cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
User Selection With Zero-Forcing Beamforming Achieves the Asymptotically Optimal Sum Rate

In this paper, we propose a generalized greedy (G-greedy) algorithm based on zero-forcing beamforming (ZFBF) for the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) broadcast channel. This algorithm serves as a general mathematical framework that includes a number of existing greedy user selection methods as its realizations. As previous results only give the scaling law of the sum rate of dirty paper coding (DPC), with the help of the G-greedy structure, we are able to obtain the exact limit of the DPC sum rate for a large number of users. We also prove that the difference between the sum rates obtained by G-greedy user selection and by DPC goes to zero as the number of users increases. In addition to this, we investigate one particular greedy user selection scheme called sequential water-filling (SWF). For this algorithm, a complexity reduction is achieved by an iterative procedure based on an LQ decomposition, which converts the calculation of the Moore-Penrose matrix inverse to one vector-matrix multiplication. A sufficient condition is given to prune the search space of this algorithm that results in further complexity reduction. With the help of the G-greedy algorithm, we prove that SWF achieves the full DPC sum rate for a large number of users. For a moderate number of users, simulation demonstrates that, compared with other user selection algorithms, SWF achieves a higher sum rate that is close to the maximal sum rate achievable by ZFBF with the same order of complexity.
African American, Black Caribbean, and Non-Hispanic White Feelings of Closeness Toward Other Racial and Ethnic Groups:

This study examines African Americans’, Black Caribbeans’, and non-Hispanic Whites’ perceptions of closeness to other racial and ethnic groups. The study uses data from a national probability sampl...
The phantom tollbooth charging for road use

For 2000 years, road travellers have been charged to use roads, bridges and tunnels and they have been required to pay to enter some cities. Originally this was to raise money for building and maintaining roads and for profit. Nowadays there are other reasons, such as the control of congestion and pollution. Charging for road use includes onroad parking, transit along roads and, potentially charging for creating congestion. These are increasingly interrelated. For instance, work has started on an invehicle instrument that will permit a driver to pay a toll without stopping, book a parking space ahead and pay for it on arrival. Some developments use the same card, containing an integrated circuit - either memory chips or a true smart card - to carry out all such payments on being inserted in the instrument. The authors describes how governments all over the world are searching for cheap, invisible ways to charge motorists for road use, and how these development efforts are costing them over $500 million a year.
Psychological experimentation through direct connection of the subject interface to a VAX

We outline the rationale for using a DEC VAX-11/780 for the real-time control of psychological experiments. The properties of VAX hardware and software that make the system well suited to the requirements of many classes of psychological experiments, particularly those that require the concurrent control of several independent experiments or the control of one experiment that must be written as several intercommunicating processes are discussed.
Excess toxicity associated with docetaxel and irinotecan in patients with metastatic, gemcitabine-refractory pancreatic cancer: results of a phase II study.

Background: No therapeutic standard of care exists for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who progress following first-line treatment with a gemcitabine-based regimen. There is evidence of synergistic activity between docetaxel and irinotecan, and the combination of these two agents has shown promising efficacy in the first-line setting for advanced pancreatic cancer. We, therefore, evaluated this regimen in patients with gemcitabine-refractory disease. Methods: Eligible patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma were required to have an elevated serum CA19-9 (> 2x ULN) and exposure to one or two prior chemotherapy regimens, including one gemcitabine-based. Treatment consisted of docetaxel 65 mg/m2 and irinotecan 160 mg/m2, both administered every 21 days. Serum CA19-9 levels were measured at the start of each treatment cycle and CT scans performed after every two cycles. Results: Fourteen patients were enrolled before the study was closed due to excess toxicity. The most common grade 3/4 to...
Experiences in the inspection process characterization techniques

Implementation of a disciplined engineering approach to software development requires the existence of an adequate supporting measurement & analysis system. Due to demands for increased efficiency and effectiveness of software processes, measurement models need to be created to characterize and describe the various processes usefully. The data derived from these models should then be analyzed quantitatively to assess the effects of new techniques and methodologies. In recent times, statistical and process thinking principles have led software organizations to appreciate the value of applying statistical process control techniques. As part of the journey towards SW-CMM/spl reg/ Level 5 at the Motorola Malaysia Software Center, which the center achieved in October 2001, considerable effort was spent on exploring SPC techniques to establish process control while focusing on the quantitative process management KPA of the SW-CMM/spl reg/. This paper discusses the evolutionary learning experiences, results and lessons learnt by the center in establishing appropriate analysis techniques using statistical and other derivative techniques. The paper discusses the history of analysis techniques that were explored with specific focus on characterizing the inspection process. Future plans to enhance existing techniques and to broaden the scope to cover analysis of other software processes are also discussed.
Towards extracting fine-scale winds from synthetic aperture radar images

