cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Latent topic ensemble learning for hospital readmission cost reduction

Unplanned hospital readmission is a costly problem in the United States. Patients treated and readmitted within 30 days cost tax payers up to $26 billion annually. In 2013 the U.S. federal government began to reduce payments to hospitals with excessive patient readmissions. Predictive modeling using machine learning can be a useful tool to help identify patients most likely to need readmission. However, current systems have several shortcomings. When creating predictive models for hospital readmission, existing methods either build models using data from a single hospital or naively combining data from multiple hospitals. Because hospitals often have different data distributions, models created from a single hospital's data are often biased. Additionally, models created from combined data overlook local data distributions. In this paper, we propose, LTEL, which uses an ensemble of topic specific models to leverage data from multiple hospitals. LTEL creates models based on latent topics derived from different hospitals. Models are built and evaluated incorporating federal financial penalties. The dataset contains data collected from 16 regional hospitals. Compared to baseline methods, LTEL significantly outperforms the best performing baseline method for cost reduction.
Open or Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery

Minimally invasive pancreatic surgery has yet to gain wide acceptance, in part, due to its inherent technical challenges. Since its emergence in the 1990s, there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that laparoscopic pancreatic surgery can be performed safely, with less blood loss and shorter hospital length of stay when compared to open pancreatic surgery. Importantly, recent research has demonstrated that laparoscopic pancreatic surgery is oncologically equivalent to an open approach in the appropriate patient population may offer the benefits of reducing transfusion requirements and increasing successful delivery of adjuvant therapy.
Circadian dysfunction and fluctuations in gait initiation impairment in Parkinson’s disease

In people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), anticipatory postural adjustments may be prolonged, reduced in amplitude, or absent, contributing to impaired gait initiation. In addition to motor symptoms, disturbance of the circadian rhythm (CR) is one of the common non-motor symptoms of PD. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether time of day modulates the magnitude of gait initiation impairment, and furthermore, if there is any relationship between CR dysfunction and impaired postural control in PD. Seven consecutive 24-h periods of wrist actigraphy (as a measure of CR), and then gait initiation studies (at two different times, 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., of the same day) were conducted in two cohorts of ten subjects each: people with PD, and age-matched control subjects. We found that in the PD group, the amplitude of medial/lateral center of pressure (CoP) excursions were significantly reduced in the afternoon as compared with the morning session across all trials (p < 0.05). Actigraphy results showed that CR amplitude was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the PD group, which suggests that the PD group suffered from CR disruption. More importantly, changes in medial/lateral CoP displacement were correlated with abnormal CR amplitude in the PD group. These findings provide novel evidence that diurnal fluctuations in treatment-resistant motor symptoms of PD, such as postural and gait initiation deficits, are associated with CR dysfunction. This study supports the idea that therapeutic correction of circadian misalignment should be considered in combination with pharmaceutical and rehabilitation treatments of motor symptoms in PD.
Market and behavior driven predictive energy management for residential buildings

Abstract With the advancement of smart home and grid, a more connected and efficient operation of the grid is achievable. Involving buildings as the largest consumer of electricity in such a smart operation is a critical step in achieving an interactive grid system. In this paper, a building energy management system is introduced considering electricity price and people behavior, controlling major consumers of electricity in a single family residential building. An air conditioner, water heater, electric vehicle, and battery storages are controlled in a photovoltaic (PV) equipped building. A model predictive control is designed to minimize the operation cost considering system model, electricity price and people behavior patterns in each device control. Centralized and stand-alone configuration of MPC for building energy management is formulated and were put in contrast for time of use pricing (TOU), hourly pricing and five minutes pricing. Simulation results show that in real time five minutes pricing these methods can achieve 20%–30% cost savings in different appliances, and 42% savings in overall electricity cost adding battery optimal control compared to traditional rule based control. Cost savings and peak shaving results demonstrate the capabilities of introduced price and behavior based control.
Evaluation of the effect scan pattern has on the trueness and precision of six intraoral digital impression systems.

Objective Clinicians have been slow to adopt digital impression technologies due possibly to perceived technique sensitivities involved in data acquisition. This research has two aims: determine whether scan pattern and sequence affects the accuracy of the three-dimensional (3D) model created from this digital impression and to compare the 5 imaging systems with regards to their scanning accuracy for sextant impressions. Materials and methods Six digital intraoral impression systems were used to scan a typodont sextant with optical properties similar to natural teeth. The impressions were taken using five different scan patterns and the resulting digital models were overlayed on a master digital model to determine the accuracy of each scanner performing each scan pattern. Furthermore, regardless of scan pattern, each digital impression system was evaluated for accuracy to the other systems in this same manner. Results No differences of significance were noted in the accuracy of 3D models created using six distinct scan patterns with one exception involving the CEREC Omnicam. Planmeca Planscan was determined to be the truest scanner while 3Shape Trios was determined to be the most precise for sextant impression making. Conclusions Scan pattern does not significantly affect the accuracy of the resulting digital model for sextant scanning. Clinical significance Companies who make digital impression systems often recommend a scan pattern specific for their system. However, every clinical scanning scenario is different and may require a different approach. Knowing how important scan pattern is with regards to accuracy would be helpful for guiding a growing number of practitioners who are utilizing this technology.
A counterexample on domains of partial attraction in banach spaces

