cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mensch, bentsh, and balagan: Variation in the American Jewish linguistic repertoire

Based on a large-scale survey, this paper argues that the speech of American Jews should be analyzed not as a separate ethnolect or language variety but as English with a repertoire of distinctive linguistic features stemming from Yiddish, Hebrew, Aramaic, and other sources. Jews make selective use of this repertoire as they index their identities as Jews and as certain types of Jews. Older Jews, Orthodox Jews, and non-Orthodox Jews who are highly engaged in religious life use different Hebrew and Yiddish words and grammatical constructions and different Hebrew pronunciations. Some Jews use distinctive meanings of Yiddish words, regional pronunciations of English words, or discourse styles. These trends are analyzed in relation to ethnolinguistic variation and Jewish languages.
Secondary foundation species as drivers of trophic and functional diversity: evidence from a tree-epiphyte system.

Facilitation cascades arise where primary foundation species facilitate secondary (dependent) foundation species, and collectively, they increase habitat complexity and quality to enhance biodiversity. Whether such phenomena occur in nonmarine systems and if secondary foundation species enhance food web structure (e.g., support novel feeding guilds) and ecosystem function (e.g., provide nursery for juveniles) remain unclear. Here we report on field experiments designed to test whether trees improve epiphyte survival and epiphytes secondarily increase the number and diversity of adult and juvenile invertebrates in a potential live oak–Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish moss) facilitation cascade. Our results reveal that trees reduce physical stress to facilitate Tillandsia, which, in turn, reduces desiccation and predation stress to facilitate invertebrates. In experimental removals, invertebrate total density, juvenile density, species richness and H′ diversity were 16, 60, 1.7, and 1.5 times higher, and feedi...
Hydrostatic Force Sensor for Robotic Applications

This article presents a theoretical and experimental investigation of a new kind of force sensor which detects forces by measuring an induced pressure change in a material of large Poisson’s ratio. In this investigation, we develop mathematical expressions for the sensor’s sensitivity and bandwidth, and show that its sensitivity can be much larger and its bandwidth is usually smaller than those of existing strain-gage-type sensors. This force sensor is well-suited for measuring large but slowly varying forces. It can be installed in a space smaller than that required for existing sensors. This paper also discusses the effects of various parameters on the sensor’s performance and on failure modes. To verify the theoretical derivation, a prototype force sensor was designed and built. This prototype hydrostatic force sensor can measure the compressive forces up to 7200 lbf and tensile forces up to 3500 lbf.
Comet: a scalable coordination space for decentralized distributed environments

The scale, heterogeneity, and dynamism of emerging distributed and decentralized environments make coordination a significant and challenging problem. In this paper we present Comet, a scalable peer-to-peer content-based coordination space. Comet provides a global virtual shared-space that can be associatively accessed by all peer nodes in the system, and access is independent of the physical location of the tuples or identifiers of the host. Dynamically constructed, transient coordination spaces are also supported to enable context locality to be explicitly exploited for improving system performance. The design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of Comet using the PlanetLab platform are presented.
Patrol Officer Daily Noise Exposure.

Previous research shows that police officers are at a higher risk for noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). Little data exists on the occupational tasks, outside of the firing range, that might lead to the increased risk of NIHL. The current study collected noise dosimetry from patrol officers in a smaller department and a larger department in southern Wisconsin, United States. The noise dosimeters simultaneously measured noise in three virtual dosimeters that had different thresholds, criterion levels, and exchange rates. The virtual dosimeters were set to: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hearing conservation criteria (OSHA-HC), the OSHA permissible exposure level criteria (OSHA-PEL), and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). In addition to wearing a noise dosimeter during their respective work days, officers completed a log form documenting the type of task performed, the duration of that task, if the task involved the use of a siren, and officer ch...
Effects of vehicle-ride exposure on cervical pathology-a meta-analysis

Research to date on the effect vehicle-ride exposure has on the development of cervical pathologies in mounted Warfighters is conflicting. The purpose of this study was to determine if the literature suggests a definite effect of vehicle-ride exposure on cervical pathology. Databases were searched using multiple combinations of select terms. Twelve studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that overall vehicle-ride exposure was likely to increase cervical pathology (p=0.01, odds ratio=1.59, 95% CI=1.16−2.17). Using vehicle type as a moderator it was found that vehicle-ride exposure in ground- based vehicles (p=0.01, odds ratio=2.33, 95% CI=1.41−3.85) and fixed-wing aircraft (p=0.01, odds ratio =1.59, 95% CI=1.13−2.23) were likely to increase cervical pathology. Using operator/other personnel moderator it was found that in the populations tested, fighter pilots or fighter jet weap- ons systems operators were more likely to develop a cervical pathology (p<0.001, odds ratio=1.78, 95% CI=1.26−2.50). The available studies indicate an increase in cervical pathology for personnel exposed to ground-based vehicles and fixed-wing aircraft.
Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction in Patients with Connective Tissue Disease: A Case Report Demonstrating Safety and Efficacy in Marfan Syndrome.

