cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimates and Estimate-Based Inferences in Young Children.

Abstract The ability of children to perform in estimation-based inference tasks was studied in two experiments. In the first study, children in the CA range 5–7 years were tested for their ability to make increasingly accurate estimates of proportions as a function of CA. A simple visual judgment task which did not involve either verbal stimuli or responses was judgment task was found that there was above-chance level performance at all CA levels and that performance improved as a function of CA. In the second study, measures of the ability to make quantitative inferences were also studied in children in the CA range 6–8 years. It was hypothesized that: (1) performance would be above-chance level at all ages; (2) inferential performance would improve with increasing CA; (3) conservatism, defined here as the constriction of responses to the middle of the response scale, would vary inversely with performance level; and (4) attention strategies would be a significant determiner of performance. All of the hypotheses except (2) were supported. The results were discussed in terms of cognitive models which consider inference strategies and the role of language in the development of these strategies. The studies provide evidence that accurate but nonlogical modes of inference operate in the performance of children within the CA range tested.
Enhancing inferential abilities in adolescence: New hope for students in poverty

The ability to extrapolate essential gist through the analysis and synthesis of information, prediction of potential outcomes, abstraction of ideas, and integration of relationships with world knowledge is critical for higher-order learning. The present study investigated the efficacy of cognitive training to elicit improvements in gist-reasoning and fact recall ability in 556 public middle-school students (grades seven and eight), versus a sample of 357 middle school students who served as a comparison group, to determine if changes in gist-reasoning and fact recall were demonstrated without cognitive training. The results showed that, in general, cognitive training increased gist-reasoning and fact recall abilities in students from families in poverty as well as students from families living above poverty. However, the magnitude of gains in gist-reasoning varied as a function of gender and grade-level. Our primary findings were that seventh and eighth grade girls and eighth grade boys showed significant increases in gist-reasoning after training regardless of socioeconomic status. There were no significant increases in gist-reasoning or fact recall ability for the 357 middle school students who served in the comparison group. We postulate that cognitive training in middle school is efficacious for improving gist-reasoning ability and fact recall in students from all socioeconomic levels.
Accelerated Longitudinal Decline of Aerobic Capacity in Healthy Older Adults

Background—The ability of older persons to function independently is dependent largely on the maintenance of sufficient aerobic capacity and strength to perform daily activities. Although peak aerobic capacity is widely recognized to decline with age, its rate of decline has been estimated primarily from cross-sectional studies that may provide misleading, overly optimistic estimates of aging changes. Methods and Results—To determine longitudinal rate of change in aerobic capacity and the influence of age, gender, and physical activity on these changes, we performed serial measurements of peak treadmill oxygen consumption (peak V u O2) in 375 women and 435 men ages 21 to 87 years from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, a community-dwelling cohort free of clinical heart disease, over a median follow-up period of 7.9 years. A linear mixed-effects regression model was used to calculate the predicted longitudinal 10-year rate of change in peak V u O2, expressed in milliliters per minute, for each age decade from the 20s through the 70s after adjustment for self-reported leisure-time physical activity. A longitudinal decline in peak V u O2 was observed in each of the 6 age decades in both sexes; however, the rate of decline accelerated from 3% to 6% per 10 years in the 20s and 30s to 20% per 10 years in the 70s and beyond. The rate of decline for each decade was larger in men than in women from the 40s onward. Similar longitudinal rates of decline prevailed when peak V u O2 was indexed per kilogram of body weight or per kilogram of fat-free mass and in all quartiles of self-reported leisure-time physical activity. When the components of peak V u O2 were examined, the rate of longitudinal decline of the oxygen pulse (ie, the O2 utilization per heart beat) mirrored that of peak V u O2, whereas the longitudinal rate of heart rate decline averaged only 4% to 6% per 10 years, and accelerated only minimally with age. Conclusions—The longitudinal rate of decline in peak V u O2 in healthy adults is not constant across the age span in healthy persons, as assumed by cross-sectional studies, but accelerates markedly with each successive age decade, especially in men, regardless of physical activity habits. The accelerated rate of decline of peak aerobic capacity has substantial implications with regard to functional independence and quality of life, not only in healthy older persons, but particularly when disease-related deficits are superimposed. (Circulation. 2005;112:674-682.)
Color Doppler sonography of tubal torsion

These case reports illustrate the clinical and color Doppler sonographic findings in two cases of isolated tubal torsion. This condition may be associated with prior tubal ligation. The presence of high impedance or absent flow in a tubular structure in a patient with a history of tubal ligation should make one suspect this condition. Copyright © 1996 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Seasonal Observations of Low-Frequency Atmospheric Forcing in the Strait of Juan De Fuca

