cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sports, Doping, and the Regulatory "Tipping Point"

This Essay seeks to explore whether there is a regulatory tipping point for sports—the point at which the government will take action to address a perceived problem in sports—and if so, what the circumstances are that generate such a moment. Such an issue is particularly important now. Troubling stories about athletes’ health and well-being and the consequences of our most beloved games are nothing new. Reports of the effects of sports concussions, exploitation of college athletes, and other examples of the harms wrought by the “win at all costs” mentality dominate sports headlines and prompt calls for meaningful change. Many have lost faith in sports regulators to take the necessary steps. This begs the question of whether the government will take action to address these issues. That is, will the steady drum beat of examples, many of which have been presented in detail to Congress, lead to a public policy tipping point that prompts government intervention? For these or other important sports issues, will the government step in and take meaningful action to rein in the so-called excesses of sport? In general, the answer is no. Using the example of doping in sports, this Essay explains that it takes more than shocking media reports and allegations of harm to athletes. Instead, as the anti-doping example illustrates, what makes the difference and brings us to the intervention tipping point is harm to the games themselves. In such a circumstance, the government has found a motivation to act and has proven well equipped to check the abuses in sports. In this way, the fight against doping in sports provides important insight into possible future sports reforms. *Associate Professor of Law and Director, Center for Sport and the Law, University of Baltimore School of Law. KOLLER ESSAY (DO NOT DELETE) 12/16/2015 2:08 PM 182 MARQUETTE SPORTS LAW REVIEW [Vol. 26:1
Distorted Reflections of Battered Women Who Kill: A Response to Professor Dressler

In Battered Women and Sleeping Abusers: Some Reflections, Professor Joshua Dressler criticizes the application of self-defense to battered women who kill their abusers under nonconfrontational circumstances, such as when the abuser is asleep. Professor Dressler is critical of using evidence that the defendant suffered from Battered Woman Syndrome to establish the requisite self-defense elements, which historically have applied in confrontational contexts. According to Professor Dressler's critique, we have far too easily accepted the proposition that the battered woman's actions are morally justifiable, and have been far too willing to stretch the limits of the doctrine to accomplish this end. In response, this article argues that the moral risks supposedly presented by battered women who kill in nonconfrontational circumstances are, instead, dangers inherent in the doctrine of self-defense - and it is both incorrect and unfair to hold battered women to a higher standard than the doctrine itself requires.
Development and evaluation of a service-learning model for preclinical student education in cardiovascular disease prevention.

Background Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the USA. Medical schools must prepare trainees to address prevention, including improving ability in counseling patients to modify lifestyle risk factors. Most medical students do not receive significant training or clinical experience in preventive medicine until the clinical years of medical school. To enhance student education in disease prevention and lifestyle counseling, and simultaneously target cardiovascular disease prevention in high-risk Chicago neighborhoods, the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Chicago Department of Public Health with support from the GE Foundation, developed the Keep Your Heart Healthy program.
Ideal Molecular Conformation versus Crystal Site Symmetry

The X-ray structures of hydrocarbons that crystallize on special positions, and thus possess one or more crystallographic symmetry elements, were compared to DFT-calculated structures of the same hydrocarbons in the gas phase. Of the roughly 400 structures examined, at least 9% crystallize with a site symmetry that is not a subgroup of the symmetry of the ideal, lowest-energy, gas-phase structure. Thus, the crystal conformations of these molecules are very different from their ground-state conformations in the absence of packing forces, not merely modest distortions of their ideal structures. Most of the anomalous structures in our sample are higher-energy, inversion-symmetric conformations of molecules that possess chiral or polar ground-state conformations, suggesting that the well-known propensity of crystals to form with centers of inversion frequently leads molecules to adopt anomalous conformations in the solid state.
Numerical Solutions of Mixed Mode Dynamic Fracture in Concrete using Element-Free Galerkin Methods

The numerical computation of dynamic crack growth is a challenging problem which is of importance to the prediction of ultimate capacities and failure of structures. However, while substantial success has been achieved in modeling rectilinear crack growth by finite elements [1, 2], the solution of problems with arbitrary crack growth has proven very difficult. We have recently demonstrated that the element-free Galerkin method is well suited to the problem of modeling or simulating arbitrary dynamic crack propagation in two dimensions [3, 4].
Fibre access networks

This chapter sets the scene for a mass-market product by focusing on fibre access technology choices that influence cost and/or service capability. Demand for bandwidth is the key driver for fibre in the access network. Fibre has served the large bandwidth needs of long-haul networks for 20 years. Businesses or buildings, which can concentrate many users' traffic onto a fibre, have also been directly connected. The fibre access systems used have much in common with core transmission techniques such as PDH or SDH and are configured as point-to-point or ring networks. Corporate access customers have traffic concentrations, security and reliability requirements similar to core networks. The big challenge is to solve the problem of the mass-market with the ultimate goal of fibre to the home (FTTH). Green field (new-build) is a key problem area, which gives a focus to the problem of FTTH.
Driving big data with big compute

