cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequential Co-transmission of High-Frequency Power and Data Signals

An approach for sequential transmission of high-frequency (HF) power and data signals over a common HF channel (i.e., co-transmission) is outlined. This is in contrast to the conventional power-line communication, where the power and data co-transmission is simultaneous . Sequential co-transmission avoids data corruption by temporally distributing power and data signals over an HF channel and limiting their overlap. A data-transfer mechanism to realize the sequential co-transmission approach is outlined. Simple transmitter and receiver circuits, synthesized without the use of any analog-filtering circuitry are designed and a modified asynchronous serial-communication-interface protocol is implemented for ensuring the integrity of the transmitted data. The sequential HF power and data co-transmissions are experimentally validated using a closed-loop distributed dc/dc converter operating in switching frequency range of 100 kHz.
DISCUSSING OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS WITH PATIENTS: SHARED DECISION-MAKING FOR SACUBUTRIL-VALSARTAN IN CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

Recent guidelines recommend sacubutril-valsartan (SV) for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) based on reductions in mortality and heart failure hospitalization compared to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. Out-of-pocket expenses, however, can be substantial. It
Safety of retrievable inferior vena cava filters in patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome.

OBJECTIVE Consideration for placement of an inferior cava filter arises in patients with APS where cessation of anticoagulation is necessary or thrombotic complications continue despite maximal anticoagulation. Permanent IVC filters are recommended to be avoided. We evaluated the safety of placement and removal of retrievable inferior vena cava filters in patients with APS. METHODS Case series of 5 patients with APS and aPL antibodies who had placement and removal of retrievable IVC filter (because of contraindication to anticoagulation or ongoing thrombosis despite full anticoagulation) to assess for safety, presence of clots in the vena cava or on the filter while in the body, evidence of PE, or clot on the explanted filter. RESULTS Insertion and removal, even while on anticoagulation, was safe. There was no evidence of clot in the vena cava, on the filter or pulmonary embolism in all cases. CONCLUSION Where necessary, retrievable IVC filters may be safer in APS patients but should not be left in for long periods of time.
Broadband locally resonant metamaterials with graded hierarchical architecture

We investigate the effect of hierarchical designs on the bandgap structure of periodic lattice systems with inner resonators. A detailed parameter study reveals various interesting features of structures with two levels of hierarchy as compared with one level systems with identical static mass. In particular: (i) their overall bandwidth is approximately equal, yet bounded above by the bandwidth of the single-resonator system; (ii) the number of bandgaps increases with the level of hierarchy; and (iii) the spectrum of bandgap frequencies is also enlarged. Taking advantage of these features, we propose graded hierarchical structures with ultra-broadband properties. These designs are validated over analogous continuum models via finite element simulations, demonstrating their capability to overcome the bandwidth narrowness that is typical of resonant metamaterials.
A Convoluted Fascist Revival

Mussolini’s inexperienced government suffered many vicissitudes in his early days in office. While staffing the new Salo government and contriving a refurbished identity, Mussolini and the camarilla surrounding him sought to broaden popular support. However, debilitating internal rivalries and general popular indifference stifled their efforts in fleshing out the new administration and establishing a credible legitimacy. Moderate Fascists aimed at providing continuity, while radicals were determined to fascistize the state. Although all factions were united in the belief that Mussolini would lift the nation from national humiliation and shield the homeland from the “furor teutonicus,” the regime ended up looking like a polyarchy. Eventually, religious idolatry of the patria and the pro-Nazi attitude of the puri e duri assumed the upper hand and Fascism took a radical turn.
Alphaviruses: Equine Encephalitis and Others

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are an ecologically defined set of viruses that share a common mode of transmission involving arthropod vectors that transmit to vertebrate hosts. Most are biologically transmitted, requiring replication in both arthropods and vertebrate hosts and transmission between vertebrate animals by the bite of mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, or midges. The vast majority of arboviruses belong to one of five families: Togaviridae, Flaviviridae, Bunyaviridae, Reoviridae, and Rhabdoviridae. Information on their isolation, morphology, sensitivity to inactivation by chemicals, arthropod vectors, vertebrate hosts, laboratory propagation, serological reactions, geographic distribution, clinical manifestations, and epidemiology is found in the International Catalogue of Arthropod-Borne Viruses, compiled by the American Committee on Arthropod-Borne Viruses. This exhaustive reference source has been used freely in preparing this chapter.
The Medical Selection of Live Donors