Although the role of local wind forcing in modifying circulation in estuaries has received much attention over the past 15 years, the importance of non-local meteorological forcing has only recently been recognized. Studies in Chesapeake Bay (Elliott, 1978; Wang and Elliott, 1978; and Wang, 1978), Josenfjord (Svendsen, 1977), the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Holbrook and Halpern, 1977; Laird, Cannon, and Holbrook, 1978; and Holbrook and Halpern, 1979) and Resurrection Bay (Muench and Higgle, 1978) have shown that coastal winds can be highly coherent with axial estuary currents and that coastal Ekman dynamics may play a key role in generating up-estuary near-surface current reversals. This report discusses observations which illustrate the effects of seasonal variability in the local and nonlocal wind field on low-frequency estuarine circulation in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Time and Tense in English

Tense, temporal adverbs, and temporal connectives provide information about when events described in English sentences occur. To extract this temporal information from a sentence, it must be parsed into a semantic representation which captures the meaning of tense, temporal adverbs, and temporal connectives. Representations were developed for the basic tenses, some temporal adverbs, as well as some of the temporal connectives. Five criteria were suggested for judging these representations, and based on these criteria the representations were judged.
A Nonlinear Predictive State Representation

Predictive state representations (PSRs) use predictions of a set of tests to represent the state of controlled dynamical systems. One reason why this representation is exciting as an alternative to partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) is that PSR models of dynamical systems may be much more compact than POMDP models. Empirical work on PSRs to date has focused on linear PSRs, which have not allowed for compression relative to POMDPs. We introduce a new notion of tests which allows us to define a new type of PSR that is nonlinear in general and allows for exponential compression in some deterministic dynamical systems. These new tests, called e-tests, are related to the tests used by Rivest and Schapire [1] in their work with the diversity representation, but our PSR avoids some of the pitfalls of their representation—in particular, its potential to be exponentially larger than the equivalent POMDP.
Mobile element scanning (ME-Scan) by targeted high-throughput sequencing

Background Mobile elements (MEs) are diverse, common and dynamic inhabitants of nearly all genomes. ME transposition generates a steady stream of polymorphic genetic markers, deleterious and adaptive mutations, and substrates for further genomic rearrangements. Research on the impacts, population dynamics, and evolution of MEs is constrained by the difficulty of ascertaining rare polymorphic ME insertions that occur against a large background of pre-existing fixed elements and then genotyping them in many individuals.
BEHAVIOR OF RED-TAILED HAWKS IN A WIND TURBINE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract Birds flying within windfarms can be killed when they collide with wind turbines. Raptors, especially red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), are more susceptible to collisions than other birds, which may be attributable to their specific foraging and flight behavior. To more fully understand the problem, and to reduce raptor mortality, it is necessary to acquire more information on habitat use and flight behavior by raptors inhabiting windfarms. Between June 1999 and June 2000, we watched raptors for 346 hours in the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, the largest windfarm in North America. We recorded flight behavior in relation to characteristics of the topography such as slope aspect, elevation, and inclination and in relation to various weather variables including wind speed and wind direction. We found that red-tailed hawk behavior and their use of slope aspect differed according to wind speed. Hawks perched more often in weak winds than in strong. Red-tailed hawks were more likely to soar duri...
Regional modification of acceleration attenuation functions

abstract Strong ground motion attenuation functions developed on the basis of data from one physiographic region do not generally apply to other regions due to both differences in source characteristics and seismic wave attenuation. At the same time, many regions with known seismic hazard lack sufficient strong motion data to develop regionally unique attenuation functions. A method is proposed for the estimation of peak ground acceleration attenuation functions for these regions. The technique makes use of regional variations in relationships between event magnitude and epicentral intensity and event magnitude and radius of the felt area to correlate peak ground accelerations from a region which has empirical strong motion data to one lacking this data. The necessary relationships to make the modifications require only limited instrumental observations. The method is an improvement over previously suggested schemes in that the fundamental assumptions are more restricted than those previously used.
Engineering: Answers for the 1980s

The innovation and productivity of professional engineers is constrained by politics, corporate policies and professional disunity as well (like OSHA, EPA and CPSC) answered for public safety. The society in which the engineer serves grows more complex as populations increase and as technology improves. These conditions pose technological challenges for the 1980s which are of ever increasing magnitude and which affect our free enterprise system and political freedoms. These challenges are addressed and solutions are suggested, listing goals the profession might consider if it chooses to engage in the societal leadership only it is capable of supplying. A discussion of professional accountability versus corporate responsibility and patent protection is included. Additionally, whether the growth of regulatory agencies like OSHA, EPA and CPSC were answers to the challenges of the 1970s is explored.
DISCHARGE HOME HEALTH REFERRAL IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER POST-DISCHARGE 30-DAY ALL-CAUSE READMISSION AND ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY AMONG OLDER MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES HOSPITALIZED FOR HEART FAILURE

Discharge hospice referral may reduce 30-day all-cause readmission in Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for HF. Homebound Medicare beneficiaries in need for skilled nursing care are eligible for home health care (HHC). However, whether a discharge HHC referral is associated with 30-day all-cause
Supercritical Combustion of General Fluids in Laminar Counterflows

