cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Better I/O through byte-addressable, persistent memory

Modern computer systems have been built around the assumption that persistent storage is accessed via a slow, block-based interface. However, new byte-addressable, persistent memory technologies such as phase change memory (PCM) offer fast, fine-grained access to persistent storage.In this paper, we present a file system and a hardware architecture that are designed around the properties of persistent, byteaddressable memory. Our file system, BPFS, uses a new technique called short-circuit shadow paging to provide atomic, fine-grained updates to persistent storage. As a result, BPFS provides strong reliability guarantees and offers better performance than traditional file systems, even when both are run on top of byte-addressable, persistent memory. Our hardware architecture enforces atomicity and ordering guarantees required by BPFS while still providing the performance benefits of the L1 and L2 caches.Since these memory technologies are not yet widely available, we evaluate BPFS on DRAM against NTFS on both a RAM disk and a traditional disk. Then, we use microarchitectural simulations to estimate the performance of BPFS on PCM. Despite providing strong safety and consistency guarantees, BPFS on DRAM is typically twice as fast as NTFS on a RAM disk and 4-10 times faster than NTFS on disk. We also show that BPFS on PCM should be significantly faster than a traditional disk-based file system.
Applying parallel, dynamic-resolution simulations to accelerate VLSI power estimation

High resolution models of logic circuits need to be used in simulations to accurately track logic transitions or glitches, which contribute to the most dominant portion of VLSI power dissipated. Unfortunately, simulating large, high resolution models is a time consuming task. Although more abstract models that simulate faster can be used, they are less accurate as details of glitching activity are absent. This study proposes an alternatively approach that dynamically (i.e., during simulation) changes the resolution of a model to strike a better balance between accuracy and performance. Simulation-time resolution changes are performed using a novel methodology called Dynamic Component Substitution (DCS). This paper presents the issues involved in applying DCS to accelerate parallel power simulations of digital logic circuits. The experiments indicate that the proposed strategy can increase performance by 3x with negligible deviations in power estimates but consuming about 2x more memory.
Demographic Characteristics of Florentine Patrician Families, Sixteenth to Nineteenth Centuries

One seemingly certain characteristic of the social structure of Europe between the sixteenth and late eighteenth centuries was the persistence in power, wealth, and eminence of limited numbers of individuals or families. These made up the aristocracies, the nobilities of feudal origin, the ennobled officeholders of the new monarchies, and the patrician oligarchs of the towns. Political structures provided these families with privileged status and favored their preservation of wealth and influence, while a relatively slow rhythm of economic change and growth in general population tended to secure them against displacement by newcomers. In Italy, distant from the new centers of Atlantic trade, where tensions between absolutism and traditional liberties were fought out mainly within the ruling groups themselves, this stratification of society seemed almost a “new feudalism” in the seventeenth century as the powerful families of the petty courts consolidated their power.
On the compressibility of C 60 individual molecules

Theoretical studies have estimated the bulk modulus of individual C60 molecules to be twice to three times as stiff as diamond. In this Letter, we investigate, for the first time, solvent effects on the compressibility of individual fullerene molecules using molecular dynamic simulation. Interaction with water and methanol was found to significantly affect the fullerene P–V EOS leading to significantly less compressible fullerene molecule. This study sheds important lights on the fact that the compressibility of fullerene molecules cannot be considered out of context of their chemical environment.
Weighing in on the Coaching Decision: Discussing Sports and Race Online

The online consumption of sport is becoming increasingly popular among sports fans. This study examined how fans used computer-mediated communication to discuss allegations of racism in American Division I College Football hiring practices. A thematic analysis of 1,254 postings to an ESPN.com discussion forum revealed that fans addressed the issue through messages of (a) transference, (b) irrelevance, (c) reverse racism, and (d) recognition. Results suggest that the online commentary (re)produced an ideology that (a) claims racism as nonexistent, (b) blames the victims of racism for their underrepresentation, and (c) suggests any lingering racism is against Whites (e.g., Whites are victims of reverse discrimination). The findings reveal how computer-mediated communication domains are important sites for examining how fans’ messages (re)produce societal beliefs about the role and relevance of race in sport.
Analysis of the neuroinflammatory response to TLR7 stimulation in the brain: comparison of multiple TLR7 and/or TLR8 agonists.

Activation of astrocytes and microglia and the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines are often associated with virus infection in the CNS as well as a number of neurological diseases of unknown etiology. These inflammatory responses may be initiated by recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that stimulate TLRs. TLR7 and TLR8 were identified as eliciting antiviral effects when stimulated by viral ssRNA. In the present study, we examined the potential of TLR7 and/or TLR8 agonists to induce glial activation and neuroinflammation in the CNS by intracerebroventricular inoculation of TLR7 and/or TLR8 agonists in newborn mice. The TLR7 agonist imiquimod induced astrocyte activation and up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including IFN-β, TNF, CCL2, and CXCL10. However, these responses were only of short duration when compared with responses induced by the TLR4 agonist LPS. Interestingly, some of the TLR7 and/or TLR8 agonists differed in their ability to activate glial cells as evidenced by their ability to induce cytokine and chemokine expression both in vivo and in vitro. Thus, TLR7 stimulation can induce neuroinflammatory responses in the brain, but individual TLR7 agonists may differ in their ability to stimulate cells of the CNS.
Tissue-specific Bcl-2 protein partners in apoptosis: An ovarian paradigm.

