cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Nonlinear Power Amplifier Load Impedance on Notched Waveforms for Cognitive Radar Spectrum Sharing

High-bandwidth waveforms are required to obtain good range resolution in radar applications, yet contiguous bandwidth is often not readily available. To that end, there has been significant effort involved with the design of spectrally notched radar waveforms. However, maintaining the desired notch depth for these optimized waveforms is challenging in actual transmission due to third- and other odd-order nonlinearities in the transmitter power amplifier (PA) Here the effect of the PA is examined for a particular class of transmitter-compatible notched waveforms. Load-pull measurements show that the impedance needed to maximize the power-added efficiency (PAE) and range of the radar system while ensuring a desired minimum notch depth can change significantly for different notch positions and widths. This illustrates the need for reconfigurable power amplifier circuitry in radars for waveform notching applications.
Firearms, dementia, and the clinician: development of a safety counseling protocol

Objectives Using available literature, our aim was to design a firearm safety counseling protocol tool for dementia patients. Design We conducted a literature review on firearm safety counseling by healthcare providers using several databases to inform the creation of our evidence-based protocol. Setting Roughly 5.7 million Americans currently live with some form of dementia with approximately 60% of persons with dementia (PWD) owning a firearm. The mental deterioration associated with dementia creates an opportunity for firearm abuse, misuse, and injury. Patient and family safety counseling from a healthcare provider is one potential opportunity for reducing the level of danger. This literature review identifies the available clinical guidelines for firearm safety for PWD and creates a firearm safety counseling protocol based on existing literature. Participants Persons with dementia and their families or care takers. Measurements Databases were searched using variations of the terms "Firearms," "Dementia," and "Alzheimer's disease." Studies were included for review if they provided either recommendations or guidelines for healthcare provider's counseling around firearm safety for PWD or their families. Results Search terms yielded 456 articles, of which 12 met inclusion criteria. Using the available literature, we developed a firearm safety counseling protocol that provides measurable means to assess risk and offer harm mitigation strategies for patients and their families. Mitigation strategies are based on Clinical Dementia Rating scale assessment at time of patient interaction and results of risk assessment. Conclusion Providing standardized and effective clinical guidelines to healthcare providers who interact with firearm-owning PWD can act as a means to reduce firearm injury and violence. The protocol proposed in this article needs further testing and validation to determine if it will help reduce firearm-related events in PWD.
Identification and functional clustering of global gene expression differences between human age-related cataract and clear lenses.

Purpose Age-related cataract is a multi-factorial disease with a poorly understood etiology. Numerous studies provide evidence that the human eye lens has evolved specific regulatory and protective systems to ameliorate lens damage associated with cataract. Other studies suggest that the presence of cataract is associated with the altered expression of specific genes including metallothionein IIa, osteonectin, transglutaminase 2, betaig-h3, multiple ribosomal proteins, ADAM9, and protein phosphatase 2A. Here, we sought to identify further gene expression changes that are associated with cataract and to cluster the identified genes into specific biological pathways. Methods Oligonucleotide microarray hybridization was used to analyze the full complement of gene expression differences between lens epithelia isolated from human age-related cataract relative to clear lenses. The expression levels of a subset of the identified genes were further evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The identified genes were functionally clustered into specific categories and the probability of over-representation of each category was determined using the computer program EASE. Results 412 transcripts were observed to be increased and 919 transcripts were observed to be decreased by 2 fold or more in lens epithelia isolated from age-related cataract relative to clear lenses. Of these, 74 were increased and 241 were decreased at the 5 fold level or greater. Seventeen genes selected for further confirmation exhibited similar trends in expression when examined by RT-PCR using both the original and separately prepared clear and cataract RNA populations. Functional clustering of the identified genes using the EASE bioinformatics software package revealed that, among others, transcripts increased in cataract are associated with transcriptional control, chromosomal organization, ionic and cytoplasmic transport, and extracellular matrix components while transcripts decreased in cataract are associated with protein synthesis, defense against oxidative stress, heat-shock/chaperone activity, structural components of the lens, and cell cycle control. Conclusions These data suggest that cataract is associated with multiple previously identified and novel changes in lens epithelial gene expression and they point to numerous pathways likely to play important roles in lens protection, maintenance, and age-related cataract.
Efficient Competitive Self-Play Policy Optimization

