cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barriers and bounds to Rationality

Abstract This review article takes Peter Albin’s book Barriers and Bounds of Rationality: Essays on Economic Complexity and Dynamics in Interactive Systems as the starting point of a general assessment of complexity analysis from the point of view of the scope and limits of human rationality. In particular, this article examines the constraints upon human rationality. In particular, this article examines the constraints upon human rationality deriving from Godel’s theorem, computational complexity, chaotic behavior and interconnections among system components. Godel’s theorem is especially relevant in cases of self-reference (as in game-like situations); computational complexity makes search for optimal solutions often to exceed the capacity of the existing computers even in the case of relatively ‘simple’ problems; chaotic behavior makes long-term prediction impossible; cellular automa suggest that entirely different outcomes may result from small differences in patterns of interdependence. Special attention is devoted to the use of cellular automa in identifying the nature of non-linearities compatible with aggregation; in assessing the role of a central actor in a in a decentralized market economy; in discovering ‘simple-minded principles’ by which market equilibria can be brought about. In conclusion, the article suggests that a new theoretical paradigm is emerging, in which the search for invariant laws would be substituted by attention for historical conditions and localized patterns of interaction.
Are Medical Malpractice Damages Caps Constitutional? An Overview of State Litigation

The United States is in its fifth year of what is now widely referred to as “the new medical malpractice crisis.” Although some professional liability insurers have begun to report improvements in their overall financial margins, there are few signs that the trend toward higher costs is reversing itself - particularly for doctors and hospitals. In 2003-2004, the presidential election and tort reform proposals in Congress brought heightened public attention to the need for some type of policy intervention to ease the effects of the crisis. The darling of tort reformers at both the federal and state levels has been legislation to limit, or “cap,” damages awarded to plaintiffs in malpractice cases. Health care provider groups, liability insurers, and the Bush Administration have all seized on the example of California's MICRA law, which since 1975 has capped noneconomic damages in malpractice cases at a flat $250,000, as the path to financial recovery.
Improving server performance on multi-cores via selective off-loading of OS functionality

Modern and future server-class processors will incorporate many cores. Some studies have suggested that it may be worthwhile to dedicate some of the many cores for specific tasks such as operating system execution. OS off-loading has two main benefits: improved performance due to better cache utilization and improved power efficiency due to smarter use of heterogeneous cores. However, OS off-loading is a complex process that involves balancing the overheads of off-loading against the potential benefit, which is unknown while making the off-loading decision. In prior work, OS off-loading has been implemented by first profiling system call behavior and then manually instrumenting some OS routines (out of hundreds) to support off-loading. We propose a hardware-based mechanism to help automate the off-load decision-making process, and provide high quality dynamic decisions via performance feedback. Our mechanism dynamically estimates the off-load requirements of the application and relies on a run-length predictor for the upcoming OS system call invocation. The resulting hardware based off-loading policy yields a throughput improvement of up to 18% over a baseline without off-loading, 13% over a static software based policy, and 23% over a dynamic software based policy.
STATE ESTIMATION OF LINEAR SYSTEMS WITH STATE EQUALITY CONSTRAINTS

Abstract This paper deals with the state estimation problem for linear systems with state equality constraints. Using noisy measurements which are available from the observable system, we construct the optimal estimate which also satisfies linear equality constraints. For this purpose, after reviewing modeling problems in linear stochastic systems with state equality constraints, we formulate a projected system representation. By using the constrained Kalman predictor for the projected system and comparing its predictor Ricccati Equation with those of the unconstrained and the projected Kalman predictors, we reach the conclusion that the current constrained estimator outperforms other filters for estimating the constrained system.
Synthesis and crystallinity of all-conjugated poly(3-hexylthiophene) block copolymers

A simplified approach towards the synthesis of high molecular weight (Mw > 50 kg mol−1) poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-based all-conjugated block copolymers is demonstrated and applied to prepare a series of all-conjugated block copolymers. Grazing-incidence X-ray scattering measurements show that P3HT crystallization is suppressed in all-conjugated block copolymers with low (<25 wt%) P3HT content.
Inhibition of rhBMP‐2‐induced ALP activity by intracellular delivery of SMURF1 in murine calvarial preosteoblast cells

Intracellular protein delivery is a novel tool for functional analysis of protein inside a cell. Several protein delivery reagents with diverse mechanisms have been developed and are commercially available. In this study, we focused on the inhibitory effect of intracellular delivery of SMAD ubiquitination regulation factor 1 (SMURF1) on the recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) signaling pathway. First, three commercially available reagents for intracellular delivery (BioPORTER®, PULSin®, and XfectTM) were tested in a murine preosteoblast cell line, MC3T3-E1.4. The biocompatibility of these reagents was examined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)−5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)−2-(4-sulfophenyl)−2H-tetrazolium assay and the cellular uptake and delivery efficiency were determined with FITC-antibody and β-galactosidase (β-gal), respectively. BioPORTER® provided the best results and was, therefore, chosen for the second aspect of our study: intracellular SMURF1 delivery. SMURF1/BioPORTER® complexes were applied to cells prior to rhBMP-2 application. The outcome data suggest intracellular SMURF1 delivery in MC3T3-E1.4 cells significantly inhibited alkaline phosphatase upregulation. This outcome may be useful to off-targets effects of rhBMP-2. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 4037–4043, 2014.
The acquisition of routines in child language

