cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Digital signal processing for ionospheric propagation diagnostics

For decades, analog beacon satellite receivers have generated multifrequency narrowband complex data streams that could be processed directly to extract total electron content (TEC) and scintillation diagnostics. With the advent of software-defined radio, modern digital receivers generate baseband complex data streams that require intermediate processing to extract the narrowband modulation imparted to the signal by ionospheric structure. This paper develops and demonstrates a processing algorithm for digital beacon satellite data that will extract TEC and scintillation components. For algorithm evaluation, a simulator was developed to generate noise-limited multifrequency complex digital signal realizations with representative orbital dynamics and propagation disturbances. A frequency-tracking procedure is used to capture the slowly changing frequency component. Dynamic demodulation against the low-frequency estimate captures the scintillation. The low-frequency reference can be used directly for dual-frequency TEC estimation.
Prenatal Exposures to Environmental Chemicals and Children's Neurodevelopment: An Update

This review surveys the recent literature on the neurodevelopmental impacts of chemical exposures during pregnancy. The review focuses primarily on chemicals of recent concern, including phthalates, bisphenol-A, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and perfluorinated compounds, but also addresses chemicals with longer histories of investigation, including air pollutants, lead, methylmercury, manganese, arsenic, and organophosphate pesticides. For some chemicals of more recent concern, the available literature does not yet afford strong conclusions about neurodevelopment toxicity. In such cases, points of disagreement among studies are identified and suggestions provided for approaches to resolution of the inconsistencies, including greater standardization of methods for expressing exposure and assessing outcomes.
Exact route matching algorithms for analog and mixed signal integrated circuits

As SOC designs are getting more popular, the importance of design automation for analog and mixed-signal ICs is increasing. In this paper, we study the problem of exact route matching, which is an important physical design constraint commonly imposed on specific analog signals for the purpose of correct analog functionality. For this, we first propose a mathematical formulation that models the route matching problem exactly. Based on this formulation, we derive important theoretical conclusions, and propose dynamic-programming algorithms to solve the problem. We also discuss how to use heuristic search techniques to enable faster computations. Our experimental results show the effectiveness of our algorithms. Categories and Subject Descriptors B.7.2 [Hardware, Integrated Circuits]: Design Aids General Terms Algorithms, Design
Reaching approximate agreement with mixed-mode faults

In a fault-tolerant distributed system, different non-faulty processes may arrive at different values for a given system parameter. To resolve this disagreement, processes must exchange and vote upon their respective local values. Faulty processes may attempt to inhibit agreement by acting in a malicious or "Byzantine" manner. Approximate agreement defines one form of agreement in which the voted values obtained by the non-faulty processes need not be identical. Instead, they need only agree to within a predefined tolerance. Approximate agreement can be achieved by a sequence of convergent voting rounds, in which the range of values held by non-faulty processes is reduced in each round. Historically, each new convergent voting algorithm has been accompanied by ad-hoc proofs of its convergence rate and fault-tolerance, using an overly conservative fault model in which all faults exhibit worst-case Byzantine behavior. This paper presents a general method to quickly determine convergence rate and fault-tolerance for any member of a broad family of convergent voting algorithms. This method is developed under a realistic mixed-mode fault model comprised of asymmetric, symmetric, and benign fault modes. These results are employed to more accurately analyze the properties of several existing voting algorithms, to derive a sub-family of optimal mixed-mode voting algorithms, and to quickly determine the properties of proposed new voting algorithms. >
Downlink optimization of indoor wireless networks using multiple antenna systems

We compare the performance of two multiple antenna systems to be used in quality of service (QoS) supported indoor wireless networks. While a conventional array antenna system (AAS) has collocated, closely spaced antenna elements, a distributed antenna system (DAS) has largely spaced antennas over the entire area of radio coverage. To support multimedia applications requiring high bandwidth and on time delivery, we propose a set of highly spectrum efficient radio resource management algorithms. We focus on the optimization of downlink since many kinds of Internet traffic show the downlink dominance in their traffic asymmetry. To maximize the downlink throughput, we present a new transmit beamforming algorithm which can be equally applied to both DAS and AAS. The beamforming algorithm is integrated with a link scheduling algorithm that exploits the space division multiplexing (SDM) capability of multiple antenna systems to meet the QoS requirements of all terminals. Numerical examples conducted for a line of sight (LOS) environment demonstrate that a network with DAS outperforms one with AAS in terms of signal coverage and provides 40-160% higher capacity.
Storyline, Dance/Music, or PvP? Game Movies and Community Players in World of Warcraft