Apoptosis is an essential physiological process by which multicellular organisms eliminate superfluous cells. An expanding family of Bcl-2 proteins plays a pivotal role in the decision step of apop...
Structure of Dislocations in Oxides

The atomic structure of dislocations in oxides, especially sapphire and spinel, are discussed. Observations of dislocations using high resolution electron microscopy (structure imaging and weak-beam imaging) show that dislocations introduced by deformation are dissociated in most cases by climb; glide dissociation is rarely observed. The observed stacking faults are such as to fault the cation lattice and leave the anion lattice undisturbed. This observation also applies to dislocation loops formed by defect agglomeration during radiation damage. Very little atomistic modelling of dislocations in oxides have been performed to help understand these effects. However some isotropic and anisotropic elasticity calculations have been performed in the present paper which show that the climb dissociated configuration has a slightly lower,energy than the glide configuration and that the latter is metastable with respect to the former. Other factors influencing the structure and behavior of dislocations are discussed.
The Beach House (G)

Used in conjunction with UVA-QA-0615 and UVA-QA-0616. Three couples, all good friends, rent a beach house for the week. They all have different financial circumstances and different beliefs about what's fair. They need to find a way to decide who sleeps where, and how to divide the costs of the beach house.
Red, white, and blue enough to be green: Effects of moral framing on climate change attitudes and conservation behaviors

Abstract Widespread political polarization on issues related to environmental conservation may be partially explained by the chronic framing of persuasive messages in ideological and moral terms that hold greater appeal for liberals and egalitarians. A series of three experiments examined the extent to which variations in the moral framing of pro-environmental messaging affect liberals' vs. conservatives' conservation intentions, climate change attitudes, and donations to an environmental organization. While liberals did not generally differ across conditions, conservatives shifted substantially in the pro-environmental direction after exposure to a binding moral frame, in which protecting the natural environment was portrayed as a matter of obeying authority, defending the purity of nature, and demonstrating one's patriotism to the United States. This shift was pronounced when conservatives perceived the congruent appeal to be a stronger argument. Evidence of mediated moderation is also presented, in which the attitudinal and behavioral shifts for conservatives were a function of the degree to which the values present in the pro-environmental appeal were perceived as coming from the ingroup. Discussion focuses on future directions for more precisely specifying moral framing effects, and on considering the pros and cons of targeted messaging for the sustainability of environmental attitude change.
Disaster-Related Human Rights Violations and Corruption A 10-Year Review of Post–Hurricane Katrina New Orleans

The main goal of this article is to share results of an examination of cases of institutional and structural violations of human rights stemming from various types of corruption, especially in thei...
Odor Transport by Particulate Matter in High Density Poultry Houses

Abstract MODERN commercial high density poultry houses contain high concentrations of airborne particulate matter. Concentrations as high as 1.16 mg. per cubic foot of air have been reported (Anderson et al., 1966). This concentration is twenty-five times greater than the maximum reported in urban atmospheres (Wolfe et al., 1967). Smith and O’Meara (1965) found that the concentration of particulate matter in a poultry house was related to the bodily activity of the birds; the greater the activity, the greater the concentration of airborne particulates. The particulate matter consists of fecal matter, feed particles, as well as feather and epidermal fragments (Koon et al., 1963; and Smith and O’Meara, 1964). Day and Lebeda (1964) found that particulate matter collected from the atmosphere of a swine confinement building was odoriferous. Gas chromatographic analyses were performed on an extract of the dust. Several very volatile, low molecular weight compounds were found. These were not…
The Study of Pyrolytic Products of Polymer Materials by Mass Spectrometry(VIII)

Mass spectrometric quantitative analysis on the gaseous and volatile products formed by pyrolysis of polyamide(6nylon)and polyvinyl acetate in a vessel containing the calibrated amounts of air at various temperatures was studied. The pyrolytic products were hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methanoi, ethanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, dimethyl furan, methyl furan, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, methane, acetylene, ethylene, ethane, propane, propylene, butene, butane, benzene, toluene and others. Similar experiments were also carried out for the polyamide synthetic fiber, and the main components of the gaseous and volatile products formed by pyrolysis were identified. From the results of these works, mass spectrometry seems to be an effective method for the analysis of the pyrolysis product of polyamide and polyvinyl acetate.
Going Beyond the State

