cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Biosurfactants Produced by Nocardia Amarae for Removal and Recovery of Non-Ionic Organics from Aqueous Solutions

Biosurfactant produced by Nocardia amarae grown on hexadecane as a carbon source is being investigated for use in a surfactant/non-ionic organic chemical (NOC) sorption process. Recent experiments at the Illinois Institute of Technology give favorable results using the synthetic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) adsorbed onto ferrihydrite as a removal mechanism for NOC's. Biosurfactant is isolated, characterized, and tested for its adsorbability onto ferrihydrite as well as its potential for NOC removal. Results are being compared to work completed on synthetic surfactant/NOC removal.
Modeling hillslope sediment yield using rainfall simulator field experiments and partial least squares regression: Cahaba River watershed, Alabama (USA)

Hillslope erosion processes such as rainsplash erosion and slopewash are a major source of fine sediment that causes water-quality problems in many river systems. Hillslope sediment yield is controlled by both climatic and watershed characteristics. Understanding the relative sensitivity of sediment yield to soil and watershed characteristics under different precipitation intensities is important for identifying hotspots of sediment yield and the likely response of sediment yield to changing climate and land use. Here, field experiments on sediment yield were conducted in Alabama’s (United States) Cahaba River watershed under varying precipitation intensities using a rainfall simulator. Using data on soil and watershed characteristics, partial least squares (PLS) regression models were developed of sediment yield under both “more intense” (recurrence interval ≈ 10 years) and “less intense” (recurrence interval ≈ 1 year) simulated rainfall events. The resulting models were used to create spatially explicit estimates of sediment yield under different precipitation intensities for the Cahaba River watershed. The optimized PLS models had a cumulative R 2 of 0.41 and 0.73 for the “more intense” and “less intense” rainfall events, respectively. The higher R2 of the “less intense” model is attributed to higher significance of the heterogeneity of watershed variables under less intense precipitation. Significant variables that were retained in both models included percent sand, percent clay, percent organic matter, and slope. The results support the use of PLS modeling to analyze the results of field experiments using rainfall simulators to examine both climatic and watershed controls on hillslope sediment yield.
FINPAGE: Generating high performance feed-specific parser circuits

The low latency and high throughput requirements of high-frequency trading has resulted in increasing adoption of dedicated hardware for processing financial feeds. Development of hardware platforms, however, is plagued with slow design/verification cycles compared to their software counterparts. In this work, we present FINPAGE, a FINancial PArser GEnerator, to automatically generate hardware structures for parsing financial feeds. Given a high-level feed format description, FINPAGE generates an area-efficient hardware parser capable of processing feeds at line rate.
Convex estimation of the α-confidence reachable set for systems with parametric uncertainty

Accurately modeling and verifying the correct operation of systems interacting in dynamic environments is challenging. By leveraging parametric uncertainty within the model description, one can relax the requirement to describe interactions with the environment exactly; however, one must still guarantee that the model, despite uncertainty, behaves acceptably. This paper presents a convex optimization method to compute the set of configurations of a polynomial dynamical system that are able to safely reach a user defined target set despite parametric uncertainty. Since planning in the presence of uncertainty can lead to undesirable conservativeness, this paper computes those trajectories of the uncertain nonlinear systems that are α-probable of reaching the desired configuration. The presented approach uses the notion of occupation measures to describe the evolution of trajectories of a nonlinear system with parametric uncertainty as a linear equation over measures whose supports coincide with the trajectories under investigation. This linear equation is approximated with vanishing conservatism using a hierarchy of semidefinite programs each of which is proven to compute an approximation to the set of initial conditions that are α-probable of reaching the user defined target set safely despite uncertainty. The efficacy of this method is illustrated on three systems with parametric uncertainty.
Kondo-Ising and tight-binding models for TmB 4

In ${\mathrm{TmB}}_{4}$, localized electrons with a large magnetic moment interact with metallic electrons in boron-derived bands. We examine the nature of ${\mathrm{TmB}}_{4}$ using full-relativistic ab initio density functional theory calculations, approximate tight-binding Hamiltonian results, and the development of an effective Kondo-Ising model for this system. Features of the Fermi surface relating to the anisotropic conduction of charge are discussed. The observed magnetic moment $\ensuremath{\sim}6\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ is argued to require a subtle crystal field effect in metallic systems, involving a flipped sign of the effective charges surrounding a Tm ion. The role of on-site quantum dynamics in the resulting Kondo-Ising type ``impurity'' model are highlighted. From this model, elimination of the conduction electrons will lead to spin-spin (RKKY-type) interaction of Ising character required to understand the observed fractional magnetization plateaus in ${\mathrm{TmB}}_{4}$.
Let me rephrase that: Transparent optimization in SDNs

