cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asymptotic Behaviour of Semi-Infinite Geodesics for Maximal Increasing Subsequences in the Plane

We consider for a given Poissonian cloud ω in ℝ2the maximal up/right path fromxto y(x, y∈ ℝ2), where maximal means that it contains as many points ofω as possible. We prove that with probability 1 there exist for every up/right direction semi-infinite maximal paths (unigeodesics), every unigeodesic has a direction and if there are two unigeodesics with the same direction they must meet and then coalesce. Out of these results we are able to construct a Busemann type function, which behaves at most diffusively.
Investigating the status of a rare cross-linguistic contrast: The case of Romanian palatalized postalveolars.

This study examines a rare cross-linguistic contrast, that between plain and secondarily palatalized postalveolar fricatives, through (i) an acoustic analysis of the production of 31 Romanian speakers, and (ii) a perception experiment with a different group of 31 native speakers. Evidence of acoustic separation between plain and palatalized forms was found for 27 of the subjects, suggesting that the contrast is produced by the majority. This is consistent with previous reports of native speakers collected in 1961. These findings were supported by the results of the perceptual experiment, which showed that native speakers exhibit moderate sensitivity to this contrast. An examination of each of the two genders' production separately suggests that a process of neutralization may be in progress, more strongly realized by males compared to females. Aside from documenting this phenomenon in Romanian, an explanation is sought for its longevity, and it is proposed that grammatical restructuring offers the best ac...
Evaluation of Community-Based Support Services for Families of Persons with Developmental Disabilities

This article presents an evaluation of a multi-element parent and family support intervention for parents of school-aged persons with severe disabilities. Using an experimental design, we compared two randomly assigned groups of parents: one group received a modest level of support consisting of respite care and case management, and the second group received an intensive intervention that consisted of stress management and parenting skills training, support groups, and additional community-based respite care. Separate MANCOVA analyses were conducted for mothers and fathers. Mothers showed significant improvement on measures of depression and anxiety. Further analysis of the data revealed that a significantly greater number of intensive support group members also achieved clinically significant improvement on measures of anxiety and depression. Fathers participated in smaller numbers than mothers. A power analysis revealed large treatment effects for fathers as well as mothers although, due to the small sa...
Measuring the cost and effect of current community consultation and public disclosure techniques in emergency care research.

Abstract Aim U.S. federal regulations for research involving exception from informed consent (EFIC) include stipulations for community consultation (CC) and public disclosure (PD) (FDA 21 CFR 50.24). Published descriptions of PD campaigns include letters to community leaders, media outreach, paid advertising, and community meetings. Whether or not these activities provide measurable impact is unknown, as few prior works have evaluated PD activities with probabilistic polling. The aim of this study is to use polling to assess how much public awareness PD efforts generate. Methods A 3-month PD campaign similar in scope and scale to PD campaigns described in several recent publications was implemented across a large urban county (pop. 2.55 million). PD included a study website ( www.evktrial.org ), letters to 300 community leaders/organizations, bilingual media outreach and also phased roll-outs, weeks apart, of newspaper advertisements, mass e-mail messaging, and paid advertising in Facebook® and Twitter® augmented by volunteer social media outreach. During PD we used repeated zip code-targeted online polling via Google Consumer Surveys® to assess community awareness of the proposed EFIC study. Results Over 3-months all-source exposures to >1 million individuals were estimated, generating ∼5,000 website visits (12-month cumulative, ∼9000). However, general community awareness evaluated through repeated county-wide polling never rose above baseline measurements. CC/PD campaign costs were estimated at $60,000 (USD). Conclusion A PD campaign in scope and scale common for EFIC studies may not provide measurable impact in a community. Investigators, review boards and regulators could consider these findings when re-examining and/or creating policies for PD for EFIC studies.
Integrating heterogeneous freight performance data for smart mobility

