cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Where were you August 8, 1985?

In February 1987, President Reagan challenged reporters at a press conference to “remember what they were doing on August 8, 1985.” In this experiment, 35 subjects were given 5 min to recall personal episodes from that date, 19 months earlier. All subjects were able to give a general recollection of where they had been and what they had been doing. Fifty-four percent gave details of personal episodes that distinguished that day from all others. The specific protocols contain significantly more negative accounts than do the general protocols. The implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
A simple block-based lossless image compression scheme

A novel low-complexity lossless scheme for continuous-tone images dubbed the PABLO codec (Pixel And Block adaptive LOw complexity coder) is introduced. It comprises a simple pixel-wise adaptive predictor and a block-adaptive coder based on the Golomb-Rice coding method. PABLO is an asymmetric algorithm requiring no coding dictionary and only a small amount of working memory on the encoder side. Due to the simplistic data structure for the compressed data, the decoder is even simpler lending itself to very fast implementations. Experimental results show the efficiency of the proposed scheme when compared against other state-of-the-art compression systems of considerably more complexity.
Phenomenal consciousness with infallible self-representation

In this paper, I argue against the claim recently defended by Josh Weisberg that a certain version of the self-representational approach to phenomenal consciousness cannot avoid a set of problems that have plagued higher-order approaches. These problems arise specifically for theories that allow for higher-order misrepresentation or—in the domain of self-representational theories—self-misrepresentation. In response to Weisberg, I articulate a self-representational theory of phenomenal consciousness according to which it is contingently impossible for self-representations tokened in the context of a conscious mental state to misrepresent their objects. This contingent infallibility allows the theory to both acknowledge the (logical) possibility of self-misrepresentation and avoid the problems of self-misrepresentation. Expanding further on Weisberg’s work, I consider and reveal the shortcomings of three other self-representational models—put forward by Kreigel, Van Gulick, and Gennaro—in order to show that each indicates the need for this sort of infallibility. I then argue that contingent infallibility is in principle acceptable on naturalistic grounds only if we attribute (1) a neo-Fregean kind of directly referring, indexical content to self-representational mental states and (2) a certain ontological structure to the complex conscious mental states of which these indexical self-representations are a part. In these sections I draw on ideas from the work of Perry and Kaplan to articulate the context-dependent semantic structure of inner-representational states.
Detection of human faces using decision trees

The paper proposes a novel algorithm for face detection using decision trees (DT) and shows its generality and feasibility using a database consisting of 2340 face images from the FERET database (corresponding to 817 subjects and including 190 sets of duplicates) over a semi-uniform background. The approach used for face detection involves three main stages, those of location, cropping, and post-processing. The first stage finds a rough approximation for the possible location of the face box, the second stage will refine it, and the last stage decider whether a face is present in the image and if the answer is positive would normalize the face image. The algorithm does not require multiple (scale) templates and the accuracy achieved is 96%. Accuracy is based on the visual observation that the face box includes both eyes, nose, and mouth, and that the top side of the box is below the hairline. Experiments were also performed to assess the accuracy of the algorithm in rejecting images where no face is present. Using a small database of 25 images of various but complex backgrounds the algorithm failed on two images for an overall accuracy rate of 92%.
Median Unbiasedness and Pitman Closeness

Abstract Under certain conditions, a median unbiased estimator of a parameter is shown to be the Pitman-closest estimator within a certain class of estimators. For location, scale, or location-scale families of distributions, the class of equivariant estimators possesses some desirable properties; the median-unbiasedness of equivariant estimators is explored in the characterization of the Pitman closeness property. Illustrative examples bear fruitful implications of this characterization.
Native stem-boring beetles (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) extensively and frequently feed on invasive Tamarix.

Abstract We initially observed native stem-boring beetles (Amphicerus bicaudatus) feeding on stems of invasive tamarisks (Tamarix) at Bonny State Park, Yuma County, in eastern Colorado. At 11 sites in Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas, we examined tamarisks and the most common co-occurring native tree, eastern cottonwoods (Populus deltoides), for the occurrence of this beetle. We detected evidence of feeding and development of insects at nine of the sites and in 112 of 579 tamarisks. Among sites, A. bicaudatus occurred in nearly 20% of tamarisks. Only 13 of 480 eastern cottonwoods showed signs of activity by A. bicaudatus. During dissections of stems of tamarisks, nearly 90% of adult beetles were in live versus dead stems.
Unifying a large corporate Web site: a case study of www.microsoft.com

Microsoft's World Wide Web site contains over 300,000 pages that are contributed by over 300 different groups. The target audience for the site is varied and ranges from children to information technology professionals. Unifying the look and feel of this large, diverse site is a daunting challenge, especially in the face of a decentralized corporate culture. Usability testing was used to identify which Web page elements might best unify the site while still allowing Microsoft groups maximum flexibility in Web page designs. Political challenges persist and inhibit the adoption of standard design elements.
Two-beam coupling measurements of grating phase in a photorefractive polymer

