cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distortions of subjective time perception within and across senses.

Background: The ability to estimate the passage of time is of fundamental importance for perceptual and cognitive processes. One experience of time is the perception of duration, which is not isomorphic to physical duration and can be distorted by a number of factors. Yet, the critical features generating these perceptual shifts in subjective duration are not understood. Methodology/Findings: We used prospective duration judgments within and across sensory modalities to examine the effect of stimulus predictability and feature change on the perception of duration. First, we found robust distortions of perceived duration in auditory, visual and auditory-visual presentations despite the predictability of the feature changes in the stimuli. For example, a looming disc embedded in a series of steady discs led to time dilation, whereas a steady disc embedded in a series of looming discs led to time compression. Second, we addressed whether visual (auditory) inputs could alter the perception of duration of auditory (visual) inputs. When participants were presented with incongruent audio-visual stimuli, the perceived duration of auditory events could be shortened or lengthened by the presence of conflicting visual information; however, the perceived duration of visual events was seldom distorted by the presence of auditory information and was never perceived shorter than their actual durations. Conclusions/Significance: These results support the existence of multisensory interactions in the perception of duration and, importantly, suggest that vision can modify auditory temporal perception in a pure timing task. Insofar as distortions in subjective duration can neither be accounted for by the unpredictability of an auditory, visual or auditory-visual event, we propose that it is the intrinsic features of the stimulus that critically affect subjective time distortions.
MEASURING AGGREGATE PRODUCTIVITY BENEFITS FROM INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM APPLICATIONS: THE CALIFORNIA EXPERIENCE

A stated purpose of intelligent transportation system (ITS) applications has been to increase the productivity of the existing transportation system. Such productivity increases, should they occur, would be an important input into any benefit-cost analysis for the evaluation of ITS applications. The impact of different ITS applications on highway productivity in California is investigated. Using time series data for California counties, two forms of analysis are undertaken. The first examines ITS applications using a production function model, and the second uses total factor productivity (TFP) techniques to find the regional aggregate benefit of ITS strategies. The results of these two analyses are particularly interesting, in part because ITS impacts have not been evaluated in this way before. The production function model indicates that there is a slight advantage to the economy in a particular region due to ITS services. Findings also indicate that this advantage is a result of aggregate growth and no...
Two-dimensional formulation for inverse heat conduction problems by the calibration integral equation method (CIEM)

Abstract A new calibration integral equation is developed and investigated in the context of two-dimensional linear inverse heat conduction. This paper examines a simplified plate geometry possessing three known boundary conditions and one unknown boundary condition. This plate contains of a series of temperature sensors located on a fixed plane below the surface of interest. A total surface heat transfer (W) calibration integral equation is derived based on a fully two-dimensional analysis. In this form, the total surface heat transfer (i.e., the spatially integrated value along the entire surface of interest), is directly derived and implemented bypassing the need to determine the local surface heat flux (W/m 2 ). This formulation yields a Volterra integral equation of the first kind that is pertinent to many applications where the total surface heat transfer ( W ) is required. Numerical results indicate the merit of the approach when examining two dissimilar isotropic materials.
Low Dimensional Model Development using Double Proper Orthogonal Decomposition and System Identification

For feedback control of complex spatio-temporally evolving flow fields, it is imperative to use a global flow model for both flow state estimation, as well as controller development. It is important that this model correctly presents not just the natural, unforced flow state, but also the interaction of actuators with the flow for both open and closed loop situations. It is difficult and in some cases impossible to develop such a model with the traditional POD-Galerkin approach. This is due to the fact that the truncation of the mode set leads to structural instabilities. Furthermore, boundary conditions for time dependent actuation are often difficult to implement. Lastly, the presence of turbulence in higher Reynolds number flow fields leads to severe problems in the projection. For these reasons, a new approach to low dimensional modeling is introduced in this paper. An extension to POD, the so called Double POD decomposition, is employed to facilitate derivation of POD modes for transient flow fields. These modes can correctly span a large number of flow conditions, caused by changes in actuation, Reynolds number or other parameters of technical interest. Next, the original data is projected onto the truncated DPOD mode set, leading to a set of mode amplitudes. The final step in model development used nonlinear system identification techniques, in particular, the ANN-ARX method (Artificial Neural Network – Auto Regressive eXternal Input) is employed to develop a numerical model of the temporal evolution of the flow. This resulting model can correctly capture open loop transient flow behavior for a parameter space large enough for controller development, and is inherently stable even for hydro dynamically unstable flow fields.
Lifetime lengthening and the Renner-Teller effect in the HCF (Ã1A ← X1A') system