Transportation performance measures are defined as quantitative and qualitative indicators that rely on data or information to explain mobility, traffic congestion, safety, environmental sustainability and other factors. Although performance measures have been used for freeways and other highways, not many have been specified and applied to the freight transportation system. Under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), state transportation agencies and metropolitan planning organizations in the United States are implementing freight performance measurement systems for performance assessment. This research aims to expand the existing freight performance measures and organize them into a integrated framework. The proposed framework consists of four criteria: safety, mobility, traffic congestion, and environmental sustainability. Each criterion consists of several qualitative and quantitative indicators. To address the challenge of integrating freight data of different sources and formats, an ontology-based approach has been proposed, implemented and. The Freight Performance Ontology was created using a bottom-up, data-driven approach, that included an initial concept map used to verify the conceptualization with domain experts before formalizing it in an ontology. The proposed ontology framework addresses specific metrics for the U.S. — Mexico border region in El Paso, TX. However, the proposed framework is generic and can be extended to integrate and aggregate data on a larger scale such as a state or country. Freight Performance is a foundational piece of Smart Mobility, and by integrating heterogeneous data, it provides a way to evaluate and improve services in Smart Cities.
Inositol 1,4,5-tripshosphate receptor, calcium signalling and Huntington's disease.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder that has no cure. HD primarily affects medium spiny striatal neurons (MSN). HD is caused by polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion (exp) in the amino-terminal region of a protein huntingtin (Htt). The connection between polyQ expansion in Htt Expand MSN neurodegeneration remains elusive. My laboratory discovered that mutant HttExp protein specifically binds to the carboxy-terminal region of the type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphatereceptor (InsP3R1), an intracellular Ca2+ release channel. Moreover, we found thatHttExp association with InsP3R1 causes sensitization of InsP3R1 to activation by InsP3 in planar lipid bilayers and in primary MSN. Mutant HttExp has also been shown to activate Ca2+-permeable NR2B-containing NMDA receptors. All these results suggested that deranged neuronal Ca2+ signaling may play an important role in pathogenesis of HDIn support of this idea, we demonstrated a connection between abnormal Ca2+ signaling and apoptosis of MSN cultured from YAC128 HD mouse model. These results indicate that InsP3R and other Ca2+ signaling proteins should be considered as potential therapeutic targets for treatment of HD
A clinical measure of the posterior epidural space depth.

Background and Objectives The object of this study was to measure the clinically relevant depth of the posterior epidural space (ES) while placing subarachnoid catheters. Methods “Hanging drop” technique was used to locate the ES via a midline approach in the lumbar area. The distance from the skin to the ES was measured, and the needle was advanced until free flow of cerebrospinal fluid was observed. The distance between entry into the ES and the subarachnoid space—the posterior ES depth—was then measured. Regression analysis was used to investigate relationships between skin-to-ES distance, posterior ES depth, and patient characteristics (height, weight, body surface area [BSA] and age). Results The 55 patients studied had a mean skin-to-ES distance of 50.9 ± 12 mm (range, 27-94) and a mean posterior ES depth of 6.9 ± 4 mm (range 2-25). Skin-to-ES distance was related to BSA (r = .597, P Conclusions The posterior ES has been found to be somewhat larger and more variable than previously described. The findings provide clinical confirmation of recent radiologic and cadaveric studies, which portray a posterior ES of variable size and complex shape. These findings have implications for cannulation and use of epidural therapy as well as for the combined catheter epidural and single-dose spinal technique.
Non-Thermal Plasma Induced Wettability Changes on Marina Wool via Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharges

Water and detergents are used to deodorize and sanitize soiled fabrics on Earth. However, onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and future space missions to Mars, this solution is impractical. Launching more sets of clothing into space is also impractical, since it costs anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000 per pound to launch into space. Presently, no solution to deodorize and sanitize clothing onboard spacecraft exists. The purpose of this project is to analyze the prospect of using non-thermal, atmospheric dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) in the deodorization and sanitization of soiled fabric onboard spacecraft. Since astronauts commonly wear marina wool, this fabric was selected for all experiments. Preliminary findings show that surface modification of marina wool was achieved via direct exposure to DBD generated plasmas. The dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was positioned 1mm above a 1.50” diameter sample of marina wool and powered by an Amazing1 PVM500 AC Power Supply for a duration of 2 minutes per fabric sample at a frequency range of 14–22 kHz. Surface modification was determined by measuring the contact angle change of a 10 uL distilled water droplet on plasma-treated marina wool. The 10uL water contact angle on untreated marina wool is estimated to be greater than 160 ± 15°. Plasma treatment time of 2 minutes or more is required to obtain complete wettability (0°). During these 2 minutes, marina wool temperatures increased on average by 22.7 °F. Once complete wettability was obtained, the water contact angle on plasma-treated marina wool was nonexistent (0°) for a duration of 50 minutes. At 50 minutes, marina wool showed an estimated water contact angle of 48 ± 15°. A day later, the same fabric sample had an estimated water contact angle of 127 ± 15°. These preliminary results show that while surface modification was initially achieved, it was temporary with respect to the surface’s wettability. This signals that plasma will not permanently interfere with the fabric’s original anti-wetting properties—an important property in anti-fouling coatings. The degree of permanent, microscopic plasma-etching on the surface of the marina wool fabric samples remains to be seen. A set of plasma conditions (i.e. power, treatment time, gas type, pressure) will be investigated that can potentially eliminate transferred bacteria and odorous compounds, while maintaining the fabric’s structural integrity and anti-wetting properties. An in-space laundry solution—such as the one proposed here—would make astronauts more comfortable during long-duration space missions and significantly reduce the cost of launching a 6-man crew with the necessary clothing for a future 2.5 year trip to Mars.
Uncertainty quantification of simulated biomechanical stimuli in coronary artery bypass grafts

