cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Readability of Electronic Cigarette Health Information and Advice: A Quantitative Analysis of Web-Based Information

Background: The popularity and use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has increased across all demographic groups in recent years. However, little is currently known about the readability of health information and advice aimed at the general public regarding the use of e-cigarettes. Objective: The objective of our study was to examine the readability of publicly available health information as well as advice on e-cigarettes. We compared information and advice available from US government agencies, nongovernment organizations, English speaking government agencies outside the United States, and for-profit entities. Methods: A systematic search for health information and advice on e-cigarettes was conducted using search engines. We manually verified search results and converted to plain text for analysis. We then assessed readability of the collected documents using 4 readability metrics followed by pairwise comparisons of groups with adjustment for multiple comparisons. Results: A total of 54 documents were collected for this study. All 4 readability metrics indicate that all information and advice on e-cigarette use is written at a level higher than that recommended for the general public by National Institutes of Health (NIH) communication guidelines. However, health information and advice written by for-profit entities, many of which were promoting e-cigarettes, were significantly easier to read. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of potential and current e-cigarette users are likely to have difficulty in fully comprehending Web-based health information regarding e-cigarettes, potentially hindering effective health-seeking behaviors. To comply with NIH communication guidelines, government entities and nongovernment organizations would benefit from improving the readability of e-cigarettes information and advice. [JMIR Public Health Surveill 2017;3(1):e1]
Athletes and Boundary Breakers

A small number of women across the three groups show evidence of highly integrated social networks, developing important forms of bridging social capital. The women most successful in developing significant friendships with white students in the community commonly do so through athletics and, to a lesser extent, through other extracurricular activities. The limited use of athletics and other after-school programs as a means of bridge building and network diversification speaks to the many barriers in place. Women across all three groups cite the financial costs of participating in sports; commuters frequently cite logistical barriers around long days and the difficulty of late-night practices; and commuters and boarders, vis-a-vis residents, more often cite a lack of experience with certain sports.
Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis of Follicular Thyroid Cancer

Follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) is a well-differentiated thyroid cancer which arises from thyroid follicular cells. FTC is increasing in incidence but remains much less common than papillary thyroid cancer. Patients generally present with indeterminate nodules because fine needle aspiration biopsy is inadequate to render a diagnosis. The diagnosis of FTC requires demonstration of capsular or vascular invasion which is generally not apparent until after the primary lesion has been resected. Surgery is the primary treatment. Adjuvant treatment strategies may include radioactive iodine and thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression. Prognosis is generally favorable with 5-year survival ranging between 71 and 94% and 10-year survival between 43 and 95%. Negative prognostic factors include older age, tumor size, vascular invasion, degree of invasion, metastatic disease, and incomplete resection.
Limit on the electric-dipole moment of 199Hg using synchronous optical pumping.

Synchronously driven optically pumped atomic oscillators have been used to measure the electric-dipole moment of $^{199}\mathrm{Hg}$ as a test of time-reversal symmetry. Our result, d${(}^{199}$Hg)8.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}28}$e cm, is the smallest experimental limit on the size of an electric-dipole moment and sets stringent bounds on several sources of time-reversal symmetry violation in atomic systems. This article describes the details of the experimental apparatus, the measurement procedure, and the implications of the result for CP violation in elementary particle interactions.
The Second Coming: Gender, Race, and the Privatization of Carceral Drug Treatment

Over the course of the last two decades, drug treatment programming has become increasingly privatized in the U.S. correctional system. Drug treatment and related rehabilitative and reentry service...
Hybrid Optimal Control under Mode Switching Constraints with Applications to Pesticide Scheduling

This paper concerns optimal mode-scheduling in autonomous switched-mode hybrid dynamical systems, where the objective is to minimize a cost-performance functional defined on the state trajectory as a function of the schedule of modes. The controlled variable, namely the modes’ schedule, consists of the sequence of modes and the switchover times between them. We propose a gradient-descent algorithm that adjusts a given mode-schedule by changing multiple modes over time-sets of positive Lebesgue measures, thereby avoiding the inefficiencies inherent in existing techniques that change the modes one at a time. The algorithm is based on steepest descent with Armijo step sizes along Gâteaux differentials of the performance functional with respect to schedule-variations, which yields effective descent at each iteration. Since the space of mode-schedules is infinite dimensional and incomplete, the algorithm’s convergence is proved in the sense of Polak’s framework of optimality functions and minimizing sequences. Simulation results are presented, and possible extensions to problems with dwell-time lower-bound constraints are discussed.
Improving social welfare by demand response general framework and quantitative characterization

