cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The long term effects of “Consumer-Directed” health plans on preventive care use

"Consumer-Directed" Health Plans (CDHPs), those with high deductibles and personal medical accounts, have been shown to reduce health care spending. The impact of CDHPs on preventive care is unclear. On the one hand CDHPs might increase use of preventive care as such care is exempt from the deductible. However, CDHPs also decrease visits to physicians which might results in less screening. Prior research has found conflicting results. In this study, using data from 37 employers we examine the effects of CDHPs on the use of cancer screenings up to three years after the initial CDHP offering with ITT and LATE approaches. Being offered a CDHP or enrolling in a CDHP had little or no effect on cancer screening rates but individuals increase screenings prior to enrolling in a CDHP. Our findings suggest the importance of examining CDHP effects on periodic care over the longer-term and carefully controlling for anticipatory stockpiling.
Very high efficiency optical coupler for silicon nanophotonic waveguide and single mode optical fiber

Integrated optical circuits are poised to open up an array of novel applications. A vibrant field of research has emerged around the monolithic integration of optical components onto the silicon substrates. Typically, single mode optical fibers deliver the external light to the chip, and submicron single-mode waveguides then guide the light on-chip for further processing. For such technology to be viable, it is critically important to be able to efficiently couple light into and out of the chip platform, and between the different components, with low losses. Due to the large volume mismatch between a fiber and silicon waveguide (on the order of 600), it has been extremely challenging to obtain high coupling efficient with large tolerance. To date, demonstrated coupling has been relatively lossy and effective coupling requires impractical alignment of optical components. Here, we propose the use of a high contrast metastructure (HCM) that overcomes these issues, and effectively couples the off-chip, out-of-plane light waves into on-chip, in-plane waveguides. By harnessing the resonance properties of the metastructure, we show that it is possible to spatially confine the incoming free-space light into subwavelength dimensions with a near-unity (up to 98%) efficiency. The underlying coupling mechanism is analyzed and designs for practical on-chip coupler and reflector systems are presented. Furthermore, we explore the two-dimensional HCM as an ultra-compact wavelength multiplexer with superior efficiency (90%).
Chapter 17 – Soil and Glass

Glass and soil can be very important trace evidence in criminal cases. There are many types of glass present in our environment and they are often found at crimes, especially automobile accidents and home and business invasions. Glass is a material somewhat like a solid and a liquid. When glass fragments are large enough to be pieced together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, the evidence can be individualized to a particular source. In most cases, the glass fragments are too small to be fracture matched and class characteristics are emphasized. Most commonly, this involves measuring the density and refractive index of the glass fragments. Electron microscopy or ICP-MS can also be used in the analysis of elemental composition of glass. Soil is virtually always class evidence. They are easily transported from place to place and soil samples can differ significantly when they are only a few meters apart vertically or horizontally. Soil consists of organic and inorganic fractions. The organic material consists chiefly of decaying and decayed animal and vegetable material. The inorganic part is mostly crushed minerals. Soil can range from nearly 100% organic to 100% inorganic. There are a variety of tests that can be performed on the organic and/or inorganic fractions. Mineral microscopy (petrography) is frequently carried out on known and unknown soils for comparison. Liquid chromatography can be used to separate organic fractions. Density and size gradients can also be determined on the soil sample as a whole. There have been many cases where the whereabouts of an automobile can be traced by the layers of soil that collect with time in protected areas such as the wheel wells.
Missing the Peace Train in 2006: Economic and political dynamics of India Pakistan hostility?

Abstract. The paper discusses the dynamics of peace initiatives made by Pakistan in 2006 and their importance in changing the regional dynamics in favour of increased economic cooperation in the light of the study undertaken by Murshed & Mamoon ( 2007 ) which has analysed the multiple determinants of conflict between India and Pakistan. The paper highlights the importance of peace in the region especially for Pakistan where the development potential of the country have been stifled greatly due to a long history of political and economic volatility while linking Pakistan’s progress with that of its neighbours through conflict mitigation process. The paper also presents the possibility of such dyadic economic and conflict trade off in 1990s where India may have utilised hostilities to curtail Pakistani economic potential to pressurise Pakistan to forego its support of insurgency in Indian held Kashmir. Pakistani peace initiatives in 2006 made the country as a leading factor in South Asia with a valid possibility of determining the pace and potential to realise long sought process of regional progress through greater integration of interests. However, the tangible response from Indian side was not forthcoming leading to loss of opportunities and thus creating a good explanation of Hawkish Indian behaviour 10 years down the time line in 2017. Keywords. Politic thought, economic dynamics, India, Pakistan. JEL. D72, F50, F52.
Inflammation in bone physiology and pathology.

