cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A User's Guide to the Stored Communications Act, and a Legislator's Guide to Amending it

Americans care deeply about their Internet privacy. But if they want to know how federal law protects the privacy of their stored Internet communications, they'll quickly learn that it's surprisingly difficult to figure out. The federal statute that protects the privacy of stored Internet communications is the Stored Communications Act (SCA), passed as part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 and codified at 18 U.S.C. section 2701-11. But courts, legislators, and even legal scholars have had a very hard time understanding the method behind the madness of the SCA. The statute is dense and confusing, and that confusion has made it difficult for legislators to legislate in the field, reporters to report about it, and scholars to write scholarship in this very important area.This Article presents a user's guide to the SCA. It explains in relatively simple terms the structure and text of the Act so that legislators, courts, academics, and students can understand how it works - and in some cases, how it doesn't work. I hope to explain the basic nuts and bolts of the statute and show that the statute works reasonably effectively, although certainly not perfectly. My second goal is to show how Congress needs to amend the SCA. I recommend three ways that Congress should rethink the SCA to better protect the privacy of stored Internet communications, clarify its protections, and update the statute for the present. Specifically, I argue that Congress should raise the threshold the government must satisfy to compel the contents of certain Internet communications; that it should simplify the statute dramatically by eliminating the confusing categories of electronic communication service and remote computing service, and eliminating redundant text; and that it should restructure the remedies scheme for violations of the statute.
An Information Theoretic Framework for Multi-View Learning

In the multi-view learning paradigm, the input variable is partitioned into two different views X1 and X2 and there is a target variable Y of interest. The underlying assumption is that either view alone is sufficient to predict the target Y accurately. This provides a natural semi-supervised learning setting in which unlabeled data can be used to eliminate hypothesis from either view, whose predictions tend to disagree with predictions based on the other view. This work explicitly formalizes an information theoretic, multi-view assumption and studies the multi-view paradigm in the PAC style semisupervised framework of Balcan and Blum [2006]. Underlying the PAC style framework is that an incompatibility function is assumed to be known — roughly speaking, this incompatibility function is a means to score how good a function is based on the unlabeled data alone. Here, we show how to derive incompatibility functions for certain loss functions of interest, so that minimizing this incompatibility over unlabeled data helps reduce expected loss on future test cases. In particular, we show how the class of empirically successful coregularization algorithms fall into our framework and provide performance bounds (using the results in Rosenberg and Bartlett [2007], Farquhar et al. [2005]). We also provide a normative justification for canonical correlation analysis (CCA) as a dimensionality reduction technique. In particular, we show (for strictly convex loss functions of the form `(w·x, y)) that we can first use CCA as dimensionality reduction technique and (if the multi-view assumption is satisfied) this projection does not throw away much predictive information about the target Y — the benefit being that subsequent learning with a labeled set need only work in this lower dimensional space.
Priority Evaluation of Product Metrics for Sustainable Manufacturing

This chapter presents a framework to develop comprehensive product metrics for sustainable manufacturing and perform a priority evaluation of the metrics. Recent efforts made in this direction produced a large number of influencing factors and metrics for sustainable manufacturing. It is difficult to evaluate the sustainability content of a product with a large set of metrics and there is a need to prioritize these as per the requirements of different industrial segments. The use of analytic hierarchy process to prioritize the influencing factors for electronic products is illustrated through a case study. The development of product ontology is urged as a prerequisite to the ultimate solution for product manufacturers.
Ab initio self-consistent field study of the vibrational spectra for NO3 geometric isomers

Ab initio self-consistent field results at the UHF/6-31G* and UHF-DZP levels for harmonic vibrational frequencies of symmetric NO{sub 3} with C{sub 2v}, C{sub s}, and D{sub 3h} symmetry; cis and trans forms of OONO are reported. At both levels of calculations (6-31G* and DZP), the theoretical vibrational frequencies for C{sub 2v} sym-NO{sub 3} are in agreement with the recent experimental results. Their calculations for cis and trans isomers of OONO show large deviations from the only observed vibrational frequency (1,838 cm{sup {minus}1}) for trans OONO. The trans isomer of OONO is predicted to be more stable than the cis isomer by approximately 2 kcal/mol and in each case, the ground state for OONO is predicted to be {sup 2}A{double prime}.
Analysis of Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma Using Perimetric Techniques Reflecting Receptive Field-Like Properties

Several lines of research have been drawn together in this brief paper. Perimetric tests of receptive field-like functions localized in the inner retina are unequivocally altered in open angle glaucoma. In 49 out of 49 cases changes in the sustained-like function were shown to occur. These changes in measured function may or may not parallel alterations in the visual field. The visual field tends to vary substantially in time in the population sampled. The disease process may be amenable to treatment, if evidence for remissions in functional properties remains.
Schmidt Plate Astrometry: Subplate Software