Abstract We report new measurements of fluorescence excitation spectra and single rovibronic level fluorescence lifetimes for (0,υ2′,0)←(0,0,0) bands with υ2′=0–6 in the HCF A 1 A ″← X 1 A ′ system. Due primarily to the Renner–Teller interaction, upper state levels with Ka⩾1 display an obvious lengthening of lifetime with increasing energy which is strongly correlated with the presence of vibronic and rovibronic perturbations, and increases dramatically as the barrier to linearity is approached. This system provides a textbook example of the small molecule limit of radiationless transitions.
Stochastic modeling of rainfall

We review several approaches in the literature for stochastic modeling of rainfall, and discuss some of their advantages and disadvantages. While stochastic precipitation models have been around at least since the 1850’s, the last two decades have seen an increased development of models based (more or less) on the physical processes involved in precipitation. There are interesting questions of scale and measurement that pertain to these modeling efforts. Recent modeling efforts sum at including meteorological variables, and may be useful for regional down-scaling of general circulation models.
Plato on the role of contradiction in education

In this paper, I will look at two passages from the discussion of education in Book VII of Plato’s Republic: 523b-524d and 537e-539d. These passages, when taken together, present a puzzle for the coherency of the educational programme Socrates describes. Both discuss contradiction. One says that contradiction is educationally edifying, the other, that it is corrupting. This sounds like a contradiction about contradiction. As far as I know, no one has noticed this puzzle before. By the end of this paper, I hope to have not only provided a solution to the apparent contradiction about contradiction that is compelling, but also one that shows that this puzzle, which might at first have seemed restricted to a textual issue about the educational programme in the Republic, is in fact one that has far reaching implications for a range of Plato’s theories across several dialogues. Along with education, corruption, and contradiction, I will discuss Plato’s theory of psychology, and his theory of forms.
Southern Hemisphere General Circulation in Relation to Global Energy and Momentum Balance Requirements

Gabites (1950) carried out a comprehensive investigation of the energy balance of the whole earth, and the essential features of the global balance of angular momentum were established by Priestley (1951). Only recently have the atmospheric fluxes of various properties been calculated directly from aerological soundings in the Southern Hemisphere, although there have been many such computations in the Northern Hemisphere. In this synopsis, I shall make extensive use of these flux evaluations, along with available calculations of earth-atmosphere exchanges and other sources and sinks of momentum and energy within latitude belts, which give independent estimates of the meridional fluxes.
Creative Co-production: The Adaption of an Open Innovation Model in Creative Industries

Advanced information systems enable digital media and creative industries to use collaborative networks to boost creative co-production not only across organizational boundaries, but also across geographies. The initial success of crowdsourcing and other open-innovation strategies encourages these industries to consider creative co-production as a viable option for future development. This chapter suggests a general theoretical framework for the implementation of co-production in creative industries based on three components: co-creation environment, network coordination, and experiential communication. The proposed framework is sufficiently general yet grounded in the phenomenon to guide future research and development.
Unique Thrombopoietic Activity of Novel PKC Agonist Ingenol 3,20 Dibenzoate.

Abstract Abstract 3622 Poster Board III-558 Despite recent advances in our understanding of megakaryocytic growth and platelet production, thrombocytopenia remains a difficult problem in the clinical management of patients with hematologic malignancies. Thrombopoietin (TPO) is the major cytokine involved in the normal production of platelets. However, the use of TPO has been relatively unsuccessful for the treatment of these patients and platelet transfusions remain the primary treatment for thrombocytopenia despite their significant cost and relatively short-lived responses. Thus, there remains an important clinical need for the development of novel approaches to generate platelets. Despite numerous reports on protein kinase C (PKC) agonists as promoters of megakaryocytic differentiation in leukemic cell lines and primary cells, little is known about their in vitro effects on primary CD34-selected progenitors or when administered in vivo. In the present study, we examine that effects of the novel PKC isoform agonist ingenol 3,20 dibenzoate (IDB) on megakaryocyte differentiation from CD34+ cells cultured in TPO and stem cell factor (SCF) or erythropoietin/SCF and its effects on platelet production in BALB/c mice. IDB potently stimulates early megakaryopoiesis and redirects the specificity of EPO to favor megakaryopoiesis over erythropoiesis. In contrast, broad spectrum PKC agonists such as phorbol myristate acetate, mezerein, and indolactam V fail to promote megakaryopoiesis. In vitro, IDB stimulates early expression of the promegakaryopoietic transcription factors egr1 and fli-1 and downregulates the proerythropoietic factors KLF1 and c-myb. Induction of the early megakaryocytic marker, CD9, was observed within the first 24 hrs of treatment with IDB and CD9 induction was blocked by the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide, which inhibits both novel and conventional PKC isoforms. In contrast, an inhibitor of conventional PKC isoforms, Go6976, failed to block CD9 induction. In vivo, single intraperitoneal injections of IDB selectively increased platelet counts in BALB/c mice by 50% (plt= 630,000 vs. 985,000/μl; p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Is Interaction Necessary for Distributed Private Learning

