cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trait inferences about prospective mates: Effects of relationship length and social dominance

Abstract The study tested the proposition that relationship length influences female perceptions about the co-occurrence of traits in prospective mates. It was hypothesized that females when choosing short-term mates would infer that beautiful males possess positive personality traits and, alternatively, females when choosing long-term mates would infer dominant males possess other positive personality traits. To test the hypothesis, female university students viewed a target male that was available for either a long- or a short-term relationship. The target male's physical attractiveness and dominance was systematically manipulated. As predicted, females inferred physically attractive males were more intelligent and kind when evaluating potential short-term mates. When evaluating potential long-term mates the females inferred socially dominant males were more intelligent and kind.
Respondent-driven sampling : A new approach to the study of hidden populations

A population is “hidden” when no sampling frame exists and public acknowledgment of membership in the population is potentially threatening. Accessing such populations is difficult because standard probability sampling methods produce low response rates and responses that lack candor. Existing procedures for sampling these populations, including snowball and other chain-referral samples, the key-informant approach, and targeted sampling, introduce well-documented biases into their samples. This paper introduces a new variant of chain-referral sampling, respondent-driven sampling, that employs a dual system of structured incentives to overcome some of the deficiencies of such samples. A theoretic analysis, drawing on both Markov-chain theory and the theory of biased networks, shows that this procedure can reduce the biases generally associated with chain-referral methods. The analysis includes a proof showing that even though sampling begins with an arbitrarily chosen set of initial subjects, as do most chain-referral samples, the composition of the ultimate sample is wholly independent of those initial subjects. The analysis also includes a theoretic specification of the conditions under which the procedure yields unbiased samples. Empirical results, based on surveys of 277 active drug injectors in Connecticut, support these conclusions. Finally, the conclusion discusses how respondent- driven sampling can improve both network sampling and ethnographic 44 investigation.
Treated Wastewater Effluent as an Alternative Freshwater Source in a Hypersaline Salt Marsh: Impacts on Salinity, Inorganic Nitrogen, and Emergent Vegetation

ALEXANDER, H.D. and DUNTON, K.H., 2006. Treated wastewater effluent as an alternative freshwater source in a hypersaline salt marsh: impacts on salinity, inorganic nitrogen, and emergent vegetation. Journal of Coastal Research, 22(2), 377‐392. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Reservoir construction and river diversions have dramatically reduced freshwater inflow to coastal salt marshes of the Nueces Estuary, Texas, facilitating hypersaline conditions. To moderate salinities and enhance habitat quality, ;7570 m3 d21 of treated wastewater effluent was used as a nutrient-rich freshwater source in the lower estuary. For ;1.5 years prior to and ;3.5 years following wastewater diversion, we quantified salinity, inorganic nitrogen, and emergent vegetation changes at four stations various distances downstream from the diversion point. Wastewater prevented hypersaline conditions at station 72, closest to the diversion, but not downstream. Increased tidal creek NH and NO 1 NO concentrations were detectable 1200 m downstream, but concentrations were 50%‐80% of those 12 2 43 2 measured at station 72 within 325 m downstream. Emergent vegetation responded at station 72 only. Composition rapidly shifted (over a period of # 1 y) from ;80% monospecific cover of a highly salt-tolerant succulent, Salicornia virginica, to ;50% cover of a less salt-tolerant shrub, Borrichia frutescens, intermixed with several other species. Percent cover ordination plots on each sampling date verified distinct pre- and postdiversion plant communities at this station. Mean porewater nutrient concentrations were not different among stations postdiversion, but lower C : N ratios and increased d15N signatures of B. frutescens confirmed assimilation of wastewater-derived nitrogen at station 72. A variety of plants colonized bare areas near the diversion, creating about seven hectares of newly vegetated salt marsh. Wastewater diversions lowered salinity, increased nutrients, and increased cover of less salt-tolerant vegetation species near the diversion. However, these changes were restricted to a limited area, suggesting that increased diversions are necessary to produce substantial downstream effects.
Cross-architecture performance prediction (XAPP) using CPU code to predict GPU performance

GPUs have become prevalent and more general purpose, but GPU programming remains challenging and time consuming for the majority of programmers. In addition, it is not always clear which codes will benefit from getting ported to GPU. Therefore, having a tool to estimate GPU performance for a piece of code before writing a GPU implementation is highly desirable. To this end, we propose Cross-Architecture Performance Prediction (XAPP), a machine-learning based technique that uses only single-threaded CPU implementation to predict GPU performance. Our paper is built on the two following insights: i) Execution time on GPU is a function of program properties and hardware characteristics. ii) By examining a vast array of previously implemented GPU codes along with their CPU counterparts, we can use established machine learning techniques to learn this correlation between program properties, hardware characteristics and GPU execution time. We use an adaptive two-level machine learning solution. Our results show that our tool is robust and accurate: we achieve 26.9% average error on a set of 24 real-world kernels. We also discuss practical usage scenarios for XAPP.
Non-invasive monitoring of electrical parameters of Schefflera arboricola leaf

