cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adipose tissue lipolysis and remodeling during the transition period of dairy cows

Elevated concentrations of plasma fatty acids in transition dairy cows are significantly associated with increased disease susceptibility and poor lactation performance. The main source of plasma fatty acids throughout the transition period is lipolysis from adipose tissue depots. During this time, plasma fatty acids serve as a source of calories mitigating the negative energy balance prompted by copious milk synthesis and limited dry matter intake. Past research has demonstrated that lipolysis in the adipose organ is a complex process that includes not only the activation of lipolytic pathways in response to neural, hormonal, or paracrine stimuli, but also important changes in the structure and cellular distribution of the tissue in a process known as adipose tissue remodeling. This process involves an inflammatory response with immune cell migration, proliferation of the cellular components of the stromal vascular fraction, and changes in the extracellular matrix. This review summarizes current knowledge on lipolysis in dairy cattle, expands on the new field of adipose tissue remodeling, and discusses how these biological processes affect transition cow health and productivity.
The Double-Barreled Wet Colostomy: Long-term Experience with the First 11 Patients

We describe our experience with a technique for simultaneous urinary and fecal diversion using a single abdominal stoma. The procedure requires the construction of a diverting loop colostomy with division of the colon approximately 15 cm. distal to the stoma. This distal segment of colon acts as a urinary conduit, and allows internal separation of the urine and fecal streams. The procedure has been used in patients without a prior stoma as well as those with existing loop and end colostomies. Unlike the watery diarrhea associated with the wet colostomy described previously, these patients experience a continuous urine output and intermittent semiformed bowel movements. Complications have been minimal: there have been no episodes of clinical pyelonephritis, no new electrolyte problems and no significant stomal complications. In 1 patient late radiographic evidence of hydronephrosis developed associated with advancing metastatic disease, while in another late bilateral ureterocolonic strictures developed. The majority of patients died of the underlying cancer but 1 died of a myocardial infarction 2 weeks postoperatively. This procedure has now been performed in 11 patients with followup from 0.5 to 80 months. The results are gratifying for a group of highly complex cases.
Discrimination and Sleep Difficulties during Adolescence: The Mediating Roles of Loneliness and Perceived Stress

Irregular and insufficient sleep place youth at risk for adverse psychological and physical health outcomes. Recent research indicates that discrimination constitutes a type of stressor that interferes with adolescent sleep; however, the mechanisms through which discrimination affects sleep are not well understood. This study examined whether ethnic and non-ethnic (i.e., gender, age, and height/weight) discrimination were associated with adolescents’ sleep duration, variability, and quality, and whether loneliness and perceived stress mediated these associations. An ethnically-diverse sample (42% Latino, 29% European American, 23% Asian) of adolescents (N = 316; M age = 16.40 years, 57% girls) reported on their experiences of discrimination, perceived stress, and loneliness. Sleep duration and variability were assessed by actigraphy and sleep quality through self-reports. Ethnic discrimination was related to shorter sleep duration and both ethnic and non-ethnic discrimination were associated with worse sleep quality. Loneliness and perceived stress partially mediated the relation between discrimination and sleep quality. Discriminatory experiences can heighten feelings of loneliness and stress, which, in turn, may contribute to diminished sleep quality during adolescence.
Toward a Political Philosophy of Mobility

The final chapter proposes that abandoning methodological nationalism means that an ethics of immigration is untenable. Rather, what is needed is an ethics of migration or an ethics of mobility that sees movement across state borders, movement within states, and movement to and from cities as raising the same normative issues. In particular, an investigation of the causes of mobility shows that it is often a response to social, economic, and political forces that expel vulnerable people from their homes. The chapter ends with a plea that people recognize the complex ways in which people are connected within and across borders and the dangers of uncritically using words that encourage seeing the world in terms of “us” and “them.”
Developing a framework for sustainability meta-competencies

Sustainability is a critical issue in higher education curriculum development and organisational culture, yet its contested nature necessitates a shared understanding to support a distinct mission across institutional efforts. Therefore, this work intended to foster a common language for sustainability competencies through an overarching framework that may be applied across university functions. This case study draws upon key informant interviews and focus groups with sustainability experts within and beyond Penn State University faculty and staff. The five meta-competencies in the resulting framework are systems thinking, temporal thinking, interpersonal literacy, ethical literacy and imagination/creativity. The framework assumes certain foundational competencies are also in evidence, including logical thinking, critical thinking, quantitative analysis, reading and writing. The results offer a starting point for future discussion and application of meta-competencies of sustainability; bridge sustainability competencies work in higher education and in workforce development; and identify the role of imagination/creativity as an important sustainability meta-competency.
Instructional Accommodations for Children with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings

Under IDEIA (PL 94-142), reasonable instructional accommodations are guaranteed to students with a documented disability. These accommodations are intended to grant greater access to the general education curriculum, and ultimately assist the student in being more successful in the classroom. Although these accommodations are required for students with special needs, flexible instructional planning may be beneficial for all students, regardless of disability status. Since teachers are faced with increasingly diverse student populations, providing quality individualized instruction for each child may appear to be an impossible task. However, with careful analysis of the student’s specific need and aligning the instructional accommodation to meet that need, teachers can streamline their instruction to help each individual student meet maximum potential. In this article, different types of instructional accommodations are defined and described in detail. Further, examples of these types of accommodations are provided at the elementary and secondary level.
Transient crack-tip fields for mixed-mode power law creep

Mixed-mode stationary crack-tip fields are obtained for an elastic-nonlinear viscous power law creeping solid under conditions of plane strain and small-scale creep. Power law exponents of 2 and 5 are considered which are representative of the creep response of a wide range of ceramics and metals. The imposed far-field mixity ranges from pure mode I to pure mode II. Crack tip fields are calculated during the transient regime using a detailed finite element analysis and are shown to be governed by a Hutchinson-Rice-Rosengren type singularity over the inner one fifth of the creep zone. Dominance of universal mixed-mode near-tip fields within the inner creep zone is found for several mixtures of far-field mode I and mode II. The pronounced effects of the amount of mixity on the size and shape of the creep zone as well as on the time required to reach extensive creep conditions are determined. For a creep exponent of 5, it is estimated that the creep zone grows about seven times faster in mode II than in mode I, with a corresponding decrease in the transition time from small-scale to extensive creep. For a creep exponent of 2, the creep zone grows about six times faster in mode II than in mode I. Finally, the mixed-mode creep fields are used to assess possible beneficial effects of crack deflection or branching in metals and ceramics at elevated temperatures.
Continued Fractions Continued, Applications

We are now ready to explain the Brillhart-Morrison Continued Fraction Algorithm (commonly known as CFRAC) for factoring large numbers. The original idea is actually due to D. H. Lehmer and R. E. Powers in 1931 and it draws much of its inspiration from Legendre who used the continued fraction expansion in a procedure that restricted the congruence classes of possible divisors, but it was put in its present form by John Brillhart and Michael Morrison who published a thorough account of it in 1975.
An empirical study of factors affecting e-service satisfaction

E-service is the integration of business processes, policies, procedures, tools, technologies, and human efforts to facilitate both assisted and unassisted customer services in using the Internet and other networks. To examine factors affecting user satisfaction with e-services, a survey was conducted using a questionnaire. The questionnaire was based partially on existing studies, and was validated by a panel of researchers and industry experts. More than 700 usable responses to the questionnaire were collected and analyzed. The results showed that user satisfaction with e-services is correlated with perceived convenience, users' skills and experiences, and perceived security.
Three-dimensional images generated from diffuse ultrasound wave: detections of multiple cracks in concrete structures:

The simultaneous detection of multiple defects in concrete structures is a task of pivotal importance for non-destructive testing and evaluation. Diffuse waves experiencing multiple scattering insi...
Improved small-angle x-ray scattering of nanoparticle self-assembly using a cell with a flat liquid surface

One important way of forming nanostructures entails the assembly of nanoparticle (NP) monolayers at a liquid surface. Probing this assembly of 11.8-nm-diameter iron oxide NPs by small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) is studied using cells with walls at angles designed to significantly reduce the size of the meniscus. This enables the collection of much larger signals in the SAXS images of ordered arrays of NPs at liquid/gas interfaces, as is needed for kinetics studies and x-ray exposure minimization, along with the observation of extremely high degrees of order. Meniscus flattening and improved signal collection are demonstrated for the assembly of ordered arrays of iron oxide NP monolayers at a diethylene glycol surface.
Evolvability Costs of Niche Expansion.

What prevents generalists from displacing specialists, despite obvious competitive advantages of utilizing a broad niche? The classic genetic explanation is antagonistic pleiotropy: genes underlying the generalism produce ‘jacks-of-all-trades’ that are masters of none. However, experiments challenge this assumption that mutations enabling niche expansion must reduce fitness in other environments. Theory suggests an alternative cost of generalism: decreased evolvability, or the reduced capacity to adapt. Generalists using multiple environments experience relaxed selection in any one environment, producing greater relative lag load. Additionally, mutations fixed by generalist lineages early during their evolution that avoid or compensate for antagonistic pleiotropy may limit access to certain future evolutionary trajectories. Hypothesized evolvability costs of generalism warrant further exploration, and we suggest outstanding questions meriting attention.
Effectiveness of 1, 2, and 3 Doses of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Against High-Grade Cervical Lesions Positive for Human Papillomavirus 16 or 18.

