cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethical Reputations and Earnings Quality: Recent Evidence from the '100 Best' Corporate Citizens

This study investigates whether firms regarded as being ethical are less likely to engage in misleading financial reporting. Our study includes a sample of firms identified by CRO magazine as “Best Corporate Citizens” in the U.S. between 2000 and 2008. We find that these firms, when compared to an industry- and size- matched sample, report significantly lower levels of discretionary accounting accruals. Further analysis reveals that these results are driven by lower amounts of positive (income-increasing) discretionary accruals in the CRO firms as compared to the matched sample. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that firms identified as being ethical are less likely to make misleading accounting decisions, but inconsistent with some literature suggesting that ethical rankings are poor indicators of ethical behavior.
Mathematical analysis of transport properties of polymer films for food packaging. VII, Moisture transport through a polymer film with subsequent adsorption on and diffusion through food

A system of partial differential equations was developed to describe the transient, three-step transport of moisture through packaged food products. The steps included (i) Fickian diffusion through the polymer package film; (ii) Langmuirian adsorption upon the food surface; and (iii) Fickian diffusion through the food material. A set of finite difference equations was derived to approximate the continuous model. These equations were solved for standard boundary conditions in each section of the food packages. The results can be used for the determination of the food package shelf life.
Parents’ physical activity−related perceptions of their children with disabilities

Abstract Background Parental support of children's physical activity is important, especially for young children with disabilities, given their low rates of physical activity and dependence on parents. Objective The primary purpose of the current study was to examine multidimensional sources of parental support and whether these perceptions were related to parents’ perceptions of their children's physical ability. Methods Parents ( N = 68) of children with disabilities completed scales assessing how much they role modeled, encouraged, and enjoyed physical activity in addition to their perceptions of their children's physical ability and peer relations in sport. Results Parents were encouraging of their children's physical activity and sport participation. Although they did not view their children as being particularly skilled, they perceived that they enjoyed physical activity and sport. Parents also perceived their children's peer relations in physical activity and sport settings as being fairly neutral and to some extent contingent upon how physically capable they were seen by their peers. Conclusions Parents’ support of their children's sport and physical activity was not contingent on how physically capable they viewed their children, which is encouraging. Adult leaders of sports program should consider monitoring peer relations in their programs in order to teach appropriate helping and peer behaviors.
THE REDISCOVERY OF AMERICAN SACRED SPACES

Book reviewed in this article: THE HERMENEUTICS OF SACRED ARCHITECTURE: EXPERIENCE, INTERPRETATION, COMPARISON (2 volumes) By Lindsay Jones TEMPLES OF GRACE: THE MATERIAL TRANSFORMATION OF CONNECTICUT'S CHURCHES, 1790–1840 By Gretchen Buggeln WHEN CHURCH BECAME THEATRE: THE TRANSFORMATION OF EVANGELICAL ARCHITECTURE AND WORSHIP IN THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICA By Jeanne Kilde PRAYERS IN STONE: CHRISTIAN SCIENCE ARCHITECTURE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1894–1930 By Paul Eli Ivey SHUL WITH A POOL: THE “SYNAGOGUE-CENTER” IN AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY By David Kaufman MYTHS IN STONE: RELIGIOUS DIMENSIONS OF WASHINGTON, D.C. By Jeffrey F. Meyer UGLY AS SIN: WHY THEY CHANGED OUR CHURCHES FROM SACRED PLACES TO MEETING SPACES AND HOW WE CAN CHANGE THEM BACK AGAIN By Michael S. Rose BUILDING FROM BELIEF: ADVANCE, RETREAT, AND COMPROMISE IN THE REMAKING OF CATHOLIC CHURCH ARCHITECTURE By Michael E. DeSanctis ARCHITECTURE IN COMMUNION: IMPLEMENTING THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL THROUGH LITURGY AND ARCHITECTURE By Steven J. Schloeder
Socioeconomic status and MOOC enrollment: enriching demographic information with external datasets

To minimize barriers to entry, massive open online course (MOOC) providers collect minimal demographic information about users. In isolation, these data are insufficient to address important questions about socioeconomic status (SES) and MOOC enrollment and performance. We demonstrate the use of third-party datasets to enrich demographic portraits of MOOC students and answer fundamental questions about SES and MOOC enrollment. We derive demographic information from registrants' geographic location by matching self-reported mailing addresses with data available from Esri at the census block group level and the American Community Survey at the zip code level. We then use these data to compare neighborhood income and parental education for US registrants in HarvardX courses to the US population as a whole. Overall, HarvardX registrants tend to reside in more affluent neighborhoods. Registrants on average live in neighborhoods with median incomes approximately. 45 standard deviations higher than the US population. Higher levels of parental education are also associated with a higher likelihood of registration.
Effects of humidity on titania-based polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP) electrospun fibers

