cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scientific reasons for including persons with disabilities in clinical and translational diabetes research.

Despite disparities in health problems and outcomes, people with disabilities are underrepresented in diabetes research. This results in a lack of evidence-based knowledge regarding best approaches in caring for this population. This article addresses the need for research that includes people with disabilities and describes the common reasons persons with disabilities are not included in research, including scientists’ concerns regarding threats to a study’s internal validity and cost. Arguments are provided as to how involving people with disabilities in research will improve our science and reduce disparities in this population. In addition to the ethical reasons for including persons with disabilities in research, the ability to generalize study findings to this population and thus speed our development and translation of this knowledge for use by clinicians is discussed. The bias in study conclusions that arise from study samples that do not include persons with disabilities and its possible effect on care delivery are presented. Two strategies that researchers can use to increase the inclusion of persons with disabilities in research are described: (1) Universal Design of Research and (2) intervention optimization study designs. Universal Design of Research includes research design processes such as the use of multisensory formats for recruiting participants, approaches to designing and presenting research instruments and interventions, and methods of data collection to promote the inclusion of participants with a wide range of abilities in research studies. Intervention optimization study designs offer an efficient way for scientists to rapidly build the most potent interventions for a wide range of people, including those with disabilities participating in mainstream research.
Kinetics of Thermal Growth of Ultra‐Thin Layers of SiO2 on Silicon I . Experiment

The rate of formation of very thin films thermally grown on [111] and [100] oriented silicon wafers was studied using ellipsometry to measure oxide thickness. Film thicknesses from 10–300Aa were obtained by varying oxidation time, oxidation temperature (700°–1000°C), and oxygen concentration in O2‐N2 mixtures at 1 atm total pressure. The applicability of ellipsometry for such a study is discussed. Reproducibility of oxide films grown to thicknesses of 20–30Aa was approx. ±1.0Aa. Under otherwise equal conditions the oxide thickness grown differs for [100] and [111] oriented wafers. The pressure and temperature dependence of the linear rate constant, klin, show that the growth reaction is more complicated than was suggested earlier. In particular, a different pressure dependence for the two substrate orientations used indicates that several oxygen species participate in the rate determining steps.
The Endless, Deceptive Peace Process

When I wrote the first draft of Chapter 5, I ended the introduction by saying I would cover four time periods each of which, “(except perhaps the most recent one), ends in a conflagration, after which all three parties continue to pursue the same fixed ends without better prospects of achieving them.”
Signaling a Lemon: The Decision Not to Cross-List and High Private Benefits of Control

This paper studies the effects of firms' decision to cross-list on the frequency of controlling block sales by their domestic peers. Our results show that the announcement of cross-listing is associated with a positive and significant change in the frequency of sales among firms that choose not to cross-list. Though this paper focuses on cross-listing, our results have implications for other decisions at the midstream stage of a firm's life such as adopting corporate governance terms, distributing dividends and raising capital.
TRPV4 function in the distal nephron is regulated by dietary potassium and sodium intake (892.2)

It becomes recognized that Ca2+-permeable TRPV4 channel is predominantly expressed in the distal nephron and its activity is essential for [Ca2+]i elevations in response to increased tubular flow. Here, we probe whether TRPV4 function in the kidney is regulated by dietary intake of major electrolytes. We found that renal TRPV4 expression was increased by high potassium diet (5% K+) and decreased by dietary potassium restriction (0.003 % K+). Saturation of systemic mineralocorticoid status with DOCA had little effect on TRPV4 protein abundance pointing to an aldosterone-independent nature of this regulation. Increased TRPV4 expression by high potassium intake was associated with significantly augmented [Ca2+]i responses to elevated flow as was detected using Fura-2 Ca2+ imaging in freshly isolated split-opened distal nephrons. Furthermore, dietary sodium load (2% Na+) similarly increased renal TRPV4 expression and enhanced flow-induced [Ca2+]i responses in distal nephron cells. Interestingly, protein level...
Let Dancers Tell the Story

Abstract An appeal to modern dancers and teachers of modern dance in universities and colleges to communicate with other artists. There is much to be done in public relations in our country before dance has the understanding and respect it enjoys in other parts of the world. It is the duty of the teachers and dancers to go out of their departments and share their ideas, their ideals, their art—to help others understand that a balance between mind and spirit and body is essential, and that dance contributes much to the lives of men.
Partially active channels produced by PKA site mutation of the cloned renal K+ channel, ROMK2 (kir1.2)

The activity of the cloned renal K+ channel (ROMK2) is dependent on a balance between phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. There are only three protein kinase A (PKA) sites on ROMK2, with the pho...
Direct writing of improved microfludic mixers and artificial vasculatures by high brightness diode pumped Nd-YAG laser

A direct write technique has the potential for replacing the lithographic process used for fabricating micro-fluidic channels and expedite the field of
EVOLUTION, PHYLOGENY, SEXUAL DIMORPHISM AND MATING SYSTEM IN THE GRACKLES (QUISCALUS SPP.: ICTERINAE).

