cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Finite element modeling of neotectonics in New Zealand

[1] Thin-shell finite element methods that incorporate faults, realistic rheology, laterally varying heat flow and topography, and plate velocity boundary conditions have been used to model the neotectonics of New Zealand. We find that New Zealand's faults have effective friction of ∼0.17, comparable to that found in other Pacific Rim regions. The long-term average slip rate of the Alpine fault varies along strike, generally increasing northeastward until slip is partitioned among the strands of the Marlborough system. The average slip rate, ∼30 mm/yr, when combined with published geodetic results and historical seismicity, strongly suggests a high probability of future large earthquakes. Tectonic deformation of North Island is controlled by a balance between differential topographic pressure and traction from the Hikurangi subduction thrust. The Hikurangi forearc is an independent plate sliver moving relative to the Pacific and Australian plates. There is a complicated zone of slip partitioning in the transition from the Alpine fault to the Puysegur trench. An offshore thrust fault, the southern segment of which may correspond to the Waipounamou fault system, parallels to the SE coast of South Island and needs to be included in seismic hazard estimates.
Flexible wide-angle polarization-insensitive mid-infrared metamaterial absorbers

The burgeoning field of metamaterials was brought about by the demand for materials with exotic properties beyond the reach of natural materials, such as a negative refractive index [1]. Most metamaterial development work has focused on engineering the real part of the effective permittivity and/or permeability [2]. However, a recently proposed perfect metamaterial absorber has drawn attention to the oft-overlooked imaginary part of the optical constant, [3] which can be manipulated to create high absorption. Compared with classical absorber designs such as Salisbury screens, metamaterial absorbers can possess much thinner structures, rendering them more suitable for radar and tracking applications. Nevertheless, most up-to-date metamaterial absorber designs, covering the RF [4] and THz [5] up to Near-IR [6] wavelengths, function only at either near-normal incidence or for a single polarization. In this paper, we propose single-band and dual-band flexible polarization-insensitive metamaterial absorbers with wide field of view for the mid-infrared band. The structures are based on a thin (~λ 0 /15) bilayer metallo-dielectric stacks with the design parameters optimized via a genetic algorithm (GA), which has been proven to be a robust methodology for evolving complex structures with customized electromagnetic properties [7].
Impact of Persistent HIV Replication on CD4 Negative Vγ2Vδ2 T Cells

repertoire. Results. Levels, responses to antigen and the proportion of T effector memory Vc2Vd2 T cells in patients with persistent viremia, were intermediate between patients with natural virus suppression (NVS) and patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. Damage to the TCR c-2 chain repertoire and depletion of CD561 Vc2Vd2 T cells were more pronounced in viremic patients, compared with antiretroviral therapy recipients and patients with natural virus suppression. Conclusions. Characteristics of Vc2Vd2 T cells in viremic patients reflect both active responses (increasing cell numbers, better antigen responses, and higher proportion of effector memory cells) and ongoing damage (repertoire changes and loss of CD561 cells). Unlike patients who control viremia to undetectable levels, Vc2Vd 2T cells are diminished during persistent viremia and may eventually be lost because of progressive destruction of the TCR repertoire.
Group Life Insurance

The last three chapters in the book shift the emphasis away from the health/disability model of information asymmetry, moral hazard and adverse selection, towards the life cycle model of savings, retirement, and bequests. The shift in emphasis corresponds to the nature of the risk. In health and disability insurance, the insurable “events ”of financial consequence, such as the treatment for stress, low back pain, other repetitive trauma conditions, chronic fatigue, etc-are often very difficult for the employer (or its representative insurer) to measure and monitor. The severity of almost all low back pain, for example, is determined by the self-report of the worker, and her attendant physician, without other external clinical measures. As discussed in previous chapters, this creates a potential for moral hazard. Also, if workers differ in their risk, and the employee benefit is contributory (workers pay at least part of the premium and the participation is voluntary so not all workers will necessarily participate), then there is also potential for adverse selection in health care benefit’s plans as well.
The Cognitive Aspects of Chinese Character Processing

Archaeological excavations have unearthed pottery etchings that appear ancestral to the Chinese characters (e.g., the shell-and-bone logograph of some 3,400 years ago). Judging by the extent to which these logographs are already conventionalized, it is reasonable to infer that true writing emerged considerably earlier. This suggests that the earliest existing Chinese writing dates back at least some 6,000 years.(1)
Why Social Media Must Have a Place in Schools

AbstractWhile most young people regularly consume and produce social media content, many schools focus on what students should not do with these technologies rather than address what students and teachers can do. The authors share ways that some educators leverage social media to enhance the who, when, where, why, how, and what of educational processes.
Measuring Efficiency in the Community College Sector

