cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Good are Private Equity Returns

The authors examine the track record of private equity investments by looking at the results of recent research and then use new benchmarks to study the risk-adjusted returns of private equity investors. The authors give three reasons why it is difficult to measure private equity returns. First, market prices are typically old or not available and a high level of illiquidity is associated with the assets. Second, because of the high level of information asymmetry and the different skill levels of investors, returns to any one investor are not likely to be representative of returns across the private equity universe. Third, in spite of the dramatic growth in investment, there is still a limited history of returns.
COMPARING AN ADAPTIVE DECISIONS MODEL AND HUMAN DECISIONS

The article discusses the results of a study where the performance of a decision model was compared to the performance of human decision makers. A simple inventory management game was used to compa...
Sound enhances touch perception

Certain sounds, such as fingernails screeching down a chalkboard, have a strong association with somatosensory percepts. In order to assess the influences of audition on somatosensory perception, three experiments measured how task-irrelevant auditory stimuli alter detection rates for near-threshold somatosensory stimuli. In Experiment 1, we showed that a simultaneous auditory stimulus increases sensitivity, but not response biases, to the detection of an electrical cutaneous stimulus delivered to the hand. Experiment 2 demonstrated that this enhancement of somatosensory perception is spatially specific—only monaural sounds on the same side increased detection. Experiment 3 revealed that the effects of audition on touch are also frequency dependent—only sounds with the same frequency as the vibrotactile frequency enhanced tactile detection. These results indicate that auditory information influences touch perception in highly systematic ways and suggest that similar coding mechanisms may underlie the processing of information from these different sensory modalities.
In situ localized amplification and contact replication of many individual DNA molecules

We describe a method to clone and amplify DNA by performing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a thin polyacrylamide film poured on a glass microscope slide. The polyacrylamide matrix retards the diffusion of the linear DNA molecules so that the amplification products remain localized near their respective templates. At the end of the reaction, a number of PCR colonies, or ‘polonies’, have formed, each one grown from a single template molecule. As many as 5 million clones can be amplified in parallel on a single slide. If an Acrydite modification is included at the 5′ end of one of the primers, the amplified DNA will be covalently attached to the polyacrylamide matrix, allowing further enzymatic manipulations to be performed on all clones simultaneously. We describe techniques to make replicas of these polony slides, and high throughput sequencing protocols for this technology. Other applications are also discussed.
A Family in Need of a Palliative Care Social Worker

This story is about one family that has had a recurring need for access to palliative care social work, and there are many more families out there who have experienced something similar. This Refec...
Single-beam nearly degenerate frequency technique for waveguide measurements of electronic n(2) thermal n(2),α(2) and four-wave-mixing gain coefficients

We describe a new method that permits the simultaneous measurement of the nonlinear refractive index n(2) and the nonlinear absorption or gain coefficient α(2) The method also permits separate measurement of the fast, electronic n(2) and the slow thermal n(2) Furthermore, the four-wave-mixing coefficient X can be measured with only a slight modification in the experimental setup.
The International Criminal Court and Proximity to the Scene of the Crime: Does the Rome Statute Permit All of the ICC's Trials to Take Place at Local or Regional Chambers?

This article explores whether the ICC could establish a local or regional trial chamber that would be based away from the ICC’s seat and capable of carrying out trials related to a particular situation or group of geographically-related situations. These local or regional chambers would be semi-permanent facilities located in the same region, or perhaps even the same country, where the alleged crimes took place. They would be a formal part of the International Criminal Court; be created in conformity with the Rome Statute; and conduct trials pursuant to the ICC’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence.It finds that the Rome Statute permits the ICC to establish local or regional trial chambers. The ordinary meaning of Article 62 of the Rome Statute permits the ICC to move the place of the trial to a location away from The Hague. There is nothing within the other provisions of the Rome Statute or its negotiating history that would prohibit the court from deciding to hold all or most of the trials arising out of a particular situation away from the seat of the court if that would be in the interests of justice. Moreover, Article 4(1) and the implied powers doctrine provide the ICC with the authority to enter into the agreements that would be a necessary to establish a local or regional trial chamber.
Educational Intensity of Employment and Polarization in Europe and the US

Recent work in the labour economics literature has focused on the polarisation of jobs as a source of growing income inequality in the US and some countries in Europe. The hypothesis is that the growth in employment and corresponding employment shares over the past decades has been in jobs at the low and high ends of the skill distribution, with declines in employment shares in the middle. The underlying distributions of jobs and skills, the educational intensity of employment, is the focus of the present paper. Using data from the EU-Survey of Income and Living Conditions, we present a descriptive analysis of the distributions of skills (measured by educational attainment) and employment shares for a sample of countries in the EU in 2007, and compare the results with the US. We also examine the extent to which demographic groups in Europe differ in their distributions of employment across the skill deciles, and provide preliminary evidence of changes in the educational intensity of employment over the 2004-2007 period. Our results indicate that the distributions of skills exhibit similar patterns with the US for a combined sample of countries in the EU, although there are different patterns found among the countries. We also find evidence of small changes in employment shares over time, consistent with the polarisation hypothesis.
The Effectiveness of Academic Library Deans and Directors : A Literature Review

