cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Offenders’ Criminogenic Cognitions With Status Variables

Certain thinking styles promote criminal behavior, and these criminogenic cognitions are not engaged in equally by all offenders. It is imperative to know which offenders are engaging in more crimi...
A social cognitive interpretation of person-organization fitting: The maintenance and development of professional technical competency

Information technology professionals must continually align their competencies with new technological innovation and changing organizational technological climates. Existing theory and practice is deficient with respect to dynamic models of person-organization (P-O) fit. Social cognitive theory proposes a rich and well-defined theoretical framework for understanding dynamic, interactive behavioral processes, and so is adopted as a basis for developing a model of P-O fitting focused on the development of professional technical competencies. P-O fitting is so named because it refers to organizational fit as an ongoing process of adaptation. The article begins by reviewing existing literature on P-O fit and social cognitive theory to produce a set of propositions and a theoretical model of P-O fitting as an adaptive, dynamic phenomenon. Applications of the model for both future research and practice are suggested. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Traceability, recalls, industry reputation and product safety

Sometimes, authorities are unable to rapidly identify the origin of a tainted product. In such cases, recalls or warnings often apply to all suppliers, even to those that had not contributed to the contamination. Traceability enables more targeted recalls by identifying the product's origin more specifically. In this article, we show how increased traceability protects the reputation of industries by limiting the size of recalls. We show the relationships between traceability and the level of food safety with many identical small farms in a competitive industry and for an industry using collective action to set rules and standards. , Oxford University Press.
Deterministic models for a certain class of autoregressive equations with stochastic coefficients

It is shown that an autoregressive system with stationary and independent stochastic coefficients can be modeled by a constant coefficient equation, where the constants are the stochastic means, if the resulting system is sufficiently low pass, low gain (LPLG). The LPLG requirement can be relaxed as the variations on the random coefficients become small.
Seasonal differences in population‐, ensemble‐ and community‐level responses of bats to landscape structure in Amazonia

The amount (composition) and spatial arrangement (configuration) of forest patches in fragmented landscapes influence the accessibility, as well as the abundance and diversity of resources available to bats. Moreover, tropical fruit and insect abundance differ seasonally in response to changes in precipitation, and many bats in the family Phyllostomidae employ seasonal reproductive strategies. Because reproductive activities involve constraints on time and energy as well as increased nutritional demands, foraging behavior and home range size may differ between wet and dry seasons. Nonetheless, seasonal variation in response to landscape structure by bats has not been examined previously. Consequently, population-, ensemble- and assemblage-level responses of phyllostomids to landscape composition and configuration were quantified separately during the wet and dry season at three circular focal scales (1, 3 and 5 km radii) for 14 sites in fragmented lowland Amazon forest. Responses to landscape characteristics were scale-dependent, species-specific, and seasonal. Abundances of frugivores responded to landscape composition in the dry season and to landscape configuration in the wet season. Conversely, abundances of animalivores responded to landscape configuration in the dry season and to landscape composition in the wet season. Divergent responses to landscape structure between seasons suggest that variation in resource abundance and diversity play a significant role in structuring population-, ensemble- and assemblage-level patterns. As such, considerations of the effects of dietary flexibility and reproductive constraints on foraging strategies and habitat use may be important when designing management plans that successfully promote long-term persistence of biodiversity in fragmented landscapes.
Serotonin differentially modulates responses to tones and frequency- modulated sweeps in the inferior colliculus

Although almost all auditory brainstem nuclei receive serotonergic innervation, little is known about its effects on auditory neurons. We address this question by evaluating the effects of serotonin on sound-evoked activity of neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of Mexican free-tailed bats. Two types of auditory stimuli were used: tone bursts at the neuron's best frequency and frequency-modulated (FM) sweeps with a variety of spectral and temporal structures. There were two main findings. First, serotonin changed tone-evoked responses in 66% of the IC neurons sampled. Second, the influence of serotonin often depended on the type of signal presented. Although serotonin depressed tone-evoked responses in most neurons, its effects on responses to FM sweeps were evenly mixed between depression and facilitation. Thus in most cells serotonin had a different effect on tone-evoked responses than it did on FM-evoked responses. In some neurons serotonin depressed responses evoked by tone bursts but left the responses to FM sweeps unchanged, whereas in others serotonin had little or no effect on responses to tone bursts but substantially facilitated responses to FM sweeps. In addition, serotonin could differentially affect responses to various FM sweeps that differed in temporal or spectral structure. Previous studies have revealed that the efficacy of the serotonergic innervation is partially modulated by sensory stimuli and by behavioral states. Thus our results suggest that the population activity evoked by a particular sound is not simply a consequence of the hard wiring that connects the IC to lower and higher regions but rather is highly dynamic because of the functional reconfigurations induced by serotonin and almost certainly other neuromodulators as well.
Oxytocin Modulates Female Sociosexual Behavior through a Specific Class of Prefrontal Cortical Interneurons