It is shown that, contrary to the finite dimensional situation, for every infinite dimensional Banach space B there exists a B-valued r.v. X in the domain of partial attraction of only one type of (non-degenerate, stable) laws, but not in its domain of attraction.
Soil Erosion and Food Security

Soil is the basis for crop production because about 99% of food is produced from the soil (Pimentel, 2000). Thus, food security depends directly on soil productivity. Accelerated soil erosion is among principal causes of the decrease in soil productivity and increase in risks of global food insecurity (Fig. 19.1). The magnitude of erosional impacts on ecosystem productivity and food security is, however, complex, variable, and soil specific. Crop production in regions with highly mechanized agriculture and large-scale farms coupled with the use of improved crop varieties, fertilizers, irrigation practices, and other advanced technological inputs has progressively increased since the 1960’s, thereby masking the potential threat of erosion on food security. The increase in food production under intensive farming practices, however, must not be generalized across all ecoregions because it has not occurred in all regions, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (FAO, 2006).
Endoscopic anatomy of the nose and sinuses

It is required that all paranasal sinus surgeons have a clear understanding of the anatomy of the region that they are going to operate on. An endoscopic, endonasal visualization first sees the inferior, middle and superior turbinate, all of which insert into the lateral nasal wall. Occasionally the supreme turbinate may be seen. Below and laterally to each of these is their corresponding meatus. The inferior nasal meatus runs practically in an anteroposterior trajectory above the nasal floor, and below the inferior turbinate until it reaches the choanae (Fig. 1).
Recentering the rural: Lidar and articulated landscapes among the Maya

Abstract The concept of the “rural” may, for the ancient Maya, need “recentering,” an acknowledgement that “rurality” as a lifeway insufficiently describes the integrated landscapes with high pedestrian “vagility” that were dominated by dynastic centers. Large-scale lidar captures reveal special-purpose facilities for defense, surveillance, possible chocolate plantations under close supervision, orderly if defensible landscapes, agricultural works of landesque scope, and overall regional articulations with variable intensity of settlement. If there were “rural” zones, they existed in coordination with centers. There was no exclusive dichotomy between inner and outer zones nor were there distinct populations, one acutely centered, the other dispersed. A conurban pattern applies to the evidence, with multiple, overlapping foci, gradients of drop-off, complex interactions over time, and a continuous use-surface.
Origin of the Preferential Formation of Helicenes in Mallory Photocyclizations. Temperature as a Tool to Influence Reaction Regiochemistry.

The regiochemistry of four bis-Mallory photocyclization substrates has been examined from experimental and computational perspectives. Formation of all three possible regioisomers was only observed in the reaction of one of the substrates. In the other three substrates, only the two C2-symmetric products, but not the C1 product, were formed. In the three reactions that only formed two products, the photocyclization temperature could be used to select for exclusive formation of one or the other regioisomer. The use of temperature to select between two regioisomers also worked in the photocyclization of the substrate that formed three products. However, no temperature was located for exclusive formation of the third component, one of the C2-symmetric products, which always formed alongside either one or both of its regioisomers. B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) calculations were used to determine the energies of all of the dihydrophenanthrene (DHP), tetrahydrophenanthrene (THP), and mono-Mallory photocyclization interme...
Hacking the Yak: The Chinese Effort to Improve a Tibetan Animal in the Early Twentieth Century

This article considers the roles of yak bodies in relations between Han Chinese and Khampa Tibetan communities during the early twentieth century. It argues that bovine bodies were sites of Han-Tibetan interaction wherein culture, biology, and locality were intertwined. I chronicle the earliest large-scale engagement of the Chinese state with yak pastoralism in the context of its efforts to consolidate control over the eastern Tibetan region of Kham. Yak husbandry is traditionally an enterprise of Tibetans and other Himalayan ethnic groups, but the yak was targeted for ‘improvement’ by Han Chinese modernizers beginning in the 1930s. An effort to decouple the yak from its Tibetan cultural context at the Taining Experimental Zone saw mixed results. Livestock scientists there made modest gains in productivity, yet they did so by approximating to a high degree the nomadic mode of production from which they were attempting to extract the yak.
Physician Aid-in-Dying for Individuals With Serious Mental Illness: Clarifying Decision-Making Capacity and Psychiatric Futility

Kious and Battin (2019) describe a pressing and profound ethical dilemma in psychiatry. This dilemma is rooted in conceptual parity—the view that psychiatric illness and somatic illnesses exist wit...
Reintroduced Beavers Rapidly Influence the Storage and Biogeochemistry of Sediments in Headwater Streams (Methow River, Washington)

