cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three‐dimensional Born inversion with an arbitrary reference

Recent work of G. Beylkin helped set the stage for very general seismic inversions. We have combined these broad concepts for inversion with classical high-frequency asymptotics and perturbation methods to bring them closer to practically implementable algorithms. Applications include inversion schemes for both stacked and unstacked seismic data. Basic assumptions are that the data have relative true amplitude, and that a reasonably accurate background velocity c ( x, y, z ) is available. The perturbation from this background is then sought. Since high-frequency approximations are used throughout, the resulting algorithms essentially locate discontinuities in velocity. An expression for a full 3-D velocity inversion can be derived for a general data surface. In this degree of generality the formula does not represent a computationally feasible algorithm, primarily because a key Jacobian determinant is not expressed in practical terms. In several important cases, however, this shortcoming can be overcome and expressions can be obtained that lead to feasible computing schemes. Zero-offsets, common-sources, and common-receivers are examples of such cases. Implementation of the final algorithms involves, first, processing the data by applying the FFT, making an amplitude adjustment and filtering, and applying an inverse FFT. Then, for each output point, a summation is performed over that portion of the processed data influencing the output point. This last summation involves an amplitude and traveltime along connecting rays. The resulting algorithms are computationally competitive with analogous migration schemes.
Prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers: What works? What doesn’t?

Although no gold standard for preventing or treating pressure ulcers has been established, data from clinical trials indicate specific efforts are worthwhile. Preventive strategies include recognizing risk, decreasing the effects of pressure, assessing nutritional status, avoiding excessive bed rest, and preserving the integrity of the skin. Treatment principles include assessing the severity of the wound; reducing pressure, friction, and shear forces; optimizing wound care; removing necrotic debris; managing bacterial contamination; and correcting nutritional deficits.
THE EFFECTS OF MATRIX STRUCTURE ON MOVEMENT DECISIONS OF MEADOW VOLES (MICROTUS PENNSYLVANICUS)

Abstract The composition of the landscape between patches (the matrix) can have important effects on movement rates that potentially outweigh the effects of patch size and isolation. We conducted a small-scale experiment with radiocollared meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) to quantify the effects of matrix habitat on movement behavior of voles. Habitat patches were created within an enclosure and connected by pathways of different vegetation heights designed to represent different levels of predation risk to the voles. Voles were fitted with radiocollars and tracked 4 times daily for 1–3 weeks. We quantified the probability that a vole would transition through a particular matrix type (i.e., cross a habitat edge) and estimated transition probabilities using multinomial random effects models. These methods along with permutation tests were used to test whether the transition probabilities of voles could be modeled by assuming common movement rules such as “random,” “static choice” when all voles alway...
Agent-based analysis and simulation of the consumer airline market share for Frontier Airlines

The complex and interconnected world in which organizations operate presents many challenges to the traditional neo-classical view of research and management and associated research techniques. Fundamental to the operation of financial capital markets, investor confidence relies on accurate investment analyst earnings forecasts. We propose agent-based modeling (ABM) as a viable tool to account for the interaction of local and environmental factors to determine organizational success. In an illustrative case study of Frontier Airlines, we develop and execute an ABM of Frontier's consumer airline market to derive market share for the upcoming year. In the model, Frontier is impacted by internal policies, competitors, and environmental factors of fuel costs, federal regulation, and credit availability. We conclude with a discussion on how ABM can be effectively incorporated into future research activities and decision-making situations.
Reducing "Structure from Motion": a general framework for dynamic vision. 1. Modeling

The literature on recursive estimation of structure and motion from monocular image sequences comprises a large number of apparently unrelated models and estimation techniques. We propose a framework that allows us to derive and compare all models by following the idea of dynamical system reduction. The "natural" dynamic model, derived from the rigidity constraint and the projection model, is first reduced by explicitly decoupling structure (depth) from motion. Then, implicit decoupling techniques are explored, which consist of imposing that some function of the unknown parameters is held constant. By appropriately choosing such a function, not only can we account for models seen so far in the literature, but we can also derive novel ones.
The Effect of Feather Meal on Carcass Composition and Fat Pad Cellularity in Broilers: Influence of the Calorie:Protein Ratio of the Diet

