cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Personalized Action Rules for Side Effects Object Grouping

There have been multiple techniques to discover action-rules, but the problem of triggering those rules was left exclusively to domain knowledge and domain experts. When meta-actions are applied on objects to trigger a specific rule, they might as well trigger transitions outside of the target action rule scope. Those additional transitions are called side effects, which could be positive or negative. Negative side effects could be devastating in some domains such as healthcare. In this paper, we strive to reduce those negative side effects by extracting personalized action rules. We proposed three object-grouping schemes with regards to same negative side effects to extract personalized action rules for each object group. We also studied the tinnitus handicap inventory data to apply and compare the three grouping schemes.
Constrained online efficiency optimization to guarantee load support in motor drives

Online efficiency optimization is an attractive option that can be easily integrated into motor drive software. Most of these online efficiency optimization methods reduce the flux in the machine, but flux reduction can have operational drawbacks. If a machine operates at a certain load with low flux when a load step-up occurs, the flux might not be sufficient to support the new load torque. Such a scenario could be common in dynamic load applications such hybrid and electric vehicles with abrupt braking and acceleration. An overload under flux weakening will cause the machine to stall. This paper investigates constrained loss minimization in induction machines. Results show that it is possible to update the flux optimization constraints to guarantee load support. They also show that shifting the power loss function dynamically can help this load support.
Measuring Growth in Bilingual and Monolingual Children’s English Productive Vocabulary Development: The Utility of Combining Parent and Teacher Report

This longitudinal study examined growth in the English productive vocabularies of bilingual and monolingual children between ages 24 and 36 months and explored the utility and validity of supplementing parent reports with teacher reports to improve the estimation of children's vocabulary. Low-income, English-speaking and English/Spanish-speaking parents and Early Head Start and Head Start program teachers completed the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory, Words and Sentences for 85 children. Results indicate faster growth rates for monolingual than for bilingual children and larger vocabularies for bilingual children who spoke mostly English than mostly Spanish at home. Parent-teacher composite reports, like parent reports, significantly related to children's directly assessed productive vocabulary at ages 30 and 36 months, but parent reports fit the model better. Implications for vocabulary assessment are discussed.
Discovering a lexicon of parts and attributes

We propose a framework to discover a lexicon of visual attributes that supports fine-grained visual discrimination. It consists of a novel annotation task where annotators are asked to describe differences between pairs of images. This captures the intuition that for a lexicon to be useful, it should achieve twin goals of discrimination and communication. Next, we show that such comparative text collected for many pairs of images can be analyzed to discover topics that encode nouns and modifiers, as well as relations that encode attributes of parts. The model also provides an ordering of attributes based on their discriminative ability, which can be used to create a shortlist of attributes to collect for a dataset. Experiments on Caltech-UCSD birds, PASCAL VOC person, and a dataset of airplanes, show that the discovered lexicon of parts and their attributes is comparable to those created by experts.
Efficient polymer solar cells fabricated from solvent processing additive solution

In this study, we investigate the device performance of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs) fabricated from pristine chlorobenzene (CB) solution, CB solutions with different concentrations of solvent processing additive, chloronaphthalene (CN) which has a high boiling point temperature, and pristine CN solution. An efficiency of 7.12% is observed from PSCs processed from pristine CN solution as compared with 4.01% of that from pristine CB solution. The correlation between the efficiency of PSCs with the concentrations of CN was systematically studied by absorption spectra, atomic force microscopy and cross-section transmission electron microscopy images, wide angle X-ray diffraction and grazing incidence small angle X-ray patterns of BHJ active layers and impedance spectroscopies of BHJ PSCs. It was found that the addition of CN into CB solution does not affect the crystallization or the molecular packing of the donor polymer in BHJ layers, but it changes the film morphology of the BHJ layers. The phase separation between the donor polymer and fullerene derivatives was reduced and BHJ layers were redistributed as the concentration of CN is increased in CB solutions. As a result, increased ratios of the donor polymer to fullerene derivatives, and high hole mobilities of the donor polymer in BHJ layers were obtained for the resultant films. Consequently, a high efficiency was observed from PSCs processed from CN solution rather than from CB solution. Our findings provide a method to approach highly efficient PSCs.
CMU System Combination in WMT 2011

This paper describes our submissions, cmu-heafield-combo, to the ten tracks of the 2011 Workshop on Machine Translation's system combination task. We show how the combination scheme operates by flexibly aligning system outputs then searching a space constructed from the alignments. Humans judged our combination the best on eight of ten tracks.
From My Cold, Dead Hands: Democratic Consequences of Sacred Rhetoric