Reinforcement learning from self-play has recently reported many successes. Self-play, where the agents compete with themselves, is often used to generate training data for iterative policy improvement. In previous work, heuristic rules are designed to choose an opponent for the current learner. Typical rules include choosing the latest agent, the best agent, or a random historical agent. However, these rules may be inefficient in practice and sometimes do not guarantee convergence even in the simplest matrix games. This paper proposes a new algorithmic framework for competitive self-play reinforcement learning in two-player zero-sum games. We recognize the fact that the Nash equilibrium coincides with the saddle point of the stochastic payoff function, which motivates us to borrow ideas from classical saddle point optimization literature. Our method simultaneously trains several agents and intelligently takes each other as opponents based on a simple adversarial rule derived from a principled perturbation-based saddle optimization method. We prove theoretically that our algorithm converges to an approximate equilibrium with high probability in convex-concave games under standard assumptions. Beyond the theory, we further show the empirical superiority of our method over baseline methods relying on the aforementioned opponent-selection heuristics in matrix games, grid-world soccer, Gomoku, and simulated robot sumo, with neural net policy function approximators.
Spontaneous, Yet Studious: Esports Commentators' Live Performance and Self-Presentation Practices

Esports commentating, the practice of reporting, explaining, and elaborating live competitive gameplay to spectators, is a centerpiece of esports as a rapidly growing spectator sport and an essential component of today's growing gaming/live streaming ecosystem. In particular, esports commentators face three unique challenges: the preparation for conducting real time commentating on highly dynamic esports games; the complexity of in-the-moment decisions during the game's broadcast; and the balance between personal self-presentation and professional content presentation. Yet this emerging and novel sociotechnical practice and how these challenges affect esports commentators' live performance and self-presentation practices has received relatively little research attention in HCI and CSCW. In this paper, we endeavor to address these limitations by empirically analyzing 19 esports commentators' sociotechnical practices. Our findings highlight the complex interaction dynamics involved in esports commentating as well as the importance of professionalism and social presence in esports commentators' self-presentation. In order to execute seamless and spontaneous commentary, commentators must be studious and engage in much prior research and have a clear sense of self. We contribute to the growing CSCW literature on esports commentating practices by revealing esports commentators' unique decision making process presenting information and their self-image.
Investigating the Role of Online WOM Content and Sender-Receiver Similarity in Social Learning

In this research, we develop an analytical model to investigate how the content of Online Word of Mouth (OWOM) impacts prices, product adoption, and profit when consumers have uncertainty about both the product quality and their own appreciation of quality. We consider how pricing is impacted by the presence of both satisfaction- and information-focused OWOM content with preference correlation between OWOM senders and receivers. There are several findings from this research. First, we find that when there is a mix of OWOM content, increasing the proportion of satisfaction-focused OWOM will increase price and profit for the low-quality firm, but has a U-shaped impact on the high-quality firm profit. Second, we find that profitability can be increased by restricting the type of OWOM content. Specifically, both high- and low-quality firms earn greater profit from an online platform with only satisfaction-focused OWOM than from a platform with a mix of both satisfaction- and information-focused OWOM. However, only the high-quality firm can earn greater profit from a platform with only information-focused OWOM than a firm with a mix of each, and this greater profit is only achieved if consumers have a strong enough incentive to send OWOM. Third, we find that preference similarity between senders and receivers of OWOM negatively impacts the low-quality firm but has a U-shaped effect on the profitability of the high-quality firm. Moreover, preference similarity can not only impact the consumers’ incentive to send a satisfaction vs. information review, it also affects how receivers of the OWOM update their beliefs about product quality and their own appreciation of quality. We discuss how firms can formulate appropriate strategies in response to OWOM by understanding its different dimensions (valence, focus, and similarity among senders and receivers).
A Novel Hybrid Deterministic-Stochastic Recursive Subspace Identification for Electromechanical Mode Estimation, Classification, and Control

In this article, first, a novel combined deterministic-stochastic online measurement-based identification framework using subspace theory is introduced. The novelty of the design using a fully recursive algorithm and the effectiveness of combined treatment are further discussed. Then, the approach for power system oscillatory mode estimation and classification are discussed. The advantage of the algorithm to extract all oscillatory modes and classify them by recursively solving the deterministic-stochastic identification framework is evaluated. Further, the use of such an architecture for oscillation damping is illustrated. The approach for oscillation identification and control is implemented on two test systems in a lab-scale environment (Kundur two area system and IEEE 68 bus system). The results indicate that the proposed architecture can identify and classify oscillation modes but can damp the oscillations up by 20% when compared to the existing oscillation damping controller.
Environmental and social determinants of human risk during a West Nile virus outbreak in the greater Chicago area, 2002.

The outbreak of West Nile Virus (WNV) in and around Chicago in 2002 included over 680 cases of human illness caused by the virus within this region. The notable clustering of the cases in two well-defined areas suggests the existence of specific environmental and social factors that increase the risk for WNV infection and/or illness in these locations. This investigation sought to create an empirically based model to account for these factors and to assess their importance in explaining the possible processes that may have led to this pattern. The cluster pattern of high incidence of cases was statistically significant. The risk factors that were found to be important included the presence of vegetation, age, income, and race of the human population, distance to a WNV positive dead bird specimen, age of housing, mosquito abatement and geological factors. The effect of different mosquito abatement efforts was particularly notable. About 53 percent of the variation of the location of WNV clusters was explained by these factors. The models developed indicate that differential mosquito abatement efforts are especially important risk factors, even when controlling for key environmental factors. Human population characteristics play a role in risk that is measurable in this ecological study but would require further research to associate causality with risk. The analysis of spatial clusters of case incidence indicates that this approach provides more insight into the focal nature of differential risk factors that tend to be associated with WNV than an analysis of all individual cases.
Importance of predator diet cues in responses of larval wood frogs to fish and invertebrate predators.

