cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth Strategies to Avoid the Middle-Income Trap

Since we coined the term in 2006, “the middle income trap” has been the subject of scores of investigations. The investigators have generally tried to answer one of two questions: Is there evidence to support the existence of the trap, and what can middle-income countries do to spring free of it? The evidence in support of its existence has been mixed, and the policy discussions have—to put it bluntly—been largely unhelpful. But our original proposition was that of the possibility of a trap, not its inevitability. We were more convinced of the absence of a functional theory of economic growth for middle-income economies. Solow-Swan models that stressed capital accumulation and exogenous technological change did well to explain growth in low-income countries, and Lucas-Romer models emphasizing learning and endogenous technical change identified the main drivers of growth in advanced economies and explained why capital and knowhow did not easily flow to poorer economies. Neither class of models has, to our knowledge, satisfactorily explained successful transitions from one type of growth to the other. In this paper, we propose that Schumpeterian models proposed by Aghion, Howitt and others that stress creative destruction and institutional change could provide the analytical foundations for understanding middle-income economies better. We present evidence that is consistent with the main predictions of this approach, and discuss its key policy implications, especially effective competition regimes, mechanisms to maintain social mobility, and adept management of economic crises.
Impact of Preoperative Mechanical Support Following Heart Transplant

Purpose To determine if the type of non-dischargeable preoperative mechanical support (PMCS) in transplant recipients affects post-transplant outcomes. Methods The SRTR database was used to identify all adult heart transplants requiring PMCS, excluding multi-organ and redo transplants. Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), right ventricular assist device (RVAD), total artificial heart (TAH), and extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO) were identified as PMCS. Groups were compared using an analysis of variance and Chi-square test for continuous and categorical variables respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox model were utilized to examine long-term survival. Results 4,647 heart transplants requiring PMCS were identified. Recipients with IABP were associated with older age and smoking, and a significantly shorter waitlist time (p Conclusion With recent allocation system changes and use of more PMCS, better understanding of the impact of these therapies on transplant candidates is essential. Based on the finding that pretransplant ECMO is associated with significantly worse outcomes, it may be beneficial to avoid ECMO when clinically feasible.
Attachment to Peers and School: Longitudinal Moderators of the Relation Between Caregiver Psychological Distress and Adolescent Hopelessness

Research has yet to determine how relationships outside of the family system may buffer negative outcomes associated with hopelessness among racial minority youth. In a sample of Black American youth (N = 512; 49% females) and their parents or caregivers, this study used longitudinal growth models to explore whether youth relationships (attachment to peers and attachment to school) moderated the association between caregiver distress (depressive symptoms and traumatic stress), and youth hopelessness. Adolescents’ gender was examined to determine if there were gender differences present in these associations. Four linear growth models showed a significant change in levels of hopelessness over time for youth and a significant positive relation between caregiver distress and youth level of hopelessness. Attachment to peers and attachment to school did not equally moderate the relation between caregiver psychological distress and youth hopelessness. The type of caregiver distress had a differential effect on youth hopelessness in the context of the moderation models and based on gender. The type of caregiver distress had a differential effect on youth hopelessness in the context of the moderation models and based on gender. Implications for the importance of non-familial attachments among Black American youth with distressed parents are discussed.
Incidental parathyroidectomy in thyroidectomy and central neck dissection.

Abstract Background Although higher thyroidectomy volume has been linked with lower complication rates, its association with incidental parathyroidectomy remains less studied. The volume relationship is even less clear for central neck dissection, where individual parathyroid glands are at greater risk. Methods Patients undergoing thyroidectomy with or without central neck dissection were evaluated for incidental parathyroidectomy, hypoparathyroidism, and hypocalcemia. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed using binary logistic regression. Results Overall, 1,114 thyroidectomies and 396 concurrent central neck dissections were performed across 7 surgeons. Incidental parathyroidectomy occurred in 22.4% of surgeries (range, 16.9%–43.6%), affecting 7.1% of parathyroids at risk (range, 5.8%–14.5%). When stratified by surgeon, lower incidental parathyroidectomy rates were associated with higher thyroidectomy volumes (R2 = 0.77, P = .008) and higher central neck dissection volumes (R2 = 0.93, P Conclusion Higher surgical volume conferred a lower rate of incidental parathyroidectomy. Nonetheless, greater lymph node yield in central neck dissections did not result in greater parathyroid-related morbidity. Such findings support the value of leveraging surgical volume to both optimize oncologic resection and minimize complication rates.
Forest Ecosystem Services for Human Health

