cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TRAVEL, LOCATION AND RACE/ETHNICITY

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between residential location and travel among ethnic and racial population segments using the 1995 US Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS) data. Using measures of total daily travel, I explore the effects of metropolitan location and local neighborhood characteristics. I estimate models which test for both independent and interaction effects of race/ethnicity. I find that there are significant differences in travel characteristics across race/ethnic groups. There are independent effects associated with race/ethnicity. Individual characteristics such as sex, age and household income, have different effects on daily travel. Metropolitan location is not related to total daily travel. However, residential neighborhood characteristics are related and have different effects across race/ethnic groups. I conclude that our understanding of travel behavior is largely an understanding of the white majority population, which dominates analysis when race/ethnicity is not explicitly considered.
Helping Young Men Thrive: Positive Youth Development and Men’s Health:

Positive youth development (PYD) is a strong and growing field that complements the traditional problem-focused view of youth, and describes and promotes the healthy development and positive outcom...
Precipitating cloud‐system response to aerosol perturbations

[1] We simulate aerosol effects on a Tropical Western Pacific mixed-phase convective cloud system of two-day duration that is well constrained by observations. This facilitates exploration of aerosol-induced changes in precipitation pathways. A 10-fold increase in aerosol produces a small (9%) increase in the simulated precipitation due to an enhancement in convective rain countering a reduction in stratiform rain. A more distinct feature is that in stratiform clouds, precipitation efficiency PE and scavenging efficiency SE decrease significantly with increasing aerosol. There is very close agreement between PE and SE both temporally and for stratiform vs. convective rain. The time required for the perturbed system to relax back to the unperturbed aerosol state is ∼10 days, with only weak sensitivity to the magnitude of the aerosol perturbation and the modeled increase (or decrease) in precipitation. The upper tropospheric relaxation time is substantially longer, with implications for direct forcing and heterogeneous chemistry.
Decoding-Aware Compression of FPGA Bitstreams

Bitstream compression is important in reconfigurable system design since it reduces the bitstream size and the memory requirement. It also improves the communication bandwidth and thereby decreases the reconfiguration time. Existing research in this field has explored two directions: efficient compression with slow decompression or fast decompression at the cost of compression efficiency. This paper proposes a novel decode-aware compression technique to improve both compression and de compression efficiencies. The three major contributions of this paper are: 1) smart placement of compressed bitstreams that can significantly decrease the overhead of decompression engine; 2) selection of profitable parameters for bitstream compression; and 3) efficient combination of bitmask-based compression and run length encoding of repetitive patterns. Our proposed technique outperforms the existing compression approaches by 15%, while our decompression hardware for variable-length coding is capable of operating at the speed closest to the best known field-programmable gate array-based decoder for fixed-length coding.
Thermal transport in graphene

Abstract The recent advances in graphene isolation and synthesis methods have enabled potential applications of graphene in nanoelectronics and thermal management, and have offered a unique opportunity for investigation of phonon transport in two-dimensional materials. In this review, current understanding of phonon transport in graphene is discussed along with associated experimental and theoretical investigation techniques. Several theories and experiments have suggested that the absence of interlayer phonon scattering in suspended monolayer graphene can result in higher intrinsic basal plane thermal conductivity than that for graphite. However, accurate experimental thermal conductivity data of clean suspended graphene at different temperatures are still lacking. It is now known that contact of graphene with an amorphous solid or organic matrix can suppress phonon transport in graphene, although further efforts are needed to better quantify the relative roles of interface roughness scattering and phonon leakage across the interface and to examine the effects of other support materials. Moreover, opportunities remain to verify competing theories regarding mode specific scattering mechanisms and contributions to the total thermal conductivity of suspended and supported graphene, especially regarding the contribution from the flexural phonons. Several measurements have yielded consistent interface thermal conductance values between graphene and different dielectrics and metals. A challenge has remained in establishing a comprehensive theoretical model of coupled phonon and electron transport across the highly anisotropic and dissimilar interface.
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 upregulates leptin expression in mouse adipose tissue

Leptin is an adipose tissue-derived hormone that plays a critical role in energy homeostasis. Vitamin D has been shown to regulate energy metabolism, but the relationship between vitamin D and leptin is unclear. Leptin expression and secretion was reduced in vitamin D receptor (VDR)-null mice and increased in transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing the VDR in adipocytes; however, as leptin is mainly determined by fat mass, it is unclear whether the vitamin D hormone directly regulates leptin expression. To address this question, we determined the effect of vitamin D on leptin expression in vivo and ex vivo. One-week treatment of WT mice with the vitamin D analog RO-27-5646 led to a significant increase in adipose leptin mRNA transcript and serum leptin levels. Moreover, in adipose tissue cultures, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D markedly stimulated mRNA expression and secretion of leptin, but not resistin, in adipose tissues obtained from WT mice, but not from VDR-null mice, and leptin upregulation induced by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D was more robust in adipose tissues obtained from VDR Tg mice compared with WT mice. These data demonstrate that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D stimulates adipose leptin production in a VDR-dependent manner, suggesting that vitamin D may affect energy homeostasis through direct regulation of leptin expression.
Gravitational lensing effect on cosmic microwave background polarization

