cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metastability and Glassy Behavior of a Driven Flux-Line Lattice.

Strong metastability and history dependence are observed in dc and pulsed transport studies of fluxline lattices in 2H-NbSe 2, leading to the identification of two distinct states of the lattice with different spatial ordering. The metastability is most pronounced upon crossing a transition line marked by a large jump in the critical current (the peak effect). Current-induced annealing of the metastable state towards the stable state is observed with a strongly current dependent annealing time, which diverges as a threshold current is approached from above. [S0031-9007(96)01054-X] In the absence of disorder the physics of a magnetic flux-line lattice (FLL) is governed by the interplay between thermal fluctuations, which favor melting, and interactions, that lead to ordering. The resulting phase diagram consists of a liquid and a solid phase with relatively simple dynamics. Quenched disorder causes the system to develop additional phases and complex dynamic effects such as pinning and irreversibility in the magnetic and electric responses. The role played by disorder and pinning in the physics of FLL in equilibrium has recently become an area of intense study [1,2]. A related but distinct topic of current interest concerns the role of motion on the spatial ordering of the FLL, the resulting dynamical transitions or crossovers that may occur, and the relation they bear to the disorder free situation [3‐7]. In this Letter we report on the existence of two distinct states of the FLL, one disordered, the other much less disordered (hereafter referred to as the ordered state), with strikingly large differences between their transport properties. As a result, the system displays a wide range of phenomena such as history dependence, metastability, current-induced annealing, and glassy relaxation. Each of these states is stable in its own sharply defined region of the (H, T ) plane and metastable elsewhere, and each can be accessed with a simple reproducible procedure. Our experiments show directly that the metastable state can be annealed into the “equilibrium” state by applying a current that depins the FLL. The annealing kinetics is found to be strongly current dependent, with the annealing time diverging as the depinning current is approached from above. The variation of these phenomena with field, temperature, and driving current provides direct access to the interplay between static and dynamic transitions and can elucidate the role of disorder in different parts of the FLL phase diagram. Our results can also be used to interpret the rich and complex history dependence studied earlier in low Tc superconducting films [8,9].
Robust Tensor Decomposition with Gross Corruption

In this paper, we study the statistical performance of robust tensor decomposition with gross corruption. The observations are noisy realization of the superposition of a low-rank tensor W* and an entrywise sparse corruption tensor V*. Unlike conventional noise with bounded variance in previous convex tensor decomposition analysis, the magnitude of the gross corruption can be arbitrary large. We show that under certain conditions, the true low-rank tensor as well as the sparse corruption tensor can be recovered simultaneously. Our theory yields nonasymptotic Frobenius-norm estimation error bounds for each tensor separately. We show through numerical experiments that our theory can precisely predict the scaling behavior in practice.
The Efficacy of Alefacept in the Treatment of Chronic Plaque Psoriasis

With the completion of several phase 2 and phase 3 clinical studies, the efficacy and tolerability of alefacept in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis is now well studied. The majority of patients treated with a single course of intravenous or intramuscular alefacept experienced a clinically meaningful response. The efficacy of alefacept correlated with its ability to selectively target and reduce the number of pathogenic memory T cells. A second course of alefacept resulted in further clinical improvement, with increasing response rates and prolonged response duration following treatment cessation. Subpopulation analyses demonstrated that alefacept is effective in a broad spectrum of patients with psoriasis, regardless of disease severity, history of and response to prior antipsoriatic treatment, or whether patients are refractory to or have contraindications to other systemic psoriasis therapies or phototherapy.
Internet Fantasy Violence: A Test of Aggression in an Online Game

Research on violent video games suggests that play leads to aggressive behavior. A longitudinal study of an online violent video game with a control group tested for changes in aggressive cognitions and behaviors. The findings did not support the assertion that a violent game will cause substantial increases in real-world aggression. The findings are presented and discussed, along with their implications for research and policy.
Land, Power, And Dependency along the Gambia River, Late Eighteenth to Early Nineteenth Centuries

The role of power over people and over land is an important issue in West Africa, with important implications for relationships between commoners and elites. Along with conquest, slave raiding, marriage, and procreation, control over land has enhanced the ability of chiefs and other elites to gain control over people, thus increasing their production and reinforcing social hierarchy and centralization of power. This article utilizes oral evidence and European documentary sources to examine the importance of the concept of "wealth-in-people" for understanding the significance of land in African societies. By focusing on the Gambia region, where both paddy and upland rice farming were practiced in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the article contributes empirical observations to support the argument that control over both land and people played a central role in the accumulation of wealth in many African societies. Resume: Le role du pouvoir sur les gens et sur la terre est une question importante en Afrique de l'ouest, ayant des implications decisives pour les relations entre les roturiers et les elites. Avec la conquete coloniale, les raids d'esclaves, les traditions du mariage, la procreation, le controle des terres a renforce la capacite des chefs et des autres elites a prendre le controle sur les gens, augmentant ainsi leur production et renforcant la hierarchie sociale existante et la centralisation du pouvoir. Cet article utilise des preuves provenant de la tradition orale et des sources de documentaires europeens pour examiner l'importance de la notion de "richesse en peuple" afin de comprendre la signification du role joue par le controle des terres dans les societes africaines. En se concentrant sur la region de la Gambie, ou la culture du riz en
X-ray studies of reactions in organic solids