Plastic surgeons performing prosthetic breast reconstruction face a demanding task in manipulating and reconstructing the altered soft tissue envelope in patients with connective tissue disease (CTD). Despite the difficulties inherent to this unique patient population, there are no reports in the literature describing breast reconstruction or tissue expansion in patients with CTD. We therefore aim to provide a general guide for those who face this clinical challenge using a representative case of breast reconstruction with tissue expansion in a patient with Marfan syndrome. Marfan syndrome is a variably penetrant, autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the FBN1 gene, which encodes fibrillin-1.1 Fibrillin is a large glycoprotein component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Polymers of fibrillin form microfibrils and microfibrils, when combined with elastin, form elastic fibers.1 Given the ubiquitous nature of these ECM components, Marfan syndrome affects many organ systems including the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, eye, skeleton, and skin.1,2 Manifestations of the disease include aortic aneurysm formation, spontaneous pneumothorax, and lens dislocation.2 Moreover, the role of elastin and elastin turnover in the development and progression of cancer is a current area of active investigation.3,4 Diagnosis of Marfan syndrome is made using the Ghent nosology that was establish in 1996 and has recently been updated in 2010.5 Factors included in the 2010 Ghent nosology include: presence of family history of Marfan syndrome, presence of the FBN-1 genetic mutation, presence of ectopia lentis, aortic root Z-score, and a systemic score comprised of presence of various physical findings such as scoliosis, striae, myopia, or mitral valve prolapse, among others.5 The original nosology determined the Marfan syndrome “was present if two major organ systems were involved and if a third organ system was involved in a minor way.”5 The updated …
Analysis of the project synthesis goal cluster orientation and inquiry emphasis of elementary science textbooks

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine selected units of commonly used elementary science texts, using the Project Synthesis goal clusters as a framework for part of the examination. An inquiry classification scheme was used for the remaining segment. Four questions were answered: (1) To what extent do elementary science textbooks focus on each Project Synthesis goal cluster? (2) In which part of the text is such information found? (3) To what extent are the activities and experiments merely verifications of information already introduced in the text? (4) If inquiry is present in an activity, then what is the level of such inquiry? Eleven science textbook series, which comprise approximately 90 percent of the national market, were selected for analysis. Two units, one primary (K-3) and one intermediate (4-6), were selected for analysis by first identifying units common to most series, then randomly selecting one primary and one intermediate unit for analysis. Each randomly selected unit was carefully read, using the sentence as the unit of analysis. Each declarative and interrogative sentence in the body of the text was classified as: (1) academic; (2) personal; (3) career; or (4) societal in its focus. Each illustration, except those used in evaluation items, was similarly classified. Each activity/experiment and each miscellaneous sentence in end-of-chapter segments labelled “review,” “summary,” “evaluation,” etc., were similarly classified. Finally, each activity/experiment, as a whole, was categorized according to a four-category inquiry scheme (confirmation, structured inquiry, guided inquiry, open inquiry). In general, results of the analysis are: (1) most text prose focuses on academic science; (2) most remaining text prose focuses on the personal goal cluster; (3) the career and societal goal clusters receive only minor attention; (4) text illustrations exhibit a pattern similar to text prose; (5) text activities/experiments are academic in orientation, almost to the exclusion of other goal clusters; (6) end-of-chapter sentences are largely academic; (7) inquiry is absent or present only in limited forms in text activities/experiments; and (8) texts allocate only a minor portion of space to activities/experiments. Detailed findings are given as numeral, percentage, and decimal values. Discussion focuses on the implications of the results and a comparison of NSTA recommendations with the results of this analysis.
An intelligent interactive system for delivering individualized information to patients

