cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local Elites and Popular Support for Economic Reform in China and India

This article analyzes why it is that China, an authoritarian political system, has managed to generate more popular support for the reform process than India, a democracy. The authors argue that when local politicians and bureaucrats are more supportive of the reform process, there is likely to be greater popular support for economic reform. Local political elite may be more supportive of reform in an authoritarian than in a democratic system because the level of local elite support for the reform process is influenced by the incentives faced by local elite. In China, institutional reform changed the incentives faced by local elite, whereas in India, reforms have not been accompanied by institutional changes that would encourage local elite to support reform to the same extent as in China. The argument is based on local elite and mass surveys conducted in China and India in 1990 and 1996, respectively. A logit model, controlling for a variety of alternative explanations, provides evidence that local elite...
The value function of an infinite-horizon single-item lot-sizing problem

Abstract We characterize the value function of a discounted infinite-horizon version of the single-item lot-sizing problem. As corollaries, we show that this value function inherits several properties of finite, mixed-integer program value functions; namely, it is subadditive, lower semicontinuous, and piecewise linear.
Many-body local fields and Fermi-liquid parameters in a quasi-two-dimensional electron liquid.

We present a quantitative theory of the quasiparticle properties in a Fermi liquid. Our approach uses as an input our previous result for the quasiparticle energy which incorporates the vertex corrections associated with charge and spin-density fluctuations through suitably defined many-body local fields. The method is explicitly applied to the case of the quasi-two-dimensional electron liquid occurring in silicon inversion layers. In particular, we discuss results for the effective mass ${\mathit{m}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ and the modified Land\'e factor ${\mathit{g}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ (Wilson ratio) that are in reasonable agreement with reported findings. Our calculations are performed by making use of a self-consistent static model for the many-body local fields and are consequently free of arbitrary parameters.
On choosing a theory: a diachronic case study

Abstract The present paper examines the history of a construction from later Old English by comparing two approaches to its analysis, one functional and one formal. Both analyses are internally consistent and, at the same time, vulnerable to criticism from both the inside and the outside. Finally a proposal is put forward on the way in which practicing linguists chose between competing theoretical stances.
Removing Gizzard Contents from Living Birds

Abstract DURING the course of some investigations regarding the function of grit in laying birds, it became necessary to devise a method for removing the gizzard contents from living, mature birds without harmful effects. To have experimental birds so treated removes one variable in a study of this nature and such a technic would probably have a variety of applications. The apparatus designed and constructed for this purpose consists of an elongated copper syringe, rubber tubing with the necessary connections, a large metal funnel, and a means of supplying water under pressure (Fig. 1). The syringe was made from 14½ inches of one-quarter-inch copper tubing. Using greased, steel welding rods and a hand operated vice, it was possible to make a depressed channel down the center of the tube and still retain open tubes on both sides of this depression (Fig. 2). Water was carried to the syringe by one-quarter-inch rubber . . .
NMR of casein hydration and activity in solutions with ions

Oxygen-17 NMR studies of caseins isolated from fresh milk of several species were carried out in concentrated electrolyte solutions as a function of both protein and electrolyte concentration. Molecular dynamics simulations of ion and water binding to caseins are compared with the experimental observations by O-17 NMR of caseins in solutions with ions. Protein activities are also determined by utilizing Wyman's theory of linked functions with a detailed model of ion binding to casein.
The coming age of specialized (cloud) computing systems

Today we are generally running cloud systems on the Henry Ford model: you can have any sort of architecture for your cloud computing, as long as it is the same as everybody else's—based on X86 and Ethernet interconnect. A uniform platform allows cloud resources to be fungible and promotes the elasticity of the cloud, improving hardware utilization. However in 2020, as power efficiency becomes more important than hardware costs, we expect that the cloud will be filled with equipment that is the data center equivalent of your mobile devices--based more on hardware & software infrastructure designed together, and specialized for specific application areas rather than the general purpose components we use today.
The microwave spectrum and ring-puckering vibration of thietanone-3

