cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Turning the focus on ourselves: teacher education professors' reflectivity on their own teaching

Schools and colleges of education everywhere proclaim the development of effective and reflective teachers as the centerpiece of their enterprise. The research questions that focused this qualitative study related to teacher education professors definitions of and metaphors for reflective teaching, the ways that they practiced it in their own teaching, the impact of their reflective teaching input on novice teachers' reflective teaching output, and their perceptions of factors that promote or inhibit students' ability to reflect. The semi‐structured interview approach was used to collect data from 26 participants. The analysis of the data resulted in four categories of meanings of reflective teaching and three categories of participants' assessments of students' reflective practice output. Further analysis showed some consistency between the participants' categorized meaning of reflective teaching and their assessment of students' reflective output. However, the opportunities that participants provided fo...
Load-Rating Procedures and Performance Evaluation of Metal Culverts

Load-rating factors are used to evaluate the service life or safety of culverts based on the culvert wall strength and soil cover depth over the culvert. Current culvert load-rating methods have deficiencies in identifying potential critical conditions of corrugated metal culverts. Current load-rating procedures do not provide explicit guidance to the engineer for load rating and evaluation of culvert condition. To ensure good performance over the design life, corrugated metal culverts must be designed and regularly evaluated using an effective load-rating method. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of current load-rating procedures. Recommendations are made to improve the analysis and evaluation procedures for corrugated metal culverts. The proposed load-rating procedure is based on an extensive review of load-rating procedures and design practices, experimental data, and theoretical investigations. The proposed method does not include a rating factor for cover depth. However, the design cover depth is required to be checked during the initial design stage to ensure structural stability. New capacity reduction factors are introduced for culvert wall and seam, which require different appraisals for wall and seam during annual inspections. The effect of external live loads is not included in the proposed load-rating procedure for deep culverts and for culverts subjected to low live load stresses. Field data from 39 in-service culverts showed that the proposed load-rating procedure is effective in evaluation of the existing condition of culverts.
Layered-based approach to virtual storage for smart power systems

The advent of data networks and the plethora of internet-based computing and control approaches have stimulated research on novel technologies for the intelligent management of electric power transmission and distribution networks (the “grid”). Such couplings of the conventional power infrastructure with information technologies is known under the term smart power grid. The Consortium of Intelligent Management of the Grid (CIMEG) has proposed a further evolution of a smart power grid to what is called an Energy Internet, which couples the basic principles and protocols of data networks with power flow. One of the key principles of the Energy Internet is the use of virtual buffers as large scale energy storage mechanisms. In this paper the idea of virtual buffer is extended into a multi-layer architecture and its main operational principles are introduced. Energy layers are controlled by intelligent agents, which bring power utilization to a higher level than that of a single user. Furthermore, they leverage the idea of virtual buffers and provide more stability in the power flow. The operability of layered based virtual storage in energy distribution and for grid stability is demonstrated through an illustrative example, where advantages and disadvantages in building future smart power systems are examined.
Predictors of Pain Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Objective To determine predictors of pain 1 year after the diagnosis of head and neck cancer. Design Prospective, multisite cohort study. Setting Three academically affiliated medical centers. Patients The study population comprised 374 previously untreated patients with carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. Main Outcome Measures Participants were surveyed before treatment and 1 year thereafter. Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine predictors of the 36-Item Short-Form Instrument (SF-36) bodily pain score 1 year after diagnosis. Results The mean SF-36 bodily pain score at 1 year was 65, compared with 61 at the time of diagnosis (P = .004), and 75, the population norm (lower scores indicate worse pain). Variables independently associated with pain included pretreatment pain score (P Conclusions Aggressive pain management may be indicated for patients with head and neck cancer who undergo neck dissections, complain of xerostomia, require feeding tubes, and have medical comorbidities. Treatment of modifiable risk factors such as depression, poor sleep quality, tobacco use, and alcohol abuse may also reduce pain and improve quality of life among patients with head and neck cancer.
Do FOMC minutes matter to markets? An intraday analysis of FOMC minutes releases on individual equity volatility and returns

Abstract This paper examines the 2006 to 2007 time period to determine the extent to which the release of the Federal Reserve minutes affects equity volatility and returns for 2832 individual firms. Using intraday data, we find that equity returns are essentially unaffected by FOMC minutes releases. We do find evidence of volatility effects, in that conditional volatility is lower prior to the minutes release and higher after the minutes release on release days, relative to a “control” day one week prior to the release date. These differences manifest at the 2:00–2:05 pm interval, and generally dissipate within 15 min. Consistent with previous literature, we also find evidence of both industry-specific and firm size effects in our data. Finally, we see that volatility is higher (lower) when the minutes are released after the Federal Reserve engages in restrictive (expansionary) monetary policy. Our results are robust to a variety of different definitions of the “control” dates, as well as differing industry definitions.
Inquiry as professional development: creating dilemmas through teachers’ work