We investigate in detail the grating properties of a recently discovered organic photorefractive polymer as a function of electric field by using two-beam coupling. Using an oblique-incidence geometry, we present measurements of index and absorption grating phase relative to the intensity interference pattern as well as measurements of the amplitude of both the absorption and index gratings. We find that in low electric fields a weak in-phase grating (possibly photochromic) and the low electro-optic coefficient prevent observation of a phase-shifted photorefractive grating. However, in moderate-to-high electric fields a much stronger photorefractive index grating with a phase shift approaching 90° dominates. The presence of an index grating with a 90° phase shift at high fields provides strong evidence that these polymers are indeed photorefractive.
Free‐radical polymerization of phenylacetylene

The free-radical polymerization of phenylacetylene initiated by azobisisobutyronitrile at 50°C was studied in bulk and in the presence of benzene and toluene. The polymerization rate is approximately first-order with respect to the initiator concentration. The number-average molecular weight of the polymer is independent of the initiator concentration in bulk and is approximately proportional to the monomer concentration in the presence of the two diluents, but independent of their nature. The data are consistent with a mechanism based on first-order decay of active to inactive radicals. This step appears to exert the major control over kinetic and molecular chain lengths. Chain transfer to the monomer is concluded to be absent or to make only a small contribution to molecular termination.
A semantically oriented program synthesis system

An overview is given of SEED, an automatic program development system that transforms specifications into code using program development methodologies. It is shown that top-down, stepwise program development techniques, originally intended for use by humans, are amenable to automation. When using the Dijkstra/Gries methodology, users refine the predicate logic-based specification of a problem, according to set of heuristics, into code. A major portion of the SEED project involved clarifying their heuristics, intended for human application, to facilitate the development of an executable rule based system. N. Dershowitz's fact introduction scheme (Artif. Intell., vol.25, 323-73, 1985) was used to allow the user to tailor SEED to a particular problem domain by adding to a fact base that is consulted during the rule application process. SEED accepts a specification as input and returns either a program or an error message if a program cannot be developed. >
The Imbangala and the Chronology of Early Central African History

Articles by Vansina and Birmingham in the J.A.H. have explored the possibility of deriving the chronology of state-formation in central Africa from the date when warrior armies known as Imbangala (also, erroneously, as ‘Jaga’) appeared in Angola. This article, drawing on new traditions collected in Angola during 1969, shows that the figures described by the oral histories are permanent named titles in systems of positional succession and perpetual kinship; they therefore contain no implicit chronology based on assumed human life spans. The new evidence suggests that many years elapsed between the origin of one Imbangala title in the nascent Lunda empire and its successors' appearance on the coast. Although documents establish the Imbangala presence in Angola as early as 1563, this date reveals little about preceding events in Katanga, which may have taken place many decades, or even centuries, earlier. Finally, by extending the methodological techniques developed for the Imbangala traditions to published Lunda histories, it is suggested that the Luba and Lunda kingdoms may have passed through several periods before the stage previously assumed to have initiated the development of states in central Africa. The article concludes by suggesting that formation of (probably very small-scale) states began much earlier than previous analyses have demonstrated.
Tidal shapes and shifts on rotating black holes

The shape of the tide raised on a rotating black hole by an exterior perturbation is investigated. An expression is given for the perturbed curvature of the two-surface formed by the intersection of the event horizon and a surface of constant time. The result involves only the perturbation in the Weyl tensor component ${\ensuremath{\Psi}}_{0}$ which solves the Teukolsky equation. An application is made to the tide raised by an exterior moon outside a slowly rotating black hole. In this case the position of the tidal bulge is shifted away from the position of the moon in a way analogous to the lag of the tide in the earth-moon system.
An efficient calibration technique for systematic current-mismatch of D/A converters

This paper presents a current calibration technique for systematic mismatch in current-cell array. The proposed technique is suitable for GHz-range current-steering D/A converters because of an efficient and totally independent calibration operation. Behavioral simulation and measurement results show that static and yield performance of a D/A converter can be enhanced significantly by using the proposed technique. A measured reduction in INL and DNL errors before and after calibration is from +33.2/-60.1 LSB to +1.28/-1.28 LSB and from +10.2/-12.8 LSB to +2.56/-1.28 LSB in 12-bit resolution.
Adhara: runtime support for dynamic space-based applications on distributed memory MIMD multiprocessors