We examined the effects of predator diet on the antipredator responses of larval woodfrogs (Rana sylvatica). We found that tadpoles showed stronger responses to fish (Perca flavescens) that were fed tadpoles than those fed invertebrates. Similarly, we found that tadpoles responded more strongly to larval dragonflies (Anax spp.) fed tadpoles than to dragonflies fed invertebrates. The overall intensity of response of tadpoles to fish was much stronger than that to dragonflies. Predator diet effects are not ubiquitous in predator–prey systems. We discuss possible reasons why predator diet effects are seen in some, but not all, predator–prey systems.
The single market and pharmaceutical industry in the European Union: Is there any evidence of price convergence?

During the last two decades, the European Union (EU) has experienced closer market integration through the removal of trade barriers, the establishment of a single market, and the reduction of exchange rate volatility. In addition, there have been several structural reforms in product markets designed to increase competition, monitor cross-country price differences and increase transparency. One anticipated effect of market integration is price convergence, because of the reduced potential for price discrimination across the EU. This paper explores market integration and price convergence in the European pharmaceutical market, which is the fifth largest industry in the EU. Since 1985, many EU directives have been adopted to achieve a single EU-wide pharmaceutical market, with the aim of enhancing the quality of life for European citizens and the European pharmaceutical industry's competitiveness and research and development capability. Using annual 1994-2003 IMS Health data from five EU countries on prices of drugs at the molecule level used to treat cardiovascular disease, this paper explains how the integration process has affected cross-country drug price dispersion in the EU. The results show evidence of price convergence in the pharmaceutical market, with long term price differences arising from country fixed effects.
Investment History and Market Orientation Effects in the TFP-FDI Relationship

This paper examines the robustness of previous stochastic dominance tests that find significant total factor productivity (TFP) heterogeneity between firms that export abroad and multinational enterprises (MNEs). We extend this literature by focusing on how ‘within-MNE’ heterogeneity affects the extent to which one can identify the TFP threshold in the exporter–MNE TFP relationship. Within-MNE heterogeneity is established by determining both the number and location of the foreign affiliates established by each MNE. In this way, we separate single-affiliate MNEs from those with multiple affiliates, as well as analyse the role played by vertical FDI, a topic typically ignored in previous stochastic dominance tests of the Helpman et al. (2004, American Economic Review, 94, 300–16) hypothesis. Our empirical tests employ Japanese firm-level FDI and TFP data for the period 1975–2000. Using Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests to determine stochastic dominance, we find significant TFP heterogeneity within the MNE group based on investment history and affiliate geographic location. While our results confirm the standard HMY three-tiered classification to exist for Japanese firms, exporter–MNE ‘between-group’ TFP heterogeneity is sensitive to the ‘within-MNE’ investment history heterogeneity. We note that single- and two-affiliate MNEs are statistically more similar to exporting firms than to MNEs with greater foreign affiliate totals. This shows the exporter–MNE TFP threshold to be not as explicit as Helpman et al. (2004, American Economic Review, 94, 300–16) suggest. In fact, our results allow us to identify the MNE-side width of Girma et al.’s (2005, Economic Letters, 83, 317–24) ‘uncertainty region’ surrounding this threshold. Finally, we also find a strong TFP–market orientation relationship exists where the most productive firms follow complex integration strategies, lesser TFP firms do horizontal FDI, and the least productive MNEs do vertical FDI.
Mammaglobin: a specific molecular target for immune based breast cancer therapy