ABSTRACT Correlations of the chemical structures of products from organic solid state reactions with the molecular packing in the reactant crystal structures define the extent of lattice restraints on molecular motion before and during reaction. The molecular behaviour after the chemical transition state can be inferred from comparisons of the molecular orientations in the initial and final phases. The formation of preferentially oriented product phases suggests that highly specific geometrical mechanisms are operative but additional criteria are needed to establish a direct correspondence between specific reactant and product molecules. Observable intermediate mesomorphic phases are particularly useful in defining the directions in which crystallographic order is not preserved. Several studies of hydrolysis, isomerization and polymerization reactions suggest surprisingly large molecular migrations and conformational changes may occur without randomizing the total distribution of product molecules. Competing and consecutive transformations often give rise to several simultaneously present and mutually oriented product phases and, in some cases, large molecular moieties of the initial structure do not appear in any of the final ordered phases. Novel twinning frequently is observed when degenerate transformation mechanisms give rise to several preferred orientations of product structures which cannot reorganize to form a single phase of long-range order. While the short-range molecular arrangement in the oriented product phase usually is identical with that produced during conventional crystallizations, exceptions may be found in the formation of chemically unstable molecular structures or metastable polymorphs of the product phase.
In vivo differentiation of N-acetyl aspartyl glutamate from N-acetyl aspartate at 3 Tesla.

A method is described that allows the in vivo differentiation of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) from N-acetyl aspartyl glutamate (NAAG) by in vivo MR spectroscopy (MRS) at 3 Tesla (3T). The method, which is based on MEGA-point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) editing, selectively targets the aspartyl spin system of one species while deliberately removing the other species from the spectrum. This allows quantitative measurements of NAA and NAAG without the need for fitting of unresolved peaks. White matter concentrations of NAA (6.7 0.3 mM) and NAAG (2.2 0.3 mM) were measured in 10 healthy volunteers to demonstrate the method. Magn Reson Med 57:977–982, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Principled moral outrage: an antidote to moral distress?

Moral distress is the pain or anguish affecting the mind, body or relationships in response to a situation in which the person is aware of a moral problem, acknowl-edges moral responsibility, and makes a moral judgment about the correct action; yet, as a result of real or perceived constraints, participates in perceived moral wrongdoing. 1 (p421)
Taking a Risk: Wound-Readers: Derrida and Frankenstein’s Monster

I would like to discuss a late essay by Jacques Derrida, in which Derrida ventures into the hermeneutic tradition...to read a poem by Paul Celan. In this essay ["Rams"], published in 2003, it is interesting to see how perhaps the greatest philosophical enemy of the hermeneutic tradition and interpretation textually invites Hans-Georg Gadamer...to form part of his “reading expedition.” Derrida simultaneously invites and rejects the hermeneutic tradition into his work, in the configuration of what remains a very rare text in his corpus of work... As the bad, or counter, example of reading against interpretation I take the Monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The monster reads various texts in his hovel (Goethe, Milton, Plutarch) and he is incapable of distancing himself from the characters in the books he reads. I argue that it is this lack of interpretation that enacts the violence of the text. The monster is also the metaphor of a big wound patched together.
Comparison of the clinical heel rise test in subjects with Stage II PTTD and healthy controls

The heel rise test is commonly used as a strength test for the triceps surea muscle group but has also become widely used as a functional task to aid in the diagnosis of Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD) [1,2]. Although failure to invert the hindfoot during the heel rise test is reported to be a sign of failure in the posterior tibial muscle, posterior tibialis function may also contribute to forefoot plantar flexion, assisting with raising the heel off the floor. Midfoot collapse associated with weakness of the posterior tibialis muscle may limit a PTTD subjects' ability to plantar flex the forefoot during the heel rise test. The purpose of this study was to compare sagittal plane ankle and midfoot kinematics as well as HF frontal plane kinematics in subjects with stage II PTTD and healthy controls during a bilateral heel rise test.
Decoder-assisted noncoherent frame synchronization for burst OFDM-based packet transmission