Abstract Recommendations for professional development call for an alternative structure known as teacher inquiry groups. However, little is known about the contents of these structures. This article reports on a year-long study of one teacher inquiry group. It describes four key activities that served as objects of inquiry. Specifically, this paper explores this question: Do certain activities generate, more than others, the kind of inquiry that places the teachers on a trajectory for reconsidering their beliefs and practices? In contrast to other activities in this study, assessing student work generated debates that enriched the teachers’ thinking about what constitutes mathematical understanding.
Monotonicity in asset returns: New tests with applications to the term structure, the CAPM, and portfolio sorts

Abstract Many theories in finance imply monotonic patterns in expected returns and other financial variables. The liquidity preference hypothesis predicts higher expected returns for bonds with longer times to maturity; the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) implies higher expected returns for stocks with higher betas; and standard asset pricing models imply that the pricing kernel is declining in market returns. The full set of implications of monotonicity is generally not exploited in empirical work, however. This paper proposes new and simple ways to test for monotonicity in financial variables and compares the proposed tests with extant alternatives such as t-tests, Bonferroni bounds, and multivariate inequality tests through empirical applications and simulations.
The dark side of consecutive high performance goals: Linking goal setting, depletion, and unethical behavior

Abstract Over 40 years of research on the effects of goal setting has demonstrated that high goals can increase performance by motivating people, directing their attention to a target, and increasing their persistence ( Locke & Latham, 2002 ). However, recent research has introduced a dark side of goal setting by linking high performance goals to unethical behavior (e.g., Schweitzer, Ordonez, & Douma, 2004 ). In this paper, we integrate self-regulatory resource theories with behavioral ethics research exploring the dark side of goal setting to suggest that the very mechanisms through which goals are theorized to increase performance can lead to unethical behavior by depleting self-regulatory resources across consecutive goal periods. Results of a laboratory experiment utilizing high, low, increasing, decreasing, and “do your best” goal structures across multiple rounds provide evidence that depletion mediates the relationship between goal structures and unethical behavior, and that this effect is moderated by the number of consecutive goals assigned.
Kinetics Measurements of Methane Oxidation in Supercritical Water

Results and analysis of the oxidation of methane in supercritical water by oxygen over a pressure range from 35 to 270 bar and a temperature range from 390 to 440 °C are presented. Raman spectroscopy is used as an in situ diagnostic to monitor the concentration of methane, oxygen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in a constant volume reactor. Reaction orders with respect to methane and oxygen at 270 bar and at methane concentrations near 0.1 mol/L are close to two and zero, respectively. A nonmonotonic dependence of reaction rates on water concentration is observed. With temperature and initial concentrations held constant, methane consumption rates first increase with water concentration but reach a maximum near 5 mol/L. Further increases in water concentration lead to a sharp decrease in the rate of methane consumption. An existing, high-pressure elementary reaction mechanism reproduces this downturn in rates and provides insight into the reasons for this behavior.
Dynamic studies of catalyst poisoning: Effect on adsorption and surface reaction rates for hydrogenation of α‐methyl styrene by Pd/Al2O3

Pulse-response data for the hydrogenation of α-methyl styrene were obtained as a function of poisoning of the Pd/Al2O3 catalyst. The reaction is a first-order, reversible adsorption of hydrogen followed by a first-order, irreversible surface reaction. The experiments, at 298 to 323 K and atmospheric pressure, were carried out in a three-phase slurry reactor for which mass transport effects could be accurately accounted. Independent adsorption equilibrium data in cumene slurries showed that adsorption occurred to the same extent on both poisoned and unpoisoned sites with a heat of adsorption, ΔHc = −16.3 kJ/mol. Converted to styrene as the slurry liquid, ΔHs = −20.9 kJ/mol. The zero and first moments of the response curves indicated that the rate constant for the surface reaction was independent of the extent of poisoning. The analysis required developing a new theory for interpreting dynamic data where reactant adsorption occurred on both poisoned and unpoisoned sites. The rate constant (per unit mass of catalyst) for adsorption decreased continuously to zero as the extent of poisoning increased. The results are consistent with the concept that poisoning reduced the number of sites active for reaction, but that the activity per site for the surface reaction was constant. However, the activity per site for adsorption, while constant at poison levels up to 40%, appeared to decrease sharply at higher levels.
The Token Economy: An Affirmative Perspective

(1980). The Token Economy: An Affirmative Perspective. The Educational Forum: Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 107-111.
Constructing malware normalizers using term rewriting

