cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling gain dynamics of thulium-doped fiber amplifiers

The transient response of single-(14xx nm) and dual-(14xx + 1550 nm) wavelength-pumped thulium-doped fiber amplifiers is modeled. With an optimally chosen method for numerical integration of rate equations involving several energy levels, we can estimate the transient response and frequency dependent characteristics during add-drop transitions. Results correspond to the experimental data with good accuracy.
Modeling the USA-USSR arms race

A continuous time simulation model of the arms expenditures and arms stockpiles of the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US) from 1951 through 1978 is developed in this article. This model suggests that contemporary superpowers react primarily to comparisons between their weapons stockpiles and those of their perceived opponents, rather than to the military budgets of their perceived opponents. The parameters for this model - which is developed in a system of ordinary differen tial equations - have been estimated by coupling a nonlinear least squares minimization algorithm, NL2SOL, with the solu tion trajectories of the differential equation system. The predic tions of the model are quite close to the actual data series, with standard errors of the estimates for each individual equation being quite small. In contrast to some public opinion and con siderable scholarly research, the results provide strong confirma tion for the proposition that there is a current arms race between the US and the USS...
Nicotine and ethanol co-use in Long-Evans rats: Stimulatory effects of perinatal exposure to a fat-rich diet.

Clinical studies demonstrate frequent co-existence of nicotine and alcohol abuse and suggest that this may result, in part, from the ready access to and intake of fat-rich diets. Whereas animal studies show that high-fat diet intake in adults can enhance the consumption of either nicotine or ethanol and that maternal consumption of a fat-rich diet during pregnancy increases operant responding for nicotine in offspring, little is known about the impact of dietary fat on the co-abuse of these two drugs. The goal of this study was to test in Long-Evans rats the effects of perinatal exposure to fat on the co-use of nicotine and ethanol, using a novel paradigm that involves simultaneous intravenous (IV) self-administration of these two drugs. Fat- vs. chow-exposed offspring were characterized and compared, first in terms of their nicotine self-administration behavior, then in terms of their nicotine/ethanol self-administration behavior, and lastly in terms of their self-administration of ethanol in the absence of nicotine. The results demonstrate that maternal consumption of fat compared to low-fat chow during gestation and lactation significantly stimulates nicotine self-administration during fixed-ratio testing. It also increases nicotine/ethanol self-administration during fixed-ratio and dose-response testing, with BEC elevated to 120 mg/dL, and causes an increase in breakpoint during progressive ratio testing. Of particular note is the finding that rats perinatally exposed to fat self-administer significantly more of the nicotine/ethanol mixture as compared to nicotine alone, an effect not evident in the chow-control rats. After removal of nicotine from the nicotine/ethanol mixture, this difference between the fat- and chow-exposed rats was lost, with both groups failing to acquire the self-administration of ethanol alone. Together, these findings suggest that perinatal exposure to a fat-rich diet, in addition to stimulating self-administration of nicotine, causes an even greater vulnerability to the excessive co-use of nicotine and ethanol.
Tempo and constraint of adaptive evolution in Escherichia coli (Enterobacteriaceae, Enterobacteriales)

The utility of maintaining distinct macroevolutionary and microevolutionary theory has long been debated. Although population and quantitative genetics provide an extensive list of microevolutionary forces that might explain macroevolutionary trends, studies of these processes are temporally limited and may fail to fully explain macroevolutionary patterns. To understand the relationship between the macroevolutionary pattern and microevolutionary forces, we must first understand how different populations respond to a given novel environment over hundreds or even thousands of generations. This study details the tempo of fitness gain over 2000 generations in four replicate lineages from each of five different ancestral Escherichia coli clones. Adaptive tempo was measured in the evolved lineages and ancestry was a significant source of variation in that tempo. Microevolutionary theory suggests that adaptive tempo should be proportional to the distance from an optimum phenotype. Demographic fitness measures allowed estimation of the ancestral distance from an optimum in the present study. Ancestral distance from an optimum was significantly related to adaptive tempo but it did not account for all of the observed variation. This suggests the existence of both ancestor and clade specific constraints. Understanding the role of such constraints is critical to both microevolutionary and macroevolutionary theory. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 88, 403–411.
Current approaches to treatment for HIV-1 infection

