cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resilience and Coping Intervention (RCI): A Group Intervention to Foster College Student Resilience

ABSTRACTMany colleges and universities report an increase in the prevalence of reported stress, anxiety, and depression among college students. The current article describes the Resilience and Coping Intervention (RCI), a group intervention designed to help college participants identify thoughts, feelings, and coping strategies related to a problematic experience or to an everyday stressors. To illustrate the RCI group process, vignettes from two RCI sessions with undergraduate college students are provided to demonstrate how the intervention enables group members to discuss their challenges, explore and validate their experiences, problem solve, and connect with peers. In addition, the vignettes provide descriptions of college students’ reported stressors and challenges, thoughts and feelings, and coping mechanisms. Given the increased prevalence of reported stress, anxiety, and depression among students, colleges need feasible and effective interventions such as RCI that reduce stress and help students ...
Thermodynamic stability of driven open systems and control of phase separation by electro-autocatalysis

Motivated by the possibility of electrochemical control of phase separation, a variational theory of thermodynamic stability is developed for driven reactive mixtures, based on a nonlinear generalization of the Cahn–Hilliard and Allen–Cahn equations. The Glansdorff–Prigogine stability criterion is extended for driving chemical work, based on variations of nonequilibrium Gibbs free energy. Linear stability is generally determined by the competition of chemical diffusion and driven autocatalysis. Novel features arise for electrochemical systems, related to controlled total current (galvanostatic operation), concentration-dependent exchange current (Butler–Volmer kinetics), and negative differential reaction resistance (Marcus kinetics). The theory shows how spinodal decomposition can be controlled by solo-autocatalytic charge transfer, with only a single faradaic reaction. Experimental evidence is presented for intercalation and electrodeposition in rechargeable batteries, and further applications are discussed in solid state ionics, electrovariable optics, electrochemical precipitation, and biological pattern formation.
Transplant Associated Thrombotic Microangiopathy in Individuals with Fanconi Anemia

Objective: Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is an increasingly recognized complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) due to vascular endothelial injury. TA-TMA most commonly affects the kidneys resulting in proteinuria, hypertension and often progresses to multi-organ failure in severe cases. We previously identified in our institutional prospective study of TA-TMA a higher incidence of TA-TMA in Fanconi anemia (FA) individuals. We hypothesized that exposure to cyclosporine (CSA), which has been implicated in TA-TMA, may have led to this increase. The goal of our current study was to examine the TA-TMA incidence in FA individuals undergoing HSCT with CSA exposure at our institution and its impact on transplant related morbidity and organ function. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review in all patients with FA undergoing first unrelated donor T-depleted HSCT (2010-2016) using a busulfan, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and ATG preparative regimen to identify the incidence of transplant-associated TMA and clinical outcomes. Subjects were stratified by cyclosporine use. Results: Forty-two patients underwent unrelated donor t-depleted HSCT using busulfan, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and ATG during the study period. Additional GVHD prophylaxis with cyclosporine (CSA) was used in the first 29 subjects while subsequent subjects received no additional prophylaxis (n= 13). Incidence of TA-TMA in the CSA and Non-CSA groups was 66% (n=19/29) and 54% (n=7/13) respectively (p=0.51) and was increased from the overall institutional TA-TMA incidence of 34% (p=0.0011). Risk factors for severe TA-TMA were increased in the CSA-group with nephrotic range proteinuria in 53% compared with 14% of the non-CSA group in tested patients and increased complement activation by sC5b-9 levels 100% vs 20%. Median duration of active TA-TMA was longer in the CSA-group at 85 days compared with 41 in the non-CSA group. Complications of TA-TMA including hypertension, kidney injury, dialysis, pericardial effusion and pulmonary hypertension were all increased in the CSA group compared to the non-CSA group. Conclusion: Incidence of TA-TMA after HSCT is increased in FA compared to other HSCT recipients. Individuals receiving cyclosporine for GVHD prophylaxis had more severe TA-TMA than those who did not receive it, affecting transplant related morbidity and long-term renal function. Increased incidence of TA-TMA in individuals with FA may point to novel mechanisms of vascular endothelial injury. Better understanding of these mechanisms may allow for improved transplant risk stratification or new therapeutic approaches in solid tumor therapy. Disclosures Davies:Novartis: Honoraria.
Density functional estimators with k-nearest neighbor bandwidths

Estimating expected polynomials of density functions from samples is a basic problem with numerous applications in statistics and information theory. Although kernel density estimators are widely used in practice for such functional estimation problems, practitioners are left on their own to choose an appropriate bandwidth for each application in hand. Further, kernel density estimators suffer from boundary biases, which are prevalent in real world data with lower dimensional structures. We propose using the fixed-k nearest neighbor distances for the bandwidth, which adaptively adjusts to local geometry. Further, we propose a novel estimator based on local likelihood density estimators, that mitigates the boundary biases. Although such a choice of fixed-k nearest neighbor distances to bandwidths results in inconsistent estimators, we provide a simple debiasing scheme that precomputes the asymptotic bias and divides off this term. With this novel correction, we show consistency of this debiased estimator. We provide numerical experiments suggesting that it improves upon competing state-of-the-art methods.
Local discrete symmetries from superstring derived models

