cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantum Magnetooptics at High Fields

Magnetooptics dates back to the discovery by Michael Faraday in 1845 of what is now known as the Faraday effect. Near the turn of the century the more important Zeeman effect was discovered. It was subsequently explained by Lorentz, who considered a classical treatment of a bound electron in a magnetic field. Later, when quantum mechanics was developed, these phenomena were treated more rigorously and the Zeeman effect was then used to elucidate the structure of the atom. The Faraday rotation was treated quantum mechanically by Rosenfeld (1). This treatment only applied to atoms or to discrete impurity states in a host crystal. No significant progress in the treatment of magnetooptical phenomena in solids took place, however, until the 1950’s. Rapid progress then occurred because of a series of timely coincidences in the advancement of technology and the development of theoretical concepts. Technical breakthroughs included the synthesis of pure single crystals of high quality and perfection, the widespread use of low-temperature techniques in the laboratory, the duplication of high-intensity magnetic field facilities, advances in microwave, millimeter wave, and infrared techniques, and, most recently, the introduction of the laser. On the theoretical side the most important development was the recognition of the quantum properties of electrons in a solid in the presence of a magnetic field.
Phenol, 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)

This article summarizes the current toxicological data on the chemical 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol (4t-OP) and can serve as a point of consultation for those wanting more information on the chemical. 4t-OP is a synthetic chemical that is found in the environment and when present at high enough concentrations can serve as a reproductive toxicant with known effects mediated through the estrogen receptor.
Enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of corn stover liquor from magnesium oxide pretreatment without detoxification.

Abstract Corn stover liquor from MgO pretreatment was enzymatically hydrolyzed and fermented without detoxification. It was inferred from the results that glucose and xylose oligomers in corn stover liquor were fully hydrolyzed into glucose and xylose within 8 and 24 h, respectively. Fermentation of hydrolyzed corn stover liquor with E. coli KO11 was completed within 72 h with an ethanol yield and concentration of 96.5% and 7.8 g/L, respectively. Water soluble magnesium acetate formed during MgO pretreatment didn’t reduce enzyme and KO11 activities and functioned as a buffer reagent during hydrolysis and fermentation, thus eliminating the need for additional buffer preparation. Extended fermentation time was caused by aromatic compounds derived from lignin and was eliminated by improving the tolerance of KO11 to corn stover liquor from MgO pretreatment. Direct hydrolysis and fermentation of corn stover liquor from MgO pretreatment eliminated detoxification, simplified bioconversion process, and reduced production cost.
Health effects from freshly emitted versus oxidatively or photochemically aged air pollutants

Epidemiology studies over the past five decades have provided convincing evidence that exposure to air pollution is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes, including increased mortality. Air pollution is a complex mixture of particles, vapors and gases emitted from natural and anthropogenic sources as well as formed through photochemical transformation processes. In metropolitan areas, air pollutants from combustion emissions feature a blend of emitted particles, oxides of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen, volatile organic compounds, and secondary reaction products, such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and secondary organic aerosols. Because many of the primary and transformed pollutants track together, their relative contributions to health outcomes are difficult to disentangle. Aside from the criteria pollutants ozone and nitrogen dioxide and some of the simpler aldehydes (e.g. formaldehyde and acrolein), other products from photochemical processes are a particularly vexing class of chemicals to investigate since they comprise a dynamic ill-defined complex mixture in both particulate and gas phases. The purpose of this review was to describe and compare health effects of freshly emitted versus oxidatively or photochemically aged air pollutants. In some cases, (e.g. single volatile organic compounds) photochemical transformation resulted in marked enhancements in toxicity through formation of both known and unidentified reaction products, while in other examples (e.g. aging of automobile emissions) the potentiation of effect was variable. The variation in experimental design, aging system employed, concentration and type of starting agent, and toxicity endpoints make comparisons between different studies exceedingly difficult. A more systematic approach with a greater emphasis on higher throughput screening and computational toxicology is needed to fully answer under what conditions oxidatively- or photochemically-transformed pollutants elicit greater health effects than primary emissions.
Controllable Level Blending between Games using Variational Autoencoders.

