cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chebyshev Expansion of Linear and Piecewise Linear Dynamic Systems With Time Delay and Periodic Coefficients Under Control Excitations

In this paper, a new efficient method is proposed to obtain the transient response of linear or piecewise linear dynamic systems with time delay and periodic coefficients under arbitrary control excitations via Chebyshev polynomial expansion. Since the time domain can be divided into intervals with length equal to the delay period, at each such interval the fundamental solution matrix for the corresponding periodic ordinary differential equation (without delay) is constructed in terms of shifted Chebyshev polynomials by using a previous technique that reduces the problem to a set of linear algebraic equations. By employing a convolution integral formula, the solution for each interval can be directly obtained in terms of the fundamental solution matrix. In addition, by combining the properties of the periodic system and Floquet theory, the computational processes are simplified and become very efficient. An alternate version, which does not employ Floquet theory, is also presented. Several examples of time-periodic delay systems, when the excitation period is equal to or larger than the delay period and for linear and piecewise linear systems, are studied. The numerical results obtained via this method are compared with those obtained from Matlab DDE23 software (Shampine, L. F., and Thompson, S., 2001, ‘‘Solving DDEs in MATLAB,’’ Appl. Numer. Math.,37(4), pp. 441‐458.) An error bound analysis is also included. It is found that this method efficiently provides accurate results that find general application in areas such as machine tool vibrations and parametric control of robotic systems. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1570449#
Stochastic regularization of quantum field theory

Abstract The equivalence between a D-dimensional classical field theory coupled to an external random source having Gaussian correlations and its D−2 dimensional quantum counterpart was established. Utilizing this equivalence, a regularization procedure for scalar theories is developed. The regularization amounts to a compacification of the extra two dimensions. The regularization scheme is interpreted in terms of superpropagator modifications.
Treatment of poisoning by soman

The efficacies of a number of drug treatment combinations in protecting guinea pigs against the lethal and incapacitating effects of soman (and sarin) have been determined. Incapacitation was studied using a swimming test which is a measure of gross motor performance. The drug combinations employed had no effect on the swimming performance of unpoisoned animals. Pyridostigmine pretreatment supported by postpoisoning therapy with atropine, pralidoxime mesylate (P2S), and diazepam protected guinea pigs against the lethal actions of soman and sarin, but the treatment was less effective in protecting against the agent-induced decrements in swimming performance. Replacing pyridostigmine (a quaternary carbamate) by physostigmine (which readily enters the CNS) and introducing aprophen (an anti-cholinergic drug with a range of pharmacological actions) improved the protection achieved against both lethality and incapacitation. When the postpoisoning therapy was omitted, pretreatment with physostigmine and aprophen (or some other anti-cholinergic drug) gave significant levels of protection against both soman- and sarin-induced lethality and incapacitation. It is concluded that a number of different pharmacological actions are required to antagonize nerve agent-induced incapacitation and that they, and their relative importance, remain to be identified.
Comparison of the results of bibliographic coupling and analytic subject indexing

A detailed comparison of how 334 papers in Vol. 112 of Physical Review form related groups according to two criteria of relatedness. The criteria are: (1) the Analytic Subject Index as used by the editors of the Physical Review; and (2) the method of Bibliographic Coupling. The similarities and differences between the groups thus formed are illustrated and discussed.
Synthesis of conjugated Schiff‐base polymers

Attempts to synthesize conjugated polymers with cyanine dyes attached to the conjugated backbone are described. The experimental approach is to prepare and characterize conjugated polymers with attached quinolinium ions and then to convert these to dyes by reaction with lepidinium methiodide. Aromatic Schiff-base polymers were chosen as the conjugated backbone. Since unsubstituted Schiff bases show very little conjugation, a series of model compounds and model polymers were prepared and their electronic spectra were determined in order to correlate the effect of substituents on electron delocalization. Efforts are being made to prepare high molecular weight polymers by a Schiff-base exchange reaction. The syntheses of various monomers for the Schiff-base exchange reaction are described.
Characterization of Internal Salts by Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry

Abstract An intermolecular alkyl transfer reaction which leads to an ion-pair has been observed for internal salts of different structural classes analyzed by Laser Mass Spectrometry. Ion pair production during this reaction has been detected by both positive and negative ion laser desorption mass spectrometry. Negative ion laser desorption mass spectra of high intensity, complementing information obtained from positive ion laser desorption mass spectra, are comparable to the results from field desorption mass spectrometry.
Reviews of Science for Science Librarians: Boning Up on Flores Man