Abstract Discrete and global symmetries play an essential role in many extensions of the Standard Model, for example, to preserve the proton lifetime, to prevent flavor changing neutral currents, etc. An important question is how can such symmetries survive in a theory of quantum gravity, like superstring theory. In a specific string model I illustrate how local discrete symmetries may arise in string models and play an important role in preventing fast proton decay and flavor changing neutral currents. The local discrete symmetry arises due to the breaking of the non-Abelian gauge symmetries by Wilson lines in the superstring models and forbids, for example dimension five operators which mediate rapid proton decay, to all orders of nonrenormalizable terms. In the context of models of unification of the gauge and gravitational interactions, it is precisely this type of local discrete symmetries that must be found in order to insure that a given model is not in conflict with experimental observations.
TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY MID-FLEXION INSTABILITY IN A BALANCED KNEE: IS IT REAL?

Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgical techniques attempt to achieve equal flexion and extension gaps to produce a well-balanced knee, but unexplainable unhappy patients persist. Mid-flexion instability is one proposed cause of unhappy patients. There are multiple techniques to achieve equal flexion and extension gaps, but their effects in mid-flexion are largely unknown. Purpose of study The purpose of the study is to determine the effects that changing femur implant size and/or adjusting the femur and tibia proximal -distal and femur anterior-posterior implant positions have on cruciate retaining (CR) TKA mid-flexion ligament balance when equal flexion and extension gaps are maintained. Methods A computational analysis was performed simulating knee flexion of two CR TKA designs (JOURNEY II CR and LEGION HFCR; Smith & Nephew) using previously validated software (LifeMOD/KneeSim; LifeModeler). Deviations from the ideal implant position were simulated by adjusting tibiofemoral proximal-distal position and femur anterior-posterior position and size (Table 1). Positioning the femur more proximal was accompanied by equal anterior femur and proximal tibia shifts to maintain equal flexion and extension gaps. The forces in ligaments connecting the femur and tibia, which included superficial and posterior MCL, LCL, popliteal-fibular ligament complex, iliotibial band, and anterior-lateral and posterior-medial PCL, were collected. Total tibiofemoral ligament load and PCL load for 15–75° knee flexion were analyzed versus proximal-distal implant position, implant size, implant design, and knee flexion using a MANOVA in Minitab 16 (Minitab). Results Total tibiofemoral ligament load was significantly reduced by a more proximal implant position (p 0.6). PCL load was not affected by implant proximal-distal position or size (p>0.9) (Figure 2). Therefore, the PCL did not contribute to changes in mid-flexion balance caused by proximal-distal implant position. Implant design and knee flexion significantly influenced total tibiofemoral ligament and PCL loads (p 0.7) indicating that the effects of implant proximal-distal position applies across the studied implant designs and 15°–75° knee flexion range. Conclusions Our results suggest that a CR TKA can be well balanced at 0° and 90° knee flexion and be too tight or loose in mid-flexion. Since placement of implant was the variable studied, when the knee is too tight in mid-flexion, our recommendation to loosen the knee is to resect more distal and posterior femur, downsizing if necessary, and increase the tibial insert thickness. The opposite could be done to guard against the knee being too loose in mid-flexion. Finally, it is recommended to gauge balance in more than simply 0° and 90° to determine overall knee balance.
Nonlinear Viscoelastic Response of Amorphous Elastomers to Constant Strain Rates

Abstract Tensile stress-strain curves determined at constant strain rates are nonlinear because relaxation of stress generally occurs during a test and also because of inherent nonlinear effects. To develop a method for determining the conditions under which time and nonlinear effects are separable, consideration was first given to a linear viscoelastic material. It was shown that stress-strain curves determined at different strain rates superpose to yield a single curve on a plot of log σ(e, t)/e vs. log t, where σ(e, t) is the stress, a function of the strain e and the time t; by definition t equals e/e where e is the strain rate. The quantity σ(e, t)/e was called the constant-strain rate modulus F(t) which is related exactly to the stress-relaxation modulus E(t) by the equation E(t)=F(t)(1+m) where m=d log F(t)/d log t. For amorphous elastomers tested in tensions over a wide range of strain, it was proposed that stress-strain curves determined at constant strain rates can be represented by F(t)=g(e)σ(e...
VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA TRIGGERED BY LOPERAMIDE AND FAMOTIDINE ABUSE

