cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated liver elasticity calculation for 3D MRE

Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is a phase-contrast MRI technique which calculates quantitative stiffness images, called elastograms, by imaging the propagation of acoustic waves in tissues. It is used clinically to diagnose liver fibrosis. Automated analysis of MRE is difficult as the corresponding MRI magnitude images (which contain anatomical information) are affected by intensity inhomogeneity, motion artifact, and poor tissue- and edge-contrast. Additionally, areas with low wave amplitude must be excluded. An automated algorithm has already been successfully developed and validated for clinical 2D MRE. 3D MRE acquires substantially more data and, due to accelerated acquisition, has exacerbated image artifacts. Also, the current 3D MRE processing does not yield a confidence map to indicate MRE wave quality and guide ROI selection, as is the case in 2D. In this study, extension of the 2D automated method, with a simple wave-amplitude metric, was developed and validated against an expert reader in a set of 57 patient exams with both 2D and 3D MRE. The stiffness discrepancy with the expert for 3D MRE was -0.8% ± 9.45% and was better than discrepancy with the same reader for 2D MRE (-3.2% ± 10.43%), and better than the inter-reader discrepancy observed in previous studies. There were no automated processing failures in this dataset. Thus, the automated liver elasticity calculation (ALEC) algorithm is able to calculate stiffness from 3D MRE data with minimal bias and good precision, while enabling stiffness measurements to be fully reproducible and to be easily performed on the large 3D MRE datasets.
A 2 Year Forecast for a 60–80% Chance of La Niña in 2017–2018

Historical observations show that one in two La Nina events last for two consecutive years. Despite their outsized impacts on drought, these 2-year La Nina are not predicted on a routine basis. Here, we assess the predictability of 2-year La Nina using retrospective forecasts performed with a climate model that simulates realistic multi-year events, as well as with an empirical model based on observed predictors. The skill of the retrospective forecasts allows us to make predictions for the upcoming 2017-2018 boreal winter starting from conditions in November 2015. These two-year forecasts indicate that the return of La Nina is more likely than not, with a 60% probability based on the climate model and an 80% probability based on the empirical model; the likelihood of El Nino is less than 8% in both cases. These results demonstrate the feasibility of predictions of the duration of La Nina.
Epimetronomics: m6A Marks the Tempo of Corticogenesis.

Yoon et al. (2017) uncover a key role for the m6A RNA mark in regulating the timing of cerebral cortex development in mouse and human. This discovery opens new avenues of exploration into how the epitranscriptome helps orchestrate central nervous system formation.
“People Will Bury Their Guns before They Surrender Them”: Implementing Domestic Violence Gun Control in Rural, Appalachian versus Urban Communities

Though gun violence is a global issue, the risk of firearm death is substantially higher in the United States than in other high-income nations. Guns are deeply rooted within American culture; however, different subcultures exist along the urban-rural divide. Such differences between urban and rural communities related to gun culture have been dubbed “firearm localism.” We investigated firearm localism in a state that has the highest proportion of firearm-related domestic violence homicide and a large rural area representing a subgroup of rural culture: Appalachia. Specifically, key professionals reported issues related to domestic violence gun control in their communities. We conducted phone and in-person surveys with a sample of community professionals (N = 133) working in victim services and the justice system in urban and Appalachian communities. Despite evidence of a strong gun culture in the rural communities, both urban and rural professionals estimated that about two-thirds of their community would support restricting abusers' firearm access. Additionally, rural professionals were more likely to show concern for abusers' Second Amendment rights when discussing unintended negative consequences of gun confiscation; urban professionals were more likely to point out that gun confiscation can provide a false sense of security for victims. Policy implications are discussed.
Medication errors in a pediatric anesthesia setting: Incidence, etiologies, and error reduction strategies.

Abstract Study objective The objective of the study was to: a) characterize the frequency, type, and outcome of anesthetic medication errors spanning an 8.5-year period, b) describe the targeted error reduction strategies and c) measure the effects, if any, of a focused, continuous, multifaceted Medication Safety Program. Design Retrospective analysis. Setting All anesthetizing locations (57). Patients All anesthesia patients at all Boston Children's Hospital anesthetizing locations from January 2008 to June 2016 were included. Interventions Medication libraries, zero-tolerance philosophy, independent verification, trainee education, standardized dosing; retrospective study. Measurements Number and type of medication errors. Main results 105 medication errors were identified among the 287,908 cases evaluated during the study period. Incorrect dose (55%) and incorrect medication (28%) were the most frequently observed errors. Beginning within 3 years of the implementation of the 2009 Medication Safety Program, the incidence declined to an average of 3.0 per 10,000 cases in the years from 2010 to 2016 (57% reduction) and declined to an average of only 2.2 per 10,000 cases since 2012 (69% reduction). Logistic regression indicated a 13% reduction per year in the odds of a medication error over the time period (odds ratio = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.79–0.95, P = 0.004). Conclusions Although medication errors persisted, there was a statistically significant reduction in errors during the study period. Formalized Medication Safety Programs should be adopted by other departments and institutions; these Programs could help prevent medication errors and decrease their overall incidence.
Geospatial Knowledge Discovery Using Semantic Web Services

