cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research Supports are Effective in Increasing Confidence with Research Skills in Early Career Academic Librarians

A Review of: Ackerman, E., Hunter, J. & Wilkinson, Z. T. (2018). The availability and effectiveness of research supports for early career academic librarians. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 44(5), 553-568. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-09-2016-0068 Abstract Objective – To identify the type and efficacy of research supports currently available to early career academic librarians. Design – Survey. Setting – The United States. Subjects – 213 academic librarians who were not yet promoted or have received tenure, or those up to three years post-tenure or promotion. Methods – The researchers created a survey containing 39 closed and open-ended questions using the software Qualtrics. The question types included multiple choice, Likert scale, and free text. The survey was distributed through direct emails and various professional electronic mailing lists. Main Results – The majority of respondents listed finding time as the most significant barrier to conducting research. Respondents listed informal mentoring as the most commonly used and most widely available form of research support. Statistical analyses revealed that for every type of research support a librarian engaged in, on average confidence increased by 0.10. Conclusion – Engagement in formal and informal research supports may influence early career academic librarians’ confidence levels in regards to conducting research projects. Academic institutions as well as professional organizations should ensure that ample opportunities are available.
Operation of an all-solar power system in Saudi Arabia

Abstract This paper considers the operation of an all-solar electric energy system in Saudi Arabia, that is, a system which generation mix includes solely solar (PV and/or concentrated solar power (CSP)) and battery energy storage units (used to cover hours with no solar resource and hours beyond the CSP thermal storage capacity). We analyze the operation of this system using realistic data. These data pertain to the actual transmission system and the demand throughout the country in 2015. The Saudi Arabian power system exhibits a rather flat demand during both the summer and winter seasons (there are mostly two season in Saudi Arabia: winter and summer), being the peak demand for 2015 in these seasons 49 and 25 GW, respectively. Solar generation units and storage units are sized and sited using a fully-fledged capacity expansion model (not described in this paper). To comprehend the daily operation of such all-solar power system in Saudi Arabia throughout 2015, we analyze three cases in which the demand is served (i) using PV and storage units, (ii) using CSP and storage units, and (iii) using PV, CSP and storage units. We compare in detail the above three cases. We conclude that using an optimal combination of PV an CSP units results in minimum total (investment and operation) cost, minimum storage needs, and moderate solar energy spillage.
A Mentor, Advisor, and Coach (MAC) Program to Enhance the Resident and Mentor Experience.

Introduction While residents must meet standardized educational milestones to graduate, individualized mentorship and guidance can help them achieve personal and career goals. A novel mentor, advis...
Sustaining Critical Practice in Contested Spaces: Teacher Educators Resist Narrowing Definitions of Curriculum

This chapter investigates the ways members of the Faculty Academy learn through research investigations about how their unique educational values are enacted in their practice. During doctoral studies at the same university, the authors formed a peer support group dubbed “Las Chicas Criticas” (The Critical Girls), reflecting their common critical approach to education and, in particular, their own individual practices. Now situated in the academy but at different universities, and supported by a critical friend/mentor, Las Chicas Criticas continue their collaborative examination of practice, reflecting both inward and outward, seeing big and seeing small, and looking across content areas and institutions in their efforts to resist narrowing definitions of curriculum. The study decomposes how their process of collaboration on highlighting values in practice has helped teacher education classrooms become places where identity, mastery, and creativity are cornerstones. Offering implications for today’s educational context of constrained curriculum, this study showcases research and classroom practices of radical resistances against the relentless pressures for outcomes-based evidence in teacher education programs.
Adverse Events Associated With Corticosteroid-Eluting Sinus Stents: A MAUDE Database Analysis.

ObjectiveCorticosteroid-eluting stents (CESs) are increasingly used after endoscopic sinus surgery to reduce the need for revision surgery, but their use is not without risks. The objective of this...
A Theoretical Model for the Mbh-σ Relation for Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxies

We construct a model for black hole formation in galactic bulges. The initial state is a slowly rotating isothermal sphere, with an effective transport speed aeff and rotation rate Ω. The black hole mass is determined when the centrifugal radius of the collapse flow exceeds the capture radius of the central black hole. This model reproduces the observed correlation between black hole masses and galactic velocity dispersions, Mbh ≈ 108 M☉ × (σ/200 km s-1)4, where σ = aeff. This model also predicts the ratio μB of black hole mass to host mass: μB ≈ 0.004(σ/200 km s-1).
How Relationships Impact Teacher Job Satisfaction

This study aimed to extend the knowledge of teacher job satisfaction by specifically examining predictors at the teacher level. Several components of job satisfaction were examined for their hypothesized impact, including the focused predictor of teacher-student relations. Based on the United States sample in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 data, the author explored this issue utilizing responses from 2,560 lower secondary school teachers nested within 166 schools. Using the transactional model of stress and coping (Lazarus, & Folkman, 1984) as a framework, the study found that teacher-student relationships are a positive and significant predictor of teacher job satisfaction. After controlling for relevant predictors, teacher relationships with their students were the strongest predictor of their job satisfaction present in the study. Discussions and implications are presented.
Fixed-Point versus Floating-Point

