cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of Causal Mechanisms from Randomized Experiments

Experimental research in the business disciplines often focuses on the overall treatment effect and the heterogeneity therein. While this type of research allows us to understand the strength and direction of the treatment effect under different conditions, it does not directly speak to the generative mechanisms, namely, why and how the effect arises. A standard procedure to identify the mechanisms behind a treatment effect is mediation analysis, but extant mediation analysis frameworks either have no causal interpretation or require the involved mediators to be unconfounded. Since mediators are post-treatment variables that typically cannot be pre-assigned beforehand, the endogeneity of mediators remains to be a serious concern even in randomized experiments. In response to this issue, we present an endogenous mediation analysis framework that can provide causal interpretations for endogenous mediators. We then discuss the identification conditions for different types of endogenous mediators, including latent ones, under this framework. Contrary to conventional wisdom on experimental design, we show that, by explicitly modeling the data generation process, the identification of a mediation process does not necessarily require a separate manipulation that affects the mediator but not the outcome. Finally, leveraging field experiments on two e-commerce platforms, we illustrate how endogenous mediation analysis can help identify generalizable causal mechanisms from different contexts. Our work has important implications for the design and analysis of experiments.
Self-Awareness and the Integration of Pramāṇa and Madhyamaka

Buddhist theories of mind pivot between two distinct interpretative strands: (1) an epistemological tradition in which the mind, or the mental, is the foundation for valid knowledge and (2) a tradition of deconstruction, in which there is no privileged vantage point for truth claims. The contested status of these two strands is evident in the debates surrounding the relationship between epistemology (pramāna) and Madhyamaka that extend from India to Tibet. The paper will focus on two exemplars of these approaches in Tibet, those of Śākya Chokden (shākya mchog ldan, 1428–1507) and Tsongkhapa (tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa, 1357–1419).
The Politics of U.S. Ambassadorial Appointments: From the Court of St. James to Burkina Faso*

Objectives While there is great deal of scholarship on the nature of presidential appointments in the realm of domestic policy (e.g., cabinet departments and regulatory agencies), foreign policy appointments have received far less attention. Yet, these appointments are important because they have global implications, dealing with such basic issues as trade, diplomacy, war, and peace. We examine one type of foreign policy appointment, the ambassadorial appointments of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Methods We employ data provided by the U.S. Department of State and data collected from various sources on the background characteristics of their U.S. ambassadors. Results We find that while both presidents promoted loyalty over competence in their ambassadorial appointments, they did so in different ways. The first President Bush used a personal “friends and neighbors” approach, while Clinton rewarded former campaign officials. Though it generally is assumed that presidents reward key contributors from their presidential campaign with key assignments, we find that Clinton was more likely than Bush to reward contributors with appointments to choice countries. Finally, we demonstrate that women and minorities received appointments of lesser quality during the Bush administration. Conclusions The determinants of ambassadorial appointments are more complex than previously assumed. While presidents appoint ambassadors on the basis of campaign contributions, they do not reward them equally with plum assignments.
Satellite Observations Defying the Long-Held Tsunami Genesis Theory

Using seismographs and GPS displacement measurements, we have estimated the seafloor deformation history of the December 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and the March 2005 Nias earthquake by separating their deformation period into intervals of 800-s, 1-h, and 6-months. We have then calculated their corresponding gravity changes (induced by the seafloor deformation), which are 11.3, 12.5, and 14.9 microgalileo, respectively. We show that the seismographs and GPS-derived values are consistent with the known postseismic to coseismic moment ratio of 30% and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites measurements of 15 microgalileo for the same period of 6 months. However, the vertical component of the accumulated seafloor deformation during the tsunami formation period (~30 min) could only generate a potential energy of 1.2 × 1015 Joules and account for only one third of the actual tsunami height. The evidence is overwhelmingly contrary to the long-held theory that the vertical deformation of seafloor is the primary source of tsunamis.
chapter 37 – ALTERNATING CURRENTS

Publisher Summary An alternating current is one in which the direction of the current changes with time. A potential difference that varies sinusoidally with time is termed as ac potential difference. A current that varies sinusoidally with time is called ac current. The average ac current in any element in a circuit is zero, and the average ac potential difference across any element in a circuit is zero. Electric energy can be transmitted with minimal loss from an oscillating source to a system where it can then be used. The most useful oscillating electric energy source produces a potential difference that varies sinusoidally with time. Resistors, capacitors, and inductors are used widely in electrical circuits involving both alternating and direct currents. This chapter discusses current in (and the potential difference across) a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor when each is connected to an ac generator. It explains alternating currents and its types.
Congenital heart disease.