Timothy Mitchell's article “The Limits of the State” in the March 1991 issue of this Review stimulated an unusual variety of interested comments. John Bendix, Bartholomew Sparrow, and Bertell Ollman offer critiques and suggestions from quite different points of view. In response, Mitchell clarifies further the distinctiveness of his own approach and its implications.
Comparison of Performance in the Greenhouse and in the Field of Toxaphene-DDT (2+1) Against the Bollworm on Cotton123

Dose-response data are presented for residues of toxa-phene-DDT (2 + 1) against larvae of the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), when caged individually on leaves of cotton plants which were sprayed and maintained under greenhouse or field conditions. Mortality observations were made 72 hours after infestation. In the greenhouse, an LD05.; of 14.2 kg/ha (12.7 lb/acre), an LD50 of 0,418 kg/ha (0.373 lb/acre), and a slope of 1.92 were obtained; corresponding values under field conditions were 8.44 kg/ha (7.54 lb/acre), 0.74 kg/ha, (0.660 lb/acre), and a slope of 2.78, respectively. Fiducial limits at the 5% level for the 2 situations overlapped in all 3 cases. The slope of the dose-response curve for field residues, infested 4 days after spraying, was 5.49, whereas LD95 and LD50 values were 9.3 kg/ha (8.3 lb/acre) and 2.7 kg/ha (2.4 lb/acre), respectively. The response of larvae of the bollworm to freshly deposited residues of toxaphene DDT (2 + 1) on cotton differs only slightly between greenhouse and field environments.
Imagining a Better Memory Self-Imagination in Memory-Impaired Patients

Recent research has demonstrated that self-referential strategies can be applied to improve memory in memory-impaired populations. However, little is known regarding the mnemonic mechanisms and relative effectiveness of self-referential strategies in memory-impaired individuals. This study investigated the benefit of a new self-referential strategy known as self-imagination, traditional self-referential strategies, and non-self-referential strategies on free recall in memory-impaired patients with acquired brain injury and in healthy control respondents. The data revealed an advantage of self-imagining in free recall relative to all other strategies in patients and control respondents. Findings also demonstrated that, in the patients only, a self-referential strategy that relied on semantic information in self-knowledge was more effective than a self-referential strategy that relied on autobiographical episodic information. This study provides new evidence to support the clinical utility of self-imagining...
Painting Seismic Images In 3D

Seismic interpretation today includes picking seismic horizon surfaces or, more generally, the boundary between geologic bodies. A more efficient and useful approach may be to directly interpret those geologic bodies as 3D volumes. We do this by painting voxels in 3D seismic images of subsurface geology. In our painting method, a human interpreter controls the maximum size of a digital 3D paintbrush, and as the interpreter interactively moves the brush, features in the 3D seismic image automatically control its shape, orientation and size.
Quantitative transfer of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to equipment during small-scale production of fresh-cut leafy greens.

Postharvest contamination and subsequent spread of Escherichia coli O157:H7 can occur during shredding, conveying, fluming, and dewatering of fresh-cut leafy greens. This study quantified E. coli O157:H7 transfer from leafy greens to equipment surfaces during simulated small-scale commercial processing. Three to five batches (22.7 kg) of baby spinach, iceberg lettuce, and romaine lettuce were dip inoculated with a four-strain cocktail of avirulent, green fluorescent protein–labeled, ampicillin-resistant E. coli O157:H7 to contain ∼106, 104, and 102 CFU/g, and then were processed after 1 h of draining at ∼23°C or 24 h of storage at 4°C. Lettuce was shredded using an Urschel TransSlicer at two different blade and belt speeds to obtain normal (5 by 5 cm) and more finely shredded (0.5 by 5 cm) lettuce. Thereafter, the lettuce was step conveyed to a flume tank and was washed and then dried using a shaker table and centrifugal dryer. Product (25-g) and water (40-ml) samples were collected at various points duri...
Flow test for electronic foam encapsulants

There are many problems related to repeatability and the standardization of test results in evaluating rigid foam. Techniques were sought to determine the most suitable foams for encapsulating electronic modules containing discrete electrical components. The amount of foam flowing into intricate cavities varies with the foam and the specific configuration. This study sought to evaluate methods of determining the ability of resin to flow through restricted and intricate flow paths. Current foam evaluation problems include those of whether molds should be open or closed, and how molds should be loaded, since foams can be made to give strength variations of 3 to 1, depending on the preparation techniques. Density variations of almost 2 to 1 may result, depending on the openness of the mold.
IML Programming Features

