cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Slowdown in Global Trade: A Symptom of a Weak Recovery?

Global trade growth has slowed since 2012 relative both to its strong historical performance and to overall economic growth. This paper aims to quantify the role of weak economic growth and changes in its decomposition in accounting for the slowdown in trade using a reduced form and a structural approach. Both analytical investigations suggest that the overall weakness in economic activity, particularly investment, has been the primary restraint on trade growth, accounting for about 80% of the decline in the growth of the volume of goods trade between 2012–2016 and 2003–2007. However, other factors are also weighing on trade in recent years, especially in emerging market and developing economies, as evidenced by the non-negligible role attributed to trade costs by the structural approach.
The Impact of International Crises on Maritime Transportation Based Global Value Chains

International trade has evolved into global value chains, a worldwide network highly impacted by global crises. Since maritime transportation is the most important mode for international trade, it is significantly affected by these crises. However, describing the effects of crises in maritime-related trade is extremely challenging due to the multidimensional structure of this network and lack of accurate data. The Global Trade Analysis Project is an important source of information that provides international trade data for multiple regions, economic sectors, and modes around the globe. This paper explores this novel datasets and presents four contributions to literature: (1) proposing a novel representation of the maritime multi-commodity international trade network, (2) using statistical-network-analysis tools to describe the impact of global crises in this network, (3) demonstrating the benefits of this approach over traditional methods, (4) providing economic policy for maritime related global trade. Results show how countries and maritime-related economic sector adjust to global crises from a network perspective as international economy evolves.
Use of autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells for creation of laryngeal cartilage.

Objectives/hypothesis Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) are an exciting potential cell source for tissue engineering because cells can be derived from the simple excision of autologous fat. This study introduces a novel approach for tissue-engineering cartilage from ASCs and a customized collagen oligomer solution, and demonstrates that the resultant cartilage can be used for laryngeal cartilage reconstruction in an animal model. Study design Basic science experimental design. Methods ASCs were isolated from F344 rats, seeded in a customized collagen matrix, and cultured in chondrogenic differentiation medium for 1, 2, and 4 weeks until demonstrating cartilage-like characteristics in vitro. Large laryngeal cartilage defects were created in the F344 rat model, with the engineered cartilage used to replace the cartilage defects, and the rats followed for 1 to 3 months. Staining examined cellular morphology and cartilage-specific features. Results In vitro histological staining revealed rounded chondrocyte-appearing cells evenly residing throughout the customized collagen scaffold, with positive staining for cartilage-specific markers. The cartilage was used to successfully repair large cartilaginous defects in the rat model, with excellent functional results. Conclusions This study is the first study to demonstrate, in an animal model, that ASCs cultured in a unique form of collagen oligomer can create functional cartilage-like grafts that can be successfully used for partial laryngeal cartilage replacement. Level of evidence NA. Laryngoscope, 128:E123-E129, 2018.
Verbal Learning and Memory After Cochlear Implantation in Postlingually Deaf Adults: Some New Findings with the CVLT-II.

Objectives Despite the importance of verbal learning and memory in speech and language processing, this domain of cognitive functioning has been virtually ignored in clinical studies of hearing loss and cochlear implants in both adults and children. In this article, we report the results of two studies that used a newly developed visually based version of the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II), a well-known normed neuropsychological measure of verbal learning and memory. Design The first study established the validity and feasibility of a computer-controlled visual version of the CVLT-II, which eliminates the effects of audibility of spoken stimuli, in groups of young normal-hearing and older normal-hearing (ONH) adults. A second study was then carried out using the visual CVLT-II format with a group of older postlingually deaf experienced cochlear implant (ECI) users (N = 25) and a group of ONH controls (N = 25) who were matched to ECI users for age, socioeconomic status, and nonverbal IQ. In addition to the visual CVLT-II, subjects provided data on demographics, hearing history, nonverbal IQ, reading fluency, vocabulary, and short-term memory span for visually presented digits. ECI participants were also tested for speech recognition in quiet. Results The ECI and ONH groups did not differ on most measures of verbal learning and memory obtained with the visual CVLT-II, but deficits were identified in ECI participants that were related to recency recall, the buildup of proactive interference, and retrieval-induced forgetting. Within the ECI group, nonverbal fluid IQ, reading fluency, and resistance to the buildup of proactive interference from the CVLT-II consistently predicted better speech recognition outcomes. Conclusions Results from this study suggest that several underlying foundational neurocognitive abilities are related to core speech perception outcomes after implantation in older adults. Implications of these findings for explaining individual differences and variability and predicting speech recognition outcomes after implantation are discussed.
Applications of $$\alpha $$-Strongly Regular Distributions to Bayesian Auctions