In 2003, a team of anthropologists made the shocking discovery of some very unusual skeletal remains at a cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia. The team had discovered a group of tiny bipedal human-like hominins who survived on Flores until very recently, overlapping with modern humans. This new hominin has been dubbed Homo floresiensis, and nicknamed “hobbit” due to its diminutive stature. The purpose of this article is to acquaint readers with our small relatives, review the current state of knowledge about them, and identify the top databases, journals, monographs, and other resources providing coverage of this topic.
Hydraulic and Physical Properties of Stony Soils in a Small Watershed

The presence of rock fragments in soil layers can have a profound impact on measured hydraulic properties. Variation of surface soil hydraulic properties influences the amount, distribution, and routing of overland flow. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of rock fragments and soil texture on infiltration, hydraulic conductivity, and related physical properties in soils of a small watershed in northwestern Arkansas. Single-ring and tension infiltrometer measurements at three pressure heads (h = -0.03, -0.06, and -0.12 m) were completed on the surface soil layer at 42 sites along three transects crossing the watershed. Upland (Nixa, loamy-skeletal, siliceous, active, mesic Glossic Fragiudults) and side slope (Clarksville, loamyskeletal, siliceous, semiactive, mesic Typic Paleudults) soils had significantly less rock fragments, lower infiltration rates (i), and lower hydraulic conductivities (K) at and near saturation compared with the valley bottom soil (Razort, fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Mollic Hapludalfs). Average infiltration rate at h = -0.03 m for all soils was only 9% of the ponded value suggesting that pores >1 mm in diameter dominated water flow under saturated conditions. At saturation, hydraulic properties tended to increase with rock fragment content while, at h = -0.12, the opposite was true. It is hypothesized that the source of rock fragments (weathering In place vs. colluvial and alluvial origin) and contact with the surrounding fine-earth fraction influence water flow by affecting hydraulic continuity near fragment surfaces. These relatively subtle morphological factors may have a disproportionate impact on water flow under near-saturation conditions in these soils.
Social desirability scales and theories of suicide: Correlations with alienation and self-consciousness

Abstract Edwards but not Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scores influence the predictability of suicidal intent. If this effect occurs because the Edwards Scale records a substantive trait rather than a response set, then it should display predictable associations with variables that are relevant to theories of suicide. In line with the work of Durkheim (Suicide, 1897/1951) and Baumeister (Psychological Review, 97, 90–113 1990), the present studies revealed that Edwards and Marlowe-Crowne scales correlated with greater social integration, healthier self-functioning, and reduced self-consciousness. Many of these outcomes were more robust for the Edwards Scale, but the Edwards Scale also was more internally reliable. Overall, these data supported the Durkheimian conclusion that if certain forms of suicide result from society's insufficient influence on the individual, then social desirability scales may operationalize society's sufficient representation within the personality.
Blind Estimation of General Tip Shape in Atomic Force Microscopy

The use of a flared tip and bi-directional servo control in some recent atomic force microscopes (AFM) has made it possible for these advanced AFMs to image structures of general shapes with undercuts and reentrant surfaces. Since AFM images are distorted representation of sample surfaces due to the dilation (a.k.a. convolution) produced by the finite size of the probe, it is necessary to obtain the tip shape in order to correct such tip distortion. This paper presents an approach that can for the first time estimate general three-dimensional tip shape from its scanned image in these AFMs. It extends one existing blind tip estimation method to the dexel representation, a computer representation that can represent general 3D shapes. As such, it can estimate general tip shapes, including undercuts or reentrant features.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Patterns of plant visitation by nectar-feeding lizards

Geckos in the genus Hoplodactylus visit flowers to feed on nectar. I examined the patterns of flower visitation exhibited by two gecko species (H. maculatus and H. duvauceli) having access to two plant species: pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa: Myrtaceae) and flax (Phormium tenax: Agavaceae). Individual geckos were not observed to visit both plant species; individuals visiting flax tended to revisit the same plant. Geckos visiting pohutukawa were larger than those visiting flax and exhibited an early night peak in plant visitation, while lizards on flax displayed a more even pattern of activity throughout the night. On flax, geckos were more likely to be found on plants with a greater number of male flowers. Male flax flowers were of greater diameter than female flowers and produced nectar at higher rates and with greater concentrations of sugars. Experimental manipulation of pohutukawa nectar volumes suggested that the distribution of geckos is influenced by the pattern of nectar availability.
Automated analysis and annotation of basketball video

Automated analysis and annotation of video sequences are important for digital video libraries, content-based video browsing and data mining projects. A successful video annotation system should provide users with useful video content summary in a reasonable processing time. Given the wide variety of video genres available today, automatically extracting meaningful video content for annotation still remains hard by using current available techniques. However, a wide range video has inherent structure such that some prior knowledge about the video content can be exploited to improve our understanding of the high-level video semantic content. In this paper, we develop tools and techniques for analyzing structured video by using the low-level information available directly from MPEG compressed video. Being able to work directly in the video compressed domain can greatly reduce the processing time and enhance storage efficiency. As a testbed, we have developed a basketball annotation system which combines the low-level information extracted from MPEG stream with the prior knowledge of basketball video structure to provide high level content analysis, annotation and browsing for events such as wide- angle and close-up views, fast breaks, steals, potential shots, number of possessions and possession times. We expect our approach can also be extended to structured video in other domains.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
High-resolution still picture compression☆

