cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alcohol consumption may lead to periodontitis

Original Article Pitiphat W, Merchant AT, Rimm EB, Joshipura KJ. Alcohol consumption increases periodontitis risk. J Dent Res 2003;82(7):509-13. Level of Evidence 2b Purpose To determine whether alcohol consumption increases risk for development of periodontitis Source of Funding Government (NIH) Type of Study/Design Cohort study
Status of the development of a 128x128 microshutter array

We are developing a lithography process for a 2D array of microshutters which can be used as a high efficiency, high contrast field selection device for a multi-objects spectrometer for the Next Generation Space Telescope. The device is a close- packed array of shutters with an individual shutter size of 100 micrometers square and area filling factor of about 80 percent, produced in a 100 micrometers thick silicon wafer. Our current array size is 128 by 128. Ech shutter made of silicon nitride with an appropriate optical coating, pivots on a torsion flexure along one edge. A CMOS circuit embedded in the frame around the shutters allows individual selection. An original double-shutter mechanism is employed for actuation. Processing includes anisotropic back etching for wafer thinning, a DRIE back etch through the silicon to the mechanical active nitride membrane and a RIE to produce the shutters out of the nitride membrane. Our layout is based on a detailed mechanical analysis for which we determined crucial material parameters experimentally.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hoisted on their own petard? Business and human rights

Although there is a voluminous literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR), there has been a conspicuous silence on what constitutes a socially responsible corporate stance regarding workers in situations that fall within the boundaries of internationally accepted human rights standards. Corporate statements typically avoid any discussion of what a given human right might mean in practice or whether there is some generally accepted statement of what the right means. To highlight the tension between traditional notions of CSR and emerging soft law on the human rights responsibilities of business, this paper reviews the employers' position at the 2012 International Labour Conference challenging the meaning of one International Labour Organization (ILO) core convention. This paper reviews company codes of conduct and how company reporting mechanisms relate to the ILO fundamental principles that embody human rights in the work context. In light of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact and the UN Huma...
Thermodynamics of formation of yttrium-magnesium intermediate phases

Abstract Three intermediate phases occur in the yttrium-magnesium system. The γ-phase is isostructural with CsCl and has a range of homogeneity of ~ 2 at.%. The Δ-phase is isostructural with MgZn2 and is essentially invariant in stoichiometry. The e-phase crystallizes with the α-manganese structure and a limiting stoichiometry of Y5Mg24 at the peritectic temperature; at temperatures below the peritectic decomposition the stoichiometry is more magnesium-rich with a range of homogeneity of ~ 3 at.%. The free energies of phase formation have been determined from measurement of magnesium vapor pressures over a series of alloys while the enthalpies of phase formation have been determined calorimetrically with a differential acid solution calorimeter. Combination of the data yield the following values for the thermodynamic functions associated with phase formation respectively of YMg, YMg2 and Y5Mg24: ΔF°298 = −2.9 ± 0.2, −3.0 ± 0.2, −1.9 ± 0.2 kcal/g atom; ΔH°298 = −3.0 ± 0.3, − 3.4 ± 0.3, −1.8 ± 0.2 kcal/g atom; ΔS°298 = −0.3 ± 0.4, −1.3 ± 0.4, +0.4 ± 0.3 eu/g atom. Both the enthalpy and entropy of formation correlate with the volume contractions which accompany phase formation.
Learning variable and stereotypical sequences of responses: Some data and a new model.

In a left-right (L-R) choice situation, pigeons were exposed to a frequency-dependent schedule that selectively reinforced either the momentarily least-frequent pairs of responses (Experiment 1), or the least-frequent triplets of responses (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, the birds developed various stereotypical response patterns including double alternation (i.e. RRLLRRLL…), the stable pattern that satisfied the schedule constraint. In Experiment 2, three out of four birds developed random-like behavior. A linear operator reinforcement model, in the tradition of Bush and Mosteller, accounted for the qualitative features of pigeons' behavior in frequency-dependent schedules: strict alternation (i.e. RLRL…) when the schedule selectively reinforces the least-frequent individual response, double alternation when the least-frequent pairs are selectively reinforced, random-like behavior when the least-frequent triplets are selectively reinforced, and various stereotypical response patterns apparently not related to the target of selection.
From #RenishaMcBride to #RememberRenisha: Locating Our Stories and Finding Justice

“Is hashtag activism real activism?” I am often asked this question. It is an odd question that I have found leads to unwieldy debates. This essay, however, does not engage the question of whether ...
Vibro-acoustography imaging of permanent prostate brachytherapy seeds in an excised human prostate : Preliminary results and technical feasibility