B30 The mammaglobin (Mam) gene encodes a novel glycoprotein with largely unknown function even though expression of the Mam gene has been widely adapted as a marker for detection of micro-metastatic foci within pathologically negative lymph nodes and occult cancer cells in circulation. Mam also provides an attractive molecular target for immune-based breast cancer therapy. To determine if Mam stays associated with the membrane of the breast cancer cells after secretion, various cell lines were incubated with fluorescence (FITC) labeled anti-Mam antibody. Strong fluorescent signals were detected on the surface of the Mam expressing breast cancer cells. The cell viability assays were conducted after the antibody binding experiments. An increased number of dead cells were demonstrated. There was no obvious binding signal and cell death detected in the Mam negative cancer and normal cells. To further verify that the specific binding of anti-Mam induces apoptotic death of breast cancer cells, (1) the Mam expressing cancer cells were fixed and stained with HE (2) the anti-Mam treated breast cancer cells were harvested and the cellular protein lysates were used for Western blot assays. Obvious 89 kDa cleavage fragments of the PARP-1 protein (activation of pro-apoptototic processes) were demonstrated in the Mam expressing cancer cells. As parallel controls, we detected no increase either in the number of apoptotic cells or the cleavage fragment of PARP-1 in the antibody incubated T47D (Mam negative breast cancer cells), human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and human aortic epithelial cells (HAEC). Our findings indicate that Mam protein, at least some if not all, directly attaches to the membrane of breast cancer cells after secretion and the specific binding of anti-Mam induces apoptotic death of the cancer cells. The function of the membrane bound Mam protein may be related to the regulation of cell apoptosis. Mam emerges as a promise target for the development of antibody-based breast cancer therapy.
The function of Gp170, the multidrug-resistance gene product, in the brush border of rat intestinal mucosa

Gp170 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is overexpressed in multidrug-resistant tumor cells and is present in the apical plasma membrane domain of small intestinal mucosal cells. The function of Gp170 was studied in the small intestine of the rat. Jejunal and ileal brush border membrane vesicles, but not basolateral membrane vesicles, manifested adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent transport of daunomycin, a substrate for Gp170, and contained a approximately 170-kilodalton protein that reacts with anti-Gp170 monoclonal antibody. Whereas ATP supported daunomycin transport, nonhydrolyzable ATP analogues were ineffective. ATP-dependent daunomycin transport by brush border vesicles was unidirectional (inside to outside) and temperature dependent and was blocked by Gp170 inhibitors but not by taurocholate or bromsulphalein glutathione. Studies using everted small intestine revealed transport of rhodamine 123, a Gp170 substrate, from the serosal surface through the mucosa and inhibition by Gp170 inhibitors. These results suggest that Gp170 in rat small intestinal brush border membrane vesicles is an ATP-dependent efflux pump responsible for the transport of Gp170 substrates into the small intestinal lumen. Gp170 may protect against exogenously derived potentially damaging hydrophobic cations and contribute to the rarity of small intestinal cancer in humans and many animals.
Output Time Response Approximation

Suppose we have a nonlinear system x? = f(x) + ug(x), y = h(x), an integer k?2, and an open set O of state space Rn. We present sufficient conditions on f,g, and h so that for any point x O ?O there exists an affine linear system having the property that the output time responses starting at x O of the nonlinear system and the approximating linear system agree through order k for any bounded input u (say |u|?1). That is, putting any bounded control into both the nonlinear system and the linear system yields an output time response difference of O(|t|k+1).
Interactive Continuous System Simulation

Abstract In this paper an overview of an interactive digital analog simulator is presented. The objectives of simplicity and availability have been met while significantly adding to the power and flexibility of simulation in the biomedical research environment.
An improved simulation for interpreting temperature logs in water injection wells

An improved simulation for temperature logs (TL) in water injection wells, is described. Improvements, based on the reduction of assumptions used by previous investigators, are demonstrated by comparison of field data and simulator results showing excellent agreement of TL profiles over the entire well depth. The utility of short period hot water injection just preceding shut-in, as an injection profile amplifying scheme has been investigated in depth through the TL simulator. Finally, sensitivity studies have been run to identify the most important TL parameters and to develop guidelines for improved profiling. 8 refs.
Extra-anatomic bypass operation for aorto-iliac disease in poor risk cardio-pulmonary patients.

Three years experience with subcutaneous axillo-femoral and bifemoral bypass surgical procedures has been outlined in patients with poor cardio- pulmonary and other risk related factors. Special emphasis has been made regarding technical consideration; advantages and disadvantages have been discussed. There were 49 limbs at risk in this group of 27 patients requiring axillo-bifemoral in 22, and axillo-unifemoral in 5. Sixty-three percent of pa tients had associated arteriosclerotic heart disease and 48% had severe em physema. There were 3 peri-operative deaths for 11% hospital mortality and 3 late deaths (12.5%). Six of the remaining patients for whom long term follow-up is available, acute graft thrombosis occurred in 3 patients salvaged by graft thrombectomy and 4 patients had late thrombosis resulting in 3 permanent graft failures. Two patients required above the knee amputation. Limb salvage and relief of lower extremity ischemic pains has been gratifying. During the limited follow-up period from 1-36...
Lateral inertial migration of a small sphere in fast laminar flow through a membrane duct

