cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Individual and combined effects of two types of phenological shifts on predator-prey interactions.

Timing of phenological events varies among years with natural variation in environmental conditions and is also shifting in response to climate change. These phenological shifts likely have many effects on species interactions. Most research on the ecological consequences of phenological shifts has focused on variation in simple metrics such as phenological firsts. However, for a population, a phenological event exhibits a temporal distribution with many attributes that can vary (e.g., mean, variance, skewness), each of which likely has distinct effects on interactions. In this study, we manipulated two attributes of the phenological distribution of a prey species to determine their individual and combined effects on predator–prey interactions. Specifically, we studied how shifts in the mean and variation around the mean (i.e., synchrony) of hatching by tadpoles (Hyla cinerea) affected interactions with predatory dragonfly naiads (Tramea carolina). At the end of larval development, we quantified survival and growth of predator and prey. We found that both types of shifts altered demographic rates of the prey; that the effects of synchrony shifts, though rarely studied, were at least as strong as those due to mean shifts; and that the combined effects of shifts in synchrony and mean were additive rather than synergistic. By dissecting the roles of two types of shifts, this study represents a significant step toward a comprehensive understanding of the complex effects of phenological shifts on species interactions. Embracing this complexity is critical for predicting how climate change will alter community dynamics.
Constitutional Principles in the Secession Reference

In Reference Re Secession of Quebec, 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada concluded that the unwritten constitutional principles of federalism and democracy dictated that the clear repudiation of the existing constitutional order and the clear expression of the desire to pursue secession by the population of a province gave rise to a reciprocal obligation on all parties to the federation to negotiate constitutional changes to respond to that desire. To understand this astonishing decision, the author first examines how, over time, in Canada and Quebec, issues of identity(ies), constitutional law and democracy came to be formulated in absolutist terms, making political compromises next to impossible. Only then does he analyse the Supreme Court’s decision and attempts to explain why the latter chose to decide as it did.
Evaluation of a Speed Mentoring Program: Achievement of Short-Term Mentee Goals and Potential for Longer-Term Relationships

Abstract Objective Speed mentoring provides brief mentoring and networking opportunities. We evaluated 1) a national speed mentoring program's ability to encourage in-person networking and advice-sharing, and 2) 2 potential outcomes: helping mentees achieve 3-month goals, and fostering mentoring relationships after the program. Methods An outcome approach logic model guided our program evaluation. Sixty mentees and 60 mentors participated. Each mentee met with 6 mentors for 10 minutes per pairing. At the program, mentees created goals. At 3 months, mentors sent mentees a reminder e-mail. At 4 months, participants received a Web-based survey. Results Forty-two (70%) mentees and 46 (77%) mentors completed the survey. Participants reported the program allowed them to share/receive advice, to network, to provide/gain different perspectives, and to learn from each other. Mentors as well as mentees identified shared interests, mentor–mentee chemistry, mentee initiative, and mentor approachability as key qualities contributing to ongoing relationships. Many mentor–mentee dyads had additional contact (approximately 60%) after the program and approximately one-third thought they were likely to continue the relationship. Goal-setting encouraged subsequent mentor–mentee contact and motivated mentees to work toward attaining their 3-month goals. The mentors aided mentees goal attainment by providing advice, offering support, and holding mentees accountable. Conclusions A national speed mentoring program was an effective and efficient way to establish national connections, obtain different perspectives, and receive advice. Goal-setting helped mentees in achieving 3-month goals and fostering mentoring relationships outside of the program. These elements continue to be a part of this program and might be valuable for similar programs.
Structural differences between capped GaSb nanostructures grown by Stranski-Krastanov and droplet epitaxy growth modes

Droplet epitaxy (DE) has emerged as an alternative to Stranski-Krastanov (SK) as a method for epitaxial nanostructure formation. We find significant structural differences of similar sized nanostructures embedded in GaAs between the two methods. Atomic force microscopy and atom probe tomography measurements reveal that uncapped and capped SK structures resemble each other. However, the DE nanostructures appear as rings topographically but are quantum dots compositionally. A GaSb wetting layer is present regardless of the growth method and shares a nearly identical Sb concentration profile. DE nanostructures are shown to have a lower Sb concentration, and transmission electron microscopy measurements reveal that they produce less strain on the capping layer. Despite significant structural differences, SK and DE nanostructures exhibit the same photoluminescence response, suggesting that the emission is from a shared feature such as the wetting layer, rather than the nanostructures.
Neoadjuvant erlotinib, erlotinib-sulindac, or placebo: A randomized, double-blind biomarker modulation study in operable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

