cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consumer well-being in a future of accelerating novelty

Novel goods and ideas are introduced to today’s consumers with increasing frequency. This phenomenon is perhaps most notable in the apparel industry, which in recent decades has seen the rise of “fast fashion” and an accelerating rate of novel style introductions from semi-annual to semi-weekly. In this paper I study the potential for this type of accelerating novelty to have a negative impact on consumer well-being. I analyze a simple theoretical model of consumer behavior in which consumers with a preference for novelty decide how fast to replace their fashion goods before and after an innovation which accelerates the rate at which new goods become available. In the basic model, where consumers update their goods based on their intrinsic preference for novelty, the novelty-accelerating innovation is not welfare-decreasing. However, when the model is extended in realistic ways, I find that there are at least three conditions under which the innovation may decrease welfare by increasing the extent of sub-optimal replacement: if there are external costs of updating to a newer good; if the consumers are boundedly rational and exhibit present bias; or if consumers’ replacement decisions reflect an arms race for social status. My results in these model extensions provide an economic foundation for rising popular concern about undesirable social effects of “fast fashion.” I also discuss the implications of these results for future patterns of consumption, which are likely to reflect still more accelerated novelty and possibly the expansion of fashion behavior to a broader range of consumption settings.
The Bias Against Single Parents in the Internal Revenue Code

Middle-income single parents are denied most tax breaks, get fewer education credits and earned income tax credits, and receive no stimulus or tax rebates. All their other benefits also phase out more quickly than those of their married counterparts. This occurs because single parents file as head of household, but head of household taxpayers are lumped in with single taxpayers for purposes of determining phaseouts and income limits.
Early Corticostriatal Projections and Development of Striatal Patch/Matrix Organization

The patch/matrix organization of the striatum consists both of clusters of phenotypically similar striatal neurons and a preferential distribution of striatal afferents to one or the other compartment (3, 5,11). Attempts to study the role of afferent innervation in the formation of this compartmentalized pattern have been hampered by the fact that the patch/matrix organization develops prenatally in nearly all species (7,11). In the rat, nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) afferents become more heavily concentrated within the patch compartment by embryonic day (E) 20 (11,18), the earliest age patches of any markers can be consistently demonstrated. Attempts to disrupt the early-growing nigrostriatal dopaminergic innervation by 6-hydroxydopamine (11) or knife cuts severing the nigrostriatal fibers at E19 (17) failed to abolish the patch/matrix organization of striatal neurons, although postnatal lesions of the substantia nigra did alter the normal patch distribution of retrogradely-labelled striatonigral neurons (15).
Yellow rain or yellow journalism

A series of articles in the Wall Street Journal alleged that the Soviet Union is engaged in a major biological weapons program. But the evidence is sparse and indirect.
Clinical translation of near-infrared image-guided surgery: Where do we stand?

In this presentation, we will review our translational efforts in image-guided surgery using diffuse NIR light. We will present our latest developments in imaging devices and contrast agents towards clinically-realistic image guidance during surgical interventions.
Subdiffusive Exciton Transport in Quantum Dot Solids

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are promising materials for use in solar cells, light-emitting diodes, lasers, and photodetectors, but the mechanism and length of exciton transport in QD materials is not well understood. We use time-resolved optical microscopy to spatially visualize exciton transport in CdSe/ZnCdS core/shell QD assemblies. We find that the exciton diffusion length, which exceeds 30 nm in some cases, can be tuned by adjusting the inorganic shell thickness and organic ligand length, offering a powerful strategy for controlling exciton movement. Moreover, we show experimentally and through kinetic Monte Carlo simulations that exciton diffusion in QD solids does not occur by a random-walk process; instead, energetic disorder within the inhomogeneously broadened ensemble causes the exciton diffusivity to decrease over time. These findings reveal new insights into exciton dynamics in disordered systems and demonstrate the flexibility of QD materials for photonic and optoelectronic applications.
The Genus Clavicorona

This taxonomic study of the genus Clavicorona recognizes 11 species divided between two subgenera, Clavicorona (unbranched fruit bodies found in duff) and Ramosa subg. nov. (branched fruit bodies f...
Abstract 5077: The insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2): A potential therapeutic target for triple-negative breast cancer metastasis

