cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vasovasostomy in the convoluted vas deferens: indications and outcomes.

ABSTRACT Purpose: We examined the indications for vasovasostomy (VV) in the convoluted vas deferens as well as the outcome of this procedure. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the indications and outcomes of all vasectomy reversals performed in the convoluted vas deferens (CVV). Indications for CVV were clear fluid with or without sperm, motile or nonmotile sperm, or sperm parts. Patency was defined as motile sperm in the ejaculate postoperatively. Pregnancy data were calculated based on natural pregnancy occurring within year 1 postoperatively. Results: A total of 48 patients underwent bilateral CVV (42) or unilateral CVV (6) when there was an unreconstructable/atrophic contralateral side. Average patient age was 39 years. Average age of the female partner was 30 years. The average obstructive interval was 10 years. The patency rate was 88% (38 of 43 cases). The natural pregnancy rate was 48% (15 of 31 cases). There was a significant difference in the patency rate in patients with sperm or sperm parts compared to those with clear fluid alone (p = 0.015). There was no difference in the pregnancy rate. Conclusions: Vasovasostomy in the CVV is a technically more difficult procedure than standard VV. Nevertheless, postoperative results are typically comparable to those obtained via VV and superior to those of epididymovasostomy in many cases. Therefore, we recommend CVV using the same indications as for standard VV in the straight portion of the vas deferens. However, consideration for epididymovasostomy should be given when no sperm are seen in the vasal fluid intraoperatively.
Iron-mediated intermolecular N-group transfer chemistry with olefinic substrates

The dipyrrinato iron catalyst reacts with organic azides to generate a reactive, high-spin imido radical intermediate, distinct from nitrenoid or imido species commonly observed with low-spin transition metal complexes. The unique electronic structure of the putative group-transfer intermediate dictates the chemoselectivity for intermolecular nitrene transfer. The mechanism of nitrene group transfer was probed via amination and aziridination of para-substituted toluene and styrene substrates, respectively. The Hammett analysis of both catalytic amination and aziridination reactions indicate the rate of nitrene transfer is enhanced with functional groups capable of delocalizing spin. Intermolecular amination reactions with olefinic substrates bearing allylic C–H bonds give rise to exclusive allylic amination with no apparent aziridination products. Amination of substrates containing terminal olefins give rise exclusively to allylic C–H bond abstraction, C–N recombination occurring at the terminal C with transposition of the double bond. A similar reaction is observed with cis-β-methylstyrene where exclusive amination of the allylic position is observed with isomerization of the olefin to the trans-configuration. The high levels of chemoselectivity are attributed to the high-spin electronic configuration of the reactive imido radical intermediate, while the steric demands of the ligand enforce regioselective amination at the terminal position of linear α-olefins.
AEROELASTIC STABILITY OF SLENDER, SPINNING MISSILES

The coupled equations of motion that govern the static and dynamic aeroelastic stability of spinning, flexible missiles are derived. A Lagrangian approach is employed which results in nonlinear coupling between the elastic deflections and the rigid-body motion parameters. Various approximations inherent in reducing the equations to a linear set are indicated. Firstorder aerodynamics are formulated for application to a hypersonic missile. Some numerical examples are given that reveal a destabilizing influence of structural damping at certain roll rates for a particular missile configuration.
Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)–H2O2 and poly(4-vinylpyridine)–H2O2 complexes: solid H2O2 equivalents for selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and ketones to gem-dihydroperoxides

Complexes of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVD) and poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP) with hydrogen peroxide have been prepared and their synthetic utility as solid H2O2 equivalents for the selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and ketones to gem-dihydroperoxides has been studied. These complexes are convenient and safe alternatives to H2O2 solutions and it is found that various symmetric as well as unsymmetrical sulfides undergo oxidation under mild conditions to provide the respective sulfoxides in high yields. A series of gem-dihydroperoxides were obtained from the corresponding ketones in good yields under ambient conditions.
Impacts of Broadened-Specification Fuels on Aircraft Turbine Engine Combustors

In the future, aircraft turbine engines may be required to accommodate fuels with lower hydrogen contents, fluidity/volatility characteristics, and thermal stability ratings than those of present-day jet fuels. The key results of several investigations conducted to quantify the impacts of such fuel property changes on the performance, pollutant emission, and durability characteristics of aircraft turbine engine combustors are reviewed. These results were obtained in both component and engine tests of the current production combustors used in the CF6-6, CF6-50, F101/CFM56, and J79/CJ805 engines. Based on these results, it is concluded that the most significant concerns associated with such fuel property changes are decreased combustor life, decreased ground starting/altitude relight capabilities, and increased fuel injector gumming/coking tendencies. The combustor design improvements that appear to be needed to permit the use of jet fuels of significantly lower quality than present day fuels are also reviewed.
Price Continuity Rules and Insider Trading

