cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic performance model of wind turbine generators

To characterize the power performance of wind turbine generators (WTGs), the International Electrotechnical Commission provides a power curve for each one based on ten minutes average. This approach causes the problem of systematic errors because of the nonlinear relationship between power and wind speed. In this paper, recurrent neural networks are introduced as an alternative approach to model this nonlinear relationship. Based on actual wind speed input and wind power output, an input-output relationship is established for a permanent magnet synchronous machine based wind power generator. Experimental studies are carried out to the develop power curve that characterize dynamic power performance of the wind turbine generator. These dynamic power performance models of wind turbine generators can be used as operational and planning models in control centers. Some preliminary results on the integration of a neural network wind generator model in a micro-grid simulation is presented.
HREELS study of ultra-thin polyaniline films grown on Cu(110) by vapor deposition of aniline tetramers

Abstract The physical and chemical properties of polyaniline thin films produced by vapor deposition of aniline tetramers on a Cu(110) substrate have been investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). HREELS spectra showed that aniline tetramers are stable on the Cu(110) surface and do not react to form longer chains. Tetramer films doped with HCl exhibited HREEL spectra with features characteristic of a semiconductor. The physical properties of the tetramer films have also been compared to those of films grown by exposing Cu(110) to aniline oligomers produced via pyrolysis of bulk emeraldine. Those films exhibit thickness-dependent changes related to reactivity of the vapor with the surface and metallic spectral features upon doping with HCl.
Biomarkers to Predict Recurrent Cardiovascular Disease: the Heart and Soul Study

Abstract Purpose The study purpose was to evaluate the ability of 6 biomarkers to improve the prediction of cardiovascular events among persons with established coronary artery disease. Background Cardiovascular risk algorithms are designed to predict the initial onset of coronary artery disease but are less effective in persons with preexisting coronary artery disease. Methods We examined the association of N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP), cystatin C, albuminuria, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6, and fibrinogen with cardiovascular events in 979 Heart and Soul Study participants with coronary artery disease after adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and behavior variables; cardiovascular risk factors; cardiovascular disease severity; medication use; and left ventricular ejection fraction. The outcome was a composite of stroke, myocardial infarction, and coronary heart disease death during an average of 3.5 years of follow-up. Results During follow-up, 142 participants (15%) developed cardiovascular events. The highest quartiles (vs lower 3 quartiles) of 5 biomarkers were individually associated with cardiovascular risk after multivariate analysis: Nt-proBNP hazard ratio (HR)=2.13 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43-3.18); cystatin C HR=1.72 (95% CI, 1.10-2.70); albuminuria HR=1.71 (95% CI, 1.15-2.54); CRP HR=2.00 (95% CI, 1.40-2.85); and interleukin-6 HR=1.76 (95% CI, 1.22-2.53). When all biomarkers were included in the multivariable analysis, only Nt-proBNP, albuminuria, and CRP remained significant predictors of events: HR=1.88 (95% CI, 1.23-2.85), HR=1.63 (95% CI, 1.09-2.43), and HR=1.82 (95% CI, 1.24-2.67), respectively. The area under the receiver operator curve for clinical predictors alone was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.68-0.78); adding Nt-proBNP, albuminuria, and CRP significantly increased the area under the receiver operator curve to 0.77 (95% CI, 0.73-0.82, P Conclusion Among persons with prevalent coronary artery disease, biomarkers reflecting hemodynamic stress, kidney damage, and inflammation added significant risk discrimination for cardiovascular events.
Decisions-to-Data using Level 5 information fusion

Over the last decade, there has been interest in presenting information fusion solutions to the user and ways to incorporate visualization, interaction, and command and control. In this paper, we explore Decisions-to-Data (D2D) in information fusion design: (1) sensing: from data to information (D2I) processing, (2) reporting: from human computer interaction (HCI) visualizations to user refinement (H2U), and (3) disseminating: from collected to resourced (C2R) information management. D2I supports net-centric intelligent situation awareness that includes processing of information from non-sensor resources for mission effectiveness. H2U reflects that completely automated systems are not realizable requiring Level 5 user refinement for efficient decision making. Finally, C2R moves from immediate data collection to fusion of information over an enterprise (e.g., data mining, database queries and storage, and source analysis for pedigree). By using D2I, H2U, and C2R concepts, they serve as informative themes for future complex information fusion interoperability standards, integration of man and machines, and efficient networking for distribution user situation understanding.
Religion and Food: An Anthropological Perspective1

L'A. reprend les articles precedents et classe les rapports alimentation-religion en trois categories. D'abord, l'utilisation de l'alimentation en tant que signe est bien etablie. Les pratiques culinaires apparaissent comme un discours structure sur le groupe. L'alimentation marque les relations sociales a travers l'interdiction et la prescription. En second lieu, l'alimentation est liee a la sexualite et a la reproduction sociale. Enfin, l'alimentation s'associe a la memoire, notamment dans la Bible, mais aussi dans la litterature europeenne
"The die is cast": telling patients they are going to die.

