cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transatlantic Roundtable on Low‐skilled Migration in the Twenty‐first Century: Prospect and Policies

Low-skilled migration has emerged as a major issue on the agenda of advanced industrial countries. The lack of information about its socio-economic impact on both host and sending states skews the public image of the migrants. Uncertain of whether to integrate or return migrants governments often pursued ambivalent policies at the cost of immigrants receiving countries and sending countries. States should therefore prioritize lower-skilled migration and foster solutions on a unilateral bilateral and multilateral basis. On 16 and 17 June 2003 representatives from government international organizations business non-governmental organizations and academia from North America and Europe met in Brussels to discuss policies and practices on lower skilled migration in the twenty-first century. Georgetown Universitys Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM) the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and the Migration Policy Group (MGP) organized the Roundtable discussion. The meeting which was hosted by the German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States divided into four discussion sessions each of which addressed a particular area of concern. Topics included trends in the demand for and supply of lower-skilled migrants the economic and social impact of lower-skilled migrants on their host countries the practices in Europe and the United States to integrate immigrants and the impact of lower-skilled migrants on their sending countries. The workshop concluded with an evaluation of prospective policy options. (excerpt)
Who Does God Want Me to Invite to See The Passion of the Christ?: Marketing Movies to Evangelicals

This article explores the dominant themes of The Passion of the Christ's marketing campaign to better understand the role and tactics of marketing in the religious media economy. In particular, this marketing-centered textual analysis covers how Passion's purported accuracy, authenticity, rating, and use as a proselytizing device were framed to appeal to evangelicals' skepticism of mainstream Hollywood ideals, R-rated movies, and potential sacrilege of the subject matter.
The formation and evolution of negative central magnetic shear current profiles on DIII-D

Using the combination of early neutral beam injection, ramping of the plasma current, low electron density and controlled L - H transitions, robust discharges with negative central magnetic shear are reproducibly obtained on the DIII-D tokamak. The effects of these factors on the formation and evolution of the q profile during the initial phase of these discharges are documented. Details of the evolution of the inverted q profile are obtained from measurements of the internal field pitch using a 16-channel motional Stark effect (MSE) system. Time-dependent MSE data are used to directly construct the profile of the toroidal electric field and allow a straightforward calculation of the non-inductive current density profile.
Nmr and molecular modeling investigations of the neuropeptide bradykinin in three different solvent systems: DMSO, 9 : 1 dioxane/water, and in the presence of 7.4 mM lyso phosphatidylcholine micelles

The linear nonapeptide hormone bradykinin (Arg1-Pro2-Pro3-Gly4-Phe5-Ser6-Pro7-Phe8-Arg9) is involved, either directly or indirectly, in a wide variety of physiological processes, particularly pain and hyperanalgesia. Additional evidence suggests that bradykinin also plays a major role in inflammatory response, asthma, sepsis, and symptoms associated with the rhinoviral infection. It has long been speculated that a β-turn at the C-terminus of bradykinin plays a major role in the biological activity of the neuropeptide. The β-turn forming potential of bradykinin in three vastly different local chemical environments, DMSO, 9 : 1 dioxane/water, and in the presence of 7.4 mM lyso phosphatidylcholine micelles, was investigated using two-dimensional homonuclear nmr experiments coupled with simulated annealing calculations. The results of these investigations show that in all three systems residues 6–9 of the C-terminus adopt very similar β-turn like structures. These results suggest that the β-turn at the C-terminus of bradykinin is an important secondary structural feature for receptor recognition and binding. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An Iranian Martyr's Dilemma: The Finite Subject's Infinite Responsibility

Talebi’s essay emerges at the intersection of the state’s appropriation of martyrdom and the subject’s ethos and act of self-sacrifice, which exceed and transform that appropriation. Through a close reading of two letters sent from the front during the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88), it contemplates the complex desire of its authors to be simultaneously engaged political subjects and martyrs. The analysis attempts to illuminate the dynamic relationship within the official discourse and that which is reproduced through subjects’ interpretations and practices of shahādat . These interpretations are closely tied to the political and existential context of the aftermath of the 1979 Revolution, which despite the harsh political suppression allows for an appropriation of the official views of martyrdom and their evasion, elaboration, or extension. It reveals how a pious citizen utilizes the voice of a martyr to subtly criticize the very state that endorses his views. It also exposes the complex relationships between citizens and state in the Islamic Republic as manifested in the key metaphor of martyrdom. The appearance of the same passage in another letter by another combatant unravels a disjuncture that provides insight into the subjectivity of those who fought and the shared and contested meanings of martyrdom in Iran after the revolution. The essay attempts to offer an interpretation of martyrdom that recognizes the dynamism and complexity of the subjects of the shahid and shahādat instead of reducing them to pathological figures.
The next chapter in reverse vaccinology.

