cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamics of an Aqueous-Alkaline/Carbonate Carbon Fuel Cell

Thermodynamics permits the carbon fuel cell, which generates electrical power via the electrochemical combustion of its carbon fuel, to realize a theoretical efficiency of 100%. A recent paper [Nunoura et al. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2007, 46, 734−744] reported promising results that were obtained from a moderate-temperature, aqueous-alkaline biocarbon fuel cell. In view of the fact that aqueous-alkaline hydrogen fuel cells have been used to power an Austin car and a commercial Black Cab in London, these recent results suggest the potential use of aqueous-alkaline carbon fuel cells for vehicular transportation. Usually, the practicality of an aqueous-alkaline carbon fuel cell is discounted, because the carbon dioxide product of carbon oxidation reacts with and consumes hydroxyl ions in the aqueous-alkaline electrolyte, thereby forming carbonate ions. As a result of this reaction, the performance of an aqueous-alkaline carbon fuel cell is expected to deteriorate over time. Contrary to this expectation, in this...
Variability in cognitive control.

Inconsistency in preference behaviour was predicted on the basis of variability in cognitive control. Twenty-eight undergraduates performed an aesthetic preference task, and were subsequently assessed for intra-individual variability on the cognitive-control dimension of breadth of categorization. The results supported the hypothesis at better than the 0·01 level of significance by a one-tailed test.
Fragile Enhancement of Attitudes and Intentions Following Difficult Decisions

Increased liking of one’s choice following difficult decisions (e.g., choosing between similarly attractive options) is well documented. Given the common mechanism proposed for this effect—a highly involving dissonance reduction process—it would be reasonable to expect such choice enhancement to be quite durable and resistant to later change. Instead, we show the contrary: that difficulty-driven choice enhancement is exceptionally fragile, collapsing easily against even minor attack. In three experiments, consumers make easy or difficult product choices, report attitudes toward their choice, and subsequently encounter a negative customer review. Compared to easy decisions, difficult decisions lead to more extreme initial positivity toward chosen products but also to more vulnerability to subsequent attack. Moreover, this fragile enhancement effect is exacerbated, not ameliorated, by choice involvement. Thus, making difficult decisions between similarly attractive options may motivate a bubble-like inflation of positivity that has some semblance of strength yet remains highly prone to collapse.
Shuttle II - The next generation

A comparative evaluation is conducted for next-generation Space Shuttle-type system configurations, in light of mission and design goals, performance and operational requirements, and technology development needs and opportunities. Cargo vehicle options presently entertained are an unmanned Shuttle Derivative Vehicle and a Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle. Two high priority manned vehicle options are small (35,000-lb payload) and large (150,000-lb payload) fully reusable vehicles. Attention is given to single stage vs. two-stage 'Shuttle II' system performance and economic projections.
Comparative toxicity of ifosfamide metabolites and protective effect of mesna and amifostine in cultured renal tubule cells

Abstract Renal injury is a common side effect of the chemotherapeutic agent ifosfamide. Current evidence suggests that the ifosfamide metabolite chloroacetaldehyde contributes to this nephrotoxicity. The present study examined the effects of chloroacetaldehyde and acrolein, another ifosfamide metabolite, on rabbit proximal renal tubule cells in primary culture. The ability of the uroprotectant medications sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (mesna) and amifostine to prevent chloroacetaldehyde- and acrolein-induced renal cell injury was also assessed. Chloroacetaldehyde and acrolein (25–200 M) produced dose-dependent declines in neutral red dye uptake, glucose transport and glutathione content. Chloroacetaldehyde was a more potent toxin than acrolein. Pretreatment of cells with the glutathione-depleting agent buthionine sulfoximine enhanced the toxicity of both chloroacetaldehyde and acrolein while co-administration of mesna or amifostine prevented metabolite toxicity. These results support the hypothesis that chloroacetaldehyde is responsible for ifosfamide-induced nephrotoxicity. The protective effect of mesna and amifostine in vitro contrasts with clinical experience showing that these medications do not eliminate ifosfamide nephrotoxicity.
Undergraduate robotics on a shoestring

How do you expose undergraduate computer science majors to new technologies, without the budget and facilities available in larger colleges and universities? The author describes a process for developing an upper-level undergraduate course in robotics that has worked for her at both the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Augsburg College.
Lightweight FET circuit for differential or single-ended recording in free-moving animals.

