cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic monitoring of high-performance distributed applications

Developers and users of high-performance distributed systems often observe performance problems such as unexpectedly low throughput or high latency. Determining the source of the performance problems requires detailed end-to-end instrumentation of all components, including the applications, operating systems, hosts, and networks. However, one must be very careful to design the instrumentation to have extremely low overhead, and not affect the system being monitored. In this paper we present a very light-weight instrumentation system that can be dynamically activated to unobtrusively collect and aggregate detailed end-to-end monitoring information from distributed applications. We also show how emerging "web services" can be used to facilitate remote interaction with this system.
The temporal lag structure of short-term associations of fine particulate matter chemical constituents and cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalizations.

Background: In air pollution time-series studies, the temporal pattern of the association of fine particulate matter (PM2.5; particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter) and health end poin...
Comparison of Infectious Complications between Incident Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

The impact of dialysis modality on infection, especially early in the course of dialysis, has not been well studied. This study compared infection between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) from the start of dialysis and evaluated factors that have an impact on infection risk. In this observational cohort study, all incident dialysis patients (n = 181; HD 119 and PD 62) at a single center from 1999 to 2005 had data collected prospectively beginning day 1 of dialysis. Excluded were those with any previous ESRD therapy. Infection rates were evaluated using multivariate Poisson regression. Overall infection rates were similar (HD 0.77 versus PD 0.86/yr; P = 0.24). Only HD patients had bacteremia (0.16/yr), and only PD patients had peritonitis (0.24/yr). Bacteremia that occurred < or =90 d after start of HD was 0.44/yr, increased compared with overall rate of 0.16/yr (P < 0.004). HD catheters, used in 67% of patients who started HD, were associated with a strikingly increased rate of bacteremia. Peritonitis < or =90 d was 0.22/yr, no different from the overall rate. Modality was not an independent predictor of overall infections (PD versus HD: relative risk 1.30; 95% confidence interval 0.93 to 1.8; P = 0.12) using multivariate analysis. PD and HD patients had similar infection rates overall, but type of infection and risk over time varied. HD patients had an especially high risk for bacteremia in the first 90 d, whereas the risk for peritonitis for the PD cohort was not different over time. These results support the placement of permanent accesses (fistula or PD catheter) before the start of dialysis to avoid use of HD catheters.
Unit cell dimensions in model ethylene-butene-1 copolymers

The lattice parameters of a series of hydrogenated polybutadiene (HPB) model copolymers is measured as a function of branch content between 0 and 73 ethyl branches per 1000 C atoms. Expansion of the a and b axes nearly ceases for branch contents greater than 20 per 1000 C atoms. The c axis is seen to contract by a small amount with increased branching. The major cause of lattice expansion is limitation of crystal thickness by exclusion of branch points from the lamellar crystals coupled with surface stress on thin lamellae. A small fraction of ethyl branches are incorporated in the crystal; these expand the lattice by an additional amount.
The Epistemic Benefit of Transient Diversity

There is growing interest in understanding and eliciting division of labor within groups of scientists. This paper illustrates the need for this division of labor through a historical example, and a formal model is presented to better analyze situations of this type. Analysis of this model reveals that a division of labor can be maintained in two different ways: by limiting information or by endowing the scientists with extreme beliefs. If both features are present however, cognitive diversity is maintained indefinitely, and as a result agents fail to converge to the truth. Beyond the mechanisms for creating diversity suggested here, this shows that the real epistemic goal is not diversity but transient diversity.
The evolution of speech: vision, rhythm, cooperation

A full account of human speech evolution must consider its multisensory, rhythmic, and cooperative characteristics. Humans, apes, and monkeys recognize the correspondence between vocalizations and their associated facial postures, and gain behavioral benefits from them. Some monkey vocalizations even have a speech-like acoustic rhythmicity but lack the concomitant rhythmic facial motion that speech exhibits. We review data showing that rhythmic facial expressions such as lip-smacking may have been linked to vocal output to produce an ancestral form of rhythmic audiovisual speech. Finally, we argue that human vocal cooperation (turn-taking) may have arisen through a combination of volubility and prosociality, and provide comparative evidence from one species to support this hypothesis.
Demand During Lead Time for Normal Unit Demand and Erlang Lead Time

We obtain an expression for the probability density function of demand during lead time when the distributions of demand and lead time are, respectively, normal and Erlang. This probability density function is then used to derive expressions for the protection level and potential lost sales. This paper may be considered an extension and also a clarification of a paper by Burgin that appeared in 1972.
Sleep shelters verbal memory from different kinds of interference.