Community colleges are increasingly being pressed to demonstrate efficiency and improve productivity even as these concepts are not clearly defined and require a significant set of assumptions to determine. This paper sets out a preferred economic definition of efficiency: fiscal and social cost per degree. It then assesses the validity of using IPEDS data to calculate efficiency for the community college system. Using IPEDS, I estimate the fiscal cost per associate degree at $52,900 for comprehensive community colleges and $42,740 for vocational colleges (in 2008 dollars); the social costs per degree are $71,610 and $56,930, respectively. The community college sector has become more efficient over time: fiscal and social costs per degree are lower in real terms in 2008 than they were in 1987. However, two issues are important to the validity of IPEDS: the ability to adjust for differences in student ability and the way that transfer patterns are incorporated. This paper addresses both of them.
Annotated Bibliography for the Transparency Papers: Version 2.0

.This paper contains an annotated bibliography of the studies associated with transparency in merger policy at the Federal Trade Commission. After a brief introduction to provide context and a list of topics addressed in the particular studies, the 36 papers are briefly reviewed, with links to the SSRN versions as well as citations to the final versions. This note is not intended to summarize the research in detail, just provide an overview of the areas studied and easy access to the research papers.
The Chemical Alteration of Microwear Polishes: An Evaluation of the Plisson and Mauger Findings Through Replicative Experimentation

(1994). The Chemical Alteration of Microwear Polishes: An Evaluation of the Plisson and Mauger Findings Through Replicative Experimentation. Lithic Technology: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 88-92.
‘Beware: Boundary Crossings’ – A Critical Appraisal of Public Law Approaches to International Investment Law

This article addresses the tools by which international lawyers engage in interpretative ‘boundary crossings’ across distinct international regimes, such as those involving trade, investment, and human rights. It distinguishes the traditional tools of treaty interpretation, such as those licensed by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT), that encourage interactions between trade and international investment law (such as the VCLT’s Article 31(3)(c), from some more innovative interpretations now proposed by self-identified ‘public law’ scholars. Drawing on examples of boundary crossings pursued recently by investor-state arbitrators and the International Law Commission, it warns against interpretative boundary crossings that go against the object and purpose, remedies or organizational structures of the underlying regimes. It argues that such interpretative linkages, however well-meaning, may not be as ‘progressive’ as anticipated.
Student construction of phylogenetic trees in an introductory biology course

Phylogenetic trees have become increasingly essential across biology disciplines. Consequently, learning about phylogenetic trees has become an important component of biology education and an area of interest for biology education research. Construction tasks, in which students generate phylogenetic trees from some type of data, are often used for instruction. However, the impact of these exercises on student learning is uncertain, in part due to our fragmented knowledge of what students construct during the tasks. The goal of this project was to develop a more robust method for describing student-generated phylogenetic trees, which will support future investigations that attempt to link construction tasks with student learning. Through iterative examination of data from an introductory biology course, we developed a method for describing student-generated phylogenetic trees in terms of style, conventionality, and accuracy. Students used the diagonal style more often than the bracket style for construction tasks. The majority of phylogenetic trees were constructed conventionally, and variable orientation of branches was the most common unconventional feature. In addition, the majority of phylogenetic trees were generated correctly (no errors) or adequately (minor errors only) in terms of accuracy. Suggesting extant taxa are descended from other extant taxa was the most common major error, while empty branches and extra nodes were very common minor errors. The method we developed to describe student-constructed phylogenetic trees uncovered several trends that warrant further investigation. For example, while diagonal and bracket phylogenetic trees contain equivalent information, student preference for using the diagonal style could impact comprehension. In addition, despite a lack of explicit instruction, students generated phylogenetic trees that were largely conventional and accurate. Surprisingly, accuracy and conventionality were also dependent on each other. Our method for describing phylogenetic trees constructed by students is based on data from one introductory biology course at one institution, and the results are likely limited. We encourage researchers to use our method as a baseline for developing a more generalizable tool, which will support future investigations that attempt to link construction tasks with student learning.
The influences of power grid structure on self-organized criticality

An original view is put forward that,under specific running state,power system self-organized criticality is related to power grid's uniform degree.The uniform degree of power network is characterized by network entropy;then a model to simulate power system self-organized criticality is proposed.Simulations in an IEEE39-bus system with the proposed model show that,under the uniform loading and flow distribution,the higher the grid's uniform degree is,the lower the probability of power cascading failure will be.Furthermore,balancing power grid's uniform degree can effectively prevent large-scale disastrous blackout and reduce the risk of entering power self-organized criticality state.
Restructuring Subnational Debt