Enterprise networks today have highly diverse correctness requirements and relatively common performance objectives. As a result, preferred abstractions for enterprise networks are those which allow matching correctness specification, while transparently managing performance. Existing SDN network management architectures, however, bundle correctness and performance as a single abstraction. We argue that this creates an SDN ecosystem that is unnecessarily hard to build, maintain and evolve. We advocate a separation of the diverse correctness abstractions from generic performance optimization, to enable easier evolution of SDN controllers and platforms. We propose Oreo, a first step towards a common and relatively transparent performance optimization layer for SDN. Oreo performs the optimization by first building a model that describes every flow in the network, and then performing network-wide, multi-objective optimization based on this model without disrupting higher level correctness.
Electron cryo-microscopy structure of the mechanotransduction channel NOMPC

Mechanosensory transduction for senses such as proprioception, touch, balance, acceleration, hearing and pain relies on mechanotransduction channels, which convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals in specialized sensory cells. How force gates mechanotransduction channels is a central question in the field, for which there are two major models. One is the membrane-tension model: force applied to the membrane generates a change in membrane tension that is sufficient to gate the channel, as in the bacterial MscL channel and certain eukaryotic potassium channels. The other is the tether model: force is transmitted via a tether to gate the channel. The transient receptor potential (TRP) channel NOMPC is important for mechanosensation-related behaviours such as locomotion, touch and sound sensation across different species including Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and zebrafish. NOMPC is the founding member of the TRPN subfamily, and is thought to be gated by tethering of its ankyrin repeat domain to microtubules of the cytoskeleton. Thus, a goal of studying NOMPC is to reveal the underlying mechanism of force-induced gating, which could serve as a paradigm of the tether model. NOMPC fulfils all the criteria that apply to mechanotransduction channels and has 29 ankyrin repeats, the largest number among TRP channels. A key question is how the long ankyrin repeat domain is organized as a tether that can trigger channel gating. Here we present a de novo atomic structure of Drosophila NOMPC determined by single-particle electron cryo-microscopy. Structural analysis suggests that the ankyrin repeat domain of NOMPC resembles a helical spring, suggesting its role of linking mechanical displacement of the cytoskeleton to the opening of the channel. The NOMPC architecture underscores the basis of translating mechanical force into an electrical signal within a cell.
Making Devices Smart

A large number of devices now come with embedded memory, processing power and communicating capabilities helping them become smart. Connected things allow data to be exchanged between the things and its operating ecosystem including manufacturer, operators, users, and other products [1, 2]. The data collected from these products can be then analyzed to make a better decision-making, improve operational efficiencies and enhance performance of the product.
Space, Social Relations, and Contestation: Transformative Peacebuilding and World Social Forum Climate Spaces

The 2013 and 2015 World Social Forums in Tunis, Tunisia hosted thematic “climate spaces” for the first time. This article examines the extent to which these spaces are constitutive of a form of “transformative peacebuilding” aiming to transform social relations and eliminate the structural violence of the world capitalist economy. Both the theoretical and practical activities of civil society at the climate spaces are shown to be transformative but only to the extent that they contest broad processes of trasformismo which transcend differences and obscure the lived realities of governance and resistance. In this sense, civil society groups and movements at the climate spaces are shown to engage with global capitalism to potentially produce new global understanding and action. This generates new understandings of civil society as constitutive of directly resistant modes of social relation that push for radically different visions of climate justice and governance.
The Climatic Impact of Thermodynamic Phase Partitioning in Mixed-Phase Clouds

Abstract This chapter presents an extension of previous work on the impact of the supercooled liquid fraction (SLF) of mixed-phase clouds on equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) using a series of coupled climate simulations constrained by satellite observations. Simulations with vastly differing values of SLF were run with both present-day and doubled CO 2 concentrations. The ECS values were shown to increase monotonically with increasing SLF, and the increases in ECS were attributed to a progressive weakening of the cloud phase feedback. This study presents non-cloud feedbacks (Planck, water vapor, lapse rate, albedo) and cloud feedbacks computed using two different methods. In the global mean, the Planck feedback is the strongest non-cloud feedback followed by the water vapor feedback. Additional simulations run to gauge the influence of the model tuning required to avoid climate drift in the coupled simulations suggest that the results of previous work are robust to retuning.
Correlation between Serum Uric Acid Level and Microalbuminuria in Type-2 Diabetic Nephropathy.

