cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Open-Loop Tracking of Rising and Setting GPS Radio-Occultation Signals From an Airborne Platform: Signal Model and Error Analysis

Global Positioning System (GPS) radio-occultation (RO) is an atmospheric sounding technique utilizing the received GPS signal through the stratified atmosphere to measure refractivity, which provides information on temperature and humidity. The GPS-RO technique is now operational on several Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, which cannot provide high temporal and spatial resolution soundings necessary to observe localized transient events, such as tropical storms. An airborne RO (ARO) system has thus been developed for localized GPS-RO campaigns. RO signals in the lower troposphere are adversely affected by rapid phase accelerations and severe signal power fading. These signal dynamics often cause the phase-locked loop in conventional GPS survey receivers to lose lock in the lower troposphere, and the open-loop (OL) tracking in postprocessing is used to overcome this problem. OL tracking also allows robust processing of rising GPS signals, approximately doubling the number of observed occultations. An approach for “backward” OL tracking was developed, in which the correlations are computed sequentially in reverse time so that the signal can be acquired and tracked at high elevations for rising occultations. Ultimately, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) limits the depth of tracking in the atmosphere. We have developed a model relating the SNR to the variance in the residual phase of the observed signal produced from OL tracking. In this paper, we demonstrate the applicability of the phase variance model to airborne data. We then apply this model to set a threshold on refractivity retrieval based upon the cumulative unwrapping error bias to determine the altitude limit for reliable signal tracking. We also show consistency between the ARO SNR and collocated COSMIC satellite observations and use these results to evaluate the antenna requirements for an improved ARO system.
Improvement of ZGM 113K Coal Pulverizer Output and Performance Analysis

Aiming at the poorer quality of the coal,the low designing-output,and the requirement of full capacity generation,a heat power station improved the output of the coal pulverizers.The retrofit not only improved the capability of full capacity generation,capacity of generating power,stability and safety,but also reduced the auxiliary power consumption,and improved the operation efficiency.
Preliminary study of the fetal rat alveolar type II epithelial cell growth and ABCA3 expression changes

Objective:To observe the growth of type Ⅱ alveolar epithelial cell(AECⅡ) and dynamic expression of AECⅡ specific protein ATP binding cassette transporter A3(ABCA3) in vitro.Methods:Lung tissues of 19-day fetal rats were digested with trypsin and collagenase,then screened for AECⅡ with different centrifugal force and repeated attachment.AECⅡ was identified by electron microscopy.Growth status and shape of attached cells in different time were observed with inverted phase contrast microscope,and the cell growh was assayed by MTT assay.The dynamic expression of ABCA3 in AECⅡ was detected by immunofluorescence.Results:The characteristic lamellar bodies of ACEⅡ with varying size and amount were observed under electron microscopy.The obsorbance value of AECⅡ cells by MTT at 24 h,36 h,48 h,72 h,96 h,120 h was 0.177 ± 0.009,0.193 ± 0.011,0.212 ± 0.019,0.253 ± 0.019,0.243 ± 0.012,0.192 ± 0.011 respectively.Cell morphology under microscope gradually became elongating and flattening,and the intracellular particles gradually reduced.Simultaneously,the immunofluorescence assay result showed that ABCA3 expression in AECⅡ cells gradually decreased with the culture time prolonged.Conclusion:Primary cultured AECⅡ has the best growth status and the most abundant ABCA3 expression in the early culture time,therefore this period(primary culture for 72 hours or less) is optimum time to research mechanism of diseases associated with lung development.
An analysis over results of the monitor of drinking water in the countryside of Ningbo,Jiangbei District During the Period 2007-2010

Objective:Learn sanitary condition of drinking water in the countryside of Ningbo Jiangbei district to safeguard water quality and provide basis for the formulating of scientific strategy.Methods: A total of 232 samples were collected from different sources and seasons in the countryside of Jiangbei district each year during the period 2007-2010.Samples were sent for laboratory tests according to GB5750-2006.Results: According to the results of 24 different tests,the least qualified parameters were chroma,turbidity,COC,TAN,nitrite nitrogen,total bacterial count,MPN,with qualify ratio of 35%,40%,36,53%,39%,38%,and 62% respectively.River water and well water claimed the lowest qualify ratio 55% and 64% respectively among different sources.Conclusion: The sanitary condition of drinking water in the countryside of Jiangbei district was still comparatively poor.Source water was subject to varied degrees of pollution.
Normal Pursuit-System Limitations— First Discovered in Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome

Infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS) patients occasionally have impaired pursuit. Model and patient data identified relative timing between target motion initiation and INS-waveform saccades as the cause. We used a new stimulus, the “step-pause-ramp” (SPR), to induce saccades proximal to target-velocity onset and test their effect on normal pursuit. Our OMS model predicted that proximal saccades impaired normal ramp responses, as in INS. Eye movements of subjects were calibrated monocularly and recorded binocularly; data were analyzed using OMtools software. Proximal saccades caused lengthened target acquisition times and steady-state position errors, confirming the model’s predictions. Spontaneous pursuit oscillation supported the hypothesis that INS is caused by loss of smooth-pursuit damping. Snooth pursuit may be impaired by saccades overlapping targetmotion onset.
Scientific Reasoning and Some Applications

Beyond basic scientific studies there is a concern that courts may not fully understand critical features of scientific reasoning. This is the means by which scientists make inferences from data to conclusions about the toxic properties of substances. These inferences are central to the scientific enterprise, but they have some complexity that may resist easy understanding. In fact, some judges have had a tendency to adopt comparatively simple indicators of reliable scientific reasoning, indicia that must be jettisoned or modified in favor of a more subtle understanding of scientific inferences. PRINCIPLES OF REASONING UNDERLYING CAUSAL INFERENCE The reasoning that supports causal inferences is based on nondeductive inferences to the best explanation (introduced in Chapter 3). Such reasoning is both central to routine causal inferences and underlies the reasoning scientists utilized to infer the causal significance of case reports discussed in Chapter 4. Inferences to the best explanation have a substantial historical pedigree and are widely utilized: by consensus scientific bodies, including the IOM and WHO, by methodologists, by physicians in differentially diagnosing diseases from symptoms, by physicians diagnosing the causes of disease (some call this “diagnostic etiology” – the search for causes of disease), and by fire, airplane, and shuttle accident investigators. It is widely endorsed across many fields and accounts for the particular characteristics of causal inferences to which methodologists and others call attention in good case studies. Recall that inferences to conclusions are of two kinds: deductive and nondeductive. The defining feature of valid deductive inferences, typical of mathematics and formal logic, is that the conclusion is “guaranteed logically or semantically by the premises: if the premises are true and the argument is valid , the conclusion must be true,” exhibiting a “logically tight” relationship between premises and conclusions. In contrast, nondeductive inferences to the best explanation are simply those whose conclusions are supported but not guaranteed by their premises. Even if the premises are true, the nondeductive link between premises and conclusions can have varying degrees of strength, unlike a deductive argument. In these arguments if the premises are true, they may offer much to little (or no) support for the conclusion in question. Moreover, the given premises will provide support for different possible conclusions (or as some of the literature puts it, support different explanations ).
Labeled Trees (LBLTRE)

This chapter discusses an algorithm LBLTRE for processing of labeled trees. A celebrated theorem of Cayley asserts that there are exactly n n −2 such trees on n vertices. The chapter uses one of the proofs of Cayley's theorem as the basis for selection algorithms. The proof used was given by Prufer, and it gives an explicit construction that associates with each labeled tree on n vertices a unique ( n −2)-tuple of integers. The chapter presents an algorithm that constructs a tree from its codeword, in linear time. Hence, with this algorithm, it is possible to exhibit all trees on n vertices, select one uniformly at random, find the m th one on the list, etc., because such operations are trivially easy on the codewords themselves. The chapter presents the sample output of the algorithm. In an analysis presented in the chapter, for the sample problem, LBLTRE was used to display the 16 labeled trees on N = 4 vertices.
IPAC: IP-based Adaptive Packet Concatenation for Multihop Wireless Networks

Because medium contention occurs for each packet that is transmitted in a IEEE 802.11 wireless network, transmission of a large number of small packets can be particularly detrimental to performance. As a result of contention overhead, end-to-end delay and energy dissipation increase and the medium utilization decreases. In this paper, our goal is to reduce contention through concatenation of several small packets into a single large packet, and subsequently transmit this large packet. We propose IPAC, an IP-based packet concatenation protocol that adaptively selects an appropriate packet size based on the route quality. Simulation results show that with IPAC, contention is reduced by a factor of two, resulting in a throughput increase by a factor of two to three.
Heme Oxygenase-1: A Potential Modulator of Inflammation and Vaso-Occlusion in Sickle Cell Disease.

