cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Product-line requirements specification (PRS): an approach and case study

Software product-line engineering can provide significant gains in quality and productivity through systematic reuse of software's conceptual structures. For embedded safety- or mission-critical systems, much of the development effort goes into understanding, specifying, and validating the requirements. If developers can reuse rather than re-do requirements for families of similar systems, we can improve productivity while significantly reducing the opportunity for requirements errors. The paper describes a systematic approach to developing a Product-line Requirements Specification (PRS) for such systems. The PRS explicitly represents the family's common requirements as well as the allowed variations that distinguish family members. When completed, the PRS definition also supports generation of well-formed software requirements specifications (SRS) for members of the product line. We describe a process for developing a PRS starting from an analysis of a program family's commonalities and variabilities. The approach is illustrated with examples from a case study of a real family of systems, the Rockwell Collins Commercial Flight Control System product-line.
Explorations with the Dynamic Wave Model

Following Shrager and Johnson (1995) we study growth of logical function complexity in a network swept by two overlapping waves: one of pruning, and the other of Hebbian reinforcement of connections. Results indicate a significant spatial gradient in the appearance of both linearly separable and non linearly separable functions of the two inputs of the network; the n.l.s. cells are much sparser and their slope of appearance is sensitive to parameters in a highly non-linear way.
The Mdm2–p53 relationship evolves: Mdm2 swings both ways as an oncogene and a tumor suppressor

Mdm2 has been well characterized as a negative regulator of the tumor suppressor p53. Recent studies have shown that Mdm2 is activated in response to a variety of oncogenic pathways independent of p53. Although its role as an oncogene via suppression of p53 function remains clear, growing evidence argues for p53-independent effects, as well as the remarkable possibility that Mdm2 has tumor suppressor functions in the appropriate context. Hence, Mdm2 is proving to be a key player in human cancer in its own right, and thus an important target for therapeutic intervention.
Construction of a total extrathoracic neoesophagus with combined cutaneous and myoepithelial flaps

Restration of esophageal continuity between the cervical or thoracic esophagus and the upper gastrointestinal tract requires the interpolation of an epithelium-lined conduit which permits the unimpeded passage of saliva and food.
Implications of Commerce and Urbanization for the Learning Environments of Everyday Life A Zinacantec Maya Family Across Time and Space

In recent decades, Maya ecocultural environments in Chiapas, Mexico, have undergone continuous change from more subsistence based to more commerce based and from more rural to more urban. Through ethnographic observations of one family during a 10-year period in rural and urban settings, activity settings analysis revealed changes on the micro level that reflected these shifts in the macro environment. The development of commerce between 1997 and 2007 led to increased reliance on technology, increases in individuation and individual choice, specialization for economic tasks, and for women, more formal education. Other changes in this period that were greatly intensified by urban dwelling included contact with strangers, contact with people of different ethnicities, and women’s economic achievement. Urban dwelling also introduced freedom for young women to have unchaperoned contact with young men.
The relationship between return and market value of common stocks

This study examines the empirical relattonship between the return and the total market value of NYSE common stocks. It is found that smaller firms have had htgher risk adjusted returns, on average, than larger lirms. This ‘size effect’ has been in existence for at least forty years and is evidence that the capital asset pricing model is misspecttied. The size elfect is not linear in the market value; the main effect occurs for very small tirms while there is little difference m return between average sized and large firms. It IS not known whether size per se is responsible for the effect or whether size IS just a proxy for one or more true unknown factors correlated with size. The single-period capital asset pricing model (henceforth CAPM) postulates a simple linear relationship between the expected return and the market risk of a security. While the results of direct tests have been inconclusive, recent evidence suggests the existence of additional factors which are relevant for asset pricing. Litzenberger and Ramaswamy (1979) show a significant positive relationship between dividend yield and return of common stocks for the 1936-1977 period. Basu (1977) finds that pricee earnings ratios and risk adjusted returns are related. He chooses to interpret his findings as evidence of market inefficiency but as Ball (1978) points out, market efftciency tests are often joint tests of the efficient market hypothesis and a particular equilibrium relationship. Thus, some of the anomalies that have been attributed to a lack of market efficiency might well be the result of a misspecification of the pricing model. This study contributes another piece to the emerging puzzle. It examines the relationship between the total market value of the common stock of a firm and its return. The results show that, in the 193661975 period, the common stock of small firms had, on average, higher risk-adjusted returns *This study ts based on part of my dtssertatton and was completed while 1 was at the Umverstty of Chtcago. 1 am grateful to my committee, Myron Scholes (chairman), John Gould. Roger Ibbotson. Jonathan Ingersoll, and especially Eugene Fama and and Merton Mtller, for their advtce and comments I wtsh to acknowledge the valuable comments of Btll Schwert on earher drafts of thts paper
DISCOUNTED PRODUCTION SCHEDULING AND EMPLOYMENT SMOOTHING.