Recent large-scale deployments of differentially private algorithms employ the local model for privacy (sometimes called PRAM or randomized response), where data are randomized on each individual's device before being sent to a server that computes approximate, aggregate statistics. The server need not be trusted for privacy, leaving data control in users' hands. For an important class of convex optimization problems (including logistic regression, support vector machines, and the Euclidean median), the best known locally differentially-private algorithms are highly interactive, requiring as many rounds of back and forth as there are users in the protocol. We ask: how much interaction is necessary to optimize convex functions in the local DP model? Existing lower bounds either do not apply to convex optimization, or say nothing about interaction. We provide new algorithms which are either noninteractive or use relatively few rounds of interaction. We also show lower bounds on the accuracy of an important class of noninteractive algorithms, suggesting a separation between what is possible with and without interaction.
Performance characterization, prediction, and optimization for heterogeneous systems with multi-level memory interference

Modern computer systems are accelerator-rich, equipped with many types of hardware accelerators to speed up computation. For example, graphics processing units (GPUs) are a type of accelerators that are widely employed to accelerate parallel workloads. In order to well utilize different accelerators to gain better execution time speedup or reduce total energy consumption, many scheduling algorithms have been proposed to select the optimal target device to process an OpenCL kernel according to the kernel's individual characteristics. However, in a real computer system, there are a lot of workloads co-located together on a single machine and would be processed on different devices simultaneously. The CPU cores and accelerators may contend shared resources, such as the host main memory and shared last-level cache. Thus, it is not robust to schedule an OpenCL kernel execution by simply considering the characteristics of the kernel. To maximize the system throughput, it is important to consider the execution behavior of all co-located applications when performing OpenCL kernel execution scheduling. In this paper, we provide a detailed characterization study demonstrating that scheduling an OpenCL kernel to run on different devices can introduce varying performance impact to itself and the other co-located applications due to memory interference. Based on the characterization results, we then develop a light-weight, scalable performance degradation predictor specifically for heterogeneous computer systems, called HeteroPDP. HeteroPDP aims to dynamically predict and balance the execution time slowdown of all co-located applications in a heterogeneous computation environment. Our real system evaluation results show that comparing with always running an OpenCL kernel on the host CPU, HeteroPDP is able to achieve 3X execution time speedup when an OpenCL kernel runs alone and improve the system fairness from 24% to 65% when an OpenCL kernel is co-located with other applications.
Is Uterocervical Angle Associated with Gestational Latency after Physical Exam Indicated Cerclage

Objective Prediction of gestational latency after placement of physical exam indicated cerclage (PEIC) is limited. Uterocervical angle (UCA) has been associated with spontaneous preterm delivery in the general population. Our objective was to examine whether UCA is associated with gestational latency in women with PEIC. Study Design This retrospective cohort included women with a singleton gestation who had PEIC placed at a single tertiary care center between January 2010 and September 2015. Ultrasound images of the cervix obtained prior to placement of PEIC were reviewed. Spearman's correlation coefficient for the relationship between UCA and gestational latency was estimated. UCA was dichotomized at 95° and 105°. Survival analyses were performed and Cox proportional hazard ratios were calculated. Results Sixty women met the inclusion criteria. Median gestational latency was 93 days (IQR 39–121 d). There was no significant correlation between UCA and gestational latency (Spearman's rho 0.08, p = 0.54). Survival analyses demonstrated no significant difference in gestational latency stratified by UCA ≥ 95° (HR 1.19, 95% CI 0.70–2.04) or UCA ≥ 105° (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.56–1.63). Findings persisted after adjusting for potential confounders (aHR 1.29, 95% CI 0.74–2.23 for UCA ≥ 95° and aHR 1.04, 95% CI 0.60–1.82). Conclusion UCA is not associated with gestational latency in women with PEIC.
Condensation of Counterions Gives Rise to Contraction Transitions in a One-Dimensional Polyelectrolyte Gel

The equilibrium volume of a polyelectrolyte gel results from a balance between the tendency to swell caused by outbound polymer/counterion diffusion along with Coulomb interactions on the one hand; and, on the other, the elastic resilience of the cross-linked polymer network. Direct Coulomb forces contribute both to non-ideality of the equilibrated Donnan osmotic pressure, but also to stretching of the network. To isolate the effect of polyelectrolyte expansion, we have analyzed a “one-dimensional” version of a gel, a linear chain of charged beads connected by Hooke’s law springs. As in the range of weak Coulomb strengths previously studied, the springs are significantly stretched by the repulsive interactions among the beads even when the Coulomb strength is strong enough to cause condensation of counterions. There is a quasi-abrupt transition from a stretched state to a partially collapsed state in a transition range between weak and strong Coulomb strengths. Fluctuations between stretched and contracted conformations occur within the transition range. As the solvent quality decreases past the transition range, a progressive collapse can result if the condensed counterions strengthen the spring constant.
Similar Interstage Outcomes for Single Ventricle Infants Palliated With an Aortopulmonary Shunt Compared to the Norwood Procedure.