Hemolysis in sickle cell patients leads to elevated plasma hemoglobin S and bilirubin, increased numbers of circulating reticulocytes, reduced plasma haptoglobin and hemopexin, increased kidney and endothelial cell HO-1 expression and carbon monoxide (CO) production. Plasma hemoglobin S can transfer heme to endothelium thereby enhancing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), activating vascular endothelium and inducing the cytoprotective enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). We hypothesize that HO-1, an adaptive, anti-inflammatory gene, and its downstream products, play a vital role in the inhibition and resolution of vaso-occlusion in sickle cell disease. S+S Antilles transgenic sickle mice have an activated vascular endothelium, that includes enhanced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) activation and endothelial cell adhesion molecule (ECAM) expression. These transgenic sickle mice also hemolyze in vivo as evidenced by increased reticulocyte counts (10.2%), plasma hemoglobin (2.3 mg/dl) and bilirubin (1.7 mg/dl) and reduced plasma haptoglobin compared to normal control mice (p
Oxidation induced stress in SiO2/SiC structures

Physical stress in SiO2/SiC stacks formed by the thermal oxidation of SiC is studied experimentally through both room temperature ex-situ and variable temperature (25–1150 °C) in-situ investigations. Mechanisms giving rise to the stress are a thermal component, associated with differences in thermal expansion coefficients of the oxide and the substrate, and an intrinsic component associated with the different atomic densities and structure of the film and substrate. Ex-situ results show a ∼108 Pa compressive stress in the SiO2 film in a SiO2/SiC stack with a strong crystal face dependence (C face(000ī) and Si face (0001)) and processing (temperature, growth rate) dependence. Real-time stress determination demonstrates that at temperatures above ∼900 °C, the total intrinsic stress and a portion of the thermal stress may be relieved. On the basis of these findings, a viscous model is proposed to discuss the stress relaxation.
The choice of a stochastic model for a noise system

Let a system be affected by noises that are sample functions of a process N *; the state-function x * corresponding to each sample function of N * is determined by a differential or difference or functional equation E *. For mathematical tractability we wish to replace N * by an idealization N. To do this we shall also replace equations E * by other equations E; the solution of E corresponding to N will be a process x. If E is well chosen, the finite-dimensional distributions of x will be satisfactory approximations to those of x * We here investigate some cases to find when such an idealization can reasonably be expected to exist, and how to choose the system E.
Cross-Spectral Factor Analysis

In neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or depression, there is often a disruption in the way that regions of the brain synchronize with one another. To facilitate understanding of network-level synchronization between brain regions, we introduce a novel model of multisite low-frequency neural recordings, such as local field potentials (LFPs) and electroencephalograms (EEGs). The proposed model, named Cross-Spectral Factor Analysis (CSFA), breaks the observed signal into factors defined by unique spatio-spectral properties. These properties are granted to the factors via a Gaussian process formulation in a multiple kernel learning framework. In this way, the LFP signals can be mapped to a lower dimensional space in a way that retains information of relevance to neuroscientists. Critically, the factors are interpretable. The proposed approach empirically allows similar performance in classifying mouse genotype and behavioral context when compared to commonly used approaches that lack the interpretability of CSFA. We also introduce a semi-supervised approach, termed discriminative CSFA (dCSFA). CSFA and dCSFA provide useful tools for understanding neural dynamics, particularly by aiding in the design of causal follow-up experiments.
Modelling of performance of PEM fuel cells with conventional and interdigitated flow fields

A simple mathematical model is developed to investigate the superiority of the interdigitated flow field design over the conventional one, especially in terms of maximum power density. Darcy's equation for porous media and the standard diffusion equation with effective diffusivity are used in the gas diffuser, and a coupled boundary condition given by the Butler–Volmer equation is used at the catalyst layer interface. The performance of PEM fuel cells with a conventional flow field and an interdigitated flow field is studied with other appropriate boundary conditions. The theoretical results show that the limiting current density of a fuel cell with an interdigitated flow field is about three times the current density of a fuel cell with a conventional flow field. The results also demonstrate that the interdigitated flow field design can double the maximum power density of a PEM fuel cell. The modelling results compared well with experimental data in the literature.
Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics in Metamorphism

Recent studies of metamorphic structures provide a clear picture of the mechanisms involved in processes such as the replacement of one mineral assemblage by another at an isograd (Carmichael, 1969), the growth of reaction zones between incompatible assemblages (Vidale, 1969; A. B. Thompson, 1975), or the development of metamorphic segregations (Fisher, 1970). Taken together, these studies provide a basis for quantitative evaluation of the kinetics of metamorphic processes, with the twin goals of furthering our understanding of metamorphism and, eventually, using textures and structures in the rocks themselves as internal clocks to estimate the time involved in successive stages of a metamorphic cycle.
Metal oxide modified ZnO nanomaterials for biosensor applications

Advancing as a biosensing nanotechnology, nanohybrids present a new class of functional materials with high selectivity and sensitivity, enabling integration of nanoscale chemical/biological interactions with biomedical devices. The unique properties of ZnO combined with metal oxide nanostructures were recently demonstrated to be an efficient approach for sensor device fabrication with accurate, real-time and high-throughput biosensing, creating new avenues for diagnosis, disease management and therapeutics. This review article collates recent advances in the modified ZnO nanostructured metal oxide nanohybrids for efficient enzymatic and non-enzymatic biosensor applications. Furthermore, we also discussed future prospects for nanohybrid materials to yield high-performance biosensor devices.
X-Ray Analysis of Environmental Pollutants

