cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multivariate exploration of non-intrusive load monitoring via spatiotemporal pattern network

Abstract Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) of electrical demand for the purpose of identifying load components has thus far mostly been studied using univariate data, e.g., using only whole building electricity consumption time series to identify a certain type of end-use such as lighting load. However, using additional variables in the form of multivariate time series data may provide more information in terms of extracting distinguishable features in the context of energy disaggregation. In this work, a novel probabilistic graphical modeling approach, namely the spatiotemporal pattern network (STPN) is proposed for energy disaggregation using multivariate time-series data. The STPN framework is shown to be capable of handling diverse types of multivariate time-series to improve the energy disaggregation performance. The technique outperforms the state of the art factorial hidden Markov models (FHMM) and combinatorial optimization (CO) techniques in multiple real-life test cases. Furthermore, based on two homes’ aggregate electric consumption data, a similarity metric is defined for the energy disaggregation of one home using a trained model based on the other home (i.e., out-of-sample case). The proposed similarity metric allows us to enhance scalability via learning supervised models for a few homes and deploying such models to many other similar but unmodeled homes with significantly high disaggregation accuracy.
Efficient and low complex uplink detection for 5G massive MIMO systems

Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output is most promising technology that has been proposed in recent years, and it has been considered a technology to fulfill the requirement of fifth generation network. Even though this technology has many advantages, it must surpass certain challenges as well, and one of the major challenge is signal detection at the base station which becomes more complex with an increased number of antennas. Conventional methods that are used in MIMO detection are computationally very complex and inefficient to use in Massive MIMO system. So, there is a need for suitable detection method for these systems to have good bit error rate performance with lower complexity. In this paper, we propose a more efficient and computationally less complex algorithm for detection of Massive MIMO systems. Results through MATLAB simulations show that our proposed method provides a good tradeoff between computational complexity and BER performance and it is efficient for detection of Massive MIMO systems.
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Its Variants

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) and its variants comprise, 85% to 90% of all pancreatic cancers. It is usually a disease of older individuals and affected patients are often in their seventh to eighth decades of life. The disease is uncommon in patients 40 years or younger and men are affected slightly more frequently than women. The classic clinical symptomatic triad includes epigastric pain with radiation to the back, jaundice, and weight loss. Unfortunately, these findings are nonspecific and can occur in patients with other malignancies or benign diseases, such as gallstones. In addition, many patients only have minimal or vague symptoms when the disease is still curable and in the early stage, especially when it arises in the body or tail of the pancreas.
Kazin on Dreiser: What it Means to be a Literary Critic

Throughout his career as a literary critic, Alfred Kazin wrote often and with sympathy and insight about Theodore Dreiser, one of the most powerful, panoramic, and compassionate novelists in American literary history. Kazin was an intense reader and writer, committed in his books, essays, and reviews to connecting with and describing the personality of each author he examined. His interpretive work on Dreiser illuminates what it means to be a literary critic and teacher. When we read Kazin in the midst of twenty-first century theory, ideology, and professionalism, we realize all the more clearly the goal in his literary criticism that he aimed for, achieved, and represented—and that now is missing from literary education and experience.
Abstract # 2040 High social strain and physical health: Examining the roles of anxious arousal and IL-6

Social relationships have powerful effects on physical health. Indeed, high social strain (i.e., frequent negative interactions with friends, family, or one’s partner) increases risk of morbidity and mortality. High anxious arousal due to frequent social strain may be an underlying mechanism given that anxious arousal is associated with a pro-inflammatory response. When chronic, heightened inflammation results in the deterioration of overall health. Accordingly, the purpose of the current study was to investigate anxious arousal and inflammation as underlying mechanisms of the previously identified association between social strain and health. A sample of 766 middle aged adults participating in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 2) study completed self-report measures of social strain, anxious arousal, and physical health. Blood samples were collected to measure interleukin-6 (IL-6). Using 5000 bootstrap samples, results indicated that greater social strain was associated with poorer self-reported health due to the serial pathway from high anxious arousal to IL-6 (95% CI; .001, .008). Findings add to the literature through identification of anxious arousal and IL-6 as mechanisms underlying the association between social strain and physical health. Future investigations should assess these associations over time. Results indicate that interventions targeting anxious arousal and associated inflammation may be beneficial for protecting against the negative effects of high social strain on physical health.
Secondary‐Ion Mass Spectrometry Images Cardiolipins and Phosphatidylethanolamines at the Subcellular Level