A SAS/IML module is a subprogram or subroutine. A module is set apart from the rest of the IML code and is not executed until called. Modules can be called various times within a single IML procedure.
APULEIUS, METAMORPHOSES 11.23.5

quaeras forsitan satis anxie, studiose lector, quid deinde dictum, quid factum. dicerem, si dicere liceret; cognosceres, si liceret audire. sed parem noxam contraherent et aures et lingua[e] illae temerariae curiositatis. In spite of the reader's curiosity, the narrator will not break the secrecy of Isis’ mysteries. Precisely an act of curiositas had brought about Lucius’ transformation into an ass; at the end of the novel he demonstrates that he has learnt his lesson.
The Quagmire of Legacy in Family Firms: Definition and Implications of Family and Family Firm Legacy Orientations

Family firm scholars often reference the legacy concerns or intentions of families when explaining strategic decision making in family firms. Yet, the concept of family legacy is not clearly define...
Disastrous measures: Conceptualizing and measuring disaster risk reduction

Abstract Despite the large amount of research into disaster risk reduction [DRR], there remain significant difficulties in attempting to measure the impact of these policies. In particular, an urgent priority is the need to produce a theoretical framework for researchers and practitioners to enable the comparative assessment of the success of DRR policies. The measurement of these policies is unsatisfactory, creating a situation where it is almost impossible to assess how well the resources committed to these policies translate to improving DRR in at-risk communities. This article proposes an innovative approach to the measurement of DRR through a minimal procedural operationalization of the concept. The paper illustrates the utility of the framework through presentation of original survey data about individual DRR among residents of California. The results indicate that although most people are aware of measures of individual DRR, they have not advanced beyond that stage to plan and implement those measures themselves. The article marks a critical step towards the better measurement of success of intractable policy initiatives through the introduction of a novel measure of DRR.
Social–Emotional Learning

As important as academic competence may be, children and adolescents also need to be able to interact with others in respectful ways, master good work habits and values, contribute to society, and be good citizens. Many educators and parents are in favor of a broader educational mission for our schools that includes social–emotional competence, character development, mental health, and involvement in one’s community (Greenberg et al., 2003). Schools must do more than ever before, while at the same time dealing with a multitude of challenges as a result of a changing school population and limited resources. Many preventive efforts have been initiated in schools, but in the past they have not been linked to the school’s mission and have been fragmented in their approach. Frustrated at the lack of success of preventive health promotion efforts, the Fetzer Institute, a nonprofit foundation focused on relationships between people, held an important meeting to address this concern. The term social and emotional learning (SEL) was first presented at the 1994 Fetzer Institute, which was designed to focus on disjointed efforts to improve children’s well-being and positive interrelationships (Elbertson, Brackett, & Weissberg, 2010). One outcome of the Fetzer Institute was the formation of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). The goal of CASEL has been to establish evidence-based SEL programming preschool through high school. CASEL has become the guide to school-based SEL-preventive efforts. And, since 1990, SEL has become a major emphasis in American education (Hoffman, 2009).
Sociocultural theory and the dialectical-materialist approach to L2 development: Introduction to the special issue

Sociocultural Theory (SCT), as formulated in the writings of Russian psychologist L. S. Vygotsky (1987), was first introduced to the L2 field 30 years ago (Frawley and Lantolf, 1985) as a powerful lens for interpreting processes of L2 development and their relation to particular activities, practices, and interactions (see also Lantolf and Appel, 1994). Beginning with Lantolf and Thorne (2006), L2 SCT researchers have drawn upon principles from the theory to inform educational practices to actively promote learner L2 abilities. Lantolf and Poehner (2014) further elaborated this work in their analysis of the foundational role of dialectics in Vygotsky’s thinking. These authors determined that Vygotsky’s commitment to understanding the relational unity of seemingly disparate and contradictory processes provided the basis for his elaboration of a scientific psychology as well as for his practical work with teachers and learners. For SCT, dialectics functions at the level of a meta-theory, providing a coherent logic for domains of inquiry including natural as well as social and humanistic sciences. It is argued that to appreciate the differences among theoretical approaches currently pursued by SLA researchers and to evaluate their commensurability requires taking account of the meta-theory, or philosophy of science, in which they are rooted. Post-positivism and interpretivism are identified as philosophical positions that underlie and have influenced much SLA research. Both are examined with particular attention to assumptions they make regarding ontology, epistemology, causality, and teleology. Following identification of key differences between these two philosophies, discussion turns to dialectical materialism and to the ways in which this perspective poses new challenges to fundamental assumptions in both post-positivism and interpretivism. Finally, the four papers included in this special issue are examined as representative of the implications of dialectical materialism for L2 research and practice.
Symbiodinium glynnii sp. nov., a species of stress-tolerant symbiotic dinoflagellates from pocilloporid and montiporid corals in the Pacific Ocean

