cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning perfect coordination with minimal feedback in wireless multi-access communications

Coordination is a central problem whenever stations (or nodes or users) share resources across a network. In the absence of coordination, there will be collision, congestion or interference, with concomitant loss of performance. This paper proposes new protocols, which we call perfect coordination (PC) protocols, that solve the coordination problem. PC protocols are completely distributed (requiring neither central control nor the exchange of any control messages), fast (with speeds comparable to those of any existing protocols), fully efficient (achieving perfect coordination, with no collisions and no gaps) and require minimal feedback. PC protocols rely heavily on learning, exploiting the possibility to use both actions and silence as messages and the ability of stations to learn from their own histories while simultaneously enabling the learning of other stations. PC protocols can be formulated as finite automata and implemented using currently existing technology (e.g., wireless cards). Simulations show that, in a variety of deployment scenarios, PC protocols outperform existing state-of-the-art protocols - despite requiring much less feedback.
a Note on Spring Warming in Lake Superior

ABSTRACT. Temperature recorder data from central Lake Superior obtained from May through July, 1967, are used to describe the spring warming of this deep lake. Data from the 30, 91 and 150 m levels suggest that water descending in the thermal bar spreads lakeward, filling the lake with an increasingly thick layer of maximum density water. Lakeward of the thermal bar, local warming is relatively slow preceeding and following the passage of the reverse thermocline at a given level.
Transform features for texture classification and discrimination in large image databases

Proposes a method for classification and discrimination of textures based on the energies of image subbands. The authors show that with this relatively simple feature set, effective texture discrimination can be achieved. In the paper, subband-energy feature sets extracted from the following typical image decompositions are compared: wavelet subband, uniform subband, discrete cosine transform (DCT), and spatial partitioning. The authors report that over 90% correct classification was attained using the feature set in classifying the full Brodatz [1965] collection of 112 textures. Furthermore, the subband energy-based feature set can be readily applied to a system for indexing images by texture content in image databases, since the features can be extracted directly from spatial-frequency decomposed image data. The authors also show that to construct a suitable space for discrimination, Fisher discrimination analysis (Dillon and Goldstein, 1984) can be used to compact the original features into a set of uncorrelated linear discriminant functions. This procedure makes it easier to perform texture-based searches in a database by reducing the dimensionality of the discriminant space. The authors also examine the effects of varying training class size, the number of training classes, the dimension of the discriminant space and number of energy measures used for classification. The authors hope that the performance for texture discrimination of these simple energy-based features will allow images in a database to be efficiently and effectively indexed by contents of their textured regions. >
On general results for all-to-all broadcast

All-to-all broadcast refers to the process by which every node broadcasts its certain piece of information to all other nodes in the system. In this paper, we develop all-to-all broadcast schemes by dealing with two classes of schemes. A prior scheme based on generation of minimal complete sets is first described, and then a new scheme based on propagation of experts is developed. The former always completes the broadcasting in the minimal number of steps and the latter is designed to minimize the number of messages. Performance of these two classes of schemes is comparatively analyzed. The all-to-all broadcast scheme desired can be derived by combining the advantages of these two classes of schemes.
Contrast-enhanced Dedicated Breast CT: Initial Clinical Experience

Conspicuity of malignant breast masses at contrast-enhanced breast CT is significantly better than that at mammography or unenhanced breast CT, whereas conspicuity of lesions associated with malignant calcifications is better at contrast-enhanced breast CT than at unenhanced breast CT and is similar at contrast-enhanced breast CT and mammography.
Reactivity of oxetane monomers in photoinitiated cationic polymerization

Studies of the onium salt photoinitiated cationic ring-opening polymerizations of various 3,3-disubstituted oxetane monomers have been conducted with real-time infrared spectroscopy and optical pyrometry. The polymerizations of these monomers are typified by an extended induction period that has been attributed to the presence of a long-lived tertiary oxonium ion intermediate formed by the reaction of the initially formed secondary oxonium ion with the cyclic ether monomer. Because the extended induction period in the photopolymerization of these monomers renders oxetane monomers of limited value for many applications, methods have been sought for its minimization or elimination. Three general methods have been found effective in markedly shortening the induction period: (1) carrying out the photopolymerizations at higher temperatures, (2) copolymerizing with more reactive epoxide monomers, and (3) using free-radical photoinitiators as synergists.
Designing Modules for Competence Based Curriculum

This article summarize a part of work in relation with curricular redesign of the Computer Engineering career in the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso. Our aim is to illustrate the methodology applied during the curricular modularization phase, point in which, as defined in the career profile, modules that account for competences are established. In this area, differentiating between a traditional curricular subject and a competence-based curriculum, becomes important.
Land surface anomalies preceding the 2010 Russian heat wave and a link to the North Atlantic oscillation

