cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Future Trends in California’s Educational System

In this last section, we will step back and attempt an overview of the educational system in California, concentrating on those aspects which are similar to current developments and concerns in Europe. We will begin this examination by defining the changing functions of education in California and the effect this has on planning and policy making because we feel that what is happening in California in this respect is being echoed in modern technological societies throughout the world.
New records and taxonomic data for 14 species of sand crabs (Crustacea: Anomura: Albuneidae) from localities worldwide

Specimens representing 12 species of albuneid sand crabs (Albuneidae) are identified and discussed, and new taxonomic information is provided for an additional two species. These mostly new records come from diverse localities including Pacific Mexico (Lepidopa californica and L. deamae), Atlantic Panama (Albunea paretii and A. catherinae), Madagascar (Albunea groeningi and A. symmysta, although the locality data on these species needs verification), India (A. symmysta), Reunion Island (A. holthuisi), the Philippines (A. microps), Guam (A. speciosa and Paralbunea dayriti), Moorea (A. elioti) and Hawaii (Albunea bulla). The sole specimen of Albunea bulla from Hawaii represents only the third species of albuneid recorded from the island chain. An overlooked misidentification of specimens of “Albunea thurstoni” from Hawaii (= Albunea danai) is also included. The discovery of a population of A. catherinae in Atlantic Panama is surprising and shows a highly disjunct distribution for the species, which could be the result of ballast water discharge near the Panama Canal Zone. Several specimens studied exhibit morphological characters that differ from typical members of their species and this illustrates the challenges of defining species boundaries from relatively small sample sizes. Discovery of a long overlooked species description reveals that Albunea scutelloides Garstang, 1897 is the senior synonym of Albunea mariellae Serene, 1973 and is the valid name for the type species of the genus Squillalbunea Boyko, 2002.
Hemodynamic Changes in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Understanding of the hemodynamic patterns associated with left ventricular dysfunction has been aided by more accurate techniques for monitoring cardiac function soon after infarction. These include a simpler method of obtaining pulmonary artery wedge pressures and noninvasive ways of evaluating left heart size and pulsation abnormalities. They may assist in applying bolder therapies early in the patient's course.
Ribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization as a second-order reaction.

Certain features of RNA–DNA hybridization can be accounted for in terms of second-order-reaction theory. These include the use of annealing kinetics to estimate RNA complexity and the occurrence of approximately linear double-reciprocal plots.
Deletion of DXZ4 on the human inactive X chromosome alters higher-order genome architecture.

During interphase, the inactive X chromosome (Xi) is largely transcriptionally silent and adopts an unusual 3D configuration known as the “Barr body.” Despite the importance of X chromosome inactivation, little is known about this 3D conformation. We recently showed that in humans the Xi chromosome exhibits three structural features, two of which are not shared by other chromosomes. First, like the chromosomes of many species, Xi forms compartments. Second, Xi is partitioned into two huge intervals, called “superdomains,” such that pairs of loci in the same superdomain tend to colocalize. The boundary between the superdomains lies near DXZ4, a macrosatellite repeat whose Xi allele extensively binds the protein CCCTC-binding factor. Third, Xi exhibits extremely large loops, up to 77 megabases long, called “superloops.” DXZ4 lies at the anchor of several superloops. Here, we combine 3D mapping, microscopy, and genome editing to study the structure of Xi, focusing on the role of DXZ4. We show that superloops and superdomains are conserved across eutherian mammals. By analyzing ligation events involving three or more loci, we demonstrate that DXZ4 and other superloop anchors tend to colocate simultaneously. Finally, we show that deleting DXZ4 on Xi leads to the disappearance of superdomains and superloops, changes in compartmentalization patterns, and changes in the distribution of chromatin marks. Thus, DXZ4 is essential for proper Xi packaging.
Quantifying Supply of Home Health Services for Public Health Emergencies

The number of persons seeking medical treatment during a public health emergency could quickly overwhelm the capacity of hospitals and emergency rooms. The amount of surge capacity home health care...
Accuracy of a smartphone application in estimating sleep in children

Chronic sleep problems can lead to difficulties for both the individual and society at large, making it important to effectively measure sleep. This study assessed the accuracy of an iPhone application (app) that could potentially be used as a simple, inexpensive means to measure sleep over an extended period of time in the home. Twenty-five subjects from the ages of 2–14 who were undergoing overnight polysomnography (PSG) were recruited. The phone was placed on the mattress, near their pillow, and recorded data simultaneously with the PSG. The data were then downloaded and certain parameters were compared between the app and PSG, including total sleep time, sleep latency, and time spent in various defined “stages.” Although there seemed to be a visual relationship between the graphs generated by the app and PSG, this was not confirmed on numerical analysis. There was no correlation between total sleep time or sleep latency between the app and PSG. Sleep latency from the PSG and latency to “deep sleep” from the app had a significant relationship (p = 0.03). No combination of PSG sleep stages corresponded with app “stages” in a meaningful way. The Sleep Cycle App may have value in increasing the user’s awareness of sleep issues, but it is not yet accurate enough to be used as a clinical tool.
TCT-133 Use of a Micro-axial Percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device (pLVAD) for Patients with Cardiogenic Shock