Objective To measure the correlation between microalbuminuria and serum uric acid level in Type-2 diabetic nephropathy. Methods This cross-sectional study was done in department of Medicine, Mayo hospital Lahore from August 2014 to February 2015. A total of 200 patients with Type-2 diabetic nephropathy were enrolled in the study. Demographic data and contact details were obtained. Serum Uric acid and microalbuminuria by albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) in random urine sample was measured at the time of inclusion of patients. All the information was collected through a pre-defined proforma. Pearson correlation coefficient and t-test were used to assess correlation and significance respectively. Results Out of 200 cases, 29%(n=58) were between 16-40 years of age while 71%(n=142) were between 41-65 years of age, Mean ± SD was calculated as 48.1±10.26 years, 48.5%(n=97) were male and 51.5%(n=103) were females, Mean serum uric acid level was calculated as 6.99±1.01 mg/dL while microalbuminuria was calculated as 5.63±1.08 mg/mmol, r value was 0.0838 which is a positive correlation. Conclusion The results of our study concluded that level of serum uric acid and microalbuminuria are significantly correlated to nephropathy in patients having Type-2 diabetes mellitus.
Functionality of hospital information systems: results from a survey of quality directors at Turkish hospitals

We aimed to determine availability of core Hospital Information Systems (HIS) functions implemented in Turkish hospitals and the perceived importance of these functions on quality and patient safety. We surveyed quality directors (QDs) at civilian hospitals in the nation of Turkey. Data were collected via web survey using an instrument with 50 items describing core functionality of HIS. We calculated mean availability of each function, mean and median values of perceived impact on quality, and we investigated the relationship between availability and perceived importance. We received responses from 31% of eligible institutions, representing all major geographic regions of Turkey. Mean availability of 50 HIS functions was 65.6%, ranging from 19.6% to 97.4%. Mean importance score was 7.87 (on a 9-point scale) ranging from 7.13 to 8.41. Functions related to result management (89.3%) and decision support systems (52.2%) had the highest and lowest reported availability respectively. Availability and perceived importance were moderately correlated (r = 0.52). QDs report high importance of the HIS functions surveyed as they relate to quality and patient safety. Availability and perceived importance of HIS functions are generally correlated, with some interesting exceptions. These findings may inform future investments and guide policy changes within the Turkish healthcare system. Financial incentives, regulations around certified HIS, revisions to accreditation manuals, and training interventions are all policies which will help integrate HIS functions to support quality and patient safety in Turkish hospitals.
The path to academic medicine: Paying the bills and breaking the mould

Gretchen P Purcell describes how she paid for her undergraduate and professional education while working at unique jobs that advanced her career
Greater variability in daily physical activity is associated with poorer mental health profiles among obese adults

Abstract Research is inconclusive about whether physical activity (PA) should be performed every day or performed less frequently but in longer bouts to obtain mental health benefits. The current study examined the extent to which day-to-day variability in PA is associated with adults' mental health, and if this association differed by Body Mass Index (BMI). Adults (N = 116) completed three waves of data collection (each lasting 4 days) during which participants completed a questionnaire assessing mental health (life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, perceived stress), wore a waist accelerometer, and had height and weight measured. This study employed a novel two-stage data analysis approach using the standalone program MIXWILD. The first-stage model partitioned mean level as well as between-subject and within-subject variances in daily PA by estimating a random location (subject-level mean) and a random scale (subject-level variability) for daily PA. In the second-stage, these random subject effects for daily PA along with their interactions with BMI were used as predictors for subject-level mental health outcomes. Associations between subject-level variability in daily PA and mental health outcomes significantly differed depending on adults’ BMI (life satisfaction: β = −0.05, p
Painless Goodbye: Turnover as a Screening Device

This qualitative study describes and analyzes how voluntary turnover is assumed and encouraged, rather than deterred, by two voluntary organizations. Though research on turnover has deep roots in o...
TURNOVER OF HYPOTHALAMIC CATECHOLAMINES IN SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS

After α-methyltyrosine (αMT), depletion of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (D) in hypothalamus but not in brain stem of 1 and 10-month old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was greater than in Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Immobilization enhanced further the depletion rate of NE and D but not that of epinephrine (EPI) in the brain. αMT produced a greater decrease in catecholamine in hypothalamus and frontal cortex of immobilized adult SHR than in young SHR. Clonidine caused a decrease in brain NE turnover and an increase in EPI turnover. These results suggest that immobilization stress can produce a hyperreactivity in adrenergic systems in the hypothalamus and frontal cortex of SHR.
Future Embolic Therapies

This chapter will consider potential future developments for embolotherapy. These could take the form of the following:
Consideration of Private Events is Required in a Comprehensive Science of Behavior.

Baum (2011) argues that private events “constitute a trivial idea and are irrelevant to accounts of behavior” (p. 185), and that “all the behavior and effects that matter are public” (p. 194). In arguing so, Baum has misunderstood the central purpose of invoking private events. Private events play no role in the experimental analysis of behavior, but they play an important role in the interpretation of behavior outside the laboratory. If we do not engage in such interpretive exercises, we have no explanation at all for much human behavior, and we leave the vacuum to be filled with folk psychology and its derivatives. Skinner's recognition of the role of private events in a natural science was a necessary step toward a comprehensive account of behavior, but Baum is determined to take that step back. That is a bad idea, and Baum's reasons for urging it are unsound.
Atrial Fibrillation and Objective Sleep Quality by Slow Wave Sleep.

