cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uniform Mortgage Regulation and Distortion in Capital Allocation

The federal mortgage policy, the conforming loan limit (CLL), was spatially uniform before the recent financial crisis, despite heterogeneity across geography. An increased CLL leads to remarkable regional variation in declines in jumbo loan applications, exogenously increasing jumbo-lending competition differently across regions. I find that in areas with larger jumbo declines, lenders raise jumbo loan approval rates, extend credit to riskier borrowers, lower mortgage rates to defend short-term market share, and incur deteriorated asset quality in the long run. Overall, my findings suggest that the uniformity of federal policy could distort lenders' incentives and cause inefficient credit allocation across regions.
Longitudinal Correlation Analysis for Decoding Multi-modal Brain Development

Starting from childhood, the human brain restructures and rewires throughout life. Characterizing such complex brain development requires effective analysis of longitudinal and multi-modal neuroimaging data. Here, we propose such an analysis approach named Longitudinal Correlation Analysis (LCA). LCA couples the data of two modalities by first reducing the input from each modality to a latent representation based on autoencoders. A self-supervised strategy then relates the two latent spaces by jointly disentangling two directions, one in each space, such that the longitudinal changes in latent representations along those directions are maximally correlated between modalities. We applied LCA to analyze the longitudinal T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted MRIs of 679 youths from the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence. Unlike existing approaches that focus on either cross-sectional or single-modal modeling, LCA successfully unraveled coupled macrostructural and microstructural brain development from morphological and diffusivity features extracted from the data. A retesting of LCA on raw 3D image volumes of those subjects successfully replicated the findings from the feature-based analysis. Lastly, the developmental effects revealed by LCA were inline with the current understanding of maturational patterns of the adolescent brain.
A Deep Learning Bidirectional Temporal Tracking Algorithm for Automated Blood Cell Counting from Non-invasive Capillaroscopy Videos.

Oblique back-illumination capillaroscopy has recently been introduced as an efficient method for non-invasive blood cell imaging in human capillaries. To apply this technique to clinical blood cell counting, solutions for automatic processing of acquired videos are needed. Here, we take the first step towards this goal, by introducing a novel deep learning multi-cell tracking model, named CycleTrack, which achieves accurate blood cell counting from capillaroscopic videos. CycleTrack combines two simple online tracking models, SORT and CenterTrack, and is tailored to features of capillary blood cell flow. Blood cells are tracked by displacement vectors in two opposing temporal directions between consecutive frames. This approach yields accurate tracking despite rapidly moving and deforming blood cells. The proposed model outperforms other baseline trackers, achieving \(66.3\%\) MOTA and \(75.1\%\) ID F1 score on test videos. CycleTrack achieves an average cell counting error of \(3.42\%\) among 8 1000-frame test videos, compared to \(6.55\%\) and \(22.98\%\) from original CenterTrack and SORT, with negligible time expense. It takes 800s to track and count approximately 8000 blood cells from 9,600 frames captured in a typical one-minute video. Moreover, the blood cell velocity measured by CycleTrack demonstrates a consistent, pulsatile pattern within the physiological range of heart rate. The project code is accessible online at: https://github.com/DurrLab/CycleTrack.
Knowledge Infused Policy Gradients with Upper Confidence Bound for Relational Bandits.

Contextual Bandits find important use cases in various real-life scenarios such as online advertising, recommendation systems, healthcare, etc. However, most of the algorithms use flat feature vectors to represent context whereas, in the real world, there is a varying number of objects and relations among them to model in the context. For example, in a music recommendation system, the user context contains what music they listen to, which artists create this music, the artist albums, etc. Adding richer relational context representations also introduces a much larger context space making exploration-exploitation harder. To improve the efficiency of exploration-exploitation knowledge about the context can be infused to guide the exploration-exploitation strategy. Relational context representations allow a natural way for humans to specify knowledge owing to their descriptive nature. We propose an adaptation of Knowledge Infused Policy Gradients to the Contextual Bandit setting and a novel Knowledge Infused Policy Gradients Upper Confidence Bound algorithm and perform an experimental analysis of a simulated music recommendation dataset and various real-life datasets where expert knowledge can drastically reduce the total regret and where it cannot.
Better Pseudodistributions and Derandomization for Space-Bounded Computation