Previous work explored blending levels from existing games to create levels for a new game that mixes properties of the original games. In this paper, we use Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) for improving upon such techniques. VAEs are artificial neural networks that learn and use latent representations of datasets to generate novel outputs. We train a VAE on level data from Super Mario Bros. and Kid Icarus, enabling it to capture the latent space spanning both games. We then use this space to generate level segments that combine properties of levels from both games. Moreover, by applying evolutionary search in the latent space, we evolve level segments satisfying specific constraints. We argue that these affordances make the VAE-based approach especially suitable for co-creative level design and compare its performance with similar generative models like the GAN and the VAE-GAN.
Modelling Methodology for Antenna Configuration Analysis

In this paper is presented a modeling methodology for antenna array analysis. The adaptive circular antenna structure is consisted of identic microstrip antennas located at the same distance. In circular patch antenna modelling case the substrate and operating frequency is specified. A significant improvement in adaptive array resolution is introduced by the beamforming and the direction of arrival estimations. On the base of MATLAB simulations numeral samples to illustrate the modeling methodology are presented.
Ileocolic anastomotic inflammation after resection for Crohn’s disease indicates disease recurrence: a histopathologic study

Objectives: We performed a pathological pilot study to characterize the inflammation at the ileocolic anastomosis as Crohn's disease or ischemia.Methods and materials: Subjects were selected at random from a retrospective database of patients with Crohn's disease and who had undergone an ileocolic resection with subsequent endoscopic assessment of the anastomosis and neo-terminal ileum. Pathology slides from the anastomotic mucosa, either from targeted biopsies or subsequent ileocolic resections, were re-assessed histologically for features of ischemia and of Crohn's disease.Results: Twenty-nine specimens from 8 patients were reviewed, including 12 ileocolic resection specimens and 17 sets of endoscopic biopsies. Twenty-seven of the 29 specimens, accounting for all of the patients, had evidence of CD-like features. In contrast, only 2 specimens, accounting for 2 of 8 patients, had histologic features of ischemia, and both specimens also had Crohn's-like features.Conclusion: To our knowledge this is the first study to specifically evaluate the pathology of ileocolic anastomoses in Crohn's disease. It suggests that anastomotic inflammation is predominantly a manifestation of recurrent Crohn's disease rather than of postoperative ischemia.
Modulation of Glutamate-Induced Excitation of Striatal Neurons by Dopamine Iontophoresis in Awake, Unrestrained Rats

The striatum receives cortical information via glutamatergic connections and processes it for output to nigral or pallidal neurons (Parent and Hazrati, 1995). Dopamine, which is released from thinly myelinated fibers that collateralize extensively throughout the striatum, appears to play a critical role in this processing function (Dunnett and Robbins, 1992; Groves, 1983). At the behavioral level, the interaction of these striatal transmitters has been implicated in the cognitive, emotional, motivational, and sensorimotor aspects of goal-directed movement (Carlsson and Carlsson, 1990; Groves, 1983).
E-Freight: An Unique Initiative That Can Completely Trasform The Air Cargo Industry

This paper examines the effects and benefits of E-Freight, an unique initiative introduced by IATA on the air cargo supply chain network. This industry wide program originally initiated in 2007 aims to entirely replace the need for paper based documentation with electronic messages. This initiative facilitates the easy movement of cargo by air which can save the supply chain from billions of dollars and also offers a more ecofriendly alternative to the traditional air cargo shipments. Traditionally, the air cargo industry have extensively relied on the paper-based processes, and movement of the documents between the members of air cargo supply chain members right from the consignee to the consignor. These traditional paper-based processes are expensive and does not address the immediate need for security and speed which are the key characteristics of air cargo. E-freight assures to bring about significant benefits in terms of quality, cost savings, speed, quality, and regulatory advantage. However, despite these benefits, the high complexity involved in air cargo supply chains makes implementing this initiative extremely challenging and sophisticated for all the stakeholders involved in the supply chain. For this research, we have included a case study and also collected data from relevant journal articles in order to provide a deeper understanding into the challenges and benefits for countries to implement this initiative.
Defining traumatic encephalopathy syndrome — advances and challenges

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is presumed to be associated with a clinical condition termed traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES). A new set of research diagnostic criteria for TES might be an improvement over previous guidelines, but many questions surrounding the putative link between head impacts, CTE neuropathology and neurobehavioural symptoms remain unanswered.
Locomotor control: Inhibiting actions locally and senses globally.

Summary Locomotion requires the segmental coordination of activity along the body. A new study in zebrafish reveals that spinal inhibitory interneurons are wired to execute different functions depending on whether their targets are nearby or further away.
Flight qualification test results for violet cells

The violet solar cell has been submitted to a flight qualification program. The tasks included in this program were: to define the violet cell's electrical output from -100 C to +100 C; to determine the violet cell's degradation under 2 MeV, 1 MeV and .3 MeV proton irradiation, under a high humidity environment and under ultraviolet light; to thermal cycle two similar modules of violet cells; to flight qualify a full size violet cell panel for the IMP-J flight; and to obtain a primary balloon-flown standard of the violet cell type. The results of these tests demonstrate that the violet cell is fully qualified for space flight use with no further development work. The tests show that the violet cell offers a power increase of at least twenty-one per cent over presently available commercial cells.
Bortezomib for chronic relapsing thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a case report.