Political rhetoric often appeals to sacred values, or nonnegotiable convictions grounded in transcendent authority rather than reasoned consequences. Sacred convictions are treated as absolutes that resist normal value tradeoffs and cast doubt on the moral standing of citizens who violate them. This study examines the political meaning of this form of persuasion in political domains such as guns, gay marriage, the death penalty, and the environment. Experimental evidence suggests that the distinctive effects of sacred appeals are on citizens’ political reasoning and motivation rather than on their expressed opinions. Sacred rhetoric is not more effective in changing minds, but in shifting the nature of public discourse and increasing levels of political intensity. The democratic consequences of sacred rhetoric include greater citizen participation but lesser prospects for meaningful deliberation, a contradictory influence on the health of American democracy.
Growing season carbon dioxide exchange in irrigated and rainfed maize

Abstract Net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) was measured in maize-based agroecosystems in eastern Nebraska, USA, during the growing season in 2001. The objective of this study was to quantify and contrast NEE in irrigated and rainfed maize (Zea maize L.) fields. Daytime NEE showed a strong dependence on incident light at different stages of crop growth. Weekly ensemble averaged CO2 flux at the irrigated and rainfed sites reached seasonal peak values of 2.5 and 2.1 mg CO2 m−2 s−1, respectively, occurring when the green leaf area index (LAI) was at its seasonal maximum (6.3 and 4.1 m2 m−2, respectively; planting density was 25% lower at the rainfed site). A dry period during mid-July to mid-August induced moisture stress and caused NEE and LAI to decrease at the rainfed site while values at the irrigated site remained steady. On a seasonal basis, the daytime NEE (at a given value of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)) and LAI followed the same hyperbolic relationship at the irrigated and rainfed sites, even during periods of soil moisture stress. Nighttime NEE at both sites showed strong dependence on soil temperature. Nighttime NEE (at a given soil temperature) during the later vegetative/reproductive growth stages was higher than the values in the earlier part of the growing season, perhaps due to the relative influence of growth and maintenance respiration. Nighttime NEE at the rainfed site was significantly smaller during periods of moisture stress. Daily gross primary productivity (GPP) reached seasonal peaks of 26 and 24 g C m−2 per day at the irrigated and rainfed sites, respectively. Hourly ensemble averages of GPP were comparable to results from a previous study in rainfed maize and about 1.5–2 times higher than those in soybean, wheat, and in temperate, coniferous, and deciduous forests. Seasonal distributions of the daily gain of carbon by the crop, calculated from measured NEE and estimated soil microbial CO2 flux, compared reasonably well (2–21%) with the total (above and belowground) biomass, given the difficulties involved in such an analysis.
Lazy Context Cloning for Non-Deterministic Graph Rewriting

We define a rewrite strategy for a class of non-confluent constructor-based term graph rewriting systems and prove its correctness. Our strategy and its extension to narrowing are intended for the implementation of non-strict non-deterministic functional logic programming languages. Our strategy is based on a graph transformation, called bubbling, that avoids the construction of large contexts of redexes with distinct replacements, an expensive and frequently wasteful operation executed by competitive complete techniques.
A faster dynamic programming algorithm for exact rectilinear Steiner minimal trees

An exact rectilinear Steiner minimal tree algorithm is presented that improves upon the time and space complexity of previous guarantees and is easy to implement. Experimental evidence is presented that demonstrates that the algorithm also works well in practice. >
Diagnosis of a solitary cardiac metastasis from ocular melanoma.

static melanoma. LA, Left atrium; RA, right atrium; RV, right ventricle; LV, left ventricle. Ocular melanoma is diagnosed in approximately 6 million people annually. Although ocular melanoma metastasizes less frequently than cutaneous melanoma (75% vs 96%, respectively), when it does metastasize, it is invariably fatal, usually within 1 year of the onset of symptoms. Even though the liver is the most common location for metastases from ocular melanoma, it is thought that the heart is another common site that is clinically underdiagnosed.
Regulation of NKCC2 activity by inhibitory SPAK isoforms: KS-SPAK is a more potent inhibitor than SPAK2

The cation cotransporters Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter 1 and 2 (NKCC1 and NKCC2) and Na+-Cl cotransporter (NCC) are phosphorylated and activated by the kinases Ste20-related proline alanine-rich kinas...
Multiword expression filtering for building knowledge maps

This paper describes an algorithm that can be used to improve the quality of multiword expressions extracted from documents. We measure multiword expression quality by the "usefulness" of a multiword expression in helping ontologists build knowledge maps that allow users to search a large document corpus. Our stopword based algorithm takes n-grams extracted from documents, and cleans them up to make them more suitable for building knowledge maps. Running our algorithm on large corpora of documents has shown that it helps to increase the percentage of useful terms from 40% to 70% --- with an eight-fold improvement observed in some cases.
Upcoming special section topics in JATIS