While there are many potential advantages to living donation, donation poses both short- and long-term risks to the donor. This chapter reviews the available data on short- and long-term medical safety for solid organ donors and focuses on the evaluation of medical suitability of potential donors. Factors such as patient age and the evaluation of medical comorbidity (specifically, obesity, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, thrombotic risk, and substance use) are reviewed, and thresholds for exclusion are discussed. The basic screenings for infectious diseases and cancer are summarized. The importance of assessing organ reserve is reviewed. Counseling regarding future considerations such as pregnancy is also examined. A cost-effective, staged medical selection process is outlined.
A longitudinal study of herd behavior in the adoption and continued use of technology

Herd literature suggests that people tend to discount their own beliefs and imitate others when making adoption decisions and that the resulting adoption decisions are fragile and can be easily reversed during the post-adoptive stage. This helps explain why the adoption of a number of new technologies--from Amazon's Kindle, to Apple's iPod, iPhone, and iPad, to various types of Web 2.0 technologies--appears to have adoption patterns similar to those of new fashion trends (i. e., an initial en masse acquisition followed by subsequent abandonment). It is important to understand these phenomena because they are strongly related to the staying power of technology. From a herd behavior perspective, this study proposes two new concepts, namely discounting one's own information and imitating others, to describe herd behavior in technology adoption. A research model is developed to describe the conditions under which herd behavior in technology adoption occurs, how it impacts technology adoption decision making, and how it influences post-adoptive system use. A longitudinal study is conducted to examine the research model. Findings from this research suggest that the discounting of one's own beliefs and the imitating of others when adopting a new technology are provoked primarily by the observation of prior adoptions and perceptions of uncertainty regarding the adoption of new technology. Herd behavior has a significant influence on user technology adoption; however, it does not necessarily lead to the collapse of the user base, as predicted in the herd literature. Instead, imitation can help reduce post-adoption regret and thus serve as a legitimate strategy for choosing a good enough technology, which may or may not be the best option to enhance job performance. People tend to adjust their beliefs when herding and also to revive their discounted initial beliefs to modify their beliefs about the technology at the post-adoptive stage. Findings from this study have significant research and practical implications.
Social Evolution: Overview

Social evolution is a process of directional social change, and evolutionary theories attempt to describe and explain this process. Theories of social evolution go back to the second half of the nineteenth century to Spencer, Morgan, Tylor, and Marx and Engels. After a lapse, evolutionary theorizing revived in the 1930s and 1940s with the work of Childe, White, and Steward, and continued into the 1960s and 1970s with the work of Sahlins, Service, Carneiro, Lenski, and Harris. Important typologies of stages of evolutionary development have been developed by most of these thinkers. Although there is far from complete consensus regarding the most important dimensions of social evolution, virtually everyone recognizes the Neolithic Revolution and the rise of civilization and the state as two extremely important evolutionary transformations. The former began about 10,000 years ago, the latter around 5,000 years ago, and both occurred on an independent basis in several regions of the world. The rise of the capitalist world economy in the sixteenth century is regarded by many as the third and most recent great social transformation. Others regard the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century as the third great transformation.
The Shape of ROC Curves in Shooter Tasks: Implications for Best Practices in Analysis

Four experiments addressed the widely studied issue of the association between racial groups and guns, namely shooter bias, as measured in the first-person shooter task or the weapon identification task, in which participants judge whether a suspect has a weapon or some other item such as a phone (Correll, Park, Judd, & Wittenbrink, 2002; Payne, 2001). Previous studies have employed various analyses that make conflicting, and indeed untested, assumptions about the underlying nature of the data: Analyses of variance and model-based analyses assume linear receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) and signal detection (SDT) analyses assume curved ROCs. The present experiments directly investigated the shape of the ROCs for the weapon identification task, demonstrating that they are curved, and that the majority of previous studies are at risk for inclusion of inappropriate analyses, because they assume linear rather than curved ROCs.
Computer-Assisted Cognitive-Behavior Therapy in Medical Care Settings

We reviewed research on computer-assisted cognitive-behavior therapy (CCBT) performed in medical settings with the goals of assessing the effectiveness of this newer method of treatment delivery, evaluating the need for clinician support of therapeutic computer programs, and making suggestions for future research and clinical implementation. The overall results of randomized, controlled trials suggest that CCBT can be an effective treatment for depression in primary care patients and health care anxiety. Also, it can be a useful component of treatment for somatic conditions including irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain. The amount and type of clinician support needed for maximizing effectiveness remains unclear. CCBT offers promise for overcoming barriers to delivering effective psychotherapy in medical settings. We recommend that next steps for researchers include more definitive studies of the influence of clinician support, investigations focused on implementation in clinical practices, cost-benefit analyses, and use of technological advances.
The Political Landscape: Recent Agricultural Policies and Rice Growers