We investigate the effect of gravitational lensing by matter distribution in the universe on the cosmic microwave background polarization power spectra and temperature-polarization cross-correlation spectrum. As in the case of the temperature spectrum, gravitational lensing leads to a smoothing of narrow features and the enhancement of power on the damping tail of the power spectrum. Because the acoustic peaks in polarization spectra are narrower than in the temperature spectrum the smoothing effect is significantly larger and can reach up to 10% for $ll1000$ and even more above that. A qualitatively new feature is the generation of $B$ type polarization even when only $E$ is intrinsically present, such as in the case of pure scalar perturbations. This may be directly observed with Planck and other future small scale polarization experiments. The gravitational lensing effect is incorporated in the new version (2.4) of the CMBFAST code.
Committee Hearings as an Evaluation Format.

When evaluators are asked to report their work in settings where a variety of contending value perspectives are present, a committee-hearing approach may be just what is needed.
Employer Perceptions Of Student Informational Interviewing Skills And Behaviors

Employers continue to report that soft skills are critically important in obtaining employment and achieving long-term career success. Given the challenging job market for college graduates, business school faculty need to provide practical opportunities for students to develop their soft skills in professional settings. A longitudinal study was conducted at a Midwestern university’s AACSB accredited College of Business to determine the soft skills that employers believe students need to improve on to be successful. This paper shares 1) a management-oriented learning assignment that combines soft skill learning and application with professionals in work situations and 2) results of the professionals’ perceptions of the students’ soft skills. Results of this research will help faculty assess and improve their instructional methodology to better prepare students to meet employer expectations.
A minimally invasive incision for lung transplantation: antero-axillary approach

Increasing attention is being paid by cardiothoracic surgeons to performing cardiothoracic surgical procedures through less invasive approaches, including the use of limited skin incisions. A limited incisional approach is described that achieves full access to the entire chest cavity and the hilum, allows the use of standard operative instruments and techniques, permits rapid, easy initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass, and is easy to learn.
Vowel duration change and its underlying physiological mechanisms.

Two explanations have been proposed for the relationship between vowel-target formant frequency and articulatory stress. The first, the “extra energy” hypothesis, suggests that stressing is accompa...
Left Atrial Appendage Closure: Killing 2 Birds With 1 Stone?

Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has been practiced since the 1930s,[1][1] even without evidence‐based data in the form of randomized controlled trials in support of this procedure. Initially, LAA closure through excision or ligation was performed by
Game theoretic modeling of security and trust relationship in cyberspace

Summary Today, online network services have evolved as the highest-emergent medium, enabling various online activities to be lucrative. However, these lucrative activities also bring new forms of privacy threats to the community. In a reliable e-business service, users should be able to trust the providers of the service to protect their customers' privacy. The service providers should not risk the personal and private information about their customers in cyberspace. There is an economic gain for a business provider when users trust the service provider. Despite those benefits, cyber security concern is the main reason some large organization may go bankrupted. Unfortunately, attackers may attempt to breach a provider's database and expose customers' private information. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a game theoretic framework for security and trust relationship in cyberspace for users, service providers, and attackers. Mathematical proofs and evaluations support our model. Service providers may use the model to see how important and dissuasive against attackers is when investing in cybersecurity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abstract 3264: Downregulation of intersectin-1s in human lung cancer may contribute to tumorigenesis

