cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WETLAND DEGRADATION AND LOSS IN THE RAPIDLY URBANIZING AREA OF PORTLAND, OREGON

An inventory was conducted of small (≤2 ha) freshwater wetlands composed of some combination of open water and emergent marsh in the metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon to (1) document changes in the wetland resource since the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) was conducted (1981/1982 aerial photograph dates) and (2) identify patterns in wetland loss and degradation over a 10-year period in a rapidly urbanizing area. Wetlands identified on NWI maps were visited during summer 1992, and data on the location, wetland type, and surrounding land use or the cause of loss were collected. Of the 233 wetlands identified by NWI in 1981/1982, approximately 40% had been destroyed by human activities or were missing due to drought. Although conversion to urban land uses was the predominant cause of wetland loss from human activities, agricultural conversion accounted for about 31%. Drier-end wetlands (e.g., seasonally flooded) were missing from the landscape most frequently. Of the 141 wetlands still existing, 25% were severely degraded by human activities. Approximately half of those wetlands not severely degraded were affected by noise, and about 40% were disturbed, primarily by grazing and littering. We suggest that because land uses change quickly in rapidly urbanizing areas, leading to increased pressures to convert wetlands, resource agencies and urban planners should conduct similar inventories in other metropolitan areas. Then, demographic projections could be used in conjunction with information on patterns in wetland loss to identify and prioritize areas for wetland protection before development takes place.
Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmitter cycling and energy metabolism in rat cerebral cortex during postnatal development

The contribution of glutamatergic and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons to oxidative energy metabolism and neurotransmission in the developing brain is not known. Glutamatergic and GABAergic fluxes were assessed in neocortex of postnatal day 10 (P10) and 30 (P30) urethane-anesthetized rats infused intravenously with [1,6-(13)C(2)]glucose for different time intervals (time course) or with [2-(13)C]acetate for 2 to 3 h (steady state). Amino acid levels and (13)C enrichments were determined in tissue extracts ex vivo using (1)H-[(13)C]-NMR spectroscopy. Metabolic fluxes were estimated from the best fits of a three-compartment metabolic model (glutamatergic neurons, GABAergic neurons, and astroglia) to the (13)C-enrichment time courses of amino acids from [1,6-(13)C(2)]glucose, constrained by the ratios of neurotransmitter cycling (V(cyc))-to-tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux (V(TCAn)) calculated from the steady-state [2-(13)C]acetate enrichment data. From P10 to P30 increases in total neuronal (glutamate plus GABA) TCA cycle flux (3 x ; 0.24+/-0.05 versus 0.71+/-0.07 micromol per g per min, P<0.0001) and total neurotransmitter cycling flux (3.1 to 5 x ; 0.07 to 0.11 (+/-0.03) versus 0.34+/-0.03 micromol per g per min, P<0.0001) were approximately proportional. Incremental changes in total cycling (DeltaV(cyc(tot))) and neuronal TCA cycle flux (DeltaV(TCAn(tot))) between P10 and P30 were 0.23 to 0.27 and 0.47 micromol per g per min, respectively, similar to the approximately 1:2 relationship previously reported for adult cortex. For the individual neurons, increases in V(TCAn) and V(cyc) were similar in magnitude (glutamatergic neurons, 2.7 x versus 2.8 to 4.6 x ; GABAergic neurons, approximately 5 x versus approximately 7 x), although GABAergic flux changes were larger. The findings show that glutamate and GABA neurons undergo large and approximately proportional increases in neurotransmitter cycling and oxidative energy metabolism during this major postnatal growth spurt.
Foreign labor costs and domestic employment: What are the spillovers?

Abstract This paper studies the international spillover effects of country-specific labor cost changes in the presence of labor market frictions. A two-country model with search frictions predicts that a cut in foreign labor costs leads to an increase in domestic employment, driven by a positive terms of trade effect on job creation. I find empirical evidence in support of this positive spillover effect, the terms of trade channel, and the dependence on the degree of labor market rigidity. This is done by a panel regression that estimates the effect of exogenous variation in foreign unit labor costs, instrumented by changes in foreign statutory social security contribution rates, on domestic employment and output.
Heat Transmission in Fire Test Furnaces

This theoretical and experimental study, complementary to that discussed in Reference 1, examines those factors that affect the ‘test efficiency’ in fire resistance testing. Convective heat transfer in the test chamber may become an essential part of the heat transmission process if, due to small furnace size or non-luminous furnace gases, the radiative transmission is not sufficiently intense. The standard technique of measuring and controlling the temperature conditions in the furnace chamber, though not in line with strict scienctific practices, appears to provide insurance against poor test result. A calibration procedure is described for checking the adequacy of fire resistance test facilities and some solutions presented for improving the test efficiency.
Junction temperature dynamics of power MOSFET and SiC diode