We describe Adhara, a runtime system specialized for dynamic space-based applications, such as particle-in-cell simulations, molecular dynamics problems and adaptive grid simulations. Adhara facilitates the programming of such applications by supporting spatial data structures (e.g., grids and particles), and facilitates obtaining good performance by performing automatic data partitioning and dynamic load balancing. We demonstrate the effectiveness of Adhera by efficiently parallelizing a specific plasma physics application. The development of the parallel program involved the addition of very few lines of code beyond those required to develop a sequential version of the application, and executed at 90% efficiency on 16 nodes of an Intel Paragon. >
Hand function in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

The purpose of this study was to assess characteristics of hand function in 30 subjects on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) with a forearm vascular access. Hand function was evaluated by measuring subjects' grip and pinch strength, range of motion, edema, and sensation and with the Grip Function Test and self-assessment scale. A difference in all hand function test results was found in the extremity with the vascular access compared with the contralateral extremity. Comparison of short-term subjects (on MHD less than two years) with long-term subjects (on MHD greater than two years) revealed significantly lower handgrip strength ( p < .05) and pinch strength ( p < .05) and significantly higher hand volume (edema) ( p < .05) in the long-term group than in the short-term group. We suggest that both the chronicity of renal failure and the presence of a vascular access may contribute to deterioration of hand function. The presence of hand deterioration in patients on MHD identifies a new patient population and a need for early baseline measurement and periodic assessment by physical therapists or hand therapists as renal rehabilitation team members.
The Tax Hangover: Trailing Nexus

Discussions regarding the scope of state taxing power over nonresident persons have generally focused on one issue — the conditions under which such persons have a sufficient nexus with a state such that the state can tax them without violating the Dormant Commerce Clause. That issue has resulted in significant debate regarding whether physical or economic presences are necessary to create state power. Unfortunately, however, the discussion has ignored an equally important question — when state power, once it has been created, terminates. Notwithstanding the lack of academic or judicial analysis of this issue, many states currently apply “trailing nexus” policies that extend their authority past the cessation of taxpayers’ nexus-creating activities. That concept challenges traditional views of the nexus requirement and seems to conflict directly with the Court’s physical-presence rule. This article analyzes the permissibility and scope of trailing nexus policies under both physical-presence and economic-nexus paradigms and finds that a disaggregated view of the nexus requirement supports its validity. The article also critiques states’ current trailing-nexus formulations and proposes an economic-latency approach that better comports with the Court’s Dormant Commerce Clause jurisprudence.
Frequency Dependent Elastic Properties And Attenuation In Heavy-oil Sands: Comparison Between Measured And Modeled Data

We have measured elastic (bulk and shear modulus) and acoustic (compressional and shear wave velocities) properties of heavy-oil sands over a range of frequencies (2− 2000Hz) covering the seismic bandwidth and at ultrasonic frequencies (0.8MHz). The measurements were carried on heavy-oil sand sample from Asphalt Ridge, Utah at a constant temperature ( 20oC) and different confining pressures using the low frequency experimental setup at Colorado School of Mines. Four different modes of intrinsic attenuation, extensional (QE), shear-wave (QS), compressional-wave (QP) and bulk compressibility (QK) were estimated. Both compressional and shear wave velocities show significant dispersion probably due to both the the inherent viscoelastic property of heavy oil and viscoelasticity arising due to oil and sand interactions. The measured attenuation (Q−1) values are significantly high indicating significant loss of energy during wave propagation. We made an attempt to model the measured acoustic properties using effective medium theories. The results show reasonably good agreement between the measured data and modeled response especially at non-zero confining pressures. The measured attenuations were modeled using the Cole-Cole model.
House Fly Genetics: Variability in a Field Population

Variability studies were conducted in a North Dakota population of the house fly, Musca domestica L., over the period of one breeding season. Tests to reveal hidden heterozygosity on chromosome 3 showed that the incidence of recessive lethal factors averaged 23.2% and remained relatively constant. 3rd chromosome homozygotes in nonlethal cultures showed that, on the average, males were produced in slight excess of females; however, in one culture, only female homozygotes occurred. Holandrically inherited 3rd chromosomes were detected throughout the breeding season at a frequency of 0.7%. In addition, 0.8% of the field-collected females produced all male progenies.
A parametric study of ethylene-fueled scramjet combustion

Ignition-delay distances for ethylene fuel injected into a supersonic combustor are modeled for jet-in-crossflow and shear-layer fuel-injection schemes using analytical models for entrainment and mixing, coupled with detailed chemical-kinetics simulations. Ignition delay distances are calculated for a two-dimensional parameter space of assumed vehicle flight Mach number and fuel-preheat stagnation temperature. The sensitivity of the ignition delays to these parameters is compared and discussed for the two fuel-injection schemes.
Structure-Based Drug Design for Sodium-Dependent Glucose Transporters