Evolution, phylogeny, sexual dimorphism and mating system in the grackles (Quiscalus spp, Icterinae)
The food reactions of the infusorian Spathidium spathula

Spathidium spathula is an holotrichous infusorian whose sole diet consists of smaller ciliates, chiefly species of Colpidium. If the truncated anterior end of a Spathidium, which is swimming forward and revolving on its long axis, happens to come into direct contact with a Colpidium, the latter usually becomes motionless at once and its protoplasm shows signs of pathological changes.Paralysis and death of the prey is apparently brought about by the liberation of a specific substance from the oral region of Spathidium which is toxic to small ciliates. Various authors have ascribed this result to trichocysts about the peristome, but as a matter of fact none are present. However, a number of rodlike bodies can be demonstrated in the thickened rim of the peristome which may represent the seat of the poison. One is at liberty to interpret these bodies as “trichocyst material,” though the poisonous nature of trichocysts, even in Paramecium, remains to be demonstrated.The paralysis of a Colpidium by a Spathidium...
Undocumented Immigrants and Myself: Building Bridges Through Research in a First Year English Course

This chapter explores how civic engagement impacted students’ final research papers in a first semester composition course. Every Freshman English I student at our college is required to submit a final paper that integrates research. The topic for our course was immigration reform and because I was concerned that the students weren’t fully engaging with the topic, I designed a civic engagement project in which my students interviewed immigrant students participating in an intensive ESL program on our campus. This provided the ESL students with an opportunity to practice their English conversation skills, and allowed me to explore if this form of research would impact two of the departmental criteria for the final research papers: originality and voice. I found that interviewing an immigrant peer on campus had a positive impact on these two aspects of the final research papers on immigration reform as this form of civic engagement led to a deeper connection to the topic.
Phasor Domain Steady-State Modeling and Design of the DC–DC Modular Multilevel Converter

The dc–dc modular multilevel converter (MMC), which originated from the ac–dc MMC, is an attractive converter topology for the interconnection of medium-/high-voltage dc grids. This paper presents design considerations for the dc–dc MMC to achieve high efficiency with reduced component sizes. A steady-state mathematical model of the dc–dc MMC in the phasor domain is developed. Based on the developed model, a design approach is proposed to size the components and to select the operating frequency of the converter to satisfy a set of design constraints while achieving high efficiency. The design approach includes sizing the arm inductor, submodule capacitor, and phase filtering inductor along with selection of the ac operating frequency of the converter. The accuracy of the developed model and the effectiveness of the design approach are validated based on the simulation studies in the PSCAD/EMTDC software environment. The analysis and developments of this paper can be used as a guideline for designing the dc–dc MMC.
Acinetobacter baumannii: An Emerging and Important Pathogen.

Over the last 3 decades, Acinetobacter infections have grown from a limited problem affecting disaster victims and tropical populations to a major cause of hospital-acquired infections worldwide. The most clinically significant pathogen is Acinetobacter baumannii because of the rapidity with which it develops antimicrobial resistance (including strains resistant to all commercially available antibiotics) and the ability of some strains to survive on the surfaces of hospital facilities and equipment for weeks. Acinetobacter can cause a wide variety of clinical syndromes, most prominently respiratory tract infections but also bacteremia, skin and soft tissue infections, urinary tract infections, osteomyelitis, and intracranial infections. The mortality associated with A. baumannii infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting can approach 40%. Due to the limited therapeutic options for multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter infections, prevention of health care–associated transmission is critical to prevent morbidity. There is also an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic agents active against multidrug resistant strains.
Effectiveness of resettable energy dissipating devices in seismic response modification of elastic SDoF systems

Summary Semi-active variable stiffness resettable devices can reduce seismic demands and damages in structures. Despite their advantages, variable stiffness resettable devices are under-utilized mainly because of the shortage of fundamental research in quantifying the sensitivity of key seismic response parameters, and losses, in structures that use such systems for seismic hazard mitigation. Within this setting, the research summarized herein measures the effectiveness of semi-active resettable energy dissipating devices in the Single-Degree-of-Freedom domain aiming at quantifying the sensitivity of their seismic response to variation in control parameters and generating the required knowledge to utilize such semi-active devices in the Multi-Degree-of-Freedom domain. The performance (i.e. maximum relative displacement and peak absolute acceleration demands) of Single-Degree-of-Freedom systems with an array of semi-active control logics under various dynamic excitation regimes is studied. Two sets of 40 ground motions representing various seismic loading conditions (i.e. pulse-like and rock-site ground motions) are used, and an efficient control logic for mitigating these seismic demands is proposed. Numerical results show that proposed control logic enables a decrease of 40–60% for both maximum relative displacement and seismic base shear and 15–25% decrease for peak absolute acceleration. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pathogenic and Therapeutic Role of MicroRNA in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that play an integral role in regulating gene expression. Increasing evidence supports the important role of miRNAs in the development and progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The function of miRNAs can also be efficiently and specifically regulated using a number of therapeutic strategies, supporting their potential as targets for the treatment of PAH. In this chapter we briefly describe the biogenesis of miRNAs, summarize our current knowledge of the role of various miRNAs in the pathogenic mechanisms of PAH, introduce strategies of targeting miRNAs to treat the disease, review the preclinical results and potential for using miRNAs for treatment of PAH in in vivo models, and finally discuss the current challenges facing the field to deliver miRNA-targeting therapeutics specifically and efficiently to patients.
Prayer, Attachment to God, and Changes in Psychological Well-Being in Later Life