Player-created game movies have been an outlet for creative expression by World of Warcraft (WoW) players since the beta version of the game. The proliferation of players, clans, Web sites, and community forums for creating, consuming, and commenting on WoW movies is remarkable. Linking multiplayer game communities and the making of animated movies is not unprecedented. It has been a characteristic of machinima for more than a decade. In this article however, the author hopes to show that the context, content, and consumption of game movies based on massively multiplayer games raises new questions about contributions game-based performances make to player communities. The author connects the brief history of WoW movies to the history of machinima and other game movies, illustrates the variety of impulses behind WoW movies through three quickly recounted examples, and gathers together salient themes around one movie in particular: Tristan Pope's Not Just Another Love Story.
Community, Capitalism, and Rebellion in Chiapas

In this paper, we examine the role of local land tenure, community solidarity, and recent commercialization in the 1994 rebellion in Chiapas. We find that neither the ejido land tenure system, nor community solidarity, nor community disruption and proletarianization due to recent economic change, may be considered as primary causal factors behind the revolt. We find the best explanation for the revolt to lie in the desire of certain groups, notably immigrants to the Lacondon rain forest area, for land, and in recent changes in land tenure law which have ended their hopes of acquiring land. The primary effect of economic change was indirect. It promoted population growth, which has led to increasing pressure on land.
GENOTYPES SUPPRESSING MEIOTIC DRIVE OF A B CHROMOSOME IN THE MEALYBUG, PSEUDOCOCCUS OBSCURUS

The rate of transmission (k) of a supernumerary B chromosome in male mealybugs is shown to depend strongly on the chromosome set of maternal origin. When both parents came from an isofemale line in which the frequency of the B chromosome increased rapidly and stabilized at a mean of more than 4.0 B chromosomes per individual, k was 0.92 and 0.95 in two series of crosses. However, when the female parent came from one of two isofemale lines in which the frequency of the B chromosome decreased from 2.0 to 0 in a few generations, k ranged from 0.53 to 0.78. The high ks, which represent a strong meiotic drive, are apparently responsible for the observed increase in the frequency of the B chromosome in several lines from a mean of about 0.5 to more than 4.0 in about 20 generations. The rapid loss of the B chromosome in other lines is attributed to genetic factors which caused the reduction in the rate of transmission of the B chromosome.
Infra-Red Photodiodes in Hg1-xCdxTe Grown by OMVPE

Hg1-xCdxTe layers, grown by the organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE), are p-type with carrier concentrations around 4 × 1016/cm3 due to the Group II vacancies in them. Following a Hg saturated anneal at 220°C, these layers become n-type with carrier concentrations around 4 × 1014/cm3. In order to fabricate p-n junction diodes, Hg1-xCdxTe layers were grown with a 0.5-0.8 μm thick CdTe cap. By opening windows in this CdTe cap, the underlying Hg1-xCdxTe Te layer was annealed in a selective manner, thus forming planar p-n junctions. The CdTe cap, which is used as the diffusion barrier for Hg during the selective anneal, also served as the junction passivant for the photodiodes. Details of device fabrication and characterization are presented in this paper.
One Drop of Color in a Global Sea: Black African and Black American Academics on Their Research Travel Experiences

For African Americans, fluid travel has only been possible within the United States in the last 40 years. Though segregated America is a thing of the past, the racist stereotypes constructed during this era have left a legacy that has affected the travels of black Americans outside of this country still. This legacy, embedded in media and diffused throughout the world, affects the mobility and acceptance of both black Americans and black Africans alike. While the black tourist may not detect racism during brief travel, a tourists viewpoint is in direct relationship to his or her engagement with the culture. However, if one lives abroad, that individual must learn how to negotiate within the foreign culture in order to thrive on a daily basis. This paper seeks to contextualize the experiences of nine black academics who have conducted extended research abroad. From their first-person narratives of work-related travel abroad experiences, I reconstruct the view of self juxtaposed with other from the perspectives of both the traveler and the host population, by examination of the cultural exchanges of language, power, relationships, and identity. This paper reveals past obstructions to travel and research abroad and illuminates the transformations taking place through globalization.
Generalized Boolean Algebras in Lattice-Ordered Groups

In this paper, characterizations are given for the free lattice-ordered group over a generalized Boolean algebra and the freel -module of a totally ordered integral domain with unit over a generalized Boolean algebra. Extensions of lattice-ordered groups using generalized Boolean algebras are defined and their properties studied.
A Two Sample Test for Functional Data

We consider testing equality of mean functions from two samples of functional data. A novel test based on the adaptive Neyman methodology applied to the Hotelling’s T-squared statistic is proposed. Under the enlarged null hypothesis that the distributions of the two populations are the same, randomization methods are proposed to find a null distribution which gives accurate significance levels. An extensive simulation study is presented which shows that the proposed test works very well in comparison with several other methods under a variety of alternatives and is one of the best methods for all alternatives, whereas the other methods all show weak power at some alternatives. An application to a real-world data set demonstrates the applicability of the method.
PHYLOGENIES, SPATIAL AUTOREGRESSION, AND THE COMPARATIVE METHOD: A COMPUTER SIMULATION TEST.