The last 3 years have seen a dramatic fall in mortality and morbidity from HIV infection. Four factors have contributed to this: an improved understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV infection; the availability of tests that could measure plasma viral burden; the development of new and more powerful drugs such as the protease and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors; and the completion of large clinical endpoint trials that conclusively demonstrated that potent antiretroviral combinations significantly delayed the progression of HIV disease and improved survival. Typical antiretroviral regimen now consist of at least three agents: one or two protease inhibitors or a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor combined with two nucleoside analogs. The goal of therapy is to reduce measurable plasma viral burden to undetectable levels. Viral load testing has made it possible to individualize therapy and to more accurately determine the best time to initiate or change therapy, long before declining CD4 + counts would have given evidence of active viral replication. However, despite the impressive progress to date, there remain significant shortcomings with current treatment. Even with the most potent regimens available, there exists a proportion of patients (perhaps 20 ‐ 50% of treated individuals) who fail to have complete and durable virologic responses to therapy. The shortcomings of current regimens are particularly evident in patients with high plasma HIV-1 RNA levels, extensive prior treatment, and advanced disease. Complexity, short- and long-term toxicities, cross-resistance, and drug-drug interactions all complicate current regimens. Viral resistance is increasingly encountered in clinical practice and transmission of resistant virus is well-documented. In addition, there remain concerns about the ability of the virus to evade current therapies, whether in viral reservoirs in non-lymphoid compartments or in lymphoid tissue, such as resting memory T cells. Thus there remains a need for new therapies as well as new strategies using existing drugs. Journal of NeuroVirology (2000) 6, S8 ‐S 13.
Chemical composition, functional properties and microstructural characteristics of three kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) as affected by different cooking methods

Summary Chickpea is an important food legume and is a major ingredient in many human diets. Chemical composition, physical parameters, functional properties and microstructural characteristics of three kabuli chickpea cultivars and the effects of three cooking methods were investigated. Carbohydrate and protein were two major components in all seeds. Cooking increased fibre, total carbohydrate and total and resistant starch contents, but decreased ash content. Protein and oil levels of the cooked samples either decreased or did not change significantly. Seed weight and density decreased with cooking. Hydration and swelling capacities as well as water absorption and holding capacities of cooked chickpeas were higher than raw samples, with the largest increases in the pressure-cooked seeds. Seed weights were highly correlated with hydration (r = 0.89) and swelling (r = 0.76) rates. Emulsifying activity, emulsifying stability and foaming capacity of cooked chickpea flours decreased, while foaming stability increased. Chickpea flours had pronounced morphological changes after cooking.
The role of single-agent gemcitabine in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer

Gemcitabine is a novel antimetabolite which has shown anti-tumor activity against a variety of tumors including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Phase I clinical trials with gemcitabine revealed it was well tolerated and several phase II trials were conducted. This report will summarize the data from 15 phase I-II trials conducted in both untreated and treated patients with advanced lung cancer. Overall, single-agent gemcitabine was active with response rates in untreated patients ranging from 14%-33% and 0%-25% in previously treated patients. Grade 4 toxicities were infrequent with neutropenia reported in 2%-6% of patients and grade 4 thrombocytopenia was rate (1%). One randomized phase III trial comparing the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine to best supportive care confirmed the role of gemcitabine as an active agent for the treatment of NSCLC. Furthermore, gemcitabine was shown in several economic models to be cost-effective. In summary single agent gemcitabine is active, minimally toxic, and cost-effective as a treatment regimen for patients with advanced lung cancer. Studies combining gemcitabine with other active agents are underway and have reported promising results. As monotherapy, gemcitabine may make a valuable contribution to those patients with a poor performance status or comorbid diseases desiring treatment studies in this setting should also be considered.
Development of a Psychosine Assay to Identify Therapeutic Small Molecules for Krabbe Disease

Background: Leukodystrophies are a group of rare genetic diseases that affect myelin, the major constituent of brain and spinal cord white matter. An integrated description of the clinical, neuroimaging and pathophysiological features is crucial for categorizing myelin disorders. Purpose: To describe the clinical/biochemical evaluation of 60 patients with a white matter disorder. Method: All patients were evaluated in neurogenetics clinics. A full medical history was taken and the following were performed: neuroimaging studies (CT, MRI with spectroscopy), ophthalmologic and auditory evaluations, neurophysiologic studies (EEG, ERG, EMG/ NCV), hormone and biochemical tests, muscle biopsy with OXPHOS analysis, screening for IEMs (lysosomal studies; peroxisomal/sterol panels; cholestanol dosage; organic acids, sulfatides and aminoacid chromatography; analysis of GAG) and, when indicated, nerve/skin biopsy for EM studies, karyotype and molecular tests. Results: In forty patients it was possible to establish a diagnosis for the leukodystrophy. X-ALD, metachromatic leukodystrophy and Krabbe disease were the commonest inborn errors of metabolism implicated in the pathophysiological of the “metabolic leukodystrophies”. Infantile Refsum disease, Canavan disease, AMACR deficiency, Niemann-Pick type C were other rare IEMs diagnosed. It was worthy of note the fact that Vanishing White Matter disease was a leading cause of leukodystrophies in our patients (eight patients). Conclusion: Almost 50% of patients with white matter abnormalities remain without a specific diagnosis even after an exhaustive investigation. Therefore a specific protocol for investigation is crucial. Treatment options are becoming a reality for some disorders, so reaching a specific diagnosis is important so that patients can be offered appropriate therapeutics.
Effectiveness of a no-sex or safe-sex month in reducing HIV transmission