North American beavers (Castor canadensis) were targeted within North American headwater landscapes by European loggers and fur traders in the 19th century, reducing beaver populations to near extinction by 1900. The extirpation of beavers from river networks has had profound effects on riparian zones, including channel geomorphology, temperature regimes, sediment storage, channel-floodplain connectivity, carbon storage and nutrient dynamics. Consequently, reintroducing beavers has been provisionally implemented as a restoration approach within some watersheds. We characterized how reintroduced beavers influence the short-term dynamics of organic material accumulation within the sediments of 1st and 2nd order streams within the Methow River watershed of Washington State. In collaboration with the Methow Beaver Project, we identified four creeks where they had reintroduced beavers within the past five years, as well as a control non-beaver pond. At each site, we collected shallow sediment cores from upstream, downstream, and within beaver ponds, and then measured organic material via elemental analyses of sediment carbon (%C) and nitrogen (%N) content. We compared those samples to sediments accumulated in local pond areas not created by beaver activity. Our results show greater organic C and N content of sediments in beaver ponds than non-beaver ponds. C/N ratios indicate elevated accumulation of allochthonous organic material in beaver impoundment sediments that would otherwise not be integrated into headwater streams from the terrestrial landscape. These findings suggest that the reintroduction of beavers could be an effective means to promote restoration of whole ecosystem function.
Carnitine in the Perinatal Metabolism of Lipids I. Relationship Between Maternal and Fetal Plasma Levels of Carnitine and Acylcarnitines

Since premature infants have a limited capacity for fatty acid oxidation, supplementation with carnitine may improve their utilization of fat. Documentation of the source and extent of fetal carnitine reserves should explain the possible need for exogenous carnitine in the neonate. Correlation between free carnitine concentration in maternal and umbilical arterial plasma at birth (r = .45, P less than .01) indicates that the initial concentration of free carnitine in the newborn depends on the maternal level. Thin-layer chromatography shows more gamma-butyrobetaine in maternal than umbilical arterial plasma indicating higher availability of the precursor of carnitine biosynthesis. Elevated fatty acid oxidation in maternal tissues seems to be reflected by larger amounts of long-chain acylcarnitines in maternal plasma. Short-chain acylcarnitines, mainly acetylcarnitine, are higher in the umbilical vein than in maternal plasma (P less than .01) indicating that the conceptus (the placenta or fetus) is either producing more or utilizing less acetylcarnitine. Plasma levels of carnitine rapidly decrease in premature newborns during the first three days after birth if no exogenous carnitine is given (P less than .001), while no significant changes of total carnitine were detected in adult patients on total parenteral alimentation for one week. This difference indicates lower carnitine depots or limited capacity for carnitine biosynthesis in neonates. The possibility still requires further investigation that the development of the optimal rate of fatty acid oxidation in human newborns, as well as in other newborn mammals, may depend on the supply of exogenous carnitine.
An Optically Strobed Sample and Hold Circuit

Radiation damaged photoconductors have been shown to be useful devices for sampling repetitve electrical signals with time resolution to less than a picosecond1,2. In previous work, the signal being sampled has generally had to repeat in order to be averaged by a lock-in amplifier for detection. In contrast, the circuit described in this paper is designed to make one sample on a non-repetitive signal with a 10 ps aperture and then hold this sample for a microsecond. The hold time only needs to be long enough for the signal to be A to D converted. This circuit was designed as a prototype with the intent of integrating a number of these circuits in the future for making multiple samples, offset in time, on a single electrical transient signal and thereby capture the transient. This paper will be concerned with the design, fabrication and testing of one of these optically strobed sample and hold circuits.
Endoscopic Radial Artery Harvesting During Anesthesia Line Placement Reduces the Time and Cost of Multivessel Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

ObjectiveEndoscopic radial artery (RA) harvesting performed concurrently with internal mammary artery (IMA) takedown and endoscopic saphenous vein (SV) harvesting creates a crowded and inefficient ...
Reduced Dimension Beamspace Design Incorporating Nested Array For Mmwave Channel Estimation

Millimeter wave systems often have very few number of RF chains as compared to the number of antenna elements in order to reduce power consumption and complexity. In this work, we study the design of the mapping function Q N×r from the antenna element space of size N to the reduced beamspace dimension r. In the first part of this paper, we restrict the mapping function to antenna selection matrix that chooses antenna elements in a large ULA to form a nested array. For $r \leq 2\sqrt N - 1$, we can identify such nested arrays using appropriate selection matrices. For $r > 2\sqrt N - 1$, we select elements associated with each additional RF chain to maximally improve CRLB for a limited scattering environment, modeled using a single angle of arrival. The above design of the mapping function lacks beamforming (BF) gain, which is crucial for the channel estimation (CE) phase in mmWave communications. In the second part of the paper, we design a mapping function Q N × r that provides BF gain while forming an approximate nested array, when focused in an appropriately narrow angular space.
Chapter 3 – Class Hierarchy

