cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Instructions on Subjects’ Disclosure of Information About Operant Tasks

Two experiments evaluated the effectiveness of instructional practices regarding subjects’ disclosure of information about an operant task. In Experiment 1, 30 female subjects received detailed, general, or no instructions about disclosure. When placed with a confederate, those receiving detailed instructions revealed the least information. Subjects receiving general instructions and subjects receiving no instructions tended to disclose. Subjects who witnessed a confederate disclose were likely to disclose, despite receiving detailed instructions to the contrary. Subjects who witnessed a confederate refuse to disclose were less likely to disclose information even when they received no instructions regarding disclosure. In Experiment 2, a confederate disclosed a pattern of responding to a subject before the subject entered the operant situation. The subject responded similar to the confederate’s description. Because the disclosure of information affects subjects’ behavior, it is important that the effectiveness of instructional practices regarding disclosure be empirically tested rather than assumed.
Guided Play: A Solution to the Play Versus Learning Dichotomy

A fundamental question guiding early childhood education research is the ideological debate of how children learn. A dichotomy exists, suggesting that play and learning are mutually exclusive. Evolutionary perspectives can offer insight into how to best educate children and what the role of play might be. We consider the evolutionary perspectives of Peter Gray, who proposes that humans evolved to primarily learn from self-directed free play and exploration, and David Geary, who advocates using direct instruction to promote biologically secondary (i.e., non-evolved) skills. In this chapter, we embrace guided play, which is a type of playful learning that combines the benefits of free play with the value of direct instruction to promote academic, socio-emotional, and cognitive development. In guided play, an adult supports children’s learning through scaffolding techniques while still maintaining child-led direction. We discuss how guided play naturally incorporates four key pillars for effective learning. Specifically, we synthesize research demonstrating that humans learn best when: (1) they take an active role in the learning environment, (2) they are engaged, (3) information is meaningful, and (4) they interact in a social context. We conclude by suggesting possible avenues for future research on guided play.
Media Influences on Female Body Image

This article examines the proposition that mass media constitute a causal risk factor for negative body image. Seven types of research evidence are considered, including content analyses, media use, cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys of media exposure and self-reported media influences, laboratory experiments, and prevention. In conclusion, the content, use, and experience of mass media are best considered a variable risk factor that might later emerge as causal. Research on mediators and moderators of media effects, as well as implications for future research and for treatment of body image problems, is also discussed.
Three-Dimensional Modeling of Short Fiber-Reinforced Composites with Extended Finite-Element Method

AbstractThis manuscript presents a modeling approach based on the extended finite-element method (XFEM) for modeling the mechanical behavior of three-dimensional short fiber composites including interface debonding. Short fibers are incorporated into the XFEM framework as deformable elastic two-dimensional rectangular planar inclusions. Enrichment functions account for both the presence of axial deformable fibers within the composite domain and the progressive debonding along the fiber matrix interfaces. A modeling strategy is provided that is particularly suitable for failure analysis of composites with high-aspect-ratio inclusions, in which direct numerical analysis is computationally intractable. The performance of the proposed XFEM model is numerically assessed by comparing model predictions to the direct finite-element method.
Depolarization Studies in 14N(P,P)14N

Measurements of D(θ) for 14N(p,p)14N at an average proton lab energy of 16.15 MeV have been made for the complete angular range 30° to 150°. It has been emphasized1) that complete angular distributions for D(θ) should be measured because it is atback angles where σ(θ) is small that spin-spin interactions in the optical model (0M) potential are expected to have the largest effect on D(θ).
Social birds copy each other's lateral scans while monitoring group mates with low-acuity vision

Copying others can be used to enhance foraging and mating opportunities, but can be costly due to the need to monitor the actions of others, which can take time away from foraging and antipredator vigilance. However, little is known about the way animals monitor conspecifics. We investigated the mechanism that European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, use to visually monitor group mates in perching situations through two questions. First, do starlings copy the timing of each other's vigilance? Second, do they use their centres of acute vision to monitor group mates? We studied a component of vigilance that has received relatively little attention, lateral scans, which consist of changes in the orientation of the head (i.e. gaze shifting) while in a head-up position. We found that starlings copied the timing of their neighbour's scans, placing them closer together in time than expected by chance. This could enhance the speed of social information spread within a group compared to random timing of head movements. The strength of this copying effect varied with neighbour distance and the sex of the follower and leader, suggesting that starlings appear to be more motivated to copy some individuals over others. Additionally, instead of monitoring neighbours with their centres of acute vision (high-quality vision), starlings tended to use their retinal periphery (low-acuity vision), potentially reducing the costs of social monitoring. Copying the timing of lateral scans may have advantages for gathering social information (i.e. quick responses to movements of group mates in situations such as murmurations). However, it can also have costs in terms of delaying the detection of personal information by any group member (e.g. predator attack) due to longer gaps without changes in gaze orientation. Therefore, copying the timing of lateral scans may be restricted to specific contexts (e.g. low predation risk).
Dynamical Properties of Rigid Bodies