Study objectives Studies have shown that sleep shelters old verbal memories from associative interference arising from new, more recently acquired memories. Our objective is to extend the forms of interference for which sleep provides a sheltering benefit to non-associative and prospective interference, and to examine experimental conditions and memory strengths for which sleep before or after learning particularly affects verbal memory consolidation. Design Acquiring paired word associates, retention across intervening sleep and wake, training on new, interfering word associates, and test recall of both sets. Setting University laboratory. Participants Healthy volunteers. Interventions N/A. Measurements and results Comparing recall before and after intervening periods of sleep versus wake, we found that: (i) Sleep preferentially shields weakly encoded verbal memories from retroactive interference. (ii) Sleep immediately following learning helps shelter memory from associative and non-associative forms of retroactive interference. (iii) Sleep protects new verbal memories from prospective interference. (iv) Word associations acquired for the first time in the evening after a day spent in the wake state are encoded more strongly than word associations acquired in the morning following a night of sleep. Conclusions The findings extend the known sleep protection from interference to non-associative as well as prospective interference, and limit the protection to weakly encoded word associations. Combined, our results suggest that sleep immediately after verbal learning isolates newly formed memory traces and renders them inaccessible, except by specific contextual cues. Memory isolation in sleep is a passive mechanism that can reasonably account for several experimental findings.
Shoreline Change on the East Coast of Florida

ABSTRACT Houston, J.R. and Dean, R.G., 2014. Shoreline change on the east coast of Florida. A shoreline change data base for Florida dating back to the mid-1800s is unique in the United States, and perhaps the world, with thousands of shoreline change measurements at a nominal spacing of 300 m. Moreover, data are available on factors contributing to shoreline change, including beach nourishment, disposal of dredged sand outside the littoral zone, cutting of new inlets and subsequent growth of ebb shoals, and longshore sediment transport into and along the east coast of Florida. Effects of relative sea level rise can be estimated using the Bruun Rule. These factors should have caused significant shoreline recession since the mid-1800s, but instead, the east coast of Florida has experienced significant average shoreline advance. The formation of carbonate sand is shown not to account for this difference. Onshore transport of sand from beyond closure depth, probably during episodic storm events, is the only ...
Ambassador Bullitt and the Fall of France

DIPLOMATS in our day rarely make much history, but in times of crisis they occupy unique vantage points from which to see it made. Such an observer was William Christian Bullitt, the American Ambassador to France from 1936 to 1940. Few other foreigners resident in Paris enjoyed so intimate a view of high politics during the last years of the Third Republic, and even fewer have left so lively and colorful a contemporary record of that period. Perhaps it is true that the bulky file of Bullitt's daily telegrams from Paris reveals more about Bullitt himself than about the state of France.1 Yet those cables, sprawling, scrappy, and personal though they may be, also illumine two significant aspects of Bullitt's era: the slow conversion of American leadership from isolationism to interventionism, and the disintegration and destruction of the Third Republic.
Concept and enabling technologies of spectrum-sliced elastic optical path network (SLICE)

A novel, spectrum-efficient and scalable optical transport network architecture called spectrum-sliced “elastic optical path” network (SLICE) is presented. The SLICE architecture enables sub-wavelength, super-wavelength, multiple-rate data traffic accommodation, and elastic variation of allocated resources in a highly spectrum-efficient manner.
Strategies for cardiac regeneration and repair

Heart failure is a growing epidemic caused by cardiomyocyte depletion. Current therapies prolong survival by protecting remaining cardiomyocytes but are unable to overcome the fundamental problem of regenerating lost cardiomyocytes. Several strategies for promoting heart regeneration have emerged from decades of intensive study. Although some of these strategies remain confined to basic research, others are beginning to be tested in humans. We review strategies for cardiac regeneration and summarize progress of related clinical trials.
National Identity in Contemporary Hungary

National Identity in Contemporary Hungary. Gyorgy Csepeli. Translated from the Hungarian by Mario D. Fenyo. Boulder, CO: Atlantic Research and Publications, 1997. ix. 347 pp., tables, notes, bibliography, index.
Multiagent chemotherapy for isolated colorectal liver metastases: a single-centered retrospective study.

