cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New necessary conditions on (negative) Latin square type partial difference sets in abelian groups

Abstract Partial difference sets (for short, PDSs) with parameters ( n 2 , r ( n − ϵ ) , ϵ n + r 2 − 3 ϵ r , r 2 − ϵ r ) are called Latin square type (respectively negative Latin square type) PDSs if ϵ = 1 (respectively ϵ = − 1 ). In this paper, we will give restrictions on the parameter r of a (negative) Latin square type partial difference set in an abelian group of non-prime power order a 2 b 2 , where gcd ⁡ ( a , b ) = 1 , a > 1 , and b is an odd positive integer ≥3. Very few general restrictions on r were previously known. Our restrictions are particularly useful when a is much larger than b. As an application, we show that if there exists an abelian negative Latin square type PDS with parameter set ( 9 p 4 s , r ( 3 p 2 s + 1 ) , − 3 p 2 s + r 2 + 3 r , r 2 + r ) , 1 ≤ r ≤ 3 p 2 s − 1 2 , p ≡ 1 ( mod 4 ) a prime number and s is an odd positive integer, then there are at most three possible values for r. For two of these three r values, J. Polhill gave constructions in 2009 [10] .
Evidence that higher temperatures are associated with lower incidence of COVID-19 in pandemic state, cumulative cases reported up to March 27, 2020

Abstract Seasonal temperature variation may impact the trajectories of COVID-19 in different global regions. Cumulative data reported by the World Health Organization, for dates up to March 27, 20201, show association between COVID-19 incidence and regions at or above 30° latitude. Historic climate data also show significant reduction of case rates with mean maximum temperature above approximately 22.5 degrees Celsius. Variance at the local level, however, could not be well explained by geography and temperature. These preliminary findings support continued countermeasures and study of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 transmission rates by temperature and humidity.
A large-scale, agent-based simulation of metropolitan freight movements with passenger and freight market interactions

Abstract This study summarizes the first stage in the implementation of an agent-based freight modeling system that has a global representation of agents and detailed modeling of a large-scale transportation network. The model is used to evaluate the transportation and energy impacts of goods movement across urban and national scales. The framework is implemented within POLARIS, a C++-based Planning and Operations Language for Agent-based Regional Integrated Simulation, which consists of an activity-based modeling (ABM) and dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) system that has robust features for passenger travel. This platform provides a tool to model interactions among consumers, producers, and the transportation system. The main objective of this initial implementation is to implement a freight model within POLARIS following an agent-based paradigm with behavioral and simulation methods. This paper presents the initial framework and illustrates the application of the model. Building upon earlier works, a parcel location assignment algorithm for business establishments in the population is documented, along with a method for estimating establishment production and consumption volumes. In addition to population generation, other features of the model include push-pull supply chains, multimodal path choice, choice of transportation logistics node, and dynamic traffic assignment. A module with e-commerce supply and demand was also developed to analyze the effects of e-commerce delivery on last-mile energy use and congestion.
Unemployment Insurance and Means-Tested Program Interactions: Evidence from Administrative Data

We study the ways in which unemployment insurance (UI) benefits interact with other elements of the social safety net around job losses. We exploit a cutoff for UI eligibility, based on a workers' highest quarterly earnings in the past year, to generate quasi-experimental variation in UI receipt. We find that UI receipt cuts welfare (TANF) receipt by half among low-earning UI applicants but has no impact on SNAP or Medicaid usage. However, because welfare participation is low in this population, overall crowdout is small. In the quarter following layoff, UI increases total income by 55 percent (including labor earnings and transfers).
The impact of Lactobacillus on group B streptococcal interactions with cells of the extraplacental membranes.

Abstract Group B Streptococcus (GBS) causes adverse pregnancy outcomes and neonatal disease. The recommended preventative measure is intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, which can prevent early onset neonatal disease but not chorioamnionitis, preterm labor, stillbirth, or late-onset disease. Novel prevention methods are therefore needed. Use of probiotics including Lactobacillus spp., has been suggested given that they are dominant members of the lower reproductive tract microbiome. Although Lactobacillus was shown to reduce recto-vaginal colonization of GBS, no studies have examined how Lactobacillus impacts GBS in the extraplacental membranes. Since Lactobacillus has been detected in the placental membranes, we sought to characterize GBS-Lactobacillus interactions in vitro using a colonizing and invasive GBS strain. While live Lactobacillus did not affect growth or biofilms in GBS, co-culture with L. gasseri led to a 224-fold increase in GBS association with decidualized human endometrial stromal cells for both GBS strains (p 0.05) or host cell death, though some GBS and Lactobacillus combinations contributed to a significant reduction in host cell death (p
Do Republican and Democratic legislators have polarized views of their district’s demographics?1:

Do Republican and Democratic politicians hold the same perceptions about the demographic composition of their district? We test this question by asking state legislators about the size of five key ...
Named Entity Recognition and Named Entity on Esports Contents