Fix a set of cartesian axes in space. Suppose a finite system of particles is distributed in space, the ith particle having mass m i and position r i . The center of mass of the system is defined to be the point \(\bar{r}\), where $$\bar{r}=\frac{\Sigma m_i r_i}{\Sigma m_i}$$ (425) and the summation is over all of the particles. Being defined vectorially, the center of mass is independent of the orientation of the axes in space; it also is easy to see that it is independent of the choice of origin.
Economic Restructuring and Children's Education: Lessons from China's State-Owned Enterprises Reform

China's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) reform in the mid-1990s has greatly changed the distribution of labor earnings and family incomes in urban areas. This paper studies the impact of the reform-induced family income changes on children's educational attainment. I approach this question by exploiting variations in children's exposure to the policy change and in the shock intensity across sectors where these children’s parents initially worked. The empirical results show that after the shock, the earning gap between SOEs and non-SOE public organizations (hereinafter referred to as non-SOEs) was enlarged, and that SOE children were less likely to attend high school and college, compared with their non-SOE peers. Using additional geographical variations in economic structure, I find evidence of a negative externality, i.e., the impact of the shock was magnified in cities with a higher percentage of SOE workers before the reform. Furthermore, SOE children whose parents have fewer siblings were even more adversely affected.
The Red Sea: In Search of Lost Space

Alexis Wick. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2016. xv and 259 pp., maps, photos, notes, bibliography, index. $34.95 paper (ISBN 9780520285927); $65.00 cloth (ISBN 9780520285910); $34....
Response of Secondary Systems to Short Duration Stochastic Input

Techniques have been developed for evaluating the mean-square response of systems to non-stationary loads. To gain insight into the response behavior, approximate expressions have been developed which show how the system properties are related to the mean-square response. The paper shows how these results can be extended to non-classically damped structures and primary-secondary systems. By using results of stationary analysis of primary-secondary systems, a simple result is obtained for the maximum response of secondary systems, which occur well after the peak of input.
Intraperitoneal Therapy for Ovarian Cancer Reconsidered

Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy is a preferred treatment option that should be offered to all women for front-line treatment of stage III optimally debulked ovarian cancer. Patients should be provided with information on the survival and toxicity for both IP and intravenous (IV) therapies, as well as practical information about the administration of each regimen, so that they may play an active role in the decision-making process. When making a decision between IP and IV therapeutic options, the experience and preference of the oncologist are critical factors in determining appropriate therapy for each woman.
Left Ventricular Dilation: When Pediatric Meet Adult Guidelines

Measuring and grading left ventricular (LV) size is essential for diagnostic, treatment, and prognostic purposes. Guidelines for quantifying LV size exist for pediatric and adult patients via M-mode measurements, but no data exist determining how well they agree with one another. The goal of this study was to determine the agreement between pediatric echocardiographic readers (PER), pediatric guidelines, and adult guidelines in assessing LV dilation. A retrospective review of all noncongenital echocardiograms from 9/2002 to 11/2015 that had a left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) >5.8 cm for males and >5.2 cm for females was performed. LV size was graded as normal (Z-score ≤ 2), mild (2 < Z-score ≤ 3), moderate (3 < Z-score ≤ 4), or severe (4 < Z-score) based on pediatric and adult guidelines. PER interpretation was also recorded. Agreement between LV size assessments was determined for these three interpretations. A total of 1489 echocardiograms met the inclusion criteria (654 males:835 females). Males were 19.0 ± 6.9 years old and had a BSA of 1.9 ± 0.3 m2, and LVEDD was 6.3 ± 0.5 cm. Females were 18.7 ± 8.3 years old and had a BSA of 1.8 ± 0.3 m2, and LVEDD was 5.7 ± 0.5 cm. There was a 63.91% agreement for males and an 81.8% agreement for females between PER and pediatric guidelines in assessing LV size. There was a 39.14% agreement for males and a 14.13% agreement for females between PER and adult guidelines in assessing LV size. There was a 41.44% agreement for males and a 14.49% agreement for females between adult and pediatric guidelines in assessing LV size. These agreement percentages did not change significantly when separating the population into greater than or less than 18 years of age cohorts. Pediatric echocardiographic readers were more consistent in following pediatric guidelines than adult guidelines in assessing LV size. The agreement for PER and pediatric guidelines was poor, especially for females, in relation to adult guidelines when assessing LV size. Further standardization and guidelines are needed for pediatric patients that are adult size.
The impact of stereotactic laser ablation at a typical epilepsy center