Analysis of group A Streptococcus cell-surface proteins yields a new mouse-protective antigen.
The morphological effects of parathyroid extract upon the developing skeleton of the embryonic chick

The in vivo effects of parathyroid extract (PTE) on the formation of the embryonic chick humerus and femur were examined. PTE had a considerable effect on mortality (increased) and ossification (inhibited). Group I embryos were injected with 0.1 ml PTE on day 4 of incubation; their survival rate was 71% which encompassed the experimental period through day 15. Group II embryos were injected with 0.1 ml PTE on day 6; only 32% survived through day 7 and none were alive after day 9. Until the effects of PTE were overcome as seen in Group I nine-day embryos, PTE (1) inhibited ossification, (2) retarded development of the cartilage model and (3) caused chondrolysis of the capsular matrix in the zone of cellular hyperthrophy. PTE did not appear to cause (1) increased formation of osteoclasts, (2) formation of fibrous connective tissue instead of osteoid or (3) reversion of bone cells to a more primitive or multipotential bone type. It is suggested that the toxic effect of PTE on Group II embryos relates to its application at a critical stage of development.
Do search terms matter for online consumers? The interplay between search engine query specification and topical organization

The Internet has become the primary source of information for a large number of consumers. Thus, search engines as the mediators between consumers and online information is an increasingly important topic of research. The present study contributes specifically to the research in consumer search and decision-making by investigating how a search engine's support for topical organization of search results can help improve search performance. Search term formulation is an integral part of the online search process that consumers conduct. Past research shows that the actual search terms used in search queries do matter for improving search performance and also that users often mis-specify search terms, thereby reducing the efficacy of their online search and decision-making. The results of our experimental study offer evidence that topical organization using clustering support, which is provided by some search engines, helps increase relevance and usefulness of search results. The strongest performance improvements were achieved when clustering support was used in combination with terms that were under-specified.
The Secreted Form of Respiratory Syncytial Virus G Glycoprotein Helps the Virus Evade Antibody-Mediated Restriction of Replication by Acting as an Antigen Decoy and through Effects on Fc Receptor-Bearing Leukocytes

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) readily infects and reinfects during infancy and throughout life, despite maternal antibodies and immunity from prior infection and without the need for significant antigenic change. RSV has two neutralization antigens, the F and G virion glycoproteins. G is expressed in both membrane-bound (mG) and secreted (sG) forms. We investigated whether sG might act as a decoy for neutralizing antibodies by comparing the in vitro neutralization of wild-type (wt) RSV versus recombinant mG RSV expressing only mG. wt RSV indeed was less susceptible than mG RSV to monovalent G-specific and polyvalent RSV-specific antibodies, whereas susceptibility to F-specific antibodies was equivalent. This difference disappeared when the virus preparations were purified to remove sG. Thus, sG appears to function as a neutralization decoy. We evaluated this effect in vivo in mice by comparing the effects of passively transferred antibodies on the pulmonary replication of wt RSV versus mG RSV. Again, wt RSV was less sensitive than mG RSV to G-specific and RSV-specific antibodies; however, a similar difference was also observed with F-specific antibodies. This confirmed that sG helps wt RSV evade the antibody-dependent restriction of replication but indicated that in mice, it is not acting primarily as a decoy for G-specific antibodies, perhaps because sG is produced in insufficient quantities in this poorly permissive animal. Rather, we found that the greater sensitivity of mG versus wt RSV to the antiviral effect of passively transferred RSV antibodies required the presence of inflammatory cells in the lung and was Fcγ receptor dependent. Thus, sG helps RSV escape the antibody-dependent restriction of replication via effects as an antigen decoy and as a modulator of leukocytes bearing Fcγ receptors.
Comparison of European and U.S. results for cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of group A streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis

The outcome of cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of group A streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis may differ between Europe and the USA. In the present study, Medline, Embase, reference lists, and abstract searches were used to identify randomized, controlled trials of cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of group A streptococcal (GAS) tonsillopharyngitis. The outcomes of interest were bacteriologic and clinical cure rates from investigations conducted in Europe versus those conducted in the USA. Forty-seven trials involving 11,426 patients were included in the meta-analyses. For the comparison of 10 days of treatment with cephalosporins versus 10 days of treatment with penicillin, there were ten European and 25 U.S. trials, all involving pediatric subjects. The overall odds ratio (OR) favored cephalosporins more strongly in bacteriologic cure rate in Europe (OR=4.27, p<0.00001) than in the USA (OR=2.70, p<0.00001). Studies of 4–5 days of cephalosporin treatment versus 10 days of penicillin treatment were also analyzed. For nine European trials, the OR significantly favored cephalosporins (OR=1.30, p=0.03) in bacteriologic cure rates, but not as strongly as in the USA, (OR=2.41, p<0.00001). When results for 4–5 days of cephalosporin treatment were divided into pediatric versus adult populations, the differences in bacteriologic eradication rates obtained with cephalosporins were more pronounced in children. The likelihood of bacteriologic and clinical failure of GAS tonsillopharyngitis treatment in both European and U.S. patients is significantly less if a 10-day course of oral cephalosporin is prescribed, and is at least similar, if not significantly less, with a 4- to 5-day course of oral cephalosporin compared with a 10-day course of oral penicillin.
University-industry partnerships in biomedical engineering

