cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pricing Aggregate Queries in a Data Marketplace.

In a data marketplace, producers of data provide query answers to consumers in exchange for payment. A market for data allows capital to flow from data consumers to data producers. This helps to finance the costs of data collection and dissemination, thereby increasing the availability of data throughout society. While nascent data markets exist on the Web, they are currently limited in the pricing mechanisms and interactions they support. In this paper we propose new criteria for interactive pricing in a data market: price functions should be non-disclosive, arbitrage-free, and regret-free. We study the structure of price functions meeting these criteria, and distinguish between NP-complete and PTIME cases for computing a conforming price function.
Barriers to Human Milk Feeding at Discharge of Very Low–Birthweight Infants: Evaluation of Neighborhood Structural Factors

Abstract Background: Although 98% of mothers in our cohort initiated human milk (HM) provision for their very low–birthweight (VLBW) infants, fewer black infants received HM at neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge than non-black infants. This study examined neighborhood structural factors associated with HM feeding at discharge to identify potential barriers. Materials and Methods: Sociodemographic and HM data were prospectively collected for 410 VLBW infants and mothers. Geocoded addresses were linked to neighborhood structural factors. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted for the entire cohort and racial/ethnic subgroups. Results: HM feeding at discharge was positively correlated with further distance from Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) office, less violent crime, less poverty, greater maternal education, older maternal age, greater infant gestational age, and shorter NICU hospitalization. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that only maternal race/ethnicity...
Formation of Generalized Equivalence Classes

A category can contain either an infinite or limited number of stimuli. Categories with an infinite number of stimuli have been called open-ended; they contain stimuli that are physically similar. Categories with a limited number of stimuli include functional classes and equivalence classes; they contain stimuli that are physically disparate. The processes of equivalence class formation and primary generalization acting in combination yield a category containing stimuli that are physically similar as well as those that are physically disparate. Such a category is called a generalized equivalence class. A response trained to one member of such a class transfers to all remaining members of that class, yielding a generalized functional class. The extension of equivalence classes through generalization is predicted from primary generalization gradients obtained before class formation. Generalized equivalence classes and generalized functional classes bring together the study of stimulus equivalence and open-ended categories. They also provide a plausible account of the establishment of complex categories observed in natural settings.
Hogarth, Burke, and Gerard

William Hogarth’s The Analysis of Beauty , written in 1753 and published in 1754, Edmund Burke’s A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful , first published in 1757 and then reissued with a new “Introduction on Taste” in 1759, and Alexander Gerard’s An Essay on Taste , awarded a gold medal by the Edinburgh Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Sciences, Manufactures, and Agriculture in 1756 but first published in 1759, all develop the idea that our aesthetic responses are a free and pleasurable play of our mental powers. They nevertheless also differ from one another in key ways. First, while Hogarth follows in the tradition of Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, and Hume by treating beauty as the central category of aesthetics, Burke and Gerard return to the model of Addison and recognize a diversity of aesthetic qualities: Burke, obviously, the two mentioned in his title, and Gerard even more, including in addition to beauty and grandeur novelty, imitation, harmony, and “oddity and ridicule” as distinct objects of aesthetic response. Second, while Hogarth follows Hutcheson in emphasizing the play of our cognitive powers only in aesthetic response, Burke follows the lead of Du Bos in making the play of our emotional capacities the basis for our pleasures in both the beautiful and the sublime, and Gerard recognizes the play of both our cognitive and our moral powers as sources of pleasurable aesthetic response. None of these writers from the 1750s approach aesthetics from a traditional cognitivist point of view; rather, Hogarth emphasizes the free play of our cognitive powers in aesthetic experience to the exclusion of its emotional impact, Burke emphasizes the emotional impact of works of natural and artistic beauty and sublimity above all else, and only Gerard suggests that free play and emotional impact may be united in our experience of the diverse aesthetic categories that he recognizes. One of the jurors for the Edinburgh Society that awarded Gerard the prize for his Essay on Taste was the eminent Scottish jurist Henry Home, Lord Kames, and we will see in the next chapter that his approach to aesthetics is similar to and was perhaps influenced by Gerard’s.
Canonical straight field line magnetic flux coordinates for tokamaks

New global straight field line coordinates are introduced for a toroidal plasma configuration. The new coordinate system provides a canonical description of particle guiding center motion while maintaining the straight field line feature. These coordinates are convenient for combining MHD calculations with kinetic modeling of energetic particles. We demonstrate how the new coordinate system can be constructed by transforming the poloidal and toroidal angles. Numerical examples show comparison of the new coordinates with various non-canonical coordinates for the same equilibrium configuration.
Public Transit Customer Satisfaction Dimensions Discovery from Online Reviews