Tower- and aircraft-based research over the last three decades has shown that the spatial or temporal averages of radar backscatter from the ocean surface at radar wavelengths that sample the gravity-capillary part of the ocean's surface-wave spectrum are proportional to nearly the square of the mean wind speed. During the last 15 years, analyses of satellite-based scatterometer images of the ocean surface (that is, radar images whose pixels measure 25 km to a side) show atmospheric frontal features and other, synoptic atmospheric structures. With these images, researchers have created images of the spatial distribution of wind (with extra work, they get both speed and direction) associated with those synoptic structures. Going down in scale, recent research has shown that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of the oceans (snapshots of the radar-backscatter patterns of the ocean surface with pixels measuring 100 m or 12.5 m to a side) manifest signatures of atmospheric turbulence-scales of motion on the order of hundreds of meters to tens of kilometers. These facts raise the following question: "(How) can one use SAR images of the ocean surface to infer fine-scale winds, that is wind patterns on scales of atmospheric turbulence?" The present work represents a step towards answering that question, by asking a related question, namely: "How much spatial averaging of backscatter is required to define a stable, convergent backscatter value for a given area, so that that value can then be translated into a wind speed?" The answer is based on the hypothesis that the statistics of radar backscatter patterns created by atmospheric turbulence should be related to the statistics of the atmospheric turbulence that generated the roughness patterns on the ocean surface.
A consistent semiparametric estimation of the consumer surplus distribution

Abstract In this paper, we examine the consequences of demand-function heterogeneity for the estimation of the consumer surplus. In particular, we show that, given a linear demand function with random coefficients, one can consistently estimate the consumer surplus distribution without making parametric assumptions about the coefficient distribution. The approach is illustrated using data on gasoline consumption.
Creating serendipitous encounters in a geographically distributed community

This paper is focused on the development of serendipitous interfaces that promote casual and chance encounters within a geographically distributed community. The problem is particularly important for distributed workforces, where there is little opportunity for chance encounters that are crucial to the formation of a sense of community. There are three contributions of this paper. (a) development of a robust communication architecture facilitating serendipitous casual interaction using online media repositories coupled to two multimodal interfaces (b) development of multimodal interfaces that allow users to browse, leave audio comments, and asynchronously listen to other community members, and (c) a multimodal gesture driven control (vision and ultrasonic) of the audio-visual display. Our user studies reveal that the interfaces are well liked, and promote social interaction.
Visual scheduling to improve workflow and throughput in the University of Virginia Health System Pediatric Specialty Clinic

A systems analysis of the University of Virginia Health System Pediatric Specialty Clinic concluded that decentralized and poorly coordinated appointment scheduling across multiple specialties in the Clinic results in inefficient use of Clinic resources and unnecessary delays for patients. A visual scheduling tool that displays appointments scheduled across all specialties would help schedulers understand how their scheduling decisions affect overall Clinic loading and could benefit total workflow and throughput of the Clinic. The goal of this project is to design a visual aid that combines the appointment schedules of each Clinic physician to give the schedulers a holistic view of the Clinic and knowledge of the demand on the overall Clinic resources. Human factors design principles guided the team in developing the most effective visual scheduling tool. This tool, along with mutually agreed upon scheduling guidelines, can help the Clinic improve resource utilization and the patient experience.
Depressive symptoms in patients with chronic hepatitis C are correlated with elevated plasma levels of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α

Studies suggest that cytokines have a role in the biology of depression. In this study, we evaluated depression and cytokine levels in patients with and without chronic hepatitis C (HCV) to better assess how chronic infection alters cytokines levels and may contribute to depressive symptomotology. Twenty-three adults with (n = 16) and without (n = 7) HCV were recruited through the Portland VA Medical Center. Research participants were excluded for current substance abuse, psychotic disorder, liver cirrhosis, or interferon (IFN) therapy. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and a blood draw to evaluate plasma cytokine levels [i.e., interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- α]. T-tests were performed to compare cytokine levels in patients with versus those without HCV. HCV patients showed higher TNF-α values compared to patients without HCV (group means = 7.94 vs. 3.41 pg/mL, respecitively, p = 0.047). There were no significant differences between the groups for the other cytokines assessed. In patients with HCV, TNF-α and IL-1β levels (but not IL-10) were correlated with BDI-II scores [r = 0.594, p = 0.020 and r = 0.489, p = 0.055 (trend), respectively]. Taken together, these results show an association between severity of depressive symptoms and expression of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with HCV. Future studies should investigate how inflammatory mediators play a role in the expression of specific depressive symptoms in patients with chronic infection. Patients with HCV represent an interesting model to examine this relationship.
The importance of flow and turbulence characteristics for hydrokinetic energy development on the Tanana River at Nenana, Alaska

