cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Optimization of Force Closure Grasps via Sequential Semidefinite Programming

In this paper we present a novel approach for synthesizing and optimizing both positions and forces in force closure grasps. This problem is a non-convex optimization problem in general since it involves constraints that are bilinear; in particular, computing wrenches involves a bilinear product between grasp contact points and contact forces. Thus, conventional approaches to this problem typically employ general purpose gradient-based nonlinear optimization. The key observation of this paper is that the force closure grasp synthesis problem can be posed as a Bilinear Matrix Inequality (BMI), for which there exist efficient solution techniques based on semidefinite programming. We show that we can synthesize force closure grasps on different geometric objects, and by maximizing a lower bound of a grasp metric, we can improve the quality of the grasp. While this approach is not guaranteed to find a solution, it has a few distinct advantages. First, we can handle non-smooth but convex positive semidefinite constraints, which can often be important. Second, in contrast to gradient-based approaches we can prove infeasibility of problems. We demonstrate our method on a 15 joint robot model grasping objects with various geometries. The code is included in https://github.com/RobotLocomotion/drake.
Consumer Choice and the Decline in HMO Enrollments

The previous decade witnessed a consumer “backlash” against cost-reducing models of health insurance that restrict consumers’ decision rights and choices. In this paper I test the hypothesis that consumers’ positive valuation of provider choice lead to a flight from HMO enrollments in the early 2000’s. Using a panel of federal employees’ health plan choices from 1999-2003, I show that the practice of selective contracting (SC) with hospitals reduced HMO plans’ expected utility by $62-$118 for a standard reduction in the choice set. Consumer valuations of choice increased between 1999-2003, simultaneous with their migration towards less restrictive plans. My data indicate that plans did not match choice-related utility reductions with compensatory premium reductions. I conduct simulations that show that health plans using selective contracting could not achieve sufficiently large volume discounts from hospitals to compensate for the associated utility losses.
Approximate Efficiency in Matching Markets

We propose a measure of approximate ex-ante Pareto efficiency in matching markets. According to this measure, a lottery over matchings is \(\gamma \)-approximately efficient if there is no alternate lottery in which each agent’s ex-ante expected utility increases by an \(\gamma \) factor. A mechanism is \(\gamma \)-approximately efficient if every lottery produced in equilibrium is \(\gamma \)-approximately efficient. We argue this is the natural extension of approximate efficiency in transferable-utility settings to our nontransferable-utility setting. Using this notion, we are able to quantify the intuited efficiency improvement of the so-called Boston mechanism and the recently-proposed choice-augmented deferred acceptance mechanism over the random serial dictatorship mechanism. Furthermore, we provide the first formal statement and analysis of the Raffle mechanism, which is conceptually simpler than the Boston mechanism and has a comparable efficiency guarantee.
Organophosphorus pesticides increase inflammatory cytokines by activating macrophage Mac-1

Background: Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) cause airway hyperreactivity in guinea pigs and are linked to development of asthma in humans. OPs increase inflammatory cytokine production by alveolar macrophages via unknown mechanisms. Mac-1 is an integrin expressed by macrophages that binds phosphorothionate moieties like those in OPs. Objective: We evaluated the role of macrophage Mac-1 in OP-induced increase in cytokines and growth factors and tested whether phosphorothionate OP metabolites similarly stimulate macrophages. Methods: In differentiated THP1 cells, a human monocyte cell line, Mac-1 was blocked with AbCD11b (Mac-1 blocking Ab) or heparin prior to treatment with the phosphorothionate OP chlorpyrifos (100 μM; 24 h) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 μg/ml). Other differentiated THP-1 cells were treated with OP metabolites diethyl phosphate, diethyl thiophosphate, or diethyl dithiophosphate. Tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β, platelet-derived growth factor, and transforming growth factor-β RNA expression and secreted protein were measured. Results: OP-induced increase in cytokines and growth factors was prevented by blocking Mac-1 with either the Mac-1 blocking antibody or heparin. This effect was specific for Mac-1 since neither the blocking antibody nor heparin prevented LPS-induced increase in cytokine expression. Diethyl dithiophosphate also stimulated inflammatory cytokine expression and release. Conclusion: OPs promote inflammatory cytokine production in the airway through macrophage Mac-1 activation. Mac-1 is a promising therapeutic target for prevention of OP-related asthma. FUNDING: NIH: ES017592, HL124165, HL113023, AR061567.
Democracy in Brazil and the Southern Cone: Achievements and Problems

