cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conserving a Legacy Presidential Leaders in Education Research

This essay briefly describes some of the early AERA presidents who were empiricists, several of them directors of research, and how their work connects with some of the issues of design, measurement, analysis, and interpretation today. Beginning with the first president of AERA, a number of presidents through the late 1940s are highlighted, as well as how their work spoke to the times they lived in and how its impact continues through this centennial year. The history stops with the 1950s, which ushered in a new era of significant innovations in research methodology and statistical techniques, strong criticisms of the quality of education research, and a growing recognition of the importance of education in promoting U.S. economic development and social reform. The intent of this essay is to discuss how the legacy of education research, unfamiliar to many of us, shaped how we approach issues of testing, measurement, and student ability—some for the best, others fueling debates and inertia for sustainable ...
Charismatic Leadership: The Elusive Factor in Organizational Effectiveness

The article presents a review of the book “Charismatic Leadership: The Elusive Factor in Organizational Effectiveness,” by Jay A. Conger.
Vitamin A-enhanced cleft palate susceptibility gene maps between C4 and B144 within the H-2 complex.

AbstractPregnant mice congenic with C57BL/10 in the region of H-2, the major histocompatibility complex on Chromosome 17 (B10.BR, B10.A, B10.A(1R), B10.A(2R), B10.A(15R), B10.A(18R), B10.OL, or crosses between them) were fed Purina Laboratory Chow or the same diet plus 400 IU of vitamin A daily from conception and given dexamethasone (80 or 160 mg/kg) intraperitoneally on the twelfth day of pregnancy. It was found that the added vitamin A increased the frequency of isolated cleft palate only in strains that had b alleles between C4 and B144. The enhancement of susceptibility to glucocorticosteroid-induced cleft palate by vitamin A appears to be a recessive trait and the locus, called Acp, maps centromeric to another corticosteroid-induced cleft palate gene (Dcp-2) that also is in the C4:B144 interval.
Gradual Enlightenment, Sudden Enlightenment and Empiricism

In its history, the scholarly study of meditation has been the preserve of orientalists, historians and phenomenologists of religion and, more recently, psychologists of consciousness. These investigators have, on the whole, been mindful of philological, textual and descriptive matters. Little attention has been given to philosophical, theoretical, or sociological aspects of meditation. In particular, the many possible connections between characteristics of meditational practice and institutionalized theories of knowledge, brought to light in other areas by the sociology of knowledge, have been ignored.
Evaluation of Malassezia and Common Fungal Pathogens in Subtypes of Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Background Fungal hypersensitivity and fungal microbiome dysbiosis are possible etiologies of chronic rhinosinusitis. The sinus fungal microbiome is not well characterized; novel sinus-associated fungi, including Malassezia, have only recently been described. The goals for this study were to verify Malassezia as a dominant component of the sinus microbiome, to speciate sinus Malassezia, and to compare select fungal species in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) subtypes with known fungal association to chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps (CRSwNP) and healthy controls. Methods Twenty-eight patients were enrolled and categorized as CRSwNP (n = 15), fungus ball (n = 3), allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS, n = 3), or healthy control (n = 7). Brush samples were taken from ethmoid or maxillary sinus mucosa and tested for DNA from 7 index fungi using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Index fungal species were chosen based on existing data of the sinus fungal microbiome. Results Malassezia species were detected in 68% of patients, without variation among clinical phenotypes (p > 0.99). Malassezia restricta was more commonly detected than Malassezia globosa (p = 0.029). Presence of one Malassezia species predicted the presence of the other (p = 0.035). Aspergillus was identified in 2 of 3 of fungus ball patients (both A. fumigatus) and 2 of 3 AFRS patients (1 A. fumigatus and 1 A. flavus). Aspergillus was absent in control and CRSwNP patients (p < 0.001). Conclusion This study confirmed and speciated Malassezia in healthy and diseased sinuses. Presence of Malassezia species in all groups suggests a commensal role for the fungus. Future work will determine whether Malassezia influences CRS pathogenesis. Aspergillus species were identified in fungal CRS subtypes despite negative surgical cultures, highlighting the importance of culture-independent technology.
Luggage Retention Finite Element Analysis and Testing Study of Sedan Rear Seat

Currently the rear seat back frame of most sedans is made of complicated and heavy tube metal sheet welding assembly to pass the luggage retention requirement in China mandatory regulation GB15083, for which the cost is so high and the mass is big. In this article, a new rear seat frame is designed which is mostly made of tube. Through finite element analysis for luggage retention requirement, the structure design is optimized, and finally passes the luggage retention testing.
Enhanced performance of shewhart charts using multiscale representation