Two classes of distributions that are widely used in the analysis of Bayesian auctions are the Monotone Hazard Rate MHR and Regular distributions. They can both be characterized in terms of the rate of change of the associated virtual value functions: for MHR distributions the condition is that for values $$v < v'$$, $$\phi v' - \phi v \ge v' - v$$, and for regular distributions, $$\phi v' - \phi v \ge 0$$. Cole and Roughgarden introduced the interpolating class of $$\alpha $$-Strongly Regular distributions $$\alpha $$-SR distributions for short, for which $$\phi v' - \phi v \ge \alpha v' - v$$, for $$0 \le \alpha \le 1$$. In this paper, we investigate five distinct auction settings for which good expected revenue bounds are known when the bidders' valuations are given by MHR distributions. In every case, we show that these bounds degrade gracefully when extended to $$\alpha $$-SR distributions. For four of these settings, the auction mechanism requires knowledge of these distributions in the other setting, the distributions are needed only to ensure good bounds on the expected revenue. In these cases we also investigate what happens when the distributions are known only approximately via samples, specifically how to modify the mechanisms so that they remain effective and how the expected revenue depends on the number of samples.
Investigating the factor structure and validity of the family empowerment scale for parents of children with emotional disturbance in middle school

Abstract Parent empowerment involves the ability of caregivers to meet the needs of their family while maintaining feelings of control and is particularly important for families of children at-risk. It is necessary to establish reliable and valid tools to measure parent empowerment. The purpose of this study was to examine the internal factor structure, score reliability, and convergent validity of the FES scores with caregivers of middle school youth who had an Individualized Education Plan for Emotional Disturbance (ED) or Other Health Impairment (OHI) due to emotional or behavioral needs. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the internal structure the FES. Score reliability was examined by computing coefficient alpha (Cronbach, 1951) for each subscale score and computing Coefficient omega and coefficient omega hierarchical for good-fitting factor models and bifactor models. Convergent validity was examined by generating composite scores for each subscale, followed by computing Pearson correlations between FES subscale scores and scores from the PAM, CGSQ and the SDQ. Results indicated that the hypothesized three-factor model fit the data adequately. FES scores were reliable based on coefficient alpha and omega, and evidence of convergent validity with measures of parent activation, caregiver strain, and child behavior were moderate to strong. The results support the use of the FES with parents of middle school youth who have ED and further validate the three factor structure identified in the initial measure development. Practical and clinical implications of these findings include support for the use of the FES with this particular group of parents.
High-magnitude innovators as keystone individuals in the evolution of culture.

Borrowing from the concept of keystone species in ecological food webs, a recent focus in the field of animal behaviour has been keystone individuals: individuals whose impact on population dynamics is disproportionally larger than their frequency in the population. In populations evolving culture, such may be the role of high-magnitude innovators: individuals whose innovations are a major departure from the population9s existing behavioural repertoire. Their effect on cultural evolution is twofold: they produce innovations that constitute a ‘cultural leap9 and, once copied, their innovations may induce further innovations by conspecifics (socially induced innovations) as they explore the new behaviour themselves. I use computer simulations to study the coevolution of independent innovations, socially induced innovations and innovation magnitude, and show that while socially induced innovation is assumed here to be less costly than independent innovation, it does not readily evolve. When it evolves, it may in some conditions select against independent innovation and lower its frequency, despite it requiring independent innovation in order to operate; at the same time, however, it leads to much faster cultural evolution. These results confirm the role of high-magnitude innovators as keystones, and suggest a novel explanation for the low frequency of independent innovation. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bridging cultural gaps: interdisciplinary studies in human cultural evolution9.
Multiplying and Factoring Matrices

All of us learn and teach matrix multiplication using rows times columns. Those inner products are the entries of AB. But to go backward—to factor a matrix into triangular or orthogonal or diagonal...
Cryo-EM structure of the polycystin 2-l1 ion channel.

We report the near atomic resolution (3.3 A) of the human polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1 (polycystin 2-l1) ion channel. Encoded by PKD2L1, polycystin 2-l1 is a calcium and monovalent cation-permeant ion channel in primary cilia and plasma membranes. The related primary cilium-specific polycystin-2 protein, encoded by PKD2, shares a high degree of sequence similarity, yet has distinct permeability characteristics. Here we show that these differences are reflected in the architecture of polycystin 2-l1.
Asymmetric Trading Costs Prior to Earnings Announcements: Implications for Price Discovery and Returns

We show the cost of trading on negative news, relative to positive news, increases before earnings announcements. Our evidence suggests this asymmetry is due to financial intermediaries reducing their exposure to announcement risks by providing liquidity asymmetrically. This asymmetry creates a predictable upward bias in prices that increases pre-announcement and subsequently reverses, confounding short-window announcement returns as measures of earnings news and risk premia. These findings provide an alternative explanation for asymmetric return reactions to firms' earnings news, and help explain puzzling prior evidence that announcement risk premia precede the actual announcements. Our study informs methods for research centering on earnings announcements and offers a possible explanation for patterns in returns around anticipated periods of heightened inventory risks, including alternative firm-level, industry-level, and macroeconomic information events. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Consumption smoothing and debtor protections