This chapter reviews researches showing the great potential of non-timber use of forest products, in particular needles, bark, wood, and cones from conifer species, which are especially rich of essential micronutrients and could substantially contribute to their adequate intake in the human diet. The valorization of bioactive molecules through the extraction from residues of forest biomass, if integrated into wood industry processes, could add value to the wood processing chain, offsetting production costs, providing additional income that could be reinvested in reforestation or afforestation policies, while reducing waste and improving the human health. This chapter also explores the tremendous potential, so far largely underexploited, to improve human mental and physiological health due to the forest healing effects, which is an important emerging forest ecosystem service. The role of biogenic volatile organic compounds emitted by plants in the forest atmosphere is discussed, as an important determinant of long-lasting physiological health benefits, such as the immune-protective ones, deriving from exposure to the forest environment. Forest bathing and forest therapy practices are proposed as a win-win strategy to improve public health while achieving considerable healthcare savings, raise economic and social opportunities in remote areas, and contribute to sustainable forest management.
Positionality, post-phenomenology, and the politics of theory

The concept of positionality has long been at the heart of feminist geographic scholarship, though today it often remains unengaged within male-dominated segments of the discipline. In this article...
Continuous Monitoring and Audit Methodology for Medication Procurement

Continuous audit has presently been adopted by many public and private firms, despite different adoption levels (PwC, 2006; Vasarhelyi et al., 2012). Implementations of continuous monitoring and audit on government procurement analysis are rare, even though wastes and abuses easily occur during the process. This study analyzes medication procurement data from a Brazil city and establishes a continuous monitoring and audit system. The system aims to help internal auditors identify exceptions and anomalies in procurements for investigation and further achieve cost management in a more timely manner by introducing the comparison of exogenous data. The methodology embedded in this system will not only shed light on government procurement audit analysis but also give insights to armchair auditors to investigate open government data from different perspectives.
How To Hang A Door: Picking Hinges for Quasi-Fideism

Abstract: In the epistemology of the late Wittgenstein, a central place is given to the notion of the hinge: an arational commitment that provides a foundation of some sort for the rest of our beliefs. Quasi-fideism is an approach to the epistemology of religion that argues that religious belief is on an epistemic par with other sorts of belief inasmuch as religious and non-religious beliefs all rely on hinges. I consider in this paper what it takes to find the appropriate hinge for a quasi-fideist approach to the epistemology of religion.
Education abroad: Bridging scholarship and practice

In their new book, Ogden, Streitwieser, and Van Mol (2021) create an accessible and succinct collection of some of the most salient areas of research in education abroad (p. 4). Authors from many countries contributed to each chapter, creating a five-part book that is a well-organized synthesis of the present-day field. Education Abroad: Bridging Scholarship and Practice is a welcome addition to the field and would be an excellent read for both novice and experienced scholars, as well as practitioners working at all levels. Each chapter examines key issues in education abroad and includes a history of the topic as well as possible directions for further research, guiding audiences at all levels to further exploration.
Transformation in Political Economy of Post-conflict North Waziristan, Pakistan:

Post-conflict North Waziristan is experiencing a fundamental shift in the political and economic environment at a very fast pace. This paper examines the complex political economy of post-conflict ...
Insights on cold plasma ammonia synthesis and decomposition using alkaline earth metal-based perovskites

The synergistic combination of solid catalysts and plasma for the synthesis of ammonia has recently attracted considerable scientific interest. Herein, we explore MgTiO3, CaTiO3, SrTiO3, and BaTiO3 perovskites as effective catalysts for the synthesis and decomposition of ammonia via cold plasma. MgTiO3 perovskite, which contains the most electronegative alkaline metal of all the studied perovskites, resulted in the highest ammonia synthesis rate with a value of 12.16 μmol min−1 m−2, which is around 50 times the value of only plasma, 0.24 μmol min−1. The high electronegativity of Mg can be assisting the dissociation of the triple nitrogen covalent bond. This intrinsic property of Mg perovskite added to the homogeneity of the plasma arising from the dielectric constant value of this perovskite might be synergistically responsible for the high ammonia synthesis rate observed. Interestingly, ammonia production over MgTiO3 perovskite is almost double the performance of traditional oxides and some microporous crystals. We also explored the ammonia decomposition reaction due to the possibility of the importance of the reversible reaction owing to the electron collision with the ammonia molecules formed. Ammonia decomposition increased as plasma power increased. This points out the benefit of running at low plasma power and the need to design plasma reactors where the newly formed ammonia molecules can be removed from the reaction system to avoid further electron collision. The highest ammonia decomposition yield was 44.37% at 20 W corresponding to an energy yield of 5.06 g-NH3 kW h−1.
A HIGHER-ORDER CONSERVATION ELEMENT SOLUTION ELEMENT METHOD FOR SOLVING HYPERBOLIC DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS ON UNSTRUCTURED MESHES