Brownian motion computer simulation was used to test the statistical properties of a spatial autoregressive method in estimating evolutionary correlations between two traits using interspecific comparative data. When applied with a phylogeny of 42 species, the method exhibited reasonable Type I and II error rates. Estimation abilities were comparable to those of independent contrasts and minimum evolution (parsimony) methods, and generally superior to a traditional nonphylogenetic approach (not taking phylogenies into account at all). However, the autoregressive method performed extremely poorly with a smaller phylogeny (15 species) and with nearly independent ("star") phylogenies. In both of these situations, any phylogenetic autocorrelation present in the data was not detected by the method. Results show how diagnostic techniques (e.g., Moran's I) can be useful in detecting and avoiding such situations, but that such techniques should not be used as definitive evidence that phylogenetic correlation is not present in a set of comparative data. The correction factor (cx) proposed by Gittleman and Kot (1990) for use in weighting phylogenetic information had little effect in most analyses of 15 or 42 species with incorrect phylogenetic information, and may require much larger sample sizes before significant improvement is shown. With the sample sizes tested in this study, however, the autoregressive method implemented with this correction factor and correct phylogenetic information led to downwardly biased estimates of the absolute magnitude of the evolutionary correlation between two traits. Cautions and recommendations for implemention of the spatial autoregressive method are given; computer programs to conduct the analyses are available on request.
Drumming Behavior of Eleven Nearctic Stonefly (Plecoptera) Species

Drumming was recorded for 11 of 13 Nearctic stonefly species, representing 4 families. Both ♂ and ♀ signals were obtained from 5 species, and were either 2-way or 3-way communications. Signals were species-specific; those of males and females varied from 3–39 and 1–14 beats/signal, respectively. Duration of ♂ signals varied from 105–8016 ms; those of females except Perlinella drymo (1 beat), varied from 402–1318 ms. Signals among related taxa showed greatest similarities. Duration of ♂ signals of Perlinella drymo became progressively shorter at each of 4 temperatures from 7–29°C. Females of Perlinella drymo would only repeatedly answer ♂ signals recorded at near their own temperature, and would not repeatedly answer recorded ♂ signals of 8 other species.
Growth and Breakdown of a Wave Packet into a Turbulent Spot in a Cone Boundary Layer at Mach 6

Direct Numerical Simulations are performed to investigate the growth and breakdown of a wave packet into a turbulent spot in a sharp cone boundary layer at Mach 6. In order to understand the natural transition process in hypersonic cone boundary layers, the flow was forced by a short–duration (localized) pulse. The pulse disturbance developed into a three–dimensional wave packet which consisted of a wide range of disturbance frequencies and wave numbers. The flow parameters for the simulations are based on the experimental conditions of the Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 quiet–flow Ludwieg Tube at Purdue University. First, the linear development of the wave packet was studied by forcing the flow with a low–amplitude pulse (0.001% of the free–stream velocity). The dominant waves within the resulting wave packet were identified as the second–mode two–dimensional disturbance waves. In addition, weaker first–mode oblique waves were also observed on the lateral sides of the wave packet. In order to investigate the weakly nonlinear transition regime, medium–amplitude pulse disturbances (0.5% of the free–stream velocity) were introduced. The response of the flow to the medium–amplitude pulse disturbances indicated the presence of a fundamental resonance mechanism. Lower secondary peaks in the disturbance wave spectrum were identified at approximately half the frequency of the high–amplitude frequency band, which would be an indication of a subharmonic resonance mechanism. Strong peaks were also observed for low–wave–number second–mode oblique waves, which indicate a possible presence of an oblique breakdown mechanism. Finally, in order to identify more clearly which of these mechanisms ultimately leads to turbulent breakdown, a simulation with a higher forcing amplitude (5% of the free–stream velocity) was performed. The resulting strongly nonlinear wave packet eventually leads to localized patches of turbulent flow (turbulent spots). The disturbance wave spectrum indicates that both second–mode fundamental resonance and oblique breakdown mechanisms may be the dominant mechanisms for the investigated flow. Both mechanisms may play a role in the natural transition process for a cone boundary layer at Mach 6.
Resiliency in exascale systems and computations using chaotic-identity maps

For exascale computing systems, we propose (i) light-weight computational modules that utilize chaotic computations and customized identity maps to detect component failures, and (ii) statistical estimation methods that generate robustness estimates for the system and computations based on the module outputs. The diagnosis modules execute multiple Poincare and identity maps, which are customized to detect certain classes of failures in the compute nodes and interconnects. We propose statistical methods that generate robustness estimates for the system using the outputs of pipelined chains of diagnosis modules.
Observation of ZnO nanoparticles outside pores of nano Zn4O(C8H4O4)3 metal–organic framework

