cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Loss Aversion and Time-Differentiated Electricity Pricing

I develop a model of loss aversion over electricity expenditure, from which I derive testable predictions for household electricity consumption while on combination time-of-use (TOU) and critical peak pricing (CPP) plans. Testing these predictions results in evidence consistent with loss aversion: (1) spillover e ects positive expenditure shocks resulted in significantly more peak consumption reduction for several weeks thereafter; and (2) clustering disproportionate probability of consuming such that expenditure would be equal between the TOUCPP or standard flat-rate pricing structures. This behavior is inconsistent with a purely neoclassical utility model, and has important implications for application of time-di erentiated electricity pricing. uLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Mail Stop 90R4000 Berkeley, CA 94720 USA, caspurlock@lbl.gov. A previous version of this research appeared in my doctoral dissertation from University of California, Berkeley entitled “Essays in Energy Economics.” I would like to thank Peter Berck, Meredith Fowlie, Stefano DellaVigna, Sofia Berto Villas-Boas, Catherine Wolfram, and Koichiro Ito for their invaluable advice and comments. I am very grateful to the California Energy Commission, and particularly David Hungerford, for giving me permission to use the data from the California Statewide Pricing Pilot, and to the Energy Institute at Haas for facilitating my access to these data. All mistakes are my own. Support for this work was provided to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Immediate Transoral Allogeneic Bone Grafting for Large Mandibular Defects. Less Morbidity, More Bone. A Paradigm in Benign Tumor Mandibular Reconstruction?

Purpose Reconstruction of hard tissue continuity defects caused by ablative tumor surgery has been traditionally reconstructed with autogenous bone grafts or microvascular free flaps. Although results have been predictable from these 2 methods of reconstruction, the morbidity associated with bone harvest is quite serious for the patient. Predictable results have been obtained with using a combination of 100% cadaver bone, bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), and recombinant human bone morphogenic protein in immediate reconstruction for benign tumor extirpations through the extraoral approach. In light of these successful outcomes, the same combination was evaluated with an intraoral approach. This study evaluated the success of immediate mandibular reconstruction through the intraoral approach without any autogenous bone harvesting. Patients and Methods The aim of this retrospective study was to share the authors' experience with the use of 100% allogeneic bone in combination with bone morphogenic protein and BMAC through the transoral approach for immediate reconstruction of continuity defects that resulted from benign tumor surgery. A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients undergoing bone graft reconstruction at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston (UTHealth) Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from December 2014 through January 2016. Inclusion criteria were biopsy-proven benign tumors, American Society of Anesthesiologists I or II health status, and adequate intraoral soft tissue for primary closure determined during initial consultation. Results Five patients who underwent this procedure at the UTHealth Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from December 2014 through January 2016 are presented. The success rate was 100%. All patients showed excellent bone quality clinically and radiographically for endosseous dental implant placement. With the transoral approach and no autogenous bone harvesting, the average operating time was 3.4 hours and the hospital stay was 2.4 days. Conclusions Composite allogeneic tissue engineering is an effective and predictable technique for immediate reconstruction of continuity defects from ablative benign tumor surgery. Overall, there was no donor site morbidity, the intraoperative time was shorter, there were fewer admission days, and total costs overall were lower compared with traditional methods.
Public versus Private Water Delivery: A Critical Analysis of a Hedonic Cost Approach:

In a recent article, Susan Feigenbaum and Ronald Teeples (1983) highlight an important omission in the public-versus-private, production-efficiency literature. They note the possibility that differ...
Bayesian optimization with resource constraints and production

In this paper, we aim to take a step toward a tighter integration of automated planning and Bayesian Optimization (BO). BO is an approach for optimizing costlyto-evaluate functions by selecting a limited number of experiments that each evaluate the function at a specified input. Typical BO formulations assume that experiments are selected one at a time, or in fixed batches, and that experiments can be executed immediately upon request. This setup fails to capture many real-world domains where the execution of an experiment requires setup and preparation time. In this paper, we define a novel BO problem formulation that models the resources and activities needed to prepare and run experiments. We then present a planning approach, based on finite-horizon tree search, for scheduling the potentially concurrent experimental activities with the aim of best optimizing the function within a limited time horizon. A key element of the approach is a novel state evaluation function for evaluating leaves of the search tree, for which we prove approximate guarantees. We evaluate the approach on a number of diverse benchmark problems and show that it produces high-quality results compared to a number of natural baselines.
Ammonia Oxidation by Abstraction of Three Hydrogen Atoms from a Mo–NH3 Complex