Abstract Objective: The objective in this work is to investigate the feasibility of using a new imaging tool called vibro-acoustography (VA) as a means of permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB) seed localization to facilitate post-implant dosimetry (PID). Methods and materials: Twelve OncoSeed (standard) and eleven EchoSeed (echogenic) dummy seeds were implanted in a human cadaver prostate. Seventeen seeds remained after radical retropubic prostatectomy. VA imaging was conducted on the prostate that was cast in a gel phantom and placed in a tank of degassed water. 2-D magnitude and phase VA image slices were obtained at different depths within the prostate showing location and orientation of the seeds. Results: VA demonstrates that twelve of seventeen (71%) seeds implanted were visible in the VA image, and the remainder were obscured by intra-prostatic calcifications. Moreover, it is shown here that VA is capable of imaging and locating PPB seeds within the prostate independent of seed orientation, and the resulting images are speckle free. Conclusion: The results presented in this research show that VA allows seed detection within a human prostate regardless of their orientation, as well as imaging intra-prostatic calcifications.
Effect of acid pH, salts, and temperature on the infectivity and physical integrity of enteroviruses

At 2 degrees and 30 degrees C, enteroviruses are more stable on the acid than on the alkaline side of neutrality. In the range from pH 3 to 9, temperature is so influential that the fastest inactivation rate at 2 degrees C is slower than the slowest inactivation rate at 30 degrees C. Specific ions or salts also affect the rate of inactivation of enteroviruses. NaCl and other chloride salts enhance the inactivation of poliovirus at pH 3. NaCl is considerably less effective against poliovirus in the range of pH 4.5 to 7.0 than at pH less than 4.5. Loss of RNA infectivity of the virus particle proceeds as rapidly as the loss of infectivity of the particle itself, except at pH 3 in the presence of MgCl2. Inactivation results in alterations to the physical integrity of enteroviruses. At pH 5 and 7, RNA hydrolysis of poliovirus particles occurs; and at pH3, 5,6, and 7 the nucleic acid becomes susceptible to ribonuclease. Only virus particles inactivated at pH 3 show a sensitivity to chymotrypsin. The hemagglutinins of echovirus type 7 are destroyed during inactivation at pH 3,4,5, and 6; but at pH 6 this alteration precedes the loss of infectivity. The pH of the suspension is a primary determinant of the mechanism of virus destruction and possibly of the loss of infectivity at these temperatures.
Numerical modeling of chemically buoyant mantle plumes at spreading ridges

The geometry of spreading of plumes beneath midoceanic ridges is investigated by three-dimensional numerical modeling, with the goal of characterizing the width of the plume along the ridge, or the “waist width”. Chemically buoyant plumes are modeled, in order to compare to previously reported laboratory tank experiments. The plume is generated near the bottom of the box and rises and forms a mushroom-head with some entrainment of surrounding fluid. The head flattens at a considerable depth beneath the ridge before rising to the surface. Once the plume reaches the surface the head is quickly divided by the diverging plates, and the waist width is found to have reached a steady-state value, W. The results show that W is proportional to the square root of the volumetric flux of the plume divided by the diverging plate speed, which is consistent with previously reported experimental data. Our scaling law gives an independent method for estimating the volumetric flux of mantle plumes. The calculated plume fluxes are two to four times larger than previous estimates. If plume buoyancy is purely of thermal origin, then excess temperatures can be estimated from the fluxes. For Iceland, Azores and the Galapagos, the calculated excess temperatures are 140, 57, and 51°C respectively, in agreement with recent, independent estimates from modeling of gravity and bathymetry.
Evaluation of publicity measures relating to the EU beef labelling system in Belgium

Abstract In response to growing consumer concerns about beef safety, the European Commission enacted several regulations concerning the identification and registration of bovine animals and compulsory labelling of beef and beef products. Additionally, the Commission provided funds for informing consumers about the guarantees offered by the traceability systems and the indicators on labels. This paper focuses on the evaluation of such publicity measures in Belgium during September 2000. The publicity campaign included a mass media advertisement with direct response components, and the distribution of a detailed information leaflet. The evaluation methodology includes cross-sectional data collection through consumer surveys pre and post the publicity event. The compulsory beef label indicators emerge as the least important and least attended cues by beef consumers. While the mass media advertisement scored well in terms of recall rate, informative content evaluation, and restoration of consumer confidence in beef, the direct response component and leaflet distribution were less successful. Implications pertain to the future planning and implementation of similar consumer information policies and publicity campaigns.
The Coming of the Devi: Adivasi Assertion in Western India

In 1922 the Adivasis of Western India were commanded by a goddess - or Devi - to change their established way of life. Their collective efforts to obey this goddess quickly brought them into conflict with the locally dominant class of landlords and liquor dealers. What began as a religious movement was thus transformed into a struggle for Adivasi assertion. In this book, David Hardiman argues that the study of such struggles can throw much light on the important themes of the religiosity of peasant consciousness, the transmission of political messages amongst the peasantry, the transition to capitalism in rural India, the continuing struggle by the peasantry against both feudal and bourgeois hegemony, and the nature of the Indian nationalist movement at village level.
Identification of state variables and dynamic inflow from rotor model dynamic tests

