cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deposition and disinfection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on naturally occurring photoactive materials in a parallel plate chamber

Dissolved organic matter in combination with iron oxides has been shown to facilitate photochemical disinfection through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under UV and visible light. However, due to the extremely short lifetime of these radicals, the disinfection efficiency is limited by the successful transport of ROS to bacterial surfaces. This study was designed to quantitatively investigate three collector surfaces with various potentials to produce ROS [bare quartz, hematite (α-Fe2O3) coated quartz, and Suwannee River humic acid (SRHA)] and the effects of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) (full or partial coating) and solution chemistry (ionic strength, IS) on the interactions between bacteria and the ROS-producing substrates. With few exceptions, bacterial deposition studies in a parallel plate (PP) flow chamber have revealed increasing cell adhesion with IS. Furthermore, interactions between collector surfaces and cells can be explained by electrostatic forces, with negatively charged SRHA reducing and positively charged α-Fe2O3 enhancing bacterial deposition significantly. Increased deposition was also observed with full EPS content, indicating the ability of EPS to facilitate interaction between cells and surfaces in the aquatic environment. In complementary disinfection studies conducted with simulated light, viability loss was observed for cells fully coated with EPS when attached to α-Fe2O3 under all IS conditions. Based upon our prior study in which EPS was found to not inhibit hydroxyl radical activity toward bacteria, we proposed that EPS might therefore promote disinfection by facilitating cell attachment to ROS-producing surfaces where higher concentrations of ROS are expected at closer proximities to reactive substrates (e.g., SRHA and α-Fe2O3). Our findings on the mechanism and controlling factors of cell interactions with photoactive substrates provide insight as to the role of ionic strength in photochemical disinfection processes.
Agent-mediated electronic commerce: a survey

Software agents help automate a variety of tasks including those involved in buying and selling products over the Internet. This paper surveys several of these agent-mediated electronic commerce systems by describing their roles in the context of a Consumer Buying Behavior (CBB) model. The CBB model we present augments traditional marketing models with concepts from Software Agents research to accommodate electronic markets. We then discuss the variety of Artificial Intelligence techniques that support agent mediation and conclude with future directions of agent-mediated electronic commerce research.
Adhesion of Biodegradative Anaerobic Bacteria to Solid Surfaces

between aqueous and solid phases, as well as the environmental conditions that influence partitioning. We studied four strictly anaerobic bacteria, Desulfomonile tiedjei, Syntrophomonas wolfei, Syntrophobacter wolinii, and Desulfovibrio sp. strain G11, which theoretically together can constitute a tetrachloroethylene- and trichloroethylene-dechlorinating consortium. Adhesion of these organisms was evaluated by microscopic determination of the numbers of cells that attached to glass coverslips exposed to cell suspensions under anaerobic conditions. We studied the effects of the growth phase of the organisms on adhesion, as well as the influence of electrostatic and hydrophobic properties of the substratum. Results indicate that S. wolfei adheres in considerably higher numbers to glass surfaces than the other three organisms. Starvation greatly decreases adhesion of S. wolfei and Desulfovibrio sp. strain G11 but seems to have less of an effect on the adhesion of the other bacteria. The presence of Fe 31 on the substratum, which would be electropositive, significantly increased the adhesion of S. wolfei, whereas the presence of silicon hydrophobic groups decreased the numbers of attached cells of all species. Measurements of transport of cells through hydrophobic-interaction and electrostatic-interaction columns indicated that all four species had negatively charged cell surfaces and that D. tiedjei and Desulfovibrio sp. strain G11 possessed some hydrophobic cell surface properties. These findings are an early step toward understanding the dynamic attachment of anaerobic bacteria in anoxic environments. In polluted subsurface systems, the movement and degradation of contaminants cause changes in the environmental conditions under which subsurface microorganisms live. Numerous studies have shown that environmental factors, such as nutrient availability (23), ionic strength, and dissolved solutes (14‐18), influence the attachment of bacteria to solid surfaces. Similarly, changes in the concentration and composition of contaminants are expected to influence attachment of biodegradative bacteria in polluted subsurface environments. Understanding the significance of environmental conditions and the mechanisms by which biodegradative microorganisms partition between the aqueous and solid phases is a critical requirement for the design and evaluation of in situ bioremediation efforts. Whereas the relationship between bacterial adhesion and transport has been studied intensively with aerobic bacteria (3, 6, 14‐16, 22, 26, 33), much less is known about the adhesive
Poultry house dust, odours and feathers-a review

Intensive poultry production operations unless managed properly may create pollution problems from dust, odour and feathers. Inside houses with high density certain conditions may arise from the en...
Dietary fat and risk of lung cancer in a pooled analysis of prospective studies

