cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Describing willow flycatcher habitats : scale perspectives and gender differences

We compared habitat characteristics of nest sites (female-selected sites) and song perch sites (male-selected sites) with those of sites unused by Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) at three different scales of vegetation measurement: (1) microplot (central willow [Salix spp.] bush and four adjacent bushes); (2) mesoplot (0.07 ha); and, (3) macroplot (flycatcher territory size). Willow Flycatchers exhibited vegetation preferences at all three scales. Nest sites were distinguished by high willow density and low variability in willow patch size and bush height. Song perch sites were characterized by large central shrubs, low central shrub vigor, and high variability in shrub size. Unused sites were characterized by greater distances between willows and willow patches, less willow coverage, and a smaller riparian zone width than either nest or song perch sites. At all scales, nest sites were situated farther from unused sites in multivariate habitat space than were song perch sites, suggesting (1) a correspondence among scales in their ability to describe Willow Flycatcher habitat, and (2) females are more discriminating in habitat selection than males. Microhabitat differences between male-selected (song perch) and female-selected (nest) sites were evident at the two smaller scales; at the finest scale, the segregation in habitat space between male-selected and female-selected sites was greater than that between male-selected and unused sites. Differences between song perch and nest sites were not apparent at the scale of flycatcher territory size, possibly due to inclusion of (1) both nest and song perch sites, (2) defended, but unused habitat, and/or (3) habitat outside of the territory, in larger scale analyses. The differences between nest and song perch sites at the finer scales reflect their different functions (e.g., nest concealment and microclimatic requirements vs. advertising and territorial defense, respectively), and suggest that the exclusive use of either nest or song perch sites in vegetation analyses can result in misleading, or at least incomplete, descriptions of a species' habitat. Habitat interpretations for Willow Flycatchers (and perhaps for many passerines) are a function of the gender-specific behavior of the birds observed and the scale of vegetation measurement.
Registration of contours of brain structures through a heat-kernel representation of shape

We develop an algorithm for the registration of surfaces representing the contours of various subcortical structures of the human brain. We employ a scale-space representation of shape based on the heat kernel, which only depends on the intrinsic geometry of the surfaces. The multi-scale representation is used in conjunction with the non-linear Iterative Closest Point algorithm based on thin-plate-spline warps to establish point correspondences between shapes. The method is applied to the registration of the contours of four subcortical structures: the hippocampus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and third ventricle.
Design and evaluation of a sealed lead-acid aircraft battery

The author presents an overview of a 24 V, 15 Ah sealed lead-acid battery (SLAB) designed for installation in the F-16 aircraft. The major design features of the battery are described. Compared to the standard MIL-B-8565 configuration, this SLAB incorporates a number of design features that are expected to prolong its service life and allow tracking of its usage history. Preproduction prototypes were subjected to a rigorous qualification test program to demonstrate conformance to the design specifications. Analysis of the test results indicates that the battery can meet all specified mechanical, electrical, and environmental requirements. >
Money Market Fund Capital Buffers

This paper considers the economic implications of supporting prime money market funds with capital buffers. The main findings are twofold. First, relatively small capital buffers are capable of absorbing daily fluctuations between a fund's shadow price and its amortized cost. The ability to absorb large scale defaults, however, would require a significantly larger and more costly buffer. Second, because a buffer is designed to absorb credit risk, capital providers demand compensation for bearing this risk. After adjusting for this cost, the returns available to prime money market fund shareholders are comparable to default free securities.
Bragg diffraction of finite beams by thick gratings

The theory of Bragg diffraction of finite beams by thick planar gratings is developed, using coupled-wave theory. Simple analytical expressions for the profiles of the transmitted and diffracted beams in the near field are obtained. Detailed diffraction characteristics for the important case of Gaussian-profile beams are presented. It is shown that the diffraction characteristics depend only on two normalized parameters, the grating strength, and a geometry parameter. The diffraction efficiency and the profiles of the transmitted and diffracted beams are calculated as functions of these two controlling parameters.
Regulation of IL-4 Receptor Signaling by STUB1 in Lung Inflammation

Rationale: IL-4Rα, the common receptor component for IL-4 and IL-13, plays a critical role in IL-4– and IL-13–mediated signaling pathways that regulate airway inflammation and remodeling. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying IL-4Rα turnover and its signal termination remain elusive.Objectives: To evaluate the role of STUB1 (STIP1 homology and U-Box containing protein 1) in regulating IL-4R signaling in airway inflammation.Methods: The roles of STUB1 in IL-4Rα degradation and its signaling were investigated by immunoblot, immunoprecipitation, and flow cytometry. The involvement of STUB1 in airway inflammation was determined in vivo by measuring lung inflammatory cells infiltration, mucus production, serum lgE levels, and alveolar macrophage M2 activation in STUB1−/− mice. STUB1 expression was evaluated in airway epithelium of patients with asthma and lung tissues of subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Measurements and Main Results: STUB1 interacted with IL-4Rα and targeted it for u...
High field pulsed terahertz measurements of nonlinear conductivity