Millions of diverse molecules constituting the lipidome act as important signals within cells. Of these, cardiolipin (CL) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) participate in apoptosis and ferroptosis, respectively. Their subcellular distribution is largely unknown. Imaging mass spectrometry is capable of deciphering the spatial distribution of multiple lipids at subcellular levels. Here we report the development of a unique 70 keV gas-cluster ion beam that consists of (CO2 )n + (n>10 000) projectiles. Coupled with direct current beam buncher-time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry, it is optimized for sensitivity towards high-mass species (up to m/z 3000) at high spatial resolution (1 μm). In combination with immunohistochemistry, phospholipids, including PE and CL, have been assessed in subcellular compartments of mouse hippocampal neuronal cells and rat brain tissue.
Big Four Auditors, Litigation Risk, and Disclosure Tone

We examine the effect of Big 4 auditors on management’s use of optimistic language in audited financial statement disclosures. While regulators and practitioners consider the audit of disclosures to be increasingly important, empirical evidence of an auditor’s effect on management’s qualitative disclosure choices is limited. Focusing on the notes to the financial statements, which are the primary disclosure item subject to audit, we find that the tone of the qualitative footnote disclosures is significantly more reflective of bad economic news in the presence of a Big 4 auditor compared with a non-Big 4 auditor. This inference continues to hold for a matched sample constructed using entropy balancing to control for inherent differences between clients of Big 4 and non-Big 4 auditors. The Big 4 effect on footnote disclosure tone is more pronounced for the subsample of companies with high litigation risk. A transaction-based analysis of specific footnotes reveals a generally signficant Big 4 effect on footnote disclosure tone when the footnotes are related to signficant business transactions under the Broad Transactions category of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification. Finally, when we examine Management’s Discussion and Analysis, which is not subject to audit, we do not find a Big 4 effect on the sensitivity of its tone to bad news. Our results are consistent with higher litigation exposure motivating Big 4 auditors to constrain management’s use of optimistic language while auditing financial reports. This research provides new evidence to the ongoing regulatory discussions regarding the value of auditing disclosures.
Gamification and social incentives increase physical activity.

A nationwide study conducted in the USA demonstrated that an intervention combining gamification with social incentives, conducted within the context of a behavioural economics platform, can result in a moderate yet significant increase in physical activity in adults with obesity over a period of 24 weeks with an additional 12 week follow-up.
Ibn Jinni (d. 1200)

Ibn Jinni was born abu a-fath uθmān ibn Jinni al-muwsilliy (320–392 h/932–1002 a.d.) The Baghdad school of linguistics was a direct extension of both the Kuwfah and the Basrah schools of linguistics. Ibn Jinni is at the heart of the Baghdad school of linguistics. He was born in Muwsil, in northern Iraq, and got his name ‘Jinni’ from his Greek father. He was a prolific writer who wrote on all aspects of linguistics, from phonetics to semantics. His most significant works are Sir sināat al-irāb ‘The secret of the formation of irāb,’ tasriyf al-muluwkiy ‘The royal morphology,’ al-Xasāis, and a comprehensive synthesis of his understanding of language.
Designing social networks: joint tasks and the formation and endurance of network ties

Can managers influence the formation of organizational networks? In this article, we evaluate the effect of joint tasks on the creation of network ties with data from a novel field experiment with 112 aspiring entrepreneurs. During the study, we randomized individuals to a set of 15 joint tasks varying in duration (week-long teams to 20-min conversations). We then evaluated the impact of these interactions on the formation and structure of individuals’ social networks. We find strong evidence that these designed interactions led to the systematic creation of new friendship and advice relations as well as changes to the participants’ network centrality. Overall, network ties formed after a randomized interaction account for about one-third the individuals a participant knows, of their friendships, and their advice relations. Nevertheless, roughly 90% of randomized interactions never become social ties of friendship or advice. A key result from our research is that while joint tasks may serve to structure the social consideration set of possible connections, individual preferences strongly shape the structure of networks. As a consequence, there will likely remain a considerable unpredictability in the presence of specific ties even when they are designed.
Polymicrobial stimulation of human fetal membranes induce neutrophil activation and neutrophil extracellular trap release.

Abstract Preterm birth is a major contributor to neonatal mortality and morbidity. While the causes of preterm birth remain incompletely understood, infection is a major risk factor, and chorioamnionitis is commonly observed. Chorioamnionitis is characterized by inflammation and neutrophil infiltration of the fetal membranes (FM). We recently reported that human FMs which had been exposed to low levels of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) recruit neutrophils and activate them, increasing their secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, degranulation of myeloperoxidase (MPO), and release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Herein, we demonstrate that conditioned media (CM) from viral dsRNA (Poly(I:C))-stimulated FMs also increased neutrophil migration, and induced the secretion of inflammatory IL-8 and the release of NETs. Furthermore, CM from FMs stimulated by a combination of bacterial LPS and Poly(I:C) augmented neutrophil NET release, compared to CM from FMs stimulated with either Poly(I:C) or LPS alone. NETs induced by FMs exposed to Poly(I:C), with or without LPS, were released and degraded quicker than those induced by resting or LPS-stimulated FM-CM. These findings indicate that FMs exposed to viral dsRNA promote neutrophil recruitment, activation and NET formation, similar to FMs exposed to bacterial LPS alone. However, in response to FM polymicrobial stimulation the levels and kinetics of NET release are augmented. This work builds upon our understanding of how infections at the maternal-fetal interface may affect neutrophil function.
Green infrastructure for coastal flood protection: The longitudinal impacts of green infrastructure patterns on flood damage.