Abstract It was recognized that ZnO can be formed during synthesizing nano Zn 4 O(C 8 H 4 O 4 ) 3 metal–organic framework (nano MOF-5). Furthermore, it is generally accepted that the ZnO is dispersed inside the pores of MOF-5. However, herein, the measurements of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the crystal particle sizes of ZnO in MOF-5 are in the range of 5–18 nm, which are larger than the pore size of MOF-5 (1.3 nm). This clearly demonstrates that those ZnO nanoparticles are located outside the pores of MOF-5.
Emergence and Downward Causation Reconsidered in Terms of the Aristotelian-Thomistic View of Causation and Divine Action

One of the main challenges of the nonreductionist approach to complex structures and phenomena in philosophy of biology is its defense of the plausibility of the theory of emergence and downward causation. The tension between remaining faithful to the rules of physicalism and physical causal closure, while defending the novelty and distinctiveness of emergents from their basal constituents, makes the argumentation of many proponents of emergentism lacking in coherency and precision. In this article I aim at answering the suggestion of several thinkers to redefine emergence and downward causation in terms of the broader Aristotelian view of causation. In addition, I further develop this interdisciplinary conversation to include theological implications of emergentism, analyzed in reference to Aquinas’ understanding of divine action in terms of the same fourfold division of causes—bringing thus natural science, philosophy, and theology into creative and fruitful dialogue.
Royal jelly promotes DAF-16-mediated proteostasis to tolerate β-amyloid toxicity in C. elegans model of Alzheimer’s disease

// Xiaoxia Wang 1 , Min Cao 1,2 and Yuqing Dong 1,2 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA 2 Institute for Engaged Aging, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA Correspondence to: Yuqing Dong, email: // Keywords : Alzheimer’s disease; royal jelly; β-amyloid; DAF-16; proteostasis; Gerotarget Received : April 21, 2016 Accepted : July 07, 2016 Published : July 26, 2016 Abstract Numerous studies have demonstrated that dietary intervention may promote health and help prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We recently reported that bee products of royal jelly (RJ) and enzyme-treated royal jelly (eRJ) were potent to promote healthy aging in C. elegans . Here, we examined whether RJ/eRJ consumption may benefit to mitigate the AD symptom in the disease model of C. elegans . Our results showed that RJ/eRJ supplementation significantly delayed the body paralysis in AD worms, suggesting the β-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity attenuation effects of RJ/eRJ. Genetic analyses suggested that RJ/eRJ-mediated alleviation of Aβ toxicity in AD worms required DAF-16, rather than HSF-1 and SKN-1, in an insulin/IGF signaling dependent manner. Moreover, RJ/eRJ modulated the transactivity of DAF-16 and dramatically improved the protein solubility in aged worms. Given protein solubility is a hallmark of healthy proteostasis, our findings demonstrated that RJ/eRJ supplementation improved proteostasis, and this promotion depended on the transactivity of DAF-16. Collectively, the present study not only elucidated the possible anti-AD mechanism of RJ/eRJ, but also provided evidence from a practical point of view to shed light on the extensive correlation of proteostasis and the prevention of neurodegenerative disorders.
Exciton-to-Dopant Energy Transfer in Mn-Doped Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals

We report the one-pot synthesis of colloidal Mn-doped cesium lead halide (CsPbX3) perovskite nanocrystals and efficient intraparticle energy transfer between the exciton and dopant ions resulting in intense sensitized Mn luminescence. Mn-doped CsPbCl3 and CsPb(Cl/Br)3 nanocrystals maintained the same lattice structure and crystallinity as their undoped counterparts with nearly identical lattice parameters at ∼0.2% doping concentrations and no signature of phase separation. The strong sensitized luminescence from d–d transition of Mn2+ ions upon band-edge excitation of the CsPbX3 host is indicative of sufficiently strong exchange coupling between the charge carriers of the host and dopant d electrons mediating the energy transfer, essential for obtaining unique properties of magnetically doped quantum dots. Highly homogeneous spectral characteristics of Mn luminescence from an ensemble of Mn-doped CsPbX3 nanocrystals and well-defined electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of Mn2+ in host CsPbX3 nanocrysta...
Effects of behavioral changes and mixing patterns in mathematical models for smallpox epidemics