In this paper, junction temperature behavior of Si power MOSFET and SiC diodes when conducting significant current is investigated in detail by experiment and theoretical analysis. The dynamic variation and steady-state values of device junction temperatures when carrying different currents are studied. The results show that the device steady-state junction temperature versus current curve rises sharply after around 100°C and 150°C, for the Si power MOSFET and SiC diode, respectively. Maximum obtainable steady-state junction temperatures are found to be around 190°C for the MOSFET and 220°C for the SiC diode. The experimental results are well-matched by PSpice equivalent thermal circuit simulation and theoretical analytical calculation. While such limitation does not present as an issue for Si Power devices (as they are generally not expected to operate above 190°C), it could limit one's ability in exploring the intrinsic very high temperature capability of SiC power devices. System design approaches that can alleviate these limitations for the SiC power device are discussed and recommended.
New ice core record of atmospheric methane

[1] Atmospheric concentrations of methane, an important greenhouse gas, have varied in the past on time scales ranging from seasons to hundreds of thousands of years. Understanding past variations is important to interpreting current natural and anthropogenic changes. Mitchell et al. present a new high-precision, high-resolution atmospheric methane record covering 1000–1800 C.E. from an ice core from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide project that has confirmed the existence of multidecadal-scale variability during this time period. The new record, which complements other existing ice core methane records, shows that multidecadal-scale methane variability is only weakly correlated or uncorrelated with reconstructed temperature and precipitation variations. The authors also found that time periods when war or plague resulted in population declines are coincident with global atmospheric methane decreases. (Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, doi:10.1029/2010JG001441, 2011)
A 1-D theory for extensional deformation of a viscoelastic filament under exponential stretching

Abstract We consider a viscoelastic filament placed between two coaxial discs, with the bottom plate fixed and the top plate pulled at an exponential rate. Using a slender rod approximation, we derive a one-dimensional (1-D) model which describes the deformation of a viscoelastic filament governed by the Oldroyd-B constitutive model. It is assumed that the flow is axisymmetric and that inertia and gravity are negligible. One solution of the model equations corresponds to ideal uniaxial elongation. A linear stability analysis shows that this solution is unstable for a Newtonian fluid and for viscoelastic filaments with small Deborah number (De ≤ 0.5). For Deborah number greater than 0.5, ideal uniaxial elongation is linearly stable. Numerical solution of the nonlinear equations confirms the result of the linear stability analysis. For initial conditions close to ideal uniaxial flow, our results show that if De > 0.5, the central portion of the filament undergoes considerable strain hardening. As a result, the sample remains almost cylindrical and the deformation approaches pure uniaxial extension as the Hencky strain increases. For De ≤ 0.5, the Trouton ratio based on the effective extension rate at the mid-plane radius gives a much better approximation to the true extensional viscosity than that based on the imposed stretch rate.
Vanadium dioxide base picosecond electromagnetic pulse generator

We investigate the use of thin film VO 2 as a fast-switching material for use in photoconductive emitters. These emitters rely on the semiconductor-metal transition in VO 2 to generate ultrafast electrical pulses.
Microfluidics-enabled phenotyping, imaging, and screening of multicellular organisms

This paper reviews the technologies that have been invented in the last few years on high-throughput phenotyping, imaging, screening, and related techniques using microfluidics. The review focuses on the technical challenges and how microfluidics can help to solve these existing problems, specifically discussing the applications of microfluidics to multicellular model organisms. The challenges facing this field include handling multicellular organisms in an efficient manner, controlling the microenvironment and precise manipulation of the local conditions to allow the phenotyping, screening, and imaging of the small animals. Not only does microfluidics have the proper length scale for manipulating these biological entities, but automation has also been demonstrated with these systems, and more importantly the ability to deliver stimuli or alter biophysical/biochemical conditions to the biological entities with good spatial and temporal controls. In addition, integration with and interfacing to other hardware/software allows quantitative approaches. We include several successful examples of microfluidics solving these high-throughput problems. The paper also highlights other applications that can be developed in the future.
NETosis: A New Factor in Tumor Progression and Cancer-Associated Thrombosis

Neutrophils have long been known as innate immune cells that phagocytose and kill pathogens and mount inflammatory responses protecting the host from infection. In the past decades, new aspects of neutrophils have emerged unmasking their importance not only in inflammation but also in many pathological conditions including thrombosis and cancer. The 2004 discovery that neutrophils, upon strong activation, release decondensed chromatin to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), has unveiled new avenues of research. Here, we review current knowledge regarding NETs in thrombosis, with a special focus on cancer-associated thrombosis as well as their potential role in cancer growth and metastasis. We discuss the prospective use of NET-specific biomarkers, such as citrullinated histone H3 and NET inhibitors, as tools to anticipate and fight cancer-associated thrombosis. We propose that the rapid developments in the field of NETosis may provide new targets to combat the thrombotic consequences of cancer and perhaps even help to contain the disease itself.
Novel mutations and their functional and clinical relevance in myeloproliferative neoplasms: JAK2 , MPL , TET2 , ASXL1 , CBL , IDH and IKZF1