This chapter discusses the issues related to hardware implementations techniques. The two major methods by which a digital signal processing (DSP) system can be implemented in LabVIEW in order to match to its hardware implementation on a processor include fixed point and floating point method. In a fixed-point processor, numbers are represented and manipulated in integer format. However, in a floating-point processor, in addition to integer arithmetic, floating-point arithmetic can also be handled. It is noted that floating-point processors are generally slower than fixed-point ones. In addition to this, in a fixed-point processor, the dynamic range of numbers needs to be considered, because a much narrower range of numbers can be represented in integer format as compared to floating-point format. It is due to this limitation that the Q15 representation of numbers is considered. Scaling is considered as the simplest correction method for overflow as seen in fixed-point processors. Scaling is performed so as to scale down the system input before performing any processing and then to scale up the resulting output to the original size. It can be applied to most filtering and transform operations. Also, the fixed-point processors usually demand more coding effort than their floating-point counterparts.
The Heart As A Pump

The heart, a hollow, muscular organ about the size of an adult clenched fist, weighs 10 to 12 oz (160 grams) in adult males and 8 to 10 oz in females. It is located in the thoracic cavity in the space between the lungs. Most of the heart lies just to the left of the midline of body (Fig. 15.1). It consists of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles. The atria are thin walled, the ventricles much thicker, particularly the left ventricle, which is the high-pressure chamber.
Studies on Cytochrome c Peroxidase: III. KINETICS OF THE PEROXIDATIC OXIDATION OF FERROCYTOCHROME c CATALYZED BY CYTOCHROME c PEROXIDASE

The peroxidatic oxidation of ferrocytochrome c catalyzed by yeast cytochrome c peroxidase was studied kinetically in the following combinations of substrates: H2O2-horse heart cytochrome c, C2H5OOH-horse heart cytochome c, H2O2-bakers' yeast cytochrome c, and C2H5OOH-bakers' yeast cytochrome c. Initial steady state rates of the overall reaction were analyzed according to the method of Dalziel in order to determine whether or not a ternary complex was involved in the reaction and in order to determine several rate constants of each step of the reaction. The cytochrome c peroxidase reaction appeared to follow the general form of a compulsory order mechanism for two substrate enzyme (Equations 1, 2, and 3). Kinetic evidence for the formation of a ternary complex of the enzyme, peroxide, and ferrocytochrome c was presented. A maximal turnover rate of the enzyme was determined to be extremely rapid; 2,600 sec-1 and 14,000 sec-1 at 23° for the substrate couples H2O2-horse heart ferrocytochrome c and H2O2-bakers' yeast ferrocytochrome c, respectively.
Wall Street Rules Applied to REMIC Classification

Investors in mortgage-backed securities, built on the shoulders of the tax-advantaged Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (“REMIC”), may be facing extraordinary tax losses because of how bankers and lawyers structured these securities. This calamity is compounded by the fact that those professional advisors should have known that the REMICs they created were flawed from the start. If these losses are realized, those professionals will face suits for damages so large that they could put them out of business.
How common are habitable planets

The Earth is teeming with life, which occupies a diverse array of environments; other bodies in our Solar System offer fewer, if any, niches that are habitable by life as we know it. Nonetheless, astronomical studies suggest that many habitable planets may be present within our Galaxy.
Superconductivity: The FeSe riddle.

Electron–phonon coupling has been considered as a possible mechanism behind the high superconducting critical temperature of FeSe monolayers. The doping dependence of the superconductivity casts serious doubt that it plays a decisive role.
Contribution of the Structural Changes of LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 Cathodes on the Exothermic Reactions in Li-Ion Cells

The exothermic reaction mechanism of the delithiated cathode LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 in the presence of an electrolyte has been investigated. The contributions of the delithiated cathode and electrolyte to the overall thermal runaway mechanism were evaluated using an accelerating rate calorimeter and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The cathode LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 was also chemically delithiated to evaluate the influence of each component of the composite cathode as well as the structural changes during the exothermic reaction. Thermogravimetric analysis results confirmed that delithiated LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 lost its weight at elevated temperatures, varying with the state of charge. The X-ray diffraction and DSC studies show that the exothermic reaction of the delithiated cathode sample started very close to the onset temperature of the structural change in the delithiated cathode as detected by the X-ray powder diffraction. Based on the results of this study, a reaction mechanism leading to the thermal runaway of the delithiated cathode is also proposed.
Interoperation in protocol enactment