The acquisition of routines is one aspect of language development. Routines such as Bye-bye, in contrast to more referential language, appear to be among the earliest acquisitions and are congruent with the sensori-motor child's capacities. This study investigates performance of the highly constrained Hallowe'en Trick or treat routine in 115 children from 2 to 16 years of age. Changes in competence and the role of parental input are examined in relation to cognitive and social factors. (First routines; the Hallowe'en interaction; children's production; adult participation; adult metalanguage; implications for ethnographic research.)
A molecular timescale of eukaryote evolution and the rise of complex multicellular life

The pattern and timing of the rise in complex multicellular life during Earth's history has not been established. Great disparity persists between the pattern suggested by the fossil record and that estimated by molecular clocks, especially for plants, animals, fungi, and the deepest branches of the eukaryote tree. Here, we used all available protein sequence data and molecular clock methods to place constraints on the increase in complexity through time. Our phylogenetic analyses revealed that (i) animals are more closely related to fungi than to plants, (ii) red algae are closer to plants than to animals or fungi, (iii) choanoflagellates are closer to animals than to fungi or plants, (iv) diplomonads, euglenozoans, and alveolates each are basal to plants+animals+fungi, and (v) diplomonads are basal to other eukaryotes (including alveolates and euglenozoans). Divergence times were estimated from global and local clock methods using 20–188 proteins per node, with data treated separately (multigene) and concatenated (supergene). Different time estimation methods yielded similar results (within 5%): vertebrate-arthropod (964 million years ago, Ma), Cnidaria-Bilateria (1,298 Ma), Porifera-Eumetozoa (1,351 Ma), Pyrenomycetes-Plectomycetes (551 Ma), Candida-Saccharomyces (723 Ma), Hemiascomycetes-filamentous Ascomycota (982 Ma), Basidiomycota-Ascomycota (968 Ma), Mucorales-Basidiomycota (947 Ma), Fungi-Animalia (1,513 Ma), mosses-vascular plants (707 Ma), Chlorophyta-Tracheophyta (968 Ma), Rhodophyta-Chlorophyta+Embryophyta (1,428 Ma), Plantae-Animalia (1,609 Ma), Alveolata-plants+animals+fungi (1,973 Ma), Euglenozoa-plants+animals+fungi (1,961 Ma), and Giardia-plants+animals+fungi (2,309 Ma). By extrapolation, mitochondria arose approximately 2300-1800 Ma and plastids arose 1600-1500 Ma. Estimates of the maximum number of cell types of common ancestors, combined with divergence times, showed an increase from two cell types at 2500 Ma to ~10 types at 1500 Ma and 50 cell types at ~1000 Ma. The results suggest that oxygen levels in the environment, and the ability of eukaryotes to extract energy from oxygen, as well as produce oxygen, were key factors in the rise of complex multicellular life. Mitochondria and organisms with more than 2–3 cell types appeared soon after the initial increase in oxygen levels at 2300 Ma. The addition of plastids at 1500 Ma, allowing eukaryotes to produce oxygen, preceded the major rise in complexity.
IPNVG fixed-focus diopter study

Integrated Panoramic Night Vision Goggles (IPNVGs) are the prototype night vision goggles (NVGs) and may be the next generation of NVGs. The AN/AVS-9 (F-4949) NVGs, worn by Air Force aircrews, have continuously adjustable eyepieces (from +2.0 diopters (D) to -6.0 D). Unlike the F-4949s, IPNVGs have a fixed-focus eyepiece at -1.0 D. However, previous research has shown that some operators are very insistent that their visual acuity is impaired if they do not have eyepiece settings on the order -2.0 D or more, where they are currently setting their NVGs. The proposed solution is to provide “snap-on” lenses to the IPNVGs in order to obtain a selection of settings. The purpose of this study is to determine if NVGs with this discrete number (two) of “snap-on” lenses are acceptable or if additional lenses are required.
Experimental Protocol and Plotting of Kinetic Data

In order to carry out initial rate studies, it is necessary to be aware of those factors that affect the kinetics of the system under investigation. These include substrate and product concentration, pH, temperature, ionic strength, enzyme stability, activators and inhibitors.
Management of agricultural injuries and illness.