The expression of intersectin-1s (ITSN-1s), a granzyme B (GrB) substrate and one of the trisomic genes that may provide protection against most cancers in Down9s syndrome, is significantly downregulated in human lung cancer (LC) cells and tissue. To date, there is no information on the cellular and molecular factors that modulate ITSN-1s expression or whether downregulation of ITSN-1s can contribute to LC. Thus, we hypothesize that loss of full-length ITSN-1s due to proteolytic cleavage by GrB during an inflammatory response and the interplay between the signaling events triggered by the two cleavage products, are part of a complex common molecular mechanism involved in the oncogenic transformation of cells. To address this hypothesis, we used cultured LC cells and tissue, as well as a range of biochemical (Western blot, ELISA, BrdU incorporation), molecular biology (plasmid DNA transfection, qPCR), morphological (immuno-histochemistry, fluorescence microscopy) approaches, soft agar colony formation and xenograft tumor formation in nude mice to evaluate whether downregulation of ITSN-1s can contribute to lung carcinogenesis. Western blot and immuno-histochemistry of LC cells and lung tissue lysates showed significant decrease in ITSN-1s protein levels, while qPCR revealed only slight decrease, if any, in ITSN-1s mRNA. In vitro studies showed that GrB cleaves ITSN-1s and generates a cleavage fragment (GrB-EH ITSN ) with high proliferative potential. Lung epithelial cells expressing the GrB-EH ITSN show 40% increase in BrdU incorporation, selective activation of p38 MAPK and downstream Elk-1 transcription factor. These findings are consistent with a p38 MAPK and Elk-1 pro-proliferative signaling pathway regulated by ITSN-1s. Activation of p38 and Elk-1 was also detected by western blot using phospho-specific antibodies, in all LC cells investigated. Expression of the two GrB cleavage fragments of ITSN-1s, individually or together, in human lung epithelial cells exerts a modulatory effect on the balance p38/Erk1/2 MAPK activation. Functional studies showed that ectopic expression of ITSN-1s in the LC cells restored the p38/Erk1/2 MAPK balance, significantly reduced their proliferation rate as well as the formation of colonies in soft agar and xenograft tumors in nude mice. Altogether, our results suggest that downregulation of ITSN-1s can promote the oncogenic transformation of cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3264. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3264
Occupational hazards and health status survey in enterprises with different nature in Minhang District of Shanghai City

[Objective]To understand the occupational hazards status of enterprises with different types in Minhang District of Shanghai City,to improve the local enterprise archives,and provide scientific evidence for all levels of government and health departments to develop occupational health services policy.[Methods]A total of 1 127 enterprises with occupational hazards were investigated,a database was established by using Excel,and then analyzed with the statistical software SPSS 17.0.[Results]Of all 1127 enterprises,920 were small and medium enterprises,182 of medium-scale,25 of large-scale.The number of workplace with occupational hazards was 2.64 ± 3.35 on average in each enterprise.Main occupational hazards in the workplace were dust,BTEX(benzene,toluene,xylene,etc.),ammonia,copper,nickel,tin,lead,zinc and mercury.The number of occupational hazards points(the total number of workplaces having or producing occupational hazards or occupational hazard points existing in the workplace) was 6.80 ± 15.24 on average,with minimum 0 and maximum 227.The occupational health examination rate of pre-job,during work and retiring was 87.03%,100.00% and 86.94%,respectively.[Conclusion]The main occupational hazrd in enterprises of Minghang District is dust.Therefore it is necessary to continue to strengthen monitoring and inspection,to carry out standardized occupational health management in operation environment and health surveillance of workers.
DOPPLER FREQUENCY SHIFTS OF A HF RADIO WAVE CAUSED BY THE IONOSPHERIC ACOUSTIC-GRAVITY WAVES

In this paper, the Doppler frequency shift △ω of a radio wave propagating in a moving, time-varying, inhomogeneous ionosphere is expressed as an integral of the normal velocity V of the equal refractive index (μ) surfaces, the integral being taken over the ray path of the radio wave. Since the velocity F of equal μ surfaces is independent of the movement of the ray path, this expression implies that, the contribution to △ω of the movement of the ray path will be conceled out by that of the refractive index variation on the ray path caused by the movement of the ray path itself. In the case of a stratified ionosphere, this expression reduces to a very simple form. Therefore some propagation problems of the radio wave arising in the study of the acoustic-gravity wave in the ionosphere with the HP Doppler sounder array, such as (1) the dependence of Aco on the working frequency, (2) the effective probing height of the Doppler sounder, (3) the analysis method of the Doppler records with "S" shape, (4) ths interpretation of the appearance of more than one peaks in the spectrum of △ω, etc., turn out to be solvable.
Conclusion: Translating Tissue Engineering into Successful Therapies

This volume has highlighted major advances in the design of biomaterials for regenerative medicine. Increasingly, tissue engineering is being recognized as a beneficial strategy for alleviating the global burden of disease. While significant progress has been made in the field of tissue regeneration, a number of scientific and engineering issues must be addressed before tissue-engineered scaffolds can be translated into clinical usage.
Do Views Toward Homosexuality Differ Based on Education? An Empirical Study of United States Opinion

Homosexuality is generally viewed negatively. That is certainly the case in the Jewish and Christian holy books as well as the Quran, although opinions differ as to interpretation. The practice has been condemned by these religions. An Imam in Orlando, Florida, the site of the mass murder of homosexuals, has gone so far as to say that killing homosexuals would be the compassionate thing to do.It is not the purpose of this paper to review the history of homosexuality, or the pros and cons or moral standing of the practice. Readers can obtain that information by reading the items listed in the reference section of this paper. The goal of this study is more limited, to determine whether views toward homosexuality differ based on education in the United States.The present study is part of a series on homosexuality. Other studies in the series look at trends on the acceptance of homosexuality and examine specific demographic variables such as gender, age, ethnicity, income, social class, religion and region to see whether these variables are significant. One study ranks the acceptance of homosexuality for 98 countries. Citations to some of those studies (with links) are listed in the reference section of the present paper.
The Law of Public Health