Excitation of characteristic x-rays by electrons, photons, or fast ion beams provides a method of elemental analysis characterized as quantitative, multielement, and nondestructive. Methods of excitation, selection of target configuration, and methods of x-ray detection all lead to diverse optimizations of analytical performance, allowing these methods to be used in a large variety of environmental problems.
Urban Ecology from a Biophysical and Systems Perspective

Cities are a common and natural characteristic of both nature and human cultures over the last 10,000 years. Ecologically, both natural and human cities are regions of concentrated animal life, intense energy consumption (respiration, or R), and concentrated material accumulations and flows. They require much larger regions of net production (P) outside of the city to generate the food and other resources used within the urban area and large amounts of auxiliary energy to move that food and other requirements into the city and to remove wastes. There are many parallels between natural ecosystems and cities. Both contain abiotic (rocks, water, minerals, nutrient, houses) and biotic (trees, plants, animals) structure. For example, forested ecosystems have developed soils (abiotic structure) that allow for trees (biotic structure) to capture solar energy and feed energy to the rest of the ecosystem, including soils. This energy is essential for constructing the structure, and the structure is essential for maintaining the ability of the system to continue to capture and utilize incoming solar energy as well as to capture and hold water and recycle wastes. This chapter gives various examples of how urban ecosystems are like natural ecosystems in both structure and function and concludes that because humans are part of the biosphere, cities are really natural systems. It also concludes that the principal distinction between pre-Neolithic (Stone Age) human societies and Neolithic ones, or between Neolithic societies and modern industrial societies, is the amount of energy required to create and maintain the incredible infrastructure of modern cities. Modern urban areas have per capita GDP, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions that are 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than subsidence-based populations in poorer countries. This suggests that urbanization is not a solution for resource scarcity-related problems in the twenty-first century.
Abstract 5042: Folate and other B-vitamins and the risk of breast cancer in younger women

Purpose: Prior epidemiologic cohort studies have generally found no associations of folate and other B-vitamins with breast cancer overall, but differences by menopause status have been suggested. However, prior studies have been limited by small numbers to examine the relationship between different plasma measures and related polymorphisms and breast cancer risk among younger women. Therefore, we examined the association of plasma B-vitamins and metabolites, and related genetic variants, with risk of breast cancer among predominantly premenopausal women. Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study within the Nurses’ Health Study II. From blood samples collected in 1996-1999 and follow-up through 2007, plasma measures were available for 610 cases and 1,207 controls. Unconditional multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate relative risks (RR) of breast cancer and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We examined whether associations varied by methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and dihydrofolate reductase polymorphisms, breast cancer risk factors, or tumor characteristics. Results: Plasma vitamin B12 was associated with a 71% increase in risk of breast cancer comparing the highest versus lowest quintile (95%CI=1.22-2.39, p-trend=0.02). Plasma folate (comparable RR=1.20, 95%CI=0.85-1.68), pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (RR=1.19, 95%CI=0.85-1.65), cysteine (RR=1.15, 95%CI=0.81-1.63), homocysteine (RR=0.90, 95%CI=0.65-1.25), and cysteinylglycine (RR=0.92, 95%CI=0.65-1.31) were not associated with overall breast cancer risk. Folate was significantly positively associated with invasive (RR highest tertile vs. lowest=1.48, 95%CI=1.09-2.01) and estrogen receptor-positive/progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer (RR T3 vs. T1= 1.59, 95%CI= 1.12-2.27) and the invasive association was suggestively stronger for bloods collected post-fortification (p-heterogeneity=0.19). Several nutrient/breast cancer associations varied across subgroups defined by age, smoking, alcohol, multivitamin use and MTHFR status (p-interaction Conclusions: Overall, plasma B-vitamins and metabolites were not consistently associated with lower breast cancer risk. For increasing plasma folate and B12 levels higher risk of invasive breast cancer was observed. Additionally, there may be associations in subgroups defined by related genetic variants, breast cancer risk factors, and tumor factors. Future studies in younger women are needed to confirm findings. Citation Format: Serena C. Houghton, A Heather Eliassen, Shumin Zhang, Jacob Selhub, Bernard A. Rosner, Walter C. Willett, Susan E. Hankinson. Folate and other B-vitamins and the risk of breast cancer in younger women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5042.
Statistical verification of PCTL using antithetic and stratified samples

In this work, we study the problem of statistically verifying Probabilistic Computation Tree Logic (PCTL) formulas on discrete-time Markov chains (DTMCs) with stratified and antithetic samples. We show that by properly choosing the representation of the DTMCs, semantically negatively correlated samples can be generated for a fraction of PCTL formulas via the stratified or antithetic sampling techniques. Using stratified or antithetic samples, we propose statistical verification algorithms with asymptotic correctness guarantees based on sequential probability ratio tests, and show that these algorithms are more sample-efficient than the algorithms using independent Monte Carlo sampling. Finally, the efficiency of the statistical verification algorithm with stratified and antithetic samples is demonstrated by numerical experiments on several benchmarks.
Minimally Invasive Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: Hospital Type Drives Utilization and Outcomes.

