cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Life as citizenship: about the metaphorics of political in late Antiquity and Byzantium

The article discusses the polysemous Byzantine concept πολιτeία (“state, citizenship, way of life”), considering it from the viewpoint of conceptual history. Based on an overview of contemporary scholarship that places the Byzantine state in relation to the history of society and history of culture, I suggest a new approach to the Byzantine conceptual apparatus combining elements of the traditional history of concepts and Hans Blumenberg’s metaphorology. I also advance the hypothesis that the distinctive semiotic regime, in which Byzantine concepts operated, resulted from a reorganization — and partial reduction — of the system of classical knowledge. In Graeco-Roman antiquity, the world was conceived of as comprising four levels, each demanding distinct approach: the universe (cosmos), human community existing within the structures of the polis, the household (oikos), and the individual’s character (ethos). These levels corresponded to four domains of knowledge. Cosmogony studied the interaction of the cosmic elements. Politics occupied itself with community. Economy (oikonomia) was approached mostly on practical terms. Human character was investigated by ethics. A new configuration of concepts established in the classical period emerged in Byzantium, these concepts shifted from one level to another, or simultaneously occupied several levels. The understanding of these processes demands attention to the two following factors; first, the meaning of specialized concepts was safeguarded by the continuity linking the Byzantine culture to the classical philosophical paradigm; second, Christian universalism invited the construction of homologous conceptual structures, thus contributing to their incessant metaphorization.
Investigations of a human embryonic globin gene silencing element using YAC transgenic mice.

A silencing element has been previously located upstream of the human e-globin gene promoter using transient assays and transgenic mice carrying plasmid constructs in which the element has been deleted or its transcriptional motifs have been mutated. To investigate whether this element functions in the context of the whole β-globin locus, we analyzed e-globin gene expression in transgenic mice carrying a deletion of the silencing element in the context of a 213-kilobase human β-globin yeast artificial chromosome (β-YAC). e-Globin gene expression was measured during embryonic and fetal development and in adult mice. e-mRNA levels in embryonic cells in Day 12 blood were as high as those measured in wild-type β-YAC controls, indicating that the deletion does not affect e gene promoter function. e-Globin gene expression was confined to the embryonic cells, indicating that deletion of this silencing element did not affect e-globin developmental expression in the context of the β-YAC. These results suggest that...
Genome scan of glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria: the HyperGEN study

Background. Albuminuria and reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are markers of renal dysfunction associated with hypertension. We performed genomewide scans to detect loci impacting these parameters in 1251 African American (AAs) and 1129 European American (EAs) hypertensive siblings from the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network study. Methods. GFR, estimated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation, and albuminuria, measured as albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), were adjusted for gender, age, centre, mean blood pressure, antihypertensive medication class and diabetes status using SOLAR. Since albuminuria and abnormal GFR often coexist, we conducted bivariate linkage analyses to investigate the presence of pleiotropy. Results. The phenotypic correlation between ACR and GFR was not significant in EAs (r ¼ 0.04) and significantly negative in AAs (r ¼� 0.17). Univariate analyses of ACR showed suggestive evidence of linkage on chromosomes 8, 16 and 17 (LOD: 2–2.8) in AAs, on chromosomes 18 and 19 (LOD ¼ 2) in EAs, and on chromosome 19 (LOD ¼ 2.6) when combining AAs and EAs. For GFR, suggestive linkage was found on chromosomes 7, 14 and 19 (LOD: 2.2–2.9) in AAs and on chromosomes 14, 15 and 16 (LOD: 2.1–3.3) in the combined group. Also, bivariate analyses showed a LOD score of 3.4 at 133 cM on chromosome 7 in AAs. Conclusions. Suggestive evidence for linkage to GFR and ACR was observed at many loci. The findings are consistent with previous studies. Also, indication of a pleiotropic locus was detected in chromosome 7 in AAs.
PTJ Adopts a new process for review of RCTs.

Over the past few years, PTJ has developed new processes to better ensure that we publish credible, high-quality research and to improve the quality of the information that we share with our readers. During the past 6 months, our Editorial Board piloted a new process for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Through “trial” and error, we've learned a great deal, and we're ready to share our decisions with our community of authors, readers, and reviewers. Since 2005, the number of RCTs submitted to PTJ has increased almost four-fold. We believe that this growth indicates continued maturation of our science …
Activation-induced programmed cell death of nonspecific cytotoxic cells and inhibition by apoptosis regulatory factors.