The paper describes methods for extracting unknown state variables and parameters from dynamic rotor model tests given transient cyclic pitch stirring inputs, blade root flap-bending measurements, and the form of the dynamic rotor equations, including a rotor dynamic inflow description, when none of the physical parameters are known. A simplified version of the maximum likelihood method seems best suited for this purpose. The measurement equation error covariance matrix is assumed constant during each iteration, but updated for the subsequent iteration. A detailed analysis of the suitability of the derived techniques for studying various rotor dynamic inflow effects is provided.
Asymptotic behavior of posterior distribution of the change-point parameter

In the asymptotic setting of change-point estimation the behavior of the posterior distribution and of Bayes procedures is studied. The limiting distribution is derived when the prior probabilities converge to geometric probabilities. This distribution is related to the infinite product of random matrices (or affine transforms of the real line). The situation with partially unknown pre- and after-change distributions is investigated. A condition for the limiting law of posterior probabilities to coincide with that for the known pre- and after-change distributions is derived.
Chemical weathering response to tectonic forcing: A soils perspective from the San Gabriel Mountains, California

Abstract What controls the chemical weathering of soils in tectonically active landscapes? Recent field and modeling studies suggest that tectonic forcing and associated increases in erosion rates may either promote or hinder soil chemical weathering. These competing trajectories are dependent on two primary controls: the availability of fresh minerals and their residence time on the landsurface. Here, we explore rates and extents of soil weathering in the San Gabriel Mountains of California, where previous work has measured clear tectonic fingerprints on rates of long term exhumation, hillslope erosion and landscape morphology. We quantify chemical weathering across this landscape by elemental analysis of soils, saprolites and bedrock on six sites that bracket the low-gradient hillslopes of the relict upland plateau and the high-gradient hillslopes at the margins of the tectonically-driven incising landscape. Average chemical depletion fractions, which measure weathering losses from soil relative to unweathered parent material, decrease with increasing elevation and decreasing temperature, reflecting a combination of climate influence and potential dust inputs from the Mojave Desert. Weathering fluxes from non-dust-affected sites with similar elevations, climates and lithology correlate with both erosion rates and hillslope gradient. On low-gradient hillslopes ( 25°), weathering intensities and rates both decrease as erosion rates increase and soils thin. At the highest denudation rates (> 300 t km − 2 y − 1 ), saprolite production is outpaced, and soils are produced directly from fractured rock. These patterns are consistent with those predicted by a previously published model for denudation–weathering relationships based on mineral weathering kinetics. Variable weathering extents in soils indicate that weathering in the SGM is largely kinetically limited. This study is the first to quantify decreases in both rates and extents of soil chemical weathering with increasing erosion rates, and suggests tectonic uplift in rapidly eroding and incising landscapes may not stimulate increased silicate weathering.
Organic-functionalized pure-silica-zeolite MFI low-k films

For all of the inorganic porous spin-on low-k films being developed today, a post-spin-on hydrophobic treatment is needed to reduce their moisture sensitivity. In the present work, we demonstrate that, for pure-silica-zeolite MFI spin-on low-k films, this extra hydrophobic treatment step can be potentially eliminated by using organic-functionalized pure-silica-zeolite MFI (OF PSZ MFI) nanoparticle suspension. Specifically, methyltrimethoxysilane was simply added to the synthesis solution for a PSZ MFI nanoparticle suspension that contains tetraethyl orthosilicate, tetrapropylammonium hydroxide, ethanol, and water. This approach takes advantage of the hydrophobic methyl groups in the zeolite nanocrystal framework as well as in amorphous silica in the low-k film. The improvement of the hydrophobicity of the spin-on film from this OF PSZ MFI nanoparticle suspension was demonstrated by the higher water contact angle of the film and less moisture sensitivity of the k value in an ambient atmosphere.
Hydrogel Design of Experiments Methodology to Optimize Hydrogel for iPSC‐NPC Culture

Bioactive signals can be incorporated in hydrogels to direct encapsulated cell behavior. Design of experiments methodology methodically varies the signals systematically to determine the individual and combinatorial effects of each factor on cell activity. Using this approach enables the optimization of three ligands concentrations (RGD, YIGSR, IKVAV) for the survival and differentiation of neural progenitor cells.
Why watermark?: the copyright need for an engineering solution

An important research component in the creation of the National Gallery of the Spoken Word (NGSW) is the development of watermarking technologies for the audio library. In this paper we argue that audio watermarking is a particularly desirable means of intellectual property protection. There is evidence that the courts consider watermarks to be a legitimate form of copyright protection. Watermarking facilitates redress, and represents a form of copyright protection that universities can use without being inconsistent in their mission to disseminate knowledge.
Nitrogen abundances and isotopic compositions in stony meteorites