Background:Interstage outcomes for single ventricle infants following Norwood operation have been well studied, showing significant mortality. Other single ventricle infants require only an aortopulmonary shunt. The aim of the study was to describe the interstage outcomes of this group compared to Norwood patients and identify risk factors for mortality.Methods:A single-center retrospective cohort review was performed in patients who underwent a Norwood operation (Norwood) or aortopulmonary shunt (Shunt) during 2000 to 2011 and survived to discharge. Hybrid or pulmonary artery banding patients were excluded. Univariate comparison was made between Norwood and Shunt patients as well as a Shunt subgroup analysis.Results:A total of 486 patients (368 Norwood and 118 Shunt) were included. Norwood and Shunt patients were similar in terms of preterm birth, surgery weight, and stage 1 complications. Shunt patients were more likely to be female, have an extracardiac or genetic anomaly, and have a shorter hospital l...
A Global Overview of Ascidian Introductions and Their Possible Impact on the Endemic Fauna

Recent surveys of invertebrates in many coastal areas throughout the world demonstrate the ever-increasing rate of introduction of nonindigenous ascidians. Harbors, with their protected waters and large marinas, are usually the entry points for organisms carried in ballast water or on boat hulls. Marina floats, harbor buoys and boat hulls provide a huge surface area for settlement. Introductions may be further aided by transport of contaminated shells or live bivalves between mariculture facilities. Many ascidians reach sexual maturity and produce a second generation in just a few weeks. This review summarizes the results of recent studies of coastal areas, ballast water and harbor structures in many parts of the world, and sampling of U.S. Navy drydocks recently moved between major Pacific ports. Some of these studies include companion surveys of neighboring natural shallow environments. Most natural areas appear to have resisted invasions of nonindigenous ascidians except where perturbation has resulted in a decrease in species diversity.
Human Cloning: Four Fallacies and their Legal Consequences

Part I. The Science of Cloning: 1. Animals born through cloning are ordinary members of their species 2. Animals born through cloning are unique individuals and have their own lifespans 3. Humans born through cloning will be unique individuals and have their own lifespans Part II. The Cognitive Psychology of Cloning: 4. Identity and essentialism 5. Artifacts and essentialism 6. Imposters and essentialism 7. Resurrection and essentialism Part III. The Law of Cloning: 8. Essentialism and the law of reproductive cloning 9. Essentialism and the law of research cloning.
Regulatory Genes and Adaptation

Ever since the publication of The Origin of Species, evolutionary biologists have fixed their attention on how natural selection brings about adaptation. The study of adaptation has most often involved both comparative and functional morphology or physiology. As a result, the relevance of special body parts or metabolic systems to the survival of particular organisms has been shown many times in the last 120 years. The genetic basis for most of the adaptations which have been described, however, has not been elucidated, often because the organisms themselves are not amenable to genetic analysis, or because the traits are very complex, i.e., the genetic basis can only be described as polygenic. Thus, the effects of single genes cannot be parsed out, and the evolutionary dynamics of those genes within and between populations cannot be easily examined.
An evaluation of chapter 11 bankruptcy filings in a competing risks framework

An important strand of research on corporate bankruptcies via Chapter 11 in the United States has appropriately focused on the firm characteristics associated with emergence as viable business entities. This necessarily involves considering factors (such as management changes) that arise during the restructuring process. We consider a narrower question - which ex-ante factors are important in influencing the bankruptcy court’s decision in a Chapter 11 application: approval of the reorganization plan or dismissal culminating in the firm’s liquidation. We use a competing risks model and find that while financial attributes such as firm size matter, the formation of a creditors committee, debt prepackaging prior to filing, and judicial experience significantly impact the outcome as well as the duration of the legal process. The latter is important because it clearly influences the direct costs of bankruptcy and has also been used in the literature as a useful proxy for harder to measure indirect costs. We believe our approach which explicitly captures the time dimension provides a useful input to the cost-benefit considerations associated with a Chapter 11 filing.
HIGH POWER VACUUM TUBE TECHNOLOGY APPLIED TO FUSION SYSTEM COMPONENTS

RCA has developed a high voltage switch tube for use in the Neutral Beam Power Systems (NBPS) on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) being built in Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.A. Furthermore, high power vacuum tube technology is being applied by RCA to also manufacture neutral beam sources for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) at Livermore, California.
Photochemical Surface Modification of Titanium Dioxide Nanotube-Coated Surfaces by Ag-Hydroxyapatite Compositions

