cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Responsibilities and Instructional Time: Relationships Identified by Teachers in Self-Contained Classes for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

Teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities face complex challenges supporting students’ academic and behavioral needs. These teachers require support from administrators, but administrators are seldom prepared to provide support. Furthermore, research seldom operationalizes support in ways that provide actionable advice to administrators. Prior research indicates that teachers frequently feel overburdened with excessive responsibilities, and they often provide insufficient instructional opportunities for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. However, prior research has not determined whether a relationship exists between teachers’ responsibilities and their instruction. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between teachers’ instructional time and the extra responsibilities they have. Results suggest that teachers’ noninstructional responsibilities are associated with less instructional time. Despite limitations to data collection methods, these findings have ...
Nanosolids, Slushes, and Nanoliquids: Characterization of Nanophases in Metal Clusters and Nanoparticles

One of the keys to understanding the emergent behavior of complex materials and nanoparticles is understanding their phases. Understanding the phases of nanomaterials involves new concepts not present in bulk materials; for example, the phases of nanoparticles are quantum mechanical even when no hydrogen or helium is present. To understand these phases better, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on size-selected particles employing a realistic analytic many-body potential based on quantum mechanical nanoparticle calculations have been performed to study the temperature-dependent properties and melting transitions of free Aln clusters and nanoparticles with n = 10−300 from 200 to 1700 K. By analyzing properties of the particles such as specific heat capacity (c), radius of gyration, volume, coefficient of thermal expansion (β), and isothermal compressibility (κ), we developed operational definitions of the solid, slush, and liquid states of metal clusters and nanoparticles. Applying the definitions, which ...
Particle Tracking Single Protein-Functionalized Quantum Dot Diffusion and Binding at Silica Surfaces

We evaluate commercial QD585 and QD605 streptavidin-functionalized quantum dots (QDs) for single-particle tracking microscopy at surfaces using total internal reflectance fluorescence and measure single QD diffusion and nonspecific binding at silica surfaces in static and flow conditions. The QD diffusion coefficient on smooth, near-ideal, highly hydroxylated silica surfaces is near bulk-solution diffusivity, as expected for repulsive surfaces, but many QD trajectories on rougher, less-than-ideal surfaces or regions display transient adsorptions. We attribute the binding to defect sites or adsorbates, possibly in conjunction with protein conformation changes, and estimate binding energies from the transient adsorption lifetimes. We also assess QD parameters relevant to tracking, including hydrodynamic radius, charge state, signal levels, blinking reduction with reducing solutions, and photoinduced blueing and bleaching.
Regulation of prolactin receptor glycosylation and its role in receptor location

Abstract In unstimulated mammary epithelial cells from virgin mice, the prolactin receptor exists as two isoforms: a 78 and a 70 kDa species. Both proteins are reduced to a single 61 kDa molecule after N-glycanase F treatment, indicating that their size difference is solely a result of carbohydrate content. Membrane fractionation experiments reveal that the smaller species is exclusively intracellular, while the larger one is located on the cell surface. Nitric oxide (NO) stimulates the migration of prolactin receptors from an internal pool to the plasmalemma in only 30 min and this redistribution is associated with an increase in molecular weight. Redistribution is blocked by swainsonine, but not by castanospermine or 1-deoxymannojirimycin, suggesting that the glycosylation step involved with translocation is either α-mannosidase II or N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) transferase I. The former is unaffected by NO but the activity of the latter is doubled 30 min after exposure to NO. These data suggest that prolactin receptors are retained intracellularly because of their incomplete N-glycosylation and that NO triggers their redistribution by stimulating the completion of this process, in part by increasing NAG transferase I activity.
Performance of Three-Dimensional Compressible Navier-Stokes Codes at Low Mach Numbers

The low-Mach-number performance of two widely used three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes solvers is examined. Both of the codes employ a finite volume formulation, but differ. In their respective discretization and solution schemes. In the first code, a central-difference discretization is employed and solutions are obtained using an explicit Runge-Kutta time-stepping scheme. In the second code, an upwind-biased discretization is used, and an implicit approximate factorization scheme is employed. The accuracy and efficiency of the codes are assessed by comparison with results from an Incompressible Navier-Stokes solver and experimental data The test cases examined include an untwisted rectangular wing and a wing-fuselage configuration. The computed pressure distributions were nearly identical, and agreed quite well with experimental data. In addition, the predicted pressure distributions were nearly identical to those predicted by the incompressible flow-solver. The influence of freestream Mach number on the efficiency of both compressible-flow solvers also is examined.
Overview of the Optical Communications Demonstrator