A counterflow configuration is considered to study flame responses of laminar diffusion flames for general fluid mixtures over the entire thermodynamic regimes. Both subcritical and supercritical temperatures and pressures are included. A unified treatment of thermophysical properties based on fundamental thermodynamic theory and extended corresponding state principle is incorporated into the flame calculations in an opposed flow field. A two-point temperature-controlling continuation method is applied to treat the singularity problem at the turning points on the folded S-shaped curve. The resultant numerical scheme is capable of studying laminar counterflow flame structures over the entire S-curve at any fluid state with detailed chemical mechanism. Both oxygen/hydrogen and oxygen/methane flames are investigated over a broad range of pressures from 0.5 atm to 200 atm. The strain rate varies from a small value to the maximum value (up to 2.0×10 8 s -1 ) in extinction state. The effects of oxygen injection temperature on the flame structure are also discussed in detail.
Influence of Nanometer-Scale Multilayered Thin Films on Fatigue Crack Initiation

The hypothesis that a thin nanometer-scale multilayered surface film could delay crack initiation and extend fatigue lives was evaluated by electrodepositing a Cu-Ni multilayer on Cu fatigue samples. A significant improvement in fatigue lives resulted and this improvement is attributed to properties of the multilayer coating.
Contesting Racialized Discourses of Homophobia

In the course of research concerning the experiences of gay and lesbian teachers in public schools, I discovered that teachers often construct racialized explanations of potential homophobia in their schools, including the expectation that black and Latino coworkers, parents, and students were more likely to be homophobic. By taking an intersectional approach to these narratives as a case study in the discursive construction of race and sexuality, this article shows how racism and homophobia are mutually sustained in everyday talk. This process of racializing homophobia not only further alienates gay and lesbian teachers of color, it also reinforces racial inequality more broadly. In addition to racializing homophobia discourse, many white research participants used racial discrimination as a comparative rhetorical strategy to make sense of the discrimination they experience as gays and lesbians. While this strategy was purportedly useful for combating discrimination, it is also troubling. First, it assumes a false dichotomy between race and sexual identity that further erases the experience of queer people of color, who must contend with both kinds of discrimination. Second, it posits a false equivalence, when in fact the unique histories and operations of each kind of marginality resist such facile comparisons.
244 TRAFFICKING AND FUNCTION OF THE EPITHELIAL SODIUM CHANNEL ARE INHIBITED BY EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR IN A RAT PAROTID GLAND CELL LINE.

Background At the time of birth, the major pathway regulating lung fluid absorption is transepithelial Na+ movement via epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs). The density of ENaC proteins is high in the apical membranes of the type II alveolar cells and its expression and function are regulated by many agents, including steroids and growth factors. The rat parotid gland cell line (PAR-C5) expresses all ENaC subunit proteins (α, β, andγ), but monolayers grown in media containing EGF do not demonstrate significant ENaC function. Objective and Methods PAR-C5 cells were studied to examine the effect of EGF on ENaC function and trafficking. Cells were seeded on permeable filter supports in the presence or absence of EGF (20 ng/mL) and/or dexamethasone (0.1 μM). After the monolayers formed tight junctions as demonstrated by transepithelial resistances > 200 Ω.cm2 (mean resistance 513 Ω.cm2), permeable filters were mounted in Ussing chambers and Na+ transport was determined by the amiloride (10 μM)-sensitive component of the short-circuit current (Isc). α-ENaC protein content of similarly treated cells was examined by Western blot. α-ENaC localization in PAR-C5 cells was determined by confocal microscopy following staining with anti-α-ENaC antibody. Results The percent change in amiloride-sensitive Isc was 41.8 ± 5.0% in the absence versus 8.5 ± 5.5% in the presence of EGF (p = .0131). Dexamethasone increased the percent change in amiloride-sensitive Isc to 67.7 ± 12.1% in the absence and 60.3 ± 5.7% in the presence of EGF (p = .234). Despite differences in ENaC function, the amount of α-ENaC protein expression was similar in the presence or absence of EGF. However, PAR-C5 cells grown in the presence of EGF demonstrated less α-ENaC localization in the membrane portion compared with those cells grown in the absence of EGF. Conclusion These results suggest that EGF inhibits the intracellular trafficking of α-ENaC into the plasma membranes in the PAR-C5 cell line. Since animal in utero studies suggest that EGF supplementation may be used to reverse pulmonary hypoplasia, further investigation is needed to characterize the signaling mechanisms whereby EGF and other growth factors modulate intracellular ENaC trafficking in different cell types.
Under the framework of "convention" of tobacco control surrounding exploration

China is a largest consumption country of tobacco,and its depend on economic increase model based on consumption of smoking.Control smoking support surrounding needs emphasize on legislation system on smoking control,government leadership to control "economical increase model" seriously define the no smoking population,as well as reduce the passive smoking population.
Microstructural features associated with the effect of temperature on the dimensional stability of an automotive Al-A319 alloy

