cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Informed consent for opt-in HIV testing via tablet kiosk: an assessment of patient comprehension and acceptability

Although implementation of HIV testing in the emergency department has met with some success, one commonly cited challenge is the consent process. Kiosks offer one potential strategy to overcome this barrier. This pilot cross-sectional survey study examined patient comprehension of opt-in HIV testing consent and acceptability of using a kiosk to provide consent. Subjects were guided through a simulated consent process using a kiosk and then completed a survey of consent comprehension and acceptability of kiosk use. Subjects were 50.3% female, Black (74.4%), and had an education level of high school or less (61.3%). Subjects found the kiosk very easy or easy to use (83.9%) and reported they were very or mostly comfortable using the kiosk to consent to HIV testing (89.4%). Subjects understood the required aspects of consent: HIV testing was voluntary (93.0%, n = 185) and that refusal would not impact their care (98.5%, n = 196; 99.0%, n = 197). Following a simulated consent process, subjects demonstrated a high rate of comprehension about the vital components of HIV testing consent. Subjects reported they were comfortable using the kiosk, found the kiosk easy to use, and reported a positive experience using the kiosk to provide consent for HIV testing.
Marine Symbioses: Metazoans and Microbes

Marine symbioses occur between a diverse array of marine organisms and can be found in every marine ecosystem on the planet. Mutualistic associations involving marine animals and their microbial symbionts provide the foundation for many of these ecosystems, including coral reefs and hydrothermal vents. This article describes the unique and interesting characteristics of these, and many other, intimate associations in the marine environment.
Anodyne Psychotherapy for Suicide: A Psychological View of Suicide

This paper presents a set of propositions about anodynic psychotherapy for suicidal persons which itself focuses on certain psychological needs which have been uniquely frustrated so as to cause dangerously heightened psychological pain, or psychache, in that individual’s mind.
VANET clock synchronization for resilient DSRC safety applications

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANET) are the fastchanging networks for connected vehicles, in which Vehicle- to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure communication are the basis for technologies aiming at reducing accidents and improving operation. DSRC Safety Applications, designed to assist drivers in order to avoid accidents, might be subjected to malicious attacks, such as GPS time spoofing attacks, which attempt to prevent time synchronization between vehicles. Failure of the centralized GPS-based clock synchronization has the potential to cause safety applications to fail. Therefore, decentralized clock synchronization can be a valuable approach for augmenting GPS- based clock synchronization. In this paper, a decentralized clock synchronization protocol for VANET is presented. The proposed protocol, based on approximate agreement, does not require any extra hardware nor modifications of any standards. The protocol was simulated using NS-3, and the results were analyzed and compared with previous synchronization protocols. The benefits of the proposed clock synchronization algorithm are higher resilience of safety applications to GPS spoofing attacks and when GPS signals are not available, such as in urban cities.
Biological-inorganic hybrid systems as a generalized platform for chemical production

An expanding renewable energy market to supplant petrochemicals has motivated synthesis technologies that use renewable feedstocks, such as CO2. Hybrid biological-inorganic systems provide a sustainable, efficient, versatile, and inexpensive chemical synthesis platform. These systems comprise biocompatible electrodes that transduce electrical energy either directly or indirectly into bioavailable energy, such as H2 and NAD(P)H. In combination, specific bacteria use these energetic reducing equivalents to fix CO2 into multi-carbon organic compounds. As hybrid biological-inorganic technologies have developed, the focus has shifted from phenomenological and proof-of-concept discovery towards enhanced energy efficiency, production rate, product scope, and industrial robustness. In this review, we highlight the progress and the state-of-the-art of this field and describe the advantages and challenges involved in designing bio- and chemo- compatible systems.
Light transport modeling for accurate pressure modulation calibration of extra-cerebral contribution to DCS cerebral blood flow monitoring in adult subjects

DCS monitoring of cerebral blood flow in adult subjects requires accounting for extracerebral contributions to the signal. We explore the impact of the choice of model on using the recently proposed pressure modulation method for calibrating the extracerebral contribution.
Intel® threading building blocks

Intel® Threading Building Blocks [1] is a C++ runtime library that abstracts the low-level threading details necessary for effectively utilizing multi-core processors. It uses C++ templates to eliminate the need to create and manage threads. Applications tend to be more portable since parallelism is achieved through library calls and utilization of a task manager for scheduling. The task manager analyzes the system the software is running on, chooses the optimal number of threads, and performs load balancing that spreads out the work evenly across all processor cores. The library consists of data structures and algorithms that simplify parallel programming in C++ by avoiding requiring a programmer to use native threading packages such as POSIX threads or Windows threads, or even the portable Boost Threads.
Television: Uses and Effects