We report ammonia oxidation by homolytic cleavage of all three H atoms from a [Mo—NH3]+ complex using the 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenoxyl radical to yield a Mo-alkylimido ([Mo═NR]+) complex (R = 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylcyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one). Chemical reduction of [Mo═NR]+ generates a terminal Mo≡N nitride complex upon N—C bond cleavage, and a [Mo═NH]+ complex is formed by protonation of the nitride. Computational analysis describes the energetic profile for the stepwise removal of three H atoms from [Mo—NH3]+ and formation of [Mo═NR]+.
CNS disease diminishes the therapeutic functionality of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a potentially powerful cellular therapy for autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). Based on their success in treating animal models of MS like experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), MSCs have moved rapidly into clinical trials for MS. The majority of these trials use autologous MSCs derived from MS patients, although it remains unclear how CNS disease may affect these cells. Here, we report that bone marrow MSCs derived from EAE mice lack therapeutic efficacy compared to naive MSCs in their ability to ameliorate EAE. Treatment with conditioned medium from EAE-MSCs also fails to modulate EAE, and EAE-MSCs secrete higher levels of many pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to naive MSCs. Similarly, MSCs derived from MS patients have less therapeutic efficacy than naive MSCs in treating EAE and secrete higher levels of some of the same pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus diseases like EAE and MS diminish the therapeutic functionality of bone marrow MSCs, prompting reevaluation about the ongoing use of autologous MSCs as a treatment for MS.
Review of grain interior, grain boundary, and interface effects of K in CIGS solar cells: Mechanisms for performance enhancement

Abstract Introducing K into Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS) absorbers has led to recent world record power conversion efficiencies for thin film polycrystalline solar cells. In this work, the diverse phenomena associated with K in CIGS were reviewed, and overarching mechanisms were identified. The effects of K depend on its distribution among grain interiors (GIs), grain boundaries (GBs), and interfaces. High substrate Na and low temperature favor GI K incorporation, while low Na and high temperature favor segregation of K at GBs. Depositing KInSe2 (or KIn1−yGaySe2) by co-evaporation or KF post-deposition treatment onto CIGS reduces buffer interface recombination in the final solar cells. KInSe2 decomposes in air, which makes characterization difficult and may affect performance. The mechanism for reduced interface recombination could be direct passivation, beneficial compound precursor, oxidation barrier, or favorable diffusion alteration.
CCS'17 Tutorial Abstract / SGX Security and Privacy

In this tutorial, we will first introduce the basic concepts of Intel SGX, its development workflows, potential applications and performance characteristics. Then, we will explain known security concerns, including cache/branch side-channel attacks and memory safety issues, and corresponding defenses with various working demos. Last but not least, we will introduce various ways to quickly start writing SGX applications, especially by utilizing library OSes or thin shielding layers; we will explain the pros and cons of each approach in terms of security and usability.
Students with Speech or Language Impairments

Speech and language are components, but not the only components, of the overall activity of communication, or the process of exchanging information and ideas among individuals. Other elements—paralinguistic, nonlin- guistic, and metalinguistic—also play a major role in the process of communication. Each component will be discussed individually, because an understanding of each is necessary in understanding the myriad ways that communication can become disordered.
Entanglement-assisted quantum error correcting codes over nice rings

Entanglement-assisted quantum error correcting codes have the nice feature that they can be constructed from classical additive codes that do not need to be self-orthogonal — an advantage over stabilizer codes. In the literature, these codes were investigated for finite fields, mostly binary fields. A generalization of the Pauli basis to nice error bases indexed by rings allows one to consider alphabet sizes that are not restricted to powers of a prime. The main goal of this paper is to show how entanglement-assisted quantum error correcting codes over nice rings can be constructed. We develop the rudiments of symplectic geometry over rings and prove that an R-module with antisymmetric bicharacter can be decomposed as an orthogonal direct sum of hyperbolic pairs.
Hunting for dark matter subhalos among the Fermi-LAT sources with VERITAS

The distribution of dark matter in the Galaxy, according to state-of-the-art simulations, shows not only a smooth halo component but also a rich substructure where a hierarchy of dark matter subhalos of different masses is found. We present a search for potential dark matter subhalos in our Galaxy exploiting the high (HE, 100 MeV – 100 GeV) and very-high-energy (VHE, >100 GeV) γ-ray bands. We assume a scenario where the dark matter is composed of weakly interacting massive particles of mass over 100 GeV, and is capable of self-annihilation into standard model products. Under such a hypothesis, most of the photons created by the annihilation of dark matter particles are predicted to lay in the HE γ-ray band, where the Fermi-Large Area Telescope is the most sensitive instrument to date. However, the distinctive spectral cut-off located at the dark matter particle mass is expected in the VHE γ-ray band, thus making imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes like VERITAS the best suited instruments for follow-up observations and the characterization of a potential dark matter signature. We report on the ongoing VERITAS program to hunt for these dark matter subhalos, particularly focusing on two promising dark matter subhalo candidates selected among the Fermi-LAT Second Source Catalog unassociated high-energy γ-ray sources.
The evolution and application of the reverse Michaelis-Menten equation