6051 Background: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) pathways are upregulated in HNSCC. Crosstalk potentiates growth, proliferation and invasion. Preclinical models show synergistic anti-tumor effects from dual blockade. We evaluated biomarker modulation in paired tumor specimens from a 3-arm phase 0 trial of erlotinib, a small molecule EGFR inhibitor; erlotinib + sulindac, a non-selective COX inhibitor; vs. placebo. Methods: Patients (pts) with untreated stage II-IVb HNSCC were randomized 5:5:3 to neoadjuvant erlotinib 150 mg daily (Arm 1, n = 19), erlotinib + sulindac 150 mg twice daily (Arm 2, n = 16), or placebo (n = 12). Pts were treated for 7-14 days. Tumor specimens were collected pre- and post-treatment. The primary endpoint was change in Ki-67 proliferative index. We hypothesized an ordering in Ki-67 down-modulation, with Arm 2 > Arm 1 > placebo. A Jonckheere-Terpstra test evaluated trend; a Wilcoxon test was applied to pairwise contrasts. We prepared tissue m...
Through the Eustachian Tube and Beyond: A New Miniature Robotic Endoscope to See Into the Middle Ear

This letter presents a novel miniature robotic endoscope that is small enough to pass through the Eustachian tube and provides visualization of the middle ear (ME). The device features a miniature bending tip previously conceived of as a small-scale robotic wrist that has been adapted to carry and aim a small chip-tip camera and fiber-optic light sources. The motivation for trans-Eustachian tube ME inspection is to provide a natural-orifice-based route to the ME that does not require cutting or lifting the eardrum, as is currently required. In this letter, we first perform an analysis of the ME anatomy and use a computational design optimization platform to derive the kinematic requirements for endoscopic inspection of the ME through the Eustachian tube. Based on these requirements, we fabricate the proposed device and use it to demonstrate the feasibility of ME inspection in an anthropomorphic model, i.e., a 3-D printed ME phantom generated from patient image data. We show that our prototype provides > 74% visibility coverage of the sinus tympani, a region of the ME crucial for diagnosis, compared to an average of only 6.9% using a straight nonarticulated endoscope through the Eustachian tube.
One Vision of Arts Education: Project Zero’s the Qualities of Quality: Understanding Excellence in Arts Education

(2010). One Vision of Arts Education: Project Zero’s the Qualities of Quality: Understanding Excellence in Arts Education. Studies in Art Education: Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 380-384.
The Hate Crimes Debate in Utah

A “hate crime” is any criminal behavior in which a person or property is victimized, in whole or in part, solely because of the offender’s bias against the victim’s race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, disability (mental or physical), gender, age, or sexual orientation (FBI, Hate Crime Statistics 2000, 1). As of 2000, Utah had a higher percentage of hate crimes in several categories compared to the national average, including race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disability. The federal government still does not have an official hate crimes statute, and Utah’s current law is considered by many to be too weak to be effective. Efforts to modify the law have been frustrated by several emotionally charged factors, including disagreement on the inclusion of language regarding sexual orientation.
Non-collaborative emission targets joining and quantity flow decisions in a Stackelberg setting

Abstract Emission targets joining decisions along a channel are recently introduced for firms to join their targets to be more effective in keeping their emissions below a certain level. Non-collaborative emission target joining decisions under a Stackelberg setting, with one leader and one follower, have been analyzed in the literature. Here, we investigate collaborative emission targets joining decisions. In particular, we discuss that, when joining decisions are collaboratively made, both the leader and follower will agree upon joining their emission targets, which is not necessarily the case under non-collaborative scenario. Then, two allocation mechanisms are proposed to share the cost savings of joining emission targets, namely, sharing-based and fixed-payment allocations. We characterize the cases when these allocation mechanisms are rational, fair, and coordinate the channel, and compare them to Shapley value allocations. Furthermore, we analytically compare the channel costs and emissions under three different joining approaches: no, non-collaborative, and collaborative joining. It is shown that collaborative joining can reduce not only the channel costs but also the channel emissions as compared to no and non-collaborative joining. Numerical examples are presented under an application setting to demonstrate how different joining decision approaches compare in terms of channel costs and emissions.
Software Patents and the Return of Functional Claiming

Commentators have observed for years that patents do less good and cause more harm in the software industry than in other industries such as pharmaceuticals. They have pointed to a variety of problems and offered a variety of solutions. While there is some truth to each of these criticisms, the real problem with software patents lies elsewhere. Software patent lawyers are increasingly writing patent claims in broad functional terms. Put another way, patentees claim to own not a particular machine, or even a particular series of steps for achieving a goal, but the goal itself. The resulting overbroad patents overlap and create patent thickets. Patent law has faced this problem before. The Supreme Court ultimately rejected such broad functional claiming in the 1940s as inconsistent with the purposes of the patent statute. When Congress rewrote the Patent Act in 1952, it adopted a compromise position: patentees could write their claim language in functional terms, but when they did so the patent would not cover the goal itself, but only the particular means of implementing that goal described by the patentee and equivalents thereof. These “means-plus-function” claims permitted the patentee to use functional language to describe an element of their invention, but did not permit her to own the function itself however implemented. Most software patents today are written in functional terms. If courts would faithfully apply the 1952 Act, limiting those claims to the actual algorithms the patentees disclosed and their equivalents, they could prevent overclaiming by software patentees and solve much of the patent thicket problem that besets software innovation.
Axially Bound Ruthenium Phthalocyanine Monolayers on Indium Tin Oxide: Structure, Energetics, and Charge Transfer Properties.