Abstract Humidity effects on titania-based nanofibers were studied by electrospinning solutions of different weight percentages of titanium (IV) n-butoxide (TNBT) and polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP) in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Ambient humidities during electrospinning were typically varied between 25 and 75% RH. XRD and SEM were used to examine crystallization and determine optimal conditions for fiber formation. A specific combination of solute concentration (45–55 wt%) and ambient humidity (25–60% RH) allowed fiber formation. Lower solute concentrations resulted in electrospraying while higher humidities induced excessive plasticization of the PVP. Using a heated target allowed fiber formation at higher humidities (>60%). Following electrospinning, slight degradation of the 60 wt% (but not the 50 wt%) TNBT microstructure was observed when stored for longer periods possibly due to higher moisture uptake in case of higher solids loading. Examination of the fibers following pyrolysis at 500 °C for 6 h in air revealed the presence of individual nanoscale crystallites that could potentially boost ionic and electronic diffusion in batteries and solar applications.
Spectrum of Cerenkov radiation in a warm anisotropic plasma

The Cerenkov radiation omitted by a point charge in uniform motion along the external magnetostatic field in a warm anisotropic plasma is considered. In general, three modes are found to be excited and their frequency ranges of propagation are determined. The directions of the wave normal and the Cerenkov ray are also evaluated. For some typical parameters of interest, numerical results of the radial phase velocity, the radial propagation coefficient, the wave normal and the Cerenkov ray directions are given for all the modes as a function of frequency.
Class and gender in four decades of television situation comedy: Plus ça change. . .

For four decades, the few working‐class families portrayed in domestic situation comedies have inverted the gender roles of fathers and mothers, with the men failing as men and the wives filling the vacuum. Series with middle‐class families, by contrast, depict fathers as easily meeting the standard of masculinity.
How predator incursions affect critical patch size: the role of the functional response.

Abstract: Understanding the impact of habitat edges provides a key to deciphering how community dynamics change as functions of habitat structure and spatial scale. Motivated by studies of predation on bird nests in forest fragments and other cases of “cross‐boundary subsidies,” we present results from a partial differential equation model in which a patch‐resident prey species suffers incidental mortality from a generalist predator species residing in the surrounding matrix habitat. We demonstrate that predator intrusions have the potential to induce critical patch size effects for the prey species, even when the prey’s dynamics would otherwise preclude such effects. We also demonstrate that the existence of critical patch size effects depends on the functional response of the predator, with Lotka‐Volterra and Type II functional responses generating the effect (but not Type III). We conclude by discussing how predator‐induced critical patch size effects can influence opportunities for regionwide persiste...
Child care quality and affordability: Are they compatible?

Mothers have traditionally been the primary caregivers of children under school age in the United States. Increasing numbers of parents are seeking part-time or full-time alternatives for assistance with parenting and child care outside of the home. The variety of types of child care arrangements has greatly increased in the past 50 years. This paper addresses quality child care, child care options and cost. Despite the increase in child care provided outside the home, parents often have difficulty distinguishing quality care from less than quality care. Two prime considerations are quality and affordability. This paper addresses the need for a comprehensive spectrum of policies and child care programs for families in various cultural, economic, and social environments.
Simian virus 40 carrying an Escherichia coli suppressor gene.

A fragment of Escherichia coli DNA carrying a nonsense suppressor transfer RNA gene was joined in vitro to a fragment of simian virus 40 DNA containing the origin of viral DNA replication and early gene region. This recombinant molecule was replicated and encapsidated into virions in monkey cells coinfected with suitable helper simian virus 40 DNA. Structural studies showed that the E. coli DNA suffered no observable sequence alterations. Monkey cells infected with the recombinant virus transcribe the bacterial DNA, but fail to synthesize detectable amounts of mature suppressor tRNA.
Elimination of unbounded quantifiers for some poly-regular groups of infinite rank

Abstract This paper extends theorems of Belegradek about poly-regular groups of finite rank to certain poly-regular groups of infinite rank. A model-theoretic property aiding these investigations is the elimination of unbounded quantifiers, and the paper establishes both a general model-theoretic test for this property and results about bounded quantifiers in the special context of ordered Abelian groups.
Volume dependence of residual resistivity in dilute alloys

Abstract There is some indication in the literature that pseudopotential calculations of the volume dependence for residual resistivity in noble metals can produce both positive and negative values. The calculation of this dependence for two model pseudopotentials with three dielectric functions leads to the conclusion that negative volume dependencies are an artifact resulting from the use of the Born approximation.
Wiring Up Quantum Systems: Circuit QED with Artificial Atoms and Microwave Photons

A revolution is underway in the construction of ‘artificial atoms’ out of superconducting electrical circuits. ‘Circuit QED’ permits strong-coupling non-linear optics at the single-photon level and gives an architecture for novel quantum information processing.
DTGA combustion of coals in the Exxon coal library