This PDF file contains the editorial “Upcoming special section topics in JATIS” for JATIS Vol. 1 Issue 02
Fulminant skin GvHD with a cytokine pattern resemblant of cytokine release syndrome successfully treated with multimodal immunosuppression including tocilizumab

Acute Graft-versus-Host-Disease (GvHD) is a potentially life-threatening complication after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. If not treated early and adequately, the complex immunological mechanisms may lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of alloreactivity, which is then associated with a high mortality. Here we assessed the cytokine profile on a daily basis in a patient with grade 4 skin GvHD, demonstrating a signature resembling cytokine-release-syndrome. After multimodal immunosuppressive intervention, including treatment with the IL6 receptor-blocking antibody tocilizumab, the severe clinical symptoms unexpectedly resolved within 48 hr.
Efficient testing of SRAM with optimized march sequences and a novel DFT technique for emerging failures due to process variations

With increasing inter-die and intra-die parameter variations in sub-100-nm process technologies, new failure mechanisms are emerging in CMOS circuits. These failures lead to reduction in reliability of circuits, especially the area-constrained SRAM cells. In this paper, we have analyzed the emerging failure mechanisms in SRAM caches due to transistor V/sub t/ variations, which results from process variations. Also we have proposed solutions to detect those failures efficiently. In particular, in this work, SRAM failure mechanisms under transistor V/sub t/ variations are mapped to logic fault models. March test sequences have been optimized to address the emerging failure mechanisms with minimal overhead on test time. Moreover, we have proposed a design for test circuit to complement the March test sequence for at-speed testing of SRAMs. The proposed technique, referred as double sensing, can be used to test the stability of SRAM cells during read operations. Using the proposed March test sequence along with the double sensing technique, a test time reduction of 29% is achieved, compared to the existing test techniques with the same fault coverage. We have also demonstrated that double sensing can be used during SRAM normal operation for online detection and correction of any number of random read faults.
On secret sharing systems

A "secret sharing system" permits a secret to be shared among n trustees in such a way that any k of them can recover the secret, but any k-1 have complete uncertainty about it. A linear coding scheme for secret sharing is exhibited which subsumes the polynomial interpolation method proposed by Shamir and can also be viewed as a deterministic version of Blakley's probabilistic method. Bounds on the maximum value of n for a given k and secret size are derived for any system, linear or nonlinear. The proposed scheme achieves the lower bound which, for practical purposes, differs insignificantly from the upper bound. The scheme may be extended to protect several secrets. Methods to protect against deliberate tampering by any of the trustees are also presented.
Pyrolysis of 2-methoxy-2,3,3-trimethylbutane (MTMB) monitored by 118 nm photoionization mass spectrometry

Pyrolysis/supersonic jet expansion/118.2 nm photoionization TOF mass spectrometry is used to examine competitive thermal dissociations of a deuterated analogue of the title compound, a potential antiknock additive for motor fuel. At high temperatures neutral (CH 3)3CC(CD3)2OCH3 (MTMB-d6) undergoes homolytic cleavage of its 2,3-bond in competition with molecular elimination of methanol. G3X and CCSD calculations predict the dissociation energy of this bond to differ only slightly from that of the 2,3-bond in hexamethylethane (HME). Theory also predicts that the 2,3-bond is the weakest bond of MTMB. Pyrolysis of MTMB-d6 below 1000 K shows no production of CD3 radicals, but only methyl and tert-butyl radicals, along with acetone-d6 and the products from molecular elimination of methanol. While MTMB-d6 exhibits desirable solubility characteristics in water (relative to the presently used fuel oxygenates MTBE and TAME), the predominance of bond homolysis at temperatures >900 K suggests (according to one current model for how fuel oxygenates inhibit autoignition) that MTMB ought to exhibit poor antiknock characteristics.
Can forest management be used to sustain water-based ecosystem services in the face of climate change?

Forested watersheds, an important provider of ecosystems services related to water supply, can have their structure, function, and resulting streamflow substantially altered by land use and land cover. Using a retrospective analysis and synthesis of long-term climate and streamflow data (75 years) from six watersheds differing in management histories we explored whether streamflow responded differently to variation in annual temperature and extreme precipitation than unmanaged watersheds. We show significant increases in temperature and the frequency of extreme wet and dry years since the 1980s. Response models explained almost all streamflow variability (adjusted R2 > 0.99). In all cases, changing land use altered streamflow. Observed watershed responses differed significantly in wet and dry extreme years in all but a stand managed as a coppice forest. Converting deciduous stands to pine altered the streamflow response to extreme annual precipitation the most; the apparent frequency of observed extreme w...
Measuring Performance at a Large Metropolitan Area: The Case of the DC (District of Columbia) Metroplex