Three decades ago, Nisan constructed an explicit pseudorandom generator (PRG) that fools width-n length-n read-once branching programs (ROBPs) with error e and seed length O(log² n + log n ⋅ log(1/e)) [Nisan, 1992]. Nisan’s generator remains the best explicit PRG known for this important model of computation. However, a recent line of work starting with Braverman, Cohen, and Garg [Braverman et al., 2020; Chattopadhyay and Liao, 2020; Cohen et al., 2021; Pyne and Vadhan, 2021] has shown how to construct weighted pseudorandom generators (WPRGs, aka pseudorandom pseudodistribution generators) with better seed lengths than Nisan’s generator when the error parameter e is small. In this work, we present an explicit WPRG for width-n length-n ROBPs with seed length O(log² n + log(1/e)). Our seed length eliminates log log factors from prior constructions, and our generator completes this line of research in the sense that further improvements would require beating Nisan’s generator in the standard constant-error regime. Our technique is a variation of a recently-discovered reduction that converts moderate-error PRGs into low-error WPRGs [Cohen et al., 2021; Pyne and Vadhan, 2021]. Our version of the reduction uses averaging samplers. We also point out that as a consequence of the recent work on WPRGs, any randomized space-S decision algorithm can be simulated deterministically in space O (S^{3/2} / √{log S}). This is a slight improvement over Saks and Zhou’s celebrated O(S^{3/2}) bound [Saks and Zhou, 1999]. For this application, our improved WPRG is not necessary.
Low-Complexity Switch Scheduling Algorithms: Delay Optimality in Heavy Traffic

Motivated by applications in data center networks, in this paper, we study the problem of scheduling in an input queued switch. While throughput maximizing algorithms in a switch are well-understood, delay analysis was developed only recently. It was recently shown that the well-known MaxWeight algorithm achieves optimal scaling of mean queue lengths in steady state in the heavy-traffic regime, and is within a factor less than 2 of a universal lower bound. However, MaxWeight is not used in practice because of its high time complexity. In this paper, we study several low complexity algorithms and show that their heavy-traffic performance is identical to that of MaxWeight. We first present a negative result that picking a random schedule does not have optimal heavy-traffic scaling of queue lengths even under uniform traffic. We then show that if one picks the best among two matchings or modifies a random matching even a little, using the so-called flip operation, it leads to MaxWeight like heavy-traffic performance under uniform traffic. We then focus on the case of non-uniform traffic and show that a large class of low time complexity algorithms have the same heavy-traffic performance as MaxWeight, as long as it is ensured that a MaxWeight matching is picked often enough. We also briefly discuss the performance of these algorithms in the large scale heavy-traffic regime when the size of the switch increases simultaneously with the load. Finally, we perform empirical study on a new algorithm to compare its performance with some existing algorithms.
Mass-loading and non-spherical divergence in hot galactic winds: implications for X-ray observations

Cool clouds are expected to be destroyed and incorporated into hot supernova-driven galactic winds. The mass-loading of a wind by the cool medium modifies the bulk velocity, temperature, density, entropy, and abundance profiles of the hot phase relative to an un-mass-loaded outflow. We provide general equations and limits for this physics that can be used to infer the rate of cool gas entrainment from X-ray observations, accounting for non-spherical expansion. In general, mass-loading flattens the density and temperature profiles, decreases the velocity and increases the entropy if the Mach number is above a critical value. We first apply this model to a recent high-resolution galactic outflow simulation where the mass-loading can be directly inferred. We show that the temperature, entropy, and composition profiles are well-matched, providing evidence that this physics sets the bulk hot gas profiles. We then model the diffuse X-ray emission from the local starburst M82. The non-spherical (more cylindrical) outflow geometry is directly taken from the observed X-ray surface brightness profile. These models imply a total mass-loading rate that is about equal to that injected in the starburst, $\simeq 10$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$, and they predict an asymptotic hot wind velocity of $\sim 1000\,{\rm km \ s^{-1}}$ that is $\sim1.5-2$ times smaller than previous predictions. We also show how the observed entropy profile can be used to constrain the outflow velocity, making predictions for future missions like XRISM. We argue that the observed X-ray limb-brightening may be explained by mass-loading at the outflow's edges.
Attention-based Neural Network for Driving Environment Complexity Perception

Environment perception is crucial for autonomous vehicle (AV) safety. Most existing AV perception algorithms have not studied the surrounding environment complexity and failed to include the environment complexity parameter. This paper proposes a novel attention-based neural network model to predict the complexity level of the surrounding driving environment. The proposed model takes naturalistic driving videos and corresponding vehicle dynamics parameters as input. It consists of a Yolo-v3 object detection algorithm, a heat map generation algorithm, CNN-based feature extractors, and attention-based feature extractors for both video and time-series vehicle dynamics data inputs to extract features. The output from the proposed algorithm is a surrounding environment complexity parameter. The Berkeley DeepDrive dataset (BDD Dataset) and subjectively labeled surrounding environment complexity levels are used for model training and validation to evaluate the algorithm. The proposed attention-based network achieves 91.22% average classification accuracy to classify the surrounding environment complexity. It proves that the environment complexity level can be accurately predicted and applied for future AVs' environment perception studies.
Extensions of classical hypergeometric identities of Bailey and Whipple