Coal combustion experiments were carried out over the temperature range 25–900 °C using air at atmospheric pressure in a derivative thermogravimetric analysis system. Sixty-six coals high in vitrinite (> 80% mineral-matter-free basis) and low in inorganics (all but 12 samples < 10%) were examined as part of a coal characterization programme. The coals varied in rank from lignites (69% carbon on a dry, mineral-matter-free basis) to low-volatile bituminous (91% carbon). Combustion rates increased progressively with increasing temperature, passed through maxima and then declined. The rate data were fitted to an Arrhenius equation and plots showed four distinct regions of combustion. Apparent activation energies were calculated for each region and varied from ≈4 kJ mol−1 in the high-temperature, diffusion-controlled region to 290 kJ mol−1 in the chemical-reaction controlled, low-temperature region. The temperatures at which 50% of the sample had burned away (sol12-life) were rectilinearly related to oxygen and carbon contents (correlation coefficient squared values of 0.88 and 0.86, respectively).
Potential Effects of Climatic Change on a Neotropical Migrant Landbird

: Significant climatic changes due to the “greenhouse” effect are predicted to occur in breeding and Wintering areas of neotropical migrant landbirds within 50 years. A simulation model was used to quantitatively evaluate the impact of predicted climatic changes on the annual productivity (number of fledgling · pair−1 season−1) of Blackthroated Blue Warbllers (Dendroica caerulescens). breeding in northern hardwoods forests. Results suggested that where mean summer rainfall increases by 20%, greater egg and nestling mortality may reduce annual breeding productivity by as much as 26%. Warmer temperatures however, will tend to enhance food abundance for insectivorous birds and lengthen the avian breeding season. These changes will act to increase breeding productivity, but they can only compensate for about a 10% increase in precipitation. Precipitation, however, is predicted to decline over most of the range of Black-throated Blue Warblers. Where mean temperature is warmer and average summer precipitation is lower by as little as 10%, breeding productivity of Black-throated Blue Warblers may be enhanced by up to 25%. Because significant regional differences in climatic change are likely, and because migratory bird species will differ in their response to climatic change, the emphasis of avian research should be on intensive regional studies of the factors influencing avian reproduction and survival. Resumen: Se pronostica que dentro de 50 anos, importantes cambios climaticos debidos al effecto invernadero ocurriran en areas de cria e hibernacion de aves migratorias neotropicales. Se utilizo un modelo de simulacon para evaluar cuantitativamente el efecto del cambio climatico sobre la productividad anual (nuimero de polluelos · par−1 temporada−1) de la curruca Dendroica caerulescens que se reproduce en los bosques del norte. Los resultados sugieren que si la precipitacion estival aumentase en promedio un 20%, el incremento en la mortalidad de huevos y polluelos podria reducir la productividad reproductiva hasta en un 26%. Sin embargo, temperaturas mas calidas tenderian a incrementar la abundancia de alimentos para pajaros insectivoros y prolongaria el periodo reproductivo de las aves. Estos cambios actuarian para incrementar la productividad reproductiva, pero solo podrian compensar en un 10% el incremento en las precipitaciones. Sin embargo, se predice que las precipitaciones declinaran dentro de la mayor parte habitat de la curruca Dendroica caerulescens. Si aumentara la temperatura media y disminuyera la precipitacion estival en solo un 10%, la productividad reproductiva de estas aves podria aumentar en un 25%. Dado que es probable que se produzcan importantes diferencias regionales en el clima, y dado que las especies de aves migratorias diferiran en su respuesta a los cambios climaticos, la investigacion ornitologica tendria que enfatizar los estudios regionales e intensivos de los factores que afectan a la reproduccion y supervivencia de las aves.
Matching and Efficiency in the Baseball Free-Agent System: An Experimental Examination

This article presents the results of an experimental study investigating the problem of allocating heterogeneous indivisible objects using market-like mechanisms. The object of study is the market for professional baseball players in their free-agent year. We investigate both the current free-agency system and a variant of the current system instituted informally by the teams and ruled illegal by arbitrators. We then propose and test a new alternative matching mechanism, which proves to have quite a few desirable characteristics.
Systemic determination of infrastructure criticality

The aim of critical infrastructure (CI) research efforts is to develop strategies to protect infrastructure systems by reducing hazards, risks, and threats from natural and manmade events. Given that no nation has unlimited resources, the current trend is to prioritise infrastructures so that the most ‘critical’ infrastructure systems are given priority in terms of resources. An extensive literature review reveals that current approaches to assessing infrastructure criticality may not be generalisable and transportable because they are aimed at specific sectors or regions. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to propose an initial set of ‘criticality’ factors to enable CI prioritisation regardless of sector or region. To achieve this purpose, this paper is organised into four primary areas. First, the authors provide background information on the need for holistic CI ‘criticality’ factors to enable prioritisation. Second, the authors conduct a literature review on current approaches to prioritisation and their limitations. Third, the authors introduce a generalisable four-tuple of criticality factors fundamental for infrastructure prioritisation. The paper concludes with challenges and areas suggested by the authors for future research.
Concrete Bridge Deck Quality Mapping with Seismic Methods: Case Study in Texas