High field pulsed terahertz spectroscopy is used to measure the inplane nonlinear conductivity response of two dimensional electron gases. Results are compared to FEL measurements suggesting LO phonon bottleneck weakening at 0.5 THz.
MicroRNAs and genomic variations: from Proteus tricks to Prometheus gift

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs with regulatory functions. MiRNAs are aberrantly expressed in almost all human cancers, leading to abnormal levels of target genes. Recently, an increasing number of studies have addressed whether genomic variations including germ line or somatic mutations and single-nucleotide polymorphisms can count for miRNA abnormal expression by altering their biogenesis and/or affect the ability of miRNAs to bind to target messenger RNAs. Here, we provide an extensive review of the studies that have investigated variations occurring both in miRNA genes and in target genes and we discuss the possible clinical implications of these findings. Furthermore, we propose that sequence variations in miRNAs or interactor sites located in mRNAs can be involved in cancer predisposition.
Effect of titania nanoparticles on the morphology of low density polyethylene

The role of TiO2 nanoparticle surfaces in affecting the crystalline structure of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) has been investigated by varying the nanoparticle surface from hydrophilic (as-received) to less hydrophilic (dried) or more hydrophilic (polar silane treated). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD) were used to determine the degree of crystallinity and crystalline structure. The impact of nanoparticle aggregates on the nanometer to micrometer organization of LDPE crystals was studied with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and small-angle light scattering (SALS). This characterization showed that the presence of the TiO2 nanoparticles, with the various different surface conditions investigated, did not alter the degree of LDPE crystallinity, the unit cell dimensions, the average lamellar thickness, or the average spherulite size. However, the nanoparticles did affect the internal arrangement of intraspherulitic crystalline aggregates by decreasing the relative optic axis orientation of these crystals, usually referred to as internal spherulite disorder. The LDPE filled with the nanoparticles treated with a polar silane (N-(2-aminoethyl) 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (AEAPS)) showed the highest internal spherulitic disorder and exhibited the most poorly developed spherulite structure. The combination of SALS with AFM has allowed a detailed characterization of the morphology of the semicrystalline polymer nanocomposites. Information on the internal organization of the spherulites, the size of the nanoparticle aggregates, and the location of the nanoparticle aggregates can be uniquely obtained when both techniques are used. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 488–497, 2005
Modeling Methodology for Component Reuse and System Integration for Hurricane Loss Projection Application

Hurricanes are one of the deadliest and perilous natural calamities on the face of earth having a severe impact both on the lives of the people and economy of a nation. Attempts have been made to mitigate hurricane after-math, by utilizing research and tools that can analyze hurricanes and estimate projected losses. The need for such research methodologies and tools stimulated the development of a multi-disciplinary cutting edge public hurricane model called Public Hurricane Risk and Insured Loss Projection Model (PHRLM). The complex and diverse nature of the application raises the need for module abstraction, seamless integration and effective reusability to create a uniform generic environment. Providing efficient interaction between these complex multi-disciplinary modules using different abstractions, formalisms, data formats and communications and making each module transparent enough to be reusable becomes a complicated task. This paper presents a UML based formal Modeling Methodology, enabling component reuse and integration of the application.
Plasticity of sensory and motor maps in adult mammals.

This rev iew addresses questions about t he capacity of sensory and motor maps in the brains of adul t mammals to change as a resul t of alterations in the effectiveness of inputs, the availability of effectors, and d irect damage. The issue of the mutabil ity of maps in adults is important because sensory and motor representations occupy much of the brains of mammals, regardless of the complexity and extent of neocortex (e.g. Kaas 1988, Wall 1988, Maunsell & Newsome 1987); behavioral recovery occurs after damage to central representations (e.g. Bor nschlegl & Asanuma 1987, Diirsteler et a11987, Eidelberg & Stein 1974); and such changes may relate to improvements in sensory and motor skills with experience (e.g. Gibson 1953). Tn addition, features of reorganization that are apparent in sensory and motor maps may characterize less easily studied areas of the brain. Specific questions addr essed in this review are as follows:
Ambivalent Sexism and the Dumb Blonde: Men’s and Women’s Reactions to Sexist Jokes