Abstract We obtain extensions of classical hypergeometric identities of Bailey and Whipple that transform nearly-poised and very-well-poised series to Saalschutzian series, Saalschutzian series to Saalschutzian series, and very-well-poised and nearly-poised series to very-well-poised series. We employ a method in which summations and transformations of lower-order series are used to obtain transformations of higher-order series. By taking limits, we also obtain extensions of two classical quadratic transformations of Whipple and Bailey. Furthermore, we show how a number of other well-known results regarding hypergeometric series follow as special cases of our results.
Hyperbolic relaxation technique for solving the dispersive Serre–Green–Naghdi equations with topography

Abstract The objective of this paper is to propose a hyperbolic relaxation technique for the dispersive Serre–Green–Naghdi equations (also known as the fully non-linear Boussinesq equations) with full topography effects introduced in [14] and [24] . This is done by revisiting a similar relaxation technique introduced in [17] with partial topography effects. We also derive a family of analytical solutions for the one-dimensional dispersive Serre–Green–Naghdi equations that are used to verify the correctness of the proposed relaxed model. The method is then numerically illustrated and validated by comparison with experimental results.
The ultrafast snap of a finger is mediated by skin friction.

The snap of a finger has been used as a form of communication and music for millennia across human cultures. However, a systematic analysis of the dynamics of this rapid motion has not yet been per...
Generic Neural Architecture Search via Regression

Most existing neural architecture search (NAS) algorithms are dedicated to the downstream tasks, e.g., image classification in computer vision. However, extensive experiments have shown that, prominent neural architectures, such as ResNet in computer vision and LSTM in natural language processing, are generally good at extracting patterns from the input data and perform well on different downstream tasks. These observations inspire us to ask: Is it necessary to use the performance of specific downstream tasks to evaluate and search for good neural architectures? Can we perform NAS effectively and efficiently while being agnostic to the downstream task? In this work, we attempt to affirmatively answer the above two questions and improve the state-of-the-art NAS solution by proposing a novel and generic NAS framework, termed Generic NAS (GenNAS). GenNAS does not use task-specific labels but instead adopts \textit{regression} on a set of manually designed synthetic signal bases for architecture evaluation. Such a self-supervised regression task can effectively evaluate the intrinsic power of an architecture to capture and transform the input signal patterns, and allow more sufficient usage of training samples. We then propose an automatic task search to optimize the combination of synthetic signals using limited downstream-task-specific labels, further improving the performance of GenNAS. We also thoroughly evaluate GenNAS's generality and end-to-end NAS performance on all search spaces, which outperforms almost all existing works with significant speedup.
Dark moments for the Standard Model

If dark matter (DM) interacts with the Standard Model (SM) via the kinetic mixing (KM) portal, it necessitates the existence of portal matter (PM) particles which carry both dark and SM quantum numbers that will appear in vacuum polarization-like loop graphs. In addition to the familiar ∼ eϵQ strength, QED-like interaction for the dark photon (DP), in some setups different loop graphs of these PM states can also induce other coupling structures for the SM fermions that may come to dominate in at least some regions of parameter space regions and which can take the form of ‘dark’ moments, e.g., magnetic dipole-type interactions in the IR, associated with a large mass scale, Λ. In this paper, motivated by a simple toy model, we perform a phenomenological investigation of a possible loop-induced dark magnetic dipole moment for SM fermions, in particular, for the electron. We show that at the phenomenological level such a scenario can not only be made compatible with existing experimental constraints for a significant range of correlated values for Λ and the dark U(1)D gauge coupling, gD, but can also lead to quantitatively different signatures once the DP is discovered. In this setup, assuming complex scalar DM to satisfy CMB constraints, parameter space regions where the DP decays invisibly are found to be somewhat preferred if PM mass limits from direct searches at the LHC and our toy model setup are all taken seriously. High precision searches for, or measurements of, the e+e− → γ + DP process at Belle II are shown to provide some of the strongest future constraints on this scenario.
Angular momentum removal by neutron and $\gamma$-ray emissions during fission fragment decays

We investigate the angular momentum removal from fission fragments (FFs) through neutron and $\gamma$-ray emission, where we find that about half the neutrons are emitted with angular momenta $\ge 1.5\hbar$ and that the change in angular momentum after the emission of neutrons and statistical $\gamma$ rays is significant, contradicting usual assumptions. Per fission event, in our simulations, the neutron and statistical $\gamma$-ray emissions change the spin of the fragment by 3.5 -- 5~$\hbar$, with a large standard deviation comparable to the average value. Such wide angular momentum removal distributions can hide any underlying correlations in the fission fragment initial spin values. Within our model, we reproduce data on spin measurements from discrete transitions after neutron emissions, especially in the case of light FFs. The agreement further improves for the heavy fragments if one removes from the analysis the events that would produce isomeric states. Finally, we show that while in our model the initial FF spins do not follow a saw-tooth like behavior observed in recent measurements, the average FF spin computed after neutron and statistical $\gamma$ emissions exhibits a shape that resembles a saw tooth. This suggests that the average FF spin measured after statistical emissions is not necessarily connected with the scission mechanism as previously implied.
Cosmology from Clustering, Cosmic Shear, CMB Lensing, and Cross Correlations: Combining Rubin Observatory and Simons Observatory

