cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the U.S. Geological Survey Streamgaging Network

This paper summarizes the results from the first 3 years of a 5-year cost-effectiveness study of the U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging network. The objective of the study is to define and document the most cost-effective means of furnishing streamflow information. In the first step of this study, data uses were identified for 3,493 continuous-record stations currently being operated in 32 States. In the second step, evaluation of alternative methods of providing streamflow information, flow-routing models, and regression models were developed for estimating daily flows at 251 stations of the 3,493 stations analyzed. In the third step of the analysis, relationships were developed between the accuracy of the streamflow records and the operating budget. The weighted standard error for all stations, with current operating procedures, was 19.9 percent. By altering field activities, as determined by the analyses, this could be reduced to 17.8 percent. The existing streamgaging networks in four Districts were further analyzed to determine the impacts that satellite telemetry would have on the cost effectiveness. Satellite telemetry was not found to be cost effective on the basis of hydrologic data collection alone, given present cost of equipment and operation.
RAPID PROTOTYPING VIA AUTOMATIC SOFTWARE CODE GENERATION FROM FORMAL SPECIFICATIONS: A CASE STUDY

This paper describes an approach for defining system and software requirements and validating them through rapid prototyping. It provides the results of a case study for generating prototype software (representing the total system hardware and software) directly and automatically from the requirements. The paper addresses system/software definitions, which include the requirements and design (architecture). The approach consists of modeling and prototyping. The case study described here applied this approach to selected systems of Boeing 747-400 aircraft. A formal model of system specification was generated. The rapid prototyping task automatically generated thousands of Ada source lines of code from the specification model. The tool used on the project was Statemate. The software was executed successfully the first time. The functions and behavior of the system were demonstrated and validated by its users. This study indicated that early execution and validation of system requirements, through the use of formal modeling and rapid prototyping with direct user involvement, can be accomplished.
Synthesis of the antigenic tetrasaccharide side chain from the major glycoprotein of Bacillus anthracis exosporium.

A synthesis of the pentenyl glycoside of the tetrasaccharide side chain from the major glycoprotein of Bacillus anthracis by a [3 + 1] approach is described. The construction of the 1,2-trans-glycosidic linkage in the terminal anthrose moiety was achieved through the application of known α-nitrilium ion-mediated β-selective glycosylation methodology. An iterative glycosylation strategy was used for the assembly of the trirhamnan building block. A new route to the anthrose saccharide was developed from d-galactose.
Verified software toolchain

The software toolchain includes static analyzers to check assertions about programs; optimizing compilers to translate programs to machine language; operating systems and libraries to supply context for programs. Our Verified Software Toolchain verifies with machine-checked proofs that the assertions claimed at the top of the toolchain really hold in the machine-language program, running in the operating-system context, on a weakly-consistent-shared-memory machine. Our verification approach is modular, in that proofs about operating systems or concurrency libraries are oblivious of the programming language or machine language, proofs about compilers are oblivious of the program logic used to verify static analyzers, and so on. The approach is scalable, in that each component is verified in the semantic idiom most natural for that component. Finally, the verification is foundational: the trusted base for proofs of observable properties of the machine-language program includes only the operational semantics of the machine language, not the source language, the compiler, the program logic, or any other part of the toolchain--even when these proofs are carried out by source-level static analyzers. In this paper I explain the construction of a a verified toolchain, using the Coq proof assistant. I will illustrate with shape analysis for C programs based on separation logic.
Quantifying the Supply Response of Private Schools to Public Policies

Public school policies that cause a large demand shift between public and private schooling may cause some private schools to enter or exit the market. This private school supply response further alters students’ choices and likely amplies the policy’s eect. Thus, the policy eects under a xed versus a changing market structure may be very dierent. To study this dierence, we consider New York City’s Fair Student Funding reform, which changed the budgets of the city’s public schools starting in the 2007-08 school year. We nd that relative to the schools that did not receive additional funding, elementary public schools that beneted from the reform saw an estimated increase in enrollment of 6.5%. We also nd evidence of private school exit in response to the reform by comparing private schools located close to or far from public schools that received additional funding. A private school located next to a public school that received an average (6%) increase in its budget was an estimated 1.5 percentage points, on a base of 12%, more likely to close in the subsequent two years. We estimate a concise model of demand for and supply of private schooling and estimate that 30% of the total enrollment increase came from increased private school exit and reduced private school entry. Finally, we assess the reform’s impact on aggregate achievement. We nd that while the reform improved school quality at the public schools that received additional funding, the sorting of some students from private to public schools led them to lower-quality schools. This sorting undid much of the reform’s positive achievement eect.
Reconciling Compressor Performance Differences for Varying Ambient Inlet Conditions