The chapter focuses on the political institutions that make up Japan’s agricultural policymaking framework and the Ministry of Agricuture, Fisheries and Forestry which is at its center. Along with the MAFF, the policies and laws behind rice are examined. The history of Japan’s recent agricultural policies and the relationship between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan’s rural farm lobby is explained. This chapter will also discuss recent reforms targeting support for rice farmers, the rice distribution system and reform of Japan’s most important cooperative, JA Zenchu is the focus of Chapter 4. A detailed and comprehensive overview which situates recent policies regarding agriculture and rice is included here with details regarding the prior system of support for farmers called the gentan and Japan’s commitments to trade agreements.
The importance of technical skills assessment during an airway foreign body removal course

Abstract Purpose Surgical simulation has proven useful in training for high-acuity, low frequency events such as airway foreign body removal (AWFBR). Studies have supported the role of simulation to improve trainee confidence and technical proficiency, but rigorous methodology is often lacking. Through a pilot study, we sought to evaluate the feasibility and utility of two-view video capture for rigorous assessment of trainee skill in an educational course setting. Methods Participants were asked to perform 1) self-assessment surveys using 5- point Likert scale questions and 2) rigid bronchoscopy with AWFBR on intubation trainers, at the beginning and end of a multi-institution airway course. Video was collected from endoscopic and wide-angle body cameras. The videos were blinded and evaluated in random order by two expert reviewers using a 5-point pediatric airway endoscopy specific objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS) instrument. Results Fourteen trainees submitted pre- and post-course surveys, and eight of these also had complete video data. Faculty feedback indicated the importance of pre- and post-course AWFBR recordings for real-time trainee feedback and post-course curricular refinement. Survey data showed an increase in confidence for AWFBR from 2.0 to 3.3 (p = 0.05). Average OSATS scores increased from 1.84 to 2.58 but this did not reach significance (p = 0.51). Paired improvements in confidence exceeded improvements in OSATS scores (1.29 vs. 0.18, p = 0.058). Conclusions Rigorously evaluated two-view video capture was feasible in an educational course setting. The course resulted in improvements in confidence to a greater degree than OSATS scores. This supports the importance of assessing course impact and refining curricula using all available data including objectively assessing technical skills.
RICE LODGING RESISTANCE

The main direction of breeding grain crops is to increase yield and improve grain quality. For maximum crop yield, it is necessary to develop cultivars with high productivity and quality potential, resistant to biotic and abiotic environmental factors. One of the main characteristics is lodging. Resistance to lodging is determined by well-defined morphological traits: plant height, diameter of the lower internode, panicle length, angle of leaf plate, etc. Short plants are more resistant to lodging than tall ones. Short straw trait can be used when evaluating cultivars for lodging resistance. The ratio of plant height to the diameter of the lower internode is an objectively reliable indicator of rice lodging resistance. The value of this ratio in non-lodging cultivars is less in comparison with lodging ones. The article presents the results of studying morphological traits of different rice cultivars, determining resistance of rice plant to lodging. In the experiment, cultivars differing in height was grouped into three groups (I - tall; II - medium and III - short). Short stem forms were established to be more resistant to lodging. Accents in breeding high-yielding rice cultivars with the lowest risk of yield loss resulting from lodging were identified. The correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship (r = 0.877; 0.945 and 0.500, respectively, in groups) between grain mass per plant and diameter of the lower internode. This indicates a close genetic relationship of the traits studied.
Proof Without Words: An Identity on Difference Between Triangular Numbers

SummaryThis proof without words demonstrates an identity on difference between triangular numbers.
Analog Layout Synthesis: Are We There Yet?