Restrictions on transaction price changes are a feature of many security markets. This paper analyzes the impact of such price continuity rules on price dynamics and examines possible rationales for their existence. Contrary to popular belief, continuity rules need not reduce price efficiency, although they do result in a redistribution of profits among traders and dealers.- Indeed, continuity rules may enhance price efficiency because traders have greater incentives to gather costly information. We provide a new rationale for continuity rules besides the stated objective of stabilizing prices. In particular, we show that continuity requirements act to restrict dealers' expected profits from trading with liquidity traders. The results provide insights into the design of an "optimal" continuity rule.
An upper bound on the number of planar K -sets

Given a setS ofn points, a subsetX of sizek is called ak-set if there is a hyperplane ? that separatesX fromS?X. We prove thatO(n?k/log*k) is an upper bound for the number ofk-sets in the plane, thus improving the previous bound of Erdos, Lovasz, Simmons, and Strauss by a factor of log*k.
Aldol condensation of 6‐alkoxy‐2,2‐dimethylchroman‐4‐ones with substituted benzaldehydes using tetramethylorthosilicate and potassium fluoride

The aldol condensation of 6-alkoxy-2,2-dimethylchromanones 1 or 2 with substituted benzaldehydes in the presence of tetramethylorthosilicate and potassium fluoride affords 6-alkoxy-3-benzylidene-2,2-dimethylchromanones 5-10 while other conventional methods were unsuccessful.
Effect of wind-tunnel walls on airfoil droplet impingement

A two-dimensiona l computer code, capable of modeling wind-tunnel walls, was written to calculate the impingement of water droplets on an airfoil in an incompressible, inviscid flow. The calculated flowfield was validated by comparison to standard wind-tunnel wall correction methods. When run without the walls present, the calculated droplet impingement compared well to a free-air code. Once validated, the code was run for an NAG A 4412 at several angles of attack, tunnel heights, and modified inertia parameters. The effect that the tunnel walls had on the local impingement efficiency and the total collection efficiency was examined. Additionally, changes in the limits of impingement and changes in the origin of tangent trajectories are discussed with applications to icing tunnel testing. The effects of the walls are found to be small for reasonable tunnel height-to-chord ratios due to canceling near- and far-field aerodynamic effects on the droplet. The effect on total collection efficiency changes sign when droplet diameter (modified inertia parameter) is increased due to a change in the relative importance of droplet inertia and drag. CD = E = Fr = g = H = h — K = K(} = Rtl = S =
Behavioral simulation for analog system design verification

Synthesis of analog circuits is an emergent field, with efforts focused at the cell level. With the growing trend of mixed ASIC designs that contain significant portions of analog sections, compatible design methodologies in the analog domain are necessary to complement those in the digital domain. The synthesis process requires an associated verification process to ensure that the designs meet performance specifications at the onset. In this paper we present a behavioral simulation methodology for analog system design verification and design space exploration. The verification task integrates with analog system-level synthesis for an integrated synthesis-verification process that avoids expensive post synthesis simulation by invoking external simulators. Thus rapid redesign at the architectural level can be undertaken for design parameter variation and during optimization. The verification suite is composed of a repertoire of analysis modes that include time and frequency domain analysis, sensitivity analysis and distortion analysis. Besides verification of design specifications, these analysis modes are also used to generate metrics for comparison of various architectural choices that could realize a given set of specifications. The implementation is in the form of a behavioral simulator, ARCHSIM. >
How to Write a Great Business Plan

Every seasoned investor knows that detailed financial projections for a new company are an act of imagination. Nevertheless, most business plans pour far too much ink on the numbers - and far too little on the information that really matters. Why? William Sahlman suggests that a great business plan is one that focuses on a series of questions. These questions relate to the four factors critical to the success of every new venture: the people, the opportunity, the context, and the possibilities for both risk and reward. The questions about people revolve around three issues: What do they know? Whom do they know? and How well are they known? As for opportunity, the plan should focus on two questions: Is the market for the venture's product or service large or rapidly growing (or preferably both)? and Is the industry structurally attractive? Then, in addition to demonstrating an understanding of the context in which their venture will operate, entrepreneurs should make clear how they will respond when that context inevitably changes. Finally, the plan should look unflinchingly at the risks the new venture faces, giving would-be backers a realistic idea of what magnitude of reward they can expect and when they can expect it. A great business plan is not easy to compose, Sahlman acknowledges, largely because most entrepreneurs are wild-eyed optimists. But one that asks the right questions is a powerful tool. A better deal, not to mention a better shot at success, awaits entrepreneurs who use it.
Two-dimensional organization of [ZnGe3S9(H2O)]4− supertetrahedral clusters templated by a metal complex