Abstract Protections for defaulting debtors are a widely used form of consumption insurance. This paper evaluates the costs and benefits of this insurance, both inside and outside of bankruptcy. First, I show that consumption declines by 6% upon default, revealing a potential role for greater debtor protections to smooth consumption. Second, I use changes in states’ laws to estimate the impact of one type of debtor protection, asset exemptions, on repayment in default and interest rates. While higher exemptions smooth consumption by reducing collection in default, the interest rate cost is large relative to the benefits. Adapting a sufficient statistics formula from the literature, the estimates imply that the cost of additional exemption protection exceeds what debtors are willing to pay.
Preliminary laboratory investigations of ejecta emplacement dynamics and morphology with planetary applications

Abstract The preponderance of impact craters and the associated crater ejecta facies are leading agents of geomorphic change across the Solar System. Interpretation of planetary landscape evolution, sample provenance, and regolith gardening all benefit from a thorough understanding of ejecta emplacement dynamics. Constraining the type and range of these dynamics has eluded experimentation even as the effects of primary impacts have become well-constrained from experiments and numerical simulations and have been shown to follow power law scaling relationships. To address the knowledge gap surrounding granular ejecta emplacement, we built and characterized a novel ejecta emplacement catapult and showed it to accurately reproduce the ejecta mass and velocity profiles predicted for in-flight natural ejecta curtains. Based on this dynamic similarity to larger, natural systems, we proceeded with a preliminary exploratory suite of experiments to constrain runout and erosion efficiencies of flowing ejecta. Our quantitative results at low speeds may suggest a new set of scaling relationships for erosion via ballistic ejecta versus crater formation and erosion from hypervelocity clustered projectiles. Our results also show significant ejecta runout efficiencies of ∼1–2 (only slightly below the efficiencies of terrestrial debris flows 12 decades more voluminous) with important erosive efficiencies of ∼2–4%. Our qualitative results reveal a stochastic and heterogeneous system: ejecta “saltation” and implantation, and regolith exhumation, erosion, and shearing. Together with the initial results showing ejecta emplacement to be violently dynamic, the development of this new laboratory technique will enable more detailed studies to better inform interpretations of sample provenance, ejecta stratigraphy, and geochemical boundaries.
ARC algorithm: A novel approach to forecast and manage daily electrical maximum demand

Abstract This paper proposes an innovative algorithm for predicting short-term electrical maximum demand by using historical demand data. The ability to recognize in peak demand pattern for commercial or industrial customers would propose numerous direct and indirect benefits to the customers and utility providers in terms of demand reduction, cost control, and system stability. Prior works in electrical maximum demand forecasting have been mainly focused on seasonal effects, which is not a feasible approach for industrial manufacturing facilities in short-term load forecasting. The proposed algorithm, denoted as the Adaptive Rate of Change (ARC), determines the logarithmic rate-of-change in load profile prior to a peak by postulating the demand curve as a stochastic, mean-reverting process. The rationale behind this analysis, is that the energy efficient program requires not only demand estimation but also to warn the user of imminent maximum peak occurrence. This paper analyzes demand trend data and incorporates stochastic model and mean reverting half-life to develop an electrical maximum demand forecasting algorithm, which is statistically evaluated by cross-table and F-score for three different manufacturing facilities. The aggregate results show an overall accuracy of 0.91 and a F-score of 0.43, which indicates that the algorithm is effective predicting peak demand in predicting peak demand.
Mammalian TRIM67 Functions in Brain Development and Behavior.

Class I members of the tripartite motif (TRIM) family of E3 ubiquitin ligases evolutionarily appeared just prior to the advent of neuronal like cells and have been implicated in neuronal development from invertebrates to mammals. The single Class I TRIM in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans and the mammalian Class I TRIM9 regulate axon branching and guidance in response to the guidance cue netrin, whereas mammalian TRIM46 establishes the axon initial segment. In humans, mutations in TRIM1 and TRIM18 are implicated in Opitz Syndrome, characterized by midline defects and often intellectual disability. We find that although TRIM67 is the least studied vertebrate Class I TRIM, it is the most evolutionarily conserved. Here we show that mammalian TRIM67 interacts with both its closest paralog TRIM9 and the netrin receptor DCC and is differentially enriched in specific brain regions during development and adulthood. We describe the anatomical and behavioral consequences of deletion of murine Trim67. While viable, mice lacking Trim67 exhibit abnormal anatomy of specific brain regions, including hypotrophy of the hippocampus, striatum, amygdala, and thalamus, and thinning of forebrain commissures. Additionally, Trim67-/- mice display impairments in spatial memory, cognitive flexibility, social novelty preference, muscle function, and sensorimotor gating, whereas several other behaviors remain intact. This study demonstrates the necessity for TRIM67 in appropriate brain development and behavior.
The automobile industry and new trade theory: A classroom experiment