Comparing classes to conventional ways of categorization gives rise to the notion of class hierarchy. Subclasses are explained and illustrated as extensions and specializations of existing classes; it is natural that subclasses “inherit” features from their superclasses. Examples using class diagrams and C++ class descriptions show the benefits of inheriting structure and behavior from superclasses. The model of computation is extended to explain method lookup in the context of class hierarchies. Multiple inheritance is not treated as a special case or extension of inheritance; instead, single inheritance is treated as a limitation of the overall concept imposed by some programming languages.
Assistive System for Navigating Complex Realistic Simulated World Using Reinforcement Learning

Finding a free path without obstacles or situation that pose minimal risk is critical for safe navigation. People who are sighted and people who are blind or visually impaired require navigation safety while walking on a sidewalk. In this paper we develop assistive navigation on a sidewalk by integrating sensory inputs using reinforcement learning. We train the reinforcement model in a simulated robotic environment which is used to avoid sidewalk obstacles. A conversational agent is built by training with real conversation data. The reinforcement learning model along with a conversational agent improved the obstacle avoidance experience about 2.5% from the base case which is 78.75%.
Using player generated data to elucidate molecular docking

Molecular docking prediction, used to design new drugs and identify biological function, can be represented as a motion planning problem in high dimensional space. This complex task can benefit from human guidance, i.e., interactive simulations combining visual and haptic feedback from atomic forces [4]. Using human-generated data to find solutions to complex problems has been used in protein folding with FoldIt [3], showing that crowdsourced data collection is viable to help solve difficult problems in biology. However, existing interactive molecular docking systems that typically use haptic devices employ devices that are not widely available to the public, limiting the potential to crowdsource solutions [1]. This user study tested 4 input devices to find potentially bound ligand-receptor states and biologically feasible paths via motion planning. On a PC laptop, players used one of the following: a 6 degree-of-freedom (DOF) haptic feedback device, a 3 DOF haptic feedback device, a game controller with vibration feedback, and a mouse and keyboard, with our in-house interactive rigid body molecular docking program, DockAnywhere [1, 2]. Players tried to dock a known inhibitor of HIV Protease (PDB ID 1AJX). The goal is to move the ligand around the receptor to find the lowest potential energy state possible. Players get feedback as a positive integer score based on the potential energy and, for haptic devices, a force feedback calculated from atomic forces. During gameplay, ligand positions and orientations are recorded as it is moved through the environment. In total, 439,832 states were collected from 32 players (8 per device). These states were divided into 4 sets, one per device. and Motion planning queries found a feasible path to the goal state in all sets, with the mouse showing more pronounced energy barriers. We found that exploration varied among different devices, with players on haptic devices exploring the interaction energy landscape more uniformly. However, all 4 devices yielded low energy ligand states with comparable values and similar closest distance to the binding site. In summary, force feedback showed no clear improvement to finding low potential energy states or getting closer to the known binding state. However, haptic devices appear to enable a more thorough exploration of the state space, creating more samples and generating smoother paths. The nature of this guidance should be the subject of future investigation.
Cloud computing in construction industry: Use cases, benefits and challenges

Cloud computing technologies have revolutionised several industries (such as aerospace, manufacturing, automobile, retail, etc.) for several years. Although the construction industry is well placed to also leverage these technologies for competitive and operational advantage, the diffusion of the technologies in the industry follows a steep curve. This study therefore highlights the current contributions and use cases of cloud computing technologies in construction practices. As such, a systematic review was carried out using ninety-two (92) peer-reviewed publications, published within a ten-year period of 2009-2019. A key highlight of the research findings is that cloud computing is an innovation delivery enabler for other emerging technologies (building information modelling, internet of things, virtual reality, augmented reality, big data analytics, mobile computing) in the construction industry. As such, this paper brings to the fore, current and future application areas of cloud computing vis-a-vis other emerging technologies in the construction industry. The paper also identifies barriers to the broader adoption of cloud computing in the construction industry and discusses strategies for overcoming these barriers.
Fear of Being Fired for Malpractice and Failing Up.

Abstract Malpractice is one of the biggest fears that physicians have. Such an allegation has serious ramifications for radiologists. In this article, I discuss a rare but important example of how a lawsuit against a radiologist led to failing up and an unexpected outcome.
Family Planning and its Limits