Purpose of reviewBone is constantly being remodeled throughout adult life through constant anabolic and catabolic actions that maintain tissue homeostasis. A number of hormones, cytokines growth factors, and the proximity of various cells to bone surfaces influence this process. Inflammatory changes
Situational and Dispositional Determinants of College Men's Perception of Women's Sexual Desire and Consent to Sex: A Factorial Vignette Analysis.

Sexual victimization of women by men on college campuses is a growing societal concern, with research identifying a host of situational and characterological factors that may predict men’s likeliho...
Effects of Soil Characteristics on Passive Wireless Sensor Interrogation

Applications, such as the long term in-situ monitoring of geotechnical structures and of agricultural soils, motivate the use of wireless sensors that are of a passive design. However, the effectiveness of such passive devices will be dependent on the power received via a forward interrogation link and the power returned to a data collector via a reverse link. For these applications, link losses will be determined by the transmission medium, i.e., soil. This paper presents a pathloss study of microwave attenuation versus soil type and moisture. Then, we present results for a passive frequency doubling reflectenna (FDR), operating at 1.3 GHz for the forward link and 2.6 GHz for the reverse, buried at various depths in agricultural soil of different moistures. Results indicate that a FDR-based wireless sensors operating in this frequency range could be effectively embedded to a depth of 0.5 m or more, significantly deeper than reported for other passive technologies.
Family and Race in Post-Obama America

Two years after the election of the first African-American President of the United States of America, a noticeable change is occurring. The dynamics at work that influence the family in America, particularly the minority family, are shifting. In a broad sense, the normative family, comprised of a man, his wife, and children has been rejuvenated by the presence of the Obamas in the White House. Moreover, the fact that this normative family is African-American has changed the lens with which America sees family structure, family history, and family identity. At the same time, President Barack Obama is representative of a new kind of family that the American court system has had to embrace over the last 45 years – a blended family, an interracial family, an extended family, a single-headed female-run family, and a fatherless family. This type of family is actually more of an American norm than the exception, and it is one of the reasons that President Obama’s story had such wide appeal to so many different people across the country. While this new family paradigm may have recently gained legal acceptance, it has been in place in the African-American community since the seventeenth century. Race and the perception of race still play a large role in how Obama’s family and other African-American families are viewed. Though some argue that the U.S. has entered a post-racial era, most critical race theorists strongly assert that race still plays a critical part of social and political dynamics in America. Prominent sociologists assert that race impacts how, why, for how long, and even if families are formed in a legally normative manner. This article will explore how race has impacted recent historical and political changes in family law and social policy, and how these changes have altered family structure and identity in America. In addition, it will analyze whether these changes have impacted how various races view the family and if these various viewpoints make a difference in state and federal laws regulating families.
The quark-gluon phase of matter

Some important physical properties of the quark-gluon phase of matter are discussed. The transition temperature and the latent heat per unit volume for the creation of quark-gluon plasma from ordinary hadron matter are calculated from a very large scale computer simulation of Quantum Chromodynamics at finite temperatures.
Competitive Running After Total Hip Arthroplasty: The World's Fastest Total Hip: A Case Report.

Case We report the case of a young man who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) for osteonecrosis at the age of 20 years, and subsequently competed in collegiate long-distance running. The pinnacle of his career was setting the school record time of 3:47.64 (min:sec) in the 1,500-m "metric mile" run (equivalent to 4:05.09 for the "English" mile). This is the fastest known time for any patient who has undergone THA. Excellent clinical and radiographic outcomes had been maintained at 6 years postoperatively. Conclusion Patients who undergo arthroplasty procedures may be capable of remarkable physical accomplishments, but pursuing such feats is not advised.
PDA: To treat or not to treat

Management of patent ductus arteriosus in extremely preterm infants remains a topic of debate. Treatment to produce ductal closure was widely practiced until the past decade, despite lack of evidence that it decreases morbidities or mortality. Meta-analyses of trials using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have shown effectiveness in accelerating ductal closure, but no reduction in neonatal morbidities, regardless of agent used, indication, timing, gestational age, or route of administration. Surgical ligation closes the ductus but is associated with adverse effects. Recent experience with conservative approaches to treatment suggest improved neonatal outcomes and a high rate of spontaneous ductal closure after discharge. Careful postdischarge follow-up is important, however, because potential adverse effects of long-standing aortopulmonary shunts may be an indication for catheter-based ductal closure. Identification of extremely preterm infants at greatest risk of potential harm from a persistently patent ductus, who may benefit most from treatment are urgently needed.
Description of Harpactea popovi sp. n. from Bulgaria with further taxonomic notes on related species (Araneae, Dysderidae).

