cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Development and Context of American Environmental Policy

This chapter focuses on the contextualization of environmental policy and its history. This chapter begins by considering the history of environmental protection in the United States, starting with the conservation and preservation movements in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We focus on the modern environmental movement in the 1960s and overview the social and political movements that culminated in more than two dozen major environmental laws which continue to provide the backbone of US environmental policy. These discussions culminated in an exploration of the dramatic turn environmental policy and regulation has taken as a result of the 2016 elections. We situate the trajectory we appear to be on in this policy arena with sharp turns taken in the past. The final section of this chapter explores the role of scientific knowledge and information in environmental policy discussions. Many of the insights we can draw about environmental issues can be understood by how American society views scientific information.
Failure to complete standard radiation therapy in glioblastoma patients: Patterns from a national database with implications for survival and therapeutic decision making in older glioblastoma patients.

Abstract Introduction It is estimated that 5%–10% of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) fail to complete standard chemoradiation (CRT). We sought to determine the impact of failure to complete CRT on survival and to identify risk factors. Methods We queried the National Cancer Database and identified a cohort of 17,451 adults with GBM diagnosed from 2005 to 2012. The cohort was restricted to patients that started conventionally fractionated adjuvant chemoradiation of 1.8 to 2.0 Gy per fraction to a dose of ≤66Gy. Patients were stratified by RT dose: a) completed RT ≥ 58Gy, b) nearly completed RT ≥ 50Gy - Results The CRT completion rate correlated with survival, 87% of patients completed CRT and had a median OS of 13.5 months, 4% were near completers (median OS 5.7 months), and 9% did not complete RT (median OS 1.9 months). Older age was associated with a higher risk of non-completion. Twenty-eight percent of patients ≥80 years old did not complete standard CRT (OR 2.99) and 19% of 70–79-year olds did not complete CRT (OR 1.99). The adjusted mortality hazard ratio was greater for patients that did not complete CRT across all age categories and for nearly complete CRT patients older than 40 (non-significant for age Conclusions Failure to complete standard chemoradiation was associated with decreased survival in our cohort. Patients with risk factors for failure (like advanced age) should be considered for alternative treatments such as hypofractionated radiotherapy.
In Their Words

“It was 9 years ago. I was unusually exhausted and had a sore throat and raspy voice. While rubbing my neck, I felt a lump under the left side of my jaw. It was hard and about the size of a walnut, as I pressed beneath my mandible. At this time I was a dental hygienist of 21 years. Non- smoker. Fifty-four years old. I’ll skip the next few months of terrible frustration. As I eventually had to insist on a biopsy, I was diagnosed with head and neck cancer-stage four!! Squamous cell carcinoma. I had 35 radiation treatments. Each one consisted of nine individual areas being radiated. I know as I counted every single one in order to survive lying there with my head bolted to a table via a molded mask.”
The Domain Frequency Association: A mental shortcut to guide children’s generalization of norms and preferences

Abstract The current research investigated a potential mental shortcut that facilitates children’s categorization and generalization of social behavior, called the Domain Frequency Association (DFA). The DFA is a bidirectional association in which children automatically connect a behavioral domain (e.g., norm or preference) with behavioral frequency (e.g., whether many or few group members demonstrate the behavior). When children observe a majority of group members demonstrating a behavior they may assume that the behavior is a norm that all group members should follow. When a minority of group members demonstrates a behavior, children may infer that it is a choice or preference that group members can decide to follow or not. We explored whether children utilized the DFA in two tasks: In Study 1, we provided 4- and 5-year-old preschool (n = 25) and 7- and 8-year-old school-aged children (n = 26) with evidence of either frequency or domain and asked them to verbally provide the other attribute using a forced-choice response measure. Children selected norms more often when behaviors were frequent versus infrequent and selected preferences more often when behaviors were infrequent versus frequent. In Study 2, we examined 4- and 5-year-old preschool children’s (n = 25) and 7- and 8-year-old young school-aged children’s (n = 25) memory patterns for DFA-consistent information (e.g., frequent norms & infrequent preferences) and DFA-inconsistent information (e.g., infrequent norms & frequent preferences). Children were more likely to remember DFA-consistent information than DFA-inconsistent information and tended to misremember inconsistent information as consistent. Together these results demonstrate the presence of an early emerging inferential strategy that structures children’s thinking about the social world.
Design Of A Demand Response System: Economics And Information Systems Alignment

The lack of real-time pricing in many retail electricity markets requires implementation of a response mechanism for curtailing demand, particularly during peak load periods. Following a review of transaction cost economics and an analysis of options available, a market based on the exchange of consumption rights is suggested as an alternative to the commonly used hierarchical methods of demand response management. The implementation of smart metering and wireless communication creates the conditions for establishing such a market. Information systems will be required to collect real-time metering data for forecasting demand and monitoring use at the customer and utility grid level, to operate a real-time consumption rights market, to automate individual curtailment plans, and to support market makers to create marketable parcels. The potential outcome is an efficient marketbased system for curtailing demand during peaks and thus avoiding the use of expensive reserve generators that are often high emitters of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
Orthodontists' preference on type of rigid fixed functional appliance for skeletal Class II correction: A survey study.