In the near future, the overlap of the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and the Simons Observatory (SO) will present an ideal opportunity for joint cosmological dataset analyses. In this paper we simulate the joint likelihood analysis of these two experiments using six two-point functions derived from galaxy position, galaxy shear, and CMB lensing convergence fields. Our analysis focuses on realistic noise and systematics models and we find that the dark energy Figure-of-Merit (FoM) increases by 53% (92%) from LSST-only to LSST+SO in Year 1 (Year 6). We also investigate the benefits of using the same galaxy sample for both clustering and lensing analyses, and find the choice improves the overall signal-to-noise by ~30-40%, which significantly improves the photo-z calibration and mildly improves the cosmological constraints. Finally, we explore the effects of catastrophic photo-z outliers finding that they cause significant parameter biases when ignored. We develop a new mitigation approach termed "island model", which corrects a large fraction of the biases with only a few parameters while preserving the constraining power.
Costs of No Codes

It is well known that the United States does not have a national civil code. This article shows what is less well known about the lack of codes in American law: it is not because Americans did not want codes. Throughout much of the nineteenth century they expected that they would have them. They made many attempts to adopt civil codes at the state level. Only when their attempts failed, did Americans turn to the well-known alternatives of uniform state laws and restatements of the law. These alternatives have proven disappointing. The United States is drowning in sea of uncoordinated laws. It pays a heavy price for the lack of a national civil code.
Leiden und Tätigkeit (Descartes und Leibniz)

Der Aufschwung der empirischen Wissenschaften bedrohte das geschlossene Weltbild des Mittelalters. Die vor unerhorten Moglichkeiten stehende imperialistische Neuzeit war in ihrer Uberheblichkeit von einer Skepsis erfullt. Gegen die Verauserlichung des Lebens erhob sich das Wort der barocken Philosophie. Als erster Vertreter unternahm Descartes die Verteidigung der Vernunft. Unter volliger Vernachlassigung seiner Vorganger und nur von einigen Initiativen der Scholastik beeinflust, schuf Descartes aus sich heraus eine neue Welt.
Fractionation and Phenol Composition of Cellulose Cigarette Smoke Condensate

Fractionation of smoke condensate and a detailed analysis of phenols in the cellulose cigarette smoke were performed during the course of systematic compositional studies of the smoke. Nearly equal yields of phenolic, acidic and neutral fractions were obtained in fractionation of cellulose cigarette smoke condensate. Thirtyseven phenols were newly identified in the smoke of cellulose cigarette in addition to six phenols ever found in pyrolysis products of cellulose. Semi-quantitative determination of some of these phenols revealed that dihydric phenols, such as catechol, hydroquinone, resorcinol and their alkyl derivatives were the main phenols and monohydric phenols were the minor phenols.
Distributed model-based nonlinear sensor fault diagnosis in wireless sensor networks

Abstract Wireless sensors operating in harsh environments have the potential to be error-prone. This paper presents a distributive model-based diagnosis algorithm that identifies nonlinear sensor faults. The diagnosis algorithm has advantages over existing fault diagnosis methods such as centralized model-based and distributive model-free methods. An algorithm is presented for detecting common non-linearity faults without using reference sensors. The study introduces a model-based fault diagnosis framework that is implemented within a pair of wireless sensors. The detection of sensor nonlinearities is shown to be equivalent to solving the largest empty rectangle (LER) problem, given a set of features extracted from an analysis of sensor outputs. A low-complexity algorithm that gives an approximate solution to the LER problem is proposed for embedment in resource constrained wireless sensors. By solving the LER problem, sensors corrupted by non-linearity faults can be isolated and identified. Extensive analysis evaluates the performance of the proposed algorithm through simulation.
A characterization of sequential equilibrium in terms of AGM belief revision

In [G. Bonanno, Rational choice and AGM belief revision, Artificial Intelligence, 2009] a semantics for one-stage AGM belief revision was proposed based on choice frames, borrowed from the rational choice literature. In this paper we extend the semantics of choice frames to deal with iterated belief revision and use the corresponding structures to analyze extensive-form games. Choice frames can be used to represent a player's initial beliefs and disposition to change those beliefs when informed that it is her turn to move. If the frame satisfies AGM-consistency and a natural postulate for iterated belief revision, then it is rationalizable by a total pre-order on the set of histories. We show that three properties of this total pre-order, together with the hypothesis of agreement among players, provide a characterization of the notion of consistent assessment, which is the central component of the notion of sequential equilibrium proposed by Kreps and Wilson [Econometrica, 1982].
Modeling in a multicollinear setup: Determinants of SVR advantage