Abstract Nonspecific cytotoxic cells (NCC) are the teleost equivalent of mammalian lymphokine-activated natural killer cells. The cytotoxic activities of NCC are enhanced by stress-activated serum factors (SASF) present in tilapia acute-phase serum. In the present study purified NCC and xenogeneic target HL-60 tumor cells and nuclei were distinguishable in mixtures determined by flow cytometry. NCC activated by target HL-60 cells undergo activation-induced programmed cell death (AIPCD) during 12- to 16-h killing assays as shown by Annexin-V binding and nuclear DNA fragmentation results. Annexin-V binding studies also demonstrated that NCC kill HL-60 cells by an apoptotic mechanism. NCC are protected from AIPCD by 4-h preincubation in 50% SASF. Pretreatment also produced more than a fourfold increase in NCC cytotoxicity (effector/target (E:T) ratio = 100:1). In the absence of SASF preincubation, the percentage of apoptotic NCC increased from 8 to 91% at E:T ratios of 1:0 and 1:1, respectively. Kinetic studies (E:T = 10:1) demonstrated that the percentage of NCC exhibiting HL-60-dependent AIPCD increased between 0.1 and 12 h and then decreased inversely with total cell necrosis over the next 60 h. Preincubation of NCC with SASF protected NCC from AIPCD for over 72 h. Crosslinkage of the NCCRP-1 receptor with monoclonal antibody (mab) 5C6 produced AIPCD between 1 and 100 μg/mL mab concentrations. Preincubation with SASF completely protected NCC from mab 5C6-dependent AIPCD. SASF-mediated protection of NCC from AIPCD was dependent upon divalent cations, as demonstrated by increases in DNA hypoploidy of 38, 67, and 88% following preincubation in the presence of 10, 100, and 1000 μM EDTA, respectively. SASF also protected NCC from glucocorticoid- (i.e., dexamethasone) induced apoptosis. Combined, these results demonstrated that NCC activity is down-regulated by AIPCD. Release of SASF into the peripheral circulation may prevent negative regulation of NCC by AIPCD by increasing recycling capacity. Results are discussed in the context of the effects of acute stressors on innate immunity.
Nerve Terminals Form But Fail to Mature When Postsynaptic Differentiation Is Blocked: In Vivo Analysis Using Mammalian Nerve–Muscle Chimeras

To better understand the role of the postsynaptic cell in the differentiation of presynaptic terminals, we transplanted muscles that lacked postsynaptic differentiation from mutant mice into normal adult immunocompatible hosts and attached the host nerve to the grafts. Host motor axons innervated wild-type grafted muscle fibers and established normal appearing chimeric neuromuscular junctions. By repeated in vivo imaging, we found that these synapses were stably maintained. Results were different when nerves entered transplanted muscles derived from mice lacking muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) or rapsyn, muscle-specific components required for postsynaptic differentiation. Initial steps in presynaptic differentiation (e.g., formation of rudimentary arbors and vesicle clustering at terminals) occurred when wild-type neurites contacted MuSK- or rapsyn deficient muscle fibers, either in vivo or in vitro. However, wild-type terminals contacting MuSK or rapsyn mutant muscle fibers were unable to mature, even when the chimeras were maintained for up to 7 months. Moreover, in contrast to the stability of wild-type synapses, wild-type nerve terminals in mutant muscles underwent continuous remodeling. These results suggest that postsynaptic cells supply two types of signals to motor axons: ones that initiate presynaptic differentiation and others that stabilize the immature contacts so that they can mature. Normal postsynaptic differentiation appears to be dispensable for initial stages of presynaptic differentiation but required for presynaptic maturation.
Antifungal Susceptibility Testing: Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute (CLSI) Methods

Antifungal susceptibility testing has become an important tool for ­physicians faced with making difficult treatment decisions regarding treatment of patients with fungal infections. The Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute (CLSI) has approved methods for testing of both yeast and moulds. Testing may be accomplished via macrobroth, microbroth, or disk methods. In addition to CLSI methods, industry has provided a variety of both manual and automated systems for determining antifungal susceptibility for fungi. This, combined with an expanded list of interpretive data, has elevated antifungal susceptibility testing to a level of importance as a diagnostic test.
Location dependent orientational structure and dynamics of ethane in ZSM5

Abstract Orientational structure and dynamics of ethane confined in ZSM5 zeolite at four different loadings are reported. The effect of pore geometry on ethane is studied by isolating the contribution from ethane molecules in different locations, viz . straight channels, sinusoidal channels and their intersections. Orientational dynamics is found to be hindered in general and exhibits librational motion, with the extant of hindrance being the greatest in sinusoidal channels. Librational motion becomes faster with an increase in loading. This counterintuitive finding is consistent with experiments reported elsewhere and is explained on the basis of a decreased orientational anisotropy at higher loadings.
The State and Life Chances in Urban China: Social Stratification Under State Socialism: Summary and Assessment