The Eurasian wheat belt (EWB) spans a region across Eastern Ukraine, Southern Russia, and Northern Kazakhstan; accounting for nearly 15% of global wheat production. We assessed land surface conditions across the EWB during the early growing season (April–May–June; AMJ) leading up to the 2010 Russian heat wave, and over a longer-term period from 2000 to 2010. A substantial reduction in early season values of the normalized difference vegetation index occurred prior to the Russian heat wave, continuing a decadal decline in early season primary production in the region. In 2010, an anomalously cold winter followed by an abrupt shift to a warmer-than-normal early growing season was consistent with a persistently negative phase of the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO). Regression analyses showed that early season vegetation productivity in the EWB is a function of both the winter (December–January–February; DJF) and AMJ phases of the NAO. Land surface anomalies preceding the heat wave were thus consistent with highly negative values of both the DJF NAO and AMJ NAO in 2010.
Age and Gender Differences in the Sources of Self-Evaluation Valued by Adult Athletes

Researchers have demonstrated that competency judgments can vary depending on the source of self-evaluation used. This study investigated age and gender differences in 459 adult tennis players' importance ratings for ten different competence information sources. As predicted, younger adults were more likely than older adults to value temporal comparisons, both past-to-present (i.e., personal improvement) and present-to-future (i.e., comparisons with future selves). Younger adults were more likely to value feedback from family for self-evaluation. Older adults were slightly more likely to rate comparisons with agemates as important. Women more than men valued feedback from tennis others, effort, and liking for the sport. The findings are consistent with theoretical models and point to new areas of investigation.
Tension on the linker gates the ATP-dependent release of dynein from microtubules

Unlike most processive motor proteins, the stepping motion of cytoplasmic dynein’s two linked motor domains is not precisely coordinated. Cleary et al. show that the ATPase activity of just one head is required for processive movement, and that tension on the linker gates the release of the motor from microtubules.
Spontaneous Regression of Primary Autoreactivity during Chronic Progression of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a widely used animal model for multiple sclerosis (MS). EAE is typically initiated by CD4(+) T helper cell type 1 (Th1) autoreactivity directed against a single priming immunodominant myelin peptide determinant. Recent studies have shown that clinical progression of EAE involves the accumulation of neo-autoreactivity, commonly referred to as epitope spreading, directed against peptide determinants not involved in the priming process. This study directly addresses the relative roles of primary autoreactivity and secondary epitope spreading in the progression of both EAE and MS. To this end we serially evaluated the development of several epitope-spreading cascades in SWXJ mice primed with distinctly different encephalitogenic determinants of myelin proteolipid protein. In a series of analogous experiments, we examined the development of epitope spreading in patients with isolated monosymptomatic demyelinating syndrome as their disease progressed to clinically definite MS. Our results indicate that in both EAE and MS, primary proliferative autoreactivity associated with onset of clinical disease invariably regresses with time and is often undetectable during periods of disease progression. In contrast, the emergence of sustained secondary autoreactivity to spreading determinants is consistently associated with disease progression in both EAE and MS. Our results indicate that chronic progression of EAE and MS involves a shifting of autoreactivity from primary initiating self-determinants to defined cascades of secondary determinants that sustain the self-recognition process during disease progression.
Multilateral Climate Efforts beyond the UNFCCC

A number of established multilateral regimes offer important avenues for climate mitigation efforts complementary to those of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC ). Tackling discrete dimensions of the climate challenge in regional, sectoral and other global venues can yield action on multiple fronts, contributing toward closing the gap between national pledges and the UNFCCC goal of limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius. This discussion paper for the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change) examines ongoing and potential efforts in the International Maritime Organization the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Montreal Protocol, and the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution.
On the Solvability of Some Abstract Differential Equations

This paper is concerned with the solvability of some abstract differential equation of type $$\dot u(t) + Au(t) + Bu(t) \ni f(t), t \in (0,T], u(0) = 0,$$ where $A$ is a linear selfadjoint operator and $B$ is a nonlinear(possibly multi-valued)maximal monotone operator in a (real) Hilbert space ${\mathbb H}$ with the normalization $0 \in B (0)$. We use the concept of variational sum introduced by H. Attouch, J.-B. Baillon, and M. Th\'era, to investigate solutions to the given abstract differential equation. Several applications will be discussed, among them the case where $B = \subdifferential \phi$, the subdifferential of a convex semicontinuous proper function $\phi$.
Public Interested Regulation

