cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Exodus of Undergraduate Women from Computer Science Majors: A Two-Factor Model of Self-Esteem

Retaining women in computer science is key to maintaining diversity in the field and in subfields such as HCI. There is considerable evidence that women leave STEM majors more frequently than men, leaving behind low numbers of female graduates in computer science. The current study used a two-factor model of self-esteem to understand how women's self-esteem changes during their undergraduate years. This two-factor model of self-esteem recognized that self-esteem includes factors of both worthiness and competence. In this cross-sectional research, 131 undergraduate and professional women, majoring and working in computer science and related fields completed a survey based on the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and expanded by this author. Half of the questions regarded general feelings of worthiness and competence and the others concerned these two factors, situated within computing-related educational and work experiences. Preliminary analysis revealed three key findings: (1) Participant feelings of self-esteem within computing were lower than their feelings of self-esteem in general; (2) Participant responses to worthiness questions were lower than responses to competence questions; and, (3) Student responses to self-esteem questions situated within their major showed a strong interaction with undergraduate standing when viewed through the two-factor lens. Both computer science competence and worthiness dropped for the junior level participants. Measures of competence recovered for senior participants but worthiness did not. This work pinpoints where and why women may be leaving computing majors and suggests that intervention programs focused on developing both competence and worthiness could be helpful for retaining women in computing.
Midgap States in PbS Quantum Dots Induced by Cd and Zn Enhance Photon Upconversion

Exciton exchange between semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and organic chromophores may find application in next-generation photovoltaics, probes, or photocatalysts. We study the effect of shell composition and thickness on triplet energy transfer (TET) from PbS QDs to rubrene in a hybrid organic–inorganic photon upconverison system and show that defect states introduced by surface adsorbed Zn and Cd result in up to 700 and 325 fold enhancements in the photon upconverison quantum yield (QY). Time-correlated single-photon counting, photoluminescence (PL), and photon upconversion QY measurements on PbS QD light absorbers with submonolayer shells of 0.37–1.60 A of CdS and 0.04–0.22 A of ZnS reveal these core–shell QDs have reduced radiative and nonradiative rates relative to the core. Their broadened absorption and PL line widths suggest TET may occur from thermally accessible surface defects, in addition to the dark excitonic states at the band-edge.
B-Cell Receptors

What does the BCR do and why is it critical in normal B-cell development? What is its role in B-cell maturation and the biological responses including activation, tolerance, and/or differentiation? What is its role in CLL? Here, the focus is on the current understanding of the BCR signal cascade in normal B cells and its altered path in CLL that contributes to the pathogenesis of this disease. The role of antigen experience, stereotypy, and anergy in CLL evolution is discussed. Also discussed is the biology underlying the difference in clinical behavior due to mutation status of the immunoglobulin genes. This section finds its basis in immunology that is introduced in undergraduate studies. They are reviewed in the context relevant to the biology of CLL. The BCR signaling pathways are complex, and the select few that are significant in this context are discussed. The significance lies in the application of the knowledge of these signaling pathways in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of CLL. While we often pay attention to the results that are visibly applicable to us, the scientific methods that are utilized go unnoticed and are indeed awe-inspiring. Some of these methods are explained. The journey that traverses at least five decades is fascinating. Enjoy the journey.
Crystal-Induced Arthropathy

The two most common forms of crystalline arthropathy include gout and calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease. The diagnostic gold standard is arthrocentesis, which will be positive for crystals. Long-term treatment is often managed by primary care physicians or rheumatologists. Orthopedic surgeons are often consulted to confirm a suspected diagnosis, to rule out other potential etiologies, or for treatment for end-stage crystalline arthropathy causing arthritis or periarticular soft tissue attenuation.
Strength in Numbers: Perceptions of Political Commonality with African Americans among Asians and Asian Americans in the United States:

Asians are now the fastest growing racial minority group in the United States. Nearly 18 million Asians and Asian Americans currently reside in the country. Approximately 44 million African America...
Dynamic Real-Time Optimization of Air-Conditioning Systems in Residential Houses with a Battery Energy Storage under Different Electricity Pricing Structures

Abstract This paper investigates potential cost savings in operating residential houses air-conditioning systems through dynamic real-time optimization (D-RTO). Standard design data collected from BEopt (Building Energy Optimization) software were used in Matlab/Simulink to simulate cooling energy consumption of a house model in Salt Lake City, Utah. Two different electricity pricing structures were employed; time-of-use (TOU) and real-time pricing (RTP). The D-RTO was formulated as a linear programming problem with the air conditioning temperature setpoint, the cooling energy, the battery state of charge, the charging energy and discharging energy of the battery being decision variables of the model. The D-RTO determines day-ahead values for the dynamic variables of the system based on the weather forecast and energy price signals. The D-RTO uses a model predictive control (MPC) like approach in which the problem is solved for 24 hours in advance, but the solutions are implemented on a receding horizon, where the prediction interval moves forward by one hour each time step. Results show significant energy cost reductions for the optimized cases with a battery energy storage versus the cases without a battery under each pricing structure. Also, both pricing structures are ranked based on their capabilities for cost and energy savings and peak shifting.
The Case for Intra-Regional Style Analysis: Diversification or Rotation?