Shapley Value Regression is a regression tool that provides reliable estimates for predictor shares in a model. The problem is vital in market research practice where the relative importance of variables considered is very often of primary interest, while collinearity among the predictors makes it impossible to be derived from the usual ordinary least square models. This paper compares the SVR performance with the results of OLS by means of simulation study. The bias and stability of beta estimates together with the prediction accuracy is assessed and the conditions for SVR superiority are determined. The applications in market research and decision making are also discussed.
Histopathology of idiopathic lateral skull base defects

Objectives/Hypothesis The objective of this study was to utilize techniques of otopathology to gain insight into the pathogenesis, sites of origin, and associated findings in idiopathic lateral skull base defects. Study Design Histopathologic analysis of temporal bones from an otopathology repository. Methods Specimens from a human temporal bone repository were investigated for clinical or otopathologic evidence of occult bony dehiscence indicating communication between the subarachnoid space and air cells of the temporal bone. Specimens were examined by light microscopy, organized by fistula site, and histopathologically described. Premortem patient demographics and clinical history was reviewed. Results Specimens from 52 individuals met inclusion criteria. Three distinct fistula pathways were determined: transdural, labyrinthine, and perilabyrinthine. Transdural fistulae occur most commonly as the result of arachnoid granulations along the middle or posterior fossa dura (n = 30) and are frequently incidental findings in specimens of older individuals (median age at death: 81 years). Labyrinthine fistulae (n = 10) were noted with cochlear malformations when modiolar atresia permits cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow into a common intracochlear scala and oval window perilymphatic fistula results. Perilabyrinthine fistulae (n = 7) were observed through three congenitally unfused tracts: the tympanomeningeal fissure, the petromastoid canal, or an extension of the subarachnoid space into the fallopian canal. Conclusions Idiopathic lateral skull base defects occur in three distinct anatomic locations with consistent histopathologic findings. In the absence of clear radiographic localization, patient age and associated cochlear defects may assist in the determination of the site of CSF leak. These data have implications for surgical approaches of CSF fistula repair. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 125:1798–1806, 2015
NH 2 -terminal residues of Neurospora crassa proteins.

The NH2-terminal amino acid composition of the soluble and ribosomal proteins from Neurospora crassa mycelia and conidia was determined by the dinitrophenyl method. A nonrandom distribution of NH2-terminal amino acids was observed in the complex protein mixtures. Glycine, alanine, and serine accounted for 75% of the NH2-terminal amino acids, and glycine appeared most frequently in mature proteins of mycelia. The appearance of phenylalanine as one of the major NH2-termini in crude conidial fraction suggests that the composition of proteins may vary in different developmental stages.
D-3-Deoxy-3-substituted myo-inositol analogues as inhibitors of cell growth

A number of unnaturald-3-deoxy-3-substitutedmyo-inositols were synthesized and their effects on the growth of wild-type NIH 3T3 cells and oncogenetransformed NIH 3T3 cells were studied. The compounds were found to exhibit a diversity of growth-inhibitory activities and showed selectivity in inhibiting the growth of some transformed cells as compared with wild-type cells. Remarkably,d-3-deoxy-3-azido-myo-inositol exhibited potent growth-inhibitory effects toward v-sis-transformed NIH 3T3 cells but had little effect on the growth of wildtype cells. The growth-inhibitory effects of themyo-inositol analogues were antagonized bymyo-inositol. Since [3H]-3-deoxy-3-fluoro-myo-inositol was shown to be taken up by cells and incorporated into cellular phospholipids, we suggest that these unnaturalmyo-inositol analogues may act as antimetabolites in the phosphatidylinositol intracellular signalling pathways. Because cells transformed by oncogenes often exhibit elevated phosphatidylinositol turnover, the inhibition of signalling pathways that mediate oncogene action could offer new opportunities for controlling the growth of cancer cells.
The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communication

This article lays out some of the key issues driving organizations' increasing interest in enterprise content management (ECM). It then problematizes both the rhetoric that technology developers are using to sell ECM technologies to business leaders and the assumptions on which business leaders are basing critical technology implementation decisions. Finally, it argues why technical communicators must take action—through direct participation in the ECM discourse—to shift the rhetoric that is structuring the ECM debate and thus shaping the potential of the field of technical communication.
The quotient of two correlated normal variables with applications

The purpose of this paper is to present new results on the distribution of the quotient of two correlated normal variables and its use to solve many outstanding problems in all fields of science, economics, industry, commerce, education, and medicine. The results are relatively simple and may encourage one to use the exact distribution of the quotient. Examples in medicine, economics and industry will illustrate the applications. Further, these results open a new vista for the solution not only of problems involving bivariate distributions but also multivariate distributions.
Site-specific mutagenesis with unnatural amino acids.

