cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building a high resolution total scattering powder diffractometer – upgrade of NPD at MLNSC

The neutron powder diffractometer NPD at the Manuel Lujan Neutron Scattering Center (MLNSC) at Los Alamos National Laboratory is the neutron powder diffractometer with the highest resolution in the United States. We are currently upgrading NPD by adding a large number of position-sensitive detectors in the backscattering position. The upgraded instrument will make it possible to collect data from a powder sample over a wide range in Q with high Q resolution at high data rates. This design will optimize the instrument for total scattering measurements, including Bragg as well as diffuse scattering, allowing us to determine the crystallographic average structure as well as the local structure, often responsible for the properties of complex materials.
Pre-transplant obesity in heart transplantation: Are there predictors of worse outcomes?

Objective. Morbid obesity is increasingly observed in patients being evaluated for heart transplantation and represents a relative contraindication. We sought to evaluate the influence of pre-transplant obesity on morbidity and mortality after heart transplantation. Design. We retrospectively reviewed 90 consecutive patients with preoperative obesity (BMI ≥ 30) and 90 age matched patients with normal weight (BMI 19 – 26) who underwent heart transplantation at our institution between January 1997 and December 2005. Results. Morbidly obese patients experienced higher rates of pre-transplant diabetes (29% vs 15%, p < 0.05) and prolonged waiting time before transplantation (191.4±136.1 vs 117.4±143.2 days, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in post-operative complications including rejection and major and minor infections. There was no difference in actuarial survival between the obese and control groups after a mean follow-up of 4.26±2.95 years (p = 0.513, log-rank statistic 0.452). Causes of ...
Catastrophic reactions and other behaviors of Alzheimer's residents: Special unit compared with traditional units

Using a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design, the effects of a Special Care Unit (SCU) on the incidence of catastrophic reactions and other behaviors of nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were examined. Findings indicate significantly fewer catastrophic reactions and other selected behavior changes occurred during the posttest period for subjects in the experimental group compared with the subjects in the control group. Implications for psychiatric consultation/liaison nurses (PCLNs) working with this vulnerable population are discussed.
One-Stage Coronary Bypass and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

A group of 29 patients with simultaneous coronary disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm were treated two protocols: Group I, 16 patients had coronary bypass surgery and then abdominal aortic aneurysm repair at a later date. This required two hospitalizations and two separate surgeries. Group II, 11 patients, underwent coronary bypass surgery and repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in one sitting. Group III, 2 patients, had PTCA prior to AAA repair. There were 3.1 bypass grafts implanted (Group I), vs 2.9 (Groups II) (ns). All abdominal aneurysms were infrarenal and 22 patients had straight tube graft replacement (76%), and seven bifurcated grafts. Two patients with angina also had symptomatic AAA. Period of hospitalization, morbidity, mortality, time of total recovery, hospital costs, and apprehension of patients were analyzed. There was one death in Group I. In this group, the total recovery time was 4.8 months vs 2.4 months for Group II. Hospitalization time was 16.2 days in Group I vs 8.2 days in Group II. The hospital costs were significantly higher in Group I with an average of $58,950 vs $46,553 in Group II. No deaths occurred in Group II. It is recommended that if a patient with severe coronary disease requiring surgery also presents with an AAA of more than 5 cm, he/she should have both conditions operated on in one session rather than staggering the procedures. It saves time, cost, anxiety, and is well tolerated.
Portable Pneumatically-Powered Ankle-Foot Orthosis

The goal of this work is to address challenges with developing and utilizing mobile powered orthotic devices or exoskeletons, especially those that depend on miniature pneumatic power systems. We present an ongoing research testbed to explore hardware and software solutions related to effective, efficient control and operation of such devices. The testbed platform is a pneumatically-powered ankle-foot orthosis that can provide bidirectional (dorsiflexor, plantarflexor) torque. A mobile pneumatic power source can be used to examine issues related to providing gait assistance in a variety of environments beyond walking on a treadmill or confined level-ground space. We refer to this platform as the Portable Powered Ankle-Foot Orthosis (PPAFO) (Fig. 1) [1].
Structural and energetic properties of alkylfluoride–BF3 complexes in the gas phase and condensed-phase media: computations and matrix infrared spectroscopy

We have undertaken an experimental and computational study of the structural properties of a few alkylfluoride–BF3 complexes (RF′–BF3), which are proposed intermediates in a certain class of Friedel–Crafts reactions. Using density functional theory and second-order Moller–Plesset calculations, we have obtained gas-phase structures, frequencies, and B–F′ bond potentials for CH3F–BF3, (CH3)2CHF–BF3, and (CH3)3CF–BF3. All the complexes are weakly-bonded in the gas phase, with B–F′ distances (X3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ) of about 2.4 A and binding energies (MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ) ranging from 5.4 and 6.7 kcal/mol. Accordingly, gas-phase bond potentials are relatively shallow and flat for these complexes. However, even though the inner walls of the potentials are rather soft (the energies rise by only about 5 to 10 kcal/mol between 2.4 and 1.6 A), we observe no global or local minima at short B–F′ distances. For the (CH3)2CHF–BF3 and (CH3)3CF–BF3 potentials in dielectric media, we do observe a distinct flattening along the inner wall, which results in shelf-like region near 1.7 A, but this feature is not a true local minimum. We have also obtained low-temperature infrared spectra of the (CH3)2CHF–BF3 complex in solid neon, and the frequencies agree quite favorably with those obtained via computations, which validates the computational assessment of the gas-phase complexes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A systematic histological study of palm fruits. VI. Subtribe Linospadicinae (Arecaceae)

