cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Private Foundation Minimum Distribution Requirement and Public Policy

ABSTRACT: This study examines the public policy rationale for the minimum distribution requirement that requires private foundations to spend at least 5 percent of their assets on charitable purposes. The study explicitly models an objective function that the government tries to maximize and a population of heterogeneous contributors that care about both distributions to charity and assets under their control. An increase in the minimum distribution requirement increases the rate of charitable distributions from some foundations, but deters other contributors from forming foundations. The level of the minimum distribution requirement reflects a trade-off between these two effects.
Phylogeography of the Darkling Beetle Coelus ciliatus in California

The heavily impacted coastal dunes of California are home to numerous invertebrates, but very few studies have examined their phylogeographic patterns. Here, we examine the phylogeography of the flightless fossorial darkling beetle Coelus ciliatus Eschscholtz and the extent to which previously identified phylogeographic barriers for terrestrial and marine taxa can explain its haplotype distribution. We compared 16 localities and 128 specimens along the coast of California by using 826 bp of the COI mitochondrial gene. We used Bayesian and parsimony-based phylogenetic analyses and haplotype network analyses to study the phylogeographic structure of the populations, as well as analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), isolation by distance and FLUCTUATE to examine the population structure. Our analyses identified 42 haplotypes and significant geographic and genetic structure among populations. Gene flow was limited between populations, and phylogenetic, nested clade, and AMOVA analyses indicate a deep break of the populations into two clades, north and south of Big Sur, near Monterey Bay. Populations between Pt. Conception and Big Sur follow a serial founder event pattern, as indicated by isolation by distance analysis. We did not identify a phylogeographic break at Pt. Conception or the Los Angeles area, but we recovered a deep phylogeographic break at Big Sur that contrasts with a break at Monterey Bay identified in other coastal terrestrial animals.
Research Abstract on a Feasibility Approach to Optimal Schedules

Optimization algorithms capable of efficiently solving general large scale resource scheduling problems do not exist. There are some specially structured scheduling problems for which optimization algorithms are available; for examples, see Johnson (3), Hu (2), and Chaudhuri (1). A slight extension of the problem discussed by Hu is presented here. First, a portion of Hu’s presentation in reference (2) will be discussed. The problem of interest which was solved in (2) had as its objective to minimize schedule duration under the following assumptions: (1) the project network diagram is a tree, (a tree is a graph containing no closed loops), (2) each activity requires unit time and a single resource common to each activity, (3) resources are available in integral numbers.
Thickness Mismatch of Coexisting Liquid Phases in Noncanonical Lipid Bilayers

Lipid composition dictates membrane thickness, which in turn can influence membrane protein activity. Lipid composition also determines whether a membrane demixes into coexisting liquid-crystalline phases. Previous direct measurements of demixed lipid membranes have always found a liquid-ordered phase that is thicker than the liquid-disordered phase. Here we investigated noncanonical ternary lipid mixtures designed to produce bilayers with thicker disordered phases than ordered phases. The membranes were composed of short, saturated (ordered) lipids; long, unsaturated (disordered) lipids; and cholesterol. We found that few of these systems yield coexisting liquid phases above 10 °C. For membranes that do demix into two liquid phases, we measured the thickness mismatch between the phases by atomic force microscopy and found that not one of the systems yields thicker disordered than ordered phases under standard experimental conditions. We found no monotonic relationship between demixing temperatures of the...
Aeroacoustic Measurements in Open-jet Wind Tunnels - An Evaluation of Methods Applied to Trailing Edge Noise

Open jet wind tunnels have become commonplace in aeroacoustic testing, as having an open-jet test section in an anechoic chamber can provide a near-anechoic environment when attempting to measure acoustic field levels due to an aeroacoustic source. Additionally, reduced flow is present over installation microphones, so SNR gains are observed versus equivalent closed test section experiments. However, open-jet wind tunnels and their acoustic treatment introduce additional noise sources which may contaminate a given signal of interest. To overcome this limitation, multiple-microphone processing techniques involving coherent power and/or beamforming are often leveraged. These techniques can isolate the behavior of an aeroacoustic noise source using different types of assumptions. However, depending on the facility background noise characteristics and measurement setup these assumptions may be violated. A comparison of these techniques is conducted using a NACA 63-215 Mod-B airfoil in UFAFF, and shows that when the signal of interest, trailing edge noise, is not the dominant noise source, facility flow noise can introduce aberrant behavior to the coherent power and array processing techniques. This behavior leads to correspondingly large uncertainty bounds in output power spectra. Modifications to the wind tunnel facility and experimental setup are proposed to mitigate these problems, and a new experiment set with a smaller NACA 0012 airfoil is designed. Results show that modifications appear to improve the behavior of coherent power methods, specifically those tailored to trailing edge noise measurements, significantly. Major disagreement between coherent power techniques and delay-and-sum integration is found even with significant mitigation of facility contaminating noise sources. Uncertainty analysis does not account for the difference visible between the methods, suggesting that further analysis involving deconvolution and coherent source behavior is warranted.
Mandatory Arbitration in Arizona: Structure and Performance