Careful experimental measurements can capture small changes in compressor total pressure ratio (TPR), which arise with subtle changes in an experiment's configuration. Research facilities that use unconditioned atmospheric air must account for changes in ambient compressor inlet conditions to establish repeatable performance maps. A unique dataset from a three-stage axial compressor has been acquired over the duration of 12 months in the Midwest U.S., where ambient conditions change significantly. The trends show a difference in compressor TPR measured on a cold day versus a warm day despite correcting inlet conditions to sea level standard day. To reconcile these differences, this paper explores correcting the compressor exit thermodynamic state, Reynolds number effects, and variations in rotor tip clearance (TC) as a result of differences in thermal growth.
Do Deep Neural Networks Learn Facial Action Units When Doing Expression Recognition

Despite being the appearance-based classifier of choice in recent years, relatively few works have examined how much convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can improve performance on accepted expression recognition benchmarks and, more importantly, examine what it is they actually learn. In this work, not only do we show that CNNs can achieve strong performance, but we also introduce an approach to decipher which portions of the face influence the CNN's predictions. First, we train a zero-bias CNN on facial expression data and achieve, to our knowledge, state-of-the-art performance on two expression recognition benchmarks: the extended Cohn-Kanade (CK+) dataset and the Toronto Face Dataset (TFD). We then qualitatively analyze the network by visualizing the spatial patterns that maximally excite different neurons in the convolutional layers and show how they resemble Facial Action Units (FAUs). Finally, we use the FAU labels provided in the CK+ dataset to verify that the FAUs observed in our filter visualizations indeed align with the subject's facial movements.
Patterns of Phanerozoic Extinction: a Perspective from Global Data Bases

Time series of global diversity and extinction intensity measured from data on stratigraphic ranges of marine animal genera show the impact of bio-events on the fauna of the world ocean. Measured extinction intensities vary greatly, from major mass extinctions that eradicated 39 to 82% of generic diversity to smaller events that had substantially less impact on the global fauna. Many of the smaller extinction events are clearly visible only after a series of filters are applied to the data. Still, most of these extinction events are also visible in a smaller set of data on marine families. Although many of the episodes of extinction seen in the global data are well known from detailed biostratigraphic investigations, some are unstudied and require focused attention for confirmation or refutation.
The Health-Related Uses and Gratifications of YouTube: Motive, Cognitive Involvement, Online Activity, and Sense of Empowerment

ABSTRACTTo better understand the utility of YouTube as a health communication medium, this study utilizes Uses and Gratifications Theory to examine a relationship among motives for health-related YouTube use, cognitive involvement with health information on YouTube, post-exposure online activity, and health-related sense of empowerment. Surveys were analyzed from 263 participants who reported using YouTube for health-related reasons. Results revealed specific motives for health-related YouTube use and a significant relationship among the variables. Implications for how health care professionals could use YouTube for communicating with users about health-related topics and empowering them in health care are discussed.
Antidepressants and Antiepileptic Drugs for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

The development of newer classes of antidepressants and second-generation antiepileptic drugs has created unprecedented opportunities for the treatment of chronic pain. These drugs modulate pain transmission by interacting with specific neurotransmitters and ion channels. The actions of antidepressants and antiepileptic drugs differ in neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain, and agents within each medication class have varying degrees of efficacy. Tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline, nortriptyline, desipramine) and certain novel antidepressants (i.e., bupropion, venlafaxine, duloxetine) are effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain. The analgesic effect of these drugs is independent of their antidepressant effect and appears strongest in agents with mixed-receptor or predominantly noradrenergic activity, rather than serotoninergic activity. First-generation antiepileptic drugs (i.e., carbamazepine, phenytoin) and second-generation antiepileptic drugs (e.g., gabapentin, pregabalin) are effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain. The efficacy of antidepressants and antiepileptic drugs in the treatment of neuropathic pain is comparable; tolerability also is comparable, but safety and side effect profiles differ. Tricyclic antidepressants are the most cost-effective agents, but second-generation antiepileptic drugs are associated with fewer safety concerns in elderly patients. Tricyclic antidepressants have documented (although limited) efficacy in the treatment of fibromyalgia and chronic low back pain. Recent evidence suggests that duloxetine and pregabalin have modest efficacy in patients with fibromyalgia. Copyright © 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians.) Permission from the AAFP was granted to publish this article in the hardcopy only. Kindly refer to www.aafp.org or subscribe to the hardcopy of South African Family Practice. (SA Fam Pract 2005;47(3): 30-36)
NetQuery: a knowledge plane for reasoning about network properties