Sodium dependent glucose transporters (SGLTs) are members of the large solute carrier (SLC) family of proteins that exploit the sodium ion concentration gradient to transport glucose across the plasma membrane. In humans, there are six subtypes (SGLT1-6) expressed widely in the small intestine, kidney, lung, muscle and brain. Due to their role in sugar reabsorption, SGLTs are currently exploited as a drug target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, especially hSGLT2, which is responsible for 98% of glucose reabsorption in the kidneys.
Broad Search of Better Thermoelectric Oxides via First-Principles Computations

The advancement of computational tools for material property predictions enables broad search of novel materials for various energy-related applications. However, challenges still exist in accurately predicting the mean free paths (MFPs) of electrons and phonons in a high-throughput frame for thermoelectric property predictions, which largely hinders the computation-driven search for novel materials. In this work, this need is eliminated under the small-grain-size limit, in which these MFPs are restricted by the grain sizes within a bulk material. A new criterion for ZT evaluation is proposed for general nanograined bulk materials and is demonstrated with representative oxides.
Surveillance and molecular characterization of Escherchia coli O157 in Zhejiang province

To understand the distribution of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli(EHEC)O157∶H7 and other E.coli O157 in animals and human in Zhejiang province,their prevalence of infections,the pulse field-gel electrophoresis(PFGE)patterns,and the condition of individuals carrying the virulence genes,according to the strategies of National Surveillance on E coli O157∶H7,the stool samples from patients at diarrhea clinics of different prefectures and cities in Zhejiang province were collected from May to October 2006 when the enteric infections were highly prevalent. From these samples,E coli O157 strains were isolated and the virulence genes including stx1,stx2,hly and eaeA were detected from these isolates by routine PCR assay. PFGE was used for the homology analysis,and the anti-microbial susceptibility tests were performed for 14 antibiotics. The results obtained from these analyses were compared with the O157∶H7 strain producing Shiga-like toxin firstly isolated from stool of patient in Zhejiang province. The results showed that 4 strains of E coli O157∶H7 were isolated from 2377 stool samples of animals in 5 surveillance area in Zhejiang province,with a positive detection rate of 0.17% ,meanwhile, 2 strains of E coli O157∶H? were isolated from stool samples of patients with diarrhea in Shaoxing and Zhoushan districts. As demonstrated by PCR assay,in these 4 strains of animal origin,the stx2,hly and eaeA genes were detected,but the stx1 gene was not found,while only one strain carried the eaeA gene in 2 strains of O157∶H7. Results of PFGE typing revealed that 3 types could be differentiated in 4 strains of animal origin,and except 2 strains isolated from Jinhua district in 2006 with the same types,other strains of O157∶H7 isolated in the same regions during different years or strains isolated at different regions at the same years were entirely different.Electrophoretic band of one O157∶H?isolate was showed to be degraded and the PFGE pattern of the other one showed apparent difference with others. From the above observations,it is apparent that the predominant strains of E coli O157 of animal origin isolated from Zhejiang province carries the stx2 virulence gene,but strains isolated from patients with diarrhea are predominantly the O157∶H?without Shiga-like toxin. It was also proved that sheep and milk cows were the main hosts of E. coli O157∶H7 carrying the stx2 gene. Disease controls at different levels should be strengthen for the surveillance and epidemiologic investigation on E.coli O157 strains in zooid hosts and patients with diarrhea.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Analogues of 5,8-Dideazaisofolic Acid (IAHQ) Modified at Positions 2, 4 and 9

The compound 5,8-dideazaisofolic acid (IAHQ), 1a, was found to posses modest antitumor activity against a variety of human and murine tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. 1–5 Its lack of potency was attributed to slow influx into target cells as demonstrated with [3H] IAHQ in the presence of HCT-8 human colon adenocarcinoma cells in culture.6 The analogues 2-desamino-5,8-dideazaisofolic acid, 1b, and 2-desamino-2-methyl-5,8-dideazaisofolic acid, 1c, were prepared subsequently and found to be 6-and 44-fold more cytotoxic toward L1210 cells than 1a 7,8 This activity enhancement correlated well with increased affinity for the reduced folate transporter as measured by competition for the uptake of [3H] MTX into MOLT-4 cells.8
5-Fluorouracil and Interferon-α in chemotherapy refractory bladder carcinoma: An effective regimen