The state of practice for acceptance of newly constructed concrete bridge decks is typically based on the compressive or flexural strength of specimens prepared and cured under ideal conditions. These tests do not address how the quality of construction is affected by placement, compaction, curing, and environmental conditions during construction. Cores obtained from the finished product can also be used for quality assessment, but coring is expensive and specimens may suffer from internal damage. Several nondestructive testing (NDT) technologies are readily available that can be used to evaluate the quality of concrete slabs under field conditions. These technologies are typically based on seismic-sonic or electromagnetic principles. Seismic-sonic methods rely on measuring the velocity of propagation of elastic waves within the concrete. Velocities can be converted to modulus of elasticity and related with confidence to strength. A case study is presented in which seismic-sonic methods were used to detec...
Comparisons between two isolates of stomatitis populosa virus

The cytopathology and length of latency in single-step growth curves of two isolates of stomatitis papulosa virus are compared in this report. Isolate 721 was obtained from a calf with oral ulcers and isolate 8665 was obtained from a calf with respiratory disease and oral ulcers. In single-step growth curves, the latency period of isolate 721 was 8 h while that of isolate 8665 was 6 h. The cytopathic effect produced by isolate 721 in bovine lung cells was characterized by enlargement of the cell, cell-to-cell adherence and large intracytoplasmic accumulations of viral inclusion material. Isolate 8665 caused rapid cell degeneration and detachment, with small accumulation of viral inclusion material. Neither of the two strains grew in bovine alveolar macrophage cultures or in the respiratory epithelium of fetal bovine tracheal explants. Intragingival inoculation of these isolates in cattle resulted in oral lesions without clinical signs of respiratory of systemic involvement. Virus was recovered from the oral lesions and from nasal secretions for as long as 10 days. Inoculation of dexamethasone-treated cattle resulted in a similar clinical condition although virus was recovered for 20 days from oral lesions and nasal secretions. Seroconversions from negative to 1 : 2560 were detected in inoculated cattle by indirect immunofluorescence.
High-speed fully self-aligned single-crystal contacted silicon bipolar transistor

A novel high-speed self-aligned npn bipolar transistor fabrication process is presented. Base contacts are formed by epitaxial lateral overgrowth of single-crystal silicon on silicon-dioxide. Impurity-enhanced oxidation of silicon is used to achieve self-alignment of the emitter. Ultra-low resistance p-type base contacts have been fabricated with measured sheet resistances of 19Ω/□
INTERACTIONS AND DECAY OF POSITIVE K PARTICLES IN FLIGHT

Author(s): Goldhaber, Gerson; Goldhaber, Sulamith; Iloff, Edwin L.; Lannutti, Joseph E.; Webb, Francis H.; Widgoff, M.; Pevsner, A.; Ritson, D.
Efficacy of eight months of nightly zolpidem: a prospective placebo-controlled study.

Study objectives To evaluate the long-term (8 months) efficacy of zolpidem in adults with chronic primary insomnia using polysomnography. Design Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Setting Sleep disorders and research center. Participants Healthy participants (n = 91), ages 23-70, meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for primary insomnia. Interventions Nightly zolpidem, 10 mg (5 mg for patients > 60 yrs) or placebo 30 minutes before bedtime for 8 months. Measurements and results Polysomnographic sleep parameters and morning subject assessments of sleep on 2 nights in months 1 and 8. Relative to placebo, zolpidem significantly increased overall total sleep time and sleep efficiency, reduced sleep latency and wake after sleep onset when assessed at months 1 and 8. Overall, subjective evaluations of efficacy were not shown among treatment groups. Conclusions In adults with primary insomnia, nightly zolpidem administration remained efficacious across 8 months of nightly use. Clinical trial information ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01006525; Trial Name: Safety and Efficacy of Chronic Hypnotic Use; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01006525.
Conclusion to Higher Education's Role in Public School Reform and Community Engagement

Picture this: In a southern, midsize, politically conservative city, the county commissioner convened a meeting to discuss the budget priorities for the upcoming year. The county commission, mayor,...
Mechanisms of primary hypercholesterolemia in humans

Approximately 15% of middle-aged Americans have primary hypercholesterolemia, that is, plasma cholesterol levels in excess of 250 mg/dl. The risk for coronary heart disease in these patients is at least twice that of patients with a baseline level of 200 mg/dl. Only 2% of hypercholesterolemic patients have familial hypercholesterolemia. The causes of elevated cholesterol concentrations in the remaining patients have not been determined. Three major mechanisms may be responsible: overproduction of lipoproteins by the liver, reduced activity of receptors for low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and low affinity of circulating LDL for receptors. We have examined each of these mechanisms for primary hypercholesterolemia by isotope kinetic techniques. All three types have been identified, and the underlying causes of each are under investigation.
Incorporating static analysis in a combinator-based compiler

Abstract We show how restructuring a denotational definition leads to a more efficient compiling algorithm. Three semantics-preserving transformations ( static replacement, factoring , and combinator selection ) are used to convert a continuation semantics into a formal description of a semantic analyzer and code generator. The compiling algorithm derived below performs type checking before code generation so that type-checking instructions may be omitted from the target code. The optimized code is proved correct with respect to the original definition of the source language. The proof consists of showing that all transformations preserve the semantics of the source language.
Metaphorics and Metaphysics: Derrida's Analysis of Aristotle

(1986). Metaphorics and Metaphysics: Derrida's Analysis of Aristotle. Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology: Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 308-330.
Observations on the control of chloroplast structure by adenosine triphosphate.