Abstract : The report discusses the problem of minimizing the sum of production, employment smoothing, and inventory costs over a finite number of time periods. We require that the known demands be met each period. There are two modes of production, termed regular-time and overtime, the latter constrained to be no greater than a fixed proportion of the work force. We also permit a distinction between the amount of labor employed at regular-time and the level of the work force. There is a piece-wise linear cost associated with fluctuations in the work force, a nondecreasing inventory holding cost, and a production cost which subsumes convexity in the levels of regular-time, over-time, and work force.
Use of ultra-high molecular weight polycaprolactone scaffolds for ACL reconstruction.

Previously, we reported on the implantation of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) grafts for use in ACL tissue engineering in a small animal model. In the present study, we hypothesized that grafts fabricated from ultra-high molecular weight polycaprolactone (UHMWPCL) would have similarly favorable biologic properties but superior mechanical properties as compared to grafts fabricated from PCL. Two forms of polycaprolactone were obtained (UHMWPCL, MW = 500 kD, and PCL, MW = 80 kD) and electrospun into scaffolds that were used to perform ACL reconstruction in 7-8 week old male Lewis rats. The following groups were examined: UHMWPCL, PCL, flexor digitorum longus (FDL) allograft, native ACL, as well as sham surgery in which the ACL was transsected. At 16 weeks post-operatively, biomechanical testing, histology, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed. Analysis of cellularity indicated that there was no significant difference among the UHMWPCL, PCL, and FDL allograft groups. Quantification of birefringence from picrosirius red staining demonstrated significantly more aligned collagen fibers in the allograft than the PCL group, but no difference between the UHMWPCL and allograft groups. The peak load to failure of the UHMWPCL grafts was significantly higher than PCL, and not significantly different from FDL allograft. This in vivo study establishes the superiority of the higher molecular weight version of polycaprolactone over PCL as a scaffold material for ACL reconstruction. By 16 weeks after implantation, the UHMWPCL grafts were not significantly different from the FDL allografts in terms of cellularity, peak load to failure, stiffness, and collagen fiber alignment. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:828-835, 2016.
A Model of Path Stretch in Proactive Routing in MANETs

It is well known that topology information from nodes that are many hops away has little impact on the selection of the next hop. Hazy-sighted routing and fish-eye routing attempt to take advantage of this behavior in order to reduce overhead without impacting path stretch, which is the increase in the number of hops a packet travels as a result of stale topology information. However, these previous efforts failed to quantify the impact of their approach on path stretch. This paper develops a model of the path stretch as a function of stale topology information. To this end, we find a Markov model that describes the quality of packet forwarding, where jumps occur with some probability whenever the topology changes. From this Markov model, a precise model of path stretch can be derived, and a new and less optimistic view of hazy-sighted flooding emerges.
Theory of the terminated insulated antenna in a conducting medium

The general problem of the insulated antenna in an isotropic homogeneous medium of infinite extent is reviewed under the assumption that the medium is sufficiently conducting to permit the application of coaxial line theory. The currents and associated electromagnetic fields for the completely insulated antenna are obtained and the directional properties of the latter explained by comparison with a collinear array. An antenna in which only a central portion is insulated, while the ends are bare, is analyzed in terms of the theories of the insulated and bare antenna, both when the structure is driven by generators at the junctions of the bare and insulated sections and when it is driven by an internal coaxial feeder in the manner of a sleeve dipole. Finally, the center-driven insulated antenna with bare ends is investigated and its field is compared with that of the antenna driven at the junctions of the bare and insulated sections.
Prognostic factors in breast cancer. College of American Pathologists Consensus Statement 1999.

BACKGROUND Under the auspices of the College of American Pathologists, a multidisciplinary group of clinicians, pathologists, and statisticians considered prognostic and predictive factors in breast cancer and stratified them into categories reflecting the strength of published evidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS Factors were ranked according to previously established College of American Pathologists categorical rankings: category I, factors proven to be of prognostic import and useful in clinical patient management; category II, factors that had been extensively studied biologically and clinically, but whose import remains to be validated in statistically robust studies; and category III, all other factors not sufficiently studied to demonstrate their prognostic value. Factors in categories I and II were considered with respect to variations in methods of analysis, interpretation of findings, reporting of data, and statistical evaluation. For each factor, detailed recommendations for improvement were made. Recommendations were based on the following aims: (1) increasing uniformity and completeness of pathologic evaluation of tumor specimens, (2) enhancing the quality of data collected about existing prognostic factors, and (3) improving patient care. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Factors ranked in category I included TNM staging information, histologic grade, histologic type, mitotic figure counts, and hormone receptor status. Category II factors included c-erbB-2 (Her2-neu), proliferation markers, lymphatic and vascular channel invasion, and p53. Factors in category III included DNA ploidy analysis, microvessel density, epidermal growth factor receptor, transforming growth factor-alpha, bcl-2, pS2, and cathepsin D. This report constitutes a detailed outline of the findings and recommendations of the consensus conference group, organized according to structural guidelines as defined.
Cross‐linking of FcγR triggers shedding of the hemoglobin‐haptoglobin scavenger receptor CD163