Abstract This report describes a lightweight, inexpensive, dual field-effect transistor (FET) circuit which eliminates movement artifacts from recordings of biopotentials in free-moving animals. This device, which will record either monopolar or differential potentials, functions as a unit gain source follower which transforms signals from high impedance to low impedance without distortion.
The Development of a Dynamic Target and Countermeasures Simulator

The Dynamic Target and Countermeasures Simulator described herein was developed at the U. S. Army Signal Missile Support Agency Laboratories, White Sands Missile Range, Las Cruces, N. M., by a group of Signal Corps engineers and technicians, utilizing components from scrapped radars and standard RF test equipment. This versatile simulator can be used to test existing radars for signal saturation and electronic counter-countermeasures techniques, such as regulating RF and video gain, contrast, etc. Provision is made to simulate antenna patterns and to vary the size of the target from 0.1 to 100 square meters. The expense involved in training radar operators to cope with raids involving hundreds of aircraft has led to the development of various target simulators. As the state-of-the-art in electronic countermeasures (ECM) improved, it became apparent that ECM simulation was also necessary to train radar operators under the conditions that would prevail when aircraft would be radiating thousands of watts of jamming power. Most of the simulators developed used IF or video injection of target signals in the simulator and did not provide the realism desired or allow the radar operator to exercise electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) techniques effectively. The problem then became one of realistic simulation of both target and jamming signals. Field experience at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) had demonstrated that simulation could be accomplished most effectively at the RF level. This finding, by WSMR engineers, led to the design and development of the Dynamic Target and Countermeasures Simulator.
Changes in BAI1 and Nestin expression are prognostic indicators for survival and metastases in breast cancer and provide opportunities for dual targeted therapies

The 2 year survival rate of patients with breast cancer [BC] brain metastases is less than 2%. Treatment options for BC brain metastases are limited and there is an unmet need to identify novel therapies for this disease. Brain angiogenesis inhibitor 1 [BAI1] is a GPCR involved in tumor angiogenesis, invasion, phagocytosis, and synaptogenesis. For the first time, we identify BAI1 expression is significantly reduced in BC and higher expression is associated with better patient survival. Nestin is an intermediate filament whose expression is up-regulated in several cancers. We found higher Nestin expression significantly correlated with BC lung and brain metastases, suggesting both BAI1 and Nestin can be therapeutic targets for this disease. Here, we demonstrate the ability of an oncolytic virus, 34.5ENVE, to target and kill high nestin expressing cells and deliver Vstat120 [extracellular fragment of BAI1]. Finally, we created two orthotopic immune competent murine models of BC brain metastases and demonstrated 34.5ENVE extended the survival of immune competent mice bearing intracranial breast-cancer tumors.
The Signifying Poppet: Unseen Voodoo and Arthur Miller's Tituba

ABSTRACTArthur Miller's The Crucible is a subtle and unconscious illustration of the invisibility of African Americans as well as an acknowledgement of the degree to which they control American history, the American character and American literature. By making Tituba's role in The Crucible more visible, this article examines the struggle of African Americans to gain visibility, a voice, and a story within more dominant white American stories.
Temperature-dependent energy budget of an Arctic Cladoceran, Daphnia middendorffiana

SUMMARY 1. Global change models predict the greatest impact in climate to occur in the northern polar region. Change in temperature will alter individual metabolism and has the potential to change community structure to an unknown degree. 2. The temperature-dependent energy budget of Arctic Daphnia middendorffiana was investigated by measuring respiration rates, ingestion rates and assimilation rates. The scope for growth and reproduction was determined and compared with data from the literature for a clone of Daphnia pulicaria collected in the temperate zone. 3. A difference was observed between the Arctic species and the temperate zone clone in both temperature tolerance, and the energy available for growth and reproduction at various temperatures. A low availability of energy for growth and reproduction indicated that life history patterns as well as physiological mechanisms are important in allowing D. middendorffiana to exist successfully in Arctic environments. 4. The lower available energy for growth compared to Daphnia clones from temperate zones may be detrimental to D. middendorffiana, which might have to compete with species expanding their range under the predicted temperature increase for Arctic regions.
Voltage-dependent K+ currents and underlying single K+ channels in pheochromocytoma cells

Properties of the whole-cell K+ currents and voltage-dependent activation and inactivation properties of single K+ channels in clonal pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells were studied using the patch-clamp recording technique. Depolarizing pulses elicited slowly inactivating whole-cell K+ currents, which were blocked by external application of tetraethylammonium+, 4-aminopyridine, and quinidine. The amplitudes and time courses of these K+ currents were largely independent of the prepulse voltage. Although pharmacological agents and manipulation of the voltage-clamp pulse protocol failed to reveal any additional separable whole-cell currents in a majority of the cells examined, single-channel recordings showed that, in addition to the large Ca++-dependent K+ channels described previously in many other preparations, PC-12 cells had at least four distinct types of K+ channels activated by depolarization. These four types of K+ channels differed in the open-channel current-voltage relation, time course of activation and inactivation, and voltage dependence of activation and inactivation. These K+ channels were designated the Kw, Kz, Ky, and Kx channels. The typical chord conductances of these channels were 18, 12, 7, and 7 pS in the excised configuration using Na+-free saline solutions. These four types of K+ channels opened in the presence of low concentrations of internal Ca++ (1 nM). Their voltage-dependent gating properties can account for the properties of the whole-cell K+ currents in PC-12 cells.
Judicial Review and the Legislative Process: Some Empirical and Normative Aspects of Due Process of Lawmaking