Lung cancer rates are highest in countries with the greatest fat intakes. In several case-control studies, positive associations have been observed between lung cancer and intakes of total and saturated fat, particularly among nonsmokers. We analyzed the association between fat and cholesterol intakes and lung cancer risk in eight prospective cohort studies that met predefined criteria. Among the 280,419 female and 149,862 male participants who were followed for up to 6-16 years, 3,188 lung cancer cases were documented. Using the Cox proportional hazards model, we calculated study-specific relative risks that were adjusted for smoking history and other potential risk factors. Pooled relative risks were computed using a random effects model. Fat intake was not associated with lung cancer risk. For an increment of 5% of energy from fat, the pooled multivariate relative risks were 1.01 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98-1.05] for total, 1.03 (95% CI, 0.96-1.11) for saturated, 1.01 (95% CI, 0.93-1.10) for monounsaturated, and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.90-1.10) for polyunsaturated fat. No associations were observed between intakes of total or specific types of fat and lung cancer risk among never, past, or current smokers. Dietary cholesterol was not associated with lung cancer incidence [for a 100-mg/day increment, the pooled multivariate relative risk was 1.01 (95% CI, 0.97-1.05)]. There was no statistically significant heterogeneity among studies or by sex. These data do not support an important relation between fat or cholesterol intakes and lung cancer risk. The means to prevent this important disease remains avoidance of smoking.
Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma Does Not Harbor Transcriptionally Active High Risk Human Papillomavirus Even in the Absence of the MAML2 Translocation

High risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is firmly established as an important cause of oropharyngeal carcinoma. Recent studies have also implicated HPV as a cause of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC)—a tumor of salivary gland origin that frequently harbors MAML2 translocations. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of transcriptionally active HPV in a large group of MECs and to determine whether HPV infection and the MAML2 translocation are mutually exclusive events. Break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization for MAML2 was performed on a tissue microarray containing 92 MECs. HPV testing was performed using RNA in situ hybridization targeting high risk HPV mRNA E6/E7 transcripts. Of the 71 MECs that could be evaluated by FISH, 57 (80 %) harbored the MAML2 rearrangement. HPV was not detected in any of the 57 MECs that contained a MAML2 rearrangement, in any of the 14 MECs that did not contain the rearrangement, or in any of the 21 MECs where MAML2 status was unknown. High risk HPV does not appear to play any significant role in the development of MEC. It neither complements nor replaces MAML2 translocation in the tumorigenesis of MEC.
Expression of Calcium Channel mRNAs in Rat Pancreatic Islets and Downregulation After Glucose Infusion

Recent studies have shown that two different voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels are expressed in pancreatic islets, the beta-cell/neuroendocrine-brain and the cardiac subtypes. The effects of chronic hyperglycemia on the levels in pancreatic islets of the mRNAs encoding the alpha 1-subunits of the beta-cell and cardiac subtype Ca2+ channels were studied in rats made hyperglycemic by infusion of glucose for 48 h. A competitive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction procedure was used to obtain quantitative data on the levels of these two transcripts in islets obtained from individual rats. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction data indicate that the levels of mRNA encoding the alpha 1-subunit of the beta-cell Ca2+ channel are 2.5-fold greater than those for the cardiac subtype. The levels of beta-cell Ca2+ channel mRNA were 72.9% lower in the glucose-infused animals when compared with the saline-infused animals (P < 0.005) and those of the cardiac channel were 72.1% lower in the animals infused with glucose (P < 0.02). In contrast, glucose infusion resulted in a twofold increase in insulin mRNA levels and did not significantly alter levels of beta-actin mRNA. In situ hybridization studies revealed that the mRNAs for these two Ca2+ channels are expressed at higher levels in normal rat islets than in the surrounding acinar tissue, which suggests that the observed changes in mRNA levels occur within cells of the pancreatic islet. To assess the possible functional consequences of this reduction in expression of mRNA for the Ca2+ channels, the insulin secretory responses of perfused pancreases to the Ca2+ channel agonist Bay K8644 were studied.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
MPI-based implementation of a PCG solver using an EBE architecture and preconditioner for implicit, 3-D finite element analysis

