cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
General model for calcite growth kinetics in the presence of impurity ions

Abstract The concentrations of Sr, Mg and other elements in calcite are widely used to infer the conditions of mineral growth. However, such inferences are dependent on the mechanisms that govern the incorporation of minor constituents into the calcite lattice during growth. A particularly confusing observation is that both Sr and Mg are readily incorporated into growing calcite crystals at low concentrations but inhibit calcite growth at higher concentrations. Here we show that the growth rate dependence of Sr and Mg incorporation into calcite, as well the inhibitory effects on calcite growth of both incorporating and non-incorporating ions, can be predicted with an ion-by-ion crystal growth model where ion attachment is confined to kink sites on the crystal surface. The exchange of ions between active growth (kink) sites on the mineral surface and aqueous solution governs both the efficiency of incorporation of minor constituents and the kinetics of mineral precipitation. Ions such as Sr and Mg in calcite, that are not stoichiometric constituents, may attach to kink sites and impede crystal growth by either blocking propagation of the kink (kink blocking), or if incorporated into the growing mineral, straining the local crystal lattice, and hence increasing the mineral solubility (incorporation inhibition). Here we investigate the effects of including these growth inhibition mechanisms into a microscopic model for crystal growth based on kink creation, propagation and collision (CPC) theory. This model predicts that kink blocking by either incorporated or non-incorporated ions causes an exponential decrease in mineral growth rate with increasing impurity concentration, while incorporation inhibition results in more complicated functional forms of the growth rate effect depending on the thermodynamics of the solid solution. Applying this model to existing data on the partitioning of strontium and magnesium into calcite and the simultaneous effects on growth kinetics and mineral composition, we find that strontium uptake inhibits growth by enhancing mineral solubility while magnesium inhibits growth primarily by kink blocking. Our model should be widely applicable to understanding the impurity content of a large range of sparingly soluble minerals that form by precipitation from aqueous solutions.
NoRSE: noise reduction and state evaluator for high-frequency single event traces

Summary: NoRSE was developed to analyze high-frequency datasets collected from multistate, dynamic expts., such as mol. adsorption and desorption onto carbon nanotubes. As technol. improves sampling frequency, these stochastic datasets become increasingly large with faster dynamic events. More efficient algorithms are needed to accurately locate the unique states in each time trace. NoRSE adapts and optimizes a previously published noise redn. algorithm and uses a custom peak flagging routine to rapidly identify unique event states. The algorithm is explained using exptl. data from our lab and its fitting accuracy and efficiency are then shown with a generalized model of stochastic datasets. The algorithm is compared to another recently published state finding algorithm and is found to be 27 times faster and more accurate over 55% of the generalized exptl. space. NoRSE is written as an M-file for Matlab. [on SciFinder(R)]
IN-PLANE TEXTURING IN SPUTTERED FILMS

Films consisting of Mo, Cr, and Ta have all been found to display well-defined biaxial textures when grown under certain conditions. A well-defined out-of-plane texture evolves within the first ~ 100 nm of the film, followed by the evolution of a preferred crystallographic orientation in the plane of the film. These effect were studied using X-ray pole figure analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), transmission electron diffraction (TED), and high resolution grazing incidence X-ray scattering (GIXS). It has been found that in-plane texture evolves only when there is, on average, oblique adatom flux incident onto the substrate. Further, the type of out-of-plane texture can be controlled by altering the deposition conditions. Parameters including cathode-to-substrate distance, deposition rate, average angle of adatom incidence, and sputter gas pressure, have been shown to determine the type out-of-plane texture, as well as the rate of in-plane texture evolution. The studies conducted have shown that it is possible to create and control biaxially textured films and multilayers made of a variety of materials. A recent model which describes this phenomena is discussed.
Near-Inertial Wave Interactions with Mean Flow and Bottom Topography near Caryn Seamount

Abstract Velocity measurements near Caryn Seamount in the Sargasso Sea reveal intensified mean and near-inertial motions in the upper ocean. Embedded in a regional eastward flow is an anticyclonic eddy that appears to be tied to the topography. An energetic downward-propagating near-inertial wave packet is found at the eddy's base. This wave appears to be trapped in the eddy, undergoing critical-layer amplification as it tries to leave. Near the bottom, enhanced upgoing near-inertial wave energy is found within 1000 m of the top of the seamount.
The Rearing Environment

Although it often seems like larval marine fish are programmed to die, they actually are programmed to live and try very hard to do so. They can succeed if not overwhelmed by individual defects or environmental and nutritional handicaps. In raising marine fish, we hope to simulate the best conditions that nature could provide and sometimes have an opportunity to do better, but more often, compromises must be made because of siting, engineering, or economic constraints.
The Adverse Event of Unaddressed Medical Error