We shall consider the problem of storing, transmitting, and manipulating digital electronic images. Because of the file sizes involved, transmitting images will always consume large amounts of bandwidth, and storing images will always require hefty resources. Because of the large number N of pixels in a high-resolution image, manipulation of digital images is infeasible without low-complexity algorithms, i.e., O(N) or 0( N log(N) ) . Our goal is to describe some new methods which are firmly grounded in harmonic analysis and the mathematical theory of function spaces, which promise to combine effective image compression with low-complexity image processing. We shall take a broad perspective, but we shall also compare specific new algorithms to the state of the art. Roughly speaking, most image compression algorithms split into three parts: invertible transformation, lossy quantization or rank reduction, and entropy coding (or redundancy removal). There are a few algorithms which differ fundamentally from this scheme, e.g., the collage coding algorithm [ 41, or pure vector quantization of the pixels. The former uses a deep observation that pictures of natural objects exhibit self-similarity at different scales; we prefer to avoid relying on this phenomenon, since our images may not be “natural.” The latter uses a complex algorithm to build a superefficient empirical vocabulary to describe an ensemble of images; we prefer to avoid training our algorithm with any sample of images, to avoid the problem of producing a sufficiently large and suitable ensemble. There has emerged an international standard for picture compression, promulgated by the Joint Photo-
Practical software reuse for IBM System z I/O subsystems

The design and implementation of the z/VM® SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) I/O subsystem is described, z/VM is an operating system that provides multiple virtual IBM System zTM machines on a single IBM System z computer. The approach adopted herein allows the reuse of entire device drivers from AIX 5LTM, a completely different operating system, essentially unchanged. AIX 5L is the IBM UNIX® operating system for the IBM System pTM platform. The design, and much of the implemented code that allows the incorporation of such "foreign" device drivers, is independent of both z/VM and AIX 5L and could potentially be used in other operating system environments.
SHORT HYPOCOTYL UNDER BLUE1 Truncations and Mutations Alter Its Association with a Signaling Protein Complex in Arabidopsis

Higher plants monitor their ambient light signals through red/far-red absorbing phytochromes and blue/UV-A light absorbing cryptochromes. Subsequent signaling cascades alter gene expression and initiate morphogenic responses. We previously isolated SHORT HYPOCOTYL UNDER BLUE1 (SHB1), a putative transcriptional coactivator in light signaling. SHB1 is homologous to the SYG1 protein family and contains an N-terminal SPX domain and a C-terminal EXS domain. Overaccumulation of the SPX domain caused a long hypocotyl phenotype similar to that of shb1-D under red, far-red, or blue light. By contrast, overaccumulation of the C-terminal EXS domain led to a short hypocotyl phenotype similar to that of shb1 under blue light. The N-terminal SPX domain was associated with a smaller protein complex than the native protein complex associated with endogenous SHB1. By contrast, the EXS domain was associated with a slightly smaller protein complex than the native protein complex, but it largely displaced endogenous SHB1 from its native protein complex. In addition, all six missense mutations that we identified from a suppressor screen were clustered within or close to the SPX domain, and these mutations impaired the assembly of the SHB1-containing protein complex. We propose that both SPX and EXS domains likely anchor SHB1 to a protein complex, and the SPX domain is critical for SHB1 signaling.
Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis without the Ergodic Assumption

INTRODUCTION An ergodic process is a random process in which the distribution of a random variable in space is the same as the distribution of that same random variable at a single point when sampled as a function of time. An ergodic assumption is commonly made in probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). A regression analysis is used to obtain a mean curve to predict ground motion as a function of magnitude and distance (and sometimes other parameters). The standard deviation of this ground-motion regression is determined mainly by the misfit between observations and the corresponding predicted ground motions at multiple stations for a small number of well recorded earthquakes. Thus, the standard deviation of the ground-motion regression is dominantly related to the statistics of the spatial variability of the ground motions. An ergodic assumption is made when PSHA treats that spatial uncertainty of ground motions as an uncertainty over time...
Service Sweethearting: Its Antecedents and Customer Consequences