Monitoring charts play an essential role in statistical process control. Shewhart charts are commonly used due to their computational simplicity, and have seen many extensions that attempt to improve their performance. Most univariate charts operate under the assumption that data follow a normal distribution, are independent and contain only a moderate level of noise. Unfortunately, most practical data violate one or more of these assumptions. Wavelet-based multiscale representation of data possess characteristics that can help address these assumptions violations, and may be exploited to improve the performance of the conventional Shewhart chart. In this paper, a multiscale Shewhart chart is developed to deal with violation of these assumptions. The advantages brought forward by the developed multiscale Shewhart chart fault detection algorithm are illustrated through simulated examples. The results clearly demonstrate that the developed method is able to provide lower missed detection and comparable false alarm rates under violation of the above mentioned assumptions.
RAGE-Mediated Suppression of Interleukin-10 Results in Enhanced Mortality in a Murine Model of Acinetobacter baumannii Sepsis

ABSTRACT The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a pattern recognition receptor capable of recognizing multiple pathogen-associated and danger-associated molecular patterns that contributes to the initiation and potentiation of inflammation in many disease processes. During infection, RAGE functions to either exacerbate disease severity or enhance pathogen clearance depending on the pathogen studied. Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic human pathogen capable of causing severe infections, including pneumonia and sepsis, in impaired hosts. The role of RAGE signaling in response to opportunistic bacterial infections is largely unknown. In murine models of A. baumannii pneumonia, RAGE signaling alters neither inflammation nor bacterial clearance. In contrast, RAGE−/− mice systemically infected with A. baumannii exhibit increased survival and reduced bacterial burdens in the liver and spleen. The increased survival of RAGE−/− mice is associated with increased circulating levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10). Neutralization of IL-10 in RAGE−/− mice results in decreased survival during systemic A. baumannii infection that mirrors that of wild-type (WT) mice, and exogenous IL-10 administration to WT mice enhances survival in this model. These findings demonstrate the role for RAGE-dependent IL-10 suppression as a key modulator of mortality from Gram-negative sepsis.
Why be a journalist? US students’ motivations and role conceptions in the new age of journalism

This mixed-methods study using a national, random sample of journalism students explores their motivations for majoring in journalism and conceptions of the roles of journalists. It showed many similarities among students today and yesterday and some differences between students and professionals. Students’ ranking of the importance of roles compared to professionals showed no significant correlation. They still recognize the same four main roles of journalists, but rank them in a different order and define them differently. These future journalists see ‘soft news’ as being on equal footing, if not more important, than traditional ‘hard news’. They consider it fair game for journalists to join the conversation about important issues of the day. They see citizen journalists as not only taking over more of the adversarial duties of journalists but also increasing the amount of information and opinion that people have access to, making the interpretive role of journalists more necessary as someone needs to s...
Deletion of tetraspanin CD151 from mice results in decreased angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 2816 CD151, a cell surface protein in the tetraspanin family, associates closely with laminin-binding integrins (α3β1, α6β1, α6β4), thereby affecting integrin-dependent cell motility, proliferation, and differentiation. However despite strong evidence of CD151 being present at endothelial cell-cell junctions, a role for endothelial cell CD151 has not previously been demonstrated. We have used mice lacking CD151 (CD151 KO) to address potential in vitro and in vivo angiogenic functions of the CD151 molecule. CD151 KO mice did not show overt vascular defects in vivo, and the absence of CD151 did not affect endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation in vitro. However, CD151-deficient endothelial cells did show reduced in vitro spreading and migration on laminin and reduced invasion through basement membrane Matrigel. Also the CD151-null endothelial cells showed reduced cable formation on Matrigel, diminished tube formation in collagen and markedly decreased sprouting from endothelial spheroids in collagen. An aortic ring assay showed that endothelial sprouting from CD151 KO mice was significantly delayed, and in vivo Matrigel plug assays revealed decreased neovascularization in response to bFGF in CD151 KO mice. Finally, CD151 WT and CD151 KO mice were inoculated subcutaneously with Lewis lung carcinoma cells. By 15 days after injection, the CD151 KO mice showed not only reduced tumor volumes, but also diminished vascular density. These in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that CD151 on endothelial cells may regulate angiogenesis by affecting cell migration, spreading, invasion, sprouting and morphogenesis. Furthermore, these results demonstrate that CD151 is not only physically associated with the laminin-binding integrins, but also is playing a critical functional role.
Nur77 Inhibits Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Fibrosis through Upregulation of Relaxin-3

ObjectiveThe orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 plays critical roles in cardiovascular diseases and its expression is markedly induced in the heart after excessive β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) activatio...
To Three or not to Three: Improving Human Computation Game Onboarding with a Three-Star System

While many popular casual games use three-star systems, which give players up to three stars based on their performance in a level, this technique has seen limited application in human computation games (HCGs). This gives rise to the question of what impact, if any, a three-star system will have on the behavior of players in HCGs. In this work, we examined the impact of a three-star system implemented in the protein folding HCG Foldit. We compared the basic game's introductory levels with two versions using a three-star system, where players were rewarded with more stars for completing levels in fewer moves. In one version, players could continue playing levels for as many moves as they liked, and in the other, players were forced to reset the level if they used more moves than required to achieve at least one star on the level. We observed that the three-star system encouraged players to use fewer moves, take more time per move, and replay completed levels more often. We did not observe an impact on retention. This indicates that three-star systems may be useful for re-enforcing concepts introduced by HCG levels, or as a flexible means to encourage desired behaviors.
Synthetic clock transitions via continuous dynamical decoupling.