In order to study the effects of subtle changes in the acidity, nucleophilicity or hydrogen-bonding characteristics of a particular side chain in a protein without dramatically altering the size of the residue, it would be useful to have a method for site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins
An electroactive fiber optic chip for spectroelectrochemical characterization of ultra-thin redox-active films

The first, fully integrated, planar fiber optic platform with spectroelectrochemical capabilities, termed the electroactive fiber optic chip (EA-FOC) is presented here. Spectroelectrochemical techniques provide complementary optical and electrochemical data which are important for applications ranging from thin film characterization to advanced sensor design. To create the EA-FOC a side-polished fiber optic is coated with a thin film of indium-tin oxide (ITO) as the working electrode and used to probe electrochemically-driven changes in absorbance for surface-confined redox species. A sensitivity enhancement of ∼40 times higher than a transmission measurement is demonstrated for this first-generation EA-FOC, using the methylene blue (MB) redox couple, cycling between the visibly colored, oxidized form of MB, and its leuco (transparent) reduced form. Additionally, the EA-FOC is used to probe the redox spectroelectrochemistry of an electrodeposited thin film, about 0.3% of a monolayer, of the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). Unlike other waveguide formats, the EA-FOC offers an ease of use due to its ability to simply couple to light sources and detectors through standard fiber connectors to create a sensitive planar waveguide spectroelectrochemical platform.
Nonskeletal cervical spine injuries: epidemiology and diagnostic pitfalls.

Background: Cervical spine injuries are the most commonly missed severe injuries with serious implications for the patient and physician. The diagnosis of subluxations or spinal cord injuries in the absence of vertebral fractures, especially in unevaluable patients, poses a major challenge. The objective of this study was to study the incidence and type of cervical spine trauma according to mechanism of injury; identify problems and pitfalls in the diagnosis of nonskeletal cervical spine injuries. Methods: Retrospective study of all C-spine injuries caused by traffic accidents or falls admitted over a 5-year period at a large Level I trauma center. Data were obtained from the trauma registry, review of patient charts, and radiology reports. Results: During the study period, there were 14,755 admissions due to traffic injuries or falls who met trauma center criteria. There were 292 patients with C-spine injuries, for an overall incidence of 2.0% (3.4% in car occupants, 2.8% for pedestrians, 1.9% for motorcycle riders, and 0.9% for falls). The incidence of C-spine injuries in patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13 to 15 was 1.4%, 9 to 12 was 6.8%, and in ≤8 was 10.2% (p < 0.05). Of C-spine injuries, 85.6% (250 patients) were a vertebral fracture, 10.6% of the injuries (31 patients) were subluxation without fractures, and 3.8% (11 patients) were an isolated spinal cord injury without fracture or subluxation. Of the 31 patients with isolated subluxations, one-third required an early endotracheal intubation before clinical evaluation of the spine, because of associated severe head injury or hypotension. Adequate lateral C-spine films diagnosed or suspected 30 of the 31 subluxations (96.8%). The combination of plain films and computed tomographic (CT) scan diagnosed or suspected all injuries. Of the 11 patients with isolated cord injury, 27.3% required early intubation before clinical evaluation of the spine. The diagnosis of cord injury was made on admission in only five patients (45.5%). In three patients, the neurologic examination on admission was normal and neurologic deficits appeared a few hours later. In the remaining three patients (two intubated, one intoxicated), the diagnosis was missed clinically and radiologically. Conclusions: Isolated nonskeletal C-spine injuries are rare but potentially catastrophic because of the high incidence of neurologic deficits and missed diagnosis. In subluxations, the combination of an adequate lateral film and CT scan was reliable in diagnosing or highly suspecting the injury. A large prospective study is needed to confirm these findings, before a recommendation is made to remove the cervical collar if the findings of these investigations are normal. However, in isolated cord injuries, the diagnosis was often missed because of associated severe head trauma and the low sensitivity of the plain films and CT scans.
Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins and Plasma Lipid Transport

This memoir provides a history of the triglyceride-rich lipoproteins of blood plasma over the last half-century. As precursors of low-density lipoproteins and in their own right, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins are essential to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and to consequent ischemic vascular disease. The author recounts research at the National Heart Institute during 1953 to 1956 and continuing thereafter at the University of California San Francisco. Emphasis is placed on key insights arising from investigations of human disease, the interplay of fatty acid and triglyceride-transport involving the liver, small intestine, adipose tissue and muscle, and the role of the liver in the synthesis and catabolism of atherogenic lipoproteins.
Effects of talker and token variability on perceptual learning of dialect categories.