First, we study the effects of behavioral changes in a smallpox attack model. Response strategies to a smallpox bioterrorist attack have focused on interventions such as isolation, contact tracing, quarantine, ring vaccination, and mass vaccination. We formulate and analyze a mathematical model in which some individuals lower their daily contact activity rates once an epidemic has been identified in a community. We use computer simulations to analyze the effects of behavior change alone and in combination with other control measures. We demonstrate that the spread of the disease is highly sensitive to how rapidly people reduce their contact activity. Next, we study mixing patterns between age groups using social networks. The course of an epidemic through a population is determined by the interactions among individuals. To capture these elements of reality; we use the contact network simulations for the city of Portland, Oregon that were developed as part of the TRANSIMS/EpiSims project to study and identify mixing patterns. We analyze contact patterns between different age groups and identify those groups who are at higher risk of infection. We describe a new method for estimating transmission matrices that describe the mixing and the probability of transmission between the age groups. Our results show that the mixing structure within the population is divided into two main groups, adults and children. Finally, we study the effects of mixing patterns in the presence of population heterogeneity. We investigate the impact that different mixing assumptions have on the spread of a disease in an age-structured differential equation model. We use a realistic mixing population and investigate the impact that this mixing pattern has on epidemic outcomes when compared to a randomly mixing population. Furthermore, we investigate the impact on a smallpox epidemic of population heterogeneity such as differences in susceptibility and infectivity within the population for a smallpox epidemic outbreak. We find that different mixing assumptions lead to differences in disease prevalence and final epidemic size. We also demonstrate that a smallpox epidemic is greatly reduced by the level of residual immunity in the population.
Louisa May Alcott as Poet: Transcendentalism and the Female Artist

Abstract This essay presents Louisa May Alcott's conception of an artist, one that gives nineteenth century women access to that title. Based in her poetry, Alcott's notion of art both draws from and resists Transcendentalist theology as it counters sentimentalist cliches about women writers. Ellen Sturgis Hooper is revealed as a major influence on Alcott.
Spatio-temporal analysis of decadal-scale patterns in barrier island response to storms: Perdido Key, NW Florida

The ability to accurately quantify shoreline variability is essential in order to establish aggressive mitigation strategies, based on recent global climate change projections. This investigation e...
Urologic malignancies in kidney transplantation

With advances in immunosuppression, graft and patient outcomes after kidney transplantation have improved considerably. As a result, long-term complications of transplantation, such as urologic malignancies, have become increasingly important. Kidney transplant recipients, for example, have a 7-fold risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and 3-fold risk of urothelial carcinoma (UC) compared with the general population. While extrapolation of data from the general population suggest that routine cancer screening in transplant recipients would allow for earlier diagnosis and management of these potentially lethal malignancies, currently there is no consensus for posttransplantation RCC or UC screening as supporting data are limited. Further understanding of risk factors, presentation, optimal management of, and screening for urologic malignancies in kidney transplant patients is warranted, and as such, this review will focus on the incidence, surveillance, and treatment of urologic malignancies in kidney transplant recipients.
Still Devouring Frida Kahlo: Psychobiography versus Postcolonial and Disability Readings

This chapter reviews texts published on Frida Kahlo over the last ten years in order to assess the simplification of Kahlo and her artistic works, drawing especially on Margaret A. Lindauer’s critique of psychobiographical approaches to Kahlo. Exposing the limitations and colonialist drives in many psychoanalytical studies of Kahlo’s paintings, this chapter considers Kahlo’s politics and the complexity of the artist’s processes. Focusing on her status as a postcolonial and disabled woman artist in Mexico, the chapter offers an engaged critique from postcolonial perspectives of the commodification of Kahlo as a globalized cultural product and the role twenty-first-century critics continue to play in fostering Orientalist interpretations of Kahlo’s art as something personal and not subversively political.
Hunt-Hess 5 subarachnoid haemorrhage presenting with cardiac arrest is associated with larger volume bleeds

Abstract Aims The mechanism, effects, and outcomes of cardiac arrest (CA) caused by subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) remain unclear. We compared SAH patients presenting with CA to other high-grade SAH patients presenting without CA in order to better understand (1) the cause of CA, (2) cerebral pathophysiology following CA, and (3) outcomes of CA in patients with SAH. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected observational cohort. 31 Hunt-Hess 5 patients that presented with CA were compared to 146 Hunt-Hess 5 patients that presented without CA. Clinical and imaging findings were predefined and adjudicated. Cerebral physiology measures were available for a subset of patients, matched 1:1 by age. Results Twenty-two (71%) CA patients had pulseless electrical activity/asystole compared to 2 (6%) with a shockable rhythm. The CA patients were younger (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.99, p = 0.009), had more SAH on CT (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.13, p = 0.02), and had higher in-hospital mortality (87% vs. 58%, OR 6.2 (2.1–26.6), p = 0.004). There were no differences in aneurysm location, cerebral herniation, or ictal seizures. Despite similar cerebral perfusion pressure, CA patients had pathologically lower brain tissue oxygenation, lower glucose, and higher lactate to pyruvate ratios. Conclusions CA in SAH is associated with larger volume bleeds. Despite normal cerebral perfusion pressures, CA patients show compromised cerebral physiology.
Prosody perception in children: studying individual differences with novel brain and behavioral approaches