Under the structure-directing effect of a metal complex formed in situ, supertetrahedral [ZnGe3S6(H2O)(S3)1/2]1− clusters alternate with tetrahedral Zn(H2O)(S3)1/21− units to form a two-dimensional wide bandgap semiconductor that shows photocatalytic activity for H2 production from aqueous solution.
Constraints on the excitations in the Strongly Coupled Standard Model

The strongly coupled standard model predicts a rich spectrum of excited states at the Fermi scale. We study the first radial excitations of the vector-bosons. The inclusion of these new states affects the low-energy phenomenology of the model. We put constraints on the effective couplings by performing a global fit with the electroweak observables, and we find that the excitations have to be rather decoupled from the low-energy states.
Assessment of precipitation anomalies in California using TRMM and MERRA data

Using modern satellite (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, TRMM, 1998–2014) and reanalysis (Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, MERRA, 1979–2015) data, we reassess certain aspects of the precipitation climate in California from the past decades. California has a well-pronounced rain season that peaks in December–February. However, the 95% confidence interval around the climatological precipitation during these months imply that deviations on the order of 60% of the expected amounts are very likely during the most important period of the rain season. While these positive and negative anomalies alternate almost every year and tend to cancel each other, severe multiyear declines of precipitation in California appear on decadal scales. The 1986–1994 decline of precipitation was similar to the current one that started in 2011 and is apparent in the reanalysis data. In terms of accumulated deficits of precipitation, that episode was no less severe than the current one. While El Nino (the warm phase of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation, ENSO) is frequently cited as the natural forcing expected to bring a relief from drought, our assessment is that ENSO has been driving at best only 6% of precipitation variability in California in the past three decades. Using fractional risk analysis of precipitation during typical versus drying periods, we show that the likelihood of losing the most intensive precipitation events drastically increases during the multiyear drying events. Storms delivering up to 50% of the precipitation in California are driven by atmospheric rivers making landfall. However, these phenomena can be suppressed and even blocked by persistent ridges of atmospheric pressure in the northeast Pacific. The reanalysis and satellite data are proven to be reliable to the extent where they yield information on developing conditions and observed precipitation anomalies.
Infrared Radiative Properties of Submicron Metallic Slit Arrays

Submicron metallic slit arrays with different geometry were designed and fabricated on silicon substrates. Their infrared radiative properties (transmittance, reflectance, and absorptance) were investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The normal transmittance of three fabricated Au slit arrays was measured at wavelengths between 2 μm and 15 μm using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. The experimental results were compared to the values calculated from the rigorous coupled-wave analysis. The applicability of the effective medium theory for modeling radiative properties was also examined. The agreement between the measurement and modeling results demonstrates the feasibility of quantitative tuning of the radiative properties by employing periodic micro/nanostructures.
Historical origins of the Geological Society's Journal

Abstract The Geological Society9s Transactions , its earliest periodical (from 1811), published the full texts of a few selected papers, with fine illustrations, but generally long after they had been read at one of the meetings. Conversely, the Proceedings (from 1826) recorded all the papers soon after they had been delivered, but only in abstract and without illustrations. The launching of the Quarterly Journal (1845) was an attempt to combine the advantages and eliminate the disadvantages of the earlier periodicals. After a shaky start, it proved highly successful through the rest of the nineteenth century and much of the twentieth, and was the direct forerunner of today9s Journal .
Economics of network pricing with multiple ISPs

In this paper, we examine how transit and customer prices and quality of service are set in a network consisting of multiple ISPs. Some ISPs may face an identical set of circumstances in terms of potential customer pool and running costs. We examine the existence of equilibrium strategies in this situation and show how positive profit can be achieved using threat strategies with multiple qualities of service. It is shown that if the number of ISPs competing for the same customers is large then it can lead to price wars. ISPs that are not co-located may not directly compete for users, but are nevertheless involved in a non-cooperative game of setting access and transit prices for each other. They are linked economically through a sequence of providers forming a hierarchy, and we study their interaction by considering a multi-stage game. We also consider the economics of private exchange points and show that their viability depends on fundamental limits on the demand and cost.
Future of multiple-e-beam direct-write systems