A portable computer program called SUBPLATE was developed to implement the sub-plate overlap technique proposed by Taff (1989 AJ 358,359). The main point of the technique is to divide the plate into smaller pieces and then to overlap them, each with a minimum number of reference stars to solve for a linear solution.
Effects of Geometric Design on Early-Age Thermal Behavior of Drilled Shaft

This article presents an investigation on the early-age thermal behavior of drilled shafts with different geometric dimensions through numerical analysis. Finite-element models by using DIANA software were developed to analyze the thermal behavior of drilled shafts. In order to validate the finite-element model, four concrete drilled shafts were constructed and evaluated under Florida conditions for monitoring their actual thermal behavior. The calculated temperatures from the analytical model matched well with the measured values from the constructed shafts. All the drilled shafts with a diameter greater than 1.83 m (6 ft) produced a high maximum temperature and a maximum temperature differential which failed the allowable temperature set by the American Concrete Institute and the Florida Department of Transportation to prevent thermal cracking. Also, it was found that the dimension of the drilled shaft had the greatest influence on the maximum temperature inside a shaft. Analysis was performed to investigate whether the use of drilled shafts with a centroid void in the shaft could reduce the maximum temperature and maximum temperature differential. The results indicated that this is a viable alternate shaft design for controlling the maximum temperature and maximum temperature differential in concrete drilled shafts at an early age.
Coupled iron and phosphorus release from seasonally hypoxic Louisiana shelf sediment

Abstract Phosphorus (P) cycling in the coastal ocean along deltaic coastlines is predominantly controlled by river discharge and biogeochemical properties of the sediments. In the Louisiana shelf, sediment biogeochemistry is strongly influenced by seasonally-fluctuating bottom water O2, which, can potentially transition the shelf sediments from being a sink to source of P. Sediment P fluxes determined using persistent anaerobic and aerobic intact core incubations were 11.46 ± 3.2 mg m−2 d−1 and 0.67 ± 0.16 mg m−2 d−1 respectively, indicating a 17 times greater P efflux from O2-deprived sediments. During the transition from aerobic to anaerobic conditions, the high sedimentary O2 consumption rate of 889 ± 33.6 mg m−2 d−1 resulted in a progressive decrease in the dissolved O2 in the overlying water, leading to a sediment P flux of 7.2 ± 5.5 mg m−2 d−1, which was mostly driven by P release towards the end of the incubation when the overlying water became near anoxic. This P flux led to a 34.6% loss in sedimentary Fe-bound P during the two-day incubation period which underscores the importance of coupled Fe P biogeochemistry and O2 penetration depth in a coastal hypoxia setting. The high DIN: DIP ratio of river water (∼50:1; P limited) coupled with high potential release of P from the shelf sediments can further increase primary production, further exacerbating hypoxic conditions though increased organic matter (OM) deposition and subsequent decomposition.
An Entropic Dynamics Approach to Geometrodynamics

In the Entropic Dynamics (ED) framework quantum theory is derived as an application of entropic methods of inference. The physics is introduced through appropriate choices of variables and of constraints that codify the relevant physical information. In previous work, a manifestly covariant ED of quantum scalar fields in a fixed background spacetime was developed. Manifest relativistic covariance was achieved by imposing constraints in the form of Poisson brackets and of intial conditions to be satisfied by a set of local Hamiltonian generators. Our approach succeeded in extending to the quantum domain the classical framework that originated with Dirac and was later developed by Teitelboim and Kuchar. In the present work the ED of quantum fields is extended further by allowing the geometry of spacetime to fully partake in the dynamics. The result is a first-principles ED model that in one limit reproduces quantum mechanics and in another limit reproduces classical general relativity. Our model shares some formal features with the so-called “semi-classical” approach to gravity.
Conversion to open surgery during minimally invasive esophagectomy portends worse short-term outcomes: an analysis of the National Cancer Database.

The objectives were to determine factors associated with conversion to open surgery in patients with esophageal cancer who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE, including laparo-thoracoscopic and robotic) and the impact of conversion to open surgery on patient outcomes. We included patients from the National Cancer Database with esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer who underwent MIE from 2010 to 2015. Patient-, tumor-, and facility-related characteristics as well as short-term and oncologic outcomes were compared between patients who were converted to open surgery and those who underwent successful MIE without conversion to open surgery. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyze risk factors for conversion to open surgery from attempted MIE. 7306 patients underwent attempted MIE. Of these patients, 82 of 1487 (5.2%) robotic-assisted esophagectomies were converted to open, compared to 691 of 5737 (12.0%) laparo-thoracoscopic esophagectomies (p < 0.001). Conversion rates decreased significantly over the study period (ptrend = 0.010). Patient age, tumor size, and nodal involvement were independently associated with conversion. Facility minimally invasive cumulative volume and robotic approach were associated with decreased conversion rates. Patients whose MIEs were converted had increased 90-day mortality [Odds Ratio (OR) 1.49; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.10, 2.02], prolonged hospital stay (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.17, 1.66), and higher rates of unplanned readmission (OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.27, 2.20). No significant differences were found in surgical margins or number of lymph nodes harvested. Patients undergoing attempted MIE requiring conversion to open surgery had significantly worse short-term outcomes including postoperative mortality. Patient factors and hospital experience contribute to conversion rates. These findings should inform surgeons and patients considering esophagectomy for cancer.
Gerenuk: thin computation over big native data using speculative program transformation

