cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Financial Crisis of 2007–2009: Why Did It Happen and What Did We Learn?

This review of the literature on the 2007–2009 crisis discusses the precrisis conditions, the crisis triggers, the crisis events, the real effects, and the policy responses to the crisis. The precrisis conditions contributed to the housing price bubble and the subsequent price decline that led to a counterparty-risk crisis in which liquidity shrank due to insolvency concerns. The policy responses were influenced both by the initial belief that it was a market-wide liquidity crunch and the subsequent learning that insolvency risk was a major driver. I suggest directions for future research and possible regulatory changes. (JEL G20, G21, E58, G28) In its analysis of the crisis, my testimony before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission drew the distinction between triggers and vulnerabilities. The triggers of the crisis were the particular events or factors that touched off the events of 2007–2009—the proximate causes, if you will. Developments in the market for subprime mortgages were a prominent example of a trigger of the crisis. In contrast, the vulnerabilities were the structural, and more fundamental, weaknesses in the financial system and in regulation and supervision that served to propagate and amplify the initial shocks.
The Power of Love: Emotional Support and Financial Hardship

Using microdata from two complementary U.S. household surveys, I document that individuals who lack emotional support from family and friends are more likely to experience financial hardship. This pattern is substantially stronger for women as well as for those prone to anxiety and depression. Further evidence suggests a belief-based channel through which emotional support improves financial preparedness for potential adverse shocks. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of the psychological dimension of social networks in shaping household financial outcomes.
A parent gesture intervention as a means to increase parent declarative pointing and child vocabulary.

This study examined whether a brief parent gesture training resulted in a change in the communicative intent of pointing gestures used by parents of infants from age 10-12 months and whether specific types of points (declarative vs. imperative) were more or less likely to predict later child language skill at 18 months. Compared to parents who were randomized to the control group, parents in the intervention group produced significantly more declarative pointing gestures as a result of the intervention. Moreover, parents' use of declarative points at 12 months was predictive of later child vocabulary comprehension at 18 months. These findings suggest that a short-term parent training can have important effects on the communicative intentions conveyed through gesture which predict vocabulary development.
High-order Positivity-preserving L2-stable Spectral Collocation Schemes for the 3-D compressible Navier-Stokes equations

This paper extends a new class of positivity-preserving, entropy stable spectral collocation schemes developed for the one-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations in [1,2] to three spatial dimensions. The new high-order schemes are provably L2 stable, design-order accurate for smooth solutions, and guarantee the pointwise positivity of thermodynamic variables for 3-D compressible viscous flows. Similar to the 1-D counterpart, the proposed schemes for the 3-D Navier-Stokes equations are constructed by using a flux-limiting technique that combines a positivity-violating entropy stable method of arbitrary order of accuracy and a novel first-order positivity-preserving entropy stable finite volume-type scheme discretized on the same Legendre-Gauss-Lobatto grid points used for constructing the high-order discrete operators. The positivity preservation and excellent discontinuity-capturing properties are achieved by adding an artificial dissipation in the form of the low- and high-order Brenner-Navier-Stokes diffusion operators. To our knowledge, this is the first family of positivity-preserving, entropy stable schemes of arbitrary order of accuracy for the 3-D compressible Navier-Stokes equations.
Transport planning in airborne operations

One of the most complex problems in military planning is that of transport in tactical airborne operations. It differs from transportation problems in several important aspects: it is time- dependent; it is multi-cxxnmodity with interrelations among commodities; it is capacity-constrained in a complicated manner; and, above all; it incorporates some severe military-tactical constraints. Some of these features can be found in scheduling problems, but even when viewed this way the planning process is very complex.
Principal role changes and influence on principal recruitment and selection

This article presents an overview of the changing role of principals and head teachers from an international perspective. The role changes of local site management, increased accountability, the tension between management and leadership, altered relationships with community, and dilemmas related to school choice are described. The article makes a connection between principal role changes and difficulties in recruitment and retention of principals internationally. Data are presented on principal shortages in several countries. The article concludes with several recommendations to address principal recruitment and retention issues.
Domestic Violence in the Haitian Culture and the American Legal Response: Fanm Ayisyen ki Gen Kouraj

Marie's story: Marie is a thirty-two year old woman, born and raised in the countryside of Haiti. Her mother has six other children, all from different fathers. Marie has never met her biological father, as he abandoned her and her mother before her birth. As a teenager, Marie was forced to stay home to help her mother in the home. As a result, Marie was forced to quit school, leaving her with only an
The vulnerable elders-13 survey predicts 5-year functional decline and mortality outcomes in older ambulatory care patients.