CD163, the hemoglobin (Hb)-haptoglobin scavenger receptor, is a monocyte/macrophage-restricted member of the scavenger receptor, cysteine-rich family of proteins. In addition to being expressed on the cell surface, a soluble form of CD163 has also been reported. Like tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), surface CD163 is proteolytically cleaved from the plasma membrane in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. As cross-linking of the Fcgamma receptor (FcgammaR) is similarly known to induce TNF-alpha shedding, the effect of FcgammaR stimulation on CD163 shedding was investigated. We found that FcgammaR stimulation resulted in a rapid release of surface CD163 into the supernatant that was blocked by inhibitors of protein kinase C and tyrosine kinases. Although LPS and FcgammaR stimulation in short-term cultures suppressed CD163 mRNA expression, long-term cultures of monocytes treated with LPS-but not with a FcgammaR cross-linking reagent-resulted in an interleukin-10-dependent recovery of surface CD163 expression. These studies suggest that the presence of immune complexes in infection or autoimmunity may radically alter the nature of CD163-dependent monocyte/macrophage processes. This may be particularly important in disease states in which immune complexes and high levels of free Hb are present, such as in autoimmune hemolytic anemia, transfusion reactions, or infections by hemolytic bacteria.
The Diurnal Rhythmicity of Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) Attraction to Cuelure: Insights from an Interruptable Lure and Computer Vision

ABSTBACT We introduce a novel method for quantifying the response of tephritid fruit flies to chemical attractants (lures) under seminatural conditions by using automated detection and quantification via computer vision and an interruptible lure apparatus. We use this method to obtain a high-resolution (0.1 Hz) dataset representing the response of colony-reared melon flies, Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquillett, to cuelure [1-(p-acetoxyphenyl)-butan-3-one] at three different times of the day: morning (0900–1000 hours), mid (1200–1300 hours), and afternoon (1500–1600 hours), or all three times combined. Results consistently show a high and sustained response to cuelure in the morning period, a high but quickly decreasing response during the middle of the day and a low response in the afternoon. We propose possible reasons for the difference in response between the morning and middle of the day periods that could be investigated in future studies. The approach used here also can be used to study other important ...
Peer review: The appropriate GPRA metric for research

The implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act, whose aim is to improve the accountability of government-funded programs in the United States, could have far-reaching effects on scientific research. Concerns that the ability to do revolutionary research may be compromised by the increased emphasis on short-term measurable goals are discussed. An alternative strategy that could safeguard the open-ended needs of research and allow appropriate oversight is presented.
Phase separation and dynamics of two-component Bose-Einstein condensates

We study the interactions between two atomic species in a binary Bose-Einstein condensate to revisit the conditions for miscibility, oscillatory dynamics between the species, steady-state solutions, and their stability. By employing a variational approach for a quasi-one-dimensional, two-atomic species condensate, we obtain equations of motion for the parameters of each species: amplitude, width, position, and phase. A further simplification leads to a reduction of the dynamics into a simple classical Newtonian system where components oscillate in an effective potential with a frequency that depends on the harmonic trap strength and the interspecies coupling parameter. We develop explicit conditions for miscibility that can be interpreted as a phase diagram that depends on the harmonic trap's strength and the interspecies coupling parameter. We numerically illustrate the bifurcation scenario whereby nontopological, phase-separated states of increasing complexity emerge out of a symmetric state as the interspecies coupling is increased. The symmetry-breaking dynamical evolution of some of these states is numerically monitored and the associated asymmetric states are also explored.
How Perception Guides Production in Birdsong Learning

A computational model of song learning in the song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) learns to categorize the different syllables of a song sparrow song and uses this categorization to train itself to reproduce song. The model fills a crucial gap in the computational explanation of birdsong learning by exploring the organization of perception in songbirds. It shows how competitive learning may lead to the organization of a specific nucleus in the bird brain, replicates the song production results of a previous model (Doya and Sejnowski, 1995), and demonstrates how perceptual learning can guide production through reinforcement learning.
Enhanced binding of Sp1/Sp3 transcription factors mediates the hyperoxia-induced increased expression of the lung type I cell gene T1alpha.