The Optical Communications Demonstrator is a laboratory-based lasercom demonstration instrument designed to validate effective beacon acquisition, high bandwidth tracking, precision beam pointing, and point ahead compensation functions. The instrument is designed using an array detector for both spatial acquisition and high bandwidth tracking, and a fiber coupled laser transmitter. The array detector tracking concept provides wide field of view acquisition as well as high update rate using a single output channel device. At the same time, it permits effective platform jitter compensation and point ahead control using only one steering mirror. The use of fiber coupled transmitter further modularizes transmitter design and decouples the thermal management problem. The reduction in design complexity can lead to a reduced system cost and an improved system reliability. Furthermore, it can permit the implementation of a new generation of lasercom instruments capable of realizing the inherent advantages of optical frequency communication systems.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
African-American Retention within a Community College: Differences in Orientation Course Enrollment.

Investigation of orientation programs and African-American student retention, particularly within the community college sector, has long been neglected. This study specifically investigates the dif...
Site-Based Leadership for Improving Instruction.

AbstractThis article argues that a principal's actions can create site-based conditions that can grow a staff's capacity to improve instruction, depending on how a principal conceives of, organizes, and structures learning opportunities for teachers. The article analyzes the leadership of one principal as an example of how leaders can develop instructional capacity to improve teaching and learning. A conceptual framework is presented that defines instructional capacity and offers an approach for its development.
The Prevention of Postprandial Seizures in Children

Three boys are reported who showed typical autonomic manifestations of hypoglycemia in association with stupor or convulsive seizures two to four hours after eating a meal. During glucose tolerance tests all three children had high peaks in plasma glucose within the first hour and subsequently developed symptoms typical of their clinical disorders on at least one occasion. Two of the boys showed appropriate responses of plasma insulin to oral glucose loading; the third showed a delay in peak plasma insulin. All three children responded promptly and completely to simple dietary management.
The Workforce wellness index: a method for valuing US workers' health.

Objective:To devise a methodology to create a single health risk–cost score that can be applied to health risk assessment survey data and account for the medical costs associated with modifiable risks.Methods:We linked person-level health risk assessment data with medical benefit eligibility and cla
Brain ganglioside patterns and effect of thermal acclimation in North American Salamanders

Abstract 1. 1. Gangliosides were extracted and analyzed from brain tissue of 14 species (nine genera from five families) of salamanders. 2. 2. Ganglioside patterns from members of the same family were qualitatively similar, but variation among different genera and species was considerable. 3. 3. Brain gangliosides from axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) acclimated for 3 weeks at 15°C increased in polarity over gangliosides from axolotls acclimated at 23°C. 4. 4. The ganglioside composition of brain tissue may be subject to a high degree of microenvironmental selective pressure.
Modification of personal hygiene and grooming behaviors with contingency contracting: A brief review and case study

A discussion of the basic components and characteristics of contingency contracts is presented. A case study is included in which contingency contracting procedures were integrated within a behavioral consultation model used by a school psychologist consulting with a classroom teacher. An attempt was made by teacher and psychologist to modify the personal hygiene and grooming behaviors of a 12-year-old male. A changing-criterion design was employed to assess treatment effects, and social validation measures were implemented to evaluate the impact of the intervention on significant others in the child's natural environment. Results indicated a marked increase in the number of appropriate hygiene behaviors exhibited daily as well as in the incidence rate of each target behavior. Social validation data revealed noticeable improvements in the subject's personal appearance consistent with the findings reported by the classroom teacher. The present investigation demonstrates the manner in which a behavioral consultation model may be implemented in a school setting. Single-subject designs and social validation procedures offer an effective means for evaluating the efficacy and impact of treatment programs.
Behavioral treatment of food refusal and selectivity in developmentally disabled children.

Abstract Dietary inadequacies involving the consumption of insufficient quantities or types of foods are prevalent among handicapped individuals and may result in excessive weight loss, malnutrition, retardation in growth, and lethargy. Techniques currently used to alleviate the problem may pose additional health risks, do not usually promote appropriate feeding behavior, or have not undergone adequate empirical evaluation. In this study, the highly selective food refusal of two developmentally disabled children was reduced using procedures consisting of delivery of preferred foods as reinforcers, extinction and fading. Results obtained with a multiple baseline design showed increased consumption of all selected foods, as well as decreased food expulsion for both children. These findings indicate that the intervention represented an effective means of treating selective food refusal, and suggest that behavioral methodology and principles may be useful tools in both the assessment and treatment of a variety of eating related disorders.
Roger Williams's Uses of Legal Discourse: Testing Authority in Early New England

