cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inconsistencies in the business law education of accounting students: A survey of accounting educators

Abstract A general requirement for an accountant to take the CPA examination is the completion of a course in business law. It appears that what constitutes the business law course requirement is rather loosely defined and leaves excessive room for interpretation. What is a business law course? A survey of accounting educators regarding the business law requirement and the law courses taught at their respective schools reveals, inter alia, a divergence of opinion regarding the business law requirement, the perceived objective of teaching business law to accounting students, the importance of the legal topics included on the CPA exam, and the coverage of those topics at their respective institutions. In general, accounting educators are encouraged to both review their current business law requirements and to take a more active role in monitoring the business law curriculum.
Analytical and experimental studies of drill temperatures

This paper describes a model for calculating transient and steady-state drill temperatures for drills with arbitrary point geometries. The model is based on temperature solutions for a semi-infinite body and uses a transient analysis to partition heat between the drill, chip, and workpiece. A parametric model is used to characterize complex point geometries; heat source characteristics are modeled using empirical force equations from end turning tests. Temperature calculations are presented for several representative drill geometries and compared with temperatures measured by thermocouple methods. Two thermocouple methods were used: the standard welded thermocouple method, and a method in which an insulated wire was embedded in the workpiece, so that it would form a hot junction with the drill each time the drill cut through it. The agreement between calculated and measured temperatures is reasonable. Calculations indicate the helix and point angles have the greatest influence on drill temperatures. Increasing the helix angle increases the effective rake and thus reduces temperatures; the effect is relatively weak, however, for helix angles over 10 degrees. Increasing the point angle shortens the cutting edge and increases drill temperatures.
For Profit or for Market Share? The Pricing Strategy of Japanese Automakers on the U.S. Market☆

The rapid penetration of the U.S. automobile market by Japanese automakers has raised questions about Japanese versus U.S. pricing practices. Is it true that “Detroit is following the old rule . . . maximize profits on each car rather than sell more cars” (Wall Street Journal1/8/85) while Japanese firms seek expansion even if it comes at the expense of profitability? Or could it be that Japanese penetration of the U.S. market is compatible with short run profit maximizing prices? To examine Japanese pricing behavior on the U.S. market, the short run is defined as the selling time of inventory on hand. Maximization of average profit over that period leads firms to set markup over average cost equal to the inverse of the price elasticity of the selling time of inventory. This elasticity is estimated using data on Japanese inventories in the U.S., and compared to markups applied by the Japanese. The evidence suggests that Japanese automakers did indeed price to maximize short run profits on the U.S. market.J. Japan Int. Econ.,March 1997,11(1), pp. 55–81. School of Business, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057.
Babysitting: A Milestone of Early Adolescence:

Babysitting can be viewed as an experience that provides adolescents with opportunities to develop and practice adult role behavior. The responses to questionnaries administered to 974 subjects ind...
Did Michelson and Morley test the wrong phenomenon

"Our Universe does not have a real cosmic medium". "Light is fundamentally dual, comprising a wave aspect and a particle aspect". These two statements are jointly present in most physics textbooks, but they are logically incompatible. The argument against mediation is based on the outcome of the Michelson-Morley experiment. It only works under the assumption that light is a running wave in the ether, similar to a sound wave in the air. Without such an assumption, invariance only proves that the speed of light is not the speed of a wave. If light has a dual nature, then the speed of light is the speed of the particle aspect. In quantum mechanics, it can be described as the speed of the photon. Classical models would suggest that the speed of light is equal to the rate of mutual generation of electric and magnetic fields across space. Alternatively, the speed of light can be described as the speed of a train of fields, propagating like a stream of particles. There is no room for running waves in these models, except as a constituent element of static fields. For a coherent account of our knowledge, the second statement should be preserved, and the first one should be rejected.
Polynomial-time algorithms for solving a class of critical node problems on trees and series-parallel graphs

We examine variants of the critical node problem on specially structured graphs, which aim to identify a subset of nodes whose removal will maximally disconnect the graph. These problems lie at the intersection of network interdiction and graph theory research and are relevant to several practical optimization problems. The two different connectivity metrics that we consider regard the number of maximal connected components (which we attempt to maximize) and the largest component size (which we attempt to minimize). We develop optimal polynomial-time dynamic programming algorithms for solving these problems on tree structures and on series-parallel graphs, corresponding to each graph-connectivity metric. We also extend our discussion by considering node deletion costs, node weights, and solving the problems on generalizations of tree structures. Finally, we demonstrate the computational efficacy of our approach on randomly generated graph instances. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, 2012 © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Processing of low-density silica gel by critical point drying or ambient pressure drying