The decision not to resuscitate a patient with burns is an issue of concern, with advocates both for and against. Most patients have not had previous experience with major burn injuries. It is therefore unreasonable to expect them or their families to act from a position of knowledge. There is a subset of patients considered for "do not resuscitate" orders who are nonsurvivors. If the outcome is predictable, the responsibility of the burn team is to inform patients and their families. Such discussion should come within the first few hours of admission, when the patient is fully awake and able to understand, to respond, and to make plans.
Coronin 1C negatively regulates cell-matrix adhesion and motility of intestinal epithelial cells.

Coronins, WD-repeat actin-binding proteins, are known to regulate cell motility by coordinating actin filament turnover in lamellipodia of migrating cell. Here we report a novel mechanism of Coronin 1C-mediated cell motility that involves regulation of cell-matrix adhesion. RNAi silencing of Coronin 1C in intestinal epithelial cells enhanced cell migration and modulated lamellipodia dynamics by increasing the persistence of lamellipodial protrusion. Coronin 1C-depleted cells showed increased cell-matrix adhesions and enhanced cell spreading compared to control cells, while overexpression of Coronin 1C antagonized cell adhesion and spreading. Enhanced cell-matrix adhesion of coronin-deficient cells correlated with hyperphosphorylation of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) and paxillin, and an increase in number of focal adhesions and their redistribution at the cell periphery. siRNA depletion of FAK in coronin-deficient cells rescued the effects of Coronin 1C depletion on motility, cell-matrix adhesion, and spreading. Thus, our findings provide the first evidence that Coronin 1C negatively regulates epithelial cell migration via FAK-mediated inhibition of cell-matrix adhesion.
Axioms, Essences, and Mostly Clean Hands: Preparing to Teach Chemistry with Libavius and Aristotle

Andreas Libavius’ (c. 1555–1616) three part collection of letters, the Rerum chymicarum epistolica forma ... liber (1595–1599) is a particularly important text in fashioning the subject of chemistry as a demonstrative science and as a didactic discipline. Where Libavius’ Alchemia, which some have claimed to be the first textbook of chemistry, had mostly a humanist agenda, the Rerum chymicarum ... liber more directly sought to wrest the subject of “chemistry” away from Paracelsian adepts, and established the methodological basis for a specific form of knowledge suitable to the university. Making use of Aristotle’s Posterior analytics Libavius created a “floor-plan” for chemistry that integrated practical experience with natural philosophy, and could thus, he claimed, penetrate more deeply into the structure of nature than other academic disciplines.
Antioxidants in cosmetics

Antioxidants are commonly added to cosmetics. Allergy to these substances will be missed unless specifically looked for. During a 2-year period, patients with facial dermatitis have been routinely tested with butylhydroxyanisole and tertiary butylhydroquinone. 7 patients are reported who have been shown to have an allergic contact dermatitis to an antioxidant in their cosmetics or toiletries.
TAR-independent activation of the HIV-1 LTR: Evidence that Tat requires specific regions of the promoter

Abstract Replication of HIV-1 requires Tat, which stimulates gene expression through a target sequence, TAR. It is known that TAR is a Tat-responsive target. Since Tat increases transcriptional initiations from the HIV-1 LTR promoter, it is unclear mechanistically how Tat utilizes an RNA target. Here we show that TAR RNA is only one component of the Tat-responsive target. Efficient Tat trans -activation was observed only when TAR was present in conjunction with the HIV-1 LTR NF-κB/SP1 DNA sequences. TAR RNA outside of this context produced a suboptimal Tat response. We propose that TAR RNA serves an attachment function directing Tat to the LTR. A Tat protein engineered to interact with LTR DNA could trans -activate through a TAR-independent mechanism. This suggests that Tat also has a DNA target.
Effects of foliaceous varices on the mechanical properties of Chicoreus dilectus (Gastropoda: Muricidae)

Removal of the foliaceous varices from the shells of Chicoreus dilectus had no significant effect on the crushing strength (load at failure) of the shells, but decreased the total work necessary to break the shells by 35–50%. This effect was due to the removal of varices as an architectural feature of the shell rather than simply to the removal of shell material per se; varicate shells had a mean work to failure per unit shell mass 1–6–2–3 times greater than avaricate shells. Because the strength of gastropod shells often exceeds the maximum forces that durophagous predators may bring to bear on them, work to failure may be a more important factor in the design of gastropod shells than breaking load.
The role of the basal ganglia in nociception and pain