Abstract An experiment with a factorial arrangement of treatments was designed to study the effects of feather meal (FM) and the calorie:protein ratio (C:P) of the finisher diet on growth, carcass composition, and the cellular characteristics of the abdominal fat pad in broiler chickens. Four finisher diets were formulated to contain either 0 or 6% FM in combination with C:P of 161 and 186. The diets were available for ad libitum consumption from 35 to 49 days of age. Growth was unaffected by dietary FM at C:P 161 but was reduced at C:P 186, thus indicating a metabolic interaction between the FM and C:P and growth. The FM and C:P 186 each increased carcass yield significantly. Abdominal fat pad weight was not affected by the dietary treatments. Carcass analysis revealed a significant interaction between dietary FM and C:P and carcass weight, protein, and fat. The interaction was manifested as an increase in carcass weight and protein when FM was fed at C:P 161 but a decrease at C:P 186. The change in carcass fat was opposite that of protein at each C:P level. Liver fatty acid synthetase activity was depressed by the feeding of FM. Fat cell number and mean fat cell size were unaffected by either FM feeding or C:P level. These data suggest that dietary FM improves carcass yield and carcass composition, but that the response to dietary FM is influenced by the C:P ratio of the diet.
Genotype, Feeding Regimen, and Diet Interactions in Meat Chickens.1. Growth, Organ Size, and Feed Utilization

Allomorphic growth of organs and feed utilization were measured in cockerels from two meat lines known to differ in growth potential under alternate-day and daily feeding of diets differing in nutrient density. The faster growing line consumed more feed and utilized feed more efficiently than the slower growing line. Relative weights of heart and all segments of the gastrointestinal tract except the esophagus were smaller in the faster than in the slower growing line whereas breast, thigh, and drumstick were greater for the faster than the slower growing line. These patterns existed regardless of diet. In contrast, line by feeding regimen interactions were noted for most traits; the faster growing line was influenced more by restricted feeding than the slower growing line. Thus, the practice of selecting individuals in a restricted-feeding environment when commercial stocks have feed available to them at all times may be faulty. Although the alternate-day feeding regimen improved feed efficiency, results indicated that full benefit of feed restriction would be realized by feeding a diet higher in nutrient density.
Brain Areas Active during Visual Perception of Biological Motion

Theories of vision posit that form and motion are represented by neural mechanisms segregated into functionally and anatomically distinct pathways. Using point-light animations of biological motion, we examine the extent to which form and motion pathways are mutually involved in perceiving figures depicted by the spatio-temporal integration of local motion components. Previous work discloses that viewing biological motion selectively activates a region on the posterior superior temporal sulcus (STSp). Here we report that the occipital and fusiform face areas (OFA and FFA) also contain neural signals capable of differentiating biological from nonbiological motion. EBA and LOC, although involved in perception of human form, do not contain neural signals selective for biological motion. Our results suggest that a network of distributed neural areas in the form and motion pathways underlie the perception of biological motion.
Transformation of Japan’s Civil Society Landscape

Japan's civil society is being transformed as more people volunteer for advocacy and professional nonprofit organizations. In the US context, this trend has been accompanied by a decline in participation in traditional organizations. Does the rise in new types of nonprofit groups herald a decline of traditional volunteering in Japan? This article argues that while changes in civil rights, political opportunity structure, and technology have also taken place in Japan, they have contributed to the rise of new groups without causing traditional organizations to decline, because Japanese attitudes about civic responsibility have continued to support traditional volunteering.
The Gender Wage Gap in the United States and Cross Nationally

Scholarship in sociology and economics has long explored the gender wage gap. Recent research suggests that these inequalities are indicative of important differences not only between men and women, but among women and men, reflecting rising levels of income inequality among workers in the post-industrial era. We argue that the most interesting debates in the gender wage gap – those exploring differences among subgroups by class, race, and/or parenthood status (such as the motherhood wage penalty), as well as those considering differences across countries – can bring new insights to the study of wage inequality, as well as to understandings of what drives gendered wage inequality.
Separating Fact From Fiction: An Examination of Deceptive Self-Presentation in Online Dating Profiles

This study examines self-presentation in online dating profiles using a novel cross-validation technique for establishing accuracy. Eighty online daters rated the accuracy of their online self-presentation. Information about participants' physical attributes was then collected (height, weight, and age) and compared with their online profile, revealing that deviations tended to be ubiquitous but small in magnitude. Men lied more about their height, and women lied more about their weight, with participants farther from the mean lying more. Participants' self-ratings of accuracy were significantly correlated with observed accuracy, suggesting that inaccuracies were intentional rather than self-deceptive. Overall, participants reported being the least accurate about their photographs and the most accurate about their relationship information. Deception patterns suggest that participants strategically balanced the deceptive opportunities presented by online self-presentation (e.g., the editability of profiles) with the social constraints of establishing romantic relationships (e.g., the anticipation of future interaction).
Androgen receptors in muscle fibers induce rapid loss of force but not mass: Implications for spinal bulbar muscular atrophy

Introduction Testosterone (T) induces motor dysfunction in transgenic (Tg) mice that overexpress wild-type androgen receptor (AR) in skeletal muscles. Because many genes implicated in motor neuron disease are expressed in skeletal muscle, mutant proteins may act in muscle to cause dysfunction in motor neuron disease. Methods We examined contractile properties of the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus (SOL) muscles in vitro after 5 and 3 days of T treatment in motor-impaired Tg female mice. Results Both muscles showed deficits in tetanic force after 5 days of T treatment, without losses in muscle mass, protein content, or fiber number. After 3 days of T treatment, only SOL showed a deficit in tetanic force comparable to that of 5 days of treatment. In both treatments, EDL showed slowed twitch kinetics, whereas SOL showed deficits in the twitch/tetanus ratio. Conclusions These results suggest calcium-handling mechanisms in muscle fibers are defective in motor-impaired mice. Muscle Nerve 47: 823–834, 2013
Determining if Distance Education Is the Right Choice: Applied Strategic Thinking in Education.