This paper analyzes the achievements and failures of the new democratic governments in Argentina (1983-), Uruguay (1985-), Brazil (1985-), and Chile (1990-). My comparisons focus on four fundamental issues: economic performance, the ability of governments to address the pressing problems of poverty and inequality, the quality of democratic practice, and the degree to which these governments and the democratic regimes have won popular support and legitimacy. Focusing on these questions is not to deny the significance of others, nor to suggest that citizens of these countries would see these four as the most pressing. The focus here will be on government; civil society will not be discussed in any detail. This article develops four principal arguments. First, it argues that the performance of democracy has varied considerably in the four countries under discussion. Democracy in Chile, at least in its early phases, has been a success both politically and economically.
Constitutional Zone Refining of Layered Intrusions

Much of the extreme fractionation observed in large layered intrusions may be the result of reactions between early-formed crystals and a late-stage liquid that migrates through the zone of crystallization. The crystal-liquid relations in a thick zone of in-situ crystallization are chemically and physically unstable. Steep gradients of chemical potential and density must cause a residual water-rich liquid to move up the temperature gradient and alter crystal-liquid relations. It can cause an horizon of increased liquid which will pass through the zone of crystallization with an effect similar to that of the metallurgical process of zone refining, but in this case remelting does not result from reheating but from nearly isothermal fluxing and, as a consequence, fractionation is more efficient.
Proceedings of the 10th international workshop on Foundations of aspect-oriented languages

The FOAL workshop in its tenth edition continues to attract foundational work on aspect-oriented software development. As in previous years, we were pleased to assemble yet another outstanding program committee for FOAL 2011. As in the past, each paper was subjected to full review by at least three reviewers between Jan. 21 and Jan. 31, 2011. Given the short turnaround time the FOAL 2011 program committee members worked really hard and provided authors with excellent and detailed reviews. I am grateful to the program committee members for their dedication, insightful comments, attention to detail, and the service they provided to the community and the individual authors.
An Overview on High Order Numerical Methods for Convection Dominated PDEs

In this presentation we give an overview of some recent progress in high order finite difference and finite volume weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) and finite element discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods for solving hyperbolic conservation laws and in general convection dominated PDEs, such as convection diffusion equations with small diffusion, and KdV type equations with small dispersion.
The Critical Role of Political Processes in Small Organizations’ Software Maintenance Efforts

This paper examines the critical role political processes play in small organizations’ software maintenance. To identify political processes, a case study involving two projects (a successful and a failed project) was conducted in a small organization. Analysis of data from the case studies was used to develop insights about the phenomenon which highlight the important role of individuals’ political processes in enabling and impeding organizational objectives. Specifically individual’s political strategies and styles are explored and their effects on the outcome of software maintenance projects are presented. Preliminary findings of this research suggests that project success is contingent on the emergence of a strong political leadership and that such leadership emerges through synergies in political styles and political strategies of individual actors.
The Effectiveness of the Balanced Scorecard Framework for E-Commerce

This paper reports evidence on the effectiveness of the balanced scorecard framework (BSC) in measuring and monitoring the performance of ecommerce companies. The study utilizes an integrated Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to examine and evaluate the relative efficiency of the measures identified within the BSC framework for measuring the performance of E-Commerce companies. Finally, the study examines the effectiveness of the BSC framework in predicting the success or failure of E-commerce companies.
Adapt to warming and catch your breath

An experimental evolution study shows that selection of a marine bacterium by warming favours adaptations that facilitate growth at low oxygen concentrations, linking evolutionary responses to these two key components of climate change in the ocean.
Factors influencing Northern Bobwhite recruitment, with implications for population growth

Understanding and quantifying demographic parameters that influence population growth is necessary to effectively maintain population persistence in the presence of recent changes in climate and land use. We used a combination of capture–recapture and harvest information from a 42 yr dataset to create an integrated population model that estimates population abundance, annual survival, and per capita recruitment in Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). We evaluated the associations of commonly reported population metrics (age ratios from harvests, annual survival, and recruitment) to population growth rate using correlation analysis. We also modeled the effects of population abundance, breeding-season temperature, breeding-season precipitation, fall minimum temperature, and fall precipitation on recruitment. Recruitment averaged 1.55 (range: 0.82–2.21) and was most strongly correlated with population growth (r = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63–0.88), followed by annual survival (r = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.09–0.61). We found a weak correlation between fall age ratios and population growth rate (r = 0.11, 95% CI: −0.19 to 0.40). Recruitment exhibited weak, nonlinear, negative density dependence (β1 = −0.13, 95% credible intervals [CRI]: −0.17 to −0.08 and β2 = −0.03, 95% CRI: −0.07 to 0.004). Breeding-season maximum temperature and breeding-season precipitation had a significant, positive effect on recruitment (β3 = 0.15, 95% CRI: 0.11–0.19 and β4 = 0.10, 95% CRI: 0.05–0.16, respectively). Fall minimum temperature and fall precipitation both had negative but uncertain effects on recruitment (β5 = −0.03, 95% CRI: −0.08 to 0.01 and β6 = −0.02, 95% CRI: −0.07 to 0.01, respectively) but less so compared to weather in the breeding season. Our results illustrate that recruitment (1) can be estimated without data on fecundity and chick survival by using integrated population models and (2) is highly correlated with population growth in Northern Bobwhites. We encourage natural resource managers to focus on actions that increase Northern Bobwhite recruitment.
Finding the Frame: Inference in Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet

Karsten Stueber has argued that inferences can frame acts of imagination, the two methods working in concert to enable mindreading. For Shakespeare’s plays focused on decay—Antony and Cleopatra, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet—the early modern theory of spontaneous generation is an important frame for imaginative mindreading. Romeo and Juliet, for instance, each make pivotal decisions based upon their understanding of how decay functions, as a process immanent and imminent at the point of death. Helms brings together recent work in animal studies and in cognitive ecology to consider the affects that animal (and insect) life have upon human cognition. Understanding the choices Shakespeare’s characters make can require setting aside one’s own contemporary theories of decay and inferentially adopting theirs, thinking through the lives of carrion flies alongside the lives of these young lovers.
Agricultural Landscapes: Seeing Rural Through Design

Agricultural Landscapes: Seeing Rural Through Design follows on from the author’s previous books, Rural Design and Architecture and Agriculture, to encourage using design thinking to provide greater meaning and understanding of places where humans live and work with the rural landscape. Rural areas around the world are often viewed as special places with cultural, historical and natural significance for people. Dewey Thorbeck emphasizes the importance of these rural sites and their connections to urban areas through full-color case studies of these places with particular emphasis on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), as identified by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, to document and explore personal experiences, lessons learned, and implications for the future. Rural landscapes are part of everyone’s heritage, and the book shows these connections and the unique GIAHS land use systems and landscapes as models for a more sustainable and prosperous rural and urban future. It includes practical examples of working places where growing food, raising animals, or harvesting from the sea has been the primary economy for centuries to exhibit a clear and sustainable local relationship between humans, animals, buildings, climate and place. Aimed at students, teachers and professionals, this book investigates how design thinking can be used to integrate rural and urban sites to shape land use for more sustainable futures.
Effect of dose and release rate of CTGF and TGFβ3 on avascular meniscus healing.

Meniscus tears in the avascular region rarely functionally heal due to poor intrinsic healing capacity, frequently resulting in tear propagation, followed by meniscus deterioration. Recently, we have reported that time-controlled application of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and transforming tissue growth factor β3 (TGFβ3) significantly improved healing of avascular meniscus tears by inducing recruitment and step-wise fibrocartilaginous differentiation of mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs). In this study, we investigated effects of the dose of CTGF and the release rate of TGFβ3 on avascular meniscus healing in our existing explant model. Our hypothesis was that dose and release rate of CTGF and TGFβ3 are contributing factors for functional outcome in avascular meniscus healing by stem cell recruitment. Low (100 ng/ml) and high (1,000 ng/ml) doses of CTGF as well as fast (0.46 ± 0.2 ng/day) and slow (0.29 ± 0.1 ng/day) release rates of TGFβ3 were applied to our established meniscus explant model for meniscus tears in the inner-third avascular region. The release rate of TGFβ3 was controlled by varying compositions of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acids) (PLGA) microspheres. The meniscus explants were then cultured for 8 weeks on top of mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs). Among the tested combinations, we found that a high CTGF dose and slow TGFβ3 release are most effective for integrated healing of avascular meniscus, demonstrating improvements in alignment of collagen fibers, fibrocartilaginous matrix elaboration and mechanical properties. This study may represent an important step toward the development of a regenerative therapy to improve healing of avascular meniscus tears by stem cell recruitment. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:1555-1562, 2019.
Lessons of a Failed Study: Lone Research, Media Analysis, and the Limitations of Bracketing

Failed research can function as the underbelly of all qualitative research projects that come to fruition. These shadow projects offer invaluable insights to future research and researchers alike. ...
[Rapid determination of 28 pesticides and tetramine in whole blood by online gel permeation chromatography coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry].

Objective To study the influences of carbon disulfide (CS2) exposure on fatty acid metabolism in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout mice and C57BL/6J mice. Methods Twenty-four male ApoE knockout mice were randomly and equally divided into four groups: a CS2-exposed normal diet group, a CS2-unexposed normal diet group, a CS2-exposed high-fat diet group, and a CS2-unexposed high-fat diet group. Twenty-four C57BL/6J male mice were divided into four groups in the same way. The CS2-exposed groups were exposed to CS2 (1 g/m3) by static inhalation for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. After two weeks, the whole blood of mice was collected. Methyl ester derivatization of fatty acids was performed using an acid-catalyzed method. Fatty acid contents before and after exposure were compared by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Results There were significant differences in fatty acid contents of mice between the four groups. For the C57BL/6J mice, the arachidic acid contents in the CS2-exposed high-fat diet group were significantly lower than those in the CS2- unexposed high-fat diet group (P=0.0450). For the ApoE knockout mice, the arachidonic acid contents in the CS2-exposed normal diet group were significantly lower than those in the CS2-unexposed control diet group (P= 0.0452). For the ApoE knockout mice, the γ-linolenic acid contents in the CS2- exposed high-fat diet group were significantly higher than those in the unexposed high-fat diet group (P=0.0447). Conclusion Exposure to CS2 can induce fatty acid metabolism disorder in mice, indicating that CS2 may increase the risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. Key words: Pesticides; Chromatography, gas; Spectrum analysis, mass
Catalog of the Staphylinidae (Insecta: Coleoptera). 1758 to the End of the Second Millennium.I. Introduction, History, Biographical Sketches, and Omaliine Group