Harpactea popovi sp. n. is described and illustrated based on males. It was collected in beech forest habitats (Fagus orientalis) in Strandzha Mountain, Southeastern Bulgaria. The new species belongs to the Harpactea rubicunda species group as defined by Deeleman-Reinhold (1993) and is closely related to H. ice Komnenov & Chatzaki, 2016 and H. sturanyi (Nosek, 1905). The following synonymies were established: H. camenarum Brignoli, 1977 = H. sturanyi (Nosek, 1905) syn. n., H. lyciae Brignoli, 1978 = H. sturanyi (Nosek, 1905) syn. n. New illustrations and photographs for the discussed species are also presented.
Environmental health in the biology century: Transitions from population to personalized prevention.

Within the last decade, for the first time in human history, deaths from chronic diseases have exceeded mortality from acute causes worldwide. These chronic diseases encompass a spectrum of cancers...
Race and Employment Practices in Northeast Brazil’s Ecotourism Industry: An Analysis of Cultural Capital, Symbolic Capital, and Symbolic Power

The ethnographic study of tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean offers the opportunity to examine the ways that racial ideologies perpetuate social inequality, debunking the myth of racial democracy in countries such as Brazil. In the case of Brogodo, in Bahia, Brazil, structural inequality and racial ideology limit the equal participation of Brazilians of African descent in the local ecotourism industry. This article draws on evidence from ethnographic research to investigate the relationship of structural inequality, racial ideology, and cultural and symbolic capital. In the ecotourism industry, employer discourses emphasizing the limits of local community members’ cultural capital conceal their preference for employees exhibiting both the habitus and phenotypic traits associated with whiteness, reflecting broader social and economic practices that discriminate against African-descendent Brazilians. The ability to naturalize habitus and disguise racial ideology behind discussions of education and qualifications reflects employers’ and members of the dominant classes’ symbolic power. Resumen O estudo etnografico do turismo na America Latina e o Caribe oferece aos estudiosos a oportunidade de examinar as formas pelas quais as ideologias raciais perpetuam a desigualdade social, suplantando o mito da democracia racial em paises como o Brasil. No caso de Brogodo, Bahia, Brasil, a desigualdade estrutural e a ideologia racial limitam a capacidade de brasileiros afrodescendentes participar em condicoes igualitarias na industria local de ecoturismo. Neste artigo, recorremos a evidencias da pesquisa etnografica para investigar a relacao entre desigualdade estrutural, ideologia racial e capital cultural e simbolico. Argumentamos que na industria do ecoturismo, os discursos dos empregadores enfatizando a limitacao do capital cultural dos membros da comunidade local ocultam sua preferencia por funcionarios que exibem tanto o habitus quanto os tracos fenotipicos associados a branquitude, refletindo praticas sociais e economicas mais amplas que discriminam os brasileiros descendentes de africanos. Afirmamos que a capacidade de naturalizar habitus e disfarcar a ideologia racial por tras de discussoes sobre educacao e qualificacoes e um reflexo do poder simbolico dos empregadores e dos membros das classes dominantes.
Real-time informatics to collect data, toxicities, image response assessments, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in a phase II clinical trial.

e19647 Background: In clinical trials, delayed and disorganized data reporting due to traditional toxicity symptom monitoring methods, paper documentation and out-dated collection systems lead to i...
Abstract P3008: Beta Adrenergic Receptor Activation Causes Endothelial Glycocalyx Degradation

The endothelial glycocalyx is a proteoglycan and glycoprotein matrix that coats the luminal surface of endothelial cells. It is an important component of the permeability barrier function of endoth...
Sequential Optimization of Speed, Thermal Load, and Power Split in Connected HEVs* This paper is based upon the work supported by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) under award No. DE-AR0000797.

The emergence of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) provides an unprecedented opportunity to capitalize on these technologies well beyond their original designed intents. While abundant evidence has been accumulated showing substantial fuel economy improvement benefits achieved through advanced powertrain control, the implications of the CAV operation on power and thermal management have not been fully investigated. In this paper, in order to explore the opportunities for the coordination between the onboard thermal management and the power split control, we present a sequential optimization solution for eco-driving speed trajectory planning, air conditioning (A/C) thermal load planning (eco-cooling), and powertrain control in hybrid electric CAVs to evaluate the individual as well as the collective energy savings through proactive usage of traffic data for vehicle speed prediction. Simulation results over a real-world driving cycle show that compared to a baseline non-CAV, 11.9%, 14.2%, and 18.8% energy savings can be accumulated sequentially through speed, thermal load, and power split optimizations, respectively.
The Cost of Covid-19: A Rough Estimate of the 2020 US GDImpact

In this brief, we provide a back-of-the-envelope estimate of the impact of current mitigation measures on the 2020 GDgrowth rate That impact varies by indust
Why We Should Not Let the Cheerfully Demented Die

In “Cognitive Transformation, Dementia, and the Moral Weight of Advance Directives,” (ADs) Emily Walsh argues that we should be cautious when weighting an AD over the current preferences of a demen...
A Systematic Review of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia and Caregivers:

