cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of humic acid on the aggregation kinetics of fullerene (C60) nanoparticles in monovalent and divalent electrolyte solutions

The early stage aggregation kinetics of fullerene C60 nanoparticles were investigated in the presence of Suwannee River humic acid and common monovalent and divalent electrolytes through time-resolved dynamic light scattering (DLS). In the absence of humic acid, the aggregation behavior of the fullerene nanoparticles in the presence of NaCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2 was found to be consistent with the classic Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory of colloidal stability. In the presence of humic acid and NaCl or MgCl2 electrolytes, the adsorbed humic acid on the fullerene nanoparticles led to steric repulsion, which effectively stabilized the nanoparticle suspension. This behavior manifested in a dramatic drop in the rate of aggregation, an increase in the critical coagulation concentration (CCC), and an attained value of less than unity for the inverse stability ratio (or attachment efficiency) at high MgCl2 concentrations. While the increase in the nanoparticle stability was similarly observed in the presence of humic acid at low CaCl2 concentrations, enhanced aggregation occurred at higher CaCl2 concentrations. Measurement of scattered light intensities over time indicated significant aggregation of the humic acid macromolecules in solutions of high CaCl2 concentrations. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging of the fullerene aggregate structures in the presence of humic acid revealed that bridging of the fullerene nanoparticles and aggregates by the humic acid aggregates is the likely mechanism for the enhanced aggregation at high CaCl2 concentrations.
A method for the quantitative determination of lysozyme activity in blood.

The above described bacteriolytic (turbidimetric) method of determining the lysozyme activity in the blood has been proven to be reliable, reproducible and applicable simultaneously to a large number of determinations. A wide range of concentration of crystalline egg-white lysozyme which had been added to whole blood was recovered quantitatively.
Effect of altitude on temperature rise of aircraft transformers

THE PURPOSE of this paper is to present a method of calculating the effect of altitude on the temperature rise of various designs of aircraft transformers which are required to operate at extremely high altitudes.
The Challenges of Keeping a World: Hannah Arendt on Administration

The administrative state poses important challenges to those concerned with reconciling administrative tasks and political freedom. Hannah Arendt's notion of “good government” offers a novel approach to meeting these challenges. Part one of the essay argues that Arendt's notion of administration is significantly more complex than is generally recognized: rather than lying on a continuum with totalitarian bureaucracy, centralized administration in a modern society serves as an important counterpart and irritant to political action when it is a part of what Arendt calls “good government” that keeps the world, rather than society or the earth. Parts two and three look at the implications of Arendt's account for participation and science in public administration. These sections begin by examining what Arendt says about these topics, and then turn to literature in the field of public administration to see how Arendt's account can illuminate current theory and practice. Surprisingly, one of the clearest examples of her conception of administration is provided by her discussion of the Little Rock school integration episode. This discussion allows for an exploration of the promise of and problems with understanding of the place of administration in political life.
IgA antiendomysial antibodies in dermatitis herpetiformis.

Sera from 24 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis and 80 control subjects (patients with other bullous diseases, nonbullous dermatoses, and noncutaneous diseases) were studied to determine the usefulness of assay for IgA antiendomysial antibodies (IgA-EMA) in the diagnosis of dermatitis herpetiformis. The overall sensitivity of IgA-EMA for the diagnosis of dermatitis herpetiformis was 79% and the specificity was 96%. When the three patients with dermatitis herpetiformis who were faithfully following gluten-free diets were excluded, the sensitivity was 90% and the specificity was 96%. No patient in the bullous disease control group (including patients with linear IgA bullous dermatosis) had circulating IgA-EMA. One patient, who did not have direct immunofluorescence evidence for dermatitis herpetiformis but had IgA nephropathy, had a positive IgA-EMA result, an interesting association in fight of the rare reports of dermatitis herpetiformis in patients with IgA nephropathy and IgA antigliadin antibodies associated with IgA nephropathy. Although direct immunofluorescence testing of skin biopsy specimens remains the most definitive diagnostic test for dermatitis herpetiformis, indirect immunofluorescence assay of serum for IgA-EMA is a minimally invasive study with a high sensitivity and specificity for dermatitis herpetiformis.
Influence of Extruder Temperature and Screw Speed on Pretreatment of Corn Stover while Varying Enzymes and Their Ratios

Pretreatment is being the first and most expensive step, it has pervasive impacts on all other steps in overall conversion process. There are several pretreatment methods using physical, chemical, and biological principles which are under various stages of investigation. Extrusion can be used as one of the physical pretreatment methods towards biofuel production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of barrel temperature and screw speed on sugar recovery from corn stover, to select a suitable enzyme combination and its ratio. Corn stover was pretreated in a single screw extruder with five screw speeds (25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 rpm) and five barrel temperatures (25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 °C). In order to select a suitable enzyme combination and ratio, different levels of cellulase and β-glucosidase, multienzyme complex and β-glucosidase were used during saccharification of pretreated corn stover. From the statistical analysis, it was found that screw speed and temperature had a significant effect on sugar recovery from corn stover. Higher glucose, xylose, and combined sugar recovery of 75, 49, and 61%, respectively, were recorded at 75 rpm and 125 °C. This pretreatment condition resulted in 2.0, 1.7, and 2.0 times higher than the control sample using 1:4 cellulase and β-glucosidase combination.
Rabbit ATG but not horse ATG promotes expansion of functional CD4+CD25highFOXP3+ regulatory T cells in vitro.