The legal establishment in the seventeenth century was increasingly hostile to the use of elaborate language and rhetorical flourish; the copiousness and amplification so typical of Puritan discourse, on the other hand, served to suppress the desire to eliminate abstruse and unverifiable terms, concepts, and doctrines from the debates of the day. A firm believer that there ought to exist some sort of fundamental law (a charter) to curb the excesses of government, Roger Williams presided over a shifting sensibility about power and authority.
Natural abundance 13C NMR investigation of substituted bromobenzene using noise decoupling of proton resonances

The natural abundance 13C NMR spectra of bromobenzene and ten derivatives have been obtained using the technique of noise modulated decoupling of the proton resonances. Assignments have been made for all 13C resonance signals using an additivity rule. The chemical shifts of the aromatic carbon nuclei in the para-substituted compounds are discussed in terms of the Taft parameters (σR, σI) and the electronegativity of the substituent.
Analysis of protein-protein interaction networks using random walks

Genome wide protein networks have become reality in recent years due to high throughput methods for detecting protein interactions. Recent studies show that a networked representation of proteins provides a more accurate model of biological systems and processes compared to conventional pair-wise analyses. Complementary to the availability of protein networks, various graph analysis techniques have been proposed to mine these networks for pathway discovery, function assignment, and prediction of complex membership. In this paper, we propose using random walks on graphs for the complex/pathway membership problem. We evaluate the proposed technique on three different probabilistic yeast networks using a benchmark dataset of 27 complexes from the MIPS complex catalog database and 10 pathways from the KEGG pathway database. Furthermore, we compare the proposed technique to two other existing techniques both in terms of accuracy and running time performance, thus addressing the scalability issue of such analysis techniques for the first time. Our experiments show that the random walk technique achieves similar or better accuracy with more than 1,000 times speed-up compared to the best competing technique.
PCSK9 as a Therapeutic Target in Atherosclerosis

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a serine protease that regulates low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) metabolism. PCSK9 is expressed at high levels in the liver and secreted in active form. Secreted PCSK9 interacts with the LDL-C receptors (LDLR) and directs the receptors to the endosome/lysosome compartment for degradation [1]. Genetic studies have shown the significance of PCSK9 in regulating plasma LDL-C levels and susceptibility to atherosclerosis [2–5]. Consequently, PCSK9 has emerged as a major target for intervention to lower plasma LDL-C levels and prevent or treat atherosclerosis. Aims
Behavior change strategies for family planning

The technology of behavior modification is central to most family planning and population control strategies. Positive, differential and negative reinforcement, usually cast in terms of 'incentives' and 'disincentives', have been applied to promoting child spacing and contraceptive use throughout the developing world. A wide variety of options are available to program planners interested in decreased birth rates, increased contraceptive use and/or birth spacing, and general promotion of family planning behavior. Given the tremendous problems with overpopulation and maternal/child health in developing nations today, behavior modification techniques are proposed specifically as the most effective way to motivate behavior change in the area of birth planning. These techniques also provide a useful framework with which to classify current family planning strategies and maximize their overall effectiveness. Given the powerful potential of this technology, understanding relevant ethical considerations and limitations is of paramount importance.
Evaluating and Improving Student Achievement in Business Programs: The Effective Use of Standardized Assessment Tests

Abstract Having made “continuous improvement” the theme of its accreditation process a decade ago, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is poised to make “assurance of learning” the current focus of the faculty/student exchange. In this article, the authors discuss how to use standardized assessment tests appropriately and constructively for compliance with this requirement. They provide an overview of accountability in higher education and then focus on assessing student achievement and development. They use results from the Educational Testing Service's Major Field Test in Business to illustrate verification of test reliability and validity. Finally, they suggest ways that standardized test results can be used for evaluating and enhancing student performance.
On the Way to Work: Welfare Participants and Barriers to Employment:

The landmark 1996 welfare reform legislation required welfare participants to transition rapidly into the labor market. However, many welfare participants have not fared well in the competition for jobs because they face multiple barriers to employment. This study draws on data from a California job readiness survey of welfare participants to examine the effects of employment barriers on male and female welfare participants. The results of logistic modeling show that individual barriers negatively affect employment outcomes and that the likelihood of employment declines with an increasing number of barriers. These findings suggest that economic development programs intended to aid welfare participants in making a successful transition into the labor market must move beyond piecemeal approaches to meeting the needs of welfare participants and include comprehensive strategies that address multiple barriers to employment.
Realism, style, and design: Packing it into a constrained course

Although the importance of providing realistic educational experiences involving the design of software systems has been recognized in many undergraduate curricula, it is difficult to consistently do so. With the constraints of an existing curricula and a small amount of class time a course has been developed that provides a rich experience in software design, including the critical aspects of group work and programming and documentation style. The course, its goals, and main features are described and analyzed. Experience with the course is reported and the problem of evaluating such a course is discussed.
Payload carrier systems for conducting sortie mode science

