cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Privatizing an open-access resource and environmental degradation

Abstract We develop a tractable dynamic model of the exploitation of an environmental resource with endogenous property rights. We are able to explain both the evolution of property rights and environmental quality. The model demonstrates that the development of property rights may emerge from within a community as a response to the overexploitation of an open-access resource. In the equilibrium of our model, the resource is fully privatized and resource quality is greater than under the open-access steady state. We show that, while environmental quality may initially decline, privatizing the resource reduces its exploitation and eventually environmental quality improves.
Extreme-Value Climatology of Maximum Soil Freezing Depths in Contiguous United States

Extreme-value statistics for the maximum depth of soil freezing are developed based on a physical soil freezing model and a semiphysical soil water budgeting scheme. The model uses only daily air temperature, snow depth, and precipitation data. These data are available from a relatively dense network of observing stations, permitting the development of a national climatology of extreme soil freezing levels. A set of adjustment factors is also presented that allows conversion between the mapped base-soil freezing depths and those associated with other soil conditions. Surface cover characteristics of bare soil with and without ambient snow cover and turf are analyzed. The deepest soil freezing levels within the United States are found across the Dakotas, where persistent subfreezing winter temperatures, and relatively little soil moisture and snow cover combine to maximize soil freezing. Ample winter snow cover mitigates soil freezing extremes in the Great Lakes, northern New England, and western mountains. SOil freezing in unlikely south of northern Florida and the immediate Gulf Coast, along the California coast, and in southern Arizona.
Direct electro-optic sampling of GaAs integrated circuits

Mesures d'echantillonnage electrooptique realisees directement a l'interieur d'un circuit integre. En utilisant l'effet electrooptique dans GaAs on observe la forme d'onde de la tension interne d'un circuit integre amplificateur a ondes progressives a transistor a effet de champ en GaAs fonctionnant dans la bande 2-12 GHz
Equilibration temperatures of EL chondrites: A major downward revision in the ferrosilite contents of enstatite

A study of enstatite grains separated from EL6 chondrites shows ferrosilite contents to be approx. 0.02-0.04 mol%, about an order of magnitude lower than reported in the literature. The higher values reported earlier can probably be attributed to the excitation of Fe atoms in Fe-Ni and FeS, in part from micrometer-sized blebs of FeS and Fe-Ni commonly present in enstatite grains but mainly from large neighboring opaque grains excited by bremsstrahlung or by doubly backscattered electrons. Our EL6 ferrosilite contents are similar to those observed in coarse enstatite grains in some aubrites. The equilibrium between ferrosilite and Si-bearing kamacite is highly temperature dependent. At constant Si concentration in kamacite, the equilibrium ferrosilite mole fraction drops by a factor of roughly 2.5 for each 100 K decrease in the equilibrium temperature. As a result, the compositions of these two most common EL6 phases can be used to estimate metamorphic equilibration temperatures. The inferred temperatures are near 1200 K.
The aging behavior of homogenized type 308 and 308CRE stainless steel

The aging behavior of type 308 stainless steel and type 308 stainless steel with controlled residual elements (308CRE) was studied. The alloys were initially homogenized, resulting in a fully austenitic structure in the type 308 alloy and a duplex, austenite plus ferrite structure in the type 308CRE alloy. The materials were subsequently aged at 550, 650, 750, and 850 °C for times up to 10,000 hours. Aging of the type 308 steel resulted in precipitation of chromium-rich M23C6, primarily along grain boundaries, followed by sigma-phase formation after long aging times (≥5000 hours). The aging response of the duplex type 3O8CRE steel was somewhat more complicated. Although the titaniumrich carbides, nitrides, and sulfides produced during homogenization remained stable during subsequent aging, some additional precipitation was found. G-phase formed within the residual ferrite but eventually redissolved. The ferrite partially dissolved during early aging and later transformed to sigma phase. The sigma-phase formed significantly faster in the aged type 308CRE alloy. The results are summarized in the form of TTT diagrams. A comparison is made with a similar aging study on the same alloys but starting with the as-welded condition.
A versatile net selectivity model, with application to Pacific salmon and freshwater species of the Yukon River, Alaska

