cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Verdi: a framework for implementing and formally verifying distributed systems

Distributed systems are difficult to implement correctly because they must handle both concurrency and failures: machines may crash at arbitrary points and networks may reorder, drop, or duplicate packets. Further, their behavior is often too complex to permit exhaustive testing. Bugs in these systems have led to the loss of critical data and unacceptable service outages. We present Verdi, a framework for implementing and formally verifying distributed systems in Coq. Verdi formalizes various network semantics with different faults, and the developer chooses the most appropriate fault model when verifying their implementation. Furthermore, Verdi eases the verification burden by enabling the developer to first verify their system under an idealized fault model, then transfer the resulting correctness guarantees to a more realistic fault model without any additional proof burden. To demonstrate Verdi's utility, we present the first mechanically checked proof of linearizability of the Raft state machine replication algorithm, as well as verified implementations of a primary-backup replication system and a key-value store. These verified systems provide similar performance to unverified equivalents.
Effect of a monoclonal antibody to angiotensin II on hemodynamic responses to noradrenergic stimulation in pithed rats.

A specific angiotensin II monoclonal antibody, KAA8, was used to examine the interaction between sympathetic function and angiotensin II in pithed rats. KAA8, at 5 or 50 mg/kg i.v., did not alter the mean blood pressure, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance, or heart rate responses to sympathetic neural stimulation (0.25-4.0 Hz) or to norepinephrine (0.3-3 micrograms/kg i.v.) but blocked significantly the hemodynamic responses to angiotensin II (0.03-1.0 microgram/kg i.v.) and to angiotensin III (0.3-10 micrograms/kg i.v.). KAA8 treatment also reduced the plasma immunoreactive angiotensin II from 2,880 +/- 475 pg/ml to an undetectable level. In contrast, captopril (5 mg/kg i.v.) and saralasin (10 or 50 micrograms/kg/min i.v.) inhibited the mean blood pressure and total peripheral resistance responses, but not the cardiac output and heart rate responses, to sympathetic neural stimulation and to norepinephrine. These results, which confirm previous findings by Kaufman and Vollmer (Kaufman LJ, Vollmer RR: Endogenous angiotensin II facilitates sympathetically mediated hemodynamic responses in pithed rats. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1985;235:128-134), demonstrate that angiotensin II selectively potentiates the sympathetic vascular function in the pithed rat. However, our results suggest that circulating angiotensin II does not appear to interact with the sympathetic vascular function. It is speculated that in the pithed rat the sympathetic vascular response is enhanced by vascular-formed angiotensin II.
Abstract 19212: The Zinc-finger Protein 148(zfp148) Attenuates Aortic Aneurysm Formation and is a Novel Smooth Muscle Cell Regulator

Objective: Previously, we found that the zinc-finger protein 148(ZFP148) binds to smooth muscle(SMC) genes following ligation injury; however, it has no known role in aortic aneurysm formation. The study objective was to determine whether ZFP148 is important in AA formation. Methods: ZFP148 was examined via qPCR in human aortic aneurysms(n=12/group). 8-12 week male C57/B6 mice (n=6/group) underwent elastase perfusion and were harvested at 3, 7, and 14 days for qPCR for ZFP148. Separately, 8-12 week male (n=10/group) ZFP flx/flx Myh11 Cre+(SMC tamoxifen ZFP148 KO), Myh11 ZFP148 flx/wt Cre+ and Myh11 ZFP wt/wt Cre+ underwent elastase perfusion. At 14 days, maximal aortic dilation was measured with video micrometry. ZFP148 flx/flx ERT Cre+ (n=10/group) and ZFP148 flx/flx ERT Cre-(WT) mice also underwent elastase perfusion. A separate set of mice were bred to an ApoE-/- background and administered Angiotensin II via osmotic pump. Aortic samples were evaluated with histology for α-actin, macrophages, neutrophi...
Chemical Reactivity of Metal Particles Produced by Laser Ablation into Liquids

Spectroscopic evidence of the chemical differences between metal particles produced by laser ablation of metals into reactive fluid solvents and metal particles produced by less energetic means is presented. Specifically. 1) ablation of copper into fluid methanol produces metal particles in which some fraction of the metal is present In the cuprous oxidation state and 2) ablation of nickel into tetrahydrofuran results In metal particles less reactive to the solvent than those produced by ultrasound promoted chemical reduction.
Effect of Functional Groups on Autothermal Partial Oxidation of Bio-oil. Part 2: Role of Homogeneous and Support-Mediated Reactions