This paper proposes a noncoherent decoder-assisted (NDA) frame synchronization methodology for OFDM packets using the list-synchronization technique [MMK Howlander et al., 2001] for serially concatenated coded differential modulation (SCCD) systems [KR Narayanan et al, 1999], where a conventional MMSE rule based on the supplementary guard interval [M Speth et al., 1998] synchronizer in the time domain generates a list of most probable packet starting positions, and the following synchronizer makes a refined decision. The second synchronizer is decoder-assisted, accepting soft-decision from the decoder in the frequency domain based on the combination of choosing and discarding technique. Preliminary simulation results of the proposed scheme are provided to demonstrate the methodology
Pneumocystis Workshop: 10th Anniversary Summary

The presentations on Pneumocystis discussed here represent 10 international meetings that span over 20 years of research. These workshops were initiated by a nascent community of researchers investigating a poorly understood organism, Pneumocystis, which at that time was gaining prominence because of its importance to immunosuppressed patients, especially those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Pneumocystis defied phylogenetic classification, which at the time was based primarily on morphological characteristics. Because of this uncertainty, Pneumocystis lay outside the mainstream research of both mycology and parasitology and did not have a forum for this new group of investigators. The first “Workshop on Pneumocystis carinii” filled that gap in 1988, and subsequent workshops were platforms for the cutting-edge science that was performed in this microbial arena. The first reports of its identity as a member of the fungal kingdom were presented in the workshop series, and discussions of importance to the community were held under its auspices, such as the initiation of the genome project and nomenclatural changes. The 10th workshop, conducted in 2008, continued this tradition, and the scientific achievements of the community are summarized here.
HPLC-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization MS/MS for quantification of 15-F2t-isoprostane in human urine and plasma.

Background: Quantification of F2-Isoprostanes is considered a reliable index of the oxidative stress status in vivo and is valuable in the diagnosis and monitoring of a variety of diseases. Because of complex and lengthy sample preparation procedures, current chromatography/mass spectrometry and immunoassays are impractical for measuring larger numbers of samples. Thus, we developed and validated a semiautomated high-throughput HPLC tandem mass spectrometry assay for the quantification of F2-Isoprostane F2t in human urine and plasma. Methods: After protein precipitation (500 μL methanol/zinc sulfate added to 500 μL plasma), samples were injected into the HPLC system and extracted online. The extracts were then back-flushed onto the analytical column and detected with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer monitoring the deprotonated molecular ions [M-H]− of 15-F2t-IsoP ( m/z = 353→193) and the internal standard 15-F2t-IsoP-d4 ( m/z = 357→197). Results: In human urine, the assay was linear from 0.025 to 80 μg/L and in human plasma from 0.0025 to 80 μg/L (r2>0.99). Interday accuracy and precision for concentrations above the lower limit of quantification were <10%. Concentrations of 15-F2t-IsoP in urine of 16 healthy individuals ranged from 55–348 ng/g creatinine. In 16 plasma samples from healthy individuals, free 15-F2t-IsoP was detectable in all samples and concentrations were 3–25 ng/L. Conclusions: Our assay meets all predefined method performance criteria, allows for analysis of >80 samples/day, and has sufficient sensitivity for quantifying 15-F2t-IsoP concentrations in plasma and urine from healthy individuals. It is, thus, suitable for clinical routine monitoring and the analysis of samples from larger clinical trials.
Salty or sweet? Nutritional quality, consumption, and cost of snacks served in afterschool programs

Nationally, afterschool programs (ASPs, 3–6pm) represent one of the largest settings, outside the regular school day, that serve youth (predominately elementary-age children) every school day of the year. As part of their daily routine ASPs serve a snack, in addition to providing time for homework completion or assistance, enrichment (eg, arts-n-crafts), and physical activity. The snack represents an important opportunity to not only provide nourishment between school lunch and dinner in the home, but to promote healthy eating habits.1 Because of this, national and state organizations have developed policies and standards specifically targeting the types of foods and beverages ASPs should serve for snack. In April 2011, the National Afterschool Association (www.naaweb.org) endorsed the first nationally recognized Healthy Eating Standards for ASPs. The Healthy Eating Standards call for ASPs to serve a fruit or vegetable daily, serve water as the primary beverage, not to serve foods with artificial colors or flavors, such as, chips with artificial flavorings, and eliminate sugar-sweetened foods, such as, cookies, and beverages, such as, powdered drink mixes (www.naaweb.org). Limited information has been gathered on the types of snacks ASPs routinely provide and whether these meet the Healthy Eating Standards. Three studies 2–4 describing snacks served in ASPs indicate the majority of snacks consist of foods high in salt and sugar, with fruits and vegetables almost entirely absent. Major barriers to serving healthier snacks, like fruits and vegetables, are cost and the question of whether children will consume them.5–7 Evidence from school lunch interventions indicates anywhere from 40% to 80% of fruits and vegetables served go uneaten.8–10 If ASPs are to serve healthier snacks, whether these will be consumed or thrown away is important information for both program providers and policy makers. The limited information that does exist on the cost of snacks suggests healthier snacks are more expensive than less healthy snacks.6 However, this is limited to a single study 6 with price information based on 2003–04 market prices, not actual purchase prices. The purpose of this study was to address these gaps by providing information about the types of snacks served, their consumption, cost in a diverse sample of ASPs, and whether ASPs currently meet the Healthy Eating Standards. The information presented here represents baseline data from a multi-year randomized controlled trial.
Dividend Changes and Signaling of Future Cash Flows