The crossover of high-speed digital electronics, MEMS, and cost reduction presents an exciting opportunity to extend optical lithography with multiple e-beam direct write systems. Massive parallelism overcomes the throughput limitation of e-beam direct write systems. Many innovative concepts on multiple e-beam imaging have been conceived and are being developed for various applications, such as maskwriting, prototyping, writing critical layers in high volume manufacturing (HVM), and writing all layers in HVM. MEB DW systems are capable to do all of the above. For maskwriting, the writing time can be saved by between a factor of 5 and 10 but it takes similar efforts to develop the maskwriting technology as direct wafer writing. There is insufficient demand for maskwriting and prototyping tools to warrant the development efforts. Writing critical layers in HVM makes economic sense for wafer production and makes economic sense to develop the imaging tool. However, using MEB DW for critical and non-critical layers, especially for 450-mm wafers, presents a unique opportunity to save lithography cost for the 450-mm wafer technology. This is the most desirable application for MEB DW. Once this application is established, all other applications easily follow.
Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change☆☆☆

The present article presents an integrative theoretical framework to explain and to predict psychological changes achieved by different modes of treatment. This theory states that psychological procedures, whatever their form, alter the level and strength of self-efficacy. It is hypothesized that expectations of personal efficacy determine whether coping behavior will be initiated, how much effort will be expended, and how long it will be sustained in the face of obstacles and aversive experiences. Persistence in activities that are subjectively threatening but in fact relatively safe produces, through experiences of mastery, further enhancement of self-efficacy and corresponding reductions in defensive behavior. In the proposed model, expectations of personal efficacy are derived from four principal sources of information: performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and physiological states. The more dependable the experiential sources, the greater are the changes in perceived selfefficacy. A number of factors are identified as influencing the cognitive processing of efficacy information arising from enactive, vicarious, exhortative, and emotive sources. The differential power of diverse therapeutic procedures is analyzed in terms of the postulated cognitive mechanism of operation. Findings are reported from microanalyses of enactive, vicarious, and emotive modes of treatment that support the hypothesized relationship between perceived self-efficacy and behavioral changes. Possible directions for further research are discussed.
Organizational capacity for change in health care: Development and validation of a scale

Background We do not have a strong understanding of a health care organization's capacity for attempting and completing multiple and sometimes competing change initiatives. Capacity for change implementation is a critical success factor as the health care industry is faced with ongoing demands for change and transformation because of technological advances, market forces, and regulatory environment. Purpose The aim of this study was to develop and validate a tool to measure health care organizations' capacity to change by building upon previous conceptualizations of absorptive capacity and organizational readiness for change. Methodology/approach A multistep process was used to develop the organizational capacity for change survey. The survey was sent to two populations requesting answers to questions about the organization's leadership, culture, and technologies in use throughout the organization. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to validate the survey as a measurement tool for organizational capacity for change in the health care setting. Findings The resulting organizational capacity for change measurement tool proves to be a valid and reliable method of evaluating a hospital's capacity for change through the measurement of the population's perceptions related to leadership, culture, and organizational technologies. Practical implications The organizational capacity for change measurement tool can help health care managers and leaders evaluate the capacity of employees, departments, and teams for change before large-scale implementation.
Multi-image Matching via Fast Alternating Minimization

In this paper we propose a global optimization-based approach to jointly matching a set of images. The estimated correspondences simultaneously maximize pairwise feature affinities and cycle consistency across multiple images. Unlike previous convex methods relying on semidefinite programming, we formulate the problem as a low-rank matrix recovery problem and show that the desired semidefiniteness of a solution can be spontaneously fulfilled. The low-rank formulation enables us to derive a fast alternating minimization algorithm in order to handle practical problems with thousands of features. Both simulation and real experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can achieve a competitive performance with an order of magnitude speedup compared to the state-of-the-art algorithm. In the end, we demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method to match the images of different object instances and as a result the potential to reconstruct category-specific object models from those images.
Chlamydia muridarum infection of macrophages elicits bactericidal nitric oxide production via reactive oxygen species and cathepsin B

The ability of certain species of Chlamydia to inhibit the biogenesis of phagolysosomes permits their survival and replication within macrophages. The survival of macrophage-adapted chlamydiae correlates with the multiplicity of infection (MOI), and optimal chlamydial growth occurs in macrophages infected at an MOI of ≤1. In this study, we examined the replicative capacity of Chlamydia muridarum in the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line at different MOIs. C. muridarum productively infected these macrophages at low MOIs but yielded few viable elementary bodies (EBs) when macrophages were infected at a moderate (10) or high (100) MOI. While high MOIs caused cytotoxicity and irreversible host cell death, macrophages infected at a moderate MOI did not show signs of cytotoxicity until late in the infectious cycle. Inhibition of host protein synthesis rescued C. muridarum in macrophages infected at a moderate MOI, implying that chlamydial growth was blocked by activated defense mechanisms. Conditioned medium from these macrophages was antichlamydial and contained elevated levels of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, and beta interferon (IFN-β). Macrophage activation depended on Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling, and cytokine production required live, transcriptionally active chlamydiae. A hydroxyl radical scavenger and inhibitors of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cathepsin B also reversed chlamydial killing. High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) led to an increase in cathepsin B activity, and pharmacological inhibition of ROS and cathepsin B reduced iNOS expression. Our data demonstrate that MOI-dependent TLR2 activation of macrophages results in iNOS induction via a novel ROS- and cathepsin-dependent mechanism to facilitate C. muridarum clearance.
Ordering of Copper Single‐Crystal Surfaces in Solution Confirmation by Low Energy Electron Diffraction