Before 2016, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was recommended on a 3-dose schedule. However, many vaccine-eligible US females received fewer than 3 doses, which provided an opportunity to evaluate the real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) of 1, 2, and 3 doses. We analyzed data on cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 2-3 and adenocarcinoma in situ (designated CIN2+) from the HPV Vaccine Impact Monitoring Project (HPV-IMPACT; 2008-2014). Archived tissue from CIN2+ lesions was tested for 37 types of HPV. Women were classified by number of doses received ≥24 months before CIN2+ detection. Using a test-negative design, VE was estimated as 1 minus the adjusted odds ratio from a logistic regression model that compared vaccination history for women whose lesions tested positive for HPV-16/18 (vaccine-type cases) with that for women who had all other CIN2+ lesions (controls). Among 3,300 women with available data on CIN2+, typing results, and vaccine history, 1,561 (47%) were HPV-16/18-positive, 136 (4%) received 1 dose of HPV vaccine, 108 (3%) received 2 doses, and 325 (10%) received 3 doses. Adjusted odds ratios for vaccination with 1, 2, and 3 doses were 0.53 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37, 0.76; VE = 47%), 0.45 (95% CI: 0.30, 0.69; VE = 55%), and 0.26 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.35; VE = 74%), respectively. We found significant VE against vaccine-type CIN2+ after 3 doses of HPV vaccine and lower but significant VE with 1 or 2 doses.
EPCR knockout: inflaming the discussion.

In this issue of Blood, Magisetty et al provide some surprising results from their studies of the role of endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) in hemophilic arthropathy. There is a rationale for studying EPCR in hemophilia. It is well recognized that EPCR promotes the activation of protein C (PC) to activated PC (aPC) on endothelial surfaces. The aPC has antithrombotic effects by inactivating factor Va (FVa) on nearby endothelial surfaces. Like aPC, activated coagulation FVIIa can also bind to EPCR. Pavani et al showed that binding to EPCR enhances the hemostatic effect of FVIIa in a mouse hemophilia model, when assayed as ferric chloride–induced thrombosis. The Rao group showed that hemostatic levels of FVIIa displace PC from EPCR, and blockade of EPCR reduces the level of FVIIa needed for hemostasis in a saphenous vein bleeding assay. However, they reported that EPCR blockade by itself did not reduce the severity of bleeding in hemophilic mice. They concluded that downregulation of aPC generation is the major mechanism by which FVIIa interaction with EPCR contributes to the hemostatic effect of FVIIa in hemophilia.
The Stigma of ADHD: Teacher Ratings of Labeled Students:

Despite the increasing prevalence of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), little sociological research has focused on effects of diagnosis in schools. This study, which is grounded in t...
Optimal control of coupled quantum systems based on the first-order Magnus expansion: Application to multiple dipole-dipole-coupled molecular rotors

This paper presents a method for performing approximate optimal control simulations for quantum systems with multiple coupled degrees of freedom. The time evolution is simulated using the first-order Magnus expansion in the interaction picture, where the couplings between different degrees of freedom are treated as the perturbation. A numerical implementation procedure is presented that leverages upon pairwise couplings and the separability of the zeroth-order time evolution operator to achieve a reduced computational cost, which is analyzed with respect to the number of degrees of freedom. The formulation is compatible with gradient-free methods to optimize the control field, and a stochastic hill climbing algorithm is adopted for this purpose. As illustrations, optimal control simulations are performed for systems of two and three dipole-dipole-coupled molecular rotors under the influence of a control field. For the two-rotor system, the field is optimized to achieve either orientation or entanglement objectives. For the three-rotor system, the field is optimized either to orient all three rotors in the same direction or to orient one rotor in a particular direction while the other two rotors point in the opposite direction.
Effects of Asphalt Foaming on Damage Characteristics of Foamed Warm Mix Asphalt

In the asphalt foaming process, the foaming water content (FWC) controls the formation and characteristics of water bubbles. These water bubbles are expected to be expelled from the foamed warm mix...
The Chinese cotton contest: the Royal Economic Society of Guatemala, Maya farmers, and the struggle over Enlightenment-era agricultural science, 1796–1798

In December 1796, members of the Real Sociedad Economica de los Amantes del Pais de Guatemala (The Royal Economic Society of Lovers of the Country of Guatemala) announced a contest to award the ind...
Containers for Massive Ensemble of I/O Bound Hierarchical Coupled Simulations