We present fresh evidence on the validity of the dividend signaling hypothesis (DSH), by using a new testing approach. We test the unambiguous prediction from the DSH that the association between current dividend changes and future profitability is stronger for firms with higher marginal net benefits from signaling. Using a simple dividend signaling model, we derive three empirically identifiable drivers of the marginal net benefit of signaling: cash flow predictability, market-to-book, and past equity returns. Our empirical tests support the DSH. There is a significant association between current dividend changes and future earnings performance for firms with low cash flow predictability, low market-to-book ratio, and low past equity returns. But, as predicted by the DSH, the association is much weaker for firms with high cash flow predictability, high book-to-market, and high past equity returns. There is also evidence that the marginal signaling benefits at the firm-level are influenced by aggregate factors: the information content of dividend changes is time-varying, increasing (decreasing) in booms (recessions) and in periods of high (low) aggregate stock market performance.
A game-theoretic approach to global warming

In the absence of a world government, stopping the advance of global warming requires implementation of self-enforcing treaties among the countries of the world. In the language of game theory, such treaties are Nash equilibria of an underlying dynamic “climate change game.” In this paper, we report on the progress of a project to formulate and analyze models of such a game. The players are the sovereign countries of the world (say the roughly 200 members of the United Nations). The rules of this game are determined by the laws of physics and chemistry, and by the economic resources of the various countries. An important property of our models is the large multiplicity of equilibria. Indeed, this property enables us to find “Pareto-improving” equilibria, i.e., that improve the outcome for every country relative to the “business-as-usual equilibrium” we seem to be in at the present time. In each model we describe the set of equilibria, the business-as-usual equilibrium, and equilibria that are Pareto-improving relative to business-as-usual. Since much of the global wanning is caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the earth’s atmosphere, and the GHGs dissipate very slowly, an appropriate model must be in the form of a dynamic game, with state variables that change over time as a consequence of the actions of the individual countries. Thus, the state variables include the global stock of GHG and the state of the relevant technology in each country.
Nongonorrheal vulvovaginitis due to gram-negative intracellular diplococci.

s EVENTY years ago Albert Neiwer discovered the gonococcus. A paper on this subject today probably attracts less attention than it has at any time since its discovery. When a disease ceases to be a problem to treat or control it becomes of less scientific interest. Perhaps the next generation will find this a more interesting subject, because by then all of the peoples of the world will be sensitive to penicillin and all the organisms will be resistant to it, and it may again become popular and necessary at least to attempt a diagnosis before therapy is instituted. From Dr. Charles Lankford’s work and teaching at the University of Texas we learned the value of bacteriological cultures in detection of the gonococcus, in contrast to the inadequacy of t,he stained smear in women. In known cases of gonorrhea in women, gram-negative diplococci were found in stained smears in less than 20 per cent of the cases, in comparison with routine cultures on proteose peptone hemoglobin agar which yielded a corre:ct diagnosis in more than 75 per cent of the cases. More than 40,000 cultures from the cervix and female urethra were studied in our department. When oxidase-positive gram-negative diplococci were found on these cultures, they were further studied by their fermentation reactions on various sugars, such as glucose, sucrose, maltose, levulose, and mannitol. The gonococcus will ferment glucose and none of the other sugars. The Neisseria sicca ferments all of the sugars except mannitol. It is this organism to which we wish to call attention because physicians who depend upon staining procedures for the diagnosis of gonorrhea may make false-positive diagnoses. Early in the summer of 1945, it was proposed that all women inmates of State Eleemosynary Institutions be subjected to complete gynecological examinations. Most of these patients are indigents of the State. Few had had an evaluation of their pathological or nonpathological gynecological conditions. The project was interesting not only because of the health service we might render these patients, but also because the medical information that might be obtained would give an opportunity to compare the findings in this controlled group with the reports of uncontrolled groups. The fact that there are more than 12,000 women in Texas State Eleemosynary Institutions who are under control as to their activities and diet, as well as all their environmental conditions, suggests the scope of the statistical data which might be obtained. Here
Treatment with thiazolidinediones