In this article, Professor Liang, using a systems analysis paradigm, reviews failures in medicine and law and concludes there has been a significant adverse policy event: a health delivery system where medical error is broadly unaddressed. After a review of the basic concepts of error incidence and analysis, he discusses system holes and failures represented by medical culture, risk management, and the JCAHO sentinel event policy. He then turns to legal holes, including medical liability, independent contractor law, privilege law, and federal medical privacy provisions. On the basis of these findings, he proposes a federal solution that centers on voluntary reporting of errors with a focus on near misses, an infrastructure that does not involve entities that can sanction, a systems-based medical culture and educational approach, publication of patient safety efforts as a competitive characteristic, replacing the tort system with a mediation-based system that promotes opens communication between providers and patients as well as compensates injured patients rapidly, and Congressional reform of medical privacy provisions to facilitate patient safety work.
Understanding Retained Patronage Refunds in Agricultural Cooperatives: Comment

investment in his cooperative and in his own farming operations. The assumption is naive, as is generally admitted (p. 33). The applicability of the model depends upon the validity of the following two assumptions: (a) the patronage refund policy is determined by the median member and reflects his preferences, and (b) the median cooperative member attempts to equalize risk-adjusted returns on assets invested in the farm and cooperative. The assumption that the median farmer member controls the patronage refund policy is invalid because he/she cannot control how much is paid in cash. The manager and board which represent the members must take into consideration the need for funds for debt service, retirement of "old" equity, and cash flow as well as replacements and additions. Therefore, the banker may exercise the dominant influence on the decision. Also, the accounting practice followed for handling patronage refunds received from other cooperatives becomes a limiting factor on the amount of cash patronage refund a particular cooperative can pay. Patronage refunds are considered as income in the year received, even though part is in paper. In 1978 patronage refunds received by local cooperatives in Misouri were 71% of all their net income, but only 40% was in cash. Hence, the locals could pay no more than 57% of their net earnings in cash unless they borrowed or used cash generated from depreciation and similar accounts. Income from other
Through the Lens of Katrina Long-Term Disaster Recovery in the United States

This article serves to provide background information on Hurricane Katrina and to introduce the content of each substantive article in this issue.
Polypropylene Vials for Preserving Fungi in Liquid Nitrogen

(1978). Polypropylene Vials for Preserving Fungi in Liquid Nitrogen. Mycologia: Vol. 70, No. 5, pp. 1122-1124.
Heliothis spp.: Behavior of Prepupae and Emergence of Adults from Different Soils at Different Moisture Levels

Prepupae and newly formed pupae of the bollwom, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), were allowed to enter 3 types of soil or were manually buried in the soils and were then exposed to 3 simulated regimes of rainfall. Soil type did not affect emergence, but there were significant differences in emergence when the prepupae were allowed to form their own pupation cells or were manually buried. The depth at which the pupae were buried was insignificant, but the regime of rainfall affected emergence of moths of both species. In prepupal behavior tests, both species moved further from the release point on smooth and packed soils compared to rough, soft soil.
The Dynamic Association of RNA Polymerase II with Initiation, Elongation, and RNA Processing Factors during the Transcription Cycle

The transcription of protein encoding genes by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is a complex and highly regulated process. RNAPII and several of its associated general transcription factors (GTFs), including TBP, TFIIB, TFIIF, and TFIIH are sufficient for recognition and low levels of accurate transcription from common core promoter elements in vitro (Roeder, 1996 and Orphanides et al., 1996). However, in addition to these factors necessary for basal transcription initiation, accurately regulated transcription requires additional cofactors which assemble into various complexes to mediate the communication between DNA-binding activators, as well as repressors, and RNAPII. The precise manner in which the RNAPII transcription machinery is assembled upon a region of DNA determines the ability of RNAPII to initiate the synthesis of mRNA at a specific location and with a defined frequency and processivity. The dynamic nature of the RNAPII holoenzyme and the ever-increasing number of RNAPII-associated factors being identified that regulate transcription at the levels of initiation, elongation, and processing will be discussed in this chapter.
Low Threshold, High To GaInAsP p-DCC Lasers

Long wavelength (1.3 – 1.55 um) diode lasers have exhibited an undesirably sensitive temperature dependence of threshold current, the so-called TO problem. Several mechanisms have been investigated as the source of this -behavior, including carrier leakage and Auger recombination. In this paper we propose and demonstrate a new device, the p-DCC laser, which is grown on p-type substrates using a three-melt LPE technique. This diode exhibits a threshold comparable to conventional GalnAsP lasers, but with a high TQ (180 K for 1.3 urn lasers). We believe that this performance of the p-DCC structure is the result of improved carrier confinement and cooling of hot carriers.
Learning and Evolution in Games: Adaptive Heuristics