Objectives To test the predictive properties of the Vulnerable Elders-13 Survey (VES-13) a short tool that predicts functional decline and mortality over a 1- to 2-year follow-up interval over a 5-year interval. Design Longitudinal evaluation with mean follow-up of 4.5 years. Setting Two managed-care organizations. Participants Six hundred forty-nine community-dwelling older adults (> or = 75) enrolled in the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders observational study who screened positive for symptoms of falls or fear of falling, bothersome urinary incontinence, or memory problems. Measurements VES-13 score (range 1-10, higher score indicates worse prognosis), functional decline (decline in count of 5 activities of daily living or nursing home entry), and deaths. Results Higher VES-13 scores were associated with greater predicted probability of death and decline in older patients over a mean observation period of 4.5 years. For each additional VES-13 point, the odds of the combined outcome of functional decline or death was 1.37 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.25-1.50), and the area under the receiver operating curve was 0.75 (95% CI=0.71-0.80). In the Cox proportional hazards model predicting time to death, the hazard ratio was 1.23 (95% CI=1.19-1.27) per additional VES-13 point. Conclusion This study extends the utility of the VES-13 to clinical decisions that require longer-term prognostic estimates of functional status and survival.
Dietary fatty acid composition modulates parallel shifts in the metabolic profiles of mice and gut microbiota populations (637.7)

Recent research showed that dietary fat impacts gut microbiota (GM) composition with consequences for host metabolism, particularly in the case of saturated fatty acids (SFA). However, little is known about the impact of other types of fatty acids (FA) on the interaction between GM and host. In this study, we evaluated the impact of diets enriched in health-promoting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) or highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) in comparison to SFA on host-GM interactions. C57Bl/6 mice were placed on normal-fat (7%) diets with the lipid portion enriched in one of the following: SFA, PUFA, HUFA, or a SFA/HUFA mixture. SFA increased body and liver weight, and liver triglycerides compared to the HUFA-containing diets. HUFA resulted in the lowest amount of total liver FA and the highest amount of fecal excretion. In the liver, FA synthase and steroyl-CoA desaturase expression was increased with SFA and PUFA compared to HUFA-containing diets, while expression of Lipocalins 2 and 13 showed the opp...
Reduction of quality (RoQ) attacks on Internet end-systems

Current computing systems depend on adaptation mechanisms to ensure that they remain in quiescent operating regions. These regions are often defined using efficiency, fairness, and stability properties. To that end, traditional research works in scalable server architectures and protocols have focused on promoting these properties by proposing even more sophisticated adaptation mechanisms, without the proper attention to security implications. In this paper, we exemplify such security implications by exposing the vulnerabilities of admission control mechanisms that are widely deployed in Internet end systems to reduction of quality (RoQ) attacks. RoQ attacks target the transients of a system's adaptive behavior as opposed to its limited steady-state capacity. We show that a well orchestrated RoQ attack on an end-system admission control policy could introduce significant inefficiencies that could potentially deprive an Internet end-system from much of its capacity, or significantly reduce its service quality, while evading detection by consuming an unsuspicious, small fraction of that system's hijacked capacity. We develop a control theoretic model for assessing the impact of RoQ attacks on an end-system's admission controller. We quantify the damage inflicted by an attacker through deriving appropriate metrics. We validate our findings through real Internet experiments performed in our lab.
Tuning band pass filters in the time domain

This new idea in coupled-resonator filter tuning is based on the time domain response of filter return loss. With this method, individual responses of each resonator and coupling coefficient can be distinguished and can be precisely set to a desired filter response; interactions can be immediately determined and accounted for.
Achromobacter xylosoxidans bacteremia and cellulitis: A report of a case

Achromobacter xylosoxidans is a rare, opportunistic infection most commonly encountered in immunocompromised patients during hospitalization. Primary uncomplicated bacteremia, catheter-associated infections, and pneumonia have been reported as the most common clinical presentations; skin and soft tissue infections from A. xylosoxidans are rare. We describe a case of A. xylosoxidans presenting as cellulitis and bacteremia in an immunocompromised patient.
Transnational childhoods: The participation of children in processes of family migration

Drawing upon ethnographic research in contemporary California, with case studies of migrants from Mexico, Central America, Korea, and Yemen, we analyze children's presence and participation in processes of migration and in the constitution of transnational social fields. Various facets of child-adult relations enter into children's movement across national borders, including their economic dependence and growing capacity to contribute labor; varied ways in which the needs and capacities of children of different ages and genders are defined; and their status as persons who are being "raised" and "developed" toward desired end points. These dimensions help shape patterns of chain and circulating migration; decisions about leaving children behind and sending for them; and the unusual circumstance of children who take the lead in migration (South Korean "parachute kids" living in suburban Los Angeles). "Sending children back" (or threatening to do so) is a deliberate strategy of child rearing used by transnational families. We consider how children help families stay connected across long distances, as well as the strains, conflicts, and emotional costs that may be involved. Children help constitute and reconfigure transnational social fields, and transnational practices, in turn, shape the contours of particular childhoods.
The angular momentum dependence of complex fragment emission

Abstract Large fragment (A>4) production at high angular momentum is studied via the reaction, 200 MeV 45 Sc + 65 Cu. Comparisons of the fragment yields from this reaction (high angular momentum) to those from 93 Nb + Be (low angular momentum) are used to verify the strong angular momentum dependence of large fragment production predicted by equilibrium models. Details of the coincident γ-ray distributions not only confirm a rigidly rotating intermediate but also indicate that the widths of the primary L-wave distributions decrease with increasing symmetry in the decay channel. These data are used to test the asymmetry and L-wave dependence of emission barriers calculated from a rotating, finite range corrected, liquid drop model.
Decrease in myometrial beta-adrenergic receptors with prenatal cocaine use.