Abstract The hydrodynamic response of a small suspended sphere to laminar flow is studied for relatively fast flow rates in a duct with porous walls. There is a lift effect on the sphere which competes with a wall suction effect. The details of this balance determine whether the sphere will reach the membrane. An expression is developed, from first principles, to predict conditions under which a sufficiently long cross-flow plate and frame membrane module exposed to dilute suspensions of essentially spherical particles will not foul, assuming nonhydrodynamic attractions between a particle and the membrane are negligible. This is the first expression which might be properly tested experimentally to determine if the elevated permeation rates observed with colloidal suspensions (Porter, 1972) are due to particle lift or to some other phenomena such as a flowing cake. The strongest particle lift effect occurs when the sphere is much closer to one wall than the other and is due to convective interaction of the disturbance caused by the sphere and the undisturbed flow, in the presence of the nearby wall. The lift velocity has the same dependence on parameters as the previous results derived for slow laminar flow (Cox and Brenner, 1968; Ho and Leal, 1974). However, the maximum lift velocity is smaller than that found by Vasseur and Cox (1976) by roughly a factor of 2.6. These results agree with those of Schonberg and Hinch (1989) in the following features: the equilibrium position moves with increasing Reynolds number towards the wall, the magnitude of the velocity near the wall is in good agreement, and our results extend to higher Reynolds number. Also, the results are compared with the experiments of Segre and Silberberg (1962a, b).
Managed truth: The great danger to our republic.

French social critic Frederic Bastiat (1801–1850) once said, “The worst thing that can happen to a good cause is not to be skillfully attacked, but to be ineptly defended.”[1] During much of the history of our republic, our intellectuals and those who digest these ideas for consumption by the general public did a poor job of defending the basic foundations of our freedom. Until the 60s, it was taken for granted that private property, absolute moral principles, and free enterprise were desirable. But while these things were based on a foregone conclusion, few were adequately prepared to defend these ideas against the modern liberal intellectual assault. Those intellectuals, such as Richard Weaver, M. E. Bradford, John East and Russell Kirk, who had an intimate understanding of human freedom, did not have access to the popular media or most university curricula. The left saw this as a great weakness to be exploited primarily by attacking these institutions in the universities and colleges, knowing it would capture the imaginations of our youth during their formative years. Parents trusted these institutions to inculcate these basic ideas of freedom – they were betrayed by these institutions of learning. But two events allowed the left to instill serious questions in our youth's minds concerning these foundations: the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. Both of these events were couched in terms not to correct social evils or perceived errors in our leaders’ judgment, but rather they were designed to attack the whole fabric of our social organization, especially our moral foundations, our economic system, and the rule of law based on natural law. As we shall see, this did not begin in the 60s, but in fact, began over two centuries before.
Effect of design and operating parameters on the ion current in a single-cylinder diesel engine:

Ion current has been the subject of extensive research in gasoline engines forin-cylinder combustion sensing and as a feedback signal for closed-loop engine control. The sources of the ion current in gasoline engines have been identified. Such identification is not the case in diesel engines. This paper presents experimental data and analysis of the ion current produced in a single-cylinder diesel engine equipped with an electronically controlled common-rail-injection system using an accessible engine control unit. The experiments cover a wide range of engine speeds, loads, injection pressures, and injection timings. The effect of each operating parameter on the shape of the ion current signal, as well as its amplitude, timing, and phase shift relative to the rate of heat release, are determined.
A computer-aided digital audio recording and encoding system for improving the encoding of verbal reports

The increasing use of verbal reports in psychological research requires tools for improving the ease and reliability of collecting and coding verbal report data. An approach is described that maintains the verbal report data in digitally recorded audio form throughout the collecting and encoding processes. A new computer-aided encoding tool, CAPAS, is described, which randomly selects and plays individual protocol segments and stores computer keyboard-entered codes in an SPSS-formatted data file.
Crystal growth of calcium oxide from the molten solvent LiF-20 Mole % CaF2☆

Abstract Calcium oxide single crystals up to 2 × 2 × 3 mm in size were grown from the molten solvent LiF-20 mole% CaF2 in the temperature range 1200–1250°C. A thermal gradient technique (10°C/6 cm) with sealed platinum vessels was used for runs up to four weeks in duration. The best crystals are colorless, transparent rectangular parallelopipeds, with good {100} facial development. The crystals were identified by X-ray diffraction, which indicated a lattice parameter of 4.8100 ± 0.0002 A. The principal impurities in inclusionfree crystals are 1000 ppm F and 100 ppm Li. The technique was used to prepare CaO crystals intentionally doped with Gd.
Growth characteristics of human epidermal kerationcytes from newborn foreskin in primary and serial cultures