In this work an automotive Al-A319 was given a solid solution heat treatment (T4) at 753 K (480 °C) for 4.5 hours and an ageing treatment (T7) at 513 K (240 °C) for various times up to 3.0 h. The alloy in the T4 condition was dilatometrically tested at various temperatures in order to measure its relative dimensional changes. It was found that the dimensional changes are due to both, alloy thermal expansion and nucleation and growth of second phases. In addition, in the T7 condition the alloy strength and ductility were determined as a function of ageing times. Ageing promoted alloy strength but at the expenses of a rather poor alloy ductility (down to 1%). Apparently, Cu rich intermetallic phases and regions provided a brittle path for fracturing. In particular, microstructural characterization using high resolution transmission electron microscopy indicated that not all the Cu in the matrix was dissolved during the T4 treatment. Hence, after ageing (T7) these Cu-rich regions seemed to coarsen into spherical particles.
Ruxolitinib for myelofibrosis: from 'palliation' to prolongation of survival.

By inhibiting inflammatory cytokines and controlling the signs and symptoms of myelofibrosis, the patient’s body condition improves as the disease is kept under good control. Ultimately, prolonged exposure of a patient with myelofibrosis to ruxolitinib at a clinically effective dose results in prolongation of the his or her life.
Complications in Surgery of the Colon and Rectum

Postoperative complications after surgery of the colon and rectum are related most often to sepsis, anastomotic disruption, hemorrhage, urinary tract injury, bowel stoma, and sexual dysfunction. Improved safety in colorectal surgery requires comprehensive preparation of the patient with attention to associated diseases, clear surgical judgment, excellence in technical skill, and aggressive postoperative management of any complications that may develop.
Experiments on a Separation Bubble Over an Eppler 387 Airfoil at Low Reynolds Numbers using Thin-Film Arrays

Preliminary experiments were carried out at the NASA Langley Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel on an Eppler 387 airfoil at several angles of attack for Reynolds numbers of 100,000 to 300,000 using surface pressure taps and surface-mounted thin-film arrays. Data are presented for a laminar separation bubble with turbulent reattachment primarily for the case of Reynolds number = 200,000 and angle of attack = 4°. Wavespeeds, wave direction and whether the flow was locally turbulent or laminar were documented and phenomena such as frequency doubling at stagnation regions and wave packets that led to breakdown are presented. There were some efforts to eliminate the bubble over several angles of attck and Reynolds numbers. The pressure and thin-film data along with the Drela-Giles airfoil design/analysis code and the oil-flow visualization results are compared with each other. All methods agree well in demarking the beginning and end of separation as well as showing where transition occurs within the bubble. Several data-reduction techniques were used to calculate wavespeeds and wave direction, and then compared. Spectra were used to check for unstable frequency bands and to document through what region in transition the flow was going.
Referrals for Services Prohibited In Catholic Health Care Facilities.

CONTEXT Catholic hospitals control a growing share of health care in the United States and prohibit many common reproductive services, including ones related to sterilization, contraception, abortion and fertility. Professional ethics guidelines recommend that clinicians who deny patients reproductive services for moral or religious reasons provide a timely referral to prevent patient harm. Referral practices in Catholic hospitals, however, have not been explored. METHODS Twenty-seven obstetrician-gynecologists who were currently working or had worked in Catholic facilities participated in semistructured interviews in 2011–2012. Interviews explored their experiences with and perspectives on referral practices at Catholic hospitals. The sample was religiously and geographically diverse. Referral-related themes were identified in interview transcripts using qualitative analysis. RESULTS Obstetrician-gynecologists reported a range of practices and attitudes in regard to referrals for prohibited services. In some Catholic hospitals, physicians reported that administrators and ethicists encouraged or tolerated the provision of referrals. In others, hospital authorities actively discouraged referrals, or physicians kept referrals hidden. Patients in need of referrals for abortion were given less support than those seeking referrals for other prohibited services. Physicians received mixed messages when hospital leaders wished to retain services for financial reasons, rather than have staff refer patients elsewhere. Respondents felt referrals were not always sufficient to meet the needs of low-income patients or those with urgent medical conditions. CONCLUSIONS Some Catholic hospitals make it difficult for obstetrician-gynecologists to provide referrals for comprehensive reproductive services.
Upgraded hardware─What about the software? Brain updates for return to play following ACL reconstruction