The aim of this article was to systematically review the quality and efficacy of the current evidence for mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), patients with dementia (PwD), and their caregivers. We identified 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (11 for patients, 9 for caregivers) published in the last 15 years. Evidence suggested that MBIs are highly acceptable and credible treatments for patients with MCI, PwD and caregivers. Specifically, for PwD, the results indicated that the magnitude of post-treatment effects of MBIs are in the medium to large range for psychosocial outcomes, and in the small to medium range for cognitive functioning; however, treatment effects on dementia biomarkers were mixed, ranging from small to large, depending on the outcome measure. Findings also evidenced salutary effects of MBIs for caregivers of PwD, with post-treatment effects ranging from medium to large for caregiver stress and burden and large effects for quality of life, and mixed outcomes for cognitive functioning, with effects in the small to large range. However, confidence in these findings is relatively limited due to methodological limitations, especially in terms of poor consistency in intervention strategies, outcome measures, and other key criteria across studies. To better assess the value of MBIs for these populations and optimize treatment outcomes, we recommend further research with improved study methodology (e.g., multi-method assessment, universal criterion and outcome measures, use of active control groups, larger sample sizes, long-term follow-up) to replicate current findings and enhance our understanding of underlying treatment mechanisms of MBIs.
Photoinhibition of photosynthesis in intact bean leaves: role of light and temperature, and requirement for chloroplast-protein synthesis during recovery.

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis was induced in intact leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris L. grown at a photon flux density (PFD; photon fluence rate) of 300 μmol·m-2·s-1, by exposure to a PFD of 1400 μmol·m-2·s-1. Subsequent recovery from photoinhibition was followed at temperatures ranging from 5 to 35°C and at a PFD of either 20 or 140 μmol·m-2·s-1 or in complete darkness. Photoinhibition and recovery were monitored mainly by chlorophyll fluorescence emission at 77K but also by photosynthetic O2 evolution. The effects of the protein-synthesis inhibitors, cycloheximide and chloramphenicol, on photoinhibition and recovery were also determined. The results demonstrate that recovery was temperature-dependent with rates slow below 15°C and optimal at 30°C. Light was required for maximum recovery but the process was light-saturated at a PFD of 20 μmol·m-2·s-1. Chloramphenicol, but not cycloheximide, inactivated the repair process, indicating that recovery involved the synthesis of one or more chloroplast-encoded proteins. With chloramphenicol, it was shown that photoinhibition and recovery occurred concomitantly. The temperature-dependency of the photoinhibition process was, therefore, in part determined by the effect of temperature on the recovery process. Consequently, photoinhibition is the net difference between the rate of damage and the rate of repair. The susceptibility of chilling-sensitive plant species to photoinhibition at low temperatures is proposed to result from the low rates of recovery in this temperature range.
Understanding of ASD by Siblings is Associated with Warmth and Hostility in the Sibling Relationship

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts not only the child with ASD, but also the entire family system, including siblings. The present study examined perceptions of the sibling relationship in brothers and sisters of children with ASD, as well as how understanding of autism (symptoms, long-term implications of the disorder) in siblings of children with ASD is related to the sibling’s perceptions of quality of the sibling relationship. Siblings (N = 44, Mean Age = 10.4 years, SD = 2.6) of children with ASD were administered an interview assessing their understanding of ASD and self-report questionnaires measuring their perception of the sibling relationship quality. The more siblings understood about ASD, the more hostility they reported by their sibling with ASD. Age of the sibling, conversely, was negatively associated with both hostile and warm behavior by the brother or sister with ASD towards the sibling. More understanding of autism may be associated with more contention within the sibling relationship, whereas older siblings may spend less time with their brother or sister with autism. Results have implications for improving sibling relationship quality, as well as elucidating the complexity of sibling relationships. These findings have further implications for the development of support systems with use of coping skills for improving the quality of the sibling relationship.
Food availability and annual migration of the straw‐colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum)

Animal migrations offer a unique opportunity for developing and testing hypotheses about the ecological requirements of different species and the tradeoffs that they make between conflicting life-history demands. There has been relatively little research into the causes and consequences of migrations by fruit bats, despite their potential significance for pollination and seed dispersal. We assessed the causes of one of the most spectacular migrations of fruit bats known: the annual influx of an estimated 5–10 million E. helvum into Kasanka National Park in Zambia. We tested several predictions based on the hypothesis that E. helvum migrates to exploit seasonal variations in food supply opportunistically. Phenological data, feeding observations and monitoring of fruit bat movements provided the first quantitative evidence in support of the hypothesis that the migration of E. helvum in Zambia is driven by food supply. The E. helvum colony exhibited several surprising behaviors, including a tendency for migratory satellite colonies to aggregate, rather than to disperse, during the time of peak food production, and a tendency to fly well beyond the most immediate food sources when foraging. Alternative hypotheses to explain the E. helvum migration were not supported, but further research is needed to clarify the results of this preliminary study. Both the size of the colony and its potential for large-scale movements suggest that this bat may play an important economic and ecological role over a significant portion of sub-Saharan Africa. Information is still lacking about migration routes, food sources, habitat requirements and the role of migration in disease transmission between colonies of E. helvum.
Compiler Course with a Semi-Challenging Project

