cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monteverdi, Marenzio, and Battista Guarini's 'Cruda Amarilli'

Claudio Monteverdi's choice of Cruda Amarilli to open his fifth book of madrigals (1605) is most obviously related to the book's narrative design, which it initiates as a dialogue, followed by O Mirtillo , but it also serves to highlight the importance of one of the works most criticized by Giovanni Maria Artusi after he heard the piece in Ferrara in 1598. When compared with settings of the same text by Benedetto Pallavicino and Giaches de Wert, Cruda Amarilli also aligns Monteverdi with Marenzio's setting of the same text in his seventh book for five voices (1595). Monteverdi's choice of model has greater significance in the light of other works published in the fifth book, which have texts in common with Marenzio's seventh; also significant is the narrative organization of the seventh book, which I argue Monteverdi took as a starting point for that of the fifth. The strong association Monteverdi sought to establish with Marenzio's work, and the apparently deliberate rejection of the Mantuan models it implies, is consistent with his attempt to present himself as a cosmopolitan composer, who, like the older master, is comfortable with contemporary literary culture, and in particular with the discussions surrounding Guarini's Il pastor fido . It also reflects his intense interest in the late 1590s in the progressive activity of the Ferrarese court of Alfonso II. Indeed, the ridotto at Antonio Goretti's house where Artusi heard Cruda Amarilli and other Monteverdi madrigals, all on Pastor fido texts, may have been devoted entirely to such discussions, centred around the play and Monteverdi's settings exclusively. They were probably modelled on similar evenings at the home of Cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini, Marenzio's patron in the early 1590s, at which Guarini himself had been a guest. Monteverdi's ultimate purpose, in the aftermath of Alfonso's death, may have been to position himself as worthy of the succession to the post of maestro di cappella at Mantua, for which he was passed over in 1596 in favour of Pallavicino.
Investigation and design of a controller of an asynchronous system for fault-tolerant aircraft control using hybrid voting techniques

The paper presents an investigation into the design and operation of an intelligent controller for a multimicroprocessor-based fault-tolerant aircraft control system. This unit, called an asynchronous consistency unit (ACU), uses an interactive procedure and a mutual feedback mechanism (called synchronisation voting) for the timing control of the exchange of data among processors. Fault tolerance is achieved by majority voting of the exchanges between various processors. This is implemented by using both hardware and software techniques (hence the name hybrid). The ACUs govern the reliable operation of the system so that no module failure (processor, ACU or bus) has hard core characteristics; i.e. it cannot affect the reliable operation of the system, causing a catastrophic failure. The design provides full fault assertion for the ACUs and notification of failures to the processors. An ACU requires no master clock operation and it operates independently of its host processor in an asynchronous mode. A four-module system is presented. A disadvantage of this design is that the total number of data and control lines of the bus is substantial. If N data bits are exchanged in a four-module system, the total number of lines in the ACU is at least 4N+32. This disadvantage is, however, offset by the stringent requirement of full system fault tolerance in both the data and control signals of the aircraft control system.
Structure, dynamics and thermodynamics of a metal chiral surface: Cu(532)

The structure, vibrational dynamics and thermodynamics of a chiral surface, Cu(532), have been calculated using a local approach and the harmonic approximation, with interatomic potentials based on the embedded atom method. Relaxation of the atomic positions to the optimum configuration results in a complex relaxation pattern with strong contractions in the bond length of atoms near the kink and the step sites and an equivalently large expansion near the least under-coordinated surface atoms. The low coordination of the atoms on the surface substantially affects the vibrational dynamics and thermodynamics of this system. The local vibrational density of states shows a deviation from the bulk behaviour that persists down to the tenth layer, resulting in a substantial contribution of the vibrational entropy to the excess free energy amounting to about 90 meV per unit cell at 300 K.
In situ visualization of coal particle distribution in a liquid fluidized bed using fluorescence microscopy

Abstract The efficient design, operation and scaleup of novel liquid fluidized-bed bioreactors for direct coal liquefaction require detailed knowledge of reactor axial pressure drop, dispersion of the solid and liquid phases, and particle size distribution as a function of axial position. In this paper, a fluorescence imaging method is introduced and validated which enables direct in situ visualization and sizing of individual coal particles in a liquid fluidized bed. This is achieved by causing the continuous phase to fluoresce while leaving the particles optically opaque. The technique is validated through its agreement with invasive light-scattering techniques and its ability to report constant size distributions as a function of axial position in a nonsegregating liquid fluidized bed of bituminous coal 45–63 μm in diameter. The method's ability to detect particle segregation in a bimodal, segregating bed (bituminous coal 45–63 and 106–150 μm) is also demonstrated. Unlike previous sizing and visualization methods, the proposed technique is noninvasive and does not require tracer particles, specialized sample distributions or specialized reactor geometry. Further, it may be utilized for any solids volume fraction and does not require physical or chemical alteration of the solid phase. The segregation information obtained using such a method will enable the accurate development of predictive mathematical models of bioreactor operation for coal solubilization/liquefaction.
Thermal Stability of Li2O2 and Li2O for Li-Air Batteries: In Situ XRD and XPS Studies

aDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA bElectrochemical Energy Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA cNaval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, West Bethesda, Maryland 20817-5700, USA dDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
Interaction between orosensory and postingestional stimulation in the control of corn oil intake by rats