Silver-hydroxyapatite coatings prepared from Ag3PO4 microcrystals have been deposited on titanium dioxide nanotubes supported by titanium disks by photodecomposition of predeposited Ag3PO4 microcrystals or their coprecipitate with hydroxyapatite. The SEM-EDS characterization has confirmed excellent film uniformity and consistent deposition over the surface, which is essential for improving osseointegration of tunable antibacterial bone implants.
Alternative Explanations of Emotional Numbing of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Examination of Hyperarousal and Experiential Avoidance

The mechanisms that underlie the emotional numbing symptoms associated with PTSD are not well understood. Studies of Vietnam combat veterans have demonstrated that hyperarousal symptoms predict emotional numbing symptoms more strongly than do other symptoms of PTSD. This study sought to extend these findings through the self-report of 170 female sexual assault survivors. The study also examined whether the relationship between hyperarousal and emotional numbing symptoms was the result of the relationship of each of these to another variable, the tendency to engage in experiential avoidance. Results were consistent with and extended previous findings. Hyperarousal symptoms were also found to predict emotional numbing symptoms above and beyond experiential avoidance, as well as all other symptoms of PTSD.
Calcite deposition kinetics and the effect of phosphonate and carboxylate inhibitors at 150 °C

Abstract Understanding scale deposition kinetics and the mechanism of inhibition is important for scale prediction and remedial strategies in the energy industry. A novel experimental apparatus was designed to understand calcite scale deposition kinetics under relevant industrial conditions and to determine scaling inhibition effects of four phosphonate and two polymer inhibitors. A 1-D transport-reaction model was also developed to conceptually simulate the behavior of the inhibitor within the reaction column following basic laws of advection and adsorption. Inhibition experiments showed that for all phosphonate inhibitors tested and PPCA, the minimum effective inhibitor concentration needed to induce an inhibition effect within a maximum 1 h time frame was also sufficient to achieve 100% inhibition within the column. The exception, CMI, only achieved 80% inhibition. The 1-D transport-reaction model was then used to simulate the experimental data, assuming Langmuirian adsorption of the inhibitor within the column. Preliminary simulations suggest a maximum adsorption of 1–8 mg/m2 for phosphonate inhibitors, indicating that a multilayer adsorption mechanism operates under our experimental conditions.
Future searches for free and bound n → n̅ transformations

Baryon number violation, a key, non-perturbative prediction of the Standard Model (SM) via electroweak instantons (sphalerons), has never been definitively observed. However, its relationship to baryogenesis is obscure, and, within the context of the SM, seems to require fine tuning and complex dynamics to occur mere instants after the chaos of the Big Bang began. Post-sphaleron baryogenesis (PSB), a SM extension first proposed by Babu et al. in 2006, seems to compellingly quell many of these theoretical conundrums while effectively predicting the baryon abundance, and simultaneously offering a tantalizing experimental observable: neutron–antineutron transformations (n → n ). This rare event, a phenomena similar to meson oscillations, can be thought of as a form of dinucleon decay, and is hypothesized to occur for both the free and bound neutron; what's more, within the context of PSB, there exits an upper limit on the free neutron transformation rate. The subject of the relatedness of the free and bound rates promises a wealth of exciting nuclear and high-energy physics, and the complimentary nature of both types of experimental searches argues for their mutual necessity. In this paper, we briefly discuss the physics of the transformation, and our groups' plans to search for this critically important phenomena using both the free and bound neutron.
Existence, Uniqueness, and Asymptotic Behavior of Regular Time-Periodic Viscous Flow Around a Moving Body

We show existence and uniqueness of regular time-periodic solutions to the Navier–Stokes problem in the exterior of a rigid body, \(\mathcal B\), that moves by arbitrary (sufficiently smooth) time-periodic translational motion of the same period, provided the size of the data is suitably restricted. Moreover, we characterize the spatial asymptotic behavior of such solutions and prove, in particular, that if \(\mathcal B\) has a nonzero net motion identified by a constant velocity \(\overline {\boldsymbol {\xi }}\) (say), then the solution exhibits a wake-like behavior in the direction \(-\overline {\boldsymbol {\xi }}\) entirely analogous to that of a steady-state flow around a body that moves with velocity \(\overline {\boldsymbol {\xi }}\).
Epidemiology of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Across Five Influenza Seasons Among Adults and Children One Year of Age and Older—Washington State, 2011/2012–2015/2016