Abstract This work describes a coarse-grain parallel implementation of a linear preconditioned conjugate gradient solver using an element-by-element architecture and preconditioner for computation. The solver, implemented within a nonlinear, implicit finite element code, uses an MPI-based message-passing approach to provide portable parallel execution on shared, distributed, and distributed-shared memory computers. The flexibility of the element-by-element approach permits a dual-level mesh decomposition; a coarse, domain-level decomposition creates a load-balanced domain for each processor for parallel computation, while a second level decomposition breaks each domain into blocks of similar elements (same constitutive model, order of integration, element type) for fine-grained parallel computation on each processor. The key contribution here is a new parallel implementation of the Hughes–Winget (HW) element-by-element preconditioner suitable for arbitrary, unstructured meshes. The implementation couples an unstructured dependency graph with a new balanced graph-coloring algorithm to schedule parallel computations within and across domains. The code also includes the diagonal preconditioner and a modern parallel (threaded) sparse direct solver for comparison. Three example problems with up to 158,000 elements and 180,000 nodes analyzed on an SGI/Cray Origin 2000 illustrate the parallel performance of the algorithms and preconditioners. Analyses with varying block sizes illustrate that the two-level decomposition improves overall execution speed with the block size tuned for the cache memory architecture of the executing platform. This implementation of the HW preconditioner shows reasonable parallel efficiency – typically 80% on 48 processors. Efficiency for the diagonal preconditioner is also high, with total speedups reaching 86% on 48 CPUs. Calculation of the tangent element stiffnesses shows superlinear speedups for each of the test problems, while the computation of strains/stresses/residual forces shows 80% parallel efficiency on 48 processors.
Overall intelligence and localized brain damage

Overall mean performance on intelligence tests by brain-damaged patients with focal lesions can be misleading in regard to localization of intelligence. The widely used WAIS has many subtests that together recruit spatially distant neural “centers,” but individually the subtests reveal localized functions. Moreover, there are kinds of intelligence that defy the localizationist approach inferred from brain damage.
Sensor Localization and Camera Calibration in Distributed Camera Sensor Networks

Camera sensors constitute an information rich sensing modality with many potential applications in sensor networks. Their effectiveness in a sensor network setting however greatly relies on their ability to calibrate with respect to each other, and other sensors in the field. This paper examines node localization and camera calibration using the shared field of view of camera pairs. Using a new distributed camera sensor network we compare two approaches from computer vision and propose an algorithm that combines a sparse set of distance measurements with image information to accurately localize nodes in 3D. Our algorithms are evaluated using a network of iMote2 nodes equipped with COTS camera modules. The sensor nodes identify themselves to cameras using modulated LED emissions. Our indoor experiments yielded a 2-7cm error in a 6×6m room. Our outdoor experiments in a 30×30m field resulted in errors 20-80cm, depending on the method used.
Localized Neurogenic Vasoconstriction of the Basilar Artery

Ring segments from the caudal end of the basilar artery of the rabbit contract to electrical stimulation of their intramural nerve supply more than those from adjacent parts of the vertebral and the rostral three-fourths of the basilar arteries. The magnitude of developed neurogenic tension is approximately one-fourth that of the ear artery, a highly reactive muscular artery. The position of this reactive arterial segment suggests its role in the regulation of cerebral blood flow.
English Ambisyllabic Consonants and Half‐Closed Syllables in Language Teaching

This study justifies increased attention to word and phrase-level syllabification in pronunciation instruction for students of English and for English foreign language students. The latter need to recognize what their native syllabification patterns actually are in order to combat interference arising from them in the L2. The apparent simplicity and automaticity of syllabification belies its complexity within and across languages and its importance not only to correct allophonic production but also to correct word-stress, rhythm, and intonation. The following pairs of English words reveal the importance of teaching students about half-closed syllables as well as the traditional open and closed syllables (brackets mark the single consonant sound shared by the two syllables, hence the term ambisyllabic): Mi-nos/mi[n]us, adore/a[d]o-ra[ti]on, co-mmune/co[mm]on, de-ssert/ de[s]ert, re-ply/re[p]licate. As the stress shifts from the first to the second syllable in these pairs of words, the syllabification of the first syllable changes from open to half-closed with an ambisyllabic consonant. Trying to produce a conversational pronunciation of the second word in each pair with a clearly open or closed first syllable results in an artificial pronunciation. In this study, the case for including the notions of ambisyllabic consonants and half-closed syllables in teaching syllabification is made on articulatory, theoretical, instrumental, and psycholinguistic grounds. This expanded concept of syllabification is also shown to be important in studies of syllable structure transference between first and second languages and in contrastive analyses. However, much of the evidence adduced in supporting the case for ambisyllabification was indirect, since it came from studies aimed at proving or investigating other points.In this study, the case for including the notions of ambisyllabic consonants and half-closed syllables in teaching syllabification is made on articulatory, theoretical, instrumental, and psycholinguistic grounds. This expanded concept of syllabification is also shown to be important in studies of syllable structure transference between first and second languages and in contrastive analyses. However, much of the evidence adduced in supporting the case for ambisyllabification was indirect, since it came from studies aimed at proving or investigating other points. In spite of the length and detail of this study, it has had little impact. It is not likely that teaching and research practices in the areas concerned will change much until more direct instrumental research shows a clear physical difference between types of syllabification across languages. Experimental evidence is also needed on the negative effects of nonnative syllabification upon the rhythmic matrix of suprasegmentals, which helps to break utterances into decodable units of input for the native listener. That is, a connection between incomprehensible input and incorrect syllabification must be made clearer.
Large-Eddy Simulation Modeling Issues for Flow Around Wing Sections