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of prayer and attachment to God on psychological well-being (PWB) in later life. Method: Using data from two waves of the nationwide Religion, Aging, and Health Survey, we estimate the associations between frequency of prayer and attachment to God at baseline with cross-wave changes in three measures of PWB: self-esteem, optimism, and life satisfaction. Results: Prayer does not have a main effect on PWB. Secure attachment to God is associated with improvements in optimism but not self-esteem or life satisfaction. The relationship between prayer and PWB is moderated by attachment to God; prayer is associated with improvements in PWB among securely attached individuals but not those who are insecurely attached to God. Discussion: These findings shed light on the complex relationship between prayer and PWB by showing that the effects of prayer are contingent upon one’s perceived relationship with God.
Plastic Analysis of a Plate Sealing a Fluid

The complete solution is obtained for the problem of plastic analysis of a clamped, circular plate subject to a uniformly distributed transverse pressure over a circular central region. The plate seals an incompressible perfect fluid; buoyancy effects are neglected. The plate material is assumed to obey the Tresca maximum shearing stress yield criterion; ignoring the effect of transverse shearing stress on the plastic behavior of the plate, the yield condition in terms of bending moments alone is taken to be the usual Tresca hexagon. The predicted limit pressure is compared with experimental results obtained from tests performed on mild steel and aluminum specimens. Good agreement between experiment and theory is obtained. The appearance of flow figures (L¨ders bands) on the steel plate surface is briefly described.
Assessment of skin conductance in African American and Non-African American participants in studies of conditioned fear.

Skin conductance (SC) is a psychophysiological measure of sympathetic nervous system activity that is commonly used in research to assess conditioned fear responses. A portion of individuals evidence very low or unmeasurable SC levels (SCL) and/or response (SCR) during fear conditioning, which precludes the use of their SC data. The reason that some individuals do not produce measurable SCL and/or SCR is not clear; some early research suggested that race may be an influencing factor. In the current article, archival data from five fear conditioning samples collected from four different laboratories were examined to explore SCL and SCR magnitude in African American (AA) and non-African American (non-AA) participants. Across studies, the aggregate group difference for exclusion due to unmeasurable SCL or no measurable SCR to an unconditioned stimulus reflected a significant medium effect size (d = 0.54). Furthermore, 24.3% (range: 0-48.3%) of AA participants met SC exclusion criteria versus 14.3% (range: 4.3-24.2%) of non-AA participants. AA participants also displayed significantly lower SCL during habituation (d = 0.58). The low SC levels and responses in AA individuals and the consequent exclusion of their contributions to fear conditioning study results impacts the generalizability of findings across races. Given higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic anxiety in AA individuals, it is important that AA individuals not be excluded from fear conditioning research, which informs the treatment of anxiety and PTSD. Examination of the basis of very low SCL and/or SCR is a potentially informative direction for future research.
High blood pressure in the young: why should we care?

While primary hypertension (HTN) clearly occurs in children and adolescents, the approach of many providers to such patients can best be described as ambivalent: the condition may be recognised, but is not acted upon. Such ambivalence may stem from incomplete understanding of the effects of high blood pressure in the young, which in turn is related to the shortage of information on long-term outcomes of primary childhood HTN. However, other evidence on the short- and long-term effects of blood pressure elevation in childhood clearly shows that it is not a benign condition at all. Conclusion Childhood HTN warrants action to prevent adult cardiovascular disease.
Patent Hold‐Up and Antitrust: How A Well‐Intentioned Rule Could Retard Innovation

Licensing technology essential to a standard can present a hold-up problem. After designing new products incorporating a standard, a manufacturer could be confronted by an innovator asserting patent rights to essential technology. This hold-up problem can be solved with a damages remedy provided by antitrust or some other body of law, but a damages remedy can reduce the innovator's licensing revenue and thereby retard innovation. The availability of an ex post damages remedy also alters the licensing terms in ex ante bargaining with the result that fewer socially beneficial R&D projects are undertaken.
Lessons Learned from Implantation of Morcher 50D and 96S Artificial Iris Diaphragms.