Abstract : This dissertation presents an extension of the Conservation Element Solution Element (CESE) method from second- to higher-order accuracy. The new method retains the favorable characteristics of the original second-order CESE scheme, including (i) the use of the space-time integral equation for conservation laws, (ii) a compact mesh stencil, (iii) the scheme will remain stable up to a CFL number of unity, (iv) a fully explicit, time-marching integration scheme, (v) true multidimensionality without using directional splitting, and (vi) the ability to handle two- and three-dimensional geometries by using unstructured meshes. This algorithm has been thoroughly tested in one, two and three spatial dimensions and has been shown to obtain the desired order of accuracy for solving both linear and non-linear hyperbolic spatial differential equations. The scheme has also shown its ability to accurately resolve discontinuities in the solutions. Higher order unstructured methods such as the Discontinuous Galerkin method and the Special Volume methods have been developed for one, two- and three-dimensional application. Although these schemes have seen extensive development and use, certain drawbacks of these methods have been well documented. For example, the explicit versions of these two methods have very stringent stability criteria. This stability criteria requires that the time step be reduced as the order of the solver increases, for a given simulation on a given mesh.
The Midwest Farmer's Daughter: In Search of an American Icon

Review of: "The Midwest Farmer's Daughter: In Search of an American Icon," by Zachary Michael Jack.
The Fokker-Planck Equation

The Fokker-Planck equation was originally developed as an alternative to the Langevin equation as a model of Brownian motion. Obukhov (1959) made the pioneering suggestion that the Fokker-Planck equation be used as a model of turbulent diffusion, but those who followed his suggestion from the 1960s into the 1980s chose to use the Langevin equation. This quotation from van Kampen (1992) p. 219 explains why—and gives a warning: “This approach is popular because it gives a more concrete picture than the Fokker-Planck equation, but it is mathematically equivalent to it. In nonlinear cases, it is subject to the same difficulties, and some additional ones.” This neglect of the Fokker-Planck equation ended when van Dop et al. (1985), Sawford (1986), and Thomson (1987) used it in their analyses of the Langevin equation as a model of turbulent diffusion. The authors of these and more recent papers have taken advantage of the different perspectives given by these two equations.
Use of SPIDER and SPIRE in image reconstruction

SPIDER is a comprehensive command-operated suite of programs for image processing in electron microscopy, with special emphasis on single-particle reconstruction. This chapter provides an outline of the way SPIDER and SPIRE, its interactive graphical user interface, may be used to obtain a three-dimensional reconstruction from projections of many randomly oriented realizations of a biological molecule. Keywords: single-particle reconstruction; SPIDER; SPIRE; image processing; electron microscopy
Simulation of diesel engines cold-start

Diesel engine cold-start problems include long cranking periods, hesitation and white smoke emissions. A better understanding of these problems is essential to improve diesel engine cold-start. In this study computer simulation model is developed for the steady state and transient cold starting processes in a single-cylinder naturally aspirated direct injection diesel engine. The model is verified experimentally and utilized to determine the key parameters that affect the cranking period and combustion instability after the engine starts. The behavior of the fuel spray before and after it impinges on the combustion chamber walls was analyzed in each cycle during the cold-start operation. The analysis indicated that the accumulated fuel in combustion chamber has a major impact on engine cold starting through increasing engine compression pressure and temperature and increasing fuel vapor concentration in the combustion chamber during the ignition delay period. An "Autoignition Index" (AI) is introduced to determine the diesel engine first firing cycle. Also, diesel engine combustion instability is analyzed in details. The model indicated that misfiring after firing is caused by an imbalance between engine dynamic and combustion kinetics. The model predictions of the instantaneous engine speed variation during cold-start showed the same tend as the experimental results.
Making noisy data sing: Estimating production technologies in developing countries

Abstract Maximum-likelihood estimators of production technologies are developed that deal with missing data and measurement errors, making alternative assumptions regarding the endogeneity of labor and missing data patterns. The estimators yield indices of the returns to scale, mean square deviation from the efficient frontier, and (when labor is treated as endogenous) mean square deviation from efficient factor mixes. To gauge the performance of the alternative estimators, they are applied to Chilean industrial census data, and compared with ‘naive’ estimators that do not recognize data imperfections.
Sources of Job Information for Migrants

Perhaps the degree of accuracy with which migration has been recorded and studied in the U.S. is unique to the relative youth of the nation in historical terms. However, many of the phenomena associated with migration that have economic significance are still very poorly understood. One of these is the functioning of the rural-urban labor market in the migration process. This particular aspect of the migration process is examined in this paper. Specific information on the job research process of 396 migrants from Eastern Kentucky is reported and compared with previous research findings - with subsequent generalizations regarding the policy implications of observed patterns of job search activity.
Enhanced Polyglutamylation of Aminopterin Relative to Methotrexate in the Ehrlich Ascites Tumor Cell in vitro