Thiazolidinediones are peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma agonists that have been commonly used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. They have also been considered for use in individuals with metabolic syndrome as they target a number of components of the syndrome through their multiple actions that include improvements in insulin sensitivity and glycaemic control, adipocyte maturation and aspects of lipid metabolism. However, the thiazolidinediones have also been associated with a number of adverse outcomes, including effects on the cardiovascular system and bone, which have limited their use in clinical practice.
Multiple Facility Location

Locating multiple facilities of a single firm or agency falls between the location problems of a plant and of an industry.
Effects of myocardial fiber orientation on the electrical induction of ventricular fibrillation

Although many studies have documented the importance of myocardial fiber orientation in the generation and maintenance of reentrant arrhythmia, its role in the induction of reentry by a single stro...
On pathwise convergence of particle & grid based nonlinear filters: Feller vs conditional regularity

We present a theoretical comparison of the state-of-the-art sufficient conditions required for pathwise (almost sure type of) convergence between grid based and particle approximate filters, as well as discuss the implications of these conditions on the specific mode of convergence achieved. Focusing on general Markov processes observed in conditionally Gaussian noise, we have recently shown that a sufficient condition for pathwise convergence of grid based filters is conditional regularity of stochastic kernels. The respective condition for almost sure convergence of particle filters is the well known Feller property. While our analysis shows that the comparison between the afore-mentioned conditions may be indeed inconclusive, we identify a large class of systems for which conditional regularity may hold true, whereas the Feller property cannot. This is achieved through a structural analysis of both sufficient conditions. This work can be summarized in that there provably exist system classes supported by either grid based or particle filtering approximations, but not necessarily by both; for systems supported by both, grid based filters exhibit a theoretical advantage in terms of convergence robustness.
Augmentation of Venlafaxine with Aripiprazole in a Case of Treatment-resistant Excoriation Disorder.

Personality disordered couples present unique challenges for couples therapy. Novice therapists may feel daunted when taking on such a case, especially given the limited literature available to guide them in this specific area of therapy. Much of what is written on couples therapy is embedded in the larger body of literature on family therapy. While family therapy techniques may apply to couples therapy, this jump requires a level of understanding the novice therapist may not yet have. Additionally, the treatment focus within the body of literature on couples therapy tends to be situation-based (how to treat couples dealing with divorce, an affair, illness), neglecting how to treat couples whose dysfunction is not the product of a crisis, but rather a longstanding pattern escalated to the level of crisis. This is exactly the issue in therapy with personality disordered couples, and it is an important topic, as couples with personality pathology often do present for treatment. This article strives to present practical techniques, modeled in case vignettes, that can be applied directly to couples therapy- specifically therapy with personality disordered couples.
Methdology study of the determination of vitamin A in human serum by HPLC

Objective The study aimed to establish a method for determination of vitamin A level in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Methods Retinyl acetate was added to the serum samples as an internal standard, and ethanol was used for protein precipitation. n-hexane was used to extract vitamin A from the samples, which were then concentrated under nitrogen and ran through a HPLC UV detector. Results Vitamin A was linear under 0.05-2.0 μg/ml; correlation coefficient of the standard curve was higher than 0.9995; recovery rate of the method was 92-111%; and the same-day relative standard deviation(RSD) was smaller than 6%. Conclusion The method is sensitive, accurate, fast, and is thus suitable for the determination of vitamin A level in human serum.
Are Drug–Drug Interactions The Smoking Guns of Local Anesthetic Toxicity? Smoking Gun I

This case discusses a pharmacokinetic interaction between ropivacaine and fluoxetine. Ropivacaine is a cytochrome P450 3A4 and cytochrome 1A2 substrate. Fluoxetine is an inhibitor of both enzymes. Coadministration may result in ropivacaine toxicity.
An Intelligent Sketch-Based Educational Interface for Learning Complex Written East Asian Phonetic Symbols

Literacy in written phonetic symbols for East Asian languages is important but challenging for novice language students with only English language fluency, but pedagogical approaches such as rote writing practice and written technique have successfully assisted students towards written mastery. Researchers and developers are also adapting these approaches into intelligent educational apps for students to exploit interactive computing technologies for learning written East Asian language phonetic symbols, whether they are full-time students in K12 or higher education enrolled in conventional classrooms or non-traditional students studying the subject as a passionate interest. However, related pen and touch educational computing apps for sketching practice of East Asian language phonetic symbols provide limited assessment and flexibility of students’ input and sketching style, while related recognition systems either focus more on expert users’ writing styles or cannot provide assessment for more complex phonetic symbols. In this article, we describe our preliminary work on an intelligent sketch-based educational interface developed specifically for assessing students’ sketched input of complex East Asian language phonetic symbols. The interface system relies on template matching from expert users’ sketched training data and various heuristics for assessing the visual structure and technical correctness of students’ more complex written phonetic symbols. From our evaluations of separate sketching data from both novice and expert writers, we were able to achieve reasonably robust performance for both visual structure and technical correctness of our workbook interface for complex written East Asian language phonetic symbols.
Embracing the Opportunities Ahead: An Analysis of Communication Position Announcements for 2013–2014