Introduction: Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) occur in 15-17% of patients, yet this subtype accounts for almost half of all breast cancer (BC) deaths. This breast cancer sub-type often occur in younger and African American (AA) women. TNBCs cannot be treated with current chemotherapies. Although initially responsive to chemotherapy, TNBCs tend to relapse and metastasize early. As there are no specific treatments for TNBCs, we aim to identify the therapeutic potential of insulin-like growth factor- 2 (IGF-2) in TNBC management. Methods: Using immunohistochemistry archival breast tissue from women with metastatic TNBC was evaluated and scored for IGF-2 expression. To assess the ability of IGF-2 to stimulate cell proliferation and migration we used commercially available TNBC cell lines validated to be ER-alpha-negative (ER-), progesterone receptor-negative (PR-) and Her2 overexperssion-negative (HER2). Results: We have found IGF-2 to be highly expressed archival breast tissue of women with metastatic TNBC. Using TNBC cell lines MDA-MB-231, HCC 38, HCC 1806 and HCC 1937, our in vitro studies demonstrate the ability of IGF-2 to stimulate TNBC proliferation and migration (P = 0.05). Further, the combination of NVP-AEW541, an insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) inhibitor, and BMS-754807, an inhibitor of IGF-1R and the insulin receptor (IR), cause a significant (P Conclusion: Our data indicate that IGF-2 plays a role in TNBC metastasis, an action that can be inhibited by targeting multiple IGF-2 mediated receptors. Citation Format: Nalo Hamilton, Diana Marquez-Garban, Richard Pietras. The insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2): A potential therapeutic target for triple-negative breast cancer metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 5077.
Retinal findings and a novel TINF2 mutation in Revesz syndrome: Clinical and molecular correlations with pediatric retinal vasculopathies.

ABSTRACTBackground: Revesz syndrome is a telomere disorder in the dyskeratosis congenita (DKC) spectrum characterized by exudative retinopathy, bone marrow failure, neuroradiographic abnormalities, and integumentary findings.Materials/methods: We report the ophthalmologic findings, documented by examinations under anesthesia with clinical photography and fluorescein angiography, as well as the systemic manifestations and genetic and molecular testing, in identical twins with Revesz syndrome, and compare and contrast these features to those of other pediatric retinal vasculopathies.Results: Both twins exhibited widespread avascularity and anomalous vasculature of the retinal periphery, retinal telangiectasias, and exudation. One twin developed a combination exudative/tractional/rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, while the other exhibited a focal collection of buds of retinal neovascularization. Both twins developed bone marrow failure and were found to have cerebellar hypoplasia and widespread cerebral cal...
Advanced control of neutral beam injected power in DIII-D

Abstract In the DIII-D tokamak, one of the most powerful techniques to control the density, temperature and plasma rotation is by eight independently modulated neutral beam sources with a total power of 20 MW. The rapid modulation requires a high degree of reproducibility and precise control of the ion source plasma and beam acceleration voltage. Recent changes have been made to the controls to provide a new capability to smoothly vary the beam current and beam voltage during a discharge, while maintaining the modulation capability. The ion source plasma inside the arc chamber is controlled through feedback from the Langmuir probes measuring plasma density near the extraction end. To provide the new capability, the plasma control system (PCS) has been enabled to change the Langmuir probe set point and the beam voltage set point in real time. When the PCS varies the Langmuir set point, the plasma density is directly controlled in the arc chamber, thus changing the beam current (perveance) and power going into the tokamak. Alternately, the PCS can sweep the beam voltage set point by 20 kV or more and adjust the Langmuir probe setting to match, keeping the perveance constant and beam divergence at a minimum. This changes the beam power and average neutral particle energy, which changes deposition in the tokamak plasma. The ion separating magnetic field must accurately match the beam voltage to protect the beam line. To do this, the magnet current control accurately tracks the beam voltage set point. These new capabilities allow continuous in-shot variation of neutral beam ion energy to complement the discontinuous “on or off” modulation method presently used to control average beam power and torque input.
A Nigro-Vagal Pathway Controls Gastric Motility and Is Affected in a Rat Model of Parkinsonism.

Background & Aims In most patients with Parkinson's disease, gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunctions, such as gastroparesis and constipation, are prodromal to the cardinal motor symptoms of the disease. Sporadic Parkinson's disease has been proposed to develop after ingestion of neurotoxicants that affect the brain−gut axis via the vagus nerve, and then travel to higher centers, compromising the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and, later, the cerebral cortex. We aimed to identify the pathway that connects the brainstem vagal nuclei and the SNpc, and to determine whether this pathway is compromised in a rat model of Parkinsonism. Methods To study this neural pathway in rats, we placed tracers in the dorsal vagal complex or SNpc; brainstem and midbrain were examined for tracer distribution and neuronal neurochemical phenotype. Rats were given injections of paraquat once weekly for 3 weeks to induce features of Parkinsonism, or vehicle (control). Gastric tone and motility were recorded after N -methyl-d-aspartate microinjection in the SNpc and/or optogenetic stimulation of nigro−vagal terminals in the dorsal vagal complex. Results Stimulation of the SNpc increased gastric tone and motility via activation of dopamine 1 receptors in the dorsal vagal complex. In the paraquat-induced model of Parkinsonism, this nigro−vagal pathway was compromised during the early stages of motor deficit development. Conclusions We identified and characterized a nigro−vagal monosynaptic pathway in rats that controls gastric tone and motility. This pathway might be involved in the prodromal gastric dysmotility observed in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease.
Teaching artificial intelligence in a multidisciplinary computing environment