‘Adaptive heuristics’ are simple behavioural rules that are directed towards payoff improvement but may be less than fully rational. The number and variety of such rules are virtually unlimited; here we survey several prominent examples drawn from psychology, computer science, statistics and game theory. Of particular interest are the informational inputs required by different learning rules and the forms of equilibrium to which they lead. We shall begin by considering very primitive heuristics, such as reinforcement learning, and work our way up to more complex forms, such as hypothesis testing, which still, however, fall well short of perfectly rational learning.
Geometric Continuity II

This chapter discusses the concept of geometric continuity. Two symmetric parabolas are combined to form a composite curve c. This curve is C 1 over the knot sequence. However, it does not form a C 2 piecewise polynomial curve over those two intervals: for two parabolas to form a C 2 piecewise quadratic curve, they must both be a part of one global parabola. Differential geometry teaches us that c can be reparametrized so that the new parameter is arc length. Some equations provide one handy characterization for G 2 curves. It is worthwhile to point out that the use of arc length is not at all important for this purpose; it is used for its proximity to differential geometry. One can say that a curve is G 2 if it is C 2 in regard to some parameterization.
One Dimensional Case

This chapter considers physical systems with one degree of freedom. The fractional part of the product of a large real number t and a random variable X, (tX)(mod 1), is studied in detail in Sect. 3.1. The random variable (tX)(mod 1) converges in the weak-star topology to a distribution uniform on [0, 1] if and only if the characteristic function of X vanishes at infinity (Theorem 3.2, Kemperman). A necessary and sufficient condition for convergence in the variation distance is that X have a density (Theorem 5.3). Convergence may take place at very slow rates (Proposition 3.8). Yet if the density of X has bounded variation, convergence is at a rate at least linear in t−1 (Theorem 3.9, Kemperman). Convergence may take place at faster rates for specific families of random variables (Proposition 3.11). Furthermore, there exists a family of random variables for which (tX)(mod 1) is identically uniform once t passes a certain threshold (Theorem 3.14).
Birth Trauma to the Scalp and Skull

A healthy, 30 year old G1P1 woman gives birth to a full-term, 8-lb boy. Her labor is complicated by shoulder dystocia, requiring vacuum-assisted extraction.
Monolithic, GaInNAsSb VCSELs at 1.46 μm on GaAs by MBE

Lasing at 1.460 µm from a monolithic, GaInNAsSb vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), the longest wavelength on GaAs to date, is demonstrated. Threshold current was 0.58 A (17 kA/cm2), pulsed with a duty cycle of 0.1%. The VCSEL was cooled to reach threshold, from 700 mA at 0°C to 580 mA at −10°C.
The Meaning and Significance of Citizenship in a Transnational World: Implications for Public Administration

AbstractWhat are the meaning and significance of national citizenship in an increasingly global society? That question is not easily answered, but the clear implication is that the world as we know it in the late 20th Century may have made national citizenship less meaningful, significant, and useful as a category within which to understand one’s public obligations, both as a citizen and as an employee of the citizenry. In this paper, we explore the question of national citizenship because the world in which we live seems to transcend the boundaries of the nation-state with ever-increasing speed and pervasiveness. We define legal and ethical citizenship and review the general arguments against national citizenship as a meaningful and significant concept and role. We proceed to consider positive proposals for alternative postnational constructs and discuss the implications of a transnational view of citizenship for public administrators and public administrative ethics.
Penicillium Species and Their Associated Mycotoxins

Penicillium are very diverse and cosmopolite fungi, about 350 species are recognized within this genus. It is subdivided in four subgenera Aspergilloides, Penicillium, Furcatum, and Biverticillium; recently the first three has been included in Penicillium genus, and Biverticillium under Talaromyces. They occur worldwide and play important roles as decomposers of organic materials, cause destructive rots in the food industry where produces a wide range of mycotoxins; they are considered enzyme factories, and common indoor air irritants. In terms of human health are rarely associated as human pathogen because they hardly growth at 37°, while the main risk is related to ingestion of food contaminated by mycotoxins produced by several species of Penicillium. Various mycotoxins can occur in foods and feeds contaminated by Penicillium species, the most important are ochratoxin A and patulin; for which regulation are imposed in a number of countries, and at a less extent cyclopiazonic acid. In this chapter we summarize the main aspect of the morphology, ecology and toxigenicity of Penicillium foodborne mycotoxigenic species which belong mainly in subgenus Penicillium sections Brevicompacta, Chrysogena, Fasciculata, Penicillium, and Roquefortorum.
The Autologous Mixed Lymphocyte Reaction

At the turn of the century, Ehrlich (1957) proposed that the immunity to autologous antigen is highly abnormal and would result in a disease process. At midcentury, Burnet (1959) proposed his immunologic theory of clonal selection, which included deletion of autoreactive clones during ontogeny. According to this theory, autoantibodies and other autoimmune reactions are the result of the appearance of forbidden clones secondary to somatic mutation. However, in the last 15 years, there has been increasing evidence that immune reactions are driven by recognition of both self and nonself antigens. A number of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted immune reactions demonstrated the requirement of identity at the MHC loci for interactions between lymphocytes and macrophages. Thus, lymphocyte receptors for autologous MHC determinants play a crucial role in the recognition and effector phase of immune response.
Beyond Dualism and Monism: Bergson's Slanted Being