Abstract The importance of implementing green infrastructure (GI) for flood protection is supported by multiple substantial cross-sectional analyses. Yet, limited longitudinal research has been conducted which addresses how to maintain and improve the configuration of GI in order to minimize the cost of losses resulting from flooding. Structural damage from devastating storm events has repeatedly imposed substantial financial burdens on local governments in coastal regions. This study longitudinally examines the impacts of changes in GI patterns on flood damage cost in coastal Texas areas. Major flood events in the 36 Texan coastal watershed counties along the Gulf of Mexico were monitored from 2000 to 2017. Along with non-spatially weighted panel data models, we developed an advanced statistical model controlling for spatially correlated errors in flood loss and predicting flood loss with a set of time-series socioeconomic and environmental control variables. The results of the spatial panel data model reveal that long-term maintenance of larger, more irregular, more dispersed, less fragmented, and less connected patterns of GI will help to reduce county-level flood damage costs per capita over time. Most importantly, protecting larger patches within a closer proximity was found to be of the utmost importance for retaining the flood regulation services provided by GI. These findings suggest that planners and natural resource managers should enhance supportive land use policies to preserve existing GI and strategically locate new implementations in order to achieve long-term flood protection.
High Incidence of Serologic Markers of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Asymptomatic Patients with Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia

Most patients with glycogen storage disease (GSD) type Ib show features related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The development of IBD seems to be associated with the defect of neutrophil function in GSD Ib. Patients with GSD Ia were not recognized to have similar gastrointestinal complaints until recently and are not associated with a neutrophil defect. Fifty consecutive GSD Ia inpatients over the age of 2 years without a diagnosis of IBD were screened using serologic and genetic markers via the Prometheus IBD sgi Diagnostic test. Eleven patients were tested positive for IBD (22%), with five fitting the pattern for Crohn’s disease, five for ulcerative colitis, and one with nonspecific IBD. Only 2 out of the 11 patients had any gastrointestinal complaints. No pattern could be distinguished from individual inflammatory markers, genetics, inflammation antibodies, age, complications, or metabolic control. Of note, 9 out of 11 patients testing positive were female. Patients with GSD Ia were found to have a higher rate of serologically indicated IBD when compared with the general population. While these subjects will need to be followed to determine if these serologic markers correlate with clinical disease, this study supports that IBD may be more common in the GSD Ia population. Further studies are warranted to explain the relationship between IBD and GSD I since it may provide clues regarding the pathogenesis of IBD development in the general population.
The use of public radio as a tool in qualitative geographic research

In this article I detail the use of regular radio broadcasts as an experimental tool in qualitative geographic research. I detail a case study that offers examples of the use of public radio while in the field. The case study is based on research I conducted in Ocracoke, North Carolina that examines the relationships amongst local environmental knowledge, cultural practices, and socioenvironmental change. The criteria used to evaluate the use of public radio as a qualitative tool involves assessing the techniques ability to enhance credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. These categories are borrowed from a comparison study conducted by Baxter and Eyles (Trans Inst Br Geogr, 22(4):505–525, 1997) that evaluated rigor in qualitative geographic research. I close by considering how my project addresses some of the recent calls in human geography to include phonographic methods alongside visual and textual modes of inquiry (e.g. Gallagher and Prior in Prog Hum Geogr, 38(2):267–284, 2014). The major claim of this paper is that the use of audio media has the potential to contribute to qualitative geographic research in ways that visual and textual representations cannot.
Doing Without the Concept of Law

This essay argues that the doctrinal concept of law is unnecessary. Traditional accounts of the concept of law hold that public officials and citizens undertake a two-step protocol in their practical reasoning. Each first determines what the law requires and then assesses whether her other reasons for actions dictate a different decision. One can, however, replace these two-step protocols with a one-step protocol that globally assesses all reasons for action without making the intermediate determination of what the law requires. Dworkin, in his philosophy of law, essentially takes this position with respect to judges. He reduces the two-step protocol to a one-step protocol. He may thus be viewed as a proto-elminitavist.
Sex differences in mouse aortic relaxation via estrogen receptor signaling (680.17)

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death both in the United States and worldwide. Estrogen receptors (ERs) have been previously shown to mediate the mechanisms responsible for playing c...
Closing the 'Free Speech' Loophole: The Case for Protecting College Athletes' Publicity Rights in Commercial Videogames