Objective: To determine if cocaine use during pregnancy is associated with a reduction in the number or affinity of beta-adrenergic receptors in human myometrium. Methods: Myometrium was obtained at cesarean delivery of five women who reported using cocaine during pregnancy and from ten controls. Saturation binding assays were performed on the myometrial membrane fractions using [ 125 I]-cyanopindolol to determine beta-adrenergic receptor concentration and affinity. The percentages of beta 1 - and beta 2 -adrenergic receptors were determined in three cocaine users and four control patients by performing competition binding assays using the beta 2 antagonist ICI 118,551. Results were compared using unpaired Student t tests. Results: Women who reported using cocaine during pregnancy had a significantly lower mean (± standard deviation) concentration of myometrial beta-adrenergic receptors than did controls (22 ± 8 versus 52 ± 23 fmol/mg protein, respectively). There was no difference in the receptor affinity constants between cocaine users and controls (16 ± 2 pmol/JL for both groups). The percentages of beta 1 - and beta 2 -adrenergic receptors in the myometrium of the cocaine-use group and control group were similar: 86 ± 1% beta 2 in the cocaine-use group and 83 ± 7% beta 2 in the control group. Conclusion: Cocaine use during pregnancy may be associated with a down-regulation of beta-adrenergic receptors in human myometrium. This could result in a decreased capacity for uterine relaxation and, consequently, a predisposition to preterm labor.
The endovascular approach to acute aortic trauma.

Endovascular repair of the traumatically injured thoracic aorta has emerged as an exceptionally promising modality that is typically quicker than open repair, with a reduced risk of paralysis. There is a specific set of anatomic criteria that need to be applied, which can be rapidly assessed by the CT angiogram. The enthusiasm for endovascular repair must be tempered by recognition of the complications and lack of long-term follow-up, particularly in younger patients. Surgeons who are skilled in open aortic repair must not only be involved, but should take on a leadership role during the planning, deployment, and follow-up of these patients. As more specific devices become available, and more follow-up is accrued, the role of endovascular stents will continue to grow.
Novel poly(butylene terephthalate)/poly(vinyl butyral) blends prepared by in situ polymerization of cyclic poly(butylene terephthalate) oligomers

Blends of in situ polymerized PBT from cyclic oligomers (c-PBT) and PVB were prepared with varying compositions and compared with mechanical blends of conventional PBT and PVB. The materials were characterized by a variety of techniques including DSC, DMTA, DETA, FTIR, NMR and GPC. It was found that the in situ prepared blend of c-PBT/PVB has one glass transition temperature and shows evidence of miscibility. In contrast, the conventional blend of PBT/PVB shows incompatibility after blending. The cause of miscibility in the in situ prepared PBT/PVB blends is thought to be the formation of a graft copolymer. These results show that there are unique possibilities for in situ processing by combining polymerization of cyclic polyester oligomers with blending.
Fractures of the neck of the radius in children: EARLY EXPERIENCE WITH INTRAMEDULLARY PINNING

The treatment of fractures of the neck of the radius in children is difficult, particularly if the angulation of the fracture exceeds 60 degrees. Since 1994 we have used closed reduction and stabilisation with an intramedullary Kirschner wire in patients with grade-IV fractures according to the classification of Judet et al. In a retrospective analysis of a two-year period (1994 to 1996), 324 children with fractures of the elbow were treated in our department. Of these, 29 (9%) had a fracture of the neck of the radius; six were grade-IV injuries (1.9%). Five of the latter had an excellent postoperative result with normal movement of the elbow and forearm. One patient with a poor result had a concomitant dislocation of the elbow. Our results suggest that closed reduction and intramedullary pinning of grade-IV fractures allows adequate stabilisation while healing occurs.
Real-Time Power System Frequency and Phasors Estimation Using Recursive Wavelet Transform

