cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fresh properties and compressive strength of high calcium alkali activated fly ash mortar

Abstract This paper reports the fresh properties and compressive strength of high calcium alkali-activated fly ash (AAFA) mortar. Two different sources of class C fly ash, with different chemical compositions were used to prepare alkali-activated mortar mixtures. Four different sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide (SS/SH) ratios of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.5 were used as alkaline activators with a constant sodium hydroxide concentration of 10 M. Two curing regimes were also applied, oven curing at 70 °C for 24 h, and ambient curing at 23 ± 2 °C. The rest time, i.e., the time between casting the mortar cubes and starting the oven curing was 2 h. The results revealed that the setting time, and workability of mortar decreased with increasing the alkali to fly ash ratio, and decreasing the water to fly ash ratio. The optimum sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide ratio was 1.0, which showed the highest compressive strength and setting time. An increase of sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide ratio to 2.5 led to a significant reduction in the setting time, and workability of mortar. The 7-day compressive strength of the mortar approached 20.80 MPa for ambient cured regime and 41.10 for oven cured regime.
EFECTOS TERAPÉUTICOS POSITIVOS A TRAVÉS DEL AUMENTO DEL OPTIMISMO

Optimism seems to be a significant construct as it would predict variables of remarkable clinical importance. Positive psychology argues that the improvement of optimism has a significant influence in the decrease of psychopathological symptoms. Of being this thus, the effects of the psychotherapy could be optimized by means of a plan to increase optimism. With the aim of proving this hypothesis, an experimental study with patients who received classic mental psychotherapy was designed. In order to evaluate changes in the psychopathological symptoms, the SCL-90-R scale was used. The results showed a significant decrease in variables such as somatizations, phobic anxiety and hostility in favor of the experimental group in comparison with the control group. Therefore, this plan to increase optimism seems to produce an optimization of the cognitive psychotherapy when decreasing the symptoms intensity of the patients.
Two Arguments for Linguistic Behaviorism

The traditional behavioristic position that objectivity (agreement among independent observers) is not possible with subjective data (thoughts and feelings) is abandoned in favor of the position that subjective data are as objective as the language employed for their conceptualization. Accordingly, linguistic behaviorism is defined as a philosophy of psychology which maintains that behaviorial language is sufficient but not necessary for the explanation, prediction, and control of all significant psychological events. Two arguments for linguistic behaviorism are advanced: a methodological argument based on a conception of science, and a materialistic argument based on a conception of man. A metaphorical solution of the philosophical problems raised by a behavioral analysis of conscious content concludes the discussion.
Dronedarone exerts anticoagulant and antiplatelet effects independently of its antiarrhythmic actions.

Abstract Background and aims Dronedarone reduced the rate of stroke and transient ischemic attack in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) in the ATHENA trial. This cannot be explained by its antiarrhythmic effect alone and may involve alternative mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate any direct effect of dronedarone on blood thrombogenicity, independent of its antiarrhythmic effects. Methods Blood samples from patients with cardiovascular disease (n = 30) taking no anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication except aspirin were incubated with dronedarone's active metabolite (SR35021A) at 66 ng/ml (am-L) and 119 ng/ml (am-H), i.e., minimum and maximum mean Cmax reported after repeated 400 mg BID dosing. A third aliquot of blood was incubated with vehicle (Control). Antithrombotic effects of dronedarone were assessed using Coagulation Time (CT), Clot Formation Rate (CFR) and Maximum Clot Firmness (MCF) in ThromboElastoMetry and whole blood platelet aggregation in response to ADP, collagen and TRAP. Results Compared to Control, mean CT was prolonged by am-L and am-H (164 ± 25 s vs. 180 ± 22 and 182 ± 32 s, respectively, p Conclusions Dronedarone exerts direct anticoagulant and antiplatelet effects on human blood in vitro that are independent of its antiarrhythmic actions. This suggests the reductions in ischemic events reported with dronedarone may not be due to amelioration of AF itself. Additional clinical studies are required to further improve understanding of the mechanisms involved.
Resonance Raman excitation profiles of CdS in pure CdS and CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots: CdS-localized excitons

Resonance Raman excitation profiles have been measured for the longitudinal optical phonon in two sizes of CdS quantum dots and in CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots. In pure CdS, the resonance Raman cross section for the fundamental transition is sharply peaked around the lowest-energy excitonic transition and becomes weaker with higher-energy excitation even though the absorbance continues to increase to higher energies. This effect, also observed in earlier studies of CdSe quantum dots, is attributed largely to interferences among multiple excitonic transitions contributing to the resonance Raman polarizability. No variation in exciton-phonon coupling strength with exciton energy is required to explain the decrease in the ratio of the Raman cross section to absorption cross section at shorter wavelengths. In core/shell structures, the CdSe phonons are relatively strong when exciting on resonance with the lower excitonic transitions, in which the hole is largely localized to the CdSe core, but become nearly undetectable at excitation wavelengths >0.6 eV above the lowest exciton, where both electrons and holes are largely localized in the CdS shell. The CdS phonon Raman cross section exhibits a maximum 0.6-0.7 eV above the lowest exciton and then decreases at higher energies for the same reasons as in pure CdS.
Fast and accurate simulation of electromagnetic telemetry in deviated and horizontal drilling