This article argues that despite “free speech” concerns, courts should protect college athletes’ publicity rights in commercial videogames. Part I of this article discusses the status of the American college athlete and the practice of licensing intellectual property rights from colleges to videogame publishers. Part II introduces the state-law right of publicity: an intellectual property right that protects commercial interests in one’s own likeness. Part III explains why Electronic Arts’ videogames violate the publicity rights of college football players. Part IV explains why courts should not allow videogame publishers to hide behind a First Amendment defense when using exact depictions of college football players’ likenesses. Finally, Part V concludes that even if a videogame publisher were to create an avatar that partially transforms a college athlete’s likeness, the courts should still recognize some liability in the videogame publisher for use of the non-transformed aspects of the college athlete’s identity.
Biodegradable Microcapsules: Optimization of Formulation Using Factorial Design

Biodegradable microcapsules of zidovudine (AZT) were prepared using a solvent evaporation technique. The experimental protocol was based on a 4 times 3 factorial design. The effect of volatile organic solvent was examined at four levels: 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, and 70/30 mixtures of dichloromethane with methanol. Poly(lactide/glycolide) copolymer (PLGA 50:50) was used at three levels: 50, 100, and 200 mg mL−1 The efficiency of encapsulation significantly increased with increasing polymer concentration. The four levels of the organic solvent showed no significant effect on the encapsulation. A comparison of the SEM photographs of the twelve batches of the microcapsules showed that the formation of surface pinholes could be avoided by increasing the concentration of the polymer. Higher methanol concentrations (>10%) in the dichloromethane/methanol mixture also significantly changed the surface morphology. No significant rank order correlation was observed between the median particle sizes of the different batches of the microcapsules and the organic solvent or the amount of PLGA. The median particle sizes were between 33 and 193 μm. Particle size ranges were between 0.5 and 600 μm. The initial drug release was between 15 and 50% during the first day with a sustained release observed up to 60 days.
Chapter 11: A Molecular Model for the Chemical Regulation of Connexin43 Channels: The "Ball-and-Chain" Hypothesis

Publisher Summary It is the current view that gap junctions are not only passive conduits of electrical charge but also dynamic filters that modulate the passage of molecular messages within the cellular network; hence, not only the presence but also the regulation of connexins is important for synchronous tissue function. Research has focused on the regulation of connexins by two separate factors: intracellular pH and insulin (or IGF) exposure. Regulation of gap junction conductance by factors such as pH i and cytokines may be critical in the development of lethal cardiac arrhythmias during ischemia. Growth factor-mediated regulation of intercellular communication may also be important for normal cardiogenesis. Finally, changes in pH sensitivity after connexin processing may allow the preservation of cell–cell communication in the lens. Understanding the molecular events controlling connexin regulation and developing means to manipulate their occurrence allow learning more about the importance of intercellular communication both in health and disease.
Emerald - An Architecture-Driven Tool Compiler for FPGAs

Ideally, the development phase of a new FPGA architecture would make use of a reliable set of mapping tools to produce accurate performance evaluations of proposed designs. Unfortunately, given the quick production time frames faced by most developers, tool construction is often postponed until after many architectural features have been frozen. To satisfy the need for fast tool prototyping, we have designed Emerald, a powerful architecture-driven system for quick development of FPGA tools. At its heart Emerald provides the basic features needed in all FPGA systems - logic block analysis, synthesis and technology mapping, global placement and partitioning, and detailed placement and routing. Its CAD environment provides an efficient way to thoroughly specify an FPGA's routing and logic block architectures, as well as architecture-specific metrics to tailor placement and routing. Moreover, Emerald's parameterized schematic specifications allow architectural veriations to be quickly captured and evaluated. The overall system is demonstrated on a bus-oriented sea-of-gates FPGA similar to the Atmel 6000.
Fourier expansion of Eisenstein series on the Hilbert modular group and Hilbert class fields

In this paper we consider the Eisenstein series for the Hilbert modular group of a general number field. We compute the Fourier expansion at each cusp explicitly. The Fourier coefficients are given in terms of completed partial Hecke L-series, and from their functional equations, we get the functional equation for the Eisenstein vector. That is, we identify the scattering matrix. When we compute the determinant of the scattering matrix in the principal case, the Dedekind (-function of the Hilbert class field shows up. A proof in the imaginary quadratic case was given in Efrat and Sarnak, and for totally real fields with class number one a proof was given in Efrat.
Deficits, Debt, and the New Politics of Tax Policy: Destabilizing Tax Policy – Vietnam and the 1970s