This catalog (published in seven parts, all released on the same day) is based on only the published literature for the Staphylinidae. Of the 32 subfamilies, the following 28 are included herein: Apateticinae, Dasycerinae, Empelinae, Euaesthetinae, Glypholomatinae, Habrocerinae, Leptotyphlinae, Megalopsidiinae, Micropeplinae, Microsilphinae, Neophoninae, Olisthaerinae, Omaliinae, Osoriinae, Oxyporinae, Oxytelinae, Phloeocharinae, Piestinae, Protactinae†, Proteininae, Protopselaphinae, Pseudopsinae, Solieriinae, Staphylininae, Steninae, Tachyporinae, Trichophyinae, and Trigonurinae. The Aleocharinae, Paederinae, Pselphinae, and Scaphidiinae are excluded from this edition of the catalog. References to the original citation or description are given for available family-group, genus-group, and species-group names of both extant and extinct forms. The type genus is cited for each family-group name, the type species for each genus-group name, and the type locality for each species-group name. Where appropriate, all subgenera, subspecies, or synonyms are listed for each valid name. Annotated subsequent references are presented for all names. Distributional summaries are given for each valid taxon. Full bibliographic citations are in Part VII. A short historical review, coauthored with Ales Smetana, follows the Introduction (Part I), with the main focus on biographical sketches that include many photographs. The goal of this catalog is to summarize the current state of knowledge of the family and to stimulate worldwide monographic studies.
The Kidney in Sepsis

There is strong evidence that the septic state is due to a combination of direct and secondarily mediated effects of endotoxin, particularly the lipopoly-saccharide (LPS) moiety lipid A. Patients with severe or prolonged sepsis often enter a state of hypermetabolism with sequential failure of multiple organ systems. Acute renal failure (ARF) often presents as a component of the multiple organ system failure (MOSF) syndrome.
Blood utilisation and transfusion reactions in adult patients transfused with conventional or pathogen-reduced platelets

Pathogen-reduced (PR) platelets are routinely used in many countries. Some studies reported changes in platelet and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirements in patients who received PR platelets when compared to conventional (CONV) platelets. Over a 28-month period we retrospectively analysed platelet utilisation, RBC transfusion trends, and transfusion reaction rates data from all transfused adult patients transfused at the Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA. We determined the number of RBC and platelet components administered between 2 and 24, 48, 72 or 96 h. A total of 3767 patients received 21 907 platelet components (CONV = 8912; PR = 12 995); 1,087 patients received only CONV platelets (1578 components) and 1,466 patients received only PR platelets (2604 components). The number of subsequently transfused platelet components was slightly higher following PR platelet components (P 0·05). Septic transfusion reactions (N = 5) were seen only after CONV platelet transfusions (P = 0·011). These results provide evidence for comparable clinical efficacy of PR and CONV platelets. PR platelets eliminated septic transfusion reactions without increased risk of other types of transfusions with only slight increase in platelet utilisation.
ON THE OPTIMAL CONTROL OF LINEAR SYSTEMS WITH INCOMPLETE INFORMATION

Abstract : The control of linear systems with incomplete information is considered where the unknown disturbances and/or random parameters are assumed to satisfy some statistical laws. The observer theory for linear systems is developed which generalizes the concepts due to Kalman and Luenberger pertaining to the design of linear systems which estimate the state of a linear plant on the basis of both noise-free and noisy measurements of the output variables. The separation theorem for linear system is then extended for such observers- estimators. The problem of controlling a linear system with unknown gain is then considered. An open-loop-feedback-optimal control algorithm is developed which seems to be computationally feasible. Existence of such suboptimal control scheme is proved under the assumption that the uncertainties in the unknown gail will not grow in time. Convergence of such suboptimal control system to the truly optimal control system is considered. A computer program is developed to study the control of a variety of third order systems with known poles but unknown zeroes. The experimental results serve to provide more insights into the structure and behavior of the open-loop-feedback-optimal control systems.
“Food is Environmentally and Culturally Specific!”: A Preliminary Qualitative Study on U.S. Immigrant Parents’ Perceptions of School Lunch

