cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and Synthesis of Donor–Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts: A Visible Light Photoswitch Derived from Furfural

The development of an easily synthesized, modular, and tunable organic photoswitch that responds to visible light has been a long-standing pursuit. Herein we provide a detailed account of the design and synthesis of a new class of photochromes based on furfural, termed donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs). A wide variety of these derivatives are easily prepared from commercially available starting materials, and their photophysical properties are shown to be dependent on the substituents of the push–pull system. Analysis of the switching behavior provides conditions to access the two structural isomers of the DASAs, reversibly switch between them, and use their unique solubility behavior to provide dynamic phase-transfer materials. Overall, these negative photochromes respond to visible light and heat and display an unprecedented level of structural modularity and tunabilty.
Imaging of BaCuO2 impurity in solution-grown YBa2Cu3O7−δ

TEM has been used to characterize the microstructure of the 123 oxide heat treated as a function of various processing parameters.During TEM observations, one of the impurity phases was identified as BaCuO 2 . This letter reports the identification and high resolution imaging of this phase
PATIENT DISSATISFACTION FOLLOWING TKA: A GROWING CONCERN

TKA is among the fastest growing interventions in medicine, with procedure incidence increasing the most in younger patients. Global knee scores have a ceiling effect and do not capture the presence of difficulty or dissatisfaction with specific activities important to patients. We quantified the degree of residual symptoms and specific functional deficits in young patients who had undergone TKA. In a national multicenter study, we quantified the degree of residual symptoms and specific functional deficits in 661 young patients (mean age, 54 years; range, 19–60 years; 61% female) at 1 to 4 years after primary TKA. To eliminate observer bias, satisfaction and function data were collected by an independent, third-party survey center with expertise in administering medical outcomes questionnaires. Overall, 89% of patients were satisfied with their ability to perform normal daily living activities, and 91% were satisfied with their pain relief. After TKA, 66% of patients indicated their knees felt normal, 33% reported some degree of pain, 41% reported stiffness, 33% reported grinding/other noises, 33% reported swelling/tightness, 38% reported difficulty getting in and out of a car, 31% reported difficulty getting in and out of a chair, and 54% reported difficulty with stairs. After recovery, 47% reported complete absence of a limp and 50% had participated in their most preferred sport or recreational activity in the past 30 days. When interviewed by an independent third party, about 1/3 of young patients reported residual symptoms and limitations after modern TKA. We recommend informing patients considering surgery about the high likelihood of residual symptoms and limitations after contemporary TKA, even when performed by experienced surgeons in high-volume centers, and taking specific steps to set patients’ expectations to a level that is likely to be met by the procedure as it now is performed.
Remote sensing of tropospheric turbulence using GPS radio occultation

Abstract. Radio occultation (RO) measurements are sensitive to the small-scale irregularities in the atmosphere. In this study, we present a new technique to estimate tropospheric turbulence strength (namely, scintillation index) by analyzing RO amplitude fluctuations in impact parameter domain. GPS RO observations from the COSMIC (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate) satellites enabled us to calculate global maps of scintillation measures, revealing the seasonal, latitudinal, and longitudinal characteristics of the turbulent troposphere. Such information are both difficult and expensive to obtain especially over the oceans. To verify our approach, simulation experiments using the multiple phase screen (MPS) method were conducted. The results show that scintillation indices inferred from the MPS simulations are in good agreement with scintillation measures estimated from COSMIC observations.
EFFECT OF SURGICAL TECHNIQUE FOR PRIMARY THA ON TOTAL COST IN A SINGLE HOSPITAL MEDICARE POPULATION

INTRODUCTION Evolving payment models create new opportunities for assessment of patient care based on total cost over a defined period of time. These models allow for analyses of economic data that was previously unavailable and well beyond our familiar studies which typically include length of stay, surgical complications, and post-operative clinical and radiographic assessments. In the United States, the new Federal program entitled The Bundled Payment for Care Initiative created new opportunities for the assessment of surgical interventions. The purpose of the reported study was to assess the total reimbursement for care as a function of surgical technique in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS The total reimbursement for services performed following primary THA for patients insured by Medicare was analyzed for a group of patients at a single institution during the fiscal years of 2013 and 2014. The population included data on 356 patients who had surgery performed by seven surgeons who used the same pre-operative education, OR, PACU, PT, nursing, and case management. A total of 38 “pre-selected” patients underwent THA by an anterior exposure, 219 had surgery performed by a posterior exposure, and 99 had surgery performed by the superior exposure utilizing mechanical surgical navigation (HipXpert System, Surgical Planning Associates, Boston, MA). Reimbursement for all in-patient and out-patient services performed over the initial 90-day period from sugeical admission was compared across surgical techniques. Reimbursement includes the sum of all payments including the hospital, physicians, skilled nursing facilities, home care, out-patient care, and readmission. RESULTS The authors previously reported that primary THA cases performed using the superior approach have shorter average length of stay, a lower complication rate, higher percentage of acetabular components within the “safe zone” when compared to the other approaches and higer rate of patients discharged directly to home. An average reimbursement of $24,848 for THA performed using posterior exposure, $21,446 for the selected anterior exposure, and $20,268 for the superior exposure with navigation. The cost of care for treatment by the superior exposure with navigation was statistically significantly less than the posterior exposure (p CONCLUSION The current study demonstrates the influence of surgical technique on the direct reimbursement for the continuum of care, indicative of incurred costs, across the first 90-day post-operative period. The superior exposure combined with surgical navigation demonstrates the potential for significantly reduced total cost burden in Medicare patients when compared to two of the most common surgical approaches used for primary THA.
[4+2] Cycloadditions of Seven‐Membered‐Ring trans‐Alkenes: Decreasing Reactivity with Increasing Substitution of the Seven‐Membered Ring