From 1949 to 1960, there were seven balanced budgets. Over the next two decades, the budget was balanced only once – in FY 1969 – and the relative size of deficits increased. In the late 1970s, deficits reached nearly 3 percent of GDP, just slightly below the average level for the 1930s. The gap between revenues and spending was amplified by the economic turmoil of the 1970s, but it was rooted in the expansion of domestic spending that began in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and became even more pronounced in the 1970s. By 1980, the defense share of the budget had dropped to less than 25 percent, yet total spending–GDP was at its highest level since World War II. As Democrats cut defense budgets and increased social welfare entitlements and discretionary domestic programs, partisan differences over spending policy became much greater, and the tax policy needed to support that spending became more politicized. As more revenue was directed toward the emerging welfare state, support for tax increases among Republicans and conservative Democrats evaporated.
Prominent Impact of Community Risk Factors on Kidney Transplant Candidate Processes and Outcomes

Numerous factors impact patients' health beyond traditional clinical characteristics. We evaluated the association of risk factors in kidney transplant patients' communities with outcomes prior to transplantation. The primary exposure variable was a community risk score (range 0–40) derived from multiple databases and defined by factors including prevalence of comorbidities, access and quality of healthcare, self-reported physical and mental health and socioeconomic status for each U.S. county. We merged data with the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) and utilized risk-adjusted models to evaluate effects of community risk for adult candidates listed 2004–2010 (n = 209 198). Patients in highest risk communities were associated with increased mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 1.22, 1.16–1.28), decreased likelihood of living donor transplantation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.90, 0.85–0.94), increased waitlist removal for health deterioration (AHR = 1.36, 1.22–1.51), decreased likelihood of preemptive listing (AOR = 0.85, 0.81–0.88), increased likelihood of inactive listing (AOR = 1.49, 1.43–1.55) and increased likelihood of listing for expanded criteria donor kidneys (AHR = 1.19, 1.15–1.24). Associations persisted with adjustment for rural–urban location; furthermore the independent effects of rural–urban location were largely eliminated with adjustment for community risk. Average community risk varied widely by region and transplant center (median = 21, range 5–37). Community risks are powerful factors associated with processes of care and outcomes for transplant candidates and may be important considerations for developing effective interventions and measuring quality of care of transplant centers.
Assessing workplace chemical exposures: the role of exposure monitoring

Occupational exposure is the condition of being subjected through employment to a chemical, physical, or biological agent, or to a specific process, practice, behavior, or organization of work. Exposure to a chemical agent is typically the contact of that agent with the outer boundary of a subject, such as the respiratory system, skin, or digestive system. In occupational hygiene we are most concerned with exposure through the respiratory system, although, increasingly we are concerned with the results of dermal exposures, including those exposures to the skin that can be transferred to the mouth and digestive system. This presentation will detail methods available for assessing personal exposures to chemicals through monitoring. The results from monitoring can then be compared to established guidelines and regulations, although this is not the only rationale for making measurements. These monitoring methods are currently used around the world to establish the benchmark hazard from which risk to the worker can be predicted. The presentation will describe the general techniques for assessing exposures to the respiratory system from chemical gases and vapors, chemical dusts, and exposures to the skin from bulk chemicals or chemical contamination of surfaces. For respiratory exposures, direct-reading instruments are available for spot measurements, and for monitoring short-term fluctuations in concentration. However, most standards and regulations are based on time-integrated (time-weighted average) exposures, requiring longer-term integrative methods. Therefore, the specific focus of this review will be the methods available for full work-shift sampling. For gases and vapors this will include taking whole-air samples in canisters or polymer bags, or concentration of chemicals by absorption in liquids or adsorption on solid sorbents, with subsequent chemical analysis. Chemical concentration can take place by pumping air through the sorbing media, or by allowing molecules to diffuse to the sorbent surface. Transfer of the collected chemicals to the analytical instrumentation can be accomplished using solvent displacement and injection, or through the application of heat to bring the collected molecules back into the vapor phase. For particles, the particle size is important as this determines the site of deposition in the lungs, and so time-integrated sampling on filters using various types of size-selective samplers is preferred. Finally, some techniques that have been used to assess the potential for chemical contamination of the skin are presented. Biomonitoring is another tool that can be used to assess exposure, and the results are more relevant to dosimetric considerations than exposure. Biomonitoring is a complex subject worthy of a separate review, and will be considered only briefly here.
Silicon Evanescent Amplifiers

Optical amplifiers are important elements of photonic integrated circuits. We present a hybrid silicon evanescent amplifier utilizing a wafer bonded structure of silicon waveguide and AlGaInAs quantum wells. A chip gain of 13 dB with a power penalty of 0.5 dB at 40 Gb/s data amplification is demonstrated.
Isolation and Identification of Indole-3-Ethanol (Tryptophol) from Cucumber Seedlings

