cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Landscape dynamics of floral resources affect the supply of a biodiversity-dependent cultural ecosystem service

Cultural ecosystem services, many of which depend on biodiversity, are recognized as important but seldom quantified biophysically across landscapes. Furthermore, many ecosystem service models are static, and the supply of cultural ecosystem services may be misrepresented if seasonal shifts in biotic communities are ignored. We modeled landscape dynamics of wildflower blooms in a temperate montane landscape to determine (1) how floral resources (wildflower species richness, abundance, timing, and presence of charismatic species) changed over the growing season, (2) how projected wildflower viewing hotspots varied over space and time, and (3) how spatial shifts in floral resources affected potential public access to wildflower viewing. Data were collected at 63 sites across a rural-to-urban gradient in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (USA). Generalized linear models were used to identify factors affecting floral resources at two temporal scales. Floral resources were projected across the landscape and hotspots of wildflower viewing were quantified using overlay analysis. Floral resources were affected by topoedaphic conditions, climate, and surrounding building density and changed seasonally. Seasonal models revealed locational shifts in ecosystem service hotspots, which changed the proportion of hotspots accessible to the public and identified wildflower-viewing opportunities unnoticed by static models. Relationships between landscape gradients, biodiversity, and ecosystem service supply varied seasonally, and our models identified cultural ecosystem service hotspots otherwise obscured by simple proxies. Landscape models of biodiversity-based cultural ecosystem services should include seasonal dynamics of biotic communities to avoid under- or over-emphasizing the importance of particular locations in ecosystem service assessments.
Automated Design of Stable Power Delivery Systems for Heterogeneous IoT Systems

Abstract-Efficiently and reliably managing high quality power is a primary challenge in Internet of Things (IoT) systems. Based on current projections, future IoT will provide vast interconnectedness of embedded devices and sensors, many of which will be powered up wirelessly from spatially distributed power supplies or locally from energy harvesting sources. The energy budget, constrained by inherently lower quality of power of these non-traditional power sources, will become a critical system resource and a primary limiting factor for scalability of future IoT systems. Distributed on-chip power regulation is necessary for efficiently delivering high quality power to high performance heterogeneous integrated circuits (ICs). A multi- feedback system with distributed on-chip power supplies deliver- ing current to billions of non-linear circuits is characterized by complex interactions among the heterogeneous power supplies and loads. These modern multi-feedback systems exhibit high design complexity and degraded stability. No straightforward method exists to efficiently design a stable multi-feedback power delivery system. An automated design and analysis flow for stable, high quality power delivery is proposed in this work based on the passivity of heterogeneous integrated systems. The algorithm is evaluated based on ISPD benchmark circuits and shows that the generated power delivery system addresses both the quality of power (QoP) and stability requirements. A distributed power delivery system is designed based on the passivity criterion and fabricated in 28 nm CMOS technology. The system is tested under a wide range of load, voltage, and temperature variations that are typical for modern heterogeneous ICs. The system exhibits high performance and stable response.
Catalytic Chemistry Of Low Alcohol Synthesis - Following R. B. Anderson'S Lead

The synthesis of alcohols from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen follows different pathways and leads to different product distributions over the copper-based and Group VIII metal containing catalysts. Methanol is selectively formed over the supported or unsupported Cu-ZnO catalysts and under certain conditions over palladium-based catalysts. The current knowledge of methanol synthesis mechanism based on isotopic labeling, chemical trapping, and spectroscopic experiments is reviewed. The Cu/ZnO catalysts can be modified by Group VIII metals and alkali salts to yield higher alcohols. While the presence of Group VIII metals gives rise to the Anderson-Schulz-Flory distribution of linear alcohols with methanol appearing in the predicted C 1 abundance, alkali salts steer the synthesis to a mixture in which methanol and 2-methyl-l-propanol (isobutanol) dominate. At the same time, small amounts of esters are formed over the alkali-promoted Cu/ZnO catalysts but not over the Group VIII metal-promoted Cu/ZnO catalysts. Trapping of intermediates by amines, aldehydes and alcohols, the dependence of the product distribution on the H 2 /CO ratio and on the surface concentration of promoters yields mechanistic information that indicates the key role of aldehyde coupling reactions on the alkali-promoted catalysts. By controlling the relative rates of linear growth and branching at the carbon adjacent to the -CHO or -CH 2 OH group, the yield of isobutanol may be maximized at the expense of C 2 , C 3 , and C 5 + alcohols.
Interconnectedness of Steroid Hormone-Binding Neurons: Existence and Implications

Neurons in the central nervous system concentrate estrogen, progesterone, testosterone or dihydrotestosterone, and corticosterone. The location of these neurons in the brain has been determined by using autoradiographic (Pfaff 1968; Pfaff and Keiner 1973; Stumpf et al. 1975; Morrell and Pfaff 1981) and steroid receptorbinding techniques (McEwen et al. 1979). Steroid sex hormone-binding cells are found in the medial preoptic area, medial hypothalamus, and limbic forebrain areas in the vertebrate brain; in general, these neurons are found in brain regions that participate in behavioral and pituitary reproductive functions (McEwen et al. 1979). In contrast corticosterone-concentrating neurons are found primarily in the hippocampus.
Science in litigation, the third branch of U.S. climate policy.