Big Data systems are typically implemented in object-oriented languages such as Java and Scala due to the quick development cycle they provide. These systems are executed on top of a managed runtime such as the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which requires each data item to be represented as an object before it can be processed. This representation is the direct cause of many kinds of severe inefficiencies. We developed Gerenuk, a compiler and runtime that aims to enable a JVM-based data-parallel system to achieve near-native efficiency by transforming a set of statements in the system for direct execution over inlined native bytes. The key insight leading to Gerenuk's success is two-fold: (1) analytics workloads often use immutable and confined data types. If we speculatively optimize the system and user code with this assumption, the transformation can be made tractable. (2) The flow of data starts at a deserialization point where objects are created from a sequence of native bytes and ends at a serialization point where they are turned back into a byte sequence to be sent to the disk or network. This flow naturally defines a speculative execution region (SER) to be transformed. Gerenuk compiles a SER speculatively into a version that can operate directly over native bytes that come from the disk or network. The Gerenuk runtime aborts the SER execution upon violations of the immutability and confinement assumption and switches to the slow path by deserializing the bytes and re-executing the original SER. Our evaluation on Spark and Hadoop demonstrates promising results.
Maternal arginine supplementation enhances thermogenesis in the newborn lamb

Body temperature maintenance is one of the most important physiological processes initiated after birth. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an essential mediator of thermogenesis in many species and is responsible for 50% of the heat generated in the newborn lamb. To determine if maternal arginine supplementation could enhance thermogenesis in the neonate, we randomly assigned 31 multiparous Suffolk ewes, gestating singletons or twins, to receive intravenous injections of either l-arginine (27 mg/kg body weight; n = 17) or sterile saline (n = 14) three times daily from day 75 to 125 of gestation (term = 147). Following parturition, lambs were removed from their mothers and subjected to 0 °C cold challenges at 4 and 22 h of age. Rectal temperatures were higher for the duration of the cold challenges in lambs from arginine-treated ewes compared with lambs from saline-treated ewes (P < 0.05). Elevated rectal temperatures were associated with increased (P < 0.05) circulating glycine and serine concentrations in lambs. The mRNA expression of genes related to BAT function changed over time, but not between lambs from arginine-treated vs. saline-treated ewes. Results indicate that maternal arginine treatment increases neonatal thermogenesis after birth. Although the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated, these data are a first step in improving neonatal survival in response to cold.
Developmental and regenerative paradigms of cilia regulated hedgehog signaling

Primary cilia are immotile appendages that have evolved to receive and interpret a variety of different extracellular cues. Cilia play crucial roles in intercellular communication during development and defects in cilia affect multiple tissues accounting for a heterogeneous group of human diseases called ciliopathies. The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is one of these cues and displays a unique and symbiotic relationship with cilia. Not only does Hh signaling require cilia for its function but the majority of the Hh signaling machinery is physically located within the cilium-centrosome complex. More specifically, cilia are required for both repressing and activating Hh signaling by modifying bifunctional Gli transcription factors into repressors or activators. Defects in balancing, interpreting or establishing these repressor/activator gradients in Hh signaling either require cilia or phenocopy disruption of cilia. Here, we will summarize the current knowledge on how spatiotemporal control of the molecular machinery of the cilium allows for a tight control of basal repression and activation states of the Hh pathway. We will then discuss several paradigms on how cilia influence Hh pathway activity in tissue morphogenesis during development. Last, we will touch on how cilia and Hh signaling are being reactivated and repurposed during adult tissue regeneration. More specifically, we will focus on mesenchymal stem cells within the connective tissue and discuss the similarities and differences of how cilia and ciliary Hh signaling control the formation of fibrotic scar and adipose tissue during fatty fibrosis of several tissues.
Bitewing Radiography Dosimetry of a Stationary Intraoral Tomosynthesis Imaging System