A malware mutation engine is able to transform a malicious program to create a different version of the program. Such mutation engines are used at distribution sites or in self-propagating malware in order to create variation in the distributed programs. Program normalization is a way to remove variety introduced by mutation engines, and can thus simplify the problem of detecting variant strains. This paper introduces the “normalizer construction problem” (NCP), and formalizes a restricted form of the problem called “NCP=”, which assumes a model of the engine is already known in the form of a term rewriting system. It is shown that even this restricted version of the problem is undecidable. A procedure is provided that can, in certain cases, automatically solve NCP= from the model of the engine. This procedure is analyzed in conjunction with term rewriting theory to create a list of distinct classes of normalizer construction problems. These classes yield a list of possible attack vectors. Three strategies are defined for approximate solutions of NCP=, and an analysis is provided of the risks they entail. A case study using the \({\tt W32.Evol}\) virus suggests the approximations may be effective in practice for countering mutated malware.
Nationalization, socialism and the optimum size of the state sector

Abstract This article proposes an analytical framework for use by a democratic socialist government in determining how much to nationalize or privatize. A model is developed which enables socialist planners to determine the optimal size of the state sector. Once the optimal size of the state sector is determined the amount of capital to nationalize or privatize is ascertained. Hence, the model is of interest to socialist governments contemplating privatizations or nationalizations. Nevertheless, for expositional purposes, the setting chosen is that of a government which has just come to power and is attempting to determine how much private sector capital to nationalize.
Meeting Global Deaf Peers, Visiting Ideal Deaf Places: Deaf Ways of Education Leading to Empowerment, an Exploratory Case Study.

In a flemish case study, deaf role models revealed a moment of awakening, indicated by the Flemish sign WAKE-UP Contact with deaf cultural rhetoric made them wake up, and deconstruct and reconstruct their lives, a process represented by a circle of deaf empowerment. Flemish deaf leaders mentioned acquiring this rhetoric during visits to deaf dream worlds (in Flemish Sign Language, WORLD DREAM): places with ideal conditions for deaf people. Such global deaf encounters (Breivik, Haualand, & Solvang, 2002) lead to the "insurrection of subjugated [deaf] knowledges" (Pease, 2002, p. 33). Whereas deaf education had never provided them with deaf cultural rhetoric and was depositing upon them oppressive societal conventions (Jankowski, 1997), a common sign language (Mottez, 1993) and global deaf experience (Breivik et al., 2002; Murray, in press) in barrier-free environments (Jankowski, 1997) provided deaf ways of deaf education (Erting, 1996; Reilly, 1995).
On the dynamics of periodically forced chemical reactors

A method for studying the dynamics of periodically forced chemical reactors is presented along with the appropriate numerical techniques for its implementation. The method is capable of routinely treating many characteristics of forced oscillatory systems such as subharmonic and related bifurcations, bifurcations to invariant tori and frequency locking. It involves direct solution for the fixed points of the stroboscopic map. This procedure is particularly suitable for detecting certain routes to deterministic chaos such as the Feigenbaum period doubling cascade. Some illustrative examples from a homogeneous catalytic reactor model are included.
Three-body decay of the 3 s 2 A 1 ′ ( N = 1 , K = 0 ) and 3 d 2 E ″ ( N = 1 , G = 0 , R = 1 ) Rydberg states of the triatomic hydrogen molecule H 3

The breakup of $n=3$ Rydberg states of the triatomic hydrogen molecule into three $\mathrm{H}(1s)$ atoms was studied using SRI's fast neutral beam photofragment spectrometer. A beam of fast metastable ${\mathrm{H}}_{3}$ $2p{}^{2}{A}_{2}^{\ensuremath{''}}(N=K=0)$ molecules was generated by charge transfer of ${\mathrm{H}}_{3}^{+}$ ions in Cs vapor. The metastable beam was crossed by an intracavity dye laser beam in order to selectively prepare the $3s{}^{2}{A}_{1}^{\ensuremath{'}}(N=1,$ $K=0)$ and $3d{}^{2}{E}^{\ensuremath{''}}(N=1,$ $G=0,$ $R=1)$ states of ${\mathrm{H}}_{3}.$ Correlated fragment pairs were detected by a time- and position-sensitive detector. For both excited states, the two-body decay into ${\mathrm{H}+\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ fragment pairs as well as the three-body breakup into three correlated $\mathrm{H}(1s)$ fragments are open channels. The two processes produce distinguishable events on the time- and position-sensitive detector. For three-body decay, only two of the three products are detected. An extensive model using physically reasonable assumptions was developed in order to explain the observed spectra and to gain insight into the kinematics of the three-body breakup. Branching ratios between three- and two-body decay are estimated for the breakup of the ${\mathrm{H}}_{3}$ $3s{}^{2}{A}_{1}^{\ensuremath{'}}(N=1,K=0)$ and $3d{}^{2}{E}^{\ensuremath{''}}(N=1,G=0,R=1)$ states, and compared to results of a two-dimensional wave-packet calculation.
China, the Central Asian Republics, Russia and Mongolia

No abstract available The Mongolian Journal of International Affairs; Number 6, 1999, Pages 26-34
Some generalized Durfee square identities