Over the past decade, spurred by advances in mobile computing, there has been a fundamental shift in computing needs of consumer applications. There has been an industry-wide transition from highly CPU-centric to a peripheral-centric, connectivity and data-driven computing. This has paved way to the resurgence of Analog Mixed Signal Designs in both system-on-chip, and core computing architectures. However, the design automation capabilities used in production analog design flows have remained primarily manual with assisted-automation. Analog layout design and layout parasitic dependent circuit convergence remain a key bottleneck in industrial analog IP design.In this talk, we analyze the current state of analog design automation. We present a continuum of design scenarios, ranging from leading-edge design, to design migration across incremental process derivatives, and define the context of analog layout synthesis in each of these scenarios. We present an overview of recent advances in EDA research specific to analog layout automation [1] [2] and discuss their strengths and weaknesses when adapted to industrial analog IP design flows. Motivated by the confluence of emerging trends in EDA [3], and machine learning research [4], we discuss opportunities to bridge the "last-mile" gaps in automation, by combining constraint-driven, generator-based automation approaches, with statistical data-driven predictive methods.
Thrifting for More: Savings and Aspirations in Health Care Sharing Ministries after the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 includes health care sharing ministries (HCSMs) on the list of religious exemptions to the individual mandate. HCSMs are non-profit, faith-based organizations that share in the cost of medical bills but are not actually insurance. Precisely because HCSMs are not beholden to any of the ACA's insurance reforms, they have the advantage of costing less. Based primarily on in-depth interviews, I argue that thrift is the preeminent moral discourse that anchors the HCSM world. For members, thrift in health care is understood as a moral good and as a practice that offers possibilities for benefiting connected others and generating life fulfillment, or what Taylor refers to as "fullness." I suggest that a focus on thrift raises questions about how Americans make determinations about worth in health care and how they construct health care-seeking as deeply attached to their visions of how they want life to be.
Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia's Aral Sea Basin

The drying up of the Aral Sea - a major environmental catastrophe of the late twentieth century - is deeply rooted in the dreams of the irrigation age of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a time when engineers, scientists, politicians, and entrepreneurs around the world united in the belief that universal scientific knowledge, together with modern technologies, could be used to transform large areas of the planet from 'wasteland' into productive agricultural land. Though ostensibly about bringing modernity, progress, and prosperity to the deserts, the transformation of Central Asia's landscapes through tsarist- and Soviet-era hydraulic projects bore the hallmarks of a colonial experiment. Examining how both regimes used irrigation-age fantasies of bringing the deserts to life as a means of claiming legitimacy in Central Asia, Maya K. Peterson brings a fresh perspective to the history of Russia's conquest and rule of Central Asia.
Activation of Tel1ATM kinase requires Rad50 ATPase and long nucleosome-free DNA but no DNA ends.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Tel1 protein kinase, the ortholog of human ataxia telangiectasia–mutated (ATM), is activated in response to DNA double-strand breaks. Biochemical studies with human ATM and genetic studies in yeast suggest that recruitment and activation of Tel1ATM depends on the heterotrimeric MRXMRN complex, composed of Mre11, Rad50, and Xrs2 (human Nbs1). However, the mechanism of activation of Tel1 by MRX remains unclear, as does the role of effector DNA. Here we demonstrate that dsDNA and MRX activate Tel1 synergistically. Although minimal activation was observed with 80-mer duplex DNA, the optimal effector for Tel1 activation is long, nucleosome-free DNA. However, there is no requirement for DNA double-stranded termini. The ATPase activity of Rad50 is critical for activation. In addition to DNA and Rad50, either Mre11 or Xrs2, but not both, is also required. Each of the three MRX subunits shows a physical association with Tel1. Our study provides a model of how the individual subunits of MRX and DNA regulate Tel1 kinase activity.
Fragile Findings, Complex Conclusions, and Meta-Analysis in Special Education.

An introduction to meta-analysis as a method of research synthesis is presented. Research in special education is marked by many sources of variation that lead to fragile and complex findings. Although such outcome variation is valuable, controversy surrounds the best method for providing a comprehensive summary. Traditional review methods found in narrative and box-score techniques possess both theoretical and pragmatic difficulties that limit their usefulness. Quantitative methods like meta-analysis are suggested to achieve the scope and form necessary for accumulating evidence. The methods of meta-analysis are discussed, including problem formulation, study location, classifying and coding studies, data analysis, effective size interpretation, data aggregation, and conclusions. The advantages and problems of the meta-analysis approach are then discussed.
Design and Airgap Optimization of a Doubly Salient Permanent Magnet Machine

Doubly salient permanent magnet machine (DSPM) is a kind of machine that appeared after the emergence of switched reluctance machine. It is a mechatronic system that combines the structure of switched reluctance machine and permanent magnet material. DSPMs have the advantages of simple structure, good speed regulation performance, fast dynamic response, high power factor, high efficiency, etc., and can achieve various special requirements of torque / speed characteristics. This paper uses the existing design experience to design the basic dimensions of a 300 W machine and optimize the design. The finite element analysis results show that the magnetic field distribution in the machine is ideal, the EMF waveform is in line with expectations, and the design scheme is reasonable.
Parietal Oscillatory Dynamics Mediate Developmental Improvement in Motor Performance.