Abstract Electromagnetic (EM) telemetry systems are widely used for measurement-while-drilling (MWD), especially in unconventional drilling. In this paper, a numerical method for the simulation of EM telemetry systems in deviated and horizontal drilling is introduced. The underground formation is assumed to be horizontally layered media, and the long, metal drill string acts as an antenna that may be treated as a thin wire excited by a gap voltage source located near the drill bit. The numerical model employs the electric field integral equation (EFIE) and the method of moments (MoM) to obtain a linear system for the axial current distribution on the drill string, which is subdivided into several one-dimensional segments. By using the thin wire kernel, near-field interactions can be evaluated accurately and efficiently, while also reducing problem dimensionality and singularity order of the homogeneous medium contribution to the layered medium Green's function (LMGF). The latter typically takes the form of a dyadic spectral domain integral, the asymptotics of whose integrands may be estimated and combined with Kummer's method to accelerate its evaluation, with the asymptotic correction terms evaluated in closed or easily evaluated forms. Numerical results are presented to verify the fast and accurate performance of the proposed approach. Results for signal voltage receivability by a surface antenna are also presented and discussed.
Ionic conduction and unipolar resistance switching in δ-phase Bi2O3 thin films

Abstract Fast-ion conductors are of broad interest in diverse fields such as electrochemical energy and non-volatile memory technologies. In this study, δ -phase Bi 2 O 3 thin film was stabilized to room temperature via reactive magnetron sputter deposition and characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The δ -phase Bi 2 O 3 thin films were highly textured along ( 1 1 1 ) direction on various substrates and stable during annealing up to 400 °C in air and 200 °C in 5% H2 atmosphere. Electrochemical impedance measurements on δ -phase Bi 2 O 3 thin films show an ionic conductivity of 0.001 S/cm at 400 °C and an activation energy of 0.98 eV. δ -phase Bi 2 O 3 thin films based resistance switching cells (Ag/ δ - Bi 2 O 3 /Pt or Ag/ δ - Bi 2 O 3 /Au) show unipolar resistance switching phenomena. The voltage difference between the RESET and SET voltage is over 0.8 V and the resistance contrast between high resistance state (HRS) and low resistance state (LRS) is greater than 10 3 . The resistance switching parameters, like FORMING voltage, SET voltage and RESET voltage can be controlled by the thickness of δ - Bi 2 O 3 . In the low resistance state, both the absence of superconductivity down to 2 K and magnetoresistance value indicates metallicity originates from non-stoichiometric bismuth oxide and not pure bismuth metal. The electric field required for SET and RESET operations are estimated to be 7 MV/m and 3.25 MV/m respectively.
Linear programming approach for doctors scheduling in a hospital

The main objective of this study is to propose an optimization model for achieving efficient scheduling of doctors attached to any hospital. In the recent literatures, a wide variety of different methodologies and models have been developed pertaining to various scheduling problems. These include Mathematical Programming, Meta-Heuristic Methods and Constraint Satisfaction Techniques. First, an optimization model is formed by formulating the objectives and the constraints of the problem mathematically. Further, the real doctors’ scheduling problem is formed as a 0-1 Integer Linear Programming problem. To solve the problem, Branch-and-Bound technique is applied by using the optimization software package LINGO. Finally, the solution to the optimization problem is converted to a regular doctors’ schedule. The methodology is illustrated by preparing a weekly schedule for a private hospital in Sri Lanka which has 32 doctors of the same grade.
Thermodynamic Consistency in Property Formulations

The importance of thermodynamic consistency in property formulations used in energy system design and analysis is discussed. A modern, wide-range fundamental equation of state for oxygen is compared to the Peng-Robinson, Soave-Redlich-Kwong and Bender equations of state. The accuracy of each equation in predicting properties, saturation states, critical region behavior, velocity of sound, and heat capacities is established. Trade-offs between equation complexity, computational efficiency, and equation accuracy are also documented.
Spectroscopic Studies of a Diacetylenic Surfactant

Spectroscopic studies have been performed on aqueous dispersions of di-(10,12-tricosadiynoyl) phosphatidylcholine before and after polymerization with ultraviolet light. Non-resonance Raman and infrared spectroscopies of both the polymer and monomer reveal the structure of the hydrocarbon chains and head groups of the lipids.
Kinin Receptors and ACE Inhibitors: An Interrelationship