OBJECTIVE: To build a deterministic compartmental model for exploring the effects on the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) of a population abstaining from sex or practising only "safe" sex for one month each year. METHODS: A model of HIV transmission was built to simulate the effects of the intervention (i.e. an annual no-sex or safe-sex month in which no transmission occurred) in three countries, under several optimistic assumptions. The reduction in the modelled annual incidence of transmission that was attributable to this "test" intervention was compared with that seen with an alternative intervention. In the latter, monthly incidences of transmission were each reduced by one twelfth, so that, essentially, the month-long interruption was spread evenly across a full year. FINDINGS: Over the first modelled year, the test intervention averted only 2.5% (Kenya), 3.3% (South Africa) and 1.6% (Swaziland) more HIV infections than the alternative interruption. According to the model, if the test intervention were repeated each January, it would avert only 2% (Kenya), 2% (South Africa) and 1% (Swaziland) more HIV infections over 5 years than the alternative intervention. CONCLUSION: Although it did not appear markedly more effective than the alternative intervention, the test intervention may still be more feasible and therefore worthwhile. Before the test intervention can be recommended, the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of such an annual month-long break in HIV transmission need to be assessed and compared with those of other interventions that may reduce new HIV infections, such as circumcision and concurrency-reduction campaigns.
What Do We See in a Tilted Square? A Validation of the Figure Independence Scale

The Figure Independence Scale (FIS) assesses people's preference for abstract figures that represent uniqueness. As psychological manifestations of cultural values cohere among each other within a cultural system, the authors argue that preference for uniqueness, as a psychological manifestation of the value for independence, can be used as an indirect measure of this value. Four studies examine the convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of the FIS. The results indicate that liking for abstract, unique figures coheres with other specific manifestations of the value for independence (i.e., responses to explicit independence scale, need for personal control, liking for independence themes in advertisements, and use of social coping) and thus can be used as a measure of individuals' more global endorsement of this individualistic value.
Disposition of Charges, Out-of-Home Mental Health Treatment, and Juvenile Justice Recidivism

This study examined whether the disposition of juvenile justice encounters among youth with severe emotional disturbance was associated with the likelihood of recidivism. Court dispositions, such as probation and diversion, as well as Medicaid-funded out-of-home mental health treatment, were compared. Data sources included the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and Medicaid claims data. Youth receiving probation had the highest recidivism rates. Among youth in out-of-home treatment, those receiving treatment in foster care services had the lowest recidivism rates. Youth placed into a diversion program were less likely to be re-arrested for a felony, whereas youth receiving inpatient psychiatric services were less likely to be re-arrested for a misdemeanor. Mental health treatment may reduce the likelihood of youth continuing on increasing criminal trajectories.
Interpreting Annual Rainfall from the Levels of Lake Victoria

This paper presents a water balance model for Lake Victoria that can be inverted to estimate annual rainfall over the lake. The model is calibrated using a fixed value of evaporation and the regression expressions for inflow, discharge, and rainfall. Rainfall totals at stations in the catchment are used to estimate over-lake rainfall, applying a regression between catchment and over-lake rainfall derived from satellite data. The inflow regression is authenticated using a cross-validation technique applied to inflow estimates for the years 1956‐78, and the discharge regression is validated using discharge data for the years 1901‐55. The model is first written as an autoregression (AR) model form for the lake-level term. Model predictions of lake level are verified by comparing them with measured lake levels for the time period 1931‐94. In doing so, the model is initialized using the endof-year lake level for 1930 and then using only over-lake rainfall as external input. Predicted levels of the lake levels are compared to the measured levels, with a correlation of 0.98. This confirms that fluctuations of Lake Victoria are driven predominantly by rainfall. The model is then ‘‘inverted’’ so that the current year’s over-lake rainfall is expressed as a function of the two lake-level terms. If the beginning and ending lake levels in a year are known, the over-lake rainfall in the same year is easy to obtain. Applying the inverse model to the measured lake levels in 1899‐1994, over-lake annual rainfall in 1900‐94 is estimated. A comparison with over-lake rainfall for the period 1931‐94 gives a root-mean-square error of 98 mm yr21, corresponding to 6% of the over-lake annual mean rainfall. This model is also compared with the previous water balance model, which can be employed only for multiyear mean rainfall estimates. The two models complement each other, with the current model’s advantage being the ability to calculate annual rainfall. However, the previous model still provides better estimates of multiyear means.
The Complexity of Mental Disorders