The reactivity of trans-oxasilacycloheptenes in [4+2] cycloadditions depends on the substitution pattern on the seven-membered ring. Unhindered trans-alkenes undergo [4+2] cycloadditions with 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran faster than the most reactive trans-cyclooctene. Increasing the substitution of the seven-membered ring or increasing the electron density of the trans-alkene decreases reactivity with 1,3-dienes in concerted cycloaddition reactions. Although highly substituted trans-alkenes are unreactive in concerted cycloaddition reactions, these alkenes react rapidly in stepwise reactions with diethyl azodicarboxylate (DEAD), an electrophilic diene.
Data Quality and Interoperability Challenges for eHealth Exchange Participants: Observations from the Department of Veterans Affairs' Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record Health Pilot Phase.

Authors studied the United States (U.S.) Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) Health pilot phase relative to two attributes of data quality – the adoption of eHealth Exchange data standards, and clinical content exchanged. The VLER Health pilot was an early effort in testing implementation of eHealth Exchange standards and technology. Testing included evaluation of exchange data from the VLER Health pilot sites partners: VA, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and private sector health care organizations. Domains assessed data quality and interoperability as it relates to: 1) conformance with data standards related to the underlying structure of C32 Summary Documents (C32) produced by eHealth Exchange partners; and 2) the types of C32 clinical content exchanged. This analysis identified several standards non-conformance issues in sample C32 files and informed further discourse on the methods needed to effectively monitor Health Information Exchange (HIE) data content and standards conformance.
A statistical inference course based on p-values

ABSTRACTIntroductory statistical inference texts and courses treat the point estimation, hypothesis testing, and interval estimation problems separately, with primary emphasis on large-sample approximations. Here, I present an alternative approach to teaching this course, built around p-values, emphasizing provably valid inference for all sample sizes. Details about computation and marginalization are also provided, with several illustrative examples, along with a course outline. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Fine-Scale Crossover Rate Variation on the Caenorhabditis elegans X Chromosome

Meiotic recombination creates genotypic diversity within species. Recombination rates vary substantially across taxa, and the distribution of crossovers can differ significantly among populations and between sexes. Crossover locations within species have been found to vary by chromosome and by position within chromosomes, where most crossover events occur in small regions known as recombination hotspots. However, several species appear to lack hotspots despite significant crossover heterogeneity. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was previously found to have the least fine-scale variation in crossover distribution among organisms studied to date. It is unclear whether this pattern extends to the X chromosome given its unique compaction through the pachytene stage of meiotic prophase in hermaphrodites. We generated 798 recombinant nested near-isogenic lines (NILs) with crossovers in a 1.41 Mb region on the left arm of the X chromosome to determine if its recombination landscape is similar to that of the autosomes. We find that the fine-scale variation in crossover rate is lower than that of other model species, and is inconsistent with hotspots. The relationship of genomic features to crossover rate is dependent on scale, with GC content, histone modifications, and nucleosome occupancy being negatively associated with crossovers. We also find that the abundances of 4- to 6-bp DNA motifs significantly explain crossover density. These results are consistent with recombination occurring at unevenly distributed sites of open chromatin.
A Strong Correspondence Principle for Smooth, Monotone Environments

Abstract In discrete time dynamic systems that are locally monotone, we show that comparative statics are well-behaved at a regular equilibrium if and only if equilibrium is exponentially stable. We apply the result to show: (i) if excess demand satisfies the gross substitutes property then the competitive exchange equilibrium is stable iff intuitive comparative statics hold, (ii) the market demand curve for bandwagon (or network) goods slopes upwards only if equilibrium is unstable, and (iii) equilibria of supermodular games are stable iff they exhibit monotone comparative statics. We also provide a non-local version of the result for linear models, and apply the insights to the input–output model and network games with linear best replies and strategic complementarities.
Nonlinear-optical processes using electromagnetically induced transparency