In recent years, the Supreme Court has expanded its review of the legislative record when evaluating the constitutionality of statutes that limit the rights or powers of states. Most recently, in Board of Trustees v. Garrett (121 S.Ct. 955, 2001) the Court again sought to limit Congress by reviewing the legislative record to determine whether Congress had discovered a pattern of state misconduct that warranted an infringement of the states immunity from private law suits. We evaluate the emerging theory of due process of lawmaking that justifies the Court's scrutiny of the legislative record. To date, the emerging theory lacks an adequate conceptualization of legislative actors, has an excessively narrow definition of the legislative record, and appears to reflect an inaccurate view of deliberation and the legislative process. While the Congress has the capacity to meet the Court's expectations for evidence gathering, Congress cannot and will not meet the Court's implicit assumptions about deliberation. Some models of the due process of lawmaking have merit, but the review of the deliberative process is unlikely to succeed.
Application of volume discretization methods to oblique scattering from high-contrast penetrable cylinders

Two triangular-cell volume discretization methods for oblique scattering from heterogeneous, penetrable cylinders are shown to maintain their accuracy and ease of applicability when applied to high-contrast scatterers. The first method is an integral equation formulation; the second is a differential equation formulation incorporating an exact radiation boundary condition. For a cylinder aligned parallel to the z-axis, the primary unknowns in both procedures are the z-components of the electric and magnetic fields. Potential applications include electromagnetic penetration into biological tissue and scattering from radar absorbing materials. >
Modeling of Menisci and Capillary Forces from the Millimeter to the Micrometer Size Range

This paper examines lateral capillary interactions between millimeter- and sub-millimeter-sized objects floating at the interface between perfluorodecalin (PFD) and water. It describes methodsboth experimental and computationalthat allow the shape of the interface to be described for various geometries of the interacting objects. From these shapes, it derives the energy profiles characterizing the lateral capillary interactions. This work also demonstrates a new experimental method of imaging and studying menisci, and of studying capillary interactions between objects.
Threshold optimization for distributed order-statistic CFAR signal detection

Distributed signal detection schemes have received significant attention recently, but usually under the assumption of stationary observations which are independent from sensor to sensor. Here, order statistics based constant false alarm rate (OS-CFAR) detection techniques are applied to a distributed detection system with nonstationary observations where the signal observations are assumed to be dependent from sensor to sensor. Cases are considered where weak narrowband random signals are observed in additive Gaussian noise-plus-clutter of unknown power. Necessary conditions are given which specify the best sensor thresholds for some n-sensor cases. The best schemes using nonrandomized fusion rules are found for some specific two-sensor cases. The best schemes map use either AND or OR fusion rules depending on the specific false alarm probability and the number of reference observations used in the OS-CFAR scheme. Distributed OS-CFAR and cell-averaging CFAR (CA-CFAR) schemes are compared in terms of their capability to maintain false alarm probability in nonhomogeneous backgrounds. At least for the specific cases we have studied, there are OS-CFAR schemes which generally outperform the CA-CFAR schemes in this regard.
A nonparametric analysis of productivity: the case of US agriculture.

A nonparametric analysis of technical change under profit maximization and a "generalized augmentation" hypothesis is proposed. It allows for Hicks neutral as well as biased technical change. An empirical application to U.S. agriculture is presented in the context of input-output translating (additive augmentation). The analysis generates nonparametric estimates of productivity that are obtained under less restrictive assumptions than other commonly used productivity measures. The empirical results illustrate the usefulness of the approach. Copyright 1990 by Oxford University Press.
Principles of Pharmacoeconomic Analysis of Drug Therapy

Economic analyses have become increasingly important in healthcare in general and with respect to pharmaceuticals in particular. If economic analyses are to play an important and useful role in the allocation of scarce healthcare resources, then such analyses must be performed properly and with care. This article outlines some of the basic principles of pharmacoeconomic analysis. Every analysis should have an explicitly stated perspective, which, unless otherwise justified, should be a societal perspective. Cost minimisation, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and cost-benefit analyses are a family of techniques used in economic analyses. Cost minimisation analysis is appropriate when alternative therapies have identical outcomes, but differ in costs. Cost-effectiveness analysis is appropriate when alternative therapies differ in clinical effectiveness but can be examined from the same dimension of health outcome. Cost-utility analysis can be used when alternative therapies may be examined using multiple dimensions of health outcome, such as morbidity and mortality. Cost-benefit analysis requires the benefits of therapy to be described in monetary units and is not usually the technique of choice. The technique used in an analysis should be described and explicitly defended according to the problem being examined. For each technique, the method of determining costs is the same; direct, indirect, and intangible costs can be considered. The specific costs to be used depend on the analytical perspective; a societal perspective implies the use of both direct and indirect economic costs. A modelling framework such as a decision tree, influence diagram, Markov chain, or network simulation must be used to structure the analysis explicitly. Regardless of the choice of framework, all modelling assumptions should be described. The mechanism of data collection for model inputs must be detailed and defended. Models must undergo careful verification and validation procedures. Following baseline analysis of the model, further analyses should examine the role of uncertainty in model assumptions and data.
Multiwavelength switching of Raman fiber ring laser incorporating composite polarization-maintaining fiber Lyot-Sagnac filter