Background Rigid fixed functional appliances are most commonly used to correct skeletal Class II malocclusions. The objective of this study was to assess orthodontists' preference of different rigid fixed functional appliances used in the U.S.A for correction of skeletal Class II malocclusions. Material and methods A survey on use and preference of rigid fixed functional appliances for skeletal Class II correction was emailed to 2,227 members of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) in the U.S.A. Frequency distribution of different responses and their association with demographic factors was assessed. Results Out of 140 orthodontists completing the survey, 110 responded as using rigid fixed functional appliances. Eight incomplete responses were eliminated from data analysis. 51.5% (68/132) orthodontists used rigid fixed functional appliances. The most preferred rigid fixed functional appliance was the Herbst appliance with 72% response followed by Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Appliance (24%) and AdvanSync (4%). There was no statistically significant difference in use of rigid fixed functional appliances between different age groups (p=0.284). However, the 40-54 age group used the most rigid fixed functional appliances in practice, followed by the 25-39 year age group and the 55-69 age group using these appliances the least. There was statistical significance between the type of practice setting one works in and the use of rigid fixed functional appliances in practice (p=0.022). Conclusions About 52% of orthodontists use rigid fixed functional appliances to correct skeletal Class II malocclusions. The Herbst appliance is the most commonly used and most preferred amongst all rigid fixed functional appliances with a 72% preferred rate. Key words:Orthodontic, Rigid fixed functional appliance, Skeletal Class II, Class II Malocclusion, Mandibular retrognathism, Herbst, Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Appliance (MARA), AdvanSync, Molar to molar, M2M.
Activating and Aligning two Kinds of Norms in Persuasive Communications

Communicators often try to reduce undesirable behavior in an audience by warning that the behavior is alarmingly prevalent. However, in the process of pointing out the regrettable frequency of the ...
Column leach study II: Heavy metal dissolution characteristics from selected lead-zinc mine tailings

Metal dissolution from tailings from six lead-zinc mine and milling sites in the western United States was examined by researchers from the Bureau of Mines using a column leaching procedure involving a formulated “western rain” leachant. This 2-year laboratory study included the effects of column waste depth, dry cycles with and without oxygen, and pore water evaporation. The results indicated that leachate metal concentrations gradually decreased with each leaching, but that the degree of enhanced metal mobilization from unsaturated tailings varied widely from waste to waste. Further studies on selected samples from this group of tailings demonstrated that the driving force behind enhanced metal dissolution is the oxidation of sulphide minerals by atmospheric oxygen during the evaporation of pore water from the columns of tailings. Leachates from water-saturated columns of these tailings gave pH values from 6.5 to 8.5; acid production and dissolved metal concentrations were enhanced by alternating wet and dry cycles. All studies to date indicate that maintaining tailings at or near saturation and/or excluding atmospheric oxygen produce leachates of nearly constant to slowly decreasing metal concentrations with each subsequent leaching.
A two-stage super learner for healthcare expenditures

Abstract Objective To improve the estimation of healthcare expenditures by introducing a novel estimation method that is well-suited to situations where data exhibit strong skewness and zero-inflation. Data Sources Simulations, and two sources of real-world data: the 2016-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and the Back Pain Outcomes using Longitudinal Data (BOLD) datasets. Study Design Super learner is an ensemble machine learning approach that can combine several algorithms in order to improve estimation. We propose a two-stage super learner that is well suited for use with healthcare expenditure data by separately estimating the probability of any healthcare expenditure and the mean amount of healthcare expenditure conditional on having healthcare expenditures. These estimates can be combined to yield a single estimate of expenditures for each observation. The method can flexibly incorporate a range of individual estimation approaches for each stage of estimation, including both regression-based approaches and machine learning algorithms such as random forests. We compare the performance of the proposed two-stage super learner with a one-stage super learner, and with multiple individual algorithms for estimation of healthcare cost under a broad range of data settings in simulated and real data. The predictive performance of alternative strategies was compared using Mean Squared Error and R2. Principal Findings Our results indicate that the two-stage super learner has better performance compared with a one-stage super learner and individual algorithms, for healthcare cost estimation under a wide variety of settings in both simulations and empirical analyses. The improvement of the two-stage super learner over the one-stage super learner was particularly evident in settings when zero-inflation is high. Conclusions The two-stage super learner provides researchers an effective approach for healthcare cost analyses in environments where they cannot know the best single algorithm a priori.
Therapy Staffing in Skilled Nursing Facilities Declined after Implementation of the Patient-Driven Payment Model.