We describe the activities that are vital to establishing and maintaining a thriving cooperative education and industrial internship program. In addition, we describe the benefits of such a program for not only the students but for the industrial partners and for the university. Student participants work as engineering professionals, gain valuable engineering and business experience, apply engineering concepts to real-world problems, and tend to be more focused on their career choices after participating in a co-op or internship opportunity. There are also multiple benefits to the industrial partner. Employers have the opportunity to train potential long-term employees; capture the attention of motivated, talented biomedical engineers; obtain visibility at the university; and ultimately lower their turnover and training costs. Students can also provide a fresh perspective and can be motivators contributing to the growth of the employers' organization. Finally, the academic department benefits from industrial partnerships through increased student satisfaction, improved student training, novel education programs, job placement for graduates, and research collaborations.
Low-level exercise echocardiography identifies contractile reserve in patients with a recent myocardial infarction: comparison with dobutamine stress echocardiography.

Contractile reserve (CR) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) identifies patients with coronary artery disease whose left ventricular function and prognosis may improve after revascularization. To test the hypothesis that the early stages of upright bicycle-exercise echocardiography (LLEx) result in CR comparable with DSE, 30 patients 1 week after myocardial infarction underwent multistage LLEx and DSE. At low and peak LLEx, heart rate and systolic blood pressure were higher than DSE. Identification of CR by LLEx was concordant with DSE when analyzed by infarct zone or by individual patient. We conclude that CR can be demonstrated during LLEx that correlates with DSE in patients with a recent MI. Low-level exercise is a promising alternative to DSE for identifying contractile reserve after MI. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2002;15:671-7.)
Modulation of avoidance behavior in squirrel monkeys after chronic administration and withdrawal of d-amphetamine or -methyl-p-tyrosine.

Two squirrel monkeys were trained on a nondiscriminated (Sidman) avoidance schedule that presented a conditional aversive stimulus (CAS) whenever the animals failed to respond within 20 sec. Shock was paired with the CAS 20% of the time. A 3 min tone followed by unavoidable shock was superimposed upon this avoidance schedule. Amphetamine (1.0, 2.0 mg/kg) increased responding without consistently affecting shock or CAS rate, while α-methyl-p-tyrosine (150, 225 mg/kg) decreased response rate and led to more CAS presentations and shocks. Withdrawal of amphetamine produced behavioral effects similar in direction but not intensity to those seen after the administration of α-methyl-p-tyrosine. Neither drug reliably altered the facilitation of avoidance response rate normally noted during the 3-min tone. These results were interpreted to reflect the role of the catecholamines in modulating the performance of an avoidance task. Furthermore, an attempt was made to speculate on the mechanism that may be responsible for the behavioral effects noted after the withdrawal of chronic amphetamine administration.
Guided shear horizontal surface acoustic wave sensors for chemical and biochemical detection in liquids.

The design and performance of guided shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (guided SH-SAW) devices on LiTaO3 substrates are investigated for high-sensitivity chemical and biochemical sensors in liquids. Despite their structural similarity to Rayleigh SAW, SH-SAWs often propagate slightly deeper within the substrate, hence preventing the implementation of high-sensitivity detectors. The device sensitivity to mass and viscoelastic loading is increased using a thin guiding layer on the device surface. Because of their relatively low shear wave velocity, various polymers including poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and cyanoethyl cellulose (cured or cross-linked) are investigated as the guiding layers to trap the acoustic energy near the sensing surface. The devices have been tested in biosensing and chemical sensing experiments. Suitable design principles for these applications are discussed with regard to wave guidance, electrical passivation of the interdigital transducers from the liquid environments, acou...
The Chiari network in an echocardiography student.

Figure 1. Parasternal short-axis systolic frame at the level of the aortic valve. The Chiari network is located in the posterior right atrium. Although precise attachment sites could not be identified, real-time imaging suggested constrained motion near the interatrial septum. RA = right atrium; RV = right ventricle. pentine highly mobile reflective structure was noted in the right atrium (RA). By parasternal longand short-axis views it appeared to whip toward the posterior aspect of the right atrium during systole, and then prolapse across the tricuspid annulus during diastole (Figs. 1 and 2). From these views as well as apical (Fig. 3) and subcostal (Fig. 4) views, the mass moved in and out of the scan plane. The structure was constrained near the orifice of the inferior vena
Student Participation in Collective Problem Solving in an After-School Mathematics Club: Connections to Learning and Identity