This work continues a large eddy simulation (LES) investigation of high Reynolds number ∞ow, Re = 2:1£ 10 6 , over an Aerospatiale A-airfoil section at near stall conditions, fi = 13:3 o , using high-order compact difierencing and a low-pass spatial flltering procedure. Presented in this work are a review of previous studies, the solution algorithm, and an investigation on the efiects of trailing edge geometry, angle of attack, and sub-grid scale model. Results are compared with previous coarse and flne grid solutions and experimental data. Varying the trailing edge geometry or using a sub-grid scale model did not signiflcantly alter the mean ∞ow or statistical quantities. Reducing the airfoil angle-of-attack led to a better agreement with the experimental leading edge pressure coe‐cient, but otherwise did not substantially improve agreement with experimental data. Conclusions from this work and previous research by the current authors are that grid resolution and order of spatial accuracy have a major role in properly modeling ∞ows at this high Reynolds number. Use of high-order compact schemes with adequate grid resolution generate increased levels of turbulence that reduced the required spanwise computational extent, thus saving valuable computational resources and making the problem more tractable. Unlike previous researchers which use lower-order methods, even on coarse grids, the highorder scheme was capable of capturing natural transition without ad hoc modiflcations. The computations did not reproduce the experimentally observed trailing edge separation bubble. The root cause of this disagreement with experimental results is still uncertain.
High-throughput single cell arrays as a novel tool in biopreservation

Microwell array cytometry is a novel high-throughput experimental technique that makes it possible to correlate pre-stress cell phenotypes and post-stress outcomes with single cell resolution. Because the cells are seeded in a high density grid of cell-sized microwells, thousands of individual cells can be tracked and imaged through manipulations as extreme as freezing or drying. Unlike flow cytometry, measurements can be made at multiple time points for the same set of cells. Unlike conventional image cytometry, image analysis is greatly simplified by arranging the cells in a spatially defined pattern and physically separating them from one another. To demonstrate the utility of microwell array cytometry in the field of biopreservation, we have used it to investigate the role of mitochondrial membrane potential in the cryopreservation of primary hepatocytes. Even with optimized cryopreservation protocols, the stress of freezing almost always leads to dysfunction or death in part of the cell population. To a large extent, cell fate is dominated by the stochastic nature of ice crystal nucleation, membrane rupture, and other biophysical processes, but natural variation in the initial cell population almost certainly plays an important and under-studied role. Understanding why some cells in a population are more likely to survive preservation will be invaluable for the development of new approaches to improve preservation yields. For this paper, primary hepatocytes were seeded in microwell array devices, imaged using the mitochondrial dyes Rh123 or JC-1, cryopreserved for up to a week, rapidly thawed, and checked for viability after a short recovery period. Cells with a high mitochondrial membrane potential before freezing were significantly less likely to survive the freezing process, though the difference in short term viability was fairly small. The results demonstrate that intrinsic cell factors do play an important role in cryopreservation survival, even in the short term where extrinsic biophysical factors would be expected to dominate. We believe that microwell array cytometry will be an important tool for a wide range of studies in biopreservation and stress biology.
Interface Limited Lithium Transport in Solid-State Batteries

Understanding the role of interfaces is important for improving the performance of all-solid-state lithium ion batteries. To study these interfaces, we present a novel approach for fabrication of electrochemically active nanobatteries using focused ion beams and their characterization by analytical electron microscopy. Morphological changes by scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging and correlated elemental concentration changes by electron energy loss spectroscopy mapping are presented. We provide first evidence of lithium accumulation at the anode/current collector (Si/Cu) and cathode/electrolyte (LixCoO2/LiPON) interfaces, which can be accounted for the irreversible capacity losses. Interdiffusion of elements at the Si/LiPON interface was also witnessed with a distinct contrast layer. These results highlight that the interfaces may limit the lithium transport significantly in solid-state batteries. Fabrication of electrochemically active nanobatteries also enables in situ electron microscopy observation of electrochemical phenomena in a variety of solid-state battery chemistries.
Proximal Row Carpectomy

Proximal row carpectomy (PRC) has earned a respected place in the hand surgeon's armamentarium. Prerequisites for the standard PRC are good cartilage on the proximal pole of capitate and in the lunate fossa of radius. If there is cartilage damage on the proximal pole of capitate, the modification of Salomon and Eaton is a reasonable alternative to the standard PRC. The most important surgical step is preservation of the radioscaphocapitate ligament. Good long-term results can be achieved, and with careful patient selection the operation can be done successfully in people who use their hands for heavy work.
Independent validation test of the vote-counting strategy used to rank biomarkers from published studies.