In contrast to some earlier studies, we document statistically significant within-country style effects in several Southeast Asian emerging market portfolios. Small capitalization and value stocks tend to outperform their style counterparts in the complete samples. While average return correlations among the zero-cost style portfolios are low – emphasizing the value of an intra-regional diversification strategy – these correlations exhibit significant variation over time. Measures of integration for the style portfolios are also low on average but tend to vary over time. These results suggest that while diversification is helpful on average, there are some periods of time when a regional style rotation strategy is warranted and other times when country-specific rotation strategies are reasonable.
Cytotoxic Activity of Alkaloids from the Fruits of Piper nigrum

Medicinal plants have been shown to have tremendous potential for the development of new drug molecules for various serious diseases. Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae) is a well-known spice considered t...
Leveraging Serverless Computing to Improve Performance for Sequence Comparison

Cloud computing offers on-demand, scalable computing and storage, and has become an essential resource for the analyses of big biomedical data. The usual approach to cloud computing requires users to reserve and provision virtual servers. An emerging alternative is to have the provider allocate machine resources dynamically. This type of serverless computing has tremendous potential for biomedical research in terms of ease-of-use, instantaneous scalability, and cost effectiveness. In our proof of concept example, we demonstrate how serverless computing provides low cost access to hundreds of CPUs, on demand, with little or no setup. In particular, we illustrate that the all-against-all pairwise comparison among all unique human proteins can be accomplished in approximately 2 minutes, at a cost of less than $1, using Amazon Web Services Lambda. We also demonstrate the feasibility of our approach using Google Functions and show that the same task of pairwise protein sequence comparison can be accomplished in approximately 11.5 minutes. In contrast, running the same task on a typical laptop computer required 8.7 hours.
Wetland Conservation Requires Transition toward Landscape-Scale Interdisciplinary Approaches

Large-landscape conservation is an emerging paradigm responding to the growing effects of landscape-scale stressors on the environment with the goal to balance multiple socio-ecological objectives. Wetlands provide a disproportionate wealth of ecosystem services given their generally diminutive composition across the landscape. A challenge for wetland scientists is to develop science to support this evolving landscape conservation approach and to integrate wetland services and benefits explicitly into regional conservation and adaptation planning. This special feature arose from a symposium held at the 2017 Society of Wetland Scientists meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA entitled, “Wetland Conservation in the 21st Century: Landscape Scale Interdisciplinary Approaches Addressing Multiple Objectives.” The nine papers that follow stem from that symposium and collectively provide examples of wetland science that address human well-being, ecological functioning, and future forecasting to support long-term landscape conservation planning. This special feature celebrates the critical role wetlands play in maintaining biodiversity and human well-being as well as the valuable role wetland scientists play informing landscape conservation decisions.
MoS2 impurities: Chemical identification and spatial resolution of bismuth impurities in geological material

Abstract Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is the most widely studied transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) material, in part because it is a natural crystal present in the earth, thus making it abundant and easily accessible. Geological MoS2 has been used in various studies that look at incorporating MoS2 into devices for nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. However, variations in the electronic properties of a single MoS2 surface are known to exist due to defects that are intrinsic to natural MoS2. This work reports the presence of bismuth impurities in MoS2 with concentrations high enough to be detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These concentrations are further corroborated with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Localization of these bismuth clusters is shown using XPS mapping, and the cluster size is determined to be on the order of tens of microns. This work provides important insights into the nature of impurities that are known to exist in MoS2. The presence of bismuth clusters in geological MoS2 material highlights the difficulty of obtaining large-area uniform and pristine MoS2 in geological crystals.
Deep Natural Language Processing Identifies Variation in Care Preference Documentation

Abstract Context Documentation of care preferences within 48 hours of admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) is a National Quality Forum-endorsed quality metric for older adults. Care preferences are poorly captured by administrative data. Objectives Using deep natural language processing, our aim was to determine the rate of care preference documentation in free-text notes and to assess associated patient factors. Methods Retrospective review of notes by clinicians using a deep natural language processing to identify care preference documentation, including goals-of-care and treatment limitations, within 48 hours of ICU admission within five ICUs (medical, cardiac, surgery, trauma surgery, and cardiac surgery) for adults ≥75 years of age. Covariates included demographics, ICU type, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and need for mechanical ventilation. Results Deep natural language processing reviewed 11,575 clinician notes for 1,350 ICU admissions. Median patient age was 84.0 years (interquartile range 78.0-88.4). Overall, 64.7% had documentation of care preferences. Patients with documentation were older (85 vs. 83 years; p Conclusion Care preference documentation within 48 hours was absent in over one-third of ICU admissions among patients aged ≥75 years and was more likely to occur in medical versus cardiac or surgical ICUs.
Derivations and valuation rings