Online user-generated content provides a valuable source for identifying dimensions of services. This study proposes a framework for extracting the dimensions of consumer satisfaction of public transportation services using unsupervised latent Dirichlet allocation model. A pilot study was performed on 17,747 online user reviews collected from 1452 public transportation agencies (including streetcar, light rail, heavy rail, boat, and aerial tram) in the United States over 8 years. The proposed approach is able to identify a few dimensions that were not discussed in the previous literature. This research also provides an alternative method to collectively gather users’ feedback and efficiently pre-process textual data related to transit customer satisfaction.
Architectures and memory schemes for sampling and resampling in particle filters

Particle filtering is a signal processing method that has recently gained immense popularity in solving several problems in signal processing and communications. This paper presents a part of a larger effort directed towards realizing particle filters (PFs) in hardware. Here, we propose two architectures and memory schemes for the resample and the sample steps of the traditional PF known as the sample importance resample filter (SIRF). Using the proposed architectures, the memory requirement and latency of the SIRF in hardware is significantly reduced as compared to a straightforward implementation starting from the traditional algorithm. The hardware requirements and latency of the two schemes are evaluated and compared. The platform used for the evaluation is the Xilinx Virtex 2 Pro FPGA. The proposed architectures have led to the development of the first hardware prototype for PFs.
The Sounds in the Machine: Hirokazu Tanaka’s Cybernetic Soundscape for Metroid

Hirokazu Tanaka’s sound design for the video game Metroid (1986) was unconventional for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in many respects. Aside from his innovative uses of the NES’s audio hardware to create timbres reminiscent of electronic art music, Tanaka consistently blurs the boundaries between music and sound effect, between organic and electronic sources, and between diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Using as a model the electronic score of the 1956 film Forbidden Planet, in this chapter Gibbons explores how Tanaka’s ‘cybernetic’ sound design both reflects Metroid’s science-fiction narrative and resonates with 1980s preoccupations with the electronic nature of video games.
From Pipelines to Tasting Lemonade: Reconceptualizing College Access

Pipeline metaphors are ubiquitous in theorizing and interpreting college access processes. In this conceptual article, we explore how a lemonade metaphor can open new possibilities to reimagining higher education access and going processes. We argue that using food metaphors, particularly the processes of mixing, tasting, and digesting lemonade, may help constitute new meanings of college going. Rather than focus on production, mechanization, and ignoring social justice, a lemonade metaphor emphasizes the nonlinear aspects of college-going processes, foregrounds power relations within these processes, and humanizes educational purposes and journeys. We encourage educational researchers to take up taste as a heuristic device to reveal something different about educational phenomena that will, in turn, have material consequences.
ACCOUNTING HISTORY: A SURVEY OF ACADEMIC INTEREST IN THE U.S.

A number of the reports by academicians and practitioners in the United States have called for significant change in accounting education and an enhanced role for accounting history in curricula and research. However, the survey results reported in this paper suggest that achieving wider acceptance of accounting history presents some perplexing problems. Doctoral faculty, especially assistant professors, report less interest in accounting history than non-doctoral faculty. Although a majority of academicians consider accounting history research to be acceptable for promotion, tenure and hiring decisions and a valuable aid to teaching, practitioners, students, doctoral faculty strongly believe that it is of less value than mainstream empirical research in accounting. Most academicians perceive that research in accounting history is not as methodologically rigorous as other branches of accounting research.
Evaluation of New High Oleic Virginia-Type Peanut Cultivars for Disease Tolerance, Yield, and Quality

ABSTRACT As new cultivars are developed and released by peanut breeding programs, their levels of tolerance to common diseases and the overall profitability of production needs to be determined. Vi...
Effect of louver angle on performance of heat exchanger with serpentine fins and flat tubes in frosting: Importance of experiments in periodic frosting

Abstract This paper presents the air-side pressure drop and overall heat transfer coefficient characteristics for serpentine-louvered-fin, microchannel heat exchanger in periodic frosting. It focuses on quantification of the effects of louver angle on heat transfer and pressure drop and on defrost and refrost times. Nine heat exchangers differing in louver angle and fin pitch (i.e. louver angle 15° to 39° and fin pitch 12 to 18 fpi) are studied. The face velocity was 3.5 m s −1 and inlet air relative humidity of 70% and 80%. The major finding of this paper is seen in the proof that it is necessary to perform experiments in several consecutive cycles to be able to understand the situation in operation of the heat exchangers and that geometry that is the best in first frosting test does not stay the best in real operation where multiple consecutive frosting occurs.
Evaluating effects of deficit irrigation strategies on grain sorghum attributes and biofuel production

Abstract With reduced water resources available for agriculture, scientists and engineers have developed innovative technologies and management strategies aimed at increasing efficient use of irrigation water. The objective of this research was to study the impact of deficit irrigation strategies on sorghum grain attributes and bioethanol production. Grain sorghum was planted at Southwest Research-Extension Center near Garden City, KS, under five different irrigation capacities (1 inch every 4, 6, 8,10, or 12 days) and dryland in 2015 and 2016 growing seasons. Results showed average kernel weight, kernel diameter and test weight of grain sorghum increased as irrigation capacity increased, whereas kernel hardness index decreased as irrigation capacity increased. Starch and protein contents of sorghum ranged from 69.45 to 72.82% and 8.22–12.50%, respectively. Starch pasting temperature and peak time decreased as irrigation capacity increased. Irrigation capacity had a positive impact on bioethanol yield, whereas both year and interaction between irrigation capacity and year did not show significant effect on bioethanol yield resulting from above normal rainfall received during the growing seasons.
Continuous intracranial multimodality monitoring comparing local cerebral blood flow, cerebral perfusion pressure, and microvascular resistance.