Abstract We consider when to use the reverse Michaelis-Menten (RMM) or original Michaelis-Menten (MM) equation in decomposition models. Both are saturating functions with maximum reaction rates estimated by multiplying rate coefficients by concentrations of substrate or enzyme, respectively. Combining them into a composite function allows saturation by either enzymes or substrate, but is complicated when insoluble substrates and soluble enzymes are combined because they are quantified differently. Instead, we support selecting between equations by comparing their relative parameter estimates with enzyme and substrate concentrations.
Applying ASTM International C1421 to Glasses and Optical Ceramics

Fracture toughness is a critical structural design parameter and an excellent metric to rank structural materials. It determines fracture strength by way of the flaws, both inherent and induced, and defines the endpoint of the slow crack growth curve. The fracture toughness of glasses and structural and optical ceramics as measured by several techniques is compared. When good metrology is employed, the results are very comparable with two exceptions: materials exhibiting crack growth resistance and those with low SCG exponents. For materials exhibiting crack growth resistance (R-curve), the result is a function of extension and can be minimized with short cracks. For materials with low SCG exponents, such as glasses, elimination of the corrosive media and/or increasing the stress intensity rate minimizes effects. A summary of values is given for optical materials and glasses.
The Peacock Hill Working Group “Problems and Promises” Three Decades Later: Introduction to the Creek Bend Consortium Special Issue:

Analyses of special education services for students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD) conducted prior to and after the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public ...
Differences in profiles of emotional behavioral problems across instruments in verbal versus minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder

There has been increasing attention to the assessment of minimally verbal (MV) children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous research has begun to examine the relationship between verbal abilities and emotional and behavioral problems (EBP). The current study compared parent-reported EBP in children of differing language levels on two instruments commonly used in ASD research and clinical practice, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). The study consisted of 1,937 6-18 years old children with ASD from the Simons Simplex Collection. Children were divided into three language groups, by ADOS module (Module 1 = MV, 2 = phrase speech (PS), and 3 = verbally fluent (VF)) and then compared on CBCL and ABC subscales. The ABC and CBCL showed different patterns of elevations across the language groups. MV children were reported to have more impairment than VF children on the ABC irritability, lethargy, and hyperactivity scales. Children with less language (MV and PS) exhibited less impairment on the CBCL internalizing domain than VF children, but did not differ on the externalizing domain. Post hoc comparisons showed that internalizing differences were driven by fewer children with less language exhibiting clinically elevated anxious/depressed scores compared to VF children. The present study underscores the significance of considering language when assessing EBP. Results have implications for the psychiatric screening of children with ASD, particularly those with language impairments. Researchers should exercise caution when applying EBP instruments designed for use with different populations and purposes to broad samples of children. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1367-1375. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Some emotional and behavioral problem (EBP) scales include items that may be inappropriate for children with ASD and limited language. The present study found that there was a tendency for children with language impairment to have lower internalizing scores on the Child Behavior Checklist, but higher scores lethargy and irritability scores on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, relative to verbally fluent children. This suggests that each of these instruments may underestimate EBPs in certain subsets of children.
Effects of coastal acidification on North Atlantic bivalves: interpreting laboratory responses in the context of in situ populations

Experimental exposure of early life stage bivalves has documented negative effects of elevated pCO2 on survival and growth, but the population consequences of these effects are unknown. Following standard practices from population viability analysis and wildlife risk assessment, we substituted laboratory-derived stress-response relationships into baseline population models of Mercenaria mercenaria and Argopecten irradians. The models were constructed using inverse demographic analyses with time series of size-structured field data in NY, USA, whereas the stress-response relationships were developed using data from a series of previously published laboratory studies. We used stochastic projection methods and diffusion approximations of extinction probability to estimate cumulative risk of 50% population decline during ten-year population projections at 1, 1.5 and 2 times ambient pCO2 levels. Although the A. irradians population exhibited higher growth in the field data (12% per year) than the declining M. mercenaria population (-8% per year), cumulative risk was high for A. irradians in the first ten years due to high variance in the stochastic growth rate estimate (log λs = -0.02, σ2 = 0.24). This ten-year cumulative risk increased from 69% to 94% and >99% at 1.5 and 2 times ambient scenarios. For M. mercenaria (log λs = -0.09, σ2 = 0.01), ten-year risk was 81%, 96% and >99% at 1, 1.5 and 2 times ambient pCO2, respectively. These estimates of risk could be improved with detailed consideration of harvest effects, disease, restocking, compensatory responses, other ecological complexities, and the nature of interactions between these and other effects that are beyond the scope of available data. However, results clearly indicate that early life stage responses to plausible levels of pCO2 enrichment have the potential to cause significant increases in risk to these marine bivalve populations.
Intermethod Comparison and Evaluation of Near Surface Residual Stress in Aluminum Parts Subject to Various Milling Parameters