The transcription factor Sp1 plays an important regulatory role in transactivation of the lung type I cell differentiation gene T1alpha. Like other lung cells, type I cells may encounter changes in oxygen concentration during the lifetime of the organism. We found that exposure of mice to hyperoxia rapidly increases expression of T1alpha and other type I cell genes, and that returning the mice to normoxia quickly decreases expression. Likewise hyperoxia increases both endogenous T1alpha expression in lung epithelial cell lines and transcription of luciferase (Luc) from T1alpha promoter deletion constructs. Using wild-type promoter fragments and gel shift assays, we determined that Sp1/Sp3 and a key Sp cis-element in the proximal promoter mediate the hyperoxic response. Mutations of this element and inhibition of Sp-DNA binding by mithramycin block the hyperoxic response. Western analyses of cell homogenates show that the overall abundance of Sp1 and Sp3 proteins is not altered by hyperoxia. However, the abundance of nuclear Sp1 increases after short hyperoxic exposures, suggesting that signaling pathways activated by hyperoxia lead to Sp protein translocation, perhaps as a result of increased Sp phosphorylation.
Quality of Life for Patients Following Total Laryngectomy vs Chemoradiation for Laryngeal Preservation

Background: The incorporation of chemotherapy and radiation, either sequentially or concurrently, has been increasingly used for organ preservation in patients with advanced laryngeal cancer. Traditional outcome measuresofclinicalresponsesuchaslocoregionalcontroland survival have been similar for patients treated with chemoradiotherapy and those treated with total laryngectomy (TL). The impact of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for laryngeal preservation on the overall quality of life (QOL) of patients has not been clearly evaluated, particularly in direct comparison with TL. Objective:TocomparetheQOLofpatientstreatedwith concurrentchemoradiotherapywiththosetreatedwithTL. Design: Nonrandomized, retrospective, cross-sectional study. Setting: Academic tertiary care referral center. Methods: The study included 42 patients with advanced stage III or IV cancer of the larynx, who were treated with either concurrent chemoradiotherapy or TL with postoperative radiation therapy. Patients had to be without evidence of recurrence and to have completed therapy at least 3 months prior to inclusion in the study. Quality of life was measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire–C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) in tandem with the head and neck module (EORTC QLQ-H&N35).
Extensible Markup Language (XML) Schemas for Data Vault Models

With the conceptualization of next generation architecture for Data Warehousing, that is the DW 2.0, there is now an increased emphasis on using fully-temporalized databases, in particular with approaches such as the Data Vault. In this paper we present a template XML Schema for Data Vault model concepts (at a metamodel level) and a process for creating XML Schemas for data warehouse designs represented as Data Vault models. These templates can be used to describe and present data from disparate systems in a structured format suitable for exchange and loading into a data warehouse.
The impact of bilingualism on working memory in pediatric epilepsy

Impairments in executive skills broadly span across multiple childhood epilepsy syndromes and can adversely affect quality of life. Bilingualism has been previously shown to correlate with enhanced executive functioning in healthy individuals. This study sought to determine whether the bilingual advantage in executive functioning exists in the context of pediatric epilepsy. We retrospectively analyzed neuropsychological data in 52 children with epilepsy and compared executive function scores in monolingual versus bilingual children with epilepsy while controlling for socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Bilingual children performed significantly better on the Working Memory Index than did monolingual children. There were no significant differences on the remaining executive function variables. The bilingual advantage appears to persist for working memory in children with epilepsy. These findings suggest that bilingualism is potentially a protective variable in the face of epilepsy-related working memory dysfunction.
Re-reconciling the Epistemic and Ontic Views of Explanation (Or, Why the Ontic View Cannot Support Norms of Generality)

Recent attempts to reconcile the ontic and epistemic approaches to explanation propose that our best explanations simply fulfill epistemic and ontic norms simultaneously. I aim to upset this armistice. Epistemic norms of attaining general and systematic explanations are, I argue, autonomous of ontic norms: they cannot be fulfilled simultaneously or in simple conjunction with ontic norms, and plausibly have priority over them. One result is that central arguments put forth by ontic theorists against epistemic theorists are revealed as not only question-begging, but ultimately self-defeating. Another result is that a more nuanced reconciliation of the epistemic and ontic views is required: we should regard good explanatory practice as a dynamic process with distinct phases of epistemic and ontic success.
Probing kinetochore structure and function using Xenopus laevis frog egg extracts.

Kinetochores are multi-protein machines that initiate mitotic checkpoint signaling and control chromosome movement through interactions with microtubules. Our lab has utilized Xenopus laevis frog egg extracts to investigate the requirements for kinetochore assembly and disassembly in vertebrates. Functional kinetochores assemble in egg extracts that are capable of binding microtubules, aligning and segregating chromosomes and sending spindle checkpoint signals. This is the only in vitro system that assembles functional kinetochores, making it particularly well suited for these types of studies. Probing kinetochore assembly using the biochemically tractable egg extract system has elucidated the intricate assembly requirements for numerous vertebrate kinetochore proteins. The following techniques have been used to characterize kinetochore assembly requirements, and to identify factors required for initial kinetochore assembly, as well as those factors that promote maintenance of pre-assembled kinetochores and those that induce kinetochore disassembly.
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Abnormalities in Children with Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS).