Maintaining cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) above 70mm Hg is currently a mainstay of neurosurgical critical care. Shalmon, et al. recently showed poor correlation between CPP and regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) [1]. To study the relationship between CPP and CBF, at a microvascular level, we retrospectively analyzed multimodality digital data from 12 neurosurgical critical care patients in whom a combined intracranial pressure (ICP) — laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) probe (Camino, San Diego) had been placed. Over the entire interval of continuous monitoring for all patients, 97% of local CBF data was at ischemic levels below a CPP of 70mm Hg. For CPP above 70mm Hg, local CBF data had considerable dispersion ranging from ischemic (71%), to normal (19%), and hyperemic (10%) levels. Elevated jugular bulb oxyhemoglobin saturation levels (SjO2) complemented intervals of hyperemia. Autoregulation was impaired or absent in all monitored patients. We conclude that with disrupted autoregulation, CPP above 70mm Hg does not necessarily insure adequate levels of cerebral perfusion. Restoration and maintenance of adequate cerebral perfusion should be performed under the guidance of direct CBF monitoring.
Spectral imaging of iodine and gadolinium nanoparticles using dual-energy CT

Advances in CT hardware have propelled the development of novel CT contrast agents. Combined with the spectral capabilities of X-ray CT, molecular imaging is possible using multiple heavy-metal contrast agents. Nanoparticle platforms make particularly attractive agents because of (1) their ability to carry a large payload of imaging moieties, and (2) their ease of surface modification to facilitate molecular targeting. While several novel imaging moieties based on high atomic number elements are being explored, iodine (I) and gadolinium (Gd) are particularly attractive because they are already in clinical use. In this work, we investigate the feasibility for in vivo discrimination of iodine and gadolinium nanoparticles using dual energy micro-CT. Phantom experiments were performed to measure the CT enhancement for I and Gd over a range of voltages from 40 to 80 kVp using a dual-source micro-CT system with energy integrating detectors having cesium iodide scintillators. The two voltages that provide maximum discrimination between I and Gd were determined to be 50 kVp with Cu filtration and 40 kVp without any filtration. Serial dilutions of I and Gd agents were imaged to determine detection sensitivity using the optimal acquisition parameters. Next, an in vivo longitudinal small animal study was performed using Liposomal I (Lip-I) and Liposomal Gd (Lip-Gd) nanoparticles. The mouse was intravenously administered Lip-Gd and imaged within 1 h post-contrast to visualize Gd in the vascular compartment. The animal was reimaged at 72 h post-contrast with dual-energy micro-CT at 40 kVp and 50 kVp to visualize the accumulation of Lip-Gd in the liver and spleen. Immediately thereafter, the animal was intravenously administered Lip-I and re-imaged. The dual energy sets were used to estimate the concentrations of Gd and I via a two-material decomposition with a non-negativity constraint. The phantom results indicated that the relative contrast enhancement per mg/ml of I to Gd was 0.85 at 40 kVp and 1.79 at 50 kVp. According to the Rose criterion (CNR<5), the detectability limits were 2.67 mg/ml for I and 2.46 mg/ml for Gd. The concentration maps confirmed the expected biodistribution, with Gd concentrated in the spleen and with I in the vasculature of the kidney, liver, and spleen. Iterative reconstruction provided higher sensitivity to detect relatively low concentrations of gadolinium. In conclusion, dual energy micro-CT can be used to discriminate and simultaneously image probes containing I and Gd.
Evaluation of Greenbug and Yellow Sugarcane Aphid Feeding Behavior on Resistant and Susceptible Switchgrass Cultivars

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is an emerging biofuel crop that serves as host for aphids. To discern the effects of plant age and possible resistance mechanisms, the feeding behavior of greenbugs (Schizaphis graminum Rondani.) and the yellow sugarcane aphid (Sipha flava Forbes.) was monitored on three diverse switchgrasses by the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique. Callose deposition and genes associated with callose metabolism were also analyzed to discern their association with plant resistance. There was a strong host effect on greenbugs feeding on lowland cultivar Kanlow at the V3 stage of development, as compared to the greenbug-susceptible upland cultivar Summer and plants derived from Kanlow (♂) × Summer (♀) (K×S) crosses. These data confirmed that Kanlow at the V3 stage had antibiosis to greenbugs, which was absent in the Summer and K×S plants. In contrast, similar effects were not observed for yellow sugarcane aphids, excluding significant differences in the time to first probe on Kanlow plants at the V1 stage and reduction in time spent on pathway processes on Kanlow plants at the V3 stage. These data demonstrated that Kanlow plants may have multiple sources of resistance to the two aphids, and possibly some were phloem based. Microscopy of leaf sections stained with aniline blue for callose was suggestive of increased callose deposition in the sieve elements in Kanlow plants relative to Summer and K×S plants. RT-qPCR analysis of several genes associated with callose metabolism in infested plants was equivocal. Overall, these studies suggest the presence of multiple defense mechanisms against aphids in Kanlow plants, relative to Summer and K×S plants.
PhyLIS: A Simple GNU/Linux Distribution for Phylogenetics and Phyloinformatics