Crude ether extracts of green shoots of Cucumis sativus L. promoted the elongation of cucumber hypocotyl segments. Purification of the extract was accomplished by DEAE cellulose, silicic acid, and magnesium silicate chromatography followed by gel filtration and preparative thin layer chromatography. Identification of the growth promoter as indole-3-ethanol was achieved by mass spectrometry, thin layer and gas chromatography, and ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy, as well as by physiological characteristics.
Applying one-dimensional deterministic chemical fate models on a regional scale

Abstract A deterministic one-dimensional chemical transport model was applied to soil and weather data from the northeastern United States. The model used a mobile-immobile capacity flow model. Simulations using 20 years of historical rainfall data from each of 13 weather stations applied to a single soil showed that predictions of leaching varied considerably from year to year. The model was then applied to 2270 soil-weather combinations to develop indices for atrazine-leaching potential. Issues relating to quality of soil data and temporal variability of rainfall are discussed. Simulated atrazine leaching was related to the amount and distribution of rainfall, modified by soil organic matter levels.
GENDER, CHILDREN AND RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY ?

The “productivity puzzle,” or gender gap in research productivity, is often thought to be due, in part, to gendered child care responsibilities. The time, energy, and money devoted to child-rearing can reduce the research productivity of scholars, especially women. However, there is little systematic research on this issue. The present study contributes to the literature by exploring the productivity puzzle in light of the influence of eight age sets of children. Data are from the National Research Council's 1995 Survey of Doctoral Recipients. They refer to 11,231 PhDs, in the sciences and engineering, who are employed in academia. Controlling for children, structural factors and personal characteristics of the PhDs, the present study finds that women still publish significantly less than men. Second, productivity is higher for PhDs with children less than 11. Third, productivity is relatively low for women with young children. Fourth, for the social sciences, the area with the highest proportion of women PhDs, gender is unrelated to productivity, but women in the social sciences who have young children have relatively low productivity. The leading predictors of productivity included location in a research university and effort (hours worked). The full model explains 39% of the variance in productivity. Children are not a strong predictor of productivity, but the influence that they do have followed a gendered pattern.
Luteinizing hormone differentially regulates the secretion of testicular oxytocin and testosterone by purified adult rat Leydig cells in vitro.

The aims of the present study were to determine whether Leydig cells in vitro synthesize oxytocin, and whether LH modulates the secretion of oxytocin by Leydig cells. Highly purified adult Leydig cells were prepared from adult rats and cultured for 3 days in the presence or absence of 0.1 ng/ml ovine LH, and media were changed daily. The total amount of oxytocin present in the culture was estimated by RIA of cell extracts before culture (day 0) and at the end of day 3 of culture and in media on days 1-3. The content of immunoreactive oxytocin in cell extracts on day 0 (3.4 +/- 1.2 pg/10(6) cells) was significantly lower than the total amount that had been released into the medium and was present in the cell extracts at the end of day 3 (+LH, 27.8 +/- 3.3; -LH, 16.5 +/- 2.7 pg/10(6) cells), suggesting that Leydig cells are able to synthesize and secrete oxytocin. This hypothesis was supported by the observation that oxytocin release into the medium was significantly reduced during a 3-h treatment of Leydig...
Agency costs in banking firms: An analysis of expense preference behavior

Abstract Behavioral approaches to the theory of the firm contend that the agency relationship that must develop when a separation exists between management and ownership may have various agency costs. One such cost is the cost of monitoring managers to avoid expense preference behavior on their part. Managers may engage in expense preference behavior any time they manage firms in noncompetitive markets and ownership of the firm is dispersed enough to put control in the hands of management. This research reports on an analysis of the existence and influence of expense preference behavior on the salaries of chief operating officers of banks. Various studies have resulted in conflicting conclusions about the effect of expense preference behavior on various input costs facing banks. Only the study by Hannan and Mavinga (1980) includes an explicit measure of the separation of ownership from control of the firm. However, that study does not analyze executive compensation. Using such a measure, this study reports that the salaries of chief operating officers in banks are significantly higher if both the necessary and sufficient conditions for expense preference behavior are satisfied.
The impact of conversational acknowledgers on perceptions of psychotherapists.

Abstract During conversations, individuals often signal that they are paying attention by the use of verbal and nonverbal cues. This study examined these conversational acknowledgers in psychotherapy and evaluated the effects of therapists varying levels of two specific actions—short utterances and nodding—on perceptions of the therapist. A series of brief psychotherapy videos with therapists displaying different levels of the two types of acknowledgers were presented to 320 participants recruited both online and from a university campus. Analysis indicated that when therapists used high levels of both verbal acknowledgers and nodding or when they refrained from using both types of acknowledgers, therapist empathy and therapeutic alliance were perceived as greater than when therapists engaged in one type of acknowledger but not the other.
Shading: fitting a smooth intensity surface