Background Self-reported poor sleep quality has been suggested in patients with AF. Slow wave sleep (SWS) is considered the most restorative sleep stage and represents an important objective measure of sleep quality. The aim of this study was to compare quantity of SWS between patients with and without AF. Methods and results We included patients with and without a documented history of AF by reviewing clinically indicated polysomnography data from a single sleep center. Patients on medications with potential influence on sleep architecture were excluded. Logistic regression was performed to determine the association between AF and SWS time (low vs. high) adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, and sleep apnea. In a 2:1 case-control set-up, a total of 205 subjects (139 with AF, 66 without AF) were included. Mean age was 62 (SD: 14.3) years and 59% were men. Patients with AF had lower SWS time (11.1 vs. 16.6 min, p=0.02). In multivariable analysis, prevalent AF was associated with low SWS independent of sleep apnea and other potential confounders (OR 2.5 [1.3, 5.0], p=0.006). Limiting the analysis to patients whose total sleep time was greater than 4 hours (by excluding N=31) resulted in more robust results (OR 3.9 [1.7, 9.7]. p=0.002). Conclusion AF is associated with more impaired sleep quality as indicated by lower quantity of SWS. More studies are needed to explore the mechanistic interactions between AF and sleep.
Quantum optics of a Bose-Einstein condensate

Fashion has been a very important motivation of people's activity in general, and in science in particular. One such "scientific fashion" that came and went several times during the last half of the century concerns Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC). The most recent return of the BEC fashion deals with various systems of trapped and cooled atoms [1]. Several experimental groups have attempted to realize the BEC [2-4] in such systems. According to experimentalists [5], within one year we should at least know whether the conditions for condensation are experimentally accessible. Independent of whether this goal is achieved or not, reliable methods must be developed to detect and diagnose dense systems of very cold atoms. In particular, the quantum statistical character of atoms as bosons or fermions may start to play a crucial role under such conditions. For this reason, we tend to view the theory that we describe below as a new area of quantum optics and atomic physics — quantum field theory of aoms interacting with lighl, or, as some authors call it, nonlinear aom optics [6]. So far the literature on the subject is not very large. Refs. [7-11] deal with the problem of light scattering off a condensate. Lenz et al. describe nonlinear quantum statistical effects in the propagation of atomic waves. Cirac et al. [12] study cooling processes in very small traps that lead to an infinite
Oral microbiome diversity in chimpanzees from Gombe National Park

Historic calcified dental plaque (dental calculus) can provide a unique perspective into the health status of past human populations but currently no studies have focused on the oral microbial ecosystem of other primates, including our closest relatives, within the hominids. Here we use ancient DNA extraction methods, shotgun library preparation, and next generation Illumina sequencing to examine oral microbiota from 19 dental calculus samples recovered from wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) who died in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. The resulting sequences were trimmed for quality, analyzed using MALT, MEGAN, and alignment scripts, and integrated with previously published dental calculus microbiome data. We report significant differences in oral microbiome phyla between chimpanzees and anatomically modern humans (AMH), with chimpanzees possessing a greater abundance of Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria, and AMH showing higher Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Our results suggest that by using an enterotype clustering method, results cluster largely based on host species. These clusters are driven by Porphyromonas and Fusobacterium genera in chimpanzees and Haemophilus and Streptococcus in AMH. Additionally, we compare a nearly complete Porphyromonas gingivalis genome to previously published genomes recovered from human gingiva to gain perspective on evolutionary relationships across host species. Finally, using shotgun sequence data we assessed indicators of diet from DNA in calculus and suggest exercising caution when making assertions related to host lifestyle. These results showcase core differences between host species and stress the importance of continued sequencing of nonhuman primate microbiomes in order to fully understand the complexity of their oral ecologies.
Sun-Protective Behaviors: An Educational Intervention With Hospital Staff Aimed at Skin Cancer Prevention in Children

Background Melanoma incidence and mortality rates are predicted to steadily increase. Sun protection is important during early development because of the potential for overexposure to ultraviolet radiation while outdoors. Objectives The purpose of this project was to design, implement, and evaluate an educational intervention provided to healthcare professionals (HCPs) with the intention of influencing the behaviors of child populations served. Methods The project evaluated HCPs' baseline knowledge about sun-protective behaviors, their level of knowledge regarding sun-protective behaviors postintervention, their intent to change behavior, and the feasibility of implementing behavior change within the organization. Findings Pre- to post-test knowledge significantly increased. All participants reported that they would encourage children's sunscreen usage, and 98% reported that they would support the behavior change; however, 35% indicated likeliness that they would personally use sunscreen or sun-protection methods.
Economic valuation of health benefits from using geologic data to communicate radon risk potential

Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide and represents a major health concern within and outside the United States. Mitigating exposure to radon is especially critical in places with high rates of tobacco smoking (e.g., Kentucky, USA), as radon-induced lung cancer is markedly greater among people exposed to tobacco smoke. Despite homes being a common source of radon exposure, convincing homeowners to test and mitigate for radon remains a challenge. A new communication strategy to increase radon testing among Kentucky homeowners utilizes fine-scale geologic map data to create detailed radon risk potential maps. We assessed the health benefits of this strategy via avoided lung cancer and associated premature mortality and quantified the economic value of these benefits to indicate the potential utility of using geologic map data in radon communication strategies. We estimated the change in radon testing among all 120 counties in Kentucky following a new communication strategy reliant on geologic maps. We approximated the resultant potential change in radon mitigation rates and subsequent expected lung cancer cases and mortality avoided among smokers and non-smokers exposed to 4 pCi/L of radon in the home. We then applied the value of a statistical life to derive the economic value of the expected avoided mortality. The new communication strategy is estimated to help 75 Kentucky residents in 1 year avoid exposure to harmful radon levels via increased testing and mitigation rates. This equated to the potential avoidance of approximately one premature death due to lung cancer, with a net present value of $3.4 to $8.5 million (2016 USD). Our analysis illustrates the potential economic value of health benefits associated with geologic map data used as part of a communication strategy conveying radon risk to the public. Geologic map data are freely available in varying resolutions throughout the United States, suggesting Kentucky’s radon communication strategy using geologic maps can be employed in other states to educate the public about radon. As this is only a single application, in a single state, the economic and health benefits of geologic map data in educating the public about radon are likely to exceed our estimates.
The Kohn and the Language of Social Obligation

In Thai Buddhist society, people have long depended on one another for survival. Therefore, a vision of human nature has emerged which defines people as interdependent. The profound need for other people that most Thais experience comes with a price: The expression of egoistic or selfish desires and feelings, and even positive feelings that are seen as too intense, are largely forbidden. How do people come to understand themselves as loved and worthy of being cared for when speaking of love is embarrassing and working through anger in the open is impossible? This chapter explores Pannee’s experiences with her husband and daughter, walking the line between seeking signs of love and actually expressing it herself, and also looks at Oh’s and Od’s memories of childhood. It examines stories that describe personal relationships, considering the ways people look at the world through relational lenses, as parents, children, friends, and lovers.
Evaluation of geomechanical properties via scratch tests: Where are we and where do we go from here?

The scratch test is a quasi-non-destructive method made up of pushing a tool across the surface of a weaker rock at a given penetration depth. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS), fracture toughness (KIC), and other geomechanical parameters influence how geological materials fail, and how the succeeding fractures nucleate. Researchers have attempted to evaluate UCS, KIC, and other geomechanical properties in diverse rock formations through the scratch test method, but there remain differing opinions on the fundamental approach and principles to be adopted in estimating these properties. Therefore, the evaluation of geomechanical parameters and their impact on hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation, and underground storage remain an important issue for the energy industry. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of the methods of approach, applications, and the mechanics of rock scratching. We showed the merits of utilizing scratch tests over other conventional methods of measuring and estimating geomechanical properties. Our review focuses on previous studies in the past few decades that utilized the scratch test method to investigate geomechanical properties and their impact on fractomechanical behavior. Finally, we highlight promising research areas of investigation to improve the application of the scratch test method. We envisage this advancement in our knowledge will improve the optimization of hydrocarbon exploitation, underground storage, and field-scale modeling for energy production operations.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Operating Room and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

Rapid implementation of remote continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is occurring across hospitals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite limited experience, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not objecting to the inpatient use of CGM to limit the exposure of health care workers to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and to reduce the waste of personal protective equipment (1). Recent efforts in non–intensive care unit (ICU) patients suggest that CGM devices are accurate in the inpatient setting and can help monitor patients remotely (2,3). In addition, two recent small trials enrolling non-ICU patients confirm the feasibility of using remote real-time CGM in the hospital (4,5). The accuracy of sensors, however, may be affected during various conditions that have not been well studied (i.e., MRI, surgery, shock requiring vasopressor therapy, hypoxia) (1). To mitigate potential CGM inaccuracy, a hybrid approach using real-time CGM with periodic point-of-care (POC) validation has been suggested (1). We report here on the likely loss of sensor signal during cardiac surgery and potential loss of accuracy in the operating room (OR). We also report on the accuracy of sensors that recovered immediately after surgery during critical illness. We evaluated the performance of sensors in adults without diabetes undergoing scheduled or urgent coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). We excluded …
Perspectives on the ‘Stand Your Ground’ Movement: Testimony Submitted to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, Hearing on ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws: Civil Rights and Public Safety: Implications of the Expanded Use of Deadly Force'

The recent enactment by many states of greatly expanded “stand your ground” laws has opened the door to an array of societal problems. The series of new immunities and protections added to the laws of these states protecting individuals who make self-defense cases when lethal force is used in interpersonal altercations offers a solution for which no problem exists. In fact, these “shoot first” laws actually encourage unnecessary violence and yet also seriously inhibit the ability of law enforcement and prosecutors to properly investigate such incidents. Several analyses demonstrate that deaths increase in the aftermath of the enactment of these laws.
A Hearing Test Simulator GUI for clinical testing of speech recognition.

