cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mesopelagic fish assemblages across oceanic fronts: A comparison of three frontal systems in the southern California Current Ecosystem

Abstract With strong horizontal gradients in physical properties, oceanic frontal regions can lead to disproportionately high biological productivity. We examined cross-frontal changes in mesopelagic fish assemblages at three separate frontal systems in the southern California Current Ecosystem (CCE) as part of the CCE Long Term Ecological Research program: the A-Front sampled in October 2008, the C-Front in June/July 2011, and the E-Front in July/August 2012. We analyzed the differential effects of front-associated regions on density and species composition of adult migratory and non-migratory fishes and larvae, and the larval to adult ratio (as a possible index of a population growth potential) for migratory and non-migratory species. The fronts did not have a strong effect on densities of any subset of the mesopelagic fish assemblage. The species composition of the vertical migratory fishes (and their larvae) was typically altered across fronts, with different assemblages present on either side of each front. The migratory assemblages at the fronts themselves were indistinguishable from those at the more productive side of the frontal system. In contrast, the assemblage composition of the non-migratory fishes was indistinguishable between regions across all three of the fronts. The differences between the Northern and Southern assemblages at the A-Front were primarily based on biogeographic provinces, while the assemblages at the E-Front were largely distinguishable by their oceanic or coastal-upwelling zone associations. These results generally confirm those of previous studies on frontal systems in the California Current Ecosystem and elsewhere. The ratio of larvae to adults, a potential index of population growth potential, was altered across two of the fronts for migratory species, elevated on the colder side of the A-Front and the warmer side of the E-Front. This finding suggests that fronts may be regions of enhanced reproduction. The larvae to adult ratio was indistinguishable for non-migratory species at all three frontal systems. The non-migratory component of the community was little influenced by the presence of a front, apparently because the regions of strongest horizontal spatial gradients were too shallow to be experienced directly. We speculate that there was no change in larval community composition and population growth index at the most dynamic frontal system (C-Front) compared to the other fronts surveyed because the frontal feature was short-lived relative to the time scale for population growth of the fish. However, the difference in results of the C-Front may also be due to a change in methodology used in this study. If mesoscale features such as fronts increase in frequency off the California coast in the future as predicted, they have the potential to alter population growth potential and restructure mesopelagic fish assemblages, which are dominated by migratory species.
Robotic-Assisted Heller Myotomy

Laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) has become the standard treatment option for achalasia. Evidence-based medicine has shown surgical treatment to be the most effective option due to the long-term improvement of symptoms following surgery [5, 6, 13, 20–23]. However, other treatment options are still practiced either due to unavailable surgical expertise or due to patient comorbidities, which prohibit general anesthesia. Recently, robotic-assisted Heller myotomy (RAHM) has been shown to be superior to LHM in terms of safety and comparable with LHM in outcome [14].
Speaking of Creativity: Frameworks, Models, and Meanings

Psychologists have had a long-running collective conversation on how to conceptualize creativity. This chapter presents the evolution of current views and their implications for education, including specific suggestions for facilitating students’ creativity. The 4P framework originated in a definition of creativity as encompassing four interconnected strands—taking place when a Person goes through a Process to produce a novel Product in the context of environmental Press. Each strand became the subject of further research-based theorizing and led to renewed understanding that the strands are in continual dynamic interaction. The 4P framework has been augmented by emphasizing that creativity involves action in interaction with material culture. Contemporary conceptualizations recognize that, though levels vary, creativity is a universal human possibility, that the socio-cultural-material environment is crucial for providing opportunities and constraints, and that the creative process has phases, each engaging different cognitive modes. The modern view explains how classroom creativity fosters students’ deep learning, their appreciation for how knowledge is created, and insights into themselves as learners. Teaching, too, has been explored as a creative process; creative teachers provide opportunities for student creativity, an example of mentoring creativity. Whether to support classroom creativity is a political decision dependent on how societies envision their educational goals and on their willingness to provide resources for deep learning across the educational spectrum.
Minimally Invasive Thoracoscopic Approach to the Anterior Thoracic Spine

Metastatic spine disease is one of the most common complications of many primary cancers. Pathological fracture and epidural metastasis can lead to intractable pain and worse spinal cord compression with severe neurologic deficit. As treatments for cancers improve, the role of surgery in the treatment of spinal metastases has been expanding because many patients live longer and are in better medical condition. In addition, for many cancer patients with metastatic spinal cord compression, surgery followed by radiation results in superior outcomes. On the other hand, extensive surgery can result in morbidity for patients with limited life expectancy. Posterior approaches are most commonly used to access the spine. For selected patients with metastatic spine disease, a thoracoscopic approach for corpectomy and stabilization can be advantageous.
Changes of East Asian summer monsoon due to tropical air-sea interactions induced by a global warming scenario

