cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heat Transfer Characteristics of Liquid Suspensions Containing Fluid-Filled Carbon Nanotubes

Fast and efficient dissipation of heat is necessary in high-demand applications of miniaturized microelectronics and optoelectronics. Solid nanoparticle suspensions in liquids (a.k.a. nanofluids) have been found to display thermal conductivities dramatically higher than those of the host fluids, which are typically heat transfer liquids, such as water, oil, ethylene glycol, etc. The present work focuses on fluid-filled carbon nanotubes, which serve in suspension to improve thermal properties of the host fluid. Hydrothermal treatment is applied to produce carbon nanotubes encapsulating an aqueous multiphase fluid. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is employed to confirm the entrapment of water inside the tubes. Controlled experiments are carried out to study the effect of filled-nanotube properties and concentration on the values of heat capacity of the host fluid.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Adult children and their parents' expectations of future elder care needs.

Objective: Lifestyle changes and medical advances warrant an investigation into perceptions of elder care needs held by today's adult children (AC) and their parents. Method: Surveys were distributed to 200 AC. Eighty AC and 102 of their parents responded. Results: Paired sample t tests revealed that AC (M = 10.61, SD = 4.5) and parents (M = 10.4, SD = 4.60) did not differ in their own expectations of future care needs. However, ACs' expectations of their parents' needs (M = 15.82, SD = 5.77) were significantly higher than both self-expectations. In addition, among six caregiving tasks minimal but significant differences were found in expected receipt of assistance. Discussion: Consistent with Weinstein's (1980) theory of unrealistic optimism, results demonstrated the tendency for AC and parents to underestimate their own future care needs. Such underestimation may in turn, lead to inadequate planning for future care needs.
Multimodality therapy in stage III non—small cell lung cancer

Background. Non-small cell lung cancer commonly presents as locally advanced disease. This category of tumors is heterogeneous. Although some patients clearly benefit from operative management alone, the vast majority (more than 90%) will succumb to their disease within 5 years. In the past decade a large clinical research effort has been undertaken in an attempt to improve on this outcome using a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and operation. Methods. The English-language literature was reviewed using the headings for lung neoplasms and text words combined modality therapy and multimodality therapy. In addition, the bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed. Emphasis was placed on prospective randomized trials and large phase II studies. We review the rationale, design, and outcome of these trials, including both operative and nonoperative approaches. Results. Several prospective, randomized trials now demonstrate an advantage to combined modality management over radiotherapy or operation alone when a cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimen is incorporated into the treatment plan. This advantage was seen using both operative and nonoperative approaches. Conclusions. Combined modality therapy offers an improved outcome for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer. Whether both operation and radiotherapy are needed for local control, the best sequence of treatment and the optimal chemotherapy regimen remain to be defined.
Origin of room temperature broadband light emission and carrier dynamics in Ag ion-implanted Silicon nanocrystals

We studied the origin of broad band light emission in the Ultraviolet (UV) to the red from silicon nanoparticles fabricated using a single low energy (32 keV) silver ion implantation with a fluence of 5*1015 ions/cm2 in crystalline Si. It is found from a systematic study of the annealing carried out at certain temperatures that the spectral characteristics in the UV and blue region remains unchanged except for the enhancement of light emission intensity due to annealing. The annealing results in nucleation of Ag nanoclusters in the vicinity of Si nanoparticles which enhances the emission intensity. Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurement demonstrates that the emission originates from both highly localized defect bound excitons at the nanoscale Si interface, as well as surface and interface traps associated with the increased surface area of the Si nanocrystals. The emission in the UV is due to interband transitions from localized excitonic states at the interface of Si/SiO2 or from the surface of Si nanocrystals. The radiative efficiency of the UV and the green emission from the Si nanoparticles can be modified by the localized plasmons interaction induced by the nucleation of Silver nanoparticles on controlled annealing of the samples. Broadband emission ranging from the UV to the red wavelength range can be obtained on Ag implanted onto a single silicon substrate.
Two-component wind vectors from scanning, eye-safe, elastic lidar

Wind velocity is a vector and the determination of wind speed requires knowledge of two horizontal components. This seminar will describe current efforts to develop and validate ground-based remote wind sensing using elastic backscatter lidar.
Lateral Stability Control Design for Tractor Semitrailer Based on Virtual Prototyping

Tractor semitrailers on high speed obstacle avoidance under emergency are likely to arise rollover or jack-knifing, which are serious risks for motorists. A dynamic stability analysis model of a three-axle tractor semitrailer vehicle is developed using the application tool. The linearized vehicle model is utilized to predict the dynamics state of the tractor semitrailer built in multibody dynamics simulation software. The lateral stability simulation for yaw rate following and anti-rollover has been performed on the dynamic model based on virtual prototyping. The results show that the lateral stability control based on tractor semitrailer proposed in this paper can stabilize the tractor semitrailer, rollover and jack-knifing can be prevented to a large extent.
A field trial of nutrient stimulation of methanotrophs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfill cover soils