The involvement of the basal ganglia in motor functions has been well studied. Recent neurophysiological, clinical and behavioral experiments indicate that the basal ganglia also process non-noxious and noxious somatosensory information. However, the functional significance of somatosensory information processing within the basal ganglia is not well understood. This review explores the role of the striatum, globus pallidus and substantia nigra in nociceptive sensorimotor integration and suggests several roles of these basal ganglia structures in nociception and pain. Electrophysiological experiments have detailed the non-nociceptive and nociceptive response properties of basal ganglia neurons. Most studies agree that some neurons within the basal ganglia encode stimulus intensity. However, these neurons do not appear to encode stimulus location since the receptive fields of these cells are large. Many basal ganglia neurons responsive to somatosensory stimulation are activated exclusively or differentially by noxious stimulation. Indirect techniques used to measure neuronal activity (i.e., positron emission tomography and 2-deoxyglucose methods) also indicate that the basal ganglia are activated differentially by noxious stimulation. Neuroanatomical experiments suggest several pathways by which nociceptive information may reach the basal ganglia. Neuroanatomical studies have also indicated that the basal ganglia are rich in many different neuroactive chemicals that may be involved in the modulation of nociceptive information. Microinjection of opiates, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) into the basal ganglia have varied effects on pain behavior. Administration of these neurochemicals into the basal ganglia affects supraspinal pain behaviors more consistently than spinal reflexive behaviors. The reduction of pain behavior following electrical stimulation of the substantia nigra and caudate nucleus provides additional evidence for a role of the basal ganglia in pain modulation. Some patients with basal ganglia disease (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease) have alterations in pain sensation in addition to motor abnormalities. Frequently, these patients have intermittent pain that is difficult to localize. Collectively, these data suggest that the basal ganglia may be involved in the (1) sensory-discriminative dimension of pain, (2) affective dimension of pain, (3) cognitive dimension of pain, (4) modulation of nociceptive information and (5) sensory gating of nociceptive information to higher motor areas. Further experiments that correlate neuronal discharge activity with stimulus intensity and escape behavior in operantly conditioned animals are necessary to fully understand how the basal ganglia are involved in nociceptive sensorimotor integration.
The economics of cancer management

Abstract Due to the limited funding in health care there is a need for sound economics. Resources need to be identified to enable their best allocation to suit the needs of the patient. This review identifies the strategies used in economic evaluation and highlights the lack of information in this area. The costs of disease, both direct and indirect, are emphasized with particular reference to cancer and its management. Costing methods are discussed together with issues relating to the quality of life and future policies. From the methodologies identified it should be possible to develop a cost-analysis study. The study tool could have a wide application to various cancer patient groups which would allow comparisons to be made for both the direct and indirect costs and consideration could also be given to the patient's quality of life.
Ion Dynamics in the Venus Ionosphere

Dynamics play an important role in defining the characteristics of the Venus ionosphere. The absence of a significant internal magnetic field at Venus allows the ionization to respond freely to gradients in the plasma pressure. The primary response to a gradient in plasma pressure is the nightward flow of the ionization away from a photoionization source on the dayside. The flow is approximately symmetric about the Sun-Venus axis and provides the source of O+ that maintains the nightside ionosphere during solar maximum. Modelling efforts have generally been successful in describing the average nightward ion velocity. Asymmetric and temporally-variable flow is measured, but is not well described by the models. Departures from axially-symmetric flow described in this paper include ionospheric superrotation at low altitudes and an enhanced flow at high altitude at the dawn terminator. Variability that is the result of changes in the ionopause height induced by changes in solar wind dynamic pressure is especially strong on the nightside. Ion flow to the nightside is also reduced during solar minimum because of a depressed ionopause.
Collagenolytic Matrix Metalloproteinase Activities toward Peptomeric Triple-Helical Substrates.

Although collagenolytic matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) possess common domain organizations, there are subtle differences in their processing of collagenous triple-helical substrates. In this study, we have incorporated peptoid residues into collagen model triple-helical peptides and examined MMP activities toward these peptomeric chimeras. Several different peptoid residues were incorporated into triple-helical substrates at subsites P3, P1, P1′, and P10′ individually or in combination, and the effects of the peptoid residues were evaluated on the activities of full-length MMP-1, MMP-8, MMP-13, and MMP-14/MT1-MMP. Most peptomers showed little discrimination between MMPs. However, a peptomer containing N-methyl Gly (sarcosine) in the P1′ subsite and N-isobutyl Gly (NLeu) in the P10′ subsite was hydrolyzed efficiently only by MMP-13 [nomenclature relative to the α1(I)772–786 sequence]. Cleavage site analysis showed hydrolysis at the Gly–Gln bond, indicating a shifted binding of the triple helix compared t...
Probe-Shift Error in Remote Diagnostic of Volume Radiation Sources