The changes of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) in response to increased CO2 atmospheric forcing are analyzed using the Super-Parameterized Community Climate System Model version 4 (SP-CCSM4). In response to the global warming caused by the increased atmospheric CO2 concentration, the precipitation and circulation of the EASM intensify. These changes are explained by the westward extension of the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH). The displacement of the WNPSH is caused by two mechanisms: (i) the increase of sea surface temperature and (ii) the reduction of latent heat flux over the South China Sea and adjacent western Pacific Ocean. The changes in the surface fluxes over the tropics induce a Gill-type anticyclonic circulation in the lower troposphere to the north of the heating anomaly and a Rossby wave train from the tropics into the mid-latitude Pacific Ocean. The westerly anomalies on the northern side of the anticyclone strengthen the southwesterly flow on the western edge of the WNPSH. This flow further affects the wind anomalies and moisture transport over East Asia. The Rossby wave train affects the large-scale circulation associated with the WNPSH.
Integration in Abstract Spaces

The historical significance of the development of measure theory is that it created a base for a generalization of the classical Riemann notion of the definite integral (which since 1854 has been considered to be the most general theory of integration). Riemann defined a bounded function over an interval [a, b] to be integrable if and only if the Darboux (or Cauchy) sums \(\sum^n_{i=1}f(t_i)\lambda(I_i)\) where \(\sum^n_{i=1}(I_i)\) is a finite decomposition of [a, b] into subintervals, approach a unique limiting value whenever the length of the largest subinterval goes to zero. The French mathematician, Henri Lebesgue (1875–1941), assumed that the above subintervals \((I_i)\) may be substituted by more general measurable sets and, in addition, that the class of Riemann integrable functions can be enlarged to the class of measurable functions. In this case, we arrive at a more advanced theory of integration, which is better suited for dealing with various limit processes and which led to the contemporary theory of probability and stochastic processes.
Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate: biodegradation and aquatic interactions.

Publisher Summary This chapter consolidates the current knowledge of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) from the biodegradation and aquatic standpoints. LAS are prepared by sulfonation of linear alkylbenzenes. Commercial linear alkylbenzene products are currently manufactured via alkylation of benzene with either chlorinated linear paraffins or linear olefins. With alkylbenzenes as the starting material, alkylbenzene sulfonates are prepared by reaction with oleum or sulfur trioxide. The chapter summarizes some of the common analytical techniques employed for assessing the degree of biodegradation of LAS. A variety of laboratory tests have been employed to measure the biodegradation of a test compound. These range from a dilute river or lake water die-away test to the tests that employ more concentrated numbers of microorganisms. The standard procedures are described in detail. Laboratory studies have documented the complete LAS biodegradation in acclimated systems. Biodegradation studies of LAS isomers and homologs from LAS species with C 6 to C 12 alkyl chain lengths in dilute and unacclimated aqueous systems have indicated the time required for biodegradation to decrease as the distance from the sulfonate group to the most remote methyl group on the alkyl chain increases.
Nonhomologous End Joining Is More Important Than Proton Linear Energy Transfer in Dictating Cell Death.

Purpose This study seeks to identify biological factors that may yield a therapeutic advantage of proton therapy versus photon therapy. Specifically, we address the role of nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR) in the survival of cells in response to clinical photon and proton beams. Methods and Materials We irradiated HT1080, M059K (DNA-PKcs+/+), and HCC1937 human cancer cell lines and their isogenic counterparts HT1080-shDNA-PKcs, HT1080-shRAD51IND, M059J (DNA-PKcs–/–), and HCC1937-BRCA1 (BRCA1 complemented) to assess cell clonogenic survival and γ-H2AX radiation-induced foci. Cells were irradiated with either clinically relevant photons or 1 of 3 proton linear energy transfer (LET) values. Results Our results indicate that NHEJ deficiency is more important in dictating cell survival than proton LET. Cells with disrupted HR through BRCA1 mutation showed increased radiosensitivity only for high-LET protons whereas RAD51 depletion showed increased radiosensitivity for both photons and protons. DNA double strand breaks, assessed by γ-H2AX radiation-induced foci, showed greater numbers after 24 hours in cells exposed to higher LET protons. We also observed that NHEJ-deficient cells were unable to repair the vast majority of double strand breaks after 24 hours. Conclusions BRCA1 mutation significantly sensitizes cells to protons, but not photons. Loss of NHEJ renders cells hypersensitive to radiation, whereas the relative importance of HR increases with LET across several cell lines. This may be attributable to the more clustered damage induced by higher LET protons, which are harder to repair through NHEJ. This highlights the importance of tumor biology in dictating treatment modality and suggests BRCA1 as a potential biomarker for proton therapy response. Our data also support the use of pharmacologic inhibitors of DNA repair to enhance the sensitivity to different radiation types, although this raises issues for normal tissue toxicity.
Memory-Hard Functions from Cryptographic Primitives