Abstract The microwave spectrum of thietanone-3 has been studied in the R -band range (26.5–40.0 GHz) using a Hewlett-Packard Model 8400C phase stabilized Stark-modulated microwave spectrometer. The rotational constants in the ground state (in MHz: A = 10205.06 ± 0.59, B = 3266.63 ± 0.01, C = 2559.70 ± 0.01) and ten excited states of the ring-puckering vibration have been derived from fitting a -type low- J R -branch transitions. The rotational constants have been used in the determination of a single minimum anharmonic potential function for the ring-puckering vibration of the form V = a ( Z 4 + BZ 2 ) with a = 9.81, B = 6.41 where Z is a reduced ring-puckering coordinate. From the analysis of the Stark effect, the dipole moment has been determined in the ground vibrational state ( μ a = 0.999 ± 0.003D) and 5 excited states of the ring-puckering mode. This variation of the dipole moment is reproduced by the above potential function and the expansion μ v = 0.982 + 0.074〈 Z 2 〉 v , where 〈 Z 2 〉 v is the expectation value of Z 2 in the v th vibrational state. A model calculation to reproduce the variation of the rotational constants has been performed. There is some indication that the CCC (sp 2 ) and CSC ring angles decrease slightly as the ring puckers but the puckering is accomplished primarily by decreasing the CCS angles. A reasonable set of structural parameters which reproduce the ground state rotational constants has been derived by a diagnostic least-squares procedure.
Uranium-isotope variations in groundwaters of the Floridan aquifer and Boulder Zone of south Florida

Water samples from four wells from the main Floridan aquifer (300–400 m below mean sea level) in southeast Florida exhibit 234U233U activity ratios that are significantly lower than the secular equilibrium value of 1.00. Such anomalous values have been observed previously only in waters from sedimentary aquifers in the near-surface oxidizing environments. These four wells differ from six others, all producing from the same general horizon, in being located in cavernous highly transmissive zones. We hypothesize that the low activity ratios are indicative of a relic circulation pattern whereby water from the surface aquifer was channelled to lower levels when sea level was much lower. At a deeper cavernous level, known as the Boulder Zone (800–1,000 m below mean sea level), the U isotopes, along with other chemical constituents, show progressive changes with increasing distance from an inferred flow source in the Straits of Florida. This tends to support the hypothesized landward flow (though with a more northerly component) of cold seawater in the extensively transmissive Boulder Zone.
The Unconventional Methods of Cultural Criminology

This essay is about (a) the dilemmas of doing cultural criminology and (b) the importance of reading criminology through culture. Drawing from the author’s research, it presents three tropes of culture-work on crime (village, city street and media), attending to the implications of the observer’s documentary presence. While describing rules, logics and practices that compose the bundle of habits and inventions we call methods, I highlight the ways in which methods are differentially situated within hierarchies of knowledge production and dissemination. I argue that as we become participant observers and analysts in and of these contexts, we commonly transform the narratives we collect into data by linking them to maps in our logistics, epistemologies and rhetoric.
An agreement model with kappa as parameter

Abstract Cohen's (1960) kappa summarizes agreement between classifications of two fixed raters on a categorical scale. This note exhibits a simple quasi-symmetry model for which kappa contains all relevant information about the structure of agreement and disagreement.
Association of an exonic LDHA polymorphism with altered respiratory response in probands at high risk for panic disorder.

Panic disorder (PD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by recurrent discrete episodes of fear accompanied by a variety of physiological and psychological symptoms, often with prominent respiratory components. A series of clinical observations has led some investigators to hypothesize that subtle alterations in ventilatory regulation are integral to at least a subtype of PD. In order to identify genetic factors that might predispose individuals to these alterations in ventilatory response, we conducted single stranded conformation polymorphism analysis across the exons of the lactate dehydrogenase A and B genes (LDHA and LDHB) using DNA prepared from 86 subjects previously characterized by respiratory response to a CO2 challenge with a variable genetic loading for PD. Remarkably, a single conserved LDHA exon 5 haplotype conferred increased risk for a paradoxical ventilatory response pattern to CO2 inhalation which robustly separated well subjects at high risk for PD from low-risk control subjects. But, comparison of LDHA exon 5 genotypes in PD probands (n = 25) to that of random newborn controls (n = 182) did not demonstrate any significant differences. Given the pivotal role of LDH in the metabolism of lactate, a known inducer of panic attacks, and the dependence of LDH activity on cell pH, we suggest that LDHA polymorphisms may contribute to the variability to CO2 respiratory challenge. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Structure and dynamics of the core US air travel markets: A basic empirical analysis of domestic passenger demand

Abstract The air transportation industry in the US has undergone significant restructuring since 2001. While adjustments in costs have been the focus of the industry, changes in the demand structure have also occurred. This paper analyses the structure and dynamics of the origin and destination of core air travel market demand using 1995–2006 US quarterly time-series data. Despite the industry consolidating its network following the terrorist attacks of 2001, passenger travels in core markets have exhibited strong growth in recent years. This increase was driven mostly by the gains in the larger markets. When segmented by types of markets, super-thin markets are seen to have lost services while other markets gained. A majority of passengers use the thick markets that account for only a small portion of all markets and their demand has continued to grow. Relatively fewer passengers fly in the thin and super-thin markets, but they account for a substantial portion of all markets. Empirical estimates align well with the events and adjustments that have been experienced during the time series we examined.
Heuristic algorithms for the inverse mixed integer linear programming problem

