cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Source Localization by a Binary Sensor Network in the Presence of Imperfection, Noise, and Outliers

In this paper, source localization by a network of primitive binary sensors under various imperfections are studied. Detailed analysis and mathematical modeling of imperfect binary sensors are presented. Imperfections include sensor failures of two types, drifting, uncertainty, and heterogeneity in binary sensor trigger thresholds, presence of noise, and nonradial symmetry of sensing ranges. Theoretical results, including asymptotical convergence, are established, in particular in the presence of substantial outliers due to sensor failure and large noise. Efficient numerical algorithms are proposed and simulated supporting the theoretical analysis.
Small-cell lung cancer: what we know, what we need to know and the path forward

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a deadly tumour accounting for approximately 15% of lung cancers and is pathologically, molecularly, biologically and clinically very different from other lung cancers. While the majority of tumours express a neuroendocrine programme (integrating neural and endocrine properties), an important subset of tumours have low or absent expression of this programme. The probable initiating molecular events are inactivation of TP53 and RB1, as well as frequent disruption of several signalling networks, including Notch signalling. SCLC, when diagnosed, is usually widely metastatic and initially responds to cytotoxic therapy but nearly always rapidly relapses with resistance to further therapies. There were no important therapeutic clinical advances for 30 years, leading SCLC to be designated a 'recalcitrant cancer'. Scientific studies are hampered by a lack of tissue availability. However, over the past 5 years, there has been a worldwide resurgence of studies on SCLC, including comprehensive molecular analyses, the development of relevant genetically engineered mouse models and the establishment of patient-derived xenografts. These studies have led to the discovery of new potential therapeutic vulnerabilities for SCLC and therefore to new clinical trials. Thus, while the past has been bleak, the future offers greater promise.
Constitutional Change and Responsibilities of Governance Pertaining to the Faith-Based and Community Initiative

This paper, commissioned and published in June 2008 in connection with the White House-sponsored Conference on Innovations in Effective Compassion, addresses the changing legal environment relevant to government partnerships with religious providers of social services. In particular, the paper maps the federal government's regulatory agenda in connection with the Faith-Based and Community Initiative (FBCI) onto the changes in constitutional law over the past several decades. After briefly surveying the key developmental points in the relevant constitutional law, the paper explores specific changes in federal regulations governing aid to religious providers of welfare services, and considers the litigation efforts that have occurred in conjunction with the FBCI. Some of the litigation may be traced, at least in part, to inadequacies in the FBCI's regulatory reform. In addition, the paper provides recommendations for federal and state regulatory language that could be used to facilitate the FBCI while keeping it within constitutional bounds. The paper includes a research bibliography and a table of all litigation that bears on the Initiative.
The Role of Knowledge and Risk Beliefs in Adolescent E-Cigarette Use: A Pilot Study.

The use of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices among adolescents is an urgent public health problem due to the concern about adolescent exposure to nicotine. This study examined: (1) adolescents’ knowledge and beliefs about e-cigarette risks; and (2) whether knowledge and risk beliefs were associated with e-cigarette use. N = 69 adolescents completed a cross-sectional survey about e-cigarette knowledge, attitudes (i.e., risk beliefs), and behavior (KAB). Nearly half (47%) of the sample reported ever using e-cigarettes. The majority of adolescents knew about many of the risks of e-cigarettes, with no differences between never- and ever-users. However, risk beliefs, such as worrying about health risks of using e-cigarettes, varied across groups. Compared to never-users, e-cigarette ever-users were significantly less likely to worry about e-cigarette health risks, less likely to think that e-cigarettes would cause them negative health consequences, and less likely to believe that e-cigarette use would lead to addiction. In a multivariable logistic regression, prior combustible cigarette use, mother’s education, and addiction risk beliefs about e-cigarettes emerged as significant predictors of adolescents’ e-cigarette use. This study reveals that while knowledge is not associated with adolescent e-cigarette use, risk beliefs do predict use.
Nuclear (Geo)Political Ecologies: A Hybrid Geography of Chinese Investment in Namibia’s Uranium Sector

Namibia’s Husab uranium mine is the Chinese government’s largest investment in Africa to date. This article develops a theoretical framework of hybridity to analyse the (geo)political and ecological implications of China’s rising global influence in uranium mining. Drawing on multiple-methods fieldwork, the article explains how Husab has resuscitated Namibia’s uranium industry and facilitated the political goals of both Chinese and Namibian leaders. Husab’s materialisation of “South–South solidarity,” however, also appears to be deepening the marginalisation of minority communities near uranium mines. Far from paradoxical, this uneven distribution of benefits and costs is as intertwined with nuclear geopolitics as it is with the materiality of uranium mining.
High Resolution Scrotal Ultrasonography: A Highly Sensitive but Nonspecific Diagnostic Technique