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews derivations and valuation rings. The derivations are related to contact, and so are valuations, so one may ask for a study connecting derivations and valuations. . The chapter describes an existence theorem: let 0 = k[x1…, xn] be a finite integral domain over a base field k of characteristic zero, let m be a prime ideal therein, and let D be an integral derivation of the local ring 0m {i.e., D0m ⊂ 0m). Then, there exists a valuation ring centered at m that is also sent into itself by D.. The chapter also highlights that if a derivation of a local ring of an algebraic variety sends the ring into itself, then it also sends some dominating valuation ring into itself. If the ring is 2-dimensional and regular and the maximal ideal is not differential, then the valuation ring is unique. The ground field is assumed to be of characteristic 0.
Esophageal motor function in Graves' disease.

Esophageal motor function was studied in 10 patients with untreated Graves' disease and 15 healthy volunteers who served as controls. A noncompliant recording system with a triple-lumen assembly was used. Resting upper- and lower-esophageal-sphincter pressures, amplitude, duration, and velocity of peristaltic contractions in the body of the esophagus, and the number of repetitive and simultaneous contractions were measured. There was no significant difference in peristaltic amplitude and duration between the controls and the patients with Graves' disease. However, there was a significant increase in velocity of contractions in Graves' disease as compared with controls. On restudy of 5 patients who became euthyroid after treatment with131I, all the measured parameters were unchanged except for velcity of the peristaltic contractions. The value for this measurement decreased essentially to the same as that found in the control subjects. It is conclueded that: (1) thyrotoxicosis increases the propagation velocity of esophageal contraction, and (2) thyroid hormones may play a physiologic role in the control of esophageal motor function.
Circling the wagons or opening the circle

Abstract ?To approach eudaimonia or human flourishing,? Darcia Narvaez writes, ?one must have a concept of human nature? a normal baseline ? This article asks: what is the human baseline so that we may develop public policy to suit and advance human and planetary flourishing? It proposes that our ?baseline? is relational, where each person becomes her singular self through networks of relations with others and planet Relationality is explored through Trinity, covenant, evolutionary biology, and psychology The article concludes that public policy must be grounded not in ?us-them? thinking but in relationality as this is how we are created
What Barriers Exist in the Minds of Vaccine-Hesitant Parents, and How Can We Address Them?

Background and objectives Despite substantial health benefits and prolific research efforts to demonstrate safety and increase uptake, vaccine hesitancy has increased dramatically. This study aimed to systematically analyze available literature on vaccine hesitancy in the United States and determine the rationale behind vaccine-hesitant parents and potential interventions. Methods We conducted a literature search and identified 232 articles; we included 90 after screening. We pulled information from each article using standardized questions for "type of study," "population," "specific vaccine," "reasons for hesitancy," "hesitancy prevalence," "attempt at change," "results of intervention," and "future interventions." We created recurrent themes from the data and analyzed these themes via descriptive statistics. Results Vaccine safety was the most commonly identified reason for vaccine hesitancy amongst studies (50%), followed by not enough information (30%), side effects (26%), low risk of disease (26%), social norms (22%), vaccine schedule (21%), not recommended by doctor (21%), efficacy (18%), cost/access (13%), sexual concerns (12%) and distrust of establishment (7%). Only 20% of papers documented an intervention, and l50% of these reported increased vaccination rates or intent. More research was the most commonly identified next step (49%). Conclusions Despite large amounts of research on vaccination rates, patients are still reporting not enough information and safety as the most common reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Interventions were few and without promising results. More research was the most suggested intervention. Such research must address concerns of the vaccine-hesitant community, comparing risks and benefits of each vaccination in a longitudinal, coherent, and transparently unbiased fashion.
Keyword Selection Strategies in Search Engine Optimization: How Relevant is Relevance?

Abstract We build an empirical framework using search queries and organic click data which provides model-based guidance to SEO practitioners for keyword selection and web content creation. Specifically, we study how search characteristics (search query popularity, search query competition, search query specificity, and search intent) and website characteristics (content relevance and online authority) interact to affect the expected organic clicks as well as the organic rank a website receives from the search engine result page (SERP). It is often thought that content relevance is a key factor to improve the effectiveness of SEO. We find, however, that content relevance is an important factor in driving organic clicks only when the consumer is farther along in the customer journey and searching for ways to purchase a product. Whereas, when the customer is at the awareness stage and looking for product information, online authority is the key driver of organic clicks.
Respiratory-swallow coordination in a rat model of chemoradiation.

