cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Could a Tax on Unhealthy Products Sold for Weight Loss Reduce Consumer Use? A Novel Estimation of Potential Taxation Effects

Abuse of widely available, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and supplements such as diet pills, laxatives, and diuretics by adolescents for weight control is well-documented, yet manufacturers and retailers can sell them to minors without restriction. The aim of our study was to estimate the effect of added taxation of OTC drugs and dietary supplements sold for weight loss on household purchases of these products. With data from 60,538 U.S. households in the 2012 waves of the Nielsen Consumer Panel (NCP) and the Nielsen Retail Scanner (NRS) datasets, we conducted analyses in 2017 to tally annual quantities and expenditures on OTC drugs or dietary supplements making weight-loss, cleanse/detox, or diuretic claims. We estimated the percent reduction in household purchases due to a simulated 20% added tax on each category. Among the 14,151 households reporting at least one purchase in the three claims categories, a 20% higher average price of weight-loss products was associated with a 5.2% lower purchases of those products. Among households with children ages 12 to 17 years old present, purchases were 17.5% lower, and among households with a daughter present, purchases were 10.3% lower. Taxation may be an effective public health strategy to reduce purchasing of potentially dangerous OTC drugs and supplements sold for weight loss, especially for households that include children ages 12-17 years old or a daughter.
The Relationship and Impact of Communication on Leadership: A Research Note

A manager is the one who is competent to fulfill this by effective leading, sound planning, monitoring, and communicating. It is the manager's communication skills that motivate and inspire teammates to work hard and achieve team target and organizational goals, as well. Furthermore, this paper later explains the idea of leadership communication, steps, and solution, which involved in overcoming the problems. Notably, future leaders must also certainly ensure that the subordinates are treated as members of the organization, whereby consistency in providing sound leadership would determine employee motivation and performance. This paper study also identifies trust in direction, which is related to work outcomes and trust in each other to improve better communication. Therefore, with the help of better communication, one can fulfill their job satisfaction and communication competency.
Open Course Resources as Part of the OpenSeminar in Software Engineering

Software engineering is a rapidly changing field and new ideas, like agile software development, are emerging. As such, these ideas must be incorporated into software engineering courses so that students will be up-to-date on current innovations. To help address this problem, we have created the OpenSeminar in Software Engineering. For the OpenSeminar in Software Engineering, we have created course materials that cover various, essential Software Engineering Education Knowledge areas. This paper presents the Monopoly example; comprehensive software engineering courseware and part of the OpenSeminar in Software Engineering.
Copper-silica and copper-alumina alloys of high temperature interest

Utllizing relatively coarse Cu powders and several sizes of silica and alumina powders, alloys containing up to 10 vol.% of oxide were made. The alloys were prepared by mechanical mixing of powders, followed by cold hydrostatlc pressing, sintering, and hot extrusion. Measurements were made of room temperature tensile properties, recrystallizatlon temperature, creep rupture properties from 250 to 450 deg C, and resistlvity. In addition, metallographic studies were made of the resultant structures. Of particular interest was the stability of the structure with respect to temperature, time, and stress. (auth)
A 120nW 8b sub-ranging SAR ADC with signal-dependent charge recycling for biomedical applications

We present an 8-bit sub-ranging SAR ADC designed for bursty signals having long time periods with small code spread. A modified capacitive-DAC (CDAC) saves previous sample's MSB voltage and reuses it throughout subsequent conversions. This prevents unnecessary switching of large MSB capacitors as well as conversion cycles, reducing energy consumed in the comparator and digital logic and yielding total energy savings of 2.6×. In 0.18μm CMOS, the ADC consumes 120nW at 0.6V and 100kS/s with 46.9dB SNDR.
A project-based embedded systems design course using a reconfigurable SoC platform

Embedded systems are becoming increasingly complex, as typical system components, such as sensors and other specialized processors, are blended together with more traditional microprocessors to form complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Teaching undergraduate students to understand concepts and technologies behind embedded systems is important in order to prepare these future engineers with the skills and expertise necessary for designing such complex systems. This paper describes an undergraduate course designed to introduce students to embedded system design concepts and challenges in an engaging and effective manner. Our course uses a combination of in-depth laboratory assignments and topical lectures to provide a unique hands-on education for students. Laboratory assignments utilize Avnet's ZedBoard platform, a development board built around Xilinx's Zynq-7000 SoC, and require students to solve a variety of embedded system challenges from a range of application domains. Overall, student feedback about the course has been positive.
Regulation of fibroblast functions by products of schistosomal egg granulomas: potential role in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis

Recent observations suggest a molecular link between granuloma formation and hepatic fibrosis in schistosomiasis. Egg granulomas isolated from Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice, when cultured in serum-free medium, produce a variety of biologically active molecules that affect fibroblast function. One group of molecules--proteins with an estimated relative molecular mass (Mr) of 30 000--stimulate fibroblast proliferation in vitro. These molecules have interleukin (IL)-1-like activity when assayed in thymocyte cultures but are biochemically distinct from previously characterized murine IL-1. Fibroblast mitogenic activity is also produced by macrophages isolated from granulomas and by extracts of S. mansoni eggs. The egg-derived activity is distinct from the granuloma cell-derived material on the basis of Mr and isoelectric point determinations. Egg extracts also contain concanavalin A-binding substances which are not directly mitogenic for fibroblasts but can stimulate spleen cells from infected mice to produce fibroblast mitogenic activity in vitro. A large chemoattractant molecule (greater than 200 000 Mr) for fibroblasts has also been identified in supernatants from granuloma cultures and in supernatants from macrophages isolated from granulomas. This activity is abolished by treatment with anti-fibronectin antibody, suggesting that it is fibronectin or a cleavage product thereof. Molecules similar to or identical with the fibroblast mitogenic factors from the granulomas have been identified, and they inhibit the contraction of fibroblast-populated collagen lattices. These activities may be important in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis in schistosomiasis, and pharmacological modification of their production or of their effects on target fibroblasts might theoretically prevent hepatic fibrosis in this disease.
A mitigation method for non-eliminated harmonics of SHEPWM three-level multipulse three-phase active front end converter

Three-level NPC active-front-end (3LAFE) converters can be applied for high-power medium voltage applications, with 4-quadrant unity-power factor operation, allowing for decentralized energy distribution and utilization, hence making full regenerative systems possible. Switching losses and network interaction limit the operation of 3LAFE high-power converters, especially in the case of GTO-inverters. That is why obtaining a low switching frequency and reduced harmonic distortion are the main goals when using optimum pattern PWM with a selective harmonic elimination method (SHEPWM). For 12-pulse configurations, the lowest switching frequency can be achieved using a 3-angle scheme for SHEPWM where the 11th and 13th harmonics can be eliminated by the correct firing angle application. The remaining non-eliminated harmonics of orders 23, 25, 35 and 37 play a main role on defining the voltage distortion injected into the power network, where the resulting harmonic current injection depends on the series impedance between the network and 3LAFE. This paper presents the experimental study concerning the regenerative unity-power factor operation of a 3LAFE converter, highlighting the possible reduction of non-eliminated harmonics by the introduction of slight variations of modulation index and DC-link voltage regarding a selective harmonic distortion factor (SHD). This work opens new possibilities for avoiding or reducing harmonic filters, especially by operating within weak networks and stringent conditions to be studied in further projects.
Arthroscopic Remplissage for Engaging Hill-Sachs Lesions in Patients With Anterior Shoulder Instability

Anterior shoulder instability is often accompanied by a Hill-Sachs defect on the humeral head that can contribute to recurrent instability if not addressed at the time of surgery. We describe a method of performing arthroscopic remplissage to treat engaging Hill-Sachs lesions in patients with glenohumeral instability. It has the benefits of being an efficient procedure that can be performed with minimal technical difficulty and can be used to augment other stabilization procedures such as labral repair. The indications for this technique include the presence of an engaging Hill-Sachs defect in patients will little or no glenoid bone loss. In appropriately selected patients, arthroscopic remplissage has shown reduced rates of recurrent instability.
Re-examination of the second-order structural phase transition in La2−xAxCuO4 (A = Ba,Sr)

Abstract In the high temperature tetragonal phase of La 1.85 Ba 0.15 CuO 4 (LBCO) and La 1.875 Sr 0.125 CuO 4 (LSCO), the average octahedral tilts disappear at high temperature. However, we show that, locallu , tilts remain at temperatures well above the orthorhombic to tetragonal phase transition. We have used full profile refinement of the real-space atomic pair distribution function (PDF) obtained from pulsed neutron powder diffraction measurements. Our modeling indicates that order-disorder models of the octahedral tilts give significantly better agreement with the data than displacive models.
Structure and optical properties of nanocrystalline hafnium oxide thin films

Abstract Hafnium oxide (HfO2) films were grown by sputter-deposition by varying deposition temperature (Ts) in a wide range of 25–700 °C. The deposited HfO2 films were characterized by studying their growth behavior, microstructure, and optical properties. Characterization of the films employing a wide range of analytical techniques indicate a clear functional relationship between processing conditions, structure, morphology, and optical properties. HfO2 films were amorphous at Ts ⩽ 200 °C, at which point a structural transformation occurs. HfO2 films grown at Ts ⩾ 200 °C were nanocrystalline, stabilized in a monoclinic structure. The nanocrystalline HfO2 films exhibit a strong ( 1 ¯ 1 1 ) texturing. The average crystallite size of HfO2 films increased from ∼10 nm to ∼20 nm with increasing Ts. Electron and atomic force microscopy measurements also correlated with the crystalline behavior, as well as an evenly distributed network of spherical shaped crystallites for the nanocrystalline HfO2 films. Density (ρ) of HfO2 films probed using X-ray reflectivity and ellipsometry data analysis indicate that the ρ values are strongly dependent on Ts; ρ varied in the range of 7.36–9.14 g/cm3. The higher end of ρ values were noted only for HfO2 films grown at relatively higher Ts indicating the crystalline nature accounts for the ρ improvement. The band gap values of the films varied in the range of 5.78–6.17(±0.03) eV for Ts = 25–700 °C. Index of refraction at 550 nm increased from 1.80 to 2.09, which also correlates with the characteristic feature of improved structural order, packing density of HfO2 films with increasing Ts. Based on the observed results, a correlation between growth conditions, microstructure and optical constants is established.
Dispersive kinetics of nonphotochemical hole growth for oxazine 720 in glycerol, polyvinyl alcohol and their deuterated analogues

