cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear cooperative UAV maneuvers in pitch plane

Flight formations of unmanned aerial vehicles may require coordinated motion in pitch for such tasks as terrain tracking. They maintain a constant altitude over varying terrain elevations and may assist collision avoidance where an altitude change is needed rather than a lateral change. In these maneuvers, controller ability to adjust relative altitude positions (as attractions and repulsions) of the aircraft subject to stability constraints that ends up in a formation shape should be demonstrated. The ascent and descent flight control mode combinations of each unmanned aerial vehicle participating in the formation generally offer the attractions and repulsions. In this paper, centralized and decentralized controller abilities to develop a cooperative formation with flight control modes made of transients and steady states are presented by using two and more than two homogenous unmanned aerial vehicles. A challenge in presenting such a formation by using a centralized controller is its design itself. Gene...
The emergence of subdisciplines

This chapter examines several examples of subdiscipline formation in order to illustrate further the various ways that they develop, how these specialties may manifest themselves, and the variety of their relationships with the parent discipline of immunology. The chapter also discusses ocular immunology; ophthalmology is one of the earliest of the medical specialties, was influenced directly by two of the six components of the developing research program of the young field of immunology. These were applied in turn to the explanation of their own clinical disease problems. The first of these was the “doctrine” of cytotoxic antibodies. The second important component of the early immunological research program that influenced ophthalmology was that of anaphylaxis and other related disease mechanisms. Ocular immunology had its start in the hands of young ophthalmologists who saw in the exciting new findings of immunology the opportunity to stake out for themselves interesting and rewarding careers.
Estimating Treatment Effects: Matching Quantification to the Question

In criminal justice as well as other areas, practitioners and/or policy makers often wish to know whether something “works” or is “effective.” Does a certain form of family therapy reduce troubled adolescents’ involvement in crime more than what would be seen if they were on probation? Does a jail diversion policy substantially increase indicators of community adjustment for mentally ill individuals who are arrested and processed under this policy? If so, by how much?
Antecedents of HIV prevention behavior among historically black college students

Methodology: Survey data of indicators of the four Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills (IMB) model’s latent constructs prevention information or knowledge, prevention motivation and prevention behavioral skills, as well as past exposure to violent living conditions (PEVLC)prevention was collected from students attending an HBCU. Exploratory principal component factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha test were performed to identify the factorial structure of the PEVLC questionnaire and reliability of the violent exposure subscales, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to estimate the overall model fit indices and the magnitude of effects of prevention motivation, PEVLC prevention and prevention information or knowledge on the prevention behavior of the students.
Micro-Genetic Algorithms For Stationary And Non-Stationary Function Optimization

Simple Genetic Algorithms (SGA) have been shown to be useful tools for many function optimization problems. One present drawback of SGA is the time penalty involved in evaluating the fitness functions (performance indices) for large populations, generation after generation. This paper explores a small population approach (coined as Micro-Genetic Algorithms--μGA) with some very simple genetic parameters. It is shown that ,μGA implementation reaches the near-optimal region much earlier than the SGA implementation. The superior performance of the ,μGA in the presence of multimodality and their merits in solving non-stationary function optimization problems are demonstrated.
Atypical femoral fractures mimicking metastatic lesions in 2 patients taking denosumab

A 75-year-old woman with a history of metastatic breast and non-small-cell lung cancer tripped and fell onto her hip. Radiographs showed a right mid-shaft diaphyseal femoral fracture and the patien...
Brief of Professors Ides and Grossi of Civil Procedure as Amici Curiae in Support of Respondents, Nos. 15-1358, 15-1359, 15-1363

This brief is written on behalf of a group of law professors who teach and write in the areas of Civil Procedure and Federal Courts. See Appendix (listing amici). Although we conclude that respondents have adequately pled a claim upon which relief can be granted, our principal focus is not on the merits of this case, but on the procedural standards used to assess the legal sufficiency of a pleading. Our goal is to promote a coherent and workable system of pleadings that is consistent with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and with this Court’s precedents interpreting those rules.
Preclinical Activity of Splicing Modulators in U2AF1 Mutant MDS/AML