We built a named entity recognition system on Esports News. We established an ontology for Esports-related entities, collected and annotated corpus from 80 articles on four different Esports titles. We also trained a CRF and a BERT-based entity recognizer, built a basic DOTA2 knowledge base, and an entity linker that links mentions of entities to articles in Liquipedia (the Esports Wikipedia), and a naive web app which serves as a demo of this entire proof-of-concept system. We achieved an over 61% overall entity-level F1-score on the test set for the NER task.
Correct Audit Logging in Concurrent Systems

Abstract Audit logging provides post-facto analysis of runtime behavior for different purposes, including error detection, amelioration of system operations, and the establishment of security in depth. This necessitates some level of assurance on the quality of the generated audit logs, i.e., how well the audit log represents the events transpired during the execution. Information-algebraic techniques have been proposed to formally specify this relation and provide a framework to study correct audit log generation in a provable fashion. However, previous work fall short on how to guarantee this property of audit logging in concurrent environments. In this paper, we study an implementation model in a concurrent environment. We propose an algorithm that instruments a concurrent system according to a formal specification of audit logging requirements, so that any instrumented concurrent system guarantees correct audit log generation. As an application, we consider systems with microservices architecture, where logging an event by a microservice is conditioned on the occurrence of a collection of events that take place in other microservices of the system.
Ultra-low Loss Single-mode Hollow-core Fiber Designs

A 5-tube nested hollow-core fiber has been proposed to simultaneously achieve ultra-low loss (<1dB/km), broader transmission window, and effectively single-mode operation at 1.55 μm. The number of tubes in the cladding is crucial for achieving ultra-low loss and effectively single-mode operation.
Tolerance Protocols in Large Animal VCA Models—Comprehensive Review

The clinical application of vascularized composite allografts (VCA) has continue to expand each year as new transplants are performed. However, chronic rejection and the many side effects from chronic immunosuppression continue to inhibit widespread application of VCA. Immune tolerance to VCA would address these two issues and shift the risk-benefit ratio to allow for the more widespread application of these transplants. Future development of clinical tolerance protocols will be generated from pre-clinical experiments performed in large animal models. This article reviews the current state of large animal tolerance protocols published for VCA. The most successful tolerance protocols thus far include the use of hematopoietic stem cell transplant with non-myeloablative preconditioning and establishment of donor cell chimerism. In addition to this strategy, several groups have examined the inclusion of mesenchymal and adipose-derived stem cells to address the complications related to the use of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (such as graft versus host disease). These large animal models are critical to development of a viable pre-clinical model for tolerance in vascularized composite allografts that can deliver a tolerant state with minimal harm to the recipient of these non-life-saving transplants.
The Fulbright International Education Administrators Seminars: Pathways to International Partnerships

While the benefits of studying abroad are well documented, honors administrators face significant challenges in internationalizing their honors programs and colleges. As one approach to address the challenges of internationalizing American higher education, the U.S. Fulbright Commission has partnered with commissions in Germany, France, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and Taiwan to host international education administrators from around the United States each year. The IEA seminar offers unique opportunities to build successful, sustained international collaborations that can enrich and internationalize honors programs and colleges. Just as each honors program is unique and individually suited to its institution and the needs of its students, IEA seminars enable participants to construct outcomes specific to the participants’ goals and institutional settings, whether those institutions are as diverse as four-year public universities, liberal arts colleges, or two-year community colleges. The seminar program also allows honors administrators to establish lasting, collaborative partnerships with international institutions that can be further tailored to the specific honors program or honors college. This chapter provides an overview of the German-American Fulbright Commission’s IEA seminar and outlines the benefits and opportunities that the experience offers honors program and college administrators to internationalize their programs by engaging with German institutions. The insights and professional connections discussed here are generally applicable to Fulbright IEA seminars in the other host countries where honors administrators can establish lasting partnerships and collaborative experiences for students, faculty, and staff.
Following the footsteps that inspire: Parental passion, family communication, and children’s entrepreneurial attitudes

Abstract Parent entrepreneurs are known to play a major role in shaping their children’s entrepreneurial characteristics, particularly in their role as entrepreneurial role models. This study highlights the importance of affective dimensions of entrepreneurial role models by examining the impact of a parent’s entrepreneurial passion on their children’s entrepreneurial attitudes. We argue that this relationship is dependent upon the nature of communications and interactions within the family. Using data from 164 children of entrepreneurs, the results suggest that children form a positive entrepreneurial attitude when they perceive their parents to be passionate, and the effect is strongest in consensual families who adopt high levels of both conversation and conformity communication patterns. The contributions of the findings to entrepreneurship and family business research together with future research directions are discussed.
A probabilistic multicommodity-flow solution to circuit clustering problems

Circuit clustering, which plays a fundamental role in hierarchical designs, is discussed. Identifying strongly connected components in the circuits can significantly reduce the complexity of the design and improve the performance of the design process. However, there has not been a clear objective function for circuit clustering. A clustering metric based on the random graph model and the ratio cust concept is presented. A probabilistic, multicommodity flow based algorithm is proposed and tested under the clustering metric. Experimental results show that this algorithm generates promising results with respect to the proposed metric. Extensions and directions for future work are also proposed. >
Harrod, Keynes and the Missing Equation (Liquidity Preference Equation) from the Neoclassical Theory of the Rate of Interest: '…Has to Be Determined by Some New Equation Not Provided for in the Classical System. Thus the Way is Clear for a Radical Reconstruction. Your New Equation is the Liquidity Preference Schedule…'. (Harrod, 1973, CWJMK, Vol. 13, p.556).