Nitrogen contents range from a few parts per million in ordinary chondrites and achondrites to several hundred parts per million in enstatite chondrites and carbonaceous chondrites. Four major isotopic groups are recognized: (1) C1 and C2 carbonaceous chondrites, (2) enstatite chondrites, (3) C3 chondrites, and (4) ordinary chondrites. The major variations are primary, representing isotopic abundances established at the time of condensation and accretion. Secondary processes, such as spallation reactions, solar wind implantation and metamorphic loss may cause small but observable isotopic variations in particular cases. The large isotopic difference between enstatite chondrites and carbonaceous chondrites cannot be accounted for by equilibrium condensation from a homogeneous nebular gas, and requires either unusually large kinetic effects, or a temporal or spatial variation of isotopic composition of the nebula. Nitrogen isotopic heterogeneity in the nebula due to nuclear processes has not been firmly established, but may be required to account for the large variations found within the Allende and Leoville meteorites. The unique carbonaceous chondrite, Renazzo, also requires a special source. It is not yet possible, from the meteoritic data, to establish the mode of accretion of nitrogen onto the primitive earth.
Anisotropies in strain and quantum efficiency of strained GaAs grown on GaAsP

Abstract An anisotropy in the quantum efficiency (QE) has been observed in photoemission from strained GaAs photocathodes excited by linearly polarized light. The wavelength dependence of the anisotropy is closely correlated with that of the electron-spin polarization. Based on a theoretical analysis, we show that the QE anisotropy is caused by an in-plane strain anisotropy arising from anisotropic strain relaxation. The QE anisotropy calculated from the in-plane strain anisotropy measured with X-ray diffraction and the measured QE anisotropy are in good agreement.
Parameters for machine handling of alphabetic information

The following parameters for mechanization of bibliographical information are discussed: The universe must encompass a relatively large quantity of material; there must be multiple access to entries; material should respond to repeated rearrangement; the basic file must be susceptible of large change-rates; the subject field must lack good bibliographical control; the basic file must be one that is used frequently; the material should be needed in multiple physical locations.
Ballot Regulations and Multiparty Politics in the States

American politics is dominated by two major parties and has been for a century. The duopoly enjoyed by the Democrats and Republicans is largely the result of Duverger's Law: the tendency of a single-member district system to produce two-party competition (Duverger 1963). Minor parties ultimately fail in a single-member district system because (1) the winner-take-all approach does not reward candidates who finish third and (2) citizens vote strategically to avoid “wasting” their votes on hopeless candidates and spoiling the election (Cox 1997; Riker 1982). Because the U.S. two-party system is so dependent on its majoritarian electoral rules, one might suspect that other election regulations would have little effect on the number of parties.A longer version of this paper was presented at the conference, “2008 and Beyond: The Future of Election and Ethics Reform in the States,” Columbus, OH, January 16–17, 2007. I thank Richard Winger of Ballot Access News for comments and information.
WE NEVER CALL THE COPS AND HERE IS WHY: A QUALITATIVE EXAMINATION OF LEGAL CYNICISM IN THREE PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOODS*

This article presents data from the completed first wave of a multiwave comparative study of crime, danger, and informal social control that focuses on youth living in three high-crime neighborhoods in Philadelphia, PA (N= 147). The study is a purposive sample of delinquent and nondelinquent young men and women in one predominantly African-American, one predominantly Latino, and one predominantly white neighborhood, and researchers have completed in-depth interviews and self-reports with each subject. This article focuses on the narratives that youth living in high-crime neighborhoods build around their contact with police and the strategies the young people propose for crime reduction in their communities. The data illustrate that most youth in each neighborhood are negatively disposed toward police and that this is grounded in the lived experience of negative encounters with law enforcement. However, when youth expounded on what they thought would reduce crime, they overwhelmingly chose increased and tougher law enforcement. We analyze these findings to determine whether support exists for a subcultural approach or a cultural attenuation/procedural justice argument, and we explore the implications of our findings for community-based crime control.
Analysis of coupling of composite dielectric resonator structure using mode matching technique

A completely shielded dielectric resonator (DR) structure consisting of a DR placed on a dielectric substrate is considered. This configuration is compared with one that has a very-low-dielectric-constant spacer. Particularly, the coupling coefficient between the DR and the microstrip line is analyzed and evaluated by using the mode-matching technique, which is based on dividing the resonator structure into partial regions and regarding them as sections of dielectrically loaded waveguides. The propagation constants are found by solving the resulting transcendental equation by enforcing the continuity of the tangential field components inside each partial region and the condition of vanishing tangential electric field on the metallic enclosure. The numerical evaluation of the coupling is obtained for different DR materials and different substrate thicknesses. The electric field distributions inside the structure with and without the space are also evaluated and compared. >
Expression of AmphiHox-1 and AmphiPax-1 in amphioxus embryos treated with retinoic acid: insights into evolution and patterning of the chordate nerve cord and pharynx