Background Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by a severe deficiency of ADAMTS13 activity. Although therapeutic plasma exchange (PLEX) is the standard of care, 30% to 50% patients develop exacerbation or relapse, requiring immunomodulatory agents. Of these agents, glucocorticoids, rituximab, and cyclosporine A are the most frequently used. Case Report We report a case of chronic relapsing TTP in a patient who had eight relapses over a 14-year period. After her seventh relapse, the patient demonstrated only partial response to glucocorticoids, two courses of rituximab, and cyclophosphamide. The eighth relapse occurred 58 days after her last PLEX and subsequent to this she received a course of bortezomib (Velcade, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). After treatment with bortezomib the patient demonstrated a complete response with a progressive increase in ADAMTS13 activity from less than 5% to 22% accompanied by undetectable inhibitor, and she has remained PLEX free for more than 169 days. Conclusion Bortezomib may serve as an adjunct treatment in patients with acquired TTP who exhibit an incomplete response or are refractory to conventional management.
Bicriteria Decision Making and Financial Equilibrium: A Variational Inequality Perspective

In this paper we develop a framework for the study of financial equilibrium in the case of sectors in the economy, each of which is faced with two objectives/criteria in his portfolio selection decision making. In particular, we first present the bicriteria decision model of an individual financial sector, who seeks an optimal portfolio composition, given that the wishes to minimize his risk and to maximize his return. We utilize a value function approach to reformulate a sector's bicriteria optimization problem as a single optimization problem and argue that constant weight value functions may not adequately reveal a sector's preference over the return and the risk. Hence, we introduce state-dependent weights for the modeling of a sector's decision-making problem. We, subsequently, provide qualitative properties of the value function. We state the economic system conditions governing the instrument prices, define the financial equilibrium conditions, and show that they can be formulated as a variational inequality problem. Finally, qualitative properties of existence and uniqueness of the equilibrium are obtained. This work is the first to establish the connections among bicriteria problems (in the general setting of value functions), financial equilibrium problems, and variational inequality problems.
Max Weber on Property: An Effort in Interpretive Understanding

This paper presents Max Weber's sociological theory of property as proceeding in three developmental phases: legal, economic-historical, and sociological. Drawing on insights from his legal and economic-historical phases, Weber articulated a sociological theory of property that explains the social conditions of property, as well as the socio-economic effects of property. This makes Weber's sociological theory of property relevant to contemporary social theory, including legal and economic theory.
Integral storage and voiding reflexes: Neurophysiologic concept of continence and micturition

It is a common clinical misconception to regard the spinal micturition reflex center as fundamentally overactive and dependent on cerebral inhibition. Initiation and cessation of micturition is simplistically viewed as a manifestation of voluntary withdrawal and resumption of inhibitory corticospinal "regulation''. This view is in conflict with basic neurophysiologic experimental data. Actually, the organization of the micturition reflex is extremely complex. It is affected by multiple sources of facilitative and inhibitory influence, peripheral as well as central. During the past half century, at least twelve reflexes involved in urine storage and coordinated micturition have been described by various neurologic investigators. In this article the integral reflexes are identified and described. A functional organization of the integral reflexes which includes a modern concept of their role in the physiology of urine storage and micturition is presented. It is implicit that overactivity or functional failure of any one or combination of the integral reflexes may cause a significant disorder of lower urinary tract function.
Unlocking the Sporicidal Potential of Ethanol: Induced Sporicidal Activity of Ethanol against Clostridium difficile and Bacillus Spores under Altered Physical and Chemical Conditions

Background Due to their efficacy and convenience, alcohol-based hand sanitizers have been widely adopted as the primary method of hand hygiene in healthcare settings. However, alcohols lack activity against bacterial spores produced by pathogens such as Clostridium difficile and Bacillus anthracis. We hypothesized that sporicidal activity could be induced in alcohols through alteration of physical or chemical conditions that have been shown to degrade or allow penetration of spore coats. Principal Findings Acidification, alkalinization, and heating of ethanol induced rapid sporicidal activity against C. difficile, and to a lesser extent Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus subtilis. The sporicidal activity of acidified ethanol was enhanced by increasing ionic strength and mild elevations in temperature. On skin, sporicidal ethanol formulations were as effective as soap and water hand washing in reducing levels of C. difficile spores. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that novel ethanol-based sporicidal hand hygiene formulations can be developed through alteration of physical and chemical conditions.
When are leaves good thermometers? A new case for Leaf Margin Analysis