Landfills are among the major sources of anthropogenic methane (CH4) estimated to reach 40 × 109kg per year worldwide by 2015 (IPCC, 2007). A 2½-year field experiment was conducted at a closed landfill in western Michigan where methanotrophs, methane-consuming bacteria, were stimulated by nutrient addition to the soil without significantly increasing biogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) production. The effects of the nitrogen amendments (KNO3 and NH4Cl), phenylacetylene (a selective inhibitor of nitrifying bacteria that contribute to N2O production), and a canopy (to reduce direct water infiltration) on the vertical soil gas profiles of CH4, CO2, and O2 were measured in the top meter of the soil. Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes were calculated from the corresponding soil gas concentration gradients with respect to depth and a Millington–Quirk diffusivity coefficient in soil derived empirically from soil porosity, water content, and diffusivity coefficients in air from the literature. Methane flux estimates were ...
Women and gender in South African soccer: a brief history

This essay traces the history of South African women’s participation in competitive soccer from 1970 to the present and analyses power relations, namely race, gender and class, within the sport. Three distinct periods are identified: (1) emergence and development years from 1970 to 1990; (2) growth and transition years from 1991 to 2000; and (3) institutionalization years from 2001 to the present. This socio‐historical analysis is based on fieldwork in South Africa and relies on qualitative interviews, participant observations and archival documentation. Special attention is given to the shifting racial demographics of women footballers, the influence of feminism and democratization in South Africa on increasing the numbers of girls and women in this masculine flagship sport, globalization of ‘women’s soccer’ and the organizational development in the sport at the local and national levels. Contributions of key administrators and leaders as well as players are briefly discussed.
Impaired dynamic cerebral autoregulation at rest and during isometric exercise in type 2 diabetes patients

Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (T2D) have elevated risk of stroke, suggesting that cerebrovascular function is impaired. Herein, we examined dynamic cerebral autoregulation (CA) at rest and during exercise in T2D patients and determined whether underlying systemic oxidative stress is associated with impairments in CA. Middle cerebral artery blood velocity and arterial blood pressure (BP) were measured at rest and during 2-min bouts of low- and high-intensity isometric handgrip performed at 20% and 40% maximum voluntary contraction, respectively, in seven normotensive and eight hypertensive T2D patients and eight healthy controls. Dynamic CA was estimated using the rate of regulation (RoR). Total reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide levels were measured at rest. There were no differences in RoR at rest or during exercise between normotensive and hypertensive T2D patients. However, when compared with controls, T2D patients exhibited lower RoR at rest and during low-intensity handgrip indicating impaired dynamic CA. Moreover, the RoR was further reduced by 29 ± 4% during high-intensity handgrip in T2D patients (0.307 ± 0.012/s rest vs. 0.220 ± 0.014/s high intensity; P < 0.01), although well maintained in controls. T2D patients demonstrated greater baseline total ROS and superoxide compared with controls, both of which were negatively related to RoR during handgrip (e.g., total ROS: r = −0.71, P < 0.05; 40% maximum voluntary contraction). Collectively, these data demonstrate impaired dynamic CA at rest and during isometric handgrip in T2D patients, which may be, in part, related to greater underlying systemic oxidative stress. Additionally, dynamic CA is blunted further with high intensity isometric contractions potentially placing T2D patients at greater risk for cerebral events during such activities.
Boosting a natural anticoagulant

The protein C pathway performs a critical anticoagulant function by subverting the procoagulant effects of thrombin, and a paper by Taylor and colleagues (page [1685][1]) suggests that an endothelial membrane cofactor besides thrombomodulin modulates this function in vivo. The protein C pathway
A microgrid modeling and simulation platform for system evaluation on a range of time scales

This paper presents a simulation platform for the modeling and study of microgrid (MG) power systems. Using MathWorks Simulink modeling software, the platform provides a library of tools for designing and simulating the behavior of an MG on time scales from seconds to days. The library includes a collection of power system and power electronics components (sources, loads, switches, etc.) that may be arbitrarily configured. The platform also facilitates the study of energy management systems (EMS), which optimize the behavior of certain controllable sources and loads according to programmed algorithms. User-generated EMS routines can be integrated into an MG model.
Globalization and the Capitalization of Nature: A Political Ecology of Biodiversity in Mesoamerica

Globalization, as a technological and economic phenomenon, asserts specific models for the governance of common resources. In particular, the technological and economic impulses of globalization further the capitalization of nature. This process is evident in the regionalization of bioprospecting efforts in Mesoamerica.
Focusing on the essential: considering attention in display design

Attentive displays address the need for rendering power and computer display resolution. The five examples presented here illustrate a common goal with very different approaches to achieving it.
Experiments in organizational policy representation: results to date