Abstract This research is the first to examine service sweethearting, an illicit behavior that costs firms billions of dollars annually in lost revenues. Sweethearting occurs when frontline workers give unauthorized free or discounted goods and services to customer conspirators. The authors gather dyadic data from 171 service employees and 610 of their customers. The results from the employee data reveal that a variety of job, social, and remuneration factors motivate sweethearting behavior and several measurable employee traits suppress its frequency. The results from the customer data indicate that although sweethearting inflates a firm's satisfaction, loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth scores by as much as 9%, satisfaction with the confederate employee fully mediates these effects. Thus, any benefits for customer satisfaction or loyalty initiatives are tied to a frontline worker that the firm would rather not employ. Marketing managers can use this study to recognize job applicants or company settings...
Three Readings of D. Butin’s Commentary

This response explores three different ways to “read” Butin’s commentary—reading with insistence, reading for resistance, and reading beyond—and argues that each reading makes possible different contributions to anti-oppressive educational research and practice.
Plasticity in eucaryotic 20S proteasome ring assembly revealed by a subunit deletion in yeast.

The 20S proteasome is made up of four stacked heptameric rings, which in eucaryotes assemble from 14 different but related subunits. The rules governing subunit assembly and placement are not understood. We show that a different kind of proteasome forms in yeast when the Pre9/α3 subunit is deleted. Purified pre9Δ proteasomes show a two-fold enrichment for the Pre6/α4 subunit, consistent with the presence of an extra copy of Pre6 in each outer ring. Based on disulfide engineering and structure-guided suppressor analyses, Pre6 takes the position normally occupied by Pre9, a substitution that depends on a network of intersubunit salt bridges. When Arabidopsis PAD1/α4 is expressed in yeast, it complements not only pre6Δ but also pre6Δ pre9Δ mutants; therefore, the plant α4 subunit also can occupy multiple positions in a functional yeast proteasome. Importantly, biogenesis of proteasomes is delayed at an early stage in pre9Δ cells, suggesting an advantage for Pre9 over Pre6 incorporation at the α3 position that facilitates correct assembly.
A Simulation Study of Administrators' Behavior Toward Employees Who Receive Job Offers1

Subjects received descriptions of hypothetical employees who received job offers from another company. Employees who received more attractive job offers were given higher counteroffers by subjects, who also attributed higher inputs to them. Subjects' treatment of nonproductive employees depended on organizational personnel policy. Those who were told to follow a policy of weeding out nonproductive employees gave low counteroffers to such employees, presumably to encourage them to quit. When permitted t o follow their own discretion, male subjects behaved as if they wanted to be rid of nonproductive employees, whereas female subjects behaved as if they wanted to retain such employees. The results indicate that administrators may perceive job offers to employees as either a threat to organizational stability or an opportunity to rid themselves of unwanted employees.
Why are “what” and “where” processed by separate cortical visual systems? a computational investigation

In the primate visual system, the identification of objects and the processing of spatial information are accomplished by different cortical pathways. The computational properties of this “two-systems” design were explored by constructing simplifying connectionist models. The models were designed to simultaneously classify and locate shapes that could appear in multiple positions in a matrix, and the ease of forming representations of the two kinds of information was measured. Some networks were designed so that all hidden nodes projected to all output nodes, whereas others had the hidden nodes split into two groups, with some projecting to the output nodes that registered shape identity and the remainder projecting to the output nodes that registered location. The simulations revealed that splitting processing into separate streams for identifying and locating a shape led to better performance only under some circumstances. Provided that enough computational resources were available in both streams, split networks were able to develop more efficient internal representations, as revealed by detailed analyses of the patterns of weights between connections.
Utilization of papanicolaou smears by South Asian women living in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: Papanicolaou (Pap) smears are an underutilized screening modality among racial and ethnic minorities. However, no data exist on Pap smear utilization among South Asians, a rapidly growing population in the United States, whose country of origin includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. We determined rates and identified variables associated with Pap smear receipt by South Asians. DESIGN: A self-administered survey instrument was mailed to a random sample of South Asians nationwide over a 3-month time period. South Asian households were identified by surnames that were used to search white pages in telephone directories, Department of Motor Vehicle records, and voter registries. Questions regarding Pap smear receipt were taken from the 1999 National Health Interview Survey. Socio-demographic information and measures of acculturation were obtained. PARTICIPANTS: A nationwide nonprobability sample of South Asian women. INTERVENTION: Cross-sectional observational study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The overall response rate was 42%. In this sample, South Asians belonged to a high socioeconomic strata (SES), with 45% having a household income of >$80,000 and 42% having a master’s degree. Three quarters of the respondents (73%) reported having a Pap smear in the last 3 years. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, South Asian women had greater odds of having had a Pap smear if they were married (P<.001), more educated (P=.004), had a usual source of care (P=.002), and were more acculturated (P=.004). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high SES of South Asian women, their rates of Pap smear receipt were lower than national recommendations. Marital status, socioeconomic status, and acculturation are all associated with Pap smear receipt. South Asian communities should be targeted for outreach to promote Pap smear utilization.
Daptomycin-reversible rifampicin resistance in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium

Objectives: In a previous study, we observed marked synergy between daptomycin and rifampicin against 73% of rifampicin-resistant, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), with approximately 100-fold reductions in rifampicin MICs observed at one-eighth to one-fourth daptomycin MIC. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the synergy between daptomycin and rifampicin could be explained by enhanced entry of rifampicin into the cell or was related to amino acid substitutions in the rifampicin-binding site in the b subunit (rpob) of the RNA polymerase. Methods: We developed a bioassay for rifampicin to measure cell-bound rifampicin levels as well as metabolic inactivation of rifampicin. In addition, we sequenced the rifampicin-binding site in the rpob of VRE strains with and without synergy between daptomycin and rifampicin. Results: Cell-bound rifampicin levels were the same in rifampicin-susceptible VRE as in rifampicinresistant VRE showing daptomycin synergy and were not affected by the presence of daptomycin. In contrast, rifampicin-resistant VRE without daptomycin synergy had undetectable cell-bound rifampicin. Sequencing the rpob rifampicin-binding site revealed that the synergistic strains had the same sequence as rifampicin-susceptible wild-type E. faecium. The daptomycin synergy-resistant strains all had mutations in known rifampicin-binding sites. Conclusions: Daptomycin is able to reverse rifampicin resistance in some strains of VRE, but the mechanism could not be explained by an effect of daptomycin on entry of rifampicin into or transport out of the cell, by inactivation of rifampicin or by mutation involving the rifampicin-binding site.
Data-Driven Planning: Using Assessment in Strategic Planning

Adopting the practice of systematically and strategically gathering data to inform the development and implementation of a strategic plan will ensure its achievement. This chapter presents a combination of techniques for student affairs professionals to conduct data-driven planning.
Values in Conflict: Hospital Culture Shock

The individual who becomes a patient brings to the health care setting needs, values, and life style founded on highly individualistic personal history and experience. The process of health care and the manner in which it is negotiated is largely controlled by the health professional. Success or failure of treatment and ultimate progress of the patient may depend upon resolution of a fundamental conflict of values between patient and care-giver.
Knowledge and assumptions

When epistemologists talk about knowledge, the discussions traditionally include only a small class of other epistemic notions: belief, justification, probability, truth. In this paper, we propose that epistemologists should include an additional epistemic notion into the mix, namely the notion of assuming or taking for granted. Our starting point is pre-theoretical. We don't aim to show that current theories of knowledge are forced to take assumptions into account. Nor will we present a particular theory of knowledge. Our goal is to illustrate, in broad strokes, the epistemological picture you end up with when you start in a different place, one which we think is ordinary and straightforward. We begin by spelling out the ordinary and straightforward picture. After clarifying the notion of assumption that we appeal to, we go on to show how this picture can handle certain problems facing theories of knowledge that do not appeal to assumptions.
Influences of Chloroform Exposure Time and Soil Water Content on C and N Release in Forest Soils

We investigated the influence of fumigation conditions of the chloroform fumigation‐ extraction method on the release of extractable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) from organic and mineral soil horizons of 11 mature forests. Soil samples were fumigated with chloroform vapor for 1, 3, 5, or 10 d at two different water contents: field moist or field capacity (233 kPa matric potential). We found that for approximately half our soils, 0.5 M K2SO4-extractable N and C reached a maximum after 1 d of fumigation. The effect of soil wetting on C and N flushes from O horizons was variable but in mineral soils, increasing the soil water content generally resulted in more extractable C and N following fumigation. For the majority of soils assessed, increasing the soil water content did not change the fumigation time necessary to generate the maximum C or N flush. Observed changes in the C/N ratios of the fumigation flush with changes in fumigation time and the sensitivity of this C/N ratio to changes in soil water content suggest that different fumigation conditions may result in different organic pools being extracted. These effects appear to be extremely soil specific. We recommend that the effects of fumigation time and water content be evaluated before the C and N flushes from the fumigation extraction method are used to assess differences in microbial C and N among contrasting forest soils. q 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Design considerations for stable amorphous silicon and silicon-germanium solar cells

The effects of degradation of the electronic properties of a-Si:H and a-(Si,Ge):H alloys on light soaking on the device physics of the a-Si and a-(Si,Ge) cells are examined. It is shown that both the decrease in mobility-lifetime products and the decrease in electric field in the middle of the device contribute to the rapid decrease in fill factor. To the authors propose using a novel graded bandgap scheme, where the grading in the bandgap is in the middle of the device. The feasibility of fabricating such devices is examined. >
Diagnosis and management of nasal fractures