This work aims to clarify preferred chemical routes in an autothermal system by investigating individually two-carbon molecules containing the functional groups found in bio-oil. In part 2, conversion and selectivity to major compounds are compared in the presence and absence of α-Al2O3 support and oxygen. Oxygen significantly increases conversion, even at feed rates insufficient to sustain autothermal operation. In general, below 450 °C, homogeneous reactions in the absence of oxygen are insignificant for all molecules; in the presence of oxygen, the reaction onset temperature is somewhat lower. The role of the α-Al2O3 support appears to be a combination of improved heat transfer and the radical quenching ability of the foam structure. Acid catalysis appears minor compared to these other functions. With no O2 co-feed, acids, ethers, and aldehydes appear to be more stable than alcohols and esters. With O2 co-feed, acids and ethers may be less reactive in the gas phase than the other functionalities studie...
‘Citizen jurisprudence’ and the people’s power in Spinoza

Despite the increasing attention devoted to the theme of political judgment, the question of how to theorize judgment as specifically democratic remains elusive. This article shows the promise of Spinoza for approaching such a vexing issue. Through a combined reading of his major political and metaphysical texts, I develop a new concept of political judgment that I call ‘citizen jurisprudence’. Citizen jurisprudence is at once a right (jus) and a power (potentia) that is internally related to the ‘power of the people’. Put another way, citizen jurisprudence is the figure and effect of democracy understood in an expansive sense: not solely as a state form but as an activity of equally free (sui juris) individuals determining the sense and the scope of common affairs. An account of this concept simultaneously nuances Spinoza’s current profile as a political thinker and contributes to efforts within contemporary political theory to recuperate the radical potential of judgment as a mode of democratic agency.
Analysis on Cracking Failure of Strain Clamp on 750 kV Transmission Line

The reason for cracking failure of the compression-type strain clamp drainage board on 750 kV transmission line is analyzed by the means of chemical analysis,macrostructure analysis,microstructure analysis,fracture macrostructure analysis and scanning electron microscopy analysis.The results show that the main reason is the existence of defects within the strain clamp,such as loosen,shrinkage cavity and non-metallic inclusions and unqualified chemical composition.
Ecological function evaluation and related management strategies of river ecosystem in Taizi River basin,North China

By the method of index evaluation at reach scale,this paper evaluated the ecological functions of aquatic biodiversity maintenance,habitat maintenance,water quality sustainment,and hydrological support of the river system in Taizi River basin of North China.The dominant ecological functions and the total ecological function were determined after sorting and summing.All the reaches in the basin were divided into four hierarchies of ecological functions.Overall,the total ecological function showed a spatially degrading trend from the mountainous region to the plain.Based on the evaluation results of the total function and dominant functions,six ecosystem management strategies were proposed.For the reaches with the functions of aquatic biodiversity-and habitat maintenance,the primary ecological management strategies included ecological conservation,ecological maintenance,and ecological restoration;for the reaches with the functions of water quality sustainment and hydrological support,the primary strategies of ecological management included limited development,development optimization,and exploitation.
Software engineering for molecular programming

Molecular programming combines computer science prin- ciples with the information-processing power of DNA and other biomolecules to design self-assembling, programmable systems at the nanoscale. Molecular programming is the programming of matter to do our bidding at molecular scales, and it is programming in the literal sense of computer sci- ence. Targeted and customized medical therapeutics, cheap and reliable bio-sensors, molecular robots, smart materials, and bio-compatible computer electronics are applications of molecular programming that are poised to have a major im- pact on society. Several software development techniques have been ex- tended recently to make planned molecular systems more productive, predictable and safe. Among those shown to be effective for molecular programming are goal-oriented requirements engineering, reaction network models for de- sign, and probabilistic model checking for verification. Chal- lenges that software engineering helps address include han- dling scalability for very large numbers of devices or services, dealing with uncertain and probabilistic behavior, and pre- dicting the limits of safe operation.
Morphogenesis of the bone marrow: fractal structures and diffusion- limited growth

Bone marrow (BM) provides a particular spatial organization that allows interaction between its various components. Characterization of the spatial patterns in the BM and understanding the mechanisms that give rise to them may play a role in better understanding of the BM pathologic processes. Morphometric analyses were performed in BM biopsy samples from 30 patients (16 men and 14 women) with an average age of 46 years, ranging from 17 to 77 years. The biopsies were obtained during the course of patient care to rule out BM involvement in a variety of hematologic disorders before or after therapy. Three different, but structurally interrelated, parameters were measured: (A) cellular area, (B) nuclear area, and (C) cell numbers. All three methods, in all cases, showed that the spatial structure of the BM is fractal. The average values of the fractal dimensions (Df) were 1.7 +/- 0.08, 1.64 +/- 0.1, and 1.69 +/- 0.04 for categories A, B, and C, respectively. The overall value of Df for the cellularity in the range of 40% to 60% was about 1.67 +/- 0.09. Fractal dimensions of 1.6 to 1.7 represent configurations that correspond to two-dimensional diffusion limited aggregation structures, suggesting that the structural configuration of hematopoietic cells is dependent on the diffusion of regulatory cytokines in the BM.
Cumming to terms: Bareback Pornography, Homonormativity, and Queer Survival in the Time of HIV/AIDS