Computer support for organizational policy involves, among other things, the introduction of formalism into the process of defining policy, evaluating it to ensure consistency, and mapping policies to procedures. Some level of automated tool support, however, is needed to assist users of formal methodologies. In this paper, we summarize our results to date in defining and experimenting with a prototype policy workbench-a set of integrated computer-based tools. >
Microstructural development of SCS-6 SiC fibers during high temperature creep

Microstructural development of SCS-6 SiC fibers induced by creep deformation at 1400 °C is presented. Grain growth occurs in all SiC regions of the fiber during creep. Portions of the SiC4 region transform from βSiC to αSiC growing at the expense of the βSiC. The SiC1 through SiC3 regions of the fiber consist of a distinct (C + βSiC) two-phase region. The grain growth of the βSiC grains in the two-phase region is not as extensive as in the SiC4 region, suggesting that the presence of excess carbon may inhibit the growth of βSiC.
Does franchising create value? An analysis of the financial performance of US public restaurant firms.

It is commonly believed that the franchising method of distribution provides strategic and operational benefits to the companies that adopt it. These benefits should result in superior financial performance as compared to that of firms that do not use franchising. Yet, the empirical evidence of the effects of franchising on financial performance is sparse and mixed. The purpose of this article is to examine the empirical evidence of the impact of franchising on US publicly traded restaurant firms. The results provide some evidence that franchising firms create more market and economic value than do non-franchising firms in the US public restaurant sector.
On establishing the accuracy of noise tomography travel‐time measurements in a realistic medium

It has previously been shown that the Green's function between two receivers can be retrieved by cross-correlating time series of noise recorded at the two receivers. This property has been derived assuming that the energy in normal modes is uncorrelated and perfectly equipartitioned, or that the distribution of noise sources is uniform in space and the waves measured satisfy a high frequency approximation. Although a number of authors have successfully extracted travel-time information from seismic surface-wave noise, the reason for this success of noise tomography remains unclear since the assumptions inherent in previous derivations do not hold for dispersive surface waves on the Earth. Here, we present a simple ray-theory derivation that facilitates an understanding of how cross correlations of seismic noise can be used to make direct travel-time measurements, even if the conditions assumed by previous derivations do not hold. Our new framework allows us to verify that cross-correlation measurements of isotropic surface-wave noise give results in accord with ray-theory expectations, but that if noise sources have an anisotropic distribution or if the velocity structure is non-uniform then significant differences can sometimes exist. We quantify the degree to which the sensitivity kernel is different from the geometric ray and find, for example, that the kernel width is period-dependent and that the kernel generally has non-zero sensitivity away from the geometric ray, even within our ray theoretical framework. These differences lead to usually small (but sometimes large) biases in models of seismic-wave speed and we show how our theoretical framework can be used to calculate the appropriate corrections. Even when these corrections are small, calculating the errors within a theoretical framework would alleviate fears traditional seismologists may have regarding the robustness of seismic noise tomography.
Area, power, and pin efficient bus transceiver using multi-bit-differential signaling

This paper describes a new low-power, area and pin efficient alternative to differential encoding for high performance chip-to-chip and backplane signaling. The technique, called multi-bit-differential-signaling (MBDS), consists of a new design for the driver and link termination network coupled with a novel coding system based on N choose M (nCm) codes. In an nCm coded MBDS channel, there are n physical interconnections over which all code symbols carry exactly m 1-bits. This property gives MBDS links signal-to-noise and transmission characteristics comparable to pair-wise differential links such as low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS). Moreover, MBDS is compatible with commercial LVDS receivers in point-to-point and multi-point bus topologies. However, because MBDS channels have a higher information density, they use up to 45% less power and up to 45% fewer I/O pads than equivalent differentially encoded buses.
Accurate and Low-Overhead Dynamic Detection and Prediction of Program Phases Using Branch Signatures

We introduce a hardware-only program phase detection and prediction architecture, which improves on the existing proposal by forming the execution footprints using simple bit-vectors called "branch signatures" to capture the set of branches touched during an execution interval. Previous work, in contrast, used the number of instructions executed between the branches to form the footprints. Such a modification significantly simplifies the phase detection logic and also affords numerous additional advantages, such as the detection of fewer distinct phases, less frequent phase transitions and higher phase prediction accuracies. We also show, through extensive simulations, that our simplified phase detection logic performs on par with the original proposal on several phase-based optimizations, such as the issue width adaptation and the exploitation of frequent value locality. At the same time, the proposed logic requires only a fraction of the storage needed by the previous scheme to keep the phase-related information..
Trace metals in fugitive dust from unsurfaced roads in the Viburnum Trend resource mining District of Missouri--implementation of a direct-suspension sampling methodology.

