cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Central Bank Support Coalitions

The Federal Reserve's ideological "support coalition" in Congress is not constant but changes over time with the mandate that it is pursuing. When the Federal Reserve (Fed) is fighting inflation, the Right supports it and the Left attacks it. But when the Fed's primary focus shifts to recession and high unemployment, the coalitions reverse and the Left supports the Fed while the Right attacks it. A second complementary influence involves the Fed's foreign operations. I argue that the Fed's massive support for foreign central banks during the recent crisis further alienated the Right for "anti-globalization" reasons, compounding the ideological effect arising from the Fed's focus on unemployment. I evaluate these arguments in two ways. First, I analyze all congressional proposals since 1973 to increase oversight of the Fed to see if opponents (identified as proposal sponsors and co-sponsors), move from Left to Right as the Fed moves from fighting inflation to fighting unemployment. The results strongly support this conditional conjecture. Second, I examine roll-call voting on Ron Paul’s 2012 "Audit the Fed" bill, finding that the Fed's congressional support coalition is now solidly left-wing, with attacks emanating from the Right. This is due to a combination of monetary conditions – reducing unemployment is the Fed's current priority – and the Right's antipathy to the Fed's global activities.
COPEPTIN AS A SURROGATE FOR VOLUME STATUS AND SERIAL MONITORING IN HEART FAILURE

Volume status assessment is critical in heart failure (HF). Vasopressin (AVP), is known to be upregulated when volume status is elevated. Copeptin, the c-terminal portion of the precursor of vasopressin, is a measurement of AVP. We evaluated copeptin in dyspneic patients and serial measurements in
Analysis on the etiological characteristics of Vibrio cholera in Hunan Province in 2012

Objective To investigate the etiological features of the epidemic strains at different time points from different areas in Hunan Province in 2012,to analyze the genetic correlation between the epidemic strains and routine monitoring strains,and to provide a basis for tracing the source of infection. Methods Bacterial strains were identified by biochemical identification system,serotyped by serological methods,and then characterized by polymerase chain reaction( PCR) for detecting virulence associated genes. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis( PFGE) was used to analyze molecular typing of Vibrio cholera strains. Results All 17 strains of Vibrio cholerae serotype O139 isolated from the epidemic and routine monitoring in Hunan Province in 2012 were toxin production strains with virulence genes. Among the 17 strains for molecular typing by PFGE,the enzyme cut maps of 2 strains from 2 different epidemic situations were exactly the same,but different from those of 3 other epidemic situations which were not exactly the same. Conclusions The high carrying rate of virulence genes of Vibrio cholerae O139 isolates from soft shelled turtles in Hunan Province in 2012 is one of the important reasons for frequent outbreaks. The high homology of isolates from patients and foods further confirms that the outbreaks are attributed to foodborne cholera transmission. 2 outbreaks have 100% identity of molecular typing maps,while other outbreaks have little association,which shows different sources of infection.
Study on Actual Evapotranspiration from a Forestry Watershed based on Process Model

Evapotranspiration( ET) is a very important component in the terrestrial hydrological balance. It is a decisive relative factor of water resources evaluation and sustainable water resource management policy. In this study,the daily and whole year's ET in 2008 in a watershed in Daxinganling region was analyzed using the process model TerrainLab,and ET intensity for different land covers was analyzed. The input data for this model are DEM( Digital Elevation Model),land cover type,LAI( Leaf Area Index) and meteorological data and so on. The annual total ET for the watershed is 255. 02 mm,which accounts for 42. 5% of total rainfall( 599. 68 mm) throughout the year. Among the total ET,ET from June to August account for 73%. Coniferous forest,broad-leaved forest and mixed forest contribute to 97. 4%,0. 4% and1. 7% of the ET separately,other land cover type makes a contribution of 0. 5%.
Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13: Treatment and Management Decisions

In this paper, we review the complex medical, ethical, and psychosocial decisions that confront maternal fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists, parents, nurses, and other providers in the management of infants diagnosed with two chromosomal conditions generally considered as lethal anomalies. We examine the complex decision-making processes in contemporary US neonatology, including the ethical precepts of professional paternalism and parental autonomy. Medical approaches, ethical dilemmas, and the role of perinatal palliative care are discussed. Education of parents regarding medical and developmental outcomes of affected infants, disclosure of values between physicians and parents, an understanding of the role and limitations of autonomy, transparency in the dialogue among all parties regarding the principle of “best interest” for affected infants, and the medical axiom of not doing harm are essential components in the management decisions.
Refined Synthesis and Crystal Growth of Pb2P2Se6 for Hard Radiation Detectors