Study Objectives:Polysomnographic investigation of sleep architecture in children presenting with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS).Methods:Fifteen consecutive subjects meeting...
Design of a 2X2 Reading and Writing Array for Programmable Metallization Cell

A transistor level 2X2 reading and writing array for non-volatile memory cell has been designed. This circuit is an innovative reading and writing circuit designed specifically for Programmable Metallization Cells (PMC). The write circuitry is designed to provide appropriate positive and negative voltage bias to an individual PMC memory cell in order to program it to high resistance state (write '0') or low resistance state (write '1'). A terminal switching mechanism is constructed using two pairs of complimentary MOS transistors in writing circuit. The read circuit is designed to read the data on an individual PMC memory cell based on current sensing. Row and Column decoder circuits have been used to access the desired cell depending on the provided address. Apart from the row and column decoder circuit, a Read-Write access circuit is also incorporated to select the read or write operation based on the input on the R/W line. A 2x2 memory cell array is illustrated in this paper to demonstrate the circuit’s functionality; however, the circuit can be easily expanded to control memory cell arrays of any size.
The 1987-88 surge of West Fork Glacier, Susitna Basin, Alaska, U.S.A.

A surge of West Fork Glacier, a temperate glacier in the Susitna Basin of the Alaska Range, began soon after the end of the 1987 melt season and terminated on 6 July 1988. Reconnaissance measurements of balance, elevation and speed had been made from 1981 to 1983. Daily measurements of surface speed at two points 9 km apart and of the characteristics of the stream draining the glacier were begun during the surge and continued through the following year. The maximum displacement of the ice during the surge was about 4 km; the maximum change in surface elevation was about 120 m. Between the time of the start of detailed observations on 12 February 1988 and the onset of a complex termination phase during the last month of the surge, the speed was almost constant, and the water discharge was totally free of turbidity, indicating that no basal water was escaping from the glacier. During the termination phase, sharp changes in speed occurred, almost simultaneously at the two observation sites; each deceleration event was accompanied by high sediment concentration and high water discharge. This behavior is similar to that observed on Variegated Glacier during its 1982-83 surge. The mechanism of triggering (related to surface water input and the disruption of the internal drainage system) and the cause of the fast motion were probably the same for both surges, even though there are substantial differences in size and mass-balance characteristics.
"Building Resources at Home and at Work: Job Crafting, Recovery Experiences, and Work Engagement"

Organizations greatly benefit from employees that are highly engaged in their work and past research has examined a broad range of possible antecedents and consequences of employee engagement (Halb...
The Baltic States after Independence

(2001). The Baltic States after Independence. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 786-789.
Reflections on the 12th International Transformative Learning Conference: Engaging at the Intersections of Theory and Practice

This article is a reflective essay that explores the question: What can the content and experience of the conference tell us about the state of theory and practice in the field of TL; where is it t...
Direct oxidation of methane to methanol on single-site copper-oxo species of copper porphyrin functionalized graphene: A DFT study

Abstract In this work, we discuss the study of large macro-cyclic molecules, copper porphyrins (CuP), as the single-site active metal center for the methane catalytic oxidation. This work shows that single-site active metal center (metal-oxo species) can be created on a porous sheet of CuP deposited on graphene substrate. This active center can facilitate methane adsorption and initiate the C H bond activation and subsequent two step methanol conversion process. We modeled this catalytic reaction process using ab initio density functional theory (DFT) to develop an understanding of functionalization, reaction energetics, and reaction mechanism at the atomic level. Our results indicate that O-CuP/graphene provides excellent reactivity for the methane to methanol conversion reaction. The first step, homolytic C H bond scission, requires only 1.33 kJ/mol, which is unexpectedly very low value as compared to various catalysts reported for this process. This mechanism of metal-oxo active center acting catalytically to stabilize a radical intermediate is very likely a general phenomenon that can be used to control the kinetics of many homolytic reactions. The methanol is finally formed through the recombination of intermediates with a very small activation energy barrier of 0.29 kJ/mol. Our results also indicate that graphene substrate can play an important role on catalytic activity of CuP surface by donating/backdonating necessary electrons from/to the substrate and create additional activity on the active metal sites during methane oxidation reaction. It is however important to point out that such a facile process requires a previous step of converting the CuP/graphene surface to metal-oxo species centered CuP/graphene surface by means of an oxidant. This information will be helpful to develop a novel catalyst that will have significant advantages over conventional catalysts for the selective oxidation of natural gas to methanol conversion process at mild conditions.
Liquefying a Market: The Transition of LNG to a Traded Commodity