Big Data (as embodied by Hadoop clusters) and Big Compute (as embodied by MPI clusters) provide unique capabilities for storing and processing large volumes of data. Hadoop clusters make distributed computing readily accessible to the Java community and MPI clusters provide high parallel efficiency for compute intensive workloads. Bringing the big data and big compute communities together is an active area of research. The LLGrid team has developed and deployed a number of technologies that aim to provide the best of both worlds. LLGrid MapReduce allows the map/reduce parallel programming model to be used quickly and efficiently in any language on any compute cluster. D4M (Dynamic Distributed Dimensional Data Model) provided a high level distributed arrays interface to the Apache Accumulo database. The accessibility of these technologies is assessed by measuring the effort to use these tools and is typically a few lines of code. The performance is assessed by measuring the insert rate into the Accumulo database. Using these tools a database insert rate of 4M inserts/second has been achieved on an 8 node cluster.
The U.S. cellulosic biofuels industry: Expert views on commercialization drivers and barriers

Abstract The continued growth of U.S. first generation biofuels, mostly corn-grain ethanol, is facing increased pressure from the “food-vs.-fuel” and ethanol “blend wall” debates. Second generation (cellulosic) biofuels avoid the uncertainties about impact on food security and land competition, but have yet to become widely commercialized. No previous studies were found quantifying the relative importance of factors driving or constraining the commercialization of the U.S. cellulosic biofuels industry. Respondents to this study's online and paper-based surveys, administered between July and November, 2015, included 228 experts throughout the biorefinery supply chain from seven USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAPs) and two industrial conferences. Government policies were rated as the most important driver for the commercialization of cellulosic biofuels. The second most importance driver was added value from non-fuel co-products, followed by carbon emission reduction and volatile oil prices. High production costs, policy uncertainty, and competition vs. petro-fuels were identified as the top three barriers to the commercialization of cellulosic biofuels. This paper also identified significant differences in the rating of drivers and barriers among four self-described expert groups (Feedstock, Processing, Economic/Business, and Sustainability), thus underscoring the importance of examining issues from multiple perspectives and highlighting the value of the USDA NIFA CAPs. Finally, participants were significantly more optimistic about the success of the integrated production of both cellulosic biofuels and biochemicals by the year 2020 vs. cellulosic biofuels alone (at the p = 0.001 level), underscoring the perceived advantages of the integrated biorefinery model.
Examining the role of unmeasured confounding in mediation analysis with genetic and genomic applications.

In mediation analysis if unmeasured confounding is present, the estimates for the direct and mediated effects may be over or under estimated. Most methods for the sensitivity analysis of unmeasured confounding in mediation have focused on the mediator-outcome relationship. The Umediation R package enables the user to simulate unmeasured confounding of the exposure-mediator, exposure-outcome, and mediator-outcome relationships in order to see how the results of the mediation analysis would change in the presence of unmeasured confounding. We apply the Umediation package to the Genetic Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPDGene) study to examine the role of unmeasured confounding due to population stratification on the effect of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the CHRNA5/3/B4 locus on pulmonary function decline as mediated by cigarette smoking. Umediation is a flexible R package that examines the role of unmeasured confounding in mediation analysis allowing for normally distributed or Bernoulli distributed exposures, outcomes, mediators, measured confounders, and unmeasured confounders. Umediation also accommodates multiple measured confounders, multiple unmeasured confounders, and allows for a mediator-exposure interaction on the outcome. Umediation is available as an R package at https://github.com/SharonLutz/Umediation A tutorial on how to install and use the Umediation package is available in the Additional file 1.
Experimental study of the acoustoelastic effect on the sensitivity of surface acoustic wave sensors

This paper reports, for the first time, the sensitivity deterioration phenomenon of surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors for distortion, load, or pressure monitoring. Assuming that the acoustoelastic effect causes this phenomenon and that the effect can be characterized with two coefficients for stress components parallel and perpendicular to SAW propagation direction, we developed a method to quantify these coefficients. We found that the coefficient for the stress parallel to the propagation direction causes sensitivity deterioration for Sc doped AlN (ScAlN) film on 6H-silicon carbide (6H-SiC) substrate structures. This result also indicates the possibility of effectively improving the sensitivity by taking advantage of the effect.
Family language policy and maintenance of Persian: the stories of Iranian immigrant families in the northeast, USA

