cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Geometry and Relativity Theory. By Richard L. Faber: Semi-Riemannian Geometry. By Barrett O'Neill

(1986). Differential Geometry and Relativity Theory. By Richard L. Faber: Semi-Riemannian Geometry. By Barrett O'Neill. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 93, No. 7, pp. 575-578.
Problemstellung in den USA

Die Haufigkeit und die Erfassung der Hochrisikoschwangerschaften hat wahrend der letzten Jahre in den USA zunehmende Bedeutung erlangt. Der wesentliche Grund fur diese Entwicklung ist die auserordentlich hohe Kindersterblichkeit wahrend des ersten Lebensjahres im Vergleich mit anderen Landern. In den letzten Jahren hat die USA bei internationalen Vergleichen meist an etwa 20. Stelle gelegen, eine Tatsache, die durch die Medien weit bekannt gemacht wird. Sie wird von den Amerikanern als ein Versagen des medizinischen und sozialen Systems angesehen, und es wird nach der Ursache dieser hohen Kindersterblichkeit gesucht. Diese Ursache ist leicht zu identifizieren. Wenn man die Kindersterblichkeit wahrend der neonatalen Periode (bis zum 28. Lebenstag) in den USA und der BRD vergleicht, so stellt man eine um 30% niedrigere neonatale Sterblichkeit in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland fest (BRD 4,9/1000 im Jahr 1985, USA 7,0/1000 im Jahr 1984). In der postneonatalen Sterblichkeit (28. bis 364. Lebenstag) hingegen findet sich kein wesentlicher Unterschied (USA 3,8/1000, BRD 4,0/1000) (7). Der Grund fur die hohe neonatale Sterblichkeit in den USA ist aus Tabelle 1 ersichtlich: Ein Vergleich der Lebendgeburtenrate mit einem Geburtsgewicht von 501 bis 2500 Gramm zeigt eine deutlich niedrigere Lebendgeburtenrate in der BRD, verglichen mit den USA.
Nonconsensual Insemination: Battery

Nonconsensual insemination is a battery. It may be a simple battery, aggravated battery, or a sexual battery. Without having received unequivocal, expressed consent, a man who ejaculates inside of an intimate partner commits nonconsensual insemination, which is a battery. Expressed consent is required at each stage of sexual activity. Since insemination, i.e. ejaculating inside a woman, is not intrinsic to having unprotected sex for women or ejaculation for men, then it is an additional sex act that requires expressed consent. Arguments that require victims to use condoms as the best or only means for avoiding nonconsensual insemination amount to victim-blaming. The transmission of disease through nonconsensual ejaculation is specifically prohibited by most states. Unwanted pregnancy that results from sexual battery is as an aggravating factor in many states. The government's demonstrated interest in preventing unwilling contact that causes harm, supports the proposition that reproductive coercion or reckless nonconsensual insemination should be routinely prosecuted. Prosecution should be acknowledged, socially and politically, as one way to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. The principles of therapeutic justice and the current trend to move away from incarceration for nonviolent offenses suggest that this crime should be met with court ordered education, counseling, and perhaps, public shaming (limited/temporary use of sex offender registries), but not incarceration in most instances.
Nutrition for Children with Special Health Care Needs

Abstract Many children with special health care needs are at risk from one or more problems of nutritional status, ranging from slow growth and poor feeding to more severe gastrointestinal problems and metabolic disorders. Nutritional risk depends on many factors, including maternal/paternal nutritional status and preconception/prenatal nutrition, and also physiological, medical, and behavioral risk factors subsequent to birth. This chapter is organized as follows: Section II addresses primary and secondary prevention of developmental problems by examining the evidence that nutrition and specific nutrients, during fetal development and infancy, affect developmental outcomes and subsequent special needs for children. Section III outlines the functional approach to identifying nutritional needs—how growth, diet, and medical issues are assessed, including issues specific to children with special health care needs in each of these areas. Section IV covers selected pediatric conditions in more depth—inborn errors of metabolism, Prader-Willi syndrome, feeding problems, and autism spectrum disorders.
Explaining the competition for FDI: Evidence from Costa Rica and cross-national industry-level FDI data

Abstract Attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) has become an integral part of the economic development goals of policymakers throughout the world. Previous literature on FDI attractiveness has identified a host of factors that make a country more or less enticing for FDI. Where the literature is less developed is in explaining what occurs when multiple countries are roughly equal across those factors. In this paper, we argue that when several potential host countries (HCs) are on par in attractiveness, a competition arises between them, such that the HC willing to offer the most concessions to the potential foreign investor attracts the investment. We further argue that this competitive relationship holds in some industrial sectors, but not in others, with the difference centered on location constraints. Using both a case study of Costa Rica’s investment promotion activities and cross-national industry-level FDI analyses, we find evidence that concessions are greater in the manufacturing sector, where countries are often equally attractive to FDI, but lower in mining, where natural resource endowments determine FDI attractiveness.
Host species, pathogens and disease associated with divergent nasal microbial communities in tortoises