It is well known by those practicing the techniques of nonlinear optics that the power that may be generated in a frequency summing process and the gain that may be obtained in a parametric process are determined by the interaction of tire nonlinear and linear susceptibilities. In general as an atomic transition to the ground state is approached, the nonlinear susceptibility is resonantly enhanced, but at the same time the media exhibits a rapidly increasing refractive index and becomes opaque.
Silanediol-Catalyzed Chromenone Functionalization

Promising levels of enantiocontrol are observed in the silanediol-catalyzed addition of silyl ketene acetals to benzopyrylium triflates. This rare example of enantioselective, intermolecular chromenone functionalization with carbonyl-containing nucleophiles has potential applications in the synthesis of bioactive chromanones and tetrahydroxanthones.
Spatiotemporal measurement of surfactant distribution on gravity-capillary waves

Materials adsorbed onto the surface of a fluid – for instance, crude oil, biogenic slicks or industrial/medical surfactants – will move in response to surface waves. Owing to the difficulty of non-invasive measurement of the spatial distribution of a molecular monolayer, little is known about the dynamics that couple the surface waves and the evolving density field. Here, we report measurements of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the density field of an insoluble surfactant driven by gravity–capillary waves in a shallow cylindrical container. Standing Faraday waves and travelling waves generated by the meniscus are superimposed to create a non-trivial surfactant density field. We measure both the height field of the surface using moire imaging, and the density field of the surfactant via the fluorescence of NBD-tagged phosphatidylcholine, a lipid. Through phase averaging stroboscopically acquired images of the density field, we determine that the surfactant accumulates on the leading edge of the travelling meniscus waves and in the troughs of the standing Faraday waves. We fit the spatiotemporal variations in the two fields using an ansatz consisting of a superposition of Bessel functions, and report measurements of the wavenumbers and energy damping factors associated with the meniscus and Faraday waves, as well as the spatial and temporal phase shifts between them. While these measurements are largely consistent for both types of waves and both fields, it is notable that the damping factors for height and surfactant in the meniscus waves do not agree. This raises the possibility that there is a contribution from longitudinal waves in addition to the gravity–capillary waves.
Assessment of whole-brain vasodilatory capacity with acetazolamide challenge at 1.5 T using dynamic contrast imaging with frequency-shifted burst.

PURPOSE To determine whether whole-brain acetazolamide-induced changes in regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) can be assessed on a conventional gradient 1.5-T MR system using 3-D dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MR imaging. METHODS A 3-D frequency-shifted (FS) burst technique was used to assess the intravascular first pass of contrast agent. Changes in rCBV were calculated in 40 volunteers before and after acetazolamide (n = 30) or saline (n = 10) injection using customized analysis software on an independent workstation. A single-section gradient-echo technique with better spatial resolution was used in one additional volunteer to examine the effect of partial volume averaging on calculation of absolute rCBV. RESULTS A statistically significant increase in rCBV (gray matter = 23%, white master = 32.5%) was noted after acetazolamide compared with saline. Baseline fractional CBVs were 22% +/- 3% for gray matter and 12% +/- 2% for white matter. Partial volume averaging was probably responsible for a systematic but linear overestimation of absolute rCBV. CONCLUSION Acetazolamide-induced changes in rCBV can be assessed using 3-D dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MR imaging with FS-burst on a conventional gradient 1.5-T MR system. Values obtained with this technique overestimate absolute rCBV but are systematically biased and can be used for intersubject and intrasubject ratio comparisons.
Characterization of CdTe Sensors with Schottky Contacts Coupled to Charge-Integrating Pixel Array Detectors for X-Ray Science

Pixel Array Detectors (PADs) consist of an x-ray sensor layer bonded pixel-by-pixel to an underlying readout chip. This approach allows both the sensor and the custom pixel electronics to be tailored independently to best match the x-ray imaging requirements. Here we present characterizations of CdTe sensors hybridized with two different charge-integrating readout chips, the Keck PAD and the Mixed-Mode PAD (MM-PAD), both developed previously in our laboratory. The charge-integrating architecture of each of these PADs extends the instantaneous counting rate by many orders of magnitude beyond that obtainable with photon counting architectures. The Keck PAD chip consists of rapid, 8-frame, in-pixel storage elements with framing periods < 150 ns. The second detector, the MM-PAD, has an extended dynamic range by utilizing an in-pixel overflow counter coupled with charge removal circuitry activated at each overflow. This allows the recording of signals from the single-photon level to tens of millions of x-rays/pixel/frame while framing at 1 kHz. Both detector chips consist of a 128 × 128 pixel array with (150 μm)2 pixels.
Evaluation of Critical Mass for Open-Cycle Gas-Core Rocket Reactors

Critical mass calculation for open cycle gas core rocket reactors, considering cavity size, fuel radius, reflector thickness and hydrogen bypass flow
Optimal operation of stationary and mobile batteries in distribution grids