This study examined the participation of a group of middle school students in an after-school mathematics club as they worked on cryptography problems. The analysis focused on interactions characterized by collective problem-solving activity, when intellectual work was distributed and various students took on active problem-solving roles, paying particular attention to intersections between task structures and positioning moves. We found that all open-ended tasks—those tasks that afforded multiple strategies and had multiple solutions—resulted in at least some collective problem solving, though it was not always sustained (Turner, Gutierrez, & Sutton, 2009). We also found that the task structures, in combination with interactive positioning moves by facilitators and students, served to sustain or disrupt collective problem-solving activity.
Student Research Award 1998: Cytokine-mediated bone resorption is cytochrome P-450 dependent:

Abstract Localized bone loss leads to much of the morbidity of chronic otitis media. Although the cellular events of bone remodeling have been well established, their regulation remains poorly understood. Various cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interferon-γ, used alone and in combination, are powerful inducers of bone resorption. One of the modulators of cytokine-induced bone resorption is nitric oxide (NO), a product of the action of NO synthase (NOS) on L -arginine to form NO. Cytochrome P-450, an enzyme that is similar to NOS both structurally and functionally, may also have a role in NO production in various cellular systems. The goal of this study was to elucidate a possible role of cytochrome P-450 in bone. In this study cytokine-induced bone resorption was blocked with cimetidine and clotrimazole, which are selective inhibitors of the cytochrome P-450 IIIA family and 7-ethoxyresorufin, a nonspecific cytochrome P-450 inhibitor. A concomitant reduction of NO was also observed. This effect may be explained by cytochrome P-450 being a preferred alternative pathway or providing an essential cofactor to NOS in bone. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1999;121:708-12.)
Temporal variability of dust mobilization and concentration in source regions

[1] The time-varying properties of dust mobilization and concentration variability in source areas are studied in model simulations to understand the processes that control entrainment of dust into the atmosphere. Two different meteorological reanalysis data sets (National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research and NASA Data Assimilation Office) and two different source parameterizations are used for the analysis, which is done for six different main dust source regions. The results show that ∼35–70% variance of dust mobilization is associated with diurnal variability of dust mobilization in the major dust sources regions, and this is similar using different meteorological analyses and source parameterizations. Synoptic-scale variability is responsible for 6–50% of the dust mobilization, with more variation between different meteorology and parameterizations. The variability of dust concentrations in source regions is very sensitive to source meteorology and parameterization, with the synoptic variability responsible for 30–50% of the variability in some configurations or 6–40% in other configurations. Diurnal variability in concentrations varies from 20–50 to 25–80% depending on the model configuration. Analyses suggest that dust mobilization and dust concentration are more influenced by synoptic variability in Australia and east Asia than in North Africa and Arabian dust source regions, consistent with observations of cold fronts and cyclone movements systems driving dust mobilization and transport in Australia and east Asia source regions. Differences in variability between different meteorological data sets and source parameterizations suggest that possible dust feedbacks onto the dust cycle may be sensitive to source parameterization and model.
Parametric representation of heat and moisture fluxes in cloud-topped mixed layers

The Betts (1973, 1978) parametrization of heat and moisture fluxes is tested using measurements made in thin, broken, and solid stratocumulus clouds by the NCAR Electra off the California coast in June 1976. The turbulence data are used to determine updraft-downdraft properties, heat and moisture fluxes, spectra, and cospectra. From the convective properties, vertical mass flux profiles are obtained and examined for consistency. A convective scaling which is appropriate for cloud-topped mixed layers is discussed. The results demonstrate the usefulness of a mass flux formulation in modeling applications for cloud conditions varying between solid and broken.
Investigating multi-touch gestures as a novel biometric modality

We propose a new behavioral biometric modality based on multi-touch gestures. We define a canonical set of multi-touch gestures based on the movement characteristics of the palm and fingertips being used to perform the gesture. We developed an algorithm to generate and verify multi-touch gesture templates. We tested our techniques on a set of 22 different gestures. Employing a matching algorithm for a multi-touch verification system with a k-NN classifier we achieved 1.28% Equal Error Rate (EER). With score-based classifiers where only the first five samples of a genuine subject were considered as templates, we achieved 4.46 % EER. Further, with the combination of three commonly used gestures: pinch, zoom, and rotate, using all five fingers, 1.58% EER was achieved using a score-based classifier. These results are encouraging and point to the possibility of touch based biometric systems in real world applications like user verification and active authentication.
Coadsorption of CO and O2 on Selected Gold Clusters: Evidence for Efficient Room-Temperature CO2 Generation