This article examines the relationship between gender, hostile sexism, benevolent sexism and reactions to a seemingly innocuous genre of sexist humor, the dumb blonde joke. After hearing an audiotaped conversation in which two students swapped dumb blonde jokes, participants high in hostile sexism rated the jokes as more amusing and less offensive than those low in hostile sexism. Among individuals low in hostile sexism, however, benevolent sexism interacted with gender. Specifically, men high in benevolent sexism found the jokes significantly more amusing and less offensive than either women in the same group or men low in both hostile and benevolent sexism. This study replicates and extends previous research examining the relationship between hostile sexism and the enjoyment of sexist humor, and underscores the possibility that benevolent sexism may represent qualitatively distinct attitudes for men and women.
Coverage of the ebola virus disease epidemic in three widely circulated United States newspapers: implications for preparedness and prevention.

Background:Widespread media attention about Ebola influences public awareness and interest, yet there is limited research on what aspects of Ebola have and have not been communicated through the media. Methods:We examined the nature and extent of coverage about Ebola in the three most widely circulated United States (U.S.) daily newspapers. Between September 17, 2014 and October 17, 2014, 301 articles about Ebola in The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal were identified and coded. Results:The most common topic was coverage of cases in the United States (39%), followed by the outbreak in Africa (33.6%). Conclusion:This is the first study to describe coverage of the Ebola epidemic in widely circulated U.S. newspapers. A substantial portion of the American public is concerned about being infected with Ebola virus disease (EVD). In this study, a large emphasis was placed on death tolls and the cases in the United States. Much more can be done to educate readers about relevant aspects of the Ebola epidemic, including how Ebola is and is not transmitted.
Team formation and steering algorithms for underwater gliders using acoustic communications

In order to take measurements in space and time from the undersampled vast ocean, it is necessary to employ multiple autonomous underwater vehicles, such as gliders, that communicate and coordinate with each other. These vehicles need to form a team in a specific formation, steer through the 3D region of interest, and take application-dependent measurements such as temperature and salinity. In this article, team formation and steering algorithms relying on underwater acoustic communications are proposed in order to enable glider swarming that is robust against ocean currents and acoustic channel impairments (e.g., high propagation and transmission delay, and low communication reliability). Performance of the proposed algorithms is evaluated and compared against existing solutions, which do not rely on underwater communications, using different ocean current models.
Why rejection hurts: a common neural alarm system for physical and social pain

Numerous languages characterize 'social pain', the feelings resulting from social estrangement, with words typically reserved for describing physical pain ('broken heart', 'broken bones') and perhaps for good reason. It has been suggested that, in mammalian species, the social-attachment system borrowed the computations of the pain system to prevent the potentially harmful consequences of social separation. Mounting evidence from the animal lesion and human neuroimaging literatures suggests that physical and social pain overlap in their underlying neural circuitry and computational processes. We review evidence suggesting that the anterior cingulate cortex plays a key role in the physical-social pain overlap. We also suggest that the physical-social pain circuitry might share components of a broader neural alarm system.
The Flash Crash: A New Deconstruction

On May 6, 2010, in the span of a mere four and half minutes, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost approximately 1,000 points. In the following fifteen minutes it recovered essentially all of its losses. This “Flash Crash” occurred in the absence of fundamental news that could explain the observed price pattern and is generally viewed as the result of endogenous factors related to the complexity of modern equity market trading. We present the first analysis of the entire order book at millisecond granularity, and not just of executed transactions, in an effort to explore the causes of the Flash Crash. We also examine information flows as reflected in a variety of data feeds provided to market participants during the Flash Crash. While assertions relating to causation of the Flash Crash must be accompanied by significant disclaimers, we suggest that it is highly unlikely that, as alleged by the United States Government, Navinder Sarao’s spoofing orders, even if illegal, could have caused the Flash Crash, or that the crash was a foreseeable consequence of his spoofing activity. Instead, we find that the explanation offered by the joint CFTC-SEC Staff Report, which relies on prevailing market conditions combined with the introduction of a large equity sell order implemented in a particularly dislocating manner, is consistent with the data. We offer a simulation model that formalizes the process by which large sell orders of the sort observed in the CFTC-SEC Staff Report, combined with prevailing market conditions, could generate a Flash Crash in the absence of fundamental information. Our research also documents the emergence of heretofore unobserved anomalies in market data feeds that correlate very closely with the initiation of and recovery from the Flash Crash. Our analysis of these data feed anomalies is ongoing as we attempt to discern whether they were a symptom of the rapid trading that accompanied the Flash Crash or whether they were causal in the sense that they rationally contributed to traders’ decisions to withdraw liquidity and then restore it after the anomalies were resolved.
Foliar bacterial communities of trembling aspen in a common garden