A doctor botches a vasectomy. Or says it’d be dangerous to keep a healthy pregnancy. Or misses a risk of passing along disease. Our laws fail to deter such reproductive negligence or compensate its victims. Some are left without the baby they desperately want. Others end up with one they’d set out to avoid — or a child with different traits than what they were led to believe. I call these harms procreation deprived, procreation imposed, and procreation confounded. Thousands of fertility patients were deprived of biological parenthood after their embryos were destroyed in a freezer meltdown. Pregnancy was imposed on hundreds of women whose birth control pills were packaged upside-down. And scores of parents had procreation confounded when the donor a sperm bank claimed was a Ph.D. genius with a spotless record had actually spent years bouncing between prison and psychiatric hospitals related to struggles with mental illness. American courts have long denied remedies for reproductive misconduct under the laws of contract, property, or torts. My book, "Birth Rights and Wrong," maps out this terrain, clarifies why it matters, and sets forth principled ways to respond to those losses, while curbing collateral damage to innovation, access, or values. Robin West, Richard Epstein, David Wasserman, Reuven Brandt, and Peter Schuck engage searchingly with these ideas. West is wary of valorizing an intentional approach to reproductive life she says marginalizes people who don’t plan out their family lives, or can’t. Wasserman argues that entitling parents to select genetic traits would endanger key norms of social equality and inclusion. Brandt makes the case that my proposals don’t go far enough when it comes to anonymous donors and “lovers who lie.” Epstein contends that reproductive mishaps are a price worth paying for the extraordinary advances in medicine and technology. Schuck pulls these challenges together in his introduction to the volume. This essay replies to these concerns.
A “Moral Challenge”: Journalists, Joe McCarthy, and the Struggle for Truth, 1950–1955

News coverage of US Sen. Joseph McCarthy has long been studied, and consistent throughout this extensive research is the implication that he influenced journalism standards—specifically, objectivit...
Practical Applications of Buy-and-Hold and Constant-Mix May Be Better Allocation Strategies Than You Think

In Buy-and-Hold and Constant-Mix May Be Better Allocation Strategies Than You Think, in the June 2020 Multi-Asset Special Issue of The Journal of Portfolio Management, Thomas J. O’Brien of the University of Connecticut discusses the relative practicality and utility of various basic multiperiod allocation strategies. Applying a three-period binomial model, O’Brien calculates how much anticipated future wealth investors might forgo from following simpler portfolio-management strategies such as buy-and-hold or constant-mix, instead of a more complex optimal reallocation plan. He also determines which fixed-income vehicles would better suit which investors. By making assumptions about equities and interest rates in his analyses, O’Brien derives conclusions about the best allocation and fixed-income strategies for investors with differing risk thresholds. He finds that in an environment where equity mean-reversion and interest-rate uncertainty prevail, investors can pursue either buy-and-hold or constant-mix portfolio strategies without incurring much economic cost. Investors’ preferred allocation strategies and fixed-income approaches should be guided by their risk tolerance. The more risk averse would opt for a constant-mix allocation strategy paired with horizon-maturity fixed-income instruments. More-risk-accepting investors would apply a buy-and-hold allocation strategy coupled with a sequenced series of shorter-term bills. TOPICS:Portfolio management/multi-asset allocation, portfolio theory, portfolio construction
The development and examination of a new walking executive function test for people over 50 years of age

A reduction in executive function (EF) performance is a major factor associated with the loss of functional independence among older adults. Computer-based tests are commonly used to evaluate EF; however, these mouse or keyboard tests are upper limb dominant while most activities of daily living (ADL, e.g. crossing a street) are lower limb dominant. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of a newly developed walking EF test called the Walking Response and Inhibition Test (WRIT). The WRIT was validated by comparing its results a number of established computer-based tests and to an ADL-related test known to require EF, the Timed "Up & Go" Test (TUG). Fifty healthy adults, ranging in age from 50 to 86years (mean±SD, 65.5±9.6y) were evaluated using the WRIT, three computer-based EF tests, the TUG, a verbal memory test and an agility test. All computer-based EF tests were positively correlated to the WRIT (p<0.05); however, regression analyses revealed that the WRIT explained 37.5% of the variance in the TUG, while a composite of traditional computer-based tests explained 10.5%. As indicated by Lin's Concordance reliability (pc=0.82) between testing days was high and was supported by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.90. Bland-Altman analyses also demonstrated good agreement between the testing days with a small mean difference 3.48 (-3.71, 10.67). These results support the validity and reliability of the WRIT, and indicate that when assessing EF as it relates to functionality, the WRIT test may be a more appropriate measure than existing computer-based mouse and keyboard tests.
A THEOLOGY OF ENHANCEMENT: MULTICULTURALITY IN SELF AND COMMUNITY