Abstract Mutations in spliceosome genes are detectable in ~50% of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), making this cellular pathway the most commonly mutated in MDS and providing a novel target for therapeutic intervention. Spliceosome gene mutations are mutually exclusive, implying they are either redundant in pathogenic function or are not tolerated in a cell when they co-occur. Our group and others identified recurrent heterozygous missense mutations in the splicing factor gene U2AF1 in 11% of MDS patient samples. The most common U2AF1 mutation results in a conversion of serine to phenylalanine at position 34 (S34F) of the U2AF1 protein. We previously reported that expression of mutant U2AF1(S34F) in vivo using doxycycline-inducible U2AF1(S34F) transgenic mice revealed an expansion of hematopoietic bone marrow progenitor cells and leukopenia following transgene induction; both phenotypes are seen in patients with MDS. We also identified mutant U2AF1-specific alterations in pre-mRNA splicing in transgenic mouse bone marrow progenitor cells, primary AML patient samples, and CD34+ cells by RNA sequencing. We hypothesize that cells harboring spliceosome gene mutations have increased sensitivity to pharmacological perturbation of the spliceosome by splicing modulator drugs, providing a new treatment approach for patients with U2AF1 mutations. For our studies, we utilize sudemycins, which are compounds that bind the SF3B1 spliceosome protein and modulate pre-mRNA splicing in non-hematopoietic tissues. We examined the effects of sudemycin treatment on pre-mRNA splicing in primary hematopoietic cells by treating CD34+ cells isolated from human umbilical cord blood with sudemycin in vitro. We performed whole transcriptome (RNA-seq) analysis following 6 hours of sudemycin treatment (1µM) of CD34+ cells and identified robustly altered pre-mRNA splicing patterns that are sudemycin-specific (26,120 splice junctions by DEXSeq, FDR Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Leaf and Stem Cold Hardiness Estimates of Six Selections of Chinese Evergreen Oak over Two Winter Seasons

Abstract Two of six selections of Chinese evergreen oak (Quercus myrsinifolia Blume) were identified through laboratory cold hardiness estimations to possess more spring cold hardiness potential than the other selections tested. The leaves and stems of all selections had similar cold hardiness levels in the fall and midwinter. Data collected over two winter seasons revealed that leaves reached a cold hardiness level of − 15 to − 18°C (5 to 0°F) during the midwinter. The stems were slightly less cold hardy than the leaves and attained a cold hardiness level of − 12 to − 15°C (10 to 5°F). In the spring, however, the cold hardiness levels of the leaves of two of the selections were 5 to 9°C (9 to 16°F) more cold hardy than the other selections. while their stems were 6 to 9°C (11 to 16°F) more cold hardy than those of the other selections. The data indicated that these two selections of Chinese evergreen oak may be able to avoid injury when exposed to late spring frosts better than other selections included ...
Do GPAs Differ Between Longer Classes and More Frequent Classes at Liberal Arts Colleges

Colleges and universities offer classes that meet for different lengths of time and different numbers of days per week, such as classes that meet 2 days and those that meet 3 days. Traditionally triweekly classes that met for a shorter duration were more common than classes that met biweekly for a longer duration. Biweekly classes are becoming more popular with time. However, there is some concern that classes that meet more often are better suited for student learning than others. This paper, using data from a small liberal arts college, finds that after controlling for the starting time of the class meeting and course fixed effects as well as faculty and student fixed effects, student learning across 2 and 3 days classes is essentially the same.
Update on carotid plaque instability quantification using strain indices from multiple regions of interest in carotid plaque

Carotid plaque rupture is a primary cause of ischemic strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Probability of stroke and TIAs depend on the mechanical stability of plaque. Ultrasound based Lagrangian carotid strain imaging (LCSI) can provide a non-invasive assessment of plaque stiffness to assess mechanical stability. We report on ultrasound strain indices from multiple regions of interest (ROI) in plaque as biomarkers for plaque instability. Our study included 70 patients who participated in pre-surgical ultrasound LCSI and cognitive testing. Patients were classified as symptomatic or asymptomatic based on reported clinical symptoms. We hypothesize that patients with unstable plaque are more likely to have cognitive deficits due to undetected ischemic events. Previous work evaluated strain indices from a single ROI. This work extends analysis into a multiple ROI approach. Five strain indices are identified as potentially useful biomarkers of plaque instability. These include the maximum accumulated strain indices (MASI) in the primary ROI used previously, mean of the standard deviation of strain estimated in entire plaque (MSD), the average L1 Norm (AL1NWP), total number of unstable ROIs (NUROI), and the percent of unstable estimates in the entire plaque (PPS). Using four indices with highest correlations resulted in an area under curve (AUC) value of 0.80. However, since NUROI and PPS are independent and not directly related to strain a combination of the two top performing indices with NUROI and PPS provided an AUC of 0.85. Our multiple ROI approach thus demonstrated independent and improved indices for plaque instability quantification.
Genetics and Cytology of Meiotic Chromosome Behavior in Plants

Meiosis is the process by which sexually reproducing organisms reduce their genomes from diploid (2n) to haploid (n) during the formation of gametes. It requires that homologous chromosomes pair, synapse, recombine, and finally segregate. These widely conserved processes are under genetic control, yet the exact details of many of the underlying molecular mechanisms remain under active investigation. The initial pairing and subsequent synapsis events are immediately preceded by the clustering of telomeres on the nuclear envelope in a widely conserved structure referred to as the bouquet arrangement of meiotic chromosomes. In animals and plants, genes required for genome reduction at meiosis I have been characterized and show a high degree of conservation between kingdoms and species within them. Plants have provided an excellent large-genome model system for the study of the cytology of homologous chromosome behavior and therefore have allowed an in depth dissection of the meiotic process in eukaryotes.
Leveraging electronic health records to support chronic disease management: the need for temporal data views