Until legislation appeared in the nineteenth century bringing some order into a situation bordering on the chaotic the regulation of public health was not seen necessarily as a function of the State or of local government. Indeed, one of the important methods of control was by way of the law of nuisance, which placed the responsibility for action squarely upon the individual. While nuisance still has a part to play today, the Public Health Acts from 1875 onwards provide the basis for the law relating to public health.
ACOUSTIC ILLUSIONS: EXPECTATION DIRECTED FILTERING IN THE HUMAN AUDITORY SYSTEM

An experiment is conducted to test expectation spectral filtering as an element in the human auditory system. The neural pathways in the auditory system are shown to include both afferent and efferent nerve bundles, of which the efferent paths conduct inhibitory signals to alter the spectral response of the sensor mechanisms in the organ of Corti, based on the expected signal. As expectation models of signal filtering are beyond the current approaches, speech recognition based on biological models may be significantly more difficult than present models would indicate.
Pain anxiety differentially mediates the association of pain intensity with function depending on level of intolerance of uncertainty

Uncertainty about symptom duration, cause, prognosis and treatment is common in patients who seek medical care, yet individual ability to manage this uncertainty varies. Intolerance of uncertainty is considered an important factor in the etiology and persistence of negative emotions- in particular, depression and anxiety. We explored the contribution of intolerance of uncertainty to anxiety due to pain and physical function in patients seeking care at an orthopedic medical practice. Participants (N = 105, mean age of 51 ± 17, 63% male) were administered PROMIS Physical Function v1.2 Upper Extremity CAT, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-short form (PASS-20), and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-short version (IUS-12). Results showed that the mediating role of pain anxiety is contingent upon the level of intolerance of uncertainty. Specifically, a minimum level of intolerance of uncertainty is required for the development of pain anxiety and its effect on function, and as intolerance of uncertainty rises from low to medium to high levels, the effect of pain on function goes from being independent of the anxiety to being more and more carried by and through anxiety about pain. These findings support the contention that intolerance of uncertainty plays a crucial role in the relationship between pain, pain anxiety, and physical function. Intolerance of uncertainty appears to be a trans-diagnostic target for coping skills training.
Twin models of environmental and genetic influences on pubertal development, salivary testosterone, and estradiol in adolescence.

OBJECTIVE Research on sources of variation in adolescent's gonadal hormone levels is limited. We sought to decompose individual differences in adolescent testosterone, estradiol, and pubertal status, into genetic and environmental components. DESIGN A sample of male and female adolescent twins from the greater Austin and Houston areas provided salivary samples, with a subset of participants providing longitudinal data at 2 waves. PARTICIPANTS The sample included 902 adolescent twins, 49% female, aged 13-20 years (M = 15.91) from the Texas Twin Project. Thirty-seven per cent of twin pairs were monozygotic; 30% were same-sex dizygotic (DZ) pairs; and 33% were opposite-sex DZ pairs. MEASUREMENTS Saliva samples were assayed for testosterone and estradiol using chemiluminescence immunoassays. Pubertal status was assessed using self-report. Biometric decompositions were performed using multivariate quantitative genetic models. RESULTS Genetic factors contributed substantially to variation in testosterone in males and females in the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle (h2 = 60% and 51%, respectively). Estradiol was also genetically influenced in both sexes, but was predominately influenced by nonshared environmental factors. The correlation between testosterone and estradiol was mediated by a combination of genetic and environmental influences for males and females. Genetic and environmental influences on hormonal concentrations were only weakly correlated with self-reported pubertal status, particularly for females. CONCLUSIONS Between-person variability in adolescent gonadal hormones and their interrelationship reflects both genetic and environmental processes, with both testosterone and estradiol containing sizeable heritable components.
Confronting Islamophobia in a Rural Appalachian Classroom

A research study in West Virginia in which a series of lessons were created to address the issues of Islamophobia, American exceptionalism, and nativism within a seventh-grade Ancient Civilizations classroom. The lessons spotlighted the Middle East, and students were presented with a more realistic view of Islamic cultures and were able to interact with Muslim individuals. Lessons focused on achieving authentic human interaction, seeing through multiple perspectives, and appreciating the differences in other cultures. Students were confronted with experiences and content that allowed them to challenge their xenophobic sentiments. These experiences had profound effects on students' negative and xenophobic dispositions.
Toward the Formulation of a Global Local Equilibrium Kinetics Model for Laminar Hydrocarbon Flames