The purpose of this study is to describe family language practices, beliefs, and management approaches in relation to maintenance of Persian in a group of second-generation Iranian immigrant children in different parts of the Northeast United States. The study focuses on this group of Persian-speaking Iranian families to better understand family language policy and its impacts on dual language development of children in areas where the heritage community is more dispersed. The findings show that development of Persian in children of the participating Iranian families was dependent on a variety of factors including but not limited to family language policy. A complex web of connections between family language policy and several sociopolitical factors of the wider society was at work in shaping the language profiles of these families.
Ernesto (Che) Guevara: The Last “Heroic” Guerrilla

ABSTRACTWe take the opportunity presented by the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Che Guevara to reexamine his life and revolutionary program and the legacy he left behind. Attention is given to the formative influences that led to his introduction to Fidel Castro and his involvement in the Cuban revolution. We take a close look at the stylized theory of revolution that emerged from this experience, his reflective writings on the subject, and his subsequent attempts to generalize and apply his revolutionary model in the Congo and Bolivia. This model is critically interpreted and evaluated through the lense of his eleven month Bolivian campaign. We conclude by examining the ‘paradox’ of Che Guevara. He was a failed guerrilla who remains an iconic symbol of the revolutionary Left. He was an authentic true believer who dreamed that it might be possible to one day forge a utopian society of ‘new men’ and yet, fifty years after his death, his revolutionary project is farther away from being realized than e...
Resolving Lingering Problems or Continued Support for Pseudoscience? The ICER Value Assessment Update

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) released its updated value assessment framework in mid-2017. This included refinements to its conceptual structure and modifications to methods of collecting and assessing evidence. Consequent to this release, a number of authors have commented on the updated value framework, addressing the question of whether the latest framework represents a major revision or merely attempts to resolve lingering problems. The purpose of this commentary is twofold: (i) to revisit what are considered to be fundamental flaws in the ICER value assessment framework and (ii) to question whether or not post-release critiques of the value framework address the fundamental weaknesses in the ICER approach: the absence of credible, evaluable and replicable claims for the benefits and harms of a therapy intervention. The commentary argues that while ICER sees the purpose of its value assessment framework as forming ‘the backbone of rigorous, transparent evidence reports’ in placing ‘scientific methods of evidence analysis at the heart of a clearer and more transparent process’ it falls far short of these ideals. Rather, in attempting to replicate in the US health care environment the evaluation framework mandated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK, the ICER falls into the trap of generating value claims for product impact that fail to meet the standards of normal science. Type: Commentary
Good wells make better stimulation candidates: An evidence-based analysis

Abstract Effective candidate selection is an important consideration in planning successful stimulation campaigns. Identifying “high potential” wells—those that would provide the largest incremental production—has been the subject of several studies, some of which have suggested that stimulation of better producers is a good practice to maximize stimulation benefits. An evidence-based investigation of this idea is lacking and is the subject of this study. This paper hypothesizes that a positive correlation exists between a well's oil production performance and its stimulation incremental oil production. We tested this hypothesis by investigating three independent methods: (1) analysis of aggregate results of case studies in the literature, (2) analysis of production and workover data from four mature Permian Basin San Andres leases, and (3) analysis of the simulation results from a tuned reservoir model. The results confirmed the existence and statistical significance of a positive correlation between pre-stimulation oil rate and stimulation incremental oil production. In our field-scale reservoir simulation model, we used pre-stimulation oil rate to rank stimulation candidates, which identified more than 80% of the top candidates. We recommend prioritizing wells that exhibit high oil production for stimulation in order to statistically increase the likelihood of maximized workover benefits.
CFD Simulation and Optical Engine Diagnostics of Mixture Formation Processes in DI Gasoline Engine with Flexible Valvetrain

The interactions of multi-hole direct injection (DI) gasoline sprays with the charge motion are investigated using computational fluid dynamics simulation and high-speed imaging of sprays inside engines. Advanced flexible valve-train, with valve-deactivation and variable valve-lift, produces very dynamic charge flow motions, with varying tumble and swirl ratios. The resultant turbulent flow interact with off-axis multiple-hole DI injections, has important implications for the engine mixing and resultant combustion performance. The effects of injection timing on the bulk flow motion and fuel–air mixing in an optical accessible engine, in terms of tumble and swirl ratios, turbulence, and fuel wall film behaviors are first discussed for the conventional baseline engine geometry. The early- and late- variable intake valve closing events are then tested in a metal engine. The effects of different valve lifts and valve deactivation on the mixing and combustion are then discussed. Using integral analyses of the simulation results, the mechanisms in reducing fuel consumption and emissions in a variable valve-actuation engine, fuelled by side-mounted multi-hole DI injectors are illustrated. The implications to the engine mixing and the resultant combustion in a metal engine are demonstrated.
Recovery and Relapse