We present our experience using containers to scale up a massive ensemble of coupled I/O bound workloads on the NERSC Cori supercomputer. We describe the design of a hierarchical simulation structure using the Integrated Plasma Simulator (IPS) that enables the flexible execution of coupled simulations at the system, node, and core level using the same coupling abstraction and API. The hierarchical design allows for the node-level execution to be efficiently executed using containers while not impacting the structure of the simulation at the system level. We demonstrate the viability of the approach by presenting experimental results from applications in coupled fusion plasma simulations that illustrate the performance impact of using containers to deploy the node-level workloads, in conjunction with the user mountable XFS file systems to ameliorate the load on the Lustre parallel file system. We also present results from production runs showing the ability of the ensemble simulations to scale to hundreds of Cori Haswell nodes, with little or no overhead.
A Markov random field approach to multi-scale shape analysis

With a mind towards achieving means of image comprehension by computer, we intend to convey the benefits of (1) characterizing the geometry of object complexes in the real world as contrasted with the geometric conformation of their images, and (2) describing populations of object complexes probabilistically. We show how a multi-scale description of inter-scale residues of geometric features provides a set of efficiently trainable probability distributions via a Markov random field approach, and specifies the location and scale of geometric differences between populations. These ideas and methods are illustrated using medial representations for 3D objects, depending on their properties (1) that local descriptors have an associated coordinate frame and distance metric, and (2) that continuous geometric random variables can be used to describe all members of a population of object complexes with a common structure and the variation among those members. We demonstrate with respect to the following object-complex-relative discrete scale levels: a whole object complex, individual objects, various object parts and sections, and fine boundary details. Using this illustrative framework, we show how to build Markov random field (MRF) models on the geometry scale space based on the statistics of shape residues across scales and between neighboring geometric entities at the level of locality given by its scale. In this paper, we present how to design and estimate MRF models on two scale levels, namely boundary displacement and object sections.
A Path to Evolve to Federation of TestBeds

Federating the numerous existing networking testbeds offers multiple possible benefits, but so far testbeds and federation efforts remained semi-independent, and not wholly united as a single federation. We identify several problems against federation, namely, establishing new trust relations and agreeing on a common schema between the entities. In this paper we explore practical ways to set up federations by making use of the existing organization to user, and inter-organizational trust relations. First we give an analysis of the existing testbeds and federations in terms of their trust models, and the set of technologies they use. Next, we argue for a design of a federation which leverages existing trust relationships. Our prototype implementation shows how readily this design can be implemented using a minimal set of schema and technologies being used by the existing testbeds and federations. Using our analysis we then show how this design can be expanded for larger scale federations, and give examples of possible future trust models.
Reliability Evaluation of Generation Systems Including Energy Limited UnitS—A Cluster Based Approach

Abstract Most of the power system reliability studies ignore the effect of energy limitations. The limitation on available energy for the generating units can, however, have a significant effect on system reliability. Under certain conditions energy shortage may affect system reliability more severely than the forced outages of the units. In recent years, some attention has been given to reliability evaluation of generation systems including the effect of energy limitations in single area configurations. The basic methods are the forced outage rate (F.O.R) modification technique and the load duration curve or cumulative load model modification approach. The objective of this paper is to present a new analytical approach based on the concept of cluster load model for generation system reliability evaluation incorporating the effects of limited energy availability. The proposed method provides more efficient and realistic means of calculating generation system reliability indices. The method is illustrated using the IEEE-RTS system (Reliability Test System) and EPRI test system. The methodology and results are compared to the previous methods.
Generating Different Story Tellings from Semantic Representations of Narrative

In order to tell stories in different voices for different audiences, interactive story systems require: (1) a semantic representation of story structure, and (2) the ability to automatically generate story and dialogue from this semantic representation using some form of Natural Language Generation (nlg). However, there has been limited research on methods for linking story structures to narrative descriptions of scenes and story events. In this paper we present an automatic method for converting from Scheherazade's story intention graph, a semantic representation, to the input required by the personage nlg engine. Using 36 Aesop Fables distributed in DramaBank, a collection of story encodings, we train translation rules on one story and then test these rules by generating text for the remaining 35. The results are measured in terms of the string similarity metrics Levenshtein Distance and BLEU score. The results show that we can generate the 35 stories with correct content: the test set stories on average are close to the output of the Scheherazade realizer, which was customized to this semantic representation. We provide some examples of story variations generated by personage. In future work, we will experiment with measuring the quality of the same stories generated in different voices, and with techniques for making storytelling interactive.
Do past mortality rates predict future hospital mortality

Background This study aimed to determine whether hospitals with higher historical mortality rates are independently associated with worse patient outcomes.
Sociobiology, History of

