cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Floating Point Arithmetic

The chapter discusses the handling of integer and floating point numbers in a digital computer. Integers are stored using two’s-complement notation with p bits. The positive integers have a zero in the left-most bit, and the binary representation for the integer in the remaining p − 1 bits. The negative integers begin with −1 = 111…111 and end with 1000…000., so they all have a left-most bit of 1. The negative of an integer is computed using the formula 2comp( n ) = 1comp( n ) + 1, where 1comp( n ) flips bits. The range of the integer representation is − 2 p ≤ n ≤ 2 p −1 . Perform subtraction of x and y by executing x − y = x + 2comp( y ). The sum of two positive or two negative integers can overflow, and this is indicated when the sign bit is the opposite of what it should be. After discussing integers, the chapter presents floating point arithmetic. The representation involves a sign bit, an exponent, and a mantissa (significant digits). Since only a finite number of bits are used, usually 32 or 64, most floating point numbers cannot be represented exactly, and this is the source of roundoff error, a serious problem. This finite representation also gives rise to floating point overflow and underflow. There are only a finite number of floating point numbers, and the representation is granular. The granularity depends on the machine constant eps. The chapter discusses floating arithmetic and provides error bounds for some floating point operations. Errors are normally measured using relative error rather than absolute error. Truncation error is discussed in the chapter. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how to minimize certain types of floating-point error; in particular, losing the effect of a smaller number when adding it to a much larger one, and cancellation error.
Divide to Defend: Collusive Security Games

Research on security games has focused on settings where the defender must protect against either a single adversary or multiple, independent adversaries. However, there are a variety of real-world security domains where adversaries may benefit from colluding in their actions against the defender, e.g., wildlife poaching, urban crime and drug trafficking. Given such adversary collusion may be more detrimental for the defender, she has an incentive to break up collusion by playing off the self-interest of individual adversaries. As we show in this paper, breaking up such collusion is difficult given bounded rationality of human adversaries; we therefore investigate algorithms for the defender assuming both rational and boundedly rational adversaries. The contributions of this paper include i collusive security games COSGs, a model for security games involving potential collusion among adversaries, ii SPECTRE-R, an algorithm to solve COSGs and break collusion assuming rational adversaries, iii observations and analyses of adversary behavior and the underlying factors including bounded rationality, imbalanced- resource-allocation effect, coverage perception, and individualism/collectivism attitudes within COSGs with data from 700 human subjects, iv a learned human behavioral model that incorporates these factors to predict when collusion will occur, v SPECTRE-BR, an enhanced algorithm which optimizes against the learned behavior model to provide demonstrably better performing defender strategies against human subjects compared to SPECTRE-R.
Explaining and Predicting Consumer Intention to Purchase Over the Internet: An Exploratory Study

This study tested a model that organizes and presents factors that lead consumers to buy online. The model contained four explanatory variables (generalized innovativeness, innovativeness toward online buying, involvement with the Internet, and frequency of Internet use) and two response variables (amount of past purchasing done over the Internet and likelihood of future online purchase). A sample of 107 undergraduates reported their Internet-related attitudes and behaviors in the context of a longitudinal survey of purchasing behavior. Path analysis showed that a slightly modified model fit the data well. Frequency of online buying and intent to buy online in the future were predicted by general innovativeness, an innovative predisposition toward buying online, and involvement with the Internet. Thus, these appear to be important predictors of online buying that can help profile consumers for marketing strategy.
Dual bioluminescence and near-infrared fluorescence monitoring to evaluate spherical nucleic acid nanoconjugate activity in vivo

RNA interference (RNAi)-based gene regulation platforms have shown promise as a novel class of therapeutics for the precision treatment of cancer. Techniques in preclinical evaluation of RNAi-based nanoconjugates have yet to allow for optimization of their gene regulatory activity. We have developed spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) as a blood-brain barrier-/blood-tumor barrier-penetrating nanoconjugate to deliver small interfering (si) and micro (mi)RNAs to intracranial glioblastoma (GBM) tumor sites. To identify high-activity SNA conjugates and to determine optimal SNA treatment regimens, we developed a reporter xenograft model to evaluate SNA efficacy in vivo. Engrafted tumors stably coexpress optical reporters for luciferase and a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent protein (iRFP670), with the latter fused to the DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT). Using noninvasive imaging of animal subjects bearing reporter-modified intracranial xenografts, we quantitatively assessed MGMT knockdown by SNAs composed of MGMT-targeting siRNA duplexes (siMGMT-SNAs). We show that systemic administration of siMGMT-SNAs via single tail vein injection is capable of robust intratumoral MGMT protein knockdown in vivo, with persistent and SNA dose-dependent MGMT silencing confirmed by Western blotting of tumor tissue ex vivo. Analyses of SNA biodistribution and pharmacokinetics revealed rapid intratumoral uptake and significant intratumoral retention that increased the antitumor activity of coadministered temozolomide (TMZ). Our study demonstrates that dual noninvasive bioluminescence and NIR fluorescence imaging of cancer xenograft models represents a powerful in vivo strategy to identify RNAi-based nanotherapeutics with potent gene silencing activity and will inform additional preclinical and clinical investigations of these constructs.
Mental Imagery: An Indispensable Psychological Concept