It is probably too soon to revisit state socialism and the possibilities that were never allowed to mature. Nonetheless, in time there will be a revisionist history that, while not denying communist horrors, will recognize socialism's potentialities. Burawoy (2001, p. 1118) We have taken the reader on a journey of examining the state and life chances in the history of the People's Republic of China. Focusing on a sample of urban residents, we followed their educational experiences, their entries into the labor force, their life experiences in career promotion, and job shift across organizations, and the economic benefits associated with these life chances. We “observed,” so to speak, dramatic changes in their life chances over the historical periods and over the stages of their life course. We have organized our observations, analyses, and discussions around two major themes: first, the impacts of state socialist redistribution and stratification dynamics on individual life chances; second, changes and continuity in the stratification processes in China's economic transformation since the 1980s. How do these empirical findings inform us of the theoretical models of state socialist redistribution and social stratification? What lessons can we draw from the Chinese experience to understand institutional transformation of state socialism? In this chapter, we take stock by summarizing the main findings related to the first theme – redistribution and stratification dynamics under state socialism in China.
Psychological Profiling: Past, Present, and Future

The development of psychological profiling is examined from its use during World War II to its use today in criminal investigation. This historical analysis includes Dr. James Brussels's work on th...
Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis for Nominal is Best MCDA in the context of Generic Vehicles

Stochastic Multi-criteria Acceptability Analysis (SMAA) is used to assess potential generic vehicle designs that simultaneously match target fuel burn, NOx emissions, and DNL noise contours. While SMAA is typically used for criteria with minimum is best or maximum is best formulation, the nature of the generic vehicle problem is a nominal is best formulation. Absolute value of error distributions transform the nominal is best problem into a minimum is best formulation, which provides the additional benefit of exposing the existence of model biases. Design rules for the criteria value functions with respect to the variance of the criteria are explored to avoid favoring accuracy in one metric versus another.
Which interventions help to prevent falls in the elderly

Beneficial interventions include individually prescribed programs of muscle strengthening, balance retraining, tai chi exercise, and home hazard assessment, limiting use of psychotropic medications, and team-approach multiple health and environmental risk factor reduction programs.
Global Finance Beyond 2000: Implications for Regulation and the Supervisory Authorities

Changes in the financial industry have been rapid and far-reaching in recent years and will accelerate even more in the future. The factors creating and promoting change are complex and diverse, but they have one common element, namely global implications: progress in globalisation in the aftermath of the Cold War, the triumph of the creed of Anglo-Saxon capitalism (market mechanisms, competition, deregulation, small government and so on), developments in the IT revolution, the accumulation of financial assets in preparation for the aging society, huge cross-border flows of capital and so on.
Zooarchaeological Analysis at Antelope House: Behavioral Inferences from Distribution Data

ABSTRACTThis paper examines occurrences and frequencies of procured animal species, as well as relationships between man and other living animals at the site. Prehistoric behavior patterns of domestic animals are suggested from distributional analysis of archaeologically recovered material. Preferred area utilization of prescribed confinement also is inferred for the domesticates. Non-domesticates are discussed as potential indicators of the abandonment patterns of specific human activity spaces.
A Zygotic Checkpoint for Unrepaired Lesions

DNA demethylation, a process involving DNA repair, is critical for reprogramming of the paternal genome during the oocyte-to-zygote transition. A new study by Ladstatter and Tachibana-Konwalski shows that a Chk1-mediated zygotic checkpoint monitors the cohesin-dependent repair of DNA lesions arising from DNA demethylation, which prevents zygotes carrying unrepaired lesions from entering mitosis.
Chest Pain and T-Wave Inversions in a 56-Year-Old Man.

A 56-year-old man presented to cardiology clinic with daily episodes of chest heaviness and discomfort. He underwent an echocardiogram, which showed no evidence of structural heart disease. An exercise nuclear stress test showed average functional capacity and normal perfusion. Because of his daily symptoms, the patient wore a 24-hour Holter monitor (Figure 1A), which showed multiple episodes of T-wave inversions (Figure 1B), inconsistently associated with his symptoms of chest tightness. Because of these symptoms, he underwent coronary angiography, which showed minimal coronary artery disease. What is the mechanism of the T-wave inversions seen on Holter? Figure 1. Twenty-four hour Holter monitor obtained due to intermittent chest pain . A and B , A 24-hour Holter monitor was obtained to evaluate daily chest pain. Multiple instances of intermittent T-wave inversions were inconsistently associated with chest pain. Please turn the page to read the diagnosis. The patient had a known diagnosis of Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, and his baseline …
Review: Practicing Utopia: An Intellectual History of the New Town Movement, by Rosemary Wakeman