AbstractWe compared surgical and pathological findings to those of preoperative scrotal ultrasonography in 50 consecutive patients undergoing surgical exploration for testicular trauma, tumors or benign atraumatic conditions. An inhomogeneous parenchymal echo pattern was the single most reliable predictor of a parenchymal abnormality. Large scrotal hematomas may preclude adequate visualization of the parenchyma and early testicular torsion may exhibit a normal parenchymal echo pattern. Except for early torsion, no false negative predictions of the state of the parenchyma were made.
VENTILATION, MECHANICAL | Negative Pressure Ventilation

In negative pressure ventilation (NPV), the surface of the thorax is exposed to a subatmospheric pressure during inspiration. The subatmospheric pressure causes thoracic expansion and decrease in alveolar pressure, generating a gradient for air to move from the airway opening to the alveoli. In NPV, expiration occurs passively owing to the elastic recoil of the lung and chest wall. NPV was the mode of ventilation originally used for artificial ventilation and was widely used during the poliomyelitis epidemics of the mid-twentieth century. Its use is now limited to a few centers, primarily in Europe. Physiological effects of NPV include improved gas exchange (decreased PaCO2 and increased PaO2) and improved pulmonary mechanics (resulting in decreased effort). Indications for NPV include acute exacerbations of COPD/acute hypercapnic respiratory failure and the chronic outpatient management of chronic respiratory failure in patients with neuromuscular disorders such as post-poliomyelitis syndrome and muscular dystrophy. Despite evidence that it can be an effective modality for the above indications, it is not widely used because of increased nursing needs in the acute hospital setting and problems with patient discomfort/compliance in the chronic setting.
Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma and Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a rather unique neoplasm. In contrast to most other lymphomas, and indeed malignancies in general, the bulk of the infiltrate in tissues affected by HL is comprised of non-neoplastic T cells, B-cells, macrophages, eosinophils, neutrophils, and plasma cells, while the neoplastic cells are rare, accounting for only approximately 1% of the tumor mass. The neoplastic cells include the hallmark binucleated large Reed–Sternberg cells, and morphologic variants thereof, which are collectively referred to as Hodgkin/Reed–Sternberg (HRS) cells. Intricate bi-directional signaling between the neoplastic cells and this pleomorphic, reactive background is integral to the tumor’s pathobiology and clinical features, with an evaluation of the various neoplastic and reactive cells being central to contemporary diagnosis and classification. Another unusual feature is that whereas the cell of origin in other lymphomas can almost always be correlated with a specific stage of lymphoid maturation, HRS cells do not have a morphologically and immunophenotypically identifiable normal hematopoietic counterpart. In fact, the unusual but characteristic immunophenotype of HRS cells includes antigens typically found on a spectrum of cells, such as dendritic cells, granulocytes, monocytes, B-cells, and plasma cells., For these reasons (rarity of neoplastic cells within the tumor and confusing immunophenotype), determining the ontogeny of HRS cells had been technically challenging. Additional impediments to characterizing these cells included the presence of only several cell lines and no animal model.
A hyaluronic acid binding peptide-polymer system for treating osteoarthritis

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is found naturally in synovial fluid and is utilized therapeutically to treat osteoarthritis (OA). Here, we employed a peptide-polymer cartilage coating platform to localize HA to the cartilage surface for the purpose of treating post traumatic osteoarthritis. The objective of this study was to increase efficacy of the peptide-polymer platform in reducing OA progression in a mouse model of post-traumatic OA without exogenous HA supplementation. The peptide-polymer is composed of an HA-binding peptide (HABP) conjugated to a heterobifunctional poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain and a collagen binding peptide (COLBP). We created a library of different peptide-polymers and characterized their HA binding properties in vitro using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D) and isothermal calorimetry (ITC). The peptide polymers were further tested in vivo in an anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) murine model of post traumatic OA. The peptide-polymer with the highest affinity to HA as tested by QCM-D (∼4-fold greater binding compared to other peptides tested) and by ITC (∼3.8-fold) was HABP2-8-arm PEG-COLBP. Biotin tagging demonstrated that HABP2-8-arm PEG-COLBP localizes to both cartilage defects and synovium. In vivo, HABP2-8-arm PEG-COLBP treatment and the clinical HA comparator Orthovisc lowered levels of inflammatory genes including IL-6, IL-1B, and MMP13 compared to saline treated animals and increased aggrecan expression in young mice. HABP2-8-arm PEG-COLBP and Orthovisc also reduced pain as measured by incapacitance and hotplate testing. Cartilage degeneration as measured by OARSI scoring was also reduced by HABP2-8-arm PEG-COLBP and Orthovisc. In aged mice, HABP2-8-arm PEG-COLBP therapeutic efficacy was similar to its efficacy in young mice, but Orthovisc was less efficacious and did not significantly improve OARSI scoring. These results demonstrate that HABP2-8-arm PEG-COLBP is effective at reducing PTOA progression.
Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Personalized Education for Pediatric Patients Diagnosed With Asthma on an Observation Unit.