As an undergraduate at the University of Missouri (1925–1929), I majored in psychology of a radically behavioristic type. Under the relentless insistence of Professor Max F. Meyer, we students were taught that all behavior consisted of reflexes, innate or conditioned, and that it was quite inadmissible to mention any “mentalistic” concept or phenomenon whatever, “images” being, of course, a salient case in point. Meyer, in his native Germany, had been trained as a physicist, so it was perhaps natural for him to adopt a highly mechanistic approach when, as a result of an extraordinary set of circumstances (Mowrer, 1976), he found himself head of a psychology department. In this respect he antedated John B. Watson by several years. Although he wrote the first psychology text with “behavior” in the title (Meyer, 1911), he did not, however, as Watson (1914, 1919, 1924) was later to do, use the term “behaviorisim;” and, again unlike Watson, he did not establish a “school” and attract a large number of followers. But it was nevertheless under him that I received my “baptism by fire” in systematic behaviorism.
The Other Green Jobs: Legal Marijuana and the Promise of Consumption-Driven Economic Development:

Legalizing marijuana at the state level establishes via fiat a new industry. In practice, legal marijuana constitutes a large-scale test of consumption-driven economic development policies, which s...
Blood-Brain Barrier Mechanisms of Edema Formation: The Role of Ion Transporters and Channels

Abstract This chapter discusses the roles of blood brain barrier (BBB) ion transporters and channels in edema formation occurring during ischemic stroke. While many studies have addressed changes in astrocytes and neurons during stroke, considerably fewer have focused on BBB events and a large portion of those have focused on tight junctions. Relatively little attention has been given to BBB ion transporters and channels despite the fact that they play a critical role in regulating the volume and composition of brain interstitial fluid. In recent years evidence has emerged that luminally located BBB Na+ transporters and K+ channels are stimulated under ischemic conditions to drive transendothelial transport of ions and water from blood into brain, contributing to edema formation during the early hours of ischemic stroke. Targeting these BBB ion transporters and channels appears to be a promising therapeutic avenue for reducing edema and brain damage in stroke.
Mapping potential motorised sightseeing recreation supply across broad privately-owned landscapes of the Southern United States

The recreational opportunities available across landscapes of the Southern United States can be broad and diverse, and collectively are considered a subset of cultural ecosystem services. In descri...
Zur Klinik des Hypophysenzwischenhirnsystems

Beschreibung eines Kranken, bei dem es am Ende des Polarwinters zu mannigfachen Storungen im vegetativen System kam: allgemeine Leistungsschwache und Haltungsverfall, Hypotonie, Hypoglykamie. Grundumsatzsenkung, Storungen des Wasserhaushaltes mit Odemen, Abnahme von Potenz und Libido, Haarausfall, Zunahme der Korpergrose. Die Veranderungen gingen bei Klimawechsel mit ausreichender Besonnung rasch wieder zuruck. Die Fragen der Lichtwirkung auf den Organismus werden besprochen und eine Untersuchungsreihe bei Kriegsblinden, in der sich eine Reihe von vegetativen Storungen ergab, wird mitgeteilt.
Ethnography, Ethnography or Ethnography? What Happens When the Same Word Means Different Things to Different People?

This paper discusses how the notion and practice of ethnography differs for practitioners with different disciplinary backgrounds, especially in a context where ethnography exits academia to enter industry contexts. The paper is divided into four sections. The first provides background to specific experiences and briefly over-views existing literature. In the second part we compare our experiences through an industry case study. The third section proposes a taxonomy, suggesting a number of implications, and providing recommendations on how to integrate cross-disciplinary approaches to expand the scope of conducting user research. The final section wraps up our propositions and provides a number of recommendations.
Entitlement in Romantic Relationships in the United States

“Entitlement,” according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is the “right to do or have something.” In a close relationship (CR), entitlement may be viewed as the kind of and quality of outcomes an individual believes he or she deserves to receive as a result of maintaining the relationship. Entitlement must be distinguished from the level of outcomes one expects to receive from the relationship, although in practice the two may be highly correlated, with most people no doubt expecting to receive what they deserve, given the widespread belief in a “just world” (Lerner & Lerner, 1981). The concept of entitlement directly engages social-exchange theory. For example, social-exchange theorists believe that knowledge of an individual’s comparison level is vital to understanding social relationships, including romantic relationships. An individual’s comparison level is the goodness-of-outcome level an individual believes he or she deserves in a specific relationship.
Model of the impact of use of thermal energy storage on operation of a nuclear power plant Rankine cycle