As with other organizations in higher education, academic libraries face increasing pressure to assess their work and be more accountable for returns on investment. Although most academic library deans are subject to some type of internal performance review, a broader examination of what makes library deans and directors effective could provide valuable guidance for current and future library leaders. This article reviews some of the core theories of leadership effectiveness in the mainstream management literature and examines recent publications related to effective library leadership. Because few such studies have been conducted, the review was expanded to include studies of academic deans outside of the library as well as studies suggesting interesting new directions for research into academic library leader effectiveness. Although the literature in the area of dean effectiveness is somewhat scattered, the findings of individual works are intriguing and suggest several topics for further research. This review also produced suggestions related to methodology. Future researchers should ground investigations of library leadership effectiveness within existing leadership theories. For empirical works, researchers should consider using previously developed, validated instruments in order to be able to compare results with the larger body of leadership effectiveness research.
508 PHOSPHORIBOSYLPYROPHOSPHATE (PRPP) SYNTHESIS IN CULTURED HUMAN FIBROBLASTS

An investigation of the regulation of purine metabolism is important in understanding the accelerated purine synthesis and abnormalities in PRPP metabolism that occur in the Lesch-Nyhan (LN) syndrome. PRPP levels in cultured human fibroblasts increased from 0.48±.11 nmoles/mg protein(±1SD)to 0.75±.15(p<.01)when hypoxanthine was removed from the medium. This is less than levels observed in LN cells(1-1.8). Without hypoxanthine, PRPP amidotransferase, and not hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase is utilized to supply cellular purine needs. Two to three fold increase in PRPP synthetase occured in cells starved for purines by growth in medium lacking purines and containing aminopterin, an inhibitor of purine synthesis. Enzyme activity did not increase when the aggregation of PRPP synthetase was prevented by homogenization in a buffer containing 0.05mM ATP and lmM MgS04. These results suggest that the aggregation of PRPP synthetase has physiological significance in providing higher PRPP levels for de novo purine synthesis. ADP inhibition of PRPP synthetase was the same in control and purine starved cells. Purine levels and PRPP synthetase increased in a biphasic pattern following removal of thymidine inhibition of mitosis and at S phase of the cell cycle. Adjustment of PRPP levels by change in PRPP synthetase activity and aggregation is a sensitive cellular mechanism in the regulation of purine metabolism.
Role of nitroglycerin in accelerating occurrence of the histamine-provoked ulcer.

SummaryNitroglycerin - in - beeswax is shown to aid and abet the histamine-provoked ulcer in dogs and rabbits. The effect of nitroglycerin is believed to be due to its venous pooling property; and this action, coupled with normal arteriolar reflex contractile responses, leads, after prolonged administration, to resultant areas of impaired circulation in the mucous membrane of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. These areas of lowered resistance are then subjected to acidpeptic digestion with resultant ulcer and/or erosion formation.
CONSUMPTION OF MICROALGAE BY THE GRASS SHRIMP PALAEMONETES PUGIO

The ability of Palaemonetes pugio to consume microalgae in marshes of Spartina alterniflora was examined in field collections and laboratory experiments. Photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll a and phaeopigments) content in P. pugio was measured after shrimp exoskeletons were removed to ensure that pigments were primarily from gut contents. Gut pigment was detectable in all 88 fieldcollected specimens examined, and was found at high levels in many individuals (much higher than shrimp starved for 24 h). Pigment content was positively correlated with shrimp size and was highly variable. Adults contained from 0.056-3.03 and subadults from 0.016-2.41 gg pigment shrimp- , 14% of which was in the form of chlorophyll a. Highest pigment levels were associated with adult grass shrimp collected at 1500 h; pigment content at 0300 h was significantly lower. The ability of P. pugio to consume microalgae from various sources was examined in the laboratory with '4C-labeled microalgae and gut-pigment analysis. Palaemonetes pugio consumed two species of cultured, '4C-labeled phytoplankton, but with low efficiency at even very high concentrations. For Thalassiosira weissflogii, 2.5%, and for Isochrysis galbana, 0.07% of the available cells were consumed in 1-h trials at high concentrations of algae. Unvegetated, mudflat sediment (with a high abundance of benthic algae) was collected and labeled with '4C bicarbonate. Incorporation of label above background was detected in a low percentage of shrimp, and average grazing rates were very low (near detection limits), suggesting that grass shrimp are not efficient grazers of the microphytobenthos. Spartina alterniflora stems with '4C-labeled epiphytic algae were also offered to grass shrimp. Grazing was highly efficient (a substantial fraction of the available epiphytic algae was consumed), and pigment content was similar to field-collected shrimp. These results suggest that microalgae may significantly contribute to the diet of grass shrimp, and that a likely source for the photosynthetic pigments in the gut contents of field-collected P. pugio is the epiphytic algae on stems of Spartina alternifiora.
Factors influencing pathogenicity of Mycoplasma arthritidis (PPLO).