Abstract Objective The Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), a new reimbursement policy for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), was implemented in October 2019. PDPM disincentivizes provision of intensive physical and occupational therapy, however, there is concern that declines in therapy staffing may negatively impact patient outcomes. This study aimed to characterize the SNF industry response to PDPM in terms of therapy staffing. Design Segmented regression interrupted time series. Setting and Participants 15,432 SNFs in the United States. Methods Using SNF Payroll Based Journal data from January 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020, we calculated national weekly averages of therapy staffing minutes per patient-day for all therapy staff and for subgroups of physical and occupational therapists, therapy assistants, contract staff, and in-house employees. We used interrupted time series regression to estimate immediate and gradual effects of PDPM implementation. Results Total therapy staffing minutes per patient-day declined by 5.5% in the week immediately following PDPM implementation (P Conclusions and Implications SNFs appeared to have responded to PDPM with both immediate and gradual reductions in therapy staffing, with an average decline of 80 therapy staffing minutes over the average patient stay. Assistant and contract staff experienced the largest immediate declines. Therapy staffing and quality outcomes require ongoing monitoring to ensure staffing reductions do not have negative implications for patients.
Auditor Business Process Analysis and Linkages among Auditor Risk Judgments

SUMMARY: This research note examines whether auditors “link” their entity-level risk assessments to their core business process risk assessments. For auditors who performed a business process analysis of the core business process, there is a positive association between the identification of significant process-level business risks and the identification of significant business risks at the entity level. We also find that performing a business process analysis leads to higher assessments of the risk of material misstatement at the process level. With respect to the linkages between risk-related judgments, we find that auditors link their assessments of misstatement risk at the process level to similar assessments at the entity level, while taking into account significant process-level risks. Data Availability: The data are available from the first author upon request.
Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is essentially a polymerization reaction — or perhaps better an oligomerization, since in most cases the average molecular weight of the product is not very high — where carbon-carbon bonds are formed between C atoms proceeding from carbon monoxide, under the influence of hydrogen and a metal catalyst, and with elimination of water. Without anticipating the detailed reaction mechanism, the main reaction of the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis may be formulated as: $$n(CO + 2{H_2})\mathop \to \limits^{Cat} - {(C{H_2})_n} - + n{H_2}O$$ (9.1) Depending on catalyst and reaction conditions, the products are linear hydrocarbons, oxygenated derivatives thereof, or mixtures of both. Usually, a wide range of molecules with different chain length, and with a molecular weight distribution characteristic for polymerization reactions, are formed.
Biosynthesis of 1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate via adenosine triphosphate:1-alkyl-sn-glycerol phosphotransferase.

Abstract The pink portion of the rabbit harderian gland was found to be a rich source of ATP:1-alkyl-sn-glycerol phosphotransferase. The enzyme, associated with the microsomal fraction of the gland, exhibits a pH optimum of 7.1. ATP and Mg2+ are absolute requirements for enzymatic activity; the apparent Km for Mg2+ATP is 1.6 mm. Manganese partially substituted for Mg2+, but the measured rate in the presence of Mn2+ was only one-half of the rate determined in the presence of Mg2+. We identified the product of the reaction by chromatographic, chemical, and enzymatic techniques as 1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate. In incubations supplemented with coenzyme A, 1-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate was identified as the major product. High levels of monoacylglycerols, diacylglycerols, and their alkyl analogs did not inhibit phosphorylation of alkylglycerols. Attempts were made to show the phosphorylation of monoacylglycerols, but due to the high lipase activity in harderian gland microsomes, the results were inconclusive. The transfer of the terminal phosphate of ATP to position 3 of a 1-alkyl-sn-glycerol was stereoselective; other isomeric alkylglycerols, as well as alkylethylene glycol and S-alkyl-glycerol were not phosphorylated by this system. These data demonstrate a way in which 1-alkyl-sn-glycerols may enter the biosynthetic pathway that forms complex ether-linked glycerolipids.
Electrostatic Unbalance to Ground of Twin Conductor Lines [includes discussion]