This article argues that certain basic principles of bankruptcy reorganization law can create a framework for crafting national laws for the restructuring of subnational debt, and that these principles should have universal application to the internal laws of any nation irrespective of its subnational structure or its existing approach toward insolvency law.
$LFSR$ -Based Generation of Partially-Functional Broadside Tests

This paper describes a procedure that computes seeds for $LFSR$ -based generation of partially-functional broadside tests. Existing $LFSR$ -based test data compression methods compute seeds based on incompletely-specified test cubes. Functional broadside tests are fully-specified, and they have fully-specified scan-in states. This is the main challenge that the test generation procedure described in this paper needs to address. It addresses it by using a process that modifies an initial seed $s_i$ in order to reduce the Hamming distance between the scan-in state $p_i$ that $s_i$ creates and a reachable state $r_j$ . When the Hamming distance is reduced to zero, the seed can be used for generating functional broadside tests. When the distance is larger than zero, the tests are partially-functional. Experimental results are presented for transition faults in benchmark circuits to demonstrate the resulting distances and fault coverage.
SU-G-IeP2-05: Effect of Localizer Type and Patient Off-Centering On CT Radiation Dose with Use of Automatic Tube Current Modulation

Purpose: Apparent patient size in CT localizers varies with localizer type and patient positioning, resulting in variation in effective mAs as guided by Tube Current Modulation (TCM). Our aim was to investigate the effects of vertical off-centering on CTDI-vol when using different localizer types and TCM strengths. Methods: A CTDI body phantom was scanned using an abdominal protocol with three TCM strengths (Siemens Definition AS40, CAREDose4D; very weak, average, very strong). Data was acquired at 11 table height positions; with phantom center at isocenter and at 10 other positions between 142mm below and 53mm above. At each position, scans were acquired using 5 different localizer types: PA, AP, Lateral, PA+Lateral, and Lateral+PA. CTDI-vol was recorded for the 165 combinations of table height, localizer type, and TCM strength, and magnification factors measured from localizer images. Results: Magnification factors from AP and PA localizers ranged from 0.79–1.11 and 1.35–0.91, respectively from lowest to highest positions (highest with phantom located closest to X-ray tube), with a smaller impact when using Lateral, PA+Lateral, Lateral+PA localizer types, all of which behaved similarly. For an average TCM strength and PA localizer, CTDI-vol ranged from 75% higher to 12% lower than the isocenter value for the lowest to highest table positions, respectively. For table positions ranging from lowest to highest, CTDI-vol ranged from −23% to 17% for AP, from −8% to 0.3% for lateral and from −7% to 1% for a combination of PA and Lateral in either order. Similar behavior was found for different TCM strengths, but effects were more pronounced for very strong compared with very weak modulation strengths. Conclusion: Patient off-centering substantially impacts radiation dose, which depends on the amount of vertical offcentering and type of the localizer used. The combination of PA and Lateral localizers is most robust against effects of patient off-centering.
A management framework for understanding change in a lean environment

Abstract This paper examines human behavior with regard to the transition from a traditional manufacturing philosophy to the implementation of the lean management philosophy. Diverse reasons for why and how associates resist or embrace change in transitioning from a traditional manufacturing environment to a lean manufacturing environment are explored in a lean management model. Senior-management leadership and intrinsic cost/benefit analyses to change by associates play crucial roles in the successful transformation to a lean environment. Knowledge about the myriad reasons why and how associates resist or embrace change may prove useful to engineering managers who champion a massive transformation in business philosophies.
Linear Absorption Spectra from Explicitly Time-Dependent Equation-of-Motion Coupled-Cluster Theory

We report an explicitly time-dependent approach to the generation of linear absorption spectra for molecular systems within the framework of equation-of-motion (EOM) coupled-cluster (CC) theory. While most time-dependent CC approaches consider the perturbation and time-evolution of a CC wave function, the present work considers the time-evolution of a CC dipole function. The dipole function formalism introduces no approximations and requires the evolution of only one time-dependent quantity, either the left or right dipole function. This time-dependent framework can be used to compute linear absorption spectra for molecules with a high density of states over a broad spectral range, a case for which conventional frequency-domain computations may become impractical. We validate the approach by comparing absorption spectra for small molecules computed at EOM second-order approximate CC (CC2) and time-dependent EOM-CC2 (TD-EOM-CC2) levels of theory. TD-EOM-CC2 computations are also used to predict extreme ult...
Whole-Genome Relationships among Francisella Bacteria of Diverse Origins Define New Species and Provide Specific Regions for Detection