Excess all-trans retinoic acid (RA) causes severe craniofacial malformations in vertebrate embryos: pharyngeal arches are fused or absent, and a rostrad expansion of Hoxb-1 expression in the hindbrain shows that anterior rhombomeres are homeotically respecified to a more posterior identity. As a corollary, neural crest migration into the pharyngeal arches is abnormal. We administered excess RA to developing amphioxus, the closest invertebrate relative of the vertebrates and thus a key organism for understanding evolution of the vertebrate body plan. In normal amphioxus, the nerve cord has only a slight anterior swelling, the cerebral vesicle, and apparently lacks migratory neural crest. Nevertheless, excess RA similarly affects amphioxus and vertebrates. The expression domain of AmphiHox-1 (homologous to mouse Hoxb-1) in the amphioxus nerve cord is also extended anteriorly. For both the amphioxus and mouse genes, excess RA causes either (1) continuous expression throughout the preotic hindbrain (mouse) and from the level of somite 7 to the anterior end of the nerve cord (amphioxus) or (2) discontinuous expression with a gap in rhombomere 3 (mouse) and a gap at the posterior end of the cerebral vesicle (amphioxus). A comparison of these expression patterns suggests that amphioxus has a homolog of the vertebrate hindbrain, both preotic and postotic. Although RA alters the expression of AmphiHox-1 expression in the amphioxus nerve cord, it does not alter the expression of AmphiHox-1 in presomitic mesoderm or of alkali myosin light chain (AmphiMlc-alk) in somites, and the axial musculature and notochord develop normally. The most striking morphogenetic effect of RA on amphioxus larvae is the failure of mouth and gill slits to form. In vertebrates effects of excess RA on pharyngeal development have been attributed solely to the abnormal migratory patterns of Hox-expressing cranial neural crest cells. This cannot be true for amphioxus because of the lack of migratory neural crest. Furthermore, expression of Hox genes in pharyngeal tissues of amphioxus has not yet been detected. However, the absence of gill slits in RA-treated amphioxus embryos correlates with an RA-induced failure of AmphiPax-1 to become down-regulated in regions of pharyngeal endoderm that would normally fuse with the overlying ectoderm. In vertebrates, RA might similarly act via Pax-1/9, also expressed in pharyngeal endoderm, to impair pharyngeal patterning.
Design and optimization of silicon-based patch antennas using time-domain techniques

The simulated results of a silicon-based microstrip patch antenna are presented. The antenna structure includes an additional layer of low permittivity material sandwiched between the antenna and the silicon substrate. The simulations are performed using two in-house computer codes that make use of the multi-resolution time domain (MRTD) and the finite difference time domain (FDTD) methods to solve for the electromagnetic fields. These techniques are used for the modeling and optimization of various silicon-based antennas.
Accelerated hearing loss in urban emergency medical services firefighters

A group of 192 firefighters serving in a busy urban emergency medical services (EMS) system was randomly selected for hearing tests. Total number of hours of siren noise exposure was calculated for each man and was compared to the outcome of hearing tests. Hearing loss was defined by the amount of sound intensity required to sense both midfrequency and high-frequency tones. Results indicated a correlation between hearing loss and the duration of siren noise exposure. The loss could not be attributed to non-job-related sources. In addition, the rate of hearing loss over time was 150% of that expected in age-matched, non-noise-exposed men. These findings confirm the observations of others that EMS personnel are at risk for hearing loss beyond that expected from aging alone, and they document that the hearing loss correlates with the duration of intense siren noise exposure.
Male-male competition and the sword in male swordtails, Xiphophorus helleri

Male green swordtails, Xiphophorus helleri, express a secondary sexual trait, the sword, which is favoured by female mate choice. However, the role of the sword as a signal in male–male competition has received little attention. We studied the effect of both male body size and sword length on the outcome of male–male competition. Although body size and natural sword length were positively correlated, only body size had a significant effect on competitive success. To examine the independent effect of sword length on competitive success, males were matched for body size and natural swords were replaced with plastic caudal attachments simulating swords. The attachments were of equal size but were painted to approximate swords of different lengths. When matched for body size, males with longer apparent swords won significantly more contests than males with shorter apparent swords. These data suggest that, controlling for body size, longer-sworded males experience greater competitive success. Thus, in green swordtails, it appears that both male–male competition and female choice may have played a role in the evolution of longer swords.
Prostate Specific Antigen Doubling Time Calculation: Not as Easy as 1, 2, 4

Purpose: Although prostate specific antigen doubling time is widely used to predict outcomes such as time to progression and prostate cancer specific mortality, clinicians may be unaware of the impact of method on prostate specific antigen doubling time calculation. We present a critical review of the literature to assess the diversity of methods used to calculate prostate specific antigen doubling time. We then describe the need for methodological consistency with the literature by showing examples from our clinical experience at our institution.Materials and Methods: A comprehensive review of articles evaluating prostate specific antigen doubling time as a prognostic and predictive indicator in various prostate cancer disease states was performed using PubMed. Case examples were drawn from the prostate cancer database at our institution. The database is a registry of 4,651 patients with prostate cancer who have been seen at our institution since 1998.Results: The methodology of prostate specific antigen...
Analysis of the melt viscosity and glass transition of polystyrene