Abstract Increasing electricity production by solar and wind energy is projected to impact the stability of electricity grids and consequently may limit the growth of renewable electricity generation. This issue can be ameliorated in part by increasing the flexibility of baseload power plants. A thermodynamic analysis of thermal energy storage (TES) coupled with a nuclear-powered Rankine cycle as one approach of increasing baseload flexibility is presented. During periods of excess capacity, the high-pressure steam supply is used to charge the TES. When electricity generation above the baseload capacity is required, the TES is discharged to generate steam for expansion in the low-pressure turbine. Pressure, temperature, and enthalpy state points within the cycle are presented over a range of charge and discharge rates. The capacity factor over a charge/discharge cycle is up to 9.8% higher than that of the same plant operated with steam bypass. This benefit increases with increasing charge and discharge power. With TES, the thermal-to-electrical efficiency is stable over a wide range of discharge rates. The results support future development of TES systems for baseload thermal power plants in a power grid in which renewable energy is prioritized.
Time-quasiperiodic topological superconductors with Majorana multiplexing

Time-quasiperiodic Majoranas are generalizations of Floquet Majoranas in time-quasiperiodic superconducting systems. We show that in a system driven at d mutually irrational frequencies, there are up to 2^d types of such Majoranas, coexisting despite spatial overlap and lack of time-translational invariance. Although the quasienergy spectrum is dense in such systems, the time-quasiperiodic Majoranas can be stable and robust against resonances due to localization in periodic-drive-induced synthetic dimensions. This is demonstrated in a time-quasiperiodic Kitaev chain driven at two frequencies. We further relate the existence of multiple Majoranas in a time-quasiperiodic system to the time-quasicrystal phase introduced recently. These time-quasiperiodic Majoranas open a possibility for braiding which will be pursued in the future.
Gatekeepers, Shareholders, and Evangelists: Expanding Communication Networks of African American Forest Landowners in North Carolina

The Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR) was launched in 2012 to increase adoption of sustainable forestry practices among African American landowners in the sout...
The human gut virome database

The gut microbiome profoundly impacts human health and disease, but viruses that infect these microbes are likely also important. Problematically, viral sequences are often missed due to insufficient reference viral genomes. Here we (i) built a human gut virome database, GVD, from 648 viral particle metagenomes or microbial metagenomes from 572 individuals previously searched for viruses, (ii) assessed its effectiveness, and (iii) conducted meta-analyses. GVD contains 13,203 unique viral populations (approximately species-level taxa) organized into 702 novel genera, which roughly doubles known phage genera and improves viral detection rates over NCBI viral RefSeq nearly 60-fold. Applying GVD, we assessed and rejected the idea of a "core" gut virome in healthy individuals, and found through meta-analyses that technical artifacts are more impactful than any "treatment" effect across the entire meta-study dataset. Together, this foundational resource and these findings will help human microbiome researchers better identify viral roles in health and disease.
Sexually dimorphic body size and development time plasticity in Aedes mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

BACKGROUND Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in insects often accompanies a sexual difference in development time, sexual bimaturism (SBM). GOAL To determine whether three Aedes mosquito species have similar plasticity in SSD, attain sexual dimorphism through similar strategies, and whether SSD and SBM are associated. ORGANISMS Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, and Aedes triseriatus (Diptera: Culicidae). METHODS In four different food availability environments, we quantified plastic responses of relative growth rate (RGR), development time, and adult body size in individually reared males and females. RESULTS Food availability affected RGR differently for the sexes for all three species. The RGR of males and females differed significantly in the 0.1 g/L food treatment. This difference did not account for observed SSD. Food levels over which the largest changes in RGR were observed differed among the species. Male and female adult mass and development time were jointly affected by food availability in a pattern that differed among the three species, so that degree of SSD and SBM changed differentially with food availability for all three species. Development time was generally less sexually dimorphic than mass, particularly in A. albopictus. At lower food levels, A. aegypti and A. triseriatus had accentuated dimorphism in development time. These results, combined with our knowledge of mosquito life history, suggest that a direct benefit of SBM is improbable for mosquitoes and that the observed intersexual differences in development time are more likely byproducts of selection for SSD.
Clarification of the name cylindropuntia wolfii (cactaceae) and an account of the species

The name Cylindropuntia wolfii, which has been used for a distinct cholla species, has had a problematic nomenclatural history. An attempt is made to clarify the validity of the name and to provide a revised description of the species and its presently-known distribution.
Baseline Serum Vitamin A and D Levels Determine Benefit of Oral Vitamin A&D Supplements to Humoral Immune Responses Following Pediatric Influenza Vaccination