The nasal bony–cartilaginous framework provides support to the nose and maintains airway patency. The cartilaginous and bony components are both susceptible to fracture. Nasal fractures are one of the most common facial injuries, occurring across a broad spectrum of age groups. Inadequate acute injury treatment can lead to persistent airway obstruction and nasal deformities that are subsequently more difficult to correct. Herein we discuss common presentations of nasal fractures, classifications, and options for treatment.
Improving Health in Low-Income Communities With Group Texting

Research on digital glocalization has found that Internet communication, which enables communication across distances, also enhances local ties. As a first-time test of this on mobile devices, a neighborhood texting intervention was employed in New York City public housing. Results of this 3-month field experiment revealed that intervention participants reported better health but worse neighborhood cohesion compared to those in the control condition. Qualitative analysis of texts and interviews suggests that participation improved interpersonal ties but did not improve neighborhood ties. Findings expand glocalization research to encompass mobile contexts and health outcomes, and support a theory of networked individualism, which argues that digital groups should be conceptualized as a compilation of overlapping interpersonal ties.
Improving Electoral Integrity with Information and Communications Technology

Irregularities plague elections in developing democracies. The international community spends hundreds of millions of dollars on election observation, with little robust evidence that it consistently improves electoral integrity. We conducted a randomized control trial to measure the effect of an intervention to detect and deter electoral irregularities employing a nation-wide sample of polling stations in Uganda using scalable information and communications technology (ICT). In treatment stations, researchers delivered letters to polling officials stating that tallies would be photographed using smartphones and compared against official results. Compared to stations with no letters, the letters increased the frequency of posted tallies by polling center managers in compliance with the law; decreased the number of sequential digits found on tallies – a fraud indicator; and decreased the vote share for the incumbent president in some specifications. Our results demonstrate that a cost-effective citizen and ICT intervention can improve electoral integrity in emerging democracies.
From Correlation to Causality: Statistical Approaches to Learning Regulatory Relationships in Large-Scale Biomolecular Investigations

Causal inference, the task of uncovering regulatory relationships between components of biomolecular pathways and networks, is a primary goal of many high-throughput investigations. Statistical associations between observed protein concentrations can suggest an enticing number of hypotheses regarding the underlying causal interactions, but when do such associations reflect the underlying causal biomolecular mechanisms? The goal of this perspective is to provide suggestions for causal inference in large-scale experiments, which utilize high-throughput technologies such as mass-spectrometry-based proteomics. We describe in nontechnical terms the pitfalls of inference in large data sets and suggest methods to overcome these pitfalls and reliably find regulatory associations.
Liberal Irony vs. Self-Reliance: Can Emerson Humanize Rorty?

My paper reconsiders Richard Rorty’s much debated concept of liberal irony in light of his clarification of irony in Against Bosses, Against Oligarchies (2002). The more precise delineation of the public and private spheres that Rorty provides there leads, pace Nancy Fraser and others, to a vision of a vibrant, competitive public discourse, not a technocracy closed off to critical reflection about its liberal foundations. Rorty’s treatment of the public/private is nonetheless liable to a certain form of harm through redescription. While Rorty is aware of the potential cruelty of redescription, I show that he does not adequately isolate its precise source - the fact that an ironist redescribes things for others. Emersonian self-reliance, I argue, can help offset the negative implications of such impositional redescription. The paper offers a reading of Emerson which highlights self-reliance as redescription for oneself, and as a pain-minimizing defense against impositional redescription of others; additionally, it reveals the democratic, inclusive character of self-reliance in contrast to the elitist, intellectualist nature of Rortyan irony. This paper contributes to the growing scholarship on Rorty and Emerson as political theorists and to debates on representation and identity, bringing to the fore the oppressive and cruel effects that often attend attempts to liberate others.
Student-Faculty and Peer Interactions among Immigrant College Students in the United States.

This study examined student-faculty interactions and peer interactions among immigrant college students attending 4-year research universities in the United States. Using the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey completed by 58,000 undergraduate students from six large, public research universities, the researchers used analysis of variance and multiple linear regression analyses to explore differences between immigrant populations. The results suggest that there are significant differences between immigrant and non-immigrant college students with regard to their sense of belonging, faculty interactions, and peer interactions. There are also differences within immigrant waves and generational status. Implications and recommendations for educators in multicultural learning and teaching contexts are outlined.
What Predicts an Advanced-Stage Diagnosis of Breast Cancer? Sorting Out the Influence of Method of Detection, Access to Care, and Biologic Factors