Non-invasive 10 GHz microwave sensor and capacitive sensors were used to measure the electromagnetic properties of Schefflera arboricola (a common house plant). The leaf capacitance periodically decreased by 51 pF/hr during the night and increased by 62.3 pF/hr during the day. The microwave reflection also changed periodically during the night and day. These experiments were repeated over extended period of time (4 days) with watering and drought cycles. The wet and dry phases for the measurements gave distinct signature data that can be used to devise a sensor to optimize watering of the plant.
The Impact of Contingent Commitment Disclosures on Bank Valuation

Banks have become increasingly active in off-balance sheet activities, but little is known about the usefulness of disclosures of these activities. The unique quality about contingent commitments is that fees associated with these instruments are reported in the balance sheet while the face value of the commitment is reported off-balance sheet. This study examines two types of contingent commitments. My results show that supplementary disclosures on these activities provide incremental information about the value of the bank. In particular, disclosures on third party guarantees reflect the banks' potential liability as insurers, however, loan commitment disclosures appear to convey information about future loan opportunities. I also find that regulatory risk-based capital requirements and firm specific attributes affect the relative value of issuing these commitments. The value implications of these disclosures are relevant to the debate on disclosures of fair value of financial instruments (FAS 107) and whether contingent commitments are viewed by the market to be bank assets or liabilities.
Time for a Government Advisory Committee on Geoengineering Research

Government agencies in the U.S. and abroad have started to fund geoengineering research in the form of modeling, climate strategy projects, and limited outdoor experiments. Privately funded research is in full swing, and entrepreneurs have filed patent claims on prospective geoengineering technologies. Who should oversee such research? And how can international cooperation and understanding be encouraged when even talking about research on geoengineering stirs controversy? We argue that creating an effective mechanism for discussion and deliberation will be an essential prerequisite to any scientific work: a standing government advisory body would provide a critical focal point for policy formation. We detail a set of design characteristics, membership, and key functions of an advisory body for promoting societal discussion and governance of geoengineering research.
Low-drift and real-time lidar odometry and mapping

Here we propose a real-time method for low-drift odometry and mapping using range measurements from a 3D laser scanner moving in 6-DOF. The problem is hard because the range measurements are received at different times, and errors in motion estimation (especially without an external reference such as GPS) cause mis-registration of the resulting point cloud. To date, coherent 3D maps have been built by off-line batch methods, often using loop closure to correct for drift over time. Our method achieves both low-drift in motion estimation and low-computational complexity. The key idea that makes this level of performance possible is the division of the complex problem of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, which seeks to optimize a large number of variables simultaneously, into two algorithms. One algorithm performs odometry at a high-frequency but at low fidelity to estimate velocity of the laser scanner. Although not necessary, if an IMU is available, it can provide a motion prior and mitigate for gross, high-frequency motion. A second algorithm runs at an order of magnitude lower frequency for fine matching and registration of the point cloud. Combination of the two algorithms allows map creation in real-time. Our method has been evaluated by indoor and outdoor experiments as well as the KITTI odometry benchmark. The results indicate that the proposed method can achieve accuracy comparable to the state of the art offline, batch methods.
Abstract W MP116: Goals of Care Impact Early Outcome Estimates in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background/Objective: Prior reports of ICH score-based early mortality rates included patients declared comfort measures only (CMO). We aimed to describe more clinical relevant mortality and functional outcomes restricted to patients in whom all care was continued (non-CMO). Methods: Using a single-center retrospective study design, admission ICH score, goals of care, hospital death (HD), and modified Rankin scale (mRS) at discharge were collected in patients with spontaneous ICH from June 2005 to September 2008. Use of CMO and proportions of outcome measures, stratified by admission ICH score, were compared using Pearson’s chi-square test statistics. Results: Of 657 patients with ICH, 56.5% were male, 74.7% Caucasian, with mean (SD) age of 66.6 (14.6) years. CMO was pursued in 30.6% of all patients, with a significant increase in use associated with increasing age (p=0.021) and increasing ICH score (p<0.001). HD occurred in 33.8% of all patients, but only 7.2% of non-CMO. In the non-CMO patients, the ass...
Machine Learning Applied to Chemical Analysis: Sensing Multiple Biomarkers in Simulated Breath Using a Temperature-Pulsed Electronic-Nose

Monitoring of chemical species in breath offers an approach for the detection of disease and other conditions that cause homeostatic imbalance. Here, we demonstrate the use of microsensor-based devices for detecting select biomarkers in simulated exhaled breath as a step toward enabling fast and inexpensive breath-screening technology. Microhotplate elements functionalized with three chemiresistive metal-oxide films (SnO2, In2O3, and CuO) were used to acquire data in simulated breath containing single targets [(5 to 20) μmol/mol ammonia, methanol, and acetone], as well as mixtures of those species. All devices were operated with programmed thermal cycles featuring rapid temperature excursions, during which film resistances were measured. Material-specific temperature programs were optimized to achieve temperature-dependent metal-oxide sensing film conductance levels and target selectivity. A supervised hierarchical machine-learning algorithm using linear discriminant analysis for dimensional reduction of ...
LOCOMOTOR MODULES AND THE EVOLUTION OF AVIAN FLIGHT.