A multiwavelength switching laser is demonstrated by a precise and fast tuning of a composite Lyot-Sagnac comb filter based on multisegment polarization-maintaining fibers. Broadband multiwavelength output is generated by cascaded Raman Stokes waves between 1.12 and 1.58 μm in a fiber-ring cavity with a wave-division-multiplexed coupler. Theoretical and experimental analysis of stable multiwavelength output operation for various Raman gain fibers and the electro-optic switching and flexible space tuning of interleaved wavebands are performed.
Lake Michigan Bluff Recession

ABSTRACT Long-term recession rates of Lake Michigan's shorezone bluffs were investigated at 118 sites by comparing modern measurements with nineteenth-century Government Land Office surveys. These rates were evaluated spatially and related to selected shorezone characteristics. One hundred and six of the bluff sites are experiencing retreat that averages 0.4 m (1.3 ft) per year. Although amounts vary significantly, average values show that (1) rates are similar for opposite sides of the lake but (2) values differ between northern and southern Wisconsin. In addition, dune-encompassed bluffs tend to recede at lower long-term rates than nondune bluffs. Groundwater seepage, shoreline orientation and fetch, and shorezone protective structures are some of the factors found to influence bluff crest recession. Data from this study indicate that extensive Lake Michigan shorezone tracts will continue to experience bluff recession measurable in meters per decade unless lake levels are relatively low or unless protec...
Switched Unfalsified Multicontroller Nonparametric Model Based Design

In this paper, we present a controller design strategy for the implementation of a multicontroller structure for single-input single-output (SISO) plants. The overall control system can be viewed as a feedback interconnection of a SISO plant, a set of candidate controllers and a switched selection scheme that supervises the switching process among the candidate controllers. The switching scheme is designed without explicit assumptions on the plant model, based on the unfalsified control concept. A switched multicontroller structure is implemented and experimental results are presented.
Information Fusion and Situation Awareness using ARTMAP and Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes

For applications such as force protection, an effective decision maker needs to maintain an unambiguous grasp of the environment. Opportunities exist to leverage computational mechanisms for the adaptive fusion of diverse information sources. The current research involves the use of neural networks and Markov chains to process information from sources including sensors, weather data, and law enforcement. Furthermore, the system operator's input is used as a point of reference for the machine learning algorithms. More detailed features of the approach are provided along with an example scenario.
Procedural justice in entrepreneur-investor relations

This research used a procedural justice perspective to examine the impact of entrepreneurs' management of information flows in the form of feedback and influence on entrepreneur-investor relations....
Hybrid simulation of cellular behavior

Motivation: To be valuable to biological or biomedical research, in silico methods must be scaled to complex pathways and large numbers of interacting molecular species. The correct method for performing such simulations, discrete event simulation by Monte Carlo generation, is computationally costly for large complex systems. Approximation of molecular behavior by continuous models fails to capture stochastic behavior that is essential to many biological phenomena. Results: We present a novel approach to building hybrid simulations in which some processes are simulated discretely, while other processes are handled in a continuous simulation by differential equations. This approach preserves the stochastic behavior of cellular pathways, yet enables scaling to large populations of molecules. We present an algorithm for synchronizing data in a hybrid simulation and discuss the trade-offs in such simulation. We have implemented the hybrid simulation algorithm and have validated it by simulating the statistical behavior of the well-known lambda phage switch. Hybrid simulation provides a new method for exploring the sources and nature of stochastic behavior in cells. Supplementary information: The SBML file for the lambda phage tests will be made available at the OUP site.
Optimal binary image design based on the branch and bound algorithm

Mathematical programming techniques for systematic determination of optimal binary masks for precompensation in incoherent optical systems are developed. The feasibility of applying combinatorial optimization techniques to binary mask design for optical lithography is demonstrated. The mask is optimized in such a way as to precompensate the distortions due to optical diffraction of the system. The problem is formulated as a binary linear programming problem and solved with the branch and bound algorithm. Two different formulations corresponding to two optimization criteria are proposed and evaluated. Variation of the optimal mask as a function of the optical system bandwidth is discussed. One- and two-dimensional examples involving bars and a corner are presented. >
Quantitative carbamylation as a stable isotopic labeling method for comparative proteomics.