The beneficial effects of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are due in part to augmenting the actions of bradykinin (BK) and Lys-BK on their receptors (R). They inhibit kinin inactivation and thereby stimulate the release of mediators such as prostaglandins, nitric oxide (NO), and others. In addition to inhibiting an enzyme, ACE inhibitors affect BK Rs as allosteric effectors in cultured cells, such as human endothelial cells. ACE inhibitors can potentiate BK and ACE-resistant BK analog’s actions on B2 Rs. They elevate arachidonic acid and NO release as indirect allosteric enhancers acting on a heterodimer formed by human ACE and B2 R. This has been shown by co-immunoprecipitation, immunohistochemistry and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). After carboxypeptidase N or M removes the C-terminal Arg of kinins, the resulting des-Arg9-BK and des-Arg10-Lys1-BK are inactive on B2 Rs, but are agonists of B1 Rs. Activation of this R leads to prolonged release of NO, synthesized by iNOS. ACE inhibitors are also agonists of the B1 R at a Zn-binding sequence of this heptahelical G protein-coupled R. The site of activation is different from that of the orthosteric peptide ligands; it is on the extracellular loop 2 at residues 195–199. Thus, ACE inhibitors act as direct allosteric agonists. B1 Rs are present mainly in endothelial and other cells after an inflammatory process or induced by cytokines, which also bring about iNOS expression. While constitutively expressed eNOS activation via B2 R results in a short burst of NO, the longer lasting NO release initiated by peptide or ACE inhibitor ligands of the B1R may help to alleviate some detrimental effects in the failing heart.
High Strain Rate Performance of Pressureless Sintered Boron Carbide

The processing technique used to consolidate ceramics powders can have a large effect on the microstructure, and hence the performance of the material. In this research, microstructure, mechanical properties, and the high strain rate compressive behavior of pressureless sintered boron carbide (B4C) samples were examined and compared to those of conventional hot pressed B4C. Penetration velocity tests were conducted on identical targets made with the pressureless sintered B4C samples and hot pressed B4C. Microstructural and post mortem characterization showed that test results of the pressureless sintered B4C were affected by significant porosity in the samples. The effects of the processing technique on the microstructure, properties, and the high rate behavior of the pressureless sintered B4C will be discussed.
Consequentialism and Deontology

This article discusses the features of consequentialism and some prominent varieties of this approach to morality, such as egoistic, altruistic, and idealistic consequentialism, and assesses the general criticism of these theories. The utilitarian theories of Bentham and Mill are introduced. Kant’s moral theory is briefly summarized and some of the merits and main criticisms of his deontology are discussed. Finally, the amendments made to deontological thought by W. D. Ross, prompted in part by Prichard’s criticism, are introduced and some of the criticisms of Ross’s position are outlined.
Inequities in Childhood Vaccination Coverage in Zhejiang, Province: Evidence from a Decomposition Analysis on Two-Round Surveys.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to determine the degree and risk factors of the inequity in the childhood coverage of full primary immunization (FPI) in Zhejiang province. Method: We used data from two rounds of vaccination coverage surveys among children aged 24–35 months conducted in 2014 and 2017, respectively. The household income per month was used as an index of socioeconomic status for the inequality analysis. The concentration index (CI) was used to quantify the degree of inequality, and the decomposition approach was applied to quantify the contributions from demographic factors to inequality in the coverage of FPI. Results: The coverage rates of FPI were 80.6%, with a CI value of 0.12028 for the 2014 survey, while the coverage rates of FPI were 85.2%, with a CI value of 0.10129 for the 2017 survey. The results of decomposition analysis suggested that 68.2% and 67.1% of the socioeconomic inequality in the coverage of FPI could be explained by the mother’s education level for the 2014 and 2017 survey, respectively. Other risk factors including birth order, ethnic group, mother’s age, maternal employment status, residence, immigration status, GDP per-capita, and the percentage of the total health spending allocated to public health could also explain this inequality. Conclusion: The socioeconomic inequity in the coverage of FPI still remained, although this gap was reduced between 2014 and 2017. Policy recommendations for health interventions on reducing the inequality in the coverage of FPI should be focused on eliminating poverty and women’s illiteracy.
29Si NMR of aqueous silicate complexes at gigapascal pressures

Geochemists have models to predict solute speciation and mineral equilibria in aqueous solutions up to 1200 °C and 6 GPa. These models are useful to uncover reaction pathways deep in the Earth, though experimental confirmation is extremely difficult. Here we show speciation changes among aqueous silicate complexes to pressures of 1.8 GPa through use of a high-pressure solution-state NMR probe. The radiofrequency circuit uses a microcoil geometry that is coupled with a piston-cylinder pressure cell to generate and maintain these high pressures. The 1.8 GPa pressure corresponds to pressures reached at the lower crust or upper mantle. Although these experiments are limited to ambient temperature, we show that the increased pressure affects complexation and oligomerization reactions by eliminating bulk waters and that the pressure effects are completely reversible. Silicates are abundant in the Earth’s crust but their high-pressure solution chemistry has not been studied by NMR. Here the complexation chemistry of aqueous silicates is studied at pressures of up to 1.8 GPa by 29Si NMR spectroscopy.
Prognostic factors impacting survival in early stage uterine carcinosarcoma