SUMMARY. Making decisions about which technologies, if any, are appropriate for your classroom or educational institution has never been easy. These difficult decisions are, however, increasing in their complexity as new technologies continually enter the marketplace, expectations of parents and students rise for more technology in the classroom, budget constraints require institutions to do more with less, and the benefits of distance education place mounting pressures on educators to provide resources beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom. So how do you as an educational leader make the challenging decisions related to distance education and other technologies in your school? This article provides a framework for results-focused decision making that can help you make complicated choices in even the most challenging of circumstances. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]
How good is capsule endoscopy for detection of periampullary lesions? Results of a tertiary-referral center.

Background Ampullary adenomas are increasingly being recognized, particularly in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. A capsule endoscopy (CE) is routinely recommended for surveillance of small-intestinal polyposis. Performance characteristics of CE for the detection of periampullary lesions are unclear. Objective To evaluate the ability of CE to detect the major duodenal papilla. Design and Patients A total of 146 consecutive CE studies were reviewed by 2 CE gastroenterologists at 5 frames per second. Primary outcome was visualization of the major duodenal papilla. Discrepancies were reviewed by 5 CE gastroenterologists. Setting A tertiary-referral center. Main Outcome Measurements The ability of CE to detect the duodenal papilla. Results Among 146 consecutive CE studies, 21 were excluded: capsule retention (3), patient age Limitation Papilla position was not verified by an EGD. Conclusions CE has limited sensitivity to visualize the major papilla and lesions in the periampullary small intestine. Nondiagnostic CE studies must not be relied upon as proof that small-bowel lesions do not exist. Consideration should be given for an enteroscopy or side-viewing duodenoscopy in cases where significant clinical concern exists for unrecognized periampullary lesions. The current recommendations about surveillance for small-bowel polyposis should be revised.
Compact 10 GHz loopback arrayed-waveguide grating for high-fidelity optical arbitrary waveform generation

We demonstrate a high-performance optical arbitrary waveform shaper based on a single 10 GHz arrayed-waveguide grating with 64 loopback waveguides and integrated amplitude and phase modulators on each waveguide. The design is compact and self-aligning and allows for bidirectional operation. The device's complex transfer function is manipulated and measured over the full 640 GHz passband. To demonstrate optical arbitrary waveform shaping, high-fidelity 15-line shaped waveforms are measured with cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating.
Joint cross-layer design for wireless QoS video delivery

In this paper, we propose "cross layer" design, such as swift-OFDM, low-latency packet-awareness coder and adaptive noise filtering design for wireless multimedia delivery. Unlike the conventional error correction code, we take the bursty nature of wireless Internet into our coder design consideration. Furthermore, we adoptively filter out noise based on image content so that we can reduce noise for least visual distortion. The experiment results show that the proposed design results in better video quality.
« Ethnographie, littérature et art dans l'oeuvre d'Anne Eisner (Putnam) : donner sens à la vie coloniale dans la forêt d'Ituri »

Le present article examine la transformation de l’ethnologie et de l’interpretation dans les travaux de l’anthropologue Colin Turnbull et de la peintre Anne Eisner (Putnam). Cette derniere, qui a vecu a la lisiere de la foret d’Ituri, dans l’ancien Congo belge (Republique democratique du Congo ou RDC) durant les annees 1940 et 1950, puis a nouveau en 1957-58, a transcrit deux cents legendes des Pygmees Mbuti ; l’utilisation (et, comme nous le verrons ici, la transformation) qu’a faite Colin Turnbull de certaines de ces transcriptions laisse entrevoir une vision du monde faite d’oppositions : Pygmees Mbuti-Villageois Bira, foret-village, bonne mere-mauvaise mere. L’oeuvre d’Anne Eisner devoile davantage des ponts et des intersections plutot qu’elle ne polarise l’inclusion et l’exclusion soulignees par Turnbull. Les toiles d’Eisner laissent transparaitre le regard nuance que l’artiste pose sur la societe d’Epulu, qui s’explique par son statut de mere parmi d’autres, de femme, d’Occidentale et de peintre. Il y va du dialogue entre l’etranger et le familier qui genere des interpretations differentes et par la brouille souvent la distinction nette entre les donnees observees et les transformations auxquelles donnent lieu l’ecriture ou l’art.
“Mise en Fiction du Monde” Les Lieux de Mémoire and New Orleans