This paper presents the design and implementation of NetQuery, a knowledge plane for federated networks such as the Internet. In such networks, not all administrative domains will generate information that an application can trust and many administrative domains may have restrictive policies on disclosing network information. Thus, both the trustworthiness and accessibility of network information pose obstacles to effective reasoning. NetQuery employs trustworthy computing techniques to facilitate reasoning about the trustworthiness of information contained in the knowledge plane while preserving confidentiality guarantees for operator data. By characterizing information disclosure between operators, NetQuery enables remote verification of advertised claims and contractual stipulations; this enables new applications because network guarantees can span administrative boundaries. We have implemented NetQuery, built several NetQuery-enabled devices, and deployed applications for cloud datacenters, enterprise networks, and the Internet. Simulations, testbed experiments, and a deployment on a departmental network indicate NetQuery can support hundreds of thousands of operations per second and can thus scale to large ISPs.
Influence of polymer shape on depletion potentials and crowding in colloid–polymer mixtures

Depletion-induced interactions between colloids in colloid–polymer mixtures depend in range and strength on size, shape, and concentration of depletants. Crowding by colloids in turn affects shapes of polymer coils, such as biopolymers in biological cells. By simulating hard-sphere colloids and random-walk polymers, modeled as fluctuating ellipsoids, we compute depletion-induced potentials and polymer shape distributions. Comparing results with exact density-functional theory calculations, molecular simulations, and experiments, we show that polymer shape fluctuations play an important role in depletion and crowding phenomena.
Pre-Participation Medical Evaluation for Adventure and Wilderness Watersports

A request for a preparticipation medical evaluation for wilderness watersports may be made by guiding agencies, instructional camps, or by patients presenting for an annual visit. Although guidelines have been published regarding preparticipation physical evaluation for traditional competitive high school and collegiate sports, little has been written about medical evaluations for those wishing to engage in wilderness and adventure watersports. in this article, we offer guidance based on literature review and expert opinion. Watersports are among the most common recreational activities in the United states and are generally safe. Drowning, however, is a significant risk, particularly in small, self-propelled craft, and among children. Medical counseling before participation in watersports should include screening for medical conditions which may impair swimming ability, including a history of seizures, heart disease, and lung disease. Physicians should also promote preventive health measures such as use of lifejackets and sun protection, as well as alcohol avoidance. Swim testing tailored to specific activities should be strongly considered for children and those with questionable swimming ability.
Plasmapheresis Increases T4 Lymphocytes in a Patient with AIDS

Previously the authors demonstrated that most patients with AIDS have serum antilymphocyte antibodies. Therefore, in an attempt to decrease these antibodies and at least transiently increase blood lymphocytes, they treated one AIDS patient with three courses of plasmapheresis. During or after each course, his T4 lymphocytes rose significantly but subsequently fell to baseline values within two weeks after therapy. The increase in T4 lymphocytes was associated with removal of patient plasma rather than infusion of heterologous plasma. These results suggest the need for more investigation into plasmapheresis as adjunct therapy for AIDS.
On node distributions for interpolation and spectral methods

A scaled Chebyshev node distribution is studied in this paper. It is proved that the node distribution is optimal for interpolation in $C_M^{s+1}[-1,1]$, the set of $(s+1)$-time differentiable functions whose $(s+1)$-th derivatives are bounded by a constant $M>0$. Node distributions for computing spectral differentiation matrices are proposed and studied. Numerical experiments show that the proposed node distributions yield results with higher accuracy than the most commonly used Chebyshev-Gauss-Lobatto node distribution.
Signaling and tacit collusion in an infinitely repeated Prisoners’ Dilemma

Abstract In the context of an infinitely repeated Prisoners’ Dilemma, we explore how cooperation is initiated when players signal and coordinate through their actions. There are two types of players–patient and impatient–and a player’s type is private information. An impatient type is incapable of cooperative play, while if both players are patient types–and this is common knowledge–then they can cooperate with a grim trigger strategy. We find that the longer that players have gone without cooperating, the lower is the probability that they will cooperate in the next period. While the probability of cooperation emerging is always positive, there is a positive probability that cooperation never occurs.
Forecasting Stock Returns

