cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Interaction between Long and Short Wind-Generated Waves

The interaction of wind-induced short (capillary) and long (gravity) surface waves of disparate scales is analyzed with the use of an expansion procedure accounting for the lowest-order effects of finite short-wave amplitude on the growth of a small-amplitude long wave. Interactions in both water and air are considered. In the water there is transfer of momentum from the short to the long waves arising from the modulation of the short-wave growth rate by the long wave; this may be interpreted as the effect of the shortwave surface-stress modulations in phase with the long-wave surface elevation and is consistent with earlier treatments employing energy considerations. The interaction in the air is treated with an in viscid model. This shows that the modulation of the short-wave Reynolds stresses by the long wave can give rise to a phase shift between long-wave pressure and surface slope which may significantly increase the rate of transfer of momentum from the wind to the long wave.
A Statistical Appraisal of Biomarker Selection Methods Applicable to HIV/AIDS Research

Abstract The past decade has seen an explosion in the availability and use of biomarkers data as a result of innovative discoveries and recent development of new biological and molecular techniques. Biomarkers are essential for at least four key purposes in biomedical research and public health practice: they are used for disease detection, diagnosis, prognosis, to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from selected therapies, and to guide clinical decision making. Determining the predictive and diagnostic value of biomarkers, singly and in combination, is essential to their being used effectively, and this has spurred the development of new statistical methodologies to assess the relationship between biomarkers and clinical outcomes. In this paper, we review both standard and novel statistical methods used for biomarker selection. We focus on techniques that could be readily applied to HIV infection research. Particular attention is given to deriving variable importance measures based on doubly robust methods such as targeted maximum likelihood estimation. We conclude by providing an example of the application of three novel techniques to a dataset from the Hormonal Contraception and HIV Genital Shedding and Disease Progression Study (GS Study) to select, among many candidate biomarkers, the best subset that is significantly associated with a CD4 cell decline to less than 350 cells/mm 3 .
Medical Podiatry and Nail Disease

As a specialist of lower extremity disorders, the podiatric practitioner has a unique perspective in the diagnosis and management of toenail disorders. Toenail disease may be caused by a variety of issues that are specifically foot related: trauma from shoes, biomechanical issues and forces, and infection compounded by shoe gear and adjacent skin conditions to the nails (i.e. interdigital tinea pedis).
Concept Maps: Active Learning Assessment Tool in a Strategic Management Capstone Class

Teaching a business program capstone class presents a double challenge, requiring the educator to integrate different functional areas of business and evaluate student learning. This paper discusse...
Intimate Partner Violence and Life History Strategy

Etiological theories of intimate partner violence (IPV) are reviewed, stemming from both standard social science and from evolutionary psychology and functioning at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and sociocultural levels. After showing how most of these theories are only minimally mutually contradictory, mostly differing on matters of detail as well as in the confusion and confl ation of proximate and ultimate levels of causation, we propose a cross-disciplinary integration based on the inclusive framework provided by life history theory. A wide array of empirical evidence is provided in support of this view as the most inclusive and integrative framework currently available, as well as the most useful in helping to explain many of the previous fi ndings within an evolutionary and cross-cultural context.
Consumer choice as experienced in the user-choice food pantry environment: motivations and situational influences on food selection

OBJECTIVE While scholarship has investigated how to provide more healthy food options in choice pantry environments, research has just begun to investigate how pantry users go about making decisions regarding food items when the ability to choose is present. The present analysis sought to investigate the factors prohibiting and inhibiting food decision making in choice pantries from the perspective of frequent pantry users. DESIGN Six focus group interviews were conducted with visitors to choice food pantries, to discuss the decision-making process involved in food selection during choice pantry visits. Each was provided a $US 15 remuneration for taking part. SETTING A school-based choice food pantry in Anderson, Indiana, USA, a small Midwestern community. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-one men and women, largely aged 45-64 years, who made use of choice food pantries at least once monthly to meet their family's food needs. RESULTS Choice pantry visitors indicated that the motivation to select healthy food items was impacted by both individual and situational influences, similar to retail environments. Just as moment-of-purchase and place-of-purchase factors influence the purchasing of food items in retail environments, situational factors, such as food availability and the 'price' of food items in point values, impacted healthy food selection at choice pantries. However, the stigmatization experienced by those who visit pantries differs quite dramatically from the standard shopping experience. CONCLUSIONS Choice pantries would benefit from learning more about the psychosocial factors in their own pantries and adapting the environment to the desires of their users, rather than adopting widely disseminated strategies that encourage healthy food choices with little consideration of their unique clientele.
Investigation of in situ salinity and methane hydrate dissociation in coarse-grained sediments by slow, stepwise depressurization