The evolution of avian flight can be interpreted by analyzing the sequence of modifications of the primitive tetrapod locomotor system through time. Herein, we introduce the term "locomotor module" to identify anatomical subregions of the musculoskeletal system that are highly integrated and act as functional units during locomotion. The first tetrapods, which employed lateral undulations of the entire body and appendages, had one large locomotor module. Basal dinosaurs and theropods were bipedal and possessed a smaller locomotor module consisting of the hind limb and tail. Bird flight evolved as the superimposition of a second (aerial) locomotor capability onto the ancestral (terrestrial) theropod body plan. Although the origin of the wing module was the primary innovation, alterations in the terrestrial system were also significant. We propose that the primitive theropod locomotor module was functionally and anatomically subdivided into separate pelvic and caudal locomotor modules. This decoupling freed the tail to attain a new and intimate affiliation with the forelimb during flight, a configuration unique to birds. Thus, the evolution of flight can be viewed as the origin and novel association of locomotor modules. Differential elaboration of these modules in various lineages has produced the diverse locomotor abilities of modern birds.
Changing attitudes and emotions toward coyotes with experiential education

ABSTRACTAn experiential education program was designed to target risk perceptions and preventative measures that make people feel comfortable in human-coyote interactions. The research was conducted in a Canadian national park where a coyote caused a human fatality in 2009. Based on previous research, we explored the effects of an experience-based coyote education program on people's (a) attitudes toward, (b) fear of, (c) likelihood of, and (d) control over coming into contact with coyotes. A pre-post-test experiment (n = 150; 96% completion rate) was conducted. The experiential education approach to wildlife safety and coexistence communication had a significant positive effect on people's attitudes, significantly decreased their sense of fear toward coyotes, significantly decreased their sense of likelihood, and increased their sense of control in human-coyote interactions.
Automatic Brush Electroplating Technology Applied to Remanufacturing Cylinder Body of Engine

Automatic brush electroplating equipment was developed by using new inner bore brush electroplating technology to solve the problem of batch remanufacturing for bore parts,such as cylinder body of engine.Surface morphology,binding strength and microhardness of Ni plated coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM),transmission electron microsape(TEM) and microhardness tester.The results show that the automatically plated nickel coatings,compared with manually coatings plated,have more dense and compact microstructure,better binding strength and higher hardness.Currently,the technology has been successfully applied to remanufacturing of cylinder body of engines.Stable deposited quality of the coating is obtained and the labor productivity is significantly improved.
Chapter 61 – Future Therapies

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the various new drugs now in development for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Current asthma therapy is highly effective and majority of patients can be well controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and short- and longacting β2-agonists. These treatments are not only effective, but also safe and relatively inexpensive. This poses a challenge for the development of new treatments, since they will need to be safer or more effective than existing treatments, or offer some other advantage in long-term disease management. In sharp contrast to asthma there are few effective therapies in COPD, despite the fact that it is a common disease that is increasing worldwide. None of the treatments currently available prevents the progression of the disease, and yet the disease is associated with an active inflammatory process that results in progressive obstruction of small airways and destruction of lung parenchyma. Blocking the receptors or synthesis of inflammatory mediators is a logical approach to the development of new treatments for asthma and COPD. Several mediator antagonists have now been tested in asthma and COPD. Proteases are involved in the pathophysiology of asthma and COPD and are therefore a logical target for inhibition. However, it has proved very difficult to find drugs that effectively block specific proteases without side effects. New drugs for the treatment of severe asthma and COPD are greatly needed and there has been an enormous effort now invested by the pharmaceutical industry to find such treatments.
Crossed Fused Renal Ectopia, Orthotopic Multicystic Dysplasia and Vaginal Agenesis

AbstractThe association of crossed fused renal ectopia with agenesis or dysplasia of the orthotopic renal unit is extremely rare, with only 4 previously reported cases. We report the first case of crossed fused renal ectopic, orthotopic dysplasia and vaginal agenesis. The embryologic considerations and associated anomalies are discussed with respect to these 3 rare anomalies.
Clinical management of Krabbe disease