Major chromosomal abnormalities account for 5 to 8% of congenital heart disease (CHD). A few congenital anomalies are due to teratogens such as alcohol, lithium, or retinoic acid, or to single gene defects. Most, however, are due to the interplay of genetic abnormalities with environmental factors or chance.
Quantum Versus Classical Noise Cryptography

A new quantum cryptographic scheme is introduced that, in contrast to previous ones, can be amplified and regenerated similar to classical noise-based cryptosystems. The essentially classical reasons for the success of various known quantum cryptosystems are indicated.
Confidence based lattice segmentation and minimum Bayes-risk decoding

Minimum Bayes Risk (MBR) speech recognizers have been shown to yield improvements over the conventional maximum a-posteriori probability (MAP) decoders in the context of Nbest list rescoring and search over recognition lattices. Segmental MBR (SMBR) procedures have been developed to simplify implementation of MBR recognizers, by segmenting the N-best list or lattice, to reduce the size of the search space over which MBR recognition is carried out. In this paper we describe lattice cutting as a method to segment recognition word lattices into regions of low confidence and high confidence. We present two SMBR decoding procedures that can be applied on low confidence segment sets. Results obtained on the Switchboard conversational telephone speech corpus show modest but significant improvements relative to MAP decoders.
The Right to Survive in North America

Surviving as Indians: The Challenge of Self-Government. Menno Boldt. “Retained by the People”: A History of American Indians and the Bill of Rights. John R. Wunder.
Test results of total ionizing dose conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory [bipolar and CMOS ICs]

This paper reports recent total ionizing dose (TID) test results obtained at JPL. Several device samples were analyzed exhibiting significant failure levels and enhanced low dose rate sensitivity (ELDRS) effects under biased and unbiased conditions.
Visual portrayals of obesity in health media: promoting exercise without perpetuating weight bias

Health education campaigns for preventing and reducing obesity often contain weight-stigmatizing visual content, which may have unintended negative health consequences. The goal of the present research was to identify non-stigmatizing visual content for health education materials that can promote exercise among people of diverse weight statuses. An online sample of 483 US women viewed: (i) a woman with obesity portrayed stereotypically; (ii) a woman with obesity exercising; (iii) a woman with obesity portrayed neutrally; or (iv) a lean woman exercising. Race of the models pictured was randomized (White or Black). Participants completed measures of weight bias and exercise behavior and attitudes, and provided information about their weight status. Analysis of covariance revealed that responses to stereotypical and exercise images varied by participant weight status. Across participants, neutral obesity portrayals elicited lower expressions of weight-biased attitudes and higher reports of exercise liking/comfort. Among non-overweight participants, images portraying women with obesity stereotypically or counter-stereotypically produced greater endorsement of negative stereotypes than control, lean images. No effects of model race were found. These findings suggest that the public responds differently to visual portrayals of obesity depending on weight status, and neutral portrayals may be an effective route toward promoting exercise without perpetuating stigma.
Transmission of electronically generated FSK using a 1.3 /spl mu/m InGaAsP Fabry-Perot laser diode

The fast modulation capability of the laser makes it suitable for transmitting data at Mb/s rates. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the modulation capability of a multimode laser and present the results of a simple FSK transmission experiment using the laser diode. Measurements indicate that the circuit response of the laser diode module and circuit board is linear up to a 200 MHz peak, while the intrinsic laser has a flat response up to 100 MHz and a distinct peak beyond 1 GHz. A switched VCO provided an alternating sequence of 100 MHz and 140 MHz tones that was used to modulate the laser diode.
South African Perspectives on Mobile Phones: Challenging the Optimistic Narrative of Mobiles for Development

South Africa, with its high mobile phone penetration rate and persistent social inequalities, is the target of many “mobiles for development” (M4D) initiatives. By comparing South Africans’ stories about mobile phones with the optimistic narrative presented by mobile enthusiasts, this study offers a counterbalance to M4D’s claims that mobile phones incontrovertibly enhance economic situations, improve health outcomes, and guarantee safety. Drawing upon a diverse collection of 79 interviews with NGO employees and beneficiaries in Cape Town, this study problematizes the mobile phone success story espoused by M4D enthusiasts and advocates for a reimagining and retelling of the mobiles for development story that fully considers the negative and neutral aspects of technology for development projects.
Analytical properties of time-of-flight PET data

We investigate the analytical properties of time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) sinograms, where the data are modeled as line integrals weighted by a spatially invariant TOF kernel. First, we investigate the Fourier transform properties of 2D TOF data and extend the 'bow-tie' property of the 2D Radon transform to the time-of-flight case. Second, we describe a new exact Fourier rebinning method, TOF-FOREX, based on the Fourier transform in the time-of-flight variable. We then combine TOF-FOREX rebinning with a direct extension of the projection slice theorem to TOF data, to perform fast 3D TOF PET image reconstruction. Finally, we illustrate these properties using simulated data.
Writing multiplicity: Hypertext and feminist textual politics