Phasor frequency, magnitude, and angle describing a sinusoidal signal are widely used as critical variables in algorithms and performance indices in many power system applications, such as the protection relaying and state monitoring. This paper proposes a novel approach for estimating the phasor parameters, namely frequency, magnitude, and angle in real time based on a newly constructed recursive wavelet transform. This algorithm is capable of estimating the phasor parameters in a quarter cycle of an input signal. It features fast response and achieves high accuracy over a wide range of frequency deviations. The signal sampling rate and data window size can be selected to meet desirable applications requirements, such as fast response, high accuracy, and low computational burden. Besides, an approach for eliminating a decaying dc component, which has a significant impact on estimating phasors, is proposed by using a recursive wavelet transform. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed methods achieve good performance.
Embedded continuous sensor for monitoring damage evolution in composite materials

A new approach for the Health Monitoring of structural systems is described in this paper. This technique is based on detecting the acoustic emission signals from damage progression in structures using an array of sensory nodes. Two different sensor configurations that could be used for monitoring wide areas on a structure are discussed. An reliable and cost effective health monitoring system can be an enabling technology for the widespread use of newly discovered high performance materials and design concepts in structural applications. Without a reliable health monitoring system, the lack of service experience and the susceptibility of new classes of materials to unexpected and unknown failure modes will likely delay their acceptance into actual structures. The proposed sensory system mimics biological neurons in its architecture and such an architecture can reduces the cost and complexity of the monitoring system. It is potentially scalable to large and complex structures and could be integrated into the structural materials. The paper summarizes recent work related to this sensory system and provides some new results.
Somatostatin and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease

Multiple research groups have documented reductions in cortical somatostatin‐like immunoreactivity (SRIF) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigated the relationship between cerebral cortical SRIF levels and concurrent measures of specific neuropsychological functions in early‐to‐middle‐stage AD patients. Biopsy samples obtained from nondominant frontal cortex of 5 patients with histopathologically confirmed AD were assayed for SRIF. Concurrent measures of intelligence, memory, language, visuoperception, visuoconstruction, attention, concentration, reaction time, and overall dementia severity were obtained. Close associations were observed between SRIF and dementia severity, four‐choice visual reaction time, and visuoperceptual and visuoconstructional abilities. No relationship was observed between SRIF and the remaining neuropsychological measures. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that the functional deficits in AD are caused, in large part, by a loss of cortico‐cortical projection ne...
How many hours is enough? An old profession meets a new generation.

Because the regulation limiting work hours for residents is a simple “fix” for a complicated problem and because lifestyle issues are increasingly important, we should be prepared for further attac...
Cardiac mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel is activated by nitric oxide in vitro

Abstract Previous observations on the activation of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel (mitoKATP) by nitric oxide (NO) in myocardial preconditioning were based on indirect evidence. In this study, we have investigated the direct effect of NO on the rat cardiac mitoKATP after reconstitution of the inner mitochondrial membranes into lipid bilayers. We found that the mitoKATP was activated by exogenous NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine or PAPA NONOate. This activation was inhibited by mitoKATP blockers 5-hydroxydecanoate or glibenclamide. Our observations confirm that NO can directly activate the cardiac mitoKATP, which may underlie its contribution to myocardial preconditioning.
Roll press compaction of corn stover and perennial grasses to increase bulk density

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate roll press compaction of coarsely ground corn stover and native perennial grasses to produce compacted products with a bulk density of at least 240 kg m−3 for effective truck transport. A pilot-scale roll press compaction machine (520.7 mm roll diameter and 127.0 mm roll width) was used to compress corn stover and perennial grasses (moisture contents of 10% to 18% wet basis) ground in a tub-grinder with three round-hole screen opening sizes (25.4, 76.2, and 127.0 mm). Bulk density of compacted materials (i.e., compacts) ranged from 263 kg m−3 to 365 kg m−3 for the roll compaction forces of 214–534 kN. Durability (tumbling test) of compacts ranged from 61% to 92%. Specific energy consumption (excluding no-load machine energy) for the roll press compaction ranged from 19 MJ Mg−1 to 339 MJ Mg−1. The results from this study would be useful for developing a biomass supply logistics system involving coarse-grinding followed by roll press compaction of biomass bales.
Cosine Histogram Analysis for Spectral Image Data Classification

Conventional multivariate strategies for making qualitative estimates of sample composition rely chiefly on identifying subtle differences in spectral shape. In some instances, such as in biological tissues, the spectra obtained from a single sample class may consist of many shapes. Likewise, two distinctly different sample classes, such as normal and abnormal tissue, may produce similar variations in spectral shape. In our work, we employ statistical analysis of the set of cosine correlation scores obtained from multispectral visible absorption images of stained cervical Papanicolaou samples. By analyzing the cosine correlation score frequency for spectra obtained from the cell nuclei, abnormal cells can be differentiated from the background of normal cells, which vary considerably in their optical properties and morphology. Our method, called cosine histogram analysis (CHA), returns the percent likelihood of abnormality for each pixel in the field of view and is presented here for the first time.
A Method for Scalable Real-Time Network Performance Baselining, Anomaly Detection, and Forecasting