The mortality of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) remains unacceptably high. Impella® (Abiomed, Danvers, MA), a micro-axial percutaneous left ventricular assist device (pLVAD), has been used for hemodynamic support in CS. Its optimal use in severe CS is of interest. We retrospectively reviewed
Laser-direct-drive program: Promise, challenge, and path forward

Along with laser-indirect (X-ray)-drive and magnetic-drive target concepts, laser direct drive is a viable approach to achieving ignition and gain with inertial confinement fusion. In the United States, a national program has been established to demonstrate and understand the physics of laser direct drive. The program utilizes the Omega Laser Facility to conduct implosion and coupling physics at the nominally 30-kJ scale and laser–plasma interaction and coupling physics at the MJ scale at the National Ignition Facility. This article will discuss the motivation and challenges for laser direct drive and the broad-based program presently underway in the United States.
Understanding and Preventing the Sexual Exploitation of Youth

Abstract Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) are global public health problems. Both forms of sexual exploitation extract a considerable toll on victims and society, and are egregious violations of children's fundamental rights to freedom from violence and exploitation. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of commercial and non-commercial forms of sexual exploitation of youth. It covers definitions, examines the scope and consequences of the problem, reviews characteristics of victims and offenders, and describes a public health approach to primary prevention targeting children, families, youth-serving organizations, society, and cyberspace.
Diffusion tensor imaging using multiple coils for mouse brain connectomics

The correlation between brain connectivity and psychiatric or neurological diseases has intensified efforts to develop brain connectivity mapping techniques on mouse models of human disease. The neural architecture of mouse brain specimens can be shown non-destructively and three-dimensionally by diffusion tensor imaging, which enables tractography, the establishment of a connectivity matrix and connectomics. However, experiments on cohorts of animals can be prohibitively long. To improve throughput in a 7-T preclinical scanner, we present a novel two-coil system in which each coil is shielded, placed off-isocenter along the axis of the magnet and connected to a receiver circuit of the scanner. Preservation of the quality factor of each coil is essential to signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance and throughput, because mouse brain specimen imaging at 7 T takes place in the coil-dominated noise regime. In that regime, we show a shielding configuration causing no SNR degradation in the two-coil system. To acquire data from several coils simultaneously, the coils are placed in the magnet bore, around the isocenter, in which gradient field distortions can bias diffusion tensor imaging metrics, affect tractography and contaminate measurements of the connectivity matrix. We quantified the experimental alterations in fractional anisotropy and eigenvector direction occurring in each coil. We showed that, when the coils were placed 12 mm away from the isocenter, measurements of the brain connectivity matrix appeared to be minimally altered by gradient field distortions. Simultaneous measurements on two mouse brain specimens demonstrated a full doubling of the diffusion tensor imaging throughput in practice. Each coil produced images devoid of shading or artifact. To further improve the throughput of mouse brain connectomics, we suggested a future expansion of the system to four coils. To better understand acceptable trade-offs between imaging throughput and connectivity matrix integrity, studies may seek to clarify how measurement variability, post-processing techniques and biological variability impact mouse brain connectomics.
The Role of Satellite Networks in the 21 st Century

In the global information infrastructure (GII), satellite networks will play an increasingly important role because of their unique benefits. This chapter briefly introduces the architecture, the vision, and the challenge of future Internet-over- satellite services and applications.
Personal Versus Group Experiences of Racism and Risk of Delivering a Small-for-Gestational Age Infant in African American Women: a Life Course Perspective.

The majority of studies investigating the relationship between racism/racial discrimination and birth outcomes have focused on perceived experiences of racism/racial discrimination directed at oneself (personal racism). However, evidence suggests individuals report with greater frequency racism/racial discrimination directed at friends, family members, or other members of their racial/ethnic group (group racism). We examined how much African American (AA) women report lifetime experiences of perceived racism or racial discrimination, both personal and group, varied by maternal age. We also investigated whether reports of personal and group racism/racial discrimination were associated with the risk of delivering a small-for-gestational age (SGA) infant and how much maternal age in relation to developmental life stages (adolescence [≤ 18 years], emerging adulthood [19–24 years], and adulthood [≥ 25 years]) moderated the relationship. Data stem from the Baltimore Preterm Birth Study, a hybrid prospective/retrospective cohort study that enrolled 872 women between March 2000 and July 2004 (analyzed in 2016–2017). Spline regression analyses demonstrated a statistically significant (p value for overall association < 0.001) and non-linear (p value = 0.044) relationship between maternal age and the overall racism index. Stratified analysis showed experiences of racism overall was associated with a higher odds ratio of delivering an SGA infant among AA women aged ≥ 25 years (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.02–2.08). The overall racism index was not associated with the SGA infant odds ratio for emerging adults (OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.69–1.06) or adolescents (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.66–1.28). Multiple aspects of racism and the intersection between racism and other contextual factors need to be considered.
Complementing the Sculpting Metaphor: Reflections on How Relationship Partners Elicit the Best or the Worst in Each Other:

A major idea in relationship science is that partners in a close relationship can “sculpt” each other in a manner that helps them align more closely with their ideal, or true, self. This sculpting ...
Amicus Brief of Scholars of Corpus Linguistics in Lucia v. SEC

The question presented in Lucia v. SEC is whether administrative law judges of the Securities and Exchange Commission are "Officers of the United States" within the meaning of the Appointments Clause of the Constitution. This brief, filed on behalf of fifteen corpus linguistics scholars, presents empirical evidence derived from corpora—electronically-searchable databases of historical texts—that the term "Officer of the United States" was understood at the time of the Founding to apply to virtually all federal employees exercising non-negligible government authority—including the "assistant doorkeeper of the House of Representatives" and the "melter and refiner" of the U.S. Mint. The brief then explores data derived from modern usage of the word "officer," revealing that, at least within the public sphere, the term continues to apply to relatively low-ranking government officials. In light of this evidence, the Court should hold that an ALJ is an "officer" within the meaning the Appointments Clause, regardless of whether they choose to interpret that provision through the original or modern lens.
INTER-STUDY AGREEMENT BETWEEN RB-82 PET MYOCARDIAL BLOOD FLOW AND THERMODILUTION INDEX OF MICROCIRCULATORY RESISTANCE FOR EVALUATION OF CORONARY MICROVASCULAR DISEASE

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is impaired myocardial flow reserve (MFR) in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease and can be diagnosed by both positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial blood flow (MBF) and invasively-measured index of microvascular resistance (IMR). We
Obstructing lesions of the endolymphatic sac and duct mimicking Ménière's disease.

In this retrospective case series and literature review, we demonstrate that temporal bone lesions that obstruct the endolymphatic sac or duct can cause symptoms of Meniere's disease. This finding is likely attributable to endolymphatic hydrops; initially, such cases typically masquerade as Meniere's disease. Between July 1995 and April 2002, a total of 379 patients were treated for an initial diagnosis of Meniere's disease at our institution. Among this group, 3 patients were found to have an obstructing lesion of the endolymphatic sac or duct that we felt was causally related to their Meniere's-like symptomatology. We reviewed these cases and noted the similarities in each patient's presentation, including a common pathophysiology. On imaging studies, each patient had a different pathologic lesion that involved the endolymphatic sac or duct: patient 1 had a jugular megabulb, and she was ultimately treated with vestibular nerve section; patient 2 had a cholesterol granuloma, which was treated with surgical excision; patient 3 had an endolymphatic sac tumor that was treated with surgical excision. As has been suggested in previous reports, not all cases of Meniere's disease are idiopathic. We conclude that obstruction of the endolymphatic sac or vestibular aqueduct by a mass lesion or vascular anomaly can lead to vestibulocochlear pathology that mimics Meniere's disease.
Co-editors’ introduction: Challenges to the success of English learners in the context of language instruction educational programs

There are significant benefits associated with bilingualism, including cognitive flexibility, divergent thinking, problem solving, creativity, and perspective-taking skills (Kroll & Dussias, 2017)....
The Effects of ADHD Treatment and Reading Intervention on the Fluency and Comprehension of Children with ADHD and Word Reading Difficulties: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Many students with reading difficulties and disabilities (RD) also have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This randomized clinical trial compared the effects of ADHD treatment alone (medication, parent training), intensive reading intervention alone, and their combination on the reading fluency and comprehension of students with both disorders. Students with ADHD and RD were randomly assigned to receive (a) Reading Intervention only (n=74), (b) ADHD Treatment only (n=78), or (c) simultaneous Combined ADHD and RD Treatment (n=70). For phonemic decoding fluency, the Reading Intervention group and the Combined Treatment group both had significantly better outcomes than the ADHD Treatment group, but did not differ from one another. For passage comprehension, the ADHD Treatment group had significantly better outcomes than the Reading Intervention group, while the other groups did not differ from one another. ADHD treatment may support passage comprehension in this population, while fluent decoding is best supported through intensive reading intervention.
Cardiac remodeling in response to embryonic crude oil exposure involves unconventional NKX family members and innate immunity genes