ABSTRACT Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent zoonotic pathogen that causes tularemia and, because of weaponization efforts in past world wars, is considered a tier 1 biothreat agent. Detection and surveillance of F. tularensis may be confounded by the presence of uncharacterized, closely related organisms. Through DNA-based diagnostics and environmental surveys, novel clinical and environmental Francisella isolates have been obtained in recent years. Here we present 7 new Francisella genomes and a comparison of their characteristics to each other and to 24 publicly available genomes as well as a comparative analysis of 16S rRNA and sdhA genes from over 90 Francisella strains. Delineation of new species in bacteria is challenging, especially when isolates having very close genomic characteristics exhibit different physiological features—for example, when some are virulent pathogens in humans and animals while others are nonpathogenic or are opportunistic pathogens. Species resolution within Francisella varies with analyses of single genes, multiple gene or protein sets, or whole-genome comparisons of nucleic acid and amino acid sequences. Analyses focusing on single genes (16S rRNA, sdhA ), multiple gene sets (virulence genes, lipopolysaccharide [LPS] biosynthesis genes, pathogenicity island), and whole-genome comparisons (nucleotide and protein) gave congruent results, but with different levels of discrimination confidence. We designate four new species within the genus; Francisella opportunistica sp. nov. (MA06-7296), Francisella salina sp. nov. (TX07-7308), Francisella uliginis sp. nov. (TX07-7310), and Francisella frigiditurris sp. nov. (CA97-1460). This study provides a robust comparative framework to discern species and virulence features of newly detected Francisella bacteria. IMPORTANCE DNA-based detection and sequencing methods have identified thousands of new bacteria in the human body and the environment. In most cases, there are no cultured isolates that correspond to these sequences. While DNA-based approaches are highly sensitive, accurately assigning species is difficult without known near relatives for comparison. This ambiguity poses challenges for clinical cases, disease epidemics, and environmental surveillance, for which response times must be short. Many new Francisella isolates have been identified globally. However, their species designations and potential for causing human disease remain ambiguous. Through detailed genome comparisons, we identified features that differentiate F. tularensis from clinical and environmental Francisella isolates and provide a knowledge base for future comparison of Francisella organisms identified in clinical samples or environmental surveys.
Cerebellar Allocentric and Action-Intentional Spatial Neglect (P01.003)

OBJECTIVE: To describe a patient with action-intentional neglect and allocentric (object-centered) spatial neglect from a left cerebellar stroke. BACKGROUND: Each cerebellar hemisphere has extensive connections with the contralateral cerebral cortex. Contralesional hemispatial neglect is most often associated with lesions of the right posterior temporo-parietal cortex. Less commonly contralateral and ipsilateral neglect are induced by lesions of the frontal lobe. Whereas body-centered (egocentric) ipsilesional (left sided) neglect has been reported with unilateral (left) cerebellar lesions, left sided object centered (allocentric) neglect with a leftward action-ipsilateral bias has not. DESIGN/METHODS: A 61 year old right handed woman who presented 8 months after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke of her left cerebellum with complaints of emotional lability and difficulty walking, including frequently bumping into things on her left side, was tested for neglect. RESULTS: In addition to ocular dysmetria and left sided limb ataxia, when this woman attempted to draw a clock she accurately drew a circle but her number placement was distorted outward on the left side. The same pattern was observed when she attempted to draw a circle composed of small triangles. Her line bisection was normal but on an allocentric task of open triangle cancellation, she primarily neglected the triangles with a left side opening. CONCLUSIONS: The patient9s clock drawing and figure drawing errors have been previous described in a patient with cortical dysfunction and this action-intentional neglect is thought to be a form of an action-intentional grasp induced by frontal dysfunction. Alternatively, right hemisphere dysfunction could cause a deficit in global attention, and when performing a focal attentional task of placing and writing clock numbers, she became unaware of the global form on the left side. Disclosure: Dr. Milano has nothing to disclose. Dr. Heilman has received personal compensation for activities with law firms as a consultant. Dr. Heilman has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Journal Watch.
Low frequency seismology and three-dimensional structure — observational aspects

The availability of a large quantity of long period digital seismic data has played a major role in recent advances in our understanding of the large scale aspherical structure of the Earth. Many new models exist which have been designed to fit these data. They succeed to various degrees but it is indisputable that much of the signal in the data remains to be explained.
The Globalization of Production and Income Inequality in Rich Democracies