Near surface residual stress (NSRS) induced by machining (e.g., milling) is known to drive distortion in machined aluminum, particularly in thin complex geometries with tight tolerance requirements where large distortion is undesirable. The understanding and characterization of NSRS in milled aluminum parts is important and should be included in the design and manufacturing process. There exists a variety of experimental tests for characterizing these stresses. The objective of this paper is to assess the quality of three experimental methods for evaluating NSRS versus depth from the surface in prismatic aluminum parts subject to various milling parameters. The three methods are: hole-drilling, slotting, and X-ray diffraction. The aluminum parts are cut from stress-relieved plate, AA7050-T7451. A combination of milling table and tool speeds are used to machine a flat surface in the parts. Measurements are made at specified locations and depths on each part. NSRS data from the hole drilling and slotting measurements were comparable; NSRS data from X-ray diffraction differed and was less repeatable. NSRS data for different milling parameters shows that the depth of NSRS increases with feed per tooth but is unaffected by different cutting speeds.
Rape Culture on Campus: By Meredith Minister, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2018, 149 pp., $39.99 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-498-56514-1

Issues of sexual harassment and sexual violence dominate many of the conversations regarding the most pressing concerns of American higher education. Colleges and universities are constantly in the...
A Relational Turbulence Model of Sexual Communication in Couples With Depression

Couples coping with depression are prone to unique and pervasive sexual intimacy challenges and experience troubles communicating effectively. Successful sexual communication improves sexual and re...
Exploring Betty A. Reardon’s perspective on peace education: looking back, looking forward: edited by Dale T. Snauwaert, New York, Springer, 2019, 291 pp., US $84.99 (paperback), US $119.99 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-3-030-18386-8

In its most ideal form, praxis entangles theory and practice reminiscent of constructing grounded theory in the social sciences. The data drives ways of knowing, engendering perspectives for findin...
Effects of Ocean Dumping on a Temperate Midshelf Environment

The fate and effects of ocean dumped sewage sludge and acid iron waste were studied at two mid-continental shelf sites off the Delaware-Maryland coast. Materials accumulated in sediment, especially in winter, and tended to persist in topographic low areas. Ambient levels in sediments, of metals, organic carbon, and organohalogens were determined, and statistically significant areas of impaction delineated. Uptake of certain metals in scallops and clams was indicated. The mahogany clam, Arctica islandica, may have suffered mortalities due to dumping activities. Contamination of bottom sediments by sewage indicator bacteria was demonstrated. Studies of impact on bottom communities are continuing.
A large‐scale spatio‐temporal binomial regression model for estimating seroprevalence trends

This paper develops a large‐scale Bayesian spatio‐temporal binomial regression model to investigate regional trends in antibody prevalence to Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Our model uses Gaussian predictive processes to estimate the spatially varying trends and a conditional autoregressive scheme to account for spatio‐temporal dependence. A novel framework, easily scalable to large spatio‐temporal data, is developed. The proposed model is used to analyze about 16 million B. burgdorferi antibody Lyme tests performed on canine samples in the conterminous United States over the sixty‐month period from January 2012 to December 2016. This analysis identifies areas of increasing canine Lyme disease risk; prevalence of infection is getting worse in endemic regions and increases are also seen in non‐endemic regions. Because Lyme disease is zoonotic, affecting both humans and dogs, the analysis also serves to pinpoint areas of increasing human risk.
Fertility after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: A call to action

Introduction Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is increasingly accepted as the best therapeutic option in primary and some secondary peritoneal malignancies. The ramifications of this procedure on fertility are unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the current association of CRS/HIPEC with fertility following surgery. Methods A review of patients who underwent CRS/HIPEC between 2009 and 2018 was performed. Female patients were included if they were between ages 18-50 at the time of surgery. Gynecologic and obstetric history before and following CRS/HIPEC was collected by phone interview. Results Of 48 eligible participants, 21 completed the survey. Sixty-five percent of women underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy before or during CRS. Twenty-nine percent of these women recall fertility counseling before CRS/HIPEC, while 14.3% saw a fertility specialist for consultation, and only one patient proceeded with oocyte cryopreservation before treatment. There were no pregnancies reported following treatment with CRS/HIPEC. Conclusion Few patients after CRS/HIPEC retain child-bearing potential, partly due to the high rate of hysterectomy and oophorectomy at time of surgery. Efforts towards improved preoperative counseling, increased oocyte cryopreservation, and evaluating the safety of preserving reproductive organs at the time of surgery are needed.
Response to "Comment on 'Nested stochastic simulation algorithm for chemical kinetic systems with disparate rates' †J. Chem. Phys. 123, 194107 "2005…‡"