Whereas the executive and legislative branches are the principal repositories of policy-making authority in the United States, decisions in the judicial branch have and promise to continue having an influence on activities responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy development, and a wide range of other government policy. The courts are a central avenue for development of climate-related policy in the United States. Yet we know few details about whether and how climate science plays a role in such judicial responses. We suggest that the role of science is changing, that novel legal theories are emerging, and that litigation is likely to continue to increase.
Latent Classes of Lifetime Sexual Victimization Characteristics in Women in Emerging Adulthood: Differential Relations with Emotion Dysregulation.

Objectives The aims of the present study were to investigate latent classes of sexual victimization among young adult women based on characteristics of their victimization experiences (e.g., relationship with the perpetrator, nature of act, frequency), and examine differences in dimensions of emotion dysregulation across these classes and among non-victims. Method Participants were 491 women in the age range of 18-25 years from the United States; of these, 335 participants (M = 22.0, SD = 2.22) reported at least one experience of sexual victimization during their lifetime. Latent class analysis was employed to identify groups of women based on characteristics of their sexual victimization experiences. Results A three-class solution was found to be most parsimonious. The classes were labeled as High severity developmental revictimization (DRV; 43.3%), Low severity child/adolescent sexual abuse (CASA: 20.3%), and Low severity adult sexual assault (ASA; 36.4%). The DRV class reported higher rates of penetrative abuse and longer duration of abuse than the CASA class, and higher rates of injury during assault than the ASA class. Further, the DRV class reported greater difficulties in three dimensions of emotion regulation than the ASA class and greater deficits in emotional clarity than the CASA class. Finally, the three latent classes reported greater difficulties in at least four dimensions of emotion regulation than the non-victimized group. Conclusions Findings of different classes of sexual victimization suggest the multidimensionality of these experiences. Results also highlight the potential utility of interventions aimed at improving emotion regulation among women with severe childhood sexual abuse.
Cigarillo sales in legalized marijuana markets in the U.S.

Abstract Background Nearly half of marijuana users in the United States also smoke cigarillos, with many using the products as marijuana “blunts.” The relationship between marijuana legalization and tobacco retail has not yet been examined. This study uses tobacco sales data to compare the cigarillo marketplace in states with legalized recreational marijuana to the overall U.S. marketplace in 2016. Methods Cigarillo sales data from 2016 were obtained from the Nielsen Research Company in the following market regions: Denver, CO; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; and the overall U.S. Descriptive statistics highlighted differences in the market share of various product features (e.g., flavors, brand, pack size) across regions. Results Characteristics such as fruit flavors, single sticks, and 2–3 packs were more popular in legal marijuana regions compared to the overall U.S. Black & Mild, a brand not traditionally used for blunts, was the top brand nationally (32.8% market share), but Swisher was the top brand in legal marijuana regions. In Seattle and Portland, for example, over half of cigarillo sales were for Swisher products (59.1% and 52.1%, respectively). Cigarillo wraps (i.e., no tobacco filler) were particularly popular in Denver, constituting 11.4% all cigarillo sales versus 2.8% nationally. Conclusions Cigarillo product characteristics traditionally associated with blunt use may shape the tobacco market in legal marijuana regions. As more states continue to legalize recreational marijuana, state and local governments should anticipate the potential impact on the tobacco marketplace and implement tobacco control policies (e.g., flavor bans, minimum pack sizes) that discourage product use.
Feasibility of recruiting publicly insured children with special health care needs for a population-based clinical study

OBJECTIVE Assess the feasibility of recruiting children with special health care needs (CSHCN) into a clinical study using Medicaid data. METHODS We used the 3M Clinical Risk Grouping software to identify and classify Medicaid-enrolled CSHCN ages 7-17 years in Washington into one of three chronic condition severity groups: episodic, life-long, or malignancy/catastrophic. We compared contact, recruitment, enrollment, and data completion proportions across severity groups using the Pearson chi-square or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS Of the 2,666 CSHSN in the Medicaid files, we contacted 922 and recruited 211 CSHCN (22.8 percent). One-hundred-thirteen made their study visit (53.6 percent) and 98 had complete data (86.7 percent). We contacted and recruited significantly larger proportions of CSHCN with malignancies/catastrophic conditions (P < 0.01). Across severity groups, there were no differences in enrollment (P = 0.27), but a smaller proportion of CSHCN with life-long conditions had complete data (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION It is feasible to recruit CSHCN from Medicaid files for clinical studies.
48 Selective Adsorption on Tungsten