The ‘release for full activity’ or the determination of ‘return to sport’ (RTS) is an important landmark for any athlete following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The ‘clearance’ to RTS following ACLR is not the golden ticket back to safe and successful preinjury level activity. Unfortunately, the ‘cleared’ status is accompanied by an up to 40-fold elevated risk of second ACL injury (relative to peers without a history of ACL injury) despite accepted ‘time’ postsurgery.1 The reliance on time since surgery is too common, with the majority of investigations using time postoperative as a key criterion for RTS. Even more concerning, one-third of the investigations indicated that time from surgery was the only determinant for RTS decision-making.2 The insistence of a time-based and accelerated RTS may be heightened with pressures from coaches, parents and/or teammates to meet specific sport timelines. However, reliance on time as distinct from function to drive sport reintegration contributes to the gap between the athletes' perceived versus actual sports readiness. Historically, little attention has been focused on late-phase rehabilitation …
Hymenostylium townsendii R.H.Zander (Pottiaceae, Bryophyta), a new species from Nepal

The genus Hymenostylium Brid. was recently re-evaluated (Zander & Hedderson, 2016) with the discovery of the rather widespread Old World distribution of Hymenostylium xanthocarpum (Hook.) Brid. Car...
Early Treatment with CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells Provides Prolonged Suppressive Effects Which Control Evolving but Not Established Graft-Versus-Host-Disease.

Abstract CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T cells (Treg) reduce the incidence and severity of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in murine models of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) when given at the time of transplantation at a 1:1 ratio with donor effector T cells (Tcon). In our previous study with Treg trafficking, bioluminescene imaging (BLI) indicated a persistence of signal consistent with a prolonged survival of Treg in vivo following allogeneic BMT. In the current study, we evaluated the duration of Treg suppression and the impact of Treg on evolving and established GvHD. Lethally irradiated Balb/c (H2d) hosts received 5x106 T-cell depleted bone marrow (TCD-BM) cells from wild-type FVB mice (H2q) on day 0. On day 2, 3x106 splenocytes, or 1x106 purified CD4+/CD8+ T cells (Tcon) from luciferase+ transgenic mice (FVB) were infused to induce GvHD. Treg, purified from wt-FVB mice, in a 1:1 dose ratio with Tcon, were infused either on day 0, 2, 9, or 23 post-transplantation. Bioluminescence imaging was used to localize and quantitate the proliferation of Tcon in the absence or presence of Treg. Signal intensity, measured by photons/second/mouse, was significantly decreased in animals which received Treg at day 0, 2, or 9 (p-value
Conditioned Defensive Responses and Hypoalgesia in Rats Exposed to Defeat and Alpha-Colony Odors

This article describes the results of recent studies that examine the effects, in rats, of defeat by a dominant conspecific on subsequent defensive responses and hypoalgesia. In Experiment 1, male subjects were exposed to either aggressive (alpha) or nonaggressive conspecific colonies and tested 24 hr later, with or without alpha-colony odors, for freezing and burying of a wall prod that had been the source of a single electric shock. Although prior exposure to defeat and the presence of alpha-colony odors during testing had no effects, per se, the combination of these factors significantly suppressed prod burying and increased freezing. In Experiment 2, a 12-hr exposure session to the alpha-colony odors, for previously defeated intruders, resulted in the extinction of the fear-mediated suppressions in burying and increments in freezing during later prod-shock tests with alpha-colony odors present. In Experiment 3, male rats were either defeated as colony intruders by alpha conspecifics or had no defeat experience, and 24 hr later they were given a paw injection of formalin prior to observational tests with or without alpha-colony odors. The combination of defeat and tests with these odors produced conditioned hypoalgesia (i.e., a suppression in paw licking) and freezing. In Experiment 4, an injection of naltrexone prior to a defeat session increased freezing during defeat and during formalin testing 24 hr later, whereas injecting naltrexone prior to testing did not affect freezing but significantly reduced conditioned hypoalgesia. In Experiment 5, a 12-hr pretest exposure session to alpha-colony odors extinguished this conditioned hypoalgesic response for previously defeated rats. These fear-induced alterations in defensive behavior and pain sensitivity are discussed in terms of associative, opioid/nonopioid, and adaptive evolutionary processes.
State space reconstruction from noisy nonlinear time series: An autoencoder-based approach

State space reconstruction is usually the first step of nonlinear time series analysis. Among many state space reconstruction approaches, the method of delays (MOD) has been a popular method in noise-free situations. Unfortunately, many real-world time series are usually noisy so that the reconstruction performance can be of low quality. In this paper, we propose an autoencoder-based approach that aims to reconstruct a high-quality state space from noisy nonlinear time series. We present the approach in detail and applied it to several typical nonlinear time series. The simulation results demonstrate that our method can generate better reconstructions than other popular approaches including MOD and principal component analysis (PCA).
To Avoid Chasing Incorrect Chemical Structures of Chiral Compounds: Raman Optical Activity and Vibrational Circular Dichroism Spectroscopies