Abstract The trending integrations of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS, stationary battery) and Electric Vehicles (EV, mobile battery) to distribution grids call for advanced Demand Side Management (DSM) technique that addresses the scalability concerns of the system and stochastic availabilities of EVs. Towards this goal, a stochastic DSM is proposed to capture the uncertainties in EVs. Numerical approximation is then used to make the problem tractable. To accelerate the computational speed, the proposed DSM is tightly relaxed to a convex form using second-order cone programming. Furthermore, in light of the continuous increasing problem size, a distributed method with a guaranteed convergence is applied to shift the centralized computational burden to distributed controllers. To verify the proposed DSM, real-life EV data collected on UCLA campus is used to test the proposed DSM in an IEEE benchmark test system. Numerical results demonstrate the correctness and merits of the proposed approach.
Indoor positioning system using WLAN channel estimates as fingerprints for mobile devices

With the growing integration of location based services (LBS) such as GPS in mobile devices, indoor position systems (IPS) have become an important role for research. There are several IPS methods such as AOA, TOA, TDOA, which use trilateration for indoor location estimation but are generally based on line-of-sight. Other methods rely on classification such as fingerprinting which uses WLAN indoor signals. This paper re-examines the classical WLAN fingerprinting accuracy which uses received signal strength (RSS) measurements by introducing channel estimates for improvements in the classification of indoor locations. The purpose of this paper is to improve existing classification algorithms used in fingerprinting by introducing channel estimates when there are a low number of APs available. The channel impulse response, or in this case the channel estimation from the receiver, should characterize a complex indoor area which usually has multipath, thus providing a unique signature for each location which proves useful for better pattern recognition. In this experiment, channel estimates are extracted from a Software-Defined Radio (SDR) environment, thus exploiting the benefits of SDR from a NI-USRP model and LabVIEW software. Measurements are taken from a known building, and several scenarios with one and two access points (APs) are used in this experiment. Also, three granularities in distance between locations are analyzed. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used as the algorithm for pattern recognition of different locations based on the samples taken from RSS and channel estimation coefficients.
THE TWO STAGE STANDARD: RES IPSA LOQUITOR

A “two-stage exchange” remains the gold standard for treatment of the infected THA in North America. Although there is interest in “one-stage exchange” this technique is predicated on the use of fixation of the revision implants with antibiotic loaded cement, which is not as popular in North America. Diagnosis is critical and in general consists of a screening serum ESR and CRP followed by selective aspiration if the above are abnormal and/or if the clinical history is suspicious. The aspirated fluid is sent for a synovial fluid WBC (cut-off approximately 3,000 WBC/μL), differential (cut-off 80% PMN) and culture. The basic tenets of treatment include: Thorough debridement of all infected appearing cement and all foreign material Placement of an interval antibiotic loaded spacer (note that the addition of antibiotics to bone cement is NOT FDA approved) –4–6 g of antibiotics per pkg of cement; typically vancomycin + tobramycin –Higher viscosity cement may be associated with higher elution –Higher elution with combination of antibiotics Antibiotic spacers can be “articulating” or “static”. Potential advantages of an articulating spacer include greater patient comfort and an easier approach at the second stage exchange as leg length and soft tissue tension is maintained. However, these spacers are oftentimes more costly and can dislocate. May not be appropriate in cases where there is severe bone loss that cannot support partial weight bearing or if the abductors are compromised (higher risk of dislocation). The first stage is followed by approximately 6 weeks of organism specific IV antibiotics. An interdisciplinary approach with an infectious disease specialist, internal medicine and a nutritionist optimises outcomes. Our protocol then includes weekly ESR and CRP to monitor their trend. These labs are re-checked two weeks after cessation of antibiotics to ensure the trend has not changed. We have found that while the ESR and CRP are significantly lower than prior to the 1st stage, they often times DO NOT normalise and there is no specific cut-off value that predicts persistent infection. An intra-operative aspiration for synovial fluid WBC count and differential is obtained intra-operatively (cut-off values of approximately 3,000 WBC/μl and 80% PMN) and are the best tests to identify persistent infection.
Construction of arbitrary vortex and superoscillatory fields

Superoscillations, oscillations of a bandlimited signal at frequencies greater than its band limit, have been verified both theoretically and experimentally. The design of such superoscillatory waves, however, has typically relied on complicated mathematics. We introduce a simple Fourier method to construct superoscillations in the transverse plane of an optical field in the form of optical vortices.
A Hybrid Intelligent QoS Multicast Routing Algorithm in NGI

With the characteristics of multi-constrained QoS (quality of service) routing in NGI (next generation Internet) considered, a hybrid intelligent QoS multicast routing algorithm based on PSO (particle swarm optimization) and GA (genetic algorithm) is presented. It tries to find the best multicast routing tree with the maximum probability of meeting multiple QoS constraints under the given cost.
S2DS: Physics-based compact model for circuit simulation of two-dimensional semiconductor devices including non-idealities