The pericarp structure of representative species of the four genera of the subtribe Linospadicinae is described and compared. Tissues found in the pericarp of this group are similar to those found in other subtribes of the Areceae, with no characters unique to the subtribe and nothing to suggest its closest affinities. The four genera, as well as each species examined, do show distinctive pericarp features, however.Laccospadix andLinospadix are similar, both with a single series of fibrous, bundles and an outer series of prominent raphide-bearing cells dominating the pericarp. In bothHowea andCalyptrocalyx, a complex exocarp forms from a series of fibrous bundles and brachysclereids, but each genus has other distinctive characters.Howea has vascular bundles in the exocarp zone, an outer series of raphide-bearing cells, and a conspicuously thickened locular epidermis. Based on a limited sample of four species, raphide-bearing cells appear to be always interior to the exocarp inCalyptrocalyx, and the locular epidermis is thin.
Criminal Activity or Treatable Health Condition? News Media Framing of Opioid Analgesic Abuse in the United States, 1998-2012

Objective:Opioid analgesic abuse is a complex and relatively new public health problem, and to date little is known about how the news media frame the issue.Methods:To better understand how this issue has been framed in public discourse, an analysis was conducted of the volume and content of news media coverage of opioid analgesic abuse over a 15-year period from 1998 to 2012 (N=673 news stories). A 70-item structured coding instrument was used to measure items in four domains that prior research suggests can influence public attitudes about health and social issues: causes, solutions, and consequences of the problem and individual depictions of persons who abuse opioid analgesics.Results:Although experts have deemed opioid analgesic abuse a public health crisis, results of our study suggest that the news media more often frame the problem as a criminal justice issue. The most frequently mentioned cause of the problem was illegal drug dealing, and the most frequently mentioned solutions were law enforceme...
The primate as a model for the human temperature-sensing system: 2. Area of skin receiving thermal stimulation (spatial summation).

The thermal sensitivities of three humans and one monkey were measured using the “yes-no” paradigm based on the Theory of Signal Detection. The aim was to evaluate the monkey's thermal-sensing system as a model for that of humans. Three of the principal variables of human thermal sensations—the temperature to which the skin was adapted, the rate of temperature change, and the site of application of the thermal stimuli—were held constant. The other three variables—area of stimulation, intensity, and direction of the temperature change—were varied systematically.All tour subjects displayed spatial summation for both warming and cooling. Isodetectability curves (d′e = 1) to small temperature changes, both for humans and for the monkey, could reasonably be fitted by the function I = kA-b, where I is stimulus intensity, A is the area of stimulation, and b is the rate at which spatial summation occurred. The rate of summation, b, to warming stimuli for the humans ranged from 0.60 to 1.14, while that for the mon...
Pork and Typhoons: The Influence of Political Connections on Disaster Response

To what extent do political connections between politicians influence disaster response? To address this question, we produce a baseline estimate for post-disaster need by calculating a storm exposure measure for every municipality in the Philippines from 2001-2010. Then, controlling for storm exposure, we analyze the effect of political connections on reconstruction fund distribution from House legislators to municipal mayors. Our analysis shows that political connections, especially clan ties, increase reconstruction funds allocated to a given municipality. These results suggest that a more needs-based disaster response may require placing a limit on political discretion in the disbursement of post-disaster funds.
Motivation and Efficiency of Cognitive Performance

It is fitting in a book written in honor of Jack Atkinson’s lifelong contribution to the study of personality and human motivation to consider the motivational determinants of cumulative achievement. In this chapter I will show how parts of the theoretical framework outlined by Atkinson can be filled in to answer the question of what determines cumulative achievement. Figure 1 (adapted from Atkinson and Birch, 1978) gives an overview of the richness of Atkinson’s theory, and will serve as an outline of this chapter.
Aller Anfang ist leicht – eine Einführungsstrategie für Social Business

Den meisten Unternehmen dammert, dass sie sich auf dem Weg in die Resonanzgesellschaft nicht mehr viel Zeit lassen konnen, scheuen aber auf der anderen Seite die Veranderungen, die oft eher als Risiko eingeschatzt denn als Chance verstanden werden. Hintergrund ist, dass die informationstechnischen Werkzeuge und damit Grundlagen zwar mittlerweile relativ bekannt sind, aber trotzdem nicht klar ist, wie man die Transformation des Unternehmens ohne allzu viele Kratzer abzubekommen umsetzt.
The Private Provision of Roads: Solutions to the Apparent Monopoly Power of Private Road Commissions