Modern-day satellites and other data acquisition systems have collected an overwhelming volume of Earth and space science data. The data are processed and managed by a variety of geographically distributed data providers. NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS), for instance, has been generating on the average almost 100 gigabytes of imagery per hour for the past decade. It releases over 900 Earth science data products at more than a dozen data centers. It is extremely valuable for innovative scientific researches and decision-making processes to extract useful information and knowledge from these distributed massive volumes of data. A geospatial model in which prior domain expertise is encoded formally as computable algorithms can facilitate knowledge discovery by detecting and interpreting patterns and regularities, discovering classification rules, and inferring causation. With complex spatial and/or temporal dynamics, geospatial knowledge discovery commonly requires a capability beyond that of an individual geospatial model. Specifically, it involves a complex workflow that requires the integration of various geospatial models and distributed multi-disciplinary, multi-source, and multi-scale science data. For example, to predict fire behavior and estimate possible damage, decision makers and firefighters must effectively combine satellite observations, weather data, geographic data, census data, and simulation models from various sources. The best model and the most appropriate data must be selected in order to predict the fire spread in near-real time or real time. Therefore, the interoperability of geospatial models and data is becoming a critical issue for geospatial knowledge discovery.
Missiology and International Justice Mission Introduction

International Justice Mission has a pervasive presence, whether that be here on Pepperdine’s very own campus or globally in the different countries of the world. It is one of the most prominent modern missionary agencies and within this role it serves as a symbol of Christianity pursuing justice. Because of this important position both within the Christian faith as well as on the global platform, it is imperative that International Justice Mission is analyzed with regard to missiology. Missiology is a practice that thinks through and prays over missionaries and mission practices in order to glorify God through well thought-out mission. Missiology considers “the biblical and theological foundation of mission; the history of the course taken by the missions; analysis of the contemporary context; and the discernment of social, political, economic, and religious trends that will influence the direction of mission in the future” (Shenk 18). Therefore, with the purpose of examining International Justice Mission through the lens of missiology, first the history of International Justice Mission will be discussed. Then the theology of International Justice Mission will be investigated with specific regard to motivation, means, agents, target and goal. Throughout this evaluation, specific attention
Modeling Ecosystem Processes and Peat Accumulation in Boreal Peatlands

Various models have been used to investigate processes and dynamics of peatlands. These models range from the simplest conceptual models that intend to understand the first-order trajectory of long-term peat accumulation (carbon sequestration) to the most elaborate ecosystem models that incorporate detailed processes responsible for production, decomposition, and gas fluxes in peatland ecosystems. Some models are modified from existing ecosystem models, while others are deliberately developed to study peatlands by considering their unique characteristics. The peat profiles are an integrated part of peatland ecosystems and make important contributions to heterotrophic respiration of the entire ecosystem, so their inclusion in any model is essential. On the other hand, some key ecosystem parameters, including species composition, production, nutrients, and decomposition, are important for making comparisons with the results from other types of ecosystems. Therefore, it appears that the challenge is to integrate processes that operate over very different time scales, which would be able to offer useful insight to understanding the ecosystem dynamics and to provide robust projections for possible future change.
The detection of mercury vapour

A portable instrument has been developed based on the resistance changes in a thin gold film caused by the adsorption of elemental mercury vapour. The technique is simple and rapid, with a limit of detection of 0.05 nanogram of mercury. The instrument is currently being used both in geochemical prospecting and in pollution studies.
Analysis of grapevine gene expression data using node-based resilience clustering

Powdery mildew is the most economically important disease of cultivated grapevines worldwide. In the agricultural community, there is a great need for better understanding of the complex genetic basis of powdery mildew (PM) resistance by delineating possible gene biomarkers associated with the plants' defense mechanisms. Machine learning techniques can be applied to analysis of gene expression data to aid knowledge discovery of disease fighting genes. In this work, we apply a data-driven computational model, utilizing a graph-based clustering algorithm - Node-Based Resilience Clustering (NBR- Clust), to analyze grapevine gene expression data to identify possible gene biomarkers associated with powdery mildew disease defense mechanisms. We investigated two graph representations (geometric and kNN) on the mean differences of PM inoculated vs. mock inoculated gene expression values of Cabernet and Norton (PM disease resistant) species across 6 time points. By applying the contrarian approach, we hypothesized that smaller sized clusters will contain genes that do not follow general patterns, hence, could display distinct expression patterns of PM- induced transcripts across the time points that may insinuate biological relevance. We compared the smaller clusters obtained in Norton in contrast with the ones from Cabernet in terms of the genes that clustered in common between both (intersection of sets) as well as the differences of the sets. The results obtained demonstrate the usefulness of the geometric graphs for this domain application in contrast to the kNN graphs. Some genes that belong to biologically relevant pathways were identified that displayed differences in patterns across the time points between Norton and Cabernet species.
LATENCY OF VARICELLA ZOSTER VIRUS; A PERSISTENTLY PERPLEXING STATE