The recent urban trauma in New Orleans has given rise to a series of questions on how to rebuild the city. Absent from the discussion has been an analysis of the collective memory of New Orleans and the mnemonic tropes that might be used in its reconstruction.
ET – phone the pain clinic

Recent findings by Khodorova et al. demonstrate that the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 plays an important role in certain nociceptive behaviors in an animal model of pain, through activation of sensory neurons. Endothelin-1 might also have the unexpected capacity to release an opioid from surrounding keratinocytes and thereby inhibit the pain response. Such results suggest that, in the periphery, there are important interactions between sensory nerve terminals and surrounding cells, and that glia and keratinocytes could modulate the perception of environmental stimuli to a greater extent than previously considered.
Robust adaptive control of multiple robots in cooperative motion using sigma modification

The problem of multiple robots manipulating a rigid object cooperatively is addressed. An adaptive controller based on Lyapunov's second method is proposed. This controller takes into account the dynamics of both the object and the manipulators. The controller does not require feedback of joint accelerations and inversion of inertia or Jacobian matrices. The global stability, in the sense of Lyapunov, of the overall system is shown. The effects of bounded disturbances the multirobot system are also considered. An adaptive control law which guarantees the convergence of the tracking error to a bounded set is proposed. The size of the set is shown to depend on the be bounds of the disturbances. >
Accuracy of the Electronic Health Record: Patient Height

BACKGROUND: Protective lung ventilation requires calculating predicted body weight (BW) from height. Thus, inaccuracy of height data in the electronic health record (EHR) is a risk factor for ventilator-induced lung injury. Charted height data often have uncertain accuracy. Study purposes were (1) to evaluate the difference between patient height charted in the EHR and predicted height (PH) from ulnar length and (2) to determine how the height data source affects predicted BW and the resulting values for protective tidal volume (VT). METHODS: Subject height data from the EHR were collected from several ICUs. Simultaneous ulnar data were collected by measuring ulnar length (cm): male PH (cm) = 79.2 ± 3.60 × ulnar length; female PH = 95.6 ± 2.77 × ulnar length. For each subject, BW (kg) was calculated from height charted in EHR and from predicted height: male BW = 50 ± 0.91 × (height − 152.4); female BW = 45.5 ± 0.91 × (height − 152.4). Then VT was calculated as 8 mL/kg BW. Bland-Altman analysis of height and VT differences (charted − predicted) determined the limits of agreement. RESULTS: For white males (n = 27) the mean (SD) height from EHR was 177 (7.5); predicted height was 178 (6.9). The limits of agreement for height in males were −18.5 and 17.8 cm. The limits of agreement for females were −23.1 and 21.3 cm. The limits of agreement for VT in males were −1.8 and 1.8 mL/kg. The limits of agreement for VT in females were −3.0 and 2.9 mL/kg. CONCLUSIONS: For overall populations, mean height calculated from values charted in the EHR is similar to that estimated from ulnar length. However, for individuals, differences in height between the 2 sources can be large, leading to large differences in predicted BW and resultant VT set in terms of mL/kg.
Neurotrophin-3 inhibits HCO-3 absorption via a cAMP-dependent pathway in renal thick ascending limb

Neurotrophins are expressed in the adult kidney, but their significance is unclear. We showed previously that nerve growth factor (NGF) inhibits HCO 3 − absorption in the rat medullary thick ascend...
Avoid Losing a Daubert Challenge: Some Best Practices

Accountants often provide litigation services with respect to potential and pending judicial and regulatory disputes. They may be retained as consultants, summary witnesses, expert witnesses, or special masters. While engaged in litigation services, there are many ways for an expert witness to be excluded from the courtroom. Both simple and complex Daubert accounting challenges are becoming frequent as tort costs climb and court suits multiply. Accountants must take the qualification process seriously in order to avoid adversely affecting clients and their personal reputation. Lack of independence, conflicts of interest, side-taking, and result-oriented work are some of the situations to avoid.
The importance of surgical margins in retroperitoneal sarcoma

Surgery is the "gold-standard" treatment for retroperitoneal sarcomas, but local recurrence is common, and can cause disease-related death. Complete gross resection is associated with improved survival, but debate exists as to whether resection of adjacent organs to improve margins or prescription of neoadjuvant radiation leads to better outcomes. This review summarizes data addressing prognostic value of margin, extent of surgery necessary to optimize treatment of retroperitoneal sarcomas, and role of histology in optimizing therapy.
Managerial Accounting Research: Relevance Versus Elegance?