This paper examines the private provision of road. One could imagine that private road commissions would act as a monopoly, charging prices in excess of competitive levels, restricting access to the roads, and failing to maintain their roads at a competitive standard. To analyze this claim, I will examine the viability of private toll roads throughout the 19th century America. Despite the apparent efforts of the local government to thwart such activity, natural competitive checks existed that prevented private road companies from engaging in monopolistic behavior.
Selective Near-UV Laser Ablation of Subgingival Dental Calculus at a 20° Irradiation Angle

The average removal rates of subgingival dental calculus ablated at 400 nm and 20° are 11±6 ?m/pulse and 2.4±0.8×10 4 ?m 3 /pulse. Large error bars on removal rates reflect biological and mechanical variability of the calculus.
A METHOD FOR IMPROVING TWO-DIMENSIONAL HIGH HEAT FLUX ESTIMATES FROM SURFACE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

Shock-shock interaction experiments can lead to enhanced understanding of high thermal stress environments generated in extreme flow conditions that arise during high speed flight and atmospheric reentry. The flow structures considered are characterized by millimeter width fluid jets that result in large detrimental heat fluxes at the point of impingement. Current instrumentation in shock-shock interaction experiments has been limited to thin-film temperature sensors because of the high spatial resolution requirements to resolve these small, dynamic and unsteady heating rates. The temperature history of a wind tunnel model must then be reduced to obtain the surface heat flux. Traditionally, this has been accomplished by performing a one-dimensiona l conduction analysis of the model for a single sensor. However, it can be shown that lateral conduction effects can influence the flux estimates of a one-dimensional scheme by smoothing spatial jumps in heat flux. Therefore, an estimation technique involving a multi-dimensio nal conduction scheme should provide improved flux estimates. Because of the success of inverse techniques in resolving one-dimensional fluxes, we have selected an inverse approach to resolve spatially dependent fluxes.
The Theorem of Cosines for Pyramids

The classical three-millennia-old Pythagorean theorem is still irresistibly attractive for lovers of mathematics-see, for example, [1] or a recent survey [8] for its numerous old and new generalizations. It can be extended to 3-space in various ways. A straightforward extension states that the square of a diagonal of a right rectangular parallelepiped is equal to the sum of squares of its adjacent edges. A less trivial generalization is the following result, which can be found in good collections of geometric problems as well as in a popular calculus textbook [7, p. 858]:
THE STUDY OF THE OLD CHINESE DIALECTS: THE NAME FOR THE WILDCAT IN FANG-YEN, viii, 2 *

Fang-yen is a collection of dialectnotes. All its editions and all catalogues mentioning it, attribute the work to Yang Hsiung (Tzu-yiin) (j 4,', f , 53 B.C.-i8 A.D.), who has a biography in Han-shu (' ; chap. 87. shang & hsia). There Yang Hsiung's knowledge in the fields of philology, lexicography and literature is duly praised, but among his works, T'ai-hsiian-ching ( 4 ,), Fa-yen (j ` ), Hsiin-tsuan ( JII ~) and other literary compositions, no mention is made of Fangyen. The problem of the authorship of Fang-yen is, of course, closely connected with that of the authenticity of the book, but not identical. The constant ascription of Fang-yen may be an error or at least shown to be an improbable assumption, but at the same time it remains an evidence that tradition considers the book contemporary with Yang Hsiung's time. Thus Ch'ing scholars like Tai Chen (Tung-yiian) ( t ", jt I722-I777) reject the arguments against both authorship and authenticity of Yang Hsiung's Fang-yen, maintaining that Ying Shao (Chungyuan) (j r)J, q1 -j; died ca. I95 A.D.) expresses a tradition not too remote from Yang Hsiung to be perfectly reliable. Ying Shao states in the preface of his Feng-su-t'ung-yi ( f , ) that Yang Hsiung obtained notes on old chinese dialects, which had been collected yearly since Chou and Ch'in times and that he studied and completed them. Also Kuo P'u (Ching-ch'un) (S ' , i f 276-342) who made the
“Live on the Hills and Work in the City” Rise and Fall of Renaissance in Pittsburgh’s Regional Hinterland