Abstract Visual realism in computer-generated images is an important goal for many computer applications. However, a tradeoff exists between the degree of realism achieved and the time required to generate an image. Thus efficient algorithms for generating realistic images are being actively investigated. Shading is one graphical technique for rendering more realistic images of 3D objects. However, the most widely used algorithm, Gouraud shading, suffers from the Mach band effect, a perceptual phenomenon that reduces realism. Gouraud shading also handles specular reflection poorly. The next most popular algorithm, Phong shading, generally reduces Mach banding and captures specular highlights, though at great computational expense. Bishop and Weimer improved the efficiency of Phong shading, but their algorithm introduces approximation error and is still significantly slower than Gouraud shading. A new algorithm is proposed which takes an innovative approach to shading 3D objects. A smooth intensity surface is generated with a known surface-fitting technique, Powell-Sabin quadratic interpolation. The intensity surface is generated at a modest cost using the Cendes-Wong formulae and forward differencing. The C 1 surface virtually eliminates Mach banding.
No Fault Career Counselling: What it is. What it should be

This paper proposes a new dimension to the career counselling function. It suggests an approach to solving the personnel problems currently caused by the combined effect of the economic recession, the influx of “baby boomer's” into the management sector, and the correction of past hiring errors, and changes in life style.
Gender and Instrument Associations, Stereotypes, and Stratification A Literature Review

This literature review examines and synthesizes 30 years of research into the relationship between gender and musical instruments. Specifically, the review focuses on how this relationship affects ...
ECONOMIC INDIVIDUALISM AND AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION

This article presents an initial step toward integrating cultural beliefs into the empirical study of public opinion and mass belief systems. The specific focus of the analysis is economic individu...
81-Year-Old Woman With Left Hip Pain

An 81-year-old woman presented to her primary care physician with left hip pain. Two weeks previously, she had fallen while walking to the bathroom, landing on her left side. She had no prodromal symptoms or loss of consciousness before or after the fall. She initially experienced mild tenderness around her hip area, but the tenderness became progressively worse with associated swelling causing difficulty in ambulation. She was seen by a neurologist about a 1 week after the fall for a recent diagnosis of Parkinson disease. During that visit, a large bruise was noted over the left greater trochanteric area with no associated focal neurologic deficit. Radiography of the left hip yielded no evidence of any acute fracture at that time. Her medical history was notable for chronic low back pain, osteoporosis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and the recently diagnosed Parkinson disease. Medications at presentation included risedronate, carbidopalevodopa, which was initiated about 1 month before presentation, and prednisone. Physical examination revealed a thin, pale,
Axoplasmic transport of somatostatin and substance P in the vagus nerve of the rat, guinea pig and cat.

The axoplasmic transport of somatostatin (SS) and substance P (SP) in the cervical vagus nerve was studied in the rat, guinea pig and cat. In preliminary studies, neuropeptide immunoreactivity (IR-SS and IR-SP) was evaluated in extracts of nodose ganglion and vagus nerve using gel and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In each species, a single immunoreactive form of SP co-eluted with the synthetic undecapeptide on a Bio-Gel P-10 column. More than 95% of transported vagal IR-SS co-eluted with synthetic SS-14. A small percentage in each species co-eluted with SS-28. No larger form, corresponding to a prosomatostatin, was identified in any of the 3 species. On HPLC, IR-SP and IR-SS co-eluted with their synthetic forms. To quantify neuropeptide transport, the vagus nerve was ligated distal to the nodose ganglion. 24 h later in each species, the content of IR-SS and IR-SP was more than 6 times greater in a 3-mm segment of nerve proximal to the ligature than in equal length segments distal to ligature or in the unligated contralateral nerve. In the proximal segment, the net content of IR-SP (pg/3-mm segment, mean +/- S.E.M.) was 366 +/- 45 in the rat, 2038 +/- 184 in the guinea pig, and 912 +/- 108 in the cat. The content of IR-SS in the same segment was 36 +/- 4, 66 +/- 13, and 575 +/- 59 pg/3-mm, respectively. The apparent transport velocities were similar for each peptide and among species. The contribution of the nodose ganglion to transported neuropeptide was estimated by crushing the vagus above the nodose ganglion and simultaneously ligating the nerve distal to the ganglion. The percent contribution of the ganglion to transported IR-SS following this procedure was 50% in the rat, 73% in the guinea pig, and 16% in the cat. Nodose ganglion contribution to IR-SP transport was 31%, 50% and 74%, respectively. Estimated turnover of IR-SS and IR-SP within the ganglion ranged from 4.1 to 6.8 times per 24 h in each species.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Effects of testosterone propionate and dihydrotestosterone on penile morphology and sexual reflexes of spinal male rats.