Abstract Fugitive dust from 18 unsurfaced roadways in Missouri were sampled using a novel cyclonic fugitive dust collector that was designed to obtain suspended bulk samples for analysis. The samples were analyzed for trace metals, Fe and Al, particle sizes, and mineralogy to characterize the similarities and differences between roadways. Thirteen roads were located in the Viburnum Trend (VT) mining district, where there has been a history of contaminant metal loading of local soils; while the remaining five roads were located southwest of the VT district in a similar rural setting, but without any mining or industrial process that might contribute to trace metal enrichment. Comparison of these two groups shows that trace metal concentration is higher for dusts collected in the VT district. Lead is the dominant trace metal found in VT district dusts representing on average 79% of the total trace metal concentration, and was found moderately to strongly enriched relative to unsurfaced roads in the non-VT area. Fugitive road dust concentrations calculated for the VT area substantially exceed the 2008 Federal ambient air standard of 0.15 μg m −3 for Pb. The pattern of trace metal contamination in fugitive dust from VT district roads is similar to trace metal concentrations patterns observed for soils measured more than 40 years ago indicating that Pb contamination in the region is persistent as a long-term soil contaminant.
The Parable of the Tares as the Proof Text for Religious Liberty to the end of the Sixteenth Century

The parable of the tares is the proof passage for religious liberty. Sinite utraque crescere (Matthew 13, 30) is the counterpart of compelle intrare (Luke 14, 23). The apostles of liberty repeat the text with monotonous iteration, although there is an occasional variety in the emphasis. Some stress the rationalistic argument: we do not know enough to separate the tares from the wheat. Others emphasize the eschatological approach: we can afford to be patient because God will burn the tares at the harvest. Others again make a legalistic appeal: Christ has commanded us to leave the tares alone. More interesting are the expedients employed by the persecutors to evade the liberal implications of the parable. The simplest device is to identify the tares not with the heretics, but with the moral offenders within the church. Another subterfuge is to identify the overly zealous servants with the ministers, not with the magistrates, who are not to be hampered by the parable.
Effects of Changes in Job Characteristics on Some Theory-Specific Attitudinal Outcomes: Results from a Naturally Occurring Quasi-Experiment

The present research examined changes in motivational properties of jobs as measured in the theoretical context of Hackman and Oldham's [19761 job characteristics model through a quasi-experimental design. In an effort to reduce utility costs, a manufacturing organization underwent a planned change from a 5-to a 4-day work week. Changes in characteristics ofjobs in the organization which resulted from the shortened work week were introduced without regard for the motivational consequences of the new schedule. Neither "expectation levels" (King, 1974) nor organizational policies pertaining to the reward system were changed when the 4-day work week was implemented. The overall design of the planned change resembled that of a quasi-experiment, permitting examination of the causal impact of changes in core job dimensions on employee attitudinal outcomes. Measures of core job dimensions and outcome variables were collected before and after the change. Results showed that the group characterized by an increase ...
JAK2/Y343/STAT5 signaling axis is required for erythropoietin-mediated protection against ischemic injury in primary renal tubular epithelial cells

Erythropoietin has emerged as a potential therapy for the treatment of ischemic tissue injury. In erythroid cells, the JAK2/Y343/STAT5 signaling axis has been shown to be necessary for stress but not steady-state erythropoiesis. The requirement for STAT5 activation in erythropoietin-mediated protection from ischemic injury has not been well-studied. To answer this question, we induced reproducible necrotic ischemic injury in primary mouse renal tubular epithelial cells (RTEC) in vitro. Using RTEC from erythropoietin receptor mutant mice with differential STAT5 signaling capabilities, we demonstrated first, that EPO administration either before or during injury significantly protects against mild-moderate but not severe necrotic cell death; and second, the JAK2/Y343/STAT5 signaling axis is required for protection against ischemic injury in primary mouse RTEC. In addition, we identified Pim-3, a prosurvival STAT5 target gene, as responsive to EPO in the noninjured kidney both in vitro and in vivo.
Gender-based structural models of health care costs: alcohol use, physical health, mental health, and functioning.

Background: Most models of health services use or costs include gender as a covariate, combining data for men and women in analyses. This strategy may obscure differences in underlying processes producing differential health care use by men and women, particularly in examinations of factors that affect health care use and differ by gender (e.g. alcohol consumption and depression). Aims: To examine gender differences in the relationships between alcohol consumption, physical and mental health and functioning, and costs of health care. Methods: The setting was Kaiser Permanente Northwest, a large non-profit group practice model HMO serving northwest Oregon and southwest Washington in the northwest United States. Primary (survey) and secondary (health plan records of service use; diagnoses from medical chart review) data were collected for random samples of health plan members in the period 1989-1993 (n = 5,669). Health plan administrative records of service use were used to estimate health care costs. Gender-specific latent structure models predicting health care costs were created using self-reported mental health, physical health, functioning, alcohol consumption, and prior-year health plan record-based diagnoses of depression and alcohol problems. Results: Alcohol consumption and prior alcohol problems were directly related to health care costs, although in opposite directions, for both men and women. Alcohol consumption was negatively associated with costs, while prior alcohol problems predicted higher costs. Gender differences existed in the relationship between physical health and health care costs indirectly via drinking status. Prior depression had direct effects on increased health care costs, and this relationship was stronger for men than for women. The roles played by mental health symptoms were similar for men and women. Better mental health at the time of the survey was associated with reduced alcohol consumption or likelihood of consuming alcohol, but had no direct effects on later costs. Indirect effects of mental health were found via alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Gender plays an important role in the factors underlying total costs of health care, and gender differences in these relationships appear more common among those who consume alcohol. For both genders, alcohol use predicts lower health care costs in this light-to-moderate drinking population, although prior diagnoses of alcohol problems predict higher costs. The direct relationship between depression diagnosis and higher health care costs is stronger among men.
Compacted Clays: A Symposium: Undrained Strength after Soaking