A method was developed that uses urea to both solublize and isotopically label biological samples for comparative proteomics. This approach uses either light or heavy urea (12CHN2O or 13CHN2O, respectively) at a concentration of 8 M and a pH of 7 to dissolve the samples prior to digestion. After the sample is digested using standard proteomic protocols and dried, isotopic labeling is completed by resuspending the sample in a solution of 8 M urea at a pH of 8.5, using the same isotopic species of urea as used for digestion and incubating for 4 h at 80°C. Under these conditions, carbamylation occurs only on the primary amines of the peptides. The effects of complete carbamylation on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) (collision-induced dissociation (CID)) were examined. Peptides that had a C-terminal carbamylated lysine residue were found to have a reduced intensity when viewed by MALDI-TOFMS. CID of a tryptic peptide that was carbamylated on both the N-terminus and the C-terminus was found to have a more uniform distribution of b- and y-ions, as well as prominent ions from loss of water. Reversed-phase chromatography coupled to ESI-MS/MS was used to identify and quantify the isotopically labeled standard proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA), bovine transferrin, and bovine alpha-casein. Quantitative error between theoretical and observed data ranged from 1.7–10.0%. Relative standard deviations for protein quantitation ranged from 5.2–27.8% over a dynamic range from 0.1–10 (L/H). The development of a method utilizing urea-assisted carbamylation of lysines and N-termini to globally labeled samples for comparative proteomics may prove useful for samples that require a strong chaotrope prior to proteolysis. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improved Survival with HPV among African Americans with Oropharyngeal Cancer

Purpose: A major limitation of studies reporting a lower prevalence rate of human papilloma virus (HPV) in African American patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC) than Caucasian Americans, with corresponding worse outcomes, was adequate representation of HPV-positive African American patients. This study examined survival outcomes in HPV-positive and HPV-negative African Americans with OPSCC. Experimental Design: The study cohort of 121 patients with primary OPSCC had 42% African Americans. Variables of interest included age, race, gender, HPV status, stage, marital status, smoking, treatment, and date of diagnosis. Results: Caucasian Americans are more likely to be HPV positive (OR = 3.28; P = 0.035), as are younger age (age P = 0.023 compared with age > 65) or being married (OR = 3.44; P = 0.016). HPV positivity and being unmarried were associated with being late stage (OR = 3.10; P = 0.047 and OR = 3.23; P = 0.038, respectively). HPV-negative patients had 2.7 times the risk of death as HPV-positive patients ( P = 0.004). Overall, the HPV-race groups differed (log-rank P P = 0.0012); (ii) HPV-positive Caucasian Americans (HR = 3.11; P = P = 0.049). Conclusions: HPV has a substantial impact on overall survival in African American patients with OPSCC. Among African American patients with OPSCC, HPV-positive patients had better survival than HPV negative. HPV-negative African Americans also did worse than both HPV-positive Caucasian Americans and HPV-negative Caucasian Americans. This study adds to the mounting evidence of HPV as a racially linked sexual behavior life style risk factor impacting survival outcomes for both African American and Caucasian American patients with OPSCC. Clin Cancer Res; 19(9); 2486–92. ©2013 AACR .
Synthesis and in vitro pharmacology of substituted quinoline-2,4-dicarboxylic acids as inhibitors of vesicular glutamate transport.

The vesicular glutamate transport (VGLUT) system selectively mediates the uptake of l-glutamate into synaptic vesicles. Uptake is linked to an H+-ATPase that provides coupling among ATP hydrolysis,...
Duality between Locally m-Convex Algebras and Completely Regular Spaces

: It is well known that, for the category B of commutative Banach algebras and the category CH of compact Hausdorff spaces, the contravariant functors M:BCH and C:CHB are adjoint on the right. This adjoint situation is extended to the category of completely regular spaces and the subcategory consisting of all locally m-convex algebras A whose Gelfand map ACM(A) (compact-open topology) is continuous. An analogous extension is obtained for the dual equivalence (Gelfand duality) between B*-algebras and compact Hausdorff spaces.
Serotonin a la carte: Supplementation with the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan

This paper reviews the preclinical and clinical evidence regarding the use of the dietary supplement 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) for the treatment of depression. In the absence of supplementation with exogenous 5-HTP, the amount of endogenous 5-HTP available for serotonin synthesis depends on the availability of tryptophan and on the activity of various enzymes, especially tryptophan hydroxylase, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO). Factors affecting each of these are reviewed. The amount of 5-HTP reaching the central nervous system (CNS) is affected by the extent to which 5-HTP is converted to serotonin in the periphery. This conversion is controlled by the enzyme amino acid decarboxylase, which, in the periphery, can be blocked by peripheral decarboxylase inhibitors (PDIs) such as carbidopa. Preclinical and clinical evidence for the efficacy of 5-HTP for depression is reviewed, with emphasis on double-blind, placebo-controlled (DB-PC) trials. Safety issues with 5-HTP are also reviewed, with emphasis on eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS) and serotonin syndrome.
The Extremely Active 1995 Atlantic Hurricane Season: Environmental Conditions and Verification of Seasonal Forecasts