In situ restoration of crystalline order has been achieved on Cu(100) electrodes purposefully disordered by oxidation or ion bombardment. An ordered surface has also been produced on a fresh, mechanically polished Cu(100) electrode, without ion bombardment or annealing. Ordering in the above cases was achieved by chemical and electrochemical etching in an instrument which combines ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) surface analytical techniques with an antechamber for running electrochemical experiments. Verification of surface order was performed by low‐energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), whereas surface elemental analysis was performed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). A LEED pattern was obtained when Cu(100) crystals, whose surfaces had been disordered by ion bombardment or oxidation, were immersed in . The same pattern was obtained when a freshly polished Cu(100) surface was immersed in concentrated etch solution (, , ), although this surface showed a lower degree of order. An indication of the morphology necessary to produce LEED patterns was provided by STM and SEM.
Subwavelength plasmonic waveguide structures based on slots in thin metal films

We demonstrate the existence of a bound optical mode supported by a slot in a thin metallic film deposited on a substrate, with slot dimensions much smaller than the wavelength.
Assessing Time-Varying Causal Effect Moderation in Mobile Health

In mobile health interventions aimed at behavior change and maintenance, treatments are provided in real time to manage current or impending high-risk situations or promote healthy behaviors in nea...
Unveiling Inherent Degeneracies in Determining Population-Weighted Ensembles of Interdomain Orientational Distributions Using NMR Residual Dipolar Couplings: Application to RNA Helix Junction Helix Motifs.

A growing number of studies employ time-averaged experimental data to determine dynamic ensembles of biomolecules. While it is well-known that different ensembles can satisfy experimental data to within error, the extent and nature of these degeneracies, and their impact on the accuracy of the ensemble determination remains poorly understood. Here, we use simulations and a recently introduced metric for assessing ensemble similarity to explore degeneracies in determining ensembles using NMR residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) with specific application to A-form helices in RNA. Various target ensembles were constructed representing different domain–domain orientational distributions that are confined to a topologically restricted (<10%) conformational space. Five independent sets of ensemble averaged RDCs were then computed for each target ensemble and a “sample and select” scheme used to identify degenerate ensembles that satisfy RDCs to within experimental uncertainty. We find that ensembles with different...
Self-diffusiophoretic colloidal propulsion near a solid boundary

Self-propelled, chemically powered colloidal locomotors are swimmers designed to transverse small scale landscapes in a range of applications involving micropumping, sensing, and cargo transport. Although applications can require precise navigation and onboard steering mechanisms, here we examine by calculation how locomotors through their hydrodynamic interaction can navigate along a boundary. We adopt an engine model consisting of a spherical Janus colloid coated with a symmetrical catalyst cap, which converts fuel into a product solute. The solute is repelled from the colloid through a repulsive interaction, which occurs over a distance much smaller than the swimmer radius. Within this thin interaction layer, a concentration difference develops along the surface, which generates a pressure gradient as pressure balances the interaction force of the solute with the surface. The pressure gradient drives a slip flow towards the high concentration, which propels the particle oppositely, away from product accumulation (self-diffusiophoresis). To study boundary guidance, the motion near an infinite no-slip planar wall that does not adsorb solute is obtained by analytical solution of the solute conservation and the Stokes equations using bispherical coordinates. Several regimes of boundary interaction unfold: When the colloid is oriented with its cap axisymmetrically facing the wall, it is repelled by the accumulation of solute in the gap between the swimmer and the wall. With the cap opposite to the wall, the swimmer moves towards the wall by the repulsion from the solute accumulating on the cap side, but very large caps accumulate solute in the gap, and the motor stops. For oblique approach with the cap opposite to the wall and small cap sizes, the swimmer is driven to the wall by accumulation on the cap side, but rotates as it approaches the wall, and eventually scatters as the cap reorients and faces the wall. For a swimmer approaching obliquely with a larger cap (again facing away from the wall), boundary navigation results as the accumulation of product in the gap suppresses rotation and provides a normal force, which directs the swimmer to skim along the surface at a fixed distance and orientation or to become stationary. We also demonstrate how gravity can force transitions between skimming and stationary states.
Hydroxyl-Directed Cross-Coupling: A Scalable Synthesis of Debromohamigeran E and Other Targets of Interest