Until recently, rural health care nursing issues had not been widely addressed. Appropriate concerns for an ill or injured worker in an urban setting are compounded in the rural setting with its isolation and lack of resources. Farming is very diversified, and different parts of the country face different types of problems. Nurses in the rural community have a responsibility to learn as much as possible about the agricultural hazards common to their area. Health care professionals must be able to make rapid, accurate assessments of the injured or ill farmer, taking into account the nature of the machine and environmental factors that may cause additional problems. Proper care of the injured or ill farmer must be initiated at the rural hospital for optimal recovery to take place. Language: en
The Nature of Co-Occurring Exposure to Violence and of Court Responses to Girls in the Juvenile Justice System

This article examines the co-occurrence of different types of victimization and violence exposure, and the effects of court interventions for girls in juvenile court. A life history interview methodology was used to collect qualitative data from 27 girls who had penetrated deeply into a treatment-oriented county court system. The study revealed that early abuse and violence in the home made girls vulnerable to later intimate partner violence and sexual assault when they left to avoid continued victimization. Whereas some court interventions helped girls, others revictimized them. Implications for helpful court practices and future research are presented and discussed.
0.7–1.0-GHz Reconfigurable Bandpass-to-Bandstop Filter With Selectable 2- and 4-Pole Responses

A 0.7-1.0-GHz reconfigurable bandpass-to-bandstop filter with selectable 2- and 4-pole responses is presented. The proposed filter can act as a 2- or 4-pole bandpass or bandstop filter by changing the coupling paths using zero-value coupling coefficients. The 4-pole bandpass filter mode also includes bandwidth control. The filter is built on a Duroid substrate with e r=10.2 and h=25 mil. The center frequency tuning, as well as the bandpass-to-bandstop transformation and the selection of the number of poles are achieved using silicon varactor diodes and RF microelectromechanical systems switches. In the 2- and 4-pole bandpass modes, an insertion loss of 4.9-2.9 and 6.1-4.8 dB is measured at 0.71-0.99 and 0.72-1.01 GHz, respectively. The 4-pole bandpass mode also shows a bandwidth tuning of 28-85 MHz at 0.9 GHz. In the 2- and 4-pole bandstop modes, rejection levels of 24-28 and 32-41 dB are measured at 0.64-0.96 and 0.71-0.96 GHz, respectively. The application areas are in reconfigurable filters for wideband radios under high interference environments.
Stainless Steel Branch's Waste-water Treatment Process and Operation Management

The wastewater treatment process created by Shanghai No. 1 Steel Company' s Sewage Treatment Station is introduced. The applications of high density settling pond and biological filter tank, as the key technologies in the wastewater treatment process, are analyzed. In view of the problems appearing in practice, some measures in the operation management of the wastewater treatment have been taken.
Symmetric Gauge Fields

Consider n scalar fields φ(x) = (φ 1(x),...,φ n (x)), interacting with K-valued gauge fields A u (x), where K is the Lie algebra of the gauge group K. As we have seen, the extremals of the energy functional are connected with quantum particles in the semiclassical approximation. How does one find such extremals? Using the results in the preceding chapter, one can take advantage of the invariance of the energy functional under gauge transformations and (usually) under spatial transformations such as rotations. More precisely, let L be the group generated by the group K ∞ of local gauge transformations together with the group O of spatial symmetries. If G ⊂ L is a subgroup, an extremal of the functional restricted to the space of G-invariant fields is also an extremal for the unrestricted functional. (We will see below that the non-degeneracy condition is met.)
Chaplain or Sports Chaplain First?: Why Identity Formation Should Matter to Sports Chaplains

The purpose of this essay is to discuss the importance of identity formation in the growth and development of chaplains, inclusive of sports chaplains. There is a longstanding history of how identity formation occurs with men and women who have chosen chaplaincy as a part of their vocational calling. The common beginnings for many include a point of occupational testing for vocational tendencies, engaged service in institutional settings such as in the office of a hospital chaplain. In tandem with prayer, studying the Bible of other primary source documents (if not Christian) then one may undergo a period of seeking, illumination, and then a revelation from the Creator about chaplaincy. Chaplains have multiple identities as caregivers. The foundational argument of this paper is that the proper formation of identity as a chaplain compels the individual working in this facet of ministry to see his/herself as a chaplain first and then as a sports chaplain secondarily. The identity of the chaplain impacts the...
Problems for Perfectionism

Perfectionism, the view that well-being is a matter of developing characteristically human capacities, has relatively few defenders in the literature, but plenty of critics. This article defends perfectionism against some recent formulations of classic objections, namely, the objection that perfectionism ignores the relevance of pleasure or preference for well-being, and a sophisticated version of the ‘wrong properties’ objection, according to which the intuitive plausibility of the perfectionist ideal is threatened by an absence of theoretical pressure to accept putative wrong properties cases. The article argues that these objections are unsuccessful, but introduce a new worry, the deep problem: perfectionism fails to offer a satisfying foundational justification for why developing the human essence is valuable. The article responds to the deep problem, ultimately arguing that it is a puzzle put to all theories of well-being to provide a justification for their normative significance.
Linearized Hartree Formulation of the Photon Pairing Problem