This paper is a report on the first phase of a long-term, interdisciplinary project whose goal is to increase the overall effectiveness of physicians’ time, and thus the quality of health care, by improving the information exchange between physicians and patients in clinical settings. We are focusing on patients with long-term and chronic conditions, initially on migraine patients, who require periodic interaction with their physicians for effective management of their condition. We are using medical informatics to focus on the information needs of patients, as well as of physicians, and to address problems of information exchange. This requires understanding patients’ concerns to design an appropriate system, and using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence techniques to build an interactive explanation system. In contrast to many other knowledge-based systems, our system’s design is based on empirical data on actual information needs. We used ethnographic techniques to observe explanations actually given in clinic settings, and to conduct interviews with migraine sufferers and physicians. Our system has an extensive knowledge base that contains both general medical terminology and specific knowledge about migraine, such as common trigger factors and symptoms of migraine, the common therapies, and the most common effects and side effects of those therapies. The system consists of two main components: (a) an interactive history-taking module that collects information from patients prior to each visit, builds a patient model, and summarizes the patients’ status for their physicians; and (b) an intelligent explanation module that produces an interactive information sheet containing explanations in everyday language that are tailored to individual
Rethinking the Intolerant Locke

terization would indicate. The public good is defined from God's perspec? tive as a reasonable legislator who takes into account the fallibility of human agents. There is evidence that Locke was implicitly using this ap? proach in the first Letter. Locke's theoretical approach is a plausible and provocative starting point for contemporary reflection on the sub? ject of toleration and might persuade persons who reject more well known arguments for toleration.
Abstract 507: Autonomic intratumoral neo-nerves drive prostate cancer development and metastasis

Cancer cells seize and shape the healthy tissue microenvironment to promote their growth, invasion and metastasis. While multiple tumor-stroma interactions have been examined, the role of nerves in cancer progression remains unclear. Here, we show that autonomic intratumoral nerve development at the primary cancer site is a pivotal event that regulates prostate cancer initiation and its dissemination. We established an orthotopic luciferase-expressing (PC3luc) xenogeneic tumor model to track serially tumor initiation and dissemination. In addition, we used transgenic mice expressing c-Myc under the probasin promoter (AAR2/Pbsn-MYC) to evaluate the role of intratumor nerves in cancer progression from prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) to invasive adenocarcinomas. Immunofluorescence analyses revealed that PC3luc tumors were invaded by numerous nerve fibers from the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). To investigate the role of SNS nerves in cancer progression, prostate glands were sympathectomized either chemically or surgically. Unexpectedly, adrenergic nerve ablation jeopardized PC3luc tumor cell survival at the primary site and delayed the emergence of PIN. In addition, we found that tumor formation was severely impaired in nu/nu mice lacking both β2-and β3-adrenergic receptors whereas it was slightly delayed in littermates deficient in a single adrenergic receptor. These results suggest that adrenergic signals delivered by intratumor nerve fibers are critical role for prostate cancer initiation. In the course of immunofluorescence analyses, we have noted a strong correlation between cholinergic fiber densities at the primary site and prostate cancer dissemination, suggesting a potential role for the PNS in tumor cell migration. To test this possibility, we mimicked endogenous cholinergic signal by treatment of mice with the non-selective cholinergic agonist carbachol, either alone or in combination with muscarinic receptor antagonists. Carbachol administration markedly increased invasion of lymph nodes and triggered tumor cell dissemination to distant organs (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 507. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-507
An Efficient Method of Depolymerization of Poly(cyclopentene carbonate) to Its Comonomers: Cyclopentene Oxide and Carbon Dioxide

The hydroxyl-terminated copolymer, poly(cyclopentene carbonate), derived from carbon dioxide and cyclopentene oxide was deprotonated by the strong base sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (NaHMDS) in toluene and shown to undergo depolymerization to cyclopentene oxide and cis-cyclopentene carbonate. The degradation process was demonstrated to be retarded under a 0.7 MPa pressure of CO2, with the product distribution being enhanced in favor of cis-cyclopentene carbonate. Unlike the related copolymer, poly(indene carbonate), the degradation pathway was found to be insensitive to either light or the radical trap, TEMPO. The depolymerization process was further shown to be catalyzed by (salen)CrCl/n-Bu4NN3, with the major product being cyclopentene oxide. Although the reaction rate in the presence of metal catalyst was inhibited by an added pressure of CO2, the product distribution still highly favored epoxide production. On the other hand, upon reducing the pressure above the polymer solution during the depolymer...
An Examination of the Right of Hospitals to Engage in Economic Credentialing

Hospitals have historically engaged in "credentialing" physicians before granting them staff privileges. Recently, however, some hospitals have begun to expand the credentialing practice to include criteria related to the economic performance of physicians, known as "economic credentialing." Recent filings of several court cases challenging economic credentialing signals a renewed focus on this practice. In these cases, hospitals terminated physicians' staff privileges because the physicians had ownership interests in competing facilities. The plaintiff physicians assert that their terminations violate antitrust laws, breach the hospitals' bylaws, violate the physicians' rights, or offend public policy. In one case, the plaintiff physicians assert that the hospitals' termination of the physicians' practice privileges violates the fraud and abuse laws. This Article will review economic credentialing and provide an update on this controversial practice. Ultimately, this Article will conclude that economic credentialing has a limited potential to violate the law. On the judicial front, courts have allowed physicians to block the hospitals' use of economic credentialing only in narrow circumstances. Where states have passed laws that address economic credentialing, the Article observes that none flatly prohibit the practice. Further, recent reports on specialty hospitals tend to show that specialty hospitals admit only profitable surgery cases, thus supporting general hospitals’ concerns that physician owners of competing facilities retain the profitable cases and refer the less profitable cases to general hospitals. Finally, the Article concludes that physicians’ challenge to economic credentialing - that it violates the fraud and abuse laws - is unlikely to succeed. The picture that emerges is that, to a large extent, there are few legal impediments to hospitals' use of economic credentialing. If the narrow risk areas are avoided, hospitals are generally able to consider economic criteria when they make credentialing decisions.
Fluorescence of Strongly Absorbing Multicomponent Media