Background The ageing population worldwide is increasingly acquiring multiple chronic diseases. The complex management of chronic diseases could be improved with electronic health records (EHRs) tailored to chronic disease care, but most EHRs in use today do not adequately support longitudinal data management. A key aspect of chronic disease management is that it takes place over long periods, but the way that most EHRs display longitudinal data makes it difficult to trend changes over time and slows providers as they review each patient's unique course. Methods We present five clinical scenarios illustrating longitudinal data needs in complex chronic disease management. These scenarios may function as example cases for software development. Outputs For each scenario, we describe and illustrate improvements in temporal data views. Two potential solutions are visualisation for numerical data and disease-oriented text summaries for non-numerical data. Conclusions We believe that development and widespread implementation of improved temporal data views in EHRs will improve the efficiency and quality of chronic disease management in primary care.
Hepcidin is not essential for mediating testosterone's effects on erythropoiesis.

Background We have shown that testosterone administration suppresses hepcidin, stimulates iron-dependent erythropoiesis, and increases hemoglobin and hematocrit. Objective We investigated whether testosterone-mediated suppression of hepcidin plays an essential role in mediating testosterone's stimulatory effects on erythropoiesis. Methods We utilized two mouse models to elucidate the role of hepcidin as a mediator of testosterone's effects on erythropoiesis: First, we used a whole-body hepcidin knockout (HepKO) mouse. Because testosterone's effects on hepcidin expression are mediated through androgen receptor, we also utilized a liver-specific androgen receptor knockout mouse (L-ArKO). Effects of 6 weeks of testosterone (50 mg/kg weekly) administration relative to vehicle on hemoglobin and hematocrit, red blood cell indices, and markers of iron stores and availability were compared between wild-type (WT) and the two genetically modified mouse models. Results HepKO mice had significantly higher baseline levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum and liver iron, and ferritin than WT mice. Compared to vehicle group, testosterone administration was associated with significant increases in hematocrit, hemoglobin, red cell counts, reticulocyte count, reticulocyte hemoglobin, and serum iron levels in both HepKO and WT mice. Baseline hematocrit levels did not differ between WT and L-ArKO mice. Compared to vehicle, testosterone treatment was associated with significantly greater increase in hematocrit, hemoglobin, red cell count, reticulocyte count, reticulocyte hemoglobin, and serum iron in WT and L-ArKO mice. Conclusion Although hepcidin suppression by testosterone increases iron availability and erythropoiesis, hepcidin suppression is not essential for mediating testosterone's effects on erythropoiesis in healthy mice.
Measuring the impact of dysphonia on quality of life using health state preferences

OBJECTIVES Formal evaluation of health states related to dysphonia have not been rigorously evaluated in affected patients. The objective of this project was to evaluate the health states of mild, moderate, and severe dysphonia using formal health state preference evaluation, and to compare these outcomes with the degree of voice handicap. DESIGN Prospective health state preference assessment. METHODS A convenience sample of patients presenting with voice complaints were enrolled from an academic voice center. Demographic and voice handicap index (VHI-10) data were obtained, and an assessment of preference for five health states (monocular blindness, binocular blindness, mild dysphonia, moderate dysphonia, and severe dysphonia) was performed. Utility scores were calculated on a scale from 0 (death) to 1 (perfect health). Analysis was performed with ANOVA testing with post-hoc comparisons and correlation statistics. RESULTS Of 209 assessments, 149 (75.6%) met quality criteria. Relative to monocular blindness (score 0.61 [CI 0.57-0.64]), moderate dysphonia (0.58 [0.54-0.62]) was rated equivalently, with severe dysphonia (0.33 [0.29-0.37]) ranking significantly worse and mild dysphonia (0.96 [0.95-0.98]) significantly better. Binocular blindness (0.18 [0.15-0.21]) was the worst-ranked health state. There was a weak inverse correlation of VHI-10 with dysphonia-related preference scores; with worsening reported voice handicap, scores decreased. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that dysphonia had a significant impact of quality of life, with moderate dysphonia ranking equivalently with monocular blindness. These numerical estimates may be used for ongoing research into the value and cost-effectiveness of medical, therapeutic, and surgical interventions for voice disorders. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2c (outcomes research) Laryngoscope, 130:E177-E182, 2020.
Call if you Can, Text if You Can’t: A Dismediation of U.S. Emergency Communication Infrastructure