Aim: Vote counting is frequently used in meta-analyses to rank biomarker candidates, but to our knowledge, there have been no independent assessments of its validity. Here, we used predictions from a recent meta-analysis to determine how well number of supporting studies, combined sample size and mean fold change performed as vote-counting strategy criteria. Materials & methods: Fifty miRNAs previously ranked for their ability to distinguish lung cancer tissue from normal were assayed by RT-qPCR using 45 paired tumor-normal samples. Results: Number of supporting studies predicted biomarker performance (p = 0.0006; r = 0.44), but sample size and fold change did not (p > 0.2). Conclusion: Despite limitations, counting the number supporting studies appears to be an effective criterion for ranking biomarkers. Predictions based on sample size and fold change provided little added value. External validation studies should be conducted to establish the performance characteristics of strategies used to rank bioma...
Norepinephrine and Dopamine Distribution in Copper-Deficient Mice

Copper is required for development and homeostasis of the nervous system but there exists much controversy as to specific changes that occur when copper is limiting. Conflicting results have been published regarding receptor density, ligand affinities, and steady-state level changes for several neurotransmitters.1
Advanced Design of a Multi-Thruster LOX/Propylene Aerospike Engine

The paper presents the design of a 30kN multi-thruster annular aerospike engine as candidate for the first stage of a two-stage pressure-fed Nanosat Launch Vehicle (NLV). Detailed description of the injector and layout of single thruster are provided. A major enhancement compared to a classical multi-chamber design with straight thrusters is achieved by introducing nozzle curvature in the circumferential and in the longitudinal direction. This approach allows increasing the available exit area, or pressure ratio, thus improving performance. The design work is supported by numerical analyses of the flow inside the curved thrusters and along the engine including slipstream effects using Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations with realizable k-e turbulence modeling. The computations indicate an improved performance of the dual curved thrusters engine, which is about 2% above the linear design and above an ideal bell nozzle of equal area ratio. Simultaneously, the use of a larger expansion ratio reduces base drag in the transonic flight regime.
Ultra high energy density nanocomposite capacitors with fast discharge using Ba0.2Sr0.8TiO3 nanowires.

Nanocomposites combining a high breakdown strength polymer and high dielectric permittivity ceramic filler have shown great potential for pulsed power applications. However, while current nanocomposites improve the dielectric permittivity of the capacitor, the gains come at the expense of the breakdown strength, which limits the ultimate performance of the capacitor. Here, we develop a new synthesis method for the growth of barium strontium titanate nanowires and demonstrate their use in ultra high energy density nanocomposites. This new synthesis process provides a facile approach to the growth of high aspect ratio nanowires with high yield and control over the stoichiometry of the solid solution. The nanowires are grown in the cubic phase with a Ba0.2Sr0.8TiO3 composition and have not been demonstrated prior to this report. The poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanocomposites resulting from this approach have high breakdown strength and high dielectric permittivity which results from the use of high aspect rati...
Response of Lactic Acid Bacteria to Amino Acid Derivatives. V. L- DL. and D-Valic Acids

SummarySubstitution of L-, DL- and D-valic acids in place of valine in the nutrition of 10 lactic acid bacteria has been investigated. Five of the bacteria were able to utilize either optical form ...
Severity and distribution of wounds in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) correlate with observed self-injurious behavior

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) occurs within laboratory-housed NHP at low frequency but can have a devastating effect on animal research and wellbeing. One barrier to the study and clinical management of these cases is the cost of equipment and personnel time to quantify the behavior according to the current standard of observation and to score remotely obtained video recordings. In studies of human SIB, in which direct observation is difficult or prohibited, researchers have demonstrated that quantifying the tissue damage resulting from SIB can be a useful proxy to represent the underlying behavior. We hypothesized that the nature of wounds resulting from SIB in NHP could be used in a similar manner to measure the abnormal behavior. Using a cohort of rhesus macaques with high-incidence SIB, we examined severity, distribution, and number of wounds and compared them with observed incidences of SIB during a 12-wk experiment. We found that the number, severity, and distribution of physical wounds were associated with the incidences of biting behavior observed during the 2 wk prior to measurement. We also found that an increased number of wounds was associated with increased severity. Animals with wounds of moderate severity were more likely to also have severe wounds than were macaques with wounds that were lower than moderate in severity. This work is the first representative study in NHP to find that behavioral SIB correlates with physical wounding and that increases in the frequency and number of the body regions affected correlates with the severity of wounding.
Microarray-based tumor ploidy and its association with lymph node involvement in bladder cancer.