This article summarizes some of the key findings regarding the structure and performance of Arizona's court-connected arbitration system. Most cases eligible for arbitration concluded before a hearing was held, and those cases that had a hearing seemed more likely to have been diverted from settlement than from trial. Consequently, the arbitration program was likely to affect the court's workload in a relatively small proportion of cases, was more likely to reduce the use of court pretrial rather than trial resources, and was unlikely to substantially reduce litigants' costs. Many cases did not meet arbitration deadlines and court case processing time standards. These findings, which were consistent with studies in other jurisdictions, suggest that court-connected arbitration does not have negative consequences, but also does not consistently or substantially improve the effectiveness and efficiency of dispute resolution.
Virtual Warfare: Cyberbullying and Cyber-Victimization in MMOG Play

The popularity of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) has elicited concern that this is a context for cyberbullying. We used an online survey to examine the prevalence and types of cyberbullying in MMOG play and group differences in bullying behavior. Since most MMOGs are violent and research indicates that electronic mediums have high rates of bullying, we predicted that cyberbullying would be common in MMOG play. The participants (N = 151)—a sample of self-selected MMOG players—frequently reported being cyber-victimized (52%) and engaging in cyberbullying (35%) during MMOG play. Rank was the most common motive for cyberbullying. We found that (a) males perpetrate more cyberbullying in MMOGs than females do; (b) heterosexuals perpetrate bullying at higher rates than lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) participants do; (c) female and LGBT participants experienced significantly higher rates of sexually related cyber-victimization; and (d) opponents are bullied more than teammates. Rates o...
Regional ejection fraction during exercise: a quantitative measurement to localize coronary artery stenoses in patients with symptomatic or silent myocardial ischemia.

To determine the ability of quantitative radionuclide ventriculography to localize coronary artery stenoses in patients with angina and silent myocardial ischemia, the authors studied changes in regional ejection fractions produced by supine bicycle exercise in 49 patients, 16 of whom had silent myocardial ischemia. For example, in 35 patients with 70 per cent or greater stenoses of the left anterior descending and/or left main coronary artery, anteroseptal regional ejection fraction fell from 55 ± 3 per cent at rest to 50 ± 4 per cent with exercise (p
Post-dilation of superficial femoral artery stents with cryoplasty: does the COBRA Trial take a bite out of diabetic restenosis?

Over the past decade there has been an explosion in the number of tools available for the endovascular treatment of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Seemingly every few months, the interventionalist is confronted with a new device that promises to deliver both immediate
Microscopic Aspects of Entropy and the Statistical Foundations of Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics

The aim of this paper is to show how recent work in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics leads to a mechanical interpretation of the second law of thermodynamics.
Ion Channels as Targets for Toxins

Neurotoxins have proven to be invaluable tools in the purification of many of the best-characterized cation channels and, in addition, have contributed significantly to our understanding of how these macromolecules function in excitable tissues. This collection of molecules displays a great deal of diversity in both a chemical and a functional sense. Although many of the compounds are cationic, additional unifying structural themes are conspicuous by their absence. Even within the subgroup of polypeptide toxins, the most well-studied groups (i.e. anemone, scorpion, snail, spider and snake toxins) fail to display any intergroup relatedness at the level of primary structure. Indeed, this is rather surprising in view of the ability of (e.g.) anemone and α-scorpion toxins to compete for a common receptor. While all of the polypeptides do share a cationic character and are rich in disulfide bonds, it remains to be proven that the former property is intimately related to their activity. The latter property is almost certainly a consequence of the necessity for stabilizing small peptides in an extracellular environment. Perhaps the most striking observation is the relatedness between charybdotoxin and the Na + channel-directed scorpion toxins at the level of their three-dimensional structures. This clearly raises the possibility of common binding mechanisms having evolved.
Genealogies of European governance

How should scholars study European governance? In this introductory article, we situate our genealogical approach in relation to existing research by summarizing the key features of major strands of research on European governance, clarifying their primary similarities and differences, criticizing their underlying commitment to the development of comprehensive theories and articulating the beginnings of an alternative research agenda. This alternative research agenda pivots away from attempting to develop a comprehensive theoretical model of European governance to one oriented towards investigating the beliefs and narrative traditions that shape Europe’s governing practices. We conclude by previewing the contributions to the Special Issue, drawing attention to the overlapping themes addressed in each article, namely the influence of social scientific rationalities, elite narratives and local traditions in contemporary forms of European governance.
Chinese Principal Perceptions on the American School Leadership Standards: The Disparity among Leadership Dimensions

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Chinese school principals on the importance of American Educational Leadership Program Standards. Seventy three principals from a county in Guangdong, China completed the Principal Leadership Standards Questionnaire. The results of the study revealed that the Chinese principals perceived the majority of American leadership standards to be either important or very important in school administration. Perception differences among the leadership dimensions were significant. The principal leadership standards in the management of school organization and school instruction were perceived to be significantly more important than the leadership dimensions of school vision and collaborative partnership. The results of the study contribute to the development of school leadership training programs in China. Recommendations were made in using the framework of American leadership standards in China for the development and re-development of university programs and professional trainings in school leadership.
Advance elder care decision making: a model of family planning.