The authors review two representative ways of improving the efficiency of the stochastic simulation algorithm for chemical kinetic systems with disparate rates: the slow scale stochastic simulation algorithm (ssSSA) proposed by Cao et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 122, 014116 (2005)] and the nested stochastic simulation algorithm (nSSA) proposed by E et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 123, 194107 (2005)]. From theoretical results known since the 1960s, the effective dynamics at the slow time scale is described by an effective system whose rates are obtained by averaging the slow rates of the original system with respect to the quasiequilibrium distributions given by the fast reactions. Except for rare situations for which exact formulas for the effective rates can be obtained, ssSSA and nSSA represent two different ways of using the effective dynamics: ssSSA tries to obtain analytic expressions for the effective slow rates using closure approximations, and nSSA tries to compute the effective slow rates numerically by simulatin...
Controlling photonic quantum states by a metasurface

The two-dimensional designer metasurfaces have been established as a new class of versatile and powerful optical solution for controlling the classical light in various degrees of freedom such as phase, amplitudes, polarization and angular momentum. Expanding the control capability of metasurface from classical light to quantum state of single photons is an emerging direction that can lead to a new regime of light-matter interaction and applications for quantum technology. In this talk, we will present our proposal and experimental demonstration of manipulating photonic quantum states enabled by an unprecedented design of metasurface. We show the control over the quantum states and the effective quantum interaction between single photons, which is impossible by traditional optics. Our work greatly empowers the operations and functionalities of optical quantum technologies.
The frequency by mass of Galactic carbon stars inferred from Gaia measurements of star cluster members

We investigate the frequency of occurrence of Galactic carbon stars as a function of progenitor mass using Gaia data. Small number statistics limit fidelity, but C star frequency agrees with that observed in the Magellanic Clouds (MCs) down to $m \approx1.67$ M$_\odot$. At $m \approx 1.38$ M$_\odot$, the frequency rises by a factor of three even though the frequency appears to drop to zero for the MCs. In fact this is due to a lack of clusters at the key age range in the MCs. At $m \approx 1.24$ M$_\odot$ and below, no C stars are observed, corresponding to ages older than 4 Gyr. Within uncertainties, C~star frequency in M 31 is consistent with that of the Galaxy and the MCs. We find an ambiguous C-star candidate at $\sim$7 M$_\odot$.
Policy Analytical Capacity and Policy Activities

The study of policy process involves the study of policy actors - people involved in the development of public policy in a particular geographic area. This paper investigates policy actors in the context of Colorado climate and energy issues with a particular emphasis on the types and levels of their engagement in policy activities. The conceptual framework guiding this study centers on policy analytical capacity, the ability to acquire and use information in the policy process. High policy analytical capacity is expected to be associated with high levels, and more diverse kinds, of policy activities. The findings partly confirm the expectations. Actors from government and the non-profit sector report the highest policy analytical capacity and highest and most diverse range of policy activities. However, researchers, despite relatively high levels of policy analytical capacity, report involvement in just a few activities beyond conducting research. Actors with strong educational backgrounds in the physical sciences are more likely to be involved in conducting research whereas those with strong backgrounds in the social sciences are more likely to be involved in evaluating and appraising policies and working with the public. The conclusion contextualizes the findings by focusing on the relationship between technical and scientific complexity of climate and energy issues and the necessity for participating actors to possess high levels of policy analytical capacity.
Reproduction and development in Drosophila are dependent upon catecholamines

Drosophila melanogaster, maintained on culture media containing alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (alpha-MT) at millimolar levels for 7 days, fail to produce viable progeny. Lesser concentrations delay development. This effect of alpha-MT, an inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), is partially reversible by co-administration of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine, the product of TH. Potent inhibitors of other steps in the pathway for catecholamine biosynthesis are inactive except for a partial effect with dopamine B-hydroxylase inhibition. the effect of alpha-MT is due to a combination of ovulation suppression coupled with decreases in embryonic and larval viability. Effects similar to those of alpha-MT are found with millimolar levels of reserpine, prazosin and to a lesser extent, rauwolscine. No significant effects are found with propranolol, chlorpromazine, sulpiride and SK&F 83566. Mutant alleles of the gene coding for TH are known to be lethal at the embryonic stage when homozygous in both Drosophila and mice. Taken together, these results indicate that in addition to their established roles in the nervous system catecholamines function in animal development via an action mediated through alpha-adrenoceptors.
Evaluation of code division multiple access systems

Code-division multiple-access (CDMA) communication systems are considered as an alternative to frequency-division multiple-access (FDMA) and time-division multiple-access (TDMA) communication systems. Since CDMA occupies the same time slot and frequency band, the interception of the signals can be minimized. The codes used for the CDMA systems are Gold codes, which are obtained from preferred pairs of maximal-length sequences. Monte Carlo simulation is used to evaluate the degradation of CDMA systems as the number of users increases, with fixed-length sequences, and the improvement of system performance with increased sequence length. In addition to the interference of the other users, the performance of the CDMA systems is evaluated in terms of the background noise. Both binary and nonbinary Gold codes are considered. >
The Use of Paraprofessionals To Teach Interviewing Skills