Decoherence of quantum systems due to uncontrolled fluctuations of the environment presents fundamental obstacles in quantum science. Clock transitions which are insensitive to such fluctuations are used to improve coherence, however, they are not present in all systems or for arbitrary system parameters. Here we create a trio of synthetic clock transitions using continuous dynamical decoupling in a spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate in which we observe a reduction of sensitivity to magnetic-field noise of up to four orders of magnitude; this work complements the parallel work by Anderson et al. [R. P. Anderson et al., following paper, Phys. Rev. A 97, 013408 (2018)]. In addition, using a concatenated scheme, we demonstrate suppression of sensitivity to fluctuations in our control fields. These field-insensitive states represent an ideal foundation for the next generation of cold-atom experiments focused on fragile many-body phases relevant to quantum magnetism, artificial gauge fields, and topological matter.
The Inter‐relationship of Organizational Learning, Learning Organizations, Virtual Technology, and Virtual Communities of Practice

This article explores the integration between technology and human resource development (HRD) techniques and theories by examining the inter-relationship between organizational learning, learning organizations, virtual technology, and virtual communities of practice and the role of the HRD professional in that relationship. First, the evolution of the concept of organizational learning is examined. This is followed with a discussion of organizational learning, and learning organizations, and their relationship with virtual technology and virtual communities of practice within organizations. Lastly, the implications of organizational learning and virtual technology upon human resource development professionals are presented.
A Model-law Approach to Sovereign Debt Restructuring

Unresolved sovereign debt problems and disruptive litigation are hurting debtor nations and their citizens, as well as their creditors. A default can also pose a serious systemic threat to the international financial system. Yet the existing “contractual” approach to sovereign debt restructuring, including the use of so-called collective action clauses, is insufficient to solve the holdout problem; recent empirical research indeed shows a drastic rise in sovereign debt litigation by holdout creditors. And the political economy of treaty-making makes a multilateral “statutory” approach highly unlikely to succeed in the near future. This article, prepared at the invitation of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) for presentation at its 50th Anniversary Congress, shows why a model-law approach to sovereign debt restructuring should be realistic and effective. Nations and even subnational jurisdictions could individually enact a model law as their internal law, and contracts governed by that law would thereby become governed by the model law. Choice of law thus gives a model-law approach a powerful multiplier effect. A model-law approach could also solve the problem of pari passu clauses and address the critical need for a financially troubled nation to obtain liquidity during its restructuring process. The article proposes a form of Sovereign Debt Restructuring Model Law, which has been vetted in discussions with leading experts worldwide and also embraces the Basic Principles on Sovereign Debt Restructuring Processes adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. At the very least, pursuing the Model Law in parallel to other approaches would help to develop norms for a sovereign debt restructuring legal framework that goes beyond mere contracting.
Examining the importance of endmember class and spectra variability in unmixing analysis for mapping urban impervious surfaces

Abstract Impervious surface is considered as a key indicator for evaluating urbanization intensity and environmental quality. For mapping impervious surfaces, spectral mixture analysis has been widely applied because of its effectiveness in addressing the mixed pixel problem. For spectral mixture analysis, endmember class and spectra variability have been recognized as profound error sources. In order to address these challenging problems, many techniques have been developed in recent years. While the proposed methods have proven valuable for mapping impervious surface fractions, the importance of endmember class and spectra variability in unmixing analysis is still not clear yet. In this study, I implemented five typical temporal mixture analysis models with different considerations of endmember class and endmember spectra variability. In particular, I evaluated the modelling performance of all five temporal mixture analysis models through visual examination and quantitative analysis. Furthermore, a detailed modelling performance comparison has been conducted for the overall area and both developed and less developed areas to examine the importance of endmember class and endmember spectral variability in unmixing analysis for mapping impervious surfaces. Analysis results suggest that all five proposed temporal mixture analysis models have achieved a promising performance for mapping impervious surfaces. Moreover, the performance comparison results show that the endmember class variability is more important for less developed areas and the endmember spectra variability is more important for developed areas.
Automated framework for accurate segmentation of pressure ulcer images