Creating an effective introductory course in artificial intelligence is challenging. Because artificial intelligence encompasses a wide array of topics, instructors developing an introductory course must choose content deliberately. Instructors must consider the educational backgrounds of students who might take the course to ensure appropriate delivery styles and content. This paper describes an experience in developing and teaching an introductory artificial intelligence course during the Fall 2016 term in a multidisciplinary computing educational environment. Observations, lessons learned, and conclusions based on this experience are given.
Measurement Instrument for Scientific Teaching (MIST): A Tool to Measure the Frequencies of Research-Based Teaching Practices in Undergraduate Science Courses

The Measurement Instrument for Scientific Teaching (MIST) is a survey specifically aligned with the scientific teaching (ST) framework and designed to gauge the frequencies of ST practices in under...
Estimation of online tool wear in turning processes using recurrence quantification analysis (RQA)

In this work we exploit the underlying dynamics of a turning process captured in force measurements for online flank wear estimation. We transform the sensor signals into feature vectors using recurrence quantification analysis and then estimate flank wear using a gradient boosted regression model. The data is collected by conducting two sets of turning experiments. The first set of data, which has 168 records, is used for training the machine learning model. The second set of data, which has 95 records, is used for testing the performance of the flank wear estimation method. The results indicate that the proposed method gives accurate flank wear estimates. The root mean square error of the flank wear estimation for the test data is 0.0497 mm.
Open Pit Transition Depth Determination Through Global Analysis of Open Pit and Underground Mine Production Scheduling

This paper presents an iterative Net Present Value (NPV) maximization method to determine the optimum surface to underground transition depth for an ore body to be mined by multiple open pits and an underground mine. The determination of transition depth from open pit to underground mining is based on global production scheduling optimization of open pit and underground mines using Mixed Integer Linear Programing (MILP). The method is applied to a case study coming from a gold mining complex with six open pits and a large underground mine using long hole open stoping. The results indicate potential improvements of the NPV of global operations when compared to the traditional techniques based on independently optimized open pit first, followed by the underground mining.
Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure Patterns During Exercise Predict Exercise Capacity and Incident Heart Failure.

Background:Single measurements of left ventricular filling pressure at rest lack sensitivity for identifying heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients with dyspnea on exert...
Osteoclast-Mediated Cell Therapy as an Attempt to Treat Elastin Specific Vascular Calcification

Inflammation and stiffness in the arteries is referred to as vascular calcification. This process is a prevalent yet poorly understood consequence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus, comorbidities with few treatments clinically available. Because this is an active process similar to bone formation, it is hypothesized that osteoclasts (OCs), bone-resorbing cells in the body, could potentially work to reverse existing calcification by resorbing bone material. The receptor activator of nuclear kappa B-ligand (RANKL) is a molecule responsible for triggering a response in monocytes and macrophages that allows them to differentiate into functional OCs. In this study, OC and RANKL delivery were employed to determine whether calcification could be attenuated. OCs were either delivered via direct injection, collagen/alginate microbeads, or collagen gel application, while RANKL was delivered via injection, through either a porcine subdermal model or aortic injury model. While in vitro results yielded a decrease in calcification using OC therapy, in vivo delivery mechanisms did not provide control or regulation to keep cells localized long enough to induce calcification reduction. However, these results do provide context and direction for the future of OC therapy, revealing necessary steps for this treatment to effectively reduce calcification in vivo. The discrepancy between in vivo and in vitro success for OC therapy points to the need for a more stable and time-controlled delivery mechanism that will allow OCs not only to remain at the site of calcification, but also to be regulated so that they are healthy and functioning normally when introduced to diseased tissue.
Cultural genocide in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States

This article focuses on the impact of cultural genocide on the Indigenous populations of four former English colonies--Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States of America (USA)--and current efforts to heal the wounds caused by this genocidal activity. Cultural genocide is much more widespread and ongoing than the murder of ethnic minorities, and in the four countries under discussion government policies promoted English-only schooling and conversion to Christianity, making schools instruments of cultural genocide. If indigenous students resisted, they were further marginalized and if they attempted assimilation they often found that their skin color still excluded them from full citizenship. Some people think that democracies are immune to genocide, but through the “tyranny of the majority” laws can be passed that suppress minority languages and cultures as do the various “English-only” and “Official English” laws in effect in some states in the USA today (e.g. Crawford 2000). Lemkin in his original discussion of genocide included the “prohibition of the use of their own language by the population of an occupied country” (Lemkin 1944, ix). The 1868 Report of the U.S. Indian Peace Commission stated, “Schools should be established, which [American Indian] children should be required to attend; their barbarous dialect should be blotted out and the English language substituted.” Besides suppressing indigenous languages, colonial governments suppressed Indigenous cultural practices, including Potlatches, Sun Dances, and other religious activities
Accuracy of Body Mass Index Versus Lean Mass Index for Prediction of Sarcopenia in Older Women