Abstract Various methods for the production of low-density silica from silica gel were studied. The silica gel was prepared by the `two-step' sol–gel method. The `DSB process' (developed by Deshpande, Smith and Brinker), which takes the gel through solvent exchange, reaction with trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) and ambient pressure drying (APD), was then applied. This processing provided a greater total pore volume, and more mesopores with diameters >50 A, than critical point drying (CPD), the conventional method for producing an aerogel. The high porosity was found to be due primarily to the solvent exchange step; in fact, the reaction with TMCS reduced the porosity. Reaction of the gel with trimethylmethoxysilane (TMMS) in the mother liquor (ethanol/water) provided higher pore volumes than the DSB process. This extra porosity may be attributed to poor wetting of the polar solvent in contact with the surface made hydrophobic through reaction with the TMMS; thus, the capillary forces that cause the gel to shrink are reduced. Finally, it was discovered that some loss of porosity occurs when CPD is conducted with carbon dioxide; specifically, the pressure pulse that occurs when the CPD cell is initially flooded with this liquid can damage the structure of the silica network.
A qualitative analysis of GHB use among gay men: Reasons for use despite potential adverse outcomes

This paper examines the use of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) among a sample of gay men in New York City, who identify GHB as their most frequently used club drug. The sample was drawn from a larger longitudinal investigation of club drug using men. Thematic analysis yielded findings regarding perceived stigma for GHB use, tolerance of potential adverse side effects, and reasons for why some prefer this substance to other club drugs. Specifically, our findings suggest that GHB is viewed unfavorably in many social circles, that side effects are tolerated by frequent GHB users, and that the drug is chosen over other substances because the short duration of action, energy boost, sleep assistance, increase in libido, and limited after-effects. Examining the reasons why men use this substance will lead to the development of GHB specific prevention strategies, which accurately address the consequences of use as well as the motivations that individuals possess for using the substance.
Quantitative trait loci analysis of growth response to varying nitrogen sources in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Nitrogen absorption and assimilation is variable among plants as a result of two factors: the source of nitrogen available and the genetic variation among species within the resulting nitrogen pathways. Several genes involved in nitrogen cycling have been identified, yet little is known about the genes that control quantitative responses to different nitrogen sources. With quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping in Arabidopsis thaliana recombinant inbred lines (Columbia × Landsberg erecta) we have identified chromosomal regions controlling aerial mass, root mass, and root length when plants are grown in nitrate, ammonium, ammonium nitrate, or low nitrogen treatments. A total of 16 QTL (P < 0.01) were identified among the nitrogen treatments. Most of the QTL were specific to a single treatment. The percentage additive genetic effects of significant QTL were as high as 17%. Five significant QTL corresponded to the locations of candidate genes associated with nitrogen assimilation, while a few QTL corresponded with candidate genes in the developmental pathways. Most QTL were not shared across treatments, suggesting that there is no optimal genotype for all nitrogen sources.
Modeling paternal attentiveness: distressed pups evoke differential neurobiological and behavioral responses in paternal and nonpaternal mice.

With the exception of parturition and lactation, male California deer mice (Peromyscus californicus) exhibit the same parental responses toward offspring as conspecific females. A closely related species, Peromyscus maniculatus, however, rarely exhibits paternal responses. In the current study, a comparative species approach was used to assess paternal responses in both Peromyscus species with varying levels of paternal experience (biological fathers, pup-exposed virgins, and pup-naive virgins). Of special interest was the persistence of the males to direct their attention toward a distressed pup housed in a small enclosure (i.e., a barrier existed between males and pups). In addition to pup-directed responses, non-pup-directed responses such as grooming, resting and jumping were recorded. Subsequently, all animals' brains were assessed for fos-immunoreactivity (ir) in several areas previously associated with the paternal brain circuit. Overall, P. californicus exhibited more pup-directed responses as well as less fos-ir in brain areas involved in emotional integration and processing such as the insula and anterior cingulate. In addition to increased activation of emotional regulatory areas, P. maniculatus males, observed to direct their behavior away from the pup, exhibited higher fos-ir in the nucleus accumbens (involved in goal acquisition), perhaps due to a heightened motivation to avoid the pups. Interestingly, experience with pups altered the lateral septum and amygdala activation of P. maniculatus to levels similar to P. californicus biological fathers. Finally, fos-ir was increased in the medial preoptic area, involved in the maintenance of maternal behavior, in the biological fathers of both species. Thus, although biological predispositions toward pup-directed behaviors were observed in P. californicus males, evidence of a few shifts toward the paternal neural activation profile was apparent in P. maniculatus males. Specifically, modifications in fear responses and social processing may represent the cornerstones of the gradual shift from social tentativeness to social attentiveness in the presence of pups.
Plasma vasopressin levels and water conservation in fasting, postweaned Northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga angustirostris)

Northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga angustirostris) use several physiological mechanisms to conserve water during their 8- 12-wk postweaning fast. Urine was analyzed from five animals and plasma from four of those animals was sampled serially throughout the postweaning period to quantify changes in urine concentrating ability and electrolyte homeostasis at various stages of the fast (Early = 1-4 wk, Mid = 4-7 wk, Late = 7-10 wk). Plasma osmolarities stayed relatively constant at 301.6 f 13.1 mOsm/kg. Urine osmolarities ranged from 1,053.5 ± 78.6 mOsm/kg (Early), to 1,585.0 ± 136.7 mOsm/kg after eight weeks, dropping to 1,214.3 ± 349.6 mOsm/kg (Late). Urine concentrations for Na+ and K+ early in the fast were 55.0 ± 14.6 mM and 180.8 ± 48.6 mM, respectively, declining to 8.2 ± 3.3 mM and 91.4 ± 29.0 mM later. Plasma vasopressin concentrations ranged from 34.8 ± 18.2 pg/ml (Early) to 4.8 ± 1.3 pg/ml (Late). The pups appear to conserve their body water by producing a concentrated urine, thus reducing urinary water loss. The significance of the antidiuretic role of vasopressin in the conservation of body water in these pups could not be conclusively determined from the results.
Application of sparse matrix techniques to inter-regional input-output analysis

Combining the concepts described in this paper makes it possible to solve inter-regional input-output systems (and other types of large, sparse, linear systems) with considerable efficiency in storage and computation. The exact number of operations and corresponding savings in computational time and storage depend on the particular zero-non zero structure of each matrix in the system, but in any case the savings can be enormous. A recommended procedure is summarized below. 1. Take the entire inter-regional IO system which includes the representation of each of the regions and of the links among them and express it in the formMx=Bz or, more simply,Mx=b (since bothB andz are known). It may be helpful for this purpose to draw a picture of the large matrixM. 2. PartitionM into blocks, exploiting the structure of the particular system. For example, at the very least, the matrix or matrices corresponding to each region will probably be separate blocks. The analysis required for this step may lead to reformulating the matrix representation of the given economic system by, for example, replacing a set of equations with linear combinations of these same equations, particularly for the equations representing the links among regions. 3. Identify an appropriate partition of the blocks ofM, and a corresponding partition of the vectorsx andb, for performing a block factorization. This solution algorithm, which solves forx inMx=b (whereM now represents the entire system) is not available as a packaged program and so for the foreseeable future must be written in ‘home-made’ computer code that assumes a sparse matrix storage scheme compatible with the package to be used (as in 4 below). The algorithm for block factorization in the 2×2 case relevant to our particular inter-regional IO system is given in Section 8 of this paper. 4. Some steps of the algorithm require solving smaller systems of the formHu=v foru, given some matrixH and some vectorv. Efficient packaged subroutines can be obtained at low cost in order to solve these systems by finding the block triangular form corresponding to a particularH, then performing theLU factorization of the diagonal blocks only. The home-made code will interact with these subroutines.
A population study of the minicircles in Trypanosoma cruzi : predicting guide RNAs in the absence of empirical RNA editing

The structurally complex network of minicircles and maxicircles comprising the mitochondrial DNA of kinetoplastids mirrors the complexity of the RNA editing process that is required for faithful expression of encrypted maxicircle genes. Although a few of the guide RNAs that direct this editing process have been discovered on maxicircles, guide RNAs are mostly found on the minicircles. The nuclear and maxicircle genomes have been sequenced and assembled for Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, however the complement of 1.4-kb minicircles, carrying four guide RNA genes per molecule in this parasite, has been less thoroughly characterised. Fifty-four CL Brener and 53 Esmeraldo strain minicircle sequence reads were extracted from T. cruzi whole genome shotgun sequencing data. With these sequences and all published T. cruzi minicircle sequences, 108 unique guide RNAs from all known T. cruzi minicircle sequences and two guide RNAs from the CL Brener maxicircle were predicted using a local alignment algorithm and mapped onto predicted or experimentally determined sequences of edited maxicircle open reading frames. For half of the sequences no statistically significant guide RNA could be assigned. Likely positions of these unidentified gRNAs in T. cruzi minicircle sequences are estimated using a simple Hidden Markov Model. With the local alignment predictions as a standard, the HMM had an ~85% chance of correctly identifying at least 20 nucleotides of guide RNA from a given minicircle sequence. Inter-minicircle recombination was documented. Variable regions contain species-specific areas of distinct nucleotide preference. Two maxicircle guide RNA genes were found. The identification of new minicircle sequences and the further characterization of all published minicircles are presented, including the first observation of recombination between minicircles. Extrapolation suggests a level of 4% recombinants in the population, supporting a relatively high recombination rate that may serve to minimize the persistence of gRNA pseudogenes. Characteristic nucleotide preferences observed within variable regions provide potential clues regarding the transcription and maturation of T. cruzi guide RNAs. Based on these preferences, a method of predicting T. cruzi guide RNAs using only primary minicircle sequence data was created.
In vitro inhibition of N-nitrosomorpholine formation by fresh and processed tomatoes.