Background Few studies identifying variables associated with prognosis after resection of colorectal liver metastases (CLM) account for treatment with multiagent chemotherapy (fluoropyrmidines with irinotecan, oxaliplatin, bevacizumab, and/or cetuximab). The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the effect of multiagent chemotherapy on long-term survival after resection of CLM.
Faculty Experience With College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Qualitative Study of Challenges and Solutions

This article reports the findings of a qualitative inquiry involving two focus groups made up of experienced faculty who met to discuss academic concerns faced by college students with autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s disorder. Analysis of group meeting transcripts indicated that student concerns fell into categories related to difficulties with theory of mind and understanding audience, weak central coherence in cognitive processing, and struggles with executive function. Classroom teaching implications are summarized and related strategies are presented.
The “Soft” topics in software engineering education

Engineering educators struggle with ldquosoftrdquo topics - topics which include a social element. Soft engineering topics are distinct from the scientific and mathematical underpinnings of engineering. Students frequently complain when these topics are integrated into engineering curricula. Engineering educators also express concerns that they lack both preparation and ability to teach these topics.
On the Maintenance of the Trade Winds

A relation between the large-scale features of the lower trade stream and the effects of small-scale convective motions is investigated. The small-scale processes impose constraints upon the over-all circulation through non-adiabatic heating and the production of shearing stresses. These constraints may be formulated in terms of a theoretical model describing the mean flow in a section along the northern portion of the Pacific trade, which has previously been studied observationally in some detail. In a simplified frictionless model with non-adiabatic heating the flow exhibits qualitatively many of the important features of the trades, such as subsidence, and a downstream acceleration, increased vertical wind shear, and pressure drop. The motion and pressure fields become numerically related to the heating as observed, however, only upon the introduction of frictional stresses. It is found possible to describe the frictional stress distribution in the lower trades without resorting to direct measurements, which thus provide a later independent check of the model. The last sections of the paper consider possible quasi-steady rearrangements between the fields of motion, heating, and stress which might be regarded as steps in the slow fluctuations of the system about its average condition. This is done to inquire whether changes in any one of these properties will produce readjustments in the others acting to restore the mean or to accelerate the departure from it. Although such an analysis is handicapped by lack of knowledge concerning the interaction between the heating and stress distributions, one sample calculation suggests that a reduction of heating acts to relieve the subsidence and might thus be expected to restore the convection and thereby the heating. A stable coupling between small- and large-scale motions in the low-level trades is thus indicated, which may play a role in maintaining the high steadiness of the flow. The fact that the wind steadiness vanishes rapidly above the convective layer is clarified if this model is acceptable. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1956.tb01231.x
Outcomes of Meniscal Allograft Transplantation in the Pediatric Athlete

Objectives:Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) has a successful clinical track record in adults. The results of MAT in children have not been reported. The goal of this study was to report the results of MAT with minimum 2-year follow-up in this unique population.Methods:After IRB approval, all patients under the age of 16 undergoing MAT between 1999 and 2011 and having > 2 year clinical follow-up were identified from a prospectively collected database. Demographic data including age, height, weight, BMI and prior surgery were collected. Functional outcome scores were collected pre-operatively and at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and final follow up. Differences between scores at each time point were compared using a mixed model repeated measures ANOVA. All re-operations were documented.Results:17 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 14.9 +/- 1.4 years (range 11 - 16). 10/17 patients had undergone prior knee surgery. 59% were female and 41% were male. The average BMI was 23.4 +/- 5.9. Concomitan...
Climate Change and the Private Sector: Scaling Up Private Sector Response to Climate Change

Climate Change and the Private Sector explores the challenges of transforming our energy infrastructure to become carbon neutral and adapting to climate change in the twenty-first century. It examines the critical role that the private sector must play in these challenges. To transform the global energy complex to be carbon neutral within a time frame designed to prevent irreparable damage to the environment presents unprecedented challenges. The private sector must deploy financial, material, and engineering resources on a scale never before undertaken — with government providing leadership, removing barriers and supporting industry efforts through policies that mobilize markets to achieve environmental objectives. A key element of supporting private sector initiative to address climate change is policies that help form and sustain markets that supply, finance and generate demand for the technologies necessary to transform our energy infrastructure. The characteristics and examples of these policies are explored in detail. Companies that respond to these challenges both by mitigating greenhouse gases and adapting to climate change will enhance their own competitiveness and contribute to society in the process. Companies that embrace the challenge to decarbonize their manufacturing operations, whether in response to regulation (or the threat of regulation) or market opportunities, invariably discover ways to improve their operations in the process that could potentially enhance their ability to produce better products, more efficiently. The book explores examples of companies that have redesigned their products and manufacturing processes, and in doing so transformed themselves and reshaped their industries. As in the case of companies mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, companies that lead their industries in adapting their own operations to a changing physical environment are more likely to ensure their resilience in a changing business environment. This book provides business, policy and academic audiences with an in-depth exploration of the subject, and a practical guide to action.
Effect of heparin on cytomegalovirus replication.