Interoperability has been broadly conceptualized as the ability of agents to work together. In open systems, the interoperability of agents is an important concern. A common way of achieving interoperability is by requiring agents to follow prescribed protocols in their interactions with others. In existing systems, agents must follow any protocol to the letter; in other words, they should exchange messages exactly as prescribed by the protocol. This is an overly restrictive constraint; it results in rigid, fragile implementations and curbs the autonomy of agents. For example, a customer agent may send a reminder to a merchant agent to deliver the promised goods. However, if reminders are not supported explicitly in the protocol they are enacting, then the reminder would be considered illegal and the transaction may potentially fail. This paper studies the interoperation of agents, dealing with their autonomy and heterogeneity in computational terms.
Multi-dimensional phenomenon-aware stream query processing

Geographically co-located sensors tend to participate in the same environmental phenomena. Phenomenon-aware stream query processing improves scalability by subscribing each query only to a subset of sensors that participate in the phenomena of interest to that query. In the case of sensors that generate readings with a multi-attribute schema, phenomena may develop across the values of one or more attributes. However tracking and detecting phenomena across all attributes does not scale well as the dimensions increase. As the size of sensor network increases, and as the number of attributes being tracked by a sensor increases this becomes a major bottleneck. In this paper, we present a novel n-dimensional Phenomenon Detection and Tracking mechanism (termed as nd-PDT) over n-ary sensor readings. We reduce the number of dimensions to be tracked by first dropping dimensions without any meaningful phenomena, and then we further reduce the dimensionality by continuously detecting and updating various forms of functional dependencies amongst the phenomenon dimensions.
Cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (II): suppression of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

Cis-Dichlorodiamminepaltinum(II) (cis-PtII) suppressed adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats as assessed by paw volume, paw temperature, and microscopic appearance. Treated animals incurred lymphocytopenia and thymic atrophy. Paws from a number of rats with arthritis which were treated withcis-PtII showed focal bone marrow congestion and hemorrhages not found in rats with untreated arthritis.
Selection of phage displayed peptides for the detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in seawater

Abstract We have selected for phage displayed peptides that showed specific binding to a 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) derivative, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TNB) in environmentally relevant conditions, and have integrated the selected phage into a continuous flow immunosensor platform for the detection of TNT. A library of 12 random amino acid peptides (12-mers) displayed on phage was panned against TNB coupled to the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a solution of artificial seawater. Eight phage clones, seven of which share an identical amino acid sequence, bound selectively to TNB–BSA in artificial seawater as judged by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Addition of TNT, inhibited binding of the phage. Whole phage were labeled with the dye cyanine 5 (Cy5), and incorporated into a flow sensor platform. Labeled phage were loaded onto a TNB–affi-gel packed column, and a reproducible signal, at least five times greater than background, was observed on repeat injections of 10 mg/l TNT dissolved in seawater. This study presents one of the first examples of phage selection in a non-physiological medium, and the first demonstration that dye-labeled phage can be integrated into a continuous flow sensor.
A comparison of several adaptive tests for paired data

In the last few years, two adaptive tests for paired data have been proposed. One test proposed by Freidlin et al. [On the use of the Shapiro–Wilk test in two-stage adaptive inference for paired data from moderate to very heavy tailed distributions, Biom. J. 45 (2003), pp. 887–900] is a two-stage procedure that uses a selection statistic to determine which of three rank scores to use in the computation of the test statistic. Another statistic, proposed by O'Gorman [Applied Adaptive Statistical Methods: Tests of Significance and Confidence Intervals, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Philadelphia, 2004], uses a weighted t-test with the weights determined by the data. These two methods, and an earlier rank-based adaptive test proposed by Randles and Hogg [Adaptive Distribution-free Tests, Commun. Stat. 2 (1973), pp. 337–356], are compared with the t-test and to Wilcoxon's signed-rank test. For sample sizes between 15 and 50, the results show that the adaptive test proposed by Freidlin et al. a...
The effect of phospholipid vesicles on the kinetics of reduction of cytochrome c

Abstract The rate of reduction of cytochrome c by ascorbate and by 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteridine was examined as a function of ionic strength and of binding to phospholipid vesicles (liposomes). Binding of cytochrome c to liposomes, which occursat low ionic strength, decreases the rate of reduction by ascorbate by a factor of up to 100, which can be primarily explained on electrostatic grounds. In the absence of liposomes, kinetics of reduction by the neutral pteridine derivative showed no ionic strength dependence. Binding of cytochrome c to liposomes increased the rate of reduction by pteridine. An estimation of the binding constant of cytochrome c to liposomes at 0.06 M ionic strength, pH 7, is given.
The photochemical preparation of ozonides by electron-transfer photo-oxygenation of epoxides