Author(s): Lin, Shawn R; Miller, Kevin M | Abstract: PurposeTo discuss problems associated with the implantation of two Morcher iris diaphragm models.MethodsWe describe the history, intraoperative complications, and postoperative complications of 5 patients with specific Morcher iris implants.ResultsWe implanted Morcher 50D devices in 1 patient and Morcher 96S devices in 4 patients. Complications included postoperative rotation, device mis-sizing, difficult intraoperative rotation, zonular dehiscence, and intraoperative hemorrhage.ConclusionArtificial iris implantation has a steep learning curve. With widespread availability on the horizon in the United States, the sharing of surgical experiences is key to achieving the best outcomes for patients.
Derivation of frequency importance functions for the AzBio sentences.

Although the AzBio test is well validated, has effective standardization data available, and is highly recommended for Cochlear Implant (CI) evaluation, no attempt has been made to derive a Frequency Importance Function (FIF) for its stimuli. This study derived FIFs for the AzBio sentence lists using listeners with normal hearing. Traditional procedures described in studies by Studebaker and Sherbecoe [(1991). J. Speech. Lang. Hear. Res. 34, 427–438] were applied for this purpose. Participants with normal hearing listened to a large number of AzBio sentences that were high- and low-pass filtered under speech-spectrum shaped noise at various signal-to-noise ratios. Frequency weights for the AzBio sentences were greatest in the 1.5 to 2 kHz frequency regions as is the case with other speech materials. A cross-procedure comparison was conducted between the traditional procedure [Studebaker and Sherbecoe (1991). J. Speech. Lang. Hear. Res. 34, 427–438] and the nonlinear optimization procedure [Kates (2013). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, EL459–EL464]. Consecutive data analyses provided speech recognition scores for the AzBio sentences in relation to the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII). The findings of the authors provide empirically derived FIFs for the AzBio test that can be used for future studies. It is anticipated that the accuracy of predicting SIIs for CI patients will be improved when using these derived FIFs for the AzBio test.Although the AzBio test is well validated, has effective standardization data available, and is highly recommended for Cochlear Implant (CI) evaluation, no attempt has been made to derive a Frequency Importance Function (FIF) for its stimuli. This study derived FIFs for the AzBio sentence lists using listeners with normal hearing. Traditional procedures described in studies by Studebaker and Sherbecoe [(1991). J. Speech. Lang. Hear. Res. 34, 427–438] were applied for this purpose. Participants with normal hearing listened to a large number of AzBio sentences that were high- and low-pass filtered under speech-spectrum shaped noise at various signal-to-noise ratios. Frequency weights for the AzBio sentences were greatest in the 1.5 to 2 kHz frequency regions as is the case with other speech materials. A cross-procedure comparison was conducted between the traditional procedure [Studebaker and Sherbecoe (1991). J. Speech. Lang. Hear. Res. 34, 427–438] and the nonlinear optimization procedure [Kates (2013). J...
Riparian canopy expansion in an urban landscape: Multiple drivers of vegetation change along headwater streams near Sacramento, California

Abstract Urbanization is thought to decrease riparian tree canopy cover, but this outcome may vary depending on geographic context. We examined changes in land cover and riparian tree canopy near Sacramento, California, a Mediterranean climate region impacted by agriculture before urbanization. We used aerial imagery to quantify changes in land cover and the area, width, and density of riparian tree canopy between 1937 and 2014 for the 85-km2 Arcade Creek watershed. While watershed land cover shifted almost entirely from pasture and crops to urban development, riparian forested area increased by 38 percent. The median width of riparian tree canopy more than doubled, and the density along smaller streams increased significantly (p
Counterion-Dependent Access to Low-Symmetry Lyotropic Sphere Packings of Ionic Surfactant Micelles

The water-driven self-assembly of homologous dianionic surfactants into lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) is investigated, with a focus on understanding how surfactant headgroup and counterion identities guide supramolecular spherical mesophase selection. Using temperature-dependent small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we demonstrate that 2-alkylmalonate surfactants (CnMal-M2) with n = 8 (octyl) or 10 (decyl) and M = K+, Cs+, or (CH3)4N+ form both simple and complex micelle packings. Observed spherical morphologies include body-centered cubic (BCC), hexagonally closest-packed (HCP), and tetrahedrally closest-packed Frank–Kasper (FK) A15 and σ phases (Pm3(−)n and P42/mnm symmetries, respectively). Previously observed in only one other minimally hydrated surfactant, the σ phase is a rare LLC morphology comprising a low-symmetry unit cell containing 30 sub-2-nm quasispherical micelles, each of which belongs to one of five symmetry-equivalent classes with discrete aggregation numbers. Temperature versus water ...
Dating igneous rocks using the Potassium–Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE) instrument: A case study for ~380 Ma basaltic rocks

We report new K-Ar isochron data for two approximately 380 million-years-old basaltic rocks, using an updated version of the Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE), which is being developed for future in situ dating of planetary materials. These basalts have K contents comparable with those of lunar KREEP basalts or igneous lithologies found by Mars rovers, whereas previous proof-of-concept studies focused primarily on more K-rich rocks. We aim to measure these analogous samples to show the advancing capability of in situ K-Ar geochronology.
Situated Analysis of Interactions between Cognitively Impaired Older Adults and the Therapeutic Robot PARO