Using gels of acid-soluble, collagen as a culture surface, trypsin-released keartinocytes from 0.1-mm, split-thickness sections of newborn foreskin may be plated with high efficiency and subcultured at a 1∶5 split a 2- to 3-week intervals for three subpassages. When plated at a density of 3.2×104 cells per cm2, keratinocytes attach to the gel with an efficiency of over 70%; after a lag phase of 3 days, the cells multiply exponentially with a doubling time of 60 hr. Cultures reach a growth-plateau phase at a density of 47.7×104 cells per cm2. Both hydrocortisone and epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulate slightly the growth of primary cultures; both factors are required for proliferation of the 2nd and further passage of keratinocytes. As the cultures reach, confluence multilayers, of stratified cells are formed and cells of squamous morphology are spontaneously released from the surface. When the released cells and the attached cells are pulsed with [3H]-histidine and [14C]-leucine, a higher ratio of histidine to leucine is observed in the released cells indicating the biochemical onset of maturation. Orange G-Aniline Blue staining of the released cells show some of the cells to be completely keratinized. Fibrous proteins extracted from the cultured cells and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis display the characteristic stratum corneum proteins of 60,000 and 66,000 daltons.
Oppenheim's Defense of Noncognitivism

In his recent book, Moral Principles in Political Philosophy, Felix Oppenheim provides a useful examination of the assumptions of well known figures in the history of political philosophy concerning the logical status of moral principles. Classifying them as cognitivists (if they view fundamental moral principles as either true or false) or noncognitivists (if they view moral principles as neither true nor false), Oppenheim attempts to exhibit the inadequacy of the cognitivist point of view and, importantly, the adequacy of the noncognitivist position. My critique aims at demonstrating the inconclusiveness of Oppenheim’s arguments against cognitivism. Oppenheim presupposes the availability of a plausible and workable criterion for determining when a sentence counts as a statement (statements are for Oppenheim entities which are true or false and, thus, “cognitively meaningful”), but he fails to provide any attractive candidate for that position. Further critical discussion revolves around the following related questions: Is there adequate positive support for the noncognitivist view? Does it allow for the rationality of fundamental moral commitments? And can Oppenheim really justify his case that, far from being irrational or pernicious, noncognitivism is naturally associated with certain humanistic ideals, such as toleration of those of differing moral and political viewpoint?
Dynamic data envelopment analysis

Methods of data envelopment analysis that are frequently applied to measure productivity and efficiency in public sector organizations are generalized here for dynamic systems involving changes in outputs and inputs over time. Two aspects of dynamic changes are analysed here. One involves incremental capital inputs or investments associated with new technology. The other involves adjustment costs, when firms tend to adapt their short run behavior to the long run optimal goals. Dynamic or time-varying efficiency measures capture in this framework the lagged process of optimal adjustment by firms. A set of dynamic models is formulated here in order to generalize the static framework of the data envelopment analysis. An empirical application is also considered to illustrate the implications of dynamic efficiency.
Candidate Faces and Election Outcomes: Is the Face–Vote Correlation Caused by Candidate Selection?

Candidate Faces and Election Outcomes: Is the Face–Vote Correlation Caused by Candidate Selection?
Assessing hue constancy using gradients

The lack of blue hue constancy has been identified as a significant shortcoming of the CIELAB color space. The CIECAM97s, CIELUV, IPT and MLab color spaces have been proposed as alternatives to CIELAB. Color gradients with fixed anchor values were used as stimuli in a visual experiment. This allowed an efficient comparison of the hue constancy of different color spaces. The results show that IPT, MLab and CIECAM97s are better than CIELUV and CIELAB in the blue regions of color space. There are minimal differences between the color spaces for other hue angles. However, there are still differences in lightness and chroma for the different color spaces that should be further investigated. Finally, the blue constancy of CIELAB is considerably improved by converting to Hunt-Pointer-Estevez cone fundamentals before applying the standard CIELAB equations.
Use of profile view of kidney for spatial localization of intrarenal stones.

Abstract Profile view of the kidney obtained by “reverse oblique” x-ray projection was found to be useful in the spatial localization of intrarenal stones. The patient's position on the x-ray table is described, and 4 cases of patients with renal stones are illustrated.
Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference: Chronic Granulocytic Leukemia: The Devastating Consequences of Genetic Instability

Recent advances in the pathogenesis and treatment of chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL) are reviewed. Three major phases of CGL are recognizable: the presymptomatic phase, the chronic phase, and the metamorphosis. The molecular dissection of the Philadelphia chromosome has revealed that this translocation activates the c-abl oncogene by fusion with another gene called her whose function is as yet unknown. Although almost all patients with CGL still succumb within 10 years of diagnosis, α-interferon and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation represent promising newer therapeutic developments. In particular, marrow transplantation appears to have curative potential in CGL.
Quantitative parameters of myocardial perfusion with contrast echocardiography in human beings: Influence of triggering mode.