Two nonphysician mothers were each trained to give a consistent and authentic history of a child9s common medical problem. At the beginning of a Pediatric Clerkship, one half the students were randomly assigned to interview one of the trained mothers. The interviews were videotaped and then replayed in an evaluative feedback session with each student. At the end of the clerkship these students were rated significantly higher on the process of interviewing than those students who did not have the initial evaluative feedback session.
Who Believes in Fiscal and Monetary Stimulus

Does the public believe that fiscal and monetary stimulus reduce unemployment? I present survey evidence on this question from a random sample of Pennsylvania residents. Few respondents express a consistently Keynesian view of fiscal and monetary stimulus. In fact, the typical respondent believes that an increase in government spending makes unemployment worse. Views on monetary stimulus depend on how the question is framed. The typical respondent believes that Fed money creation worsens unemployment while a Fed interest rate cut improves it. I show how opinion varies by political party, educational attainment, income, and other demographic characteristics. Favorable opinions about government spending are strongly associated with support for President Obama's economic policies, even after controlling for political party and for respondents' opinions about the current state and trajectory of the economy.
Research Spotlight: The varying life expectancies of American reservoirs

[1] Tasked with controlling floods, coping through droughts, generating electricity, maintaining the flow of drinking water, preserving species' habitats, and managing the local environment, the United States' large-scale freshwater management system is important. Unfortunately, as sediment is washed from river basins to reservoirs, the persistent addition of material eats away at a reservoir's capacity and, consequently, its useful life expectancy. Understanding the integrity of the reservoir system is particularly important, with climate projections anticipating warmer, drier conditions for some parts of the country. Using a database of sedimentation surveys conducted between 1775 and 1993, Graf et al. calculate the life expectancies of many of the nation's reservoirs. They find that although most of the country's large reservoirs were built between 1950 and 1960, they have a wide range of expiration dates. They find that most large reservoirs, those with capacities greater than 1.2 cubic kilometers (0.29 cubic mile), have useful life expectancies ranging from 200 to more than 1000 years, with the lowest average life expectancy in the interior West. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2009WR008836, 2010)
Tuftsin stimulates growth of HL60 cells

Many functions of monocyte/macrophage and granulocyte are activated by tuftsin; principally phagocytosis, motility, immunogenic stimulation, antibacterial and antineoplastic activities. Here it is shown that tuftsin stimulates HL60 growth to twice the control rate. The uptake of [3H]uridine and [3H]leucine in a pulse of 30 min was also double that of the control. The uptake of thymidine was not stimulated.
49 MATERNAL METOCLOPRAMIDE TREATMENT AND PROLACTIN CONCENTRATION IN HUMAN MILK

The breast milk prolactin (PRL) has been claimed to play a role in the control of electrolyte composition of the milk. Since metoclopramide has been shown to increase milk production in humans, we have made an attempt to investigate the production, the PRL and sodium concentrations in milk with and without maternal metoclopramide treatment (5 days, 30 mg/day). Both groups consisted of 11 mothers and their full-term newborn infants. The daily milk production was significantly higher in the treated group (276.4 ± 36.6 vs 150.9 ± 25.3 ml/day, p<0.01). The PRL measured by RIA was similar in the milk samples of the metoclopramide treated and control groups (80.5 ± 17.7 vs 90.7 ± 27.3 ng/ml). The sodium concentration in the milk of mothers taking metcclopramide was 22.1 ± 1.6 mmol/l and 24.3 ± 3.2 mmol/l in the control group (p=0.59). On the 5th postnatal day the plasma PRL of the newborns of mothers treated with metoclopramide does not differ from the value of the control babies (29.8 ± 2.6 vs 30.7 ± 2.4 ng/ml) indicating that the amount of metoclopramide transferred into the milk has no apparent influence on the hypothalamo-hypophyseal axis of the neonate. In conclusion: the maternal metoclopramide treatment augments the milk production without having any effect on the PRL and sodium concentration of human “mature” milk.
Interannual variability of the shelf-slope front position between 75° and 50° W