Rosemary Wakeman Practicing Utopia: An Intellectual History of the New Town Movement Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016, 376 pp., 71 b/w illus. $45, ISBN 9780226346038 Rosemary Wakeman's ambitious book Practicing Utopia explains how the new town movement, which played a major role in regional growth strategies in the West, became a transnational movement during its golden age of 1945 to 1975. Wakeman notes in her introduction that she consciously resists any ultimate definition of what constitutes a new town because meaning must be dependent on the specifics of time and place. Her aim is to explore why the new town became “such a powerful talisman of the future” (17). To answer this question, she states, she will not provide a survey of new towns or physical descriptions of such towns, but instead will dissect these “visionary dreamscapes” intellectually (17). This contradicts the title of her book, which refers to illusionary utopia implemented in practice. It is regarding that practice, carried out by an international network of experts with a variety of institutional support in housing, urban design, and infrastructure development, that Wakeman's book is particularly illuminating. Failing to provide a tight definition of the new town movement allows Wakeman to cast her net far and wide, drawing in an astounding number of examples. New towns were capital- and infrastructure-intensive megaprojects requiring mass state investments; exported to former colonies, they became pawns in the Cold War politics of containment; as instruments of postwar reconstruction, they were deployed to address the housing crisis, the congestion of inner cities, and the nightmare of sprawl; they were assets to the military–industrial complex, located next to sites of steel and oil production, mineral extraction, energy production, and aircraft manufacture, as well as near massive ports. In short, the construction of new towns was essential to national and international prosperity and development around the globe. The book is organized into two parts: the first discusses the original ideology of the new …
At the heart of the advocacy dilemma: a mechanistic world view.

The conflict which sometimes arises between acting simultaneously as a child advocate and as a professional employee is related to the philosophical underpinnings which inspire the current approach...
Role of Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Dermatologic Disorders

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) represents polyclonal natural antibodies pooled from sera of healthy donors. It has been successfully used to treat a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Historically, IVIg was used to treat immune deficiencies and was first described in 1952 by Bruton who infused a child with congenital agammaglobulinemia suffering from recurrent infections. Following expansion of its use in primary antibody deficiencies, the use of IVIg in autoimmune disease was described in 1981, and has since been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for several autoimmune disorders. IVIG is used off-label in a variety of immune-mediated dermatologic diseases. We herein discuss the complicated immunologic mechanisms of IVIG, as well as discuss its use in the treatment of various dermatologic diseases.
A general CT reconstruction algorithm for model-based material decomposition

Material decomposition in CT has the potential to reduce artifacts and improve quantitative accuracy by utilizing spectral models and multi-energy scans. In this work we present a novel Model-Based Material Decomposition (MBMD) method based on an existing iterative reconstruction algorithm derived from a general non-linear forward model. A digital water phantom with inserts containing different concentrations of calcium was scanned on a kV switching system. We used the presented method to simultaneously reconstruct water and calcium material density images, and compared the results to an image domain and a projection domain decomposition method. When switching voltage every other frame, MBMD resulted in more accurate water and calcium concentration values than the image domain decomposition method, and was just as accurate as the projection domain decomposition method. In a second, slower, kV switching scheme (changing voltage every ten frames) which precluded the use of traditional projection domain based methods, MBMD continued to produce quantitatively accurate reconstructions. Finally, we present a preliminary study applying MBMD to a water phantom containing vials of different concentrations of K2HPO4 which was scanned on a cone-beam CT test bench. Both the fast and slow (emulated) kV switching schemes resulted in similar reconstructions, indicating MBMD's robustness to challenging acquisition schemes. Additionally, the K2HPO4 concentration ratios between the vials were accurately represented in the reconstructed K2HPO4 density image.
Canadian Standards Association Special Publication Z90-1975: Introduction to Sampling Procedures for Materials and Manufactured Products

(1976). Canadian Standards Association Special Publication Z90-1975. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 105-107.
A compressed sensing approach for resolution improvement in fiber-bundle based endomicroscopy

Endomicroscopy techniques such as confocal, multi-photon, and wide-field imaging have all been demonstrated using coherent fiber-optic imaging bundles. While the narrow diameter and flexibility of fiber bundles is clinically advantageous, the number of resolvable points in an image is conventionally limited to the number of individual fibers within the bundle. We are introducing concepts from the compressed sensing (CS) field to fiber bundle based endomicroscopy, to allow images to be recovered with more resolvable points than fibers in the bundle. The distal face of the fiber bundle is treated as a low-resolution sensor with circular pixels (fibers) arranged in a hexagonal lattice. A spatial light modulator is located conjugate to the object and distal face, applying multiple high resolution masks to the intermediate image prior to propagation through the bundle. We acquire images of the proximal end of the bundle for each (known) mask pattern and then apply CS inversion algorithms to recover a single high-resolution image. We first developed a theoretical forward model describing image formation through the mask and fiber bundle. We then imaged objects through a rigid fiber bundle and demonstrate that our CS endomicroscopy architecture can recover intra-fiber details while filling inter-fiber regions with interpolation. Finally, we examine the relationship between reconstruction quality and the ratio of the number of mask elements to the number of fiber cores, finding that images could be generated with approximately 28,900 resolvable points for a 1,000 fiber region in our platform.
Catalytic thiophene oxidation by groups 4 and 5 framework-substituted zeolites with hydrogen peroxide: Mechanistic and spectroscopic evidence for the effects of metal Lewis acidity and solvent Lewis basicity