In October of 2010,1 attended a farewell book reading by the infamous Mattilda (aka Matt Bernstein Sycamore) at the Modern Times Bookstore, one of the first collectively owned book sellers in San Francisco. A founding member of San Francisco’s chapter of Gay Shame (Sycamore 2008; Weiss 2008) a radical queer political instigator, and editor of several queer-themed anthologies (for example, the anti-assimilationist collection That’s revolting!) as well as three autobiographical novels, Mattilda read from her newest work, The End of San Trancisco, and explained to the audience present the nature of the health issues driv- ing her relocation to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Despite Mattilda’s cynically humorous writing and performance style, the selection of pieces pro- duced a feeling of melancholia for those connected to radical queer pol- itics in San Francisco—agenda radicalism that Mattilda sadly contended was rapidly disappearing and disaggregating. The nostalgia evoked in her reading stirred within me a yearning for these queer actions and analyses of yesteryears; simultaneously, Mattilda’s physical exodus from both San Francisco politics and the city’s queer artistic landscape served as a disheartening metaphor for what I perceived as the increasing exile status of radical queer politics in an urban locale with a rich history of queer critique of oppressive, exclusionary state practices.
Green Cooperative Spectrum Sensing and Scheduling in Heterogeneous Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, we consider heterogeneous cognitive radio networks (CRNs) comprising primary channels (PCs) with heterogeneous characteristics and secondary users (SUs) with various sensing and reporting qualities for different PCs. We first define the opportunity as the achievable total data rate and its cost as the energy consumption caused from sensing , reporting , and channel switching operations and formulate a joint spectrum discovery and energy efficiency objective to minimize the energy spent per unit of data rate. Then, a mixed integer non-linear programming problem is formulated to determine: 1) the optimal subset of PCs to be scheduled for sensing; 2) the SU assignment set for each scheduled PC; and 3) sensing durations and detection thresholds of each SU on PCs it is assigned to sense. Thereafter, an equivalent convex framework is developed for specific instances of the above combinatorial problem. For comparison, optimal detection and sensing thresholds are also derived analytically under the homogeneity assumption. Based on these, a prioritized ordering heuristic is developed to order channels under the spectrum, energy, and spectrum-energy limited regimes. After that, a scheduling and assignment heuristic is proposed and is shown to perform very close to the exhaustive optimal solution. Finally, the behavior of the CRN is numerically analyzed under these regimes with respect to different numbers of SUs, PCs, and sensing qualities.
Medical malpractice in the management of small bowel obstruction: A 33-year review of case law.

Background Annually, 15% of practicing general surgeons face a malpractice claim. Small bowel obstruction accounts for 12–16% of all surgical admissions. Our objective was to analyze malpractice related to small bowel obstruction. Methods Using the search terms “medical malpractice” and “small bowel obstruction,” we searched through all jury verdicts and settlements for Westlaw. Information was collected on case demographics, alleged reasons for malpractice, and case outcomes. Results The search criteria yielded 359 initial case briefs; 156 met inclusion criteria. The most common reason for litigation was failure to diagnose and timely manage the small bowel obstruction (69%, n = 107). Overall, 54% (n = 84) of cases were decided in favor of the defendant (physician). Mortality was noted in 61% (n = 96) of cases. Eighty-six percent (42/49) of cases litigated as a result of failing to diagnose and manage the small bowel obstruction in a timely manner, resulting in patient mortality, had a verdict with an award payout for the plaintiff (patient). The median award payout was $1,136,220 (range, $29,575–$12,535,000). Conclusion A majority of malpractice cases were decided in favor of the defendants; however, cases with an award payout were costly. Timely intervention may prevent a substantial number of medical malpractice lawsuits in small bowel obstruction, arguing in favor of small bowel obstruction management protocols.
A wireless power and data acquisition system for large detectors

A new prototype wireless data acquisition system has been developed with the intended application to read-out instrumentation systems having thousands of channels. The data acquisition and control is based on a compliant implementation of 802.11 based hardware and protocols. Our case study is for a large detector containing photomultiplier tubes. The front-end circuitry, including a high-voltage power supply is powered wirelessly thus creating an all-wireless detector readout. The bench marked performance of the prototype system and how a large scale implementation of the system might be realized are discussed.
Integrative analysis of genetic data sets reveals a shared innate immune component in autism spectrum disorder and its co-morbidities