Abstract Slow (8–15 day), stepwise, degassing of synthesized methane hydrate-bearing sand packs was used to determine in situ salinity to within 0.5 wt%. Rebounds in pressure during shut-in intervals between degassing steps record gradual hydrate dissociation. During successive dissociation steps and pressure rebounds, the pressure decreases more than predicted for a sample with homogenous salinity and temperature at thermodynamic equilibrium. We interpret that hydrate dissociation is limited by local pore water freshening and endothermic cooling around the dissociating hydrate. These results suggest that during production, hydrate dissociation in a reservoir will occur along the freshwater phase boundary even though the bulk salinity of the system may be higher. Pore pressure rebound during shut-in is more rapid in freshwater experiments than in brine experiments, which indicates that salt diffusion plays a role in limiting recovery to homogenous bulk equilibrium during hydrate dissociation. We demonstrate that it is possible to interpret the in-situ salinity from the temperature and pressure at the onset of dissociation. This approach can be applied to actual hydrate-bearing pressure core samples and the results will assist our understanding of how these hydrates form. Depressurization experiments with controlled shut-in periods provide insight into the role of salt and heat diffusion on dissociation in coarse-grained sediments, particularly relevant to pauses in production and in regions of a hydrate reservoir near the hydrate phase boundary.
The Prescribing and Education of Naloxone in a Large Academic Medical Center

The opioid epidemic has led to increased needs for opioid reversal agents which require education and counseling for proper use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate outpatient naloxone prescribing and education practices at an academic medical center to understand the current state and inform quality improvement measures. This retrospective chart review study included 439 patients that were at least 18 years old and received an outpatient prescription for naloxone between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018. Descriptive and demographic data were collected. The primary endpoint was whether an indication for naloxone and education on administration were documented when naloxone was initially prescribed to patients. Overall, 39% of naloxone prescriptions did not have an indication for prescribing listed in the medical record. Of those with a documented indication, concomitant benzodiazepines and history of overdose or substance abuse were most common (22% and 14%). The average morphine milligram equivalents were 165. Additionally, 69% of dispenses did not have documentation that the patient or a caregiver received education regarding the use and administration of naloxone. These findings suggest that patients are receiving naloxone for appropriate indications. Documentation of medication education is needed to ensure it is occurring and that patients are informed.
Chemical Kinetics Database and Predictive Schemes for Humid Air Plasma Chemistry. Part I: Positive Ion Molecule Reactions

Reliable kinetic and thermodynamic data are required to model the evolution of electric discharge or electron-beam decomposition chemistry of gases in humid air streams. In this first segment of a continuing series, we provide a core database describing the initially dominant ion-neutral molecule reactions in humid air plasmas. Recommended reaction rate data and extrapolation tools are presented in a manner to facilitate prediction of reactivities and reaction channels as a function of temperature, pressure, and applied electric field.
Abstract WP376: Candidates for Long Term Anticoagulation Among Hospitalized Patients With Atrial Fibrillation in United States

Context: Long-term anticoagulation has been consistently shown to reduce the rate of ischemic stroke among selected patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib). There is paucity of data regarding numb...
Existing Legal Limits to Security Council Veto Power in the Face of Atrocity Crimes

In this book, the author outlines three independent bases for the existence of legal limits to the veto by UN Security Council permanent members while atrocity crimes are occurring. The provisions of the UN Charter creating the veto cannot override the UN's 'Purposes and Principles', nor jus cogens (peremptory norms of international law). There are also positive obligations imposed by the Geneva and Genocide Conventions in situations of war crimes and genocide - conventions to which all permanent members are parties. The author demonstrates how vetoes and veto threats have blocked the Security Council from pursuing measures that could have prevented or alleviated atrocity crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes) in places such as Myanmar, Darfur, Syria, and elsewhere. As the practice continues despite regular condemnation by other UN member states and repeated voluntary veto restraint initiatives, the book explores how the legality of this practice could be challenged.
Cis-trans isomerization is not rate determining for b2 ion structures: A guided ion beam and computational study of the decomposition of H+(GlyProAla)

Abstract Decomposition of the protonated tripeptide, GlyProAla (H+GPA), through collision-induced dissociation with Xe in a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer (GIBMS) is examined. Cross sections for the formation of [b2]+, [y2 + 2H]+, [a1]+, [b3]+, [a3]+, [a2]+, and H+(1-pyrroline) fragment ions were collected as a function of kinetic energy. Analysis of these cross sections include consideration of the effects of multiple collisions, dissociation lifetimes, reactant internal and kinetic energy distributions, competition among channels, and evolution into sequential channels. Structures and molecular parameters of reactants, transition states, intermediates, and products were identified using the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory, with single-point energy calculations performed at the B3LYP, B3P86, and MP2(full) levels of theory using a 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis set. Good agreement between experimental threshold energies and those calculated for rate-limiting transition states allow key reaction pathways for the formation of each product to be identified. The MP2(full) level of theory is found to agree best with the experimental results. Notably, even though H+GPA starts with a cis-peptide bond, it forms an oxazolone as its [b2]+ fragment and the absence of a diketopiperazine [b2]+ fragment is verified by other key observations.
Non-traditional risk factors and the risk of myocardial infarction in the young in the US population-based cohort.