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is performed on more than 400,000 patients annually in the U.S. However, saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) implanted during CABG exhibit poor patency compared to arterial grafts, with failure rates up to 40% within 10 years after surgery. Differences in mechanical stimuli are known to play a role in driving maladaptation and have been correlated with endothelial damage and thrombus formation. As these quantities are difficult to measure in vivo, multi-scale coronary models offer a way to quantify them, while accounting for complex coronary physiology. However, prior studies have primarily focused on deterministic evaluations, without reporting variability in the model parameters due to uncertainty. This study aims to assess confidence in multi-scale predictions of wall shear stress and wall strain while accounting for uncertainty in peripheral hemodynamics and material properties. Boundary condition distributions are computed by assimilating uncertain clinical data, while spatial variations of vessel wall stiffness are obtained through approximation by a random field. We developed a stochastic submodeling approach to mitigate the computational burden of repeated multi-scale model evaluations to focus exclusively on the bypass grafts. This produces a two-level decomposition of quantities of interest into submodel contributions and full model/submodel discrepancies. We leverage these two levels in the context of forward uncertainty propagation using a previously proposed multi-resolution approach. The time- and space-averaged wall shear stress is well estimated with a coefficient of variation of <35%, but ignorance about the spatial distribution on the wall elastic modulus and thickness lead to large variations in an objective measure of wall strain, with coefficients of variation up to 100%. Sensitivity analysis reveals how the interactions between the flow and material parameters contribute to output variability.
Socially Assigned Race and Diabetes: Findings from the Arizona Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2013-2014.

Socially assigned race, the racial/ethnic categorization of individuals by others, may serve as the basis for differential or unfair treatment. Latinxs are commonly socially assigned to a race/ethnicity with which they do not self-identify. However, it is unclear the degree to which self-identified Latinxs who are socially assigned as white or Latinx may differentially predict health outcomes beyond general health status and healthcare utilization. We examine the association between socially assigned race and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Data from the Arizona’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2013, 2014) was used in a cross-sectional analysis (restricted to Latinxs and non-Hispanic whites; N = 8370) to examine the association between self-identified (SI) and socially assigned (SA) race/ethnicity agreement and T2DM. Latinxs were categorized according to SI-SA race/ethnicity agreement: discordant (SI-SA, different) and concordant (SI-SA, same). T2DM was based on self-reported physician diagnosis. Data were analyzed using Poisson regression models to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Latinxs comprised 28.5% of our sample, of which, 18.5% was discordant and 81.5% was concordant. In fully adjusted models, concordant Latinxs were more likely to have T2DM than whites (aPR 2.01, 95% CI 1.44, 2.82). There were no significant differences in T2DM between discordant Latinxs and whites. Our results suggest that socially assigned race is an understudied determinant of health and may further understanding of the impact of racial stratification on Latinx health inequities. Additional research examining socially assigned race and other health outcomes are warranted to gain further insight of the biological impact of racialized lived experiences.
LABIOS: A Distributed Label-Based I/O System

In the era of data-intensive computing, large-scale applications, in both scientific and the BigData communities, demonstrate unique I/O requirements leading to a proliferation of different storage devices and software stacks, many of which have conflicting requirements. In this paper, we investigate how to support a wide variety of conflicting I/O workloads under a single storage system. We introduce the idea of a Label, a new data representation, and, we present LABIOS: a new, distributed, Label- based I/O system. LABIOS boosts I/O performance by up to 17x via asynchronous I/O, supports heterogeneous storage resources, offers storage elasticity, and promotes in-situ analytics via data provisioning. LABIOS demonstrates the effectiveness of storage bridging to support the convergence of HPC and BigData workloads on a single platform.
Goal programming and data envelopment analysis approach to disaster relief supply chain design

The objective of this paper is to present and demonstrate the use of goal programming and data envelopment analysis (GP-DEA) framework for the disaster relief supply chain (DRSC) design problem to help decision-makers who are responsible for disaster planning and management. For this, we develop a GP model with multi-objective functions, and each of the results from the GP is considered as a decision making unit (DMU). The impacts of the emergency relief facilities (ERFs) and the distribution channels between the facilities are evaluated and quantified concerning the efficiency and robustness. A case study using historical data in South Carolina is analysed with the framework. We identify that GP-DEA framework optimizes and evaluates DRSC layouts without any subjective judgment from decision-makers. Further, we also identify that the performance of DRSC layouts is the most significantly determined by the distribution channels. If any DRSC includes more influencing channels, its performance improves.
High pressure pool boiling: Mechanisms for heat transfer enhancement and comparison to existing models