In order to explore the social and behavioral mechanisms behind the therapeutic effects of PARO, a robot resembling a baby seal, we conducted an eight-week-long study of the robot's use in a group activity with older adults in a local retirement facility. Our research confirms PARO's positive effects on participants by increasing physical and verbal interaction as evidenced by our behavioral analysis of video recorded interactions. We also analyzed the behavioral patterns in the group interaction, and found that the mediation of the therapist, the individual interpretations of PARO by different participants, and the context of use are significant factors that support the successful use of PARO in therapeutic implementations. In conclusion, we discuss the importance of taking the broader social context into account in robot evaluation.
Concepts of Linear and Nonlinear Fracture Mechanics

After a brief introduction, various fracture mechanics concepts and fracture criteria are examined and their relative merits are discussed. There are two distinct aspects of fracture in the case of several practical materials exhibiting nonlinearity. These are, crack extension and crack growth. Sih’s criterion for predicting the crack extension direction and critical fracture load can be applied for non-self-similar crack extension unlike Griffith’s criterion which was based on self-similar crack extension.
Comparative Immunochemistry of Mammalian Brain and Eel Electric Tissue Acetylcholinesterases

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7) plays an important role in the control of excitability of nerve and muscle tissue via its hydrolytic inactivation of ACh at postsynaptic sites. However, most studies on purified forms of AChE have concerned the enzymes from electric tissues of marine, non-mammalian species (11). AChE has been purified from mammalian brain tissues (2, 16) and while such preparations appear similar in catalytic function to electric tissue enzymes, differences are apparent with respect to molecular size of the enzyme forms (2) and active site numbers (4).
A Regge-pole model of π − + p → η + n polarization

Predictions of the polarization in the reaction π− + p → η + n are made using a simple Regge pole model. The polarization arises from the interference of an A2 Regge pole exchange in the crossed channel with direct channel resonances represented by Breit-Wigner formulae. A fit to the differential cross-section in the energy range 3 to 18 GeV using constant residues is also obtained.
Non-pharmacological Somatic Treatments for Bipolar Depression

There has been an explosion of research interest in noninvasive and invasive forms of brain stimulation as treatments for bipolar depression and major depressive disorder (MDD). Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has the strongest evidence base. In the short term, ECT is more effective than any other intervention for MDD. MDD patients and those with bipolar disorder (BD) do not differ in response or remission rates, but BD patients respond more quickly. Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) and Focal Electrically Administered Seizure Therapy (FEAST) provide greater focality of stimulation than can be achieved with traditional ECT. Both techniques appear to have reduced cognitive effects, but equivalence in efficacy with traditional ECT is not established. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Therapy (rTMS) is an approved and widely used treatment for MDD. Efficacy appears stronger in the community than in the randomized controlled trials, perhaps due to concomitant use of pharmacotherapy. While commonly used in bipolar depression, as yet there is little information on efficacy specifically in this subgroup. Small studies have suggested that transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has antidepressant properties, including in bipolar depression. While promising, multisite randomized sham controlled trials are needed to test these claims. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) showed long-term antidepressant effects and good durability of benefit in treatment-resistant depression, including BD. Lack of insurance reimbursement has limited use in the USA for this indication. Initial open-label studies of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) at several targets were encouraging. However, two recent pivotal trials were terminated due to lack of an efficacy signal. These negative findings are leading to rethinking the role of DBS in the treatment of severe, treatment-resistant depression.
miR-106a deficiency attenuates inflammation in murine IBD models

Pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα antagonizes regulatory T cell (Treg) suppressive function with a measurable reduction of IL-10 protein secretion. Tregs are critical to suppress excessive immune activation, particularly within the intestine where high antigenic loads elicit chronic subclinical immune activation. Employing a TNFα-driven murine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) model (TNFΔARE/+), which mirrors the Treg expansion and transmural ileitis seen in Crohn's disease, we demonstrate that the TNFα-mediated loss of Treg suppressive function coincides with induction of a specific miRNA, miR-106a in both humans and mice, via NFκB promoter binding to suppress post-transcriptional regulation of IL-10 release. Elevation of miR-106a and impaired Treg function in this model recapitulate clinical data from IBD patients. MiR-106a deficiency promotes Treg induction, suppressive function and IL-10 production in vitro. MiR-106a knockout attenuated chronic murine ileitis, whereas T cell restricted deficiency of miR-106a attenuated adoptive transfer colitis. In both models, attenuated inflammation coincided with suppression of both Th1 and Th17 cell subset expansion within the intestinal lamina propria. Collectively, our data demonstrate impaired Treg suppressive function in a murine IBD model consistent with human disease and support the potential for inhibition of miR-106a as a future therapeutic approach to treat chronic inflammatory conditions including IBD.
My Friends Were Finally Right