Memory-hard functions (MHFs) are moderately-hard functions which enforce evaluation costs both in terms of time and memory (often, in form of a trade-off). They are used e.g. for password protection, password-based key-derivation, and within cryptocurrencies, and have received a considerable amount of theoretical scrutiny over the last few years. However, analyses see MHFs as modes of operation of some underlying hash function \(\mathcal {H}\), modeled as a monolithic random oracle. This is however a very strong assumption, as such hash functions are built from much simpler primitives, following somewhat ad-hoc design paradigms.
Licensure Requirements and Regional Equilibrium in Teacher Labor Markets

This article explores the effects of a 2010 reform in Illinois that substantially increased the difficulty of passing a required basic skills test for all Illinois college students seeking a teaching certification. The policy led to a 33 percent decrease in education program enrollments and a 27 percent decrease in education degrees conferred in-state, with the decline concentrated among less-selective institutions, a significant source of new teachers in the pre-reform period. The hiring of teachers trained in-state at these schools declined by 5 percent but was matched by an increase in the hiring of teachers trained out-of-state, who were not affected by the policy for its first two years. The average ACT score of a region's universities and its proximity to the state border appear to be important factors in the magnitude of the shift to out-of-state trained teachers, suggesting that the local nature of teacher labor markets differentially exposed regions to the effects of the reform.
Dynamics in artificial spin ice and magnetic metamaterials

Abstract This Chapter is devoted to spin dynamics in artificial spin ice (ASI) networks, which consist of arrays of magnetically interacting nanostructures. We introduce some of the most common artificial spin-ice lattices and review recent experimental and theoretical progress in this emerging area. A particular focus of this Chapter is on the collective behavior and the associated spin dynamics of the networks. We discuss kinetics due to thermalization processes of out-of-equilibrium states into ground states, as well as resonant excitations of spin dynamics and magnetotransport phenomena in artificial spin ice. With respect to each of the topics covered, future prospects and current transformative studies are discussed.
T=3/2 states in {sup 13}C

Background: Experimental information on the structure of low-lying levels with isospin 3/2 in systems with 13 nucleons can be used to evaluate the quality of modern theoretical predictions for the light exotic systems. This level structure is poorly known at present. Purpose: Search for $T=3/2$ states in $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ was performed in this work. Method: These states were observed in the resonance elastic scattering of radioactive beam $^{12}\mathrm{B}$ on protons using the thick target inverse kinematics technique. Results: Six new states in $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ were identified as $T=3/2$ states. Tentative spin-parity assignments are suggested. Comparison to the previous knowledge of the level structure of $T=3/2$ $A=13$ system and to shell-model predictions is given. Conclusion: The elastic scattering of neutron-rich beams on proton target is a convenient tool for isobaric analog states search. The observed $^{12}\mathrm{B}$$+p$ excitation function is determined by the $T=3/2$ states and no features associated with $T=1/2$ states were found. Although the level scheme of $T=3/2$ states in $A=13$ systems is still far from being complete the emerging picture shows significant disagreements with predictions of contemporary shell models.
Getting quantifying-into questions uniformly: Functionality, domain exhaustivity, and quantificational variability

Questions with a quantifier have readings that seem to involve quantification-into questions (Q I Q). This paper provides a uniform compositional analysis of these readings. I propose that Q I Q-readings are special functional readings – the question nucleus involves a functional dependency between the quantifier and wh-trace. I argue that the seeming Q I Q-effect is derived by extracting a minimal set that satisfies a quantificational predication condition. The possible values of this minimal set determine whether Q I Q-readings are available and whether a question admits a pair-list answer and/or a choice answer. This analysis also explains the contrast between ∀ -questions and multi- wh questions with respect to domain exhaustivity, and accounts for the quantificational variability effects in embeddings.
A Highly Conductive and Thermally Stable Ionic Liquid Gel Electrolyte for Calcium Ion Batteries

Calcium-ion batteries are promising alternatives for post-lithium-ion batteries. However, their progress remains limited by challenges associated with the development of stable and effective electr...
The neurosurgery residency interview: assessing applicant perspectives on question content, utility, and stress