The use of television and other media – such as video, computer programs, and CD material – in infancy and early childhood can have both positive and negative influences on the intellectual and social development of young viewers. Viewing carefully designed programs for preschool age children, such as ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’, can have positive effects on social skills and academic preparation that enhance children’s development in preschool, early school years and even into adolescence. At the same time, early use of screen media in infancy and toddlerhood, without the intensive support of parents and other caregivers, can disrupt the development of social skills that are normally acquired through consistent and continuous interaction with parents and significant others in the infant’s environment. The history of 50 years of research on children and television has demonstrated consistent and persistent media effects across a wide range of experimental and correlational studies. Recent advances in neurological research, including brainmapping and the discovery of mirror neurons, leads to expanded concerns.
Effects of Flashcards on Learning Authentic Materials: The Role of Detailed Versus Conceptual Flashcards and Individual Differences in Structure-Building Ability

Little research has examined the fruitfulness of flashcards for improving learning outcomes of authentic classroom material. In Experiment 1, across different content areas flashcards did not significantly increase performance on a final test relative to the free-study condition. Experiment 2 investigated whether providing conceptual flashcards would aid participants’ learning relative to detailed flashcards (the kind generated most frequently by participants). Conceptual flashcards produced superior short-answer test performance than detailed flashcards for less able learners (low structure builders) but not for more able learners (high structure builders). The limited benefits of flashcards appear to reflect several factors: the current sample of students generally recruited effective study strategies (in the free-study condition) and the preponderance of detailed flashcards in both textbook provided materials and student-generated flashcards. Consistent with the material-appropriate processing framework, detailed but not conceptual flashcards would be redundant with encoding normally invited by didactic materials.
Cemented humeral shoulder arthroplasty: Because it works!

Abstract Durable humeral component fixation in shoulder arthroplasty is important to prevent loosening. Humeral component designs include metaphyseal fitting, diaphyseal fitting with traditional stem length, short stem, and stemless designs. Stem geometry helps resist rotational and axial stress. Stem collars may prevent subsidence, and may be smooth for full cementation or textured proximally for bone ingrowth. Ideally, the humeral component has solid initial fixation, durable long-term fixation, minimizes humeral stress shielding, has low intra-operative complication rates, and can easily be revised. Excellent outcomes can be achieved, but there remain relative indications and contraindications for cementing or press-fitting the humeral component.
Impact of Global Health Electives on US Medical Residents: A Systematic Review.

Background: The prevalence of global health in graduate medical education in the United States (US) has soared over the past two decades. The majority of US internal medicine and pediatric residency programs now offer global health electives abroad. Despite the prevalence of global health electives among US graduate medical programs today, challenges exist that may impact the experience for visiting trainees and/or host institutions. Previous reviews have predominately focused on experiences of undergraduate medical students and have primarily described positive outcomes. Objectives: The aim of this study was to summarize the overall impact of global health electives on US internal medicine, medicine-pediatric, and pediatric residents, paying specific attention to any negative themes reported in the literature. Methods: An Ovid MEDLINE and Ovid EMBASE literature search was conducted to identify studies that evaluated the effects of global health electives on US internal medicine, medicine-pediatric, and pediatric residents. Findings: Ten studies were included. Four positive themes emerged: (1) improvement of medical knowledge, physical examination, and procedural skills, (2) improvement in resourcefulness and cost-effectiveness, (3) improvement in cultural and interpersonal competence, and (4) professional and career development. Two negative themes were identified: (1) health risks and (2) safety risks. Conclusions: Global health electives provide a number of perceived benefits for US medical trainees; however, we importantly highlight health and safety concerns described while abroad. Global health educators should recognize the host of unique challenges experienced during a global health elective and investigate how to best mitigate these concerns. Incorporation of mandatory pre-, intra-, and post-elective training programs and establishment of universally adopted global health best practice guidelines may serve to address some the challenges visiting trainees encounter while abroad.
Infinite deflectometry enabling 2π-steradian measurement range.

We present a novel deflectometry implementation termed Infinite Deflectometry. The technique provides a full aperture surface reconstruction sag map of freeform surfaces, including previously challenging to measure optics such as highly convex surfaces. The method relies on the creation of a virtual source enclosure around the tested optic, which creates a virtual 2π-steradian measurement range. To demonstrate the performance, a fast f/1.26 convex optical surface was measured with a commercial interferometer and with the Infinite Deflectometry system. After removing Zernike terms 1 through 37, the metrology tests resulted in absolute RMS surface values of 18.48 nm and 16.26 nm, respectively. Additionally, a freeform Alvarez lens was measured with the new technique and measured 22.34 &#x1D707;m of surface sag RMS after piston, tip/tilt, and defocus had been removed. The result deviated by 488 nm RMS from a profilometer measurement while standard interferometry failed to measure the Alvarez lens due to its non-nulled wavefront dynamic range limitation.
Sustainable Production Through Balancing Trade-Offs Among Three Metrics in Flow Shop Scheduling