Objectives This study assessed effective doses (E) from conventional and stationary intraoral tomosynthesis (s-IOT) radiography for posterior bitewing (PBW) examinations and evaluated the effect of sensor attenuation. Study Design An adult human tissue–equivalent phantom and optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters were used. Series of 4 PBW radiographs were acquired with circular and rectangular collimation. s-IOT PBW radiographs were acquired with built-in rectangular collimation. Radiographs were acquired without and with a sensor in the beam path. Results E (in µSv) was 15.7 and 8.2 for conventional–circular, 4.6 and 1.1 for conventional–rectangular, and 11.9 and 5.9 for s-IOT in sensor-absent and sensor-present scenarios, respectively. For sensor-absent exposures, E for conventional–rectangular was 29.3% and E for s-IOT was 75.8% of the conventional–circular dose. With the sensor present, these values were 13.4% and 72.0%, respectively (P Conclusions For PBW examinations, E for s-IOT was smaller than for conventional radiography with circular collimation, but larger than for conventional radiography with rectangular collimation. The presence of a sensor maintained these differences but reduced E for all modalities.
THE INFLUENCE OF ATTENTIONAL FOCUS ON LANDING STIFFNESS IN FEMALE ATHLETES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Background Anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention often involves instructing athletes to reduce landing stiffness. Instructions promoting an external focus appear to result in superior motor performance for a wide range of tasks; however, the effect of attentional focus on landing stiffness has not been examined. Hypothesis/purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of instructions promoting an internal focus vs. those promoting an external focus on landing stiffness. It was hypothesized that both types of instructions would reduce landing stiffness vs. landings performed prior to instruction. It was also hypothesized that participants would demonstrate a greater reduction in landing stiffness when provided with instructions promoting an external focus. Study design Cross-sectional, quasi-experimental. Methods Sixteen female athletes (basketball, soccer, volleyball) completed drop landings while force and kinematic data were collected. Participants first performed drop landings with their typical technique (baseline). They then received instructions promoting an internal focus and an external focus before performing additional drop landings. Peak force, time-to-peak force, leg stiffness, and hip, knee, and ankle sagittal plane angles were analyzed. Results Both types of instructions resulted in lower landing forces, less leg stiffness, and greater hip and knee flexion versus at baseline. However, athletes demonstrated more knee flexion at the time of the peak force (59.4 ± 9.6 ° vs. 56.0 ± 9.5 °) and less leg stiffness (69.5 ± 17.9 Nkg-1/m vs. 84.0 ± 38.1 Nkg-1/m) when provided with instructions promoting an external focus, compared to when they were provided with instructions promoting an internal focus. Conclusion Instructions promoting an external focus appear to result in a greater reduction in landing stiffness. Clinicians should consider providing instructions promoting an external focus when training athletes to reduce lower extremity stiffness during drop landings. The findings from this study may help to inform clinicians involved in movement pattern re-training for female athletes. Level of evidence Level 3b.
Orr and Kant: An analysis of the intellectual encounter behind ‘The Christian worldview’

Today, Christianity is often described as a ‘worldview’, especially among Reformed evangelicals in the USA. In this article I return to the 1890 lectures where Scottish theologian James Orr adapted the concept of Weltanschauung for Christian purposes. Although it was coined by Immanuel Kant in 1790, and primarily used in subsequent decades to theorise cultural difference and evaluate aesthetic expression, Orr nevertheless claims that the idea of a worldview is ‘as old as the dawn of reflection’ and thus appropriate to articulating Christianity. I examine Orr's engagement with the Kantian and emerging historicist context, paying particular attention to his epistemological and aesthetic citations and showing how Orr both adopts and departs from the characteristic features of the Kantian subject. I conclude by assessing the philosophical and theological costs of this project that, among other things, positions Christianity for perpetual culture war within secular societies similarly shaped by the post-Kantian subject.
UD-MIMO: Uplink Distributed MIMO for Wireless LANs

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are a key component of the telecommunications infrastructure in our society. While many solutions have been produced to improve their downlink throughput, the techniques for enhancing their uplink throughput remain limited. The stagnation can be attributed to the lack of fine-grained inter-node synchronization due to the hardware limitation of most devices. In this paper, we present an uplink distributed multiple-input-and-multiple-output scheme (termed UD-MIMO) for WLANs to enable concurrent uplink transmission in the absence of fine-grained inter-node synchronization. The enabling technique behind UD-MIMO is a practical solution to decoding uplink packets from asynchronous users. UD-MIMO makes it possible for WLANs to significantly improve their uplink throughput while not requiring tight internode synchronization. We have built a prototype of UD-MIMO on a wireless testbed and demonstrate its compatibility with commercial off-the-shelf Atheros 802.11 client devices (with modified Linux driver). Our experimental results show that, for a WLAN with 8 APs in a conference room, UD-MIMO offers 3.4× throughput compared to interference-avoidance approach.
Effectiveness of ENDS, NRT and medication for smoking cessation among cigarette-only users: a longitudinal analysis of PATH Study wave 3 (2015-2016) and 4 (2016-2017), adult data.