Background: Multiple studies have yielded important findings regarding the determinants of an advanced-stage diagnosis of breast cancer. We seek to advance this line of inquiry through a broadened conceptual framework and accompanying statistical modeling strategy that recognize the dual importance of access-to-care and biologic factors on stage. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–sponsored Breast and Prostate Cancer Data Quality and Patterns of Care Study yielded a seven-state, cancer registry–derived population-based sample of 9,142 women diagnosed with a first primary in situ or invasive breast cancer in 2004. The likelihood of advanced-stage cancer (American Joint Committee on Cancer IIIB, IIIC, or IV) was investigated through multivariable regression modeling, with base-case analyses using the method of instrumental variables (IV) to detect and correct for possible selection bias. The robustness of base-case findings was examined through extensive sensitivity analyses. Results: Advanced-stage disease was negatively associated with detection by mammography ( P 40 ( P = 0.001), a HER2 type tumor ( P < 0.001), and tumor grade not well differentiated ( P < 0.001). This IV model detected and adjusted for significant selection effects associated with method of detection ( P = 0.02). Sensitivity analyses generally supported these base-case results. Conclusions: Through our comprehensive modeling strategy and sensitivity analyses, we provide new estimates of the magnitude and robustness of the determinants of advanced-stage breast cancer. Impact: Statistical approaches frequently used to address observational data biases in treatment-outcome studies can be applied similarly in analyses of the determinants of stage at diagnosis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(4); 613–23. ©2016 AACR .
Papel do cigarro eletrónico na cessação tabágica: uma revisão baseada na evidência

Objectives: To determine if electronic cigarettes are effective in smoking cessation. Data sources: MEDLINE databases; National Clearinghouse; Canadian Medical Association Practice Guidelines InfoBase; Guidelines Finder of the National Electronic Library for Health in the British NHS; Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness – Centre for Reviews and Dissemination; Bandolier; The Cochrane Library; Index of Portuguese Medical Journals. Review methods: Articles published between 01/07/2004 and 30/06/2014 using the MeSH term ‘smoking cessation’, the English terms ‘electronic cigarette(s)’, ‘e-cigarette(s)’, ‘e-cig(s)’ and the Portuguese terms ‘cessacao tabagica’ and ‘cigarro(s) ele(c)tronico(s)’. Studies that evaluated the smoking cessation in smokers exposed and not exposed to electronic cigarettes were included. ‘Strength-of-Recommendation Taxonomy’, ‘Jadad’ and ‘Newcastle-Ottawa’ scales were used to assess the quality of the studies and the strength of recommendations. Results: The search produced a list of 2,076 articles. Ten articles were excluded as duplicates, 2,005 were excluded after reading the title because they were not directly related to the topic, 47 were excluded after reading the summary, and 11 after reading the full text because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Three articles were included in this review. They were a systematic review, which included nine original studies [Level of Evidence (LE) 2], a classic review (LE 3), whose conclusions were unfavorable to the use of electronic cigarettes, and one cross-sectional study, which showed an increased use of electronic cigarettes compared to other therapies among those who stopped smoking (LE 3). Conclusions: Most studies found no association between use of electronic cigarettes and smoking cessation. The authors concluded that its use does not seem to play a beneficial role in smoking cessation (Strength of Recommendation B). Given the rapid expansion and growing popularity of these products, better quality studies are needed.
The Impact of the Fugitive Slave Law on Harrisburg: A Case Study

haw on Harrisburg: A Case Study The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 contributed to the growing antagonism between North and South in the final decade before the Civil War. Embittered by abolitionist agitation and a steady trickle of runaway slaves to the North, Southerners insisted that a strong federal fugitive slave law be included in the Compromise of 1850. In the end, the new measure did the Southern cause more harm than good. The failure of the law to stanch the flow of runaways disappointed slaveholders.1 The problem, they believed, was that Northerners in general refused to obey the law and that militant Northern extremists actively obstructed its enforcement. In this the Southerners were largely mistaken. Despite exceptions?some noto rious?the law was enforced. A 1968 study of more than 330 fugitive slave cases from all parts of the North between 1850 and 1860 revealed that federal commissioners remanded South over eighty per cent of all alleged fugitives brought before them. They released only six percent as free blacks. The other blacks escaped, or sympathizers "rescued" them from the authorities.
Bouncing back again, and again: a qualitative study of resilience in people with multiple sclerosis

Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning of resilience, factors facilitating resilience and barriers to resilience, from the perspective of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), their care partners and community stakeholders. Method We conducted four focus groups: two with middle-aged (36-62 years) individuals with MS [one with men (n = 6) and one with women (n = 6)], one for partners of individuals with MS (n = 11) and one with community stakeholders serving people with MS (n = 9). We asked participants to describe what resilience means to them, what factors facilitate resilience and what barriers to resilience they perceive. We analyzed the focus group transcripts for emerging themes and sub-themes. Results Participants found it difficult to generate a concise definition of resilience, but they generated evocative descriptions of the concept. Psychological adaptation, social connection, life meaning, planning and physical wellness emerged as facilitators of resilience. Resilience depletion, negative thoughts and feelings, social limitations, social stigma and physical fatigue emerged as barriers to resilience. Conclusion The unpredictable nature of MS can present unique challenges to resilient adjustment, especially during middle age. However, several factors can contribute to resilience and quality of life, and these factors are amenable to intervention. Implications for Rehabilitation Resilience is the capacity to bounce back and thrive when faced with challenges. People with MS develop resilience through psychological adaptation, social connection, life meaning, planning ahead and physical wellness. Barriers to resilience with MS include burnout, negative thoughts and feelings, social difficulties, stigma and fatigue. Interventions should address both individual and social factors that support resilience, such as promoting positive thinking, planning and engagement in meaningful activities.
Recognize, Avoid, Isolate, and Notify

Chapter 6 covers the use of the common acronym RAIN, which stands for recognize, avoid, isolate, and notify. This acronym is often used in first responder training and awareness programs for weapons of mass destruction. Not all acts of terrorism are overt. The text emphasizes that biological weapons may be covertly deployed, leaving no outward sign for days or weeks, until the first few cases begin to appear after the agent's incubation period. In this event, health-care professionals must be vigilant to note the signs and symptoms of the diseases that make Categories A, B, and C. Alternatively, there may be outward signs that a biological weapon has been deployed. As with the Amerithrax incident, the letters containing the agent came with a warning. Regardless, first responders and first receivers must be properly trained to protect themselves and contain the outbreak. The acronym RAIN provides a framework for guiding their actions. Recognition is the key to an effective response. Knowing that a problem exists precipitates a long list of actions from numerous agencies at all levels. The concept RAIN was introduced here so that it may be applied to the case studies that follow in chapter Case Studies .
Treating Fecal Incontinence An Unmet Need in Primary Care Medicine

Fecal incontinence affects up to 36% of primary care patients. Although effective treatments are available, doctors rarely screen for this condition and patients seldom volunteer complaints of fecal incontinence. Conservative management yields 60% improvement in symptoms and continence in 20% of patients. Referrals are currently being accepted for studies seeking to improve case detection and to support conservative management or self-care.
Experimental study of assembly foundation for transmission line tower in Taklimakan desert

In order to obtain the performance of assembly foundations composed by the concrete footing slab and steel angle column,which are used for the transmission line engineering in Taklimakan desert,the four in-site full-scale of two sizes tests on the bearing capacity of assembly foundations combined uplift with horizontal loadings are carried out.The curves of load-displacement both of footing slab and foundation top plane,and the soil pressure on the footing slab are all obtained.For the foundation top plane,combined the uplift with horizontal loadings,the curve of uplift loading-displacement develops slowly;and the curve of horizontal loading-displacement increases linearly.The anti-overturning bearing capacity of assembly foundation is weak because of light dead weight of the steel support frame and the loose property of aeolian sand.The assembly foundation composed by concrete footing slab and steel angle column has a good property of coordinated performance.Influence of horizontal loading on bearing capacity of assembly foundation is obvious.According to the test data of ultimate uplift bearing capacity,the average frictional resistance of aeolian sand is 2.6 kPa,which is calculated by mechanical model of prismatic fracture plane.
A New Model of Spreading Scientific and Technological Knowledge

Guizhou Museum of Science and Technology spreads knowledge of science and technology in the most vivid and direct way by using caravans as "mobile museums of science and technology" for the purpose of spreading scientific and technological knowledge,playing a role in spreading such knowledge to people,particularly young people,in mountainous areas.
Caspr2-reactive antibody cloned from a mother of an ASD child mediates an ASD-like phenotype in mice

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occurs in 1 in 68 births, preferentially affecting males. It encompasses a group of neurodevelopmental abnormalities characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, stereotypic behaviors and motor dysfunction. Although recent advances implicate maternal brain-reactive antibodies in a causative role in ASD, a definitive assessment of their pathogenic potential requires cloning of such antibodies. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of monoclonal brain-reactive antibodies from blood of women with brain-reactive serology and a child with ASD. We further demonstrate that male but not female mice exposed in utero to the C6 monoclonal antibody, binding to contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Caspr2), display abnormal cortical development, decreased dendritic complexity of excitatory neurons and reduced numbers of inhibitory neurons in the hippocampus, as well as impairments in sociability, flexible learning and repetitive behavior. Anti-Caspr2 antibodies are frequent in women with brain-reactive serology and a child with ASD. Together these studies provide a methodology for obtaining monclonal brain-reactive antibodies from blood B cells, demonstrate that ASD can result from in utero exposure to maternal brain-reactive antibodies of single specificity and point toward the exciting possibility of prognostic and protective strategies.