In the post script of his letter of August 30th,1935 to Keynes, contained on page 556, CWJMK, Volume 13, Harrod completely and totally capitulated to Keynes: “…has to be determined by some new equation not provided for in the classical system. Thus the way is clear for a radical reconstruction. Your new equation is the liquidity preference schedule…”. (Harrod, 1973, CWJMK, Vol. 13, p.556). Although Harrod capitulated to Keynes, he nevertheless attempted to defend a micro, partial equilibrium approach to theory at the macro level. Harrod’s constant error throughout this correspondence (CWJMK, Volume 13, pp.526-563) with Keynes was his attempt to maintain the applicability of a neoclassical, micro based, economic, Marshallian, partial equilibrium, ceteris paribus model, based on functions that had only one independent variable, at the macro level. Of course, Keynes rejected Harrod’s 1935 Marshallian, partial equilibrium macro approach, just as he had rejected Pigou’s 1933 Marshallian, partial equilibrium, macro approach in The Theory of Unemployment in the appendix to chapter 19 of the General Theory. Keynes presented, for the first time in history, a macro model based on a set of three simultaneous, mathematical equations that captured many of the feedback and interdependencies that would occur at the macro level. It is unfortunate that Harrod decided not to incorporate this admission in his 1951 biography of Keynes and his 1937 Econometrica paper in which he is basically restating Keynes’s 1936 IS-LP(LM) model presented on pages 298-299 of the General Theory. The fact that Harrod acknowledged that Keynes’s system of three simultaneous equations model was a ‘radical reconstruction’ of neoclassical theory, mentioned also in the body of Harrod’s letter, has two major results. First, Harrod’s admission completely destroys the Joan Robinson-Post Keynesian-Neo-Keynesian claim that there was no IS-LP(LM) model in the General Theory. Second, it completely destroys the claim that the IS-LM model was a neoclassical model invented by Hicks in 1937 in order to make sense of Keynes’s strictly, literary prose presentation in the General Theory. This was followed by Modigliani in 1944. He assumed that Hicks’s paper was the correct way in which to explain Keynes’s supposed ,literary prose only, exposition that was done without any mathematical analysis. This is obviously false if one has access to the August-September, 1935, Harrod-Keynes correspondence. What has not been explained is why Harrod’s August,1935 postscript to his letter of August 30th has not been analyzed by any economist, historian, or philosopher of social science since 1973, when this material became available in Volume 13 of the CWJMK.
Financial Reporting Quality and International Trade

This paper examines the effects of financial reporting quality on international trade. First, I conduct country-sector-level analyses and find that a one standard deviation increase in financial reporting quality in a country is associated with increases in manufacturing exports and imports of 4.2 and 3.5 percent, respectively. Second, I exploit a reporting regulation change in China and use administrative firm-level international trade data to conduct differences-in-differences analyses. The results show that treated firms export 15.1 percent more after the financial reporting reform. They also export to more countries and export more types of goods after the change. I provide evidence for two potential mechanisms for these effects: (i) that improved financial reporting decreases information asymmetry between trade partners and (ii) that it facilitates firms raising external capital. This paper extends understanding of the real economic effects of financial disclosure and provides a potential link between information transparency and global economic growth.
Areawide mating disruption for vine mealybug in California vineyards

Abstract The mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret), is one of the more damaging vineyard pests and an important vector of Grapevine leafroll-associated viruses. Pheromone-mediated mating disruption is a commercially available and environmentally sustainable control tool for P. ficus. Here we report on a three-year areawide study of P. ficus mating disruption in Napa County, California, where pheromone dispensers were deployed across large (53–66 ha) multi-owner sites that were paired with sites that did not receive pheromone. Male P. ficus captures in pheromone traps were correlated with mealybug numbers and crop damage, and were useful in identifying ‘hotspots’ to be targeted with insecticide applications for areawide control. Trap catches at mating disruption sites were far lower than untreated sites, although mealybugs were still present at mating disruption sites. Evidence indicated that mating disruption reduced P. ficus density and spread, particularly in areas with low initial mealybug densities. In the third year, areawide mating disruption was discontinued at the former mating disruption sites and, as evidence of its impact, P. ficus trap captures increased. These results suggest that mating disruption and well-timed, effective insecticide applications play complementary roles, and that monitoring the areawide distribution of pests is a critical component of programs for controlling P. ficus.
Saving Time on Renewals With Excel and Python