Krabbe disease (KD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding the galactocerebrosidase enzyme. The early- and late-infantile subtypes, which are the most common forms of the disease, are rapidly progressive and lead to early death, whereas the later-onset types are clinically heterogeneous. The only disease-modifying treatment currently available is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which is effective only when performed early in the course of the disease. Because most patients with KD are diagnosed too late for treatment, primary care physicians are faced with the challenge of caring for a child with severe neurologic impairment. This Review describes presenting symptoms, diagnosis, and disease manifestations of KD and provides basic guidelines for its management. Symptomatic treatment and supportive care that address the unique requirements of these patients can greatly improve the quality of life of patients and their families. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Subsidies of Aquatic Resources in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Floods, spatially complex water flows, and organism movements all generate important fluxes of aquatic-derived materials into terrestrial habitats, counteracting the gravity-driven downhill transport of matter from terrestrial-to-aquatic ecosystems. The magnitude of these aquatic subsidies is often smaller than terrestrial subsidies to aquatic ecosystems but higher in nutritional quality, energy density, and nutrient concentration. The lateral extent of biological aquatic subsidies is typically small, extending only a few meters into riparian habitat; however, terrestrial consumers often aggregate on shorelines to capitalize on these high-quality resources. Although the ecological effects of aquatic subsidies remain partially understood, it is clear that ongoing human modification to aquatic ecosystems, riparian habitats and river floodplains affect the magnitude, quality, and spatial and temporal patterning of aquatic subsidies in terrestrial landscapes. These changes will alter the character of aquatic–terrestrial coupling and have consequences for terrestrial organisms that rely on these high-quality and temporally dependable resource subsidies. Homogenization of landscapes and flow regimes, eutrophication, exotic species, and contaminants all represent threats to the vital flows of aquatic-derived resources into terrestrial ecosystems. Research emphasizing that landscapes are integrated terrestrial–aquatic systems, characterized by both biological and hydrological flows among habitats, is needed for understanding the consequences of aquatic subsidies and managing ecological risks of ongoing human development.
Combining medically assisted treatment and Twelve-Step programming: a perspective and review

Background: People with severe substance use disorders require long-term rehabilitative care after the initial treatment. There is, however, a deficit in the availability of such care. This may be ...
Physiological health assessment and hazard monitoring patch for firefighters

The objective of this project is to create a novel device to monitor and report back with comprehensive physiological status and alerts of hazards encountered by the firefighter. The device is a band-aid like device that would be attached to the firefighter's skin positioned on the upper arm. The device would monitor the firefighter's physiological health including heart rate and blood oxygen level, carboxyhemoglobin, and hyperthermia. Not only will the device monitor the firefighter's physiological health, it will also monitor and report back on the temperature and humidity inside the firefighter's suit, and monitor for impacts, falls, impact from objects or contact with objects.
Promoting the Accessibility of SWPBIS for Students With Severe Disabilities

This study heeds a decade-long call to action to examine the accessibility of Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) for students with severe disabilities. To improve the accessibility of SWPBIS, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and evidence-based practices were used to teach three students with severe disabilities schoolwide behavior expectations in inclusive schoolwide settings. Special education teachers from three different elementary schools adapted their campus SWPBIS Tier 1 lesson plans with additional visual supports, social narratives, and systematic instructional procedures. All participants showed improvement as evidenced by a reduction in the duration of their problem behavior in schoolwide settings. Implementing teachers found the intervention and corresponding materials to be socially valid.
A Conceptual Matrix of the Temporal and Spatial Dimensions of Socioeconomic Status and Their Relationship with Health

Objectives In this study, we (a) draw on fundamental cause theory, the life course perspective, and neighborhood effects to develop conceptual matrix of socioeconomic status (SES) by temporal and spatial dimensions in order to highlight the multidimensional ways in which SES relates to general health, and then (b) assess the multidimensional ways in which income (as a measure of SES) is related to disability in adulthood. Methods Data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics were linked with Census data to assess (a) which temporal and spatial dimensions of income were associated with disability in adulthood, and (b) whether the various components of income interact with each other when predicting disability. Results Negative binomial regression results indicated both 1970 and 2013 household income were associated with lower levels of disabilities in adulthood, as was 2013 neighborhood-level income, but 1970 neighborhood-level income was not associated with disability in adulthood. Further, 4 of the 6 possible interactions between the multiple dimensions of income were associated with significant reductions in adult disability. Discussion These findings provide several important empirical insights, but also help inform a framework for thinking about the multidimensional ways in which SES relates to health.
Convergent Synthesis of Sialyl LewisX- O-Core-1 Threonine.