Inductive and capacitive unbalances are present in transmission lines which are not transposed. The modern trend has been to omit transpositions1,2 and it is then desirable to compute the resultant unbalances. This paper deals with one phase of this problem as applied to twin conductor (bundle conductor) lines, namely the electrostatic unbalance to ground which is a result of unequal capacitances between the three phases and ground. In a solidly grounded system, this unbalance manifests itself as a fundamental frequency, zero-sequence current in the lead between the neutral and ground of the power transformer which is used for system grounding.
The interrater reliability of inferior vena cava ultrasound by bedside clinician sonographers in emergency department patients.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:98–101 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Objectives: Inferior vena cava ultrasound (IVC-US) is a noninvasive bedside tool to assess intravascular volume status. This study set out to investigate the interrater reliability of IVC-US by bedside clinician sonographers and determine whether alternative methods of IVC-US such as B-mode and visual estimation are equally reliable to traditional M-mode. Methods: A convenience sample of adult emergency department (ED) patients was prospectively enrolled. Each patient underwent IVC-US by two different emergency physicians (EPs), each of whom first performed visual estimation of IVC percent collapse and of volume status, followed by caliper measurements in M-mode and B-mode. EPs were blinded to patient data and to the other sonographer’s results. For each technique, interrater reliability was determined between the two EPs’ assessments using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for continuous data and Cohen’s weighted kappa for categorical data. In addition, analysis was performed on M-mode diameter measurements to determine the relationship between sonographer and patient characteristics on interrater reliability. Results: Five EPs performed 92 US exams on 46 patients. Using M-mode, the ICC for maximum IVC diameter was 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67 to 0.89), and for minimum diameter was 0.77 (95% CI = 0.62 to 0.87). There were no statistically significant differences between the caliper methods used for IVC measurements (M-mode diameter, B-mode diameter, or B-mode area). Agreement for visually estimated IVC collapse (0.60, 95% CI = 0.36 to 0.76) was similar to agreement for calculated M-mode IVC collapse index (0.52, 95% CI = 0.27 to 0.71). Cohen’s weighted kappa for volume status based on visual estimation of IVC filling (size, shape, and collapse) was 0.64 (95% CI = 0.53 to 0.73). ICC values for M-mode diameter measurements were significantly higher in studies involving patients who were noneuvolemic and studies in which sonographers had each performed at least five prior IVC-US. Conclusions: Emergency physicians’ US measurements of IVC diameter have a high degree of interrater reliability. IVC percent collapse by visual estimation or based on caliper measurements have lower, but still moderate to good reliability. The use of the visual estimation technique should be considered by clinicians who have learned to obtain measured parameters of IVC filling because it is equally reliable to traditional M-mode and can be performed more rapidly.
Metals, Nitrogen and Sulfur in Petroleum Residue, Analysis of

When petroleum (i.e. crude oil) is distilled, a residual fraction containing molecules that do not volatilize is drawn off the bottom. This “resid” has an increased concentration of minor impurities, including sulfur-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-bearing heterocyclics, soluble nickel and vanadium compounds and a variety of trace metals. These impurities both dominate the unique properties of the resid and play a major role in determining the refining processes necessary for its conversion to marketable products. This article introduces the common analytical techniques for the measurement of sulfur, nitrogen, nickel, vanadium, and trace metals in this challenging organic matrix.
Sustaining Progressivity in the Budget Process: A Commentary on Gale & (and) Orszag's An Economic Assessment of Tax Policy in the Bush Administration, 2001-2004 The State of Federal Income Taxation Symposium: Rates, Progressivity, and Budget Processes

This Commentary proposes the adoption of pay-go procedural rules for tax lawmaking that favor tax cuts that decrease income inequality, in response to biases in distributional tables and distortions in the political process. It suggests that the failure to use present value analysis in the budget process has had unfortunate, unintended consequences, in particular, a congressional preference for a prepaid-type consumption tax. This Commentary argues that efforts to index the Alternative Minimum Tax (the "AMT") should not deflect attention from the AMT's most fundamental distributional problem-its failure to treat dividends and capital gains as preference items. It suggests that there may be some institutional advantages in global sunsets of important tax legislation, even when the legislation is not intended to expire. Finally, this Commentary considers the intersection of budget processes and progressivity in the tax expenditure budget. It argues that the Bush administration's recent changes in the treatment of the corporate tax and its incomplete analysis of comprehensive tax bases, undermine the usefulness of the tax expenditure budget, and have made tax expenditures suddenly appear more progressive, even though they are not.
From centralized to distributed decision tree induction using CHAID and fisher's linear discriminant function algorithms

The decision tree-based classification is a popular approach for pattern recognition and data mining. Most decision tree induction methods assume training data being present at one central location. Given the growth in distributed databases at geographically dispersed locations, the methods for decision tree induction in distributed settings are gaining importance. This paper extends two well-known decision tree methods for centralized data to distributed data settings. The first method is an extension of CHAID algorithm and generates single feature based multi-way split decision trees. The second method is based on Fisher's linear discriminant (FLO) function and generates multifeature binary trees. Both methods aim to generate compact trees and are able to handle multiple classes. The suggested extensions for distributed environment are compared to their centralized counterparts and also to each other. Theoretical analysis and experimental tests demonstrate the effectiveness of the extensions. In addition, the side-by-side comparison highlights the advantages and deficiencies of these methods under different settings of the distribution environments.
Resonance Raman scattering in Cr4+-doped forsterite.