We present a physics-based compact model for two-dimensional (2D) field-effect transistors (FETs) based on monolayer semiconductors such as MoS2. A semi-classical transport approach is appropriate for the 2D channel, enabling simplified analytical expressions for the drain current. In addition to intrinsic FET behavior, the model includes contact resistance, traps and impurities, quantum capacitance, fringing fields, high-field velocity saturation, and self-heating, the latter being found to play an important role. The model is calibrated with state-of-the-art experimental data for n- and p-type 2D-FETs, and it can be used to analyze device properties for sub-100 nm gate lengths. Using the experimental fit, we demonstrate the feasibility of circuit simulations using properly scaled devices. The complete model is implemented in SPICE-compatible Verilog-A, and a downloadable version is freely available at the nanoHUB.org.
Asynchronous Transfer Mode Networks

Asynchronous transfer mode, or ATM, is a network transfer technique capable of supporting a wide variety of multimedia applications with diverse service and performance requirements. Its ability to support broadband integrated services with strict quality of service guarantees has motivated the ingetration of ATM and existing widely deployed networks. Keywords: asynchronous transfer mode (ATM); protocol reference model; ATM layer; traffic control; switches
Fair Division via Social Comparison

We study cake cutting on a graph, where agents can only evaluate their shares relative to their neighbors. This is an extension of the classical problem of fair division to incorporate the notion of social comparison from the social sciences. We say an allocation is {\em locally envy-free} if no agent envies a neighbor's allocation, and {\em locally proportional} if each agent values its own allocation as much as the average value of its neighbors' allocations. We generalize the classical ``Cut and Choose" protocol for two agents to this setting, by fully characterizing the set of graphs for which an oblivious {\em single-cutter protocol} can give locally envy-free (thus also locally-proportional) allocations. We study the {\em price of envy-freeness}, which compares the total value of an optimal allocation with that of an optimal, locally envy-free allocation. Surprisingly, a lower bound of $\Omega(\sqrt{n})$ on the price of envy-freeness for global allocations also holds for local envy-freeness in any connected graph, so sparse graphs do not provide more flexibility asymptotically with respect to the quality of envy-free allocations.
Mechanisms of the HF/H2O Vapor Phase Etching of SiO2

In this paper we report on studies of the mechanisms responsible for HF/H2O etching and cleaning of Si surfaces. From these studies we have clearly established that the role of water is to provide a condensed solvent medium for the HF on the surface. Our results, as well as those in the literature, show that if the partial pressures of HF and H2O are too low (or sample temperature too high), condensation does not occur and little or no etching is observed. Based on these ideas, and pressure data from the literature, we have developed a detailed model that provides for the calculation of the onset of condensation as a function of wafer temperature and reactant partial pressures. In addition, the model allows determination of the HF concentration in the condensed H2O film. Comparison of etch rates obtained for aqueous etching as a function of HF concentration, and vapor phase etching as a function of calculated HF concentration, show good agreement. The vapor phase etch rate data, as a function of wafer tem...
Pedestrian protection using the integration of V2V and the Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking System

Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communication systems enable vehicles to communicate with each other and use the shared information to make safety related decisions. However, the safety improvement of the current V2V systems only benefits V2V-enabled objects in the V2V network. The Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking System (PAEB) can utilize onboard sensors to detect pedestrians and make safety related actions so it benefits the individual vehicle and the pedestrians detected by its PAEB. To further improve pedestrian safety, the idea for integrating the capabilities of V2V and PAEB (V2V-PAEB) has been proposed, which allows the information of pedestrians detected by onboard sensors of a vehicle to be shared in the V2V network. A V2V-PAEB enabled vehicle uses not only its onboard sensors, but also received V2V messages from others to detect potential collisions with pedestrians and make better safety related decisions. In this paper, a Matlab/Simulink based simulation model of V2V-PAEB system is presented for demonstrating the proper architecture and information processing processes, and for providing the quick start of developing a better simulation model of V2V-PAEB. The proposed model has also been tested in PreScan simulation environment.
The Role of Behavioral Interventions in Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment: A Review

Objective:Although counseling is a required part of office-based buprenorphine treatment of opioid use disorders, the nature of what constitutes appropriate counseling is unclear and controversial. The authors review the literature on the role, nature, and intensity of behavioral interventions in office-based buprenorphine treatment.Method:The authors conducted a review of randomized controlled studies testing the efficacy of adding a behavioral intervention to buprenorphine maintenance treatment.Results:Four key studies showed no benefit from adding a behavioral intervention to buprenorphine plus medical management, and four studies indicated some benefit for specific behavioral interventions, primarily contingency management. The authors examined the findings from the negative trials in the context of six questions: 1) Is buprenorphine that effective? 2) Is medical management that effective? 3) Are behavioral interventions that ineffective in this population? 4) How has research design affected the resu...
Ordinary and Extraordinary Hadrons