A chemical structure (CS) identifies the connectivities between atoms, and the nature of those connections, for a given elemental composition. For chiral molecules, in addition to the identification of CS, the identification of the correct absolute configuration (AC) is also needed. Several chiral natural products are known whose CSs were initially misidentified and later corrected, and these errors were often discovered during the total synthesis of natural products. In this work, we present a new and convenient approach that can be used with Raman optical activity (ROA) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopies, to distinguish between the correct and incorrect CSs of chiral compounds. This approach involves analyzing the spectral similarity overlap between experimental spectra and those predicted with advanced quantum chemical theories. Significant labor needed for establishing the correct CSs via chemical syntheses of chiral natural products can thus be avoided.
The Effect of the 17th Amendment on the Party Composition of the Senate: A Counterfactual Analysis

The 17th Amendment is perhaps the most significant change in the American electoral system brought about through amending the Constitution. It changed the theory about who senators represented, shifting the focus from state governments, per se, to the residents of states. Mechanically, it shifted the electorate from the relatively small confines of state legislatures to much larger mass electorates. Lest we lose track of its significance, many supporters of the Tea Party movement blame the 17th Amendment for causing “a failure in the federalist structure, federal deficit spending, inappropriate federal mandates, and federal control over a number of state institutions.” The respectability of this position was demonstrated when a half dozen Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate in 2010 expressed support for repeal, including victorious candidates in Florida, Colorado, and Utah. Leaving aside the question of whether the 17th Amendment led to the destruction of federalism and state institutions, the fact that it so significantly changed the electoral system for Senate candidates naturally raises the question of how candidates, victorious senators, and the Senate itself changed because of the amendment’s ratification. This is not a new thought, as is evidenced by the small-but-vigorous literature on the subject (King and Ellis 1996; Crook and Hibbing 1997; Wirls 1999; Ellis and King 1999; Engstrom and Kernell 2003; Rogers 2009; Gailmard and Jenkins 2009).
Clouds and Rainfall by Visible-Infrared Radiometry

A precise understanding of the Earth’s clouds and precipitation processes represents the natural key for a weather forecasting strategy down to the nowcasting space and time scales where cloud processes play a role and must be accurately parameterized into models. Clouds are also a governing factor in the quantification of the Earth’s radiation budget, which is in turn crucial for climate and global change issues. A wide variety of satellite sensors is now in orbit or about to be launched with an unprecedented spectral width, sensitivity and space-time resolution. In the following we will examine just a few of the new possibilities offered to science and operational meteorology and climatology by the new generation VIS/IR sensors.
Strategic Management of Medical Technology

How strategic is the management of medical technology (MMT) in health care delivery organizations? This is the topic of this chapter. It will explore the strategic role of medical technology and describe some findings from our comprehensive studies of MMT.
THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS AND PROCESSES | Vitellogenesis in Fishes

Developing offspring of oviparous animals are entirely dependent on stored egg yolk for nutritional sustenance. The nutrients stored in the ovulated egg must be sufficient to sustain progeny development from the time of fertilization to the onset of exogenous feeding. Vitellogenesis is the process whereby the required yolk nutrients are deposited into growing oocytes, which eventually give rise to eggs. These nutrients consist of maternally derived substances, including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and ions that are collectively transported from the liver to the ovary in the form of circulating yolk precursors called vitellogenins.
Pacing Control of Local Cardiac Dynamics

One approach to preventing or suppressing cardiac fibrillation is to control local cardiac electrical dynamics using externally applied electrical stimuli. This approach is predicated on the expectation that appropriate control of local dynamics will affect global dynamics and thereby prevent the initiation of reentrant excitation or terminate existing reentry. Initial efforts in this area were directed toward suppression of spatiotemporal chaos, with the objective of suppressing existing fibrillation. More recently, attempts have been made to control less complex dynamics, such as electrical alternans, with the objective of preventing fibrillation. The following sections will briefly review the strategies used to control cardiac chaos and lower dimensional dynamical behavior and discuss some potential future directions for these approaches.
Deletion of both centrin 2 (CETN2) and CETN3 destabilizes the distal connecting cilium of mouse photoreceptors.

Centrins (CETN1–4) are ubiquitous and conserved EF-hand–family Ca2+-binding proteins associated with the centrosome, basal body, and transition zone. Deletion of CETN1 or CETN2 in mice causes male infertility or dysosmia, respectively, without affecting photoreceptor function. However, it remains unclear to what extent centrins are redundant with each other in photoreceptors. Here, to explore centrin redundancy, we generated Cetn3GT/GT single-knockout and Cetn2−/−;Cetn3GT/GT double-knockout mice. Whereas the Cetn3 deletion alone did not affect photoreceptor function, simultaneous ablation of Cetn2 and Cetn3 resulted in attenuated scotopic and photopic electroretinography (ERG) responses in mice at 3 months of age, with nearly complete retina degeneration at 1 year. Removal of CETN2 and CETN3 activity from the lumen of the connecting cilium (CC) destabilized the photoreceptor axoneme and reduced the CC length as early as postnatal day 22 (P22). In Cetn2−/−;Cetn3GT/GT double-knockout mice, spermatogenesis-associated 7 (SPATA7), a key organizer of the photoreceptor-specific distal CC, was depleted gradually, and CETN1 was condensed to the mid-segment of the CC. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that in this double knockout, the axoneme of the CC expanded radially at the distal end, with vertically misaligned outer segment discs and membrane whorls. These observations suggest that CETN2 and CETN3 cooperate in stabilizing the CC/axoneme structure.
Differences in Chest Measurements between the Cis-female and Trans-female Chest Exposed to Estrogen and Its Implications for Breast Augmentation.