Summary Human imaging studies have revealed that intranasal administration of the "prosocial" hormone oxytocin (OT) activates the frontal cortex, and this action of OT correlates with enhanced brain function in autism. Here, we report the discovery of a population of somatostatin (Sst)-positive, regular spiking interneurons that express the oxytocin receptor (OxtrINs). Silencing of OxtrINs in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of female mice resulted in loss of social interest in male mice specifically during the sexually receptive phase of the estrous cycle. This sociosexual deficit was also present in mice in which the Oxtr gene was conditionally deleted from the mPFC and in control mice infused with an Oxtr antagonist. Our data demonstrate a gender-, cell type-, and state-specific role for OT/Oxtr signaling in the mPFC and identify a latent cortical circuit element that may modulate other complex social behaviors in response to OT. PaperFlick
Acoustic analysis of clear versus conversational speech in individuals with Parkinson disease.

Abstract A number of studies have been devoted to the examination of clear versus conversational speech in non-impaired speakers. The purpose of these previous studies has been primarily to help increase speech intelligibility for the benefit of hearing-impaired listeners. The goal of the present study was to examine differences between conversational and clear speech in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Twelve individuals were recorded producing conversational and clear speech. Acoustic analysis revealed that individuals with PD used some of the same clear speech strategies used by non-impaired speakers. Specifically, clear speech in PD was characterized by decreased articulation rate, increased mean fundamental frequency (Fo), and increased speaking FoS.D. compared to conversational speech. The discussion examines the possibility that individuals with PD may have been independently applying a clear speech strategy based on their habitually increased percent pause values. Discussion also focuses on implications of the present findings to management of individuals with PD, and research implications. Learning outcomes: As a result of this activity, the participant will be able to (1) describe the characteristics of clear speech produced by non-disordered individuals, (2) describe the acoustic characteristics of clear and conversational speech produced by individuals with Parkinson disease; and (3) describe the strategies individuals with Parkinson disease use when asked to produce clear speech.
COMBINED HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION

Combined heart and lung transplantation was carried out in ten patients at Stanford University Medical Center between March, 1981, and December, 1982. All patients had end-stage pulmonary hypertension. 7 of them had Eisenmenger's syndrome and 3 primary pulmonary hypertension. 3 patients died within a month of operation, but the remaining recipients are well 2 months to 2 years after transplantation. The hospital stay of the survivors ranged from 38 to 85 days. All survivors have returned to normal activity. The results of heart and lung transplantation have thus been considerably superior to those reported previously for lung transplantation. It is suggested that cardiopulmonary replacement is suitable treatment for end-stage pulmonary hypertension with or without associated congenital heart disease and that its application to other forms of advanced pulmonary failure may be warranted.
The Achilles' Heel of the GSR Shuffle: A Note On New Age Solitaire

We show that winning the game New Age Solitaire only depends on the number of rising sequences in the deck used. The probability of winning for the special case of a new deck that is shuffled using the GSR shuffle (and two variants) are studied. We show that this game pinpoints the Achilles' heel of the GSR shuffle as is demonstrated using the variation distance.
Effective treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Abstract Purpose Many women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are overweight. This study investigated the impact of weight loss surgery on the clinical manifestations of this disorder in morbidly obese women with PCOS—a major risk factor for the development of heart disease, stroke, and type II diabetes. Methods We reviewed the outcomes of women diagnosed with PCOS who had undergone weight loss surgery at the University of Pittsburgh between July 1997 and November 2001. We evaluated the changes in menstrual cycles, hirsutism, infertility, and type II diabetes. Results A total of 24 women with PCOS were included in the study. Their mean age was 34 ± 9.7 years. The mean preoperative body weight was 306 ± 44 lb, with a body mass index of 50 ± 7.5. All patients were oligomenorrheic. Of the 24 patients, 23 were hirsute. All women underwent elective laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. The mean follow-up period was 27.5 ± 16 months. The mean excess weight loss at 1 year of follow-up was 56.7% ± 21.2%. All women resumed normal menstrual cycles after a mean of 3.4 ± 2.1 months postoperatively. Of the 23 women with hirsutism, 12 (52%) had complete resolution at a mean follow-up of 8 ± 2.3 months, 6 (25%) had moderate resolution at a mean of 21 ± 18 months, and 3 had minimal resolution at 34 ± 14 months. Two women reported no change in their hirsutism at 32 ± 7 months. Five women were able to conceive after surgery without the use of clomiphene. Conclusion Gastric bypass surgery and its consequent weight loss results in significant improvement of multiple clinical problems related to PCOS.
Review of ?Deepwater Horizon Release Estimate of Rate by PIV?