Introduction The United States is a multicultural, multiethnic, and multiracial society, consisting of peoples from all over the world. In spite of considerable efforts to live harmoniously, we have experienced great racial and ethnic tensions. The Los Angeles eruptions in 1992 showed a crisis in our ethnic and racial relations. In such a society of racial tensions, what does it mean to pursue multiculturality ? To have appropriate interracial relations, sociologists have thus far provided several major sociological theories: assimilation, amalgamation, and cultural pluralism. The assimilation model underscores the unilateral integration of all diverse ethnic groups into Anglo-American culture. This system allows acculturation, but not structural assimilation that would involve sharing of socio-political and economic power. It is clearly a hierarchical view, driving our society toward uniformity. The melting pot (amalgamation) theory has stressed the oneness of American society by obtaining a new identity through intermixing, while we lose our old ethnic identities in this new world. At the turn of the century, the idea of the melting pot theory was discussed, since most immigrants came from Europe. Presently, the idea of cultural pluralism prevails in society along with the view of assimilation. In theory, it espouses a society of diversity in unity and unity in diversity. In actuality, this model, however, has fostered the separation and isolation of ethnic groups without unity. In addition, this model suggests that we accept all ethnic cultures as they are in the name of diversity. In Beyond the Melting Pot (1963), Nathan Glazer and Daniel Patrick Moynihan attempted to complement the theory of cultural pluralism with the idea of the assimilation model. Their new ethnicity theory holds that an Irish person becomes an Irish-American and an Italian becomes an Italian-American in this country. They conclude that each ethnic, racial, and religious group blends into American society at different speeds, forming their new identities, while keeping their own ethnic distinctiveness in spite of their assimilation into the society. Their theory, however, expects a diminishing role for ethnic differences.
Divvy: An ATP Meta-system Based on Axiom Relevance Ordering

This paper describes two syntactic relevance orderings on the axioms available for proving a given conjecture, and an ATP meta-system that uses the orderings to select axioms to use in proof attempts. The system has been evaluated, and the results show that it is effective.
Pleiadene systems—IV : Pleiadene; the stereochemistry of the dimers and diels-alder adducts of pleiadene, acepleiadene, and acepleiadylene

Abstract Pleiadene, the parent hydrocarbon of the pleiadene series, has been generated both thermally and photolytically from 7,12-dihydropleiadene-7,12-sulphone, as well as by the copper or zinc debromination of 7,12-dibromo-7,12-dihydropleiadene. LIke acepleiadene, pleiadene behaves as a very unstable transient intermediate under all conditions of generation investigated. Convenient syntheses of dihydropleiadene and some of its derivatives are described. The stereochemistry of the dimers and N-phenylmaleimide adducts of pleiadene, acepleiadene and acepleiadylene have been determined by a detailed NMR study; all of the dimers have the anti configuration, while the adducts all have the exo configuration.
A Century of Oil, a Future of Options

Energy at the Crossroads Global Perspectives and Uncertainties. By Vaclav Smil. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2003. 443 pp. $34.95, £22.95. ISBN 0-262-19492-9. Considering what is possible and what is desirable in our energy future, Smil argues that human dependence on fossil fuels must be reduced not because of impending resource shortages but because of the environmental, economic, and political problems caused by our current consumption.
Hospitality finance research during recent two decades: Subjects, methodologies, and citations

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to understand hospitality finance research through content analysis by examining articles published during the past two decades (1990 to 2009). Design/methodology/approach – This study identified subject areas, methodologies, and citations from hospitality finance papers published in four major hospitality journals (Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, and Cornell Hospitality Quarterly). Findings – A perusal of 113 hospitality finance articles suggested that researchers have focused on several subjects, such as risk management, financing, bankruptcy, and capital structure. Even though qualitative analysis was the most common method in the 1990s, the use of quantitative analyses dramatically increased during the recent decade. Research limitations/implications – The data were collected from four hospitality journals. If data were collected from more hos...
Thermal performance of the MFTF magnets

A yin-yang pair of liquid-helium (LHe) cooled, superconducting magnets were tested last year at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as part of a series of tests with the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF). These tests were performed to determine the success of engineering design used in major systems of the MFTF and to provide a technical base for rescoping from a single mirror facility to the large tandem mirror configuration (MFTF-B) now under construction. The magnets were cooled, operated at their design current and magnetic field, and warmed to atmospheric temperature. In this report, we describe their thermal behavior during these tests.
Databases and Higher Types

Generalized databases will be examined, in which attributes can be sets of attributes, or sets of sets of attributes, and other higher type constructs. A precise semantics will be developed for such databases, based on a higher type modal/intensional logic.
Young's modulus of porous materials

A relationship between porosity and Young's modulus is obtained theoretically for porous materials made by powder metallurgy. The relationship is applicable to the entire range of porosity and is capable of treating the transition of pore structure from interconnected to isolated. The exact solution is presented graphically. An approximate solution with a wide applicable porosity range is given.
Thymineless Death in Escherichia coli: Inactivation and Recovery