Abstract 9,10-Dicyanoanthracene (DCA) sensitizes the electron-transfer photo-oxygenation of epoxides in oxygen-saturated acetonitrile to form ozonides. Epoxides with oxidation potentials lower than 2 V vs SCE quench the fluorescence of DCA and are converted to the ozonides with DCA alone. Epoxides which do not quench the singlet excited state of DCA are unreactive under these conditions. However, the photo-oxygenation of these epoxides can be effected by addition of biphenyl (BP) as a catalyst or co-sensitizer. Investigations of the stereochemistry of the reactions of cis - and trans -2,3-diaryloxiranes has shown that both isomeric epoxides are converted exclusively to the corresponding cis -ozonides. Co-sensitized photo-oxygenation of cis - and trans -2,3-diphenyloxirane affords only cis -3,5-diphenyl-1,2,4-trioxolane. The same stereochemical course is followed for the electron-transfer photo-oxygenation of more easily oxidized 2,3-dinaphthyloxiranes that do not require BP co-sensitization. The stereochemistry of the naphthyl-substituted ozonides has been unequivocably assigned by an X-ray structure of cis -3,5-bis(2'-naphthyl)-1,2,4-trioxolane. The corresponding trans -ozonide was prepared by ozonation of cis -1,2-bis(2'-naphthyl)ethene and stereochemically identified by Chromatographic resolution using high-performance liquid chromatography with optically active (+)-poly(triphenylmethyl methacrylate) as the stationary phase. These stereochemical results have been interpreted in terms of a mechanism involving addition of singlet oxygen as a dipolarophile to intermediate carbonyl ylides.
Vibrational energy transfer in D2-He collisions

Abstract Vibrational relaxation in D 2 -Kr and D 2 -Kr-He mixtures has been measured behind incident shock waves in the temperature range 1400–3500°K, and values of , the vibrational relaxation time of D 2 infinitely dilute in one atmosphere pressure of He, are derived. These values are compared with calculations closely approximating exact one-dimensional quantum mechanical results, which were obtained using H 2 -He potential parameters from recent theoretical and experimental determinations.
RcsB determines the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) expression and adherence phenotype of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 spinach outbreak strain TW14359 and coordinates bicarbonate-dependent LEE activation with repression of motility

The 2006 US spinach outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 : H7, characterized by unusually severe disease, has been attributed to a strain (TW14359) with enhanced pathogenic potential, including elevated virulence gene expression, robust adherence and the presence of novel virulence factors. This study proposes a mechanism for the unique virulence expression and adherence phenotype of this strain, and further expands the role for regulator RcsB in control of the E. coli locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island. Proteomic analysis of TW14359 revealed a virulence proteome consistent with previous transcriptome studies that included elevated levels of the LEE regulatory protein Ler and type III secretion system (T3SS) proteins, secreted T3SS effectors and Shiga toxin 2. Basal levels of the LEE activator and Rcs phosphorelay response regulator, RcsB, were increased in strain TW14359 relative to O157 : H7 strain Sakai. Deletion of rcsB eliminated inherent differences between these strains in ler expression, and in T3SS-dependent adherence. A reciprocating regulatory pathway involving RcsB and LEE-encoded activator GrlA was identified and predicted to co-ordinate LEE activation with repression of the flhDC flagellar regulator and motility. Overexpression of grlA was shown to increase RcsB levels, but did not alter expression from promoters driving rcsB transcription. Expression of rcsDB and RcsB was determined to increase in response to physiological levels of bicarbonate, and bicarbonate-dependent stimulation of the LEE was shown to be dependent on an intact Rcs system and ler activator grvA. The results of this study significantly broaden the role for RcsB in enterohaemorrhagic E. coli virulence regulation.
Pulsating stars in general relativity

The equation governing radial pulsations of fully relativistic stars is derived and expressed in terms of quantities which are continuous even across density discontinuities which occur, e.g., in zero-temperature stellar models that undergo electron capture. When expressed in terms of these quantities, the pulsation equation can be integrated through density discontinuities without any special treatment of these points being necessary. Expressions for the adiabatic index and pulsation energy are derived in a simple way.
Glomerular macrophages in nephrotoxic serum nephritis are activated to oxidize low-density lipoprotein

Studies were undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that infiltrating glomerular macrophages in experimental glomerulonephritis are activated to produce oxygen-free radicals that are capable of enhancing oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Low-density lipoprotein oxidation was assessed by increased electrophoretic mobility on agarose gel electrophoresis and by the generation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. Lipoprotein uptake, degradation, and re-esterification by macrophages were assessed by measuring 14C-oleic acid incorporation into cholesteryl oleate. Both peritoneal and glomerular macrophages have the ability to oxidize LDL to a form showing increased mobility on agarose gel electrophoresis. However, LDL incubated with glomerular macrophages underwent greater oxidation, resulting in increased generation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (15.1 +/- 1.2 nmol malondialdehyde/mg LDL protein v 7.2 +/- 2.1 nmol malondialdehyde/mg LDL protein; P < 0.01). In addition, glomerular macrophages modified LDL to a form that greatly enhanced cellular synthesis of cholesteryl oleate compared with peritoneal macrophage-modified LDL (30 +/- 11 pmol/10(6) cells/hr v 10 +/- 4 pmol/10(6) cells/hr; P < 0.01). Superoxide dismutase, a scavenger of superoxide anion, inhibited macrophage-mediated oxidation of LDL. These results suggest that glomerular macrophages from nephritic rats are activated to modify LDL to a form avidly taken up by macrophage scavenger receptors. Thus, enhanced formation of oxidized LDL by infiltrating glomerular macrophages may contribute to glomerular injury in nephrotoxic serum nephritis.
A cautionary tale of structure-guided inhibitor development against an essential enzyme in the aspartate-biosynthetic pathway.