The capabilities and characteristics of the payload carriers developed to provide structural and operational interfaces between the Space Shuttle and the various types of experiments designed to operate in the sortie mode are discussed. The Spacelab is a flexible laboratory system composed of interchangeable elements that can be put together in eight different combinations of pallets and pressurized modules, and provides considerable standard services to users in such areas as equipment installation, power distribution, thermal control, command and data management, software, pointing systems and crew participation. A modular three-axis pointing control system designated the Annular Suspension and Pointing System, is being developed to provide additional pointing capabilities to those payloads that require capabilities not provided by the Spacelab instrument pointing system. Two engineering models of the Spacelab pallet have been designated Orbital Flight Test Pallets which, together with a special experiment support structure, are intended for initial and operational payloads that do not constitute a complete Spacelab mission. The simplest and smallest payload carriers are the Getaway Special cans, intended for small, self-contained, self-sufficient payloads, and the orbiter middeck lockers. In this way, most of the user requirements for Shuttle sortie missions identified to date can be fulfilled.
Fate of arsenic compounds in poultry litter upon land application.

Abstract The use of the organic As compound, roxarsone, as an antibiotic additive to poultry feed continues to raise concern over potential negative environmental impacts. Total As concentration in poultry litter can reach >40 mg kg −1 and both roxarsone and its mineralization product As(V) have been identified in poultry litters (PL). To investigate the fate of these As species upon land application of PL we conducted two studies. In the first, an Orangeburg soil (Ultisol from the Atlantic Coastal Plain) was spiked with either 20 mg kg −1 As(V) or roxarsone and incubated at 10% moisture content for 4 months. Exchangeable As was determined periodically by extraction with 0.1 M PO 4 . Both As(V) and roxarsone displayed similar desorption; initially, approximately 70% of added As was ligand exchangeable and this decreased to 35% after 4 months incubation, presumably due to either slow sorption reactions or a change in solid phase speciation of As to less exchangeable forms. In the second study, various manipulations of two PL samples were applied to the Orangeburg soil at realistic field application rates. The treatments were wet to 10% moisture content and water soluble As, Cu and organic carbon (DOC) was measured over 30 days. Arsenic and Cu solubility were highest from the dried litter samples. Ashing of the PLs decreased soluble As and Cu, presumably because of the loss of organic matter from the ashed litter and subsequent decrease in DOC. Application of leachates from either PL resulted in higher concentrations of soluble As and Cu than when the soil was amended with equivalent concentrations of soluble As and Cu dissolved in DI H 2 O. We hypothesize that the increased levels of DOC from the PL treatments enhance As and Cu solubility through competitive sorption and complexation, respectively. In fact, As and Cu solubility was correlated to DOC levels in the amended soil extracts. Even though land application of PL introduced relatively low concentrations of As and Cu to soil it appeared that other soluble constituents of PL significantly enhanced As and Cu solubility.
On mechanisms of rain-induced air-water gas exchange

Previous studies have shown that rain significantly enhances the rate of air-water gas exchange. However, even though an empirical correlation between the rain rate or kinetic energy flux (KEF) delivered to the water surface by rain and the gas transfer velocity has been established, the physical mechanisms underlying the gas exchange enhancement remain unexamined. During a series of experiments, the processes behind rain-induced air-water gas exchange were examined at NASA's Rain-Sea Interaction Facility (RSIF). Gas transfer velocities for helium (He), nitrous oxide (N2O), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) were determined for 22 rain rates (13.6 to 115.2 mm h−1) and three drop sizes (2.3, 2.8, 4.2 mm). Bubbles generated by the raindrops were characterized using a video-microscope technique, and surface waves were characterized by a capacitance probe. Additionally, rain-generated turbulence was inferred from friction velocities u*w calculated from KEF. Together, these data suggest that rain-induced air-water gas exchange is mainly caused by turbulence-driven exchange processes, with bubbles contributing anywhere from 0 to 20%, depending on rain rate, drop size, and the solubility of the gas tracer. Furthermore, the data confirm that the previously selected variable KEF is the best correlate for rain-induced air-water gas exchange.
Assessing the Virtual Classroom of a Graduate Social Policy Course

Abstract Student perceptions were investigated toward their experience of learning online in a web-based graduate social policy course. Overall, student perceptions were positive toward the online features of this course with the most useful features being the PowerPoint lecture notes and the Discussion Board. Students were more satisfied with their interactions with the instructor than with the other students. A majority of the students reported they would take another online course and would also recommend this specific course to other students. Female students were more likely to ask for technical assistance. Students enjoyed learning as much through the virtual classroom as a traditional on-campus section of the course.
The Iowa Graduated Driver Licensing program: effectiveness in reducing crashes of teenage drivers.