Spurred by the recent demonstrations of the size- and support-dependent reactivity of supported gold clusters, here we present results on the coadsorption of CO and O(2) on selected anionic gold clusters, Au(N)(-), in the gas phase. O(2) adsorbs in a binary (0,1) fashion as a one-electron acceptor on the Au(N)()(-) clusters, with even-N clusters showing varying reactivity toward O(2) adsorption, while odd-N clusters show no evidence of reactivity. CO shows a highly size-dependent reactivity for Au(N)(-) sizes from N = 4 to 19, but no adsorption on the gold dimer or trimer. When the gold clusters are exposed to both reactants, either simultaneously or sequentially, interesting effects have been observed. While the same rules pertaining to individual O(2) or CO adsorption continue to apply, the preadsorption of one reactant on a cluster may lead to the increased reactivity of the cluster to the other reactant. Thus, the adsorbates are not competing for bonding sites (competitive coadsorption), but, instead, aid in the adsorption of one another (cooperative coadsorption). New peaks also arise in the mass spectrum of Au(6)(-) under CO and O(2) coadsorption conditions, which can be attributed to the loss of a CO(2) molecule (or molecules). By studying the relative amount of reaction, and relating it to the reaction time, it is found that the gas-phase Au(6) anion is capable of oxidizing CO at a rate 100 times that reported for commercial or model gold catalysts.
Nucleon Compton Scattering in the Perturbative Limit

The paper presents results of perturbative calculations for nucleon Compton scattering. The results are given for the real incoming photon and for the virtual incoming photon.
High Purity Anatase TiO2 Nanocrystals: Near Room-Temperature Synthesis, Grain Growth Kinetics, and Surface Hydration Chemistry

High purity, spherical anatase nanocrystals were prepared by a modified sol−gel method. Mixing of anhydrous TiCl4 with ethanol at about 0 °C yielded a yellowish sol that was transformed into phase-pure anatase of 7.7 nm in size after baking at 87 °C for 3 days. This synthesis route eliminates the presence of fine seeds of the nanoscale brookite phase that frequently occurs in low-temperature formation reactions and also significantly retards the phase transformation to rutile at high temperatures. Heating the as-is 7.7 nm anatase for 2 h at temperatures up to 600 °C leads to an increase in grain size of the anatase nanoparticles to 32 nm. By varying the calcination time from 2 to 48 h at 300 °C, the particle size could be controlled between 12 and 15.3 nm. The grain growth kinetics of anatase nanoparticles was found to follow the equation, D2 − D02 = k0tme(-Ea/RT) with a time exponent m = 0.286(±9) and an activation energy of Ea = 32 ± 2 kJ·mol-1. Thermogravimetric analysis in combination with infrared an...
Diet-selection ecology of tropically and temperately adapted honey bees

Abstract Colonies of tropically adapted (Africanized) honey bees had greater numbers and higher percentages of pollen foragers than did temperately adapted (European) honey bees. European colonies had greater overall foraging activity. The number of pollen gatherers in Africanized nests was greater throughout the daily foraging cycle, and was especially high early in the morning when pollen was most abundant. Africanized colonies fielded more pollen collectors even when levels of stimuli which are known to regulate pollen foraging were altered experimentally. Collectively, the foraging patterns resulted in larger stores of pollen in Africanized honey bee nests, while European bee nests typically had larger honey and nectar caches. In mixed nests composed of equal portions of adults of each bee ecotype, foraging patterns were similar for ecotypes within a colony. The behavioural root of differences in resource gathering appears to lie with the nurse bees and foragers of a colony, not with the brood type. Diet selection differences are probably influenced strongly by the climatological constraints which regulate the survival and reproductive capacities of these two bee ecotypes.
A new technology for resolving the dynamics of a swinging bat

Hitting a major league fastball, with approximately half a second to react, poses one of the greatest challenges in sports. The ability to hit the ball derives from the dynamics of the bat swing which can be measured using video motion capture. However, doing so necessitates swinging the bat within the confines of a motion capture laboratory, often with considerable time and expense. This paper introduces an inexpensive and highly portable measurement method for use right on the field of play to support player training, coaching, rehabilitation, and player-bat fitting. The method employs a highly miniaturized, wireless MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU) affixed to the knob of the bat. The IMU incorporates three-axis sensing of bat acceleration and angular velocity with a low-power RF transceiver to transmit this data to a host computer. Analysis of this data yields a near-instantaneous and highly resolved summary of three-dimensional bat dynamics. This paper describes this novel technology for use in baseball and softball, presents example results, and reveals new features of bat motion overlooked in previous studies.
Digital Signal Processing For Low Bit Rate TV Image Codecs

In view of the 56 KBPS digital switched network services and the ISDN, low bit rate codecs for providing real time full motion color video are under various stages of development. Some companies have already brought the codecs into the market. They are being used by industry and some Federal Agencies for video teleconferencing. In general, these codecs have various features such as multiplexing audio and data, high resolution graphics, encryption, error detection and correction, self diagnostics, freezeframe, split video, text overlay etc. To transmit the original color video on a 56 KBPS network requires bit rate reduction of the order of 1400:1. Such a large scale bandwidth compression can be realized only by implementing a number of sophisticated,digital signal processing techniques. This paper provides an overview of such techniques and outlines the newer concepts that are being investigated. Before resorting to the data compression techniques, various preprocessing operations such as noise filtering, composite-component transformation and horizontal and vertical blanking interval removal are to be implemented. Invariably spatio-temporal subsampling is achieved by appropriate filtering. Transform and/or prediction coupled with motion estimation and strengthened by adaptive features are some of the tools in the arsenal of the data reduction methods. Other essential blocks in the system are quantizer, bit allocation, buffer, multiplexer, channel coding etc.
Pure shear axes and elastic strain energy