Fluorescence is widely used for examinations of biological objects and for the diagnostic purposes in medicine [1]. New fluorescent methods of research such as Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED), Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) are developed. For a long time Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) method is successfully applied to study of donor– acceptor interactions in biological systems. Use of fluorescence markers becomes routine procedure in medical practice. All characteristics of fluorescence – intensity, spectrum, polarization, lifetime and quantum yield – are used now for research and diagnostics in biology and medicine.
Mycoplasma in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Mycoplasma hominis are considered commensals in the adult genitourinary tract, but these species are the most common organisms detected in infected amniotic fluid and placentas associated with preterm birth. Fetal exposure to these organisms in utero and vertical transmission perinatally have been associated with adverse neonatal outcomes including pneumonia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), severe intraventricular hemorrhage, and necrotizing enterocolitis. This chapter reviews the experimental evidence for a role of these organisms in the pathogenesis of infection-mediated BPD with a focus on insights derived from animal models.
Influence-Aware Truth Discovery

In the age of big data, information for the same entity can be obtained from different sources, which is inevitably conflicting. Therefore, aggregation methods are needed to identify the trustworthy information from such conflicting data. Truth discovery, which improves the aggregation results by estimating source trustworthiness and discovering truths simultaneously, has become an emerging field. Most truth discovery methods assume that sources make their claims independently, which may not be true in practice. As a matter of fact, influences among sources are ubiquitous and the claims made by one source may be influenced by others. Although there is some work that considers source correlation, those methods are designed to handle categorical claims, which is not general enough to represent the complicated real world applications. To tackle these challenges in truth discovery, we propose an unsupervised probabilistic model named IATD. The model takes source correlations as prior for influence derivation. To model influences among sources, we introduce "claim trustworthiness", which fuses the trustworthiness of the source which provides the claim and the trustworthiness of its influencers. Besides, the proposed model can handle different data types using different distributions in the probabilistic model. Experiments on real-world datasets show that IATD model can improve the aggregation performance compared with the state-of-the-art truth discovery approaches. The properties of IATD model are further illustrated using simulated datasets.
Self-Punitive Avoidance Behavior: Effects of Changes in Punishment Intensity

Rats trained to avoid shock by traversing a start box and a 4-ft. runway were given 15 extinction trials followed by 60 punishment-extinction trials. During the latter series, three groups of Ss were punished with shock of decreasing, increasing, or constant intensities in the first 2-ft. alley section. Performance was an increasing function of shock intensity; however, gradual increases in intensity lessened the effect of strong shock. Gradually decreasing shock increased the effect of a less intense shock. Experiment 2 showed a similar intensity effect with an intermediate shock location and male as well as female Ss. Also, non-punished groups ran slower and were less resistant to extinction than punished groups.
Mathematics, Models, and Magz, Part II: Investigating Patterns in Pascal's Simplex

This paper is a sequel to Mathematics, models, and Magz, Part 1: Investigating patterns in Pascal's triangle and tetrahedron. In the current paper the authors use a set of magnetic toys to extend r...
Analysis of Ribosome Loading onto mRNA Species: Implications for Translational Control

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the implications of ribosome loading onto messenger Ribonucleic acid (mRNA) species on translational control. Analysis of the association of an mRNA species with ribosomes can give great insight into: (1) occurrence of translational control of expression of the mRNA and, (2) possible mechanisms of regulation. Regulation of expression of the protein product of a gene can occur at several levels. Translation of an mRNA molecule occurs in a multimeric structure, the polysome that consists of multiple ribosomes arrayed along the length of the mRNA. Polysomes are readily separated according to the number of associated ribosomes by velocity sedimentation through a gradient of sucrose, which serves to stabilize the boundaries of the sedimenting zone. This chapter describes methods for the preparation of cellular extracts, the display of ribonucleoprotein particles, and polysomes by sucrose gradient centrifugation, and the detection of mRNA species of interest. The chapter discusses in detail about the polysome profiles and translational control. The chapter also explains concepts related to the extraction and display of polysomes RNA analysis by northern blots, elaborating upon the analysis of Ribonuclease protection, assay, and hybridization.
Recovery of Copper from Flue Dust Generated in e-Waste Processing Using Physicochemical Methods