SummaryThe presence of heparin in cell culture medium was found to reduce the infectivity titers of cytomegaloviruses isolated from human, monkey, guinea pig and mouse. This inhibition was shown to increase as the heparin concentration was increased. When heparin was added to cultures after virus adsorption had taken place, the effect on virus infectivity was negligible. Other anticoagulants studied included Alsever's solution, sodium citrate and EDTA, none of which showed any inhibitory effect on cytomegalovirus replication in cell culture.
Fungi Associated with Avicennia Germinans from the Vicinity of Port Aransas, Texas

(1981). Fungi Associated with Avicennia Germinans from the Vicinity of Port Aransas, Texas. Mycologia: Vol. 73, No. 6, pp. 1183-1186.
Comparative Economic and Environmental Assessments of H2O2-based and Tertiary Butyl Hydroperoxide-based Propylene Oxide Technologies

Until a decade ago, the industrial technologies for producing propylene oxide from propylene were predominantly based on variations of the venerable chlorohydrin and organic hydroperoxide processes. Within the past decade, highly selective H2O2-based propylene epoxidation technologies have been developed by Dow-BASF (HPPO process) and the University of Kansas Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis (CEBC-PO process). We present comparative economic and environmental impact analyses based on plant scale simulations of the processes for an assumed 200,000 tonnes/yr of PO production capacity and employing relevant process data from the literature. The predicted capital costs for the CEBC-PO process ($228 million) and HPPO process ($275 million) are lower than the conventional PO/TBA process ($372 million). The PO production costs via the conventional PO/TBA and HPPO processes are 150.4¢/lb PO (profit 87.9¢/lb, assuming a market value of 41¢/lb for the TBA co-product and 42¢/lb for the enriched propan...
Classification for Joint Spectrum

Let a be a commuting n-tuple of operators.The concept of mixed spectrum σ_m(a)of a is introduced and the existence of mixed spectrum with some examples is illustratod.The joint spectrum and the mixed spectrum are discussed with the method of perturbation.Results show that the mixed spectrum of two commuting operators is an open set.For n2, the mixed spectrum σm(a) is divided into type I σ_(m??)(a) and type II σ_(m??)(a), and it is proved that σ_(m??)(a)is an open set, from which a property of the boundary of Taylor′s joint spectrum is obtaintd.
Breeding and Application of High-yielding,Fine Quality and Weakly Photosensitive Indica Hybrid Rice Meiyou 796

Meiyou 796,derived from Mei A and Gui 796,is a fine quality,high-yielding and weakly photosensitive indica hybrid rice developed by Rice Research Institute,Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences.The average yields of Meiyou 796 were 7.44t/hm2 and 7.50t/hm2 in Guangxi regional trial in2009 and 2011,which increase by 4.58% and 4.36% as compared to the control Boyou 253.The average yield in the productive experiment was 7.37t/hm2,which increased by 2.36% as compared to the control Boyou 253.The average yield in the productive experiment was 7.37t/hm2,which increased by 2.36%as compared to the control Boyou 253.It was registered and released to commercial production by the Guangxi Crop Variety Appraisal Committees in June of 2012.The yield of Highe-yielding cultural technology was 9.82t/hm2 in 2014.The yield of high-yielding cultural teachnoloy was 9.82t/hm2 in 2014.In 2015,it was indentified as dominant variety in Southern China by Ministry of Agriculture[Nongbanke(2015)4].
PEAR: a massively parallel evolutionary computation approach for political redistricting optimization and analysis

Abstract Political redistricting, a well-known problem in political science and geographic information science, can be formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem, with objectives and constraints defined to meet legal requirements. The formulated optimization problem is NP-hard. We develop a scalable evolutionary computational approach utilizing massively parallel high performance computing for political redistricting optimization and analysis at fine levels of granularity. Our computational approach is based in strong substantive knowledge and deep adherence to Supreme Court mandates. Since the spatial configuration plays a critical role in the effectiveness and numerical efficiency of redistricting algorithms, we have designed spatial evolutionary algorithm (EA) operators that incorporate spatial characteristics and effectively search the solution space. Our parallelization of the algorithm further harnesses massive parallel computing power provided by supercomputers via the coupling of EA search processes and a highly scalable message passing model that maximizes the overlapping of computing and communication at runtime. Experimental results demonstrate desirable effectiveness and scalability of our approach (up to 131K processors) for solving large redistricting problems, which enables substantive research into the relationship between democratic ideals and phenomena such as partisan gerrymandering.
“Big Brother” can watch us

Privacy, surveillance, and government abuse of data are concerns of many people in our complex digital world. ‘Big Brother’ in the title of this article is a metaphorical warning about the conseque...
Integrating political-societal concerns in psychotherapy.

