cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
With God on my side: The paradoxical relationship between religious belief and criminality among hardcore street offenders

Research has found that many street offenders anticipate an early death, making them less prone to delay gratification, more likely to discount the future costs of crime, and thus more likely to offend. Ironically, many such offenders also hold strong religious convictions, including those related to the punitive afterlife consequences of offending. To reconcile these findings, we interviewed 48 active street offenders to determine their expectation of an early demise, belief in the afterlife, and notions of redemption and punishment. Despite the deterrent effects of religion that have been highlighted in prior research, our results indicate that religion may have a counterintuitive criminogenic effect in certain contexts. Through purposeful distortion or genuine ignorance, the hardcore offenders we interviewed are able to exploit the absolvitory tenets of religious doctrine, neutralizing their fear of death to not only allow but encourage offending. This suggests a number of intriguing consequences for d...
Characteristics of the Inlet Hydrograph

Study of relationship between rainfall and runoff for impervious inlet areas; data for analyses were derived from records of rainfall and runoff on impervious areas in Baltimore, Md, Newark, Del, and Hertfordshire, Great Britain; equations for determination of peak rates of runoff and time of rise of hydrograph are developed; method is proposed for predicting shape of simple hydrograph.
Abstract #5538: Reversal of chemoresistance and enhancement of apoptosis by curcumin through down-regulation of the NF-kappaB pathway in Ewing\#8217;s sarcoma cells

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO The prognosis of high-risk Ewing tumours (HR-ET) remains poor. Doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy regimens are standard of care for HR-ET patients. However, chemo-resistivity is often observed in patients who relapse or develop metastatic disease. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), an anti-inflammatory agent used in traditional medicine, has been shown to suppress cellular transformation, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis through modulation of NF-kappa B activation. We determined whether the combination of curcumin and standard chemotherapeutic agents could overcome chemo-resistance and augment apoptosis in Ewing\#8217;s sarcoma cells. We found that doxorubicin induced NF kappa B activation in various cell lines, including TC-71, RDES, and A4573. Pretreatment of cells with curcumin inhibits chemotherapy-induced activation of NF kappa B and potentiates the apoptosis induced by doxorubicin. We found that curcumin had no effect on the level of expression of transcription factor EWS-FLI-1. These results suggest that curcumin mediates its effect through down regulation of NF kappa B. This mechanism of action may be useful in overcoming chemoresistance of HR-ET. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 5538.
4f 3 and 4f 2 5d Configurations of Doubly Ionized Praseodymium (Pr iii)

The positions of 38 observed levels of the 4f3 configuration of Pr iii were calculated with a rms error of ±168 cm−1, by use of seven adjustable parameters. The interaction with the 4f5d2 levels is discussed. A calculation of the levels of the 4f25d configuration was obtained with a rms error of ±182 cm−1 relative to the 101 observed levels, utilizing 13 adjustable parameters.
Inhibition of Growth and Photosynthesis in Chlorella pyrenoidosa by a Polychlorinated Biphenyl and Several Insecticides

The effects of DDT, dieldrin, carbaryl, parathion, piperonyl butoxide and Aroclor 1254®, a polychlorinated biphenyl containing 54% chlorine, on growth and photo-synthesis in the freshwater alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick were measured. Inhibition was most easily demonstrated by varying the concentratIon of the alga and keeping the chemical concentration constant. Aroclor 1254 was the most active inhibitor of growth and photosynthesis in C. pyrenoidosa . Piperonyl butoxide, an insecticide synergist, and parathion were also strong inhibitors of growth and photosynthesis while DDT was less active. Dieldrin and carbaryl were least potent as inhibitors.
Single-Laboratory Ruggedness Testing and Validation of a Modified QuEChERS Approach To Quantify 185 Pesticide Residues in Salmon by Liquid Chromatography- and Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

In this study, we successfully applied a previously modified version of the QuEChERS approach to quantify pesticide residues in samples of fresh salmon. Analysis was performed using a combination of liquid and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS). The validated QuEChERS method used ethyl acetate for the extraction solvent and involved two freezing steps and a C18 dispersive solid phase extraction for removal of lipids. Of the 228 pesticides initially screened, only 185 passed the method validation criteria (103 on LC-MS/MS and 82 on GC-MS/MS). In a quantitative validation, acceptable performances were achieved with overall recoveries of 70–120% and <20% RSD for 179 analytes (n = 7) over the course of five different extractions at 2 times the limit of quantification. Over 12 months, this method was used in the analysis of 708 salmon samples collected as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program. Ruggedness testing conducted throughout the entire stud...
A Review of Current Concepts on the Evolution of the Human Foot