The efficiency of charge collection at the organic/transparent conducting oxide (TCO) interface in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices affects overall device efficiency. Modifying the TCO with an electrochemically active molecule may enhance OPV efficiency by providing a charge-transfer pathway between the electrode and the organic active layer, and may also mitigate surface recombination. The synthesis and characterization of phosphonic acid-ruthenium phthalocyanine (RuPcPA) monolayer films on indium tin oxide (ITO), designed to facilitate charge harvesting at ITO electrodes, is presented in this work. The PA group was installed axially relative to the Pc plane so that upon deposition, RuPcPA molecules were preferentially aligned with the ITO surface plane. The tilt angle of 22° between the normal axes to the Pc plane and the ITO surface plane, measured by attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy, is consistent with a predominately in-plane orientation. The effect of surface roughness on RuPcPA ori...
A Network Conceptualization of Team Conflict

Previous research has highlighted how interpersonal- and task-based conflicts can impact work team effectiveness. The majority of such work, however, has implicitly treated both types of conflict a...
Assessment of Air Pollution in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand

Abstract. Analysis of gaseous criteria pollutants in Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR), Thailand, during 2010–2014 reveals that the hourly concentrations of CO, SO 2 and NO 2 were mostly below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQs) of Thailand. However, the hourly concentrations of O 3 exceeded the Thailand NAAQs. The maximum concentrations of O 3 ranged from 120–190 ppb. On average, the number of hourly O 3 exceedances ranged from 1–60 hours a year depending on monitoring station locations. The exceedances occurred during the summer and winter, dry seasons. Interconversion between O 3 , NO and NO 2 indicates crossover points between species occur when the concentration of NO x ([NO x ] = [NO]+[NO 2 ]) is ~ 60 ppb. However, when [NO x ] 60 ppb, O 3 is the dominant species; conversely, NO dominates when [NO x ] > 60 ppb. The calculated photochemical reaction rate (the reaction between NO 2 with sunlight), during photostationary state ranges from 0.12 to 1.22 min −1 . Linear regression analysis between the concentrations of O x ([O x ] = [O 3 ]+[NO 2 ]) and NO x provides the role of local and regional contributions to O x . Both the local and regional O x contributions enhance the concentration of O x . Values of the local and regional O x contributions during non-episode were ~ 44–54 ppb and ~ 0.13[NO x ] to 0.33[NO x ], respectively. Those values were about double during O 3 episodes ([O 3 ] > 100 ppb). Ratio analysis suggests that the major contributors of primary pollutants over BMR are mobile sources (CO/NO x = 19.8). The Air Quality Index (AQI) for BMR was predominantly between good to moderate. Unhealthy O 3 categories were observed during episode conditions in the region.
Consensus Conformations of Dinucleoside Monophosphates Described with Well-Converged Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Dinucleoside monophosphates (DNMPs) have been described using various experimental approaches as flexible molecules which generate ensembles populating at least a small set of different conformations in solution. However, due to limitations of each approach in its ability to delineate the ensemble of conformations, an accurate and quantitative description of certain conformational features has not been performed for all DNMPs. Here, we apply a temperature replica-exchange molecular dynamics approach to fully and quickly converge conformational distributions of all RNA DNMPs immersed in the TIP3P water model using the AMBER ff14 force field. For a selection of DNMPs, the conformational ensembles were also generated when immersed in the OPC water model using alternative AMBER and CHARMM force fields. The OPC water model and other force field choices did not introduce new conformational classes but shifted the populations among existing conformations. Except for pyrimidine–pyrimidine dinucleosides, all other...
CYP2J2 Expression in Adult Ventricular Myocytes Protects Against Reactive Oxygen Species Toxicity