Seven ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{4+}$ vibronic modes were obtained by means of resonance Raman scattering. These modes were measured at 253, 290, 480, 498, 690, 740, and 764 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ in ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{4+}$:${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$${\mathrm{SiO}}_{4}$. The symmetry of each of the modes was established and correlated to the molecular symmetry (${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{d}}$). The effective elastic constants for the Si-O and ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{4+}$-O bonds were estimated where a decrease of \ensuremath{\approxeq}13 to 29% (model dependent) was found when ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{4+}$ substitutes for Si. Possible energy matching between vibronic and host phonon modes are suggested as nonradiative pathway.
The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media, by José van Dijck. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2013. ix + 228 pp. $24.95 paper. ISBN 9780199970780 paper.

The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media is a history with a theoretical framework and a political vision. The author intends to help the reader “understand social media's hi...
Development and verification of an adaptive algorithm to efficiently represent three-dimensional signals using mixed transforms

A novel technique for representation of three-dimensional signals is presented employing the constrained set of basis functions of two or more transforms. The signal is split into subsignals, each of which is represented by the dominant components of a transform, whose basis functions closely approximate the subsignal. The residual error, which is the difference between the original and the reconstructed signal is properly formulated. An adaptive algorithm is developed to minimize this error and to maximize the Signal to Noise ratio (SNR) of the reconstructed signal for a fixed number of transform components. A simulation is presented to represent a synthetic 3-D signal consisting of three cosine waves and three square waves, employing the DCT-Walsh mixed transforms. It is verified that it is possible to split the signal spectrally into a narrowband and a broadband part, thus allowing the DCT to represent the cosine waves and the Walsh Hadamard transform to represent the square waves. This leads to excellent data compression.
Temple Drake and the Baby in William Faulkner’s Sanctuary

The character of Temple Drake has been much discussed and examined since the publication of Sanctuary in 1931. Dianne Luce Cox in her excellent article, “A Measure of Innocence: Sanctuary’s Temple ...
Neuroimaging correlates of pathologically defined subtypes of Alzheimer's disease: a case-control study

Summary Background Three subtypes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been pathologically defined on the basis of the distribution of neurofibrillary tangles: typical AD, hippocampal-sparing AD, and limbic-predominant AD. Compared with typical AD, hippocampal-sparing AD has more neurofibrillary tangles in the cortex and fewer in the hippocampus, whereas the opposite pattern is seen in limbic-predominant AD. We aimed to determine whether MRI patterns of atrophy differ between these subtypes and whether structural neuroimaging could be a useful predictor of pathological subtype at autopsy. Methods We identified patients who had been followed up in the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Rochester, MN, USA) or in the Alzheimer's Disease Patient Registry (Rochester, MN, USA) between 1992 and 2005. To be eligible for inclusion, participants had to have had dementia, AD pathology at autopsy (Braak stage ≥IV and intermediate to high probability of AD), and an ante-mortem MRI. Cases were assigned to one of three pathological subtypes—hippocampal-sparing, limbic-predominant, and typical AD—on the basis of neurofibrillary tangle counts in hippocampus and cortex and ratio of hippocampal to cortical burden, without reference to neuronal loss. Voxel-based morphometry and atlas-based parcellation were used to compare patterns of grey matter loss between groups and with age-matched control individuals. Neuroimaging was obtained at the time of first presentation. To summarise pair-wise group differences, we report the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC). Findings Of 177 eligible patients, 125 (71%) were classified as having typical AD, 33 (19%) as having limbic-predominant AD, and 19 (11%) as having hippocampal-sparing AD. Most patients with typical (98 [78%]) and limbic-predominant AD (31 [94%]) initially presented with an amnestic syndrome, but fewer patients with hippocampal-sparing AD (eight [42%]) did. The most severe medial temporal atrophy was recorded in patients with limbic-predominant AD, followed by those with typical disease, and then those with hippocampal-sparing AD. Conversely, the most severe cortical atrophy was noted in patients with hippocampal-sparing AD, followed by those with typical disease, and then limbic-predominant AD. The ratio of hippocampal to cortical volumes allowed the best discrimination between subtypes (p Interpretation Patterns of atrophy on MRI differ across the pathological subtypes of AD. MRI regional volumetric analysis can reliably track the distribution of neurofibrillary tangle pathology and can predict pathological subtype of AD at autopsy. Funding US National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging).
Overview of ship‐design expert systems

Expert systems constitute a branch of artificial intelligence, and their unique characteristics enable computer systems to perform at the level of a human expert by the use of algorithms that can capture domain-specific knowledge. Through an extensive survey of research about ship-design expert systems, we conclude that although development and implementation of expert systems for ship design offer substantial barriers, the shipbuilding industry needs them nonetheless. We examine the major reasons that use of expert systems in this industry has lagged behind. These include the problems of integration with existing computer-aided design systems, problems of knowledge representation and sizable development costs. We discuss in detail some key factors that can lead to the solution of these problems.
Demo: DeLorean: using speculation to enable low-latency continuous interaction for mobile cloud gaming

