cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Competitive outcomes between two exotic invaders are modified by direct and indirect effects of a native conifer

When organisms interact in multi-species groups, the direct effects of facilitation and competition can be modified by indirect interactions. We explored multispecies interactions among the native Pinus ponderosa, the invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum, and the invasive forb Centaurea stoebe in intermountain prairie of the northern Rocky Mountains. Centaurea is much less abundant under Pinus than in surrounding open grassland and Bromus is more abundant under Pinus. We found that the more fertile soil associated with Pinus facilitated both invasive species and did not alter competitive outcomes. Pinus litter and litter leachate inhibited both species, but litter also shifted competitive outcomes in favor of Bromus and against Centaurea. The effects of Pinus litter leachate were also strong and leachate eliminated the competitive effect of Centaurea on Bromus while not changing the competitive effect of Bromus on Centaurea. There are many other ways that Pinus may affect understory composition, but by altering the competitive playing field through leaf litter Pinus appears to indirectly facilitate Bromus by more strongly inhibiting Centaurea chemically, an unusual case of a native inhibiting an invader through allelopathy. Our results also provide an unexpected and novel perspective on indirect interactions among competitors, but not through intransitive competitive relationships. Instead, one species (Pinus) strongly ‘modified’ interactions between two other species in addition to disproportionately affecting one species more than another.
Symmetric Golomb squares

Inspection of optimum Golomb squares found by exhaustive computer search shows some are symmetric with respect to diagonal reflection. This suggests searching for such symmetric Golomb squares might be an efficient way to find good squares. In this correspondence, we find the best symmetric N/spl times/N Golomb squares for N/spl les/22. Some appear to be the best known.
Performance analysis of spread spectrum packet radio network with channel load sensing

A continuous-time Markov-chain model for an asynchronous communication spread-spectrum code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) packet radio network is developed. The network is composed of mutually independent users. The receiver-based code is considered; a terminal with a packet to send looks up the destination's code and transmits on that code. Each user senses the channel load and refrains from transmission if the channel load exceeds the channel threshold. The model makes it possible to study the threshold effect of channel load on the performance of the CDMA packet radio network. Improvements in performance of spread-spectrum packet radio networks due to channel-load sensing are shown. Steady-state results for throughput are obtained. >
The future for engineering education: faculty rewards and incentives

Several groups share responsibility for the quality of engineering education: students, faculty, and the administration. A faculty that is diverse in cultural and professional experiences, that is committed to life-long learning and scholarship, and that places primary emphasis on the education of engineering professionals determine in a crucial way, the quality of engineering education. As such, the rewards and incentives become important for promoting the contributions of all faculty. The reward system should recognize appropriate contributions including those that in the past may have received less recognition and remuneration. The reward system is the driving force which encourages faculty to invest the energy to make the changes necessary to reform engineering education; thus, changing the faculty reward system becomes a critical task. The traditional role for college and university faculty includes a balance of teaching, research, and public service among their activities. However, conventional wisdom has become, increasingly, that the one role for faculty that counts is research-research that brings grants and results and publications. This view has brought greater attention to graduate study and research and lesser attention to undergraduate study in our nation's colleges of engineering.
S3G: A Semantic Sequence State Graph for Indexing Spatio-temporal Data - A Tennis Video Database Application

The indexing of spatio-temporal data is important for retrieval by spatio-temporal queries. The previous techniques on spatio-temporal indexing miss the semantics of the application since they are usually based on traditional indexing structures that has little to no semantic information incorporated. In those systems, the semantic queries were executed by using the low-level index structures. In this paper, we introduce a novel indexing method for spatiotemporal data: semantic sequence state graph (S3G). S3G maintains the properties of events-objects locations for efficient spatio-temporal queries. In S3G, the spatial information is maintained in states whereas semantic events that result in temporal ordering link the states. S3G supports our SMART(semantic modeling and retrieval) system.
QPSK space-time turbo codes

This paper proposes a class of full space diversity QPSK space-time codes based on parallel concatenated convolutional (turbo) codes. A rank criterion of full space diversity is used in the design. Compared with space-time trellis codes, the simulations show it has robust performance at both a quasi-static fading channel and a time varying fading channel.
Among-individual variation in vigilance at the nest in colonial Cliff Swallows

Abstract Enhanced vigilance against predation is often an advantage of living in groups, but most studies have not examined individual-specific variation in the propensity to be vigilant among the animals within a group. We studied vigilance at the nest in colonially nesting Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in southwestern Nebraska in 2011 and 2012, and asked whether differences among individuals were consistent over time, whether vigilance varied among different colonies, and whether there were positive or negative fitness consequences of different levels of vigilance. We found significant among-individual variation in extent of vigilance and some variation among different colony sites. Vigilance also varied with date and nesting stage, but other phenotypic characteristics of a bird had no effect on vigilance. Differences among individuals in vigilance were not strongly related to their reproductive success that season, but more vigilant individuals were more likely to attempt intrusions into th...
An optimal state estimator for a fuel valve actuator