Regulatory T cells (Treg) play important roles in suppressing immune responses and maintaining tolerance. Rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) and horse ATG (hATG) are widely used in the treatment of immune-mediated syndromes, but their effects on Treg are unknown. We show here that in vitro culture of normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with a low-dose rATG resulted in marked expansion of functional Treg by converting CD4+CD25− T cells to CD4+CD25+ T cells. hATG did not expand but rather decreased Treg. Immuno-blot showed increased expression of FOXP3 and NFAT1 in CD4+CD25− and CD4+CD25+ T cells exposed to rATG. PBMCs treated with rATG displayed increased interleukin-10 in culture supernatants than those treated with hATG. Furthermore, rATG and hATG showed differences in their potential to stimulate CD4+ T cells as examined using different activation markers. Microarray revealed that rATG induced markedly different gene-expression patterns in PBMCs, compared with hATG-treated or untreated PBMCs. Our findings indicate that rATG expanded Treg, probably through transcriptional regulation by enhanced NFAT1 expression, in turn conferring CD4+CD25− T cell FOXP3 expression and regulatory activity. The therapeutic effects of rATG may occur not only because of lymphocyte depletion but also enhanced Treg cell number and function.
Fast Kinetics of Exocytosis Revealed by Simultaneous Measurements of Presynaptic Capacitance and Postsynaptic Currents at a Central Synapse

The rate of release from nerve terminals depends on both the number of release sites and the rate of release at each site. The latter remains largely unknown at central synapses. We addressed this issue by simultaneously measuring the nerve terminal membrane capacitance and the postsynaptic current at single calyceal synapses in rat brainstem. We found that a 10 ms presynaptic step depolarization depleted a releasable pool containing 3300-5200 vesicles. Released vesicles were endocytosed with a time constant of a few seconds to tens of seconds. Release of only one third of this pool saturated both postsynaptic AMPA and NMDA receptors. A release site can release more than three vesicles in 10 ms (>300 vesicles per second). We conclude that both a large number of release sites and a fast release rate at each site enable synapses to release at a high rate.
Kinetic and internal energy distributions of molecular hydrogen produced from amorphous ice by impact of 100 eV electrons

Abstract We have measured the quantum-resolved translational and internal (vibrational and rotational) energy distributions of the D 2 desorbates produced during electron (100 eV) irradiation of D 2 O amorphous ice using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy. The D 2 desorbates have very little translational energy (∼ 20–50 meV) but are vibrationally ( ν = 0–4) and rotationally ( J = 0–12) excited. The rotational state distribution of the D 2 does not change as the ice temperature increases from 88 to 145 K. However, we find that the D 2 yield increases monotonically in this temperature range, with the yield at 145 K approximately double than that at 88 K. Although the mobilities of defects, charge carriers, and radicals are known to be temperature dependent, these results suggest that the final states leading to D 2 production are independent of temperature. We suggest that the dominant mechanisms for production of D 2 at 100 eV incident electron energy are dissociative recombination of holes (D 2 O + or D 3 O + ) with quasi-free or trapped electrons and dissociation of excitons at the vacuum-surface interface. These dissociation events can produce D 2 directly via molecular elimination or indirectly via reactive scattering of the energetic D atom fragments.
American Arms Manufacturing and the Onset of the War of 1812

Abstract In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Tench Coxe Purveyor of Public Supplies. Using the considerable patronage at his disposal, Coxe aggressively promoted private military manufacturers, thus arguably now giving the U.S. the ability-when it had already long had ample reason-to declare war against England in 1812.
An XPS study of interactions in thin films containing a noble metal with valence-invariant and reducible oxides