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is the herpesvirus which causes the childhood disease varicella, also known as chickenpox, and the adult disease herpes zoster, also known as shingles. These distinct diseases are separated by a lengthy period of latency, often lasting decades, in which the virus resides within the ganglia of the host. VZV latency and reactivation from it have, for the most part, been extraordinarily difficult to examine. This is due to the lack of a good animal model for the VZV latent state, the inability to experimentally reactivate VZV under any circumstances and the caveats and problems encountered in examining human ganglionic tissue. However, insights into features of the molecular events of VZV latency have been gleaned from its pathogenesis and from recent advances in molecular probing of human and animal ganglia. Evidence suggests that the latent VZV genome may express transcripts unlike those of closely related herpesviruses, and some evidence suggests an unusual site for the establishment of VZV latency. In this review, the current evidence for events occurring during the VZV latent state will be discussed, from a view of its pathogenesis as well as its molecular biology.
Pre-operative anti-fungal therapy does not improve outcomes in perforated peptic ulcers

Abstract Background: With the advent of anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy, hospital admissions for peptic ulcer disease (PUD) have declined significantly since the 1990s. Despite this, operative tre...
A Brief Description and Analysis of the Austin, Texas Tornado of 10 May 1959

A number of meteorological measurements during the early stage of a relatively small tornado permitted the calculation of surface-pressure and wind-speed distributions employing the conservation of...
Virtual and Valued: A Review of the Successes (and a Few Failures) of the Creation, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Inaugural Virtual Conference and Monthly Webinars

Planning and implementing online professional development opportunities is challenging but attainable. This paper explains how a group of librarians from different institutions worked to plan, mark...
Expression of additive genetic variance for fitness in a population of partridge pea in two field sites.

Despite the importance of adaptation in shaping biological diversity over many generations, little is known about populations' capacities to adapt at any particular time. Theory predicts that a population's rate of ongoing adaptation is the ratio of its additive genetic variance for fitness, V A ( W ) , to its mean absolute fitness, W ¯ . We conducted a transplant study to quantify W ¯ and standing V A ( W ) for a population of the annual legume Chamaecrista fasciculata in one field site from which we initially sampled it and another site where it does not currently occur naturally. We also examined genotype-by-environment interactions, G × E, as well as its components, differences between sites in V A ( W ) and in rank of breeding values for fitness. The mean fitness indicated population persistence in both sites, and there was substantial V A ( W ) for ongoing adaptation at both sites. Statistically significant G × E indicated that the adaptive process would differ between sites. We found a positive correlation between fitness of genotypes in the "home" and "away" environments, and G × E was more pronounced as the life-cycle proceeds. This study exemplifies an approach to assessing whether there is sufficient V A ( W ) to support evolutionary rescue in populations that are declining.
Aesthetic Citizenship: Immigration and Theater in Twenty-First-Century Paris

A meticulously contextualized ethnography of theatre, addressing and intervening in political struggles surrounding immigration in Paris, beginning in the 1970s and focused on the early twenty-firs...
Exposure and erasure: Fat kids in gym class, fat adults as athletes

ABSTRACTUsing autoethnography and a personal essay format, this essay explores the process of exposure and erasure—both successively and simultaneously—endured by fat children in gym classes and by...
Long-term Performance of Fresh Autologous Pericardium for Mitral Valve Leaflet Repair