Maximizing vaccine efficacy is critical, but previous research has failed to provide a one-size-fits-all solution. Although vitamin A and vitamin D supplementation studies have been designed to improve vaccine efficacy, experimental results have been inconclusive. Information is urgently needed to explain study discrepancies and to provide guidance for the future use of vitamin supplements at the time of vaccination. We conducted a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study of influenza virus vaccination and vitamin supplementation among 2 to 8 (inclusive) year old children over three seasons, including 2015–2016 (n = 9), 2016–2017 (n = 44), and 2017–2018 (n = 26). Baseline measurements of vitamins A and D were obtained from all participants. Measurements were of serum retinol, retinol-binding protein (RBP, a surrogate for retinol), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Participants were stratified into two groups based on high and low incoming levels of RBP. Children received two doses of the seasonal influenza virus vaccine on days 0 and 28, either with an oral vitamin supplement (termed AD 20,000 IU retinyl palmitate and 2000 IU cholecalciferol) or a matched placebo. Hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) antibody responses were evaluated toward all four components of the influenza virus vaccines on days 0, 28, and 56. Our primary data were from season 2016–2017, as enrollment was highest in this season and all children exhibited homogeneous and negative HAI responses toward the Phuket vaccine at study entry. Responses among children who entered the study with insufficient or deficient levels of RBP and 25(OH)D benefited from the A&D supplement (p < 0.001 for the day 28 Phuket response), whereas responses among children with replete levels of RBP and 25(OH)D at baseline were unaffected or weakened (p = 0.02 for the day 28 Phuket response). High baseline RBP levels associated with high HAI titers, particularly for children in the placebo group (baseline RBP correlated positively with Phuket HAI titers on day 28, r = 0.6, p = 0.003). In contrast, high baseline 25(OH)D levels associated with weak HAI titers, particularly for children in the A&D group (baseline 25(OH)D correlated negatively with Phuket HAI titers on day 28, r = −0.5, p = 0.02). Overall, our study demonstrates that vitamin A&D supplementation can improve immune responses to vaccines when children are vitamin A and D-insufficient at baseline. Results provide guidance for the appropriate use of vitamins A and D in future clinical vaccine studies.
Current status of iodine deficiency disorders in Henan Province in 2011

Objective To analyze the present situation of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) in Henan Province,and to promote implementation of sustainable control strategies.Methods In 2011,a stratified proportion to population probability sampling (PPS) method was used to survey 1200 children aged 8 to 10 in 30 counties of the province.One primary school was selected in each chosen county.Goiter,intelligence quotient (IQ),urinary iodine and salt iodine level were studied.Meanwhile,12 families per capita salt intake was investigated.In each school,30 5th-grade students and 30 pregnant and lactating women in the school townships and adjacent neighboring townships were selected to carry out questionnaire survey on health education with unified papers.Results ①The goiter rate of children aged 8 to 10 by B ultrasound was 4.5％ (54/1201) ; the IQ of 1080 children was 107.75 ± 16.81 ; median urinary iodine level of 358 children was 201.4 μg/L.②The median of salt iodine content was 28.6 mg/kg,the coverage rate of iodized salt was 98.8％ (1186/1200),and qualified rate of iodized salt was 93.0％ (1116/1200).③The residents average daily salt intake was 10.5 g.④Average score of the questionnaire survey of 1084 5th-grade students was 4.2 points.Average score of 961 housewives was 4.4 points.Conclusions Various technical indicators show that IDD is in a sustained elimination state in Henan Province.Strengthen health education,enhance public awareness of disease prevention is still the important work ahead. Key words: Iodine; Deficiency diseases; Salts; Goiter; Intelligence
Understanding the Relationship between School Leadership for Social Justice and Student Achievement

With the aim of understanding why the achievement gap persists for marginalized students, this mixed methods study examined the beliefs and practices of school leaders in both high-performing and l...
National Variation in Elective Colon Resection for Diverticular Disease.

OBJECTIVE This study aims to characterize the extent of geographic variation in elective sigmoid resection for diverticulitis and to identify factors associated with observed variation. INTRODUCTION National guidelines for treatment of recurrent diverticulitis fail to offer strong recommendations for or against surgical intervention. We hypothesize that healthcare market factors will be significantly associated with geographic variation in colon resection for diverticulitis, a discretionary surgical intervention. METHODS We used Center for Medicare Services 100% inpatient Limited Data Set (LDS) files from January 2013 through September 2015 to calculate an observed to expected standardized colon resection ratio for each hospital referral region (HRR). We then analyzed patient, hospital-, and market-level factors associated with variation of colectomy. For each HRR, a Herfindahl-Hirschman index, a measure of market competition, was calculated. RESULTS A total of 19,557 Medicare patients underwent an elective colon resection for diverticulitis at 2462 hospitals over the study period. Standardized colon resection ratios ranged from 0 in the Tuscaloosa HRR to 3.7 in the Royal Oak, MI HRR. Few patient factors were associated with variation, but a number of hospital factors (size, area, profit status, and critical access designation) all were associated with variation. In an analysis of market factors, increased surgeon density, and decreased market competition were associated with higher predicted rates of colon resection. CONCLUSION We observed pronounced variation (excess of 3-fold) in standardized colon resection ratios for recurrent diverticulitis. Surgeon density and hospital level factors were strongly associated with this variation and may be the main drivers of colonic resection for diverticular disease. Further investigation and stronger national guidelines are needed to optimize patient selection for colectomy.
Updates from SIGDOC and CDQ: editorial