Numerous recent studies have sought to determine the developmental trajectories of motor-related oscillatory responses from youth to adulthood. However, most of this work has relied on simple movements, and rarely have these studies linked developmental neural changes with maturational improvements in motor performance. In this study, we recorded magnetoencephalography during a complex finger-tapping task in a large sample of 107 healthy youth aged 9-15 years old. The relationships between region-specific neural activity, age, and performance metrics were examined using structural equation modeling. We found strong developmental effects on behavior and beta oscillatory activity during movement planning, as well as associations between planning-related beta activity and activity within the same region during the movement execution period. However, when all factors were tested, we found that only right parietal cortex beta dynamics mediated the relationship between age and performance on the task. These data suggest that strong, sustained beta activity within the right parietal cortex enhances motor performance, and that these sustained oscillations develop through childhood into early adolescence. In sum, these are the first data to link developmental trajectories in beta oscillatory dynamics with distinct motor performance metrics and implicate the right parietal cortex as a crucial hub in movement execution.
Evaluation of aminolevulinic acid-mediated protoporphyrin IX fluorescence and enhancement by ABCG2 inhibitors in renal cell carcinoma cells

Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been approved as an intraoperative molecular imaging probe for protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence-guided resection of glioma. Here we explored its potential application for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) that is showing increased incidence in recent years. ALA-mediated PpIX in cell lysates (intracellular) and culture medium was measured in five human RCC cell lines (786-O, 769-P, A-704, Caki-1, Caki-2) and a non-tumor human kidney epithelial cell line HK-2 by spectrofluorometry and flow cytometry. The activity of PpIX bioconversion enzyme ferrochelatase (FECH) and PpIX efflux transporter ABCG2 was determined to correlate with the PpIX level. We found that ALA-PpIX fluorescence was highly variable among RCC cell lines and A-704 was the only RCC cell line exhibiting significantly higher intracellular PpIX than HK-2 cells. Neither the intracellular PpIX level nor the total amount of PpIX (including PpIX in cell lysates and the medium) had significant correlation with the activity of FECH or ABCG2. To enhance the intracellular PpIX, cells were treated with Ko143, a pharmacological inhibitor of ABCG2. Ko143 significantly increased the intracellular PpIX in cell lines with ABCG2 activity, but not in cell lines with little ABCG2 activity. In fact, there was a positive correlation between the ABCG2 activity and Ko143-induced PpIX enhancement across kidney cell lines. To identify clinically relevant ABCG2 inhibitors, small molecule inhibitors targeting various cell signaling pathways, some of which are known to inhibit ABCG2, were evaluated for the enhancement of ALA-PpIX in Caki-2 cells that had the highest ABCG2 activity in the RCC cell panel. Our screening led to the identification of several clinically available inhibitors that significantly increased the intracellular PpIX. Particularly, kinase inhibitor lapatinib exhibited the strongest enhancement effect. These clinical inhibitors can be used for the enhancement of ALA-PpIX fluorescence in tumors with elevated ABCG2 activity.
Opioid-related overdose mortality in the era of fentanyl: Monitoring a shifting epidemic by person, place, and time.

Abstract Background With the emergence of illicit fentanyl, fentanyl-involved overdose rates increased from 2013 to 2017 in the United States (US). We describe US trends in opioid-related overdose mortality rates by race, age, urbanicity, and opioid type before and after the emergence of fentanyl. Methods Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s WONDER database, we estimated crude and age-standardized opioid-related overdose mortality rates at the intersections of race (non-Hispanic [NH] Black and white), age ( Results From 2013 to 2017, the overall opioid overdose mortality rate was consistently higher in NH white Americans, however, the rate increase was greater among NH Black (174 %) compared to NH white (85 %) Americans. The steepest increases occurred in the overdose rates between 2013 and 2017 among younger (aged Conclusions In the era of increased availability of illicitly manufactured fentanyl (2013–2017), there has been a disproportionate increase in opioid-related overdose deaths among urban NH Black Americans. Interventions for urban NH Black Americans are urgently needed to halt the increase in overdose deaths.
Sweet Potatoes: Development and Potential as Alternative Food Ingredients in Karanganyar Regency, Indonesia

