cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AIRLINE MERGERS AND MULTIMARKET CONTACT

This paper examines changes in the pricing behavior of airline firms around mergers that occurred during 1985-8. We find that the changes in concentration, a measure of contact within a market, and changes in multimarket contact, a measure of contact with the same firms outside of that market, significantly affect airfares. Further, increases in multimarket contact alone are sufficient to effect an increase in fares. Antitrust policy must consider changes not only in concentration but also in multimarket contact to evaluate more fully the effect of consolidations on consumers.
The Early History of Financial Economics, 1478–1776 . By Geoffrey Poitras. Cheltenham and Northampton: Edward Elgar, 2000. Pp. x, 522.

Economic historians usually have to explain to their economist colleagues the difference between economic history, which focuses on facts, and history of economic thought, which focuses on ideas. Our colleagues in finance departments, typically fascinated by episodes in financial history treated by economic historians, are bound to be disappointed in the lack of attention given to the development of ideas in finance by historians of economic thought. Geoffrey Poitras, a professor of finance at Simon Fraser University, makes a valiant effort to remedy these oversights in his collection of vignettes that highlight the sophistication of financial instruments and analysts of financial markets well before the time of Adam Smith. Starting in 1478 with the publication of the Treviso Arithmetic, a typical textbook of commercial arithmetic for Italian merchants, and ending with brief snippets from the Wealth of Nations, Poitras treats the reader to a fascinating potpourri of excerpts from various manuals, brief biographies of pioneers in financial analysis, and historical discursions on foreign-exchange and stock markets.
Amplified insert assembly: an optimized approach to standard assembly of BioBrickTM genetic circuits

A modified BioBrick™ assembly method was developed with higher fidelity than current protocols. The method utilizes a PCR reaction with a standard primer set to amplify the inserted part. Background colonies are reduced by a combination of dephosphorylation and digestion with DpnI restriction endonuclease to reduce vector and insert background respectively. The molar ratio of the insert to vector in the ligation was also optimized, with the accuracy of the transformed construct approaching 100%.
Expression of immunomodulatory genes, their protein products and specific ligands/receptors during the window of implantation in the human endometrium

We have demonstrated up-regulation of the immunomodulatory genes decay accelerating factor (DAF), interleukin 15 (IL-15) and osteopontin (OPN) during the window of implantation (WOI). Here, we characterized gene expression and determined the localization of their protein products and respective ligands at the opening and closure of the WOI. In addition, we used laser capture microdissection (LCM) to analyze the cell type-specific gene expression. Human endometrial biopsies from cycle Days 16, 21 and 24 were evaluated by real-time RT-PCR. Purified epithelial and stromal cells were obtained by LCM. Localization of the proteins and their ligands was assessed by immunohistochemistry. mRNA expression of DAF, IL-15 and OPN was significantly increased throughout the WOI. DAF, OPN and alpha(v)beta(3) integrin were strongly immunolocalized to the glandular compartment by Days 21 and 24, whereas C3, IL-15 and IL-15Ralpha were highly stained in both glandular and stromal compartments. After LCM, gene expression of DAF was 4.8-fold increased in epithelium versus stroma, whereas for OPN there was a 2-fold increase. For IL-15, the expression in stroma was 8.7-fold higher than in epithelial cells. The progressive increase of the expression of these immunomodulatory genes, proteins and ligands during the WOI, support a critical role at the time of endometrial receptiveness.
Assessment and Management of Bleeding in the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Vaginal bleeding occurs in 15% to 25% of early pregnancies. While 50% of women who have vaginal bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy will continue to have a viable pregnancy, the event creates significant anxiety for the woman and can be managed in a multitude of ways. The 3 main differential diagnoses associated with vaginal bleeding are spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and gestational trophoblastic disease. This article reviews early pregnancy development, etiologies of vaginal bleeding in the first trimester, strategies for evaluation, and recognition and management of the main diagnostic considerations. Case study examples illustrating the complexity of the assessment and management of vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy are presented.
Tectonic Strain Release by Underground Nuclear Explosions and its Effect on Seismic Discrimination

Summary The analysis of surface waves from a large number of underground nuclear explosions reinforces the hypothesis of tectonic strain release. Such strain release is dependent on rock type and ambient stress levels. In harder media, such as granite, strain release is considerably greater than in soft media such as loose alluvium and salt. In the case of three events for which the tectonic component exceeded that of the explosion itself, the effect on the M,-mb discriminant due to the added surface wave energy was not noticeable. This was probably due to the averaging of magnitude over all azimuths. A decaying pulse-type source-time function is consistent with surface wave amplitude spectra and can explain the long-period/short-period spectral ratio.
Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder among transition-age youth with serious mental health conditions.