Background Vaccines and novel prophylactics against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are in development. To provide a baseline for evaluating these interventions, we characterized the incidence and molecular epidemiology of RSV in persons aged ≥1 year. Methods We identified patients with medically attended acute respiratory illness (MAARI) from the 2011/2012 through 2015/2016 influenza seasons among members of Kaiser Permanente Washington. We estimated the cumulative incidence of MAARI for laboratory-confirmed RSV or influenza infection. Results Annual cohorts ranged from 82 266 to 162 633 individuals, 14% of whom were children aged 1 to 17 years. Cumulative incidence of RSV each season ranged from 14 per 1000 population (95% confidence interval [CI], 12-16) to 22 per 1000 (95% CI, 19-25). Incidence of RSV was greater than influenza in children aged 12-23 months and 2-4 years; incidence of influenza was greater in other age groups. Respiratory syncytial virus subtype A dominated in 2011/2012, 2012/2013, and 2015/2016, with ON1 being the most common genotype. Respiratory syncytial virus subtype B dominated in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, primarily of the BA genotype. Conclusions The burden of RSV is comparable to that of influenza across the life course. These results provide a baseline for evaluating the impact of new RSV interventions on the epidemiology of RSV.
Reformulation of the self-guided molecular simulation method

Self-guided molecular/Langevin dynamics (SGMD/SGLD) simulation methods were developed to enhance conformational sampling through promoting low frequency motion of molecular systems and have been successfully applied in many simulation studies. Quantitative understanding of conformational distribution in SGLD has been achieved by separating microscopic properties according to frequency. However, a missing link between the guiding factors and conformational distributions makes it highly empirical and system dependent when choosing the values of the guiding parameters. Based on the understanding that molecular interactions are the source of energy barriers and diffusion friction, this work reformulates the equation of the low frequency motion to resemble Langevin dynamics. This reformulation leads to new forms of guiding forces and establishes a relation between the guiding factors and conformational distributions. We call simulations with these new guiding forces the generalized self-guided molecular/Langevin dynamics (SGMDg/SGLDg). In addition, we present a new way to calculate low frequency properties and an efficient algorithm to implement SGMDg/SGLDg that minimizes memory usage and inter-processor communication. Through example simulations with a skewed double well system, an argon fluid, and a cryo-EM map flexible fitting case, we demonstrate the guiding effects on conformational distributions and conformational searching.
The Role of Cafundó's (2005) Official Website in the Film's Revision of Brazilianness

This article uses the case study of the Brazilian film Cafundo (2005), codirected by Paulo Betti and Clovis Bueno, as a means to help us understand better some chief ways in which a film's official website primes potential viewers to process the film in specific ways. In particular, the analysis that follows chiefly underscores evocations of social identity on Cafundo's official website that anticipate strategies within the film itself for spectators to reconsider how they understand Brazilianness.
Molecular alterations in Hürthle cell neoplasms of thyroid: A fine needle aspiration cytology study with cytology‐histology correlation

Background Hurthle cell features are frequently observed on the fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of thyroid nodules and often pose a diagnostic challenge because of a significant overlap between cytomorphologic features seen in benign and malignant lesions. Molecular alterations (MAs) associated with these lesions are not well described. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the molecular profile of Hurthle cell lesions classified as Hurthle cell neoplasm (HCN) on cytologic evaluation. Methods The authors retrospectively reviewed their electronic database for cytologic diagnoses of HCN from January 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020. Results In total, 279 cases from 275 patients who had a diagnosis of HCN were included in the study. Molecular testing results were available in 85 cases (51 with MAs and 34 without MAs) and, of those, 42 had histologic follow-up available. Eight of 10 malignant cases had MAs, whereas the remaining 2 cases were negative for MAs. The most frequently encountered predominant genetic alterations or classifier findings were chromosome copy number alterations (n = 15), followed by NRAS (n = 8), KRAS (n = 7), suspicious (n = 6), EIF1AX (n = 4), TSHR (n = 3), gene overexpression (n = 3), positive microRNA classifier (n = 2), and 1 each of BRAF K601E, TERT, and HRAS mutations. One hundred thirty-seven cases had histologic follow-up available; of those, 28 were classified as malignant, and 109 were classified as benign (neoplastic and nonneoplastic). The overall risk of malignancy associated with HCN was 20%, and the risk of HCN with MAs was 25%. Conclusions The cytologic diagnosis of HCN includes various MAs without any obvious trend, and most malignant cases (80%) have some type of MA.
What Causes the Death of Public Sector Organizations? Understanding Structural Changes and Continuities in Korean Quangos: 1993-2010

This study explores the determinants of structural changes and continuities of public sector organizations in Korea using longitudinal data. Focusing on the political costs of termination, we examine external and internal factors that are closely linked to the political incentives to terminate quangos. This paper primarily addresses the following question: What determines the termination of public sector organizations? The model suggests that survivability of public sector organizations largely depends on external factors such as political, institutional, and social changes. Specifically, quangos are more likely to be terminated during political turnovers and the period when presidential power is maximized. Termination seems easier for politicians when social demands are mature enough to blow away political burdens and cynicism. Although organizations with fewer resources are more vulnerable to external pressures and shocks, none of the quango-specific factors significantly affect the survivability of Korean quangos.
Developing Models to Predict Giving Behavior of Nonprofit Donors