Abstinence is not using addictive chemicals. It allows recovery to begin. Learning to live normally without the use of addictive chemicals requires more than abstinence. Recovery is a process in which the physiological, psychological, and social damage caused by chemical dependence is healed. Addicts learn to live healthy and productive lives without the need for alcohol or other drugs. Recovery is an individual process; no two people recover at exactly the same rate.1
Convergence and Persistence in Corporate Governance: Cross-shareholding in the Japanese keiretsu

Although sometimes said to reflect distinctively Japanese modes of economic organization or the general importance of path-dependence and culture, the cross-shareholding patterns within the Japanese keiretsu often display a straightforward economic logic. When keiretsu banks trade on debtor stock, for example, they occasionally seem to be capturing gains from inside information. When manufacturers in the automobile industry buy stock in their suppliers, they apparently do so to protect relationship-specific investments. And when the pre-war predecessors to the keiretsu invested in component firms, they often invested in ways that resembled the ways silicon valley venture capitalists invest today. Economic form may differ between the U.S. and Japan, but the cross-shareholdings themselves reflect a simple economic rationale.
Epilogue The Future of U.S. Commercial Banking

As restrictions on scope and powers were eased in the 1980s, banks morphed into a new kind of financial services entity. The modern U.S. bank is no longer a commercial bank, an investment bank, or a merchant bank. Its main activities involve managing and financing mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; financing equipment leasing; financing the expansion of businesses; providing cash and transaction management services; and asset management. For many of the top global firms, an increasingly greater share of income comes from trading for their own account as well as with each other, and less from fees that clients pay for services. And some traditional client services are effectively subsidized by cash and asset management services.
31P NMR and thermal evaluation of Ag2O and SnO co-doped aluminophosphate glasses for photonic applications

Abstract This paper deals with the relationship between structural, thermal, and optical properties of aluminophosphate glasses doped with Ag2O alongside stoichiometric amounts of reducing agent SnO. The glasses prepared by the melt-quenching technique were studied by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. A strong correlation has been revealed between the 31P NMR spectral band width, which decreases with the increase in dopants concentration up to 8 mol%. Similarly, the glass transition temperature, Tg, decreases with the increase in the Ag2O and SnO concentration. Data indicate a major influence of the Ag2O dopant on these trends. Real-time optical absorption results are presented on the thermally-induced plasmonic development of Ag nanoparticles in glass containing 6 mol% Ag2O and SnO. The impact of the structural and thermal properties on the choice of processing temperatures towards producing Ag nanocomposites of interest to photonic applications is discussed.
Early Mobilization of Patients on Mechanical Ventilation: Worth the Effort and Expense?

The ventilator discontinuation process involves both disease resolution and proper support to facilitate recovery. This support includes optimizing nutrition, fluid-electrolyte balance, and infection control as well as avoiding problems such as ventilator-induced lung injury, discomfort, and
Intracerebroventricular Ghrelin Administration Increases Depressive-Like Behavior in Male Juvenile Rats

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is arguably the largest contributor to the global disease and disability burden, but very few treatment options exist for juvenile MDD patients. Ghrelin is the principle hunger stimulating peptide, and it has also been shown to reduce depressive-like symptoms in adult rodents. We examined the effects of intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of ghrelin on depressive-like behavior. Moreover, we determined whether ghrelin increased neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Ghrelin (0.2-nM, 0.5-nM, and 1.0-nM) was administered acutely by intracerebroventricular (icv) injection to juvenile rats to determine the most effective dose (0.5-nM) by a validated feeding behavior test and using the forced swim test (FST) as an indicator of depressive-like behavior. 0.5-nM ghrelin was then administered icv against an artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) vehicle control to determine behavioral changes in the FST and the tail suspension test (TST) as indicators of depressive-like behavior. Neurogenesis was investigated using a mitogenic paradigm, as well as a neurogenic paradigm to assess whether ghrelin altered neurogenesis. Newborn hippocampal cells were marked using 5’-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine (BrdU) administered intraperitoneally (ip) at either the end or the beginning of the experiment for the mitogenic and neurogenic paradigms, respectively. We found that acute ghrelin administration increased immobility time in both the FST and the TST. Treatment with ghrelin did not change mitogenesis or neurogenesis. These results suggest that acute ghrelin administration does not effectively reduce depressive-like symptoms; in contrast to adult rodents, ghrelin increases depressive-like behavior in male juvenile rats. These results highlight the need to better delineate differences in the neuropharmacology of depressive-like behavior between juvenile and adult rodents.
A Cognitive Assistant for Entry, Descent, and Landing Architecture Analysis

Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) architecture performance and uncertainty analysis relies heavily on end-to-end simulation given that EDL system verification and validation is limited in Earth environments. Overall system assessment and success criteria evaluation are performed by employing Monte Carlo dispersion analysis. These simulations produce large data sets that are manually analyzed by the subject matter experts, trying to identify correlations between parameters and assessing sensitivity of figures of merit to simulation parameters. Such analysis work is critical, given that it could lead, for example, to the discovery of major flaws in a design. While the subject matter experts can leverage their knowledge and expertise with past systems to identify issues and features of interest in the current dataset, the next generation of EDL systems will make use of new technologies to address the issue of landing larger payloads, and may present unprecedented challenges that may be missed by the human. In this paper, we suggest integrating Daphne, a cognitive assistant, into the process of EDL architecture analysis to support EDL experts by identifying key factors that impact EDL system metrics. Specifically, this paper describes the current capabilities of Daphne as a platform for EDL architecture analysis by means of a case study of a sample EDL architecture for an ongoing NASA mission, Mars 2020. Given that the work presented in this paper is in its early development, the paper focuses on the description of the expert knowledge base and historical database developed for the cognitive assistant, as well as on describing how experts can use it to obtain information relevant to their EDL analysis process by means of natural language or web visual interactions, thus reducing the effort of searching for relevant information from multiple sources.
Nutrient Depletion and Bacterial Persistence

Most antibiotics do not work well on starving bacteria. In environments that are missing one or more essential nutrient, bacteria shut down the growth-related processes that most antibiotics target and ready themselves for stressful times. Such nutrient-depleted conditions can occur within a host, and they are prevalent within biofilms. For antibiotics that retain some bactericidal activity against starved populations, treatments of those cultures often leave many persisters, which can go on to spawn new populations. Persisters are bacterial cells with non-inherited abilities to survive antibiotic treatments that kill the majority of their genetically identical kin. The capacity of persisters to tolerate such treatments originates from phenotypic differences between them and the bacteria that die, and understanding those survival mechanisms promises to improve treatments for chronic and recurring infections. Here we review knowledge of bacterial starvation physiology and provide an overview of nutritional challenges bacteria face in the host and in biofilms. We then describe those antibiotic classes with the capacity to kill nutrient-deprived bacteria and summarize understanding of persistence in those populations. Finally, we discuss approaches that could be used to develop treatments that eradicate starved bacterial populations and the persisters within them.
Implementation of a brain injury screen MRI for infants at risk for abusive head trauma

Head computed tomography (CT) is the current standard of care for evaluating infants at high risk of abusive head trauma. To both assess the feasibility of using a previously developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain injury screen (MRBRscreen) in the acute care setting in place of head CT to identify intracranial hemorrhage in high-risk infants and to compare the accuracy of a rapid imaging pulse sequence (single-shot T2 fast spin echo [ssT2FSE]) to a conventional pulse sequence (conventional T2 fast spin echo [conT2FSE]). This was a quality improvement initiative to evaluate infants <12 months of age who were screened for intracranial hemorrhage using an MRBRscreen as part of clinical care. The MRBRscreen included axial conT2FSE, axial gradient recalled echo, coronal T1-weighted inversion recovery, axial diffusion-weighted image and an axial ssT2FSE. A comparison of ssT2FSE to conT2FSE with respect to lesion detection was also performed. Of 158 subjects, the MRBRscreen was able to be completed in 155 (98%); 9% (14/155) were abnormal. Ninety-four percent (137/145) of subjects underwent only an MRBRscreen and avoided both radiation from head CT and sedation from MRI. The axial ssT2FSE and conT2FSE results were congruent 99% of the time. An MRBRscreen in place of a head CT is feasible and potentially could decrease head CT use by more than 90% in this population. Using a rapid ssT2FSE in place of a conT2FSE can reduce total scan time without losing lesion detection. If an MRBRscreen is readily available, physicians’ threshold to perform neuroimaging may be lowered and lead to earlier detection of abusive head trauma.
Student Philanthropy and Community Engagement: A Program Evaluation

Community engagement in the classroom can take several forms such as engaged scholarship, service learning, and philanthropy. Each of these activities connects course material with the immediate community, creating a multi-directional discourse. In this article we explain and provide a program evaluation of the Student Philanthropy and Community Engagement Program (SPCEP) run in a wide variety of classes at Oakland University in Michigan. The results indicate that SPCEP is effectively increasing students’ philanthropic inclinations while also increasing their engagement with and knowledge of the local community. These findings have important implications for the classroom, university reputation, and the local community.
Assessment Scores of a Mock Objective Structured Clinical Examination Administered to 99 Anesthesiology Residents at 8 Institutions.