A global chemistry model for hydrocarbon combustion is formulated and applied to the computation of methane and ethane-air laminar flames. The formulation of the model is based on a first order expansion of the reaction rates about local equilibrium. The motivation for this local equilibrium model is discussed by first analysing the performance of standard global models. It is concluded that H2 and CO need to be included in these models if the energy release is to be predicted accurately over the range of equivalence ratios of interest (0.5 ≤ φ ≤ 3). However, the inclusion of H2 and CO in standard irreversible reaction mechanisms is difficult. The reason is that the stoichiometric coefficients of a one-step mechanism (or the rates of the individual reactions in the equivalent multistep irreversible mechanism) have to be selected empirically or computed from the complete thermodynamic equilibrium solution, and this latter approach is computationally inefficient. A multi-step reversible reaction scheme could also be used, but for the reactions addressed in this study this requires that three Arrhenius-type forward rate expressions be specified. The proposed local equilibrium model does allow H2 and CO and their equilibria to be included and the method is computationally efficient.The method can be applied using only one Arrhenius term and it can also be extended to include multiple time scales for the modeling of multi-step reactions. The results indicate that laminar flame speed trends such as the dependence of flame speed on equivalence ratio can be modeled satisfactorily.
The Effects of Ethanol on Synaptic Membrane Calcium Transporting Systems

The intracellular regulation of calcium ion concentrations, [Ca2+]i, represents a very complex and crucial problem for all animal cells, but especially for neurons and muscle cells which repeatedly experience transient massive increases in free Ca2+ levels. Most cells use this divalent cation as a messenger in the transduction of signals from the extracellular environment to the inside of the cell. This messenger serves to initiate many different responses including secretion, contraction, etc, depending on the nature of the cells receiving the information. Given the enormous array of cellular events initiated and/or mediated by transient elevations in free [Ca2+]i, a very significant research effort has been devoted to understanding the mechanisms involved in raising and then lowering Ca2+ concentrations in response to various stimuli. Our expanding knowledge of the processes which govern Ca2+ movements across membranes has also led to observations regarding the effects of many psychoactive drugs on the ability of cells to regulate their free Ca2+ concentrations effectively. The focus of this discussion is the current state of our knowledge regarding effects of ethanol on the processes primarily responsible for the transmembrane movement of Ca2+ in neurons.
Administration guidelines for intraperitoneal chemotherapy for ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer has a unique pattern of spread, with the peritoneal cavity being the primary site of disease. Intraperitoneal delivery of chemotherapeutic agents allows for a higher concentration of drug for a more prolonged period of time at the major site of disease, providing a rationale for its use in ovarian cancer. This approach is supported by multiple clinical trials demonstrating an improved outcome for ovarian cancer patients who receive intraperitoneal chemotherapy. This chapter will address issues critical to the administration of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in ovarian cancer including selection of appropriate patients, the fundamentals of intraperitoneal chemotherapy administration, as well as practical guidelines for trouble-shooting commonly encountered problems.
Nutrient and iron cycling in a modern analogue for the redoxcline of a Proterozoic ocean shelf

Abstract Proterozoic oceans are characterized by a thin veneer of oxygenated surface waters underlain by anoxic or euxinic deeper waters, and it has been hypothesized that metabolically flexible microbes such as cyanobacteria would have thrived under these conditions. However, relatively little is known about the relationship between water chemistry, microbial mats, and the biogeochemical cycling of macronutrients (C, N, P, and S) and Fe in these redox transition zones. We investigated the burial of these elements in a modern analogue for the Proterozoic to constrain these relationships better. The low-oxygen and high sulfate water chemistry of Middle Island Sinkhole (MIS; a sinkhole within Lake Huron) allows for the proliferation of a microbial mat community with diverse metabolisms within the photic zone at the sediment-water interface similar to what has been hypothesized following the Great Oxidation Event (~2.35 Ga). Sediments from MIS were compared to those of a fully oxygenated Lake Huron control site in order to determine how water chemistry and microbial mat presence impact biogeochemical cycling. MIS sediments have a greater accumulation of macronutrients than Lake Huron, with stable C isotopes and C:N ratios demonstrating that the C buried within MIS and Lake Huron sediments comes from the same phytoplankton source. Given that both sites bury C from the same source, the increased organic matter burial in MIS is not dependent on microbial mat presence and instead must be controlled by differences in preservation. Sequential extraction of iron indicates that MIS is ferruginous, but not euxinic, and that Lake Huron is oxic; both results are consistent with measured water chemistry. At the same time, the presence of ferruginous iron speciation in sediments under a partly oxygenated water column suggests that the sediment is recording either rapid transformations across the redoxcline rather than the whole water column, some in situ re-speciation of iron, or both. This has important implications for our interpretations of Fe speciation results in the geologic record. Taken together, nutrient and Fe burial in the analogue MIS site demonstrate that Proterozoic biogeochemical cycling in surficial sediments may be predominately driven by a combination of water column and porewater redox chemistry, and not microbial activity.
Assessing Multiple-Point Statistical Facies Simulation Behavior for Effective Conditioning on Probabilistic Data

