cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On centroid connectors in static traffic assignment: Their effects on flow patterns and how to optimize their selections

Abstract In this paper, we investigate to what extent the results of static traffic assignment (STA) are influenced by centroid connectors and how to optimize their selections. Three networks are used to evaluate the impact of different centroid connector configurations on the resulting traffic flow pattern: a synthetic grid network, the California SR-41 corridor network and a large Sacramento area network. From the STA results of these three networks, we observe large fluctuations on resultant link volumes, maximum volume capacity (V/C) ratios, average V/C ratios and total travel time with respect to randomized connector selections. The fluctuations seem to indicate that STA results are unstable with respect to arbitrary connector selections, and this cannot be improved by simply changing the number of connectors. In fact, more connectors often result in serious under-estimation of total travel time and average link load. We infer that, if provided little information of access/egress nodes of trips, randomly generated connectors lead to artificial over- or under-utilization on network links. We therefore propose a connector optimization algorithm in which the connectors and their travel times are chosen in such a way that the maximum V/C ratio of some characteristic links is minimized. As the numerical example on the SR-41 network indicates, this connector optimization algorithm reduces the artificial over- and under-utilization of network links, and obtains a flow pattern more consistent with the one derived from a refined network where trip access/egress nodes are known in details.
A concept analysis of watchful waiting among providers caring for women in labour.

Aim. This paper is a report of an analysis of the concept of watchful waiting. Background. Little is known about differences between the intrapartum care processes of midwives and physicians. In this time of growing rates of surgical birth outcomes, intrapartum care processes are a key area for research and improvement. Watchful waiting is a common care plan used by both midwives and physicians that involves the timing of interventions in labour. Design. Rodgers’ Evolutionary Model was used to conduct a concept analysis of the term watchful waiting. Data sources. Scientific literature authored by, and about, midwives and physicians, as located via an intrapartum-focused database search inclusive of years 1922‐May 2012. Thirty English-language articles from nine different countries were located, representing the midwifery and physician scientific literature focusing on watchful waiting in labour and provider decision-making processes. Review method. Attributes, consequences, antecedents and affecting themes were identified through a thematic analysis of the identified articles. Results. Data analysis reveals that many midwives and physicians define watchful waiting differently, based on their philosophies of care. Conclusion. The care of women in labour is complicated as a result of different understandings by some providers of common processes of intrapartum care.
A deterministic-dither-based, all-digital system for on-chip power supply noise measurement

Supply-noise measurement techniques are becoming increasingly critical in modern digital design, driven by the trend toward smaller, lower-voltage domains. All-digital measurement modules capable of meeting bandwidth and resolution requirements would enable spatially fine supply voltage measurements across Systems-on-Chip. Existing implementations either use analog techniques, limiting their applicability, or do not meet the increasingly challenging requirements of supply noise measurement. In this paper we discuss a bandwidth-resolution-reconfigurable all-digital system that relies on a dithering technique to achieve a resolution of 2.05 mV at a bandwidth of 6.94 GHz in an industrial 65 nm CMOS process.
Practice Corner: Taking evidence in hand

Come with us while our clinical team makes rounds. As each patient is seen and discussed, we often find that we have gaps in our knowledge related to the clinical decisions we‘re making. In this Practice Corner, we‘ll illustrate how we meet some of those information needs rapidly using resources stored in a personal digital assistant (PDA),1 placing in brackets the time it takes us to retrieve the evidence. We‘ll provide contact information in a table for selected resources and more information is available on our website (www.wsuim.org/PDA). Wherever possible, we use PDA resources that are evidence-based, meaning that their manufacturers are fully explicit about how they searched for evidence on clinical questions, appraised that evidence critically and rated its strength, and tied the strength of the evidence to the recommendations made.2 Our first patient is an older man admitted for pneumonia, in whom the medical student found a surprising abdominal pulsation. On examination we confirm that the aortic pulse contour is 3 cm wide. How accurate is this finding for detecting abdominal aortic aneurysm? On our Palm OS-based PDA, we tap the “Find” function, enter “AAA”, and then tap open a memo that tells us that the positive likelihood ratio of this clinical finding for abdominal aortic aneurysm is 12.0 [4 seconds]. In this memo we‘d written a synopsis of the evidence, similar in structure to the larger Critically Appraised Topic (CAT)2 …
What's So Special about Rights?