Abstract Membranes of mitochondria (1–2), chloroplasts (3–4), and photosynthetic bacteria (5), manifest mechanochemical changes that are coupled to energy transfer reactions. These changes in membrane structure or membrane deformations, conveniently measured by the recording of a physical parameter such as light-scattering, can be closely correlated to conditions favorable for oxidative or photophosphorylation. Since all of the reactants required for phosphorylation coupled to electron transport in both photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic systems are required for the change in structure, and since inhibitors of these functions abolish the change, it has been suggested (1–2, 4–5) that the structural parameter is under the control of energy-containing intermediates. Recent experiments with mitochondria (6) have demonstrated that swelling induced by electron transport is oligomycin sensitive, whereas reversal of swelling by ADP (under conditions of oxidative phosphorylation) is specifically blocked by oligomycin. These observations implicate the ATPase site in the control of mechanochemical changes. Ohnishi and Ohnishi (7) have isolated a protein from mitochondria which undergoes conformational changes with ATP (light-scattering, viscosity) and manifests ATPase activity. It is an attractive hypothesis that in mitochondria, a contractile-like substance may be involved in the changes in macromolecular structure coupled to energy transduction. In view of this, it seemed worthwhile to examine the role of ATP and ATPase activity in the control of chloroplast structure in more detail. In brief, effects of ATP on structural changes in spinach chloroplasts have been demonstrated. Furthermore, a protein fraction has been isolated from chloroplast membranes which undergoes light-scattering changes with ATP and which hydrolyzes this substance.
Validating a Dimensionless Number for Glucose Homeostasis in Humans

Understanding type 2 diabetes is challenged by the diversity of patient phenotypes. Translating data across species and among individuals is a barrier for understanding the genetic loci that underpin this multifactorial disease. Dynamic scaling, based upon dimensional analysis, is a common technique in engineering used to translate data among different systems. The objective of this study was to gain insight using dimensional analysis into the relative changes in insulin production capacity vs. insulin-dependent glucose metabolism in patient groups that represent distinct stages of disease progression. A dimensionless number was derived using variables involved in the production of insulin and in the sensitivity of glucose metabolism to insulin. The resulting dynamic scaling relationship was validated against patient data obtained for over 2000 individuals that range in phenotype from normal to severe type 2 diabetes. Individuals were identified in the third National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey. Patient groups clustered in different regions based upon the severity of clinical symptoms. The cross-sectional comparison among patient groups shows that progression from normal to clinical onset of type 2 diabetes exhibits a non-linear change in the ratio of insulin production to insulin-dependent glucose metabolism: normals are balanced, pre-diabetic individuals exhibit an increase, and individuals with clinical type 2 diabetes exhibit a decrease in this ratio. This dimensionless number provides a method for discriminating between patient groups from first principles. By analogy with other dimensionless numbers, this number may be used to monitor basic physiological variables responsible for glucose homeostasis. In addition, a similar dynamic trajectory to the clinical populations could provide a criterion for selecting relevant animal models for diabetes.
Effects of induced ventricular fibrillation on ventricular performance and cardiac metabolism.

The effects of induced ventricular fibrillation on ventricular performance and cardiac metabolism were studied in dogs. When ventricular fibrillation was induced by a brief 7.5-v a-c stimulus and allowed to persist spontaneously for one hour, no significant effects on subsequent cardiac function were apparent. An increase in myocardial oxygen consumption and a decrease in coronary vascular resistance occurred during the period of fibrillation. When ventricular fibrillation was maintained by constant a-c stimulation, however, immediate and significantly deleterious effects on cardiac performance resulted. Coronary vascular resistance rose; myocardial oxygen consumption increased, but the increase was significantly less than in animals in which fibrillation persisted without electrical stimulation. Anerobic glycolysis ensued, leading to lactate accumulation in coronary venous blood. The small a-c current used to maintain ventricular fibrillation impairs oxygen utilization, interferes with oxygen availability, and has a markedly deleterious effect on cardiac performance. A more satisfactory method of dependably maintaining the heart in ventricular fibrillation is needed before induced ventricular fibrillation can be safely employed to arrest cardiac contraction for prolonged periods during open cardiac operations.
Towards a Synthesis: Population concepts in Russian evolutionary thought, 1925–1935

Between 1925 and 1935, the Russian School of population geneticists, consisting mainly of students and colleagues of Sergei S. Chetverikov (1880-1959)1, made many important contributions to the development of the modern evolutionary viewpoint. One such contribution which highlights some of the salient similarities and differences between the Russian investigators and their Western counterparts is the Russian attempts to formulate a genetic explanation for the effects of isolation and population size on evolution. I use the word "attempts" because there were in fact three: one by Sergei Chetverikov in 19262 and two more in 1931 by two of Chetverikov's students, D. D. Romashov
A Very Fast Switched Attenuator Circuit for Microwave and R.F. Applications.