Background Glutaraldehyde-fixed autologous or bovine pericardial patches used for mitral valve leaflet reconstruction have been associated with late calcification. Fresh autologous pericardium (FAP) may be a durable alternative. Methods Transthoracic echocardiography was used to assess valve function (regurgitation, mean pressure gradient, patch pliability, and calcification) in patients undergoing FAP mitral leaflet repairs. Pliability was scored between 1 (similar to native leaflets) and 4 (rigid). Calcification was scored between 1 (echobrightness similar to native leaflets) and 4 (very bright). Results Between 2002 and 2018, 62 consecutive patients (50% male, 51 ± 2 years, 69% infective endocarditis) underwent mitral valve repair with FAP, and Patch placement was on the anterior (31 of 62), posterior (27 of 62), or both (1 of 62) leaflets. Late echocardiographic follow-up was available for 43 of 62 patients (median follow-up, 3.6 years; range, 0.5-6 years). Average pliability scores were unchanged between discharge (1.2 ± 0.1) and follow-up (1.2 ± 0.2, P = .79). Average brightness scores increased modestly (predischarge, 1.6 ± 0.1; follow-up, 1.8 ± 0.1; P = .01). Three patients had recurrent severe mitral regurgitation, and 2 underwent reoperation, 1 at 1 year postoperatively for recurrent endocarditis and 1 at 6 years postoperatively for degenerative disease progression. At reoperation, patches were pliable, free from calcification, and comparable in thickness to adjacent native leaflet. One patient developed suture line leak, which was repaired. No other evidence of patch dehiscence, retraction, or aneurysm was observed. The 10-year freedom from reoperation of 82% and survival rate of 84% are comparable to repair with glutaraldehyde-fixed or bovine pericardial patches. Conclusions FAP is an excellent substrate for complex mitral valve leaflet patch repairs and can be used with the expectation of durable, long-term valve function, without evidence of late patch calcification, stiffness, or aneurysmal degeneration.
The BP〈2〉-cooperations algebra at odd primes

Abstract In previous work, the author analyzed the co-operations algebra for the second truncated Brown-Peterson spectrum at the prime p = 2 . The purpose of this paper is to carry out the necessary modifications to odd primes.
Generalists are more specialized in low-resource habitats, increasing stability of ecological network structure

Linking mechanistic processes to the stability of ecological networks is a key frontier in ecology. In trophic networks, "modules"-groups of species that interact more with each other than with other members of the community-confer stability, mitigating effects of species loss or perturbation. Modularity, in turn, is shaped by the interplay between species' diet breadth traits and environmental influences, which together dictate interaction structure. Despite the importance of network modularity, variation in this emergent property is poorly understood in complex natural systems. Using two years of field data, we quantified interactions between a rich community of lepidopteran herbivores and their host plants across a mosaic of low-resource serpentine and high-resource nonserpentine soils. We used literature and our own observations to categorize herbivore species as generalists (feeding on more than one plant family) or specialists (feeding on one plant family). In both years, the plant-herbivore network was more modular on serpentine than on nonserpentine soils-despite large differences in herbivore assemblage size across years. This structural outcome was primarily driven by reduction in the breadth of host plant use by generalist species, rather than by changes in the composition of species with different fundamental diet breadths. Greater modularity-and thus greater stability-reflects environmental conditions and plastic responses by generalist herbivores to low host plant quality. By considering the dual roles of species traits and ecological processes, we provide a deeper mechanistic understanding of network modularity, and suggest a role for resource availability in shaping network persistence.
Generation of ironized and multivitamin-loaded liposomes using venturi-based rapid expansion of a supercritical solution (Vent-RESS)

Ironized multivitamin-loaded liposomes were generated via the use of supercritical-CO2 (SC-CO2) as a green solvent without using any organic solvent. A newly developed, venturi-based rapid expansion of a supercritical solution (Vent-RESS) system was employed to introduce lipophilic and hydrophilic bioactives in an eductor vacuum system and efficiently mix them together in a fraction of a second without the aid of an external pump to generate liposomes. Firstly, two different coating materials, lecithin with 39% and 13% of phosphatidylcholine (PC), were used to study the structure of the resulting liposomes and the zeta-potential of the colloidal system. Then, lecithin with 13% of PC was selected for the microencapsulation purpose due to its better interaction with other hydrophobic components incorporated into the lamellar part of the liposomes. The lipophilic part included lecithin, cholesterol, and a lipophilic cargo, vitamin E; whereas the hydrophilic phase consisted of iron sulfate and vitamin C solution. It was found that liposomes of a unimodal size distribution with an average size range of 580–700 nm were formed when the SC-CO2 pressure was changed from 12 to 18 MPa. Additionally, the encapsulation efficiency of vitamins C and E and iron sulfate was improved to the maximum values of 60%, 88%, and 58% from 46%, 36%, and 12%, respectively, when the pressure was increased from 12 to 18 MPa. The finite volume method (FVM) was used to numerically simulate the mixing of the two fluid streams to better understand the effect of the hydrophilic cargo introduction geometry on the mixing efficiency. This microencapsulation system is based on a green approach to generate hydrophilic/lipophilic bioactive-loaded liposomes, free of organic solvents with high potential for scale-up, which can be used in food, biomedical, and cosmetic applications.
School Climate as a Link Between High School Black Males’ Math Identity and Outcomes:

The association between students’ academic identity and their academic outcomes has been well-established. The importance of a positive school climate has also been widely documented. However, Blac...
Decomposing socioeconomic disparities in the use of colonoscopy among the insured elderly population before and after the Affordable Care Act.