Abstract Advances in modern technology have resulted in increasing health care options. Unfortunately, many adults do not think about health and end-of-life decisions until they are faced with a health crisis or long-term care issues. The lack of planning has left many families devastated and overwhelmed by the decisions they face on behalf of their loved ones. Social workers and other professionals are observing family members who are ill-prepared for the decisions they have to make and the roles that they undertake as a result of the failing health of an older relative. The Advance Elder Care Family Planning model (AECFP) is designed to empower families before they face these problems.
The articulatory dynamics of pre-velar and pre-nasal /æ/-raising in English: An ultrasound study

Most dialects of North American English exhibit /ae/-raising in some phonological contexts. Both the conditioning environments and the temporal dynamics of the raising vary from region to region. To explore the articulatory basis of /ae/-raising across North American English dialects, acoustic and articulatory data were collected from a regionally diverse group of 24 English speakers from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. A method for examining the temporal dynamics of speech directly from ultrasound video using EigenTongues decomposition [Hueber, Aversano, Chollet, Denby, Dreyfus, Oussar, Roussel, and Stone (2007). in IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (Cascadilla, Honolulu, HI)] was applied to extract principal components of filtered images and linear regression to relate articulatory variation to its acoustic consequences. This technique was used to investigate the tongue movements involved in /ae/ production, in order to compare the tongue gestures involved in the various /ae/-raising patterns, and to relate them to their apparent phonetic motivations (nasalization, voicing, and tongue position).
Cell cycle proteins moonlight in multiciliogenesis

Multiciliated cells (MCCs) are a specialized population of postmitotic cells that are decorated with tens to hundreds of hairlike protrusions, termed motile cilia, that beat back and forth to direct fluid flow across an epithelium ( 1 ). MCCs line the respiratory tract, brain ventricles, and reproductive tracts of vertebrates and play a crucial role in tissue homeostasis; defects in the formation or movement of motile cilia can cause fertility defects, chronic respiratory infections, and/or a buildup of fluid in the brain. Despite their importance to human health, the pathways controlling the production of motile cilia in differentiating MCCs remain poorly understood. On page 803 of this issue, Al Jord et al. ( 2 ) shed light on this question by showing that multiciliated progenitor cells implement components of the mitotic cell cycle machinery to coordinate events that are required for motile ciliation and cellular differentiation, while avoiding cell division (mitosis).
A singularity-free model of the local velocity gradient and acceleration gradient structure of turbulent flow

Research on the fine scale structure of turbulence has led to a greatly improved understanding of the basic geometry of the local flow patterns associated with kinetic energy dissipation. One model of the local flow that has been considered previously is based on a simplification of the transport equation for the velocity gradient tensor called the Restricted Euler Equation. This equation is exactly solvable and, although the solution reproduces many of the geometrical features observed in direct numerical simulations of turbulence, the solution also exhibits a finite time singularity. It is well known that the velocity and acceleration gradients in free turbulent flows actually decrease continuously with time when measured by a Lagrangian observer. For example, an observer convecting with the flow on the dividing streamline of an ensemble averaged turbulent plane mixing layer would measure large scale gradients that decrease in proportion to 1/time and microscale gradients that decrease like \( 1/\sqrt {time}\) (Cantwell 1981). The power law in time associated with this decay can generally be estimated using dimensional analysis together with classical balances relating turbulent kinetic energy production and dissipation. This paper will describe a procedure for removing the singularity in the Restricted Euler model while maintaining the convenience of an exact solution. The resulting system is useful for generating large ensembles for statistical modelling. The new model is matched to decay rates derived from dimensional analysis and accurately predicts many of the geometrical features of both the velocity and acceleration gradient tensors. Probability density functions for both gradient fields generated by the model are compared with results from direct numerical simulation.
Modern Religion, Modern Race, by Theodore Vial, New York, Oxford University Press, 2016, xv + 277 pp., US$78.00 (hardback), ISBN 978 0 1902 1255 1

In 1911 the United States Immigration Commission (a.k.a. the Dillingham Commission), the joint congressional committee notorious for deeming immigration from southern Europe a threat to American so...
Sex chromosome repeats tip the balance towards speciation