Objective There is little information on trauma, PTSD and associated risk factors in transition age youth with mental health conditions. This study aimed at understanding the correlates and predictors of PTSD in transition age youth residing in supported community housing.
Effectiveness of a computer-based tutorial for teaching how to make a blood smear

Background: Computer-aided instruction (CAI) was developed to teach veterinary students how to make blood smears. This instruction was intended to replace the traditional instructional method in order to promote efficient use of faculty resources while maintaining learning outcomes and student satisfaction. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a computer-aided blood smear tutorial on 1) instructor's teaching time, 2) students' ability to make blood smears, and 3) students' ability to recognize smear quality. Methods: Three laboratory sessions for senior veterinary students were taught using traditional methods (control group) and 4 sessions were taught using the CAI tutorial (experimental group). Students in the control group received a short demonstration and lecture by the instructor at the beginning of the laboratory and then practiced making blood smears. Students in the experimental group received their instruction through the self-paced, multimedia tutorial on a laptop computer and then practiced making blood smears. Data was collected from observation, interview, survey questionnaires, and smear evaluation by students and experts using a scoring rubric. Results: Students using the CAI made better smears and were better able to recognize smear quality. The average time the instructor spent in the room was not significantly different between groups, but the quality of the instructor time was improved with the experimental instruction. Conclusions: The tutorial implementation effectively provided students and instructors with a teaching and learning experience superior to the traditional method of instruction. Using CAI is a viable method of teaching students to make blood smears.
Constituting China: the role of metaphor in the discourses of early Sino-American relations

This paper demonstrates the value of political metaphor analysis as a tool for answering constitutive questions in International Relations (IR) theory, questions that attend to how the subjects of international politics are constituted by encounters with other subjects through representational and interactional processes. To this end, I examine the key metaphors within American political discourse that guided and structured early Sino-American interactions, focusing on US Secretary of State John Hay's Open Door notes and the contemporaneous Chinese Exclusion Acts. Viewed from a social constructivist metaphor perspective, this metaphorical protection of free trade and great power privilege hid the assumption that China was unable to act as its own doorkeeper, obscuring debates in the domestic and international spheres as to the meaning of ‘Chinese’ and the appropriate strategy for managing the encounter. A second approach, the cognitive perspective, builds on the seminal IR applications of cognitive linguistics and cognitive metaphor theory to reveal the deeper conceptual basis, specifically the CONTAINER schema, upon which this encounter was predicated. Used in tandem, these two approaches to the constitutive role of political metaphor illuminate the processes by which metaphors win out over competing discourses to become durable features of international social relations.
Substance use among middle school students: Associations with self-rated and peer-nominated popularity

Associations of popularity with adolescent substance use were examined among 1793 6-8th grade students who completed an in-school survey. Popularity was assessed through both self-ratings and peer nominations. Students who scored higher on either measure of popularity were more likely to be lifetime cigarette smokers, drinkers, and marijuana users, as well as past month drinkers. Self-rated popularity was positively associated with past month marijuana use and heavy drinking, and peer-nominated popularity showed a quadratic association with past month heavy drinking. These results extend previous work and highlight that popularity, whether based on self-perceptions or peer friendship nominations, is a risk factor for substance use during middle school. Given the substantial increase in peer influence during early adolescence, prevention program effectiveness may be enhanced by addressing popularity as a risk factor for substance use or working with popular students to be peer leaders to influence social norms and promote healthier choices.
Verification of Ground Test Data by Instrumented Flight Test of an Artillery Shell

Abstract : Service tests of a new low-drag projectile showed unexpected behavior at intermediate temperatures and low gun elevations where no problems were expected. An extensive test program was initiated to investigate the causes of this behavior. This program included wind tunnel and spark range tests at a wide range of Mach numbers and angles of attack. Given the shell's pitch damping, static, and highly nonlinear Magnus moment coefficients, it was possible to predict its behavior mathematically if the initial pitching rate of the projectile was permitted to vary within the observed limits. Instrumented flight tests verified some of the ground test results although there still remains some unexplained discrepancies in the details of flight behavior. This investigation proved the necessity of a thorough aerodynamic test program if details of a shell's behavior are to be mathematically simulated.
Folk psychology meets folk Darwinism

The fact that beliefs in the supernatural are useful to people who hold them does not necessarily mean that these beliefs confer an evolutionary advantage to those who hold them. An evolutionary explanation for any biological phenomenon must meet rigorous criteria, but the facts in this case, even when taken at their face value, fall well short of these criteria.
Utility of retrospective pretest ratings of patient satisfaction with health status.