The melt viscosity, the glass transition, and the effect of pressure on these are analyzed for polystyrene on the basis of the Tammann-Hesse viscosity equation: log η = log A + B/(T − T0). Evidence that the glass transition is an isoviscosity state (log ηg ≃ 13) for lower molecular weight fractions (M < Mc) is reviewed. For a polystyrene fraction of intermediate molecular weight (M ≃ 19,000; tg = 89°C.), it is shown that B is independent of the p–v–T state of the polymer liquid and that dT0/dP = dTg/dP. This is consistent with the postulate that B is determined by the internal barriers to rotation in the isolated polymer chain. Relationships are derived for flow “activation energies” at constant pressure and at constant volume, and for the “activation volume.” Values for polystyrene along the zero-pressure isobar and along the constant viscosity, glasstransition line are reported. For the latter, ΔVg* is constant and corresponds to about 10 styrene units. The “free volume” viscosity equation: log η = log A + b/2.3ϕ, is reexamined. For polystyrene and polyisobutylene, ϕg/b = 0.03, but ϕg and b themselves differ appreciably in these polymers. The parameter b is the product of an equilibrium term Δα and the kinetic term B, and none of these is a “universal” constant for different polymers. The physical significance of the free volume parameter ϕ, particularly with regard to the “excess” liquid volume, remains undefined. Two new relationships for dTg/dP, one an exact derivation and the other an empirical correlation, are presented.
A challenge in academia: Meeting the healthcare needs of the growing number of older adults

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to survey nurse practitioners (NPs) to determine their comfort level with knowledge about caring for individuals aged 65 years and older and to obtain their input on enhancing geriatric content in the educational preparation of advanced practice nurses who provide care to older adults but are not specialists in gerontology. Data sources: The sample consisted of 500 randomly selected NPs who were certified to practice in New York State. The Geriatric Curriculum Survey designed by the researchers was based on the 47 “Older Adult Care” competencies developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The survey was mailed to the subjects along with a stamped self-addressed envelope to facilitate its return. Two hundred and twenty–two surveys (44%) were returned. Conclusions: A majority of the respondents were comfortable with their assessment skill knowledge of individuals aged 65 years and older in all areas except those related to cultural/ethnic items. Over half of the respondents were only “somewhat comfortable” with knowledge of management of Alzheimer’s disease, delirium, dementia, neurological problems, polypharmacy, and sleep issues. Finally, respondents were asked to rate their knowledge comfort level on topics relevant to physical and psychosocial issues of individuals aged 65 years and older. The majority of respondents only felt “somewhat comfortable” with their knowledge on all but one of the nine items in this category. Health promotion and disease prevention was the only item that over 50% of the respondents felt “very knowledgeable” about. Ninety-five percent indicated they would be better prepared to care for individuals aged 65 years and older if a didactic course in geriatrics was required in their program of study. Seventy percent indicated they would consider taking an online course in geriatrics. Implications for practice: Based on the results of this study, an online, four-credit geriatric-focused course “Issues in Geriatric Management” was developed. The course is required in the acute care and adult NP programs. Eventually, this course will be offered as continuing education credit for practicing NPs. The offering of a course focused on geriatrics will help to better prepare NPs to care for the growing number of elderly in this country.
Metareasoning and the problem of small worlds

Practical decision theoretic reasoning requires the construction of local, problem-specific models in which attention is confined to a restricted universe of propositions. Such a restricted universe is called a small world. Managing the construction and revision of small world models can itself be viewed as a meta-level decision problem. This paper presents a theoretical framework for understanding and analyzing many of the issues associated with the management of small world models. >
Exposure to bisphenol A in Canada: invoking the precautionary principle

Over the past few years, scientists,[1][1] environmental advocates, regulatory agencies[2][2] and the mainstream press have given much attention to the possible harm to health posed by bisphenol A. Bisphenol A is one of the most manufactured chemicals worldwide — more than three million tonnes of
‘Call if You Have Trouble’: Mobile Phones and Safety among College Students

In theory, mobile phone use may have beneficial and harmful effects. Individuals may use mobile phones to call for help or report various dangers and emergencies, but they may also go places they would not normally go without the phone. To test the perceptions of safety and subsequent behavior associated with mobile phone use, we conducted two surveys. One survey of 317 undergraduates at The Ohio State University (OSU) found that most students reported having a mobile phone and feeling that it made them feel safer at night. A follow-up survey of 305 undergraduates at OSU found that about 40% of students with mobile phones stated that, with a mobile phone, they walked where they normally would not. However, smaller percentages said they used their mobile phones to call for help either in a crime or non-crime situation or to report an accident, a crime, a reckless driver or a hazardous situation. The results suggest favorable and unfavorable outcomes associated with the mobile phone. Although using it to call for help from a threat, crime, or to report other unsafe conditions has value, the increased perceived safety associated with it may lead students to engage in risky behavior that could increase their chances of becoming a victim. Future work should consider whether mobile phone use increases or decreases the likelihood of victimization and of catching a predator.
Efficient evaluation of circular attribute grammars