The chemisorption of nitrogen by the surface of a tungsten field emitter at room temperature is studied at pressures so low that the adsorption can be followed through all stages from the initial rapid reaction to a final imperceptibly slow reaction. Chemisorption appears to occur on all tungsten surfaces, but analysis of the {100} planes leads to the conclusion that tungsten chemisorbs nitrogen heterogeneously and that the less reactive surfaces are the most atomically smooth.
Temporal evolution of a model Co-Al-W superalloy aged at 650 °C and 750 °C

Abstract The temporal evolution of a γ(f.c.c.)/γ’ (L1 2 ) Co-8.8Al-7.3 W superalloy aged at 650 °C (10 min–4096 h) and 750 °C (10 min–256 h) is studied utilizing atom-probe tomography (APT), scanning electron microscopy, and Vickers microhardness testing. The evolution of the phase compositions, γ’ (L1 2 ) volume fraction, and mean precipitate radius, 2-D (t)>, are determined. Coarsening rate constants and temporal exponents are calculated for -D (t)> of the γ’ (L1 2 )-nanoprecipitates. The temporal exponents are found to be generally close to 1/p = 1/3 as required for diffusion-limited coarsening. Tungsten solid-solubility is significantly reduced in the γ(f.c.c.)-matrix at 650 °C (0.54 ± 0.04 at. %) and 750 °C (1.35 ± 0.06 at. %) when compared with aging at 900 °C (5.5 at. %). The value of 2D (t)> of the γ’ (L1 2 )-nanoprecipitates increases with increasing aging time corresponding to an increase in the Vickers microhardness; the peak strength was not, however, achieved for the aging times investigated. The morphology of the γ’ (L1 2 )-nanoprecipitates begins as spheroids but transitions to cuboids at longer aging times, with final the γ’ (L1 2 ) volume fractions for aging at 650 °C and 750 °C being ϕ = 53% and 54%, respectively. The effect of quench-rate (either furnace-cooled, air-cooled, oil quenched, or water quenched) from a supersolvus temperature of 1050 °C on the microstructure of the alloy is also investigated. Slow cooling (furnace and air-cooling) is shown to result in a uniform distribution of nanometer sized γ’ (L1 2 )-nanoprecipitates, unlike Ni-based superalloys in which the γ’ (L1 2 )-nanoprecipitates form in a non-uniform or multimodal distribution.
Evaluation of Cursor Offset on 3D Selection in VR

Object selection in a head-mounted display system has been studied extensively. Although most previous work indicates that users perform better when selecting with minimum offset added to the cursor, it is often not possible to directly select objects that are out of arm's reach. Thus, it is not clear whether offset-based techniques will result in improved overall performance. Moreover, due to the difference in muscle requirements of arm and shoulder between a hand-held device and a motion capture device, selection performance may be affected by factors related to ergonomics of the input device. In order to explore these uncertainties, we conduct a user study to evaluate the effects of four virtual cursor offset techniques on 3D object selection performance using Fitts' model and ISO 9241-9 standard while comparing two input devices in a head-mounted display. The results show that selection with No Offset is most efficient when the target is within reach. When the target is out of reach, Linear Offset outperforms Fixed-Length Offset and Go-Go Offset on movement time, error rate and effective throughput, as well as subjective preference evaluation. Overall, the Razer Hydra controller provides better and more stable selection performance than Leap Motion.
Navigating conversations in childhood cancer treatment: review of Uncertain Futures.

Ignasi Clemente’s (2015) Uncertain Futures combines a conversation analytic and ethnographic approach to interrogate discourses of uncertainty in pediatric oncology and cancer treatment. Clemente b...
Statistics in music education research: a reference for researchers, teachers, and students

From the very beginning, Russell makes clear his goal ‘to mitigate, if not alleviate, some of the apprehensions experienced by so many students’ (xv) when it comes to statistics in music education ...
BCC-Phased PdCu Alloy as a Highly Active Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Oxidation in Alkaline Electrolytes

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells hold promise to greatly reduce cost by employing nonprecious metal cathode catalysts. More efficient anode catalysts are needed, however, to improve the sluggish hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolytes. We report that BCC-phased PdCu alloy nanoparticles, synthesized via a wet-chemistry method with a critical thermal treatment, exhibit up to 20-fold HOR improvement in both mass and specific activities, compared with the FCC-phased PdCu counterparts. HOR activity of the BCC-phased PdCu is 4 times or 2 times that of Pd/C or Pt/C, respectively, in the same alkaline electrolyte. In situ HE-XRD measurements reveal that the transformation of PdCu crystalline structure favors, at low annealing temperature (<300 °C), the formation of FCC structure. At higher annealing temperatures (300–500 °C), a BCC structure dominates the PdCu NPs. Density functional theory (DFT) computations unravel a similar H binding strength and a much stronger OH binding of the PdCu BCC surfac...
Cyber Attacks on Smart Energy Grids Using Generative Adverserial Networks