Despite prominent and compelling theoretical arguments linking manufacturing imports from the global South to rising income inequality in the global North, the literature has produced decidedly mixed support for such arguments. We explain this mixed support by introducing intervening processes at the global and national levels. At the global level, evolving characteristics of global production networks (GPNs) amplify the effect of Southern imports. At the national level, wage coordination and welfare state generosity counteract the mechanisms by which Southern imports increase inequality, and thereby mitigate their effects. We conduct a time-series cross-section regression analyses of income inequality among eighteen advanced capitalist countries to test these propositions. Our analysis addresses alternative explanations, as well as validity threats related to model specification, sample composition, and measurement. We find substantial variation in the effect of Southern imports across global and national contexts. Southern imports have no systematic effect on income inequality until the magnitude of GPN activity surpasses its world-historical average, or in states with above-average levels of wage coordination and welfare state generosity. With counterfactual analyses, we show that Southern imports would have led to much different inequality trajectories in the North if there were fewer GPNs, and if the prevailing degrees of wage coordination and welfare state generosity were higher. The countervailing effects of GPNs and institutional context call for theories of inequality at the intersection of the global and the national, and raise important questions about distributional politics in the years to come.
Ecological review and management recommendations for recovery of the endangered Gila topminnow

Ecology of the endangered Gila topminnow is reviewed, described, and reconstructed; natural conditions are placed in perspective with human-altered habitats of today. In the natural state of waxing and waning of habitat size as a function of precipitation patterns are catastrophic events such as severe winter cold, the species in the past likely underwent dramatic expansions and contractions in population size and geographic range. Today, population expansions are unlikely because of constraints imposed by human activities. The original patterns of dispersal from refugia in ""good"" times and retreat in ""bad"" times, if they are to occur, must be re-created through human translocation. Further, most refugia now are destroyed or inaccessible to recolonization, so remnant, natural populations, along with established, transplanted stocks of appropriate size and genetic quality, need protection. Populations also must be established and maintained in artificial refugia. Last, even if connectedness were to be reestablished and refugia provided, intervening habitats harbor introduced piscivores such as western mosquitofish that interdict and eat dispersing topminnows and their progeny. Eliminatoin, exclusion, or management against such offending species is mandatory to prevent topminnow extinction and achieve recovery.
Youth drinking and acute harm: a perspective from the UK on effective engagement opportunities

Youth drinking is linked with acute harms and Emergency Departments (ED) are places where some of these harms become apparent. This commentary argues that there is a clear case for routinely monitoring alcohol harm at ED and delivering brief interventions to engage with people at a time when they may be more likely to consider lifestyle behaviour change. Based on insights from the UK, it is suggested that young people may not always easily be engaged through messages that focus directly on alcohol harm, and efforts to engage them through issues that matter to them (such as sexual harassment) might add to the effectiveness.
Algorithms for a special class of state-dependent shortest path problems with an application to the train routing problem

We study the state-dependent shortest path problem and focus on its application to the Single Train Routing Problem consisting of a rail network with only double-track segments, where the objective is to route one train through an empty network as fast as possible. We show that the Single Train Routing Problem is NP-hard. We investigate the solution properties and present sufficient conditions for optimality. Different conditions on the parameters are given to guarantee that certain local route selection is optimal. Then, a dynamic programming heuristic is introduced and conditions when the proposed heuristic can obtain the optimal solution in polynomial time are also discussed. Experimental results show the efficiency of the proposed heuristics for general problem settings.
An improved upper bound and algorithm for clique covers

Abstract Indeterminate strings have received considerable attention in the recent past; see for example [1] and [3] . This attention is due to their applicability in bioinformatics, and to the natural correspondence with undirected graphs. One aspect of this correspondence is the fact that the minimum alphabet size of indeterminates representing any given undirected graph equals the size of the minimal clique cover of this graph. This paper first considers a related problem proposed in [3] : characterize Θ n ( m ) , which is the size of the largest possible minimal clique cover (i.e., an exact upper bound), and hence alphabet size of the corresponding indeterminate, of any graph on n vertices and m edges. We provide improvements to the known upper bound for Θ n ( m ) in section 3.3 . [3] also presents an algorithm which finds clique covers in polynomial time. We build on this result with a heuristic for vertex sorting which significantly improves their algorithm's results, particularly in dense graphs.
Patterns of frailty in non-adults from medieval London