Conditioning multiple-point statistical (MPS) facies simulation on dynamic flow data is complicated by the complex relation between flow responses and facies distribution. One way to incorporate feedback from the flow data into MPS simulation is by constructing (and updating) facies probability maps (soft data) and using the results to constrain the MPS simulation outputs, for example, through Single Normal Equation SIMulation (SNESIM) algorithm and the $$ \tau $$-model. The pattern-imitating behavior of MPS simulation (specifically, the SNESIM) has been shown to result in a sizable fraction of facies models that fail to effectively capture the correct location and spatial connectivity represented by the facies probability map. This paper presents two key observations that explains this behavior/outcome: (1) the facies patterns resulting from the SNESIM are primarily controlled by the outcome of the first few grid cells along the corresponding random path (early stages of the simulation); and (2) the facies outcomes in the remaining grid cells are dominated by extremely confident conditional probabilities extracted from the TI to generate the encoded connectivity patterns in the TI. Hence, the contribution of facies probability map become increasingly inconsequential as the simulation proceeds. This intrinsic property must be accounted for in developing data conditioning methods, especially when training images with large-scale connectivity patterns are considered. Two approaches for addressing this issue include adapting the random path at early stages to the key information in the probability map to properly reflect its impact, or treating high-probability events from the probability map as hard data. Examples are presented to illustrate this behavior, followed by a simple method to improve the effectiveness of integrating facies probability maps (and flow response data) into SNESIM.
Advances in Windshear Recovery Research

Abstract This paper summarizes the research on the optimization and guidance of flight trajectories in the presence of windshear, performed by the Aero-Astronautics Group of Rice University during the period 1984–89. This research refers to windshear recovery systems and covers two major areas of investigation: optimal trajectories for take-off, abort landing, and penetration landing; and guidance schemes for take-off, abort landing, and penetration landing.
Predicting Pop up Threats from an Adaptive Markov Model

We consider military scenarios in which an adversary has ground assets that are not observable most of the time, and on occasion, they pop up and become observable for short durations of time. It is desired to deploy Unmanned Air Vehicles and persistently deny the adversary time windows for launching weapons. We model the pop up phenomenon as an Adaptive Markov Chain, and use the model to predict future pop up threat locations. The UAVs are controlled to move towards the predicted threats to better perform Persistent Area Denial Mission. The objective is to reduce the time between the pop up and the time to reach the pop up. Preliminary simulation experiments are presented.
Keeping an Eye on the Competition Observational Learning in Analysts’ Forecasts

Substantial research shows the importance of different network structures in the process of learning from others. Learning in most of these networks takes place when knowledge is transferred via social or business ties. I argue that network structure matters differently for observational learning, defined as an arm’s length process of observing and incorporating information from others who are unable or unwilling to transfer knowledge. I argue that, even in the absence of sociality and collaboration, closed networks improve decision makers’ performance by facilitating observational learning. Closed networks improve performance by focusing decision makers’ attention on relevant sources of information and providing context that is useful for interpreting what is observed. I find that security analysts’ earnings forecasts are more accurate when their stock coverage network is closed. This effect is robust only for analysts who reacted to the opinions their competitors published, which supports observational learning as the underlying mechanism. Learning from competitors’ forecasts is further supported using a natural experiment. I find that the sudden absence of analysts who perished in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center reduced survivors’ forecasting accuracy as a function of the damages to their coverage network.
The significance of genetic mutations and their prognostic impact on patients with incidental finding of isolated del(20q) in bone marrow without morphologic evidence of a myeloid neoplasm.

Patients with a sole del(20q) chromosomal abnormality and without morphologic features of a myeloid neoplasm (MN) have shown variable clinical outcomes. To explore the potential risk stratification markers in this group of patients, we evaluated their genetic mutational landscape by a 35-gene MN-focused next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel and examined the association of mutations to progression of MNs. Our study included 56 patients over a 10-year period with isolated del(20q), of whom 23 (41.1%) harbored at least one mutation. With a median follow-up of 32.6 months (range: 0.1−159.1), 9 of 23 patients with mutation(s) progressed to MNs, while all 33 patients without mutations did not progress to MN. Kaplan−Meier survival analysis demonstrated the presence of mutation(s) as a significant risk factor for progression to MN (P < 0.0001). MN progression was strongly associated with the presence of non-DNMT3A/TET2/ASXL1 epigenetic modifiers and nonspliceosome mutations (P = 0.003). There was no significant difference among patients with and without MN progression with respect to the number of mutations, variant allele frequency, percentage of del(20q), and other clinical/laboratory variables. This study illustrates the underlying genetic heterogeneity and complexity of isolated del(20q), and underscores the prognostic value of NGS mutational analysis in these cases.
Short Skirts, Superpowers, and the Evolution of the Beautiful Fighting Girl