Abstract We survey the literature on stock return forecasting, highlighting the challenges faced by forecasters as well as strategies for improving return forecasts. We focus on U.S. equity premium forecastability and illustrate key issues via an empirical application based on updated data. Some studies argue that, despite extensive in-sample evidence of equity premium predictability, popular predictors from the literature fail to outperform the simple historical average benchmark forecast in out-of-sample tests. Recent studies, however, provide improved forecasting strategies that deliver statistically and economically significant out-of-sample gains relative to the historical average benchmark. These strategies – including economically motivated model restrictions, forecast combination, diffusion indices, and regime shifts – improve forecasting performance by addressing the substantial model uncertainty and parameter instability surrounding the data-generating process for stock returns. In addition to the U.S. equity premium, we succinctly survey out-of-sample evidence supporting U.S. cross-sectional and international stock return forecastability. The significant evidence of stock return forecastability worldwide has important implications for the development of both asset pricing models and investment management strategies.
MOBILE PUMP DVT PROPHYLAXIS: JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS – OPPOSES

Our American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) have come to a consensus that the use of routine prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism (VTE) is indicated for our patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. The new guidelines acknowledge differences in efficacy of the various agents and the variable risk of VTE among patients. Agents include warfarin, low molecular weight heparin, aspirin, oral Xa inhibitors, and direct thrombin inhibitors. The use of pneumatic compression devices have been found to be effective in decreasing risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as a stand-alone strategy after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and is given a level 1C recommendation by ACCP while the data is less strong for use following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Mechanical devices are not associated with an increased bleeding risk, and address the concerns of some surgeons with regard to post-operative bleeding. The availability of mobile compression devices has expanded the indications for use as a result of portability. While the use of mobile pump technology in DVT prophylaxis adds to the armamentarium of tools available for use in VTE risk mitigation, it does not eliminate the need for pharmacologic prophylaxis. While all arthroplasty patients are at elevated risk of VTE, the highest risk is associated with those having a prior history of DVT or pulmonary embolism (PE), having had prior surgery within the preceding three months, or requiring prolonged immobilization post-operatively for any reason. In these patients, thromboprophylaxis with any of a number of agents will play a valuable role in VTE risk reduction. Additionally, not all patients tolerate the use of the pump device. Those individuals with chronic peripheral arterial disease or arterial ulcers in the legs are also poor candidates for mechanical compression strategies which may exacerbate existing vascular compromise and perfusion of the limb. Assessment of the medical comorbidities of the patient may also stratify them to higher risk where the demonstrated benefits of pharmacologic prophylaxis outweigh the considerations of bleeding associated with their use (such as in the morbidly obese/high BMI patients). Mobile pump technology is a valuable adjunct to our VTE reduction strategies, but do not eliminate the need for pharmacologic agents. The judicious selection of DVT prophylaxis strategies based on the totality of the constellation of orthopaedic and medical factors unique to each patient allows us to make clinical decisions tailored to their needs, their risk of VTE, and their reliability in functioning as an active partner in their own post-operative care.
Incentives for motivated experts in a partnership

Abstract A Principal has a set of projects, each having different benefit potentials, and each requiring a basic technology from one of two experts and time inputs from both experts. Experts enjoy motivation utilities from production, but have private information of their own motivation preferences and project potentials. Technology and time-input choices are experts’ private decisions. Experts form a Partnership, which designs a sharing rule and a gatekeeping protocol to determine experts’ priority on technology choice. Using a linear cost-share contract that lets experts make minimum profits, the Principal implements the first best by delegating all decisions to the Partnership.
Stress-induced charge-ordering process in LiMn2O4

ABSTRACTIn this letter we report the stress-induced Mn charge-ordering process in the LiMn2O4 spinel, evidenced by the lattice strain evolutions due to the Jahn–Teller effects. In situ neutron diffraction reveals the initial stage of this process at low stress, indicating the eg electron localization at the preferential Mn sites during the early phase transition as an underlying charge-ordering mechanism in the charge-frustrated LiMn2O4. The initial stage of this transition exhibits as a progressive lattice and charge evolution, without showing a first-order behavior.
The truth about marijuana is all rolled up in a blunt: prevalence and predictors of blunt use among young African–American adults

AbstractSeveral studies suggest that African–American young adults are more likely than other racial groups to smoke marijuana in blunts (i.e., hollowed-out cigars filled with marijuana). Given that tobacco content is found in the wrapper leaf of cigars that are used to make blunts, more studies are needed to assess the co-occurring use of marijuana and tobacco among African–American young adults. The present study was designed to address this gap by examining the prevalence rates and predictors of blunt usage among young African–American men and women (ages 18–25) participating in the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Among participants who reported using marijuana in the past month, 74.4% of African–American women (N = 246) and 82.7% of men (N = 312) smoked marijuana in a blunt in the past 30 days (current blunt smokers). Logistic regression analyses revealed that current blunt smokers, both men and women, were approximately five times more likely to drive under the influence of illegal drugs...
Gain and loss enhancement in active and passive particulate composite materials