Because sex chromosomes, by definition, carry genes that determine sex, mutations that alter their structural and functional stability can have immediate consequences for the individual by reducing fertility, but also for a species by altering the sex ratio. Moreover, the sex-specific segregation patterns of heteromorphic sex chromosomes make them havens for selfish genetic elements that not only create suboptimal sex ratios but can also foster sexual antagonism. Compensatory mutations to mitigate antagonism or return sex ratios to a Fisherian optimum can create hybrid incompatibility and establish reproductive barriers leading to species divergence. The destabilizing influence of these selfish elements is often manifest within populations as copy number variants (CNVs) in satellite repeats and transposable elements (TE) or as CNVs involving sex-determining genes, or genes essential to fertility and sex chromosome dosage compensation. This review catalogs several examples of well-studied sex chromosome CNVs in Drosophilids and mammals that underlie instances of meiotic drive, hybrid incompatibility and disruptions to sex differentiation and sex chromosome dosage compensation. While it is difficult to pinpoint a direct cause/effect relationship between these sex chromosome CNVs and speciation, it is easy to see how their effects in creating imbalances between the sexes, and the compensatory mutations to restore balance, can lead to lineage splitting and species formation.
Binational Studies Leading to an Ecosystems-based Management Strategy for Common Thresher Shark in the Southern California Bight (SCB).

Survey of the Mexican SCB Sector Artisanal and Commercial Shark Fisheries Hypotheses: a) Common thresher sharks represent a substantial portion of the catch of artisanal and commercial shark fisheries in the Mexican SCB sector. b) Exploitation of common threshers and other elasmobranchs is important to the economy of northern Baja California and, by extension, is directly linked to U.S. fishery management. Mexican SCB Longlining Survey Hypotheses: a) Thresher shark nursery grounds extend south throughout the Mexican sector of the SCB. b) Juvenile threshers in Mexican SCB waters will exhibit seasonal patterns of abundance similar to those observed in the California SCB (i.e. higher abundance in early Spring and Summer when pupping is thought to occur). Tracking and Archival Tagging Hypotheses: a) Juvenile thresher sharks utilize distinct inshore areas as nursery grounds and have a strong preference for continental shelf waters. b) Within these nursery grounds, juveniles have specific habitat preferences (e.g., substrate composition, algal coverage, topography, etc.). c) Juvenile threshers display the same diel movement patterns noted for adults, remaining in the warmer mixed layer by night, and making vertical forays by day. However, we expect that juveniles will inhabit shallower depths and higher temperatures than adults, and also swim at slower speeds. d) Juveniles undergo relatively large-scale movements that take them throughout the SCB and further south.
The relative role of PLCβ and PI3Kγ in platelet activation

Stimulation of platelet G protein–coupled receptors results in the cleavage of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-trisphosphate (PIP2) into inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and 1,2-diacylglycerol by phospholipase C (PLCβ). It also results in the phosphorylation of PIP2 by the γ isoform of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3Kγ) to synthesize phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate. To understand the role of PIP2 in platelet signaling, we evaluated knock-out mice lacking 2 isoforms of PLCβ (PLCβ2 and PLCβ3) or lacking the Gβγ-activated isoform of PI3K (PI3Kγ). Both knock-out mice were unable to form stable thrombi in a carotid injury model. To provide a functional explanation, knock-out platelets were studied ex vivo. PLCβ2/β3–/– platelets failed to assemble filamentous actin, had defects in both secretion and mobilization of intracellular calcium, and were unable to form stable aggregates following low doses of agonists. Platelets lacking PI3Kγ disaggregated following low-dose adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and had a mildly impaired ability to mobilize intracellular calcium. Yet, they exhibited essentially normal actin assembly and secretion. Remarkably, both PLCβ2/β3–/– and PI3Kγ–/– platelets spread more slowly upon fibrinogen. These results suggest substantial redundancy in platelet signaling pathways. Nonetheless, the diminished ability of knock-out platelets to normally spread after adhesion and to form stable thrombi in vivo suggests that both PLCβ2/β3 and PI3Kγ play vital roles in platelet cytoskeletal dynamics.
A few more thoughts on Clark's "Learning from Media"

In the Winter 1983 issue of Review of Educational Research, Richard Clark published the article “Reconsidering Research on Learning from Media.” This article presented a particular point of view on media research that is of interest to educational technologists and has aroused some debate. In the Winter 1984 issue of ECTJ, Petkovich and Tennyson took issue wfth some of Clark’s points. Clark’s reply to that critique followed immediately after ft in the same publication (Volume 32, No.4. Winter 1984). Petkovich and Tennyson now add “A Few More Thoughts…”
One size does not fit all: Links between shift-and-persist and asthma in youth are moderated by perceived social status and experience of unfair treatment