A generalized q-binomial Vandermonde convolution of Sulanke is proved using a generalization of the Durfee square of a partition.
The Growth of Public Debt: Sustainability, Fiscal Rules, and Monetary Rules

The paper first addresses the question of the sustainability of debt growth by examining the behavior of taxation implied by fiscal rules that respect a government's intertemporal budget constraint. Sustainable debt growth may require the tax burden to rise above some socially acceptable level. In this case, whereas drastic remedies may prove ineffective, a more relevant choice concerns the degree of monetary financing of the deficit (as distinct from monetization of the debt), which affects the dynamics of taxation implied by the constraint. Monetary financing is then introduced into a model by Blanchard, and the effects of monetary financing on the interest rate and capital intensity are examined. Finally, some policy implications are considered.
Staff planning for operating rooms with different surgical services lines

We present a two-phase model for a staff planning problem in a surgical department. We consider the setting where staff, in particular nurse circulators and surgical scrub technicians, are assigned to one of different service lines, and while they can be 'pooled' and temporally assigned to other service line if needed, these re-assignments should belimited. In Phase I, we decide on the number of staff hours to budget for each service line, considering policies limiting staff pooling and overtime, and different demand scenarios. In Phase II, we determine how these budgeted staff hours should be allocated across potential work days and shifts, given estimated staff requirements and shift-related scheduling restrictions. We propose a heuristic to speed the model's Phase II solution time. We implement the model using a hospital's surgical data and compare the model's results with the hospital's current practices. Using a simulation model for the surgical operations, we find that our two-phase model reduces the delays caused by staff unavailability as well as staff pooling, without increasing the workforce size. Finally, we briefly describe a decision-support tool we developed with the objective of fine-tuning staff planning decisions.
Geochemistry of amino acids in sediments from Clear Lake, California

By studying the geochemistry of amino acids, we attempt to clarify uncertainties in the radiocarbon chronology and in correlations of ash beds and pollen spectra in lacustrine sediment from Clear Lake, California. Two amino acids, aspartic acid and alanine, are considered in detail. Relative concentrations of aspartic acid decrease with depth, a result likely due to diagenesis and to preferential adsorption and hydrolysis in clay. Relative concentrations of alanine show the reverse effect with depth, probably due, in part, to the generation of alanine from other amino acids during diagenesis. The aspartic acid racemization rate calibrated by radiocarbon yields anomalously low age and temperature estimations for Clear Lake when kinetic assumptions from a study in Lake Ontario are used. However, the “apparent” alanine racemization rate correlates well with the alanine racemization rate determined for sediments from Lake Biwa, Japan. Our age assessment based on alanine supports a time-depth curve obtained from oak pollen and oxygen isotopes for Clear Lake representing a time span of about 130,000 yr.
Trisomy 9 : review and report of two new cases

Trisomy 9 is a relatively uncommon chromosome abnormality that may sometimes be seen in the nonmosaic state. We reviewed 23 mosaic and 15 nonmosaic cases of trisomy 9, including 2 new cases, in order to better define the prognosis and phenotype of this disorder. A recognizable trisomy 9 phenotype was identified and included a "bulbous" nose, microphthalmia, and dislocated limbs. Other nonspecific anomalies involving various organ systems were also common. With one exception, all survivors had severe mental impairment. Mosaicism for trisomy 9 predicted longer survival, but the degree of mosaicism in lymphocytes or fibroblasts did not predict survival or degree of impairment. Parental chromosome variations were not uncommon. In contrast to prior reports, no specific prognostic finding was identified. A meiotic origin with loss of a trisomic cell line in mosaic cases is suggested.
Enhanced Expression of ICAM-1 in a Murine Fibrosarcoma Reduces Tumor Growth Rate

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays an essential role in lymphocyte adhesion to endothelium and migration across endothelial cell barriers. We undertook this study to determine the growth of a murine fibrosarcoma transfected with the ICAM-1 gene. MCA-105 tumor cells were cotransfected with ICAM-1 and the plasmid for neomycin resistance (NeoR). Selected G418-resistant clones were expanded and cell surface ICAM-1 expression was verified using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Integration of the ICAM-1 gene and ICAM-1 mRNA expression were verified by Southern and Northern blot hybridization analysis, respectively. C57BL/6 mice were divided into five groups (six animals/group) : Control, NeoR only, ICAM-1 (low expressing, Clone 25), ICAM-1 (high expressing, Clone 81), and a 1 :1 mixture of NeoR :Clone 81 ; animals received 1 X 10 6 cells on Day 0 and tumor measurements began on Day 7 and were measured in mm 2 . At 19 days, tumors from cell lines expressing ICAM-1 were significantly (P <.05) smaller than both the parental cell line and tumor-containing NeoR only (364 mm 2 vs 466 mm 2 and 527 mm 2 , respectively). This decrease in tumor growth may be a result of increased lymphocyte migration or increased anti-tumor cytotoxicity by infiltrating lymphocytes. The results from the mixed tumor experiment suggest a possible paracrine effect by cells expressing ICAM-1. Studies are currently under way to investigate the effect of immunotherapy on tumors derived from ICAM-1-cloned transfectants.
Influence of couple-stresses on stress concentrations