SummaryThe ability of Mycoplasma (PPLO) to produce polyarthritis in rats has been modified in vitro and in vivo. Pathogenic PPLO recovered from Murphy-Sturm lymphosarcomas became non-virulent upon repeated subculture in commercial media, but the pathogenic properties were restored and maintained by addition of cell- and bacteria-free extract of the tumor tissue. Growth of Mycoplasma in tumor tissue in vivo also restored the pathogenic property. Diffuse and clonal forms of the pathogenic PPLO were isolated. Twice as much interphalangeal polyarthritis followed injection of the diffuse as the clonal form. Prior PPLO arthritis resulted in immunity. Passive transfer of the immunity was accomplished with serum but not with splenic cells.
Random generation: Number of symbols to be randomized and time per response.

Attempts to randomize digits are relatively less successful the greater the number of digits to be randomized and the faster the rate at which responses must be made. However, increases in the number of digits and/or response rate result in improvements in information generated per unit time.
Early Retirement Programs and Firm Performance

Early retirement programs are increasingly used as a human resources strategic response to changes in the business environment. For the period 1982-92, we found that investors tended to view early retirement programs favorably. These positive market responses further appeared to be influenced by the institutional rationale for a workforce reduction, the timing of a reduction's announcement, firm size, the restriction of an early retirement program to white-collar employees, and the physical size of the public announcements of a program.
How Conformism Creates Ethnicity Creates Conformism (And Why This Matters to Lots of Things)

In this essay I will explore the important connection between con formism as an adaptive psychological strategy, and the emergence of the phenomenon of ethnicity. My argument will be that it makes sense that nature made us conformists. And once humans acquired this adaptive strategy, I will argue further, the development of ethnic organization was inevitable. Understanding the adaptive origins of conformism, as we shall see, is perhaps the most useful way to shed light on what ethnicity is?at least when examined from the functional point of view, which is to say from the point of view of the adaptive problems that ethnicity solves. I shall begin with a few words about our final destination.
Association of Insufficient Sleep With Respiratory Infection Among Adults in the United States

Sleep is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of health and well-being. Approximately 50 million to 70 million Americans have either a sleep disorder or habitually insufficient sleep.1 How insufficient sleep ultimately affects disease risk remains unclear. Experimental evidence demonstrates that sleep loss can adversely affect components of the immune system critical to host resistance to infectious illness. Furthermore, short sleep duration and sleep disturbances prospectively predict increased susceptibility to upper respiratory infection after an experimental viral challenge.2,3 Despite this evidence and the common belief that risk of infectious illness increases during periods of insufficient sleep, to our knowledge this has not been investigated at the population level. We examined associations between self-reported measures of sleep and the probability of occurrence of colds and infections, including influenza, pneumonia, and ear infections, in a nationally representative sample of adults.
Biofuels, vehicle emissions, and urban air quality

Increased biofuel content in automotive fuels impacts vehicle tailpipe emissions via two mechanisms: fuel chemistry and engine calibration. Fuel chemistry effects are generally well recognized, while engine calibration effects are not. It is important that investigations of the impact of biofuels on vehicle emissions consider the impact of engine calibration effects and are conducted using vehicles designed to operate using such fuels. We report the results of emission measurements from a Ford F-350 fueled with either fossil diesel or a biodiesel surrogate (butyl nonanoate) and demonstrate the critical influence of engine calibration on NOx emissions. Using the production calibration the emissions of NOx were higher with the biodiesel fuel. Using an adjusted calibration (maintaining equivalent exhaust oxygen concentration to that of the fossil diesel at the same conditions by adjusting injected fuel quantities) the emissions of NOx were unchanged, or lower, with biodiesel fuel. For ethanol, a review of the literature data addressing the impact of ethanol blend levels (E0–E85) on emissions from gasoline light-duty vehicles in the U.S. is presented. The available data suggest that emissions of NOx, non-methane hydrocarbons, particulate matter (PM), and mobile source air toxics (compounds known, or suspected, to cause serious health impacts) from modern gasoline and diesel vehicles are not adversely affected by increased biofuel content over the range for which the vehicles are designed to operate. Future increases in biofuel content when accomplished in concert with changes in engine design and calibration for new vehicles should not result in problematic increases in emissions impacting urban air quality and may in fact facilitate future required emissions reductions. A systems perspective (fuel and vehicle) is needed to fully understand, and optimize, the benefits of biofuels when blended into gasoline and diesel.
An ideological study as a pre-solution of materialist monism