Cytochrome P450 2J2 isoform (CYP2J2) is a drug-metabolizing enzyme that is highly expressed in adult ventricular myocytes. It is responsible for the bioactivation of arachidonic acid (AA) into epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). EETs are biologically active signaling compounds that protect against disease progression, particularly in cardiovascular diseases. As a drug-metabolizing enzyme, CYP2J2 is susceptible to drug interactions that could lead to cardiotoxicity. CYP2J2 has been shown to be resistant to induction by canonical CYP inducers such as phenytoin and rifampin. It is, however, unknown how cellular stresses augment CYP2J2 expression. Here, we determine the effects of oxidative stress on gene expression in adult ventricular myocytes. Further, we assess the consequences of CYP2J2 inhibition and CYP2J2 silencing on cells when levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are elevated. Findings indicate that CYP2J2 expression increases in response to external ROS or when internal ROS levels are elevated. In addition, cell survival decreases with ROS exposure when CYP2J2 is chemically inhibited or when CYP2J2 expression is reduced using small interfering RNA. These effects are mitigated with external addition of EETs to the cells. Finally, we determined the results of external EETs on gene expression and show that only two of the four regioisomers cause an increase in HMOX1 expression. This work is the first to determine the consequence of cellular stress, specifically high ROS levels, on CYP2J2 expression in human ventricular myocytes and discusses how this enzyme may play an important role in response to cardiac oxidative stress.
Lung Cancer Biopsies

Image-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) is a well-established and minimally invasive technique for evaluating pulmonary nodules. Implementation of a national lung screening program and increased use of chest computed tomography have contributed to the frequent identification of indeterminate pulmonary nodules that may require tissue sampling. The advent of biomarker-driven lung cancer therapy has led to increased use of repeat PTNB after diagnosis. Percutaneous insertion of markers for preoperative localization of small nodules can aid in minimally invasive surgery and radiation treatment planning. This article discusses PTNB, patient selection, and biopsy technique, including minimizing and managing complications.
Factors Associated With Mortality in Children Who Successfully Wean From Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Objectives:Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an established therapy for cardiac and respiratory failure unresponsive to usual care. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation mortality remains high, with ongoing risk of death even after successful decannulation. We describe occurrence and factors asso
Spatial Analysis of the Global Digital Divide.

The global pattern of social, economic, and political influences on technology utilization is analyzed through a combination of linear regression and spatial analysis. The conceptual framework is based on prior research findings on the global digital divide, including non-spatial determinants and on geographic differences. The theory posits that higher levels of technological utilization are based on known factors and it further provides that significant geographic differences will be present in world regions. The paper tests the theory by first conducting ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. For the world, the most significant determinants are tertiary education, innovation capacity, judicial independence, and foreign direct investment. For each regression equation, the spatial autocorrelation of the residuals are tested for significant spatial autocorrelation. After determining that geographically weighted regression cannot be applied, based on residual spatial mapping, OLS regression is performed for three world UN-defined regions and two sub-regions. Findings reveal distinctive determinants for these regions and sub-regions. The paper contributes insights to the global digital divide literature stemming from the geospatial analysis methods.
The Public Nature of Personal Opinion: The Impact of Collective Sentiment on Individual Appraisal

This paper examines the impact of the public on individual opinion. Employing survey-based experiments, I demonstrate public influence to be considerable, yet the magnitude, direction, and significance of effect depends critically on the target of public sentiment and the political predispositions of the perceiver. A theoretical model is developed to delineate and examine such effects, guiding the analyses throughout. Central to this framework is the interplay between opinion context and individual, reflecting the often fluid and complex relationship between aggregate and individual judgment. The specific findings that representations of public opinion can alter the distribution of opinion through assimilation, contrast, or reinforcement are emphasized and given context within the voting and public opinion literature.
“Nicht Sein Kann was Nicht Sein Darf,” or the Prehistory of EPR, 1909–1935: Einstein’s Early Worries about the Quantum Mechanics of Composite Systems

The story of Einstein’s misgivings about quantum mechanics and about his debate with Bohr has been told many times—by the participants themselves,1 by their colleagues and contemporaries,2 and by historians and philosophers of science of later generations.3 So the question arises: Why tell the story yet again? The answer is that there is more to be said. I will argue that the standard histories have overlooked what was from early on the principal reason for Einstein’s reservations about quantum mechanics, namely, the non-separability of the quantum mechanical account of interactions, something ultimately unacceptable to Einstein because it could not be reconciled with the field-theoretic manner of describing interactions.4 Showing the significance of this issue for Einstein is important not only for the sake of setting right the historical record, but also because it makes Einstein’s critique of quantum mechanics far more interesting—from the point of view of the physics involved—than if we see it resting merely on a stubborn old man’s nostalgic attachment to classical determinism.
The Preference for Indirect Harm

We presented subjects pairs of hypothetical scenarios. The action in each scenario harmed some people in order to aid others. In one member of the pair, the harm was a direct result of the action. In the other member, it was an indirect byproduct. Subjects preferred the indirect harm to the direct harm. This result could not be fully explained in terms of differences in judgments about which option was more active, more intentional, more likely to cause harm, or more subject to the disapproval of others. Taken together, these findings provide evidence for a new bias in judgment, a tendency to favor indirectly harmful options over directly harmful alternatives, irrespective of the associated outcomes, intentions, or self-presentational concerns. We speculate that this bias could originate from the use of a typical but somewhat unreliable property of harmful acts, their directness, as a cue to moral evaluation. We discuss the implications of the bias for a range of social issues, including the distinction between passive and active euthanasia, legal deterrence, and the rhetoric of affirmative action.
Constrained by consistency? Repeatability of foraging behavior at multiple timescales for a generalist marine predator