Diverse bacterial communities are found on every surface of macro-organisms, and they play important roles in maintaining normal physiological functions in their hosts. While the study of microbiomes has expanded with the influx of data enabled by recent technological advances, microbiome research in reptiles lags behind other organisms. We sequenced the nasal microbiomes in a sample of four North American tortoise species, and we found differing community compositions among tortoise species and sampling sites, with higher richness and diversity in Texas and Sonoran desert tortoises. Using these data, we investigated the prevalence and operational taxonomic unit (OTU) diversity of the potential pathogen Pasteurella testudinis and found it to be common, abundant and highly diverse. However, the presence of this bacterium was not associated with differences in bacterial community composition within host species. We also found that the presence of nasal discharge from tortoises at the time of sampling was associated with a decline in diversity and a change in microbiome composition, which we posit is due to the harsh epithelial environment associated with immune responses. Repeated sampling across seasons, and at different points of pathogen colonization, should contribute to our understanding of the causes and consequences of different bacterial communities in these long-lived hosts.
RiskSens: A Multi-view Learning Approach to Identifying Risky Traffic Locations in Intelligent Transportation Systems Using Social and Remote Sensing

With the ever-increasing number of road traffic accidents worldwide, the road traffic safety has become a critical problem in intelligent transportation systems. A key step towards improving the road traffic safety is to identify the locations where severe traffic accidents happen with a high probability so the precautions can be applied effectively. We refer to this problem as risky traffic location identification. While previous efforts have been made to address similar problems, two important limitations exist: i) data availability: many cities (especially in developing countries) do not maintain a publicly accessible database for the traffic accident records in a city, which makes it difficult to accurately estimate the accidents in the city; ii) location accuracy: many self-reported traffic accidents (e.g., social media posts from common citizens) are not associated with the exact GPS locations due to the privacy concerns. To address these limitations, this paper develops the RiskSens, a multi-view learning approach to identifying the risky traffic locations in a city by jointly exploring the social and remote sensing data. We evaluate RiskSens using a real world dataset from New York. The evaluation results show that RiskSens significantly outperforms the state-of-the- art baselines in identifying risky traffic locations in a city.
Validating A Model for Assessing Science Teacher's Adaptive Expertise with Computer-Supported Complex Systems Curricula and Its Relationship to Student Learning Outcomes

The success of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and similar reforms is contingent upon the quality of teaching, yet the shifts in teaching practice required are substantial. In this stu...
Rate effects on fiber–matrix interfacial transverse debonding behavior:

The rate effect of fiber–matrix interfacial debonding behavior of SC-15 epoxy with S-2 glass and aramid fiber reinforcements was studied via in-situ visualization of the transverse debonding event....
Driven Dynamics of Long-Time Bond-Breaking Events

We present a predict-correct trajectory propagation (PCTP) method for simulating nonequilibrium driven dynamics of the long-time bond breaking event in an atomic force microscope (AFM). Whereas parallel replica method can extend the time scale of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of infrequent-event systems with high parallel efficiency, the second aspect of the time scale difficulty in MD simulations for slow driven systems, namely, the unphysically high attempt frequency of infrequent event, cannot be resolved by this method. Here, we take a gold nanojunction under mechanical pulling as a simulation system, and demonstrate that the PCTP simulation is capable of capturing key transition dynamics of bond breaking predicted by accurate MD simulations in the activationless regime, such as at cryogen temperature with high pulling rates. The PCTP algorithm includes three steps: (i) the trajectory prediction of the AFM tip, (ii) the atomic structural relaxation of the nanojunction, and (iii) the trajectory c...
Comparing Constructions of Professionalism in Student Affairs Graduate Preparation Programs

This comparative case study examined how graduate students in two student affairs preparation programs were socialized to constructions of professionalism. One program regularly conveyed that profe...
Whatever floats your vote: understanding voter support for public port infrastructure investments

Ports are a cornerstone of the local, state, and national economy, especially for coastal cities. However, ports face growing economic challenges that require infrastructure financing, and a releva...
Chapter 5 – Many-Electron Atoms