Abstract A formal Symbiodinium species taxonomy enhances understanding of the physiology and ecology of coral–dinoflagellate symbioses. Here we formally define a new species of stress tolerant Symbiodinium in Clade D, Symbiodinium glynnii sp. nov. This species exhibits high host specificity for members of the stony coral genus Pocillopora in the Pacific Ocean and can also be found in symbiosis with the coral genera Seriatopora and Montipora. Symbiodinium glynnii is especially common in the Eastern Tropical and subtropical Pacific, where Pocillopora is abundant and ecologically important. While S. glynnii is evolutionarily closely related to Symbiodinium trenchii, a combination of multilocus genetic data including rDNA, chloroplast (psbA), and single copy nuclear microsatellites, as well as differences in ecology (host associations), morphology (cell size), and ultrastructure (chromosome size), identify S. glynnii as distinct from S. trenchii and other Clade D species. Finally we use these data to paramete...
Improving Faraday rotation performance with block copolymer and FePt nanoparticle magneto-optical composite

Magneto-optical (MO) composites with excellent Faraday rotation (FR) response were fabricated using iron platinum (FePt) nanoparticles (NPs) and polystyrene-block-poly (2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) block copolymers (BCPs). Gallic acid functionalized FePt NPs with average core diameters (dcore) of 1.9, 4.9, 5.7 and 9.3 nm have been selectively incorporated into a P2VP domain through hydrogen bonding interactions. The use of copolymer templates to selectively arrange the magnetic NPs guaranteed high MO performance with little trade-off in terms of scattering loss, providing a simple strategy to prepare functional materials for MO applications. As a result, Verdet constants of a 10 wt % loaded 4.9 nm FePt NP composite reached absolute magnitudes as high as ~-6 × 104 °/T-m at 845 nm, as determined by FR measurements at room temperature. At the same time, the MO figure-of-merit was as large as −25 °/T in these composites, indicating both excellent MO performance and transparency. The dependence of the nanocomposite FR properties on particle diameter, loading (from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %) and composite nanostructure were systematically investigated at four infrared wavelengths (845, 980, 1310 and 1550 nm).
Smartfounding: Four Grades of Resistance to Thought Experiments

Smartfounding is the opposite of “dumbfounding” introduced by Jonathan Haidt’s research on disgust. Dumbfounders have general competence at thought experiment (in contrast to people who lack formal education). However, they are flustered by thought experiments that support repugnant conclusions. Instead of following the supposition wherever it leads, they avoid unsettling implications by adding extraneous information or ignoring stipulated conditions. The dumbfounded commit performance errors, often seeming to regress to the answers of people who lack formal schooling. Smartfounders retain their composure. They practice subversive compliance, obeying the instructions in a way that spoils the aim of the thought experiment. Smartfounders offer a more sophisticated grade of resistance to thought experiment. Whereas the lower grades of resistance are merely fallacious, smartfounding often constitutes a penetrating internal critique of the thought experiment and sometimes of thought experiments in general.
Linking left hemispheric tissue preservation to fMRI language task activation in chronic stroke patients.

Abstract The preservation of near-typical function in distributed brain networks is associated with less severe deficits in chronic stroke patients. However, it remains unclear how task-evoked responses in networks that support complex cognitive functions such as semantic processing relate to the post-stroke brain anatomy. Here, we used recently developed methods for the analysis of multimodal MRI data to investigate the relationship between regional tissue concentration and functional MRI activation evoked during auditory semantic decisions in a sample of 43 chronic left hemispheric stroke patients and 43 age, handedness, and sex-matched controls. Our analyses revealed that closer-to-normal levels of tissue concentration in left temporo-parietal cortex and the underlying white matter correlated with the level of task-evoked activation in distributed regions associated with the semantic network. This association was not attributable to the effects of left hemispheric lesion or brain volumes, and similar results were obtained when using explicit lesion data. Left temporo-parietal tissue concentration and the associated task-evoked activations predicted patient performance on the in-scanner task, and also predicted patient performance on out-of-scanner naming and verbal fluency tasks. Exploratory analyses using the average HCP-842 tractography dataset revealed the presence of fronto-temporal, fronto-parietal, and temporo-parietal semantic network connections in the locations where tissue concentration was found to correlate with task-evoked activation in the semantic network. In summary, our results link the preservation of left posterior temporo-parietal structures with the preservation of task-evoked semantic network function in chronic left hemispheric stroke patients. Speculatively, this relationship may reflect the status of posterior temporo-parietal areas as cortical and white matter convergence zones that support coordinated processing in the distributed semantic network. Damage to these regions may contribute to atypical task-evoked responses during semantic processing in chronic stroke patients.
Consuming the Maya

(T)he problem is a failure to be conscious of essentialism, whether it springs from the assumptions with which we approach our subjects or the goals that motivate our writing.
Student Preferences, Abilities, and Performance

The purpose of any model is to guide thought in the expectation that otherwise unforeseen insights about behavior may be detected. Models do not settle issues about anything; they only suggest possible explanations, predictions, and lines of inquiry, both empirical and theoretical. So it must be with our analysis of learning; our concern is with suggesting possible explanations for what is observed in the classroom which may not be deduced from other more conventional learning models. Overall, the analysis we develop indicates that more attention needs to be given to the student’s time allocation (in empirical education studies). In this chapter we explore student learning behavior with the choice model developed in Chapter 2; faculty choice behavior and its influence on the learning process of students is treated separately in chapters which follow.
Study of Software as a Service Support Platform for Small and Medium Businesses