Seventy-seven patients with metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder who were unable to receive primary Cisplatin-based therapy or failed primary chemotherapy received one of three sequential 5-Fluorouracil-based salvage regimens: a) 5-Fluorouracil (1000 mg/m2 B.S.A. x 5 days) and Mitomycin-C (14 mg/m2 B.S.A. 6 week intervals), b) 5-Fluorouracil (750 mg/m2 B.S.A. x 5 days) and a-Interferon (5 miu/m2 B.S.A. daily x 5 then 3 times a week (TIW), c) 5-Fluorouracil (500 mg/m2 B.S.A. x 5 days), a-Interferon (5 miu/m2 B.S.A. x 5 days then TIW) and 13-Cis Retinoic Acid in escalating doses daily. Only 1 (6%) of the patients with regimen A responded, whereas 9 (30%) of the patients with regimen B and 8 (27%) in regimen C responded. Although all responses were partial remissions, responses were seen in patients with advanced and initially refractory transitional cell carcinomas. This data reveals that a-Interferon and 5-Fluorouracil is an effective combination in the treatment of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma and worthy of further study.
Future Directions in Psychological Skills Training

This decade has been marked by the development of several approaches to psychological skills training (PST). To assess current trends in PST in order to ascertain if consumers’ needs are being met, a content analysis of PST approaches published in books in North America between 1980 and 1988 was conducted with regard to target populations, content areas, and format characteristics. Based on the content analysis, six needs representing viable future directions for PST are outlined. These needs include targeting youth and coaches in addition to elite athletes, moving beyond basic education into specific implementation procedures, differentiating between psychological skills and methods, adopting a holistic approach based on the interactional paradigm and a personal development model, defining the practice of sport psychology based on the personal development of sport consumers, and facilitating the theory/practice relationship through research-based PST programming and evaluation research.
From Blame to Awareness: Expanding Teacher Candidates’ Understandings of Emergent Bilinguals’ Literacy and Language Capacities

Teacher candidates today are likely to blame students and their families in underserved communities for their inability to succeed in school rather than recognize the system of failure embedded in institutional practices that disfavors and disenfranchises minority groups (Castro 2010, p. 207). In particular, many tend to view students’ literacy and language abilities as delayed, often because they assume that students’ caregivers do not have the requisite skills, knowledge, time, or desire to provide their children with school-valued print and language experiences. These deficit orientations of students and families need to be replaced with more informed understandings about the socio-political factors that shape schooling and access to school-valued literacies and languages, and more critical awareness of the types of cultural wealth that exist in these communities (Yosso, 2005). Such inquiry is needed to help candidates to see students’ inherent assets and their own roles in addressing students’ literacy/language needs. This article examines one university’s efforts to complicate teacher candidates’ understandings of children and caregivers through a course called “Literacy, Language & Culture.” Data collected over a two-year period with 191 candidates shows that many teacher candidates can evolve to see children’s literacy and language capacities to varying degrees and their own responsibility in fortifying instruction for students and connecting with caregivers, but that more focused and coordinated work is required to make this a uniform goal across teacher preparation programs.
Effect of Macondo Prospect 252 Oil on Microbiota Associated with Pelagic Sargassum in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

The environmental impact of major oil spills on marine microorganisms has yet to be thoroughly investigated using molecular biology techniques. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling rig explosion of 2010 affected an approximately 176,000 km2 surface area of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) when an estimated 210 million gallons of oil from the Macondo Prospect spilled into the environment. Pelagic Sargassum, a complex of two surface drifting species (Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans) of marine brown macroalgae and a critically important habitat in the GOM ecosystem, was suffused by Macondo Prospect 252 oil released during the DWH event. Using 16S rRNA PCR and Roche 454 pyrosequencing, the effect of the oil on the bacterial population associated with pelagic Sargassum and contiguous waters was examined by comparing sequence data generated from samples collected from oiled and non-oiled locations in the northern GOM. Sequence data showed similar microbial composition in Sargassum regardless of exposure to oil primarily dominated by five phyla; Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and unclassified bacteria. The microbial composition in water samples was significantly less diverse than for Sargassum and consisted primarily of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Due to the evenly distributed abundance of microbial species on oiled and non-oiled pelagic Sargassum, study findings indicate that DWH spilled oil had minimal effect on the composition and diversity of the microbial community associated with Sargassum and contiguous waters. However, higher abundances of Sulfitobacter and one species of Psychrobacter were found in oiled water samples when compared to non-oiled water samples indicating some effect of DHW oil in the microbial composition of seawater. Though there are a number of marine studies using molecular biology approaches, this is the first molecular examination of the impact of the DWH oil spill on bacterial communities associated with pelagic Sargassum and contiguous waters from the GOM.
Street-level: Google Street View’s abstraction by datafication:

While aerial photography is associated with vertical objectivity and spatial abstractions, street-level imagery appears less political in its orientation to the particularities of place. I contest ...
THE SURVIVAL CON: FRAUD AND FORGERY IN THE REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA, 1967–70*