The influence of soil structure and such structure-determining factors as molding water content and method of compaction on the strength of compacted clays after soaking is described and the variet...
Neurally mediated renal vasoconstriction during isometric muscle contraction in cats

The aim of this study was to determine if the reflex increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) during static (isometric) muscle contraction evokes renal vasoconstriction and decreases renal blood flow. RSNA, renal blood flow velocity, and arterial pressure were measured simultaneously during isometric contraction of the hindlimb triceps surae muscle in eight chloralose-anesthetized cats. A 1-min contraction was evoked by stimulating the peripheral ends of the cut L7 and S1 ventral roots. RSNA and mean arterial pressure (MAP) increased 41 +/- 14% (SE) and 50 +/- 10 mmHg during static contraction, whereas mean renal blood flow velocity (MRBV) decreased 14 +/- 5%. Calculated renal vascular resistance increased 73 +/- 20% during the contraction. The increase in RSNA preceded the decrease in MRBV by 20 s. Passive mechanical stretch of the muscle increased RSNA 21 +/- 12% but did not alter MRBV. Renal denervation abolished the decrease in MRBV during isometric contraction but only attenuated the rise in MAP. Cutting the L4-S1 dorsal roots or muscle paralysis abolished the MRBV and MAP responses. Thus reflex stimulation of RSNA from the contracting muscle can induce renal vasoconstriction and decrease renal blood flow.
Sub-Ethnic and Geographic Variations in Out-of-Pocket Private Health Insurance Premiums Among Mid-Life Asians.

Objective: This study examined out-of-pocket premium burden of mid-life Asian Americans by comparing six sub-groups of Asians after controlling for geographic clustering at the county and state levels. Method: The 2007-2011 National Health Interview Survey was linked to community-level data and analyzed for 4,628 Asians (ages 50-64), including 697 Asian Indians, 1,125 Chinese, 1,393 Filipinos, 434 Japanese, 524 Koreans, and 455 Vietnamese. Non-Hispanic Whites were included as a comparison group (n = 48,135). Three-level multilevel modeling (state > county > individual) was conducted. Results: Koreans and Vietnamese were found as vulnerable sub-groups considering their lower private health insurance rates and higher uninsured rates. Among those with private insurance, Asians, specifically Filipinos, paid significantly less than non-Hispanic Whites. Moderate but significant variations in the county- and state-level variance in out-of-pocket premiums were found, especially among mid-life Asians. Discussion: ...
The failure of environmental regulation in New York

This study uses public-domain documents to describe the complicity of government actors (including current and former environmental regulators) with organized criminals, in facilitating crimes against the environment within two waste industries of New York State. Qualitative analysis results indicate that a combination of changing market forces, inadequate environmental regulation, and various failed policies and practices of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation can explain the presence, activities, and resilience of organized crime in the construction and demolition debris disposal, and also medical waste incineration industries, as well as provide some preliminary recommendations for preventing further regulatory failure in that state.
Large-Scale Inflections in Slope Angle Below the Shelf Break: A First Order Control On the Stratigraphic Architecture of Carbonate Slopes: Cutoff Formation, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, West Texas, U.S.A.

Abstract A large-scale inflection (LSI) in the slope profile may develop as a carbonate platform is drowned and abandoned basinward of the active shelf break. The impact of LSIs on the sediment dispersal patterns and stratigraphic architecture of carbonate slopes remains understudied. Outcrops of the Lower–middle Permian Cutoff Formation in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park provide a good view of a mixed carbonate and siliciclastic slope system modified by an LSI during the accumulation of a 2–4 My composite sequence (Permian composite sequence 9, PCS9). Processes of channelization, bypass, and slope failure associated with the LSI contribute to the development of basin-restricted carbonate, shale, and sandstone strata which demonstrate apparent onlap to the relict platform. Correlation of high-frequency sequences between the slope and shelf-equivalent strata demonstrates that channels incising the relict platform LSI served as conduits for confined gravity flows and depocenters for organic-rich shale throughout the transgression and much of the ensuing highstand of PCS9. In the latest highstand regression, an increase in the production of carbonate mud by the active shelf system contributed to the complete filling of channels across the LSI and accumulation of carbonate mud-dominated mass-transport deposits basinward of the LSI. A critical review of previous studies reveals that LSIs are common in the geologic record, across multiple basins and time periods. LSIs that developed due to drowning of carbonate platforms demonstrate dimensions and stratal patterns comparable to the relict Leonardian platform. LSI development in the identified examples occurred in association with 1) the transgressive stages of 10–100 My (second order) sequences, 2) ocean anoxic events, or 3) times of concomitant sea-level rise and ocean anoxic events.
Deal or no deal: why do social pact proposals fail?