Abstract Famine has the potential to target frail individuals who are at greater risk of mortality than their peers. Although children have been at elevated risk of mortality during recent famines, little is known about the risks posed to children during the medieval period. This study uses burials from the St. Mary Spital cemetery (SRP98), London (c. 1120–1540) to examine the relationships among non-adult age at death, burial type (attritional or famine), and four skeletal lesions (porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia [LEH], and periosteal new bone formation). Hierarchical log-linear analysis reveals signiﬁcant associations between famine burials and LEH, independent of age. Significant associations also exist between age and the presence of cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, and periosteal lesions, with all three lesions present in greater frequencies among older children and adolescents, independent of burial type. The LEH results suggest that early exposure to stressors increased frailty among non-adults in the context of famine. The associations between age and the other skeletal indicators suggest that, in both famine and non-famine conditions, frailer individuals died at younger ages and before skeletal lesions could manifest, while their less frail peers survived multiple physiological insults before succumbing to death at older ages.
Integrating Life Cycle Assessment and Economic Evaluation

Making choices on the basis of environmental assessment techniques such as life cycle analysis (LCA) requires a valuation of the impacts. A mature approach for doing this is economic valuation in which money values are ascribed to environmental and social costs associated with alternative products, processes or policies. In this chapter economic valuation is applied to a case study of waste management options including landfilling, incineration and recycling. The results show that the environmental costs of waste management options are specific to location, technology and material. Recycling is shown to be clearly beneficial in most cases.
Classification of Alzheimer's disease using a self-smoothing operator

In this study, we present a system for Alzheimer's disease classification on the ADNI dataset [1]. Our system is able to learn/fuse registration-based (matching) and overlap-based similarity measures, which are enhanced using a self-smoothing operator (SSO). From a matrix of pair-wise affinities between data points, our system uses a diffusion process to output an enhanced matrix. The diffusion propagates the affinity mass along the intrinsic data space without the need to explicitly learn the manifold. Using the enhanced metric in nearest neighborhood classification, we show significantly improved accuracy for Alzheimer's Disease over Diffusion Maps [2] and a popular metric learning approach [3]. State-of-the-art results are obtained in the classification of 120 brainMRIs from ADNI as normal, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's.
The deformation energy of a charged drop: IV. Evidence for a discontinuity in the conventional family of saddle point shapes☆

Abstract The present paper is a continuation of previous investigations of the potential energy of deformation of an idealized, uniformly charged liquid drop. Part of the paper is devoted to a detailed discussion of recent evidence for a discontinuous or almost discontinuous behavior of the family of equilibrium configurations of a charged drop (so-called “saddle point shapes”) in the neighborhood of a certain critical value of the charge. This evidence, based on several sets of semiquantitative estimates of the deformation energy of a drop, suggests a rapid change in the appearance of the saddle point shapes—from that of two fragments connected by a neck, to that of a cylinder with rounded ends —in a narrow range of charge values. When applied to nuclei this suggests a qualitative change in the properties of fission in that part of the periodic table where the value of Z 2 A is around 35. The physical reason for the above behavior of a charged drop is discussed with reference to questions of the stability of spherical and elongated configurations, as well as configurations in which the drop has disintegrated into two or more fragments. The discussion is made with the aid of the concept of “points of bifurcation” in families of equilibrium configurations. One such bifurcation occurs where the conventional symmetric family of saddle point shapes loses stability against asymmetric distortions. This is estimated to take place at a critical charge corresponding to medium weight nuclei with Z 2 A values of about 20 or 25. The significance of this critical region for the definition of fission as a process distinct from “spallation” is discussed. Some of the above estimates are made with the aid of the configuration of tangent spheroids. Formulas for evaluating the electrostatic interaction of such spheroids are discussed, and tables of the surface and electrostatic energies (separated into the self-energies of the fragments and their interaction energy) are given for equal and unequal spheroids with various eccentricities.
Experiments with Parallel Fast Fourier Transforms

VLSI technology has made feasible large-scale parallel processing systems. Challenges presented by such systems include how to design algorithms to take advantage of the substantial parallelism and how to obtain the maximum performance from potentially complex parallel machines. In this paper we examine parallel algorithms for the fast Fourier transform. We give an overview of the algorithm structure for highly parallel FFTs then present the results of detailed experimental studies of implementing FFTs on two parallel systems: the PASM partitionable SIMD/MIMD prototype and the Thinking Machine’s CM-2 massively parallel SIMD machine.
Old Stereotypes Made New: A Textual Analysis on the Tragic Mulatto Stereotype in Contemporary Hollywood

In recent years, audiences have had more exposure to progressive representations of Black and biracial women in the media, however, despite society's social advances, television and film still pres...
SOCIAL COHESION AMONG COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE HOMEBOUND OR WHO RECEIVE MEALS ON WHEELS SERVICES