Sweet potato is a local food that can reduce dependence on rice and flour consumption. It is the main source of carbohydrates, after rice, cassava, flour and corn. The benefits and potency of sweet potatoes as alternative food needs to be developed, especially in rural areas. However, sweet potato has not been considered as an important and high economic value commodity in Indonesia. Sweet potatoes have been used as food and non-food raw materials in developed countries i.e. noodles, fried sweet potatoes, desserts, confectionery, soy sauce, flour, wine, vinegar, nata de coco, bioethanol and others. Around 89 % of sweet potatoes in Indonesia are cultivated for providing food to rural communities, the rest are used for industrial raw materials and animal feed. The content of sweet potatoes includes carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Yellow/orange sweet potato is rich in beta-carotene and purple sweet potato contains anthocyanin (antioxidants). Sweet potato production is still limited to traditional food that is less attractive compared to flour products. Meanwhile, intermediate products have been developed including flour, instant flour, and starch that can be used as a substitute for flour in pastry products, wet cakes, breads, and noodles.
SDMA: Saliency-Driven Mutual Cross Attention for Multi-Variate Time Series

The integration of rich sensory technologies into critical applications, such as gesture recognition and building energy optimization, has highlighted the importance of intelligent time-series analytics. To accommodate this demand, uni-variate approaches have been extended for multi-variate scenarios, but naive extensions have led to a deterioration in model performances due to their limited ability to capture the information recorded in different variates and complex multi-variate time series patterns' evolution over time. Furthermore, real-world time series are often contaminated with noisy information. In this paper, we note that a time series often carries robust localized temporal events that could help improve model performance by highlighting the relevant information; however, the lack of sufficient data to train for these events makes it impossible for neural architectures to identify and make use of these temporal events. We, therefore, argue that a companion process helping identify salient events in the input time series and driving the model's attention to the associated salient sub-sequences can help with learning a high-performing network. Relying on this observation, we propose a novel Saliency-Driven Mutual Cross Attention (SDMA) framework that extracts localized temporal events and generates a saliency series to complement the input time series. We further propose an architecture that accounts for the mutual cross-talk between the input and saliency series branches where input and saliency series attend each other. Experiments show that the proposed mutually-cross attention framework can offer significant boosts in model performance when compared against non-attentioned, conventionally attentioned, and conventionally cross-attentioned models.
Impact of China’s Agriculture Policies on Domestic and World Commodity Markets

China’s agricultural and trade policies have been shifting despite little change in policy objectives. This paper investigates potential implications of recent agriculture policies applied in China, and quantitatively analyzes their impacts on domestic and international commodity markets. Results from a 42 country partial equilibrium dynamic agricultural simulation model indicate that the effects on international markets are likely to be small with world price impacts of less than one percent. The set of policies partially offset each other in the international market. Results indicate increased returns to farmers and lowering domestic prices to consumers. China’s producers increase production slightly because of increased input subsidies. Exports are reduced because of applied export tax and decrease in value added tax rebate. Domestic consumer prices would likely decrease by 2 to 4.5 percent in real terms. The lower prices benefits lower income and rural households, and benefit expanding beef, pork, and poultry production in China.
Minimal contraction of preference relations

Changing preferences is very common in real life. The expressive power of the operations of preference change introduced so far in the literature is limited to adding new information about preference and equivalence. Here, we discuss the operation of discarding preferences: preference contraction. We argue that the property of minimality and the preservation of strict partial orders are crucial for contractions. Contractions can be further constrained by specifying which preferences should not be contracted. We provide algorithms for computing minimal and minimal preference-protecting contraction. We also show some preference query optimization techniques which can be used in the presence of contraction.
Syndrome measurement order for the [[7,1,3]] quantum error correction code

In this work, we explore the accuracy of quantum error correction depending of the order of the implemented syndrome measurements. CSS codes require that bit-flip and phase-flip syndromes be measured separately. To comply with fault-tolerant demands and to maximize accuracy, this set of syndrome measurements should be repeated allowing for flexibility in the order of their implementation. We examine different possible orders of Shor-state and Steane-state syndrome measurements for the [[7,1,3]] quantum error correction code. We find that the best choice of syndrome order, determined by the fidelity of the state after noisy error correction, will depend on the error environment. We also compare the fidelity when syndrome measurements are done with Shor states versus Steane states and find that Steane states generally, but not always, lead to final states with higher fidelity. Together, these results allow a quantum computer programmer to choose the optimal syndrome measurement scheme based on the system's error environment.
Treatment of learning disorders

INTRODUCTION The child neurologist, developmental pediatrician or child psychiatrist involved in the care of children with learning disabilities has a crucial role that extends beyond diagnosis. DEVELOPING: Despite the lack of sound scientific studies on treatment interventions for children with learning disabilities there are specific interventions that are helpful in the remediation of children with learning disabilities. CONCLUSIONS The role of the health professional in the treatment of learning disabilities includes: 1. Making specific recommendations regarding early intervention strategies; 2. Putting into a neurological perspective the types of educational interventions that will maximize a child's potential; 3. Discussing the role of medications in the management of learning disorders, as well as using medications in appropriate situations, and 4. Coordinating the multimodal approach which is essential to the long term treatment of all children with learning disabilities.
New Economics of Manpower in the Post-Cold War Era