Background Research is inconclusive on the effectiveness of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) as cigarette cessation aids compared with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or non-NRT medication. This study compared the cigarette cessation rates for ENDS, NRT and non-NRT medication. Method Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study wave 3 cigarette-only users who used ENDS, NRT or non-NRT medication (varenicline and bupropion) to quit smoking between wave 3 and 4 were included. ‘Cessation’ was defined as being a former cigarette smoker in wave 4. χ2, logistic regression, and a sensitivity analysis with Bayes factor assessed the association between quitting smoking and method used. Results Among 6794 cigarette-only users, 532 used ENDS (n=75), NRT (n=289), non-NRT medication (n=68), or a combination of NRT and non-NRT medication (n=100) to quit smoking between wave 3 and 4. The percentages of quitting smoking among those who used ENDS, NRT, non-NRT medication, and a combination of NRT and non-NRT medication were 16.2% (n=14), 16.1% (n=47), 17.7% (n=13), and 14.8% (n=12), respectively (p=0.97). None of the cigarette-only users who used ENDS to quit smoking became ENDS-only users in wave 4; 37.6% became dual users of ENDS and cigarettes. Conclusion No differences were found when cessation rates of ENDS, NRT or non-NRT medication were compared. Given uncertainty about the long-term health effect of ENDS and the likelihood of becoming dual users, people who smoke and need assistance quitting should be encouraged to use current Food and Drug Administration-approved cessation methods until more effective methods are developed.
Cognitive function mediates the relationship between visual contrast sensitivity and functional outcome in schizophrenia.

Abstract Background Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit deficits in visual contrast processing, though less is known about how these deficits impact neurocognition and functional outcomes. This study investigated effects of contrast sensitivity (CS) on cognition and capacity for independent living in schizophrenia. Methods: Participants were 58 patients with schizophrenia (n = 49) and schizoaffective disorder (n = 9). Patients completed a psychophysical paradigm to obtain CS with stimuli consisting of grating patterns of low (0.5 and 1 cycles/degree) and high spatial frequencies (4, 7, 21 cycles/degree). Patients completed the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales, Third Edition to assess cognition, and the problem-solving factor of the Independent Living Scales to assess functional capacity. We computed bivariate correlation coefficients for all pairs of variables and tested mediation models with CS to low (CS–LSF) and high spatial frequencies (CS–HSF) as predictors, cognitive measures as mediators, and capacity for independent living as an outcome. Results: Cognition mediated the relationship between CS and independent living with CS–LSF a stronger predictor than CS–HSF. Mediation effects were strongest for perceptual organization and memory-related domains. In an expanded moderated mediation model, CS–HSF was found to be a significant predictor of independent living through perceptual organization as a mediator and CS–LSF as a moderator of this relationship. Conclusion: CS relates to functional capacity in schizophrenia through neurocognition. These relationships may inform novel visual remediation interventions.
RESPONDING TO THE CHILD WELFARE WORKFORCE CRISIS HERE AND NOW:A CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING SUPERVISION

Since at least 1989, researchers have been pointing to evidence of high turnover and vacancy rates, poor working conditions, and insufficient recruitment pools to declare the American child welfare workforce in crisis (Pecora, Briar, & Zlotnik, 1989; Alwon & Reitz, 2000). In response, national foundations like the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) have distributed reports which emphasize the critical implications of this crisis on the nation’s children. CWLA declared in 2002 that “No issue has a greater effect on the capacity of the child welfare system to effectively serve vulnerable children and families than the shortage of a competent and stable workforce” (p. 1). In fact, there has been evidence to show that in agencies where the turnover rate is higher, reunification with birth family, typically considered the best possible child welfare case outcome, takes much longer to achieve (AECF, 2003).
Quantile Regression: Quantile Regression in R: A Vignette

Abstract. Quantile regression is an evolving body of statistical methods for estimating and drawing inferences about conditional quantile functions. An implementation of these methods in the R language is available in the package quantreg. This vignette offers a brief tutorial introduction to the package. R and the package quantreg are open-source software projects and can be freely downloaded from CRAN: http://cran.r-project.org.
An invariance principle for semimartingale reflecting Brownian motions in an orthant

Semimartingale reflecting Brownian motions in an orthant (SRBMs) are of interest in applied probability because of their role as heavy traffic approximations for open queueing networks. It is shown in this paper that a process which satisfies the definition of an SRBM, except that small random perturbations in the defining conditions are allowed, is close in distribution to an SRBM. This perturbation result is called an invariance principle by analogy with the invariance principle of Stroock and Varadhan for diffusions with boundary conditions. A crucial ingredient in the proof of this result is an oscillation inequality for solutions of a perturbed Skorokhod problem. In a subsequent paper, the invariance principle is used to give general conditions under which a heavy traffic limit theorem holds for open multiclass queueing networks.
Assessing Collaborative Policymaking Outcomes: An Analysis of U.S. Marine Aquaculture Partnerships