Social cohesion is a characteristic of communities rooted in norms of trust and reciprocity. Sometimes described as what holds us together, social cohesion is linked to a variety of health outcomes for older adults, including self-rated health status and overall mortality. Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) were used to test the hypothesis that perceived social cohesion would be lower for certain vulnerable sub-groups of older adults: (1) the homebound and semi-homebound, and (2) recipients of Meals on Wheels services. NHATS uses a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and older. The 7,070 included in this analysis represent 38,834,686 community-dwelling older adults across the US, of whom 6,982,672 were homebound or semi-homebound and 379,865 reported receiving Meals on Wheels services. Social cohesion was calculated as the average level of agreement with three NHATS items: people in this community… know each other, are willing to help each other, and can be trusted. Homebound and semi-homebound individuals reported low social cohesion significantly more often than community-dwelling older adults who were not homebound. However, the prevalence of low social cohesion was not significantly different for respondents who reported receiving help from Meals on Wheels relative to those who did not receive services. This result may be an artifact of underreporting of Meals on Wheels in the NHATS dataset or it may suggest that home-delivered meal programs like Meals on Wheels are protective against low social cohesion – further research is warranted to ascertain which.
New insights into functions of the sphingosine-1-phosphate transporter SPNS2

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a potent bioactive signaling molecule that regulates many physiological processes important for development, epithelial and endothelial barrier integrity, and the immune system, as well as for pathologies, such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, and metastasis. Most of the well-known actions of S1P are mediated by five specific G protein-coupled receptors located on the plasma membrane. Because S1P is synthesized intracellularly by two sphingosine kinase isoenzymes, we have proposed the paradigm of inside-out signaling by S1P, suggesting that S1P must be exported out of cells to interact with its receptors. While several transporters of S1P have previously been identified, spinster homologue 2 (SPNS2), a member of the large family of non-ATP-dependent organic ion transporters, has recently attracted much attention as an S1P transporter. Here, we discuss recent advances in understanding the physiological actions of SPNS2 in regulating levels of S1P and the S1P gradient that exists between the high circulating concentrations of S1P and low tissue levels that control lymphocyte trafficking. Special emphasis is on the functions of SPNS2 in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and its recently discovered unexpected importance in metastasis.
Impact of a regular exercise program on amount of exercise and QOL metrics in patients on immune therapy.

TPS11636Background: Studies show physical activity has a positive impact on fatigue and quality of life both during cancer treatment with chemotherapy and radiation and post-treatment (1, 2). There...
How Different Payment Models Support (or Undermine) a Sustainable Health Care System: Rating the Underlying Incentives and Building a Better Model

The biggest challenges facing the U.S. health care system are financial rather than clinical. Three broad payment models — fee-for-service (FFS), episode-based payment (EBP), and population-based p...
First Case Study for the Use of Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy during a Vascular Surgical Intervention in the Lower Limbs

Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (DOS) was used to monitor the blood perfusion in three different angiosomes of the foot during a vascular intervention. A strong correlation between the DOS signal and the surgeon’s actions was observed.
Axisymmetric frictionless indentation of a rigid stamp into a semi-space with a surface energetic boundary:

An axisymmetric problem for a frictionless contact of a rigid stamp with a semi-space in the presence of surface energy in the Steigmann–Ogden form is studied. The method of Boussinesq potentials i...
Arteriovenous malformations in the optic apparatus: systematic literature review and report of four cases.

OBJECTIVE Rare arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the optic apparatus account for < 1% of all AVMs. The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature for cases of optic apparatus AVMs and present 4 cases from their institution. The literature is summarized to describe preoperative characteristics, surgical technique, and treatment outcomes for these lesions. METHODS A comprehensive search of the English-language literature was performed in accordance with established Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to identify all published cases of AVM in the optic apparatus in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. The authors also searched their prospective institutional database of vascular malformations for such cases. Data regarding the clinical and radiological presentation, visual acuity, visual fields, extent of resection, and postoperative outcomes were gathered. RESULTS Nine patients in the literature and 4 patients in the authors' single-surgeon series who fit the inclusion criteria were identified. The median age at presentation was 29 years (range 8-39 years). Among these patients, 11 presented with visual disturbance, 9 with headache, and 1 with multiple prior subarachnoid hemorrhages; the AVM in 1 case was found incidentally. Four patients described prior symptoms of headache or visual disturbance consistent with sentinel events. Visual acuity was decreased from baseline in 10 patients, and 11 patients had visual field defects on formal visual field testing. The most common visual field defect was temporal hemianopia, found in one or both eyes in 7 patients. The optic chiasm was affected in 10 patients, the hypothalamus in 2 patients, the optic nerve (unilaterally) in 8 patients, and the optic tract in 2 patients. Six patients underwent gross-total resection; 6 patients underwent subtotal resection; and 1 patient underwent craniotomy, but no resection was attempted. Postoperatively, 9 of the patients had improved visual function, 1 had no change, and 3 had worse visual acuity. Eight patients demonstrated improved visual fields, 1 had no change, and 4 had narrowed fields. CONCLUSIONS AVMs of the optic apparatus are rare lesions. Although they reside in a highly eloquent region, surgical outcomes are generally good; the majority of patients will see improvement in their visual function postoperatively. Microsurgical technique is critical to the successful removal of these lesions, and preservation of function sometimes requires subtotal resection of the lesion.
Chapter 9 Posttranslational Events in Collagen Biosynthesis