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) originate from genetically transformed hematopoietic stem cells that retain the capacity for multilineage differentiation and effective myelopoiesis. Beginning in early 2005, a number of novel mutations involving Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), Myeloproliferative Leukemia Virus (MPL), TET oncogene family member 2 (TET2), Additional Sex Combs-Like 1 (ASXL1), Casitas B-lineage lymphoma proto-oncogene (CBL), Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and IKAROS family zinc finger 1 (IKZF1) have been described in BCR-ABL1-negative MPNs. However, none of these mutations were MPN specific, displayed mutual exclusivity or could be traced back to a common ancestral clone. JAK2 and MPL mutations appear to exert a phenotype-modifying effect and are distinctly associated with polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia and primary myelofibrosis; the corresponding mutational frequencies are ∼99, 55 and 65% for JAK2 and 0, 3 and 10% for MPL mutations. The incidence of TET2, ASXL1, CBL, IDH or IKZF1 mutations in these disorders ranges from 0 to 17%; these latter mutations are more common in chronic (TET2, ASXL1, CBL) or juvenile (CBL) myelomonocytic leukemias, mastocytosis (TET2), myelodysplastic syndromes (TET2, ASXL1) and secondary acute myeloid leukemia, including blast-phase MPN (IDH, ASXL1, IKZF1). The functional consequences of MPN-associated mutations include unregulated JAK-STAT (Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription) signaling, epigenetic modulation of transcription and abnormal accumulation of oncoproteins. However, it is not clear as to whether and how these abnormalities contribute to disease initiation, clonal evolution or blastic transformation.
A three-stage approach to the automated scoring of spontaneous spoken responses

This paper presents a description and evaluation of SpeechRater^S^M, a system for automated scoring of non-native speakers' spoken English proficiency, based on tasks which elicit spontaneous monologues on particular topics. This system builds on much previous work in the automated scoring of test responses, but differs from previous work in that the highly unpredictable nature of the responses to this task type makes the challenge of accurate scoring much more difficult. SpeechRater uses a three-stage architecture. Responses are first processed by a filtering model to ensure that no exceptional conditions exist which might prevent them from being scored by SpeechRater. Responses not filtered out at this stage are then processed by the scoring model to estimate the proficiency rating which a human might assign to them, on the basis of features related to fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary diversity, and grammar. Finally, an aggregation model combines an examinee's scores for multiple items to calculate a total score, as well as an interval in which the examinee's score is predicted to reside with high confidence. SpeechRater's current level of accuracy and construct representation have been deemed sufficient for low-stakes practice exercises, and it has been used in a practice exam for the TOEFL since late 2006. In such a practice environment, it offers a number of advantages compared to human raters, including system load management, and the facilitation of immediate feedback to students. However, it must be acknowledged that SpeechRater presently fails to measure many important aspects of speaking proficiency (such as intonation and appropriateness of topic development), and its agreement with human ratings of proficiency does not yet approach the level of agreement between two human raters.
Optical Computing With Nonlinear Optics

Nonlinear optics is becoming a new thrust in the field of optical computing and signal processing.14 Optical nonlinearity makes the device's transmission intensity dependent, so one can obtain the thresholding needed for logic decisionmaking. Thresholding is essential to digital optical computing, neural nets, and associative memories. GaAs etalons exhibit many of the characteristics desirable for the nonlinear devices including high speed (picosecond) and diode-laser compatability. However, demonstrations of the use of nonlinear decisionmaking for optical computing have used ZnS or ZnSe interference filters. They are slow (millisecond), but they can be used with the visible 514.5-nm output of an argon laser. We have used such filters to demonstrate all-optical logic operations, one-bit addition by symbolic substitution, and recognition of a three-spot pattern in an arbitrary 2 x 8 array of input beams. The application to associative memories is under study.
Constructing Paris: Flânerie, Female Spectatorship, and the Discourses of Fashion in Französische Miscellen (1803)

The article investigates urban vignettes about Paris written by Helmina von Chezy (1783–1856) for the journal Franzosische Miscellen . I argue that Chezy attempted to investigate the possibilities of women's access to the modern city and of female spectatorship, and in doing so, provided her readers with an original model of how to imagine the modern city. The article centers on three interrelated topics: fl ânerie and its possibilities for a female narrator, ways of turning visual images into language, and the discourse of fashion that allowed Chezy to portray Paris as a kaleidoscope of details. Fashion, I conclude, provided the author with a modern way of rendering the post- Revolutionary world of 1803 as an assemblage of parts. The article series supplied the journal's readers with a radical and distinctly female blueprint of how to experience urban space. The text is a unique and early contribution to the literature of fl ânerie by a female writer.
Explicit tests of contingent claims models of mortgage default