Marine predators frequently exhibit consistency in foraging behaviors despite the dynamic nature of marine ecosystems, which has the potential for ecological and evolutionary implications depending on the timescale at which it persists. We examined behavioral consistency in movements and diving behavior of adult female California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), which are abundant, generalist central-place foragers inhabiting an ecosystem characterized by small- and broad-scale oceanographic variability. We used biologging devices to measure repeatability of behavior within a season and stable isotope analysis of whiskers to quantify behavior across a 2-year period associated with anomalous environmental conditions that affected prey availability. Sea lions were significantly repeatable in all variables across multiple timescales (Radj = 0.26–0.82), although repeatability estimates were generally higher for variables related to characteristics of individual dives (e.g., dive depth) than those that described dive bouts (e.g., bout duration) or spatial use (e.g., volume of 3D utilization distribution). These differences may result from the fact that diving behaviors vary with prey type, whereas spatial use and bout variables may reflect the foraging success within prey patches or movement among patches. There was variation in how predictable individual sea lions were in their diving behaviors, which was largely unrelated or negatively related to foraging site fidelity. The strength of behavioral consistency decreased with time yet persisted across the 2-year period, suggesting that while sea lions alter their behavior in response to environmental change, the behavioral flexibility of individuals may ultimately be constrained by consistency.
Interaction of Performance Measurements, Staffing, and Facility Requirements for the Heart Failure Observation Unit

Research into existing heart failure observation units should include review of existing protocols and best practice models, establishing/individualizing protocols, and defining performance measurements. Various staffing models can be utilized to include physicians, midlevel providers, registered nurses, nursing assistants/technicians, and unit clerks based on the size of the unit. Facility requirements are guided by Life Safety Codes as well as defined in Medicare/Medicaid building guidelines. Size of the unit can be calculated based on emergency department volume. Standard equipment, as well as emergency equipment, needs to be incorporated into building plans.
Time is of the essence: a descriptive study of hospitality and tourism faculty members' perceptions of their jobs regarding time spent and activities pursued.

Little is known about how much time hospitality and tourism faculty members work each week and how they spend that time. Therefore, this study investigated how many hours faculty members work and h...
Correlating Rock-Eval™ Tmax with bitumen reflectance from organic petrology in the Bakken Formation

Abstract The Bakken Formation is a major unconventional shale play in North America, which lacks an independent calibration for accurately correlate thermal maturity from programmed pyrolysis (via temperature of maximum pyrolysis yield, Tmax) with optical methods (e.g., bitumen reflectance). In the present study, several samples from the upper and lower members of the Bakken Formation in North Dakota were analyzed by detailed organic petrography, bitumen reflectance, and Rock-Eval 6 pyrolysis. Organic petrography showed that the organic matter consists of various types of bitumen, amorphous matrix bituminite, liptodetrinite, acanthomorphic acritarch, marine alginite, granular micrinite, and inertinite macerals. Fluorescence color under UV light of macerals from the liptinite group was used to confirm the thermal maturity level. Due to the scarcity/absence of primary vitrinite, RO measurements on solid bitumen particles were converted to equivalent vitrinite reflectance (VRO-Eq) using a published correlation equation from the coeval New Albany Shale. Overall, geochemical analysis from Rock-Eval pyrolysis reveals almost similar trends for the upper and lower members, which allowed proposing a single correlation for VRO-Eq to Tmax for the Bakken Shale. Comparing the observed relationship for the Bakken Shale with the previously established models for the Devonian Duvernay Shale (Canada) and the Mississippian Barnett Shale (United States) shows discrepancies. Results confirmed the necessity of developing a specific equation for the Bakken Shale members to relate vitrinite and solid bitumen reflectance data to Tmax from Rock-Eval pyrolysis. Furthermore, the outcome of this study indicated that linear trends cannot accurately represent the relationship between these two parameters, considering the kerogen kinetics and non-linear relationship between transformation ratio (TR) and Tmax. Therefore, a polynomial correlation, a better fit to the data, was proposed to more accurately represent the nature of this relationship.
Productive Giftedness: A New Mastery Approach to Understanding Talent Development

What is "productive giftedness" and why does it matter in talent development? Using the Productive Giftedness Model, the current study examines key environmental and psychosocial factors that influence productive outcomes (e.g., achievements, accomplishments, leadership, eminence). Defined as mastery and excellence, the "productive giftedness" of ten notable artists, athletes, innovators, scientists, and writers was systematically studied. Findings highlight both commonalities and differences across three developmental stages identified in this study: early exposure and support, talent cultivation, and continuous cultivation. The article focuses on home and school learning environments, key relationships, motivation, and time factors. In particular, parents (or caregivers), teachers, and mentors played a key role in their talent development. The model also highlights the role of alterable and contextual factors, which enhance or hinder access to opportunities, support, and resources. The overall findings confirm the greater importance of supportive conditions rather than innate talent alone.
Evolution of Radicals from the Photolysis of High Ionic Strength Alkaline Nitrite Solutions.