This paper examines the impact of the Ford Foundation's business school reform efforts in the 1950s and the early 1960s on the nature of managerial accounting research. I find a significant change in the literature along the line suggested by the reformers. The business school reformers expected the initial effects of the reform movement to be limited to a few select universities however my results indicate the initial effects were more widespread than they expected. The results provide a historical perspective on recent criticisms of managerial accounting research. By increasing academic respectability managerial accounting researchers may have increased the gap between research and practice while closing the gap between business school academics and their colleagues in other academic disciplines.
Re-Facing American Urban Policy

This essay evaluates future directions in American urban policy in the 21st century. It builds on the idea that American urban policy has two political faces, a Social and a Developmental face. Each follows a different political logic and are projections of powerful interests playing different political games. This distinction makes it possible to identify different obstacles to equality within specific policy boundaries. Accordingly, the Social and Developmental faces must be re-shaped in quite different ways for more equitable policies to emerge. In general, however, reforms will hinge enormously changes at the national governmental level in order to effectively confront major barriers to equity. Re-making social policy depends upon creating broad interest coalitions that can succeed in promoting redistributive programs. This counsels continued movement away from targeted and place oriented federal social intervention in favor of expanding individual and universalistic welfare approaches. Re-making the Developmental face requires challenging devolutionary federal policies that encourage and support local economic rivalries that favor growth for its own sake while neglecting more balanced and inclusionary forms of community development. Policies that chip away at the pillars of this urban system include fiscal reforms, such as general revenue sharing, greater federal responsibility in local government borrowing, tax reforms, national regulatory action to discourage supply-side subsidies to capture business investment, and other policy changes. Ironically, all this implies an end to explicit national urban programs in favor of reforms that focus on changing the inter-governmental environment of urban politics and policy.
Capturing Islet Stem Cells for a Bio-Artificial Pancreas

Encapsulation cell therapy, allows for embryonic pancreatic islet cells to differentiate into functional alpha, beta, and delta cells, mimicking the normal composition of the islets (“bio-artificial endocrine pancreas”) would be ideal for the treatment of diabetes. The use of immunosuppressive medications in allo-islet or pancreatic transplant has been associated with increased infections and malignancy. The goal of encapsulation technology is to safely protect the transplanted islets from both allo-rejection and autoimmunity without immunosuppression. The device prevents rejection by encapsulating the progenitor cells in a semi-permeable membrane that allows smaller molecules, such as oxygen, insulin, glucose and albumin to freely pass through the membrane. At the same time, the membrane prevents larger molecules, such as immune cells and antibodies, from entering the capsule, thereby preventing rejection of the differentiating and developing islet cells. The advent of encapsulation products that could cure Type 1 diabetes raises many questions. A few of those questions on the encapsulation cell therapy are reviewed in this article.
Numerical modeling of turbulence and its effect on ocean current turbines

Abstract An approach for numerically representing turbulence effects in the simulation of ocean current turbines (OCT)s is described. Ambient turbulence intensity and mean flow velocity are utilized to develop analytic expressions for flow velocities at a grid of nodes that are a function of time. This approach is integrated into the numerical simulation of an OCT to evaluate effects of turbulence on performance. For a case study a moored OCT with a 20 m rotor diameter is used. Mean power in the presence of ambient turbulence intensities (TI)s of 5% and 20% are found to be 370 kW and 384 kW, with standard deviations of 17.2 kW and 74.6 kW respectively. Similarly, the axial loads on a single blade of the three-bladed rotor are found to be 139 kN and 140 kN, with standard deviations of 3 kN and 12 kN respectively for these TIs.
Nutrient composition and sensory attributes of cooked ground beef: Effects of fat content, cooking method, and water rinsing

Ground beef with 10%, 20%, and 30% fat was shaped into patties or crumbled and cooked by panfrying, panbroiling, or microwaving. After cooking, half of the crumbles were water rinsed. Samples were analyzed for yield, energy, moisture, protein, total lipid, cholesterol, iron, and zinc. In other experiments, cooked crumbled samples were analyzed for vitamin B-12 content and sensory qualities. Effects of cooking method on total lipid and cholesterol levels were generally small. Initial fat level significantly affected total lipid content in cooked ground beef; cooked samples with 10% initial fat contained slightly less total lipid than those with 20% or 30% initial fat. Rinsing with warm water significantly reduced fat and increased the moisture content of cooked ground beef crumbles. Protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B-12 were well retained during rinsing. We conclude that consumers can achieve a significant reduction in fat content, without substantial losses in protein, iron, zinc, or vitamin B-12, if they water rinse cooked ground beef crumbles. The flavor and texture of the cooked ground beef crumbles are altered somewhat by rinsing. Acceptance in mixed recipes was not determined.
Human Capital and its Critics: Gary Becker, Institutionalism, and Anti-Neoliberalism