Recently, cyber-attacks to smart energy grid has become a critical subject for Energy System Operators (ESOs). To keep the energy grid cyber-secured, the attacker’s behavior, resources and goals must be modeled properly. Then, the counter-measurement actions can be designed based on the attacker’s model. In this paper, a new zero-sum game based on the Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) is presented. The attacker to energy smart grid pursues two objects. The first goal is to be undetected by the system defender, and the second goal is to make profit via its False Data Injection (FDI) into the system. On the defender hand, the ESO needs to detect FDI using fast and reliable models. Thus, each party tries to defeat the other part. GANs are deep layer networks which consist of two rivals networks: the generator and the discriminator. The Generator Network (GN) aims to create the data similar to real data (plays the attacker role) and the Discriminator Network (DN) wants to properly detect whether the data is real or faked by the GN (plays the system defender role). In this paper, a new algorithm is presented to model both the attacker and ESO in the GAN frame work. Finally, A five-bus smart grid case is considered to show the effectiveness of the presented algorithm.
Consultant Corner: Abdominal Pain and the Immunocompromised Patient

Immunocompromised patients often lack the classic clinical abdominal pain presentations, making the etiology difficult to ascertain. Knowledge of the patient’s immunocompromised status, whether it is due to chemotherapy, transplantation, HIV, or autoimmune disease, will help clinicians assess the unique complications that arise in each of these patient populations. In patients with an immunocompromised status, localized infections can quickly become systemic, and timing of antibiotic administration is crucial. In addition, toxicity to medications such as chemotherapeutics, steroids, antiretroviral, and immunosuppressive agents can cause numerous gastrointestinal abnormalities. Imaging should be considered when there is a concern for an infectious complication such as abscess or a possible surgical issue such as perforation, small bowel obstruction, or large bowel obstruction. If the CT is negative, a gastroenterology consult may be needed to continue the workup. Whether that workup should be conducted on an inpatient versus outpatient basis depends upon the need for IV pain control, PO tolerance (oral intake), or presence of concerning signs/symptoms such as fever, leukocytosis, or GI bleeding.
Pediatric Chest Disorders: Practical Imaging Approach to Diagnosis

Symptomatology referable to the chest is one of the most common reasons for which pediatric patients present for clinical evaluation. Imaging plays a critical role in elucidation of differential considerations, provides valuable information in the evaluation of disease extent and associated abnormalities, impacts patient management decisions, and provides a detailed assessment of treatment response. Given the broad range of pathologies which affect the pediatric chest, anatomic localization is a useful classification approach and can be thought of in a three-compartment model, including primary processes of the lung parenchyma, abnormalities of the large airway, and pathology originating in the mediastinum. This practical approach can be applied to some of the most commonly encountered pediatric chest pathologies. This chapter also reviews the advantages and disadvantages of current imaging modalities and characteristic imaging findings of pediatric thoracic disorders encountered in daily clinical practice.
Repeat Laboratory Testing on Inpatients

Healthcare systems are facing increasing pressure to improve quality while at the same time controlling costs. This is particularly true in developed nations where healthcare expenditures have been rising at unsustainable rates. Many approaches have been developed to control costs within healthcare systems including restricting access to certain services, requiring patients to use approved “in-network” providers, implementing risk sharing agreements between payors and providers, and reducing payments for certain services to name just a few. In many cases these approaches are less than …
Nonlinear magnetotransport phenomena in high-mobility two-dimensional electrons in InGaAs/InP and GaAs/AlGaAs

This paper reports on the observation and analysis of magnetotransport phenomena in the nonlinear differential resistance ${r}_{xx}=d{V}_{xx}/dI$ of high-mobility In${}_{x}$Ga${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$As/InP and GaAs/Al${}_{x}$Ga${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$As Hall bar samples driven by direct current ${I}_{\mathrm{dc}}$. Specifically, it is observed that Shubnikov--de Haas (SdH) oscillations at large filling factors invert their phase at sufficiently large values of ${I}_{\mathrm{dc}}$. This phase inversion is explained as being due to an electron heating effect. In the quantum Hall effect regime the ${r}_{xx}$ oscillations transform into diamond-shaped patterns with different slopes corresponding to odd and even filling factors. The diamond-shaped features at odd filling factors can be used as a probe to determine spin energy gaps. A zero current anomaly (ZCA) which manifests itself as a narrow dip in the ${r}_{xx}({I}_{\mathrm{dc}})$ characteristics at zero current is also observed. The ZCA effect strongly depends upon temperature, vanishing above 1 K while the transport diamonds persist to higher temperatures. The transport diamonds and ZCA are fully reproduced in a higher mobility GaAs/AlGaAs Hall bar structure confirming that these phenomena reflect intrinsic properties of two-dimensional systems.
Why female science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors do not identify with physics: They do not think others see them that way

Students' perception about whether others see them as a physics person plays an important role in their physics identity; female students in calculus-based introductory physics are less likely to report feeling recognized as a physics person than male students.
Effect of HIV and Interpersonal Trauma on Cortical Thickness, Cognition, and Daily Functioning.