Software as a Serivce (SaaS) provides software application vendors a Web based delivery model to serve big amount of clients with multi-tenancy based infrastructure and application sharing architecture so as to get great benefit from the economy of scale. In this paper, we describe the evolution of the small and medium businesses (SMB) oriented SaaS ecosystem and its key challenges. On particular problem we focus on is how to leverage massive multi-tenancy to balance the cost-effectiveness achieved via high shared efficiency, and the consequent security, performance and availability isolation issues among tenants. Base on this foundation, we further study the concepts, competency model and enablement framework of customization and configuration in SaaS context to satisfy as may tenants’ requirements as possible. We also explore the topics on service lifecycle and the subscription management design of SaaS.
Future Imaging and Guidance for Endovascular Procedures

The considerations which are fundamental when assessing the value of an imaging modality in the endovascular arena are that (1) the equipment must have adequate definition and thereby be able to characterize tissues and define boundaries between anatomic structures; (2) the system must be interactive and intuitive; (3) three-dimensional capabilities are necessary when navigating vascular anatomy; and (4) finally, the fourth dimension, namely, the ability to evaluate motion. The vascular bed is a dynamic one and therefore not including motion could allow for misinterpretation during both preoperative planning and postoperative evaluation. By this we mean that motion affects operative planning for proper stent sizing as well as movement during function (i.e., superficial femoral artery stents during knee movement).
Time Series Methods in Applied Social Research

Time series methods represent an important research tool for applied social psychologists. Consider interrupted time series designs, in which one assesses the effect of some intervention on an outcome measured repeatedly over time. Interrupted time series designs have been employed to address such varied questions as: the effect of drunk driving laws (Hilton, 1984; Shore & Maguin, 1988; West, Hepworth, McCall, & Reich, 1989), mandatory seat belt laws (Wagenaar, Maybee, & Sullivan, 1988), and an increase in the legal minimum drinking age (Wagenaar, 1982) on traffic fatalities; the effect of incentive payment (Wagner, Rubin, & Callahan, 1988) and of merit pay (Pearce, Stevenson, & Perry, 1985) on productivity; the effect of publishing offenders’ names in a newspaper on the frequency of shoplifting and drunk driving (Ross & White, 1987); the effect of mandatory sentencing on firearms violence (Loftin, Heumann, & McDowall, 1983); the effect of TV public service announcements on inquiries to social service agencies (McAbee & Cafferty, 1982); and even the effect of introducing meditation groups on the crime in an area (Dillbeck et al., 1987). In addition, related time series methods, which focus not on the effects of some abrupt intervention but rather on the covariation between two ongoing time series, have addressed the relationship between such variables as: air pollution and psychological state (Bullinger, 1989); air pollution, weather, and violent crime (Rotton & Frey, 1985); economic conditions and alcohol-related traffic fatalities (Wagenaar & Streff, 1989); alcohol use and suicide rates (Norstrom, 1988); expenditures on cigarette advertising and cigarette consumption (Chetwynd, Coope, Brodie, & Wells, 1988); and historical economic data and lynchings (Hepworth & West, 1988). As one indication of the potential importance of time series methods, consider that Cook and Campbell (1979) dedicated two chapters of their book on quasi-experimentation to the topic of interrupted time series, and part of another chapter to methods for assessing the relationship between two ongoing time series.
A Cell-based Assay to Investigate Non-muscle Myosin II Contractility via the Folded-gastrulation Signaling Pathway in Drosophila S2R+ Cells

We have developed a cell-based assay using Drosophila cells that recapitulates apical constriction initiated by folded gastrulation (Fog), a secreted epithelial morphogen. In this assay, Fog is used as an agonist to activate Rho through a signaling cascade that includes a G-protein-coupled receptor (Mist), a Gα12/13 protein (Concertina/Cta), and a PDZ-domain-containing guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RhoGEF2). Fog signaling results in the rapid and dramatic reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton to form a contractile purse string. Soluble Fog is collected from a stable cell line and applied ectopically to S2R+ cells, leading to morphological changes like apical constriction, a process observed during developmental processes such as gastrulation. This assay is amenable to high-throughput screening and, using RNAi, can facilitate the identification of additional genes involved in this pathway.
Hyponatremia Is Associated With Increased Osteoporosis and Bone Fractures in Patients With Diabetes With Matched Glycemic Control