Abstract Dispersive hole growth kinetic data obtained with burn intensities in the nW to μW/cm 2 range are reported for the laser dye oxazine 720 in glycerol glasses and polyvinyl alcohol polymer films. The data are well described by a theory that employs a distribution function for the hole burning rate constant derived from a Gaussian distribution for the tunnel parameter of extrinsic two-level systems. The linear electron-phonon coupling is taken into account in the analysis. An approach for calculating the nonphotochemical hole burning quantum yield as a function of the hole depth is described. Deuteration of the hydroxyl proton of the amorphous hosts reduces the average hole burning quantum yield by a factor of ≈ 20, indicating that large amplitude motion of this proton is an important component of the tunneling coordinate. Temperature-dependent data are used to prove that the dispersive hole burning kinetics are independent of temperature between 1.6 and 7 K (the range studied).
Gas-solid chromatographic analysis of automobile tailpipe emissions as a function of different engine and exhaust system modifications

A single, relatively short gas-solid porous-layer open-tubular Chromatographic column was used to separate aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and some inorganic gases (O2, CO and CO2) found in automobile exhaust. The column's performance and longevity did not appear to be affected by the presence of water or carbon dioxide in the samples. The concentrations of the emission gases varied considerably with changes in air/fuel ratio, coil voltage and use of catalytic converters. The results of the analyses were compared with those obtained using a commercial emission analyser (“sniffer”).
A Valid and Reliable Instrument for Cognitive Complexity Rating Assignment of Chemistry Exam Items

The design and use of a valid and reliable instrument for the assignment of cognitive complexity ratings to chemistry exam items is described in this paper. Use of such an instrument provides a simple method to quantify the cognitive demands of chemistry exam items. Instrument validity was established in two different ways: statistically significant correlations between expert-based cognitive complexity ratings and student performance (as measured through statistical difficulty of items), and statistically significant correlations between expert-based cognitive complexity ratings and student mental effort ratings. Key benefits associated with instrument use include an enhanced understanding of the cognitive complexity of chemistry assessment tasks and as a means for characterizing exam content for the measurement of cognitive development.
Phosphate stress response in hydroponically grown maize

The long-term response of hydroponically grown maize plants to variations in the phosphate concentration in the growth medium was studied. There was a 5-week lag period before any differences between experimental and control groups could be seen. After this period, the plants grown without phosphate devoted a higher percentage of their total mass to roots than did the controls. The roots of the phosphate-free plants were longer and less bushy than those of the control plants. Plants grown without phosphate showed an increase in the amount of acid phosphatase extractable from the external surfaces of the roots by a high salt solution. These phosphate stress responses were induced by 5 μM phosphate but not by 25 μM phosphate.
The 27Al(d, α)25Mg reaction at Ed = 12.5 MeV☆

Abstract In the 27 Al, d, α) 25 Mg reaction at E d = 12.5 MeV, angular distributions were measured over the laboratory angular range 3.75° –93.75° for final states up to an excitation energy of 9 MeV. The results have been compared with Hauser-Feshbach (HF) calculations. Angular distributions and total cross sections are in reasonable agreement with H F predictions for most states. A few states appear to be populated by an appreciable direct component.
Oyster reefs can outpace sea-level rise

Sea-level rise represents a threat to intertidal oyster reefs and knowledge of their growth rates is needed to quantify the threat. This study presents direct measurements of intertidal oyster reef growth and develops an empirical model of reef accretion. The authors show that previous measurements underestimate growth—the reefs studied here seem able to keep up with projected sea-level rise.
Direct effects of leisure-time physical activity on walking speed

Objective This study quantifies the effects of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on walking speed independently of body composition in an elderly cohort, and in those elderly with metabolic derangements due to age, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Terrestrial Aridity and Its Response to Greenhouse Warming across CMIP5 Climate Models