This paper reviews a number of recent advances in understanding the evolution of the human foot. The foot has gradually changed from the grasping and clinging organ of early Eocene and Miocene and Miocene primate ancestors to the specialized weightbearing structure of modern. Recent studies have indicated that postcranial remains conmensurate with the requirements of bipedal locomotion may have been present as far back as 3½ million years ago in the forerunners of modern man known as the australopithecines. Subsequent modifications appear to be refinements to increase the efficiency of weight transmission in habitual bipedallsm.
LVAD patients' and surrogates' perspectives on SPIRIT-HF: An advance care planning discussion

Abstract Objectives To describe LVAD patients' and surrogates' experiences with, and perspectives on SPIRIT-HF, an advance care planning (ACP) intervention. Background ACP is important for patients with LVAD, yet little is known about their experiences or those of their surrogates who have participated in ACP discussions. Methods We used qualitative content analysis techniques to conduct a secondary analysis of 28 interviews with patients with LVAD ( n = 14) and their surrogates ( n = 14) who had participated in an RCT pilot study of SPIRIT-HF. Results Main themes from the data include: 1) sharing their HF stories was very beneficial; 2) participating in SPIRIT-HF led to greater peace of mind for patients and surrogates; 3) “one size does not fit all” when it comes to timing of ACP discussions. Conclusions An understanding patient and surrogate perspectives may inform clinicians' approach to ACP discussions.
Mutagenesis Analysis Reveals Distinct Amino Acids of the Human Serotonin 5-HT2C Receptor Underlying the Pharmacology of Distinct Ligands.

While exploring the structure–activity relationship of 4-phenyl-2-dimethylaminotetralins (PATs) at serotonin 5-HT2C receptors, we discovered that relatively minor modification of PAT chemistry impacts function at 5-HT2C receptors. In HEK293 cells expressing human 5-HT2C-INI receptors, for example, (−)-trans-3′-Br-PAT and (−)-trans-3′-Cl-PAT are agonists regarding Gαq-inositol phosphate signaling, whereas (−)-trans-3′-CF3-PAT is an inverse agonist. To investigate the ligand–receptor interactions that govern this change in function, we performed site-directed mutagenesis of 14 amino acids of the 5-HT2C receptor based on molecular modeling and reported G protein-coupled receptor crystal structures, followed by molecular pharmacology studies. We found that S3.36, T3.37, and F5.47 in the orthosteric binding pocket are critical for affinity (Ki) of all PATs tested, we also found that F6.44, M6.47, C7.45, and S7.46 are primarily involved in regulating EC/IC50 functional potencies of PATs. We discovered that when...
Progressive autonomy: a method for gradually introducing autonomy into space missions

We present a method under development for introducing autonomy and agent-based software into future space and ground-based missions while both reducing the risk of mission failures and gaining the confidence and support of mission management and principal investigators (PIs). This is being done by using a mechanism to support dynamic agent-community evolution (e.g., agents adapting to community changes, agents joining a community or agents leaving a community). This dynamic capability of agents is necessary to achieve what we call "progressive autonomy", which allows the gradual introduction of autonomy and agent technology into missions without having to commit to the technology from the start. It will also allow the dynamic modification of satellite systems using agent migration to update and modify spacecraft capabilities on an as-needed basis, as well as allow the introduction of mission management and autonomy into existing missions.
Service-Learning Design Through a Management Model

Brandes, Randall, and Leach-Steffens discuss service-learning as a high-impact practice including the theoretical underpinning such as Fink and Bloom’s taxonomy. Discussion includes the service-learning project designed for a Family and Consumer Sciences course, Family Systems and Resource Management, including team creation and community agency placement using the management model and designing the project working backwards and learning objectives for students. Finally, they discuss the elements of high-impact practices and how they are embedded into the course/project.
An Empirical Investigation of Trusting Bases in Intitial Trust Formation with National Identity Systems

Recent research indicates that trust is important in helping users overcome perceptions of risk and uncertainty as well as promoting the acceptance of a specific technology. While prior studies have investigated different underlying bases of trust, little research has empirically tested all bases in one comprehensive model and evaluated the relative effect of various bases on subsequent trusting intentions. This research empirically investigates these trusting bases within an extended initial trust model in the context of a national identity (NID) system. Research on understanding the role of initial trust will not only be of assistance to the successful implementation of an NID system, but also provide guidance for understanding the role of initial trust in the deployment of other types of information systems.
Women's Struggles to Practice Medicine in Antebellum America: The Troubled Career of Boston Physician Harriot Kezia Hunt

Abstract This essay discusses the failed efforts of Boston physician and woman's rights activist Harriot Kezia Hunt to study at Harvard's Medical School in 1847 and 1850. It explores the fractious and gendered nature of medicine in antebellum America and concerns about professionalism, gender roles, student retention, and interracial mixing at Harvard.
Evaluating the impact of future climate change on irrigated maize production in Kansas