The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry has grown significantly since it began a half-century ago, and it will continue to diversify both its sources of supply and the contractual arrangements between suppliers and users. Economic theory says that contracting modes adapt to facilitate gains in efficiency, and that this process of adaptation responds to changes in technological, market, and regulatory factors. When an industry relies heavily on highly specialized assets with limited alternative uses, as is true of LNG, the use of longterm contracts (or vertical integration) will generally be more efficient than short-term dealings. But once conditions begin to encourage vigorous competition among buyers and sellers, it becomes increasingly economical to rely on shorter-term (and spot) markets for exchange. The history of the LNG industry supports these theoretical predictions, and illustrates the transition from one contracting mode to another. For most of its history, the specialization and scale of LNG assets dictated the predominant use of long-term contracting. In recent years, however, market and regulatory changes have raised the demand for short-term and spot contracting, which in turn has provided the impetus for a virtuous cycle of market liquidity. As buyers and sellers have become increasingly able to obtain or dispose of LNG in an active market, they have needed less protection against the opportunism of trading partners that long-term contracts have provided in the past. Given this self-reinforcing process, it is likely that the LNG market will soon look nothing like it did as recently as a decade ago. Buyers and sellers will rely on shorter-term contracts, and the longerterm contracts that do exist will be linked to spot LNG prices rather than crude oil. Consumers and producers will also benefit from more flexible pricing that more accurately reflects rapidly changing fundamentals of supply and demand.
The role of valence weighting in impulse control

Abstract We propose that individuals' valence weighting biases—the extent to which they tend to overweight positive or negative valence in attitude generalization—play an important role in impulse control. Specifically, people who tend to overweight positive valence should likewise overweight impulses, which are essentially urges to achieve positively-valued outcomes, in their initial appraisals of self-control situations, leading to a greater likelihood of impulse control failure. Conversely, people who underweight positive valence should also underweight impulses in these initial evaluative appraisals and should thus be more likely to successfully control their impulses. However, we predicted this relationship would hold only for individuals low in trait self-control, since those high in trait self-control should be both motivated and able to override their initial valence weighting-based appraisals. We supported these predictions across two studies using different impulse control performance measures: a frustrating anagram task (Study 1) and a Stroop task (Study 2).
Abstract 349: Functional Scaffold-Free 3D Cardiac Microtissues: A Novel Model for the Investigation of Heart Cells

To bridge the gap between 2D cell culture and tissue, various 3D cell culture approaches have been developed for the investigation of cardiac myocytes (CM) and fibroblasts (CF), but limitations still exist. The goal of this study was to develop a scaffold-free cardiac culture that could easily and inexpensively create many uniform cardiac microtissues that mimic the cellular distribution and functional behavior of CM and CF in tissue. Using micromolded non-adhesive agarose hydrogels containing 822 concave recesses (800 λm deep x 400 λm wide), we demonstrate that neonatal rat ventricular CM and CF, when seeded alone or in combination, self-assembled into viable (Live/Dead® stain) spherical-shaped microtissues. Importantly, when CM and CF were seeded simultaneously or sequentially, they self-sorted to be highly interspersed, reminiscent of their distribution in ventricular tissue, as shown by cell type-specific CellTracker TM or antibody labeling. Depending on their cellular composition, microtissues expressed extracellular matrix and calcium handling proteins (including SERCA2a), featured typical I K1 and I Ca-L current densities and IV relationships, and formed functional cell-cell connections (as evidenced by spontaneous action potentials, contractions and connexin 43 expression). Microelectrode recordings and optical mapping showed characteristic triangular action potentials (AP) with a resting membrane potential of -66±7 mV (n=4) in spontaneously contracting CM microtissues. Under pacing, optically mapped AP duration at 90% repolarization and conduction velocity were 100±30 ms and 18.0±1.9 cm/s, respectively (n=5 each). The presence of CF led to a prolongation of both AP and calcium transients in CM:CF microtissues (1:1). Furthermore, cell-type-specific adenoviral gene transfer was achieved, with no impact on microtissue formation or cell viability. In conclusion, we have developed a novel scaffold-free cardiac 3D culture model, in which more than 800 homotypic (CM or CF) or heterotypic (CM:CF) microtissues can be formed in a 6-well with ease, analyzed functionally and subjected to cell-type-specific gene transfer, paving the way for future in vitro investigations of CM and CF behavior and their interactions in a 3D environment.
Rethinking the Formulation of the Signal-Subspace Algorithms for Direction-Finding with Calibrated Arrays