In 2001, five of us left Arizona for new opportunities to continue our work at George Mason University. A year later, we are settled into our new research and teaching home. On October 9, I received word from Stockholm that I was recognized by the Nobel Foundation “for having established laboratory experiments as a tool in empirical economic analysis, especially in the study of alternative market mechanisms.” My friends—who had long been predicting this event—were finally right. Although I had no control over that process, I had this nagging feeling that I was letting them down. I describe some of the backgrounds to the event, some history of past prizes in economics, and especially details of the prize committee’s conference in 2001 on behavioral and experimental economics, an intentional exercise enabling close evaluations of the many contenders if they were to recognize people in this field. I also engage in some speculation about topics and contributions that may merit future recognition. The Nobel celebration days began on December 6, extending for 10 days, and is the most important Swedish event of the year. It is a media event for individual and group interviews, discussion sessions, great dinners, and an opportunity for Sweden to display magic and magnificence in art, theater, dance, literature, and science.
The effect of bilingualism on lexical learning and memory across two language modalities: Some evidence for a domain-specific, but not general, advantage

ABSTRACTThe present study was conducted to replicate bilingual advantages in short-term memory for language-like material and word learning in young adults and extend this research to the sign doma...
ERK-dependent proteasome degradation of Txnip regulates thioredoxin oxidoreductase activity

Dynamic control of thioredoxin (Trx) oxidoreductase activity is essential for balancing the need of cells to rapidly respond to oxidative/nitrosative stress and to temporally regulate thiol-based redox signaling. We have previously shown that cytokine stimulation of the respiratory epithelium induces a precipitous decline in cell S-nitrosothiol, which depends upon enhanced Trx activity and proteasome-mediated degradation of Txnip (thioredoxin-interacting protein). We now show that tumor necrosis factor-α–induced Txnip degradation in A549 respiratory epithelial cells is regulated by the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and that ERK inhibition augments both intracellular reactive oxygen species and S-nitrosothiol. ERK-dependent Txnip ubiquitination and proteasome degradation depended upon phosphorylation of a PXTP motif threonine (Thr349) located within the C-terminal α-arrestin domain and proximal to a previously characterized E3 ubiquitin ligase–binding site. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway to be integrally involved in regulating Trx oxidoreductase activity and that the regulation of Txnip lifetime via ERK-dependent phosphorylation is an important mediator of this effect.
Weyl, Identity, Indiscernibility, Realism

In this paper, I reconstruct a technique originally formulated by Hermann Weyl to accommodate, in the foundations of quantum mechanics, aggregates of quantum particles despite these particles’ apparent lack of identity. I defend the importance of this technique and provide a slight variant of Weyl’s original formulation by avoiding altogether the use of set theory. I then offer formulations of individuals and non-individuals, inspired by considerations that Weyl made in the context of his theory of aggregates, and examine the status of non-individuals with regard to debates about realism. I conclude that there is still much to be learned from careful study of Weyl’s work.
Myocardial Fibrosis and Prognosis in Heart Transplant Recipients

Background: Myocardial fibrosis is a well-described histopathologic feature in heart transplant recipients. Whether myocardial fibrosis in heart transplant recipients is independently associated wi...
Designing Ambulance Service Districts Under Uncertainty

For ambulances, quick response to a medical emergency is critical. Limiting response area for each ambulance may lead to shorter response times to emergency scenes and more evenly distributed workload for ambulances. We propose a two-stage stochastic mixed-integer programming model to address the service district design problem under uncertainty. The proposed model recommends how to locate ambulances to the waiting sites in the service area, and how to assign a set of demand zones to each ambulance at different backup levels. Our proposed Stochastic Service District Design (SSDD) model enables quick response times by jointly addressing the location and dispatching policies in a stochastic and dynamic environment. Each backup level is associated with a given response time threshold. The objective function is to maximize the expected number of covered calls while restricting the workload of each ambulance. The proposed model can be optimized offline as is commonly done for “patrol-beats” used in policing models. We evaluate the implementation of the proposed model via a discrete-event simulation, and compare the model with two baseline policies. Our computational results show a significant improvement in mean response time, reduction of 2 min, and statistically lower average workload of ambulances, of 4% on average, when the proposed model is fully implemented.
An Air- and Water-Stable Hydrogen-Bond-Donor Catalyst for the Enantioselective Generation of Quaternary Carbon Stereocenters by Additions of Substituted Cyanoacetate Esters to Acetylenic Esters