Text-to-911 services have been launching across the United States over the past five years. The educational materials that accompany these launches frame text-to-911 as a benefit for d/Deaf and disabled people; the same materials urge able-bodied people to make voice calls. This article uses dismediation and an infrastructural disposition to analyze text-to-911 materials as influential agents in the shaping of a technological infrastructure that, by its exceptional nature, may resist domestication. Ultimately, I perform an infrastructural inversion, arguing that these representations use deafness and disability as “assistive pretexts” that ideologically justify technological changes while simultaneously excusing infrastructural holdovers, limited functionalities, and institutional biases that perpetuate a historical marginalization of disabled people and constrain communicative possibilities for all users.
Significance of Urine Epidermal Growth Factor Level in Children with Henoch-Schonlein Purpur Nephritis

Objective:To investigate the value of urine epidermal growth factor(EGF) concentration in early diagnosis of Henoch-Schonlein Purpura nephritis(HSPN) in children.Methods:Bi-antibody ELISA was used to measure urine EGF levels in 91 HSP and 30 healthy children.Results:(1)The urine EGF concentration in HSP patientswas significantly higher than that of control group [(78.59±18.09)μg/L vs(29.30±13.92)μg/L,P0.01].(2)Urine EGF concentration in purpura nephropathy [(89.31±17.68)μg/L] was significantly higher than that in any other types: skin type([(78.76±12.66)μg/L],) abdominal type [(77.16±11.77)μg/L],joint type [(76.49±17.45)μg/L] and mixed type [(77.71±13.49)μg/L] all P0.05),but there were no statistical significance among the latter four types(both P(0.05).)Conclusion:The concentration of urine EGF increases in HSP chidren,especially in early stage of HSPN.The increase of EGF level may be associated with pathological change in HSP.Urine EGF level can be used as one of sensitive indictors in early kidney damage of HSP.
‘A Very Important Violence of Tone’: Bishop’s ‘Roosters’ and Other Poems

This chapter explores ways in which violence of tone served as an important and decisive feature of Bishop’s style, beginning at Vassar College and extending through the end of her career. In a college poem such as “A Word with You” (1933), as well as “Roosters” (1941), “The Fish” (1940), “The Armadillo” (1957), “Trouvee” (1968), “In the Waiting Room” (1971), and “Crusoe in England” (1971), Bishop carefully prepares for moments of violence that flash out from a seemingly settled verbal environment. Bishop’s technique profoundly influenced the work of her friend and poetic peer Robert Lowell. Despite Bishop’s reputation for calm restraint and fastidious perfection, her work is more powerful because of the violence of tone that flashes out of poems at their moments of greatest intensity.
Identifying the Causal Impact of Taxation on Innovation Efforts

Over the years, there has been scarce tax scholarship on the causal impact of taxation on Innovation. From a tax competition perspective, various governments, states and localities incentivize entrepreneurial firms to locate in its jurisdiction. They often offer lowered tax rates, research and development credits, tax deductions, and tax holidays as ways to overcome barriers to innovation and benefit from increased employment and regional economic growth. On the other hand, taxation encompasses some of the most complex and burdensome rules. Tax laws serve as a double-edged sword as they provide benefits, but in that process, also place high regulatory burdens on entrepreneurs (Eyal-Cohen, 2017). Recently, leading tax scholars raised serious policy concerns regarding tax incentives for RD Lin 2014). To what extent do certain tax rules serve as barriers to innovation? Are tax incentives effective in spurring additional R&D efforts ex-ante that would not have taken place? Current studies on the effect of taxation on innovation are inconclusive and rely mainly on stratified samples of financial data. They are methodologically constrained since they lack a very important feature- the perspectives of new and veteran entrepreneurs on the impact of taxation on their decisions. This project will conduct a rigorous qualitative field study of these issues by combining two legal disciplines — taxation and innovation. It will begin by mapping and investigating the policy behind various innovation efforts in different types of agents and industries. It will use surveys as well as personal interviews with owners, managers, employees, tax professionals, and legal counsels, presenting a unique opportunity to learn about the effect of taxation from the demand side by the end-users. It will recommend design features to incorporate into current tax rules so that they will help foster and remove barriers to innovation. This project will also expand the current scope of innovation research by breaking out of the traditional focus on the size of the firms, thereby limiting opportunities for investigation to artificial measures, rather than innovative character (Eyal-Cohen, 2014). It will examine complex, ground-breaking conglomerates employing workers that instigate innovation within that organization and serve as a greenhouse for future entrepreneurs (Eyal-Cohen, 2018).
The Role of Secondary Particle Structures in Surface Phase Transitions of Ni-Rich Cathodes

Nanometer-thick reconstruction layers on layered cathode surfaces have been widely observed on both pristine and cycled materials. However, the mechanisms of reconstruction and the role that these ...
Parity and the Association Between Maternal Sociodemographic Characteristics and Breastfeeding

Objective: Although clinicians recognize the importance of breastfeeding for child health, breastfeeding initiation can be limited by maternal characteristics such as race/ethnicity, age at first b...
The Future of Work is Through Workforce Ecosystems