A sizeable literature has shown that perception of prosodic elements bolsters speech comprehension across developmental stages; recent work also suggests that variance in musical aptitude predicts individual differences in prosody perception in adults. The current study investigates brain and behavioral methods of assessing prosody perception and tests the relationship with musical rhythm perception in 35 school-aged children (age range: 5;5 to 8;0 years, M = 6;7 years, SD = 10 months; 18 females). We applied stimulus reconstruction, a technique for analyzing EEG data by fitting a temporal response function that maps the neural response back to the sensory stimulus. In doing so, we obtain a measure of neural encoding of the speech envelope in passive listening to continuous narratives. We also present a behavioral prosody assessment that requires holistic judgments of filtered speech. The results from these typically developing children revealed that individual differences in stimulus reconstruction in the delta band, indexing neural synchrony to the speech envelope, are significantly related to individual differences in behavioral measurement of prosody perception. In addition, both of these measures are moderately to strongly correlated with musical rhythm perception skills. Results support a domain-general mechanism for cognitive processing of speech and music.
Special issue on learner engagement and technology

Learner engagement plays a central role in the success of instruction. At the heart of instructional effectiveness is student involvement. When students actively engage in the learning process, the...
Mapping Sparse Vegetation Canopies

Mapping sparse vegetation communities is routinely applied using techniques such as band ratios, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and spectral mixture analysis (SMA). The uncertainty of these vegetative mapping techniques is examined using the soil spectral variability defined by the spectral reference endmembers from three Landsat Thematic Mapper images: Owens Valley, California, USA; Gran Desierto, Sonora, Mexico, and Fayyum, Egypt. We find that band ratios and NDVI are not optimized for detecting vegetation given soil spectral variability. For SMA, the detection of sparse vegetation is optimized when it is detected as a residual component. Depending on the uncertainty model utilized from two to four fold improvement in mapping sparse vegetation is possible compared to NDVI and band ratios.
Hypothesis Testing in Introductory Laboratories and Conceptual Change Theory

Hannula (2003) presents an important and efficient strategy for bringing additional critical thinking into geology laboratory exercises. Her strategy involves asking students to make predictions prior to engaging in the exercises, and requires some revision of the exercises themselves such that they more closely resemble hypothesis-testing. If the students' backgrounds are sufficient they may additionally be asked to provide justification for their predictions and later, after making their observations, to reflect on the implications of those predictions. Modifying exercises in this manner adds an element of critical thinking to the laboratory process and provides the students with some additional exposure to the scientific method. Laboratory sections are included in many science courses to help students meet two goals: (1) exposure to and practice with the scientific method (as Hannula contends), and (2) develop accurate conceptual understanding of some of the concepts integral to the course. This latter goal deserves some examination. Assume that the 12 laboratory exercises, typically occurring in introductory courses over the course of a semester, target the 12 scientific concepts deemed by the instructor to be most essential to the discipline. This makes sense -those are the concepts most worthy of additional time spent beyond the lecture. Thus, it is important for the students to use the laboratory sessions to develop correct conceptual understandings of those scientific concepts. Hannula's strategy likely works toward the accomplishment of both of the goals typical of laboratory sessions. She articulates the benefits her students appear to derive regarding the scientific method. Additionally, her strategy is notably similar to establishing cognitive conflict within students, which is a pedagogy typical of one version of conceptual change theory (CCT). Conceptual change theory was formally offered as a learning theory by Posner et al. (1982). In this pedagogy, students are confronted with something that contradicts their previously held understanding, resulting in the development of a cognitive conflict between the implications of what they are seeing and what they believe to be true. (In Hannula's strategy this occurs when students make observations that contradict their predictions.) Through CCT this cognitive conflict may lead to the development of correct understanding if the students are shown (through a variety of possible means) the correct reasoning in a form that is intelligible, plausible, and fruitful (Posner et al, 1982). In Hannula's strategy, when their backgrounds are sufficient, students are asked to reflect on the implications of their predictions. …
Robbing a Man of His Illusions: Response to Herbert Fensterheim and Stanley Messer

The suggestions made by Fensterheim and Messer regarding increasing ego strengths and pointing out patterns of interaction were found to be useful ones in treating this angry patient. Some other interventions derived from an integrative perspective are also described. The author is still grappling with the problem of stripping this man of his illusions.
Effect of Shock Absorbing Materials on Heel-Strike Forces