The electrons in many-electron atoms move in a potential field due to the nucleus and the other electrons. The wave functions of the electrons in this complex environment can only be obtained within the framework of some approximation scheme. One approximation, which has proved to be very useful, is to assume that the electrons move in an average field due to the nucleus and the other electrons. This approximation is called the independent-particle model. Another useful approximation called the central-field model is to assume that the potential field in which the electrons move is spherically symmetric. The central-field model provides a theoretical basis for the atomic shell model and for the regularities observed in the chemical elements. The wave function of an electron moving in a central field is of the general form Ψ(r,θ,ϕ)=Pnl(r)rYlml(θ,ϕ)χms, where the radial part of the wave function is expressed as a function P(r) divided by r . The angular part of the wave function, Ylml(θ,ϕ)Ylml(θ,ϕ), is called a spherical harmonic. The factor χmsχms represents the spin part of the wave function. The radial functions of many-electrons atoms can be obtained using the Hatree-Fock theory described in this chapter. A Hartree-Fock applet available at the web site of this book enables one to plot atomic wave functions and calculate the size of the atom and the strength of the interactions between the electrons.
Liberal Quaker Christologies in the Swarthmore Lectures: Two Studies in Theological Method

This paper argues that the flexibility inherent in Liberal Quaker theology allows for multiple interpretations of two key Christological issues: the relationship between Jesus and humanity, and the...
Organizational Readiness to Change: Quality Improvement in Family Medicine Residency

Introduction Primary care is evolving to meet greater demands for the inclusion of collaborative health care quality improvement (QI) processes at the practice level. Yet, data on organizational preparedness for change are limited. We assessed the feasibility of incorporating an organizational-level readiness-to-change tool that identifies factors relevant to QI implementation at the practice level impacting new family medicine physicians. Methods We assessed organizational readiness to change at the practice level among residents participating in a team-based QI training curriculum from April 2016 to April 2019. Seventy-six current and former residents annually completed the modified Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment (ORCA) survey. We evaluated QI and leadership readiness among five subscales: empowerment, management, QI, QI leadership (skills), and QI leadership (ability). We calculated mean survey scores and compared across all 3 years. Resident interviews captured unique perspectives and experiences with team-based activities. Qualitative analysis identified emergent themes. Results Residents completed 73 modified ORCA surveys (96% response rate). Compared to years 2016-2019, 2018 results were highest in mean negative responses for the QI subscale (24.62, SD 6.70). Four volunteers completed postsurvey interviews. Qualitative analysis identified issues concerning communication, team collaboration, practice site functioning, and survey relevance. Conclusions Our study determined that miscommunication and practice site disruptions undermine organizational-level readiness to change, as measured by the ORCA tool which was part of a multimethod assessment included within a team-based QI training curriculum. Training programs undergoing curricula transformations may feasibly incorporate ORCA as a tool to identify impediments to collaborative practice and inform resource allocation important for enhancing physician training in QI leadership.
Optical Nonlinearities of Glasses Doped with CdSxSe1−x

Glasses doped with CdSxSel−x microcrystallites, which are normally referred to as color filters, display interesting properties. JAIN and LIND [1] reported degenerate four-wave mixing experiments in these samples and observed 8-nspulse-width limited-decay time for the grating. THOMAZEAU et al. [2] used the optical Kerr effect to measure and time resolve the nonlinearity of lead-silicate glasses on a femtosecond time scale. They measured less than 100-fs response time for the nonlinearity. YAO et al. [3] used pulses of 30-ps duration, and reported free-carrier lifetimes of a few tens of picoseconds. GIBBS et al. [4] observed increasing absorption optical bistability and longitudinal excitation discontinuity in these filters arising from thermal nonlinearity. However, the origin and magnitude of the optical nonlinearity resulting from the electronic processes have not yet been studied carefully in these glasses. In this paper, the results of a pump-probe experiment are reported, and it is concluded that the nonlinearity arises from a bandfilling effect. Furthermore, a novel technique, which employs a modified Twyman-Green interferometer, is used to measure the nonlinear index of a CdS0.9Se0.1-doped glass at different wavelengths in the vicinity of the bandgap.
Characterizing the cirri and gut microbiomes of the intertidal barnacle Semibalanus balanoides

Natural populations inhabiting the rocky intertidal experience multiple ecological stressors and provide an opportunity to investigate how environmental differences influence microbiomes over small geographical scales. However, very few microbiome studies focus on animals that inhabit the intertidal. In this study, we investigate the microbiome of the intertidal barnacle Semibalanus balanoides. We first describe the microbiome of two body tissues: the feeding appendages, or cirri, and the gut. Next, we examine whether there are differences between the microbiome of each body tissue of barnacles collected from the thermally extreme microhabitats of the rocky shores’ upper and lower tidal zones. Overall, the microbiome of S. balanoides consisted of 18 phyla from 408 genera. Our results showed that although cirri and gut microbiomes shared a portion of their amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), the microbiome of each body tissue was distinct. Over 80% of the ASVs found in the cirri were also found in the gut, and 44% of the ASVs found in the gut were also found in the cirri. Notably, the gut microbiome was not a subset of the cirri microbiome. Additionally, we identified that the cirri microbiome was responsive to microhabitat differences. Results from this study indicate that S. balanoides maintains distinct microbiomes in its cirri and gut tissues, and that the gut microbiome is more stable than the cirri microbiome between the extremes of the intertidal.
A microfluidic bubble perfusion device for brain slice culture.