Hierarchical linear models improve the measurement of performance when applied to a construct such as a metroplex. It compares the outcomes of a hierarchical linear model with those of a multiple regression model to evaluate whether meteorological conditions at individual airports and overall would explain variations in block delays. The study used the cases of the three largest airports in the DC Metroplex and concluded airborne delays had a significant random effect on block delays in spite of meteorological conditions at each airport. It pointed out that surface operations efficiency played a significant role in explaining variations in block delays.
Depression, a Hidden Mental Health Disparity in an Asian Indian Immigrant Community

Cultural influences are deeply rooted, and continue to affect the lives of Asian-Indian (AI) immigrants living in Western culture. Emerging literature suggests the powerful nature of traditions and culture on the lives, mental and physical health of AI immigrants, particularly women. The purpose of this study was to explore depression among AI women in Central California (CC). This mixed-methods research was conducted in collaboration with the CC Punjabi community and the support of local religious leaders. All interviews were conducted in Punjabi and English. Whenever possible we utilized validated scales aligned with emerging themes from the qualitative data, which also provided contextualization to survey responses. In all we conducted 11 key informant interviews, four focus groups (n = 47) and a rigorously developed anonymous survey (n = 350). Social dynamics and traditional expectations including gendered roles significantly affected mental health among women participants. Subgroups along the lines of language choice (Punjabi vs. English) experience and report depression differently in part due to the highly stigmatized nature of mental health issues in this model minority community. The findings of this study highlight the importance of utilizing mixed methods to access hard to reach populations regarding sensitive topics such as mental health.
Distributing estrogen patient package inserts to institutional patients

A procedure for the distribution of patient package inserts (PPIs) for estrogens to outpatients (ambulatory and home health care) and inpatients (acute and long-term) was developed. The pharmacist dispenses the PPI to outpatients along with the prescribed drug. The name of the drug, the date, the pharmacist's initials and the fact that the PPI was issued are recorded in the patient's profile. The pharmacist then orally reinforces the information in the PPI. For inpatients, a preprinted double-tab label is adhered to the PPI which is distributed with the medication upon new estrogen orders. The portion adhered to the PPI lists instructions to the physician. The unadhered portion contains an area for recording the name of the drug product, the patient's name, the physician's signature and the date; this tab is affixed to the order sheet by the physician after he has provided and explained the PPI to the patient. Estrogens are not administered until physicians comply with the PPI procedure. While compliance with the PPI procedure has been satisfactory, this may be the result of a substantial decrease in the number of physicians ordering estrogens, along with a corresponding reduction in the number of estrogen products they now prescribe.
Mechanistic Studies of ε-Caprolactone Polymerization by (salen)AlOR Complexes and a Predictive Model for Cyclic Ester Polymerizations.

Aluminum alkoxide complexes (2) of salen ligands with a three-carbon linker and para substituents having variable electron-withdrawing capabilities (X = NO2, Br, OMe) were prepared, and the kinetics of their ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of e-caprolactone (CL) were investigated as a function of temperature, with the aim of drawing comparisons to similar systems with two-carbon linkers investigated previously (1). While 1 and 2 exhibit saturation kinetics and similar dependences of their ROP rates on substituents X (invariant Keq, similar Hammett ρ = +1.4(1) and 1.2(1) for k2, respectively), ROP by 2 was significantly faster than for 1. Theoretical calculations confirm that, while the reactant structures differ, the transition state geometries are quite similar, and by analyzing the energetics of the involved distortions accompanying the structural changes, a significant contribution to the basis for the rate differences was identified. Using this knowledge, a simplified computational method for evalua...
Limited-Transpiration Trait for Increased Yield for Water-Limited Soybean: From Model to Phenotype to Genotype to Cultivars

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is the most widely grown grain legume in the world due to its many uses in feed, food, and industrial products. However, soybean yield is particularly sensitive to soil water deficits, and seemingly, opportunities exist to increase yield by improving specific plant traits. One trait that has proven to be especially useful is the limited-transpiration trait in which water loss by the plants is constrained by the plant under high atmospheric vapor pressure deficit conditions. This chapter reviews the integrated studies at several levels and disciplines to identify the trait, develop some physiological and genetic understanding of the trait, apply classical breeding approaches to develop germplasm expressing the trait, and a simulation analysis across the USA to identify where, how often, and how much the trait in soybean will benefit farmers. The research on the limited-transpiration trait has now led to higher yielding commercial germplasm for water-deficit environments based on expression of the limited-transpiration trait. As often suggested but rarely put into practice, a multi-level, multi-faceted approach was applied in the study of the limited-transpiration trait to generate scientific understanding that was applied in crop breeding to generate higher yielding genotypes.
Abstract 12174: Cardiomyocyte-Specific Silencing of Foxo1 Blunts Pressure Overload-Induced Pathological Cardiac Remodeling