This paper presents an overview of a useful MATLAB based GUI for speech recognition testing to evaluate the subjects’ ability in noisy environments with different SNR values. With this software package, stimuli are presented and the examiner is able to identify which words are correctly perceived. Test data can be collected in various conditions to measure the performance as signal-to-noise ratio or signal processing varies. From the subjects’ responses, word recognition rates can be saved by the examiner according to different noise types such as babble, traffic, machinery, and white noise. Additionally, the speech recognition tests are completed through repeated testing cycles. Word recognition scores are saved into the database for later use purpose and analysis. This computer aided simulation makes a reliable and cost effective way to create real environmental conditions for clinical testing. Our MATLAB based GUI addresses the needs of both clinical evaluation and engineering.
An Exploratory Study of Online Early Sexual Initiation through Pressured and Unwanted Sexting.

Sexting in young adolescents may be an online form of early sexual debut. We assess the link between potentially problematic sexting (i.e., pressured and receiving unwanted sexts) with known risky ...
Spatially explicit modeling of community occupancy using Markov Random Field models with imperfect observation: Mesocarnivores in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Abstract How species organize spatially is one of ecology’s most motivating questions. Multiple theories have been advanced and various models developed to account for the environment, interactions among species, and spatial drivers. However, relative importance comparisons of explanatory phenomena generally are neglected in these analyses. We developed a spatially explicit community occupancy model based on Markov random fields that accounts for spatial auto-correlation and interspecific interactions in occupancy while also accounting for interspecific interaction in detection. Simulations demonstrated that the model can distinguish different mechanisms of environmental sorting, such as competition and spatial-autocorrelation. We applied our model to camera trap data from a fisher (Pekania pennanti)–marten (Martes americana) and coyote (Canis latrans)-fox (Vulpes vulpes) system in Apostle Island National Lakeshore (Wisconsin, USA). Model results indicated that the observed partitioning pattern between marten and fisher distributions could be explained best by a flipped mainland–island source–sink pattern rather than by competition. For the coyote–fox system, we determined that, in addition to a mainland–island source–sink pattern, there was a positive association between fox and coyote that deserved further study. Our model could be readily applied to other landscapes (island and non-island systems), enhancing our understanding of species coexistence patterns.
A model for marine sedimentary carbonate diagenesis and paleoclimate proxy signal tracking: IMP v1.0

Abstract. The preservation of calcium carbonate in marine sediments is central to controlling the alkalinity balance of the ocean and, hence, the ocean–atmosphere partitioning of CO2 . To successfully address carbon cycle–climate dynamics on geologic ( ≫1 kyr) timescales, Earth system models then require an appropriate representation of the primary controls on CaCO3 preservation. At the same time, marine sedimentary carbonates represent a major archive of Earth history, as they have the potential to preserve how seawater chemistry, isotopic composition, and even properties of planktic and benthic ecosystems, change with time. However, changes in preservation and even chemical erosion of previously deposited CaCO3 , along with the biogenic reworking of upper portions of sediments, whereby sediment particles are translocated both locally and nonlocally between different depths in the sediments, all act to distort the recorded signal. Numerical models can aid in recovering what the “true” environmental changes might have been, but only if they appropriately account for these processes. Building on a classical 1-D reaction-transport framework, we present a new diagenetic model – IMP (Implicit model of Multiple Particles (and diagenesis)) – that simulates biogeochemical transformations in carbonate-hosted proxy signals by allowing for populations of solid carbonate particles to possess different physicochemical characteristics such as isotopic value, solubility and particle size. The model also utilizes a variable transition matrix to implement different styles of bioturbation. We illustrate the utility of the model for deciphering past environmental changes using several hypothesized transitions of seawater proxies obscured by sediment mixing and chemical erosion. To facilitate the use of IMP, we provide the model in Fortran, MATLAB and Python versions. We described IMP with integration into Earth system models in mind, and we present the description of this coupling of IMP with the “cGENIE.muffin” model in a subsequent paper.
Scalar Curvature as a moment Map