We compared accuracy of body mass index (BMI) versus lean mass index (LMI) to predict sarcopenia in 58 community-dwelling women (74.1±0.9 years). Lean mass was measured with multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis, and strength was measured with Arm Curl test, Chair Stand test, and handgrip dynamometry. Sarcopenia was defined as low LMI. When categorized by BMI, normal women had less absolute lean mass (37.6±1.0 vs. 42.6±0.9 kg; P<0.001) and less relative lean mass (14.1±0.2 vs. 16.1±0.2 kg/m2; P<0.001) compared to overweight/obese women, but no differences in strength. When categorized by LMI, normal women had more absolute lean mass (44.0±0.7 vs. 35.7±0.7 kg; P<0.001), more relative lean mass (16.2±0.2 vs. 13.8±0.2 kg/m2; P<0.001), and greater upper body strength (16.7±0.9 vs. 14.2±0.6 arm curls; P<0.05) compared to women with low LMI. BMI failed to accurately predict low values of lean mass and strength. For clinical assessment, calculation of LMI rather than BMI is appropriate.
The Impacts of Conservation and Militarization on Indigenous Peoples : A Southern African San Perspective.

There has been a long-standing debate about the roles of San in the militaries of southern Africa and the prevalence of violence among the Ju/'hoansi and other San people. The evolutionary anthropology and social anthropological debates over the contexts in which violence and warfare occurs among hunters and gatherers are considered, as is the “tribal zone theory” of warfare between states and indigenous people. This paper assesses the issues that arise from these discussions, drawing on data from San in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Utilizing cases of how San have been affected by military forces and wildlife conservation agencies in what became protected areas in southern Africa, this article shows that indigenous peoples have been treated differentially by state and nongovernmental organizations involved in anti-poaching, shoot-to-kill, and forced resettlement policies. Particular emphasis is placed on the !Xun and Khwe San of southern Angola and northern Namibia and the Tshwa San of western Zimbabwe and northern Botswana, who have been impacted by militarization and coercive conservation efforts since the late nineteenth century. Principal conclusions are that conservation and militarization efforts have led to a reduction in land and resources available to indigenous people, higher levels of poverty, increased socioeconomic stratification, and lower levels of physical well-being. San have responded to these trends by engaging in social activism, forming community-based institutions, and pursuing legal actions aimed at obtaining human rights and equitable treatment.
Genetic screens identify multiple negative regulators that additively restrict recruitment of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler to the HO promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Activation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HO promoter is highly regulated, requiring the ordered recruitment of activators and coactivators and allowing production of only a few transcripts in mother cells within a short cell cycle window. We conducted genetic screens to identify the negative regulators of HO expression necessary to limit HO transcription. Known repressors of HO (Ash1 and Rpd3) were identified, as well as several additional chromatin-associated factors including the Hda1 histone deacetylase, the Isw2 chromatin remodeler, and the corepressor Tup1. We also identified clusters of HO promoter mutations that suggested roles for the Dot6/Tod6 (PAC site) and Ume6 repression pathways. We used ChIP assays with synchronized cells to validate the involvement of these factors and map the association of Ash1, Dot6, and Ume6 with the HO promoter to a brief window in the cell cycle between binding of the initial activating transcription factor and initiation of transcription. We found that Ash1 and Ume6 each recruit the Rpd3 histone deacetylase to HO , and their effects are additive. In contrast, Rpd3 was not recruited significantly to the PAC site, suggesting this site has a distinct mechanism for repression. Increases in HO expression and SWI/SNF recruitment were all additive upon loss of Ash1, Ume6, and PAC site factors, indicating the convergence of independent pathways for repression. Our results demonstrate that multiple protein complexes are important for limiting the spread of SWI/SNF mediated nucleosome eviction across the HO promoter, suggesting that regulation requires a delicate balance of activities that promote and repress transcription.
On the consensus effect

Abstract Individuals often tend to conform to the choices of others in group decisions, compared to choices made in isolation. We show that this behavior — which we term the consensus effect — is equivalent to a well-known violation of expected utility, namely strict quasi-convexity of preferences, which is shared by many popular non-expected utility models. In contrast to the equilibrium outcome when individuals are expected utility maximizers, quasi-convexity of preferences imply that group decisions may fail to properly aggregate preferences and strictly Pareto-dominated equilibria may arise.
Significance and management of incidentally diagnosed metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma in cervical lymph nodes in neck dissection specimens.