Political-social matters are rarely mentioned during psychotherapy despite increasing public concerns about the serious nature of the nuclear, societal, and environmental problems that exist in the...
Neoplasms Associated With Hemihypertrophy, Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome and Aniridia

AbstractHemihypertrophy and the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome are associated with Wilms tumor and adrenocortical carcinoma. These conditions also have a relationship with nodular renal blastema, nephroblastomatosis and adrenocortical adenomas, all of which are pre-malignant lesions. Children with aniridia also are predisposed to development of Wilms tumors.
Building Blocks for Strategic Planning

The aim of strategy—sustainable competitive impact—sounds simple. But it is not. This chapter lays the groundwork for strategic thinking, from developing a different mindset to ensuring a focus on creating and maintaining a high-performance organization. Outlining a holistic, flexible approach to strategic planning, the chapter provides the basic processes that will allow organizations to embrace uncertainty, balancing short-term incremental changes with longer-term transformational initiatives.
A Primer on Ugaritic: Letters ( KTU 2)

INTRODUCTION TO LETTERS Letter writing throughout the Fertile Crescent, as in all cultures, was formulaic. The origins of these formulas lie in oral messages transmitted via intermediaries. An intermediary, who carried the missive from sender to recipient as a document of authorization, was allowed to expand the content should the recipient request any explanatory information. Depending upon the culture, this agent would be called mār sipri (Akkadian), wpwty (Egyptian), or mlʾak (Ugaritic; compare with the Hebrew ךאלמ). Scribes in Ugarit and other Eastern Mediterranean sites inherited and adapted the conventions of correspondence developed over centuries in Mesopotamia. Terms like “lord” and the metaphorical use of kinship terminology like “father,” “mother,” and “brother” indicated the relative social status of the correspondents. One notices a predictable obsequiousness on the part of a person requesting help from a superior. These and other features reflect the absorption of the long tradition of cuneiform letter writing by scribes who composed correspondence in Syria and Palestine. The Ugaritian scribes, who were trained in multiple languages, drew heavily upon Akkadian epistolary phraseology to write letters in their own language. To assist you in seeing the similarities in the formulaic nature of the Akkadian syllabic and the Ugaritic alphabetic letters, we have placed this Akkadian letter alongside a Ugaritic letter in Figure 3.2. Since the Ugaritian scribes wrote in both languages, the forms of the dominant Akkadian epistolary style no doubt helped shaped the Ugaritic style.
The struggle against capital punishment : A conversation with human rights attorney Stephen Bright

Apres avoir montre la discrimination qui s'exerce dans le traitement des criminels Noirs aux Etats-Unis, cet article examine le probleme de la peine de mort dans ce pays a travers une interview du celebre representant des Droits de l'homme Stephen Bright. Comme dans d'autres domaines de la criminologie, l'A. estime qu'une sociologie des emotions serait appropriee. Les difficultes actuelles et a venir auxquelles aura a faire face la lutte abolitionniste dans ce pays sont egalement examinees
Relating microstructure, temperature, and chemistry to explosive ignition and shock sensitivity

Abstract An analysis is put forth that relates explosive properties including microstructure, temperature, and chemistry to explosive ignition and sensitivity. Unlike approaches that focus only on elucidating mesoscopic mechanisms important to ignition, the present analysis seeks a methodology directly applicable to continuum explosive burn models. Because the Scaled Uniform Reactive Front (SURF) burn model has a microstructural basis, it is chosen as the starting point of the present analysis. To build upon the SURF framework, a literal translation is performed of the high-level conceptual notions for which SURF is based, to concrete ignition–combustion parameters, a statistical description of the microstructure, and other thermo-chemical data acquired by non-shock experiments. The analysis requires a void volume fraction distribution acquired from ultra-small angle neutron scattering (USANS). The shock response of PBX 9502 is used to illustrate the theory. While the analysis requires calibration to a shock experiment (the pop plot, for example), the results are a self-consistent set of realistic physical quantities that contribute to the shock initiation process including, initial temperature, chemical kinetics, a statistical description of the microstructure, and the hot spot size, spacing, and temperature. The utility of having a mesoscale based theory is that once the critical hot spot temperature, as a function of shock pressure, is known for a given explosive and initial porosity distribution, the entire set of meso- and macro-scale results, including the pop plot can be calculated for any other porosity. Thus, one can understand changes in sensitivity at different densities (void size distributions), relying only on the assumption that the hot spot temperature curve would not differ significantly if the morphology of the hots spots were similar. Another important utility of the present analysis is to address the question of the role of initial temperature on the observed shock sensitivity of PBX 9502 and other explosives.
Effective integrated frameworks for assessing mining sustainability