Out-of-pocket costs may significantly dampen patients’ willingness to adopt preventive procedures. This is especially true for colonoscopies, which typically involved relatively high cost-sharing requirements prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation in 2011. We aim to examine the effects of income-related disparities in colonoscopy use in the years prior to and immediately after the implementation of the ACA. Further, we quantify the contributions of different factors in explaining the disparities in the use of colonoscopies among elderly population with health insurance coverage. Five cycles (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016) of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were utilized. To examine income-related disparities in the use of CRC, individuals aged 65–75 were included, and the concentration index (CI) was calculated before and after the implementation of ACA. To identify and quantify the contribution of different factors, a decomposition analysis of CI was conducted. CIs decreased from 0.1935 in pre-ACA years to 0.1813 in the post-ACA years among the elderly, indicating that the disparities in the use of colonoscopy was relatively low and the disparities index declined after the implementation of ACA. Decomposition analyses showed that whereas decreases in disparities derived largely from income and educational level, higher level of income and educational attainment were major contributors to the observed disparities in colonoscopy use. Our findings indicate that the ACA’s removal of financial barriers may have contributed toward the reduction in disparities of colonoscopy use. More direct interventions, e.g., improved knowledge, better access and lower indirect cost will be helpful in improving screening among low-income and low-educational attainment households.
Management characteristics of Northeast US grass-fed beef production systems *

ABSTRACT Objective Our objective was to characterize grass-fed beef cattle production systems in the Northeast United States. Materials and Methods We surveyed 70 Northeast grass-fed beef cattle producers to learn about their management practices. Responses were assigned to USDA Plant Hardiness Zones according to their location. Farms were also categorized based on whether they produced or purchased forage to meet the herd’s year-round nutritional needs. Responses were compared using nonparametric methods. Results and Discussion Grazing seasons were up to 2.3 mo longer in warmer zones than cooler zones (P 0.1), culminating in 74 to 86% greater (P 0.1). Feed-sufficient farms also had larger herds (P Implications and Applications Documentation of management characteristics provides support for further assessment of the production practices and overall sustainability of Northeast grass-fed beef production systems.
On Malware Detection in the Android Operating System

The threat of malware attacks on Android mobile devices is an ever-growing one, as usage and sophistication increases. As the Android OS is fairly new in the overall set of operating systems, there is much need and room for research in the area of Android malware detection. In this paper, several current Android malware detection methods are categorized in terms of static, dynamic, and family signature analysis. In addition, the methods identified are analyzed for their relative levels of effectiveness.
Multi-Time Resolution Ensemble LSTMs for Enhanced Feature Extraction in High-Rate Time Series.

Systems experiencing high-rate dynamic events, termed high-rate systems, typically undergo accelerations of amplitudes higher than 100 g-force in less than 10 ms. Examples include adaptive airbag deployment systems, hypersonic vehicles, and active blast mitigation systems. Given their critical functions, accurate and fast modeling tools are necessary for ensuring the target performance. However, the unique characteristics of these systems, which consist of (1) large uncertainties in the external loads, (2) high levels of non-stationarities and heavy disturbances, and (3) unmodeled dynamics generated from changes in system configurations, in combination with the fast-changing environments, limit the applicability of physical modeling tools. In this paper, a deep learning algorithm is used to model high-rate systems and predict their response measurements. It consists of an ensemble of short-sequence long short-term memory (LSTM) cells which are concurrently trained. To empower multi-step ahead predictions, a multi-rate sampler is designed to individually select the input space of each LSTM cell based on local dynamics extracted using the embedding theorem. The proposed algorithm is validated on experimental data obtained from a high-rate system. Results showed that the use of the multi-rate sampler yields better feature extraction from non-stationary time series compared with a more heuristic method, resulting in significant improvement in step ahead prediction accuracy and horizon. The lean and efficient architecture of the algorithm results in an average computing time of 25 μμs, which is below the maximum prediction horizon, therefore demonstrating the algorithm’s promise in real-time high-rate applications.
Review of Recent Research on L2 Digital Multimodal Composing

This article reviews 26 empirical studies on digital multimodal composing (DMC) published in well-established journals between 2010 and 2020. It provides a holistic overview of these studies in terms of context and participants, multimodal tasks, technology, and research data. Research strands and themes are also identified. This review shows that most studies on DMC were conducted in tertiary ESL/EFL contexts. The research was informed by various theoretical/pedagogical frameworks across multiple disciplines. The multimodal writing tasks included digital storytelling, digital video production, and multimodal presentation. Data were analyzed to address three main strands: 1) L2 students' DMC process, 2) students' perceptions of DMC, and 3) effects of DMC. Of note, DMC practices were reported to have benefited L2 students, such as enhancing audience and genre awareness, learner autonomy, language learning investment, identity development, multimodal communicative competence, and L2 competence. This article ends with pedagogical recommendations and directions for future research.
A facile method for coal to graphene oxide and its application to a biosensor