PhyLIS is a free GNU/Linux distribution that is designed to provide a simple, standardized platform for phylogenetic and phyloinformatic analysis. The operating system incorporates most commonly used phylogenetic software, which has been pre-compiled and pre-configured, allowing for straightforward application of phylogenetic methods and development of phyloinformatic pipelines in a stable Linux environment. The software is distributed as a live CD and can be installed directly or run from the CD without making changes to the computer. PhyLIS is available for free at http://www.eve.ucdavis.edu/rcthomson/phylis/.
ANALYZING ENERGY PATTERNS IN SOLAR GREENHOUSE-RESIDENCES

ABSTRACT Electric consumption was monitored in a solar greenhouse-residence for the years 1979–1982. The kilowatt-hour use was compared in the solar prototype and the typical, all-electric dwelling using the Schedule RA of the local utility company. The energy use profiles for the solar prototype are consistently lower than its all-electric counterpart. Total house energy costs also follow a similar pattern. Comparison of the solar prototype to the all-electric dwelling demonstrate the potential economic savings of solar greenhouse-residences.
Fatalities During Remission of Childhood Leukemia

The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency, causes, and circumstances of death during remission of childhood leukemia and to delineate predisposing or contributing factors. While overall mortality has decreased, the frequency of remission fatalities at this institution has increased progressively to l6% of all children dying with acute lymphocytic leukemia. This increase coincides with more aggressive therapy, longer remissions and survival, and a larger patient population at risk. The primary causes of death were nonbacterial infections in 23 of the 26 children. Pneumocystis carinii , herpesviruses, cytomegalovirus, and fungi were the principal microorganisms. All but two patients had received intensive combination chemotherapy, and 20 of 26 had received radiotherapy. All patients had experienced hematologic and other toxicity, but severe leukopenia and granulocytopenia did not correlate with the onset of terminal illness. A frequent side effect of therapy was failure to gain weight. Most patients had potentially fatal infections prior to the terminal illness. Despite complete clinical remission for at least 1 mo before death, leukemia was found at autopsy in nine of 20 patients.
Highly selective photochemical and dark oxidation of hydrocarbons by O2 in zeolites

Publisher Summary Partial oxidation of small alkenes, alkanes, and alkyl substituted aromatics by O 2 to organic building blocks and industrial intermediates has been achieved in alkali or alkaline-earth zeolite Y and L at unprecedented selectivity. This chapter discusses the physical aspects of zeolites crucial to the chemistry, and then describes the most interesting reactions found so far. A method has been developed that affords partial oxidation of small alkanes, alkenes, and alkyl substituted aromatics by O 2 to commercially important products at very high selectivity. This approach is based on the access to hydrocarbon.O 2 charge-transfer states by loading the gas phase reactants into cation-exchanged zeolites. These ionic states of hydrocarbon–oxygen collisional pairs are strongly stabilized by the high electrostatic fields inside the pores of alkali or alkaline Earth zeolites, such as zeolite Y, in which the collisional pairs of light hydrocarbons and O 2 can be formed at high concentration. All reactions are induced by visible light, some even under dark thermal conditions. A key factor responsible for the tight control of these reactions is the very strong stabilization of the hydrocarbon–O 2 charge-transfer state by the electrostatic field of the zeolite cage. Energies of charge-transfer states are lowered sufficiently to allow direct access by visible photons without the need of a photosensitizer or even in the absence of light by thermal excitation in some cases. Selectivity is a direct result of the low energy path of these reactions and the positional constraints imposed by the zeolite pores. The primary products, hydrocarbon radical and HOO radical, are generated with minimal excess energy that reduces their mobility and likelihood of random coupling reactions that would destroy the selectivity.
Chemical Strategy for Studying the Antigenic Structures of Disulfide-Containing Proteins: Hen Egg-White Lysozyme as a Model