ABSTRACT Introduction A quality improvement project was commenced to determine if personalized, patient-specific education can increase parent/guardian knowledge and reduce subsequent emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient admissions secondary to asthma. Method Pre- and post-education survey scores were analyzed for a change in knowledge. A retrospective electronic health record (EHR) chart review was performed one year following the education to determine if the patients had additional ED visits or inpatient admissions. Results A statistically significant increase in post-education survey scores (p = 0.004) and decrease in post-education inpatient admissions was found (p = 0.005). There was no significant difference between the number of pre- and post-education ED visits. Discussion Asthma is a chronic medical condition that often requires life-long home management. These results revealed that parent/guardian knowledge regarding asthma can be increased and optimal home management improved by personalized, patient-specific education.
Correction for Gaulke et al., "Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Disruption through Altered Mucosal MicroRNA Expression in Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infections".

Author(s): Gaulke, Christopher A; Porter, Matthew; Han, Yan-Hong; Sankaran-Walters, Sumathi; Grishina, Irina; George, Michael D; Dang, Angeline T; Ding, Shou-Wei; Jiang, Guochun; Korf, Ian; Dandekar, Satya | Abstract: MicroRNA sequences are now publicly available. Page 6270, last paragraph in Materials and Methods, line 1: "Microarray data accession number" should read "Accession numbers." Page 6270, last paragraph in Materials and Methods, line 4: The following sentence should be added. "MicroRNA sequencing data have been deposited in the NCBI BioProject database under accession no. PRJNA429684 and in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive under accession no. SRP128960.".
Modulation of temozolomide dose differentially affects T-cell response to immune checkpoint inhibition.

Background The changes induced in host immunity and the tumor microenvironment by chemotherapy have been shown to impact immunotherapy response in both a positive and a negative fashion. Temozolomide is the most common chemotherapy used to treat glioblastoma (GBM) and has been shown to have variable effects on immune response to immunotherapy. Therefore, we aimed to determine the immune modulatory effects of temozolomide that would impact response to immune checkpoint inhibition in the treatment of experimental GBM. Methods Immune function and antitumor efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibition were tested after treatment with metronomic dose (MD) temozolomide (25 mg/kg × 10 days) or standard dose (SD) temozolomide (50 mg/kg × 5 days) in the GL261 and KR158 murine glioma models. Results SD temozolomide treatment resulted in an upregulation of markers of T-cell exhaustion such as LAG-3 and TIM-3 in lymphocytes which was not seen with MD temozolomide. When temozolomide treatment was combined with programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) antibody therapy, the MD temozolomide/PD-1 antibody group demonstrated a decrease in exhaustion markers in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes that was not observed in the SD temozolomide/PD-1 antibody group. Also, the survival advantage of PD-1 antibody therapy in a murine syngeneic intracranial glioma model was abrogated by adding SD temozolomide to treatment. However, when MD temozolomide was added to PD-1 inhibition, it preserved the survival benefit that was seen by PD-1 antibody therapy alone. Conclusion The peripheral and intratumoral immune microenvironments are distinctively affected by dose modulation of temozolomide.
An undergraduate laboratory on RNA sequencing analysis of bacterial gene expression

Next generation sequencing has revolutionized molecular biology and has provided a mechanism for rapid DNA and RNA sequence analysis. Yet, there are few resources to introduce next generation sequencing into the undergraduate biochemistry and molecular biology curriculum. Herein, we describe the design, execution, and assessment of a four-week laboratory for junior and senior undergraduate students that focuses on bacterial gene expression changes detected by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). In the laboratory, students analyze a bacterial RNA-seq dataset in detail and answer questions relating to the impact of DNA methylation on bacterial gene expression. In addition, students confirm key results from the RNA-seq dataset using qRT-PCR and compare their results to similar experiments in the literature. A major strength of the laboratory is the ability of students to analyze raw RNA-seq data. In addition, another strength of the laboratory is the utilization of both dry approaches (informatics and statistics) and wet approaches (RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, and qRT-PCR) to answer bacterial gene expression questions. Assessment of the laboratory indicates that significant learning gains were achieved with respect to next generation sequencing and RNA-seq. We expect that the laboratory will be a valuable resource as is, or via modification with other datasets and projects. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(2): 161-167, 2019.
Systematic Review Investigating the Effects of Nonpharmacological Interventions During Sleep to Enhance Physical Rehabilitation Outcomes in People With Neurological Diagnoses

Objective. Conduct a systematic review of nonpharmacological interventions applied during sleep to enhance physical rehabilitation outcomes of individuals with a neurological diagnosis. Data Source...
Immunochemical, Electrophoretic, and Genetic Heterogeneity of Pepsinogen I