This paper provides explicit and powerful tests of contingent claims approaches to modeling mortgage default. We investigate a model of “frictionless” default (i.e., one in which transactions costs, reputation costs, and moving costs play no role) and analyze its implications-the relationship between equity and default, the timing of default, its dependence upon initial conditions, and the severity of losses. Absent transactions costs and other market imperfections, economic theory makes well-defined predictions about these various outcomes. The empirical analysis is based upon two particularly rich bodies of micro data: one indicating the default and loss experience of all mortgages purchased by the Federal Home Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and a large sample of all repeat sales of single family houses whose mortgages were purchased by Freddie Mac since 1976.
Measurement of mass and momentum transport in wavy-laminar falling liquid films

Abstract Experiments were performed to assess the role of large waves in the transport of mass and momentum in falling liquid films. Simultaneous two component velocity and film thickness measurements were made in wavy laminar films falling on the exterior of a vertical column. Solutions of water and propylene glycol, used as the working fluid in order to create relatively thick viscous films, yielded wavy laminar films over a Reynolds number range of 209 to 414. Examination of these conditions revealed that large waves behave as lumps of liquid sliding over a continuous substrate. Velocity fields within the substrate displayed reduced sensitivity to the large waves with increases in substrate thickness or reductions in dynamic viscosity. Furthermore, time traces of steam-wise velocity in the substrate were found to loosely resemble traces of film thickness, with fluctuations in velocity lagging fluctuations in thickness. By decomposing the stream-wise and radial velocity components into mean, wave induced velocity fluctuations, and turbulent fluctuations, a determination could be made as to whether these films were truly wavy laminar or turbulent. It is shown that, in wavy laminar films, a large portion of the flow, 40–70%, is transported by large waves.
The Association between Asthma and Dental Caries in Children and Adolescents: A Population–Based Case–Control Study

This study explored the potential association between childhood asthma and caries using oral examination and health interview data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988–
Clients, Colleagues, and Community: The Shaping of Zealous Advocacy in Country law Practice

This exploratory study examines the impact of context on the exercise of one dimension of professional responsibility—zealous advocacy. The context selected for observation is the small town (population 20,000 or less), where lawyers work under conditions of high visibility, scrutiny, and accountability. The study suggests that in the small town, the lawyer works in a system where expectations of clients, community, and colleagues possess a high degree of salience for the manner in which he works. The expectations of these separate groups tend to converge on the issue of zealous advocacy and result in the rural attorney's being less likely to exploit the possibilities for adversary combat. The definition of “zealous advocacy” under which he works is shaped in the context of his practice, not in the content of his law school socialization.
Lower-extremity arterial endovascular stenting.

Percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA) has some limitations resulting from the architectural variations of arteriosclerotic lesions. Eccentric, calcified, or ulcerated plaques do not lend themselves well to PTA. 24 Other limitations of PTA include (1) elastic recoil immediately following balloon angioplasty, (2) early restenosis at a PTA site, (3) recanalization of a total occlusion, (4) immediate unsatisfactory result after PTA, and (5) spontaneous or postcatheterization dissection. Some complications of PTA include (1) severe dissection with residual stenosis, (2) acute vessel occlusion following PTA, and (3) post-PTA residual irregularities with mural thrombi. 2,7,21 Endoluminal stents were developed to deal with the limitations and complications of PTA. Currently, two types of stents are approved for use in the United States for the management of occlusive disease of the lower extremities. One is the Palmaz stent, a balloon-expandable intraluminal stent; the other is the Wallstent, a self-expandable intraluminal stent.
Ab initio study of hydrogen abstraction reactions on toluene and tetralin

Hydrogen abstraction reactions play a key role in many thermal and catalytic processes involved in the production of fuels and chemicals. In this paper, the hydrogen abstraction reactions on toluene and tetralin by the benzyl radical are investigated by ab initio methods. These reactions are representatives of similar reactions occurring in the thermolysis of lignin model compounds containing the phenethyl phenyl ether (PPE) structural moiety. The title reactions serve to calibrate the theoretical methods to be used in the study of PPE pyrolysis through comparison of the reaction barriers with reliable experimental values. We used two different hybrid density functionals (BHandHLYP, B3LYP) and second-order perturbation theory to obtain equilibrium and transition state geometries. We recomputed selected energy barriers at the B3LYP geometries with the coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) method. Multiple transition states were found for both reactions. BHandHLYP underestimates and second-order perturbation theory overestimates the reaction barriers; B3LYP energy barriers agree well with experiment and the corresponding CCSD energy barriers. The flat potential energy surface around the saddle points causes numerical inaccuracies. We observe the break down of the harmonic approximation in the calculation of low frequencies.
Intravesicular carboprost for the treatment of hemorrhagic cystitis after marrow transplantation