Selectins are a class of cell adhesion molecules that play a critical role during the initial steps of inflammation. The N-terminal domain of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) binds to all selectins, but with the highest affinity to P-selectin. Recent evidence suggests that the blockade of P-selectin/PSGL-1 interactions provides a viable therapeutic option for the treatment of many inflammatory diseases. Herein, we report the total synthesis of threonine bearing sialyl LewisX (sLeX) linked to a Core-1-O-hexasaccharide 1, as a key glycan of the N-terminal domain of PSGL-1. A convergent synthesis using α-selective sialylation and a regioselective [4+2] glycosylation are the key features of this synthesis.
Experimental Determination of the Λ Spin

The method recently proposed by Lee and Yang for determining the spin of the LAMBDA hyperon is applied to 614 decays of the type LAMBDA yields pi - + p. The A's were produced in a 10-inch liquid hydrogen bubble chamber via the reaction pi - + p yields K/ deg + LAMBDA . The method makes possible an absolute determination of the A spin without assumptions other than that angular momentum is conserved in the decay. It is concluded that the LAMBDA spin is 1/ 2. (W.D. M.)
Sparsest cut on quotients of the hypercube

We present a simple construction and analysis of an Ω(log log N) integrality gap for the well-known Sparsest Cut semi-definite program (SDP). This holds for the uniform demands version (i.e. edge expansion). The same quantitative gap was proved earlier by Devanur, Khot, Saket, and Vishnoi [STOC 2006], following an integrality gap for non-uniform demands due to Khot and Vishnoi [FOCS 2005]. These previous constructions involve a complicated SDP solution and analysis, while our gap instance, vector solution, and analysis are somewhat simpler and more intuitive. Furthermore, our approach is rather general, and provides a variety of different gap examples derived from quotients of the hypercube. It also illustrates why the lower bound is stuck at Ω(log log N), and why new ideas are needed in order to derive stronger examples.
Riding the technology wave: effective dashboard data visualization

Riding the technology wave, we are awash in data. Attempts to stem the tide, or at least to manage its flow, have led to a proliferation of dashboards. With data dashboards, organizations consolidate important data in a single place, typically accessed via web browser. Dashboard contents may be tables, graphics, or visual key performance indicators (KPIs). While dashboards proliferate, displaying actionable data to support decisions, they are often developed by technical professionals inexperienced in human-computer interaction design. Research abounds on visual perception, but typically this is in the context of individual entities rather than composites. This research will survey corporate and institutional dashboards and their use of particular methods of data visualization. Building on existing research into effectiveness of interactivity in diagrams, the authors seek to identify which types of data are best represented in what types of visualizations and best practices for displaying multiple visualizations in a single view.
A set of MATLAB routines and associated files for prediction of radiation-enhanced diffusion in ion irradiated materials

This article presents MATLAB routines that may be used to evaluate radiation-enhanced diffusion (RED) in ion irradiation materials. Four routines are included: Main, DataCollect, Diffuse, and Directory. A sample input file and README are also included. The input may be directly modified as provided and used as an input to the routines. Data from Stopping Range of Ions in Matter (SRIM) is also required as an input. A stream of data files at different damage conditions is created by the routines.
Lewis adduct formation of hydrogen cyanide and nitriles with arsenic and antimony pentafluoride

The reactions of hydrogen cyanide, butyronitrile, cyclopropanecarbonitrile, pivalonitrile and benzonitrile with arsenic pentafluoride and antimony pentafluoride result in the formation of 1 : 1 Lewis adducts, while malononitrile yielded both 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 Lewis adducts. All adducts were isolated and characterized by multinuclear NMR and vibrational spectroscopy, and in most cases by their X-ray crystal structures.
Reading in the classroom and society: An examination of “reading culture” in African contexts

In the education context of sub-Saharan Africa, reading has received substantial attention in recent years. Reading skills and habits have been identified as a marker of success in formal education, particularly with the current international focus on reading achievement as a measure of learning. Meanwhile, adult literacy continues to be seen as an important feature of human development, and reading skills are carefully tracked in reporting on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This attention given to reading by major international agencies, and by the partners whom they influence, has contributed to a general belief that progress of all kinds can be linked to the ability to read and understand written text. Literacy and reading certainly feature prominently in many aspects of lifelong learning. However, the current interest in establishing so-called reading cultures is handicapped by a significant mismatch in assumptions about the utility and functions of literacy.
Writing in a sacred tongue: inter-aramaic alloglottography

Alloglottography, the act of using one written language for the purpose of writing another one in whole or in part was commonplace in the ancient Near East. While in most cases the heterogeneity of...
Displacement of the Facial Nerve by Deep Parotid Lobe Lesions in the Pediatric Population.