ABSTRACTIn this study, the author describes a classroom experiment on new trade theory appropriate for undergraduate international economics and trade courses. Students portray U.S. and Japanese automobile manufacturers with different average cost schedules. There are five rounds in the experiment, starting with autarky in the 1960s and ending with the Great Recession of 2008–9. In each round, the instructor announces a market price and quantity and then each producer calculates its market share, average cost and profit; and makes its shutdown decision. By varying the market price and size, the experiment illustrates the gains from intra-industry trade and also how efficiency gains and economic recession impact individual firm performance.
Verification of Uncertain POMDPs Using Barrier Certificates

We consider a class of partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) with uncertain transition and/or observation probabilities. The uncertainty takes the form of probability intervals. Such uncertain POMDPs can be used, for example, to model autonomous agents with sensors with limited accuracy, or undergoing a sudden component failure, or structural damage [1]. Given an uncertain POMDP representation of the autonomous agent, our goal is to propose a method for checking whether the system will satisfy an optimal performance, while not violating a safety requirement (e.g. fuel level, velocity, and etc To this end, we cast the POMDP problem into a switched system scenario. We then take advantage of this switched system characterization and propose a method based on barrier certificates for optimality and/or safety verification. We then show that the verification task can be carried out computationally by sum-of-squares programming. We illustrate the efficacy of our method by applying it to a Mars rover exploration example.
Automated Detection of Serializability Violations Under Weak Consistency

While a number of weak consistency mechanisms have been developed in recent years to improve performance and ensure availability in distributed, replicated systems, ensuring the correctness of transactional applications running on top of such systems remains a difficult and important problem. Serializability is a well-understood correctness criterion for transactional programs; understanding whether applications are serializable when executed in a weakly-consistent environment, however remains a challenging exercise. In this work, we combine a dependency graph-based characterization of serializability and leverage the framework of abstract executions to develop a fully-automated approach for statically finding bounded serializability violations under any weak consistency model. We reduce the problem of serializability to satisfiability of a formula in First-Order Logic (FOL), which allows us to harness the power of existing SMT solvers. We provide rules to automatically construct the FOL encoding from programs written in SQL (allowing loops and conditionals) and express consistency specifications as FOL formula. In addition to detecting bounded serializability violations, we also provide two orthogonal schemes to reason about unbounded executions by providing sufficient conditions (again, in the form of FOL formulae) whose satisfiability implies the absence of anomalies in any arbitrary execution. We have applied the proposed technique on TPC-C, a real-world database program with complex application logic, and were able to discover anomalies under Parallel Snapshot Isolation (PSI), and verify serializability for unbounded executions under Snapshot Isolation (SI), two consistency mechanisms substantially weaker than serializability.
A panel quantile approach to attrition bias in Big Data: Evidence from a randomized experiment

Abstract This paper introduces a quantile regression estimator for panel data models with individual heterogeneity and attrition. The method is motivated by the fact that attrition bias is often encountered in Big Data applications. For example, many users sign-up for the latest program but few remain active users several months later, making the evaluation of such interventions inherently very challenging. Building on earlier work by Hausman and Wise (1979), we provide a simple identification strategy that leads to a two-step estimation procedure. In the first step, the coefficients of interest in the selection equation are consistently estimated using parametric or nonparametric methods. In the second step, standard panel quantile methods are employed on a subset of weighted observations. The estimator is computationally easy to implement in Big Data applications with a large number of subjects. We investigate the conditions under which the parameter estimator is asymptotically Gaussian and we carry out a series of Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the finite sample properties of the estimator. Lastly, using a simulation exercise, we apply the method to the evaluation of a recent Time-of-Day electricity pricing experiment inspired by the work of Aigner and Hausman (1980).
Fundamental Drivers of House Prices in Advanced Economies

House prices in many advanced economies have risen substantially in recent decades. But experience indicates that housing prices can diverge from their long-run equilibrium or sustainable levels, potentially followed by adjustments that impact macroeconomic and financial stability. Therefore there is a need to monitor house prices and assess whether they are sustainable. This paper focuses on fundamentals expected to drive long run trends in house prices, including institutional and structural factors. The scale of potential valuation gaps is gauged on the basis of a cross-country panel analysis of house prices in 20 OECD countries.
The Relationship Between Reverse Mortgage Borrowing, Domain and Life Satisfaction.