The site selection for the installation of hydrokinetic devices along a river reach is an issue of fundamental importance. While it is acknowledged that multiple factors such as accessibility, navigation, safety, and hydraulics, among many others, must be considered in the final decision, this article focuses on the influence of river morphology on turbulence flow parameters. Specifically, continuous high-resolution velocity measurements from a hydrokinetic resource assessment on the Tanana River near Nenana in the interior of Alaska are analysed to estimate, kinetic energy (KE), turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) as well as KE partition at particular locations. To accomplish these tasks, two different methods used to rotate the coordinate systems into the main flow direction are correlated and compared in order to extract the turbulent parameters from the main flow. The coordinate system methods include the streamline coordinate rotation and the extraction of statistical fluctuations from the average flow. T...
Membrane polarization in mixed-conducting ceramic fuel cells and electrolyzers

Abstract This paper focuses on modeling membrane-polarization processes within mixed-conducting electrolyte membranes. Because a complete set of thermodynamic and transport properties is available, the electrolyte material used for the study is a yttrium-doped barium zirconate (BaZr0.9 Y0.1 O3−δ, BZY10). Unlike Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEMFC) and Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC), the open-circuit voltage cannot be evaluated using gas-phase compositions alone. Using a Nernst-Planck-Poisson (NPP) model, an important aspect of the present paper is to develop the theory needed to evaluate open-circuit potential. Focusing on the mixed-conducting membrane alone, the present model neglects all activation and concentration overpotentials. The model is exercised in both fuel-cell and electrolyzer modes, revealing significantly different polarization behaviors. The model-based results show how the membrane polarization depends upon operating conditions, including temperature and gas-phase compositions.
Ultrafast dynamics of excitonic self-trapping: the role of the electron-phonon interaction

The ultrafast electronic and vibrational dynamics of the exciton self-trapping process in quasi-one-dimensional systems are investigated as a function of the strength of the electron - phonon coupling using femtosecond vibrationally impulsive excitation techniques.
Rta Implant Monitor: Does it Tell the Truth?

The measurement of the sheet resistance of Arsenic implanted layers is almost exclusively used for the monitoring of temperature nonuniformity of RTP equipment. However, as is shown in this contribution this technique relies on several averaging processes and a satisfactory uniformity of sheet resistance achieved on the implant monitor does not mean that the same performance will be achieved on the wafer with different optical properties. The sheet resistance uniformity is not the only the function of the processing temperature but also the function of the processing parameters such as annealing time, rate of heating and cooling, intensity of radiation and its spectral variation as well as function of the optical properties ofthe processed material. Impact of the substrate on the achieved results and processing dependence are discussed.
Photoperiodic Sensitivity in the Ontogeny of the Boll Weevil

Exposure of parent boll weevils to several photoperiods had no measurable influence on the incidence of diapause in the offspring. Photoperiod was largely unable to override dietary influences on the regulation of boll weevil diapause.
Single step synthesis, characterization and applications of curcumin functionalized iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have been well known for their applications in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), hyperthermia, targeted drug delivery, etc. The surface modification of these magnetic nanoparticles has been explored extensively to achieve functionalized materials with potential application in biomedical, environmental and catalysis field. Herein, we report a novel and versatile single step methodology for developing curcumin functionalized magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles without any additional linkers, using a simple coprecipitation technique. The magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The developed MNPs were employed in a cellular application for protection against an inflammatory agent, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) molecule.
Effect of Mask Erosion on Patterning of FePt for Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording Media Using Embedded Mask Patterning

The embedded mask patterning (EMP) process provides a potential L10-FePt media solution for 1–10 Tbit/in2 magnetic recording areal density level. Methanol/Ar reactive ion etch process of FePt media (Ru 2 nm/FePt 8 nm) in EMP is investigated using an ion-neutral-redep synergy etch rate model with the consideration of sputtered redeposition. It has been found that etching of high aspect ratio features spacing that is largely limited by its low etch rate due to high redeposition rate; etching of small size grains is mostly limited by hard mask erosion through the etching process. This would cause etch non-uniformity within the grain size and grain spacing distribution. The hard mask on top of the small size grains (i.e., less than 3 nm) erodes much faster than the larger size gains, resulting in a completely consumed mask before the underlying layers are reached. It is important to reduce local ion sputtering in order to minimize mask erosion for the small grains. We have found that a higher chemical etch selectivity (>30:1) is essential to minimize mask erosion on the grains of 2 nm or larger. We also report that when sputter yield of Ru mask and FePt is adjusted from $10^{-1}$ to $10^{-2}$ level, further improvement is observed with the patterned grain size down to 2.5 nm and spacing down to 1.5 nm, and we suggest that the use of etch gas chemistry with a lighter atomic weight (such as He instead of Ar) would allow for sub-10 nm grain patterning.
Clinical Observation of Chinese Massage in the Prevention from Sequela in High-Risk Infantile Brain Injury