Abstract In sustainable manufacturing, inconsistencies exist among objectives defined in triple-bottom-lines (TBL) of economy, society, and environment. Analogously, inconsistencies exist in flow shop scheduling among three objectives of minimizing total completion time (TCT), maximum completion time (MCT), and completion time variance (CTV), respectively. For continuous functions, the probability is zero to achieve the objectives at their optimal values, so is it at their worst values. Therefore, with inconsistencies among individual objectives of discrete functions, it is more meaningful and feasible to seek a solution with high probabilities that system performance varies within the control limits. We propose a trade-off balancing scheme for sustainable production in flow shop scheduling as the guidance of decision making. We model trade-offs (TO) as a function of TCT, MCT, and CTV, based on which we achieve stable performance on min(TO). Minimizing trade-offs provides a meaningful compromise among inconsistent objectives, by driving the system performance towards a point with minimum deviations from the ideal but infeasible optima. Statistical process control (SPC) analyses show that trade-off balancing provides a better control over individual objectives in terms of average, standard deviation, Cp and Cpk compared to those of single objective optimizations. Moreover, results of case studies show that trade-off balancing not only provides a stable control over individual objectives, but also leads to the highest probability for outputs within the specification limits. We also propose a flow shop scheduling sustainability index (F S S I). The results show that trade-off balancing provides the most sustainable solutions compared to those of the single objective optimizations.
Diagnosis and Evaluation of Disordered Thought and Language

By definition, dysphasic behavior originates in the processing of the formal components of language—in a child’s perception, decoding, comprehension, storage, retrieval, or encoding of words and syntactical arrangements of words that he hears in his environment. Defects in any one or more of these operations result in abnormalities of communication, either in what the child does and does not do in response to the communication of others, or in expressing himself, or in both. Although dysphasic defects secondarily bring about or contribute to difficulties in the way the child conceives of and reacts emotionally to himself and the world about him, they are not caused by such difficulties. Psychotic behavior also is comprised of aberrations in the child’s communicative functioning, both receptive and expressive, and may affect the formal components of his developing language as well. However, psychotic disability originates in the child’s conceptualization of and emotional reactivity to self and environment. In short, both dysphasic and psychotic functioning have systemically interactive consequences for the development of communication and for the child’s psychological and social adaptation and survival, but for fundamentally different reasons. Although at times the behavioral manifestations of each are quite similar, and mixed cases are not unheard of, the distinction in primary dysfunctioning bears directly upon one’s approach to planning and treatment and is vitally significant to those who must understand daily the child’s actions and look to his needs.
Incorporation and validation of clinically relevant performance metrics of simulation (CRPMS) into a novel full-immersion simulation platform for nerve-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (NS-RARP) utilizing three-dimensional printing and hydrogel casting technology.

OBJECTIVES To incorporate and validate clinically relevant performance metrics of simulation (CRPMS) into a hydrogel model for nerve-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (NS-RARP). MATERIALS AND METHODS Anatomically accurate models of the human pelvis, bladder, prostate, urethra, neurovascular bundle (NVB) and relevant adjacent structures were created from patient MRI by injecting polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels into three-dimensionally printed injection molds. The following steps of NS-RARP were simulated: bladder neck dissection; seminal vesicle mobilization; NVB dissection; and urethrovesical anastomosis (UVA). Five experts (caseload >500) and nine novices (caseload <50) completed the simulation. Force applied to the NVB during the dissection was quantified by a novel tension wire sensor system fabricated into the NVB. Post-simulation margin status (assessed by induction of chemiluminescent reaction with fluorescent dye mixed into the prostate PVA) and UVA weathertightness (via a standard 180-mL leak test) were also assessed. Objective scoring, using Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS) and Robotic Anastomosis Competency Evaluation (RACE), was performed by two blinded surgeons. GEARS scores were correlated with forces applied to the NVB, and RACE scores were correlated with UVA leak rates. RESULTS The expert group achieved faster task-specific times for nerve-sparing (P = 0.007) and superior surgical margin results (P = 0.011). Nerve forces applied were significantly lower for the expert group with regard to maximum force (P = 0.011), average force (P = 0.011), peak frequency (P = 0.027) and total energy (P = 0.003). Higher force sensitivity (subcategory of GEARS score) and total GEARS score correlated with lower nerve forces (total energy in Joules) applied to NVB during the simulation with a correlation coefficient (r value) of -0.66 (P = 0.019) and -0.87 (P = 0.000), respectively. Both total and force sensitivity GEARS scores were significantly higher in the expert group compared to the novice group (P = 0.003). UVA leak rate highly correlated with total RACE score r value = -0.86 (P = 0.000). Mean RACE scores were also significantly different between novices and experts (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION We present a realistic, feedback-driven, full-immersion simulation platform for the development and evaluation of surgical skills pertinent to NS-RARP. The correlation of validated objective metrics (GEARS and RACE) with our CRPMS suggests their application as a novel method for real-time assessment and feedback during robotic surgery training. Further work is required to assess the ability to predict live surgical outcomes.
Causes of Air in the Biliary System