Future historians of moral and political philosophy may well label our period the Age of Rights. In moral philosophy it is now widely assumed that the two most plausible types of normative theories are Utilitarianism and Kantian theories and that the contest between them must be decided in the end by seeing whether Utilitarianism can accommodate a prominent role for rights in morality. In political philosophy even the most bitter opponents in the perennial debate over conflicts between liberty and equality often share a common assumption: that the issue of liberty versus equality can only be resolved (or dissolved) by determining which is the correct theory of rights. Some contend that equal respect for persons requires enforcement of moral rights to goods and services required for the pursuit of one's own conception of the good, while others protest that an enforced system of ‘positive’ rights violates the right to liberty whose recognition is the essence of equal respect for persons. The dominant views in contemporary moral and political philosophy combine an almost unbounded enthusiasm for the concept of rights with seemingly incessant disagreement about what our rights are and which rights are most basic. Unfortunately, that which enjoys our greatest enthusiasm is often that about which we are least critical.My aim in this essay is to take a step backward in order to examine the assumption that frames the most important debates in contemporary moral and political philosophy – the assumption that the concept of a right has certain unique features which make rights so especially valuable as to be virtually indispensable elements of any acceptable social order.
Quantization of lie Bialgebras via the Formality of the operad of Little Disks

We give a proof of the Etingof–Kazhdan theorem on quantization of Lie bialgebras based on the formality of the chain operad of little disks and show that the Grothendieck–Teichmuller group acts non-trivially on the corresponding quantization functors.
A Welcomed New Myocardial Perfusion Imaging Agent for Positron Emission Tomography

It has been quite some time since a new myocardial perfusion agent for radionuclide imaging was introduced into clinical practice. For more than 30 years, rest and stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), employing first planar and then single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) technology, have been performed with thallium-201, Tc-99m sestamibi and Tc-99m tetrofosmin. MPI with these agents has provided useful diagnostic and prognostic information superior to that attained with exercise electrocardiography alone in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD).1 With the exception of diabetic patients1 and patients with advanced chronic kidney disease,2 subjects with normal exercise perfusion scans have a <1.0% death or nonfatal infarction rate per year, whereas patients with abnormal scans have an ≈6% yearly hard event rate.1 Patients with normal pharmacological stress scans have a slightly higher annual event rate3 because patients who are unable to exercise are at higher clinical risk for CAD. For positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, the dominant perfusion tracers used in the clinical setting are N-13 ammonia and Rb-82, the latter eluted from a generator.4 The short-lived cyclotron-produced radionuclide Oxygen-15 water is another PET perfusion agent that has predominantly been used in the research setting. Sensitivity and specificity of PET myocardial perfusion imaging appear to be higher compared with that reported for SPECT,5 and the prognostic value of PET MPI is similar to that observed with SPECT.6,7 One potential advantage of PET over SPECT MPI is the ability to quantitate myocardial blood flow in mL · min−1 · g−1 and measure coronary flow reserve using dynamic imaging and tracer kinetic models.8,9 Article see p 2333 All the existing myocardial perfusion agents for SPECT and PET have some limitations that affect accuracy in detecting CAD or detecting its …
On the Antiquity of the Single-Piece Shell Fishhook: AMS Radiocarbon Evidence from the Southern California Coast

Abstract During the Late Holocene, a number of new technologies (single-piece fishhooks, toggling harpoons, plank canoes, etc.) are thought to have significantly enhanced the fishing capabilities of California coastal peoples. The single-piece fishhook, perhaps the most common of these artifacts, appears to correlate with a regional intensification of marine fishing and a period of increased population growth. Determining the antiquity of the single-piece fishhook has been complicated by a variety of taphonomic and methodological factors. Consequently, age estimates for the initial appearance of these artifacts range from about 5500 to 2500 cal- bp . To help clarify the chronology of this important artifact type, we had eight of the potentially oldest shell fishhooks in the region AMS radiocarbon dated. These dates indicate that the single-piece shell fishhook appeared throughout the southern and central California Coast by at least 2500 cal- bp . Our data illustrate the utility of direct AMS dating of individual artifacts as a method of documenting site disturbances (bioturbation, historical land use, etc.) and refining artifact, site, and regional chronologies.
Comparing Apples and Oranges: Does Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Deal Fairly with the Old and Young?

This paper considers the role patient age plays in the type of outcome analysis most germane for policymakers: cost-effectiveness analysis. The magnitude of age bias is quantified and means to modify it are described. In particular, present value analysis (discounting) is demonstrated to markedly attenuate the effect of patient age on cost-effectiveness analysis. As the discount rate gets larger, the difference in potential "life-years" between old and young gets smaller and the age bias is minimized. However, relegating a decision about the importance of patient age to a decision about the discount rate seems inappropriate. Value judgments cannot be avoided; therefore, it is best that they be explicit.
The Clearance and Metabolism of Biotin Administered Intravenously to Pigs in Tracer and Physiologic Amounts Is Much More Rapid than Previously Appreciated