Although most prevalent in elderly, myocardial infarction (MI) also affects younger adults. We sought to investigate baseline characteristics in young patients (<55 years) with MI using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2004 and 2015. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in young patients. After multivariable analyses adjusted for age, sex, race, family history of atherosclerosis, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, and current cigarette smoking; novel risk factors such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were associated with a higher risk of developing an AMI in the young (adjusted OR for HIV 4.06; 95 CI 3.48-4.71, p < 0.001), (adjusted OR for SLE 2.12; 95 CI 1.89-2.39, p 0.04), and (adjusted OR for OSA 1.16; 95 CI 1.12-1.20, p < 0.001), respectively. Rheumatoid arthritis was associated with a lower risk of AMI (adjusted OR 0.83; 95 CI 0.76-0.89, p < 0.001). After multivariable analyses, cigarette smoking (adjusted OR 1.98; 95 CI 1.95-2.02, p < 0.001), obesity (adjusted OR 1.37; 95 CI 1.33-1.41, p = 0.003), hyperlipidemia (adjusted OR 1.07; 95 CI 1.04-1.08, p < 0.001) and a family history of CAD (adjusted OR 1.35; 95 CI 1.3-1.4, p < 0.001) were also associated with a higher risk of developing an AMI in the young. In conclusion, young patients with AMI have both traditional risk factors and non-traditional risk factors. In addition to traditional risk factors, close attention should be paid to emerging risk factors such as SLE, HIV and OSA.
State-of-the-Art Review of Capabilities and Limitations of Polymer and Glass Fibers Used for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

The concrete industry has long been adding discrete fibers to cementitious materials to compensate for their (relatively) low tensile strengths and control possible cracks. Extensive past studies have identified effective strategies to mix and utilize the discrete fibers, but as the fiber material properties advance, so do the properties of the cementitious composites made with them. Thus, it is critical to have a state-of-the-art understanding of not only the effects of individual fiber types on various properties of concrete, but also how those properties are influenced by changing the fiber type. For this purpose, the current study provides a detailed review of the relevant literature pertaining to different fiber types considered for fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) applications with a focus on their capabilities, limitations, common uses, and most recent advances. To achieve this goal, the main fiber properties that are influential on the characteristics of cementitious composites in the fresh and hardened states are first investigated. The study is then extended to the stability of the identified fibers in alkaline environments and how they bond with cementitious matrices. The effects of fiber type on the workability, pre- and post-peak mechanical properties, shrinkage, and extreme temperature resistance of the FRC are explored as well. In offering holistic comparisons, the outcome of this study provides a comprehensive guide to properly choose and utilize the benefits of fibers in concrete, facilitating an informed design of various FRC products.
Chromatin architecture is a flexible foundation for gene expression.

The structure of chromatin is associated with its function, but precisely how is unclear. New data show that the higher-order architecture of the genome is similar among cell types with widely variant fates and gene expression patterns, thus challenging the view that chromatin domains determine function in the genome.
Changes in serum adipokines during natural extended fasts in female northern elephant seals.

Abstract Adipose tissue is essential to endotherms for thermoregulation and energy storage as well as functioning as an endocrine organ. Adipose derived hormones, or adipokines, regulate metabolism, energy expenditure, reproduction, and immune function in model systems but are less well studied in wildlife. Female northern elephant seals (NES) achieve high adiposity during foraging and then undergo natural fasts up to five weeks long during haul-outs associated with reproduction and molting, resulting in large changes in adipose reserves. We measured circulating levels of four adipokines: leptin, resistin, adiponectin, and kisspeptin-54, in 196 serum samples from female NES at the beginning and end of their breeding and molting fasts. We examined the relationships between these adipokines and life-history stage, adiposity, mass, cortisol, and an immune cytokine involved in the innate immune response interleukin 6 (IL-6). All four adipokines varied with life-history stage. Leptin concentrations were highest at the beginning of the breeding haul-out. Resistin concentrations were higher throughout the breeding haul-out compared to the molt haul-out. Adiponectin concentrations were highest at the beginning of both haul-outs. Kisspeptin-54 concentrations were highest at the end of the breeding haul-out. Leptin, resistin, and adiponectin were associated with measures of body condition, either adiposity, mass, or both. Resistin, adiponectin, and kisspeptin-54 were associated with circulating cortisol concentrations. Resistin was strongly associated with circulating IL-6, a multifunctional cytokine. Adiponectin was associated with glucose concentrations, suggesting a potential role in tissue-specific insulin sensitivity during life-history stages categorized by high adiposity. Increased cortisol concentrations late in lactation were associated with increased kisspeptin-54, suggesting a link to ovulation initiation in NES. This study suggests dramatic changes in circulating adipokines with life-history and body condition that may exert important regulatory roles in NES. The positive relationship between adiponectin and adiposity as well as the lack of a relationship between leptin and kisspeptin-54 differed from model systems. These differences from biomedical model systems suggest the potential for modifications of expression and function of adipose-derived hormones in species that undergo natural changes in adiposity as part of their life-history.
An exploratory analysis of the competing effects of alcohol use and advanced hepatic fibrosis on serum HDL