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was employed to examine the reducibility of oxides possessing multiple oxidation states (titania, niobia, and ceria) in the presence of palladium and a valence-invariant oxide (lanthana). The materials consisted of sputter-deposited ultra-thin films containing palladium with either titania, niobia, or ceria, with and without lanthana, on a sapphire substrate. For lanthana/palladium films, no reduction of the lanthana surface was observed after in situ treatment in hydrogen up to 600°C. After similar treatment, in the absence of lanthana a partial reduction to the lower oxidation states of niobia and titania and a total reduction to the lower oxidation state of ceria was observed. The presence of lanthana in the films inhibits the reduction of the titania completely and that of the niobia and ceria partially. Also, in a complementing set of films containing ceria an overlayer of high-surface-area γ-Al2O3, from the decomposition of an aqueous film of aluminum propoxide, was put over the smooth sapphire surface before the deposition of the other film components. In this case, the inhibiting effect on ceria-reducibility was attenuated. This points to the redistribution of lanthana over the available oxide surfaces. The preponderant portion of the lanthana accommodated on the porous γ-Al2O3 has rendered a significant part of the ceria unprotected and, in the presence of Pd, susceptible to reduction by H2 at 600°C. The results of these studies are a further manifestation of the known surface reactivity of lanthana, which while remaining itself irreducible, may strongly affect the behavior of other irreducible oxides such as alumina, or as presently shown, of reducible oxides such as titania, niobia, and ceria.
Are Sports and Games Effective for Fitness and Weight Control

(2008). Are Sports and Games Effective for Fitness and Weight Control? Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 79, No. 5, pp. 13-17.
In Vitro Inhibition of the Entomopathogenic Fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae by Six Fungicides Used in Pecan Culture

Six fungicides used in pecan culture were evaluated in vitro against the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin, both of which attack the pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn). Triphenyltin hydroxide was the most toxic fungicide to both pathogens, followed by: benomyl, methyl 1-(butylcarbamoyl)-2-benzimidazolecarbamate; zineb, zinc ethylenebis [dithiocarbamate]; and dodine, n -dodecylguanidine acetate. Sulfur and dinocap, 2-(1-methylheptyl)-4,6-dinitrophenyl crotonate, were the least toxic.
The Dissection of a Frequency Distribution into Two Normal Components

Abstract IN A RECENT paper Hays (1936) reported an attempt to separate the distribution of “age at first egg” for 230 Rhode Island Red pullets, reared at the Massachusetts Station, into two normal components. This dissection was attempted in order to test the hypothesis that the group of birds under consideration consisted of two distinct phenotypes for “age at first egg.” The results obtained served as the basis for the conclusion that there appeared to be a definite phenotype with an age range from 130 to 179 days, but that the group of birds with an age range from 180 days upward consisted of more than one phenotype. It appeared to the author of the present paper that the above-mentioned data could be adequately explained by the hypothesis that only two phenotypes were involved and that the distribution of “age at first egg” for this particular group of birds could be . . .
Synthetic genes for the elucidation of glycosylation codes for arabinogalactan-proteins and other hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins

Hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs) are ubiquitous architectural components of the growing plant cell wall, accounting for as much as 10-20% of the dry weight. HRGPs are implicated in all aspects of plant growth and development, including responses to stress. The HRGP superfamily contains three major groups which represent a continuum of peptide periodicity and hydroxyproline-O-glycosylation. These groups range from the highly periodic and lightly arabinosylated repetitive proline-rich proteins (PRPs), through the cross-linked extensins which are periodic and highly arabinosylated, to the arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) which are the most highly glycosylated and least periodic. The repetitive units are small, often only four- to six-residue-glycosylated modules viewed hypothetically as functional motifs, or glycomodules. The Hyp contiguity hypothesis predicts that Hyp arabinosylation increases with Hyp contiguity and that clustered noncontiguous Hyp residues are sites of arabinogalactan polysaccharide addition in the AGPs and gums. Recent results involving glycosylation site mapping of endogenous HRGPs and HRGP design using synthetic genes have corroborated the hypothesis. The uses of synthetic genes in HRGP glycosylation site mapping and structural/functional analysis are also discussed.
In vitro tryptophan catabolism by Trypanosoma (trypanozoon) brucei gambiense, T.(T.) equiperdum, T. (herpetosoma) lewisi and T.(h.) musculi

Abstract 1. 1. A comparative study of in vitro tryptophan catabolism among four trypanosome species was made in a continuing effort to determine the functional significance of aromatic acid catabolism to trypanosomes. 2. 2. Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. equiperdum, members of the subgenus Trypanozoon, catabolized tryptophan via an initial aminotransferase reaction to form indole-3-pyruvic acid and the subsequent catabolites indole-3-lactic acid, indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-ethanol (tryptophol). 3. 3. T. lewisi and T. musculi, members of the subgenus Herpetosoma, catabolized tryptophan similarly, although indole-3-lactic acid was the only end product formed. 4. 4. Conservation of a similar tryptophan catabolic pathway among the four trypanosome species suggests the pathway is functionally important. The different end products formed may reflect the different oxidative metabolic potentials and perhaps even the different pathogenic potentials of the two subgenera.
Observations on some possible precursors of essential hypertension and coronary artery disease. VII. The subjective reaction to the cold pressor test as expressed in the verbal response.