e16012Background: Abnormal ploidy (or aneuploidy), defined as more or less than two full sets of chromosomes per cell, is often observed in tumor tissues. Aneuploidy and lymph node involvement (LNI...
Tourism, Migration and the Politics of Built Heritage in Lijiang, China

The Lijiang government has called for a “new Lijiang ren” (person). Meanwhile, Han migrant businesspersons are succeeding in the tourism industry, but at the expense of the local, non-Han business owners whom they are displacing. This chapter deconstructs the discourse and goals of local authorities and examines the complex relationship migrant Han possess with Lijiang, including its natives and its tourists. While migration literature in Chinese studies has emphasized rural-to-urban and western-to-eastern flows, this chapter examines a reversed flow in order to unravel how the borderland is integrated into the global tourism industry, in part through migrant businesspersons’ efforts.
Functional Behavioral Assessment: Implications for Training and Staff Development:

As Nelson, Roberts, Mathur, and Rutherford (1998) have noted, the evidence supporting functional assessment of students with mild disabilities in typical classrooms is limited. While common sense t...
Individual Differences in Temporal Perception and Their Implications for Everyday Listening

Growing evidence shows that individual differences among listeners with normal hearing thresholds reflect underlying differences in how well the auditory system encodes temporal features of sound. In the laboratory, these differences manifest in a range of psychophysical tasks. In everyday life, however, the situations that reveal these differences are often social settings where listeners are trying to understand one talker in the presence of other competing sound sources (the “cocktail party” setting). Physiologically, the brainstem’s envelope-following response (a specific form of the frequency-following response) correlates with individual differences in behavior. Motivated by both animal and human studies, this chapter reviews the evidence that behavioral and physiological differences across individual listeners with normal hearing thresholds reflect differences in the number of auditory nerve fibers responding to sound despite normal cochlear mechanical function (cochlear neuropathy). The chapter also points out some of the measurement issues that need to be considered when designing experiments trying to probe these kinds of individual differences in coding of clearly audible, supra-threshold auditory information.
Towards Human Development: New Approaches to Macroeconomics and Inequality

The theory and practice of economic development has passed through many stages since it came to the forefront of concern in the post-WWII era. Since the early 1990s, the notion of human development...
Core Self-Evaluations

In this article we review core self-evaluations (CSE), which refers to deep-seated evaluations that people hold of themselves. CSE is a higher order personality construct comprised of fundamental traits that have an evaluation focus and are broad in scope, such as self-esteem and generalized self-efficacy. People with high CSE have a heightened sensitivity to positive information coupled with a reduced sensitivity to negative information. CSE is an important dispositional predictor of satisfaction with one's job and life, and appraisals of one's job characteristics and social support. CSE also contributes to effective job performance behaviors at work.
The Evolution of Fault Tolerant Computing at the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois has been active in research in the fault-tolerant computing field for over 25 years. Fundamental ideas have been proposed and major contributions made by researchers at the University of Illinois in the areas of testing and diagnosis, concurrent error detection, and fault tolerance. This paper traces the origins of these ideas and their development within the University of Illinois, as well as their influence upon research at other institutions, and outlines current directions of research.
Los efectos de las transformaciones agrícolas en los antiguos países socialistas: Algunas consideraciones para Cuba

This paper examines the principal agricultural transformations in a selected group of former socialist countries in Asia and Eastern and Central Europe, using commonly-accepted indicators such as physical output, labor productivity, and agricultural yields, and offers some relevant recommendations for Cuba. The countries included in this study are: China, Vietnam, Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Rumania and Slovenia. Section one presents a brief introduction. Section two analyzes the role of agriculture in the (post-socialist) transition countries included in the study. This is followed by a detailed analysis of general trends and indicators such as output, labor productivity, and agricultural yields in these countries during the first decade of agricultural transformations. Finally, section four discusses the relevance of these experiences in the case of Cuba within the context of the ongoing process of “updating” the country’s (socialist) economic model.
MYC Controls Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Fate Decisions through Regulation of Metabolic Flux

As human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) exit pluripotency, they are thought to switch from a glycolytic mode of energy generation to one more dependent on oxidative phosphorylation. Here we show that, although metabolic switching occurs during early mesoderm and endoderm differentiation, high glycolytic flux is maintained and, in fact, essential during early ectoderm specification. The elevated glycolysis observed in hPSCs requires elevated MYC/MYCN activity. Metabolic switching during endodermal and mesodermal differentiation coincides with a reduction in MYC/MYCN and can be reversed by ectopically restoring MYC activity. During early ectodermal differentiation, sustained MYCN activity maintains the transcription of "switch" genes that are rate-limiting for metabolic activity and lineage commitment. Our work, therefore, shows that metabolic switching is lineage-specific and not a required step for exit of pluripotency in hPSCs and identifies MYC and MYCN as developmental regulators that couple metabolism to pluripotency and cell fate determination.
Bernie Madoff: Frauds, Swindles, and the Credit Cycle