Background Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are used in a variety of high-stakes examinations. The primary goal of this study was to examine factors influencing the variability of assessment scores for mock OSCEs administered to senior anesthesiology residents. Methods Using the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) OSCE Content Outline as a blueprint, scenarios were developed for 4 of the ABA skill types: (1) informed consent, (2) treatment options, (3) interpretation of echocardiograms, and (4) application of ultrasonography. Eight residency programs administered these 4 OSCEs to CA3 residents during a 1-day formative session. A global score and checklist items were used for scoring by faculty raters. We used a statistical framework called generalizability theory, or G-theory, to estimate the sources of variation (or facets), and to estimate the reliability (ie, reproducibility) of the OSCE performance scores. Reliability provides a metric on the consistency or reproducibility of learner performance as measured through the assessment. Results Of the 115 total eligible senior residents, 99 participated in the OSCE because the other residents were unavailable. Overall, residents correctly performed 84% (standard deviation [SD] 16%, range 38%-100%) of the 36 total checklist items for the 4 OSCEs. On global scoring, the pass rate for the informed consent station was 71%, for treatment options was 97%, for interpretation of echocardiograms was 66%, and for application of ultrasound was 72%. The estimate of reliability expressing the reproducibility of examinee rankings equaled 0.56 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-0.63), which is reasonable for normative assessments that aim to compare a resident's performance relative to other residents because over half of the observed variation in total scores is due to variation in examinee ability. Phi coefficient reliability of 0.42 (95% CI, 0.35-0.50) indicates that criterion-based judgments (eg, pass-fail status) cannot be made. Phi expresses the absolute consistency of a score and reflects how closely the assessment is likely to reproduce an examinee's final score. Overall, the greatest (14.6%) variance was due to the person by item by station interaction (3-way interaction) indicating that specific residents did well on some items but poorly on other items. The variance (11.2%) due to residency programs across case items was high suggesting moderate variability in performance from residents during the OSCEs among residency programs. Conclusions Since many residency programs aim to develop their own mock OSCEs, this study provides evidence that it is possible for programs to create a meaningful mock OSCE experience that is statistically reliable for separating resident performance.
Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella isolates recovered from children with diarrhea

Objective To investigate molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella spp. isolates recovered from the stool samples of children with diarrhea. Methods Seventy-two isolates of Salmonella spp. were collected from children with diarrhea. The serum type of Salmonella spp.was determined by serology agglutinating method. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by K-B disk diffusion method and MICs of cefotaxime and ceftazidime were measured by agar dilution method for Salmonella spp. isolates. PCR and DNA sequencing were used for detecting ESBL, ISEcpl and AmpC genes; The transfer of cefotaxime resistance was determined by conjugation experiments. PFGE was performed for determining the homogeneity of the S. typhimurium isolates. Results A total of 72 isolates of Salmonella spp. were collected, among which S. typhimurium accounted for 86 % (62/72) and was the main serum type. S. typhimurium isolates and S. thompson isolates were often resistant to most of clinically used antimicrobial agents. Resistance of S. thompson isolates to ampicillin was the highest (90%, 56/62),followed by tetracycline (81%, 50/62), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (74%, 46/62) and chloramphenicol (66%, 41/62). Seventeen S. typhimurium isolates (27%, 17/62) and two S. thompson isolates were resistant to cefotaxime. Forty-nine S. typhimurium isolates and two S. thompson isolates were positive for blaTEB-1b and resistant to ampicillin. Thirteen ESBL-producing S. typhimurium isolates (21%, 13/62) were positive for blaCTX-M (eight for blaCTX-M-14, three for blaCTX-M-15, one for blaCTX-M-55, one for both blaCTX-M-14 and blaCTX-M-55). All isolates harboring blaCTX-M genes were positive for upstream insert sequence ISEcpl. blaDHA-1was detected in a cefoxitin-resistant S. thompson isolate. Two main clones (PFGE type A and D) accounting for 19% (12/62) and 50% (31/62) respectively were found among 62 S. typhimurium isolates. Seven CTXM-producing isolates belonged to PFGE type D. Conclusions The multi-resistance to antimicrobial agents and high prevalence of blaCTX-M genes are found among S. typhimurium and S. thompson clinical isolates. blaCTX-M-55 is first found in S. typhimurium isolates and blaDHA-1 is found in S. thompson isolates. Clonal spread is responsible for the dissemination of S. typhimurium isolates. Key words: Salmonella typhimurium; beta-Lactamases; Drug resistance,bacterial; Epidemiology,molecular
Optimal Sample-Error/Ripple Tradeoff for Sampled-Data Systems with Harmonic Disturbances

Although a digital controller operating in a sampled-data control system has access to the sampled error signal, the intersample behavior (ripple) is relevant to the overall performance. This paper thus investigates the tradeoff between the sample error and ripple for a system with a lightly damped mode and harmonic disturbance. The approach is based on an approximate expression for the harmonic-steady-state response of the closed-loop system. Numerical optimization of the ripple provides an optimal tradeoff between the peak sample error and peak ripple. Fast sampling as well as the effect of modal folding and disturbance aliasing are considered.
Immunological characteristics govern the changing severity of COVID-19 during the transition to endemicity