Abstract Purpose Stereotactic laser ablation (SLA) is a novel form of epilepsy surgery for patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. We evaluated one hundred consecutive surgeries performed for patients with epilepsy to address the impact of SLA on our therapeutic approach, as well as patient outcomes. Methods A retrospective, single center analysis of the last one hundred neurosurgeries for epilepsy was performed from 2013 to 2015. Demographics, surgical procedures, and postoperative measures were assessed up to 5 years to compare the effect of SLA on outcome. Confidence intervals (CI) and comparative tests of proportions compared outcomes for SLA and resective surgery. Procedural categorical comparison used Chi-square and Kaplan–Meier curves. Student t-test was utilized for single variables such as age at procedure and seizure onset. Results One hundred surgeries for epilepsy yielded thirty-three SLAs and twenty-one resections with a mean of 21.7-month and 21.3-month follow-up, respectively. The temporal lobe was the most common target for SLA (92.6%) and resection (75%). A discrete lesion was present on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 27/32 (84.4%) of SLA patients compared with 7/20 (35%) of resection patients with a normal MRI. Overall, 55–60% of patients became seizure-free (SF). Four of five patients with initial failure to SLA became SF with subsequent resection surgery. Complications were more frequent with resection although SF outcomes did not differ (Chi square; p = 0.79). Stereotactic laser ablation patients were older than those with resections (47.0 years vs. 35.4 years, p = 0.001). The mean length of hospitalization prior to discharge was shorter for SLA (1.18 days) compared with open resection (3.43 days; SD: 3.16 days) (p = 0.0002). Conclusion We now use SLA as a first line therapy at our center in patients with lesional temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) before resection. Seizure-free outcome with SLA and resection was similar but with a shorter length of stay. Long-term follow-up is recommended to determine sustained SF status from SLA.
Content is King, Leadership Lags: Effects of Prior Experience on Newcomer Retention and Productivity in Online Production Groups

Organizers of online groups often struggle to recruit members who can most effectively carry out the group's activities and remain part of the group over time. In a study of a sample of 30,000 new editors belonging to 1,054 English WikiProjects, we empirically examine the effects of generalized prior work-productivity experience (measured by overall prior article edits), prior leadership experience (measured by overall prior project edits), and localized prior work-productivity experience (measured by pre-joining article edits on a project) on early retention and productivity. We find that (1)generalized prior work-productivity experience is positively associated with retention, but negatively associated with productivity (2) prior leadership experience is negatively associated with both retention and productivity, and (3) localized prior work-productivity experience is positively associated with both retention and productivity within that focal project. We then discuss implications to inform the designs of early interventions aimed at group success.
Polarization-dependent metasurfaces for 2D/3D switchable displays

We proposed a 2D/3D switchable display design based on polarization-dependent metasurfaces. Metasurfaces are ultrathin planar optical devices patterned with subwavelength nanostructures. We design the metasurfaces such that they can simultaneously deflect right-hand circularly polarized (RCP) light to an angle and transmit left-hand circularly polarized (LCP) light to the normal direction. Combined with an active polarization rotator, the device can be switched between high resolution 2D display mode and multiview 3D display mode. Proof-of-principle metasurface designs are demonstrated. The far field radiation patterns in the 2D and 3D mode are simulated and analyzed. The effects of spectral bandwidth and beam directionality are also discussed. Compared with liquid crystal lenses, which is the key element in previous 2D/3D switchable displays, metasurfaces 1) deliver more precise phase profile control, thus less aberrations and higher image quality; 2) offer additional degrees of freedom in polarization manipulation; and 3) can be adapted to much smaller sizes.
The Tenacity of Memory: Art in the Aftermath of Atrocity

In this wide-ranging essay, Bernardi explores personal and artistic responses to state violence. Marking the limits of memory in witnessing the past, she argues for a complex understanding of memory as a mode of reclaiming the disappeared, as the foundation for consciousness building, and, when transmuted into material forms, as a means of witnessing. Bernardi conceptualizes artistic creation as fulfilling multiple roles in witnessing, and as an exchange that demands both speech and recognition. An artistic response to atrocity, she writes, demonstrates an important form of listening to testimonials of atrocity; in turn, that demonstration invites both members and observers into rituals of commemoration. Such rituals, she argues, can provide the foundation for rebuilding trust and understanding in communities that have been damaged by state violence.
Omnidirectional Sensing for Robot Control

Most of today’s mobile robots are equipped with some kind of omnidirectional camera. The advantages of such sensors in tasks like navigation, homing, appearance-based localization cannot be overlooked. In this paper, we address the basic questions of how to process omnidirectional signals, how to describe the intrinsic geometry of omnidirectional cameras with a single viewpoint, how to infer 3D motion, and how to place omnidirectional sensors efficiently to guarantee complete coverage.
Micro- and nanoparticle-based vaccines for hepatitis B.

The incredible success of vaccinations in contributing to public health is undeniable.In fact, vaccines are the most cost-effective public health tool for disease preventionbecause their cost is less than the combined costs of treatment, hospitalization, and time lossfrom work. However, despite the availability of vaccines, cost per dose is a factor limiting thesuccess of global vaccination campaigns, as are the limitations imposed by the need of deliveringmultiple vaccine doses. A number of approaches are being tested particularly for the deliveryof subunit vaccines, and in recent years, a number of groups have devoted their efforts todevelop nano/microparticles prepared from biodegradable and biocompatible polymers asvaccine delivery systems with the goal of inducing both humoral and cellular immune responses.Some important properties of biodegradable polymers are their documented safetyhistory, biocompatibility, and an ability to provide controlled time/rate of antigen release andpolymer degradation. The most extensively studied polymer used for encapsulating vaccineantigens is poly (lactide-co-glycolide acid) (PLGA). This chapter deals in brief with effortstargeting the use of PLGA micro-and nanoparticles for the delivery of hepatitis B surfaceantigen.
A model‐based systems engineering approach to critical infrastructure vulnerability assessment and decision analysis