In November 1959, a group of businessmen and politicians from Wheeling, West Virginia, a small city of fifty-five thousand along the Ohio River, traveled to their larger neighbor upstream with hopes of recreating Pittsburgh’s successful urban renewal program in their own community. Over the previous six years, the Wheeling Area Conference on Community Development had pushed through a series of smoke control and infrastructure projects modeled on the Steel City’s Renaissance. In a letter to Edward Magee, executive director of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Wheeling retailer Robert Levenson expressed his gratitude for the “wonderful cooperation and inspiration you provided,” and declared that the trip had “galvanized our city government into action.” Adopting the slogan, “live on the hills and work in the city,” the Urban Renewal Authority of Wheeling (URAW), chaired by Levenson, subsequently cleared a rundown neighborhood along the river in the early 1960s with the goal of creating a new planned industrial district. “All citizens who believe in Wheeling find themselves welcome,” Wheeling Conference officials declared. We are “moving forward in giant steps and can become as great a city as its citizens want it to be.” 1 The public–private partnership behind the Pittsburgh Renaissance always understood its economic mission in terms of the broader metropolitan region. First and foremost, Allegheny Conference leaders and their political allies sought to improve the competitiveness of the Pittsburgh region with respect to other American cities. Smoke and flood control efforts, highway construction, a system of rural parks, and urban renewal projects, including the corporate skyscrapers of the Golden Triangle, were all conceived within an overall framework of attracting and maintaining population and business investment. In response to long-running concerns about a chronic shortage of space for commercial expansion due to the rugged topography, conservative business leaders reluctantly turned to federally subsidized urban renewal programs in the 1950s for assistance in transforming older, mixed-use areas along the riverfronts into planned industrial districts, such as one envisioned for the Manchester neighborhood on the city’s North Side. At the same time, Conference officials acknowledged and even encouraged the migration of other urban functions, especially housing, to the periphery, where there was “enough land so that housing objectives may be realized, and every family live within easy commuting distance of the heart of the city.” 2
Chagas disease in the immunosuppressed host.

Purpose of reviewThis review examines recent literature on Chagas disease in the immunosuppressed host.Recent findingsChagas disease in immunosuppressed patients may represent acute transmission in an organ recipient, or reactivation of chronic infection in an HIV-infected individual or patient rece
Immediate skin responses to laser and light treatments: Warning endpoints: How to avoid side effects

Lasers are versatile, commonly used treatment tools in dermatology. While it is tempting to follow manufacturer's guidelines or other "recipes" for laser treatment, this approach alone can be a recipe for disaster. Specific and immediate skin responses or endpoints exist and are clinically useful because they correlate with underlying mechanisms that are either desirable (ie, therapeutic), undesirable (ie, warning signs of injury or side effects), or incidental. The observation of clinical endpoints is a safe and reliable guide for appropriate treatment. This article presents the warning endpoints during specific dermatologic laser treatments, and the accompanying article presents the therapeutic endpoints, their underlying mechanisms, and the utility of these endpoints.
Studies of plasma protein synthesis by peripheral cells from normal persons and patients with infectious mononucleosis.

Tissue culture of peripheral blood leukocytes with 14C leucine resulted in radioactive proteins identified as immunoglobulins by immunoelectrophoresis, gel filtration, and immunoprecipitation. Radioactive heterophile antibody was detected by precipitin reaction with heterophile antigen. It was found in significant concentration in infectious mononucleosis cultures but not in normal controls. Apparent synthesis of heterophile antibody and active cell division are two parameters which distinguish infectious mononucleosis cells from normals in vitro.
Gastrointestinal Physiology and Pathophysiology

Rotaviruses, noroviruses, astroviruses, and enteric adenoviruses are the four major viral causes of acute gastroenteritis, which is a major public health concern and a common cause of morbidity worldwide and mortality in low income settings. Although the intestinal epithelium serves as a protective barrier, enteric viral pathogens disrupt normal intestinal homeostasis, resulting in excessive nutrient and water loss. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for viral diarrhea are not fully understood. While significant advances in viral diarrheal disease research have been accomplished, most of our understanding of the pathogenesis of gastroenteritis has come from studies of bacterial pathogens. The goal of this chapter is to describe the current understanding of normal intestinal physiology and compare the molecular mechanisms that are altered in diarrheal diseases induced by bacterial or viral pathogens.
On the Evolution of Monotone Conjunctions: Drilling for Best Approximations

We study the evolution of monotone conjunctions using local search; the fitness function that guides the search is correlation with Boolean loss. Building on the work of Diochnos and Turan [6], we generalize Valiant’s algorithm [19] for the evolvability of monotone conjunctions from the uniform distribution \({\mathcal U}_n\) to binomial distributions \({\mathcal B}_n\).
The Quest for the Wholly Stable Liner