The chiral enantiopure cobalt(III) complex Δ-[Co((S,S)-dpen)3 ]3+ 2Cl- B(C6 F5 )4 - (Δ-(S,S)-23+ 2Cl- B(C6 F5 )4 - ; dpen=1,2-diphenylethylenediamine) is an effective catalyst, together with pyridine (10 mol % each), for enantioselective additions of substituted cyanoacetate esters NCCH(R)CO2 R' to acetylenic esters R''C≡CCO2 R'''. In the resulting adducts NC(R'O2 C)C(R)CR''C=CHCO2 R''', C=C isomers in which the CO2 R''' moiety is trans to the new carbon-carbon bond dominate (avg. ratio 98:2). These are obtained in 70-98 % ee (avg. 86 %; data for optimum R' and R'''), as determined by 1 H NMR with the chiral solvating agent Λ-(S,S)-23+ 2I- B(3,5-C6 H3 (CF3 )2 )4 - . NMR experiments show that the cyanoacetate and acetylenic esters and pyridine can hydrogen bond to certain NH groups of the catalyst. Rates are zero order in the cyanoacetate and acetylenic esters as well as the catalyst, and implications are discussed.
Saccharomyces spores are born prepolarized to outgrow away from spore-spore connections and penetrate the ascus wall

How non-spore haploid Saccharomyces cells choose sites of budding and polarize towards pheromone signals in order to mate has been a subject of intense study. Unlike non-spore haploids, sibling spores produced via meiosis and sporulation by a diploid cell are physically interconnected and encased in a sac derived from the old cell wall of the diploid, called the ascus. Non-spore haploids bud adjacent to previous sites of budding, relying on stable cortical landmarks laid down during prior divisions, but since spore membranes are made de novo it was assumed that, as is known for fission yeast, Saccharomyces spores break symmetry and polarize at random locations. Here we show that this assumption is incorrect: Saccharomyces cerevisiae spores are born prepolarized to outgrow, prior to budding or mating, away from interspore bridges. Consequently, when spores bud within an intact ascus, their buds locally penetrate the ascus wall, and when they mate, the resulting zygotes adopt a unique morphology reflective of re-polarization towards pheromone, which we dub the derriere. Long-lived cortical foci containing the septin Cdc10 mark polarity sites, but the canonical bud site selection program is dispensable for spore polarity, thus the origin and molecular composition of these landmarks remain unknown. These findings demand further investigation of previously overlooked mechanisms of polarity establishment and local cell wall digestion, and highlight how a key step in the Saccharomyces life cycle has been historically neglected.
Fertility—a human right worthy of mandated insurance coverage: the evolution, limitations, and future of access to care

We review the history, current status, and potential future of state infertility mandates and focus on the business implications of mandates and on the inadequacies and reproductive injustice resulting from gaps between legislative intent and practical implementation. Nineteen states have passed laws that require insurers to either cover or offer coverage for infertility diagnoses and treatment. The qualifications for coverage, extent of coverage, and exemptions vary drastically from one state to another, resulting in deficiencies in access to care even within mandated states for certain groups, such as single individuals, patients in same-sex relationships, and patients pursuing fertility preservation. Although insurance coverage of fertility services in the United States has expanded as an increasing number of states have enacted infertility mandates, significant gaps in implementation and access remain even among states with existing mandates. Provider, patient, and legislative advocacy is warranted in the name of reproductive justice to expand insurance coverage and, in turn, maximize reproductive outcomes, which have been shown to improve as financial barriers are lifted.
Perioperative Preparation and Management of Cystoscopy Patient

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center performs over a thousand cystoscopies annually. Cystoscopy is indicated in patients with history of bladder cancer or any other which has involved the bladder.
Patellar Subluxation and Dislocation

Patellar subluxation/dislocation is common in children with an incidence of 11.9 to 43 per 100,000 (Keyes et al., Am J Orthop 47, 2018; Liu et al., Am J Sports Med 46:3299–306, 2017; Ries et al., J Knee Surg 28:265–78, 2015). It is a common cause of acute knee effusion with pain and discomfort, resulting in missed time from activity. There is a high rate of recurrence of this injury, owing often to anatomical variances in children with an increased risk of recurrence in the younger age groups. Initial treatment of patellar subluxation/dislocation revolves around the reestablishment of the current anatomic patella location (often occurs spontaneously) and the reduction of pain and swelling. After reduction, the treatment for patellar subluxation/dislocation involves physical therapy and rehabilitation. With few exceptions, surgical interventions are reserved primarily for the skeletally mature with recurrent patellar instability and for those with significant chondral injuries. Specific activities that aid in prevention are not well established at this time and need to be further evaluated.
Seeing red in cyclic stratigraphy: Spectral noise estimation for astrochronology