Background:Gender confirming primary breast augmentation is becoming more common. The purpose of this study was to compare the demographic and anatomical differences in cis-female and trans-female populations.Methods:This was a retrospective analysis of trans-female patients and cis-female patients
Model Predictive Control of GTAW Weld Pool Penetration

Weld pool penetration is a major indicator of weld integrity but it is not directly measurable. The key to solving this issue is to find or create observable phenomena that can be used to derive the penetration. An innovative method has recently been proposed/developed to derive the penetration from the reflection of projected laser from an oscillating weld pool surface. However, in addition to the penetration, the oscillation, thus the reflection determined by it, also depends on the pulse amplitude of the current, which needs to be adjusted as the control variable to feedback control the penetration as the output. This dependence imposes a constraint on the control algorithm such that the adjustment of the control variable must be relatively slow to minimize additional sources that affect the oscillation/sensor. This restriction on the control variable adjustment also brings challenges to the identification of the dynamic model of the weld process to be controlled, which has to apply a varying control signal to stimulate the dynamics. To solve these issues, this letter proposes using a low order model to catch the dominant dynamics such that a high speed variation in the control signal can be avoided when choosing the model predictive control algorithm. This allows use of relatively poor models to determine the adjustment on the pulsing amplitude, and still achieves relatively accurate control. Experimental results verified the effectiveness of the resultant penetration control system despite the restrictions imposed by the penetration sensor, which affect the identification of high order dynamics and free adjustments of control variables.
Observation of eclipse shadow bands using high altitude balloon and ground-based photodiode arrays

Abstract The results of an investigation into whether or not eclipse shadow bands have an atmospheric origin are presented. Using high altitude balloon and ground-based photodiode arrays during the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, data revealing the light patterns before and after totality were collected at 600 Hz. These data were then analyzed using spectrograms, which provide information on intensity fluctuations in the frequency space time domain. Both at the altitude of the balloon ( ~ 25 km) and on the ground, a sustained ~ 4.5 Hz signal was detected a few minutes before and after totality. This signal was coherent over a scale greater than 10 cm and detected in four separate balloon photodiodes and 16 separate ground photodiodes. At higher frequencies, up to at least 30 Hz, brief chaotic signals that were disorganized as a function of time were detected on the ground, but not at the altitude of the balloon. These higher frequency signals, which we attribute to atmospheric scintillation, appeared mostly uncorrelated over a length scale of 10 cm. Some of our ground arrays utilized red and blue filters, but neither the sustained 4.5 Hz signal nor the chaotic higher frequency signals showed a strong dependence on filter color. On the ground we made a video of the shadow bands on a scaled white screen. We judged that the bands were roughly parallel to the orientation of the bright thin crescent Sun before and after totality. Thus, if the ν ≈ 4.5 Hz frequency signal is identified with the peak-to-peak shadow band wavelength of λ ≈ 13 cm measured in the video, it can be inferred that their propagation velocity was about v ≈ 59 cm s − 1 ( ≈ 2.1 km h r − 1 ). Shadow band signals other than the sustained signal at ~ 4.5 Hz are consistent with atmospheric scintillation theory. These results are surprising. Based on accounts in the literature we expected to confirm the atmospheric scintillation theory of eclipse shadow bands, but instead we detected a sustained ~ 4.5 Hz signal at both high altitude and on the ground, consistent with the type of shadow band signal visual observers often report before and after totality. This signal cannot be due to atmospheric scintillation and we ran a check to make sure this signal is not an artifact of our electronics. We recommend that additional searches for eclipse shadow bands be made at high altitude in the future.
PtIrAl2O3 catalysts—The effect of PtIr interaction on Ir agglomeration and catalytic performance

Interaction between Pt and Ir has been found to occur on freshly impregnated PtIrAl2O3 subjected only to drying at 393 K. Iridium in the freshly prepared bimetallic precursor material retains the same reduction behavior as monometallic Ir. Iridium promotes the reduction of Pt in the bimetallic precursor material. This promotion results in a 20 K lower temperature-programmed reduction peak temperature than that observed for monometallic Pt. The incorporation of Pt into Ir clusters retards the oxidative agglomeration of Ir. Reduction followed by calcination causes a higher degree of Ir oxidative agglomeration than direct calcination at the same temperature. The incorporation of Pt into Ir clusters decreases the cracking activity of the Ir component as well as the coking tendency of the Pt component, and therefore enhances benzene selectivity. The catalytic performance of a PtIr catalyst approaches that of a Pt-only catalyst as the degree of Ir agglomeration increases. The cracking of n-hexane molecules takes place more frequently at the terminal carbon atom position as the degree of Ir agglomeration increases.
Infrared Transmitting Glasses