While alcohol use has been shown to increase serum HDL, advanced liver disease associates with decreased serum HDL. The combined influence of alcohol consumption and liver fibrosis is poorly defined. In this study, we sought to investigate the competing effects of alcohol use and hepatic fibrosis on serum HDL and to determine if the presence of advanced hepatic fibrosis ablates the reported effect of alcohol consumption on serum HDL. We performed a cross-sectional, exploratory analysis examining the interaction between alcohol use and advanced hepatic fibrosis on serum HDL levels in 10,528 patients from the Partners Biobank. Hepatic fibrosis was assessed using the FIB-4 index. We excluded patients with baseline characteristics that affect serum HDL, independent of alcohol use or the presence or advanced hepatic fibrosis. We observed an incremental correlation between increasing HDL levels and amount of alcohol consumed (P < 0.0001), plateauing in those individuals who drink 1–2 drinks per day, Contrastingly, we found a negative association between the presence of advanced hepatic fibrosis and lower HDL levels, independent of alcohol use (beta coefficient: -0.011075, SEM0.003091, P value: 0.0001). Finally, when comparing subjects with advanced hepatic fibrosis who do not use alcohol to those who do, we observed that alcohol use is associated with increased HDL levels (54.58 mg/dL vs 67.26 mg/dL, p = 0.0009). This HDL-elevating effect of alcohol was more pronounced than that seen in patients without evidence of advanced hepatic fibrosis (60.88 mg/dL vs 67.93 mg/dL, p < 0.0001). Our data suggest that the presence of advanced hepatic fibrosis does not blunt the HDL-elevating effect of alcohol use.
APEX: A New Tool for Predicting the Effects of Climate and CO2 Changes on Erosion and Water Quality

Several field scale hydrologic/water quality models have been developed to study the impacts of agricultural management practices. The EPIC (Environment Policy Integrated Climate — previously the Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator) model is one of the more popular models, which has been widely applied in the United States and around the world. Such models are limited to small field size areas, where the soil; management, crop, and topography are assumed to be homogeneous. To extend the capabilities of EPIC to simulate large complex fanning systems (multiple fields, soils, rotations, management, etc.), a model called APEX (Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender) was developed. In addition to the capabilities of EPIC, APEX has components for routing water, sediment, and chemicals (nutrients and pesticides) across complex landscapes and channel systems to the watershed outlet. The subsurface routing routine to APEX is enhant;ed from that in EPIC and can be used to simulate subsurface processes to a depth of 30 m. In this paper we present an overview of EPIC and APEX, and describe in detail the recently added CO2 component of the model.
Fourth and a Mile: Using Theater in Comparison to Workshop/Lecture as an Approach to Educating African American Men About Prostate Cancer

The American Cancer Society's Cancer Facts & Figures for African Americans 2011–2012 (Atlanta) reports that African American men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer (ACS, 2011) and that African Americans have the highest death rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States for nearly all cancers. The fact that 40 percent of African American males are being diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 16 percent of African males are estimated to die from the condition, demands research and action. This study examines the effectiveness of theater in comparison to standard workshop/lecture in educating African American males about prostate cancer. Employing a retrospective/pre–post-test design, the study recruited 127 men to attend theater and standard workshop/lectures. Researchers assessed the effectiveness of theater in increasing participants' knowledge and awareness about prostate cancer in comparison to standard workshop/lecture. Results of the study indicate statistically significant increases in knowledge for playgoers before and after the play. Participants also reported statistically significant increases in the likelihood of engaging in healthy pro-social prostate-related behaviors. In addition, results of the study indicate that the increase in knowledge for participants who attended the standard workshop/lecture was greater than the increase in knowledge for participants who attended the play. Thus standard workshop/lecture proved to be more effective in educating African American men about prostate cancer. The findings suggest that further research will be needed to identify more innovative educational tools to increase knowledge and alter health-related behaviors.
A SAS® code to correct for non-normality and non-constant variance in regression and ANOVA models using the box-cox method of power transformation