For several decades many have studied or conducted experiments to drive magnetic fields into metallic conducting materials. Examples include designs for electrically exploded fuses, exploding wires to generate high energy plasmas, and of course heavy metal liners as kinetic drivers for hydrodynamic experiments. When the material melts the surface can develop highly unstable dynamics. One of the most common results is the onset and growth of spatial perturbations taking on the form of spike and bubble like structures. This is usually identified as Magneto-Raleigh-Taylor (MRT) instability. A clear example is when excessive current is applied to accelerate a near normal density thick metal liner to velocities approaching 1.0 cm/musec or greater. Yet we have observed several experiments where melting of the liner was present but the outside liner surface was observed to remained stable (B-0.5 to 1.3 MG). Analysis of this and other cases compared to MHD simulations enabled us to examine this phenomenon under a variety of conditions. While the majority of the cases still are fundamentally acceleration driven instability of a fluid interface, other phenomenon have been observed to play a significant role such as the effect of liquid/vapor phase change at the surface. Additionally, this suggests there may be drive conditions that can maintain the aluminum at conditions well away from the saturated liquid line until the conditions are well above the triple point in aluminum. There are some indications that this may reduce or delay the MRT like instabilities. However excessive drive that pressurizes the melted layer too much produces unfavorable gradients in the material that grossly aggravate the traditional MRT instabilities. In this talk we will examine in detail the effects of EOS structure, conductivity dependence on state properties (e.g. density and temperature), and the magnitude and time dependence of the driving magnetic field on the evolution of surface conditions. Based on these observations we propose that controlling the surface stability may depend on careful adjustment of time scales associated with the driving waveform and kinetics of the liner in order to control the path in phase space (EOS) the material follows.
Pigmentation and fitness trade-offs through the lens of artificial selection

Pigmentation is a classic phenotype that varies widely and adaptively in nature both within and among taxa. Genes underlying pigmentation phenotype are highly pleiotropic, creating the potential for functional trade-offs. However, the basic tenets of this trade-off hypothesis with respect to life-history traits have not been directly addressed. In natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster, the degree of melanin pigmentation covaries with fecundity and several other fitness traits. To examine correlations and potential trade-offs associated with variation in pigmentation, we selected replicate outbred populations for extreme pigmentation phenotypes. Replicate populations responded rapidly to the selection regime and after 100 generations of artificial selection were phenotyped for pigmentation as well as the two basic fitness parameters of fecundity and longevity. Our data demonstrate that selection on pigmentation resulted in a significant shift in both fecundity and longevity profiles. Selection for dark pigmentation resulted in greater fecundity and no pronounced change in longevity, whereas selection for light pigmentation decreased longevity but did not affect fecundity. Our results indicate the pleiotropic nature of alleles underlying pigmentation phenotype and elucidate possible trade-offs between pigmentation and fitness traits that may shape patterns of phenotypic variation in natural populations.
Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis and MRI

The utility of MRI techniques to monitor cognitive impairment progression in MS over time and to assess treatment is reviewed by researchers at University Hospital, San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; State University of New York, Buffalo; University of New Jersey, Newark; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, the Netherlands; and University College and Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK.
Assessing different processed meats for adulterants using visible-near-infrared spectroscopy

The main objective of this study was to investigate the use of spectroscopic systems in the range of 400-1000nm (visible/near-infrared or Vis-NIR) and 900-1700nm (NIR) to assess and estimate plant and animal proteins as potential adulterants in minced beef and pork. Multiple machine learning techniques were used for classification, adulterant prediction, and wavelength selection. Samples were first evaluated for the presence or absence of adulterants (6 classes), and secondly for adulterant type (6 classes) and level. Selected wavelengths models generally resulted in better classification and prediction outputs than full wavelengths. The first stage classification rates were 96% and 100% for pure/unadulterated and adulterated samples, respectively. Whereas, the second stage had classification rates of 69-100%. The optimal models for predicting adulterant levels yielded correlation coefficient, r of 0.78-0.86 and ratio of performance to deviation, RPD, of 1.19-1.98. The results from this study illustrate potential application of spectroscopic technology to rapidly and accurately detect adulterants in minced beef and pork.
Personality Correlates of Self-Injury in Adolescent Girls: Disentangling the Effects of Lifetime Psychopathology

Adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (aNSSI) is associated with abnormal scores on personality traits, such as high neuroticism. However, no studies to date have examined personality facets of self-injury in a cohort younger than college-age. Plus, adolescent psychopathologies, especially Depressive Disorders, are associated with a similar personality profile and are highly comorbid with aNSSI. Consequently, it remains unclear whether personality provides insights about aNSSI in youth beyond that due to underlying psychopathology. 550 community-dwelling 13- to 15-year-old never-depressed adolescent girls were interviewed for lifetime aNSSI and lifetime psychopathology. Personality traits, broad domains and specific facets, were assessed by self-report. Never-depressed adolescent girls who endorse aNSSI often met lifetime criteria for psychiatric disorders (NSSI: 20/43; 46.5% vs. non-aNSSI: 131/507; 26.1%). aNSSI and lifetime psychopathology were each independently associated with several traits (e.g., high neuroticism and conscientiousness), whereas some traits only discriminated aNSSI (e.g., high melancholia, a facet of neuroticism related to sadness and negative self-evaluation) or lifetime psychopathology independent of each other (e.g., low positive emotionality; low agreeableness). Furthermore, a multivariate model identified high melancholia, high openness to experience, and low conscientiousness as incrementally independent correlates of lifetime aNSSI over and above psychiatric illness. Proneness to melancholia, interest in new things, and poor self-control incrementally track aNSSI in never-depressed adolescent girls. Importantly, this emerges early in course (13–15 years of age) and is independent of lifetime psychiatric diagnosis. Implications for updating etiological models and clinical utility of personality assessment are discussed.
The Nature and Value of Privacy