Gary Becker’s contribution to labor economics can be highlighted by contrast to his predecessors and critics. Human capital analysis was not much developed before Becker, although the concept was recognized by such prominent figures as Adam Smith, Alfred Marshall, and John Bates Clark. Rational-choice microeconomics, including human capital analysis, displaced the previously dominant Institutionalist approach to labor. Becker further applied human capital insights in his theories of crime, household production and the family, and personal preference development. Illuminating objections to an emphasis on human capital have come from mainstream economists in the 1960s (who offered the signaling theory of education), non-mainstream economists in the 1970s (who offered theories of labor-market segmentation), and current critics of neoliberalism.
Principal Stress Model for Multi-Axial Fatigue of Preloaded Threaded Fasteners

A principal stress-based high cycle fatigue (HCF) model is proposed for cyclic multiaxial stresses in threaded fasteners under tensile-shear loading. The proposed model uses the fastener principle stress amplitude in order to construct mean-stress adjusted S-N curves for multi-axial stresses. Experimental validation is provided using an MTS fatigue testing system, with a special fixture that would allow combined cyclic tensile-shear loading of the fastener at various angles relative to the axis of the MTS grip axis. Experimentally validated multiaxial fatigue model is compared to classical uniaxial S-N curves. Detailed discussion of the model results is provided.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Write-and-learn: promoting meaningful learning through concept map-based formative feedback on writing assignments

A primary goal of higher education is to promote meaningful learning: the delivery of core academic content to students in innovative ways that allow them to learn and then apply what they have learned. As a pedagogical strategy, Writing-to-Learn (WTL) intends to use writing to improve students' understanding of course content and concepts. To improve students' meaningful learning of conceptual knowledge in WTL activities, the project proposes to develop the Write-and-Learn system to generate automated formative feedback by taking advantage of the concept maps constructed from instructors' lecture notes and individual students' writing assignments. The proposed research aims to provide insights into how to apply concept maps into WTL activities to generate effective formative feedback on the acquisition and development of conceptual knowledge, and explore how and to what extent concept map-based formative feedback can be utilized to scaffold and promote meaningful learning in WTL activities.
Value recovery from end-of-use products facilitated by automated dismantling planning

Circular economy is a promising business model that promotes sustainable development by closing material loops. Making progress toward a circular economy requires the recovery of valuable materials and components from end-of-use products and subsequent reuse of them in some form, thus maximizing the utility of components and materials. Currently, end-of-use products value recovery is carried out without a rational planning, causing the loss of the recoverable value embedded in material and components. To address this problem, dismantling planning and appropriate technologies should be employed to improve the economic performance of end-of-use products value recovery. In this paper, a two-stage dismantling planning method is proposed to find a profitable end-of-use strategy. In the first stage of this method, disassembly optimization model is constructed and can be executed to obtain the optimal disassembly plan allowing maximum preservation of component function value, in a preservative disassembly scenario. To speed up the modeling, a method for automatic generation of AND/OR graph—a structure of incorporating all possible disassembly operations and associated subassemblies, is presented. In the second stage of the method, in order to increase profitability, Pareto analysis is employed to identify bottlenecks to disassembly and automated/destructive technologies are considered to remove the bottlenecks. A hard disk drive serves as a case study to illustrate the suggested method.
Stratospheric ozone over the United States in summer linked to observations of convection and temperature via chlorine and bromine catalysis

We present observations defining (i) the frequency and depth of convective penetration of water into the stratosphere over the United States in summer using the Next-Generation Radar system; (ii) the altitude-dependent distribution of inorganic chlorine established in the same coordinate system as the radar observations; (iii) the high resolution temperature structure in the stratosphere over the United States in summer that resolves spatial and structural variability, including the impact of gravity waves; and (iv) the resulting amplification in the catalytic loss rates of ozone for the dominant halogen, hydrogen, and nitrogen catalytic cycles. The weather radar observations of ∼2,000 storms, on average, each summer that reach the altitude of rapidly increasing available inorganic chlorine, coupled with observed temperatures, portend a risk of initiating rapid heterogeneous catalytic conversion of inorganic chlorine to free radical form on ubiquitous sulfate-water aerosols; this, in turn, engages the element of risk associated with ozone loss in the stratosphere over the central United States in summer based upon the same reaction network that reduces stratospheric ozone over the Arctic. The summertime development of the upper-level anticyclonic flow over the United States, driven by the North American Monsoon, provides a means of retaining convectively injected water, thereby extending the time for catalytic ozone loss over the Great Plains. Trusted decadal forecasts of UV dosage over the United States in summer require understanding the response of this dynamical and photochemical system to increased forcing of the climate by increasing levels of CO2 and CH4.
PF4-HIT antibody (KKO) complexes activate broad innate immune and inflammatory responses