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that tends to co-occur with other diseases, including asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, infections, cerebral palsy, dilated cardiomyopathy, muscular dystrophy, and schizophrenia. However, the molecular basis of this co-occurrence, and whether it is due to a shared component that influences both pathophysiology and environmental triggering of illness, has not been elucidated. To address this, we deploy a three-tiered transcriptomic meta-analysis that functions at the gene, pathway, and disease levels across ASD and its co-morbidities. Our analysis reveals a novel shared innate immune component between ASD and all but three of its co-morbidities that were examined. In particular, we find that the Toll-like receptor signaling and the chemokine signaling pathways, which are key pathways in the innate immune response, have the highest shared statistical significance. Moreover, the disease genes that overlap these two innate immunity pathways can be used to classify the cases of ASD and its co-morbidities vs. controls with at least 70 % accuracy. This finding suggests that a neuropsychiatric condition and the majority of its non-brain-related co-morbidities share a dysregulated signal that serves as not only a common genetic basis for the diseases but also as a link to environmental triggers. It also raises the possibility that treatment and/or prophylaxis used for disorders of innate immunity may be successfully used for ASD patients with immune-related phenotypes.
Evaluation of Colony Growth of Bacteria and the Surface Environment of Beef1

Bacterial growth in or on solid and semi-solid foods primarily involves growth of micro-colonies, which are influenced by restrictive factors of little consequence in liquid foods. To evaluate bacterial growth on solid foods, methods were developed to study colony growth with emphasis on the early stages. Pure cultures of Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Staphylococcus aureus had distinctly different microscopic colony appearance. Growth expressed as numbers of cells per colony was exponential and linear when expressed as diameter. Mature colonies had a population density of approximately 1010 viable cells. Microcolonies of bacteria were particularly resistant to dispersion and required the presence of physical agents such as sea sand in the dispersion process. Colony growth on small test strips of beef was extremely susceptible to the relative humidity of the environment. Furthermore, availability of nutrients on the surface of beef apparently influenced growth. Pr...
Dysregulation of Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore (MPTP) is Associated with Enhanced ROS Production in Skeletal Muscle of an ALS Mouse Model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neuromuscular disease. Oxidative stress is implicated in ALS pathophysiology. Using ROS Brite™ 570, a cytosolic ROS detector, we found a significant increase in ROS production of muscle fibers derived from the ALS G93A mice. Mitochondria are the major source of ROS production. In order to detect early changes in ROS-related mitochondrial metabolic function, we generated double transgenic mice (G93A/cpYFP) that carry human ALS mutation SOD1G93A and mt-cpYFP transgenes, in which mt-cpYFP monitors dynamic changes of ROS-related mitoflash events at the single mitochondrion level. Remarkably, G93A muscle cells show early and disease stage-dependent changes in mitoflash events. The mitoflash activity at the age of 2 months (before ALS symptom onset) is marked by an increased flashing area in G93A muscle fibers, while their kinetics properties remain unchanged. After ALS onset (3-month old), there are drastic changes in the kinetics of mitoflash signal with prolonged FDHM (full duration at half maximum) of the mitoflash signal. Thus, mitoflash provides a sensitive and quantitative biomarker for evaluating ROS-related mitochondrial dysfunction. It is known that uncontrolled opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) is a key step to promote mitochondrial ROS production. While the molecular composition of mPTP is still incompletely understood, studies have shown that cyclophilin D (CypD) promotes the opening of mPTP and phosphorylated form of GSK-3β participates in maintaining mPTP in the closed state. We used subcellular fractionation to isolate mitochondria from skeletal muscle of G93A mice, and found an increased CypD expression level in muscle mitochondria, while the phosphorylated form of GSK-3β was significantly reduced in mitochondria of G93A muscle. Thus, both may act as triggering factors for mPTP opening in G93A muscle.
Demand Forecasting in DHC-network using machine learning models

District heating and cooling systems are becoming increasingly popular to serve the thermal demands of consumers. To leverage the use of a DHC system to set demand curtailment targets using techniques like demand response, it is important to accurately model and forecast thermal demand. The data analytics based modelling framework for forecasting energy consumption requires knowledge about the historical consumption behaviour of the user. However, it is more often found, that only limited data about the historical consumption is available in a grid: in some cases only a subset of the buildings in a grid are instrumented, and even for those buildings instrumented a detailed recording of the consumption is not available. In this work, we try to provide a mechanism to forecast the demand of a building of a grid (for which we lack the historical consumption data) by using the historical consumption data of similar buildings in the same grid. We provide an evaluation of the methodology on an experimental data set obtained from households in Lulea, Northern Sweden.1
Atmospheric carbonyl sulfide (OCS) measured remotely by FTIR solar absorption spectrometry

Abstract. Atmospheric OCS abundances have been retrieved from infrared spectra measured by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) MkIV Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectrometer during 24 balloon flights and during nearly 1100 days of ground-based observations since 1985. Our spectral fitting approach uses broad windows to enhance the precision and robustness of the retrievals. Since OCS has a vertical profile similar in shape to that of N2O, and since tropospheric N2O is very stable, we reference the OCS observations to those of N2O, measured simultaneously in the same air mass, to remove the effects of stratospheric transport, allowing a clearer assessment of secular changes in OCS. Balloon measurements reveal less than 5 % change in stratospheric OCS amounts over the past 25 years. Ground-based measurements reveal a springtime peak of tropospheric OCS, followed by a rapid early-summer decrease, similar to the behavior of CO2. This results in a peak-to-peak seasonal cycle of 5–6 % of the total OCS column at northern mid-latitudes. In the long-term tropospheric OCS record, a 5 % decrease is seen from 1990 to 2002, followed by a 5 % increase from 2003 to 2012.
The Impact of Obesity on Adult Mortality: Assessment of Estimates with Applications