Abstract The shelf-slope front (SSF) is a continuous shelf-break front running from the Tail of the Grand Banks to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, separating colder and less-saline continental shelf waters from warmer and more saline slope waters. Time series containing mean monthly SSF positions were produced along each of 26 longitude lines between 75° and 50°W by workers located at Bedford Institute of Oceanography by digitizing individual frontal charts and computing mean monthly latitudinal positions over a 29-year (1973–2001) period. After removing seasonal variability at each longitude, interannual variability (IAV) of the SSF position at each longitude was computed as the annual mean of all monthly SSF position anomalies for each year over the 29-year period. Despite some missing data, a longitude-time plot reveals alternating bands of offshore (late-1970s, late-1980s, late-1990s) and onshore (early-1980s, early-1990s, early-2000s) annual mean SSF anomaly values, exhibiting a period of approximately 10 years. Annual mean SSF anomaly amplitudes are largest in the east, with maxima of O (± 100 km) located east of 60° W for years when data are available. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes 1–4 (accounting for > 90% of the variance) form a set of basis functions that describe the SSF anomaly data and allow reconstruction of the entire data set since missing data are relatively few (14%). A complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) analysis using the “reconstructed” data reveals a wavelength scale of approximately 20° of longitude, a distance nearly equal to the entire study domain, along with steady, westward phase propagation of SSF anomalies over approximately the same distance. Speed calculations for the westward-propagating features yield a value of approximately 1.2 to 2.4 cm s − 1 (1 to 2 km d − 1 ), with annual mean SSF anomalies thus requiring about 4 years to propagate from the Tail of the Grand Banks in the east to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in the west. This propagation speed and the timing of the SSF positional anomalies at the Tail of the Grand Banks for the 29-year study period are in agreement with speeds computed for the propagation of quasi-decadal salinity anomalies through the Labrador Sea and the time of their arrival at the Tail of the Grand Banks. The small westward SSF anomaly propagation speed is an order of magnitude smaller than the associated currents, in agreement with a highly damped flow-through system originating from both Davis Strait and the West Greenland Current as discussed by other workers. Observations from both southern and northern portions of the study domain, within both continental shelf and slope waters, show that interannual changes in the volume of shelf water along with shelf water bulk properties exhibit a strong relationship with IAV of the SSF position over long time periods.
COORDINATION ISSUES IN CHINESE LARGE BUILDING PROJECTS

After the year of 1990, many large-scale building projects mushroomed in China due to the increase of construction investments. From that time, many designers from the Western countries stepped into this new market to find new opportunities. Their appearance stimulated some positive changes of the local community, but also raised many concerns. The writer made a survey of seven projects in China designed by foreign design firms. Using the information from the survey, this paper evaluates the positive and negative effects of the foreign design on the Chinese construction market and the local community. According to the survey, one of the most conspicuous negative effects is the coordination issue between the foreign designers and the local project participants. This paper analyzes the different backgrounds of the Chinese and the Western construction industries as well as other factors that contribute to the coordination issue. It also evaluates and proposes some measures trying to solve this problem.
Defining educational policy on software usage in the light of copyright law

Accompanying the rapid proliferation of personal computing has been an ambivalent attitude towards the illegal copying of commercially available software. The effects of this software “piracy” are enormous and insidious, and academia ranks as one of the worst abusers. To understand the legitimate as well as illegitimate usage of software, one must have a clear understanding of the letter and intent of the copyright law. If academia is to purge itself of software abuses, educators and administrators must set clear and visible software policies based upon the copyright law.
Effect of Undernutrition During the Perinatal Period on Caries Development in the Rat: V. Changes in Whole Saliva Volume and Protein Content

Rats malnourished during development show increased susceptibility to caries. During this time molars mineralize and salivary glands undergo rapid development. Nutritional stress could affect either or both of these processes, thus determining caries susceptibility. Present studies show drastically reduced protein content and volume of saliva in rats undernourished during development.
Reactions of 2-bromo-2,2-dinitroethyl acetate with bases

Abstract 2-Bromo-2,2-dinitroethyl acetate (I) has been found to be extremely reactive towards a variety of bases, including some relatively weak ones. For example, reaction of the ester with absolute methanol gives 1-bromo-1,1-dinitro-2-methoxyethane (VIII) in 72% yield and 2-bromo-2,2-dinitroethanol (IX) in 12% yield. The alcohol IX arises by reaction of VIII with water, the latter compound resulting from the Fischer esterification reaction of acetic acid, another solvolysis product of I, and methanol, the solvent. Furthermore, IX is converted to VIII in 91% yield by treatment with absolute methanol. The rate of this reaction, however, is decidedly slower than that of the methanolysis of I. Reaction of I with the sodium salt of phthalimide in aqueous methanol affords a mixture of 1-bromo-1,1-dinitro-2-phthalimidoethane (VII) and the sodium salt (IV) of 1,1-dinitro-2-phthalimidoethane. Condensation of I with the disodium salt of ethylenedinitramine gives 1,8-dibromo-1,1,3,6,8,8-hexanitro-3,6-diazaoctane (VI) in 72% yield.
Decreased expression of cellular prostatic acid phosphatase increases tumorigenicity of human prostate cancer cells