Abstract Introduction Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasingly common; however, uptake has differed by hospital type. It is unknown how these trends have evolved for laparoscopic or robotic approaches in different types of hospitals. This study assesses temporal trends for MIS utilization and examines differences in surgical outcomes by hospital type. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried for patients who underwent CRC surgery between 2010 and 2015. Time-trend analysis of MIS utilization was performed for both approaches by hospital type (community, comprehensive community, integrated network, academic). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine MIS utilization, differences in case severity, and surgical outcomes by hospital type, after controlling for patient characteristics. Results Across all hospital types, community hospitals had the lowest rate of laparoscopic (36.8%) and robotic (3.3%) procedures for CRC (P Conclusions MIS for CRC lags at the community level and experiences worse postoperative outcomes. Future initiatives must focus on understanding and correcting this trend to ensure uniform access to high-quality surgical care.
Out of the consulting room and into the world: hermeneutic dialogue, phronesis, and psychoanalytic theory as practice

One of the relics of positivism has been an underappreciation of the moral and ethical dimensions of psychoanalytic theory and practice. In a positivist metapsychology, cure and therapeutic gain were often defined instrumentally, with relatively little consideration given to aspects of human experience (e.g., moral, cultural, spiritual) that did not fit within a positivist framework. Conceptual and paradigmatic shifts in psychoanalysis have occurred, in part, because of the inability of the classical model to provide a language that adequately captures deeply felt human values and beliefs. Aided by hermeneutic and postmodern influences, many contemporary psychoanalytic theories are beginning to focus greater attention on the notion that analytic therapy is empowered by a set of ethical convictions, beliefs, and commitments, which are tied to a certain understanding of the good life. Along these lines, the author argues that developing a fresh understanding of the moral and ethical dimensions of psychoanalysis requires elaborating a new ontology of human subjectivity and social life. The author offers a sketch of how this gargantuan task might be started by integrating psychoanalysis within a hermeneutic perspective on dialogue, by suggesting that it would be helpful to view psychoanalysis as promoting Aristotelian practical wisdom or phronesis, and by rethinking psychoanalytic theory and interpretation as a form of practice.
Predicting Profitability Using Machine Learning

Out-of-sample prediction of profitability is a critical step in fundamental analysis and yet even sophisticated regression models do not generate predictions that significantly outperform random walk predictions. We employ random forests with classification trees, a method from machine learning, to generate out-of-sample predictions of directional changes (increases or decreases) in five profitability measures, return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA), return on net operating assets (RNOA), cash flow from operations (CFO), and free cash flow (FCF). With a minimum set of independent variables, and out-of-sample, our method achieves classification accuracies ranging from 57 – 64% for our profitability measures, compared to 50% for the random walk. The difference in proportions of accurate classifications is highly significant. Out-of-sample classification accuracy is similar over forecast horizons of 1 to 5 years. We observe better performance on cash flow measures than on traditional, earnings-based profitability measures. Also, accruals show strong incremental ability beyond cash flows in predicting future cash flows. We find predictive accuracy is highest for firms with high and low accruals-to-market and earnings-to-market ratios, exceeding 75% in one instance. Importantly, our method is insensitive to outliers; our method used data that had not been winsorized or standardized. These results suggest that machine learning methods offer better predictive performance than traditional regression-based methods.
COVID-19 Stresses United States on Domestic Borders; War Analog Might Foster State Solidarity upon Federal Power