The links between low socioeconomic status and poor health are well established, yet despite adversity, some individuals with low socioeconomic status appear to avoid these negative consequences through adaptive coping. Previous research found a set of strategies, called shift-and-persist (shifting the self to stressors while persisting by finding meaning), to be particularly adaptive for individuals with low socioeconomic status, who typically face more uncontrollable stressors. This study tested (a) whether perceived social status, similar to objective socioeconomic status, would moderate the link between shift-and-persist and health, and (b) whether a specific uncontrollable stressor, unfair treatment, would similarly moderate the health correlates of shift-and-persist. A sample of 308 youth (Meanage = 13.0, range 8-17), physician diagnosed with asthma, completed measures of shift-and-persist, unfair treatment, asthma control, and quality of life in the lab, and 2 weeks of daily diaries about their asthma symptoms. Parents reported on perceived family social status. Results indicated that shift-and-persist was associated with better asthma profiles, only among youth from families with lower (vs. higher) parent-reported perceived social status. Shift-and-persist was also associated with better asthma profiles, only among youth who experienced more (vs. less) unfair treatment. These findings suggest that the adaptive values of coping strategies for youth with asthma depend on the family's perceived social status and on the stressor experienced.
Biexcitons in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides tuned by magnetic fields.

We present time-integrated four-wave mixing measurements on monolayer MoSe2 in magnetic fields up to 25 T. The experimental data together with time-dependent density function theory calculations provide interesting insights into the biexciton formation and dynamics. In the presence of magnetic fields the coherence at negative and positive time delays is dominated by intervalley biexcitons. We demonstrate that magnetic fields can serve as a control to enhance the biexciton formation and help search for more exotic states of matter, including the creation of multiple exciton complexes and excitonic condensates.
A conceptual view on inertial internal waves in relation to the subinertial flow on the central west Florida shelf

The study reported here focuses on inertial internal wave currents on the west Florida midshelf in 50 m depth. In situ observations showed that the seasonal shifts in stratification change both the frequency range of inertial internal waves and their modulation time scales. According to the analysis, the subinertial flow evolution time scales also undergo compatible seasonal variations, and the inertial internal wave currents appear to be temporally and spatially related to the subinertial flow. Specifically, the subinertial flow evolving on frontal-/quasi-geostrophic time scales appears to be accompanied by the near-inertial oscillations/inertia-gravity waves in corresponding small/finite Burger number regimes, respectively. The quasi-geostrophic subinertial currents on the west Florida shelf are probably associated with the synoptic wind-forced flow, whereas the frontal-geostrophic currents are related to the evolution of density fronts. Further details of this conceptual view should, however, be elucidated in the future.
Adults Fail to Learn a Type of Linguistic Pattern that is Readily Learned by Infants

ABSTRACTBeginning with the classic work of Shepard, Hovland, & Jenkins (1961), Type II visual patterns (e.g., exemplars are large white squares OR small black triangles) have held a special place i...
Insect-Based Bioconversion: Value from Food Waste

Fowles and Nansen’s chapter discusses insect-based bioconversion. When insects are mass produced under controlled conditions, they can break down significant quantities of food waste. Further, as the insects consume this waste, they produce multiple valuable commodities, such as insect biomass (proteins, lipids), pharmaceuticals, biofuels, lubricants, and fertilizer from their excrement. This process is called bioconversion and will be a serious contender among food waste treatment options in the coming decades. Insect bioconversion is gaining traction both as a research topic and as a business opportunity. Fowles and Nansen discuss both the need to increase capacity and to maximize the potential benefits of using insects as bioconverters of food waste. They provide both theoretical and practical solutions for expanding insect-based bioconversion to food waste streams.
Identification of Aethina tumida Kir Channels as Putative Targets of the Bee Venom Peptide Tertiapin Using Structure-Based Virtual Screening Methods.

Venoms are comprised of diverse mixtures of proteins, peptides, and small molecules. Identifying individual venom components and their target(s) with mechanism of action is now attainable to understand comprehensively the effectiveness of venom cocktails and how they collectively function in the defense and predation of an organism. Here, structure-based computational methods were used with bioinformatics tools to screen and identify potential biological targets of tertiapin (TPN), a venom peptide from Apis mellifera (European honey bee). The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida (A. tumida)) is a natural predator of the honey bee colony and was found to possess multiple inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channel subunit genes from a genomic BLAST search analysis. Structure-based virtual screening of homology modelled A. tumida Kir (atKir) channels found TPN to interact with a docking profile and interface “footprint” equivalent to known TPN-sensitive mammalian Kir channels. The results support the hypothesis that atKir channels, and perhaps other insect Kir channels, are natural biological targets of TPN that help defend the bee colony from infestations by blocking K+ transport via atKir channels. From these in silico findings, this hypothesis can now be subsequently tested in vitro by validating atKir channel block as well as in vivo TPN toxicity towards A. tumida. This study highlights the utility and potential benefits of screening in virtual space for venom peptide interactions and their biological targets, which otherwise would not be feasible.
Simulating Anger Escalation: Process Modelling of Emotional Conflict