Background The management of patients with incidentally discovered metastatic thyroid cancer in cervical lymph nodes in neck dissection specimens for other pathologies is unclear. Methods Retrospective review of neck dissection specimens for nonthyroid malignancy during a 30-year period was undertaken to identify incidental metastatic papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Results Twenty-six patients had an incidental finding of PTC in lymph node(s) in neck dissection specimens. Subsequent ultrasound of the thyroid showed nodules in 20 patients. Eleven (42%) underwent total thyroidectomy, 1 (4%) had a lobectomy, and 14 (54%) were kept under active surveillance only. At a median follow-up of 48 months (range 10-189 months), all patients who had undergone surgery and those under surveillance were free of PTC recurrence. Conclusion Evaluation for detection of a primary thyroid tumor is essential in all patients with incidentally discovered metastatic PTC. Decision regarding surgery or surveillance is dependent on clinical and radiological tumor features and patient factors.
Topography and post-fire climatic conditions shape spatio-temporal patterns of conifer establishment and growth

Concern is mounting that larger, stand-replacing forest fires may accelerate compositional shifts or conversions to non-forested states under a warming climate. Post-fire climatic conditions influence system trajectories by facilitating or hindering juvenile recruitment. But without an accurate, long-term understanding of where, when, and how climatic variability and other ecological factors affect regeneration, our ability to predict post-fire trajectories is limited. I quantified multiple, interacting facets of post-fire conifer regeneration—including annual establishment rates and growth—one decade after stand-replacing fire on the eastern slopes of the North Cascades, Washington, USA. Sites were stratified across topographic settings to specifically capture the potential for topography to moderate seasonal and interannual climatic conditions. Recruitment of juvenile conifers occurred every year since fire, with considerable species-specific variability across topographic settings and distance to seed source. Juveniles of all species, except lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson), were rarely observed when live, conspecific seed source was more than 75 m away. Lodgepole pine was the only species for which greater distance to live seed source was not associated with lower densities, a pattern attributable to serotiny. Annual establishment rates were strongly correlated with post-fire conditions: rates were highest when growing seasons were relatively cool and moist. A lagged climate signal was apparent in annual growth rates, but standardized climate–growth relationships did not vary across topographic settings, suggesting that topographic setting did not decouple site conditions from broader climatic trends to a degree that affected growth patterns. These results underscore the importance of favorable post-fire climatic conditions in promoting robust establishment and growth while also highlighting the importance of topography and endogenous, stand-level processes (e.g., seed availability and delivery) in shaping recovery over time. Furthermore, these results suggest that, while the growing concern of post-fire regeneration failure may indeed be warranted under some conditions, failure is not yet the rule in all places and at all times. A more detailed understanding of recovery dynamics through long-term monitoring and by examining multiple, interacting facets of regeneration across scales will improve our predictions of where and when regeneration failure or, conversely, robust recovery may occur under a changing climate.
Enhanced recovery after surgery for cesarean delivery.

Purpose of review The aim of this article is to describe enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and its application to cesarean delivery. Recent findings ERAS is a standardized, multidisciplinary approach to improving the care of surgical patients, from the preoperative planning through the surgery and postoperative period. ERAS is associated with many benefits, including improved patient outcomes and satisfaction as well as reduced length-of-stay and cost. Obstetric implementation of ERAS protocols has lagged compared to other surgical subspecialties. Given the volume of cesarean deliveries worldwide, improving the quality and cost of care through broad application of ERAS could have significant benefits. Summary ERAS pathways specific to cesarean delivery should be implemented and can improve the quality of care provided.
The Current Status of Infant Keratoprosthesis

The concepts of pediatric keratoprosthesis (KPro) and more recently infant keratoprosthesis are relatively new. Our first case was performed in 2003..
A Dinuclear Persulfide-Bridged Ruthenium Compound is a Hypoxia-Selective Hydrogen Sulfide (H 2 S) Donor

Hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) is a gaseous molecule that has received attention for its role in biological processes and therapeutic potential in diseases, such as ischemic reperfusion injury. Despite its clinical relevance, delivery of H2 S to biological systems is hampered by its toxicity at high concentrations. Herein, we report the first metal-based H2 S donor that delivers this gas selectively to hypoxic cells. We further show that H2 S release from this compound protects H9c2 rat cardiomyoblasts from an in vitro model of ischemic reperfusion injury. These results validate the utility of redox-activated metal complexes as hypoxia-selective H2 S-releasing agents for use as tools to study the role of this gaseous molecule in complex biological systems.
Machine Learning Pipeline for Shift-Invariant Detection of Volcanoes on Venus