The following chapter will serve as a Q&A guide for medical students about the causes of air in the biliary system. The most clinically relevant topics will hopefully be illustrated for students. The prevalence and importance of these imaging findings, as well as the pathologies behind the imaging will be discussed. Further reading should be performed to better understand the significance, diagnosis, and management of the conditions discussed in these sections.
Mathematical Modeling of Retinal Degeneration: Aerobic Glycolysis in a Single Cone

Cell degeneration, including that resulting in retinal diseases, is linked to metabolic issues. In the retina, photoreceptor degeneration can result from imbalance in lactate production and consumption as well as disturbances to pyruvate and glucose levels. To identify the key mechanisms in metabolism that may be culprits of this degeneration, we use a nonlinear system of differential equations to mathematically model the metabolic pathway of aerobic glycolysis in a single cone photoreceptor. This model allows us to analyze the levels of lactate, glucose, and pyruvate within a single cone cell. We perform numerical simulations, use available metabolic data to estimate parameters and fit the model to this data, and conduct a sensitivity analysis using two different methods (LHS/PRCC and eFAST) to identify pathways that have the largest impact on the system. Using bifurcation techniques, we find that the system has a bistable regime, biologically corresponding to a healthy versus a pathological state. The system exhibits a saddle node bifurcation and hysteresis. This work confirms the necessity for the external glucose concentration to sustain the cell even at low initial internal glucose levels. It also validates the role of β-oxidation of fatty acids which fuel oxidative phosphorylation under glucose- and lactate-depleted conditions, by showing that the rate of β-oxidation of ingested outer segment fatty acids in a healthy cone cell must be low. Model simulations reveal the modulating effect of external lactate in bringing the system to steady state; the bigger the difference between external lactate and initial internal lactate concentrations, the longer the system takes to achieve steady state. Parameter estimation for metabolic data demonstrates the importance of rerouting glucose and other intermediate metabolites to produce glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P), thus increasing lipid synthesis (a precursor to fatty acid production) to support their high growth rate. While a number of parameters are found to be significant by one or both of the methods for sensitivity analysis, the rate of β-oxidation of ingested outer segment fatty acids is shown to consistently play an important role in the concentration of glucose, G3P, and pyruvate, whereas the extracellular lactate level is shown to consistently play an important role in the concentration of lactate and acetyl coenzyme A. The ability of these mechanisms to affect key metabolites’ variability and levels (as revealed in our analyses) signifies the importance of inter-dependent and inter-connected feedback processes modulated by and affecting both the RPE’s and cone’s metabolism.
The resting behaviour of adult spittle bug Clovia quadridens (Walker) (Homoptera: Cercopidae).

Cercopid nymphs construct spittle nests in which they remain protected. They exhibit very little movement. The mode of living in the adults is striking departure from that of nymphs where the adults are so alert and such prodigious jumpers. The adults have the interesting habit of ranging themselves in rows on the branches as is commonly observed in Clovia quadridens.
Variability among Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers in eastern Africa

The hunting and gathering way of life is the most enduring and resilient in human history. However, the ways that a wild food-based subsistence system affects people’s social and economic organisat...
Aḥmad al-Madīnī: a poetics of dissent

This article argues that the subversive overtones in Aḥmad al-Madīnī's novel Zaman bayna l-wilāda wa l-ḥulm (Time between Birth and Dream, 1974) target two distinct poles of authority, textual and ...
Spectral Non-integer Derivative Representations and the Exact Spectral Derivative Discretization Finite Difference Method for the Fokker-Planck Equation.

Universal difference quotient representations are introduced for the exact self-sameness principles (SSP) as rules for rates of change introduced in [Clemence-Mkhope, D.P (2021, Preprint). The Exact Spectral Derivative Discretization Finite Difference (ESDDFD) Method for Wave Models. arXiv]. Properties are presented for the fundamental rule, a generalized derivative representation which is shown to yield some known non-integer derivatives as limit cases of such natural derivative measures; this is shown for some local derivatives of conformable, fractional, or fractal type and non-local derivatives of Caputo and Riemann-Liouville type. The SSP-inspired exact spectral derivative discretization finite difference method is presented for the Fokker-Planck non-fractional and time-fractional equations; the resulting discrete models recover exactly some known behaviors predicted for the processes modeled, such as the Gibbs-Boltzmann distribution and the Einstein-Stokes-Smoluchowski relation; new ones are predicted.
Simultaneous estimation and modeling of nonlinear, non-Gaussian state-space systems