Upon completition of human genome project, there has been a huge effort to identify genes that have been associated to mental disorders like schizophrenia or depression. However, these investigations still remain at theoretical level. Thus, psychiatry does not seem to benefit from postgenomic era as desired. This paper will briefly discuss the reasons for this bottleneck in terms of the complexity of mental disorders.
Control Strategies for a Laminar-Flow Compatible High-Lift Wing Configuration

Large-eddy simulations were carried out in order to explore flow control strategies for a high-lift wing section. The configuration consisted of a baseline laminar flow geometry, with smoothly deflected leading and trailing-edge flaps, that were are deployed at a 45 deg angle with respect to the undeflected state. In previous investigations of the NASA based design, continuous blowing from internal plenums was utilized to mitigate transition, increase attached flow, and enhance lift. While that approach was successful, it required a substantial amount of mass flow to improve performance. The current effort examines alternative control systems that may be more energy efficient. Solutions were obtained to the Navier-Stokes equations, at the experimental chord-based Reynolds number of 1.0×10 and Mach number of 0.14. The numerical method is based upon a high-fidelity scheme and an implicit time-marching approach. An overset mesh system was employed to represent blowing nozzles interior to the wing surface. Simulations considered two different angles of attack, and control consisting of pulsed blowing and the segmented arrangement of nozzles. Details of the computations are described, effectiveness of the control is quantified, and physical features of the computed flowfields are characterized. Comparisons are provided with baseline cases without control, and with continuous blowing situations, where experimental data is also available. It was found that pulsed blowing can reduce mass flow requirements by more then 30% with minimal loss of lift. For segmented blowing, mass flow was reduced by over 50%, however control was found to be largely ineffective.
The Fourteenth Amendment and symbolic legality: Let them eat due process.

This article examines several key tensions in thesymbolic legality or social representation of our society's core legal values. It argues that present Fourteenth Amendment jurisprudence ignores the realities of contemporary social life and serves up ineffective due process protections as poor substitutes for genuine or meaningful equal protection remedies. By documenting the importance situation and context and verifying the limits of due process, social science data underscore the rift between social reality and equal protection rhetoric and thereby increase existing tensions in the symbolic legality.
Field Effect Transistor Structure Based on Strain Induced Polarization Charges

We suggest a new field effect transistor based on strain-induced polarization charges. The structure utilizes the pseudomorphic growth of a strained barrier layer on a substrate oriented in a polar direction such as [111] or [211]. Polarization charges in the barrier layer are generated by the piezoelectric effect. A two-dimensional (2-D) electron gas, whose density can be modulated by an external bias, forms at the hetero-interface and it screens the polarization charge. Zero bias densities of several 10 11 e/cm 2 and threshold voltages of 0.5 V can be achieved. Both normally-on and normally-off structures are possible.
Radar target identification using probabilistic classification vector machines

Radar target identification using probabilistic vector machines is investigated and tested using real radar data collected in a compact range for commercial aircraft models. Unlike relevance vector machines (RVM) that utilize zero-mean Gaussian prior for every weight for both negative and positive classes and are thus vulnerable to questionable (deceptive) vectors, probabilistic vector machines [2], alternatively, use nonnegative priors for the positive class and vice versa. This paper compares the performance of these machines with other target identification tools, and highlights scenarios where classification via a probabilistic vector machine is more plausible. The problem addressed in this paper is a M-ary target classification problem and is implemented as a set of pairwise comparisons between all competing hypotheses.
Enzyme immunoassay in the detection of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for C. perfringens enterotoxin detection was evaluated using purified enterotoxin preparations, supernatant fluids of sporulating C. perfringens cultures and other Clostridium species. The assay was found satisfactorily sensitive and specific to detect C. perfringens enterotoxin.
Game On! Experiential Learning With Tabletop Games

Abstract A 2014 IMLS Sparks! Ignition Grant through the US Institute of Museum and Library Services funded the creation of a library-based Center for Games & Learning at MidAmerica Nazarene University. The Center provides consulting services for the campus community and serves as a resource for faculty who desire to use gaming pedagogy in their courses. The authors, who codirect the Center, provide recommendations for supporting games as experiential learning tools both in and out of the classroom. Outside the classroom, the authors built a game collection, facilitated tabletop game nights, hosted a conference on games and learning, and worked to incorporate games as an experience for students to engage throughout their college career. The authors share both their successes and failures in launching a library-based Center for Games & Learning. They also provide recommendations for implementation of tabletop games in the academic library.
Ocean Heat Uptake and Interbasin Transport of the Passive and Redistributive Components of Surface Heating