The objectives of this research are to review existing methods used for assessing mining sustainability, analyze the limited prior research that has evaluated the methods, and identify key characteristics that would constitute an enhanced sustainability framework that would serve to improve sustainability reporting in the mining industry. Five of the most relevant frameworks were selected for comparison in this analysis, and the results show that there are many commonalities among the five, as well as some disparities. In addition, relevant components are missing from all five. An enhanced evaluation system and framework were created to provide a more holistic, comprehensive method for sustainability assessment and reporting. The proposed framework has five components that build from and encompass the twelve evaluation characteristics used in the analysis. The components include Foundation, Focus, Breadth, Quality Assurance, and Relevance. The enhanced framework promotes a comprehensive, location-specific reporting approach with a concise set of well-defined indicators. Built into the framework is quality assurance, as well as a defined method to use information from sustainability reports to inform decisions. The framework incorporates human health and socioeconomic aspects via initiatives such as community-engaged research, economic valuations, and community-initiated environmental monitoring.
Design and Analysis of Deep Water Marine Riser Systems for Floating Production Facilities

As the global offshore search for oil and gas reserves expands, deeper waters and more hostile environments will be encountered. However, as the search continues, the likelihood of finding very large reservoirs that justify the expense of fixed platform production facilities (conventional jackets or gravity-type structures) decreases. Furthermore, the water depths encountered, in some cases, exceed the bounds of fixed platform technology. To produce the marginal fields, or those at great depths, therefore, suggests the use of floating production facilities. From the standpoint of the marginal field, a floating production facility requires low capital outlay and provides an early return on investment. In addition, after the field is depleted, the floating production facility can be easily reused. From the standpoint of a deep water reservoir, a floating production facility may be the only technological and economic alternative for producing the field. In either case, the riser system for the floating production facility is a crucial element in the system and, consequently, the structural analysis of the riser system becomes a key in the design process.
Building a Unified Middle-Range Theory of Artifact Design

In a benchmark article on artifact style, Polly Wiessner (1983:273) lamented over the inability of archaeologists to predict, a priori, the particular formal attributes of an artifact that reflect specific behavioral processes, such as social interaction or the communication of identity. She concluded from her rigorous analysis of Kalahari San projectile points that relationships between process and form appear to result from historical events rather than to follow coherent principles.
Barriers to Human Sexuality Education Survey Research Among Vermont Public School Administrators.

Background Health educators in public high schools can provide educational interventions to reduce teen unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Characteristics of teachers and schools influence their decision to provide condom education. Studies to determine characteristics must be conducted so HIV/sex education can be improved. If schools do not participate in these studies, barriers must be identified so researchers can collect sufficient data to produce information for curriculum reform. Methods A study was conducted to identify teacher characteristics that influence their decision and intention to provide appropriate condom education. Follow-up e-mails were sent to administrators who opted out of the study to request more information about their decision to not participate. All responses were submitted via e-mail correspondence. Results Six superintendents and 6 principals provided a reason for their decision to opt out. Superintendents cited being busy with district initiatives, time constraints, and lack of interest in participating in the study as reasons they did not wish to participate. Principals cited competing requests for participation in research, participation in other surveys, and time constraints. Conclusions Securing administrative approval for human sexuality research is challenging. Administrators contend with many priorities, do not wish to overburden teachers, consider participation in voluntary research as a low priority, and may be more likely to respond to telephone requests. Administrators may not want to disclose that human sexuality or HIV education courses may not be taught by certified or qualified health educators.
Genetic Versus Non-genetic Drivers of SLE: Implications of IRF5 Dysregulation in Both Roads Leading to SLE.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by a breakdown of immune tolerance, resulting in inflammation and tissue destruction. While the primary causes of SLE are still obscure, the disorder is highly heritable. Genetic risk variants, on their own, are rarely causal or fully explain disease pathogenesis. We discuss the possibility that IRF5, a SLE susceptibility gene, has both genetic and non-genetic contributions to disease pathogenesis. Genetic variants within and around IRF5 robustly associate with SLE risk. In SLE blood cells, IRF5 risk variants associate with elevated IRF5 expression and IFN production. Whether the observed increase in expression is due to risk variants or other disease-associated factors is not clear. Data from Irf5−/− mice backcrossed to multiple models of murine lupus support that IRF5’s role in disease pathogenesis is non-genetic. Studies of IRF5 expression and function in genotyped healthy donors will address the question of whether IRF5 dysregulation in SLE is driven by genetic or non-genetic factors.
From molecules to multispecies ecosystems: the roles of structure in bacterial biofilms