Abstract Pressure has a huge impact on the performance of pool boiling heat transfer due to the change in thermofluid properties of water. The specific volume of water and the latent heat of vaporization decrease with increasing system pressure. High pressure pool boiling experiments were conducted for water on a horizontal smoothed copper surface at pressures ranging from 0 psig (0 kPa) to 60 psig (413.7 kPa). The hydrodynamic behavior of bubbles was studied at high pressure using the flow visualization technique. The primary bubble size, detachment frequencies, and nucleation site densities were studied at each pressure. The performance of the pool boiling curve was critically analyzed with different predictive models. To compare the pressure data and validate with the existing model, Stephan and Abdelsalam’s model was used. At low heat flux, no changes in the heat transfer coefficient were noticed. At high flux, a 50%, 75%, 125%, and 175% enhancement in the heat transfer coefficient was found against the atmospheric pressure (0 kPa) for 15 psig (103.4 kPa), 30 psig (206.8 kPa), 45 psig (310.2 kPa), and 60 psig (413.7 kPa) respectively. The critical heat flux value was also measured and compared to the predicted theories. A new mechanistic lift model, similar to the Zuber’s model, was used to explain the dry out mechanisms at high pressure in which pressure delays the surface dry out behavior. The results show that change in thermodynamic properties of water due to pressure not only change the hydrodynamic behavior, but also impacts the formation of the thermal boundary layer. The present study shows that there is a need for a theoretical model to predict the critical heat flux and the heat transfer coefficient at high pressure. At high pressure the contact angle shows a dynamic behavior due to change in the surface tension of liquid. The current research work aims to be a fundamental ground to develop for manufactures/designers of high pressurized boilers.
Grassland disturbance effects on first-instar monarch butterfly survival, floral resources, and flower-visiting insects

Abstract Many species of conservation concern are disturbance-dependent, relying on periodic ecosystem disruptions to maintain habitat quality. Mounting evidence suggests monarch butterflies are one such organism: they can benefit from growing-season disturbance to grassland habitats in their breeding range, with regenerating stems of milkweed host plants supporting more oviposition and lower densities of arthropod predators. Here we address three questions that were raised by previous work in this system. First, we tested if survival of neonate monarch larvae is enhanced on milkweed stems that regrow after mowing disturbance. Second, we tested if disturbance affects spore densities of the parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) on milkweed leaves. Finally, we documented effects of disturbance on the abundance of floral resources and flower-visiting insects. We found that first-instar monarch survival over 48 h periods was 2.3–2.5 times higher on regenerating milkweed stems than on undisturbed controls. OE spores were not detected on any of the milkweed stems in our study. Disturbance reduced floral resource abundance and floral visits for 3–5 weeks, although some species that were initially suppressed bloomed later in the season with the net effect of extending the bloom period. Our results show grassland disturbance can enhance survival of immature monarchs and could be used strategically to help stabilize the eastern monarch population. More work is needed to understand how disturbance in this system affects resources for pollinators and to optimize habitat management for monarchs and the broader pollinator community.
Conditional R\'enyi entropy and the relationships between R\'enyi capacities

The analogues of Arimoto's definition of conditional Renyi entropy and Renyi mutual information are explored for abstract alphabets. These quantities, although dependent on the reference measure, have some useful properties similar to those known in the discrete setting. In addition to laying out some such basic properties and the relations to Renyi divergences, the relationships between the families of mutual informations defined by Sibson, Augustin-Csiszar, and Lapidoth-Pfister, as well as the corresponding capacities, are explored.
Pronouns and Preferred Names: When Public School Teachers’ Religious Beliefs Conflict With School Directives:

A 2020 lawsuit involves a public school teacher who refused to address transgender students by their preferred names because of his religious beliefs. This case is particularly significant because ...
Analysis of Back-Building Convection in Simulations with a Strong Low-Level Stable Layer

In a mesoscale convective system (MCS), convection that redevelops over (i.e., back-builds), and/or repeatedly passes over (i.e., trains) a region for an extended period of time can contribute to extreme rainfall and flash flooding. Past studies have indicated that both mesoscale ascent and lifting of the inflow layer by a cold pool or bore are important when this back-building/training convection is displaced from the leading line [sometimes called rearward off-boundary development (ROD)]. However, Plains Elevated Convection At Night (PECAN) field campaign observations suggest that the stability of the nocturnal boundary layer is highly variable and some MCSs with ROD have only a weak surface cold pool. Numerical simulations presented in this study suggest that in an environment with strong boundary layer stability, ROD can be supported by mechanisms other than those mentioned above. Simulations were initialized using a sounding from ahead of a PECAN MCS with a strong stable layer and ROD, and the three-dimensional simulation produced an MCS similar to that observed despite the homogeneous initial conditions. Some of the findings presented herein challenge existing understanding of nocturnal MCSs, and especially how downdrafts interact with a stable boundary layer. Notably, downdrafts can reach the surface, and different regions of the MCS may have different propagation mechanisms and different relevant inflow layers. Unlike previous studies of ROD, parcel lifting may be supported by an intrusion (an elevated layer of downdraft air) modified by the three-dimensional vertical wind shear.
Synchronous virtual interprofessional education focused on discharge planning.

