cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NASA Experiment on Tropospheric-Stratospheric Water Vapor Transport in the Intertropical Convergence Zone

The following six papers report preliminary results obtained from a field experiment designed to study the role of tropical cumulo-nimbus clouds in the transfer of water vapor from the troposphere to the stratosphere over the region of Panama. The measurements were made utilizing special NOAA enhanced IR satellite images, radiosonde-ozonesondes and a NASA U-2 aircraft carrying. nine experiments. The experiments were provided by a group of NASA, NOAA, industry, and university scientists. Measurements included atmospheric humidity, air and cloud top temperatures, atmospheric tracer constituents, cloud particle characteristics and cloud morphology. The aircraft made a total of eleven flights from August 30 through September 18, 1980, from Howard Air Force Base, Panama; the pilots obtained horizontal and vertical profiles in and near convectively active regions and flew around and over cumulo-nimbus towers and through the extended anvils in the stratosphere. Cumulo-nimbus clouds in the tropics appear to play an important role in upward water vapor transport and may represent the principal source influencing the stratospheric water vapor budget. The clouds provide strong vertical circulation in the troposphere, mixing surface air and its trace materials (water vapor, CFM's sulfur compounds, etc.) quickly up to the tropopause. It is usually assumed that large scale mean motions or eddy scale motions transport the trace materials through the tropopause and into the stratosphere where they are further dispersed and react with other stratospheric constituents. The important step between the troposphere and stratosphere for water vapor appears to depend upon the processes occurring at or near the tropopause at the tops of the cumulo-nimbus towers. Several processes have been sugested: (1) The highest towers penetrate the tropopause and carry water in the form of small ice particles directly into the stratosphere. (2) Water vapor from the tops of the cumulonimbus clouds is transported somehow through the tropopause, the vapor pressure being controlled by the temperature at the tops of the clouds; the dryness of the stratosphere could be explained if most of the transport occurs in connection with very high clouds in regions with very high and cold tropopause. (3) Cumulo-nimbus anvils act as terrestrial-radiation shields allowing the ice particle temperatures near cloud tops to cool radiatively below the supersaturation point; this cooling would cause a vapor deposition on the ice particles which will settle out and thus act as water scavengers. The experiment was designed to collect information on these detailed physical processes near and above the tropopause in order to assess their importance and the role they play in controlling stratospheric water vapor humidity.
High‐resolution mapping of motor vehicle carbon dioxide emissions

A fuel-based inventory for vehicle emissions is presented for carbon dioxide (CO2) and mapped at various spatial resolutions (10 km, 4 km, 1 km, and 500 m) using fuel sales and traffic count data. The mapping is done separately for gasoline-powered vehicles and heavy-duty diesel trucks. Emission estimates from this study are compared with the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) and VULCAN. All three inventories agree at the national level within 5%. EDGAR uses road density as a surrogate to apportion vehicle emissions, which leads to 20–80% overestimates of on-road CO2 emissions in the largest U.S. cities. High-resolution emission maps are presented for Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco-San Jose, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. Sharp emission gradients that exist near major highways are not apparent when emissions are mapped at 10 km resolution. High CO2 emission fluxes over highways become apparent at grid resolutions of 1 km and finer. Temporal variations in vehicle emissions are characterized using extensive day- and time-specific traffic count data and are described over diurnal, day of week, and seasonal time scales. Clear differences are observed when comparing light- and heavy-duty vehicle traffic patterns and comparing urban and rural areas. Decadal emission trends were analyzed from 2000 to 2007 when traffic volumes were increasing and a more recent period (2007–2010) when traffic volumes declined due to recession. We found large nonuniform changes in on-road CO2 emissions over a period of ~5 years, highlighting the importance of timely updates to motor vehicle emission inventories.
Swords or Shields? Implementing and Subverting the Final Solution in German-Occupied Europe

Despite its obvious relevance for the study of state-sponsored violence and genocide, political scientists rarely turn their attention to the Nazi Holocaust. Thus, in the vast literature on the Holocaust, there exists no explanation for why differing percentages of Jewish people were deported or killed from each German-occupied country. This paper explains variation in Jewish victimization rates among German-occupied countries during World War II. I demonstrate that the ‘success’ of the German genocide program depended most importantly upon the level of political hierarchy between Germany and each occupied country. Where Germany ruled directly, German demands and interests, including the desire to rid the territory of Jews, prevailed. Where Germany shared sovereignty over a given territory with domestic officials, principal-agent problems had a ‘negative’ effect on the implementation of Nazi policy. This project has important implications for our understanding of international hierarchy, military occupations, state-sponsored violence and imperialism. It also raises harrowing moral questions because it suggests that Germany’s collaborators, though involved in other German war crimes, actually sheltered their own citizens from some of the most brutal aspects of the occupation.
Computer-Aided TRIZ Ideality and Level of Invention Estimation Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning

Patent textual descriptions provide a wealth of information that can be used to understand the underlying design approaches that result in the generation of novel and innovative technology. This article will discuss a new approach for estimating Degree of Ideality and Level of Invention metrics from the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) using patent textual information. Patent text includes information that can be used to model both the functions performed by a design and the associated costs and problems that affect a design’s value. The motivation of this research is to use patent data with calculation of TRIZ metrics to help designers understand which combinations of system components and functions result in creative and innovative design solutions. This article will discuss in detail methods to estimate these TRIZ metrics using natural language processing and machine learning with the use of neural networks.
2,3‐Di‐tert‐butylthiadiziridine 1,1‐Dioxide

[40121-14-0/42028-73-9] C8H18O2S (MW 206.31) InChI = 1S/C8H18N2O2S/c1-7(2,3)9-10(8(4,5)6)13(9,11)12/h1-6H3 InChIKey = HUOJOVRDTGIGJE-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used for diamination of terminal olefins) Physical Data: white solid, mp 35–36 °C.1 Solubility: soluble in benzene, CHCl3, and most organic solvents. Form Supplied in: not commercially available. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR (CCl4): δ 1.32 (s, 18H); 1H NMR (benzene-d6): δ 1.12 (s, 18H);1 IR: 1397, 1372, 1337, 1180 (cm−1).2 Preparative Method: reaction of N,N′-di-tert-butyl sulfamide with sodium hydride and tert-butyl hypochlorite in hexane (or pentane)1, 3 or reaction of N-chloro-N,N′-di-tert-butyl sulfamide with sodium hydride in dry tetrahydrofuran.4 Purification: the compound is isolated from the crude reaction mixture by aqueous workup and extraction with ethyl ether. The product solidifies upon concentration of the extract. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: storage under nitrogen at low temperature.2 The compound is thermally unstable and decomposes under reductive conditions.2, 3
Noncompetitive Functional Inhibition at Diverse, Human Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subtypes by Bupropion, Phencyclidine, and Ibogaine

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are diverse members of the neurotransmitter-gated ion channel superfamily and play critical roles in chemical signaling throughout the nervous system. The present study establishes the acute functional effects of bupropion, phencyclidine, and ibogaine on two human nAChR subtypes. Function of muscle-type nAChR (alpha1 beta gamma delta) in TE671/RD cells or of ganglionic nAChR (alpha3 beta4 alpha5+/-beta2) in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells was measured with 86Rb+ efflux assays. Functional blockade of human muscle-type and ganglionic nAChR is produced by each of the drugs in the low to intermediate micromolar range. Functional blockade is insurmountable by increasing agonist concentrations in TE671/RD and SH-SY5Y cells for each of these drugs, suggesting noncompetitive inhibition of nAChR function. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that nAChR are targets of diverse substances of abuse and agents used in antiaddiction/smoking cessation strategies. We also hypothesize that nAChR play heretofore underappreciated roles in depression and as targets for clinically useful antidepressants.
Sports Related Concussion Injuries

Sports-related concussion (SRC) is one of the biggest health concerns today for youth athletes. Just a few short years ago an athlete would have returned to a game after sustaining a concussion even if symptomatic and applauded for their courage. The times have changed and SRC are finally recognized for being a legitimate brain injury requiring proper diagnosis and treatment. The chapter is designed for parents of children you play contact sports and want to be better informed about sports-related concussions so that they understand what it is, how it can be treated and how it interacts with return to school. This chapter will first define what a sports concussion, describe the mechanism involved in getting one and discuss the frequency at which it occurs with attention to different sports and gender. The chapter will then discuss signs and symptoms, immediate care, recovery, and treatment, long-term effects, and returns to play from concussions. Lastly issues of helmets, state laws, and prevention and education are discussed.
Astrocyte-specific overexpression of insulin-like growth factor-I promotes brain overgrowth and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is widely expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). Whereas during normal development IGF-I is expressed predominately by neurons and to a much lesser degree by glial cells, its expression in astrocytes, and often in microglia, is increased during and/or after variety of CNS injuries. Recently we have generated a new line of IGF-I Tg mice, called IGF-l A s t / T e t - O f f Tg mice, in which IGF-1 transgene is expressed specifically in astrocytes and is tightly controlled by the tetracycline analog doxycy-cline. In this study we examined whether IGF-I derived from astrocytes is capable of promoting neural cell growth during development. When the IGF-I transgene is allowed to be expressed, IGF-I A s t / T e t - O f f Tg mice exhibit markedly increases in 1) brain weight; 2) brain DNA and protein abundance; and 3) number of neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes, as well as myelination, findings similar to those observed in our other lines of Tg mice that express IGF-I transgene predominately in neurons. Unlike Tg mice with neuronspecific IGF-I expression, which manifest marked increases in the concentrations of oligodendrocyte/ myelin-specific proteins, however, IGF-I A s t / T e t - O f f Tg mice exhibit an increase in the concentration of glial fibrillary acidic protein, an astrocyte-specific protein. Furthermore, when transgene expression is blunted, brain overgrowth in IGF-I A s t / T e t - O f f Tg mice ceases. Our data indicate that astrocyte-derived IGF-I is capable of promoting neural cells growth in vivo. Our data also suggest that IGF-I's actions in CNS depend in part on the location of its expression and cellular microenvironment and that continuous presence of IGF-I expression is necessary for brain overgrowth.
Using a Computer Lab to Enhance Undergraduate Dietetic Education and Train Students to perform Desktop Publishing, Menu Design, Recipe and Nutritional Analysis