Privacy is an important value in liberal societies. While the importance of privacy, in some form, is not in dispute, there is considerable disagreement about the scope of privacy and its relation to other values. Part of the reason for the controversy is lack of a common understanding about the precise nature and value of privacy. In this paper, I offer some thoughts on both issues.
High-selectivity quantum pulse gating of photonic temporal modes using all-optical Ramsey interferometry

Temporal modes (TMs) are field-orthogonal broadband wave-packet states of light occupying a common frequency band, and they can encode information in a higher-dimensional alphabet compared to, say, photon polarization. The key—yet still missing—ingredient for the full implementation of a system deploying TMs is a highly selective quantum pulse gate—a multiplexing device that can route photonic packets according to their temporal shape with high temporal-mode discrimination and high efficiency, figures of merit that together we call high selectivity. Here, we present the first implementation of a highly selective quantum pulse gate. The method is a generalization of all-optical Ramsey interferometry, so far demonstrated only for continuous-wave light fields [Phys. Rev. Lett.117, 223601 (2016)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.117.223601]. As applied to temporal modes, we refer to the method as temporal-mode interferometry.
A Comparative Study of Local Net Modeling Using Machine Learning

Local nets are by default ignored during global routing but can contribute to a high percentage (up to 30%) of total number of nets in the design. Prior work proposed simple models for how local nets are routed and showed benefits such as better congestion analysis post-placement, integration with global routing, and better track assignment. In this work we study local net modeling using machine learning. Our model predicts utilization by local routes inside each global cell. We model this as a regression problem and as reference use local route utilization data from the detailed routing stage using a commercial tool. To solve the problem we identify suitable machine learning algorithms. Within our modeling, we study and rank different features which utilize various layout attributes. We identify the most beneficial features and show our model performs superior to prior work which were based on pin density and Steiner tree models. Our model also performs better for the subset of local nets which are routed in more than one global cell.
Implementing Earned Value Easily and Effectively

Earned value is a powerful approach for evaluating true project performance. It also provides a quantitative basis for estimating actual completion time and actual cost at completion. However, the ...
MILITARY FOOT TRAFFIC IMPACT ON SOIL COMPACTION PROPERTIES

The study of military training on Army installations focuses extensively on vehicle impact, and foot traffic impact is not well documented. At the US Military Academy, West Point, NY, foot traffic impact was modeled using three functions (logistical growth, Gamma, and Wiebull) and field and laboratory data. The modeled data were compared to the actual condition of the soil in the Bataan Bayonet Assault Course, indicating a moderate level of compaction at the end of summer training. Bulk density, mean infiltration rates, and soil resistance were also compared, also indicating a moderate impact on soil compaction. The average infiltration rate decreased while the bearing capacity increased during the training cycle. The results indicate that the soil recovers moderately during the subsequent freeze-thaw cycle. This model has potential for greater application for predicting soil conditions.
Applications of adenohypophyseal cell cultures to neuroendocrine studies.

Anterior pituitary cell function can be influenced by neural peptides (including the hypothalamic regulatory hormones, HRH), neurotransmitters and peripheral hormones. Because of the pituitary gland’s close (vascular) coupling to the central nervous system, the secretory rates of its hormones are highly dynamic and easily modified by experimental circumstances. It is often difficult to determine if responses seen in vivo are due to direct effects on the pituitary or are mediated through extrapituitary mechanisms. In vitro assa;ys of the hypophysiotropic substances offer isolation from such indirect effects. It has been the aim of biologists in this field to develop an in vitro assay that would be technically simple, sensitive, reliable, accurate and valid. With the availability of radioimmunoassays to the pituitary hormones, the preparations of pituitary tissues themselves became the limiting factor to the achievement of these goals.
Fixed Drug Eruption

Fixed drug eruption (FDE) is a distinctive drug reaction characterized by oval dusky macules/patches which develop soon after medication exposure and will recur in the same anatomical site with drug re-exposure.
A ‘synchronised attack’ on life: the Saudi-led coalition’s ‘hidden and holistic’ genocide in Yemen and the shared responsibility of the US and UK

Since the Saudi-led coalition (Coalition) began its military campaign in Yemen in March 2015, upwards of 13,000 Yemen civilians have been killed, including nearly 2000 women and 3000 children. Addi...
Interaction between mountain pine beetle-caused tree mortality and fire behavior in subalpine whitebark pine forests, eastern Sierra Nevada, CA; Retrospective observations