Most accounts of regulation view administrative agencies as suppliers of regulatory favoritism to powerful political interest groups. Species of the "interest group" theory of regulation see agencies as the willing or perhaps unwitting servants of a legislature that uses agencies to deliver regulatory benefits to interest groups in exchange for such groups' political support. This article seeks to qualify that conventional wisdom by exploring several reasons why, notwithstanding legislative pressures, administrative agencies may at times be well situated to advance broad-based interests even over interest-group opposition. In particular, this article focuses on administrator idealogy, agencies' institutional relationships to the President and the courts, and especially administrative procedure as sources of agency autonomy, arguing that these features of administrative decisionmaking attenuate any simple claims about legislative dominance. The article advances that argument in part by relying on three case studies of agency decisionmaking, including the EPA's ozone and particulate matter rules, the FDA's tobacco rule, and the OCC's deregulation of national banks, all of which illustrate to greater or lesser degrees the relevance of agency autonomy, the potential for broad-based regulation, and the limits of legislative control.
Exaggerating the ICC

The ongoing debate over the legitimacy and utility of the newly formed International Criminal Court has been freighted with overblown rhetoric by Court supporters and opponents alike. The unfortunate result of the polarization of the debate over the ICC is that it obscures what may realistically be expected of the new institution, and potentially distorts the allocation of political and financial resources in the fight against the crimes the new Court is designed to address. The reality is that claims on both sides are substantially overstated. In practice, the Court will be hampered by legal, financial, and political constraints; there is little empirical evidence to support claims that ICC prosecutions will have a substantial deterrent effect; national legal systems in the countries where atrocities are most widespread are usually inadequate and will often be unable to fulfill the role assigned to them by the Court's statute; and the signaling/rule of law promotion function of the Court is likely therefore to be relatively modest. But the Court can contribute to the marginalization of extremists in some contexts, and it can over the long term reinforce normative constraints against the commission of atrocities, even if only at the margins. Moreover, the Court will probably avoid the gray area cases most feared by the United States and other critics, so its impact on state sovereignty and national security decision making is likely to be modest.
Assessing the incidental value of a marine reserve to a lemon shark Negaprion brevirostris nursery

The lemon shark is a large coastal species that is currently classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. As juveniles of the species utilize shallow, near shore habitat, they are particularly susceptible to anthropogenic impacts. The abundance, size characteristics, growth, condition factor and movement patterns of juvenile lemon sharks within the Bell Sound Nature Reserve were compared with those outside the Reserve. Sharks were more abundant within the Reserve, which also accommodated a greater proportion of smaller size classes. Although there was no difference in linear growth-rate between sharks inside and outside the Reserve, those outside exhibited higher condition factor values. It is suggested that these results are due mainly to habitat preference on the part of the sharks, with the predominantly shallower near shore waters of the Reserve offering a greater level of protection from predation. Regardless of the causative factor, the area occupied by the Bell Sound Nature Reserve appears to be highly important to the local juvenile lemon shark population. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Investigating the Consistency of Asphalt Density Measurement Methods Over a Wide Range of Air Voids

The overall purpose of this paper is to identify the most reliable bulk mixture specific gravity (Gmb) measurement method for dense graded asphalt concrete that can be used for a wide range of air voids and specimen types. A secondary purpose is to identify ranges of conditions where less established Gmb measurement methods are suitable. A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify promising density test methods for further study. Findings from studies comparing AASHTO T166 (saturated surface dry method) and AASHTO T331 (Corelok method) were used to provide a succinct summary of the relative behaviors of the two methods at mix design, performance testing, and field construction air void levels. Density measurement was performed using four methods (AASHTO T166, T269, T331, and TP82) on dense graded mixture specimens. In total, approximately 2500 data points were used herein, with approximately 30 % of this total coming from literature review and 70 % coming from the authors of this paper. Review of literature along with the evidence presented in this paper indicates that T331 is the most reasonably accurate and versatile Gmb measurement method for a wide range of air voids all the way from mix design through performance testing to construction acceptance testing. T331 has also been recommended (or at least evaluated favorably) by several previous researchers over the last ten years. Based on the evidence presented in this paper, the provisional TP82 test method in its current form does not provide acceptable Gmb measurements relative to T166 or T331 over a wide range of air voids. The magnitude of the discrepancy begins to increase dramatically as air voids increase.
Systematic Errors in an Isoperibol Solution Calorimeter Measured with Standard Reference Reactions.