Abstract Objective Evaluate the impact of clinicopathologic characteristics and adjuvant treatment on survival outcomes in early stage uterine carcinosarcoma patients. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of women with stage I or II uterine carcinosarcoma at our institution between March 1990 and June 2016. All pathology had been reviewed and confirmed by gynecologic pathologists. Data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Descriptive and comparative statistics were used to compare clinicopathologic characteristics. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed for survival outcomes. Results 140 patients were identified. Median age was 67 years (range: 36–91). Median follow-up was 39.1 months (2.9–297.4). The majority of patients had stage IA (67%) versus stage IB (21%) or stage II (11%) disease. The majority of patients (63%) received adjuvant treatment: vaginal brachytherapy only (14%); whole pelvic radiation therapy only (16%); chemotherapy only (n = 13, 9%); combination chemotherapy and vaginal brachytherapy (15%); combination chemotherapy and whole pelvic radiation (9%). 52 patients (37%) received no adjuvant therapy. Median overall survival (OS) was 48.0 months (95% CI 32.7–80.9). On multivariable analysis for OS, advancing age (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03–1.08, p Conclusions Advancing age, stage, and the presence of a rhabdomyosarcoma component were all associated with worse OS in patients with early stage uterine carcinosarcoma. New treatment algorithms should incorporate factors aside from stage alone.
Nitrogen fixation does not balance fire-induced nitrogen losses in longleaf pine savannas

Fire is a critical force in structuring ecosystems, but it also removes substantial amounts of nitrogen (N), which can limit plant growth. Biological N fixation (BNF) may alleviate fire-induced N deficiencies that inhibit ecosystem recovery, yet if and how BNF achieves this under frequent fire is unclear. This problem is further complicated in the context of modern human influences (such as land-use history and atmospheric N deposition), which may confound the relationship between fire and fixation. Here, we investigate whether BNF supplies the N necessary to replace fire-induced N losses in restored longleaf pine savannas, and, if so, what factors control fixation. We established 54 1-ha plots of longleaf pine capturing 227 yr of forest recovery and a broad gradient of fire return interval (1.5-20 yr) at two sites in the southeastern United States. We quantified N fixation from three functional groups (herbaceous legumes, soil crusts, and asymbiotic N fixing bacteria), N losses from individual fire events and ecosystem dynamics of N supply and demand. We found that BNF rates were low but sustained over stand age but were substantially below estimated rates of atmospheric N deposition. While fire temporarily stimulated BNF from herbaceous legumes, neither BNF nor atmospheric N deposition were sufficient to balance N losses from fire and soil N stocks declined over stand age. However, rates of N mineralization were surprisingly high and tree productivity was unrelated to N availability, questioning the importance of N limitation in these temperate savannas. While it is possible that progressive N losses signal a decline in ecosystem resiliency, N enrichment from multiple land-use transitions and anthropogenic N deposition may suppress rates of BNF or diminish its importance as a long-term N balancing source in these pyrogenic ecosystems. In this case, fire may be acting as relief mechanism, critical for returning the modern longleaf pine landscape to its historical oligotrophic condition.
Scalp Swelling and Spinal Dimpling in Two Term Infants.

A female neonate is noted to have a painless scalp swelling on routine newborn examination. ### Prenatal and Birth Histories ### Presentation Routine newborn examination on the 1st day after birth was notable for a focal 1.2-cm swelling adjacent to the sagittal suture midway between the anterior and posterior fontanelles (Fig 1). Figure 1. Cystic scalp lesion anterior to the posterior fontanelle. ### Vital Signs ### Physical Examination (Day 1)
Politics and Parental Care: Experimental and Mediational Tests of the Causal Link Between Parenting Motivation and Social Conservatism:

People vary greatly in their desire for, willingness to care for, and emotions toward children. This variation in “parenting motivation” predicts a range of cognition and behavior. Strategic perspe...
Methane oxidation associated with submersed vascular macrophytes and its impact on plant diffusive methane flux