This paper describes a semi-challenging compiler project appropriate for Compiler Construction course at the advanced undergraduate-graduate level at a non-PhD-granting institution. The compiler project is centered around a table-driven parser and associated syntax-directed semantic routines for a real programming language. Our experience indicates that the curriculum can be strengthened by putting students into the most challenging learning environment in which they can succeed.
Downward shift of infrared conductivity spectral weight at the d x 2 -y 2 -density-wave transition: Role of anisotropy

We consider the motion of conductivity spectral weight at a finite-temperature phase transition at which ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$ density-wave (DDW) order develops. We show that there is a shift of spectral weight to higher frequencies if the quasiparticle lifetime is assumed to be isotropic, but a shift to lower frequencies if the quasiparticle lifetime is assumed to be anisotropic. We suggest that this is consistent with recent experiments on the pseudogap phase of the cuprate superconductors and, therefore, conclude that the observation of a downward shift in the spectral weight at the pseudogap temperature does not militate against the DDW theory of the pseudogap.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment for Chronic Tinnitus: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Chronic tinnitus negatively affects the quality of life for millions of people. This clinical trial assesses a potential treatment for tinnitus. Objectives To determine if repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can reduce the perception or severity of tinnitus and to test the hypothesis that rTMS will result in a statistically significantly greater percentage of responders to treatment in an active rTMS group compared with a placebo rTMS group. Design, Setting, and Participants A randomized, participant and clinician or observer–blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial of rTMS involving individuals who experience chronic tinnitus. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 1, 2, 4, 13, and 26 weeks after the last treatment session. The trial was conducted between April 2011 and December 2014 at Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center among 348 individuals with chronic tinnitus who were initially screened for participation. Of those, 92 provided informed consent and underwent more detailed assessments. Seventy individuals met criteria for inclusion and were randomized to receive active or placebo rTMS. Sixty-four participants (51 men and 13 women, with a mean [SD] age of 60.6 [8.9] years) were included in the data analyses. No participants withdrew because of adverse effects of rTMS. Interventions Participants received 2000 pulses per session of active or placebo rTMS at a rate of 1-Hz rTMS daily on 10 consecutive workdays. Main Outcomes and Measures The Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) was the main study outcome. Our hypothesis was tested by comparing baseline and posttreatment TFIs for each participant and group. Results Overall, 18 of 32 participants (56%) in the active rTMS group and 7 of 32 participants (22%) in the placebo rTMS group were responders to rTMS treatment. The difference in the percentage of responders to treatment in each group was statistically significant (χ 2 1 = 7.94, P Conclusions and Relevance Application of 1-Hz rTMS daily for 10 consecutive workdays resulted in a statistically significantly greater percentage of responders to treatment in the active rTMS group compared with the placebo rTMS group. Improvements in tinnitus severity experienced by responders were sustained during the 26-week follow-up period. Before this procedure can be implemented clinically, larger studies should be conducted to refine treatment protocols. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01104207
AMPA receptor-mediated regulation of a Gi-protein in cortical neurons.

Excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system is mediated primarily by the release of glutamate from presynaptic terminals onto postsynaptic channels gated by N -methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptors1,2. The myriad intracellular responses arising from the activation of the NMDA and AMPA receptors have previously been attributed to the flow of Ca2+ and/or Na+ through these ion channels1,2,3,4,5,6. Here we report that the binding of the agonist AMPA to its receptor can generate intracellular signals that are independent of Ca2+ and Na+ in rat cortical neurons. In the absence of intracellular Ca2+ and Na+, AMPA, but not NMDA, brought about changes in a guanine-nucleotide-binding protein (Gαi1) that inhibited pertussis toxin-mediated ADP-ribosylation of the protein in an in vitro assay. This effect was observed in intact neurons treated with AMPA as well as in isolated membranes exposed to AMPA, and was also found in MIN6 cells, which express functional AMPA receptors but have no metabotropic glutamate receptors. AMPA also inhibited forskolin-stimulated activity of adenylate cyclase in neurons, demonstrating that Gi proteins were activated. Moreover, both Gβγ blockage and co-precipitation experiments demonstrated that the modulation of the Gi protein arose from the association of Gαi1 with the glutamate receptor-1 (GluR1) subunit. These results suggest that, as well as acting as an ion channel, the AMPA receptor can exhibit metabotropic activity.
Internal capital allocation and executive compensation