An electronic circuit was designed and constructed that can switch an r.f. signal between two amplitude levels at very fast speed (less than 10 ns). The circuit incorporates a TTL control for convenient interfacing to existing equipment. The attenuation of the more attenuated state can be adjusted to be up to 12 dB more than for the less attenuated state. The initial application was in Pulsed Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to produce a π/2 – π pulse sequence with pulses of equal time duration and 6 dB difference in amplitude. A new method for measuring electron spin echoes for narrow, homogeneously-broadened lines is described.
Ravished Armenia: Visual Media, Humanitarian Advocacy, and the Formation of Witnessing Publics

Discourses around human rights frequently treat media as transparent delivery systems for testimony and spectacles of atrocity. Such views detract from the degree to which media circuits shape human rights claims, in which aesthetic strategies transform a vast and distant horror into sympathetic cause, and systems of exhibition channel sentiment into action. This article's study of Ravished Armenia and the early film advocacy of Near East Relief in the Armenian case yields not only the contributions of media to claims-making process and humanitarian action but also Christian underpinnings of human rights movements. The evangelical legacy produced missions that provided the transnational infrastructure for sharing visual testimony and administering aid and offered an instrumental iconography of suffering that shaped an early “rights imaginary.”
Circling behavior in rats with partial, unilateral nigro-striatal lesions: effect of amphetamine, apomorphine, and DOPA.

Partial, unilateral lesions of the nigro-striatal tract were produced in rats by injecting various quantities of 6-hydroxydopamine into the substantia nigra. The extent of each animal's lesion was estimated by comparing tyrosine hydroxylase activities in its lesioned and control striata. L-DOPA and apomorphine induced contralateral (i.e., away from the lesion) circling behavior only in rats in which more than 90% of the nigro-striatal system had been destroyed. In contrast, d-amphetamine caused turning in the ipsilateral direction when as few as 50% of the nigro-striatal neurons had been destroyed.
BCL2 expression correlates with metastatic potential in pancreatic cancer cell lines.

BACKGROUND Programmed cell death (termed apoptosis) regulates normal tissue homeostasis. Loss of local paracrine signals and intercellular adhesion molecules are potent inducers of apoptosis and thereby eliminate normal cells that may have escaped beyond the confines of the local organ environment. Dysregulation in the expression of the BCL2 gene family, the prototypic regulators of apoptosis, is a common occurrence in cancer and imparts resistance to standard triggers of apoptosis. Therefore, the authors sought to examine whether abnormal BCL2 gene family expression correlated with resistance to apoptosis and increased metastatic potential in pancreatic carcinoma. METHODS The authors examined BCL2 expression and apoptotic sensitivity in three panels of human pancreatic cancer cell lines that possess varying metastatic potential. Stable transfectants were generated that overexpress BCL2. These transfectants were then analyzed for differences in metastasis formation in athymic mice. RESULTS Among the isogenic panels of pancreatic cancer cell lines, BCL2 expression levels correlated with metastatic potential. Highly metastatic variants of each family of cell lines were more resistant to induction of apoptosis. Finally, using the BCL2 transfectant in a xenograft model, elevated BCL2 expression led to a higher incidence of metastases. CONCLUSIONS The authors conclude that increased BCL2 expression correlates with apoptotic resistance and metastatic potential; dysregulation of BCL2 expression may be involved in the metastatic progression of pancreatic carcinoma. Cancer 2001;92:1122–9. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Conditions for government support of private research and development

Abstract In a recent paper, Brockhoff and Warschkow (1993) attempt to extend Joglekar and Hamburg's work under alternative behavioral assumptions (Joglekar and Hamburg, 1986). Brockhoff and Warschkow mainly obtain results that are opposite to Joglekar and Hamburg's findings. Unfortunately, as shown below, Brockhoff and Warschkow's model is flawed because: (1) it is inconsistent with Joglekar and Hamburg's assumption that firms are individually rational, and (2) it misrepresents the concept of Pareto optimality. Consequently, Brockhoff and Warschkow's conclusions cannot be seen as valid.
Graphic Comparisons of Several Linked Aspects: Alternatives and Suggested Principles