The polyglutamylation of aminopterin and methotrexate (N10-methylaminopterin) was compared in the Ehrlich ascites tumor in vitro. Three poly-gamma-glutamyl conjugates of methotrexate and aminopterin were detected, although at an equal (1 microM) extracellular drug concentration, the net accumulation of aminopterin polyglutamates exceeded that for the methotrexate polyglutamyl derivatives by a factor of 9. When compensation was made for transport differences between these compounds by adjusting the extracellular drug concentrations to achieve equivalent intracellular monoglutamyl substrate levels, the polyglutamylation of aminopterin was still 2.8-fold greater than that for methotrexate, suggesting that aminopterin is a better substrate for the folylpolyglutamate synthetase as well as the transport carrier. An additional metabolite of aminopterin was detected within seconds following drug exposure. This derivative did not bind tightly to dihydrofolate reductase, yet it was rapidly converted to a polyglutamate. The formation of both aminopterin polyglutamates and these novel derivatives was enhanced by increases in the free intracellular level of aminopterin. Aminopterin polyglutamates were bound tightly to dihydrofolate reductase and were retained intracellularly relative to unaltered aminopterin when Ehrlich cells containing these forms were suspended in drug-free medium. These findings support a role for the polyglutamylation of aminopterin as a critical element in drug action and as a factor in addition to membrane transport in the disparate antifolate potencies of aminopterin and methotrexate.
Effects of the Bow on Social Organization in Western North America

The bow more than doubled, likely tripled, the success of individuals bent on killing animal or human targets (Box 1). The advent of this revolutionary technology generated different responses in western North America depending on subsistence and sociopolitical organization at the time of its arrival, roughly 2300 - 1300 B.P.[1] Its effect was substantial in California and the Great Basin, particularly on group size, which in many places diminished as a consequence of the bow's reliability. The counter-intuitive result was to increase within group-relatedness enough to encourage intensification of plant resources, previously considered too costly. The bow rose to greatest direct economic importance with the arrival of the horse, and was put to most effective use by former Great Basin groups who maintained the family band system that had developed around intensive Great Basin plant procurement, adapting the same organization to a lifestyle centered on the equestrian pursuit of buffalo and warfare.
Strategies for reduction of morbidity.

The future health of our increasingly senior populations depend upon the interrelationship between two critical points: the onset time ofthe first major disease, infirmity, or disability and the time of death. Reduction of morbidity re- quires compressing the average period between these points and reducing the average level of morbidity during this period. The goal ofcompression of morbidity currently is being achieved in some areas. Life expectancy increases in the United States above age 65 y have plateaued, with further increases becoming ever more difficult. Some major chronic diseases, such as atheroscle- rosis and lung cancer, now occur later in life. Work disability prevalence has begun to decline. Intergenerational comparisons demonstrate improved health at specific ages. Randomized- controlled trials of primary prevention have failed to decrease total mortality in risk subjects while markedly decreasing the morbidity experienced by the same subjects. Compression has been documented for higher socioeconomic class subpopula- tions. These observations have major implications for health policy and mandate initiatives directed at prevention of disability and infirmity. Am J C/in Nuir l992;55:1257S-625.
Chaperone-Mediated Protein Folding

The folding of most newly synthesized proteins in the cell requires the interaction of a variety of protein cofactors known as molecular chaperones. These molecules recognize and bind to nascent polypeptide chains and partially folded intermediates of proteins, preventing their aggregation and misfolding. There are several families of chaperones; those most involved in protein folding are the 40-kDa heat shock protein (HSP40; DnaJ), 60-kDa heat shock protein (HSP60; GroEL), and 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70; DnaK) families. The availability of high-resolution structures has facilitated a more detailed understanding of the complex chaperone machinery and mechanisms, including the ATP-dependent reaction cycles of the GroEL and HSP70 chaperones. For both of these chaperones, the binding of ATP triggers a critical conformational change leading to release of the bound substrate protein. Whereas the main role of the HSP70/HSP40 chaperone system is to minimize aggregation of newly synthesized proteins, the HSP60 chaperones also facilitate the actual folding process by providing a secluded environment for individual folding molecules and may also promote the unfolding and refolding of misfolded intermediates.
In-plane small angle neutron diffraction on the mechanism of anti microbial peptides action on bacterial cell membranes

Abstract A new class of antimicrobials, in the form of small polypeptides, has been recently discovered in host defense systems throughout the animal kingdom [1–3]. For example, magainins (23-residue polypeptide). secreted by the skin of the African clawed frog. and cecropins (31–38 residues) isolated from the humoral immune systems of insects [1,3] kill bacteria by permeabilizing the cytoplasmic membrane, but do not lyse eukaryotic cells [3]. The present understanding is that all these antimicrobials exert their activity directly on the lipid bilayer of the bacterial cellular membrane, rather than interacting with specific proteins in a cell like the conventional antibiotics. Hence, it is believed that bacteria may not develop resistance to these drugs, but the intriguing question that has to be addressed is, if these antimicrobials act on membranes, how do they selectively attack bacteria without harming the host cells?
Immunization issues for the 21st century