Objective To observe the function of Chinese Massage in the prevention from sequela of high-risk infantile injury by promoting the Governor Vessel,strengthening the brain,tonifying the kidney and benefiting the spleen functions. Methods 43 cases of mild and serious brain injury were collected for the admission in our hospital from 2006 to 2008. The conventional Chinese Massage was applied in the hospital for promoting the Governor Vessel,strengthening the brain,tonifying the kidney and benefiting the spleen functions. Additionally,the herbal medical bath,music therapy,physical therapy,audiovisual intervention and early education were assisted. The course of treatment was 3months. Beijing Gesell scale was tested before treatment and in 3 months and 1.5 years after treatment. Results 18 cases of 43 cases were recovered to be normal in 3 months after treatment,31 cases were recovered in 1.5 years and 12 cases had delayed development,accounting 28.0%,which was much lower than the researched data of 80~100%. Conclusion Chinese Massage can effectively prevent from the sequela of high-risk infantile injury by promoting the Governor Vessel,strengthening the brain,tonifying the kidney and benefiting the spleen functions.
Radiologic triage of the multiply-injured patient.

SUMMARY Integration of the principles of triage in the radiographic assessment of the trauma victim should allow efficient and timely diagnosis of most serious injuries. Use of the portable apparatus is stressed as the initial approach, but caution must be exercised in the exclusion of significant injuries by this method. Careful reading of additional information on films taken for a primary reason may allow the early diagnosis of associated problems (e.g., evaluating the upper airway on cervical spine views and the diaphragms on a chest film). Close cooperation between the emergency physician and radiologist is important in order to obtain the highest diagnostic accuracy in caring for victims of multiple trauma.
Studies of introital colonization in women with recurrent urinary infections. IX. The role of antimicrobial therapy.

AbstractTo determine if antibiotics used in the treatment of urinary infections alter introital gram-negative carriage after termination of therapy we analyzed 254 cultures obtained between episodes of bacteriuria in 14 women with recurrent urinary infections. Cultures obtained within the first 30 days after termination of therapy were compared to all subsequent cultures. Introital carriage in women with recurrent urinary infections was compared to 416 consecutive introital cultures from 31 control women resistant to bacteriuria.In women with recurrent bacteriuria introital colonization patterns were similar in incidence and density during the immediate post-treatment period compared to later cultures. Four volunteer controls received tetracycline for 10 days. There was no difference in introital carriage of enterobacteria before, during or after tetracycline therapy.Consecutive cultures also confirmed a higher incidence and greater density of vaginal carriage of enterobacteria in patients when compared t...
The political identity “woman” as emergent from the space of Black Power

Malcolm was the supreme black patriarch … The great black father was finally in our midst. But in 1965 black men murdered Malcolm, and with him died the chance for a black patriarchy. Michele Wallace Meridian had walked until she wore herself out, and one thought had preoccupied her mind: “The only new thing now,” she had said to herself, mumbling it aloud, so that people turned to stare at her, “would be the refusal of Christ to accept crucifixion. King,” she had said, turning down a muddy lane, “ should have refused. Malcolm, too, should have refused … All saints should walk away. Do their bit, then – just walk away. See Europe, visit Hawaii, become agronomists or raise Dalmatians.” Alice Walker I want to hold the notion … that movements provoke theoretical moments. Stuart Hall Principally, this chapter weaves three specific women's constructions of blackness from the 1970s, in the wake of Malcolm X's manhood. Its central focus is the autobiographical work of Nikki Giovanni and Angela Davis from 1971 and 1974, work that does not name itself “feminist,” but suggests the possibilities and limitations for a radical analysis of gender that would be consistent with Black Power's structure of racialization. The form of autonomist feminism that emerges in the late 1970s with the Combahee River Collective, June Jordan (as analyzed in chapter one) and numerous others, I will suggest, emerges in the wake of particular limitations in these two texts. Something like this was suggested initially by Michele Wallace in her Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman , the third narrative that structures this chapter.
Smoking alters cellular responses of primary bronchial epithelial cells to rhinovirus infection in anin vitroacute exposure model