AbstractThe aridity of a terrestrial climate is often quantified using the dimensionless ratio of annual precipitation (P) to annual potential evapotranspiration (PET). In this study, the climatological patterns and greenhouse warming responses of terrestrial P, Penman–Monteith PET, and are compared among 16 modern global climate models. The large-scale climatological values and implied biome types often disagree widely among models, with large systematic differences from observational estimates. In addition, the PET climatologies often differ by several tens of percent when computed using monthly versus 3-hourly inputs.With greenhouse warming, land P does not systematically increase or decrease, except at high latitudes. Therefore, because of moderate, ubiquitous PET increases, decreases (drying) are much more widespread than increases (wetting) in the tropics, subtropics, and midlatitudes in most models, confirming and expanding on earlier findings. The PET increases are also somewhat sensitive to the t...
Spatio-temporal coupled Bayesian Robust Principal Component Analysis for road traffic event detection

Road traffic sensors provide us with rich multi-variable datastreams about the current traffic conditions. Occasionally, there are unusual traffic events (such as accidents, jams, severe weather, etc) that disrupt the expected road traffic conditions. Detecting the occurrence of such events in an online and real-time manner is useful to drivers in planning their routes and in the management of the transportation infrastructure. We propose a new method for detecting traffic events that impact road traffic conditions by extending the Bayesian Robust Principal Component Analysis (RPCA) approach. Our method couples multiple traffic datastreams so that they share a certain sparse structure. This sparse structure is used to localize traffic events in space and time. The traffic datastreams are measurements of different physical quantities (e.g. traffic flow, road occupancy) by different nearby sensors. Our proposed method process datastreams in an incremental way with little computational cost, and hence it is suitable to detect events in an online and real-time manner. We experimentally analyze the detection performance of the proposed coupled Bayesian RPCA using real data from loop detectors on the Minnesota I-494. We find that our method significantly improves the detection accuracy when compared with the traditional PCA and non-coupled Bayesian RPCA.
Analysis of the monoenoic fatty acid distribution in hydrogenated vegetable oils by silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography

A silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography column (hexane/acetonitrile as solvent, ultraviolet detection) was used to analyze the fatty acid distribution (as fatty acid methyl esters) of a representative sample of hydrogenated oil. Fractions containingcis- andtrans-18:1 isomers were readily separated. The positional fatty acid isomers were separated by rechromatographing these fractions. The elution order and percent compositions were compared with results obtained by gas chromatography. Of the Δ8 to Δ14trans-18:1 isomers, only the Δ8 and Δ9 pair could not be separated. The Δ8 and Δ9cis-18:1 pair also could not be separated, and the Δ10 isomer was poorly separated from this pair. Area percents were comparable to results obtained by gas chromatography.
Evidence against Cellular Internalization in Vivo of NMO-IgG, Aquaporin-4, and Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 in Neuromyelitis Optica *

Autoantibodies against astrocyte water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4) are thought to be pathogenic in neuromyelitis optica (NMO). Prior work has suggested that a key component of NMO autoantibody (NMO-IgG) pathogenesis is internalization of AQP4 and the associated glutamate transporter EAAT2, leading to glutamate excitotoxicity. Here, we show selective endocytosis of NMO-IgG and AQP4 in transfected cell cultures, but little internalization in brain in vivo. AQP4-dependent endocytosis of NMO-IgG occurred rapidly in various AQP4-transfected cell lines, with efficient transport from early endosomes to lysosomes. Cell surface AQP4 was also reduced following NMO-IgG exposure. However, little or no internalization of NMO-IgG, AQP4, or EAAT2 was found in primary astrocyte cultures, nor was glutamate uptake affected by NMO-IgG exposure. Following injection of NMO-IgG into mouse brain, NMO-IgG binding and AQP4 expression showed a perivascular astrocyte distribution, without detectable cellular internalization over 24 h. We conclude that astrocyte endocytosis of NMO-IgG, AQP4, and EAAT2 is not a significant consequence of AQP4 autoantibody in vivo, challenging generally accepted views about NMO pathogenesis.
TGA analysis of γ-Irradiated Linear Low Density Polyethylene

Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), based on butene-1 or hexene-1, was irradiated with γ-rays under vacuum or in the presence of air. The study focused on the influence of the dose rate and the γ-dose on the thermal properties of LLDPE. Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and TGA/FTIR techniques were used to address the thermal behavior as a result of γ-irradiation. During this irradiation, competition between crosslinking and scission reactions, subsequent to oxidation reactions, occurred in the polymeric material, which strongly depends on the experimental conditions. A decrease of the crystallinity for γ-irradiated samples was observed in particular for samples irradiated under vacuum. This observation may be explained by increased hindrance of segment mobility due to crosslinking reactions that prevent crystal growth. TGA investigations revealed an enhancement of the thermal stability for samples irradiated under vacuum but not for those irradiated in air. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 2790–2795, 2006
Homotopy invariants of links