AbstractSince 1980, over one-quarter of social pact proposals have failed to result in social pact agreements. In order to explain this high failure rate, the social pact formation process is broken down into two stages. In the first stage, governments decide whether to propose a pact. In the second stage, governments and labour unions decide whether to complete a pact agreement. Using data on social pacts in Western Europe, the article finds that pact proposals are likelier in the presence of moderately centralised unions, high unemployment, and large budget deficits; but that pact agreements are likelier when employers’ associations are centralised, and labour unions have a high degree of organisational centralisation, low membership fractionalisation, and represent a small share of workers. It is submitted that the inability of moderately centralised unions to complete a social pact agreement may be a primary cause of the high failure rate of social pact proposals.
Autonomous calibration of MEMS disk resonating gyroscope for improved sensor performance

This work describes a new method for autonomous mode-matching and quadrature nulling of a Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) wineglass mode gyroscope, utilizing particle swarm optimization. Use of this derivative-free optimization scheme allows for multi-objective optimization of gyroscopic performance parameters. Modal frequency split and both mode shapes' quadrature and amplitude were optimized through this method. Optimal parameters for frequency split, quadratures, and principle axis amplitudes were found to be 0.71 Hz, 13.9 and 10.5 mV, and 284.6 and 299.6 mV, respectively. Autonomous calibration greatly increased the scale factor of the sensor and enhanced the noise performance to levels typically achieved by diligent hand tuning.
Study of the Lectin-Binding Capsular Polysaccharide of RhizobiumTrifolii 0403 using a Bacteriophage-Depolymerase

The ability of the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of Rhizobium trifolii 0403 to bind with the clover lectin, trifoliin A, appears transiently with cell culture age (Dazzo et al. 1979). A similar phenomenon has been observed with the lipopolysaccharide of R. trifolii 0403 (Hrabak et al. 1981). Previously, a polysaccharide depolymerase had been isolated from the phage lysate of R. trifolii 4S (Higashi, Abe 1978) was used to hydrolyze the extracellular polysaccharide to its repeating unit for structural analysis (Amemura et al. 1983). In this study, a polysaccharide depolymerase has been isolated from a phage lysate of R. trifolii 0403 to identify the lectin-binding site of the CPS of R. trifolii 0403.
The Effect of File Sharing on Record Sales, Revisited

Abstract Even as we approach the twentieth anniversary of widespread file sharing, its impact on the sale of copyrighted material remains in dispute. We contributed to this debate with an early study, “The Effect of File Sharing on Record Sales: An Empirical Analysis,” that was published in the Journal of Political Economy in 2007. Perhaps surprisingly, we found that piracy contributed to the decline in music sales but was not the main cause. In this article, we review and respond to recent criticism of our work by Stan Liebowitz in Econ Journal Watch. We show how the use of proxies for file sharing can result in misleading conclusions. We close by reviewing what we know about the impact of file sharing on record sales today. In our view, new music formats are an important if understudied channel through which changes in technology influence the demand for entertainment.
Novel Mechanisms of Translational Control Linking Inflammation and Thrombosis.