Abstract This paper presents a framework for simultaneous estimation and modeling of nonlinear, non-Gaussian state-space systems. In the proposed approach, uncertainty in motion model parameters is incorporated to avoid overconfidence in state prediction and better account for modeling inaccuracies. The additional original contribution of a model correction stage improves nonlinear model parameter estimates in order to enhance the accuracy of state estimation. The presented nonlinear/non-Gaussian Simultaneous Estimation And Modeling (SEAM) approach was compared with contemporary estimation techniques using a Monte-Carlo simulation study. This study showed that the proposed method successfully reduces estimation error relative to existing approaches even when substantial model parameter uncertainty and multi-modal sensor noise are present. The framework has potential use in a wide range of applications where state-space estimation is employed, including robotics, signal processing, and controls.
Biomonitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in minority angler communities in central New York State.

Abstract Onondaga Lake in central New York State was listed as a Superfund site in 1994 due to industrial disposal of pollutants. A biomonitoring program was conducted to assess exposure to over 70 legacy contaminants and contaminants of emerging concern in populations disproportionately at risk for exposure residing near Onondaga Lake and to educate these communities on how to reduce exposures. The populations of focus were refugees from Burma and Bhutan and low-income, primarily African American, anglers (urban anglers). These communities consume locally caught fish for economic as well as cultural reasons and therefore may be at higher risk of exposure. This study focuses on assessment of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and associations with local fish consumption. Using respondent driven sampling, 311 refugees and 89 urban anglers were enrolled in the study. Following informed consent, study participants provided blood and urine specimens and completed a questionnaire. Percentiles of locally caught fish meals in the past 12 months by race/ethnicity groups showed that the Burmese participants of Karen ethnicity were the highest consumers, with a median of 135 meals compared to 103 meals for the other Burmese participants, 70 meals for the urban anglers, and 44 meals for the Bhutanese participants. Compared to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015–16 sample of the general U.S. population, the Karen participants had markedly elevated perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) levels with median serum concentrations 9.5 times greater (41.6 ng/mL vs. 4.4 ng/mL) and 26.9 times greater (2.69 ng/mL vs. 0.10 ng/mL), respectively; the other Burmese participants had moderately elevated levels of PFOS and PFDA with median serum concentrations 3.0 times greater (13.3 ng/mL vs. 4.4 ng/mL) and 7.3 greater times greater (0.73 ng/mL vs. 0.10 ng/mL), respectively; and, PFAS levels were not elevated in the Bhutanese or urban angler cohorts. Male gender was consistently the strongest predictor of PFAS exposure among all study cohorts. A positive association between local fish consumption was indicated only for PFOS among urban anglers. An association between local fish consumption and PFAS was not statistically significant among the refugee cohorts, perhaps due to the lack of ‘lower-end’ exposure or exposure variability. Community events were held by the program staff to present the biomonitoring results and distribute community outreach materials with visual aids specific for the study populations to promote safe fish eating.
TCP is Harmful to In-Network Computing: Designing a Message Transport Protocol (MTP)

This paper presents the motivation and design of MTP, a new offload-friendly message transport protocol. Existing transport protocols like TCP, MPTCP, and UDP/Quic all have key limitations when used in a network that may potentially offload computation from end-servers into NICs, switches, and other network devices. To enable important new in-network computing use cases and correct congestion control in the face of ever changing network paths and application replicas, MTP introduces a new message transport protocol design and pathlet congestion control, a new approach where end-hosts explicitly communicate messaging information to network devices and network devices explicitly communicate network path and congestion information back to end-hosts.
Quantitative Autoradiography of Drug Binding Sites: Methodological Considerations

The goal of this current line of work was to develop quantitative autoradiographic methods to regionally quantify the binding properties (i.e. Kd and Bmax) of opiate ligands in morphine dependent and naive rat brain. Such regional studies were not possible utilizing binding techniques to brain membrane preparations because of the limited availability of tissue from dissection of small brain regions. Even with regional dissection techniques, the fine anatomical resolution available with autoradiography was sacrificed. With quantitative autoradiographic methods, one could ask whether the development of opiate tolerance/dependence occurred as a result of regulation of the affinity or concentration of opiate binding sites in any of one or several regions rich in opiate binding sites.
A logic for strategic management

Organizations, in our view, are epistemological systems, bodies of knowledge which are the accumulation of past debates with regard to goals, purposes, and beliefs. Policies, ' plans and strategies are current dialogues intended to change that corpus of knowledge. Consequently, a theory of argumentation is a requisite paradign for studying organizations and for solving their problems. This paper explores this point of view. The question, "How can we uncover policy arguments and assess their structure, strengths and weaknesses?" is posed and, drawing on recent developments in logical theory , some preliminary answers are provided . In summary, we see stakeholders as the basic logical entities of organizations. Assumptions are made about the status and behavior of these entities and these assumptions are treated as claims in an argument. The support for a claim is provided by data and warrents which are either stated explicitly or derived through the logical process of retroduction. The resulting collection of claims, data and warrants generally contain inconsistencies which may, in turn, be studied by means of plausibility analysis. The paper develops a logic adequate to carry out this perspective and' identifies a series of research questions. The outcome is a new approach to policy and planning.
Consensus and responsability as solidarity - How does discursive ethics overcome its critiques?