We attempt to understand the process of anger escalation in emotional arguments by means of simulation of artificially emotional bots. Drawing from the social psychology literature, we propose a tentative model of anger escalation. The process model can be modified to produce comparative simulations of other theories of anger.
Implementing the Lever Sign in the Emergency Department: Does it Assist in Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture Diagnosis? A Pilot Study

Abstract Background Within the emergency department (ED) setting, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is commonly misdiagnosed, leading to improper treatment and potential meniscal injury and total joint replacement. Utilizing traditional clinical tests to diagnosis ACL rupture leads to the correct diagnosis in about 30% of cases. The lever sign is a new and effective clinical test used to diagnose ACL rupture with 100% sensitivity. Objective We aim to study if the lever sign used in the ED setting is more sensitive to diagnose ACL rupture than traditional tests. Methods Patients between 12 and 55 years of age were examined utilizing either traditional methods or the lever sign. Diagnostic findings in the ED were compared with those of a sports medicine specialist using magnetic resonance imaging as the diagnostic standard. A survey was given to ED providers to collect data on diagnosis and physician confidence in diagnosis. Results The sensitivity of the lever sign was 100% (94.7% accuracy, 93.75% specificity), whereas the sensitivity of the anterior drawer/Lachman test was 40% (87.5% accuracy, 100% specificity). Physician confidence in diagnosis was higher utilizing the lever sign vs. the anterior drawer/Lachman test at 8.45 (±1.82) compared with 7.72 (±1.82) out of 10, respectively. There was no statistically significant association between diagnostic accuracy with either test and level of training of the ED provider. Conclusion Implementation of the lever sign in the ED setting resulted in a higher sensitivity, higher physician confidence in screening test diagnosis, and a decrease in the number of undiagnosed ACL ruptures.
On the domain of the quantal theory

Stevens’ quantal theory is examined from the point of view of accounting for the types of gestural structures that are employed phonologically in languages. It is argued that the domain of the theory is both wider and narrower than Stevens proposes. It is wider in that it could be extended to explain, not only what gestures languages may employ contrastively, but also how those gestures may be organized. It is narrower in that quantal considerations do not seem to actively constrain the precision of talkers in speech production.
Protecting Consumer Protection: Filling the Federal Enforcement Gap

Since 2014, when a first-of-its-kind empirical study looked at how public enforcers use their authority under UDAP laws, the enforcement landscape has changed. Most notably, the Trump Administration has weakened enforcement on the federal level. In the wake of this political shift, many state enforcers rushed to fill the gap left by weak federal enforcement. At the same time, the state enforcers themselves experienced changes both internal (including changes to budgets and stated policy priorities) and external (electoral changes regarding state Attorneys General, changes to statutory authority, and other changes governing the enforcer’s authority). This article presents findings from a follow-up study examining the public UDAP enforcement landscape in 2018. The principal finding from 2018 is that states employed substantially the same strategies toward UDAP enforcement as they did in 2014. This finding validates the central observation of both years’ studies of state UDAP enforcement: states can be characterized by distinct strategies of consumer protection enforcement. This information alone offers insight into the remarkable stability of state UDAP enforcement, even across varied strategies and a changing landscape. Other findings also begin to shed light on how states might react to extreme changes in enforcement on the federal level. For example, even though six states have made public statements backed by concrete actions to attempt to fill an enforcement gap left by the absence of federal action, state enforcement case volume was up among all states. Public compensation, however, was down among all types of enforcement actions in 2018. Finally, comparisons of enforcement case volumes and strategy across states that experienced other changes over the time period -- changes in leadership and statutory authority, for example -- mirrored the overall trend of an increase in enforcement coupled with a general strategic stability. Strategies as a whole do not seem closely aligned with partisan politics. This study creates a needed point of comparison to the 2014 data, allowing stakeholders to ask deeper questions about how public enforcers should wield their discretion and authority to resolve consumer protection cases. With debt levels in America at an all-time high, and federal enforcement of consumer law at an all-time low, research-based action is urgently needed to sharpen our understanding of the role and potential effectiveness of institutions tasked with protecting consumers from fraudulent lending schemes and oppressive debt collection strategies as well as the myriad other types of consumer scams that lead Americans toward more debt. The data here give state officials and state-based reformers the information needed to maximize enforcement in a way that makes consumers’ lives better.
Construction of Sampling Theorems for Unions of Shifted Lattices