In this paper we assess properties of commonly used estimates of total eects of obesity on mortality and identify consequences of these properties for inferences. We argue that standard estimates have important shortcomings that at best limit the reach of inferences and at worst lead to misleading conclusions. Although some of these limitations are routinely acknowledged, rarely is their use accompanied by careful scrutiny of their weaknesses, let alone by a quantitative assessment of their sensitivity to violations of some stringent assumptions on which they are based. In this paper we develop an integrated framework based on a multistate hazard model to describe properties of the simpler standard estimates, identify conditions under which their performance is best, and dene the nature of biases and interpretational ambiguities that emerge when empirical conditions depart more than modestly from optimal ones. In particular, we show formally that estimates from limited panel data and two-state hazard models with obesity as a covariate, the workhorse in this area, produce estimates that are dicult to interpret and compare across studies and, in some cases, biased. Finally, we propose a simple procedure that can be employed when the use of conventional two-state models is risky and illustrate its application to an a empirical case.
Community resistance and the inclusive city: Devising strategies in São Paulo

The global call for inclusive cities suggests that all residents should have equal access to the benefits of urban life. Across cities, however, displacement and lack of affordable housing segregat...
Bodies and Lives in Ancient America: Health Before Columbus

In their volume, Bodies and Lives in Ancient America: Health Before Columbus, Debra L. Martin and Anna J. Osterholtz provide a thoughtful and highly readable introduction for nonspecialists to the ...
Kinetic Control of Quorum Sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Multidrug Efflux Pumps

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important human pathogen, the physiology and virulence of which are under the control of quorum sensing signals. These signals often have dual roles, functioning as toxins to some cells and as oxidative-stress protectors for their producer cells. Hence, their internal and external concentrations should be tightly controlled. In this study, we analyzed the interplay between the multidrug efflux transporters MexEF-OprN and MexG/HI-OpmD in quorum sensing of P. aeruginosa. We found that the two transporters have overlapping substrate specificities but different efficiencies. When overproduced, both MexEF-OprN and MexG/HI-OpmD provide clinical levels of resistance to diverse fluoroquinolones and protect P. aeruginosa against toxic phenazines. However, this similarity is enabled by synergistic interactions with the outer membrane. In hyperporinated cells, MexG/HI-OpmD is saturated by much lower concentrations of fluoroquinolones but is more efficient than MexEF-OprN in efflux of phe...
Infrastructures for Immersive Media in the Classroom

VR, AR, and MR are becoming ubiquitous in consumer gaming, military applications, and office environments. These successes are driving emerging efforts to integrate these immersive media into the K-12 classroom. In this chapter, first we summarize the distribution and availability of the infrastructure needed for using VR and MR in the schools. Using immersive media requires a technology infrastructure consisting of dependable high-speed Internet connectivity to the classroom, a ratio of at least one-to-one computer to student, an interactive white board, and curriculum materials that can be monitored and controlled by the teacher. This infrastructure is quickly becoming a reality. However, a larger and more complex barrier remains: integrating the new technologies with existing classroom systems and with existing and emerging pedagogical practice. I argue that the Digital Teaching Platform serves as a model for classroom practice. The evolving nature of digital curricula, formative assessment, and classroom practice impact how teachers will be able to integrate these new technologies. Finally, I examine how immersive media such as virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and multi-user virtual reality can work as supplemental digital materials for instruction and assessment. In particular, I focus on the sensory comfort and fidelity of interaction as these issues impact the viability of these technologies in the classroom.
Untersuchungsanliegen der vorliegenden Arbeit

Die bisherigen Ausfuhrungen zeigten, dass Lehre und Forschung aktuell relevante, fundamentale und klar trennbare Aspekte der beruflichen Tatigkeit von Wissenschaftler(inne)n konstituieren (Kapitel 1). Gleichzeitig verwiesen die Darstellungen dieser beiden Domanen sowie die Ausfuhrungen zu beruflichen Lernaktivitaten, Beschaftigungsverhaltnis und aktuellen Steuerungsmechanismen darauf, dass es sich jeweils um ausgepragte Lern- und Leistungskontexte handelt. Da diese daruber hinaus auch haufig komplex und nicht klar definiert sind, erscheinen individuelle Motivation und Ziele von Wissenschaftler(inne)n sehr wichtig (Kapitel 3).
Evaluating the applicability of using daily forecasts from seasonal prediction systems (SPSs) for agriculture: a case study of Nepal’s Terai with the NCEP CFSv2