Two immunologic subclasses of human pepsinogen I, a-PG I and P-PG I, have been identified based on their reactivity toward a murine monoclonal antibody that recognizes an epitope on the a-PG I isozymogens. The antibody was used to purify the major a- and P-isozymogens from gastric mucosa and to determine their contributions to the previously described genetic polymorphism of PG 1. The cY-epitope was localized to the pepsin region of the molecules. The two major a-PG I isozymogens (Pg 3a and Pg 5a) and the major P-PG I isozymogen (Pg 4p) were demonstrated to contain net charge differences located in the respective pepsin and activation peptide regions. We propose that the LY- and p-subclasses contain net charge amino acid substitutions encoded by the corresponding pepsinogen genes: PGA3, PGA4, and PGA5. Human gastric mucosa contains three distinct types of aspartic proteases (l-4). Two of these are pepsinogens (PG I or PG A and PG II or PG C), and the third is a nonpepsinogen protease that has been designated slow moving protease because it exhibits slower anodal mobility than PG I or PG II (2). The differences among PG I, PG II, and slow moving protease with respect to their antigenic determinants (5,6), molecular weights (6)) and cellular origins (7,B) provide conclusive evidence that they are determined by different genes.
Characterizing Susceptible Users on Reddit's ChangeMyView

In the study of persuasion, little attention is paid to understanding features that indicate one's level of susceptibility. In this work, we examine features that are indicative of an individual's susceptibility on Reddit's changemyview. Specifically, we explore attributes about the author of the post, the interactions between an author and other users, and the author's language style.We first categorize authors of posts on changemyview into two groups: susceptible and non-susceptible. We perform a test of significance on different features between susceptible and non-susceptible authors. Experiments showed that an individual's language style can be indicative of one's susceptibility to a change of opinion. Also, an author's prior position on a subject and their way of interacting with other users can indicate the likelihood of an author having an opinion change.
Ultrafast time-of-flight 3D LiDAR

Time-of-flight 3D imaging is an invaluable remote sensing tool, but raster speeds are currently limited by pulsed-laser scanning rates. By adapting techniques from ultrafast time-stretch imaging, a new LiDAR platform scans orders of magnitude faster than today’s commercial line-scanning pulsed-LiDAR systems.
Tyranny and Despotism in Plato’s Republic and Laws

Plato on tyranny in the Republic and the Laws. Tyranny appears when moral-civic rectitude decays in democracies. Tyranny is the complete opposite of rational civic-centered politics. The tyrant is fearful and feared. The tyrant does whatever he desires. Plato sought, and failed, to modify the conduct of the Syracuse tyrant Dionysius I (432–367 BC).
Japanese Domestic Violence Victim Advocate Training: An Evaluation Study

Domestic violence (DV) victim advocates in Japan have historically had limited access to training. In an effort to address this need, a training was developed through a collaboration between social...
The Woes of a Stuffy Nose: A Case Report of Allergic Fungal Sinusitis.

Author(s): Lopachin, Tyler; Landers, Grace | Abstract: Introduction: Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is a relatively uncommon cause of sinus pain and congestion. Extreme cases may require specialty evaluation and surgical treatment.Case Report: In this case, an otherwise healthy young man presented to the emergency department with sinus pain and congestion for two weeks and was admitted to surgery for resection of his AFS.Conclusion: This case demonstrates how a thorough history and physical exam can help catch potentially serious diseases, such as allergic fungal sinusitis, from the frequently benign chief complaint of sinus pain.
The Nature of the Subject: "Judgment" and the Law of Specification in Kant's "Critique of Judgment"

KANT'S Critique of Judgment is not about objects?beautiful or other wise?but about the judging subject. I would like to make two points about the reflexive relation between nature and the subject ?that is, the judging subject?based on paragraphs six and seven of Section V from the Introduction to the Critique of Judgment. The first point concerns Kant's use of the term "Urteil," or "judgment," and related terms. The sec ond point concerns the law of specification, and what Kant calls the "gl?ck licher Zufall," or "fortunate coincidence," between nature and the subject. One way to investigate the relation between nature and the subject is to look closely at the term "judgment," since judgment is the activity that brings nature and the subject together. As someone from one of the philo logical disciplines, I tend to answer the question, "What is judgment? " by asking, "What does the word 'judgment' mean?" ?more precisely, what might we learn by examining the German word "Urteilskraft"? I'm not suggesting that German words have a mystical quality that makes Kant's meaning clear to anyone who reads the German original. But there does seem to me to be a danger in the increasingly common practice of reading texts only in translation, or in summaries of translations. The word "Urteilskraft," or judgment, is itself very important. It marks the transition between Kant's first two Critiques of the human faculties, namely the Critique of Pure Reason and the Critique of Practical Reason, and the third Critique, that of Judgment. It is important to understand all we can about the difference between reason and judgment ?beginning with the words themselves. The philological inquiry that follows examines how Kant's words are bound up with Kant's argument; and for such a project, we must briefly return to the German. The word "Urteil" has the same legal connotations as the English word "judgment"; and I am not the first to remark that an entire juridical vocabulary is here employed by Kant: words like "law," "domain,"
Sons do not take advantage of a head start: parity in herring gull offspring sex ratios despite greater initial investment in males