Objectives To describe and investigate facial nerve displacement in deep lobe parotid lesions in children and to determine clinical and radiographic predictors of abnormal facial nerve position. Methods Retrospective case review of children who underwent total parotidectomy for deep lobe parotid lesions at a tertiary care center between January 2014 and December 2017. Aberrant facial nerve trajectory was defined as ascension of the nerve at an angle of 45° or greater. Elongation was defined as the main trunk >2 cm in length. Patient demographics, radiographic, pathologic results, postoperative nerve weakness, and intraoperative nerve findings were collected. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Fisher's exact test were used to assess the associations between variables of interest and facial nerve position. Results A total of 20 patients were included. The mean age was 7.7 ± 5 years. The most common pathologies were lymphatic malformation, pleomorphic adenoma, and first branchial cleft cyst. Twelve out of twenty (60.0%) patients had abnormal intraoperative facial nerve position. There was no significant difference in distribution of pathologies between those with or without an abnormal intraoperative nerve position (P = .41). Neither radiographic lesion size nor distance between the lesion and proximal portion of the facial nerve (mastoid tip) were associated with abnormal facial nerve position intraoperatively. Conclusion Pediatric deep lobe parotid lesions can displace the facial nerve and distort its anatomy in a posterior lateral direction, in approximately 60% of patients. Statistical analysis of increased numbers of patients to further define predictors of aberrant nerve course is warranted. Level of Evidence 4.
Private runtime verification: work-in-progress

Complex systems require runtime monitoring of their operation, and this task can be performed by a separate monitoring process. A hacked monitor however could use the system traces it receives to attack the system or leak the information to competitors. We introduce private runtime verification, in which the monitoring process learns nothing about the traces, and yet is still able to correctly monitor them for satisfaction of temporal specifications.
Adapting a family intervention to reduce risk factors for sexual exploitation.

Sexually exploited youth are disconnected from societal tethers and need support systems, which makes them some of the most vulnerable of youth. This heightened level of vulnerability increases their risk for violence, abuse, ongoing sexual exploitation and all its sequelae. The purpose of this study was to examine an evidence-based intervention called STRIVE (support to reunite, involve and value each other) that has been a successful family re-engagement strategy with newly homeless youth. We sought to explore its contextual relevance for youth with risk factors for sexual exploitation and identify necessary adaptations to reduce risk factors for sexual exploitation. We deliberately took an intersectional approach in conducting this study. Six community-based focus groups were conducted with youth at risk for sexual exploitation and their service providers. Each group was recorded, transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed. Results from 29 youth and 11 providers indicate that there are unique considerations that must be taken into account while working with youth at risk for sexual exploitation to ensure effective service delivery and/or ethical research. Emergent themes included: setting the stage by building rapport and acknowledging experiences of structural violence, protect and hold which balances youth’s need for advocacy/support with their caregivers’ need for validation/understanding, and walking the safety tightrope by assessing risks and safety planning. Focus groups are an effective methodology when working with traditionally disempowered populations particularly in gaining a range of perspectives to meet unique needs/preferences. Youth at risk for commercial sexual exploitation needs require strengths-based, individualized, multi-systemic approaches.
Refining Equipment for High Resolution in-Lens Cryo-Sem

Advanced metal coating methods have greatly improved the localization of secondary electrons (SEI) from biological specimens staged in an in-lens field emission SEM. Using these metal coatings, molecular level structural information from cell membranes and isolated bio-molecules have been more accurately recorded from frozen-hydrated samples due to the presence of bound water rather than from chemically fixed and dried samples. Although in-lens cryo-SEM systems have provided images with equivalent resolution to TEM-replicas, several conditions are encountered which require optimizing techniques and hardware.A drop of hydrated Bakers yeast on a gold Balzers carrier was plunge-frozen in ethane at its melting point. Thermal properties of ethane, such as the large difference between melting and boiling points, and its low viscosity increase the heat transfer coefficient during plunging thereby leading to faster cooling of the sample than with other cryogens. Carriers were transferred to the cryo-workstation of the Oxford CT 3500 system.
A Bayesian Approach for Estimating Uncertainty in Stochastic Economic Dispatch Considering Wind Power Penetration

The increasing penetration of renewable energy resources in power systems, represented as random processes, converts the traditional deterministic economic dispatch problem into a stochastic one. To estimate the uncertainty in the stochastic economic dispatch (SED) problem for the purpose of forecasting, the conventional Monte-Carlo (MC) method is prohibitively time-consuming for practical applications. To overcome this problem, we propose a novel Gaussian-process-emulator (GPE)-based approach to quantify the uncertainty in SED considering wind power penetration. Facing high-dimensional real-world data representing the correlated uncertainties from wind generation, a manifold-learning-based Isomap algorithm is proposed to efficiently represent the low-dimensional hidden probabilistic structure of the data. In this low-dimensional latent space, with Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) as the computer experimental design, a GPE is used, for the first time, to serve as a nonparametric, surrogate model for the original complicated SED model. This reduced-order representative allows us to evaluate the economic dispatch solver at sampled values with a negligible computational cost while maintaining a desirable accuracy. Simulation results conducted on the IEEE 118-bus test system reveal the impressive performance of the proposed method.
Sparsity Based Approaches for Distribution Grid State Estimation - A Comparative Study