There is an old but still unresolved debate pertaining to the question of Bergsonian monism or dualism. Scholars who think that Bergson is ultimately monist clash with those who claim that he has consistently maintained a dualist position. Others speak of contradiction and point out his failure to reconcile dualism with monism. What feeds on the debate is Bergson’s undeniable change of direction: while his first book is flagrantly dualist, his second book takes a sharp turn toward monism. Without denying the intricacy generated by the change of direction, this paper argues that the originality of his position is overlooked every time that the problem is presented in terms of Bergson being dualist or monist. Notably, it contends that Bergson’s third book, Creative Evolution , overcomes both dualism and monism by removing their contradiction through a durational or slanted approach to Being.
Space, Land, Territory, and the Study of the Bible

In this brief volume, Stephen C. Russell introduces biblical scholars to the interdisciplinary study of space and its related concepts, including land and territory. He summarizes several approaches to the study of space, focussing especially on the work of Henri Lefebvre.
Diverticulitis of the Colon

Mainly a disease of Westernized nations, colonic diverticulitis essentially refers to a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from being asymptomatic in the vast majority of patients to about 1% requiring surgical intervention, sometimes acutely in the setting of perforation and subsequent generalized peritonitis. In this chapter, diverticular perforation with peritonitis or abscess formation, fistulization to the bladder or vagina and colonic structuring that define complicated diverticular disease are all discussed along with the diagnosis and management.
Traits affecting postweaning weight gain and feed intake of primiparous sows

Seventy-six primiparous Duroc and Landrace sows from two genetic lines with or without selection for improved sow productivity were used to identify sow traits that affect postweaning gain (positive or negative) and feed intake. Sows lost weight (P < .01) and consumed less feed (P < .01) during wk 1 postweaning (37 d) compared with wk 2, 3, and 4. Sows gained more weight during wk 2 and 3 (P e .01) than during wk 4. Weekly feed consumption was similar during wk 2 and 4 and highest during wk 3 (P e .05). Sow weight gain postweaning was predicted by sow weaning weight (P e .Ol) and adjusted 214 litter weight (P e .OS) during wk 1, wk 1 to 2, and wk 1 to 4 feeding periods. Feed consumption was best predicted by adjusted litter weaning weight (P e .Ol), sow weaning weight (P e .Ol), average backfat at farrowing (P < .Ol), average backfat change (P e .OS), and adjusted 214 litter weight (P < .05). Feed intake was positively correlated (P < .01; r = .77) and sow weight at breeding, farrowing, and weaning was negatively correlated (P < .05; r = -.23, -.21, and -.26, respectively) with sow weight gain. Average backfat at weaning was negatively correlated (P < .05) with gain and feed intake during each period. Adjusted 21-d litter weight and adjusted litter weaning weight were positively correlated with postweaning feed intake (P e .05; r = .22 and .23, respectively). These results suggest that sows that weigh less at weaning, wean heavier litters, or lose more backfat during lactation gain more weight and consume more feed postweaning than sows that are less
Saudi Arabian Foreign Policy: Conflict and Cooperation

This volume — very much the work of Neil Partrick, who, far from merely acting as editor, wrote more than half of it — offers the sort of detailed survey and assessment of bilateral relations betwe...
Meeting twenty-first century robotics and automation workforce needs in the USA

Recently, educators have worked to improve Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at all levels, but challenges remain. Capitalizing on the appeal of robotics is one strategy proposed to increase STEM interest. The interdisciplinary nature of robots, which involve motors, sensors, and programs, makes robotics a useful STEM pedagogical tool. There is also a significant need for industrial certification programs in robotics. Robots are increasingly used across industry sectors to improve production throughputs while maintaining product quality. The benefits of robotics, however, depend on workers with up-to-date knowledge and skills to maintain and use existing robots, enhance future technologies, and educate users. It is critical that education efforts respond to the demand for robotics specialists by offering courses and professional certification in robotics and automation . The initiative presented here introduces a new approach for Industrial Robotics in Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) programs at Michigan Tech and Bay de Noc Community College. The curriculum and software developed by this collaboration of 2- and 4-year institutions match industry needs and provide a replicable model for programs in the USA. This project also addresses the need for certified robotic training centers (CRTCs) and provides curriculum and training opportunities for students from other institutions, industry representatives, and displaced workers.
A multiphysics optimization approach to design low noise and light weight electric powertrain noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) prediction of electric powertrain using finite element analysis (FEA) and optimization