Playing games on mobile devices is very popular. Recently, cloud gaming – where datacenter servers execute the games on behalf of thin clients that merely transmit UI input events and display output rendered by the servers – has emerged as an interesting alternative to traditional clientside game execution. Cloud Gaming-as-a-Service (GaaS) offers several advantages salient to mobile clients. First, users with low end devices can get the same high quality experience as users with high end devices. Second, mobile game developers avoid two challenges that arise with the huge diversity of mobile devices: platform compatibility headaches and per-platform performance tuning. Third, upgrading servers (e.g., for bug fixes, game updates, etc.) becomes far easier than redeploying new software to clients. Finally, players can select from a vast library of games and instantly play any of them. However, GaaS on mobile devices faces a key technical dilemma: how can players attain real-time interactivity in the face of wide-area latency? Real-time interactivity means client input events should be quickly reflected on the client display. User studies have shown that players are sensitive to as little as 60 ms latency, and are aggravated at latencies in excess of 100 ms [1]. A further delay degradation from 150 ms to 250 ms lowers user engagement by 75% [2]. Instead, we propose to mitigate wide-area latency via speculative execution. We present DeLorean a system that delivers real-time gaming interactivity as fast as traditional local client-side execution, despite with network latencies. DeLorean’s basic approach combines input prediction with speculative execution to render mulitple possible frame outputs which could occur RTT milliseconds in the future. DeLorean employs the following techniques to accomplish this.
Design of a Cable-Driven Arm Exoskeleton (CAREX) for Neural Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation robots are, currently, being explored for training of neural impaired subjects or for assistance of those with weak limbs. Intensive training of neurally impaired subjects, with quantifiable outcomes, is the eventual goal of these robot exoskeletons. Conventional arm exoskeletons for rehabilitation are bulky and heavy. In recent years, the authors have proposed to make lightweight exoskeletons for rehabilitation by replacing the rigid links of the exoskeleton with lightweight cuffs fixed to the moving limb segments of the human arm. Cables are routed through these cuffs, which are driven by motors, to move the limb segments relative to each other. However, a scientific limitation of a cable-driven system is that each cable can only pull but not push. This paper is the first to demonstrate via experiments with cable-driven arm exoskeleton (CAREX) that it is possible to achieve desired forces on the hand, i.e., both pull and push, in any direction as required in neural training. In this research, an anthropomorphic arm was used to bench test the design and control concepts proposed in CAREX. As described in this paper, CAREX was attached to the limb segments of a five degree-of-freedom anthropomorphic arm instrumented with joint sensors. The cuffs of CAREX were designed to have adjustable cable routing points to optimize the “tensioned” workspace of the anthropomorphic arm. Simulation results of force field for training and rehabilitation of the arm are first presented. Experiments are conducted to show the performance of a CAREX force field controller when human subjects pull the end-effector of the anthropomorphic arm to travel on prescribed paths. The human-exoskeleton interface is also presented at the end of this paper to demonstrate the feasibility of CAREX on human arm.
Effects of atrial natriuretic peptide on coronary vascular resistance in the intact awake dog

Atrial natriuretic peptide has been reported to cause vasoconstriction, vasodilation or no change of coronary vascular resistance in isolated perfused hearts or in open chest animal models. Because general anesthesia and acute surgical trauma may perturb baseline coronary hemodynamics and alter responses to experimental interventions, this study examined the effects of human atrial natriuretic peptide (arginine-102-tyrosine-126) and rat atriopeptin II (serine-103-arginine-125) on the coronary circulation of unsedated, awake dogs. Studies were performed in 12 chronically instrumented animals in which a surgically implanted electromagnetic flow probe and intracoronary catheter allowed measurement of left circumflex coronary blood flow during intraarterial administration of the atrial natriuretic peptides. Bolus doses of both human atrial natriuretic peptide and rat atriopeptin II produced dose-dependent coronary vasodilation; the threshold for coronary vasodilation was 0.2 micrograms/kg body weight for both agents. Coronary vasodilation produced by human atrial natriuretic peptide was not antagonized by adenosine receptor blockade or by cyclooxygenase inhibition with indomethacin. Thus, atrial natriuretic peptides produced dose-dependent coronary vasodilation in intact awake dogs that was not dependent on adenosine-mediated or prostaglandin-mediated mechanisms.
Franciscus Junius's "The Painting of the Ancients" and the Painted Poetry of Ovid