Determination of the distribution of the emission coefficient in a volume radiation source sometimes entails mathematical analysis of an externally measured distribution of radiative flux. Through an analysis of a hypothetical source exhibiting cylindrical symmetry, it is shown that the finite aperture of the measuring device causes a probe-shift error in the results. The shift is a strong function of the size and magnitude of the second spatial derivative of the emission and increase with the aperture size. Nomenclature tw,h) = measured radiative power, W = calculated radiative flux, W/m2 — aperture height of analyzer, m = emission coefficient, W/m3 = ideal radiative flux, W/m2 = radial coordinate, m = radius of source, m — aperture width of analyzer, m = depth coordinate normal to source axis, m = lateral coordinate normal to source axis, m — effective value of lateral coordinate, m = nominal value of lateral coordinate, m = axial coordinate of source , m = standard deviation of Gauss distribution, m
The Costs of Ambient Cultural Disharmony: Indirect Intercultural Conflicts in Social Environment Undermine Creativity

Intercultural tensions and conflicts are inevitable in the global workplace. This article introduces the concept of ambient cultural disharmony—indirect experience of intercultural tensions and con...
Ratings and Audience Measurement

One commonly used, though controversial, approach to conducting research on media audiences involves ratings analysis. Ratings analysis is the analysis of the audience size and composition data produced by audience measurement firms for use in both the commercial and noncommercial media sectors. Ratings data primarily are used by media outlets and advertisers to determine advertising rates, to assess the performance of media content, and to develop and assess strategies related to the production and placement of content. Ratings data are also are used by policy makers to assess media market dynamics and (most important to this chapter) by academics to develop and test theoretical perspectives regarding the dynamics of how audiences consume media and how media institutions navigate the audience marketplace (Stavitsky 2000; Napoli 2003; Webster, Phalen, and Lichty 2005). Perhaps the best-known types of audience ratings that have been used in academic research are the television ratings produced by measurement firms such as The Nielsen Company and TNS Media Intelligence, and the radio ratings produced by measurement firms such as Arbitron and RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research). And, increasingly, internet audience ratings, produced by firms such as comScore and Nielsen//NetRatings, are being utilized in academic research (see e.g. Webster and Lin 2002; Bermejo 2007). As these examples suggest, the term ratings is most often associated with audiences for the electronic media, though print media also utilize audience data produced by commercial measurement firms that indicate the number and demographic characteristics of readers of individual publications. Firms such as Simmons and MRI (Mediamark Research Inc.) produce data for a wide range of print publications. However, for whatever reason (perhaps a comparative lack of academic interest in print media audiences), academic ratings analyses have overwhelmingly focused on electronic media audiences. Thus, electronic media ratings,
Bacillus stearothermophilus PcrA Monomer Is a Single-stranded DNA Translocase but Not a Processive Helicase in Vitro

Structural studies of the Bacillus stearothermophilus PcrA protein along with biochemical studies of the single-stranded (ss) DNA translocation activity of PcrA monomers have led to the suggestion that a PcrA monomer possesses processive helicase activity in vitro. Yet definitive studies testing whether the PcrA monomer possesses processive helicase activity have not been performed. Here we show, using single turnover kinetic methods, that monomers of PcrA are able to translocate along ssDNA, in the 3' to 5' direction, rapidly and processively, whereas these same monomers display no detectable helicase activity under the same solution conditions in vitro. The PcrA monomer ssDNA translocation activity, although necessary, is not sufficient for processive helicase activity, and thus the translocase and helicase activities of PcrA are separable. These results also suggest that the helicase activity of PcrA needs to be activated either by self-assembly or through interactions with accessory proteins. This same behavior is displayed by both the Escherichia coli Rep and UvrD monomers. Hence, all three of these SF1 enzymes are ssDNA translocases as monomers but do not display processive helicase activity in vitro unless activated. The fact that the translocase and helicase activities are separable suggests that each activity may be used for different functions in vivo.
Credit cards and the option to default

Abstract The value of the option to default on unsecured credit contracts is estimated and found to be significantly impacted by state and federal laws governing creditors' collection practices and bankruptcy. The data suggest that the expected value of the option to default influences debtors' choices in default and is correlated with their use of their credit cards before default. Cardholders who use their lines of credit very intensely before default are significantly more likely to make choices in default which allow them to realize a greater benefit from default. Furthermore, these results offer a possible explanation for consumers' seeming insensitivity to interest rates charged on revolving lines of credit.
A Social Network Based File Sharing System in Mobile Peer-to-Peer Networks