Systematic errors in an isoperibol calorimeter of a widely-used design, amounting to about 0.5 percent of the endothermic enthalpy of solution of SRM 1655 (KCl) in H2O, were found to be the result of errors in heat leak corrections due to inadequate stirring and commonly used calorimetric procedures. Other systematic errors were found in measurements of the enthalpy of solution of the exothermic reaction of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane in aqueous HCl solution. Recommended procedures are summarized.
Synthesis of CdSe/ZnS quantum dot composites for electroluminescent devices

Quantum dot composite films, consisting of II-VI nanocrystals imbedded in a ZnS matrix, are candidate phosphor materials for electroluminescent flat panel displays. The optical properties of such composites can be tailored across the visible spectral region by selecting the composition and size of the nanocrystals. We present combined solution chemistry and electrospray organometallic chemical vapor deposition (ES-OMCVD) methods for realizing such composites. Size selected, CdSe quantum dots with an overlayer of ZnS are synthesized in solution. This surface derivatization produces a large enhancement of the photoluminescence efficiency. The quantum dot composites are subsequently formed by introducing the quantum dot solution by electrospray into an OMCVD ZnS thin film process. Photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties of the quantum dot composites are reported.
Abstract B117: Risk factors of second breast cancer among patients with ductal carcinoma in situ

Background: Women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are at increased risk of breast cancer in either ipsilateral or contralateral breasts. However, it is inconclusive about the factors predicting the risk of second breast cancer after DCIS. Methods: We used US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data on women with first unilateral DCIS diagnosed between 1988 and 2009. Relative risks (RRs) were estimated using cox regression models to identify the factors associated with the risks of second DCIS and second invasive breast cancer (IBC). Results: Of the 74,285 eligible DCIS patients, 6,140 (8.3%) had subsequent breast cancer during 8.5 years of follow-up (714 ipsilateral DCIS, 2,003 ipsilateral IBC, 997 contralateral DCIS, and 2,426 contralateral IBC). Patients Conclusion: The risk factors were different for second breast cancer in the ipsilateral breast and in the contralateral breast. Improved follow-up of young patients, black patients, patients with poorly differentiated DCIS, and patients with comedo or solid DCIS may reduce the risk of second IBC. Further investigations are needed to identify molecular features of DCIS that predict risk of second breast cancer and/or mediate racial and age differences in second cancer risk. Citation Format: Ying Liu, Graham Colditz. Risk factors of second breast cancer among patients with ductal carcinoma in situ. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Oct 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2013;11(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B117.
A Reflection on Types

The ability to perform type tests at runtime blurs the line between statically-typed and dynamically-checked languages. Recent developments in Haskell’s type system allow even programs that use reflection to themselves be statically typed, using a type-indexed runtime representation of types called \(\textsf {\textit{TypeRep}}\). As a result we can build dynamic types as an ordinary, statically-typed library, on top of \(\textsf {\textit{TypeRep}}\) in an open-world context.
Destruction of Salmonella Species Heated in Aqueous Salt Solutions by Microwave Energy.

Concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25% wt/vol (0.017, 0.085, 0.13, 0.17, and 0.21 M, respectively) sodium chloride were added to 0.3 mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.8, and heated by microwave energy to study the relationship between salt concentration, temperatures achieved, and microbial destruction. Heating Salmonella spp. in saline solutions for a constant time (45 s) or to a constant final temperature (60°C) was also investigated. Fiberoptic thermometry was employed to obtain a temperature profile at specific sites within the solution. When heating for a constant time period, a minimum concentration of 0.75% wt/vol NaCl was necessary to afford Salmonella spp. significantly (P = 0.05) greater protection than the phosphate buffer control. Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium chloride (1.0% wt/vol) in 0.3 mM phosphate buffer were also inoculated with a mixture of Salmonella spp. and heated by microwave energy. Of the salts examined, solutions containing NaCl consistently achieved the highest final surface temperature and largest temperature gradient from the surface to the bottom of the container. The amount of destruction of Salmonella spp. heated to a mixed mean final temperature of 60°C in buffer containing 1.0% wt/vol concentrations of NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2 was 56.4, 71.2, 72.8, and 88.7%, respectively. No relationship was found between the valency of the cation used and final temperatures achieved.
The role of the primary care physician in the care of the terminally ill.