Abstract COVID-19 required innovative approaches to educating health professions students who could no longer attend in-person classes or clinical rotations. Interprofessional education (IPE) activities were similarly impacted. To replace an in-person IPE activity slated for this spring, nursing and medical students with similar levels of clinical experience came together to attend a synchronous virtual session focused on discharge planning. The class objectives focused on the IPEC competencies of Role/Responsibility and Interprofessional Communication. Discussion revolved around the discharge planning process for an elderly patient with multiple medical problems, as this is a time when interprofessional collaboration has a clear benefit to patients. Twenty-eight nursing students and eleven medical students attended a 90 min session via Zoom. Students received pre-readings, the day's agenda, learning objectives, and discussion questions in advance. The session had three sections: introduction/welcome, breakout sessions, and debrief and evaluation. Four faculty leaders and four students who participated in a similar in-person session in the past served as facilitators. They received a supplemental facilitator guide for use if students were not able to sustain their discussions for the allotted time. Materials can be accessed by contacting the corresponding author (BR). Students completed a post-session survey, and qualitative analysis demonstrated that they had addressed the two relevant IPEC competencies in their groups and showed ￼evidence of touching on the additional two IPEC competencies as well. Overall, they enjoyed the experience. This virtual experience made scheduling simpler than planning an in-person session and allowed this activity to occur despite restrictions secondary to the pandemic. This might remain a useful format for similar sessions in the future.
Development of metallic nuclear material purification process via simultaneous chlorination and volatilization

Abstract A purification process involving simultaneous chlorination and volatilization is reported using aluminum, iron, gallium, and uranium separation from cerium metal as the demonstration system. Anhydrous Cl2 gas was reacted with the metal after it had been converted to small particles of hydride at temperatures ranging from 523 to 973 K. Each of the impurities should form chlorides with relatively high saturated vapor pressures. The objective of the process was to volatilize these chlorides after first achieving near-complete conversion of the metals to hydride and then chlorides. Complete conversion of hydrides to chlorides could not be achieved using relatively low-grade (99.5%) Cl2. High decontamination factors for all of the metal impurities required near complete conversion to chloride. It was concluded that oxygen contamination of the feed gas stream likely limits the conversion to chlorides by forming oxides instead, which then limits the volatilization of contaminants. Uranium was particularly challenging to remove in experiments suspected of having high oxygen contamination in the feed gas stream. After switching to ultra-high purity (99.999%) Cl2, complete conversion to chlorides within the measurement error was possible for the entire temperature range studied. Decontamination factors for aluminum, iron, gallium, and uranium were found to have average values of 1.9, 9.8, 14, and 5, respectively, at 973 K. While the process was most extensively studied using a once-through gas flow, recycling unreacted Cl2 gas succeeded at minimizing waste while still maintaining complete conversion and similar decontamination factors.
Abstract 17152: Artificial Intelligence ECG for the Detection of Cardiac Injury as Confirmed by High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T-Concentrations

Background: High-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) assays quantify cTn in patients at very low concentrations. Myocyte injury due to ischemia or other pathologies cause blood levels to increase...
Orthostatic Hypertension and Hypotension and Outcomes in CKD: The CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) Study.

Rationale & Objective There are limited data about the prevalence and prognostic significance of orthostatic hypo- and hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of orthostatic hypo- and hypertension in a cohort of patients with chronic kidney disease and examine their association with clinical outcomes. Study Design Prospective cohort study: Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study. Setting & Population 7 clinical centers, participants with chronic kidney disease. Exposures Orthostatic hypotension (decline in systolic blood pressure [BP]>20mm Hg) and orthostatic hypertension (increase in systolic BP>20mm Hg) from seated to standing position. Outcomes Cardiovascular and kidney outcomes and mortality. Analytical Approach Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with orthostatic hypo- and hypertension; Cox regression was used to examine associations with clinical outcomes. Results Mean age of study population (n=3,873) was 58.1±11.0 years. There was a wide distribution of change in systolic BP from seated to standing (from−73.3 to+60.0mm Hg); 180 participants (4.6%) had orthostatic hypotension and 81 (2.1%) had orthostatic hypertension. Diabetes, reduced body mass index, and β-blocker use were independently associated with orthostatic hypotension. Black race and higher body mass index were independently associated with orthostatic hypertension. After a median follow-up of 7.9 years, orthostatic hypotension was independently associated with high risk for cardiovascular (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.03-1.21) but not kidney outcomes or mortality. Orthostatic hypertension was independently associated with high risk for kidney (HR, 1.51; 96% CI, 1.14-1.97) but not cardiovascular outcomes or mortality. Limitations Orthostatic change in BP was ascertained at a single visit. Conclusions Orthostatic hypotension was independently associated with higher risk for cardiovascular outcomes, whereas orthostatic hypertension was associated with higher risk for kidney outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of orthostatic BP measurement in practice and the need for future investigation to understand the mechanisms and potential interventions to minimize the risk associated with orthostatic changes in BP.
Philosophy’s rematch: A new conceptualization of the study of higher education:

In recent decades, philosophy has been identified as a general approach to enhance the maturity of higher education as a field of study by enriching theory and method. In this article, I offer a ne...
Virtue, Shame, and Choice: Perspectives of Sex Work Among Adolescents in Variously Globalized Thai Communities:

Although taboo given the traditional Thai value of female sexual conservatism, sex work is a practice for which Thailand has gained international attention. As in other rapidly globalizing contexts...
Facilitators’ Self-Study Of A Virtual Adjunct Faculty Self-Study Collaborative

A growing number of universities are expanding programs with increased use of adjunct faculty. This research describes our experience developing and enacting a low-resource, scalable peer-to-peer p...
Non-cooperative Personnel Tracking with Cross Modality Learning in 5G-enabled Warehouse Application

Asset and personnel visibility is crucial for improving workflow efficiency and reducing waste in smart facility, e.g., warehouse applications. 5G networks and technologies provide the high bandwidth and low latency necessary for communicating and fusing multi-modality sensor data, such as high-definition video, time series with high temporal resolution. In this work, we propose to use cross modality learning to develop a self-learning system for locating and tracking indoor personnel with video and WiFi channel state information (CSI) data. We use video data and our computer vision system to provide location annotation automatically, and train a feedforward neural network model for WiFi CSI data in our localization algorithm. Our experimental results show that our localization system is capable of locating a person with submeter accuracy in real-time without laborious manual data annotation.
Peace Operation Success : A Comparative Analysis

Peace Operation Success: A Comparative Analysis addresses the critical need to understand when peace operations are effective and when they are failing, in order to identify the potential need for new approaches. In a field which often relies on vague benchmarks, editors Daniel Druckman and Paul Diehl offer one of the few systematic efforts at assessing peacekeeping success. The essays in this volumes use the framework provided in their award-winning book, Evaluating Peace Operations, for application to several recent cases of peace operations. The result is not only a greater understanding of those operations, but also a range of real world suggestions for how the framework might be tailored for use in different contexts.
Dynamic Testing: The Nature and Measurement of Learning Potential

Part I. Theoretical Framework: 1. Abilities as forms of developing expertise Part II. The Nature of Dynamic Testing: 2. An introduction to dynamic testing 3. A capsule history of dynamic testing Part III. Leading Modern Approaches to Dynamic Testing: 4. The approach of Feuerstein 5. The approach of Budoff 6. Diverse approaches to dynamic testing 7. A three-prong approach to dynamic testing Part IV. Two Case Studies using Dynamic Testing: 8. Using dynamic testing to reveal hidden potential 9. Combining instruction with assessment: measuring foreign-language learning ability 10. Measurement aspects of dynamic testing: quantifying change Epilogue.
Re/Framing Virtual Conversational Partners: A Feminist Critique and Tentative Move Towards a New Design Paradigm

A major research agenda in HCI is the development of believable agents. Because believability has become linked to gendered personification, designers have relied on stereotypes for both the physical rendering and verbal responses of these agents. Conversational agents are even scripted to handle "abuse" in stereotypical ways. Such scripting, however, often escalates the abuse. While the demand for anthropomorphized agents may necessitate a reliance on bodily stereotypes, the verbal responses of the agents need not be scripted according to gendered expectations. We explore the design of conversational agents as a rhetorical enterprise that can deconstruct overtly gendered patterns of interaction.
Elliptic Curves in Cryptography

In the past few years elliptic curve cryptography has moved from a fringe activity to a major challenger to the dominant RSA/DSA systems. Elliptic curves offer major advances on older systems such as increased speed, less memory and smaller key sizes. As digital signatures become more and more important in the commercial world the use of elliptic curve-based signatures will become all pervasive. This book summarizes knowledge built up within Hewlett-Packard over a number of years, and explains the mathematics behind practical implementations of elliptic curve systems. Due to the advanced nature of the mathematics there is a high barrier to entry for individuals and companies to this technology. Hence this book will be invaluable not only to mathematicians wanting to see how pure mathematics can be applied but also to engineers and computer scientists wishing (or needing) to actually implement such systems.
Incorporating Outdoor Education into the Physical Education Curriculum

Low motivation to participate in traditional or team sports, apathy toward competitive environments, and a low rate of transfer of skills to lifetime activities and wellness can be barriers for student pursuits of lifelong fitness. Adding an outdoor component can be a solution for some of these problems, while still accomplishing the National Standards. This article offers a sample two- to four-week outdoor education plan that can be modified for any K-12 physical education program.
The economy of T-cell memory: CD4+ recession in times of CD8+ stability?