Abstract : Two-dimensional equations of couple-stress theory for an isotropic, elastic medium are derived. The components of stress and couplestress are then expressed in terms of the Airy stress function and another stress function which accounts for the couple stresses. After a transformation to polar coordinates, the stress distributions are found for a circular hole in various two-dimensional fields of stress. (Author)
The off-shell vertex in conformal field theory and string field theory

Abstract It is shown that while the usual β-functions approach gives interacting equations of motion that are only valid as small perturbations around the free equations, there is a simple modification that allows one to go off the free mass shell. This involves computing correlation functions of vertex operators that are separated by distances on the order of the lattice spacing — which is equivalent to studying the renormalization group equations with a finite cutoff. Applying this technique to the tachyon equation of motion, in the light cone gauge, we reproduce the off-shell three-tachyon aned vector-tachyon-tachyon vertices of (light cone gauge) open string field theory.
Prevention of carcinomatosis and bloody malignant ascites in the rat by an inhibitor of angiogenesis.

It has previously been shown that protamine sulfate is an angiogenesis inhibitor. Regional infusion of protamine into the peritoneal cavity is now reported to prevent the growth of intraperitoneal vascularized tumor masses in rats. Walker 256 carcinoma was implanted directly into the liver or into the peritoneal cavity of rats. Hepatic implants grew in the liver with metastases to the wound and mesentery. Injected tumor cells grew as solid tumor masses in the mesentery. Bloody ascites developed after 7 days. Animals received an intraperitoneal infusion of protamine or saline. Protamine significantly inhibited growth of solid tumors in the mesentery (P < 0.001). Histology showed tumor cells growing only in monolayer but without vascularization. Ascites was not bloody. In saline-treated animals large vascularized tumors grew in the peritoneal cavity and ascites became bloody.
Photochemical atmospheric pollutants derived from nitrogen oxides

Abstract Concern is now being focused on the health effects of nitrogen oxides and nitrogen oxides reaction products in the atmosphere. This paper reviews 3 years of investigation into the formation, distribution and fate of the nitrogen oxides and their reaction products. Smog-chamber and field-monitoring studies of the nature and concentration of gaseous and particulate nitrogen compounds are described, along with pertinent problems in analytical methodology.
Effects of dietary protein source on plasma lipids, HMG CoA reductase activity, and hepatic glutathione levels in gerbils

Abstract It has recently been postulated that soy protein-induced hypocholesterolemia is induced by increased production of reduced glutathione (GSH). The objective of the current study was to determine the influences of dietary proteins and amino acids on plasma lipid concentrations, hepatic GSH, and HMG CoA reductase activity. Twenty-eight adult male, inbred gerbils were fed diets similar in all respects except that dietary protein source was from either soy protein isolate (SOY), casein (CAS), L-amino acid patterned after SOY (SAA), or L-amino acid patterned after CAS (CAA). Results indicated that gerbils fed SOY had lower plasma total cholesterol concentrations than gerbils fed CAS or CAA. Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol was also lowest in SOY-fed animals compared with all other groups. High density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol concentrations were highest in CAA-fed animals. Plasma triglycerides were unaffected by dietary treatment. Hepatic GSH concentrations were lowest in SOY-fed gerbils, but were not different between SAA- and CAA-fed groups. HMG CoA reductase activity was highest in gerbils fed SOY compared with CAS; however, when amino acids were fed the opposite occurred-reductase activity was higher in gerbils fed CAA compared with animals fed SAA. Correlation analysis showed no association between GSH and HMG CoA reductase activity. Positive correlations were present between GSH and total and HDL-cholesterol concentrations. These results indicate that lipid metabolism is influenced by dietary protein source, but these changes are not likely to be mediated by a GHS-mediated modification of cholesterol biosynthesis.
The effects of electron and proton irradiation on thin film solar cells

Electron and proton radiation effects on GaAs, CdS and CdTe thin film solar cells noting proton damage, estimates on cell life, etc
Order m alpha 8 contributions to the decay rate of orthopositronium.