Precise estimates of past temperatures are critical for understanding the evolution of organisms and the physical biosphere, and data from continental areas are an indispensable complement to the marine record of stable isotopes. Climate is considered to be a primary selective force on leaf morphology, and two widely used methods exist for estimating past mean annual temperatures from assemblages of fossil leaves. The first approach, Leaf Margin Analysis, is univariate, based on the positive correlation in modern forests between mean annual temperature and the proportion of species in a flora with untoothed leaf margins. The second approach, known as the Climate-Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program, is based on a modern data set that is multivariate. I argue here that the simpler, univariate approach will give paleotemperature estimates at least as precise as the multivariate method because (1) the temperature signal in the multivariate data set is dominated by the leaf-margin character; (2) the additional characters add minimal statistical precision and in practical use do not appear to improve the quality of the estimate; (3) the predictor samples in the univariate data set contain at least twice as many species as those in the multivariate data set; and (4) the presence of numerous sites in the multivariate data set that are both dry and extremely cold depresses temperature estimates for moist and nonfrigid paleofloras by about 2 degrees C, unless the dry and cold sites are excluded from the predictor set. New data from Western Hemisphere forests are used to test the univariate and multivariate methods and to compare observed vs. predicted error distributions for temperature estimates as a function of species richness. Leaf Margin Analysis provides excellent estimates of mean annual temperature for nine floral samples. Estimated temperatures given by 16 floral subsamples are very close both to actual temperatures and to the estimates from the samples. Temperature estimates based on the multivariate data set for four of the subsamples were generally less accurate than the estimates from Leaf Margin Analysis. Leaf-margin data from 45 transect collections demonstrate that sampling of low-diversity floras at extremely local scales can result in biased leaf-margin percentages because species abundance patterns are uneven. For climate analysis, both modern and fossil floras should be sampled over an area sufficient to minimize this bias and to maximize recovered species richness within a given climate.
Training consistent task components: application of automatic and controlled processing theory to industrial task training

Two experiments were conducted to examine the generality of automatic/controlled processing training principles to rich, complex tasks. In both experiments, subjects' tasks were modeled after a job function performed in the telecommunications industry. These tasks required subjects to process conjunctions of information. Large quantitative and qualitative differences were found between the consistently and variably mapped training conditions. The need for determining trainable consistent components of complex tasks is discussed. The present experiments indicate that theories of automatic and controlled processing can be expanded to include many domains of rich, complex industrial tasks.
Vibrational Energy Relaxation of “Tailored” Hemes in Myoglobin Following Ligand Photolysis Supports Energy Funneling Mechanism of Heme “Cooling”

In a previous molecular dynamics simulation study, the kinetic energy relaxation of photolyzed heme in solvated carbonmonoxymyoglobin was found to be a single exponential decay process with the relaxation time constant 5.9 ps [Sagnella, D. E.; Straub, J. E. J. Phys. Chem. B 2001, 105, 7057]. The strong electrostatic interaction of the isopropionate side chains and the solvating water molecules was shown to be the single most important “doorway” for dissipation of excess kinetic energy in the heme. In this work, the results of a molecular dynamics simulation study of heme “cooling” in two modified myoglobins, in which (1) the two isopropionate side chains in the heme are replaced by hydrogen or (2) the proximal histidine is replaced by glycine, His93Gly, are presented. For each “tailored” protein, the relaxation of the heme's excess kinetic energy is found to be a single exponential decay process. For the His93Gly mutant protein, the relaxation time is found to be 5.9 ps, in agreement with the relaxation t...
Three-dimensional deformations in a single-lap joint

AbstractThe three-dimensional nature of the state of deformation in a single-lap test specimen is investigated in a linear elastic finite element analysis in which the boundary conditions account for the geometrically non-linear effects. The validity of the model is demonstrated by comparing the resulting displacement fields with those obtained from a moire inteferometry experiment. The three-dimensional adherend and adhesive stress distributions are calculated and compared with those from a two-dimensional non-linear numerical analysis, Goland and Reissner's solution, and experimental measurements. The nature of the three-dimensional mechanics is described and discussed in detail. It is shown that three-dimensional regions exists in the specimen, where the adherend and adhesive stress distributions in the overlap near (and especially on) the free surface are quite different from those occurring in the interior. It is also shown that the adhesive peel stress is extremely sensitive to this three-dimensiona...
Simultaneous Viewing Of Lung And Heart CT Images Employing Automated Histogram Modification