This chapter demonstrates how the application of a female gaze in Japanese graphic novels serves as an alternative to phallocentric theories of narrative consumption and male-dominated discourses concerning women and gender roles in contemporary Japan. It does so by examining two influential magical girl manga, Takeuchi Naoko’s Sailor Moon and CLAMP’s Magic Knight Rayearth. Drawing on fan responses such as blog entries and fan art, this chapter also illustrates how the female gaze can be used as a means of resistant reading that challenges the understanding of anime and manga fans as passive and socially disconnected consumers.
A scientific examination of the 21-foot rule

The purpose of this study was to scientifically assess the long-standing 21-foot rule. There are several anecdotal publications looking at the 21-foot rule as a standard in policing. This study use...
Liquidity Regulation, Bank Complexity and Policy: GFC vs COVID-19 Crisis

We introduce a general equilibrium model to analyze the interactions between liquidity regulations and banks’ investment in complex assets. Complexity improves bank liquidity in good times but heightens vulnerability to runs during crises. Banks underinvest in complex assets when liquidity regulations are loose and overinvest when liquidity regulations are tight. Liquidity regulations qualitatively affect the structure of complementary ex-ante policies, such as asset-specific taxes, but they can also undermine the benefit of ex-post interventions that support interbank loan prices, such as quantitative easing. The implications of the model are examined empirically in the context of the Liquidity Coverage Ratio.
Dynamic Profiling of Binding and Allosteric Propensities of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein with Different Classes of Antibodies: Mutational and Perturbation-Based Scanning Reveal Allosteric Duality of Functionally Adaptable Hotspots

Structural and biochemical studies of the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with highly potent antibodies have revealed multiple conformation-dependent epitopes and a broad range of recognition modes linked to different neutralization responses In this study, we combined atomistic simulations with mutational and perturbation-based scanning approaches to perform in silico profiling of binding and allosteric propensities of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein residues in complexes with B38, P2B-2F6, EY6A and S304 antibodies representing three different classes. Conformational dynamics analysis revealed that binding-induced modulation of soft modes can elicit the unique protein response to different classes of antibodies. Mutational scanning heatmaps and sensitivity analysis revealed the binding energy hotspots for different classes of antibodies that are consistent with the experimental deep mutagenesis, showing that differences in the binding affinity caused by global circulating variants in spike positions K417, E484 and N501 are relatively moderate and may not fully account for the observed antibody resistance effects. Through functional dynamics analysis and perturbation-response scanning of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein residues in the unbound form and antibody-bound forms, we examine how antibody binding can modulate allosteric propensities of spike protein residues and determine allosteric hotspots that control signal transmission and global conformational changes. These results show that residues K417, E484, and N501 targeted by circulating mutations correspond to a group of versatile allosteric centers in which small perturbations can modulate collective motions, alter the global allosteric response and elicit binding resistance. We suggest that SARS-CoV-2 S protein may exploit plasticity of specific allosteric hotspots to generate escape mutants that alter response to antibody binding without compromising activity of the spike protein.
Impact of community-based exercise program participation on aerobic capacity in women with and without breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Evidence for exercise as an efficacious strategy to improve aerobic capacity of breast cancer survivors (BCS) has come largely from intervention studies conducted in laboratory settings. There is an increasing need to translate to community-type settings, but the efficacy of those interventions using gold standard evaluation is not well-established. AIM To investigate whether similar improvement in aerobic capacity (maximal oxygen consumption [VO2]) measured with gold standard testing can be achieved through a community-based setting in BCS. METHODS A peak cardiopulmonary exercise test (VO2peak), 6-min walk test (6MWT), and timed up and go test (TUG) were assessed pre- and post-16 wk of progressive intensity aerobic and strength training exercise at a community center. RESULTS The sample consisted of 31 early BCS (< 1 year since treatment completion) and 15 controls (CTLs). Both groups significantly improved VO2peak (+1.2 mL/kg/min; P = 0.030), 6MWT (+35 meters; P < 0.001), and TUG (-0.44 s; P < 0.01) following training. Both groups improved peak cycling power during the cardiopulmonary exercise test with BCS improving by +10 watts more than the CTLs (P = 0.020). Average exercise attendance was 71% (34 of 48 possible days), but compliant days averaged only 60% of total days for aerobic, and < 40% for strength in both groups. CONCLUSION Community-based exercise programs can be an effective strategy to improve aerobic capacity and physical function for early-stage BCS but potentially not to the same extent observed in laboratory-based randomized controlled trials. Further research is needed to explore barriers and facilitators of exercise engagement in community-based centers to maximize training benefits for adults with cancer.
China's industrial revolution: A new perspective