Resonances and enhancements in meson-meson scattering can be divided into two classes distinguished by their behavior as the number of colors N_c in QCD becomes large: The first are ordinary mesons that become stable as N_c goes to infinity. This class includes textbook q-bar q mesons as well as glueballs and hybrids. The second class, extraordinary mesons, are enhancements that disappear as N_c goes to infinity; they subside into the hadronic continuum. This class includes indistinct and controversial objects that have been classified as q-bar q-bar q q mesons or meson-meson molecules. Pelaez's study of the N_c dependence of unitarized chiral dynamics illustrates both classes: the p-wave pi-pi and K-pi resonances, the rho(770) and K*(892), behave as ordinary mesons; the s-wave pi-pi and K-pi enhancements, the sigma(600) and kappa(800), behave like extraordinary mesons. Ordinary mesons resemble Feshbach resonances while extraordinary mesons look more like effects due to potentials in meson-meson scattering channels. I build and explore toy models along these lines. Finally I discuss some related dynamical issues affecting the interpretation of extraordinary mesons.
Sharp Bounds on Davenport-Schinzel Sequences of Every Order

One of the longest-standing open problems in computational geometry is bounding the complexity of the lower envelope of n univariate functions, each pair of which crosses at most s times, for some fixed s. This problem is known to be equivalent to bounding the length of an order-s Davenport-Schinzel sequence, namely, a sequence over an n-letter alphabet that avoids alternating subsequences of the form a … b … a … b … with length s+2. These sequences were introduced by Davenport and Schinzel in 1965 to model a certain problem in differential equations and have since been applied to bound the running times of geometric algorithms, data structures, and the combinatorial complexity of geometric arrangements.Let λs(n) be the maximum length of an order-s DS sequence over n letters. What is λs asymptotically? This question has been answered satisfactorily [Hart and Sharir 1986; Agarwal et al. 1989; Klazar 1999; Nivasch 2010], when s is even or s≤ 3. However, since the work of Agarwal et al. in the mid-1980s, there has been a persistent gap in our understanding of the odd orders.In this work, we effectively close the problem by establishing sharp bounds on Davenport-Schinzel sequences of every order s. Our results reveal that, contrary to one's intuition, λs(n) behaves essentially like λs-1(n) when s is odd. This refutes conjectures by Alon et al. [2008] and Nivasch [2010].
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND COLLEGE ENROLLMENT DECISIONS

We investigate the effect of the extension of the federal dependent coverage mandate for young adults under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the college enrollment decisions of young Americans. The ACA removes the conditionality that young individuals need to be enrolled as full-time students in order to be able to remain on their parentsâ health insurance past the age of 18 and extends the coverage mandate to age 26 irrespective of student status. This expansion of the coverage mandate changes the incentives for the full-time and part-time college enrollment decisions of young individuals. We use panel data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) for the years 2003â2013 and estimate that the dependent coverage expansion under the ACA decreases the probability to enroll as full-time student by 2 to 3 percentage points. Furthermore we find that part-time college enrollment is unaffected by the new policy. The results from a difference-in-differences model are robust to changes in the model specification and become stronger when we increase the sample overlap between treatment and control groups using trimming based on propensity scores.
Critical points in an algebra of elementary embeddings

Abstract Dougherty, R., Critical points in an algebra of elementary embeddings, Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 65 (1993) 211-241. Given two elementary embeddings from the collection of sets of rank less than λ to itself, one can combine them to obtain another such embedding in two ways: by composition, and by applying one to (initial segments of) the other. Hence, a single such nontrivial embedding j generates an algebra of embeddings via these two operations, which satisfies certain laws (for example, application distributes over both composition and application). Laver has shown, among other things, that this algebra is free on one generator with respect to these laws. The set of critical points of members of this algebra is the subject of this paper. This set contains the critical point κ0 of j, as well as all of the other ordinals κn in the critical sequence of j (defined by κn+1=j(κn)). But the set includes many other ordinals as well. The main result of this paper is that the number of critical points below κn (which has been shown to be finite by Laver and Steel) grows so quickly with n that it dominates any primitive recursive function. In fact, it grows faster than the Ackermann function, and even faster than a slow iterate of the Ackermann function. Further results show that, even just below κ4, one can find so many critical points that the number is only expressible using fast-growing hierarchies of iterated functions (six levels of iteration beyond exponentials).
Investigation of the Interaction between Nafion Ionomer and Surface Functionalized Carbon Black Using Both Ultrasmall Angle X-ray Scattering and Cryo-TEM.