Purpose: Understanding cell proliferation regulation in hormone refractory prostate cancer may provide answers for novel solutions. Protein tyrosine phosphatases have been thought to have key roles in regulating cell proliferation and be involved in oncogenesis, although to our knowledge their functional roles in human prostate cancer remain unknown. Human prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP), a major phosphatase in prostate epithelium, has been shown to function as a neutral protein tyrosine phosphatase in these cells. We evaluated the biological significance of cellular prostatic acid phosphatase expression in human prostate cancer cells.Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical testing of human prostate cancer archival specimens was done to evaluate the expression of cellular PAcP. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting were performed to determine cellular PAcP and SH2 domain-bearing tyrosine phosphatase-1 levels as well as tyrosine phosphorylation of c-ErbB-2/neu in different human prostate cancer cells...
An analysis of the radiation from apertures in curved surfaces by the geometrical theory of diffraction

In this paper the geometrical theory of diffraction is extended to treat the radiation from apertures or slots in convex perfectly conducting surfaces. It is assumed that the tangential electric field in the aperture is known so that an equivalent infinitesimal source can be defined at each point in the aperture. Surface rays emanate from this source which is a caustic of the ray system. A launching coefficient is introduced to describe the excitation of the surface ray modes. If the field radiated from the surface is desired, the ordinary diffraction coefficients are used to determine the field of the rays shed tangentially from the surface rays. The field of the surface ray modes is not the field on the surface; hence if the mutual coupling between slots is of interest, a second coefficient related to the launching coefficient must be employed. In the region adjacent to the shadow boundary, the component of the field directly radiated from the source is represented by Fock-type functions. In the illuminated region the incident radiation from the source (this does not include the diffracted field components) is treated by geometrical optics. This extension of the geometrical theory of diffraction is applied to calculate the radiation from slots on elliptic cylinders, spheres, and spheroids.
Commentary: Is it Politic to Limit Our Compassion?:

Author explores the relationship between compassion for the terminally ill in the face of "tough on crime" politics and changing epidemiology of AIDS in prison.
K-Ar ages from the eastern Azores group (Santa Maria, São Miguel and the Formigas Islands)☆

Abstract Present estimates of the age of volcanic activity in the eastern Azores group are based on shelly fauna in a coquina zone separating the two basaltic sequences on Santa Maria. A Vindobonian (Middle Miocene) age has been assigned to the coquina zone. Our K-Ar data suggests that it was deposited 4–6 m.y. ago, i.e. Mio-Pliocene in age. The basaltic series exposed below the coquina zone on Santa Maria is 6–8 m.y. old and probably much older. The post-coquina basaltic complex is 4 m.y. old and younger. The Nordeste basaltic complex in the NE part of Sao Miguel and the basaltic flows of the Formigas Bank are also 4 m.y. old and younger. We suggest that the three latter basaltic sequences are chronostratigraphic equivalents.
Conversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm by acute intravenous procainamide infusion

Abstract We evaluated the efficacy of an intravenous infusion of procainamide in 26 consecutive candidates for cardioversion of atrial fibrillation. Procainamide was administered at a rate of 15 to 20 mg/min up to a maximum of 1000 mg. The treatment was considered effective only if cardioversion occurred during the procainamide infusion. Conversion to sinus rhythm occurred in 15 patients. Converters had a significantly shorter mean duration of atrial fibrillation (6 ± 7 days, mean ± S.D.) compared to nonconverters (79 ± 88 days) (p
Accident Rate Potential: An Application of Multiple Regression Analysis of a Poisson Process

Abstract Various accident frequency models have appeared in the literature which predict the distribution of future accidents based on the number of past accidents. This article presents a method for deriving such distributions using several predictive criteria. It is assumed that an individual's accident experience is a Poisson process with the parameter a linear function of criterion variables. An iterative weighted least-squares procedure is used to solve the system of maximum likelihood equations required for estimating this parameter and a large sample test procedure is illustrated. The tenability of the model is viewed in the light of actual data.
Locally consistent graph regularization based active learning for hyperspectral image classification

A local proximity based data regularization framework for active learning is proposed as a means to optimally construct the training set for supervised classification of hyperspectral data, thereby reducing the effort required to acquire ground reference data. Based on the "Consistency Assumption", a local k-nearest neighborhood Laplacian Graph based regularizer is constructed to explore local inconsistency that often results from insufficient description of the current learner for the data space. Two graph regularization methods, which differ in the approach used to construct the graph weights, are investigated. One utilizes only spectral information, while the other further incorporates local spatial information through a composite Gaussian heat kernel. The regularizer queries samples with greatest violation of the smoothness assumption based on the current model, then adjusts the decision function towards the direction that is most consistent with both labeled and unlabeled data. Experiments show excellent performance on both unlabeled and unseen data for 10 class hyperspectral image data acquired by AVIRIS, as compared to random sampling and the state-of-the-art SVM SIMPLE .