Computerized Tomography (CT) images reflect the x-ray absorptive properties of the patient. CT images of the chest region, however, are difficult to display. Due to the large density differences between the tissue region of the heart and the air filled region of the lung, the lung appears nearly black if the heart is viewed at normal contrast. Similarly, if the image is adjusted to view the lungs at reasonable contrast, the heart region becomes saturated and featureless. A standard technique for viewing the two regions remaps the darker lung gray-level to values comparable to that of the heart region. The "dark-line artifact" results for those pels of intermediate value between the heart and lung. This apparent line surrounds the lungs and gives the entire image an objectionable piecemeal appearance. A software system, CTIP, written in FORTRAN is discussed which remaps CT image gray-level so that both the lung and heart regions are clearly visible with a more natural anatomical appearance. The system is adaptive to image statistics derived from the gray level histogram and is completely automated. The processed and the standard approach images were compared by twenty-two radiologists with 82% preferring the processed images. All of the respondents agreed that the processed images possessed a more anatomical appearance than the standard approach.
Heat exchanger network synthesis without decomposition

Most of the grassroot heat exchanger network (HEN) synthesis approaches decompose the synthesis problem into a series of three major tasks: (a) minimum utility cost calculation; (b) selection of the fewest number of matches; and (c) determination of a minimum investment cost HEN. This paper departs fro these approaches by posing the HEN synthesis problem as a single optimization problem, whose solution provides simultaneously the optimal utility consumption level, matches and network configuration. This approach alleviates the need for either estimating the optimal utility levels via targetting schemes, or for performing several optimization loops to determine the optimal utility consumption level and process stream matches. The approach can be applied to both pseudo-pinch and strict-pinch design problems. The proposed approach compares favorably with: (a) decomposition techniques; (b) with the simulated annealing approach; and (c) with other simultaneous approaches. The method is illustrated with three example problem
Hedging a Commodity Power Rate

Many of the aluminium smelters in the Pacific Northwest served by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) have become non-competitive and operate in the role of swing producer in the US and world markets. To avoid these cyclical swings in power demand, BPA is presently studying methods designed to link the price of power charged to smelters with the market price of aluminium. A linked-rate system tends to stabilize incomes to smelters, but increases fluctuations to the utility. These, in turn, could be stabilized by a hedging operation on the London Metals Exchange.
A Quasi-Lagrangian Diagnostic Case Study of the Effect of Satellite Sounding Data Assimilation on Model Cyclone Prediction

A quasi-Lagrangian diagnostic study was performed to compare weather forecast accuracy with and without use of satellite data. Attention was focused on the mass and angular momentum budgets of the cyclone. The diagnostic study isolated the effects of physical processes within a cyclone and the effects of transport processes moving with the cyclone. Satellite data furnished different initialization values for horizontal mass and eddy angular momentum. Colder temperatures and weaker stabilities in the NW quadrant lower layers in the budget volume and increased stability in the middle and lower layers of another quadrant were obtained when the satellite data were considered. The addition of satellite data was concluded to have enhanced the accuracy of the forecast.
The Impact of Justice Type on Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Do Outcome Favorability and Leader Behavior Matter?

This paper uses a social exchange theory framework to examine whether justice type (procedural, interpersonal, and informational), leader behavior (task-oriented or relationship-oriented behavior) and outcome favorability (favorable and unfavorable) all interact to influence organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Cooperative and competing goal structures, along with the social exchange rules of reciprocity, rationality, and altruism defined by Meeker (1971), are used to examine if a specific type of leader behavior is most likely to encourage OCB when employees receive unfavorable work outcomes. The results in this paper suggest that employees engage in higher levels of OCB when the supervisor exhibits high levels of leadership behavior and lower levels of OCB when the supervisor exhibits low levels of leadership behavior, regardless of whether that leader behavior is relationship-oriented or task-oriented.
Discovery Planetary Mission Operations Concepts

Abstract The NASA Discovery Program of small planetary missions will provide opportunities to continue scientific exploration of the solar system in today's cost-constrained environment. Using a multidisciplinary team, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing plans to provide mission operations within the financial parameters established by the Discovery Program. This paper describes experiences and methods that show promise of allowing Discovery missions to operate within the program cost constraints while maintaining low mission risk, high data quality, and responsive operations. Planetary mission operations concepts were surveyed, with an emphasis on low-cost strategies and experiences. The major factors that determine mission operations cost were identified, and approaches to management of mission operations costs were cataloged. A taxonomy of mission operations functions is described. Also described are multimission ground system services that will allow Discovery missions to share tracking, data capture, command, and navigation support. The Discovery Program will encourage the development of missions with smaller, more focused spacecraft. We in mission operations must respond with correspondingly small, efficient mission operations concepts and ground data systems.
Reversibility of exercise-induced dendritic attenuation in brain cardiorespiratory and locomotor areas following exercise detraining