Children spend most of their day hours in school, so the dietary choices they make during school days are important for their childhood development and later life. This research examined food choices among immigrant families with school-age children in Indiana, USA. Open-ended questions were answered by 52 immigrant parents in 2017. Parents who answered the questions had children in classes ranging from kindergarten to grade 12. NVivo 11 was used for the initial analysis of the dataset, and several themes were identified. After the initial analysis, the data were categorized into major themes to condense the themes. Thirty-eight (73%) of the respondents indicated that their children ate school lunch, 14 (27%) indicated that they prepared lunch for their children to eat at school, and 39 (75%), mostly from non-industrialized countries, indicated that their children ate their home-country staple foods for dinner and on non-school days. Parents indicated that schools are serving the needs of immigrant children by serving varieties of foods during lunchtime.
Rate and risk factors for wound complications after internal hemipelvectomy

Aims Although internal hemipelvectomy is associated with a high incidence of morbidity, especially wound complications, few studies have examined rates of wound complications in these patients or h...
10.14 – Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a most interesting technology that uses the principle of electromagnetic induction to noninvasively stimulate muscles or nerves. Applying a rapidly changing powerful magnetic field on the scalp creates an electric current in superficial brain cells and can thus affect brain activity in an awake alert human. Because of its noninvasiveness, it is an important research tool in understanding how the brain works. Many advances are occurring in coil design and determining where and how to apply TMS. So far, there is one main and proven area of clinical use – the acute treatment of depression. There is active research in many other neuropsychiatric conditions.
Agenda Trending: Reciprocity and the Predictive Capacity of Social Network Sites in Intermedia Agenda Setting across Issues over Time

This study examines the transformation of agenda setting in the converged user/producer media environment by comparing the topical issue agendas of two traditional media outlets (NY Times and CNN) with the trending agendas of two social network sites (Facebook and Twitter). Time-series analyses identify the extent to which traditional media inform the agenda for social media as well as reciprocal agenda-setting effects of social media topics entering traditional media agendas. Findings illustrate core differences between certain traditional and social media agendas, but also situate within social media agenda trends that extend from media uses considered here. Additional results further suggest important topical and event-oriented limitations upon the predictive capacity of social network sites to shape traditional media agendas over time.
Supervised and projected sparse coding for image classification

Classic sparse representation for classification (SRC) method fails to incorporate the label information of training images, and meanwhile has a poor scalability due to the expensive computation for l1 norm. In this paper, we propose a novel subspace sparse coding method with utilizing label information to effectively classify the images in the subspace. Our new approach unifies the tasks of dimension reduction and supervised sparse vector learning, by simultaneously preserving the data sparse structure and meanwhile seeking the optimal projection direction in the training stage, therefore accelerates the classification process in the test stage. Our method achieves both flat and structured sparsity for the vector representations, therefore making our framework more discriminative during the subspace learning and subsequent classification. The empirical results on 4 benchmark data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
Optimized Trial Functions Applied to Static and Dynamic Equilibrium Critical Phenomena, and Quantum Mechanical van der Waals Clusters

Monte Carlo computation of eigenvalues is discussed for quantum mechanical Hamiltonians, and transfer and stochastic matrices. In all cases, computations exploit optimized trial states, which results in a sizable reduction of the statistical variance of these Monte Carlo methods.
Gain-Scheduled Multivariable Control for the GE-21 Turbofan Engine using the LQG/LTR Methodology

This paper presents a feasibility study related to the design of a global nonlinear multivariable compensator for a model of the GE-21 double-bypass variable cycle jet engine. The nonlinear engine dynamics are linearized at nine distinct operating conditions. Scaling of variable units and Singular Value Decomposition at DC identified the subset of controls and outputs for dynamic control. At each operating condition an LQG/LTR compensator is designed; the parameters of the LQG/LTR compensator are then scheduled to produce a global dynamic compensator. Transient simulations are included to illustrate the characteristics of the nonlinear multivariable control system.
Conceptual Representations in Psychology

Conceptual representation refers to the way that information about categories is stored and organized. Keywords: concepts; categorization; knowledge representation
On modeling multiagent task scheduling as a distributed constraint optimization problem

This paper investigates how to represent and solve multiagent task scheduling as a Distributed Constraint Optimization Problem (DCOP). Recently multiagent researchers have adopted the C_TAEMS language as a standard for multiagent task scheduling. We contribute an automated mapping that transforms C_TAEMS into a DCOP. Further, we propose a set of representational compromises for C_TAEMS that allow existing distributed algorithms for DCOP to be immediately brought to bear on C_TAEMS problems. Next, we demonstrate a key advantage of a constraint based representation is the ability to leverage the representation to do efficient solving. We contribute a set of pre-processing algorithms that leverage existing constraint propagation techniques to do variable domain pruning on the DCOP. We show that these algorithms can result in 96% reduction in state space size for a given set of C_TAEMS problems. Finally, we demonstrate up to a 60% increase in the ability to optimally solve C_TAEMS problems in a reasonable amount of time and in a distributed manner as a result of applying our mapping and domain pruning algorithms.
Fast optimization algorithms for large-scale mixed-integer linear fractional programming problems