Objectives Reverse mortgages allow adults aged 62 years and older to borrow against the equity in their homes without incurring monthly loan repayments. This study examines the relationship of reverse mortgage borrowing with older adults' satisfaction with their financial situation, housing, health, and daily life/leisure as well as with life as a whole. Method A new national data set of 1,088 older adults, comprised of loan data, credit histories, and responses to a phone survey, was created. Our estimation strategy compares reverse mortgage borrowers to older adults who obtained mandatory counseling but not a reverse mortgage. Results Reverse mortgage borrowers have significantly higher financial and housing satisfaction compared to nonborrowers; no differences were found for health, daily life/leisure, and general satisfaction. These satisfaction domains contribute differently to general satisfaction for reverse mortgage borrowers relative to nonborrowers: housing satisfaction has a greater influence for borrowers and health a greater influence for nonborrowers. Discussion Our study provides new knowledge about the longer-term outcomes of reverse mortgage borrowers. The positive association of reverse mortgage borrowing for housing and financial satisfaction and, in turn, general satisfaction, provides insights regarding borrower experiences with this controversial financial tool.
Inverse Design and Demonstration of Broadband Grating Couplers

We present a gradient-based optimization strategy to design broadband grating couplers. Using this method, we are able to reach, and often surpass, a user-specified target bandwidth during optimization. The designs produced for 220 nm silicon-on-insulator are capable of achieving 3 dB bandwidths exceeding 100 nm while maintaining central coupling efficiencies ranging from $-$ 3.0 to $-$ 5.4 dB, depending on partial-etch fraction. We fabricate a subset of these structures and experimentally demonstrate gratings with 3 dB bandwidths exceeding 120 nm. This inverse design approach provides a flexible design paradigm, allowing for the creation of broadband grating couplers without requiring constraints on grating geometry.
Seeing Tree Structure from Vibration

Humans recognize object structure from both their appearance and motion; often, motion helps to resolve ambiguities in object structure that arise when we observe object appearance only. There are particular scenarios, however, where neither appearance nor spatial-temporal motion signals are informative: occluding twigs may look connected and have almost identical movements, though they belong to different, possibly disconnected branches. We propose to tackle this problem through spectrum analysis of motion signals, because vibrations of disconnected branches, though visually similar, often have distinctive natural frequencies. We propose a novel formulation of tree structure based on a physics-based link model, and validate its effectiveness by theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and empirical experiments. With this formulation, we use nonparametric Bayesian inference to reconstruct tree structure from both spectral vibration signals and appearance cues. Our model performs well in recognizing hierarchical tree structure from real-world videos of trees and vessels.
T-count Optimized Quantum Circuits for Bilinear Interpolation

Quantum circuits for basic image processing functions such as bilinear interpolation are required to implement image processing algorithms on quantum computers. In this work, we propose quantum circuits for the bilinear interpolation of NEQR encoded images based on Clifford+T gates. Quantum circuits for the scale up operation and scale down operation are illustrated. The proposed quantum circuits are based on quantum Clifford+T gates and are optimized for T-count. Quantum circuits based on Clifford+T gates can be made fault tolerant but the T gate is very costly to implement. As a result, reducing T-count is an important optimization goal. The proposed quantum bilinear interpolation circuits are based on (i) a quantum adder, (ii) a proposed quantum subtractor, and (iii) a quantum multiplication circuit. Further, both designs are compared and shown to be superior to existing work in terms of T-count. The proposed quantum bilinear interpolation circuits for the scale down operation and for the scale up operation each have a 92.52% improvement in terms of T-count compared to the existing work.
Design: Lady Harberton: an interactive cycling outfit incorporating solar powered LED sensor lights

To examine creative smart clothing design for sports and fitness a fastest growing wearable market, the current study examined an interactive cycling outfit incorporating solar powered LED sensor lights. The completed garment design contributes to eco-design approaches for sustainability, history of fashion (1890's the Rational Cycling Outfit) and aesthetic appeal of clothing. Semi-transparent Hanji fabrics (made with paper mulberry by Korean traditional paper making techniques) and high-tech trim materials (e.g., 3M reflective strips, stretch air-mesh fabric, fluorescent tape) were used to complete the garment part of the current design. This study will fill the gap in the literature for exploring creative design ideas and techniques to design smart clothing for cycling. The area of current smart clothing research would be beneficial for educators to create impactful new interdisciplinary design programs and course contents by incorporating wearable technology, containing new emerging concepts that can aid students to expand their personal and professional spheres in global industry. For designers and marketers in the wearable technology industry, this study will also suggest future research direction on smart clothing design to address aesthetic aspects desired by consumers. Finally, this design shed new light on the fashion history of the late Victorian fashion through the re-interpretation of the Rational Cycling Outfit.
Reverse time migration via frequency-adaptive multiscale spatial grids

ABSTRACTReverse time migration (RTM) is widely used because of its ability to recover complex geologic structures. However, RTM also has a drawback in that it requires significant computational cos...
Leverage, Debt Maturity, and Social Capital

Abstract We find that both firm leverage and short-term debt ratios are negatively associated with social capital (i.e., the altruistic tendency and mutual trust among people within a community). This relation is more pronounced in cases where information asymmetry problems are more severe and is robust to using alternative measures of key variables, addressing endogeneity issues, employing alternative model specifications, and simultaneously estimating leverage and short-term debt. An analysis on debt structure (bank loans vs. public debt) shows consistent results. Our findings are in line with the idea that social capital lowers the need for corporate borrowing mechanisms as a means to alleviate agency problems for firms.
An Adversarial Approach for Explainable AI in Intrusion Detection Systems