Ex vivo brain slice cultures are utilized as analytical models for studying neurophysiology. Common approaches to maintaining slice cultures include roller tube and membrane interface techniques. The rise of organ-on-chip technologies has demonstrated the value of microfluidic perfusion culture systems for sampling and analysis of complex biology under well-controlled in vitro or ex vivo conditions. A number of approaches to microfluidic brain slice culture have been developed, however these typically involve complex design, fabrication, or operational parameters in order to meet the high oxygen demands of brain slices. Here, we present proof-of-principle for a novel approach to microfluidic brain slice culture. In this system, which we term a microfluidic bubble perfusion device, principles of droplet microfluidics were employed to generate droplets of perfusion media dispersed between bubbles of carbogen gas, and brain tissue slices were perfused with the resulting monodispersed droplets and bubbles. The challenge of tissue immobilization in the flow system was addressed using a two-part cytocompatible carbohydrate-based tissue adhesive. Best practices are discussed for perfusion chamber designs that maintain segmented flow throughout the course of perfusion. Control of droplet and bubble volumes was possible across the range of ca. 4–15 μL, bubble generation frequency was well controlled in the range ca. 1–7 bubbles per min, and bubble duty cycle was well controlled across the range ca. 20–80%. Murine hypothalamic tissue slices containing the suprachiasmatic nuclei were successfully maintained for durations of 8–10 hours, with tissue remaining viable for the duration of perfusion as assessed by Ca2+ imaging and propidium iodide (PI) staining.
The role of body mass index on quality indicators following minimally-invasive radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE We sought to determine the role of body mass index (BMI) on quality indicators, such as length of stay and readmission. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was queried to examine the effect of obesity, defined as BMI >30, on outcomes after Minimally Invasive Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy (MI-RRP). MATERIALS AND METHODS Utilizing the NSQIP database, patient records were identified using the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code 55866 (laparoscopy, surgical prostatectomy, radical retropubic) during a 10-year period (2007-2017). Obesity was classified according to the CDC classification. Chi-square tests were utilized to evaluate BMI distribution by surgery year. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship of BMI with length of stay (LOS) and hospital readmission within 30 days, after controlling for preoperative variables. RESULTS Records of 49,238 patients who have undergone MI-RRP during 2007-2017 were evaluated. Mean yearly BMI rose from 28.5 to 29.2, while the percentage of surgical patients with BMI >30 rose by 5% (33% to 38%; p<0.0001) over the study period. Obese patients demonstrated higher morbidity, prolonged LOS, and increased readmission rates after MI-RRP. Obesity severity correlated negatively with quality indicators in a graded fashion. CONCLUSIONS Obesity rates in patients undergoing MI-RRP increased from 2007-2017. Obese patients are at increased risk of morbidity, prolonged LOS, and readmission within 30 days, following MI-RRP. These patients should not be excluded from MI-RRP; rather, physicians should discuss these increased risks with their patients. Proper weight loss strategies should be instituted preoperatively to mitigate these risks.
The extended mind argument against phenomenal intentionality

This paper offers a novel argument against the phenomenal intentionality thesis (or PIT for short). The argument, which I'll call the extended mind argument against phenomenal intentionality, is centered around two claims: the first asserts that some source intentional states extend into the environment, while the second maintains that no conscious states extend into the environment. If these two claims are correct, then PIT is false, for PIT implies that the extension of source intentionality is predicated upon the extension of phenomenal consciousness. The argument is important because it undermines an increasingly prominent account of the nature of intentionality. PIT has entered the philosophical mainstream and is now a serious contender to naturalistic views of intentionality like the tracking theory and the functional role theory (Loar 1987, 2003; Searle 1990; Strawson 1994; Horgan and Tienson 2002; Pitt 2004; Farkas 2008; Kriegel 2013; Montague 2016; Bordini 2017; Forrest 2017; Mendelovici 2018). The extended mind argument against PIT challenges the popular sentiment that consciousness grounds intentionality.
Intensive College Counseling and the College Enrollment Choices of Low Income Students.