Reactive nitrogen species (RNS), along with reactive oxygen species (ROS), are significant products from radiolysis in solution. While much research has been focused on biological systems, these sp...
The Rise of NAFTA 2.0: A Case Study in Effective ISDS Reform

From 1994 to 2020, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) enabled a free trade zone in the region. Its early days were undoubtedly successful. NAFTA was credited with stimulating trade, economic growth, and cooperation among Canada, Mexico, and the US. Yet, NAFTA was not without controversy. Its Chapter 11 offered an Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism that American and Canadian trade negotiators anticipated would protect their investors from risks posed by Mexico’s legal system. They did not expect ISDS claims against their own governments, which they perceived as a threat to their sovereignty. NAFTA’s successor, the US–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) entered into force on 1 July 2020 and adopts a new approach to ISDS within its Chapter 14. As the existing ISDS system faces increasing criticism and scrutiny, much of the debate centres on whether the ISDS system remains fit for its purpose. This chapter examines the social, political, and experiential circumstances which led to the rise of USMCA. It concludes that USMCA is a practical example of effective ISDS reform. In sum, the story of USMCA demonstrates that evolution, and not death, is the answer to the modern ISDS debate.
Linking physiology to ecological function: environmental conditions affect performance and size of the intertidal kelp hedophyllum sessile (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae)

For autogenic ecosystem engineers, body size is an aspect of individual performance that has direct connections to community structure; yet the complex morphology of these species can make it difficult to draw clear connections between the environment and performance. We combined laboratory experiments and field surveys to test the hypothesis that individual body size was determined by disparate localized physiological responses to environmental conditions across the complex thallus of the intertidal kelp Hedophyllum sessile, a canopy-forming physical ecosystem engineer. We documented substantial (> 40%) declines in whole-thallus photosynthetic potential (as Maximum Quantum Yield, MQY) as a consequence of emersion, which were related to greater than 10-fold increases in intra-thallus MQY variability (as Coefficient of Variation). In laboratory experiments, desiccation and high light levels during emersion led to lasting impairment of photosynthetic potential and an immediate > 25% reduction in area due to tissue contraction, which was followed by complete loss of structural integrity after three days of submersion. Tissue exposed to desiccation and high light during emersion had higher nitrogen concentrations and lower phlorotannin concentrations than tissue in control treatments (on average 1.36 and 0.1x controls, respectively), suggesting that conditions during emersion have the potential to affect food quality for consumers. Our data indicate that the complex thallus morphology of H. sessile may be critical to this kelp's ability to persist in the intertidal zone despite the physiological challenges of emersion and encourage a more nuanced view of the concept of "sub-lethal stress" on the scale of the whole individual.
SEIPS 101 and seven simple SEIPS tools

In the past 15 years, SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety)1–3 and related conceptual models4 5 were developed to study and improve healthcare. These theoretical models depict how work systems affect health-related outcomes, such as patient safety, and can be used to guide research and improvement efforts. Various versions of the SEIPS model have been used by academics and practitioners, but a recent review argued that broader use and benefits can be achieved through ‘an easy-to-use version of the model and simplified tools for model application’.6 This concords with repeated requests we have received for simple, practical tools to apply SEIPS and with the general critique regarding the dearth of easy to use systems engineering tools.7 Accordingly, we offer SEIPS 101, a simplified, practice-oriented SEIPS model meant for easy use by practitioners, researchers and others, regardless of prior familiarity with SEIPS. We also for the first time present seven simple SEIPS tools virtually anyone can use off-the-shelf. The SEIPS model is a theoretical model rooted in human-centred systems engineering or ‘human factors/ergonomics’.8 9 All versions of the model depict three major components, the work system, processes and outcomes; key characteristics or factors of each; and how the components affect one another. The SEIPS model has been used to understand or design sociotechnical systems and has supported evaluation, planning and research activities. The first version of the SEIPS model was published in 2006 in this journal by Carayon and colleagues,1 based on work dating to the 1980s.10–12 The next addition to the SEIPS family was SEIPS 2.0, proposed by Holden et al 3 primarily to address the work done by patients, families and other non-professionals. SEIPS 2.0 made theoretical expansions to the work system, processes and outcomes components and introduced the configural diagram …
Accelerogram-Based Method for Quick Assessment of Liquefaction Occurrence

AbstractAn accelerogram-based method is developed and validated for the quick assessment of liquefaction occurrence based on ground motion records. In this method, two frequency-related ground moti...
Baseline Predictors of Glycemic Worsening in Youth and Adults With Impaired Glucose Tolerance or Recently Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes in the Restoring Insulin Secretion (RISE) Study.