Cigarette smoke (CS) is the major risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while human rhinovirus (RV) infections are associated with disease exacerbations in COPD patients. Investigate CS and RV interactions may help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying disease progression. Most in vitro studies, however, have been conducted using cigarette smoke extract rather than whole smoke, and/or used tumor or immortalized cell lines which poorly represent the lung epithelium. We therefore aimed to investigate the effects of RV infection on differentiated primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBECs) exposed to whole CS. Differentiated PBECs were exposed to air or CS from one cigarette in an acute in vitro model of exposure. At 3h after CS exposure, cells were apically infected with RV16 and RNA was harvested at various time points after infection. RV16 RNA levels were comparable in cells exposed either to air or CS. Infection of CS-exposed cells resulted in a higher inflammatory response compared to air-exposed infected cells, as shown by CXCL8/IL8 mRNA expression. Furthermore, the combination of CS exposure and RV caused a prolonged antioxidant response ( HMOX1 mRNA) and increased CHOP mRNA expression, which is part of the response to Endoplasmic Reticulum stress. This data indicates an important role of CS in the enhancement of the cellular responses of the lung mucosa to rhinovirus. In addition, this model will allow investigation of the effect of CS exposure on the progression of RV infection in COPD, as well as the influence of chronic exposure to CS. Supported by the Lung Foundation Netherlands (grant# 3.2.11.009).
Maximum-Likelihood Adaptive Filter for Partially Observed Boolean Dynamical Systems

We present a framework for the simultaneous estimation of state and parameters of partially observed Boolean dynamical systems (POBDS). Simultaneous state and parameter estimation is achieved through the combined use of the Boolean Kalman filter and Boolean Kalman smoother, which provide the minimum mean-square error state estimators for the POBDS model, and maximum-likelihood (ML) parameter estimation; in the presence of continuous parameters, ML estimation is performed using the expectation–maximization algorithm. The performance of the proposed ML adaptive filter is demonstrated by numerical experiments with a POBDS model of gene regulatory networks observed through noisy next-generation sequencing (RNA-seq) time series data using the well-known p53-MDM2 negative-feedback loop gene regulatory model.
Comparison of nonparametric and parametric time-varying methods for quantifying phase synchrony

Quantifying the pairwise relationships between two signals is an important problem in many fields of science and engineering. Phase synchrony has been suggested as a powerful tool for determining bivariate signal relationships. Recently, a nonparametric phase estimation method based on the Rihaczek distribution belonging to Cohen's class of time-frequency distributions (TFDs) has been proposed for the estimation of time-varying phase [1]. Alternatively, parametric time-frequency methods, which model the phase as a polynomial, can be used. In this paper, the nonparametric phase estimator based on the Rihaczek distribution is compared with the parametric estimator based on the high-order ambiguity function for their accuracy in estimating phase synchrony.
An analysis of technology gaps and priorities in support of probe-scale coronagraph and starshade missions

This paper provides a survey of the state-of-the-art in coronagraph and starshade technologies and highlights areas where advances are needed to enable future NASA exoplanet missions. An analysis is provided of the remaining technology gaps and the relative priorities of technology investments leading to a mission that could follow JWST. This work is being conducted in support of NASAs Astrophysics Division and the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP), who are in the process of assessing options for future missions. ExEP has funded Science and Technology Definition Teams to study coronagraphs and starshade mission concepts having a lifecycle cost cap of less than $1B. This paper provides a technology gap analysis for these concepts.
Abstract P3-05-11: Clinical outcomes of estrogen-receptor negative breast carcinoma are associated with protein hormone-cognate receptor gene expression

Background: Since certain protein hormones appear to be associated with progression of breast cancer cells in vitro , we employed a global approach by evaluating relationships between genes for these hormones and their cognate receptors in human breast cancer biopsies as independent predictors of risk of recurrence. Our goal is to derive clinically relevant molecular signatures correlating various ER/PR subtypes. Methods: Microarray analyses of LCM-procured carcinoma cells from 247 de-identified biopsies determined expression of genes for 61 protein hormones (the ligands) and 81 cognate receptors. Total RNA was extracted, purified and amplified from cells to determine expression of 22,000 genes. Univariable and multivariable Cox regressions were determined using expression levels of each hormone/receptor gene. Kaplan-Meier plots were constructed with an adjusted p-value Results: Expression levels of 7 genes for protein hormones and 10 receptor genes were significant for OS at an adjusted p-value of Conclusion: We revealed many breast carcinomas synthesize mRNA species for various protein hormones and their cognate receptors by determining gene expression directly on pure populations of these cells procured by LCM. We report a novel ten-gene ER-/PR- signature containing four genes in common with that of a six-gene ER- only signature that predicts breast cancer recurrence. Collectively, results of mRNA expression suggest that often breast carcinomas exhibit substantial elements of endocrine autonomy for regulating progression, warranting investigation of protein products of gene candidates in isolated populations of breast carcinoma cells. Citation Format: Daniels MW, Wittliff JL, Brock GN. Clinical outcomes of estrogen-receptor negative breast carcinoma are associated with protein hormone-cognate receptor gene expression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-05-11.
Hypoxia-mediated regulation of the secretory properties of mitral valve interstitial cells