Objective Review and discuss major issues of vaccination and immunization. The development and application of vaccination and immunization is one of the most remarkable successes of the 20th century. This is true both in the United States and worldwide. In the United States, a number of vaccine-preventable diseases have been all but eliminated through the development of a recommended childhood immunization schedule by governmental and nongovernmental organizations, education of providers about these recommendations, and enforcement of these recommendations by school and day care entry mandates. Despite these successes, vaccine-preventable diseases continue to occur, in part because of missed opportunities by health care providers, antivaccine forces empowered by misguided mass media, and parental ignorance. Important aspects of the 2002 recommended childhood immunization schedule are reviewed, including: birth dose hepatitis B, diphtheria underimmunization and tetanus overimmunization, increasing pertussis disease, the success of conjugate vaccines, the change in poliovirus vaccines, measles vaccine and autism, the safety of varicella vaccine, and adult vaccination recommendations. Finally, future prospects for vaccination and immunization are discussed, including: combination vaccines, vaccines against new diseases such as rotavirus, new routes of delivery of immunizing agents, the use of computerized vaccine registries to prevent missed opportunities, and vaccines against bioterrorism agents. Conclusions A careful analysis of risk and benefit suggests that the benefit of vaccination far outweighs the risks from the utilization of immunizing agents. Vaccination delayed may be protection denied. The bottom line is that vaccines are good and disease is bad.
From Uncaused Will to Conscious Choice: The Need to Study, Not Speculate About People’s Folk Concept of Free Will

People's concept of free will is often assumed to be incompatible with the deterministic, scientific model of the universe. Indeed, many scholars treat the folk concept of free will as assuming a special form of nondeterministic causation, possibly the notion of uncaused causes. However, little work to date has directly probed individuals' beliefs about what it means to have free will. The present studies sought to reconstruct this folk concept of free will by asking people to define the concept (Study 1) and by confronting them with a neuroscientific claim that free will is an illusion (Study 2), which invited them to either reconcile or contrast free will with determinism. The results suggest that the core of people's concept of free will is a choice that fulfills one's desires and is free from internal or external constraints. No evidence was found for metaphysical assumptions about dualism or indeterminism.
Median Regression for Longitudinal Left-Censored Biomarker Data Subject to Detection Limit

Biomarkers are often measured repeatedly in biomedical studies to help understand the development of the disease, identify the patients at high risk, and guide therapeutic strategies for intervention. One common source of measurement error for biomarkers is left-censoring because the assays used may not be sensitive enough to measure concentrations below a detection limit. Likelihood-based approaches that assume multivariate normal distributions have been proposed to account for the left-censoring problem; however, biomarker data are often highly skewed even after transformation. We propose a median regression model that requires minimal assumptions on the distribution and leads to easier interpretation of results in the data’s original scale. We develop estimating procedures that incorporate correlations between serial measurements for left-censored longitudinal data. We conduct simulation studies to evaluate the properties of the proposed estimators and to compare median regression models with mixed mod...
The baboon gene for apolipoprotein A-I: characterization ofacDNA clone and identification of DNA polymorphisms for genetic studies of cholesterol metabolism

Abstract We have isolated and sequenced a baboon apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) clone from a liver cDNA library using a human cDNA hybridization probe. This baboon cDNA contains the entire ApoA-I coding region (801 bp, 267 aa), a 3' untranslated region, and a poly(A) tail. Among comparisons with apoAI sequences from other species, the baboon cDNA is most similar to that of the cynomolgus macaque (99.2% homologous) and least similar to the rat sequence (72.6% homologous). A high frequency of nonsynonymous substitutions are observed by alignment of baboon and human apoAI cDNAs, but comparisons ofhydrophilicity profiles show that protein structure is conserved by substitutions of aa with similar properties. A polymorphic Pst I cleavage site was identified by Southern blot analysis and subsequently mapped to the 5' end of the baboon apoAI gene. To identify effects of apoAI allelic variation on cholesterol metabolism, we used immunoblotting to compare the distributions of ApoA-I among lipoprotein size classes in baboons from each genotype under basal and atherogenic diets. We observed an increase of ApoA-I in high density lipoprotein (size class 1) particles after atherogenic diets in homozygotes for one allele, as compared to slight decreases in the other genotypes.
Modified Neck Dissection for Metastatic Nonseminomatous Testicular Carcinoma

Objective: To examine the role of neck dissection in the treatment of metastatic stage 3 nonseminomatous germ-cell tumors (NSGCTs) of testicular origin. Method: A retrospective review was made of 45 patients with metastatic NSGCT who underwent 48 unilateral and 3 bilateral neck dissections. Only level III-VI nodes were dissected, often with concomitant or staged mediastinal dissection, thoracotomy, and/or retroperitoneal node dissection. Occasionally, resection of the clavicle, jugular vein, or subclavian artery, or a combination of these, was required to eradicate the disease. Results: There were only four instances of recurrence in dissected necks. There was one case of dedifferentiation of mature teratoma to adenocarcinoma Patients who were followed for a mean period of 32 months had a disease-free survival of 72%. Prognosis for patients with stage 3 disease but negative preoperative tumor markers (α-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin) was excellent, with 97% of these patients having no evidence of disease at follow-up. Factors having a negative impact on survival included positive tumor markers, elements of germ-cell cancer in excised nodes, and a neck mass that represents late relapse of disease. Conclusion: Modified neck dissection has a demonstrated role in the treatment of metastatic NSGCT. It prevents reversion of mature teratoma to malignant germ cell tumor with minimal morbidity. Aggressive resection of disease is indicated, often in conjunction with thoracic surgery, to eradicate disease extending into the chest. There is an excellent prognosis in patients with negative preoperative serologic tumor markers.
Distribution of Hydrocarbons in Soil Through Contamination from a Leaking Natural Gas Pipeline