We present three tailored algorithms for solving large-scale mixed-integer linear fractional programming (MILFP) problems. The first one combines Branch-and-Bound method with Charnes-Cooper transformation. The other two tailored MILFP solution methods are the parametric algorithm and the reformulation-linearization algorithm. Extensive computational studies are performed to demonstrate the efficiency of these algorithms and to compare them with some general-purpose mixed-integer nonlinear programming methods. A performance profile is given based on the algorithm performance analysis and benchmarking methods. The applications of these algorithms are further illustrated through an application on water supply chain optimization for shale gas production. Computational results show that the parametric algorithm and the reformulation-linearization algorithm have the highest efficiency among all the tested solution methods.
The Paradox of Labor Discipline With Heterogenous Workers

The introduction of “effort inducible” and “no effort: workers into a standard labor discipline model results in a paradox of sorts: if firms/capitalists cannot tell the difference, the predictable reductions in both output and workers compensation lead to an increase in profits. The resolution is found in the difference in expected productivities of workers woth and without contracts, which creates a reputation effect. When the relative proportions of workers are made variable – the consequence of the acquisition and depreciation of productive skills, and a source of positive feedback – the model exhibits multiple equlibria for plausible parameter values.
Cross regulation in flyback converters: analytic model

An analytical model for studying cross regulation among the multiple outputs of flyback converters is presented in this paper. Both the modeling and experimental results show that the cross regulation can be improved by lowering the clamp voltage, which has not been previously reported. Many other factors, such as leakage inductance in primary and secondary windings, magnetizing inductance, and air gap can also affect the cross regulation. Detailed analysis and test results are provided.
Actively soliciting feedback for query answers in keyword search-based data integration

The problem of scaling up data integration, such that new sources can be quickly utilized as they are discovered, remains elusive: global schemas for integrated data are difficult to develop and expand, and schema and record matching techniques are limited by the fact that data and metadata are often under-specified and must be disambiguated by data experts. One promising approach is to avoid using a global schema, and instead to develop keyword search-based data integration--where the system lazily discovers associations enabling it to join together matches to keywords, and return ranked results. The user is expected to understand the data domain and provide feedback about answers' quality. The system generalizes such feedback to learn how to correctly integrate data.A major open challenge is that under this model, the user only sees and offers feedback on a few "top-k" results: this result set must be carefully selected to include answers of high relevance and answers that are highly informative when feedback is given on them. Existing systems merely focus on predicting relevance, by composing the scores of various schema and record matching algorithms. In this paper we show how to predict the uncertainty associated with a query result's score, as well as how informative feedback is on a given result. We build upon these foundations to develop an active learning approach to keyword search-based data integration, and we validate the effectiveness of our solution over real data from several very different domains.
Oat Hull Composites from Conjugated Natural Oils

Oat hull composites have been prepared by the free radical polymerization of regular or modified natural oils with divinylbenzene, n-butyl methacrylate, and maleic anhydride in the presence of dried, ground oat hulls. Parameters, such as cure time, filler load, cure temperature, and the fatty acid composition of the conjugated natural oil, have been investigated and related to the structure and properties of the composites. Structure–property relationships have been determined with the use of tensile tests, DMA, TGA, and Soxhlet extraction, followed by 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis of composite extracts. The best overall properties have been obtained for tung oil-based composites bearing 80 wt% of oat hulls cured at 160 °C for 4 hours.
Racial disparities in the use of revascularization before leg amputation in Medicare patients

Objective Black patients with peripheral arterial disease undergo amputation at two to four times the rate of white patients. In order to determine whether differences in attempts at limb salvage might contribute to this disparity, we studied the limb care received prior to amputation by black patients compared with whites. Methods Using inpatient Medicare data for the years 2003 through 2006, we identified a retrospective sample of all beneficiaries who underwent major lower extremity amputation. "Limb salvage care" was defined as limb-related admissions and procedures that occurred during the 2 years prior to amputation. We used multiple logistic regression to compare rates of revascularization and other limb care received by black versus white amputees, adjusting for individual patient characteristics. We then controlled for hospital referral region in order to assess whether differences in care might be attributable to the geographic regions in which black and white patients received care. Finally, we examined the timing of revascularization relative to amputation for both races. Results Our sample included 24,600 black and 65,881 white amputees. Compared with whites, black amputees were more likely to be female and had lower socioeconomic status. Average age, rates of diabetes, and levels of comorbidity were similar between races. Black amputees were significantly less likely than whites to have undergone revascularization (23.6% vs 31.6%; P P P P Conclusion Black patients are much less likely than whites to undergo attempts at limb salvage prior to amputation. Further studies should explore whether this disparity might be attributable to race-related differences in severity of arterial disease, patient preferences, or physician decision making.
A Psychofeedback Approach to Schizophrenia