The writer starts with the contemporary dilemma in the ideological researches of philosophy and science,and then points out that the hypothesis of general evolution by Owen Laszlo may as well be an effective approach to the ideological mystery of the materialist monism.
Endothelial Cells Expressing Endothelial and Mesenchymal Cell Gene Products in Lung Tissue From Patients With Systemic Sclerosis–Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Objective To examine whether lung endothelial cells (ECs) from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) express mesenchymal cell-specific proteins and gene transcripts, indicative of the occurrence of endothelial-to-mesenchymal phenotypic transition (EndoMT). Methods Lung tissue from 6 patients with SSc-associated pulmonary fibrosis was examined by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Confocal laser microscopy was utilized to assess the simultaneous expression of EC and myofibroblast molecular markers. CD31+CD102+ ECs were isolated from the lung tissue of 2 patients with SSc-associated ILD and 2 normal control subjects, and the expression of EC and mesenchymal cell markers and other relevant genes was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence microscopy, and Western blotting. Results Immunohistochemical staining revealed cells expressing the EC-specific marker CD31 in the subendothelial, perivascular, and parenchymal regions of the lungs from all SSc patients. Confocal microscopy identified cells displaying simultaneous expression of von Willebrand factor and α-smooth muscle actin in small and medium-sized arterioles in the SSc lung tissue but not in normal control lungs. CD31+CD102+ ECs isolated from SSc lungs expressed high levels of mesenchymal cell-specific genes (type I collagen, type III collagen, and fibronectin), EC-specific genes (type IV collagen and VE-cadherin), profibrotic genes (transforming growth factor β1 and connective tissue growth factor), and genes encoding EndoMT-related transcription factors (TWIST1 and SNAI2). Conclusion Cells coexpressing EC- and mesenchymal cell-specific molecules are present in the lungs of patients with SSc-associated ILD. CD31+CD102+ ECs isolated from SSc lungs simultaneously expressed mesenchymal cell- and EC-specific transcripts and proteins. Collectively, these observations demonstrate the occurrence of EndoMT in the lungs of patients with SSc-associated ILD.
Growth and carcass characteristics of cull cows after different times-on-feed.

Cull cows (N = 48) of similar age from Angus and Hereford breed types were assigned to one of four feeding periods (0, 28, 56 or 84 d) and subdivided into two groups, one implanted with Synovex-H and a non-implanted control. Cows were fed a high energy diet and slaughtered at the end of each feeding period. Average daily gain and feed efficiency were evaluated on each animal during the trial. The following carcass traits were evaluated: USDA yield and quality grade characteristics, boning yield, muscle weights, bone weights, pH and Warner-Bratzler shear force of the longissimus muscle. The left side of each carcass was boned and proximate analysis was determined. No significant implant effects were encountered for any of the traits evaluated; therefore, data were pooled and evaluated by feeding period only. Carcass weight and boneless forequarter and hindquarter tissue weights increased significantly between each feeding period; percent kidney, pelvic and heart fat (KPH) and yield grade did not differ (P greater than .05) until d 56 and 84, respectively. Quality grade and marbling scores improved (P less than .05) between 28 and 56 d of feeding. Biceps femoris weight changed during the 84-d experiment from 4.1 kg on d 0 to 5.3 kg on d 84 (P less than .05). Proximate analysis of the boneless tissue indicated an increase (P less than .05) in extractable fat of approximately 6% for each feeding period (6.3% fat on d 0 to 25.4% on d 84).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Competition Law and Global Supply Chains

Global supply chains (or value chains or production networks) produce most of the manufactured products used by most people in most developed countries most of the time. They often represent a highly efficient and valuable set of economic arrangements, but they also carry a potential for harm that is often beyond the reach of current legal remedies. GSCs can shield those that produce faulty or hazardous products or artificially raise prices from legal responsibility for the harms they cause to markets, consumers and to the environment. This article focuses on one of those potential harms -- those caused by anti-competitive conduct, but many of the issues also arise in relation to environmental, financial and other types of harm. The article also looks at the impact of such arrangements on emerging markets and suggests ways in which the interests of low income source countries can be better aligned with high income destination countries.
“We Are Aztlán”: Writing Scriptures, Writing Utopia in El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán

In Alfredo Acosta Figueroa’s memory, primary and secondary education amounted to “Americanization school,” an institution that attempted to strip him of his knowledge of and pride in his Mexican ancestry, and only “five Chicanos graduated from high school since it was started in 1916 to 1947 when [he] entered the high school,” despite the numerical majority of Chicanxs in Blythe.1 Viewing education as part of the unjust power relations in Blythe, which he compares to Mississippi as a more nationally prominent example of “rampant racial discrimination,” perhaps it is unsurprising that he distrusts the knowledge broadly circulated in Blythe’s schools. Instead, he advocates a skeptical reading of what he dubs “European conquest” histories and a turn toward the “historical facts” and “reminiscence of our indigenous cosmic cultural traditions.”2 Tracing his descent as “Xicano,” Chemehuevi, and Yaqui, Figueroa presents himself as both a defender and a retriever of indigenous knowledge that has long been obscured.
Packaging of microwave integrated circuits operating beyond 100 GHz

Several methods of packaging high speed (75-330 GHz) InP HEMT MMIC devices are discussed. Coplanar wirebonding is presented with measured insertion loss of less than 0.5 dB and return loss better than -17 dB, from DC to 110 GHz. A motherboard/daughterboard packaging scheme is presented which supports minimum loss chains of MMICs using this coplanar wirebonding method.. Split-block waveguide packaging approaches are presented in G-band (140-220 GHz) with two types of MMIC-waveguide transitions: E-plane probe and antipodal finline.
Functional Thinking: A Protocol Study to Map Modeling Behavior of Designers

Function modeling is a tool used to map functional requirements of a design problem to the solution space. Research has been done on various representations and uses of function modeling, however, there is a lack of research on how designers think about function modeling. This paper presents a protocol study which was used to analyze modeling behaviors and further the understanding of how designers create function models and subsequently understand how designers cognitively process function models. The experimental setup used for the study, the data collection, and the analysis of participant generated models are provided in this paper. Preliminary results suggest that designers mostly use forward chaining when modeling function structures, with some nucleation and almost no backward chaining. Moving forward, this study will be expanded to include a larger participant pool in order to provide substantial evidence for the conclusions. Additionally, other patterns that exist in designer activity will be explored and investigated from a cognitive perspective.
ASSOCIATION OF ANKLE BRACHIAL INDEX WITH LIMB OUTCOMES IN PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE: A COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) can lead to severe limb ischemia and limb loss. We conducted a community-based study to investigate the association of ankle brachial index (ABI) with incident limb outcomes in PAD patients. Methods: We identified 1413 PAD cases in Olmsted County,
Effect of collagenase Clostridium histolyticum on penile vascular and morphological parameters in patients with Peyronie’s disease

Background: To examine the changes in penile vascular parameters after the administration of collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) in patients with Peyronie’s disease (PD). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records for all patients treated with CCH for PD between 04/2014 and 05/2017 who underwent penile duplex Doppler ultrasound (PDDU) after pharmacologically induced erection both before and after four cycles of CCH treatment. The primary outcomes measured were changes in peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index (RI) after CCH treatment. Paired t-tests, chi-squared tests, and correlation coefficients were performed between functional and vascular parameters before and after four rounds of CCH to determine statistical significance (P Results: A total of 51 patients were included in the study. After four cycles of CCH therapy, there was no statistically significant change in PSV, EDV, RI, or International Index of Erectile Function score when compared to baseline. Similarly, there was no correlation between vascular parameters and change in curvature. There was a statistically significant change in penile curvature (60˚±16.9˚ to 40.8˚±14.9˚, P Conclusions: In spite of a significant change in penile curvature, this change did not correlate with changing penile vascular or morphological parameters. Overall, CCH therapy seems to have a negligible impact on penile vasculature, furthering evidence of its favorable safety profile.
Minimizing effects of methodological decisions on interpretation and prediction in species distribution studies: An example with background selection

Abstract Evaluating the conditions where a species can persist is an important question in ecology both to understand tolerances of organisms and to predict distributions across landscapes. Presence data combined with background or pseudo-absence locations are commonly used with species distribution modeling to develop these relationships. However, there is not a standard method to generate background or pseudo-absence locations, and method choice affects model outcomes. We evaluated combinations of both model algorithms (simple and complex generalized linear models, multivariate adaptive regression splines, Maxent, boosted regression trees, and random forest) and background methods (random, minimum convex polygon, and continuous and binary kernel density estimator (KDE)) to assess the sensitivity of model outcomes to choices made. We evaluated six questions related to model results, including five beyond the common comparison of model accuracy assessment metrics (biological interpretability of response curves, cross-validation robustness, independent data accuracy and robustness, and prediction consistency). For our case study with cheatgrass in the western US, random forest was least sensitive to background choice and the binary KDE method was least sensitive to model algorithm choice. While this outcome may not hold for other locations or species, the methods we used can be implemented to help determine appropriate methodologies for particular research questions.
Preparing Special Educators to Assume Collaborative and Consultative Roles.