Abstract 1.1. The study population consisted of 712 white male medical students who took a standardized cold pressor test. 2.2. The relationship between the degree of circulatory reactivity and the character of the subjective verbal response to an ice water stimulus has been investigated. 3.3. Verbal response groups expressing pain and very disturbed feelings have somewhat greater mean blood pressure and heart rate increases to a standard cold stimulus than groups who indicate cold or minor undisturbing sensations. The differences, although statistically significant, are never large, and when the ceiling effect is taken into account most of these small differences between verbal response groups are minimized.
WHICH CAPITALISM? LESSONS FORM THE EAST ASIAN CRISIS

As a result of the Asian crisis, relationship-based economic systems are now under attack for corruption and inefficiency. Yet, until recently, they were held up as an alternative (and in some respects superior) form of capitalism to the arm's-length, market-based, Anglo-Saxon systems of the U.S. and the U.K. What went wrong? This paper suggests that relationship-based systems work well when contracts are poorly enforced and capital is scarce. Power relationships substitute for contracts, and can achieve better outcomes than a primitive contractual system. But a relationship-based system suppresses the price system and the signals it provides. As a result, relationship-based systems are likely to misallocate capital when presented with large external capital inflows. Since the external capital comes from arm's length investors who typically have few contractual rights or little power in a relationship system, and since these investors are aware of the potential for misallocation, they rationally choose to maintain control over borrowers by keeping their claims short term. Thus, the contact between the two systems creates a fragile hybrid that, while mutually beneficial to relationship borrowers and arm's length investors in normal times, is excessively prone to shocks. Where do we go from here? The authors suggest that while there may be some short-term benefits for emerging economies from reverting to the pure relationship-based system, in the long run such economies will be held back unless they develop the greater disclosure, contract enforcement, and competition of the arm's-length system. The current Asian crisis may be the most opportune moment for these economies to effect the transition between systems.
Recognition potential: sensitivity to visual field stimulated

The recognition potential (RP) was distinguished from P3 and eye blink responses by its sensitivity to visual area stimulated. Images were flashed in upper and lower hemifields. Current source density profiles were computed, using 16 midline scalp electrodes. For P3 and eye blink profiles, the hemifield stimulated was not a significant factor. For the recognition potential, upper and lower field stimulation produced radically different profiles. An improved recognition potential signal was obtained by a new mathematical procedure. It used the difference in sensitivity to visual area stimulated to reject P3 and eye blink responses.
Effects of Oxidative Stress on Aggregation and Membrane Interaction of alpha-Synuclein Characterized by Single Molecule Fluorescence

Oxidative stress has been implicated as a major contributing factor to Parkinson's Disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the deposition of fibrillar amyloid inclusions in the substantia nigra. The primary protein component of these inclusions is alpha-synuclein (aS), an abundant presynaptic protein, whose natural functions have not yet been resolved but presumably involve synaptic vesicle trafficking. Aggregation of amyloid proteins involves sampling of heterogeneous conformational and oligomeric intermediates, and it is actually these species that have been implicated to be responsible for neuronal cell death, possibly by compromising cell membrane integrity. Here, we use single molecule fluorescence techniques (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and single molecule Forster energy transfer) to investigate the influence of oxidative modifications to both the protein and the lipid matrix on the molecular mechanisms of aS aggregation and membrane interaction. We find that oxidative modification to either protein or lipid leads to a decrease of aS vesicle binding, with the extent of decrease being dependent on the lipid matrix. As aS natural functions most likely involve synaptic vesicle binding, these results might indicate a loss of aS function due to oxidative stress. Further, oxidized aS shows a different aggregation behavior and does not form amyloid fibrils. The systematic characterization of the effects of oxidation on aS aggregation and membrane interaction will help to refine our understanding of the toxic form(s) of aS in order to identify cellular targets for the design of therapeutics to treat or prevent PD.
Extremity CT angiography: application to trauma using 64-MDCT

Evolving multi-row detector computed tomography (MDCT) technology has resulted in increasing utility of CT angiography (CTA) in extremity vascular trauma diagnosis and characterization. Given the widespread availability as well as the ease of acquiring CTA in the trauma setting, CTA is increasingly being used as the initial diagnostic evaluation in extremity vascular trauma, replacing digital subtraction angiography in many institutions. One of the significant advantages of the application of 64-MDCT to extremity vascular trauma is the ability to integrate CTA into routine trauma torso protocols. This ultimately yields an efficient, tailored examination to evaluate the multi-trauma patient in a timely manner, a critical concern in this patient population. Although 64-MDCT offers increasing improvement in image quality, technical quality hinges on strict attention to protocol considerations in its implementation. This review article aims to detail the myriad injuries, which may be detected and characterized with CTA. Protocol considerations in the application of 64-MDCT technology to extremity vascular trauma are discussed, drawing from our experience in an urban, Level I trauma center. Finally, the advantages and techniques of integrating extremity CTA into torso trauma protocols will be described.
Nuclear and microsomal nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotidases of rat liver