Securing critical infrastructure against attack presents significant challenges. As new infrastructure is built and existing infrastructure is maintained, a method to assess the vulnerabilities and support decision makers in determining the best use of security resources is needed. In response to this need, this research develops a methodology for performing vulnerability assessment and decision analysis of critical infrastructure using model‐based systems engineering, an approach that has not been applied to this problem. The approach presented allows architects to link regulatory requirements, system architecture, subject matter expert opinion and attack vectors to a Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF)‐based model that allows decision makers to evaluate system vulnerability and determine alternatives to securing their systems based on their budget constraints. The decision analysis is done using an integer linear program that is integrated with DoDAF to provide solutions for how to allocate scarce security resources. Securing an electrical substation is used as an illustrative case study to demonstrate the methodology. The case study shows that the method presented here can be used to answer key questions, for example, what security resources should a decision maker invest in based on their budget constraints? Results show that the modeling and analysis approach provides a means to effectively evaluate the infrastructure vulnerability and presents a set of security alternatives for decision makers to choose from, based on their vulnerabilities and budget profile.
Wetland compensation and its impacts on β-diversity

The anthropogenic degradation of natural ecological communities can cause biodiversity loss in the form of biotic homogenization (i.e., reduced β-diversity). Biodiversity offsetting practices, such as compensatory wetland mitigation, may inadvertently cause biotic homogenization if they produce locally homogenous or regionally recurring communities. The fact that compensation wetlands often resemble degraded wetlands suggests that potential impacts to β-diversity are likely. Yet, it is unknown how high-quality, low-quality (degraded), and compensation wetlands compare in terms of β-diversity. We compared the β-diversity of high-quality, low-quality, and compensation wetlands at local and regional scales. β-diversity was quantified as the average distance to group centroids in multivariate space based on pairwise comparisons of community composition. The local spatial structure of β-diversity was assessed using species turnover across plots. Indicator species analysis was used to describe compositional differences potentially contributing to differences in β-diversity. Overall, the β-diversity of compensation sites did not differ from high-quality or low-quality natural wetlands. However, compensation wetlands had a high degree of internal turnover along the hydrological gradient, which culminated in homogenous zones in the wettest areas. Compared to high-quality wetlands, low-quality wetlands had significantly lower β-diversity at local scales, but significantly greater β-diversity at regional scales. Indicator species results showed that compensation wetlands were distinguished by low conservation value species typically found in old fields and waste areas. This analysis also indicated that the invasive grass Phalaris arundinacea was indicative of low-quality and compensation wetlands. This species is likely contributing to differing patterns of β-diversity between high-quality and low-quality wetlands. These results indicate that conclusions regarding β-diversity depend on scale and scope of analysis. Particularly, the unique architecture of compensation wetlands makes conclusions regarding within-site β-diversity dependent on the observer's position along the hydrological gradient. Additionally, while we conclude that compensation wetlands are not contributing to biotic homogenization at the regional scale, these wetlands are distinct from both high-quality and low-quality wetlands in their composition and structure. Therefore, assessments of the overall success of wetland mitigation programs should acknowledge the reality of these differences.
Persistent Organic Pollutants in Livers and Hg in Feathers of Neotropic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) from the Trinity River Watershed (Texas, USA).

The Trinity River (Texas, USA) has been historically known as a polluted river because of its proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and because of known discharges of sewage and agricultural irrigation waters to the river. Surprisingly, there are no studies regarding the presence of legacy contaminants in the river and their impacts to wildlife. The objectives of this study were to determine accumulation and potential impacts of persistent organic pollutants, such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), on Neotropic cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) nesting along the Trinity River. Adult and first-year cormorants were collected from two sites on the Trinity River Watershed during 2014 and 2015. Tissue sections from liver, spleen, kidneys, and gonads were used for histopathology analysis, and a portion of the liver was analyzed for OCPs, PCBs, and PBDEs. Breast feathers were analyzed for Hg. Surprisingly, all the contaminants were present at low concentrations, p,p′-DDE (2–724 ng/g ww), PCBs (28–851 ng/g ww), PBDEs (1–85 ng/g ww), Hg (1.9–3.4 µg/g dw), and below those that could be associated with adverse effects. Also, histological analysis of liver and kidney samples did not reveal morphologic changes consistent with acute or chronic toxicosis. The majority of the histologic changes were inflammatory and were related to parasitic infestation. Our results suggest that aquatic birds using the Trinity River watershed are not at risk for adverse effects due to the contaminants studied. These results should be useful to wildlife managers regarding concerns over contaminant impacts on wildlife of the Trinity River.
HIGH-SPEED, MULTIFUEL ENGINE: L9204 FMV