It is well known that a state of pure shear has distinct sets of basis vectors or coordinate systems: the principal axes, in which the stress a is diagonal, and pure shear bases, in which diag a = 0. The latter is commonly taken as the definition of pure shear, although a state of pure shear is more generally defined by tr a = 0. New results are presented that characterize all possible pure shear bases. A pair of vector functions are derived which generate a set of pure shear basis vectors from any one member of the triad. The vector functions follow from a compatibility condition for the pure shear basis vectors, and are independent of the principal stress values. The complementary types of vector basis have implications for the strain energy of linearly elastic solids with cubic material symmetry: for a given state of stress or strain, the strain energy achieves its extreme values when the material cube axes are aligned with principal axes of stress or with a pure shear basis. This implies that the optimal orientation for a given state of stress is with one or the other vector basis, depending as the stress is to be minimized or maximized, which involves the sign of one material parameter.
Meanings, motivations, and strategies for engaging in physical activity among women with multiple sclerosis.

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to better understand the adoption and maintenance of physical activity from the perspective of women with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Participants (N = 11) were women with MS who had low levels of disability and who engaged in varying levels of physical activity. Participants completed two semi-structured, audio taped interviews focusing on their beliefs, motivators, and experiences of physical activity. Results: Across all activity levels participants reported similar beliefs and motivations related to being physically active including the desire to be “normal”, savoring current health, enjoyment of the activity, “feeling good” after activity, weight control, and maintenance of physical function. Active and inactive participants differed in the practical strategies they reportedly used to adopt and maintain physical activity, such as prioritizing and scheduling physical activity, managing disease-specific barriers, and building social support networks. Conc...
The social regulation of resource access and environmental impact: production, nature and contradiction in the US copper industry

Abstract The ecological processes underpinning commodity production have been largely overlooked by theories of social regulation and governance. Conventional applications of regulation theory, for example, often reduce the complex interactions between the environment and processes of accumulation to an homogenous surface on which the institutions of social regulation are inscribed. By contrast, this paper illustrates how the metabolism of production – the flows of raw materials, energy, and wastes central to the production of commodities from the natural environment – can provoke its own set of contradictions for particular industrial sectors. These contradictions can emerge to challenge accumulation in specific industrial sectors when existing practices and institutions fail to ensure continued access to resources and/or to effectively regulate the impacts of production on the environment. This paper describes how historical patterns of using nature in one primary commodity sector – copper mining and processing – contributed to declining profitability in this industry during the early 1980s. The process of copper production is analyzed to identify a series of underlying ‘ecological contradictions’ that have the potential to impact profitability. The expression of these contradictions is then examined in the specific context of the US Southwest during the 1980s, with particular attention paid to conflicts over the environmental impacts of mining and the accessibility of land to mining firms. The emergence of social conflict over land access and the environment is interpreted in terms of the historical specificity – and obsolescence – of the framework of institutions, legislation and customary relations between corporations, the state and activist groups that had formerly contained and regulated these contradictions.
Exploring the impact of advertising and R&D expenditures on corporate brand value and firm-level financial performance

A parsimonious framework linking advertising expenditures and research and development expenditures to brand value, and brand value in turn to firm-level financial performance, was proposed and empirically investigated under four data conditions: data form, brand type, financial performance metric, and lag structure. Using pooled data from 125 firms (848 firm-year observations) over the period 1991–2007, 108 path analyses were conducted to compute five path model output metrics. Data on these metrics were then compared for each of the data conditions by means of analysis of variance. Although significant relationships were generally observed among framework variables, study results differed considerably across three of the four data conditions. The principal take-away from the study is that the impact of marketing activities on firm-level financial performance is likely to be in large part a function of the specific research purpose and methodology employed. As such, the take-away has implications when interpreting value-relevance findings, when constructing theories involving market-based assets, and when designing studies to investigate relationships between marketing and financial performance.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characteristics of the W/TiN/Si and W/TiN/SiO2/Si structures

Abstract X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to study the characteristics of titanium nitride (TiN) as a nucleation layer for the deposition of low pressure chemical vapor deposited tungsten (LPCVD-W) onto SiO 2 . The XPS depth profiles and the chemical analysis of the as-deposited W/TiN/Si (with sputtered TiN) and W/TiN/SiO 2 /Si (with LPCVD-TiN) structures suggest that the chemical interaction of TiN with W and with Si/SiO 2 substrates tends to be minimal.
Influence of assay conditions on ELISA determinations of anti-DNA antibodies