OBJECTIVE To identify predictors of glycemic worsening among youth and adults with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes in the Restoring Insulin Secretion (RISE) Study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 91 youth (10–19 years) were randomized 1:1 to 12 months of metformin (MET) or 3 months of glargine, followed by 9 months of metformin (G-MET), and 267 adults were randomized to MET, G-MET, liraglutide plus MET (LIRA+MET), or placebo for 12 months. All participants underwent a baseline hyperglycemic clamp and a 3-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at baseline, month 6, month 12, and off treatment at month 15 and month 21. Cox models identified baseline predictors of glycemic worsening (HbA1c increase ≥0.5% from baseline). RESULTS Glycemic worsening occurred in 17.8% of youth versus 7.5% of adults at month 12 (P = 0.008) and in 36% of youth versus 20% of adults at month 21 (P = 0.002). In youth, glycemic worsening did not differ by treatment. In adults, month 12 glycemic worsening was less on LIRA+MET versus placebo (hazard ratio 0.21, 95% CI 0.05–0.96, P = 0.044). In both age-groups, lower baseline clamp-derived β-cell responses predicted month 12 and month 21 glycemic worsening (P CONCLUSIONS Glycemic worsening was more common among youth than adults with IGT or recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes, predicted by lower baseline β-cell responses in both groups, hyperglycemia in youth, and insulin resistance in adults.
Mass Loss from Interacting Close Binary Systems

Mass outflow from interacting close binary systems, accompanied by loss of orbital angular momentum, appears to be a very important process affecting the evolution of binary stars. Together with accretion on the mass-gaining component, it is the least understood aspect of the general complex process we call “evolution with mass transfer and/ or mass loss”, or, more briefly, “interaction”. It is therefore very imperative to assemble and examine all available facts or hints about mass loss.
Functional Parts Detection in Engineering Drawings: Looking for the Screws

Functional parts — i.e. mechanical parts with intrinsic functionality — such as screws, hinges and gears, are appealing high level entities to be used in line drawing understanding systems. This is because their functionality can be used by a reasoning agent to infer surrounding objects and because they are usually drawn following standards making them easier to be detected. In this chapter, an algorithm for the automatic detection of the schematic representation of screws in mechanical engineering drawings is being presented as a first step towards a function-based line drawing understanding system. All the running parameters required by the algorithm are set according to the American National Standards Institute standards and by using a rigorous experimental protocol characterizing the algorithm performance in the presence of image degradation, thus eliminating the need for ad hoc parameter tuning. Experimental results on several real line drawings are also presented.
Nonlocal Structure Tensor Functionals for Image Regularization

We present a nonlocal regularization framework that we apply to inverse imaging problems. As opposed to existing nonlocal regularization methods that rely on the graph gradient as the regularization operator, we introduce a family of nonlocal energy functionals that involves the standard image gradient. Our motivation for designing these functionals is to exploit at the same time two important properties inherent in natural images, namely the local structural image regularity and the nonlocal image self-similarity. To this end, our regularizers employ as their regularization operator a novel nonlocal version of the structure tensor. This operator performs a nonlocal weighted average of the image gradients computed at every image location and, thus, is able to provide a robust measure of image variation. Furthermore, we show a connection of the proposed regularizers to the total variation semi-norm and prove convexity. The convexity property allows us to employ powerful tools from convex optimization to design an efficient minimization algorithm. Our algorithm is based on a splitting variable strategy, which leads to an augmented Lagrangian formulation. To solve the corresponding optimization problem, we employ the alternating-direction methods of multipliers. Finally, we present extensive experiments on several inverse imaging problems, where we compare our regularizers with other competing local and nonlocal regularization approaches. Our results are shown to be systematically superior, both quantitatively and visually.
Ultrafast nonlinearities in active semiconductors

Summary form only given, as follows. Gain and index of refraction dynamics in semiconductor lasers and optical amplifiers are being studied directly by femtosecond pump-probe methods to improve understanding of ultrashort pulse generation, propagation and modulation in these devices.
Moiré-Rosette Method for Strain Analysis

In this paper a new approach to obtaining the state of strain through moire fringes is presented. It utilizes the strain-rosette concept commonly used in strain gage techniques. The advantage of this method over the conventional method is also described.
Real-time processing method for an ultra high-speed streaming server running PC Linux