Abstract Group 4 (Ti and Zr) and 5 (Nb and Ta) atoms substituted into the *BEA zeolite framework (M-BEA) irreversibly activate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and form pools of metal-hydroperoxide (M-OOH) and peroxide (M-(η2-O2)) intermediates active for the oxidation of 2,5-dimethylthiophene (C6H8S), a model reactant representative of organosulfur species in fossil reserves and chemical weapons. Sequential oxidation pathways convert C6H8S into 2,5-dimethylthiophene oxide (C6H8SO) and subsequently into 2,5-dimethylthiophene dioxide by oxidative dearomatization. Oxidation rates measured as functions of reactant concentrations together with in situ UV–vis spectra show that all M-BEA activate H2O2 to form pools of M-OOH and M-(η2-O2), which then react with either C6H8S or H2O2 to form the sulfoxide or to decompose into H2O and O2, respectively. Turnover rates for C6H8S oxidation and H2O2 decomposition both increase exponentially with the electron affinity of the active site, which is quantitatively probed via the adsorption enthalpy for deuterated acetonitrile to active sites. C6H8S oxidation rates depend also on the nucleophilicity of the solvent used, and rates decrease in the order acetonitrile > p-dioxane ∼ acetone > ethanol ∼ methanol. In situ UV–vis spectra show that highly nucleophilic solvent molecules compete effectively for active sites, inhibit H2O2 activation and formation of reactive M-OOH and M-(η2-O2) species, and give lower turnover rates. Consequently, this work shows that turnover rates for sulfoxidation are highest when highly electrophilic active sites (i.e., stronger Lewis acids) are paired with weakly nucleophilic solvents, which can guide the design of increasingly productive catalytic systems for sulfide oxidation.
Paper 1: ideological dimensions of place: (re)creating an urban area

From a spatialized critical social theory, place is political and ideological because it is shaped from historical and natural elements (Lefebvre & Enders, 1976). It is also a medium through which culture is reproduced because of the way it is organized and experienced (Gruenewald, 2003). According to Rodman (1992), place is also socially constructed which is determined by individual agency and forces beyond individual control. For the individual, places have multiple meanings in terms of physical, emotional, and experiential realities at particular times. Consequently, Wacquant (1995: 427) posits that places are understood as social entities where they are "produced institutionally, within ecological and technical constraints, by social and political struggles over competing uses of spaces, resources, and people."
Molecular Biology of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative movement disorders of non specific etiology. It is characterized by tremor at rest, bradykinesia, rigidity, and in more advanced cases, postural instability. The most important environmental factors such as neurotropic infective agents, neurotoxins like heavy metals and pesticides are considered as major culprit to initiate the disease. So far, mutations in eight genes (SNCA, PRKN, PINK1, DJ-1, MAPT, UCH-L1, ATP13A2 and LRRK2) are reported for the familial form of Parkinson's disease. Genetic, neuropathological and neurochemical studies on substantia nigra from Parkinson patients and animal models have focused on several pathogenic processes at the time of neuronal death. A few potential contributing factors have been established to play crucial role in the development of Parkinson's disease. Most of these factors are involved in ongoing selective oxidative stress resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction, auto-oxidation or enzymatic (monoamine oxidase) oxidation of dopamine, excessive iron accumulation in the substantia nigra pars compacta and genetic susceptibility. In the following sections the role of each of these factors are explained in detail.
On the Folding of Bacteriorhodopsin

A great deal of effort has been expended in trying to understand the folding of soluble proteins, the tertiary structures of which have been determined in many cases. The problem has turned out to be very complex, and the current lines of study have met with only limited success. Surprisingly, the possibility of structural prediction may be greater in the case of membrane proteins, where no structures of the membrane spanning regions are yet known at high resolution. This circumstance arises as a consequence of the existence of topological and energetic constraints which place important limits on the range of secondary and tertiary structures expected for globular membrane proteins. In the following discussion, I discuss the energetic arguments as I presently view them, outlining the use of an energy calculation to identify membrane spanning regions from protein sequence information, and considering the covalent, polar, and packing considerations which may be important in the final folding of globular membrane proteins in lipid bilayers.
Machine Learning Directed Search for Ultraincompressible, Superhard Materials