Understanding of biotin pharmacokinetics and regulation of metabolism is essential for the determination of the biotin requirement for humans. Using Landrace-Cambrough pigs as a model, we initially demonstrated that biotin binding to protein accounts for only a small percentage of the total biotin in plasma. A physiologic amount of [ 14 C]biotir was administered intravenously to three pigs; nine blood samples were collected over 48 h. Plasma concentrations of 14 C-labeled metabolites were negligible for the first 2 h after biotin infusion. Disappearance curves of total 14 C and of [ 14 C]biotin were similar; both fit a triexponential function consistent with a three-compartment, open model. To characterize the rapid early phase of disappearance more precisely, a physiologic amount of [ 14 C]biotin was administered intravenously to five pigs; eight blood samples were collected over the first hour and 16 total samples over 48 h. Again a triexponential function provided an excellent fit. The mean half-life values (± 1 so) for the three phases were 0.11 ± 0.07, 1.43 ± 0.42 and 22 ± 4 h. The [ 14 C]biotin accumulated primarily in the liver, kidney and muscle. When administered intravenously at tracer doses to three pigs, [ 3 H]biotin exhibited similar early pharmacokinetics; however, substantial quantities of a 3 H-labeled metabolite appeared after 1 h. These studies provide evidence that egress of biotin from plasma is more rapid than previously appreciated. The slower second and third phases may represent transport into the cytosol, biotransformation into intermediates and covalent binding to intracellular proteins. Similar pharmacokinetics are likely to be seen in humans.
Emergency medicine residents' knowledge of mechanical ventilation.

Abstract Background Although Emergency physicians frequently intubate patients, management of mechanical ventilation has not been emphasized in emergency medicine (EM) residency curricula. Objectives The objective of this study was to quantify EM residents' education, experience, and knowledge regarding mechanical ventilation. Methods We developed a survey of residents' educational experiences with ventilators and an assessment tool with nine clinical questions. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between residents' scores on the assessment instrument and their training, education, and comfort with ventilation. Results Of 312 EM residents, 218 responded (69.9%). The overall correct response rate for the assessment tool was 73.3%, standard deviation (SD) ± 22.3. Seventy-seven percent (n = 167) of respondents reported ≤ 3 h of mechanical ventilation education in their residency curricula over the past year. Residents reported frequently caring for ventilated patients in the ED, as 64% (n = 139) recalled caring for ≥ 4 ventilated patients per month. Fifty-three percent (n = 116) of residents endorsed feeling comfortable caring for mechanically ventilated ED patients. In multiregression analysis, the only significant predictor of total test score was residents' comfort with caring for mechanically ventilated patients (F = 10.963, p = 0.001). Conclusions EM residents report caring for mechanically ventilated patients frequently, but receive little education on mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, as residents' performance on the assessment tool is only correlated with their self-reported comfort with caring for ventilated patients, these results demonstrate an opportunity for increased educational focus on mechanical ventilation management in EM residency training.
ORBIT: A Multiresolution Framework for Deformable Registration of Brain Tumor Images

A deformable registration method is proposed for registering a normal brain atlas with images of brain tumor patients. The registration is facilitated by first simulating the tumor mass effect in the normal atlas in order to create an atlas image that is as similar as possible to the patient's image. An optimization framework is used to optimize the location of tumor seed as well as other parameters of the tumor growth model, based on the pattern of deformation around the tumor region. In particular, the optimization is implemented in a multiresolution and hierarchical scheme, and it is accelerated by using a principal component analysis (PCA)-based model of tumor growth and mass effect, trained on a computationally more expensive biomechanical model. Validation on simulated and real images shows that the proposed registration framework, referred to as ORBIT (optimization of tumor parameters and registration of brain images with tumors), outperforms other available registration methods particularly for the regions close to the tumor, and it has the potential to assist in constructing statistical atlases from tumor-diseased brain images.
Small Signal Equivalent Circuit Modeling for AlGaN/GaN HFET: Hybrid Extraction Method for Determining Circuit Elements of AlGaN/GaN HFET

The developments in AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field effect transistors (HFETs) are beginning to allow harnessing of the great potential of this technology in high-power radio-frequency (RF) applications. However, the integration of HFET into a circuit environment requires accurate small and large signal modeling of the device operating under various biasing conditions. The conventional small signal equivalent circuit modeling methods consist of “cold” measurements for extracting parasitic elements, and on-bias measurements in determining the intrinsic device circuit elements. Also, the optimization routines are often explored directly using the “hot” measurement data to minimize errors. In this paper, an 18-element small signal equivalent circuit model for AlGaN/GaN HFET is proposed and implemented, and contrasted to various de-embedding methods. Among the methods treated, the hot-FET optimization extraction based on the parasitic capacitances obtained from cold measurements leads to the smallest error between the simulated S-parameters and the measured ones at all bias points employed, with an average error of about 5%. This hybrid extraction algorithm is strengthened by imposing constraints to avoid any nonphysical convergence. We note that the extrinsic parasitics determined by this method differ considerably from the values obtained by cold-FET measurements, which implies that the assumption on the bias independency for extrinsic parameters in the latter method might be questionable for AlGaN/GaN HFET.
The marginal band, a new structural component of the developing angiosperm leaf

