cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Optimal and Distributed Feedback Voltage Control Under Limited Reactive Power

In this paper, we propose a distributed voltage control in power distribution networks through reactive power compensation. The proposed control can (i) operate in a distributed fashion where each bus makes its decision based on local voltage measurements and communication with neighbors, (ii) always satisfy the reactive power capacity constraint, (iii) stabilize the voltage magnitude in an acceptable range, and (iv) minimize an operational cost.
Differences in running biomechanics between a maximal, traditional, and minimal running shoe.

Abstract Objectives Previous studies comparing shoes based on the amount of midsole cushioning have generally used shoes from multiple manufacturers, where factors outside of stack height may contribute to observed biomechanical differences in running mechanics between shoes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare ground reaction forces and ankle kinematics during running between three shoes (maximal, traditional, and minimal) from the same manufacturer that only varied in stack height. Design Within-participant repeated measures Methods Twenty recreational runners ran overground in the laboratory in three shoe conditions (maximal, traditional, minimal) while three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data were collected using a 3D motion capture system and two embedded force plates. Repeated measures ANOVAs (α = .05) compared biomechanical data between shoes. Results While the loading rate was significantly greater in the minimal shoe compared to the maximal shoe, no other differences were seen for the ground reaction force variables. Peak eversion was greater in the maximal and minimal shoe compared to the traditional shoe, while eversion duration and eversion at toe-off were greater in the maximal shoe. Conclusions Previously cited differences in ground reaction force parameters between maximal and traditional footwear may be due to factors outside of midsole stack height. The eversion mechanics in the maximal shoes from this study may place runners at a greater risk of injury. Disagreement between previous studies indicates that more research on maximal running shoes is needed.
Primary pulmonary undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (PPUPS)

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is a high-grade pleomorphic neoplasm with no identifiable line(s) of differentiation using currently available diagnostic techniques. Therefore, it is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion, which requires generous tissue sampling, adequate contextually interpreted immunohistochemistry, and relevant molecular studies. UPS is a common soft tissue sarcoma (historically one of the entities referred to as malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH)), which can develop in various organs, but lung involvement is usually due to metastasis. Primary Pulmonary UPS (PPUPS) is exceptionally rare and here we present a 66-year-old man who presented with anemia and weight loss, found to have a 17 cm right lung mass with invasion to the chest wall and diaphragm. Extensive sampling and immunohistochemistry studies failed to reveal any line of differentiation. Upon exclusion of a possible extrapulmonary origin, a diagnosis of PPUPS was rendered. In addition, we reviewed all 84 previously reported cases of PPUPS/PPMFH in the literature since 1979 and summarized the clinical information.
Byzantine-Tolerant Register in a System with Continuous Churn.

A shared read/write register emulation provides the illusion of shared-memory on top of message-passing models. The main hurdle with such emulations is dealing with server faults in the system. Several crash-tolerant register emulations in static systems require algorithms to replicate the value of the shared register onto a majority of servers. Majority correctness is necessary for such emulations. Byzantine faults are considered to be the worst kind of faults that can happen in any distributed system. Emulating a Byzantine-tolerant register requires replicating the register value on to more than two-thirds of the servers. Emulating a register in a dynamic system where servers and clients can enter and leave the system and be faulty is harder than in static systems. There are several crash-tolerant register emulations for dynamic systems. This paper presents the first emulation of a multi-reader multi-writer atomic register in a system that can withstand nodes continually entering and leaving, imposes no upper bound on the system size and can tolerate Byzantine servers. The algorithm works as long as the number of servers entering and leaving during a fixed time interval is at most a constant fraction of the system size at the beginning of the interval, and as long as the number of Byzantine servers in the system is at most f. Although our algorithm requires that there be a constant known upper bound on the number of Byzantine servers, this restriction is unavoidable, as we show that it is impossible to emulate an atomic register if the system size and maximum number of servers that can be Byzantine in the system is unknown to the nodes.
Exploring local meaning-making resources: A case study of a popular Chinese internet meme (biaoqingbao)

Abstract This study examines various combinations of visual and textual meaning-making resources in a popular Chinese meme. The meme features an exogenous image – the grinning facial expression of a U.S. wrestler, D’Angelo Dinero – that has been recontextualized into numerous other visual texts, to create semiotic ensembles with local meanings, which are then distributed across Chinese social media platforms. We analyzed 60 of these image macros, and our findings show that local meanings are created when Dinero’s facial expression is blended with visual references to Chinese digital culture, Chinese popular culture, Chinese social class issues, Chinese politics, and Chinese institutions. The majority of textual elements in the image macros are Chinese; however, the handful of examples that also include other languages typically involve multilingual wordplay and carnivalesque themes. We argue that although the multivalency of the wrestlers’ facial expression invites interpretations of a wide range of affective meanings, an overarching rebellious or transgressive stance is consistent across individual texts.
chapter 3 – Web Services