A flue dust that contains valuable metals is generated during smelting operation for e-waste treatment. However, metal recovery from this flue dust has not been extensively studied. The flue dust can contain valuable metals such as gold, silver, copper, and iron. In this study, the flue dust from e-waste was investigated as the potential metal resource for obtaining valuable metals, including copper and iron, using physical and chemical methods. In the physical processes, size separation was performed, and the mass and composition of each fraction were analyzed. Major valuable elements of the flue dust are copper and iron with small levels of gold and silver in all size fractions. The iron is present mostly as magnetite, as determined by XRD. The magnetite was removed by magnetic separation, and the removal efficiency was about 90%. The chemical processes included leaching in various acid solutions (HNO3, H2SO4, and HCl) for copper recovery. The highest recovery efficiency of over 99% was obtained after 8 h in 1 M nitric acid and was optimized at a pulp density of 20 g/L and a stirring speed of 200 rpm at 20 °C temperature.
Caregiving as Refusal in the Academy.

Literature on American Indian student support in postsecondary education illustrates the importance of relationality in creating a positive college experience for Native students. That said, much o...
Who Controls the Land? Lessons from Armed Takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

A heavily armed militia occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge from January 2 through February 21, 2016. The standoff began as a protest against the prosecution and incarceration of two local ranchers, although there has been a long-standing animus among some ranchers in the western United States. A brief history of the Bureau of Land Management lands is presented, with a focus on the management of grazing in the West. Some ranchers, such as Cliven Bundy of Nevada, have refused to pay grazing fees because of their profound hostility toward the federal government, and an earlier 2014 standoff in Bunkerville, Nevada, set the stage for the occupation at Malheur.
U. S. Licensed Reactor Decommissioning Experience

To date, 64 reactors licensed under 10 CFR Part 50 have been decommissioned. In addition, four demonstration nuclear power plants have been decommissioned. These demonstration plants were government owned but operated by utilities under special government authorization. The 64 licensed reactors consist of five power reactors, six test reactors, one nuclear ship and 52 research reactors and critical facilities. Of the decommissioned research reactors and critical facilities, 42 have been dismantled and the remaining ten are either in the process of being dismantled or plans for early dismantlement are being developed. Tables I through V list each decommissioned reactor, the reactor type, the power level, the location and date the license was terminated or the present status if a license is still in effect.
The Los Alamos KrF Laser Program

Los Alamos is currently developing the krypton fluoride (KrF) laser — a highly efficient laser able to emit very intense bursts of short-wavelength photons — as a research tool for the general study of highdensity matter as well as for use in laser fusion. The KrF laser operates at 1/4 µm, close to the short-wavelength limit for conventional optical material, but still in the region where standard optical techniques can be used. The excited-state lifetime of the KrF lasing medium is short — as a result of both spontaneous emission and deactivation from collisions — making it impossible to store energy within the lasing medium for times significant to electrical pumping. However, an optical multiplexing scheme is being developed that will generate short, intense pulses of 1/4-µm light by overcoming the short storage time of the laser and taking advantage of the high gain of the KrF medium.
Activism, Language and International Law

The paper explores how language underscores our appreciation forinternational activism. An account of the tension between activismand international activism, especially in the context of thedeclarative and ``true'' character of the terms is offered. Thisis achieved through examining ``word games'' pertaining to theBalkan crisis with such expressions as ``democratic revolution'',``Serbian nationalism'', ``revenge killing'', and ``reverse ethniccleansing.'' The analysis points to a non-descriptive attitudinalcharacter of such phrases. Consequently, two defensive strategiesare suggested for international activists. First, they should getinformed on the history of the region as much as possible, becomingavid students of recent and more historically removed events ofimportance. And second, they must make sure they do not fall preyto the on-going word games that can obscure their overall goal andpurpose. Hence, the need to develop a proper ethics of internationalactivism, which we would be unable to do if we were to ignoremassive opportunity for manipulation residing in the attitude thathumanitarian workers are modern day saints. International law,whatever its final shape, must also take into account findingsdetailed here. All of this is linked to (international) activismand the double-edged sword it embodies: peace initiatives yetforeign invasions.
Measurement of Variation of Momentum Accommodation Coefficients with Molecular Mass and Structure

A disk spindown experiment allows measurement of tangential momentum accommodation coefficients of different gases and material combinations in a consistent manner. Aluminum is tested for a range o...
Traffic Prediction using Time-Space Diagram: A Convolutional Neural Network Approach

Traffic prediction is a major component of any traffic management system. With the increase in data sources and advancement in connectivity, data analysis and machine learning approaches for traffi...
Motivational interviewing in eHealth and telehealth interventions for weight loss: A systematic review.