On behalf of SIGDOC and CDQ, we wanted to reach out to all of you and thank you for all you do in this difficult time. Our organization's greatest strength is in its members, and we hope you are all staying as safe and sane as possible while COVID-19 changes the way we work and play. SIGDOC has yet to reach an official decision on the viability or nature of our 2020 Conference in Denton, TX, but the Executive Committee along with this year's Conference Committee, lead by Stacey Pigg, are in consistent contact and weighing options. Above all else, our decision will be informed by the values that we have articulated as an organization, which are: valuing human well-being; engaging in financial stewardship; respecting labor; foregrounding accessibility; supporting early-career scholars; establishing continuity; managing community and networkbuilding; supporting innovation; valuing industry practices; and maintaining and facilitating interorganizational and international relationships. The option for SIGDOC 2020 that best addresses these core values will be the option we select. For now, we have confirmation that the proceedings publications will be moving forward and supported by ACM and included in the Digital Library regardless of the decision we make on the conference. This is great news, and fulfills our values in supporting scholarship and valuing the labor done by our authors, reviewers, and our program cochairs, Josephine Walwema and Daniel Hocutt, who have worked diligently in the midst of the pandemic. CDQ will continue to publish as often as we are able. We understand that our workflows have changed, dramatically for some of us. So while it may be that extra time is occasionally needed for a review, we remain committed to providing you as rapid turnaround as we can, and publishing cutting-edge research on communication design through our original articles, experience reports, and book reviews. In this issue, for example, we are pleased to share with you Sonia Stephens and Dan Richards' "Story mapping and sea level rise: Listening to global risks at street level," and Jennifer Roth Miller, Brandy Dieterle, Jennifer deWinter, and Stephanie Vie's "Social media in professional, technical, and scientific communication programs: A heuristic to guide future use." These two excellent articles are accompanied by reviews of Jonanna Boehnert's Design, ecology politics: Towards the ecocene, reviewed by Ryan Cheek, and Christa Teston's Bodies in flux: Scientific methods for negotiating medical uncertainty, reviewed by Ella Browning.
Factors Affecting Workforce Resilience in Public Transportation Agencies

AbstractEnsuring the resiliency of a nation’s transportation infrastructure network requires a skilled and dependable workforce; this relies heavily on a transportation agency’s ability to recruit ...
Effective gaps in continuous Floquet Hamiltonians

We consider two-dimensional Schroedinger equations with honeycomb potentials and slow time-periodic forcing of the form: $$i\psi_t (t,x) = H^\varepsilon(t)\psi=\left(H^0+2i\varepsilon \nabla \cdot A (\varepsilon t) \right)\psi,\quad H^0=-\Delta +V (x) .$$ The unforced Hamiltonian, $H^0$, is known to generically have Dirac (conical) points in its band spectrum. The evolution under $H^\varepsilon(t)$ of {\it band limited Dirac wave-packets} (spectrally localized near the Dirac point) is well-approximated on large time scales ($t\lesssim \varepsilon^{-2+}$) by an effective time-periodic Dirac equation with a gap in its quasi-energy spectrum. This quasi-energy gap is typical of many reduced models of time-periodic (Floquet) materials and plays a role in conclusions drawn about the full system: conduction vs. insulation, topological vs. non-topological bands. Much is unknown about nature of the quasi-energy spectrum of original time-periodic Schroedinger equation, and it is believed that no such quasi-energy gap occurs. In this paper, we explain how to transfer quasi-energy gap information about the effective Dirac dynamics to conclusions about the full Schroedinger dynamics. We introduce the notion of an {\it effective quasi-energy gap}, and establish its existence in the Schroedinger model. In the current setting, an effective quasi-energy gap is an interval of quasi-energies which does not support modes with large spectral projection onto band-limited Dirac wave-packets. The notion of effective quasi-energy gap is a physically relevant relaxation of the strict notion of quasi-energy spectral gap; if a system is tuned to drive or measure at momenta and energies near the Dirac point of $H^0$, then the resulting modes in the effective quasi-energy gap will only be weakly excited and detected.
DIGCOMP ΚΑΙ DIGCOMP EDU ΣΤΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ. ΠΛΑΙΣΙΟ ΨΗΦΙΑΚΩΝ ΙΚΑΝΟΤΗΤΩΝ ΣΤΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΝΗΠΙΑΓΩΓΕΙΟ / DIGCOMP AND DIGCOMP EDU IN GREEK SCHOOL DIGITAL COMPETENCIES FRAMEWORK IN GREEK KINDERGARTEN