Publisher Summary Web Services are platform-independent and language-independent, because they use standard XML languages. This means that the client program can be developed in C++ and running under Windows, while the Web service is programmed in Java and running under Linux. Most Web Services use HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) for transmitting messages (such as the service request and response). One of the oft-cited advantages of Web Services is the fact that they lend themselves naturally to build loosely coupled systems. These types of systems are more scalable than strongly coupled systems, and impose fewer architectural requirements on the actual implementation of the Web services. Web services also have some disadvantages: (1) Transmitting all the data in XML is obviously not as efficient as using a proprietary binary code, (2) Web Services are relatively new and, although the core specifications that deal with fundamental languages (XML, WSDL, …) and protocols (HTTP, SOAP, …) are pretty stable, the world of Web Services is still evolving at a fast pace. Standards dealing with more advanced capabilities expected from distributed systems, such as transactions and security, are either very new or still in the works. SOAP and WSDL are essential parts of the Web Services Architecture. Despite having a lot of protocols and languages floating around, Web Services programmers usually only have to concentrate on writing code in their favorite programming language and, in some cases, in writing WSDL (Web Services Description Language). SOAP code, on the other hand, is always generated and interpreted automatically.
Pleasing the Principal: U.S. Influence in World Bank Policymaking

How do policies in international organizations reflect the preferences of powerful institutional stakeholders? Using an underutilized data set on the conditions associated with World Bank loans, we find that borrower countries that vote with the United States at the United Nations are required to enact fewer domestic policy reforms, and on fewer and softer issue areas. Though U.S. preferences permeate World Bank decision making, we do not find evidence that borrower countries trade favors in exchange for active U.S. intervention on their behalf. Instead, we propose that U.S. influence operates indirectly when World Bank staff—consciously or unconsciously—design programs that are compatible with U.S. preferences. Our study provides novel evidence of World Bank conditionality and shows that politicized policies can result even from autonomous bureaucracies.
Caffeinated Interfaces Enhance Alkaline Hydrogen Electrocatalysis

The high Pt loading required for hydrogen oxidation (HOR) and evolution (HER) reactions in alkaline fuel cells and electrolyzers adversely impacts the system cost. Here, we demonstrate the use of c...
Exploring the Potential of 3D-printing in Biological Education: A Review of the Literature

Science education is most effective when it provides authentic experiences that reflect professional practices and approaches that address issues relevant to students' lives and communities. Such educational experiences are becoming increasingly interdisciplinary and can be enhanced using digital fabrication. Digital fabrication is the process of designing objects for the purpose of fabricating with machinery such as 3D-printers, laser cutters, and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines. Historically, these types of tools have been exceptionally costly and difficult to access; however, recent advancements in technological design have been accompanied by decreasing prices. In this review, we first establish the historical and theoretical foundations that support the use of digital fabrication as a pedagogical strategy to enhance learning. We specifically chose to focus attention on 3D-printing because this type of technology is becoming increasingly advanced, affordable, and widely available. We systematically reviewed the last 20 years of literature that characterized the use of 3D-printing in biological education, only finding a total of 13 articles that attempted to investigate the benefits for student learning. While the pedagogical value of student-driven creation is strongly supported by educational literature, it was challenging to make broad claims about student learning in relation to using or creating 3D-printed models in the context of biological education. Additional studies are needed to systematically investigate the impact of student-driven creation at the intersection of biology and engineering or computer science education.
Optimizing Vaccine Allocation to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract The outbreak of COVID-19 has spurred extensive research worldwide to develop a vaccine. However, when a vaccine becomes available, limited production and distribution capabilities will likely lead to another challenge: who to prioritize for vaccination to mitigate the near-end impact of the pandemic? To tackle that question, this paper first expands a state-of-the-art epidemiological model, called DELPHI, to capture the effects of vaccinations and the variability in mortality rates across subpopulations. It then integrates this predictive model into a prescriptive model to optimize vaccine allocation, formulated as a bilinear, non-convex optimization model. To solve it, this paper proposes a coordinate descent algorithm that iterates between optimizing vaccine allocations and simulating the dynamics of the pandemic. We implement the model and algorithm using real-world data in the United States. All else equal, the optimized vaccine allocation prioritizes states with a large number of projected cases and sub-populations facing higher risks (e.g., older ones). Ultimately, the optimized vaccine allocation can reduce the death toll of the pandemic by an estimated 10–25%, or 10,000–20,000 deaths over a three-month period in the United States alone. Highlights –This paper formulates an optimization model for vaccine allocation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This model, referred to as DELPHI–V–OPT, integrates a predictive epidemiological model into a prescriptive model to support the allocation of vaccines across geographic regions (e.g., US states) and across risk classes (e.g., age groups). –This paper develops a scalable coordinate descent algorithm to solve the DELPHI–V–OPT model. The proposed algorithm converges effectively and in short computational times. Therefore, the proposed approach can be implemented efficiently, and allows extensive sensitivity analyses for scenario planning and policy analysis. –Computational results demonstrate that optimized vaccine allocation strategies can curb the death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic by an estimated at 10–25%, or 10,000–20,000 deaths over a three-month period in the United States alone. These results highlight the critical role of vaccine allocation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to vaccine design and vaccine production.
How to Measure Pain