In the pursuit of materials with exceptional mechanical properties, a machine-learning model is developed to direct the synthetic efforts toward compounds with high hardness by predicting the elastic moduli as a proxy. This approach screens 118 287 compounds compiled in crystal structure databases for the materials with the highest bulk and shear moduli determined by support vector machine regression. Following these models, a ternary rhenium tungsten carbide and a quaternary molybdenum tungsten borocarbide are selected and synthesized at ambient pressure. High-pressure diamond anvil cell measurements corroborate the machine-learning prediction of the bulk modulus with less than 10% error, as well as confirm the ultraincompressible nature of both compounds. Subsequent Vickers microhardness measurements reveal that each compound also has an extremely high hardness exceeding the superhard threshold of 40 GPa at low loads (0.49 N). These results show the effectiveness of materials development through state-o...
Harnessing the Small Victories: Goal Design Strategies for a Mobile Calorie and Weight Loss Tracking Application

We investigate the role of small victories, in the form of short-term goal achievements, on long-term health outcomes. Using novel large-scale data from a popular mobile calorie and weight management application, we track the daily health outcomes across a large number of users. The application sets a salient daily budget for calories, and by comparing cases in which the users are under versus over-budget, we document empirical patterns about the role of reference-dependence calorie consumption and future weight loss. Motivated by these patterns, we estimate a dynamic structural model of calorie consumption with reference-dependent utility and serial correlation to evaluate various hypothetical goal design schemes. First, we show that adaptive goal designs are more effective at encouraging disciplined calorie consumption than goal designs that are uniformly applied to all users. Second, our analysis of goal personalization reveals that users with high initial BMI may benefit the most from challenging goals. Third, we demonstrate that exposing users to a variety of means towards goal achievement may be worthwhile.
Early Childhood Education at Scale: Lessons From Research for Policy and Practice:

This AERA Open special topic takes stock of the current knowledge about scaled-up early childhood education (ECE) programs. Rapidly rising ECE participation rates in recent decades have coincided w...
Motion and appearance based background subtraction for freely moving cameras

Abstract With increasing popularity of smart phone cameras and wearable cameras, it is imperative to develop robust vision systems in analyzing videos captured by these freely moving cameras. In this paper, we propose a novel motion and appearance based algorithm for foreground/background segmentation of these videos. Unlike existing methods, it does not require any prior information nor does it restrict camera motion or scene geometry. The proposed algorithm first estimates a dense motion field between two consecutive frames, and obtains a motion-based foreground probability estimate for each pixel by comparing the motion field with its low-rank approximation. In parallel, color features are extracted by sliding a fixed-size neighborhood window over the entire image. Using the motion-based probability estimates, highly probable foreground and background color features are identified and used to learn foreground and background appearance models. These models then generate appearance-based probability estimate for each pixel. To overcome the inaccuracies in appearance modeling and background motion approximation, we incorporate an innovative Mega-pixel denoising process that uses color segmentation to smooth out the probability estimates. Finally, the denoised probability estimates are combined with the image gradient map to produce the output foreground mask under the Graph-Cut optimization framework. To cope with non-stationary dynamic scenes, the foreground and background appearance models are continuously updated with highly probable foreground and background color features. Extensive evaluations on publicly available test sequences show that the proposed technique outperforms six state-of-the-art algorithms.
Defending patients from judgments

The patient had no identification on him—all we knew was that he had walked out in front of a car. Then we found drug paraphernalia in his clothing, and from that point on it seemed as if this had become his identification. As his healthcare team, it seemed as if we had gone from knowing nothing to assuming almost everything about him. The drugs told his story for him, and as he was unconscious, he was unaware of the opinions and assessments …
Modeling of Clinical Phenotypes Assessed at Discrete Study Visits

In studies of clinical phenotypes, such as dementia, disability, and frailty, participants are typically assessed at in-person clinic visits. Thus, the precise time of onset for the phenotype is unknown. The discreteness of the clinic visits yields grouped event time data. We investigate how to perform a risk factor analysis in the case of grouped data. Since visits can be months to years apart, numbers of ties can be large, causing the exact tie-handling method of the Cox model to be computationally infeasible. We propose two, new, computationally efficient approximations to the exact method: Laplace approximation and an analytic approximation. Through extensive simulation studies, we compare these new methods to the Prentice-Gloeckler model and the Cox model using Efron's and Breslow's tie-handling methods. In addition, we compare the methods in an application to a large cohort study (N = 3,605) on the development of clinical frailty in older adults. In our simulations, the Laplace approximation has low bias in all settings, and the analytic approximation has low bias in settings where the regression coefficient is not large in magnitude. Their corresponding confidence intervals also have approximately the nominal coverage probability. In the data application, the results from the approximations are nearly identical to that of the Prentice-Gloeckler model.
Emerging viral infections