Abstract Objectives To determine the minimal active dose and extent of activity of intravesicular carboprost for the treatment of hemorrhagic cystitis after marrow transplantation. Methods Twenty-four adults with grade 3 or 4 hemorrhagic cystitis were treated. All but 2 had failed other local therapy. Treatment was initiated at a median of 32 days post-transplant. Eleven patients received carboprost intravesicularly at 0.2 mg/dL for 60 minutes every 6 hours, and the dose was escalated every 24 hours until a dose of 1.0 mg/dL was reached unless a response was achieved. Thirteen additional patients were treated at an initial dose of 0.8 mg/dL, with escalation to 1.0 mg/dL after four doses in the absence of a response. Results Overall, 15 of the 24 patients responded. In the dose-escalation setting, 0.8 mg/dL was the minimal active dose. The total response rate was 62% with doses at or above 0.8 mg/dL and 18% at lower doses. All but one response occurred with 7 or fewer days of therapy, and 9 patients relapsed later. Four additional patients were salvaged following cystoscopy with clot evacuation with or without alum or formalin instillation. In all but 1 patient, bladder spasms developed during treatment with carboprost, but were not sufficiently severe to discontinue therapy. Conclusions Intravesicular carboprost at 1.0 mg/dL every 6 hours for no more than 7 days should be considered or a randomized study for treatment of refractory hemorrhagic cystitis. Cystoscopic examination and evacuation of clots prior to therapy may be required to achieve the full benefit of this treatment.
Fabricating binary optics in infrared and visible materials

An overview of binary optics fabrication techniques, optimized to obtain high-quality micro- optics in visible and infrared materials, is presented. Maximum optical efficiency has been achieved for diffractive quartz microlenses at (lambda) equals 633 nm by controlling the critical fabrication parameters of alignment and etch depth. The degradation in optical efficiency of four-phase-level fused silica microlenses, resulting from an intentional 0.35 micrometers translational error, has been systematically measured as a function of lens speed (F/3 - F/65). Novel processing techniques that enable the fabrication of IR and visible refractive micro-optic arrays such as multilayer resist techniques, deep anisotropic Si-etching, and the formation of analog polymer lenslet arrays are described. Initial results are presented for both monolithic and hybrid integration of layered refractive micro-optic systems.
Effects of tropical deforestation on climate and agriculture

Tropical forests provide many ecosystem and climatic services. This Review provides a synthesis of the effects of tropical deforestation on climate and implications for agriculture, both in the tropics and worldwide. Tower, ground-based and satellite observations indicate that tropical deforestation results in warmer, drier conditions at the local scale. Understanding the regional or global impacts of deforestation on climate, and ultimately on agriculture, requires modelling. General circulation models show that completely deforesting the tropics could result in global warming equivalent to that caused by burning of fossil fuels since 1850, with more warming and considerable drying in the tropics. More realistic scenarios of deforestation yield less warming and less drying, suggesting critical thresholds beyond which rainfall is substantially reduced. In regional, mesoscale models that capture topography and vegetation-based discontinuities, small clearings can actually enhance rainfall. At this smaller scale as well, a critical deforestation threshold exists, beyond which rainfall declines. Future agricultural productivity in the tropics is at risk from a deforestation-induced increase in mean temperature and the associated heat extremes and from a decline in mean rainfall or rainfall frequency. Through teleconnections, negative impacts on agriculture could extend well beyond the tropics.
Vibrational eigenstates of four-atom molecules: a parallel strategy employing the implicitly restarted Lanczos method

Abstract We present an approach for determining the vibrational eigenstates of four-atom molecules. The primary representation of the (six-dimensional) eigenstates involves a finite basis or quantum number representation, whereas Hamiltonian matrix-vector products are evaluated with the aid of certain grid or discrete variable representations. This approach leads to computational and memory demands that are within acceptable limits. The implicitly restarted Lanczos method, as implemented in the ARPACK suites of codes, is then applied to determine some of the corresponding vibrational eigenstates. A distributed-memory parallel implementation of the method allows very large symmetric matrix eigenvalue problems — on the order of N = 2 × 106 — to be tackled. The lowest fifty vibrational states of the HOCO molecule, with zero total angular momentum and even parity, are accurately computed on Argonne National Laboratory's IBM SP computer.
Wide-bandwidth Solar energy harvest by using non-linear optics and fluid dynamic

Existing solar technology can convert only limited bandwidth of solar rays into electricity due to the Shockley-Queisser limit of the solar diodes. Rest get wasted by heating up the solar array or reflected back. This proposed method increases this bandwidth range significantly. Thus produces high yield of electricity. Thin organic solar panel sheet is coated for reflecting non-absorbed bandwidth of sun rays. This sheet can be bend into concave shape with different focal radius. By using solar cell mirror made of this panel with MPPT, a solar farm can be made that converts some of the solar energy into electricity and reflects rest of the solar bandwidth into one single focus location where a series of lenses and prisms are located. These series of lenses converts the incoming bandwidth of rays into tightly focus collimated Gaussian beam which goes through two heterogeneous or multimode circular prisms in a close loop waveguide for ring lasing pulse generation. These prisms have layers of different refrac...
Segment differences in the asymmetric effects of service quality on business customer relationships