It has been shown previously that dendritic branching in cardiorespiratory and locomotor brain areas can be attenuated with exercise training (ET). It was not known whether this process was reversi...
A methodology for modeling the distributions of medical images and their stochastic properties

The probabilistic distribution properties of a set of medical images are studied. It is shown that the generalized Gaussian function provides a good approximation to the distribution of AP chest radiographs. Based on this result and a goodness-of-fit test, a generalized Gaussian autoregressive model (GGAR) is proposed. Its properties and limitations are also discussed. It is expected that the GGAR model will be useful in describing the stochastic characteristics of some classes of medical images and in image data compression and other applications. >
A simple method for counting nuclei in the preimplantation mouse embryo

An easy and rapid method of counting the number of cells in the preimplantation mouse embryo is described. The procedure increases the speed with which large numbers of embryos can be processed using a simple squash technique. Cell numbers are determined by exposing the embryos to the fluorescent DNA-binding dye, Hoechst 33258, removing the zona pellucida and simply squashing the embryo and counting the number of fluorescent nuclei. An increase in fluorescent intensity and maintenance of nuclear conformation of the squashed preparations are greatly improved by the use of the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100. Viability of dye-treated fertilized one-cell and blastocyst stage embryos is maintained at least up to day 13 of pregnancy following transfer of the embryos to the uteri of pseudopregnant recipients. Additional uses for this staining technique are discussed.
RESPONDER IMMUNITY AND SALVAGE1

ABSTRACT Marine salvage protects not only vessel and cargo, but also the marine environment. International conventions and federal and some state oil pollution legislation provide legal protection for responders to actual or threatened pollution events. Many of these responder immunity provisions, however, fall short in protecting salvors. As a result, salvors risk incurring liability in their operations. This paper examines responder immunity provisions in the context of the protection they afford the salvor. The paper offers a model responder immunity provision for persons engaged in salvage of a casualty threatening pollution.
Alumina-Forming Austenitic Alloys for Advanced Recuperators

Materials selection for thin-walled recuperators has been extensively investigated over the past decade. In the latest generation of recuperated turbine engines, type 347 stainless steel has been replaced by higher alloyed steels and Ni-base chromia-forming alloys. However, high (linear) rates of chromia evaporation in exhaust gas fundamentally limits the oxidation lifetime of these chromia-forming alloys. One solution is to use alumina-forming alloys that are more resistant to this environment. The lower scale growth kinetics and resistance to evaporation in the presence of water vapor suggests an order of magnitude increase in lifetime for alumina-forming alloys. A significant problem with this strategy was the large drop in creep strength with the addition of sufficient Al to form an external alumina scale. However, new Fe-base austenitic compositions have been developed with sufficient strength for this application above 700 C.
Regional multi-family housing start forecast accuracy

Abstract This paper extends earlier research regarding the predictability of residential construction activity in regional markets. Because of their implications for overall business conditions, housing start forecasts traditionally represent one of the most important components of regional prediction efforts. Quarterly frequency data are assembled from previously published econometric forecasts for Florida and its six largest metropolitan economies. The sample simulation period covers 1985:1–1996:2 and includes all three business cycle phases: expansion, recession, and recovery. Multi-family housing start forecasts are compared to univariate time series and random walk alternatives. Results indicate that structural model forecasts of multi-family regional housing activity are comparatively less reliable than those for nonagricultural employment, but superior to those for single-family residential construction.
30.2: Active Matrix Electrophoretic Displays on Temporary Bonded Stainless Steel Substrates with 180 °C a‐Si:H TFTs

A low temperature, 180 °C, amorphous Si (a-Si:H) process on bonded stainless steel substrates is discussed and a 3.8-inch QVGA active matrix (AM) electrophoretic display as well as a 64×64 electrophoretic display with integrated column drivers are demonstrated. The n-channel thin-film transistors (TFTs) exhibited saturation mobilities of 0.7 cm2/V-sec, median drive currents of 26.2 μA and low defectivity.
247. Devising Aβ-Specific Passive Immunization Strategies for Alzheimer's Disease Using rAAV Vector-Mediated scFv Antibody Delivery