Abstract The graphical display of two or more numerical aspects, in comparing several circumstances, has widespread applications. Like almost all graphic display, emphasis is on comparison and on phenomena (on appearances describable in nonnumerical words). Impact of the highest quality attainable is important. Digital information can, and should, be included when helpful. A variety of schemes—linkages—for displaying first two and then several numerical aspects are explored. Circular forms for the elements involved do relatively well. Next we look at linkages in a substantial and moderately diversified field of applications. Individual (inCI) and simultaneous (siCI) confidence intervals for individual values (determinations), and related but different structures (interference notches) for (pairwise) comparisons provide an important area of application for linkages, both simple and of moderate complexity. The same desire to simplify the viewer's task that contributed to the introduction of (simple) simulta...
Fractional extraction of helium by crushing of olivine and clinopyroxene phenocrysts: effects on the 3He/4He measured ratio

Abstract A critical review is reported of the crushing technique used for the extraction of the gas content from magmatic crystals. The main objective is the evaluation of the validity and accuracy of the method for obtaining data on the helium concentration in the sample and the value of the 3He/4He isotopic ratio; particular attention is given to the analysis of the effects of prolonged crushing. The technique used is that of crushing by steps; the series of experiments reported covers a wide range of conditions representative of the nature and concentration of the helium content in phenocrysts. Data on d[4He]/dt, 3He/4He, [3He], and [4He] are reported for seven experiments on phenocrysts coming from Kauai, Maui, Mangaia (ol and cpx), Tubuai, and Raivavae. The analytical function describing the release by crushing of the gas content in the reservoir hosted by the phenocrysts as a function of time of crushing has been found to be well represented by an exponential form. In some cases the release is described by a linear combination of two exponentials, suggesting the presence of two distinct gas reservoirs in the phenocrysts; the observation of a coherent variation on the isotopic ratio points out in the same direction. The exponential time constants τ1 and τ2, which reflect physical characteristics of the sample examined and are overall determined by the crusher and the crushing procedure, cluster in two distinct groups: τ1 ranging between ∼0.5 to ∼3 minutes, assumed to characterize the fluid inclusions, and τ2 from ∼7 to ∼13 minutes for the secondary He reservoir. The results from Maui and Mangaia are examined with some detail to investigate the nature of the second reservoir rich in cosmogenic 3He for Maui and radiogenic 4He for the Mangaia cpx. The result of the research reported confirms that crushing under vacuum is at present the appropriate method to resolve the “primary” helium trapped in the fluid inclusions of the phenocrysts from the in situ produced radiogenic and cosmogenic helium, while melting represents the appropriate methodology to obtain a complete extraction of the helium. Protracted crushing of the phenocrysts can eventually release, together with the He of the fluid inclusions also helium contained in secondary inclusions or in the matrix. The gas extracted in later steps is actually a mixture of inclusion-trapped and “matrix-sited helium” (see text). To minimize this effect, the crushing phase considered should be limited to the initial steps.
Spatial Probability Dynamically Modulates Visual Target Detection in Chickens

The natural world contains a rich and ever-changing landscape of sensory information. To survive, an organism must be able to flexibly and rapidly locate the most relevant sources of information at any time. Humans and non-human primates exploit regularities in the spatial distribution of relevant stimuli (targets) to improve detection at locations of high target probability. Is the ability to flexibly modify behavior based on visual experience unique to primates? Chickens (Gallus domesticus) were trained on a multiple alternative Go/NoGo task to detect a small, briefly-flashed dot (target) in each of the quadrants of the visual field. When targets were presented with equal probability (25%) in each quadrant, chickens exhibited a distinct advantage for detecting targets at lower, relative to upper, hemifield locations. Increasing the probability of presentation in the upper hemifield locations (to 80%) dramatically improved detection performance at these locations to be on par with lower hemifield performance. Finally, detection performance in the upper hemifield changed on a rapid timescale, improving with successive target detections, and declining with successive detections at the diagonally opposite location in the lower hemifield. These data indicate the action of a process that in chickens, as in primates, flexibly and dynamically modulates detection performance based on the spatial probabilities of sensory stimuli as well as on recent performance history.
Longer-term Outcomes of Darbepoetin Alfa Versus Epoetin Alfa in Patients With ESRD Initiating Hemodialysis: A Quasi-experimental Cohort Study