Knowing what the Communication job market is can be helpful and informative when planning how to build a program of study or research. On the other side, those who are looking for a job or are preparing for future job hunting also need knowledge about the current job market to help make decisions and predictions. To facilitate these processes, this article surveys the entirety of job postings posted on NCA’s CRTNET service and Spectra publication over the course of 2013 and 2014. The analyses provide an in-depth look at what kind of positions are being offered, which have tenure-track options, what degrees are required, if and what research methodological experience is needed, what kind of institution is offering the position, whether grant and/or teaching experience is desired, and what kinds of topical specializations are sought after.
Superfluidity of dipolar excitons in a transition metal dichalcogenide double layer

We study the formation of dipolar excitons and their superfluidity in a black phosphorene double layer. The analytical expressions for the single dipolar exciton energy spectrum and wave function are obtained. It is predicted that a weakly interacting gas of dipolar excitons in a double layer of black phosphorus exhibits superfluidity due to the dipole-dipole repulsion between the dipolar excitons. In calculations are employed the Keldysh and Coulomb potentials for the interaction between the charge carriers to analyze the influence of the screening effects on the studied phenomena. It is shown that the critical velocity of superfluidity, the spectrum of collective excitations, concentrations of the superfluid and normal component, and mean field critical temperature for superfluidity are anisotropic and demonstrate the dependence on the direction of motion of dipolar excitons. The critical temperature for superfluidity increases if the exciton concentration and the interlayer separation increase. It is shown that the dipolar exciton binding energy and mean field critical temperature for superfluidity are sensitive to the electron and hole effective masses. The proposed experiment to observe a directional superfluidity of excitons is addressed.
Non-Linear Density Waves in Pressureless Disks

A method is described for the construction of a density wave of finite amplitude and in the form of a tightly wound spiral in a pressureless, self-gravitating disk of infinitesimal thickness in an external gravitational field. Waves of one kind are found for systems in which the law of rotation departs only slightly from that of a solid body. Waves of a second kind are found in systems possessing appreciable differential rotation; however, such waves can occur only if the self-gravitation of the disk is small compared with the external gravitation. The latter waves are to be identified with the waves described by linear theories.
The Merchant in Venice: Shylock’s „Unheimlich” Return

The first decades of the new millennium have seen an odd return to origins in Shakespeare studies. The Merchant in Venice, a site-specific theatrical production realized during the 500th anniversary year of the “original” Jewish Ghetto, was not only a highlight among the many special events commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016, but also a more creative and complex response to historicism. With her nontraditional casting of five Shylocks (developed through collaborations with scholars and students as well as her international, multilingual company), director Karin Coonrod made visible the acts of cultural projection and fracturing that Shakespeare’s play both epitomizes and has subsequently prompted. This article, written by a participant-observer commissioned to capture on video the making and performance of Compagnia de’ Colombari’s six-night run in the Campo del Ghetto Nuovo, explores the way this place is—and indeed, the category of place itself is always - a dynamic temporal construct, defying more complacent attempts at simple return (to home, to the text, to the past). Such a recognition allows nuanced, hybrid forms of multicultural theater and Shakespeare scholarship to emerge, and to collaborate more fruitfully.
Approximeter: Automatically finding and quantifying code sections for approximation

Approximate computing is getting a lot of traction especially for its potential in improving power, performance, and scalability of a computing system. However, prior work heavily relies upon a programmer to identify code sections where various approximation techniques can be applied. Such an approach is error prone and cannot scale well beyond small applications. In this paper, we contribute with a tool, called Approximeter, to automatically identify and quantify code sections where approximation can be used and to what extant. The tool works by first identifying potential approximable functions and then, injecting errors at appropriate locations. The tool runs Monte Carlo experiments to quantify statistical relation between injected error and corresponding output accuracy. The tool also provides a rough estimate of potential performance gain from approximating a certain function. Finally, it ranks the approximable functions based on their error tolerance and performance gain.
Mini Gold Nanorods with Tunable Plasmonic Peaks beyond 1000 nm