Low income high school graduates are less likely to enroll in four-year colleges than their more advantaged peers. When they do enroll, they are more likely to choose colleges with low graduation rates and higher costs, increasing their risk of leaving college without a degree and with substantial debt. Such decision-making may be driven in part by a lack of information about the full range of college options that are available to students. We study the potential for intensive college counseling to remedy this informational barrier and improve students’ college choices. Capitalizing on an arbitrary cut-off in the admissions criteria for Bottom Line, an college advising program in Massachusetts, we use a regression discontinuity design to estimate the effect of intensive advising on students’ college choices as well as on their overall enrollment and persistence in college. We find that intensive college advising substantially shifts towards one of the four-year colleges encouraged by the program and away from institutions the program discourages. This effect is particularly strong for students from families where English is not the first language, and for whom the informational barriers may be particularly constraining. This shift in enrollment reduces the average net price of the institutions students are attending, likely lowering their financial burden. Finally, we see suggestive evidence of increases in overall fouryear college enrollment and persistence through the first two years of college. We argue that this evidence indicates that intensive college advising can generate large impacts on college enrollment decisions and may improve persistence and, ultimately, degree completion. * We thank Greg Johnson and Andrew MacKenzie of Bottom Line for explaining how their counseling program works and for sharing data on applicants to their program. We thank Carrie Conaway of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for sharing state data that allowed us to measure student outcomes. Napat Jatusripitak and Carlos Paez provided excellent research assistance. Joshua Goodman gratefully acknowledges support from the Taubman Center for State and Local Government. All errors are our own.
Contextually supervised source separation with application to energy disaggregation

We propose a new framework for single-channel source separation that lies between the fully supervised and unsupervised setting. Instead of supervision, we provide input features for each source signal and use convex methods to estimate the correlations between these features and the unobserved signal decomposition. Contextually supervised source separation is a natural fit for domains with large amounts of data but no explicit supervision; our motivating application is energy disaggregation of hourly smart meter data (the separation of whole-home power signals into different energy uses). Here contextual supervision allows us to provide itemized energy usage for thousands homes, a task previously impossible due to the need for specialized data collection hardware. On smaller datasets which include labels, we demonstrate that contextual supervision improves significantly over a reasonable baseline and existing unsupervised methods for source separation. Finally, we analyze the case of l2 loss theoretically and show that recovery of the signal components depends only on cross-correlation between features for different signals, not on correlations between features for the same signal.
Spatial and temporal ecology of native and introduced fish larvae in lower Putah Creek, California.

For two years we studied the distribution and abundance of native and introduced fish larvae in Putah Creek (Yolo County, CA), a low elevation regulated stream. We used light traps and conical drift nets to sample the fish larvae at two spatially separated sites from March through July 1997 and at four sites from February through August 1998. Native larvae occurred both earlier in the year and in higher abundance than those of introduced species. Both native larvae and overall numbers of larvae were more abundant at upstream sites in both years. Sampling of larvae appeared to be sensitive to the detection of rare species. Drift nets and light traps collected similar numbers of larvae, but each method tended to select for different taxa. There were significant trends in diel patterns of abundance, with more fish larvae being found during the hours of darkness. We suggest that differences between the sites were due to habitat changes resulting from an upstream dam that has created a refuge of diverse habitat and cool flowing water for native taxa.
The developmental fate of fission yeast cells is determined by the pattern of inheritance of parental and grandparental DNA strands.

A key feature for development consists of producing sister cells that differ in their potential for cellular differentiation. Following two cell divisions, a haploid Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell produces one cell in four 'granddaughters' with a changed mating cell type, implying nonequivalence of sister cells in each of two consecutive cell divisions. The observed pattern of switching is analogous to the mammalian 'stem cell' lineage by which a cell produces one daughter like itself while the other daughter is advanced in its developmental program. It is tested here whether sisters differ because of unequal distribution of cytoplasmic and/or nuclear components to them or due to inheriting a specific parental DNA chain at the mating type locus. Only the DNA strand-segregation model predicts that those cells engineered to contain an inverted tandem duplication of the mating type locus should produce equivalent sisters. Consequently, two 'cousins' in four related granddaughter cells should switch. The results verified the prediction, thus establishing that all cells otherwise fully possess the potential to switch. Therefore, the program of cell type change in S.pombe cell lineages is determined by the pattern of DNA strand inheritance at the mating type locus. A specific DNA sequence present at the mating type locus is postulated to be the cause of developmental asymmetry between sister cells. A general model for cellular differentiation is proposed in which the act of DNA replication itself is hypothesized to produce developmentally nonequivalent sister genomes.
Does the Constitution Protect Abortions Based on Fetal Anomaly?: Examining the Potential for Disability-Selective Abortion Bans in the Age of Prenatal Whole Genome Sequencing

This Note examines whether the state or federal government has the power to enact a law that prevents women from obtaining abortions based on their fetus’s genetic abnormality. Such a ban has already been enacted in North Dakota and introduced in Indiana and Missouri. I argue below that this law presents a novel state intrusion on a woman’s right to obtain a pre-viability abortion. Moreover, these pieces of legislation contain an outdated understanding of prenatal genetic testing—the landscape of which is quickly evolving as a result of a new technology: prenatal whole genome sequencing. This Note argues that the incorporation of this new technology into clinical care will both invigorate anti-choice legislatures to pursue such legislation and cause the laws’ impact on women to be greater than initially anticipated. Using the undue burden standard announced in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, this Note concludes that federal and state disability-selective abortion bans are unconstitutional based on the Due Process Clause. The Note also questions whether the federal government has constitutional authority under its enumerated powers to even enact such a ban. Finally, the Note presents policy reasons for why such an abortion ban will degrade the right to a pre-viability abortion so significantly as to render it non-existent.
Sustaining gains in poverty reduction and human development in the Middle East and North Africa