Microbial associations with plants are widely distributed and are structured by a number of biotic and physical factors. Among biotic factors, the host plant genotype may be integral to these plant–microbe interactions. Trees in the genus Populus have become models for studies in scaling effects of host plant genetics and in plant–microbe interactions. Using 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we assessed the foliar bacterial community of 7 genotypes of mature trembling aspen trees (Populus tremuloides Michx.) grown in a common garden. Trees were selected based on prior analyses showing clonal variation in their concentration of chemicals conferring resistance against insect herbivores. At broad taxonomic designations, the bacterial community of trembling aspen was similar across all plant genotypes. At a finer taxonomic scale, the foliage of these trees varied in their community composition, but there was no distinct pattern to colonization or abundance related to plant genotype. The most abundant o...
Spray Underwater Glider Operations

AbstractOperational statistics for the Spray underwater glider are presented to demonstrate capabilities for sustained observations. An underwater glider is an autonomous device that profiles vertically by changing buoyancy and flies horizontally on wings. The focus has been on sustained observations of boundary currents to take advantage of the glider’s small size, which allows it to be deployed and recovered from small vessels close to land, and the fine horizontal resolution delivered by the glider, which is scientifically desirable in boundary regions. Since 2004, Spray underwater gliders have been deployed for over 28 000 days, traveling over 560 000 km, and delivering over 190 000 profiles. More than 10 gliders, on average, have been in the water since 2012. Statistics are given in the form of histograms for 297 completed glider missions of longer than 5 days. The statistics include mission duration, number of dives, distance over ground, and horizontal and vertical distance through water. A discuss...
Oral Folic Acid Tolerance Test in Normal Human Subjects and Patients with Pernicious Anemia.

SummaryAn oral folic acid tolerance test is described and its limitations discussed. Evidence is presented that the test is useful in assessing the absorption of folic acid. No defect in the gastrointestinal absorption of folic acid in patients with pernicious anemia has been demonstrated.
Oviposition Preferences of Black Cutworm Moths Among Various Crop Plants, Weeds, and Plant Debris

Investigations were conducted to examine the oviposition preferences of Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel). Fourteen crop and weed species plus plant debris were tested for oviposition preferences to laboratory reared black cutworm moths. Curled dock and yellow rocket mustard were found to be most attractive. Corn and soybeans were among the least attractive of the plants tested. Attractiveness of preferred species appeared to be due to their low dense growth form.
Assessing the Impacts of Airspace Security Measures Employed During the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions

Airspace security measures are employed during certain hi gh-profile events. This paper discusses the airspace security measures employed during two such events: the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. An assessment was made of several of the impacts that these measures had on the National Airsp ace System and its users. A comparison of these impacts with those assessed for two previous events, the United Nations General Assembly meetings held in 2007 and 2008 are also presented.
Invasion of the Energy Monsters: A Family Board Game about Energy Consumption

We present Invasion of the Energy Monsters, a board game that attempts to highlight the role of family practices in household energy consumption. While household energy management activities -- such as controlling heating and cooling systems -- tend to be adult centric, we believe that children and adolescents have a meaningful role to play in helping their families move toward more sustainable ways of living. To that end, Energy Monsters has been designed to scaffold interactions between family members and encourage conversations about electricity consumption and waste. In this paper we provide an overview of our current design and a brief summary of results from our playtesting sessions with five families, and a description of versions that are under development.
Influence of Information Technology on Jobs and Performance Evaluation Mediated by Globalization and Competition – A Case Study in UAE

Effective utilization of IT innovations requires changes in organization structure and management practices. Lately, globalization imperatives and competition imperatives have been added to technological imperatives to study changes in organization and are together labeled as drivers of change. This paper examines the influence of these drivers of change on managers’ jobs and performance evaluations. This study finds that managers recognize these drivers influencing their jobs and performance evaluations to varying degrees based on their receptiveness of technology. High technology oriented managers recognize a greater influence from these drivers than do the medium and low technology oriented managers. Similarly, high technology oriented managers perceive more influence from globalization imperatives and competition imperatives on their jobs and performance evaluations. Based on their use of IT, managers perceive the use of financial or non-financial performance measures related to IT, competition, and globalization in their performance evaluation.
Relationships between network's structure features and link prediction algorithms