Abstract Introduction Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an immune-mediated complication of heparin anticoagulation therapy resulting in thrombocytopenia frequently accompanied by thrombosis. Current evidence suggests that HIT is associated with antibodies developed in response to multi-molecular complexes formed by platelet factor 4 (PF4) bound to heparin or cell surface glycosaminoglycans. These antibody complexes activate platelets and monocytes typically through FcγRIIA receptors increasing the production of PF4, inflammatory mediators, tissue factor and thrombin. The influence of underlying events in HIT including complex-induced pro-inflammatory cell activation and structural determinants leading to local inflammatory responses are not fully understood. Methods The stoichiometry and complex component requirements were determined by incubating fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with different concentrations of unfractionated heparin (H), low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), PF4- and anti-PF4-H complex antibodies (KKO). Cytokine mRNA or protein were measured by qRT-PCR or Meso Scale Discovery technology, respectively. Gene expression profile analysis for 594 genes was performed using Nanostring technology and analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. Results and conclusions The data show that antibodies magnify immune responses induced in PBMCs by PF4 alone or in complex with heparin or LMWH. We propose that following induction of HIT antibodies by heparin-PF4 complexes, binding of the antibodies to PF4 is sufficient to induce a local pro-inflammatory response which may play a role in the progression of HIT. In vitro assays using PBMCs may be useful in characterizing local inflammatory and innate immune responses induced by HIT antibodies in the presence of PF4 and different sources of heparins. FDA disclaimer The findings and conclusions in this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and are not being formally disseminated by the Food and Drug Administration. Thus, they should not be construed to represent any Agency determination or policy.
A pileup of edge dislocations against an inclined bimetallic interface

Abstract A pileup of edge dislocations against an arbitrarily inclined flat bimetallic interface is considered. Equilibrium positions of dislocations are determined for a given number of dislocations and specified material properties, assuming that the resolved shear stress along the pileup plane from a remotely applied loading is uniform and equal for all interface inclination angles. Numerical results are compared for pileups at 0°, 30°, 45°, and 60° relative to the interface normal. The overall dislocation distribution is mildly affected by the inclination of the interface, although there are some notable differences. While an inclined interface repels the first and last dislocation stronger than the orthogonal interface, for piled-up dislocations in-between this is not necessarily the case. Small differences in the pileup length and the proximity of the leading dislocation to differently inclined interfaces can considerably affect the interface stresses. The magnitude of interface stresses decreases with the increase of the shear moduli ratio G2/G1 due to stronger repulsion exerted on dislocations by stiffer interfaces. The disparity in Poisson’s ratio also affects the interface stresses. The back stress behind a trailing dislocation is evaluated and discussed.
Pharmaceutical Start-ups’ Technology and Financing Strategy

It is necessary for pharmaceutical start-ups to access external financing sources, such as angel, independent venture capital (IVC), and corporate venture capital (CVC), in order to proceed their drug development processes. Given that technology is often the most important resource for pharmaceutical start-ups, it is important to understand how pharmaceutical start-ups’ technological characteristics serve to determine their financing sources. Using a dataset that contains 1730 fundraising activities of 529 pharmaceutical start-ups, this study provides systematic evidence that technological progress and uncertainty significantly impact start-ups’ decisions on the type of funding source. These findings are supported by several empirical approaches, including multinomial logit, sequential logit, and two-stage probit models. Along with the complexity and length of product development cycle in the pharmaceutical sector, these findings suggest that start-ups should strategically arrange financing sources as the drug development processes are proceeded.
The Government Could Not Work Doctrine

The Supreme Court has recently declared that it is presumptively unconstitutional for the government to compel individuals to do or pay for things to which they have religious or political objections. Last Term, the Court applied this declaration to uphold the First Amendment arguments made by public-sector employees, and it appears poised to vindicate similar claims by religious objectors to antidiscrimination laws in the future. But this declaration is wrong. Indeed, throughout American history—from the Articles of Confederation through Lochner v. New York and Employment Division v. Smith, the Court itself has repeatedly rejected the notion that compulsory laws, in and of themselves, are presumptively unconstitutional. This Article offers a novel examination of the history of challenges to compulsory laws inside and outside the context of the First Amendment. For centuries, the Supreme Court has faced hundreds of challenges to objectionable taxes, objectionable drafts, objectionable regulations, and objectionable funding conditions. With few exceptions, the Court has responded that the “government could not work” if it lacked the power to compel people to do things to which they objected. Although the Constitution prescribes many specific limits on the powers of the federal and state governments, the Constitution’s very purpose was to create a union that had the power to compel political minorities to accept the will of a political majority. Such a union would be incompatible with a governing document that prohibited officials from compelling people to take any action to which they religiously or politically objected—even when those objections were sincerely held. Borrowing the Supreme Court’s own language, I call the Court’s typical response the “government-could-not-work” doctrine, and conclude that objectionable compulsion, in and of itself, should not trigger the strict scrutiny of Abood v. Detroit Board of Education. Rather, compulsory laws should be treated the same as any other law, and analyzed for whether they are arbitrary, are discriminatory, or otherwise violate specific constitutional limits.
Average age of information for status update systems with an energy harvesting server