Abstract Certain functionals of two vectors are proposed for the formulation of MUSIC-like parameter estimators. For d sources, the two vectors are the projections of the steering vector onto i) the null-space of the span of the d-1 principal signal eigenvectors and ii) the least significant signal eigenvector. It is shown that MUSIC, Minimum-Norm and some of the new estimators involving weighting of the MUSIC function are based on special cases of these functionals. It is further shown that the choice of the functional significantly affects estimator performance, with some providing resolution and mean-squared error thresholds similar to rooting techniques which are, of course, only applicable to linear uniform arrays.
Pricing determinants in hotels: The case of luxury, upscale, and mid-scale price segments

Investigating the role of pricing and revenue management is a continual concern as successful businesses rely on sound financial management. This paper examines the pricing objectives, strategy determinants, and strategies employed by hotels while taking managerial concerns into account. The study determines managers’ key pricing concerns and investigates value-informed pricing strategies, making comparisons against the findings of past research to address calls for further investigations. Employing an embedded mixed methods research approach, the study used structured questionnaires and semistructured interviews to gather data from hotel managers influential in price setting. Overall, the study indicates similarities and differences in price determination factors in the hotel industry. Formality in determining prices suggests that pricing is integral to hotel management and hotels employ different pricing strategies depending upon the pricing objectives and strategy determinants. A significant finding is that upscale hotels place high importance on pricing due to intense competition related to their wider product portfolio in comparison to luxury and mid-scale hotels and tend to rely on competition-based pricing. Although exploratory in nature, the results are valuable and provide compelling practical implications and suggestions for future research. Hotel managers can benefit from the wider issues stressed in the paper related to short-term versus long-term, firm-based versus market-based, and relationship versus revenue considerations.
Scaling and Similarity of the Anisotropic Coherent Eddies in Near-Surface Atmospheric Turbulence

AbstractThe low-wavenumber regime of the spectrum of turbulence commensurate with Townsend’s “attached” eddies is investigated here for the near-neutral atmospheric surface layer (ASL) and the roug...
Debugging the Universe

Many authors have asked whether our universe can be understood as a kind of computational process. This paper asks the opposite question: What are the challenges we would face in writing a program (or, more generally, creating a computation) to implement a physically plausible universe?
The Perils of Posnerian Pragmatism

The spark for this exchange with Richard Posner is the near simultaneous publication of our two recent books -his Law, Pragmatism, and Democracy and my Skepticism and Freedom:A Modern Case for Classical Liberalism.' This discussion continues an ongoing dialogue that began over thirty years ago when we squared off over how best to understand tort law.2 Even though each of us has migrated in outlook and academic interests, much of our present separation can still be teased out of those early exchanges. There is, of course, a new element injected into Posner's work for the past ten years: his unrelenting defense of "pragmatic" conceptions to explain both judicial behavior and democratic institutions. I confess to having no great love for the term "pragmatic," nor even a clear sense of what it means. Sometimes the term has a negative connotation, as when a trader or nation furtively or defiantly breaches a contract or treaty for pragmatic reasons. It would be a cheap shot, however, to claim that Posner's mission fails because his centerpiece carries with it some disreputable associations. After all, "pragmatic," for all its elusive quality, conveys an abundance of positive connotations. My Microsoft Thesaurus offers this list of synonyms:
A systematic approach to justifying sufficient confidence in software safety arguments

Safety arguments typically have some weaknesses. To show that the overall confidence in the safety argument is considered acceptable, it is necessary to identify the weaknesses associated with the aspects of a safety argument and supporting evidence, and manage them. Confidence arguments are built to show the existence of sufficient confidence in the developed safety arguments. In this paper, we propose an approach to systematically constructing confidence arguments and identifying the weaknesses of the software safety arguments. The proposed approach is described and illustrated with a running example.
Ethanol and the NMDA Receptor: Implications for Intoxication, Tolerance, Dependence, and Alcoholic Brain Damage

Most alcohol users take for granted the effects of the drug on movement, memory as well as the anxiolytic effects often experienced upon ingestion of moderate amounts of alcoholic drinks. In addition, the majority of persons are well aware of the existence of alcoholism and hence of the fact that alcohol is addictive. It is also widely known that use of the drug over a long timespan leads to brain damage. Despite this widespread knowledge of alcohol’s actions we are just beginning to appreciate the neural actions of alcohol which lead to these outcomes.
Some Typical High Altitude Insects and Other Arthropoda