Organizations’ workforce agendas no longer revolve solely around hired employees performing work along linear career paths. Workforces today comprise a range of internal and external parties including employees, contractors, gig workers, professional service providers, application developers, crowdsourced contributors, and others. Organizations recognize that they need to adopt an integrated approach to effectively manage an unintegrated workforce. However, significant challenges remain and best practices are scarce to address strategic and operational issues associated with workforces that span organizational boundaries. In this research, we define workforce ecosystems as structures that consist of interdependent actors, from within and outside the organization, which pursue both individual and collective goals. This article is based on a two-year research program comprising two global executive surveys and semi-structured interviews with corporate and military leaders and academic experts. We find that a workforce ecosystem approach can help organizations address shifts driven by technological, social, and economic forces. For instance, we recognize that more organizations are relying on nonemployees to accomplish strategic objectives; more work is becoming task- and project-based, and a growing number of executives are recognizing that a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce delivers better results. Organizations that adopt workforce ecosystems can take advantage of these shifts, and better align their work with their strategic goals and objectives.
Interactions of wakes and shock waves with two-phase air/mist cooling in a transonic gas turbine stage

Abstract A 2-D two-phase numerical simulation was conducted to investigate the effect of interactions of moving wakes and shock waves on mist cooling performance over airfoils in a transonic gas turbine stage. The two-phase flow consists of a continuous phase (i.e., air) and a dispersed phase (i.e., mist). The tracking and evaporation of the mist are simulated by using the discrete phase model (DPM). The interactions between the droplets themselves with respect to collision and breakup were simulated by using the breakup and coalescence sub-models. The motion of the rotor domain was simulated by using the linear sliding mesh technique to study the transient stator-rotor interaction. The results show that the passing unsteady wakes caused by the blade rotation press the mist toward the blade surface, providing more enhanced film cooling effectiveness. The oblique shock wave was observed downstream of the vanes passage. The lambda shock wave was observed downstream of the blades passage. Both shock waves did not exert noticeable effect on the air/mist cooling performance. Injecting a 10% mist ratio noticeably improved the cooling enhancement by obtaining a maximum temperature reduction of 200 K and an average temperature reduction of 51 K on the vane, and a maximum of 350 K reduction and an average of 24 K reduction on the blade surface under the influence of wakes and shocks. Injecting the tiny water droplets increased the total pressure losses by 0.1% on the vane and 4% on the blade compared to the air cooling case. Injecting mist has negligible effect on the formations of shocks/wakes and their corresponding behaviors.
Mild Therapeutic Hypothermia and Putative Mechanisms of Hair Cell Survival in the Cochlea

Significance Sensorineural hearing loss has significant implications for quality of life and risk for co-morbidities such as cognitive decline. Noise and ototoxic drugs represent two common risk factors for acquired hearing loss that are pontentially preventable. Recent Advances: Numerous otoprotection strategies have been postulated over the past four decades with primary targets of upstream redox pathways. More recently, the application of mild therapeutic hypothermia has shown promise for otoprotection for multiple forms of acquired hearing loss. Critical issues Systemic antioxidant therapy may have limited application for certain ototoxic drugs with a therapeutic effect on redox pathways and diminished efficacy of the primary drug's therapeutic function (e.g. cisplatin for tumors). Future directions Mild therapeutic hypothermia likely targets multiple mechanisms contributing to otoprotection including slowed metabolics, reduced oxidative stress, and involvement of cold shock proteints. Further work is needed to identify the mechanisms of mild therapeutic hypothermia at play for various forms of acquired hearing loss.
Why an Expert Team is More Than a Team of Experts: A Social-Cognitive Conceptualization of Team Coordination and Communication in Sport.

The cognitive properties and processes of teams have not been considered in sport psychology research. These properties and processes extend beyond the sum of the cognitive properties and processes of the constituent members of the team to include factors unique to teams, such as team coordination and communication. A social-cognitive conceptual framework for the study of team coordination and communication is offered, based on research on social cognition and from industrial and organizational psychology. This is followed by a discussion of coordination and communication in expert teams. In addition, an overview of the type of methods that could be used to measure aspects of team coordination and communication in sport is provided. The framework and methods afford hypothesis generation for empirical research on coordination and communication in sport teams, a means to begin examining these constructs in sport, and a theoretical base with which to reconcile the resultant data.
Milk Price Cycles in the U.S. Dairy Supply Chain and Their Management Implications

We develop a structural time-series model based on state-space methods and including feed costs as an exogenous regressor to assess the nature of cyclical behavior of the quarterly U.S. all-milk price during 1996 to 2014. Although deterministic trend and seasonal price movements are present, a stochastic large-amplitude cycle with a period of 3.3 years is the predominant source of variation in the U.S. all-milk price during the period analyzed. These cycles are consistent with the hypothesis that supply chain managers make decisions based on bounded rationality, with limited supply chain coordination. The presence of price cycles in the U.S. dairy industry has management implications for dairy farmers, dairy processors, exporters, and food retailers. Forecasting and analytical models of U.S. farm milk prices should be designed to account for cyclical farm milk price behavior.
Tropical science and tourism: The case of OTS in Costa Rica☆