The marginal band, a newly described structure of the dicot leaf, plays an essential role in the formation of this organ. It arises along the two edges of a leaf as several files of adaxial epidermal cells during the peg stage of ontogeny. Functionally, it appears to serve as the prepattern for a number of secondary features including (i) the marginal growth meristem present in all leaves as seen in mountain laurel, (ii) rows of lobes and spines as in Salvia and Ilex, (iii) pigmentation as in some cultivars of Hydrangea, (iv) propagation as in the plantlets of Kalanchoe pinnata, (v) marginal ridges for support in a few varieties of Viburnum and Ilex, and (vi) marginal necrosis as in Strelitzia for blade partitioning. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2003, 143, 21–28.
A convergent approximation of the continuous-time optimal parameter estimator

Continuous-time linear stochastic systems that are bilinear in the state and parameters are considered. A specific approximation to the optimal nonlinear filter used as a recursive parameter estimator is derived by retaining third-order moments and using a Gaussian approximation for higher order moments. With probability one, the specific approximation is proved to converge to a minimum of the likelihood function. The proof uses the ordinary differential equation technique and requires that the trajectories of the slow system be bounded on finite time intervals and that the fixed parameter fast system by asymptotically stable. The fixed parameter fast system is proved to be asymptotically stable if the parameter update gain is small enough. Essentially, the specific approximation is asympotically equivalent to the recursive prediction error method, thus inheriting its asymptotic rate of convergence. A numerical simulation for a simple example indicates that the specific approximation has better transient response than other commonly used convergent parameter estimators. >
Single crystal Cu2O photovoltaics by the floating zone method

Cu2O is a p-type semiconductor with desirable bulk properties for photovoltaics. However, the lack of an n-type dopant and surface instability have hindered the development of a high efficiency Cu2O device. In this work, the floating zone method is used to grow high quality single crystals of Cu2O in order to controllably study the interfacial reactions between Cu2O and its heterojunction partners. While inclusions of CuO are inherent to the floating zone growth process we show that they can be removed by post-annealing with phase purity and crystallinity shown by x-ray diffraction. We discuss the role of CuO inclusions on the electronic properties of single crystal Cu2O wafers using Hall measurements. Changes in the resistivity and mobility due to post-annealing are correlated to changing defect densities obtained from steady-state photoluminescence. The optimization of the Cu2O wafers provides a pathway towards the first float zone single crystal Cu2O photovoltaic device.
Depleted Uranium Dioxide Waste Package for Spent Nuclear Fuel

Depleted uranium dioxide (DUO2) waste packages (WPs) for disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) are being investigated to (1) reduce radionuclide releases from WPs, (2) decrease the potential for repository nuclear criticality events, (3) provide radiation shielding, and (4) provide a means to beneficially use excess depleted uranium (DU). The DUO2 is incorporated into the WP as (1) a particulate fill for void spaces within the package and (2) a component of a DUO2-steel cermet (DUO2 embedded in steel) that replaces the steel components of the WP. Depending upon the design, there is 3 to 8 times as much DUO2 as SNF UO2 in the WP. Most radionuclides in the SNF cannot be released until the UO2 crystal structure is destroyed. The DUO2 surrounding the SNF slows the degradation of the SNF UO2 in the interior. This behavior is similar to the mechanisms that slow the degradation of natural uranium ore bodies containing UO2. The results of initial investigations and the expected thermodynamic WP behavior are described.
Inferior vena cava bypass for the treatment of obliterative hepatocavopathy with five-year follow-up.

Inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis at its hepatic portion (also known as obliterative hepatocavopathy [OH]), in the absence of systemic or local diseases such as vasculitis, coagulopathy, infectio...
RNA Pol II transcription model and interpretation of GRO-seq data

A mixture model and statistical method is proposed to interpret the distribution of reads from a nascent transcriptional assay, such as global run-on sequencing (GRO-seq) data. The model is annotation agnostic and leverages on current understanding of the behavior of RNA polymerase II. Briefly, it assumes that polymerase loads at key positions (transcription start sites) within the genome. Once loaded, polymerase either remains in the initiation form (with some probability) or transitions into an elongating form (with the remaining probability). The model can be fit genome-wide, allowing patterns of Pol II behavior to be assessed on each distinct transcript. Furthermore, it allows for the first time a principled approach to distinguishing the initiation signal from the elongation signal; in particular, it implies a data driven method for calculating the pausing index, a commonly used metric that informs on the behavior of RNA polymerase II. We demonstrate that this approach improves on existing analyses of GRO-seq data and uncovers a novel biological understanding of the impact of knocking down the Male Specific Lethal (MSL) complex in Drosophilia melanogaster.
2005- 2012 Surveillance on Host Animals of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome in Jingyuan County of Ningxia