A critical approach in studying the immunochemistry of proteins relies on the preparation of a variety of long and overlapping peptides from the parent molecule. Disulfide-containing proteins are usually inaccessible to proteolytic attack and therefore it is not possible to prepare from such proteins a variety of peptides without rupturing the disulfides. Unfortunately, the preparations with broken disulfides bear no immunochemical relationship to the native proteins. These have until recently virtually eluded investigation. to break the deadlock, we introduced a novel cleavage approach for obtaining peptides from the native protein without rupturing the disulfide bonds. Reversible citraconylation of the amino groups induced conformational changes in the protein that were sufficient to render it completely accessible to tryptic hydrolysis at the arginyl bonds. Complete cleavage at the lysyl bonds may be effected, if desired, after deprotection of the amino groups which proceeds quantitatively. by this approach we obtained peptides from lysozyme which accounted for almost all (907%) of the immune reaction of native lysozyme. From these and the immunochemistry of numerous chemical derivatives of lysozyme, it was possible to derive the location of the antigenic sites of lysozyme. Two antigenic sites were then accurately delineated. One was achieved by organic synthesis of 9 disulfide peptides corresponding to various overlaps around the disulfide 6–127. for the delineation of the second site (around the disulfides 64–80 and 76–94), we devised (Atassi, Lee and Pai, 1976, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 427, 745) an entirely novel “Surface-Simulation” synthetic approach. in this, the conformationally-adjacent residues constructing the site were linked directly via peptide bonds into a single peptide which does not exist in native lysozyme but simulates a surface region of it. This unorthodox approach provides a novel and powerful technique for final delineation of antigenic reactive sites (and perhaps other types of binding sites) in native proteins.
Ultrasonic echo spike detection using ℓ1-regularized sparse deconvolution

Ultrasonic backscattered echoes measured from materials or tissues are inherently complex due to the band-limited nature of the interrogating transducer and high degree of speckle noise. In the ultrasonic detection, the first and most important goal is to determine spikes which represent the position and amplitude of reflection echoes from objects. To identify those spikes, in our previous work, we adopted Wiener Filter (WF), l1-regularized Least Squares Deconvolution (l1-LSD), Model Based Estimation Pursuit (MBEP) and Cepstrum Sparse Deconvolution (CSD) for deconvolution. WF has low resolution and is sensitive to noise. l1-LSD is good to eliminate white noise but it fails to extract the right spike. CSD has an advantage in terms of separating two heavily interfered echoes, however it may fail when the signal is embedded in heavy noise. Since it has the best performance to deal with a noisy signal, this paper further explores l1-LSD. A new solver based on AR model of l1-LSD is studied. To differentiate this solver from previous solver (l1-LSD), we named it l1-regularizd Sparse Deconvolution (l1-RSD). This paper analyzes l1-RSD and Gaussian model theoretically. Performance evaluation of l1-RSD for LTI system signal and ultrasonic signal is illustrated. As usual, simulations show that this l1-regularized algorithm fail to determine true spikes for ultrasonic signal although it has excellent performance for LTI system signal. l1-LSD or l1-RSD is based on linear time invariant (LTI) systems theory, their performance deteriorates dramatically when the system becomes non-linear and time variant. Gaussian echo model which is widely verified and used in ultrasonic signal is nonlinear. This essential difference between l1-RSD and Gaussian model leads to a poor performance of l1-regularized algorithms when processing ultrasonic signal. This encourages us to investigate more new algorithms as an adapter to solve the incompatibility in the future.
Contrast Nephropathy Associated with Percutaneous Coronary Angiography and Intervention.

Contrast nephropathy (CN) is acute kidney injury (AKI) that occurs within 24 to 72 hours of iodinated contrast medium (ICM) administration. Mechanisms of CN include hyperviscosity, free radical formation, and renal medullary oxygen supply/demand mismatch. Although risk factors for CN have been identified, it remains uncertain whether ICM causes or is simply associated with AKI. The cornerstones of CN prevention are using low-osmolal ICM, intravenous hydration, and statins, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease. With appropriate CN risk mitigation, coronary angiography and intervention should not be routinely withheld from patients with acute coronary syndromes.
Characterization of two-dimensional materials

Abstract It could be said that materials science is predicated upon characterization. After all, how can you prove that you have what you say you have? As such, multiple tools have been developed that allow us to visualize materials and measure their properties. As with many nanomaterials, two-dimensional (2D) materials are particularly challenging to characterize given their nature. These difficulties manifest in terms of sensitivity, interpretation, sample preparation, etc. Nevertheless, 2D materials have proven amenable to several techniques that will be discussed in this chapter. In general, we will provide a short summary of the particulars of the characterization tools to be discussed; however, this is not a text on characterization; therefore it is assumed that the reader has a general understanding of the methods to be discussed.
Methodology for Interpretable Reinforcement Learning Model for HVAC Energy Control

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approaches have been used in various application areas to improve efficiency, optimization, or automation. However, very little is known about how the DRL algorithms make decisions and what features affect their performance. Using a case study of a DRL based Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) optimization methodology, we demonstrate how we can address these challenges by applying interpretability tools and systematically exploring the model inputs for better understanding the DRL behaviour and decision making process. We developed a methodology for interpretable reinforcement learning and evaluated our approach in real-world house located in Knoxville, TN. Our findings explain the reasoning behind DRL-based optimization decisions under different circumstances which has been discussed and confirmed by the experts in the field.
Information Accumulation and the Timing of Voting Decisions