AbstractGlobal warming induces ocean circulation changes that not only can redistribute ocean reservoir temperature stratification but also change the total heat content anomaly of the ocean. Here all consequences of this process are referred to collectively as “redistribution.” Previous model studies of redistributive effects could not measure the net global contribution to the amount of ocean heat uptake by redistribution. In this study, a global ocean model experiment with abrupt increase in surface temperature is conducted with a new passive tracer formulation. This separates ocean heat uptake into contributions due to redistribution temperature and surface heat flux anomalies and those due to the passive advection and mixing of surface heat flux anomalies forced in the atmosphere. For a decline in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation of about 40%, redistribution nearly doubles the Atlantic passive anomalous surface heat input and depth penetration of temperature anomalies. However, smaller...
Kinetic-energy-momentum tensor in electrodynamics

We show that the Einstein-Laub formulation of electrodynamics is invalid since it yields a stress-energy-momentum (SEM) tensor that is not frame invariant. Two leading hypotheses for the kinetic formulation of electrodynamics (Chu and Einstein-Laub) are studied by use of the relativistic principle of virtual power, mathematical modeling, Lagrangian methods, and SEM transformations. The relativistic principle of virtual power is used to demonstrate the field dynamics associated with energy relations within a relativistic framework. Lorentz transformations of the respective SEM tensors demonstrate the relativistic frameworks for each studied formulation. Mathematical modeling of stationary and moving media is used to illustrate the differences and discrepancies of specific proposed kinetic formulations, where energy relations and conservation theorems are employed. Lagrangian methods are utilized to derive the field kinetic Maxwell's equations, which are studied with respect to SEM tensor transforms. Within each analysis, the Einstein-Laub formulation violates special relativity, which invalidates the Einstein-Laub SEM tensor.
Health Information Mailed on Request

ABSTRACT Mayo Clinic Rochester has a comprehensive Patient Education Center. Upon request, the Center mails health information to patients and families. A retrospective study was conducted to investigate who was requesting the information, the perceived value of this service, and the willingness of consumers to pay for the mailings. The study also investigated whether the mailed information had an impact on requestor knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Staff related costs for mailing packets were estimated. Two hundred sixty questionnaires were mailed; one hundred thirty were returned. Information requestors were predominantly female, over 40, college educated and from out-of-state. Information increased knowledge, facilitated decision-making, and decreased anxiety in a majority of patients. Results prompted changes in staffing and content of mailings. Benefits of offering free mailings on request continue to outweigh staffing costs.
Postremus: para una teoría de los finales

Based on Ricardo Piglia’s “Nuevas tesis sobre el cuento” and his theorizng about endings in literatura, this study reviews several endings of novels and short stories (Tolstoi, Kafka, Quiroga, Chekhov, Sinclair, Pacheco,Borges, Tizon, Bolano) in order to explore the philosophy of composition and answer the question: what does it mean to finish a story?
Exploiting Spatial Sparsity in Vibration-based Damage Detection

One of the main limitations traditionally encountered in vibration-based structural health monitoring (SHM) is detecting, localizing and quantifying localized damage using global response measurements. This paper presents an impulse response sensitivity approach enhanced with a LASSO regularization in order to detect spatially sparse (localized) damage. The analytical expression for impulse response sensitivity was derived using Vetter calculus. The proposed algorithm exploits the fact that when damage is sparse, an l1-norm regularization is more suitable than the more common least squares (l2-norm) minimization. The proposed methodology is successfully applied in the context of a simulated non-uniform shear cantilever beam with noise-contaminated input–output measurements.
Setting up and Managing Automatic Weather Stations for Remote Sites Monitoring: From Niger to Nepal

Surface weather observations are widely expanding for multiple reasons: availability of new technologies, enhanced data transmission features, transition from manual to automatic equipment, early warning for critical climate risks. One of the main objective is to rehabilitate/increase the density of existing network, by providing data from new sites and from sites that are difficult to access and inhospitable. Despite the increasing number of AWS’s deployed, many remote sites are still not covered by surface observations. The goal is to improve AWS network planning, especially in regions where the scarcity of local trained personnel and funding availability to manage the instrumentation are relevant issues. Some consultancies performed in the past aimed to support, remotely and/or locally, National weather services, Public agencies, Local authorities and International organizations in defining and evaluating AWS’s siting and selection. The efficacy of the results mainly depends on the accurate choice of the sites of installation (network plan), on the correct selection and description of instrumentation type to prepare the international tenders, on the training process to improve the AWS’s management efficiency. The present chapter would discuss some of the main issues arisen from the experience gained during the institutional activities and consultancies in international projects.
Cognitive Behavior Modification: Real Science or More Mentalism?