The incidence of children with disabilities is growing in both the private and public school sectors. As a result of this trend and efforts to place children in inclusive settings, there is an increasing need for special educators who can provide instruction within the context of a regular education classroom, develop individualized education plans (IEPs), support parents, and be consultants to teachers on behalf of children. The consultative special education teacher will be increasingly in demand in the future if children with disabilities are to be successfully included in public, private, and Catholic schools. The Catholic University of America utilizes a consultative, collaborative model for preparing Master’s candidates in its special education program. The results of the first 4 years of this program demonstrate that the candidates in this program have acquired the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are needed to be effective consultative, collaborative special educators in the field. This article provides a detailed description of the elements that make up this personnel preparation program. Particular focus is placed on the skills and knowledge to carry out consultative planning, including a rubric to evaluate the candidates’ performance. The article offers guidance to universities who may choose to create special education programs that prepare consultative special educators.
Examining Plausibility of Self-Reported Energy Intake Data: Considerations for Method Selection

Self-reported dietary intake data contain valuable information and have long been used in the development of nutrition programs and policy. Some degree of measurement error is always present in such data. Biological plausibility, assessed by determining whether self-reported energy intake (rEI) reflects physiological status and physical activity level, must be examined and accounted for before drawing conclusions about intake. Methods that may be used to account for plausibility of rEI include crude methods such as excluding participants reporting EIs at the extremes of a range of intake and individualized methods such as statistical adjustment and applying cutoffs that account for the errors associated with within-participant variation in EI and total energy expenditure (TEE). These approaches allow researchers to determine how accounting for under- and overreporting affects study results and to appropriately address misreporting in drawing conclusions with data collected and in interpreting reported research. In selecting a procedure to assess and account for plausibility of intake, there are a number of key considerations, such as resources available, the dietary-report instrument, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each method. While additional studies are warranted to recommend one procedure as superior to another, researchers should apply one of the available methods to address the issue of implausible rEI. If no method is applied, then at minimum, mean TEE or rEI/TEE should be reported to allow readers to ascertain the degree of misreporting at a gross level and better interpret the data and results provided.
Distances Between Datasets

We overview the construction and quantitative aspects of the Gromov–Hausdorff and Gromov–Wasserstein distances.
In Search of Bernabé: Politicized Motherhood

Connecting its storyline to the historical context of the civil war in El Salvador, this US Latina text dramatizes dehumanizing effects of political violence on individual and collective being. With an emphasis on the dialectical connection between the personal and the social, the novel focuses on individual strategies of survival and resistance in conditions of authoritarianism in order to suggest new forms of political opposition and liberation. Its narrative reveals subversive and empowering aspects of the intimate, as the discourse of motherhood and religiosity reclaims its place in the public sphere and takes a direct stance against violence and oppression.
Research for Path Planning in Indoor Environment Based Improved Artificial Potential Field Method

In this paper, the disadvantages of the traditional artificial potential field method are analyzed when it applies to the mobile robot path planning. The improved artificial potential field method is put forward, and the problems in APF are overcome. By adding the relative distance between the robot and the goal into the function of the repulsive potential field, the GNRON problem is solved. And the method that sets the intermediate target point in path planning is proposed to solve the local minimum problem. On the basis of the improved artificial potential field method, the A* algorithm is used to get the required intermediate targets and the global optimization path are obtained. The mobile robot can find a more optimal and collision-free path in the indoor environment. The simulation result proves the efficient and flexibility of our new method.
Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: etiology and predictors of exacerbations and mortality in patients across the largest health system in central and western Massachusetts

Introduction: There are few studies on the epidemiology of non-CF bronchiectasis in the United States with limited data on etiology, predictors of acute exacerbations and mortality. We present these findings in a retrospective study of 259 patients. Methods: We identified patients with CT proven non-CF bronchiectasis during a five year period by querying ambulatory electronic medical records. We used a negative binomial regression to describe predictors of acute exacerbations and a multivariate Cox regression was used to investigate predictors of mortality. Results: A cause was found in 53 % of patients with infection being the most frequently identified cause (26 %). Airflow obstruction (IRR 1.5, 95 % CI 1.02 - 2.05, p= 0.03) and Pseudomonas colonization (IRR 2.1, 95 % CI 1.06 – 4.23, p= 0.03) were independently associated with a higher incidence of acute exacerbations. Five year mortality; 11.6 % and COPD (HR 2.6, 95 % CI: 1.1 – 6.4, p 0.03), severe radiographic disease: HR 2.4, 95 % CI: 1.1 – 5.1, p 0.02;, Cardiovascular disease: HR 2.6, 95 % CI: 1.3-5.2, p Conclusions: Non-CF bronchiectasis is more prevalent in women and associated with a higher incidence of acute exacerbations in patients with airflow obstruction and pseudomonas colonization. COPD, severe radiographic disease, PRISm, phenotype and cardiovascular disease were independent predictors of mortality.
Effects of smoking and paroxetine on stress-induced craving and withdrawal symptoms

Background: When smokers relapse, many cite stressful circumstances as the cause. Most smoking cessation medications do not prevent stress-induced increases in craving and withdrawal symptom severi...
Therapeutic approaches to problems of meaninglessness.