A hydroxyl functional group positioned β to a pinacol boronate can serve to direct palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. This feature can be used to control the reaction site in multiply borylated substrates and can activate boronates for reaction that would otherwise be unreactive.
High intensity sweeteners chemicals structure, properties and applications

High Intense-sweeteners (HIS) are commonly used as a sugar substitutes or sugar alternatives and provide sweet without calories. HIS are in high demands due to its multiple advantages including assisting people in losing weight or avoiding obesity and assisting diabetics to control their blood sugar level. The first known intense-sweetener is Saccharine that was discovered in the year 1878. Since then scientists discovered several other intensive sweeteners that are sweater than sucrose with zero calorie. Some discovered sweeteners are Plants extract (Stevoil glycosides, and Mogrosides), semi-synthetic peptides (Aspartame, Neotame, and sucralose), and synthetic chemicals. (Saccharine, Acesulfame-K, and Cyclamate). These High intensive sweeteners have been approved as safe for applications [1] in foods, beverages, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals products by Food and Drug administration (FDA) [2] in United States and by other similar agencies in other countries [3] . The levels of these non-nutritive high intensive sweeteners used in foods, beverages, dietary supplements, and pharmaceutical products are based on the approved daily intake (ADI) by FDA and by other safety authorities worldwide. This ADI level is 100 fold lower than the safe dose demonstrated in laboratory studies. It is estimated that the global demand of HIS is exceeding 9.0 billion dollars and growing. The only HIS that is declining in global market is the old discovered sweetener Saccharine.
Tax Effort as an Indicator of Fiscal Stress

The most visible credit market measure of the fiscal health of a municipality is the credit rating. In this article we ask whether the credit rating fully incorporates the fiscal stresses faced by ...
STILL “SAVING BABIES”? THE IMPACT OF CHILD MEDICAID EXPANSIONS ON HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION RATES

Precipitated by the legislative decision to decouple child Medicaid benefits from welfare receipt, the number of young children qualifying for public health insurance grew markedly throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. From a baseline of roughly 15% in the average state at the beginning of the decade, the rate increased to more than 40% of all young children in the United States by the time all federal mandates were fully enacted in 1992. This paper extends the academic literature examining early childhood investments and longer-term human capital measures by exploring whether public health insurance expansions to low-income children led to a greater number of high school completers in the 2000s. Building on the literature that uses the generosity of a state’s Medicaid program as a time-varying, exogenous source of variation in a quasi-experimental design, I find a positive and statistically significant relationship between Medicaid eligibility during early childhood – defined as conception through age 5 – and longer-term high school completion rates. Completion is examined in two forms: the dropout rate and the traditional four-year high school graduation rate. Intent-to-treat estimates range from a 1.9 to 2.5 percentage point (pp) decrease in the dropout rate for each 10 pp increase in early childhood years covered by the state-level Medicaid program. The same 10 pp increase in child Medicaid program generosity reveals increases of 1.0 to 1.3 pp when applied to graduation rates, indicating that completion gains are propelled by increases in traditional diplomas. Furthermore, results appear to be driven by Hispanics and white students, the two groups which experienced the greatest within-group eligibility increases due to the decoupling of child Medicaid from the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program.
Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Bioplastic Plant Containers: An Experimental Auction Approach