Organizations in the nonprofit space are increasingly using data mining techniques to gain insights into their donors’ behaviors and motivations. Data mining can be costly but can also be valuable in retaining and obtaining donors. Throughout the course of this project, we have prioritized two objectives. One is to increase the ratio of funds raised to dollars spent on fundraising from current donors, making these efforts more profitable. The other is to determine how to most effectively solicit new donors. To accomplish these goals, we have used statistical modeling and data analysis to gain insights and create recommendations related to donor optimization and acquisition. To learn about the current donors, it is important to identify which unique traits make donors more likely to donate and whether those traits are related to an individual’s demographic information or giving history. Our team is classifying donors into "states" of giving based upon different metrics, including how recently, how much, how often, and for how long they have donated. We are using various data models to create actionable recommendations on how to tailor fundraising appeals specifically to different donors, which will increase the Inn’s overall donations and their return on fundraising investment. We are also mapping the transitions between these giving states so that donors dropping from higher states can be re-engaged, while donors with a high chance of moving into a more profitable state can be flagged and targeted. We will present these results in a dashboard that the Inn can use moving forward to better solicit each donor and maintain a steady fundraising revenue stream.
Covenant and Covenants in the Qur'an

The question of the covenant in the Old and New Testaments was among the most fertile topics for critically engaged Jewish-Christian dialogue in the twentieth century and has given rise to more pluralistic readings of both the Old and New Testaments. But such developments have not occurred in the field of Qur'anic Studies. Nonetheless, the idea of the covenant is central to the Qur'anic conception of humanity and of religious history. Discussions of the covenant are prevalent in the text itself and in the commentary tradition, in which many issues and concepts central to Islam are linked to it. This paper examines the various ways in which the covenant has been treated in the Qur'an and examines how the commentary tradition treats the idea of the covenant (ʿahd or mīthāq), with particular focus on Q. 7:172 and Q. 30:30. It demonstrates how the Qur'anic presentation of the covenant is central to the Qur'anic understanding of human history, the human condition, and the relationships among different religiou...
Cold Regime Interannual Variability of Primary and Secondary Producer Community Composition in the Southeastern Bering Sea

Variability of hydrographic conditions and primary and secondary productivity between cold and warm climatic regimes in the Bering Sea has been the subject of much study in recent years, while interannual variability within a single regime and across multiple trophic levels has been less well-documented. Measurements from an instrumented mooring on the southeastern shelf of the Bering Sea were analyzed for the spring-to-summer transitions within the cold regime years of 2009–2012 to investigate the interannual variability of hydrographic conditions, primary producer biomass, and acoustically-derived secondary producer and consumer abundance and community structure. Hydrographic conditions in 2012 were significantly different than in 2009, 2010, and 2011, driven largely by increased ice extent and thickness, later ice retreat, and earlier stratification of the water column. Primary producer biomass was more tightly coupled to hydrographic conditions in 2012 than in 2009 or 2011, and shallow and mid-column phytoplankton blooms tended to occur independent of one another. There was a high degree of variability in the relationships between different classes of secondary producers and hydrographic conditions, evidence of significant intra-consumer interactions, and trade-offs between different consumer size classes in each year. Phytoplankton blooms stimulated different populations of secondary producers in each year, and summer consumer populations appeared to determine dominant populations in the subsequent spring. Overall, primary producers and secondary producers were more tightly coupled to each other and to hydrographic conditions in the coldest year compared to the warmer years. The highly variable nature of the interactions between the atmospherically-driven hydrographic environment, primary and secondary producers, and within food webs underscores the need to revisit how climatic regimes within the Bering Sea are defined and predicted to function given changing climate scenarios.
A Review of “Oregon Plans: The Making of an Unquiet Land-Use Revolution”

Sy Adler's Oregon Plans: The Making of an Unquiet Land-Use Revolution is a remarkable book about one of the planning profession's most beloved success stories, growth management in Oregon. In this ...
Pathways to Immortality in the New Millennium: Human Responsibility, Theological Direction or Legal Mandate