Abstract The United States southern and central High Plains including western Kansas are experiencing declining ground water supplies from the Ogallala as a result of withdrawals for irrigation exceeding annual recharge, this situation will be exacerbated by future climate change. The purpose of this simulation based study was to 1) assess the impact of future climate change on maize (Zea mays L.) yield in western Kansas; and 2) evaluate and understand the possible impacts of climate change on maize irrigation water productivity, transpiration, evapotranspiration and days to maturity. The Crop Estimation through Resource and Environment Synthesis (CERES-Maize) crop model within the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer Cropping Systems Model (DSSAT-CSM) was used in combination with multiple Global Climate Models under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), and two irrigation scenarios [full (450 mm) and deficit (300)] under three planting dates [early (20th April), normal (5th May) and late (15th May)]. Results showed that maize yield during the mid-21st century will decline relative to the present on average by 18–33% under RCP4.5 and 37–46% under RCP8.5. The yield decline might be caused mainly by shortening of the growing period (9–18% decline in days to maturity), attributed to elevated temperatures. The reduction in transpiration relative to the baseline reached 15% for RCP8.5 under deficit irrigation whereas the reduction was minimal (1–7%) under full irrigation. Indicating that significant yield reductions might occur due to combined effects of deficit irrigation and shortening of the maturity period. Yield increase due to elevated CO2 concentration [CO2] might be masked by the increased temperatures. The current study showed large disparity in simulated yield among the various GCMs. Planting date did not substantially improve yield but there was less simulation variability among GCMs with early planting compared to normal and late planting. There was no substantial difference among the planting dates for water productivity, however, there was a slight tendency of improvement in irrigation water productivity for deficit irrigation under early planting compared to normal and late planting. Under all planting dates and RCPs, the irrigation water productivity of maize under deficit irrigation was slightly higher than that under full irrigation. The difference in irrigation water productivity of maize between the deficit and full irrigation was larger for early compared to normal and late planting. These differences justify that early planting may be suitable under future climate compared to late planting even though the simulated yield with early planting under similar RCPs and irrigation levels are not significantly different from late planting.
The Effect of President Trump's Election on Hate Crimes

This Essay empirically evaluates the relationship between Donald Trump’s rise to power and the recent increase in reported hate crimes. A number of critics predicted that President Trump’s divisive rhetoric during the presidential campaign and his subsequent election would embolden hate crime perpetrators, thereby contributing to more hate crimes. Media commentators have dubbed this the Trump Effect. We find compelling evidence to support the Trump Effect hypothesis. Using time series analysis, we show that Donald Trump’s election in November of 2016 was associated with a statistically significant surge in reported hate crimes across the United States, even when controlling for alternative explanations. Further, by using panel regression techniques, we show that counties that voted for President Trump by the widest margins in the presidential election also experienced the largest increases in reported hate crimes. Using the data from this study, we offer a novel theory that builds on the existing literature on the causes of hate crimes. We hypothesize that it was not just Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric throughout the political campaign that caused hate crimes to increase. Rather, we argue that it was Trump’s subsequent election as President of the United States that validated this rhetoric in the eyes of perpetrators and fueled the hate crime surge.
Small-Bowel Feeding Tube Placement at Bedside: Electronic Medical Device Placement and X-Ray Agreement

Background The use of an electromagnetic placement device (EMPD) can allow trained clinicians to safely perform small-bowel feeding tube (SBFT) placement at the bedside. Before initiation of enteral nutrition, most facilities require a radiology confirmation of tube placement. Requirement of X-ray confirmation delays the start of nutrition and leads to increased costs and utilization of resources. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of agreement between clinician interpretation of SBFT placement using the EMPD images and X-ray confirmation on tip of SBFT placement. Materials and methods This single-center, retrospective, observational study used data completed by registered dietitians or registered nurses after SBFT placement and compared it with radiology reports in the electronic health record. All tube placements were performed using the EMPD and were determined to be in 1 of 4 locations: stomach, duodenum, at the ligament of Trietz, or not specified within the small bowel. Results A total of 280 tube placements were analyzed. When differentiating between stomach and small bowel, the rate of agreement using a κ statistic was substantial agreement (κ = 0.67) and when determining tip-of-tube location within the small bowel excluding not specified locations, there was almost perfect agreement with a κ = 0.93 and n = 84. Conclusion These findings suggest that EMPD images provide substantial agreement with X-ray confirmation and almost perfect agreement when the tip of the tube is within the small bowel. This indicates that the EMPD could be used without X-ray confirmation.
Wireless Mobile Antennas and Cosite Interference in Communication Systems

The Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FD-TD) method, which is based on Yee’s algorithm [1], has been applied with success to different types of electromagnetic problems; e.g., radiation, scattering, microwave integrated circuits, etc. The FD-TD method is is thoroughly described in [2, 3]. In this chapter, FD-TD is used to analyze wireless mobile antennas and cosite interference in communication systems.
Management of Glyphosate-resistant Waterhemp

Introduction Waterhemp that is no longer effectively controlled by glyphosate is becoming more common in many fields in Iowa. It also is becoming more common for herbicides with other modes of action to be ineffective against this troublesome weed. Farmers need to be aware of management systems to prevent this resistance problem from occurring in their fields and to know how to deal with the problem.
Driving towards cost-competitive biofuels through catalytic fast pyrolysis by rethinking catalyst selection and reactor configuration

Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) has emerged as an attractive process for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into renewable fuels and products. Considerable research and development has focused on using circulating-bed reactors with zeolite catalysts (e.g., HZSM-5) for CFP because of their propensity to form gasoline-range aromatic hydrocarbons. However, the high selectivity for aromatics comes at the expense of low carbon yield, a key economic driver for this process. In this contribution, we evaluate non-zeolite catalysts in a fixed-bed reactor configuration for an integrated CFP process to produce fuel blendstocks from lignocellulosic biomass. These experimental efforts are coupled with technoeconomic analysis (TEA) to benchmark the process and guide research and development activities to minimize costs. The results indicate that CFP bio-oil can be produced from pine with improved yield by using a bifunctional metal-acid 2 wt% Pt/TiO2 catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor operated with co-fed H2 at near atmospheric pressure, as compared to H-ZSM5 in a circulating-bed reactor. The Pt/TiO2 catalyst exhibited good stability over 13 reaction-regeneration cycles with no evidence of irreversible deactivation. The CFP bio-oil was continuously hydrotreated for 140 h time-on-stream using a single-stage system with 84 wt% of the hydrotreated product having a boiling point in the gasoline and distillate range. This integrated biomass-to-blendstock process was determined to exhibit an energy efficiency of 50% and a carbon efficiency of 38%, based on the experimental results and process modelling. TEA of the integrated process revealed a modelled minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of $4.34 per gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE), which represents a cost reduction of $0.85 GGE−1 compared to values reported for CFP with a zeolite catalyst. TEA also indicated that catalyst cost was a significant factor influencing the MFSP, which informed additional CFP experiments in which lower-cost Mo2C and high-dispersion 0.5 wt% Pt/TiO2 catalysts were synthesized and evaluated. These materials demonstrated CFP carbon yield and oil oxygen content similar to those of the 2 wt% Pt/TiO2 catalyst, offering proof-of-concept that the lower-cost catalysts can be effective for CFP and providing a route to reduce the modelled MFSP to $3.86–3.91 GGE−1. This report links foundational science and applied engineering to demonstrate the potential of fixed-bed CFP and highlights the impact of coupled TEA to guide research activities towards cost reductions.
Relation Between Lead Exposure and Trends in Blood Pressure in Children

Obesity raises blood pressure (BP) in children and adults. Nevertheless, as obesity increased around the globe, population systolic and diastolic blood pressures were flat or fell. Examining children is insightful because pediatric trends are largely unconfounded by antihypertensive therapy. Decomposing BP into arterial types, large artery measures (pulse pressure) increased in concert with obesity while small artery measures (mean arterial pressure, [MAP]) decreased, suggesting small arteries are the locus of the countervailing temporal trends. Pediatric lead exposure decreased as pediatric obesity rose. Over the period of rising obesity, we examined the association between lead exposure and temporal trends in BP. We analyzed anthropometric, BP, and laboratory data on 8–17 year old children from the serial cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1976 through 2008. Multivariable adjusted survey regression was used to examine temporal trends in blood pressure in relation to blood lead concentrations (N = 13,501). As obesity prevalence rose from 5.3% to 24.5%, age-sex adjusted systolic BP was flat (−0.01 [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.06, 0.04] mm Hg/yr, p = 0.8), diastolic BP and MAP decreased (respectively −0.28 [−0.32, −0.24] and −0.19 [CI −0.23, −0.15], both p
Using Multimedia Instruction and Performance Feedback to Improve Preservice Teachers’ Vocabulary Instruction:

High-quality, effective vocabulary instruction is essential for supporting all students’ academic success, and it is particularly important for students with disabilities. Teacher preparation progr...
Abstract 31: CaMKII-alpha Ubiquitination Induced by Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Reversibly Inhibits Post-Ischemic CaMKII Activity at the Post-Synaptic Density

Background: Brain calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is exclusively expressed in neurons, where it localizes to the post-synaptic density (PSD) to link calcium signals to chang...
“Sonny’s Blues” and Cultural Shadow