One way to improve the efficiency of the electricity system is by including demand participation in the market, as opposed to the traditional supply-follow-demand approach. In this work, we build upon literature to model a general T-period electricity market consisting of price-taking prosumers with multiple types of appliances, an utility company and a social planner distribution system operator (DSO), where we remove the restricting assumptions that prosumer cannot be net-sellers and EVs cannot discharge back to the grid. We show that a social welfare maximizing market equilibrium exists. Furthermore, through a case study with quadratic utility functions, we characterize explicitly the social welfare improvement, resulting from allowing prosumers to be a net-seller and EVs to discharge, as a function of utility function parameters by using quadratic programming duality.
The Use of Sensitization Methods for Study of Distillation Source Images

An unique and sensitive method for image formation of the vacuum distillation source has been perfected using the surface sensitization principle. It consists of the condensation of a tenuous latent image made up of “sensitizer” metal atoms. This is done with a simple distillation camera.1This image is developed by means of a second vacuum metal evaporation and “selective condensation” of metal which ordinarily has a low sticking coefficient for the substrate. The combination of developer, substrate and sensitizer is critical. The method relies on the principle of the changing of the accommodation coefficient for the developer on the condensing surface by the presence of the very tenuous sensitizer deposit. The method appears to exhibit better experimental reach than the autoradiographic image methods for certain cases.2A number of source types studied by this system are described. Additionally, certain phenomena, which were difficult to study by means of the radioactive tag, appear to be easily differentiated by the sensitization method. These phenomena include such things as: explosive distillation, local scatter, “extension” of the source, and creep. Also improved resolution by the distillation camera is a dividend of the system.
Technological Change and Investment in Commercial Aircraft: Model Specification

Earlier studies of technological change in the semiconductor, computer and telecommunication industries1 and in the aircraft engine and aircraft industries2 provide evidence that the physical characteristics of technology can add substantially to the realization of econometric models of production. This chapter outlines the translog variable cost function will be applied to the airlines and the results analyzed in Chapter 7.
Component Reliability Modeling Through the Use of Bayesian Networks and Applied Physics-based Models

The objective of the work presented in this paper is to develop a practical methodology to support order of magnitude probabilistic prediction of Commercial Off-The Shelf (COTS) components with little or no screening, qualification, or operational data. The physics-based approach to degradation/failure modeling of dominant failure mechanisms include: Time-Dependent-Breakdown-Dielectric (TDDB), Hot-Carrier Injection (HCI), Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) and Electromigration (EM). Moreover, it is crucial to consider other external factors that may eventually reduce the reliability of the device. These factors vary based on the fabrication, process, design and the product itself. This paper proposes an approach to identify and integrate all of the relevant qualitative and quantitative information using Bayesian Networks (BNs). The ultimate goal is to develop and validate an infrastructure of methods and tools for order of magnitude reliability assessment on the range of available information including results of physical models, statistical evidence, and expert opinion. The method is demonstrated by assessing the reliability of SRAM chips.
Departing from Doctor-Speak: a Perspective on Code-Switching in the Medical Setting

“Code-switching”—the mixing of languages, dialects, tones, or lexicons within a single conversation—is a prevalent linguistic phenomenon that has been described thoroughly in the social science literature. However, it is relatively unknown to the medical community despite its clear implications for clinicians as they navigate their role in the physician-patient relationship. As multilingualism and other forms of mixed speech become increasingly common in the urban and globally minded populations of America’s modern cities, physicians must be cognizant of how they use their language skills—such as code-switching—to communicate with their patients in an ethical, supportive, and non-offensive manner. Multidisciplinary literature, case studies, and thought experiments on the subject provide an actionable framework by which health professionals can work toward achieving this goal of cultural competence.
Validation of a velocity-based algorithm to quantify saccades during walking and turning in mild traumatic brain injury and healthy controls.

Objective: Saccadic (fast) eye movements are a routine aspect of neurological examination and are a potential biomarker of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Objective measurement of saccades has become a prominent focus of mTBI research, as eye movements may be a useful assessment tool for deficits in neural structures or processes. However, saccadic measurement within mobile infra-red (IR) eye-tracker raw data requires a valid algorithm. The objective of this study was to validate a velocity-based algorithm for saccade detection in IR eye-tracking raw data during walking (straight ahead and while turning) in people with mTBI and healthy controls. Approach: Eye-tracking via a mobile IR Tobii Pro Glasses 2 eye-tracker (100 Hz) was performed in people with mTBI (n = 10) and healthy controls (n = 10). Participants completed two walking tasks: straight walking (walking back and forth for 1 min over a 10 m distance), and walking and turning (turns course included 45°, 90° and 135° turns). Five trials per subject, for one-hundred total trials, were completed. A previously reported velocity-based saccade detection algorithm was adapted and validated by assessing agreement between algorithm saccade detections and the number of correct saccade detections determined from manual video inspection (ground truth reference). Main results: Compared with video inspection, the IR algorithm detected ~97% (n = 4888) and ~95% (n = 3699) of saccades made by people with mTBI and controls, respectively, with excellent agreement to the ground truth (intra-class correlation coefficient2,1 = .979 to .999). Significance: This study provides a simple yet highly robust algorithm for the processing of mobile eye-tracker raw data in mTBI and controls. Future studies may consider validating this algorithm with other IR eye-trackers and populations.
Closure methods and devices