Communication is the lifeblood of any business. Today, communication is predominantly facilitated by digital packets transported over the interconnected arteries of the data network infrastructure. It is imperative that this infrastructure is well managed, that unexpected behavior is quickly identified and explained, and that problems are predicted and preempted. Therefore, network performance management systems should be able to detect unusual or anomalous behavior as it happens, and quickly trigger automatic analysis or alert a human operator. Growth trends in network traffic must also be identified so that future problems may be anticipated and prevented. To meet these challenges, this paper proposes an integrated, scalable method to perform baselining, anomaly detection, and forecasting on time series network metrics. The method is based on the popular Holt-Winters triple exponential smoothing technique â€“ a technique that compares favorably to other more complex and costly approaches.
The Effect of Dietary Vitamin A, Ambient Temperature and Rearing Location on Growth, Feed Conversion and Vitamin Liver Storage of White Leghorn Pullets

Abstract AN evaluation of vitamin requirement data indicates that the minimum amount of vitamin A needed for growth of chicks is approximately 1,000 U.S.P. units per pound of diet (Almquist, 1953). Results of the experiments evaluated varied greatly as did the source of vitamin A activity used. Thornton and Whittet (1962) reported that neither growth rate nor feed efficiency of White Leghorn chicks was influenced by vitamin A levels ranging from 800 to 3200 U.S.P. units per pound of diet. Harms et al. (1955) indicated no differences in growth rate during the first four weeks of age when undepleted chicks were fed diets containing 500 to 4,000 U.S.P. units of vitamin A per pound. Scott et al. (1957) found that 400 to 600 U.S.P. units of vitamin A per pound of diet were sufficient for normal growth and survival of White Leghorn chicks. The poultry subcommittee of the National Research Council…
Portrayal of Older Students by Colleges and Universities

ABSTRACT This inquiry used content analysis of student brochures to ascertain if a sample of colleges and universities portrayed older persons less frequently and less positively than they did younger individuals. The study generated evidence to indicate that colleges and universities tend to depict older persons infrequently and negatively.
Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers for Space-based Science and Exploration

We present current and near-term uses of high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers for NASA science and spacecraft applications. Fiber lasers and amplifiers offer numerous advantages for the deployment of instruments on exploration and science remote sensing satellites. Ground-based and airborne systems provide an evolutionary path to space and a means for calibration and verification of space-borne systems. NASA fiber-laser-based instruments include laser sounders and lidars for measuring atmospheric carbon dioxide, oxygen, water vapor and methane and a pulsed or pseudo-noise (PN) code laser ranging system in the near infrared (NIR) wavelength band. The associated fiber transmitters include high-power erbium, ytterbium, and neodymium systems and a fiber laser pumped optical parametric oscillator. We discuss recent experimental progress on these systems and instrument prototypes for ongoing development efforts.
Class I-like HLA genes map telomeric to the HLA-A2 locus in human cells.

Among the proteins encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are the highly polymorphic class I major transplantation antigens, HLA-A and HLA-B in man and H–2K and H–2D in mouse. Class I loci also include the less polymorphic HLA-C in man and H–2L in mouse. Class I antigens are 45,000-molecular weight (Mr) glycosylated membrane proteins associated on the cell surface with apparently nonpolymorphic β2-microglobulin1. Linked to the murine MHC are genes encoding the class I-like Qa and Tla antigens, which are closely related structurally to H–2K, D and L, as they are also 45,000-Mr cell surface glycoproteins associated with β2-microglobulin2–7. Such class I molecules have also been found on the surface of human T lymphocytes8–11 and, in one case, shown to be linked to HLA-A12. Recombinant DNA techniques have been used to map DNA fragments to the Tla region in mouse13,14. A similar genetic analysis of the HLA complex is hampered by the lack of congeneic strains and by the small number of intra-MHC recombinants in well studied families. One means of overcoming these problems involves a molecular genetic analysis of human lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) mutants15 having γ-ray-induced physical deletions of HLA DNA to map DNA fragments in the MHC16. Here we have applied this method to provide evidence that some human class I-like DNA sequences are telomeric to the A2 locus in LCL 721.
Kleine-Levin syndrome: a disease in its own right?

This Practice Point commentary describes the findings of a cross-sectional study by Arnulf and co-workers on Kleine–Levin syndrome (KLS), a rare disorder of unknown pathophysiology and etiology that is characterized by periodic hypersomnolence and associated symptoms such as hyperphagia and hypersexuality. Arnulf et al. report data collected through a comprehensive questionnaire that help to elucidate the KLS phenotype. In addition, they report some evidence to suggest that an underlying biological abnormality could lead to this disorder. We discuss how the current lack of understanding regarding how the brain constructs the mind makes the categorization of clinical syndromes with unknown pathophysiological foundations, such as KLS, particularly challenging in psychiatry and neurology. We further consider the validity of the claim by Arnulf et al. that KLS represents a “genuine disease entity.”
Near-critical behavior for one-parameter families of circle maps