The coronavirus pandemic is stressing not only our healthcare systems, but our political and legal systems. The pandemic has challenged our sense of identity in humankind, pitching us back and forth between a spirit of global solidarity and a competition of human tribes for resources and survival. That tension plays out in our political and legal responses to the pandemic, manifesting the natural human temptation to tribalism in both international and intranational dimensions. As policymakers struggle to respond to the pandemic and to curb the outbreak of COVID-19, I have been struck by the emergence of interstate tensions in the United States. The pressure of the pandemic, aggravated by a slow and uncertain governmental response at the federal level, has been a brusque reminder that the United States are a plural: a federation of states that famously endeavored “to form a more perfect Union,” but that, like human governance itself, remains a work in progress.
Symptomatic Primary Tethered Optic Chiasm: Technical Case Report.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE Symptomatic tethering of the optic nerves and chiasm is a rare occurrence and has been reported following both surgical and medical treatment of pituitary adenoma. Here we present a case of primary optic chiasm tethering in a patient with empty sella syndrome. CLINICAL PRESENTATION The patient was a 61-yr-old female who presented with progressively worsening bitemporal hemianopsia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain revealed an empty sella with herniation of the optic chiasm into the sella. The patient underwent an endoscopic, endonasal/trans-sphenoidal approach to the sella, where the optic chiasm was then detethered via lysis of arachnoid adhesions and ultimately buttressed with an abdominal fat graft. Postoperatively, the patient did well with subjective and objective improvements in her visual fields. CONCLUSION We report a rare case of primary tethered optic chiasm, which was successfully treated via an endoscopic, endonasal approach with abdominal fat graft harvest.
The case of Canvas: Longitudinal datafication through learning management systems

The Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) is used in thousands of universities across the United States and internationally, with a strong and growing presence in K-12 and higher education market...
Reference Group to Competitors: Export Behavior of Firms in Transition Economies

This paper examines how domestic and foreign competitors, as a reference group or direct competitors, influence export intensity of firms in transition economies. Domestic competitors as reference ...
Reading Born-Digital Scholarship: A Study of Webtext User Experience

Abstract Born-digital scholarship follows ideals of multimodal, interactive design, embodied in the webtext, that open new possibilities for individual and collective reader experience. However, author-designers often fail to consult actual readers about their experiences using born-digital scholarship to assess whether the realities of webtext use measure up to the ideals inspiring webtext design. User-centered design approaches offer opportunities to examine webtext user experience and design for new rhetorical engagements between born-digital designers and users. Findings from think-aloud testing show that users engage webtexts through hyperreading practices of skimming, scanning, and close reading, and experience a sense of placelessness when navigating webtexts, unfamiliarity with webtext designs, and a freedom to read nonlinearly across fragmented texts that can unsettle readers accustomed to a single, linear narrative. These findings suggest implications for webtext designs that facilitate users’ reading practices and suggest that user-centered design approaches can reveal and, in turn, expand the scope of rhetorical engagements possible in born-digital scholarship.
Error Correction Mechanisms for Transactional Script Smart Contracts

This Article explores the implications of transactional script smart contracts used in situations where there is less than total trust between the parties. In particular, this Article asks the question of how parties to these next generation transactional scripts can seek redress and remedies in the event that the transactional script does not perform according to the parties’ intent. Until parties feel safe that any errors can be corrected, large-scale implementation of transactional scripts will be hobbled. Part II of this Article articulates why the term “transactional scripts” is preferable to “smart contracts” and describes the utility and potential of transactional scripts. Part III identifies several factors that hinder greater expansion of the use of transactional scripts. It goes on to identify uncertainty of enforcement as the most important barrier to transactional script innovation, finding that parties will be reluctant to entrust bigger and more complex transactions to transactional scripts until the parties are comfortable that an external mechanism is capable of correcting errors in the execution of the transaction. This lack of reliable enforcement mechanisms is a problem exacerbated by the characteristic of distributed ledger technology, which is to move only forward, preventing revisions or reversals of preexisting entries. Part IV explores and critiques possible mechanisms that may be able to provide error correction, including statutory law, private law, online dispute resolution, public/private regulatory partnership, and common law. Part V concludes the Article, noting that the expansion of transactional scripts’ utility will be tethered to the security provided by available error-correction mechanisms. Only as contracting parties become assured that the integrity of their transactional intent will be effectuated will transactional scripts be adopted for use.
Hepatic mTORC1 signaling activates ATF4 as part of its metabolic response to feeding and insulin.

Abstract Objective The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is dynamically regulated by fasting and feeding cycles in the liver to promote protein and lipid synthesis while suppressing autophagy. However, beyond these functions, the metabolic response of the liver to feeding and insulin signaling orchestrated by mTORC1 remains poorly defined. Here, we determine whether ATF4, a stress responsive transcription factor recently found to be independently regulated by mTORC1 signaling in proliferating cells, is responsive to hepatic mTORC1 signaling to alter hepatocyte metabolism. Methods ATF4 protein levels and expression of canonical gene targets were analyzed in the liver following fasting and physiological feeding in the presence or absence of the mTORC1 inhibitor, rapamycin. Primary hepatocytes from wild-type or liver-specific Atf4 knockout (LAtf4KO) mice were used to characterize the effects of insulin-stimulated mTORC1-ATF4 function on hepatocyte gene expression and metabolism. Both unbiased steady-state metabolomics and stable-isotope tracing methods were employed to define mTORC1 and ATF4-dependent metabolic changes. RNA-sequencing was used to determine global changes in feeding-induced transcripts in the livers of wild-type versus LAtf4KO mice. Results We demonstrate that ATF4 and its metabolic gene targets are stimulated by mTORC1 signaling in the liver, in a hepatocyte-intrinsic manner by insulin in response to feeding. While we demonstrate that de novo purine and pyrimidine synthesis is stimulated by insulin through mTORC1 signaling in primary hepatocytes, this regulation was independent of ATF4. Metabolomics and metabolite tracing studies revealed that insulin-mTORC1-ATF4 signaling stimulates pathways of nonessential amino acid synthesis in primary hepatocytes, including those of alanine, aspartate, methionine, and cysteine, but not serine. Conclusions The results demonstrate that ATF4 is a novel metabolic effector of mTORC1 in the liver, extending the molecular consequences of feeding and insulin-induced mTORC1 signaling in this key metabolic tissue to the control of amino acid metabolism.
Reply to Cheong and Jones: The role of science in responding to collective behavioral threats.