Often the advancement of science is blamed for a loss of religious faith. Yet, there is a contrary belief that the work of science is a primary factor for causing a greater understanding of religious truths. The scientist and the theologian both depend on experience and interpretation. They simply ask different types of questions not expecting to receive the same types of answers in return. In point of fact, there is no actual conflict between a statement of theological principle and the scientific method of inquiry.Two futuristic challenges to the freedom of scientific inquiry and the fear these challenges run counter to accepted moral and religious principles are examined in this Article: Specifically, that of cloning a human and the resuscitation of a “cryon” - or one undergoing cryonic or deep-freeze suspension upon death. The conclusion reached from this analysis is that the awesome powers of genetic creation and of biotechnological success must be executed with a rational and enlightened purpose and with a spirit of humanitarianism. Human suffering - both present and future - must be minimized whenever possible by contemporary science - often referred to as the “New Biology.” Accordingly, genetic advancements which contribute to the common or social good should be pursued and utilized without being labeled unethical, immoral, or in contravention of religious precepts.
Variations of the Soft X-Ray Spin Amplitude in TV Col

Over 27 ks of ROSAT PSPC observations were made during two periods in late 1992 and early 1993. Contemporaneous optical observations were made using the UCT photometer and polarimeter module on the 1.9 m telescope at SAAO during late Nov. 1992. The X-ray data was divided into 4 phases for each of the three photometric periods and three energy ranges (soft: channels 20–50, medium: channels 51–101, and hard: channels 102–201). We have nearly complete phase coverage for the orbital and 5.2-hr photometric periods, but incomplete coverage for the 4-day period. The result of folding each 4-day phase period on the 1911 s spin period shows that the amplitude of the spin period varies with the phase of the three photometric periods. In addition changes in the amplitude of the spin pulse are more noticeable in the soft energy band that in the medium or hard energy bands, which is indicative of photo-electric absorption.
Identification of the Bursicon-Containing Neurones in Abdominal Ganglia of the Tobacco Hornworm, Manduca Sexta

The abdominal ganglion neurones responsible for the secretion of the peptide hormone bursicon from the transverse nerves of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta have been localized. Each unfused abdominal ganglion produced bursicon during adult development. The hormone was then transported to the next posterior transverse nerve for subsequent release following adult emergence. Of the two efferent pathways that connect ganglia to posterior transverse nerves, only one had ultrastructural features consistent with a neurosecretory function. All axons in this pathway contained numerous, elementary, dense-cored granules with diameters ranging from 100 to 300 nm. In pharate adults, cobalt back-filling of this neurosecretory pathway revealed two groups of cell bodies in abdominal ganglia: three dorso-laterally and eight at the mid-line. Hormonal activity was present in lateral regions of the ganglion but not in mid-line regions. In the dorso-lateral region, four blueish cell bodies could be seen in the living tissue. The two combined clusters of four cells from both sides of the ganglion contained more than 60% of the bursicon activity present in the entire ganglion. More careful dissection of the cluster detected the presence of activity in cell pairs and individual members. Individual dye-fills of these blue cells demonstrated that three of these were the three lateral neurones that were back-filled from the transverse nerve. The fourth blue cell may be identical to a neurone whose axon travels in the descending, contralateral connective and exits the nervous system via the next posterior ganglion. On the basis of dendritic geometry, each of the neurones in the bursicon cell cluster could be identified as a unique, individual neurone.
Definition and verification of a complex aircraft for aerodynamic calculations

Techniques are reviewed which are of value in CAD/CAM CFD studies of the geometries of new fighter aircraft. In order to refine the computations of the flows to take advantage of the computing power available from supercomputers, it is often necessary to interpolate the geometry of the mesh selected for the numerical analysis of the aircraft shape. Interpolating the geometry permits a higher level of detail in calculations of the flow past specific regions of a design. A microprocessor-based mathematics engine is described for fast image manipulation and rotation to verify that the interpolated geometry will correspond to the design geometry in order to ensure that the flow calculations will remain valid through the interpolation. Applications of the image manipulation system to verify geometrical representations with wire-frame and shaded-surface images are described.
Rate of digesta passage in the Philippine flying lemur, Cynocephalus volans

The rate of digesta passage was measured in five captive Philippine flying lemurs (Cynocephalus volans). These animals were force fed capsules containing known quantities of either particulate or soluble markers. The volumes of the gastrointestinal tracts of three flying lemurs were determined based on the wet weight of the contents of each section of the gut. The mean rate of digesta passage was 14.37 +/- 3.31 h when determined using the particulate marker and 21.9 +/- 0.03 h when determined using the soluble marker. The values based on the particulate marker are between 2% and 10% of similar values for other arboreal folivores. The morphology of the gastrointestinal system of the Philippine flying lemur is similar to that of other hindgut fermenters. Flying lemurs have a simple stomach and a large caecum. The total gut capacity of the Philippine flying lemur is similar to that of other herbivores, but is slightly smaller than that of either the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), a hindgut fermenter, or the three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus), a foregut fermenter. These data suggest that flying lemurs deal with the problems of a folivorous diet very differently than some other arboreal mammals. Phascolarctos cinereus and Bradypus variegatus may represent one extreme with Cynocephalus volans representing the other extreme along a continuum of foraging strategies that are compatible with the arboreal folivore lifestyle.