Ulcer tissue segmentation is of immense importance in helping medical personnel to assess wounds. This paper introduces a new computational framework employing state-of-the-art image processing techniques to segment pressure ulcer tissue structures from color images. The framework integrates a visual appearance model of an observed input image with prior color information from an available database of previously stored color RGB images. The following four processing steps are performed. First, to minimize the execution time and enhance the segmentation accuracy, a region-of-interest (ROI) of the whole ulcer area is automatically identified based on contrast changes. This step exploits synthetic frequencies of pixelwise intensities, which are calculated by using an electric field energy model to describe relations between the pixelwise intensities. Secondly, visual appearance of the observed image is modeled by a linear combination of discrete Gaussians (LCDG) model in order to estimate marginal probability distributions of three main tissue classes for the grayscale ROI image. Next, the pixel-wise probabilities of these classes for the color ROI image are calculated using the available prior information about the RGB colors on manually segmented database images. Initial labeling is obtained based on both the observed and prior probabilities of pixelwise colors. Finally, to preserve continuity, the labels are refined and normalized using the generalized Gauss-Markov random field (GGMRF) model. Experimental validation on 24 clinical images of pressure ulcers, provided by the Centre IGURCO, showed the high segmentation accuracy of 90.4%.
Two-Dimensional Boron Polymorphs for Visible Range Plasmonics: A First-Principles Exploration

Recently discovered two-dimensional (2D) boron polymorphs, collectively tagged borophene, are all metallic with high free charge carrier concentration, pointing toward the possibility of supporting plasmons. Ab initio linear response computations of the dielectric function allow one to calculate the plasmon frequencies (ω) in the selected example structures of boron layers. The results show that the electrons in these sheets indeed mimic a 2D electron gas, and their plasmon dispersion in the small wavevector (q) limit accurately follows the signature dependence ω ∝ √q. The plasmon frequencies that are not damped by single-particle excitations do reach the near-infrared and even visible regions, making borophene the first material with 2D plasmons at such high frequencies, notably with no necessity for doping. The existence of several phases (polymorphs), with varying degree of metallicity and anisotropy, can further permit the fine-tuning of plasmon behaviors in borophene, potentially a tantalizing materi...
Case 34: Delayed Cutaneous Fluid Leak from a Puncture Hole After Removal of an Epidural Catheter

You are called after hours to evaluate clear liquid leaking from an “epidural catheter puncture hole.” The patient is a 50-year-old Asian male (ASA 2) who had an exploratory laparotomy with gastrostomy for gastric cancer 5 days previously. He had an epidural catheter through which epidural hydromorphone had been used until the second postoperative day, when it was removed intact. The patient is sitting up in bed and not complaining of anything, not even a headache. His past history and examination are noncontributory.
Managing the Medically Complex, Neurologically Impaired Child in the Inpatient Setting

Provide an approach to the management of problems that children with medical complexity experience in the hospital, with particular attention to children with severe neurologic impairment. Children with medical complexity account for an increasing number of bed days and admissions in children’s hospitals and utilize resources far out of proportion to their numbers. They are often neurologically impaired and may be technology dependent. This group of children, however, are often excluded from studies, leaving the clinician with a limited evidence base to make treatment decisions. Although the causes of severe neurologic impairment are varied, the clinical problems these children encounter are similar and include respiratory infections, problems with secretions, dysphagia, feeding intolerance, constipation, gastroesophageal reflux, scoliosis, hip dysplasia, irritability, seizures, osteopenia, and bladder dysfunction, among others. Children with medical complexity due to severe neurological impairment are high utilizers of inpatient resources. Familiarity with the common and predictable problems they experience can assist the clinician in providing care for this population.
Separation results for bounded alternation

We extend results of [P,P,S,T] and show that for time-constructible f, \(\sum _4 (f) \supsetneqq \Delta _0\)(f)=DTIME(f). Using limited nondeterminism, we define a "weak" hierarchy Σ n w (f), a refinement of the alternation hierarchy Σn(f) which satisfies ∪n∑n(f)=∪n∑ n w (f); we show that the Σ n w (f) hierarchy does not collapse.
Device design and flow scaling for liquid sheet jets

A design for and experimental study of microfluidic nozzles that generate thin liquid sheet jets is presented. A parametric study is conducted by varying nozzle geometry, flow rate, and fluid type, and scaling theories to scale and predict jet sheet thickness, width, and length are proposed.
Intracavity characterization of micro-comb generation in the single soliton regime

We use a drop-port geometry to characterize the intracavity waveform of an on-chip microcavity soliton. In contrast to the through-port output, the intracavity field shows efficient power transfer from the pump into the comb.
Diindolylmethane (DIM), formed spontaneously from Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), is the dominant anti-proliferative indole in cell culture media after adding I3C.