Pain is a multi-faceted symptom. Effective pain assessment involves properly defining the pain syndrome, utilizing various assessment tools, and recognizing different conditions which may affect the expression and the management of pain. Pain results from multiple physical and psychosocial etiological interplay. It has traditionally been categorized as acute or chronic with chronic pain having been categorized further into 6 categories in ICD 11. At the same time, the opioid epidemic and the recent surge in cannabis popularity further complicates pain assessment and effective pain management. Adequate management of pain begins with proper assessment including conducting extensive medical and psychosocial history and physical examination, and utilizing various pain and substance risk assessment tools. An interdisciplinary team approach may be more effective in managing complex pain behaviors compared to a solo approach.
Physical activity among older African Americans: the role of diabetes diagnosis and mastery

The present study aims to investigate the effects of diabetes diagnosis and mastery on the frequency of light, moderate and vigorous physical activity, and to examine whether mastery moderates the ...
Robotic/Laparoscopic Duodenal Switch

The duodenal switch operation has been in practice for three decades. Until recently, most of these operations were performed by open technique. More recently, both laparoscopic and robotic techniques for performing the duodenal switch have been well described. These include, either stapled or hand sewn anastomoses. In addition, the operation can be performed as a loop version or a Roux-en-Y version of the operation. Our preference is to perform this operation using the robot for ergonomic reasons but the technique is quite similar when performed open, laparoscopically, or using the robot. This chapter describes minimally invasive ways of performing the duodenal switch using a hand-sewn technique, highlighting some differences between the robot and the laparoscopic approach, as well as, the loop in the standard Roux-en-Y technique.
Ethics, Economics, and the Specter of Naturalism: The Enduring Relevance of the Harmony Doctrine School of Economics

This article revisits the "harmony doctrine" school of economics (1835–1860) and its distinctive understanding of how ethics and economics intersect. Harmony doctrine thinkers staked out a “natural” understanding of economic phenomena that in many ways fused the classical political economy of Adam Smith with the earlier French Physiocratic School. Their metaphysically grounded interpretation was largely eclipsed by the developments of utilitarian and marginalist schools by the end of the nineteenth century. Yet harmony doctrine thinking adhered to a distinct understanding of how ethical processes and outcomes play out within the economic sphere that has to date gone under examined by business ethicists. This paper outlines three characteristics of harmony doctrine views: the belief in curative forces empowered to "heal" the economic order, a dichotomous interpretation of the economic realm that distinguishes the “natural” from the “artificial,” and an overarching belief in a harmonious social order actualized by cooperative interdependencies within economic enterprises. Despite falling into obscurity in the economic discipline, all these ideas found new life in intellectual currents of organizational and political thought at the turn of the twentieth century. After surveying these historical developments, this article concludes by demonstrating how harmony doctrine thinking helpfully illuminates persisting metaphysical dimensions of contemporary business ethics.
Data for Water Risks: Current Trends in Reporting Frameworks, Shortcomings, and the Way Forward

Water risks, such as scarcity, floods, or pollution, are receiving an increased attention by corporations and the financial community for the physical, regulatory, and reputational risks that they embed. Frameworks, metrics, and datasets are necessary to quantify water risks and assess their potential impacts. In this chapter, we describe the fast-evolving complex ecosystem of actors involved in the assessment and disclosure of water risks. We then review the content of corporate sustainability reports, the tools they rely on, and the underlying datasets in order to evaluate the gap between intention and actuality. Admittedly, water risks assessments are complex due to their multi-scale nature: They manifest locally, are sector specific, and are a function of climate and global trends, and ripple through the supply chains. However, the tremendous data gaps and blind spots that currently plague water-related disclosures in ESG reports may not only raise suspicion of blue washing corporate responsibility, but also hide significant financial vulnerability. We conclude with a discussion of the main data risks and propose strategies to address them.
A Berger-linear Buildup Approximation for Air.