Abstract The alarming prevalence of adult obesity warrants consideration of treatments with broad reach; digital health interventions meet this need and have demonstrated efficacy for weight loss. One approach that can be delivered remotely is motivational interviewing – a counseling style that helps resolve ambivalence to change unhealthy behavior. This is the first review to systematically examine eHealth and telehealth interventions that incorporate motivational interviewing for weight loss. We searched four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL) for publications from November 2009–May 2018. Included papers were weight loss RCTs conducted among adults with overweight or obesity that examined eHealth or telehealth interventions with motivational interviewing, compared to any type of treatment arm without it. Results were presented separately by comparison arm (control vs. active comparator). Sixteen papers (15 trials) were included. Twelve used telephone-based counseling to deliver motivational interviewing, two used email and phone, and one used online chats. When compared to a no-treatment control arm, the motivational interviewing arm was associated with greater weight loss on 6 of 11 occasions, but performed better than an active comparator on only 1 of 7 occasions. Retention and engagement were generally high, though few trials examined the relation with weight loss. No trial had high risk of bias, but five lacked power calculations and only two reported fidelity to motivational interviewing. Telephone-based interventions that incorporate motivational interviewing hold promise as effective obesity treatments. There is a dearth of evidence to support the use of motivational interviewing via eHealth, signaling a needed research area.
A unified theory for the origin of grid cells through the lens of pattern formation

Grid cells in the brain fire in strikingly regular hexagonal patterns across space. There are currently two seemingly unrelated frameworks for understanding these patterns. Mechanistic models account for hexagonal firing fields as the result of pattern-forming dynamics in a recurrent neural network with hand-tuned center-surround connectivity. Normative models specify a neural architecture, a learning rule, and a navigational task, and observe that grid-like firing fields emerge due to the constraints of solving this task. Here we provide an analytic theory that unifies the two perspectives by casting the learning dynamics of neural networks trained on navigational tasks as a pattern forming dynamical system. This theory provides insight into the optimal solutions of diverse formulations of the normative task, and shows that symmetries in the representation of space correctly predict the structure of learned firing fields in trained neural networks. Further, our theory proves that a nonnegativity constraint on firing rates induces a symmetry-breaking mechanism which favors hexagonal firing fields. We extend this theory to the case of learning multiple grid maps and demonstrate that optimal solutions consist of a hierarchy of maps with increasing length scales. These results unify previous accounts of grid cell firing and provide a novel framework for predicting the learned representations of recurrent neural networks.
Seismo-acoustic evidence for vent drying during shallow submarine eruptions at Bogoslof volcano, Alaska

Characterizing the state of the volcanic vent is key for interpreting observational datasets and accurately assessing volcanic hazards. This is particularly true for remote, complex eruptions such as the 2016–2017 Bogoslof volcano, Alaska eruption sequence. Bogoslof’s eruptions in this period were either shallow submarine or subaerial, or some combination of both. Our results demonstrate how low-frequency sound waves (infrasound), integrated with seismic and satellite data, can provide unique insight into shallow vent processes, otherwise not available. We use simple metrics, such as the infrasound frequency index (FI), event duration, and acoustic-seismic amplitude ratio, to look at changes in the elastic energy radiation and infer changes in seawater access to the vent. Satellite imagery before and after selected eruptions is used to ground-truth inferences on vent conditions. High FI and gradual increases in infrasound frequency content at Bogoslof correspond with transitions from submarine to subaerial vent conditions and a diminished or absent role of water, likely resulting in a drying out of the vent region. Event durations generally correlate with high FI and the range of FI values for each event, suggesting long duration events were more effective at drying out the vent region. A trend from low to high acoustic-seismic amplitude ratios for some long duration events also suggests an increase in acoustic efficiency as the vent dried out. We demonstrate that infrasound can serve as a robust indicator of seawater involvement for Bogoslof and other shallow submarine eruptions that may not be inferable from other datasets, particularly in near-real-time.
Phase-locked fiber interferometer with high frequency, low voltage fiber-stretcher and application to optical field reconstruction