The first essential thing on the application of link prediction is how to choose the right prediction algorithm. We experimented with five virtual networks and analyzed the relationship between those networks' structure features and six typical link prediction algorithms by the experiment's data in this paper. We found that if the network's assortativity coefficient is positive and the clustering coefficient is greater than the threshold which is about 0.1, the algorithms based on local information would get higher prediction results, otherwise the based global information would be better. And the clustering coefficient and efficiency are proportional to the accuracy of algorithms based local information and are reverse proportional to the algorithms based global information. These conclusions provide the quantitative basis for selecting the right algorithms in link prediction application.
Most Likely to Succeed: Long-run Returns to Adolescent Popularity

Sociological explanations for economic success tend toward measures of embeddedness in longstanding social institutions, such as race and gender, or personal skills represented mainly by educational attainment. In this paper we seek a distinctively social foundation for success by investigating the long-term association between high school popularity and income. Using rich longitudinal data, we find a clear and persistent association between the number of friendship nominations received and adult income, even after accounting for the mediating influences of diverse personal, family, and work characteristics. This skill is distinct from conventional personality measures such as the Big Five, and persists long into adulthood. We hypothesize that popularity encapsulates a socioemotional skill recognized by peers as the practice of being a good friend rather than an indicator of social status.
Controlled Ovarian Stimulation Protocols in Cancer Patients

Embryo/oocyte cryopreservation is an effective method for fertility preservation in cancer patients. Determination of the controlled ovarian stimulation protocol and gonadotropin dose for oocyte/embryo cryopreservation requires an individualized assessment. Maximizing the number of embryos and oocytes cryopreserved during a fertility preservation cycle without causing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is extremely important, because the most of the patients have a single cycle opportunity due to time constraints before starting their oncologic treatment. In emergent settings, random-start ovarian stimulation is emerging as a new technique for the purpose of fertility preservation without compromising oocyte yield and maturity. Ovarian stimulation with tamoxifen or letrozole is highly recommended in patients with estrogen-sensitive cancers undergoing fertility preservation. While only a minority of the cancer patients has undergone thawing and embryo transfer, recent data of these modified protocols in egg donors and infertile patients have suggested that pregnancy outcomes are similar to those of conventional protocols.
Diagnosis of Life-Threatening Alpha-Gal Food Allergy Appears to Be Patient Driven:

Objective: Patients exhibiting life-threatening symptoms associated with the alpha-gal food allergy (delayed urticaria or anaphylaxis due to mammalian meat) are frequently undiagnosed, causing unne...
One- and Two-Electron Oxidations of Bimetallic Fulvalene Complexes Studied by Voltammetry and IR Spectroelectrochemistry

The oxidation of a series of fulvalene (Fv) bimetallic complexes has been studied by several electrochemical and spectroscopic methods, including cyclic voltammetry, coulometry, and infrared spectroelectrochemistry. Fv[Mn2(CO)4(PPh3)2] and CH2[(C5H4)2Mn(CO)2(PPh3)]2 each oxidize in two le- steps, the monocations being Class II mixed-valent. Oxidation of the doubly-linked complex Fv[Mn2(CO)4 (μ-dppm] yields a monocation with stronger site-site interactions. A Mn-Mn distance of 4.07 A has been characterized by X-ray crystallography of the monocation. Analogous complexes of rhodium have also been studied. Fv[Rh2(CO)4] and Fv[Rh2(CO)2(PPh3)2] each oxidize in a single 2e- wave to corresponding dications, which have a Rh-Rh bond. The tetracarbonyl dication undergoes facile decomposition, but it is characterized by IR and optical spectroscopies. The doubly-bridged complex Fv[Rh2(CO)2 (μ-dppm] displays nearly Nernstian two-electron voltammetry and gives a dication in which the Rh-Rh distance has decreased from 4.51 A to 2.83 A. The X-Ray crystallographic results were obtained by A.L. Rheingold.
The realizers and vehicles of mental representation.

Abstract The neural vehicles of mental representation play an explanatory role in cognitive psychology that their realizers do not. Cognitive psychology individuates neural structures as representational vehicles in terms of the specific causal properties to which cognitive mechanisms are sensitive. Explanations that appeal to properties of vehicles can capture generalisations which are not available at the level of their neural realizers. In this paper, I argue that the individuation of realizers as vehicles restricts the sorts of explanations in which they can participate. I illustrate this with reference to Rupert’s (2011) claim that representational vehicles can play an explanatory role in psychology in virtue of their quantity or proportion. I propose that such quantity-based explanatory claims can apply only to realizers and not to vehicles, in virtue of the particular causal role that vehicles play in psychological explanations.
Global Transport Processes in the Atmosphere

Mechanisms for global transport of atmospheric trace constituents are discussed in the context of the meteorological processes that are responsible for irreversible transport. The characteristics of the circulations associated with global transport are first described. Next the nature of transport processes in the troposphere and the stratosphere are discussed, and processes accounting for exchange of trace species between the troposphere and the stratosphere are reviewed. Finally, various types of transport models are discussed including simple box models, one dimensional models, two dimensional models and three dimensional models.
Leukocyte-Cancer Cell Fusion: Initiator of the Warburg Effect in Malignancy?