Abstract Expenditure in support of tropical science may have a measurable impact on the tourist sectors of certain small economies. This hypothesis is tested through estimation of spending attributable to the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), with field stations in Costa Rica. Although containing wide margins of uncertainty, a simple expenditure model suggests that OTS accounts for perhaps 2–3% of Costa Rica's national tourist receipts. Important qualitative dimensions of OTS expenditure are rapid growth, sustainable activity, and relatively small economic leakages. Indirectly, OTS generates additional tourism exports by laying a technical-scientific base for management of Costa Rica's national parks and other wildlands.
An Introduction to Kant's Moral Philosophy: The categorical imperative: free will willing itself

This chapter aims to defend an alternative to a widespread formalist interpretation of Kant's moral theory. It does so via a close reading of Kant's canonical arguments for his moral law in the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and the Critique of Practical Reason . On the interpretation I defend here, Kant's famous categorical imperative urges the ‘free will to will itself.’ This is of course how Hegel put it. To put Kant's moral imperative this way is not, in my view, nor was it in itself for Hegel, a criticism of Kant, though Hegel of course did criticize Kant. Rather, it is to argue that Kant's moral law, expressed in the categorical imperative, has as its specific end the free rational activity of the will itself. The first part of this chapter traces the roots of the formalist reading, and shows what Kant's formalism (really) demands, and what it doesn't. My aim is to loosen the grip of a formalist ban on asking what Kant cares about, or what his moral theory aims at, by showing that Kant didn't want to silence those inquiries. Having carved out permission to ask, directly, what Kant cares about, what he values, what his moral theory aims at, I turn to Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and Critique of Practical Reason discussions of the moral law (the categorical imperative) and read them with these questions in mind.
Fifty Years of Ground Level Solar Particle Event Observations

For the past fifty years ground based installations have been monitoring charged particle fluxes associated with Solar Particle Events (SPEs). While rare there have been a significant number of SPEs with associated charged particles fluxes extending to rigidities high enough to penetrate the Earth's magnetic fields and be observed as Ground Level Events (GLEs). Such events, during which SPE particle fluxes reach their highest energies - often on short time scales, constrain models of the processes involved in SPEs. This review will discuss the observations of these GLEs and their impact on the changing view of SPEs.
Smart Grid in America and Europe: Similar Desires, Different Approaches (Part 1)

Smart grid fever is heating up the world, from west to east, from the United States to China, and many places in between. The governments of the European Union (E.U.) and the United States (U.S.) have the most comprehensive and aggressive smart grid implementation programs. A comparison of the overall efforts of the two governments indicates a similar understanding of the smart grid definition, but differing smart grid deployment approaches. The European Commission has focused more on setting goals and developing plans and strategies instead of creating a comprehensive legislative framework. While the U.S. has developed slightly more legislation compared to the E.U., it has focused more on implementing research and development projects via stimulus funds. Given their different approaches, it is therefore unsurprising that with respects to specific topics the E.U. and the U.S. generally have different levels of focus. On one hand, both the E.U. and the U.S. agree that smart meter deployment is a basic requirement of the smart grid, and both are meeting similar challenges like consumer dissatisfaction and privacy concerns. On the other hand, the E.U. has focused on distributed generation and microgrids and the U.S. has focused on creating standards for interoperability and security. The technical aspects also require policy compliments and there is a serious need to address in depth three policy issues: public education, cost recovery of smart grid components, and the labor shortage facing the electric industry in both the E.U. and the U.S. The research and policy topics discussed in this paper are selected due to their long-term importance and the public’s current interests. Nevertheless, this is only the beginning of smart grid deployment efforts worldwide. Due to the multifaceted nature of smart grid deployment the two governments face many more challenges in the days to come.
500 psychological autopsies.

Five hundred psychological autopsies on equivocal (suicide versus accident) deaths were reviewed to ascertain which factors are significant in making the determination between suicidal and accidental deaths. Factors varied in relative importance according to the method used to cause death. Significant factors included life-style, recent stress, suicidal communications, previous self-destructive behaviors, history of depression, and obvious factors from the physical evidence such as large amounts of drugs in the blood. Although the court-provided decision guideline is “a preponderance of the evidence,” in practice, the assembled evidence is often used to construct a “most credible” scenario to explain the death.
Dynamical systems that solve linear programming problems

The author introduces and studies a class of vector fields which are defined on a given polyhedron and solve linear programming problems. A Dikin-type algorithm is constructed. Relationships with double-bracket equations and entropy-type barrier functions are established. >
The Philosophy of Criminal Law