Peer-to-peer file sharing applications are increas- ingly popular and they enable users to share various files with high scalability. However, in intermittently connected mobile network environment, existing file sharing systems are hindered by the lack of node stable connectivity and constant network topology change. We propose a social network based file sharing system in mobile P2P networks. It takes advantage of node mobility and builds communities based on social network. Instead of being hindered by the mobility of the nodes, the proposed system utilizes the node mobility to facilitate communications and provide efficient message routing and file retrieval services. Experiment results show that the proposed system significantly lowers the transmission cost and achieves satisfactory file re- trieval success rate. I. INTRODUCTION In the past few years, the improvement of microelectronics results in dramatic increase of the availability of personal mo- bile devices, such as laptops, powerful PDAs and smart mobile phones. With the convenient devices, the mobile devices can share user-generated contents and interested resources through computer networks. They can interact with the users and share files via Internet. In the case that Internet infrastructures are unavailable, the mobile devices share files through mobile connections, which can be regarded as a mobile peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In mobile P2P networks, peers are intermit- tently connected, which makes traditional approaches of file searching and file sharing between two distant peers almost infeasible. It is a challenging problem to build file-sharing systems in mobile P2P network environment with frequent disconnections of nodes and dynamic topology. In this paper, we design a social network based file sharing system in mobile P2P networks. It leads to low network overhead and offers satisfactory transmission success rate. Our contribution in this paper is two-fold. First, we cluster the peers in the mobile P2P network to different communities based on their interests and enable users to retrieve files in their communities, which reduces traffic cost without reduc- ing file searching success rate. Second, we exploit different mobility of the nodes for file searching and inter-community communication. Peers in the mobile P2P networks are assigned different tasks based on their characteristics of stability or mobility, so that peers can better utilize their resources and make more contributions to file searching and file retrieving. The social network based community, routing algorithm and exploitation of stability and mobility bring about significantly
Detached-eddy simulation with compressibility corrections applied to a supersonic axisymmetric base flow

Detached-eddy simulation is applied to an axisymmetric base flow at supersonic conditions. Detached-eddy simulation is a hybrid approach to modeling turbulence that combines the best features of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes and large-eddy simulation approaches. In the Reynolds-averaged mode, the model is currently based on either the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model or Menter’s shear stress transport model; in the largeeddy simulation mode, it is based on the Smagorinski subgrid scale model. The intended application of detached-eddy simulation is the treatment of massively separated, highReynolds number flows over complex configurations (entire aircraft, automobiles, etc.). Because of the intented future application of the methods to complex configurations, Cobalt, an unstructured grid Navier-Stokes solver, is used. The current work incorporates compressible shear layer corrections in both the Spalart-Allmaras and shear stress transport-based detached-eddy simulation models. The effect of these corrections on both detached-eddy simulation and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes models is examined, and comparisons are made to the experiments of Herrin and Dutton. Solutions are obtained on several grids—both structured and unstructured—to test the sensitivity of the models and code to grid refinement and grid type. The results show that predictions of base flows using detached-eddy simulation compare very well with available experimental data, including turbulence quantities in the wake of the axisymmetric body. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1517572#
Retrograde regulation of synaptic vesicle endocytosis and recycling

Sustained release of neurotransmitter depends upon the recycling of synaptic vesicles. Until now, it has been assumed that vesicle recycling is regulated by signals from the presynaptic bouton alone, but results from rat hippocampal neurons reported here indicate that this need not be the case. Fluorescence imaging and pharmacological analysis show that a nitric oxide (NO) signal generated postsynaptically can regulate endocytosis and at least one later step in synaptic vesicle recycling. The proposed retrograde pathway involves an NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent postsynaptic production of NO, diffusion of NO to a presynaptic site, and a cGMP-dependent increase in presynaptic phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP2). These results indicate that the regulation of synaptic vesicle recycling may integrate a much broader range of neural activity signals than previously recognized, including postsynaptic depolarization and the activation of NMDARs at both immediate and nearby postsynaptic active zones.
Trading blocs and the Americas: The natural, the unnatural, and the super-natural