A computer program written in SAS ® code for theBox–Cox family of powertransformations is presented. The purpose of the program is tosuggest a powertransformation for the positive continuous response variablesin only regression and ANOVAmodels. A brief overview of data transformation in regressionand analysis of variance is given.An example using real data from the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency‘sEnvironmental Monitoring and Assessment Program/Estuaries(EMAP-E) illustrates the useof the program.
Structure and function of restriction endonucleases

Abstract The past year has seen significant advances in our understanding of the structure and function of restriction endonucleases. The highlights include a revised chain tracing for Eco RI endonuclease from Escherichia coli , structures soon to be reported for E. coli Eco RV endonuclease and significant advances in the biochemistry and molecular genetics of both enzymes.
The Influence of a Financial Management Course on Couples’ Relationship Quality

This mixed-methods study investigated the influence of a financial management course on couples’ relationship quality. Based on family stress theory, we hypothesized that couples who attended the course would report an improvement in their relationship quality, and that greater implementation of the financial management practices recommended in the course would be related to an increase in relationship quality, accounting for time living together and income. The data from 32 couples supported our hypotheses and revealed that couples’ relationship quality improved during the course. Greater implementation of financial management practices was found to be associated with improvement in relationship quality. Participants identified improved communication as the primary reason for improved relationship quality.
Promise of Bayesian Inference for Astrophysics

The “frequentist” approach to statistics, currently dominating statistical practice in astrophysics, is compared to the historically older Bayesian approach, which is now growing in popularity in other scientific disciplines, and which provides unique, optimal solutions to well-posed problems. The two approaches address the same questions with very different calculations, but in simple cases often give the same final results, confusing the issue of whether one is superior to the other. Here frequentist and Bayesian methods are applied to problems where such a mathematical coincidence does not occur, allowing assessment of their relative merits based on their performance, rather than philosophical argument. Emphasis is placed on a key distinction between the two approaches: Bayesian methods, based on comparisons among alternative hypotheses using the single observed data set, consider averages over hypotheses; frequentist methods, in contrast, average over hypothetical alternative data samples and consider hypothesis averaging to be irrelevant. Simple problems are presented that magnify the consequences of this distinction to where common sense can confidently judge between the methods. These demonstrate the irrelevance of sample averaging, and the necessity of hypothesis averaging, revealing frequentist methods to be fundamentally flawed. Bayesian methods are then presented for astrophysically relevant problems using the Poisson distribution, including the analysis of “on/off” measurements of a weak source in a strong background. Weaknesses of the presently used frequentist methods for these problems are straightforwardly overcome using Bayesian methods. Additional existing applications of Bayesian inference to astrophysical problems are noted.
A theorem on the effects of compensator poles on feedback system zeros

At the system matrix level, the well-known proposition that the poles of a feedback compensator become the zeros of the closed-loop system, is examined via a module-theoretic framework. In particular, the main theorem creates an epimorphism from the zero module of the closed-loop system onto the pole module of the compensator, thereby establishing that the zero module of the closed-loop system does indeed contain the pole module of the compensator in a factor module sense. The proof, presented in detail, requires no restrictive minimality or squareness conditions. Implications and interpretations are also examined. >
Simulating the State-by-State Effec ts of Terrorist Att acks on Thr ee Major U.S. Ports: Applying NIEMO (National Interstate Economic Model)

Relying on a wide array of data sources, we specify and apply what we believe to be the first operational interstate input-output (IO) model for the United States. The National Interstate Economic Model (NIEMO) provides results for 47 major industrial sectors (USC sectors) for all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and a residual (or leakage) region, “The Rest of the World.” We use NIEMO to estimate industry and state-level impacts from the short-term loss of the services of three major U.S. Seaports – Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/Newark and Houston, as a consequence of terrorist attacks. We treat the attacks on the three port complexes as alternatives rather than as simultaneous events. A one-month loss of the services of the Los Angeles/Long Beach port costs the U.S. economy approximately $21 billion. Corresponding impacts for the ports of New YorkNew Jersey and Houston are $14.4 billion and $8.4 billion, respectively. State-by-state impacts are a function of state size and distance from the site of attack.
14nm FinFET based supply voltage boosting techniques for extreme low V min operation

This paper presents new dynamic supply and interconnect boosting techniques for low voltage SRAMs and logic in deep 14nm FinFET technologies. The capacitive coupling in a FinFET device is used to dynamically boost the virtual logic and array supply voltage, improving V min . Hardware measurements show a 2.5–3x access time improvement at lower voltages and a functional V min down to 0.3V. Results are supported by novel physics-based capacitance extraction and novel superfast statistical circuit simulations.
INTERSPECIFIC TRANSFORMATION IN BACILLUS.