Abstract A plume of hydrocarbon contamination in soil from a leaking natural gas pipeline located at a depth of 80 cm was defined on the basis of discoloration of soil at 3 to 7 cm depth. Eleven sites were selected randomly on a grid superimposed on a map of the 240 m2 plume and 48 soil samples at depths from 7 cm to 150 cm were collected. Samples were individually extracted using cyclohexane in a Soxhlet extraction apparatus. Condensed extracts were analyzed using capillary GC and GC/MS techniques to determine quantitatively the dinstribution of C10 to C35 hydrocarbons in soil. In solvent extracts of the soils, over 150 organic compounds were resolved and detected at total concentrations from 0.1 to 2700 ppm. The vertical distribution of hydrocarbons was consistent throughout the plume with higher concentrations of all components with increased proximity to the surface. The hydrocarbons moved vertically from the leak and diffused horizontally along an interface created at 15 to 30 cm by the addition 20 y...
A Parade or a Riot: A Discourse Analysis of Two Ethnic Newspapers on the 2011 Marching Season in Northern Ireland

The annual marching season in Northern Ireland has long been the site of ethnic/religious controversy and violence pitting Catholics against Protestants. This study analyzes how more than 80 news stories from two Belfast-based ethnic newspapers, the Catholic/nationalist Irish News and the Protestant/loyalist News Letter, framed the 2011 season. The research documents that the discourses and overarching themes presented by The Irish News and the News Letter were vastly different, with the former largely describing the season in negative terms and as the source of violence and civil unrest, and the latter portraying the season as a triumphant, and popular, display of loyalist culture.
Advancements of the KUCIM automated flexible manufacturing workstation

Incremental automation, i.e. adding capabilities over time, is an alternative for small mannfacturers to large scale automation projects as a method of achieving automated manufacturing. As an example of incremental automation, the University of Kansas Computer Integrated Manufacturing (KUCIM) workstation has developed over time into an unmanned flexible machining workstation. Presently, the workstation contains a Hurco three-axis milling machine, an American Robot six-axis robot, a Sun 4/260, a versatile fixturing system, an IBM PC-AT compatible computer, and an interface between the milling machine and PC. The control architecture is based on the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) manufacturing control hierarchy. The workstation controller employs three software modules: the Supervisor, the Robot Foreman, and the Fixture/Machine Tool Foreman. At the equipment level, two modules are used: the Robot Command Interpreter and the Fixture/Machine Tool Command Interpreter. The three functions that the KUCIM workstation performs to produce parts are: processing an input file, performing tool zeroing and performing machining cycles.
SAUSAGE DRYING: FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERCENT YIELD OF PEPPERONI

Variations in sausage formulation and processing have been evaluated in terms of sausage weight percentage at 42 days of drying. Of the variations studied, only percent salt and meat particle size had no effect, while starting percent fat, sausage diameter, meat type, cure type, pH and post-fermentation heating had generally small but statistically significant effects on sausage percent yield. Increasing the fat content of pepperoni from 13.3 to 25.1% increased the sausage percent yield from 48.0 to 57.75%. Larger diameter (85 mm) sausages had higher percent yield than smaller diameter (55 mm) sausages, 56.55% vs 48.95%. Starting fat content and casing diameter represent the variations which would be of interest and importance to producers of commercial pepperoni and dry sausages.
As artes em nó

Baseando-se no ensaio "A arte e as artes" de T.W. Adorno, o presente ensaio tenta explorar as implicacoes da hipotese de um enodamento das artes [Verfransung], segundo o qual os diversos generos artisticos se recusam a ocupar o lugar a eles reservado nos edificios teoricos da estetica tradicional e comecam a se aproximar uns dos outros. Uma musica espacializada, uma pintura temporalizada, uma literatura serializada e uma partitura literarizada fazem visivel o que seria um denominador comum a todas elas: sua natureza linguistica. Neste movimento de unificacao e possivel encontrar elementos que conduzam a um frutifero dialogo entre a filosofia social da arte em Adorno e os discursos pos-modernos. Por um lado, cria-se um novo espaco artistico, que merece ser chamado de pos-moderno; por outro, o enodamento das artes permite que se critique o que ha de ideologico no ecletismo, nao enodado, das teorias do pos-moderno.
Nonlinear predictive controllers for continuous systems

In this paper a new technique for the design of nonlinear feedback controllers to track desired response histories is presented. The controller is developed based on continuous minimization of predicted tracking errors. Some properties on the tracking performance and robustness of the controller are established. Both stateand output-tracking problems are considered in a unified framework. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by an application in missile autopilot design.
Bax affects production of reactive oxygen by the mitochondria of non-apoptotic neurons.