Although systemic viral infection gives rise to robust responses from both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, there are striking differences as well as similarities in the way the two classes of lymphocyte cells react. Insights into the patterns of response by each type of T cell could lead to the development of new therapeutics that enhance or suppress factors governing CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell immunity. (pages 913–919)
Can we trust the transgenic mouse? insights from computer simulations

Over the past several decades, the mouse has gained prominence in the cardiac electrophysiology literature as the animal model of choice. Using computer models of the mouse and human ECG, this paper is a step toward understanding when themouse succeeds and fails to mimic functional changes resulting from disease states and drug interactions.
Class Matters: Inequality, SES, Education and Childhood in the USA and Canada Today

This article examines recent trends in childhood and youth policy, political socialization, and civic education in the USA and Canada since 2000. It examines some of the current trends (such as pol...
Functional morphology of the primate head and neck

The vertebral column plays a key role in maintaining posture, locomotion, and transmitting loads between body components. Cervical vertebrae act as a bridge between the torso and head and play a crucial role in the maintenance of head position and the visual field. Despite its importance in positional behaviors, the functional morphology of the cervical region remains poorly understood, particularly in comparison to the thoracic and lumbar sections of the spinal column. This study tests whether morphological variation in the primate cervical vertebrae correlates with differences in postural behavior. Phylogenetic generalized least-squares analyses were performed on a taxonomically broad sample of 26 extant primate taxa to test the link between vertebral morphology and posture. Kinematic data on primate head and neck postures were used instead of behavioral categories in an effort to provide a more direct analysis of our functional hypothesis. Results provide evidence for a function-form link between cervical vertebral shape and postural behaviors. Specifically, taxa with more pronograde heads and necks and less kyphotic orbits exhibit cervical vertebrae with longer spinous processes, indicating increased mechanical advantage for deep nuchal musculature, and craniocaudally longer vertebral bodies and more coronally oriented zygapophyseal articular facets, suggesting an emphasis on curve formation and maintenance within the cervical lordosis, coupled with a greater resistance to translation and ventral displacement. These results not only document support for functional relationships in cervical vertebrae features across a wide range of primate taxa, but highlight the utility of quantitative behavioral data in functional investigations. Am J Phys Anthropol 156:531–542, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An empirical investigation of privacy breach perceptions among smartphone application users

We explore factors that affect perceptions of privacy breach among mobile app users.We evaluate how the type of information and legal contracts affect perceptions of a privacy breach.We develop and operationalize a new construct: perceived privacy breach.We find that not all privacy breaches are alike.Legal contracts only partially reduce perceptions of a privacy breach. This study examines four factors affecting perceptions of privacy breach among smartphone application users. The four factors drawn from psychological contract theory are: the type of information perceived to be misappropriated by the application, the presence of a legal agreement giving application developers rights to use the information, the source of information suggesting that a privacy breach may have occurred and the application type (free or paid). An experimental examination of these factors indicates that perceptions of misappropriation of financial information are more distressing than perceived misappropriation of geo-location data. In addition, the existence of legal contracts giving application developers rights to information only partially attenuates perceptions of privacy breach among application users. This study offers a novel theoretical perspective toward understanding perceptions of privacy breaches and it shows that privacy breach perceptions vary according to the characteristics of the breach. At the methodological level, this study offers a new focal construct to measure perceived privacy breach. At a practical level, the empirical results highlight the limitations of legal contracts in preventing perceptions of privacy breach.
ShardFS vs. IndexFS: replication vs. caching strategies for distributed metadata management in cloud storage systems

The rapid growth of cloud storage systems calls for fast and scalable namespace processing. While few commercial file systems offer anything better than federating individually non-scalable namespace servers, a recent academic file system, IndexFS, demonstrates scalable namespace processing based on client caching of directory entries and permissions (directory lookup state) with no per-client state in servers. In this paper we explore explicit replication of directory lookup state in all servers as an alternative to caching this information in all clients. Both eliminate most repeated RPCs to different servers in order to resolve hierarchical permission tests. Our realization for server replicated directory lookup state, ShardFS, employs a novel file system specific hybrid optimistic and pessimistic concurrency control favoring single object transactions over distributed transactions. Our experimentation suggests that if directory lookup state mutation is a fixed fraction of operations (strong scaling for metadata), server replication does not scale as well as client caching, but if directory lookup state mutation is proportional to the number of jobs, not the number of processes per job, (weak scaling for metadata), then server replication can scale more linearly than client caching and provide lower 70 percentile response times as well.
Formal and informal academic language socialization of a bilingual child