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to explore the possible negative asymmetric effects in the impact of service quality on the satisfaction and retention of different customer segments in a professional business services context. Negative asymmetry means that a lower than average service quality evaluation has a stronger effect on customer satisfaction and retention than a higher than average evaluation.Design/methodology/approach – The article provides a survey of 124 business customers of a Midwestern radio advertising services provider, preceded by nine in‐depth interviews with account reps of the advertising firm and two focus groups with business customers.Findings – Along the service quality dimensions – customer satisfaction – retention chain, there are significant negative asymmetric effects and the mediating role of satisfaction varies widely. There are important differences across customer groups: service outcomes are most important determinants of customer satisfaction for large and relat...
Fixation point offsets facilitate endogenous saccades

Subjects produced saccades to continuously visible targets that were signaled by the pitch, not the location, of an auditory signal. Such endogenous saccades were initiated more quickly when the visual fixation point disappeared 200 msec before the signal (thus producing a “gap”), even though the alerting benefits of such a warning were eliminated by an earlier warning tone. The presence of the gap effect under these circumstances shows that the effect is more general than was previously believed: Visual fixation point offsets facilitate saccades by affecting oculomotor processes related to both visually elicited (exogenous) and centrally produced (endogenous) saccades. In addition, the magnitude of the gap effect for endogenous saccades was significantly smaller than that for exogenous saccades, suggesting that at least some of the effect arises in relatively early processes, such as those involved in the processing of sensory signals, and not exclusively in later processes, such as those involved in the preparation and production of saccades.
Fabrication of microvias for multilayer LTCC substrates

Advances in screen printing and photoimageable paste technologies have allowed low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) circuit densities to continue to increase; however, the size of vias for Z-axis interconnections in multilayer LTCC substrates have been a limiting process constraint. In order to effectively exploit the 50-100-/spl mu/m line/spacing capabilities of advanced screen printing and photoimageable techniques, microvia technologies need to achieve 100 /spl mu/m and under in diameter. Three main steps in fabrication of microvias include via formation, via metallization or via fill, and layer-to-layer alignment. The challenges associated with the processing and equipment for the fabrication of microvias are addressed in this paper. Microvias down to 50 /spl mu/m in diameter with spacings as small as 50 /spl mu/m are achieved in 50-254-/spl mu/m-thick LTCC tape layers through the use of a mechanical punching system, whereas the minimum size of 75-/spl mu/m via/spacing is obtained using a pulse laser-drilling system in the LTCC tape layers with the same thicknesses as those for the punching test. The quality of punched microvias and laser-drilled microvias will be presented as well. Layer-to-layer alignment is crucial to the connection of vias in adjacent LTCC tape layers. Through a stack and tack machine with a three-camera vision system and an adjustable precision stage, less than 25-/spl mu/m layer-to-layer misalignment is achieved across a 114.3/spl times/114.3 mm (4.5/spl times/4.5 in) design area. In a six-layer LTCC test substrate (152/spl times/152/spl times/0.762 mm), microvias of 50, 75, and 100 /spl mu/m in diameter are successfully fabricated without the use of via catch pads. The cross section of fired microvias filled with silver conductor pastes at various locations of this substrate demonstrates a minor layer-to-layer misalignment in both X and Y directions across the substrate.
Properties of nanocrystalline electrodeposited CoFeP alloy with low phosphorus content

CoFe and low phosphorus containing (<4 at.%) CoFeP alloy films were electrodeposited from NaH2PO2 containing solutions at pH 4 on copper substrates under galvanostatic conditions. At the low phosphorus composition, nanocrystalline CoFeP alloy films are formed. The structure, composition and morphology of the thin films were studied using X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The magnetic properties of the film were studied using superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. The thin film performance features were explained on the basis of microstructural features developed during deposition. Whereas the electrodeposited CoFe alloy thin film exhibited mixed hcp and fcc phase structure in the absence of phosphorus, the low phosphorus containing thin film exhibited an increasing mixed bcc and hcp phase structure as its phosphorus content increases, showing modification in the grain size morphology and magnetic properties. In addition to applied current, the amount of P co-deposited in CoFeP alloy depends on the concentration of NaH2PO2 source in the bath. Qualitative analysis of the Tafel slope of CoFe and CoFeP deposition suggests that the presence of P in the CoFe deposit does not affect the mechanism of anomalous deposition of Co and Fe, thereby suggesting that CoFeP deposition is anomalous.
An Econometric Study of Primary Commodity Exports from Developing Country Regions to the World

This paper studies the flow of primary commodity exports from non-oil exporting developing countries grouped by geographical region. The first part analyzes the changes in the structure of developing country commodity exports that have taken place over the past two decades. The second part presents empirical evidence on the response of commodity exports to demand and supply. These empirical results point to the low price and income elasticities of demand for certain primary commodity exports and to price elasticities of supply that are in general lower than the corresponding price elasticities of demand in the short run, but that are more sensitive to price in the longer run.
Efficient functionalization of 2',5'-oligoadenylates with sulfur.