Skewed adult sex ratios sometimes occur in populations of free-living animals yet the proximate mechanisms, timing of sex-biases, and the selective agents contributing to skew remain a source of debate with contradictory evidence from different systems. We investigated potential mechanisms contributing to sex biases in a population of herring gulls with an apparent female skew in the adult population. Theory predicts that skewed adult sex ratios will adaptively lead to skewed offspring sex ratios to restore balance in the effective breeding population. Parents may also adaptively bias offspring sex ratios to increase their own fitness in response to environmental factors. Therefore, we expected to detect skewed sex ratios either at hatching or at fledging as parents invest differentially in offspring of different sexes. We sampled complete clutches (n = 336 chicks) at hatching to quantify potential skews in sex ratios by position in the hatch order, time of season, year, and nesting context (nest density), finding no departure from equal sex ratios at hatching related to any of these factors. Further, we sampled 258 chicks at near-fledging to investigate potential sex biases in survival at the chick stage. Again, no biases in sex ratios were recorded. Male offspring were favored in this population via greater maternal investment in eggs carrying male embryos and greater parental provisioning of male offspring which reached greater sizes by fledging. Despite the advantages realized by male offspring, females were equally as likely to fledge as males. Thus, biased adult sex ratios apparently arise in the post-fledging and pre-recruitment stage in our population.
Determinants of International Migration Flows to and from Industrialized Countries: A Panel Data Approach Beyond Gravity.

We quantified determinants of international migratory inflows to 17 Western countries and outflows from 13 of these countries between 1950 and 2007 in 77,658 observations from multiple sources using panel-data analysis techniques. To construct a quantitative model that could be useful for demographic projection, we analyzed the logarithm of the number of migrants (inflows and outflows separately) as dependent variables in relation to demographic, geographic, and social independent variables. The independent variables most influential on log inflows were demographic [log population of origin and destination and log infant mortality rate (IMR) of origin and destination] and geographic (log distance between capitals and log land area of the destination). Social and historical determinants were less influential. For log outflows from the 13 countries, the most influential independent variables were log population of origin and destination, log IMR of destination, and log distance between capitals. A young age structure in the destination was associated with lower inflows while a young age structure in the origin was associated with higher inflows. Urbanization in destination and origin increased international migration. IMR affected inflows and outflows significantly but oppositely. Being landlocked, having a common border, having the same official language, sharing a minority language, and colonial links also had statistically significant but quantitatively smaller effects on international migration. Comparisons of models with different assumed correlation structures of residuals indicated that independence was the best assumption, supporting the use of ordinary-least-squares estimation techniques to obtain point estimates of coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
MHC Alloantigens Elicit Secondary, But Not Primary, Indirect In Vitro Proliferative Responses

The relative contributions of direct and indirect pathways of allorecognition to graft rejection remain controversial. Recent reports suggest that the indirect pathway may play a prominent role in both acute and chronic allograft rejection. Such studies suggest that MHC-derived allopeptides are more immunogenic than those derived from minor histocompatibility or other nominal Ags. The aim of this study was to characterize the immunogenicity of MHC alloantigens in MHC-defined miniature swine via primary and secondary MLR culture assays. APCs were selectively depleted from either responder or stimulator cell populations to specifically analyze direct and indirect proliferative responses, respectively. Radio-resistant cytokine secretion and subsequent backstimulation of responder cells was eliminated by using stimulators that were either lysed or unresponsive to the responder MHC haplotypes. When the effect of backstimulation was eliminated from MLR culture assays, indirect proliferative responses were not observed among naive responders. Only after in vivo priming of responder animals could indirect proliferation be detected. These data do not refute the potential importance of indirect allorecognition in graft rejection. However, they suggest that MHC-derived alloantigens behave similarly in vitro to minor histocompatibility Ags, with comparable immunogenicity. These data also suggest that the MLR culture assay does not accurately reflect the importance of indirect mechanisms that have previously been reported in experimental models of graft rejection. A greater understanding of the indirect pathway and the associated immunogenicity of MHC allopeptides has the potential benefit of enabling the development of therapeutic interventions to prevent or halt allograft rejection.
Positism: The Unexplored Solution to the Epistemic Regress Problem

As we trace a chain of reasoning backward, it must ultimately do one of four things: (i) end in an unjustified belief, (ii) continue infinitely, (iii) form a circle, or (iv) end in an immediately justified basic belief. This article defends positism—the view that, in certain circumstances, type-(i) chains can justify us in holding their target beliefs. One of the assumptions that generates the epistemic regress problem is: (A) Person S is mediately justified in believing p iff (1) S has a doxastic reason q for p and (2) S is justified in believing q. Assumption (A) presupposes that reasoning is only justification transmitting, not justification generating. The article rejects (A) and argues that, in certain circumstances, reasoning itself is justification generating, even if that from which one is reasoning is not itself justified. It concludes by comparing positism with its infinitist, coherentist, and foundationalist rivals, acknowledging what is right about these other views.
A Spatially Disaggregated Areal Interpolation Model Using Light Detection and Ranging‐Derived Building Volumes