I describe and discuss a linearized, self-consistent extended Hartree formulation of the pairing problem for photons interacting, through electron vacuum polarization forces, in a general background metric.
INVITED EDITORIAL COMMENT: Herd on the Street

1. Robert A. Schwartz 1. is the Marvin M. Speiser Professor of Finance and University Distinguished Professor in the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, CUNY, in New York, NY . 2. Daniel C. Jupiter 1. is an assistant professor of surgery at the Texas A&M Health Science Center
Methods for Isolation of Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells and In Vitro Proliferation Assays

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessel from pre-existing blood vessel, occurs in a variety of normal and pathological conditions. It is complex morphogenetic process involving the coordinate migration, invasion, and reorganization of several cell types including endothelial cells, pericytes, smooth muscle cells, and stromal fibroblasts. The angiogenic response begins with excess protease secretion to facilitate basement membrane remodeling, proliferation of endothelial cells, and endothelial cell migration to form capillary network and lumen closure. In this chapter, we describe the methods to isolate mouse and human endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, which will provide abundant, convenient and useful tool for the investigation of many aspects of endothelial cell biology. The high degrees of functional diversity have been observed from endothelial cells derived from different organs, and within the different vascular beds of a given organ. Therefore, this apparent heterogeneity has highlighted the requirement for the endothelial cell isolation and culture from a variety of tissues of different species in order to establish more realistic in vitro angiogenic models.
CloneMap: A Clone-Aware Code Inspection Tool in Evolving Software

Mining software repositories is a frequent tactic in the evaluation of software in our research. Software modification of large code bases often consists of recurring changes, similar but slightly different changes across multiple locations and revisions. It is a high-effort, time consuming process for developers to find all the relevant locations to maintain such changes among bug-fixes, refactorings, and new code being added to the code base for new features. This process is highly error-prone leading to many mistakes, such as inconsistent or incorrect updates. To address this problem, we present a tool that helps developers ensure correctness of recurring changes to multiple locations in an evolving software. CloneMap is a clone-aware code inspection tool which allows developers to specify the older and newer revisions of a software. It then applies a clone detection technique to (1) mine repositories for extracting differences of recurring changes, (2) visualize the clone evolution, and (3) help developers focus their attention to potential anomalies, such as inconsistent and missing updates as the software evolves from one revision to the next.
Extracellular Matrix Regulation of Stem Cell Fate

The extracellular matrix (ECM) presents a complex myriad of biochemical and physical cues in the stem cell niche and is able to modulate stem cell fate and function. This review summarizes engineering approaches that have exploited natural and synthetic biomaterials to understand ECM regulation of stem cell fate. Specifically, we demonstrate how these studies have advanced our understanding of vascular maturation and mesenchymal lineage specification. ECM mechanics have emerged as a critical cue in stem cell lineage specification. With the introduction of mechanically dynamic materials, which mirror the non-linear elastic behavior of natural matrices, our understanding of differentiation behavior has evolved. While studies using conventional culture employing rigid, two-dimensional surfaces have greatly advanced our understanding of stem cell differentiation, they overlook the complexity of ECM in the stem cell environment. Implementing defined analogs, through material science and tissue engineering approaches, will allow us to mirror the dynamic nature of ECM and fully elucidate how stem cells differentiate.
Transitioning into Retirement as a Stressful Life Event

Retirement can be for some a very stressful life experience. To get the idea, one needs only to witness the press conference on March 6, 2008, of Bret Farve, the Green Bay Packers quarterback who tearfully announced his retirement. It was very difficult for him to give up a career that he loved and that had lasted so long. As a matter of fact, it was so stressful that he eventually came out of retirement and played the 2008 season for the New York Jets.
Computerized Registry for Endovascular Interventions

A vascular registry is a clinical and research tool based on the collected clinical data of patients treated by an individual or group of vascular specialists. In its simplest form, this may be a box of index cards upon which are written data such as the patient’s name, age, date of surgery, and procedure performed. When analyzed at a later stage the specialist could determine patient volume for a given time period, average age, and most frequently performed procedures. Such a database is referred to as a flat database. Such databases can become extremely complex with thousands of data points recorded including variables such as risk factors, medications, techniques (e.g., stents used, procedure time), etc. Under such circumstances the use of the computer becomes a significant time saver. A computerized database offers many conveniences that will speed up data entry and retrieval and also add the benefit of assuring uniformity of data collection. For example, entry of a specific procedure can be achieved by clicking on a drop-down menu which lists alphabetically all the many hundred procedures that the vascular specialist may perform. By typing in the first letter of the procedure the cursor will be taken directly to the relevant group of procedures allowing a single mouse click to insert what may be a very complex procedure. This will also prevent the user from using different phraseology for the procedure that may at a later stage complicate data retrieval. As an example one may refer to a procedure as a “femoropopliteal stent graft” or a “stent graft—femoropopliteal” and these two would be seen as differing procedures when in fact they are the same.
The Shape Memory Effect in TiNi: One Aspect of Stress-Assisted Martensitic Transformation