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME : Train dietetic students to use a variety of computer software programs to perform nutrition and recipe analysis, design attractive and readable instructional materials and create professional menus for institutional or commercial food service use. The computer has become a useful tool for the nutrition professional. Review of the dietetic literature reveals limited information related to uses other than nutritional analysis. Creating instructional materials or menu designs are other applications where nutrition professionals could be sharing their expertise! Our dietetics curriculum requires students to use various computer programs when making decisions, performing nutrition and recipe analysis, preparing client materials, and when designing menus for special functions in the school or for outside agencies. A computer lab equipped with an instructional "server" and 16 student "client" computers is located in the School of Hotel/Restaurant Management. Laboratory assistants are available 32 hours per week. Students use the Computrition program when analyzing all recipes for the Cooking for Health Consciousness course. The nutritional intakes of college athletes are also analyzed using Computrition, as well as, Nutritionist IV. Students compare programs for ease of use, extent of each database, print format, readability and application to the athlete. Individualized instruction materials are then prepared using the word processing program - WordPerfect (6.1 version) for Windows. Students are taught to use clip art, templates and brochure formats. The MenuPro program is used to teach commercial and institutional menu design using computer generated standardized recipes. Use of a well equipped computer lab enables students to gain confidence when creating materials for a variety of dietetic careers and has provided job opportunites for graduates. Future plans include use of a color scanner, CD ROM interactive learning, and On-line services.
Heavy ion inertial fusion: Interface between target gain, accelerator phase space and reactor beam transport revisited

Recently revised estimates of target gain have added additional optimistic inputs to the interface between targets, accelerators and fusion chamber beam transport. But it remains valid that neutralization of the beams in the fusion chamber is useful if ion charge state Z > 1 or if > 1 kA per beamlet is to be propagated. Some engineering and economic considerations favor higher currents.
Self-control and jail inmates' substance misuse post-release: Mediation by friends' substance use and moderation by age

Abstract Objective This study examined the relationship between two risk factors for substance misuse (self-control, substance using friends) and changes in jail inmates' substance misuse from pre-incarceration to post-release. Method Participants were 485 adult jail inmates held on a felony conviction, recruited from a metropolitan county-jail situated in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. During incarceration, participants completed self-report assessments of pre-incarceration substance misuse and self-control. At one-year post-release, participants reported their substance misuse and proportion of substance-using friends (n = 322 at follow-up). Results The relationship between self-control and changes in inmates' substance misuse was fully mediated by association with substance-using friends. Age moderated the relationship between friends' substance use and changes in inmates' own misuse of marijuana and cocaine. Friends' use was more strongly related to marijuana misuse for younger adults than for older adults. However, for cocaine misuse, this relationship was stronger for older adults than for younger adults. Self-control's relationships with other variables were not moderated by age. Conclusions This study underscores importance of self-control's indirect relationship (through substance-using friends) with changes in substance misuse: inmates with lower self-control were more likely to associate with substance-using friends and, in turn, had more symptoms of substance misuse 1-year post release. Results emphasize the importance of considering adult substance-users' friend-relationships. However, age and type of substance appear important when considering the relative importance of friends' influence.
Relationships among Ensemble Participation, Private Instruction, and Aural Skill Development.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships that exist among students' participation in public school performing ensembles, those skills measured by the Gaston Test of Musicality, the number of years of private piano study, and the number of years of private instruction on ensemble instruments. The study was conducted in a large, suburban, midwestern school district with a sample of 164 music students at one junior high school. All subjects were administered the Gaston test upon entering the fourth grade. When the sample students reached junior high school they were assigned to band, orchestra, choir, or combination groups, and the Gaston test was read-ministered. Although the groups exhibited no significant differences on the Gaston test at the fourth-grade level, differences were significant when the same test was given at the junior-high level. Significant differences between mean scores on the Gaston test at the junior-high level were attributed largely to the low scores of the choir ...
Vicarious, direct, and imaginal aversion in habit control: Outcomes, heart rates, and subjective perceptions