A 32-year-old male developed recurrent ventricular tachycardia after taking mega doses of loperamide and famotidine in order to experience an opiate-like euphoric effect. He was taking up to 200 mg of loperamide and multiple doses of famotidine each day. He developed palpitations and syncope. Electrocardiography demonstrated ventricular tachycardia and QT interval prolongation (corrected QT interval was 597 ms). He was diagnosed with loperamide-induced QT prolongation resulting in incessant ventricular tachycardia. Loperamide was discontinued, and he was treated with electrolyte replacement, supportive care, and monitoring. After 5 days, his electrocardiogram (ECG) normalized and he had no more ventricular tachycardia. A Naranjo assessment score of 8 was obtained, indicating a probable relationship between QT prolongation and his use of loperamide. Large doses of loperamide can cause QT interval prolongation and life-threatening arrhythmias. These effects may be accentuated when histamine-2 receptor blockers are also abused.
Analysis of nonlinear dynamics by square matrix method

The nonlinear dynamics of a system with periodic structure can be analyzed using a square matrix. We show that because of the special property of the square matrix constructed for nonlinear dynamics, we can reduce the dimension of the matrix from the original large number for high order calculations to a low dimension in the first step of the analysis. Then a stable Jordan decomposition is obtained with much lower dimension. The Jordan decomposition leads to a transformation to a new variable, which is an accurate action-angle variable, in good agreement with trajectories and tune obtained from tracking. More importantly, the deviation from constancy of the new action-angle variable provides a measure of the stability of the phase space trajectories and tune fluctuation. Thus the square matrix theory shows a good potential in theoretical understanding of a complicated dynamical system to guide the optimization of dynamical apertures. The method is illustrated by many examples of comparison between theory and numerical simulation. In particular, we show that the square matrix method can be used for fast optimization to reduce the nonlinearity of a system.
Matrices similar to partial isometries

Abstract We determine when a matrix is similar to a partial isometry, refining a result of Halmos–McLaughlin.
Oscillation Power in Sunspots and Quiet Sun from Hankel Analysis Performed on SDO/HMI and SDO/AIA Data

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instruments onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite produce Doppler velocity and continuum intensity at 6173 A as well as intensity maps at 1600 A and 1700 A, which can be used for helioseismic studies at different heights in the solar photosphere. We perform a Hankel–Fourier analysis in an annulus centered around sunspots or quiet-Sun regions, to estimate the change in power of waves crossing these regions of interest. We find that there is a dependence of power-reduction coefficients α on measurement height in the photosphere: Sunspots reduce the power of outgoing waves with frequencies ν lower than ν≈4.5 mHz at all heights, but enhance the power of acoustic waves in the range ν≈4.5 – 5.5 mHz toward chromospheric heights, which is likely the signature of acoustic glories (halos). Maximum power reduction seems to occur near the continuum level and to decrease with altitude. Sunspots also impact the frequencies of outgoing waves in an altitude-dependent fashion. The quiet Sun is shown to behave like a strong power reducer for outgoing f- and p-modes at the continuum level, with a power reduction α≈15 – 20 %, and like a weak power enhancer for p-modes higher in the atmosphere. It is speculated that the surprising power reduction at the continuum level is related to granulation. In Doppler-velocity data, and unlike in intensity data, the quiet Sun behaves like a strong power reducer for granular flows.
Insights into the Activity Change of Spore Photoproduct Lyase Induced by Mutations at a Peripheral Glycine Residue.

UV radiation triggers the formation of 5-thyminyl-5,6-dihydrothymine, i.e. the spore photoproduct (SP), in the genomic DNA of bacterial endospores. These SPs, if not repaired in time, may lead to genome instability and cell death. SP is mainly repaired by spore photoproduct lyase (SPL) during spore outgrowth via an unprecedented protein-harbored radical transfer pathway that is composed of at least a cysteine and two tyrosine residues. This mechanism is consistent with the recently solved SPL structure that shows all three residues are located in proximity and thus able to participate in the radical transfer process during the enzyme catalysis. In contrast, an earlier in vivo mutational study identified a glycine to arginine mutation at the position 168 on the B. subtilis SPL that was later found to be > 15 A away from the enzyme active site. This mutation appears to abolish the enzyme activity because endospores carrying this mutant were sensitive to UV light. To understand the molecular basis for this rendered enzyme activity, we constructed two SPL mutations G168A and G168R, examined their repair of dinucleotide SP TpT, and found that both mutants exhibit reduced enzyme activity. Comparing with the wildtype (WT) SPL enzyme, the G168A mutant slows down the SP TpT repair by 3~4 fold while the G168R mutant by ~ 80 fold. Both mutants exhibit a smaller apparent (DV) kinetic isotope effect (KIE) but a bigger competitive (DV/K) KIE than that by the WT SPL. Moreover, the G168R mutant also produces a large portion of the abortive repair product TpT-SO2–; the formation of which indicates that cysteine 141 is no longer well positioned as the H-donor to the thymine allylic radical intermediate. All these data imply that the mutation at the remote glycine 168 residue alters the enzyme 3D structure, subsequently reducing the SPL activity by changing the positions of the essential amino acids involved in the radical transfer process.
Stochastic simulation of reaction-diffusion systems: A fluctuating-hydrodynamics approach