OBJECTIVE Residency interviews are integral to the recruitment process yet imperfect. Through surveys of neurosurgery residency applicants, the authors describe interview content and the perceived utility and stress of topics from the applicant's perspective. METHODS All 2018-2019 neurosurgery resident applicants applying to three particular programs were surveyed. Across 10 interview topics, survey questions assessed topic frequency and the applicant's opinion of the utility and stress of each topic (Likert scale 1-5). Analyses included descriptive statistics, Spearman's rank correlation, and logistic regression. RESULTS One hundred thirty-three of 265 surveyed US residency applicants (50%) responded. Extracurricular activities, research, future career, non-medicine interests, and small talk were discussed in all interviews. The least frequent topics included neurosurgical knowledge assessment (79%) and manual dexterity tests (45%). The most useful topics according to respondents were future career objectives (4.78 ± 0.49) and prior research (4.76 ± 0.50); the least useful were neurosurgical knowledge assessment (2.67 ± 1.09) and manual dexterity tests (2.95 ± 1.05). The most stressful topics were neurosurgical knowledge assessment (3.66 ± 1.23) and ethical/behavioral scenarios (2.94 ± 1.28). The utility and stress of manual dexterity tests and neurosurgical knowledge assessments were inversely correlated (r = -0.40, p < 0.01; r = -0.36, p < 0.01), whereas no such correlation existed for ethical/behavioral questions (r = -0.12, p = 0.18), indicating that ethical/behavioral questions may have been stressful but were potentially useful topics. Respondents who attended ≥ 15 interviews were more likely to be asked about the three most stressful topics (each p < 0.05). Respondents with children were less likely to be asked about ethical/behavioral scenarios (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.03-0.52, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Applicants found several of the most frequently discussed topics to be less useful, indicating a potential disconnect between applicant opinion and the faculty's preferred questions. Ethical/behavioral scenarios were rated as stressful but still useful, representing a potentially worthwhile type of question. These data provide several avenues for potential standardization and improvement of the interview process.
Formation and Propagation of Limited Diffraction Beams

Since the first discovery of localized waves (focused wave mode) in 19831 and limited diffraction beams (Bessel beams) in 1987,2 great advancement in both theory and experiment of these beams have been achieved.3–6 Generalization of the limited diffraction beams and their applications to medical ultrasonic imaging, biological tissue characterization, and ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation of materials have also been reported.7–15
Ecology of family experiences: Contextualizing family leisure for human development & family relations

All family leisure is not equal. Yet, little is known about the mechanisms linking different types of family leisure to different human development and family relations outcomes. The Ecology of Fam...
Atomically-Precise Deposition and Etching of Metals using Electrochemistry - New Paradigms for Metallization of Integrated Circuits

Future nano-electronics circuits will critically require the ability to fabricate materials with precise, atomic-level control over structure and properties. Traditionally, fabrication of atomic-scale materials has been achieved through vapor-phase atomic layer deposition (ALD); however, this process has several drawbacks such as the use of unstable gas-phase precursors which may decompose yielding contaminated deposits. An alternative electrochemical approach, using liquid-phase precursors, called electrochemical atomic layer deposition (e-ALD) will be outlined in this talk. Through self-limiting surface electrochemistry coupled with electrode potential manipulation, electrochemical growth of metals (such as Cu and Co) one atomic layer at a time can be achieved. Attractive features of our electrochemical ALD approach include the use of benign, stable and low-cost precursors, high-purity deposits, versatility in terms of deposited materials and operating conditions, and scalability to large-area wafers. Extensions of the e-ALD process chemistry to achieve atomic layer etching (e-ALE) will also be demonstrated.
AML-137: Preclinical Evaluation of Cytarabine and Venetoclax in Secondary AML

Context Novel treatment approaches for patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are urgently needed. Secondary AML constitutes about 25-30% of AML and it has been observed that patients with secondary AML have worse responses rates to chemotherapy, increased rates of relapse, and worse overall survival compared to patients with de novo AML. Objective Our long-term goal is to develop more effective therapeutic options for patients with secondary AML. Our objectives in this study are: (i) to demonstrate synergy between cytarabine and venetoclax in secondary AML cell lines and patient-derived samples, (ii) to elucidate the mechanism of this synergy, (iii) functional characterization of Bcl-2 family proteins by BH3 profiling performed on secondary AML cell lines and patient samples. Results Synergy was demonstrated between cytarabine and venetoclax in secondary AML and de novo AML cell lines (Molm13, MV4;11, SKM-1; ML-2) using both an MTT cell viability assay and a flow-cytometry based Annexin-V assay, quantified by the computer software Compusyn. BH3 profiling of these cell lines indicated a dependence on both Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Interestingly, SKM-1 showed sole dependence on Mcl-1. In SKM-1 cells, western blotting showed increased expression of Mcl-1 after treatment with venetoclax for 8 hrs and decreasing Mcl-1 expression with time (8hrs–72hrs) after treatment with cytarabine. Combination treatment for 24-48 hrs led to Mcl-1 expression that was similar to or less than Mcl-1 expression in control cells. Synergy between cytarabine and venetoclax was confirmed in patient samples. Importantly, BH3 profiling showed that patient samples exhibited dependence on Bcl-2 or both Mcl-1 and Bcl-2. Conclusions There is significant synergy between cytarabine and venetoclax in both de novo and secondary AML cell lines as well as patient samples. One of the potential mechanisms of this synergy is abrogation of Mcl-1 upregulation. Secondary AML exhibits variable functional dependence on Mcl-1 and Bcl-2. These findings support the clinical investigation of cytarabine and venetoclax in patients with secondary AML as well as the use of BH3 profiling as a potential predictive biomarker. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the NIH R01 CA-217141 and AACR Bayer Innovation and Discovery Award to Z. Nikolovska-Coleska.
Modeling initial breakdown pulses of intracloud lightning flashes