This paper will cover in detail the key points of DigComp, (European Digital Skills Framework) and DigComp Edu, (European Digital Skills Framework for Teachers). Concepts will be explored in terms of what is digital competence and what are the areas and competencies of DigComp and DigComp Edu, while then a proposal will be presented for the indicators of digital abilities of children in the Greek kindergarten. The paper will be presented in Greek language so that it can be easily accessed by Greek teachers. Σe αυτή την eργασία θα αναφeρθούμe στα βασικά σημeία του DigComp, του Eυρωπαϊκού Ψηφιακού πλαισίου ικανοτήτων και του DigComp Edu, του Eυρωπαϊκού Ψηφιακού πλαασίου ικανοτήτων των eκπαιδeυτικών και θα πλαισιωθούν έννοιeς αναφορικά μe το τι eίναι ψηφιακή ικανότητα και ποιοι eίναι οι τομeίς και αρμοδιότητeς ικανοτήτων του DigComp και του DigComp Edu eνώ στη συνέχeια θα παρουσιαστeί μια πρόταση για τους δeίκτeς αξιολόγησης των ψηφιακών ικανοτήτων για μαθητές νηπιαγωγeίου και πρώτων τάξeων δημοτικού. Η eργασία μας θα παρουσιαστeί στην eλληνική γλώσσα ώστe να μπορeί να eίναι eύκολα προσβάσιμη από τους έλληνeς eκπαιδeυτικούς. Article visualizations:
Country Risk Analysis and Investor-State Dispute Settlement: A New Approach

The condition of a host country’s investment climate is a significant factor in determining liability and the amount of damages in investor-state disputes. Conflicting assessment methods can create differences amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in the final award. Existing methods are insufficient and fail to identify and account for political, economic, legal and regulatory differences among nations and project specific exposures. Country risk assessments can help tribunals and investors understand the nuances of a host country’s investment climate and lead to more equitable outcomes. This is the first article that identifies and demonstrates the ways in which country risk methods can help tribunals and parties to the dispute make more informed decisions during both phases of the arbitral dispute. With a step-by-step demonstration of tailored risk assessments, this paper provides a framework for integrating country risk analysis into international arbitration.
Physiological Consequences of Oceanic Environmental Variation: Life from a Pelagic Organism's Perspective

To better understand life in the sea, marine scientists must first quantify how individual organisms experience their environment, and then describe how organismal performance depends on that exper...
AML-075: Converting In-Person Research Procedures to a Virtual Platform During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Context: In-person research due to the COVID-19 pandemic for non-therapeutic research was suspended. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of remote consenting and quality of life data collection. Design: The study design was a longitudinal, observational design via remote Zoom platform. The study began in May 2021. Setting: The setting was a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Patients or Other Participants: Individuals with newly diagnosed AML, 60 years of age and older, and were within one week of starting treatment were identified. The patients needed computer access and agreed to virtual platform and telephone/email administration of quality of life questionnaires. The recruitment goal is 200 patients over 2 years. Interventions: Changes in consenting process and questionnaire administration were approved by the IRB. Phases of in-person contact were outlined. In Phase 1, research assistants did not have in-person contact. Discussion of our quality of life study was by the principal investigator in-person or by research assistant via Zoom. In Phase 2, research assistants were permitted 15-minute patient contact. Four follow-up questionnaire administration times were scheduled via phone. In Phase 3, study personnel transitioned to in-person consenting and questionnaire administration for up to 30 minutes. Main Outcomes Measures: The main outcomes measure was the feasibility of virtual consenting and administration of quality of life questionnaires in older patients diagnosed with AML. Results: Overall enrollment in the study included older AML patients (62), with the majority being White, non-Hispanic (90%) and an age range of 62–86 years. This demonstrated the ability of older patients to adapt to remote methods of consenting and questionnaire administration. In total, 232 assessments were completed in 9 months. Conclusions: Ongoing successful accrual and completion of questionnaires at designated time points demonstrated the success of the virtual format. Patients accepted the limitations of physical contact imposed by the pandemic and were grateful for the personal interaction, even remotely. Acknowledgement of Funding: NINR Grant # 1K23NR018488-01A
A Data-Driven Approach to Robust Hypothesis Testing Using Kernel MMD Uncertainty Sets

The problem of robust hypothesis testing is studied, where under the null and alternative hypotheses, data generating distributions are assumed to belong to some uncertainty sets. In this paper, uncertainty sets are constructed in a data-driven manner, i.e., they are centered around empirical distributions of training samples from the null and alternative hypotheses, respectively; and are constrained via the distance between kernel mean embeddings of distributions in the reproducing kernel Hilbert space. The Neyman-Pearson setting is investigated, where the goal is to minimize the worst-case probability of miss detection subject to the constraint on the worst-case probability of false alarm. An efficient robust kernel test is proposed and is further shown to be asymptotically optimal. Numerical results are further provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed robust test.
Investigation of nacre nanostructure by analyzing its structural color pattern.