In our PNAS article “Stewardship of global collective behavior” (1), we describe the breakneck pace of recent innovations in information technology. This radical transformation has transpired not through a stewarded effort to improve information quality or to further human well-being. Rather, current technologies have been developed and deployed largely for the orthogonal purpose of keeping people engaged online. We cannot expect that an information ecology organized around ad sales will promote sustainability, equity, or global health. In the face of such impediments to rational democratic action, how can we hope to overcome threats such as global warming, habitat destruction, mass extinction, war, food security, and … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: joebak{at}uw.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Performance of Service-Discovery Architectures in Response to Node Failures

Abstract : Current trends suggest future software systems will rely on service-discovery protocols to combine and recombine distributed services dynamically in reaction to changing conditions. We investigate the ability of selected designs for service-discovery protocols to support real-time distributed control applications by detecting and recovering from failure of remote services. We model two architectures (two-party and three-party) underlying most commercial service-discovery systems. We use simulation to quantify functional effectiveness achieved by the two architectures as the rate of failure increases for remote services. We further decompose non-functional periods into failure-detection delay and recovery delay. Our quantitative measurements suggest that a two-party architecture yields better robustness than a three-party architecture. We discuss the underlying causes for this outcome.
chapter 20 – RELATIVISTIC MECHANICS

Publisher Summary This chapter generalizes linear momentum and kinetic energy, two key dynamic concepts, so that the conservation laws of linear momentum and energy hold for particle speeds up to the speed of light. The relativistic expression for kinetic energy leads directly to the famous mass–energy relation, E = mc2. The chapter provides an overview of the relativistic conservation laws. It explains that the development of relativistic mechanics starts with the generalization of the classical expressions for linear momentum and kinetic energy. The chapter defines the relativistic linear momentum and relativistic energy in such a way that linear momentum and energy are conserved. It presents the relativistic form of linear momentum. The chapter discusses the work-energy theorem to derive relativistic energy from the relativistic momentum. It discusses the relativistic momentum and energy to describe proton–antiproton pair production.
A controlled study of feeding gastrostomy in low birth weight infants.

The present controlled study was to evaluate the effect of a feeding gastrostomy on the survival of infants with birth weights between 750 and 1,250 gm utilizing sequential analysis. A total of 122 infants were entered into the study at 48 to 72 hours after birth. A successful outcome was survival at 21 days. Of 54 matched pairs, 34 had a similar outcome and did not contribute to the sequential analysis. The outcome of the discordant pairs was recorded according to a prearranged scheme of sequential analysis. With the completion of the twentieth "untied" pair, the decision was made that mortality with gastrostomy was higher than that with routine feedings.
The Inevitibility of Regional Variation in the United Kingdom

First, the general history of the different regions must be considered, to the degree that explains innate qualities of specific regions. This can assist in understanding the roots of regional variation. Second, the situation of regional governance in the UK is important as it is the vehicle by which the current situation has risen and progress and change can be made. Third, it is best to look at both the history and current situation of economic statistics with special regard to regional differences in GDP per capita and the unemployment rate. Also to be considered is the idea of a “regional problem” and the criteria that collectively determine what qualifies as a problem. And fourth, I will explain the differences and hypothesize as to why they exist and what will happen in the future. I will look at the theoretical imbalance in the government through population and social analysis, and the practical imbalances through economic analysis. Through this, I intend to show the inevitability of regional imbalance in the UK. Moreover, the UK government must recognize these issues as regional and move to set up regional governments to aid the situation and improve each region. Inequity is inevitable, but when a large inequity is present, the government must intercede to diminish it. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol13/iss1/18
SOME CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF THE POTASSIUM EFFECT