Marmur, J. (Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.), E. Seaman, and J. Levine. Interspecific transformation in Bacillus. J. Bacteriol. 85:461–467. 1963.—Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) from various species of the taxonomic group Bacillaceae were examined for base composition, ability to carry out interspecific transformation, and formation of molecular hybrids in vitro. The minimal requirement for genetic compatibility among different species and for DNA interaction (both reflecting base sequence homologies) is the similarity of the guanine plus cytosine contents of the DNA. The close correlation between the ability of DNA to be competent in interspecific transformation and to form hybrid molecules on denaturation and annealing provided a rational approach to the study of genetic relationship among organisms for which no genetic exchange has yet been demonstrated. Any or all of the criteria (base composition of DNA, transformation, molecular hybrid formation) can be used as tools in the taxonomic assessment of closely related microorganisms.
On immunization, stop-loss order and the maximum Shiu measure

Abstract Some main immunization results are derived in a straightforward way using some well-known equivalent characterizations of the stop-loss order by equal means, also called convex order. In a special case, the conditions by Fong and Vasicek [A risk minimizing strategy for multiple liability immunization. Unpublished; Return maximization for immunized portfolios. In: Kaufmann, G.G., Bierwag, G.O., Toevs, A. (Eds.), Innovation in Bond Portfolio management: Duration Analysis and Immunization. JAI Press, London, pp. 227–238] and Shiu [Insur. Math. Econ. 7 (1988) 219], are extended to a necessary and sufficient condition for immunization under arbitrary convex shift factors of the term structure of interest rates. Based on a linear control problem with the Shiu measure as objective function, we analyze in detail the recent bounds by Uberti [Insur. Math. Econ. 21 (1997) 195] on the change in portfolio value of Shiu decomposable portfolios under α-convex and convex-β shift factors. In particular, we determine corresponding maximal and minimax bounds using notions of absolute maximum and minimax Shiu measure. Finally, we consider partial cash flow matching immunization strategies, which allow to reduce the maximum Shiu measure over a fixed period to the maximum Shiu measure over shorter periods.
Measured unsteady transonic aerodynamic characteristics of an elastic supercritical wing

Transonic steady and unsteady aerodynamic data were measured on a large elastic wing in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. The wing had a supercritical airfoil shape and a leading-edge sweepback of 28.8 deg. The wing was heavily instrumented to measure both static and dynamic pressures and deflections. A hydraulically driven outboard control surface was oscillated to generate unsteady airloads on the wing. Representative results from the wind-tunnel tests are presented and discussed. An experimentally predicted dynamic wing instability boundary, sensitive to angle of attack, is reported.
The quest for an HIV-1 vaccine--moving forward.

The challenges in the development of a prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine are unprecedented in the history of vaccinology. But there are reasons for optimism, and indeed, several promising vaccine concepts are currently moving toward clinical efficacy trials.
Liminal devices of interpretation: paratexts of the Supreme Court

“The Supreme Court”, first published in 1987, is a concise and informative narrative of the highest court in the USA. It contains much that is of interest and probing about the court and the intrigues of its decision-making. Moments abound when the reader is taken on a journey through the humanity of the cases, the erudite corridors of high-law and into the intensely high-strung but level-headed hallowed chambers of the Justices and Justice. What is revealed is the exacting mask of law, the humanity and affectations of those whose burden it is to deliver far reaching judgment on the American people. However, more revealing of the storyline is, perhaps, not so much the woven narratives contained within the three pages of text as it is the peripheral story (what Gerard Genette called the ‘paratext’) unfolded in the cover wraps, what they contain and the stories they weave. In this paper, I examine the liminal devices of ‘The Supreme Court’. I argue that much of the systemic cognition of the legal system can be divined from a scholarly encounter with these elements. Furthermore, the paratexts of two editions of the book indicate a paradigmatic shift in the legal perception of both the Supreme Court and the author between the periods of publication. This underscores the law not only in its reactive form but also in its dexterity in shifting its position to reflect the reality of its time. On each occasion, it alters the legal consciousness of a nation. Yet, it stays remarkably stable and self-effacing. The essential question is one of deference. It is of great interest that the Chief Justice targets the informed and the interested as opposed to the ignorant and ambivalent. The liminal devices, I observe, are probably as eloquent with this message as the text within. The paratext bears testimony to this.
SMAP Observatory configuration, from concept to preliminary design

SMAP (Soil Moisture Active and Passive) is a scientific mission to provide global mapping of Earth soil moisture and freeze/thaw state. In order to accomplish this mission the Observatory accommodates two primary Instruments - L-band (1.26 GHz) Radar and L-band (1.4 GHz) Radiometer. Both Instruments use a shared 14.6 RPM spinning Antenna System with 6 m diameter deployable Reflector.
Disruption is Not Permitted: The Policing and Social Control of Occupy Oakland