Depriving sympathetic neurons in cell culture of nerve growth factor (NGF) causes their apoptotic death. Bax-induced release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and the subsequent activation of cytosolic caspases are central to this death. A Bax-dependent increase of mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) that is an important component of the apoptotic cascade in these cells begins soon after NGF withdrawal. Here we report that Bax can also influence mitochondrial production of ROS in non-apoptotic sympathetic neurons. We determined ROS levels by using confocal microscopy to monitor changes in the fluorescence intensity of a redox-sensitive dye loaded into single cells. ROS levels were similar in NGF-replete bax wild-type neurons and neurons from which bax had been deleted. To enhance any effects that Bax might have on ROS levels in NGF-replete cells we exposed cultures to the ATP synthase inhibitor, oligomycin. This treatment hyperpolarizes mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), an event that can favor increased ROS production. NGF-replete neurons from mice in which bax had been deleted had much higher levels of mitochondrial-derived ROS when treated with oligomycin than did bax wild-type cells. Oligomycin treatment also caused greater hyperpolarization of ΔΨm in bax-deleted cells than in wild-type cells. These findings indicate that Bax can affect mitochondrial ROS production in non-apoptotic neurons and may do so by altering ΔΨm.
Exposure assessment and initial intervention regarding fish consumption of tribal members of the Upper Great Lakes Region in the United States.

The Ojibwe Health Study (OHS) has concluded 10 years of data collection and exposure assessment. Eight hundred and twenty-two participants from tribes in the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota (USA) completed fish consumption and environmental risk perception questionnaires. Many participants provided hair and blood samples for mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) residue analyses as body burden indicators of these persistent environmental pollutants. Fish were collected by the tribal organizations and contaminants were analyzed for numerous tribal reports and professional environmental journal articles, these data were used by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission to produce tribal-specific geographic information systems maps as part of a public health intervention strategy. These maps are currently available at www.glifwc.org for six Wisconsin tribes that regularly harvest walleye. To determine the health impacts (if any) of pollutants on cancer, diabetes, and reproduction, it was necessary to know the recent trends in key indicators such as cancer mortality ratios and birth gender ratios. The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council provided the OHS and each participating tribe in Wisconsin and Michigan with a health profile. Total fish consumption (estimated by recall) for 720 tribal participants was self-reported as 60 g/day, but the highest actual consumption was measured as 11.2 g/day in one of the tribal groups. The highest blood concentrations in tribal participants were 18.6 ppb total serum PCBs and 11.8 ppb total blood mercury. Ninety percent of the participants had less than 3.8 ppb total serum PCBs and 2.6 ppb total blood mercury. Compared to other studies of subsistence fishing populations, these exposures were only moderately elevated and not high enough to warrant widespread restrictions on diets. Furthermore, the benefits of eating a fish diet must be continually emphasized. However, sport fishermen and their families who consume larger and more contaminated fish should abide by their state fish consumption advisories to minimize their health risks.
On-Line Color Sensing For Industrial Automation

Modern industries around the world are daily facing problems associated with increasing their speed of production of piece parts and intermediates while maintaining quality and cost goals. Rugged, high speed sensors are readily available for sensing physical quantities such as temperature, pressure, alignment and the like. Less traditional parameters such as color, taste and texture have been left to off-line, human inspection. In the case of color, this has usually been a result of the speed, cost, operator complexity and fragility of existing equipment. This paper will attempt to review some current color sensing technologies and present some results obtained with a dispersive, high-speed Color Signature Sensor currently being developed at Honeywell's Sensors and Signal Processing Laboratory.
Class-AB SiC CMOS power opamp with stable voltage gain over wide temperature range

A class-AB silicon carbide CMOS power operational amplifier with stable open-loop voltage gain over a wide temperature range is presented. A temperature-insensitive voltage reference is designed to provide bias voltages for the operational amplifier. An extra bias circuit is also developed such that the voltage gain of the operational amplifier can be insensitive to threshold voltage and mobility variations. A class-AB output stage combined with a novel adaptive biasing scheme is developed to produce a full rail-to-rail output swing and low output resistance of 90 /spl Omega/ at 75/spl deg/C. A nested Miller-compensated topology is also incorporated to provide a phase margin of 60/spl deg/. The DC gain of the operational amplifier only experiences a 1.265 dB variation over a temperature range of 75 to 300/spl deg/C and a 3.387 dB variation from V/sub DD/(-V/sub SS/)=5.0 V to V/sub DD/(-V/sub SS/)=20 V. This operational amplifier is ideal for use as a voltage buffer or power amplifier intended for high temperature operation.
Epoxy resin casting of dry-type high-voltage components