This paper answers a question originally asked by John Milnor in 1957. It offers significant progress toward another question from that paper. In [-M 1] an [M 2], John Milnor defined a collection of isotopy invariants of links. Stallings showed these were actually concordance i~variants of the ~ink. Stallings' work suggested that Milnor's invariants were related to other algebraically defined invariants, the Massey products in the exterior of the link; a connection made precise in [Tu] and [P]. Thus, the results in this paper can be reinterpreted as results about Massey products in the link exterior. Recently, Mike Freedman has suggested that some of these invariants may be the obstructions to the topological surgery theorem in dimension four, [F I ] , IF2], [FL]. In this paper, the approach to studying higher dimensional link concordance presented in [O 1] is extended to the study of links in the 3-sphere. A collection of new link invariants is defined and related to Milnor's invariants. One fundamental advantage of this approach is that these new invariants make explicit use of the three sphere containing the link. The link exterior contains all the relations among Milnor's invariants. By accounting for the ambient sphere, our invariants eliminate redundancy (see Theorem 15). We answer this question originally asked by Milnor: 1) To what extent are Milnor's invariants independent of each other? (Theorem 15). Milnor also asked this question: 2) Can one extract invariants from the group rc/n~,, where 7r is the link group and n~, is the intersection of the lower central series of the link group? Theorem 15 answers question 1. Partial results can be found in [C 1], [Ma I], [On] and [T]. The only previously known results for two component links were k = 2 . . . . . 8 where the number of linearly independent invariants are 0, 1, 0, 5, 0, 6, and 4 respectively. For links with three or more components tess was known.
Toward an emergent theory of broadening participation in computer science education

A fundamental challenge to computer science education is the difficulty of broadening participation of women and underserved communities. The idea of game design and game programming as an activity to introduce children at an early age to computational thinking in a motivational way is quickly gaining momentum. A pedagogical approach called Project First has allowed the Scalable Game Design project to reach a large group of middle schools students including a large percentage of female (45%) and underrepresented (48%) students. With over 4000 students in inner city, remote rural, and Native American communities Scalable Game Design has investigated the impact on students' interest level of pedagogical approaches employed by teachers such as mediation and scaffolding. Findings suggest strong gender effects based on classroom scaffolding approaches. For instance, girls are substantially less likely to be motivated through scaffolding based on direct instruction. Conversely, guided discovery scaffolding approaches are highly motivating to the point where they can even overcome other negative predictors such as small girls to boys class participation ratios. This paper introduces the project, discusses different scaffolding approaches and presents data connecting gender specific motivational levels with scaffolding approaches.
Transcriptional activation of the lipoprotein lipase and apolipoprotein E genes accompanies differentiation in some human macrophage-like cell lines

Stimulation of the macrophage-like cell line THP-1 with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) resulted in differentiation into cells with many features of macrophages. This differentiation was accompanied by transcriptional activation of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and apo E genes and accumulation of their protein products in the media. PMA-induced differentiation of the HEL and HL-60 cell lines was not accompanied by induction of the gene for LPL, whereas the apo E gene was induced slightly in HL-60 cells. By contrast, the gene for superoxide dismutase (SOD-1) was either unaffected (THP-1) or down regulated (HL-60 or HEL cells) by PMA treatment. Induction of LPL mRNA in THP-1 cells was dependent upon the concentration of phorbol ester added. A minimal concentration of 1.6 x 10(-8) M PMA was necessary for macrophage differentiation, induction of LPL mRNA, and synthesis of the enzyme. LPL mRNA accumulates within 3 h after stimulation with PMA and attains a maximum concentration after 6 h, thereafter slowly decreasing over the next 3 days. In contrast, the steady-state level of apo E mRNA in the same THP-1 cultures increased gradually over a period of 48 h after induction. These studies thus demonstrate that THP-1 cells are of value as a model to study the quantitative and temporal expression of the LPL and apo E genes during macrophage differentiation.
Dissecting a short-term memory circuit in the rat brain. I. Changes in entorphinal unit activity and responsiveness of hippocampal units in the process of classical conditioning

Abstract Neuronal activity in entorhinal cortex, hippocampus and other limbic system areas was recorded with chronically implanted electrodes in rats. Activity was recorded within and between trials in a classical conditioning experiment. Entorhinal units exhibited long latency conditioned excitatory responses. They maintained this evoked activity for long periods. Hippocampal conditioned responses were more intense when the conditioned stimulus was applied during 1 min following previous trials than when the stimulus was applied later. It is proposed that the enhanced entorhinal activity facilitates hippocampal responses to the conditioned stimulus.
P19-22. CD4-targeted delivery of HIV and CCR5 siRNAs by aptamer-siRNA chimeras suppresses HIV infection in primary cells and in human cervical explants

Background The therapeutic use of small interfering RNAs (siRNA) to prevent or treat HIV infection requires an effective means for in vivo delivery into susceptible target cells. Transfection of lymphocytes is especially difficult, even in vitro. Aptamers, which are small structured nucleic acid sequences that bind with high specificity to individual proteins, provide an attractive approach for cell-specific targeting.
Photoluminescence studies of surface damage states in InP

Abstract We have observed a radiative transition (1.306 eV) in the photoluminescence spectra of InP which we show is due to near surface states created by surface damage.
Sliding versus Deciding in Relationships: Associations with Relationship Quality, Commitment, and Infidelity.