Background Chemoradiation treatment (CRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) is associated with postswallow inhale events that elevate the risk of penetration/aspiration. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of a rat model for investigating the effect of CRT on respiratory-swallow coordination. Methods Videofluoroscopic swallow study was performed on 10 Sprague-Dawley rats 3 months post-CRT (3 mg/kg Cisplatin, 10 fractions of 4.5 Gy/day radiotherapy to tongue base), and 10 naive controls. We examined the effect of CRT on swallow apnea duration, diaphragm movement, and bolus kinematics. Results CRT rats had a significant increase in postswallow inhale (p = 0.008), which was associated with significantly longer swallow apnea durations, lower diaphragm displacement at swallow onset, and faster pharyngoesophageal bolus speed. Conclusion The rat CRT model is valid for the study of respiratory-swallow coordination due to the consistency of findings in this study with those reported in clinical CRT studies in HNC.
Software Security (Capture the Flag)

The fundamental idea of writing this technical note is to navigate the process of capture the flag (CTF) [1], different phases of cyber-attack and defence from the intrusion attempt. There could be multiple types of intrusion attempt, and accordingly, the defence should be crafted. It can be achieved via several means [2], however for scope of this note, we would limit the consideration of developing and hardening system file permission (Case Scenario). Such as, set up scanners for setUID/sGUID [3] for things that may elevate permission that shouldn’t.
Frequency Domain Imaging of Oxygen Tension in the Mouse Retina

Insufficient oxygen delivery and retinal hypoxia have been implicated as causal for the development of many devastating diseases of the eye, including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and retinopathy of prematurity. The imaging of oxygen tension (PO2) using the phosphorescence lifetime measuring technique has received considerable attention in the literature and its potential for advancing our understanding of the oxygen dynamics in the retina is well recognized. It is also recognized that, as the number of transgenic and knockout mouse models displaying the characteristics of human retinal diseases rapidly increases, an ability to image PO2 in these very small eyes will likely be of great benefit. In this study, we describe and test new instrumentation for generating maps of PO2 in the mouse retina. These maps are generated from the phosphorescence lifetimes of injected palladium-porphyrin probes using a frequency-domain measurement.
Pruritus in Older Patients

Pruritus is the most frequent symptom in dermatology, and the elderly are particularly prone to pruritus. The high prevalence of pruritus in elderly patients is a consequence of three major physiological changes that occur with aging: (1) compromised epidermal barrier and repair; (2) immunosenescense with enhanced Th2 function; and (3) central and peripheral neurodegenerative disorders. These may all affect the same patient, in part explaining why the elderly often present with multiple overlapping cutaneous complaints. This review explores the scope of the itching problem in elderly patients, discusses the mechanisms underlying the eruption of senescence, and presents a management strategy for each of the common types of pruritic skin disorders in the elderly patient.
Optical and electron transport properties of rock-salt Sc1−xAlxN

Epitaxial single-crystal Sc1−xAlxN ternary alloy layers deposited by magnetron co-sputtering on MgO(001) substrates at 950 °C exhibit a solid solution rock-salt phase for x = 0–0.2 without decomposition. Optical absorption indicates a linear increase in the optical gap from 2.51 eV for ScN to 3.05 eV for Sc0.8Al0.2N and, after correction due to the Moss-Burstein shift, a direct X point interband transition energy Eg(X) = 2.15 + 2.75 x (eV). Correspondingly, the direct transition at the zone center increases with Al concentration according to Eg(Γ) = 3.80 + 1.45 x (eV), as determined from a feature in the reflection spectra. All layers are degenerate n-type semiconductors with a room temperature mobility that decreases from 22 to 6.7 to 0.83 cm2/V s as x increases from 0 to 0.11 to 0.20. The corresponding carrier densities are 9.2 × 1020, 7.9 × 1020, and 0.95 × 1020 cm−3 as determined from Hall measurements and consistent with optical free carrier absorption below photon energies of 1 eV. Temperature depen...
Demonostration of the intercellular spaces of the human eccrine sweat gland by lanthanum. I. The secretory coil.