The L9204 FMV engine developed by Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg AG (M.A.N.) is an air-cooled, 4-cyl, in-line unit with remarkable multifuel capabilities. With a displacement of 162 in3, it is rated to produce 70 hp at 3800 rpm. The use of the FM combustion system, in addition to conferring multifuel ability, has made it possible also to achieve a high power/weight ratio. This paper presents details of the engine design and operating data, and results of endurance testing are given.
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is not necessary for the response to lithium in the forced swim test

Chronic lithium treatment stimulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis, but whether increased neurogenesis contributes to its therapeutic mechanism remains unclear. We use a genetic model of neural progenitor cell (NPC) ablation to test whether a lithium-sensitive behavior requires hippocampal neurogenesis. NPC-ablated mice were treated with lithium and assessed in the forced swim test (FST). Lithium reduced time immobile in the FST in NPC-ablated and control mice but had no effect on activity in the open field, a control for the locomotion-based FST. These findings show that hippocampal NPCs that proliferate in response to chronic lithium are not necessary for the behavioral response to lithium in the FST. We further show that 4-6 week old immature hippocampal neurons are not required for this response. These data suggest that increased hippocampal neurogenesis does not contribute to the response to lithium in the forced swim test and may not be an essential component of its therapeutic mechanism.
Existence and uniqueness of Cournot equilibrium for an oligopoly under linear and nonlinear demand: a channel model for one manufacturer-two retailers with substitutes

This paper considers the margin, price, and quantity decisions made by one manufacturer and two retailers in a two-echelon supply chain under Cournot competition. The manufacturer produces two types of substitutable products and sells one product to each retailer. The retailers carry one type of product, which is sold to the customer. The objective of this paper is to show existence and uniqueness of Cournot equilibrium for decisions made by one manufacturer and two retailers and to study the implications of these decisions through sensitivity analysis. This paper makes contributions to the literature in three ways. First, it extends on the literature by modeling an oligopoly of one manufacturer and two retailers selling differentiated products and acting in Cournot competition. Second, this paper demonstrates the sufficient conditions for existence and uniqueness of Cournot equilibrium in a two-echelon supply chain with linear and nonlinear demand. Third, this paper has three main findings: (1) the retailer with the lower price effect or lower price elasticity of demand has a higher margin, price, quantity demanded, and profit; (2) all players in the supply chain prefer to sell products with a high cross price effect or high cross price elasticity of demand; and (3) the manufacturer will always earn the most profit among the three members of the supply chain.
A Method to Quantify Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Lower Limb Isometric Joint Torques in Children with Hemiplegia *

Pediatric hemiplegia, caused by a unilateral brain injury during childhood, can lead to motor deficits such as weakness and abnormal joint torque coupling patterns which may result in a loss of independent joint control. It is hypothesized that these motor impairments are present in the paretic lower extremity, especially at the hip joint where extension may be abnormally coupled with adduction. Previous studies investigating lower extremity isometric joint torques in children with spastic cerebral palsy used tools that limited data collection to one degree of freedom, making it impossible to quantify these coupling patterns. We describe the adaptation of a multi-joint lower extremity isometric torque measurement device to allow for quantification of weakness and abnormal joint torque coupling patterns at the hip in the pediatric population. We also present preliminary data in three children without hemiplegia to highlight how the presence of atypical femoral bony geometry, often observed in childhood hemiplegia, can be accounted for in the Jacobian transformations and affect joint torque measurements at the hip.
Honeycomb Li2Ru1-xRhxO3 solid solution: Structure and electronic properties

Abstract Polycrystalline samples of a new solid solution Li2Ru1-xRhxO3 have been synthesized at 1000 °C in oxygen. Miscibility is found to exist for 0.4 ≤ x ≤ 1. X-ray and neutron diffraction analyses show that the whole series possesses a monoclinic layered structure belonging to the C2/m space group with lattice constants decreasing with increasing Rh content. For 0 x ≠ 0,1 . Seebeck measurements show all of the compositions to be p-type above 300 K. The resistivity, ρ ( T ) , is well fit by a power law, ρ ( T ) ∝ T − ν , where 4.7 ≤ ν ≤ 9 depending on the composition, as opposed to Arrhenius-type behavior. This provides support for an electronic density of states that varies with energy as a power law, as opposed to that found for semiconductors or systems exhibiting variable range hopping, where charge transport is dictated by energy gaps.
Model for asteroid regolith to guide simulant development