Background Interpersonal trauma (IPT) is highly prevalent among HIV-positive (HIV+) individuals, but its relationship with brain morphology and function is poorly understood. Setting This cross-sectional analysis evaluated the associations of IPT with cognitive task performance, daily functioning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain cortical thickness, and bilateral volumes of 4 selected basal ganglia regions in a US-based cohort of aviremic HIV+ individuals, with (HIV+ IPT+) and without IPT exposure (HIV+ IPT-), and sociodemographically matched HIV-negative controls with (HIV- IPT+) and without IPT exposure (HIV- IPT-). Methods Enrollees completed brain MRI scans, a semistructured psychiatric interview, a neurocognitive battery, and 3 measures of daily functioning. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the 4 groups were described, and pairwise between-group comparisons performed using χ tests, analysis of variance, or t-tests. Linear or Poisson regressions evaluated relationships between group status and the outcomes of interest, in 6 pairwise comparisons, using Bonferroni correction for statistical significance. Results Among 187 participants (mean age 50.0 years, 63% male, 64% non-white), 102 were HIV+ IPT+, 35 were HIV+ IPT-, 26 were HIV- IPT-, and 24 were HIV- IPT+. Compared with the remaining 3 groups, the HIV+ IPT+ group had more activities of daily living declines, higher number of impaired Patient's Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory scores, and lower cortical thickness in multiple cerebral regions. Attention/working memory test performances were significantly better in HIV- IPT- compared with the HIV+ IPT+ and HIV+ IPT- groups. Basal ganglia MRI volumes were not significantly different in any between-group comparisons. Conclusion IPT exposure and HIV infection have a synergistic effect on daily functioning and cortical thickness in aviremic HIV+ individuals.
Chapter 5 – Socket Programming

Publisher Summary This chapter presents client and server examples to demonstrate the basic model for socket programming. The ideas need to be integrated into various programming models such as multitasking, signaling, and broadcasting. These principles are shown in the context of standard UNIX programming; however, most modern operating systems support similar features (processes and threads). The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol developers spent a good deal of time thinking about the default behaviors that would satisfy most applications. Signals provide a mechanism for notifying programs that certain events have occurred. This chapter explores several models of such concurrent servers, including perclient processes, perclient threads, and constrained multitasking. The decision of using broadcast or multicast in an application depends on several issues, including the portion of network hosts interested in receiving the data and the knowledge of the communicating parties. Broadcast works well if a large percentage of the network hosts wish to receive the message; however, if there are many more hosts than receivers, broadcast is very inefficient.
The Impact of Systematic Depression Screening in Primary Care on Depression Identification and Treatment in a Large Health Care System: A Cohort Study.

Unless implementation of systematic depression screening is associated with timely treatment, quality measures based on screening are unlikely to improve outcomes. To assess the impact of integrating systematic depression screening with clinical decision support on depression identification and treatment. Retrospective pre-post study. Adults with a primary care visit within a large integrated health system in 2016 were included. Adults diagnosed with depression in 2015 or prior to their initial primary care visit in 2016 were excluded. Initiation of systematic screening using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) which began in mid-2016. Depression diagnosis was based on ICD codes. Treatment was defined as (1) antidepressant prescription, (2) referral, or (3) evaluation by a behavioral health specialist. We used an adjusted linear regression model to identify whether the percentage of visits with a depression diagnosis was different before versus after implementation of systematic screening. An adjusted multilevel regression model was used to evaluate the association between screening and odds of treatment. Our study population included 259,411 patients. After implementation, 59% of patients underwent screening. Three percent scored as having moderate to severe depression. The rate of depression diagnosis increased by 1.2% immediately after systematic screening (from 1.7 to 2.9%). The percent of patients with diagnosed depression who received treatment within 90 days increased from 64% before to 69% after implementation (p < 0.01) and the adjusted odds of treatment increased by 20% after implementation (AOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12–1.28, p < 0.01). Implementing systematic depression screening within a large health care system led to high rates of screening and increased rates of depression diagnosis and treatment.
Endogenous Exophiala dermatitidis endophthalmitis

Abstract Purpose To report a case of endogenous Exophiala dermatitidis endophthalmitis. Observations An immunosuppressed patient with a history of hairy cell leukemia undergoing chemotherapy presents with rapidly progressing panophthalmitis. The patient was treated medically without improvement and underwent a pars plana vitrectomy which showed multiple retinal abscesses. Vitreous fluid cultures grew a rare fungal organism, Exophiala dermatitidis. Conclusions and Importance This is the first reported case of E. dermatitidis causing endogenous endophthalmitis. Rare fungal organisms can present with rapid progression to panophthalmitis in immunocompromised hosts.
Bootstrap Embedding For Large Molecular Systems.