Abstract Problem Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs vary in the United States in terms of implementation and restrictions. The State of Iowa's GDL program is assessed for its effectiveness in reducing crashes among teenage drivers. Method Time series analysis was used to evaluate police documented crashes involving 16-, 17-, and 18-year-old drivers over a 10 year period, with an intervention identified at the point of GDL implementation. Results After controlling for seasonal trends and auto-correlative effects, a significant reduction in the crash rate of and 16- and 17-year-old drivers was observed due to the GDL implementation. However, there were no significant reductions in crash rates for 18-year-old drivers. Discussion The analyses suggest that the Iowa GDL program is effective in reducing the crash rates of 16- and 17-year-old drivers but the effects do not sustain for 18-year-old drivers. Impact on Industry The results suggest that the program appears to be working, however further analysis is needed to determine what factors are preventing lasting effects for these teenage drivers.
GENERALIZED DEFECT ANNIHILATION KINETICS FOR STRUCTURAL RELAXATION IN AMORPHOUS-SILICON

Abstract A general approach to the dynamics of structural relaxation in amorphous silicon is developed. A form is chosen for the recombination kinetics of defects which removes the ad-hoc assumption made in previous approaches, namely that defects recombine only with others of identical activation energy. The generalized approach is tested quantitatively by modelling the structural relaxation of amorphous silicon and comparing the results with the experimental data. It is found that the generalized recombination kinetics formalism is necessary in order to describe accurately the time-resolved relaxation data.
Strategies for success in parallel simulation applications (keynote speech)

While the PADS community has traditionally focused on—and done a greater job with—the technical aspects of developing simulations that run fast and can be connected to other simulations, it has paid little or no attention to the overall strategies required to produce a marketable, useful, and successful parallel simulation. This lack of market focus has led to many fears of the demise of the PADS community, complaints of its lack of general acceptance by the broader simulation community, and predictions that it will become merely another venue for simulation interconnections.These fears, complaints, and predictions are unnecessary. There are several examples of successful parallel simulations—in domains as far apart as aviation modeling and wargames. What can we learn from their successes? How can we translate their general acceptance into other parallel simulation domains? Are there market opportunities that we are missing? In short, what is the parallel simulation community lacking, and what does it need to do in order to be more successful?The purpose of this talk is to begin a discussion on the answers to these questions (as opposed to definitively answering them). We will draw on numerous examples of successful applications, and make some concrete suggestions for furthering the community.
An Application of the Linkage Characteristic Polynomial to the Topological Synthesis of Epicyclic Gear Trains

Utilisation des polynomes caracteristiques des mecanismes pour la synthese topologique des trains d'engrenages epicycloidaux
Home Economics Deans' and Department Chairpersons' Perceptions of Journals and the Importance of Faculty Publishing

Seventy-five administrators of home economics programs rated 18 journals for familiarity and perceived quality. The Journals to which the most subscribed were the Journal of Home Economics (92%) and the Home Economics Research Journal (82%). The administrators rated the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition highest in quality. Almost all administrators stated that publishing is becoming more important in their evaluations of faculty. Data were collected on administrators' specializations and on the characteristics of responding administrators' institu tions. The growing stress on faculty publishing is evidenced at both small and large institutions, although in the past it was less emphasized at smaller colleges. Institution size is a factor in actual publishing productivity in that larger schools tend to have more prolific authors.
DNA Probes for Infectious Diseases

Constructing DNA Probes for Infectious Agents. Detection Systems fo Hybridization Reactions. Impact of DNA Probes on Clinical Microbiology. Detection of Bacteria in Foods Using DNA Hybridization. DNA Probes for Bacterial Stool Pathogens. DNA Probes for Pathogenic Vibrio Species. Nucleic Acid Probes for Rotavirus Detection and Characterization. DNA Probes for the Detection of Legionella Species, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Identification of Adenovirus DNA in Clinical Specimens. Nucleic Acid Probes for the Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus. DNA Probes for the Detection of Human Cytomegalovirus. Diagnosis of Human Papillomavirus and Human Cytomegalovirus by Hybridization Histochemistry. Blood-Borne Viral Infections: Hepatitis B Virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Detection of Varicella-Zoster, Herpes Simplex, and Enteric Adenoviruses Using Nucleic Acid Hybridization. Progress Toward the Development of a Pan-Enteroviral Nucleic Ac id Probe. The Application of DNA Hybridization to the Understanding of Human Parvovirus Disease. Nucleic Acid Sandwich Hybridization in the Diagnosis of Infections Causes by Chlamydia Trachomatis and Other Microbes. Detection of Hemotropic Parasites by DNA Hybridization. Leishmaniasis: DNA Probes for Diagnosis. DNA Probes and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. Index.
An improvement in the theory of intensions