We describe a digital implementation of a Kalman filter to estimate the true values of the angular position, the angular velocity and the coil current of a motor used to drive a fuel valve. By modeling the effect of coil current on the position sensor as a linear additive term, and the uncertainties in the actuator parameters as an additive random noise on the angular position, angular velocity and coil current, we have attempted to improve the robustness of the estimator. We believe that the storage and execution time requirements of this algorithm as implemented on the TI-320C2407 based actuator are comparable or less than the current model based algorithm.
A New Gobiosuchid Crocodyliform Taxon from the Cretaceous of Mongolia

Abstract We describe a new fossil crocodyliform, Zaraasuchus shepardi, found in the Cretaceous Red Beds of Zos Canyon (Gobi Desert, Mongolia). Z. shepardi shares numerous derived characters with Gobiosuchus kielanae, also known from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia (Bayn Dzak locality). However, it is distinguished from the latter by the presence of a moderately large infratemporal fenestra, anterior margin of infratemporal fenestra almost completely formed by the postorbital, retroarticular process with a well-developed ornamented posterolateral pointed process, and extremely well-developed keels on dorsal and lateral cervical osteoderms (the heights of which are approximately as long as the lateromedial extension of the dorsal osteoderms). A phylogenetic analysis indicated that these two taxa form a monophyletic group located basally among crocodyliforms. This clade is diagnosed by 14 synapomorphies (e.g., anterior and posterior palpebrals sutured to each other and to the frontal, excluding it from the o...
Aeroelastic Gust Response

A safety issue as well as a material fatigue issue is the effect of wind gust on the aircraft. This is usually examined as part of the rigid-body response to wind turbulence; see [9, 33]. A sinusoidal-gust model is considered in most aeroelastic work starting with [6]. See [17, 84].
Differences in contractile protein content and isoforms in phasic and tonic smooth muscles.

The basis of tonic vs. phasic contractile phenotypes of visceral smooth muscles is poorly understood. We used gel electrophoresis and quantitative scanning densitometry to measure the content and isoform composition of contractile proteins in opossum lower esophageal sphincter (LES), to represent tonic muscle, and circular muscle of the esophageal body (EB), to represent phasic smooth muscle. The amount of protein in these two types of muscles is similar: ∼27 mg/g of frozen tissue. There is no difference in the relative proportion of myosin, actin, calponin, and tropomyosin in the two muscle types. However, the EB contains ∼2.4-times more caldesmon than the LES. The relative ratios of α- to γ-contractile isoforms of actin are 0.9 in the LES and 0.3 in EB. The ratio between acidic (LC17a) and basic (LC17b) isoforms of the 17-kDa essential light chain of myosin is 0.7:1 in the LES, compared with 2.7:1 in the EB. There is no significant difference in the ratios of smooth muscle myosin SM1 and SM2 isoforms in the two muscle types. The level of the myosin heavy chain isoform, which contains the seven-amino acid insert in the myosin head, is about threefold higher in the EB compared with LES. In conclusion, the esophageal phasic muscle in contrast to the tonic LES contains proportionally more caldesmon, LC17a, and seven-amino acid-inserted myosin and proportionally less α-actin. These differences may provide a basis for functional differences between tonic and phasic smooth muscles.
Effects of rRNA Gene Copy Number and Nucleolar Variation on Early Development: Inhibition of Gastrulation in rDNA-Deficient Chick Embryo

Because of their structural and catalytic functions during protein synthesis, the 18S, 5.8S, and 28S ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) are essential for the support of differentiation, development, and growth. The genes encoding these RNAs are present in high copy number in all eukaryotes. Although there is evidence for the existence of variation for rRNA gene copy number within higher vertebrate species, there is little knowledge concerning the effects of such variation, especially reductions, on development and viability of homeothermic vertebrates. The main objective of this study was to determine the developmental potential of chick embryos containing defined deficiencies for rRNA gene copy number in order to assess the contribution of rDNA cluster size variation to embryonic mortality in homeothermic vertebrates. This was achieved by studying a strain of chickens containing nucleolar size polymorphisms that reflect rDNA cluster size polymorphisms. Embryos exhibiting a nucleolar phenotype of one large and one very small nucleolus (Pp) are heterozygous for a reduced rDNA cluster (+/p1) and were shown in the present study to contain about 66% of the complement of rRNA genes in normal individuals (+/+) that show two large equal-sized nucleoli (PP). The +/p1 embryos were found to develop and grow normally. Embryos exhibiting a nucleolar phenotype of two very small nucleoli (pp) are homozygous for the rDNA-deficient cluster (p1/p1) and contained about 45% of the normal rDNA complement of genes. These p1/p1 embryos were arrested in their development during early gastrulation. They exhibited a characteristic morphology consisting of a dorsal invagination that was strikingly different from the primitive streak formed in +/+ and +/p1 individuals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fine structural analysis of limb development in the wingless mutant chick embryo.