Annitto (1981) has criticized my work on the nature of hallucinations (March 1979). One of his points--the need to take the patient's affective state into account--is valid. His other criticisms--that I propose to use my outline of hallucination types for diagnostic purposes and that I have blamed the patient--are serious misconstructions of my work. A number of psychological techniques used for alleviating hallucinations in an acute schizophrenic patient are described. A psychofeedback approach, based on the biofeedback model used in psychosomatic medicine, is proposed as a modifying treatment for some schizophrenic patients.
Improving High-Frequency Characteristics of Graphene FETs by Field-Controlling Electrodes

We propose and extensively analyze a novel graphene-FET (GFET) with two capacitively coupled field-controlling electrodes (FCE) at the access region. The dc and RF characteristics of the proposed device are studied using analytical and numerical techniques and compared with the baseline designs. The independently biased FCEs could control the electric field and sheet carrier concentration at the ungated region, and thus reduce the access resistance effectively. The reduction of source/drain access resistance results in improved fT and fMAX compared with those of conventional GFETs of the same geometry. The proposed device with improved characteristics of GFET can be used for high-frequency applications.
Simultaneous serial-recall learning of two serial orders of the same list

Two different serial orders of the same 11 words were presented on alternate trials under a serial-recall procedure. There were nine different types of relationships between the two serial orders. Each was run both with and without familiarization pretraining for three words from the middle of the list (which did not affect serial performance). Significant differences between serial-order conditions appeared to reflect magnitude and complexity of variations between the two serial orders, rather than maintenance of specific item-item or position-item associations. Effective learning occurred, however, even when each response was “reinforced” only following both a different interpolated set of responses and “reinforcements.”
Sophisticated voting under the plurality procedure: A test of a new definition

The Niemi-Frank definition of sophisticated voting can now be evaluated on two grounds. First, we can compare our definition to Farquharson's. For the most part, the two definitions yield identical outcomes. Both pickCondorcet winners a very high proportion of the time and prevent the selection of Condorcet losers. The major differences are in the logic underlying the two definitions and in the rate of determinacy of outcomes. Here there is a tradeoff. The logic underlying the Farquharson model is especially persuasive, although it is our feeling that the Niemi-Frank definition comes closer to mirroring the way in which voters might actually analyze a plurality situation. In any case, the price paid by the Farquharson definition for its ironclad logic is a much higher rate of indeterminacy. In over half of the cases, the Farquharson logic fails to lead to any conclusion whatsoever. The Niemi-Frank definition yields many more determinate situations, with mostly Condorcet winners and with strategies that make good, if not completely unassailable sense.
Interspecific Cotton Breeding

A systematic program df interspecific cotton breeding in Mississippi began in 1952. The objective was to transfer new or improved properties from wild species to Upland cotton. Even at this early period in history, biological resistance to cotton pests was a major goal. We have grown 28 species of Gossypium as greenhouse or field plants; sixteen of these species have been crossed with Upland cotton, twelve species are represented in breeding material that can be handled in field plots, and cytoplasms from seven species have been transferred into strains that can be handled by routine methods in Upland cotton breeding programs. Upland cotton, G. hirsutum L., furnishes most of the world's cotton fiber. A closely related species, G. barbadense L., includes the long-fibered Sea Island and Egyptian cottons. Both of these species were cultivated in the Americas for centuries before Columbus sailed across the Atlantic. Both of these species are tetraploid. Two diploid species, G. herbaceum and G. arboreum L., are native to Africa and Asia. These have also been used for textiles over a very long period of time. In addition to the four cultivated species, there are about 25 short-fibered or lintless wild diploid species scattered over the subtropical deserts of the world, and also one wild tetraploid Hawaiian species with very short brown lint. Fortunately for people doing interspecific cotton breeding, all tetraploid
Bicultural Identity and Self/Group Personality Perceptions

In two samples of Latino biculturals, we examined the link between bicultural identity integration (BII; degree of compatibility vs. opposition perceived between ethnic and mainstream cultural orientations; Benet-Martinez & Haritatos, 2005) and the psychological overlap/distance between the personality traits ascribed to the self, a typical Latino, and a typical Anglo American. As predicted, BII's component of blendedness (vs. distance) was consistently and positively associated with higher overlap between personality ratings of the self and a typical Latino, the self and a typical Anglo American, and a typical Latino and a typical Anglo American. Also as predicted, results with BII's component of harmony (vs. conflict) were not robust. Overall, our results suggest that biculturals with integrated cultural identities have social perceptions of themselves and their cultural in-groups that are closely aligned together, supporting social identity theory.
Effect of Con A and Con A-Mn on the hydrolysis of pNP- -D-mannoside and pNP- -D-glucoside by rat liver lysosomes.