Since the publication of Volume 1 of the Handbook of Defense Economics, key events have shaped the defense manpower research agenda and called for research to help policymakers deal with the challenges that these factors presented. One event was the end of the Cold War, which permitted drastic force reductions in the USA and elsewhere and enabled many NATO members to eliminate conscription. A second event was a rise in college attendance in the USA, which led to recruiting difficulties despite the reduction in accession demand. A third event was increased operational tempo of US forces abroad. Fourth is the rising cost of US military entitlements and a shift toward a greater share of military compensation being deferred. This chapter reviews the recent work that economists have supplied in response to these events. Studies have analyzed the dramatic trend toward volunteer forces in Europe, seeking to explain why some countries chose to end conscription while others did not. Studies of US enlistment supply have estimated the effect of rising college attendance on enlistment and evaluated strategies for mitigating its effect. Studies of operational tempo have provided new theoretical insights about the relationship between operational tempo and retention and empirical evidence about this linkage. Improvements have been made to models relating compensation to retention, and the models been used to address issues relating to the structure of compensation. This chapter reviews these studies and other new contributions to the defense manpower literature. Reserve force issues remain a neglected research area. Despite the heavy reliance on reserve forces in recent US operations abroad, little is known about how changes in activation expectations and activation duration affect reserve recruiting and retention. Such analysis is needed to guide reserve compensation and personnel policy, and this topic represents an important area for future research.
Maximum Likelihood Estimation For Distributed Parameter Models of Flexible Spacecraft

Abstract Because of the large size and flexibility of certain spacecraft, it is not possible to determine with suitable accuracy their structural dynamic characteristics from ground tests. It is necessary, therefore, to analyze orbital response data to refine the a priori parameters of models of the structural dynamics. Because of the high order and complexity of the relationships, the number of unknown model parameters can become unmanageable if each is assumed to be independent of each other. For many spacecraft it is possible to use distributed parameter models, thereby reducing the number unknown parameters. An important side benefit is that the model accuracy is increased. Experimental data from the NASA Solar Array Flight Experiment (SAFE) is analyzed by applying a maximum likelihood estimation algorithm to the task of estimating the unknown parameters of a distributed parameter model of the SAFE configuration. Both the out-of-plane bending and torsion of the solar array are modeled using partial differential equations. A truncated form of the model is used in the estimation algorithm and the higher modes are deduced from the distributed parameter model. The use of maximum likelihood estimation and distributed parameter models results in the most accurate model possible. The Solar Array Flight Experiment offers a unigue opportunity to demonstrate the procedures for modelling complex, flexible spacecraft in the preparation for more complex configurations such as the NASA Manned Space Station.
Non Observability in the Random Oracle Model

Security proofs in the Random Oracle Model (ROM) often make use of the fact that the queries made by the adversary to the oracle are observable as well as the responses to those queries can be programmed. While, the issue of programmability of query responses has received attention in the literature, to the best of our knowledge, observability of the adversary's queries has not been identified as an artificial artefact of the Random Oracle Model. In this work, we propose a variant of ROM, in which the challenger of the security game cannot "observe" the adversary's queries to the random oracle, but can (possibly) continue to "program" the query responses. We show that this model is separable from ROM by proving that Fischlin's online extractors from [Fis05]) cannot exist when they are Non Observing. At the same time, we also show that reductions/extractors that seem to rely on observability, can sometimes achieve the same effect by programming of the responses. We also show that the schemes RSA-PFDH and Schnorr signatures are still secure with Non Observing reductions.
Concurrent Engineering through Product Data Standards

Abstract : Concurrent engineering involves the integration of people, systems and information into a responsive, efficient system. Integration of computerized systems allows additional benefits: automatic knowledge capture during development and lifetime management of a product, and automatic exchange of that knowledge among different computer systems. Critical enablers are product dat standards and enterprise integration frameworks. A pioneering assault on the complex technical challenges is associated with the emerging international Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP). Surpassing in scope previous standards efforts, the goal is a complete, unambiguous, computer- readable definition of the physical and functional characteristics of a product throughout its life cycle. U.S. government agencies, industrial firms, and standards organizations are cooperating in a program, Product Data Exchange using STEP (PDES), to develop and implement STEP in a shared-database environment. PDES will lead to higher, integrated levels of automation based upon information standards and frameworks. U.S. manufacturers will benefit from concurrent engineering without sacrificing the historical strengths and traditions of individuality, initiative, and intellectual property rights. Concurrent engineering, through information technology and standards, represents the power of a new industrial revolution. The role of the NIST National PDES testbed, technical leadership and a testing-based foundation for the development of STEP, is described.
No Contact Parole Restrictions: Unconstitutional and Counterproductive