James Baldwin’s short story, “Sonny’s Blues,” portrays a jazz artist’s transformation of an historic and ongoing aspect of America’s cultural shadow, treating black people cruelly as if they were not real. He is enabled to bring about this transformation through his becoming conscious of and owning his personal shadow, treating people regardless of race cruelly as if they were not real. His self-knowledge indicates an equality in the human potential of behaving oppressively and thus frees him from the self-pity and helpless rage of victimization possible to those having suffered the injustice of racism. It thus frees him to create music free of lament, music which in turn frees his brother, who has responded to American racism with repression of his emotions, to feel his grief. Baldwin’s story implies that art, such as the story “Sonny’s Blues,” can express a society’s unjustly caused suffering without lament if the artist has taken responsibility for having him or herself unjustly caused suffering. This art is portrayed as freeing its audience through new consciousness and feeling to develop a new relationship with cultural shadow, one suggesting a beginning of its integration.
Partial Hearing Restoration after ERBB2 Induction in Deafened Adult Mice

Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) affects over ten million adults in the United States, and there is no biological treatment to restore endogenous function after damage. We hypothesized that activation of signaling from ERBB2 receptors in cochlear supporting cells could mitigate NIHL damage. We used the Tet-On genetic expression system to drive a constitutively active variant of ERBB2 (CA-ERBB2) in cochlear supporting cells three days after permanent noise damage in young adult mice. Hearing thresholds were assessed with auditory brainstem response tests prior to noise damage, and hearing recovery was assessed over a three month period. We evaluated supporting cell proliferation, inner and outer hair cell (IHC and OHC) survival, synaptic preservation, and IHC cytoskeletal alterations with histological techniques. Mice harboring CA-ERBB2 capability had similar hearing thresholds to control littermates prior to and immediately after noise exposure, and incurred similar levels of permanent hearing loss. Two and three months after noise exposure, CA-ERBB2+ mice demonstrated a partial but significant reversal of NIHL threshold shifts at the lowest frequency tested, out of five frequencies (n=19 total mice, p=0.0015, ANOVA). We also observed improved IHC and OHC survival (n=7 total cochleae, p=5 x 10-5, Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test). There was no evidence for sustained supporting cell proliferation. Some mortality was associated with doxycycline and furosemide treatments to induce the Tet-ON system. These data suggest that ERBB2 signaling in supporting cells promotes HC repair and some functional recovery. Funded by NIH R01 DC014261, and grants from the Schmitt Foundation and UR Ventures.
Wireless Pacing Using an Asynchronous Three-Tiered Inductive Power Transfer System

Despite numerous advancements in pacemaker technology for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and conduction disorders, lead-related complications associated with these devices continue to compromise patient safety and survival. In this work, we present a system architecture that has the capacity to deliver power to a wireless, batteryless intravascular pacer. This was made possible through a three-tiered, dual-sub-system, four-coil design, which operates on two different frequencies through intermittent remote-controlled inductive power transfer. System efficiency was enhanced using coil design optimization, and validated using numerical simulations and experimental analysis. Our pacemaker design was concepted to achieve inductive power transfer over a 55 mm range to a microscale pacer with a 3 mm diameter. Thus, the proposed system design enabled long-range wireless power transfer to a small implanted pacer with the capacity for intravascular deployment to the anterior cardiac vein. This proposed stent-like fixation mechanism can bypass the multitude of complications associated with pacemaker wires while wireless power can eliminate the need for repeated procedures for battery replacement.
Places to Go: Robin Good's Master New Media

e-Learning is moving beyond the domains of the learning management system. This shift is congruent with the idea that students, instead of being mere receivers of learning content, are active participants in the learning process, tasked as much with creativity as with consumption. Schools and universities are beginning to experiment with weblogs; London's Ravensbourne College has even organized its Web site using a wiki, thereby allowing collective authoring and updating of the site by different segments of the campus community.
A Cooperative Computing Strategy for Blockchain-Secured Fog Computing

Fog computing is an emerging paradigm in provisioning computing and storage resources for the Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. In a fog computing system, all devices can offload their data or computationally intensive tasks to nearby fog nodes, instead of to the distant cloud. As compared with cloud computing, fog computing can significantly reduce the transmission delay between IoT devices and computing servers. However, the current fog system is rather susceptible to malicious attacks. To increase the security level, we propose to partition the fog system into fog node clusters (FNCs), with fog nodes (FNs) in one cluster sharing the same access control list (ACL) which is protected by a blockchain. Generating blockchains requires tremendous computing power and can rapidly drain the computing capacities of FNs. In this article, we first customize the blockchain for FNC to reduce the required computing power consumption and storage spaces. Second, a new scheme is designed for the blockchain-based FNC (BFNC) to recover ACL automatically. In addition, we propose a heuristic algorithm to reduce the time to acquire hash values of blocks by computing cooperatively with all available devices. The simulation results have demonstrated that using the cooperative computing strategy can reduce the time of computing a block hash than noncooperative strategies.
At the Speed of Sound: Efficient Audio Scene Classification