Abstract The anatomy of platelets is unique and deceptively simple with a key feature being that platelets circulate without a nucleus. This has led to a common misconception that platelets lack the machinery to produce new proteins. However, over 40 studies from 1966 to 1997 collectively demonstrated and/or inferred that platelets synthesize protein. Recent investigations have not only confirmed these earlier reports but show that platelets possess a sophisticated translational apparatus consisting of template mRNAs, ribosomes, and translation initiation factors, such as eukaryotic initiation factor(eIF)-4E and eIF-2a. Current estimates indicate that platelets retain 4,000–6,000 transcripts and platelet-derived mRNAs are capped and polyadenylated at the 5′ - and 3′-untranslated regions, respectively. Data from our group also demonstrates that platelets contain a pool of precursor mRNAs (premRNAs), uridine-rich small nuclear RNAs, and essential splicing machinery. In response to activation, platelets splice specific pre-mRNAs into mature mRNAs. Published results from our group and others demonstrate that platelets use their splicing and translational machinery to synthesize new proteins. B-cell lymphoma 3 (Bcl-3), cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), integrin αIIbβ3, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Na+-dependent transporter SVCT2, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and tissue factor (TF) are among the most recently characterized proteins reported to be synthesized by platelets. The synthesis of these proteins is highly regulated and involves numerous checkpoints of control. Synthesis of Bcl-3, for example, is controlled by the mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR), one of the most abundantly expressed proteins in platelets. In contrast, platelets use premRNA splicing pathways to regulate the production of pro-IL-1β protein. Processing of pro-IL-1β into its mature form is dependent on an innate cytosolic molecular complex referred to as the inflammasome. The inflammasome has been described in nucleated cells and consists of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors, such as NALP-3, as well as caspase-1. Although not previously-described, recent studies from our group demonstrate that platelets possess a functional inflammasome that regulates pro- IL-1β maturation. Identifying and characterizing gene expression pathways in platelets will be an exciting area of investigation throughout the next decade. Our group is actively searching for new targets and, in addition to the inflammasome, we found that platelets harbor reverse transcriptase (RT) activity. Inhibition of RT activity modulates protein synthesis and differentiation responses in platelets. Gene expression pathways including the inflammasome and RT provide platelets with previously-unrecognized mechanisms for controlling thrombosis and inflammation and may be targets for future therapeutic interventions.
La disolución de la autoría moderna: cambios paradigmáticos en la era de los Nuevos Medios / Dissolving Modern Authorship: Paradigm Shift in the New Media Age

ABSTRACT The New Media Age in which we are living today has returned to a new-shared production of meaning based on a new supremacy of the 'medium' above consciousness. RESUMEN La nueva era mediatica en la que vivimos ha vuelto a una produccion cultural compartida, sobre la base de una nueva supremacia del “medium” por encima de la conciencia individual.
How dual-faceted disgust relates to state mental contamination in religious individuals

Many faith traditions emphasise purity expectations and rituals, highlighting the possibility that mental contamination (i.e., feelings of dirtiness and urges to neutralise dirtiness that occur wit...
Experimental Results of Ultrasonic Scattering from Discontinuities

Recent developments of materials characterization by ultrasonic waves are summarized by presenting a systematic approach to discontinuity analysis.
Impact of Hindi Films (Bollywood) on the Indian Diaspora in Honolulu, Hawaii

This chapter investigates the impact of Hindi films (popularly known as Bollywood) on the Indian diaspora in Honolulu, Hawaii. Using a short survey and detailed interviews with a few members of the Indian diaspora on the island, it finds a subtle impact of Bollywood films on their travel decisions. Active engagements like dancing, and social community gatherings like Diwali and Holi celebrations, seem to provide the Indian diaspora with a connection to their homeland. While some in the community feel that Bollywood is reflective of urban India, others feel Bollywood only serves to paint a distorted picture of what India should look like, is much more Westernised, and takes away from their experience or connection with their homeland. While some members of the community are more likely to be influenced by Bollywood films and travel to new places in India, others are more likely to travel to their usual destinations, visiting friends and family.
Length of stay and inpatient mortality trends in primary and revision total joint arthroplasty in the United States, 2000-2014.

Abstract Retrospective review of the National Inpatient Sample was performed. LOS and IHM were assessed among TJA patients and assessed by comorbidity status. LOS among TJA patients decreased from 4.31 to 5.87 days to 2.83–4.49 days. Relative risk for prolonged LOS among high comorbidity patients ranged from 3.01–5.62. IHM per 1,000 was 5.1 for revision THA, 1.8 for revision TKA, 1.1 for primary THA, and 0.4 for primary TKA. Relative risk for IHM in high comorbidity patients ranged from 443.9–780.9 (p
Displacement, caregiving, and the ecological system of youth in foster care: a theoretical perspective

Children involved in the child welfare (i.e., foster care) system are at a greater risk for numerous negative outcomes in adolescence and adulthood (e.g., lower educational attainment, higher risk ...
Heating and Cooling Applications

Process heat transfer is used at several points during winemaking to control or retard unwanted enzyme, microbial, and chemical reactions. These will generally include: 1. Must cooling in association with juice draining or skin contact prior to fermentation 2. Juice cooling prior to fermentation 3. Both the heating and cooling requirements of high-temperature short-time (HTST) denaturation of enzymes or to kill microorganisms 4. Heat removal for temperature control during fermentations 5. Cooling of wines for control of temperature during storage 6. Cooling of wines to enhance potassium bitartrate crystallization 7. Energy recovery by interchanging heat between warm and cold wines 8. Heating of juice for thermovinification 9. Cooling and air conditioning of the winery or aging cellars.
Identification and characterization of fluid milk consumer groups