The role of the primary care physician in the care of elderly terminally ill patients is discussed, with attention to palliative care.Working with hospice services is reviewed, along with tasks of the physician at four stages of care: the shift from curative to palliative care, active palliative care, care at the time of death, and bereavement care. Resource materials are suggested.
Water and Energy Relationships in Soils

This chapter begins with the derivation of the conservation of energy equation. Water is driven through the soil by energy gradients while friction between water molecules in small pores dissipates energy and restricts flow. Hydraulic conductivity is the ratio of water velocity to energy dissipation, and Darcy’s Law calculates velocity of water as the product of hydraulic conductivity and the energy gradient. Soil energy diagrams include gravitational potential energy and matric potential and can help to determine energy gradients. The chapter shows that vertical movement through the soil profile, horizontal flow through subsurface wetlands, or flow in any direction through any media, is calculated with the same energy gradient principle. Hydraulic conductivity decreases in unsaturated soils. Equations that describe the relationships between unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, matric potential, and water content have been developed by Brooks-Corey and by van Genuchten.
Emotion Regulation Regulates More than Emotion: Associations of Momentary Emotion Regulation with Diurnal Cortisol in Current and Past Depression and Anxiety.

Maladaptive emotion regulation and dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning are characteristic of depression and anxiety. However, little research examines whether and how emotion regulation affects HPA axis functioning. We utilized an experience sampling methodology to examine associations between three emotion regulation strategies (problem solving, disengagement, and emotional expression/support seeking) and diurnal cortisol rhythms and reactivity in everyday life. Participants were young adults with current, past, or no history of internalizing disorders (depression or anxiety; N = 182). Across participants, problem solving was associated with an elevated cortisol awakening response (CAR), whereas disengagement was associated with a steeper cortisol slope. Only for individuals with internalizing disorders was momentary problem solving and emotional expression/support seeking associated with higher cortisol reactivity and emotional expression/support seeking associated with a ...
Advanced Metering Infrastructure Deployment in the United States: The Impact of Polycentric Governance and Contextual Changes

Advanced metering infrastructure provides the first building block in smart grids by empowering customers and utilities with real-time information regarding energy use. It is a key element in the U.S. government's push for electric grid modernization. Using a panel dataset for 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia over the years 2007–2012, we evaluate the impacts of a polycentric governance system and socioeconomic contexts on states' performance in smart metering deployment. We find that the advanced metering technological change in the United States has been exclusively created by the interdependencies and interactions between different layers of government. High-tech industry is the only socioeconomic factor that has a negative impact on smart meter deployment, whereas other factors, such as pressures from energy consumers and environmental groups, and electric grid conditions, have negligible impacts.
Implications of Life Course Approaches for Prevention Science

Social and historical transformations can change the structure of the life course. Perhaps at no other time in human history has this been more evident than in the twentieth century, which witnessed massive social and historical changes. These changes influenced the likelihood that people would engage in crime and violence over the course of their lives and, therefore, they also influenced the workload of the prevention sciences. This chapter will describe some of the social and historical changes that have shaped the modern life course in regard to crime and violence, including the launching of the prison experiment and the war on drugs, an enlarging maturity gap, increasing economic inequality, and changing families and households. The main contention presented here is that historical conditions set the parameters for what is needed from prevention science as well as what it is possible for prevention science to do.
A Taylor Expansion Approach for Computing Structural Performance Variation Over a Shape Population

In this paper, we present a formal and efficient method for computing structural performance variation over its shape population. Each shape in the population is represented as discrete points. These shapes are then aligned together and principal component analysis is conducted to obtain the shape variation, which is represented as a sum of variations in multiple principal modes. Finite element analysis is conducted on the mean shape. For each shape specified by the shape parameters, we then invoke a thin-plate deformation based scheme to automatically deform the mesh nodes. The performance of the shapes is approximated via Taylor series expansion of the FE solution of the mean shape. Numerical study illustrates the accuracy and efficiency of this method.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Quantification of impurities in carbon nanotubes: Development of ICP-MS sample preparation methods

Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the prospective nanomaterials to be used in consumer products. Commercially available carbon nanotubes contain significant amounts of metal impurities which are added during synthesis as a catalyst. The presence of metal impurities in CNTs influences the physicochemical properties of materials and its applications. The quantification of metal impurities in CNTs is essential to conduct environmental and health risk assessments. This study aims to develop a method which can be used effectively in laboratories to quantify multi-element impurities in CNTs using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Prior to the analysis, samples were prepared by conventional microwave acid digestion (CMAD) and microwave oxygen combustion (MOC). In addition, the ICP-MS method was validated by determining multiple analytical figures of merit such as linear calibration range, system suitability, method detection limit (MDL), limit of quantitation (LOQ), and accuracy. The developed CMAD and MOC methods were suitable to digest metal impurities in carbon nanotubes and the ICP-MS results were in good agreement (80–110% of recovery) with the certified values. In comparison of two methods, CMAD is a simple and straightforward two-step procedure with safe experimental conditions, and requires only 5 mg of sample. Moreover, CMAD overcomes the disadvantage of the pre-existing CNT digestion methods such as the requirement of multi-step acid digestion and drying processes.
Physical Signatures of Cancer Metastasis