Methane oxidation associated with submersed vascular plants andits effects on diffusive CH4 release from plants wereexamined through a series of laboratory and field incubationexperiments. In laboratory analyses, measured rates of epiphyticoxidation (i.e., oxidation associated with aboveground tissues) rangedfrom 0.3 to 32.9 pmol mm−2 plant tissueh−1 with significant CH4 consumptionassociated with basal (i.e., near sediment) leaves and stems for all sixspecies tested. Basal stem tissue also showed greater oxidation activitythan basal leaves. Oxidation activity for washed roots of threesubmersed species ranged from 0.18 to 7.01 µmolg−1 root ash-free dry mass h−1 withhigher rates associated with two rhizomatous/stoloniferous speciesthan with a non-rhizomatous one. In field incubations of a singlespecies (Myriophyllum exalbescens), intact plants showed netCH4 consumption during the day and net release at night. Whena specific inhibitor of CH4 oxidation was applied (methylfluoride – MF), net daytime release from plants was observed andnighttime flux increased, indicating that diffusive CH4release from submersed plants is significantly curtailed by the activityof epiphytic methanotrophs.
Altered Pharmacokinetics and Dosing of Liposomal Amphotericin B and Isavuconazole during Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Drug pharmacokinetics may be significantly altered in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Ensuring the optimized effective dosing of antimicrobials on ECMO remains a challenge. To date, limited data are available regarding the optimal use of amphotericin and triazoles during ECMO. We report a case of altered pharmacokinetics, insufficient liposomal amphotericin B and isavuconazole levels, and the need for escalated doses during ECMO in a patient with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to pulmonary blastomycosis. A 2-fold increase in the standard total daily dose of both drugs was necessary to overcome low serum concentrations thought to be secondary to drug loss from ECMO circuit sequestration. These findings have important implications for optimizing antimicrobial therapy in patients receiving ECMO to maximize therapeutic efficacy. The use of therapeutic drug monitoring for patients receiving antimicrobial therapy with concurrent ECMO may facilitate appropriate drug dosing to achieve adequate serum concentrations and optimize favorable patient outcomes. Further studies exploring antimicrobial pharmacokinetics during ECMO are needed to inform dosing recommendations in critically ill patients.
Complete Resolution of Mucosal Neutrophils Associates With Improved Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Ulcerative Colitis.

Abstract Background & Aims We investigated correlations between histologic features of the colonic mucosa in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and clinical outcomes over a 3-year follow-up period. Methods We obtained baseline biopsies from all colorectal segments (n=889) from 281 patients with UC enrolled in a prospective study at a single center from 2009 through 2013. Biopsies were assessed in a blinded manner using validated histologic scoring systems (the Geboes score, Nancy histopathologic index, and Robarts histopathologic index). Clinical, endoscopic, and histologic data were collected and tested for correlations with systemic corticosteroid use, hospitalization, and colectomy within 3 years of the index colonoscopy. Results We found histologic evidence of UC activity (Geboes score ≥ 2B.1) in biopsies from 182 patients (65%) and endoscopic evidence of UC activity in 149 patients (53%) (substantial agreement, κ = 0.60). Histologic features of UC activity were associated with increased rates of systemic corticosteroid use, colectomy, and hospitalization in the entire cohort (P Conclusions Histologic evidence of UC activity, including small numbers neutrophils in the colonic mucosa, is the only factor independently associated with use of systemic corticosteroids. Complete resolution of neutrophil-associated inflammation should be a target for treatment of UC.
Recent advances in opinion propagation dynamics: A 2020 Survey

Opinion dynamics have attracted the interest of researchers from different fields. Local interactions among individuals create interesting dynamics for the system as a whole. Such dynamics are important from a variety of perspectives. Group decision making, successful marketing, and constructing networks (in which consensus can be reached or prevented) are a few examples of existing or potential applications. The invention of the Internet has made the opinion fusion faster, unilateral, and on a whole different scale. Spread of fake news, propaganda, and election interferences have made it clear there is an essential need to know more about these dynamics. The emergence of new ideas in the field has accelerated over the last few years. In the first quarter of 2020, at least 50 research papers have emerged, either peer-reviewed and published or on preprint outlets such as arXiv. In this paper, we summarize these ground-breaking ideas and their fascinating extensions and introduce newly surfaced concepts.
Management of Anaphylaxis Refractory to Standard First Line Therapy

Anaphylaxis is a common yet often under-recognized and undertreated phenomenon. Experts have defined the term various ways but all agree that the standard of care is rapid treatment with epinephrine upon diagnosis of anaphylaxis. However, some cases of anaphylaxis are either partially or unresponsive to standard doses of epinephrine, a phenomenon referred to as refractory anaphylaxis. The epidemiology, risk factors, preventative measures, and treatments (both traditionally accepted second-line therapies and more controversial novel therapies) of refractory anaphylaxis are discussed in this chapter.
Enrich Rare Disease Phenotypic Characterizations via a Graph Convolutional Network Based Recommendation System

Nowadays, there exist more than 300 million patients affected by about 7,000 rare disease all over the world, which comprises 3.5% to 5.9% of the global population. 40% of rare disease patients are diagnosed incorrectly before reaching a final diagnosis, of which 25% spend between 5 to 30 years on a chaotic journey through numerous referrals, investigations, and disease evolutions from early symptoms to a confirmatory diagnosis of their disease. Phenotypes are defined as observable characteristics and clinical traits of diseases and organisms. A significant lack of knowledge and insufficient characterization of the longitudinal phenotypic information of many rare diseases is a significant contributor to the continued existence of such diagnostic odyssey. In this study, to largely detect longitudinal phenotypic characterizations for rare disease, we formulated the problem of enriching rare disease phenotypic sets as a phenotype recommendation task and applied the graph convolutional network along with biomedical knowledge graph over Mayo Clinic electronic health records to achieve the goal.
Dynamics of noise-induced wave-number selection in the stabilized Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation.