Surveys, polling data and media reports indicate that voters often choose who to vote for at different stages in the political campaign: some voters know from start of a campaign who they will vote for, while others decide on the last day. This dispersion of the timing of voting decisions can swing election results, thus are of importance to campaigns and policymakers. In this paper, I develop a model of costly information acquisition that rationalizes these observations. The model implies a key tradeoff between the cost of acquiring information, and the gain such information brings. The solution of this problem is an optimal stopping time decision, which is structurally estimated. I find that the information voters receive is noisy, with the standard deviation of a signal being around 25\% of the support of the ideology variable. I show evidence that later deciders are different on observable characteristics such as age, religiosity, education and political knowledge, and discuss how these differences arise in voter beliefs and costs. There is significant unobserved heterogeneity in voters' costs of acquiring information, which explains different voting decisions by observationally similar citizens. Under this framework, I consider the implications of the widely used policy of information blackouts (i.e. forbidding campaigns or polls just before the election). Although it is often thought to promote fairness, I find that such a policy harms voters with a 1-2% welfare loss, as the restrictions to information affect only those to whom it would benefit.
Using sensitivity analysis to identify factors promoting higher versus lower infection prevalence in multi-host communities

Abstract Relationships between host species richness and levels of disease in a focal host are likely to be context-dependent, depending on the characteristics of which particular host species are present in a community. I use a multi-host epidemiological model with environmental transmission to explore how the characteristics of the host species (e.g., competence and competitive ability), host density, and the pathogen transmission mechanism affect the proportion of infected individuals (i.e., infection prevalence) in a focal host. My sensitivity-based approach identifies the indirect pathways through which specific ecological and epidemiological processes affect focal host infection prevalence. This in turn yields predictions about the context-dependent rules governing whether increased host species richness increases (amplifies) or decreases (dilutes) infection prevalence in a focal host. For example, in many cases, amplification and dilution are predicted to occur when added host species are sources or sinks of infectious propagules, respectively. However, if the added host species have strong and asymmetric competitive effects on resident host species, then amplification and dilution are predicted to occur when the added host species have stronger competitive effects on resident host species that are sources or sinks of infectious propagules, respectively. My results also predict that greater dilution and less amplification is more likely to occur under frequency-dependent direct transmission than density-dependent direct transmission when (i) the added hosts have lower competence than resident host species and (ii) interspecific competition between the added host species and resident host species is lower; the opposite conditions promote greater amplification and less dilution under frequency-dependent direct transmission. This work helps identify and explain the mechanisms shaping the context-dependent relationships between host species richness and disease in multi-host communities.
Baricitinib and primary biliary cholangitis

Abstract Background and aims There is an unmet need for alternative treatments for patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) who do not respond to treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). A proof-of-concept study of baricitinib, an orally administered Janus kinase 1 and 2 inhibitor, was initiated to evaluate its use in PBC patients. Approach and results Patients with PBC showing inadequate response or intolerance to UDCA were eligible. This was a randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. Enrollees were assigned 1:1 to baricitinib (2 mg/day) or placebo. Endpoints included change in alkaline phosphatase (ALP), itch Numeric Rating Score (NRS), and fatigue NRS at 12 weeks post-baseline; exploratory markers included high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) score. Due to low enrollment, the study was terminated early. Two patients were enrolled and completed the trial; 1 was randomized to receive baricitinib and 1 to placebo. Over the treatment period, the baricitinib-treated patient demonstrated a 30% decrease in ALP and a 7-point improvement in the itch NRS, but a 2-point increase in the Fatigue NRS. Markers of inflammation and liver fibrosis (hs-CRP and ELF score) also improved over the study period. In contrast, the placebo-treated patient showed no improvement in primary or secondary endpoints. A single non-serious treatment-emergent adverse event of moderate sinusitis was reported by the baricitinib-treated patient at day 47. Conclusions In a 12-week trial, a patient with PBC showing inadequate response to treatment with UDCA demonstrated a dramatic response to treatment with baricitinib.
Do Foreign Buyer Taxes Affect House Prices

This paper studies the impact of foreign buyer taxes on house prices using recent law changes in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Counterfactual house prices are estimated for each treated location combining prediction techniques from machine learning with inference methods from the Synthetic Control Method literature. In general, foreign buyer taxes have negative, large, and persistent effects on house price growth. We find bigger effects in locations with bigger taxes and with higher immigrant shares. Alternative outcome variables, including population growth, GDP growth, and unemployment rates were either unaffected or slightly affected in ways that do not confound our results.
Outcomes analysis of microsurgical physiologic lymphatic procedures for the upper extremity from the United States National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