We evaluated the ability of fresh tomatoes and processed tomato products (whole, diced, sauce, puree, and juice) to inhibit in vitro the formation of N-Nitrosomorpholine (NMOR), under conditions similar to the human stomach. The amount of NMOR that was formed averaged 23% to 82% that of the controls, on an equal wet weight basis, with paste being the most inhibitory. On an equal soluble solids basis, the amount of NMOR formed in the presence of products averaged 82% to 88% of that formed in the distilled water control. Fresh tomatoes showed greatest inhibition of nitrosation (NMOR formation averaged 80% of control), and processed tomatoes showed similar inhibition (NMOR 82% to 88% of the control). Ascorbic acid content was the strongest predictor of ability to inhibit NMOR formation. Processed tomato products inhibited nitrosation to a similar extent as had been reported for fresh tomatoes.
Post-Fisherian Experimentation: From Physical to Virtual

Fisher’s pioneering work in design of experiments has inspired further work with broader applications, especially in industrial experimentation. This article discusses three topics in physical experiments: principles of effect hierarchy, sparsity, and heredity for factorial designs, a new method called conditional main effect (CME) for de-aliasing aliased effects, and robust parameter design. I also review the recent emergence of virtual experiments on a computer. Some major challenges in computer experiments, which must go beyond Fisherian principles, are outlined.
Development of computer-based information systems: a communication perspective

It is still too often the case that Computer-Based Information Systems (CIS) are developed behind schedule, over cost, do not do as much as promised, and do not satisfy their users. After 25 years of experience building these systems, why do these troubles continue to arise? A good part of the answer is that the requirements for these systems were never stated accurately and/or completely in the first place. If the requirement statements are erroneous or incomplete, how can the resulting system be expected to perform satisfactorily? In addition, errors caught or requirements discovered in later phases of the system development process can have very adverse affects on cost targets and meeting time deadlines.
Lower cognitive reserve in the aging human immunodeficiency virus-infected brain

More HIV-infected individuals are living longer; however, how their brain function is affected by aging is not well understood. One hundred twenty-two men (56 seronegative control [SN] subjects, 37 HIV subjects with normal cognition [HIV+NC], 29 with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder [HAND]) performed neuropsychological tests and had acceptable functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at 3 Tesla during tasks with increasing attentional load. With older age, SN and HIV+NC subjects showed increased activation in the left posterior (reserve, “bottom-up”) attention network for low attentional-load tasks, and further increased activation in the left posterior and anterior (“top-down”) attention network on intermediate (HIV+NC only) and high attentional-load tasks. HAND subjects had only age-dependent decreases in activation. Age-dependent changes in brain activation differed between the 3 groups, primarily in the left frontal regions (despite similar brain atrophy). HIV and aging act synergistically or interactively to exacerbate brain activation abnormalities in different brain regions, suggestive of a neuroadaptive mechanism in the attention network to compensate for declined neural efficiency. While the SN and HIV+NC subjects compensated for their declining attention with age by using reserve and “top-down” attentional networks, older HAND subjects were unable to compensate which resulted in cognitive decline.
Safety and feasibility of bronchial thermoplasty in asthma patients with very severe fixed airflow obstruction: a case series.

Objective. Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) can provide relief for patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma despite maximal medical therapy. However, it is unclear whether BT is safe in patients with very severe airflow obstruction. Methods. We performed BT in eight patients with severe asthma as defined by Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR-3) guidelines who were poorly controlled despite step 5 therapy. Data were available on each subject for 1 year prior to and 15–72 weeks following BT. Results. The mean (±SEM) pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) prior to BT was 51.8 ± 8.6% of predicted, and the mean (±SEM) number of hospitalizations for asthma in the year prior to BT was 2.9 ± 1.2. No subject had an unexpected severe adverse event due to BT. Among the eight patients with follow-up of at least 15 weeks, there was no significant decline in FEV1 (p = .4). Conclusion. We suggest that BT may be safe for asthma patients with severe airflow obstruction and higher hospitalization rates than p...
Aerodynamics at Very High Altitudes