Charlie Ponzi is the most famous banker in American history, immortalized in the term ‘Ponzi scheme’. Ponzi owned a small firm that sold its own IOUs, sometimes called deposits, in one of the Boston suburbs in the early 1920s; he promised to pay the buyers of his IOUs 45 percent interest a year at a time when the traditional banks were paying two or three percent. Ponzi’s operation was straightforward — he used the money that he received from the sale of deposits on Wednesday to pay the interest to those who had bought the deposits on Monday. The interest rate that Ponzi paid was so high that most of those who bought the deposits on Monday were happy to keep their money with Ponzi, so they could earn ‘interest on the interest’.
The effect of embedded intrapulse communications on pulsed radar probability of detection

In this paper we consider the effects of radar and communications signals operating on the same frequency band on the detection performance of pulsed radar. Previous research has shown that it is possible to recover and demodulate communications signals that are coincident with radar pulses in time, frequency, and location, while assuming these communications signals have negligible effect on radar performance. We now validate that assumption by determining the effects of these embedded communications signals on detection performance of pulsed radar. We use both software simulation and hardware verification to model probability of detection with embedded communications. In this analysis, we define and vary two radar-communications signal parameters, the radar-to-communications power ratio (RCR) and symbol-rate-to-bandwidth ratio (SRBR), to assess how different communications signal parameters affect radar performance. We confirm that at a sufficiently low communications signal power and a sufficiently high number of communications symbols transmitted within each radar pulse, the effect of embedded communications on radar probability of detection is negligible.
Multiple Chronic Conditions and Disparities in 30-Day Hospital Readmissions Among Nonelderly Adults

This study examines the patterns of 30-day hospital readmissions by race/ethnicity and multiple chronic conditions (MCC) burden among nonelderly adult patients. We used hospital discharge data of patients in the 18- to 64-year age group in 5 US states, California, Florida, Missouri, New York, and Tennessee, for 2009 from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database (HCUP-SID) of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, linked to contextual and provider data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. A multilevel logistic regression model was used for data pooled over 5 states, adjusting for patient, hospital, and community characteristics. Controlling for other covariates, the study found that a higher MCC burden was associated with a higher all-cause 30-day readmission risk. We found considerable heterogeneity in levels of readmission risk among racial/ethnic subgroups stratified by chronic conditions. Among patients with a lowest MCC burden, African Americans had the highest risk of readmission, but with a higher MCC burden, the risk of readmission increased most for Hispanics.
Palliative care services in pediatric oncology

Pediatric cancer has experienced significant improvement in overall survival rates over the past several decades. Despite this progress, however, it remains the leading cause of death from disease beyond infancy in children. Among the children and adolescents that survive their cancer diagnosis, significant symptom burden and toxicities of therapy are often experienced. The evidence presented affords great insight in to the current empirical support for pediatric palliative care involvement, current utilization of palliative care services in the care of children with cancer and their families, and barriers that have been identified to date. Positive trends toward increased, appropriate integration of palliative care services in the care of children with cancer and their families have been observed. Continued research, advocacy, and education are necessary to optimize the care of this vulnerable population of patients and their families.
Kinesthesias and Horizons in Psychosis

This presentation grows out of an abiding interest in Husserlian phenomenology, and the wish to articulate my present understanding of psychosis. What I would like to do is relate my acquaintance with each to that of the other, believing that each may be of value for disclosing something of the other. Such an undertaking which starts from the psychotic condition as a constituted subjectivity is one of an hyletic, and not a pure, transcendental phenomenology (Hua., 3: 214–15). There is of course an initial price to be paid for such an hyletic emphasis within an attitude oriented to a pure phenomenology. Yet if phenomenology is to realize its ties with philosophical praxis — and this involves its biological relevance in the broadest human sense — then it must be willing to take the risk of starting from below, again and again. Hence its necessarily fragmentary appearance in the context of classical philosophy. This also makes it possible for breaks in our ongoing experience to become occasions for developing enhanced intelligibility. Husserl, in a 1926–27 lecture, put it like this: The world and we under abstraction from individual and collective death? The ideality — the open horizons, the indefinite possibility, that it can keep on in the same way, that I can keep right on unhindered. Horizons, on which I practically count, with counter-possibilities not currently indicated. But they are present — Horizon above all carries with it the real possibility of break, indeed it is real, the break is not merely possible in phantasy. Consequently a phenomenology of the irrationalities in contrast to, and correlative with, one of rationalities, of idealities. but the irrationality as possibility remains itself subject to rational consideration. The relations between ideality and irrational facticity are also subject to laws of essential being. (Hua., 14: 561)
Central Nervous System Immunoglobulin Synthesis in Neurological Disease