Abstract Testosterone propionate (TP) has a quantitative influence on sexual reflexes mediated at the spinal level in male rats. The possibility that this influence reflects the direct action of androgen on neural elements in the cord, rather than on sensory receptors in the penis was examined indirectly by the use of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Spinal castrated male rats maintained initially on TP and then switched to DHT showed a significant decline in sexual reflexes paralleling the decline of another group of spinal rats receiving no hormone after initial TP treatment. Yet the number of penile papillae and weight of the penile shaft for the DHT subjects were not significantly different from these measures of penile morphology in a third group of subjects receiving continuous TP and in which reflexes did not decline. These and other observations are consistent with the hypothesis that neural elements within the spinal cord, related to the mediation of the ejaculatory pattern in intact male rats, are directly influenced by gonadal androgen.
GROUP THEORETICAL APPROACH TO THE FLUCTUATION EQUATIONS OF BOUNCES

Based on Schrodinger equations with SU(2) group theoretic potentials, we present a family of nonlinear models in (1+1) with non-topological bounce solutions. This is achieved by generalizing the method of obtaining nonlinear models from the stability equations of kinks, this time with a single negative eigenvalue.
An inexpensive universal fluid cell for atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful instrument for researching biological phenomenon at the nanoscale. A fluid cell can be used to hold the bacteria and fluid. As many biological processes occur in fluid environments, need to be kept hydrated for proper analysis, yet commercially produced fluid cells involve complex set up procedures and are expensive. As an integral part of a Research Experience for Teachers (NSF RET) summer program, we created an inexpensive fluid cell molded from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with embedded silicone tubing and an attached glass cover slip at the bottom. The device was designed and assembled within 6 weeks with several revisions occurring in the following weeks. The objective of this work was to design an AFM fluid cell that allows for the exchange of fluid, is inexpensive to produce and reproduce, is sterilizable and is easy to set up and use. After multiple design iterations and testing of prototypes, we validated the device by examining peptide-membrane interactions using an AFM equipped with the fluid cell. This device will aid researchers by providing an inexpensive, simple means of investigating and analyzing various biological samples in an AFM.
The role of e-tailer inventory policy on e-tailer pricing and profitability

Abstract This study explores the impact of the e-tailer's inventory policy on its pricing strategy and profitability via a two-period model. Specifically, we identify two inventory policies: zero inventory and positive inventory. The findings show that the zero-inventory e-tailer charges lower prices than the positive-inventory one, but the price differential decreases over time if the market expands rapidly. The findings also show that the zero-inventory policy is preferred under a moderately positive relationship between reservation price and impatience for delivery, whereas the positive-inventory policy is preferred when these two variables are independent of each other. Furthermore, the results show that a more rapid expansion of market is a favorable condition for the zero-inventory e-tailer. The authors also discuss the implications of the inventory policy for an e-tailer's performance.
Normalization techniques for handprinted numerals

A family of pattern standardization techniques based on geometrical projection is applied to a file of digitized handprinted numerals obtained from sales clerks. The principle involves transforming a quadrilateral specified in terms of the convex hull of each pattern into a square. The amount of overlap within each class of characters versus the amount between classes is used to evaluate the degree of normalization achieved with respect to other published methods including size and shear normalization through moments.
Inferences of Diplodocoid (Sauropoda: Dinosauria) Feeding Behavior from Snout Shape and Microwear Analyses

Background As gigantic herbivores, sauropod dinosaurs were among the most important members of Mesozoic communities. Understanding their ecology is fundamental to developing a complete picture of Jurassic and Cretaceous food webs. One group of sauropods in particular, Diplodocoidea, has long been a source of debate with regard to what and how they ate. Because of their long lineage duration (Late Jurassic-Late Cretaceous) and cosmopolitan distribution, diplodocoids formed important parts of multiple ecosystems. Additionally, fortuitous preservation of a large proportion of cranial elements makes them an ideal clade in which to examine feeding behavior. Methodology/Principal Findings Hypotheses of various browsing behaviors (selective and nonselective browsing at ground-height, mid-height, or in the upper canopy) were examined using snout shape (square vs. round) and dental microwear. The square snouts, large proportion of pits, and fine subparallel scratches in Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Nigersaurus, and Rebbachisaurus suggest ground-height nonselective browsing; the narrow snouts of Dicraeosaurus, Suuwassea, and Tornieria and the coarse scratches and gouges on the teeth of Dicraeosaurus suggest mid-height selective browsing in those taxa. Comparison with outgroups (Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus) reinforces the inferences of ground- and mid-height browsing and the existence of both non-selective and selective browsing behaviors in diplodocoids. Conclusions/Significance These results reaffirm previous work suggesting the presence of diverse feeding strategies in sauropods and provide solid evidence for two different feeding behaviors in Diplodocoidea. These feeding behaviors can subsequently be tied to paleoecology, such that non-selective, ground-height behaviors are restricted to open, savanna-type environments. Selective browsing behaviors are known from multiple sauropod clades and were practiced in multiple environments.