A VERY high altitudes, of the order of 20 miles or more, the earth's atmosphere becomes so rarefied that it no longer behaves as a continuous fluid. Proper account must be taken of the basic molecular structure of the air in the prediction of heat transfer and aerodynamic characteristics. The general field of rarefied gas dynamics, i.e., the mechanics of a gas so rarefied that mean free path effects become important, was discussed by Tsien (l). The terms "slip flow" and "free molecule flow" were introduced to characterize phenomena associated with moderate and extreme rarefaction respectively. A slip flow is a flow in which the mean free path is a small but not negligible fraction of the boundary layer thickness and thus corresponds to values of Mach number M and Reynolds number Re in the range 0.01 10, i.e., to a ratio of mean free path to body dimension of approximately 10 or larger. The slip flow range would apply approximately to flight of a one-foot diameter missile, to take a specific example, at altitudes of the order to 20 to 50 miles, while free molecule flow would obtain at altitudes above 80 miles. Important applications to instrumentation occur at very much lower altitudes. The general regions of flow, together with the ranges of Mach and Reynolds covered by the various experimental programs described subsequently, are indicated in Fig 1. Two experimental research groups—one at the Ames Laboratory of the NACA under the direction of Stalder and Goodwin, and one at Berkeley under the initial direction of Folsom and Kane—have been carrying on investigations in this area for the past nine years with particular emphasis on applications to high altitude, supersonic flight. Most of the work at Ames has been centered around problems of free molecule flow, while at Berkeley, most of the emphasis has been on the slip flow range. A fairly complete summary report, together with an extensive bibliography, of the progress of research in the field through the summer of 1952 is contained in (2). I t is the purpose of this report to describe the principal results obtained at Berkeley during the period 19521955 which have application to high altitude aerodynamics. These investigations were carried out in the low density supersonic wind tunnel located at Berkeley and described in (2). Only those investigations which have not yet been published, or which have been published only in the form of project reports, will be discussed here. Other investigations during this period are listed in the bibliography of the present report.
The Scalar Transformation of the U.S. Commercial Property-Development Industry: A Cautionary Note on the Limits of Globalization

Economic geographers have commonly interpreted globalization in terms of a scalar transformation of economic activities in which the dominant form of economic organization progressively shifts from local to more global scales. This article critically examines this thesis in the context of a study of the U.S. commercial property-development industry. The first section argues that the literature on commer- cial property development tends to highlight globalizing sectors and activities. This focus generates a partial understanding of the industry that has important ramifica- tions, not the least for examining the relationship between local economic and polit- ical elites in U.S. cities. A more cultural reading of economic actors and practices allows for an alternative approach that emphasizes the cultural embeddedness of economic and political practices and the local networks through which knowledge and influence are mobilized. The second section introduces the study area--Columbus, Ohio-and the research methods, and the third section presents the empirical results. These results fail to demonstrate any simple and linear process of scalar transfor- mation. Indeed, a brief comparison with other cities points to the continuing domi- nance of a localized and fragmented organizational form. The fourth section draws on interviews with property developers to interpret this local structure of social relations. Three conclusions are drawn regarding the extent and nature of scalar trans- formation in the property-development industry. The most significant is the need for a more circumspect account of globalization and scalar transformation.
Promotional Expenditures, Market Competition, and Thrift Behavior

Abstract This article investigates the impact of promotional expenditures or advertising on the performance and asset and liability characteristics of firms in the U.S. savings and loan industry over the period 1985 to 1989. The results of a simultaneous equation analysis on a sample of 2,534 thrifts in the Southeast region indicate that promotional expenditures had a strong positive impact on the profitability of their non-interest business activities. The promotional expenditures of thrifts were found to be positively related to their investment in nontraditional assets and their reliance on purchased funds. The findings indicate that promotional expenditures have increased due to the increased competition in the local markets as a result of the introduction of interstate banking during the period.
Spark PRM: Using RRTs within PRMs to efficiently explore narrow passages

This research supported in part by NSF awards CNS-0551685, CCF-0833199, CCF-0830753, IIS-0916053, IIS-0917266, EFRI-1240483, RI-1217991, by NIH NCI R25 CA090301-11, by Chevron, IBM, Intel, Oracle/Sun and by Award KUS-C1-016-04, made by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). J. Denny supported in part by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
The particle size distribution, density, and specific surface area of welding fumes from SMAW and GMAW mild and stainless steel consumables

Particle size distributions were measured for fumes from mild steel (MS) and stainless steel (SS); shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)and gas metal arc welding (GMAW) consumables. Up to six samples of each type of fume were collected in a test chamber using a micro-orifice uniform deposit (cascade) impactor. Bulk samples were collected for bulk fume density and specific surface area analysis. Additional impactor samples were collected using polycarbonate substrates and analyzed for elemental content. The parameters of the underlying mass distributions were estimated using a nonlinear least squares analysis method that fits a smooth curve to the mass fraction distribution histograms of all samples for each type of fume. The mass distributions for all four consumables were unimodal and well described by a lognormal distribution; with the exception of the GMAW-MS and GMAW-SS comparison, they were statistically different. The estimated mass distribution geometric means for the SMAW-MS and SMAW-SS consumables we...
The determination of hydroxyproline in tissue and protein samples containing small proportions of this imino acid.