The recent development in inverse optimization, in particular the extension from the inverse linear programming problem to the inverse mixed integer linear programming problem (InvMILP), provides more powerful modeling tools but also presents more challenges to the design of efficient solution techniques. The only reported InvMILP algorithm, referred to as AlgInvMILP, although finitely converging to global optimality, suffers two limitations that greatly restrict its applicability: it is time consuming and does not generate a feasible solution except for the optimal one. This paper presents heuristic algorithms that are designed to be implemented and executed in parallel with AlgInvMILP in order to alleviate and overcome its two limitations. Computational experiments show that implementing the heuristic algorithm on one auxiliary processor in parallel with AlgInvMILP on the main processor significantly improves its computational efficiency, in addition to providing a series of improving feasible upper bound solutions. The additional speedup of parallel implementation on two or more auxiliary processors appears to be incremental, but the upper bound can be improved much faster.
Mass culture optimization studies with four marine microalgae

Abstract Four marine microalgae were grown in a 12 cm deep outdoor flume in Hawaii to examine their suitability as mass culture organisms. Foil arrays were used to effect systematic vertical mixing. The cells were grown on a two-day batch cycle with initial concentrations ranging from approximately 10 to 500 g ash-free dry weight (AFDW) m −3 . Culture salinities were varied by factors of 4–5 from lows of 3–15‰ to highs of 15–54‰. Over periods of approximately 2–3 weeks the maximum photosynthetic efficiencies (based on visible irradiance) ranged from 7·8% for Navicula sp. to 9·4% for Cyclotella cryptica . Production by Navicula sp. and Synechococcus sp. was unaffected by salinity over the range 7–32‰. Production by C. gracilis was negatively correlated with salinity over the range 15–54‰, while C. cryptica showed a production maximum at 7‰. An analysis of variance revealed no significant effect of initial concentration on production over the range 50–400 g AFDW m −3 , but production was significantly depressed at 32 and 500 g AFDW m −3 .
Electron-phonon coupling in bcc lithium

Electron-phonon coupling in bcc lithium is studied using a first-principles pseudopotential approach and Wannier-interpolation-based techniques that allow for ultradense sampling of electron-phonon parameters throughout the Brillouin zone. The coupling strength is calculated resolving the fine features of its distribution over the zone, and the contributions to coupling arising from the Fermi surface topology and electron-phonon matrix elements are analyzed separately. We find the value of the electron-phonon coupling constant for pressures in the range of 0--5 GPa to be 0.36--0.43, respectively. We analyze the behavior of the Eliashberg spectral function ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}F(\ensuremath{\omega})$, estimate the superconducting transition temperature, and compare it with experiment for reasonable values of Coulomb repulsion ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{*}$.
Metal Reference Line Technique for Obtaining Dihedral Angles from Surface Thermal Grooves

A metal reference line (MRL) technique is described for the measurement of surface-grain-boundary dihedral angles, {Psi}{sub s}, from thermal grooves at a sample surface using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Metal lines deposited onto a thermally grooved surface using photolithography conform to the contours of the grain-boundary groove and provide a high-contrast reference line for measuring {Psi}{sub s} by SEM. Measurements of {Psi}{sub s} from optical interferometry and calculated from groove dimensions using surface diffusion models of thermal grooving are compared with the metal reference line measurements from the same thermally grooved surface of MgO-doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Distributions of {Psi}{sub s} are found to shift to lower angles and approach the true {Psi}{sub s} value as the resolution of the technique increases, with the MRL technique having the highest resolution, a median angle of 113{degrees} {plus minus} 1{degree} and a distribution of angles from 90{degrees} {plus minus} 5{degrees} to 139{degrees} {plus minus} 3{degrees}.
Precision isotope shifts for the heavy elements. III: Singly ionized thorium (Th II)

High-resolution Fourier-transform spectra of a 232ThI4–230ThI4 electrodeless discharge lamp were obtained between 5600 and 36 000 cm−1. These spectra were used to measure the splittings of more than 800 isotopic Th ii doublets to an accuracy of about 0.001 cm−1. From these isotope shifts, 184 even- and 167 odd-level isotope shifts were determined. Level isotope shifts were determined for all known levels below 20 000 cm-, except for the even J = ½ level at 19 594 cm−1. An empirical correlation of the level isotope shifts with a theoretical, configuration-mixing calculation was used to derive pure-configuration level isotope shifts.
Laser applications to turbulent reactive flows; density measurement by resonance absorption and resonance scattering techniques