Direct, modeled, or imaginal shocks administered by therapist or recipient were compared as aversion techniques for 60 women college students with severe nail-biting habits. All methods increased habit control (p <.001)on self-report and objective measures but with no outcome differences among treatments. Providing mental rehearsal guidance for extralaboratory use failed to alter outcome but raised client optimism to ward therapy. Vicarious aversion produced the most rapid heart rates and, typically, the greatest subjective arousal; no data suggested that direct shock was superior. In a second study with unselected student volunteers of both sexes, modeled shock consistently surpassed imaginal shock in ratings of perceived badness, subjective discomfort, and vividness of covert pain (p <.01).Treatment and ethical implications were discussed.
Free meets and atomic assemblies of frames

In J. T. Wilson’s doctoral dissertation, the author takes up the subject of free meets, that is, subsets S of a frame L whose meet \({\bigwedge S}\) is preserved by a designated class of frame homomorphisms out of L. Wilson proves that all subsets of L have free meets if and only if the dual frame law holds in L and the assembly \({\mathbb {N}L}\) is a boolean frame.
Robot-assisted vaginal construction using ileum in a case of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome.

Congenital absence of the vagina is a rare condition commonly associated with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, Morris Syndrome, and XY sex reversal. Secondarily this condition may be caused by exenteration of various pelvic tumors. Surgical options for treating this devastating condition include external vaginal dilation, internal dilation using traction devices, and vaginal construction using flaps of skin, bladder, or various bowel segments. We describe our innovative surgical technique employing robotic assistance in the creation of a neo-vagina for a young woman with MRKH syndrome. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of this surgical technique.
Early Childhood Mathematics Intervention

Preschool and primary grade children have the capacity to learn substantial mathematics, but many children lack opportunities to do so. Too many children not only start behind their more advantaged peers, but also begin a negative trajectory in mathematics. Interventions designed to facilitate their mathematical learning during ages 3 to 5 years have a strong positive effect on these children's lives for many years thereafter.
Investigation of Surfactant Mediated Acid–Base Charging of Mineral Oxide Particles Dispersed in Apolar Systems

The current work examines the role of acid-base properties on particle charging in apolar media. Manipulating the polarity and magnitude of charge in such systems is of growing interest to a number of applications. A major hurdle to the implementation of this technology is that the mechanism(s) of particle charging remain a subject of debate. The authors previously conducted a study of the charging of a series of mineral oxide particles dispersed in apolar systems that contained the surfactant AOT. It was observed that there was a correlation between the particle electrophoretic mobility and the acid-base nature of the particle, as characterized by aqueous point of zero charge (PZC) or the isoelectric point (IEP). The current study investigates whether or not a similar correlation is observed with other surfactants, namely, the acidic Span 80 and the basic OLOA 11000. This is accomplished by measuring the electrophoretic mobility of a series of mineral oxides that are dispersed in Isopar-L containing various concentrations of either Span 80 or OLOA 11000. The mineral oxides used have PZC values that cover a wide range of pH, providing a systematic study of how particle and surfactant acid-base properties impact particle charge. It was found that the magnitude and polarity of particle surface charge varied linearly with the particle PZC for both surfactants used. In addition, the point at which the polarity of charge reversed for the basic surfactant OLOA 11000 was shifted to a pH of approximately 8.5, compared to the previous result of about 5 for AOT. This proves that both surfactant and particle acid-base properties are important, and provides support for the theory of acid-base charging in apolar media.
Axisymmetric Shape Analysis of Sessile Droplets: A Metrology for High-Temperature Wetting and Nonwetting Systems

An optimization process for the solution of the Laplace equation of capillarity by numerical analysis is described. The approach is based on the image analysis of droplets that provides the “best” initial graphical estimate from parameters of the system, which are then optimized. This optimization process yields the contact angle, the surface tension, and the work of adhesion for any experimental droplet that has an equilibrium axisymmetric shape (i.e., a sessile or pendant drop). For the optimization, the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) and the Gauss-Newton (GN) methods are compared through an objective function. The LM has the lowest number of iterations and produces the smallest errors for the optimization. It can converge to a solution even when different combinations of initial parameters are chosen for optimization. The best results are obtained when all the parameters are optimized to generate a solution. To illustrate the process, sessile drops of molten aluminum resting on sapphire single crystal (0001) are described and analyzed.
Modeling and parameter extraction of gate-all-around nMOS/SOI transistors in the linear region