Produced by light interacting with structures at micrometer or nanometer levels, structural color can be utilized to investigate details of material structures. In this article, we studied the pattern of interference color generated from repetitive aragonite–conchiolin double layers on colorless nacreous pearls. Based on qualitative wave analysis and quantitative electromagnetic computation, we theoretically concluded such patterns are mainly determined by aragonite layer thickness. We also demonstrated how to predict the aragonite layer thickness and estimate the conchiolin refractive index variation on a Tahitian pearl with near-colorless body color and strong iridescence. We believe this approach offers a new perspective to study nanostructures in biology and mineralogy.
Isolation and Host Range of Bacteriophage with Lytic Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Potential Use as a Fomite Decontaminant

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a commensal bacterium and opportunistic pathogen commonly associated with humans and is capable of causing serious disease and death including sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA) isolates are typically resistant to many available antibiotics with the common exception of vancomycin. The presence of vancomycin resistance in some SA isolates combined with the current heavy use of vancomycin to treat MRSA infections indicates that MRSA may achieve broad resistance to vancomycin in the near future. New MRSA treatments are clearly needed. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria, commonly resulting in death of the host bacterial cell. Phage therapy entails the use of phage to treat or prevent bacterial infections. In this study, 12 phages were isolated that can replicate in human SA and/or MRSA isolates as a potential way to control these infections. 5 phage were discovered through mitomycin C induction of prophage and 7 others as extracellular viruses. Primary SA strains were also isolated from environmental sources to be used as tools for phage discovery and isolation as well as to examine the target cell host range of the phage isolates by spot testing. Primary isolates were tested for susceptibility to oxacillin in order to determine which were MRSA. Experiments were performed to assess the host range and killing potential of newly discovered phage, and significant reductions in bacterial load were detected. We explored the utility of some phage to decontaminate fomites (glass and cloth) and found a significant reduction in colony forming units of MRSA following phage treatment, including tests of a phage cocktail against a cocktail of MRSA isolates. Our findings suggest that phage treatment can be used as an effective tool to decontaminate human MRSA from both hard surfaces and fabrics.
The Boltzmann equations

The photons are affected by gravity and by Compton scattering with free electrons. The electrons are tightly coupled to the protons. Both of these, of course, are also affected by gravity. The metric that determines the gravitational forces is influenced by all these components plus the neutrinos and the dark matter. Thus to solve for the photon and dark matter distributions, one needs to simultaneously solve for all the other components. There is a systematic way to account for all of these couplings. One can write down a Boltzmann equation for each species in the universe. This chapter derives the Boltzmann equations for photons, electrons, protons, dark matter, and massless neutrinos. This set of equations governs the evolution of perturbations in the universe.
The Two-Sample Problem: Paired Observations

In this section, we return to the two-sample problem. But the assumptions about the experimental setup underlying our investigation will be different from those in Chapter 6. An example explains the difference.
SU-E-T-478: IMRT Delivery Parameter Dependence of Dose-Mass Optimization

Purpose: To compare DMH and DVH optimization sensitivity to changes in IMRT delivery parameters. Methods: Two lung and two head and neck (HN) cases were retrospectively optimized using DVH and DMH optimization. For both optimization approaches, changes to two parameters were studied: number of IMRT segments (5 and 10 per beam) and the minimum segment area (2 and 6 cm2). The number of beams, beam angles, and minimum MUs per segment were the same for both optimizations approaches for each patient. During optimization, doses to the organs at risk (OARs) were iteratively lowered until the standard deviation across the PTV was above ∼3.0%. For each patient DVH and DMH plans were normalized such that 95% of the PTV received the same dose. Plan quality was evaluated by dose indices (DIs), which represent the dose delivered to a certain anatomical structure volume. For the lung cases, DIs assessed included: 1% cord, 33% heart, both lungs 20% and 30%, and 50% esophagus. In the HN cases: 1% cord, 1% brainstem, left/right parotids 50%, 50% larynx, and 50% esophagus. Results: When increasing the number of segments, while keeping a small segment area (2cm2), the average percent change of all DIs for DVH/DMH optimizations for each patient were: −4.66/4.71, 3.21/3.46, −9.62/21.69 and −3.28/−7.62. For a large segment area (6cm2): −0.26/−1.46, −5.04/−1.92, −5.23/−2.19 and 4.12/19.63. Results from increasing segment area while keeping a small number of segments (5segments/beam) were: 1.41/7.90, 8.17/11.66, 0.09/33.58 and −4.83/−11.60 for each case. For large number of segments (10 segments/beam): 8.35/1.30, −0.91/5.77, 6.29/7.08 and 2.62/5.16. Conclusion: This preliminary study showed case dependent results. Changes in IMRT parameters did not show consistent DI changes for either optimization approach. A larger population of patients is warranted for such comparison.
A Semiclassical Theory of Ultrafast Pump-Probe Spectroscopy: Visualization and Interpretation of Experiment

Recent experimental advances have made it possible to conduct nonlinear optical measurements on complex systems with femtosecond time resolution.[1]. In the pump-probe technique[2–5], a femtosecond pulse (called the pump) is used to excite the molecule for the ground state lg>to an excited electronic state le>. After a delay time τ, the molecule is subjected to a second femtosecond pulse (called the probe), which raises the molecule to the electronic state lf>. The absorption spectrum of the probe pulse gives information on dynamical processes in the system (intramolecular vibrational motion, solvent motion, rotation, etc.).
Determination of arsenic by arsine generation with reducing tube followed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A sensitive method for hydride generation and graphite tube furnace atomic absorption spectrometric measurements with a reducing tube has been developed for the determination of arsenic in tea and orchard leaves. Arsines were generated in a horizontal glass tube, in which a pellet of NaBH4 was placed. 1.5–2.0 l/min of argon flow rate and 2,400° C of atomization temperature were the best experimental conditions. The strong supression of the arsenic signal by Ni and Co was effectively eliminated with 1,10-phenanthroline. A detection limit of 0.3 ng was obtained with a precision of 3–4%.
INDUCTION OF ORAL TOLERANCE IN TGF-BETA 1 NULL MICE