The report provides an overview of trends in poverty and human development indicators during the last two decades. It shows that the substantial progress in reducing poverty in earlier decades came to a halt in the latter half of the 1980s. Average poverty rates for the region, measured at the $2 per capita per day international poverty line, fell to around 25 percent by 1987, the lowest in the world at that time. But they stagnated thereafter, fluctuating between 20 and 25 percent.
Existence of equilibria in constrained discontinuous games

We establish the existence of pure strategy equilibria in games with discontinuous payoffs where the set of feasible actions of each player varies, also in a discontinuous fashion, as a function of the actions of the other players. Such games are used in modeling abstract economies and other games where players share common constraints. Our approach circumvents the difficulties that arise from the presence of discontinuities by modifying the original problem and allowing the players to use strategies that possibly lie outside their feasible sets. We then show that each modified game has \(\varepsilon \)-equilibria points. Under certain conditions, and as the extent of modification becomes smaller and smaller and \(\varepsilon \) approaches zero, the \(\varepsilon \)-equilibria points of the modified games will converge to a strategy profile that is an equilibrium of the original game. Hence, we obtain a set of sufficient conditions for the existence of pure equilibria of the original game. We apply our results to a number of classic games that have discontinuous payoffs and discontinuous constraint correspondences.
Pulse shaping of incoherent light by use of a liquid crystal modulator array

Summary form only given. We apply femtosecond pulse shaping techniques for electronically programmable phase filtering of broadband incoherent light at 15 /spl mu/m. Pulse shaping applied to incoherent light results in tailoring of the electric field coherence function. In contrast to the pulse intensity and phase profile, as in the usual coherent femtosecond pulse-shaping experiments. A standard fs pulse shaper was introduced in one arm of a Michelson interferometer. Pulse shaping was achieved using a liquid crystal modulator.
Wavelength tunable two-pad ridge waveguide distributed Bragg reflector InGaAs-GaAs quantum well lasers

Carrier injection in the grating section is used to tune the emission wavelength of a single growth step, single frequency ridge waveguide InGaAs/GaAs quantum well distributed Bragg reflector laser with two top contacts.
Branch Classification: A New Mechanism for Improving Branch Predictor Performance

There is wide agreement that one of the most significant impediments to the performance of current and future pipelined superscalar processors is the presence of conditional branches in the instruction stream. Speculative execution is one solution to the branch problem, but speculative work is discarded if a branch is mispredicted. For it to be effective, speculative execution requires a very accurate branch predictor; 95% accuracy is not good enough. This paper proposes branch classification, a methodology for building more accurate branch predictors. Branch classification allows an individual branch instruction to be associated with the branch predictor best suited to predict its direction. Using this approach, a hybrid branch predictor can be constructed such that each component branch predictor predicts those branches for which it is best suited. To demonstrate the usefulness of branch classification, an example classification scheme is given and a new hybrid predictor is built based on this scheme which achieves a higher prediction accuracy than any branch predictor previously reported in the literature.
A Graph-Center-Based Scheme for Energy-Efficient Data Collection in Wireless Sensor Networks

We consider the problem of sensor data collection in a wireless sensor network (WSN). The geographic deployment of sensors is random, with an irregular network topology. We propose a data collection scheme for the WSN, based on the concept of the center of the graph in graph theory. The purpose of the scheme is to use less power in the process of data collection. Because it is mostly true that the sensors of WSN are powered by batteries, power saving is an especially important issue in WSN. In this paper, we will propose the energy-saving scheme, and provide the experimental results. It is shown that under the energy consumption model used in the paper, the proposed scheme saves about 20% of the power collecting data from sensors.
CHAPTER 10 – Brownian Motion and Stationary Processes

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates the Brownian motion and stationary processes. The Brownian motion process, sometimes called the Wiener process, is one of the most useful stochastic processes in applied probability theory. This phenomenon is the motion exhibited by a small particle that is totally immersed in a liquid or gas. The process has been used beneficially in such areas as statistical testing of goodness of fit, analyzing the price levels on the stock market, and quantum mechanics. When σ = 1, the process is called standard Brownian motion. The interpretation of Brownian motion as the limit of the random walks suggests that X(t) should be a continuous function of t.
“Graph paper” trace characterizations of functions of finite energy

We characterize functions of finite energy in the plane in terms of their traces on the lines that make up “graph paper” with squares of side length mn for all n and certain 1/2-order Sobolev norms on the graph paper lines. We also obtain analogous results for functions of finite energy on two classical fractals: the Sierpinski gasket and the Sierpinski carpet.
Global Solution of Mixed-Integer Dynamic Optimization Problems