Cardiac remodeling results from both physiological and pathological stimuli. Compared with mammalian hearts, fish hearts show a broader array of remodeling changes in response to environmental influences, providing exceptional models for dissecting the molecular and cellular bases of cardiac remodeling. We recently characterized a form of pathological remodeling in juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in response to crude oil exposure during embryonic cardiogenesis. In the absence of overt pathology (cardiomyocyte death or inflammatory infiltrate), cardiac ventricles in exposed fish showed altered shape, reduced thickness of compact myocardium and hypertrophic changes in spongy, trabeculated myocardium. Here, we used RNA sequencing to characterize molecular pathways underlying these defects. In juvenile ventricular cardiomyocytes, antecedent embryonic oil exposure led to dose-dependent upregulation of genes involved in innate immunity and two NKX homeobox transcription factors not previously associated with cardiomyocytes, nkx2.3 and nkx3.3 Absent from mammalian genomes, the latter is largely uncharacterized. In zebrafish embryos, nkx3.3 demonstrated a potent effect on cardiac morphogenesis, equivalent to that of nkx2.5, the primary transcription factor associated with ventricular cardiomyocyte identity. The role of nkx3.3 in heart growth is potentially linked to the unique regenerative capacity of fish and amphibians. Moreover, these findings support a cardiomyocyte-intrinsic role for innate immune response genes in pathological hypertrophy. This study demonstrates how an expanding mechanistic understanding of environmental pollution impacts - i.e. the chemical perturbation of biological systems - can ultimately yield new insights into fundamental biological processes.
Are Oral Pain and Otalgia Predictive of Perineural Invasion in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Tongue

Purpose Tongue cancer is often associated with pain and perineural invasion. The purpose of the present study was to determine the association between tongue pain and otalgia and the microscopic identification of perineural invasion (PNI) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue (SCCOT). Patients and Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed of patients with a diagnosis of SCCOT from January 2013 through June 2019. Patients without a history of head and neck cancer, who had SCCOT diagnosed and treated surgically by a single surgeon, were included in the present study. The primary predictor variables were tongue pain and otalgia (presence vs absence of both). Other variables included patient demographic data and TNM stage. The primary outcome variable was the histologic presence of PNI. A χ2 analysis was performed to test for any significant associations between pain, T stage, and overall stage in relation to PNI outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to control for cancer staging variables when testing the association between pain and PNI. Results The sample included 128 subjects, of whom 76 were men. Their mean age was 60 years. Most patients (n = 97; 75.8%) complained of tongue pain and a few (n = 50; 39.1%) complained of otalgia. The patients with otalgia had a 3.15 times greater odds of PNI when controlling for T stage (P = .016) and 3.68 times greater odds of PNI when controlling for overall stage (P = .007). Increasing T stage and overall stage—with the exception of stage II—were also significantly associated with PNI (P ≤ .05). Conclusions Our study has demonstrated a statistically significant association between preoperative otalgia and PNI in a consecutive group of patients presenting with newly diagnosed SCCOT.
Barriers, strengths, and strategies for the post-hospital treatment of children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome and their mothers: a Delphi study

The purpose of our study was to obtain expert opinions with respect to the barriers, strengths, and strategies related to community-based services for children ages 0 to 3 years who were born with ...
Management Options for Extensor Mechanism Discontinuity in Patients With Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Extensor mechanism disruption is one of the most dreaded complications of total knee arthroplasty. At times, the disruption is associated with infection, the paucity of soft tissue, and loosening of implants. Treatment decisions made by surgeons are guided by their experience and expertise. The purpose of this article is to provide the readers with an evidence-based comprehensive review which, in turn, should help them in diagnosis and selecting the best treatment strategy for individual patients. In the following article, we have discussed extensor mechanism disruptions of varying severity at various anatomical levels. We also covered both operative and non-operative measures in different clinical situations. The analysis of various articles published in the literature would also help orthopedic surgeons to understand the probable outcomes of the particular treatment option chosen and to counsel their patients accordingly.
What fuel properties enable higher thermal efficiency in spark-ignited engines?

Abstract The Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative from the US Department of Energy aims to co-develop fuels and engines in an effort to maximize energy efficiency and the utilization of renewable fuels. Many of these renewable fuel options have fuel chemistries that are different from those of petroleum-derived fuels. Because practical market fuels need to meet specific fuel-property requirements, a chemistry-agnostic approach to assessing the potential benefits of candidate fuels was developed using the Central Fuel Property Hypothesis (CFPH). The CFPH states that fuel properties are predictive of the performance of the fuel, regardless of the fuel's chemical composition. In order to use this hypothesis to assess the potential of fuel candidates to increase efficiency in spark-ignition (SI) engines, the individual contributions towards efficiency potential in an optimized engine must be quantified in a way that allows the individual fuel properties to be traded off for one another. This review article begins by providing an overview of the historical linkages between fuel properties and engine efficiency, including the two dominant pathways currently being used by vehicle manufacturers to reduce fuel consumption. Then, a thermodynamic-based assessment to quantify how six individual fuel properties can affect efficiency in SI engines is performed: research octane number, octane sensitivity, latent heat of vaporization, laminar flame speed, particulate matter index, and catalyst light-off temperature. The relative effects of each of these fuel properties is combined into a unified merit function that is capable of assessing the fuel property-based efficiency potential of fuels with conventional and unconventional compositions.
Endoscopic Management of Chyluria Caused by Pyelolymphatic Fistula After Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty

Background: Chyluria is a rare diagnosis classically associated with milky-appearing urine. It involves the leakage of chyle into the urinary tract. Although the most common cause of chyluria worldwide is infectious in nature, other noninfectious etiologies have been described. Classically chyluria resolves spontaneously or with conservative management. Surgical treatments have been described but are not often required. We present a case of iatrogenic pyelolymphatic fistula after robot-assisted laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty that was treated with endoscopic electrocautery of the fistulous tract. Case Presentation: A 50-year-old Caucasian man underwent a robot-assisted laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty with stent insertion for radiographically demonstrated left ureteropelvic junction obstruction. His postoperative course was uneventful until 4-week follow-up at which time he began to notice intermittent passage of milky-appearing urine. Urinalysis was notable for large protein and elevated urine triglycerides. He was initially managed conservatively dietary modifications without success. He then underwent endoscopic management with cystoscopy and ureteroscopy with fulguration of suspected pyelolymphatic fistula. He was maintained on a low-fat medium-chain triglyceride diet and octreotide injections while inpatient for 1 week postoperatively. His postoperative course was unremarkable and no return of chyluria was observed. His chyluria remained resolved at 9 months postoperatively. Conclusion: Pyelolymphatic fistula after robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty is a theoretical complication of perirenal dissection and has not been previously described in the literature. It should be considered as a rare iatrogenic cause of chyluria. Endoscopic management with fulguration is technically feasible and may obviate the need for more invasive surgical management.
Infant television watching predicts toddler television watching in a low-income population

Abstract Objective This study examines the development of active television (TV) watching behaviors across the first 2 years of life in a racially and ethnically diverse, low-income cohort and identifies caregiver and child predictors of early TV watching. Methods We used longitudinal data from infants enrolled in the active control group (N = 235; 39% Latino; 29% Black; 15% White) of Greenlight, a cluster randomized multisite trial to prevent childhood obesity. At preventive health visits from 2 months to 2 years, caregivers were asked: "How much time does [child's first name] spend watching television each day?" Proportional odds models and linear regression analyses were used to assess associations among TV introduction age, active TV watching amount at 2 years, and sociodemographic factors. Results Sixty-eight percent of children watched TV by 6 months, and 88% by 2 years. Age of TV introduction predicted amount of daily active TV watching at 2 years, with a mean time of 93 minutes if starting at 2 months; 64 minutes if starting at 4 or 6 months; and 42 minutes if starting after 6 months. Factors predicting earlier introduction included lower income, fewer children in household, care away from home, male sex, and non-Latino ethnicity of child. Conclusions Many caregivers report that their infants actively watch TV in the first 6 months of life. Earlier TV watching is related to sociodemographic factors yet predicts more daily TV watching at 2 years even controlling those factors. Interventions to limit early TV watching should be initiated in infancy.
Targeting the tumor microenvironment in cholangiocarcinoma: implications for therapy.

Introduction: Cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) are biliary epithelial tumors with rising incidence over the past 3 decades. Early diagnosis of CCAs remains a significant challenge and the majority of pat...
Evaluating the Impact of New York's Executive Order on Face Mask Use on COVID-19 Cases and Mortality: a Comparative Interrupted Times Series Study.

On April 17, 2020, the State of New York (NY) implemented an Executive Order that requires all people in NY to wear a face mask or covering in public settings where social distancing cannot be maintained. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended face mask use by the general public, there is a lack of evidence on the effect of face mask policies on the spread of COVID-19 at the state level. To assess the impact of the Executive Order on face mask use on COVID-19 cases and mortality in NY. A comparative interrupted time series analysis was used to assess the impact of the Executive Order in NY with Massachusetts (MA) as a comparison state. We analyzed data on COVID-19 in NY and MA from March 25 to May 6, 2020. The Executive Order on face mask use in NY. Daily numbers of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths. The average daily number of confirmed cases in NY decreased from 8549 to 5085 after the Executive Order took effect, with a trend change of 341 (95% CI, 187–496) cases per day. The average daily number of deaths decreased from 521 to 384 during the same two time periods, with a trend change of 52 (95% CI, 44–60) deaths per day. Compared to MA, the decreasing trend in NY was significantly greater for both daily numbers of confirmed cases (P = 0.003) and deaths (P < 0.001). The Executive Order on face mask use in NY led to a significant decrease in both daily numbers of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths. Findings from this study provide important evidence to support state-level policies that require face mask use by the general public.
Regret Lower Bound and Optimal Algorithm for High-Dimensional Contextual Linear Bandit.