Abstract 1. 1. Nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotidase activity is present in both the nuclear and microsomal fractions of rat liver homogenates. 2. 2. Comparison of the nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotidase activity of a partially purified nuclear fraction with that of the microsomal fraction revealed that the two differed in apparent K m values, ratios of maximum velocities with nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate, pH optima, solubility and effects of isonicotinic acid hydrazide and pyridine. 3. 3. It is concluded that the nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotidases associated with the nuclear and microsomal fraction of rat liver are different enzymes.
Turbulent broadening of autoignition limits

The authors present a model for calculating the autoignition time in a turbulent flow in which fuel and air are being mixed. The model is applied to the 40-atm heptane-air system. Chemical kinetics are described by a four-step reduces mechanism or a 19-step reduced mechanism. Mixing is described by a particle-tracking probability density function (PDF) model. The model requires five dependent variables (temperature and four species) in the four-step mechanism and 14 dependent variables (temperature and 13 species) in the 19-step mechanism for each of the N{sub p} particles used to discretize the PDF. The system is studied for 800 {<=}T{sub in} {<=} 1,000 K, an initial mean equivalence ratio of 0.5 or 1.0, initial fuel-air distributions with a range of variances, and mixing frequencies ({omega}) from 10 Hz to 10 kHz. If the initial fuel-air PDF approaches a delta function, the predicted autoignition times ({tau}{sub ign}) agree well with published data from shock tubes. Agreement is also obtained regardless of initial fuel-air distribution for {omega} to 10 kHz, because the initial differences are mixed away before the chemical kinetics can act. For {omega} {<=} 1 kHz, {tau}{sub ign} decreased by up to a factor of 2 as the initialmore » variance is increased. Particle locii in phase space are used to indicate the relative roles of mixing and chemistry in lean vs rich gas. The behavior of the four-step mechanisms is very similar to that of the 19-step mechanism, across the mixing frequency 10 Hz to 10 kHz.« less
State demands strain US stem cell scientists

The US stem-cell controversy has spawned additional funding systems. These distract scientists and weaken the NIH
Quantitative trait linkage mapping in anthropology

Recent years have seen rapid progress in several areas of both biomedical and anthropological genetics. While genetic analyses have come to play a significant role in biological anthropology, there has been little use of modern methods for linkage mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs). It is now feasible to design research studies to investigate the quantitative genetics of complex phenotypes that are of primary importance to traditional questions in biological anthropology. Complex traits such as functionally significant morphological features, physiological characteristics or aspects of behavior can be examined to estimate the influence of genetic variation on within-species phenotypic variation. In addition, new methods for mapping quantitative trait loci provide opportunities to identify the regions within chromosomes that contain the functional genes of interest. This review summarizes molecular genetic and statistical genetic approaches to QTL mapping, and presents examples of how this approach can expand the scope of anthropological genetics to include mapping and identifying individual genes that influence complex phenotypic traits relevant to fundamental questions in biological anthropology.
Cannulated Percutaneous Fixation of Intra-articular Hand Fractures

Percutaneous fixation techniques minimize edema, scar formation, and stiffness from operative trauma when restoring position and stability of displaced and unstable hand fractures. Percutaneous Kirschner wires merely splint fractures and may migrate, disengage, or irritate soft tissues; may be associated with pin tract suppuration; and may require removal at 4 to 6 weeks after insertion. Percutaneous miniscrews may provide more secure fixation for larger articular and oblique diaphyseal fractures of the thumb and finger phalanges by means of bicortical fixation and compression, are less intrusive to adjacent tissues, retain the fracture throughout the healing process, and seldom require removal. Miniscrew canulation substantially simplifies the insertion process, and headless miniscrews are entirely unobtrusive to the adjacent tissues.
“Killing the Messenger”: Religious Black Gay Men's Neutralization of Anti‐Gay Religious Messages

I use cognitive dissonance theory as a framework to examine coping strategies used by men endeavoring to maintain a coherent sense of themselves as gay Christians. Using interviews with black gay Christian men, I uncover a strategy used to maintain that identity in the face of stigmatizing religious rhetoric. While these men have managed to reconcile their religious and sexual identities, sermons delivered by church leaders disrupt that reconciliation, causing them to have to neutralize these anxiety-inducing attitudes. This study shows that they focus accusations of illegitimacy on the speaker rather than the doctrine by denigrating the speakers’ knowledge, morality, focus, and motivations. In this way, they neutralize the sting of churches’ negative messages by neutralizing the moral authority of the churches’ messengers. These findings offer new insight into how parishioners persist in religious communities in which their sexual behaviors or identities are condemned.
Capitalists in Conflict: The Lebanese Civil War Reconsidered