Efficient audio scene classification is essential for smart sensing platforms such as robots, medical monitoring, surveillance, or autonomous vehicles. We propose a retrieval-based scene classification architecture that combines recurrent neural networks and attention to compute embeddings for short audio segments. We train our framework using a custom audio loss function that captures both the relevance of audio segments within a scene and that of sound events within a segment. Using experiments on real audio scenes, we show that we can discriminate audio scenes with high accuracy after listening in for less than a second. This preserves 93% of the detection accuracy obtained after hearing the entire scene.
What a Green New Deal Finance Plan Should Do

This chapter lays out systematically what a Green New Deal’s finance plan must accomplish. It does this partly by reference to what any finance plan associated with any ambitious project must do, but more importantly by reference to what a Green New Deal Finance Plan in particular must do. Because the Green New Deal is unique, relative to recent historical precedent, in operating across industries, across public and private sector activities, and across levels of government as it does, its finance plan must be similarly comprehensive if it is to optimize those multiple interactions. In so doing, it must work to optimize capital allocation with a view both to assuring adequate funding across industries, sectors, and levels of government, and to preventing the emergence of inflationary or deflationary pressures. It must also cohere with the Green New Deal’s commitments to productive, distributive, and environmental justice, treating finance as what at bottom it is—a form of material opportunity of which all must partake.
Designing lightweight vehicle body

Abstract This chapter describes the basic material selection considerations for designing lightweight vehicle body. It also includes design considerations for stiffness, strength, fatigue durability, crashworthiness, and noise, vibration, and harshness of body structure and body panels. Optimization processes for lightweight designs are briefly described.
A plausible metal-free ancestral analogue of the Krebs cycle composed entirely of α-ketoacids

Efforts to decipher the prebiotic roots of metabolic pathways have focused on recapitulating modern biological transformations, with metals typically serving in place of cofactors and enzymes. Here we show that the reaction of glyoxylate with pyruvate under mild aqueous conditions produces a series of α-ketoacid analogues of the reductive citric acid cycle without the need for metals or enzyme catalysts. The transformations proceed in the same sequence as the reverse Krebs cycle, resembling a protometabolic pathway, with glyoxylate acting as both the carbon source and reducing agent. Furthermore, the α-ketoacid analogues provide a natural route for the synthesis of amino acids by transamination with glycine, paralleling the extant metabolic mechanisms and obviating the need for metal-catalysed abiotic reductive aminations. This emerging sequence of prebiotic reactions could have set the stage for the advent of increasingly sophisticated pathways operating under catalytic control.
Mitigation of harmful algal blooms caused by Alexandrium catenella and reduction in saxitoxin accumulation in bivalves using cultivable seaweeds

Abstract Alexandrium catenella is a harmful algal bloom (HAB)-forming dinoflagellate that causes significant damage to the cultivation and harvest of shellfish due to its synthesis of paralytic shellfish toxins. To evaluate the potential for macroalgae aquaculture to mitigate A. catenella blooms, we determined the effects of three cultivable macroalgae - Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp), Chondrus crispus (Irish moss), and Ulva spp. - on A. catenella in culture- and field-based experiments. Co-culture growth assays of A. catenella exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of each macroalgae showed that all species except low levels of C. crispus caused cell lysis and significant reductions in A. catenella densities relative to control treatments of 17–74% in 2–3 days and 42–96% in ~one week (p Ulva spp. > C. crispus. Seaweeds’ primary anti-A. catenella activity were allelopathic, while nutrient competition, pH elevation, and macroalgae-attached bacteria may have played a contributory role in some experiments. Collectively, these results suggest that the integration of macroalgae with shellfish-centric aquaculture establishments should be considered as a non-invasive, environmentally friendly, and potentially profit-generating measure to mitigate A. catenella-caused damage to the shellfish aquaculture industry.
A sharp lower bound for the entropy of closed hypersurfaces up to dimension six

The entropy is a natural geometric quantity which measures the complexity of a hypersurface in $$\mathbb R^{n+1}$$ . It is non-increasing along the mean curvature flow and so plays a significant role in analyzing the dynamics of this flow. In (Colding et al., J Differ Geom 95(1):53–69, 2013), Colding–Ilmanen–Minicozzi-White showed that within the class of closed smooth self-shrinking solutions of the mean curvature flow in $$\mathbb R^{n+1}$$ , the entropy is uniquely minimized at the round sphere. They conjectured that, for $$2\le n\le 6$$ , the round sphere minimizes the entropy among all closed hypersurfaces. Using an appropriate weak mean curvature flow, we prove their conjecture. For these dimensions, our approach also gives a new proof of the main result of Colding et al. (J Differ Geom 95(1):53–69, 2013) and extends its conclusions to compact singular self-shrinking solutions.
Convolution without independence