The microstructure of the ingestive behavior of rats ingesting corn oil emulsions was analyzed to describe quantitatively how postingestional stimulation interacts with orosensory stimulation to control the intake of corn oil. Seventeen hour food deprived rats were given 30-min access intake tests with corn oil emulsions ranging in concentration from 0.125% to 64%. The volume ingested showed an inverted U shaped function over this concentration range. The Weibull function fitted to the rate of licking function showed that the initial rate of licking was an increasing linear function of the log of the concentration of corn oil. The slope of the licking rate function was an increasing curvilinear function of the log of corn oil concentration. Together these results indicate that the negative feedback effect of corn oil in the gastrointestinal tract increases more rapidly at the higher concentrations of corn oil than does its orosensory stimulating effect resulting in a decrease in the volume ingested. Unlike carbohydrates, where the increase in the initial rate of licking is a result of an increase in the size of the clusters, the increase with concentration in the initial rate of ingesting corn oil was caused by an increase in the number of clusters rather than their size. This study provides a quantitative analysis of the interaction between orosensory and postingestional stimulation, two variables that play an important role in the control of ingestion of corn oil.
Induction of the synthesis of the C-X-C chemokine interferon-γ-inducible protein-10 in experimental canine endotoxemia

Endotoxemia is associated with a systemic inflammatory response leading to organ-specific leukocyte recruitment and tissue injury. Chemokine expression has been demonstrated in various models of sepsis and may mediate tissue infiltration with inflammatory cells. In this study we examined expression of the C-X-C chemokine interferon-γ-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), a potent T-lymphocyte chemoattractant, in a canine model of endotoxemia and investigated mechanisms of cytokine-mediated IP-10 induction in endothelial cells. Control canine tissues showed negligible expression of IP-10 message, with the exception of the spleen. Endotoxemic dogs demonstrated a robust induction of IP-10 mRNA in the heart, lung, kidney, liver, and spleen. Immunohistochemical studies indicated that IP-10 was predominantly localized in cardiac venular endothelial cells, bronchial epithelial cells, renal mesangial cells, and in the splenic red pulp of endotoxemic dogs. In addition, IP-10 expression was associated with T-lymphocyte infiltration in canine tissues. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) induced a marked upregulation of IP-10 message in canine venular endothelial cells. IP-10 expression in TNF-α-stimulated endothelial cells peaked at 6 h of stimulation and returned to baseline levels after 24 h. In addition, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) induced a dose-dependent induction of IP-10 mRNA in canine endothelial cells. M-CSF-mediated IP-10 expression peaked after 6 h of incubation and returned to baseline levels after 24 h. Canine endotoxemia is associated with a robust early expression of IP-10 in multiple tissues. IP-10 induction may be important in regulating lymphocyte recruitment and function. TNF-α, IL-1β, and M-CSF are potent inducers of IP-10 in canine endothelial cells and may indirectly mediate lymphocyte chemotaxis and activation in inflammatory processes.
Endothelial Cell Density Determined by Specular Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy

Human eyes were photographed with a specular microscope and later examined wit a scanning electron microscope. Corneas from patients undergoing corneal transplantation in whom we were able to obtain preoperative specular micrographs were similarly analyzed. An attempt was made to correlate the counts obtained with both microscopic techniques by determining the amount of shrinkage the cornea undergoes while being processed for SEM. All specimens were counted with a planimeter. We found that the specular microscope adequately analyzes the endothelial cell density in the central and paracentral cornea of a normal eye, but because of its small sampling area specular microscopic counts are subject to significant error when dealing with nonhomogeneous populations such as postoperative cases. We found the peripheral corneal endothelial density to be less than the central endothelial density. Furthermore, we found that we could maximize the accuracy of counting by using a variable frame in a nonhomogeneous population, counting a minimum of four photographs per specimen, analyzing different areas, and analyzing larger areas.
Transient response of vapor-phase biofilters