The Plume Calculation Team (PCT) conducted high quality work within a very short period of time, in spite of needing to use less than ideal quality videos provided by British Petroleum (BP), especially those made before the cutoff of the riser above the Blow Out Preventer (BOP) on June 3, 2010. There are at least two valid approaches for estimating the oil discharge coming out from the Deepwater Horizon broken pipeline and its riser, using BP videotapes. One method is to estimate the exit velocity directly with the use of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The second method is to use a buoyant plume analysis to determine the exit velocity. The PCT used both of these methods.
Maternal Periconceptional Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Orofacial Clefts

Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, the authors investigated the association between maternal reports of periconceptional alcohol consumption and clefting. Cases with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or both and unaffected controls delivered from 1997 through 2002 were ascertained. Interview reports of alcohol consumption were obtained from 1,749 (75.1%) case and 4,094 (68.2%) control mothers. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess associations. Compared with odds ratios for mothers with no reported consumption, those for mothers who consumed alcohol tended to be near to (cleft lip, cleft lip with cleft palate) or to exceed (cleft palate) unity. The odds ratios associated with binge drinking were elevated but did not demonstrate significantly increased risk for any phenotype; however, the odds ratios differed by the type of alcohol consumed, particularly for cleft palate (distilled spirits > wine > beer). These odds ratios were further increased among mothers with no reported folic acid intake. Although these findings suggest that the association between alcohol consumption and clefting might be most influenced by the type of beverage consumed and folic acid intake, they are preliminary and might reflect chance associations. Such findings need exploration in additional, large studies.
'It's All in the Game': Violence, Power and Mourning in the Wire

The relationship between violence and political power has been of critical import in the history of political theory. In the contemporary setting, the responses to feelings of despair, impotence and powerlessness by, what Franz Fanon has called, the "wretched of the earth" have been expressed through manifestations of violent outrage both against those who hold political power and against others within the confines of the politically and economically impotent. Violence has tended to be seen as an articulation of frustration and anger against an Other whose humanity we cannot recognize but whose power we want to succeed. In turn, the promise and demonstration of violence has been deemed the only legitimate means to express state control. In response to this rampant use of violence a number of theorists from Mahatma Gandhi to Judith Butler have argued for a mode of democratic power and community building predicated on non-violence and, in the case of Butler, communal mourning. This paper explores the relationship between violence and mourning through an examination of the HBO series The Wire. Through an analysis of the multiple uses of violence in the first season of the series, the paper will argue that while violence is the essential mechanism of eliciting social and economic power, it is also acts as an important expression of love and mourning. As such, we must develop a more complicated analysis of the role of violence in producing political community.
Wheatley’s to the University of Cambridge, in New-England

(1997). Wheatley’s to the University of Cambridge, in New-England. The Explicator: Vol. 55, No. 4, pp. 205-208.
“A Hindu is white although he is black”: Hindu Alterity and the Performativity of Religion and Race between the United States and the Caribbean

This essay uses the controversies surrounding the enigmatic Ismet Ali, a yogi working in Chicago and New York in the 1920s, to illuminate the complexities of how the performativity of religion and race are interrelated. I examine several moments in which Ali's “authenticity” as Indian is brought into doubt to open up larger questions regarding the global flows of colonial knowledge, racial tropes, and groups of people between India, the United States, and the Caribbean. I explore the ways in which, in the early twentieth-century United States, East Indian “authenticity” only became legible via identificatory practices that engaged with and adapted orientalized stereotypes. The practices of the yogi persona and its sartorial stylings meant to signify “East Indianness” in the United States, particularly the donning of a turban and beard, were one mode through which both South Asian and African Americans repurposed “Hindoo” stereotypes as models for self-formation. By taking on “Hindoo” identities, peoples of color could circumvent the U.S. black/white racial binary and the violence of Jim Crow. This act of racial passing was also an act of religious passing. However, the ways in which identities had to and could be performed changed with context as individuals moved across national and colonial boundaries.
Factors of Tax Decentralization in OECD-Europe Countries