Abstract: Weinvestigateconsumers’willingnesstopayfornovelbioplasticplantcontainersthatarebio-basedandbiodegradable. Todetermineconsumers’willingnesstopay,weconductexperi-mentalauctionsinamarketenvironmentinwhichpeoplearelikelytopurchaseplantsintraditionalplasticpots. Wefindconsumersarewillingtopayapremiumof$0.67–$1.14forabioplasticplantcontainer.Consumersexhibithigherwillingnesstopayforcontainersthatbiodegradequicklyinthegroundandhaveafertilizereffect. Wefindthatolderconsumersandconsumerswhopracticeenvi-ronmentallyfriendlybehaviorhaveahigherwillingnesstopay. Theseresultssuggestthatbioplasticplantcontainerscansubstantiallyincreasehorticulturalproducers’profits;thecontainersareeasilyincorporatedintoexistingproductionsystems,andconsumerswillpayasubstantialpremium. Thehorticulturalspecialtycropindustry,whichgenerates$11billioninsalesan-nually in the U.S., grows the vast majority of their plants in petroleum-based plas-ticplantcontainers(pots)thatarediscardedafterasingleuse(NationalAgriculturalStatisticsService2009). Ultravioletlightdegradation,pesticideresidue,andembed-ded soil/growing media, which potentially contains pathogens, make the pots un-reusableandun-recyclable(C.R.Halletal.2010).Eachyearover4billionplasticcon-tainersareused,andninety-eightpercentofthem—1.6billionpoundsofpetroleum-basedplastics—endupinlandfills(Schrader2013).Research has shown that consumers who are concerned about sustainable agri-culture will pay a premium for bio-based containers constructed from compressednatural fiber, such as rice hulls, straw, poultry feathers, peat moss, cow manure, orcoconut coir (C. R. Hall et al. 2010; Yue, Hall, Behe, Campbell, Dennis, et al. 2010;Yue,Hall,Behe,Campbell,Lopez,etal.2010;Ingrametal.2015). Duetoincompat-ibilitywithcurrentgrowingpractices, themarginalcostofusingpressed-fiberpots,however,couldbehigherthanconsumers’willingnesstopay(Connewayetal.2015;Evansetal.2015;Sunetal.2015;Nambuthiri,Fulcher,etal.2015). Thusgrowersarereluctanttoadoptthenewtechnologybecauseoftherisksanduncertaintyinvolved(T.J.Halletal.2009;Dennisetal.2010).
Tweeting Fast Matters, But Only if I Think About It: Information Updates on Social Media

Social media have emerged as increasingly important sources through which the public seeks information concerning crises or risks. Despite this increased dependence, little is known about the psychological processes associated with perceptions of source credibility or the desire to seek additional information related to the risk. The current study investigates the role of speed of updates in credibility perceptions and information seeking using Twitter. The results do not provide evidence of a direct relationship between update speed and the outcomes under consideration. They do, however, consistently support a mediation model in which cognitive elaboration mediates the relationship between update speed and perceptions of sender competence, goodwill, trustworthiness, and reader (follower/audience/rater/target) desire for additional information. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications and applied use.
Client-CASH: Protecting Master Passwords against Offline Attacks

Offline attacks on passwords are increasingly commonplace and dangerous. An offline adversary is limited only by the amount of computational resources he or she is willing to invest to crack a user's password. The danger is compounded by the existence of authentication servers who fail to adopt proper password storage practices like key-stretching. Password managers can help mitigate these risks by adopting key stretching procedures like hash iteration or memory hard functions to derive site specific passwords from the user's master password on the client-side. While key stretching can reduce the offline adversary's success rate, these procedures also increase computational costs for a legitimate user. Motivated by the observation that most of the password guesses of the offline adversary will be incorrect, we propose a client side cost asymmetric secure hashing scheme (clientcash). clientcash~randomizes the runtime of client-side key stretching procedure in a way that the expected computational cost of our key derivation function is greater when run with an incorrect master password. We make several contributions. First, we show how to introduce randomness into a client-side key stretching algorithms through the use of halting predicates which are selected randomly at the time of account creation. Second, we formalize the problem of finding the optimal running time distribution subject to certain cost constraints for the client and certain security constrains on the halting predicates. Finally, we demonstrate that Client-CASH can reduce the adversary's success rate by up to 21%. These results demonstrate the promise of the Client-CASH mechanism.
Extension of a proof of the Ramanujan congruences for multipartitions

Recently Lachterman, Schayer, and Younger published an elegant proof of the Ramanujan congruences for the partition function p(n). Their proof uses only the classical theory of modular forms as well as a beautiful result of Choie, Kohnen, and Ono, without the need for Hecke operators. In this paper, we give a method for generalizing Lachterman, Schayer, and Younger’s proof to include Ramanujan congruences for multipartition functions \(p_k(n)\) and Ramanujan congruences for p(n) modulo certain prime powers.
The labor supply of fixed-wage workers: Estimates from a real effort experiment☆

Abstract Fixed-wage workers comprise the bulk of the labor force and yet little is known about how they respond to changes in their wage. Given recent interest in theories of reciprocity and intrinsic motivation and their implications for effort provision, the neoclassical prediction seems less obvious today. To better understand the motivation of these workers, I estimate their labor supply using a real effort experiment. Two results stand out. First, no one theory seems to fit the pooled data. On average, people work considerably harder than the minimum but they do not respond to changes in the wage. Second, pooling the data is deceptive because there seem to be distinct types with differing responses to the wage. Most workers can be classified as reciprocal or intrinsically motivated and, indeed, these types respond as theory would predict: reciprocators return wage gifts with increased effort and extrinsic incentives crowd out motivation for intrinsic workers.
Onset, timing, and exposure therapy of stress disorders: mechanistic insight from a mathematical model of oscillating neuroendocrine dynamics