Gillnet catch data from the lower Yukon River, AK, collected from 1990 to 2003 in conjunction with a sonar study to estimate the abundance of migrating fish, were assembled. The full dataset contained 92,029 records with complete species and length information. A subset of data for the eight most prevalent groups of fish was selected for the estimation of net selectivity. The reduced dataset contained 89,984 records for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), summer and fall runs of chum salmon (O. keta), coho salmon (O. kisutch), pink salmon (O. gorbuscha), humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian), broad whitefish (C. nasus), and various cisco (Coregonus) species. A Pearson function was used as a net selectivity model for all eight groups of fish, though a parameter was added to accommodate the catch of fish that are relatively large for a particular mesh. Because most of these relatively large fish were probably not gilled, but rather caught by body parts other than the operculum, the extra parameter can be thought of as a tangling parameter. The parameters of the modified Pearson model were estimated using maximum likelihood, and variances were estimated through bootstrapping. Gillnets were found to be most efficient, for all eight groups of fish, when fish length is approximately twice as great as the perimeter of a mesh, and the corresponding location parameter of the Pearson model was estimated with high precision. As the Pearson function has apparently not been used previously as a net selectivity model, its suitability was compared to the normal, lognormal, gamma, inverse Gaussian, and bi-normal functions, which are commonly employed as net selectivity models. Model fit was evaluated on the basis of the value of the likelihood function obtained, Akaike's Information Criterion and scaled deviance statistics, and plots of estimated models and scaled catch data. The Pearson model was found to be quite flexible, and fit the data as well as or better than the other models for all eight groups of fish considered. Other researchers may wish to consider its use with their data.
The probability of technical success and R&D appraisal

Abstract Two models that assess the probability of technical success are presented. The first model describes projects that are either complete successes or complete failures. The second model describes projects that may have partial success. The first model uses an expert evaluator's assessments of the probability of success of selected projects to parametrize a logit probability distribution. The results give implicit weights which can be employed in future analyses to calculate the expected level of success of new projects. The second model allows projects to be partially successful. Several methods of using an expert evaluator's opinion to determine the parameters of a beta distribution are developed.
Structure and tension of interfaces

This is an informal review of some of the ideas, both historical and current, in the theory of interfacial structure and tension. After recalling briefly the van der Waals theory of the late 19th century, and noting the analogy between the equations in the simplest version of that theory and those in the classical dynamics of a particle, the account goes on to consider more recent elaborations and applications of the central ideas. These include applications to three-phase equilibria, wetting and pre-wetting, line and boundary tension, and fluctuations in the structures of interfaces and three-phase lines. In the study of fluctuations there is an analogy to quantum mechanics and the Schrodinger equation, just as there is an analogy to classical mechanics in the theory of equilibrium average structures.
Metallothionein alleviates cardiac dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetes: Role of Ca2+ cycling proteins, NADPH oxidase, poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase and myosin heavy chain isozyme

Diabetic cardiomyopathy contributes to high morbidity and mortality in diabetic populations. It is manifested by compromised ventricular contraction and prolonged relaxation attributable to multiple causative factors including oxidative stress. This study was designed to examine the effect of cardiac overexpression of the heavy metal scavenger metallothionein (MT) on cardiac contractile function, intracellular Ca(2+) cycling proteins, stress-activated signaling molecules and the myosin heavy chain (MHC) isozyme in diabetes. Adult male wild-type (FVB) and MT transgenic mice were made diabetic by a single injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Contractile properties were evaluated in cardiomyocytes including peak shortening (PS), time-to-PS (TPS), time-to-relengthening (TR(90)), maximal velocity of shortening/relengthening (+/-dL/dt) and intracellular Ca(2+) fluorescence. Diabetes significantly depressed PS, +/-dL/dt, prolonged TPS, TR(90) and intracellular Ca(2+) clearing, elevated resting intracellular Ca(2+), reduced caffeine-induced sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release and dampened stress tolerance at high stimulus frequencies. MT itself exhibited little effect on myocyte mechanics but it significantly alleviated STZ-induced myocyte contractile dysfunctions. Diabetes enhanced expression of the AT(1) receptor, phospholamban, the p47(phox) NADPH oxidase subunit and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), depressed the level of SERCA2a, Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger and triggered a beta-MHC isozyme switch. All of these STZ-induced alterations with the exception of depressed SERCA2a and enhanced phospholamban were reconciled by MT. Collectively, these data suggest a beneficial effect of MT in the therapeutics of diabetic cardiomyopathy, possibly through a mechanism related to NADPH oxidase, PARP and MHC isozyme switch.
Synthesis, characterization and sol-gel entrapment of a crown ether-styryl fluoroionophore.