The article deals with the issue of tax decentralization to local government. The aim of the article is to describe the tax decentralization to local governments with respect to its possible determinants and to verify empirically the relevancy of theoretical factors generally explaining fiscal decentralization to the tax decentralization. The analysis is based on data panel of OECD-European covering the period of 1995 to 2013. Upon these data we build panel regression model. Estimated equations provide support for the hypotheses that the countries with larger geographical area tend to decentralize more tax revenue to local governments. Surprisingly, the slope parameters of population and population density have negative sign and are statistically significant. The real GDP per capita proved to be a significant factor of tax decentralization. The inequality of household income, as well as the share of urban population, although having correct sign, is not statistically significant. The size of redistribution function is highly statistically significant, suggesting that countries with higher redistribution decentralize more taxes to local government. The heterogeneity variable showed results with correct sign, where religious and language fractionalization were statistically significant. The very fact that the country is or is not federated or belong or not to group of Central and Eastern European Country seems to be unimportant for tax decentralization to local government level.
Overlay metrology performance prediction fidelity: the factors enabling a successful target design cycle

Overlay metrology performances highly depend on the detailed design of the measured target. Hence performing simulations is an essential tool for optimizing target design. We demonstrate for scatterometry overlay (SCOL) three key factors which enable consistency in ranking between simulated and measured metrology performance for target design. The first factor, to enable high fidelity simulations for the purpose of target design, is stack and topography verification of model inputs. We report in detail the best known film metrology methods required to achieve model integrity. The second factor is the method of calculation of metrology performance metrics based on target cell reflectivities from electro-magnetic (EM) simulations. These metrics enable ranking of different designs, and subsequent choice of the best performing designs among all simulated design options, the ranking methodology being the third factor. We apply the above steps to a specific stack, where five different designs have been considered. Simulated versus measured values are compared. A good agreement between simulation and measurement is achieved.
Algorithms for The Solution of the Quadratic Congruence

(1929). Algorithms for The Solution of the Quadratic Congruence. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 83-86.
Study on Anti-jamming by Means of Radio-Netted Radars System

This paper introduces a method of radio netting three fire-control radars.The topologic structure of the network is star-type.Three sites are composed of single chip microcomputer,radar data acquisition module.Modem,FM radio station etc.Functions of the command and control center are implemented by PC computer.After radio netting radars,not only system can share the radar resources by the coordinate transformation,but also the target can be located and traced quickly by passive cross location.Meanwhile this system has some functions against the attack by anti-radiation missiles.So it forms a comprehensive anti-jamming system.
Depletion of florfenicol in lactating dairy cows after intramammary and subcutaneous administration.

Eighteen Holstein dairy cows ranging in body weight from 500-700 kg and with an average milk yield of 37 ± 6 kg/day were used to investigate the depletion of florfenicol (FFL) in milk and plasma of dairy cows. Three groups of six were administered FFL: Group A, intramammary (IMM) infusion of ~2.5 mg FFL/kg BW at three consecutive milking intervals (total amount of ~7.5 mg/kg BW); Group B, one IMM infusion (20 mg/kg BW) into one quarter and Group C, one subcutaneous (SC) treatment (40 mg/kg BW). IMM infusions were into the right front quarter. Cows were milked daily at 06:00 and 18:00 h. The highest concentrations (Cmax ) and time to Cmax (Tmax ) were: 1.6 ± 2.2 μg·FFL/mL milk at 22 h (Group A), 5.5 ± 3.6 μg·FFL/mL milk at 12 h (Group B), and 1.7 ± 0.4 μg·FFL/mL milk at 12 h (Group C). The half-lives (t1/2 ) were ~19, 5.5, and 60 h, for Groups A, B, and C, respectively. FFL was below the limit of detection (LOD) by 60 h in three Group B cows, but above the LOD at 72, 84, and 120 h in three cows. FFL was above the LOD in milk from Group C's cows for 432-588 h. Plasma values followed the same trends as milk. The results demonstrate that IMM-infused FFL is bioavailable and below the LOD within 72-120 h. The concentration of FFL was detectable in both plasma and milk over the course of 2-3 weeks after SC administration. The absence of residue depletion data presents problems in determining safe levels of FFL residues in milk and edible tissues. The data presented here must not be construed as approval for extra-label use in food animals.
The Language of Marketing: A Content Analysis of Marketing Principles Textbooks

A fundamental objective of marketing principles textbooks is to disseminate the language of the discipline. This paper reports on a content analysis of 15 typical uncfaer-graduate principles of marketing books to ascertain what terms and concepts constitute the lexicon of marketing. The results are revealing as it is patent that there is little consensus as to a common language of this academic specialty, at least from the perspective of undergraduate principles of marketing textbooks. The authors go on to suggest one possible list of standardized marketing terms, primarily to hasten the dialogue that is perceived as necessary, if the field is to more rapidly develop a consensus on its lexicon.
Years-Long Binary Image Broadcast Using Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons

This paper describes the first 'image beacon' system that is capable of broadcasting binary images over a very long period (years, as opposed to days or weeks) using a set of cheap, low-power, memory-constrained Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon devices. We design a patch-based image encoding algorithm to produce encoded images of reasonably high quality, having sizes of as low as 16 bytes -- without any prior knowledge of the test images. We test our system with different types of images that contain hand-written alphanumeric characters, geometric shapes, and arbitrary binary images having complex shapes and curves. We empirically determine the tradeoffs between the system lifetime and the quality of broadcasted images, and determine an optimal set of parameters for our system, under user-specified constraints such as the number of available beacon devices, maximum latency, and life expectancy. We develop a smartphone application that takes an image and user-requirements as inputs, shows previews of different quality output images, writes the encoded image into a set of beacons, and reads the broadcasted image back. Our evaluation shows that a set of 2 -- 3 beacons is capable of broadcasting high-quality images (75% -- 90% structurally similar to original images) for a year-long continuous broadcasting, and both the lifetime and the image quality improve when more beacons are used.
Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome: An Overlooked Cause of Hypoxemia

Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome (POS) is one of those onomatopoeic medical terms that is difficult to say but packs a lot of information into a short phrase. It describes a condition where patients are significantly hypoxemic and short of breath in the upright position but may have near-normal oxygen
Risk Kit: Highlighting Vulnerable Identity Assets for Specific Age Groups

Identity theft is perhaps the defining crime of the information age. Identity theft threatens various demographics, but some age groups, e.g., senior citizens, are particularly vulnerable. In this paper, we study how identity theft puts different personally identifiable information (PII) assets at risk of exposure, and how this risk changes throughout one's lifecycle. We categorize PII assets, introducing a fourth novel category, measure their exposure risk using the Identity Theft Assessment and Prediction (ITAP) repository of over 3,000 identity theft cases, and track the risk change throughout an individual's lifecycle. We introduce the concept of PII Balance Sheets, and finally, we present a free publicly available Android app that demonstrates our research results. This app not only educates individuals and highlights their vulnerable identity assets, but also is useful when they make the decision of whether or not to share their personally identifiable information.
Decreased cancer-independent life expectancy in the head and neck cancer population.

Background Aside from cancer mortality, patients with head and neck cancer have increased mortality risk. Identifying patients with the greatest loss of cancer-independent life expectancy can guide comprehensive survivorship programs. Methods Age-based survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database for patients with head and neck cancer were censored for mortality from the index cancer. Life expectancy and years of life lost (YLL) referenced to the general population were calculated. Cox proportional regression models produced hazard ratios (HRs). Results Cancer-independent life expectancy for patients with head and neck cancer is 6.5 years shorter than expected. The greatest hazard and impact of other-cause mortality was associated with black race (HR 1.23; YLL 8.55), stage IV (HR 1.60; YLL 7.92), Medicaid (HR 1.55; YLL 12.9), and previous marriage (HR 1.49; YLL 11.4). Conclusion Patients with head and neck cancer lives are foreshortened independent of their cancer diagnosis necessitating management of noncancer mortality to maximize overall survival.
Teachers Use of Tools for Student Success: Challenging Learning Behaviors

This study investigated the impact teacher’s use of two tools on the social and academic behaviors of twenty middle school students. The general education teachers described the students as assignment incompleters but bright enough to complete work. These students were at risk for failing the majority of their classes in the first semester and were being considered for interventions at the third tier of the Response to Intervention (RTI) model. Four research questions were identified to explore the use of the 9-Grid tool for teachers’ use in the identification of needed assignment adaptations and the RAFT to implement the assignment differentiation. Both tools were used in the content areas of music, mathematics, history, science, and physical education over a 6-week period. Results indicated that students increased in both social and academic behaviors after teachers implemented their use of the 9-Grid and the RAFT.
Obtaining Accurate Trace Data

Cache simulation studies depend heavily on realistic address traces to drive the simulation; the need for generating reliable traces cannot be overstated. This chapter describes a new method to generate address traces that overcomes many of the limitations of the current tracing methods. By changing the microcode of a computer so that it records the address of every memory location it touches, we can capture complete traces of all programs that run on the computer, including the operating system.
Recent advances in depression across the generations

This Editorial presents recent research on the transmission of depression across three generations and discusses the implications for improving detection, treatment and prevention and for identifying important subgroups for biological studies. It reports a case-control study of three generations at high or low risk for major depression. The first two generations were followed longitudinally for 20 years and were assessed blind to the clinical status of the other generations. Depression is highly familial across three generations. Over 60% of grandchildren (average age 12 yrs.) with two generations affected with depression already have some psychopathology. Anxiety disorders are usually the first presentation before puberty with an increase in depression in adolescents, especially among girls. New opportunities for early detection and treatment exist. Families with three generations affected with depression present a potentially important group for biological, genetic and neuroimaging studies.
In Silico Investigation of Cancer Using Publicly Available Data