“Saving Time on Renewals with Excel and Python,” presented at the NC Serials Conference by Emily Graham, e-resources specialist at Brandeis University, discusses how to use Excel formulas and Pytho...
Gaseous Halos and Disks of Galaxies at Large Redshifts

QSO absorption systems selected for MgII and damped Lyα lines are likely to be associated with high redshift galaxies. CCD imaging of fields surrounding QSOs with MgII absorption reveal that a luminous galaxy at the MgII redshift is present, in almost every case. The impact parameter of the QSO further suggests that galaxies at z ~ 1 are surrounded by huge halos of gas. The damped Lyα systems are cold and quiescent disk-like configurations detected at z ~ 2.5. The mass per unit comoving volume is similar to that contributed by stellar disks of spiral galaxies. This suggests that the damped systems are the progenitors of galactic disks. The damped systems apparently contain μGauss magnetic fields, which is difficult to understand in the context of a galactic dynamo. There are recent hints that the metallicity of these initial disks may be ~ 10% solar.
Sulfide dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus: a new multifunctional enzyme involved in the reduction of elemental sulfur.

Abstract Pyrococcus furiosus is an anaerobic archaeon that grows optimally at 100 degrees C by the fermentation of carbohydrates yielding acetate, CO2, and H2 as the primary products. If elemental sulfur (S0) or polysulfide is added to the growth medium, H2S is also produced. The cytoplasmic hydrogenase of P. furiosus, which is responsible for H2 production with ferredoxin as the electron donor, has been shown to also catalyze the reduction of polysulfide to H2S (K. Ma, R. N. Schicho, R. M. Kelly, and M. W. W. Adams, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:5341-5344, 1993). From the cytoplasm of this organism, we have now purified an enzyme, sulfide dehydrogenase (SuDH), which catalyzes the reduction of polysulfide to H2S with NADPH as the electron donor. SuDH is a heterodimer with subunits of 52,000 and 29,000 Da. SuDH contains flavin and approximately 11 iron and 6 acid-labile sulfide atoms per mol, but no other metals were detected. Analysis of the enzyme by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy indicated the presence of four iron-sulfur centers, one of which was specifically reduced by NADPH. SuDH has a half-life at 95 degrees C of about 12 h and shows a 50% increase in activity after 12 h at 82 degrees C. The pure enzyme has a specific activity of 7 mumol of H2S produced.min-1.mg of protein-1 at 80 degrees C with polysulfide (1.2 mM) and NADPH (0.4 mM) as substrates. The apparent Km values were 1.25 mM and 11 microM, respectively. NADH was not utilized as an electron donor for polysulfide reduction. P. furiosus rubredoxin (K(m) = 1.6 microM) also functioned as an electron acceptor for SuDH, and SuDH catalyzed the reduction of NADP with reduced P. furiosus ferredoxin (K(m) = 0.7 microM) as an electron donor. The multiple activities of SuDH and its proposed role in the metabolism of S(o) and polysulfide are discussed.
Relevance revisited systematically

Everyone wants to develop and experience relevance in instruction; some have wanted it badly enough to protest militantly a status quo perceived as irrelevant. This article uses the language and processes of instructional design and development to attempt a definition of relevance and then to apply that definition to what is and isn’t being done in instruction. The instructional developer’s role in an era of declining enrollments and accountability mandates must expand to screening for and increasing instances of relevant instruction. What is relevance? How does it manifest itself in single courses? In sequences of courses? Why is it important? These questions are addressed through a model that emphasizes time, instructor control, and location for practice opportunities as they relate to course and program objectives.
The effects of bilateral bipolar sacral neurostimulation on urinary bladder activity during filling before and after irritation in a rat model.

Aims To design an optimal rat model for studying sacral neurostimulation (SNS), and examine the effect of SNS on myogenic non-voiding contractions (NVC) during filling before and after intraluminal irritation. Methods Bilateral paired bipolar SNS was performed in 10 female urethane anesthetized Sprague–Dawley rats at the L6–S1 trunks at 10 Hz, 0.1 msec pulse duration and 0.15–0.80 mA (below motor threshold). Transvesical cystometry was performed before and during SNS under conditions of control (saline, N = 10) and irritation [0.25% acetic acid (AA), N = 5]. Results Functional bladder capacity (FBC) and NVC count were significantly increased during SNS under both control and irritation conditions (P 0.05 for all). Non-parametric two-way analysis of variance for repeated measures revealed increased FBC and NVC count during SNS under both control and irritation conditions (P = 0.004 for both, N = 5 rats). Linear regression analysis of NVC count versus FBC revealed a slope significantly different than zero, independent of control or irritation conditions (slope 33.10 ± 2.43, R2 = 0.81, P < 0.001). Conclusions This model achieved reliable, reversible and robust increases in bladder capacity up to overflow incontinence at stimulations below somatic motor threshold. SNS dramatically increased FBC and reversed AA-induced changes without affecting the character of normal NVC associated with bladder filling. Increased number of NVC is simply a consequence of increased fill time. Neurourol. Urodynam. 34:387–391, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Real Yield Variability: A Simple Explanation for the UIRP and Related 'Puzzles' in International Finance