The fine structure of the normal and wingless chick limb bud was examined with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The apical ectodermal ridge (AER) of the normal limb bud was composed of pseudostratined columnar cells. These cells contained gap junctions, electron-dense vesicles, and numerous microtubules and microfilaments that were oriented perpendicularly to the basal lamina. Microfilaments were also found coursing transversely in the basal cell cytoplasm. The ectoderm of the wingless mutant limb bud lacked a well-developed AER and resembled the dorsal and ventral ectoderm of the normal embryo. Gap junctions and electron-dense vesicles found in the AER of the normal limb bud were not apparent in the mutant ectoderm. The normal-limb bud mesoderm is composed of stellate cells that are oriented at right angles to the overlying ectoderm. There is a prominent subectodermal space that is traversed by numerous mesenchymal cell filopodia. The mesodermal cells of the mutant limb bud are compact and round and have short stubby filopodia, while the cells of the adjacent flank mesoderm are stellate. The subectodermal space is absent and the mesodermal cells are in intimate association with the basal lamina of the overlying ectoderm. Ruthenium red was employed as an extracellular marker for glycosaminoglycan$. No differences were found in the distribution of these substances in normal and mutant limb buds. In severalcases the basal lamina of the mutant limb bud ectoderm was discontinuous aqd the lamina lucida wasnot apparent. The results indicate that the mutation has an effect on the limb buds9 ability to maintain a well-developed AER and basal lamina. It also suggest$ that the wingless gene affects the shape and possibly the mobility of the limb-bud mesoderm cells.
Global optimization algorithms to compute thermodynamic equilibria in large complex systems with performance considerations

Abstract Several global optimization methods are reviewed that attempt to ensure that the integral Gibbs energy of a closed isothermal isobaric system is a global minimum to satisfy the necessary and sufficient conditions for thermodynamic equilibrium. In particular, the integral Gibbs energy function of a multi-component system containing non-ideal phases may be highly non-linear and non-convex, which makes finding a global minimum a challenge. Consequently, a poor numerical approach may lead one to the false belief of equilibrium. Furthermore, confirming that one reaches a global minimum and that this is achieved with satisfactory computational performance becomes increasingly more challenging in systems containing many chemical elements and a correspondingly large number of species and phases. Several numerical methods that have been used for this specific purpose are reviewed with a benchmark study of three of the more promising methods using five case studies of varying complexity. A modification of the conventional Branch and Bound method is presented that is well suited to a wide array of thermodynamic applications, including complex phases with many constituents and sublattices, and ionic phases that must adhere to charge neutrality constraints. Also, a novel method is presented that efficiently solves the system of linear equations that exploits the unique structure of the Hessian matrix, which reduces the calculation from a O( N 3 ) operation to a O(N) operation. This combined approach demonstrates efficiency, reliability and capabilities that are favorable for integration of thermodynamic computations into multi-physics codes with inherent performance considerations.
The Value Question and Legal Doctrine: The Inescapability of Ethics

The authors investigate the value question in the context of international criminal law and legal doctrine. One objective is to use the distinction between global imperatives and context-specific characteristics as the basis for an attempt to capture the subtle nuances in the reasoning of different theorists. Another objective is to look at the case of incommunicado detention with a view to distilling those notions of legal reality that inform the position on jus cogens norms. Although some legal doctrines – like the community-centric and integrated approaches – are the contributions of contemporary theorists, the discussion that they are involved in still divides them along the traditional fence markers for legal positivism and natural law theory. In the course of comparing various doctrines, the authors concentrate on a criticism of the community-centric approach for the purpose of illustrating the inescapability of legal ethics and ethics proper as opposed to positive morality and/or law.
Replacing Platinum with Tungsten Carbide (WC) for Reforming Reactions: Similarities in Ethanol Decomposition on Ni/Pt and Ni/WC Surfaces

Selective reforming of biomass-derived oxygenates to produce hydrogen or syngas (H2 + CO) offers an attractive route for biomass utilization. As reported previously, the Ni/Pt(111) bimetallic surface, with one monolayer of Ni residing on top of Pt(111), showed enhanced activity in oxygenate reforming. However, the Ni/Pt(111) structure is not stable at high temperatures because of diffusion of Ni into bulk Pt. In the current study we explore the possibility of replacing the Pt substrate with tungsten monocarbide (WC) to prevent the diffusion of monolayer Ni into the bulk. We report a combined study using density functional theory (DFT), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) to compare the reforming reaction of ethanol on Ni/Pt and Ni/WC surfaces. Strong similarities are observed in the reaction pathways of ethanol on monolayer Ni/Pt and Ni/WC, demonstrating the feasibility to replace Pt with WC and to use monolayer Ni/WC as active and less e...
Detection of food antigen-specific IgA immune complexes in human sera.