We present efficient algorithms for exhaustive and incremental evaluation of circular attributes under any conditions that guarantee finite convergence. The algorithms are derived from those for noncircular attribute grammars by partitioning the underlying attribute dependency graph into its strongly connected components and by ordering the evaluations to follow a topological sort of the resulting directed acyclic graph. The algorithms are efficient in the sense that their worst-case running time is proportional to the cost of computing the fixed points of only those strongly connected components containing affected attributes or attributes directly dependent on affected attributes. When the attribute grammar is noncircular or the specific dependency graph under consideration is acyclic, both algorithms reduce to the standard optimal algorithms for noncircular attribute evaluation.
A synthesis of seismic P and S anisotropy

Upper-mantle seismic anisotropy has been observed using a variety of methods, including S and SKS splitting, P and P n traveltimes, P polarization anomalies and P to S conversions, and surface waves. Care must be taken when comparing the results from different methods because of bias introduced by depth sensitivity, frequency dependence, and simplifying assumptions concerning the form of anisotropy. We examine the differences and show that some apparent contradictions cited in previous studies can be reconciled using simple models. We perform forward modelling on a suite of anisotropic media, progressing from simple elastic symmetries to tensors obtained from laboratory measurements and numerical strain models. The results provide a systematic overview of the effect of a given anisotropy class and geometry on seismic observables. We simulate the full complement of body wave measurements-SKS and S splitting, P n traveltimes, teleseismic P traveltimes and teleseismic P particle motion (P p o l )-to show any apparent differences between the phases. We also investigate depth and frequency sensitivity using reflectivity modelling in layered anisotropic media. Our principal findings are as follows. (1) No models, including low-order symmetries and multiple layers, exhibit a mean fast shear wave splitting direction nearly orthogonal to a consistent fast direction determined from P observables. For P delays, the azimuthal cos(2θ) variation is representative of the fast direction of anisotropy (rather than cos(1θ), which has led to a certain amount of confusion in the literature). (2) P times average linearly over the raypath; SKS weights toward the upper part of the model; and P p o l and P n are even more sensitive to shallow anisotropy. Conclusive evidence in the literature for a disagreement between fast directions from SKS, on one hand, and P n and P p o l , on the other hand, can be explained by layering. (3) The azimuthal dependence of SKS splitting results does not necessarily indicate layered or laterally heterogeneous anisotropy. The azimuthal dependence of SKS splitting is not observed for hexagonal symmetry with horizontal fast or slow axes, but has to be taken into consideration for dipping hexagonal and any orthorhombic and lower symmetry media. Teleseismic S shows a much stronger azimuthal dependence than SKS and SKKS. This makes procedures that stack splitting results over a wide range of incidence angles or azimuths questionable.
Relating leptogenesis to low energy flavor violating observables in models with spontaneous CP violation

In the minimal left-right symmetric model, there are only two intrinsic CP violating phases to account for all CP violation in both the quark and lepton sectors, if CP is broken spontaneously by the complex phases in the VEV's of the scalar fields. In addition, the left- and right-handed Majorana mass terms for the neutrinos are proportional to each other due to the parity in the model. This is thus a very constrained framework, making the existence of correlations among the CP violation in leptogenesis, neutrino oscillation and neutrinoless double beta decay possible. In these models, CP violation in the leptonic sector and CP violation in the quark sector are also related. We find, however, that such connection is rather weak due to the large hierarchy in the bi-doublet VEV required by a realistic quark sector.
Leadership in Social Work Education: Sustaining Collaboration and Mission

Little research is available depicting how faculty members experience the leadership style of their academic leaders. This paper reports results from a qualitative analysis of responses of 233 social work faculty members from CSWE accredited programs to an open-ended question about how they experience the leadership style of their current academic unit heads. The analysis incorporates feminist and professional social work perspectives.
Predictive Equations for Maximum Respiratory Pressures of Women According to Body Mass