Administrators and policymakers increasingly rely on collaborative policymaking groups to inform policy development. While this trend is observed in a wide array of policy domains, it is particularly common in the regulation of natural resource-based industries which requires the simultaneous consideration of an interrelated set of economic, technical, and social factors. In this article, we examine outcomes associated with collaborative policymaking groups involved in informing state aquaculture policy, referred to herein as aquaculture partnerships. We define outcomes here as consequences on relevant contextual conditions (social, political, and environmental) that follow from the work or design of collaborative processes. Using data collected through an online survey of partnership participants (n = 123), we examine individual and procedural factors that significantly associate with partnerships’ positive or negative influence on a set of policy and social outcomes, as perceived by their participants. ...
Teacher versus Peer Models Revisited: Effects on Motor Performance and Self-Efficacy

Abstract This study reinvestigated and extended the findings of Landers and Landers (1973), which examined the influence of skilled and unskilled teacher and peer models on motor performance. Sixth grade females (N = 100) were randomly assigned to groups in a 2 × 2 (Model Type × Model Skill) factorial design or to a no-model group. In the treatment groups, subjects observed one of four unfamiliar models—(a) a skilled teacher, (b) an unskilled teacher, (c) a skilled peer, or (d) an unskilled peer—perform on the Bachman ladder task. Subjects performed 30 trials of the task and also completed self-efficacy questionnaires on three occasions. Results showed that subjects who watched a skilled model performed better than subjects who watched an unskilled model. Unlike the Landers and Landers study, no model type by model skill interaction was found. In addition, the skilled model group reported higher efficacy beliefs than the control group after performing and were more efficacious than the unskilled model sub...
A Banach space without a basis which has the bounded approximation property

can be approximated by finite rank operators uniformly on compact sets. It is clear that Xhasabasis ~ XhasBAP =~ XhasAP The fact that the converse implication to the second one does not hold in general was discovered by Figiel and Johnson [8] soon after Enflo's example [7] of a space without AP. The main purpose of this paper is to show that also the implication "BAP=~basis" does not hold in general; this answers problems asked by a number of authors (e.g. [14], [18], [27]). Before stating the result, we recall more notation. For a given basis (x n) of X one denotes by bc (x n) (the basis constant of ix~)) the smallest K such that
EEG PATTERN RESEMBLING WAKEFULNESS IN UNRESPONSIVE DECEREBRATE STATE FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC BRAIN-STEM INFARCT.

Abstract A case is described of an unresponsive decerebrate state following infarct of the pons and of the lowermost portion of the midbrain due to traumatic occlusion of the basilar artery. This patient exhibited an EEG pattern which was similar to that of a waking subject but which remained unmodified by somatic and auditory stimuli. The physiological implications of this finding are discussed.
Twitter chatter about marijuana.

Abstract Purpose We sought to examine the sentiment and themes of marijuana-related chatter on Twitter sent by influential Twitter users and to describe the demographics of these Twitter users. Methods We assessed the sentiment and themes of a random sample (n = 7,000) of influential marijuana-related tweets (sent from February 5, 20114, to March 5, 2014). Demographics of the users tweeting about marijuana were inferred using a social media analytics company (Demographics Pro for Twitter). Results Most marijuana-related tweets reflected a positive sentiment toward marijuana use, with pro-marijuana tweets outnumbering anti-marijuana tweets by a factor of greater than 15. The most common theme of pro-marijuana tweets included the Tweeter stating that he/she wants/plans to use marijuana, followed by tweeting about frequent/heavy/or regular marijuana use, and that marijuana has health benefits and/or should be legalized. Tweeters of marijuana-related content were younger and a greater proportion was African-American compared with the Twitter average. Conclusions Marijuana Twitter chatter sent by influential Twitter users tends to be pro-marijuana and popular among African-Americans and youth/young adults. Marijuana-related harms may afflict some individuals; therefore, our findings should be used to inform online and offline prevention efforts that work to target individuals who are most at risk for harms associated with marijuana use.
Mechanism and Kinetics of Spontaneous Nanotube Growth Driven by Screw Dislocations

Single-crystal nanotubes are commonly observed, but their formation is often not understood. We show that nanotube growth can be driven by axial screw dislocations: Self-perpetuating growth spirals enable anisotropic growth, and the dislocation strain energy overcomes the surface energy required for creating a new inner surface forming hollow tubes spontaneously. This was demonstrated through solution-grown zinc oxide nanotubes and nanowires by controlling supersaturation using a flow reactor and confirmed using microstructural characterization. The agreement between experimental growth kinetics and those predicted from fundamental crystal growth theories confirms that the growth of these nanotubes is driven by dislocations.
Networking consumer products in the home