Abstract The last decade of the 20th century and the first 2 decades of the 21st century dramatically changes in the flexible endoscopy world. New endoscopic procedures were introduced into clinical practice, stimulating development of new endoscopic devices and techniques and significantly expanding the armamentarium of surgeons and gastroenterologists specializing in therapeutic flexible endoscopy. Through-the-scope endoscopic clips have become an important tissue-approximating instrument, often in combination with PolyLoops. Over-the-scope endoscopic clips demonstrate effectiveness in the closure of gastrointestinal (GI) tract fistulas and small iatrogenic perforations. The Overstitch endoscopic suturing system is a versatile tissue-approximating device, which produces effective, reliable, surgical-quality closure of GI tract defects. This device, and other developing endoscopic suturing systems may, eventually become the universal tool for endoscopic correction of fistulas, closure of submucosal tunnels, iatrogenic perforations, mucosal and full-thickness defects postendoscopic resection of GI tract lesions.
Evolving Landscape of Global Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities from a Graduate Education Perspective

Change is the watchword of the 21st century and universities must change to meet societal demands and expectations and to serve their public responsibly. As universities evolve within the global landscape, universities will experience both challenges and unprecedented opportunities. For success in leveraging the challenges and opportunities, the 21st century university must adopt a forward thinking approach; be adaptive, innovative and agile; foster interdisciplinary and integrative research and education; and become transformative. Graduate education is a critical component of the new modern university and transforming the system of graduate education can facilitate change in the university as well as to prepare the future faculty, scientists and administrators to lead the 21st century university.
A Martingale Approach in the Study of Percolation Clusters on the Z d Lattice

Consider percolation on Z d with parameter p. Let K n be the number of occupied clusters in [−n, n] d . Here we use a martingale method to show that if p≠0, 1, K n satisfies the CLT for all d>1. Furthermore, we investigate the large deviations and concentration property for K n . Besides K n , we also consider the distribution of the number Λ n of such vertices connected by the infinite occupied cluster in a large box [−n, n] d . We show that Λ n satisfies the CLT and investigate the concentration property for Λ n , by using the martingale method in the supercritical phase.
Noise Landscape: A Spatial Exploration of Airports and Cities

In the early 1960s, the term ‘hush parks’ entered the vocabulary of the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States. A reaction to the increasing noise produced by aircraft landing and tak...
Spectroscopy Identification of the Bimetallic Surface of Metal-Organic Framework-Confined Pt-Sn Nanoclusters with Enhanced Chemoselectivity in Furfural Hydrogenation.

Research and development in bimetallic nanoparticles have gained great interest over their monometallic counterparts because of their distinct and unique properties in a wide range of applications ...
Performance of Self-Powered, Water-Resistant Bending Sensor Using Transverse Piezoelectric Effect of Polypropylene Ferroelectret Polymer

The significant growth of wearable electronics is in constant search for optimizing systems with high flexibility and self-powering capacity. In this work, we utilize flexible polypropylene ferroelectret (PPFE) thin film polymer with the large transverse piezoelectric coefficient for bending curvature self-powered sensing. The electric energy comes from the geometry distortion of the built-in macro dipoles with initial surface charge distributions. Theoretical analysis based on constitutive electromechanical equations and bi-layer bending mechanics provide a detailed understanding of the sensing mechanism and its applicability. Different evaluation methods are used to have a more comprehensive understanding of the electromechanical responses under different bending conditions. It has been found that the velocity and magnitude of the mechanical input influence the average voltage output, while instantaneous voltage is not dependent on the latter. The robustness of the material is also investigated, where the device shows no performance degradation by immersion into the water up to 12 hours and under 10k bending cycles. Thermal stability tests reveal degradation starting at ~ 75°C and an immediate failure of the device at ~ 150°C. Finally, an application is demonstrated by showing the potential use of the characterized system as a self-powered sensor for athletic assessment.
Comparison of Moseley and Rotterdam straight-line graphs in predicting leg lengths and leg-length discrepancy at maturity.

Abstract Purpose One method of predicting leg-length discrepancy at maturity is the Moseley straight-line graph. Beumer et al developed an alternative graph, using a more modern Dutch population. T...
Examining Language in Higher Education Courses: Creating Opportunities for Critical Reflection.