The power distribution grid is typically unobservable due to a lack of measurements. While deploying more sensors can alleviate this issue, it also presents new challenges related to data aggregation and the underlying communication infrastructure. Therefore, developing state estimation methods that enhance situational awareness at the grid edge with compressed measurements is critical. For this purpose, a suite of sparsity-based approaches that exploit the correlation among states/measurements in spatial as well as temporal domains have been proposed recently. This article presents a systematic comparison and evaluation of these approaches. Specifically, the performance and complexity of spatial methods (1-D compressive sensing and matrix completion) and spatio-temporal methods (2-D compressive sensing and tensor completion) are compared using the IEEE 37 and IEEE 123 bus test systems. Additionally, new robust formulations of these sparsity-based methods are derived and shown to be robust to bad data and network parameter uncertainties. Among the sparsity-based approaches, compressive sensing methods tend to outperform matrix completion and tensor completion methods in terms of error performance.
Effect of Ozone on Inactivation of Purified Pepper Mild Mottle Virus and Contaminated Pepper Seed

Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) is a major viral pathogen of pepper (Capsicum spp.). PMMoV is readily mechanically transmitted and is seed transmissible. Trisodium phosphate (TSP) treatment is com...
Effects of corallivory and coral colony density on coral growth and survival

A suite of processes drive variation in coral populations in space and time, yet our understanding of how variation in coral density affects coral performance is limited. Theory predicts that reductions in density can send coral populations into a predator pit, where concentrated corallivory maintains corals at low densities. In reality, how variation in coral density alters corallivory rates is poorly resolved. Here, we experimentally quantified the effects of corallivory and coral density on growth and survival of small colonies of the staghorn coral Acropora pulchra. Our findings suggest that coral density and corallivory have strong but independent effects on coral performance. In the presence of corallivores, corals suffered high but density-independent mortality. When corallivores were excluded, however, vertical extension rates of colonies increased with increasing densities. While we found no evidence for a predator pit, our results suggest that spatio-temporal variation in corallivore and coral densities can fundamentally alter population dynamics via strong effects on juvenile corals.
A Simulation-Based Framework for Generating Alerts for Human-Supervised Multi-Robot Teams in Challenging Environments

In a multi-agent mission with failures, uncertainty, complex dependencies, and intermittent information flow, the role of human supervisors is stressful and challenging. Alerts based on future mission predictions can be useful to assist the supervisors in responding to mission updates quickly, and devise more effective strategies. Monte-Carlo forward simulations can be used to estimate future mission states and build probability distributions of possible mission outcomes and generate alerts. However, in order to get reasonable estimates, we need a large number of simulations, representing a long-duration multi robot mission. All this needs to be performed within seconds, and therefore traditional physics based robotic simulations are infeasible. We adapt ideas from discrete event simulation paradigm, and present our novel simulation techniques like adaptive time step size, robot grouping, and intelligent time interval selection. Our technique achieves a sufficient level of accuracy in estimating probabilities, thereby generating higher quality alerts, while lowering overall fidelity of the discrete simulations for faster computation. We also provide theoretical insights on error levels in probability estimation using our method, which can guide in choosing appropriate levels of fidelity while maintaining accuracy requirements in different application scenarios. Lastly, we demonstrate sufficiently accurate real-time alert generation for a few representative mission scenarios, where the computational time is in the order of seconds using our adaptive techniques.
Self-Agency in Psychotherapy: Attachment, Autonomy, and Intimacy, by J. Knox

In Self-Agency in Psychotherapy: Attachment, Autonomy, and Intimacy, psychoanalyst Jean Knox makes a powerful case for the therapeutic relationship as a context for facilitating the patient's devel...
The Possible Significance of the Ferrous Oxidase Activity of Ceruloplasmin in Normal Human Serum

The oxidation of Fe(II) by serum was studied at pH 7.35 and at various oxygen concentrations which approach the physiological conditions of human serum. The nonenzymic oxidation of Fe(II) was estimated to be insufficient to account for a rate of Fe(III)-transferrin formation necessary to provide an adequate iron supply for hemoglobin and other biosyntheses if Fe(II) is a relevant source of serum iron. The results suggested that an appreciable catalytic activity was involved in Fe(II) oxidation in serum. The ferroxidase activity of various normal human sera correlates precisely with the p-phenylenediamine oxidase activity of these sera. This catalytic activity is inhibited by azide and cyanide, and is low in sera with reduced ceruloplasmin levels. Fe(II) oxidation is also associated with the ceruloplasmin fraction on diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography of serum. The oxidation of Fe(II) by ceruloplasmin is zero order with respect to oxygen (10 to 200 µm), whereas the nonenzymic oxidation is first order. A biological role for the ceruloplasmin of serum in promoting the rate of iron saturation of transferrin and in stimulating iron utilization and the designation of the enzyme as serum ferroxidase is proposed.
Polynucleotide binding to macrophage scavenger receptors depends on the formation of base-quartet-stabilized four-stranded helices.