Abstract A method is presented for the quantitative determination of hydroxyproline in biological materials containing as little as one part of hydroxyproline in 4000 parts of amino acids. Thus method has been applied to a study of hydroxyproline distribution in cell particulates, tissue fluids, and purified plant and animal proteins. Significant amounts of hydroxyproline were found in crystalline preparations of pepsin, elastase. and ficin.
Perspective vergence: Oculomotor responses to line drawings

Abstract When a perspective drawing is viewed monocularly, changes in fixation point are accompanied by changes in steady-state vergence; their direction is usually appropriate for the distance relationships implied in the illustration. The absolute magnitude of these responses varies appreciably among subjects; it can be consistently enhanced or reduced by modest changes in the drawing. Similar configurations of stimuli from three-dimensional objects would presumably also contribute to normal vergence movements during binocular viewing; it appears that their importance would increase with target distance. Corresponding changes in pupil diameter, as expected for the “near reflex”, were not observed with perspective stimuli. Consistent, directionally appropriate vergence changes, paralleling perception, were also made by most subjects during monocular viewing of a Necker cube, but there, exceptionally large pupillary responses arose.
Modernizing probability and statistics engineering curricula

This Work-in-Progress paper describes an ongoing project for modernizing the probability and statistics program component for electrical and computer engineering majors at the University of Kansas. Traditionally in engineering curricula around the nation, this three-hour senior-level course has at most focused on the probability of overlapping events, properties and examples of discrete and continuous random variables, and only rudimentary statistical principles involving confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and linear least-squares curve fitting. Some courses nationwide emphasize only probability and random variables, some focus only on the statistical aspects of data handling, and a few also include small projects that feature computer-generated pseudo-random numbers. ABET has program criteria that require graduates to have some knowledge of probability and statistics. Usually, programs seek to satisfy this requirement by one of these single self-contained three-hour courses. What is needed to modernize the curricula is a more comprehensive treatment that not only improves the course and extends these concepts beyond into the senior capstone and other courses but also prepares graduates for more extensive probability and statistics applications after graduation.
Replacement under ongoing technological progress

This paper evaluates the cost savings achievable in the infinite horizon single-asset replacement problem by considering technological progress affecting assets available after multiple future replacements and allowing variable service lives. Using a simple geometric model to specify asset costs, constant service lives are shown to be suboptimal. It is shown by example that common replacement decision methods yield higher service lives for the first asset and substantially different discounted total costs for the series of assets. This effect is illustrated numerically using automobile cost data.
Thermomolecular pumping effect

The possibility of direct thermal pumping of gases under molecular flow conditions using directed molecular scattering from certain surfaces is considered. Several simple thermomolecular pumps, using carbonized nickel for active surfaces, have been built. Single-stage pressure ratios in excess of 1.3 have been obtained. A multistage window device has also been successfully tested.
Discrete nuclear elastic scattering effects in Cat-D and D-3He fusion plasmas

The effects of Nuclear Elastic Scattering (NES) on the properties of Cat-D and D-3He plasmas are investigated, with special attention given to the discrete nature of NES. A space-independent, linear multi-group method is used for the study. It is found that NES can significantly reduce the nr requirements for plasma ignition; for plasmas characterized by relatively large cyclotron radiation losses, this reduction can exceed 50%. In addition, the treatment of the discrete NES behaviour is shown to be essential for an accurate prediction of the superthermal ion distribution functions.
Efficacy of dietary fiber in lowering serum cholesterol