Abstract Past studies of systems showing mixed-mode oscillations have revealed behavior along arbitrarily chosen parameter paths similar to that on the critical surface marking the break-up of invariant tori. Observations of this behavior in a model of the Belousov-Zhabotinskii reaction is presented. Using the theory of circle maps, it is shown that near-critical behavior can arise along one-parameter paths.
The limits of commodification in traditional Irish music sessions

This article analyses the economics of paid-for traditional Irish music sessions in Doolin, County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. In part, it takes up Shepherd's recent call for research on the commodification of culture in tourist destinations. It is argued here that ‘commodification’ should be distinguished from the more general process of ‘commercialization’. I suggest that commercialization is simply the build-up of commercial relationships surrounding the production of an activity or an object, while commodification, following Helgasson and Palsson, is the intensive sequestering of that production into the realm of commensurable exchange-values. This clarification has important theoretical and political implications. Theoretically, the distinction bolsters and extends the critique of the notion of ‘authenticity’ in tourist destinations. In turn, this legitimizes the credibility of commercialized activities if and when productive control remains primarily in the hands of the producers themselves. Resume L'auteur analyse l'economie des soirees payantes de musique traditionnelle irlandaise dans les comtes de Doolin et Clare, en republique d'Irlande. Il repond en partie a l'appel recent de Sheperd en faveur d'une recherche sur la marchandisation de la culture dans les destinations touristiques. Il avance ici que la « marchandisation » doit etre distinguee du processus plus general de « commercialisation » et suggere que la commercialisation est simplement la creation de relations commerciales entourant la production d'une activite ou d'un objet, tandis que la marchandisation est, selon Helgasson et Palsson, la sequestration intensive de cette production dans le domaine des valeurs d'echanges commensurables. Cet eclaircissement a d'importantes implications theoriques et politiques. En theorie, cette distinction renforce et elargit les critiques de la notion « d'authenticite» dans les destinations touristiques, legitimant ainsi la credibilite des activites commercialisees pour autant que le controle de la production reste en majeure partie entre les mains des producteurs eux-memes.
New evidence on the rationality of exchange rate expectation

This paper examines the Rational Expectation Hypothesis in the context of the foreign exchange market for the Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, and Swiss Frank against US Dollar using twelve years of monthly survey data. The study uses ADF and DF–GLS unit root tests, and applies the restricted cointegration test to assess the long–term relationship between the actual and the expected rates. One–month–ahead Australian Dollar and Swiss Frank expectations are rational, but not the Canadian Dollar. When forecast errors are corrected for serial correlation, three–month–ahead forecasts became rational for all currencies. None of the six and twelve–month–ahead forecasts are rational. Both the ADF and the DF–GLS tests provided fairly consistent results.
Transport Properties of Rolled, Continuous Stationary Phase Columns

Continuous stationary phase columns consist of woven textile matrixes of fibers rolled into a cylindrical configuration and inserted into a liquid chromatography column. This configuration allows separations to be carried out at interstitial mobile phase velocities in excess of 100 cm/min and pressures of up to 700 psig for stationary phases based on cellulose. Ordinarily, these conditions would cause compaction of a cellulosic stationary phase to the point where flow is no longer possible. The packing of the column with cellulose as a continuous stationary phase enables these linear velocities to be achieved. Most importantly, this type of column allows the study of momentum transport and mass transfer in a media in which the mobile phase explores almost all of the void volumes in the column. The analysis of flow patterns in these columns has been modeled using elution patterns of both retained and unretained components, and plate height has been correlated as a function of velocities in the range of 1-100 cm/min. Engineering analysis of this type of chromatography column based on visual representation of the packed fibers by scanning electron microscopy, analysis of porosities using unretained (nonadsorbing) molecular probes, and application of momentum and mass transport equations is discussed.
Effect of Sodium Hexametaphosphate on Cottage Cheese Yields

Sodium hexametaphosphate, a polyelectrolyte capable of precipitating whey proteins, was added to milk manufactured into cottage cheese to determine its effect upon yield and composition. Fresh skim milk, fortified with nonfat dry milk to 9% solids, was vat pasteurized and divided between two 200-liter vats. One vat served as a control and the other received either .05 or .2%, by weight, sodium hexametaphosphate prior to being made into cottage cheese by the short set culture procedure. Addition of .05% sodium hexametaphosphate to milk subsequently manufactured into cottage cheese increased yield of curd by .77% when yield was measured as kilogram 20% solids curd recovered per 100 kg milk and by 1.51% when measured as percent recovery of milk solids. The addition of .2% sodium hexametaphosphate to milk subsequently manufactured into cottage cheese increased yield of curd by 1.25% when yield was measured as kilogram of 20% solids curd recovered per 100 kg milk, by .12 kg of 20% solids curd recovered per kilogram milk solids, and by 2.45% when measured as percent recovery of milk solids. The increase in yield for both .05 and .2% added sodium hexametaphosphate was not shown to be increased recovery of whey proteins.
THE ROLE OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SUSPENDED SOLIDS IN DEFINING THE SENSORY PROPERTIES OF MILK CHOCOLATE