In this paper, we consider the multi-armed bandit problem with high-dimensional features. First, we prove a minimax lower bound, $\mathcal{O}\big((\log d)^{\frac{\alpha+1}{2}}T^{\frac{1-\alpha}{2}}+\log T\big)$, for the cumulative regret, in terms of horizon $T$, dimension $d$ and a margin parameter $\alpha\in[0,1]$, which controls the separation between the optimal and the sub-optimal arms. This new lower bound unifies existing regret bound results that have different dependencies on T due to the use of different values of margin parameter $\alpha$ explicitly implied by their assumptions. Second, we propose a simple and computationally efficient algorithm inspired by the general Upper Confidence Bound (UCB) strategy that achieves a regret upper bound matching the lower bound. The proposed algorithm uses a properly centered $\ell_1$-ball as the confidence set in contrast to the commonly used ellipsoid confidence set. In addition, the algorithm does not require any forced sampling step and is thereby adaptive to the practically unknown margin parameter. Simulations and a real data analysis are conducted to compare the proposed method with existing ones in the literature.
The Ways in which the Sciences are and are Not Value Free

The spectrum of commonly stated aims of science may be identified by its extremes: understanding and utility. Understanding involves description (and thus classification), explanation, and encapsulation of possibilities: answers to “What?” “Why?” and “What is possible?” and often also to “How?” (SVF, ch. 5). Scientific understanding is expressed in theories and it is empirically grounded. The criteria used for appraising scientific understanding will be called, following Kuhn and others, cognitive values (SVF, ch. 3). They include (e.g.) empirical adequacy, explanatory power and inter-theoretic consistency, features whose manifestation in theories is for the most part a matter of degree. Cognitive values are the features whose high manifestation is desired of acceptable theories, theories which express sound understanding. Modern science has been an unstoppable font of sound understanding, which in turn has been widely, effectively and usefully applied. Part of the explanation usually offered for this two-fold success draws upon the view that science is value free, a view that is best treated (SVF, chs 1, 4, 10) as the conjunction of three distinct ideas: impartiality, neutrality, and autonomy.
Studies on various structural system design options for twisted tall buildings and their performances

SUMMARY Employing twisted forms for tall buildings is a recent architectural phenomenon. This paper studies various structural system design options for twisted tall buildings and their performances based on lateral stiffness. Twisted tall buildings of various heights and rates of twist are designed with different types of contemporary tall building structural systems, such as diagrids, braced tubes and outrigger systems. The heights of the studied buildings range from 60 to 100 stories, and the rates of twist range from 0° to 3° per floor. As the rate of twist increases, the lateral stiffness of the tower decreases. The stiffness reduction rate caused by twisting is very much dependent upon the structural systems employed for twisted tall buildings. While an emphasis is placed on the structural performance of twisted tall buildings, other aspects, such as architectural and constructional issues, are also discussed holistically. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulating the Reproduction and Morality of Women

ABSTRACT Punishment and corrections continue to be shaped by political, economic, and religious/moral forces. Yet, penologists tend to overlook another significant social formely, technology. By exploring technological forces, emerging mechanisms of social control are also discerned, especially those relating to female reproduction and morality. In addition to attending to technological forces, this article critically examines various applications of androcentric positivism, in particular the claims surrounding the effects of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and fetal (drug) abuse. While discussing how these technological developments contribute to repressive measures of gendered social control, attention also is directed at the controversy of Norplant as a form of coercive contraception. Issues pertinent to race and class are taken into account as well.
The Development of An Undergraduate Laboratory for Control System Design

An undergraduate laboratory for control system design at Texas A&M University consisting of eight experimental stations, each equipped with a computer and control system analysis and design software, interface hardware and software, and several physical plants that will be used for control experiments is described. Among these plants are: 1) a toy called Capsela, 2) a carousel, 3) a coupled tanks apparatus, 4) an electric train, 5) a robot arm, 6) a balance beam apparatus, and 7) an inverted pendulum apparatus. These plants cover a wide range of physical phenomena, and have different properties as far as control is concerned.
The Custody Catch-22: Post-Interrogation Release as a Factor in Determining Miranda Custody