The contention is made that cognitive behavior modification (CBM) loses or may lose the allegiance of or the attention of some radical behavioristic researchers. It is suggested that awareness of one of the major behavioral objections to traditional approaches to explaining behavior, mentalism, may aid in reducing the likelihood of such a loss. In order to achieve this awareness, mentalistic explanations are described and exemplified. In addition, the importance of the radical behavioral approach for community psychology is outlined.
Lattice Boltzmann simulation of CO 2 transport in kerogen nanopores—An evaluation of CO 2 sequestration in organic-rich shales

Organic-rich shale resources remain an important source of hydrocarbons considering their substantial contribution to crude oil and natural gas production around the world. Moreover, as part of mitigating the greenhouse gas effects due to the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, organic-rich shales are considered a possible alternate geologic storage. This is due to the adsorptive properties of organic kerogen and clay minerals within the shale matrix. Therefore, this research looks at evaluating the sequestration potential of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas in kerogen nanopores with the use of the lattice Boltzmann method under varying experimental pressures and different pore sizes. Gas flow in micro/nano pores differ in hydrodynamics due to the dominant pore wall effects, as the mean free path (λ) of the gas molecules become comparable to the characteristic length (H) of the pores. In so doing, the traditional computational methods break down beyond the continuum region, and the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is employed. The lattice Boltzmann method is a mesoscopic numerical method for fluid system, where a unit of gas particles is assigned a discrete distribution function (f). The particles stream along defined lattice links and collide locally at the lattice sites to conserve mass and momentum. The effects of gas-wall collisions (Knudsen layer effects) is incorporated into the LBM through an effective-relaxation-time model, and the discontinuous velocity at the pore walls is resolved with a slip boundary condition. Above all, the time lag (slip effect) created by CO2 gas molecules due to adsorption and desorption over a time period, and the surface diffusion as a result of the adsorption-gradient are captured by an adsorption isotherm and included in our LBM. Implementing the Langmuir adsorption isotherm at the pore walls for both CO2 gas revealed the underlying flow mechanism for CO2 gas in a typical kerogen nano-pore is dominated by the slip flow regime. Increasing the equilibrium pressure, increases the mass flux due to adsorption. On the other hand, an increase in the nano-pore size caused further increase in the mass flux due to free gas and that due to adsorbed gas. Thus, in the kerogen nano-pores, CO2 gas molecules are more adsorptive indicating a possible multi-layer adsorption. Therefore, this study not only provides a clear understanding of the underlying flow mechanism of CO2 in kerogen nano-pores, but also provides a potential alternative means to mitigate the greenhouse gas effect (GHG) by sequestering CO2 in organic-rich shales.
Studying Stereotype Accuracy from an Integrative Social-Personality Perspective

This article proposes an integrative framework for understanding the accuracy and inaccuracy of stereotypes. Specifically, we highlight research issues and traditions from social and personality psychology that do not often intersect, but which can be mutually informative. Within this framework, the social psychologist's interest in the accuracy of group stereotypes is conceptually much like a personality psychologist's interest in the accuracy with which perceivers can identify types of individuals, for example extraverts. Both fields make use, implicitly or explicitly, of personal attributes and behaviors (cues) in assessing accuracy of beliefs about group or individual traits. By using Brunswik's lens model perspective in combination with concepts from signal detection theory, judgments of stereotypes can be discovered to be accurate or inaccurate depending on how perceivers judge or use the cues. In drawing on research traditions and theoretical frameworks from both social and personality psychology, researchers can go beyond an all-or-nothing stance regarding stereotype accuracy to achieve a more nuanced understanding of when, how, and to what extent stereotypes are accurate.
Brief for American Medical Association, American Society of Human Genetics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Embryology, and the Medical Society of the State of New York as Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiffs-Appellees and Arguing for Affirmance, Association for Molecular Pathology v. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 689 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (No. 2010–1406).

This is the brief for the AMA and other medical associations in the Federal Circuit authored by Lori Andrews and Josh Sarnoff. It addresses the ineligibility for patents of isolated discovered and claimed DNA sequences and cDNA, and the adverse consequences of granting such patents.
Lung cancer risk perception biases.

Abstract This paper provides new evidence on biased perceptions about the risks of smoking. It studies predictors of lung cancer risk perceptions. Lung cancer is one of the deadliest and most aggressive cancer types with 5-year survival rates of only up to 15%. A cross-sectional online survey in Berlin assessed lung cancer risk perceptions among smokers (n = 664), never smokers (n = 703), and former smokers (n = 501) in 2013. In addition to lung cancer risk perceptions, the survey measured many respondent characteristics, such as intention to quit smoking and a self-assessment of the likelihood of success in quitting. The findings show that 80% of all respondents overestimated lung cancer survival rates and suggest significant room for public health campaigns to educate smokers and nonsmokers about the deadliness of lung cancer. Multivariate linear regressions show that smokers who do not plan to quit estimate the 5-Year Lung Cancer Survival Rate to be 11% (p = 0.044) higher than other smokers. A reduction in risk perception biases may induce some smokers to alter their quitting intentions and others to successfully quit.
A novel mouse model of intervertebral disc degeneration shows altered cell fate and matrix homeostasis.