Abstract The classic methods of synthesis of graphene oxide derived from graphite require harsh oxidation with excessive chemicals (H2SO4, H3PO4, KMnO4, etc.) and multiple processes. In this paper, we present a facile one-pot process using HNO 3 to obtain graphene oxide from coal (Coal-GO). Coal has a unique molecular structure comprising of small regions or clusters of graphene-like and aliphatic side chains, for which our process is successfully able to exclude aliphatic compounds while preserving graphene domains during oxidization and subsequent exfoliation. The Coal-GO was converted to reduced graphene oxide (Coal-rGO) by conventional method to produce a few-layered graphene nanosheets in lateral size of 300–700 nm. The surface characteristics of the Coal-GO indicate the persistence of N from the raw coal as well as that introduced in the process. Notably, the Coal-GO shows a considerable amount of COOH compared to the other oxygen groups. Our data indicates that the process is effective in oxidative scissoring of the edges of coal, with minimal effect on swelling of coal towards the c -direction. Lastly, we demonstrate that compared to Graphite-GO, the Coal-GO has superior interaction with single stranded DNA aptamer, which could result in higher sensitivity chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer-based biosensors.
Reply to Cheng et al.: Benefit generation dominates cost infliction in explaining cross-national status allocations.

In our study of the psychological determinants of status allocations across 14 nations (1), we conclude that “the primary foundation of human status allocation psychology is benefit generation rather than cost infliction.” Cheng et al. (2) identify strong correlations among our predictors and variance inflation factors (VIF) greater than 2.5 as cause for concern about our conclusion. We note that strong correlations among predictors are not themselves indicative of severe collinearity; there is little consensus on VIF cutoffs in the literature, and multicollinearity is not necessarily problematic for inference (3⇓⇓–6). Still, we appreciate their thorough examination of our study and agree it … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: pdurkee{at}utexas.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
SEDIMENT BYPASSING AT MIXED ENERGY TIDAL INLETS

Inlet sediment bypassing, through the previously recognized mechanisms of stable inlet processes and ebb-tidal delta breaching, has been documented at six mixed energy (tide-dominated) coasts around the world including the coasts of: central South Carolina, Virginia, southern New Jersey, New England, the East Friesian Islands, and the Copper River Delta in Alaska. Regardless of the mechanism, the end product of the bypassing process is the formation of a large bar complex that migrates onshore and attaches to the downdrift inlet shoreline. Thus sediment bypassing is a discontinuous process at mixed energy tidal inlets. The morphology of the bar complexes is highly variable with widths ranging from 40-300m and lengths from 300 to over 1500m. Generally, the size of the bar complexes increases as inlet size increases and as the rate of longshore sediment transport increases. The frequency of bar welding events at mixed energy inlets varies from 3-7 years. The location where the bars attach to the downdrift beach and length of shoreline that is affected by the bar welding process is dependent on inlet size, orientation of the main ebb channel and wave versus tide dominance of the shoreline.
Updated analysis of a phase II study (20060314) of panitumumab (pmab) with FOLFIRI as first-line treatment of patients (pts) with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC)

4085 Background: The fully human anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody pmab, has proven monotherapy activity in chemotherapy refractory mCRC pts with wild-type KRAS-expressing t...
Development Agreements: Contracting for Vested Rights

The development process is risky for developers. They spend large sums of money on various development activities prior to receiving a municipality's approval to proceed with the project. Uncertainty exists because a municipality may enact a subsequent zoning regulation which renders the proposed use impermissible. A vested right protects developer investments from subsequent zoning change. This Note examines one method by which a developer can obtain a vested right: the development agreement. A development agreement is a contract between a municipality and a property owner/developer, through which the municipality agrees to freeze the existing zoning regulations in exchange for public benefits. This Note concludes that development agreements are readily enforceable, and are attractive tools in both early and late vesting states.
Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Multimodal interfaces

Multimodal interaction is a domain of research that is based on the intuition that humans bring a broad bandwidth of interactive resources to bear in our interactions with other people and with our environment (and computers). It is a rich ground for interdisciplinary research that spans the detection and tracking of human behavior, the production of visual, physical, and audible signals for human consumption, the system architectures, approaches and theories for integrating these varied inputs and outputs, and the experimental methods and evaluations for such multimodal interfaces. As such, multimodal interfaces invite insights from such fields as human-computer interaction, spoken language understanding, natural language understanding, image processing, computer vision, pattern recognition, experimental psychology, psycholinguistics, social psychology, computer-supported cooperative work.These proceedings include the papers accepted for presentation at the Eighth International Conference on Multimodal Interfaces (ICMI'06) held in Banff, Canada on the November 2-4, 2006. These proceedings are published by ACM.The papers included in these proceedings were selected from 102 contributions with 81 full papers submitted by researchers worldwide. A full double-blind review process was employed. Each paper was allocated for review to four members of the Program Committee, with one serving as the primary reviewer. There were 104 reviewers, each of whom reviewed at least one paper. The process yielded 18 acceptances for oral presentations, and 22 for poster presentations. These papers represent some of the latest developments in the research of multimodal interfaces.
La poesía de Luis Carlos López y la tradición de la antiliteratura en las letras hispánicas