Despite the growing popularity of modern machine learning techniques (e.g, Deep Neural Networks) in cyber-security applications, most of these models are perceived as a black-box for the user. Adversarial machine learning offers an approach to increase our understanding of these models. In this paper we present an approach to generate explanations for incorrect classifications made by data-driven Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) An adversarial approach is used to find the minimum modifications (of the input features) required to correctly classify a given set of misclassified samples. The magnitude of such modifications is used to visualize the most relevant features that explain the reason for the misclassification. The presented methodology generated satisfactory explanations that describe the reasoning behind the mis-classifications, with descriptions that match expert knowledge. The advantages of the presented methodology are: 1) applicable to any classifier with defined gradients. 2) does not require any modification of the classifier model. 3) can be extended to perform further diagnosis (e.g. vulnerability assessment) and gain further understanding of the system. Experimental evaluation was conducted on the NSL-KDD99 benchmark dataset using Linear and Multilayer perceptron classifiers. The results are shown using intuitive visualizations in order to improve the interpretability of the results.
Spiritual Experiences of Adults With Advanced Cancer in Outpatient Clinical Settings

Abstract Context Adults who have advanced cancer experience distress, and many use religion and spirituality to cope. Research on the spiritual experiences of patients with advanced cancer will help guide the provision of high-quality spiritual care. Objectives To qualitatively describe advanced cancer patients' spiritual experiences of illness. Methods We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews at a single cancer center with 21 patients with stage IV solid malignancies who had a prognosis of less than 12 months, as estimated by each patient's medical oncologist. Five investigators conducted a thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews. Results We found 31 patients who were eligible for enrollment, and 21 (67.7%) participated in interviews to thematic saturation. Using a thematic-analysis approach, five major themes emerged. Relationships with family and friends was the most important theme among all 21 patients irrespective of their religious or spiritual identity. Relationship with God and faith community was frequently identified by those who considered themselves spiritually religious. Cancer often led to reflection about the meaning of life and the nature of existential suffering. Patients addressed the extent to which identity was changed or maintained through the cancer experience, and some expressed acceptance as a way of coping with illness. Conclusions Spiritual care for dying cancer patients should always include the exploration of relationships with family and friends, as well as God and faith community for some patients. Relationships with family, friends, and God can be a source of strength for many. Making meaning, addressing identity concerns, supporting acceptance as a resource for coping with illness, and acknowledging existential suffering will often arise for these patients.
Social Capital: A Key Ingredient in the Development of Physical Activity Leadership.

Purpose: This research investigated how social capital relates to physical education (PE) teachers’ abilities to facilitate physical activity (PA) outside of PE class in their schools. Methods: Twe...
Revenue Embeddedness and Competing Institutional Logics: How Nonprofit Leaders Connect Earned Revenue to Mission and Organizational Identity

The increasing reliance on earned revenue displayed by nonprofits in the US has raised mission-related organizational identity concerns. However, the effect of a market-driven activity on mission-d...
Clinical identification of feeding and swallowing disorders in 0-6 month old infants with Down syndrome.

Feeding and swallowing disorders have been described in children with a variety of neurodevelopmental disabilities, including Down syndrome (DS). Abnormal feeding and swallowing can be associated with serious sequellae such as failure to thrive and respiratory complications, including aspiration pneumonia. Incidence of dysphagia in young infants with DS has not previously been reported. To assess the identification and incidence of feeding and swallowing problems in young infants with DS, a retrospective chart review of 174 infants, ages 0 to 6 months was conducted at a single specialty clinic. Fifty-seven percent (100/174) of infants had clinical concerns for feeding and swallowing disorders that warranted referral for Videofluroscopic Swallow Study (VFSS); 96/174 (55%) had some degree of oral and/or pharyngeal phase dysphagia and 69/174 (39%) had dysphagia severe enough to warrant recommendation for alteration of breast milk/formula consistency or non-oral feeds. Infants with certain comorbidities had significant risk for significant dysphagia, including those with functional airway/respiratory abnormalities (OR=7.2). Infants with desaturation with feeds were at dramatically increased risk (OR=15.8). All young infants with DS should be screened clinically for feeding and swallowing concerns. If concerns are identified, consideration should be given to further evaluation with VFSS for identification of dysphagia and additional feeding modifications.
Interface modification in type-II ZnCdSe/Zn(Cd)Te QDs for high efficiency intermediate band solar cells