The synthesis and initial evaluation of a new dye-functionalized crown-ether, 2-[2-(2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15-decahydro-1,4,7,10,13,16-benzohexaoxacyclooctadecin)ethenyl]-3-methyl benzothiazolium iodide (denoted BSD), are reported. This molecule contains a benzyl 18-crown-6 moiety as the ionophore and a benzothiazolium to spectrally transduce ion binding. Binding of K+ to BSD in methanol causes shifts in the both absorbance and fluorescence emission maxima, as well as changes in the molar absorptivity and the emission intensity. Apparent dissociation constants (Kd) in the range 30–65 µm were measured. In water and neutral buffer, Kd values were approximately 1 mm. BSD was entrapped in sol–gel films composed of methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) with retention of its spectral properties and minimal leaching. K+ binding to BSD in sol–gel films immersed in pH 7.4 buffer causes significant fluorescence quenching, with an apparent response time of approximately 2 min and an apparent Kd of 1.5 mm. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
BC1 RNA AND VASOPRESSIN MRNA IN RAT NEUROHYPOPHYSIS : AXONAL COMPARTMENTALIZATION AND DIFFERENTIAL REGULATION DURING DEHYDRATION AND REHYDRATION

Brain cytoplasmic 1 (BC1) RNA is a small non-translated RNA polymerase III transcript. Because this RNA can be detected in the rat posterior pituitary with 35S in situ hybridization autoradiography, it has been hypothesized that this RNA might be transported in the axons of hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal neurons. In the present study, we aimed to determine the cellular localization of BC1 more precisely by using non-radioactive in situ hybridization of BC1 RNA at both the light and electron microscopic levels. Our studies revealed that BC1 RNA was indeed located intra-axonally. Furthermore, BC1 RNA was abundant within a subset of axonal swellings and/or terminals, and was also found in discrete cytoplasmic domains of undilated axonal segments. Using a semiquantitative in situ hybridization approach, we have measured and compared the changes in BC1 RNA and arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA during dehydration (chronic salt-loading) and rehydration. Chronic salt-loading significantly increased both BC1 RNA and AVP mRNA. The increase in BC1 RNA labelling (2.5-fold), however, was modest and somewhat less enduring than the increase in AVP mRNA labelling (13-fold). Upon rehydration, both the BC1 and vasopressin transcripts in the posterior pituitary rapidly returned to control values. In conclusion, like vasopressin mRNA, BC1 RNA is transported in axons of the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system where it aggregates in a subset of axonal swellings, and its axonal transport is similarly regulated. Therefore, we propose that BC1 RNA might be involved in the axonal targeting, docking and/or transport of AVP or other axonal mRNAs.
Capacity and Production Managment in a Single Product Manufacturing System

In planning and managing production systems, manufacturers have two main strategies for responding to uncertainty: they build inventory to hedge against periods in which the production capacity is not sufficient to satisfy demand, or they temporarily increase the production capacity by “purchasing” extra capacity. We consider the problem of minimizing the long-run average cost of holding inventory and/or purchasing extra capacity for a single facility producing a single part-type and assume that the driving uncertainty is demand fluctuation. We show that the optimal production policy is of a hedging point policy type where two hedging levels are associated with each discrete state of the system: a positive hedging level (inventory target) and a negative one (backlog level below which extra capacity should be purchased). We establish some ordering of the hedging levels, derive equations satisfied by the steady-state probability distribution of the inventory/backlog, and give a more detailed analysis of the optimal control policy in a two state (high and low demand rate) model.
Molecular Mechanisms in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke

The management of acute ischemic stroke has not made significant strides since the introduction of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-TPA) two decades ago. The use of other therapies, such as heparin, aspirin, dipyridamole, and/or clopidogrel, have only moderately aided in the treatment of this ischemic disease. Therefore, major medical innovative approaches are critically needed. Because of the side effects associated with r-TPA (specifically bleeding) and its limited 3-h therapeutic window, new studies using current developments encountered in the molecular biology of ischemia are being incorporated into the potential therapy of ischemic stroke. A review of the major advances in the field, including glutamate receptor blockade, magnesium infusion, inflammation blockade, apoptosis inhibition, and other therapies, is introduced with special emphasis on the molecular findings recognized as targets for a better and more effective treatment. As new therapies are being considered, the time of administration is becoming a central point of study for the application of novel therapeutic initiatives.
Conflict avoidance among rhesus monkeys: coping with short-term crowding

Abstract Abstract. Two contrasting models were examined, each of which predicts a relationship between space and aggression in primates. A 'spatial density' model predicts that as spatial densities increase aggressive responses also increase. A more recent 'coping model' suggests that, over long periods of time, animals will adapt to crowded conditions by increasing appeasement behaviour and allogrooming to reduce social tension and the incidence of aggression. This study evaluated these models within the context of a traditional short-term crowding experiment by examining changes in behaviour when a well-established group of 61 rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, was periodically crowded into a familiar area one-fifth the size of its normal enclosure. Data from a sample of 20 adult subjects of both sexes showed that no significant increases in intense aggression occurred. Only mild forms of aggressive behaviour increased under the crowded conditions (threat and rough behaviour) and increases in rough behaviour were highest towards infants. Submissive behaviour such as avoidance and the bared-teeth display increased during crowding, and increases in the bared-teeth display were highest between same-sexed adult partners. Analysis of the rank distance between the performer and recipient of bared-teeth displays indicated that increases were most pronounced from the lowest- to the highest-ranking animals. Crowding produced a general increase in huddling with a corresponding decrease in grooming, and these changes across conditions were mostly attributable to interactions among kin. Results provide only partial evidence for both models and indicate that neither one by itself is adequate to explain behaviour in short-term crowding situations. Under short-term crowding, this group appeared to adopt a conflict-avoidance strategy rather than a more active tension-reduction strategy.
Syntheses and spectroscopic characterizations of oxidative metabolites of 4‐vinylcyclohexene