Abstract The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season was a year of near-record hurricane activity with a total of 19 named storms (average is 9.3 for the base period 1950–90) and 11 hurricanes (average is 5.8), which persisted for a total of 121 named storm days (average is 46.6) and 60 hurricane days (average is 23.9), respectively. There were five intense (or major) Saffir–Simpson category 3, 4, or 5 hurricanes (average is 2.3 intense hurricanes) with 11.75 intense hurricane days (average is 4.7). The net tropical cyclone activity, based upon the combined values of named storms, hurricanes, intense hurricanes, and their days present, was 229% of the average. Additionally, 1995 saw the return of hurricane activity to the deep tropical latitudes: seven hurricanes developed south of 25°N (excluding all of the Gulf of Mexico) compared with just one during all of 1991–94. Interestingly, all seven storms that formed south of 20°N in August and September recurved to the northeast without making landfall in the United S...
Accounting Harmonization Case And Debate

This case/debate is appropriate for an international accounting class at either undergraduate or graduate level. It is also suitable for any upper-level accounting classes which cover a topic of international accounting. This case/debate has been used in a graduate international accounting course over the past three semesters. One evidence of its success is that “Instructor Notes: Discussion of Case Answers” is based upon students’ answers. Conversation with students also indicates that they like this classroom technique because it adds diversity to their learning experience. Students also rated this course more favorably in the semesters when the case/debate was used comparing to previous semesters. Accounting harmonization has been a very important issue and is highly debatable in terms of how the harmonization should take shape in the U.S. The first part of “Accounting Harmonization” requires students to answer case requirements in writing. The second part is a debate among four student groups. To encourage active participation of each student in a debate group, a class size should not be larger than 30. This case/debate promotes a number of important skills including analytical, research, writing, oral communication, interpersonal, and teamwork. It also helps students develop negotiation skill by requiring them to take a perspective of another group other than their own preference. Below is the case/debate.
Is the hypotensive effect of clonidine and related drugs due to imidazoline binding sites

Clonidine and related α2-adrenergic receptor (α2AR) agonists lower arterial pressure primarily by an action within the central nervous system. These drugs also have varying degrees of affinity for ...
Heat transfer through nanoscale multilayered thermal barrier coatings at elevated temperatures

Abstract Heat transfer through thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) composed of alternating nanometer thick layers of aluminum oxide and 7% yttria stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) was studied by pulsed heating at temperatures in the range 1275 K to 1375 K. The thermal diffusivity of the TBCs, deposited on thin metal foils by electron beam evaporation and coated with an opaque, submicrometer metal capping layer, was studied by applying a sub-μs duration heating pulse from a Q-switched laser to the substrate and then monitoring the temperature rise on the opposing, metal-capped surface of the TBC. The recorded temperature transients were modeled using properties of the constituent materials in order to obtain an upper bound of the thermal resistance associated with the interfaces between layers. The results thus provide insight into the feasibility of using interfacial thermal resistance in this material system to improve TBC performance by decreasing thermal conductivity.
Early entry, capabilities and shakeout in the US brewing industry

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine how early-entry and process-based capability development affected firm survival during shakeout in the US brewing industry between 1938 and 1980. Design/methodology/approach – Hazard analysis was conducted on US brewing industry data spanning 42 years from 1938 to 1980. Findings – Both early-entry and later capability developments enhance the probability of survival. In addition, firms which entered early were also more likely to be the firms who continually developed capabilities across the decades. Research limitations/implications – This study contributes to our understanding of shakeout in traditional, non-high-technology businesses. However, because it is a single industry study, the ability to the generalize findings to other industry contexts is limited. Practical implications – Early entry can determine survival in industries with stable products and low levels of technological change. Social implications – Policy-makers interested in competitive d...
Cascading ecological effects of landscape moderated arthropod diversity

Understanding the mechanisms regulating the diversity and distribution of arthropods is essential to understanding food web interactions and ecosystem functioning. Local arthropod diversity is known to be linked to features of surrounding landscapes, including the area of human-developed land. Yet, how such landscape moderation of diversity affects processes within local sites remains understudied. We report on a study that 1) measured the impacts of human development surrounding old-field habitats of arthropods on arthropod food web structure within those habitats and 2) determined if these shifts were associated with cascading impacts on the plant community. We sampled the arthropod community in 16 old-fields that span an urban-rural gradient throughout southern New England, USA. In each field, we also established paired mesocosms enclosing vegetation, one of which allowed arthropod herbivory while the other excluded such interactions, to isolate impacts of arthropod herbivory on three functional groups of plants: grasses, goldenrod and non-goldenrod forbs. Biomass of both herbivorous and predatory arthropods were positively related to the proportion of natural area surrounding a field early in the growing season (June). This relationship persisted later into the season for predatory arthropods (through July), but not for herbivorous arthropods. We found no evidence that the biomass of predators was related to the abundance of herbivorous arthropods in a field; or that biomass of herbivores was correlated to change in plant biomass between the two types of mesocosms. We did, however, find that in fields with low predator abundance there was greater herbivory on grasses (nutritious host), but that in high predator fields goldenrod was increasingly impacted (safe host), as is predicted by past work in old-field ecosystems. The findings support the generalizability of landscape moderated biodiversity to non-agricultural systems and suggests that observed shifts in food webs have implications for community and ecosystem dynamics.
Selective fluorescence sensing of copper(II) and water via competing imine hydrolysis and alcohol oxidation pathways sensitive to water content in aqueous acetonitrile mixtures.