This paper presents a multiphysics modeling approach to design an electric powertrain assembly in order to predict its NVH performance and perform optimization to minimize noise while keeping weight under control. The powertrain assembly contains two components — synchronous motor and a geartrain. Numerical simulation approach involves three steps; 1. A two-dimensional (2D) finite element electromagnetic analysis (FEA) of motor to predict harmonic excitations in frequency domain on stator and rotor; 2. A three-dimensional (3D) structural harmonic analysis of the powertrain assembly to predict the structure's dynamic response3. Harmonic acoustic analysis to model noise radiation due to vibration of assembly by transferring surface excitation velocities to 3D domain of air around the assembly. The excitation spectrum for the gearbox are taken from [1]. An average A-weighted sound pressure level (SPLA) sound is predicted at 1.5-meter distance from assembly. Comparison of results between motor alone and full powertrain assembly is carried out to show the effect of coupling of motor with geartrain. Finally, optimization is done for identified geometry parameters to minimize SPLA while keeping the weight in acceptable range.
Undisclosed conflicts of interest among biomedical textbook authors

Background: Textbooks are a formative resource for health care providers during their education and are also an enduring reference for pathophysiology and treatment. Unlike the primary literature a...
Model-based fusion of bone and air sensors for speech enhancement and robust speech recognition.

We present a probabilistic framework that uses a bone sensor and air microphone to perform speech enhancement for robust speech recognition. The system exploits advantages of both sensors: the noise resistance of the bone sensor, and the linearity of the air microphone. In this paper we describe the general properties of the bone sensor relative to conventional air sensors. We propose a model capable of adapting to the noise conditions, and evaluate performance using a commercial speech recognition system. We demonstrate considerable improvements in recognition – from a baseline of 57% up to nearly 80% word accuracy – for four subjects on a difficult condition with background speaker interference.
Fat Storage and Fat Metabolism in Relation to Migration

The pivotal role played by fat in suppyling energy for migration in birds has been appreciated for nearly 4 decades and reviewed extensively (Odum and Perkinson 1951; King and Farner 1956; Berthold 1976; Blem 1976, 1980; Dawson et al. 1983). The basic biochemistry, physiology, and bioenergetics of migratory fattening have been identified; yet, the regulatory mechanisms involved remain obscure. On the one hand, the behavioral and physiological functions associated with migration are thought by some to be an expression of an endogenous (genetic) program that relies little upon cues from the environment (Berthold 1985). Conversely, environmental information is regarded by others as playing an instrumental role in the regulation of such migratory functions as hyperphagia, fattening, and Zugunruhe (nocturnal restlessness) (Stetson and Erickson 1972; Schwabl and Farner 1989a,b; Wingfield, this Vol.). Recently, Wingfield et al. (this Vol.) proposed a scheme for classifying environmental and endogenous factors that regulate migratory phenomenon. Specifically, vernal (spring) fattening is triggered by initial predictive factors that include an increase in photoperiod and endogenous programs (Wingfield et al., this Vol.). However, the supplementary factors that guide the progression and termination of both vernal and autumnal fattening are not well understood.
UNDERSTANDING THE SOURCES AND IMPACTS OF TRUST IN E-COMMERCE: A META-ANALYSIS

Trust plays a vital role in e-commerce to encourage desired transaction attitudes and behaviors from consumers. Research on trust in e-commerce has employed many different theoretical frameworks and tested a variety of variables, resulting in fragmented findings. This study attempts to synthesize previous empirical findings regarding antecedents and consequents of trust in e-commerce. A meta-analysis is conducted. 52 empirical studies have been identified, and 207 effect sizes are collected and meta-analyzed. Implications for future research are also discussed.
Cost pass-through to higher ethanol blends at the pump: Evidence from Minnesota gas station data

Abstract We examine the pass-through of wholesale prices to retail prices in the market for E85, which contains 51%–83% ethanol, and in the much larger market for E10, which contains 10% ethanol. We use a panel dataset consisting of monthly observations from 2007 to March 2015 on wholesale and retail prices for 274 Minnesota gas stations that sell both E10 and E85. Consistent with prior research, the cumulative pass-through coefficient for E10 is 1.00 after one month. In contrast, the E85 market is sparse, and although pass-through increased over time, we estimate it to be only 0.53 statewide from 2012 to 2015. Pass-through is higher at stations with more local E85 competitors. In the Twin Cities, which has a high density of E85 stations, pass-through is nearly complete, but outside the Twin Cities slightly less than half the wholesale discount of E85, relative to E10, is passed on to the consumer.
Between Charity and Credit: The Evolution of the Neapolitan Banking System (Sixteenth–Seventeenth Century)

Faced with increasing demands for charity by the urban poor, on the one hand, and increased demands for funding by the government, on the other, the “non-profit” institutions in the Kingdom of Naples ultimately came up with a unique model of public banks that combined charity and credit. By providing services such as alms, dowries, food and milk for foundlings, accommodation, clothing, medical care, education and interest-free loans on pledge, they provided social shock absorbers. Operating as true businesses, they produced and sold goods, loaned money to the state, the city and individuals of all classes. As banks, they formed the base of the financial and credit system of the Kingdom of Naples in the sixteenth century, reinvesting profits from their activities into charitable services.
Ratiometric Fluorescence Coding for Multiplex Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing.