Dialect classification is difficult for naive listeners, but perceptual learning tasks using sentence-length utterances have been shown to produce modest improvements in performance. The goal of the current study was to explore perceptual learning by naive listeners in a speeded dialect classification task with shorter, word-length utterances. In a series of experiments, participants were trained in a two-alternative forced-choice speeded dialect classification task (Cleveland vs. Cincinnati) with feedback and were then tested in the same task with novel talkers and novel words without feedback to assess learning. Variability in the stimulus materials in the training phase, including the number of talkers from each dialect and the number of different tokens produced by each talker, was manipulated across experiments to determine how variation in the input affected perceptual learning of dialect categories. The results revealed that training materials consisting of utterances produced by multiple different talkers from each dialect with multiple different tokens produced by each talker led to a significant improvement in dialect classification performance compared to a baseline condition without training. These findings suggest that dialect classification performance can improve with training on short, word-length utterances, but that robust dialect category learning requires high variability stimulus materials.
Design of appropriate accounting systems for regional development in developing countries

The comments of Rodney Jensen, Alex Kerr, Peter Nijkamp and Lay Gibson are gratefully appreciated. This paper was written while the author was a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Economics, University of Queensland, Austrialia.
Evidence that dark-phase hyperphagia induced by neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine may be due to decreased leptin and increased neuropeptide Y signaling.

Abstract Hyperphagia and obesity can be experimentally induced in rodents by microinjection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the ventral noradrenergic bundle (VNAB) to interrupt efferent catecholaminergic pathways to the hypothalamus. Since hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) is implicated in the control of ingestive behavior, we evaluated hypothalamic NPY activity in this model of obesity. Adult male rats injected bilaterally with 12 μg of 6-OHDA in the VNAB displayed an enhanced rate of body weight gain and selective dark-phase hyperphagia that started at about 10 days postinjection and persisted for the entire duration of the experiment. NPY gene expression, assessed by ribonuclease protection assay, was significantly higher in the hypothalami of 6-OHDA-treated hyperphagic rats during the dark phase (p
Overexpression of Cytochrome P450 CYP6D1 Is Associated with Monooxygenase-Mediated Pyrethroid Resistance in House Flies from Georgia☆

CYP6D1 is a house fly cytochrome P450 that catalyzes metabolism of pyrethroid insecticides. Overexpression of CYP6D1 is responsible for monooxygenase-mediated pyrethroid resistance in the LPR (Learn pyrethroid resistant) house fly strain, which was originally collected in New York State. To determine whether CYP6D1 is involved in monooxygenase-mediated pyrethroid resistance in other populations, we obtained two pyrethroid-resistant strains from Georgia and investigated the relationship between piperonyl butoxide suppressible permethrin resistance and CYP6D1 gene expression. The Georgia strain, collected from a poultry facility in about 1983, showed no PBO suppressible permethrin resistance and CYP6D1 was not overexpressed. The NG98-u strain, collected from a poultry facility in Georgia State in 1998, showed PBO suppressible resistance and CYP6D1 mRNA was overexpressed. Furthermore, the level of resistance and CYP6D1 mRNA increased after only two generations of permethrin selection. Overall, the synergistic ratios were well correlated with the expression of CYP6D1. CYP6D1 protein detected by immunoblotting was well correlated with CYP6D1 mRNA expression. These results suggest that increased expression of CYP6D1 in the resistant flies collected from Georgia in 1998 is due to increased transcription of the gene (as has been identified in LPR) and that CYP6D1-mediated pyrethroid resistance is found in house flies from both New York and Georgia.
The New York University Pediatric Heart Failure Index: A new method of quantifying chronic heart failure severity in children ☆ ☆☆

Objective: The assessment of the severity of heart failure in pediatric patients is handicapped by the subjectivity of diagnostic parameters. This study evaluated the feasibility of a new standardized heart failure index, the New York University Pediatric Heart Failure Index (NYU PHFI), to quantify the degree of heart failure in a selected pediatric population. Methods and Results: The index is a weighted, linear combination of scores based on symptoms, physical signs, and medical regimen. Overall, healthy children (n = 12) scored very low (0 to 2) on this index. Mean scores of children (<2 years; mean age, 4.8 months; n = 12) with a left-to-right shunt lesion declined from 11.4 (SD ± 4.1, P <.001, 2-tailed test) before surgery to 1.8 (SD ± 1.3) after surgical correction of their cardiac defects. The average inter-observer correlation coefficient was 0.95 (P <.001), despite a wide range of scores. Conclusions: The NYU PHFI appears to be a reliable and convenient instrument for measuring heart failure severity in children. These initial results support further testing in broader diagnostic and age groups and over longer periods. (J Pediatr 2001;138:644-8)
Examining a Drug Court Treatment Program in New Jersey: A Perspective from the Field

This article examines the effectiveness of a drug treatment program. Research suggests that drug courts can promote positive outcomes. This perspective piece examines the effectiveness of drug courts in promoting a reduction in recidivism and promoting positive outcomes. The need to match court resources with the needs of the offenders is discussed. The employment needs of the offenders is an important consideration.
Squall Lines and Convectively Coupled Gravity Waves in the Tropics: Why Do Most Cloud Systems Propagate Westward?