Biofilms are communities of sessile microbes that are bound to each other by a matrix made of biopolymers and proteins. Spatial structure is present in biofilms on many lengthscales. These range from the nanometer scale of molecular motifs to the hundred-micron scale of multicellular aggregates. Spatial structure is a physical property that impacts the biology of biofilms in many ways. The molecular structure of matrix components controls their interaction with each other (thereby impacting biofilm mechanics) and with diffusing molecules such as antibiotics and immune factors (thereby impacting antibiotic tolerance and evasion of the immune system). The size and structure of multicellular aggregates, combined with microbial consumption of growth substrate, give rise to differentiated microenvironments with different patterns of metabolism and gene expression. Spatial association of more than one species can benefit one or both species, while distances between species can both determine and result from the transport of diffusible factors between species. Thus, a widespread theme in the biological importance of spatial structure in biofilms is the effect of structure on transport. We survey what is known about this and other effects of spatial structure in biofilms, from molecules up to multispecies ecosystems. We conclude with an overview of what experimental approaches have been developed to control spatial structure in biofilms and how these and other experiments can be complemented with computational work.
d3–d3 Diolates of dimolybdenum and ditungsten

Abstract From the reactions between the diols S(−)-1,1-diphenyl-1,2-propanediol, S(−)-1,1,2-triphenyl-1,2-ethanediol and (1R, 2R)-(−)-1,2-dicyclohexyldiol and each of Mo2(OtBu)6 and Mo2(NMe2)6, the compounds Mo2(O2C15H15)3 (1), Mo2(O2C20H17)3 (2) and Mo2(O2C14H25)4 (3) have been isolated and characterized. In the reactions leading to the formation of 1 and 2, kinetic control leads to highly sterically congested products having six phenyl groups at one end of the Mo–Mo axis. Three methyl groups in compound 1 and three phenyl groups in compound 2 are at the other Mo centers. In compound 3, four equivalents of the diol are taken up by the Mo26+ center, two straddle the Mo–Mo triple bond and one chelates at each Mo center. Inspection of the Mo–O and O⋯O distances in compound 3 reveals the presence of OH groups such that the compound may be considered an alcoholate Mo2(O∼∼O)2(O∼∼OH)2. These results are discussed in terms of crystals engineering an infinite chain of Mo2 units with parallel Mo–Mo axes wherein a chiral ligand framework imposes a C3 screw axis.
Perceived Barriers and Trends in HPV Vaccination via Patient Survey Responses at Kalamazoo, Michigan's Federally-Qualified Health Center.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States. Despite numerous studies proving the safety and efficacy of the HPV vaccine, immunization rates remain low, especially among underserved populations. To identify factors contributing to low HPV vaccination rates, patients at a federally qualified health center in Kalamazoo MI were surveyed. Surveys were administered during routine patient visits to determine self-reported vaccination status and vaccination barriers. A total of 98 vaccine-eligible (males/females, ages 9–26 years old) patients/guardians completed the survey. In all, 46% of respondents completed the multi-dose vaccination course, and 56% of those identified as female. White patients reported higher vaccination rates (50%) than patients of color (45%). Of those vaccinated, the most common reason was “physician recommendation” (39%). Those not fully vaccinated most commonly reported being “too young” (39%). Importantly, individuals who had begun, but not completed, the vaccination course reported that their provider had not spoken to them about future vaccines in the series (74%). This study revealed disparities in vaccination rates between the sexes and racial groups, and emphasized the influential role of physician’s recommendation on vaccination. Interestingly, other frequently cited barriers to vaccination—an association with sex, personal/religious beliefs, efficacy—proved to be insignificant barriers for this population. Instead, age-related misunderstandings and lack of consistent physician communication about vaccination provided significant barriers. Based on our results, education and reminders about the HPV vaccine by providers is a significant tool to maximize vaccination coverage.
How likely is an El Niño to break the global mean surface temperature record during the 21st century

The likelihood of an El Nino to break the global mean surface temperature (GMST) record during the 21st century is derived from 38 climate models in the Fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). We find that, under a low emission scenario, one out of three El Nino events breaks the GMST record. The probability significantly increases to four out of five in a high emission scenario. About half of strong El Ninos, but only one-fifth of weak El Ninos, can set new GMST records in a low emission scenario. By contrast, even weak El Ninos can break the GMST record more regularly (68%±8% chance) in high emission scenario. Both stronger El Nino and higher emission scenario induce a higher record-breaking GMST with magnitude range from 0.03°C to 0.21°C above the previous record. El Nino accounts for more than half of record-breaking GMST occurrences in all emission scenarios. A comparison between CMIP3, CMIP5, and CMIP6 suggests that the analyses are not affected by model complexity.
MR defecography review