ABSTRACT A combination of the Berger and the linear buildup approximations with the assumption of conservation of energy was fitted for air. The values predicted by this Berger-linear buildup approximation were generally more accurate than those predicted by the Berger approximation alone. Although it is not as accurate as the geometric-progression approximation, the Berger-linear approximation is analytically simpler and makes it easier to find analytical solutions for point source kernel shielding calculations.
Clothing as an environment for older adults' successful ageing

This research tested a conceptual model for proximity of clothing to self (PCS) in relation to age identity, self‐actualization, psychological well‐being, self‐assessed health, sex and chronological age among older adults, aged 65 and over, within the human ecological perspective. A mail survey was sent to a national random sample of 1700 older adults in the US resulting in 195 usable respondents in the final sample. The respondents returned two completed questionnaires, which were (1) Clothing: A Resource for Successful Aging? (to measure PCS, age identity and demographic variables) and (2) Personal Orientation Inventory (to measure self‐actualization). The results indicated that older adults' psychological well‐being, one component of successful ageing, was directly affected by their self‐assessed health, age identity and self‐actualization. PCS indirectly influenced individuals' psychological well‐being in a slightly negative way in later life. In sum, clothing may be used as a needs satisfier for different levels of needs or related more closely with needs in addition to self‐actualization needs for older adults. Further research should be conducted to explore relationships among PCS, different levels of human needs, clothing‐related variables and psychological well‐being for this age group. In practice, the effort should be given to teach the use of clothing (or other human‐built objects) as a tool or need satisfier to contribute to success in a person's later life by offering some educational or training programmes through local senior community centres or universities.
Review of Mathematical Principles and Applications in Food Processing

A variable is a quantity that can assume any value. In algebraic expressions, variables are represented by letters from the beginning and end of the alphabet. In physics and engineering, any letter of the alphabet and Greek letters are used as symbols for physical quantities. Any symbol may represent a variable if the value of the physical quantity it stands for is not fixed in the statement of the problem. In an algebraic expression, the letters from the beginning of the alphabet often represent constants, that is, their values are fixed. Thus, in the expression ax = 2by, x and y represent variables and a and b are constants.
Sorption of oxygen from solution by noble metals

Platinum electrodes in the form of beads or wires were permitted to sorb oxygen from O2-saturation H2SO4 solutions under steady-state conditions of constant current, constant potential, and open circuit. True areas were determined from constant current anodic pulses, and the amount of charge associated with the sorbed oxygen was determined from the measured transition times of potential-time traces obtained with constant current, cathodic stripping pulses. Two kinds of adsorption sites are identified with respect to the diffuculty with which the sorbed oxygen is removed by a cathodic stripping pulse. The strong adsorption sites are located in the skin of the metal (first 1 or 2 atom layers of the metal) and the sorbed oxygen on these sites corresponds to the so-called dermasorbed oxygen. Weak adsorption sites are located on the metal surface, and the sorbed oxygen on these sites is called adsorbed oxygen. Oxygen which is dissolved in the interior of the metal beyond the dermasorb region is called absorbed oxygen. The amount of oxygen sorbed is a function of the potential. Below 800 mV, sorbed oxygen could not be detected. The first oxygen to be sorbed appears above 800 mV on the surface adsorption sites but dermasorbed oxygen is not detected until potentials greater than 1000 mV are reached. Under open-circuit conditions, the maximum amount of surface adsorbed oxygen present at steady state (potential = 1060 mV) in O2-saturated acid solution is 30% of a monolayer. A complete layer of adsorbed oxygen (Pt—O) may be obtained with anodization at potentials of about 1600 mV. At higher potentials (>2000 mV), the Pt—O sites may be converted to PtO2 sites until a maximum of a monolayer of PtO2 is formed. Under open-circuit conditions, the PtO2 sites in the presence of Pt decompose to Pt—O sites. The equivalent of many complete layers of oxygen may be dissolved in the interior of the metal with anodic polarization, and this absorbed oxygen may replace any dermasorbed oxygen removed.
How and why a parasitic nematode jumps

Jumping is an unusual behaviour performed by some nematode species1, but has been seen only in the infective or phoretic stages of species associated with insects1,3. This correlation suggests that jumping may be involved in the location of insect hosts. We find that infective juveniles of the insect-parasitic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae, when standing on their tails, are triggered to jump by the presence of host-associated volatile cues, and that they tend to jump towards them. Directional jumping in response to information about insect proximity could be an adaptation for host attack by this parasite.
A comparison of nonlinear controllers on a single generator-infinite bus power system

This article explores the use of nonlinear output feedback control schemes as power system stabilizers (PSS). We apply five different control schemes to a single generator-infinite bus power system in order to compare their behavior. Specifically, we are interested in the controllers' ability to handle disturbances (model inaccuracies, measurement noise, etc.). The control methods used are fuzzy control, sliding mode control, two Lyapunov-based robust control methods and a standard linear PSS. It is found that the linear robust and fuzzy controllers had the best overall behavior.
The premature demise of public child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric beds : Part II: challenges and implications.