AbstractThe coupling between tropical convection and zonally propagating gravity waves is assessed through Fourier analysis of high-resolution (3-hourly, 0.5°) satellite rainfall data. Results show the familiar enhancement in power along the dispersion curves of equatorially trapped inertia–gravity waves with implied equivalent depths in the range 15–40 m (i.e., pure gravity wave speeds in the range 12–20 m s−1). Here, such wave signals are seen to extend all the way down to zonal wavelengths of around 500 km and periods of around 8 h, suggesting that convection–wave coupling may be important even in the context of mesoscale squall lines. This idea is supported by an objective wave-tracking algorithm, which shows that many previously studied squall lines, in addition to “2-day waves,” can be classified as convectively coupled inertia–gravity waves with the dispersion properties of shallow-water gravity waves. Most of these disturbances propagate westward at speeds faster than the background flow. To under...
Changes in geographic proximity between parents and their adult children

This study employs a weighted sample of 2173 respondents aged 60 years and older who had at least one surviving adult child and valid distance measurements from both panels of the US National Survey of Families and Households. The aim is to examine the joint effects of each generations structural characteristics on the likelihood of distance moves. Distance moves include changes due to convergence (reduced distance to the closest child) and divergence (increased distance from the closest child) or no change. Proximity accounts for potential parent moves child moves or both moves. The degree of change beyond 36 miles is not a consideration. The analysis follows and expands the models of Silverstein on general life cycle migration. The model is expanded to take into consideration the characteristics of adult children (onset of widowhood and changes in functional physical limitations). It is assumed that the closest adult child is the same at first and second observation. Berks two stage method is used in the multinomial logistic model construction. The results show that economic well being and marital status were related to changes in geographic proximity. About 12.2% lived closer and 15.2% lived farther away at the second observation. Respondents who lived within 10 miles were the least likely to change distances. Of those elderly who lived within 11-35 miles of their closest adult child 44.6% changed the distance 33% moved closer and 11.6% moved farther away. 24.8% of the elderly moved between the surveys. 36.4% of the elderly did not move and had at least one child move. The likelihood of a reduced distance to the closest child (convergence) increased with an increase in functional limitations and widowhood. The higher the level of education and income the greater the likelihood of either convergence or divergence. Longer housing tenure by the elderly was related to lower likelihood of convergence. Increases in disability and a shift to widowhood had a statistically significant impact on decisions to live with a child and to move closer to a child. Living with a child was related to higher educational level and having more children. Living in a nonmetropolitan area reduced the likelihood. Demographic characteristics of respondents and children were not strong predictors of a change in geographic proximity.
The Role of Family History of Cancer on Cervical Cancer Screening Behavior in a Population-based Survey of Women in the Southeastern United States

Abstract Background Our objective was to determine the association of self-reported family history of cancer (FHC) on cervical cancer screening to inform a potential link with cancer preventive behaviors in a region with persistent cancer disparities. Methods Self-reported FHC, Pap test behavior, and access to care were measured in a statewide population-based survey of human papillomavirus and cervical cancer ( n = 918). Random-digit dial, computer-assisted telephone interviews were used to contact eligible respondents (adult [ages 18–70] women in South Carolina with landline telephones]. Logistic regression models were estimated using STATA 12. Findings Although FHC+ was not predictive (odds ratio [OR], 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55–2.51), private health insurance (OR, 2.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–4.81) and younger age (18–30 years: OR, 7.76; 95% CI, 1.91, 3.16) were associated with recent Pap test behavior. FHC and cervical cancer screening associations were not detected in the sample. Conclusions Findings suggest targeting older women with screening recommendations and providing available screening resources for underserved women.
Conceptualizing Suicide Bereavement From an Attachment Lens

Suicide is a devastating event for individuals, families, and societies. With a conservative estimate of 1 million deaths worldwide per year as the result of suicide, it affects every fabric of society. In addition to managing the trauma of the death, it is family structure and processes that are altered in significant ways, specifically with regard to communication around the pain of the event. This article will address intervention and conceptualization through an attachment-based therapeutic process while attending to the three key areas that correspond with suicide bereavement: shame/guilt/blame, crisis of faith, and managing internalized messages.
Embracing advertising: Chinese consumers show a new attitude in the 1990s

This study focuses on perceptions and beliefs about advertising among Chinese consumers in the 1990s by using two independent cross‐sectional surveys to update attitudinal studies of the 1980s. It addresses three research questions: (1) How did Chinese consumers perceive advertising in terms of trustworthiness, usefulness and creative quality in the 1990s, the second decade of its rebirth? (2) What are the attitudinal changes, if any, in their perceptions and judgments of advertising across time? (3) To what extent are the differences in viewing advertising related to demographic differences? Results show that increasing numbers of Chinese consumers found advertising useful. Although they did not necessarily trust advertising, their distrust diminished from 1995 to 1997. They were more critical of the creative quality of Chinese advertisements. Zipping TV commercials became more likely. Finally, compared to its critics, advertising's supporters characteristically were male and well educated, had higher in...