This study demonstrates that hypoxia regulates extracellular matrix secretion and the remodeling potential of heart valve interstitial cells. Expression of hypoxia-induced factor-1α plays a role in...
Science and the system: IPE and international monetary politics

ABSTRACTA recent RIPE article by Jerry Cohen argues that current research on the political economy of money has stagnated because of its overemphasis on the scientific method and domestic variables. We argue that a wide array of scientifically oriented research on the IPE of money considers the system in many different ways. To help build a dialogue, we categorize each of these conceptions of ‘the system’ and give examples of their application from recent research on the IPE of money. Our hope is that this typology will help scholars of different approaches recognize the similarities and differences in their research, beyond simply whether the research is scientific or heterodox.
Multidecadal-scale adjustment of the ocean mixed layer heat budget in the tropics: examining ocean reanalyses

Distributions of ocean mixed layer temperature trends and trends in the net heat flux from the atmosphere differ, indicating the important role of the transport of heat within the ocean for determining temperature trends. Annual-mean, linear trends in the components of the tropical ocean mixed layer heat budget for 1980–2015 are diagnosed in 4 ocean reanalyses to improve our physical understanding of multidecadal-scale SST trends. The well-known temperature trend in the tropical Pacific, with cooling in the east and warming in the west, is reproduced in each reanalysis with high statistical significance. Cooling in the east is associated with negative trends in the net heat flux from the atmosphere and enhanced equatorial upwelling related to a strengthening of the subtropical cells. Negative trends in the net heat flux also occur in the western tropical Pacific, but advective warming associated with a strengthening and shoaling of the equatorial undercurrent overwhelms these negative trends. The strengthening of the equatorial undercurrent is consistent with enhanced easterly wind stress, which is applied to the ocean reanalyses, and differential sea level trends that enhance the negative zonal height gradient across the Pacific. The Pacific North Equatorial countercurrent is also strengthening in all 4 reanalyses in association with a strengthening of the sea level trough at 10°N in the central and eastern Pacific. All 4 ocean reanalyses produce warming of 0.1–0.3 K/decade in the North Atlantic with statistical significance levels ranging from below 90–99%. The Atlantic is similar to the Pacific in having the equatorial undercurrent strengthening, but indications of shoaling are less consistent in the reanalyses and the North Equatorial Countercurrent in the Atlantic is not strengthening. Large-scale ocean mixed layer warming trends in the Indian Ocean in the reanalyses are interrupted by some regional cooling close to the equator. Net surface heat flux trends are mostly negative, indicating increasing heat fluxes from the ocean to the atmosphere. Wind stress trends applied to the ocean reanalyses are weak, but trends in the Indian Ocean equatorial undercurrent are strong. Since the Indian monsoon climate introduces strong seasonality, the annual analysis may not be adequate for studying physical processes in this ocean basin.
Back to Basics? No Weight Loss from Motivational Interviewing Compared to Nutrition Psychoeducation at One-Year Follow-Up

Objective Weight loss interventions have begun to receive increasing attention in primary care. Motivational interviewing (MI) is compatible with primary care because it requires relatively limited time and resources. Few studies, however, have examined the long-term impact of MI for weight loss in primary care, and none have used attention-control comparisons. This study was the first randomized controlled trial with a 12-month follow-up of two Web-supported interventions: motivational interviewing and internet condition (MIC) and nutrition psychoeducation and internet condition (NPC). Methods Fifty-nine patients with overweight or obesity, with and without binge-eating disorder (BED), were randomized to treatments and assessed at 12-month follow-up after completing 3-month treatments in primary care (15 months total). Results Mixed models examining weight loss at 12 months revealed a group and time interaction effect trend (P = 0.054; d′ = 0.57). Secondary end point analysis showed a decrease (−1.7%) versus an increase (1.3%) in weight at 12 months among NPC and MIC patients, respectively (P = 0.056; d′ = 0.57). Overall, 5 of 44 (11.4%) participants lost or maintained 5% weight losses; differences between treatments were not significant. BED status did not impact weight loss. Conclusions Two brief and scalable weight loss interventions resulted in small effect sizes for weight loss 12 months following treatment conclusion. Because MIC required significantly more resources for adequate implementation, NPC may be more cost-effective.
The Contingent Effects of Hospital Political Activity on Medicaid Expansion After Obamacare

In this paper, I examine the campaign contributions made by hospitals and their employees to state-level officials in the years following the Affordable Care Act. Because the ACA instigated a marke...
Religious Liberty & Public Accommodation: What Would Hohfeld Say?