The literature shows a correlation between degenerative joint disease and the ability of the musculo-skeletal system to absorb shock. The purpose of the research described here was to determine the effect of shock-absorbing materials on the forces developed between the heel and shoe (or insole) during normal walking on a treadmill. A measurement transducer consisting of an array of lead zirconate titanate transducers embedded in a thin silicone rubber pad was used. Data is collected serially from each ceramic transducer, beginning at heelstrike, and logged on a desktop computer for later analysis. Materials being evaluated include sorbothane, plastazote and ordinary foam heel cups.
Non-invasive Assessment of Left Ventricular End Diastolic PressureChange with a Single Session of Outpatient Intravenous Diuresis in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background Admissions for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) may be prevented by early detection and treatment of elevated cardiac filling pressures before the onset of clinical symptoms. We have developed a noninvasive, handheld, point-of-care device to assess left ventricular end diastolic filling pressure (LVEDP). The device measures the change in pulse amplitude of a finger photoplethysmography signal (PPG) during a Valsalva maneuver (VM), which we previously showed reflects invasively measured LVEDP. Our objective in this study was to determine whether LVEDP changes in HF patients undergoing a session of outpatient intravenous (IV) diuresis. Methods Patients receiving IV diuresis at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Diuresis Clinic were recruited. Each enrolled participant performed a VM with expiratory effort of 20 mmHg into a pressure transducer for 10 seconds, before and after the diuresis session. Participants were guided by an automated graphical user interface. A continuous PPG signal was recorded during the testing. LVEDP was then calculated using an equation derived from a previous study we conducted of patients undergoing left heart catheterization. Urine output (UO) during the diuresis session was also measured. Statistical analysis was performed using t-test and regression testing. Results 37 participants (65 ± 15 years, 43% female, 51% white) underwent a total of 53 sessions of IV diuresis. The mean initial LVEDP was 19 ± 4 mmHg. The mean UO was 1.2 ± 0.6 liters. On average, the LVEDP did not change within the same diuresis session (mean LVEDP change -0.26 ± 3.4 mmHg). In participants with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF, EF ≤ 40%), the change in LVEDP was related to UO (r = 0.53, p = 0.028, n=17). Also in that subgroup, the change in LVEDP trended strongly towards being related to initial LVEDP (r = 0.52, p = 0.057, n=17). Conclusion In patients with HFrEF, the change in LVEDP during a session of outpatient IV diuresis was related to the volume of UO. However, despite the mean UO of all sessions among all patients being 1.2L, mean LVEDP did not change. Multiple outpatient IV diuresis sessions may be needed to obtain a measurable decrease in LVEDP. There was a strong trend toward greater LVEDP decrease with higher initial LVEDP in HFrEF patients. This may be related to the end-diastolic pressure-volume relation, in which a decrease in pressure per given decrease in volume is greater at higher end-diastolic volumes. More studies are warranted to determine if this noninvasive device can help guide outpatient IV diuresis in HF patients.
Urban Ecology in the Time of Climate Change: Houston, Flooding, and the Case of Federal Buyouts:

This study proposes a shift in sociology’s approach to urban ecology. Rather than foreground the social ecologies that captivated the Chicago and Los Angeles Schools, we join and extend more recent...
From Romana Gens to cumbiatella: propaganda, migration and identity in Italo-Peruvian mobilities

Branding promotes and sells products and services through the creation of an identity – the brand. What happens when the promoter of a brand is a government? What transformations does a national identity experience when it becomes a brand to export? Is national branding a contemporary form of promoting national identities? To explore these questions, the article focuses on two artefacts that show the propaganda/branding strategies of Italians in Peru and Peruvians in Italy during the twentieth century: the magazine Romana- Gens ne la Terra de ‘Los Incas’ (1934–1941) and the ad-documentary Marca Peru in Loreto, Italy (2012). The analysis of these artefacts shows three dimensions of Italo-Peruvian mobilities. First, the complex negotiations of foreign populations that seek to integrate into their adoptive countries (and/or desired market). Second, the reversal of the direction of migration: Latin America was a point of arrival for the Italian immigrants from the nineteenth century until the 1970s, but during the last decades of the twentieth century, it became a point of departure to Italy, which was seen as a place of economic progress. Finally, the specific politics of affects in the relationship of Italian and Peruvian immigrants with national identities built during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Price Uncertainty and Market Power in Retail Gasoline: The Role of Price Signs on an Italian Highway

We investigate the effect of consumers' price uncertainty and search costs on gasoline price levels. The introduction of a mandatory price disclosure policy on the Italian highway enables us to observe market prices when (a) consumers have no price information; and (b) some information about the prices of competing stations is available to consumers. To characterize the observed pricing outcomes in the marketplace we then propose a model of consumers' sequential search and purchase of gasoline and combine it with a model of gas station pricing. Using data on actual prices and traffic patterns on a particular segment of the highway, we obtain estimates for consumer search costs and other model parameters. Via a counterfactual analysis, we then predict the levels of prices that would prevail in a scenario where consumers have full price knowledge. We also use our model and estimates to measure the stations' market power as a consequence of consumers' lack of price information. We find that when consumers do not have price information, gas stations are able to charge 35.8% more, in terms of higher price-cost margins, than when prices are known. We provide welfare implications of the current mandatory disclosure policy, and quantify the additional benefit of making price information available to all consumers.
Multi-chorionic pregnancies following single embryo transfer at the blastocyst stage: a case series and review of the literature