Objective To analyze the species,density and virus carrying rate of rodents of Jingyuan county in Ningxia. Methods Direct immunofluorescence assay was adopted to determine HV antigen in the lung tissues of rats and ELISA was applied to detect the antibody against HV in the sera of rats. The genotype of Hantanviruses was detected by RT- PCR. Results The density of rats was 4. 27% in residential areas and 3. 69% in the fields from 2005 to 2012. Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus were dominants in residential areas. Apodemus agrarius and Cricetulus migratorius were dominants in fields. Most carriers were Apodemus agrarius and Cricetulus migratorius. The genotype of Hantanviruses were HTN. Conclusion Jingyuan county was Apodemus agrarius epidemic area. The density and virus rates of rodents was increasing. The control and prevention measures should be strengthened.
Analysis of serogroup changing of neisseria meningitidis strains in Hefei,2003-2012

Objective To investigate epidemiological trend of serogroup change of neisseria meningitidis strains in Hefei,and provide the basis for prevention and control of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis.Method The data of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis from patients and health population in Hefei during 2000 to 2010 were retrospectively analyzed.Results Before 2003,neisseria meningitidis strains were mainly composed of serogroup A in patients,and neisseria meningitidis strains from patients were mainly composed of serogroup B and A in health population.During 2003-2012,neisseria meningitidis strains were composed of serogroup C(93.0%),serogroup A(6.0%),serogroup B and W135(1.0%) in patients,and neisseria meningitidis strains were composed of serogroup C(2.5%) and B(1.6%) in health population.There was an death case caused by serogroup W135 in 2011.Conclusion Since 2003,dominant serogroups of neisseria meningitidis were changed from A to C.Serogroup C will be dominant serogroup,and B and W135 will be secondary in a period of time.
The Preparation of Sterile Ophthalmic Solutions

The authors describe an aseptic technique which has been designed to provide the pharmacist with an inexpensive and convenient method of preparing small volumes of sterile solutions in the pharmacy.
Postoperative Rehabilitation Strategies Used by Adults With Cochlear Implants: A Pilot Study.

Objectives/Hypothesis Aural rehabilitation is not standardized for adults after cochlear implantation. Most cochlear implant (CI) centers in the United States do not routinely enroll adult CI users in focused postoperative rehabilitation programs due to poor reimbursement and lack of data supporting (or refuting) the efficacy of any one specific approach. Consequently, patients generally assume a self-driven approach toward rehabilitation. This exploratory pilot study examined rehabilitation strategies pursued by adults with CIs and associated these strategies with speech recognition and CI-specific quality of life (QOL). Study Design Cross-sectional study of 23 postlingually deafened adults with CIs. Methods Participants responded to an open-ended questionnaire regarding rehabilitation strategies. A subset underwent in-depth interviews. Thematic content analysis was applied to the questionnaires and interview transcripts. Participants also underwent word recognition testing and completed a CI-related QOL measure. Participants were classified as having good or poor performance (upper or lower quartile for speech recognition) and high or low QOL (upper or lower quartile for QOL). Rehabilitation themes were compared and contrasted among groups. Results Five rehabilitation themes were identified: 1) Preimplant expectations of postoperative performance, 2) personal motivation, 3) social support, 4) specific rehabilitation strategies, and 5) patient-perceived role of the audiologist. Patients with good speech recognition and high QOL tended to pursue more active rehabilitation and had greater social support. Patient expectations and motivation played significant roles in postoperative QOL. Conclusion Postoperative patient-driven rehabilitation strategies are highly variable but appear to relate to outcomes. Larger-scale extensions of this pilot study are needed.
Sex Ratios and Average Sperm per Female Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus in Six Tributaries of Chesapeake Bay

AbstractSperm limitation has been a concern for several crustacean species around the world. It may be of particular concern for blue crabs Callinectes sapidus in Chesapeake Bay due to the species’ reproductive biology and the sex-specific fishery regulations in place. Our objectives were to characterize the differences in sperm counts in mated females from six tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay and to determine whether sperm quantity was affected by the ratio of males to females in each system. Mature females were sampled 1–4 times in each tributary on a biweekly schedule from September to November 2011. We quantified sperm storage for each crab by microscopic examination and compared the sperm counts of females among river systems with the adult male : female sex ratios using ANOVA and linear regression. Total sperm quantity per female varied 16-fold (0.9–13.0 × 108) among tributaries. The sex ratio was also variable among tributaries. Total sperm quantity per female was not significantly related to sex ...
Horace, Odes 4.1: a Contradiction Removed*

Odes 4.1 is difficult to understand on a literal level. At its beginning Horace is complaining that Venus, after leaving him alone for many years, is attacking him, that is, he is feeling a reawakening of sexual desire. But after suggesting that the goddess go off to visit Paullus Fabius Maximus and describing the rewards the young man will give her, he returns to himself. Now, he says, he is delighted by neither woman nor boy nor by the prospect of mutuality in love, that is, he is not in the grip of eros. Additionally, the use of iuuare, ‘delight’, with a person as subject seems to be without any parallel. These problems disappear if in l. 29 we read mi for me: ‘I no longer have either woman or boy (as lover) nor do I have the hope of mutual affection.’ Horace's having no lover and no hope of one is compatible with his feeling a generalized desire for sex or a desire for someone unattainable. The tone of the last two quatrains is affected as well as the contribution of the poem to the fourth book of odes.
Drought, multi-seasonal climate, and wildfire in northern New Mexico