From choosing a partner to date to deciding to cohabit or marry, individuals are faced with many relationship choices. Given the costs of failed relationships (e.g., personal distress, problems with work, lower well-being for children, lost opportunities to meet other partners), it is important to consider how individuals are approaching these decisions. The current study tested if more thoughtful and clear relationship decision-making processes would relate to individuals’ levels of satisfaction with and dedication to their partners as well as their extradyadic involvements. In a sample of 252 men and women, the results showed that regardless of relationship status (i.e., dating, cohabiting, or married), those who reported more thoughtful decision-making processes also reported more dedication to their partners, higher satisfaction with the relationship, and fewer extradyadic involvements.
Topology of Saturn's main magnetic field

The reported analysis of Saturn's main magnetic field takes into account the data obtained by Voyager 1 during its close flyby of Saturn in November 1980. A magnetic field model for the analysis of Saturn's main field in which the distributed ring currents are explicitly modelled is constructed. The considered internal field parameters constitute a first approximation to Saturn's main field. Several model current systems that might be expected on physical grounds to be active in Saturn's magnetosphere are considered. It is pointed out that certain aspects of Saturn's main magnetic field relevant to the planet's interior have been discussed by Stevenson (1980). In particular, the unexpectedly small dipole moment seems to be consistent with the gravitational settling of helium, which leads to a much smaller electrically conducting and convecting region than would be expected of a homogeneous distribution of hydrogen and helium.
Computational Support for Sketching in Design

Computational support for sketching is an exciting research area at the intersection of design research, human–computer interaction, and artificial intelligence. Despite the prevalence of software tools, most designers begin their work with physical sketches. Modern computational tools largely treat design as a linear process beginning with a specific problem and ending with a specific solution. Sketch-based design tools offer another approach that may fit design practice better. This review surveys literature related to such tools. First, we describe the practical basis of sketching — why people sketch, what significance it has in design and problem solving, and the cognitive activities it supports. Second, we survey computational support for sketching, including methods for performing sketch recognition and managing ambiguity, techniques for modeling recognizable elements, and human–computer interaction techniques for working with sketches. Last, we propose challenges and opportunities for future advances in this field.
Production of extracellular matrix-degrading proteinases by primary cultures of human epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND The authors analyzed the secretion of extracellular matrix-degrading proteinases, including urinary-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2, gelatinase A), and MMP-9 (gelatinase B), by short term primary cultures of epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells derived from primary ovarian tumors, intraperitoneal metastases, or ascites. The presence of these enzymatic activities in samples of ascites was also evaluated. The effect of adhesive substratum on proteinase production was determined. METHODS A coupled spectrophotometric assay was utilized to evaluate the initial rate of plasminogen activation by u-PA in conditioned medium; this involved monitoring the activity of generated plasmin with a colorimetric substrate. MMP activity was evaluated by gelatin zymography. RESULTS Ascitic fluids from 18 patients contained u-PA, MMP-2, and MMP-9. However, short term primary cultures of cells derived from primary ovarian tumors (OVET), metastatic lesions (OVEM), or ascites (OVEA) produced very low levels of u-PA. Production of u-PA by OVET and OVEM cells was regulated by adhesive substratum. Conditioned media from OVET, OVEM, and OVEA cells contained high levels of both MMP-2 and MMP-9. MMP-9 levels decreased with increasing passage in culture, whereas MMP-2 activity was maintained. Production of neither MMP-2 nor MMP-9 was regulated by adhesive substratum. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that primary cultures of epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells derived from three distinct anatomic locations produce MMP-2 and MMP-9, with low level secretion of u-PA. These data suggest that MMPs, particularly MMP-2, may play a significant role in the intraperitoneal invasion of ovarian carcinoma cells. Cancer 1997; 80:1457-63. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
Water‐soluble copolymers. XIII. Copolymers of acrylamide with sodium‐3‐acrylamido‐3‐methylbutanoate: Solution properties

Dilute solution properties of copolymers of acrylamide (AM) with sodium-3-acrylamido-3-methylbutanoate (NaAMB) of known molecular weight have been studied as a function of composition, temperature, time, pH, and added electrolytes. Phase separation and potentiometric studies have also been performed. The AM–NaAMB copolymers exhibit high solution viscosities, good salt tolerance, and moderate viscosity-temperature coefficients. In addition, these copolymers exhibit no phase separation in the presence of divalent cations as is common with many such carboxylated polyelectrolytes. These properties are due to favorable conformations in solution resulting from microstructure and hydrogen bonding effects.
Persistent ion pairing in aqueous hydrochloric acid