The refined synthesis and optimized crystal growth of high quality Pb2P2Se6 single crystals are reported. Improved experimental procedures were implemented to reduce the oxygen contamination and improve the stoichiometry of the single crystal samples. The impact of oxygen contamination and the nature of the stoichiometry deviation in the Pb2P2Se6 system were studied by first-principles density functional theory (DFT) electronic structure calculations as well as experimental methods. The DFT calculations indicated that the presence of interstitial oxygen atoms (Oint) leads to the formation of a deep level located near the middle of the gap, as well as a shallow acceptor level near the valence band maximum. In addition, total energy calculations of the heat of formation of Pb2P2Se6 suggest that the region of thermodynamic stability is sufficiently wide. By refining the preparative procedures, high quality Pb2P2Se6 single crystal samples were reproducibly obtained. These Pb2P2Se6 single crystals exhibited ex...
Against Transgenic Animals (1992)

When I wrote “The Case Against bGH” in the late 1980s, I enjoyed eating meat, enjoyed serving it to my family, and believed one could simultaneously defend traditional family farms and the welfare of animals. Shortly after finishing that article, I read again, and more carefully, Tom Regan’s The Case for Animal Rights. 2 Regan’s arguments challenged my presuppositions.
Autonomous lighting assessments in buildings: part 1 – robotic navigation and mapping

ABSTRACTApproximately 40% of all US energy usage and carbon emissions are attributed to buildings. Energy audits of buildings are an effective way to identify significant energy savings, but the extensive training required by auditors and cost of the labour intensive audits result in only a small fraction of buildings receiving an audit. Automation of the audit process using robots can offer more detailed information for better recommendations, greater consistency in analysis and recommendations, and greatly reduce the cost of audits. This paper introduces such a system and proposes navigational strategies that would be used by ground and aerial robots as they conduct automated energy audits. The strategies are divided into the interior and exterior environments. Simulations for both the interior and exterior navigational algorithms are presented, showing success in completely exploring previously unknown areas, identifying and maneuvering to objects of specific interest to energy audits, and circumnaviga...
Enhanced nonenzymatic RNA copying with 2-aminoimidazole activated nucleotides

Achieving efficient nonenzymatic replication of RNA is an important step toward the synthesis of self-replicating protocells that may mimic early forms of life. Despite recent progress, the nonenzymatic copying of templates containing mixed sequences remains slow and inefficient. Here we demonstrate that activating nucleotides with 2-aminoimidazole results in superior reaction kinetics and improved yields of primer extension reaction products. This new leaving group significantly accelerates monomer addition as well as trimer-assisted RNA primer extension, allowing efficient copying of a variety of short RNA templates with mixed sequences.
Survey to child/adolescent psychiatry and developmental/behavioral pediatric training directors to expand psychiatric-mental health training to nurse practitioners.

Background There is an ongoing shortage of child mental health professionals. Nurse practitioners (NPs) who completed behavioral and mental health training have proven that they can diagnose and manage many pediatric problems. Purpose To ask the training directors of both child/adolescent psychiatry (CAP) and developmental/behavioral pediatric (DBP) programs about their receptivity and willingness to give additional training for NPs who provide care to children with behavioral and mental health issues and examine the main obstacles to the development of such programs. Methods A survey was sent to 151 CAP and DBP training directors in the United States. Results The return rate was 67% (N = 101). Only 12% expressed objection to the concept of additional NP training in CAP or DBP, but only 53% of training directors currently reported having sufficient faculty to do so. Some training directors reported already having advanced behavioral and mental health training programs for NPs (31%) and most (82%) would consider expanding, if funded. Conclusions There is support for advanced training for NPs, but funding is needed to make this a reality. Implications for practice Expansion of such programs might rapidly improve accessibility and reduce waiting time of mental health providers for children and adolescents.
Visualizing Medicine: Mapping Connections with Plague Inc. to Learn in the Interdisciplinary Classroom

City Tech’s course, Healing the Body: The Visual Culture of Medicine, explores the juncture of art and medicine using a multi-disciplinary approach. Taught by faculty experts in art history, nursing, and pathology, students investigate a range of issues in visual culture through three themes dedicated to representations of the medical body, disease and illness, and healing and treatment. Mapping serves as a representational and metaphorical construct for connecting the units, and it is central to several course lessons on epidemiology. In lieu of a conventional, place-based learning activity, students access a virtual world by playing the game Plague Inc. The interactive nature of the game helps to enhance student learning about the multiple variables of disease transmission.
Student Outcomes and Perceptions Related to Chroma Key (Green Screen) Technology Utilized in a Drug Literature Evaluation Course