The objective of this paper is to discuss the (irreversible) shape memory effect in TiNi which was first reported by Buehler et al.,some 12 years ago (1). Considerable efforts at developing some applications of this remarkable phenomenon have been made since, and a number of these will be discussed in the subsequent papers at this session. Most of this developmental research had been carried out on an empirical basis, in absence of a fundamental understanding of the phenomenon involved. With hindsight it is clear that this posed a severe handicap both to the engineers involved with this persnickety material, and to the metallurgists or materials science addicts baffled by the apparently irreproducible behavior reported by the engineers. Today it may appear surprising that this effect had been originally ascribed to a stress-assisted compositional change (1,2), and that the first attempt to rationalise it in terms of the martensitic transformation was reported by Zijderveld et al., in 1966 (3). Considering the scanty experimental data then available that hypothesis showed considerable insight.
Sweetness of Fructose and Sucrose Determined by Different Scaling Methods

This exercise compares results from two common scaling methods, a visual analogue scale (VAS) also known as a line scale, and magnitude estimation, a ratio scaling method. In addition, it compares the sweetness of sucrose and fructose at various concentrations using both percent and molarity as measures of concentration. The lab demonstrates that the units of measurement can change the apparent sweetness potency comparison and shows that different scaling methods produce data that often fit different mathematical functions.
Bioremediation of Explosives Contaminated Soils (Scientific Questions/Engineering Realities)

The organic compounds trinitrotoluene (TNT), hexahydro4,3,5-trinitro-l,3,5-triazine (RDX) and l,3,5,7-tetranitro-l,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) have all been demonstrated as subject to biological attack to some degree. In fact, RDX and HMX are routinely treated in wastewaters from production facilities by a conventional anaerobic biological process. The presence of the subject compounds in soil, however, has proven a more difficult removal problem for biological processes, especially in the case of TNT, for which biological treatment was not considered possible before 1975. This paper will discuss the origins of soil contamination by explosives and the current efforts to reduce the treatment costs of these soils using biological methods.
Cyclization During Crosslinking Free-Radical Polymerizations

Network formation by free-radical polymerization departs strongly from the behavior expected from the classical network theories.1,2 The earliest manifestation of this discrepancy was the delay in the gel point from that predicted by one to two orders of magnitude. One of the contributing factors to this delay has been shown in various studies to be the consumption of pendant double bonds by cyclization.
The Effect of Microteaching on Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Preservice Elementary Teachers

What teachers believe about their own effectiveness in the classroom influences what and how they teach, so teacher preparation programs should work to cultivate strong self-efficacy beliefs (SEBs)...
WT1 heteroclitic epitope immunization following autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with high-risk multiple myeloma (MM).

8016Background: Host T-cells mount immune responses (IR’s) against Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) in A*0201+MM pts through formation of WT1 peptide fragment (RMFPNAPYL)/HLA-A*0201 complex. We report initial r...
Whole genome variant association across 100 dogs identifies a frame shift mutation in DISHEVELLED 2 which contributes to Robinow-like syndrome in Bulldogs and related screw tail dog breeds

Domestic dog breeds exhibit remarkable morphological variations that result from centuries of artificial selection and breeding. Identifying the genetic changes that contribute to these variations could provide critical insights into the molecular basis of tissue and organismal morphogenesis. Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Boston Terriers share many morphological and disease-predisposition traits, including brachycephalic skull morphology, widely set eyes and short stature. Unlike other brachycephalic dogs, these breeds also exhibit vertebral malformations that result in a truncated, kinked tail (screw tail). Whole genome sequencing of 100 dogs from 21 breeds identified 12.4 million bi-allelic variants that met inclusion criteria. Whole Genome Association of these variants with the breed defining phenotype of screw tail was performed using 10 cases and 84 controls and identified a frameshift mutation in the WNT pathway gene DISHEVELLED 2 (DVL2) (Chr5: 32195043_32195044del, p = 4.37 X 10-37) as the most strongly associated variant in the canine genome. This DVL2 variant was fixed in Bulldogs and French Bulldogs and had a high allele frequency (0.94) in Boston Terriers. The DVL2 variant segregated with thoracic and caudal vertebral column malformations in a recessive manner with incomplete and variable penetrance for thoracic vertebral malformations between different breeds. Importantly, analogous frameshift mutations in the human DVL1 and DVL3 genes cause Robinow syndrome, a congenital disorder characterized by similar craniofacial, limb and vertebral malformations. Analysis of the canine DVL2 variant protein showed that its ability to undergo WNT-induced phosphorylation is reduced, suggesting that altered WNT signaling may contribute to the Robinow-like syndrome in the screwtail breeds.
Witnessing and Experiencing Miraculous Healings and Attitudes Toward Physician-Assisted Suicide