Gold nanorods of small sizes have larger absorption cross sections and higher photothermal efficiency compared to larger ones. However, tuning the surface plasmon resonance of small gold nanorods remains a challenge because increasing an aspect ratio usually results from increasing dimensions. We demonstrate the synthesis of mini gold nanorods with tunable longitudinal surface plasmon resonance from ∼600 to >1300 nm accompanied by precise control over widths <10 nm. Two weak reducing agents, ascorbic acid and even milder hydroquinone, were applied to a seed-mediated growth method to tune the aspect ratios of mini gold nanorods from 2.2 to 10.8 corresponding to average dimensions 19.3 × 9.0 nm through 93.1 × 8.7 nm, respectively. This seed-mediated growth of mini gold nanorods results in an average 96% of rods and yields of at least 79% based on gold ion reduction. The extinction coefficients of mini gold nanorods were established based on the gold content from inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry....
Changing language while learning recursive descriptions from examples

Shapiro [330] has described a reasonably efficient algorithm for inducing first order theories of models from facts. He proved that the algorithm converges as long as the various parameters appearing in the learning algorithm satisfied certain well defined constraints. Within the limitations of these constraints, however, there was sufficient flexibility in the choice of the parameters.
Use of Phage λ Regulatory Signals to Obtain Efficient Expression of Genes in Escherichia coli

Publisher Summary There are many gene products of biological interest that cannot be studied simply because they cannot be obtained in quantities sufficient for biochemical analysis. Recombinant technology provides some new approaches to the solution of this problem. This chapter describes the design and construction of a plasmid vector system used to achieve high-level expression of a particular phage regulatory protein normally found in only minute amounts in a phage-infected bacterial cell. The chapter describes the subsequent development of this plasmid into a vector system that offers the potential for efficiently expressing essentially any gene product in Escherichia coli . The cII protein of bacteriophage λ is a transcriptional activator that positively regulates expression from two different phage promoters. These two promoters are coordinately controlled by this effector, and this control is essential for normal integration of the phage into the host genome, that is, formation of a bacterial lysogen.
Propagation Delay and Timing Defects in Combinational Logic

This chapter considers that each gate has associated with it a propagation time delay and that, as a result of this delay, undesirable effects may occur. Under certain conditions, unwanted transients can occur in otherwise steady-state signals. These transients have become known as glitches. In some circuits glitches can be avoided through good design practices; in other circuits they are unavoidable and must be dealt with accordingly. The chapter also defines three kinds of logic noise that occur in combinational logic circuits and are classified as hazards: Static 1-hazard (also called SOP hazard )—a glitch that occurs in an otherwise steady-state 1 output signal from SOP logic because of a change in an input for which there are two asymmetric paths to the output; Static O-hazard (also called POS hazard ) — a glitch that occurs in an otherwise steady-state 0 output signal from POS logic because of a change in an input for which there are two asymmetric paths to the output; and multiple glitches that occur in the outputs from multilevel circuits because of a change in an input for which there are three or more asymmetric paths of that input to the output.
Aviation Technician Education And The University Curricula

In this paper, the author discusses the responsibility for aviation technician curricula. By examining the legal basis of technician school regulation, he shows the scope and limitations of the FAA involvement in school operations. He then addresses problems that are often cited involving Part 147 approved programs. Is Part 147 restrictive, and what should be taught, and to what depth. Citing various regulations, surveys, and a series of recently completed Part 147 workshops, he shows that these do not have to be problems. Suggestions for upgrading technician education programs are then given, including accreditation, industry involvement and support, less dependence on the FAA, and a unified approach to all aviation education.
Improved Vehicle Lateral Dynamics with Takagi-Sugeno $\mathscr{H}_{\infty}$ Fuzzy Control Strategy for Emergency Maneuvering

This paper presents an active front steering (AFS) and direct yaw moment control (DYC) design to improve the vehicle lateral stability and handling performance for emergency maneuvers. Inherited vehicle nonlinear tire forces are first modeled by Pajecka tire model. Tagaki-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy approach is employed to model the nonlinear tire forces. Then an $\mathscr{H}_{\infty}$ state-feedback controller is applied to the nonlinear vehicle lateral dynamics model with the parallel distributed compensation (PDC) strategy. The Lyapunov stability based linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) solution is obtained through a suboptimal energy-to-energy performance norm of the nonlinear system. Simulations are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results are promising that vehicle's lateral stability and handling performance can be significantly improved with the proposed design technique.
Plasma cell myeloma in a patient with Gaucher disease

![Figure][1] A 60-year-old man with a history of Gaucher disease, diagnosed in early childhood that necessitated splenectomy, and immunoglobulin G λ plasma cell myeloma presents for evaluation following Velcade, dexamethasone, and local radiation at an outside facility. Initial evaluation
Measurement of Interleukin 17