Macrophage scavenger receptors exhibit unusually broad, but circumscribed, polyanionic ligand-binding specificity. For example, the polyribonucleotides poly(I) and poly(G) are ligands but poly(A) and poly(C) are not. To further investigate the molecular basis of this polynucleotide-binding specificity, we tested the capacity of various oligodeoxyribonucleic acids to inhibit the scavenger receptor-mediated degradation of 125I-labeled acetylated low density lipoprotein by Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the type I bovine scavenger receptor. A series of short oligodeoxyriboguanines (dGn, where 5 < or = n < or = 37) were effective inhibitors. The dG6, dG12, and dA5G37 members of this series were shown by circular dichroism and UV spectroscopy to be assembled into four-stranded helices stabilized by G-quartets. [32P]dA5G37 bound directly to scavenger receptors. Partial or complete denaturation of the quadruplex structures of these oligonucleotides by boiling destroyed their inhibitory activity. Receptor activity was also inhibited by d(T4G4)4, a telomere-like oligonucleotide which forms an intramolecular quadruplex. In addition, conversion of the four-stranded potassium salt of poly(I) to the single-stranded lithium salt dramatically reduced its inhibitory activity. Addition of KCl to the Li+ salt resulted in the reformation of poly(I)'s quadruplex structure and restoration of its inhibitory activity. A variety of single-stranded and double-stranded oligo- and polydeoxyribonucleotides (e.g. dA37, HaeIII restriction fragments of phi X174) exhibited very little or no inhibitory activity. Thus, a base-quartet-stabilized four-stranded helix appears to be a necessary structural determinant for polynucleotide binding to and inhibition of scavenger receptors. This conformational requirement accounts for the previously unexplained polyribonucleotide-binding specificity of scavenger receptors. The spatial distribution of the negatively charged phosphates in polynucleotide quadruplexes may form a charged surface which is complementary to the positively charged surface of the collagenous ligand-binding domain of the scavenger receptor.
Better Guidelines, Better Functionality: How Metadata Supports the Cycle of System Improvement at the University of North Texas

Paper on how metadata supports the cycle of system improvements at the University of North Texas (UNT).
Plans and The Structure of Target Acquisition Behavior

Subjects manipulated a position control stick with one hand and a velocity control stick with the other hand in order to capture a moving target displayed on an oscilloscope screen. The two control sticks were additively coupled. In order to understand the coordination of the two control sticks, event-based first-order markov “activity sequence generators” were constructed for individual subjects. These discrete probabilistic structures are closely related to each subject's overall plan or general strategy for the capture task. Striking individual differences and strategic errors in performance were revealed. When combined with additional time-conditioned (open-loop) and error-conditioned (closed-loop) details, the activity sequence generators provide a basis for a hierarchic description of this perceptual-motor skill.
Resonance and impact of the 2009 Samoa tsunami around Tutuila, American Samoa

[1] The 2009 Samoa tsunami resulted in severe damage and inundation at Tutuila, American Samoa. The disparity of the impact and the varying accounts of the tsunami along the coast remain one of the most intriguing aspects of the event. We utilize a dispersive wave model to reconstruct the tsunami from the earthquake source for understanding of the wave dynamics around Tutuila. After validation with water-level measurements, a Fast Fourier Transform of the computed surface elevation reveals coupled resonance oscillations between 3 and 18 min period over the insular slope and shelf as well as the fringing reefs. The resonance, which focuses energy according to shelf and embayment configurations, provides an explanation of the runup data and eyewitness accounts and identifies the coastal communities prone to tsunami hazards.
Varieties of Indefinites in Spanish

The study of Spanish plural indefinites has been shown to be of great interest to the general theory of indefiniteness and the semantics of Spanish quantification. This article first presents an overview of the relevant empirical data and potential accounts of the semantic properties at stake. Finally, the differential behavior of these indefinites with respect to implicature generation is discussed in the framework of recent debates on this issue.
Dissimilar functional effects of pineal stalk and cerebral meningeal interruptions on phase shifts of circadian activity rhythms.

Abstract Effects of surgical interruptions of the pineal stalk, superior sagittal sinus and cerebral meninges were studied using female rats in individual activity cages and with continuous recording of running activity in a controlled (LD 12:12) and periodically reversed photoperiod. Interruption of the pineal stalk was shown to lead to a reduction in pineal size and a transitory increase in initial rate of phase shift resembling that produced as a continuous effect after complete pinealectomy. Unhealed lesions of the dural membrane bilaterally over the cerebral hemispheres and oriented so as to probably reduce anterior-posterior tension led to an abnormal entrainment endpoint or final attrainment after reversal of photoperiod. The hypothesis is presented that dural transmission to the pineal body of periodic changes in intracranial pressure may contribute to the physiological mechanism for timing of endpoint in the circadian rhythm in running activity during resetting. Evidence relating to this hypothesis is discussed.