For strong acids, like hydrochloric acid, the complete dissociation into an excess proton and conjugated base as well as the formation of independent solvated charged fragments is assumed. The existence of chloride–hydronium (Cl–···H3O+) contact ion pairs even in moderate concentration hydrochloric acid (2.5 m) demonstrates that the counterions do not behave merely as spectators. Through comparison of recent extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements to state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) simulations, we are able to obtain a unique view into the molecular structure of medium-to-high concentrated electrolytes. Here we report that the Cl–···H3O+ contact ion pair structure persists throughout the entire concentration range studied and that these structures differ significantly from moieties studied in microsolvated hydrochloric acid gas phase clusters. Characterizing distinct populations of these ion pairs gives rise to a novel molecular level description of how to view the re...
Ovarian Carcinoma Metastatic to the Choroid of the Eye

A case of papillary serous ovarian adenocarcinoma with choroidal metastasis to the eye is reported. Central nervous system metastasis of any kind is rare from this tumor, and only three cases of choroidal metastases have been reported to date. A 67-year-old women presented 2 years after diagnosis of Stage IIIC papillary serous ovarian adenocarcinoma with complaints of a "teardrop"-shaped visual field defect in her right eye. Fundoscopic examination revealed metastasis to the superior-temporal right choroid. No coexisting sites of recurrence were discovered. This case highlights the need to thoroughly and promptly investigate the etiology of visual field complaints in patients with a history of ovarian cancer.
Response of rotating rings to harmonic and periodic loading and comparison with the inverted problem

Abstract The harmonic and periodic forced vibrations of rotating rings are derived and investigated. The modal expansion technique yields the forced solution, which is characterized by four generalized co-ordinates associated with each n (circumferential wave number). The inextensional assumption is presumed, when flexural vibration is the only important component, to reduce the order of the system. The closed form solutions to the harmonic load cases, once concentrated, once distributed, are demonstrated and interpreted. The approach is then extended to periodic loads, where Fourier sine and cosine series is applied. Examples depict the numerical responses to all the cases being derived. The solutions of a stationary ring subjected to traveling loads are also solved for comparison. Their difference is investigated and interpreted from various viewpoints.
Oxidative stabilities of low‐linolenate, high‐stearate and common soybean oils

It is generally agreed that the high linolenate (18:3) content of soybean oil (SBO) contributes to its flavor instability. In this study, the oxidative stability of five SBO of various fatty acid (FA) compositions was compared by using peroxide values, conjugated dienoic acid values and sensory panel scores. Three of the oils were from common commercial varieties representing the range of 18:3 content normally found in SBO. The other two oils were from seed developed in a mutation breeding program. One of these oils from the line A5 had an 18:3 content of 3.5%, and the other from the line A6 had a stearate (18:0) content of 24%. Seed from the five soybean varieties was cold pressed, refined and deodorized without additives under laboratory conditions. Two oxidation experiments were conducted. In the first, the oils were stored at 28 C for 67 days. In the second, the oils were stored at 60 C for eight days. Sensory comparisons were done by using the AOCS Flavor Intensity Scale. The A5 and A6 oils were more stable than the commercial varieties as measured by chemical tests, but the sensory data were inconclusive. Oils with similar 18:3 contents did not have similar rates of oxidation. The differences between the oils were not as distinct in the 60 C test as in the 28 C test.
Robust Vehicle Sideslip Angle Estimation Through a Disturbance Rejection Filter That Integrates a Magnetometer With GPS

This paper presents a novel method that estimates the vehicle sideslip angle for a wide range of surface frictions and road bank angles by combining measurements of a magnetometer, Global Positioning System (GPS), and inertial measurement unit (IMU). To reject disturbances in the magnetometer, a new stochastic filter is designed and integrated on the Kalman filter framework. The significant latency in a low-cost GPS velocity measurement is addressed by “measurement shifting,” and biases in the IMU measurements are estimated through state augmentation. Dual Kalman filters are employed in the sensor fusing framework. A comprehensive simulation study was conducted to prove the feasibility of the method. Finally, the performance and accuracy are verified through extensive experiments.
Existence results for dynamic adhesive contact of a rod

The existence and uniqueness of the weak solution to the model for the dynamics of a viscoelastic rod which is in adhesive contact with an obstacle is established. The model consists of a hyperbolic equation for the vibrations of the rod coupled with a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) for the evolution of the bonding function. The model allows for failure, i.e., complete debonding, in finite time. The existence of the weak solution is established by using an existence result for ODEs and the Schauder fixed-point theorem. The limit of an elastic rod when the viscosity vanishes is studied, too.
MODIFIED, DISCRETIZED-INTENSITY BASED, SPLIT-RADIATION CALCULATION PROCEDURE FOR USE IN FULL SIMULATION STUDIES OF COMBUSTION IN AXISYMMETRIC PISTON ENGINES