Addition of hydrazines to a 1,8-disubstituted anthraquinone macrocycle containing a polyether ring produces site-selective imination, where hydrazone formation produces the more sterically hindered adduct. Reduction of the remaining carbonyl group to a secondary alcohol followed by addition of copper(II) ion causes intense yellow fluorescence to occur, which is selective for this metal cation and allows this system to be used as a fluorescence sensor. In the presence of water, a green-fluorescent intermediate appears, which slowly decomposes to produce the original starting anthraquinone. The addition of a large amount of water radically changes the reaction pathway. In this case, oxidation of the secondary alcohol is kinetically faster than hydrolysis of the hydrazone, although the same anthraquinone product is ultimately produced. Stern–Volmer data suggest that dioxygen quenches the green emission through both dynamic and static mechanisms; the static ground-state effect is most likely due to associatio...
Assessing Reach-based Restoration Practices in an Urban Steam from a Watershed Perspective

Stream restoration using a variety of channel habitat improvement techniques are predominantly reach based. Although this reach focus is appropriate in natural streams in largely undisturbed watersheds, when channel modification is pervasive, as in urban watersheds, a reach based approach may lead to a patchwork of inadequate or the inappropriate application of best management practices. In urban settings it is particularly important to understand watershed potential as a part of the selection of best management practices for stream restoration. This paper reviews the development of methods to integrate hydraulic, hydrological, geomorphological, and ecological information to assess the potential for naturalization in urban watersheds. We use indicators of hydraulic variability as a surrogate for habitat and develop procedures to relate characteristics of hydraulic variability to restoration needs in a watershed.
The Northern-born Community of New Orleans in the 1850s

THE city of New Orleans, by the middle of the nineteenth century, revealed the effects of a southward and westward migration that carried thousands of Yankees to a city growing prosperous from its trade with maturing rural frontiers. Northerners became leaders in the city's commerce and finance, and by 1851 the New Orleans Crescent could report that "a majority of the business men of this city" were importations from north of Mason and Dixon's line.' Into a society dominated by Creole and southern attitudes, newcomers brought a northeastern, businessoriented culture, for as Thomas C. Cochran has pointed out, the "business leader or entrepreneur ... was the arbiter not only of change within his company but also, to a large extent, of change in his community.... He sat on the boards of the educational, charitable, political, and business institutions that dominated social habits and set social goals."2 The following description of the northern-born community in antebellum New Orleans suggests that Yankee backgrounds and business interests lay behind the city's atypical response to the issues of slavery, secession, occupation, and Reconstruction. The influence of northeastern businessmen in such institutions as the city's public schools suggests as well that frontier-fed cities offer a useful index of the spread of New England and eastern cultural attitudes. The commercial possibilities of New Orleans had attracted northern businessmen as early as the Spanish colonial period. On the eve of the Louisiana Purchase, more than half of the city's mercantile establishments were operated by agents of New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore merchants; in 1802, sixty-nine of seventy-four ships clearing New Orleans for
Pyrosequencing as a fast and reliable tool to determine clade affiliation for equine Influenza A virus

The objective of our study was to determine the clade affiliation of 116 contemporary equine Influenza A virus (EIV) isolates using pyrosequencing. The EIV isolates originated from horses with clinical signs of equine influenza and laboratory confirmation of EIV by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in nasal secretions. Clade affiliation was performed on the basis of a single nucleotide polymorphism at 2 positions of the hemagglutinin 1 gene. Pyrosequencing was able to clearly classify EIV Florida sublineage prototype A/equine/Ohio/1/2003 and prototype A/equine/Richmond/1/2007 as clade 1 and 2, respectively. Out of the 116 EIV qPCR-positive samples, 113 (97.4%) were classified as belonging to clade 1 Florida sublineage, whereas 3 (2.6%) were classified as clade 2. All clade 1 EIV strains were detected in domestic horses, whereas the 3 clade 2 EIV strains originated from horses recently imported to the United States. Although clade 1 EIV strains are endemic in the United States, international transportation of horses represents a real risk in introducing clade 2 EIV strains into North America.
Understanding of Adjacent Rock Large Deformation of a Section at Pk26 in Tunnel Ras RMel

The rock deformation character is particular beside the Mediterranean Sea,especially the engineering geology feature of weak and fractured claystone there is worthy of discussion.By geology description of working face, observation measurement of early supporting,and generalization of monitoring data of adjacent rock at Pk26+960 to Pk26+980 section,in tunnel Ras R'mel,the reason why large deformation occurred is analyzed for the section.The preventive and remedial measures are suggested according to practical construction requirement.A reference example is given for similar tunnel construction when large deformation may be generated at weak and fracture rock.
Antiviral Therapy for Bell Palsy

The combination of antiviral agents and corticosteroids is more effective than corticosteroids alone for the complete recovery of patients with Bell palsy (number needed to treat [NNT] = 15) and for the resolution of motor synkinesis and excessive tear production (NNT = 12). Antivirals should not be used alone to treat Bell palsy.
What Is the Role of High-dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Marrow Support for Patients With Breast Cancer?