Psychiatric disorders are the leading reason for hospitalization among 5–19 year olds. Current data, however, suggest there are fewer than necessary available services for children and adolescents requiring intensive, inpatient psychiatric care. Children and adolescents with behavioral health problems, the majority of whom do not receive appropriate treatment, have increased risk of school failure, family disruption, out-of-home placements, poor employment opportunities, and poverty in adulthood. This paper will examine the challenges inherent in serving children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances, avenues of financing for treatment and services, and various loci of intervention for high-risk children, including inpatient settings and systems of care. The goals of this paper are to illustrate the complexities of working with children and adolescents most in need of intensive psychiatric services, to explore how inpatient services “fit” into existing treatment approaches, and to discuss the efficacy of downsizing or closing inpatient psychiatric units for this population.
Hand Surgery: A Clinical Atlas

Vincent R. Hentz and Robert A. Chase. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 2001. 852 pages. $249.00. This book is different from other books on hand surgery in that there are not multiple authors; rather, all of the material was written by Hentz and Chase. The book is an extension …
FTY720 Inhibits Ceramide Synthases and Up-regulates Dihydrosphingosine 1-Phosphate Formation in Human Lung Endothelial Cells

Novel immunomodulatory molecule FTY720 is a synthetic analog of myriocin, but unlike myriocin FTY720 does not inhibit serine palmitoyltransferase. Although many of the effects of FTY720 are ascribed to its phosphorylation and subsequent sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)-like action through S1P1,3–5 receptors, studies on modulation of intracellular balance of signaling sphingolipids by FTY720 are limited. In this study, we used stable isotope pulse labeling of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells with l-[U-13C, 15N]serine as well as in vitro enzymatic assays and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodology to characterize FTY720 interference with sphingolipid de novo biosynthesis. In human pulmonary artery endothelial cells, FTY720 inhibited ceramide synthases, resulting in decreased cellular levels of dihydroceramides, ceramides, sphingosine, and S1P but increased levels of dihydrosphingosine and dihydrosphingosine 1-phosphate (DHS1P). The FTY720-induced modulation of sphingolipid de novo biosynthesis was similar to that of fumonisin B1, a classical inhibitor of ceramide synthases, but differed in the efficiency to inhibit biosynthesis of short-chain versus long-chain ceramides. In vitro kinetic studies revealed that FTY720 is a competitive inhibitor of ceramide synthase 2 toward dihydrosphingosine with an apparent Ki of 2.15 μm. FTY720-induced up-regulation of DHS1P level was mediated by sphingosine kinase (SphK) 1, but not SphK2, as confirmed by experiments using SphK1/2 silencing with small interfering RNA. Our data demonstrate for the first time the ability of FTY720 to inhibit ceramide synthases and modulate the intracellular balance of signaling sphingolipids. These findings open a novel direction for therapeutic applications of FTY720 that focuses on inhibition of ceramide biosynthesis, ceramide-dependent signaling, and the up-regulation of DHS1P generation in cells.
Molecular properties of the Busycon hemocyanin--SDS complex with reference to its usefulness as a high molecular weight standard

Abstract Molluscan hemocyanins yield unusually large subunits in denaturing solvents. Because of their size and ease of preparation, these should be useful as standards in comparative methods of molecular weight determination such as polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or gel filtration in sodium dodecyl sulfate. The Busycon hemocyanin subunit-SDS complex (polypeptide MW = 300,000) has a Stokes radius, calculated from the frictional coefficient, of 170 A. The rate of migration of this complex in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration experiments is faster than one would predict on the basis of extrapolation of data for smaller protein-SDS complexes and would give erroneously low molecular weights in the former and high molecular weights in the latter. Several interpretations of this result are conceivable, one being that the conventional approach to data analysis in experiments of this kind may be invalid for very large complexes or when applied over a wide range of molecular size.
Some recent work on the philosophical foundations of criminal law

This collection brings together a dozen essays by some of the leading British and North American scholars working on philosophical issues in criminal law. The representation of four different fields among the authors (law, philosophy, political science and psychiatry) is an eloquent testimony to just how interdisciplinary "jurisprudence" or "philosophy of law" has become in recent years. Indeed, it is hardly an exaggeration to say that the fundamental conceptual and normative questions here cannot even be accurately identified, let alone resolved, without input from many different parts of the academic world. This is illustrated not only by the more wide-ranging of these papers (such as George Fletcher's attempt to distinguish between two radically different approaches to the issue of justification), but even by those with a decidedly narrower focus (such as Douglas Husak's and Andrew von Hirsch's inquiry into why AngloAmerican criminal law typically allows ignorance of fact, but not ignorance of law, as a defense). The reader may be somewhat surprised, however, to find that none of the essays in this volume is primarily concerned with what has traditionally been taken to be the fundamental philosophical problem in criminal law, namely, the justification of punishment. This omission, the editors point out, was quite deliberate, since one of their primary concerns was to help remedy the comparative neglect of a number of other issues in this area that are also of considerable philosophical interest. Hence, in addition to what has already been mentioned, each of the following is addressed by one or more of the contributors: the nature of action, the coherence
Measurement of maternal alcohol consumption in a pregnant population.