In this fairly lengthy essay, I attempt to bring theoretical unity to the general part of the criminal law by viewing the issues of the general part - the voluntary act requirement, mens rea, culpability, attempts, defenses, etc. - through a controversial but plausible lens, namely that legal wrongs justify criminal punishment when their commission indicates negative desert commensurate with that punishment. In exploring the question what acts (or other things) justify punishment, I take positions, sometimes unorthodox, on such matters as what should count as an attempt, is self-defense really a justification, and should the defense of duress apply to nonhuman threats, among (many) others. In the last third of the essay, I discuss the special part of the criminal law, with particular emphasis on Feinberg's work on the moral limits of the criminal law and on criminal liability for omissions.
Side-illumination fluorescence (SIF) spectroscopy studies of aggregation ISQ dye-doped polymer optical fibers

We apply the side-illumination fluorescence (SIF) technique to study the excited states of ISQ molecules in polymer optical fibers (POFs). Fluorescence from ISQ-doped POFs is used as a broad wavelength light source to characterize aggregate electronic states of the ISQ dye. We show that a model which accounts for inhomogeneous broadening characterizes the J-aggregate like excited sate in highly concentrated ISQ-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) multimode fibers. These aggregate states are undetectable using standard transmission spectroscopy technique due to the large absorbance on resonance and are typically red-shifted 100-150 nm from the dominant excited state. The classification of the formation of aggregate states off- resonance is important for both linear and nonlinear optical device applications.
The Generative Force of Memory: Early Christian Traditions as Processes of Remembering

This article seeks to carry forward recent work on social or cultural memory in relation to the early Christian tradition. It develops the concept of a memorially empowered tradition which operates less as transmission of traditions, and more precisely as a functioning social memory, e.g., as a dynamic driven by the desire to keep Jesus' words alive by making them communicate to the present. Memory understood as a continual process of commemorating activities, intent on remembering the past while simultaneously addressing social identity in the present, is seen as the grand motivating force of tradition.
Effects of HOV lanes on freeway bottlenecks

In this paper, the authors report on research that shows that high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes do not reduce the capacity of general purpose (GP) lanes. Empirical evidence, complemented with simulations, enable the authors to describe how to estimate total bottneleck capacity and how deploy HOV lanes without hindering vehicle flow. The authors also offer a dynamic strategy that increases a bottleneck's total discharge rate.
Gas-Phase Reaction of Trimethylgallium and Ammonia: Experimental Determination of the Equilibrium Constant and ab Initio Calculations

The equilibrium constant for the reaction of trimethylgallium and ammonia has been determined at 40−100 °C via direct pressure measurements. The reaction enthalpy found from experimental data (−15.2 ± 1.5 kcal/mol) is in good agreement with the value obtained from ab initio calculations (−15.9 kcal/mol) using a series of Dunning's basis sets. Presented data should be useful for modeling of gallium nitride chemical vapor deposition reactors as well as for further theoretical analysis of thermodynamic and kinetic processes in gallium chemistry.
The clinical picture. Severe chest pain in a 32-year-old man.

His electrocardiogram shows ST-segment elevation in leads I, II, aVF, and V5 and V6, but no reciprocal changes. What is the diagnosis?
Image repair in late night comedy: Letterman and the Palin joke controversy

Abstract David Letterman, host of The Late Show, told a joke about Sarah Palin's daughter during one of his nightly monologues. During the ensuing controversy, Letterman offered two extended statements about the joke. Approaching Letterman's responses from the perspective of Benoit's image repair typology reveals three primary strategies: denial, mortification, and corrective action. While Letterman's first attempt to resolve the controversy failed, his second attempt was largely successful. Implications for public relations image repair strategies are offered.
Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues--a plan for improved participation by governments.

Abstract The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR), which is responsible for establishing maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides on food, has a vital role in protecting the public health and facilitating international trade. Codex MRLs are based on scientific evaluations by expert panels that constitute the Joint FAO/WHO meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). These panelists estimate an acceptable daily intake for a pesticide and expected level of residue remaining in food when the pesticide is used according to good agricultural practice. The goals of the CCPR are not being fully achieved. Governments are generally not accepting Codex MRLs; instead, technical and procedural aspects of the JMPR and CCPR process are being criticized. The CCPR is responding to valid criticisms of the process; however, governments may still lack the will to seek harmonization of pesticide limits for food in international trade. Overcoming this problem will be difficult, but not impossible. A plan of action is proposed that allows countries to selectively accept Codex MRLs, increase the number of chemicals in the JMPR CCPR system for evaluation, and be responsive to both their consumers and their food producers without compromising national health and safety standards and competitive trade advantages.
Valuation of Stock Option Grants Under Multiple Severance Risks