We develop numerical methods for stochastic reaction-diffusion systems based on approaches used for fluctuatinghydrodynamics (FHD). For hydrodynamicsystems, the FHD formulation is formally described by stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs). In the reaction-diffusion systems we consider, our model becomes similar to the reaction-diffusion master equation (RDME) description when our SPDEs are spatially discretized and reactions are modeled as a source term having Poissonfluctuations. However, unlike the RDME, which becomes prohibitively expensive for an increasing number of molecules, our FHD-based description naturally extends from the regime where fluctuations are strong, i.e., each mesoscopic cell has few (reactive) molecules, to regimes with moderate or weak fluctuations, and ultimately to the deterministic limit. By treating diffusion implicitly, we avoid the severe restriction on time step size that limits all methods based on explicit treatments of diffusion and construct numerical methods that are more efficient than RDME methods, without compromising accuracy. Guided by an analysis of the accuracy of the distribution of steady-state fluctuations for the linearized reaction-diffusion model, we construct several two-stage (predictor-corrector) schemes, where diffusion is treated using a stochastic Crank-Nicolson method, and reactions are handled by the stochastic simulation algorithm of Gillespie or a weakly second-order tau leaping method. We find that an implicit midpoint tau leaping scheme attains second-order weak accuracy in the linearized setting and gives an accurate and stable structure factor for a time step size of an order of magnitude larger than the hopping time scale of diffusing molecules. We study the numerical accuracy of our methods for the Schlogl reaction-diffusion model both in and out of thermodynamic equilibrium. We demonstrate and quantify the importance of thermodynamicfluctuations to the formation of a two-dimensional Turing-like pattern and examine the effect of fluctuations on three-dimensional chemical front propagation. By comparing stochastic simulations to deterministic reaction-diffusion simulations, we show that fluctuations accelerate pattern formation in spatially homogeneous systems and lead to a qualitatively different disordered pattern behind a traveling wave.
Evaluation of charged particle evaporation expressions in ultracold plasmas

Electron evaporation plays an important role in the electron temperature evolution and thus the expansion rate of low-density ultracold plasmas. In addition, evaporation is useful as a potential tool for obtaining colder electron temperatures and characterizing plasma parameters. A theoretical treatment of evaporation has been developed for atomic gases and has been applied to a one-component plasma system. We numerically investigate whether such an adapted theory is applicable to ultracold neutral plasmas. We find that it is not due to the violation of fundamental assumptions of the model. The details of our calculations and a discussion of the implications for a simple description of the electron evaporation rate in ultracold plasmas are presented.
Social insurance, private health insurance and individual welfare

Abstract This paper studies the impact of social insurance on individual choices and welfare in a dynamic general equilibrium model with uncertain medical expenses and individual health insurance choices. I find that social insurance (modeled as the combination of a minimum consumption floor and the Medicaid program) does not only distort saving and labor supply decisions, but also has a large crowding out effect on the demand for private health insurance. However, despite the distorting effects, the net welfare consequence of eliminating social insurance is still negative in most cases. In addition, the large crowding out effect on private health insurance suggests that the existence of social insurance programs may be one reason why some Americans do not buy any health insurance.
Using Ice and Dust Lines to Constrain the Surface Densities of Protoplanetary Disks

We present a novel method for determining the surface density of protoplanetary disks through consideration of disk 'dust lines' which indicate the observed disk radial scale at different observational wavelengths. This method relies on the assumption that the processes of particle growth and drift control the radial scale of the disk at late stages of disk evolution such that the lifetime of the disk is equal to both the drift timescale and growth timescale of the maximum particle size at a given dust line. We provide an initial proof of concept of our model through an application to the disk TW Hya and are able to estimate the disk dust-to-gas ratio, CO abundance, and accretion rate in addition to the total disk surface density. We find that our derived surface density profile and dust-to-gas ratio are consistent with the lower limits found through measurements of HD gas. The CO ice line also depends on surface density through grain adsorption rates and drift and we find that our theoretical CO ice line estimates have clear observational analogues. We further apply our model to a large parameter space of theoretical disks and find three observational diagnostics that may be used to test its validity. First we predict that the dust lines of disks other than TW Hya will be consistent with the normalized CO surface density profile shape for those disks. Second, surface density profiles that we derive from disk ice lines should match those derived from disk dust lines. Finally, we predict that disk dust and ice lines will scale oppositely, as a function of surface density, across a large sample of disks.
GMM Gradient Tests for Spatial Dynamic Panel Data Models