5597 Over 150 studies, utilizing I3C added to cultures of breast, prostate, cervical, ovarian, colon and thyroid cancer cells, have attributed observed growth-inhibitory and pro-apoptotic activity to I3C. Prior studies have documented conversion of I3C into DIM in aqueous acid and in vivo in the acidic gastric milieu, yet there has been little study of the spontaneous conversion of I3C into DIM in pH 7 cell culture media. Direct anti-proliferative activity using DIM as the starting agent has now been observed in vitro and in in vivo in models of breast, prostate, cervical, endometrial, ovarian, colon and thyroid cancer. This suggests that DIM, and possibly other non-DIM condensation products from I3C (Linear and Cyclic Trimers), are the actual indoles responsible for previously reported anti-cancer activity from I3C. To address the question of whether DIM may be contributing to activity previously reported for I3C in vitro, we studied the conversion of I3C into DIM under typical cell culture conditions. We added pure I3C in DMSO to samples of a variety of tissue culture medias in sterile tubes. These were placed in a tissue culture incubator at 37 C°. After 24, 36, 48, 72, or 96 hrs the tubes were removed and the media extracted twice with 2 ml of chloroform. The chloroform was evaporated in vacuo and the residue taken up in EtOAc. Aliquots were spotted on 20x20 cm TLC plates and developed in EtOAc:Hexane. The plates were then dried, developed with PMA and then scanned. The intensity of the I3C/DIM spots was quantified using image-J software^. The TLC results are summarized below, expressed as ratios of signal intensities for DIM to I3C. *media + 25% serum; ^ media + 5% serum; ^^ average of two serum studies The results show that I3C readily converts into DIM in tissue culture media. DIM predominating after 24 hrs. Because of the greater relative potency of DIM to I3C previously reported, DIM may be the major active compound responsible for anti-cancer effects in I3C cell culture experiments. ^ Rasband, W.S., ImageJ, NIH, http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/, 1997-2005
Examining healthcare inequities relative to United States safety net hospitals.

Abstract Introduction The impact of safety net (SN) hospitals relative to racial and healthcare disparities remains largely unknown. Methods Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, adults undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, colectomy, or total hip arthroplasty were identified. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to determine association between SN burden and outcomes. Within each SN burden tier, the association between race/ethnic group and outcomes was defined. Results Overall 865,648 patients were identified. After adjustment for potential confounders, patients operated at the highest SN burden hospitals had increased odds of complications (OR 1.14, 95%CI 1.10–1.18), death (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.31–1.52), FTR (OR 1.36, 95%CI 1.25–1.47) and a never event (OR 1.57, 95%CI 1.47–1.68). Irrespective of hospital SN burden, racial minorities had greater odds of a complication, and prolonged LOS compared to whites (p Conclusion While overall degree of safety net burden was associated with worse overall outcomes, SN hospitals did not mitigate racial disparities experienced by minority patients.
Tapestries in the Forests of Mathematics and Music: An Ethnodrama

The purpose of this chapter is to: (a) explore through ethnodrama, perceptions of the relationship between the nature of mathematics and music, as well as parallels in composing and doing math; (b) inform an understanding of the significant connections between the two disciplines; (c) raise questions about how these connections may hold implications for teaching and learning; and (d) feature mathematicians and composers, whose voices are seldom sought or heard outside of their own fields. To inform our work, perceptions of two mathematicians and two composers were gathered through individual and focus-group interviews. These perceptions were juxtaposed with our personal perspective, related literature, and selected musical compositions of individuals proficient in mathematics. The resulting non-linear narrative, cast loosely in the form of Greek dramatic theater, is a themed, sylleptic mosaic, in which the perceptual tessurae of the players intersect to form a story about mathematics and music, and what it means to be a mathematician or composer. It invites the audience to look past the stereotypical image of geeky mathematician and weirdo composer, while it challenges them to reflect on the affinities between mathematics and music and to consider these questions: Should we develop interdisciplinary pedagogy for students with aptitude in both mathematics and music? Should we encourage an interdisciplinary approach for all? And if so, how?
Physical activity trends and metabolic health outcomes in people living with HIV in the US, 2008-2015.

Abstract Despite its potential to improve metabolic health outcomes, longitudinal physical activity (PA) patterns and their association with cardiometabolic disease among people living with HIV (PLWH) have not been well characterized. We investigated this relationship among PLWH in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems with at least one PA self-report between 2008 and 2015. The 4-item Lipid Research Clinics PA instrument was used to categorize habitual PA levels as: Very Low, Low, Moderate, or High. We analyzed demographic differences in PA patterns. Multivariable generalized estimating equation regression models were fit to assess longitudinal associations of PA with blood pressure, lipid, and glucose levels. Logistic regression modeling was used to assess the odds of being diagnosed with obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, or multimorbidity. A total of 40,462 unique PA assessments were provided by 11,719 participants. Only 13% of PLWH reported High PA, while 68% reported Very Low/Low PA at baseline and did not increase PA levels during the study period. Compared to those reporting High PA, participants with Very Low PA had almost 2-fold increased risk for CVD. Very Low PA was also associated with several risk factors associated with CVD, most notably elevated triglycerides (odds ratio 25.4), obesity (odds ratio 1.9), hypertension (odds ratio 1.4), and diabetes (odds ratio 2.3; all p
What is Critical Environmental Justice