A study of the feasibility of applying resonance absorption and resonance scattering techniques for the measurement of species densities in turbulent reactive flows is given. Light interaction, including Mie, Rayleigh, and Raman -scattering, resonance absorption and resonance scattering, is first discussed. Resonance absorption and resonance scattering cross-sections in the infrared, visible and ultraviolet spectral regions are estimated for selected atomic and molecular species. A brief survey of tunable lasers and photodetectors is given. Application of resonance absorption and scattering to fluid species densities measurement, including consideration of signal-to-noise ratio, minimum detectable number densities, and some experimental results are discussed. Comparisons of various laser density diagnostic techniques, their advantages and limitations are also given. It is concluded this technique is applicable for a simple chemical system and can be used to study turbulent reactive flow phenomena. For a more complex chemical system, spectroscopy and quenching data are needed in order to evaluate feasibility.
ATM Increases Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase Activity at Downstream S Regions during Class-Switch Recombination

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) initiates Ab class-switch recombination (CSR) in activated B cells resulting in exchanging the IgH C region and improved Ab effector function. During CSR, AID instigates DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation in switch (S) regions located upstream of C region genes. DSBs are necessary for CSR, but improper regulation of DSBs can lead to chromosomal translocations that can result in B cell lymphoma. The protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is an important proximal regulator of the DNA damage response (DDR), and translocations involving S regions are increased in its absence. ATM phosphorylates H2AX, which recruits other DNA damage response (DDR) proteins, including mediator of DNA damage checkpoint 1 (Mdc1) and p53 binding protein 1 (53BP1), to sites of DNA damage. As these DDR proteins all function to promote repair and recombination of DSBs during CSR, we examined whether mouse splenic B cells deficient in these proteins would show alterations in S region DSBs when undergoing CSR. We find that in atm(-/-) cells Sμ DSBs are increased, whereas DSBs in downstream Sγ regions are decreased. We also find that mutations in the unrearranged Sγ3 segment are reduced in atm(-/-) cells. Our data suggest that ATM increases AID targeting and activity at downstream acceptor S regions during CSR and that in atm(-/-) cells Sμ DSBs accumulate as they lack a recombination partner.
Articulated mesh animation from multi-view silhouettes

Details in mesh animations are difficult to generate but they have great impact on visual quality. In this work, we demonstrate a practical software system for capturing such details from multi-view video recordings. Given a stream of synchronized video images that record a human performance from multiple viewpoints and an articulated template of the performer, our system captures the motion of both the skeleton and the shape. The output mesh animation is enhanced with the details observed in the image silhouettes. For example, a performance in casual loose-fitting clothes will generate mesh animations with flowing garment motions. We accomplish this with a fast pose tracking method followed by nonrigid deformation of the template to fit the silhouettes. The entire process takes less than sixteen seconds per frame and requires no markers or texture cues. Captured meshes are in full correspondence making them readily usable for editing operations including texturing, deformation transfer, and deformation model learning.
Conservation status of eulachon in the California Current

Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus), an anadromous smelt in the Northeast Pacific Ocean was examined for listing under the USA’s Endangered Species Act (ESA). A southern Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of eulachon – that occurs in the California Current and is composed of numerous subpopulations that spawn in rivers from northern California to northern British Columbia – was identified on the basis of ecological and environmental characteristics, and to a lesser extent, genetic and life history variation. Although the northern terrestrial boundary of this DPS remains uncertain, our consensus opinion was that this northern boundary occurs south of the Nass River and that the DPS was discrete from more northern eulachon, as well as significant to the biological species as a whole and thus is a ‘species’ under the ESA. Eulachon have been nearly absent in northern California for over two decades, have declined in the Fraser River by over 97% in the past 10 years, and are at historically low levels in other British Columbia rivers in the DPS, and nearly so in the Columbia River. Major threats to southern eulachon include climate change impacts on ocean and freshwater habitat, by-catch in offshore shrimp trawl fisheries, changes in downstream flow timing and intensity owing to dams and water diversions, and predation. These threats, together with large declines in abundance, indicate that the southern DPS of eulachon is at moderate risk of extinction throughout all of its range. The southern DPS was listed as threatened under the ESA in May 2010 – the first marine forage fish to be afforded these statutory protections, which apply only to waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
Whole-brain adaptive 70-kVp perfusion imaging with variable and extended sampling improves quality and consistency while reducing dose.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Despite common use of CTP to assess cerebral hemodynamics in the setting of ischemia, concerns over radiation exposure remain. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of an adaptive 70-kVp (peak) whole-brain CTP protocol with variable sampling intervals and extended duration against an established fixed-sampling, limited-period protocol at 80 kVp. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 37 patients with stroke scanned with conventional (n 17) and variant-protocol (n 20) whole-brain CTP was performed. We compared radiation dose, parametric map quality, and consistency of full-contrast circulation capture between a modified 70-kVp protocol, with 20 whole-brain passes at variable sampling intervals over an extended sampling period, and a conventional 80-kVp CTP examination with 24 passes at fixed-sampling intervals and a more limited scanning window. Mann-Whitney U test analysis was used to compare both protocols. RESULTS: The 70-kVp CTP scan provided superior image quality at a 45% lower CT dose index volume and 13% lower dose-length product/effective dose compared with the conventional 80-kVp scan. With respect to the consistency of contrast-passage capture, 95% of the adaptive, extended protocol continued through the venous return to baseline, compared with only 47% by using the conventional limited-length protocol. Rapid sampling during the critical arterial arrival and washout period was accomplished in nearly 95% with both the variable and fixed-sampling-interval protocols. CONCLUSIONS: Seventy-kilovolt (peak) CTP with variable and extended sampling produces improved image quality at lower radiation doses with greater consistency of full contrast passage capture. ABBREVIATIONS: CTDIvol CT dose index volume; DLP dose-length product
Shore Flies of the Galápagos Islands (Diptera: Ephydridae)