The aspartate pathway is essential for the production of the amino acids required for protein synthesis and of the metabolites needed in bacterial development. This pathway also leads to the production of several classes of quorum-sensing molecules that can trigger virulence in certain microorganisms. The second enzyme in this pathway, aspartate β-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ASADH), is absolutely required for bacterial survival and has been targeted for the design of selective inhibitors. Fragment-library screening has identified a new set of inhibitors that, while they do not resemble the substrates for this reaction, have been shown to bind at the active site of ASADH. Structure-guided development of these lead compounds has produced moderate inhibitors of the target enzyme, with some selectivity observed between the Gram-negative and Gram-positive orthologs of ASADH. However, many of these inhibitor analogs and derivatives have not yet achieved the expected enhanced affinity. Structural characterization of these enzyme–inhibitor complexes has provided detailed explanations for the barriers that interfere with optimal binding. Despite binding in the same active-site region, significant changes are observed in the orientation of these bound inhibitors that are caused by relatively modest structural alterations. Taken together, these studies present a cautionary tale for issues that can arise in the systematic approach to the modification of lead compounds that are being used to develop potent inhibitors.
Corticomotor excitability changes during mirrored or asynergistic wrist movements

The current study used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the right primary motor cortex (M1) during bimanual contractions to examine facilitatory and inhibitory influences on the contralateral, target extensor carpi radialis muscle (ECR) during changes in the task demands of the ipsilateral (task) ECR. The bimanual contractions were either mirrored (isometric wrist extension bilaterally) or more difficult asynergistic (asymmetric [wrist extension paired with wrist radial deviation]) contractions. TMS-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and cortical silent periods (CSPs) were recorded during the execution of visually guided ramp and hold tasks. It was of interest to determine whether or not asynergistic contractions, representing a more difficult bimanual coordination task, resulted in differing patterns of activation and inhibition than mirrored movements. Asynergistic contractions were found to have differing effects on the target ECR than mirrored contractions. Foremost among these differences were the presence of enhanced inhibitory mechanisms. During asynergistic bimanual contractions the MEPs of the target ECR did not increase to the same degree and cortical silent period durations were longer. Findings indicate that bimanual mirrored and asynergistic contractions result in differing patterns of corticomotor excitability.
Effect of attention on early cortical processes associated with the sound-induced extra flash illusion

When a single flash of light is presented interposed between two brief auditory stimuli separated by 60-100 msec, subjects typically report perceiving two flashes [Shams, L., Kamitani, Y., & Shimojo, S. Visual illusion induced by sound. Brain Research, Cognitive Brain Research,14, 147-152, 2002; Shams, L., Kamitani, Y., & Shimojo, S. Illusions. What you see is what you hear. Nature,408, 788, 2000]. Using ERP recordings, we previously found that perception of the illusory extra flash was accompanied by a rapid dynamic interplay between auditory and visual cortical areas that was triggered by the second sound [Mishra, J., Martii¾ nez, A., Sejnowski, T. J., & Hillyard, S. A. Early cross-modal interactions in auditory and visual cortex underlie a sound-induced visual illusion. Journal of Neuroscience,27, 4120-4131, 2007]. In the current study, we investigated the effect of attention on the ERP components associated with the illusory extra flash in 15 individuals who perceived this cross-modal illusion frequently. All early ERP components in the cross-modal difference wave associated with the extra flash illusion were significantly enhanced by selective spatial attention. The earliest attention-related modulation was an amplitude increase of the positive-going PD110/PD120 component, which was previously shown to be correlated with an individual's propensity to perceive the illusory second flash [Mishra, J., Martii¾ nez, A., Sejnowski, T. J., & Hillyard, S. A. Early cross-modal interactions in auditory and visual cortex underlie a sound-induced visual illusion. Journal of Neuroscience,27, 4120-4131, 2007]. The polarity of the early PD110/PD120 component did not differ as a function of the visual field (upper vs. lower) of stimulus presentation. This, along with the source localization of the component, suggested that its principal generator lies in extrastriate visual cortex. These results indicate that neural processes previously shown to be associated with the extra flash illusion can be modulated by attention, and thus are not the result of a wholly automatic cross-modal integration process.
STOP US BEFORE WE SPEND AGAIN: INSTITUTIONAL CONSTRAINTS ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING

A distributive politics model establishes that the presence of exogenously enforceable spending limits reduces spending and that the effect of executive veto authority is contingent on whether spending is capped and whether the chief executive is a liberal or conservative. Surprisingly, when spending limits are in place, governments with conservative executives spend more than those with more liberal chief executives. Limits are welfare improving, as is the executive veto when it leads to the building of override coalitions. Using 32 years of US state budget data, this paper also establishes empirically that strict balanced budget rules constrain spending and also lead to less pronounced short-term responses to fluctuations in a state's economy. Party variables like divided government and party control of state legislatures tend to have little or no direct effect, with political institutions and economic indicators explaining much of the variation in state spending.
An object-oriented approach to product modeling for manufacturing systems

Abstract This paper presents an object-oriented approach to the design of a product model capable of representing end-products composed of a combination of assemblies and parts to support manufacturing planning functions.
Embroidered textiles for RF electronics and medical sensors

Flexible radio frequency (RF) electronics are essential components in realizing wearable and flexible electronic devices, including conformal antennas [1]. They are required to provide mechanical conformality and flexibility, excellent RF performance and yet comply with the current circuit fabrication technology based on traditional rigid and flat devices. Existing flexible circuits employ light-weight polymer substrates (such as polyimide and polyester films) that can be flexed and deformed under external stress. However, these substrates return to their original shape after the stress is released. To overcome this drawback, we recently developed conformal-flexible electronics based on conductive fibers and elastic polymer substrates. Conducting fibers offer the unique conformal capability, low profiles and operational efficiency when applied onto the objects [2],[3].
Effects of formic acid hydrolysis on the quantitative analysis of radiation-induced DNA base damage products assayed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS-SIM) is an excellent technique for performing both qualitative and quantitative analysis of DNA base damage products that are formed by exposure to ionizing radiation or by the interaction of intracellular DNA with activated oxygen species. This technique commonly uses a hot formic acid hydrolysis step to degrade the DNA to individual free bases. However, due to the harsh nature of this degradation procedure, the quantitation of DNA base damage products may be adversely affected. Consequently, we examined the effects of various formic acid hydrolysis procedures on the quantitation of a number of DNA base damage products and identified several factors that can influence this quantitation. These factors included (1) the inherent acid stabilities of both the lesions and the internal standards; (2) the hydrolysis temperature; (3) the source and grade of the formic acid; and (4) the sample mass during hydrolysis. Our data also suggested that the N,O-bis (trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) derivatization efficiency can be adversely affected, presumably by trace contaminants either in the formic acid or from the acid activated surface of the glass derivatization vials. Where adverse effects were noted, modifications were explored in an attempt to improve the quantitation of these DNA lesions. Although experimental steps could be taken to minimize the influence of these factors on the quantitation of some base damage products, no single procedure solved the quantitation problem for all base lesions. However, a significant improvement in the quantitation was achieved if the relative molecular response factor (RMRF) values for these lesions were generated with authentic DNA base damage products that had been treated exactly like the experimental samples.
New cyanophenyl‐containing polysiloxane stationary phases for capillary column gas chromatography

New p-cyanophenylethylpolysiloxane and p-cyanophenylpolysiloxane stationary phases exhibiting high efficiency, cross-Iinkability, and thermal stability up to 300°C are reported in this paper. These stationary phases possess a unique blend of polar and polarizable character that has resulted in excellent selectivities for compounds having delocalized nelectrons. Another advantage of the p-cyanophenyl phases is their demonstrated relatively low elution temperatures for polar materials compared with the typical cyanopropyl polysiloxane phases.
Mammographic appearance of recurrent breast cancer after breast conservation therapy

Rationale and Objectives To compare the mammographic appearance of recurrent breast cancer to the primary tumor in patients treated with breast conservation therapy. Materials and Methods The charts of women with American Joint Committee on Cancer Stage I or II breast cancer who underwent breast conservation therapy between 1977 and 2001 at our institution were reviewed. A total of 132 patients were diagnosed with local recurrence. Results The mammographic appearance of the local recurrence often varied from the appearance of the original breast cancer. This was especially true for women who had mammographically occult primary breast cancer. In these women, the recurrence was detected mammographically 76.9% of the time. Conclusions Given the variable appearance of the local recurrence after breast conservation therapy, any suspicious finding needs to be carefully evaluated regardless of the mammographic appearance of the original tumor.
Macular pigment spatial distribution effects on glare disability.