Negotiated management—various forms of communication, collaboration and cooperation between police and protest organizers, often taking the form of protest permits—has been mainly theorized as a means to mitigate police violence while respecting protesters’ 1st Amendment rights. A few theorists have problematized this view, suggesting that negotiated management is a form of social control that puts various restrictions on dissent. Drawing from my research on Occupy Oakland, I build upon these critiques to illustrate how negotiated management was used as a tool of repression in two key ways, and how newer forms of repression (strategic incapacitation) are still enmeshed in its logic. First, by criminalizing legal activity among protesters, through the use of a permit, who were then subjected to police repression. Second, I show how negotiated management as a normative structure of protest was used as a form of repression, even when communication and cooperation with police were clearly rejected by the movement. I illustrate how the refusal of negotiated management was used to discredit the movement and subject it to physical repression. Rather than seeing negotiated management as an alternative to police repression and strategic incapacitation, I argue that they are two sides of the same policing project, the primary aim of which is to prevent disruptive protest.
Upside-down Lens Syndrome: Ocular Complications Secondary to Inverted Implantation of the Kelman Multiflex Anterior Chamber Intraocular Lens

Purpose To describe ocular complications resulting from inverted insertion of a Kelman Multiflex anterior chamber intraocular lens (ACIOL). Design Retrospective observational case series. Methods We describe the outcomes of 4 cases of complicated cataract surgery in which a flexible open-loop polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) ACIOL (Kelman Multiflex type) was placed in an inverted configuration, all of which were referred to a single institution. Results In all 4 cases, the placement of an inverted ACIOL resulted in ocular complications including chronic iritis, cystoid macular edema, pupil capture, iris adhesions, and corneal decompensation. Conclusions Inadvertent inverted placement of the Kelman Multiflex anterior chamber intraocular lenses can lead to a constellation of severe ocular complications. When inserting such lenses, the surgeon should ensure that the lens is correctly oriented such that the optic vaults anteriorly and not posteriorly.
Neural pathways mediating hypothalamically elicited flight behavior in the cat.

This study has sought to identify hypothalamic pathways mediating flight behavior in the cat. Flight behavior, characterized by an initial pupillary dilatation and followed by vigorous attempts to leap out of the observation chamber, was elicited primarily by electrical stimulation of the medial preoptic region and dorsomedial hypothalamus, and to a lesser extent from the perifornical region. A [14C]-2-deoxyglucose analysis was utilized to examine brain regions functionally activated by stimulation of hypothalamic sites which elicited flight behavior. In a second series of experiments, [3H]leucine injected into regions surrounding electrode tips from which flight had previously been elicited, permitted identification of pathways arising from such functionally characterized sites. We describe for the first time pathways arising from the hypothalamus which mediate flight behavior. In spite of individual variation in placement of electrodes eliciting flight, a consistent pattern of labeling was observed following injection of either [14C]-2-deoxyglucose systemically or [3H]amino acids into the hypothalamus. The primary rostal target structures receiving inputs from flight electrode sites included the nuclei of the diagonal band, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial amygdaloid nucleus, lateral septal nucleus, and anterior medial preoptico-hypothalamus. Caudal to the level of stimulation, the principal target nuclei involved the centrum medianum-parafascicular complex and the midbrain central gray substance. Possible roles of these nuclear regions in organization and regulation of flight behavior is discussed.
Continuous-time dynamic games for the Cournot adjustment process for competing oligopolists

Under the assumption of an iso-elastic demand function, we consider a continuous-time dynamic Cournot adjustment game for n oligopolists. We first show the existence and uniqueness of a positive Cournot equilibrium and, for any n, we show that positive response functions are bounded in time. For the n=3 case, we analytically show that the positive equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable, while, for n>3, we are able to give some asymptotic results. As an application, we then introduce a proportional tax or subsidy to the model, and discuss the influence of such policies on the positive equilibrium. Furthermore, we briefly discuss a generalization of the results to non-iso-elastic demand functions. Comments on possible areas of future work are given.
NONLINEAR ELASTODIFFUSION AT SMALL DEFORMATIONS IN POLYMER MEMBRANES

Abstract Sorption in glassly polymer accompanied by strong concentration effects, is investigated theoretically. Asymptotic solutions for the concentration profiles are obtained and show that the fronts are very sharp, but advance with a square root of time type of dependence. The system is subdivided into two regions, a swollen gel and dry polymer regions using theories from interfacial phenomena. The dynamics are shown to be stable to small perturbations. The stress effects from swelling are shown to be negligible under this model.
Reactivity of the dimesityl-1,8-naphthalenediylborate anion: isolation of the borataalkene isomer and synthesis of 1,8-diborylnaphthalenes