Biofilters are a relatively inexpensive management method for biodegradable gas-phase contaminants, capable of meeting stringent air quality requirements. However, the nominally plug flow configuration of conventional unidirectional flow (UF) biofilters results in the microbial community having higher population densities and greater activity near the inlet. When transient loadings occur in conventional biofilters either the mass transfer capacity or the reaction capacity of the initial sections of the bed may be exceeded and contaminants move into the downstream sections where the microbial populations and reaction capacities are low and contaminant breakthrough may occur. Flow-directional-switching (FDS) operation incorporates the advantages believed to accrue from feast/famine operation of microbial processes and improved mass transfer characteristics of uniformly distributed biofilms. In this study, step function changes in toluene concentration were applied to UF and FDS laboratory reactors operated in parallel. Contaminant concentration was monitored at several points along the packed beds. FDS operation produced a more uniform (dispersed) distribution of biomass and microbial reaction capacity along the length of the packed bed without diminishing activity and removal capacity in the inlet section. Maximum mass removal rates in the FDS biofilter were approximately twice that of the conventional UF biofilter. In addition, FDS operation significantly improved biofilter response during an extended period of operation with intermittent feed and following a period of non-operation.
Selective inhibition of MAO-B through chronic low-dose (R)-deprenyl treatment in C57BL/6 mice has no effect on basal neostriatal dopamine levels.

C. Thiffault, L. Lamarre-Theroux, R. Quirion, and J. Poirier (1997, Mol. Brain Res. 44: 238-244) recently reported that chronic treatment of young (12 week old) C57BL/6 mice with (R)-deprenyl, a mechanism-based inactivator of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), leads to a more than fourfold increase in neostriatal dopamine levels. Such an effect could complicate the interpretation of results obtained from mechanistic studies designed to evaluate the putative neuroprotective effects of (R)-deprenyl in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-lesioned mice. In contrast to the results of Thiffault et al., we have found that neostriatal dopamine levels in mature (32 week old) C57BL/6 mice were unaltered by chronic (R)-deprenyl treatment even though brain monoamine oxidase B activity was reduced by more than 80%. Neostriatal dopamine levels also were unaltered in both young and mature mice when the (R)-deprenyl treatment period was doubled compared to that reported by Thiffault et al. Consequently, studies on the putative neuroprotective properties of (R)-deprenyl in MPTP-lesioned mice are unlikely to be complicated by the possibility that inhibition of MAO-B alone will lead to an increase in neostriatal dopamine levels.
Solution of problems involving conventional and complex distillation columns at unsteady state operation

The θ method of convergence has been applied to conventional and complex columns at unsteady state operation. A different holdup for each stage may be specified in terms of molal, mass, or volumetric units. Plate efficiencies were used, and the K values and enthalpies were taken to be polynomials in temperature.
Mechanical Unloading Versus Neurohumoral Stimulation on Myocardial Structure and Endocrine Function In Vivo

Background—Mechanical load and humoral stimuli such as endothelin (ET) and angiotensin II (Ang II) are potent modulators of cardiac structure and endocrine function, specifically gene expression and production and release of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). We define the contribution of mechanical load compared with neurohumoral stimulation in vivo with specific focus on myocardial and circulating ANP during chronic myocardial unloading produced by thoracic inferior vena caval constriction (TIVCC). Methods and Results—TIVCC was produced by banding the IVC for 10 days in 7 dogs, whereas in the 6 control dogs, the band was not constricted. TIVCC was characterized by a decrease in cardiac output, right atrial pressure, and left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter and marked activation of ET and Ang II in plasma and atrial and ventricular myocardium. Despite neurohumoral stimulation, LV mass index and myocyte diameters in unloaded hearts decreased, reflecting myocyte atrophy. The total number of myocytes...
Rising trends in melanoma. An hypothesis concerning sunscreen effectiveness

Incidence rates of melanoma have risen especially steeply since the mid-1970s. The two principal strategies for reduction of risk of melanoma and other skin cancers are sun avoidance and use of chemical sunscreens. Rising trends in the incidence of and mortality from melanoma have continued since the 1970s and 1980s, when sunscreens with high sun protection factors became widely used. Commonly used chemical sunscreens block ultraviolet B (UVB) but are virtually transparent to ultraviolet A (UVA), which makes up 90 to 95% of ultraviolet energy in the solar spectrum. Because sunscreens prevent erythema and sunburn, and inhibit accommodation of the skin to sunlight, their use may permit excessive exposure of the skin to portions of the solar spectrum other than UVB. If melanoma and basal cell carcinoma are initiated or promoted by solar radiation other than UVB, as laboratory data suggest, then UVB sunscreens might not be effective in preventing these cancers, and sunscreen use might increase the risk of their occurrence. Alternative explanations for the rapid rise in the incidence and mortality rates of melanoma, such as changes in patterns of recreational sun exposure, are discussed. Traditional means of limiting overexposure to the sun, such as wearing of hats and adequate clothing and avoidance of prolonged sunbathing, may be more prudent than reliance on chemical sunscreens.
Clinical features of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and hoarding symptoms.