Evaluate student perceptions of a blended course design for pharmacy education utilizing chroma key (i.e., green screen) technology plus a face-to-face active learning session. Green-screen videos were created using the TouchCast Studio® iPad® application to replace face-to-face didactic instruction in a 2016 course module. Third-year pharmacy student opinions of using asynchronous green-screen video content in a required drug literature evaluation course and performance on five identical examination items using a historical control (2012–2015) were assessed. In total, 62 (48%) of students responded to the post-exposure perception survey. While only 37.1% of responding students preferred online learning compared to traditional learning in general, 67.7% of responding students considered a green-screen video an acceptable substitute to an in-person demonstration, and 85.5% of responding students found the green-screen video modules to be helpful for their learning. Furthermore, 58.1% of respondents agreed that they would like to see more courses incorporate green-screen technology in the future. Intervention group student performance on identical exam items did not significantly differ from students in the control group on a collective basis (2012–2015). This pilot study supports the utility of green-screen technology in pharmacy education as a newer tool to facilitate delivery of didactic content in a blended learning approach. Replacing face-to-face instruction with green-screen videos was well received by students and did not negatively impact examination scores. Analysis of student outcomes and perceptions over more extended periods of time and in other curricular content areas is warranted.
Going Global: Understanding English Language Learners’ Student Motivation in English-Language MOOCs

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offer high quality, free courses to anyone with an Internet connection. However, these courses may be relatively inaccessible to the large global population of students who are English Language Learners (ELLs). Current efforts to understand student motivation in MOOCs do not take into account the specific needs of ELL students. Through interviews with 12 ELL online students, and a survey with 20,084 ELL respondents, we investigate ELL students’ motivations for taking online courses. We show that ELL students’ motivations are highly socialized strategies for achieving long-term goals of economic, social, and geographic mobility. Although research studies show that ELLs interact sparingly with other students in MOOCs, we present evidence that they have unmet needs for interaction, and discuss how student interaction systems in MOOCs can better address these needs. Finally, we show evidence that ELLs deliberately use English MOOCs to improve their language skills, even when the content is not language-related. This implies that meeting ELL students’ needs and access to MOOCs involves translating MOOCs to their local languages, but also providing language support in English-language MOOCs.
Unsupervised deep learning for subspace clustering

This paper presents a novel technique for the segmentation of data W = [w 1 · · · w n ] ⊂ RD drawn from a union u = ∪M i=1 of subspaces {S i }M i=1 . First, an existing subspace segmentation algorithm is used to perform an initial data clustering {C i }M i=1 , where C i = {w i1 · · ·w ik } ⊂ W is the set of data from the ith cluster. Then, a local subspace LS i is matched for each C i and the distance d ij between LS i and each point w ij ∊ C i is computed. A data-driven threshold η is computed and the data points (in C i ) whose distances to LS i are larger than η are eliminated since they are considered as outliers or erroneously clustered data points in C i . The remaining data points C i ⊂ C i are considered to be coming from the same subspace with high confidence. Then, {C i }M i=1 are used in unsupervised way to train a convolution neural network to obtain a deep learning model, which is in turn used to re-cluster W. The system has been successfully implemented using the MNIST dataset and it improved the segmentation accuracy of a particular algorithm (EnSC-ORGEN) from 93.79% to 96.52%.
Perspectives of nonstarch polysaccharide enzymes in nutrition

Abstract The application of nonstarch polysaccharide enzymes (NSP-enzymes) as feed additives to improve nutrient digestibility of plant-based feedstuffs has been researched extensively in higher animals and to some extent in aquaculture species. NSP-enzymes are now broadly used throughout the world as a way to reduce the antinutritional effects of NSP and phytic acid, increasing the utilization of nutrients, and providing animals with additional energy, protein, and minerals resulting in cost-effective, adequate growth performance, and an environmentally friendly and sustainable animal production system. Besides, using multiple NSP-enzymes as diet additives can target different antinutritive compounds in feedstuffs to obtain maximum benefits, compared to individual NSP-enzyme. Nevertheless, to maximize the efficacy of NSP-enzyme combinations, it is essential to understand how the NSP-enzymes work together to hydrolyze their respective substrates. The application of NSP-enzymes in food production and processing have also been increased rapidly, which is a representative example of the practical applications of biotechnology. The reasons for such enduring success are related to the specificity, fast action, mild operational conditions required, and biodegradable and biocompatible nature of enzymes. These features allow for chemical modifications of substrates to be performed effectively, and for food processing with preservation of nutrients, while complying with public health-and-safety requirements. Increased insight into catalytic mechanisms and protein configuration at a molecular level also allowed for a better understanding of the behavior and stability of NSP-enzymes. All these new developments are likely to be pursued in the near future and therefore contribute to improving and expanding the role played by NSP-enzymes in the food, beverage, and animal feed industries. This chapter reports on the application of NSP-enzymes, mechanisms of their effectiveness in animal nutrition, and opportunities for their supplementation in food, beverages, and animal feed, presenting trends and perspectives.
Evaluation of corn and sorghum distillers byproducts.