Abstract In “The Industrial Structure of Production: An Outline of a Research Program,” Ronald Coase and Ning Wang (2001) made a plea for a new economic research program that can go beyond the Arrow-Debreu framework and explain China's miraculous rise. They point out that the greatest trouble with the Arrow-Debreu framework lies in its inability to explain production. In this article I will push this insight further to shed new light on why and how production, or mass production in particular, emerged and mushroomed in the 18th–19th century England, the 19th–20th century United States, and 20th-21st century China but not in other parts of the world with similar geo-developmental conditions such as the Netherlands, Mexico, or India. My central thesis is that production or firms emerge in response to market demand, yet the so-called “market” is itself a fundamental public good that must be created by a development state instead of the “invisible hand.” Therefore, the lack of industrialization in any nation seems on the surface due to the lack of mass supply, but is in fact due to the lack of a mass market, which in turn is due to the lack of powerful and strong-willed market creators.
Preparing to Engage in Culturally Sustaining Practices in Urban Education Environments

It is important for special educators in urban environments to have a deep understanding of the values, beliefs, and practices of diverse students with disabilities and their families. Research ind...
An evaluation of some important Internet resources for transportation academics

An evaluation is presented of information resources useful for academics in transportation, including industry publications, trade associations, and government agencies. The author concentrated on free services rather subscription ones. Sites are evaluated for being the most useful for each of the five transportation modes. The Department of Transportation's Web site is evaluated as well as some general transportation and logistics periodicals. The author concludes that in general, there is a great deal of information, but much of what was once free now is available only for a fee. He issues a caveat that when in doubt, if something seems as if it might be useful, it is best to download it because it may not be available when the user returns later.
Growth potential of porcine reduced-size mature pulmonary lobar transplants.

The use of mature pulmonary lobes for pediatric lung transplantation has recently been described. Successful application of this technique could help alleviate the pediatric donor lung shortage. Whether an already mature lobe can grow by forming new alveolar units after transplantation into a developing recipient is not known. We therefore measured functional residual capacity, fixed lung volume and weight, alveolar size and air space volume percent, and total number of alveoli in mature left lower lobe porcine lung transplants 12 weeks after transplantation into growing piglets. Comparisons were made with nontransplanted mature left lower lobes to determine if functional or morphologic growth had occurred after transplantation. The transplanted and control lobes were all taken from 6-month-old animals (mean body weight 105 ± 4 kg). Recipients of the transplanted lobes were 9 weeks old and weighed 22 ± 2 kg. By the end of the 12-week holding period, the recipient animals increased their body weight approximately fourfold (85 ± 4 kg). No significant differences were seen in functional residual capacity or morphologic analysis of total alveolar number and alveolar size between the transplanted and nontransplanted lobes (p = not significant). Although the reduced-size mature porcine lobar transplants did not display a significant increase in either functional residual capacity or total alveolar number, there was significant growth of the transplanted mature lobes as determined by fixed volume and total lobar weight (p ≤ 0.05 versus control animals). (J T horac C ardiovasc S urg 1992; 104:1329-32)
The epithelial changes in the fetal cervix, including the role of the reserve cell.

Abstract 1. 1. Changes similar to those seen in the cervix of the pregnant woman-namely, gland hyperplasia, gland epithelial hyperplasia, and adenomatous hyperplasia and epidermization, were found to be characteristic of the fetal cervix. 2. 2. Adenomatous hyperplasia and epidermization seem to be related to activity of a multipotential cell termed the “reserve cell.” 3. 3. The “reserve cell” was capable of marked hyperplasia and metaplasia and occasionally exhibited disorderly growth characteristics somewhat similar to those shown in intraepithelial carcinoma. 4. 4. Hyperactivity of the basal cells of the ectocervical epithelium was found in 7 instances at the squamocolumnar junction and, although not marked, resembled a similar change in the adult cervix.
An algorithmic theory of learning: robust concepts and random projection

We study the phenomenon of cognitive learning from an algorithmic standpoint. How does the brain effectively learn concepts from a small number of examples despite the fact that each example contains a huge amount of information? We provide a novel analysis for a model of robust concept learning (closely related to "margin classifiers"), and show that a relatively small number of examples are sufficient to learn rich concept classes (including threshold functions, Boolean formulae and polynomial surfaces). As a result, we obtain simple intuitive proofs for the generalization bounds of Support Vector Machines. In addition, the new algorithm has several advantages-they are faster conceptually simpler and highly resistant to noise. For example, a robust half-space can be PAC-learned in linear time using only a constant number of training examples, regardless of the number of attributes. A general (algorithmic) consequence of the model, that "more robust concepts are easier to learn", is supported by a multitude of psychological studies.