Objective: This study was conducted to examine whether pediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and hoarding symptoms differed in terms of clinical characteristics from pediatric OCD patients without hoarding symptoms. Method: Eighty children and adolescents with OCD (range, 7-17 years) completed clinician-administered and parent- and child-report measures of OCD symptom severity, impairment, and emotional and behavioral symptoms. Results: Twenty-one youth endorsed significant hoarding symptoms. Relative to nonhoarders, youth with hoarding symptoms had worse insight, more magical thinking obsessions, and ordering/arranging compulsions than nonhoarders, higher levels of anxiety, aggression, somatic complaints, and overall externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Higher rates of panic disorder were found in youth with hoarding symptoms although other comorbidity rates did not differ. Conclusions: These findings in children are partially consistent with studies in adults, and suggest that pediatric patients with hoarding symptoms may exhibit a unique clinical presentation.
Britain and the Austrian War Debt, 1821–1823

(1958). Britain and the Austrian War Debt, 1821–1823. The Historian: Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 328-346.
Prospects of layer-split tandem cells for high-efficiency OPV

Abstract Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) promise a low-cost alternative to traditional inorganic PV technology. Recently, the relatively poor efficiency of a bulk-heterojunction OPV has been improved considerably (>10%) in a tandem cell configuration, albeit at the expense of using four different organic materials. In this work, we revive the concept of ‘single-material tandem cells’ – originally developed in the 1990s to address the transport bottleneck of a-Si solar cell. We demonstrate that OPV sub-cells made of the single polymer (or organic semiconductor) and arranged in a series tandem configuration can lead to impressive (factor of 2–5) efficiency gains, provided that the sub-cells can be thinned for optimum carrier collection and stacked for improved light absorption. Our analysis may open up a new direction in OPV research and a completely different design space for such tandem structures.
West Nile Virus Infection Associated with Central Nervous System Vasculitis and Strokes (P03.264)

Objective: Report acute West Nile Virus (WNV) meningioencephalitis associated with vasculitis and multiple strokes. Background 1% of patients with WNV develop neuroinvasive disease, presenting as meningitis, encephalitis or acute flaccid paralysis whereas CNS vasculitis and ischemic infarcts are not well documented and have been only reported as cases of occlusive retinal vasculitis and pediatric cases of large vessel strokes. Design/Methods: A 47 year-old man presented with a two-day history of fever and generalized weakness and was found to be febrile, tachycardic and hypertensive with normal strength and deep tendon reflexes. He had a mild troponinemia and acute kidney injury. The next day he developed worsening generalized and bulbar weakness with hypertonic quadriplegia, and hyperreflexia with sustained ankle clonus. Severe bulbar weakness necessitated intubation and mechanical ventilation. Initial CSF analysis revealed: WBC count 314/uL (65% neutrophils and 25% lymphocytes), protein 55.2mg/dL, and glucose 109mg/dL. CSF WNV IgM titer was 5.8 ( negative Results: After an initial complicated clinical course requiring tracheostomy and a PEG tube, the patient demonstrated a gradual recovery regaining partial strength in all extremities. He was subsequently transferred to a rehabilitation center. Conclusions: Our patient developed a rare manifestation of WNV associated vasculitis and strokes. This case report adds CNS vasculitis with multiple strokes, to the clinical spectrum of West Nile Virus infection. Disclosure: Dr. Zafar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dash has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chachere has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cowart has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kass has nothing to disclose.
Is preconception sex selection necessarily sexist

The advent of sperm sorting opens up the possibility that sex selection could become much more easily accessible, raising many moral questions. Two fundamental issues are whether sex selection is necessarily sexist and whether it should be highly regulated or banned on those grounds. I argue that, in some societies, sex selection of males is clearly sexist and that it promotes and reinforces extreme sexism. Extreme sexism seriously harms women, and if, in the opinion of those who know the situation best, prohibition is the best strategy for protecting women, a ban can be reasonable. In other societies, there may not be a pronounced preference for males, and sex selection may be neither particularly harmful nor even sexist. In those cases, there is no obvious benefit from prohibition, and prohibition may even represent a risk to women's reproductive autonomy.
Interface modification by chemical etching in glass matrix composite reinforced with metallic ribbon

Interface modification can also be achieved by surface treatments such as chemical etching of the metallic reinforcements in as-received or pre-oxidized condition prior to the composite fabrication. Moore and Kunz showed that in glass matrix composites containing metal particles, acid etching of pre-oxidized metal particles generates extensive, uniform surface roughness and that the cracks proceed along the roughened contour of the particles during the composite fracture. As a result, fracture toughness in this composite improved considerably with such a surface treatment of metal particles. The aim of the current project is to evaluate the effects of these treatments on the interfacial characteristics, and to elucidate the pull-out process of these treated reinforcements from the matrix, in a ceramic matrix composite with unidirectional metallic ribbon reinforcements.
Auditing with technology: using generalized audit software in the classroom

Abstract Over the past decade, improvements in generalized audit software have created a situation in which auditing “through” the computer may be both more effective and more efficient than in the past. This paper describes a series of assignments that allow an instructor to bring a meaningful application of generalized audit software to the undergraduate auditing classroom. The assignments we have developed are meant to supplement traditional audit coursework by providing students an experience of applying audit procedures electronically.
Communication problems as a possible contribution to chronicity in mental patients.