Alcohol is a known teratogenic substance that operates under a dose‐response mechanism. Before we conducted a larger study that examines the use of alcohol both before pregnancy and during pregnancy, it was important to pilot our method for measuring a pregnant mothers alcohol use that would allow us to capture the number of drinks consumed per day while addressing recall bias. The purpose of this study was 1) to pilot the Time Line Followback (TLFB) method developed by Sobell and Sobell (1992, Measuring Alcohol Use. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press) as a method for examining alcohol use during pregnancy and 2) to determine if the use of a study protocol that included biological markers of alcohol use would affect our ability to recruit subjects. Using a descriptive design, we tested our protocol for collecting alcohol use data with 10 mothers receiving prenatal care. We measured alcohol use using the TLFB method (Sobell and Sobell, 1992, Measuring Alcohol Use. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press, 1996). We also collected c...
Phonon drag effect in single-walled carbon nanotubes

A variational solution of the coupled electron-phonon Boltzmann equations is used to calculate the phonon drag contribution to the thermopower in a one-dimensional system. A simple formula is derived for the temperature dependence of the phonon drag in metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes. Scattering between different electronic bands yields nonzero values for the phonon drag as the Fermi level varies.
Model predictions of higher-order normal alkane ignition from dilute shock-tube experiments

Shock-induced oxidation of two higher-order linear alkanes was measured using a heated shock tube facility. Experimental overlap in stoichiometric ignition delay times obtained under dilute (99 % Ar) conditions near atmospheric pressure was observed in the temperature-dependent ignition trends of n-nonane (n-C9H20) and n-undecane (n-C11H24). Despite the overlap, model predictions of ignition using two different detailed chemical kinetics mechanisms show discrepancies relative to both the measured data as well as to one another. The present study therefore focuses on the differences observed in the modeled, high-temperature ignition delay times of higher-order n-alkanes, which are generally regarded to have identical ignition behavior for carbon numbers above C7. Comparisons are drawn using experimental data from the present study and from recent work by the authors relative to two existing chemical kinetics mechanisms. Time histories from the shock-tube OH* measurements are also compared to the model predictions; a double-peaked structure observed in the data shows that the time response of the detector electronics is crucial for properly capturing the first, incipient peak near time zero. Calculations using the two mechanisms were carried out at the dilution level employed in the shock-tube experiments for lean \({({\rm {\phi}} = 0.5)}\), stoichiometric, and rich \({({\rm {\phi}} = 2.0)}\) equivalence ratios, 1230–1620 K, and for both 1.5 and 10 atm. In general, the models show differing trends relative to both measured data and to one another, indicating that agreement among chemical kinetics models for higher-order n-alkanes is not consistent. For example, under certain conditions, one mechanism predicts the ignition delay times to be virtually identical between the n-nonane and n-undecane fuels (in fact, also for all alkanes between at least C8 and C12), which is in agreement with the experiment, while the other mechanism predicts the larger fuels to ignite progressively more slowly.
Boundary-layer behavior on a continuous porous flat surface moving in a parallel free stream

On etudie l'ecoulement et le transfert de chaleur sur une surface mobile avec aspiration ou injection et generation ou absorption de chaleur
The potential of 5' nuclease PCR for detecting a single-base polymorphism in Orthopoxvirus.

Abstract A fluorogenic 5′ nuclease PCR assay was evaluated for its ability to specifically detect and differentiate DNA of two Orthopoxvirus species. A pair of consensus primers that target a DNA segment of the Orthopoxvirus haemagglutinin gene, and two oligonucleotide probes, each labelled with a different fluorescent reporter dye and the same quencher dye, were used in a single-tube assay. The assay is based on the 5′→3′ nuclease activity of AmpliTaq DNA polymerase that cleaves a fluorescein-labelled hybridized probe. Probe cleavage generates specific fluorescent signals whose intensity can be quantified by fluorometry. After evaluating the effects of various annealing temperatures and probe concentrations and normalizing the emission intensities of the reporter dyes, it was possible to detect and differentiate monkeypox and vaccinia virus DNAs on the basis of a single-base polymorphism. The sensitivity of the 5′ nuclease PCR assay is comparable to the sensitivity of ethidium bromide-stained gels, but the assay provides higher specificity and virtually eliminates the need for laborious post-PCR processing.
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor C Is Upregulated in Human Uterine Fibroids and Regulates Uterine Smooth Muscle Cell Growth