Over the course of the Nigerian Civil War (1967–70), many people in the secessionist Republic of Biafra resorted to forgery, confidence scams, and other forms of fraud to survive the dire conditions created by Nigeria's blockade. Forgery of passes and other documents, fraudulent commercial transactions, and elaborate schemes involving impersonation and racketeering became common in Biafra, intensifying as the Biafran government's ability to enforce the law diminished. Using long-neglected legal records from Biafra's courts and tribunals, this study traces the process by which deception emerged as a practice of survival in wartime Biafra – a process with important implications for the growth of fraud (known as ‘419’ after the relevant section of the Nigerian criminal code) in reintegrated postwar Nigeria.
Static and dynamic characteristics of composite structures

abstract The results of a theoretical and experimental investigation regarding the static and dynamic characteristics of shear walls are described. Solutions were obtained for the natural frequencies, mode shapes, and response quantities for an appropriate mathematical model, consisting of a distributed mass shear panel having a concentrated roof load mass at its top. Damping for such a structure may be represented in terms of an experimentally determined equivalent viscous damping ratio, v eq . Using numerical analysis techniques, appropriate equations were derived and programmed, and a digital computer used to obtain the desired response quantitites resulting from either harmonic or arbitrary forcing functions. The 1940 El Centro earthquake, N-S component ground accelerations were utilized for most of the latter calculations. Using experimentally obtained static-cyclic load-deflection curves, values of v eq were found to average 0.08-0.10 for low design-type loads, a range which was further verified by vibration generator and “snap” test dynamic testing. It was thus deemed satisfactory to recommend constant damping ratios of 0.07-0.08 for response calculations. Numerical accuracy of the computer solutions was investigated, with it being noted the acceleration values provided a good criterion for stability of solutions. Being least accurate because of the numerical procedure used, the accelerations always became unstable at a time prior to that of the displacements, thus giving a simple check as to the time span of correct solutions. Another effective procedure simply involved making two computer runs with the same input data, but different time increments, and then comparing results. If results were basically the same, the larger time increment was adequate; otherwise, another run was made with an even smaller time increment, answers compared, etc., until results essentially agreed.
Clinical characteristics of HIV-infected patients with adjudicated heart failure:

AimsHIV-infected persons may have elevated risks for heart failure, but factors associated with heart failure in the modern era of HIV therapy are insufficiently understood. Despite substantial disagreement between physician-adjudicated heart failure and heart failure diagnosis codes, few studies of HIV cohorts have evaluated adjudicated heart failure. We evaluated associations of HIV viremia, immunosuppression, and cardiovascular risk factors with physician-adjudicated heart failure.Methods and resultsWe analyzed clinical characteristics associated with heart failure in a cohort of 5041 HIV-infected patients receiving care at an urban hospital system between 2000 and 2016. We also evaluated characteristics of HIV-infected patients who screened negative for heart failure, screened positive for possible heart failure but did not have heart failure after adjudication, and had adjudicated heart failure. HIV-infected patients with heart failure (N = 216) were older and more likely to be black, hypertensive, a...
Composition and structure of fresh ammonia clouds on Jupiter based on quantitative analysis of Galileo/NIMS and New Horizons/LEISA spectra

Abstract Ammonia gas has long been assumed to be the main source of condensables for the upper cloud layer on Jupiter, but distinctive spectral features associated with ammonia have been seen only rarely. Since both ammonia and NH 4 SH absorb in the 3 µm region, and widespread absorption in the 3 µm region was present (Sromovsky and Fry, 2010), identification of the 2 µm absorption feature of NH 3 provided an opportunity to clearly establish its presence in Jovian clouds. Baines et al. (2002) succeeded in finding in Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) observations one feature that had both 2 µm and 3 µm absorption, and many which were known to have absorption at 2.73 µm. They named these Spectrally Identifiable Ammonia Clouds (SIACs). They also argued that these were fresh ammonia clouds that would eventually succumb to some process that would obscure their absorption features. Detection of many more of the 2 µm features was later achieved by New Horizon’s Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA) instrument, which provided both the spatial and spectral resolution needed to identify these features. Here we report on the first quantitative modeling that uses NIMS spectra over a broad (1–5.2 µm) spectral range and LEISA spectra over a much narrower (1.25–2.5 µm) spectral range to constrain the cloud structure and composition of these rare cloud features and compare them to background clouds. We find that the absorption signature at 2 µm, which is well characterized in LEISA spectra, is relatively subtle and easily matched by model clouds containing spherical particles of ammonia ice with radii of 2–4 µm. The NIMS spectra, which cover both reflected sunlight as well as thermal emission regions are more difficult to model with cloud materials plausibly present in Jupiter’s atmosphere. The best signal/noise spectra obtained from NIMS provide a relatively sparse sampling of the spectrum, which does not establish the detailed shape of the 3 µm absorption region. NIMS SIAC spectra with much denser spectral sampling are limited by much higher noise levels that degrade the features that are key to identifying cloud composition. The structure which best matches the wide range NIMS SIAC spectra contains two overlapping NH 3 clouds with a bi-modal size distribution over an optically thick NH 4 SH cloud. The bi-modal distribution may be a result of modeling non-spherical, possibly fractal aggregate, particles with spheres.
The diving reflex and asphyxia: working across species in physiological ecology