I n the last few years, increasing attention has been given to lowering serum cholesterol levels to reduce high rates of coronary artery disease in the U.S. population.Q Using the new classification, it is estimated that approximately 32% of adult men and 27% of adult women in the United States require intervention for either borderline-high or high serum cholesterol levels.3 Considering the magnitude of the problem, in order to minimize health care costs, more emphasis is being given to dietary therapy and physical activity.2 Although the benefits of reducing consumption of cholesterol-raising saturated fats and cholesterol are well recognized and form the basis of Step-One and Step-Two Diets,1)2 an increase in dietary fiber has not been included as an essential component of dietary therapy. In this issue of the Journal, Hunninghake et al4 report the results of a nearly year-long multicenter trial of the efficacy of dietary fiber in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Using 20 g per day of a mixed dietary fiber supplement consisting mainly of watersoluble fibers (guar gum and pectin), and some water-insoluble fibers (pea, soy, and corn bran), the investigators observed, on average, a 5% lowering of total cholesterol and 9% lowering of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in 59 of the 93 hypercholesterolemic patients who complied with the therapy and Step-One Diet. Although the reductions in serum cholesterol values ranged from 1.6% to 6.6%, and in LDL cholesterol levels from 4.3% to 10.9%, the persistence of the hypocholesterolemic effect of dietary fiber over the long term was noteworthy. The study, however, has some limitations, which include exclusion of 34 subjects due to various reasons and lack of an intent-to-treat analysis. In addition, information on the nature and severity of gastrointestinal side effects that led 7 patients to withdraw from the study was not provided. The study, nevertheless, contributes importantly to our knowledge of long-term persistence of lipid-lowering action of dietary fiber over and above that of a Step-One Diet. Still, some questions remain unanswered. Is there a place for dietary fiber or its supplements in the management of hypereholesterolemia?
Comparison of cortical thinning in late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis with a normative pediatric population using magnetic resonance imaging

CO RR EC TE D P RO OF these abnormalities through motor tests. Homozyous mice performed poorly and showed no improvement on the inverted grip and rotarod tests. Together, these data suggest that the mice are impaired in their motor ability and strength, which may be due to gross accumulative manifestations in the brain. Additionally, they demonstrated increased stereotypic behavior in the open field test by entering the center zone less frequently and in categorized observation by spending more time chewing, but decreased stereotypic behavior in the marble burying test by burying fewer marbles. This study implicates particular sphingolipids in highly specific functions within the brain and a complex, but specific, system to regulate their expression. The detailed ceramide composition of the mouse brain illustrated in this study can serve as a reference point upon which brains from other neurological and storage disorders can be compared.
The role of religion in the lives of resilient, urban, African American, single mothers

The historical and current importance of religion and spirituality in African American communities is much noted in the social sciences. Study of religious institutions and those community members who belong to religious institutions, however, is only the beginning of understanding the role of religion in communities. This qualitative study explores the role, impact, and mechanisms of religious beliefs for 10 resilient, African-American, single mothers who are raising families in risky, urban neighborhoods. Half of the participants are church-affiliated, while the other half are not. Participants' discussions of the role of religion and religious thought in their lives is explored in terms of four mechanisms through which religion impacts their lives—religious settings and people; internal and individual values; behavior, and protection and blessing. Implications of the findings, for community psychology and for the design of prevention and ameliorative interventions, are discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effects on subjective and objective alertness and sleep in response to evening light exposure in older subjects

Evening bright light exposure is reported to ameliorate daytime sleepiness and age-related sleep complaints, and also delays the timing of circadian rhythms. We tested whether evening light exposure given to older adults with sleep-wake complaints would delay the timing of their circadian rhythms with respect to their sleep timing, thereby reducing evening sleepiness and improving subsequent sleep quality. We examined the impact of evening light exposure from two different light sources on subjective alertness, EEG activity during wakefulness, and sleep stages. Ten healthy older adults with sleep complaints (mean age=63.3 years; 6F) participated in a 13-day study. After three baseline days, circadian phase was assessed. On the evening of days 5-8 the subjects were exposed for 2h to either polychromatic blue-enriched white light or standard white fluorescent light, and on the following day circadian phase was re-assessed. Subjects were allowed to leave the laboratory during all but the two days when the circadian phase assessment took place. Evening assessments of subjective alertness, and wake and sleep EEG data were analyzed. Subjective alertness and wake EEG activity in the alpha range (9.75-11.25 Hz) were significantly higher during light exposures when compared to the pre-light exposure evening (p<0.05). The light exposures produced circadian phase shifts and significantly prolonged latency to rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep for both light groups (p<0.05). The increase in wake EEG alpha activity during the light exposures was negatively correlated with REM sleep duration (p<0.05). Evening light exposure could benefit older adults with early evening sleepiness, without negatively impacting the subsequent sleep episode.
Remarks on Wilson lines, modular invariance and possible string relics in Calabi-Yau compactifications

Abstract When one mods out a (2,2) conformal field theory by the action of a discrete group, it is possible to include Wilson lines to break the gauge symmetry. We simplify and generalize an earlier analysis by Witten of the constraints that modular invariance places on the allowed symmetry breaking patterns. The analysis does not depend on the details of the original conformal field theory. We then consider the fractionally charged states in such theories, first discussed by Wen and Witten. We note that these are rather generic, and consider the possibilities for their detection. We also note that, while in general they are expected to be massive (∼ M Planck ), in models based on free fields, such as orbifold compactifications, there are likely to be massless (very light) fractionally charged states.
Changes in psychopathology and symptom severity in bulimia nervosa between 1993 and 2003.