Epoxy resin casting provides an effective means for embedding such high-voltage electrical components as transformers, bushings, and pot-heads. The molding process and the techniques which have been used in determining optimum shapes are described.
A Triassic giant amphipod from Nevada, USA

A giant fossil amphipod Rosagammarus minichiellus n. gen., n. sp. occurs in a Triassic limestone (Luning Formation, west-central Nevada) in association with ichthyosaurs (Shonisaurus sp.) and the deep-water trace fossil Protopaleodictyon ichnosp. Fossil pereion and pereiopod morphology suggest affinities with Acanthogammaridae, a freshwater amphipod family largely endemic to Lake Baikal. The large size (17 cm) of the Triassic amphipod shows that supergiant, deep marine amphipods comparable to modern Alicella gigantea Chevreux, 1899 were extant during the early Mesozoic. By analogy with A. gigantea, R. minichiellus was likely a necrophagous, benthopelagic scavenger that fed on ichthyosaur and other sea floor carcasses. Rosagammarus minichiellus appears to be the oldest known fossil amphipod, extending the known geological range of Amphipoda by at least 170 million years.
Hybrid thermal–thermal desalination structures

AbstractOpportunities exist to improve industrial-scale thermal desalination system performance and reliability through novel process structures. Herein, hybrid thermal–thermal desalination structure concepts that combine the merits of MSF, MED, or MED-TVC are proposed. The first is a system which transitions from forward-feed MED effects to parallel-cross MED effects (FF-PC-MED) and could be combined with TVC (FF-PC-MED-TVC). The second is a system which transitions from MSF stages to forward-feed MED effects (MSF-MED) and employs a vapor routing for MSF which typically not used. Finally, the last system uses parallel steam supplies to power MSF stages and MED-TVC effects configured in series (MSF-MED-TVC). Through the simulation of their performance, it is found that these concepts can exhibit higher performance ratio and/or lower specific heat transfer surface area as compared to standard thermal desalination configurations for fixed operating conditions. While these results indicate that the hybrid th...
Recess integration of micro-cleaved laser diode platelets with dielectric waveguides on silicon

Ongoing research directed at integrating 1.55 μm III-V ridge waveguide gain elements (i.e. diode lasers and semiconductor optical amplifiers) co-axially aligned with, and coupled to, silicon oxy-nitride waveguides on silicon substrates is presented. The integration techniques used are highly modular and consistent with fabricating waveguides on Si-CMOS wafers and doing the integration of the III-V gain elements after all standard front- and back-end Si processing has been completed. A novel micro-cleaving technique is used to produce active ridge waveguide platelets on the order of 6 µm thick and 100 μm wide, with precisely controlled lengths, in the current work 300 ± 1 μm, and cleaved end facets. Typical ridge guide micro-cleaved platelet lasers have thresholds under 30 mA. Micro-cleaved platelets are bonded within dielectric recesses etched through the oxy-nitride (SiO x N y ) waveguides on a wafer so the ridge and SiO x N y waveguides are co-axially aligned. Transmission measurements indicate coupling losses are as low as 5 db with air filling the gaps between the waveguide ends, and measurements made through filled gaps indicate that the coupling losses can be reduced to below 1.5 dB with a high index (n = 2.2) dielectric fill. Simulations indicate that with further optimization of the mode profile in the III-V waveguide the loss can be reduced to below 1 dB. The paper concludes with a discussion of device design and optimization for co-axial recess integration, and with a comparison of co-axial coupling with the hybrid evanescent vertical coupling III-V/Si integration approach recently introduced by researchers at UCSB and Intel.
Substrate specificity of human ceramide kinase

Previous studies in our laboratory have established ceramide kinase (CERK) as a critical mediator of eicosanoid synthesis. To date, CERK has not been well characterized in vitro. In this study, we investigated the substrate specificity of CERK using baculovirus-expressed human CERK (6×His) and a newly designed assay based on mixed micelles of Triton X-100. The results indicate that the ability of CERK to recognize ceramide as a substrate is stereospecific. A minimum of a 12 carbon acyl chain was required for normal CERK activity, and the 4-5 trans double bond was important for substrate recognition. A significant discrimination by CERK was not observed between ceramides with long saturated and long unsaturated fatty acyl chains. Methylation of the primary hydroxyl group resulted in a loss of activity, confirming that CERK produces ceramide-1-phosphate versus ceramide-3-phosphate. In addition, methylation of the secondary hydroxyl group drastically decreased the phosphorylation by CERK. These results also indicated that the free hydrogen of the secondary amide group is critical for substrate recognition. Lastly, the sphingoid chain was also required for substrate recognition by CERK. Together, these results indicate a very high specificity for substrate recognition by CERK, explaining the use of ceramide and not sphingosine or diacylglycerol as substrates.