I derive a dynamic version of the Dornbusch “overshooting” model in which real yields and inflation vary stochastically, and the exchange rate (FX) delivers UIRP in expectations. Tests using the model provide support for the UIRP proposition. Simulations show that the “disconnect” of FX rates from fundamentals as well as their very high volatility is a necessary consequence of UIRP when real yields are autocorrelated. I also show that FX rates display some predictability as required by the model. Finally, the model shows that the statistical patterns on which “carry trade” is based are consistent with equilibrium.
More Efficient Bottom-Up Tree Pattern Matching

Pattern matching in trees is fundamental to a variety of programming language systems. However, progress has been slow in satisfying a pressing need for general purpose pattern matching algorithms that are efficient in both time and space. We offer asymptotic improvements in both time and space to Chase's bottom-up algorithm for pattern preprocessing. Our preprocessing algorithm has the additional advantage of being incremental with respect to pattern additions and deletions. We show how to modify our algorithm using a new decomposition method to obtain a space/time tradeoff. Finally, we trade a log factor in time for a linear space bottom-up pattern matching algorithm that handles a wide subclass of Hoffmann and O'Donnell's Simple Patterns.
Preliminary studies on ornithophilous floral visitors in the Australian endemic Passiflora herbertiana Ker Gawl. (Passifloraceae)

The pollination biology of the Australian endemic species Passiflora herbertiana ( Passiflora subgenus Decaloba, supersection Disemma, section Disemma ) was investigated in a single population growing in the Witches Falls section of Mount Tamborine National Park, Queensland. Three native honeyeaters were observed at the flowers, including Lewin’s Honeyeater ( Meliphaga lewinii ), the Noisy Miner ( Manorina melanocephala ), and the Eastern Spinebill ( Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris ). Visitation began at 07:30 and ended by 15:30 each day. The most frequent visitor was Lewin’s Honeyeater. Flowers typically began anthesis in the afternoon, with a small number of flowers opening in the early morning. Flowers remained open between four and five days, even after successful pollination. Both the age of the flower and the amount of sun exposure were determined to affect perianth colour change from pale yellow to salmon-pink. Andromonoecy was observed infrequently in the population; most plants exhibited bisexual flowers, but a small number of individuals exhibited both hermaphroditic and male flowers with short styles held permanently erect. Controlled hand pollinations indicated that P. herbertiana is self-compatible but is not autogamous. Pollen tubes required at least 48 hours to reach the most apical ovules within the ovary. These data provide new insights into the evolution of ornithophily in the Old World Passiflora. Link to Appendix 1 : Video showing Lewin’s Honeyeaters visiting various P. herbertiana flowers
The Role of Analysis on the 17 Most Political Acres on the Face of the Earth

Benefit-cost and risk analyses associated with agency rule making are required by presidential order and are reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). This White House oversight of agency regulatory analysis means that OIRA's work, though primarily analytic, competes daily with the intense political pressures that characterize all work in the White House. Even in the face of the demands of politics, analysis is respected and utilized. A balance between politics and analysis is maintained in several ways. Several structural characteristics of the White House help protect analysis, such as a strong complement of offices whose role is primarily analytic (for example, the Council of Economic Advisors, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and OMB). OIRA's ability to successfully coordinate its regulatory review with White House officials ensures that it serves as an agent for presidential regulatory policy at the same time it champions higher quality benefit-cost and risk analysis. This role as intermediary between analytic and political judgment also results from OIRA's expertise in such analysis and its reputation for the discretion necessary to maintain the trust of the president's upper level staff.
Introducing cancer nutrition to medical students: effectiveness of computer-based instruction

BACKGROUND Computer-based instruction has been introduced at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to augment its nutrition course for first-year medical students. Seven program modules have been completed; 2 more are planned. Each module explains the biochemistry and physiology of nutrition through interactive lessons, exercises, and a video case study. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to evaluate the instructional efficacy and acceptability of the nutrition and cancer module when used by first-year medical students. DESIGN The module was used by 163 first-year medical students at the university's medical school as an obligatory component of the nutrition course. Before and after using the module, students were asked to answer multiple-choice questions concerning their knowledge and attitudes; each question had 5 possible answers. RESULTS On average, students spent approximately 3 h studying the lessons. The percentage of correct responses to 20 knowledge questions increased from 22% before the module was used to 86% immediately after its use. When a randomly selected subsample of 25% of the students took the same test 3 mo later, they answered 62% of the questions correctly. The increase in the percentage of students who felt prepared to provide advice regarding nutrition's role in cancer prevention (from 5.7% to 66.9%) suggested a successful subjective learning experience. Neither the students' initial level of interest in cancer nutrition nor their acceptance of computer-based instruction was related to learning outcome. CONCLUSIONS The tested module is a useful and effective aid for teaching nutritional principles of cancer prevention. The evaluation strategy helped identify areas for instructional improvement.
Preemployment screening and training could reduce excessive force litigation cases