The 7,8‐epoxide and 7,8‐diol derivatives of 4‐vinylcyclohexene were prepared and characterized spec‐troscopically for use as standards in toxicological studies of the oxidative metabolism of the parent hydrocarbon.
Modeling the Response of Ultrasonic Reference Reflectors

Reference reflectors characterized as flat-bottom hole (FBH), side-drilled hole (SDH), and spherical void (SPH) are commonly used in ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) for calibration purposes. Here the measurement models currently available to simulate the A-scan response from those types of reference reflectors are examined. Measurement models suitable for both large and small reflectors are described and used to study the effect of beam variations over the surface of the reflector. The adequacy of the Kirchhoff approximation for predicting the waves scattered by these reference reflectors is also studied by comparing the results of that approximation to those obtained from more exact scattering solutions. The waveforms predicted by these various models are compared with experimentally determined responses in a pulse-echo immersion setup, and the accuracy of the models is discussed.
Analysis of foliage-induced synthetic pattern distortions

Phase and amplitude fluctuations induced by wave propagation through foliage limit the ability of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system to image a target under foliage. One-way measurements of these fluctuations were done at C-, L-, UHF band during the July 1990 Foliage Penetration Experiment using single frequency CW signal sources and the NASA/JPL SAR receiver. The phase and amplitude data are coherently integrated to create the synthetic azimuthal patterns that would result when attempting to image a point target obscured by foliage. The effect of synthetic aperture length frequency, and polarization on the attenuation and azimuthal response of foliage obscured targets is investigated.
Divergence from a Dedicated Cellular Suicide Mechanism: Exploring the Evolution of Cell Death

The developmental cell death in the nematode C. elegans is controlled by a simple and dedicated genetic program. This genetic program is evolutionarily conserved in higher organisms, including mammals. However, although mammalian homologs of C. elegans cell death gene products continue to regulate apoptosis, they are no longer dedicated regulators of cell death. On the other hand, multiple cellular noncell death-related mechanisms have been recruited to regulate cell death under different conditions. Such evidence suggests that evolution has led to an extensive integration of mammalian apoptosis machinery with multiple cellular physiological processes.
Portmanteau Ideas for Organizational Theorizing

Many writers in recent years have called attention to the need for creative approaches to organizational theorizing, and have proposed various ways of injecting this creativity. Toward the same end, a proposal is made in this paper for the generation of a class of inter-idea ideas designated here as 'portmanteau ideas'.
Patterns of entry, professional identity, and attitudes toward crime-related education: A study of criminal justice and criminology faculty

Abstract In the field of crime-related education, examination of the characteristics of teaching, research, and institutional differences has recently been a concern. This study examines full-time faculty ( N =929) and their patterns of entry, including academic degree held, academic major, past academic and agency experience, and type of institution; and the extent to which differing methods of access are associated with attitudes toward research, scholarship, agency practice, academic collegiality, and orientation toward crime-related study. Dual paradigms seem to exist in crime-related education: one centering on teaching, field practice, and professionalism; the other on research, scholarship, and the more traditional values of academe.
Electromagnetic field calculations for a tightly focused laser beam incident upon a microdroplet: applications to nonlinear optics

Systematic theoretical calculations are presented investigating (a) the external excitation of resonances within a spherical droplet using a focused laser beam, (b) the internal excitation of resonances within a spherical droplet due to an embedded source, and (c) the effect of droplet nonsphericity on resonance excitation.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Identity as a Moderator of Intervention-Related Change: Identity Style and Adolescents' Responses to Relationships Education