Abstract To facilitate quantitation of myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in human beings, dual- or triple-triggered flash imaging has been advocated. However, the effect of this modality on quantitative blood-flow parameters of MCE is not known. Accordingly, MCE was quantitated in 71 myocardial regions of 22 patients (age: 57 ± 16 years) during continuous infusion of Optison (12-18 mL/h). Two sets of images with end-systolic gating (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:6, and 1:8) from the apical 4-chamber view were acquired: single and dual triggering for the first 15 patients; and single and triple triggering for the other 7 patients. During gated imaging, MCE of the first, second, and third frame were quantitated. Curves of intensity versus pulsing intervals were fitted to an exponential function:y = A (1-e −βt ). Where β is myocardial blood velocity or the rate of rise of myocardial contrast intensity (MCI), and A is myocardial blood volume or the plateau of MCI reached. Continuous imaging, and the second and third frame in 1:1 gating only, provided similar intensity to precontrast imaging. Beyond 1:1 gating, MCI of the second frame in dual triggering mode gradually increased with incremental pulsing interval. This was still present but less pronounced in triple triggering. During dual and triple triggering, a lower β was observed compared with single triggering. Application of image subtraction with the flash procedure further decreased β, A, and the A * β product, a quantitative parameter of blood flow by MCE. Thus, flash subtraction imaging alters the quantitative parameters of myocardial blood velocity and flow derived from MCE. Continuous imaging, and the second or third frame in flash imaging at 1:1 gating only, result in MCI similar to precontrast imaging and can be used for background subtraction to quantitate MCE parameters. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2002;15:1432-9.)
A low power bipolar amplifier integrated circuit for the ZEUS silicon strip system

Abstract A fast low power bipolar chip consisting of 64 amplifier-comparators has been developed for use with silicon strip detectors for systems where high radiation levels and high occupancy considerations are important. The design is described and test results are presented.
Reflective Optical Phase Modulator Based on High-Contrast Grating Mirrors

We propose a reflective phase-only modulator formed by two layers of high-contrast grating reflectors. By arranging such optical phase modulators in a 2D array, ultra-fast Si-based phase-only spatial light modulators can be realized.
Liver vitamin B12 status of the lactating dairy cow.

Abstract Liver homogenates, centrifuged to remove nuclei and cell debris, were assayed for vitamin B 12 activity. Forty-one samples from 31 dairy cows were included in the study. Vitamin B 12 values ranged from 2.8 to 6.6 μ g per g of protein. A significant (P 12 on days fresh, milk production to date during lactation, daily milk yield, and the interactions of these variables. Of seven cows sampled during early lactation, and again at variable intervals but within the first 180 days of lactation, five showed a higher liver vitamin B 12 level at the second sampling. Liver and blood vitamin B 12 levels were poorly correlated in the dairy cow.
Secondary Circulation in the Faroe Bank Channel Outflow

Abstract Data from a CTD station and three expendable current profiler drops at the center of the sill of the Faroe Bank Channel are used to examine the structure of the northwestward outflow of cold, relatively fresh, dense water from the Norwegian Sea into the Atlantic Ocean. A bottom boundary layer is present and exerts a bottom stress estimated at 3.5 Pa using observations in the log-layer. The shear at the interface between the outflow water and the water above is sufficiently strong to overcome the stratification and generate shear instabilities. The large stress at the bottom boundary creates an Ekman layer and thus a secondary cross-channel flow to the southwest there. A flow of similar magnitude but to the northeast is found in the high shear region at the interface. Hence, these data suggest a spiral velocity pattern in the outflow, created by the Ekman flow in the bottom boundary layer and cross-channel flow at the interface. This proposed circulation scheme explains the pinching of the density...
Systolic architectures for RF antenna apertures using integral-form 2-D IIR beam filters

Electronically scanned digital antenna array apertures have important applications in ultra-wideband digital beamsteering for cognitive radio, imaging, radio astronomy, wireless communications and sensing. The use of 2-D IIR frequency-planar beam plane-wave filters as a low complexity alternative for phased array algorithms is currently receiving attention. In this work, a systolic array VLSI architectures for the real-time implementation of the 2-D IIR beam plane-wave filter has been designed by replacing unit delays along both space and time dimensions with first order discrete integrators, thereby leading to lower sensitivity to filter coefficient quantization which in turn results in improved RF beam accuracy. The proposed designs have reduced error in the magnitude transfer function compared to the usual direct form structures. Beam filters of order 1 and 2 are designed using integral form realization. The designs show small gain magnitude error of 0.3% for 1st-order beam filter with respect to digital feedback coefficients of the filter which have been chosen at 13-bits of precision. The design examples also show a small gain magnitude error of 1.5% in a 2nd-order beam filter with filter feedback coefficients having 15-bits of precision. This is an improvement over comparable direct form architectures. Prototype circuits for the proposed integral form beam filters have been designed and simulated using Xilinx Virtex 6 xc6vsx475t-1ff1759 FPGA devices.
Carbadox has both temporary and lasting effects on the swine gut microbiota