INTRODUCTION Physiologic microsurgical procedures to treat lymphedema include vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) and lymphovenous bypass (LVB). The purpose of this study was to assess 30-day outcomes of VLNT and LVB using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. METHODS NSQIP was queried (2012-2018) for lymphatic procedures for upper extremity lymphedema after mastectomy. Prophylactic lymphatic procedures and those for lower extremity lymphedema were excluded. Outcomes were assessed for three groups: LVB, VLNT, and patients who had procedures simultaneously (VLNA+LVB). Primary outcomes measured were operative time, 30-day morbidities, and hospital length of stay. RESULTS The study included 199 patients who had LVB (n = 43), VLNT (n = 145), or VLNT+LVB (n = 11). There was no difference in co-morbidities between the groups (p = 0.26). 30-day complication rates including unplanned reoperation (6.9% VLNT vs. 2.3% LVB) and readmission (0.69% VLNT vs. none in LVB) were not statistically significant (p = 0.54). Surgical site infection, wound complications, deep vein thromboembolism, and cardiac arrest was also similar among the three groups. Postoperative length of stay for VLNT (2.5 days± 2.3), LVB (1.9 days± 1.9), and VLNT+LVB (2.8 days± 0.3) did not differ significantly (p = 0.20). Operative time for LVB (305.4 min ± 186.7), VLNT (254 min ± 164.4), and VLNT+LVB (295.3 min ± 43.2) was not significantly different (p = 0.21). CONCLUSIONS Our analysis of the NSQIP data revealed that VLNT and LVB are procedures with no significant difference in perioperative morbidity. Our results support that choice of VLNT versus LVB can be justifiably made per the surgeon's preference and experience as the operations have similar complication rates.
Repeated administration of phytocannabinoid Δ9-THC or synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018 and JWH-073 induces tolerance to hypothermia but not locomotor suppression in mice, and reduces CB1 receptor expression and function in a brain region-specific manner

These studies probed the relationship between intrinsic efficacy and tolerance/cross-tolerance between ∆(9)-THC and synthetic cannabinoid drugs of abuse (SCBs) by examining in vivo effects and cellular changes concomitant with their repeated administration in mice. Dose-effect relationships for hypothermic effects were determined in order to confirm that SCBs JWH-018 and JWH-073 are higher efficacy agonists than ∆(9)-THC in mice. Separate groups of mice were treated with saline, sub-maximal hypothermic doses of JWH-018 or JWH-073 (3.0mg/kg or 10.0mg/kg, respectively) or a maximally hypothermic dose of 30.0mg/kg ∆(9)-THC once per day for 5 consecutive days while core temperature and locomotor activity were monitored via biotelemetry. Repeated administration of all drugs resulted in tolerance to hypothermic effects, but not locomotor effects, and this tolerance was still evident 14 days after the last drug administration. Further studies treated mice with 30.0mg/kg ∆(9)-THC once per day for 4 days, then tested with SCBs on day 5. Mice with a ∆(9)-THC history were cross-tolerant to both SCBs, and this cross-tolerance also persisted 14 days after testing. Select brain regions from chronically treated mice were examined for changes in CB1 receptor expression and function. Expression and function of hypothalamic CB1Rs were reduced in mice receiving chronic drugs, but cortical CB1R expression and function were not altered. Collectively, these data demonstrate that repeated ∆(9)-THC, JWH-018 and JWH-073 can induce long-lasting tolerance to some in vivo effects, which is likely mediated by region-specific downregulation and desensitization of CB1Rs.
Stimulation of pinocytosis in the macrophage by lymphocyte mediators: I. Description of the phenomenon

Abstract Macrophages incubated in supernatants from antigen or concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocytes will demonstrate enhanced pinocytosis of horseradish peroxidase (HRPO) compared with macrophages incubated in control supernatants. This readily reproducible increment in HRPO uptake is seen within 12 hr in suspension culture. This enhancement may represent an early cellular change preparatory to the increased effector function of activated macrophages.
Funding free and universal access to Journal of Neuroinflammation

Journal of Neuroinflammation is an Open Access, online journal published by BioMed Central. Open Access publishing provides instant and universal availability of published work to any potential reader, worldwide, completely free of subscriptions, passwords, and charges. Further, authors retain copyright for their work, facilitating its dissemination. Open Access publishing is made possible by article-processing charges assessed "on the front end" to authors, their institutions, or their funding agencies. Beginning November 1, 2004, the Journal of Neuroinflammation will introduce article-processing charges of around US$525 for accepted articles. This charge will be waived for authors from institutions that are BioMed Central members, and in additional cases for reasons of genuine financial hardship. These article-processing charges pay for an electronic submission process that facilitates efficient and thorough peer review, for publication costs involved in providing the article freely and universally accessible in various formats online, and for the processes required for the article's inclusion in PubMed and its archiving in PubMed Central, e-Depot, Potsdam and INIST. There is no remuneration of any kind provided to the Editors-in-Chief, to any members of the Editorial Board, or to peer reviewers; all of whose work is entirely voluntary. Our article-processing charge is less than charges frequently levied by traditional journals: the Journal of Neuroinflammation does not levy any additional page or color charges on top of this fee, and there are no reprint costs as publication-quality pdf files are provided, free, for distribution in lieu of reprints. Our article-processing charge will enable full, immediate, and continued Open Access for all work published in Journal of Neuroinflammation. The benefits from such Open Access will accrue to readers, through unrestricted access; to authors, through the widest possible dissemination of their work; and to science and society in general, through facilitation of information availability and scientific advancement.
A table-lookup scheme for residue-to-binary conversion