Abstract When creating asteroid regolith simulant, it is necessary to have a model of asteroid regolith to guide and to evaluate the simulant. We created a model through evaluation and synthesis of the available data sets including (1) the returned sample from Itokawa by the Hayabusa spacecraft, (2) imagery from the Hayabusa and NEAR spacecraft visiting Itokawa and Eros, respectively, (3) thermal infrared observations from asteroids, (4) the texture of meteorite regolith breccias, and (5) observations and modeling of the ejecta clouds from disrupted asteroids. Comparison of the Hayabusa returned sample with other data sets suggest the surficial material in the smooth regions of asteroids is dissimilar to the bulk regolith, probably due to removal of fines by photoionization and solar wind interaction or by preferential migration of mid-sized particles into the smooth terrain. We found deep challenges interpreting and applying the thermal infrared data so we were unable to use those observations in the model. Texture of regolith breccias do not agree with other data sets, suggesting the source regolith on Vesta was coarser than typical asteroid regolith. The observations of disrupted asteroids present a coherent picture of asteroid bulk regolith in collisional equilibrium, unlike lunar regolith, HED textures, and the Itokawa returned sample. The model we adopt consists of power laws for the bulk regolith in unspecified terrain (differential power index −3.5, representing equilibrium), and the surficial regolith in smooth terrain (differential power index −2.5, representing disequilibrium). Available data do not provide adequate constraints on maximum and minimum particle sizes for these power laws, so the model treats them as user-selectable parameters for the simulant.
Effect of high glucose condition on glucose metabolism in primary astrocytes.

Abstract In the brain, glucose enters astrocytes through glucose transporter (GLUT1) and either enters glycolysis or the glycogen shunt. Astrocytes meet the energy needs of neurons by building up and breaking down their glycogen supply. High glucose exposure causes astrocyte dysregulation, but its effects on glucose metabolism are relatively unknown. We hypothesized that high glucose conditioning induces a glycogenic state in the astrocyte, resulting in an inefficient mobilization of substrates when challenged with glucose deprivation. Using neonatal rat astrocytes, we used normal glucose (NG, 5.5 mM) vs. high glucose (HG, 25 mM) feeding media and measured cell membrane GLUT1 expression, glucose analog uptake, glycogen content, and cellular bioenergetics. This study demonstrates that HG conditioning causes increased glucose analog uptake (p
Discussion of “What Turns the Taxman On? Tax Aggressiveness, Financial Statement Audits, and Tax Return Adjustments in Small Private Companies”

In this discussion of [Ojala, H., Kinnunen, J., Niemi. L, Troberg, P. and Collis, J. (2019). What turns the taxman on? Tax aggressiveness, financial statement audits and tax return adjustments in s...
On the Cramer-Rao Bound for Sparse Linear Arrays

Using the stochastic Cramer-Rao bound for direction estimation we study the performance of nonuniformly spaced linear antenna arrays. We show that the estimation accuracy of such arrays depends primarily on the integrated SNR and the array aperture. It depends rather weakly on the exact layout of the antennas within the aperture. We also note that almost any nonuniform linear array is capable of estimating more signals than the number of antennas, but accuracy degrades quickly once the number of signals exceeds the number of antennas.
Dams mitigate the effect of rainfall shocks on Hindus-Muslims riots

Abstract Sarsons (2015) finds that, while agricultural income in India is less sensitive to rainfall in dam-fed districts, rainfall shocks have a larger (or equally large) effect on religious riots between Muslims and Hindus in dam-fed districts than in rain-fed districts. This is inconsistent with agricultural income being the sole channel through which rainfall affects religious conflict in India. In this comment, we show that this result originates from the use of state-specific time trends and interaction models. Once we replace state-specific time trends with state-year fixed effects (in slit sample regressions) and allow state-year fixed effects to be different between rain-fed and dam-fed districts (in interaction models), we find that while (fractional) rainfall shocks affect agricultural production and religious violence in rain-fed districts, they have no effect on agricultural production and religious violence in dam-fed districts. In other words, dams fully mitigate the effect of rainfall shocks on agricultural output and religious violence in the Indian context.
アフリカイネ(Oryza glaberrima Steud.)・アジアイネ(O. sativa L.)種間交雑後代のブラベンダービスコグラム特性

WARDAでは100%の稔性を持つアフリカイネとアジアイネとの種間交雑後代が育成され,現在西アフリカ地域の農民への普及のため品質特性の解明が求められている.本研究では,種間交雑後代のアミロース含量やブラベンダービスコグラム粘度特性についてアフリカイネ,西アフリカで栽培されているアジアイネと比較検討した.また粘度特性やアミロース含量における両親の種間交雑後代に対する影響や粘度特性に及ぼす蛋白質含量やアミロース含量の影響等についての検討も行った.結果の概略は以下のとおりである. (1) アフリカイネのアミロース含量はアジアイネに比べ高くその分布も非常に狭い範囲に限られた.一方,種間交雑後代では,平均値でアフリカイネより1.4%減少したに過ぎないが,両親よりはるかに広い範囲に分布していた.分布は特に低い含量の方に広がり15%台に達した.また,ブラベンダービスコグラムの粘度特性は,アミロース含量の場合よりさらに米質の軟らかい方向へ変異していた. (2) 種間交雑後代のアミロース含量およびブラベンダービスコグラム粘度特性には乾季作と雨季作の間で高い相関が見られ,種間交雑後代は,作季が異なっても安定した粘度特性を示すことが認められた. (3) 3種のイネを込みにして,数量化分析-Iにより解析したところ,アミロース含量は,ブラベンダービスコグラムの各粘度特性に対し蛋白質含量の影響をはるかに凌ぐ支配的な影響を与えていた.また,アフリカイネは粘度特性を硬く,種間交雑後代は逆に粘度特性をやや軟らかくする要因を持つことが示された.粘度特性に与えるこうしたイネ種の影響は,アミロース含量より小さかったが,蛋白質含量を上回った. (4) 蛋白質含量は種間交雑後代の各粘度特性にわずかな影響をあたえたに過ぎず,また,種間交雑後代における粘度特性の変異幅は広かったことから,既存の種間交雑後代の中から,西アフリカ地域で一般に受け入れられる中程度の硬さをもつ,高蛋白質の系統を選ぶことは十分可能であると考えられた.
STUDIES OF METAL-WATER REACTIONS BY THE EXPLODING WIRE TECHNIQUE*