The intersection of social inequalities, the exposure of marginalized groups to greater levels of pollution and toxics, and the effects of climate change have expanded the scope of the study of env...
The role of power in community participation: Relocation as climate change adaptation in Fiji:

As the impacts of climate change intensify, potential relocation is becoming more of a reality for coastal communities throughout the world. This is furthering the demand for the implementation of ...
Team learning as boundary crossing: incubating collaboration

Academic incubators are used to support collaborative and entrepreneurial projects in order to catalyze innovative ideas into viable ventures. This study examined five seed-phase entrepreneurial te...
Benzothiadiazole-dithienopyrrole donor-acceptor-donor and acceptor-donor-acceptor triads: Synthesis and optical, electrochemical, and charge-transport properties

2,2′-(Benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4,7-diyl)-4,4′-dialkyl-bis(4H-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole) (DTP-BTD-DTP) donor–acceptor–donor (D-A-D) and 4-alkyl-2,6-bis(benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)-4H-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole (BTD-DTP-BTD) acceptor–donor–acceptor (A-D-A) triads, with or without additional alkylation in the DTP 6- or BTD 7-positions, respectively, have been synthesized using Stille coupling reactions, characterized using UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and electrochemistry, modeled using density functional theory calculations, and used as charge-transport materials in field-effect transistors. The choice of alkyl substitution pattern has only minor effects on the optical and redox behavior but can be used to modify the thermal properties and solubility of these compounds. The D-A-D and A-D-A triads show long-wavelength absorption maxima at 566–588 and 517–521 nm, respectively, in solution. These transitions are attributed to excitation from a delocalized HOMO to a BTD-localized LUMO and, accor...
District Wellness Policy Nutrition Standards Are Associated with Healthier District Food Procurement Practices in the United States.

Food procurement policies often exist to require that schools purchase foods with specific nutrient standards. Such policies are increasingly being used with the hope of improving access to healthier foods and beverages. Local wellness policies, required in any school district that participates in Federal Child Nutrition Programs, often contain specific nutrition standards that detail what can be sold to students during the school day. This study investigated the extent to which nutrition standards in wellness policies may be associated with healthier nutrition standards in district-level purchasing specifications. Cross-sectional data from the 2014–2015 school year for 490 school food authorities from 46 states and the District of Columbia were collected as part of the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study and the National Wellness Policy Study. Survey-adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were computed to examine the association between district wellness policy nutrition standards and corresponding district food purchasing specifications. Results show that having a district wellness policy with corresponding nutrition standards and being in a rural area were associated with district food purchasing specifications for specific nutrients. These findings contribute to the literature to suggest that having a wellness policy with detailed nutrition standards may help to increase access to healthier foods and beverages.
Central charges of = 2 superconformal field theories in four dimensions

We present a general method for computing the central charges a and c of = 2 superconformal field theories corresponding to singular points in the moduli space of = 2 gauge theories. Our method relates a and c to the U(1)R anomalies of the topologically twisted gauge theory. We evaluate these anomalies by studying the holomorphic dependence of the path integral measure on the moduli. We calculate a and c for superconformal points in a variety of gauge theories, including = 4 SU(N), = 2 pure SU(N) Yang-Mills, and USp(2N) with 1 massless antisymmetric and 4 massive fundamental hypermultiplets. In the latter case, we reproduce the conformal and flavor central charges previously calculated using the gravity duals of these gauge theories. For any SCFT in the class under consideration, we derive a previously conjectured expression for 2a−c in terms of the sum of the dimensions of operators parameterizing the Coulomb branch. Finally, we prove that the ratio a/c is bounded above by 5/4 and below by 1/2.
Co‐development of alcohol use problems and antisocial peer affiliation from ages 11 to 34: selection, socialization and genetic and environmental influences