Leiomyomata uteri (i.e., uterine fibroids) are benign tumors arising from the abnormal growth of uterine smooth muscle cells (SMCs). We show here that the expression of platelet-derived growth factor C (PDGFC) is higher in approximately 80% of uterine fibroids than in adjacent myometrial tissues examined. Increased expression of PDGFC is also observed in fibroid-derived SMCs (fSMCs) relative to myometrial-derived SMCs (mSMCs). Recombinant bioactive PDGFCC homodimer stimulates the growth of fSMCs and mSMCs in ex vivo cultures and prolongs the survival of fSMCs in Matrigel plugs implemented subcutaneously in immunocompromised mice. The knockdown of PDGF receptor-alpha (PDGFRA) through lentiviral-mediated RNA interference reduces the growth of fSMCs and mSMCs in ex vivo cultures and in Matrigel implants. Furthermore, two small molecule inhibitors of the PDGFR tyrosine kinase (i.e., imatinib and dasatinib) exerted negative effects on fSMC and mSMC growth in ex vivo cultures, albeit at concentrations that cannot be achieved in vivo. These results suggest that the PDGFCC/PDGFRA signaling module plays an important role in fSMC and mSMC growth, and that the upregulation of PDGFC expression may contribute to the clonal expansion of fSMCs in the development of uterine fibroids.
The Politics of Community: Education, Indigenous Rights, and Ethnic Mobilization in Peru

Wrapping an alpaca blanket around my body, already layered with thermal underwear, two long-sleeved shirts, a sweater, and a fleece jacket, I sat huddled close to Juana,1 a good friend and the director of a small school in Ccara, a community in a harshly cold and desolate region of Cuzco, Peru. We were listening to a small group of self-labeled authorities on education policy, including a representative of the Peruvian government's regional education center, a teacher-trainer from a local nongovernmental organization (NGO) involved in education programs in the area, a health specialist from the nearest medical post (about a five-hour walk away), and a teacher from a community near the highland city of Cuzco. Packed into one of the three classrooms that made up the school, women and men from Ccara listened patiently to the reasons the visitors presented for the forthcoming change in their children's education. By way of introduction, the NGO representative proudly informed them that Ccara had been chosen as one of ten communities that the Ministry of Education in Lima (the Peruvian capital) had recently added to its jurisdiction. This meant, among other things, that teaching at their school would no longer be conducted in Spanish only.
CONTIGUOUS WITHDRAWAL CONDITIONING: A MODEL FOR PUNISHMENT

~zsmma~~.-~he study was intended to extend Denny's elicitation theory, which accounts for reinforcement effects through contiguously conditioned approach responses, to [he treatment of punishment. This treatment would test on a demonstration of contiguously conditioned withdrawal responses to stimuli which have been paired with the onset of an aversive stimulus. Two groups of 20 male rats were trained in random order in a standard Skinner box. Experimental Ss received 25 trials in which the onset of a 6-w light was paired with the onset of a 1-ma. shock. Controls received 25 presentations of the light and shock, bur these were presented uncorrelared with one another. Ss were rested individually in a modified T-maze. A 6-w light was presented in one of the T-arms, randomly selected. Of 20 experimental Ss 17 withdrew from the light but only 9 of 20 control Ss withdrew. The difference between proportions was significant (p < .01). The findings are taken as allowing the extension of Denny's theory to account for punishment. According to the theory of reinforcement conceived by M. Ray Denny (Denny & Adelman, 1955; Denny, 1967, 1971), reinforcement effects are based on the elicitation of approach behavior by stimuli thac have systematically preceded positive reinforcers. Positive reinforcers are viewed as being unconditioned elicitors of approach behavior. The approach behavior elicited by a reinforcer is considered to become conditioned to preceding stimuli by operation of the contiguity principle. An obvious advantage of Denny's theory is that it may allow treatment of all instances of learning by a single set of principles centered around Guthrie's ( 1960 ) notion of association by contiguity. A recent experiment (Haraway, Wirth, & Maples, 1974) demonstrated thac approach behavior can indeed be established by contiguous conditioning per le. A flashing light was paired with Ss' daily feeding for 11 consecutive days according to a paradigm of classical conditioning. Following this conditioning the flashing light functioned as an approach stimulus in a shuttle box, eliciting approach significantly more readily in experimental than in control Ss. Thus, the conditioned approach behavior conceived by Denny as the basis of reinforcement has been shown to be obtainable in fact. It is easy to imagine a treatment of punishment that would be analogous to Denny's model of reinforcement. Such a treaunent would view aversive stimuli as unconditioned elicitors of withdrawal behavior and would be based on contiguously conditioned withdrawal rather than on approach. The present experimenr was designed to demonstrate contiguous conditioning of withdrawal behavior and, by so doing, to permit extension of Denny's reinforcement theory to encompass punishment as well as reinforcement.
Hydrogen-oxygen titration method for the measurement of supported palladium surface areas