Although nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) has become the cornerstone for molecular diagnosis of diseases, expanding the multiplexed detection capacity of NAAT remains an important objective. To this end, encoding each nucleic acid target with a specific fluorescently labeled probe has been the most mature approach for multiplexed detection. Unfortunately, the number of targets that can be differentiated via this one-target-one-fluorophore multiplexed detection approach is restricted by spectral overlaps between fluorophores. In response, we present herein a new multiplexed detection approach termed ratiometric fluorescence coding, in which we encode each nucleic acid target with a specific ratio between two standard fluorophores. In ratiometric fluorescence coding, we employ the padlock probe chemistry to encode each nucleic acid target with a specific number of binding sites for two probes labeled with different fluorophores. Coupling the padlock probes with either rolling circle amplification (...
An intrinsic neural eye tracker in primary visual cortex

Summary Humans and other primates rely on eye movements to explore visual scenes and to track moving objects. As a result, the image that is projected onto the retina – and propagated throughout the visual cortical hierarchy – is almost constantly changing and makes little sense without taking into account the momentary direction of gaze. How is this achieved in the visual system? Here we show that in primary visual cortex (V1), the earliest stage of cortical vision, neural representations carry an embedded “eye tracker” that signals the direction of gaze associated with each image. Using chronically implanted multi-electrode arrays, we recorded the activity of neurons in V1 during tasks requiring fast (exploratory) and slow (pursuit) eye movements. Neurons were stimulated with flickering, full-field luminance noise at all times. As in previous studies 1-4, we observed neurons that were sensitive to gaze direction during fixation, despite comparable stimulation of their receptive fields. We trained a decoder to translate neural activity into metric estimates of (stationary) gaze direction. This decoded signal not only tracked the eye accurately during fixation, but also during fast and slow eye movements, even though the decoder had not been exposed to data from these behavioural states. Moreover, this signal lagged the real eye by approximately the time it took for new visual information to travel from the retina to cortex. Using simulations, we show that this V1 eye position signal could be used to take into account the sensory consequences of eye movements and map the fleeting positions of objects on the retina onto their stable position in the world.
The role of age, theory of mind, and linguistic ability in children's understanding of ownership.

The current study replicates and expands prior work on children’s ownership intuitions and explores whether variability in theory of mind and linguistic ability predicts patterns in children’s understanding of ownership. We tested children ages 4 to 6 and found age-related differences in ownership intuitions, but those differences were not significantly predicted by variability in theory of mind or linguistic ability. This report is the first to specifically investigate the cognitive competencies that contribute to the development of mature ownership concepts, and to replicate many of the core findings in the literature.
Optimal planning of the joint placement of photovoltaic panels and green roofs under climate change uncertainty

Abstract Photovoltaic (PV) panels directly convert sunlight into electricity; but, sunlight also heats the panels, negatively impacting their efficiency. Green roofs are vegetative layers grown on rooftops, mainly to provide added insulation on the roof to save energy. Green roofs also cool near-surface air temperature. Hence, the joint installation of PV panels and green roofs may potentially lead to higher efficiency of PV panels in certain climates. We develop a two-stage stochastic programming model to optimally place PV panels and green roofs under climate change uncertainty to maximize the overall profit from energy generated and saved. We calibrate the model using the literature, industry reports, and the data from different, at times conflicting, climate projections. We then conduct a case study for a mid-size city in the U.S., perform extensive sensitivity and robustness analyses and provide insights.
Cost Implications for Automaker Compliance of Zero Emissions Vehicle Requirements.

While there are many automotive regulations in the United States, few studies in the literature examine the interaction between different rules. We investigate the cost implications of enforcing th...
What impact do the proton pump inhibitors have on the efficacy of immune check point inhibitors in metastatic malignant melanoma

e21040Background: Acidic microenvironment facilitates the proliferation, progression, and metastasis of the tumors. Mouse models have shown that the proton pump inhibitors (PPI) cause neutralizatio...
Personalized Pricing as Monopolization