Words and labels used about a person inevitably have an impact, whether intended or unintended. This article discusses the need for intentional and overt, critical reflection and discussion in higher education regarding the language faculty and students use. The authors provide language examples commonly used in courses that could have varied meanings. Instructional strategies which support reflective conversations surrounding language in higher education courses are provided.
Factors Associated With Survival in Complete Pathologic Response Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Abstract Objectives There is a strong association with improved survival for patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have developed a pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant therapy. A national database was used to investigate factors associated with long-term survival in this cohort of patients. Patients Retrospective review was completed of the National Cancer Database of patients who obtained pCR and had neoadjuvant therapy for stage I to stage III NSCLC between 2004 and 2014. All patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. Methods Univariate and multivariable analysis was performed on factors associated with overall survival (OS), including gender, clinical stage, and nodal count. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the Commission on Cancer–recommended median number of lymph nodes (LNs) examined: 0 to 9 LNs and ≥10 LNs. Chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to compare patient, hospital, and clinical variables between groups. Results Increased age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.03), neoadjuvant radiation therapy (HR 1.48, 95% CI, 1.10-2.00), and pneumonectomy (HR 1.64, 95% CI, 1.22-2.22) were associated with worse survival in the 759-patient cohort. Multivariable regression demonstrated having ≥10 nodes harvested (HR 0.71, 95% CI, 0.56-0.89) was associated with improved survival as was every increase in LN harvest up to 17 LNs. No significant differences in 5-year OS were found between clinical stage I, II, and III, respectively (66.1% vs. 60.9% vs. 58.6%, P = .288). Conclusion This study shows that younger age, increasing LN harvest, female sex, the absence of neoadjuvant radiation therapy and non-pneumonectomy resections are all associated with improved OS in patients with NSCLC who have developed pCR.
Long Wavelength InAs/InAsSb Infrared Superlattice Challenges: A Theoretical Investigation

InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattice focal plane arrays that demonstrate high operability and uniformity with cutoffs ranging from 5 μm to 13 μm have already been demonstrated. Compared to InAs/GaSb, the InAs/InAsSb superlattice is easier to grow and has longer minority carrier lifetimes, but requires a longer superlattice period to achieve long or very long wavelength cutoffs. A longer type-II superlattice period leads to smaller absorption coefficients and larger growth-direction hole conductivity effective masses. We explore by theoretical modeling some of the ideas aimed at addressing these challenges for the long and very long wavelength InAs/InAsSb superlattice. Increasing the Sb fraction in the InAsSb alloy can reduce the InAs/InAsSb superlattice period significantly, but this benefit can be negated by Sb segregation. Thin AlAsSb barrier layers can be inserted in InAs/InAsSb to form polytype W, M, and N superlattices in order to increase electron–hole wavefunction overlap for stronger optical absorption. However, this strategy can be unfavorable since the AlAsSb barriers increase the band gap, and thereby increase the superlattice period required to reach a given cutoff wavelength. Metamorphic growth on virtual substrates with larger lattice constants than GaSb can decrease the superlattice period needed to reach a specified cutoff wavelength, but this benefit should be weighed against the need for metamorphic buffer growth and the resulting higher defect density.
It’s Alright, Ma, It’s Life and Life Only: Are Colleges and Universities Legally Obligated during the Coronavirus Pandemic to Exempt High-Risk Faculty from In-Person Teaching Requirements?

Because there is no law specifically addressing colleges’ and universities’ legal obligations to allow faculty for health reasons to opt for online, rather than in-person, teaching during the coronavirus pandemic, colleges, universities, and their faculties generally seem to be proceeding on the assumption that any such legal obligations are no more than minimal. This Article challenges that widespread assumption and argues that colleges and universities in fact have very substantial legal obligations in this regard. We focus on the group of faculty whom we believe colleges and universities have the clearest legal obligation to protect -- those who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appear to be most vulnerable to getting seriously ill or even dying if they contract the coronavirus. In the language of the CDC, our focus is faculty members “at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19,” which, according to the CDC, means anyone who has reached age 65 or who has one of various “medical conditions,” including cancer, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, pregnancy, and more. We argue that four separate legal sources are best understood as requiring colleges and universities to exempt high-risk faculty from any in-person teaching requirement. Two of the four sources are federal statutes that qualify as major statements of national policy – the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The other two sources are important state-law doctrines with strong support in the American Law Institute’s most recent restatement of the law of torts – protection from intentional infliction of physical harm, and protection from intentional infliction of emotional distress. We hope our arguments will provide college and university leaders with a perspective that will prompt them to recognize the great importance of adopting an exemption policy that at a minimum covers high-risk faculty. Perhaps they would adopt such a policy simply to avoid possible legal liability. Ideally, however, they would do so at least in part out of a recognition that a college or university policy at odds with legal sources as weighty as the four discussed speaks very poorly for their institution.
A Diagnostic Taxonomy of Failure in Videogames