Parole restrictions for sex offenders take a variety of forms. Part I addresses current sex offender restrictions and explains the state of the law by providing examples of ways in which legislators have and continue to move towards more restrictive parole for sex offenders. Specifically, Part I addresses the unforeseen consequences of residency restrictions and the extreme solution of civilly committing paroled sex offenders against their will for indeterminate periods of time. Part II presents Michigan as an alarming example of a state that uses "no contact" restrictions in contravention of the Constitution and in counterproductive ways, potentially increasing recidivism in the state. Part III addresses the complex constitutional questions created by the "no contact" conditions that keep paroled offenders away from their children, and why such restrictions are not justifiable on public safety grounds. Finally, Part IV suggests ways in which states can meet their public safety goals without sacrificing parolees' constitutional rights.
Is response time predictive of choice? An experimental study of threshold strategies

This paper investigates the usefulness of non-choice data, namely response times, as a predictor of threshold behavior in a simple global game experiment. Our results indicate that the signals associated to the highest or second highest response time at the beginning of the experiment are both unbiased estimates of the threshold employed by subjects at the end of the experiment. This predictive ability is lost when we move to the third or higher response times. Moreover, the response time predictions are better than the equilibrium predictions of the game. They are also robust, in the sense that they characterize behavior in an “out-of-treatment” exercise where we use the strategy method to elicit thresholds.
The banking panics of the Great Depression

This is the first full-length study of five US banking panics of the Great Depression. Previous studies of the Depression have approached the banking panics from a macroeconomic viewpoint; Professor Wicker fills a lacuna in current knowledge by reconstructing a close historical narrative of each of the panics, investigating their origins, magnitude, and effects. He makes a detailed analysis of the geographical incidence of the disturbances using the Federal Reserve District as the basic unit, and reappraises the role of Federal Reserve officials in the panics. His findings challenge many of the commonly held assumptions about the events of 1930 and 1931, for example the belief that the increase in the discount rate in October 1931 initiated a wave of bank suspensions and hoarding. This meticulous account will be of wide interest to students of the Great Depression, monetary and financial historians, financial economists and macroeconomists.
A Methodology for Building a Repository of Object-Oriented Design Fragments

Reuse is as an important approach to conceptual object-oriented design. A number of reusable artifacts and methodologies to use these artifacts have been developed that require the designer to select a certain level of granularity and a certain paradigm. This makes retrieval and application of these artifacts difficult and prevents the simultaneous reuse of artifacts at different levels of granularity. A specific kind of artifact, analysis pattern, spans these levels of granularity. Patterns, which represent groups of objects, facilitate further assembly into what we call design fragments. Design fragments can then be used as reusable artifacts in their own right. A methodology for building a repository of design fragments is presented that consists of core and variant design fragments. The effectiveness of the methodology is assessed by verifying the appropriateness of the design fragments generated through a clustering process.
Continuity of the Lyapunov exponent for quasiperiodic operators with analytic potential

We study regularity properties of the Lyapunov exponent L of one-frequency quasiperiodic operators with analytic potential, under no assumptions on the Diophantine class of the frequency. We prove joint continuity of L, in frequency and energy, at every irrational frequency.
Perception, attention, and resources: a decision-theoretic approach to graphics rendering

We describe work to control graphics rendering under limited computational resources by taking a decision-theoretic perspective on perceptual costs and computational savings of approximations. The work extends earlier work on the control of rendering by introducing methods and models for computing the expected cost associated with degradations of scene components. The expected cost is computed by considering the perceptual cost of degradations and a probability distribution over the attentional focus of viewers. We review the critical literature describing findings on visual search and attention, discuss the implications of the findings, and introduce models of expected perceptual cost. Finally, we discuss policies that harness information about the expected cost of scene components.
How Coupled Are Decoupled Farm Payments? A Review of the Evidence

This survey paper explores the literature on decoupling of farm programs that has emerged in the last 10 years. The paper identifies and assesses the various channels of potential coupling of decoupled farm payments and provides a taxonomy of coupling mechanisms found in theoretical and empirical papers. Coupling of decoupled payments is pervasive but effects when measurable are small, with the exception of the impact on land values. The paper points to unresolved issues on potential coupling mechanisms for further research.