Abstract Purpose This project explored the relationship of the macular pigment optical density (MPOD) spatial profile with measures of glare disability (GD) across the macula. Methods A novel device was used to measure MPOD across the central 16° of retina along four radii using customized heterochromatic flicker photometry (cHFP)at eccentricities of 0°, 2°, 4°, 6° and 8°. MPOD was measured as discrete and integrated values at all measured retinal loci. GD was calculated as a difference in contrast sensitivity (CS) between no glare and glare conditions using identical stimuli presented at the same eccentricities. GD was defined as [(CSNo Glare − CSGlare)/CSNo Glare] in order to isolate the glare attenuation effects of MPOD by controlling for CS variability among the subject sample. Correlations of the discrete and integrated MPOD with GD were compared. Results The cHFP identified reliable MPOD spatial distribution maps demonstrating a 1st-order exponential decay as a function of increasing eccentricity. There was a significant negative correlation between both measures of foveal MPOD and GD using 6 cycles per degree (cpd) and 9 cpd stimuli. Significant correlations were found between corresponding parafoveal MPOD measures and GD at 2 and 4° of eccentricity using 9 cpd stimuli with greater MPOD associated with less glare disability. Conclusions These results are consistent with the glare attenuation effects of MP at higher spatial frequencies and support the hypothesis that discrete and integrated measures of MPOD have similar correlations with glare attenuation effects across the macula. Additionally, peak foveal MPOD appears to influence GD across the macula.
Optimizing an observable for ocean wind speed retrieval from calibrated GNSS-R delay-Doppler maps

The fundamental measurement produced by Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is the cross-correlation between the scattered signal and a local copy of the GNSS code and carrier, producing a bivariate function defined as the delay-Doppler map (DDM). The shape of the DDM is sensitive to the roughness of the scattering surface and, through various empirical models, the ocean surface winds. Ocean winds can be retrieved by fitting a scattering model to DDM observations, or identifying an observable, such as trailing edge slope or DDM area exceeding a threshold. A variety of such methods have been demonstrated with airborne experiments. With the selection of the CYGNSS mission by NASA, there is now a need to extend these methods to spaceborne measurements.
Greater Complexity of Liver Surgery is Not Associated with an Increased Incidence of Liver-Related Complications Except for Bile Leak: An Experience with 2,628 Consecutive Resections

Background Advances in technique, technology, and perioperative care have allowed for the more frequent performance of complex and extended hepatic resections. The purpose of this study was to determine if this increasing complexity has been accompanied by a rise in liver-related complications.
A class of complete solutions for bending of perfectly-plastic beams☆

Abstract An approach is developed for determining complete solutions for simply supported rectangular beams composed of a rigid, perfectly-plastic material under the action of distributed surface load. Detailed solutions are given for loading over a central strip in plane strain, and the solutions exhibit a sharp transition from failure in bending to failure by local plastic flow at the Prandtl value of the applied pressure. The influence of axial force is discussed and some complete solutions are developed for bending of simply supported beams in plane stress. Comparisons are made between the exact values of the collapse pressure and the values given by beam theory.
The Jominy end quench for light-weight alloy development

The Jominy end quench test is well known as a method of measuring hardenability in steels. In nonferrous alloys, there is a desire to determine the effect of quenching on final properties after heat treating. The Jominy end quench test offers a method for studying many quenching conditions with a minimum of samples. The potential for developing a new understanding of the complex response of nonferrous alloys to processing conditions, especially quenching, will be presented. Examples of the properties measured on Jominy end quench specimens of aluminum and titanium alloys will be presented.
Stages of Decline Cultural Memory, Urban Nostalgia and Political Indignation as Imaginaries of Resistance in Yue Ke’s Pillar Histories (Ting shi)

After the fall of the Northern Song (960–1127) capital of Kaifeng to Jurchen invaders in 1127, diasporic literati of the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) recreated and revisited its lost sites through textual commemoration, especially in memorabilia literature (biji , lit. ‘brush notes’). As knowledge of the city passed from communicative memory into cultural memory, its decline and destruction became the focus of nostalgia and indignation for Yue Ke (1183–1234), the author of the Pillar Histories (Ting shi ), a collection of counter-narratives of Northern Song history that expressed the shared experience of social trauma induced by dynastic collapse. Disconnected from their spatial context and even from historical fact, the city’s memory sites became stages for amoralistic declension narrative, in which the city’s destruction and occupation was assumed to have been instigated by the decadence of the imperial court of the passive Emperor Huizong (r. 1100–26) and his ‘nefarious ministers’. The most colour...
Civil society and urban food insecurity: analyzing the roles of local food organizations in Johannesburg

Food security civil society organizations (FSCSOs) have emerged as important institutions in the battle against food insecurity in the Global South. However, little attention has so far been paid to their organizational structure, institutional roles, and governance configurations. To fill this gap, in this paper I used surveys, semi-structured interviews, and place-based case studies to analyze the landscape of Johannesburg’s FSCSOs. Results indicate that while they fulfill many important roles, an uneven distribution of resources, institutional instability, and underdevelopment of food security social movements nevertheless weakens their ability to be effective service providers and vehicles of broader social change. Thus, despite a growing literature on alternative food and food justice movements that heralds FSCSOs as a solution to urban food insecurity, this paper argues that their conceptualization has, so far, been poorly developed; and as a consequence, their transformative potential remains weakl...
Wirelength estimation based on rent exponents of partitioning and placement

Wirelength estimation is one of the most important Rent's rule applications. Traditional Rent exponent extraction is based on recursive bipartitioning. However, the obtained exponent may not be appropriate for wirelength estimation. In this paper, we propose the concepts of partitioning-based Rent exponent and placement-based Rent exponent. The relationship between them is analyzed and empirically verified. Experiments on large circuits show that for wirelength estimation, the Rent exponent extracted from placement is more reasonable than that from partitioning.
Gene expression of tropoelastin is enhanced in the aorta proximal to the coarctation in rabbits.