Abstract Analytical models valid in weak, strong and moderate inversion regions are derived for the gate-all-around (GAA) nMOS silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFETs. The non-ideal GAA MOSFETs was modeled as a parallel connection of one long-double-gate and two edge-gate transistors. Using Poisson's equation which considers both the depletion charges and minority carriers, the current-voltage relationship and the expressions for the surface potential and surface electric fields were derived in the regions near and below threshold. Due to the volume inversion characteristics of the GAA device, the surface potential at threshold is no longer pinned at the classical limit (i.e., 2φF, where φF is the Fermi potential) of strong inversion. By taking into account the mobility degradation factor and the parasitic series resistance effects, the expressions of threshold voltage, threshold-surface potential, and current-voltage characteristics were derived. The models allow the parameter extraction of low-field mobility μ0, surface state density Nss, series resistance Rs, and the surface scattering parameter θ from the measured static current-voltage curves in the linear region of the GAA devices. Values of the threshold voltage (VT) for the long-double-gate transistor and (VTe) for the edge-gate transistors were also determined by using the maximum transconductance change (TC) method. Good agreement of the (Id-Vgs) characteristics between the measurement and simulation was obtained when the extracted parameters were used in the models.
A concept of flexibility

In the world of commerce, adaptability to change is a weapon for survival. In a world of shrinking material resources the capacity and inclination of the bulk commodity trading system to adapt to change and to adopt efficient patterns of trade will be vital. A concept of flexibility should be developed which treats adaptability not only as a quality but as a possible strategy or policy in the trading system.
A Conterminous United States Multilayer Soil Characteristics Dataset for Regional Climate and Hydrology Modeling

Soil information is now widely required by many climate and hydrology models and soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer schemes. This pa- per describes the development of a multilayer soil characteristics dataset for the conterminous United States (CONUS-SOIL) that specifically addresses the need for soil physical and hydraulic property information over large areas. The State Soil Geographic Database (STATSGO) developed by the U.S. De- partment of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service served as the starting point for CONUS-SOIL. Geographic information system and Perl computer programming language tools were used to create map coverages of soil properties including soil texture and rock fragment classes, depth-to-bed- rock, bulk density, porosity, rock fragment volume, particle-size (sand, silt, and clay) fractions, available water capacity, and hydrologic soil group. In- terpolation procedures for the continuous and categorical variables describing these soil properties were developed and applied to the original STATSGO data. In addition to any interpolation errors, the CONUS-SOIL dataset reflects the limitations of the procedures used to generate detailed county-level soil
Priorities in Agricultural Economics for the 1970's

ECONOMISTS should be exceedingly reluctant to start playing the priority game. There is much current emphasis on goals, objectives, and priorities. However, economists know that priorities are useful only in a comparatively static situation. A change in choice indicators or in production possibilities will change the opportunity cost of a particular choice or decision. If economists believe their own logic, priorities should reflect opportunity cost. The 1970's will not be static; consequently, a statement of professional priorities developed at the beginning of this decade is not likely to have great relevance near the end of the decade. One way of characterizing agricultural economics in the 1960's would be as a decade of discarding small conceptions of social problems. Subspecializations such as farm management, marketing, and resource or land economics tended to yield to broader categories. Agricultural economists looked at problems more and techniques less and began to realize that even agricultural economics itself was too narrow for many purposes. Many will argue that these trends were long overdue and that there is still much more to be accomplished in this respect. These events can be explained in large part by three major environmental factors:
Getting Clever with the Sliding Ladder.

The familiar system involving a uniform ladder sliding against a vertical wall and a horizontal floor is considered again. The floor is taken to be smooth and the wall to be possibly rough—a situation where no matter how large the static friction coefficient between the ladder and the wall, the ladder cannot lean at rest and must slide down. Clever arguments that circumvent fully fledged mathematical analyses are presented to establish two more interesting properties: no matter how large the kinetic friction coefficient between the ladder and the wall, (a) the ladder must be speeding up at all times while sliding down, and (b) the ladder must break off the wall at some point during its slide. This work serves as an example of an intuitive rather than a mathematically detailed approach that often provides a shorter route to understanding the properties of a physical system, making it pedagogically valuable. It is also shown how the arguments presented can be easily extended to a non-uniform ladder as well.
Temperature and cholesterol composition-dependent behavior of 1-myristoyl-2-[12-[(5-dimethylamino-1-naphthalenesulfonyl)amino]dodecanoyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine in 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine membranes

Abstract We present a steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence emission spectra analysis of the membrane probe 1-myristoyl-2-[12-[(5-dimethylamino-1-naphthalenesulfonyl)amino]dodecanoyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DANSYL) in 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and cholesterol multi-lamellar vesicles (MLV) prepared by modified rapid solvent exchange. We report that the dose-dependent cholesterol-induced blue shifts in the steady-state fluorescence emission spectra observed in DMPC MLV are due to complex solvent effects that include time-dependent dipolar relaxation and the formation of internal charge transfer (ICT) states. A key finding of this investigation is identification of two distinguishable DANSYL populations existing at both shallow and deep locations in the membrane; these two DANSYL populations are evidence of laterally phase-separated domains at cholesterol compositions between Xchol = 0.30 and 0.60 at 30 °C in DMPC MLV.
Children with AIDS Attending Public School: An Analysis of the Spiral of Silence