The advance of the information age will allow firms to engage in personalized pricing, a form of price discrimination that is profitable for firms, but unambiguously harmful to consumers. Antitrust can protect consumers from personalized pricing—also called perfect price discrimination—by condemning the steps firms must take to prevent resellers from undermining firms’ personalized pricing schemes. To personalize prices successfully, a firm must prevent those to whom the firm wishes to charge low prices from reselling the product to those to whom the firm wishes to charge high prices. Otherwise, resellers will compete away any difference in prices. But such steps amount to conduct that harms competitors—here, resellers—and ultimately the consumers who pay the personalized prices that result. A firm that personalizes prices must therefore do the three things that together constitute illegal monopolization under Section 2 of the Sherman Act: harm competition, and consumers, in order profitably to raise prices. The right to refuse to deal with competitors, which would normally exempt this conduct from antitrust scrutiny, does not apply to personalized pricing because an available remedy—an order prohibiting personalized pricing, but not forcing firms to sell to resellers—does not lead to the forced sharing and judicial price administration that the right to refuse to deal is meant to avoid.
Broad Protection of Pigs against Heterologous PRRSV Strains by a GP5-Mosaic DNA Vaccine Prime/GP5-Mosaic rVaccinia (VACV) Vaccine Boost

Background: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) viruses are a major cause of disease and economic loss in pigs worldwide. High genetic diversity among PRRSV strains is problematic for successful disease control by vaccination. Mosaic DNA and vaccinia (VACV) vaccines were developed in order to improve protection against heterologous PRRSV strains. Methods: Piglets were primed and boosted with GP5-Mosaic DNA vaccine and recombinant GP5-Mosaic VACV (rGP5-Mosaic VACV), respectively. Pigs vaccinated with rGP5-WT (VR2332) DNA and rGP5-WT VACV, or empty vector DNA and empty VACV respectively, served as controls. Virus challenge was given to separate groups of vaccinated pigs with VR2332 or MN184C. Necropsies were performed 14 days after challenge. Results: Vaccination with the GP5-Mosaic-based vaccines resulted in cellular reactivity and higher levels of neutralizing antibodies to both VR2332 and MN184C PRRSV strains. In contrast, vaccination of animals with the GP5-WT vaccines induced responses only to VR2332. Furthermore, vaccination with the GP5-Mosaic based vaccines resulted in protection against challenge with two heterologous virus strains, as demonstrated by the significantly lower viral loads in serum, tissues, porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids, and less severe lung lesions after challenge with either MN184C or VR2332, which have only 85% identity. In contrast, significant protection by the GP5-WT based vaccines was only achieved against the VR2332 strain. Conclusions: GP5-Mosaic vaccines, using a DNA-prime/VACV boost regimen, conferred protection in pigs against heterologous viruses.
CHAPTER 1-1 – THEORY OF NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE

Publisher Summary Apart from the use of atomic numbers and isotopic weights, the organic chemist has largely developed his subject without any special knowledge of the properties of atomic nuclei. The recent advent of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and, to a much lesser extent, microwave and pure quadrupole spectroscopy has altered this state of affairs, and organic chemists of the present generation have now to become acquainted with certain subjects hitherto the domain of the nuclear physicist and the spectroscopist. In a uniform magnetic field, the angular momentum of a nucleus is quantized, the nucleus taking up one of (2I + 1) orientations with respect to the direction of the applied field. Each orientation corresponds to a characteristic potential energy of the nucleus equal to μ. Ho.cos θ where Ho is the strength of the applied field and the angle θ is the angle that the spin axis of the nucleus makes with the direction of the applied field. I and μ define the number and energies of the possible spin states that the nuclei of a given isotope can take up in a magnetic field of known strength. A transition of a nucleus from one spin state to an adjacent state may occur by the absorption or emission of an appropriate quantum of energy.
Aloha made: the circulation of empire, plastic, and the visceral in Bishop Museum’s “Unreal Hawai‘i”

This article analyzes an exhibition at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, HI titled Unreal Hawai‘i: Hawai‘i in the Pacific Imagination. The exhibition juxtaposes tiki kitsch and appropriative print cul...
Language learning grit, achievement, and anxiety among L2 and L3 learners in Russia

Abstract Although most research into grit – an individual difference that encompasses perseverance and passion for achieving long-term goals – has taken a domain-general perspective (e.g., Duckworth et al., 2007), emerging interest in a domain-specific approach to grit (e.g., Clark & Malecki, 2019) provides the groundwork for research into language learning grit. Expanding upon this nascent line of research (e.g., Teimouri, Plonsky, & Tabandeh, in press), this exploratory study supports a two-dimensional factor structure of language learning grit and, given the superior criterion validity of the perseverance of effort (PE) grit subscale comparable to foreign language anxiety with regard to second (L2) and third (L3) language achievement and self-rated proficiency among 153 Russian undergraduates, a reconceptualization of – and further research into – grit as a language-domain-specific construct in second language acquisition (SLA).
Characterization of impact-induced forces and damage to bridge superstructures due to over-height collision