This article describes therapeutic approaches to problems of meaninglessness that beset many clients. The presentation includes: (a) a conceptual formulation of meaningful action and, by extension,...
Chromatographic differences between the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNAs of Neurospora crassa.

Abstract It has been demonstrated that the mitochondria of Neurospora crassa contain aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and leucine tRNAs and their respective aminoacyl-RNA synthetases that are distinct from those found in the cytoplasm ( Barnett et al. , 1967 ). In this report we show that the mitochondrial seryl-, leucyl-, and methionyl-tRNAs are chromatographically distinct from those found in the cytoplasm.
Exploring the components of an efficacious computer brief intervention for reducing marijuana use among adults in the emergency department.

Abstract Objective To examine the efficacious components of a computer-delivered brief intervention (CBI) for reducing marijuana use among adults presenting to a low-income urban emergency department (ED), which a prior report found to decrease marijuana use at a 6-month follow-up. Method Participants were 237 ED patients reporting recent drug use (46% male; 54% African-American; mean age, 30.7) who were randomized to receive a CBI consisting of an interactive program guided by a virtual health counselor. The primary outcome was past 30-day marijuana use at 6-month follow-up assessed using the Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB). Intervention components related to change in marijuana use at 6 month follow-up examined in the current study included participant responses to items within five CBI domains that were rooted in motivational interviewing: goals for change, strengths, evoking-change (concerns about use and benefits of change), challenges, and tools for change. Results The evoking-change domain was related to significant reductions in marijuana use at 6 months (B = −2.91, SE = 1.10, p Conclusions An ED-based brief intervention, delivered by computer, was effective in reducing marijuana use. Intervention components focused on perceived concerns about use and benefits of change in relation to family and friends were critical domains within a CBI associated with reductions in marijuana use at 6-month follow-up.
Regional Calibration of the NRCS Unit Hydrograph Peak Rate Factor for New Jersey as a Result of Hurricane Irene

AbstractSynthetic unit hydrographs are used to predict the response of a watershed to a precipitation event. They utilize the physical characteristics of a watershed for their development. Although...
ROC: DRAM-based Processing with Reduced Operation Cycles

DRAM based memory-centric computing architectures are promising solutions to tackle the challenges of memory wall. In this paper, we develop a novel design of DRAM-based processing-in-memory (PIM) architecture which achieves lower cycles in every basic operation than prior arts. Our small yet fast in-memory computing units support basic logic operations including NOT, AND, and OR. Using those operations, along with shift and propagation, bitwise operations can be extended to word-wise operations, e.g. increment and comparison, with high efficiency. We also optimize the designs to exploit parallelism and data reuse to further improve the performance of compound operations. Compared with the most powerful state-of-the-art PIM architecture, we can achieve comparable or even better performance while consuming only 6% of its area overhead.
Sensitivity of hydrologic and geologic parameters on recharge processes in a highly heterogeneous, semi-confined aquifer system

Abstract. An increasing reliance on groundwater resources has been observed worldwide during the past 50–70 years and has led to unsustainable groundwater abstraction in many regions, especially in semi-arid and arid alluvial groundwater basins. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) has been promoted to replenish overdrafted groundwater basins and augment surface water supply. However, MAR feasibility in alluvial groundwater basins is complicated by complex geologic architecture that typically includes laterally continuous, fine-texture confining units that can impede both recharge rates and regional propagation of increases in the hydraulic head. A greater feasibility of MAR hinges on identifying locations where rapid, high-volume recharge that provides regional increases in pressure head are possible, but relatively little research has evaluated the factors that control MAR feasibility in alluvial groundwater basins. Here, we combine a transition probability Markov chain geostatistical model of the subsurface geologic heterogeneity of the eastern side of the northern Central Valley, California, with the three-dimensional, variably saturated water flow code ParFlow to explore the variability of MAR feasibility in this region. We use a combination of computationally efficient local- and global-sensitivity analyses to evaluate the relative importance of factors that contribute to MAR feasibility. A novel proxy parameter approach was used to describe the configuration and proportions of subsurface hydrofacies and the water table depth for sensitivity analyses, and results suggest that recharge potential is relatively more sensitive to the variability of this proxy parameter than to the variability of individual hydrofacies hydraulic properties. Results demonstrate that large variability of MAR feasibility is typical for alluvial aquifer systems and that outsized recharge rates are possible in select locations where interconnected, coarse-texture hydrofacies occur.
Measuring School Climate Among Spanish-Speaking Students: A Systematic Review of Primary Methodological Studies:

The present study is a systematic review of school climate measures developed for a Spanish-speaking K-12 population. Four instruments were included in the analyses representing data of 9,236 stude...
Glutamine blockade induces divergent metabolic programs to overcome tumor immune evasion

The metabolic characteristics of tumors present considerable hurdles to immune cell function and cancer immunotherapy. Using a glutamine antagonist, we metabolically dismantled the immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumors. We demonstrate that glutamine blockade in tumor-bearing mice suppresses oxidative and glycolytic metabolism of cancer cells, leading to decreased hypoxia, acidosis, and nutrient depletion. By contrast, effector T cells responded to glutamine antagonism by markedly up-regulating oxidative metabolism and adopting a long-lived, highly activated phenotype. These divergent changes in cellular metabolism and programming form the basis for potent antitumor responses. Glutamine antagonism therefore exposes a previously undefined difference in metabolic plasticity between cancer cells and effector T cells that can be exploited as a “metabolic checkpoint” for tumor immunotherapy.
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and photon counting histograms in small domains. Part I: General theory

Abstract Analysis of fluctuations arising as fluorescent particles pass through a focused laser beam has enabled quantitative characterization of molecular kinetic processes. The mathematical frameworks of both fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and photon counting histogram (PCH) analysis, which can measure these fluctuations, assume an infinite Gaussian beam, which prevents their application to particles within domains bounded at the nanoscale. We therefore derived general forms of FCS and PCH for bounded systems. The finite domain form of FCS differs from the classical form in its boundary and initial conditions and requires development of a new Fourier space solution for fitting data. Our finite-domain FCS predicts simulated data accurately and reduces to a previous model for the special case of molecules confined by two boundaries under Gaussian beams. Our approach enables estimation of the concentration of diffusing fluorophores within a finite domain for the first time. The method opens the possibility of quantification of kinetics in several systems for which this has never been possible, including in the one-dimensional lipid tubules discussed in Part 2 of this paper. Statement of Significance Methods based on fluorescence measurements of molecular concentration fluctuations, including Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy and Photon Count Histogram analysis, are widely used to determine rates of diffusion, chemical reaction and sizes of molecular aggregates. Typically, the range over which the molecules can diffuse is large compared to the size of the focused laser beam that excites the fluorescence. This work extends these measurements to systems that are comparable in size to the excitation laser beam. This extends the application of these methods to very small samples such as the interior of bacterial cells or the diffusion of molecules along individual macromolecules such as DNA.
Measuring Mechanisms of Student Voice: Development and Validation of Student Leadership Capacity Building Scales:

This study developed measurement scales on student leadership capacity building through a survey of 280 students from nine U.S. high schools. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted i...
Predictive Hierarchical Control of Power Flow in Large-Scale PV Microgrids With Energy Storage

Large-scale PV microgrids constitute a growing portion of distributed renewable generation in many grids worldwide and are expected to continue their growth in the foreseeable future. Managing the operation of such microgrids and in particular their interaction with the main electricity grid is a challenging task as it involves controlling large intermittent PV resources. The addition of auxiliary DERs and energy storage systems to such microgrids is a promising solution that provides some flexibility to the operation of these fluctuating PV resources. In this work, a hierarchical predictive controller is designed to perform daily scheduling and real-time control of a PV microgrid with energy storage and auxiliary diesel generation. The controller aims to increase utilization of available PV resources, reduce the daily variability of power flow to the main grid, while at the same time controlling power fluctuations at the point of connection. The controller is designed to utilize updating load and PV predictions on a receding time horizon and uses the flexibility of energy storage and diesel resources to compensate for fluctuations and prediction errors. A study of multiple operational scenarios demonstrates successful performance of the proposed controller.
Structural Racism and Health Disparities: Reconfiguring the Social Determinants of Health Framework to Include the Root Cause

The government recognizes that social factors cause racial inequalities in access to resources and opportunities that result in racial health disparities. However, this recognition fails to acknowledge the root cause of these racial inequalities: structural racism. As a result, racial health disparities persist.
Lengths of Roots of Polynomials in a Hahn Field

Let K be an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0, and let G be a divisible ordered Abelian group. Maclane [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., 45, 888-890 (1939)] showed that the Hahn field K((G)) is algebraically closed. Our goal is to bound the lengths of roots of a polynomial p(x) over K((G)) in terms of the lengths of its coefficients. The main result of the paper says that if 𝛾 is a limit ordinal greater than the lengths of all of the coefficients, then the roots all have length less than ωω𝛾.
errors of radiosonde and rocketsonde temperature sensors

A method is proposed where two thermistors of different emissivities are used on the radiosonde to compute the corrected air temperature. This method could be extended to rocketsonde temperature measurements by using two bead thermistors of different sizes to determine temperature errors and aerodynamic heating errors.