Abstract Important gaps in the cross-communication between patients and staff in a well-run, modern mental hospital were demonstrated in three ways: Observation of typical chronic, sympton-free patients revealed well-integrated, active roles in the hospital environment which were not known to the staff. Different patient behavior in separate treatment contexts was not well known to staff across area boundaries. The majority of patients interviewed did not know either the rationale of important treatment modalities or the discharge criteria of the staff responsible for them. It is argued that the resultant isolation of the patient contributes to his chronicity.
Wavelet domain linear inversion with application to well logging

Solving linear inversion problems in geophysics is a major challenge when dealing with non-stationary data. Certain non-stationary data sets can be shown to lie in Besov function spaces and are characterized by their smoothness (dierentiability ) and two other parameters. This information can be input into an inverse problem by posing the problem in the wavelet domain. Contrary to Fourier transforms, wavelets form an unconditional basis for Besov spaces, allowing for a new generation of linear inversion schemes which incorporate smoothness information more precisely. As an example inversion is performed on smoothed and subsampled well log data.
Shrinking of the Colorado Plateau via lithospheric mantle erosion: Evidence from Nd and Sr isotopes and geochronology of Neogene basalts

Geochronologic data from the southern margins of the Colorado Plateau (western United States) show an inboard radial migration of Neogene basaltic magmatism. Nd and Sr isotopic data show that as basaltic volcanism migrates inboard it also becomes increasingly more asthenospheric. Strongly asthenospheric alkali basalt (e Nd > 4) appeared on the western plateau margin ca. 5 Ma, on the southeastern margin at 7 Ma, and is lacking from the plateau’s other margins. Tomographic data suggest that low-velocity mantle underlies almost all recent (younger than 1 Ma) basaltic volcanism in a ring around much of the Colorado Plateau at a depth of 80 km. The combined isotopic and tomographic data indicate that the low-velocity mantle is asthenosphere along the western and southeastern margins of the plateau, but modifi ed lithosphere around the remaining margins. Temporal and spatial patterns suggest a process by which upwelling asthenosphere is progressively infi ltrating and replacing lithospheric mantle, especially where Proterozoic boundaries exist. This model explains (1) the dramatic velocity contrast seen well inboard of the physiographic edge of the plateau, (2) the inboard sweep of Neogene magmatism, and (3) isotopic evidence that much (but not all) of the low-velocity mantle is asthenospheric. These data support models that ongoing uplift of the edges of the Colorado Plateau is driven by mantle processes.
Yang-Lee zeros, Julia sets, and their singularity spectra.

We have studied the global scaling properties of the Julia sets of the Yang-Lee zeros of the s-state Potts model on the diamond hierarchical lattice. The singularity spectrum f(\ensuremath{\alpha}) and the generalized dimension ${D}_{q}$ are calculated for different s values. General observations are made on their variations.
Dynamic algorithms in computational geometry

Dynamic algorithms and data structures in the area of computational geometry are surveyed. The work has a twofold purpose: it introduces the area to the nonspecialist and reviews the state of the art for the specialist. Fundamental data structures, such as balanced search trees and general techniques for dynamization, are reviewed. Range searching, intersections, point location, convex hull, and proximity are discussed. Problems that do not fall into these categories are also discussed. Open problems are given. >
Crack Bridging in Polymer Nanocomposites

Carbon nanotube reinforced composites offer enhancements in fracture properties since the reinforcing nanotubes provide a bridging mechanism to resist crack growth. In this paper, a study of crack bridging by nanotubes in a nanotube-reinforced polymer composite is presented. The process of crack bridging is idealized as normal pullout of the participating nanotubes from the polymer matrix. The resistance to crack growth due to bridging is taken as the aggregate of the resistance offered by all the nanotubes, ignoring any interaction among the nanotubes themselves. The pullout of a single nanotube from the polymer matrix is modeled as an axisymmetric, nearly one-dimensional problem. This is done by assuming that fracture along the nanotube–polymer interface is dominated by shear openings, and that the nanotube behaves as a rigid body. When the polymer is a linear elastic material, the force–displacement relation for pullout is obtained as a function of dimensionless variables representing the interfacial f...
Computerized grammar checkers 2000: capabilities, limitations, and pedagogical possibilities