Abstract Intervertebral disc degeneration and associated low back and neck pain is a ubiquitous health condition that affects millions of people world-wide, and causes high incidence of disability and enormous medical/societal costs. However, lack of appropriate small animal models with spontaneous disease onset has impeded our ability to understand the pathogenetic mechanisms that characterize and drive the degenerative process. We report, for the first time, early onset spontaneous disc degeneration in SM/J mice known for their poor regenerative capacities compared to “super-healer” LG/J mice. In SM/J mice, degenerative process was marked by decreased nucleus pulposus (NP) cellularity and changes in matrix composition at P7, 4, and 8 weeks with increased severity by 17 weeks. Distinctions between NP and annulus fibrosus (AF) or endplate cartilage were lost, and NP and AF of SM/J mice showed higher histological grades. There was increased NP cell death in SM/J mice with decreased phenotypic marker expression. Polarized microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy demonstrated replacement of glycosaminoglycan-rich NP matrix with collagenous fibrous tissue. The levels of ARGxx were increased in, indicating higher aggrecan turnover. Furthermore, an aberrant expression of collagen X and MMP13 was observed in the NP of SM/J mice, along with elevated expression of Col10a1, Ctgf, and Runx2, markers of chondrocyte hypertrophy. Likewise, expression of Enpp1 as well as Alpl was higher, suggesting NP cells of SM/J mice promote dystrophic mineralization. There was also a decrease in several pathways necessary for NP cell survival and function including Wnt and VEGF signaling. Importantly, SM/J discs were stiffer, had decreased height, and poor vertebral bone quality, suggesting compromised motion segment mechanical functionality. Taken together, our results clearly demonstrate that SM/J mouse strain recapitulates many salient features of human disc degeneration, and serves as a novel small animal model.
Directed Evolution of Artificial Metalloenzymes: Bridging Synthetic Chemistry and Biology

Directed evolution is a powerful algorithm for engineering proteins to have novel and useful properties. However, we do not yet fully understand the characteristics of an evolvable system. In this chapter, we present examples where directed evolution has been used to enhance the performance of metalloenzymes, focusing first on “classical” cases such as improving enzyme stability or expanding the scope of natural reactivity. We then discuss how directed evolution has been extended to artificial systems, in which a metalloprotein catalyzes reactions using abiological reagents or in which the protein utilizes a nonnatural cofactor for catalysis. These examples demonstrate that directed evolution can also be applied to artificial systems to improve catalytic properties, such as activity and enantioselectivity, and to favor a different product than that favored by small‐molecule catalysts. Future work will help define the extent to which artificial metalloenzymes can be altered and optimized by directed evolution and the best approaches for doing so.
Stability and Convergence Analysis of a Decentralized Proportional-Integral Control Strategy for Collective Transport

In this paper, we study the stability and convergence properties of a decentralized proportional-integral velocity controller for collective transport by a team of point-mass robots that are rigidly attached to a payload. The controller only requires robots' velocity measurements, and the only information provided to the robots is the target speed and direction of transport. We prove that the closed-loop system with proportional control alone is exponentially stable, and we derive the system's rate of convergence to the desired transport velocity. We analyze the parameters that affect this convergence rate and characterize its dependence on the robots' distribution around the payload. We add an integral controller to the proportional controller to compensate for any drift from the desired transport path and prove asymptotic stability in this case. We validate our analytical results for the proportional controller through simulations with three different robot distributions around the payload. These simulations demonstrate that the robots' distribution has the predicted effect on the convergence rate, which influences the load's rotation and drift from the desired path during the transient phase of transport. We also confirm through simulation that the proportional-integral controller drives this drift to zero while achieving the desired transport velocity.
Seasonal to interannual predictability of oceanic net primary production inferred from satellite observations