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a neuroendocrine system that regulates numerous physiological processes. Disruptions in the activity of the HPA axis are correlated with stress-related diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder. In this paper, we characterize “normal” and “diseased” states of the HPA axis as basins of attraction of a dynamical system describing the inhibition of peptide hormones such as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by circulating glucocorticoids such as cortisol (CORT). In addition to including key physiological features such as ultradian oscillations in cortisol levels and self-upregulation of CRH neuron activity, our model distinguishes the relatively slow process of cortisol-mediated CRH biosynthesis from rapid trans-synaptic effects that regulate the CRH secretion process. We show that the slow component of the negative feedback allows external stress-induced reversible transitions between “normal” and “diseased” states in novel intensity-, duration-, and timing-dependent ways. Our two-step negative feedback model suggests a mechanism whereby exposure therapy of stress disorders such as PTSD may act to normalize downstream dysregulation of the HPA axis. Our analysis provides a causative rationale for improving treatments and guiding the design of new protocols. This article was reviewed by Dr. Daniel Coombs, Dr. Yang Kuang, and Dr. Ha Youn Lee.
Large-volume data delivery from low-Earth orbit to ground using efficient single-mode optical receivers

Space systems operating in low-Earth orbit are often constrained by how much data can be delivered from space to ground. Traditional data delivery approaches are often limited by either large link losses associated with transmission via a geosynchronous relay satellite or short contact times and spectrum-constrained data rates associated with direct-to-Earth radio-frequency links. Direct-to-Earth optical communication links from low-Earth orbit based on fiber telecommunications technologies that can operate at high data rates (> 100 Gb/s per wavelength channel) can enable the delivery of extremely large volumes of data from space to ground. We analyze the performance of such systems and discuss the performance gains that are enabled by coupling the received signal to an efficient single-mode-fiber-based receiver, even in the presence of turbulence-induced losses.
International Association for Education in Ethics (IAEE)

In April 2011 the International Association for Education in Ethics was officially established. At the initiative of UNESCO, a group of international scholars in ethics education created this global platform for exchange of experiences in the teaching of ethics. The Secretariat is established at the Center for Healthcare Ethics, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, USA (www.ethicsassociation.org). Teaching ethics has a special significance at the global level and addresses a variety of different perspectives providing new insights into ethics from various cultural experiences from around the world. However, exchange of these experiences with education at the global level has been virtually non-existent. Thus, establishing a platform to promote education in ethics at a global scale is an exciting new initiative. The goals of IAEE are to exchange and analyze experiences with the teaching of ethics in various educational settings, to promote the development of knowledge and methods of ethics education, to function as a global centre of contact for experts in this field, to promote contacts between members from countries around the world and to enhance and expand the teaching of ethics at national, regional and international levels. The IAEE will be organizing international conferences and other scholarly meetings. International conferences have taken place in Pittsburgh, USA (2012), Ankara, Turkey (2014) and Curitiba, Brazil (2015). Next conferences are scheduled for Spain (May 2016) and India (2017). Conferences will feature keynote lectures from experts and parallel sessions regarding a wide variety of fields. These fields of study include: bioethics, medical ethics, nursing ethics, pharmacy ethics, dental ethics, science ethics, engineering ethics, philosophical ethics, religious ethics and business ethics. Those who are interested in becoming members of the International Association for Education in Ethics or would like to attend its annual conferences should visit www. ethicsassociation.org. Beginning in 2016, the IAEE will publish a journal: the International Journal of Ethics Education (Springer Publishers). Subscription to the journal will be included in the IAEE membership fee. See: http://www.springer.com/ social?sciences/applied?ethics/journal/40889. Registration for IAEE membership: https://ethicsasso ciation.org/
Transgenerational latent early-life associated regulation unites environment and genetics across generations

The origin of idiopathic diseases is still poorly understood. The latent early-life associated regulation (LEARn) model unites environmental exposures and gene expression while providing a mechanistic underpinning for later-occurring disorders. We propose that this process can occur across generations via transgenerational LEARn (tLEARn). In tLEARn, each person is a 'unit' accumulating preclinical or subclinical 'hits' as in the original LEARn model. These changes can then be epigenomically passed along to offspring. Transgenerational accumulation of 'hits' determines a sporadic disease state. Few significant transgenerational hits would accompany conception or gestation of most people, but these may suffice to 'prime' someone to respond to later-life hits. Hits need not produce symptoms or microphenotypes to have a transgenerational effect. Testing tLEARn requires longitudinal approaches. A recently proposed longitudinal epigenome/envirome-wide association study would unite genetic sequence, epigenomic markers, environmental exposures, patient personal history taken at multiple time points and family history.