Abstract In this study, we formulate adjusted gradient tests when the alternative model used to construct tests deviates from the true data generating process for a spatial dynamic panel data (SDPD) model. Following Bera et al. (2010), we introduce these adjusted gradient tests along with their standard counterparts within a generalized method of moments framework. These tests can be used to detect the presence of (i) the contemporaneous spatial lag terms, (ii) the time lag term, and (iii) the spatial time lag terms in a high order SDPD model. These adjusted tests have two advantages: (i) their null asymptotic distribution is a central chi-squared distribution irrespective of the mis-specified alternative model, and (ii) their test statistics are computationally simple and require only the ordinary least-squares estimates from a non-spatial two-way panel data model. We investigate the finite sample size and power properties of these tests through a Monte Carlo study. Our results indicates that the adjusted gradient tests have good finite sample properties. Finally, using an application from the empirical growth literature we complement our findings.
Mass Mobilization and the Durability of New Democracies

The “elitist approach” to democratization contends that “democratic regimes that last have seldom, if ever, been instituted by mass popular actors” (Huntington 1984:212). This article subjects this...
INSURANCE STATUS AFFECTS POST-OPERATIVE MORBIDITY AND COMPLICATION RATE AFTER KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

Introduction Hip arthroplasty is one of the most common procedures performed every year however complications do occur. Prior studies have examined the impact of insurance status on complications after TJA in small or focused cohorts. The purpose of our study was to utilize a large all-payer inpatient healthcare database to evaluate the effect of patient insurance status on complications following hip arthroplasty. Methods Data was obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2004 and 2011. Analysis included patients undergoing hip arthroplasty procedures determined by ICD-9 procedure codes. Patient demographics and comorbidities were analyzed and stratified by insurance type. The primary outcome was medical complications, surgical complications and mortality during the same hospitalization. A secondary analysis was performed using a matched cohort comparing patients with Medicare vs private insurance using the coarsened exact matching algorithm. Pearson9s chi-squared test and multivariate regression were performed. Results Overall, 1,011,184 (64.8% Medicare, 29.3% private insurance, 3.7% Medicaid or uninsured, 2.0% Other) patients fulfilled criteria for inclusion into the study. Most were primary total hip arthroplasties (64.2%) and primary hip hemiarthroplasty (29.8%), with 6% revision hip arthroplasties. Multivariate regression analysis showed that patients with private insurance had fewer complications (OR 0.8, p= Conclusion This data reveals that patients with Medicare, Medicaid or no insurance have higher risk of medical complications, surgical complications and mortality following hip arthroplasty. Using a matched cohort to directly compare Medicare and private insurance patients, the risk of postoperative complications are similar and generally low with the notable exception of the most common complication, postoperative anemia, which occurs more frequently in patients with Medicare.
Sex differences in cardiovascular risk profiles of ischemic stroke patients with diabetes in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study.

Background We aimed to compare sex-specific associations between cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes mellitus (DM) among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study (GCNKSS). Methods The GCNKSS ascertained AIS cases in 2005 and 2010 among adult (age ≥20 years) residents of a biracial population of 1.3 million. Past and current stroke risk factors were compared between those with and without DM using chi-square and multiple logistic regression to examine sex-specific profiles. Results There were 3515 patients with incident AIS; 1919 (55%) were female, 697 (20%) were black, and 1146 (33%) had DM. Among both women and men with DM, significantly more were obese, and had hypertension, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with those without DM. For women with AIS, in multivariable sex-specific adjusted analyses, older age was associated with a decreased odds of having DM (aOR=0.88, 95%CI 0.80-0.98). For women with CAD, the odds of DM were increased (aOR=1.76, 95%CI 1.33-2.32). Age and CAD were not significant factors in differentiating the profiles of men with and without DM. Conclusions Women with DM had strokes at a younger age, whereas no such age difference existed in men. As opposed to men, women with DM were also more likely to have CAD compared with those without DM, suggesting a sex difference in the association between DM and vascular disease. These findings may suggest a need for more aggressive risk factor management in diabetic women.
Utilizing green energy prediction to schedule mixed batch and service jobs in data centers

As brown energy costs grow, renewable energy becomes more widely used. Previous work focused on using immediately available green energy to supplement the non-renewable, or brown energy at the cost of canceling and rescheduling jobs whenever the green energy availability is too low [16]. In this paper we design an adaptive data center job scheduler which utilizes short term prediction of solar and wind energy production. This enables us to scale the number of jobs to the expected energy availability, thus reducing the number of cancelled jobs by 4x and improving green energy usage efficiency by 3x over just utilizing the immediately available green energy.
Reinstated episodic context guides sampling-based decisions for reward

How does experience inform decisions? In episodic sampling, decisions are guided by a few episodic memories of past choices. This process can yield choice patterns similar to model-free reinforcement learning; however, samples can vary from trial to trial, causing decisions to vary. Here we show that context retrieved during episodic sampling can cause choice behavior to deviate sharply from the predictions of reinforcement learning. Specifically, we show that, when a given memory is sampled, choices (in the present) are influenced by the properties of other decisions made in the same context as the sampled event. This effect is mediated by fMRI measures of context retrieval on each trial, suggesting a mechanism whereby cues trigger retrieval of context, which then triggers retrieval of other decisions from that context. This result establishes a new avenue by which experience can guide choice and, as such, has broad implications for the study of decisions.
Flat vs. Expressive Storytelling: Young Children's Learning and Retention of a Social Robot's Narrative.