Under its half-century existence, sociobiology has undergone an unusual amount of scientific self-scrutiny, triggered by the sociobiology controversy and a more recent attack on its core principle: inclusive fitness or kin selection. Such challenges have only strengthened the field. It has held up well to criticism, clarified its theoretical basis, broadened its scientific insights, and expanded its empirical support. Misunderstandings and semantic issues have been addressed. With the proliferation of new concepts and empirical studies the broader notion of ‘cooperation’ has been adopted as an umbrella term for prosocial behavior. In regard to humans, cultural factors are increasingly being emphasized as drivers of gene–culture coevolution.
Osteocyte specific responses to soluble and mechanical stimuli in a stem cell derived culture model

Studying osteocyte behavior in culture has proven difficult because these embedded cells require spatially coordinated interactions with the matrix and surrounding cells to achieve the osteocyte phenotype. Using an easily attainable source of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, we generated cells with the osteocyte phenotype within two weeks. These “stem cell derived-osteocytes” (SCD-O) displayed stellate morphology and lacunocanalicular ultrastructure. Osteocytic genes Sost, Dmp1, E11, and Fgf23 were maximally expressed at 15 days and responded to PTH and 1,25(OH)2D3. Production of sclerostin mRNA and protein, within 15 days of culture makes the SCD-O model ideal for elucidating regulatory mechanisms. We found sclerostin to be regulated by mechanical factors, where low intensity vibration significantly reduced Sost expression. Additionally, this model recapitulates sclerostin production in response to osteoactive hormones, as PTH or LIV repressed secretion of sclerostin, significantly impacting Wnt-mediated Axin2 expression, via β-catenin signaling. In summary, SCD-O cells produce abundant matrix, rapidly attain the osteocyte phenotype, and secrete functional factors including sclerostin under non-immortalized conditions. This culture model enables ex vivo observations of osteocyte behavior while preserving an organ-like environment. Furthermore, as marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells can be obtained from transgenic animals; our model enables study of genetic control of osteocyte behaviors.
Neurobiological mechanisms associated with facial affect recognition deficits after traumatic brain injury

The neurobiological mechanisms that underlie facial affect recognition deficits after traumatic brain injury (TBI) have not yet been identified. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), study aims were to 1) determine if there are differences in brain activation during facial affect processing in people with TBI who have facial affect recognition impairments (TBI-I) relative to people with TBI and healthy controls who do not have facial affect recognition impairments (TBI-N and HC, respectively); and 2) identify relationships between neural activity and facial affect recognition performance. A facial affect recognition screening task performed outside the scanner was used to determine group classification; TBI patients who performed greater than one standard deviation below normal performance scores were classified as TBI-I, while TBI patients with normal scores were classified as TBI-N. An fMRI facial recognition paradigm was then performed within the 3T environment. Results from 35 participants are reported (TBI-I = 11, TBI-N = 12, and HC = 12). For the fMRI task, TBI-I and TBI-N groups scored significantly lower than the HC group. Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals for facial affect recognition compared to a baseline condition of viewing a scrambled face, revealed lower neural activation in the right fusiform gyrus (FG) in the TBI-I group than the HC group. Right fusiform gyrus activity correlated with accuracy on the facial affect recognition tasks (both within and outside the scanner). Decreased FG activity suggests facial affect recognition deficits after TBI may be the result of impaired holistic face processing. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed.
Taking Theology Seriously: The Status of the Religious Beliefs of Judicial Nominees for the Federal Bench

On November 9, 2005, the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy hosted a symposium entitled The Religious Commitments of Judicial Nominees. The author was the third speaker at the Symposium. His remarks have been revised for publication. In this article, he explores the difficult question of how the theological beliefs of nominees to the federal bench should be treated by the U.S. Senate. He suggests a solution that treats theology with epistemological respect while at the same time allaying some, though he suspects not all, of the fears expressed by some U.S. Senators who are suspicious of the mischief that could be caused by theologically serious judges and justices.
Statistical and mathematical approaches in HIV/AIDS modeling: a review

This paper provides a brief introduction to the field and the literature of statistical and mathematical approaches to HIV/AIDS modeling. The emphasis is on succinct description of the methodology and on discussion of the work of some researchers who were unable to contribute to this volume. This review is not complete; however, it is complemented to a great degree by the partial reviews of the literature provided by several authors in their contributions to this volume. An additional objective of this introductory chapter is to describe to nonspecialists, in general terms, some of the main statistical and mathematical approaches currently used in problems related to AIDS epidemiology.
Explaining the Growth of Higher-Priced Loans in HMDA: A Decomposition Approach

The period 2004-2005 showed a significant increase in Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) rate spread reporting. Following the Oaxaca (1973), Blinder (1973), and Fairlie (2005) decomposition techniques, this study identifies the fraction of the increase due to the flattening of the yield curve. Even after controlling for changes in borrower risk characteristics, the findings reveal that during 2004-2006, the flattening of the yield curve explains a significant amount of the increase in rate spread reportable loans. This is the case for both prime and subprime originations.
A new paradigm for alkene epoxidation: Activation of hydrogen peroxide by organophosphorus electrophiles