Intelligent algorithms are constantly being developed to improve the ability of machines to extract and process meaningful data in a variety of situations. In this work, we present a machine learning pipeline that streamlines the task of selecting preprocessing algorithms, feature extraction algorithms, and classification algorithms. We demonstrate the pipeline by identifying volcanoes in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of the surface of the planet Venus. This dataset is imbalanced, in the sense that there are relatively few images containing volcanoes, which is a common situation in many autonomous sensing tasks. We show that our machine learning pipeline is able to identify a set of algorithms that can be used together to identify volcanoes with high recall. While the precision of the classifier is poor, it can still be used to reduce the overall size of the dataset and improve the balance of the dataset.
Driving Turnout: The Effect of Car Ownership on Electoral Participation

Inequalities in voter participation between groups of the population pose a problem for democratic representation. We use administrative data on 6.7 million registered voters to show that a previously ignored characteristic of voters – access to a personal automobile – creates large disparities in in-person voting rates. Lack of access to a car depresses election day voter turnout by substantively large amounts across a variety of fixed-effects models that account for other environmental and voter characteristics. Car access creates the largest hindrance to voting for those people who live farther from the polls, for young voters, and for non-white voters. These effects do not appear for absentee voting, suggesting a simple policy solution to solve large disparities in political participation. This study contributes to the theoretic understanding of political participation as well as the impact of potential policy reforms to solve participatory gaps.
Posco, Finex, and Technology Sharing

POSCO was a South Korean company that manufactured and sold products such as hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel, stainless steel plates, wire rods, and silicon steel sheets. Determined to find a greener and more cost-efficient alternative technology for steelmaking, POSCO decided to develop a new technology. Called FINEX, this technology significantly lowered operating costs, cut emissions, and, by eliminating the need for sinter and coking plants, significantly reduced overall construction costs. Once FINEX proved to be a successful technology, POSCO faced the question of whether and how to share FINEX with its competitors. Company leadership knew that POSCO had only succeeded—indeed, had only come into existence—with the help of other steelmaking companies that had shared their technology, knowledge, and expertise. This would be the first time in POSCO's existence that it would share such a strategic technology with others. The question was, should it share? Excerpt UVA-E-0395 May 7, 2014 POSCO, FINEX, AND TECHNOLOGY SHARING POSCO, originally called Pohang Iron and Steel Company, was a South Korean steelmaking company founded in 1968 by the government in an effort to create an industrial infrastructure. The company, which manufactured and sold products such as hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel, stainless steel plates, wire rods, and silicon steel sheets, had been privatized in the 1990s. By 2012, POSCO was the third-largest steelmaker in the world by volume and the largest based on market capitalization. It was also recognized by Fortune magazine as the most admired metals company in the world. In 2012, POSCO produced 35.5 million tons of steel, had $ 59.58billion in revenues, and earned a net income of $ 2.23 billion. See Exhibit 1 for a financial snapshot of the company. Headquartered in Pohang, South Korea, POSCO had approximately 55,000 employees (including those employed by subsidiaries) and, in addition to Korea, operated in North America, India, Japan, China, and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. Roughly 58% of its steel output was used in Korea for, among other things, shipbuilding and automotive manufacturing—the rest was exported to more than 60 countries. Steelmaking and Its Effects on the Environment In the early 1990s, POSCO had the traditional problem that steelmaking companies faced: the business was tremendously destructive to the environment. Practically every step of the process produced air emissions composed of volatile organic compounds such as carbon monoxide and sulfur and nitrogen oxides. Wastewater generated in the steelmaking process contained high levels of contaminants. While not as toxic as the wastewater, solid waste was generated in enormous quantities. Finally, the steelmaking process consumed tremendous amounts of energy, thus contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. . . .
Birds of a Feather: Interspecies Ethics and the Fate of Liminal Companion Animals

This paper investigates the moral and legal challenges of managing wild urban parrot populations. Due to the continued proliferation of the illegal importation of wild parrots from Central and South America, established breeding programs of captive parrots, and the physiological and psychological degradation of their complex emotional intelligence, the chapter argues for a renewal of animal welfare policies to protect their rights at the local, regional, and international levels. By drawing upon the legal framework for political animal categories presented by Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka establishing introduced exotics as liminal denizens and the critical theory of interspecies ethics inaugurated by Cynthia Willet, the relative interests and well-being of wild urban parrot populations should be protected as co-residents of our human political communities.
Study of Parallelization Enhancements for Cartesian Grid Solver

The parallelization functionality in CART3D, a Cartesian grid based Euler solver, has been extended to permit the use of the MPI as a compile-time option to the use of OpenMP in order to investigate the trade-offs between the two parallelization libraries and to utilize CART3D in a distributed memory parallel environment. A comparison between the two parallelization methodologies, OpenMP and MPI, has been performed in order to quantify the benefits and drawbacks of these parallelization schemes on both shared memory and distributed memory architectures. Direct comparisons between OpenMP and MPI performances on a shared memory architecture are presented which show no significant performance penalties using MPI versus OpenMP. Additional results are presented for the MPI performance on a distributed memory architecture which show reasonable parallelization performance.
Chemical effects of steric strains—XIII: Kinetics of the reaction of sodium borohydride with carbonyl groups—a convenient tool for investigating the reactivities of aldehydes and ketones☆