Prior research with preschool children has established that dialogic or active book reading is an effective method for expanding young children’s vocabulary. In this exploratory study, we asked whether similar benefits are observed when a robot engages in dialogic reading with preschoolers. Given the established effectiveness of active reading, we also asked whether this effectiveness was critically dependent on the expressive characteristics of the robot. For approximately half the children, the robot’s active reading was expressive; the robot’s voice included a wide range of intonation and emotion (Expressive). For the remaining children, the robot read and conversed with a flat voice, which sounded similar to a classic text-to-speech engine and had little dynamic range (Flat). The robot's movements were kept constant across conditions. We performed a verification study using Amazon Mechanical Turk to confirm that the Expressive robot was viewed as significantly more expressive, more emotional, and less passive than the Flat robot. We invited 45 preschoolers with an average age of 5 years who were either English Language Learners (ELL), bilingual, or native English speakers to engage in the reading task with the robot. The robot narrated a story from a picture book, using active reading techniques and including a set of target vocabulary words in the narration. Children were post-tested on the vocabulary words and were also asked to retell the story to a puppet. A subset of 34 children performed a second story retelling 4-6 weeks later. Children reported liking and learning from the robot a similar amount in the Expressive and Flat conditions. However, as compared to children in the Flat condition, children in the Expressive condition were more concentrated and engaged as indexed by their facial expressions; they emulated the robot's story more in their story retells; and they told longer stories during their delayed retelling. Furthermore, children who responded to the robot’s active reading questions were more likely to correctly identify the target vocabulary words in the Expressive condition than in the Flat condition. Taken together, these results suggest that children may benefit more from the expressive robot than from the flat robot.
Time-space tradeoffs for undirected graph traversal

Time-space tradeoffs for traversing undirected graphs are proved. One of these tradeoffs is a quadratic lower bound on a deterministic model that closely matches the probabilistic upper bound of A.Z. Broder et al. (1989). The models used are variants of S.A. Cook and C.W. Rackoff's (1980) jumping automata for graphs. Some open problems are stated. >
Segmentation of fluorescence microscopy images using three dimensional active contours with inhomogeneity correction

Image segmentation is an important step in the quantitative analysis of fluorescence microscopy data. Since fluorescence microscopy volumes suffer from intensity inhomogeneity, low image contrast and limited depth resolution, poor edge details, and irregular structure shape, segmentation still remains a challenging problem. This paper describes a nuclei segmentation method for fluorescence microscopy based on the use of three dimensional (3D) active contours with inhomogeneity correction. The correction information utilizes 3D volume information while addressing intensity inhomogeneity across vertical and horizontal directions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves better performance than other reported methods.
Attitude Control of a Flexible Triangular Truss in Space

Abstract Large structures are being considered for future missions in space. They will make efficient use of material and hence are likely to be quite flexible. Flexible structures are distributed parameter systems with infinite-dimensional discrete spectra. They are often approximated by using a finite number of modes. When this is done, using finite element methods, many more elements must be used than the number of modes required, to ensure acceptable accuracy in the required modes. In this paper, we derive an infinite dimensional model for a planar flexible structure, an equilateral triangular truss. Exact poles (natural frequencies) and zeros are determined for transfer functions from control torques to local attitude angles, and simple control logic is given that stabilizes the attitude and all the vibration modes.
Epididymal Metastasis From Prostatic Cancer

A case of prostatic adenocarcinoma metastasizing to the epididymis is described, and the literature is reviewed.
The Spectrum of Pheochromocytoma in Hypertensive Patients with Neurofibromatosis

We have found an appreciable number of pheochromocytomas in patients with neurofibromatosis and concurrent hypertension (ten of 18 cases). At diagnosis, the patient age range was 15 to 62 years, the clinical appearance of the neurofibromatosis did not predict who would and who would not have pheochromocytomas, but the age at diagnosis was helpful in that our younger patients tended to have causes of hypertension other than pheochromocytoma. However, several causes of hypertension may coexist. The biochemical findings were highly diagnostic. The pheochromocytomas secreted epinephrine as well as norepinephrine and resided in or next to the adrenal gland. Where pheochromocytoma is the cause of hypertension, its resection generally results in a better control of hypertension than that obtained in patients whose BPs were elevated from other unknown causes.
Strategic real options