Hohfeld had (at least) three major insights: (1) freedom to do something is different from having the right to limit the free actions of others; (2) property entails a bundle of rights that can be disaggregated in various ways; (3) freedom from regulation is not a self-regarding act because it makes others vulnerable to the effects of one's actions. These insights are useful in analyzing recent disputes in public accommodations law. Can public accommodations engage in statutorily-prohibited discrimination when service violates the owner's religious beliefs? This question entails understanding about the substantive norms of businesses open to the public and the appropriate scope of religious liberty. But before addressing the substantive issue, we face a problem of conceptualization. What rights are actually at stake in these kinds of cases? That is where Wesley Hohfeld's analytical scheme of legal rights is helpful. Claims of religious liberty may either be Hohfeldian privileges (freedom to act without legal constraint) or Hohfeldian claim-rights (legal claims to the aid of the state in constraining the free actions of others). When a hotel refuses to serve a customer, it is seeking both the freedom to deny service (which makes customers vulnerable to being told they are unwelcome) and the right to exclude the customer (which entails a duty to stay off the property without the owner's consent). Hohfeld distinguished these types of legal entitlements and argued that a privilege to express distaste for the customer's being or "lifestyle" is logically different from having a legal right to prevent the customer from entering the store. And both of those are distinguishable from granting the customer the Hohfeldian power to demand service (with a corresponding obligation on the store to sell its goods or services to the customer) or granting the store owner an immunity from being compelled to provide such service (which corresponds to a vulnerabilty on the customer's part since the customer needs to call ahead to see if she will be able to obtain service). All this matters because claims of religious liberty usually entail claims to have the right to control the behavior of others. The same is true of those who claim they have a right to free access to public accommodations; those claims entail an obligation on stores to provide service. Neither side is actually asking to "just be left alone." That means that neither side is actually talking about freedom from regulation; each is demanding a legal rule that affects and regulates the behavior of others and the state must make a choice between these conflicting entitlements. Choosing whether a public accommodation can deny service to customers to whom the owner objects requires, as Hohfeld said, a judgment of "justice and policy." It cannot be decided as a logical deduction from the abstract concept of freedom or religious liberty.
Modeling and Sizing of an Undersea Energy Storage System

This paper presents modeling and sizing of an undersea energy storage system (USS). The USS, which is placed at the seabed, consists of a concrete sphere, a reversible pump-turbine unit, a permanent magnet synchronous machine, and a steel pipe through which water flows into/out of the sphere from/to the deep ocean. A novel mathematical model is derived to describe the governing equations of the USS operation. It is assumed that the USS operates in parallel with a direct-drive wave energy converter (DDWEC) and a novel sizing algorithm is developed to obtain the required USS capacity/size for regulating the DDWEC output power fluctuations during a designated period of time. In order to determine the DDWEC output power profile, wave spectrums are required. Real significant wave height and dominant wave period data, which are measured and collected by a buoy station in the Gulf of Maine, are used to generate wave profiles based on the modified two-parameter Pierson–Moskowitz spectrum. Eventually, Monte Carlo simulations with a thousand generated wave profiles are carried out to determine the optimal size of the USS for all possible scenarios. Furthermore, through promising results obtained from hardware-in-the-loop studies, the effective role of the USS in regulating the wave energy converter output power fluctuations is demonstrated.
Sexual Abuse and PTSD in Children

Child sexual abuse is a type of a traumatic event that may involve “unwanted and inappropriate sexual solicitation of, or exposure to, a child by an older person; genital touching or fondling; or penetration in terms of oral, anal or vaginal intercourse or attempted intercourse” (Andrews, Corry, Slade, Issakidis, & Swanston, 2004). A national survey comprised of 4,549 children in the United States found a 1-year sexual abuse prevalence rate of 6.1% (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, & Kracke, 2009). A portion of these victims of child sexual abuse may later develop psychiatric issues, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Family Framework in a Drug Treatment Court

Drug courts reflect an expanding effort to transform the state’s response to drug crimes. Such programs merge punitive and therapeutic strategies in efforts to rehabilitate clients. The author take...
Closing the U.S. Strategic Gap in Icebreaker Capacity

For over three decades U.S. Coast Guard leaders have struggled to address the strategic risk to the nation created by the exhaustively-studied yet still unresolved U.S. “icebreaker deficit.” This article examines the current state of the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet and recent proposals to close the gap between the Coast Guard’s Arctic and Antarctic region mission demands, including navigation access, maritime search and rescue, marine environmental protection and scientific research support, and the Coast Guard’s capacity to meet those demands.
Impact of a radio frequency management information system on the process and timing of providing respiratory care services.