Outcomes assessment is often difficult to accomplish in evaluation research studies in situations where the gathering of pretest data is impossible or prohibitively expensive. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the substitutability of retrospective pretest ratings for actual pretest ratings in indexing change in patient satisfaction with health status. The sample consisted of 251 women receiving medical treatment for breast cancer enrolled in the Self-Help Intervention Project (SHIP). ANOVA, ordinary least-squares regression, and pooled time-series regression analysis revealed that retrospective assessments were not significantly different from their prospective counterparts in means and variances and that they differed from current assessments taken at the same time (p<.01). In addition, prospective assessments emerged as a significant independent predictor of corresponding retrospective scores (p<.01), accounting for up to 30% of the recall scores. These findings have implications for inclusion of retrospective pre-post comparisons in outcomes evaluation research.
Large- and small-signal modulation properties of red (670 nm) VCSELs

The large- and small-signal properties of red GaInP-AlGaInP triple QW VCSELs (670 nm) were measured. For the fundamental mode the small signal bandwidth is 2 GHz. Large-signal modulation up to 1.5 Gb/s is achievable with a prebias. The turn-on delay of unbiased devices is found to saturate due to heating from the average of the data signal.
On the role of DNA biomechanics in the regulation of gene expression

DNA is traditionally seen as a linear sequence of instructions for cellular functions that are expressed through biochemical processes. Cellular DNA, however, is also organized as a complex hierarchical structure with a mosaic of mechanical features, and a growing body of evidence is now emerging to imply that these mechanical features are connected to genetic function. Mechanical tension, for instance, which must be felt by DNA within the heavily constrained and continually fluctuating cellular environment, can affect a number of regulatory processes implicating a role for biomechanics in gene expression complementary to that of biochemical regulation. In this article, we review evidence for such mechanical pathways of genetic regulation.
Complex Versus Simple Modeling for DIF Detection When the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ρ) of the Studied Item Is Less Than the ρ of the Total Score

Previous research has demonstrated that differential item functioning (DIF) methods that do not account for multilevel data structure could result in too frequent rejection of the null hypothesis (i.e., no DIF) when the intraclass correlation coefficient (r) of the studied item was the same as the r of the total score. The current study extended previous research by comparing the performance of DIF methods when r of the studied item was less than r of the total score, a condition that may be observed with considerable frequency in practice. The performance of two simple and frequently used DIF methods that do not account for multilevel data structure, the Mantel–Haenszel test (MH) and logistic regression (LR), was compared with the performance of a complex and less frequently used DIF method that does account for multilevel data structure, hierarchical logistic regression (HLR). Simulation indicated that HLR and LR performed equivalently in terms of significance tests under most conditions, and MH was conservative across most of the conditions. Effect size estimate of HLR was equally accurate and consistent as effect size estimates of LR and MH under the Rasch model and was more accurate and consistent than LR and MH effect size estimates under the two-parameter item response theory model. The results of the current study provide evidence to help researchers further understand
Using Rich Context and Data Exploration to Improve Engagement with Climate Data and Data Literacy: Bringing a Field Station into the College Classroom

Authentic scientific data, when richly contextualized, can provide the basis for compelling learning experiences. Many undergraduate students either do not have access to primary data, or if they do, the data are so abstract that student engagement is limited. Here, we describe contextual information and data-rich, student-centered activities we developed to give life to data sets from an intensely studied place, the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL). The project Web site, Digital RMBL, highlights charismatic organisms, scientists, and long-term data sets as a tool for engaging students who are unable to physically visit a field station. The Biology of Climate Change module, the focus of this paper, has been tested in college-level classrooms by 10 collaborating faculty and 243 undergraduate students at a variety of colleges and universities across the nation. Authentic long-term data sets, primary literature, data visualizations, and a flexible format suitable for laboratory sections have led to very high usability ratings by collaborating faculty. In student surveys, a surprising number of undergraduate science majors (20%‐30%) report that they have never worked with authentic scientific data—even at major research universities. The percentage of students who have not worked with data is much higher at collaborating 2 y institutions (60%‐80%). The majority of students report that they appreciate the opportunity to explore long-term climate science data sets despite the frustrations they experience with the ‘‘messiness’’ of authentic scientific data. The impact of this climate change activity is achieved through engagement with people, place, and research subjects, followed by student-centered data exploration that builds personal interest and scientific discovery skills. This paper outlines one model in which scientists can meet funding agency requirements to share data publicly while providing excellent opportunities for improving climate and data literacy at the college level. 2014 National Association of Geoscience Teachers. [DOI: 10.5408/13-034]
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Pediatric Dentistry. Second Edition. By M. Michael Cohen, D.M.D., and Collaborators. Price, $15. Pp. 550, with 412 (including 9 in color) illustrations. C. V. Mosby Company, 3207 Washington Blvd., St. Louis 3, 1961. The author in the preface to this edition states that prevention and early recognition of dental disease should be paramount to the modern dental practitioner and his colleagues. In order to make this a feasible program, Dr. Cohen has written this textbook in a manner and style which will serve to provide a practical approach for the enlightenment of those interested in all phases of dentistry for children. The material is arranged in an orderly and progressive manner, beginning with embryological development of the head, face, and oral cavity and ending with a short chapter on public health aspects of dentistry for children. The book is written in a very readable style with few exceptions and is amply illustrated. The use of outlines at the beginning of each chapter and subsequent bold print subtitles add to the ease of reading. Complete bibliographies are given after each chapter. The subject matter covers adequately the physical and pathological aspects encountered in dentistry for children but leaves one desirous of a more practical approach for dealing with the psychological problems which must be met. The chapters dealing with nutrition, dental caries, systemic diseases, and growth and development seem to substantiate Dr. Cohen's effort toward the preventive and early recognition approach. Those chapters dealing with techniques in carrying out dental procedures are for the most part familiar to the average practitioner. In the opinion of the reviewer, Dr. Cohen has succeeded in presenting a textbook which can be useful as a reference for those interested in obtaining practical knowledge concerning dental health. This would include our medical colleagues as well as others in the allied health professions. Preventive dentistry can play a most important role in achieving the total health of a child, and
Physics as a Social Fact