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a relatively common but often complex condition, presenting with a variety of clinical symptoms, especially when it involves multiple compartments. Clinical exam alone is often inadequate and requires a complementary imaging study. Magnetic resonance defecography (MRD) is an excellent noninvasive diagnostic study with its multiplanar capability, lack of ionizing radiation and excellent soft tissue resolution. It can identify both anatomic and functional abnormalities in the pelvic floor and specifically excels in its ability to simultaneously detect multicompartmental pathology and help with vital pre-operative assessment. This manuscript reviews the relevant anatomical landmarks, describes the optimal technique, highlights an approach to the interpretation of MRD, and provides an overview of the various pelvic floor disorders in the different anatomical compartments.
What Do Unusual Faces Teach Us About the Ethics of Recognition

With close attention to the film Wonder, this article examines how a narrative of community acceptance offers sustaining relationships for people with unusual facial appearance. This article argues that premodern responses of wonder can help reframe modern understandings of looking different.
Research Opportunities in Workforce Management

In this paper, we review a subset of the labor scheduling literature and discuss areas where additional research is warranted. The review, while not exhaustive, concludes that there are still rich research opportunities to contribute to an already large field. The areas that are still most attractive are those which provide models that solve more than one phase of the workforce management problem in an integrative fashion as has been called for by many researchers. We also present an example of an integrative model found in the literature. In addition, an application area for workforce management that has received much attention but still provides promising research opportunities is the area of nurse staffing. With continued nursing shortages, managers are faced with a difficult task of providing quality care while still maintaining costs.
Soil conditions for sustainable saffron production

Abstract The most important soil conditions to establish, grow, and propagate saffron corms are related to soil texture and nutrient content. Soil nutrient content has received the most attention since it can be changed more readily in saffron-growing countries like Iran. Saffron is now becoming a very attractive cash crop and is grown even beyond its traditional and natural boundaries with more chemical fertilizers and irrigation. The extensive use of chemical fertilizers for saffron production has a weak scientific base. Researchers appear to be borrowing nutrient recommendations from common agronomic crops to apply to saffron. Saffron farmers should view themselves more as gardeners rather than farmers and should prepare their soil as a flower bed for harvesting flowers.
A New Way of Looking at Auditory Linguistic Comprehension

Methods currently being developed for the use of eye movements in the assessment of linguistic comprehension have important clinical and research applications. These methods may be particularly useful for the assessment of severely neurologically impaired patients whose motoric response capabilities are limited to the degree that-regardless of linguistic involvement-they would demonstrate poor or even no responses on traditional tests of linguistic comprehension. Recent methodological developments have been focused on stimulus design, testing protocols, dependent measures, and instrumentation.
The Lebensform as organism: Clarifying the limits of immanent critique:

In this article, I argue for the necessary organicism of immanent critique and the resulting limits and applicability of immanent critique as elaborated in Rahel Jaeggi’s account of Lebensformen. T...
TOuNN: Topology Optimization using Neural Networks

Neural networks, and more broadly, machine learning techniques, have been recently exploited to accelerate topology optimization through data-driven training and image processing. In this paper, we demonstrate that one can directly execute topology optimization (TO) using neural networks (NN). The primary concept is to use the NN’s activation functions to represent the popular Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) density field. In other words, the density function is parameterized by the weights and bias associated with the NN, and spanned by NN’s activation functions; the density representation is thus independent of the finite element mesh. Then, by relying on the NN’s built-in backpropogation, and a conventional finite element solver, the density field is optimized. Methods to impose design and manufacturing constraints within the proposed framework are described and illustrated. A byproduct of representing the density field via activation functions is that it leads to a crisp and differentiable boundary. The proposed framework is simple to implement and is illustrated through 2D and 3D examples. Some of the unresolved challenges with the proposed framework are also summarized.
Learning I/O Access Patterns to Improve Prefetching in SSDs

Flash based solid state drives (SSDs) have established themselves as a higher-performance alternative to hard disk drives in cloud and mobile environments. Nevertheless, SSDs remain a performance bottleneck of computer systems due to their high I/O access latency. A common approach for improving the access latency is prefetching. Prefetching predicts future block accesses and preloads them into main memory ahead of time. In this paper, we discuss the challenges of prefetching in SSDs, explain why prior approaches fail to achieve high accuracy, and present a neural network based prefetching approach that significantly outperforms the state-of the-art. To achieve high performance, we address the challenges of prefetching in very large sparse address spaces, as well as prefetching in a timely manner by predicting ahead of time. We collect I/O trace files from several real-world applications running on cloud servers and show that our proposed approach consistently outperforms the existing stride prefetchers by up to 800\(\times \) and prior prefetching approaches based on Markov chains by up to 8\(\times \). Furthermore, we propose an address mapping learning technique to demonstrate the applicability of our approach to previously unseen SSD workloads and perform a hyperparameter sensitivity study.