This study applies Elisabeth Noelle‐Neumann's spiral of silence theory to the controversial issue of whether children with AIDS should be allowed to attend public school. The study tests the theory's hypotheses in light of two content analyses of the media's treatment of the issue. The findings offer tentative and qualified support for Noelle‐Neumann's theoretical propositions about the relationship between individuals' perceptions of the issue and the media's tenor of the issue; particularly that of television. The findings suggest the need to address the role of other agents of influence, including reference groups, and to use time‐based data to unravel the causal order of the relationships.
Polyesters: A review of the literature on products of combustion and toxicity

The available literature was reviewed to determine the nature and extent of information available on the thermal decomposition products and the toxicity of the combustion products of polyester materials used in consumer applications such as textiles and building construction. This literature review is limited to those publications printed in English through June 1984. The thermal decomposition products of polyesters are a function of temperature and oxygen content of the atmosphere. In general, as the temperature increases, the quantity of heavier hydrocarbons decreases and the production of CO and CO2 increases. The presence of flame retardant additives, such as bromine and chlorine-containing compounds, produce halogenated combustion products. The use of phosphorus and bromine together in the same flame retardant finish increases the concentration of low molecular weight compounds. Thirteen different test protocols have been used to evaluate the toxicity of various types of polyester. Non-flame retarded polyesters give measured LC50 values ranging from 30.5 Mgl−1 to 95.7 mgl−1, while flame retarded polyesters, have LC50 values ranging from 24.0 mgl−1 to 38.0 mgl−1. Several exceptions, however, are noted. Toxicologists consider these differences to be not significant. In general, the results from large-scale tests are ambiguous because of the presence of other materials in addition to the polyesters.
Literature and L2 Composition: Revisiting the Debate

Abstract The role of literature in the composition classroom has long been controversial. In this article, we examine the arguments both for and against the use of literature by, first, surveying the main stances taken in L1 composition pedagogical theory, which predate and have significantly influenced L2 composition, and then by reviewing L2 compositionists' own perspectives on literature. The L2 arguments can be seen as resonating, but at the same time, diverging from those of L1 writing theory. Yet, all can be interpreted as responses to by now familiar themes in both L2 and L1 compositions, such as process versus product, academic discourse community initiation versus preparation for life, and hegemony of the established elite versus empowerment of the less privileged. Our goal in this review of the long-standing debate is not to encourage polarization for or against literature, but rather to provide, through the varied perspectives presented, a basis for informed decisions about the possible value of literature in particular contexts in which teachers and their students find themselves.
The effects of active layer thickness on Programmable Metallization Cell based on Ag–Ge–S

Abstract Programmable Metallization Cell (PMC) is a newly developed non-volatile memory device based on chalcogenide solid electrolytes. In this paper, we studied the PMC’s electrical properties as a function of its active layer thickness. The PMC devices are fabricated based on Ag–Ge–S materials using thermal evaporation method. The fabricated devices have their active layer thickness ranges from 8 nm to 30 nm. The I – V characteristics of the fabricated devices are studied as a function of their active layer thickness. It is observed that the ‘ON’ resistance of PMC displays a decreasing trend as we increase the active layer thickness. This is because less deposition nuclei can be formed on the cathode/electrolyte interface in thinner devices, which limits the number of conduction links that can be formed. The SET voltage also decreases slightly as increase of the active layer thickness. This is probably because thinner Ag–Ge–S layer localizes Ag ions’ movements due to the large size of Ag+ ion. On the other hand, the RESET voltage increases as we increase the active layer thickness, which is because there are more conduction links to be ionized in thicker devices.
Thomas C. Clarke, Bridge Builder

Clarke was one of the leading engineers in Canada and the United States in 1848 to 1901, working on railroads, waterways, buildings, and primarily bridges. He was a prolific writer with articles not only in ASCE publications but in British technical journals. He also published many articles in Scribners’ and other popular magazines. He was a leader in the formation and running of several major bridge design and construction companies and worked with many leading bridge engineers of the period. He served ASCE for many years starting as a director in 1870 and was elected President of the Society for 1896–1897. Despite his noteworthy career, he is one of the unknown giants of 19th century civil engineering.
Solvated electrons in dimethylsulphoxide

The optical absorption spectrum obtained by pulse radiolysis of pure liquid dimethylsulphoxide includes a broad intense band in the near IR with λmax ⩾ 1500 nm. This band is assigned to solvated electrons with a half-life of 15 ± 2 nsec. The λmax of the solvated electron correlates better with dimethylsulphoxide's inability to solvate negative ions than with its dielectric constant, which is 48.
Complementary roles of diagnostic peritoneal lavage and computed tomography in the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma.

