBL allows the growth of increasingly complex patterns of interaction between the agent and its environment from an initially restricted stock of schemas while allowing for efficient learning by confining statistical estimation to a narrow credit assignment space.
Impact of Serving Temperature on Sensory Properties of Red Wine as Evaluated Using Projective Mapping by a Trained Panel

The objective of this study was to examine the specific sensory attributes of red wines served at three temperatures. Using projective mapping (Napping), a trained panel (n = 12) evaluated six Washington State Lemberger red wines in replicate and sorted these wines based on their sensory attributes. Results indicated greater variability between replicate perceptual maps at 10 and 16C, while wine served at 22C produced the same perceptual maps for both replicates. The wines served at 10 and 16C were described more frequently as astringent, sour and bitter, with fewer aroma descriptors used compared with those served at 22C. This study is the first to provide description of the sensory properties of Lemberger wines and the effect of serving temperature on this wine. This study also showed the importance of replicate evaluations when using Napping for a small number of panelists evaluating a product with high individual variation. Practical Applications This study describes how serving temperature affects the sensory properties perceived in red wine. This is useful for those in the wine and hospitality industries who have thought this to be the case but have lacked in formal scientific studies. These industries can use this information to better showcase their red wines. From a sensory standpoint, this study shows how projective mapping (Napping) needs to be carefully considered based on the expected variation and number of participating panelists.
Emerging latin america

This paper is specially dedicated to the students of management of the world. After outlining the historical, demographic, and physical aspects of Latin America, the authors establish and use a framework to describe and explain the modern economic, social, and political development of this region. The paper is firmly grounded on the historical dimensions of contemporary Latin America. Its background is the context of an exceptionally fast-moving global economy.
Reconceptualizing Language, Language Learning, and the Adolescent Immigrant Language Learner in the Age of Postmodern Globalization

The massive shift in migration patterns brought about by globalization has heavily impacted the language learning experience of adolescent immigrant learners. Given these changes wrought by globalization, this paper argues for a reconceptualization of language, language learning, and the adolescent immigrant language learner. In line with poststructural concerns that have framed recent SLA research on immigrant learners, particular emphasis is given to how a Bourdieusian framework offers constructs to better understand globalized linguistic flows. Such a framework, which views language as a form of capital, allows for a better understanding the consequences of globalization and the commodification of languages. Relatedly, to recognize the linguistic resources available to immigrant learners in the twenty-first century, the paper calls for a reconstitution of language along ideological, semiotic, and performative lines as well as a reframing of language learning through an ideology and identity lens. As a result of this linguistic reconceptualization, globalized adolescent immigrant language learners should be viewed as social actors who possess and are in the process of developing symbolic competence (cf. Kramsch and Whiteside 2007, 2008; Kramsch 2009).
Online algorithms for the newsvendor problem with and without censored demands

The newsvendor problem describes the dilemma of a newspaper salesman--how many papers should he purchase each day to resell, when he doesn't know the demand? We develop approaches for this well known problem in operations research, both for when the actual demand is known at the end of each day, and for when just the amount sold is known, i.e., the demand is censored. We present three results: (1) the first known algorithm with a bound on its worst-case performance for the censored demand newsvendor problem, (2) an algorithm with improved worst-case performance bounds for the regular newsvendor problem compared to previously known algorithms, and (3) more precise bounds on the performance of the two algorithms when they are seeded with an approximate "guess" on the optimal solution. In addition (4) we test the algorithms in a variety of simulated and real world conditions, and compare the results to those by previously known approaches. Our tests indicate that our algorithms perform comparably and often better than known approaches.
A method to estimate groundwater depletion from confining layers

[1] Although depletion of storage in low-permeability confining layers is the source of much of the groundwater produced from many confined aquifer systems, it is all too frequently overlooked or ignored. This makes effective management of groundwater resources difficult by masking how much water has been derived from storage and, in some cases, the total amount of water that has been extracted from an aquifer system. Analyzing confining layer storage is viewed as troublesome because of the additional computational burden and because the hydraulic properties of confining layers are poorly known. In this paper we propose a simplified method for computing estimates of confining layer depletion, as well as procedures for approximating confining layer hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (Ss) using geologic information. The latter makes the technique useful in developing countries and other settings where minimal data are available or when scoping calculations are needed. As such, our approach may be helpful for estimating the global transfer of groundwater to surface water. A test of the method on a synthetic system suggests that the computational errors will generally be small. Larger errors will probably result from inaccuracy in confining layer property estimates, but these may be no greater than errors in more sophisticated analyses. The technique is demonstrated by application to two aquifer systems: the Dakota artesian aquifer system in South Dakota and the coastal plain aquifer system in Virginia. In both cases, depletion from confining layers was substantially larger than depletion from the aquifers.