Two trials were conducted to determine the feeding value of sorghum distillers byproducts. Trial 1, a finishing trial, used 160 yearling steers (327 kg). Treatments consisted of dry-rolled corn (DRC) control, sorghum wet distillers grains (SWDG), sorghum wet distillers grains plus solubles (SWDGS), and sorghum dried distillers grain plus solubles (SDDGS). Distillers byproducts were fed at 40% of the diet DM. Cattle fed diets containing SWDG, SWDGS, or DRC were similar in efficiency of gain (P >.10) ; cattle fed SDDGS were less efficient ( P .10). Corn wet distillers grains were higher in true nitrogen (P <.001), apparent nitrogen (P <.01), and organic matter digestibility (P <.05) than SWDG. Wet distillers byproducts were higher ( P <.01) in apparent organic matter and nitrogen digestibility than dried distillers byproducts. Digestibility of distillers byproducts and subsequent energy values are influenced by type of grain used in the fermentation process and drying of the finished byproduct.
The Technology of Coercion

Using technology to increase the certainty of harm-doing is older than civilization. Perhaps the first hominid who discovered how to chip stones into axes deserves the credit for beginning this technology. Each new advance since then has increased the certainty of harm-doing as well as altering the balance of power between contending parties.
Re-wiring activity of malicious networks

This paper studies the AS-level re-wiring dynamics (changes in the connectivity) of malicious networks. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some malicious ASes that are primarily involved in nefarious activities on the Internet, were sequentially de-peered by providers before their final cut-off (as occurred in the well-publicized cases of Atrivo/Intercage). We present the first systematic study of the re-wiring dynamics of malicious ASes. We tracked the ASes that were listed by Hostexploit over the last two years and compared their AS-level re-wiring dynamics with non-reported ASes. Using a publicly available dataset of Customer-Provider (CP) relations in the Internet's AS graph, we studied how interconnection between autonomous systems evolves, both for ASes that provide connectivity for attackers and ASes that were not reported as malicious. We find that malicious networks are more aggressive both in forming links with providers and changing their upstream connectivity than other ASes. Our results indicate that the re-wiring dynamics of the networks that host attacks are stable over time, despite the evolving nature of the attacks themselves, which suggests that existing defense mechanisms could benefit from incorporating these features.
Optokinetic Eye Movements

The optokinetic response (OKR) supports the vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) in maintaining stable gaze during constant-velocity or low-acceleration head movements by producing eye movements in the direction of visual motion. The optimal stimulus for producing an OKR is large-field visual motion. Visual signals carried in optokinetic pathways also play a major role in adjusting the gain of the VOR in response to developmental, age-related, or pathological challenges. The OKR of frontal-eyed mammals is sensitive to postnatal binocular visual experience, development of cortical binocularity, and maturation of descending visual cortical connections to the pretectum and nuclei of the accessory optic system.
Efficient Quantification and Simulation of Modal Dynamics in Multimode Fiber Links

Sudden environmental effects, such as mechanical vibration, wind, and lightning, impart microsecond-timescale changes to the transmission matrix of multimode optical fibers. We introduce a timescale parameter to characterize the rate of channel changes in mode-division-multiplexed (MDM) links. We show how to efficiently generate continuous unitary matrices that form the basis for a simplified, yet general, dynamic channel model incorporating the effects of modal dispersion, mode-dependent loss, and time-varying mode coupling. We show that fast environmental perturbations can be modeled by deriving the unitary matrices from a linear ramp model, where the ramp slopes depend on the timescale parameter. We discuss the implications of channel dynamics on adaptive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) equalization at the receiver in long-haul MDM links using coherent detection and in short-reach MDM links using direct detection. We show that the channel timescale and the rotation rate of the generalized Stokes vector on the generalized Poincare sphere are both predictive of adaptive MIMO equalizer misadjustment. Our simplified channel model can be applied to optimize adaptive MIMO equalization algorithms for tracking modal dynamics.
An Approximate Multiconductor Transmission Line Model for an Antenna Loaded by High-Impedance Unit Cells

We present a transmission line model for a microstrip line or antenna above a row of high-impedance unit cells, such as those used in a high-impedance surface (HIS) ground plane. The model is built on a multiconductor transmission line circuit description of the joint microstrip and HIS cell structure as stacked microstrip lines. Discontinuities in the HIS cell layer are modeled as circuit elements using well-known closed-form expressions. S-parameters predicted by the transmission line model agree with full-wave simulations from low frequencies to above the parallel resonance of the HIS unit cells. The model also provides an approximate forward prediction of the impedance behavior of antennas above HIS ground planes, which cannot be obtained using the reflection phase method.
Identity Diffusion and Development Among African Americans: Implications for Crime and Corrections