Metastasis is the development of secondary malignant growths at a distance from a primary site of cancer. Most of human deaths (90%)from cancer are due to metastasis. In order to study physical signatures of metastasis, detailed analyses of individual cell trajectories are performed. The compilation of animated and still visualizations selected for this movie summarize the key findings from the investigation using their model, and identify complex spatial and time dependent cell migration patterns.
Modeling local effects on propagule movement and the potential expansion of mangroves and associated fauna: testing in a sub-tropical lagoon

Local effects on the rates of spread of mangrove and associated epifauna were modeled for the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA. The model divided the 200-km-long lagoon into 157,330 cells. Data from a hydrodynamic model were used to generate current vectors for each cell at 10-min intervals. Each cell was assigned a habitat type, and releases or recruitment of mangrove propagules or epifauna larvae were based on the suitability of these habitats. Multiple species were included in the model, each with its own life-history parameters. All individuals were followed over 8 years or until mortality occurred. Adults could reproduce and release new larvae or propagules. The mean rates of spread predicted by the model were <1 km year−1 for all species, which were less than the 2 km year−1 predicted for mangroves along this coast. Spread rates were also found to differ among the five inlet source sites used in the model. Epifaunal invertebrate populations spread at similar rates, but spread more rapidly from mangrove habitats than from dock habitats. These results demonstrate that local differences in hydrodynamics and habitat distributions influence the broader regional rates of spread likely to occur with climate change.
Multilevel modeling of chronotype and weekdays versus weekends to predict nonrestorative sleep

Nonrestorative sleep, a form of subjective sleep disturbance that has been largely neglected in the literature, is newly accessible to researchers via the validated restorative sleep questionnaire (RSQ). The daily version of the RSQ allows for analysis of within-subjects variation in restorative sleep across repeated samplings, and such day-to-day regularity in sleep variables has been highlighted as an important new direction for research. The present study used a sophisticated statistical approach, multilevel modeling, to examine the contributions of circadian chronotype, calendar day of questionnaire completion (weekends versus weekdays), and their interaction in explaining both interindividual and intraindividual variance in restorative sleep. Analyses were conducted using an archival dataset of college undergraduates who continuously completed daily RSQs over a 14-day sampling period. In the final multilevel model, possessing an evening type predicted lower restorative sleep between subjects, while sampling on weekdays predicted lower restorative sleep within subjects. Furthermore, a cross-level interaction was observed, such that the difference in restorative sleep on weekends versus weekdays was more pronounced among those with greater evening circadian preference. All of the effects were maintained after accounting for the significant influence of gender (women had less restorative sleep than men). These results are theoretically consistent with findings that evening types display stronger disparities in sleep schedules across free and workdays (i.e., social jet lag), and attest to the usefulness of multilevel models for statistically investigating how stable traits interact with factors that vary day to day (e.g., work or school schedules) in influencing sleep outcomes.
Do tidal stream energy projects offer more value than offshore wind farms? A case study in the United Kingdom

Abstract Marine-based renewable energy could help the United Kingdom (UK) move towards a more sustainable and low-carbon energy system. Today, offshore wind is the prevailing marine renewable technology but there is growing progress towards developing others, such as tidal stream energy (TSE) turbines which capture kinetic energy from tidal currents. Using historical operations data from 18 wind farms and simulated generation data for two TSE sites in the UK, we estimate that TSE projects offer about $10/MW h more in net social benefits than offshore wind projects. This estimate includes the value of energy generated, value of reduced marginal CO 2 emissions, cost of visual changes to the landscape, and cost of energy generation forecast errors. However, relative to offshore wind, the increased cost of TSE projects far outweighs the increased social benefits. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of TSE projects is expected to be about $74/MW h to $330/MW h higher than offshore wind projects through 2050. Only with optimistic LCOE projections, small TSE projects (20 MW) may be competitive (when including increased net social benefits) with small offshore wind projects by 2020.
Substitution of peat moss with softwood biochar for soil-free marigold growth