The basic principles used to design infrared transmitting glasses are briefly explained. The composition and properties of oxide, halide, and nonoxide chalcogenide glasses show the utility and limitations of these materials for infrared applications. In general, glass systems with an infrared absorption edge at longer wavelengths have smaller compositional areas of glass formation, and the glasses have poorer physical and chemical properties.
Driving Employee Engagement through CSR Communication and Employee Perceived Motives: The Role of CSR-Related Social Media Engagement and Job Engagement:

Employee engagement and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are two important issues attracting an increasing amount of attention from both business communication researchers and practitioners. A...
A 6 GHz 160 MHz Bandwidth MU-MIMO Eight-Element Direct Digital Beamforming TX Utilizing FIR H-bridge DAC

This work extends the bandwidth and frequency range of digital-phase-shifting direct-digital-to-RF TX, paving the way for use in MU-MIMO wireless networking applications. A sigma-delta modulation chain enables an inherently linear 1b RF DAC. Low-loss FIR filtering suppresses sigma-delta DAC noise. An H-bridge combines current-DAC, FIR-filtering and RF up-conversion for efficiency. A 28 nm CMOS 8-element 6 GHz beamforming TX has a per-element area of 0.01 mm2 and a perelement power of 47.5 mW.
Prevalence of high-risk medications in patients enrolled in the Hospital Elder Life Program.

OBJECTIVE The study aimed to assess the prevalence of newly prescribed antipsychotic/benzodiazepine medication, as well as 30-day readmissions, among Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)-enrolled patients. DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. SETTING HELP intervention took place in eight hospital units. The standard care group was selected from eight additional hospital units. PARTICIPANTS Hospitalized patients, aged 65 years and older, enrolled in HELP during between January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018 were included in the HELP cohort. Patients hospitalized in eight additional units during the same time frame were part of the standard care group. MEASUREMENTS Antipsychotic/benzodiazepine medications were pulled from the electronic health record. History of chronic mental illnesses were classified by ICD10 codes. Basic descriptive statistics were used to analyze patient characteristics and comorbidities. Chi-squared and t-tests were performed to detect statistical differences as appropriate. RESULTS There were 1411 patients in the HELP group and 10,807 patients in the standard care group. The HELP group was likely to be older, female and to have a shorten length of stay (all p ≤ 0.02). Our study demonstrated that approximately 8.9% (n = 125) of patients enrolled in HELP received an order for antipsychotics during their hospital admission, while 31.5% (n = 3400) from the standard care group (p < 0.001). The difference in benzodiazepine prescription in patients enrolled in HELP was also less when comparing the two groups (22.8% HELP vs 25.6% standard care; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Patients enrolled in the HELP group were less likely to receive a prescription for antipsychotics or benzodiazepines. The majority of patients enrolled in HELP were discharged to a more independent environment (home or assisted living) and there was a relatively low 30-day readmission rate among HELP patients.
Identification of carbon nanomaterials by deconvolution of thermogravimetric analysis signals

Abstract In order to link fundamental properties to performance in real-world applications, carbon nanomaterials, especially carbon nanotubes, require detailed compositional information such as the number of distinct species, their relative amounts, and thermochemical data such as kinetic prefactors and activation energies for combustion. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is used widely to measure these values, but the signals can be deceptive, especially with respect to the number of different nanomaterial types. In this work, the Fraser-Suzuki equation is used as the basis of a nonlinear least squares technique to deconvolute the mass loss curves of carbon nanotubes, confirming through subsequent use of the Kissinger equation that there are indeed multiple species present in the sample and they differ in their activation energies for combustion.
A Novel Model Predictive Control Framework Using Dynamic Model Decomposition Applied to Dynamic Legged Locomotion

Dynamic locomotion for legged robots is difficult because the system dynamics are highly nonlinear and complex, nominally underactuated and unstable, multi-input and multi-output, as well as time-variant and hybrid. One usually faces the choice between the intricate full-body dynamics which remains computationally expensive and sometimes even intractable, and the empirically simplified model which inevitably limits the locomotion capability. In this paper, we explore the legged robot dynamics from a different perspective. By decomposing the robot into the body and the legs, with interaction forces and moments connecting them, we enjoy a novel method called Dynamic Model Decomposition that involves lower-dimensional dynamics for each subsystem while their composition maintaining the equivalence to the original full-order robot model. Based on that, we further propose a corresponding model predictive control framework via quadratic programming, which con-siders linearly approximated body dynamics with constrained leg reaction forces as inputs. The overall methodology was successfully applied to a planar five-link biped robot. The simulation results show that the robot is capable of body reference tracking, push recovery, velocity tracking, and even blind locomotion on fairly rough terrain. This suggests a promising dynamic motion control scheme in the future.