Wildfire is increasingly a concern in the USA, where 10 million acres burned in 2015. Climate is a primary driver of wildfire, and understanding fire-climate relationships is crucial for informing fire management and modeling the effects of climate change on fire. In the southwestern USA, fire-climate relationships have been informed by tree-ring data that extend centuries prior to the onset of fire exclusion in the late 1800s. Variability in cool-season precipitation has been linked to fire occurrence, but the effects of the summer North American monsoon on fire are less understood, as are the effects of climate on fire seasonality. We use a new set of reconstructions for cool-season (October–April) and monsoon-season (July–August) moisture conditions along with a large new fire scar dataset to examine relationships between multi-seasonal climate variability, fire extent, and fire seasonality in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico (1599–1899 CE). Results suggest that large fires burning in all seasons are strongly influenced by the current year cool-season moisture, but fires burning mid-summer to fall are also influenced by monsoon moisture. Wet conditions several years prior to the fire year during the cool season, and to a lesser extent during the monsoon season, are also important for spring through late-summer fires. Persistent cool-season drought longer than 3 years may inhibit fires due to the lack of moisture to replenish surface fuels. This suggests that fuels may become increasingly limiting for fire occurrence in semi-arid regions that are projected to become drier with climate change.
Landmark Cases in Higher Education on Academic Freedom and Tenure

Chapter 3 looked at higher education job security issues as interpreted by the lower courts and as it is related to the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. Those decisions affirmed the individual’s rights under those two amendments. Although tenure is important, tenure has been superseded by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. This chapter examines five federal court cases related to academic freedom and tenure including the ramifications and precedents established.
Efficient and secure pattern matching with wildcards using lightweight cryptography

Abstract Many secure protocols exist for the problem of determining occurrences of a pattern P as a substring of a text string T . That is, when Alice has T , and Bob has P , the protocol computes the answer(s) without revealing to Alice or Bob anything that cannot be deduced from the jointly computed answer. The existing protocols work for various adversarial models (some use the powerful malicious model), but they all have drawbacks that detract from practical deployment. For some, the drawback is their quadratic computation time (proportional to | T || P |), for others, it is their use of expensive cryptographic primitives such as homomorphic encryption; some have both drawbacks. Moreover, some restrict alphabet and input size to be bounded by a polynomial in a security parameter. This paper presents a scheme that overcomes these drawbacks in that it works for arbitrary alphabet and input sizes, has O ( | T | log | P | ) computational cost, does not use expensive cryptographic primitives, and has information-theoretic security (one-time pad). It can also handle single-character wildcards (symbols that match any alphabet symbol). These improvements come at the cost of using a weaker adversarial model than the malicious one (the semi-honest), and an offline helper (e.g., cloud server) that computes and provides Alice and Bob with randoms that they can subsequently use in protocols. We implemented our scheme, that we call LiLiP ( Li ghtweight, Li nearithmic & P rivate), and it performs very well in practice.
The scaling relationship of leaf area and total mass of sample plots across world trees

The scaling relationship between leaf area and total mass of plant has important implications for understanding resource allocations in the plant. The model of West, Brown and Enquist (WBE model) considers that a 3/4 scaling exponent of metabolic rate versus total mass to be optimal for each plant and has been confirmed numerous times. Although leaf area is a better proxy of the metabolic rate than leaf mass, few studies have focused on the scaling exponent of leaf area versus total mass and even fewer have discussed the diversification of this scaling exponent across different conditions. Here, I analyzed the scaling exponent of leaf area versus total mass of sample plots across world plants. I found that as the plant grows, it allocates fewer resources to photosynthetic tissues than expected by the WBE model. The results also empirically show that this scaling exponent varies significantly for different plant leaf habit, taxonomic class and geographic region. Therefore, leaf strategy in response to environmental pressure and constraint clearly plays a significant role.
The Radiant Tableaux of Daniel Deronda

Rachel Kravetz, “The Radiant Tableaux of Daniel Deronda ” (pp. 68–93) This essay argues that the ekphrastic images in Daniel Deronda (1876) mark a shift in George Eliot’s thought away from a historical to a prophetic national mode. Taking as a point of departure the critical commonplace that Eliot’s novel has two largely separate spheres, a degenerate English world and a visionary Jewish realm, I show that each has a painterly model. The grounds of stately English homes represent a false Arcadia in passages that allude to the genre of landscape known as “ideal.” While the glowing river landscapes that frame Jewish characters conjure the extrasensory, they have a material correlative in the paintings of J.M.W. Turner. In my reading, these vivid scenes comprise a response to the vexed status of the nation that issues from philosophical empiricism. The nation is too large a body to be perceived directly or depicted fully in fiction. Eliot’s sunset landscapes form a locus for propositions about how the mind may reach beyond experience. With images of arched bridges, she transmutes an empiricist metaphor for the mental process of prediction through inference into a symbol for prophecy. The gold skies light up the distance, directing the reader to conceive a national ideal Eliot cannot locate or provide: ultimately, both empiricism and idealism prove insufficient to her fictional project, nonetheless brilliant, of national reanimation.
Genetic Engineering of Predators and Parasitoids for Pesticide Resistance