Abstract Peat moss has historically been a key component of soil-free substrates in the greenhouse and nursery industries. However, the increasing expense of peat, negative impacts of peat mining on wetland ecosystems, and growing perception of peat as unsustainable have led to investigation for alternatives. Biochar (BC) is a promising substitute for peat, yet the majority of studies examine additions of BC to peat-based substrates rather than replacing the peat component or employ relatively low substitution rates. Furthermore, at high substitution rates the alkalinity common to many BCs may increase substrate pH and adversely impact plant production. We evaluated BC substitution for peat and pH adjustment of resulting substrates on marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) performance under standard greenhouse conditions. A high pH (10.9) softwood BC (800 °C) was substituted for peat in a standard 70:30 (v/v) peat:perlite mixture at 10% total volume increments. Substrate pH was either not adjusted or adjusted to pH 5.8 using a BC by-product, pyroligneous acid (PLA). Germination was inhibited in pH adjusted substrates with high BC substitution (50–70% total substrate volume) likely due to higher dosages of PLA needed to neutralize pH. At harvest (flowering stage, 9 weeks) the initial pH gradient (4.4–10.4) in substrates that were not pH adjusted had converged to pH 5.6–7.5, and BC substitution for peat did not negatively impact marigold biomass or flowering. At low substitution rates (10–30% total substrate volume), marigold biomass and leaf SPAD values were greater than the control peat-perlite mixture (0% BC). This study demonstrates that softwood BC can be considered as a full replacement for peat in soil-free substrates, and even at high rates (70% total substrate volume) does not require pH adjustment for marigold production. Crop- and BC-specific considerations and economic potential should be investigated for wider application.
Heterogeneous Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Integrated Photonics for Electrooptics and Nonlinear Optics

Ion-sliced thin-film lithium niobate (LN) compact waveguide technology has facilitated the resurgence of integrated photonics based on the material. The thin-film waveguides offer over an order of magnitude improvement in optical confinement and bending radius compared to conventional LN waveguides. The thin-film technology can also be implemented on versatile silicon substrates. Harnessing the improved confinement, a variety of miniaturized and efficient photonic devices has been realized. The state of the art of thin-film LN integrated photonics is reviewed, focusing on heterogeneous integration, electrooptic modulation, and nonlinear frequency conversion. The potential applications and associated challenges of next-generation LN-based integrated photonics are discussed.
Former Athletes Have a Lower Lifetime Occurrence of Breast Cancer and Cancers of the Reproductive System

We have found that women who were athletes in college had a significantly lower prevalence (lifetime occurrence) rate of cancers of the reproductive system (uterus, ovary, cervix, and vagina) and breast cancer than did the non-athletes.1 In accord with these findings, the former athletes also have a significantly lower prevalence of benign tumors of these tissues.2
On the Coincidence of Loss of Electroreception and Reorganization of Brain Stem Nuclei in Vertebrates

Only anamniotic vertebrates, such as lampreys, sharks, bony fish, and amphibians possess electroreceptive organs. Some bony and cartilaginous fish species have developed electric organs and some bony fish communicate with electric signals. This electrocommunication parallels in many ways the auditory system. Some of these fish have developed a large brain sometimes approaching the brain-body weight ratio of mammals (Bell and Szabo, 1986). These enlarged brain areas, in part related to electrocommunication, may form as much as 50% of the brain volume but may not be recognizable at all in related species. Clearly the sometimes laminated areas of the brain devoted to the processing of electrosensory information display a very large variability in size not matched by any other sensory modality. With respect to the relative increase in size and the laminar organization these changes rival in a way those underlying the evolution of the mammalian cerebral cortex. Understanding of the mechanism(s) through which this variability is achieved in the specialized electrosensory system may help to understand more general problems of vertebrate brain evolution such as the phylogeny of the mammalian cortex.
Cyclization/Hydrosilylation of Functionalized Dienes Catalyzed by a Cationic Palladium Phenanthroline Complex

Mixtures of (phen)PdMe2 (2a) and HBAr‘4 (3a) or (phen)PdMe(Cl) (2b) and NaBAr‘4 (3b) [phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; Ar‘ = 3,5-C6H3(CF3)2] catalyzed the cyclization/hydrosilylation of functionalized 1,6-dienes to form silylated cyclopentanes in good yield and with excellent trans selectivity about the newly formed C−C bond (typically >50:1). A range of tertiary hydrosilanes were employed in the procedure although unhindered trialkylsilanes provided the most consistent results. The protocol tolerated a range of polar functionality including esters, ethers, amides, sulfones, and cyano groups. 4,4-Disubstitution on the diene backbone promoted cyclization, and a homoallylic ester, ketone, or ether directing group was required for efficient cyclization. The procedure tolerated dienes which possessed a single trans-substituted olefin and also tolerated allylic substitution. These substituted dienes underwent cyclization/hydrosilylation to form carbocycles resulting from transfer of the silyl group to the less hind...
Harmful algae at the complex nexus of eutrophication and climate change