Light carries a great deal of information in the form of amplitude, phase, and polarization, any or most powerfully all, of which may be exploited for the characterization of materials or development of novel technologies. However, extracting the full set of information carried by light becomes increasingly difficult as sample feature sizes shrink and the footprint and cost of detection schemes must decrease as well. Here, a fiber-based interferometric scheme is deployed to extract this information from optical systems which may be assessed three dimensionally down to the nanoscale and/or temporally up to the bandwidth of electronic data acquisition available. The setup utilizes a homemade fiber stretcher to achieve phase-locking of the reference arm and is compatible with heterodyning. More interestingly, a simplified and less expensive approach is demonstrated which employs the fiber stretcher for arbitrarily frequency up-converted (with respect to driving voltage frequency) phase modulation in addition to locking. This improves the detection system’s size, weight, power, and cost requirements, eliminating the need for an acousto-optic modulator and reducing the drive power required by orders of magnitude. High performance is maintained as evidenced by imaging amplitude and phase (and inherently polarization state) in micro and nano optical systems such as lensed fibers and focusing waveguide grating couplers previously imaged only for intensity distribution.
Applying a deployment strategy and data analysis model for water quality continuous monitoring and management

In Taiwan, where residential and industrial areas are in close proximity, finding ways to effectively continuous monitor and manage water quality is an essential issue. This study established a tot...
Predictive nuclear power plant outage control through computer vision and data-driven simulation

Abstract Field operation and preparation (FO & P) processes in the outages of nuclear power plants (NPPs) involve tedious team coordination processes. This study proposed a predictive NPP outage control method through computer vision and data-driven simulation. The proposed approach aims at automatically detecting abnormal human/team behaviors and predicting delays during outages. Abnormal human/team behaviors, such as prolonged task completion and long waiting time, could induce delays. Timely capturing these field anomalies and precisely predicting delays is critical for guiding schedule updates during outages. Current outage control relies heavily on manual observations and experience-based field adjustments, which require extensive management efforts. Real-time field videos that capture abnormal human/team behaviors could provide information for supporting the prognosis of abnormal FO & P processes. However, manual video analysis could hardly provide timely information for diagnosing delays. Previous studies show the potentials of using real-time videos for capturing field anomalies. These studies fell short in examining automatic video analysis in compact work environments with significant occlusions. Besides, limited studies revealed how the captured field anomalies trigger delays during outages. Computer vision techniques have the potential for automating field video analysis and detections of prolonged task completions and long waiting times. This paper aims at automating the integrated use of 1) real-time computer vision and spatial analysis algorithms, and 2) data-driven simulations of FO & P processes for supporting predictive outage control. The authors first use the video-based human tracking algorithm to detect human/team behaviors from field videos. Then, the authors formalized detailed human-task-workspace interactions for establishing a simulation model of FO & P processes during outages. The simulation model takes the field anomalies captured from videos as inputs to adjust model parameters for achieving reliable predictions of workflow delays. Major observations show that 1) task delays often occur at the initial stage of the workflow, and 2) waiting line accumulates due to excessive resource sharing during handoffs at the middle stage of the workflow. The simulation results show that tasks on the critical-path are more sensitive to these anomalies and cause up to 5.53% delays against the as-planned schedule.
Web-Based Data Collection for Older Adults Living With HIV in a Clinical Research Setting: Pilot Observational Study.

Background: Longitudinal follow-up of older persons living with HIV is essential for the ascertainment of aging-related clinical and behavioral outcomes, and self-administered questionnaires are necessary for collecting behavioral information in research involving persons living with HIV. Web-based self-reported data collection results in higher data quality than paper-and-pencil questionnaires in a wide range of populations. The option of remote web-based surveys may also increase retention in long-term research studies. However, the acceptability and feasibility of web-based data collection in clinical research involving older persons living with HIV have never been studied. Objective: This study aims to assess the acceptability and feasibility of a web-based survey to collect information on sexual, substance use, and physical activity behaviors; compare the data quality of the web-based survey with that of a paper-and-pencil questionnaire; and summarize web-based survey metrics. Methods: This pilot study took place within the AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5322 study, a longitudinal cohort of men and women living with HIV (aged ≥40 years), followed at 32 clinical sites in the United States and Puerto Rico. A total of 4 sites participated in this study. A web-based survey was created using self-administered questionnaires typically completed in A5322 via paper and pencil. Pilot study participants completed these questionnaires via web-based survey at one research visit in lieu of paper-and-pencil administration. Two questions were added to assess feasibility, defined as participants’ perception of the ease of web-based survey completion (very hard, hard, easy, very easy), and their preferred format (computer or tablet, paper and pencil, no preference) for completing the questions in the future (acceptability). Feasibility and acceptability were summarized overall and by demographic and clinical characteristics; the proportion of evaluable data by web-based survey versus previously administered paper-and-pencil questionnaires (data quality) was compared for each question. Results: Acceptability and feasibility were high overall: 50.0% (79/158) preferred computer or tablet, 38.0% (60/158) reported no preference, and 12.0% (19/158) preferred paper and pencil; 93.0% (147/158) reported survey completion easy or very easy. Older age was associated with lower odds of preferring computer or tablet to paper and pencil (odds ratio per 1-year increase in age: 0.91, 95% CI 0.85-0.98). Individuals who found the survey hard or very hard had a lower median neurocognitive test score than those who found it easy or very easy. Data quality with web-based survey administration was similar to or higher than that with paper-and-pencil administration for most questions. Conclusions: Web-based survey administration was acceptable and feasible in this cohort of older adults living with HIV, and data quality was high. Web-based surveys can be a useful tool for valid data collection and can potentially improve retention in long-term follow-up studies.
The Skill-Based Inequality in International Taxation: Comparative Evaluation of Tax Treaties Concluded by Former-USSR States with Nordic and with Investment Hub States