Two active dielectric materials may be blended together to realize a homogenized composite material (HCM) which exhibits more gain than either component material. Likewise, two dissipative dielectric materials may be blended together to realize an HCM which exhibits more loss than either component material. Sufficient conditions for such gain/loss enhancement were established using the Bruggeman homogenization formalism. Gain/loss enhancement arises when (i) the imaginary parts of the relative permittivities of both component materials are similar in magnitude and (ii) the real parts of the relative permittivities of both component materials are dissimilar in magnitude.
Institutional Pressures and Isomorphism: The Impact on Intelligence-Led Policing Adoption

Previous research employing an institutional theoretical framework posits environmental factors play an integral role in the adoption of police practices. The present study applies this framework to examine the adoption of intelligence-led policing (ILP). Data from a purposive sample of national intelligence personnel from 254 agencies are used to employ both a measurement and structural model to explain ILP adoption. Weighted least squares estimation is employed through an asymptotic distribution free function to estimate the measurement and structural equation models. Models exhibit good fit indices, while institutional pressures, among others, had a significant and positive effect on ILP adoption. Findings support the role of institutional pressures in the diffusion of police practice. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.
How does the sensitivity of consumption to income vary over time? international evidence

This paper studies how the sensitivity of consumption to income has changed over time as the degree of financial integration has risen. In standard theory, greater financial integration facilitates international borrowing and lending, helping to reduce the sensitivity of consumption growth to fluctuations in income. The paper examines the empirical validity of this prediction using an array of indicators of financial integration for a large sample of advanced and developing countries over the period 1960-2011. Two main results are reported. First, the sensitivity of consumption to income has declined over time as the degree of financial integration has risen. The decline has been more pronounced in advanced economies than in developing ones. Second, the regression analysis indicates that a higher degree of financial integration is associated with a lower sensitivity of consumption to income. This finding is robust to the use of a wide range of empirical specifications, country-specific characteristics, and other controls, such as interest rates and outcome-based measures of financial integration. The paper also discusses other potential sources of the temporal changes in the sensitivity of consumption to income.
Market Response, Competitive Behavior, and Time Series Analysis:

The author's principal objective is to present a framework for market analysis which specifically models primary demand, competitive reaction, and feedback effects of the market variables. The appr...
A Technique for Obtaining the Infrared Absorption Spectra of High Gel Rubbers

Abstract Several techniques have been previously described for obtaining the infrared absorption spectra of various types of rubbers. The most convenient method is to dissolve the substance under investigation in a suitable solvent and obtain the spectrum as a solution employing a sealed liquid cell. Another technique that is commonly employed is to evaporate a benzene solution of the polymer to dryness on a rock salt plate, thus obtaining a film. A more time consuming procedure consists of floating a polymer solution on a mercury pool which can subsequently be picked up by a steel frame and studied as a film. All the above procedures, although useful when investigating low gel rubbers, cannot be successfully employed with high gel rubbers. Modified polybutadiene crumb rubbers form extremely stable gels, and are almost completely insoluble in all common organic solvents. Because of this great insolubility, one is limited in infrared sample preparation. Attempts to employ the KBr pressed disc technique hav...
Estimating end-use emissions factors for policy analysis: the case of space cooling and heating.

This paper provides the first estimates of end-use specific emissions factors, which are estimates of the amount of a pollutant that is emitted when a unit of electricity is generated to meet demand from a specific end-use. In particular, this paper provides estimates of emissions factors for space cooling and heating, which are two of the most significant end-uses. The analysis is based on a novel two-stage regression framework that estimates emissions factors that are specific to cooling or heating by exploiting variation in cooling and heating demand induced by weather variation. Heating is associated with similar or greater CO2 emissions factor than cooling in all regions. The difference is greatest in the Midwest and Northeast, where the estimated CO2 emissions factor for heating is more than 20% larger than the emissions factor for cooling. The minor differences in emissions factors in other regions, combined with the substantial difference in the demand pattern for cooling and heating, suggests tha...
Satire and Efficacy in the Political Science Classroom