Abstract The reactions of sodium borohydride in isopropyl alcohol with acetone, acetophenone, benzophenone and benzaldehyde show simple second order kinetics, first order in the concentration of borohydride, and first order in the carbonyl component. Benzaldehyde reacts far faster than any of the ketones, corresponding to the greater reactivity of aldehydic carbonyl group towards attach by nucleophilic reagents. The decrease in rate, acetone > acetophenone and benzophenone is attributed to the resonance and steric contributions of the aromatic rings. The reaction of sodium borohydride with carbonyl compounds promises to provide a valuable tool for investigating the effect of structure on the reactivity of aldehydes and ketone.
Local and global control of commercial building HVAC systems using artificial neural networks

Discusses the results of a proof of concept experiment in which artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used for both local and global control of a commercial building HVAC system. The experiment was conducted in a laboratory in which full scale testing of multizone HVAC systems can be done repeatably. Data collected in the laboratory were used to train ANNs for the components and systems involved. For the local controller the model itself is a neural network that has been trained on actual data from a heating coil. For the global controller experiment a two zone HVAC system was used. This paper is presented in two parts. The first deals with the local control experiment whereas the second part describes the global control experiment.
From Individual Contribution to Group Learning

Open Source Software (OSS) groups experience many benefits and challenges with respect to the core group’s effectiveness. In order to capitalize on the benefits and minimize the challenges, OSS groups must learn not only on the individual level, but also on the group level. OSS groups learn by integrating individual contributions into the group’s product and processes. This paper reports on the characteristics of the learning process in OSS groups. The study utilized an embedded single case study design that observed and analyzed group learning processes in the Apache Web server OSS project. The study used learning opportunity episodes (LOE) as the embedded unit of analysis and developed and utilized three content analytic schemes to describe the characteristics of the learning process and the factors affecting this process.
The Ghost Fluid Method for Numerical Treatment of Discontinuities and Interfaces

The Ghost Fluid Method (GFM) has recently been developed to handle interfaces in a robust and efficient fashion leading to a general class of “boundary condition capturing” techniques based on the identification of “continuous” and “discontinuous” variables and the subsequent treatment of these variables to allow seamless finite differencing across the interface.
RFID cards: a new deal for elderly accessibility

Elderly adults face two serious challenges bridging the digital divide. First, many suffer from physical or cognitive disabilities, which inhibit computer use. Second, the "traditional" personal computer interface constitutes a foreign and forbidding paradigm. Consequently, elderly adults are less likely to access the Internet, and this lack of accessibility denies them increased social contact and access to information. This paper presents the design of a tangible user interface (TUI) for an email client that is suited to the physical, neurological, and cognitive needs of elderly users. A review of the TUI literature identifies radio frequency identification (RFID) tagged cards, integrated with standard personal computers, as a viable alternative to the mouse. These cards can represent interaction objects and actions, forming the basis for an interaction language. The email client interaction design illustrates many simple and advanced RFID card interaction techniques.
Developing intelligent information retrieval systems - issues in database organization, distributed processing, and interface design

Computer-based bibliographic search systems have received considerable attention in recent times. Despite advances made in computer technology in various fields including object-oriented databases, client-server based distributed computing, and hypermedia based interfaces, mechanisms to support the organization and retrieval of information remain inflexible and hard to use. In this paper, we present our methodology in developing an intelligent information retrieval system in the context of the Wright State University (WSU) library. We present an overview of an electronic search system featuring a hypermedia interface on a world wide web server. We also discuss the salient issues of this ongoing project with respect to related research on internet support tools, intelligent intermediaries, digital libraries, and user interfaces.
Comparison of fluorogestone acetate sponges with norgestomet implants for induction of estrus and ovulation in anestrous dairy goats

Abstract Thirty-four mature mixed breed dairy does in seasonal anestrus were treated for 14 days with either a 6 mg norgestomet implant or a 45 mg fluorogestone acetate (FGA) sponge. Does also received 12 mg follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) administered at 12 h intervals (2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 and 1 mg) starting 48 h before progestagen removal. Estrus was detected within 48 h of progestagen withdrawal in 94% and 88% of does treated with norgestomet and FGA, respectively. Mean time to onset of estrus, duration of estrus, number of corpora lutea and number of follicles was similar ( P > 0.05) between progestagen treatments. It was concluded that norgestomet implants and FGA sponges were equally effective as part of a protocol for induction of estrus and ovulation in anestrous dairy goats treated with exogenous FSH.
Studies on Seeds: V. Microbodies, Glyoxysomes, and Ricinosomes of Castor Bean Endosperm

Glyoxysomes, a form of microbody, are present in castor bean endosperm during the first 8 days of seed germination. They have a "typical" microbody form and are shown histochemically to contain catalase. The catalase label is distributed throughout the microbody and is not an exclusive feature of the crystalline or amorphous core.Castor bean endosperm contain a second cytosome, only slightly larger than the glyoxysomes, which is bound by a rough-surfaced membrane and which does not label for catalase. We have not observed these cytosomes in other tissues, suggesting that they may have a specific cellular function characteristic of castor bean endosperm.
A silver-impregnation and immunocytochemical study of innervation of the distal sesamoid bone and its suspensory ligaments in the horse.