Fifteen species of shore flies, nearly doubling the number of known fauna, are reported from the Galapagos Islands. Of the 15 species, all but 2 are widespread in the Neotropics and apparently arrived on the Galapagos as introductions, which were probably independent events. The 2 apparent endemics, Philygria galapagensis Wirth and Scatella galapagensis Curran, may have speciated on these islands. The shore-fly fauna is disharmonic biogeographically, with only 11 of 20 tribes being represented. Ephydra gilvipes Coquillett (new synonym) is conspecific with E. chilensis Macquart, the senior synonym. A lectotype for Paralimna decipiens Loew is designated.
The NCPV process integration project: purpose, status, and direction

The primary purpose of the process integration project of the National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV) is to develop an infrastructure that will allow researchers to gain new knowledge that is difficult-if not impossible-to obtain with existing equipment. This difficulty is due, in part, to the state of our existing tool set, which lacks sufficient in-situ or real-time measurement capabilities, or lacks access to analytical tools where the sample remains in a controlled environment between deposition and processing or measurement. This new infrastructure will provide flexible and robust integration of deposition, processing (etching, annealing, etc.), and characterization tools via a standardized transfer interface such that samples move between tools in a controlled ambient. The standardization of control and data acquisition software schemes, sample handing, and equipment components will allow us to perform research more efficiently; facilitating collaborations and technique development.
Suicide An Overview

Suicide is a major mental health problem in the United States and an issue that significantly impacts the mental health treatment community. Although the suicide rate remains relatively stable, the discipline of counseling psychology has broadened in scope and work settings have diversified. Thus, counseling psychology trainees are increasingly exposed to suicidal clients. Despite this reality, research suggests that comprehensive, systematic training in suicidology in counseling psychology programs rarely occurs. One reason for this state of affairs may be that the suicide literature is spread across a variety of disciplines, making it difficult for educators and practitioners to stay informed about the knowledge base in suicidology. The purpose of this contribution, therefore, is to provide counseling psychology educators and practitioners with an overview of the field of suicidology as it applies to the training and practice of counseling psychology.
A randomized study of beef lung and pork mucosal heparin in cardiac surgery.

Abstract Beef lung heparin had substantially greater anticoagulant activity than pork mucosal heparin during a preoperative heparin tolerance test and also during cardiopulmonary bypass (CFB) in 100 randomized patients. Supplemental heparin was needed during CPB in many more of the patients receiving pork mucosal heparin. Heparin rebound was detected in 16 patients; this low incidence may result from a relatively high protamine: heparin ratio. There was notably less postoperative bleeding in those who received beef lung heparin. Platelet counts were not altered by either type of heparin. It is surprising that the preoperative tolerance curve only predicted heparin sensitivity during CPB in one-half of the patients. Blood activated coagulation time levels were increased markedly by hemodilution and further raised by hypothermia. These data demonstrate that beef lung heparin is better than pork mucosal heparin for CPB.
Gate elements at injection locations in numerical simulations of flow through porous media: applications to mold filling