Abstract This article explores how hypertext might be used in the composition classroom to explore the gendered nature of text production. By exploring the theoretical connection between hypertext and feminist theory, this article suggests that writing multivocal hypertexts can help make students more aware of the multiplicity of their subject positions and the ways in which academic contexts try to silence those positions. Through a critical reading of a feminist, multivocal hypertext written by one of the authors, this article highlights both the successes and limitations of this theoretical premise. Although the article points to the ways both the academic context in which such hypertexts are situated and the nature of hypertextuality itself ultimately interfere with the writer's attempt to enact all aspects of a feminist intervention into textual politics, it concludes by recommending such a practice for the classroom. Despite its limitations, the process of creating such a text enacts many goals of a feminist classroom: finding a place for marginalized voices and interrogating the gendered power relations of academic discourse.
Detection of multiple cystic fibrosis mutations by reverse dot blot hybridization: a technology for carrier screening

We describe the implementation of a modified version of the reverse dot blot hybridization technology to detect eight cystic fibrosis mutations. The method is simple, quick, reliable, inexpensive, and nonradioactive and utilizes the sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction coupled with colored or chemiluminescent substrates for mutation detection. We have used this system in a clinical laboratory to identify the ΔF508, G542X, G551D, R553X, 621 + 1G→T, W1282X, N1303K, and 1717G→A mutations. The technique is practical for genotyping individuals at many potential mutation sites, as in cystic fibrosis and β-thalassemia, in which over 95 mutations can cause disease. This technology appears to be the method of choice for the widespread carrier screening of multiple cystic fibrosis mutations.
A COMPARISON OF THE WIND SPECTRA CALCULATED FROM DATA OBTAINED BY INDEPENDENT SAMPLING METHODS1

Abstract The power spectrum of the wind is estimated from independent wind measurements taken at an altitude of 1,500 ft above the ground in the frequency band from 0.0625 to 1.5 cycles hr–1. Wind data were obtained simultaneously from radar tracking equipment and from wind sensors on a nearby tower. These data were collected at 20-min intervals over a 5-day period. Analyses of the wind spectra and coherence indicated a good correspondence in the two time series, considering that the data were obtained at slightly different locations and by completely independent measurements. It is concluded that radar wind-finding measurements can provide valid estimates of the wind spectrum in the frequency band analyzed.
ALKALI METAL REDUCTION OF WEAKLY ACIDIC HYDROCARBONS 4,5-METHYLENE- AND 4,5-IMINO-PHENANTHRENE

Abstract Alkali metal reductions of the title compounds in ether solvents have been followed using NMR spectroscopy to enable diamagnetic intermediates to be detected. With 4,5-methylenephenanthrene, the phenanthrenyl anion and 9, 10-dihydrophenanthrenyl anion are formed in a 1 1 ratio. 9, 10-Dihydro-4,5-methylenephenanthrene was found to be an intermediate in the reduction. Similarly, both the 4,5-imino- and 9,10-dihydro-4,5-imino-phenanthrenyl nitranions are formed in a 1 1 ratio in the reduction of 4,5-iminophenanthrene. A proton transfer mechanism accounts for these results. In the reduction of cyclopentadiene, the cyclopentadienyl anion was the only detectable organic product. However, a significant quantity of indane is formed along with the indenyl anion in the reduction of indene.
Investigation on Bridge Assessment Using Unmanned Aerial Systems

The U.S. currently spends tens of billions of dollars annually to inspect infrastructures and collect subjective, qualitative data that can often be unreliable or largely irrelevant. Inspections also require adequate access to remote locations, for example, appropriate scaffolding, lifting and additional protective equipment, which might increase the associated personal safety risk and add costs. The use of unmanned vehicles has experienced a tremendous growth primarily in military and homeland security applications. However, it is a matter of time until Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) will be widely accepted as platforms for implementing monitoring and inspection procedures. Researchers at Drexel University are exploring the use of quadcopters as vehicles to carry a set of remote sensors with the ultimate goal to perform bridge condition assessment. While the accuracy of remote sensing systems is somewhat limited compared to the one of contact sensing systems, the ability to quickly and periodically scan/inspect a structure without the need for scaffolding, ropes, or cherry pickers currently used during bridge inspections could transform the way the industry performs periodic bridge inspections. The Drexel team owns a number of UAS with different payload, flight time and range capabilities. In this paper, recent results obtained from preliminary testing on small mock-up concrete bridge decks as well as on small/medium size bridges are presented. One of the main efforts is to explore how multispectral imaging can provide a preliminary assessment of the deck condition of common highway bridges. Among future goals, Drexel’s team plans to develop and validate computer vision approaches leveraging data collected using UAS to permit geometric characterization (quantification of bearing position, girder deformations) and condition assessment (e.g. quantification of spalling and corrosion areas).
An optimized center-out k-space trajectory for multishot MRI: comparison with spiral and projection reconstruction.