The effects of chloramphenicol (CAP) on the progress of thymineless death (TLD), nalidixic acid (NA) inactivation, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, and mitomycin C (MC) inactivation were studied in Escherichia coli B, Bs−1, Bs−3, Bs−12, and B/r. This was done before, during, and after inactivation. During the progress of inactivation, it was found that at 10 to 20 μg of CAP per ml, up to 50% of the UV-sensitive bacteria survived TLD and about 10% survived NA. In E. coli B/r, at these concentrations of CAP, about 10 to 15% of the cells survived TLD and about 20 to 25% survived NA. Concentrations of CAP greater than 25 μg/ml actually increased the sensitivity of E. coli B, Bs−1, Bs−3, and Bs−12 to inactivation by either TLD or NA; at 150 μg of CAP per ml, the sensitivity of E. coli B/r to inactivation also increased. When E. coli B cells were incubated in CAP prior to inactivation, the longer the preincubation the longer onset of TLD was delayed; NA inactivation was also affected in that the rate of inactivation after CAP incubation was greatly decreased. Preincubation of E. coli B/r with CAP had much less effect on the progress of inactivation. After thymineless death, incubation in CAP plus thymine led to a rapid and almost complete recovery of E. coli B and Bs−12. Lesser recoveries were observed after inactivation due to UV, NA, or MC inactivation. E. coli Bs−1 and B/r did not recover viability after any mode of inactivation, and E. coli Bs−3 and Bs−12 recovered from UV to about 20% of the initial titer. It was suggested that protein synthesis, in particular proteins involved in deoxyribonucleic synthesis, was a determining factor in these inactivating and recovery events.
Approaching Negotiation as Art: Some Striking Results of Students Negotiating in the Real World

This paper reports the striking results of a class exercise that required students enrolled in two MBA Negotiation courses to negotiate something in the "real world". 35 students who negotiated something of value to themselves saved (or gained) a total of almost one million dollars. 10 students who negotiated something on behalf of their current employers saved (or gained) over $42 million. Most of these savings were attributed to what was learned in the class. The paper also reports the types of strategies students used most often in their negotiations, and the non-monetary benefits they reported having achieved as a result of the exercise. The results and implications of these finding are discussed from the perspective of "negotiation as art".
Prostaglandin F2α: Its effect on the corpus luteum of the menstrual cycle

Abstract Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) was infused into a peripheral vein of six female volunteers during the luteal phase of their cycle. At an infusion rate of 25 to 46 μg/min., no effect was observed on peripheral plasma progesterone levels and luteal phase length. Vaginal spotting was a common occurrence. It is concluded from this study that at the days and rates of infusion used, PGF2α is not luteolytic in the non-pregnant woman.
The testosterone metabolite and neurosteroid 3α-androstanediol may mediate the effects of testosterone on conditioned place preference.

Testosterone (T) and pregnane neurosteroids can enhance conditioned place preference (CPP). The present experiment examined CPP produced by T and its androgenic metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 3alpha-Androstanediol (3alpha-diol; an androstane neurosteroid). Administration of 3alpha-diol (>DHT>T) to intact male Long-Evans rats, 1.0 mg daily for six days, 30 min prior to exposure to the non-preferred side of the CPP chamber significantly increased preference for the non-preferred side of the chamber compared to that seen in home cage controls. Levels of circulating 3alpha-diol were increased significantly in 3alpha-diol>DHT>T-administered rats, compared to rats that had vehicle administered or androgen-administration discontinued. Androgen administration decreased seminal vesicle weight and intrahypothalamic androgen receptor (AR) binding compared to that seen in rats that had vehicle administered or androgen-administration discontinued. Testosterone, DHT, and 3alpha-diol decreased GABA-stimulated chloride influx in cortical synaptoneurosomes, and muscimol binding in the hippocampus compared to that seen in rats with vehicle administered or that had androgen-administration discontinued. These data indicate that administration of 3alpha-diol is more effective at enhancing CPP and increasing circulating 3alpha-diol levels than is DHT or T administration, and that all of the androgen regimens employed decreased peripheral and hypothalamic androgen receptor binding and cortical and hippocampal GABA(A) receptor function. Hence, whether the effects of 3 alpha-diol on CPP are mediated by differential actions at ARs or GABA(A) receptors in particular brain regions needs to be determined.
Dynamic Crack Curving - A Photoelastic Evaluation.

A dynamic-crack-curving criterion, which is valid under pure Mode I or combined Modes I and II loadings and which is based on either the maximum circumferential stress or minimum strain-energy-density factor at a reference distance ofr 0 from the crack tip, is verified with dynamic-photoelastic experiments. Directional stability of a Mode I crack propagation is attained when $$r_o= \frac{1}{{128\pi }}(\frac{{K_r }}{{\sigma _{ox} }})^2 V_o^2 (C,C_1 ,C_2 ) > r_c $$ wherer c =1.3 mm for Homalite-100 used in the dynamic-photoelastic experiments.
Biosecurity for gastrointestinal diseases of adult dairy cattle.