Introduction: Forkhead box-containing O (FoxO) transcription factors are critical regulators of a wide range of cellular responses. We recently reported that persistent activation of FoxO1 is a central element in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that FoxO1 may also play an essential role in the development of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Methods and Results: Two month oldwild-type (WT) and cardiomyocyte-specific FoxO1 knockout (cKO) mice were subjected to sham or thoracic aortic constriction (TAC) surgery for 3 weeks. WT mice manifested significant cardiac hypertrophic growth, as evidenced by increased heart weight/body weight ratios and cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas. By contrast, hypertrophic growth was significantly blunted in cKO mice. Importantly, WT, but not cKO, mice manifested diminished contractile function, including diminished % fractional shortening and increased left ventricular dimensions in systole and diastole, as judged by M-mode echocardiography. Histological and gene expression data revealed a significant TAC-induced increase in fibrosis and a robust induction of fetal gene expression in WT, but not cKO, heart. Consistent with these in vivo data, siRNA-mediated knockdown of FoxO1 in cultured neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes attenuated hormone-induced fetal gene expression and leucine incorporation. Conclusions: These data uncover a previously unrecognized role of FoxO1 in afterload-induced pathological remodeling of the adult heart.
Social Investing: Mainstream or Backwater?

Social investing, though not yet fully mainstream, has the potential to obtain such status. Questions relating to the future of social investing include the following. (1) What properly falls within the ambit of social investing? Assuming that no single definition of social responsibility is feasible, what then are the limits? (2) What do we need to know about investor psychology concerning social investing? What motivates people to buy socially screened investments and why do they sometimes act inconsistently? (3) How can we improve the measures of social performance? Is it possible to develop GAAP and GAAS equivalents for social reporting? (4) Should social reports by firms be audited? If so, how? (5) What sorts of public policies are necessary to support the social screening of investments?
Dielectric Properties of Pulsed Laser Deposited SrTiO3 Thin Films

Low frequency dielectric loss and nonlinearity in pulsed laser deposited SrTiO 3 thin films were studied. A low loss tangent in the order of 10 −4 , close to the level found in SrTiO 3 single crystals, was observed. Combined with a large tunability, this resulted in a figure of merit for frequency and phase agile materials that can rival that observed in single crystals. The SrTiO 3 thin films with thickness ranging from 25 nm to 2.5μ1 were grown on SrRuO 3 electrode layers. The loss depends strongly on the thickness, but differently above and below T ∼ 80 K. Our result suggests that, in the high temperature regime, the interfacial dead layer effect dominates while, in the low temperature regime, the losses related to the structural phase transition and quantum fluctuations are important. The effect of interfacial potential was studied by using different electrode materials that result in different Schottky barriers.
An Electronic Emergency Triage System to Improve Patient Distribution by Critical Outcomes

Abstract Background Patient triage is necessary to manage excessive patient volumes and identify those with critical conditions. The most common triage system used today, Emergency Severity Index (ESI), focuses on resources utilized and critical outcomes. Objective This study derives and validates a computer-based electronic triage system (ETS) to improve patient acuity distribution based on serious patient outcomes. Methods This cross-sectional study of 25,198 (97 million weighted) adult emergency department visits from the 2009 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. The ETS distributes patients by using a composite outcome based on the estimated probability of mortality, intensive care unit admission, or transfer to operating room or catheterization suite. We compared the ETS with the ESI based on the differentiation of patients, outcomes, inpatient hospitalization, and resource utilization. Results Of the patients included, 3.3% had the composite outcome and 14% were admitted, and 2.52 resources/patient were used. Of the 90% triaged to low-acuity levels, ETS distributed patients evenly (Level 3: 30%; Level 4: 30%, and Level 5: 29%) compared to ESI (46%, 34%, and 7%, respectively). The ETS better-identified patients with the composite outcome present in 40% of ETS Level 1 vs. 17% for ESI and the ETS area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.83 vs. ESI 0.73. Similar results were found for hospital admission (ETS AUC = 0.83 vs. ESI AUC = 0.72). The ETS demonstrated slight improvements in discriminating patient resource utilization. Conclusions The ETS is a triage system based on the frequency of critical outcomes that demonstrate improved differentiation of patients compared to the current standard ESI.
RESEARCH OF THE COORDINATED DEVELOPMENT OF HUAIHAI ECONOMIC ZONE

Based on the evaluation criteria of regional coordinated development,then construct its index system.Through making use of linear-weighted model and coefficient of variation to calculate the level of integrated development of economy-community-population-resources-environment system of Huaihai economic zone,and the coordination degree of Huaihai economic zone,the four plates and its 20 cities.The paper draws the following conclusions:(1)The coordination degree is high,while the developing degree is low.(2)The coordination degree of its cities mostly is in the basic coordination of the intermediate stage.(3)It is higher in the east region than the west about the coordination degree.
The Protective Effects of BCG Vaccination against Tuberculosis