Abstract This paper explores identity diffusion and development among African Americans and the implications for crime and corrections. First, the relation between identity diffusion and criminality is examined. Second, rehabilitative approaches suitable for diffused individuals are highlighted. Subsequently, criminal justice practices towards African Americans are highlighted along with their implications for identity development. Here, the mechanisms underlying identity development are articulated (with an analysis of how ethnicity interacts with these mechanisms). Within a criminal justice framework, the second half of this paper explores culturally sensitive practices that are pertinent to the identity development of African Americans. Finally, culturally sensitive programs are examined more generally, that are applicable to criminal justice contexts. Their impact (or potential impact) on rehabilitation and identity development is highlighted.
COUNTING CONJUGACY CLASSES IN

We show that if a finitely generated group has a nonelementary WPD action on a hyperbolic metric space , then the number of -conjugacy classes of -loxodromic elements of coming from a ball of radius in the Cayley graph of grows exponentially in . As an application we prove that for the number of distinct -conjugacy classes of fully irreducible elements from an -ball in the Cayley graph of with of the order of grows exponentially in .
FishStore: fast ingestion and indexing of raw data

The last decade has witnessed a huge increase in data being ingested into the cloud from a variety of data sources. The ingested data takes various forms such as JSON, CSV, and binary formats. Traditionally, data is either ingested into storage in raw form, indexed ad-hoc using range indices, or cooked into analytics-friendly columnar formats. None of these solutions is able to handle modern requirements on storage: making the data available immediately for ad-hoc and streaming queries while ingesting at extremely high throughputs. We demonstrate FishStore, our open-source concurrent latch-free storage layer for data with flexible schema. FishStore builds on recent advances in parsing and indexing techniques, and is based on multi-chain hash indexing of dynamically registered predicated subsets of data. We find predicated subset hashing to be a powerful primitive that supports a broad range of queries on ingested data and admits a higher performance (by up to an order of magnitude) implementation than current alternatives.
An Acoustic Signal Processing Chip With 142-nW Voice Activity Detection Using Mixer-Based Sequential Frequency Scanning and Neural Network Classification

This article presents a voice and acoustic activity detector that uses a mixer-based architecture and ultra-low-power neural network (NN)-based classifier. By sequentially scanning 4 kHz of frequency bands and down-converting to below 500 Hz, feature extraction power consumption is reduced by 4 $\times $ . The NN processor employs computational sprinting, enabling 12 $\times $ power reduction. The system also features inaudible acoustic signature detection for intentional remote silent wakeup of the system while re-using a subset of the same system components. The measurement results achieve 91.5%/90% speech/non-speech hit rates at 10-dB SNR with babble noise and 142-nW power consumption. Acoustic signature detection consumes 66 nW, successfully detecting a signature 10 dB below the noise level.
An Interhelical Salt Bridge Controls Flexibility and Inhibitor Potency for Regulators of G-protein Signaling Proteins 4, 8, and 19.

Regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins modulate receptor signaling by binding to activated G-protein α-subunits, accelerating GTP hydrolysis. Selective inhibition of RGS proteins increases G-protein activity and may provide unique tissue specificity. Thiadiazolidinones (TDZDs) are covalent inhibitors that act on cysteine residues to inhibit RGS4, RGS8, and RGS19. There is a correlation between protein flexibility and potency of inhibition by the TDZD 4-[(4- fluorophenyl)methyl]-2-(4-methylphenyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazolidine-3,5-dione (CCG-50014). In the context of a single conserved cysteine residue on the α4 helix, RGS19 is the most flexible and most potently inhibited by CCG-50014, followed by RGS4 and RGS8. In this work, we identify residues responsible for differences in both flexibility and potency of inhibition among RGS isoforms. RGS19 lacks a charged residue on the α4 helix that is present in RGS4 and RGS8. Introducing a negative charge at this position (L118D) increased the thermal stability of RGS19 and decreased the potency of inhibition of CCG-50014 by 8-fold. Mutations eliminating salt bridge formation in RGS8 and RGS4 decreased thermal stability in RGS8 and increased potency of inhibition of both RGS4 and RGS8 by 4- and 2-fold, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations with an added salt bridge in RGS19 (L118D) showed reduced RGS19 flexibility. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange studies showed striking differences in flexibility in the α4 helix of RGS4, 8, and 19 with salt bridge–modifying mutations. These results show that the α4 salt bridge–forming residue controls flexibility in several RGS isoforms and supports a causal relationship between RGS flexibility and the potency of TDZD inhibitors. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Inhibitor potency is often viewed in relation to the static structure of a target protein binding pocket. Using both experimental and computation studies we assess determinants of dynamics and inhibitor potency for three different RGS proteins. A single salt bridge–forming residue determines differences in flexibility between RGS isoforms; mutations either increase or decrease protein motion with correlated alterations in inhibitor potency. This strongly suggests a causal relationship between RGS protein flexibility and covalent inhibitor potency.
Prevalence of Low Plasma Vitamin B1 in the Stroke Population Admitted to Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of vitamin B1 (VitB1) deficiency in the stroke population admitted to acute inpatient rehabilitation. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Acute inpatient rehabilitation facility at an academic medical center. Participants: 119 consecutive stroke patients admitted to stroke service from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Plasma VitB1 level. Results: There were 17 patients (14%; 95% CI 9–22%) with low VitB1 with a range of 2–3 nmol/L, an additional 58 (49%; CI 40–58%) patients had normal low VitB1 with a range of 4–9 nmol/L, twenty-five patients (21%; CI 15–29%) had normal high VitB1 with a range of 10–15 nmol/L, and nineteen patients (16%; CI 10–24%) had high VitB1 with a range of 16–43 nmol/L. Conclusions: In this cohort of patients admitted to the stroke service at an acute rehabilitation facility, there is evidence of thiamine deficiency. Moreover, the data suggest that there is inadequate acute intake of VitB1. Given the role of thiamine deficiency in neurologic function, further study of the role of thiamine optimization in the acute stroke rehabilitation population is warranted.
CHAPTER 11 – SLATER DETERMINANTS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the slater determinants. It discusses the general and special cases for matrix elements. Multielectron wave functions must be antisymmetric with respect to an interchange of the space and spin coordinates of any two electrons. Antisymmetry can be ensured by expressing the wave function in terms of Slater determinants. To facilitate the calculation of various physical quantities, the chapter derives expressions for matrix elements of operators when the wave functions are written in determinantal form. For one-electron operators, simple product functions and determinantal functions give the same matrix elements. The chapter also illustrates a few examples of the Slater–Condon parameters.
The clinical significance of monitoring parameters for oxygen kinetics and metabolism in the diagnosis and treatment of shock