TheDe Pictura Veterum (1637) of Franciscus Junius the Younger was commissioned by Junius's patron, the Earl of Arundel, known as “the collector earl.” For the earl's wife, the Countess of Arundel, Junius made an English translation under the titleThe Painting of the Ancients (1638). Both versions bring together virtually everything from ancient literature that touches on the visual arts, including comments originally made about poetry. Behind Junius's work lies the conviction that as poetry, so painting—to reverseut pictura poesis. Crucial to his discussion is the role of phantasy in the inventions of both poets and painters. He can find no better example of the workings of phantasy and its role in art than the stories of the gods that Ovid tells in theMetamorphoses. For Junius, however, Ovid is an expert on art, as well as a practitioner of it; as such, he deserves quotation on virually all aspects of artistic creation.
High gradient multilaver insulator technology

We are investigating a novel insulator concept that involves the use of alternating layers of conductors and insulators with periods less than 1 mm. These structures perform 1.5 to 4 times better than conventional insulators in long pulse, short pulse, and alternating polarity applications. We have surveyed our ongoing studies by investigating the performance under long pulse electron beam, short pulse, and full reversing conditions
Student Attitudes Toward Mandatory Fees.

Responses to questions on demography, knowledge about student fees, attitudes toward collection and distribution of fees, and utilization and satisfaction with 8 specific fee-funded programs were collected by mail survey from a sample of 1,002 University of Colorado (Boulder campus) students stratified by class year, ethnic group, and school. Only one-third paid their own fees, and less than 30% knew the amount of their fees within $5. Only graduate students advocated a cutback in services to obtain a reduction in fees; most students would accept higher fees to fund three new programs. Differences among students in attitudes toward and use of fee-funded services were definite among year subgroups and minimal among ethnic and school subgroups.
Assessment of the process and outcomes of the first 1,000 births of a nurse-midwifery service

Abstract This article is a retrospective descriptive analysis of the first 1,000 births conducted by the Nurse-Midwifery Group of Fresno County, California, over the period from 1980 to 1985. The multiethnic patient population was of mixed obstetric risk. Nurse-midwifery care was offered within the context of a comprehensive maternity care program in close collaboration with a perinatal health care team. Patient care outcomes were quite favorable when compared with county and state statistics. A perinatal mortality rate of 7.0 1,000 was observed. The incidence of low birth weight infants (5.7%) and the cesarean section rate (7.7%) were also lower than county and state statistics. These data add to the growing body of literature that suggests that nurse-midwifery care, within the structure of collaborative practice, can be effective and advantageous. The nurse-midwifery service made a contribution to access to perinatal care for the residents of this community.
Lack of incorporation of 18O and deuterium from water into stably-bound positions of glucose during intestinal absorption

Abstract The absorption of glucose from a medium containing either H 2 18 O or D 2 O was studied in an rat-intestine preparation in vitro . The results show no incorporation of either isotope into stably-bound positions of glucose during transport across the intestinal wall.
Ligand exchange dynamics in aluminum tris-(quinoline-8-olate): a solution state NMR study.

The exchange kinetics between the three symmetry-inequivalent ligands in the meridianal isomer of aluminum tris-(quinoline-8-olate) (Alq3), a widely used electron-transporting and light-emitting material in the field of organic light emitting diodes, have been studied using two-dimensional exchange NMR spectroscopy in solution. The three inequivalent ligands were found to exchange on a time scale of about 5 s- 1 at room temperature. A simple first-order mechanism based on consecutive 180° flips of the ligands is sufficient to quantitatively explain the experimental data. Activation enthalpies between 83 and 106 kJ mol- 1 were found for the flips of the three inequivalent ligands. The activation entropies are positive, suggesting a highly disordered transition state. These findings elucidate the internally mobile nature of the Alq3 complex, and may have important implications for the morphology of vapor deposited thin films of Alq3 as well as for crystallization-assisted device failures.
Cognitive Structures in Vocational Development.

Abstract The concept of vocational development is discussed in relation to structural changes which occur in the cognitive schemata individuals use to process vocational information. To determine the usefulness of this reasoning, a series of predictions was tested on a sample of 101 college undergraduates. Results indicated that vocational decision-making skills, career exploration, and career planning varied as a function of cognitive structure. Findings are interpreted as supporting the relevance of cognitive schemata to vocational development and are discussed in relation to the larger developmental literature. Directions for future research based on cognitive-developmental accounts of vocational change are also noted.
The transduction of Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-negative cells and protection against neutralizing antibodies by HPMA-co-oligolysine copolymer-coated adenovirus