Abstract In this study 29 initial breakdown pulses (IBPs) from four intracloud (IC) lightning flashes are modeled using data from five or more electric field change (E-change) sites. For each flash the first 5–9 located IBPs are investigated. For each IBP the modeling first extracts the IBP current waveform from the E-change data by matrix inversion and then determines the best channel length and current velocity to match the IBP data. Derived IBP quantities of total charge, charge moment, peak current, peak radiated power, and total energy are calculated. Resulting IBP vertical lengths varied from 27 m to 1300 m; most values were 100–500 m. Current velocities ranged over 4.0–20.0 × 107 m/s, with most values 10–16.5 × 107 m/s. Two of these IC flashes had two “extraordinary” IBPs each with very large E-change amplitude and multiple subpulses; these four extraordinary IBPs had longer current rise times than fall times and charge moments of −3.45 to −20.06C km. Subpulses of classic IBPs were coincident with, and likely caused by, smaller current pulses superimposed on the main IBP current. Overall, most of the 29 IC IBPs had peak current amplitudes
Comparative effectiveness of tumor response assessment methods: Standard-of-care versus computer-assisted response evaluation.

432Background: In clinical trials and clinical practice, tumor response assessment with computed tomography (CT) defines critical end points in patients with metastatic disease treated with systemic agents. Methods to reduce errors and improve efficiency in tumor response assessment could improve patient care. Methods: Eleven readers from 10 different institutions independently categorized tumor response according to three different therapeutic response criteria using paired baseline and initial post-therapy CT studies from 20 randomly selected patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib as part of a completed phase III multi-institutional study. Images were evaluated with a manual tumor response evaluation method (standard-of-care) and with computer-assisted response evaluation (CARE) that included stepwise guidance, interactive error-identification and correction methods, automated tumor metric extraction, calculations, response categorization, and data/image archival. A cross-o...
Inherent Frictions and Deliberate Frustrations: Examining the Legal Variables of State FOI Law Administration

FOI laws are of a category of laws acutely predisposed to internal resistance and erosion. The study seeks to better understand these limitations by examining legal elements of the laws through an exploratory field study, or audit, of nine state FOI laws. Among the study’s findings are two uniquely strong predictors of better FOI results: The existence of an independent FOI advocacy organization in the state and a legislature subject to the law. The findings suggest cultivating a culture of transparency may be as or more important than any of the generally considered legal variables, such as deadlines or penalties.
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE OF HUMAN SKIN FIBROBLAST CULTURES. I. A MICROASSAY DEMONSTRATING STRAIN VARIATION.

Abstract A method is presented for the determination of the specific activity of the alkaline phosphomonoesterse(s) of monolayers of cultured human skin fibroblasts grown on cover slips, 35-mm plastic Petri dishes, or 1 2 - ounce prescription bottles. The method involves direct lysis of the monolayers by 1% sodium deoxycholate. Total cell protein is determined by a modification of the method of Oyama and Eagle (1956) . Enzyme assays are performed with 12 m M NPP in 0.83 M 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol-HC1 buffer with 0.001 M MgCl 2 . Under these conditions, the pH optimum of the alkaline phosphomonoesterase(s) of a presumptively diploid strain of human skin fibroblasts was 10.1. Specific activities of alkaline phosphatase(s) were determined for 13 strains of presumptively diploid fibroblasts and for one strain from a male infant with typical Down's syndrome whose cultured fibroblasts retained a male trisomy-21 karyotype. The assays were performed on well-fed monolayers under conditions of relative “repression” ( Cox and Pontecorvo, 1961 ; Martin, 1964a ). The method was sufficiently sensitive to reveal measurable specific activities in all strains. A relatively wide range of specific activities was observed among the strains, but two strains with distinctively high activities could be distinguished. Both had mean specific activities about 6 times the mean of the other presumptively diploid strains. One is tentatively classified as “constitutive”; the other is exceptional in that extreme variations in specific activities are observed with multiple independent assays. Preliminary results failed to indicate the presence of enzyme inhibitors or activators in the deoxycholate cell lysates.
Assessing the Carrying Capacity of Twitter and Online News

Communication theorists have long presumed that the capacity of mass media was essentially fixed. This study investigates the relevance of this assumption in the digital environment, where production and broadcasting capacities have become nearly infinite. Examining 2 years of data from Twitter and electronic databases of news articles revealed some differences in the nature of constraint in the two environments. The daily volume of Twitter was more variable than online news coverage once cyclical factors were controlled. Interestingly, the volume of Twitter did not always increase in response to key events.
Chapter 11 Mortgage backed securities