This research examines the connection between executive compensation and within-firm capital allocation decisions by multi-segment firms. Although previous studies have considered the asymmetric information between a firm's headquarter and its divisions, they have not explicitly addressed the issue of how internal capital allocation decisions are affected by the CEO's own incentives. In this study, I focus on incentives that derive from the CEO's compensation. First, I show that a conglomerate CEO's compensation is related to the weighted average pay in industries associated with the firm's segments. Next, I document that executives of multi-segment firms appear to respond strongly to compensation incentives when allocating funds across segments. Specifically, I find that firms invest more in segments associated with higher levels of executive compensation, and that they are more likely to add (drop) segments with higher (lower) pay levels. Importantly, the effects of compensation remain even after controlling for economic factors that have previously been documented to affect firms' investment decisions (e.g., past performance, size, growth opportunity, and industry). Furthermore, I present evidence that following active reallocations, CEO compensation does increase in subsequent years. In particular, firms engaging in segment restructuring activities experience faster growth in CEO compensation relative to the market. In addition, I find that incentives created by executive stock options lead CEOs to invest more in riskier industries. Overall, my results suggest that both the level and structure of executive compensation affect firms' internal capital allocations. This conclusion is robust to a number of sensitivity checks.
Fault tolerant algorithms and architectures for robotics

As robot tasks in space, nuclear, and medical environments become more widespread, the issues of reliability and safety for robots are becoming more critical. Attempts to address these issues have resulted in a surge of activity in robot fault tolerance. We concentrate on fault tolerance in the robot controller, and highlight the importance and potential of multiprocessor control architectures from the fault tolerance perspective. The issue of performance versus reliability is discussed. This paper also summarizes other work by our group at Rice University in the area of fault tolerance for robotics. >
Inhibition of clonogenic growth of fresh leukemia cells by unstimulated and IL-2 stimulated NK cells of normal donors

We have demonstrated that unstimulated highly-enriched NK cells have the capability to inhibit the growth of fresh clonogenic leukemic cells from AML, CML and preleukemic patients. The NK-cell population mediating antileukemic reactivity exhibited LGL morphology and NKH1 and CD16 phenotype. The inhibition of leukemic growth could be mediated by cell-to-cell contact or by soluble factor produced by NK cells. Antileukemia activity was only detectable when enriched population of LGL was utilized; NW-filtered lymphocyte population did not exhibit leukemia-inhibitory effect. However, such activity could be generated after culture of the latter effector cells with IL-2. The leukemia directed IL-2 activated effector cells were characterized as NK cells. The data reported here provide new insight into host factors which may control leukemia growth and indicate the possible future application of NK cells for therapy of leukemia.
Implementation and performance evaluation of a parallel ocean model

Abstract Ocean models have been used to study global phenomena such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation. The effects of El Nino are felt worldwide and are of importance to all segments of society. High resolution ocean models are being developed to run more sophisticated simulations. The demand for computing power is expected to increase drastically with the use of high resolution models. Running extended simulations with high resolution models on current vector supercomputers will require computing power which is not available or prohibitively expensive. We have developed a parallel implementation suitable for running high resolution simulations. We studied performance issues such as the communication overhead and cache hit rate. Our experiments with grid partitioning and inter-processor communication techniques enabled us to obtain an efficient parallel implementation. Three grid partitioning techniques are evaluated. Two schemes to gather and scatter global grid data among processors are compared. A cache model to analyze performance is described.
Inhibition of Microbial Metabolism in Anaerobic Lagoons by Selected Sulfonamides, Tetracyclines, Lincomycin, and Tylosin Tartrate

Antibiotics are used to maintain healthy livestock and to promote weight gain in concentrated animal feed operations. Antibiotics rarely are metabolized completely by livestock and, thus, are often present in livestock waste and in waste-treatment lagoons. The introduction of antibiotics into anaerobic lagoons commonly used for swine waste treatment has the potential for negative impacts on lagoon performance, which relies on a consortium of microbes ranging from fermentative microorganisms to methanogens. To address this concern, the effects of eight common veterinary antibiotics on anaerobic activity were studied. Anaerobic microcosms, prepared from freshly collected lagoon slurries, were amended with individual antibiotics at 10 mg/L for the initial screening study and at 1, 5, and 25 mg/L for the dose-response study. Monitored metabolic indicators included hydrogen, methane, and volatile fatty acid concentrations as well as chemical oxygen demand. The selected antibiotics significantly inhibited methane production relative to unamended controls, thus indicating that antibiotics at concentrations commonly found in swine lagoons can negatively impact anaerobic metabolism. Additionally, historical antibiotic usage seems to be a potential factor in affecting methane production. Specifically, less inhibition of methane production was noted in samples taken from the lagoon with a history of multiple-antibiotic use.
Enhanced magneto-optic properties of light rare-earth-transition metal amorphous alloys

Abstract The light rare earths Nd and Pr make a significant contribution to the magneto-optic coefficients of their amorphous alloys with Fe and Co. The enhanced magneto-optic coefficients of the light rare earth alloys are associated with the spin polarized 4f band located within about 2 eV of the Fermi energy in these alloys.
TmDOTA-tetraglycinate encapsulated liposomes as pH-sensitive LipoCEST agents.