Capra argues that a “deeper understanding” of the mystical traditions he writes about “can only be felt when one decides to become actively involved” in them; mysticism “cannot be learned from books”. He implies that (a) physics can be learned from books, and (b) a “deeper understanding” of physics can also be learned from books without becoming actively involved in it.1
Implementing RUSSELL

We have completed an implementation of the Russell programming language [Don 85]. This effort has been very helpful in the evaluation of the original language design. It has also served to pinpoint the difficulties in implementing languages with type systems as general as that of Russell.Russell treats both functions and types as data objects which can be freely manipulated by the program. Most operators present in conventional programming languages are viewed as function calls. In spite of this, our compiler produces surprisingly efficient machine code, even with minimal effort invested in the code generator.The generality of the language served to simplify some aspects of the compiler. We focus on the separate compilation mechanism.The most difficult implementation problem is that of inferring typing information omitted by the programmer. We argue that this is an essential part of type checking a language such as Russell. Our current solution is only partially satisfactory.
Extreme response style and symptom return after depression treatment: The role of positive extreme responding.

Objective: Evidence linking extreme response style (ER) to depressive relapse has been mixed. One reason might be high levels of extreme responses that are positive in nature (ER-Ps) compared with those negative in nature (ER-Ns) at posttreatment. ER-Ps likely consist of both maladaptive “style” responses and adaptive “content” responses (i.e., legitimate denials of dysfunction). The composition of ER-Ps might confound measures of total extreme responding as well as conventional scores on cognitive questionnaires. In the current study, we assessed ER in a new sample by (a) disambiguating ER-Ps that reflect style from those that reflect content and (b) assessing the contribution of ER-Ps to the prediction of relapse/recurrence. Method: Responders (N 104) to a randomized controlled trial of cognitive therapy versus medications for moderate to severe depression had an average age of 40 years (SD 12), and they were 58% female, 38% married/cohabitating, and 85% Caucasian. ER variables were calculated using the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS; Weissman, 1979), with ER-Ps categorized as either content or style responses. ER indices and DAS scores were used to predict symptom return over 2 years. Results: No standard extreme responding variables (e.g., an index of total extreme responding) predicted symptom return, but higher relative levels of style ER-P predicted relapse/recurrence. Total DAS scores also predicted relapse/recurrence but only when high levels of style ER-P responses were controlled. Conclusions: ER-Ps, at least on the DAS, appear to contain indicators of both adaptive and maladaptive positive responses. Future research should attend to the valence of the extreme responses as well as to the content of extreme positive responses, which may reflect either healthy or unhealthy tendencies.
Actin reorganization in airway smooth muscle cells involves Gq and Gi-2 activation of Rho

Extracellular stimuli induce cytoskeleton reorganization (stress-fiber formation) in cells and Ca2+ sensitization in intact smooth muscle preparations by activating signaling pathways that involve ...
The application of vibration polishing in preparing EBSD samples

In this paper,the EBSD samples were prepared by vibration polisher.The effect of vibration amplitude,load,and polishing time on the quality of EBSD diffraction pattern were investigated.The test results showed the vibration amplitude had the maximum effect,and the polishing time had the minimum effect on the polishing quality of nickel superalloy samples.
One Christ—Many Witnesses: Visions of Mission and Unity, Edinburgh and Beyond

This paper surveys the relationship between mission and Christian unity from the Edinburgh 1910 conference to the present. It then identifies several factors that cohere in recent missiological reflection, and concludes with a scriptural model for our contemporary pilgrimage together.
SCI health care provider attitudes about pressure ulcer management.