Genetic selection of phytoseiid predators for pesticide resistance has been shown to be a practical and cost effective tactic for the biological control of spider mites. Field tests have been conducted with several manipulated phytoseiid species and some are being used in integrated pest management programs in agriculture. Development of resistant strains of parasitoids and insect predators currently lags behind efforts with predatory mites, but several laboratory-selected insect natural enemies are being evaluated for incorporation into integrated pest management programs. The use of mutagenesis and recombinant DNA (rDNA) techniques could improve the efficiency of genetic improvement projects. Critical research needs include identifying and cloning useful resistance genes, developing methods for maintaining fitness of the manipulated strains, learning how to manage and maintain released strains, and developing improved methods for inserting resistance genes into the germline of beneficial arthropods. Protocols for evaluating risks associated with the release of arthropod natural enemies that have been manipulated with rDNA methods need to be developed well in advance so that excessive delays in evaluating efficacy and fitness in the field can be avoided.
Isolating photoreceptor compartment-specific protein complexes for subsequent proteomic analysis.

Tulp1 is a photoreceptor-specific protein that may perform two distinct functions, one in the inner segment (IS) and another in the synapse. To differentiate the roles of Tulp1 in the photoreceptor, we developed a methodology for the capture of compartment-specific complexes for subsequent protein analysis. Using in vivo perfusion, we crosslinked proteins to conserve endogenous protein complexes. Laser microdissection was used to collect three compartment tissue samples from retinal sections: the IS, the outer plexiform layer (OPL) containing the photoreceptor synapses, and the inner plexiform layer (IPL), serving as a Tulp1-free control tissue. Compartment-specific as well as whole retinal samples were homogenized and subjected to Western blot analysis. Our analysis showed that a band at approximately 78 kDa labels native Tulp1 in the wt crosslinked tissue, but not tulp1 −/− crosslinked tissue. Two additional bands were detected at ∼180 and ∼280 kDa in wt homogenate, indicating the presence of Tulp1 complexes. Finally, a band matching the 280 kDa band was present in the IS-isolated sample, but not the OPL-isolated sample, indicating an IS compartment-specific Tulp1 complex.
The Use of Digital Communication Channels to Enhance Environmental Health Literacy

There is tremendous potential to utilize new and emerging digital channels of communication to help raise public environmental health literacy. Modern society is in the midst of a communication revolution that is rapidly expanding public use of digital communication systems and tools for many goals and purposes. Yet, there is a plethora of complex, and sometimes contradictory, information concerning environmental health risks that consumers struggle to understand. Consumers additionally struggle with determining what are the most important environmental health risks to be aware of concerning health issues such as cancers and heart disease, and what can be done to avoid these health risks? This chapter examines the growth and influence of digital communication as channels for helping consumers access, evaluate, and utilize relevant health information concerning environmental health risks. Different digital communication channels and platforms are identified as potentially strong venues for disseminating important environmental health information. Guidelines for designing and implementing environmental health education messages are examined to promote the most effective use of digital communication channels to reach and influence intended audiences. Strategic design principles, such as enhancing system interactivity, interoperability, ease of use, immediacy, adaptability, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity are examined and applied to the dissemination of environmental health information. Strategies for working in close collaboration with representatives from key populations to promote user-centered design of health information systems is highlighted. Relevant theory and research concerning the applications of digital information technologies for health information dissemination are reviewed and applied to promoting environmental health literacy.
Matched pairs analysis of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in acute leukemia patients treated with fludarabine and melphalan with or without total-marrow-lymphoid irradiation.

e18507Background: Reduced intensity conditioning regimens (RIC) for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) can reduce morbidity and mortality, but patients with advanced disease may require ...
Time Reversal Techniques

Time reversal is a technique to focus wave energy to a selected point in space and time, localize and characterize a source of wave propagation, and/or communicate information between two points. This chapter will introduce the reader to the concept of time reversal and different implementations of this concept. The focus will then be directed to non-destructive evaluation applications using nonlinear elasto-dynamics together with time reversal.
The Impact of Professional Development Grounded in Social Learning on Community College Faculty Efficacy

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of professional development modeled upon social learning theory on community college teacher efficacy. A pre-experimental, one-group pre- and p...
Reflexive embodied ethnography with applied sensibilities: methodological reflections on involved qualitative research:

In this article, I illustrate reflexive embodied ethnography with applied sensibilities as an approach for performing, interpreting, and applying qualitative research. I argue that we enter the fie...
A Jurassic leap for flowering plants.