To derivatize the 2‘-terminus of 2‘,5‘-oligoadenylates with a thiol group, the reaction of periodate-oxidized nucleotide and 2‘,5‘-oligonucleotide with aminothiols was explored. Two separate synthe...
New approaches for the management of bipolar disorder: role of sublingual asenapine in the treatment of mania

Bipolar disorder is a prevalent disorder that tends to become progressive without treatment and with inadequate treatment. Second generation (atypical) antipsychotic drugs have increasingly been used as adjunctive treatment or monotherapy for mania, but they have the potential for significant adverse effects and their role in maintenance treatment remains unclear. Asenapine is a new atypical antipsychotic medication formulated in a sublingual preparation that has been studied for mania but not maintenance therapy. Evidence indicating efficacy, adverse effects, and potential benefits and drawbacks of using asenapine in the treatment of bipolar disorder based on currently available published data are summarized.
Quantitative characterization of multiple delaminations in laminated composites using the Compton backscatter technique

A Compton X-ray backscatter technique was used to supplement ultrasonic pulse-echo C-scan imaging to quantitatively assess the impact damage in quasi-isotropic laminated composites which were impacted by a drop-weight tester. A Compton backscatter imaging system with a slit-type camera was developed to obtain a cross-sectional profile of impact-damaged laminated composites from the density variation of the cross-section. A nonlinear reconstruction model is introduced to overcome distortion of the Compton backscatter image due to attenuation effects, beam hardening, and irregular distributions of the fibers and the matrix in composites. An adaptive filter is used to reduce noise from many sources including quantum noise, especially when the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) of the image is relatively low. Delaminations masked or distorted by the first few delaminations in an ultrasonic C-scan image are detected and characterized by the Compton back-scatter technique, both in width and location.
Genetic diversity and colony breeding structure in native and introduced ranges of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus is recognized as one of the most important invasive pest species. Originating from China, C. formosanus has spread to many tropical and subtropical regions around the globe in the last 400 years, including Japan, Hawaii and the continental USA. Although the current distribution is well docu- mented, information about the patterns of invasion and effects of introduction on the population genetics of this species is largely lacking. We analyzed the genetic structure of populations from two native populations (Guangdong and Hunan provinces, China) and two introduced populations (Maui and Kauai, Hawaii) using microsatellite genotyping. We also reanalyzed published data of additional populations from China, Japan, Hawaii, and the continental USA. The popula- tion from Hunan, the earliest introduction outside of China (Japan) and the first introduction to the conti- nental USA (South Carolina) showed little genetic similarity with any of the native or introduced popu- lations investigated. However, populations from Oahu (HI), New Orleans (LA) and Rutherford County (NC) showed close similarity. In general, genetic patterns suggest multiple introductions to the USA, with, for example, two separate introductions to the island of Maui. Bottleneck effects were detected in almost all recent introductions (after 1940). All populations in the introduced range showed lower genetic diversity than those in the native range. However, this low genetic diversity did not result in the formation of polygynous supercolonies as has been described for other invasive termite and ant species.
Polarization Properties Of Phase Conjugation By Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing In Saturable Absorbers

Dye molecules held rigidly in solid hosts display unusual polarization properties that can be exploited to produce nearly perfect vector phase conjugation with high sensitivity.
Effect of Geometry and Operating Parameters on Simulated SOFC Stack Temperature Uniformity

A uniform temperature field is desirable in the solid oxide fuel cell stack to avoid local hot regions that contribute to material degradation, thermal stresses, or very high current densities. Various geometric and operational design changes were simulated by numerical modeling of co-flow and counter-flow multi-cell stacks, and the effects on stack maximum temperature, stack temperature difference, and maximum cell temperature difference were characterized. The results showed that 11–17% methane fuel composition for on-cell steam reforming and a reduced reforming rate of 25–50% of the nominal rate was beneficial for a more uniform temperature field. Fuel exhaust recycling up to 30% was shown to provide lower temperature differences for reforming fuel in the co-flow stack, but counter-flow stacks with hydrogen fuel showed higher temperature differences. Cells with large aspect ratios showed a more uniform temperature response due to either the strong influence of the inlet gas temperatures or the greater thermal exchange with the furnace boundary condition. Improved lateral heat spreading with thicker interconnects was demonstrated, but greater improvements towards a uniform thermal field for the same amount of interconnect mass could be achieved using thicker heat spreader plates appropriately distributed along the stack height.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Understanding those who do not understand: a brief review of the anti-vaccine movement

Vaccines and the ability to prevent morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases have been one of the greatest public health success stories. On a global level, it is one of the few cost-effective medical measures that result in universal benefit. Despite this, there is evidence of a growing anti-vaccine movement. In turn, this has, in some cases, resulted in major disruptions in vaccine programs, with resultant needless morbidity and mortality. Of interest are the factors that seem to contribute to the current trend of anti-vaccine sentiment. This paper will examine the current anti-vaccine movement and provide current examples. Finally, a review of suggestions for dealing with the anti-vaccine movement will be presented.
Dendritic cell deficiency associated with development of BK viremia and nephropathy in renal transplant recipients.