Background/Objective: To evaluate the variability in clinical decisions about pressure ulcer management for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and expand understanding of the various factors inf...
Winnicott and the capacity to believe.

Like Freud's, Winnicott's writing displays an enormous interest in words, in their histories as well as their current usage. The author discusses his use of two words, 'capacity' and 'belief' combined in the phrase 'capacity to believe'. What Winnicott has to say about this capacity sheds light on the nature of both religious and cultural experience generally. The paper's argument has two strands that are woven together throughout. The first is Winnicott's concern for words and how a knowledge of their roots can enrich their current meaning. The second is his concern for the nature of belief, the 'capacity to believe', and his conviction that in exploring this capacity psychoanalysis might have something to teach religion. These concerns are interrelated in a number of ways in Winnicott's writing and are ultimately connected with his notion of a 'cultural field', a place to grow, where 'inventiveness', even verbal inventiveness, is 'just one more example ... of the interplay between separateness and union', that is the separateness of individual language users but also their union through the language they share.
A Useful Method for Preparing Mixed Brush Polymer Grafted Nanoparticles by Polymerizing Block Copolymers from Surfaces with Reversed Monomer Addition Sequence.

The preparation of well-defined block copolymers using controlled radical polymerization depends on the proper order of monomer addition. The reversed order of monomer addition results in a mixture of block copolymer and homopolymer and thus has typically been avoided. In this paper, the low blocking efficiency of reversed monomer addition order is utilized in combination with surface initiated reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization to establish a facile procedure toward mixed polymer brush grafted nanoparticles SiO2-g-(PS (polystyrene), PS-b-PMAA (polymethacrylic acid)). The SiO2-g-(PS, PS-b-PMAA) nanoparticles are analyzed by gel permeation chromatography deconvolution, and the fraction of each polymer component is calculated. Additionally, the SiO2-g-(PS, PS-b-PMAA) are amphiphilic in nature and show unique self-assembly behavior in water.
Consensus Statement for Clinical Pathway Development for Perioperative Pain Management and Care Transitions.

The perioperative surgical home (PSH) model has been created with the intention to reduce costs and to improve efficiency of care and patient experience in the perioperative period. The PSH is a comprehensive model of care that is team-based and patient-centric. The team in each facility should be multidisciplinary and include the input of perioperative services leadership, surgical services, and support personnel in order to provide seamless care for the patient from the preoperative period when decision to undergo surgery is initially made to discharge and, if needed after discharge from the hospital, until full recovery is achieved. PSH is discussed in this consensus article with the emphasis on perioperative care coordination of patients with chronic pain conditions. Preoperative optimization can be successfully undertaken through patient evaluation, screening, and education. Many important positive implications in the PSH model, in particular for those patients with increased potential morbidity, mortality, and high-risk populations, including those with a history of substance abuse or anxiety, reflect a more modern approach to health care. Newer strategies, such as preemptive and multimodal analgesic techniques, have been demonstrated to reduce opioid consumption and to improve pain relief. Continuous catheters, ketamine, methadone, buprenorphine, and other modalities can be best delivered with the expertise of an anesthesiologist and a support team, such as an acute pain care coordinator. A physician-led PSH is a model of care that is patient-centered with the integration of care from multiple disciplines and is ideally suited for leadership from the anesthesia team. Optimum pain control will have a significant positive impact on the measures of the PSH, including lowering of complication rates, lowering of readmissions, improved patient satisfaction, reduced morbidity and mortality, and shortening of hospital stays. All stakeholders should work together and consider the PSH model to ensure the best quality of health care for patients undergoing surgery in the future. The pain management physician’s role in the postoperative period should be focused on providing optimal analgesia associated with improved patient satisfaction and outcomes that result in reduced health care costs.
Performance of the 2015 International Task Force Consensus Statement Risk Stratification Algorithm for Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Placement in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy.