Abstract Since commercial word-processing software integrated grammar checkers in the early 1990s, the composition community has scaled back its printed work on this technology to pursue more urgent issues of new technologies (new media, online composition, etc.) and their theoretical implications. Yet the functionality of grammar checkers has changed dramatically, and we should continue to explore the pedagogical possibilities of a tool now available whenever students compose on a computer. Grammar checkers remain troublesome and inaccurate—we should consider teaching students how to manage them and realize their potential despite their limitations. Grammar checkers allow us to discuss grammar at what William Wresch (1989) called the most “teachable moment” (p. 46): the moment of direct application to student writing. We might also use them to discuss the problematic nature of standard, normative written language conventions and the authority behind such conventions. In the hope of re-engaging some scholarly and practical interest, this article a) reviews the literature of grammar checker technology in composition; b) analyzes the current grammar checking capability of the most popular word-processing programs in the United States, Microsoft Word 2000 and Corel WordPerfect 9.0 (2000); and c) concludes by suggesting uses of grammar checkers for composition teachers.
Power handling and intermodulation distortion of contour-mode AlN MEMS resonators and filters

We report measurements of the power handling and intermodulation distortion of piezoelectric contour mode resonators and filters operating near 500 MHz. The output power capability scales as the inverse of the motional impedance squared, and the power handling of resonator filter circuits scales with the number of resonators combined in series and parallel. Also, the third-order intercept depends on the measurement tone spacing. Individual AlN resonators with 50 Ω motional impedance demonstrate output power capability of +10 dBm and OIP 3 > +20 dBm, while an eight resonator filter demonstrates output power handling of +14 dBm and a OIP 3 > +32 dBm.
Review of Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict

Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict , presents an empirically grounded rational reconstruction detailing the role that belief in “big gods” (i.e., omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent gods) has played in the formation of society from a cultural-evolutionary perspective. Ara Norenzayan’s primary thesis is neatly summed up in the title of the book: religion has historically served—and perhaps still serves—as a building block and maintenance system in societies around the world.
Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in the Western Black Sea

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC and DON) concentrations were measured in the Black Sea during May–June 2001. Sampling was conducted along a Shelf–Gyre transect, and was focused at the suboxic–anoxic interface at the deep stations; hypotheses were tested regarding trends in these variables across the transect and between sub-surface water layers. DOC and DON concentrations were higher (272 μM and 15 μM, respectively) on the Shelf compared to the Gyre (200 μM and 11 μM, respectively), as a result of terrigenous inputs and in situ net production. The bulk DOC:DON ratio was constant with distance and depth (approximately 15–19). DOM concentrations decreased with depth (average anoxic layer concentrations of 123 μM and 6.1 μM for DOC and DON, respectively), in contrast to earlier observations of increasing DOC concentration with depth. The deep Basin (2000 m) DOC concentrations were high compared to deep open ocean values (120 vs 45 μM). We suggest that the high deep DOC is a product of mixing of terrigenous (300 μM) and Aegean Sea (60 μM) DOC, with some in situ decomposition over the 600 year residence time for the deep water mass. High surface concentrations of DOC and DON and high DOC:DON ratios throughout the sampling region indicate the pervasive influence of remnant terrigenous DOM with some net production. The timescales for DOM Shelf–Basin exchange and decomposition could not be estimated due to a lack of geochemical tracer data. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Capless rapid thermal annealing of GaAs using a graphite susceptor

The results of experiments performed to evaluate the use of a commercially available rapid thermal annealer (RTA) with a graphite susceptor for capless rapid thermal annealing to activate implants in GaAs are reported. The interior of the susceptor was easily charged with As by annealing a sacrificial GaAs wafer. Wafers annealed face up in the charged susceptor showed no evidence of surface degradation (due to preferential loss of As) and no decrease in implant activation (peak doping) when compared to dielectric (SiO/sub 2/) capped anneals. Over 50 wafers have been annealed without recharging the susceptor. In addition, slip on 3-in wafers was almost completely eliminated due to the reduction of radial temperature gradients. It is concluded that capless RTA in a commercially available graphite susceptor appears to be a viable annealing technique for activating implants in GaAs and related III-V materials and is suitable for a production environment. >
Electronic cigarettes: achieving a balanced perspective.

Concerns have been raised that the advent of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) may be harmful to public health, and smokers have been advised by important agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration not to use them. This paper argues that, while more research is needed on the cost–benefit equation of these products and the appropriate level and type of regulation for them, the harms have tended thus far to be overstated relative to the potential benefits. In particular: concern over repeated inhalation of propylene glycol is not borne out by toxicity studies with this compound; risk of accidental poisoning is no different from many household devices and chemicals available in supermarkets; concern that e-cigarettes may promote continued smoking by allowing smokers to cope with no-smoking environments is countered by the observation that most smokers use these products to try to quit and their use appears to enhance quitting motivation; concerns over low nicotine delivery are countered by evidence that the products provide significant craving reduction despite this in some cases; and e-cigarettes may help reduce toxin exposure to non-smokers.
A framework for developing urban forest ecosystem services and goods indicators