The melting of chocolate in the mouth is a dynamic process. The time evolution of the perceived flavor and texture of chocolate during fat melting and sugar dissolution has been observed and quantified using time-intensity sensory methodology. Five milk chocolates varying in particle size distribution and rheology were prepared. Additionally, two chocolates varying in particle size were standardized to the same viscosity. Particle size and rheology significantly influenced effort, thickness, chocolate and sweetness attributes, although in some unanticipated ways. Averaging time-intensity responses to produce consensus curves generally yielded the same conclusions as averaging parameters extracted from individual curves. However, the later were amenable to statistical analysis using ANOVA and partial least squares regression. Multivariate analysis was a useful technique for identifying those physical properties most correlated with sensory perception.
Eigenvalue lower bounds with Bazley’s special choice of an infinite-dimensional subspace

Bazley’s special choice of a finite-dimensional space to construct an intermediate operator between a base operator and the full Hamiltonian is a standard technique to calculate lower bounds to the energies of a system. We modify Bazley’s method to accommodate an infinite-dimensional space that is complete in one particle of the system. An application to the helium atom shows improvement in the lower bound to the ground-state energy, indicating promise in our method. However, significant problems are revealed which include (1) poorer bounds for the excited states, (2) lack of symmetry in the intermediate operator, and (3) lack of direction for improvement.
Automatic tumor lesion detection and segmentation using histogram-based gravitational optimization algorithm

In this paper, an automated and customized brain tumor segmentation method is presented and validated against ground truth applying simulated T1-weighted magnetic resonance images in 25 subjects. A new intensity-based segmentation technique called histogram based gravitational optimization algorithm is developed to segment the brain image into discriminative sections (segments) with high accuracy. While the mathematical foundation of this algorithm is presented in details, the application of the proposed algorithm in the segmentation of single T1-weighted images (T1-w) modality of healthy and lesion MR images is also presented. The results show that the tumor lesion is segmented from the detected lesion slice with 89.6% accuracy.
Democratic States and Social Movements: Theoretical Arguments and Hypotheses

In this paper we theorize the impact of democratic states on state-oriented challengers. We argue that aspects of states influence the overall mobilization of state-oriented challengers and the forms of their mobilization and collective action. We develop 12 hypotheses about the impact of state political institutions, democratic processes, bureaucracies, and policies on mobilization and provide illustrative evidence for each from studies of social movements. We also discuss the implications of the hypotheses for U.S. social movements. One key implication is that the U.S. state, comparatively speaking, has discouraged and continues to discourage social mobilization. Another is that the U.S. state has important systematic influences on forms of mobilization and collective action.
‘Must our cities remain ugly?’ – America's urban crisis and the European city: transatlantic perspectives on urban development, 1945–1970

This article explores the changing modes and mechanisms of the transatlantic dialogue between urban planners from the perspective of US urbanists. During the early post-war period, this dialogue intensified quickly. US planners were involved in their country's broad efforts to provide assistance to and build strong political ties with Western European nations. Accordingly, they assumed the role of tutors vis-a-vis their European peers. Due to urban America's apparent flaws and the success of European planning projects, however, their interest in Europe broadened considerably during the 1950s. Initially, the initiative of individuals remained crucial for the flow of planning information from Europe to the USA, and European immigrants and emigres helped facilitate transatlantic transfers. Looking at Europe, American planners sought to address the shortcomings of the domestic practice of planning as they perceived them. Europe served as an argumentative tool for US experts who were eager to change the socio-...
Cytochrome P450 isozymes 3A4 and 2B6 are involved in the in vitro human metabolism of thiotepa to TEPA

Purpose. To establish the cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes involved in the metabolism of the alkylating agent, thiotepa, to the pharmacologically active metabolite, TEPA. Methods. In vitro chemical inhibition studies were conducted by incubating thiotepa and pooled human hepatic microsomes in the presence of known inhibitors to CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP3A4. Studies were also performed with cloned, expressed CYP3A4, CYP2A6, CYP2E1 and CYP2B6 microsomes, and anti-CYP2B6 monoclonal antibody. Results. Known CYP3A4 inhibitors reduced TEPA production. Inhibition with CYP2E1 inhibitors was inconsistent. All other inhibitors produced little or no change in TEPA formation. Cloned, expressed CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 microsomes catalyzed TEPA formation, whereas CYP2A6 and CYP2E1 did not. Incubation of thiotepa with anti-CYP2B6 antibody and cloned, expressed CYP2B6 microsomes resulted in reductions in the formation of TEPA, but no change in TEPA formation occurred in human liver microsomes. Conclusions. Thiotepa is metabolized in human liver microsomes by CYP3A4 (major) and CYP2B6 (minor). There is a potential for CYP-mediated drug interactions with thiotepa. Pharmacokinetic variability of thiotepa may be related to expression of hepatic CYP isozymes.
Theory of plasmonic Fabry-Perot nanolasers