Publisher Summary Securitization has transformed the mortgage market into one of the most innovative financial markets in the world. This innovation has been characterized by reallocating underlying mortgage cash flows to satisfy the continually evolving financial needs of investor clienteles. This chapter reviews mortgage markets and describes mortgage cash flows. A thorough understanding of underlying mortgage cash flows is necessary in order to understand mortgage-backed securities. Given their importance, fixed rate mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages are considered in the chapter along with mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, and the statistical modeling of borrower prepayment behavior. The more accurately prepayments are estimated, the more accurately mortgage backed securities can be valued. Given a sample of residential mortgage prepayments, Poisson regression techniques are used in the chapter to illustrate the estimation of prepayment models.
Volatile Interest Rates and the Divergence of Incentives in Mortgage Contracts

There is an abundant literature from finance, economics, and law that discusses the divergent incentives that arise when transactors of various types have claims on an income stream (Jensen and Meckling). This divergency of incentives may compromise the receipt of income by some claimants. Those claimants (principals) whose income depends on the actions of others (agents) are especially subject to losses in wealth. In recognition of the potential wealth transfers, the claimants may engage in activities to bond and monitor the performance of those agents who can affect the size and distribution of the income stream (Smith and Warner). Due to contracting costs, the bonding and monitoring does not eliminate all incentive divergencies (Jensen and Meckling; Holmstrom). Thus, performance in some contracts may not be as complete as those in an environment where contracting costs are lower. Indeed, some contracts may not come to completion. Claimants with the ability to affect the continuance of a contractual relation may actually induce the breach of a contract when it is in their interest to do so and when such an inducement could not be costlessly discerned (Clarkson, Miller, and Muris).
Women Corrections Officers in Men's Prisons

ABSTRACT Women have worked as corrections officers (COs) in some adult male prisons in most states for the past two decades. However, the degree of acceptance of women COs and the perception of women officers' job performance by men officers have varied greatly. This study was based on the results of a survey of men and women officers working in men's prisons in a midwestern state. Comparisons of the officers' responses about women's acceptance, safety, and perceived job performance revealed some significant gender differences. The results indicated that while women faced some resistance among men officers, it was not to the extent suggested by previous research studies, and the resistance came primarily from more experienced men officers. Women officers were confident of their ability to work effectively in men's prisons. The resistance to women that persists among some men officers is likely to provide an obstacle for women seeking opportunities for advancement and promotion in adult male prisons.
Optimizing donor selection for public cord blood banking: influence of maternal, infant, and collection characteristics on cord blood unit quality

Background Banked unrelated donor umbilical cord blood (CB) has improved access to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients without a suitably matched donor. In a resource-limited environment, ensuring that the public inventory is enriched with high-quality cord blood units (CBUs) addressing the needs of a diverse group of patients is a priority. Identification of donor characteristics correlating with higher CBU quality could guide operational strategies to increase the yield of banked high-quality CBUs.
Symmetric corticospinal excitability and representation of vastus lateralis muscle in right-handed healthy subjects

The purpose of this study was to determine the size and location of the representations of the anterior thigh muscles on the human motor cortex in the dominant and non-dominant hemispheres. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation were recorded from the right and left vastus lateralis (rVL, lVL) muscles. A total of ten right-handed healthy volunteers participated in the study. In a single session experiment, we investigated VL muscle corticospinal excitability (motor threshold, MEP size, short interval intracortical inhibition, intracortical facilitation) and cortical representation (map area, volume, and location) in the dominant and non-dominant hemispheres. The motor threshold, MEPs, and intracortical excitability did not differ significantly between the hemispheres (P > 0.05). Furthermore, no difference between sides was found in the location of VL motor representation (mediolateral and anteroposterior axis) or in map area and volume (P > 0.05). Vastus lateralis muscle corticospinal excitability and cortical map were symmetrical in right-handed subjects. Future studies on patients with unilateral lower extremity injuries could examine side-to-side plastic reorganization in corticomotor output and map location in both hemispheres. Clin. Anat. 27:1053–1057, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the volume of equichordal sets

IfK is an equichordal set of chord length 1, i.e. ann-dimensional convex body with a pointp eK such that every chord throughp has length 1, it can be shown that ωn/2n ⩽v(K) < ωn/2, wherev(K) denotes the volume ofK and ωn the volume of ann-dimensional unit ball. Explicit estimates are established for the deviation ofK from a ball of radius 1/2 ifv(K)−ωn/2n is small, and from a semiball of radius 1 if 1/2ωn−v(K) is small.
Perception of Body Shape in Elderly White and Black Men

In assessing the effects of age, physical activity and ethnic identity on perception of body shape in a group of 110 elderly men, the difference was 51gndlcant For perception of current and ideal body shape, with rhe greatesr difference Tor the 49 physically active black elderly men.
Secondary overtriage in pediatric trauma: can unnecessary patient transfers be avoided?