The status of the central nervous system (CNS) as an immunological organ synthesizing immunoglobulin has been established convincingly in the past two decades. The first observations suggesting that such a process occurs were made in the early 1940s. Subsequently, homogeneous immunoglobulin production in brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was demonstrated in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) and multiple sclerosis (MS) and later in a number of other disorders. In the 1960s, immunoglobulin deposition in nervous tissue, particularly in recent plaques, was demonstrated. Subsequently, virological studies using titer ratios, direct antiviral antibody quantitation in serum and CSF, and studies with antiidiotypic antibodies provided a quantitative index of synthesis in CNS of immunoglobulins to specific virus antigens. Radioactive exchange studies provided additional information.
Canavati Fractional Ostrowski–Type Inequalities

Here we present Ostrowski type inequalities involving left and right Canavati type generalised fractional derivatives. Combining these we obtain fractional Ostrowski type inequalities of mixed form. Then we establish Ostrowski type inequalities for ordinary and fractional derivatives involving complex valued functions de ned on the unit circle. 2010 AMS Subject Classi cation : 26A33, 26D07, 26D10, 26D15.
Uniaxial Stress Effects on the Low-Field Magnetoacoustic Interactions in Low and Medium Carbon Steels

In the past, we have shown that the low-field magnetoacoustic technique is capable of detecting uniaxial compression in steel components without necessiating a calibration standard [1,2]. This is because the initial slope of the AF(B)/F curve (fractional frequency change of phase-locked acoustic waves as a function of net magnetic induction) is negative only under compression and positive otherwise, when the specimens are magnetized along the static unaxial stress axis.
Strontium Ions and Membranes: Screening versus Binding at Charged Surfaces

Sr2+ is one of several common alkaline earth cations that have been studied extensively over the the last decade in regard to their electrostatic effects on biological membranes. Much of this research work has centered on excitable membranes, where the presence of certain alkaline earths, particularly Ca2+, in the aqueous phase adjacent to the membrane is essential for its normal physiological behavior. However, the physicochemical mechanisms of alkaline earth action (i.e., screening and binding) that have been identified and elucidated for nerve and muscle membranes are known to also be applicable to certain artificial lipid bilayers (e.g., 1–3). Consequently, detailed consideration of the findings from past work exploring divalent cation action on excitable membranes offers appreciable insight into the types of electrostatic interaction commonly occurring between alkaline earth cations and charged membrane surfaces in general.
Evolution of plug-in electric vehicle demand: Assessing consumer perceptions and intent to purchase over time

Abstract The diffusion of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) is a topic that has received substantial attention in recent years. In part, this heightened interest reflects rapid concurrent developments in policy, technology, and industry strategies designed to spur the uptake of this radical, emerging technology. Governments from all levels are enacting various monetary and non-monetary incentives to encourage PEV adoption; developments in battery technology are likening the performance of PEVs to conventional vehicles; and all major vehicle manufacturers now have a PEV offering. Ultimately, however, the effect of these developments is contingent upon consumer interest. Thus, in this paper we study whether, alongside technology and market developments, consumer interest in PEVs has changed over time. To answer this question, we evaluate the degree to which intent to purchase or lease a battery electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, respectively, has changed between 2011 and 2017, and how the factors that explain variation in such intent have also changed over time. Our data come from two national surveys of potential car buyers in the 21 largest American cities. Among the key findings that we derive from the analysis are that, among survey respondents, intent to purchase a PEV has increased between 2011 and 2017, and perceptions about the trialability, observability, network effects, and policies explain an increasing share of the variation in intent to purchase as time evolves.
Expanding the Types of Lipids Amenable to Native Mass Spectrometry of Lipoprotein Complexes

Native mass spectrometry (MS) has become an important tool for the analysis of membrane proteins. Although detergent micelles are the most commonly used method for solubilizing membrane proteins for native MS, nanoscale lipoprotein complexes such as nanodiscs are emerging as a promising complementary approach because they solubilize membrane proteins in a lipid bilayer environment. However, prior native MS studies of intact nanodiscs have employed only a limited set of phospholipids that are similar in mass. Here, we extend the range of lipids that are amenable to native MS of nanodiscs by combining lipids with masses that are simple integer multiples of each other. Although these lipid combinations create complex distributions, overlap between resonant peak series allows interpretation of nanodisc spectra containing glycolipids, sterols, and cardiolipin. We also investigate the gas-phase stability of nanodiscs with these new lipids towards collisional activation. We observe that negative ionization mode or charge reduction stabilizes nanodiscs and is essential to preserving labile lipids such as sterols. These new approaches to native MS of nanodiscs will enable future studies of membrane proteins embedded in model membranes that more accurately mimic natural bilayers. Graphical Abstract.