Mold filling in polymer and composite processing is usually modelled as a special case of Darcy flow in porous media. The flow pattern and the time necessary to fill the mold depend on the ‘gate’ locations where resin is injected into the closed mold. In composite manufacturing, these are commonly outlets of small tubes transporting resin from a reservoir and their diameters are several orders of magnitude smaller than the mold dimensions. Similar size issue is also encountered in other applications of flow through porous media, such as oil and water pumping and drilling. Traditionally, these inlets are modelled by pressure or flow rate boundary condition as applied at a node of the finite element mesh that represents the injection gate. The omission of the inlet radius in the model results in a mathematical singularity as the mesh gets refined. The computed pressure or flow field depends on the mesh size and does not converge to the accurate solution, as the finite element mesh is refined. It is possible to deal with this phenomenon by modelling the inlet geometry more accurately but this approach is inefficient, as it requires additional degrees of freedom and, above all, significantly complicates the modelling process if the inlet location is not fixed a priori. This paper presents a more efficient alternate solution. It uses special ‘gate’ elements embedded in the mesh around the injection locations. Instead of adjusting the geometrical modelling of the injection location, the adjacent elements use modified shape functions to accurately model pressure field in the neighbourhood of small radial inlet. The proper pressure field shape-functions for ‘gate’ elements based on linear finite elements are derived. The implementation in an existing mold filling simulation and how the ‘gate elements’ are automatically selected is described. An example to demonstrate the use of ‘gate’ elements and convergence towards the accurate solution with mesh refinement is presented. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Provenance and depositional setting of Paleozoic chert and argillite, Sierra Nevada, California

ABSTRACT The Shoo Fly Complex, the remnants of an early to middle Paleozoic subduction system, contains the Culbertson Lake allochthon. Included in the Culbertson Lake allochthon are the post-Cambrian and pre-Upper Devonian Quartz Hill, Toms Creek, and McMurray Lake cherts. Geochemical data derived from these three units plot on the Fe2O3/TiO2 versus Al2O3/(Al2O3 + Fe2O3) and Lan/Cen versus Al2O3/(Al2O3 + Fe2O3) discrimination diagrams within either the continental margin-island arc field, or that part of the pelagic field overlapping the continental margin-island arc field. These relationships a e consistent with the presence of argillaceous turbidites interstratified with radiolarite, and suggest a relatively distal continental-island arc setting where muddy turbidity currents episodically interrupted pelagic deposition. Specimens from the Quartz Hill and Toms Creek cherts with Al2O3/TiO2 values > 20 make up Group I samples, whereas specimens with Al2O3/TiO2 values < 10 are classified as Group II samples. The Al2O3/TiO2 ratios of Group II specimens suggest derivation from mafic rock. Mean Th/Sc and Th/U values, as well as LREE-enriched patterns, are consistent with this interpretation, and indicate a source area dominated by alkalic seamount or ocean island material. The Al2O3/TiO2 ratios of Group I samples indicate a source area with an average andesitic to rhyodacitic composition. Chondrite-normalized REE distribution patterns, as well as mean Th/Sc and Th/U value , support such an interpretation. Samples from the McMurray Lake chert have Al2O3/TiO2 values ranging between 19 and 28, and REE patterns characterized by LREE enrichment, negative Eu anomalies, and slightly fractionated HREE patterns. These features, along with mean Th/Sc and Th/U values, indicate a source area dominated by old upper continental crust. The location of the source area(s) supplying material to cherts and argillites of the Culbertson Lake allochthon is unknown. However, existing tectonic models commonly portray the source of old upper continental crustal material in the Shoo Fly Complex as being located somewhere along the western North American continental margin, whereas the source of island-arc debris is portrayed as being located in a fringing arc system. Our data suggest that a relatively high-standing seamount or ocean island probably resided on the subducting oceanic plate. Thus, our work supports the idea that Al, Fe, Ti, Th, Sc, and the REEs in chert and argillite deposited in proximal continental-island arc settings can be used to assess the characteristics of sources supplying particulate matter to ancient t ench systems.
Confessions from a Guy Who Teaches Humor

Humor is an intriguing topic that exists in the contexts of adult education and human resource development. This paper describes my experiences at developing and facilitating a graduate course on humor and adult learning. Researchers and scholarly practitioners in adult education and human resource development are encouraged to build their understanding of the theoretical underpinnings and the practical applications of humor.
Automatic Layout of Structured Hierarchical Reports

Domain-specific database applications tend to contain a sizable number of table-, form-, and report-style views that must each be designed and maintained by a software developer. A significant part of this job is the necessary tweaking of low-level presentation details such as label placements, text field dimensions, list or table styles, and so on. In this paper, we present a horizontally constrained layout management algorithm that automates the display of structured hierarchical data using the traditional visual idioms of hand-designed database UIs: tables, multi-column forms, and outline-style indented lists. We compare our system with pure outline and nested table layouts with respect to space efficiency and readability, the latter with an online user study on 27 subjects. Our layouts are 3.9 and 1.6 times more compact on average than outline layouts and horizontally unconstrained table layouts, respectively, and are as readable as table layouts even for large datasets.
A unique mechanism for protein processing and degradation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Precursor protease vesicles are plant-specific compartments containing precursors of enzymes that are thought to participate in the degradation of cellular components in organs undergoing senescence. We report in vivo evidence that the precursor protease vesicle-localized vacuolar processing enzyme-γ (VPEγ) is critical for maturation of the plant vacuolar protease AtCPY. We also provide biochemical and functional evidence that VPEγ is involved in degradation of the vacuolar invertase AtFruct4 in aging tissues. Moreover, a proteomics-based approach identified various proteins found in the vacuoles of aging vpeγ mutants but not in WT plants, suggesting a unique role of VPEγ in protein processing and degradation in Arabidopsis.
Precise ruthenium fission product isotopic analysis using dynamic reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (DRC-ICP-MS)