The ability of Nitella to distinguish electrically between Na+ and K+ (potassium effect) appears to depend on several organic substances (or groups of substances). Of these RMK and RSK determine the mobility and partition coefficient (S) respectively of K+ while RMNa and RSNa do the same for Na+. These substances can vary independently and this variation is susceptible to experimental control.
The development of dynamics in the 20th century and the contribution of Jürgen Moser

Jurgen Moser (1928–1999) was one of the most accomplished mathematicians of the second half of the 20th century and his work had a major impact in broad areas of analysis, especially partial differential equations and dynamical systems, and geometry. In this article we discuss only his contributions to dynamics and closely related areas. We feel that the best way to make the reader understand and appreciate the impact of Moser's work is to discuss it within the framework of some major trends in the development of dynamical systems during the last century. We apologize in advance for omitting many important references, including some key original work. These can be found in secondary sources to which we refer for detailed accounts of various areas. Needless to say, we included in our references all papers by Moser relevant to our discussion. For brief surveys of Moser's work in all areas see [45,91].The leading theme of virtually all of Moser's work in dynamics is the search for elements of stable behavior in dynamical systems with respect to either initial conditions or perturbations of the system.
Time of origin of opioid peptide-containing neurons in the rat hypothalamus.

By using a combined technique of immunocytochemistry and [3H]thymidine autoradiography, we have determined the "birth date" of opioid peptide-containing neurons in several hypothalamic nuclei and regions. These include proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons (represented by ACTH immunoreactivity) in the arcuate nucleus; dynorphin A neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei and the lateral hypothalamic area; and leu-enkephalin neurons in the periventricular, ventromedial, and medial mammillary nuclei, as well as in preoptic and perifornical areas. Arcuate POMC neurons were born very early in embryonic development, with peak heavy [3H]thymidine nuclear labelling occurring on embryonic day E12. Supraoptic and paraventricular dynorphin A neurons were also labelled relatively early (peak at E13). The lateral hypothalamic dynorphin A neurons showed peak heavy labelling also on day E12. By contrast, leu-enkephalin neurons in the periventricular nucleus and medial preoptic area exhibited peak heavy nuclear labelling on day E14. Furthermore, perifornical and ventromedial leu-enkephalin neurons were also born relatively early (peak on days E12 and E13, respectively). However, the leu-enkephalin neurons in the medial mammillary nucleus were born the latest of all cell groups studied (i.e., peak at E15). The results indicate a differential genesis of these opioid peptide-containing neuronal groups in different hypothalamic nuclei and regions.
A generic approach for the HPLC separation of quinolone antibiotics

Separations of eleven quinolone antibiotics were optimised on three different HPLC stationary phases. The performance of each was evaluated and compared. Both acidic and amphoteric quinolone derivatives were included in the study.
Dermatologic Radiotherapy and Thyroid Cancer: Dose Measurements and Risk Quantification

Thyroid doses for various dermatologic radiation techniques were measured with thermoluminescent dosimeters and ionization rate meters in an Alderson-Rando anthropomorphic phantom. The effects of changes in radiation quality and of the use or nonuse of treatment cones and thyroid shields were evaluated in detail. The results indicate that the potential risk of radiogenic thyroid cancer is very small when proper radiation protection measures are used. The probability of radiogenic thyroid cancer developing and the potential mortality risk were assessed quantitatively for each measurement. The quantification of radiation risks allows comparisons with risks of other therapeutic modalities and the common hazards of daily life.
Factors influencing active avoidance behavior in rats with ventromedial hypothalamic lesions.

Abstract Ventromedial hypothalamic lesioned rats maintained at preoperative body weight received an equal number of shocks while emitting significantly fewer responses than controls in a lever-pressing free-operant avoidance paradigm, and performed as well as unoperated animals in lever-pressing and shuttle box (both 1- and 2-way) discriminated avoidance tasks. The failure of VMH lesions to facilitate performance in the 2-way avoidance paradigm was probably the result of a ceiling effect. With the exception of the simple one-way avoidance task, obese lesioned rats were markedly impaired in the acquisition of all active avoidance behavior, but escape behavior was not affected. When tested in a free-operant paradigm, the avoidance performance of well trained lesioned animals varied inversely with body weight. As obese rats displayed lower flinch thresholds to shock than controls and similar levels of activity and responding as lean lesioned animals, it was concluded that their impaired avoidance behavior was not due to changes in sensitivity or mobility. The possible relation to other VMH lesion- and/or obesity-induced deficits is discussed.
Nutritional implications of tryptophan catabolizing enzymes in several species of trout and salmon.

Summary and conclusionsData obtained from assays from activity of 3HAA and PC in livers of five species of trout and salmon indicate that, in general, dietary tryptophan is not an effective precursor of niacin, for which a dietary requirement exists. Intergeneric differences in this relationship may or may not suggest differences in the quantitative requirements for dietary niacin by these individual species of salmonids.