A method for collecting MRI data on a set of rotated trajectories that begin at the center of k-space is outlined. It is theoretically slightly faster, slightly less susceptible to off-resonance and motion-induced phase, and produces images with slightly better signal-to-noise ratio than methods using Archimedean spiral trajectories, particularly for a short sampling duration. It also produces more accurate images than those of projection reconstruction methods, which are significantly undersampled azimuthally. This method may be most useful when imaging areas with large inhomogeneities (e.g., near metallic implants), short T(2) species, or high turbulence (e.g., gas imaging). Magn Reson Med 42:714-720, 1999.
Gumma of the palate

Abstract This case history reviews a gumma of the palate which destroyed the hard palate and continued as an active lesion at the time the patient sought dental treatment. Although chronic oral lesions of syphilis are uncommon, the dental examiner must be constantly aware of their presence, since acute forms of the disease may go undetected or be refractory to treatment.
Inorganic sulfur turnover in oligohaline estuarine sediments

Inorganic sulfur turnover was examined in oligohaline (salinity < 2 g kg-1) Chesapeake Bay sediments during the summer. Cores incubated for < 3 hr exhibited higher sulfate reduction (SR) rates (13–58 mmol m-2 d-1) than those incubated for 3–8 hr (3–8 mmol m-2 d-1). SR rates (determined with35SO 4 2- ) increased with depth over the top few cm to a maximum at 5 cm, just beneath the boundary between brown and black sediment. SR rates decreased below 5 cm, probably due to sulfate limitation (sulfate < 25 μM). Kinetic experiments yielded an apparent half-saturating sulfate concentration (Ks) of 34 μM, ≈ 20-fold lower than that determined for sediments from the mesohaline region of the estuary. Sulfate loss from water overlying intact cores, predicted on the basis of measured SR rates, was not observed over a 28-hr incubation period. Reduction of35SO 4 2- during diffusion experiments with intact core segments from 0–4 and 5–9 cm horizons was less than predicted by non-steady state diagenetic models based on35SO 4 2- reduction in whole core injection experiments. The results indicate that net sulfate flux into sediments was an order of magnitude lower than the gross sulfur turnover rate. Solid phase reduced inorganic sulfur concentrations were only 2–3 times less than those in sediments from the mesohaline region of the Bay, despite the fact that oligohaline bottom water sulfate concentrations were 10-fold lower. Our results demonstrate the potential for rapid SR in low salinity estuarine sediments, which are inhabited by sulfate-reducing bacteria with a high affinity for sulfate, and in which sulfide oxidation processes replenish the pore water sulfate pool on a time scale of hours.
Lysosomes in uterine involution: Distribution of acid hydrolases in luminal epithelium

The distribution of acid hydrolytic activities in rat uterine epithelial cells during post-partum involution was examined by light and electron microscopic cytochemistry. Acid phosphatase, β-glucuronidase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase and E600-resistant esterase (cathepsin) increased during the period of involution and the electron cytochemical preparations revealed the lysosomal nature of the acid hydrolytic positive particles visualized by light microscopy. The newly formed particles included primary lysosomes, in the form of Golgi vesicles, vacuoles, and secondary lysosomes such as dense bodies and autophagic vacuoles. This apparent increase in lysosomal activity during uterine involution is in agreement with similar patterns observed in the course of tissue regression in general.
Nested decomposition for dynamic models

This nested decomposition algorithm is intended for solving linear programs with the staircase structure that is characteristic of dynamic multi-sector models for economic development. Staircase problems represent a special case of the discrete-time optimal control problem. Our method is based upon the same principles as that of Glassey [5], but appears easier to describe and to relate to control theory.
The effects of polydispersity, entanglements, and crosslinks on pulsed‐gradient NMR diffusion experiments in polymer melts

We have used the pulsed-gradient spin-echo NMR method to measure diffusion in a highly polydisperse polymer, a hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene. We have modelled the expected spin-echo attenuation assuming that the low-molecular-weight fractions are unentangled and constitute a Rouse-like diluent to the entangled larger molecules. Fitting this simulation to our data is consistent with the model and permits the extraction of the range of diffusivities and a semiquantitative value for the molecular weight above which entanglements inhibit diffusion. The model is extended to include a monodisperse diluent present additionally, e.g., a curing agent. This extension is tentatively applied to polybutadiene resins undergoing curing and shows that the diffusivity of the remaining unreacted curing agent is little affected by network formation, whereas the retardation of the unreacted polymer molecules is clearly evident.
Effects of different quality diets consumed continuously or after a lower quality diet on characteristics of growth of young Spanish goats