Objective: This study investigated changes in symptom severity and the psychopathology of patients with bulimia nervosa between 1993 and 2003. Method: Pretreatment data of patients diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, collected between 1993 and 1997 from two multisite studies (N = 263), and from 2001 to 2003 from a third multisite study (N = 233) were compared for differences in psychopathology, eating disorder symptoms, and demographic characteristics. Results: There was a significant increase in baseline age between the cohorts (1993M = 28.7 ± 7.9, 2001M = 30.3 ± 8.7, p = 0.036) together with a decrease in personality disorders and in several aspects of eating disorder psychopathology. After controlling for age however, significant pretreatment differences were found only in the restraint subscale on the EDE. Conclusion: Results suggest that the presentation of individuals with bulimia nervosa has changed between 1993 and 2003, in that participants were older and demonstrated less dietary restraint. Hence, comparisons between samples and treatment trials over time must be made with caution. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2008
American Exodus: The Dust Bowl Migration and Okie Culture in California

Fifty years ago, John Steinbeck's now classic novel, The Grapes of Wrath, captured the epic story of an Oklahoma farm family driven west to California by dust storms, drought, and economic hardship. It was a story that generations of Americans have also come to know through Dorothea Lange's unforgettable photos of migrant families struggling to make a living in Depression-torn California. Now in James N. Gregory's pathbreaking American Exodus, there is at last an historical study that moves beyond the fiction and the photographs to uncover the full meaning of these events. American Exodus takes us back to the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and the war boom influx of the 1940s to explore the experiences of the more than one million Oklahomans, Arkansans, Texans, and Missourians who sought opportunities in California. Gregory reaches into the migrants' lives to reveal not only their economic trials but also their impact on California's culture and society. He traces the development of an "Okie subculture" that over the years has grown into an essential element in California's cultural landscape. The consequences, however, reach far beyond California. The Dust Bowl migration was part of a larger heartland diaspora that has sent millions of Southerners and rural Midwesterners to the nation's northern and western industrial perimeter. American Exodus is the first book to examine the cultural implications of that massive 20th-century population shift. In this rich account of the experiences and impact of these migrant heartlanders, Gregory fills an important gap in recent American social history.
Subsurface Damage In The Diamond Generation Of Aspherics

The economical (fast) fabrication of large aspherics that have departures from the nearest sphere ranging up to several millimeters requires aspherization by grinding methods rather than polishing methods. One grinding method is the high-precision machining of the aspherics with fixed diamonds on a uniaxially controlled machine. Following aspherization, polishing can be accomplished with suitably flexible tools, ideally in conjunction with a computer-controlled polisher. The Optical Sciences Center has in operation two such machines: the Large Optical Generator (LOG) and the Swing-Arm Generator (SAG) . Both machines, relying on quite different tool-path geometries, can cut large and fast aspherics to about 1-ttm RMS surface accuracy, which brings the surface to well within the capability of polishing tools to reach typical final-figure accuracies. To take full advantage of this machine accuracy, the resulting surfaces must exhibit sufficient smoothness to minimize the post-generation fabrication effort. Clearly, the less surface damage the less effort will be necessary. However, the surface finish is not the most important consideration when determining the next step. Rather, it is the depth of the subsurface damage caused by the diamond. This damage must be removed in subsequent operations to produce a surface having the least amount of scatter and the highest mechanical strength achievable. During the fabrication of a 40-in.-diameter Zerodur off-axis parabola on the LOG and a 27-in. Zerodur off-axis parabola on the SAG, we evaluated the subsurface damage throughout the generating process using the contact method described below for each grade of diamond that was utilized.
Reactions of Highly Uniform Zeolite H-β-Supported Rhodium Complexes: Transient Characterization by Infrared and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopies

A zeolite H-β-supported mononuclear rhodium diethene complex (Rh(C2H4)2{O2Al}, where the braces indicate a part of the zeolite) was formed by the reaction of Rh(acac)(η2-C2H4)2 (acac = acetylacetonate, C5H7O2−) with the zeolite. Transient characterization of the sample by X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and infrared (IR) spectroscopies (combined with mass spectrometry of the effluent gas) while the sample was in contact with flowing CO indicates a simple stoichiometric conversion of the supported metal complex into another species, identified by the spectra as the zeolite-supported rhodium gem-dicarbonyl (Rh(CO)2{O2Al}). The sharpness of the νCO bands in the IR spectrum indicates a high degree of uniformity of the supported rhodium gem-dicarbonyl, and isosbestic points in the XANES spectra as the transformation was occurring imply that the rhodium diethene complex was also highly uniform. Spectra similarly show that treatment of the supported rhodium gem-dicarbonyl with flowing C2H4 resulted ...