99 Tc is a contaminant of interest at numerous nuclear facilities because it is quite mobile in sub-surface environments and is a key contributor to long-term risk. However, as a mono-isotopic fission product, 99Tc is limited in its use as a signature to differentiate between different waste disposal pathways that could have contributed to sub-surface contamination at these facilities. Ruthenium fission-product isotopes are attractive analogues for the characterization of 99Tc sources because of their direct similarity to technetium with regard to subsurface mobility, their large fission yields, and low natural background concentrations. We developed an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method capable of measuring ruthenium isotopes in groundwater samples and water extracts of vadose zone sediments. Samples were analyzed directly on a PerkinElmer ELAN DRC II ICP-MS after a single pass through a 1-ml bed volume of Dowex AG 50W-X8 100–200 mesh hydronium-based cation exchange resin. Precise ruthenium isotopic ratio measurements were achieved using a low-flow Meinhard-type nebulizer and long sample acquisition times (150000 ms). Relative standard deviations of triplicate replicates were maintained at less than 0.5% when the total ruthenium solution concentration was 0.1 ng ml−1 or higher. Further work was performed to minimize the impact caused by mass interferences using the dynamic reaction cell (DRC) with O2 as the reaction gas. Aqueous concentrations of 96Mo and 96Zr, two potential interferents to the analysis of total ruthenium concentration, were reduced by more than 99.7% in the reaction cell prior to injection of the sample into the mass analyzer quadrupole. The DRC was used in combination with mass correction to quantitatively analyze samples containing up to two orders of magnitude more zirconium and molybdenum than ruthenium. The analytical approach documented herein provides an efficient and cost-effective way to precisely measure ruthenium isotopes and quantitate total ruthenium (natural versus fission-product) in aqueous matrixes.
Photostability of thermally-hydrosilylated silicon quantum dots

The photostability of luminescent silicon quantum dots is critical for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. While nanocrystals synthesized in a nonthermal plasma and thermally-hydrosilylated with dodecyl groups exhibit quantum yields exceeding 60%, their optical properties degrade with UV exposure. A 20% (absolute) reduction in quantum yield was observed within 4 h of UV irradiation. The origin of instability was identified to stem from unpaired electrons generated at the nanocrystal surface as a result of the breaking of silicon hydride bonds. Recovery of the nanocrystals' quantum yield can be achieved by passivating the dangling bonds generated during photobleaching. Moreover, no degradation in optical properties was observed with further UV irradiation, indicating that photostable silicon nanocrystals were synthesized.
Signal Transduction by G Protein-Coupled Receptors

The primary structure of most of the components involved in G protein-mediated signal transduction are now well known. They include a large family of transmembrane receptors, a large family of heterotrimeric (αβγ) G proteins activated by GTP under the influence of receptors, and a series of molecularly unrelated effectors that are regulated by G protein α, G protein βγ dimer, or both G protein α and βγ dimers (Table 17.1). The list of extracellular compounds depending on G proteins for their signaling includes hormones, neurotransmitters, auto- and paracrine factors. The abundance and diversity of the signaling molecules illustrate the central role of G protein-mediated signal transduzction in cell regulation and body homeostasis.
Cervical spine trauma. What is new

To a large extent, what is new in cervical spine trauma relates to evolving indications for the use of various imaging modalities and expanded understanding of conditions that may influence traumatic sequelae. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria now provide guidelines for decisions concerning imaging in various clinical situations. This article reviews many of the publications of the past 6 to 7 years that may contribute to a radiologist's understanding of cervical spine injuries.
Supporting agile processes in software engineering courses

Software processes must be customized based on the project and the team working on the project. This paper discuss our use of agile software processes in an introduction to software engineering course. An overview of the strengths and weaknesses of tools used in the course over the years is given. We then present a new web application for software engineering courses
Making Digital Writing Assessment Fair for Diverse Writers