Es indispensable situar la poesia del colombiano Luis Carlos Lopez (1879-1950) con la mayor exactitud posible dentro del panorama historico de la lirica hispanoamericana de este siglo, que se inicia con el auge del modernismo y que culmina en el verso posvanguardista actual. Es preciso, ademas, situar a Lopez dentro de la tradicion hispanica de la antiliteratura que surge en Espana con el Libro de buen amor de Juan Ruiz (1283-1350). Este libro parodia el menester de clerecia y satiriza la vida cotidiana en la Edad Media, epoca en que la Iglesia catolica y su clero dominaron la sociedad. Esta obra maestra del siglo XIV reune casi todas las formas metricas medievales castellanas junto con exempla, anecdotas y fabulas de origen oriental.
Compressive parameter estimation via K-median clustering

Abstract Compressive sensing (CS) has attracted significant attention in parameter estimation tasks, where parametric dictionaries (PDs) collect signal observations for a sampling of the parameter space and yield sparse representations for signals of interest when the sampling is dense. While this sampling also leads to high dictionary coherence, one can leverage structured sparsity models to prevent highly coherent dictionary elements from appearing simultaneously in the recovered signal. However, the resulting approaches depend heavily on the careful setting of the maximum allowable coherence; furthermore, their guarantees are not concerned with general parameter estimation performance. We propose the use of earth mover’s distance (EMD), as applied to a pair of true and estimated PD coefficient vectors, to measure the parameter estimation error. We formally analyze the connection between the EMD and the parameter estimation error and show that the EMD provides a better-suited metric for parameter estimation performance than the Euclidean distance. Additionally, we analyze the previously described relationship between K -median clustering and EMD-optimal sparse approximation and leverage it to develop improved PD-based parameter estimation algorithms. Numerical experiments verify our theoretical results, showing that the proposed compressive parameter estimation algorithms have performance similar to state-of-the-art algorithms while featuring simpler implementation and broader applicability.
Natural Selection and Causal Productivity

In the recent philosophical literature, two questions have arisen concerning the status of natural selection: (1) Is it a population-level phenomenon, or is it an organism-level phenomenon? (2) Is it a causal process, or is it a purely statistical summary of lower-level processes? In an earlier work (Millstein, Br J Philos Sci, 57(4):627–653, 2006), I argue that natural selection should be understood as a population-level causal process, rather than a purely statistical population-level summation of lower-level processes or as an organism-level causal process. In a 2009 essay entitled “Productivity, relevance, and natural selection,” Stuart Glennan argues in reply that natural selection is produced by causal processes operating at the level of individual organisms, but he maintains that there is no causal productivity at the population level. However, there are, he claims, many population-level properties that are causally relevant to the dynamics of evolutionary processes. Glennan’s claims rely on a causal pluralism that holds that there are two types of causes: causal production and causal relevance. Without calling into question Glennan’s causal pluralism or his claims concerning the causal relevance of natural selection, I argue that natural selection does in fact exhibit causal production at the population level. It is true that natural selection does not fit with accounts of mechanisms that involve decomposition of wholes into parts, such as Glennan’s own. However, it does fit with causal production accounts that do not require decomposition, such as Salmon’s Mark Transmission account, given the extent to which populations act as interacting “objects” in the process of natural selection.
Distinguishing the (Almost) Indistinguishable

Zeolite and zeolite-like materials--crystalline solids containing a large number of uniformly sized pores with diameters of <2 nm--can discriminate between molecules that can enter the pore space and those that cannot on the basis of their size and shape. In his Perspective, Davis highlights the report by Lai et al., who have synthesized the first zeolite membrane that can separate para-xylene molecules from the only slightly larger ortho-xylene molecules, with high permeance of the para-xylene. The membrane was prepared using a clever integration of a number of synthetic steps and consists of a thin layer of zeolite ZSM-5 that is oriented to allow molecular transport through straight pores running perpendicular to the membrane surface.
ASCO Task Force on the Cost of Cancer Care

The United States leads the world in cancer care outcomes, but the cost is extremely high—and growing rapidly. New proposals for health reform emphasize one clear and immediate need: to control runaway cost.
The Orthonormal Fourier-Mellin Transform For Precision Scale Detection And Range Data Acquisition

The Mellin transform converts reference frame scale information into phase information. This property makes the Mellin transform appropriate for determining the scale difference between two signals and for determining features which are invariant to scale change : partial shape recognition, recognition of objects at various distances, speech or brain wave processing, range mapping, processing of doppler shifted signals. A recent study [1] reveals a generalized Mellin transform which, when indexed properly, produces an orthonormal version which is superior to the Mellin transform typically seen in the literature. The orthonormal Mellin transform, the Fourier-Mellin transform and their properties are discussed. The performance of scale detection of digitized curves and its application to monocular range acquisition in a robot vision system are investigated. Key words: Mellin transform, Fourier-Mellin transform, Discrete Mellin Transform, scale detection, range acquisition
Re-investigation of specific hydrogen bonding of certain adenine and uracil derivatives by infrared spectroscopy.