This ethnographic case study examines a bilingual child's academic socialization in both formal and informal academic communities. The study follows a high-achieving, bilingual student in a public US elementary school, who paradoxically is seen as a slow learner in her Korean-American Sunday school. From the academic socialization and community of practice perspectives, 360 contextual, interactional, and interview events gathered from both communities over the course of one year are analyzed. The findings indicate that explicit norms and peer collaboration have a considerable effect on a child's socialization in a formal academic school context, and furthermore, that the lenient, undisciplined environment and diverse language ideologies present in an informal bilingual academic context, such as a church's Sunday school, also considerably influence a child's socialization. This paper discusses how a bilingual child constructs multilingual and multicultural competences and identities through diverse and eve...
Salt Hardiness and Dye Reduction by Potato Tissue and Mitochondrial Fractions as Influenced by Previous Storage of the Tubers

Oxygen uptake and tetrazolium reduction occurred at higher rates in discs from potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) stored at 0° than in discs from tubers stored at 12.8°. Tetrazolium reduction was at a higher rate in mitochondrial fractions from tubers stored at 0° than in mitochondrial fractions from tubers stored at 12.8°. These physiological activities were more resistant to hypertonic KCl treatments in tissue and mitochondrial fractions from tubers stored at 0° than in tissue and mitochondrial fractions from tubers stored at 12.8°. Inhibition of O2 uptake and tetrazolium reduction progressively increased with increasing concentrations of KCl for tissue and mitochondrial fractions from tubers stored at 0 and 12.8°, but inhibition was more severe and occurred at lower concentrations of KCl for the material from tubers stored at 12.8°. Tissue from tubers stored at 0° was at the same time more sensitive to hypotonic solutions and more resistant to hypertonic solutions than corresponding tissue from tubers stored at 12.8°. Adaptive changes brought on in the tubers by the stress of cold storage were demonstrated in the discs and mitochondrial fractions prepared from cold-stored tubers.
A shock tube study of the reaction of methyl radicals with hydroxyl radicals

The reaction of CH3 with OH has been studied near 1200 K and 1 atmosphere pressure in shock tube experiments in which UV absorption was used to monitor [OH]. A rate coefficient of (1.1 ± 0.3) × 1013 cm3/mol-s was measured for removal of OH by CH3. This measured value is compared with previous experimental data and calculations. Several possible reaction channels are discussed, and although products were not monitored, it seems probable, on the basis of other work and theoretical estimates, that the primary mechanism (≃75%) for the removal of OH by CH3 at these conditions is their combination to form CH3OH. Rate coefficients of (5.3 ± 0.8) × 1012 and (9.0 ± 1.4) × 1012 cm3/mol-s were measured for the reactions of OH with acetone and ethane, respectively, at the same temperature and pressure.
On maintenance scheduling of production units

Abstract A typical maintenance scheduling problem is presented as a large-scale mixed integer nonlinear programming case. Several relaxations of the conditions of variables and constraints are discussed. The optimal solution of the models based on these relaxations is viewed as the lower bound of the optimal solution in the original problem. A combined implicit enumeration and branch-and-bound algorithm is used. Typical dimension of the problems for which computational experience is reported is 25 production units in the system. 19 of these are to be maintained and a planning horizon of 52 weeks with 5 types of hours per week. The corresponding dimensions of the model are about 5700 constraints, 700 binary variables and 6500 nonlinear separable variables.
The time dependence of reference pressure in limited region available potential energy budget equations

In previous papers Smith (1969) and Vincent & Chang (1973) have formulated available potential energy (APE) budget equations in pressure coordinates applicable to fixed and moving systems. A subtle aspect of these formulations is that the Lagrangian derivative of the global reference pressure is zero, dp ,/ dt = 0. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1977.tb00759.x
Steve Smale and the prehistory of the Midwest Dynamical Systems Conference

Late in the summer of 1958 Mauricio Peixoto met Steve Smale in Princeton, New Jersey to discuss structural stability. If this meeting had not occurred it is unlikely that the Midwest Dynamical Systems Conference (MWDS) would exist today. If it did exist then the substance of the talks and the roster of participants would be profoundly different. This paper will follow the Smale thread from its beginning, through the seminal meeting with Peixoto, and assess its considerable impact on the birth and formative years of the MWDS. A good overall reference is the Smalefest Proceedings [1]. Among the articles in this celebration of Smale’s 60th birthday are retrospective pieces by Peixoto [2] and Smale [3] and excellent surveys of Steve’s work in dynamical systems [4] and topology [5]. Other general references are the biography of Smale [6] and his collected works [7]. Further mathematical substance and references are available in [8].