Dasymetric areal interpolation is the process by which data are transferred from a spatial unit system for which they are available (source units) to another system for which they are required (target units) with the aid of ancillary information (control units). We propose a spatially disaggregated areal interpolation model for population data using light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-derived building volumes as an ancillary variable. Innovative methods are proposed for model initialization, iterative regression and adjustment, and stopping criteria to deal effectively with control units of unequal size. The model is derived and applied at the control unit level to minimize the modifiable areal unit problem, and an iterative adjustment process is utilized to overcome the spatial heterogeneity problem encountered in earlier approaches. The use of building volume to disaggregate the population into finer scales ensures maximum correspondence with the unit at which the original population data were collected and models not only the horizontal but also the vertical population distribution. A case study for Round Rock, Texas, demonstrates that the proposed spatially disaggregated model using LiDAR-derived building volumes outperforms earlier areal interpolation models using traditional area- and length-based ancillary variables. 密度区域插值是在辅助信息的帮助下（控制元），从一个可测空间单元系统（源单元）转换至所需空间单元系统（目标元）的过程。本文提出了一个利用激光雷达（LiDAR）测量建筑物体积作为辅助变量的人口数据空间分解区域插值模型（SDAIM），一系列创新方法用于模型初始化、迭代回归和调整方法，并给出了可有效处理不等大小控制单元的停止准则。该模型从控制单元层次来最小化可变区域单元问题（MAUP），并通过迭代调整过程来克服现有方法中的空间异质性问题。利用建筑物体积将从更精细尺度进行人口空间分解，保证了原始人口数据与模型的符合度达到最大，且模型可同时反映人口的水平与垂直分布特征。以德克萨斯州的Round Rock城市为例，验证了SDAIM方法优于已有基于面积和长度辅助变量的区域插值方法。
WE-G-217A-01: Fast Recovery Driven Equilibrium with Automated Switching to Avoid Artifacts.

Purpose: To reduce image artifacts from the unnecessary use of driven‐ equilibrium. Driven‐equilibrium methods known as fast recovery, RESTORE, or DRIVE enable reduction of repetition time (TR) and hence acquisition time in RARE (FSE or TSE)imaging by applying additional RF pulses following each echotrain to accelerate T1 recovery. Fast recovery (FR) techniques are most useful when TR is less than 4*T1. For neuroimaging, the benefit of FR diminishes as TR increases beyond ∼3s. In regions of rapid susceptibility change such as near metallic implants, FR techniques can introduce artifact because the magnetization is not properly rephased when the FR pulses are applied. In our clinical practice we observe that technologists frequently adjust TR over a range of 2–5s on a patient‐ specific basis to minimize scan time. We do not observe, however, that technologists reliably disable FR when TR is long enough, introducing possible artifacts. Methods: An FR‐FSE pulse sequence was modified to automatically disable the FR feature whenever TR exceeded a user‐defined threshold (TR0). Under IRB approval, a healthy volunteer was scanned with the sequence using TRs ranging from 1–5s, and TR0=900ms or 6s. Contrast‐ to‐noise measurements were made between CSF, gray matter and white matter for each dataset. Results: The volunteer study shows decreasing benefit of FR as TRs increase beyond 3s. A patient with bilateral auditory brainstem implants scanned with and without FR demonstrates FR‐induced artifacts. Conclusions: We demonstrate an FR‐FSE pulse sequence that automatically disables fast‐recovery whenever TR exceeds an operator‐ selected threshold. The pulse sequence avoids unnecessary artifacts in regions of rapid susceptibility changes, while retaining the advantages of FR when TR<TR0. Clinical images from a patient with bilateral auditory brainstem implants demonstrate potential artifacts introduced by FR, and the benefits of automatically avoiding unnecessary use of FR.
Personal, academic, and career counseling of African American women in college settings

This chapter provides information about personal, academic, and vocational concerns of African American college women and offers culturally relevant counseling frameworks and interventions for working with this population.
Growth and agronomy of Miscanthus × giganteus for biomass production

Miscanthus × giganteus is a highly productive, sterile, rhizomatous, C4 perennial grass that should be considered as a feedstock for bioenergy production. Here, we review the current state of research and the future of M. × giganteus biomass production. Since the 1980s, the grass has been studied and used in Europe to produce heat and electricity via combustion. Since 2005, the US government has encouraged research using herbaceous feedstocks for conversion to ethanol for use as transportation fuel. M. × giganteus is being widely studied in the USA because of its potential to produce large quantities of biomass. This review examines the taxonomy and genetics, growth and development, physiology and agronomy, and modeled and potential ‘real-world’ yields of M. × giganteus in Europe and the USA. In addition, the invasiveness and the future perspective of M. × giganteus utility and research in the USA are also considered.
Farewell to Motherhood and Apple Pie: Families in the Postmodern Era

Literature concerning families in the postmodern era is reviewed from a theory perspective.
Coming of Age in Science and Technology Studies