Political satire has become increasingly prominent in recent years, leading some political science instructors to use satire in their courses. Yet, recent work suggests that political satire may encourage cynicism and decrease political efficacy. In this article, the author develops and tests an approach to teaching effectively with satire. Frequent use, source diversity, and critical evaluation engage students while allaying satire’s potential detrimental effects. The author evaluates this pedagogical approach through a classroom experiment using both in-person and online classes (student N = 163). Qualitative and quantitative data offer suggestive evidence that refutes the warning that satire fundamentally depresses political efficacy and indicates that students enjoy satire and endorse its use. By deliberately using diverse satirical sources, instructors can maximize the benefits of satire while minimizing potential drawbacks. For interested instructors, the author’s website contains a searchable catalog of satirical articles, video clips, and cartoons that can be used to teach specific political science concepts.
Optical Interconnect Switch

A novel photonic interconnect architecture is proposed which can provide extremely high dimensionality. The proposed architecture, which resembles a collapsed network, avoids the difficulties associated with the use of optical crosspoints. This is accomplished by providing a dedicated path for all input- and output-port connections on a common transmission medium. This eliminates the restrictions imposed by 2×2 switching elements in classical space-division switching architectures.
Financial Opportunities by Implementing Renewable Sources and Storage Devices for Households Under ERCOT Demand Response Programs Design

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) launched a nodal market in December 2010, aiming at benefiting customers who are willing to curtail or shift their loads to help improve system reliability. Demand response (DR) programs may stimulate users to change their electricity consumption patterns based on electricity prices and incentives. Senate Bill 1125 allows residential and commercial class customers to participate in DR programs alongside industrial customers while reliability standards are maintained. By effectively utilizing renewable sources and energy storage devices, household electricity bills might be reduced since the purchase of electricity, particularly when the price is relatively high, can be replaced by either renewable resources or electricity from energy storage devices. This paper presents different scenarios of implementing photovoltaic systems and Li-based batteries under ERCOT's DR program design for a household in order to reap financial benefits. A typical Texas residential load profile and the locational marginal prices information of ERCOT's real-time market are applied to optimize battery capacity and total revenue. Finally, the calculation results illustrate that by participating in the DR programs, residential users are able to obtain financial benefits.
Decoding Alzheimer's in the Age of Genome-Wide Analyses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is strongly influenced by genetic factors as evidenced by numerous family and twin studies. Over the past two decades, others and we have co-discovered three early-onset familial AD genes, APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which can carry any of >200 fully penetrant mutations characterized by mendelian inheritance. For late-onset AD, the most prevalent and highest impact risk factor is the epsilon 4 variant of APOE, which increases risk by 3.7-fold in the heterozygous state and >10-fold when two copies are inherited. As part of our Alzheimer’s Genome Project funded by the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and the NIMH, we have been identifying novel AD candidate genes. In Bertram et al. (2008), we reported genome-wide association of AD with several loci including the spinocerebellar ataxia 1 gene, ATXN1, and the SIGLEC3 gene, CD33. Functional studies of the ATXN1 gene carried out both in vitro and in vivo in ATXN1 knockout mice show that ATXN1 can regulate Aβ levels via modulation of β-secretase. CD33 is just one of several genes (TREM2, CR1, etc) involved in the innate immune system of the brain that have been associated with AD risk. In addition, we discovered association of AD with ADAM10, which encodes the major α-secretase in the brain. Re-sequencing of this gene in the best associated AD families led to two rare mutations that tightly co-segregated with AD in seven (of 1000) AD families screened, all with average age of onset ~70 years. We have shown both mutations to impair ADAM10 non-amyloidogenic cleavage of APP in vitro and in transgenic mice, including double trangenics with AD (tg2576) mice. Thus, these are the first rare, highly penetrant mutations reported for late-onset AD. We have also carried out genome-wide association studies on >800 well-characterized late-onset AD families (NIMH and NIA-LOAD samples) using Affymetrix genotyping arrays containing either one million (6.0) or 20,000 coding SNPs. More recently, we have performed whole genome sequencing (Illumina, Hiseq) on over 1500 samples from AD families/sibships. The elucidation of the genes and functional variants influencing risk for AD should continue to enhance our understanding of AD etiology and pathogenesis. Ultimately, these genes will be used to predict risk for AD and guide novel the development of therapies for the effective treatment and prevention of this terrible disease.
AP INSTABILITY: A CAUSE OF ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN

Anterior knee pain is a frequent complaint of dissatisfied total knee arthroplasty patients. We hypothesize that the need to use the extensor mechanism to stabilise the knee during activity is a cause of anterior knee pain. Studies have shown that TKA patients often walk with a “quadriceps avoidance” gait, which may explain the phenomenon of anterior knee pain. Most TKA prostheses are designed to allow AP motion. This feature in knee implant design is to prevent the “kinematic conflict” that was predicted with the crossed four-bar-link model of knee motion, which holds that progressive posterior contact of the femur on the tibia (rollback) with flexion was obligatory for knee range of motion. It has been stated that preventing this motion overly “constrained” the knee and could lead to loosening and wear. Paradoxical motion has been seen with video fluoroscopy in knees after TKA. This motion is an anterior translation of the femur on the tibia early in knee flexion and is called paradoxical because it occurs opposite to the expected rollback. In fact, paradoxical motion is a consequence of the “unconstrained” articulation of the femoral component on the tibial component. During gait, just after heel strike as the foot is assuming a flat position on the floor, there is a significant vector of force from posterior to anterior. This vector has been calculated as 33% of body weight for walking at normal speed and could lead to a significant displacement of the femur forward on the tibia. It is countered by 1) the slope of the proximal tibia; 2) the articulation of the femur in the concavity of the tibial (with the firmly attached meniscus that deepens the concavity) on the medial side; and 3) the body mass vector combined with that of the contracting quadriceps. If a total knee prosthesis allows the femur to move forward, the posterior-to-anterior force just after heel strike acts to move the femur forward on the tibia (paradoxical motion). The patient, in an attempt to stabilise the knee, uses increased quadriceps contraction to prevent the forward motion of the femur. The forces required are significant and are not only found in the patella-femoral articulation but all through the retinaculum that covers the anterior part of the femur. As the extensor mechanism tires, patients begin using a quadriceps avoidance gait to adapt to the weakening extensor, and after a period of activity, the stress on the retinaculum leads to pain. AP stability can be improved through implant design by preventing AP motion through conformity of the femoral and tibial components. We have used a medially conforming ball-in-socket prosthesis as a revision component for patients with anterior knee pain, and have achieved resolution of the pain. Patients demonstrate a “posterior sag” at approximately 20 degrees of flexion (the degree of flexion that has the maximum posterior-to-anterior force during gait). When treated with a brace appropriate for stabilisation of the knee after PCL reconstruction, patients experienced a marked decrease in symptoms and this predicts a good result from revision surgery.
The Value of Third-Party Certification of Preconditioning Claims at Iowa Feeder Cattle Auctions

After controlling a variety of feeder cattle characteristics and market and sale conditions in Iowa feeder auctions, the price premiums for preconditioning claims (vaccinations and minimum 30 days of weaning) with and without third-party certification (TPC) are estimated as $l/cwt). This indicates that TPC is valued in the market to credibly signal preconditioning investment under asymmetric information.
A Survey of Motion Planning and Control Techniques for Self-Driving Urban Vehicles

Self-driving vehicles are a maturing technology with the potential to reshape mobility by enhancing the safety, accessibility, efficiency, and convenience of automotive transportation. Safety-critical tasks that must be executed by a self-driving vehicle include planning of motions through a dynamic environment shared with other vehicles and pedestrians, and their robust executions via feedback control. The objective of this paper is to survey the current state of the art on planning and control algorithms with particular regard to the urban setting. A selection of proposed techniques is reviewed along with a discussion of their effectiveness. The surveyed approaches differ in the vehicle mobility model used, in assumptions on the structure of the environment, and in computational requirements. The side by side comparison presented in this survey helps to gain insight into the strengths and limitations of the reviewed approaches and assists with system level design choices.
Sliding mode extremum seeking control for maximum power point tracking in wind system

This paper proposes a sliding mode extremum seeking control (SM-ESC) for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in variable speed wind energy conversion system, which includes the permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), the uncontrolled rectifier, boost converter, battery and the DC constant power load (CPL). The presented MPPT control method integrates the theory of sliding mode control and the extremum seeking control. It refrains from some disadvantages in traditional wind MPPT methods, such as detecting the gradient of output power vs. rotor speed, longer transient response, high frequency noise and larger oscillations of output power. The specific working principle and adaptive step size setting of the MPPT controller are also analyzed based on the SM-ESC algorithm. Numerical simulation results demonstrate accurate operation and robustness of the MPPT algorithm in each operating condition.
Magnetically Responsive Nanostructures with Tunable Optical Properties