Recent developments in quantum embedding theories have provided attractive approaches to correlated calculations for large systems. In this work, we extend our previous work [J. Chem. Theory Comput...
DNA Mismatch Repair

The genome is subject to multiple forms of stress and damage that can lead to alterations in the integrity of DNA. The cell nucleus possesses several complex, integrated enzyme systems that identify altered DNA and repair it or, in the case of overwhelming damage, trigger cell death, which prevents the passage of a mutation to the next generation of cells. These systems are essential for the faithful replication of the genome, and germline defects in these systems give rise to familial cancer syndromes, each with a unique spectrum of neoplasia.
Thermopower and quantum criticality in a strongly interacting system: Parallels with the cuprates

In high Tc superconductors a wide ranging connection between the doping dependence of the transition temperature Tc and the room temperature thermopower Q has been observed. A 'universal correlation' between these two quantities exists with the thermopower vanishing at optimum doping as noted by OCTHH (Obertelli, Cooper, Tallon, Honma and Hor). In this work we provide an interpretation of this OCTHH universality in terms of a possible underlying quantum critical point (QCP) at Tc. Central to our viewpoint is the recently noted Kelvin formula relating the thermopower to the density derivative of the entropy. Perspective on this formula is gained through a model calculation of the various Kubo formulas in an exactly solved 1-dimensional model with various limiting procedures of wave vector and frequency.
Nonreciprocal Longitudinal Vibrations of Finite Elastic Structures with Spatiotemporally Modulated Properties

Elastic metamaterials with time- and space-dependent material properties have received great attention as a means to increase the degree of control over propagating smallamplitude mechanical waves in unbounded elastic media. Previous works have shown that propagating waves in a modulated medium violate reciprocity by means of asymmetric frequency and wavenumber conversion between two counter-propagating modes. We investigate standing elastic waves in finite structures with time- and space-dependent material properties and implications for the creation of nonreciprocal vibrational systems.
Exploring and Overcoming the Challenges Primary Care Practices Face with Care Management of High-Risk Patients in CPC+: a Mixed-Methods Study.

Longitudinal care management (LCM) for high-risk patients is a cornerstone of primary care models aiming to improve quality and reduce costs. Describe the extent to which LCM was implemented in the second year of Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+), and barriers to and facilitators of implementation. Mixed-methods. Quantitative: 2715 practices participating in CPC+ in 2018. Qualitative: Interviews with practitioners and staff in 23 representative CPC+ practices. Across all CPC+ practices, we report median percentages of empaneled patients placed in the highest-risk tiers and, of those, the median percentage receiving LCM. Across 23 CPC+ practices, we report qualitative findings on LCM implementation. While practices reported benefits of LCM, a small proportion of patients received LCM. Practices placed 2.4% (median) of patients in the highest-risk tier; of these, 30% (median) received LCM. Practices placed 10% (median) of patients in the second-highest-risk tier; of these, 7% (median) received LCM. Interviews revealed LCM uptake across tiers was low because of insufficient care manager staffing. Other challenges included lack of practitioner buy-in to using risk stratification to identify high-risk patients, patients’ reluctance to engage in LCM or change behaviors, and limited health information technology functionality for developing, maintaining, and accessing high-risk patients’ care plans. Facilitators included embedding care managers within practices and electronic health record functionalities that support LCM. Despite substantial financial and other supports, and practices’ perceived benefits of LCM, insufficient care manager staffing and other barriers have limited its potential in CPC+ to date. To expand LCM’s reach, practices need additional care managers, training to overcome barriers to patient engagement, better identification of patients who might benefit from LCM, improved information technology tools for risk stratification and care plans, and more practitioner buy-in to risk stratification.
State Estate Taxes and the Due Process Clause

After two decades of relative dormancy, we are witnessing a resurgence in state estate tax controversies. Federal estate tax amendments beginning in 2001, which eliminated the federal credit for state estate taxes, greatly diminished the general significance of state estate taxes, as most states repealed their preexisting “pickup” or “sponge” taxes designed to absorb the maximum federal estate tax credit. Recently, however, five state courts have addressed the due process clause implications of state estate taxes. Each court considered the question of whether the due process clause permitted the state to impose estate tax on qualified terminable interest property. The U.S. Supreme Court has thus far declined to consider this question, having denied petitions for certiorari from two of the state court decisions that raised it. In 2019, however, the Court did address a related state trust tax issue in Kaestner, which informs the QTIP due process analysis.
Robust error control sequences for efficient software implementation