Before science and technology studies can play more important roles in the research agendas for science communication, science and engineering education, and science and technology policy, the fiel...
Variable Selection in ROC Regression

Regression models are introduced into the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to accommodate effects of covariates, such as genes. If many covariates are available, the variable selection issue arises. The traditional induced methodology separately models outcomes of diseased and nondiseased groups; thus, separate application of variable selections to two models will bring barriers in interpretation, due to differences in selected models. Furthermore, in the ROC regression, the accuracy of area under the curve (AUC) should be the focus instead of aiming at the consistency of model selection or the good prediction performance. In this paper, we obtain one single objective function with the group SCAD to select grouped variables, which adapts to popular criteria of model selection, and propose a two-stage framework to apply the focused information criterion (FIC). Some asymptotic properties of the proposed methods are derived. Simulation studies show that the grouped variable selection is superior to separate model selections. Furthermore, the FIC improves the accuracy of the estimated AUC compared with other criteria.
EXTRAVERSION, NEUROTICISM AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE MOOD INDUCTION PROCEDURES

Recent correlational research suggests that Extraversion is associated witha predisposition to experience positive affect, whereas Neuroticism is associated with a predisposition to experience negative affect. Using Gray's (A Model for Personality, pp. 246–276, 1981) terms, such results may be due to differential sensitivity to signals of reward and punishment on the part of Extraverts and Neurotics, respectively. Assuming that signals of reward generate positive affect and signals of punishment (or frustrative non-reward) generate negative affect, we hypothesized that the efficacy of a negative affect induction would be better predicted from Neuroticism than Extraversion scores, whereas the efficacy of a positive affect induction should be better predicted from Extraversion than Neuroticism scores. In the current study a laboratory mood induction technique (false feedback of success and failure) was used to induce positive and negative affect, and its effectiveness was assessed using standard mood adjective ratings. Results support the hypothesis that Extraverts (compared to Introverts) show heightened emotional reactivity to positive (but not negative) mood induction procedures, whereas Neurotics (compared to Stable individuals) show heightened emotional reactivity to negative (but not positive) mood induction procedures. Results are discussed in terms of an emotion-based approach to personality theory, and directions for future research are suggested.
Correcting Turnover Correlations: A Critique:

In this article, the authors argue that turnover correlations do not need to be corrected. First, they maintain that correction formulas cannot correct for poor construct validity. Second, they dis...
Existence and uniqueness of solutions for multi-point boundary value problems for fractional differential equations

In this work, we investigate existence and uniqueness of solutions for a class of nonlinear multi-point boundary value problems for fractional differential equations. Our analysis relies on the Schauder fixed point theorem and the Banach contraction principle.
Financial analysis of the US mineral and mining industry

Abstract This study evaluates the financial performance of publicity listed mineral and mining companies over the past 20 years. Results of this study are useful to practitioners and executives of this industry as they have a means of comparing their own corporate performance with the industry average. The purpose of this study is not to predict, but to inform, particularly in the applications of a few financial analytical techniques. The mineral and mining industry underwent a substantial change in the late 1980s by taking on large amounts of debt. This could indicate either an industry poised for expansion and/or modernization or an industry struggling to keep afloat after poor financial performance.
Genetic therapy: Mapping the ethical challanges

Dans le cadre d'un colloque consacre a la cooperation entre les sciences de la vie et les communautes normatives de l'ethique, qui s'est deroule a l'universite de Tel-Aviv en janvier 1995, l'A. delimite la carte des defis ethiques en reference a la metaphore de la carte du genome humain etablie dans le cadre de la therapie genetique. Examinant les difficultes decisionnelles et economiques auxquelles est confronte l'avenir de la genetique, l'A. etudie trois exemples de la formation d'une politique genetique, ainsi que les mecanismes de la decision sociale
Numerical refocusing of 2d-VISAR data

Two dimensional velocity interferometer (2d-VISAR) data can be treated as a kind of hologram, since fringes recorded by the interferometer manifest both phase and magnitude information about changes in the optical field of the target, over an image. By the laws of diffraction, knowledge of the optical field at one focal plane can be used to calculate the optical field at another focal plane. Hence a numerical re-focusing operation can be performed on the data post-experiment, which can bring into focus narrow features that were recorded in an out of focus configuration. Demonstration on shocked Si data is shown.
I-structures: data structures for parallel computing

It is difficult to achieve elegance, efficiency, and parallelism simultaneously in functional programs that manipulate large data structures. We demonstrate this through careful analysis of program examples using three common functional data-structuring approaches-lists using Cons, arrays using Update (both fine-grained operators), and arrays using make-array (a “bulk” operator). We then present I-structure as an alternative and show elegant, efficient, and parallel solutions for the program examples in Id, a language with I-structures. The parallelism in Id is made precise by means of an operational semantics for Id as a parallel reduction system. I-structures make the language nonfunctional, but do not lose determinacy. Finally, we show that even in the context of purely functional languages, I-structures are invaluable for implementing functional data abstractions.
Ellipsometric characterization of materials used in thin film solar cells