We propose that interventions targeting youth should consider the effects of identity formation on outcomes. In this study, data from 935 high school students address the potential moderating effects of identity style (high vs. low informational, normative, diffuse orientations) on intervention-related change in faulty relationship beliefs, future orientation, perceived interpersonal communication skills, salience of future marital and parental roles, and perception of knowledge gains. Four moderating effects suggest that high use of informational style promotes active exploration of curriculum content. Two moderating effects suggest that high use of the normative style limits responsiveness to some topics. Finally, three moderating effects reveal a tendency for diffuse students to resist the positive messages of the curriculum. Taken together, findings support the idea that identity style is an important influence on intervention outcomes.
Influence of particle size on fractionation with nanosecond and femtosecond laser ablation in brass by online differential mobility analysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A differential mobility analyzer (DMA) passes laser ablation (LA) particles and agglomerates within a narrow range of electrical mobilities to the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). No particle collection or offline particle analysis is required. Fractionation is assessed with the Cu+/Zn+ signal ratio. Results presented in this paper support previous findings that ns LA provides many small Zn-rich particles and some much larger Cu-rich particles and that fs LA produces large agglomerates of small particles. The composition of the aerosol produced by fs LA falls between the relatively Zn-rich and Cu-rich extremes of ns LA. Femtosecond LA provides elemental ratio measurements that remain more stable with respect to time, which allows a greater degree of confidence in LA results. Even though some parameters besides pulse length differ between the lasers compared in this study, the suppression of particle size related fractionation with fs LA can be attributed to pulse length.
Facile synthesis of 2,3,5,6-tetrabromo-4-methyl-nitrocyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one, a mild nitration reagent.

Abstract Nitrocylcohexadienones have been applied as nitration reagents for mild, mono-nitrating reactions. The original synthesis of 2,3,5,6-tetrabromo-4-methyl-4-nitrocylcohexa-2,5-dien-1-one appeared to be difficult to pursue due to both the solvent system and reaction conditions. Therefore, we applied a modified solvent system and optimized the reaction conditions to prepare the dienone at 0 °C, to eventually overcome the difficulties.
Autothermal reforming of gasoline for fuel cell applications: Controller design and analysis

In this work, we address the control system options available to an autothermal reforming (ATR) reactor. The targeted application is within an on-board fuel processor for a hydrogen-fed low-temperature fuel cell. The feedback controller employs air feed rate as the manipulated variable and a measurement of catalyst temperature as the control variable. Disturbances include significant fluctuations in the measured temperature as well as large throughput changes, owning to the on-board application. Our investigation includes an analysis of a simple feedback configuration as well as feed-forward control structure. It is concluded that the feedback only method is insufficient for the unique challenges associated with on-board operation, which include fast start-up and quick load changes. While the feed-forward configuration improves performance, we found a fair amount of sensitivity with respect to model mismatch. The general conclusion is that some form of advanced control will be needed to meet the stringent performance requirements of the on-board fuel processor application.
Irrigation and Débridement and Prosthesis Retention for Treating Acute Periprosthetic Infections

Background Infections following hip and knee replacements can compromise the function and durability of arthroplasty. When these infections occur during the immediate postoperative period, irrigation and debridement can be attempted to salvage the implant. Prior studies have reported varying results likely due to lack of consistent inclusion criteria, variations in surgical technique, and lack of uniform treatment protocols.
RELATION OF ENAMELING IRON PREPARATION AND ACCESSORY CONDITIONS TO COPPERHEAD-TYPE DEFECTS*

The tendency of blue ground-coat enamels to copperhead is shown to be related to residual iron salts formed on the surfaces of enameling iron sheets in sulfuric acid pickling. Ferrous sulfate generated in the pickling oxidizes and hydrolyzes readily into compounds which are not soluble in cyanide neutralizer. These effects may be retarded by keeping the solutions between the sulfuric acid and the neutralizer slightly acid and by minimizing the time in these solutions and the exposure to air in transferring between them. The determination of these conditions and the establishment of satisfactory procedures in the production process are described. Some accessory conditions which affect copperheading are also included.
The Alignment of the Vacuum in Theories of Technicolor

We study a class of models of dynamical weak-interaction symmetry breaking suggested by the work of Weinberg and Susskind. We demonstrate in these models some simple relations which determine the alignment of weakly gauged subgroups and the masses of pseudo-Goldstone bosons. We illustrate these methods by computing the spectrum of pseudo-Goldstone bosons in three models recently examined by Dimopoulos. These models are seen to contain a very light charged Higgs boson, whose mass we estimate by the use of chiral perturbation theory. In one of these models, we observe that the energetically preferred vacuum is a phenomenologically unpleasant one.
Neuropsychological Assessment of Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Schizophrenia

• A comparison of monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia controls for genetic variance and reduces variance due to environmental circumstances, thus serving to highlight differences due to phenotypic-related variables. In this study, we assessed 16 such twin pairs on a wide range of neuropsychological tests. The affected twins tended to perform worse than their unaffected counterparts on most of the tests. Deficits were especially severe on tests of vigilance, memory, and concept formation, suggesting that dysfunction is greatest in the frontotemporal cortex. While manifest symptoms were not highly associated with neuropsychological scores, global level of functioning was. To address the issue of genetic liability, we also compared the sample of discordant unaffected twins with a sample of seven pairs of normal monozygotic twins. No significant differences between the groups were found for any neuropsychological test. In fact, the results suggest that neuropsychological dysfunction is a consistent feature of schizophrenia and that it is related primarily to the clinical disease process and not to genetic or nonspecific environmental factors.
What Foreclosed Homes Should a Municipality Purchase to Stabilize Vulnerable Neighborhoods