Context Patients with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for bone fragility fracture secondary to multiple mechanisms. Hyperglycemia can induce true dilutional hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is associated with gait instability, osteoporosis, and increased falls and bone fractures, and studies suggest that compromised bone quality with hyponatremia may be independent of plasma osmolality. We performed a case-control study of patients with diabetes mellitus matched by median glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) to assess whether hyponatremia was associated with increased risk of osteoporosis and/or fragility fracture. Design Osteoporosis (n = 823) and fragility fracture (n = 840) cases from the MedStar Health database were matched on age of first HbA1c ≥6.5%, sex, race, median HbA1c over an interval from first HbA1c ≥6.5% to the end of the encounter window, diabetic encounter window length, and type 1 vs type 2 diabetes mellitus with controls without osteoporosis (n = 823) and without fragility fractures (n = 840), respectively. Clinical variables, including coefficient of glucose variation and hyponatremia (defined as serum [Na+] <135 mmol/dL within 30 days of the end of the diabetic window), were included in a multivariate analysis. Results Multivariate conditional logistic regression models demonstrated that hyponatremia within 30 days of the outcome measure was independently associated with osteoporosis and fragility fractures (osteoporosis OR 3.09; 95% CI, 1.37 to 6.98; fracture OR, 6.41; 95% CI, 2.44 to 16.82). Conclusions Our analyses support the hypothesis that hyponatremia is an additional risk factor for osteoporosis and fragility fracture among patients with diabetes mellitus.
Blunt Cerebrovascular Injuries: Screening and Diagnosis

This review focuses on the origins of research in blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) and highlights recent developments in BCVI screening and diagnosis. An emphasis is made on the evolution of screening guidelines and the role for a computed tomography angiography (CTA)-based approach to the diagnosis of BCVI. The expanded Denver criteria first published in 2012 have been widely adopted in many trauma centers. Increased awareness and broadened screening have led to an increased rate of diagnosis in BCVI among blunt trauma patients. Current research efforts are focused on refining and improving diagnostic algorithms to improve patient selection for screening and to avoid missed injuries among blunt trauma patients. BCVI complicates between 1 and 3% of all blunt trauma admissions, and clinicians must have a high index of suspicion for this injury. Early and aggressive screening has decreased stroke rates and prevented unnecessary morbidity and mortality in this patient population. Future research will further improve institutional processes of identifying patients and instituting rapid treatment.
Numerical reconstruction of the intense precipitation and moisture transport fields for six tropical cyclones affecting the eastern United States.

Abstract Tropical cyclones (TCs) are intense atmospheric vortices that form over the warm tropical oceans. They are recognized for their ability to generate intense precipitation that may in turn create disastrous floods. This article first assesses the suitability of a regional atmospheric model, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, to simulate the intense precipitation depth (PD) fields of six North Atlantic TCs that affected the eastern United States during 2002–2016. Due to the strong nonlinearity involved in tropical cyclones' dynamics and thermodynamics, which causes tropical cyclones' tracks to be very sensitive to the different modeling choices, placing the PD fields in the observed locations was challenging. This involved trying several simulation start dates and combinations of the WRF model's parameterization schemes for each storm simulated. Model performance was evaluated by comparing the simulated PD fields with the observed PD fields obtained from the NCEP Stage IV precipitation dataset. In addition to qualitative comparisons, three quantitative metrics were used to quantify the WRF model performance in simulating a PD field's location, structure and intensity. The sensitivity of the simulation results to the choice of the parameterization schemes was then illustrated using Hurricane Gustav (2008). Eventually, the most satisfactory simulations were used to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the generation of intense precipitation in these TCs. More specifically, the vertically integrated vapor transport field and its divergence were calculated using the model outputs, and it was found that horizontal moisture convergence played a central role in the generation of intense precipitation in these TCs.
A matter of conceptualization and representation: teaching indexing concepts in the twenty-first century

Students of library and information science, whatever their interests and employment opportunities, need to have a strong understanding of fundamental LIS concepts, especially in the organization o...
Efficient One-Step Decodable Limited Magnitude Error Correcting Codes for Multilevel Cell Main Memories

As technology scales further, dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) scaling faces numerous challenges. Emerging non-volatile main memories (e.g., phase change memories) provide an attractive solution to the challenges faced by DRAM scaling due to their high density and low cost. But phase change memories suffer from the problem of resistance drifts, which are of limited magnitude and causes read reliability degradation. For single error correction, Hamming codes and beyond single-error correction, Orthogonal Latin Square codes have been used due to their one-step decoding procedure. But with the limited magnitude error model, these codes are inefficient since they incur considerable redundancy. This paper proposes a new systematic limited magnitude error correcting non-binary Hamming code for a single-error correction specifically to address limited magnitude errors in multilevel cell memories storing multiple bits per cell. For memory architectures involving multiple error correction, a new decimal arithmetic based Orthogonal Latin Square code is also proposed. A general construction methodology is presented to correct errors of limited magnitude and is compared to existing schemes addressing limited magnitude errors in phase change memories. For non-binary Hamming codes, it is shown that the proposed codes provide better latency and complexity compared to existing limited magnitude error correcting non-binary Hamming codes as well as better redundancy compared to the symbol extended version of binary Hamming codes. The proposed limited magnitude Orthogonal Latin Square codes are shown to achieve better redundancy and better area compared to existing schemes with the tradeoff of slight increase in decoding and encoding latency.
The Big Data Regulator, Rebooted: Why and How the FDA Can and Should Disclose Confidential Data on Prescription Drugs