Failure is integral to playing videogames, we do not have a precise terminology for discussing different categories of failure. This is a problem because certain failures are critical to the design intent of the game, and, as such, are desirable, whereas other failures detract from the play experience and are meant to be avoided. In this paper, we taxonomize several classes of failure in the player’s experience, offering a diagnostic tool that distinguishes in-loop failures from out-of-loop failures. By classifying both games and specific failure instances, the Taxonomy of Failure extends present vocabularies for: game designers making design choices, scholars critiquing the usability of games, educators teaching games, data analysts segmenting players, and game developers creating more adaptive games.
Edge States and Entanglement Entropy

It is known that gauge fields defined on manifolds with spatial boundaries support states localized at the boundaries. In this paper, we demonstrate how coarse-graining over these states can lead to an entanglement entropy. In particular, we show that the entanglement entropy of the ground state for the quantum Hall effect on a disk exhibits an approximate "area" law.
Discrepancies in automated, electronic medical record-based CHA2DS2-VASc scores and clinician assessment for atrial fibrillation patients

BackgroundClinical decision support tools for atrial fibrillation (AF) should include CHA2DS2- VASc scores to guide oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment. ObjectiveWe compared automated, electronic medical record (EMR) generated CHA2DS2- VASc scores to clinician-documented scores, and report the resulting proportions of patients in the OAC treatment group. MethodsPatients were included if they had both a clinician documented and EMR-generated CHA2DS2-VASc score on the same day. EMR scores were based on billing codes, left ventricular ejection fraction from echocardiograms, and demographics; documented scores were identified using natural language processing. Patients were deemed "re-classified" if the EMR score was [≥]2 but the documented score was <2, and vice versa. For the overall cohort and subgroups (sex and age group), we compared mean scores using paired t-tests and re-classification rates using chi-squared tests. ResultsAmong 5,767 patients, the mean scores were higher using EMR compared to documented scores (4.05 [SD 2.1] versus 3.13 [SD 1.8]; p<0.01) for the full cohort, and all subgroups (p<0.01 for all comparisons). If EMR scores were used to determine OAC treatment instead of documented scores, 8.3% (n=479, p<0.01) of patients would be re-classified, with 7.2% moving into and 1.1% moving out of the treatment group. Among 2,322 women, 4.7% (n=109, p<0.01) would be re-classified, with 4.1% into and 0.7% out of the treatment group. Among 3,445 men, 10.7% (n=370, p<0.01) would be re-classified, with 9.2% into and 1.5% out of the treatment group. Among 2,060 patients <65 years old, 18.1% (n=372, p<0.01) would be re-classified, with 15.8% into and 2.3% out of the treatment group. Among 1,877 patients 65-74 years old, 5.4% (n=101, p<0.01) would be re-classified, with 4.4% into and 1.0% out of the treatment group. Among 1,830 patients [≥]75 years old, <1% would move into to the treatment group and none would move out of the treatment group. ConclusionsEMR-based CHA2DS2-VASc scores were, on average, almost a full point higher than the clinician-documented scores. Using EMR scores in lieu of documented scores would result in a significant proportion of patients moving into the treatment group, with the highest re-classifications rates in men and patients <65 years old.
Medical Supervision of Illinois Public and Private High School Athletics

Background: High-school sports participation in the United States has increased over the years with a corresponding increase in the number of injuries. Leading medical and sports organizations nati...
Efficient Dynamics Estimation With Adaptive Model Sets

Robotic systems frequently operate under changing dynamics, such as driving across varying terrain, encountering sensing and actuation faults, or navigating around humans with uncertain and changing intent. In order to operate effectively in these situations, robots must be capable of efficiently estimating these changes in order to adapt at the decision-making, planning, and control levels. Typical estimation approaches maintain a fixed set of candidate models at each time step; however, this can be computationally expensive if the number of models is large. In contrast, we propose a novel algorithm that employs an adaptive model set. We leverage the idea that the current model set must be expanded if its models no longer sufficiently explain the sensor measurements. By maintaining only a small subset of models at each time step, our algorithm improves on efficiency; at the same time, by choosing the appropriate models to keep, we avoid compromising on performance. We show that our algorithm exhibits higher efficiency in comparison to several baselines, when tested on simulated manipulation, driving, and human motion prediction tasks, as well as in hardware experiments on a 7 DOF manipulator.
The Coming Out Process for Assigned-Female-at-Birth Transgender and Non-Binary Teenagers: Negotiating Multiple Identities, Parental Responses, and Early Transitions in Three Case Studies

In this study, I examined three case studies of Assigned-Female-At-Birth (AFAB) teenagers who came out to their families in the course of therapy; all cases are derived from private practice work f...
Synchrony in mother-infant vocal interactions revealed through timed event sequences.