The functions of immunoglobulins in disposal of antigens and immune complexes (IC) depends critically upon the isotype of Ig involved. In particular, the fate of IC containing IgA differs from that of IC containing IgG or IgM, because in contrast to the latter two, IgA does not readily activate complement or promote phagocytosis (1). Deposits of IgA, thought to represent IgA-IC, occur in skin or kidneys in certain disease states such as dermatitis herpetiformis, and IgA nephropathy (2). IgA antibodies are induced by gut antigens including food materials, and may be involved in limiting both the absorption of enteric macromolecules and the immune response to them (3). Investigation of these possibilities in human subjects necessitates a means of detecting IgA-IC containing specific antigens. We have developed a method of detecting IgA-IC containing bovine milk proteins, and have used it to detect such IC in sera of normal subjects as well as patients with IgA nephropathy.
Belineations on a Euclidean/LUB Plane (AA)

This brief chapter shows that on a Euclidean/LUB plane, any non-identity belineation which has more than one fixed point and is not the identity, is an axial affinity; it concludes with a classification of belineations. To prove the main result of this chapter we need Axiom LUB; this explains its placement after the chapter on real numbers.
Teleworkers and Telemanagers: IT and Telecommuting in the Digital City

The revolution in IT has transformed the nature of work in the digital city, altering the location of the work site, reshaping the space of the workplace, changing the nature of work time, reconfiguring work practices and office interactions, and complicating the relations between management and workers. It has also globalized work practices. However, only a handful of studies have examined these transformations.1
Average surgeon-level volume and hospital performance

Abstract This study evaluates the relationships among the average number of procedures per surgeon, calculated across the entire hospital, and multiple dimensions of overall hospital operational performance. Hospital administrative data from 154 public and private hospitals in the state of New York were augmented by data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The data included administrative surgical records across all clinical areas for the year 2009. The study used maximum likelihood estimation path analysis to simultaneously test the relationships among average surgical volume and risk-adjusted length of stay, cost, and mortality, across all surgical procedures and clinical areas. The results showed that higher average volume per surgeon, computed across all surgical procedures in a hospital, was directly related to lower risk-adjusted length of stay, and indirectly related to lower risk-adjusted cost and mortality. A higher average number of procedures per surgeon may provide greater hospital-specific experience, including interactions among surgical teams and with other areas of the hospital, leading to better overall outcomes. This study advances the literature in health care operations management by examining the relationships among surgical volume, across all clinical areas and all types of surgeries, and three different dimensions of hospital performance.
Is the Geographic Range of Mangrove Forests in the Conterminous United States Really Expanding

Changes in the distribution and abundance of mangrove species within and outside of their historic geographic range can have profound consequences in the provision of ecosystem goods and services they provide. Mangroves in the conterminous United States (CONUS) are believed to be expanding poleward (north) due to decreases in the frequency and severity of extreme cold events, while sea level rise is a factor often implicated in the landward expansion of mangroves locally. We used ~35 years of satellite imagery and in situ observations for CONUS and report that: (i) poleward expansion of mangrove forest is inconclusive, and may have stalled for now, and (ii) landward expansion is actively occurring within the historical northernmost limit. We revealed that the northernmost latitudinal limit of mangrove forests along the east and west coasts of Florida, in addition to Louisiana and Texas has not systematically expanded toward the pole. Mangrove area, however, expanded by 4.3% from 1980 to 2015 within the historic northernmost boundary, with the highest percentage of change in Texas and southern Florida. Several confounding factors such as sea level rise, absence or presence of sub-freezing temperatures, land use change, impoundment/dredging, changing hydrology, fire, storm, sedimentation and erosion, and mangrove planting are responsible for the change. Besides, sea level rise, relatively milder winters and the absence of sub-freezing temperatures in recent decades may be enabling the expansion locally. The results highlight the complex set of forcings acting on the northerly extent of mangroves and emphasize the need for long-term monitoring as this system increases in importance as a means to adapt to rising oceans and mitigate the effects of increased atmospheric CO2.
Development of a mechanics-based model of brain deformations during intracerebral hemorrhage evacuation

Intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs) occur in 24 out of 100,000 people annually and have high morbidity and mortality rates. The standard treatment is conservative. We hypothesize that a patient-specific, mechanical model coupled with a robotic steerable needle, used to aspirate a hematoma, would result in a minimally invasive approach to ICH management that will improve outcomes. As a preliminary study, three realizations of a tissue aspiration framework are explored within the context of a biphasic finite element model based on Biot's consolidation theory. Short-term transient effects were neglected in favor of steady state formulation. The Galerkin Method of Weighted Residuals was used to solve coupled partial differential equations using linear basis functions, and assumptions of plane strain and homogeneous isotropic properties. All aspiration models began with the application of aspiration pressure sink(s), calculated pressures and displacements, and the use of von Mises stresses within a tissue failure criterion. With respect to aspiration strategies, one model employs an element-deletion strategy followed by aspiration redeployment on the remaining grid, while the other approaches use principles of superposition on a fixed grid. While the element-deletion approach had some intuitive appeal, without incorporating a dynamic grid strategy, it evolved into a less realistic result. The superposition strategy overcame this, but would require empirical investigations to determine the optimum distribution of aspiration sinks to match material removal. While each modeling framework demonstrated some promise, the superposition method's ease of computation, ability to incorporate the surgical plan, and better similarity to existing empirical observational data, makes it favorable.
Shining the Spotlight on Injustice: An Interview with Morris Dees

First of all, I’d say that if you have individuals that are espousing hateful messages in a community, then it’s important to shine the spotlight on them so people can understand what they’re doing. To ignore them would be like ignoring a cancer, because it can grow. People ignored Adolf Hitler and his little gang as they had their little parties in beer gardens around Munich, figuring that they’d just go away. I’m not saying that’s what would happen today in America if some hate group in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho was left simmering in the quiet of the woods without anybody ever knowing about it. But we cannot take the chance. It’s important to expose not only that hate groups exist, but also the fallacies of the ideas they espouse.
STAT3 mediates C6-ceramide-induced cell death in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is poorly understood and it remains incurable with current therapies. We have previously shown that nanoliposomal C6-ceramide (CNL) is an effective therapy in an in vivo murine model of CLL. However, the key signaling pathways mediating CNL-induced cell death in CLL remains unknown. We hypothesized that CNL targets STAT3, a critical regulator of hematopoietic biology. We observed that CNL treatment reduced phosphorylated STAT3 at both Y705 and S727 residues in CLL cell lines and patient cells. This, in turn, reduced STAT3 transcriptional activity and expression of critical STAT3-dependent survival factors like Mcl-1 and survivin. The effect of CNL on STAT3 was further confirmed ex vivo as shown by reduced STAT3 phosphorylation in xenograft tumors obtained from mice treated with CNL. CNL suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation at Y705 and S727 through reduction in BTK activity and MEK1/2 kinase/PKC activities, respectively. Moreover, a synergistic reduction in CLL cell viability was observed on co-treatment with CNL and the BTK inhibitor, ibrutinib. Expression of an oncogenic form of STAT3 conferred partial resistance to CNL, providing confirmation that STAT3 mediates CNL-induced cell death. Taken together, these findings provide the first body of evidence demonstrating ceramide regulation of STAT3 phosphorylation. These results are also the first to demonstrate an effect of ceramide on BTK, a critical kinase mediating the B-cell receptor signaling in CLL cells and suggest a novel and synergistic combination of CNL and BTK inhibitors for CLL treatment.
Groundwater Depletion: A Significant Unreported Source of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Quantifying the annual flux of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and equivalent emissions to the atmosphere is critical for both policy decisions and modeling of future climate change. Given the importance of greenhouse gas emissions to climate change and a recognized mismatch between sources and sinks (e.g., Liu & Dreybrodt, 2015), it is important to quantify these parameters. A significant and previously unrecognized CO2 contribution arises from groundwater depletion (net removal from storage). The average annual 1.7 MMT (million metric tons) CO2 released in the United States from this source is greater than approximately one third of the 23 major sources reported by the US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; US EPA, 2016).
WILMS’ TUMOR-1 (WT1) PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN GLIOMA CELLS ACTUATES CELLULAR INVASIVENESS- IDENTIFYING ITS TARGET GENES

WT1 expression was previously found in our laboratory to be up-regulated in a significant number of glioma cell lines and primary tumor specimens, and this transcription factor was noted to significantly impact cellular invasiveness and cellular proliferation (in vitro and in vivo) in U251-MG cells. This study aimed to analyze its expression in two hitherto unexamined cell linesU1242-MG and GBM-6both of which are noted for their invasive potential [99,100] . Using Real Time RT-PCR and Western blotting, we found that WT1 was expressed in both cell lines. Moreover, silencing WT1 expression in these cell lines was associated with a remarkable decrease in their invasiveness in vitro but the proliferative rates of the siRNA-treated cells were similar to their control counterparts. We also sought to examine the effects of WT1 silencing on the expression of some of the previously established target genesPDGF-A, Snai1, E-cadherin and IGF-1R, to account for the functional effects of WT1. While no consistent effect was noted upon manipulating WT1 levels on the expression of PDGF-A, Snai1 and E-cadherin, the amount of WT1 inversely correlated with IGF-1R expression in U251-MG cells at the RNA and protein levels. To ascertain whether the increased IGF-1R expression could account for increased cell death seen with WT1 silencing, we performed cell viability assays on cells treated with IGF-1R siRNA. Our results show a trend towards a decrease in cell viability upon IGF-1R silencing, suggesting that the decreased cell proliferation caused by WT1 downregulation in U251-MG cells does not involve IGF-1R mediated paraptosis. We conclude that the
Newcomb’s Problem