The causes of metastasis remain unknown, however it has been proposed for nearly a century that metastatic cells are generated by fusion of tumor cells with tumor-associated leukocytes such as macrophages. Indeed, regardless of cell or tissue origin, when cancer cells in the original in situ tumor transform to malignant, invasive cells, they generally become aneuploid and begin to express molecules and traits characteristic of activated macrophages. This includes two key features of malignancy: chemotactic motility and the use of aerobic glycolysis as a metabolic energy source (the Warburg effect). Here we review evidence that these phenomena can be well-explained by macrophage-cancer cell fusion, as evidenced by studies of experimental macrophage-melanoma hybrids generated in vitro and spontaneous host-tumor hybrids in animals and more recently humans. A key finding to emerge is that experimental and spontaneous cancer cell hybrids alike displayed a high degree of constitutive autophagy, a macrophage trait that is expressed under hypoxia and nutrient deprivation as part of the Warburg effect. Subsequent surveys of 21 different human cancers from nearly 2,000 cases recently revealed that the vast majority (~85%) exhibited autophagy and that this was associated with tumor proliferation and metastasis. While much work needs to be done, we posit that these findings with human cancers could be a reflection of widespread leukocyte-cancer cell fusion as an initiator of metastasis. Such fusions would generate hybrids that express the macrophage capabilities for motility and survival under adverse conditions of hypoxia and nutrient deprivation, while at the same time maintaining the deregulated mitotic cycle of the cancer cell fusion partner.
Pulmonary Inflammatory and Immunological Responses to Airborne Pathogens: A Review

Influenza and the associated pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The economic cost in terms of medical dollars and work loss is about $5 billion a year. Deterioration of air quality in the workplace may be caused by microbiological or particulate pollution and such pollution may impair pulmonary defenses sufficiently to enhance the susceptibility to airborne infections such as influenza. Tobacco smoke has been implicated as a disease causing agent even in individuals exposed to second-hand smoke. Ventilation systems in buildings have been implicated in transmission of infectious disease including tuberculosis, measles, smallpox and staphylococcus infections. Carpeting, humidifiers, and flush toilets can harbor bacteria, pollen, fungi, and other allergens. A number of viruses with varying degrees of epidemiologic and pathologic significance may be aerosolized, contribute to air quality deterioration, and cause respiratory disease (Table 1). Influenza viruses are prone to antigenic drift and consequently humoral immunity from previous infections is often only partially effective at preventing disease. The rationale behind vaccinating with a killed or modified live virus vaccine (or prior clinical or subclinical disease) is to stimulate the production of antibodies to certain epitopes on the viral surface. These epitopes are in constant contact with the host blood antibodies and hence are subject to a great deal of selective pressure. This selective pressure tends to favor the emergence of new viral epitopes and hence loss of disease resistance.
Magnetically Targeted Drug Delivery System through Imaging Technology PID Feedback Control and MATLAB

Conventional dose such as capsules which are used traditionally have severe side effects including raising of blood sugar level by dissolution of drug in blood, can be overcome by replacing traditional drug delivery with specifically targeted drug delivery system. The main concept of using magnetic levitation for drug delivery is to deliver the drug to a specific point via magnetic actuation and imaging technique, magnetic material encoated by drug can rupture the artery by getting strongly attracted towards externally applied magnetic field. By taking magnetically levitated drug to the targeted area, it will minimize the risk of rupturing of the artery. Dispersion of drug will be minimized as drug-coated core will be under influence of applied electromagnetic field, drug can be released by altering electromagnetic fields. In this study, one-dimensional (1D) force system is used. Two forces counter each other i.e. electromagnetic force and gravitational force. Addition of Ki to Kp and Kd speeds up the motion when reaching to the targeted set point, blob stays in levitated condition around the set point thus stability is increased by the addition of Ki but oscillation are still present that hinders the stability of the system. Exponential function is introduced to decrease the power of Kp, in result, it supplies the power when the error is large, power gets zero when error is reduced to zero. In this stable system, Kp and Kd gain are applied to minimize the oscillations and keep the blob levitated at targeted set point.
Collateral damages: Cash transfer and debt transfer in South Africa