Police officers enter law enforcement with enthusiasm. However, at some point, their idealism dissipates to the point of apathy causing some to become aggressive with the general public. During this period, some officer’s performance declines. This raises concerns for superior officers and management with how these problems could lead to legal liabilities if out-of-control officers engage in excessive force.
Two-Color Holographic Recording Scheme Allowing Nonvolatile Reading in Mn:YAlO 3

We propose and experimentally realize the recording of two-color holographic gratings in Mn:YAlO3, a potential material for holographic data storage. This type of recording allows for nonvolatile retrieval of recorded information at the recording wavelength. We demonstrate two-color recording and readout of a 256 × 256 pixel page using red and green laser beams with a bit error rate of 6 × 10-7.
Rigorous biochemical criteria for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.

Abstract Based on urinary studies of patients with pheochromocytoma as compared to hypertensives considered to be without this tumor, rigorous biochemical criteria for diagnosis are proposed. Free catecholamines in 90% and metanephrine metabolites in 100% of the pheochromocytoma patients' urine samples exceeded the normal (hypertensive) values by more than 5 SD. No patient without pheochromocytoma has falsely positive values in both free catecholamine and metanephrine metabolite determinations. No patient with a pheochromocytoma had a urine sample negative for metanephrine metabolites. The combination of these studies has given excellent accuracy for definitive diagnosis.
Improving Metallic Thermal Protection System Hypervelocity Impact Resistance Through Numerical Simulations

A design of experiments approach has been implemented using computational hypervelocity impact simulations. The purpose of this study is to determine the most effective place to make minor design changes to an existing metallic thermal protection system to improve hypervelocity impact protection provided to underlying components. Simulations are performed using axisymmetric models in a shock-physics hydrodynamics code and compared with existing experimental data. The axisymmetric models are then used in a statistical sensitivity analysis to determine the influence of design parameters on degree of protection. Several damage metrics are identified and evaluated. Damage metrics related to the extent of substructure damage produce misleading results; however, damage metrics related to the degree of dispersion of the hypervelocity projectile produce results that correspond to physical intuition. Based on analysis of variance results, it is concluded that increasing the spacing between the outer surface and the substructure is the most effective way to increase hypervelocity impact resistance. The second most effective design change is to increase the thickness of the outer foil layer. When design considerations are taken into account for the system in this study, it is explained that increasing the thickness of the outer foil layer is the most practical design change.
Biomedical electronics forum

The integration of CMOS circuits with sensors and MEMS technologies is changing the paradigm leading to systems on chips. These systems support a very diverse range of applications in communications, harsh environment sensing, and imaging. The applications of circuits for backend stimulation of biological tissue, and intracortical sensing enable critical advances in biomedical research.
A Digital Electronic Correlator

The relation between correlation functions and the general theory of communication is presented, and this relation leads to a technique for electronic computation of correlation functions and to the design of a machine for carrying out the computation. Because of the requirements of great accuracy and long storage, the machine makes use of binary digital techniques for storage, multiplication, and integration. Descriptions of the more unusual circuits in the machine are given, and circuit diagrams are included. A number of experimental results obtained by the machine are presented.
Examining Polyglutamine Peptide Length: A Connection between Collapsed Conformations and Increased Aggregation

Abstract Abnormally expanded polyglutamine domains in proteins are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases, of which the best known is Huntington's. Expansion of the polyglutamine domain facilitates aggregation of the affected protein, and several studies directly link aggregation to neurotoxicity. The age of onset of disease is inversely correlated with the length of the polyglutamine domain; this correlation motivates an examination of the role of the length of the domain on aggregation. In this investigation, peptides containing 8 to 24 glutamines were synthesized, and their conformational and aggregation properties were examined. All peptides lacked secondary structure. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies revealed that the peptides became increasingly collapsed as the number of glutamine residues increased. The effective persistence length was estimated to decrease from ∼ 11 to ∼ 7 A as the number of glutamines increased from 8 to 24. A comparison of our data with theoretical results suggests that phosphate-buffered saline is a good solvent for Q8 and Q12, a theta solvent for Q16, and a poor solvent for Q20 and Q24. By dynamic light scattering, we observed that Q16, Q20, and Q24, but not Q8 or Q12, immediately formed soluble aggregates upon dilution into phosphate-buffered saline at 37 °C. Thus, Q16 stands at the transition point between good and poor solvent and between stable and aggregation-prone peptide. Examination of aggregates by transmission electron microscopy, along with kinetic assays for sedimentation, provided evidence indicating that soluble aggregates mature into sedimentable aggregates. Together, the data support a mechanism of aggregation in which monomer collapse is accompanied by formation of soluble oligomers; these soluble species lack regular secondary structure but appear morphologically similar to the sedimentable aggregates into which they eventually mature.
Asymmetric Investor Sentiment and Broker Sentiment Contagionin the U.S. Equity Market