Let (V, ω) be a simply connected symplectic manifold and let G be a group acting on V preserving the symplectic form. Let \( \mathfrak{g} \) be the Lie algebra of G which consists of all left-invariant vector fields on G. Then any v ∈ \( \mathfrak{g} \) induces a one-parameter subgroup {ot} of G. Since G acts on V, o t induces a vector field X v on V. It is well known that there exists a map m, called moment map, m : V→ \( \mathfrak{g} \)*, satisfying m is G-equivariant with respect to the co-adjoint action on \( \mathfrak{g} \)*, for all v ∈ \( \mathfrak{g} \) and all u ∈ TV, ω( u, X v = dm (u)(v).
Selecting typical instances in instance-based learning

Abstract Concepts involved in real world applications usually possess graded structures. Instead of being equivalent, instances of a concept may be characterized by a degree of typicality in representing the concept. Typical instances of a concept usually better characterize the concept than atypical instances do. This paper presents an instance-based learning approach in which typical instances are selected to store as concept descriptions. It first addresses the issue of measuring the typicality of an instance with respect to its concept. Then, it empirically shows that some concepts in standard datasets do have graded structures. Finally, it presents a simple instance-based learning and classification algorithm that successfully uses typicalities of instances. This approach has been tested on both artificial and practical domains, and compared with three different IBL approaches. The experimental results showed that the approach recorded lower storage requirements and higher classification accuracies than previous instance-based algorithms on several domains.
Foreign trade regimes and economic development: A review article☆

Abstract How does protection by means of import quotas (QRs) differ from tariffs in ten typical less developed countries? Bhagwati provides a convincing taxonomy, for stalic equilibria, of the manifold additional distortions arising from QR regimes. Krueger analyzes the monetary, fiscal and exchange-rate problems associated with the struggle to liberalize. Both demonstrate that QRs on foreign trade are very damaging to economic development, but neither rationalizes why QRs are so common in practice. The reviewer fills part of the gap by appealing to malfunctioning capital markets, and these financial considerations may help explain why devaluations in LDCs have such unexpected outcomes.
Who Works Together in Agent Coalition Formation

Coalitions are often required for multi-agent collaboration. In this research, we consider tasks that can only be completed with the combined efforts of multiple agents using approaches which are both cooperative and competitive. Often agents forming coalitions determine optimal coalitions by looking at all possibilities. This requires an exponential algorithm and is not feasible when the number of agents and tasks is large. We propose agents use a two step process of first determining the task, and secondly, the agents that will be solicited to help complete the task. We describe polynomial time heuristics for each decision. We measure four different agent types using the described heuristics. We explore diminishing choices and performance under various parameters.
Cycles on curves over global fields of positive characteristic

Let k be a global field of positive characteristic, and let σ: X → Spec k be a smooth projective curve. We study the zero-dimensional cycle group V(X) = Ker(σ*: SIK 1 (X) → K 1 (k)) and the one-dimensional cycle group W(X) = coker(σ*: K 2 (k) → H 0 Zar (X, K 2 )), addressing the conjecture that V(X) is torsion and W(X) is finitely generated. The main idea is to use Abhyankar's Theorem on resolution of singularities to relate the study of these cycle groups to that of the K-groups of a certain smooth projective surface over a finite field.
Frequency independence of the vortex-glass transition in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 − δ thin films

The frequency dependence of the vortex-glass phase transition in a ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ thin film was measured at frequencies ranging from ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ to ${10}^{5}$ Hz in applied fields H ranging from 0 to 50 kOe. The transition temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{g}}$ and the critical scaling parameter \ensuremath{\nu}(z-1) were determined from the scaling of both current-voltage characteristics and the resistivity measurements. The critical scaling parameters determined by different methods are found to agree [\ensuremath{\nu}(z-1)=7.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3] and are consistent with the predictions of the continuous vortex-glass phase transition described by Fisher, Fisher, and Huse [Phys. Rev. B 43, 130 (1991)]. No frequency dependence is observed for the vortex-glass transition temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{g}}$, for the range of parameters studied here. While the data do provide further support for the existence of a continuous vortex-glass phase transition, no evidence for the divergent time scale is observed, setting an upper limit of ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}5}$ sec for this time scale at (T-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{g}}$)/${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{g}}$\ensuremath{\approxeq}0.02. Since ac-susceptibility data do not actually measure the ``irreversibility line'' (IRL), these results provide a fundamental measurement of the frequency dependence of the IRL. The observed frequency dependence is inconsistent with the flux-creep-based picture of the IRL.
Cross-streamline migration of slender Brownian fibres in plane Poiseuille flow