Integration of a high-resolution video (such as HDTV) delivery system for IP networks with legacy DBMSs and WWW systems, would make it easy to achieve system for a remote video editing, remote education and digital cinema. For this reason, we have developed a streaming server for IP networks is based on the MAPOS link-layer protocol and has a 2.48-Gbps line speed. The MAPOS protocol enables IP networks over SONET/SDH. The streaming server is constructed on a typical PC with Linux. Choosing a PC and Linux provides high performance at low cost to users. Real-time processing is important if we are to send video data at a specified rate. To implement a streaming server that can deliver Gbps video streams, we developed a real-time processing method specifically for this platform. Consequently, we obtained real-time performance for a streaming server in which the method was implemented. To evaluate its performance, we measured the receiving rate and jitter on receiving terminal while the server was delivering video streams at rates from 1.5 to 2.4 Gbps. The jitter indicates the receive-buffer size that is required and the initial delay which should be inserted before playback. For video delivery at 1.5 Gbps, the maximum buffer size was shown to be 936 KBytes (5.1 msec) and initial delay was 3.0 msec. These results show the practicability of constructing a system for ultra high-speed video (including 1.5-Gbps uncompressed HDTV) delivery with a very short response time within one video frame.
USE OF THE T2*-WEIGHTED GRADIENT RECALLED ECHO SEQUENCE FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF THE CANINE AND FELINE BRAIN

T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been reported to help improve detection of intracranial hemorrhage and is widely used in human neuroimaging. To assess the utility of this technique in small animals, interpretations based on this sequence were compared with those based on paired T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences in 200 dogs and cats that underwent brain MRI for suspected intracranial disease. Two sets of images (T2 + FLAIR and T2*) were reviewed separately in random order unaccompanied by patient information and were interpreted as normal or abnormal based on whether intracranial abnormalities were seen. The number and location of intracranial lesions were recorded. Eighty-five studies were considered normal and 88 were considered abnormal based on both sets of images, with good agreement (κ = 0.731) between the two. Susceptibility artifact was present in 33 cases (16.5%) on T2*-weighted images. In 12 cases (6%) a total of 69 lesions were seen on T2*-weighted images that were not seen on T2/FLAIR, all of which were associated with susceptibility artifact caused by presumed intracranial hemorrhage. Pseudolesions were seen on T2*-weighted images in five cases, none of which were associated with susceptibility artifact. Abnormalities were seen on T2/FLAIR images that were not seen on T2*-weighted images in 35 cases, confirming that T2* does not replace standard spin echo sequences. These results support inclusion of T2*-weighted sequences in small animal brain MRI studies and indicate that that a large number of abnormalities (especially hemorrhagic lesions) can go undetected if it is not performed.
Wideband W-band patch antenna

A W-band patch antenna designed to be compatible with a sequential surface micromachining process known as PolyStrata™ is demonstrated in this paper. The antenna is cavity backed and excited with differential probe feed. A copper wall is introduced in the middle of the patch to reduce the port coupling and mechanically support the patch. A 180° hybrid designed as combination of a 90° coupled line hybrid and 90° phase shifter is monolithically integrated with the antenna to provide the necessary differential input. The presented antenna achieves VSWR&#60;2 from 76.5GHz to 99.5GHz, and VSWR&#60;2.5 from 75GHz to 120GHz, respectively. Broadside realized gain above 7dBi is predicted from 75GHz to 115GHz. The theoretical results are verified using finite element method code Ansys-HFSS and finite integration technique code CST-MWS.
Robust asymptotic sampling theory for correlations in pedigrees

Methods to unravel the genetic determinants of non-Mendelian diseases lie at the next frontier of statistical approaches for human genetics. It is generally agreed that, before proceeding with segregation or linkage analysis, the trait under study ought to be shown to exhibit familial correlation. By coding dichotomous traits as binary variables, a single robust approach in the estimation of pedigree correlations, rather than two distinct approaches, can be used to assess the potential heritability of a trait, and, latterly, to examine the mode of inheritance. The asymptotic theory to conduct hypothesis tests and confidence intervals for correlations among different members of nuclear families is well established but is applicable only if the nuclear families are independent. As a further contribution to the literature, we derive the asymptotic sampling distribution of correlations between random variables among arbitrary pairs of members in extended families for the Pearson product-moment estimator with generalized weights. This derivation is done without assuming normality of the traits. The sampling distribution is shown to be asymptotically normal to first order, and hence large-sample hypothesis tests and confidence intervals with estimates of the variances and correlation coefficients are proposed. Discussion concludes with an example and a suggestion for future research.
Imaging of interfaces in semiconductor materials using high resolution transmission electron microscopy

Abstract High resolution transmission electron microscopy can play a fundamental role in the understanding of heterojunction interfaces. Recently, this technique has been applied to the study of semiconductor materials. Results regarding interface epitaxial relationships for a varied number of systems are presented. The experimental methods and limitations of the technique are discussed.