T'o designate is to be a proper name of, whether of an individual, a class, or a relation. To denote is to be a common name of an individual and of an individual only. Semantical rules concerning designation and denotation reflect both actual usage and convention, and are no doubt to be laid down by metalinguistic fiat. Rules governing the notion of L-designation, on the other hand, are presumably laid down by fiat only, for the notion appears to lhave no counterpart in actual usage. L-designation has occasionally been mentioned by Carnap, although very rarely used even by him.1 It is an interesting and not unworthy notion, and its use will help us to improve the theory of objective intensions.2 Also it is definable, with certain desirable restrictions, in terms of denotation. Hence an intensional semantics based on it shares the advantages enjoyed by the semantical metalanguages based upon denotation. 33
Fabrication of crack-free blanket nanoporous gold thin films by galvanostatic dealloying

Abstract A galvanostatic dealloying method, wherein the material removal rate is directly controlled, is proposed for fabrication of constrained crack-free nanoporous gold (NPG) films. Uniform, three-dimensional, crack-free, blanket NPG films are fabricated by this method from both low and high Au concentration precursor alloys up to 1300 nm thickness, which cannot be obtained by other methods. Ag dissolution rate proved to be critical in maintaining the film stress below the threshold value at which cracks develop. The findings contribute to understanding the formation mechanisms of NPG films.
Topological quantum scheme based on quantum walk

Topological quantum computation provides efficiency with fault-tolerant and error-correction to overcome decoherence problem. Here we investigate a class of topological quantum computation device. We discuss a method of constructing topological quantum scheme based on quantum walk for the state space.
Mechanical milling for catalyst loading of polymer filters

This paper details results of an initial study into the feasibility of using the mechanical milling process as a means of embedding catalyst particles into fabric filters for improved pollution control. The specific combinations of catalysts and filters used in the study to demonstrate the method are currently being explored for use in the energy generation industry to help remove elemental mercury from flue gases. Circular fabric samples were placed in a hardened steel milling vial along with a number of PMMA milling balls. Catalyst powder and, in some cases, a solvent (water or 70% isopropyl alcohol) were added and the vial milled for 40 min. The fabric samples were then dried and subjected to airflow conditions typical for fabric filters in powerplant baghouses. Weight measurements were used to determine the amount of catalyst retained in the fabric at each stage. Results show that fabric type, number of milling balls used, catalyst powder/fabric mass ratio, particle size and the presence of a solvent can all affect the degree of catalyst loading. The embedded particles adhere well through a number of forward/backpulse cycles simulating airflow conditions in a powerplant baghouse. Modifications are needed to scale such a process to production levels but the current limitations are not insurmountable.
Understanding the Impact of Inductance in Carbon Nanotube Bundles for VLSI Interconnect Using Scalable Modeling Techniques

In this paper, we develop accurate and scalable models for the magnetic inductance in bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes, which have been proposed as a means to alleviate the increasingly critical resistance problems associated with traditional copper interconnect in very large scale integration (VLSI) applications. The models consider the density and statistical distribution of both metallic and semiconducting nanotubes within the bundle. We evaluate the speed, accuracy, and scalability of our magnetic inductance modeling techniques and previously proposed inductance models. The inductance model with the best performance evaluates the magnetic inductance of nanotube bundles with excellent accuracy when compared to modeling each nanotube individually and provides orders of magnitude improvement in CPU time as the bundle size increases. Leveraging the magnetic inductance modeling techniques, we determine the relative impact of magnetic and kinetic inductance. Based on our results, the relative value of magnetic and kinetic inductance on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) bundles is highly dependent on the bundle geometry and the per unit length kinetic inductance
A National Study of the Impact of Rapid Influenza Testing on Clinical Care in the Emergency Department.