Abstract I study hidden investment in quality in a dynamic persuasion game. A seller, such as a project manager or startup company, controls an asset and wants to convince a potential buyer, such as an acquiring company or a regulator, that it has high quality. The buyer observes exogenous news with quality-dependent drift and holds a call option on the asset; the seller is privately informed about quality and can wait (at a flow cost), upgrade (at a fixed cost) or exit the market. For low upgrade costs, multiple equilibria exist and exhibit novel reputational dynamics — resetting barriers and skew Brownian motion, a generalization of a reflected stochastic process. In one type of equilibrium, a seller with low quality waits until his reputation hits “rock bottom” and then upgrades with some probability, inducing upward reputational jumps in equilibrium; the seller may exit at an intermediate reputation. In a second type, the low quality seller mixes over exiting at low reputations and upgrading in an intermediate “sweet spot” region. The results suggest a social benefit to setting high expectations for effort when agents start with low reputations and help explain why agents respond to adversity in drastically different ways across environments.
Explaining Increases in Higher Education Costs

(2008). Explaining Increases in Higher Education Costs. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 79, No. 3, pp. 268-295.
Innovation, Openness, and Platform Control

Suppose that a firm in charge of a business ecosystem is a firm in charge of a microeconomy. To achieve the highest growth rate, how open should that economy be? To encourage third-party developers, how long should their intellectual property interests last? We develop a sequential innovation model that addresses the trade-offs inherent in these two decisions: i Closing the platform increases the sponsor's ability to charge for access, while opening the platform increases developer ability to build upon it. ii The longer third-party developers retain rights to their innovations, the higher the royalties they and the sponsor earn, but the sooner those developers' rights expire, the sooner their innovations become a public good upon which other developers can build. Our model allows us to characterize the optimal levels of openness and of intellectual property IP duration in a platform ecosystem. We use standard Cobb-Douglas production technologies to derive our results. These findings can inform innovation strategy, choice of organizational form, IP noncompete decisions, and regulation policy. This paper was accepted by Chris Forman, information systems.
Introduced American Bullfrog Distribution and Diets in Grand Teton National Park

Introduced American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) have been present in Grand Teton National Park since approximately the 1950s, but little is known about their distribution and potential impacts. In this study, we surveyed the current bullfrog distribution and spatial overlap with sympatric native amphibians in the park, and characterized post-metamorphic bullfrog diets from July–September 2015. Despite surveys in multiple large rivers and floodplain habitats, we only documented bullfrogs in a geothermal pond and 5 km of stream channel immediately downstream of this pond. In these waters, bullfrogs overlapped with native amphibians at the downstream end of their distribution, and we did not document native amphibians in bullfrog stomach contents. Larger bullfrogs (SVL ≥ 96 mm) primarily consumed native rodents (especially meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus), while smaller bullfrogs frequently consumed native invertebrates and less frequently consumed non-native invertebrates and fish. Taken together, these data indicate that the distribution and implications of the bullfrog invasion in Grand Teton National Park are currently localized to a small area, so these bullfrogs should therefore be vulnerable to eradication.
Remarks on quark-quark and quark-antiquark potentials

The quark-quark potential in antisymmetrical color states and the quark-antiquark potential in color-singlet states are given to the fourth order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. We have also corrected an error involving the charge conjugation of color matrices in our recent derivation of the quark-antiquark potential for arbitrary color states.
Inhibition of intracellular lipolysis promotes human cancer cell adaptation to hypoxia

Tumor tissues are chronically exposed to hypoxia owing to aberrant vascularity. Lipid droplet (LD) accumulation is a hallmark of hypoxic cancer cells, yet how LDs form and function during hypoxia remains poorly understood. Herein, we report that in various cancer cells upon oxygen deprivation, HIF-1 activation down-modulates LD catabolism mediated by adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), the key enzyme for intracellular lipolysis. Proteomics and functional analyses identified hypoxia-inducible gene 2 (HIG2), a HIF-1 target, as a new inhibitor of ATGL. Knockout of HIG2 enhanced LD breakdown and fatty acid (FA) oxidation, leading to increased ROS production and apoptosis in hypoxic cancer cells as well as impaired growth of tumor xenografts. All of these effects were reversed by co-ablation of ATGL. Thus, by inhibiting ATGL, HIG2 acts downstream of HIF-1 to sequester FAs in LDs away from the mitochondrial pathways for oxidation and ROS generation, thereby sustaining cancer cell survival in hypoxia.
Effect of stage, comorbidities and treatment on survival among cancer patients with or without mental illness