We revisit the question of wave-number selection in pattern-forming systems by studying the one-dimensional stabilized Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation with additive noise. In earlier work, we found that a particular periodic state is more probable than all others at very long times, establishing the critical role of noise in the selection process. However, the detailed mechanism by which the noise picked out the selected wave number was not understood. Here, we address this issue by analyzing the noise-averaged time evolution of each unstable mode from the spatially homogeneous state, with and without noise. We find drastic differences between the nonlinear dynamics in the two cases. In particular, we find that noise opposes the growth of Eckhaus modes close to the critical wave number and boosts the growth of Eckhaus modes with wave numbers smaller than the critical wave number. We then hypothesize that the main factor responsible for this behavior is the excitation of long-wavelength $(q\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0)$ modes by the noise. This hypothesis is confirmed by extensive numerical simulations. We also examine the significance of the magnitude of the noise.
Accounting Choices and Risk Management: SFAS No. 115 and U.S. Bank Holding Companies*

This paper provides evidence that regulatory contracts affect firms' accounting choices and risk-management decisions. Specifically, we investigate whether an exogenous shock to regulatory risk induced by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities” (SFAS 1993), encouraged U.S. banks to deviate from portfolio and risk benchmarks when they adopted the standard. Because we cannot observe relevant benchmarks, we model portfolio and risk decisions as functions of macroeconomic and firm-specific factors using data from a period when regulatory capital was immune to SFAS No. 115 accounting. We examine a sample of 230 publicly traded banks and find that (1) irrespective of adoption timing, banks classified too few securities available for sale (AFS) relative to estimated benchmarks; (2) weaker banks that adopted the standard early classified far more securities as AFS relative to benchmarks; (3) banks altered the size of their securities portfolios along with the levels of interest-rate risk and credit risk as regulatory capital decreased; and (4) the level of interest-rate risk on banks' loan portfolios increased at the time of SFAS No. 115 adoption. We also explore the 1995 Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) amnesty when firms could “readopt” SFAS No. 115. We find that banks used the 1995 FASB amnesty to undo strategic initial SFAS No. 115 adoption decisions. Taken together, our findings suggest that SFAS No. 115 caused some of the accounting and economic consequences predicted by bankers, analysts, and academics.
Band Limited Functions and Extensions of Classical Interpolation Series

Many of the algorithms and results generated by the mathematics of signal processing and its associated sampling theory rely on the fact that every signal F(x), −∞ < x < ∞, which is frequency band limited, can be reconstructed from a discrete sequence of samples {F(xn)} with appropriately chosen sampling nodes {xn} = {…,}x0, x1, …. The various specific reconstruction procedures and formulas require additional restrictions on the signal F and the sampling nodes {xn}. Motivated by an article by G. H. Hardy we show, among other things, that every signal F whose frequency band is known can be reconstructed via formulas that are analogous to that provided by the classical Whittaker-Kotelnikov-Shannon Sampling Theorem for signals with finite power. The caveat is that additional samples are required or samples may be deleted depending on the roughness or smoothness of the frequency distribution of F. Viewed from a different perspective, these formulas give rise to relatively natural band limited reconstructions that interpolate the data in cases of finite over or under sampling with respect to the classical sampling theorem.
Does having a Master of Public Health (MPH) improve physician assistants’ ability to address the social determinants of health in their clinical practice?

Background: There is mounting evidence that clinicians need to address the social determinants of heath (SDOH) in their practice. Physician Assistants (PAs) who complete a joint degree with a Master of Public Health (MPH) may be able to address the SDOH in their practice better than those who do not have the degree. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether or not having a Master in Public Health (MPH) improves PAs’ ability to address the SDOH in their clinical practice. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 25 practicing PAs who were jointly trained with the MPH degree and 32 practicing PAs who were not jointly trained. An online survey was administered to a gather SDOH knowledge, attitude and behavior data using an adapted 13-item SDOH scale. Results: This study found that jointly trained PA/MPH clinicians reported significantly more perceived knowledge about SDOH (37.6 vs 31.1; P = .028), were more likely to identify SDOHs as important to their patients’ health (38.6 vs 32.9; P = .035), were more likely to intend to address SDOH with their patients’ (29.7 vs 23.5; P = .031) and reported feeling more comfortable talking about SDOH with their patients (3.75 vs 3.2; P = .05) despite no significant differences in reported barriers to addressing SDOH. Conclusion: These findings suggest that joint clinical training with the MPH can positively impact PAs ability to address the SDOH in their clinical work and lays the groundwork for future research.
Nonlinear Random Vibration Analysis: A Bayesian Nonparametric Approach