An international conference, sponsored by the Fogarty International Center (FIC) of the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., held in November 1987, entitled Research Toward the Global Control and Prevention of Tuberculosis, with an Emphasis on the Development of New Vaccines, would be expected to lead to an international research effort toward the eradication of tuberculosis. The research objectives of the FIC conference are similar to those of a conference organized in 1982 as the WHO Immunology of Tuberculosis program1 and therefore with the principal emphasis on the application of the technologies of genetic engineering and monoclonal antibody to the development of new antituberculosis vaccines. The objectives of these two research conferences suggest that tuberculosis control specialists are not satisfied with the protective effect of available BCG vaccines and the degree of their dissatisfaction is sufficiently great that scientists are being encouraged to develop new vaccines.
The role of zonal flows in the saturation of multi-scale gyrokinetic turbulence

The 2D spectrum of the saturated electric potential from gyrokinetic turbulence simulations that include both ion and electron scales (multi-scale) in axisymmetric tokamak geometry is analyzed. The paradigm that the turbulence is saturated when the zonal (axisymmetic) ExB flow shearing rate competes with linear growth is shown to not apply to the electron scale turbulence. Instead, it is the mixing rate by the zonal ExB velocity spectrum with the turbulent distribution function that competes with linear growth. A model of this mechanism is shown to be able to capture the suppression of electron-scale turbulence by ion-scale turbulence and the threshold for the increase in electron scale turbulence when the ion-scale turbulence is reduced. The model computes the strength of the zonal flow velocity and the saturated potential spectrum from the linear growth rate spectrum. The model for the saturated electric potential spectrum is applied to a quasilinear transport model and shown to accurately reproduce the electron and ion energy fluxes of the non-linear gyrokinetic multi-scale simulations. The zonal flow mixing saturation model is also shown to reproduce the non-linear upshift in the critical temperature gradient caused by zonal flows in ion-scale gyrokinetic simulations.
Ultrastructure of Human Basophils

Basophilic leukocytes (Fig. 12) can be distinguished from mast cells in humans by ultrastructural criteria (Dvorak 1978, 1986a; Dvorak et al. 1974, 1976a, b, 1980e, 1981a, b, 1982, 1983a, c, d, 1985b; Dvorak and Dvorak 1975; Findley et al. 1981; Fox et al 1984; Galli et al. 1983, 1984; Ishizaka et al. 1985; Peters et al. 1987). These diagnostic features include polylobed nuclei with a condensed chromatin pattern, surface architecture which consists of irregular, broad, cytoplasmic protrusions, cytoplasmic glycogen, and granules. In mature basophils, the Golgi apparatus is inconspicuous and membrane-bound ribosomes are rare. Free ribosomes, mitochondria and cytoplasmic vesicles and filaments are present. Lipid bodies can be found in basophils. Basophil granules are larger and less numerous than their counterparts in mast cells. These membrane-bound structures are filled with dense particles (Fig. 13A) that vary in the density of packing within granules. Some granules contain focal collections of membranes that may enclose some granule particle contents (Fig. 13B). These membrane collections can sometimes resemble some scroll patterns found in human mast cells. When all nuclear and cytoplasmic criteria are considered, human mast cells can, however, be readily distinguished from human basophils.
Hearing and Hormones: Paying Homage to the Comparative Approach

This volume on Hearing and Hormones for the Springer Handbook of Auditory Research (SHAR) series provides a broad comparative overview of hormonal influences on the behavioral and neural mechanisms of hearing in vertebrates. The chapters provide coverage for each of the major lineages of vocal vertebrates that have been foci of investigations of hearing and hormones, namely teleost fishes, amphibians, birds, and mammals, including humans. As reviewed in this chapter, a contemporary approach to asking how hormones affect the sense of hearing was triggered, in part, by the introduction of autoradiographic methods to map the location and abundance of steroid concentrating cells in the brain of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Since that time, an armamentarium of other investigative tools ranging from underwater acoustics to single neuron recordings and in situ hybridization to identify patterns of gene expression have complemented these earlier methods to elucidate mechanisms that explain how hormones and other neuromodulators affect auditory processing in both the sensory periphery and the central nervous system. Comparative investigations of hearing and hormones have been, and will continue to be, enriched by researchers from the fields of animal bioacoustics, human audiology, neuroethology, behavioral and molecular neuroendocrinology, and genetics.
Gemcitabine and Antisense-microRNA Co-encapsulated PLGA-PEG Polymer Nanoparticles for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly prevalent, and the third most common cause of cancer-associated deaths worldwide. HCC tumors respond poorly to chemotherapeutic anticancer agents due to inherent and acquired drug resistance, and low drug permeability. Targeted drug delivery systems with significant improvement in therapeutic efficiency are needed for successful HCC therapy. Here, we report the results of a technique optimized for the synthesis and formulation of antisense-miRNA-21 and gemcitabine (GEM) co-encapsulated PEGylated-PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) and their in vitro therapeutic efficacy in human HCC (Hep3B and HepG2) cells. Water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) double emulsion method was used to coload antisense-miRNA-21 and GEM in PEGylated-PLGA-NPs. The cellular uptake of NPs displayed time dependent increase of NPs concentration inside the cells. Cell viability analyses in HCC (Hep3B and HepG2) cells treated with antisense-miRNA-21 and GEM co-encapsulated NPs demonstrated a nanoparticle concentrat...
Do patients participating in oncology clinical trials understand the informed consent form? A Brown University Oncology Research Group study.