The move to large-scale digital writing assessment brings about considerations related to validity, reliability, and fairness. In this chapter, I discuss the issue of fairness in digital writing assessment and suggest possible ways that considerations of fairness may be brought into the design and use of digital writing assessment. Although there are many sources where we may look for guidance on fairness in assessing digital writing, a useful starting point is the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. The Standards offer agreed-upon principles for the design, administration, and interpretation of educational and psychological tests and have been adopted by writing assessment scholars. In this chapter, I explain several of the 12 fairness guidelines offered in the Standards and explain their significance for digital writing assessment. In the end, I argue that digital writing assessment must go beyond the inductive design of rubrics to include theoretically informed fairness inquiries to ensure that we are working to make digital writing assessment equitable for all students.
Liberation Movements in Power: Party and State in Southern Africa

In the wake of Marikana, a former freedom struggle participant now based in Washington DC, expressed that, for the first time following a tragic public event, she felt hopeless: ‘This was supposed ...
Intermolecular Forces Driving Encapsulation of Small Molecules by PAMAM Dendrimers in Water

The nature and relative strength of the intermolecular interactions responsible for the behavior of PAMAM dendrimers as encapsulating agents were investigated in neutral aqueous solution through optical spectroscopy methods. In order of relative importance, we found electrostatics, hydrogen bonding, and interactions mediated by aromatic moieties in the guest molecules to be the main drivers to complex formation in these systems. Insights were gained by studying the binding of small targeted organic anions to these dendrimers (G3–G6) by an indicator displacement method, monitoring spectral signals (absorbance, fluorescence emission, and anisotropy). This study contributes to a more complete understanding of the fundamental interactions involved when these hyperbranched polyelectrolytes function as supramolecular hosts, a role they commonly assume in many of their applications e.g. as drug delivery vectors.
Effect of Alazopeptin (A) on Litter and Fetus of the Rat in utero.

SummaryAlazopeptin had the following toxicity in the adult Long-Evans rat: (1) Single LD50 of 150 mg/kg, the 5 LD50 of .3 mg/kg. (2) Alazopeptin destroyed in utero entire litters of Long-Evans rats (at time of implantation) when given i.p. on 7th and 8th day of gestation in doses of .3 mg/kg. (3) And in doses of .5 mg/kg i.p. (at mid term) when given on 11th and 12th day of gestation. (4) Placental remnants frequently survived the fetuses and were found at term. (5) The lethal dose of A. to the fetus of .5 mg/kg was approximately 1/30 of the LD50 for the mother animal.
CO Adsorption on Defective Graphene-Supported Pt13 Nanoclusters

Platinum (Pt) nanoclusters on graphene have been shown to possess superior catalytic activity and increased selectivity in a variety of electrochemical reactions compared with bulk Pt electrodes. In this work, we use density functional theory calculations to investigate the adsorption of CO on low-energy Pt13 clusters bound at various point defects in graphene. The presence of dangling bonds at defects in the graphene support leads to strong Pt–carbon bonding and a commensurate downshift of the cluster d-band center. This downshift of the d-band in turn decreases the binding energy of CO molecules to the cluster. Systematic random sampling of CO adsorption on clusters bound at various defects in graphene reveals that supported clusters, on average, bind CO more weakly than unsupported clusters. Moreover, the adsorption energies of CO on defective-graphene-supported clusters are found to be comparable with reported adsorption energies at undercoordinated sites, such as step-edges, on low-index Pt surfaces....
Comparison of Canopy Volume Measurements of Scattered Eucalypt Farm Trees Derived from High Spatial Resolution Imagery and LiDAR

Studies estimating canopy volume are mostly based on laborious and time-consuming field measurements; hence, there is a need for easier and convenient means of estimation. Accordingly, this study investigated the use of remotely sensed data (WorldView-2 and LiDAR) for estimating tree height, canopy height and crown diameter, which were then used to infer the canopy volume of remnant eucalypt trees at the Newholme/Kirby ‘SMART’ farm in north-east New South Wales. A regression model was developed with field measurements, which was then applied to remote-sensing-based measurements. LiDAR estimates of tree dimensions were generally lower than the field measurements (e.g., 6.5% for tree height) although some of the parameters (such as tree height) may also be overestimated by the clinometer/rangefinder protocols used. The WorldView-2 results showed both crown projected area and crown diameter to be strongly correlated to canopy volume, and that crown diameter yielded better results (Root Mean Square Error RMSE 31%) than crown projected area (RMSE 42%). Although the better performance of LiDAR in the vertical dimension cannot be dismissed, as suggested by results obtained from this study and also similar studies conducted with LiDAR data for tree parameter measurements, the high price and complexity associated with the acquisition and processing of LiDAR datasets mean that the technology is beyond the reach of many applications. Therefore, given the need for easier and convenient means of tree parameters estimation, this study filled a gap and successfully used 2D multispectral WorldView-2 data for 3D canopy volume estimation with satisfactory results compared to LiDAR-based estimation. The result obtained from this study highlights the usefulness of high resolution data for canopy volume estimations at different locations as a possible alternative to existing methods.