We consider fibre migration across streamlines in a suspension under plane Poiseuille flow. The flow investigated lies between two infinite, parallel plates separated by a distance comparable to the length of a suspended fibre. We consider the weak flow limit such that Brownian motion strongly affects the fibre position and orientation. Under these conditions, the fibre distribution, fibre mobility and fluid velocity field all vary on scales comparable to the fibre's length thus complicating a traditional volumeaveraging approach to solving this problem. Therefore, we use a non-local derivation of the stress. The resulting fully coupled problem for the fluid velocity, fibre stress contribution and fibre distribution function is solved self-consistently in the limit of strong Brownian motion. When calculated in this manner, we show that at steady state the fibres’ centre-of-mass distribution function shows a net migration of fibres away from the centre of the channel and towards the channel walls. The fibre migration occurs for all gap widths (0 ≤ λ ≤ 35) and fibre concentrations (0 ≤ c ≤ 1.0) investigated. Additionally, the fibre concentration reaches a maximum value around one fibre half-length from the channel walls. However, we find that the net fibre migration is a relatively small change over the fibre's uniform bulk distribution, and typically the centre-of-mass migration changes the uniform concentration profile by only a few percent.
Analysis of wound healing in an in vitro model: early appearance of laminin and a 125 × 10(3) Mr polypeptide during adhesion complex formation

The adhesion complex, which plays an important role in cell-substratum attachment, consists of a cellular hemidesmosomal plaque, anchoring filaments, the basement membrane zone and anchoring fibrils. An analysis of the temporal sequence of assembly of the adhesion complex was undertaken in an in vitro model of epithelial cell wound healing by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. A monoclonal antibody directed against a 125K (K = 10(3) Mr) polypeptide (mAbHD), bullous pemphigoid (BP) autoantibodies, antibodies directed against collagen type VII and laminin antibodies were used as markers for anchoring filaments, the hemidesmosome, anchoring fibrils and the laminin component of the basement membrane zone, respectively. Fluorescence labeling could be detected with mAbHD before labeling with BP autoantibodies or collagen type VII antibodies. Laminin fluorescence was detected at the same time as mAbHD. Furthermore, the 125K polypeptide and laminin were located extracellularly prior to the appearance of BP antigen and collagen type VII. The appearance of the hemidesmosomal plaque at the electron microscope level succeeded the localization of BP antigen in basal cells detected by immunofluorescence microscopy. No evidence for the coordinated appearance of BP antigen, collagen type VII and laminin was observed in this model. We discuss the possibility that the 125K protein and laminin may play roles in the initiation of complex formation. Furthermore, although basement membrane zone components were detected early in adhesion complex re-formation, formation of the lamina densa region of the basement membrane zone followed the appearance of the hemidesmosomal plaque, indicating a role for the hemidesmosomal plaque in organizing the structure of the lamina densa.
Lunar association with suicide

Suicides in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, for 1972--1975 are tabulated by year, month of year, day of week, lunar phase, and holiday occurrence. Only lunar phase demonstrates a significant (p less than .01) variation in suicide rate; an increase is observed in this sample with respect to new moon phase but not for full moon phase. Explanations for this finding are considered, but the precise reasons remain unknown.
Self‐Efficacy: A Concept Analysis

TOPIC. Concept analysis and self-efficacy. PURPOSE. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the concept self-efficacy through the use of Rodger's model. SOURCES. Published research. CONCLUSION. Self-efficacy beliefs influence how people think, feel, motivate themselves, and act. Self-efficacy is concerned about the perception or judgment of being able to accomplish a specific goal and cannot be sensed globally. In order to gain a sense of self-efficacy, a person can complete a skill successfully, observe someone else doing a task successfully, acquire positive feedback about completing a task, or rely on physiological cues.
Food limited growth and development of larvae: Experiments with natural sea water

Abstract Food limitation of growth and development of larvae in coastal waters was tested with larvae of five species of marine invertebrates from the San Juan Islands, WA, U.S.A. The larvae were fed three rations: food in natural sea water, food in natural sea water with cultured algae added, or food in natural sea water with the particle concentration reduced one-fifth by addition of membrane filtered sea water. Larvae of four of the five species grew significantly faster with the enhanced ration than with natural sea water. Larvae of the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus (Eschscholtz) metamorphosed on the 21st day after fertilization with the enhanced ration, on the 27th day with the unaltered ration, and on the 47th day with the reduced ration. The size of the echinus rudiment at metamorphosis of D. excentricus was independent of food concentrations. Since the concentration of chlorophyll a in the natural sea water of this study is common in coastal waters, natural food supplies may commonly limit growth and development of larvae.
An automatic photoelectric alignment telescope

Abstract The theory of an automatic alignment telescope is described. Alignment errors are presented in an electrical form which may be recorded or displayed on a voltage sensing instrument. Focusing of the telescope is automatic, hence human error is eliminated. The instrument has a sensitivity of better than ± 0·25 μ m (± 10 × 10 −6 in.), and is capable of measuring alignment errors up to approximately ± 0·2 mm ± 0·008 in.) over a target range of approximately 1·9 m (75 in.).