Abstract Widely used convolution and deconvolution techniques traditionally rely on independence assumptions, often criticized as being strong. We observe that the convolution theorem actually holds under a weaker assumption, known as subindependence. We show that this notion is arguably as weak as a conditional mean assumption. We report various simple characterizations of subindependence and devise constructive methods to generate subindependent random variables. We extend subindependence to multivariate settings and propose the new concepts of conditional and mean subindependence, relevant to measurement error problems. We finally introduce three tests of subindependence based on characteristic functions, generalized method of moments and randomization, respectively.
When Coercion Lacks Care: Competency to Make Medical Treatment Decisions and Parens Patriae Civil Commitments

The subject of this Article is people who have been civilly committed under a state’s parens patriae authority to care for those who are unable to care for themselves. These are people who, because of a mental illness, are a danger to themselves. Even after they have been determined to be so disabled by their mental illness that they cannot care for themselves, many are nonetheless found to be competent to refuse medical treatment. Competency to make medical treatment decisions generally requires only a capacity to understand a proposed treatment, not an actual or rational understanding of that treatment. This Article proposes that in cases of parens patriae civil commitments, an actual or rational understanding should be required. A test of competency that requires actual or rational understanding of a proposed treatment is needed in these cases given the lack of insight commonly experienced by people with psychotic disorders, the potential of psychotic symptoms to interfere with rational decision-making, and the immense harms—both immediate and long-term—that can result from untreated psychotic symptoms.
Climbing Mount Next - The Effects of Autonomous Vehicles on Society

I. Mount Transit and Mount Auto 787 II. Mount Next 794 A. Safety 795 B. Capacity 796 C. Auto-Mobility for All 798 D. Diversity 798 E. Vehicles-as-a-Service (VaaS) 801 F. Migration 803 G. Urban Form 805 H. Costs 805 I. Class 806 III. Conclusions 806
Provably Secure Steganography

Informally, steganography is the process of sending a secret message from Alice to Bob in such a way that an eavesdropper (who listens to all communications) cannot even tell that a secret message is being sent. In this work, we initiate the study of steganography from a complexity-theoretic point of view. We introduce definitions based on computational indistinguishability and we prove that the existence of one-way functions implies the existence of secure steganographic protocols.
Space-time counterfactuals

A definition is proposed to give precise meaning to the counterfactual statements that often appear in discussions of the implications of quantum mechanics. Of particular interest are counterfactual statements which involve events occurring at space-like separated points, which do not have an absolute time ordering. Some consequences of this definition are discussed.
Two procedures for compiling influence diagrams

Two algorithms are presented for "compiling" influence diagrams into a set of simple decision rules. These decision rules define simple-to-execute, complete, consistent, and near-optimal decision procedures. These compilation algorithms can be used to derive decision procedures for human teams Solving time constrained decision problems.
The Length and Success of NBA Careers: Does College Production Predict Professional Outcomes?

This paper uses data on players drafted in 1987 through 1989 covering both their collegiate and their professional careers. This time period is chosen because we wanted recent players whose playing days have ended. Our analysis evaluates the role of college productivity on draft position and the relationship between college career productivity, measured in three different ways, with professional career productivity measured similarly and with the length of the career. At issue is the effectiveness of NBA executives in identifying college players who will be successful in the pros. Our results suggest an interesting puzzle regarding scoring. The NBA literature suggests scoring is paramount for evaluating professional players, while our results suggest college scoring has little to do with draft position and is relatively weakly associated with professional scoring.
Selecting Topics for Web Resource Discovery: Efficiency Issues in a Database Approach

This paper discusses algorithms for topic selection queries, designed to query a database containing metadata about web information resources. The metadata database contains topics and relationships, called metalinks, about topics. Topics in the database contain associated importance scores. The topic selection operator TSelection selects, within time T, topics that satisfy a given selection formula and having output importance scores above a given threshold value or in the top-k. The selection formula contains expensive predicates, in the form of user-defined functions.
Resonant processing of instrumental sound controlled by spatial position

We present an acoustic musical instrument played through a resonance model of another sound. The resonance model is controlled in real time as part of the composite instrument. Our implementation uses an electric violin, whose spatial position modifies filter parameters of the resonance model. Simplicial interpolation defines the mapping from spatial position to filter parameters. With some effort, pitch tracking can also control the filter parameters. The individual technologies -- motion tracking, pitch tracking, resonance models -- are easily adapted to other instruments.
The Practical Effects of Delegation: Agencies and the Zoning of Public Lands and Seas