Abstract The association constant, K A − U , for the 1:1 hydrogen-bonded complex of 9-ethyladenine and 1-cyclohexyluracil in [2H]chloroform at 25°C has been measured by infrared to be 96.1 M−1 at both 3527 and 3414 cm−1. Bromine substitution at C8 of the adenine derivative increases the self-association constant, K BrA − BrA , to 13.1 M−1 over that for 9-ethyladenine, K A − A = 3.1 M −1 . The resonance forms of 8-bromo-9-ethyladenine favor hydrogen bonding at N7, giving a dimer structure consistent with X-ray results. Its constant for association with 1-cyclohexyluracil, K BrA − U , has the low value of 46.4 M−1, because of steric hindrance which limits the dimer to the Watson—Crick form.
Understanding Local Government Responses to Fiscal Pressure: a Cross National Analysis

Fiscally pressured local governments face the same basic choices in both the United States and the United Kingdom: whether to increase locally raised revenues in order to maintain existing services or to reduce local services. The article first posits a model of local government decision-making in response to fiscal pressure drawn primarily from organizational and systems theory. Local governments are viewed as organizations concerned with maintaining their equilibrium relationships with their external environment (public employees and their unions). The model suggests a series of hypotheses about how local government will respond to fiscal pressure. Case studies of fiscally pressured local governments in both the United States and the United Kingdom are then utilized to describe actual local responses and to assess the usefulness of the model. The article concludes by setting forth a rough hierarchy of preferred local responses.
Microstructural and Electrical Characterization of Misfit Dislocations at the InAs/GaP Heterointerface

InAs is a narrow band gap semiconductor with potential for such applications as IR detectors, low temperature transistors, etc‥ However, the lack of suitable substrates has hampered progress in the development of InAs based devices. In the present study, InAs was grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy on (001) GaP substrates. Though this system has a high lattice mismatch, (∼11%), certain MBE growth conditions result in 80% relaxed InAs layers on GaP with the mismatch accommodated predominantly by 90° pure edge dislocations. Misfit dislocation microstructures were studied using Transmission Electron Microscopy. Electrical characterization using lateral conductance and Hall effect measurements were also performed. Preliminary results indicate the possibility of misfit dislocation related conductivity. The possible correlation between interface structure and electrical properties is discussed.
VM Hub: Building Cloud Service and Mobile Application for Image/Video/Multimedia Services

In this tutorial, we will teach how to use VM Hub (Visual Media Hub), an open multimedia hub with most of the code in the open source space, to convert a multimedia application to a cloud service, and to build mobile applications that consumes the cloud service. The tutorial also covers the architecture and design consideration of VM Hub.
Parallel Distributed Processing and the Emergence of Schizophrenic Symptoms

Computer simulations of parallel distributed processing (PDP) neural networks have increased our understanding of brain functioning. This article reviews how PDP concepts can contribute to our understanding of schizophrenic symptoms. Psychotic states induced by phencyclidine and the adult form of metachromatic leukodystrophy, as well as neurometabolic studies, suggest that schizophrenia reflects a breakdown in communication between cortical areas. A computer simulation of this type of brain pathology has suggested two neurocognitive consequences: some cortical circuits will become functionally autonomous, and a subset of these circuits will yield "parasitic foci" that slavishly reproduce the same cognitive output. Delusions of control, paranoid delusions of the idee fixe type, thought broadcasting, "voices," and certain deficit symptoms are postulated outcomes of parasitic foci located at different levels of language processing. A neurodevelopmental model of impaired corticocortical communication is described, and this model's implications for further study are outlined.
Valuation Analysis of Commercial Real Estate Using the Nearest Neighbors Appraisal Technique

The Nearest Neighbors Appraisal Technique (NNAT) is pitted against the traditional real estate appraisal process and ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates of value for various types of commercial real estate in Dallas, Texas. Additionally, time is explicitly entered into NNAT. NNAT estimates of value are significantly more accurate than the traditional appraisal process for all types of commercial real estate, it is significantly more accurate than OLS estimates for retail and miscellaneous properties, and it is more accurate, but not significantly so, than OLS estimates for other types of commercial real estate.