This unit describes two procedures for measurement of interleukin-17 (IL-17). IL-17 is a pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine that binds to its ubiquitously expressed receptor, IL-17R, resulting in the induction of several other cytokines including IL-6 and IL-8. The unit guides the reader on the use of individual reagents and commercial kits available for detection of murine and human IL-17 by ELISA or Western blotting and presents step-by-step protocols for each of these approaches. In addition to detection of IL-17 protein, a functional assay is described which measures the biological activity of IL-17 by induction of IL-6 from fibroblasts.
Insomnia and psychiatric disorders

Abstract Insomnia was originally considered a symptom of psychiatric morbidity and not a separate form of disease. It was not until recently that sleep continuity disturbance (i.e., insomnia) was wholly recognized as an independent disorder. The impetus for this change in classification is related to a variety of factors including multiple demonstrations that chronic insomnia: (1) appears to have a unique etiology and pathophysiology; (2) occurs prior to, and represents a risk factor for, new onset and recurrence of multiple psychiatric disorders; (3) often persists following the successful treatment of the comorbid disorder(s); and (4) CBT-I (the indicated treatment for insomnia) may serve to augment standard treatment outcomes for other disorders (e.g., major depression). The clear implication is that, when chronic, insomnia should be targeted for treatment, regardless of the psychiatric disorders that occur concurrently. The goal of the present chapter is to review each of these issues in detail.
Regulatory Change, Market Structure, and Fatalities: The Case of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery

In fisheries, regime shifts from common-pool to tradable individual quota rights have led to a reduction in race-to-fish behavior—in particular under adverse weather conditions, and thus to a reduction in the rate of fatal injuries. At the same time, tradability of quota rights has led to some fleet consolidation, along with a shift to larger vessels, which may have also affected safety. We isolate the role of changing fleet composition and size in the overall reduction of fatal injuries by simulating a counterfactual scenario: what weather conditions fishermen would brave if quota rights were individual but not tradable and thus could not have been a factor in fleet consolidation. Looking at the specific case of the U.S. reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico to calibrate our model, we find that consolidation boosts the safety gains by 10–15%: while the remaining active vessels are inherently less safe and target much larger annual catches (thus finding it more difficult to avoid poor weather conditions), they are also more efficient, thereby reducing overall labor-hours and exposure to risk.
Multimodal Analysis of FDA Drug Safety Communications: Lessons from Zolpidem

Because clinical trials conducted for US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval occur in carefully monitored settings and often have strict inclusion criteria for participation, new information about drug safety is commonly discovered once a medication is FDA approved and used by larger numbers of patients. The FDA issues Drug Safety Communications when new information arises about the safety of marketed drugs that may change decision making by healthcare providers and patients. Since their inception, over 250 Drug Safety Communications have been issued alerting consumers and prescribers in the USA about safety risks related to prescription and over-the-counter medications. Researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in conjunction with officials from the FDA undertook a multi-modal study of the content, dissemination, and uptake of FDA messaging, focusing on two 2013 Drug Safety Communications related to zolpidem (Ambien; Sanofi, Paris, France). Traditional and social media analyses note incomplete dissemination of key DSC messages. Surveys of patients and interviews of physicians and patients suggest important limitations in patient-provider communication that have hindered sharing of safety information with patients. Finally, pharmacoepidemiologic analyses of zolpidem dispensing patterns after the Drug Safety Communications were released suggest possible opportunities for enhancing uptake of new safety knowledge that may lead to changes in clinical practice, where appropriate.
Talking about antisemitism in MPA classrooms and beyond

On October 27, 2018, a gunman killed eleven people attending Shabbat services in the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. For many – both Jews and non-Jews – this tragedy served as a wake-up c...
Does a Coach Have a Lower Liability Standard during Competition

Head injuries and concussions are unavoidable inherent risks in contact sports at all levels. This case examines whether coaches have a legal duty to use reasonable care not to increase the risks t...
Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Ebola Virus Disease

Early reports in 1976 and 1995 documented cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of what we now know to be Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused by Zaire ebolavirus. The reports showed high cas...
3D-printed and wireless piezoelectric tactile sensors

The sense of touch, also known as tactile recognition, is crucial for modern robotics to explore and understand ambient environments. This study used a commercial inkjet printer to additively manufacture a flexible and passive tactile sensor consisting of a piezoelectric P(VDF-trFE) thin film sandwiched by a pair of electrodes. Consistent and reliable printing of piezoelectric thin films is achieved by investigating ink preparation procedures, printer settings, and substrate surface treatment. Post-processing procedures, including drying and curing, are studied to ensure thin film uniformity and functionality. Eventually, in-situ signal processing and wireless data transmission circuits are developed and validated. The printed piezoelectric tactile sensor can be potentially used for human health monitoring and soft robotics due to its high flexibility and biocompatibility.