In making a catalyst ink, the interactions between Nafion ionomer and catalyst support are the key factors that directly affect both ionic conductivity and electronic conductivity of the catalyst layer in a membrane electrode assembly. One of the major aims of this investigation is to understand the behavior of the catalyst support, Vulcan XC-72 (XC-72) aggregates, in the existence of the Nafion ionomer in a catalyst ink to fill the knowledge gap of the interaction of these components. The dispersion of catalyst ink depends not only on the solvent but also on the interaction of Nafion and carbon particles in the ink. The interaction of Nafion ionomer particles and XC-72 catalyst aggregates in liquid media was studied using ultrasmall-angle X-ray scattering and cryogenic TEM techniques. Carbon black (XC-72) and functionalized carbon black systems were introduced to study the interaction behaviors. A multiple curve fitting was used to extract the particle size and size distribution from scattering data. The...
Nuclear and structural dynamics during the establishment of a specialized effector-secreting cell by Magnaporthe oryzae in living rice cells

To cause an economically important blast disease on rice, the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae forms a specialized infection structure, called an appressorium, to penetrate host cells. Once inside host cells, the fungus produces a filamentous primary hypha that differentiates into multicellular bulbous invasive hyphae (IH), which are surrounded by a host-derived membrane. These hyphae secrete cytoplasmic effectors that enter host cells presumably via the biotrophic interfacial complex (BIC). The first IH cell, also known as the side BIC-associated cell, is a specialized effector-secreting cell essential for a successful infection. This study aims to determine cellular processes that lead to the development of this effector-secreting first IH cell inside susceptible rice cells. Using live-cell confocal imaging, we determined a series of cellular events by which the appressorium gives rise to the first IH cell in live rice cells. The filamentous primary hypha extended from the appressorium and underwent asymmetric swelling at its apex. The single nucleus in the appressorium divided, and then one nucleus migrated into the swollen apex. Septation occurred in the filamentous region of the primary hypha, establishing the first IH cell. The tip BIC that was initially associated with the primary hypha became the side BIC on the swollen apex prior to nuclear division in the appressorium. The average distance between the early side BIC and the nearest nucleus in the appressorium was estimated to be more than 32 μm. These results suggest an unknown mechanism by which effectors that are expressed in the appressorium are transported through the primary hypha for their secretion into the distantly located BIC. When M. oryzae was inoculated on heat-killed rice cells, penetration proceeded as normal, but there was no differentiation of a bulbous IH cell, suggesting its specialization for establishment of biotrophic infection. Our studies reveal cellular dynamics associated with the development of the effector-secreting first IH cell. Our data raise new mechanistic questions concerning hyphal differentiation in response to host environmental cues and effector trafficking from the appressorium to the BIC.
What Works May Hurt—Side Effects in Education

Medical research is held as a field for education to emulate. Education researchers have been urged to adopt randomized controlled trials, a more “scientific” research method believed to have resulted in the advances in medicine. But a much more important lesson education needs to borrow from medicine has been ignored. That is the study of side effects. Medical research is required to investigate both the intended effects of any medical interventions and their unintended adverse effects, or side effects. In contrast, educational research tends to focus only on proving the effectiveness of practices and policies in pursuit of “what works.” It has generally ignored the potential harms that can result from what works. This article presents evidence that shows side effects are inseparable from effects. Both are the outcomes of the same intervention. This article further argues that studying and reporting side effects as part of studying effects will help advance education by settling long fought battles over practices and policies and move beyond the vicious cycle of pendulum swings in education.
Anagrelide-Associated Cardiomyopathy in Polycythemia Vera and Essential Thrombocythemia.

Abstract Introduction : Anecdotal reports of “idiopathic” cardiomyopathy (ICM) in patients receiving anagrelide therapy have surfaced but not formally studied. We undertook a tertiary-center comprehensive study of ICM that was diagnosed in the setting of either polycythemia vera (PV) or essential thrombocythemia (ET). Methods : Standard criteria were used for the diagnosis of both ET and PV. A diagnosis of ICM required echocardiogram documentation of a reduced left ventricular systolic ejection fraction (EF Results : Initial data inquiry yielded a total of 434 patients whose medical histories were thoroughly reviewed for the presence of an echocardiogram-documented ICM that post-dated a diagnosis of either ET or PV. Nine such patients (7 females; age range 46–78 years) were identified. Anagrelide therapy, at standard doses (median 2 mg/day), was temporally associated with ICM in 4 of the 9 patients while treatment in the remaining 5 patients consisted of either phlebotomy alone (3 patients) or other cytoreductive agents (2 patients). A similar database inquiry at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville identified 2 more patients with ICM that was temporally associated with anagrelide treatment. A normal echocardiogram was documented in 3 of the 6 patients with anagrelide-associated ICM at 2, 15, and 39 months prior to treatment (table 1). Interval (months) Ejection fraction (%) Sex Diagnosis Diagnosis to ICM Anagrelide treatment to ICM Pre-treatment At ICM diagnosis Off-anagrelide therapy for 0.2–16 months F PV 66 60 69 30 and then 18 with continued anagrelide therapy 28 F ET 8 6 N/A 30 N/A F PV 120 36 N/A 20 66 F PV 156 13 73 35 55 F ET 108 10 N/A 35 44 F ET 108 11 58 10 34 Anagrelide therapy was immediately discontinued when ICM was diagnosed in 5 of the 6 patients and after further worsening of EF on continued anagrelide therapy in the sixth patient (first patient in table 1). All 6 patients with anagrelide-associated ICM experienced symptomatic improvement after drug discontinuation but the corresponding improvement in EF, after a period of 0.2–16 months, was often suboptimal (table 1). In contrast, ICM not associated with anagrelide therapy remained unchanged both in terms of symptoms and EF in all 5 cases. Conclusion : Anagrelide-induced cardiomyopathy might occur in some patients with either PV or ET. Prompt recognition and drug discontinuation has the potential to adequately reverse the situation in some but not all patients.
Probing Dense Partonic Matter at Rhic