Abstract Diphenylphosphinic anhydride and certain other organophosphorus electrophiles mediate the high-yield conversion of alkenes to epoxides by hydrogen peroxide in buffered aqueous tetrahydrofuran.
Monte Carlo simulation of radiation-induced plasmas

A Monte Carlo simulation model for radiation-induced plasmas with nonlinear properties due to recombination has been developed employing a piecewise-linearized predict-correct technique. Several va...
Hybrid perturbation/Bubnov-Galerkin technique for nonlinear thermal analysis

A two step hybrid analysis technique to predict the nonlinear steady state temperature distribution in structures and solids is presented. The technique is based on the regular perturbation expansion and the classical Bubnov-Galerkin approximation. The functions are obtained by using the regular perturbation method. These functions are selected as coordinate functions and the classical Bubnov-Galerkin technique is used to compute their amplitudes. The potential of the proposed hybrid technique for the solution of nonlinear thermal problems is discussed. The effectiveness of this technique is demonstrated by the effects of conduction, convection, and radiation modes of heat transfer. It is indicated that the hybrid technique overcomes the two major drawbacks of the classical techniques: (1) the requirement of using a small parameter in the regular perturbation method; and (2) the arbitrariness in the choice of the coordinate functions in the Bubnov-Galerkin technique. The proposed technique extends the range of applicability of the regular perturbation method and enhances the effectiveness of the Bubnov-Galerkin technique.
Exact emission SPECT reconstruction with truncated transmission data

1510 Objectives It is common, even with the new SPECT/CT systems, that the transmission data is truncated. This paper develops a method that obtains exact attenuation correction with truncated transmission data. Methods The emission object (e.g., the heart) is assumed to have a finite, convex support, whose emission projections are not truncated. The transmission measurements over the support are available, but may be truncated outside the support (within the torso). A novel emission data reconstruction technique combines emission projections from conjugate views; a modified version of the ML-EM algorithms is used to reconstruct emission data. The attenuation map outside the support is not needed during reconstruction. The transmission measurements through the support are used to pre-scale the emission data and to reconstruct the attenuation map within the support. The attenuation map reconstruction within the support is an internal problem in which only a biased solution can be obtained using an iterative algorithm. The bias is then corrected by identifying a soft-tissue region within the support and the known attenuation coefficient values of these pixels for the soft-tissue. Results Proof of convergence of the new algorithm is provided. Computer simulations verify the accuracy of the new method. Conclusions An exact attenuation map within the support can be obtained provided the attenuation coefficient is known at one pixel within the support. The method, which requires emission data over 360°, provides a means to perform attenuation correction in SPECT with truncated transmission data.
The supply- and demand-side impacts of credit market information

Abstract We utilize a unique pair of experiments to isolate the ways in which reductions in asymmetric information alter credit market outcomes. A Guatemalan microfinance lender gradually started using a credit bureau across its branches without letting borrowers know about it. One year later, we ran a large randomized credit information course that described the existence and workings of the bureau to the clients of this lender. This pairing of natural and randomized experiments allows us to separately identify how new information enters on the supply and the demand sides of the market. Our results indicate that the credit bureau generated large efficiency gains for the lender, and that these gains were augmented when borrowers understood the rules of the game. The credit bureau rewarded good borrowers but penalized weaker ones, increasing economic differentiation.
Can PF2OF exist

Abstract G2 and G3 compound methods were used to explore the possibility that the covalent hypofluorite compound PF2OF might exist as a stable compound. Calculations suggest that it may exist, making it a legitimate synthetic target. If it is isolable, it is likely to be very reactive, as the O–F bond is expected to be rather weak.
Transitions in Care in a Nationally Representative Sample of Older Americans with Dementia

Objectives To describe transitions in care for older adults with dementia identified from a nationally representative cohort and to describe transition rates in those with more-severe levels of cognitive and functional impairment. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Setting Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Participants HRS respondents aged 65 and older whose survey data were linked with Medicare claims from 1999 to 2008 (N = 16,186). Measurements Transitions in care between home, home with formal services, hospital, and nursing facility care; cognitive function; activities of daily living; and mortality. Results The 3,447 (21.3%) HRS subjects who were ever diagnosed with dementia experienced frequent transitions. Of subjects transitioning from a hospital stay, 52.2% returned home without home care services, and 33.8% transitioned to a nursing facility. Of subjects transitioning from a nursing facility, 59.2% transitioned to the hospital, and 25.3% returned home without services. There were 2,139 transitions to death, and 58.7% of HRS subjects with dementia died at home. Even in persons with moderate to severe dementia, multiple transitions in care were documented, including transitions from the hospital to home and back to the hospital. Conclusion In this nationally representative sample of older adults, subjects diagnosed with dementia experience frequent transitions. Persons with dementia who are cared for at home and who transition back to home often have moderate to severe impairments in function and cognition.
Brain trauma, PET scans and forensic complexity