Cancer is a very complex disease, far more multifaceted than the traditional views rooted in the thinking that cancer is a genomic disease, at least for solid tumors as discussed in the previous chapters. The disease is a rapidly evolving biological system drifting away from normal cellular metabolism and homeostasis to adapt to the also evolving, increasingly more challenging and unfamiliar microenvironment. It may start from some, in and of itself, seemingly harmless metabolic changes in response to a stressful local condition such as persistent hypoxia and/or elevated ROS, which leads to gradual and continuing changes in the microenvironment, hence producing pressure for the underlying cells to evolve. The observed cell proliferation may represent a feasible and efficient route for the affected cells to escape from these pressures. The similar growth patterns and other common characteristics across different cancer types, referred to as hallmark activities, strongly suggest that the survival pathway of the affected cells is a well-coordinated process, possibly guided by signaling instructions manifested by hyaluronic acid and fragments as discussed in Chaps. 6 and 9. The continuous coadaptation and coevolution between the changing microenvironment and the altered cellular metabolism may drive the evolving cells to utilize whatever cellular capabilities encoded in their genomes via the increasingly more relaxed epigenomic regulations or random mutations confer for their survival.
Boundary-Value Problems of Linear Differential Equations of the Second-Order

In this chapter, we explain (1) oscillation of solutions of a homogeneous second-order linear differential equation (§VI-1), (2) the Sturm-Liouville problems (§§VI2—VI-4, topics including Green’s functions, self-adjointness, distribution of eigen-values, and eigenfunction expansion), (3) scattering problems (§§VI-5—VI-9, mostly focusing on reflectionless potentials), and (4) periodic potentials (§VI-10). The materials concerning these topics are also found in [CL, Chapters 7, 8, and 11], [Har2 Chapter XI], [Copl, Chapter 1], [Be12, Chapter 6], and [TD]. Singular self-adjoint boundary-value problems (in particular continuous spectrum, limit-point and limit-circle cases) are not explained in this book. For these topics, see [CL, Chapter 9].
Wales, Alaska High Penetration Wind-Diesel Hybrid Power System: Theory of Operation

To reduce the cost of rural power generation and the environmental impact of diesel fuel usage, the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), Kotzebue Electric Association (KEA, a rural Alaskan utility), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), began a collaboration in late 1995 to implement a high-penetration wind-diesel hybrid power system in a village in northwest Alaska. The project was intended to be both a technology demonstration and a pilot for commercial replication of the system in other Alaskan villages. During the first several years of the project, NREL focused on the design and development of the electronic controls, the system control software, and the ancillary components (power converters, energy storage, electric dump loads, communications links, etc.) that would be required to integrate new wind turbines with the existing diesels in a reliable highly automated system. Meanwhile, AEA and KEA focused on project development activities, including wind resource assessment, site selection and permitting, community relationship building, and logistical planning. Ultimately, the village of Wales, Alaska, was chosen as the project site. Wales is a native Inupiat village of approximately 160 inhabitants, with an average electric load of about 75 kW.
AI and Blockchain: A Disruptive Integration

AI and blockchain are among the most disruptive technologies and will fundamentally reshape how we live, work, and interact. The authors summarize existing efforts and discuss the promising future of their integration, seeking to answer the question: What can smart, decentralized, and secure systems do for our society?
Improving Genetic Programming with Novel Exploration - Exploitation Control.

Low population diversity is recognized as a factor in premature convergence of evolutionary algorithms. We investigate program synthesis performance via grammatical evolution. We focus on novelty search – substituting the conventional search objective – based on synthesis quality, with a novelty objective. This prompts us to introduce a new selection method named knobelty. It parametrically balances exploration and exploitation by creating a mixed population of parents. One subset is chosen based on performance quality and the other subset is chosen based on diversity. Three versions of this method, two that adaptively tune balance during evolution solve program synthesis problems more accurately, faster and with less duplication than grammatical evolution with lexicase selection.
Wilhelm Müller’s Leiermann, Elfriede Jelinek’s Leierfrau, and Radical Repetition

Wilhelm Muller’s 1824 cycle Die Winterreise, and particularly its final poem ‘Der Leiermann’, are often read as nihilistic expressions of a Romantic death wish. The wanderer moves into a state of e...
Building Open Access to Research (OAR) Data Infrastructure at NIST.