This paper uses two types of daily and monthly investor sentiment measures and an indicator of broker sentiment to identify the dynamic linkages of the investor and broker sentiments. I categorize market sentiment into extreme, modest, and representative levels. Then I use unrestricted VAR and Granger causality tests to reveal the sentiments spillover between the counterparties of equity transaction at positive and negative return environments. The main findings are: previous investor sentiments affect the current investor and broker sentiments in the same direction, yet previous broker sentiments do not significantly affect the current investor sentiment. Standard& Poor’s 100, 500, and NASDAQ-based investor sentimentsshow frequent self-corrections, while the DOW-based sentiment is persistent. Furthermore, extremely negative investor sentimentasy mmetrically dominates the equity market.In addition, brokers only take the consensus of investor sentiments as reference for the bullish stocks; while for the bearish stocks, broker sentiment is mostly affected by the extreme investor gauges and less by consensus. Pessimistic broker sentiment is not the cause but the effect of investor fear.
Campus Life for Faculty of Color: Still Strangers after All These Years?.

Minority faculty voice their views on a variety of issues through both quantitative and qualitative data, revealing issues of concern and areas of satisfaction.
Biochemical profiles of prostatic fluid from normal and diseased prostate glands.

The attempt to identify changes in the biochemical composition of prostatic fluid that might accompany and characterize disease states in the prostate was stimulated by two assumptions based on observations. First, the composition of prostatic fluid was judged to be likely to reflect the metabolic status of at least the epithelial cells accurately. Secondly, the metabolic changes preceding or associated with the development of carcinoma in the prostate seemed likely to be diffuse rather than limited to the histologically abnormal prostatic cells. As a consequence of these assumptions, prostatic fluid obtained from the urethra by digital massage of the prostate was evaluated microscopically and subjected to numerous analytical procedures. Differences in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes, complement C3, and transferrin concentrations in the prostatic fluid of men with histologically identified carcinoma (Ca) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) have been observed. The ratio of LDH-5/ LDH-1 was found to have a mean value of 5.94 +/- 0.25(S.E.) in 98 determinations on 83 patients with Ca, and 1.84 +/- 0.14 in 212 determinations on 142 patients with BPH with 10 or less white blood cells per high power field (WBC/hpf) on microscopic examination of the prostatic fluid. Fluid from 52 patients with BPH with greater than 10 WBC/hpf (84 determinations) had a mean ratio of 5.85 +/- 0.88 and from 286 patients with greater than 10 WBC/hpf without an established histologic diagnosis (460 determinations) of 3.12 +/- 0.21. Two hundred twenty-two men under 45 years of age (255 determinations) judged to have a normal prostate clinically had a mean ratio of 0.67 +/- 0.05. The mean transferrin concentration in 44 patients (51 determinations) with Ca was 47.03 +/- 3.76mg/100 ml, in 59 patients with BPH (90 determinations) was 12.97 +/- 1.20, in 23 patients with BPH with > 10 WBC/hpf in the prostatic fluid (38 determinations) was 14.93 +/- 2.19, in 87 patients with > 10 WBC/hpf (92 determinations) was 13.42 +/- 1.41, and in 33 patients less than 45 years of age with clinically normal prostates (33 determinations) was 7.45 +/- 1.08. The mean complement C3 concentration in 46 patients with Ca (57 determinations) was 17.48 +/- 1.60, in 58 patients with BPH (85 determinations) was 3.83 +/- 0.55, in 24 patients with BPH with > 10 WBC/hpf (39 determinations) was 5.87 +/- 0.68, in 93 patients with > 10 WBC/hpf (98 determinations) was 4.47 +/- 0.53, and in 34 patients less than 45 years of age (34 determinations) was 2.06 +/- 0.43. The mean ratio of LDH-5/LDH-1 was significantly greater for Ca than BPH with 10 or less WBC/hpf in the prostatic fluid. The mean concentrations of transferrin and complement C3 were significantly greater in Ca than in all other groups studied. No obvious relationship between stage of disease and these findings was observed. These observations support the suggestion that determination of prostatic fluid composition assists in identifying men with a high risk of cancer of the prostate.
Prevalence of positive preoperative pregnancy testing in teenagers scheduled for orthopedic surgery

The pregnancy status of female teenagers presenting for orthopaedic surgery is often unknown. Anesthetics may have teratogenic or abortive effects. The authors report the results of a screening program for unrecognized pregnancy in 532 female teenagers presenting for orthopaedic surgery. Five patients with a positive urine human chorionic gonadotropin test were identified, for a prevalence of 1 positive result in 106 patients tested (0.9%). Surgery was cancelled in each case.
Expulsion of Zooxanthellae by Symbiotic Cnidarians From the Red-Sea