Objective: To assess in randomized prospective format sensitivity, laparotomy rate, and cost-effectiveness of using diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) in a complementary role with computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma. Methods: Blunt trauma patients greater than 18 years of age were eligible for entry in the study. The study period was from February 1999 to July 2000 at an urban Level I trauma center. All patients were hemodynamically stable upon study entry and had abdominal tenderness with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores > 13 or GCS 20,000 RBCs/mm 3 , patients underwent abdominal/pelvis CT. If the CT following DPL was consistent with solid organ injury, patients were observed. If the CT following DPL identified free fluid without solid organ injury and DPL was > 100,000 RBCs/mm 3 , patients were explored. Results: Two hundred fifty-two patients were entered; 127 patients were randomized to DPL-CT and 125 to CT. Of the 125 patients randomized to CT, 102 (82%) CT scans were negative, 19 (15%) were positive for solid organ injury, and 3 (2%) had free fluid. Three (2%) of the initial negative CT scan patients underwent delayed laparotomy for missed injuries. Of the 127 patients randomized to DPL-CT, 26 (20%) required CT scan, of which 13 (10%) were positive for solid organ injury and 13 (10%) for free fluid. Positive DPL results that were indications for CT ranged from 21,000 to 1 million RBCs/mm 3 . Eight of the 13 DPL-CT patients with free fluid on CT had DPL results less than 100,000 RBCs/mm 3 and did not require laparotomy. There were no known missed injuries in the DPL-CT arm. Seven (6%) laparotomies were performed in the DPL-CT arm and 10 (8%) in the CT arm. The average cost to the patient for abdominal evaluation in the CT arm was $1611 and $650 in the DPL-CT arm. Conclusion: Screening DPL with complementary CT has a low nontherapeutic laparotomy rate and is a sensitive and cost-effective method for the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma.
Breast cancer treatment and cognitive functioning: current status and future challenges in assessment.

Steven A. Castellon, Daniel H.S. Silverman, and Patricia A. Ganz Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System; Dept. of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Dept. of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center; Schools of Medicine and Public Health, University of California Los Angeles; Neuropsychiatric Institute & Hospital, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
International Risk Sharing: Through Equity Diversification or Exchange Rate Hedging?

Well-known empirical puzzles in international macroeconomics concern the large divergence of equilibrium outcomes for consumption across countries from the predictions of models with full risk sharing. It is commonly believed that these risk-sharing puzzles are related to another empirical puzzle-the home-bias in equity puzzle. However, we show in a series of dynamic models that the full risk sharing equilibrium may not require much diversification of equity portfolios when there is price stickiness of the degree typically calibrated in macroeconomic models. This conclusion holds under a range of assumptions about home bias in preferences, price setting as PCP or LCP, and with or without nominal wage stickiness as long as there is some price rigidity.
Gallium Nitride Based Logpile Photonic Crystals

We demonstrate a nine-layer logpile three-dimensional photonic crystal (3DPC) composed of single crystalline gallium nitride (GaN) nanorods, ∼100 nm in size with lattice constants of 260, 280, and ...
Guest worker policies for the twenty-first century.

Guest or foreign worker programs exist to add workers to a countrys labor force without adding permanent residents to the population. The rationale for guest worker programs has changed however from coping with macro or sectoral labor shortages in the 1950s and 1960s to filling specific job vacancies in the 1990s. This paper reviews the rationale for and evolution of macro guest worker programs in Germany and the US during the 1950s and 1960s as well as the micro guest worker programs developed over the past decade. A widening gap exists between the growing need for detailed and credible labor market information to administer the new micro programs when governments are reducing their presence in labor markets. It may therefore soon become difficult to avoid the traditional problems associated with guest worker programs such as the distortion of economic sectors which become dependent upon foreign workers and the settlement of some foreign workers.
Validation of the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale: Factor, Convergent, and Divergent Validity:

The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS) was created to assess fear of overall appearance evaluation. Initial psychometric work indicated that the measure had a single-factor structure and exhibited excellent internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity. In the current study, the authors further examined the factor, convergent, and divergent validity of the SAAS in two samples of undergraduates. In Study 1 (N = 323), the authors tested the factor structure, convergent, and divergent validity of the SAAS with measures of the Big Five personality traits, negative affect, fear of negative evaluation, and social interaction anxiety. In Study 2 (N = 118), participants completed a body evaluation that included measurements of height, weight, and body fat content. The SAAS exhibited excellent convergent and divergent validity with self-report measures (i.e., self-esteem, trait anxiety, ethnic identity, and sympathy), predicted state anxiety experienced during the body evaluation, and predicted body fat content. In both studies, results confirmed a single-factor structure as the best fit to the data. These results lend additional support for the use of the SAAS as a valid measure of social appearance anxiety.
Clustering gene expression data in SQL using locally adaptive metrics