This article argues, in contrast to much of the extant literature, that the political economy of Lebanon can explain the roots and dynamics of that country's 1975–1990 civil war. This reinterpretation examines the tensions and conflicts that arose within the Lebanese financial sector—the commanding heights of the Lebanese political economy—with the onset of petrodollar-driven financial globalization. Through a multi-sited approach, the paper traces and analyzes the rise of and competition between two financial networks within wartime Lebanon: One associated with President Amin Gemayel's Kata'eb Party; and the other associated with the ascendant Lebanese-Saudi billionaire Rafiq al-Hariri. It was, I show, the embeddedness of these networks within larger processes of globalization and regional competition that set the stage for the financial collapse of 1988–89. This collapse contributed to the end of the war and enabled Hariri's domination of Lebanon and its financial sector throughout the 1990s.
Impurity scattering and order parameter symmetry in high-Tc superconductors

Abstract I review the theory of impurities in a d -wave superconductor, with a view towards devising tests which can identify the order parameter symmetry in the cuprates, particularly those involving electromagnetic response. Existing microwave data can be semiquantitatively fit by “dirty d -wave” theory, extended to include inelastic scattering by antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, although some discrepancies remain. The model also yields alternative explanations for some well-known features of the optical conductivity in single crystals. The theory is compared with the predictions for various anisotropic s -wave states which have been proposed recently.
FlowCode: Multi-site data exchange over wireless ad-hoc networks using network coding

We present FlowCode, a system that exploits network coding at the granularity of traffic flows to facilitate fault-tolerant data exchange in wireless mesh networks. Applications include multi-site data replication in ad-hoc environments such as mesh networks or wireless data centers. By coupling an operand-driven transmission mechanism with a layered network topology, FlowCode allows us to realize the gains of network coding in application systems without a global scheduler. We analyze the resulting gains through modeling and simulation and validate our results on an outdoor testbed of 12 wireless devices. Results indicate that in high loss environments, FlowCode provides the most significant gains from improved fault tolerance over redundant paths.
Surgical Planning of the Total Cavopulmonary Connection: Robustness Analysis

In surgical planning of the Fontan connection for single ventricle physiologies, there can be differences between the proposed and implemented options. Here, we developed a surgical planning framework that help determine the best performing option and ensures that the results will be comparable if there are slight geometrical variations. Eight patients with different underlying anatomies were evaluated in this study; surgical variations were created for each connection by changing either angle, offset or baffle diameter. Computational fluid dynamics were performed and the energy efficiency (indexed power loss-iPL) and hepatic flow distribution (HFD) computed. Differences with the original connection were evaluated: iPL was not considerably affected by the changes in geometry. For HFD, the single superior vena cava (SVC) connections presented less variability compared to the other anatomies. The Y-graft connection was the most robust overall, while the extra-cardiac connections showed dependency to offset. Bilateral SVC and interrupted inferior vena cava with azygous continuation showed high variability in HFD. We have developed a framework to assess the robustness of a surgical option for the TCPC; this will be useful to assess the most complex cases where pre-surgery planning could be most beneficial to ensure an efficient and robust hemodynamic performance.
Synthesis of Carbonyl Cyanide Alkylhydrazones

Abstract Carbonyl cyanide phenylhydrazone (CCP) is well known as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondrial systems.1 A large number of phenyl-substituted CCP derivatives have been prepared by the general route involving diazotization of the aniline and coupling the resulting diazonium ion with malononitrile.2
Determining the reduced scattering of skin in vivo using sized-fiber reflectometry

Sized-fiber reflectometry describes a device and method for measuring absorption and reduced scattering of tissue using optical fibers with different diameters. The device used in this paper consists of two fibers with diameters of 200 and 600 microns. Each fiber emits and collects its own backscattered light. Monte Carlo simulations tabulating the diffuse reflectance collected by 200 and 600 micron fibers in a semi-infinite homogenous media are presented for an absorption, (mu) a range of 0.2-30 cm-1 and a reduced scattering, (mu) s range of 10-200 cm-1. The diffuse reflectance collected by a 600 micron fiber may be approximated by a near relation to the 200 micron fiber. An empirical relation is derived relating the reduced scattering coefficient to the diffuse reflectance collected with 200 and 600 micron fibers. The sensitivity of the relation is determined for changes in each fiber measurement. Finally, in vivo diffuse reflection measurements and reduced scattering coefficient of skin are presented using the aforementioned fiber sizes with a wavelength range of 400-800 nm.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Characteristics of educational software use in 106 clinical laboratories