Abstract Seasonal to interannual predictions of ecosystem dynamics have the potential to improve the management of living marine resources. Prediction of oceanic net primary production (NPP), the foundation of marine food webs and the biological carbon pump, is particularly promising, with recent analysis suggesting that ecosystem feedback processes may lead to higher predictability of NPP at interannual scales than for physical variables like sea surface temperature (SST). Here, we assessed the potential predictability of oceanic NPP and SST across seasonal to interannual lead times using reduced dimension, linear dynamical spatio-temporal models (rDSTM). This approach combines empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis with vector autoregressive (VAR) modeling to simplify the analysis of spatio-temporal data. The rDSTMs were fitted to monthly NPP and SST anomalies derived from 20 years of remote sensing data (1997–2017), considering two alternative algorithms commonly used to estimate NPP (VGPM and Eppley-VGPM) and optimally analyzed SST fields (AVHRR OISST). The local decay of anomalies provided high predictability up to three months, and subsequent interactions with remote forcing significantly extended predictability beyond the initial anomaly decay. Indeed, interactions among spatial modes associated with the propagation of major climate modes, particularly the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), extended the predictability horizon above one year in some regions. Patterns of enhanced NPP predictability matched the location of oligotrophic gyres and transition regions between ocean biomes, where fluctuations in biome boundaries generate large biogeochemical perturbations that leave lasting imprints on NPP. In these areas, the predictability horizon for NPP was longer than for SST, although SST was more predictable over large areas of the equatorial and northeast Pacific. Our results support the potential for extending seasonal to interannual physical climate predictions to predict ocean productivity.
Realtime Water Depth Logger Data as Input to PCSWMM to Estimate Tree Filter Performance

In this study, water depth measurements were collected in storm water infrastructure during rain events using a pressure based water level sensor. Irregulariti…
Specific Forms of Passionate Attachment Differentially Mediate Relationships Between Pornography Use and Sexual Compulsivity in Young Adult Men

AbstractThe current study examined potential roles for two types of “passionate attachment” in mediating the relationship between pornography use and sexual compulsivity. Harmonious passion (HP) oc...
Anchoring, Confirmatory Search, and the Construction of Values.

Anchoring is a pervasive judgment bias in which decision makers are systematically influenced by random or uninformative starting points. While anchors have been shown to affect a broad range of judgments including answers to knowledge questions, monetary evaluations, and social judgments, little is known about the underlying causes of anchoring. We suggest that anchors affect judgments by increasing the availability and construction of features that the anchor and target hold in common and reducing the availability of features of the target that differ from the anchor. We develop this Confirmatory Search mechanism of anchoring and contrast it with two alternative mechanisms: Averaging and Dynamic Adjustment. To isolate the causes of anchoring, we present six experiments that examine the effects of several experimental manipulations on judgments of value and belief as well as several measures of cognitive processes. Four facts about the anchoring bias were established. First, prompting subjects to consider features of the item that were different from the anchor reduced anchoring, while increasing consideration of similar features had no effect. Second, subjects’ judgments were a linear function of anchor value. Third, items of uncertain value demonstrated a larger anchoring bias than did items of more certain value. Finally , anchoring was unaffected by financial incentives and perceived informativeness of the anchor. We close by showing that a Confirmatory Search approach both provides a mechanism for debiasing anchoring, and unites anchoring with a number of other judgment phenomena.
Stochastic Data-driven Hardware Resilience to Efficiently Train Inference Models for Stochastic Hardware Implementations

Machine-learning algorithms are being employed in an increasing range of applications, spanning high-performance and energy-constrained platforms. It has been noted that the statistical nature of the algorithms can open up new opportunities for throughput and energy efficiency, by moving hardware into design regimes not limited to deterministic models of computation. This work aims to enable high accuracy in machine-learning inference systems, where computations are substantially affected by hardware variability. Previous work has overcome this by training inference model parameters for a particular instance of variation-affected hardware. Here, training is instead performed for the distribution of variation-affected hardware, eliminating the need for instance-by-instance training. The approach is referred to as Stochastic Data-Driven Hardware Resilience (S-DDHR), and it is demonstrated for an in-memory-computing architecture based on magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM). S-DDHR successfully address different samples of stochastic hardware, which would otherwise suffer degraded performance due to hardware variability.
A rapidly fatal case of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis due to acute brain edema and herniation

Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (NMDARE) was described in 2005 as a syndrome of acute psychosis followed by progressive encephalopathy. Later, it was found to be a paraneoplastic process occurring in young women with teratomas.1 Today, it is recognized as one of the most common nonviral causes of encephalitis overall. In children, the disorder is less commonly associated with malignancy,2 and presents with personality changes, behavioral problems, seizures, dyskinesia, and speech problems.2,3 The condition is often treatment-responsive; however, it can infrequently progress to death after weeks or months despite treatment.4 Mortality is generally lower in children5 and we are not aware of a report of NMDARE that progressed to death within a few days.
Classification and Histologic Grading of Urothelial Neoplasms by the WHO 2004 (ISUP 1998) Criteria

Numerous histologic grading or classification systems have been applied to urothelial neoplasms, but the World Health Organization (WHO) 2004/International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) system is now widely accepted by pathologists and by both the American Urological Association and the American Joint Committee on Cancer. This chapter addresses the current WHO/ISUP histologic criteria for the grading/classification of both papillary urothelial neoplasia and flat urothelial lesions with atypia.