Over the past 3 years, increased rates of mortgage foreclosures in the U.S. have resulted in widespread bankruptcies of financial institutions and massive losses of consumer wealth. The effects have been especially pronounced in economically vulnerable regions. In response, municipalities and community-based organizations provide a variety of services to mitigate the effects of foreclosures. Purchases of foreclosed properties represent a particularly attractive strategy because they have the potential to minimize blight, reduce unanticipated housing mobility, and to provide affordable homeownership opportunities. Since the cost of such purchases far exceeds the resources available in most urban centers, not-for-profit managers must solve the following decision problem: What subset of a large number of available foreclosed properties should be acquired for neighborhood stabilization and revitalization? In this paper, we present an extension of the multi-objective nonlinear knapsack problem to generate alternative portfolios of foreclosed multifamily rental properties to jointly optimize social benefits, social costs and equity. We apply our model to the Massachusetts city of Lowell, which has faced sharp increases in foreclosures since 2006. A subset of available Pareto-optimal solutions displays policy-relevant variation in decision space and objective space. We identify a promising compromise solution that places greatest emphasis on the goal of maximizing proximity of acquired units, and compare model results with strategies derived from heuristics inspired by real-life applications.
Modeling of the styrene microemulsion polymerization

A mathematical model was developed to simulate the polymerization kinetics of styrene oil-in-water microemulsions. Nucleation of particles in microemulsion droplets was assumed to account for the number of particles generated. It was found that the entry rate coefficient of radicals into microemulsion droplets is much smaller than the entry rate coefficient into monomer-swollen particles. All particles contain at most one growing radical. Various radical entry mechanisms were evaluated using the simulation. The possibility of flocculation between particles during the later stages of the polymerization and the high desorption rate of monomeric radicals was suggested by the simulation results. The likelihood of re-entry of desorbed radicals was den onstrated.
The Autonomic Nervous System and Heart Failure

The pathophysiology of heart failure (HF) is characterized by hemodynamic abnormalities that result in neurohormonal activation and autonomic imbalance with increase in sympathetic activity and withdrawal of vagal activity. Alterations in receptor activation from this autonomic imbalance may have profound effects on cardiac function and structure. Inhibition of the sympathetic drive to the heart through β-receptor blockade has become a standard component of therapy for HF with a dilated left ventricle because of its effectiveness in inhibiting the ventricular structural remodeling process and in prolonging life. Several devices for selective modulation of sympathetic and vagal activity have recently been developed in an attempt to alter the natural history of HF. The optimal counteraction of the excessive sympathetic activity is still unclear. A profound decrease in adrenergic support with excessive blockade of the sympathetic nervous system may result in adverse outcomes in clinical HF. In this review, we analyze the data supporting a contributory role of the autonomic functional alterations on the course of HF, the techniques used to assess autonomic nervous system activity, the evidence for clinical effectiveness of pharmacological and device interventions, and the potential future role of autonomic nervous system modifiers in the management of this syndrome.
Calibration of the maize yg2 assay using gamma radiation and ethylmethanesulfonate

A standard protocol for the yellow-green-2 (yg2) forward mutation assay in Zea mays is proposed. A detailed calibration of the assay using /sup 137/Cs gamma rays and ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) was conducted. Gamma ray-induced mutant sectors in leaves 4 and 5 exhibited one-hit kinetics. The radiation doses ranged from 25 to 500 rads. The mean induced mutation rate per rad of gamma radiation was 4.54 X 10/sup -6/. The induction of forward mutation by EMS also exhibited one-hit kinetics in the concentration range 0.25-20 mM. The mean induced mutation rate per mM EMS was 1.79 X 10/sup -4/, and the mean induced mutation rate per ..mu..mol of EMS per kernel was 1.52 X 10/sup -4/. Using the induced mutation rates for gamma radiation and EMS, the rad equivalent was calculated. One rad of gamma radiation is equivalent to the exposure of a 2.53 X 10/sup -5/ M EMS solution or to 2.99 X 10/sup -8/ mol of EMS per kernel.
Conversion of hemiarthroplasty to total hip arthroplasty: Can groin pain be eliminated?