Influenza-like illness is common among patients who receive care in emergency departments (EDs) during winter. Signs and symptoms of influenza overlap with other respiratory illnesses, including bacterial pneumonia. Uncertainty in the diagnosis of influenza may lead to antibiotic overuse, underprescribing of antiviral medications, and unnecessary ancillary testing [1]. Rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDT), based on antigen detection, are widely available. Their sensitivity is variable, ranging from poor to moderate across settings, populations, and tests, but specificity is high [2, 3]. The results of previous studies have shown that the use of RIDT is associated with reduced ancillary testing and antibiotic prescribing and greater use of antiviral drugs for patients with respiratory symptoms who are diagnosed with influenza [2, 4–9]. These studies primarily enrolled children and took place at academic institutions, limiting their generalizability. A Cochrane review found that the “current evidence was insufficient, but promising” to support influenza testing to reduce antibiotic prescribing or laboratory intervention [10]. The extent of RIDT use by US ED physicians and the national impact of RIDT on clinical care are unknown. Our objectives were to examine national patterns of RIDT use and the influence of RIDT on clinical care in US ED settings. We hypothesized that a diagnosis of influenza made in association with RIDT would be associated with decreased ancillary testing, reduced antibiotic prescribing, and greater use of antivirals compared with influenza diagnoses made without RIDT.
Probabilistic density control for swarm of decentralized ON-OFF agents with safety constraints

This paper presents a Markov chain based approach for the probabilistic density control of a swarm of autonomous “ON-OFF” agents. The proposed approach specifies the time evolution of the probabilistic density distribution by using a Markov chain, which guides the swarm to a desired steady-state final distribution, while satisfying the prescribed ergodicity and safety constraints. Prior research has developed a Markov chain based approach to control swarms of agents with full mobility. The main contribution of the current paper is generalizing this approach to a swarm of ON-OFF agents with limited mobility. We define ON-OFF agents as having limited mobility in the following sense: The agent either conforms to the motion induced by the environment or it remains motionless. This means that an ON-OFF agent has two possible actions, either accept the environmentally induced motion, “ON”, or stop all the motion, “OFF”. By using these binary control actions at the agent level, we develop a decentralized control architecture and algorithms that guide the swarm density distribution to a desired probabilistic density in the operational space. The agents make statistically independent probabilistic decisions on choosing to be “ON” or “OFF” based solely on their own states to achieve a desired swarm density distribution. The probabilistic approach is completely decentralized and does not require communication or collaboration between agents. Of course, any collaboration can be leveraged for better performance, which is the subject of future work. There are two new algorithms developed: An online ON-OFF policy computation method to generate a Markov matrix with the ergodicity and motion constraints but without the safety constraints, which can be viewed as generating a Markov matrix via the Metropolis-Hastings (M-H) algorithm for a given proposal matrix. The second algorithm generates, offline, an ON-OFF policy that also ensures the safety constraints together with the ergodicity and motion constraints. The incorporation of the safety constraints is enabled by our recent result that convexifies the Markov chain synthesis with these constraints.
Sexual Harassment within College Campus Recreation Departments as Perceived by NIRSA Employees

This is part one of a four-part presentation of a national investigation of NIRSA members on the topic of sexual harassment/discrimination within college campus recreation departments. A national survey of 1000 randomly selected NIRSA members in North America was completed by means of an on-line questionnaire to determine the perceptions of NIRSA members as to the possible existence of sexual harassment [discrimination] within their own college campus recreation departments, in terms of a) existence of sexual harassment in the work environment, b) frequency of occurrences against males and females, c) examples of sexual harassment, d) frequency of sexual harassment acts, e) reaction to sexual harassment, f) issuance of complaints, g) existence of policies/procedures dealing with sexual harassment, and h) separation between males and females (exclusion, avoidance, distancing). An examination of the data was completed in terms of the respondents’ gender, marital status, and gender of one’s supervisor. Findi...
Does dispersal across an aquatic geographic barrier obscure phylogeographic structure in the diamond-backed watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer)?

The impact of barriers to dispersal and gene flow is often inferred to be the primary cause of lineage divergence and phylogeographic structure in terrestrial organisms. In particular, the Mississippi River has been implicated as a barrier to gene flow in many species, including aquatic taxa. However, if barriers are permeable to organisms, then phylogeographic structure may be difficult to detect due to gene flow between lineages. Using time-calibrated Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, and phylogeographic coalescent simulations, we determine if the Mississippi River operates as a barrier to gene flow in the aquatic diamond-backed watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer). The phylogenetic analyses support a basal division within N. rhombifer mtDNA lineages that coincides with populations generally east and west of the Mississippi River. These results, and that of the divergence dating analyses, therefore suggest that the river was a significant barrier to gene flow in the Pleistocene � 1.4 million years ago, presumably during an interglacial period when the river was much wider. However, we also detect western haplotypes in the eastern clade, and vice versa, thereby indicating that this barrier has not been complete. Nonetheless, the coalescent simulations that account for limited migration suggest that the Mississippi River was an important feature that shaped the phylogeographic history of this aquatic snake in the USA despite limited gene flow.
Effect of VLF/LF frequency and humidity on the breakdown of air