Intercellular spaces of the secretory coil of the human eccrine sweat gland were studied with the lanthanum permeation technique. It was demonstrated that the interstitial connective tissue, basal lamina, lamina lucida, and the basal intercellular spaces were continuously permeated with lanthanum. This route was thought to represent the physiological pathway of the interstitial fluid, i.e., the source of the eccrine sweat. It was postulated that the fluid is absorbed from the basal intercellular spaces into the clear cells and then excreted into the main lumen through a sodium pump. Whereas desmosomes were only occasionally seen in the basal intercellular spaces, the periluminal intercellular spaces had a series of desmosomes and tight junctions. Although some of the more proximally located tight junctions were circumvented, one of the luminal tight junctions stopped the permeation of lanthanum. With the lanthanum method, the luminal tight junctions were shown to be composed of complicated arrays of negatively stained septations and lanthanum-filled spaces. Only a small number of pinocytotic vesicles were seen in the clear cells. It was thought that they do not contribute to the absorption of the intercellular fluid.
Ethylene‐bridged Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas with Large Spherical Pores Templated by PEO‐PPO‐PEO Surfactant Micelles Swollen by Ethylbenzene

The applicability of a recently identified potent micelle swelling agent, ethylbenzene, was verified for periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) and its performance was found to be comparable to that of xylene, which was previously shown to be an excellent swelling agent for surfactant-templated ordered mesoporous silica and organosilica synthesis. Large-pore ethylene-bridged PMOs with face-centered cubic structures of spherical mesopores were synthesized using Pluronic F127 (EO106PO70EO106) surfactant and ethylbenzene or xylene swelling agents at temperatures from 15 down to 7 °C. In the case of ethylbenzene, PMOs were synthesized at 15 °C using two different amounts of the inorganic salt (KCl) and under salt-free conditions. It was found that ethylbenzene and xylene perform comparably well, allowing one to synthesize highly ordered face-centered cubic ethylene-bridged PMOs with unit-cell parameters ca. 40 nm and nominal pore diameters ca. 14 nm. It was also possible to convert PMO prepared in the presence of ethylbenzene to silica with nearly closed mesopores via calcinations at 400 °C under air. The dependence of the PMO structure on the initial synthesis temperature and the salt concentration was found to be highly similar for ethylbenzene and xylene. Because of the fact that xylene (dimethylbenzene) was found earlier to work differently from toluene (methylbenzene) and trimethylbenzene, the observed similarity between the performance of xylene and ethylbenzene confirms an expectation that the suitability of alkylbenzenes for PEO-PPO-PEO block-copolymer-templated synthesis of well-defined porous materials depends primarily on the total number of carbon atoms in their alkyl substituents. This finding is expected to streamline the process of identifying effective swelling agents for PMOs and other mesoporous materials.
Beyond a Joke: From Animal Laughter to Human Joy?

Laughter and joy are considered to be uniquely human characteristics. However, as Panksepp explores in his Perspective, recent studies in chimps, dogs, and rats reveal that animals also exhibit laughterlike sounds when they are horsing around and having fun.
NF-κB and Mucosal Homeostasis

NF-κB is well characterized as a primary mediator of inflammatory responses during infection and immune reactions, but it has recently become evident that NF-κB also mediates a potent cytoprotective, homeostatic function under basal conditions. This role is especially evident in the mammalian intestine, which is challenged not only with a range of microbial pathogens, but is also in constant contact with potent proinflammatory commensal bacteria and their products. Present data lead to the overall conclusion that antiapoptotic actions of NF-κB in intestinal epithelial cells dominate tissue responses to many acute inflammatory and injurious challenges, whereas proinflammatory and cell survival functions of NF-κB in macrophages and T cells govern chronic intestinal inflammation. This review focuses on the protective and homeostatic functions of NF-κB, and the importance of NF-κB in determining host–microbe interactions in the intestinal tract.
Standard Error of Estimate

The standard error of estimate (SEE) is the square root of the variance of the residuals from a linear regression. Keywords: linear regression; variance; confidence intervals
Risk of Window Period HIV Infection in High Infectious Risk Donors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The OPTN classifies high infectious risk donors (HRDs) based on criteria originally intended to identify people at risk for HIV infection. These donors are sometimes referred to as 'CDC high risk donors' in reference to the CDC-published guidelines adopted by the OPTN. However, these guidelines are also being used to identify deceased donors at increased risk of window period (WP) hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, although not designed for this purpose. The actual risk of WP HCV infection in HRDs is unknown. We performed a systematic review of 3476 abstracts and identified 37 eligible estimates of HCV incidence in HRD populations in the United States/Canada. Pooled HCV incidence was derived and used to estimate the risk of WP infection for each HRD category. Risks ranged from 0.26 to 300.6 per 10,000 donors based on WP for ELISA and 0.027 to 32.4 based on nucleic acid testing (NAT). Injection drug users were at highest risk (32.4 per 10,000 donors by NAT WP), followed by commercial sex workers and donors exhibiting high risk sexual behavior (12.3 per 10,000), men who have sex with men (3.5 per 10,000), incarcerated donors (0.8 per 10,000), donors exposed to HIV infected blood (0.4 per 10,000) and hemophiliacs (0.027 per 10,000). NAT reduced WP risk by approximately 10-fold in each category.
The Birth of Institutions - How Competitive Pressures Can Solve the Collective Action Problem