Ensemble forecasts from dynamic seasonal prediction systems (SPSs) have the potential to improve decision-making for crop management to help cope with interannual weather variability. Because the reliability of crop yield predictions based on seasonal weather forecasts depends on the quality of the forecasts, it is essential to evaluate forecasts prior to agricultural applications. This study analyses the potential of Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2) in predicting the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) for producing meteorological variables relevant to crop modeling. The focus area was Nepal’s Terai region, and the local hindcasts were compared with weather station and reanalysis data. The results showed that the CFSv2 model accurately predicts monthly anomalies of daily maximum and minimum air temperature (Tmax and Tmin) as well as incoming total surface solar radiation (Srad). However, the daily climatologies of the respective CFSv2 hindcasts exhibit significant systematic biases compared to weather station data. The CFSv2 is less capable of predicting monthly precipitation anomalies and simulating the respective intra-seasonal variability over the growing season. Nevertheless, the observed daily climatologies of precipitation fall within the ensemble spread of the respective daily climatologies of CFSv2 hindcasts. These limitations in the CFSv2 seasonal forecasts, primarily in precipitation, restrict the potential application for predicting the interannual variability of crop yield associated with weather variability. Despite these limitations, ensemble averaging of the simulated yield using all CFSv2 members after applying bias correction may lead to satisfactory yield predictions.
Peer‐to‐peer sharing in the lodging market: Evaluating implications for social welfare and profitability

With a focus on the lodging market, we investigate the nature of competition between a peer‐to‐peer platform and a traditional lodging provider (hotel), in an environment where both possess the market power to affect the final lodging price established in the market. To understand such an environment, we investigate the strategy choices of the three types of players active in this market: the platform, the hotel, and individuals in the population who consider supplying or demanding lodging capacity. We use our analysis to predict how the emergence of the peer‐to‐peer platform affects the profits of the hotel and the welfare of consumers. We characterize two types of equilibria: Partial Coverage and Full Coverage. The former type arises if each individual's demand for lodging while on vacation is relatively low in comparison to her supply. In this case, the level of demand originating from vacationers is insufficient to make it worthwhile for the platform to lower its service fee in order to attract capacity from every individual in the population. In contrast, when the demand for lodging while on vacation is relatively high, it may become profitable for the platform to implement the Full Coverage equilibrium, in which case every individual supplies lodging capacity to the platform. We demonstrate that the entry of the platform to the market will definitely increase the consumer surplus if the platform chooses to implement the Full Coverage equilibrium. At the Partial Coverage equilibrium, the consumer surplus might actually decline upon the entry of the platform. This might happen because the entry of the platform can sometimes lead to higher lodging prices, and as a result, can hurt individuals when vacationing. Because the entry of the platform raises the income of individuals in the economy, their willingness to pay for lodging while on vacation may rise. Such higher prices may also sometimes lead to higher profits for the hotel, in spite of the competition with the platform. In the special case that individuals experience no disutility when offering a portion of their housing space to the platform because this space has no alternative use for the individual, the entry of the platform will always lead to higher consumer welfare and lower profits for the hotel, irrespective of whether Full or Partial Coverage arises as equilibrium.
Frequency difference limens as a function of fundamental frequency and harmonic number

Several studies have investigated the relation between the lowest harmonic present in a complex tone and fundamental frequency (F0) difference limens (F0DLs). It is generally assumed that F0DLs are smaller when lower harmonics are present and that the ability to discriminate small changes in F0 worsen as harmonic number increases. This worsening of performance has been attributed to a lack of peripherally resolved harmonics. This assumption was tested by measuring F0DLs for harmonic complexes where the lowest harmonic present in a twelve-harmonic complex tone varied from the 3rd to the 15th harmonic, with F0s varying from 30 Hz to 2000 Hz. The harmonics were presented in either sine or random phase and were embedded in threshold-equalizing noise. Aside from F0s between 100 and 400 Hz, performance did not follow the expected pattern of good performance with low-numbered (resolved) harmonics and poorer performance with high-numbered (unresolved) harmonics. At lower F0s, performance was relatively constant a...
Solving Impulse-Control Problems with Control Delays

Several classes of stochastic control problems, wherein the controller can bring about an instantaneous change in state, lead to free boundary problems. Moving boundary methods are a class of computational methods that have been developed recently to solve such free boundary problems. The goal of this paper is to provide a detailed description of the methodology. We specifically focus on stochastic impulse-control problems which arise when the cost of control includes a fixed cost. The inclusion of a fixed cost, very common in financial applications, and makes the control effect finite changes in state, bringing about discontinuities in the state evolution. These problems are, hence, more complicated than problems wherein controls have only proportional costs (singular control) or wherein controls simply terminate the process (optimal stopping). We show how the impulse-control problem is transformed to a Quasi Variational Inequality and then describe the moving boundary method. We demonstrate problems with no control delay, fixed delay and stochastic delay. We also review all the theoretical guarantees that have been established. This paper summarizes and presents an implementation focused description of the research presented in (Feng and Muthuraman, A computational method for stochastic impulse control problems. Mathematics of Operations Research 35(4), 830–850, 2010 and Muthuraman et al., Inventory management with stochastic lead times. Working Paper, 2011) for solving impulse-control problems.
COX-2 and the cardiovascular system