Abstract Random vibration analysis aims to estimate the response statistics of dynamical systems subject to stochastic excitations. Stochastic differential equations (SDEs) that govern the response of general nonlinear systems are often complicated, and their analytical solutions are scarce. Thus, a range of approximate methods and simulation techniques have been developed. This paper develops a hybrid approach that approximates the governing SDE of nonlinear systems using a small number of response simulations and information available a priori. The main idea is to identify a set of surrogate linear systems such that their response probability distributions collectively estimate the response probability distribution of the original nonlinear system. To identify the surrogate linear systems, the proposed method integrates the simulated responses of the original nonlinear system with information available a priori about the number and parameters of the surrogate linear systems. There will be epistemic uncertainty in the number and parameters of the surrogate linear systems because of the limited data. This paper proposes a Bayesian nonparametric approach, called a Dirichlet Process Mixture Model, to capture these uncertainties. The Dirichlet process models the uncertainty over an infinite-dimensional parameter space, representing an infinite number of potential surrogate linear systems. Specifically, the proposed method allows the number of surrogate linear systems to grow indefinitely as the nonlinear system observed dynamic unveil new patterns. The quantified uncertainty in the estimates of the unknown model parameters propagates into the response probability distribution. The paper then shows that, under some mild conditions, the estimated probability distribution approaches, as close as desired, to the original nonlinear system’s response probability distribution. As a measure of model accuracy, the paper provides the convergence rate of the response probability distribution. Because the posterior distribution of the unknown model parameters is often not analytically tractable, a Gibbs sampling algorithm is presented to draw samples from the posterior distribution. Variational Bayesian inference is also introduced to derive an approximate closed-form expression for the posterior distribution. The paper illustrates the proposed method through the random vibration analysis of a nonlinear elastic and a nonlinear hysteretic system.
Facilitating Privacy Related Decisions in Different Privacy Contexts on the Internet by Evaluating Trust in Recipients of Private Data

Every time a user uses the Internet, a wealth of personal information is revealed, either voluntarily or involuntarily. This often causes privacy breaches, specially if the information is misused. Ideally, a user would like to make a reasoned decision about who to release her information to and what to release. For this purpose, we propose using the level of trust that a user has on the recipient regarding not to misuse her private data. To measure this trust level, we adapt the vector model of trust proposed earlier. We formalize a notion of privacy context and show how a privacy context ontology can be used to determine trust values for previously unencountered situations.
Facts and Fallacies About Foreign Direct Investment

This paper begins with a summary of the major trends in foreign direct investment over the 1980-1995 period. Following that we present five fallacies, dealing with: the magnitude of foreign investment in Japan; the impact of FDI on the U.S. and Japanese trade balance; the extent to which multinational corporations control U.S. trade; the impact of exchange rate movements on foreign investment flows; and finally, the impact of FDI on welfare of the host country. The paper concludes with a further analysis of the recent trends in foreign investment and their implications for the competition faced by U.S. firms on international markets.
O judaísmo frente à intolerância: reflexões teóricas sobre a resistência na história

Resumo: O objetivo deste ensaio e refletir acerca dos aspectos ideacionais e praticos da intolerância aos judeus, construidos com base no pensamento religioso de natureza teologica/eclesiastica.
Optimal Control of Jump-Markov Processes and Viscosity Solutions

We investigate the Bellman equation that arises in the optimal control of Markov processes. This is a fully nonlinear integro-differential equation. The notion of viscosity solutions is introduced and then existence and uniqueness results are obtained. Also, the connection between the optimal control problem and the Bellman equation is developed.
Model reference controller design for stabilizing constant power loads in an offshore medium voltage DC microgrid

Requirements and challenges associated with the microgrid are primarily focused upon controller design, communications, standard compliment, and medium voltage power converter design. A microgrid scenario that is proposed in this article is an offshore platform supplied by renewable generation. The offshore platform is heavily populated with large motors, which are modeled as constant power loads creating an inherent instability in the system architecture. In this article, the mathematical framework for a model reference controller is proposed and designed to ensure that the closed-loop control system is critically dampened. Discussions are focused upon future efforts of utilizing model reference adaptive control to further controller improvements.
Bilinear heterogeneous information machine for RGB-D action recognition

This paper proposes a novel approach to action recognition from RGB-D cameras, in which depth features and RGB visual features are jointly used. Rich heterogeneous RGB and depth data are effectively compressed and projected to a learned shared space, in order to reduce noise and capture useful information for recognition. Knowledge from various sources can then be shared with others in the learned space to learn cross-modal features. This guides the discovery of valuable information for recognition. To capture complex spatiotemporal structural relationships in visual and depth features, we represent both RGB and depth data in a matrix form. We formulate the recognition task as a low-rank bilinear model composed of row and column parameter matrices. The rank of the model parameter is minimized to build a low-rank classifier, which is beneficial for improving the generalization power. The proposed method is extensively evaluated on two public RGB-D action datasets, and achieves state-of-the-art results. It also shows promising results if RGB or depth data are missing in training or testing procedure.
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Sensors for the Detection of Bacterial Pathogens