As a National Metrology Institute (NMI), the USA National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) scientists, engineers and technology experts conduct research across a full spectrum of physical science domains. NIST is a non-regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce with a mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST research results in the production and distribution of standard reference materials, calibration services, and datasets. These are generated from a wide range of complex laboratory instrumentation, expert analyses, and calibration processes. In response to a government open data policy, and in collaboration with the broader research community, NIST has developed a federated Open Access to Research (OAR) scientific data infrastructure aligned with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles. Through the OAR initiatives, NIST’s Material Measurement Laboratory Office of Data and Informatics (ODI) recently released a new scientific data discovery portal and public data repository. These science-oriented applications provide dissemination and public access for data from across the broad spectrum of NIST research disciplines, including chemistry, biology, materials science (such as crystallography, nanomaterials, etc.), physics, disaster resilience, cyberinfrastructure, communications, forensics, and others. NIST’s public data consist of carefully curated Standard Reference Data, legacy high valued data, and new research data publications. The repository is thus evolving both in content and features as the nature of research progresses. Implementation of the OAR infrastructure is key to NIST’s role in sharing high integrity reproducible research for measurement science in a rapidly changing world.
Post-fire wood mulch for reducing erosion potential increases tree seedlings with few impacts on understory plants and soil nitrogen

Abstract Following high-severity wildfire, application of mulch on the soil surface is commonly used to stabilize slopes and limit soil erosion potential, protecting ecosystem values at risk. Despite the widespread use of mulch, relatively little is known about its effects on ecosystem recovery and soil processes important for plant re-establishment. Following a high-severity wildfire in a Colorado lodgepole pine forest, we studied the effects of both mulch material and application rate on plant recovery and the relative importance of soil abiotic conditions and microbial substrate availability as drivers of plant community development over the first four years of recovery. Mulches were applied to experimental plots in a randomized complete block design immediately following the High Park Fire in July 2012. Treatments included wheat straw, wood strands, and wood shreds applied at two coverage rates (standard and high). Two controls, non-mulched and a microbially-neutral synthetic mulch, were included in each block to assess the relative importance of mulch effects on abiotic versus biotic dynamics. Plant and soil monitoring occurred at least annually for four-years post fire. Understory plants increased in total cover and shifted in composition over time, but these trends were largely unaffected by mulch type or application rate. Non-native understory plant species were not abundant at the end of this experiment, but their cover was higher in plots treated with wheat straw and high-rate wood strands compared to non-mulched control. Lodgepole pine seedling densities were higher in wood shred and mulched control treatments than in wheat straw and non-mulched control treatments. Because there were few effects of mulch treatments on plant available nitrogen, it is likely that effects of mulch on soil abiotic conditions (moisture and temperature) drove ecosystem responses in this system. Our findings indicate wood mulches can provide soil protection for many years and accelerate lodgepole pine establishment following wildfire with few negative near-term effects on plant recovery. In systems such as this, post-fire application of wood mulch can help managers meet site protection goals with minimal impacts on plant recovery.
Acute readmission following deep brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson's disease: A nationwide analysis

Abstract Introduction Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is an efficacious, underutilized treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). Studies of DBS post-operative outcomes are often restricted to data from a single center and consider DBS in isolation. National estimates of DBS readmission and post-operative outcomes are needed, as are comparisons to commonly performed surgeries. Methods This study used datasets from the 2013 and 2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD). Our sample was restricted to PD patients discharged alive after hospitalization for DBS surgery. Descriptive analyses examined patient, clinical, hospital and index hospitalization characteristics. The all-cause, non-elective 30-day readmission rate after DBS was calculated, and logistic regression models were built to examine factors associated with readmission. Readmission rates for the most common surgical procedures were calculated and compared to DBS. Results There were 6058 DBS surgeries for PD in our sample, most often involving a male aged 65 and older, who lived in a high socioeconomic status zip code. DBS patients had an average of four comorbidities. With respect to outcomes, the majority of patients were discharged home (95.3%). Non-elective readmission was rare (4.9%), and was associated with socioeconomic status, comorbidity burden, and teaching hospital status. Much higher acute, non-elective readmission rates were observed for common procedures such as upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (16.2%), colonoscopy (14.0%), and cardiac defibrillator and pacemaker procedures (11.1%). Conclusion Short-term hospitalization outcomes after DBS are generally favorable. Socioeconomic disparities in DBS use persist. Additional efforts may be needed to improve provider referrals for and patient access to DBS.
Complete Genome Sequence of Serratia sp. Strain CC119, Associated with Inner Cotton Boll Rot via Insect Vector Transmission.

ABSTRACT Serratia species are Gram-negative bacteria that can infect both animals and plants. The annotated genome presented is the first for a Serratia sp. strain (called CC119) that is a cotton boll pathogen. The opportunistic strain is associated with the boll-piercing-sucking insect Creontiades signatus.
A multi-state evaluation of the association between mental health and firearm storage practices.