Abstract Background In an era of wide regionalization of pediatric trauma systems, interhospital patient transfer is common. Decisions regarding the location of definitive trauma care depend on prehospital destination criteria (primary triage) and interfacility transfers (secondary triage). Secondary overtriage can occur in any resource-limited setting but is not well characterized in pediatric trauma. Methods The National Trauma Data Bank from 2008 to 2011 was queried to identify patients 15years or younger who were transferred to pediatric trauma centers. Secondary overtriage was defined as meeting all 4 of the following criteria: injury severity score (ISS) less than 9, no need for surgical procedure, no critical care admission, and length of stay of less than 24hours. All other transfers were deemed appropriate triage. Results Our definition of secondary overtriage was met in 32,318 patients out of 144,420 transfers (22.4%). Within this group, 37.5% were discharged directly from the emergency department of the receiving hospital without hospital admission. Appropriately triaged patients required a therapeutic procedure in 43.5% of cases. Differences in age, sex, mechanism of injury, and payer status were modest. Conclusions Secondary overtriage is prevalent in pediatric trauma systems nationwide and is not associated with any particular patient characteristics. Because clinical outcomes and healthcare spending are increasingly scrutinized, secondary overtriage may reflect unnecessary patient transfer and a source of potential cost savings. Development of better guidelines for secondary triage of pediatric trauma patients may enable timely assessment and treatment of children who require a higher level of care while also preventing inefficient use of available resources.
On the stochastic porous medium equation

Abstract In this paper, we discuss an initial-boundary value problem and a Cauchy problem for the stochastic porous medium equation. Our basic estimates are based on the known results due to (Math. Sbornik 67 (1965) 609–642, Arch. Rational Mech. Anal. 25 (1967) 64–80). By the procedure developed in (Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 354 (2001) 1117–1135), we obtain solutions over the given probability space rather than martingale solutions. We will also establish the existence of invariant measures when the space domain is bounded.
Three-Dimensional Air Trajectories Determined from Tetroon Flights in the Planetary Boundary Layer of the Los Angeles Basin

Abstract Between 9 September and 2 October 1969, 105 constant-volume balloons (tetroons) were released from various sites in the Los Angeles Basin for the purpose of obtaining three-dimensional air trajectories in the planetary boundary layer of the Basin. The tetroons, with transponders attached, were tracked by an M-33 radar positioned atop Mt. Thom, 5 km north of Glendale. In general, the tetroons at heights of a few hundred meters tended to move slowly westward between midnight and sunrise, slowly northward between sunrise and noon, and rapidly eastward between noon and sunset. Tetroons launched from Redondo Beach and the Long Beach area during the day distinctly show the convergence zone extending northeastward from the Palos Verdes Hills due to the confluence of sea breezes from the west and south. Tetroons released near the downtown area around sunrise tend to drift toward city center before moving northeastward into the Pasadena-Glendale area. During the day the tetroons oscillate through much of ...
Tracking evasive move-stop-move targets with a MTI radar using a VS-IMM estimator

In this paper we present the design of a Variable Structure Interacting Multiple Model (VS-IMM) estimator for tracking evasive ground targets using Moving Target Indicator reports obtained from an airborne sensor. In order to avoid detection by the MTI sensor, the targets use a move- stop-move strategy, where a target deliberately stops or moves at a very low speed for some time before accelerating again. In this case, when the target's radial velocity (along the line of sight from the sensor) falls below a certain Minimum Detectable Velocity, the target is not detected by the sensor. Under these conditions, the use of an estimator, which does not take care of this move-stop-move motion explicitly, can result in broken tracks. The tracker proposed in this paper handles the evasive move-stop-move motion via the VS-IMM estimator, where the tracker mode set is augmented with a stopped-target model when the estimated speed of the target falls below a certain threshold. Using this additional stopped-target model, the target state is kept alive even in the absence of a measurement. A simulated scenario is used to illustrate the selection of design parameters and the operation of the tracker. Performance measures are presented to contrast the benefits of the VS-IMM estimator, which uses the stopped-target model, over a standard IMM estimator.
Low energy γ-ray events in imaging Čerenkov telescope arrays

One of the major goals in VHE-γ-ray astronomy is to open the energy range below 100 GeV with earthbound detectors. This paper demonstrates a new method for analyzing Cerenkov light of a shower in a Cerenkov telescope array. This method is successful for showers in this low energy regime where previous techniques (e.g. alpha analysis) are not applicable. A Monte Carlo simulation is applied to a system of 19 Whipple type [3, Cawley 1990] Imaging Atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes (IACT), each built as a 10 m diameter reflector and equipped with a 109 photomultiplier tube camera. The energy threshold for a single detector of this type is given [5, Kerrick et al. 1995] as 250 GeV. Analysis of simulated coincident events of the system for those events not having enough light to apply a standard imaging analysis [4, Hillas 1985], leads to a considerably lower threshold of 85 GeV. With a new analysis method of these events it is shown that it should be possible to distinguish between γ-ray induced and proton induced showers. The improvement of sensitivity (Q = figure of merit) of this analysis method is found to be Q=2.9.
Background extraction and long-term memory motion-compensated prediction for spatial-random-access-enabled video coding