To assess elastin biosynthesis in the aortic wall in response to acute elevation of blood pressure, we studied the aortic gene expression of tropoelastin in a rabbit midthoracic aortic coarctation model. The time points of the study were 1, 3, and 7 days and 2, 4, and 8 weeks after coarctation. Additional animals were subjected to hypercholesterolemia for analysis of tropoelastin expression in the intimal lesion. mRNA for tropoelastin was quantitated by Northern blot analysis and its distribution was revealed by in situ hybridization. The 65-kDa tropoelastin was analyzed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Tropoelastin mRNA proximal to the coarctation was increased at 2 weeks and returned to baseline by 8 weeks (P < 0.05 versus control). Changes in 65-kDa tropoelastin corresponded to those of mRNA. Tropoelastin gene was expressed mainly in the intima and in the outer media at the proximal region to the stenoses, which was particularly remarkable in the intimal lesion. The results indicate that tropoelastin gene expression was enhanced in the early remodeling response to elevated blood pressure. The distribution of newly synthesized tropoelastin in the outer media suggests a reenforcement role of tropoelastin, which preserves mechanical resiliency in response to changes in tensile stress.
Carotid sinus baroreceptor responses to recurrent trapezoidal pressure pulses.

Abstract Recurrent trapezoidal pressure pulses were applied to the carotid sinus of cats while recording from single fibers. Steady-state responses to these recurrent pressure pulses were studied. The salient features of the response were (i) a near linear rise to a dynamic peak overshoot, (ii) an adaptive fall from the peak with two distinct phases, an early rapid fall followed by a slow decay and (iii) immediate cessation of firing at the onset of the falling portion of the trapezoidal pressure pulse for all pressure velocities tested, i.e., dp dt ranging from 375 mm Hg/sec to 1850 mm Hg/sec. For positive pressure velocities, the slope of the linear rise of the steady-state response was found to be a power function of the pressure velocity, i. e., slope = K (pressure velocity)α. It was observed that α and K varied with the size of the pressure step and its initial level. The effect was such that as the magnitude of the pressure step increased, the slope decreased. These results indicate that the baroreceptor has the property of adjusting itself to steady input conditions.
Direct scatter distribution measurements: comparison to Monte Carlo simulations

"Direct" measurement of the scatter point spread function (PSF) was obtained with a digital imaging system for the purpose of comparison of a Monte Carlo (MC) scatter distribution algorithm that takes into account polychromatic spectra and detector absorption characteristics. An image intensifier (II) TV system was used to experimentally acquire digital x-ray scatter images in a geometry designed to eliminate detection of the primary beam and to optimize the dynamic range for scattered radiation as well as correct for image variations caused by veiling glare and shading. Both computer generated and experimentally acquired scatter data were measured in concentric annular bins and individually integrated to provide a direct PSF profile. Results indicate a good match between the MC and experimental PSFs for homogeneous scatter distributions at short range airgaps and radial distances. Discrepancies at larger radial distances are likely due to the spherical II input phosphor geometry. For an ll/1'V system detector, therefore, geometric image warping correction for pincushion distortion is indicated, as well as modifications in the MC algorithm for geometry of the detector. This will help to minimize differences between simulated and measured system characteristics.
Nonisoelectric focusing in buffers.

Abstract Stable pH gradients were formed and focusing of proteins was carried out in polyacrylamide gels containing mixtures of simple, amphoteric buffers, replacing the Ampholine hitherto used in isoelectric focusing (IF). Stable pH gradients can also be formed between acid anolyte and basic catholyte if Ampholine is replaced by nonamphoteric buffers. The fact that focusing can be carried out with nonampholytes shows that focusing in this case is, and in all other cases may be, nonisoelectric. It is postulated that the pH gradient in IF forms by steady-state stacking (isotachophoresis) and forms within the stack. In distinction to ordinary steady-state stacking, however, the stack remains confined within the gel (or density gradient) since the strong acid and base in the electrolyte reservoirs bar by deprotonation or electrostatic repulsion migration into the electrode chambers.
Thermoviscoplastic response of thin plates subjected to intense local heating

A finite element method is employed to investigate the thermoviscoplastic response of a half-cylinder to intense localized transient heating. Thermoviscoplastic material behavior is characterized by the Bodner-Partom constitutive model. Structure geometry is modeled with a three-dimensional assembly of CST-DKT plate elements incorporating the large deflection von Karman assumptions. The paper compares the results of a dynamic analysis with a quasi-static analysis for the half-cylinder structure with a step-function transient temperature loading similar to that which may be encountered with shock wave interference on a hypersonic leading edge.