The importance of hemodynamic monitoring is reflected in the correct interpretation of the monitoring results and taking simultaneously the appropriate treatment strategy according to the correct interpretation of the results.The essence of the shock is body tissue hypoperfusion,whtich result in tissue hypoxia and organ dysfunction.The essence of the hemodynamic imbalance is the imbalance of oxygen supply and oxygen consumption.Therefore,the end point of the fluid resuscitation for shock is now increasing emphasis on monitoring mixed/central venous oxygen saturation and the concentration of blood lactate,the rate of lactate clearance. Key words: Oxygen dynamics; Shock; Monitoring; Children
Delocalized Two-Exciton States in DNA Scaffolded Cyanine Dimers

The engineering and manipulation of delocalized molecular exciton states is a key component for artificial biomimetic light harvesting complexes as well as alternative circuitry platforms based on exciton propagation. Here we examine the consequences of strong electronic coupling in cyanine homodimers on DNA duplex scaffolds. The most closely spaced dyes, attached to positions directly across the double-helix from one another, exhibit pronounced Davydov splitting due to strong electronic coupling. We demonstrate that the DNA scaffold is sufficiently robust to support observation of the transition from the lowest energy (J-like) one-exciton state to the nonlocal two-exciton state, where each cyanine dye is in the excited state. This transition proceeds via sequential photon absorption and persists for the lifetime of the exciton, establishing this as a controlled method for creating two-exciton states. Our observations suggest that DNA-organized dye networks have potential as platforms for molecular logic gates and entangled photon emission based on delocalized two-exciton states.
Consumer-resource dynamics in Arctic ponds.

Population dynamics are shaped by species interactions with resources, competitors, enemies, and environmental fluctuations that alter the strength of these interactions. We used a food web approach to investigate the population dynamics of an abundant Arctic mosquito species, Aedes nigripes (Diptera: Culicidae). Specifically, we evaluated the importance of bottom-up variation in aquatic biofilms (food) and top-down predation from diving beetles (Colymbetes dolabratus, Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) on mosquito population performance. In spring 2018, we tracked mosquito and predator populations across eight ponds in western Greenland, measured biofilm productivity with standardized samplers, and estimated grazing-pressure by invertebrate consumers with an in-situ exclosure experiment. We also assessed the quality of biofilms as nutrition for mosquito larvae and evaluated pond attributes that might influence biofilm productivity and food quality. Our results indicated that mosquito population dynamics were more related to resource quality and intraspecific competition than to the density of predaceous diving beetles. Ponds with better quality biofilm tended to have more hatching larvae and those populations experienced higher per capita mortality. This aggregation of larvae in what would otherwise be the best mosquito ponds was enough to produce relatively low fitness. Thus, the landscape would support more mosquitoes if they instead distributed themselves to match predictions of the ideal free distribution. Although mortality rates were highest in ponds with the highest initial densities, the increased mortality was not generally enough to compensate for initial abundance, and 78% of the variation in the density of mosquitoes emerging from ponds was explained by the initial number of larvae in a pond. Resource quality was a strong predictor of consumer abundance, yet there was no evidence that biofilm grazing pressure was greater in ponds where mosquito density was higher. Collectively, our results suggest that mosquito ponds in western Greenland are a mosaic of source and pseudo-sink populations structured by oviposition tendencies, biofilm resource quality, and density dependent larval mortality.
Does Size Matter for Cephalomedullary Nails in Geriatric Intertrochanteric Fractures