Spanish wether and doeling kids (4.5 months of age; 13.4 kg initial BW) were used to determine influences of different quality diets consumed continuously or after a lower quality diet on characteristics of growth. The experiment consisted of two 9-week periods. Diets were low quality forage (L, prairie hay supplemented with soybean meal), high quality forage (H, dehydrated alfalfa pellets) and 70% concentrate (C). Kids on two treatments consumed L in Period 1, with half switched to C and half to H in Period 2 (LC and LH, respectively). The CC treatment entailed C consumption in both periods, and HH kids were fed H in both periods. For HC, H was fed in Period 1 followed by C in Period 2. DM intake ranked (P<0.05) LC and LH<CC<HC and HH in Period 1 (502, 352, 386, 610 and 636 g per day) and CC and LC<LH, HC and HH in Period 2 (652, 621, 833, 808 and 836 g per day for CC, LC, LH, HC and HH, respectively). ADG was lowest among treatments (P<0.05) for LC and LH in Period 1 (78, 1, −1, 84 and 80 g per day) and was 53, 82, 112, 92 and 73 g per day in Period 2 for CC, LC, LH, HC and HH, respectively (S.E. = 11). Empty body fat concentration at the end of Period 1 was greatest for the C diet and lowest for L (P<0.05; 12.2, 6.4 and 9.0% for C, L and H, respectively), and protein concentration was greatest among treatments (P<0.05) for L (16.8, 20.1 and 18.1% for C, L and H, respectively). At the end of Period 2, empty body fat concentration was 22.0, 15.9, 14.4, 20.1 and 15.2% (S.E.=1.94), and protein concentration was 16.8, 16.9, 17.9, 16.5 and 17.6% (S.E.=0.35) for CC, LC, LH, HC and HH, respectively). In summary, kids on the L diet in Period 1 mobilized fat to accrete a small amount of protein. Continuous consumption of C resulted in high fat accretion relative to H in both periods. Consumption of H in Period 1 followed by C in Period 2 resulted in growth characteristics slightly different from those with continual intake of C, with a lower concentration of protein in accreted tissue for HC. The diet in Period 2 for kids previously consuming L did not markedly affect tissue accretion. In conclusion, the nature of the diet consumed by young Spanish goats can impact current and subsequent rate and composition of BW gain.
Developmental genetics of ribosome synthesis in Drosophila

Abstract The coordination of expression of more than 70 genes that code for the ribosome represents a complex problem for the cell and for the developing organism, in terms of gene expression and regulation. The rapid advances made in the fields of genetics and molecular biology of Drosophila make this organism a valuable model system for studying the regulatory phenomena involved in ribosome synthesis during development.
The failure of democratization in Russia: A comparative perspective

Abstract During the 1990s American leaders and many others in the West viewed Russia as the most important test case for a transition to democracy. Today the consensus of scholarly analyses in the West concludes that, if Russia did enter a transition to democracy, that transition was not successful. This article attempts to suggest some of the main lessons about democratization that may be derived from the study of the experience of post-communist Russia, seen in a comparative perspective. The thesis that the first competitive national election after the downfall of an authoritarian regime marks a decisive breakthrough for forces striving for democratization has not proved true for Russia. Yet the withering of democracy and the consolidation of a semi-authoritarian regime followed the period of competitive elections in Russia. In the early and mid-1990s scholars who had specialized in the study of communist regimes warned that the post-communist states would need to carry out radical economic and social changes as well as sweeping political transformation. In Russia, however, the consequences of a corrupted process of privatization of state assets were enormously damaging for the institutionalization of democracy. As was shown in a number of countries in the 1970s and 1980s, a strong civil society can play an important role in a nation's transition to democracy. The barriers to the development of civil society within the Soviet system and the conditions causing weakness in social organizations in post-communist Russia made it easier for members of the elite to subvert reform and guaranteed that there would be fewer restraints on the tendency toward more authoritarian control after 2000. Among post-communist nations, those in which a consensus of most segments of the elite and the public was committed to a radical break with the old system have been much more successful in carrying out marketization and democratization. The combination of historical conditions that had created a strong anti-communist consensus in most of Eastern Europe had not taken shape in Russia. The absence of a fusion of democratization and national liberation in Russia explained the lack of a clear national consensus in favor of political and economic transformation. One of the main lessons from the course of events in Russia from the early 1990s to the present is that change away from one form of authoritarian rule, which usually has been labeled as a transition to democracy, is not irreversible. Some democratic transitions may prove to be shallow, and the changes in post-communist Russia have provided a good example of a shallow transition. The scholarly literature on transitions to democracy that appeared after the early 1980s departed from earlier writings' emphasis on the growth of social, economic, and cultural conditions for the institutionalization of democracy in the political system. The experience of Russia may encourage us to return to the study of the long-term trends facilitating or inhibiting the growth of democratic institutions.
Limitations of Centering for Interactive Models

Several authors have proposed centering or transformation procedures to alleviate problems associated with the extreme multicollinearity often found in interactive models. Some of the claims made for these procedures are valid; others are not. Specifically, one of the transformations is very useful for improving coefficient stability. Conversely, arguments that centering will improve substantive interpretation or provide an orthogonal partition of explained variance for the original uncentered terms are not valid.
Acoustic and electromagnetic bullets