This paper investigates the age of information in a single-source status update system with energy constraints. Specifically, a source provides status updates to a destination through a server assumed to have a battery with finite capacity that is replenished by harvesting energy. Arrival times of the status updates at the source and energy units at the server are assumed to be random according to independent Poisson processes. Service times are also assumed to be exponentially distributed and independent of the status and energy arrivals. The server is assumed to always be able to harvest energy when no information packet from the source is in service and the battery is not full. With regards to harvesting energy while packets are in service, this paper analyzes the average age of information both for servers that are able or unable to perform simultaneous service and energy harvesting. Closed-form expressions for the average age in terms of the system parameters are derived. Simulation results confirm the analysis and numerically demonstrate the performance advantage of servers with simultaneous service and energy harvesting.
Dust and Climate in the American Southwest

The primary purpose of this paper is to present a dust climatology of the American Southwest, emphasizing data tabulation from weather sites in Arizona, discussing related issues of dust generating factors, and hypothesizing on the reasons for the variability of dust frequencies and interrelated forcing factors across the southwestern landscape. Much of this paper is from the analyses of Nickling and Brazel (1984); Brazel and Nickling (1986); Brazel, Nickling, and Lee (1986); Brazel and Nickling (1987); and Lougeay, Brazel, and Miller (1987). The major point of this review paper is to coalesce individual analyses into a synthesis of ideas, and to highlight the variability of dust generation and dust frequencies across differing environments of the American Southwest region of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts.
Predicting the Ecological Significance of Exposure to Genotoxic Substances in Aquatic Organisms

The effects of genotoxic substances are not adequately considered in aquatic ecological hazard assessment, and comparatively little has been done to develop methods for predicting these effects. It would be short sighted to ignore the potential for detrimental ecological impacts resulting from the disposal of genotoxic substances in aquatic environments. Advancements in this area must use our extensive knowledge of the mechanisms of effect of genotoxic substances in mammals, recognizing the factors that are unique to aquatic ecotoxicology. Because so much is known about basic mechanisms of effect and methods for evaluating the effects of genotoxic substances in mammals, this information must be applied to other species. However, as the methods for evaluating genotoxic effects in aquatic organisms are developed, we must go beyond method development and attempt to predict ecologically significant impacts from data on genotoxic responses. To accomplish this goal, fundamental processes that elucidate both similarities and differences in responses between or among species must be identified, and unifying concepts that may aid in predicting genotoxic effects in varied species must be formulated.
Further Application of Newton's Laws

This chapter discusses the special case of Newton's second law in which physical bodies are in static equilibrium. In this case of bodies at rest, physical bodies that have extension in space, that is, bodies that are not treated merely as mathematical points, are considered. These considerations provide the occasion to introduce the concept of torque and the conditions that must be satisfied for a body to be in static equilibrium. When two bodies are in contact, there are interactions at the molecular level within the region of contact. Although an adequate theoretical treatment that explains the contact forces from fundamental principles is not feasible at present and a number of experimental observations that permits analyzing the macroscopic effects of contact between physical bodies can be made. The instant before it starts to move is the instant of impending motion .
Normative and Predictive Expectations in Generation of Customer Satisfaction and Emotions

The study of normative and predictive expectations is still in the initial stage, and many aspects of their roles remain unclear. This theoretical research endeavors to systematically analyze these...
Islamophobia and Ethical Challenges for LGBT Mental Healthcare

Just having a chapter on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the context of a book on Islamophobia and psychiatry is surely controversial, complicated, and critical. It is controversial because venerated and reputable Muslim scholars argue that homosexual behavior is forbidden in Islam, thereby disqualifying those who do engage in it from still being considered Muslim. It is complicated because such people may still want to identify themselves as both Muslim and as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Those in this political and social grouping who are transgender in terms of gender identity are different in the sense of their Islamic acceptance and can be either homosexual and/or heterosexual in their sexual orientation. It is critical because the LGBT have been reported to have the highest rates of psychiatric problems and have been known to experience a triple stigma: the stigma of mental illness per se, the stigma that still exists toward LGBT people, and the stigma attached to Islam if an LGB individual is perceived to be Muslim. Adding to those challenges can be the experience of conflict between sexual orientation and religious tenets. Compassionate and clinically sound methods to overcome these obstacles are presented.