You are asked to choose between taking box A and taking both A and B, where B contains $1000, and A contains either $1 million (if a reliable predictor thought you would take only A) or $0 (if the predictor thought you would take both). Dominance reasoning supports taking both boxes, but expected utility maximization seemingly supports taking only A. The correct choice is both boxes. Expected utility should be calculated using a weighted average of the expected utility conditional on each possible assumption about how the unalterable parts of the external world are. This is because rational individuals seek to cause good outcomes, not produce evidence of good outcomes. This reconciles the expected utility principle with the dominance principle.
Other Advanced Techniques

In this chapter we will learn about several additional advanced multivariate statistical techniques that are finding increasing application in medical research. Multiple imputation is a technique that allows us to “fill in” missing data. Often data on the study endpoint or the explanatory variables are missing for subjects in a study. If these subjects are therefore excluded from analysis, not only do we waste the data that they have provided, but their exclusion also introduces selection bias into the analyses. Multiple imputation allows us to fill in, or impute, the missing data with an estimate of what the data would have been had they been present. Once the data have been imputed, they can be used in any of the types of analyses that are discussed in this primer. Poisson regression and its close relative negative binomial regression are the appropriate models to employ when the study endpoint is a count of the number of events that have occurred to the subject in a given time period. Because counts must be represented by integer values and cannot be negative, we cannot use linear regression for this analysis, for reasons explained below. Propensity-score analysis is a statistical tool that allows us to mimic random assignment to “treatment categories,” even though our data are from an observational study. Although we can control statistically for potentially confounding variables in an observational study, a problem arises if these covariates are imbalanced across groups. That is, the different treatment groups of interest have very different distributions on the covariates. Propensity-score analysis is designed to balance measured covariates across treatment groups in order to more effectively simulate random assignment to treatment. Growth-curve modeling is useful whenever people are studied over time and interest centers on the pattern of change in a quantitative study endpoint over that time period. Because people contribute multiple time points’ worth of measurements to the analysis, linear regression is inadequate to model the complex error term required in these studies. Growth-curve models elegantly incorporate the additional complexity into their structure. Finally, we will consider the dilemma we began with in Chap. 1 involving latent selection factors. What happens if there are one or more unmeasured covariates that might be driving our results? Fixed-effects regression modeling is one technique that, under the right conditions, eliminates the threat from confounds that have not been measured. Several examples from the medical literature will help to illustrate the use of these important techniques.
A New Yield Management Approach for Continuous Multi-Variable Bookings: The Airline Cargo Case

Yield Management is a well-known methodology whose main goal is to maximize a parameter (usually the revenue, but sometimes the profit, the yield, or the load factor) that can be obtained from a given supplied perishable resource under a stochastic demand which will pay different prices. Here a new Yield Management method is described, particularly suited in multi-variable environments, where more than one resource defines the capacity to be optimized. A typical case is the airline cargo, where each reservation uses simultaneously both the resources that a cargo plane offers: volume and weight. This innovative Yield Management method can be employed in the usual mono-dimensional environment of seat optimization as well, and its peculiarity is to leverage the stochastic linear programming technology based on scenarios, to take into account not only the randomness of the demand, but also the underlying relationship among all the intervening stochastic variables. For example in a cargo environment, the stochastic nature of the revenue is considered together with the demand uncertainty in weight and volume. This implies that many simplifications, adopted by other solutions to overcome the complexity of the problem, can be avoided, obtaining a higher accuracy, while the method remains intrinsically consistent, robust and secure.
Diiodoindium(III) Cation, InI2+, a Potent Yneophile. Generation and Application to Cationic Cyclization by Selective π-Activation of CC.