We show that all finite energy, causal solutions of the time-dependent three-dimensional acoustic equation and Maxwell's equations have forms for large radius which, except for a factor 1/r represent one-dimensional wave motions along straight lines through the origin. The asymptotic region is called the wave zone.We also show, conversely, how the exact finite energy causal solutions can be obtained from the asymptotic solutions in the wave zone through the use of a refined Radon transform. We have thus obtained a way of finding exact, causal three-dimensional solutions from the essentially one-dimensional solutions in the wave zone. When the asymptotic solutions are confined to a finite radial interval within a cone, the exact solutions are termed "bullets" and asymptotically represent packets of acoustic and electromagnetic energy "shot" through the cone. No reflectors are needed. Explicit examples will be given.
Differential reflectometry of corrosion products of copper

The new technique of differential reflectometry was applied to study some fundamental corrosion processes for copper. Free corrosion in air for one day yielded differential reflectograms characteristic of mixed oxides of Cu2O and CuO. With increasing time of exposure to air, the reflectograms evolved into typical CuO patterns. Similarly, free corrosion of copper in distilled water yielded mixed oxides of Cu2O and CuO. Holding copper potentiostatically near the boundary between these two corrosion products as shown on the Pourbaix diagram always yielded at first a mixed oxide which turned into the stable species after several days of polarization. It was further found that copper held potentiostatically first in the CuO region and then in the Cu2O region of the Pourbaix diagram does not lose the characteristic patterns of CuO. This suggests that the sudden shift in potential induces growth of Cu2O under the existing CuO layer without dissolving the CuO.
Evaluating the environmental justice impacts of transportation improvement projects in the US

This paper considers the environmental justice implications of transportation plans and policies in the US. Despite several administrative orders and federal mandates, few specific guidelines exist for assessing the disproportionate effects of transportation projects and implementing environmental justice principles in the transportation planning process. The paper develops a set of indices to measure the environmental justice impacts of transportation projects; and applies these to evaluate proposed capacity improvement projects in Volusia County, Florida. The indices developed serve as preliminary indicators that address the key research dimensions of environmental justice, meet the requirements of federal mandates that enforce principles of environmental justice, and are formulated on the basis of census data and tools available in geographic information systems software.
Ensuring Adequate Coolant Purity for Advanced Gas Turbines

The role of particulate contaminants in advanced gas turbine coolants is discussed, especially in light of the extremely high G-field regions they will experience in service. Predictions of sedimentation in both laminar and highly turbulent accelerating flows using a computational fluid dynamics code are made for a range of particulate sizes to show that particles over 0.5 µm are of concern. Possible techniques for limiting access of these particulates to the gas turbines themselves are presented. Overall, contaminant deposition appears controllable, limiting required cleaning of coolant channels to regularly scheduled inspections.Copyright © 1995 by ASME
Loneliness, negative life events, and the provisions of social relationships

This study examined the relationship of loneliness to deficits in six relational provisions—Attachment, Guidance, Opportunities for Nurturance, Reassurance of Worth, Reliable Alliance, and Social Integration. Unlike past investigations, which have been flawed by a confounding of measurement in which the very deficits used to operationalize loneliness have also been used to predict it, a self‐labeling measure of loneliness was used to address the question of how people who have come to the conclusion that they are lonely evaluate the provisions obtained from their social relations. In multiple regression analyses, loneliness was most strongly linked to deficits in Guidance, Attachment, and Reassurance of Worth for females, and Social Integration, Guidance, and Opportunities for Nurturance for males. The hypothesis that deficits in these provisions would be most strongly associated with loneliness for individuals who had recently experienced stress received weak support.
Graphene quilts for thermal management of high-power GaN transistors

Self-heating is a severe problem for high-power gallium nitride (GaN) electronic and optoelectronic devices. Various thermal management solutions, for example, flip-chip bonding or composite substrates, have been attempted. However, temperature rise due to dissipated heat still limits applications of the nitride-based technology. Here we show that thermal management of GaN transistors can be substantially improved via introduction of alternative heat-escaping channels implemented with few-layer graphene-an excellent heat conductor. The graphene-graphite quilts were formed on top of AlGaN/GaN transistors on SiC substrates. Using micro-Raman spectroscopy for in situ monitoring we demonstrated that temperature of the hotspots can be lowered by ∼20 °C in transistors operating at ∼13 W mm(-1), which corresponds to an order-of-magnitude increase in the device lifetime. The simulations indicate that graphene quilts perform even better in GaN devices on sapphire substrates. The proposed local heat spreading with materials that preserve their thermal properties at nanometre scale represents a transformative change in thermal management.
Response to treatments for depression: The role of initial status on targeted cognitive and behavioral skills

Abstract Cognitive and behavioral treatments of depression target specific deficits for remediation. Depressives who show the targeted deficits are typically expected to benefit most from therapy. This article reviews therapy outcome studies in which measures of cognitive or behavioral deficits were employed as predictors of response to related therapy. Contrary to expectation, there was no relationship between deficit score and outcome in many studies and, in several, a finding opposite to prediction obtained: Ss with more functional scores on the cognitive or behavioral measures did better in therapy than those with less functional scores. It is unclear whether the advantage seen in these studies is a response to a particular type of treatment or whether it represents general prognosis. Methodological and conceptual implications of these results are discussed.
Chondrites: initial strontium-87/strontium-86 ratios and the early history of the solar system.