Background BK virus nephropathy (BKVN) is a significant cause of renal allograft loss. Although overall intensity of immunosuppression is the greatest risk factor, recipient immune factors likely also play a role in the pathogenesis. Dendritic cells (DC) are potent antigen-presenting cells important for the induction of anti-viral cytotoxic T-cell responses. In a previous univariate analysis, we demonstrated a peripheral blood DC (PBDC) deficiency in patients with biopsy-proven BKVN, raising the possibility that reduction in DC predisposed to BK reactivation. Methods In this study, we refined our previous analysis by comparing random posttransplant PBDC levels between an expanded group of patients with BKVN and controls without viremia using a multivariate analysis that accounted for factors known to influence PBDC levels. Next, we compared pretransplant PBDC levels between patients stratified by the presence or absence of posttransplant viremia. Finally, we assessed the predictive value of pretransplant PBDC levels for the development of posttransplant viremia. Results Analyses revealed a PBDC level deficiency not only posttransplant in patients with BKVN but also pretransplant in patients who subsequently developed posttransplant BK viremia. Furthermore, we identified a pretransplant PBDC level that is a reasonable predictor for the development of posttransplant viremia. Conclusions Our results identify PBDC deficiency as a previously unrecognized risk factor for BKV reactivation after renal transplantation. Pretransplant PBDC monitoring may prove to be a useful clinical tool in the assessment of patient vulnerability to BKVN posttransplant, which may allow more focused screening.
Correlation of cyclin D1 and E1 expression with bladder cancer presence, invasion, progression, and metastasis.

Summary The objective of this study was to determine the correlation of the expression of cyclin D1 and E1 with the expression of commonly altered cell cycle regulators and bladder cancer presence, staging, and clinical outcomes. We performed immunohistochemical staining for cyclin D1, cyclin E1, p53, p21, p27, and retinoblastoma protein (pRB) on serial cuts from normal urothelium from 9 controls, radical cystectomy specimens from 226 consecutive patients with advanced transitional cell carcinoma, and lymph nodes with metastasis from 50 of the 226 cystectomy patients. Cyclin D1 and E1 immunoreactivity were considered low when samples demonstrated less than 10% and 30% nuclear reactivity, respectively. Normal bladder urothelium from all 9 control patients showed uniformly intense expression of cyclin D1 and E1. Cyclin D1 expression was low in 99 (43.8%) of 226 cystectomy specimens and 25 (50.0%) of 50 metastatic lymph node specimens. Cyclin D1 immunoreactivity was not associated with any pathologic characteristics or clinical outcomes. Cyclin E1 expression was low in 125 (55.3%) of 226 cystectomy specimens and 22 (44.0%) of 50 metastatic lymph node specimens. Low cyclin E1 expression was significantly associated with advanced pathologic stage, lymphovascular invasion, and lymph node metastases. In multivariate analyses, low cyclin E1 expression was significantly associated with bladder cancer–specific mortality ( P = .048), but not disease recurrence ( P = .056). Low cyclin E1 expression was significantly associated with altered expression of pRB, p27, and cyclin D1. Low cyclin D1 expression was significantly associated with altered expression of pRB, p21, and cyclin E1. Cyclin E1 expression stratifies patients with bladder transitional cell carcinoma into those with more "indolent" behavior and those with features of biologically and clinically aggressive disease.
Psychometric Properties of Commonly Used Low Back Disability Questionnaires: Are They Useful for Older Adults with Low Back Pain?

Objectives. To evaluate the psychometric properties of two commonly used low back pain (LBP) disability questionnaires in a sample solely comprising community-dwelling older adults. Design. Single-group repeated measures design. Setting. Four continuing care retirement communities in Maryland and in Virginia. Participants. Convenience sample of 107 community-dwelling men and women (71.9%) aged 62 years or older with current LBP. Outcome Measures. All participants completed modified Oswestry Disability (mOSW) and Quebec Back Pain Disability (QUE) questionnaires, as well as the Medical Outcomes Survey Short-Form 36 questionnaire at baseline. At follow-up, 56 participants completed the mOSW and the QUE for reliability assessment. Results. Test–retest reliability of the mOSW and QUE were excellent with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.92 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86, 0.95) and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.90, 0.97), respectively. Participants with high pain severity and high levels of functional limitation had higher scores on the mOSW ( P < 0.0001) and QUE ( P < 0.001) scales than other participants, which represents good construct validity for both scales. The threshold for minimum detectable change is 10.66 points for the mOSW and 11.04 points for the QUE. Both questionnaires had sufficient scale width to accurately measure changes in patient status. Conclusions. It appears that both questionnaires have excellent test–retest reliability and good construct validity when used to evaluate LBP-related disability for older adults with varying degrees of LBP. Neither questionnaire appears to have superior psychometric properties; therefore, both the Oswestry and Quebec can be recommended for use among geriatric patients with LBP.