Residue number system (RNS) implementations can provide speedup for addition, subtraction, and multiplication. However, conversion from RNS to binary is a significant bottleneck. We present an efficient scheme to convert residue numbers to binary numbers using table-lookup. The overall goal is to minimize the hardware needed for implementation while maximizing the speed of the conversion. Our design decreases the table size by a factor of 2 and reduces the number of required lookups compared to an existing design.
A compensation technique for transistor mismatch in current mirrors

A compensation technique to correct the mismatch in the current mirrors due to transistor process parameter variations is presented. The compensation is achieved by varying the drain voltage of the mirroring transistors. This method is implemented by just adding a single transistor, operating in the linear region at the drain of the mirroring transistor. The circuit is simulated for a threshold voltage mismatch of /spl plusmn/10%. The simulation results show that the percentage error in the mirrored currents reduced from 48% to 3% for a threshold voltage mismatch of +10% and from 70% to 10% for a threshold voltage mismatch of -10%, for a wide range of input current values. The affect of temperature on the performance of the circuit is studied. The power consumption with and without the compensation transistor is compared. The compensation technique is successfully implemented in a CMOS image sensor.
Implementation of Parallel Lattice Gas Program on Workstations under PVM

In the paper we present lattice gas automata program for simulation of fluid flows. The parallel algorithm was elaborated using mainly domain decomposition and was implemented on clusters of workstations under PVM. Dynamic load balancing was applied in order to efficiently exploit computer power during normal load.
Detection of Stent Fractures : A Comparison of 64-slice CT, Conventional Cine-angiography, and Intravascular Ultrasonography

Rational and Objectives We evaluated the ability of 64-slice computed tomography (CT), conventional cine-angiography, and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to detect stent fractures under ideal conditions. Coronary stent fracture has been implicated as one of the mechanisms of stent thrombosis and, perhaps, in-stent restenosis. However, the preferred imaging modality in detecting fractures in coronary stents has not been well established. Materials and Methods Four different types of commonly used coronary stents (Cypher, Taxus, Vision, Hepacoat) each with three strut fractures (Cypher, 5; Taxus, 5; Vision, 4; Hepacoat, 5) were nominally deployed in polyurethane tubes and imaged with 64-slice CT, conventional cine-angiography, and IVUS. For each stent type, an unfractured control stent was also imaged. Results Overall accuracy (84.1% vs. 73.9%), sensitivity (80.7 vs. 77.2%), and specificity (100% vs. 58.3%) for stent fracture detection was higher with 64 multislice CT compared to conventional cine-angiography. Stent fractures were not accurately detected by IVUS. Fracture detection by multislice CT was best when the stents were imaged at 45° to the z-axis. Conclusions Under ideal in vitro conditions, CT has a high accuracy when used to evaluate coronary stent fractures. The overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of detecting stent fractures are lower by conventional cine-angiography. Stent fractures were not detected using IVUS.
The T-form organization : using technology to design organizations for the 21st century

A NEW WAY TO ORGANIZE. The T-Form Organization: Flat and Fast. Building Blocks: The New Design Variables. Steps Toward Change: Preparation and Pitfalls. THE DOMESTIC IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. Corporate Strategy: Creating the New Road Map for Competing. Virtual Markets: Making Electronic Connections with Stakeholders. Radical Change: Redesigning the Organization. DESIGNING THE T-FORM ORGANIZATION. Technology-Based Structures: New Organizational Forms. Information-Based Operations: New Ways to do Business. Customer-Based Service: A New Focus for Business. Group-Based Communications: Changing the Way we Manage. BUILDING THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE. Networks: The Ubiquitous Electronic Alliance. Technologies: The Future That is Already Here. IMPLEMENTING THE T-FORM DESIGN. The Challenge of Change: Converting from Old to New Design. The T-Form Reconsidered. Pathways to Success and Competitiveness.
Predictors and course of medically intractable epilepsy in young children presenting before 36 months of age: a retrospective, population-based study.

Purpose To determine the prevalence and identify predictors of medical intractability in children presenting with epilepsy prior to 36 months of age, and to assess the impact of medical intractability on long-term mortality and intellectual function.
Identification of the missing 32− state in 41Ca

Abstract In a high-resolution 40Ca(d,p)41Ca experiment a new l=1 transition has been unambiguously identified to a state at 3730 keV in 41Ca. Arguments are presented to show that this state has J π = 3 2 su− and that it corresponds to the third 3 2 − state predicted by Gerace and Green in their coexistence model calculations.