Abstract A new growth process for type-II ZnCdSe/ZnCdTe quantum dots (QDs) is developed to avoid formation of a deleterious strain-inducing ZnSe interfacial layer (IL) that forms during the migration enhanced epitaxy growth process used to form the QDs. This new growth sequence allows for improved control of the interfacial composition and simplifies the fabrication of the intermediate band solar cell device structure based on these QDs, since additional strain balancing schemes are no longer required to grow stress-free structures. In contrast to previous results, lattice-matched QD superlattices were obtained using near lattice-matched ZnCdSe barrier layers. X-ray diffraction and excitation intensity dependent photoluminescence studies were used to support such a conclusion. Our findings have applications for the growth of other heterointerfaces in which an undesirable IL may form due to lack of a common anion, and to desorption and incorporation of competing elements.
The interaction of twisted Laguerre-Gaussian light with a GaAs photocathode to investigate photogenerated polarized electrons

The interaction of Laguerre-Gaussian light at selected wavelengths from 690 to 810 nm with a p-type gallium arsenide (GaAs) photocathode photonic device and the production of photogenerated electrons were investigated. Spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM) were generated using linear or circular polarization and q-plates. The degree of polarization P from the photogenerated electron signal was measured. At an excitation of 695 nm (E = 1.78 eV), POAM = 2.1%, PSAM = 1.3%, and P SAM , OAM ( q = 1 ) = 3.4 %, whereas, at 800 nm (E = 1.55 eV), near the bandgap, POAM = −14.7%, PSAM = −2.6%, and P SAM , OAM ( q = 1 ) = 4.0 %.The interaction of Laguerre-Gaussian light at selected wavelengths from 690 to 810 nm with a p-type gallium arsenide (GaAs) photocathode photonic device and the production of photogenerated electrons were investigated. Spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM) were generated using linear or circular polarization and q-plates. The degree of polarization P from the photogenerated electron signal was measured. At an excitation of 695 nm (E = 1.78 eV), POAM = 2.1%, PSAM = 1.3%, and P SAM , OAM ( q = 1 ) = 3.4 %, whereas, at 800 nm (E = 1.55 eV), near the bandgap, POAM = −14.7%, PSAM = −2.6%, and P SAM , OAM ( q = 1 ) = 4.0 %.
Stereoscopic Segmentation

We cast the problem of multiframe stereo reconstruction of a smooth surface as the global region segmentation of a collection of images of the scene. Dually, the problem of segmenting multiple calibrated images of an object becomes that of estimating the solid shape that gives rise to such images. We assume that the radiance of the scene results in piecewise homogeneous image statistics. This simplifying assumption covers Lambertian scenes with constant albedo as well as fine homogeneous textures, which are known challenges to stereo algorithms based on local correspondence. We pose the segmentation problem within a variational framework, and use fast level set methods to find the optimal solution numerically. Our algorithm does not work in the presence of strong photometric features, where traditional reconstruction algorithms do. It enjoys significant robustness to noise under the assumptiong it is designed for.
Differing Views of Equity: How Prospective Educators Perceive Their Role in Closing Achievement Gaps

Hiring is an opportunity for school districts to find educators with values and beliefs that align with district goals. Yet beliefs are difficult to measure. We use administrative data from more than ten thousand applications to certificated positions in an urban California school district in which applicants submitted essays about closing achievement gaps. Using structural topic modeling (STM) to code these essays, we examine whether applicants systematically differ in their use of these themes and whether themes predict hiring outcomes. Relative to white applicants, Hispanic and African American applicants are more likely to identify structural causes of inequities and discuss educators' responsibilities for addressing inequality. Similar differences in themes emerge between applicants to schools with different student populations. Techniques like STM can decipher hard-to-measure beliefs from administrative data, providing valuable information for hiring and decision making.
Managing Student Behavior in a Middle School Special Education Classroom Using CW-FIT Tier 1

Middle school special education teachers often express concern about challenging student behavior. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT), a behavior management program based on school-wide positive behavior support, have been effective in elementary general education classrooms. The present study, the first to apply it in a middle school special education setting, used an ABAC design to examine effects on student on-task behavior and teacher praise rates in a self-contained special education classroom for students with severe disabilities and their typically developing peer tutors. Results suggested that CW-FIT Tier 1 is associated with improvements in student on-task behavior and teacher praise rates, especially when peer tutors are included in the intervention and when the timer is silent. Both teachers and students reported the intervention to be socially valid. Study limitations and areas for future research are addressed.
The effect of different amine bases in the Swern oxidation of β-amino alcohols

Abstract Swern oxidation of β-amino alcohols containing tertiary amino groups afforded the corresponding α-amino carbonyl compounds in fair to excellent yield. Yields were dependent on the steric requirement of the amine base used for the reaction and were optimized by the use of N-methylpyrrolidine, N-ethylpiperidine, or triethylamine, depending on the β-amino alcohol substrate.
Synthesis of Phosphonate Isosteres of 2'-Deoxy-1',2'-seco-nucleotides