The influence of assay conditions on anti-DNA determinations by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was investigated to evaluate the detection of various DNA antigenic specificities. Among 4 monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies of MRL-lpr/lpr strain origin, 2 showed higher titers in 100 mM NaCl-50 mM Tris, pH 7.5 (Tris-NaCl) than in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The determination of 'polyspecificity' for these monoclonal products also depended on the set of conditions used for assay with inhibitory activity of polynucleotides differing in the 2 buffers. The buffer effects were not confined to the monoclonal antibodies as increases in anti-DNA titers were demonstrated for certain SLE patient sera when assayed in Tris-NaCl rather than PBS; sera of MRL-lpr/lpr mice showed an opposite effect, however, with enhancement of anti-DNA activity by PBS. These results suggest that the representation of antigenic sites on DNA may be variably affected by the conditions of assay, altering quantitative and qualitative assessment of this important serological marker.
Resistance to Biotype 2 Russian Wheat Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) in Two Wheat Lines

Abstract Biotype 2 of the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), was identified in the United States in 2003 and is virulent to all commercially available cultivars of winter wheat, Triticum aestivum L., that are resistant to biotype 1. We compared the development and reproduction of biotype 2 D. noxia at 21.7 ± 0.12°C on ‘Trego’ (PI 612576), a susceptible commercial cultivar, and on lines CI 2401 and 03GD1378027 that represent putative resistance sources. CI 2401 is a pure wheat line originating in the former USSR (Tajikistan), whereas 03GD1378027 is a USDA–ARS breeding line originally developed from crosses with a South African line that carried a large rye translocation conferring D. noxia resistance. Both lines previously showed resistance to biotype 1 and are currently being used in the development of D. noxia-resistant wheat cultivars. Both solitary apterous virginoparae of biotype 2 and their progeny experienced a reduction in survival and prolonged developmental times on CI 2401 and 03G...
Aggregation and disaggregation in convex network problems

This article considers the error induced when the nodes of a large convex-cost network problem are aggregated to form a smaller problem. First, I formalize the notion of aggregation, focusing on disaggregation of the solution and construction of the cost functions of the aggregate problem. I then explore qualitatively the conditions under which the error is likely to be small, and show how to compute bounds on the error.
A lickmeter system useable in conjunction with electrographic recordings

Abstract The present note describes a reliable and simply constructed lickmeter system suitable for recording lick responses during EEG and EKG recordings.
The temperature dependence of 14N nuclear quadrupole resonance in barium nitrite

Abstract The nitrogen-14 nuclear quadrupole resonance spectrum in Ba(NO 2 ) 2 ·H 2 O between 77°K and 300°K indicates the onset of internal motions in the temperature region between 172°K and 178°K.
Protonation of Metal−Metal Bonds in Cp2Ru2(CO)3(PR3) and Cp2Mo2(CO)4(PR3)2†

Despite the much higher basicity expected for the Ru bearing the PR3 ligand in Cp(PR3)Ru(μ-CO)2Ru(CO)Cp, NMR studies demonstrate that protonation of this complex with CF3SO3H occurs at the Ru−Ru bo...
Sedimentation analysis of vertebrate serum proteins.

Abstract A comparative survey of the analytical ultracentrifuge patterns demonstrated a greater diversity in size distributions among the vertebrates' serum proteins than has been appreciated. A trend towards a larger proportion of higher molecular weight material in the samples from fish, amphibians and reptiles was observed.
Highly Water‐Soluble, Fluorescent, Conjugated Fluorene‐Based Glycopolymers with Poly(ethylene glycol)‐Tethered Spacers for Sensitive Detection of Escherichia coli

Two bromide-bearing, fluorene-based, conjugated polymers with oligo(ethylene glycol)- and poly(ethylene glycol)-tethered spacers have been prepared by the Suzuki coupling polymerization of bromide-bearing, fluorene monomers. beta-Glucose and alpha-mannose residues have been covalently attached to the conjugated polymers by post-polymerization functionalization of the precursor polymers with thiol-functionalized carbohydrates under basic conditions through thioether linkage. A glucose-bearing glycopolymer with oligo(ethylene glycol)-tethered spacers (polymer A) displays poor water solubility. However, glycopolymers with poly(ethylene glycol)-tethered spacers (polymers B and C) are highly water-soluble due to their long, flexible, hydrophilic spacers. Incubation of the ORN178 strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) with alpha-mannose-bearing glycopolymer (polymer C) results in the formation of fluorescent cell clusters, causing significant red shifts in UV/Vis absorption and fluorescent spectra of the polymer through multivalent cooperative interactions of the polymeric carbohydrates with the bacterial pili. In contrast, polymer C displays no interactions with a mutant ORN208 strain of E. coli.
Improving the Accuracy of CTC Interpretation: Computer-Aided Detection