Removal of an iodide ion from InI3 by reactive Ag(I) produces the desired ligandless cation InI2+ as an effective agent in the title process.
Design System Energy Sustainable Using Wind Turbine For Public Fish Cages Lightning at Belang Village in Southeast Minahasa

These paper present the designing system of wind turbine for public fish cages lighting at Belang Village in Southeast Minahasa. Belang is one of popular destination to find a fresh fish in north sulawesi, but the problem is the efficiency of electricity is not sufficient for the fish farmer. Propeller helps in the motor to generating electricity. Comprehensive research studies are carried out in order to measure the lighting resistances. The generated data from wind turbine can be seen using LCD 2x16 which connected with microcontroller Arduino Uno. Finally, conclusions are fully drawn.
Pituitary gland recovery following fully endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma: results of a prospective multicenter study

Objective Recovery from preexisting hypopituitarism after transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma is an important outcome to investigate. Furthermore, pituitary function has not been thoroughly evaluated after fully endoscopic surgery, and benchmark outcomes have not been clearly established. Here, the authors characterize pituitary gland outcomes with a focus on gland recovery following endoscopic transsphenoidal removal of clinically nonfunctioning adenomas. Methods This multicenter prospective study was conducted at 6 US pituitary centers among adult patients with nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas who had undergone endoscopic endonasal pituitary surgery. Pituitary gland function was evaluated 6 months after surgery. Results The 177 enrolled patients underwent fully endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery; 169 (95.5%) of them were available for follow-up. Ninety-five (56.2%) of the 169 patients had had a preoperative deficiency in at least one hormone axis, and 20/95 (21.1%) experienced recovery in at least one axis at the 6-month follow-up. Patients with adrenal insufficiency were more likely to recover (10/34 [29.4%]) than were those with hypothyroidism (8/72 [11.1%]) or male hypogonadism (5/50 [10.0%]). At the 6-month follow-up, 14/145 (9.7%) patients had developed at least one new deficiency. The study did not identify any predictors of gland recovery (p ≥ 0.20). Permanent diabetes insipidus was observed in 4/166 (2.4%) patients. Predictors of new gland dysfunction included a larger tumor size (p = 0.009) and Knosp grade 3 and 4 (p = 0.051). Conclusions Fully endoscopic pituitary surgery resulted in improvement of pituitary gland function in a substantial minority of patients. The deficiency from which patients were most likely to recover was adrenal insufficiency. Overall rates of postoperative permanent diabetes insipidus were low. This study provides multicenter benchmark neuroendocrine clinical outcome data for the endoscopic technique.
Tai Chi training for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A feasibility trial in college students.

Abstract Objective Many young adults are affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and often desire non-pharmacological treatment options. Mind-body techniques might serve as complementary therapies to first-line stimulant medications, but studies are limited. Tai Chi is an increasingly popular practice that integrates movement with cognitive skills relevant to ADHD. We performed a feasibility trial of Tai Chi training in undergraduates to inform the design of a fully powered randomized controlled trial (RCT). Method Undergraduates with ADHD were recruited, screened, enrolled, and assessed at baseline. They were assigned to three parallel seven-week intervention arms, Tai Chi, Active Control (cardio-aerobic fitness), and Inactive Control (no contact), with follow-up assessments. Feasibility of a larger clinical trial was evaluated, especially with respect to enrollment and retention. Additionally, potential clinical outcome measures were examined for practicality and reliability. Results 21 participants were assessed at baseline and 19 at follow-up (90 % retention). The primary clinical outcome measure, self-reported inattention symptoms (Conners' CAARS-S:L DSM-IV Inattentive Symptoms subscale), exhibited good test-retest reliability in controls (r = 0.87, n = 10) and correlated with reduced mindfulness (FFMQ acting with awareness subscale) at baseline (r = -0.74, n = 20). Class attendance and self-reported daily practice time were variable. Randomization to group classes was hindered by the college students' restricted schedules. Conclusion The high retention rate and good data quality suggest that an RCT of Tai Chi for ADHD is feasible. Further measures are identified to improve enrollment rates, adherence, and randomization procedures. Future work might extend to other young adult populations and high school students.
Management of Symptomatic Hypercalcemia

Management of hypercalcemia depends on both the severity of symptoms and degree of hypercalcemia. This teaching script walks through indications for urgent treatment of hypercalcemia and delves in depth into therapies for inpatient management.
Geometric dependence of strong field enhanced ionization in D2O

We have studied strong-field enhanced dissociative ionization of D2O in 40 fs, 800 nm laser pulses with focused intensities of <1–3 × 1015W/cm2 by resolving the charged fragment momenta with respect to the laser polarization. We that observe dication dissociation into OD+/D+ dominates when the polarization is out of the plane of the molecule, whereas trication dissociation into O+/D+/D+ is strongly dominant when the polarization is aligned along the D–D axis. Dication dissociation into O/D+/D+ and O+/D2 + is not seen nor is there any significant fragmentation into multiple ions when the laser is polarized along the C2v symmetry axis of the molecule. Even below the saturation intensity for OD+/D+, the O+/D+/D+ channel has higher yield. By analyzing how the laser field is oriented within the molecular frame for both channels, we show that enhanced ionization is driving the triply charged three body breakup but is not active for the doubly charged two body breakup. We conclude that laser-induced distortion of the molecular potential suppresses multiple ionization along the C2v axis but enhances ionization along the D–D direction.
Relationship of DNA methylation and cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms among older adults