Abstract Over the past decade, two development programs–cash transfer and financial inclusion–were bundled in global development discourse. Despite differences in their purported objectives, cash transfers are increasingly delivered via financial inclusion infrastructures and technologies. One important yet under-appreciated consequence of this bundling is the possible transference of credit and debt to cash transfer recipients. In this paper, I explore how the South African cash transfer program incorporated recipients into a highly coercive and monopolistic financial system predicated on proprietary technologies. The proliferation of such technologies enabled cash grants to be transformed into collateral for credit and encumbered by debts to private companies. Specialized payment technologies encouraged recipients to accept loans and ensured that they could not default, making cash transfer a site of nearly risk-free profit. My work is informed by over two years of ethnographic fieldwork, hundreds of qualitative interviews, and archival data from the South African Parliament and Constitutional Court. My study finds that while grant payment technologies promise to mitigate the contradictions between providing cash transfers for basic needs and offering profitable financial products, in practice, they can worsen indebtedness. By focusing on the materiality of financial inclusion technologies, I demonstrate how the efficacy of cash transfer programs can be undermined, when debts as well as grants are passed on to recipients.
The Integrative Effects of Global Legal Pluralism

International lawyers widely understand that legal pluralism is a fact of global life and that it can, in certain settings, be desirable. But many still approach it with some trepidation. A prominent skeptical claim is that pluralist structures lack the integrative resources that unify people around a shared governance project. This claim has been prominent with respect to two kinds of conflicts that are routine in international law: (1) conflicts that play out within particular legal arrangements, and (2) conflicts that cut across legal arrangements. For each kind of conflict, the skeptical claim is directed at the pluralist structure itself. The stated problem -- the thing that is thought to disintegrate the association -- is that competing legal positions are not reconciled or resolved but allowed to coexist, fester, and repeatedly reappear. This book chapter uses the historic experience of the World Trade Organization to challenge that skeptical claim. Although other scholars have already argued that the claim is overdrawn, I aim to contest its central premise. I argue that ineradicable governance conflicts are not necessarily dissociative for the people who partake in them. Creating space for these people to have their conflicts in relatively constructive ways can instead be productive for the group. It is a way for them to engage together and invest in a joint governance project, despite their many disagreements, and thus to preserve the project as a going concern that binds them.
Hormones—Context Interactions and Antisocial Behavior In Youth*

The notion that hormones affect behavior has been around for centuries. Berthold’s 1849 famous experiment with roosters showed that removing the source of testosterone (T) decreased fighting, crowing, and mating behavior (McEwen & Schmeck, 1994). When T was restored, precastration behaviors and interests were restored leading to the conclusion that hormones have powerful effects on behavior. Unfortunately, since Berthold’s famous experiment, the specific mechanisms whereby hormones affect behavior remain unknown. What is known is that hormone concentrations, sex steroids in particular, are related to a diverse array of emotions and antisocial and aggressive behaviors. In addition to the growing body of empirical literature, theoretical models for considering the effects of hormones on behavior and the moderators of hormones and behavior in youth now are beginning to be articulated (Brooks-Gunn, Graber & Paikoff, 1994; Susman, Worrall, Murowchick, Frobose, & Schwab, in press). Hormones of both gonadal and adrenal origin are considered in these models. Earlier studies assessed only the associations between hormones and behavior whereas studies now consider the importance of the social context in which hormone-behavior interactions occur, as well as the developmental status of the individuals.
'Walk in my shoes': intradepartmental role shadowing to increase workplace collegiality and wellness in a large pediatric radiology department.

Our nearly 500-member department implemented the shadowing program “Walk in My Shoes” to improve intradepartmental relationships and build a stronger sense of community. The program provides both clinical and non-clinical employees an opportunity to shadow colleagues in their various roles and learn more about one another’s contribution to the overarching mission of caring for children and their families. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of the shadowing program on employee perceptions of various roles. To bridge the gap of understanding among colleagues in order to strengthen workplace interrelatedness, increase understanding of various roles, and decrease preconceived notions about roles, through shadowing. A preliminary survey distributed to our department in August 2018 assessed the level of interest in new wellness initiatives, including the shadowing program. The survey gauged which roles participants were interested in shadowing. The survey results revealed that 67 employees were interested in the shadowing program. We selected 39 participants and matched them to a coworker in their area of interest. The roles for shadowing included administrator, Child Life specialist, information technologist, medical assistant, nurse, radiologist, researcher and technologist. Participants were required to complete pre- and post-shadowing surveys to assess their experience. Individuals who hosted the shadow experience also completed a survey. A total of 39 clinical and non-clinical staff members participated in the program. We summarized the pre- and post-survey data using median and interquartile range (IQR) and compared the results using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The distribution of preconceived notions about each role was not significantly different between the pre- and post-surveys (P=0.094). However, participants’ value, understanding of the role they shadowed, and understanding of how the roles relate to each other were significantly greater (P<0.001). In addition, participants showed great interest in shadowing the specific role again (82%) and shadowing another role (92%). Furthermore, almost all hosts would repeat the experience (96%). Our study showed that intradepartmental shadowing can improve clinical and non-clinical staff employees’ perceptions and understanding of each other’s roles in overall patient care, which in turn contributes to the broader initiative of workplace wellness. The enthusiasm and willingness of the hosts were essential for sustainability of the program and demonstrated that this type of program is feasible in a large, busy department.
Combined nocturnal pulse oximetry and questionnaire-based obstructive sleep apnea screening - A cohort study.