We discuss how contributions to the order O(m${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{8}$) orthopositronium decay rate can be separated into two categories, one due to relativistic momenta and calculable in terms of quantum electrodynamics scattering amplitudes, the other due to low momenta and calculable in the simpler framework of a low-energy effective theory. We report new results for all low-momentum contributions, and give a formula relating the remaining contributions to conventional (on-shell) quantum electrodynamics scattering amplitudes.
Energy and water conservation through recycle of dyeing wastewater using dynamic Zr(IV)-PAA membranes

Abstract The textile dyeing operations consumes large amounts of process water and thermal energy. The wastewater resulting from these operations contains various types of contaminants of organic and inorganic origin. This wastewater has an above average temperature. The possibility of renovating and recycling a major portion of this wastewater would reduce the water and energy consumption by these dyeing operations. This paper presents pilot plant test results of using Zr(IV)-PAA dynamic RO membrane modules for treating dyeing wastewater. Using these results, a mathematical model was presented to evaluate the design parameters and economic feasibility of a 1000 m 3 /day plant for treating and recycling dyeing wastewater. The economic results show that a net profit could be obtained by recycling product water.
Prediction of alloy precipitate shapes from first principles

We have elucidated the physical mechanisms governing the observed size- and temperature dependence of precipitate shapes in Al-Zn alloys via quantum-mechanical first-principles simulations. In remarkable quantitative agreement with alloy aging experiments, we find that with decreasing temperature and increasing average size, the precipitates change from spherical to plate-like shape. Although the precipitates are created by an inherently kinetic heat treatment process, the entire series of their size vs. shape relation can be explained in terms of thermodynamic arguments and understood in terms of strain and chemical energies.
Effect of Non-Parallel Underhead Contact of a Tightened Fastener on Clamp Load and Optically Measured Deformation Field

This experimental investigation examines the effect of non-parallel contact of tightened fasteners on the resulting clamp load and on the optically measured deformation field using Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI). A simple model of a single-bolt joint is used. In the model, tapered plates with two different wedge angles are used in order to simulate non-parallel contact under the fastener head. For the same level of tightening torque, the resulting clamp load, deformation field, and strain field are measured for two levels of wedge angle, and compared with those of a perfectly parallel contact. The tapered plates that were used in this study provide 5° and 10° wedge angles. The possibility of using optics to control the tightening process of threaded fastener, by monitoring the deformation and strain fields in real-time during fastener tightening, promises to significantly enhance the reliability of bolted assemblies. This is due to that the optical control would bypass the friction uncertainties that frequently make the torque control methods unreliable for critical assemblies. As a first step towards this long-term goal of developing and implementing an optical control method, this study investigates the deformation field that results from a known tightening torque for various scenarios of non-parallel contact under the fastener head. The deformation and strain fields are optically measured using an optical sensor that uses Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI), and provides a 3D displacement field with high precision. A Special software is used in order to convert the deformation to a strain field. The sensor is mounted on the joint surface in order to eliminate the effect of rigid body motion. Measured clamp loads, deformation, and strain fields are investigated for 5° and 10° wedge angles and are compared with the results of perfectly parallel contact under the fastener head.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Economics and cigarettes

Economic facts on cigarette consumption and production are summarized, and the health consequences of cigarette smoking are reviewed. The magnitude and distribution of these health consequences among the population are discussed in economic terms, that is, in an "accounting framework" comprising such disparate elements as lost lives, lost livelihoods, pain, fear, discomfort, medical costs, excise taxes, and the costs of regulating smoking behaviors. The importance of these factors and their potential influence on public policy and individual behavior are considered. Difficulties include assigning a monetary value to an expected extension of life, the "voluntary" nature of smoking (even though most smokers wish they could quit), deciding what to include as economic consequences of smoking, and the attribution to smoking of some share of the costs for diseases known to be affected by smoking. "Transfers," or purely financial transactions, in contrast to expenditures for goods and services, are explained as one assessment component of the economic impact of smoking-related diseases. The issue of the economic benefit to the United States as a whole and to the population engaged in the cigarette industry, because of the earnings and employment generated by cigarette purchases, is examined, as is the issue of cigarette purchases as a significant source of federal and state revenue.
Energy levels of isoelectronic impurities by large scale LDA calculations

Isoelectronic impurity states are localized states induced by stoichiometric single atom substitution in bulk semiconductor. Photoluminescence spectra indicate deep impurity levels of 0.5 to 0.9eV above the top of valence band for systems like: GaN:As, GaN:P, CdS:Te, ZnS:Te. Previous calculations based on small supercells seemingly confirmed these experimental results. However, the current ab initio calculations based on thousand atom supercells indicate that the impurity levels of the above systems are actually much shallower(0.04 to 0.23 eV), and these impurity levels should be compared with photoluminescence excitation spectra, not photoluminescence spectra.
Student Ethos in the Online Technical Communication Classroom: Diverse Voices