If one follows Jonas’ argument, all moral theory that entails as premise the existence of a human community fails because the conditions for the persistence of life in the future can no longer be subject to anticipation. In this context, it is pressing that ethical theories make up an account for a form of responsibility that would answer this challenge. Are we left with nothing but a simple return to a metaphysical standpoint where all forms of life have an intrinsic value sufficient to insure their persistence? How does discursive ethics respond to this test? How does an ethical theory for which the normative output is based on a consensus among communicative agents and for which there is no direct obligation towards non-communicative beings insert a responsibility for the future generations and the future of nature?
Protein-carbohydrate interaction : On the mode of binding of aromatic moieties to concanavalin A, the phytohemagglutinin of the jack bean

Abstract A number of meta -alkylphenyl β- d -glucopyranosides were synthesized and their ability to inhibit the concanavalin A-polysaccharide system was examined. The binding constants of these compounds as well as other substituted phenyl ⨿- d -glucopyranosides were related to the hydrophobic (π) and electronic (σ) nature of the substituents utilizing the equations devised by Hansch§ and Hammett¶ respectively. Regression analysis of these relationships revealed that: (1) no linear correlation between the binding constants and the electronic properties of the aromatic substituents was evident; (2) the molecular volume of mono- ortho -substituents does not significantly effect the binding of aromatic β- d -glucopyranosides to concanavalin A; and (3) the hydrophobic nature (π) of ortho - and meta - but not para -substituents is closely associated with the binding of aryl β- d -glucosides to concanavalin A. It is proposed that apolar binding involving hydrophobic interactions associated with ortho and meta but not with the para positions of the aromatic nucleus are the predominant forces involved in the binding of the phenyl moiety of phenyl β- d -glucosides to concanavalin A.
Jasmonate Synthesis and Action in Higher Plants

Jasmonic acid and related fatty acid-derived compounds regulate a wide range of developmental and defence-related processes in higher plants. Accumulating evidence indicates that the cellular mechanism of jasmonate signalling is remarkably similar to that involved in the perception of the plant hormone auxin. Keywords: jasmonic acid; plant defence; wound signalling; plant hormone signalling
Planning transportation terminal systems in urban regions: A man-machine interactive problem-solving approach

THE PROBLEM ADDRESSED IS THAT OF LOCATING TRANSPORTATION TERMINALS IN A LARGE URBAN AREA. A MAN- MACHINE INTERACTIVE SYSTEM, CALLED LOCATOR, WAS DEVELOPED AND APPLIED TO A SMALL TEST PROBLEM. THE SYSTEM PERMITS THE ANALYST TO INTUITIVELY SEARCH A LARGE COMBINATORIAL SPACE IN A CONVERSATIONAL MODEL WITH THE COMPUTER. INITIAL EXPLORATORY EXPERIENCE LEADS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO COMPUTER-BASED HEURISTIC SEARCH TECHNIQUES. EXPERIMENTS WITH THESE HEURISTIC TECHNIQUES PRODUCE RESULTS THAT SHOW THAT THE HEURISTIC TECHNIQUES ARE QUITE POWERFUL BUT NOT WITHOUT WEAKNESSES. TEN GRADUATE STUDENTS USED THE LOCATOR SYSTEM TO TRY TO INTUITIVELY "FIND" A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION TO THE TEST LOCATION PROBLEM. NINE OF THE TEN WERE SUCCESSFUL AND THREE OF THE TEN FOUND A SOLUTION THAT IS IDENTICAL TO THE BEST KNOWN SOLUTION. POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS AND APPLICATIONS OF THE LOCATOR SYSTEM ARE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED. /AUTHOR/
Christians In Early And Classical Sunnī Law

Most Western research into Islamic law governing Christians and other non-Muslims focuses on Sunni sources. This essay focuses primarily on legal texts from the Imami community, the largest of the Shīʿī groups. Laws that treat Christians and other non-Muslims as dhimmīs may be classified as 'imposed' laws: they place obligations and restrictions upon non-Muslims. Implicit in the equation of Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians, however, is an important underlying distinction between Sunnī and Shīʿī systems of classifying non-Muslims. Sunnī authorities consistently distinguish between Scripturists and other non-Muslims with respect to animal slaughter, in keeping with the qurʾanic dictum, 'the food of those who were given the Book is permitted to you'. In the course of his discussion about Jewish and Christian meat, al-Mufīd takes the opportunity to condemn Sunnīs for their refusal to acknowledge that such meat is prohibited. Keywords: al-Mufid; Christians; classical Shii law; dhimmis ; Imami; Islamic law; Jews; Muslim; Sunni; Zoroastrians
Converse and Identity