Drawing on insights from cognitive psychology, I argue that the religious experiences of witnessing and/or experiencing a miraculous physical healing event will be negatively associated with attitudes towards physician-assisted suicide. I evaluate this argument using data from the 2007 wave of the Baylor Religion Survey (N = 1598). I find that those who have witnessed and/or experienced a miraculous physical healing have more negative attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide than those who have not witnessed and/or experienced such an event, even when controlling for religiosity, sociodemographic, and personality factors. These results show that researchers should consider if and how religious experiences influence people’s attitudes.
NSF Interactive Discussion: Computer Science Undergraduate Education in 2026 and Beyond

By 2026, today's fifth graders will be entering college and our first-year college students will be the assistant professors. The workforce will see (r)evolutionary changes in the workplace at the human-technology frontier. Participants will be asked to think strategically about how we will reach the future we want to live. Content delivery mechanisms and active learning/project-based experiences for undergraduate students have developed and matured at a dramatic pace in recent years. How can we leverage what we already know, working to improve and broaden undergraduate STEM education and computing education in particular? How do we prepare students to solve the wicked societal problems of the future? Will students require problem-solving skills that transcend disciplines? Is interdisciplinarity teachable at the undergraduate computer science level? Which skills/knowledge will employers and graduate schools require in 10/20 years? The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education is preparing to have a nationwide dialogue with STEM communities and industry partners on this topic. Participants in this highly interactive session will collectively construct a shared vision for the future of computing sciences education, and outline a research agenda for the future.
Web-Mediated Professional Development

AbstractThis study examined the ways in which a free Web-mediated resource provided K–2 teachers with effective and differentiated professional learning opportunities on guided reading practice. Da...
Bounded Lüroth expansions: Applying Schmidt games where infinite distortion exists

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Polskiej Akademii Nauk, Instytut Matematyczny via the DOI in this record.
In vitro comparison of resonance frequency analysis devices to evaluate implant stability of narrow diameter implants at varying drilling speeds in dense artificial bone blocks.

BACKGROUND There are no studies that have assessed the implant stability quotient (ISQ) values of narrow diameter implants placed in artificial dense bone blocks at varying drilling speeds (DSs). PURPOSE The aim of the present in vitro experiment was to compare the performance of OSSTELL and Penguin devices to evaluate implant stability at DSs of 800 and 2000 rpm. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 360 osteotomies were created in dense artificial bone blocks at DSs of 800 and 2000 rpm. Dental implants from three manufacturers (group-1: NobelActive implants, Nobel Biocare, Yorba Linda, California; group-2: Zimmer, Eztetic-Zimmer implants, Zimmer Biomet Dental, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; and group-3: Astra Tech implant system, Dentsply Sirona, York, Pennsylvania) were randomly placed in these osteotomies using an insertion torque of 15 Ncm (60 implants/group). Implant stability in all bone blocks immediately following implant placement was evaluated using the OSSTELL and Penguin devices. ISQ values were presented as means ± SD. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the ISQ values obtained from the OSSTELL and Penguin devices for implants in groups 1, 2, and 3. There was no significant difference when ISQ values obtained from the OSSTELL device were compared with the Penguin device for narrow diameter dental implants placed in dense bone blocks with osteotomies performed at 800 and 2000 rpm. ISQ values showed statistically significant higher values for OSSTELL compared to Penguin device. CONCLUSION The OSSTELL and Penguin devices are reliable for the assessment of implant stability in dense artificial bone. Implant design and site-DS does not seem to have a significant impact of implant stability in artificial dense bone blocks.
The spatial signature of a changing ancient impactor population for Mars

Abstract Ancient solar system processes are recorded by impact crater populations on Mars. We investigated the spatial distribution of Noachian-aged (3.8–4.0 Ga) craters in order to test hypotheses for the shortage of
Eliciting Preferences for HIV Prevention Technologies: A Systematic Review

Many human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention technologies (pre-exposure prophylaxis, microbicides, vaccines) are available or in development. Preference elicitation methods provide insight into client preferences that may be used to optimize products and services. Given increased utilization of such methods in HIV prevention, this article identifies and reviews these methods and synthesizes their application to HIV prevention technologies. In May 2020, we systematically searched peer-reviewed literature in PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science for studies employing quantitative preference elicitation methods to measure preferences for HIV prevention technologies among populations of any age, sex, or location. Quality assessment used an existing checklist (PREFS) and a novel adaptation of the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (PROSPERO #CRD42018087027). We screened 5022 titles and abstracts, reviewed 318 full texts, and included 84 studies. Common methods employed were discrete-choice experiment (33%), conjoint analysis (25%), and willingness-to-participate/try/accept (21%). Studies were conducted in 25 countries and had a mean of 768 participants (range = 26–7176), two-thirds of them male. Common HIV prevention technologies included pre-exposure prophylaxis (23%), voluntary testing and counseling (19%), HIV self-testing (17%), vaccines (15%), and topical microbicides (9%). Most attributes focused on product design (side effects, frequency), service design (provider type, location), acceptability or willingness to accept/pay; results are summarized in these categories, by prevention type. Mean quality-adapted Newcastle–Ottawa Scale score was 4.5/8 (standard deviation = 2.1) and mean PREFS scores was 3.47/5 (standard deviation = 0.81). This review synthesizes extant literature on quantitative measurement of preferences for HIV prevention technologies. This can enable practitioners to improve prevention products and interventions, and ultimately reduce HIV incidence.
Vector Control: Wolbachia Expands Its Protective Reach from Humans to Plants.