Semiconductor plasmonic Fabry-Perot lasers at submicron and nanometer scales exhibit many characteristics distinct from those of their conventional counterparts at micron scale. The differences originate from their small sizes and the presence of plasma metal in the cavity. To design a laser of this type, these features have to be taken into account properly. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive approach to the design and performance evaluation of the plasmonic Fabry-Perot nanolasers. In particular, we show the proper procedure to obtain the key parameters for lasing action, which are usually neglected in the conventional semiconductor Fabry-Perot lasers but become important for nanolasers.
Rankbox: An adaptive ranking system for mining complex semantic relationships using user feedback

This paper presents Rankbox, an adaptive ranking system for mining complex relationships on the Semantic Web. Our objective is to provide an effective ranking method for complex relationship mining, which can 1) automatically personalize ranking results according to user preferences, 2) be continuously improved to more precisely capture user preferences, and 3) hide as many technical details from end users as possible. We observe that a user's opinions on search results carry important information regarding his interests and search intentions. Based on this observation, our system supports each user to give simple feedback about the current search results, and employs a machine-learning based ranking algorithm to learn the user's preferences from his feedback. A personalized ranking function is then generated and used to sort results of the user's subsequent queries. The user can keep teaching the system his preferences by giving feedback through several iterations until he is satisfied with the search results. Our system is implemented and deployed on a web server that can be easily accessed through web browsers. We evaluate our system on a large RDF knowledge base created from the Freebase linked-open-data. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method compared to the state-of-the-art.
A Construct Validity Investigation of Scores on a Japanese Version of an Academic Self-Concept Scale for Secondary School Students:

For a sample of 354 students taken from two highly similar college preparatory, girls-only Catholic high schools in Japan, the twofold purpose of this study was to obtain evidence of the internal consistency reliability and construct validity of scores on each of five dimensions of a Japanese version of an academic self-concept measure titled Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC), Form S, Japanese version. Internal consistency estimates of reliability of scores on the five 14-item subscales varied between .71 and .84, with a median value of .77. From each of the five factor subscales, three subtests each comprising four or five items were formed, scored, and intercorrelated (15 subtests in all). Confirmatory maximum-likelihood factor analyses for several alternative factor models indicated that a five-factor oblique model accounted for the greatest proportion of covariance in the matrix of 15 subtests.
Stereoselective metabolism of the environmental mammary carcinogen 6-nitrochrysene to trans-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydro-6-nitrochrysene by aroclor 1254-treated rat liver microsomes and their comparative mutation profiles in a laci mammary epithelial cell line.

The environmental pollutant 6-nitrochrysene (6-NC) is a powerful mammary carcinogen and mutagen in rats. Our previous studies have shown that 6-NC is metabolized to trans-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydro-6-nitrochrysene (1,2-DHD-6-NC) in rats and in several in vitro systems, including human breast tissue, and the latter is the proximate carcinogenic form in the rat mammary gland. Because optically active enantiomers of numerous polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites including chrysene have different biological activities, we hypothesized that the stereochemical course of 6-NC metabolism might play a significant role in the carcinogenic/mutagenic activities of the parent 6-NC. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of stereochemistry on the mutagenicity of 1,2-DHD-6-NC using the cII gene of lacI mammary epithelial cells in vitro. Resolution of (+/-)-1,2-DHD-6-NC was obtained by either nonchiral or chiral stationary phase HPLC methods. We determined that the ratio of (-)-[R,R]- and (+)-[S,S]-1,2-DHD-6-NC formed in the metabolism of 6-NC by rat liver microsomes is 88:12. The mutation fractions and mutation spectra of [R,R] and [S,S]-enantiomers were examined. Our results showed that the [R,R]-isomer is a significantly (p GC, AT > TA, and GC > TA substitutions, and these are similar to those obtained from 6-NC in vivo in the mammary glands of rats treated with 6-NC. The mutation spectra of the [S,S]-isomer were similar to the [R,R]-isomer, but a higher percentage of AT > GC substitutions in the [R,R]-isomer was noted. On the basis of the results of the present study, we hypothesize that [R,R]-1,2-DHD-6-NC is the proximate carcinogen of 6-NC in the rat mammary gland in vivo and will test this hypothesis in a future study.
Trust, institutions and development

This article suggests an explanation as to why relatively prosperous societies in the 1500s were unable to protect themselves from the colonialist powers. It reasons that while the prevalence of institutions fostering mutual trust among citizens allowed the earlier prosperous societies to achieve a degree of prosperity that same trust led to lower investments in defence and the eventual fall of the society.