The social and ecological processes impacting on urban forests have been studied at multiple temporal and spatial scales in order to help us quantify, monitor, and value the ecosystem services that benefit people. Few studies have comprehensively analyzed the full suite of ecosystem services, goods (ESG), and ecosystem disservices provided by an urban forest. Indicators, however, are one approach that could be used to better understand the structure of an urban forest, the suite of ESG provided by urban forests, and their influence on human well-being using a simple, innovative and repeatable metric. This study presents a framework for developing indicators using field data, an urban forest functional model, and the literature. Urban tree and soil indicators for groups of ecosystem functions were used to statistically analyze the effects of urban morphology and socioeconomics on urban forest ESG. Findings show that the most influential ESG indicators were tree cover, soil pH, and soil organic matter. Indicators were significantly influenced by land use and time since urbanization, while analyses of property values and household income did not yield any particularly significant results. The indicators presented in this paper present a first approach to non-monetary valuation of urban forest ESG and can be used to develop urban forest structure management goals and to monitor the effects of urban greening policies on human well-being.
Reference model generation using time-varying feedback for model-following control and application to a hard disk drive

Model-following control is one of the control methods widely used in systems that must follow a desired trajectory. One of the difficulties in the method is how to define the desired trajectory that minimizes the time to reach to the target position as well as the minimization of the residual vibration. Methods using sinusoidal signals or polynomial functions of time have been proposed for the reference trajectory generation, however they are sometimes complex, not flexible for different targets, and have long computation times. This paper describes a simple method using time-varying feedback to generate the signals for the model. Simple time-varying feedback is applied to a second-order model using a formula that generates smooth signals of higher order polynomial functions of time. This approach is also applicable to cases where there is a limit on the maximum control signal. Using this method, smooth seek operations in a hard disk drive were demonstrated.
The p23 molecular chaperones act at a late step in intracellular receptor action to differentially affect ligand efficacies

Multiple molecular chaperones, including Hsp90 and p23, interact with members of the intracellular receptor (IR) family. To investigate p23 function, we compared the effects of three p23 proteins on IR activities, yeast p23 (sba1p) and the two human p23 homologs, p23 and tsp23. We found that Sba1p was indistinguishable from human p23 in assays of seven IR activities in both animal cells and in yeast; in contrast, certain effects of tsp23 were specific to that homolog. Transcriptional activation by two IRs was increased by expression of any of the p23 species, whereas activation by five other IRs was decreased by Sba1p or p23, and unaffected by tsp23. p23 was expressed in all tissues examined except striated and cardiac muscle, whereas tsp23 accumulated in a complementary pattern; hence, p23 proteins might contribute to tissue-specific differences in IR activities. Unlike Hsp90, which acts on IR aporeceptors to stimulate ligand potency (i.e., hormone-binding affinity), p23 proteins acted on IR holoreceptors to alter ligand efficiencies (i.e., transcriptional activation activity). Moreover, the p23 effects developed slowly, requiring prolonged exposure to hormone. In vitro, p23 interacted preferentially with hormone-receptor-response element ternary complexes, and stimulated receptor-DNA dissociation. The dissociation was reversed by addition of a fragment of the GRIP1 coactivator, suggesting that the two reactions may be in competition in vivo. Our findings suggest that p23 functions at one or more late steps in IR-mediated signal transduction, perhaps including receptor recycling and/or reversal of the response.
Deletion Polymorphism in Wheat Chromosome Regions with Contrasting Recombination Rates

Polymorphism for deletions was investigated in 1027 lines of tetraploid and hexaploid wheat and 420 lines of wheat diploid ancestors. A total of 26 deletions originating during the evolution of polyploid wheat were discovered among 155 investigated loci. Wheat chromosomes were divided into a proximal, low-recombination interval containing 69 loci and a distal, high-recombination interval containing 86 loci. A total of 23 deletions involved loci in the distal, high-recombination interval and only 3 involved loci in the proximal, low-recombination interval. The rates of DNA loss differed by several orders of magnitude in the two intervals. The rate of diploidization of polyploid wheat by deletions was estimated and was shown to have proceeded faster in the distal, high-recombination interval than in the proximal, low-recombination interval.
On a parametric shortest path problem from primal-dual multicommodity network optimization

Each iteration of the primal—dual linear programming algorithm entails a dual update. For the maximal multicommodity flow problem, and for multicommodity network synthesis, that requires finding a breakpoint in a parametric all pairs' shortest path problem. A procedure based on the Floyd—Warshall Algorithm solves this problem in polynomial (cubic in the number of nodes) time.
Patient-to-Nurse Ratios and Outcomes of Moderately Preterm Infants