Medicines and vaccines are complex products, and it is often extraordinarily difficult to know whether they help or hurt. The FDA holds an enormous reservoir of data on that sheds light on that precise question, yet currently releases only a trickle to researchers, doctors, and patients. Existing processes that might allow public access to such data, such as FOIA, have failed, and reactive disclosure as a model cannot succeed. We present here a wealth of new evidence about the urgency of the problem and argue that the FDA must “reboot” its rules to proactively disclose all safety and efficacy data for drugs and vaccines, with minimal redaction — what we deem “data publicity.” We also provide a road-map to enable this data publicity and show that it can be done without legislative reform, while respecting privacy, protecting any legitimate trade secrets, and maintaining or improving incentives to innovate. The regulatory state in the information age faces enormous challenges. Medicines and vaccines are just two examples of the enormous array of products that are increasingly information-ally complex. The FDA must adapt to protect and expand structural accountability, and to protect the public and its trust. The model we offer here could, we suggest, become a template for other regulatory agencies, enabling better oversight of information-intensive industries and helping safeguard the agencies themselves.
Introduction to a special issue on international perspectives on HIV/AIDS in the schools: Neuropsychological and psychoeducational implications

Although it has been about fifty years since we learned how human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is transmitted and leads to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), it continues to be a global pa...
The impact of emergency department observation units on a health system.

Abstract Importance Protocol driven ED observation units (EDOU) have been shown to improve outcomes for patients and payers, however their impact on an entire health system is unknown. Two thirds of US hospitals do not have such units. Objective To determine the impact of a protocol-driven EDOU on health system length of stay, cost, and resource utilization. Methods A retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study of observation patients managed over 25 consecutive months in a four-hospital academic health system. Patients were identified using the “admit to observation” order and limited to adult, emergent / urgent, non-obstetric patients. Data was retrieved from a cost accounting database. The primary study exposure was the setting for observation care which was broken into three discrete groups: EDOUs (n = 3), hospital medicine observation units (HMSOU, n = 2), and a non-observation unit (NOU) bed located anywhere in the hospital. Outcomes included observation-to-inpatient admission rate, length of stay (LoS), total direct cost, and inpatient bed days saved. Unadjusted outcomes were compared, and outcomes were adjusted using multiple study variables. LoS and cost were compared using quantile regressions. Inpatient admit rate was compared using logistic regressions. Results The sample consisted of 48,145 patients who were 57.4% female, 48% Black, 46% White, median age of 58, with some variation in most common diagnoses and payer groups. The median unadjusted outcomes favored EDOU over NOU settings for admission rate (13.1% vs 37.1%), LoS [17.9 vs 35.6 h), and cost ($1279 vs $2022). The adjusted outcomes favored EDOU over NOU settings for admission rates [12.3% (95% CI 9.7–15.3) vs 26.4% (CI 21.3–32.3)], LoS differences [11.1 h (CI 10.6–11.5 h)] and cost differences [$127.5 (CI $105.4 - $149.5)]. Adjusted differences were similar and favored EDOU over HMSOU settings. For the health system, the total adjusted annualized savings of the EDOUs was 10,399 bed days and $1,329,443 in total direct cost per year. Conclusion Within an academic medical center, EDOUs were associated with improved resource utilization and reduced cost. This represents a significant opportunity for hospitals to improve efficiency and contain costs.
Do Firms Experiencing More Wildfires Disclose More Wildfire Information in Their 10-Ks?

Wildfires pose a significant risk that threatens firm value. That risk may have risen significantly in recent years in light of record-breaking wildfires in the United States and elsewhere. It is an open question, however, whether such increasing wildfire risk affects firms’ disclosures of wildfire-related information. We match the location of wildfires in the United States to firms with headquarters in the same county as the wildfire. We find that firms exposed to more wildfire days on average provide more textual 10-K disclosure of wildfire-related information in their filings compared to firms exposed to fewer wildfire days. Our results are also significant economically. For example, an increase of wildfire days from zero to one day increases 10-K wildfire word count by 30 percent. We attribute this positive relation to increasing trends in climate change risks and disclosure guidance related to heightened wildfire concerns. These concerns emanate mainly from wildfire-exposed firms in the western states, in the utility and banking industries, those exhibiting a high level of tangible assets, and those having experienced wildfire impacting their past operations. Overall, the findings deepen our knowledge of a heretofore unstudied risk factor important for firm value.