Beginning in the mid-1930s the comparative physiologists Laurence Irving and Per Fredrik (Pete) Scholander pioneered the study of diving mammals, particularly harbor seals. Although resting on earlier work dating back to the late nineteenth century, their research was distinctive in several ways. In contrast to medically oriented physiology, the approaches of Irving and Scholander were strongly influenced by natural history, zoology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Diving mammals, they argued, shared the cardiopulmonary physiology of terrestrial mammals, but evolution had modified these basic adaptive processes in extreme ways. In particular, seals' remarkable ability to hold breath, lower metabolism, produce energy anaerobically, and resist asphyxiation, provided a sharp contrast with terrestrial mammals, including humans. This diving physiology was an extreme elaboration of a general regulatory mechanism that allowed seals and other diving mammals to remain active underwater for extended periods. The decrease in heart rate referred to as bradycardia or the "diving reflex" was highly developed in diving mammals, but also found in less developed form in many other organisms faced by asphyxia. It therefore served as a kind of "master switch" for lowering metabolism in diving, hibernation, parturition, drowning, and other physiological responses involving lack of oxygen. Studying bradycardia unified a wide diversity of physiological phenomena, while also providing a context for contrasting the physiological responses of various species, including humans. Conducted in the laboratory and the field, this research served as a bridge between a comparative physiological ecology focused on non-human species and a human-centered general physiology.
A Road Map for Ethical Decision-Making

In this chapter, the authors also introduce a case study to demonstrate one way the road map can be applied to aid decision-making in the face of ethical dilemmas. The case introduces the issue of donor intent and asks whether or not it is appropriate to acquiesce to donor demands, even if it means compromising organizational policies. Handy and Russell follow the road map for ethical decision-making introduced in this chapter to weigh the alternative courses of action in this hypothetical case, tying it back to ethical frameworks introduced in preceding chapters.
Carotid Terminus Aneurysms

Abstract Carotid terminus aneurysms are rare, accounting for ~ 5% of intracranial aneurysms. Treatment of these aneurysms requires knowledge of the carotid terminus anatomy including the main vasculature and the numerous perforators. The decision to treat an unruptured aneurysm is complex but can be guided by the aneurysm, the patient, and a combination of risk factors. Carotid terminus aneurysms are amenable to both open and endovascular treatments. Various open microsurgical and minimally invasive approaches can be utilized. Endovascular treatment can be achieved with standard embolization techniques. New investigational devices have been designed for bifurcation aneurysms and the initial experience has been promising. Carotid terminus aneurysms are readily accessible for microsurgical treatment. Currently endovascular treatment of these lesions carries a high recurrence and retreatment rate. This can be minimized in high volume centers capable of providing both treatment modalities and carefully select patients for the specific treatment.
Cost Shifting in Nonprofit Hospitals

While managers of for-profit organizations are charged with maximizing profits, this is typically not the case for managers of nonprofit organizations. Specifically, managers of nonprofit hospitals are charged with fulfilling the hospital’s mission to the community (i.e., providing quality health-related services at affordable prices), while the hospital earns profits that are near (or perhaps just above) zero. Prior research shows that managers of nonprofit hospitals manage accruals and real activities to avoid earning profits below or well above this zero-profit benchmark. We extend this research by showing that nonprofit hospitals also engage in cost shifting by reclassifying expenses from non-patient-centered (hereafter, 'non-core') to patient-centered (hereafter, 'core') activities when reporting earnings that either fall short of or are well above the zero-profit benchmark. This result tends to be more pronounced for hospitals with greater normative pressures, lower regulatory oversight, and greater reliance on external financing through donations. We expect our findings to yield clarity on the quality of nonprofit hospitals’ earnings by looking beyond bottom-line net income.
Optimizing the LRU algorithm for web caching

We analyze a class of randomized Least-Recently-Used (LRU) cache replacement algorithms under the independent reference model with generalized Zipf's law request probabilities. The randomization was recently proposed for Web caching as a mechanism that discriminates between different document sizes. In particular, a requested document that is not found in the cache either replaces a necessary number of least recently used documents with probability depending on its size or the cache is left unchanged. In this framework, we provide explicit asymptotic characterization of the cache fault probability. Using the derived result we prove that the asymptotic performance of this class of algorithms is optimized when the randomization probabilities are chosen inversely proportional to document sizes. In addition, for this optimized and easy to implement policy, we show that its performance is within a constant factor from the optimal static algorithm. An excellent agreement between our approximation and simulation experiments, even for small cache sizes, further validates our asymptotic results.
Membrane transport of antifolates as a critical determinant of drug cytotoxicity.