Abstract Is world trade becoming more regionalized, as a result of preferential arrangements such as NAFTA, the Andean Pact and MERCOSUR? If so, is this deviation from the principle of MFN (non-discriminatory trade policies) good or bad? This paper attempts to answer both questions. Using the gravity model to examine bilateral trade patterns throughout the world, we find evidence of trading blocs in the Western Hemisphere and elsewhere, as in earlier work. Intra-regional trade is greater than could be explained by natural determinants: the proximity of a pair of countries, their sizes and GNP/capitas, and whether they share a common border or a common language. Within the Western Hemisphere, MERCOSUR and the Andean Pact countries appear to function as significantly independent trading areas, but NAFTA much less so (as of 1990). The intra-regional trade bias within MERCOSUR increased the most rapidly during the 1980s. In East Asia, on the other hand, increased intra-regional trade can be explained entirely by the rapid growth of the economies. We then turn from the econometrics to an analysis of economic welfare. Krugman has supplied an argument against a world of three trading blocs (that they would be protectionist), in a model that assumes no transport costs. He has supplied another argument in favor of trading blocs, provided the blocs are drawn along ‘natural’ geographic lines, in a model that assumes prohibitively high transportation costs between continents. In this paper we attempt to resolve the Krugman vs. Krugman debate. We complete the model of the welfare implications of trading blocs for the realistic case where inter-continental transport costs are neither so high as to be prohibitive nor zero. We consider three applications of the model. 1. Continental Free Trade Areas (FTAs). We show that it is not only Krugman's ‘unnatural’ FTAs that can leave everyone worse off than under MFN, but that under conditions of relatively low inter-continental transport costs, FTAs that are formed along natural continental lines can do so as well. We call such welfare-reducing blocs super-natural . 2. Partial regionalization. We find that partial liberalization within a regional Preferential Trading Arrangement (PTA) is better than 100 percent liberalization. In the super-natural zone the regional trading arrangement, in contrast to the Article 24 provision of the GATT, reduces welfare. It occurs for combinations of low inter-continental transport costs and high intra-bloc preferences, i.e., when the regionalization of trade policy exceeds what is justified by natural factors. 3. The formation of several sub-regional PTAs on each continent. We find that multiple FTAs on each continent could lower welfare, but that multiple PTAs, with partial internal liberalization, would raise welfare. We conclude the paper with an attempt to extract estimates of transportation costs from the statistics. Estimates suggest that trading blocs on the order of the EC are in fact super-natural.
The Body As Medium in the Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities

This essay glosses an attempt to capture communication in the Arab uprisings through the prism of the human body. Such an approach to communication and revolution entails several challenges and opportunities. Challenges include tension between biopolitical approaches and a perspective that considers the body as an instrument of practice, the tendency in scholarship that restricts discussions of the body to discussions of gender and sexuality, and not politics at large, and the glossing over of issues of social class and geographic location, all crucial when considering the body as an instrument of communication. Opportunities afforded by using the body as a focal point include a fuller consideration of human agency that eschews technological determinism when studying power and resistance, a historically grounded analytical approach that preempts an uncritical dalliance with presentism, the body being in effect the “oldest medium,” and an analytical advantage whereby the body functions as a heuristic eye o...
Parental Images in Two Cultures A Study of Women in India and America

Relationships between reported parental behavior and depressive tendencies, self-esteem, and ego development were studied in young women in India (N = 53) and America (N = 50). It was expected that the more family-centered Indian culture would yield different results from the more centripetal American culture both in the characteristics ascribed to parents and the inter correlations among the measures. Compared to American, Indian women described both parents as more caring and less protective. Across both cultures, the Maternal Weak Bonding and Optimal Bonding groups differed on self-critical depressive tendencies and ego development. Maternal Affectionless Control was accompained by less dependency among Indians, and by higher dependency among Americans. Somewhat unexpectedly, high Maternal Caring accompanied lower levels of ego development. The results are discussed in terms of differing patterns of transmitting expectations to daughters in the two cultures.
The Etiology of Individual-Targeted Intolerance: Group Stereotypes and Judgments of Individual Group Members

Virtually all scientific writing on attitudes toward political unorthodoxy in the United States focuses on group-targeted tolerance, or the question of whether Americans are willing to extend constitutional rights and freedoms to groups outside the political mainstream. Less is known about the etiology of individual-targeted tolerance, or the question of whether Americans are willing to tolerate the exercise of constitutional rights and freedoms by individuals who belong to unpopular groups. This paper examines the sources of attitudes toward individuals belonging to disliked and stereotyped political groups-in particular, the extent to which political tolerance judgments about gay and racist targets are influenced by attributes of those targets that are either consistent or inconsistent with group stereotypes. In line with expectations, an empirical analysis showed that individuals exhibiting attributes inconsistent with their group's stereotype (whether neutral with respect to stereotypic beliefs or directly challenging them) are tolerated more than those with stereotype-consistent attributes. Because members ofpolitical outgroups can control the timing of disclosing their group membership, they have the power to determine whether and to what extent stereotypic beliefs associated with their group will influence the reactions they provoke. This analysis confirms that the impact of stereotypic beliefs on tolerance varies as afunction of timing of group membership revelation, although the direction of this interaction depends on the intensity of dislike for the group of which the individual target is a member.
Topical tretinoin therapy for management of early striae