While the insect life of the forest and the prairie at lower elevations is remarkable for its enormous diversity, exceedingly few orders have successfully colonized the biome above the upper limits of the forest on high mountains. The dominant high altitude insects belong to groups like Plecoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Collembola, which also occur at the highest elevations in the vicinity of snow and ice. Some other orders like the Ephemerida, Orthoptera, Dermaptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, Trichoptera and Thysanura usually occupy a minor place among the insects at extreme high altitudes and most of these groups do not also occur much above the limits of the forest. Even in the typically mountain autochthonous groups, there is an abrupt fall in the general abundance of species at the upper limits of the forest. Some of these orders, relatively insignificant at the sea-level, become conspicuously dominant at high elevations. In all cases, the high altitude species are wholly different from those with which we are familiar in the plains. Broadly speaking, the high altitude insects belong to the following ecological groups: 1. Widely distributed eurytype hypsophiles, characteristic of the forest and prairie and abundant at lower elevations, but occurring regularly in the subalpine and sometimes even in the alpine zones on high mountains in different parts of the world. 2. Mountain autochthonous hypsobionts; these exist at the highest elevations and are as a rule never found within the forest zone. Some of them are generally characteristic of all or nearly all the principal mountains of the world. Others are, however, restricted to specific regions only. 3. Lowland and forest elements that occur accidentally above the upper limits of the forest on mountains, but do not breed at high elevations. This chapter aims at an outline of the taxonomy of the dominant hypsobiont types, found on the principal mountains of the world. Mention is also made of some unique forms which are exclusively characteristic of well known mountains.
Autobiography and Poetry

The central purpose of this discussion is to portray experiences that shape a teacher educator, inform curriculum development, and offer alternative modes of inquiry into teaching. The scholarship is derived from several complementary research traditions: autobiographical inquiry; story-telling and narrative inquiry; arts-based inquiry; teacher lore; and mythopoetic inquiry. The author recalls specific moments of teaching and learning, fictionalizes characters to protect their identity, and sketches, interprets, and analyzes these events to illustrate the complicated nature of curriculum inquiry. These experiences include middle school, high school, and college settings, and they include uses of poetry in teaching.
Experimental test of the differential fluctuation theorem and realization of the Feynman’s ratchet with an optically trapped nanosphere (Conference Presentation)

Nonequilibrium processes of small systems are ubiquitous in physics, biology, and chemistry. Optical tweezers provide an ideal tool for controlling small systems to investigate nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Recently, we performed the first experimental test of the differential fluctuation theorem, using an optically levitated nanosphere in air in both underdamped and overdamped regimes, and in both spatial and velocity spaces [Phys. Rev. Lett., 120, 080602 (2018)]. We also experimentally realized the Feynman’s ratchet, using a colloidal particle in water confined in an optical tweezer array under feedback control. Feynman's ratchet is a microscopic machine in contact with two heat reservoirs that was proposed by Richard Feynman in 1960’s to illustrate the second law of thermodynamics. Despite broad interests, an experimental realization of Feynman's ratchet has not been reported before our work.
The Force of the Better Evidence in Political Opinion Updating

While deliberative theorists claim that citizens can form their political opinions led by "the force of the better argument," many find this assumption unrealistic. One concern is that people can be easily manipulated because they tend to mechanically and even blindly adopt elite positions as their own. Another concern is that they can be irrationally defensive about their partisan viewpoints, often not budging an inch even when faced with strong counterevidence. In two survey experiments that pit the normative assumption against skeptical hypotheses, I find that people sensibly update their beliefs and attitudes in light of presented arguments and evidence. According to the results, people do not mindlessly accept whatever arguments they encounter, nor do they categorically reject uncongenial arguments. Instead, they account for the strength of evidence as they form their posterior opinions, even when it disconfirms their prior opinion about a highly contentious political issue.
Bilingualism, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and Equity: Making a Case for People With Complex Communication Needs

Purpose The evidence currently available to guide best practice in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in bilinguals is sparse. Therefore, this article considers the established resear...
Spatiotemporal Approaches To Investigating Malignant Mesothelioma Associated With Naturally Occurring Asbestos Exposures - Examples In New Caledonia And Nevada

Introduction Of the ~400 fibrous minerals present in the natural environment, only six were commercially used and regulated under the term “asbestos”. Unregulated mineral fibers that share similar ...
All of the Above?: an Examination of Overlapping Organizational Climates

We examined the largely unexplored issue of strong associations between multiple specific climates (e.g., for safety and for service). Given that workplaces are likely to have more than one specific climate present, it is important to understand how and why these perceptions overlap. Individual ratings (i.e., at the psychological climate level) for seven specific climates and a general positive climate were obtained from 353 MTurk Workers employed in various industries. We first observed strong correlations among a larger set of specific climates than typically studied: climates for collaboration, communication, fair treatment, fear, safety, service, and work-life balance were all strongly correlated. Second, we found that two methodological mechanisms—common method variance (CMV) due to (a) measurement occasion and (b) self-report—and a theoretical mechanism, general climate, each account for covariance among the specific climate measures. General positive climate had a primary (i.e., larger) impact on the relationships between specific climates, but CMV—especially due to measurement occasion—also accounted for significant and non-negligible covariance between climates. We discuss directions for continued research on and practice implementing specific climates in order to accurately model and modify perceptions of multiple climates.