23 Background: The informed consent process is used to provide research participants information that includes the purpose and procedures of the research study, risks, benefits, potential alternatives and that participation is voluntary. The goal of informed consent to is to provide this information in language that is understandable to the research participant. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether research participants in adult hematology/oncology clinical trials understand the information presented during the informed consent process. Methods: Patients receiving active treatment on an oncology clinical trial that utilizes chemotherapy, radiation, targeted agents, biologic therapy or hormonal therapy were eligible to participate in this study. After informed consent was obtained, research participants are given a 14-question test. The questions evaluate whether patients understand the following elements on the informed consent related to their oncology treatment study: The purpose and procedures ...
7.15 Synthesis of para- and ortho-Quinones

From a synthetic perspective, a quinone’s substitution pattern dictates the difficulty surrounding its construction. A lack of symmetry, or an adjoining ring, often increases the synthetic challenge. Para -quinones and ortho -quinones are most often accessed by oxidation of the corresponding hydroquinone or catechol. This work will discuss many of the oxidants that affect this simple transformation, and highlight methods to access their precursors from less oxidized substrates. Throughout this chapter, the authors aim to stimulate the reader's imagination with a toolbox of methods organized by the number of oxidations and the type of synthetic transformation. The authors intend to provide old and new strategic methods for those faced with creating challenging quinone products.
Antirespiratory Virus Agents

This chapter reviews antiviral agents that have been, or are being, developed to treat or prevent respiratory viral infections. Detailed information is provided for approved agents and those in more advanced stages of clinical development. Agents in Phase I human studies or promising approaches that are still in preclinical development are described briefly. The reader is referred to the respective pathogen-specific chapters for full discussions of the viral agents and the diseases they cause.
A pragmatic approach to deep reduction in U.S. CO2 emissions

It is now widely accepted that CO2 and other heat-trapping gasses released into the atmosphere by human activities are driving a global temperature rise that, if unchecked, could result in severe damage to natural and human systems [1]. The urgency of deep decarbonization of the U.S. economy is now clear and several renewable energy technologies are approaching cost parity with fossil fuels. However, debates around the requisite rate of reduction, and the form of regulations that can achieve those reductions fairly and cost-effectively have resulted in near inaction. Typical studies of the GHG reduction pathways rely on multiple sets of assumptions including a fixed trajectory for reduction in GHG emissions (a ‘glide-path’) designed to achieve a chosen representative concentration pathway (RCP, the actual atmospheric concentration of GHG) [2, 3], costs of technology alternatives and some form of model for technology selection and deployment. These models seek to minimize total cost (net of taxes and incentives) within other constraints [4-7]. As a result, such models are highly informative as to what technology pathways might be effective in meeting the stated goals (given the model assumptions) but are far less informative in regard to how precisely a given regulatory concept – which cannot ‘know’ the future or change personal preferences – will steer technology choices along a preferred pathway.
Superconnected: the Internet, digital media, and techno-social life

Superconnected is an ambitious review of the literature on how information and communication technologies (ICTs), primarily the Internet and its related technologies, have impacted social life, cov...
TDP-43 misexpression causes defects in dendritic growth