Necessarily, if I ate a slice of pizza, then that slice of pizza was eaten by me. More generally, it is necessarily true that if a relation holds between two objects in some order, its converse holds of the same objects in reverse order. What is the intimate relationship that guarantees such necessary connections? Timothy Williamson argues that the relationship between converses must be identity, on pain of massive and systematic indeterminacy of relational predicates. If sound, Williamson's argument overturns our standard conception of relations, according to which relations are individuated not just by the arguments they take, but by the order in which they take them. I defend the standard conception against Williamson's argument. My defense helps us to better understand both the standard conception of relations and the nature of relational predicates.
Reduced sleep quality in healthy girls at risk for depression.

SUMMARY Depression is characterized by sleep difficulties, but the extent to which subjective and objective sleep disturbances precede depression are unclear. This study was designed to examine perceptions of sleep quality in addition to actigraphy- and diary-measured sleep variables in healthy girls at low and high familial risk for major depressive disorder. Forty-four healthy daughters and their mothers completed a week of daily sleep diary and actigraphy; 24 girls had mothers with no history of psychopathology (low risk, mean age 14.92 years), and 20 girls had mothers with recurrent depression during the daughters lifetime (high risk, mean age 14.12 years). All daughters had no current or past psychopathology. High-risk girls reported significantly poorer subjective sleep quality than did low-risk girls (P = 0.001). The two groups of participants did not differ in actigraphy- or diary-measured sleep duration, onset latency or snooze duration. Healthy girls at high familial risk for depression report poorer sleep quality than do girls at low risk for depression, despite the absence of group differences in objective sleep disturbances as measured by actigraphy or daily diary. This pattern of findings may reflect a broader cognitive or physiological phenotype of risk for depression.
Independently checkable proofs from decision procedures: issues and progress

In many verification applications the desired outcome is that the formula is unsatisfiable: a satisfying assignment essentially exhibits a bug and unsatisfiability implies a lack of bugs, at least for the property being verified. Most current high-performance satisfiability solvers and special-theory decision procedures are unable to provide proof of unsatisfiability. Since bugs have been discovered in many such programs long after being put into service, an uncheckable decision poses a significant problem if important economic or safety decisions are to be based upon it. This talk develops the thesis is that decision procedures can and should be designed with the ability to output an independently checkable proof. While finding a proof is hard, checking a proof can be straightforward if the proof system is simple enough. (By a “proof” we mean a real proof, with no steps omitted.) In practice, most underlying theories can produce a resolution proof. We argue that outputting such a proof does not place an undue burden on the decision procedures. We report on practical progress in this area for satisfiability solvers. Experiments have been carried out with what might be the first implementations of solver and proof checker that were developed completely independently, having only the specifications of the proof-file format as common knowledge. There is a trend toward combining high-performance satisfiability solvers with other theorem-proving methods. As the total systems become more complex, the need for “independent audits” becomes greater. Design goals for checkable proofs are proposed.
The Challenges of Deep-Water Arctic Development

The oil and gas industry has demonstrated the ability to drill and develop offshore oil and gas resources in first-year sub-Arctic ice and in shallow-water high-Arctic environments. However, development in deep water (water depths exceeding 100 m) remains a formidable challenge due to small, unpredictable open-water windows and large environmental loads from multi-year ice features. This paper provides an overview of recent projections of undiscovered Arctic hydrocarbon resource potential and the geographical distribution of the resource potential thought to lie in deep water. The unique environmental conditions are summarized along with their impact on the cost of supply outlook for Arctic resources relative to other hydrocarbon supplies. The key technical challenges facing deep-water high-Arctic development are reviewed along with the current industry efforts aimed at meeting the challenges.
Coordinating goals, preferences, options, and analyses for the stanford living laboratory feasibility study

This paper describes an initial application of Multi-Attribute Collective Decision Analysis for a Design Initiative (MACDADI) on the feasibility study of a mixed-use facility. First, observations of the difficulties the design team experienced communicating their goals, preferences, options, and analyses are presented. Next, the paper describes a formal intervention by the authors, integrating survey, interview, and analytic methods. The project team collected, synthesized, and hierarchically organized their goals; stakeholders' established their relative preferences with respect to these goals; the design team formally rated the design options with respect to the goals; the project team then visualized and assessed the goals, options, preferences, and analyses to assist in a transparent and formal decision making process. A discussion of some of the strengths and weaknesses of the MACDADI process is presented and opportunities for future improvement are identified.
SU-E-T-528: Is It Essential to QA HDR Applicators Annually in Clinic?