Abstract The 1351 ha Walker Fire burned in late August 2015 on the eastern Sierra Nevada, California escarpment from sagebrush steppe and pinyon pine woodlands (2150 m) through mid-elevation forests into subalpine whitebark pine (WBP; 3310 m). Fuels were particularly dry due not only to the season but as a result of a record multi-year drought (2012–2015). The fire burned into stands heavily impacted by a mountain pine beetle outbreak (MPB) during a prior drought (2007–2010). Using plot data, we report 100% mortality due to fire of understory vegetation and trees in pinyon pine, aspen, white fir, and lodgepole pine forest types. Fire-caused tree mortality was lower in Jeffrey pine forests (80%), although 100% of the understory was killed by the fire. For WBP plots in areas that had not been affected by MPB, 100% of understory and tree layers also burned. Where the fire burned through plots within the former MPB-outbreak area, 2 of 15 plots had 100% understory vegetation and trees burned by the fire, while the remaining 13 had varying levels of survivorship. In those plots, pines dead from prior beetle-kill as well as live trees remained unburned, as did understory vegetation. Whereas such “gray-stage” stands have been found to reduce fire severity in other regions and forest types, the observed reduction of surface fire was unexpected. In that fires in the subalpine WBP zone and bark beetle-fire interactions have not been studied in California, these preliminary observations suggest that subalpine forests are vulnerable to fire where continuous fuels exist below them. However, in xeric, Mediterranean landscapes, MPB outbreaks in WBP may reduce subsequent burn severity in unexpected ways. These findings may be important given current concerns for WBP’s rangewide vulnerability.
Examining the Cycling Behaviour of Li-Ion Batteries Using Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Measurements

Abstract Diagnostic systems for Li-ion batteries have become increasingly important due to the larger size, and cost of the batteries being deployed in increasingly demanding applications, including electric vehicles. Here, ultrasound acoustic time-of-flight (ToF) analysis is conducted under a range of operating conditions. Measurements are performed on a commercial pouch cell during varying discharge rates to identify a range of effects that influence the acoustic ToF measurements. The cell was examined using X-ray computed tomography to ensure no significant defects were present and to confirm the layered structure in the region being investigated, validating the signal pattern observed. Analyses of the acoustic signals obtained suggest that stresses are generated in the electrodes during both the charge and discharge of the cell with the magnitude of Young's modulus for the component materials being both a function of the state-of-charge and applied current. Characteristic responses for both electrodes during the charge/discharge cycle highlight the potential application of the technique as a real-time diagnostic tool.
Functional Recovery Rate: A Feasible Method for Evaluating and Comparing Rehabilitation Outcomes Between Skilled Nursing Facilities.

Abstract Objectives The recovery of patients' physical function and the rate at which this occurs are important parameters for evaluating value in post-acute care (PAC). However, no metrics are presently used to compare skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) based on the functional recovery rates (FRRs) for patients in their care. The objectives of this study were to examine whether the average FRR differed significantly among SNFs and to compare the FRR to other measures currently used to assess care quality in SNFs. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting and Participants 3913 patients discharged from hospitals in one health system to one of 10 partner SNFs between January 2017 and September 2019. Methods The FRR—the difference in Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care 6-Clicks basic mobility score from SNF admission to discharge relative to the SNF length of stay (in days)—was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included metrics from the SNF Quality Reporting Program (functional recovery alone, discharge to the community, and 30-day hospital readmission). Differences in patients' outcomes between SNFs were tested using multiple regression in order to adjust for patient characteristics. Results Across the 10 SNFs, the highest adjusted mean FRR was 0.70 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55, 0.90] and the lowest was 0.39 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.46) points per day. Two SNFs had an adjusted mean FRR statistically higher, and 2 had an FRR statistically lower, than the sample mean (0.50, 95% CI: 0.48-0.52). SNF rankings varied by metric. Conclusions and Implications Individual SNFs vary in their mean FRR for patients making it a potentially useful measure of value for comparing SNFs. Standardized measurement and reporting of FRR could be beneficial to patients and their families as they consider specific SNFs for necessary post-acute rehabilitation and to hospital systems seeking to identify high-value PAC providers with whom to partner in collaborative care models.
Deep Learning for Conditional Asset Pricing Models

We propose a new pseudo-Siamese Network for Asset Pricing (SNAP) model, based on deep learning approaches, for conditional asset pricing. Our model allows for the deep alpha, deep beta and deep factor risk premia conditional on high dimensional observable information of financial characteristics and macroeconomic states, while storing the long-term dependency of the informative features through long short-term memory network. We apply this method to monthly U.S. stock returns from 1970-2019 and find that our pseudo-SNAP model outperforms the benchmark approaches in terms of out-of-sample prediction and out-of-sample Sharpe ratio. In addition, we also apply our method to calculate deep mispricing errors which we use to construct an arbitrage portfolio K-Means clustering. We find that the arbitrage portfolio has significant alphas.
Cigarette Smoking in an Acute Partial Hospital Program