“The study of activity ceases to be the psychology of an individual, but instead focuses on the interaction between an individual, systems of artifacts, and other individuals in historically developing institutional settings” (Miettinen, 1997). As teaching technical writing online becomes more widespread, teachers and scholars are identifying ways to increase teaching/learning efficacy. One way of accomplishing this goal is by continually reflecting on different types of student ethos being constructed in an online course. The changes that occur in the ethos development process can be contextualized through activity theory, which emphasizes the dynamic, evolving nature of social environments. Activity theory's focus on cultural history and tools makes it ideal for exploring active communication among multiple participants in an online technical communication environment. The triangle of human activity adapted and developed by Engestrom (1987) provides a framework for exploring ethos as an object within an...
IMMIGRATION NATION: RAIDS, DETENTIONS AND DEPORTATIONS IN POST-9/11 AMERICA

Tanya Maria Golash-Boza, IMMIGRATION NATION: RAIDS, DETENTIONS AND DEPORTATIONS IN POST-9/11 AMERICA, Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers, 2012, x + 213 pp., $21.21 (pbk) Tanya Golash-Boza's Immigrati...
Deadlock Analysis in the Design of Data-Flow Circuits

One means of making VLSI design tractable is to proceed from a high-level specification of a circuit in terms of functionality, to the circuit level. A notable error which may occur in a top-down design starting with a data-flow graph representation of a circuit is a design inconsistency due to deadlock. This paper attempts to further develop the theoretical basis for algorithms which analyze the deadlock property of circuits on the basis of their data-flow graph representations. A systematic scheme to verify the absence of deadlock in data-flow graphs is also presented.
A quasi-moment approach for the analysis of noncoherent communications over complex non-Gaussian fading channels

In the paper, the problem of noncoherently detecting binary data transmitted over channels with complex non-Gaussian fading statistics is considered. The results are obtained by employing a quasi-moment expansion technique. Numerical evaluation of the performance of an L-diversity FSK system is carried out for a non-Gaussian fading channel modelled by the Middelton Class A statistics. A two-tier approximation is shown to provide good agreement with the exact computation that requires, in general, a complete statistical description of the channel. >
A 60GHz radio chipset fully-integrated in a low-cost packaging technology

We present a cost-effective plastic packaging technology for a fully-integrated 60GHz radio, used for communication in the 60GHz ISM band. The chipset supports 1-3 Gbps directional links using a ASK or PSK modulation, or it can be used in 500Mbps-1Gbps omni-directional links using an OFDM modulation. The antenna is integrated inside of the package and does not require any high-frequency external connection. The fabrication process of a direct-chip-attach (DCA) and surface mountable land-grid-array (LGA) package technology is presented. Both packages are robust against variations of the electrical properties of standard plastic mold materials.
The Statistical Analysis of Event Histories

Event histories are generated so-called failure-time processes and take this form. The dependent variable—for example, some social state—is discrete or continuous. Over time it evolves as follows: For finite periods of time (from one calendar date to another) it stays constant at a given value. At a later date, which is a random variable, the dependent variable jumps to a new value. The process evolves in this manner from the calendar date when one change occurs to a later date when another change occurs. Between the dates of the changes, the dependent variable stays constant. Data on such processes typically contain information about (a) the date a sample member entered a social state; (b) the date the state later was left, if left; (c) the value of the next state entered; and so on. In analyzing such data, the foci are on what determines the amount of time spent in each state and on what determines the value of the next state entered. This article describes how one can use continuous-time hazard rate mo...
Population, evolutionary and genomic consequences of interference selection

Weakly selected mutations are most likely to be physically clustered across genomes and, when sufficiently linked, they alter each others' fixation probability, a process we call interference selection (IS). Here we study population genetics and evolutionary consequences of IS on the selected mutations themselves and on adjacent selectively neutral variation. We show that IS reduces levels of polymorphism and increases low-frequency variants and linkage disequilibrium, in both selected and adjacent neutral mutations. IS can account for several well-documented patterns of variation and composition in genomic regions with low rates of crossing over in Drosophila. IS cannot be described simply as a reduction in the efficacy of selection and effective population size in standard models of selection and drift. Rather, IS can be better understood with models that incorporate a constant "traffic" of competing alleles. Our simulations also allow us to make genome-wide predictions that are specific to IS. We show that IS will be more severe at sites in the center of a region containing weakly selected mutations than at sites located close to the edge of the region. Drosophila melanogaster genomic data strongly support this prediction, with genes without introns showing significantly reduced codon bias in the center of coding regions. As expected, if introns relieve IS, genes with centrally located introns do not show reduced codon bias in the center of the coding region. We also show that reasonably small differences in the length of intermediate "neutral" sequences embedded in a region under selection increase the effectiveness of selection on the adjacent selected sequences. Hence, the presence and length of sequences such as introns or intergenic regions can be a trait subject to selection in recombining genomes. In support of this prediction, intron presence is positively correlated with a gene's codon bias in D. melanogaster. Finally, the study of temporal dynamics of IS after a change of recombination rate shows that nonequilibrium codon usage may be the norm rather than the exception.
Zinc absorption from a low–phytic acid maize