Recent Results from the PHENIX Collaboration on Au+Au and d+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.
Characterizing the Nash equilibria of a three-player Bayesian quantum game

Quantum games with incomplete information can be studied within a Bayesian framework. We consider a version of prisoner's dilemma (PD) in this framework with three players and characterize the Nash equilibria. A variation of the standard PD game is set up with two types of the second prisoner and the first prisoner plays with them with probability p and $$1-p$$1-p, respectively. The Bayesian nature of the game manifests in the uncertainty that the first prisoner faces about his opponent's type which is encoded either in a classical probability or in the amplitudes of a wave function. Here, we consider scenarios with asymmetric payoffs between the first and second prisoner for different values of the probability, p, and the entanglement. Our results indicate a class of Nash equilibria (NE) with rich structures, characterized by a phase relationship on the strategies of the players. The rich structure can be exploited by the referee to set up rules of the game to push the players toward a specific class of NE. These results provide a deeper insight into the quantum advantages of Bayesian games over their classical counterpart.
Integration of survivorship care plans into standard care: A quality improvement project.

70Background: American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer accredited programs are required to provide Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs) to cancer survivors after initial cancer treatment. A critical need exists to evaluate SCP patient outcomes. The primary purpose of this quality improvement project was to integrate SCP into standard care for adult stage I, II, and III breast and colon cancer patients. Secondary aims were to examine the hypothesis that the SCP will improve participants’ knowledge base regarding their cancer, health promotion and disease prevention, satisfaction with delivery of health care, quality of life, and adherence to follow-up and surveillance testing. Methods: The IRB approved study was conducted at a hospital-based Medical Oncology Clinic (MOC) in the Western US. A pre/post design was used. Sociodemographic, Medical Outcomes Study Form-36 (MOS-SF-36), Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form-PSQ-18 (PSQ-SF-18), and Patient Knowledge of Disease Questionnaire (PKDQ) data w...
Access to modern fuels and satisfaction with cooking arrangements: Survey evidence from rural India

Abstract Subjective satisfaction is a central element of technology adoption, but scholars have not analyzed the determinants of households' satisfaction with their cooking arrangements. Drawing on an original survey of 8568 households across six Indian states, we uncover the predictors of such satisfaction. Households do not find firewood collection inconvenient, but they are dissatisfied if they have to travel long distance to purchase firewood. Among sub-components of subjective satisfaction, reduction in smoke, speed of cooking, and quality of meals dominate over others (difficulty, cost, and safety). Moreover, we identify access to LPG – a modern cooking fuel – as a strong and robust predictor of high subjective satisfaction, mostly through reduction in smoke and increase in speed of cooking. Rural households ascribe a lot of value to access modern cooking fuels that reduce indoor air pollution, and beneficiaries of interventions to improve such access would value it. Thus, efforts to reduce reliance on cooking with traditional biomass are not just paternalistic top-down interventions but contribute to significantly improve households' satisfaction with their cooking arrangements.
Solvability Regions of Affinely Parameterized Quadratic Equations

Quadratic systems of equations appear in several applications. The results in this letter are motivated by quadratic systems of equations that describe equilibrium behavior of physical infrastructure networks like power and gas grids. The quadratic systems in infrastructure networks are parameterized—the parameters can represent uncertainty or controllable decision variables. It is then of interest to understand conditions on the parameters under which the quadratic system is guaranteed to have a solution within a specified set. Given nominal values of the parameters at which the quadratic system has a solution, we develop a general framework to construct regions around the nominal parameter value such that the system is guaranteed to have a solution within a given distance of the nominal solution. The regions are described by explicit norm-like constraints on the parameters. We compare the results to previous approaches in the context of power systems.