Objectives To evaluate the need for reoperation of geriatric intertrochanteric hip fractures treated with 10mm cephalomedullary nails versus those treated with nails larger than 10mm. Design Retrospective review at a single institution. Setting Level I trauma center. Patients/participants All patients age 60 and over treated with cephalomedullary fixation for an intertrochanteric femur fracture at a single institution. Intervention Cephalomedullary fixation with variable nail diameters. Main outcome measurements Reoperation rates of geriatric intertrochanteric fractures treated with a size 10mm diameter cephalomedullary nail compared to patients treated with nails larger than 10mm. Results There were no significant differences in reoperation rates when the 10mm cohort was compared to an aggregate cohort of all nails larger than 10mm (p=0.99). This result was true for both all cause reoperation, and non-infectious reoperation. There was no difference between cohorts in regards to age, gender, or fracture pattern. Conclusions A 10mm cephalomedullary nail can be used in lieu of a larger diameter fixation in patients age 60 and older with intertrochanteric femur fractures while still maintaining a comparable rate of reoperation. Level of evidence Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The formal institutional context of informal entrepreneurship: A cross-national, configurational-based perspective

Abstract While previous comparative research has identified the formal institutional conditions that differentiate countries on their degree of informal entrepreneurship, this paper examines the characteristics that shape cross-national diversity in its type. Based on a series of fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analyses (fs/QCA) of 138 country cases, we find evidence of causal heterogeneity in the configuration of institutional conditions associated with entrepreneurial outcomes that are informal and growth-oriented and those that are informal and subsistence-oriented. Given our results, we propose that the formal institutional-based conditions that differentiate between types of informal sectors are best identified by the conjoint mixture of strength and weakness of state capabilities across multiple domains, rather than by uniform weakness, or voids, along all state functions. In our discussion, we explore the implication of our configurational-based findings for the comparative analysis of national systems of informal entrepreneurship and for the tailoring of policies to account for the multiple institutional-based pathways by which entrepreneurs come to enter into the informal economy.
Social Jetlag and Emerging Adults’ Performance in a Behavioral Weight Loss Trial:

Social jetlag (SJ)—the shift in sleep timing between workdays and free days—is linked to deleterious cardiometabolic outcomes. SJ is greatest among emerging adults, who are already at high risk for...
Investor behavior in the mutual fund industry: evidence from gross flows

Using a large sample of monthly gross flows from 1997 to 2003, we uncover several previously undocumented regularities in investor behavior. First, investor purchases and sales produce fund-level gross flows that are highly persistent. Persistence in fund flows dominates performance as a predictor of future fund flows. More importantly, failing to account for flow persistence leads to incorrect inferences with respect to the relation between performance and flows. Second, we document that investors react differently to performance depending on the type of fund, and that investor trading activity produces meaningful differences in the persistence of fund flows across mutual fund types. Third, at least some investors appear to evaluate and respond to mutual fund performance over much shorter time spans than previously assessed. Additionally, we document differences in the speed and magnitude of investors’ purchase and sales responses to performance.
An evaluation of clinical and quality of life outcomes after ventral hernia repair with poly-4-hydroxybutyrate mesh.

Despite continued efforts, recurrence after ventral hernia repair (VHR) remains a common problem. Biosynthetic Phasix™ (Poly-4-Hydroxybutyrate, P4HB) mesh combines the durability of synthetic mesh with the bio-resistance of biologics. P4HB has shown promising early outcomes, but long-term data are lacking. We examine patients following VHR with P4HB with at least 3 years of follow-up to assess clinical and patient reported outcomes (PROs). Adult patients (≥ 18 years old) undergoing VHR with P4HB mesh between 10/2015 and 01/2018 by a single surgeon were retrospectively identified. Patients with < 36 months of follow-up were excluded unless they had a documented recurrence. Clinical outcomes and quality of life using the Hernia-Related Quality of Life Survey (HerQLes) were assessed. Seventy-one patients were included with a median age and body mass index of 61.2 and 31 kg/m2, respectively. Mesh was placed in the retromuscular (79%) and onlay (21%) planes with 1/3 of patients having hernias repaired in contaminated fields. There were no mesh infections, enterocutaneous fistulas, or mesh explantations. Nine patients (12.7%) developed recurrence at a median follow-up of 43.1 months [38.2–49.1]. Mesh plane, fixation technique, and Ventral Hernia Working Group were not associated with recurrence. Significant improvement in disease-specific PROs was observed and maintained at 3-year follow-up. Longitudinal clinical and quality of life outcomes after clean and contaminated VHR with P4HB are limited. Here, we conclude that P4HB is an effective and versatile mesh option for use in abdominal wall reinforcement.
Urine Leukotriene E4: Implications as a Biomarker in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