The classical sampling theorem permits reconstruction of a bandlimited function f from its values on a shifted lattice. This work considers sampling sets, which are unions of possibly different shifted lattices, using the following basic approach. Assume the Fourier transform of a function f vanishes outside a set, K. Let K admit a disjoint decomposition K = K0 ∪ K1 with a corresponding decomposition of f, f(x) = f0(x) + P(x)f1(x), such that the Fourier transform of fi vanishes outside Ki, i = 0, 1, and P is known. Let M0, M1 be sampling sets such that fi can be reconstructed from its samples on Mi and P vanishes everywhere on M0 but nowhere on M1. Then f can be reconstructed from its values on M0 ∪ M1. Two methods to construct such decompositions are given, subject to K satisfying certain compatibility conditions. It is demonstrated how the decompositions can be used to construct sampling theorems or recursive reconstruction algorithms. Several examples and a numerical implementation in two dimensions are presented.
The Ratios of Triglycerides and C-reactive protein to High density-lipoprotein -cholesterol as valid biochemical markers of the Nascent Metabolic Syndrome.

Aims: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cardiometabolic cluster, is a major global problem. The ratio of triglycerides (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is a good biomarker of MetS in...
Estradiol, stress reactivity, and daily affective experiences in trauma-exposed women.

OBJECTIVE Women experience higher risk for PTSD following trauma compared with men. Fluctuations in ovarian hormones might contribute to this greater vulnerability, given that estradiol is associated with affect and stress reactivity. Our objective was to test the relations between menstrual cycle-related changes in estradiol, affect, stress reactivity, and trauma-related symptoms. METHOD We assessed trauma-related symptoms in ethnically diverse naturally cycling women with a history of trauma during a clinical interview. Participants also completed a 10-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) that included lower- and higher-estradiol phases. We tested associations between estradiol and PTSD symptoms and stress reactivity to a trauma reminder using Spearman correlation and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. We tested the effect of menstrual cycle day on daily affect using multilevel modeling. RESULTS Estradiol was negatively associated with symptom severity (rs = -.36), and participants in low- versus high-estradiol cycle phases at interview had higher sympathetic (r = .35) and lower hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (r = .41) reactivity. Across the EMA period, participants showed a decrease in daily PTSD symptoms (b = -.39), negative (b = -.11) and positive (b = -.24) affect, and variability in daily valence (b = -.07) and arousal (b = -.08), from the low- to high-estradiol phase. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with prior evidence of more aversive affective experiences in low-estradiol states, lower estradiol was associated with higher trauma-related symptoms. In addition, trauma-exposed women showed a discordant pattern of stress reactivity to a trauma reminder, higher daily symptoms, and greater affective lability in a low-estradiol phase. Given that our sample consisted of high-functioning trauma-exposed women, these results should be replicated in women with PTSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Lipid mediator class switching during acute inflammation: signals in resolution

Leukotrienes (LTs) and prostaglandins (PGs) amplify acute inflammation, whereas lipoxins (LXs) have unique anti-inflammatory actions. Temporal analyses of these eicosanoids in clinical and experimental exudates showed early coordinate appearance of LT and PG with polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) recruitment. This was followed by LX biosynthesis, which was concurrent with spontaneous resolution. Human peripheral blood PMNs exposed to PGE2 (as in exudates) switched eicosanoid biosynthesis from predominantly LTB4 and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO)-initiated pathways to LXA4, a 15-LO product that "stopped" PMN infiltration. These results indicate that first-phase eicosanoids promote a shift to anti-inflammatory lipids: functionally distinct lipid-mediator profiles switch during acute exudate formation to "reprogram" the exudate PMNs to promote resolution.
An Improved Friction Model for Spark-Ignition Engines

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2002.
A Temperature-Sensitive Paralytic Mutant Defines a Primary Synaptic Calcium Channel in Drosophila

Neurotransmission at chemical synapses involves regulated exocytosis of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic terminal. Neurotransmitter release is thought to be triggered by calcium influx through specific classes of voltage-gated calcium channels. Here we report genetic and functional analysis implicating a specific calcium channel gene product in neurotransmitter release. We have isolated a temperature-sensitive paralytic allele of the Drosophila calcium channel α1 subunit gene, cacophony ( cac ). This mutant, referred to as cac TS2, allows functional analysis of synaptic transmission after acute perturbation of a specific α1 subunit. Electrophysiological analysis at neuromuscular synapses revealed that neurotransmitter release in cac TS2 is markedly reduced at elevated temperatures, indicating that cac encodes a primary α1 subunit functioning in synaptic transmission. These observations further define the molecular basis of voltage-gated calcium entry at synapses and provide a new starting point for further genetic analysis of synaptic mechanisms.
Analysis of Correlational Validity Between OGTT Results and a Carbohydrate Intolerance Questionnaire

Diagnosing insulin resistance via an OGTT can be costly and impractical. However, this information can be useful in recommending proper diet for individuals interested in losing weight. This study ...
Congenital malformations and birth injuries in New York City.