The exploding wire technique was used as a method of studying chemical reactions between molten metals and water. Research was directed toward heating a maximum quantity of metal to an accurately known temperature in a range of interest in chemical studies. Two methods of measuring the energy imparted to a specimen wire by discharging condensers were developed. Both methods involved the use of short lengths of constantan wire in the discharge circuit. Small thermocouples, attached to the constantan wires, provided a direct measure of the “action integral.” Suitable calibration procedures made it possible to calculate specimen wire temperature to within 100°C. The estimate of accuracy was proved by (1) the correlation between calculated temperature and indications of melting for two sizes of zirconium, uranium, and platinum wires, and (2) the reproducibility of the observed extent of metal—water reaction.
H2O clouds: issues, challenges and solutions

Home-to-home online (H2O) devices use their wireless communication to complement existing wired infrastructure such as Internet and provide data services to individual households. Those within the same radio range form an ad-hoc network of peers that collaborate to increase availability of data. This data might range from educational and entertainment content to personal libraries uploaded by each household. This paper describes the H2O framework and challenges posed by its design. It provides a summary of our in-progress work to date and outlines future research directions.
Prenatal cocaine exposure initiates the release of TIMP-1 and MMP-9 in primary neuronal and glial cell cultures (651.21)

Drug addiction is a complex phenomenon that is mediated by biochemical events sequential to repeated exposure to a drug. The mechanisms underlying drug addiction include processes similar to those ...
Fuzzy approaches to driven Kalman filtering for small robot localization

Recent robotics research has focused heavily on small robots - those that can be hand-carried or palmtop models. However, most recent research in robot localization has focused on highly computationally expensive algorithms, like various particle filter based approaches, that are inappropriate for these small platforms. This paper discusses a set of fuzzy controlled Kalman filters - fuzzy extended Kalman filter (FEKF) and a double fuzzy sigma-point Kalman filter (DFSPKF) - and compares them to traditional EKF and SPKF filters in a simulated environment. All of these filters are especially appropriate for small robots with uncertain sensors and limited computation capacity. Given a fast fuzzy logic controller, the Fuzzy EKF performs almost as well as the SPKF in the simulated environment, and the DFSPKF shows promise to create a robust and low-complexity localization scheme.
Outcome comparison of African-American and Caucasian patients with severe aortic stenosis subjected to transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a single-center experience.

Objective This study aimed to report the outcomes of African Americans (AAs) in the US undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for severe aortic stenosis (AS). Background Compared to Caucasians, AAs are reported to have poorer outcomes from most cardiovascular diseases, including high complication rates after surgical aortic valve replacement. The outcomes of AAs undergoing TAVR are not well established. Methods Consecutive patients who underwent TAVR were included in this analysis. Patients' baseline characteristics, procedural data, in-hospital- and long-term outcomes were recorded and a comparison was performed between the AA and Caucasian cohorts. Results In a cohort of 469 consecutive patients, 51 (10.8%) were AA and 345 (74.5%) were Caucasian. The remaining patients (n = 73; 15.3%) self-reported their race as “unknown” or were from other races. Most baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups except for less men (33.3 vs. 50.1%; P = 0.016), a lower mean left ventricular ejection fraction (48.85 ± 16.35 vs. 53.24 ± 13.41%; P = 0.04) and lower rates of atrial fibrillation in AAs (15.7 vs.45.4%; P < 0.001). TAVR procedures in AAs were less frequently performed as part of a clinical trial (60.8 vs. 76.8%; P = 0.014). Most procedural and periprocedural outcome parameters were similar save for a higher rate of hemodynamic instability and postoperative need for intubation in AAs (10.4 vs. 2.5%; P = 0.018 and 29.4 vs. 16.9%; P = 0.03, respectively). This did not translate into a difference in mortality between AAs and Caucasians (30-day mortality 9.8 vs. 9.9%; P = 0.99; 1-year mortality 19.6 vs. 24.3%; P = 0.458, respectively). Conclusion Unlike with other cardiovascular interventions, this study demonstrates that AA patients referred for TAVR shared similar risks and outcomes when compared to a Caucasian population. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Young Children's Competency to Take the Oath