Amyloid beta (A|[beta]|) has been identified as a key pathological component in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The accumulation of intraneuronal and extracellular A|[beta]| coincides with the cognitive deficits associated with disease progression and is believed to underlie these deficits. Significant in vitro and human pathological data suggest that intraneuronal accumulation of A|[beta]| peptides plays an early triggering role in the cascade ultimately leading to AD-related neurodegeneration. Recently, a triple transgenic mouse model of AD (3xTg-AD) that develops both amyloid and tau pathology has been created, which to date is the most disease-relevant model system depicting what occurs in human AD. We and others have observed significant accumulation of intraneuronal A|[beta]| in these mice at 3 months of age, a time point prior to the onset of demonstrable amyloid plaque and tau pathologies, but similar temporally to when synaptic dysfunction is electrophysiologically detectable. A|[beta]|-specific intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) with differing intracellular trafficking characteristics were engineered from a previously obtained secretion-competent single-chain antibody (scFv) to interact with A|[beta]| intracellularly and promote its degradation. Cell lines have been created that harbor a doxycycline-regulated transcription unit expressing the Swedish mutant form of human amyloid precursor protein and in essence, intracellular human A|[beta]| peptides. Intrabody constructs are being assessed in these lines for their abilities to modulate A|[beta]| intracellular localization and half-life. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors expressing the parental scFv's and the engineered intrabodies are being administered to 3xTg-AD mice prior to the initial appearance of the intraneuronal A|[beta]| signature. In pilot in vivo studies, soluble and membrane-bound forms of the A|[beta]|-specific scFv were intra-cranially administered to the CA1 region of the hippocampus in 2-month-old 3xTg-AD mice. Mice were sacrificed at 8 months post-injection, and brains were processed for immunohistochemical analyses. Results collected to date strongly suggest that this passive immunotherapeutic modality leads to clearance of A|[beta]| in hippocampal regions. Future work involving rAAV-mediated intrabody expression will provide major insights into the involvement of intraneuronal A|[beta]| accumulation in the temporal and spatial progression of early AD pathogenic events and potentially leading to the development of new anti-A|[beta]| therapeutics. Supported by NIH R01AG020204 to HJF and NIH R01AG023593 to WJB.
Cassini Main Engine Assembly cover flight management and performance

The Cassini spacecraft has performed its four year Prime Mission at Saturn and is currently in orbit at Saturn performing a two year extended mission. 12Its main engine nozzles are susceptible to impact damage from micrometeoroids and on-orbit dust. The spacecraft has an articulating device known as the Main Engine Assembly (MEA) cover which can close and shield the main engines from these threats. The cover opens to allow for main engine burns that are necessary to maintain the trajectory. Periodically updated analyses of potential on-orbit dust hazard threats have resulted in the need to continue to use the MEA cover beyond its intended use and beyond its design life. This paper provides a detailed Systems-level overview of the flight management of the MEA cover device and its flight performance to date.
Onchocerciasis in an expatriate living in Cameroon

Travelers to West, central and eastern Africa as well as to selected areas of Latin America are at risk for infection with Onchocerca volvulus. Infection with this tissue nematode may cause chorioretinitis and keratitis, and it is responsible in endemic areas for blindness in millions.1 In addition to ocular manifestations, it can produce a distressing pruriginous dermatitis or subcutaneous nodules. Clinical manifestations vary according to the parasitic load, previous immunity, and duration of infection.1 Infection is initiated by inoculation with larvae during the bite of the Simulium black fly. Once in the connective tissue, larvae mature to filiform adults and may remain in tissues for years, with the clinical manifestations being produced by the inflammatory reaction to dying parasites. Female adults produce large amounts of microfilaria that migrate through skin and connective tissue; once an infected host is bitten, the infectious larvae develop again in the female Simulium black fly and the life cycle is completed. Transmission is from person to person, and may occur even after a relatively short exposure.2 Although infection of travelers with O. volvulus is rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 46 new cases of onchocerciasis were diagnosed in the United States in 1994 (Dr. David Addis, personal communication, June 1996). We describe the case of an expatriate who became infected with O. volvulus and we review the treatment and recommendations for prevention of this parasitic infection.
Preparation of an IMI dye (imidazole functional group) containing a 4-(N, N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole fluorophore for labeling of phosphomonoesters

We are studying dye-imidazole conjugates ("IMI dyes") as reagents for labeling phosphomonoesters such as nucleotides. Previously we have employed a BODIPY dye in our IMI reagents, and analyzed the labeled products by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) involving an argon ion laser. (The BODIPY fluorophore is a 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene). Here we broaden the technology by preparing a DBD-IMI dye [DBD = 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole], and using a helium-cadmium laser. While DBD-IMI (IMI3) is about 50x more stable photolytically than a BODIPY-IMI dye (IMI2, a conjugate of a BODIPY dye with histamine, was tested), the detection limit for IMI2 (5.10(-11) M; S/N = 5, CE-LIF with an argon ion laser) is tenfold better than that for IMI3 (5.10(-10) M, S/N = 5, helium-cadmium laser). IMI3 conjugates of the four major DNA nucleotides were prepared and detected by CE-LIF.
Embedded Mobilization: Nonstate Service Provision as Electoral Strategy in India