Abstract Background Screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in both inpatient and outpatient settings to pursue diagnostic testing is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly given the estimates of 85–90% of patients with OSA remaining undiagnosed. Although many questionnaires are available for OSA screening, the STOP-BANG questionnaire is becoming increasingly used due to ease of use and positive performance characteristics. The utility of nocturnal oximetry, in conjunction with standard questionnaire-based strategies to enhance OSA screening in adults, has yet to be systematically examined. Research objectives To evaluate the utility of nocturnal oximetry measures combined with the standard STOP-BANG questionnaire as a screening strategy for OSA in the hospital setting and outpatient clinics. Study design and Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study. We reviewed the electronic medical records of 130 patients who were referred to Sanford sleep center from both inpatient and outpatient settings over one year (August 1st, 2016 to August 1st, 2017). Nocturnal oximetry was conducted at home (in the outpatient group) and in the medical wards (in the inpatient group), and the following measures were obtained: Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODIPOx), mean SaO2POx and time spent below 88% SaO2 (T88Pox). Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), mean SaO2PSG, and T88PSG from overnight polysomnography (PSG) and STOP-BANG score. Results Based upon likelihood ratio testing comparing discriminative ability, a model of (ODIPox + STOPBANG) was superior and more accurate than STOP-BANG alone in detecting mild OSA in the overall sample (AUC = 0.644 [0.549–0.739], p = 0.003) and inpatient sample (AUC = 0.710 [0.582–0.839], p = 0.001). This approach was also more accurate in detecting severe OSA in full sample (AUC = 0.839 [0.763–0.914], p Conclusion The use of nocturnal oximetry measures (ODIPOx) improved the accuracy of standard OSA screening with the STOP-BANG questionnaire as a screening tool in severe OSA in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Clinical implication Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that impacts many co-morbidities in different age groups. Enhancing affordable screening methods for OSA can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment and subsequently ameliorate morbidity and mortality related to sleep-disordered breathing.
Systems and ML: When the Sum is Greater than Its Parts

BIOGRAPHY: Ion Stoica is a Professor in the EECS Department at the University of California at Berkeley, and the Director of RISELab (https://rise.cs.berkeley.edu/). He is currently doing research on cloud computing and AI systems. Past work includes Apache Spark, Apache Mesos, Tachyon, Chord DHT, and Dynamic Packet State (DPS). He is an ACM Fellow and has received numerous awards, including the Mark Weiser Award (2019), SIGOPS Hall of Fame Award (2015), the SIGCOMM Test of Time Award (2011), and the ACM doctoral dissertation award (2001). He also co-founded three companies, Anyscale (2019), Databricks (2013) and Conviva (2006).
An Adaptive Overlap-Pipelined Multitasking Superscalar Processor

Low power consumption, high performance, and small die size are the three essential considerations in modern CPU design, from tiny IoT devices to General Purpose Manycore System-on-Chip. With these considerations, we introduce a new CPU design that features Adaptive Overlapping Multitasking pipelines, to better balance the design tradeoffs of the traditional scalar and superscalar CPUs. By providing dynamic reconfigurability, we enable user applications to decide at run-time whether to run the CPU in a high-performance or a low-power mode, to meet their respective application deadlines or power budgets. The low-power mode also provides redundancies that allow the CPU to continue operating, even when some of its pipeline stages are damaged. We used the RISC-V ISA test suite, Dhrystone, Coremark, and ten other benchmarks to validate our CPU design's functionality and performance. Our CPU can consistently deliver up to 2.0 Instruction Per Cycle and score a 3.924 DMIPS/MHz and 6.556 Coremark/MHz with Dhrystone and Coremark benchmarks.