RNA viral titers are often suppressed in insects co-infected with the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia. This property has been used to suppress transmission of the ragged rice stunt virus from its insect host, the brown planthopper, to the rice plant.
Armenia, I: Into the Danger Zone

All that I have seen and heard surpasses all imagination. Speaking of ‘thousand and one horrors’ is very little in this case, I thought I was passing through a part of hell. The few events, which I will relate, taken here and there hastily, give but a weak idea of the lamentable and horrifying tableau. The same scenes repeat in the different localities through which I have passed, everywhere it is the same Governmental barbarism which aims at the systematic annihilation through starvation of the Armenian nation in Turkey, everywhere the same bestial inhumanity on the part of these executioners and the same tortures undergone by these victims all along the Euphrates from Meskene to Der-I-Zor. So wrote Bernau, an American representative of the Vacuum Oil Company of New York, whose business trip across Anatolia in 1915 proved unexpectedly horrendous ( U.S. Documents , 1993: III, 131). This genocide was committed well before the rise of Hitler. It was not the product of “terrible Turks” or “alien Asiatics,” as Europeans have often liked to believe. Instead, it was perpetrated by the “Young Turks,” secular, European-style modernizing nationalists. The Ottoman Turkish state was also a player in European power politics, being in World War I allied to Germany and Austria-Hungary. This genocide emanated from Europe, even if almost all the killing occurred just over the Bosphorus in Asia. Nor was genocide the culmination of ancient ethnic hatreds, though these tensions were indeed old.
A 55-Year-Old Woman With Frequent Pulmonary Exacerbations and Endobronchial Lesions.

Case Presentation A 55-year-old woman with COPD, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (congestive heart failure), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension presented with baseline dyspnea at rest that had worsened over the last week. She reported associated runny nose, congestion, and cough productive of green sputum. She smoked six cigarettes per day and denied alcohol, drugs, or occupational exposure. She was admitted and initiated on treatment for acute exacerbation of COPD; however, her condition did not improve with steroid, ceftriaxone, and nebulized albuterol and budesonide treatments. She had been diagnosed with asthma and COPD without ever undergoing pulmonary function testing. She presented 11 times to the ED with six hospital admissions in the last 1.5 years for worsening dyspnea at rest, wheezing, and lower extremity edema deemed secondary to exacerbation of her COPD or congestive heart failure. She reported medication compliance, which included fluticasone-vilanterol, tiotropium bromide, and furosemide. She repeatedly demonstrated mild vascular congestion on imaging without hyperinflation, a normal to mildly elevated brain natriuretic peptide (
Identifying lung imaging biomarkers of BCG vaccination after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Individual factors that lead to susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among humans and animal models are not clearly defined. As a result, clinicians and scientists have little ability to diagnose and prognose the various clinical manifestations of tuberculosis, from life-long control of latent infection to active tuberculosis disease. Given the challenges in accurately predicting disease outcomes, vaccination with M. bovis Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is used globally in children to prevent systemic disease and tuberculous meningitis. However, in adults, epidemiological studies show variable protection ranging from 0% to 80%. As a part of a larger study to undercover the genomic and transcriptomic factors contributing to this variable efficacy, here we present a deep learning approach to identify mice which have been BCG-vaccinated from those that have not been vaccinated from hematoxylin and eosin stained lung sections of experimentally infected inbred mice. In a leave-one-out cross-validation of 59 slides, our method not only demonstrates ability to identify vaccinated mice with 93% accuracy and non-vaccinated mice with 100% accuracy. Through association with genomic and transcriptomic factors, we envision creating a blueprint for modifying and improving current vaccine strategies.
PERCEPTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTY CORRUPTION AND VOTING BEHAVIOR IN POLAND