I use the Tragedy of the Commons dilemma to analyze a core difficulty in explaining the emergence of dilemma-solving institutions:On the one hand, institutions must induce individuals to act differently than they would in the absence of the institution in question (or the institution would fail to have any impact).On the other hand however, individuals have no real incentive to engage in setting up a dilemma-solving institution (which will forseeably force them to act against their own preferences).Once a dilemma-solving institution has been successfully installed, individuals have per definitionem a strong incentive to both engage in dilemma-solving behavior as well as to support the institution in question. However, if such an institution doesn't exist yet, individuals have no incentive to either directly engage in dilemma-solving behavior, nor to engage in the process of institutional creation.Dilemma-solving institutions can indeed arise unproblematically if individuals possess a sufficient game-theoretic knowledge of their situation and if they can overcome the collective action problem. However, both of these conditions are unlikely to be met in practice - which makes it difficult to explain how dilemma-solving institutions could originally come into existence.My paper provides a more realistic explanation for how dilemma-solving institutions can arise: I present a model which demonstrates the conditions under which competitive pressures can lead populations of myopic actors to develop and maintain dilemma-solving patterns of behavior.In my model, competitive pressures (primarily through competition with neighboring populations) induce populations to harvest from their common resource pool in a sustainable manner - despite the fact that individuals always benefit from increasing their individual harvest.By demonstrating that competitive pressures can under some conditions suffice to establish dilemma-solving behavioral patterns, I defuse the difficulty of accounting for the existence of institutional solutions to social dilemmas in cases where individuals lack the ability to analyze their situation in game-theoretic terms and/or where they are incapable of overcoming the collective action problem: once competitive pressures have given rise to dilemma-solving behavioral patterns, it is straightforward to explain how societies have developed mechanisms to stabilize those behavioral patterns by means of formal institutions. Coercive institutions don't have to create the desired dilemma-solving behavior ex nihil, because competitive pressures can do the job.The existence of coercive institutions is much less mysterious if we account for the role of competitive pressures in their emergence: it is not the case that the coercive institution comes first and then the desired behavior follows, but rather the other way around.
The impact of culture on the relationship between governance and opportunism in outsourcing relationships

To address concerns of opportunism, outsourcing firms are encouraged to deploy contractual and relational governance. The individual and collective effects of these mechanisms have been previously examined but not in specific contexts. This study examines the effects of contractual and relational governance on provider opportunism, incorporating the moderating influence of a “shift parameter”—national culture. Our results reveal that contractual governance is more effective in individualistic and low uncertainty avoidance cultures. Relational governance is more effective in collectivist and high uncertainty avoidance societies. The individualism–collectivism dimension also moderates the joint effect of these mechanisms. While the mechanisms are generally complementary in mitigating opportunism, a singular focus on either contractual or relational can be just as effective under situations of high individualism and collectivism, respectively.
Developing Leaders Through High School Junior ROTC: Integrating Theory with Practice

Executive SummaryMany programs and opportunities exist in secondary education to develop leadership in high school students. From athletics to clubs to student government, students are given numerous venues to act as leaders to their peers. However, very few high school students are provided any type of formal leadership training through an educational process.Approximately 3,000 high schools in the United States offer Junior ROTC (JROTC) as an elective in their curriculum. Although the four military services offer separate programs, as a whole, JROTC is a youth development program designed to educate students for citizenship and to provide leadership opportunities for personal growth. An academic curriculum of leadership instruction prepares students to assume greater responsibilities in leadership roles within the JROTC unit. This integration of academic instruction with applied leadership skills is a unique and effective method of teaching leadership in an academic environment.
Case studies of metal-III–V compound interactions

Abstract The interactions between metal and III–V compound semiconductors have been under increasingly more intensive investigation since the early 1980's. Over the years rather significant progress in understanding the interactions has been made by various laboratories. In this discussion, we emphasize solid state reactions that are pertinent to the formation of non-spiking contacts to n- and p-type AlGaAs and GaAs, as well as those that could induce compositional disordering in III–V superlattice structures. Examples are given to illustrate the diverse application of simple reactions to microelectronics and optoelectronics.
Isolation of nascent high-density lipoprotein from rat liver perfusates by immunoaffinity chromatography: effects of oleic acid infusion.