Summary The innervation of the navicular bone (os sesamoideum distale) and its suspensory ligaments (ligamenta sesamoidea collateralia) (CSL) or proximal suspensory ligament and the ligamentum sesamoideum distale impar or the distal sesamoidean impar ligament (DS-impar ligament) was examined using combined anatomical techniques of silver impregnation and immunocytochemistry. Silver impregnation studies revealed an abundance of nerve fibres present in both the CSL and DS-impar ligament with the latter having relatively more nerve fibres. These silver-impregnated nerves coursed parallel to and were associated with the vasculature rather than appearing to innervate the vessels. Immunocytochemistry identified several sensory-related neuropeptides (calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA)) in the nerves of the navicular bone and suspensory ligaments. More peptidergic nerves were evident within the synovial membrane and loose connective tissue in the dorsal part than in the palmar aspect of the CSL. In the CSL along the synovial membrane bordering the distal interphalangeal joint, the CGRP, SP and NKA were present in the nerves of vessels as well as the intimal layer of the distal interphalangeal joint. In the DS-impar ligament, there were many more nerves innervating vessels and the synovial membrane between the navicular bone and the third phalanx than were present in these structures in the CSL. Nerves with all 3 peptides entered the navicular bone via the proximal border and the distal groove to innervate the perichondrium, trabeculae and osteons. SP-like nerves also innervated the cortical bone underlying the articular cartilage. We suggest that these sensory nerve peptides contribute to the pathology of the navicular syndrome. The distribution of the nerves in the CSL and the DS-impar ligament could explain the clinical effects of local anaesthetics injected into the distal interphalangeal joint.
Beyond body: Buying and selling attitude and fantasy

Abstract The acceptance‐rejection dynamic associated with strip clubs creates a conundrum as to whether these establishments are purveyors of deviant leisure. Strip club imagery is used to market clothes, music and movies while, simultaneously, strip clubs face regulations that zone them to specific areas and dictate the amount of nudity allowed. The purpose of this study was to use ethnographic methods to shed light on specific components of the strip club setting and perceptions of buyers and sellers. The meanings derived from open coding of ethnographic fieldnotes and interview data suggested four integrative themes: (1) manipulation of external and internal spaces; (2) participation impetus for buyers and sellers; (3) role expectation and removal; and (4) relationship development and connectedness. The aura of deviance that pervades the strip club experience was found to negate the chic imagery suggested by the mass media.
Rule categories for collection/item metadata relationships

Collections of artifacts, images, texts, and other cultural objects are not arbitrary aggregations, but are designed to support specific research and scholarly activities. Collection-level metadata directly supports this objective, providing critical contextual information. However, exploiting this information, especially in a semantic web environment of linked data, requires a precise formalization of the rules that characterize collection/item metadata relationships. Toward this end we are developing a logic-based framework of relationship rule categories for collection/item metadata. This framework will support metadata specification developers, metadata catalogers, and system designers. In earlier work we described three example rule categories for propagation of information from collections to items. Further reflection, and examination of metadata in an RDF testbed, has revealed eighteen categories, which form an interrelated system with three levels of specificity and formal constraints differentiating categories. This paper summarizes the results of a three year effort, part of the IMLS Digital Collections and Content project.
Dual Functions of Largest NURF Subunit NURF301 in Nucleosome Sliding and Transcription Factor Interactions

NURF is an ISWI complex of four proteins that uses the energy of ATP hydrolysis to catalyze nucleosome sliding. Three NURF components have been identified previously. We have cloned cDNA encoding the largest NURF subunit, revealing a 301 kDa polypeptide (NURF301) that shares structural motifs with ACF1. We have reconstituted full and partial NURF complexes from recombinant proteins and show that NURF301 and the ISWI ATPase are necessary and sufficient for accurate and efficient nucleosome sliding. An HMGA/HMGI(Y)-like domain of NURF301 that facilitates nucleosome sliding indicates the importance of DNA conformational changes in the sliding mechanism. NURF301 also shows interactions with sequence-specific transcription factors, providing a basis for targeted recruitment of the NURF complex to specific genes.