The University of Washington, Seattle, has developed educational software for clinical laboratories. We used a 32-question survey to study software implementation. Of 106 clinical laboratories (response rate, 60%) that purchased the software and completed the survey, 89 laboratories (84%) that reported using the software formed the basis for the study. The most common software users were laboratory personnel, followed by medical technologist or medical laboratory technician students, residents, and medical students; the mean (SD) number of personnel categories using the software per laboratory was 1.8 (0.8). The most common reasons for use were initial instruction, cross-training, and competency assessment. The most frequent setting for software use was an area where laboratory testing occurred, followed by a dedicated training location, a location chosen by the employee, a classroom, and a distance learning mode. On a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), the average satisfaction rating as an instructional tool was 4.4 and as a competency assessment tool, 4.2. Compared with laboratories in hospitals with 400 beds or fewer, laboratories in hospitals with more than 400 beds used the software for more categories of users (P = .008), had a higher proportion of laboratories using it for residents (P = .003), and had a higher proportion of laboratories with dedicated training areas (P = .02).
Student Perceptions of Value Added in an Active Learning Experience: Producing, Reviewing and Evaluating a Sales Team Video Presentation.

This study investigates the effectiveness of a video team-based activity as a learning experience in a sales management course. Students perceived this learning activity approach as a beneficial and effective instructional technique. The benefits of making a video in a marketing course reinforce the understanding and the use of the sales process in a creative way. In addition, we found this learning activity helped develop critical thinking by engaging students in creating and developing innovative products and services. This unique procedure in involving them with hand-on learning activities through a video presentation is professed by students to greatly improve their performance in a sales management course.
Toward a model of outdoor lighting scene brightness

Light quantities based on the photopic luminous efficiency function do not predict brightness perceptions of lighted outdoor scenes such as streets, parking lots and plazas. This paper summarises a series of experiments conducted using scale-model outdoor scenes illuminated by different light sources to assess judgements of brightness. From the results and from previously published literature on the relative increase in short-wavelength spectral sensitivity for brightness, a tentative model for brightness perception of outdoor scenes is proposed. The model can serve as a starting point for efficiently testing future hypotheses regarding brightness perception in lighted outdoor scenes.
Vertical structure of Indonesian throughflow in a large-scale model

Abstract The vertical structure of the exchange of water between the Pacific and Indian Oceans via the Indonesian throughflow and its temporal variability are examined. Since there are no simultaneous, direct observations of transport variations with depth at the inflow straits (Makassar, Maluku, and Halmahera) and outflow straits (Lombok, Ombai, and Timor), numerical model results are used. Analysis of depth-integrated transport through the model straits indicates differences in the vertical structure of the flow between the inflow and outflow straits. Generally speaking, local winds affect flow in a layer above the thermocline, while remote forcing, e.g., ENSO or coastal Kelvin waves, affect flow in a subsurface layer. On the outflow side, transport occurs primarily in two vertical modes. The dominant mode is characterized by a surface intensification that decays to zero around 400 m . The second mode is characterized by flow in the upper 100 m that is of opposite direction to flow from 100 to 400 m . The vertical decomposition of transport through the model's inflow straits varies between the straits. At Makassar, the western-most inflow passage, the dominant mode is similar to the outflow straits, with a surface intensification of southward transport that decays to zero at 800 m . At Halmahera, the eastern-most inflow strait, the dominant mode is two-layer, with surface to 200 m transport in the opposite direction of transport from 200 to 700 m , similar to the second mode at the outflow straits. At Maluku, the center inflow passage, the dominant vertical mode is three-layer. At this strait, there is a layer from about 100 to 800 m within which flow is in the opposite direction to flow in a surface layer above 100 m and in a deeper layer below 800 m . Phase lags on the annual cycle suggest that during April–October, peaking in May, there is a convergence of mass in the upper 100 m of the Indonesian seas. This convergence is balanced by a mass divergence from 100 to 710 m that occurs slightly earlier but is of shorter duration, from February to mid-June. While interannual variations of transport in the straits varies, the difference in inflow and outflow on interannual timescales is correlated to ENSO. There is a divergence (convergence) of mass in the upper 100 m (100– 710 m ) in the Indonesian seas during the El Ninos of 1982/1983, 1986/1987, 1994/1995 and 1997/1998.
The Effectiveness of Adjustable Pedals Usage

The objective of the study presented in this poster was to determine the driver-airbag module distance with and without adjustable pedals. For this study, 20 volunteers were tested in a small and large vehicle equipped with adjustable pedals. The pedals could be adjusted through extension towards the driver. The volunteers were divided into 3 height groups: short (5th percentile), medium (50th percentile), and tall (95th percentile). The volunteers sat in each vehicle and adjusted the pedals in 3 different positions: (1) Normal position, which corresponds to actual production pedal location; (2) Comfortable position, which corresponds to the driver desired pedal extension; and (3) maximum tolerabIe position, which corresponds to maximum drivable pedal extension. This position was used to obtain subjective feedback from the volunteers. For each position, the volunteer drove along a prescribed road course. The subject's comfort was evaluated through a questionnaire. The results showed the effectiveness of adjustable pedals, in particular for short-statured drivers particularly in the large vehicle. For short-statured drivers in the comfortable position, the pedal extension was higher in the large car than in the small car. However, the increase in chest-to-steering wheel distance was similar in both vehicles. This suggests that a short statured can comfortably increase his/her chest distance by 40 mm with pedal extension. For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD E203643.
Sorption of Disperse Dye by Polyester Fibers: Boundary Layer Transitional Kinetics