Background:Ventricular arrhythmias are a feared complication of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy. In 2015, an International Task Force Consensus Statement proposed a risk s...
Distributed power quality enhancement using residential power routers

To address power quality issues in the residential split-phase distribution systems, a novel residential power router (RPR) is proposed in this paper. It consists of a dual-half bridge (DHB) converter and a split-phase inverter. The DHB provides the galvanic isolation and bidirectional power flow channel for the distributed generation terminal. The split-phase inverter can work as the active power filter, the reactive power compensator, and balance the power of two phases. The power balancing mode is critical to a residential microgrid, especially when the utility grid is not accessible. A proportional quasi-resonance and resonance (PQRR) controller is adopted to eliminate the steady-state error for harmonics compensation. Simulation and experimental results are presented in this paper to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed RPR for residential applications.
Swimming-Associated Illness and Recreational Water Quality Criteria

There is a measurable risk of acute gastroenteritis associated with swimming in marine waters contaminated with human fecal wastes to levels that would be aesthetically acceptable. The enterococcus level in the bathing water is the best single measure of its quality relative to the risk of swimming-associated, pollution-related infectious disease. Three mathematically expressable indicator-illness relationships (criteria) are available from which recreational water quality guidelines can be extrapolated from the criteria once a decision has been made as to the acceptable risk of illness. The recently revised USEPA recreational water quality criteria and guidelines reflect this regulatory approach. A model is presented for the regulation of water quality which defines decision-making and actions by federal and local agencies as well as resource users. This model requires the ability to predict illness rates from monitoring data. Three equations, each corresponding to one of the criteria, are available for doing so. Concept and supporting epidemiological data indicate that the criteria do not apply to situations in which the sources of contamination are the fecal wastes from small numbers of individuals (e.g. boat wastes, the bathers themselves) or from lower animals (e.g. stormwater run-off). Differential die-off of viral pathogens and the bacterial indicator during wastewater chlorination and protracted residence in marine waters may also confound the use of the criteria in specific situations.
Natural echolocation sequences evoke echo-delay selectivity in the auditory midbrain of the FM bat, Eptesicus fuscus.

Echolocating bats perform precise auditory temporal computations to estimate their distance to objects. Here, we report that response selectivity of neurons in the inferior colliculus of a frequenc...
The datacenter needs an operating system

Clusters of commodity servers have become a major computing platform, powering not only some of today’s most popular consumer applications—Internet services such as search and social networks—but also a growing number of scientific and enterprise workloads [2]. This rise in cluster computing has even led some to declare that “the datacenter is the new computer” [16, 24]. However, the tools for managing and programming this new computer are still immature. This paper argues that, due to the growing diversity of cluster applications and users, the datacenter increasingly needs an operating system.1 We take a broad view of an operating system as both a software layer that manages and abstracts hardware and a package of tools, such as programming languages and debuggers, that facilitate the use of a computer. Traditional OSes for a single computer play several key roles. First, they enable resource sharing between programs and users, allowing a computer to be used for multiple tasks and to respond interactively to several users. Second, they enable data sharing between programs, through abstractions such as pipes and files, so that users can combine independently written applications to solve problems. Third, they provide programming abstractions that simplify software development. Finally, OSes include system-wide debugging and monitoring facilities. Together, these features have allowed singlecomputer operating systems to foster a rich ecosystem of interoperable applications that we now take for granted. Much like the first computers, the first datacenters ran a small number of applications written by expert users. This situation is changing now, and we believe that datacenters need an OS-like layer for the same reason computers did: a rising diversity of applications and users. On the application side, there is an increasing number of cluster computing frameworks (e.g., MapReduce [10], Dryad [17], Pregel [21]) and storage systems [12, 9, 14], each suited for different use cases. Ideally, an organization should be able to dynamically share resources between these applications, and to easily exchange data between them (e.g., have a job that combines MapReduce
Partitioned Capture-Recapture Models for Population Estimation

A common assumption in capture-recapture modelling is one of behavioral independence, whereby samples from the population are assumed to be entirely unrelated. For a two sample study this implies capture at the first sample has no effect on capture at the second. Such an assumption clearly is not tenable in many applications. In this manuscript we use categorical covariables to partition the population and to allow the introduction of additional demographic information, with the view to relaxing the behavioral independence assumption. The primary issue considered is the estimation of population size, which we assume to be constant over the duration of the study.
Autobiography (Through May 2009)

My research interests are the morphology and systematics of turtles, primarily as seen in the fossil record. Turtles are a good group for phylogenetic problems: they have a long history with a diverse fossil record and a good sampling of living taxa that allow for accurate identification of structures. I became an early proponent of phylogenetic systematics due to the influence of Gary Nelson and Bobb Schaeffer in the late 1960s, and I was very fortunate to be present during the development of cladistics at one of its primary centers, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Although most of my publications consist of the documentation and analysis of morphology, I think that my main scientific achievement has been the increase of phylogenetic knowledge of turtles using cladistic methodology. I never had an overall plan, but in retrospect my research reveals an accidentally sensible pattern. After doing a general treatise on turtle skull morphology (Gaffney 1979), I concentrated on the earliest turtles (Triassic and Jurassic) and the largest group of turtles, the cryptodires. I have devoted the past decade to the other main clade, the pleurodires.
Locked Down After A School Shooting