This paper presents a decomposition approach for a quite general class of mixed-integer dynamic optimization problems that is capable of guaranteeing a global solution despite the nonconvexities inherent to the dynamic optimization subproblems. A case study is presented in connection to the optimal subproblems. A case study is presented in connection to the optimal design and operation of a batch process consisting of a series reaction followed by a separation with no intermediate storage. The developed algorithms demonstrate efficiency and applicability in solving this problem.
TRADE LIBERALIZATION AND CHANGING COMPOSITION AND QUALITY OF IMPORTS IN JAPANESE BEEF IMPORT MARKETS

We show that the reduction of an ad-valorem tariff lead to an increase in Japanese imports of higher quality US beef relative to the lower quality Australian beef. Increasingly more efficient US beef production and strong income effect further explain the recent domination of the US beef in Japanese market.
Electromagnetic Fluctuations during Fast Reconnection in a Laboratory Plasma

Experimental evidence for a positive correlation is established between the magnitude of electromagnetic fluctuations up to the lower-hybrid frequency range and enhancement of reconnection rates in a well-controlled laboratory plasma. The fluctuations belong to the right-hand polarized whistler wave branch, propagating obliquely to the reconnecting magnetic field, with a phase velocity comparable to the relative drift velocity between electrons and ions. The measured short coherence lengths indicate their strongly nonlinear nature.
Exploring the detection process: integrating judgment and outcome decomposition

In detection processes, decision making includes comparing indicators with thresholds that determine the preferred course of action. The prototypical detection problem deals with identification of elements that belong to a class when mixed with elements that do not belong to it. In our model, we integrate elements from social judgment theory SJT (Brunswik, 1943) (e.g., lens model of judgment analysis) and signal detection theory SDT (Green & Swets, 1966) using the system dynamics framework (Forrester, 1961; Sterman, 2000) to further the understanding of detection processes.
Functional and Clinicopathologic Outcomes Using a Modified Vescica Ileale Padovana Technique

Objective: To evaluate the clinicopathologic and functional outcomes of a modified Vescica ileale Padovana (VIP) neobladder technique. Methods: Data for 160 patients at a single institution who underwent radical cystectomy and orthotopic VIP neobladder creation between 1998 and 2013 were analyzed. Modified VIP technique involved longitudinal opening of the small bowel close to the anterior mesenteric border instead of along the true anti-mesentery. This allowed for creation of a dependent neourethral funnel and a large serosal surface for ureteral anastomosis, distant from any suture lines. Results: Mean age for the entire cohort was 59.5, with 9% female and 64% with muscle invasive disease prior to cystectomy. Within 30 days of surgery, 16 patients (10%) developed a Clavien grade 3-4 complication and there were no deaths. Ninety-six percent reported minor or no daytime urinary leakage at 12 months, and 70% reported minor or no nighttime urinary leakage. Two- and five-year overall survival rates were 84.2% and 72.6%, respectively. Seven patients developed a ureteral stricture (4%), three (2%) had bladder neck contractures, two (1%) experienced urethral recurrence, and there were no vesicovaginal fistulas. Conclusions: This modified VIP neobladder technique achieves favorable functional, survival, and recurrence outcomes similar to other published orthotopic continent diversions. Its near spheroidal shape lowers internal pressure, allowing for improved continence at physiologic filling capacity, and its offset bowel opening helps prevent unnecessary stretch to the native urethra, even in large individuals. The widened uretero-enteric anastomosis site distant from bowel suture lines contributes to decreased stricture rates and its placement on the dome of the neobladder facilitates endoscopic access should strictures occur. Finally, lack of posterior overlapping suture lines also mitigates the risk of fistulae formation in females should anterior vaginal wall excision or entry be unavoidable.
Structural design of space telescope

Problematic areas are discussed relative to the design of the NASA Large Space Telescope with a view toward showing how these areas are currently being treated so that the primary goals of the program can be met. The discussion covers basic mission, design parameters, metering structural material, and measurements of thermal expansion coefficient and scale testing. Since the test program has not been completed, there are so far no data available to show comparison between the baseline metering structure design and test. However, graphite-epoxy appears very favorable for structural uses, where precise alignment is necessary and a high degree of thermal stability is desired. It is anticipated that there will be a convergence on a straightforward method of arranging the basic structure for the ease of manufacturing and cost savings.
Investigation of Cache Maintenance Strategies for Multi-cell Environments