Lanthanide DOTA-tetraglycinate (LnDOTA-(gly)4−) complexes contain four magnetically equivalent amide protons that exchange with protons of bulk water. The rate of this base catalyzed exchange process has been measured using chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) NMR techniques as a function of solution pH for various paramagnetic LnDOTA-(gly)4− complexes to evaluate the effects of lanthanide ion size on this process. Complexes with Tb(III), Dy(III), Tm(III) and Yb(III) were chosen because these ions induce large hyperfine shifts in all ligand protons, including the exchanging amide protons. The magnitude of the amide proton CEST exchange signal differed for the four paramagnetic complexes in order, Yb>Tm>Tb>Dy. Although the Dy(III) complex showed the largest hyperfine shift as expected, the combination of favorable chemical shift and amide proton CEST linewidth in the Tm(III) complex was deemed most favorable for future in vivo applications where tissue magnetization effects can interfere. TmDOTA-(gly)4− at various concentrations was encapsulated in the core interior of liposomes to yield lipoCEST particles for molecular imaging. The resulting nanoparticles showed less than 1% leakage of the agent from the interior over a range of temperatures and pH. The pH versus amide proton CEST curves differed for the free versus encapsulated agents over the acidic pH regions, consistent with a lower proton permeability across the liposomal bilayer for the encapsulated agent. Nevertheless, the resulting lipoCEST nanoparticles amplify the CEST sensitivity by a factor of ∼104 compared to the free, un-encapsulated agent. Such pH sensitive nano-probes could prove useful for pH mapping of liposomes targeted to tumors.
Depression and nicotine dependence from adolescence to young adulthood

Introduction Despite the highly replicated relationship between depression and nicotine dependence, little is known about this association across both time and levels of lifetime smoking exposure. In the present study, we evaluate if symptoms of depression are associated with emerging nicotine dependence after accounting for smoking exposure and whether this relationship varies from adolescence to young adulthood and across increasing levels of smoking.
What is the structure of the quark-gluon plasma near the critical temperature?

Abstract I review recent lattice QCD results on the order of the phase transition, meson correlators, and thermodynamic functions for temperatures of the order of the critical temperature Tc. The conclusion is that non-perturbative phenomena dominate the behaviour of the quark-gluon plasma up to temperatures of about 2Tc.
Satellite imagery retrieval: Features & metrics evaluation

In this paper, an evaluation technique based on several image feature attributes along with image classifications is investigated. Furthermore, a semi-supervised technique based on support vector machine (SVM) for image classification and a Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH) based searching algorithm to search for similarity of satellite imagery is presented. Given a query image, the goal is to retrieve matching images in the database based on the shape features extracted from satellite imagery data. The experimental results demonstrate superior results based on shape features which provide a better classification accuracy using both support vector machine and the semi-supervised hashing search methods.1 2
The Credit Granting Decision

A series of probabilistic models are formulated for the credit granting policy of a firm. First, a single-period analysis is presented for the two-action problem, “give credit or do not give credit.” Then a multi-period analysis for the same problem is presented, showing that the single-period analysis ignores important future benefits. The multi-period analysis contains a Bayesian approach to revisions of the probability of collection as collection experience is gained. The multi-period analysis is modified by adding discounting to reflect the time value of money and a probability that the customer will cease purchasing. Next, a dynamic programming formulation of the multi-period problem is presented, and this formulation is then adapted to include a decision on how much credit to offer. The paper closes with a series of remarks concerning the practical application of the analysis.
ELID grinding of silicon wafers: A literature review

Silicon wafers are the most widely used substrates for fabricating integrated circuits. There have been continuous demands for higher quality silicon wafers with lower prices, and it becomes more and more difficult to meet these demands using current manufacturing processes. In recent years, research has been done on electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) grinding of silicon wafers to explore its potential to become a viable manufacturing process. This paper reviews the literature on ELID grinding, covering its set-ups, wheel dressing mechanism, and experimental results. It also discusses the technical barriers that have to be overcome before ELID grinding can be used in manufacturing.
Semigroups satisfying (xy)m = xmym