In this study 45 patients with groin or buttock pain after hemiarthroplasty were evaluated 2 to 7 years after conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Groin or buttock pain was completely relieved in 36 patients (80%) and partially relieved in an additional 4 patients (9%). After conversion surgery, 9 patients continued to have groin or buttock pain, but no factor could be identified that would predict an unsuccessful result. The hypothesis tested in this study was whether conversion of a hemiarthroplasty to a total hip arthroplasty eliminates groin pain. Because a significant number of patients (up to 20%) will continue to have some groin or buttock pain after conversion surgery, patients should be warned of this contingency before surgery.
Tolerance proportionality in ODE codes

Some bounds on the global error of the numerical solution of the initial value problem for a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are developed that show the behavior with respect to the local error tolerance. Problems with solutions that are not smooth at a few points are considered. It is shown how to do local extrapolation with the backward differentiation formulas. An error criterion is proposed that has most of the advantages of both error per step and error per unit step.
The Design of Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws: The Triumph of Freedom over Determinism

One of the perennial puzzles of Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws is whether it has a coherent design. Although the dominant line of thinking is that this work has no unified structure, another believes it to have some organizing principle, even though proposals as to what it may be have failed to convince for lack of ability to account for various features of the work. I propose that The Spirit of the Laws is organized in a dialectical way, juxtaposing the antitheses of human freedom and determination. The tension between these is manifest in the first half of the work and resolved in the middle, and human freedom worked out and advanced in the second half. This article solves the long-standing question of the design of The Spirit of the Laws and reveals that the work's ultimate purpose is to champion human liberty over determination, contrary to the views of those who read the work as deterministic.
A TVA–Single-Chain Antibody Fusion Protein Mediates Specific Targeting of a Subgroup A Avian Leukosis Virus Vector to Cells Expressing a Tumor-Specific Form of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

We have previously described an approach that employs retroviral receptor-ligand bridge proteins to target retroviral vectors to specific cell types. To determine whether targeted retroviral entry can also be achieved using a retroviral receptor–single-chain antibody bridge protein, the TVA-MR1 fusion protein was generated. TVA-MR1 is comprised of the extracellular domain of the TVA receptor for subgroup A avian leukosis viruses (ALV-A), fused to the MR1 single-chain antibody that binds specifically to EGFRvIII, a tumor-specific form of the epidermal growth factor receptor. We show that TVA-MR1 binds specifically to a murine version of EGFRvIII and promotes ALV-A entry selectively into cells that express this cell surface marker. These studies demonstrate that it is possible to target retroviral vectors to specific cell types through the use of a retroviral receptor–single-chain antibody fusion protein.
Clustering mesh-like wireless sensor networks with an energy-efficient scheme

We study the problem of appropriately clustering mesh-like Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). That is, to impose a hierarchical structure on a WSN of mesh-topology, how many clusterhead nodes we should assign, and how to geographically allocate these clusterheads. Since a clustering method that optimises all factors is impossible to achieve, we will focus on the crucial issue of energy efficiency of the WSN. Because it is mostly true that the nodes of WSN are powered by batteries, power saving is an especially important consideration in WSN architecture design. Based on analytical results, a clustering scheme is proposed for WSN towards the end of saving energy of both sensor nodes and clusterhead nodes.
Shipboard Landing Challenges for Autonomous Parafoils

This paper examines some of the challenges that must be overcome if future aerial delivery systems are to have the capability to land on the flight deck of a ship underway. The unique aspects of trajectory planning for landing on a ship’s flight deck are first examined, followed by formulation of the position estimation problem for a moving target. Some preliminary investigations into characterizing the wind over a moving landing platform at sea are then described. Finally, experimental results are presented for testing of a small prototype autonomous parafoil with a simple moving target on land.
Evaluation of diffusion-driven material property profiles using three-wavelength interdigital sensor

The response of a three-wavelength interdigital dielectrometry sensor to the moisture diffusion process in oil-impregnated transformer pressboard has been simulated using an empirical relationship between the moisture concentration and the dielectric properties of the pressboard. A benchmark test of the moisture diffusion process has been developed with the purpose of comparing alternative parameter estimation algorithms used in /spl omega/-/spl kappa/ (frequency wavenumber) dielectrometry. The results of simulations highlight characteristic features of the multi-wavelength sensor response, such as the sensor response delay from the start of the transient moisture diffusion process as a function of sensor wavelength, the influence of moisture boundary conditions, and the relation between the signal magnitude and variations of dielectric properties. One of the parameter estimation algorithms, linear calibrated admittance-based estimation (LCABE), has been applied to both simulated and measured data. Adequate performance of the LCABE approach in the absence of strong discontinuities of dielectric properties in the electric field penetration region is demonstrated and contrasted to an electrically shielded region case, in which the signal response becomes nonlinear. The proposed approach offers significant potential for the measurement of diffusion processes in various dielectrics, especially for cases with highly irregular geometry or material structure. Measurement results from moisture diffusion process monitoring are included. Parameter estimation of measurement results with LCABE confirm its applicability to the monitoring of moisture dynamics in transformer pressboard.
Experiment flows and microbenchmarks for reverse engineering of branch predictor structures