BACKGROUND: The objective of the present study was to develop predictive equations for maximum respiratory pressures in women according to anthropometric characteristics. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 156 women between ages 25 and 65 y with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 55 kg/m2, who were evaluated for body mass, height, BMI, neck circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist/hip ratio. Respiratory muscle strength was assessed by measuring the maximum inspiratory pressure (PImax) and maximum expiratory pressure (PEmax) with an analog vacuum manometer. For statistical analysis, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Spearman correlation test, and stepwise multiple regression were used. The level of statistical significance was set at 5% ( P < .05). RESULTS: Body mass, BMI, neck circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist/hip ratio showed significant and positive correlations with PImax and PEmax. On the other hand, age and height showed no significant correlations with PImax and PEmax. In the regression analysis, the variables that correlated significantly with PImax and PEmax were used. CONCLUSIONS: Body mass was the variable that best contributed to predicting maximum respiratory pressures values in women (11.70% of the variations of the PImax and 21.05% of the variations of the PEmax). For PImax measurements, the equation −0.2 × body mass − 65.6 was established, and for PEmax, the equation 0.3 × body mass + 66.4 was used. It is suggested that the predictive equations developed in this study can be used in the interpretation of the assessment of respiratory muscle strength in morbidly obese women 25–65 y of age.
A Simple Derived Prediction Score for the Identification of an Elevated Pulmonary Artery Wedge Pressure Using Precatheterization Clinical Data in Patients Referred to a Pulmonary Hypertension Center.

Background One of the foremost diagnostic challenges in clinical pulmonary hypertension is discriminating between pulmonary arterial hypertension (group 1) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (group 2.2). Group 2.2 is defined as a normal left ventricular ejection fraction (> 50%) and a pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP) > 15 mm Hg. We aimed to determine whether patient history, demographics, and noninvasive measures could predict PAWP before to right heart catheterization. Methods Data were prospectively collected on 350 consecutive patients at a single tertiary care medical center; of these patients, 151 met criteria for entry into our study (88 in group 1 and 63 in group 2.2). Data included historical features, demographics, and results of a transthoracic echocardiogram. A multivariate regression model was developed to predict PAWP > 15 mm Hg. Results Univariate predictors of PAWP > 15 mm Hg included older age, higher BMI and weight, systemic systolic BP and pulse pressure, more features of the metabolic syndrome, presence of hypertension and left atrial enlargement, absence of right ventricular enlargement, and lower glomerular filtration rate and 6-min walk distance. The optimal model for predicting PAWP > 15 mm Hg was composed of age (> 68 years), BMI (> 30 kg/m 2 ), absence of right ventricular enlargement, and presence of left atrial enlargement (area under the curve, 0.779). Conclusions Clinical characteristics obtained before diagnostic right heart catheterization accurately predict the probability of elevation of PAWP > 15 mm Hg in patients with preserved ejection fraction. These combined clinical characteristics can be used a priori to predict the likelihood of group 2.2 pulmonary hypertension.
On Grammaticality in the Syntactic Annotation of Learner Language

We examine some non-canonical annotation categories that license missing material (ellipses and enumerations). In extending these categories to learner data, the distinctions seem to require an annotator to determine whether a sentence is grammatical or not when deciding between particular analyses. We unpack the assumptions surrounding the annotation of learner language and how these particular phenomena compare to competing analyses, pointing out the implications for annotation practice and second language analysis.
Mechanism of p-substituted phenol oxidation at a Ti4O7 reactive electrochemical membrane

This research investigated the removal mechanisms of p-nitrophenol, p-methoxyphenol, and p-benzoquinone at a porous Ti4O7 reactive electrochemical membrane (REM) under anodic polarization. Cross-flow filtration experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that p-benzoquinone removal was primarily due to reaction with electrochemically formed OH(•), while the dominant removal mechanism of p-nitrophenol and p-methoxyphenol was a function of the anodic potential. At low anodic potentials (1.7-1.8 V/SHE), p-nitrophenol and p-methoxyphenol were removed primarily by an electrochemical adsorption/polymerization mechanism on the REM. Increasing anodic potentials (1.9-3.2 V/SHE) resulted in the electroassisted adsorption mechanism contributing far less to p-methoxyphenol removal compared to p-nitrophenol. DFT calculations indicated that an increase in anodic potential resulted in a shift in p-methoxyphenol removal from a 1e(-) direct electron transfer (DET) reaction that resulted in radical formation and significant adsorption/polymerization, to a 2e(-) DET reaction that formed nonadsorbing products (i.e., p-benzoquinone). However, the anodic potentials were too low for the 2e(-) DET reaction to be thermodynamically favorable for p-nitrophenol. The decreased COD adsorption for p-nitrophenol at higher anodic potentials was attributed to reaction of soluble/adsorbed organics with OH(•). These results provide the first mechanistic explanation for p-substituted phenolic compound removal during advanced electrochemical oxidation processes.
Pathogenesis of neuroimmunologic diseases. Experimental models.

Animal models of autoimmune diseases have greatly improved our current understanding of the pathogenesis of human autoimmunity and have provided the potential for therapies based on manipulation of the immune system. In our laboratory, we have investigated the immunopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases of the nervous system and muscle. We have developed immune-based approaches for the suppression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model for multiple sclerosis (MS), and experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN), a model for the Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). These approaches included induction of peripheral tolerance, immunotoxin targeting of activated T cells, and cytokine manipulations. In addition, we identified the antigen and characterized immunopathologically an autoimmune inflammatory disease of skeletal muscle, experimental autoimmune myositis (EAM), a model for the human inflammatory muscle disease polymyositis.