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) share overlapping genetic causes and disease symptoms, and are linked neuropathologically by the RNA binding protein TDP-43 (TAR DNA binding protein-43 kDa). TDP-43 regulates RNA metabolism, trafficking, and localization of thousands of target genes. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which dysfunction of TDP-43 contributes to disease pathogenesis and progression remain unclear. Severe changes in the structure of neuronal dendritic arbors disrupt proper circuit connectivity, which in turn could contribute to neurodegenerative disease. Although aberrant dendritic morphology has been reported in non-TDP-43 mouse models of ALS and in human ALS patients, this phenotype is largely unexplored with regards to TDP-43. Here we have employed a primary rodent neuronal culture model to study the cellular effects of TDP-43 dysfunction in hippocampal and cortical neurons. We show that manipulation of TDP-43 expression levels causes significant defects in dendritic branching and outgrowth, without an immediate effect on cell viability. The effect on dendritic morphology is dependent on the RNA-binding ability of TDP-43. Thus, this model system will be useful in identifying pathways downstream of TDP-43 that mediate dendritic arborization, which may provide potential new avenues for therapeutic intervention in ALS/FTD.
Children’s Third-Party Understanding of Communicative Interactions in a Foreign Language

Two studies explored young children’s understanding of the role of shared language in communication by investigating how monolingual English-speaking children interact with an English speaker, a Spanish speaker, and a bilingual experimenter who spoke both English and Spanish. When the bilingual experimenter spoke in Spanish or English to request objects, four-year-old children, but not three-year-olds, used her language choice to determine whom she addressed (e.g. requests in Spanish were directed to the Spanish speaker). Importantly, children used this cue – language choice – only in a communicative context. The findings suggest that by four years, monolingual children recognize that speaking the same language enables successful communication, even when that language is unfamiliar to them. Three-year-old children’s failure to make this distinction suggests that this capacity likely undergoes significant development in early childhood, although other capacities might also be at play.
A 55nm time-domain mixed-signal neuromorphic accelerator with stochastic synapses and embedded reinforcement learning for autonomous micro-robots

Even as rapid advances are being made in the areas of deep neural networks (DNNs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with most hardware demonstrations geared towards inference in vision-based platforms [1-5], we recognize that true autonomy in intelligent agents will only emerge when such bio-mimetic systems can perform continuous learning through interactions with the environment. Reinforcement learning (RL) presents one such computational paradigm inspired by behaviorist psychology, where autonomous agents take actions in an environment to maximize a notion of cumulative reward. This concept is deeply rooted in the human brain where dopamine mediated neurotransmitters (in the cortex, striatum and thalamus of the brain) have been shown to encourage reward-motivated behavior in all our social interactions (Fig. 7.4.1). In this paper, we present a 690μW (V CC =1.2V) neuromorphic accelerator fabricated in 55nm CMOS, which: (1) inherits unique properties of stochastic neural networks, (2) leverages recent advances in Q-learning as an implementation of RL, and (3) demonstrates energy-efficient time-domain mixed-signal (TD-MS) circuit architectures, to provide autonomy to a mobile, self-driving micro-robot at the edge of the cloud, with possible applications in disaster relief, reconnaissance and personal robotics.
Development and initial validation of the appropriate antibiotic use self-efficacy scale.

Abstract Objective While there are various medication self-efficacy scales that exist, none assess self-efficacy for appropriate antibiotic use. The Appropriate Antibiotic Use Self-Efficacy Scale (AAUSES) was developed, pilot tested, and its psychometric properties were examined. Methods Following pilot testing of the scale, a 28-item questionnaire was examined using a sample (n = 289) recruited through the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. Participants also completed other scales and items, which were used in assessing discriminant, convergent, and criterion-related validity. Test-retest reliability was also examined. Results After examining the scale and removing items that did not assess appropriate antibiotic use, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted on 13 items from the original scale. Three factors were retained that explained 65.51% of the variance. The scale and its subscales had adequate internal consistency. The scale had excellent test-retest reliability, as well as demonstrated convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity. Conclusions The AAUSES is a valid and reliable scale that assesses three domains of appropriate antibiotic use self-efficacy. Practice Implications The AAUSES may have utility in clinical and research settings in understanding individuals’ beliefs about appropriate antibiotic use and related behavioral correlates. Future research is needed to examine the scale’s utility in these settings.
Cell Surface Receptors, Second Messengers, and the Control of Cellular Activities

Cells that possess the capacity to respond to external stimuli are socially and environmentally adaptable. If they adapt appropriately, this capacity has enormous survival value. As a result, simple bacteria and unicellular eukaryotes respond to beneficial or deleterious chemicals by swimming towards or away from them, respectively (Chapter 8), while most sexual organisms respond to chemical cues emitted by potential mates. These chemicals signal mating responses, thereby promoting genetic exchange and species continuity (Chapter 9). The mechanisms that provide for adaptive responses probably trigger many developmental processes, from sporulation in bacteria to the most complex sequences of differentiation in higher mammals. In this and the subsequent three chapters, we therefore focus on the mechanisms and control of intercellular signaling, intracellular transmission, and response of the target cellular structure to the transmitted signal. An understanding of the evolution and mechanisms of such communication systems depends on familiarity with the mechanisms of solute recognition and transport discussed in the previous chapter.