As biosecurity management strategies are developed and implemented to prevent introduction and spread of infectious diseases in cattle populations, it is informative to review principles of biosecurity from another livestock species in which these issues have been considered (e.g., swine) and compare these perspectives to the current situation for cattle. The authors follow a biosecurity risk-assessment model to identify important health hazards, evaluate risks, and present principles for implementing a cattle biosecurity program for important gastrointestinal health hazards of adult dairy cattle, after consideration of a swine biosecurity model.
Jurassic onset of foreland basin deposition in northwestern Montana, USA: Implications for along-strike synchroneity of Cordilleran orogenic activity

Stratigraphic, provenance, and subsidence analyses suggest that by the Middle to Late Jurassic a foreland basin system was active in northwestern Montana (United States). U-Pb ages of detrital zircons and detrital modes of sandstones indicate provenance from accreted terranes and deformed miogeoclinal rocks to the west. Subsidence commenced ca. 170 Ma and followed a sigmoidal pattern characteristic of foreland basin systems. Thin Jurassic deposits of the Ellis Group and Morrison Formation accumulated in a backbulge depozone. A regional unconformity and/or paleosol zone separates the Morrison from Early Cretaceous foredeep deposits of the Kootenai Formation. The model presented here is consistent with regional deformation events registered in hinterland regions, and challenges previous interpretations of a strongly diachronous onset of Cordilleran foreland basin deposition from northwestern Montana to southern Canada.
CHALLENGES AND PROGRESS IN III-V MOSFETs FOR CMOS CIRCUITS

An overview of III-V MOSFET technological challenges in comparison to well-established heterostructure-based FET technologies is presented with an emphasis on required properties and possible solutions. Possible approaches to achieve thermodynamically stable high-k gate stack with low interface trap density are reviewed, followed with our results on amorphous Si interface passivation layer (IPL) in-situ deposited on top of GaAs or strained InGaAs MOSFET channels grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Main issues of Si IPL, namely increased equivalent oxide thickness due to IPL oxidation and Si diffusion into the semiconductor channel, are addressed using an in-situ deposited HfO2 with ultrathin (down to 0.25 nm) Si IPL and controlling its bonding state at the interface. Enhancement mode inversion-type MOSFET with HfO2 high-k oxide is demonstrated. The device employs amorphous Si interface passivation layer, sputter-deposited high-k oxide and metal TaN gate and modulation p-doped GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure with inversion n-channel formed at the interface with the oxide. The MOSFET with equivalent oxide thickness of 3.7 nm and long 100 μm channel have maximum DC transonductance of 0.9 mS/mm, Ion/Ioff = 2×104 (at low Ioff of 30 nA) and effective channel mobility exceeding 1000 cm2/V-s at sheet electron density <2×1012 cm-2.
PPPS-2013: The role of shock waves in a Z-pinch

Summary form only given. A Z-pinch liner, imploding onto a plasma target, provides a step-wise, staged-energy transfer to the target.1 For high-gain fusion, simulations were performed using the 2-1/2 D MHD code MACH2. The requirements are for: an initial radius of a few mm, in order to achieve a stable implosion; a suitable thickness for the liner, to promote radial-current transport and current-amplification in the target plasma; and an appropriate initial distribution of the material-densities, to promote target pre-heating by shocks and adiabatic compression leading to a high-energy-density, magneto-inertial implosion. Simulations clarify the role of shock-heating and magnetic-field transport. Since the shock velocity is smaller in the liner than in a low-Z target, a shock front forms at the interface. This promotes target preheat and a more effective adiabatic compression at the final stage, vs. simulations performed for a high-Z target, where a shock front does not develop. Thus, the radial-compression ratio needed to achieve a high-energy density implosion, is greatly reduced compared to the case without shock pre-heat. The pinch parameters simulated were those for: a) ZEBRA, a TW pulser at the University of Nevada, Reno and b) the Z Facility, a 250 TW pulser at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM.
Numerical experiments in forced stably stratified turbulence

We present results of numerical simulations of stably stratified, randomly forced turbulence. The selection of forcing and damping are designed to give insight into the question of whether cascade of energy to large scales is possible for strongly stratified three-dimensional turbulence in a manner similar to two-dimensional turbulence. We consider narrow-band wavenumber forcing, whose angular distribution ranges from two-dimensional to three-dimensional isotropic. Our principal results are as follows; for two-dimensional forcing, and for sufficiently small Froude number, the statistically steady state is characterized by a weakly inverse-cascading horizontal-velocity variance field. The vertical variability of the horizontal-velocity field is pronounced, but seems to approach a limit independent of the Brunt–Vaisala frequency N, as N → ∞. If, on the other hand, the Froude number exceeds a critical value, the vertical variability is weak, and the statistics of the scales larger than the forcing scale is near that predicted by inviscid equipartitioning. For all forcing functions considered the vertical motion and temperature field (w, T), centred at smaller scales, are more three-dimensionally isotropic, with no large-scale organization. At large N, (small Froude number) the w-field scales as 1/N, with horizontal motion field nearly independent of N. Furthermore, at large N and for horizontal forcing, the horizontal motion field is consistent with the condition that a substantial fraction of the total dissipation is attributable to an effective drag acting upon all horizontal scales of motion, which in turn flattens the slope of the energy spectrum in the inverse-cascade range, and increases it in the enstrophy-cascade range.