Abstract The titration by means of hydrogen or deuterium at 100 °C of oxygen preadsorbed on a supported palladium catalyst has been used to measure the dispersion of the palladium. Results agree with those obtained by X-ray line broadening and chemisorption of oxygen or carbon monoxide. The titration, which is done at pressures where a negligible amount of bulk hydride forms, has distinct advantages over the other methods.
How ‘Green’ Are North American Hotels? An Exploration of Low-Cost Adoption Practices

Abstract This study analyzed the so-called “green,” or environmentally friendly, practices of American hotels. As such, it examined how green hotels in the United States are regarding no-cost or low-cost practices. Respondents included 166 hotels, which were identified through a random sample of hotels from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and included chain and independent properties as well as properties of various sizes (based on the number of rooms). The study findings show that chain hotels were at the time of the study stronger adopters of green practices than independent hotels were, likely due to leveraging economies of scale through uniform corporate practices. In addition, hotels in the Midwest were found to be the most environmentally friendly in terms of their use of no-cost or low-cost green practices. Additional results indicated that size (classified by number of rooms) had little effect on the extent to which hotels were trying to manage energy consumption.
Limited Engagement: The Quiet American as History

Among the most intensely absorbed viewers of John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath (1940) was Adolf Hitler, who knew almost nothing of the United States but who observed how degenerate the “Okies” had become. He believed that immigration had already mongrelized the general populace and, since even farmers of Anglo-Saxon stock had succumbed to racial disintegration, the Americans would be pushovers for the Wehrmacht. This particular movie-goer failed to notice the resilience and endurance also flickering on the screen; and it would be foolish to claim that his decision to declare war on the United States was based only upon a misinterpretation of The Grapes of Wrath (which he watched several times). But since no treaty obligation compelled the Third Reich to make war, after Pearl Harbor, upon an industrial power of which the Fuhrer was so ignorant, any analysis of his motives must remain speculative. It may have been a mad urge for apocalyptic destructiveness (and self-destructiveness), springing from subterranean depths that the psychobiographer can fathom more readily than the military or diplomatic historian. Perhaps Hitler's miscalculation was not utterly irrational: with Holland's surrender in 1940, its place as the world's nineteenth largest army was ceded to the Americans.
A supraconvergent scheme for nonlinear hyperbolic systems

Abstract Supraconvergent difference schemes are methods for which the local truncation error degrades when applied to an irregular mesh, yet the observed error in the solution is as good as if the mesh were uniform. For a version of the Lax-Wendroff scheme requiring the computation of the Jacobian we show that superconvergence holds on an arbitrary grid (one-dimensional). For the standard version we present a computation which shows that second order accuracy is not always maintained, but the convergence is better than first-order.
Laboratory performance of an ice-on-coil, thermal-energy storage system for residential and light commercial applications

Although thermal-energy storage (TES) systems for peak-load shifting are now in the market, very few performance testing and evaluation procedures have been developed. Measurements were made to quantify space-cooling, space-heating, and domestic water-heating but the emphasis was on space-cooling performance of the unit. The TES system was tested over a wide range of indoor and outdoor conditions to determine parameters such as ice building rate, compressor power, cooling rate, heating rate, desuperheater rate, energy efficiency ratio, and power consumption factor.
BTeV, a dedicated B experiment at Fermilab

Abstract BTeV is a proposed second generation detector designed to do in-depth studies of CP violation and rare B and charm decays. This forward collider detector is designed to operate at the Fermilab Tevatron. Among the unique features of the experiment are a central dipole magnet and a Level I vertex trigger.
Optimization of Intravascular Shear Stress and Oxidative Stress Assessment in Vivo

To assess shear stress in the tortuous and dynamic arterial circulation, we developed polymer- and catheter-based sensors that are both flexible and deployable. The flexible MEMS device provides an entry point to address spatial and temporal components of shear stress in the complicated arterial configuration. Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses were performed. Fluoroscope and angiogram provided the geometry of aorta, and the Doppler ultrasound provided the pulsatile velocity for the boundary conditions. The development of micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) and nano-scale sensors in our group have provided a means to undertake study of atherogenic hemodynamics and vascular oxidative stress in localizing early atherosclerosis.Copyright © 2009 by ASME