Abstract The emergence of viral infections is driven by multiple factors including changes in human behavior, population growth, reservoir host distribution, viral diversity and environmental changes. Effective surveillance methods, diagnostic assays and containment measures are pivotal to preventing widespread outbreak of a new viral infection. However, the limited understanding of some emerging viruses poses numerous challenges for effective intervention. In this chapter we discuss various genomics-based methods and strategies to overcome these inherent challenges of emerging and re-emerging viral infections with a focus on current viral threats. We also provide an outlook on the use of genomic tools in personalized medicine and potential solutions to current and foreseeable challenges.
Relation of Plasma Renin Activity to Subclinical Peripheral and Coronary Artery Disease (from the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Experimental studies support a link between activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The relationship with subclinical atherosclerosis is uncertain. Among 1,699 individuals without prevalent CVD from the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, we measured plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone. Using multivariable logistic regression with restricted cubic splines, we assessed continuous log-transformed PRA and aldosterone associations with the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores (Agatston) with adjustment for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, kidney function, and inflammatory biomarkers. In fully adjusted models mutually adjusting for PRA and aldosterone, higher PRA was associated with an ABI 300 (p overall = 0.02, p nonlinear = 0.22), while aldosterone was not associated with either outcome. For example, compared to the 10th percentile (0.16 ng/ml/hr) of PRA, the 90th percentile (2.68 ng/ml/hr) had 3.6 times (OR 3.62; 95% CI: 2.13 to 6.13) and 1.7 times higher odds (odds ratio 1.67; 95% confidence interval: 1.13 to 2.48) of ABI 300, respectively. These associations persisted after adjustment for levels of C-reactive protein, Interleukin-6, and Tumor Necrosis Factor‐alpha. There were no significant differences in these associations by race/ethnicity or antihypertensive medication status. In conclusion, in a multiethnic cohort of community-living adults without prevalent clinical CVD, PRA was associated with greater burden of subclinical peripheral artery and coronary artery disease. These findings provide additional evidence that PRA may have deleterious effects on cardiovascular health through an atherosclerotic pathway.
Observation of munitions migration and burial in the swash and breaker zones

Abstract Behavior of underwater unexploded ordnance located on the sea bed is poorly understood. Different types of munitions were tested in the swash and breaker zones of a large-scale flume containing medium sand on two initial foreshore slopes (1:16 and 1:10) with regular and irregular wave forcing (Hs = 0.3–1.1 m; Tp = 2.6–9 s). Migration and burial were measured via pre- and post-run surveys and internal munition sensors. Water depths, flow velocities, wave runup and beach morphology changes were also measured. Munition sensors consist of an inertial motion unit for roll and heading and optical photocells for burial. Munition migration distances in the swash zone were greatest for the steeper slope and lower density munitions. Munition migration mimicked wave runup with net offshore transport. Breaker zone munitions experienced episodes of onshore- and offshore-directed motion without preferred direction. Denser munitions were observed to bury deeper, up to 2 munition diameters. Moderate correlation was observed between burial (r2 = 0.48) or migration (r2 = 0.37) with dimensionless parameters (such as Shields parameter, Keulegan-Carpenter number, object mobility number, munition density and Iribarren number), attributed to the high variability in munition response even under similar offshore forcing conditions.
THE SYNTHESIS OF PHOSPHORIBOSYLPYROPHOSPHATE FROM GLUCOSE DECREASES DURING AMINO ACID STARVATION OF HUMAN LYMPHOBLASTS: 160

THE SYNTHESIS OF PHOSPHORIBOSYLPYROPHOSPHATE FROM GLUCOSE DECREASES DURING AMINO ACID STARVATION OF HUMAN LYMPHOBLASTS: 160
Cognitive sampling: The power of harnessing sampling strategies with machine learning techniques for enhanced machine classification and machine interpretation of acoustic datasets

Machine learning has received increased popularity in the acoustical community for its ability to interpret, classify and predict information autonomously from large-scale datasets. Beyond traditional supervised and semi-supervised learning architectures such as deep learning, and ensemble approaches, unsupervised learning networks such as autoencoders are being used to discover efficient data codings that enable hitherto unforeseen feature spaces. Unrelated yet deeply significant to the success of these myriad approaches is the spectral resolution of the signal itself as it has implications on the richness of information used by the learning architecture. Furthermore, much remains to be done in interpreting machine-learnt feature representations by domain experts and linking the domain knowledge to the machine-learnt knowledge. This talk will introduce a new way of enabling this link, by harnessing the power of compressive sampling and more generally, non-uniform sampling strategies and information theory to popular machine learning techniques. Specific applications will include a variety of acoustical applications involving spectral feature generation and interpretation.
Emerging Role of Astrocytes in Striatal Synaptic Plasticity.