After a school shooting disrupts his family’s life, a physician calls for action on gun control and gun violence.
Production of low-cost silicon films via molten salt electrodeposition

The majority of modern solar cells are still manufactured from silicon, either on polycrystalline or monocrystalline wafers. One of the long existing challenges for crystalline-silicon solar cells is the high cost of solar-grade silicon wafer production. Here, we demonstrate a simple process for making silicon films directly via a one-step electrodeposition process in molten salt for solar cell applications. Compact, high quality silicon can be deposited with successfully. Proof-of-concept solar cell devices are fabricated demonstrated.
Learning How Pedestrians Navigate: A Deep Inverse Reinforcement Learning Approach

Humans and mobile robots will be increasingly cohabiting in the same environments, which has lead to an increase in studies on human robot interaction (HRI). One important topic in these studies is the development of robot navigation algorithms that are socially compliant to humans navigating in the same space. In this paper, we present a method to learn human navigation behaviors using maximum entropy deep inverse reinforcement learning (MEDIRL). We use a large open dataset of pedestrian trajectories collected in an uncontrolled environment as the expert demonstrations. Human navigation behaviors are captured by a nonlinear reward function through deep neural network (DNN) approximation. The developed MEDIRL algorithm takes feature inputs including social affinity map (SAM) that are extracted from human motion trajectories. We perform simulation experiments using the learned reward function, and the performance is evaluated comparing it with the real measured pedestrian trajectories in the dataset. The evaluation results show that the proposed method has acceptable prediction accuracy compared to other state-of-the-art methods, and it can generate pedestrian trajectories similar to real human trajectories with natural social navigation behaviors such as collision avoidance, leader-follower, and split-and-rejoin.
A Note on Flow Behavior in Axially-Dispersed Plug Flow Reactors with Step Input of Tracer

Atmospheric chemistry studies are frequently conducted in flow reactors, such as the potential aerosol mass (PAM) reactor. To characterize the flow condition in such a reactor, an axially-dispersed plug flow reactor (AD-PFR) model has been applied to explain the observed residence time distribution (RTD). Compared with the traditional RTD analysis that directly fits the observed data from a pulse input or differentiates the data points from a step input, we introduce here a direct method to retrieve the axial diffusivity in an AD-PFR model by fitting an analytical formula to the rising profile of the tracer at the beginning of the experiment (the transition data before the reactor reaches steady state). This method can be readily used to determine the flow conditions inside an AD-PFR.
Protect Tiny Teeth Toolkit: An Oral Health Communications Resource for Providers of Pregnant Women and New Mothers

Oral health is important to general health, yet is often overlooked. During pregnancy, women may be more prone to periodontal (gum) disease and cavities, and research has shown an association between these conditions and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, a mother's oral health status is a strong predictor of her children's oral health status. Primary care providers often have an opportunity to influence their patients' attitudes and behaviors regarding the importance of oral health during pregnancy. Through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics worked to create Protect Tiny Teeth, an oral health communications resource that aims to facilitate conversations between pregnant women and their health care providers, as well as educate women and families about the importance of oral health.
Measurement System Timing Integrity in the Presence of Faults and Malicious Attacks

Precise timing within the power grid is of growing importance, facilitating sensing and monitoring to provide realtime situational awareness. This wide-area synchronization is performed through use of GNSS receivers, and is therefore susceptible to attacks as well as natural anomalies. Resiliency in the event of timing errors and attacks is crucial to ensuring reliability of the power grid, and supporting future advancements in automation and control. This work presents a framework aimed at practical deployment to existing and future sites within the power system, as well as other critical infrastructures where precise timing is relevant. We discuss the defense-in-depth scheme utilized to maximize the coverage surface, and individual metrics employed to detect GNSS attacks and errors, equipment malfunctions, and timing attacks via other surfaces such as malware and physical intrusion. A prototype system is developed and discussed, including implementation considerations. We analyze the effectiveness of the metrics against various threat sources, and provide preliminary results demonstrating detection capability against the TEXBAT spoofing dataset. These analysis and results bear testament to the robustness and capability of the system.
Role of LpL (Lipoprotein Lipase) in Macrophage Polarization In Vitro and In Vivo.

Objective: Fatty acid uptake and oxidation characterize the metabolism of alternatively activated macrophage polarization in vitro, but the in vivo biology is less clear. We assessed the roles of L...
Differential diagnosis and management of adult-onset laryngomalacia.