Abstract This report extends a previous cross-cultural study of synchrony in mother-infant vocal interactions (Bornstein et al., 2015) to immigrant samples. Immigrant dyads from three cultures of origin (Japan, South Korea, South America) living in the same culture of destination (the United States) were compared to nonmigrant dyads in those same cultures of origin and to nonmigrant European American dyads living in the same culture of destination (the United States). This article highlights an underutilized analysis to assess synchrony in mother-infant interaction and extends cross-cultural research on mother-infant vocal interaction. Timing of onsets and offsets of maternal speech to infants and infant nondistress vocalizations were coded separately from 50-min recorded naturalistic observations of mothers and infants. Odds ratios were computed to analyze synchrony in mother-infant vocal interactions. Synchrony was analyzed in three ways -- contingency of timed event sequences, mean differences in contingency by acculturation level and within dyads, and coordination of responsiveness within dyads. Immigrant mothers were contingently responsive to their infants’ vocalizations, but only Korean immigrant infants were contingently responsive to their mothers’ vocalizations. For the Japanese and South American comparisons, immigrant mothers were more contingently responsive than their infants (but not robustly so for South American immigrants). For the Korean comparison, mean differences in contingent responsiveness were found among acculturation groups (culture of origin, immigrant, culture of destination), but not between mothers and infants. Immigrant dyads’ mean levels of responsiveness did not differ. Immigrant mothers’ and infants’ levels of responsiveness were coordinated. Strengths and flexibility of the timed event sequential analytic approach to assessing synchrony in mother-infant interactions are discussed, particularly for culturally diverse samples.
Slums, allocation of talent, and barriers to urbanization

Abstract Slums are a prevalent urban phenomenon in developing countries. They are locations with low-quality dwellings, often built on valuable land, that allow poorer households to access urban markets that otherwise would be unattainable. I build a spatial general equilibrium framework to analyze the aggregate effects of urban policies in India. The model takes into account individual selection and location differences in returns to education, productivity, and housing rents. I find that demolishing slums in the most productive areas decreases the urban population, with negative effects on welfare and no gains in labor productivity. In contrast, eliminating formal housing distortions increases the urban population while decreasing the presence of slums by a significant amount. It also increases welfare and labor productivity by 6.8 and 1.3 percent, respectively.
Blockchain and the Evolving Financial Market: A Literature Review

Blockchain technology has gained widespread utility, particularly in the field of finance due to the popularity of bitcoin. There are other areas such as energy trade and securities market, which h...
V2S3: Structure and thermal stability

Abstract Vanadium sesquioxide, V2O3, has been considered as a potential desulfurization agent for hot coal gases. The proposed process is based on the conversion of V2O3 to V2S3 via reaction with H2S. Prompted by conflicting information in the literature on the thermodynamic stability and crystal structure of the potential desulfurization product, V2S3 was synthesized; its thermal stability determined using thermogravimetric analysis; and its structure studied using x-ray diffraction. In a relatively inert atmosphere, V2S3 commences decomposition near 270°C; in oxygen, near 240°C; and in 10% hydrogen, near 325°C. Analysis of the x-ray diffraction data from both powder and crystals indicated a large hexagonal unit cell with a = 6.634(3), c = 22.49(4) A .
Effects of β-Carotene and Retinyl Palmitate on Corn Oil-Induced Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase in Rats

The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of beta-carotene on corn oil-induced superoxide dismutase and catalase. Six groups of male Buffalo rats were fed the following diets for 6 wk: a control diet containing recommended levels of beta-carotene and retinyl palmitate, a retinol diet containing 10 times the recommended level of retinyl palmitate, and a beta-carotene diet containing 10 times the recommended levels of beta-carotene and adequate levels of retinyl palmitate. Each vitamin combination was fed with either 5% (wt/wt) corn oil (low fat) or 20% corn oil (high fat). Plasma total beta-carotene levels were highest in the beta-carotene groups. Levels varied inversely with the level of fat in the control group and directly with fat in the beta-carotene group. Transport of beta-carotene appeared to parallel that of cholesterol in that 36 and 35%, respectively, were associated with the low density lipoprotein fraction. Accumulation of beta-carotene in the liver was apparent from the observation that levels in liver were much higher than those in plasma. Superoxide dismutase activity was much lower in the beta-carotene groups than in the retinol groups, irrespective of level of fat, and catalase activity was also lower in the beta-carotene group, but it was in proportion to the level of fat. These findings suggest that beta-carotene functions as an antioxidant in vivo.
The battle over Internet domain names

Abstract The paper examines the global controversy over Internet domain names, specifically the choice between top-level domain (TLD) names based on country codes and top-level domain names based on generic terms. The paper describes the historical background of the existing TLD naming scheme and the breakdown in the principles and procedures used to ration domain names. It develops a critique of national TLD names and an argument for expanding the number of global TLDs. Global TLDs are more useful semantically, permit more room for price competition and service innovation, and are more suited to non-territorial basis of Internet communication. More generally, they foster a regime of free international trade in Internet-related services.
The Majoritarian Difficulty and Theories of Constitutional Decision Making