Abstract Firearm storage method is a potentially modifiable risk factor for suicide. Using data from a large, multi-state survey, we sought to determine whether there is an association between mental health and household firearm storage practices, and characterize that association by state of residence. Participants who endorsed the presence of a household firearm and answered the mental health questions in the 2016–2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from eight states were included (n=26,949). Exposures were recent poor mental health (≥14 vs. 0–13 days/past month), and diagnosis of depression. Outcomes were household firearm storage practices (loaded, and both loaded and unlocked). Using Poisson regression, we calculated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) overall and stratified by state of residence. Of adults endorsing a household firearm, 35.1% reported storing a firearm loaded, and of those, 53.4% reported that the firearm was both loaded and unlocked. Neither recent poor mental health nor depression was associated with loaded (aPR 1.14 [95% CI: 0.95–1.37] and aPR 0.94 [95% CI 0.80–1.09], respectively) or loaded and unlocked (aPR 1.08 [95% CI 0.88–1.42] and aPR 1.04 [95% CI 0.88–1.22], respectively) firearm storage. In the setting of highly prevalent loaded firearm storage, no differences in storage practices by mental health indicators were observed across eight states despite disparate firearm policies and local culture. The lack of difference in storage practices by mental health indicators across several states highlights an opportunity to improve means safety counseling practices, and the need for dedicated evaluation of state-level firearm storage policies.
The cognitive effects of anticholinergic drugs on apolipoprotein ε4 carriers and noncarriers in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention study.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that anticholinergic drug exposure is associated with cognitive decline in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP) study. Secondary aims were to assess if the effects of anticholinergic drugs on different domains of cognitive functioning varied for the entire sample and by apolipoprotein e4 status. METHODS The WRAP study includes a sample of 1,573 subjects who self-reported medication use and were administered several cognitive tests four times over a decade. Partial correlations assessed relationships between reported days of definite anticholinergic drug exposure with changes in cognitive performance. Linear mixed models were conducted testing main effects for anticholinergic drug use and interaction effects between anticholinergic drug use, apolipoprotein e4 status, and time on neuropsychological assessment performance. RESULTS Partial correlations indicated that days of anticholinergic drug exposure was associated with a decline in mental status for the entire sample (r = -.043, p = .011), and immediate verbal memory (r = -.066, p = .043), delayed verbal memory (r = -.077, p = .018), psychomotor speed (r = -.066, p = .043), and cognitive flexibility (r = -.067, p = .040) of apolipoprotein e4 carriers only. The linear mixed-model results suggested that anticholinergic drug users had a greater decline than nonusers in delayed memory, psychomotor speed, and cognitive flexibility. Apolipoprotein e4 carrier, anticholinergic drug users performed worse in delayed memory than nonusers and noncarrier, anticholinergic drug users. CONCLUSIONS Anticholinergic drug use may have deleterious effects on the cognitive functioning of subjects in populations at risk for dementia, especially among apolipoprotein e4 carriers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Low profile coupled inductor substrate with fast transient response

The alloy flake composite magnetic material has been justified to be compatible with the conventional PCB manufacturing process. By embedding the layerwise core into multilayer PCB, a single-phase 3D integrated POL module achieves 700W/in3 power density and more than 85% efficiency. More important, the application of standard PCB process reduces the cost for manufacturing such integrated modules due to the easy automation and low temperature process. This paper tries to extend the same technology to multiphase POL module with coupled inductor. Combining the advanced control strategy, the high density and cost-effective two-phase POL modules are demonstrated for laptop VR application. The old low profile coupled inductor structure is modified slightly to improve its transient response. The air slots are added to reduce the transient inductance and enhance the coupling at light load condition. The non-linear inductance of the coupled inductor can be well controlled by using different slot structures. With the proposed coupled inductor structure, both low profile design and fast transient speed can be realized simultaneously.
Dynamic Bargaining in Households (with an Application to Bangladesh)

Much recent empirical work on intra-household allocation uses the axiomatic Nash Bargaining model to make predictions about how the distribution of consumption within the household will respond to individuals' income shocks. However, one of the basic axioms underlying this approach is that allocations will be Pareto optimal, so forward-looking, risk adverse household members ought to be expected to smooth away any such response to income shocks-Pareto optimality seems to be too strong in a dynamic setting. In this paper we use explicitly dynamic framework and replace the axiom of Pareto optimality with a weaker notion of efficiency. We give a simple algorithm for computing allocations, and construct an extended example, meant to model the effects of Grameen Bank lending on intra-household allocation in Bangladesh. The model resolves a puzzle in the literature, namely, it predicts that women borrowers will often voluntarily surrender control ("pipeline") their loans to their husbands.