The clustering problem concerns the discovery of homogeneous groups of data according to a certain similarity measure. Clustering suffers from the curse of dimensionality. It is not meaningful to look for clusters in high dimensional spaces as the average density of points anywhere in input space is likely to be low. As a consequence, distance functions that equally use all input features may be ineffective. We introduce an algorithm that discovers clusters in subspaces spanned by different combinations of dimensions via local weightings of features. This approach avoids the risk of loss of information encountered in global dimensionality reduction techniques. Our method associates to each cluster a weight vector, whose values capture the relevance of features within the corresponding cluster. In this paper we present an efficient SQL implementation of our algorithm, that enables the discovery of clusters on data residing inside a relational DBMS.
Holland's Theory of Vocational Choice and Postulated Value Dimensions

The validity of J. L. Holland's vocational personality types and their relationship to value dimensions were examined in light of Holland's theory of vocational choice. Male seniors (N = 316) compl...
The Preparative Scale Reverse Phase HPLC Separation of Epimeric Alkaloids Using Camphorsulfonic Acid as an Ion Pairing Reagent

Abstract A reverse phase paired ion HPLC procedure is described for the separation of multigram quantities of epimeric alkaloids using camphorsulfonic acid as the ion-pairing reagent.
Network-aware end-to-end data throughput optimization

The rapidly advancing optical networking technology allows us high-bandwidth connectivity up to 100Gbps these days. However, the end-users and their applications can only observe a fraction of this available bandwidth capacity due to inefficient transport protocols and other end-system bottlenecks such as disk I/O limitations, processor speed, and NIC restrictions. In this paper, we present a novel network-aware end-to-end throughput prediction and optimization framework which provides us with the best parameter combination (i.e. parallel stream, disk, and CPU numbers) to achieve the highest end-to-end throughput between two end-systems (i.e. clusters, data centers, parallel disk systems) possible. Our experiments show that the model and algorithm we have developed enable us to achieve close-to-optimal end-to-end throughput performance with negligible sampling and prediction overhead.
The regulation of glycoprotein synthesis by cAMP in Dictyostelium.

Abstract Dictyostelium discoideum (Dd) 1-H vegetative amoebae exposed to cAMP differentiate into mature stalk cells within 48 h [6]. It was of interest to monitor the patterns of glycoprotein synthesis in the amoebae during the first 5 h of exposure to cAMP and phosphate buffer (PB) controls. Following the exposure period the amoebae were labeled with l -[6- 3 H]fucose. It was determined by both silver grain counts of autoradiographs and scintillation spectroscopy that within minutes cAMP effects an inhibition of [ 3 H]fucose incorporation. However, by 5 h of exposure both experimentals and controls lose a major amount of their labeling capacity based upon the initial PB control value. Vegetative amoebae exposed to cAMP mimics the sparse labeling found in prestalk cells. Prestalk cells synthesize cellulose as a result of cAMP-induced gluconeogenesis and consequently glycoprotein synthesis is reduced. Cellular interactions promoted by cAMP appears to initiate prestalk cell differentiation during the pre-aggregation phase of development. This event is accompanied by a loss in the ability of the aggregating cells to synthesize glycoprotein.
Failure of the BD GeneOhm StaphSR Assay for Direct Detection of Methicillin-Resistant and Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in Positive Blood Cultures Collected in the United States

Fifty-nine Staphylococcus aureus isolates from one hundred blood cultures containing gram-positive cocci in clusters were identified by conventional methods and the BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay (SR). The SR misidentified three methicillin (meticillin)-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates as methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), while one MSSA isolate tested negative for S. aureus. The three MRSA isolates were strains with MREJ types that cannot be detected by the currently available SR.
Heparin octasaccharide decoy liposomes inhibit replication of multiple viruses.

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan that serves as a cellular attachment site for a number of significant human pathogens, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human parainfluenza virus 3 (hPIV3), and herpes simplex virus (HSV). Decoy receptors can target pathogens by binding to the receptor pocket on viral attachment proteins, acting as ‘molecular sinks’ and preventing the pathogen from binding to susceptible host cells. Decoy receptors functionalized with HS could bind to pathogens and prevent infection, so we generated decoy liposomes displaying HS-octasaccharide (HS-octa). These decoy liposomes significantly inhibited RSV, hPIV3, and HSV infectivity in vitro to a greater degree than the original HS-octa building block. The degree of inhibition correlated with the density of HS-octa displayed on the liposome surface. Decoy liposomes with HS-octa inhibited infection of viruses to a greater extent than either full-length heparin or HS-octa alone. Decoy liposomes were effective when added prior to infection or following the initial infection of cells in vitro. By targeting the well-conserved receptor-binding sites of HS-binding viruses, decoy liposomes functionalized with HS-octa are a promising therapeutic antiviral agent and illustrate the utility of the liposome delivery platform.