Computer-aided polyp detection aims to improve the accuracy of the colonography interpretation. The computer searches the colonic wall to look for polyp-like protrusions and presents a list of suspicious areas to a physician for further analysis. Computer-aided polyp detection has developed rapidly over the past decade and in the laboratory setting and has sensitivities comparable to those of experts. Computer-aided polyp detection tends to help inexperienced readers more than experienced ones and may also lead to small reductions in specificity. In its currently proposed use as an adjunct to standard image interpretation, computer-aided polyp detection serves as a spellchecker rather than an efficiency enhancer.
Mössbauer energy shift near the Curie temperature of Fe

A search for a possible magnetization dependence of the isomer shift in Fe yields negative results, both within 2 K of the Curie point, and in a wide region above and below the Curie point. These findings are based on both source and absorber experiments. They disagree with the observations of Preston near Tc, but are in accord with previous work over a wider temperature range.
Combined Rule Extraction and Feature Elimination in Supervised Classification

There are a vast number of biology related research problems involving a combination of multiple sources of data to achieve a better understanding of the underlying problems. It is important to select and interpret the most important information from these sources. Thus it will be beneficial to have a good algorithm to simultaneously extract rules and select features for better interpretation of the predictive model. We propose an efficient algorithm, Combined Rule Extraction and Feature Elimination (CRF), based on 1-norm regularized random forests. CRF simultaneously extracts a small number of rules generated by random forests and selects important features. We applied CRF to several drug activity prediction and microarray data sets. CRF is capable of producing performance comparable with state-of-the-art prediction algorithms using a small number of decision rules. Some of the decision rules are biologically significant.
Targeting Requirements and Stability Characterization for a Class of Ballistic Transfers

A class of trajectories that naturally exists in unstable orbital environments lies on stable manifolds. The significant role of manifolds in the dynamics of low-thrust trajectories has been demonstrated recently. Although stable manifolds provide thrust-free transfers between distant regions in phase space and have been used for trajectory design, the natural stability and targeting constraints around these trajectories have not been investigated systematically. In this paper, a notion of targeting time is introduced to characterize stability around stable manifolds, which allows the extracting of valuable information that cannot be obtained by linear navigation analysis. A semi-analytical approach to determine a minimum targeting-time direction is presented. Using this direction, a position and velocity margin around stable manifold trajectories is defined to summarize the targeting constraint for inserting a spacecraft on a ballistic trajectory arriving at an equilibrium point or periodic orbit within a desired accuracy. The results provide critical insight to the variation of stability along ballistic arcs and can be used for targeting schemes, coast arc placements in low-thrust missions, and analyzing uncertainty propagation for navigation studies.
Polarization-modulated FT IR spectra of cyanide adsorbed on a silver electrode

Abstract Polarization-modulated Fourier transforms IR reflection-absorption spectroscopy (FT IRRAS) has been used to measure the IR spectra of cyanide species at the silver electrode-electrolyte interface. These spectra show absorption bands due to both surface and solution species and are presented as a function of the electrode potential.
Comparative Inactivation of Adenovirus Serotypes by UV Light Disinfection

The results of this study confirm that adenoviruses are the most resistant enteric viruses to inactivation by UV light and that adenovirus 40 appears to be the most resistant. The effect of freeze-thawing and storage in water may affect the sensitivity of some adenoviruses to inactivation by UV light.
Relative volatilities from mixture liquid densities for the n-butane/1,3-butadiene system

Abstract Experimental compressed liquid densities for n-butane/1,3-butadiene mixtures are reported and have been used to calculate relative volatilities. These calculated values agree with literature values to within 2% and effectively characterize the mixture interaction. To perform the calculations, we first used pure-component saturated liquid and vapor volumes, and vapor pressures to determine three pure-component parameters in the Peneloux—Soave equation of state. The compressed liquid densities for the mixtures were linearly extrapolated to the bubble point pressure of the mixture, and these saturated liquid volumes were used to evaluate a single binary interaction parameter.
Direct evaluation of NURBS curves and surfaces on the GPU

This paper presents a new method to evaluate and display trimmed NURBS surfaces using the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). Trimmed NURBS surfaces, the de facto standard in commercial 3D CAD modeling packages, are currently tessellated into triangles before being sent to the graphics card for display since there is no native hardware support for NURBS. Previous GPU-based NURBS display methods relied on first approximating the NURBS patches with lower degree Bezier patches before evaluation. Our method uses a GPU fragment program to evaluate the surface point coordinates of the original NURBS patch directly, from the control points and knot vectors stored as textures in graphics memory. This evaluated surface is trimmed during display using a dynamically generated trim-texture calculated via alpha blending. The implementation incorporates dynamic Level of Detail (LOD) for real-time interaction at different resolutions of the NURBS surfaces. We obtain rendering speeds at least one order of magnitude faster than evaluation using the CPU.