Grants of stock options as part of total employee compensation are now commonplace, but how such options should be valued and reported in firm financial statements is still an unsettled issue. The Black-Scholes (BS) model is the best-known and most widely accepted approach to option valuation as a benchmark for accounting and legal purposes, so it is seems like a natural place to begin. However, employee stock options (ESOs) are subject to several additional contingencies that are not in the BS equation, but significantly alter the possible payoffs. Specifically, severance with or without cause, including by death of the option holder, typically alters the payoff on an ESO. For example, termination with cause may also entail forfeiture of the employee’s options; termination without cause may simply advance the option’s maturity date and require the departing employee to exercise immediately, or not at all. In this article, Pandher presents a risk-neutral valuation approach for pricing ESOs under a realistic set of severance possibilities and examines the impact on valuation and on expected exercise dates. He shows that proper treatment of these additional features can make a substantial difference in the ESO value relative to Black-Scholes.
EFFECTS OF LABOR AND AIR-BREATHING ON CATION EXCHANGE IN LUNG EPITHELIAL CELLS OF BABY BUNNIES

Absorption of fetal lung liquid before and soon after birth is essential for the normal transition from placental to pulmonary gas exchange. We recently found that granular epithelial cells from lungs of adult and newborn rabbits actively extrude Na+ in exchange for K+; this process, which may be important in regulating lung fluid balance, was considerably slower in cells derived from fetal lungs. To test the hypothesis that either air-breathing or labor, or both, might activate this process, we harvested granular pneumonocytes from lungs of fetal and newborn rabbits and measured 86Rb+ (K+) uptake by these cells in the presence or absence of 10−4 M ouabain (o), which inhibits Na+-K+-ATPase. Fetal rabbits, preterm (28 d) and term (31 d), experienced neither labor nor air-breathing. Newborn rabbits, born by cesarean section (cs) or vaginally (v), breathed for up to 2 h after birth. Pups born operatively did not experience labor. Results (±s):
Dynamic Response of a Rigid Foundation Subjected to a Distance Blast

Blasts and explosions occur in many activities that are either man-made or nature induced. The effect of the blasts could have a residual or devastating effect on the buildings at some distance within the vicinity of the explosion. In this investigation, an analytical solution for the time response of a rigid foundation subjected to a distant blast is considered. The medium is considered to be an elastic half-space. A formal solution to the wave propagations on the medium is obtained by the integral transform method. To achieve numerical results for this case, an effective numerical technique has been developed for calculation of the integrals represented in the inversion of the transformed relations. Time functions for the vertical and radial displacements of the surface of the elastic half-space due to a distant blast load are determined. Mathematical procedures for determination of the dynamic response of the surface of an elastic half-space subjected to the blast along with numerical results for displacements of a rigid foundation are provided.
Countable periodic CC -groups as automorphism groups

It is shown that if G is a group and Aut G is a countable periodic CC -group then Aut G is FC .
A randomized prospective study of radially expanding trocars in laparoscopic surgery

Trocar injury is one of the most serious and potentially preventable complications of laparoscopic surgery. Use of a blunt rather than a cutting trocar could be expected to lessen the likelihood of this injury. Therefore complications related to laparoscopic port design were studied by comparing conventional cutting trocars with radially expanding (blunt) trocars. A multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial was conducted in 250 adult patients undergoing elective laparoscopic procedures at tertiary care centers and community hospitals. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: group C, conventional cutting trocars; or group S, radially expanding trocars. Sixteen surgeons performed 244 elective laparoscopic procedures; six patients were removed from the study. One hundred nineteen patients were assigned to group S and 125 to group C. The groups were similar with regard to age, sex, and type of procedure. The following data were collected: intraoperative complications related to the trocars, abdominal wall bleeding, visceral or vascular injury, other complications, fascial closure, procedure time, trocar site assessment at 4 and 24 hours postoperatively, and visual analog pain scores at 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively. Fascial defects from 10 mm or larger trocars in group C were closed; the fascial defects in group S were not closed. The trocar sites were checked for incisional hernias at late follow-up. Mean operating time was not different between the two groups (group S, 92 +-73 minutes; group C, 100 +-74 minutes). There were no episodes of intraoperative cannula site bleeding in group S compared with 16 episodes in 13 patients (P <0.001) in group C. Postoperative wound complications were fewer in group S (13 vs. 23; P <0.05). Although the pain scores were generally lower in group S, the differences were not significant. Only 3% of the patients in group S had fascial defects of 10 mm or greater that had to be closed. Within a follow-up period of 6 to 18 months, there have been no incisional hernias in either group. This study shows that radially expanding trocars are safe and effective, and less likely than conventional trocars to result in intraoperative or postoperative complications. The defects created by the radially expanding trocars do not have to be routinely closed.
High school football and risk of neurodegeneration: a community-based study

Objective To assess whether high school football played between 1946 and 1956, when headgear was less protective than today, was associated with development of neurodegenerative diseases later in life.