Previous studies have suggested that oral tolerance induction by low doses of Ag is mediated by inhibitory cytokines, particularly TGF-β1. To examine the roles of TGF-β1 and other inhibitory cytokines in the induction of oral tolerance, TGF-β1 null mice and controls were gavaged with 10 to 20 mg (high dose) or 1 mg (low dose) of OVA for 3 days. After immunization with OVA, the in vitro proliferative response of OVA-specific popliteal lymph node cells was assessed. Lymphocytes from all TGF-β1 null mice fed high doses of OVA exhibited highly significant suppression compared with controls. A weaker, but still significant, suppression was observed in lymphocytes from the majority of TGF-β1 null mice fed low doses of OVA. In addition, supernatants from these lymphocytes exhibited lower levels of IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ than those from water-fed control animals. These results indicate that while TGF-β1 may play a role in suppression, inhibitory cytokines are not the exclusive mechanism by which low dose oral tolerance is induced.
Adaptive output-feedback nonlinear control with parameter convergence

Analyses the parameter convergence properties of an adaptive control scheme for output-feedback nonlinear systems. The authors show that parameter convergence is guaranteed if an appropriately defined matrix, which is directly related to the regressor matrix but does not depend on closed-loop signals, is persistently exciting.
Membrane systems of mitochondria. VI. Membranes of liver mitochondria.

Abstract Beef and rat liver mitochondria were isolated by procedures designed to eliminate contaminating microsomal activities (e.g., glucose 6-phosphatase and the rotenone-insensitive DPNH-cytochrome c reductase). Mitochondria thus prepared were completely competent in respect to electron transport and citric acid cycle activity. The matrix space of these mitochondria was ruled out as the site of the citric cycle activities on the basis of two lines of evidence: the inability of carboxydextran to penetrate the inner boundary membrane during the time of the release of the S fraction; and the apparent morphological integrity of the inner boundary membrane of mitochondria exposed to the action of oleate or phospholipase during the period of release of the S fraction. Liver mitochondria were fractionated into the soluble S fraction, the membranous K fraction, and the R2 fraction. Each of these fractions accounted for about 33% of the total mitochondrial protein. The S fraction, which contained all the readily solubilizable citric cycle activities, was shown to be localized between the two boundary membranes. The enzymes of this fraction serve as spacer units which link together the two boundary membranes. The K fraction, which contained the activities of particulate complexes such as the α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex, was identified with the outer membranes. Finally, the R2 fraction, which contained all the activities of the electron transfer chain and ATPase and monoamine oxidase activity, was identified with the cristae. The repeating units of the outer membrane are devoid of projecting elements, and show up in electron micrographs as spheres, about 100 A in diameter. Cardiolipin accounts for about 15% of the total phospholipid phosphorus of the outer membrane fraction. The cholesterol content of the outer membrane is relatively low. The analytical data for the lipid composition of the outer membrane are compatible with the thesis that the cristae and outer membranes have the same set of phospholipids and the same ratio of phospholipid to cholesterol.
Murder by Structure: Dominance Relations and the Social Structure of Gang Homicide in Chicago

Most sociological theories consider murder an outcome of the differential distribution of individual, neighborhood, or social characteristics. And while such studies explain variation in aggregate homicide rates, they do not explain the social order of murder - i.e., who kills whom, when, where, and for what reason. This paper argues that gang murder is best understood not by searching for its individual determinants but by examining the social networks of action and reaction that create it. Gang murder occurs through an epidemic-like process of social contagion as competing groups jockey for positions of dominance. In short, the social structure of gang murder is defined by the manner in which social networks are constructed and by people's placement in them. I use a network approach and incident level homicide records to recreate and analyze the structure of gang murders in Chicago. Descriptive, non-parametric, and multivariate analyses demonstrate that individual murders between gangs create an institutionalized network of group conflict, net of any individual's participation or motive. Within this network, murders spread as gangs evaluate the highly visible actions of others in their local networks and negotiate dominance considerations that arise during violent incidents. Gangs must constantly (re)establish the social order through reciprocal violence which, in turn, merely strengthens these murder networks.
Plant genetic resources in an age of global capitalism

Early in the 20th century, a scramble for the world’s genetic resources was sparked by Nikolai Vavilov’s articulation of the geographic centers of origin for major cereals and other crops. European and American governments sent expeditions to remote corners of the world, all in an effort to catalogue and collect the planet’s genetic resources. Trekking through remote forests in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and supported financially by the state, expeditions collected samples that would be used to improve the genetic qualities of maize, soy, and countless other crops, adding millions of dollars in value to domestic agricultural production (Saraiva, 2013).