Abstract Immunoaffinity chromatography on a column of rabbit IgG anti-rat apolipoprotein (apo) A-I covalently bonded to agarose was used to isolate nascent high-density lipoprotein (nHDL) from recirculated perfusates of rat livers. After passage through the affinity column, the bound material was eluted with sodium thiocyanate and analyzed for apolipoproteins and lipids. The protein content was 52% and the lipid composition was 37% triglyceride, 40% phospholipid, and 23% cholesterol. Apoliproteins E and A-I each comprised approximately one third of the total, and very little apo B was detectable as judged by SDS-PAGE analysis. The affinity-isolated particles were therefore similar in composition to the major apo A-I:apo E-rich subfraction of nHDL isolated by ultracentrifugation in earlier work. It is concluded that the apo E in this class of nHDL (containing both apo E and apo A-I) is present in the secreted particle and is not a consequence of a loss of apo E from very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) during ultracentrifugation. The high triglyceride content in the virtual absence of apo B confirms and extends previous analyses and reinforces the conclusion that nHDL particles are enriched in triglyceride compared to plasma HDL. The inclusion of 4% albumin in the perfusion medium did not significantly change the total triglyceride output of 115 μg/g liver/h, but it decreased the triglyceride output isolated by anti-apo A-I affinity chromatography from 3.2 to 0.48 μg/g liver/h. The addition of oleic acid complexed to albumin increased the total triglyceride output by 70% and that associated with the immunoaffinity column increased from 0.48 to 2.7 μg/g liver/h. Under these conditions, the triglyceride content reached a value of 62% of the total lipid. These results indicate that the triglyceride content of apo A-I-associated nHDL responds to changes in hepatic triglyceride output in much the same way as that of nascent hepatic VLDL. The output of immunoaffinity-isolated apoproteins was unaffected by the presence of albumin in the perfusion medium, but the addition of oleate caused a 59% decrease in the amount of apo A-I and a 53% decrease in apo C, with no significant change in apo A-IV or apo E. We conclude that when the supply of free fatty acids to the liver is inceased, the entire range of nascent lipoproteins, from large VLDL to small HDL particles, become enriched in triglyceride.
Optimal placement and angulation of a dorsal motion control mechanism to resist heel rise in an orthosis

Background: No studies have determined the optimal location and angular orientation for orthotic dorsal control mechanisms (e.g. dorsal foot strap) for use in lower limb orthoses to resist foot motion for maximum user function and comfort. Objectives: To determine the optimal dorsal location and angular orientation of an orthotic control mechanism to resist foot movements associated with heel rise. Study design: An in vitro cadaveric study quantified the dorsal force required to resist foot motion. Methods: The study simulated heel rise and quantified the force of a dorsal control mechanism in nine test conditions comprising three angles (75°, 90°, and 105°) and three longitudinal axis positions at 2.0 cm increments. Results: The test condition representing the longest lever arm (proximal location) applied at an obtuse angle (105°) required the least force (55.6 N) to constrain foot motion, whereas the shortest lever arm (distal location) at the acute angle (75°) required the greatest force (90.4 N) to constrain foot motion. Conclusion: To resist foot motion relative to the orthosis, clinicians should aim for the most proximal placement (longest lever arm) at an obtuse angle (105°) with the intention that the resultant controlling force be perpendicular to the bony structure. Clinical relevance A dorsal foot control strap applies a critical orthotic corrective force, as part of a force couple to restrict motion of the foot and shank in lower limb orthoses. Foundational orthotic principles that stipulate optimal clinical placement and angular orientation are necessary to ensure maximum function and comfort to users.
An essential role for protein phosphatases in hippocampal long-term depression

The effectiveness of long-term potentiation (LTP) as a mechanism for information storage would be severely limited if processes that decrease synaptic strength did not also exist. In area CA1 of the rat hippocampus, prolonged periods of low-frequency afferent stimulation elicit a long-term depression (LTD) that is specific to the stimulated input. The induction of LTD was blocked by the extracellular application of okadaic acid or calyculin A, two inhibitors of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. The loading of CA1 cells with microcystin LR, a membrane-impermeable protein phosphatase inhibitor, or calmodulin antagonists also blocked or attenuated LTD. The application of calyculin A after the induction of LTD reversed the synaptic depression, suggesting that phosphatase activity is required for the maintenance of LTD. These findings indicate that the synaptic activation of protein phosphatases plays an important role in the regulation of synaptic transmission.
Electric Load Curve Synthesis - A Computer Simulation of an Electric Utility Load Shape

There are many promising customer-side load management activities under consideration in the the electric utility industry. These activities draw their current interest from a potentially positive impact on-system load shape. The ability to translate these load management impacts and non-load management impacts into hour-by-hour changes in load shape for an extended planning period has therefore become necessary. Public Service Electric & Gas Company has developed a computer simulation model which can predict a utility load shape for up to a 30 year period. The model is built upon the principal of disaggregation of the load shape and separates the load shape into 160 different components.
Assessing the Costs of Portfolio Insurance