Comprehensive phylogenomics and molecular dating support a Triassic origin for flowering plants that is substantially earlier than their appearance in the fossil record, leaving a puzzling gap spanning the entire Jurassic period.
The 'Uncertainty' Fraud: Joan Robinson, G. L. S. Shackle and Paul Davidson's Sleight of Hand Change of Keynes's Uncertainty Definition in the General Theory

J. M. Keynes gave an exact and precise definition of his concept of uncertainty in the General Theory. Keynes stated that uncertainty was an inverse function of the weight of the evidence on page 148 of chapter 12 of the General Theory. The weight of the evidence concept was carefully discussed and modeled by Keynes in chapters 6 and 26 of the A Treatise on Probability. The fundamentalist Keynesians, such as Joan Robinson, G. L. S. Shackle and Paul Davidson, had no idea about what Keynes was talking about because none of them had the academic training in mathematics and logic that would have enabled them to understand what the weight of the evidence, w, is or how it is different from the Evidential Weight of the Argument, V. Robinson, Shackle and Davidson then resorted to a sleight of hand. They claimed Keynes had changed his mind about the definition and meaning of uncertainty in his 1937 Quarterly Journal of Economics reply to mean “we simply do not know”, rather than uncertainty being an inverse function of the weight of the evidence as defined on p.148 of the General Theory in chapter 12. The change is monumental because it changes the meaning of uncertainty from being a range, defined on the interval between 0 and 1,0 ≤ w ≤ 1, where w is the weight of the evidence, to being w=0, which is the case of complete ignorance. The terms radical, fundamental, and irreducible uncertainty mean total and compete ignorance. This sets up the Shackleian claim that either you know everything, which is the case of certainty or certain knowledge, or you know nothing, which is his case of uncertainty or no knowledge, because “un” mean no. There is nothing in between. There are no gradations or degrees of uncertainty. This sleight of hand is the “uncertainty” fraud. It leads to the rejection of Keynes’s IS-LP(LM) model in chapters 15 and 21 of the General Theory, based on the claim that the existence of pervasive radical, fundamental, irreducible uncertainty makes any kind of formal logical, statistical, probabilistic, or mathematical modeling impossible. It is easy to show that Keynes never changed his mind about the definition of uncertainty in his 1937 Quarterly Journal of Economics reply because he continues to insist that there are degrees of uncertainty and that the neoclassical model of the rate of interest is incorrect because there is one equation missing from their model-the Liquidity preference function that Robinson, Shackle, and Davidson claim did not exist. The Uncertainty Fraud is the foundation for the Post Keynesian School of economics.
Analysts’ and Managers’ Use of Humor on Public Earnings Conference Calls

Despite the prevalence and importance of humor in interpersonal communication, the disclosure literature is silent on the use of humor in the context of corporate communications. We examine analysts’ and managers’ use of humor during public earnings conference calls. Using a sample of nearly 90,000 conference calls from 2003–2016, we find that experienced analysts and analysts with positive views of the company are more likely than other analysts to use humor on conference calls. We also find that analysts who use humor on conference calls are allowed to speak for a longer period of time and receive longer responses from managers, and that analysts tend to use humor when the tone of their question is unusually negative. When managers use humor, analysts’ stock recommendation revisions following the call are more positive, and the tone of the company’s media coverage is more favorable. Our study provides new evidence on the use of humor in corporate disclosure events, and our findings indicate that humor has a meaningful influence on the outcomes of public earnings conference calls.
Faster constrained linear regression via two-step preconditioning

Abstract In this paper, we study the large scale constrained linear regression problem and propose a two-step preconditioning method, which is based on some recent developments on random projection, sketching techniques and convex optimization methods. Combining the method with (accelerated) mini-batch SGD, we can achieve an approximate solution with a time complexity lower than that of the state-of-the-art techniques for the low precision case. Our idea can also be extended to the high precision case, which gives an alternative implementation to the Iterative Hessian Sketch (IHS) method with significantly improved time complexity. Experiments on benchmark and synthetic datasets suggest that our methods indeed outperform existing ones considerably in both the low and high precision cases.
Abstract 310: Time-Dependent Changes in Myocardial Edema Overestimate the Ischemic Area-at-Risk Up to One Week After Reperfused Myocardial Infarction in Swine

Objective: Assessment of tissue salvage after myocardial infarction (MI) requires accurate quantification of the ischemic area at risk (AAR). Although the AAR is typically measured retrospectively ...
Parent and adolescent conversations about hurt: How interaction patterns predict empathic accuracy and perceived understanding

Although hurt feelings might be inevitable in parent–adolescent relationships, follow-up conversations provide an opportunity for reconciliation and learning. This research considers how interactio...