BACKGROUND Although radio frequency (RF) systems have proliferated and are designed to simplify care delivery in many clinical settings, little information is available on the impact of such RF systems on the delivery of patient care. Having used a hand-held-device-based management information system in our Respiratory Therapy Section for 16 years, we assessed the impact of an RF system on the delivery of respiratory therapy (RT) services. METHODS A single nursing unit dedicated to pulmonary and ear, nose, and throat care was selected for the RF system trial. Baseline (pre-RF) data were collected over 2 separate 1-month intervals (February 1999 and February 2000). The main outcome measures were (1) the amount of time needed at the beginning of the shift to organize and assign orders for RT services, (2) the time interval between notification of an RT consult order and completion of the RT consult, and (3) the time interval between notification of an RT treatment order and completion of the RT treatment. The activities required for organizing and assigning the orders were manually timed. Starting 6 weeks after therapists were trained to use the RF system, similar data were collected while using the RF system for two 1-month intervals (February and March 2001). RESULTS The mean +/- SD time interval between receiving an RT consult order and completing the consult was reduced from 7.8 +/- 18.9 h to 2.8 +/- 2.4 h (p = 0.002). The percentage of patients who waited longer than 8 hours between receipt of a consult order and completion of the consult decreased from 18% to 4.7% (p = 0.026). The total time required for organizing and assigning RT work was reduced from 81.6 min to 43.6 min. CONCLUSIONS The RF system had several advantages over the hand-held-device-based system: (1) shorter interval between the order for and completion of an RT consult, (2) lower percentage of patients for whom the interval between the order and the consult exceeded 8 hours, and (3) less time required to make shift assignments. These results invite assessment of whether accelerated delivery of RT services confers clinical benefits.
Design and Optimization of a Third-Order Switched-capacitor Reconstruction Filters for Sigma-Delta DAC’s

Several popular filter structures are compared in the design of a third-order switched-capacitor reconstruction filter for a one-bit 64x oversampling 4th-order digital modulator. A coupled-biquad structure implemented using double-sampling switched-capacitors is found to exhibit the least component sensitivity and require the lowest total capacitance for a given KT/C noise budget when compared to a cascade, inverse-follow-the-leader and a similar coupled-biquad structure all using single-sampling switched-capacitors.
Designing for Big Area Additive Manufacturing

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM), more commonly referred to as 3D printing, is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry. With any new technology comes new rules and guidelines for the optimal use of said technology. Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM), developed by Cincinnati Incorporated and Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, requires a host of new design parameters compared to small-scale 3D printing to create large-scale parts. However, BAAM also creates new possibilities in material testing and various applications in the manufacturing industry. Most of the design constraints of small-scale polymer 3D printers still apply to BAAM. Beyond those constraints, new rules and limitations exist because BAAM’s large-scale system significantly changes the thermal properties associated with small-scale AM. This work details both physical and software-related design considerations for additive manufacturing. After reading this guide, one will have a better understanding of slicing software’s capabilities and limitations, different physical characteristics of design and how to apply them appropriately for AM, and how to take the inherent nature of AM into consideration during the design process.
Bacterio- and Isobacteriodilactones by Stepwise or Direct Oxidations of meso-Tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin.

Porpholactones are porphyrinoids in which one or more β,β′-bonds of the parent chromophore were replaced by lactone moieties. Accessible to varying degrees by direct and nonselective oxidations of porphyrins, the rational syntheses of all five dilactone isomers along stepwise, controlled, and high-yielding routes via porphyrin → tetrahydroxyisobacteriochlorin metal complexes → isobacteriochlorindilactone metal complexes or porphyrin → tetrahydroxybacteriochlorin → bacteriochlorindilactone (and related) pathways, respectively, are described. A major benefit of these complementary routes over established methods is the simplicity of the isolation of the dilactones because of the reduced number of side products formed. In an alternative approach we report the direct and selective conversion of free base meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin to all isomers of free base isobacteriodilactones using the oxidant cetyltrimethylN+MnO4–. The solid-state structures of some of the isomers and their precursors are ...