The kinetics of disperse dyeing of polyester fibers is extremely complex. For a given dye/fiber system, the rate of dye uptake is controlled by physicochemical parameters such as distribution and diffusion coefficients. Mathematical analysis reveals, however, that even when such coefficients are constant, concentration-independent quantities, the uptake rate of disperse dye is still sensitive to other physicochemical parameters such as dyebath concentration and rate of flow.
The Influence of Canadian Forest Fires on Pollutant Concentrations in the United States

High carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations from uncertain origins occurred episodically in the southeastern United States during the summer of 1995. We show that these episodes were caused by large forest fires in Canada. Over a period of 2 weeks, these natural emissions increased CO concentrations in the southeastern United States as well as along the eastern seaboard, a region with one of the world's highest rates of anthropogenic emissions. Within the forest fire plumes, there were also high concentrations of ozone, volatile organic compounds, and aerosols. These results suggest that the impact of boreal forest fire emissions on air quality in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, where anthropogenic pollutant sources have been considered predominant, needs to be reevaluated.
Custom declarative refactoring in NetBeans: tool demonstration

In this paper, we briefly describe NetBeans' custom refactoring feature, its history and possible evolution. We will also mention some of the pain points that we ran into while this feature and its parts have been developed and moved into the production.
HOW LARGE ARE LEARNING EXTERNALITIES

The quantitative features of human capital externalities are not fully understood. Although static externalities are estimated in some studies, learning externalities remain mostly unestimated. By calibrating a growth model, this article provides an estimate of learning externalities. The calibration uses an equilibrium condition that equates private returns on physical capital and human capital. The results suggest that sizable learning externalities exist, even in a conservative setup. The estimated social rate of return on human capital is 9.0%, compared to the private rate of return, 6.6%. Therefore, human capital externalities are an important source of economic growth.
A Dual Methodology for Case Studies: Synergistic Use of a Longitudinal Single Site with Replicated Multiple Sites

This paper describes a case study methodology that combines a real-time longitudinal three-year study with nine retrospective case studies about the same phenomenon. These two kinds of case studies offer opportunities for complementary and synergistic data gathering and analysis. That is, specific strengths in each method compensate for some particular weakness in the other. For instance, the retrospective studies offer the opportunity to identify patterns indicative of dynamic processes and the longitudinal study provides a close-up view of those patterns as they evolve over time. The combination of the two types of case studies also enhances three kinds of validity: construct, internal and external. The author also discusses problems with and shortcomings of this dual methodology and suggests the circumstances for which the methodology is especially appropriate.
The Use and Misuse of FTIR Spectroscopy in the Determination of Protein Structure

Fourier transform infrartd (FTIR) spectroscopy is an established tool for the structural character- ization of proteins. However, many potential pitfalls exist for the unwary investigator. In this review we critically assess the application of FIlR spectroscopy to the determination of protein structure by (1) outlining the principles underlying protein secondary structure determination by FZZR spectroscopy. (2) highhghting the situations in which FZZR spectroscopy should be considered the technique of choice, (3) discussing the manner in which experiments should be conducted to derive as much physiologically relevant information as possible, and (4) outlining current methods for the determination of secondary structure from infrared spectm of proteins,
Pricing Path-Dependent Options with Jump Risk via Laplace Transforms

We present analytical solutions for two-dimensional Laplace transforms of barrier option prices, as well as an approximation based on Laplace transforms for the prices of finite-time horizon American options, under a double exponential jump di ffusion model. Our numerical results indicate that the method is fast, accurate, and easy to implement without requiring high precision calculations in Laplace inversion.
Video Game-Based Methodology for Business Research

Experimental research in business and economics has exploded in recent years in both laboratory and field settings. The generality of findings from field experiments is limited by the specificity of the experimental environment. Laboratory studies, on the other hand, are criticized for being devoid of the contextual cues that may indicate to decision makers the nature of the problem and, thus, the appropriate approaches to problem solving. Virtual experiments provide a hybrid of strengths from each of these two experimental protocols that may overcome some of the limitations of each. Using a modified, commercial, adventure game with an appended Sequel database, this research reprises a well-known study of risk aversion within a virtual context. The results indicate that very similar overall measures of risk aversion can be obtained within an adventure game context. Furthermore, it shows that experimentation within this virtual environment permits outcomes to be recorded and analyzed regarding decision consistency, decision revisions, and psychological/behavioral variables that have not been available using either traditional lab or field research methods. As such, this study contributes both to the literature on behavioral business research methodology in general and to the literature on risk aversion in particular.