ABSTRACT Consumption of fluid milk has steadily declined over the last few decades. Understanding the attributes of fluid milk products that are attractive to specific consumer groups may provide a sound basis for education and marketing to encourage increased dairy consumption and reverse the downward trend. The objective of this study was to identify the attributes of fluid milk that specific consumer groups find attractive and attributes that suggest a higher purchase likelihood. An adaptive choice-based conjoint (ACBC) survey was designed to assess attributes of fluid milk. The ACBC survey included Kano, importance, labeling identification, and beliefs questions to determine the key attributes that dictated consumer purchase and consumption. Self-reported purchase habits and attitudes for organic food products were also collected. Attributes in the ACBC exercise included fat content, package type, shelf life, and label claims. Maximum difference scaling was used to rank the importance of attributes in fluid milk that affected purchase. Maximum difference scaling was also used to rank qualities and issues associated with organic milk that were most motivating for those who identified as organic milk consumers. Results were analyzed by univariate and multivariate statistics. A total of 1,163 fluid milk consumers completed the survey, and of those, 434 were regular purchasers of organic milk. The ideal fluid milk from conjoint analysis was 2% milkfat, organic, packaged in a plastic jug, conventionally pasteurized, and contained no additives or label claims. The belief that “organic milk is healthier” was the most important motivator for purchases of organic milk, followed by the beliefs that “organic milk production encourages ethical treatment of animals” and “organic milk production supports local farms and farmers.” Conjoint importance scores of all fluid milk consumers showed that milkfat content was the most important attribute, followed by flavor, package size, and price. For all milk consumers, designation as organic was ranked as the 8th most important of 14 attributes. Evaluation of these results on both aggregate and individual levels suggest that fluid milk consumers are not a homogeneous consumer group and that underlying consumer groups are led to purchase decisions by specific product features or expectations.
Regulation of human mucin MUC17 expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells

78 Pancreatic cancer is a devastating malignancy for which treatment and detection remain enigmatic. New diagnostic markers, therapeutics, and a better understanding of disease progression are urgently required to improve survival of patients. The mucin glycoproteins are a family of diverse molecules that have enabled us to detect cancers in relation to their normal tissue counterparts. One such mucin, mucin 17 (MUC17), is detected in pancreatic cancer tissues, which sharply contrasts the absence of MUC17 expression in the normal pancreas. We hypothesized that specific pathways, which are associated with expression of MUC17, control its aberrant expression and are activated in pancreatic cancer. To determine the significance of MUC17 expression in pancreatic cancer, it was necessary to define the underlying molecular mechanisms implicated in its aberrant expression. The pancreatic adenocarcinoma AsPC-1 cell line was used to investigate which signaling pathways contribute to MUC17 expression. Our data show that a 1,168 bp region proximal to the MUC17 coding sequence contains both promoter and enhancer activities. The MUC17 transcription initiator was identified and confirmed by primer extension analysis. Transcription initiates 54bp upstream of the ATG codon previously identified as the translation initiation site (Moniaux N., et al. 2006, 281, 23676-23685). Using databases, potential transcription factor binding sites (including those for: VDR/RXR heterodimers, NFκB, SMAD3, SMAD4, CDX-2, PDX-1, MZF-1, KLFs, GATA-1, AP-1, and growth factor responsiveness) were identified. Luciferase reporter assay results in AsPC-1 cells provide evidence that the cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6, and the growth factors, TGFβ-1, TGFβ-2, and EGF, are capable of activating transcription by increasing enhancer and/or basal promoter activities. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting demonstrate that an observed increase in MUC17 message results in increased production of MUC17 at the protein level, via activation by exogenous cytokines and growth factors and is dose and time dependent. Our results also provide evidence that combinations of growth factors (EGF + TGFβ-1) or growth factor and cytokine (TGFβ-2 + IL-6) up regulate MUC17 in an additive manner. Of particular interest is that when the cytokine TNF-α is combined with growth factors (+EGF, +TGFβ-1, or +TGFβ-2) a general decrease in MUC17 expression is observed (below that of TNF-α or growth factor treatment alone). This suggests that a counter mechanism exists for the down regulation of MUC17. MUC17 expression in the presence of growth factors or IL-6 may decrease if signals such as TNF-α are produced. Additional studies are underway to determine if expression of MUC17 is involved in the progression of disease or is lost as the result of developing inflammation associated with ductal pancreatic cancer (work, in part, was supported by the NIH grants UO1 CA 111294 and T32 CA09476).
Distributed Decision-Making Algorithms with Multiple Manipulative Actors: A Feedback-Control Perspective

Distributed decision-making in the presence of multiple manipulative actors is studied, in the context of a linear distributed-consensus algorithm which has been enhanced to feedback controls enacted by these actors. The main contribution of the work is to evaluate the interplay among the manipulative actors in deciding the asymptotic decisions reached by the network of decision-making agents. In particular, the dependence of the asymptotic opinions on the network's topology and the manipulative actors' control schemes is characterized. Also, an example is used to illustrate that interactions among the actors may impact the dynamics of the decision-making algorithm in sophisticated ways.