Recent scholarship in political science and law challenges the view that judicial review in the United States poses what Alexander Bickel famously called the "counter-majoritarian difficulty." Although courts do regularly invalidate state and federal action on constitutional grounds, they rarely depart substantially from the median of public opinion. When they do so depart, if public opinion does not eventually come in line with the judicial view, constitutional amendment, changes in judicial personnel, and/or changes in judicial doctrine typically bring judicial understandings closer to public opinion. But if the modesty of courts dissolves Bickel's worry, it raises a distinct one: Are courts that roughly follow public opinion capable of protecting minority rights against majoritarian excesses? Do American courts, in other words, have a "majoritarian difficulty?" This Article examines that question from an interpretive perspective. It asks whether there is a normatively attractive account of the practice of judicial review that takes account of the Court's inability to act in a strongly counter-majoritarian fashion. After highlighting difficulties with three of the leading approaches to constitutional interpretation -- representation --reinforcement, originalism, and living constitutionalism-the Essay concludes that accounts of the Court as a kind of third legislative chamber fit best with its majoritarian bias. However, such third legislative chamber accounts rest on libertarian premises that lack universal appeal. They also lack prescriptive force, although this may be a strength: Subordinating an interpretive theory -- such as representation -- reinforcement, originalism, or living constitutionalism -- to a view of judicial review as a form of third-legislative-chamber veto can ease the otherwise unrealistic demands for counter-majoritarianism that interpretive theories face.
Electrophysiological events recorded at presynaptic terminals of the crayfish neuromuscular junction with a voltage indicator.

The water-soluble voltage indicator JPW1114 was used to stain thin axons and terminal varicosities of the crayfish neuromuscular junction. A slow, overnight injection protocol was developed to brightly stain fine structures without cytotoxicity. Fluorescence transients filtered at 2 kHz showed that the duration of terminal action potentials was shorter than that of those recorded in the main trunk of the axons. In addition, the repolarization phases of the terminal and axonal action potentials overlapped in time, suggesting that the entire axonal arborization repolarizes simultaneously. Manipulating resting membrane potential, ±15–20 mV, did not alter the peak level or duration of action potentials if they fired in isolation. A prolongation of action potential, by 23%, could be induced if a 10-spike burst at 100 Hz was fired from depolarized membrane potential. No such change was observed when the high frequency train was fired from resting or hyperpolarized levels. Microelectrodes in the main trunk of axons typically recorded a depolarizing after-potential (DAP) following an action potential initiated from resting membrane potential. The DAP could be inverted and enlarged by depolarization and hyperpolarization, respectively. Fluorescence transients recorded from terminals exhibited similar DAP characteristics. The ratio of DAP to action potential amplitude recorded from terminals was similar to that recorded from the main axon. Thus, the entire axonal arborization returned to resting level in a spatially uniform manner during the DAP. The functional significance of DAP is discussed in the light of these observations.
Identification and purification of a yeast transcriptional trans-activator. The yeast homolog of the Rous sarcoma virus internal enhancer binding factor.

A cis-acting transcriptional activation sequence (IES2) from the Rous sarcoma virus internal enhancer was found to stimulate transcription of a heterologous gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A hamster protein (termed IBF) which binds to IES2 and stimulates transcription in vitro has previously been purified and was found to have a subunit molecular mass of 40,000 (Karnitz, L., Poon, D., Weil, P.A., and Chalkley, R. (1989) Mol. Cell. Biol. 9, 1929-1939). The identification and purification of the yeast homolog of IBF (yIBF) is reported here. Purified yIBF has a subunit molecular mass of 92,000. This protein functions as a trans-activator of transcription in a heterologous HeLa transcription extract in a cis-element sequence-dependent manner in vitro.
Trust and mistrust in the marketplace: statistics and clinical research, 1945-1960.

Les innovations methodologiques de la recherche medicale tels que la randomisation et les essais cliniques placebo ou en double insu, refletent une evolution des pratiques medicales du XX e siecle destinees a evaluer les traitements medicaux en reduisant toute subjectivite
Boot camp for mesenchymal stem cells.