I will first focus on the use of high-dose chemotherapy regimens in metastatic breast cancer. With that background, we will be better able to evaluate the adjuvant use of high-dose therapy in the primary disease or adjuvant setting. We have fairly large amounts of data in metastatic disease, though only one randomized clinical trial is completed and published. Outcomes have not changed dramatically in the last five or six years in terms of progression-free and overall survival. More than five years ago, Antman and colleagues2 developed a database containing voluntarily reported data on patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplant (ABMT) for metastatic disease. An early hypothesis was that patients who responded to chemotherapy prior to high-dose chemotherapy and ABMT were likely to have a better outcome than patients with advanced refractory disease who were already resistant or cross-resistant to drugs used in the high-dose regimens. Thus, patient outcomes, both immediately following ABMT and two years after the procedure, were compared based on disease status prior to transplant (ie, advanced refractory disease vs partial remission vs complete remission).
Certification of NIST SRM 1962: 3 μm Diameter Polystyrene Spheres.

This report describes the certification of SRM 1962, a NIST Standard Reference Material for particle diameter. It consists of an aqueous suspension of monosize 3 (μm polystyrene spheres. Two calibration techniques were used: optical microscopy and electron microscopy. The first one gave a mean diameter of [Formula: see text] μm and a standard deviation of the size distribution σD = 0.020 μm, based on measurement of 4600 spheres. The second technique gave [Formula: see text] μm, based on measurement of 120 spheres. The reported value covering the two results is [Formula: see text] μm with a maximum uncertainly of 0.016 μm, with σD =0.020 μm.
The Adsorption of Proteins on a Polydimethylsiloxane Elastomer (PEP) and Their Antigenic Behavior

One focus of our research during the last two decades has been the immunochemistry of solid-phase immunoassay (Butler, 1991a). Contemporary solid-phase immunoassay involves the interaction of bio-molecules with, on or near, the surface of synthetic polymers composed of polystyrene, polyvinyl, nylon, methylmethacrylate, nitrocellulose, PVDF and their numerous “functionalized” variants. The native form of these polymers is intrinsically hydrophobic and readily adsorbs proteins, viruses, many peptides and nucleic acids. The practical application of biomolecular adsorption to immunoassay dates to Catt and Tregear (1967) who pioneered passive immobilization of receptors2 as a mean of simplifying the separation of bound and free ligand; this application revolutionized immunoassay. However, modern users of the technology were slow to recognize that proteins adsorbed to hydrophobic polymers do not remain in a totally native configuration although this had been shown >30 years ago (Bull, 1956; Kochwa et al., 1967; Oreskes and Singer, 1961). More recently, we have shown that only circa 20% of polyclonal and >10% of monoclonal antibodies passively adsorbed to polystyrene, remain functional (Butler et al., 1993). The subject of adsorption-induced conformational change on polymer surfaces has been reviewed elsewhere (Butler, 1991b; 1992; Butler, 1995).
Patterns of Cognitive Strengths and Weaknesses and Relationships to Math Errors

This study investigated cognitive patterns of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) and their relationship to patterns of math errors on the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA-3). Participants, ages 5 to 18, were selected from the KTEA-3 standardization sample if they met one of two PSW profiles: high crystallized ability (Gc) paired with low processing speed/long-term retrieval (Gs/Glr; n = 375) or high Gs/Glr paired with low Gc (n = 309). Estimates of Gc and Gs/Glr were based on five KTEA-3 subtests that measure either Gc (e.g., Listening Comprehension) or Gs/Glr (e.g., Object Naming Facility). The two groups were then compared on math error factors. Significant differences favored the High-Gc group for factors that measure math calculation, basic math concepts, and complex computation. However, the two groups did not differ in their errors on factors that measure geometry/measurement or simple addition. Results indicated that students with different PSW profiles also differed in the kinds of errors...
Putative biosynthetic cycloadditions en route to the diterpenoid (+)-chatancin

Abstract Density functional theory calculations were carried out in order to determine the viability of putative mechanistic pathways for formation of the diterpenoid (+)-chatancin. It was found that a cycloaddition involving a pyrylium ion would have a lower energetic barrier than previously proposed cycloadditions involving a 2H-pyran or furan. All three reactions are predicted to be concerted.