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the known posttranslational modifications of the major types of procollagen and relates these modifications of the protein to secretory processes in the cells that synthesize them. The extent and nature of posttranslational modifications may represent a major difference among the known genetic types of procollagens. Collagen is the major protein of the extracellular matrix; it is synthesized and secreted by fibroblasts and other cell types as a large-molecular-weight precursor protein, procollagen. Procollagen differs from collagen as it has additional non-helical polypeptide domains, extending from both its COOH and NH 2 termini. Before and after secretion, procollagen undergoes extensive posttranslational modifications that modulate the physicochemical properties of this molecule, the most important of which is the association of three polypeptide chains into a triple-helical conformation.
Sensor networks: from smart dust to multi-scale, multi-modal, multi-user observing systems

Internet and wireless technologies have flattened the world by revolutionizing the exchange of information among individuals and organizations at a global scale over the past decade. Similar technological forces have led to the emergence of embedded networked sensing systems, or sensor networks, that are bringing about the next revolution. This new local revolution is making the world “transparent” by enabling observation of physical, biological, chemical, enterprise, urban, social, and personal processes up close, and at spatial and temporal details that are simply impossible otherwise. Already this technology has led to new science resulting from observation of new phenomena in areas ranging from the investigation of critical microclimate on the scale of a mountain canyon, to distribution of contaminants and their introduction into ground water supplies, to the fine-scale properties of alpine plants. The considerable progress in the past few years have also led to the realization that the early view of sensor networks as “smart dust” – a large and ad hoc but flat and homogeneous single-purpose long-lived collection of static resource-constrained devices – needs to be considerably expanded to a view of these systems as multi-scale, multi-modal, multi-user rapidly-deployable actuated observing systems. The talk will describe how the early technical challenges such as autonomous self-configuration, energy-aware protocols, and efficient embedded software are now giving way to new challenges involving system and data integrity, safety and robustness, software re-configuration, and active sensing. Moreover, as the embedded sensing technology moves from scientific, engineering, defense, and industrial contexts to the wider personal, social and urban contexts, a new class of applications are emerging which draw on sensed information about people, objects, and physical spaces, and integrate with the global Internet and cellular infrastructure. The talk will discuss the privacy and data sharing requirement of these applications, and speculate on their implications on the Internet and cellular network fabric and services.
Does Opportunism Pay Off? A Study of Vote Functions and Policy Preferences

We present an empirical study of voting behavior to analyze the impact of opportunism; that is, whenever political incumbents implement economic policies strategically and in connection with general elections in order to gain votes. We derive a measure for opportunism that is isolated from the impact of aggregate economic conditions, such as the levels of economic growth and consumer price inflation. In contrast with most papers available on these issues, we do not ask whether political parties behave opportunistically; instead, we ask whether they receive a direct, electoral punishment or incentive for doing so. Our results indicate that the electorate punishes an incumbent party for behaving opportunistically, controlling for economic conditions and political variables. The party in power receives a significantly lower percentage of votes whenever it follows expansionary policies during the election year, relative to the other years of its tenure.
Efficacy of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment for Comorbid Panic Disorder: A Critical Review and Future Directions for Treatment Research

A systematic review of trauma treatment outcome literature was conducted to determine the impact of treatment on comorbid panic symptoms. Major databases were searched (from 1989 to 2013) and 64 randomized controlled trials using cognitive behavioral approaches to treat acute stress disorder, subthreshold posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and full PTSD met inclusion criteria for this review. Results showed that 41% of the studies reviewed did not assess for Axis I psychiatric comorbidity at any point during the course of treatment. Only 5% of the studies reviewed reported rates of comorbid panic disorder (PD) at more than one time point during the study. Results indicate that approximately 56% of people no longer meet PD criteria following PTSD treatment.