(1987). Assessing the Costs of Portfolio Insurance. Financial Analysts Journal: Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 27-37.
Preliminary results of an outcome tool used for evaluation of surgical treatment for fecal incontinence

PURPOSE: The lack of an outcome tool to evaluate the outcome of surgical and medical treatment for fecal incontinence makes interpretation of success difficult. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a preliminary outcome tool for fecal incontinence. METHOD: Since 1994 an extensive database has prospectively been collected on all females undergoing an overlapping sphincter repair for fecal incontinence by a single surgeon. A simple incontinence form designed to examine outcome, developed by colon and rectal surgeons, was filled out preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: Of 206 females evaluated for surgical treatment of their fecal incontinence, 65 underwent surgical treatment from January 1994 until July 1999. The mean age was 49 (range, 23–80) years, and the mean follow-up was 10 (range, 1–50) months. When comparing each variable (problems holding gas, staining of undergarments, accidental bowel movements, and need to wear pads) and lifestyle issue (physical, social, and sexual activities) preoperatively and postoperatively, there was significant improvement in all areas. Three parameters were chosen (change in accidental bowel movements, improvement in two of three lifestyle areas, and improvement in one of three lifestyle areas) to examine individual items from the database and to determine if they affected outcome. No single variable has a significant effect on the outcome. A scoring system was devised from the questionnaire. From preoperatively to postoperatively, there was a median 14-point improvement that was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary tool to examine outcome for fecal incontinence measures parameters that are significantly improved by overlapping sphincteroplasty. More work is needed to refine and validate this tool because a standard outcome tool is needed for reporting the results of surgical treatment of fecal incontinence.
Significance of hydrated radius and hydration shells on ionic permeability during nanofiltration in dead end and cross flow modes

Abstract The aerobic rotational membrane system (ARMS) is one of the water recovery and recycling processes considered for use during long space missions. The ARMS effluent contains high levels of dissolved inorganic salts to be removed by the closed loop water recovery and recycling system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the permeability characteristics of ions present in the ARMS effluent through a nanofiltration membrane. Experiments were conducted in stirred dead end and cross flow filtration modes to evaluate the effectiveness of nanofiltration process to remove dissolved solids. The rejection characteristics of the ions were evaluated in relation to ionic hydrated radius, hydration number and ionic viscosity parameters. Permeability of ions through the nanofiltration membrane showed a strong correlation with their hydrated radii. The ions with relatively smaller crystal radii (i.e., Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ ) have higher hydration numbers and larger hydrated radii. These ions also hold their hydration shells more strongly, hence, they were removed by both filtration modes but more effectively by dead end filtration. On the other hand, the ions with larger crystal radii (i.e., K + and Na + ) have weaker hydration shells, hence, they may be able to detach from their hydration layer while passing through the nanofiltration membrane. In dead end mode, the ions are subjected to relatively larger shear forces to pass through the membrane in comparison to cross flow where the ions move parallel to the membrane surface, hence the shear force is reduced. The permeation of the ions was consistently higher in the dead end mode than the cross flow mode operated at the same pressure.
Effect ofP-chloroamphetamine and 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine on rotation and dopamine turnover

Injections of p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) or 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (DHT) (after pretreatment with desmethylimipramine) into the median raphe nucleus (MRN) caused depletions of 5-HT and 5-HIAA in the cortex and striatum, and a decrease of cortical 5-HT uptake without affecting NE uptake. Unilateral injections of these neurotoxins into the MRN caused contralateral rotation, which was blocked by haloperidol. The size of the lesion correlated with the rate of rotation and the decrease in 5-HT turnover in the cortex. We also found a significant correlation between the rate of rotation and the decrease in cortical 5-HT turnover, and the increase in striatal DA turnover. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the decrease in cortical 5-HT turnover and the increase in striatal DA turnover. It was found that injections of DHT into the SN produced similar behavioral and biochemical changes as did the MRN lesions. In this model, amphetamine and apomorphine produce turning in the same direction, whereas they have opposite effects after lesions of the nigrostriatal pathway where postsynaptic DA supersensitivity occurs. Presynaptic changes appear to determine turning in this model. An inhibitory role of the serotonergic MRN on the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway mediated via the substantia nigra (SN) is suggested.
Chemistry and mineralogy of a granitic, glacial soil chronosequence, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

Abstract The bulk chemical composition, mineral chemistry and clay mineralogy of soils developed on granodiorite parent materials were investigated in Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada, CA. The soils studied were developed on glacial moraines estimated to be ∼20 Ka (Tioga), ∼130 Ka (Tahoe) and ∼300 Ka (pre-Tahoe) in age, thus constituting a soil chronosequence. In addition to granodiorite bedrock minerals such as plagioclase, K-feldspar, quartz, biotite and hornblende, volcanic glass is also found disseminated throughout the soils in amounts up to 15% of the