As prospects for eradicating CoV-2 dwindle, we are faced with the question of how the severity of CoV-2 disease may change in the years ahead. Will CoV-2 continue to be a pathogenic scourge that, like smallpox or measles, can be tamed only by ongoing vaccination, or will it join the ranks of mild endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs)? Our analysis of immunological and epidemiological data on HCoVs shows that infection-blocking immunity wanes rapidly, but disease-reducing immunity is long-lived. We estimate the relevant parameters and incorporate them into a new epidemiological model framework which separates these different components of immunity. Our model recapitulates both the current severity of CoV-2 and the relatively benign nature of HCoVs; suggesting that once the endemic phase is reached, CoV-2 may be no more virulent than the common cold. The benign outcome at the endemic phase is contingent on the virus causing primary infections in children. We predict a very different outcome were a CoV like MERS (that causes severe disease in children) to become endemic. These results force us to re-evaluate control measures that rely on identifying and isolating symptomatic infections, and reconsider ideas regarding herd immunity and the use of immune individuals as shields to protect vulnerable groups.
A Tri-Stable Soft Robotic Finger Capable of Pinch and Wrap Grasps

Soft robotic pneumatic grippers have been shown to be versatile, robust to impacts, and safe for use on delicate objects. One type, fluidic elastomer grippers, are characterized by fingers with an inextensible gripping surface backed by extensible pneumatic chambers; when inflated, this mismatch in extensibility results in the finger curling. However, one drawback of these simple fingers is that they have one preprogrammed grasp, usually a simple constant-curvature wrap. While well-suited for finger-sized round objects, they do not grasp flat or small objects well. Here, we present an adaptable tri-stable soft robotic finger that can form either a pinch or wrap grasp based on the shape of the grasped object. We enable this by incorporating two bi-stable springs into the inextensible layer. The three stable positions are: i) open (unpressurized), ii) pinch (with only the proximal section bending), and iii) wrap (with the entire finger bending). We present a simple model of the behavior of our finger and experimental results verifying the model. Further, we apply forces and moments to grasped objects, and show that the tri-stable finger increases the grasping performance when compared to a control gripper with equal gripping force. Our work presents a novel design modification that is unobtrusive, simple, and passive. Our introduction of inexpensive programmable hardware advances the versatility and adaptability of soft grippers.
Phenotypic Characterization of SLex+ and CLA+ CD4+ T Cells.

Summary Recent advances in high-resolution multiparametric flow cytometry enable ever deeper analysis of human lymphocyte subsets that require rigorous methodology development and optimization. Here, we detail methods to characterize glycosylated Sialyl-LewisX (SLeX)- or cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA)-expressing CD4+ T cells using two separate multiparametric flow cytometry panels enabling the identification of memory subsets, Th subsets, and expression of diverse activation markers and chemokine receptors. The proposed protocol allows optimal resolution of the measured parameters while minimizing background in a 25-parameter experiment. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Colomb et al. (2020) .
Characteristics of Ophthalmic Trauma in Fall-Related Hospitalizations in the United States from 2000 to 2017.

Purpose: Falls is a leading cause of injuries nationally and can lead to serious ophthalmic injuries. The purpose of this study is to examine the incidence and characteristics of ophthalmic trauma ...
Plea Bargains for Peace? The Prospects of the International Criminal Court Reducing Atrocities Through Negotiated Settlements

Can the International Criminal Court (ICC) use negotiated settlements to reduce atrocities? To fulfill its mandate of preventing "grave crimes," the ICC has favored a strict enforcement approach while eschewing negotiations. Nonetheless, indictees (mis)perceive that they can have their indictments withdrawn, which unintentionally incentivizes indictees to limit violence. I evaluate this dynamic using the weighted regression method generalized synthetic control (GSC) to mitigate endogeneity and data unreliability, which are persistent challenges in analyses of ICC effectiveness. I apply the method to an armed group-level dataset along with a case study of the Lord's Resistance Army. The results indicate that ICC indictments lead to a substantial initial decline in attacks against civilians by armed groups affiliated with indictees, but the attacks return to pre-indictment levels when indictees face sustained punishments. The findings imply that the ICC negotiating settlements could incentivize indictees to refrain from atrocities.
Taxes and Economic Development: An Update on the State of the Economics Literature:

There is a large literature examining the effect of taxes and tax concessions on local economic development. The last comprehensive review of taxes and economic development, however, was Wasylenko’...
Non-parametric Models for Non-smooth Functions