Video streaming with virtual pan/tilt/zoom functionality allows the viewer to watch arbitrary regions of a high-spatial-resolution scene. A video coding scheme with random access to arbitrary regions of arbitrary zoom factors helps avoid transmission and/or decoding of the entire high-spatial-resolution video signal. The video coding scheme, proposed in our earlier work, creates a multi-resolution representation and uses P slices of H.264/AVC. The base layer, which provides a thumbnail overview of the entire scene, is encoded using motion-compensated prediction (MCP) among temporally successive frames. To provide efficient random access, we avoid MCP among temporally successive frames of the higher resolution layers. Instead, upward prediction from the reconstructed thumbnail frames is used for coding high-resolution P slices. In this paper, we show that background extraction and long-term memory motion-compensated prediction can reduce the bitrate by up to 85% while retaining efficient random access capability.
Real Exchange Rate Misalignment in the CFA Zone

Using a method of calculating real exchange rate (RER) misalignment which explicitly incorporates terms of trade shocks and the distinction between tradable and non tradable goods, this paper estimates RER overvaluation in 12 countries of the CFA franc zone before and after the 1994 devaluation of the CFA franc. The results show that prior to the devaluation, the RER was about 30% overvalued on average with sharp differences across the 12 countries. The larger oil producers (Cameroon and Gabon) were the most overvalued, while some of the smaller, landlocked countries (Chad and Burkina Faso) were much less so. The estimates appear to be robust to the choice of base year and the two elasticities of the model. One year after the devaluation, the RER was undervalued in a majority of countries, although the variation across countries remains, with Cameroon and Gabon still substantially overvalued. Copyright 1997 by Oxford University Press.
Predicting outcomes: Sports and stocks.

Many gamblers and most fans, players, and coaches offer causal explanations for long runs of good or bad performance in sports and financial analysts are quick to offer explanations for the daily performance of the stock market. The records of professional basketball and baseball teams and the Dow Jones daily closing average for a ten year period were evaluated for trends (streaks). The records of teams were also evaluated to assess whether the record against opponents, the home court or home field advantage, and—for baseball teams—the record of the winning and losing pitcher (excluding the current game) predicted the outcome of individual games. Recent performance is, at best, a very weak predictor of current performance and the three best predictors for baseball (pitching, home field, and record against opponent) together accounted for only 1.7% of the variance in the outcomes of individual games. We overestimate our ability to predict. This overconfidence is likely to play a role in maintaining gambling behaviors.
Reconstructing historical riparian conditions of two river basins in eastern Oregon, USA.

As land use continues to alter riparian areas, historical information is increasingly needed to help establish reference conditions for monitoring and assessment. I developed and applied a procedure in the John Day and Deschutes river basins of eastern Oregon for synthesizing historical documentary records available across broad spatial areas to reconstruct 19th-century riparian conditions. The study area was stratified by ecoregion and stream physical characteristics to partition regional variability. Three primary data sources—General Land Office survey notes, historical photographs, and written accounts—provided descriptive records, which were grouped by topic to develop common riparian attributes. The number of records for each attribute was tallied by stratum to compare and contrast riparian structure and composition across strata and ecoregions. Detailed descriptions of historical riparian conditions using the original documentary records further illustrated the unique riparian conditions in each stratum. Similarities and differences in historical riparian structure and composition at the stratum and ecoregion levels were evident based on the distributional pattern and numbers of records of attributes across strata. A high number of repeated observations within and among primary data sources helped to corroborate descriptive data. Although these reference data cannot provide the detail needed for rigorous quantitative assessments, they do describe a range of conditions approaching a minimally disturbed condition and provide an important perspective for conducting riparian assessments in highly disturbed regions where least-disturbed reference sites are often poor examples of a desired condition.
Dip1 Defines a Class of Arp2/3 Complex Activators that Function without Preformed Actin Filaments

Summary Background Arp2/3 complex is a key actin cytoskeletal regulator that creates branched actin filament networks in response to cellular signals. WASP-activated Arp2/3 complex assembles branched actin networks by nucleating new filaments from the sides of pre-existing ones. WASP-mediated activation requires seed filaments, to which the WASP-bound Arp2/3 complex can bind to form branches, but the source of the first substrate filaments for branching is unknown. Results Here we show that Dip1, a member of the WISH/DIP/SPIN90 family of actin regulators, potently activates Arp2/3 complex without preformed filaments. Unlike other Arp2/3 complex activators, Dip1 does not bind actin monomers or filaments, and it interacts with the complex using a non-WASP-like binding mode. In addition, Dip1-activated Arp2/3 complex creates linear instead of branched actin filament networks. Conclusions Our data show the mechanism by which Dip1 and other WISH/DIP/SPIN90 proteins can provide seed filaments to Arp2/3 complex to serve as master switches in initiating branched actin assembly. This mechanism is distinct from other known activators of Arp2/3 complex.