COX-1 derived-prostaglandins mediate physiological responses, such as platelet activation, gastrointestinal (GI) and vascular integrity. Conversely, COX-2 is the isoform responsible for the elaboration of inflammatory prostaglandins and its inhibition is anti-inflammatory [1, 2]. The development of agents selective for COX-2 were expected to maintain the anti-inflammatory efficacy of existing NSAIDs, but have a superior GI profile due to their lack of effect on cytoprotective prostaglandins [3, 4]. This has subsequently been largely verified with clinical studies in target populations and lends credence to the Vane hypothesis that these enzymes serve distinct biological functions [5]. However, studies in animals rendered deficient in both iso-enzymes have shown some surprising deviations from the original Vane paradigm and have suggested that the distinction between mutually exclusive “physiological” and “pathological” COX pathways is somewhat artificial [6–9]. Perhaps even more intriguing was the finding that COX-2 is hydraulically expressed in vascular endothelium in vivo and this isoform, and not constitutive COX-1, contributes to the formation of prostacyclin (PGI2) [10]. It is now known that there are overlaps in expression patterns and functions of both iso-enzymes and this is most apparent in pathological conditions. For example, the expression of both isoforms is increased and co-localized in atherosclerotic lesions, and in myocardial injury and dysfunction from a variety of etiologies [11, 12].
Are programmers oppressed by monopoly capital, or shall the geeks inherit the earth? commentary on Nathan Ensmenger & William Aspray, "software as labor process"

In their bold, provocative paper, “Software as Labor Process,” Nathan Ensmenger and William Aspray examine the history of software production through the lens of labor history. They do so to make sense of the ever-present “software crisis” that has attended society almost from the outset of the electronic digital computer. They do so employing principally the framework of the now-OLD “new labor history”—i.e., “labor process” study in which what takes place “on the shop floor” becomes central and how struggle for control of the shop floor takes priority over other parts of the story such as the union organizing campaigns and politics of the old labor history. Their deployment of the old new labor history in writing the history of software distinguishes this paper as a pioneering effort, though like most pioneering enterprises, it is not without problems. Ensmenger and Aspray also employ some of the framework of the NEW “new labor history” in which attention is focused on how matters of gender and race, not just class, play out on the shop floor. Here, again, their effort is bold but not without problems. In what follows, I critique this paper by addressing the paper’s discussion of early software workers, the relevance of the deskilling framework for software history, and the relevance of the NEW new labor history for software history. I will conclude by suggesting what the labor history of software should include were one to be executed fully.
30 The Speed-Accuracy Paradox in Movement Control: Errors of Time and space

It is suggested that a paradox exists in the speed-accuracy trade-off phenomenon in the control of movements constrained by requirements of both time and space. Namely, that increased movement velocity engenders the dual and opposing effects of increasing spatial error but decreasing timing error. This paradox is demonstrated in an experiment which independently manipulated movement time and velocity in a discrete aiming movement task. Explanations for, and the practical implications of this paradox are discussed.
Some Directors are More Equal than Others

Strategy scholars have a keen interest in understanding how some board members play an outsize role in making collective decisions. In this research tradition, CEOs are the usual suspects for outsi...
Participative management: Determining employee readiness

An action research methodology is used to implement participative management on a unit of a municipal community mental health center. A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design is used to assist unit managers and employees in determining their level of desire for participation in decision-making. Findings suggest an average desire for less rather than more participation.
Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiencies

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) deficiencies, affecting a critical step in carbohydrate oxidative metabolism, have heterogeneous genetic causes and outcomes. There are few correlations between numerous mutations, affecting at least 10 genes, measured PDC enzyme activity, and the clinical outcome. The presentation varies by age and sex. Symptoms may include lactic acidosis, frequently severe in neonates, and neurological manifestations, which include developmental delay/intellectual disability, hypotonia, hypertonia, dystonia, seizures, ataxia, and axonal neuropathy. Neuroimaging frequently reveals grey and white matter abnormalities, including ventriculomegaly, abnormalities of the corpus callosum, and/or Leigh syndrome. Defects that are not specific to PDC are more likely to have additional systemic features. Mortality is greater in males, and diminishes after early childhood. Biochemical, immunohistochemical, and/or genetic testing may be necessary to suggest or confirm a diagnosis. Treatment options include use of ketogenic diets, thiamine supplementation, and, less commonly, dichloroacetate, for which case reports suggest variable benefits. Gene therapy remains a potential future treatment for PDC deficiency.
Combined effects of elevated temperature and Deepwater Horizon oil exposure on the cardiac performance of larval mahi-mahi, Coryphaena hippurus