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique that can be used to show brain function. Courts have admitted PET scan evidence in cases involving brain damage, injury, toxic exposure, or illness ("brain trauma") and to support claims of diminished cognitive abilities and impulse control. Despite the limited data on the relationships between PET, brain trauma and behavior, many courts admit PET scan evidence without much critical analysis. This article examines the use of PET as proof of functional impairment and justification of abnormal behavior by explaining its diagnostic use and limitations, the limited support for claims of its relationship to behavior, and evidentiary considerations that should govern its admission into court as evidence. The authors urge courts to consider PET evidence, claims of experts, and the scope of the proposed testimony with greater deference to the clinical scope of PET, as outlined by the American College of Radiology's appropriateness criteria and the Working Group Report of the American Psychiatric Association.
DIFFUSE GAMMA RAYS FROM WIMP DECAY AND ANNIHILATION

I discuss contributions to the diffuse gamma-ray background from decay and annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). I first review the calculation of the cosmological abundance of a WIMP and show that it is simply related to the cross section for annihilation of the WIMP into lighter particles. The diffuse extragalactic background radiation (DEBRA) from WIMP decay is then discussed. I show how observational upper limits to the DEBRA can be used to constrain properties of WIMPs that decay to photons, and I present additional new constraints that unitarity of the annihilation cross section imposes on such particles. I then discuss gamma rays from annihilation of WIMPs in the halo, spheroid, and disk of our galaxy, as well as those from WIMP annihilation in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
A View of Unusual Peroxides

Chemical processes involving oxygen can lead to unstable peroxide molecules such as three-membered ring dioxiranes. In his Perspective, Greer describes the stability of a variety of heteroatom-containing dioxiranes and the tools used to characterize unstable peroxides species. He highlights the report by Ho et al ., who have used low-temperature nuclear magnetic resonance to obtain direct evidence for dioxirane intermediates. The method may also be applicable to biological systems in which peroxides have been implicated.
Indications of Causal Set Cosmology

Within the context of a recently proposed family of stochastic dynamical lawsfor causal sets, one can ask whether the universe might have emerged from thequantum-gravity era with a large enough size and with sufficient homogeneityto explain its present-day large-scale structure. In general, such a scenario wouldbe expected to require the introduction of very large or very small fundamentalparameters into the theory. However, there are indications that such “fine tuning”is not necessary, and a large homogeneous and isotropic cosmos can emergenaturally thanks to the action of a kind of renormalization group associated withcosmic cycles of expansion and recollapse.
The logic of public announcements, common knowledge, and private suspicions

This paper presents a logical system in which various group-level epistemic actions are incorporated into the object language. That is, we consider the standard modeling of knowledge among a set of agents by multi-modal Kripke structures. One might want to consider actions that take place, such as announcements to groups privately, announcements with suspicious outsiders, etc. In our system, such actions correspond to additional modalities in the object language. That is, we do not add machinery on top of models (as in Fagin et al [1], but we reify aspects of the machinery in the logical language. The first case of the kind of logics we consider appears in Gerbrandy and Groeneveld [3]. They introduced a language in which one can faithfully represent all of the reasoning in examples such as the Muddy Children scenario. In that paper we find operators for updating worlds via announcements to groups of agents who are isolated from all others. We advance this by considering many more actions; and by using a more general semantics. Our logic contains the infinitary operators used in the standard modeling of common knowledge. We present a sound and complete logical system for the logic, and we study its expressive power.
T-wave alternans and ST depression assessment identifies low risk individuals with ischemic cardiomyopathy in the absence of left ventricular hypertrophy.

Background Although ECG left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by Cornell product (CP) predicts increased mortality in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM), those without CP LVH remain at relatively high risk. We examined whether T-wave alternans (TWA) testing and ST depression can improve risk stratification in these patients. Methods and Results This study examined 317 patients with ICM, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, and a resting ECG in sinus rhythm, who presented for electrophysiology and TWA testing, and potential implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation. LVH was defined by CP :[(RaVL + SV3) +6 mm in women] × QRS duration > 2440 mm * msec. ST depression was examined as a categorical variable using an established threshold of depression of ≥50 μV in V5 or V6. In Cox multivariate models, abnormal TWA testing and ST depression were independent predictors of mortality in patients without CP LVH (HR 2.52, CI 1.09–5.80, P = 0.030 and HR 2.87, CI 1.41–5.81, P = 0.004, respectively). Individuals with no LVH by CP, normal TWA, and no significant ST depression, comprised 23% of the study population and had a 5.6% 3-year mortality, compared to an overall 20% mortality. Conclusions TWA and ST depression testing are strong predictors of mortality among ICM patients without CP LVH, with normal testing conversely predicting low 3-year mortality. Thus, risk assessment with TWA testing and a resting ECG can identify ICM patients at low risk who may be less likely to benefit from ICD implantation.
THE BIG PICTURE: PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF REDUCED US OBESITY