An error control protocol referred to as Alternating Data/Parity Protocol (ADPP) and a technique for implementing this protocol efficiently in software are described. ADPP is (1) significantly more robust in the presence of channel noise than most currently used protocols; (2) it is essentially overhead-free in the absence of transmission errors; (3) it greatly increases the effective data throughput of noisy channels and (4) it is amenable to efficient software implementation even on small computers, such as personal systems. ADPP is compatible with standard data link control protocols.
Homer's Trojan Theater: Space, Vision, and Memory in the IIiad

Moving away from the verbal and thematic repetitions that have dominated Homeric studies and exploiting the insights of cognitive psychology, this highly innovative and accessible study focuses on the visual poetics of the Iliad as the narrative is envisioned by the poet and rendered visible. It does so through a close analysis of the often-neglected 'Battle Books'. They here emerge as a coherently visualized narrative sequence rather than as a random series of combats, and this approach reveals, for instance, the significance of Sarpedon's attack on the Achaean Wall and Patroclus' path to destruction. In addition, Professor Strauss Clay suggests new ways of approaching ancient narratives: not only with one's ear, but also with one's eyes. She further argues that the loci system of mnemonics, usually attributed to Simonides, is already fully exploited by the Iliad poet to keep track of his cast of characters and to organize his narrative.
On Prosody and Focus in Object Shift

. Recent work on object shift in the Scandinavian languages has rejected earlier syntactic analyses in favor of prosodic or information-structural accounts. In this paper I present new evidence from Danish copular clauses that argues against a prosodic analysis of the phenomenon. In particular, I show that specificational copular clauses do not allow object shift and that this fact cannot be accounted for in prosodic terms. I propose that the observed lack of object shift is due to the fixed information structure of specificational clauses: the object is invariably focused and that is what prevents it from shifting. This account dovetails with the focus-based analysis of object shift proposed by Holmberg (1999), and is also compatible with the syntactic analysis developed by Sells (2001).
An Experiment With an Employment Sector Question

The APA Salaries in Psychology Survey is conducted on a bi-ennial basis by the American Psychological Association, a non-profit member association. The purpose of the survey is to collect current salary information at the masters and doctoral levels for all APA members. Meta-data on which this article is based were collected in June of 2009. For the 2009 effort an item on current employment setting was presented to respondents using two different formats (open text vs. forced choice drop down). Members of the sample were randomly assigned to one of two groups (Branch A or Branch B) for the on-line survey. Results showed that participants who received the open text question format were significantly more likely to provide employment setting data compared to participants who received the forced choice drop-down format, and participants who received the open text question format were significantly more likely to provide usable data compared to participants who received the forced choice drop-down format.
Female genital mutilation: Potential for HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa and prospect for epidemiologic investigation and intervention.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which involves alteration of the female genitalia for non-medical grounds is prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa, associated with long-term genitourinary complications, and possible HIV transmission. This mini-review aims to examine FGM and the possibility of HIV transmission through this procedure. We performed an electronic search using Medline for articles published between 1966 to 2006 for evidence of FGM practice, its complications, and the nexus between this procedure and HIV sero-positivity. The results indicate ongoing FGM practice, albeit prevalence reduction, due probably to the increasing knowledge of the consequences of FGM as a result of non-sterile techniques. Secondly, the complications of FGM are well established which include Genitourinary disorders. Further, while data is limited on HIV transmission via FGM, there is biologic plausibility in suggesting that FGM may be associated with increasing prevalence of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper recommends further studies in order to assess the association between FGM and HIV transmission.
Online ranking for tournament graphs

We study the problem of producing a global ranking of items given pairwise ranking information, when the items to be ranked arrive in an online fashion. We study both the maximization and the minimization versions of the problem on tournaments (max acyclic subgraph, feedback arc set). We also study the case when the items arrive in random order.
Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering

Biomaterials are used to provide structural support during the tissue and organ fabrication process and are designed to simulate properties of the mammalian extracellular matrix. In this chapter, we provide a broad overview of biomaterials as they apply to tissue engineering. We provide a working definition of biomaterials and discuss biomaterial classification schemes and biomaterial platforms. During the course of this chapter, we also study biomaterial properties, including tensile properties, degradation kinetics, biocompatibility and biomimetic properties.
An adaptive learning approach for noisy data streams

Two critical challenges typically associated with mining data streams are concept drift and data contamination. To address these challenges, we seek learning techniques and models that are robust to noise and can adapt to changes in timely fashion. We approach the stream-mining problem using a statistical estimation framework, and propose a fast and robust discriminative model for learning noisy data streams. We build an ensemble of classifiers to achieve timely adaptation by weighting classifiers in a way that maximizes the likelihood of the data. We further employ robust statistical techniques to alleviate the problem of noise sensitivity. Experimental results on both synthetic and real-life data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of this model learning approach.
Light Scattering from a Sphere Near a Plane Interface