A sodium-poor, calcium-rich inclusion in the carbonaceous chondrite Allende had a Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio at the time of its formation of 0.69880, as low a value as that found in any other meteorite. The higher Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios found in ordinary chondrites indicate that their formation or isotopic equilibration occurred tens of millions of years later.
Sapphire bonded photonic crystal microcavity lasers

Much of the work, to date, on photonic crystal lasers has focused on suspended membrane structures [1]. These suspended membranes do not dissipate heat effectively however, and the demonstrated lasers are limited to pulsed operation under short duty cycles. CW operation will require a much more thermally conductive substrate [2]. Here we report on room temperature lasing in small photonic crystal cavities on sapphire under long duty cycle pulsed conditions.
Nucleotide exchange factors for Hsp70s are required for [URE3] prion propagation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The [URE3] and [PSI+] prions are infectious amyloid forms of Ure2p and Sup35p. Several chaperones influence prion propagation: Hsp104p overproduction destabilizes [PSI+], whereas [URE3] is sensitive to excess of Ssa1p or Ydj1p. Here, we show that overproduction of the chaperone, Sse1p, can efficiently cure [URE3]. Sse1p and Fes1p are nucleotide exchange factors for Ssa1p. Interestingly, deletion of either SSE1 or FES1 completely blocked [URE3] propagation. In addition, deletion of SSE1 also interfered with [PSI+] propagation.
Considerations on the mechanisms and transition temperatures of superconductivity induced by electronic fluctuations

An overview of the momentum and frequency dependence of effective electron-electron interactions which favor electronic instability to a superconducting state in the angular-momentum channel l and the properties of the interactions which determine the magnitude of the temperature T(c) of the instability is provided. Interactions induced through exchange of electronic fluctuations of spin density, charge density or current density are considered. Special attention is paid to the role of quantum-critical fluctuations (QCFs) including pairing due to their virtual exchange as well as de-pairing due to inelastic scattering. Additional insight is gained by reviewing empirical data and theory specific to superfluidity in liquid He(3), superconductivity in some of the heavy-fermion compounds, in cuprates, in pncitides and the valence skipping compound. The physical basis for the following observation is provided: the ratio of the maximum T(c) to the typical phonon frequency in phonon induced s-wave superconductivity is O(10(-1)); the ratio of p-wave T(c) to the renormalized Fermi energy in liquid He(3), a very strongly correlated Fermi liquid near its melting pressure, is only O(10(-3)); in the cuprates and the heavy fermions where d-wave superconductivity occurs in a region governed by QCFs, this ratio rises to O(10(-2)). These discussions also suggest factors important for obtaining higher T(c). Experiments and theoretical investigations are suggested to clarify the many unresolved issues.
An inhibitory monoclonal antibody to human cytochrome P450 that specifically binds and inhibits P4502C9II, an allelic variant of P4502C9 having a single amino acid change Arg144 Cys.

A monoclonal antibody (MAb 292-2-3) has been isolated that binds specifically to a single allele of three expressed human cytochrome P4502C9 alleles. The MAb binds to 2C9
An Assessment of the Thermodynamics Associated With High-Efficiency Engines

Recent advancements have demonstrated new combustion modes that exhibit low nitric oxide emissions and high thermal efficiencies. These new combustion modes involve various combinations of stratification, lean mixtures, high levels of EGR, multiple injections, variable valve timings, two fuels, and other such features. Although the exact combination of these features that provides the best design is not yet clear, the results (low emissions with high efficiencies) are of major interest. The current work is directed at determining some of the fundamental thermodynamic reasons for the relatively high efficiencies and to quantify these factors. Both the first and second laws are used in this assessment. An automotive engine (5.7 liter) which included some of the features mentioned above (e.g., high compression ratios, lean mixtures, and high EGR) was evaluated using a thermodynamic cycle simulation. These features were examined for two operating conditions: a moderate load, moderate speed condition (“A”), and a lower load, lower speed condition (“B”). By the use of lean operation, high EGR levels, high compression ratio and other features, the net indicated thermal efficiency increased from 35.6% to 48.2% (condition “A”), and from 30.3% to 44.6% (condition “B”). These increases are explained in a step-by-step fashion. One of the major reasons for these improvements was the lower heat losses associated with the advanced conditions. Other thermo-dynamic features are described.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
The functional basis of the retroarticular process in some fossil reptiles