The next wave in residential consumer products is considered to be networking using local area network (LAN) techniques. Because the users are not engineers and no LAN manager is in residence, special requirements are placed on the technology that is used. This paper, an overview, discusses this next step in terms of the requirements of the application and the marketplace. >
Treatment of varicose veins

Varicose veins (VVs) are the most common manifestation of chronic venous insufficiency, affecting 25% of women and 15% of men. Reticular veins and telangiectasias (spider veins) are found in more than 80% of the general population. VVs produce symptoms of pain, swelling, heaviness, fatigue, and pruritus and predispose patients to complications including bleeding, superficial thrombophlebitis, and ulcerations that interfere with activities of daily living and result in lost time from work. Current treatments for VVs include conservative measures, and when these are unsuccessful, more invasive surgical and endovenous interventions primarily aimed at reducing venous hypertension and preventing progression to chronic inflammation and ulcerations. Surgical procedures including saphenous vein stripping, ligation of the saphenofemoral junction, and ambulatory phlebectomy are effective in the treatment of VVs but are associated with a high complication rate and recovery time. Emerging endovenous therapies, including endovenous laser therapy, radiofrequency ablation, and endovenous foam sclerotherapy, have shown similar efficacy in the treatment of VVs compared with more invasive surgical procedures, with lower complication rates and less time lost from work.
Rats classify qualitatively different reinforcers as either similar or different by enumerating them

In a go/no-go situation in a runway, rats employed the memory of a single food reinforcement as an S+ cue and the memory of two consecutive reinforcements as an S− cue. To do this, however, one group had to classify two qualitatively different reinforcers as different (Group Different, Experiment 1), whereas another group had to classify the same two reinforcers as similar or alike (Group Same, Experiment 2).
Protease inhibitor-based HAART, HDL, and CHD-risk in HIV-infected patients.

Abstract Objective To study the effects of HIV-infection and protease inhibitor (PI)-based highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) on the lipid and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subpopulation profile and to relate the changes to coronary heart disease (CHD)-risk. Methods and design The lipid and HDL subpopulation profiles of HIV-positive subjects ( n =48) were studied prospectively by comparing pre- and post-PI-HAART data as well as cross-section by comparing the profiles to HIV-negative subjects with ( n =96) and without CHD ( n =96). Results HIV-infected HAART-naive subjects had lower concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and HDL-C and higher concentration of triglycerides (TG) than healthy controls. After receiving PI-based HAART, LDL-C and TG concentrations increased, while HDL-C concentrations remained unchanged. The HDL subpopulation profiles of HAART-naive HIV-positive patients were significantly different from those of healthy controls and were similar to those with CHD. Moreover, the HDL subpopulation profile changed unfavorably after PI-based HAART, marked with increased concentrations of the small, lipid-poor pre-β-1 HDL (32% or 3.9mg/dl; p Conclusion An already unfavorable lipid and HDL subpopulation profile of HIV-positive HAART-naive subjects further deteriorated after receiving PI-based treatment, which may cause increased CHD-risk in these subjects.
Electron Reflectors with a Quadratic Axial Potential Distribution

Trajectory equations are developed for accelerated electrons which enter a retarding, axially symmetric electrostatic field with a quadratic axial potential distribution. Neglecting space-charge effects of the electrons, such a field can be produced between two charged electrodes consisting of a cone and a hyperboloid. A focus criterion is established, and under these conditions the permissible angles of divergence and convergence which an incident electron may have and still be focused back through the entering aperture are determined. An equation for the transit time of the axial electrons in the reflector is derived. By proper adjustment of dimensions and voltages, various simple electrode shapes may be made to give an axial potential distribution which is nearly quadratic, and thus give comparable performances as electron reflectors.
Impacts of Mountaintop Removal and Valley Fill Coal Mining on C and N Processing in Terrestrial Soils and Headwater Streams

We measured C and N cycling indicators in Appalachian watersheds impacted by mountaintop removal and valley fill (MTR/VF) coal mining, and in nearby forested watersheds. These watersheds include ephemeral, intermittent, and perennial stream reaches, and the length of time since disturbance in the MTR/VF watersheds was 5 to 11 years. In forest soils compared to VF soils, both denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) and basal respiration (BR) were elevated (factor of 6 for DEA and factor of 1.8 for BR expressed on a weight basis) and bulk density was lower. Organic matter (OM) and moisture were higher in the forest soils, which likely contributed to the elevated DEA and BR levels. Evaluation of soils data from our intermittent watersheds as a chronosequence provides some evidence of soil quality (DEA, BR, and soil moisture) improvement over the course of a decade, at least in the top 5 cm. Across the hydrological permanence gradient, sediment DEA was significantly higher (factor of 1.6) and sediment OM was significantly lower in forested than in VF watersheds, whereas sediment BR did not differ between forested and VF watersheds. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were not different in mining-impacted and forested streams, whereas dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations and DOC and DIC stable carbon isotopic compositions (δ13C) were significantly elevated in VF streams. The δ13C-DIC values indicate that carbonate dissolution was a dominant source of dissolved carbon in MTR/VF mining-impacted streams. The disturbance associated with MTR/VF mining significantly impacts C and N processing in soils, stream sediments, and stream water although our data suggests some improvement of soil quality during the first decade of reclamation.
Bridging between libraries and information and communication technologies for development