Abstract The present report documents the ability of Con A-Mn to interfere with the enzymic hydrolysis of both para-Nitrophenyl (pNP)α- D -glucoside and pNP-α- D -mannoside by purified rat liver lysosomes. This may provide an additional method for determining the specificity of other plant lectins.
Cytochrome P450 2A1, 2E1, and 2C9 cDNA-expression by insect cells and partial purification using hydrophobic chromatography

High-level expression of three cloned cytochrome P450 enzymes was accomplished using the baculovirus-insect cell expression system. The amount of enzyme expression was enhanced by cell infections in the presence of medium-supplements containing hemin and by growth in suspension cultures. Human cytochromes P450 2E1 and 2C9 and rat cytochrome P450 2A1 were partially purified from cell extracts using hydrophobic interaction and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The resulting enzymes were of estimated molecular masses similar to those reported previously and analyzed by PAGE. Reconstitution of enzyme activity resulted when the enzymes were incubated together with NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, phospholipid, NADPH, and appropriate substrates. The cytochrome P450 activity of the partially purified enzymes was comparable to that of the corresponding enzymes expressed in the vaccinia virus-Hep G2 system. These results provide evidence for a general means of obtaining cytochrome P450 enzymes for mechanistic, immunochemical, and biophysical investigations.
THE NORTH CENTRAL AQUACULTURE REGION AS A POTENTIAL MARKET FOR FARM-RAISED HYBRID STRIPED BASS

Seafood restaurant chefs/managers, single-unit supermarket buyers, and supermarket chain buyers in the North Central Aquaculture Region were surveyed. Based upon familiarity with farm-raised hybrid striped bass and offer prices quoted, it appeared that seafood restaurants were the most promising retail outlet for the fish. However, only 41.7% of restaurant respondents knew that farmers raised hybrid striped bass as a food fish, and only 25.8% of the dollars spent on finfish and finfish products by restaurants went toward purchases of farm-raised fish. Results of the study suggested that successful large-scale marketing of farm-raised hybrid striped bass in the North Central Region would depend upon extensive product promotion and education of consumers and retailers, especially restaurateurs.
Economic comparison of phytophthora root rot control methods

Abstract The economics of strategies for control of root rot on chile (or chilli) peppers ( Capsicum annuum ) caused by Phytophthora capsici were analysed. The strategies investigated were alternate-row irrigation, every-row irrigation and chemical treatments with alternate-row irrigation. The chemical treatments were metam-sodium, copper sulfate and metalaxyl. Three years of data, 1989–1991, were analysed for green chile, and four years of data, 1988–1991, for red chile. The linear programming model results indicated that, to maximize returns to fixed resources without regard to risk, all resources should be allocated to every-row irrigation in 1989 and 1990 and when yields across all 4 years are considered. In 1988 and 1991, the yield benefits of alternate-row irrigation justified the cost of building the borders, although in 1988 every-row irrigation was not evaluated. For green chile, the optimal strategy was alternate-row irrigation in 1989, 1990, 1991 and when yields across all years are considered. The quadratic programming model showed that to reduce variance of returns in red chile production, alternate rows should be watered and copper sulfate applied via the irrigation water. To reduce variance of returns in green chile production, alternate-row irrigation with metalaxyl is recommended. Sensitivity analysis conducted on chile prices and labour and chemical costs showed that the optimal farm plans were insensitive to changes of 15% above and below the market prices and costs.
Lessons from Constitutional Culture and the History of Constitutional Transfer: A Hope for Constitutionally Limited Government?

The literature shows a clear correlation between sound constitutional environments and human flourishing. However, the path to adoption of sound constitutions is much less clear. This paper turns to the history of constitutional transfer to propose an alternative to taxonomies offered in the literature, which typically classify constitutions either by governmental structure (presidential v. parliamentary, or centralized v. federalist) or by source of influence (e.g. US 1787, Spain 1812, France 1958). These classifications are found wanting; instead, this paper proposes a new taxonomy based on the origin of the constitutional ideas and adoption. Formal constitutional parchment must match informal constitutional culture, so a constitution’s likelihood of success is greatest when the ideas are indigenous; the source of adoption is ultimately secondary. The paper closes with four case studies of constitutional transfer and adoption.
Positive Results on Tests for Steatorrhea in Persons Consuming Olestra Potato Chips

Consumption of olestra can cause false-positive results on tests for steatorrhea and may therefore lead to an erroneous diagnosis of the malabsorption syndrome.