Light scattered from particles near a plane interface have important implications in many branches of science. Applications range from radar detection and remote sensing to clean-room monitoring and quality control in the manufacture of silicon wafers. The most fundamental system of this type is that of a sphere near a plane interface. Calculating the scattering is complicated because the boundary conditions at the sphere and plane surfaces must be satisfied simultaneously, and these two systems represent two fundamentally different geometries. In this chapter we present an analytical solution to this problem that retains the physics and may be used as a basis for more numerically intensive techniques necessary when the system constituents become irregular.
Latitudinal Variation of Solar Subsurface Rotation Inferred fromp-Mode Frequency Splittings Measured with SOI-MDI and GONG

Analysis of p-mode frequency splittings as measured by the Solar Oscillations Investigation-Michelson Doppler Imager (SOI-MDI) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory and the ground-based Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) experiment reveal that the symmetric component of the solar rotation rate in the upper 4% by radius and closer than 20° to the poles is approximately 10 nHz slower than would be expected from a three-term fit, of the form traditionally used to express the main components of latitudinal differential rotation, to the inferred subsurface rotation rate. The slow polar rotation is important for understanding solar dynamics. In addition, zonal flows, previously inferred from the SOI-MDI f-mode splittings by Kosovichev & Schou, are seen with both SOI-MDI and GONG p-mode frequency splittings. These results were obtained with a one-dimensional latitudinal inversion technique that provides better angular resolution near the poles, at the expense of decreased radial resolution, than the standard two-dimensional inversions. Both of these findings confirm and extend the findings of Schou and colleagues (1998) from SOI-MDI data. The agreement found between the different helioseismic experiments, SOI-MDI and GONG, gives confidence in the current inferences of the differential rotation in the Sun's subsurface layers. The physics of the slow polar rotation is not understood yet.
Is bad luck the main cause of cancer

A recent study reports that the log lifetime incidence rate across a selection of 31 cancer types is highly correlated with the log of the estimated tissue-specific lifetime number of stem cell divisions. This observation, which underscores the importance of errors in DNA replication, has been viewed as implying that most cancers arise through unavoidable bad luck, leading to the suggestion that research efforts should focus on early detection, rather than etiology or prevention. We argue that three statistical issues can, if ignored, lead analysts to incorrect conclusions. Statistics for traffic fatalities across the United States provide an example to demonstrate those inferential pitfalls. While the contribution of random cellular events to disease is often underappreciated, the role of chance is necessarily difficult to quantify. The conclusion that most cases of cancer are fundamentally unpreventable because they are the result of chance is unwarranted.
Complete Traversals as General Iteration Patterns

Iterators are of central importance in the design of generic algorithms and collections, serving as intermediaries that enable generic algorithms to be written without concern for how collections are stored and collections to be written without having to code a large number of algorithms on them. A limitation of collection frameworks such as the C++ Standard Template Library (STL), the Java 2 platform, and the Java Generic Library is that they do not allow complete traversals, in which a collection might be modified by adding elements to it while it is being traversed by means of its associated iterators. Problems requiring complete traversals are fairly common, and while there are various ad hoc ways of solving them, programmers should ideally have at their command an efficient packaged solution. After reviewing prior work on extending generic algorithms and collections to support complete traversals, this paper describes a new generic component for complete traversals based on a design pattern extracted from a commonly used implementation of STL sorted associative containers. Also presented are the results of experiments to assess the performance of complete traversal components by randomly generating abstract instances of complete traversal problems. Finally, several theoretical results relating to computability and undecidability are established. It is shown that complete traversals are general enough that any computable relation can be expressed as an instance of them. Even assuming termination, however, the problem of determining whether a given complete traversal pattern always terminates in the same collection is shown to be undecidable.
Brain tumor clinical trials imaging: a (well-standardized) picture is worth a thousand words.

FDA approval of oncology therapies requires demonstration of direct clinical benefit measured by improvement in how patients “function, feel or survive.”1 Prolonged overall survival has long been the preferred benchmark for establishing patient benefit; however, outcomes such as progression-free survival and tumor response have been recognized as acceptable surrogates for clinical benefit in the appropriate settings. Historically, FDA has supported the use of imaging as a tool to expedite the drug and device development processes2; in fact, most accelerated approvals of cancer drugs have been granted on the basis of durable objective responses in a refractory setting, including approval of therapies for patients with high-grade gliomas. Assessment of response and progression in neuro-oncology has been particularly challenging given the unique biological, physiological, and anatomic characteristics of the brain. Moreover, determining disease status requires appraisal of not only the tumor, but its vasculature and neighboring reactive cells. The advent of MRI provided exceptional visualization of neuroanatomy and pathological processes such as ischemia; paradoxically, it also increased uncertainty in the ability to interpret radiographic changes.