From the University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor. Reprints are not available. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;38:S90-2.) Copyright © 1998 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. 0190-9622/98/$5.00 + 0 16/0/91117 Stretch marks, or striae, are common skin lesions that have no medical consequences but are frequently distressing to those afflicted. These disfiguring marks are usually caused by excessive stretching of the skin that occurs with pregnancy, adolescent growth spurts, obesity, and weightlifting.1,2 Patients’ quality of life can be enhanced with effective management of these unsightly marks. Until recently, therapeutic options for striae have been poor, at best. Stretch marks undergo a clinically recognizable evolution,3 similar to that involved in scar formation or wound healing. Initially, they appear active with a pink to violaceous color, without notable surface depression. Over time, the color gradually fades, and the lesions exhibit a normal or lighterthan-normal skin color, accompanied by fine wrinkles and surface depressions. These characteristics are representative of atrophic, permanent stretch marks. Therefore, it is believed that stretch marks may be the result of damage to the extracellular matrix of dermal collagen and elastic fibers. In the past, topical and surgical therapies have unsuccessfully focused on treatment of permanent striae. New studies indicate that topical tretinoin (0.1%) is effective in the management of early stretch marks to halt and potentially reverse their progression. Among its many pleiotropic effects, tretinoin is an established therapy for repair of dermal damage associated with photoaged skin.4,5 Specifically, significantly reduced collagen I formation in photoaged human skin is partly restored by topical tretinoin use.6 In addition, more recent data provide solid evidence for tretinoin’s ability to antagonize induction of matrix-degrading enzymes (collagenase, stromelysin, gelatinase) after human skin injury by UV radiation.7,8 Therefore, it is likely that tretinoin might repair damage from another cause: excessive stretching. Earlier studies on topical tretinoin therapy for management of striae have yielded variable results.9,10 However, the majority of the patients in these studies were treated for stretch marks that had already evolved into white, atrophic, scarlike lesions. As such, it was hypothesized that the use of tretinoin cream on early-stage striae might be a more effective therapeutic approach. In a recent clinical trial, 26 white subjects exhibiting early erythematous stretch marks were randomized to treatment with either topical tretinoin cream (0.1%) or color-matched vehicle cream. Striae were treated on a nightly basis for 24 weeks.11 Patients were instructed to increase the Topical tretinoin therapy for management of early striae
States as Policy Laboratories: Emulating Success in the Children's Health Insurance Program

This article illustrates the use of the directed dyad-year event history analysis to study policy diffusion, with an application to policy changes in the Children’s Health Insurance Program from 1998 to 2001. This analysis reveals strong evidence that states with successful policies are more likely to be emulated than are those with failing policies. Evidence of success is especially relevant for policy changes that lower program costs rather than those raising costs, and for changes made by legislatures rather than by administrative agencies. Moreover, this study reveals policy diffusion based on political, demographic, and budgetary similarities across states, rather than simply geographic proximity.
The effects of oxygen therapy on the LDH and soluble protein patterns of chickens with hereditary muscular dystrophy

Abstract Electrophoretic analysis of soluble proteins and LDH isoenzyme patterns on starch gel of muscle extracts indicates quantitative and qualitative alterations associated with the progression of hereditary muscular dystrophy of the chicken. These changes can be temporarily delayed by raising the myopathic chickens in a high oxygen environment.
Silicate species exchange, viscosity, and crystallization in a low-silica melt: In situ high-temperature MAS NMR spectroscopy

High-resolution, magic-angle-spinning (MAS), 29Si NMR spectra have been obtained for a sodium silicate glass and liquid (60 mol% Si02) to temperatures over 600 °C. Crystallization was monitored in situ, and motional averaging of the peaks for distinct silicate anionic species (Q2 and Q3 species) in the liquid was observed. Modeling of the spectra yielded species exchange frequencies. The inverses of these exchange frequencies are slightly longer than shear relaxation times calculated from bulk viscosity using the Maxwell relation; viscosities calculated from the NMR data using an Eyring model are close to, but slightly less than, measured viscosities. These results are similar to those obtained for Q3_ Q4 exchange in K2Si409 liquid, indicating that local Si-O bond breaking occurs on a time scale consistent with it being the primary control on viscous flow even in lower silica liq uids.
Live load distribution factors for multi-span girder bridges with plank decking subjected to farm vehicles

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) specifications provide simplified formulae to determine Live Load Distribution Factors (LLDFs) for highway bridges. The formulae for the AASHTO code-specified LLDFs have been developed, considering the effect of typical highway trucks. In addition to highway bridges, there are a large number of bridges located on secondary roadways where farm vehicles having varying configurations and weights frequently travel. Unfortunately, LLDFs for the bridges loaded with farm vehicles are not well known. In this study, hence, two bridge types, including steel girder bridges with plank decking and timber girder bridges with plank decking, were selected to determine LLDFs of the bridges under the effects of farm vehicles. The procedure adopted include the AASHTO code-specified formulae, field testing, finite element modeling, and analytical simulations of all the bridges. Field testing of each bridge was conducted with four different farm vehicles and a five-axle highway truck used as a benchmark for exploring highway truck-induced LLDFs. Commercially available Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software was utilized to generate analytical models of all the bridges, and the models were calibrated with field data. To consider the effects of vastly different farm vehicles, information on 121 existing farm vehicles were collected and used as input loads in the models to compute analytical LLDFs for the bridges. The analytical LLDFs resulting from 121 farm vehicles were used to establish statistical limits representing deterministic values for LLDFs for each bridge. The field, analytical, and statistical LLDFs were compared to those obtained from the AASHTO specifications. Results showed that the AASHTO LLDFs were, in some cases, inadequate for the timber girder bridges, while those were, in most cases, adequate for the steel girder bridges.
Obesity Across Cultures