This article addresses the anomalous use of post- interrogation release as a factor in determining whether a suspect was in custody for purposes of Miranda when interrogated without a formal arrest. The standard for custody is whether a reasonable person would have felt free to terminate the interrogation and leave. Yet several courts, including the Supreme Court, continue to consider the end result of the interrogation in making a finding of custody without explaining why a post-interrogation event should matter to the analysis of what occurs during the interrogation. Part I of this article introduces the issue. Part II provides a brief overview of the history of confessions jurisprudence leading up to Miranda. Part III explains the current standard for determining custody as articulated by both the Supreme Court and the circuit courts. Part IV is the heart of the article; it examines cases in which post- interrogation arrest or release has been used as a factor in making custody determinations and argues that these considerations represent leftover fragments from former incarnations of the custody test. It further shows that the consideration of post-interrogation arrest may be worth retaining for its usefulness in providing crucial evidence of police misconduct. In contrast, the consideration of post- interrogation release offers no such probative value, and instead creates a catch-22 for suspects: cooperate to obtain release only to have that very release used as evidence that cooperation was not required. The article concludes by arguing that the courts should reject post-interrogation release as a factor in Miranda custody analyses.
Simplified Theory for Optimizing the Design of a Heat Shield in an Isochorically Operated Toroidal Dewar

A proposed plasma physics experiment will make use of a magnetically levitated. mechanically isolated superconducting coil. Enclosed within a toroidal dewar that is sealed and operated isochorically within a vacuum vessel [1]; this coil will need to be recooled and re-energized daily. The minor diameter of the dewar is limited by the requirements of the plasma experiment, and the cryogenic design must therefore seek to optimize the performance of this fixed-volume system.
Spatially coherent radiation from an array of GaAs lasers

Spatially coherent radiation from a monolithic array of three homostructure GaAs lasers is reported. The three lasers, with their mirror faces antireflection coated, are operated in an external optical cavity built of spherical lenses and plane mirrors. The spatially coherent beam formation makes use of the Fourier transformation property of the internal lenses. The transverse mode control is performed by a spatial filter. The optical peak power at room temperature of the device was measured to be 5 W, three times the power of a single laser in the array. From the synthesized far-field distribution which was evaluated, we conclude that the laser radiation is of spatial coherence.
Synchronous Distance Education: Using Web-Conferencing In An MBA Accounting Course

Online distance education can take many forms, from a correspondence course with materials online to fully synchronous, live instruction. This paper describes a fully synchronous, live format using web-conferencing. Some useful features of web-conferencing and the way they are employed in this course are described. Instructor observations and perceived benefits are presented, along with some challenges.
DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A MANDATORY ONLINE STUDENT ORIENTATION

A rural Community College evaluated their procedures for preparing students for online courses and determined they were not meeting the needs of the students. Through the use of the ADDIE Model of Instructional Design, a mandatory online orientation was developed and implemented. Results from the implementation indicate that after completing the orientation students feel they are better prepared for their online courses and this is further backed up by an increase in online retention.
Two-dimensional Topology of the Two-Degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey

We study the topology of the publicly available data released by the Two Degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey team (2dF GRS). The 2dF GRS data contain over 100,000 galaxy redshifts with a magnitude limit of bJ = 19.45 and is the largest such survey to date. The data lie over a wide range of right ascension (75° strips) but only within a narrow range of declination (10° and 15° strips). This allows measurements of the two-dimensional genus to be made. We find that the genus curves of the north Galactic pole (NGP) and south Galactic pole (SGP) are slightly different. The NGP displays a slight meatball shift topology, whereas the SGP displays a bubble-like topology. The current SGP data also have a slightly higher genus amplitude. In both cases, a slight excess of overdense regions is found over underdense regions. We assess the significance of these features using mock catalogs drawn from the Virgo Consortium's Hubble volume ΛCDM z = 0 simulation. We find that differences between the NGP and SGP genus curves are only significant at the 1 σ level. The average genus curve of the 2dF GRS agrees well with that extracted from the ΛCDM mock catalogs. We also use the simulations to assess how the current incompleteness of the survey (the strips are not completely filled in) affects the measurement of the genus and find that we are not sensitive to the geometry; there are enough data in the current sample to trace the isolated high- and low-density regions. We compare the amplitude of the 2dF GRS genus curve to the amplitude of the genus curve of a Gaussian random field that we construct to have the same power spectrum as the 2dF GRS. In previous three-dimensional analyses, it was found that the genus curve of observed samples was lower than the Gaussian random field curve, presumably because of high-order correlations present in the data. However, we find that the 2dF GRS genus curve has an amplitude that is slightly higher than that of the power-spectrum-matched Gaussian random field. We suggest that in two dimensions the genus measurement is less sensitive to nonlinear effects because of the effective smoothing over the thickness of the slice.
Linear array synthesis

This paper describes some new methods of synthesizing linear antenna arrays. The methods are developed from a re-examination of the classical theories on approximation and interpolation. Both the ordinary and the trigonometric interpolations are considered. With these methods, one is able to synthesize an array such that (1) the upper bound of the errors between the specified and synthesized patterns can be estimated, (2) either the maximum deviation or the mean-square error can be made to be minimum if the total number of elements in the array is prechosen, or (3) the least required number of elements can be determined if the error specifications are given.
Genomic organization in the flesh fly Sarcophaga bullata.