Stem cell transplantation is a promising new treatment for ischemic cardiomyopathy, offering the unique opportunity for true cardiac repair and regeneration. Several different types of stem and progenitor cells are being explored for this purpose ([1][1]). Among the various cell types, mesenchymal
Healthy older humans exhibit augmented carotid-cardiac baroreflex sensitivity with aspirin during muscle mechanoreflex and metaboreflex activation

Low-dose aspirin inhibits thromboxane production and augments the sensitivity of carotid baroreflex (CBR) control of heart rate (HR) during concurrent muscle mechanoreflex and metaboreflex activation in healthy young humans. However, it is unknown how aging affects this response. Therefore, the effect of low-dose aspirin on carotid-cardiac baroreflex sensitivity during muscle mechanoreflex with and without metaboreflex activation in healthy older humans was examined. Twelve older subjects (6 men and 6 women, mean age: 62 ± 1 yr) performed two trials during two visits preceded by 7 days of low-dose aspirin (81 mg) or placebo. One trial involved 3 min of passive calf stretch (mechanoreflex) during 7.5 min of limb circulatory occlusion (CO). In another trial, CO was preceded by 1.5 min of 70% maximal voluntary contraction isometric calf exercise (mechanoreflex and metaboreflex). HR (ECG) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP; Finometer) were recorded. CBR function was assessed using rapid neck pressure application (+40 to -80 mmHg). Aspirin significantly decreased baseline thromboxane B2 production by 83 ± 4% (P < 0.05) but did not affect 6-keto-PGF1α. After aspirin, CBR-HR maximal gain and operating point gain were significantly higher during stretch with metabolite accumulation compared with placebo (maximal gain: -0.23 ± 0.03 vs. -0.14 ± 0.02 and operating point gain: -0.11 ± 0.03 vs. -0.04 ± 0.01 beats·min(-1)·mmHg(-1) for aspirin and placebo, respectively, P < 0.05). In conclusion, these findings suggest that low-dose aspirin augments CBR-HR sensitivity during concurrent muscle mechanoreflex and metaboreflex activation in healthy older humans. This increased sensitivity appears linked to reduced thromboxane sensitization of muscle mechanoreceptors, which consequently improves CBR-HR control.
Estimation of composite roughness model parameters via a backpropagation neural network

The estimation of the environmental parameters of the Rayleigh-Rice approximation of the composite roughness model and the parameters of the Kirchoff approximation for seafloor acoustic backscatter, given backscatter strength and bathymetric data, is investigated. Estimation of these parameters is an inverse problem whose solution gives surface properties from the measurements of the scattered field. The independence of parameters of both approximations is first determined. Noise-free artificial data are generated by the Rayleigh-Rice approximation and the Kirchoff approximation. These artificial data are then used to train a feedforward neural network using the backpropagation learning algorithm. The trained network is used to estimate the independent parameters of the two approximations.
Diffuse esophageal spasm: has the term lost its relevance? Analysis of 217 cases

SUMMARY Diffuse esophageal spasm (DES) has been reported as a potential cause of dysphagia or chest pain; however, the patho-physiology of DES is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the manometric correlates of dysphagia and chest pain in this patient population. All patients undergoing manometry at our institution are entered into a prospectively maintained database. After institutional review board approval, the database was queried to identify patients meeting criteria for DES (≥20% simultaneous waves with greater than 30 mm Hg pressure in the distal esophagus). The patient-reported symptoms and manometric data, along with the results of a 24-hour pH study (if done), were extracted for further analysis. Out of 4923 patients, 240 (4.9%) met the manometric criteria for DES. Of these, 217 patients had complete manometry data along with at least one reported symptom. Of the patients with DES, 159 (73.3%) had dysphagia or chest pain as a reported symptom. Patients reporting either dysphagia or chest pain had significantly higher lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure than patients without these symptoms (P= 0.007). Significant association was noted between reported dysphagia and percentage of simultaneous waves. Chest pain did not correlate with percent of simultaneous waves, mean amplitude of peristalsis, or 24-hour pH score. The origin of reported chest pain in patients with DES is not clear but may be related to higher LES pressure. Simultaneous waves were associated with reported dysphagia. Using current diagnostic criteria, the term DES has no clinical relevance.
Reforming the discount mechanism: A modest proposal

The effectiveness of monetary policy in general and of the various policy instruments in particular has long been questioned. Internal criticism and the quest for self-improvement have characterized many central bank administrations. The process has been aided and frequently initiated by academic economists, many of whom have served as advisors to the policy-making bodies. At least two significant Federal Reserve policy shifts in recent years-the abandoning of Regulation Q as a current policy tool and the heavier reliance on monetary aggregate targets-are partly, if not primarily, consequences of academic criticism. In another area, however, change has crept forward at a snail's pace. Specifically, consider the Federal Reserve's discount mechanism. In the past decade and a half, prominent economists have suggested wide-ranging improvements in the discounting procedure. The Federal Reserve has welcomed such proposals, going so far as to sponsor an academic seminar on discounting in May, 1966 [2, vol. 2, pp. 47-58]. Yet in the major Reserve System document on the discount mechanism released in 1968, which recommended a number of innovations, there is hardly a glimpse of the many proposals put forth by academic economists either in the general literature or in specific documents transmitted to the Federal Reserve Steering Committee studying discounting [2, vol. 1, pp. 1-25]. Section I of this article surveys a few of the better known academic proposals concerning discount mechanism reform. It further evaluates the reasons underlying their rejection by the