In a world in which, according to public health authorities and the media, everyone seems to be getting fatter, what does fat mean when we look across cultures? Is being fat the same in China as in the USA? How does obesity map onto culture in a world in which there are multiple, competing models for understanding illness?
Environmental sources of Listeria and Yersinia in Vermont dairy plants

This survey was conducted to identify specific environmental sources of Listeria and Yersinia in Vermont dairy plants, and to further determine whether the type of plant and specific conditions existing within plants influenced the incidence of positive microbiological results. A total of 361 environmental samples, focusing on floors and other nonproduct contact surfaces, was taken from all of Vermont's 34 dairy processing plants. The incidence of Listeria monocytogenes (1.4%) was low compared to the incidence of Listeria innocua (16.1%). While only 2.5% yielded other Yersinia species, 10.5 % of the sites were positive for Yersinia enterocolitica . Sites positive for either Listeria or Yersinia were statistically more likely to produce a positive result for both (P<.05). Fluid plants had the highest incidence of both Listeria and Yersinia when compared to cheese plants or other types of dairy manufacturing plants. Areas associated with case washers in fluid plants had the highest incidence of microbial contamination. An additional area of concern for all types of plants was sanitizing floor mats and foot baths from which positive microbiological results were obtained. Contamination in wet areas was significantly greater than in dry areas of the plants (P<.05). Identification of the sources and conditions associated with these problematic bacterial pathogens is an important step in learning to control their incidence in dairy processing environments.
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is a mass spectrometry technique making use of tandem accelerators and high-charge states for determination of very small isotopic ratios (10−10 to 10−15). The technique takes advantage of the high ion energies achieved and negative ion interferential instabilities to enable extremely low backgrounds to be achieved. AMS developments, instrumentation, and applications are reviewed.
The Law and Labor Strife in the U.S., 1881-1894

Economic models of disputes often assume that the rules of the game are well understood and that parties know the possible consequences of their actions. In this paper we show the apparently unintended consequences of state-level legal innovations governing labor disputes that took place in the late 1800s. This was a period of legal ferment in which labor and capital actively lobbied state governments for changes in the rules governing labor disputes. We assume that parties acted in what they believed was their own best interest, so that when organized labor lobbied for legal changes such as the abolition of the blacklist, it was because labor believed that these institutional changes would benefit its constituents. Similarly, we assume that employers who applauded the use of the injunction against striking workers did so because they thought that the development of this legal instrument would tilt negotiations in their favor. The cross-state heterogeneity in the legal environment governing labor disputes at the end of the nineteenth century provides a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of the law. We use a rich source of data about more than 12,000 disputes that took place between 1881 and 1894 to show that many of the legal changes we examine had effects that were unlikely to have been anticipated by their proponents. This experience provides a rationale for labor's abandonment of direct political action in favor of "business unionism" at the end of the nineteenth century and for the eventual decline in the use of the injunction.
Energy-delay performance optimization of NEM logic relay

A methodology for optimizing the energy-delay performance of a nano-electro-mechanical relay is developed. Contrary to popular belief that structural stiffness should be minimized to achieve minimum switching energy, this work shows that the effective spring constant should be relatively large for better energy-delay performance. The optimal energy-delay of an aggressively scaled NEM relay (with 5 nm contact gap as fabricated) is presented.
Posterior hypothalamic effect on gastrointestinal blood flow in the conscious cat.

SummaryCats receiving PHS were found to have significantly less blood flow to the colon mucosa (51%), submucosa (60%), and muscularis (57%) and to small intestinal mucosa (70%) than control cats.No significant differences were detected in the blood flow to the tissues of the esophagus, stomach, gallbladder, or pancreas.Despite significant increases in blood pressure (147% of control) and pulse (127% of control) cardiac output was not different in the two groups.Tissue blood flows in the control group ranged from the high in the pancreas of 1.36 ± 0.15 ml/g/min followed by the colon, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and gastric corpus to the low in the gastric antrum of 0.54 ± 0.04 ml/g/min.It is concluded that posterior hypothalamic stimulation can affect tissue blood flow in the gastrointestinal organs but the magnitude of the changes is not sufficient to provide the sole explanation for reported physiologic and pathologic changes associated with such stimuli.