BackgroundEarlier research suggests poorer outcome of cancer care among people with severe mental illness (SMI).AimsTo assess the effect of stage at presentation, comorbidities and treatment on differences in survival among cancer patients with and without a history of SMI in Finland.MethodThe total population with a first cancer diagnosis in 1990-2013 was drawn from the Finnish Cancer Registry. Hospital admissions because of SMI and deaths were obtained from administrative registers. We calculated Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression models to examine survival differences.ResultsWe found excess mortality in people with a history of psychotic and substance use disorders. Cancer stage and comorbidity did not explain mortality differences. Controlling for cancer treatment decreased the differences. The mortality gap between patients with psychosis and cancer patients without SMI increased over time.ConclusionsIntegrated medical and psychiatric care is needed to improve outcomes of cancer care among patients with SMI.
Changes in Adult BMI and Waist Circumference Are Associated with Increased Risk of Advanced Colorectal Neoplasia

Waist circumference (WC) is a stronger predictor of colon cancer (CRC) risk than body mass index (BMI). However, how well change in either WC or BMI predicts risk of advanced colorectal neoplasia (AN) is unclear. To determine the relationship between change in BMI and WC from early adulthood to later age and the risk of AN and which change measure is a stronger predictor. In 4500 adults, ages 50–80, with no previous neoplasia and undergoing screening colonoscopy, BMI and WC at age 21 and at time of screening were reported. Changes in BMI and WC were defined using universal risk cutoffs. Known CRC risk factors were controlled in the logistic models. Overall, model statistics showed WC change (omnibus test χ 2 = 10.15, 2 DF, p value = 0.006) was a statistically stronger predictor of AN than BMI change (omnibus test χ 2 = 5.66, 5 DF, p value = 0.34). Independent of BMI change, participants who increased WC (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.05–1.96) or maintained a high-risk WC (OR 2.50; 95% CI 1.38–4.53) at age 21 and at screening had an increased risk of AN compared to those with a low-risk WC. Study participants who were obese at age 21 and at screening had an increased risk of AN (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.08–3.23) compared to those who maintained a healthy BMI. Maintaining an overweight BMI or increasing BMI was not associated with AN. Maintaining an unhealthy BMI and WC throughout adult life may increase risk of AN. WC change may be a better predictor of AN than BMI change.
Hedge Fund Regulation and Fund Governance: Evidence on the Effects of Mandatory Disclosure Rules

This paper uses three alternating changes in hedge fund regulation to study whether regulation reduces hedge funds’ misreporting, and, if so, why regulation is effective. Relative to public companies, hedge fund regulation is relatively light. Much of the regime is a “comply‐or‐explain” framework that allows funds to forego compliance with governance rules, providing that they disclose their lack of compliance. The results show that regulation reduces misreporting at hedge funds. Further analysis suggests that the disclosure requirements led funds to make changes in their internal governance, such as hiring or switching the fund's auditor, and that these changes induced funds to report their financial performance more accurately.
The Unbounded Benefit of Encoder Cooperation for the $k$ -User MAC

Cooperation strategies allow communication devices to work together to improve network capacity. Consider a network consisting of $k$ encoders, a multiple access channel (MAC), a decoder, and a node, referred to as a “cooperation facilitator” (CF), that is connected to each encoder via a pair of rate-limited links, with one link going from the encoder to the CF and the other link going back. Let the “cooperation rate” be the total outgoing rate of the CF. This paper demonstrates the existence of a class of MACs where the ratio of the sum-capacity gain to cooperation rate tends to infinity as the cooperation rate tends to zero. For any $k\geq 2$ , examples of channels in this class include the $k$ -user binary adder MAC and the $k$ -user Gaussian MAC.
The Effects of Rent Control Expansion on Tenants, Landlords, and Inequality: Evidence from San Francisco

Using a 1994 law change, we exploit quasi-experimental variation in the assignment of rent control in San Francisco to study its impacts on tenants and landlords. Leveraging new data tracking individuals' migration, we find rent control limits renters' mobility by 20 percent and lowers displacement from San Francisco. Landlords treated by rent control reduce rental housing supplies by 15 percent by selling to owner-occupants and redeveloping buildings. Thus, while rent control prevents displacement of incumbent renters in the short run, the lost rental housing supply likely drove up market rents in the long run, ultimately undermining the goals of the law.
Functional compensation between hematopoietic stem cell clones in vivo

In most organ systems, regeneration is a coordinated effort that involves many stem cells, but little is known about whether and how individual stem cells compensate for the differentiation deficiencies of other stem cells. Functional compensation is critically important during disease progression and treatment. Here, we show how individual hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) clones heterogeneously compensate for the lymphopoietic deficiencies of other HSCs in a mouse. This compensation rescues the overall blood supply and influences blood cell types outside of the deficient lineages in distinct patterns. We find that highly differentiating HSC clones expand their cell numbers at specific differentiation stages to compensate for the deficiencies of other HSCs. Some of these clones continue to expand after transplantation into secondary recipients. In addition, lymphopoietic compensation involves gene expression changes in HSCs that are characterized by increased lymphoid priming, decreased myeloid priming, and HSC self-renewal. Our data illustrate how HSC clones coordinate to maintain the overall blood supply. Exploiting the innate compensation capacity of stem cell networks may improve the prognosis and treatment of many diseases.