Insights into branch predictor organization and operation can be used in architecture-aware compiler optimizations to improve program performance. Unfortunately, such details are rarely publicly disclosed. In this paper we introduce a set of experiment flows and corresponding microbenchmarks for reverse engineering cache-like branch target and outcome predictor structures, indexed by branch address or program path information. The experiment flows are demonstrated on the Intel Pentium M branch predictor. We have been able to determine the size, organization, internal operation, and interactions between various hardware structures used in the Pentium M branch predictor, namely the branch target buffer, indirect branch target buffer, loop branch predictor buffer, global predictor, and bimodal predictor. These findings have been validated using a functional PIN model.
Why Does Aggregate Insider Trading Predict Future Stock Returns

This paper documents that, for the period from 1975 to 1989, the aggregate net number of open market purchases and sales by corporate insiders in their own firms predicts up to 60 percent of the variation in one-year-ahead aggregate stock returns. This study also examines whether the ability of aggregate insider trading to predict future stock returns can be attributed to changes in business conditions or movements away from fundamentals. Evidence suggests that both explanations contribute to the predictive ability of aggregate insider trading.
Neuronal Morphogenesis: Worms Get an EFF in Dendritic Arborization

The development of neuronal dendritic trees involves positive and negative control of growth and branching, as well as modulation of the spacing and orientation of branches. A new study reveals the importance of a membrane fusogen in the dendrite arborization of a pair of highly-branched worm sensory neurons.
The Impacts of Ignoring a Crossed Factor in Analyzing Cross-Classified Data

Cross-classified random-effects models (CCREMs) are used for modeling nonhierarchical multilevel data. Misspecifying CCREMs as hierarchical linear models (i.e., treating the cross-classified data as strictly hierarchical by ignoring one of the crossed factors) causes biases in the variance component estimates, which in turn, results in biased estimation in the standard errors of the regression coefficients. Analytical studies were conducted to provide closed-form expressions for the biases. With balanced design data structure, ignoring a crossed factor causes overestimation of the variance components of adjacent levels and underestimation of the variance component of the remaining crossed factor. Moreover, ignoring a crossed factor at the kth level causes underestimation of the standard error of the regression coefficient of the predictor associated with the ignored factor and overestimation of the standard error of the regression coefficient of the predictor at the (k-1)th level. Simulation studies were also conducted to examine the effect of different structures of cross-classification on the biases. In general, the direction and magnitude of the biases depend on the level of the ignored crossed factor, the level with which the predictor is associated at, the magnitude of the variance component of the ignored crossed factor, the variance components of the predictors, the sample sizes, and the structure of cross-classification. The results were further illustrated using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort data.
Early intervention in literacy: An in‐class model for teachers

Abstract Early literacy interventions have been critiqued for their propensity to remove “reading problems” from classroom teachers’ responsibility. In the current study, classroom teachers were trained so that they could provide specialized early intervention lessons to at‐risk students in their own classes. The results of the project compare favorably with a “pull‐out” model of early literacy intervention. In contrast to pull‐out approaches, this “push‐in” model of early literacy intervention may have pervasive effects on classroom teachers’ entire teaching repertoires.
Azepinone as a conformational constraint in the design of κ-opioid receptor agonists

A new class of kappa-opioid receptor agonists is described. The design of these agents was based upon energy minimization and structural overlay studies of the generic azepin-2-one structure 3 with the crystal structure of arylacetamide kappa agonist 1, ICI 199441. The most active compound identified was ligand 4a (K(i)=0.34 nM), which demonstrated potent antinociceptive activity after oral administration in rodents.
Effect of Domain Size on Fluid–Particle Statistics in Homogeneous, Gravity-Driven, Cluster-Induced Turbulence

Scaling of volume fraction and velocity fluctuations with domain size is investigated for high-mass-loading suspensions of finite-size inertial particles subject to gravity. Results from highly resolved Euler–Lagrange simulations are evaluated via an adaptive spatial filter with an averaging volume that varies with the local particle concentration. This filter enables the instantaneous particle velocity to be decomposed into a spatially correlated contribution used in defining the particle-phase turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and a spatially uncorrelated contribution used in defining the granular temperature. The total granular energy is found to grow nearly linearly with the domain size, while the balance between the separate contributions remains approximately constant.
Preliminary investigation of the Ti-Ce system

The phase diagram of the Ti-Ce system is of the peritectic type. The solubility of cerium in β-titanium near the peritectoid temperature is less than 1 pct, and the solubility in α-titanium decreases with temperature and is less than 0.19 pct at 750°C. No intermetallic compounds were found between 0 and 50 pct Ce. Small cerium additions reduce the grain size of some commercially available titanium alloys.