To report cases of in vitro fertilization-frozen embryo transfer (IVF-FET) with single blastocyst transfer resulting in di- or tri-chorionic pregnancies, and to review the literature on monozygotic, multi-chorionic pregnancies originating at the blastocyst stage. Retrospective case series and literature review. All in vitro fertilization cycles (fresh, frozen, autologous, and donor oocyte) performed between June 2012 and June 2017 at the University of California, San Francisco Center for Reproductive Health, were reviewed retrospectively. Cycles with cleavage-stage embryos or transfer of more than one blastocyst were excluded. Cycles were analyzed to determine if clinical pregnancy occurred with the presence of two or more gestational sacs noted on initial ultrasound. An in-depth chart review was performed with further exclusions applied that would lend credence to dizygosity rather than monozygosity such as fetal/neonatal sex discordance, fresh embryo transfer, and natural cycle FET (in which concomitant spontaneous pregnancy could have occurred). Demographic, clinical and IVF-FET cycle characteristics of the resulting patients were collected. Additionally, a review of the English language literature was performed (PUBMED, PMC) using the search words monozygotic twins, dichorionic diamniotic, in vitro fertilization, and single embryo transfer in order to identify cases of DC-DA monozygotic twinning from 1978 to 2017. Resulting articles were reviewed to eliminate all cases of dizygosity and day 3 embryo transfers. We obtained the following data from the literature search: basic patient demographics, type of fertilization, type and day of embryo transferred, number of embryos transferred, gestational ultrasound details, presence of any genetic testing if performed after delivery, and number of live births. Two thousand four hundred thirty-four women underwent fresh or frozen single embryo transfer between June 2012 and June 2017 at the University of California, San Francisco Center for Reproductive Health. Of these, 11 women underwent a single blastocyst transfer with subsequent clinical pregnancies identified as multi-chorionic gestations. Four were in downregulated controlled FET cycles, in which concomitant spontaneous pregnancy could not have been possible. We then reviewed all cases of monozygotic dichorionic-diamniotic (DC-DA) splitting in IVF patients reported in the literature from 1978 to 2017. These eight cases demonstrate monozygotic splitting after the blastocyst stage, which challenges the existing dogma that only monochorionic twins can develop after day 3 post-fertilization. The accepted theory of monozygotic twinning resulting from the splitting of an embryo per a strict post-fertilization timing protocol must be re-examined with the advent of observed multi-chorionic pregnancies resulting from single blastocyst transfer in the context of IVF.
Co-axial depth map sensor with an extended depth range

The conventional depth map sensors have limited depth range, or they need to sacrifice depth accuracy for a larger working range. To overcome such problems, in this work, we propose a co-axial depth map sensor with an extended depth range based on controlled aberrations. This depth map sensor implements depth measurement by projecting a near-infrared astigmatic pattern onto the test scene and measuring the contrast change of the reflected pattern image in the tangential and sagittal directions. By adding a tunable lens in the projection optics, this depth map sensor can achieve the extended depth measurement without the loss of high depth accuracy and high depth map resolution.
Inotersen therapy of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy

Background: Cardiomyopathy is a major cause of death in patients with systemic transthyretin amyloidosis. Long term effect of therapy designed to inhibit hepatic production of the amyloid precursor...
Conjuncturally Teaching: Cultural Studies Pedagogy Beyond Common Sense

In this chapter, Wood argues that Cultural Studies does not have a pedagogy; it is a pedagogy: its purpose, through its intellectual work and within the conditions of its given context, is to invigorate critical thinking and praxis, knowledge production, and change in new and important ways. Rather than approaching the question of pedagogy and Cultural Studies as the need to develop (or formalize or assess) methods, texts, assignments, or forms of authority in the classroom for cultural studies, Wood approaches the question in terms of what it might mean to teach and practice Cultural Studies as a particular pedagogical sensibility. This approach presumes that pedagogy concerns a realm of force extending well beyond formal education and the classroom, and so the responsibility of practitioners of cultural studies is much broader than the classroom, even as the classroom is a very specific site in which public pedagogy takes place. She describes some of what this responsibility to conjunctural thinking has looked like for her own and her undergraduate students’ experiences practicing cultural studies in the “Cultural Studies classroom.”
Modeling the CGM measurement error

Abstract Continuous glucose monitors collect a detailed time series of consecutive observations of the underlying process of glucose fluctuations. To some extent, however, the high temporal resolution of the data is accompanied by an increased probability of error in any single data point. Due to both physiological and technical reasons, the structure of these errors is complex and their analysis is not straightforward. In this chapter, we describe some of the methods needed to obtain a description of the sensor error that is detailed enough for simulation.