Legislative efforts to delegate zoning power to public land and ocean management agencies have generally proven unsuccessful. When given the power to create uniform-use areas such as parks and wilderness areas within their broader jurisdictions, agencies either have opted not to exercise it or have been extremely hesitant to do so. The tepid administrative response to zoning is not surprising. Zoning decisions are politically charged, are likely to offend powerful, concentrated interest groups, and erode the discretion that is the core of agency power. These aspects of zoning decisions explain why, by contrast, all states require that municipal zoning ordinances be approved by elected officials. Understanding the weaknesses of delegated zoning is important in the context of the many recent proposals to zone federal and state ocean waters. This Article argues that, based on past experiences and on political scientists' predictions, Congress and state legislatures should resist the temptation to delegate zoning responsibility to multiple-use agencies. There are more promising direct zoning options available, including a commission model similar to the one used in municipal zoning. In addition to informing ocean policy, the exploration of delegated zoning provides the opportunity to consider the practical problems with delegation, using a focused approach that seeks to identify the kinds of tasks with which agencies are particularly likely to struggle.
Median Absolute Deviation

The median deviation is a measure of scale based on the median of the absolute deviations from the median of the distribution. For a normal distribution, the median deviation is somewhat less efficient than the standard deviation or the average deviation as a measure of scale, but this advantage quickly reverses for distributions with heavier tails. Keywords: dispersion; efficiency; estimation; estimators; scale; variability
El marxismo en el ecuador

Introduccion Ecuador se ha dicho, sirve en muchas formas a manera de microcosmos de una amplia variedad de problemas, preguntas y asuntos relevantes para varios delos paises latinoamericanos. Consecuentemente, hay lecciones que aprender de su experiencia politica. El marxismo ecuatoriano ha existido por mas de medio siglo y, no obstante, ha registrado solo esporadicamente algun impacto sobre la politica nacional. Organizativamente ha estado plegado de disensiones internas, sus limitados recursos se estiran demasiado por la progresiva fragmentacion del movimiento.
WHAT DOES A DOMAIN ANALYSIS LOOK LIKE IN FORM, FUNCTION, AND GENRE?

Este artigo apresenta o que os teoricos tem descrito sobre analise de dominio. Analisa trabalhos sobre a analise de dominio, a partir de seus distintos atributos e argumentos. Reune os componentes e atributos relacionando-os as suas funcoes. Descreve uma suposta forma de analise de dominio ideal. Evidencia que enquanto o debate sobre a essencia e a forma do carater epistemico e ontologico da analise de dominio continuar, algumas pessoas a considerarao util para dar forma as suas ideias, por meio de uma forma particular que respeite a sua funcao. Se a nossa proposta for a de delinear e comunicar o que se esta analisando quando nos empenhamos na analise de dominio, entao se espera que esta pequena contribuicao seja util.
Complying across Continents: At the Intersection of Litigation Rights and Privacy Rights

This paper addresses the issues and challenges facing multinational corporations when they become involved in litigation that crosses international borders. The conflict of litigation discovery rights and individual privacy rights in different international jurisdictions can present a very challenging situation for litigants. This paper addresses the conflict inherent between litigation discovery rights versus individual privacy rights and how different nations deal with this conflict. The authors offer several pre-litigation recommendations for those corporations that anticipate the possibility of litigation involving parties in more than one international jurisdiction.
SiBIR: Signer-Base Intrusion-Resilient Signatures

We propose a new notion of signer-base intrusion-resilient (SiBIR) signatures, which generalizes and improves upon both forward-secure [And97, BM99] and key-insulated [DKXY02] signature schemes.Specifically, as in the prior notions, time is divided into predefined time periods (e.g., days); each signature includes the number of the time period in which it was generated; while the public key remains the same, the secret keys evolve with time. Also, as in key-insulated schemes, the user has two modules, signer and home base: the signer generates signatures on his own, and the base is needed only to help update the signer's key from one period to the next.The main strength of intrusion-resilient schemes, as opposed to prior notions, is that they remain secure even after arbitrarily many compromises of both modules, as long as the compromises are not simultaneous. Moreover, even if the intruder does compromise both modules simultaneously, she will still be unable to generate any signatures for the previous time periods.We provide an efficient intrusion-resilient signature scheme, provably secure in the random oracle model based on the strong RSA assumption. We also discuss how such schemes can eliminate the need for certificate revocation in the case of on-line authentication.
Towards an Automated Dental Identification System (ADIS)

This paper addresses the problem of developing an automated system for postmortem identification using dental records. The Automated Dental Identification System (ADIS) can be used by law enforcement agencies to locate missing persons using databases of dental x-rays. Currently, this search and identification process is carried out manually, which makes it very time-consuming and unreliable. In this paper, we propose architecture for ADIS, we define the functionality of its components, and we briefly describe some of the techniques used in realizing these components.