In this paper we characterize Archimedean semigroups with idempotents satisfying (xy)m = xmym as exactly those semigroups which are a retract extension of a completely simple semigroup satisfying (xy)m = xmym by a nil semigroup satisfying (xy)m = xmym. Regular semigroups satisfying (xy)2 = x2y2 are exactly those semigroups which are a spined product of a band and a semigroup which is a semilattice of Abelian groups. A semigroup which is a nil extension of a regular semigroup satisfies (xy)2 = x2y2 if and only if it is a retract extension of a regular semigroup satisfying (xy)2 = x2y2 by a nil semigroup satisfying (xy)2 = x2y2
Elephant 2000: a programming language based on speech acts

Elephant 2000 is a proposed programming language good for writing and verifying programs that interact with people (e.g., transaction processing) or interact with programs belonging to other organizations (e.g., electronic data interchange). Communication inputs and outputs are in an I/O language whose sentences are meaningful speech acts identified in the language as questions, answers, offers, acceptances, declinations, requests, permissions, and promises. The correctness of programs is partly defined in terms of proper performance of the speech acts. Answers should be truthful and responsive, and promises should be kept. Sentences of logic expressing these forms of correctness can be generated automatically from the form of the program.Elephant source programs may not need data structures, because they can refer directly to the past. Thus a program can say that an airline passenger has a reservation if he has made one and hasn't cancelled it. Elephant programs themselves can be represented as sentences of logic. Their extensional properties follow from this representation without an intervening theory of programming or anything like Hoare axioms.Elephant programs that interact non-trivially with the outside world can have both input-output specifications, relating the programs inputs and outputs, and accomplishment specifications concerning what the program accomplishes in the world. These concepts are respectively generalizations of the philosophers' illocutionary and perlocutionary speech acts.Programs that engage in commercial transactions assume obligations on behalf of their owners in exchange for obligations assumed by other entities. It may be part of the specifications of an Elephant 2000 program that these obligations are exchanged as intended, and this too can be expressed by a logical sentence.Human speech acts involve intelligence. Elephant 2000 is on the borderline of AI, but the talk emphasizes the Elephant usages that do not require AI.
Development of a Tandem Protein Trans-Splicing System Based on Native and Engineered Split Inteins

Protein trans-splicing involving naturally or artificially split inteins results in two polypeptides being linked together by a peptide bond. While this phenomenon has found a variety of applications in chemical biology and biotechnology, precious little is known about the molecular recognition events governing the initial fragment association step. In this study, fluorescence approaches have been used to measure the dissociation constant for the Ssp DnaE split intein interaction and to determine the on and off rates of fragment association. The DnaE fragments bind with low nanomolar affinity, and our data suggest that electrostatics make an important contribution to the very rapid association of the fragments at physiological pH. This information was used to develop a tandem trans-splicing system based on native and engineered split inteins. This novel system allows the one-pot assembly of three polypeptides under native conditions and can be performed in crude cell lysates. The technology should provide...
Tuning the Topology and Functionality of Metal–Organic Frameworks by Ligand Design

Metal−organic frameworks (MOFs)—highly crystalline hybrid materials that combine metal ions with rigid organic ligands—have emerged as an important class of porous materials. The organic ligands add flexibility and diversity to the chemical structures and functions of these materials. In this Account, we summarize our laboratory’s experience in tuning the topology and functionality of MOFs by ligand design.These investigations have led to new materials with interesting properties. By using a ligand that can adopt different symmetry conformations through free internal bond rotation, we have obtained two MOFs that are supramolecular stereoisomers of each other at different reaction temperatures. In another case, where the dimerized ligands function as a D3-Piedfort unit spacer, we achieve chiral (10,3)-a networks.In the design of MOF-based materials for hydrogen and methane storage, we focused on increasing the gas affinity of frameworks by using ligands with different geometries to control the pore size an...
A study of the electrical conductivity of foam

Abstract The relationship between the volumetric fraction of liquid in a foam and the ratio of the conductivity of the foam to that of the liquid was studied experimentally. The method employed a precise yet convenient, novel, sampling technique which involved snatching a removable test section away from a vertical column of slowly ascending, ordinary, polydisperse foam. Results confirmed and extended the classical experiments of Clark, and showed the existence of an essentially unique relationship. In addition, this experimentally determined relationship was approximated with theory by extending the approach of Meredith and Tobias. Finally, extrapolation of the experimental results was shown to confirm the limiting value of 3.0 derived by Lemlich for the ratio of the said volumetric fraction to the said conductivity ratio as the volumetric fraction approaches zero.
Quantitative studies on the infection of Galleria mellonella with a nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Bombyx mori

Abstract The nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Bombyx mori was found to be infectious for Galleria mellonella after a single injection of virions released from polyhedra. After one replication in G. mellonella the resulting free virions were highly infectious for both host species. These results are discussed.