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Social context is an important factor in determining the developmental trajectory of alcohol use. We examined the co-development between alcohol use problems and antisocial peer affiliation. We also estimated the genetic and environmental influences on alcohol use problems, antisocial peer affiliation and their co-development over time. DESIGN Longitudinal study using bivariate latent basis models with structured residuals (LBM-SR). A biometric model was then fitted to estimate the genetic and environmental influences on the growth factors and their covariances. SETTING The United States mid-west region. PARTICIPANTS Members of the Minnesota Twin Family Study (MTFS), an ongoing, longitudinal study of 3762 (52% female) twins (1881 pairs). MEASUREMENTS Alcohol use problems were assessed using a composite measure of average number of drinks per occasion in the past 12 months, maximum number of drinks in 24 hours and DSM-III-R symptoms of alcohol abuse and dependence. Antisocial peer affiliation was measured by self-report of the proportion of one's friends who exhibited types of antisocial behaviors. FINDINGS The LBM-SR model revealed that there was a large correlation between the growth factors for alcohol use problems and antisocial peer affiliation [r = 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.76, 0.80] and cross-lagged effects consistent with both selection and socialization effects. Additionally, antisocial peer affiliation in adolescence was associated with greater increases in alcohol use problems over time (r = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.54, 0.60). Genetic influences largely accounted for the association between antisocial peer affiliation in pre-adolescence and growth in alcohol use problems, while shared environmental influences accounted for the correlation between antisocial peer affiliation and alcohol use problems growth factors. CONCLUSIONS Antisocial peer affiliation in adolescence appears to be a salient, genetically influenced risk factor for early alcohol use and increase in alcohol use from adolescence to young adulthood.
New class of trianionic constrained geometry ligands: Representative complexes of zirconium

Abstract Acid-catalyzed condensation of fluorenylacetaldehyde diethylacetal (1) or indenylacetaldehyde diethylacetal (2) with 3-methylindole yields fluorenylbis(3-methylindolyl)ethane (3) or indenylbis(3-methylindolyl)ethane (4), respectively. Compounds 3 and 4 were used to demonstrate the coordination modes of this new class of ligands to zirconium. Transamination of Zr(NEt2)4 with 3 (H3L) yields (HL)Zr(NEt2)2(THF) (5) in which doubly deprotonated 3 chelates zirconium via two N-indolide moieties. The fluorenyl group remains protonated and uncoordinated. Transamination of Zr(NEt2)4 with 4 (H3L´) yields L´Zr(NEt2) (6) in which triply deprotonated 4 coordinates to zirconium via an η5-indenyl and both N-indolide moieties in a constrained geometry fashion. The molecular structures of 3·THF, 5·3THF, and 6·0.5C7H8 were confirmed by X-ray crystallography.
Changes to Timeliness and Completeness of Infectious Disease Reporting in Texas After Implementation of an Epidemiologic Capacity Program.

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to characterize the changes in timeliness and completeness of disease case reporting in Texas in response to an increasing number of foodborne illnesses an...
Association of Wealth With Longevity in US Adults at Midlife

Importance Wealthy adults tend to live longer than those with less wealth. However, a challenge in this area of research has been the reduction of potential confounding by factors associated with the early environment and heritable traits, which could simultaneously affect socioeconomic circumstances in adulthood and health across the life course. Objective To identify the association between net worth at midlife and subsequent all-cause mortality in individuals as well as within siblings and twin pairs. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study conducted a series of analyses using data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, an ongoing national study of health and aging. The sample included adults (unrelated individuals, full siblings, and dizygotic and monozygotic twins) aged 20 to 75 years, who participated in wave 1 of the MIDUS study, which occurred from 1994 to 1996. The analyses were conducted between November 16, 2019, and May 18, 2021. Exposures Self-reported net worth (total financial assets minus liabilities) at midlife (the middle years of life). Main Outcomes and Measures All-cause mortality was tracked over nearly 24 years of follow-up, with a censor date of October 31, 2018. Survival models tested the association between net worth and all-cause mortality. Discordant sibling and twin analyses compared longevity within siblings and twin pairs who, given their shared early experiences and genetic backgrounds, were matched on these factors. Results The full sample comprised 5414 participants, who had a mean (SD) age of 46.7 (12.7) years and included 2766 women (51.1%). Higher net worth was associated with lower mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR], 0.95; 95% CI, 0.94-0.97;P Conclusions and Relevance This cohort study found that wealth accumulation at midlife was associated with longevity in US adults. Discordant sibling analyses suggested that this association is unlikely to be simply an artifact of early experiences or heritable characteristics shared by families.
Productivity, satisfaction, and interaction strategies of individuals with spinal cord injuries and traditional users interacting with speech recognition software

Speech recognition is an important technology that is becoming increasingly effective for dictation-oriented activities. While recognition accuracy has increased dramatically in recent years, recent studies confirm that traditional computer users are still faster using a keyboard and mouse and spend more time correcting errors than dictating. Further, as these users become more experienced they frequently adopt multimodal strategies that require the keyboard and mouse when correcting errors. While speech recognition can be a convenient alternative for traditional computer users, it can be a powerful tool for individuals with physical disabilities that limit their ability to use a keyboard and mouse. However, research into the performance, satisfaction, and usage patterns of individuals with physical disabilities has not been reported. In this article, we report on a study that provides initial insights into the efficacy of existing speech recognition systems with respect to individuals with physical disabilities. Our results confirm that productivity does not differ between traditional users and those with physical disabilities. In contrast, numerous differences were observed when users rated their satisfaction with the system and when usage patterns were analyzed.
Comparison of Different Techniques of Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Biopsy of Liver in a Swine Model.