Publisher Summary This paper provides a review of earlier and recent developments on the statistical analysis of functions, which combine discontinuous and smooth features. Such situations are at the focus of much recent research and this area involves many theoretical and applied questions of interest. The issues range from estimation of change-points and boundary curves to testing for the presence of change-points and determination of the number of change-points. It is shown that some popular change-point detection methods, such as one-sided kernel differences, wavelets, semiparametric modeling, and local polynomial fitting are simply different versions of the same underlying idea. This entire class of one-sided methods is best illustrated and understood by pertaining to the implementation with one-sided kernel estimators. The chapter reviews some basic results and discusses some pertinent issues regarding the modeling of discontinuous phenomena.
Techniques and Attachments for a Hohlraum-Type Infrared Reflectance Spectrophotometer

The operation of a research infrared spectrophotometer entails inherent problems which arise from the same features which enable the user of such an instrument to perform a wide variety of determinations in a number of modes of operation. Typical difficulties are caused by the complexity of an instrument which must be made to perform a single-beam, dual-beam, programmed, or constant-energy modes with a multitude of source energies and configurations in a number of spectral ranges.
Silence is Golden...Except in Health Care Philanthropy

Imagine a forty-year-old woman who has been diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer and who has less than a ten percent chance of living five years from the date of her diagnosis. The woman’s physician, who specializes in oncology and practices at a hospital affiliated with a major academic medical center, recommends a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to treat the woman’s cancer. This article addresses the permissible scope of uses and disclosures of the woman’s individually identifiable health information that may be made by the hospital and the physician for the purpose of attempting to raise funds for the hospital’s own benefit.
Array Data Dependence Testing with the Chains of Recurrences Algebra

This paper presents a new approach to dependence testing in the presence of nonlinear and non-closed array index expressions and pointer references. The chains of recurrences formalism and algebra is used to analyze the recurrence relations of induction variables, and for constructing recurrence forms of array index expressions and pointer references. We use these recurrence forms to determine if the array and pointer references are free of dependences in a loop nest. Our recurrence formulation enhances the accuracy of standard dependence algorithms such as the extreme value test and range test. Because the recurrence forms are easily converted to closed forms (when they exist), induction variable substitution and array recovery can be delayed until after the loop is analyzed
Generating Interface Grammars from WSDL for Automated Verification of Web Services

Interface grammars are a formalism for expressing constraints on sequences of messages exchanged between two components. In this paper, we extend interface grammars with an automated translation of XML Schema definitions present in WSDL documents into interface grammar rules. Given an interface grammar, we can then automatically generate either 1 a parser, to check that a sequence of messages generated by a web service client is correct with respect to the interface specification, or 2) a sentence generator producing compliant message sequences, to check that the web service responds to them according to the interface specification. By doing so, we can validate and generate both messages and sequences of messages in a uniform manner; moreover, we can express constraints where message structure and control flow cannot be handled separately.
Learning planning heuristic through observation

This paper discusses a method for learning thematic level structures, i.e. abstract plan/goal combinations, by observing the bad planning behavior of narrative characters. The learning method discussed is a one-trial, schema acquisition method, which is similar to DeJong's [DeJong, 1983]. The method uses constraint-based causal reasoning to construct a new schema which characterizes a situation. This work is part of the MORRIS project at UCLA [Dyer, 1983b].
Automation of Site Configuration Management

Although there are countless tools to track and manage the configuration of large numbers of Unix systems, there seems to be a lack of tools to manage the interaction and dependencies between systems. As our site has grown, many machines provide services that are required for the operation of other machines and applications. We have been unable to maintain accurate lists of services and servers, and even routine system upgrades have resulted in unexpected service outages. To address this problem, we are developing a system to automatically detect many of these service dependencies, and generate up to date server listings. In addition, it provides a general framework for indexing and accessing troubleshooting, operational, installation and a number of other types of documentation. The system also assists in verifying the configuration of systems being installed, and assists with the real time testing of services.
Improved Products at Same Cost, Lower Sales and Lower Welfare

We analyze the effect of product quality on the output of a high-quality dominant firm facing a low-quality competitive fringe. We show that profit maximizing output decreases with product quality when the dominant firm's marginal cost is lower than that of the fringe, is independent of quality when marginal cost is the same for all firms, and is increasing in quality when the dominant firm's costs are higher than those of the fringe. The driving force behind this result is that an increase in product quality does not cause a parallel shift in the dominant firm's residual demand, but rather causes it to pivot. This, in turn, causes the dominant firm's marginal revenue curve to rotate, rather than shift outwards, resulting in inwards movement around the equilibrium output when the dominant firm's marginal cost is lower than the fringe's. Equally strikingly, higher quality at the same marginal cost may result in all consumers being weakly worse off, with some being strictly worse off. Similar results can be obtained without a competitive fringe, but only under some more restrictive conditions.