Despite liberalization of the rules of evidence, children must still understand the difference between truth and falsehood, appreciate the obligation to tell the truth, and take some form of the oath before they are allowed to testify. The legal requirements raise three questions: (a) How should children's understanding be assessed? (b) What form of the oath should be used? and (c) Does understanding and/or oath-taking correlate with honesty? I review the research on these issues and present data from a series of studies involving maltreated and non-maltreated children. The research demonstrates that conventional methods of assessing children's understanding are prone to serious error and that young children may have difficulty understanding even simplified versions of the oath. I recommend more sensitive measures for qualifying children and a child-friendly version of the oath. I also review research testing the relation among oath-taking competence, oath-taking, and honesty, and present data from two studies demonstrating that the oath can affect children's honesty.
Novel superquadric aperture boundaries for reflector antennas

Important geometrical characteristics of the superquadric apertures including a closed-form expression for the area are presented. Applying appropriate parameterization, one can partition the superquadric aperture into subregions that exactly match the superquadric boundary. This property facilitates accurate diffraction analysis of rounded rectangular reflectors. Representative results of physical optics analysis for superquadric reflector antennas are presented, and key features of the radiation pattern are summarized. >
Analysis of electrical aging effects of insulating tools for EHV live working

The recent explosion accidents of rigid insulating tools for EHV live workings are introduced and long-term electrical aging experiments of 500 kV insulating tools are carried out. Based on these results, the electrical aging breakdown model of long insulating tools under high electric fields is researched and new concepts of effective insulation length and safe use time of insulating tools for live working are also proposed. >
Ruthenium catalysts for water oxidation involving tetradentate polypyridine-type ligands

A series of RuII complexes that behave as water oxidation catalysts were prepared involving a tetradentate equatorial ligand and two 4-substituted pyridines as the axial ligands. Two of these complexes were derived from 2,9-di-(pyrid-2′-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline (dpp) and examine the effect of incorporating electron-donating amino and bulky t-butyl groups on catalytic activity. A third complex replaced the two distal pyridines with N-methylimidazoles that are more electron-donating than the pyridines of dpp and potentially stabilize higher oxidation states of the metal. The tetradentate ligand 2-(pyrid-2′-yl)-6-(1′′,10′′-phenanthrol-2′′-yl)pyridine (bpy–phen), possessing a bonding cavity similar to dpp, was also prepared. The RuII complex of this ligand does not have two rotatable pyridines in the equatorial plane and thus shows different flexibility from the [Ru(dpp)] complexes. All the complexes showed activity towards water oxidation. Investigation of their catalytic behavior and electrochemical properties suggests that they may follow the same catalytic pathway as the prototype [Ru(dpp)pic2]2+ involving a seven-coordinated [RuIV(O)] intermediate. The influence of coordination geometry on catalytic performance is analyzed and discussed.
A combined magnetophoresis/dielectrophoresis based microbead array as high-throughput biomolecular tweezers

In this paper we describe a combined magnetophoresis (MAP) and dielectrophoresis (DEP) based platform for high throughput characterization of specific biomolecular interactions. The magnetic manipulation enables parallel loading of individual magnetic beads onto a magnetic pad array, while the combination of tightly controlled opposing magnetic and dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces is employed to produce characteristic out-of-plane (z-axial) bead displacement. We optimized design parameters to evenly load 2.8 μm biomolecule functionalized paramagnetic beads onto magnetic pads, and demonstrate the ability of our tweezers to discriminate between specific antibody-antigen bond from non-specific bond formed between bead and pad surface.
Bonhoeffer and King: Christ the Moral Arc

Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King Jr represent an uncommon resistance to injustice in their historical contexts, advocating justice and compassion in defiance of contemporary laws and cultural norms. How did they get it right in their contexts, and what do we gain from them in order to be justice advocates in our day?
In-situ imaging of creep cavities by synchrotron microradiography

The long term, high temperature failure mechanism for most polycrystalline metals and ceramics is creep cavitation. Small voids or cavities have been observed to nucleate and grow on stressed grain boundaries. Eventually, so many of the boundaries are covered by cavities that fracture occurs. Many theories have been proposed to predict the details of cavity nucleation and growth and this is still an area of current theoretical interest. Experiments designed to evaluate these theories have mainly compared predicted times-to-fracture with those observed in traditional polycrystalline creep specimens. One interesting approach compared the density change in specimens from interrupted tests with that predicted from theory. There have often been large discrepancies among the various theories and the above observations. More recently cryogenic fracturing followed by scanning electron microscopy, small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and quantitative metallographic image analysis coupled with appropriate stereology have been used to follow the size distribution development in time. There are more direct means of evaluating the theories of cavity nucleation and growth than comparison with time-to-fracture. Most of the experiments have been performed on polycrystals while the theories can most readily be applied to a single boundary. The stress acting on a particular grain boundary inmore » a polycrystal is, in general, not known due to grain boundary sliding and load shedding. To address this problem, copper bicrysatl experiments have been performed in the presented research. While this approach permits evaluation of the stress dependence of the times-to-fracture, it has now proven to be easy to study the cavity growth rate or spacial distribution on the boundary. The authors have now overcome this drawback by imaging individual cavities in-situ using monochromatic synchrotron radiation (SR) microradiography.« less