In this paper we present the characterization of materials commonly used in manufacturing thin film solar cells (TFSCs) using spectroscopic ellipsometry. In recent times, photovoltaic research has witnessed a steady increase in the field of TFSCs. Thin film solar cells have a lot of advantages over their crystalline silicon (c-Si) counterparts-their low cost and ease of fabrication being the most important factors. But to have an efficiency comparable to c-Si cells, light trapping strategies need to be developed. Using novel materials or plasmonic structures can help us achieve this. Numerical simulations are required to optimize the structure of these cells. Such simulations need the optical properties of the constituent materials as input. So it is essential to determine the optical constants of these materials accurately so that the performance of the device can be modeled appropriately. Spectroscopic ellipsometry is arguably one of the best techniques to characterize thin films today. We have measured thin films of Cr, Ag, Al-doped ZnO and amorphous silicon (a-Si). The optical constants were determined from the experimental data using regression analysis. The values agree well with reference data.
Using WarpPLS in e-Collaboration Studies: Descriptive Statistics, Settings, and Key Analysis Results

This is a follow-up on a previous article Kock, 2010b discussing the five main steps through which a nonlinear structural equation modeling analysis could be conducted with the software WarpPLS warppls.com. Both this and the previous article use data from the same e-collaboration study as a basis for the discussion of important WarpPLS features. The focus of this article is on specific features related to saving and analyzing grouped descriptive statistics, viewing and changing analysis algorithm and resampling settings, and viewing and saving the various minor and major results of the analysis. Even though its focus is on an e-collaboration study, this article contributes to the broad literature on multivariate analysis methods, in addition to the more specific research literature on e-collaboration. The vast majority of relationships between variables, in investigations of both natural and behavioral phenomena, are nonlinear; usually taking the form of U and S curves. Structural equation modeling software tools, whether variance-or covariance-based, typically do not estimate coefficients of association based on nonlinear analysis algorithms. WarpPLS is an exception in this respect. Without taking nonlinearity into consideration, the results can be misleading; especially in complex and multi-factorial situations such as those stemming from e-collaboration in virtual teams.
Spatially Resolved Study of Inter-Cusp Transport and Containment of Primary Electrons

Electron current density profiles were obtained in the region above two magnetic cusps in a 20 cm partial conic ring cusp ion thruster discharge chamber. The density profiles were obtained by use of a translatable Langmuir probe and an automated motion stage and data collection system. These high-resolution density profiles allowed for the study of electron collection mechanics in the absence of gas flow and plasma production, as well as at varying levels of gas flow. This is the second stage in a series of experiments aimed at better understanding collection physics at the magnetic cusps during discharge chamber operation. The current density maps allow for particle transport through the cusps to be visualized, and see how discharge chamber geometry plays a role in collection. Transmission coefficients and loss widths as a function of probe height above the anode were calculated from the current density data, and compared at a variety of discharge currents. In addition, these current density maps were compared to those obtained using a planar line cusp source geometry to study how source geometry and magnet cusp spacing affects collection.
Dark matter and inflation

I demonstrate that dark matter consisting of any type or types of stable weakly interacting elementary particle is incompatible with the minimal predictions of inflation, based on present observation of galaxy clustering, and assuming galaxies are good tracers of mass in the universe. If we wish to resolve this problem by particle physics alone, we seem to be driven to the possibility that the initial dark matter was unstable.
Regulation of isoproterenol-stimulated DNA synthesis in rat salivary gland in vivo by adrenal glucocorticoids

Abstract The magnitude of isoproterenol-stimulated DNA synthesis in rat liver submandibular gland varies 20-fold, depending on the time of day of drug injection, although diurnal regulation is not altered by aging. The diurnal response to isoproterenol reflects largely the hour to hour nutritional status of the rats as indicated by the inability of the drug to stimulate DNA synthesis in rats deprived of food for as little as 18 hr. Administration of glucocorticoids whose serum levels increase during fasting, in dosages as low as 0·05 mg per 100 g of body weight, both delays and reduces the magnitude of isoproterenol-stimulated DNA synthesis in rat submandibular gland. Inhibitory action of cortisol is effective when administered up to 8 hr following isoproterenol injection, and may be related to the delay in an Actinomycin D-sensitive event, required for DNA synthesis, which normally is stimulated at about that time. That isoproterenol-stimulated DNA synthesis may be regulated in vivo by endogenous glucocorticoids is indicated by: (1) acceleration and increased magnitude of isoproterenol-stimulated DNA synthesis in adrenalectomized rats; (2) inhibitory effects of corticosterone, the predominant glucocorticoid in rat, similar to those of cortisol; (3) specific binding of [ 3 H]-corticol, [ 3 H]-corticosterone and [ 3 H]-dexamethasone to macromolecules derived from cytoplasmic extracts of submandibular gland; and (4) reduced uptake of [ 3 H]-steroid following injection of isoproterenol.