Background Adequately powered studies directly comparing hard clinical outcomes of darbepoetin alfa (DPO) versus epoetin alfa (EPO) in patients undergoing dialysis are lacking. Study Design Observational, registry-based, retrospective cohort study; we mimicked a cluster-randomized trial by comparing mortality and cardiovascular events in US patients initiating hemodialysis therapy in facilities (almost) exclusively using DPO versus EPO. Setting & Participants Nonchain US hemodialysis facilities; each facility switching from EPO to DPO (2003-2010) was matched for location, profit status, and facility type with one EPO facility. Patients subsequently initiating hemodialysis therapy in these facilities were assigned their facility-level exposure. Intervention DPO versus EPO. Outcomes All-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality; composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), and nonfatal stroke. Measurements Unadjusted and adjusted HRs from Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results Of 508 dialysis facilities that switched to DPO, 492 were matched with a similar EPO facility; 19,932 (DPO: 9,465 [47.5%]; EPO: 10,467 [52.5%]) incident hemodialysis patients were followed up for 21,918 person-years during which 5,550 deaths occurred. Almost all baseline characteristics were tightly balanced. The demographics-adjusted mortality HR for DPO (vs EPO) was 1.06 (95% CI, 1.00-1.13) and was materially unchanged after adjustment for all other baseline characteristics (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.99-1.12). Cardiovascular mortality did not differ between groups (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.94-1.16). Nonfatal outcomes were evaluated among 9,455 patients with fee-for-service Medicare: 4,542 (48.0%) in DPO and 4,913 (52.0%) in EPO facilities. During 10,457 and 10,363 person-years, 248 and 372 events were recorded, respectively, for strokes and MIs. We found no differences in adjusted stroke or MI rates or their composite with cardiovascular death (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.96-1.25). Limitations Nonrandom treatment assignment, potential residual confounding. Conclusions In incident hemodialysis patients, mortality and cardiovascular event rates did not differ between patients treated at facilities predominantly using DPO versus EPO.
Optimization of a cooling system based on Peltier effect for photovoltaic cells

Abstract Temperature increment is one of the main challenges for solar concentrating photovoltaic systems which causes significant reduction in the cell efficiency and accelerates cell degradation. To overcome this issue, a novel cooling method by using Peltier effect is proposed and investigated. In this approach, a thermoelectric cooling module is considered to be attached to the back side of a single photovoltaic cell. It is assumed that the required power to run the thermoelectric cooling module is provided by the photovoltaic cell itself. A detailed model is developed and simulated via MATLAB in order to determine the temperatures within the system, calculate the required power to run the thermoelectric cooling module and the extra generated power by photovoltaic cells due to the cooling effect. Two approaches are investigated to use the proposed system: in the first approach, the goal is controlling the temperature of the photovoltaic cell and keep it under a specific limit for different conditions. In the second approach, a genetic algorithm based optimization is utilized to find the optimal value of the supplied electrical current for the thermoelectric cooling module which leads to the maximum generated power by the system. The result shows that using thermoelectric cooling modules can successfully keep the photovoltaic cell temperature at a low level by using a reasonable amount of electricity.
A Loop-Closure Theory for the Analysis and Synthesis of Compliant Mechanisms

Compliant mechanisms gain at least some of their motion from flexible members. The combination of large-deflection beam analysis, kinematic motion analysis, and energy storage makes the analysis of compliant mechanisms difficult. The design of mechanisms often requires iteration between synthesis and analysis procedures. In general, the difficulty in analysis has limited the use of compliant mechanisms to applications where only simple functions and motions are required. The pseudo-rigid-body model concept promises to be the key to unifying the compliant and rigid-body mechanism theories. It simplifies compliant mechanism analysis by determining an equivalent rigid-body mechanism that accurately models the kinematic characteristics of a compliant mechanism. Once this model is obtained, many well known concepts from rigid-body mechanism theory become amenable for use to analyze and design compliant mechanisms. The pseudo-rigid-body-model concept is used to develop a loop-closure method for the analysis and synthesis of compliant mechanisms. The method allows compliant mechanisms to be designed for tasks that would have earlier been assumed to be unlikely, if not impossible, applications of compliant mechanisms.
Chimeric T-cell receptors for the targeting of cancer cells.

Genetic engineering of human T lymphocytes to express tumor antigen-specific chimeric immune receptors is an attractive means for providing large numbers of effector cells for adoptive immunotherapy. Major mechanisms of tumor escape from immune recognition are efficiently bypassed. Although adoptive transfer of chimeric receptor-expressing peripheral blood-derived T lymphocytes has produced some anti-tumor activity in mice, the first clinical studies have revealed a disappointing lack of correlation between in vitro cytotoxicity and therapeutic efficacy. The most pertinent issue is that chimeric T cells fail to expand and rapidly lose their function in vivo. Potential strategies to enhance the therapeutic value of chimeric receptor-modified cells by preventing their functional inactivation in vivo are currently being investigated.
THEORETICAL SPECTRUM--THRESHOLD DETECTOR DATA CORRELATION IN EBR-II.

Abstract An experimental and computer program to further examine the neutron environment in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) has been completed. Monte Carlo and S 4 Transport methods were used to determine the neutron spectrum at various positions in the EBR-II core and blanket regions. Response functions for the threshold detectors 58 Ni (n, p) 58 Co and 54 Fe (n, p) 54 Mn were determined for each position and the corresponding predicted induced activities are compared with experimental results. Based on combinations of calculated neutron spectra, experimental detector responses, and cross section end points an empirical differential cross section was determined for the 46 Ti (n, p) 46 Sc threshold reaction. Spectrum averaged cross sections for the three threshold reactions which have been determined at various positions in this facility suggest that significant errors in fast neutron fluences will result if the usual fission spectrum averaged cross sections are used.