Modern biosensor technologies can provide rapid quantification of bacterial pathogens. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors are an optical platform capable of highly sensitive and specific measuring of biomolecular interactions in real-time. This label-free technology can quantify the kinetics, affinity and concentration of surface interactions. SPR sensors have been used to detect bacterial pathogens in clinical and food-related samples. This chapter discusses the fundamental theory behind SPR sensors and state-of-the-art SPR instrumentation, surface chemistries, molecular recognition elements and detection strategies, as well as specific challenges associated with bacterial detection using SPR sensors. SPR-based detections of bacterial cells, genetic markers and antibody biomarkers are reviewed and discussed.
Eyewitness Science and the Call for Double-Blind Lineup Administration

For several decades, social scientists have investigated variables that can influence the accuracy of eyewitnesses’ identifications. This research has been fruitful and led to many recommendations to improve lineup procedures. Arguably, the most crucial reform social scientists advocate is double-blind lineup administration: lineups should be administered by a person who does not know the identity of the suspect. In this paper, we briefly review the classic research on expectancy effects that underlies this procedural recommendation. Then, we discuss the eyewitness research, illustrating three routes by which lineup administrators’ expectations can bias eyewitness identification evidence: effects on eyewitnesses’ identification decisions, effects on eyewitnesses’ identification confidence, and effects on administrator records of the lineup procedure. Finally, we discuss the extent to which double-blind lineup administration has been adopted among police jurisdictions in the United States and address common concerns about implementing a double-blind standard.
Electron-paramagnetic-resonance and fluorescence-line-narrowing measurements of the lasing center in Cr-doped forsterite

We present results of EPR and near-infrared fluorescence-line-narrowing experiments performed on Cr-doped forsterite. The optical measurements permit identification of the signals in the complex EPR spectrum due to the near-infrared lasing center. The site symmetry of the lasing center is shown to be ${\mathit{c}}_{\mathit{s}}$, with the mirror plane being in the crystallographic a-b plane. The magnetic z axes of the two magnetically inequivalent sites are in the mirror plane at an angle of \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}43\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to the b axis. In addition, the relative energies of the ground-state triplet have also been measured and can be written in terms of spin Hamiltonian energy parameters: D=+2.20 and E=-0.149 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$.
The effectiveness of resistive force theory in granular locomotiona)

Resistive force theory (RFT) is often used to analyze the movement of microscopic organisms swimming in fluids. In RFT, a body is partitioned into infinitesimal segments, each of which generates thrust and experiences drag. Linear superposition of forces from elements over the body allows prediction of swimming velocities and efficiencies. We show that RFT quantitatively describes the movement of animals and robots that move on and within dry granular media (GM), collections of particles that display solid, fluid, and gas-like features. RFT works well when the GM is slightly polydisperse, and in the “frictional fluid” regime such that frictional forces dominate material inertial forces, and when locomotion can be approximated as confined to a plane. Within a given plane (horizontal or vertical) relationships that govern the force versus orientation of an elemental intruder are functionally independent of the granular medium. We use the RFT to explain features of locomotion on and within granular media including kinematic and muscle activation patterns during sand-swimming by a sandfish lizard and a shovel-nosed snake, optimal movement patterns of a Purcell 3-link sand-swimming robot revealed by a geometric mechanics approach, and legged locomotion of small robots on the surface of GM. We close by discussing situations to which granular RFT has not yet been applied (such as inclined granular surfaces), and the advances in the physics of granular media needed to apply RFT in such situations.
PRODUCT-FREE SETS IN THE CARD GAME SET

ABSTRACT The card game SET has attracted the attention of math and game enthusiasts alike. In this article, I present a first semester Abstract Algebra project that guides the students through an algebraic formulation of the game. There are many interesting mathematical questions that one can ask about the game, and I illustrate how the project can be used to get students working on such questions. In this way, the project can also serve as an opportunity for undergraduate research.
CLARO: modeling and processing uncertain data streams

Uncertain data streams, where data are incomplete and imprecise, have been observed in many environments. Feeding such data streams to existing stream systems produces results of unknown quality, which is of paramount concern to monitoring applications. In this paper, we present the claro system that supports stream processing for uncertain data naturally captured using continuous random variables. claro employs a unique data model that is flexible and allows efficient computation. Built on this model, we develop evaluation techniques for relational operators by exploring statistical theory and approximation. We also consider query planning for complex queries given an accuracy requirement. Evaluation results show that our techniques can achieve high performance while satisfying accuracy requirements and outperform state-of-the-art sampling methods.