How do elite parties win over poor voters while maintaining their core constituencies? How can religious parties expand their electoral base? This article argues that social service provision constitutes an important electoral strategy for elite-backed religious parties to succeed in developing democracies. The study demonstrates how the upper caste, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (bjp ) won unexpected support from lower-caste voters in India, due to services provided by its grassroots affiliates. Using a combination of original survey data and extensive interviews, the author tests whether services win votes and identifies the mechanisms by which they do so. Beneficiaries of services were found to be far more likely to support the party, even when accounting for piety, income, and ideological orientation. The author argues that service provision as an electoral strategy cannot be conceptualized as being predicated purely on material exchange. It should instead be understood as a socially embedded tactic especially well suited to helping elite parties with organizational resources, but without pro-poor policy agendas, win over underprivileged electorates.
Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic consequences of space flight.

As astronauts prepare for long-term space missions, the question arises of whether drug medication in a zero gravity environment will have the same effects as under normal gravity. There are two potential kinds of changes that must be evaluated: alterations of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Pharmacokinetic changes will affect the drug concentrations produced by a certain dosage regimen. They can be caused by changes in: (1) intrinsic clearance (e.g., enzyme activity and renal function), (2) drug binding (e.g., protein binding and tissue binding), (3) blood flow (e.g., liver blood flow and renal blood flow), and (4) bioavailability (e.g., rate and extent of absorption). Pharmacodynamic changes will affect the response that is produced by a given drug concentration. They can be caused by changes in drug-receptor interaction or changes in disease characteristics. Studies of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes in microgravity are limited, and predictions of any alterations are mainly extrapolated from known relationships between certain physiologic parameters and their effects on pharmacokinetics in normal gravity. Almost no data is available on changes in pharmacodynamics. Also, no information is available on the relationship between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. More studies are needed to elucidate the changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in microgravity to ensure the optimum use of drug therapy during space flight.
A Model for Intervention and Predicting Success on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of selected academic variables to National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) performance and determine a "best set" of indicators predictive of NCLEX-RN success. These variables could be used as early indicators of students at risk for failing the NCLEX-RN. The sample for this retrospective ex post facto study included 152 basic students who completed the baccalaureate nursing program between 1985 and 1987 at a large midwestern university. Data were analyzed by using multiple regression analysis to determine the strongest combination of variables predicting NCLEX-RN success. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficients were computed between interval level criterion and predictor variables. The best predictors were a sophomore nursing theory course (N205), a junior nursing theory course (N311), the junior year grade point average (JGPA), and a senior nursing theory course (N421). Results of this study indicated that selected nursing theory courses and the JGPA could be used in a statistical model to predict pass or fail on the NCLEX-RN.
Acousto characterization of fluid-like mesoscopic films under shear

Full understanding of the physics underlying the striking changes—in viscoelasticity, relaxation time, and phase transitions—that mesoscopic fluid-like systems undergo when placed under confinement or when adsorbed at solid surfaces constitutes a long standing scientific challenge. One of the methods used to characterize these films consists of bringing a solid boundary closer to another solid boundary (while in relative lateral periodic motion) with a liquid trapped in between. In addition, using a tapered probe (∼ 50 nm apex diameter) as one of the boundaries improves the lateral resolution of the measurement. In this scenario, the dynamics of the fluid is inferred from the changes in the tapered probe's motion. However, due to the complexity of the film's dynamics, different and sometimes conflicting experimental results are reported; in particular, for example, whether the motion of the probe changes due to its interaction with the fluid alone, or due to its intermittent mechanical contact with the solid substrate. Newer analytical methods would be highly desirable. Herein we report the monitoring of mesoscopic film dynamics from an acoustic measurements perspective (complemented with other more conventional sensing methods for control and comparison purposes). More specifically, two acoustic-based methods, Whispering-Gallery Acoustic Sensing or WGAS (that uses an acoustic sensor attached to a tapered probe) and Shear-force/Acoustic Near-field Microscopy or SANM (that uses an acoustic sensor attached to the solid substrate), monitor the effects that shear-force interactions exert not only on the laterally oscillating probe but also on the trapped mesoscopic fluid itself (as acoustic waves engendered at the fluid film couple into the static substrate and subsequently reaching the SANM acoustic transducer). One significant result of these measurements constitute the supporting evidence that the probe's motion is affected even when not in mechanical contact with the solid substrate, hence highlighting the role played by the adsorbed mesoscopic fluid layer as the source of the shear force interactions. On the other hand, to further support the SANM working principle (i. e. the measurement of acoustic waves engendered at adsorbed films of nanometer-sized) control experiments have also been performed for interrogating the dynamics of small millimeter-sized drops of water.