Purpose: There is no rigid prescription recommended for the periodic QA of HDR applicators in terms of what must be done and in what frequency. This study investigates the necessity of an annual QA program for HDR applicators, which was performed at an HDR clinic. Methods: In this clinic, all HDR applicators and dummy sources used for HDR treatment are tested on an annual basis. 10 different types of gyn applicators were involved including CT-compatible and non-CT compatible tandem & ovoid set, interstitial tandem &ring set, cylinder set Miami set, vaginal applicator set, ring set, Fletcher Williamson set. The annually QA tests for these applicators included (1) visual inspection, (2) mechanical integrity, (3) source positioning accuracy tests using kV imaging, or a combination of (1)– (3). The source positioning accuracy tolerance was 2mm. Over 100 tests were performed on 48 and 61 pieces of applicator components in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Results: Due to the annual QA, the degraded of applicators or dummy source were ascertained. The degradation either affected the feasibility of source delivery or introduced significant source position errors. The failure rate of the HDR applicator annual QA was 1.6% in 2013 and 2.4% in 2014. Each year, different problems on difference components were detected. The unacceptable applicator components were discarded and replaced by the new orders before affecting any patient treatment. This annual QA takes physicist half to one day to finish depending on his or her experience and expertise. Conclusion: The annual QA tests are determined as essential in clinic and should include visual inspection, mechanical integrity and source positioning accuracy tests. It is strongly suggested to perform annual HDR applicator QA in clinic to increase the confidence to deliver a safe, accurate and appropriate HDR treatment.
Experiments to simulate X-ray damage to the first wall of the inertial confinement fusion laboratory microfusion facility

A critical issue in the design of the inertial confinement fusion laboratory microfusion facility (LMF) is the vaporization of material from the target chamber walls by the target X-rays. One concern is the high pressures on the unvaporized portion of the wall that occur because of the high instantaneous intensity of the X-rays. The high pressures lead to the launching of shock waves into the material, which can cause further damage. Computational and experimental investigations into this problem are discussed. Experiments on sample first-wall materials have been fielded on the SATURN gas pinch X-ray source at Sandia National Laboratories. Some types of graphite and aluminum have been found to survive X-ray pulses that are of similar energy fluence, photon energy, and intensity to those that would be experienced on the first wall of the LMF. Additional experiments and further analysis of the irradiated samples is expected in the near future. >
Production of the Gram-positive sarcina ventriculi pyruvate decarboxylase in Escherichia coli

Sarcina ventriculi grows in a remarkable range of mesophilic environments from pH 2 to pH 10. During growth in acidic environments, where acetate is toxic, expression of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) serves to direct the flow of pyruvate into ethanol during fermentation. PDC is rare in bacteria and absent in animals, although it is widely distributed in the plant kingdom. The pdc gene from S. ventriculi is the first to be cloned and characterized from a Gram-positive bacterium. In Escherichia coli, the recombinant pdc gene from S. ventriculi was poorly expressed due to differences in codon usage that are typical of low-G+C organisms. Expression was improved by the addition of supplemental codon genes and this facilitated the 136-fold purification of the recombinant enzyme as a homo-tetramer of 58 kDa subunits. Unlike Zymomonas mobilis PDC, which exhibits Michaelis–Menten kinetics, S. ventriculi PDC is activated by pyruvate and exhibits sigmoidal kinetics similar to fungal and higher plant PDCs. Amino acid residues involved in the allosteric site for pyruvate in fungal PDCs were conserved in S. ventriculi PDC, consistent with a conservation of mechanism. Cluster analysis of deduced amino acid sequences confirmed that S. ventriculi PDC is quite distant from Z. mobilis PDC and plant PDCs. S. ventriculi PDC appears to have diverged very early from a common ancestor which included most fungal PDCs and eubacterial indole-3-pyruvate decarboxylases. These results suggest that the S. ventriculi pdc gene is quite ancient in origin, in contrast to the Z. mobilis pdc, which may have originated by horizontal transfer from higher plants.
Does electronic medication reconciliation at hospital discharge decrease prescription medication errors

Purpose – Medication errors are an important patient safety issue. Electronic medication reconciliation is a system designed to correct medication discrepancies at transitions in healthcare. The purpose of this paper is to measure types and prevalence of intravenous antibiotic errors at hospital discharge before and after the addition of an electronic discharge medication reconciliation tool (EDMRT). Design/methodology/approach – A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital where house officers order discharge medications. In total, 100 pre-EDMRT and 100 post-EDMRT subjects were randomly recruited from the study center’s clinical Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) program. Using infectious disease consultant recommendations as gold standard, each antibiotic listed in these consultant notes was compared to the hospital discharge orders to ascertain the primary outcome: presence of an intravenous antibiotic error in the discharge orders. The primary covariate of interest was pr...