There are few areas in therapeutics in which membrane transport of pharmacologic agents has been subjected to as intense study as in the treatment of malignant diseases with cytotoxic agents. Unlike the antibacterial or antifungal agents, which may selectively inhibit biochemical processes unique to the bacterial or fungal organism, the agents which comprise the current armamentarium of the cancer chemotherapist produce toxic effects on both tumor and susceptible host tissues. The lack of understanding of the basic biochemical differences between normal and malignant cells require the utilization of subtle techniques, often empirical, to achieve “selective” effects of the agents in an attempt to minimize toxicity to susceptible host tissues while maximizing toxicity to the tumor. The better understood of these techniques usually exploit quantitative rather than qualitative differences in the tumor vs. host cell rates of (a) cellular proliferation, (b) drug activation or inactivation, (c) drug transport across the cell membrane, and (d) drug interaction with target sites within the cell.
Business Entrepreneurship: The Integrated Behavioral Health Business Plan

The ability to write a business plan for a sustainable integrated behavioral health program requires competencies in business entrepreneurship. Leaders in integrated behavioral health will be called upon to design detailed business plans in order to successfully promote integrated behavioral health programs. This chapter is focused on the competencies necessary to write an integrated behavioral health business plan. These competencies include identifying opportunities and resources, creating strategies to demonstrate the value of integrated behavioral health, and how to promote the business plan via presentations to senior leadership. The components of the business plan include the executive summary, program description, industry trends and analysis, the target market, competition, strategic position and risk assessment, marketing plans and sales strategy, operations, technology plan, management, sustainability, and financials. Examples of measurement and evaluation of these competencies are included.
How much do visual cues help listeners in perceiving accented speech

It has been documented that lipreading facilitates the understanding of difficult speech, such as noisy speech and time-compressed speech. However, relatively little work has addressed the role of visual information in perceiving accented speech, another type of difficult speech. In this study, we specifically focus on accented word recognition. One hundred forty-two native English speakers made lexical decision judgments on English words or nonwords produced by speakers with Mandarin Chinese accents. The stimuli were presented as either as videos that were of a relatively far speaker or as videos in which we zoomed in on the speaker’s head. Consistent with studies of degraded speech, listeners were more accurate at recognizing accented words when they saw lip movements from the closer apparent distance. The effect of apparent distance tended to be larger under nonoptimal conditions: when stimuli were nonwords than words, and when stimuli were produced by a speaker who had a relatively strong accent. However, we did not find any influence of listeners’ prior experience with Chinese accented speech, suggesting that cross-talker generalization is limited. The current study provides practical suggestions for effective communication between native and nonnative speakers: visual information is useful, and it is more useful in some circumstances than others.
Economic and Academic Importance

Carrot is a relatively recently domesticated vegetable crop that provides a significant source of dietary vitamin A to consumers. Earlier cultivar development for carrot was most extensive in temperate regions of Europe and Asia, but cultivars adapted to tropical and sub-tropical climates have contributed significantly to an increase in global carrot production in the last 50 years. Carrot germplasm includes a broad range of genotypic and phenotypic diversity that contributes to its wide adaptability. There has not been an extensive written historical record for carrot, where color and flavor were the most frequently noted attributes of the crop from its origins in Central Asia through its early development into the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and Asia. Carotenoids and anthocyanins account for carrot colors and have been a major focus for carrot researchers, and the use of carrot in demonstrating biological totipotency and in providing the first evidence of plant transfer of mitochondrial DNA to the plastid genome has generated significant attention for carrot. The economic importance of carrot in agriculture and academic contributions attributable to carrot that are summarized in this chapter suggest an optimistic future for improved crop production and expanded basic research opportunities that are broadened with the availability of a carrot genome sequence.
Predicting PML Performance at Normal Incidence in Cylindrical FDTD

The main objective of this presentation is to apply discrete FDTD theory to the stretched-coordinates PML for cylindrical FDTD and derive the overall numerical reflection coefficient off the PML region as a function of all algorithmic parameters and harmonic solutions. For brevity, analysis are limited to normal incidence on the radially arrayed PML region. Obtained predictive equations are used to investigate PML absorption as a function of cylindrical harmonics and proximity to the axis of rotation.
We Still Need New Ideas

While reading my colleagues’ reflections on this 20th year of publication, the realization struck me that I barely know of a time without this journal’s mix of theory and practice, its incorporatio...