In the research the results of the comparative quantitative evaluation of the effects of tax treaties on the FDIs are presented for the six former-USSR states: three non-EU – Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and three EU members – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The different level of fiscal risks and distortions of equality can arise in the case of application of the almost identically open treaties with the Nordic and with the investment hub states. While too open treaties with the investment hubs can lead to massive round-tripping and treaty shopping, similar treaties with the Nordic states do not lead to similar problems. Evaluation of fiscal risks arising from tax treaty potential to become conduit treaty is crucial for the successful tax policy and for certainty of the investment climate. The divide in technical skill capacity of treaty negotiators, tax and revenue offices between the former-USSR states and the developed states is suggested as a key reason for the incorrect evaluation of such fiscal risks at a time of treaty negotiations.
Effect of language interpretation modality on throughput and mortality for critical care patients: A retrospective observational study.

Objective Limited data exist describing possible delays in patient transfer from the emergency department (ED) as a result of language barriers and the effects of interpretation services. We described the differences in ED length of stay (LOS) before intensive care unit (ICU) arrival and mortality based on availability of telephone or in-person interpretation services. Methods Using an ICU database from an urban academic tertiary care hospital, ED patients entering the ICU were divided into groups based on primary language and available interpretation services (in-person vs telephone). Non-parametric tests were used to compare ED LOS and mortality between groups. Results Among 22,422 included encounters, English was recorded as the primary language for 51% of patients (11,427), and 9% of patients (2042) had a primary language other than English. Language was not documented for 40% of patients (8953). Among encounters with patients with non-English primary languages, in-person interpretation was available for 63% (1278) and telephone interpretation was available for 37% (764). In the English-language group, median ED LOS was 292 minutes (interquartile range [IQR], 205-412) compared with 309 minutes (IQR, 214-453) for patients speaking languages with in-person interpretation available and 327 minutes (IQR, 225-463) for patients speaking languages with telephone interpretation available. Mortality was higher among patients with telephone (15%) or in-person (11%) interpretation available compared with patients who primarily spoke English (9%). Conclusions Patients with primary languages other than English who were critically ill spent a median of 17 to 35 more minutes in the ED before ICU arrival and experienced higher mortality rates compared with patients who spoke English as a primary language.
Communication With Optics

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces the basic concepts of fiber-optic communications. With the advent of optic fibers and corresponding components such as semiconductor lasers and receivers, fiber-optic communication has become the core technology for long haul broadband communications The basic principle of light propagating in optic fiber can be illustrated by the simple geometric optics principle, i.e., total internal reflection. The light sources to be used for fiber-optic communications must have the following unique properties: proper output wavelengths, narrow bandwidth, and high-energy efficiency and compact size. Besides optical fibers, transmitters, and receivers, there are also other components needed in fiber-optic networks, including optical couplers, switchers, amplifiers, isolators, dispersion compensators, and more. To ensure good performance, it is very important to test the functioning of optics networks. The most important parameter of a digital system is the rate at which errors occur in the system. A common evaluation is the bit error ratio (BER) test. Another link evaluation is clock jitter measurement. The fiber–optic system can add variability to the unit interval period, referred to as jitter.
India's Cybersecurity Landscape: The Roles of the Private Sector and Public-Private Partnership

Are public-private partnerships an appropriate means of dealing with underdeveloped cybersecurity-related institutions and various sources of market failure in India? Whereas the government lacks the resources, expertise, and legitimacy to develop new templates, monitor the behaviors of industries, and enforce laws, trade associations are likely to be better, more effective, and more efficient in these areas owing to their expertise, experiences, and well-focused priorities.
Labrador program prepares MDs for northern, remote practice

Across Canada, residency programs are attempting to train more physicians to practise in rural and remote areas. The Northern Family Education Program developed in Newfoundland and Labrador is proving that physicians can learn to like life in remote areas.