This paper assesses how successfully reducing the incidence of overweight and obesity in the US to meet public health objectives might influence agricultural production. We also examine the consequent agri-environmental effects of the production changes. Our estimates show that a reduction in aggregate consumption by between 2 and 6 percent, associated with public health goals being met, would lead to reduced production of primary agricultural commodities, increased exports, and reduced discharge of agricultural pollutants. In both cases, neither the estimated changes in commodity production nor the subsequent environmental impacts would be uniform across the landscape. Results indicate that in value terms, the largest changes (either positive or negative) in agricultural producer net returns would occur in the Corn Belt and the Lake States; conversely, the largest impacts on consumer surplus would occur in the Northeast and Pacific regions.
Siting Offshore Hydrokinetic Energy Projects: A Comparative Look at Wave Energy Regulation in the Pacific Northwest

Hydrokinetic energy is derived from waves, tides, or currents. Interest in marine hydrokinetic energy is peaking at the same time that the federal government and states are engaging in marine spatial planning. As a tool used for more comprehensive ocean management, marine spatial planning will be central to the prioritization that must occur in offshore development. Much like zoning on land, ocean zoning requires decisions about human preferences that have long been delayed under the false premise that oceans were vast and unable to be destabilized by our use. Though in the abstract public support for renewable energy is robust in the Pacific Northwest states examined here, this does not necessarily translate into support for individual siting decisions. This Article considers the approaches that Oregon, California, and Washington have taken to address the need for additional renewable energy while also undertaking a shift to comprehensive ocean management. Discussion of offshore federalism, a component of the opportunities and challenges of this nascent industry, is highlighted at various points. The Memoranda of Understanding that these coastal states have entered into with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have been central to facilitating hydrokinetic energy development. While each state has taken a slightly different approach to folding wave energy into its alternative energy and marine management agendas, the progress made is encouraging for the development of a robust ocean energy industry.
More on the energy / non-energy commodity price link

This paper examines the energy/non-energy commodity price link, based on a reduced form econometric model and using annual data from 1960 to 2008. The transmission elasticity from energy to the non-energy index is estimated at 0.28. At a more disaggregated level, the fertilizer index exhibited the largest elasticity (0.55), followed by precious metals (0.46), food (0.27), metals and minerals (0.25), and raw materials (0.11). By contrast, only a few price indices responded strongly to inflation, although the trend parameter estimate (often viewed as a proxy for technological progress) is negative for agriculture and positive for metals. A key implication of the pass-through results is that for as long as energy prices remain elevated, most non-energy commodity prices are expected to be high.
Why Do Nations Trade (So Little)

There is not nearly as much trade as standard models suggest there should be. Formal trade barriers and transport costs are too low to account for the difference. The pattern of missing trade has interesting variation across country pairs. These clues suggest the need for theoretical and eventually structural empirical work on the missing transactions costs. This paper reviews recent empirical findings and some promising research directions in search, predation and contract theory.
Business Cycles and the Relation between Security Returns and Earnings

This paper examines business cycle variation in the earnings-returns relation. Earnings are more persistent when growth rates are high (i.e., in an expansion) than when growth rates are low (i.e., in a recession). Earnings are more persistent when production is high (i.e., in a credit crunch period) than when production is low (i.e., in a reliquification period). Relatedly, earnings response coefficients are larger in expansions (credit crunch periods) than in recessions (reliquification periods). Thus, earnings persistence and earnings response coefficients are positively associated with the rate of growth in economic activity and the level of economic activity.
Exact P-values for Network Interference

ABSTRACTWe study the calculation of exact p-values for a large class of nonsharp null hypotheses about treatment effects in a setting with data from experiments involving members of a single connected network. The class includes null hypotheses that limit the effect of one unit’s treatment status on another according to the distance between units, for example, the hypothesis might specify that the treatment status of immediate neighbors has no effect, or that units more than two edges away have no effect. We also consider hypotheses concerning the validity of sparsification of a network (e.g., based on the strength of ties) and hypotheses restricting heterogeneity in peer effects (so that, e.g., only the number or fraction treated among neighboring units matters). Our general approach is to define an artificial experiment, such that the null hypothesis that was not sharp for the original experiment is sharp for the artificial experiment, and such that the randomization analysis for the artificial experime...