Background: Phytic acid reduction in cereal grains has been accomplished with plant genetic techniques. These low‐phytic acid grains provide a strategy for improving the mineral (eg, zinc) status in populations that are dependent on grains, including maize (Zea mays L.), as major dietary staples. Objective: The objective was to compare the fractional absorption of zinc from polenta prepared from maize low in phytic acid with that prepared from a wild-type isohybrid maize (control) after short-term consumption by adults whose habitual diet is low in phytic acid. Design: Healthy adults served as their own control subjects in a crossover design. All meals on 1 d consisted of polenta prepared from a low‐phytic acid maize homozygous for the recessive low phytic acid 1-1 (lpa1-1). On the preceding or following day, all meals consisted of polenta prepared from a sibling isohybrid homozygous wild-type maize with a “normal” phytic acid content. The low‐phytic acid maize contained � 60% less phytic acid than did the wild-type maize. All test meals were extrinsically labeled with zinc stable-isotope tracers. The fractional absorption of zinc was determined on the basis of fecal enrichment. Results: The molar ratios of phytic acid to zinc in the polenta prepared from lpa1-1 maize and the wild-type maize were 17:1 and 36:1, respectively. The corresponding fractional absorptions of zinc were 0.30 ± 0.13 and 0.17 ± 0.11, respectively (P < 0.005). Conclusion: Substitution of a low‐phytic acid grain in a maizebased diet is associated with a substantial increase in zinc absorption. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:556‐9.
Area-Aware Optimizations for Resource Constrained Branch Predictors Exploited in Embedded Processors

Modern embedded processors (e.g., Intel?s XScale) use small and simple branch predictors to improve performance. Such predictors impose little area and power overhead but may offer low accuracy. As a result, branch misprediction rate could be high. Such mispredictions result in longer program runtime and wasted activity. To address this inefficiency, we introduce two optimization techniques: First, we introduce an adaptive and low-complexity branch prediction technique. Our branch predictor removes up to a maximum of 50% of the branch mispredictions of a bimodal predictor. This results in improving performance by up to 16%. Second, we present front-end gating techniques and reduce wasted activity up to a maximum of 32%.
Biochemical heterogeneity, migration, and pre-fertilization release of mouse oocyte cortical granules.

Background Oocyte cortical granules are important in the fertilization of numerous species including mammals. Relatively little is known about the composition, migration, and pre-fertilization release of mammalian oocyte cortical granules.
Markets before economic growth: the grain market of medieval England

England from 1200 to 1600 was a society caught in apparent technological stasis, typical of the pre-industrial world. Many believe this pre-industrial stagnation was the result of political and cultural constraints, such as those on the operation of markets. Indeed medieval English law outlawed many arbitrage activities in markets. The paper shows using information of grain yields and prices at 227 different locations that the most important of all markets, that for grain, was nevertheless both extensive and relatively efficient as early as 1209. Whatever the rhetoric of medieval law and social thought the real effect of constraints on the operation the grain market seems to have been minimal. England had an elaborate market economy at least 500 years before it had sustained economic growth.
Shared watercourses in the Southern African development community: challenges and opportunities

The countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are characterized by sharp variations in size, population, economic development, as well as water availability. The SADC region is, by and large, arid or semi-arid, and as a result faces tremendous challenges in its water sector. The challenges stem from a number of factors, including the high rate of population growth, urbanization and environmental degradation. Those problems are compounded by periodic floods and droughts. Moreover, the region depends, to a considerable extent, on river waters, most of which are shared by two or more states. As such, those shared rivers could be a source of conflict as well as a catalyst for cooperation. This article examines the water resources problems of SADC, with particular emphasis on its shared watercourses, and analyzes the problems therein and the attempts to deal with them.
Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering imaging with photonic crytal fiber delivered laser source

Fiber-delivered laser source provides the flexibility desired for optical imaging systems. Here we demonstrate laser-scanning coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering imaging with two picosecond laser sources delivered by large mode area photonic crystal fiber.
Institutional dynamics: Resilience, vulnerability and adaptation in environmental and resource regimes

Like all social institutions, governance systems that address human-environment relations - commonly know as environmental or resource regimes - are dynamic. Although analysts have examined institutional change from a variety of perspectives, a particularly puzzling feature of institutional dynamics arises from the fact that some regimes linger on relatively unchanged even after they have become ineffective, while others experience state changes or even collapse in the wake of seemingly modest trigger events. This article employs the framework developed to study resilience, vulnerability, and adaptation in socio-ecological systems (the SES framework) in an effort to illuminate the conditions leading to state changes in environmental and resource regimes. Following a discussion of several conceptual issues, it examines institutional stresses, stress management mechanisms, and the changes that occur when interactive and cumulative stresses overwhelm these mechanisms. An important conclusion concerns the desirability of thinking systematically about institutional reform in a timely manner, in order to be prepared for brief windows of opportunity to make planned changes in environmental regimes when state changes occur.