Antibiotics are used in livestock and poultry production to treat and prevent disease as well as to promote animal growth. Carbadox is an in-feed antibiotic that is widely used in swine production to prevent dysentery and to improve feed efficiency. The goal of this study was to characterize the effects of carbadox and its withdrawal on the swine gut microbiota. Six pigs (initially 3-weeks old) received feed containing carbadox and six received unamended feed. After 3-weeks of continuous carbadox administration, all pigs were switched to a maintenance diet without carbadox. DNA was extracted from feces (n=142) taken before, during, and following (6-week withdrawal) carbadox treatment. Phylotype analysis using 16S rRNA sequences showed the gradual development of the non-medicated swine gut microbiota over the 8-week study, and that the carbadox-treated pigs had significant differences in bacterial membership relative to non-medicated pigs. Enumeration of fecal Escherichia coli showed that a diet change concurrent with carbadox withdrawal was associated with an increase in the E. coli in the non-medicated pigs, suggesting that carbadox pretreatment prevented an increase of E. coli populations. In-feed carbadox caused striking effects within four days of administration, with significant alterations in both community structure and bacterial membership, notably a large relative increase in Prevotella populations in medicated pigs. Digital PCR was used to show that the absolute abundance of Prevotella was unchanged between the medicated and non-medicated pigs despite the relative increase shown in the phylotype analysis. Carbadox therefore caused a decrease in the abundance of other gut bacteria but did not affect the absolute abundance of Prevotella. The pending regulation on antibiotics used in animal production underscores the importance of understanding how they modulate the microbiota and impact animal health, which will inform the search for antibiotic alternatives.
Effects of Surface Tension and Binary Diffusion on Pool Boiling of Dilute Solutions: An Experimental Assessment

Pool boiling heat transfer with dilute binary mixtures introduces two additional effects due to binary diffusion, and due to change in the surface tension. The secondary effects due to changes in contact angle and wetting characteristics may also play a role. The present study focuses on identifying these effects for dilute aqueous solutions of ethylene glycol. Pool boiling experiments are conducted to generate data in the range of one to ten percent mass fraction. It is found that in the low concentration region, the binary diffusion effects are insignificant for aqueous solutions of ethylene glycol, and a slight improvement in heat transfer coefficient is observed over the pure water value. The binary diffusion effects are related to a volatility parameter, V 1 . The heat transfer coefficient does not degrade in the region where V 1 < 0.03, and the surface tension does not change appreciably compared to pure water value. This points to the possibility that the changes in contact angle and wetting characteristics play an important role in the pool boiling heat transfer
Vasopressin‐enhanced urea transport by rat inner medullary collecting duct cells in culture

The distal inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) is critical in the urinary concentrating process, in part because it is the site of vasopressin (AVP)-regulated permeability to urea. The purpose of these experiments was to develop a cell culture model of the IMCD on permeable structure and to characterize the responsiveness to AVP. Rat IMCD cells were grown to confluence on collagen-coated Millipore filters glued onto plastic rings. To assess the time required to achieve confluence, the transepithelial resistance was measured periodically and was found to be stable after 2 weeks, at a maximal value of 595 +/- 22 omega cm2. In separate monolayers the effect of AVP on inulin and urea permeability was determined. While inulin permeability was unchanged after AVP, urea permeability increased from 6.0 +/- 0.4 to peak values of 16.0 +/- 3.8 (10 nM), 23.1 +/- 3.9 (1 microM) and 28.1 +/- 4.9 (10 microM) x 10(-6) cm s-1 (n = 24). In 10 other monolayers, after the addition of 1 mM 8-Br-cAMP, urea permeability increased from 5.1 +/- 0.3 to 8.1 +/- 1.6 x 10(-6) cm s-1 and, after 8-Br-cAMP + 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, to 12.2 +/- 0.7 x 10(-6) cm s-1. We conclude that rat IMCD cells grown in culture exhibit the characteristics of a 'tight' epithelium. Inulin and urea permeability are not different in the absence of AVP, consistent with high resistance junctional complexes. Furthermore, IMCD cells retain the capacity for AVP-regulated urea permeability, a characteristic feature of this nephron segment in vivo.
Accelerating Democracy: Transforming Governance Through Technology

Introduction 1 Chapter 1: The Ever Expanding Domain of Computation 9 Chapter 2: Democracy, Consequences, and Social Knowledge 25 Chapter 3: Experimenting with Democracy 40 Chapter 4: Unleashing Prediction Markets 60 Chapter 5: Distributing Information through Dispersed Media and Campaigns 77 Chapter 6: Accelerating AI 94 Chapter 7: Regulation in an Age of Technological Acceleration 109 Chapter 8: Bias and Democracy 121 Chapter 9: De-biasing Democracy 138 Conclusion: The Past and Future of Information Politics 149 Acknowledgments 161 Appendix 163 Notes 165 Index 203