The functional bases for the development of a downward and forward curvature of the retroarticular process in synapsids are to be sought in the characteristics of the contracting muscles and of the lever system. The force(and moments) exerted upon a lever system should be considered in terms of the angular opening of the jaw.
Thalidomide in gastrointestinal disorders

Thalidomide was originally marketed as a sedative, but was removed from the market in 1961 after it was associated with an epidemic of severe birth defects. Subsequently, it has been shown to have therapeutic efficacy in a number of the gastrointestinal tract conditions characterised by immune dysregulation. The exact mechanism of the immunosuppressive effects of thalidomide is unknown; proposed mechanisms include inhibition of tumour necrosis factor alpha release and inhibition of angiogenesis. In chronic graft versus host disease, use of high dose thalidomide (1200 mg/day) may bring about a response in 20% of patients with refractory disease. Thalidomide 200 mg/day helps eradicate ulcers in 50% of patients with HIV-associated oral aphthous ulceration. In Behcet's disease, thalidomide 100 to 300 mg/day can decrease the number of mucocutaneous ulcers, although full remission occurs in less than 20% of patients. In Crohn's disease, thalidomide 50 to 300 mg/day may decrease the severity of mucosal disease and prompt closure of fistulae. Patients to be placed on thalidomide therapy must practice either abstinence or strict birth control; women must undergo regular pregnancy testing and utilise 2 forms of contraception. Other adverse effects include sedation (present in nearly all patients), symptomatic neuropathy (present in approximately 20%), and skin rashes. Given the potential toxicity, thalidomide use should generally be limited to clinical protocols with institutional review board oversight.
Abandoning Fish: The Vulnerability of Salmon as a Cultural Resource in a Post‐Soviet Commons

Following the dramatic transformations of Soviet collectivization and the ongoing transition to post-Soviet markets, institutions, and regulatory regimes, salmon fisheries of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East have become a vulnerable natural and economic resource. Although government authorities and environmentalists working in Kamchatka recognize salmon as an important part of local indigenous people's lives and cultural identities, the formal system for managing salmon fisheries does not directly address the vulnerability of cultural resources tied to salmon. In the mixed economy of rural villages, salmon fishing not only produces food that meets economic needs, it also generates cultural value. I examine how cultural resources are created as people harvest salmon, circulate it within their communities, and construct common identities from this work. Focusing on the obshchina, an institution that has emerged in the post-Soviet era to coordinate salmon fishing and other traditional economic activities, I explore dilemmas that arise as people strive to preserve the economic and cultural value of salmon while ensuring that their ways of life develop and remain viable in changing and challenging environments.
Medium-energy ion scattering study of the initial stage of oxidation of Fe(001).

In this study, Auger electron spectroscopy and medium-energy ion scattering of 100-keV protons have been used to determine quantitatively the oxygen coverage during adsorption and the adsorbate-induced surface relaxation of the Fe(001)-(1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)O structure at one monolayer oxygen coverage. The results show an outward relaxation of the first Fe-Fe layer spacing of 0.16\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04 A\r{} [(11.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.0)%], an outward relaxation of the second Fe-Fe interlayer spacing of 0.01\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04 A\r{} [(0.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.0)%], and a surface Debye temperature of 255 K. These results are consistent with low-energy electron diffraction studies but are in strong disagreement with the structure predicted by a recent first-principles total-energy calculation.
Relational Uncertainty, Perceived Fairness, and the Division of Household Labor in Cohabiting and Married Couples

This study examined the relationship between relational uncertainty and perceptions of division of household labor (DHL) in cohabiting and married couples. Specifically, research questions explored perceived fairness in DHL and relational uncertainty, perceptual convergence of contributions, convergence of perceptions and relational uncertainty, and convergence of perceptions and relationship satisfaction. A behavioral methodology called the Household Portrait Technique was employed to examine how couples discuss how they decide who does what in the household. A total of 33 couples independently completed a self-report instrument and jointly participated in the Household Portrait activity. Results showed that husbands and wives were agreed in their perceptions of fairness. Couples agreed that husbands do more of the outdoor work and automobile maintenance whereas wives do more of the childcare. Convergent perceptions regarding DHL was positively associated with relational certainty and marginally associated with relationship satisfaction.
Synthesis of deoxycytidine oligomers containing phosphorodithioate linkages

Abstract Deoxydicytidine phosphoramidite, 4-chlorobenzylmercaptan and tetrazole reacted to form dinucleoside thiophosphite. Oxidation with sulfur yields phosphorodithioates which were used to synthesize pentadecadeoxyoligonucleotides containing nuclease resistant phosphorodithioate internucleotide linkages.