Background: The quality of liver biopsy specimens obtained with different fine needle biopsy (FNB) techniques has not been compared. Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic quality of three different liver FNB biopsy techniques. Materials and Methods: Two sequential biopsy series were performed on piglets. Three biopsy techniques were compared: capillary-FNB, core-FNB (CFNB) and vacuum-assisted CFNB (VACFNB) in a swine model. Initially, 30 liver biopsies were performed (ten for each technique). The cellularity and quantity of blood in specimens were measured and compared. In the second series, 54 additional biopsies using CFNB and VACFNB techniques (27 each) in a separate piglet were evaluated in the same fashion. Results: In the first series, cellularity and blood levels were significantly lower in capillary-FNB compared with CFNB (P < 0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively). There was no significant difference between CFNB and VACFNB in cellularity and blood (P = 0.15 and P = 0.1, respectively). In the second series, cellularity was significantly higher in CFNB compared with VACFNB (P < 0.001) with no significant difference in blood (P = 0.5). Conclusions: Among these three different FNB techniques, CFNB technique provided the greatest cellularity. Capillary-FNB technique was inferior among all with the lowest quality of obtained material for cytopathological interpretation.
Can Social Costs Justify Public Health Paternalism

Proponents of coercive public health interventions often justify seemingly paternalistic polices on the grounds that unhealthy citizens do not merely harm themselves with their unhealthy choices—they also harm their fellow citizens, who must then pay for medical services. For example, one justification for motorcycle helmet laws is that helmetless riders are more likely to be injured in ways that require expensive emergency services. Cigarette taxes are justified on the grounds that smokers will ultimately impose disproportionate burdens on the public health system relative to non-smokers, so smokers should bear some costs to offset those predictable burdens.
Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on Mobile systems, applications, and services

Welcome to MobiSys 2005: The Third International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications, and Services. We are honored to serve as the Program Co-Chairs of this premier event for publishing research about mobile and wireless systems. We thank everybody who submitted their papers to MobiSys, demonstrating the extensive work going on in this area, and the Program Committee and our external reviewers, who have spent countless hours providing feedback and guidance to create the final program. You all made our jobs much easier than we could have imagined possible!There were 124 paper abstracts submitted to the conference and 84 full papers. This represented a substantial drop in submissions. However, we also noticed a significant decrease in out-of-scope submissions, particularly those focused on lower-level networking issues that are much more appropriate for MobiCom. As a result, the overall pool of papers from which to select was comparable to that seen in prior years.Each full paper was assigned to three Program Committee members for a first round of review. Papers with an overall recommendation of "weak reject" or better, plus papers with high variance among reviewers, were assigned up to three additional Program Committee members for a second round of shorter, skim reviews. There were 50 papers selected for this second round. In toto, the Program Committee filed nearly 400 reviews. The committee convened in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on a chilly winter's day to discuss the 50 second-round papers. We ultimately selected 20 of these papers for inclusion in the conference, resulting in an acceptance rate of just under 24%. Each accepted paper was then shepherded by a PC member before being submitted for inclusion in the proceedings. A Best Paper Award is presented at the opening session of the conference.In addition to the technical sessions, we have two invited speakers: Rick Rashid of Microsoft Research, discussing the difficulties inherent in using ubiquitous computing and communications to help bridge the information divide; and Alfred Spector of IBM Research, outlining the challenges in building robust, secure, and easy-to-administer pervasive systems. The conference also features a poster/demo session, along with work-in-progress reports--a busy few days!The success of this conference is due entirely to the mobile systems community, the hard working teams that produce such excellent research, and the attendees, who create such a vibrant exchange of ideas. Welcome to MobiSys 2005.
Checking combinational equivalence of speed-independent circuits

We introduce the notion of combinational equivalence to relate two speed-independent asynchronous (sequential) circuits: a “golden” hazard-free circuit C_1 and a “target” circuit C_2 that can be derived from C_1 through only combinational decomposition and extraction. Both circuits are assumed to be networks of single-output basic gates; multiple output gates such as arbiters, toggles, and dual-rail function blocks are not considered. We say that the circuits are combinationally equivalent if the decomposition and extraction preserves the essential functionality of the combinational blocks in the circuit and does not introduce hazards. The paper‘s focus is the bottleneck of the verification procedure, checking whether C_2 is hazard-free. We show that C_2 is hazard-free if and only if all of its signals are monotonic and acknowledged . We then show how cubes that approximate sets of reachable circuit states can be used to give sufficient conditions for monotonicity and acknowledgement. These sufficient conditions are used to develop a verification technique for combinational equivalence that can be exponentially faster than applying traditional, more general verification techniques. This result can be useful for verifying logic synthesis and technology mapping procedures.