Abstract Adenoviral (AdV) gene vectors offer efficient nucleic acid transfer into both dividing and non-dividing cells. However issues such as vector immunogenicity, toxicity and restricted transduction to receptor-expressing cells have prevented broad clinical translation of these constructs. To address this issue, engineered AdV have been prepared by both genetic and chemical manipulation. In this work, a polymer-coated Ad5 formulation is optimized by evaluating a series of N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA)-co-oligolysine copolymers synthesized by living polymerization techniques. This synthesis approach was used to generate highly controlled and well-defined polymers with varying peptide length (K5, K10 and K15), polymer molecular weight, and degradability to coat the viral capsid. The optimal formulation was not affected by the presence of serum during transduction and significantly increased Ad5 transduction of several cell types that lack the Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor (CAR) by up to 6-fold compared to unmodified AdV. Polymer-coated Ad5 also retained high transduction capability in the presence of Ad5 neutralizing antibodies. The critical role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) in mediating cell binding and internalization of polymer-coated AdV was also demonstrated by evaluating transduction in HSPG-defective recombinant CHO cells. The formulations developed here are attractive vectors for ex vivo gene transfer in applications such as cell therapy. In addition, this platform for adenoviral modification allows for facile introduction of alternative targeting ligands.
Statin therapy to prevent stroke in the elderly

The incidence of stroke increases with advanced age, and improved strategies for preventing both first and second stroke in the elderly are needed. Recent trials prove that low-density lipoprotein reduction by statins in high-risk patients, including the elderly, reduces the risk of ischemic stroke. Patients with any history of cerebrovascular disease who are treated with statins have a reduced risk of coronary ischemic events and of all major vascular ischemic events, independent of patient age. Patients with recent transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke show significantly reduced risks of both recurrent stroke and coronary events when they are treated with high-dose statin therapy. The vast majority of patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease, most of whom are elderly, should be placed on statin drugs. However, the majority of stroke patients are not currently treated to recommended levels, and the elderly are particularly undertreated. No valid reasons exist for avoiding statins in elderly patients at risk for stroke.
Model Inversion Architectures for Settle Time Applications with Uncertainty

We compare two common model inversion architectures, plant inverse (PI) and closed-loop inverse (CLI), by evaluating their ability to achieve settle time performance improvements. The plant models of interest are discrete-time, single-input single-output (SISO), linear time-invariant (LTI), nonminimum phase (NMP), and uncertain. We use a simple algebraic analysis to show that PI and CLI yield the same desired to actual output dynamics if the plant is minimum phase. Using a stable inverse approximation when the plant is certain but NMP, the same algebraic analysis shows that CLI achieves superior settle time performance relative to PI when the settle boundaries are tight. Simulation and experimental data are used to derive conclusions when the plant is NMP and uncertain. We show that CLI has superior performance over PI for our plant dynamics of interest when low frequency parametric uncertainty is present. For higher frequency unstructured uncertainty, the distinction between the two inversion architectures is negligible.
Synthesis and characterization of a trifunctional aminoamide cellulose derivative

As part of an effort to synthesize a dendronized cellulose, we have synthesized a trifunctional aminoamide derivative, which is the first generation of a dendron substituent. We anticipate that a dendronized cellulose would have applications in complexing metals and could be employed as an adjuvant for drugs. The trifunctional aminoamide substituent was introduced by coupling di-tert-butyl 4-[2-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-4-aminoheptanedicarboxylate, BA, directly to a (carboxymethyl)cellulose (CMC) backbone and converting the tert-butyl ester peripheral groups to aminoamide substituents by use of N,N-dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine. Confirmation of the proposed chemical structure of the intermediates as well as the water-soluble aminoamide derivative (CMCBADMPDA) was obtained by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and NMR spectroscopy. The degree of substitution (DS) was determined to be 0.40 +/- 0.01 by thermogravimetric analysis. Typical weight average molecular weight (M(w)), molecular weight distribution (MWD), and molecular size of the dendronized polymers were found to be 97,000, 1.7, and 17.4 nm for derivatives of a CMC with corresponding M(w), MWD, and root-mean-square radius (RMS) of 230 000, 3.2, and 24 nm. A differential refractive index (dn/dc) for the aminoamide derivative measured in aqueous 0.40 N ammonium acetate-0.01 N NaOH was found to be 0.1473. The intrinsic viscosity of the dendronized cellulose decreased significantly when compared with that of CMC, that is, 0.40 dL/g relative to 5.60 dL/g. The hydrophobicity of the CMCBADMPDA microenvironment in aqueous solution was probed by evaluating the relative fluorescence intensities of the I(373)/I(384) pyrene bands; a slightly more hydrophobic environment was observed.
Radar observations of ship-induced instabilities in the ocean-atmosphere system

Both natural and artificial (ship-induced) features of atmospheric motions can be seen in ocean radar imagery. Observations of a surface wake extending downstream from the atmospheric vortices in a thermal ship plume are described. To demonstrate the usefulness of radar systems in observing the ocean surface, we studied the behavior of hot ship exhaust, using a 2.25-cm-wavelength airborne radar. The ship-induced feature in the polarimetric radar images was observed in the ocean surface cold environment with moderate horizontal ambient winds. The smoke-like feature appears only in the vertically-polarized images, and not in the horizontally-polarized images.