Abstract Objective Adult-onset laryngomalacia is a rare clinical entity that has been infrequently reported. This study aims to evaluate the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of adult-onset laryngomalacia through literature review and report of a case. Methods PubMed and Google Scholar databases were queried for articles published from 1960 to 2019 including only patients aged 18 years and older. Included keywords were: ‘laryngomalacia’, ‘adult laryngomalacia’, ‘acquired laryngomalacia’, ‘idiopathic laryngomalacia’, ‘laryngeal obstruction’, ‘floppy epiglottis’, ‘floppy epiglottis’, and ‘epiglottis prolapse’. Data extracted from literature included clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, surgical management, and follow-up care. Sources PubMed and Google Scholar. Results A total of 21 articles reported 41 cases of adult-onset laryngomalacia. Within these cases, 5 etiologies were identified: neurologic (n = 14), exercise-induced (n = 9), post-operative (n = 7), idiopathic (n = 7), and age-related (n = 4) laryngomalacia. Anterior prolapse of arytenoids and aryepiglottic folds was the most common laryngoscopic finding (n = 21), followed by posterior epiglottic prolapse (n = 20). Management included supraglottoplasty (n = 14), epiglottidectomy (n = 8) or epiglottopexy (n = 2). Neurologic etiology required tracheotomy more often than the other etiologies (n = 5, 36% vs. 15%). Three patients were managed expectantly without surgical intervention and reported symptom resolution. Conclusion Adult laryngomalacia is a rare diagnosis comprising a spectrum of disease. This diagnosis may be overlooked, but association with neurologic injury or trauma should encourage consideration. In comparison to pediatric laryngomalacia, patients often require surgical intervention. Surgical decision is based on the direction of supraglottic collapse, where supraglottoplasty and partial epiglottidectomy are effective interventions. Level of evidence N/A.
Normative Influences on Farmers' Intentions to Practice Conservation Without Compensation.

Non-source nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorous) from agriculture have created a massive hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. This zone contains no oxygen and is devoid of life. US Department of Agriculture programs provide direct payments to farmers to encourage adoption of practices that reduce nutrient pollution. Paying farmers to change behavior, however, is expensive. Personal and social norms may serve to reduce these payment costs by motivating farmers to take action without external reward. This study explored relationships between three normative concepts (awareness of consequences (AC), ascription of responsibility (AR), subjective norms (SN)) and Illinois farmers’ intention to continue participation in conservation without financial compensation. Data were obtained from a mailed questionnaire. Only farmers who were currently being paid to participate in a conservation program were included in the analysis (n = 551). Using norm activation theory and the theory of reasoned action, we hypothesized that SN would be positively related to AC, AR, and conservation intentions without compensation. We also predicted that AC would be positively related to AR, and that AC and AR would be positively related to conservation intentions. All hypotheses were supported. Both personal norms (AC, AR) and social norms (subjective norms) were related to intentions to continue conservation without pay. Behavioral interventions that activate norms may help facilitate conservation without payments. As applied in this study, activating personal and social norms may serve to reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture that is flowing into the Gulf of Mexico and resulting in the hypoxic zone.
A techno-economic comparison of traditional upgrades, volt-var controls, and coordinated distributed energy resource management systems for integration of distributed photovoltaic resources

Abstract In some cases, increased deployment of distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems can impact the distribution grid, including causing steady-state voltages and thermal loading of lines and equipment to deviate from operational limits. We present techno-economic analysis of three possible solutions for mitigating these effects on two real feeders: traditional infrastructure upgrades, autonomous volt-var controls, and a distributed energy management system (DERMS). We focus on issues arising in aggregate from residential and small commercial PV systems at different penetration levels and use a bottom-up approach that couples cost modeling with sequential hosting capacity analysis and quasi-static time-series simulation. We compare trade-offs for each solution in terms of effectiveness, upfront capital costs, operating costs, PV output curtailment, and distribution system losses. We find that volt-var controls offer the lowest cost option for hosting capacity expansion but cannot mitigate all violations at high penetration levels. For the feeders studied, the range of upfront cost for the DERMS and traditional upgrades is similar, but the DERMS results in a greater expansion of the hosting capacity. However, unlike traditional solutions, DERMS also involves higher level of PV curtailment than is observed with autonomous volt-var controls.
An improved design for TE 02 -TE 01 and TE 01 -TE 11 mode converters for use with mm-wave gyrotrons

An improved design is discussed for a varying-radius type TE 02 -to-TE 01 mode converter and a TE 01 -to-TE 11 serpentine mode converter for a 1.094“ diameter circular waveguide at 60 GHz. This design gives shorter converter lengths for the same or higher converter efficiencies than previous designs as well as broader bandwidths.
Loneliness and its association with physical health conditions and psychiatric hospitalizations in people with serious mental illness

This study explored the association between loneliness and psychiatric hospitalizations, functioning, and physical health conditions in people with serious mental illness. Data were included from 3...