The paper reports the results from a study to investigate the effect of humidity and frequency on the breakdown of air. It is known from existing literature that humidity causes an increase in the breakdown voltage at power frequency (50/60 Hz), but the effect at frequencies in the very low frequency (VLF) radio range (10 kHz-30 kHz) remain largely unknown. Experiments were conducted on Rogowski-profile uniform field gaps ranging from 4 to 45 mm. Unlike at power frequency, results show that breakdown voltages have a nonlinear relationship to humidity and generally decrease with increasing humidity. The objective of this study is to determine correction factors for humidity at VLF and LF (low frequency).
Research of risk-based security assessment of power system

The basic conception of risk-based security assessment (RBSA) for power system is presented, and we think that the method of risk-based security assessment has important significance for the security and stability operation of power system. By comparing risk-based security assessment with the traditional deterministic security assessment and reliability-based security assessment, it is demonstrated that risk-based security assessment is more effective for the actual operating status of power system and is the development direction of the stability operation and control of power system. The algorithm of risk-based security assessment is formed by uncertainty analysis, state selection, fault analysis and the calculation of risk indicators, which is presented in this paper. And the numerical tests of WSCC-9 and IEEE-30 are proposed, where the risk indicators such as low voltage, overload are calculated by selecting the system state with the enumeration method, analyzing the state by fault enumeration and AC power flow. By analyzing the indicators, the dispatchers can understand the security level of power system and then make decisions, which proved the validity of the algorithm of risk-based security assessment for power system.
Overexpression of vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors in psoriasis

Psoriatic skin is characterized by microvascular hyperpermeability and angioproliferation, but the mechanisms responsible are unknown. We report here that the hyperplastic epidermis of psoriatic skin expresses strikingly increased amounts of vascular permeability factor (VPF; vascular endothelial growth factor), a selective endothelial cell mitogen that enhances microvascular permeability. Moreover, two VPF receptors, kdr and flt-1, are overexpressed by papillary dermal microvascular endothelial cells. Transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha), a cytokine that is also overexpressed in psoriatic epidermis, induced VPF gene expression by cultured epidermal keratinocytes. VPF secreted by TGF-alpha-stimulated keratinocytes was bioactive, as demonstrated by its mitogenic effect on dermal microvascular endothelial cells in vitro. Together, these findings suggest that TGF-alpha regulates VPF expression in psoriasis by an autocrine mechanism, leading to vascular hyperpermeability and angiogenesis. Similar mechanisms may operate in tumors and in healing skin wounds which also commonly express both VPF and TGF-alpha.
Determinants of Interorganizational Cooperation

The literature on interorganizational cooperation is examined for theoretical overlap and commonly discussed variables. These variables are organized according to their importance as potential moti...
Werkzeugunterstützte Datenintegration — Die Realisierung eines CIM-Systems

Um Produktionszyklen zu verkurzen, ist in zunehmendem Mase eine durchgangige Rechnerunterstutzung erforderlich. Im Vergleich zu anderen CIM-System-Architekturen betont der hier verfolgte Ansatz die Einbeziehung existierender Anwendungen. Es wird ein Losungsweg aufgezeigt, der die Datenintegration solcher Anwendungen im heterogenen Umfeld realisiert und zu integrierten Geschaftsprozessen fuhrt. Kernidee ist die Einfuhrung einer Integrationsdatenbank unter Beibehaltung der lokalen Datenhaltungen fur die einzelnen SpezialSysteme. Die systemweite Konsistenz der Daten organisiert ein sog. Object-Handler, der auf einem relationalen Datenbanksystem und der Sprache SQL basiert. Viele anwendungsspezifische Teile des Object-Handlers werden automatisch generiert. Der Beitrag geht auf die Nutzung von Softwarewerkzeugen ein, die den Aufbau eines datenintegrierten Systems unterstutzen. Die Vorgehensweise wurde im Projekt IIP (Integriertes Informationssystem Produktion) realisiert.
An Examination of How a Teacher's Use of Digital Tools Empowers and Constrains Language Arts Instruction.

The Common Core State Standards produce a need to understand how digital tools can support literacy instruction. The purpose of this case study was to explore how a language arts teacher's integration of computers and iPads empowered and constrained her and the resulting classroom instruction. Constraining factors included (a) inadequate technological knowledge, (b) expectations of students’ comfort with technology, (c) inappropriate expectations for assignments, and (d) limited conceptions of the purposes of technology. Subthemes related to enhancement included: enhancement of classroom environment, simplicity and sophistication equal innovation and empowerment, combining tools, and digital tools support multimodal communication.