Abstract Over-height collisions into bridge superstructures often lead to structural damage, posing an immediate risk to the safety of motorists and functionality of bridges. To ensure that the bridge girders impacted by over-height vehicles are not compromised, it is essential to have an accurate assessment of the impact-induced loading demand. The current codes and specifications, however, lack the information necessary to estimate the impact forces that the bridge girders can experience during an over-height collision. To address this gap, a detailed investigation is conducted in the current study to (i) characterize the loading demand expected from various impacting objects, (ii) determine the range and variability of impact-induced forces (as a function of the velocity and size of the impacting objects), and (iii) develop a set of equations to predict the impact forces from over-height collisions into bridge superstructures. For this purpose, high-fidelity finite-element (FE) models are developed, covering four individual objects, i.e., concrete pipe, steel tank, PVC pipe, and wooden box container, in addition to a tractor-semitrailer. The structural performance of the bridge superstructures impacted by the identified objects is evaluated using several response measures, including impact force, internal shear, and damage pattern. The outcome of this study provides the input necessary for the design of new and the assessment of existing bridge superstructures against possible over-height collisions.
Optimal City Size and the Private-Social Wedge

The conventional wisdom is that market forces cause cities to be inefficiently large, and public policy should limit city sizes. The foundation for this argument is based on the unrealistic assumptions that city sites are homogeneous, federal taxes are absent, and individuals get free land to live on. Relaxing these assumptions we show that theoretically cities may be inefficiently small. This possibility is illustrated in a system of mono-centric cities with agglomeration economies in production. A calibrated model suggests that there are 30 percent too many cities and that large cities should be even larger, increasing welfare by roughly 1 percent of income.
Changing small group interaction through visual reflections of social behavior

People collaborating in groups have potential to produce higher-quality output than individuals working alone, due to the pooling of resources, information, and skills. Yet social psychologists have determined that groups rarely harness this potential. This thesis proposes that technology in face-to-face settings can be used to address the social factors that have damaging influence on group decision-making processes. While there is much work in the area of collaborative software and groupware, this work differentiates itself with its specific aim to influence the way a group shares information without mediating the group's communication. By presenting visualizations to the group of individual levels of participation and turn-taking behavior, the technology aims to augment the group's communication ability, by making it more aware of imbalances. A series of dynamic displays positioned peripherally to a discussion were developed and used by a variety of groups during face-to-face meetings. Both observational and experimental results indicate that these displays influence individual participation levels and the process of information sharing used during a decision-making discussion. A display revealing real-time participation levels caused those at the highest levels of participation to decrease the amount they spoke. Viewing a visualization of previous turn-taking patterns caused those who spoke the least to increase the amount they spoke in a subsequent discussion; real-time feedback did not produce this change. Additionally, after reviewing their turn-taking patterns, groups altered their information-sharing strategies. For groups that had poor sharing strategies on an initial task, this change improved their ability to share information related to the decision; for those who did not need intervention, feedback on turn-taking was not beneficial for their subsequent information sharing. The central finding of this research is that displays of social information, viewed during or after a meeting, bring about changes in a group's communication style, highlighting the potential for such displays to improve real-world decision-making. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Adaptive joint multiuser detection and channel estimation in multipath fading CDMA channels

The problem of joint multiuser detection and channel estimation in frequency-selective Rayleigh fading CDMA channels is considered. First the optimal multiuser detector for such channels is derived, which is seen to have a computational complexity exponential in the product of the number of users and the length of the transmitted data sequence. Two suboptimal detectors are then developed and analyzed, both of which employ decorrelating filters at the front-ends to eliminate the multiple-access interference and the multipath interference. The symbol-by-symbol detector uses a Kalman filter and decision feedback to track the fading channel for diversity combining. The per-survivor sequence detector is in the form of the Viterbi algorithm with the trellis updates being computed by a bank of Kalman filters in the per-survivor fashion. Both suboptimal detectors require the knowledge of all waveforms of all users in the channel and the channel fading model parameters. Adaptive versions of these suboptimal detectors that require only the knowledge of the waveform of the user of interest are then developed. The adaptive receivers employ recursive-least-squares (RLS) minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE) filters at the front-end to mitigate the interference, and use a bank of linear predictors to track the fading channels. It is shown that the front-end RLS-MMSE filters can be implemented using systolic arrays to exploit massively parallel signal processing computation, and to achieve energy efficiency. Finally, the performance of the suboptimal detectors and their adaptive versions are assessed by simulations.
Extrapolations of yields over the short run: Forecast or folly?

Abstract This paper is concerned with the usefulness of extrapolations in short-term forecasts of long-term interest rates. Four extrapolative models were tested for accuracy in forecasting average yields of new issues of A-rated public utility bonds for forward periods of less than one year. The period 1953–1971 was chosen for study. The best model was found to be the one which assumed that each predicted yield was the same as the current yield at the time the prediction was made. Thus, the best forecasts were forecasts of no change in yields. This finding is supportive of the efficient capital-market thesis.