The quality of health care delivery is determined by the physical composition of the health-delivery system (care structure), the quality of the patient-provider interactions (care processes), and the results of care provision (care outcomes).1 Measures of care structure, such as quantitative measures of physician and nurse-staffing, are relatively easy to ascertain. However, their validity as predictors of patient outcomes may be difficult to determine because many variables may confound this relationship. Nevertheless, previous staffing studies in the adult intensive care setting have demonstrated strong associations with patient outcomes.2-4 However, few authors have examined the effect of quantitative measures of nurse-staffing, such as the patient-to-nurse ratio (PNR), on outcomes of preterm infants. Few studies have examined the effect of patient-to-nurse ratios (PNRs) on clinical outcomes in the NICU setting and results have been inconclusive.5-8 Moderately preterm infants with a gestational age at birth between 30 and 34 6/7 weeks make up nearly half of NICU residents9,10 and experience considerable morbidity and mortality.11,12 Nearly half of these infants receive assisted ventilation, and >10% require readmission within 3 months of discharge. 11 To date, the influence of PNRs on clinical outcomes in this population is unknown. We aimed to add to the current body of literature by determining the association of nurse-staffing with clinical outcomes in moderately preterm infants.
Aggressive Content of High School Students' Tv Viewing:

The purpose of this study was to examine high school students' exposure to television programming with aggressive content and to explore whether consumption of aggressive TV varied by sex and ethnicity. Participants were 472 boys and girls from two high schools, one urban and one suburban. Definitions of both direct and indirect aggression were used to rate TV programs, and the participants' exposure to both was assessed. Analysis yielded a statistically significant effect for sex but not ethnicity as girls watched more TV programs containing indirect aggression. Also, exposure to aggressive TV content peaked in Grade 10 and fell sharply thereafter. The importance of educating adolescents about the images they view is highlighted. Implications for research are discussed.
Dependence of the Intermolecular Electrostatic Interaction Energy on the Level of Theory and the Basis Set

As electrostatic forces play a prominent role in the process of folding and binding of biological macromolecules, an examination of the method dependence of the electrostatic interaction energy is of great importance. An extensive analysis of the basis set and method dependence of electrostatic interaction energies (Ees) in molecular systems using six test dimers of α-glycine is presented. A number of Hartree−Fock, Kohn−Sham, Moller−Plesset, configuration interaction (CI), quadratic CI, and coupled cluster calculations were performed using several double-, triple-, and quadruple-ζ-quality Gaussian- and Slater-type (Kohn−Sham calculations only) basis sets. The main factor affecting Ees was found to be the inclusion of diffuse functions in the basis set expansions. Moller−Plesset (even at second order), quadratic CI, and coupled cluster calculations produce the most consistent results. Hartree−Fock and CI methods usually overestimate the Ees, while the Kohn−Sham approach tends to underestimate the magnitude...
Social Support and Reproductive Health

The importance of social support in health and illness and in reproductive health (Boone, 1989; McLean et al., 1993) has been extensively explored. The literature suggests that support networks are important in recognition, compliance, and treatment during and after (cf. Helman, 1990) pregnancy (Boone, 1989). Though intervention trials to provide social support have found little evidence of increased birth weight or reduced preterm delivery, studies are needed to explore the definition, meaning, and differential effect of social support (Rowley et al., 1993).
Rosalind Carr, Gender and Enlightenment Culture in Eighteenth- Century Scotland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2014. Pp. viii + 205. ISBN: 9780748646425. $70.00 USD

Rosalind Carr, Gender and Enlightenment Culture in Eighteenth- Century Scotland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2014. Pp. viii + 205. ISBN: 9780748646425. $70.00 USD
Professor Emma Pover (B)

This is a follow-up to the A case (UVA-E-0181), which illustrates the ongoing difficulties for women in high-powered investment banks.
The Even-Order Spherical-Harmonics Method in Cylindrical Geometry

The even-order spherical-harmonics theory for cylindrical geometry is developed along the same lines previously utilized for slab geometry. In particular an ‘effective boundary moment’ is found suc...
John Marvin Colaw: and The American Mathematical Monthly

While most readers will quickly recall Leonard Eugene Dickson, the second coeditor of the Monthly, few will remember Dickson's predecessor as coeditor, John M. Colaw. Colaw served as coeditor for the first seven years of the Monthly. He was responsible to a large extent for creating the wide breadth of interest in the Monthly and its influence on mathematics in America. In the first volume, coeditors Colaw and B. F. Finkel laid down the principal goals for the Monthly. They wrote:
The Munich Crisis Examined: An Experiment in Collaboration in Data Interpretation

This four-year experiment in collaboration in data interpretation primarily involved iterative interaction; the emergence of jointly agreed meanings through the process of symbolic interactionism; the use of informants; and elite and specialized interviewing. Very late in the collaboration it became clear that future studies of this sort might benefit from the Delphi technique; content analysis; use of non-reactive data; control for researcher bias; and Popperian disconfirmation.