More so than many other political institutions, political parties are held in considerable disrepute. This is due in large part to widespread perceptions that both party politicians and parties as organizations are corrupt. This is especially the case in the newer democracies of postcommunist Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa, but also in long-lived democracies. (Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer 2004, 2007). There is an ever growing body of research on the causes and consequences of political corruption on democratic politics, as well as on the attitudinal and behavioral correlates of corruption perceptions of the mass public. Notwithstanding the use of different wording of questions to tap both independent and dependent variables, for the most part findings of the extant literature based on survey data as well as comparative Transparency International country-level corruption scores suggest that, all else being equal, actual experience of corruption as well as perceptions of corruption are associated at the mass level with disengagement from electoral politics and/or defeat of governing parties, distrust of politicians and formal political institutions (e.g., the legislature, the judiciary, police), and increased dissatisfaction with the way democracy is working in their country (Anderson and Tverdova 2003; Bowler and Karp 2004; Canache and Allison 2005; Sandholtz and Taagepera 2005; Seligson 2002; Shabad, Slomczynski and Zielinski 2008; but see Della Porta 2008; Kistner 2007; and Shabad, Slomczynski and Kistner 2008 for contrary findings with regard to electoral participation and dissatisfaction with democracy). For the most part, research on mass-level perceptions of corruption deals with assessments of overall political corruption or of the extent of malfeasance in a variety of governmental and political sectors, including political parties. But no survey we are aware of focuses on the public’s perceptions of the extent of corruption of specific political parties. This is regrettable since perceived corruption of politically significant parties could potentially influence vote choice. Our paper seeks to address this gap within the context of Poland, a new democracy in which political party corruption has been rife and a focal point of partisan competition. In addition, electoral volatility has been higher on average than in most other new democracies of post-communist Europe. We use data from the Polish Panel survey, POLPAN, 1988-2008, in which respondents were asked to assess the extent to which ten parties were characterized by corrupt practices and to report their votes in previous parliamentary elections (most recently in 2005 and 2007) as well as their vote intention in the forthcoming election.
Optimal Lighting Control in Greenhouses Equipped with High-intensity Discharge Lamps Using Reinforcement Learning

Supplemental lighting in greenhouses has contributed to an improvement in crop growth. However, lighting costs account for a large portion of greenhouse expenses; as a result, it is important to find optimal lighting strategies to minimize supplemental lighting costs. Although light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with precise and quick dimmability are becoming a popular choice for greenhouse supplemental lighting, other common types of horticultural lights, such as high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, are still used in greenhouses. In this work, we formulate the supplemental lighting control problem in greenhouses equipped with HID lamps as a discrete constrained optimization problem. We aim to minimize electricity costs of supplemental lighting considering sunlight prediction, plant light needs, and variable electricity pricing in our model. By combining Q-learning and method of multipliers, we determine the optimal solution of this discrete optimization problem and then evaluate its performance through exhaustive simulation studies using a whole year of data for a site located at West Virginia. Compared to a heuristic method, which supplies a fixed minimum photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) to plants at each time step during the day, the proposed strategy shows about 44% (on average) electricity cost reduction throughout the year.
Assessing the perioperative complications and outcomes of robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy using the National Cancer Database: is it ready for prime time?

Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy has generated significant interest in recent years. Our study aimed to evaluate the difference in surgical, oncological, and survival outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) by either a robotic (RPD) or open approach (OPD). Using the National Cancer Database, we identified patients from 2010 and 2017 diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy by either robotic PD or open approach. Patients who underwent robotic PD during 2010 were compared to patients receiving the same procedure in 2017. In addition, a secondary analysis was performed to assess outcomes of robotic PD to open PD for the 2017 patient cohorts. Our primary outcomes included 30-day and 90-day mortality, length of stay, as well as 30-day readmission. Secondary outcome measures were surgical margins, lymph node yield, and adjuvant chemotherapy initiation within 12 weeks of surgery. When we compared the 2017 data to 2010 data, we found that robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy had lower 30- and 90-day mortality rates in 2017 compared to 2010. Additionally, we found that the lymph node yield in robotic PD increased during the study period. When we compared robotic PD to open PD for 2017, we found no statistically significant differences in readmission rates (10.1% vs. 9.7%: p-0.4), lymph node yield, or negative margin between the groups. Outcomes of robotic PD have improved over the years. In 2017, outcomes of robotic PD were similar to open PD.
AGROCLIMATIC RESOURCE ASSESSMENT: AN EXAMPLE FOR PEACH CULTIVATION IN THE LOWER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN

Detailed resource assessments can assist agricultural planners and growers select appropriate crops and cultivars for a region. This study employs a geographic information system (ARC/INFO) to develop a rating scheme suitable for evaluating the climatic resources of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan for commercial peach production. The rating scheme presented here improves on many previously developed indices by placing greater emphasis on identifying critical growth stages and the weather conditions that impact the critical stages. The use of a vector-based geographic information system in the analysis provided an efficient and flexible means for constructing the agroclimatic index. Suitability categories easily can be modified to meet requirements of different users, and additional climate variables readily can be added to the analysis. In addition, a computerized geographic information system allows the climatic suitability ratings to be combined easily with edaphic and topographic information. The clima...
Estrogens and the heart

Abstract The effects of estrogen on the function of the in situ canine heart muscle cell was investigated. After 40 mg. of Premarin was administered intravenously, no significant changes in the surface and intracellular electrographs were found. There were no differences in the electrography obtained from male and from female dogs.