Abstractpublishedin AdvanceACSAbstracts, January15,1996.(1)(a) Engel, R. Chem. Rev. 1977 , 77 , 349 and references citedtherein.(b)Krayevsky,A.A.;Watanabe,K.A. ModifiedNucleosidesas Anti-Aids Drugs: Current Status and Perspectives ; Bioinform:Moscow,1993;pp98-125.(2)Mikhailov,S.N.;Podyukova,N.Sh.;Karpeiskii,M.Ya.;Kolo-bushkina,L.I.;Beigelman,L.N. Collect.Czech,Chem.Commun. 1989 , 54 ,1055.(3)Almer, H.; Classon, B.; Samuelsson, B.; Kvarnstro¨m,I. ActaChem.Scand. 1991 , 45 ,766.(4)(a)Ioannidis,P.;Classon,B.;Samuelsson,B.;Kvarnstro¨m,I. ActaChem.Scand. 1991 , 45 ,746.(b)Matulic-Adamic,J.;Haeberli,P.;Usman,N. J.Org.Chem. 1995 , 60 ,2563.(5)(a)Wolff-Kugel,D.;Halazy,S. NucleosidesNucleotides 1993 , 12 ,279. (b) Charron, M; Tse, H. L. A.; Mansour, T. S.; Knight, D. J.;O’Sullivan,C.;Coates,J.A.V. HeteroatomChem . 1994 , 5 ,491.(6)Li,Z.;Racha,S.;Dan,L.;El-Subbagh,H.I.;Abushanab,E. J.Org.Chem. 1993, 58 ,5779.(7)In the text, the naming and numbering of the 1′,2′-seco-nucleophosphonatesfollownucleosidenomenclature.(8)Reist,E.J.;Sturm,P.A.;Pong,R.Y.;Tanga,M.J.Sidwell,R.W. Synthesis of Acyclonucleoside Phosphonates for Evaluation asAntiviralAgents.In
Benzophenoxazine-based fluorescent dyes for labeling biomolecules

Syntheses and spectroscopic properties of benzophenoxazine fluorescent dyes are reviewed from the perspective of their potential applications as probes in biotechnology, especially with respect to intracellular imaging. <div class=" textboxdefault "> Figure options Download full-size image Download as PowerPoint slide
Synthesis of the peptidic α-hydroxy amides phebestin, probestin, and bestatin from α-keto amide precursors

Abstract Aminopeptidase inhibitors, phebestin, probestin and bestatin have been prepared by stereospecific reduction of α-keto amide precursors using zinc borohydride.
A facile one‐pot synthesis of thiazo[2′,3′:2,1] imidazo[4,5‐b]pyrane; thiazo[2′,3′:2,1]imidazo [4,5,b]pyridine; imidazo[2,1‐b]thiazole and 2‐(2‐amino‐4‐methylthiazol‐5‐yl)‐1‐bromo‐1,2‐ethanedione‐1‐arylhydrazones

Thiazole 1, when reacted with chloroacetyl chloride, afforded N-(5-acetyl-4-methylthiazol-2-yl) chloroacetamide 2. It has been found that compound 2 reacted with α-cyanocinnamonitrile derivatives 6a–c to afford reaction products 8a–c. Also, compound 2 coupled smoothly with benzenediazonium chloride afforded the phenylhydrazone 14. Coupling of the sulfonium bromide 17 with diazotized aromatic amines or N-nitrosoacetanilides afforded the arylhydrazones 20a,b. Treatment of 16 with 2-cyanoethanethioamide afforded [4-(2-amino-4-methylthiazol-5-yl) thiazol-2-yl] acetonitrile 22. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 11:362–369, 2000
Identifying Small Proteins by Ribosome Profiling with Stalled Initiation Complexes.

ABSTRACT Small proteins consisting of 50 or fewer amino acids have been identified as regulators of larger proteins in bacteria and eukaryotes. Despite the importance of these molecules, the total number of small proteins remains unknown because conventional annotation pipelines usually exclude small open reading frames (smORFs). We previously identified several dozen small proteins in the model organism Escherichia coli using theoretical bioinformatic approaches based on sequence conservation and matches to canonical ribosome binding sites. Here, we present an empirical approach for discovering new proteins, taking advantage of recent advances in ribosome profiling in which antibiotics are used to trap newly initiated 70S ribosomes at start codons. This approach led to the identification of many novel initiation sites in intergenic regions in E. coli. We tagged 41 smORFs on the chromosome and detected protein synthesis for all but three. Not only are the corresponding genes intergenic but they are also found antisense to other genes, in operons, and overlapping other open reading frames (ORFs), some impacting the translation of larger downstream genes. These results demonstrate the utility of this method for identifying new genes, regardless of their genomic context. IMPORTANCE Proteins comprised of 50 or fewer amino acids have been shown to interact with and modulate the functions of larger proteins in a range of organisms. Despite the possible importance of small proteins, the true prevalence and capabilities of these regulators remain unknown as the small size of the proteins places serious limitations on their identification, purification, and characterization. Here, we present a ribosome profiling approach with stalled initiation complexes that led to the identification of 38 new small proteins.