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Global Libraries initiative), and the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA), at the University of Washington Information School, believe that the library and ICTD fields are at a point in their evolutions where each may be able to provide significant value to the other. They have organized a series of �bridging� convenings to bring together interested stakeholders in both fields to advance activities that will realize tangible benefits for the two communities. Libraries and ICTD share an interest in the use of technology to achieve their ultimate goals. While their contexts come from very different histories and intentions, there are many areas of commonality that are worth exploring as possible collaborative efforts. A two-level view of the fields is proposed, starting with the overall characteristics that determine the character of each field as a necessary context for thinking about possible intersections, and ending with a proposal for exploration of potential areas for joint work at a more practical level. Possible projects in the areas of user services, training and technology are suggestions for further investigation.
Successful public/private donation programs: a review of the Diflucan Partnership Program in South Africa.

A review of the partnership between Pfizer Inc. and the South African Ministry of Health to distribute free Diflucan (fluconazole) in the Diflucan Partnership Program (DPP) demonstrates that product donations may be a useful response to AIDS if they are coupled with efforts to build means of drug distribution and enhance professional healthcare capacity to treat patients. Equally important is the creation of a new set of productive working relationships between stakeholders who came to the project with different backgrounds and perspectives, as well as a frankly disparate set of objectives. A decision tree illustrates how these relationships were built into the DPP.
D-tubocurarine dosage based on lean body mass.

The dosage of D-tubocurarine recommended varies greatly with different authors. The body build, reflected in the lean body mass (LBM), influences the dose. The dose which produces a 90-95 per cent depression of neuromuscular blockade is better correlated to the lean body mass than the body weight Age and body somatotype influence this dosage. Less D-tubocurarine is required when halothane is the anaesthetic, than when methoxyflurane or meperidine are used. The average recovery time to 50 per cent muscle power when 0.38 mg/Kg LBM is given with methoxyflurane is 38.8 minutes and this was best related to percentage fat.
The effects of exposure to dynamic expressions of affect on 5-month-olds' memory.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the behavioral effects of adults’ communicated affect on 5-month-olds’ visual recognition memory. Five-month-olds were exposed to a dynamic and bimodal happy, angry, or neutral affective (face–voice) expression while familiarized to a novel geometric image. After familiarization to the geometric image and exposure to the affective expression, 5-month-olds received either a 5-min or 1-day retention interval. Following the 5-min retention interval, infants exposed to the happy affective expressions showed a reliable preference for a novel geometric image compared to the recently familiarized image. Infants exposed to the neutral or angry affective expression failed to show a reliable preference following a 5-min delay. Following the 1-day retention interval, however, infants exposed to the neutral expression showed a reliable preference for the novel geometric image. These results are the first to demonstrate that 5-month-olds’ visual recognition memory is affected by the presentation of affective information at the time of encoding.
Reflections on Spiritual Insecurity in a Modern African City (Soweto)

L'A. relate d'abord un incident qui eut lieu en juillet 1998 quand dans un campement de fortune en dehors de Soweto les gens furent avertis qu'un serpent geant connu sous le nom de Inkosi ya Manzi (roi des eaux) etait en colere et qu'il menacait de detruire le campement. Son objectif est d'examiner la question de l'insecurite spirituelle dans un contexte de pauvrete extreme, de difficulte sociale et de violence. Il tente de mettre en evidence ces aspects d'insecurite, qui ne sont pas reductibles aux seules conditions objectives du danger, en examinant des questions d'epistemologie reliees aux modes d'apprehension de l'action des forces et etres invisibles sur les malheurs de la vie de tous les jours. Il examine notamment cinq sources d'anxiete epistemiques en conjonction avec trois cadres d'interpretation differents. Il suggere que l'intensite relative de l'insecurite spirituelle a Soweto decoule, dans une large mesure, du manque d'un cadre dominant d'interpretation.
Professional Employer Organizations and Their Role in Small and Medium Enterprises: The Impact of HR Outsourcing

While effective HR services and programs can help firms gain competitive advantage, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) often lack the internal resources required to develop and deliver these servi...