ABSTRACT This study explored demographic and clinical features, plus clinical outcomes, in a smoke-free acute partial hospital (PH) among current smokers, former smokers, and those who had never smoked (nonsmokers). Compared with nonsmokers, current smokers were younger and more likely to be unmarried and unpartnered, unemployed, or receiving disability benefits. They had more prior inpatient (IP) and PH episodes. They also had more problems with interpersonal relationships, mood lability, psychosis, and substance use. Compared with nonsmokers, current smokers were more likely to miss PH treatment days and drop out. They also had longer time to readmission to PH or IP. Former smokers resembled nonsmokers, except that former smokers also had a high rate of dropout. Changes in symptoms and functioning for patients who completed PH were the same among all groups. In an acute PH setting, smoking is a marker for psychiatric and psychosocial impairment plus treatment interruption.
Standardization of Nonverbal Report

Background Information Transfer of care of patients travelling from PACU to medical surgical floors can be inconsistent and frustrating to both sending and receiving parties. This transfer usually involves faxing a written report and/or calling the floor to give a verbal report to the receiving nurse. Nurses in the PACU complain of multiple attempts in contacting floor nurses to confirm proper handoff, spending valuable time away from the patients’ bedsides. In turn, floor nurses state that report isn't always thorough. Objectives of Project The objective of this project is to standardize the handoff between PACU and ED to all eleven medical surgical floors. Since both units transfer patients to these floors, our goal was to develop a standardized nonverbal report that maximizes the quality of information given while minimizing time spent trying to pass information along. Process of Implementation Teaming up with representatives from all units involved, we worked to streamline a template that every nurse would use in our electronic medical record. All involved were educated on the expectations. The nonverbal portion of report relies on a series of texts, using hospital provided staff cellular phones. Once the report is reviewed, the sending nurse receives a text response from the receiving charge nurse. The amount of time between bed assigned to bed occupied was measured monthly. Statement of Successful Practice The national benchmark of bed assigned to bed occupied is 60 minutes. Before the start of this project, the average time for PACU was 85-94 minutes, using the two most utilized floors. Although we hadn't met the benchmark yet, the average time decreased 7-17% (71-87 minutes). There is some positive feedback from both sides, stating that “report is more thorough” and that “there's more accountability”. Implications for Advancing the Practice of Perianesthesia Nursing As technology advances in healthcare, it is imperative that nursing keeps pace. By utilizing the electronic advances available, safe transfer of care can occur more expeditiously. This will enhance flow of patients to their target destination and increase the patient and nurse experience. PACU nurses feel they can use their time more judiciously in the hands-on care of their patients rather than spending long amounts of time, tethered to the telephone, away from the bedside.
Application of Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks for Generation of Micro-Doppler Signatures of Different Aspect Angles

We have applied the generative adversarial networks (GANs) to produce micro-Doppler signatures from different radar aspect angles. Although the micro-Doppler signatures play a critical role in target classification, the signature is a function of a radar aspect angle. Obtaining diverse signatures of a target from different aspect angles requires labor as well as monetary costs. To circumvent this issue, we synthesis the micro-Doppler signatures of diverse aspect angles from a given micro-Doppler signature of a single aspect angle. We trained separate GANs through simulated micro-Doppler signatures for each angle. The trained GANs produce artificial micro-Doppler signatures of the desired angle when micro-Doppler signatures from a certain angle are inputted. The synthesized micro-Doppler signatures from GANs and the true ones obtained by simulations are compared.
Delay Differential Equations Models

Time delays are used to model several different mechanisms in the dynamics of epidemics. Incubation periods, maturation times, age structure, seasonal or diurnal variations, interactions across spatial distances or through complicated paths, as well as other mechanisms have been modeled by the introduction of time delays in dynamic models. In fact, all models that employ difference equations, that is, where time or age is discretized, introduce a delay in a fundamental way, since the state of such a system at time t is determined, at least in part, by the state at time t — Δt, where Δt is the discrete time step of the difference equation. This represents a delayed effect in the dynamics which may be justified by the situation that is being modeled. Chapter 3 is devoted to the study of such difference equations models. In this chapter, we consider models which use differential equations with delays in order to account for one or more of the mechanisms we have described above. Even though it is relatively easy to justify the introduction of delays in particular models, the resulting equations often present new mathematical phenomena and difficulties which often require rather complicated tools for their analysis. These mathematical complications are justified by the resulting realism of the models, and by the additional biological phenomena that can be described through the use of time delays.
Genomas: battling side effects with physiotypes.

In a building nearly 80 years old tucked on the campus of Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, the biotechnology company Genomas has a surprising amount of wall space dedicated to art. In one corner, the startling whiteness is interrupted by Gene Collage #1, in which microarray data has been transformed into a modernist-style collection of colorized squares. Removed from this impromptu gallery space, the walls resume their institutional flavor, and a pair of large doors open to reveal a lab performing state-of-the-art science. It is here that the red, white, and black landscape of the artwork is fully realized in nanotechnological bliss: Gene chips, each the size of a stick of gum and containing one million single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs, rest on the lab bench. Using these DNA microarrays and other recent advances in genomics, the aptly named Genomas aims to usher in the era of personalized medicine with its trademark PhysioTypes.