Climate projections suggest-with substantial certainty-that global warming >1.5 °C will occur by mid-century (2050). Population is also projected to increase, amplifying the demands for food, fuel, water and sanitation, which, in turn, escalate nutrient pollution. Global projections of nutrient pollution, however, are less certain than those of climate as there are regionally decreasing trends projected in Europe, and stabilization of nutrient use in North America and Australia. In this review of the effects of eutrophication and climate on harmful algae, some of the complex, subtle, and non-intuitive effects and interactions on the physiology of both harmful and non-harmful taxa are emphasized. In a future ocean, non-harmful diatoms may be disproportionately stressed and mixotrophs advantaged due to changing nutrient stoichiometry and forms of nutrients, temperature, stratification and oceanic pH. Modeling is advancing, but there is much yet to be understood, in terms of physiology, biogeochemistry and trophodynamics and how both harmful and nonharmful taxa may change in an uncertain future driven by anthropogenic activities.
From “bringing-in” to “going-out”: transnationalizing China’s Internet capital through state policies

The exponential growth in China’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector has attracted increasing academic interest. Mainstream accounts have focused on issues of access and control,...
Amateur hour: the impact of background on the ideology of members of congress

Research has found numerous differences between amateur and quality candidates in the realm of campaigns and elections, but little research has been conducted on the ideological differences between...
COVID-19′s First Wave: Examination of Impact on Food Purchasing Behaviour in the Eurozone

COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the living conditions of people in all countries worldwide. With a devastating economic crisis where many families are finding it difficult to pay bills and make ends meet, increases in prices of food basket staples can be very worrying. This study examines the relationship between the incidence of the pandemic during the first wave in 16 Eurozone countries with the variation experienced in food prices. We analysed the harmonised index of consumer food prices (included in HICP) and the classification of the degree of pandemic impact by country, the latter established with the index of deaths provided by the Johns Hopkins Center. The procedure used compared actual food prices during the first wave (March to June 2020) with those foreseeable in the absence of the pandemic. Time series analysis was used, dividing the research period into two phases. In both phases, the Holt–Winters model was applied for estimation and subsequent prediction. After a contrast using Kendall’s tau correlation index, it was concluded that in the countries with the highest death rates during the first wave, there was a higher increase in food prices than in the least affected countries of the Eurozone.
A Novel Instability and LCC/VSC HVDC Power Recovery by Voltage Clamping Effect of Electro-Mechanical Transient Oscillation Center

In this paper, a novel risk of power system instability in adjacent area of rectifier station has been put forward and studied. The mechanism of proposed risk is explained by the vicious spiral from the intricate interactions among voltage clamping effect of electro-mechanical transient oscillation center, the adverse pre-fault operational scenario of HVDC and connected bulk system, and the poor power recovery of HVDC projects. The further research work in this paper indicates that the proposed instability risk can be alleviated and avoided via the utilization of VSC technique. The technological conclusions of proposed risk are also numerically verified by the example from engineering practice in graphical detail.
Multitiered Systems of Support, Adaptive Interventions, and SMART Designs:

This article introduces the special section on adaptive interventions and sequential multiple-assignment randomized trial (SMART) research designs. In addition to describing the two accompanying ar...
Bioremediation of oil spills

Microbes consumed oil rapidly http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/ 110801111752.htm In the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil disappeared more rapidly than predicted. This article discusses some of the studies investigating the underlying causes of this rapid biodegradation. Oil spill is boon to bacteria http://classic.the-scientist.com/blog/display/57448/ This article emphasizes the fact that certain bacteria consume oil hydrocarbons quite readily and that oil spills cause such strains to proliferate and metabolize to greater extents.
The effect of prostaglandin F2α infusion on corpus luteum function

Abstract The effect upon menstrual function of an 8 hour infusion of 25 mg. of prostaglandin F 2 α (PGF 2 α) was tested in 21 normal volunteer women between the ages of 21 and 40 years. The infusions were given between the fourteenth and the twenty-seventh days of the luteal phase of the cycle, Day 14 being arbitrarily assigned as the day of ovulation. Thirteen of 21 women showed a shortening of the luteal phase by at least one day. One of 2 women, who received PGF 2 α prior to ovulation, failed to ovulate, and 2 additional patients had anovulatory cycles in the immediate postinfusion cycle. The steroid parameters, as measured by serum progesterone, urinary pregnanediol, and, in selected cases, estradiol, failed to show a consistent change. Measurements of serum progesterone and estradiol during the infusion suggested an initial depression and subsequent elevation of steroid values. The conclusions are that an 8 hour infusion of PGF 2 α in the woman fails to disrupt corpus luteum function.