ObjectiveTo provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art review of the emerging role of urine leukotriene E4 (uLTE4) as a biomarker in the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), aspirin-exacerbated...
Psychosocial Aspects of Childhood Cancer Genetics

Recent advances in genomic technologies have enabled increasing identification of children who carry a germline pathogenic variant in a cancer predisposition gene. This development has led to increasing numbers of children being offered cancer-related genetic or genomic testing. Early identification of an underlying cancer predisposition syndrome may influence treatment approaches for children with cancer, as well as guiding longer-term surveillance and risk reduction for at-risk children and their family members. Despite this exciting potential, there is little data available on the short- and long-term impacts on children and their families. In this chapter, we review the available evidence regarding the psychosocial impact of genetic testing on children and their families while also summarizing current research on family attitudes toward genetic testing, the impact of surveillance, and any influences on reproductive decision-making. The chapter focuses on families affected by Li-Fraumeni syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, retinoblastoma, von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2. The chapter also addresses recent innovations, such as the adoption of precision medicine, and explores their potential impacts on well-being. We present recommendations for providing tailored psychosocial support to families, as well as offering guidance for future rigorous psychosocial research. Understanding more about the psychosocial aspects of childhood cancer genetics will be essential in enabling us to determine the impact of advancing technologies and to provide effective psychosocial support to vulnerable children and their families.
A novel chirp modulation spread spectrum technique for multiple access

This paper proposes a new approach in chirp modulation spread spectrum (CMSS). A good selection of the parameters of the linear chirps, which are used in chirp modulation, combined with antipodal signaling significantly reduces the multiple access interference (MAI) even for small time-bandwidth products. This makes such systems attractive for efficient spread spectrum multiple access. Equal energy and equal bandwidth characterize the set of chirps being used for multiple access. Analytical expressions for the time-bandwidth efficiency and the bit error rate (BER) in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels are derived. The theoretical results are then confirmed through simulations. The simulation results show that the proposed CMSS technique outperforms existing CMSS techniques in terms of bit error rate and time-bandwidth efficiency. Moreover, its performance approaches those attained by direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) systems.
The Rio Blanco Experiment: Subsurface and Surface Effects and Measurements

A major instrumentation program undertaken in the Rio Blanco experiment involved the burial of 20 accelerometers and 16 velocity gages at varying depths from the ground surface and distances from the emplacement well. The objective was to measure the extent of spall (tensile failure of the earth materials). A preliminary analysis of the accelerometer data indicates that the Rio Blanco spall zone can be described as a broad, shallow dish with a most probable depth of less than 350 ft and a radius less than 24,000 ft. Spalled material experiences a period of free fall (-lg acceleration) which can be identified in both acceleration and velocity traces. Acceleration records show conclusively that spall occurred above 149 ft at the emplacement well, but not below 604 ft. Instruments placed at depths of 350 and 450 ft appear not to have recorded spall characteristics, but these records must be analyzed in greater detail for a definitive statement. The results are in general agreement with predetonation predictions. (auth)
Developing freshman-year experience in electrical engineering: primary functions and possible features

A typical freshman-year electrical engineering program does not include EE courses or laboratories. Electrical engineering courses in general are not offered until the sophomore year, and even then they seem to be abstractions and mathematics disguised as engineering. For a student who is interested in electrical engineering and intends to practice the profession, this is not encouraging. However, developing a new course sequence for freshman-year experience in electrical engineering which goes beyond promoting the field and motivating students is a challenging task. The task begins with analysis of the problem, study of market forces, determination of goals, evaluation of the existing environment, determination of the value of existing tools and the need for new courseware. The paper discusses some of the above tasks in relation to an on-going activity to develop a sequence of integrated courses and laboratories which would serve as a powerful vehicle for freshman experience in electrical engineering. It summarizes primary functions, possible features, and expected outcome of such an activity which were concluded from a year-long study and deliberation on the subject. The paper then presents, in draft form, what is proposed for a freshman course sequence and its implementation plans.
Current transport in heterojunction bipolar transistors operating between 300 and 500 K

Abstract The current transport in AlGaAs GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) operating in the temperature range of 300–500 K is investigated based on an analytical model including the lattice heating effect. It is found that an uneven increase in the base and collector currents gives rise to the current gain degradation at high temperatures. In addition, the study suggests that the effect of lattice heating becomes more important if the HBT area is reduced and/or the ambient temperature is increased. Experimental data and results simulated from a device simulator are included in support of our finding.