The anionic boron peri-bridged naphthalene derivative, namely dimesityl-1,8-naphthalenediylborate (1), undergoes a hydrolysis reaction to afford dimesityl-1-naphthylborane (2) whose structure has been determined. Upon standing at room temperature in toluene for an extended period of time, 1 undergoes a ring expansion reaction to afford 8,10,11a-trimethyl-7-mesityl-11aH-7-boratabenzo[de]anthracene (3). As shown by its crystal structure, compound 3 constitutes a rare example of a borataalkene and features a carbon–boron double bond of 1.475(6) A incorporated in a conjugated hexa-1-boratatriene system. The reaction of 1 with 9-chloro-9-borafluorene and 5-bromo-10,11-dihydrodibenzo[b,f]borepin results in the formation of diboranes 4 and 5 which bear two different boryl moieties at the peri-positions of naphthalene. These diboranes have been characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray single crystal analysis. The boron center of the borafluorenyl moiety is π-coordinated to the ipso-carbon of a mesityl group with which it forms a contact of 2.730(3) A. The cyclic voltammogram of 2 in THF shows a quasi-reversible reduction wave at E1/2 −2.41 V (vs. Fc/Fc+) corresponding to the formation of the radical anion. In the case of diboranes 4, 5 and 1-(dimesitylboryl)-8-(diphenylboryl)naphthalene (6), two distinct waves are observed at E1/2 −2.14 and −2.56 V for 4, E1/2 −2.26 and −2.78 V for 5, and E1/2 −2.41 and −2.84 V for 6. The first reduction wave most likely indicates the formation of a radical anion in which the unpaired electron is σ-delocalized over the two boron centers.
Water allocation systems in Texas

Allocation of water resources among nations, states, regions, water management organizations and numerous water users is a governing concern in water management in Texas as well as throughout the w...
Equation of state for a weakly ionized gas-discharge plasma

A modification is proposed for the van der Waals equation for a real gas, which transforms it into an equation of state for a thermally nonequilibrium weakly ionized gas-discharge plasma. This modification reflects the existence of collective interactions between neutral particles in the gas-discharge plasma, which generates quasistructural formations impeding the compression and expansion of the plasma. This equation completely describes the characteristics of the dynamic processes in the gas-discharge plasma, provides a quantitative explanation of these processes, and reveals the essential physical features of this phenomenon.
Polyploidy in the pancreas of the normal and diabetic mutant mouse

The DNA content of endocrine and exocrine pancreatic nuclei of normal C57BL/KsJ and diabetic mutant C57BL/Ks-db/db mice was measured by Feulgen microdensitometry. The exocrine and endocrine pancreatic nuclei of the 4-week-old normal, 12-week-old normal, and 4-week-old (prehyper-glycaemic) diabetic mutant mice contained diploid and tetraploid cells, while the 12-week-old (established hyperglycaemic) mutant contained diploid, tetraploid, and octaploid nuclei. The polyploidy in the endocrine pancreas of all these mice was confined to the B-cells, while the A-cells were always diploid.
Translating philosophy into sociology

Despite a variety of expositions, interpretations, and critiques of Jean-Paul Sartre's Critique of Dialetical Reason (1960) and even more studies devoted to Being and Nothingness (1943), what has been lacking to date is a clear demon? stration of how Sartre's philosophy might operate if applied to the theoretical practice of other disciplines. Applications of Being and Nothingness have become popular over the past few decades ? especially in the areas of existential psy? chology, psychoanalysis, and literary criticism. As to the Critique of Dialectical Reason, some commentators have sought to extend its general perspective to political and legal theory. However, with the exception of a few studies, such as Raymond Aron's analysis of the Critique and Michael and Deena Weinstein's essay comparing Sartre with Barrington Moore and C. Wright Mills in Mary Warnock's collection, Existentialism and Sociology: A Study of Jean-Paul Sartre by Ian Craib occupies a rather unique place for the English reader in elaborating Sartre's relationship with sociology. Written by a sociologist, Craib's study is addressed primarily to sociologists. The summaries of Sartre's two major philosophical books reiterate accounts which have been made available by others in a wide variety of contexts. Some? times these other discussions have integrated both works into a treatment of Sartre's literary and political writings; sometimes they have indicated two opposing accounts of human experience with the notion of a "radical conversion" as the moment of transition; and sometimes they have articulated a continuity between the early and later Sartre. Unlike the others, Ian Craib presents and assesses Being and Nothingness and the Critique of Dialectical Reason separately. At the same time, he applies these two very different versions of Sartre's position to sociological theory and practice. In order to accomplish his task of translating
The abscissa of convergence of the laplace-stieltjes transform of a ph-distribution

If a probability distribution of phase type has an irreducible representation (α,T), the abscissa of convergence of its Laplace-Stieltjes transform is shown to be the eigenvalue of maximum real part of the matrix T.