It is increasingly clear that astrocytes are active participants in many brain functions. They detect neuronal activity with various surface receptors they express. Activation of astrocytic receptors leads to Ca2+ and other second-messenger signaling, which in turn triggers the release of so-called
Application of sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification methods on the dynamic response of general nonlocal beams

Abstract There is a gap to be filled in the literature regarding uncertainties that may exist in nanobeams’ material and geometric properties, such as the nonlocal parameters, Young's modulus, Poisson ratio, density, and beam's length, width, and height. Considering the fact there are so many input parameters that can affect the response of the system, parametric studies that only focus on single parameters may limit the usefulness of the obtained output. Thus, in this effort, local and global sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification techniques are applied to determine the most influential parameters on the acoustic dispersion curves and the linear response of nanobeams which are modeled utilizing Euler–Bernoulli beam theory and the general nonlocal theory. The sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification methods include expanded parametric studies around an ideal or baseline system configuration, the Morris method elementary effects, Sobol’ sensitivity indices, Pearson correlation coefficients, and output distribution curves. Various input probability distributions are used for the input parameters uncertainties and the effects of all parameters on the ideal configurations are investigated for both acoustic dispersions and first natural frequency. For this study, there is great agreement in input parameter ranking between the methods. The introduced methodologies can be used for many other complex dynamical systems to show the limits of applicability of each method and determine the most influential input parameters and dominant output configurations.
Field Specializations among Beginning Economists: Are There Gender Differences?

We examine the process underlying field specialization among beginning economists. Our multivariate logit framework accommodates single- and dual-field specializations with correlated choices. Including field-specific relative salaries and expected probabilities of academic employment is a novel aspect of this research. After conditioning on personal, economic, and institutional variables, we find that women graduate students are less likely to specialize in labor/health, macro/finance, industrial organization, public economics, and development/growth/international fields and are more likely to specialize in agricultural/resource/environmental fields. The Duncan dissimilarity index suggests that 14 percent of either sex would have to change specialization in order to achieve complete parity.
TeachBot: Towards teaching robotics fundamentals for human-robot collaboration at work.

Abstract The shortage of skilled workers who can use robots is a crucial issue hampering the growth of manufacturing industries. We present a new type of workforce training system, TeachBot, in which a robotic instructor delivers a series of interactive lectures using graphics and physical demonstration of its arm movements. Furthermore, the TeachBot allows learners to physically interact with the robot. This new human-computer interface, integrating oral and graphical instructions with motion demonstration and physical touch, enables to create engaging training materials. Effective learning takes place when the learner simultaneously interacts with an embodiment of new knowledge. We apply this “Learning by Touching” methodology to teach basic concepts, e.g. how a shaft encoder and feedback control work. In a pilot randomized control test with a small number of human subjects, we find suggestive evidence that Learning by Touching enhances learning effectiveness in this robotic context for adult learners. Students whose learning experience included touching the robot as opposed to watching it delivers the lessons showed gains in their ability to integrate knowledge about robotics. The “touching” group showed statistically significant gains in self-efficacy, which is an important antecedent to further learning and successful use of new technologies, as well as gains in knowledge about robotic concepts that trend toward significance.
Of mice and users

Human-system interaction research proposes that human performance will be higher when there is greater similarity between user, task, and interface characteristics. Force-feedback devices have recently become available as economically feasible additions to human-system interfaces. An experiment is proposed to investigate two aspects of applying force-feedback to the human-system interaction. At a higher level, the experiment will attempt to both (1) specify those user characteristics that most affect the ability of the forcefeedback device to influence user performance and (2) extend prior research on task/interface characteristic concordance into the realm of force-feedback devices. At a lower level, the experiment will attempt to derive the most appropriate ways that a force-feedback input/output device can be customized or applied to best enhance a human user’s performance on typical home/office computer tasks. A pilot study and experiment are described in which subjects will complete typical home/office computer-based tasks with both a standard and a force-feedback mouse. Subjects will be tested for their abilities and aptitudes with the force-feedback mouse. An analysis of task performance by subject and device should shed light on both the user/interface and task/interface relationships when the interface is moderated by the use of forcefeedback.
Shifting from the Home to the Market: Accounting for Women's Work in Taiwan, 1965-95

If one accounts for the shift of women's work from the household to the market during the course of economic development, what does the trajectory of growth and structural change look like? In this paper, I present an accounting of one such shift by looking at the role of women in Taiwanese growth between 1965 and 1995, a thirty-year stretch when an enviable per capita market growth rate of 6.9 percent was accompanied by large increases in female labor force participation. I develop an alternative measure of economic production that accounts for both market and household production in the form of unpaid domestic services provided by women in the home, reevaluating growth over the course of Taiwan's export boom. I find that social services, a category that includes services provided in the market and the home, was the lead employer of Taiwanese labor between 1965 and 1995. Another key finding is that many of the factors driving growth in the market sector also shape growth in the household sector. Despite trend declines in the relative size of the household sector, it has probably continued to grow throughout this period, primarily because of productivity gains in household production and the effects of demographic change. At the core of this conclusion is the assumption that opportunity wages are a fair measure of the monetary value of women's work in the home.