Introduction Accelerated biological aging is related to worse brain aging. However, the interface of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and the biology of aging is little understood. The study of epigenetics and epigenetic aging may yield advances in prevention and treatment of AD by identifying new therapeutic targets or approaches. Further, signals from epigenetic measures may provide novel mechanistic links between neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and cognitive outcomes in aging; NPS are highly prevalent in Alzheimer's Disease and related dementia (ADRD) and even appear in pre-clinical and early stages. Methods We included 45 adults aged 60+ years who are participants in a depression prevention ancillary study (VITAL-DEP) to the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL, a randomized trial of fish oil and vitamin D supplements. We identified the presence of NPS using established behavioral measures. Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) severity scores were mapped from dozens of item-level NPS variables extracted from mood and anxiety questionnaires and structured psychiatric diagnostic interviews in the VITAL-DEP protocol. We defined 3 groups based on cognitive status: normal cognition with or without NPS (n=20), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with or without NPS (n=25). Genomic DNA was extracted from leukocytes, and DNA methylation was assayed using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadArray technology (Methyl850K chip) at baseline and year-2 follow-up. Epigenetic aging metrics [DNA methylation age (DNAmAge), AgeAccel, DNAmGrimAge, DNAmPhenoAge] were computed using the DNA epigenetic clock - Horvath method. Results The mean age of participants was 69.8 (range=60.3-83.4) years; percentages of who were females=48.9% and with post-graduate education=62.2%. In preliminary analysis , epigenetic measures were significantly correlated with chronological age (Spearman correlation (rho): for DNAmAge=0.51, p Conclusions Our preliminary results suggest that accelerated biological aging may be related to cognitive and neuropsychiatric phenotypes.
“Seeing is Not Always Believing”: Detecting Perception Error Attacks Against Autonomous Vehicles

Due to the great achievements in artificial intelligence, it is predicted that autonomous vehicles with little or even no human involvement will come to market in the near future. Autonomous vehicles are equipped with multiple types of sensors. An autonomous vehicle relies on its sensors to perceive its environment, and this sensory information plays a key role in the vehicle's driving decisions. Hence, ensuring the trustworthiness of the sensor data is crucial for drivers’ safety. In this article, we discuss the impact of perception error attacks (PEAs) on autonomous vehicles, and propose a countermeasure called LIFE ( L IDAR and I mage data F usion for detecting perception E rrors). LIFE detects PEAs by analyzing the consistency between camera image data and LIDAR data using novel machine learning and computer vision algorithms. The performance of LIFE has been evaluated extensively using the KITTI dataset.
Judicial Colonialism Today: The French Overseas Courts

France maintains a court system outside of the European continent in so-called overseas regions such as Martinique and New Caledonia. Held as colonies until the 1940s, these territories became part of the French state with varying degrees of autonomy. Drawing on original qualitative and archival research, this article argues that through these overseas courts, France continues to legally assume the traditional role of a colonial power despite its declared commitment to the nation-state, republican model. Subordinating discourses and elements of colonial structure have outlived the transition to nonempire, continuing to exert strong influences on the courts’ operations, especially the way in which judges and prosecutors are appointed and promoted. This study should also be read as a contribution to the scholarship on how court systems around the globe grapple with the legacy of colonialism in shaping their organizational structure and practices.
Distribution and classification of airway histamine receptors: the physiological significance of histamine H2-receptors.

Publisher Summary The overall effect of histamine on the airway smooth muscle is highly complex and depends on the algebraic sum of stimulatory and inhibitory actions of a mixed population of H 1 - and H 2 -receptors, which in general act in opposite directions. The relative ratio of H 1 - and H 2 -receptors not only varies between species, but the ratio even differs considerably from one segment to another in the airways of the same species. Such is clearly the situation in the airways of cat, rabbit, and sheep. The striking species and regional differences in the reactivity of the airway smooth muscles to histamine and the proportional distribution of histamine H 1 - and H 2 -receptors make extrapolation of the observations from one species to another extremely difficult and can be misleading, if not invalid. In general, there is preponderance of histamine H 1 -receptors mediating constrictions in the tracheobronchial smooth muscles of man, guinea pig, horse, goat, cattle, langur monkey, dog, rabbit bronchus, sheep trachea, and peripheral airways of all the species investigated.
Combining page scores for XML book retrieval

In the 2010 INEX Evaluation UC Berkeley participated only in the Book track, and specifically the "Best Books to Reference" task that seeks to produce a list of the "best books" for a topic. This year we wanted to compare our best performing method from last year with approaches that combine the scores obtained by ranking at the page level to arrive at the ranking for a book. We tested a number of combinations for this approach, and were able to obtain the top score for the "Best Books" task.