Stimuli-responsive materials can sense specific environmental changes and adjust their physical properties in a predictable manner, making them highly desired components for designing novel sensors, intelligent systems, and adaptive structures. Magnetically responsive structures have unique advantages in applications, as external magnetic stimuli can be applied in a contactless manner and cause rapid and reversible responses. In this Perspective, we discuss our recent progress in the design and fabrication of nanostructured materials with various optical responses to externally applied magnetic fields. We demonstrate tuning of the optical properties by taking advantage of the magnetic fields’ abilities to induce magnetic dipole–dipole interactions or control the orientation of the colloidal magnetic nanostructures. The design strategies are expected to be extendable to the fabrication of novel responsive materials with new optical effects and many other physical properties.
Law and Ownership Reexamined

Sixteen measures of legal protections for public market investors, including the Anti-Director Rights Index, the Anti-Self- Dealing Index, and legal origins, are all unrelated to ownership concentration in a large and representative sample of firms from 32 countries. Furthermore, when laws were strengthened in a variety of countries, ownership either stayed the same or became more concentrated. The two theories behind the proposed negative relation of law and ownership concentration are inconsistent with each other and inconsistent with established empirical regularities. In sum, both the evidence and the theory are at odds with the influential proposition that large shareholdings are a response to weak legal protections for public market investors.
The Uses of Male Hysteria: Medical and Literary Discourse in Nineteenth-Century France

Flaubert's references to himself as hysterical, of which several more instances could be cited, raise the issue of the gender of hysteria in the nineteenth century. Clearly these references depend for their arresting force upon the audience's automatic association of hysteria with women, an association indelibly imprinted on the term by its ancient Greek etymology ("uterus") and its long, subsequent social development. But at the same time Flaubert's self-depictions violate and sever the association they assume. They suggest that if nineteenth-century hysteria was a conceptual space for the conventional, stereotypical definition of femininity, it was also, by that same token, potentially a conceptual space for the subversion of gender stereotypes. Through partaking of the pathological condition "hysteria," the man Flaubert might also lay claim to the attributes of femininity it had come to epitomize-here, nervous hypersensitivity, vulnerability,
Leveraging P2P interactions for efficient location privacy in database-driven dynamic spectrum access

In the database-driven DSA model, clients learn their geographic location through a GPS device and use this location to retrieve a list of available channels from a centralized white-space database. To mitigate the potential privacy threats associated with location-based queries, existing work has proposed the use of private information retrieval (PIR) protocols when querying the database. Nevertheless, PIR protocols are very expensive and may lead to significant costs for highly mobile clients. In this paper, we propose a novel method that allows wireless users to collaborate in a peer-to-peer (P2P) manner, in order to share their cached channel availability information that is obtained from previous queries. Our experimental results with a real-life dataset show that our methods reduce the number of PIR queries by 50% to 60%, while incurring low computational and communication costs.
Miniaturized Antenna Array with Low Correlation for Telemedicine and Body Area Networks Applications

The gain from Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) techniques in wireless sensor networks equipped with miniaturized sensor nodes cannot be fully exploited due to the difficulty encountered when placing traditional multiple antennas with sub-wavelength physical separation. This paper presents a novel antenna array design using µ-negative metamaterial (MNG) structures that lead to low correlation between antennas when placed closely on a userâs body utilizing a telemedicine or a Body Area Network based system. The obtained correlation coefficient of 0.04 is low enough for realizing full diversity gain from using such antenna array on sensor nodes in a telemedicine WLAN environment. Furthermore, Bit Error Rate (BER) simulation result for a 2×2 Alamouti diversity scheme in an IEEE 802.11a system is also presented. Design and simulations are conducted using CST Microwave Studio which is based on the Finite Integration Technique. Results suggest that the proposed design would be a suitable candidate for telemedicine and BAN applications that are constrained by limited space.
The importance of hypoxia and extra physiologic oxygen shock/stress for collection and processing of stem and progenitor cells to understand true physiology/pathology of these cells ex vivo.

Purpose of Review Hematopoietic stem (HSCs), and progenitor (HPCs) cells reside in a hypoxic (lowered oxygen (O2) tension) environment, in vivo. We review literature on growth of HSCs and HPCs under hypoxic and normoxic (ambient air) conditions with a focus on our recent work demonstrating the detrimental effects of collecting and processing cells in ambient air through a phenomenon termed Extra Physiologic Oxygen Shock/Stress (EPHOSS), and we describe means to counteract EPHOSS for enhanced collection of HSCs.
P-MOSFET gate current and device degradation

Hot-carrier-limited device lifetime of surface-channel p-MOSFETs (p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors) is found to correlate well with gate current over a wide range of bias. The same result is not observed for buried-channel p-MOSFETs. A gate current model for surface-channel p-MOSFETs is presented. Using this gate current model, reasonable estimates of AC (pulse) stress lifetime can be made based on DC stress data. >