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill coincided with the spawning season of many pelagic fish species in the Gulf of Mexico. Yet, few studies have investigated physiological responses of larval fish to interactions between anthropogenic crude oil exposure and natural factors (e.g. temperature, oxygen levels). Consequently, mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) embryos were exposed for 24 hours to combinations of two temperatures (26 and 30°C) and six concentrations of oiled fractions of weathered oil (from 0 to 44.1 μg ∑50PAHs·L-1). In 56 hours post-fertilization larvae, heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output were measured as indicators of functional cardiac phenotypes. Fluid accumulation and incidence of edema and hematomas were quantified as indicators of morphological impairments. At both 26 and 30°C, oil-exposed larvae suffered dose-dependent morphological impairments and functional heart failure. Elevation of temperature to 30°C appeared to induce greater physiological responses (bradycardia) at PAH concentrations in the range of 3.0-14.9 μg·L-1. Conversely, elevated temperature in oil-exposed larvae reduced edema severity and hematoma incidence. However, the apparent protective role of warmer temperature does not appear to protect against enhanced mortality. Collectively, our findings show that elevated temperature may slightly decrease larval resilience to concurrent oil exposure.
A Dyadic Analysis on Source Discrepancy and a Mediation Analysis via Self-Efficacy in the Parental Support and Physical Activity Relationship among Black Girls.

Abstract Background: Physical activity (PA) declines in adolescence among black girls. This study assesses how moderate/vigorous physical activity (MVPA) relates to caregiver- vs. adolescent-report...
"I Wanna Just Google It and Find the Answer": Student Information Searching in a Problem-Based Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory Experiment.

The development of expertise in chemical information literacy requires practicing these skills in the context of chemistry work. The integration of information literacy in problem-based learning is an instructional strategy that can be used to situate skill development in the chemistry classroom. This work describes a mixed-methods approach to investigate the information seeking behavior of upper-level students working collaboratively on a semester-long inorganic chemistry problem. Audio recordings were collected during problem solving sessions and analyzed to investigate the strategies students used to find outside information required to identify an unknown compound. These students had prior coursework in chemical information literacy, and an information literacy test was used to establish the baseline of their knowledge and skills, and its development through the course. Student written work was analyzed to determine the outcomes of students’ information searching processes. Finally, semistructured int...
Embedding Consequence Awareness in Unmanned Aerial Systems with Generative Adversarial Networks

Small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) are becoming more prevalent, driven by consumer interest and their potential for revolutionizing aspects of commercial applications, such as delivery of urgent goods. The expected ubiquity of such systems raises concerns about their safety, and the ability of such autonomous systems to operate safely in densely populated areas (where their value will be greatest). In this paper, we outline a new framework aiming to add an additional layer of safety to aerial systems operated by a human pilot or autopilot by monitoring the UAVs environment for visual cues, and monitoring the human pilot for signs of distraction. The system will endow a UAS with the ability to reason about its safety, and the consequences of safety failures during its operation. The UAS will furthermore continuously reason about possible safety maneuvers in response to likely failures – in the event of an emergency, the vehicle can then execute its last safe maneuver, thus reducing the systems impending danger. Embedding consequence awareness in sUAS is an obvious appeal to safer and more insurable missions. For pilot skill level awareness, a method utilizing generative adversarial networks, which improves pilot skill level classification accuracy in our experiments, is proposed to compensate limited training data availability.
Fundamentals of Cardiac Mapping

To characterize cardiac activity and arrhythmias, electrophysiologists can record the electrical activity of the heart in relation to its anatomy through a process called cardiac mapping (electroanatomic mapping, EAM). A solid understanding of the basic cardiac biopotentials, called electrograms, is imperative to construct and interpret the cardiac EAM correctly. There are several mapping approaches available to the electrophysiologist, each optimized for specific arrhythmia mechanisms. This article provides an overview of the fundamentals of EAM.
Automation of the Baggage Check-in Process Using RFID System in Airports

Internet of things has become integrated in all aspects of life. Data and devices are interconnected to provide fast, efficient, and low-cost services. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless sensor network technology that is implemented with the Internet of Things (IoT) in many fields such as inventory management, product identification, healthcare administration, and government security. Large airports such as JFK experience a considerable number of customers traveling every year that creates a delay issue at the baggage check-in. In this paper, we try to mitigate the delay problem by automating the check-in process using self-service counters that are connected to the airport system and servers. All airport counters can be activated in a minute’s notice to serve more customers and reduce the delay caused by the long waiting hours. We finally analyze our model with real-time data from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to measure the improvement of our automated model over the standard check-in model.
Quantifying CTFE content in FK-800 using ATR-FTIR and time to peak crystallization

The chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) content in vinylidene fluoride (VDF)-CTFE copolymers greatly influences the chemical and physical properties and ultimately determines the application. The copoly...