The expulsion of zooxanthellae by octocorals (Xenia macrospiculata and Heteroxenia fuscescens), the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata, and the hydrocoral Millepora dichotoma, was measured in the field. The numbers expelled did not exceed 0.1% of the total standing stock of symbiotic algae per day, the rate of expulsion was less than 4% of the rate at which cells are added to symbiotic populations, and the carbon lost represented 0.01% of the total carbon fixed on a daily basis. Expulsion of zooxanthellae is therefore not a significant sink for fixed carbon in these symbiotic associations. In contrast to field populations, expulsion by X. macrospiculata increased 5-fold or more in the laboratory, suggesting that laboratory conditions may introduce stress.
Electrochemically Deposited Polymer‐Coated Gold Electrodes Selective for 2,4‐Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

Electropolymerized membranes on gold electrodes doped with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were prepared from a solution containing resorcinol, o-phenylenediamine and 2,4-D. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to evaluate the incorporation and interaction of 2,4-D with the polymer matrix prior to and after the sensing experiments. The FTIR data indicate that 2,4-D does not leach appreciably from the polymer matrix under experimental conditions employed for the sensing studies. The electrochemical current response for 2,4-D is compared for the doped polymer-coated and control polymer-coated electrode. The response of the doped polymer-electrode was dependent on increasing concentrations of 2,4-D and 2,4-dichlorophenol while unresponsive to benzoic acid.
An improved mercury control for capillary burettes

A mechanically superior mercury control for capillary burettes has been developed which holds a high column of mercury without leakage and still affords a minute control over the rise of the mercury in the capillary.
Synthesis of 1-methyl- and 1-ethoxycarbonyl-2-phenylcarbamoylpiperidazines as potential anticonvulsant agents

1-Methyl- and 1-ethoxycarbonyl-2-phenylcarbamoylpiperidazines were synthesized and examined for anticonvulsant activity in the maximal electroshock seizure and pentylenetetrazol seizure threshold tests. One synthetic pathway for the 1-methyl compounds involved the reaction between aryl isocyanates and 1-methyl-piperidazine. A second procedure, of lesser utility, utilized selective lithium aluminum hydride reduction of 1-ethoxycarbonyl-2-phenylcarbamoylpiperidazines and gave the corresponding 1-methyl compounds. The 1-ethoxycarbonyl series was obtained from aryl isocyanates and 1-ethoxycarbonylpiperidazine. Several 1-methyl-2-phenylcarbamoylpiperidazines exhibited significant anticonvulsant activity.
Planning to solve the “skills problem” in the virtual information management organization

Client-server architectures increase technology skill demands in line departments. Thus, the ''skills problem'' in the virtual IM organization extends beyond the boundaries of the centralized IS department. It also involves more than information technology skills, as demands for social, conceptual, and marketplace skills increase as well. The ''skills problem'' can be expressed in terms of three basic questions: (1) what skills are needed in a virtual IM organization? (2) how can the firm obtain them? (3) how should these skills be deployed within the firm? This paper addresses each of these questions. It presents a model which helps managers think systematically about the skills required by their organizations and sub-units. It reviews the four options which are available to a manager for acquiring skills needed by the organization. Finally, it describes an approach to tactical human resource planning which will enable an organization to deploy skills effectively and create an environment where discretionary collaboration between distributed units is encouraged.
Complications of Patellar Stabilization Surgery

Various patellar stabilization techniques exist and are best used when they address the specific underlying pathology, which is often multifactorial. Each technique has unique potential complications that must be prevented or, recognized early and managed. Soft tissue proximal realignment procedures, including (1) lateral release, (2) arthroscopic or open medial imbrication, and (3) repair or reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament, can alter kinematics and stress patterns, over-constraining or even further destabilizing the patellofemoral articulation. The creation of drill holes in the patella for ligament reconstruction can risk damage to the articular cartilage or even patellar fracture. Similarly, distal realignment via tibial tubercle osteotomy risks possible nonunion, neurovascular injury, and fracture of the tibia. In all instances, preoperative articular cartilage injury should be recognized and further loading these areas from surgical stabilization technique should be avoided or at least minimized. Individual patellofemoral stabilization procedures and their specific complications are reviewed here in detail.
Cavitation as Artifact in Stopped Flow Experiments

The time resolution of stopped flow devices is limited by the time required for homogeneous, rapid mixing. At high enough flow velocities cavitation occurs in the liquid, which at high sensitivity obscures optical detection in the early history of the reaction mixture. In a Gibson‐Milnes type stopped flow apparatus, in the flow rate range of 5–10 m sec−1, forced vortex or inertial breakdown is the major mechanism of bubble formation, depending on the way of stopping. The amplitude and lifetime of the effect are reported in pure water, methanol, and benzene as a function of mixer design, flow velocity, mixing ratio, temperature, way of stopping, as well as way of detection.