[1] Fundamental to the development of astronomical time scales is the recognition of oscillatory variability within stratigraphic data and its evaluation relative to a null “noise” hypothesis. In this study, Monte Carlo simulations are used to investigate the suitability of two commonly used noise hypotheses (the “conventional” and “robust” AR1 approaches), and the results highlight important limitations in both for cyclostratigraphic application. Perhaps most problematic, the robust AR1 method can result in inflated confidence level estimates and excessive clumping of false positives within the low frequency portion of the spectrum, especially when the underlying noise process has a high lag-1 autocorrelation. Given typical cyclostratigraphic records, this technique will often impose “significant” eccentricity band variability, even in the case of pure AR1 noise. An alternative spectral noise estimation method is proposed to overcome these problems, which simultaneously allows for departures from the AR1 assumption, and obtains high statistical power—that is, the ability to accurately identify astronomical signals when they are present in the data. We apply the method to un-tunedδ18O data from Miocene sediments of the Ceara Rise, indicating statistically significant spectral power at frequencies that are consistent with the published orbital interpretation of Weedon et al. (1997). Furthermore, evaluation of the frequency arrangement of the significant spatial bedding periods, using the average spectral misfit method for astrochronologic testing, reveals that the null hypothesis of no orbital influence can be rejected with a high degree of confidence (the 99.8% confidence level).
Robot Awareness in Cooperative Mobile Robot Learning

Most of the straight-forward learning approaches in cooperative robotics imply for each learning robot a state space growth exponential in the number of team members. To remedy the exponentially large state space, we propose to investigate a less demanding cooperation mechanism—i.e., various levels of awareness—instead of communication. We define awareness as the perception of other robots locations and actions. We recognize four different levels (or degrees) of awareness which imply different amounts of additional information and therefore have different impacts on the search space size (T(0), T(1), T(N), o(N),^1 where N is the number of robots in the team). There are trivial arguments in favor of avoiding binding the increase of the search space size to the number of team members. We advocate that, by studying the maximum number of neighbor robots in the application context, it is possible to tune the parameters associated with a T(1) increase of the search space size and allow good learning performance. We use the cooperative multi-robot observation of multiple moving targets (CMOMMT) application to illustrate our method. We verify that awareness allows cooperation, that cooperation shows better performance than a purely collective behavior and that learned cooperation shows better results than learned collective behavior.
Implications of Complexity for Research on Learning Progressions

Introduction The National Research Council first offered learning progressions (LPs) as a potentially generative construct for science education in its 2007 report Taking Science to School. The report defined LPs as “descriptions of the successively more sophisticated ways of thinking about a topic that can follow one another as children learn about and investigate a topic over a broad span of time” (NRC, 2007, p. 214).
The Underneath of Things: Violence, History, and the Everyday in Sierra Leone

The Underneath of Things: Violence, History, and the Everyday in Sierra Leone. Mariane C. Ferme. Berkeley, CA, and London, UK: University of California Press, 2001. xii. 287 pp. (Cloth US$60; Paper US$24.99)
The relation between the waveguide invariant and array invariant

The waveguide invariant β is based on the dependence of group speed on phase speed and summarizes the robust interference phenomenon in the range-frequency plane. Over the last decade the elegant approach has been utilized for various applications including passive source ranging. Separately, the array invariant approach [Lee and Makris, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., vol. 119, pp. 336–351 (2006)] has been proposed for a robust source-range estimator from beam-time intensity data using either a horizontal or vertical array. In this letter, it is shown that the array invariant can be derived from the waveguide invariant theory assuming β = 1.
Nomadic Threads: a migrating multithreaded approach to remote memory accesses in multiprocessors

This paper describes an abstract multithreaded architecture for distributed memory multicomputers that significantly reduces the number of message transfers when compared to conventional "remote memory access" approaches instead of statically executing on its assigned processor and fetching data from remote storage, a Nomadic Thread transfers itself to the processor which contains the data it needs. This enables Nomadic Threads to take advantage of spatial locality found in the usage of many data structures, because the migration of a thread to a node makes access to surrounding data local. By reducing the number of messages and laking advantage of locality the Nomadic Threads approach allows programs to use fewer data transfers than conventional approaches while providing a simple runtime interface to compilers. The Nomadic Threads runtime system is currently implemented for the Thinking Machines Corp. Connection Machine 5 (CM5), but is portable to other distributed memory systems, including networks of workstations.
Some evidence on the international inequality of real interest rates

Abstract This paper undertakes econometric tests of the hypothesis that ex-ante real interest rates are equal across countries with highly integrated capital markets. The issue is of practical importance because the violation of real rate equality is a necessary condition for monetary policy to influence the open economy through the real interest rate channel. Although an empirical literature concerning real rate equality already exists, previous investigators have focused on pre-tax real rates. This paper contributes to the literature by attempting to incorporate the effects of taxation into the analysis.
Determination of the composition of HgCdTe oxide films by neutron activation analysis

The composition of HgCdTe oxides grown by anodic oxidation in a standard KOH/ethylene glycol solution has been determined by neutron activation analysis (NAA). This technique is not hindered by the difficulties normally associated with methods using ion beams or electron beams. Neutron activation analysis has the advantage of being quantitative, and also NAA is not affected by the chemical composition of the matrix. The analysis of the KOH/ethylene glycol oxide film by neutron activation yields Hg:Cd:Te ratios of 0.534:0.19:1, in close agreement with Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy analysis (R.L. Strong et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A4 (4) (1986) 1992).