The genome of the flesh fly Sarcophaga bullata has been characterized both cytologically and biochemically. S. bullata has a haploid DNA level of 0.61 picograms which is five times larger than the haploid genome size of Drosophila melanogaster. Reassociation kinetics of Sarcophaga DNA shows that its sequence organization is very similar to that of D. melanogaster in having a very large proportion of single copy DNA (81%) and only small amounts of highly and moderately repetitive DNA (9% and 6%, respectively). cRNAs from all three sequence classes were prepared and their cytological distributions on diploid and polytene cells determined by in situ hybridization. The cytological distribution of the highly repetitive probe was found to be restricted to the centromeric heterochromatin of two of the five autosomes and this sequence class was also found to be markedly underreplicated in polytene foot-pad cells. No highly repetitive DNA was localized on either of the sex chromosomes, but only on the two large centromeric regions of chromosomes C and E. Moderately repetitive DNA was found uniformly distributed on all of the autosomes in both testis and polytene foot-pad squashes. As in the case of the highly repetitive sequence probe, no moderately repetitive DNA was detected on either the X or Y chromosomes. Moderately repetitive DNA in Sarcophaga was also shown to have the “Drosophila type” pattern of sequence interspersion with a moderately repetitive element of ≃5,000 nucleotides adjacent to a unique element of greater than 10,000 nucleotides. The Sarcophaga genome is the largest for which this type of interspersion has so far been demonstrated.
Perspectives on probation and mandated mental health treatment in specialized and traditional probation departments

Despite the prevalence of mentally ill probationers, and probation officers' (POs') central role in their supervision, this is the first reported study to investigate how POs implement mandates to participate in psychiatric treatment. Five focus groups were conducted in major cities with 32 POs and 20 probationers representing a mix of traditional and "specialty" probation agencies. Three key findings resulted. First, there were considerable differences between POs in specialty and traditional agencies in the nature, range, and timing of strategies applied to monitor and enforce treatment compliance. Second, the quality of PO-probationer relationships colored POs' use of these strategies and was perceived as central to probationer outcomes. Relationships characterized by a respectful, personal, approach were perceived as more effective in achieving desired outcomes than those that were more authoritarian. Third, specialty agencies strongly emphasized offender rehabilitation whereas traditional agencies focused more exclusively on community safety. These agencies differed in how well probationers with mental illness "fit" their standard operating procedure. Implications for future research and directions for probation practice are discussed.
Mixed-Integer Chance-Constrained Models for Ground-Water Remediation

Ground-water remediation optimization models were formulated using a statistical optimization methodology, chance-constrained programming (CCP), to account for uncertainty in the coefficients of the models. Several models were formulated that depended on which set of coefficients were considered uncertain. Such models were either mixed-integer linear programming models or mixed-integer nonlinear programming models. The CCP method transformed the probabilistic models to deterministic models. The deterministic models are easier to solve and use less computer memory and less storage space than probabilistic models. Results are presented that demonstrate the models formulated. The results showed that incorporating uncertainty into a ground-water optimization model using CCP could be a practical method for making decisions on well locations and pumping rates in ground-water remediation.
The uncertainty dimension and fractal boundaries for charged particle dynamics in the magnetotail

[1] In this paper we examine the fractal nature of the basin boundary between forward scattered and backscattered particles as measured in the asymptotic region of the modified Harris model of the Earth magnetotail. It is shown that, in order to enter the chaotic region of phase space, an incoming ion (launched from above the midplane) must have an asymptotic pitch angle below a certain maximum value. This maximum pitch angle depends on the underlying structure of the phase space and takes on minimum (maximum) values at off-resonant (resonant) energies. Examples of the fractal basins are shown for both a resonant and off-resonant energy. Furthermore, we calculate the uncertainty exponent and the associated fractal dimension of the basin boundary as a function of the ion energy. We find that the uncertainty exponent takes on maximum (minimum) values at off-resonant (resonant) energies indicating that the box counting dimension of the basin boundary is farthest from integer values at the off-resonant energies. Finally, we show that in the integrable limit of vanishing normal component of the magnetic field, the uncertainty exponent approaches zero.
Organ recovery from a donor with presumed viral encephalitis: a case report and review.

This article reviews the pathophysiology of viral encephalitis, which is specifically infectious to transplant recipients, and discusses the potential infectivity of donors who had this virus. In addition, the case report demonstrates one center's experience in placing organs from a donor who was presumed—but not confirmed—to have viral encephalitis. When a patient with viral encephalitis is considered for organ donation, it is recommended that a brain biopsy be obtained prior to organ placement to identify the suspected virus or confirm the absence of any viral entity.