A control volume based procedure has been developed that makes possible the materially meaningful inclusion of radiation heat transfer in full simulation calculations for the axisymmetric version of the “ modified discretized-intensity method.” Included in this procedure is an innovative technique that splits the radiation problem in two. Bach subprob-lem, in turn, can be solved more effectively than if the problem had not been split, making the overall approach just as effective in optically thin absorbing-emitting media as it is in optically thick media. The mass absorption coefficients used in the formulation are based on a molecular band analysis and are computed at a finite number of discrete locations along each intensity ray. The model has applicability to any control volume energy balance formulation. A description of the incorporation of the model into a primitive variable approach is given. Application of the model is made to the solution of a portion of the combustion stroke of a four-stroke pi...
The economics of nosocomial infections

A simple model of the costs and benefits of an infection control programme is presented. Liberal costs and conservative benefits were assumed. The concepts of crude and attributable mortality were applied to examine the cost per life year saved if a minority of infection-related deaths were prevented. An effective infection control programme is one of the most cost-beneficial medical interventions available in modern public health.
Scent marking and mate choice in the golden hamster.

Abstract Test groups consisting of three males and one female were adapted to home areas within a 244×122 cm enclosure for a 4-day period. Subsequently, agonistic interactions and patterns of scent marking were recorded daily for 30 min over the duration of the female's 4-day estrous cycle. Alpha males flank marked significantly more than the two subordinates. The former accounted for over 95% of flank gland marking by males on the two days prior to the female's period of sexual receptivity. The female showed increased frequencies of both flank gland and vaginal marking over the three nonreceptive days of the cycle with the highest frequency of marking occurring 24 hr prior to sexual receptivity. During the two days prior to receptivity, the female both vaginal marked and flank marked significantly more in and about the home area of the alpha male. We conclude that the female hamster shows mate choice prior to the onset of sexual receptivity and that both vaginal marks and flank marks are employed to facilitate mating with the alpha male.
A numerical study of the evolution and structure of homogeneous stably stratified sheared turbulence

The structure and evolution of homogeneous stably stratified sheared turbulence have been investigated through direct numerical simulation. In these simulations the primary dimensionless parameter is the Richardson number which measures the relative importance of stratification and mean shear.For Richardson numbers less than the transition value the Reynolds stress and vertical density flux are down-gradient. Some of the vertical kinetic energy gained indirectly through production is expended in creating potential energy. Included in this shear-dominated regime is the stationary Richardson number at which the turbulent kinetic energy is constant in time although the spectra are evolving. At low dimensionless shear rate the stationary Richardson number increases with increasing Reynolds number.At the transition Richardson number the maximum anisotropy and energy partition are achieved. For larger Richardson numbers potential energy is released into vertical kinetic energy and the vertical density flux becomes counter-gradient. The associated production reversal enhances the decay rate of the turbulent kinetic energy.The effects of other dimensionless parameters have been investigated. After initial transients the developed flow is rather insensitive to the presence of significant initial potential energy. An increase in the Schmidt number increases the effect of stable stratification, e.g. the counter-gradient vertical density flux occurs earlier.In the shear dominated case the down-gradient fluxes are produced by the pumping of fluid through coherent hairpin-shaped vorticity. In the buoyancy dominated flow the counter-gradient fluid parcels induce helical vorticity structures as they move toward a position of neutral buoyancy.
THE STABILITY IN WATER OF A NEW CHLORAMINE DISINFECTANT AS A FUNCTION OF pH, TEMPERATURE, AND WATER QUALITY

The stabilities in water and dry storage of two solid-state disinfectants (3-chloro-4, 4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone, agent I, and calcium hypochlorite) have been compared under a variety of conditions. Variables in the study included pH, temperature, and water quality. Agent I is considerably more stable in dry storage and in water, especially at pH 4.5 and 7.0, than is calcium hypochlorite. This is true for solutions of the two compounds in sterile, distilled, deionized, demandfree water or in a synthetic water containing heavy organic load. Prior work in these laboratories concerning use of agent I as a disinfectant for lake water in a laboratory-scale treatment plant had suggested that agent I has considerable potential for use as an alternative to cholorine gas for water disinfection. The present work suggests that agent I is of sufficient stability to be of use as a solid-state disinfectant for swimming pools and for potable water for remote areas.
Dietary calcium intake, vitamin D levels, and breast cancer risk: a dose–response analysis of observational studies

Results from the recent meta-analysis suggested a favorable effect of dietary calcium and vitamin D levels on breast cancer risk. However, the relationship of dietary calcium and vitamin D levels with breast cancer risk is unclear. Thus, the dose–response relationship was assessed by restricted cubic spline model and multivariate random-effect meta-regression. Results suggested that women might suffer from the lowest risk of breast cancer with dietary calcium intake of about 600 mg/day, dietary vitamin D intake of about 400 IU/day, and serum vitamin D levels of about 30 ng/ml.
"Looking for the Dawn" in Danticat's THE FARMING OF BONES

(2007). 'Looking for the Dawn' in Danticat's THE FARMING OF BONES. The Explicator: Vol. 65, No. 4, pp. 248-250.