In this paper, three types of cache consistency maintenance strategies involving invalidation reports (IRs) are proposed for application in mobile environments. The three strategies: homogeneous IR, inhomogeneous IR without roaming check, and inhomogeneous IR with roaming check are applied to Timestamp (TS) and Scalable Asynchronous Cache Consistency Scheme (SACCS). Simulation based performance evaluations show that SACCS performs better than TS. Further investigation of SACCS reveals the following two cache system design guidelines: (1) Homogeneous IR strategy should be used for fast intra-roaming mobile users (MUs) and small systems. (2) Inhomogeneous SACCS should be used for inter-roaming MUs while SACCS with roaming check is better if power is not a consideration.
Marker-Passing inference in the scone knowledge-base system

The Scone knowledge-base system, currently being developed at Carnegie Mellon University, implements search and inference operations using a set of marker-passing algorithms. These were originally designed for a massively parallel hardware architecture but now are implemented completely in software. The algorithms are fast, relatively simple, and they support efficient implementation of the most heavily used KB features. This paper describes these marker-passing algorithms, their strengths and limitations, and how they are used in Scone.
Extending the sweetdeal approach for e-procurement using sweetrules and RuleML

We show the first detailed realistic e-business application scenario that uses and exploits capabilities of the SweetRules V2.1 toolset for e-contracting using the SweetDeal approach. SweetRules is a uniquely powerful integrated set of tools for semantic web rules and ontologies. SweetDeal is a rule-based approach to representation of business contracts that enables software agents to create, evaluate, negotiate and execute contacts with substantial automation and modularity. The scenario that we implement is of electronic procurement of computers, with request-response iterated B2B supply-chain management communications using RuleML as content of the contracting discovery/negotiation messages. In particular, the capabilities newly exploited include: SweetJess or SweetXSB to do inferencing in addition to the option of SweetCR inferencing, SweetOnto to incorporate/merge-in OWL-DLP ontologies, and effectors to launch real-world actions. We identify desirable additional aspects of query and message management to incorporate into RuleML and give the design of experimental extensions to the RuleML schema/model, motivated by those, that include specifically: fact queries and answers to them. We present first scenario of using SCLP RuleML for rebates and financing options, in particular exploiting the courteous prioritized conflict handling feature. We give a new SweetDeal architecture for the business messaging aspect of contracting, in particular exploiting the situated feature to exchange rulesets, that obviates the need to write new (non-rule-based) agents as in the previous SweetDeal V1 prototype. We finally analyze how the above techniques, and SweetDeal, RuleML and SweetRules overall, can combine powerfully with other e-business technologies such as RosettaNet and ebXML.
Surface Cracking and Interface Reaction Associated Delamination Failure of Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coatings

In this paper, surface cracking and interface reactions of a BSAS coating and a multi-layer ZrO2-8wt%Y2O3 and mullite/BSAS/Si thermal and environmental barrier coating system on SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites were characterized after long-term combined laser thermal gradient and furnace cyclic tests in a water vapor containing environment. The surface cracking was analyzed based on the coating thermal gradient sintering behavior and thermal expansion mismatch stress characteristics under the thermal cyclic conditions. The interface reactions, which were largely enhanced by the coating surface cracking in the water vapor environment, were investigated in detail, and the reaction phases were identified for the coating system after the long-term exposure. The accelerated coating delamination failure was attributed to the increased delamination driving force under the thermal gradient cyclic loading and the reduced interface adhesion due to the detrimental interface reactions.
Is There Another Union Premium? The Effect of Union Membership on Retirement Satisfaction

Because the “average” American is spending more time in retirement it is important to understand how satisfied retirees are with their experience. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study th...
Additive Constant Problem

The additive constant problem arises in multidimensional scaling (MDS), a collection of techniques for visualizing dissimilarity data. Certain experiments result in dissimilarities that are most naturally modeled as distances from which an unknown constant has been subtracted. The additive constant problem is the problem of estimating this unknown constant. Keywords: multidimensional scaling; comparative distances
Universally composable security with global setup

Cryptographic protocols are often designed and analyzed under some trusted set-up assumptions, namely in settings where the participants have access to global information that is trusted to have some basic security properties. However, current modeling of security in the presence of such set-up falls short of providing the expected security guarantees. A quintessential example of this phenomenon is the deniability concern: there exist natural protocols that meet the strongest known composable security notions, and are still vulnerable to bad interactions with rogue protocols that use the same set-up. We extend the notion of universally composable (UC) security in a way that re-establishes its original intuitive guarantee even for protocols that use globally available set-up. The new formulation prevents bad interactions even with adaptively chosen protocols that use the same set-up. In particular, it guarantees deniability. While for protocols that use no setup the proposed requirements are the same as in traditional UC security, for protocols that use global set-up the proposed requirements are significantly stronger. In fact, realizing Zero Knowledge or commitment becomes provably impossible, even in the Common Reference String model. Still, we propose reasonable alternative set-up assumptions and protocols that allow realizing practically any cryptographic task under standard hardness assumptions even against adaptive corruptions.