1. In 1951, a total of 1,501 children was reported to have been born alive with one or more congenital malformations, an over-all reported incidence of 9.2 per 1,000 live births. a. Two-thirds of the babies were delivered by a private physician in a hospital, and one-third on a ward service in a hospital. The incidence in the two groups and in white and nonwhite babies was approximately the same. However, the incidence in babies weighing less than 2,500 gm. was twice that in those babies weighing more. b. Club foot, dactylism, cleft palate and/or harelip, and hypospadias were the most frequent types of congenital malformations reported, accounting for 78% of the total. c. There were 128 babies reported with cleft palate and/or harelip, an over-all incidence of 0.79 per 1,000 live births. d. The effect on neonatal mortality is presented. 2. In 195 1 a total of 377 children was reported to have been born alive with one or more birth injuries, an over-all reported incidence of 2.3 per 1,000 live births. One half were reported with severe birth injury. The reported incidence was the same regardless of type of patient (private or ward service), color, or birth weight. 3. The 1951 data for New York City are compared with similar data for upstate New York for 1940-1942. The over-all incidence in reported congenital malformations in the two groups is similar, although some differences occurred in the frequency of individual malformations. The over-all incidence of reported birth injury in upstate New York was more than three times that in New York City; the incidence of each type of birth injury was higher in the upstate group. 4. The use of such data in planning services for these children in a community is discussed.
Specification of Cyber-Physical Components with Formal Semantics --- Integration and Composition

Model-Based Engineering of Cyber-Physical Systems CPS needs correct-by-construction design methodologies, hence CPS modeling languages require mathematically rigorous, unambiguous, and sound specifications of their semantics. The main challenge is the formalization of the heterogeneous composition and interactions of CPS systems. Creating modeling languages that support both the acausal and causal modeling approaches, and which has well-defined and sound behavior across the heterogeneous time domains is a challenging task. In this paper, we discuss the difficulties and as an example develop the formal semantics of a CPS-specific modeling language called CyPhyML. We formalize the structural semantics of CyPhyML by means of constraint rules and its behavioral semantics by defining a semantic mapping to a language for differential algebraic equations. The specification language is based on an executable subset of first-order logic, which facilitates model conformance checking, model checking and model synthesis.
Effects of habituation on threat display and dominance establishment in the Siamese fighting fish,Betta splendens

In three separate experiments, maleBetta splendens were exposed, respectively, to mirror images, a variety of conspecifics, and to future opponents, prior to combat with unexposed subjects. Threat display to mirror images and to live opponents habituated significantly, but the outcomes of dominance-subordinance tests were not significantly affected by prior exposure to any of the threat-eliciting stimuli. Results are discussed in terms of stimulus and response specificity and possible chemical suppression of agonistic behavior.
On destabilization of the Fenna–Matthews–Olson complex of Chlorobaculum tepidum

The Fenna–Matthews–Olson (FMO) complex from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobaculum tepidum was studied with respect to its stability. We provide a critical assessment of published and recently measured optical spectra. FMO complexes were found to destabilize over time producing spectral shifts, with destabilized samples having significantly higher hole-burning efficiencies; indicating a remodeled protein energy landscape. Observed correlated peak shifts near 825 and 815 nm suggest possible correlated (protein) fluctuations. It is proposed that the value of 35 cm−1 widely used for reorganization energy (E λ ), which has important implications for the contributions to the coherence rate (Kreisbeck and Kramer 3:2828–2833, 2012), in various modeling studies of two-dimensional electronic spectra is overestimated. We demonstrate that the value of E λ is most likely about 15–22 cm−1 and suggest that spectra reported in the literature (often measured on different FMO samples) exhibit varied peak positions due to different purification/isolation procedures or destabilization effects.
Nonlinear finite element model updating of an infilled frame based on identified time-varying modal parameters during an earthquake

Abstract A model updating methodology is proposed for calibration of nonlinear finite element (FE) models simulating the behavior of real-world complex civil structures subjected to seismic excitations. In the proposed methodology, parameters of hysteretic material models assigned to elements (or substructures) of a nonlinear FE model are updated by minimizing an objective function. The objective function used in this study is the misfit between the experimentally identified time-varying modal parameters of the structure and those of the FE model at selected time instances along the response time history. The time-varying modal parameters are estimated using the deterministic–stochastic subspace identification method which is an input–output system identification approach. The performance of the proposed updating method is evaluated through numerical and experimental applications on a large-scale three-story reinforced concrete frame with masonry infills. The test structure was subjected to seismic base excitations of increasing amplitude at a large outdoor shake-table. A nonlinear FE model of the test structure has been calibrated to match the time-varying modal parameters of the test structure identified from measured data during a seismic base excitation. The accuracy of the proposed nonlinear FE model updating procedure is quantified in numerical and experimental applications using different error metrics. The calibrated models predict the exact simulated response very accurately in the numerical application, while the updated models match the measured response reasonably well in the experimental application.