cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of dust particles by molecular microspectroscopy

Frequently dust contamination is found on materials to be analyzed by molecular microspectroscopy. The presence of these contaminants often makes it difficult to ascertain the legitimate reason for a product defect or failure. A microspectroscopic study of dust in an office/lab environment has been carried out to identify the types and possible sources of dust contaminants. Various types of natural and synthetic polymeric materials were identified. It appears that paper products and proteinaceous materials are the major sources of dust contamination in the environments studied.
Input/Output: Paper Prototyping for the Future

The I/O: Paper Prototyping for the Future studio will be a hands-on experience that combines art, design, and technology. Participants will learn through a series of escalating exercises how to introduce interactivity via computational crafting techniques to paper in order to heighten the paper prototyping experience.
Structural Investigation of Photoluminescent Porous Si by Transmission Electron Microscopy

We have developed a new, minimal damage approach for examination of luminescent porous Si layers (PSLs) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In this approach, chemically etched PSLs are fabricated after conventional plan-view TEM sample preparation. A diffraction pattern consisting of a diffuse center spot, characteristic of amorphous material, is primarily observed. However, crystalline, microcrystalline, and amorphous regions could all be observed in selected areas. A crystalline mesh structure could be observed in some of the thin areas near the pinhole. The microcrystallite sizes were 15-150 A and decreased in size when located further from the pinhole.
Biofeedback therapy expedites the resolution of reflux in older children.

ABSTRACTPurpose: In older children the spontaneous resolution rate of low grade vesicoureteral reflux is low and currently its management is controversial in regard to surgery versus prophylaxis versus observation alone. Bladder dysfunction in children with neurogenic bladders and to a less declarative degree in neurologically intact children has a role in the etiology or persistence of reflux. We determine the impact of biofeedback therapy on neurologically intact children with vesicoureteral reflux and detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia.Materials and Methods: Vesicoureteral reflux was detected by voiding cystourethrography in children evaluated for urinary tract infections. Children with breakthrough infections or dysfunctional voiding based on history underwent uroflowmetry with concomitant patch electromyography of the external sphincter. Dyssynergia was defined as increased or steady electromyography activity during micturition. Biofeedback was initially performed weekly and the interval increased as ind...
3'-Phosphoadenylylsulfate:N-desulfoheparin sulfotransferase associated with a postmicrosomal particulate mastocytoma fraction.

Abstract An enzyme catalyzing the transfer of sulfate from 3′-phosphoadenylylsulfate to N -desulfoheparin was purified about 27-fold from Furth mouse mast cell tumor. The enzyme activity was associated with a “postmicrosomal” particulate fraction. A significant transfer of sulfate was observed primarily to the amino groups of N -desulfoheparin. The rate of the reaction was highest between pH 6.7 and 7.2, and it was strongly influenced by the ionic strength and nature of the buffer medium. The sulfate transfer was accelerated by Mg ++ but inhibited by p -chloromercuribenzoate, phenylmercuric acetate, and Cu ++ and Zn ++ . The enzyme catalyzed also sulfation of heparan sulfate, and, to a much more limited extent, of chondroitin 4-sulfate and dermatansulfate; but heparin and p -nitrophenol were practically inactive as sulfate acceptors. The sulfotransferase preparation contained some 3′-phosphoadenylylsulfate sulfohydrolase, but it was essentially free of sulfate activating enzymes.
Identification of positional candidate genes for body weight and adiposity in subcongenic mice

We previously constructed a congenic mouse, B6.S-D2Mit194-D2Mit311 (B6.S-2) with 27 Mb of SPRET/Ei donor DNA on distal chromosome 2 in a C57BL/6J background that captured an obesity quantitative tr...
Using coverage as a model building constraint in learning classifier systems

Promoting and maintaining diversity is a critical requirement of search in learning classifier systems (LCSs). What is required of the genetic algorithm (GA) in an LCS context is not convergence to a single global maximum, as in the standard optimization framework, but instead the generation of individuals (i.e., rules) that collectively cover the overall problem space. COGIN (COverage-based Genetic INduction) is a system designed to exploit genetic recombination for the purpose of constructing rule-based classification models from examples. The distinguishing characteristic of COGIN is its use of coverage of training set examples as an explicit constraint on the search, which acts to promote appropriate diversity in the population of rules over time. By treating training examples as limited resources, COGIN creates an ecological model that simultaneously accommodates a dynamic range of niches while encouraging superior individuals within a niche, leading to concise and accurate decision models. Previous experimental studies with COGIN have demonstrated its performance advantages over several well-known symbolic induction approaches. In this paper, we examine the effects of two modifications to the original system configuration, each designed to inject additional diversity into the search: increasing the carrying capacity of training set examples (i.e., increasing coverage redundancy) and increasing the level of disruption in the recombination operator used to generate new rules. Experimental results are given that show both types of modifications to yield substantial improvements to previously published results.
Image compression applied to MRI images

Data compression techniques for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are discussed. The images are taken from the coronal section of the brain. Each image requires a large amount of storage and collectively a patient's record may require many images to be stored. Alternative methods to compress the data are discussed and these are applied to MRI images. The two methods discussed are the run-length and pyramid coding schemes. Results for both schemes are given. The mask images are seen to respond well to compression using run-length coding, and pyramid encoding is not as effective in binary images. The pyramid coding scheme has the advantage of making it possible to work on gray-level images and to reconstruct them from the encoded format. >
Characterization of a Novel Bile-Inducible Operon Encoding a Two-Component Regulatory System in Lactobacillus acidophilus

Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM is an industrially important strain used extensively as a probiotic culture. Tolerance of the presence of bile is an attribute important to microbial survival in the intestinal tract. A whole-genome microarray was employed to examine the effects of bile on the global transcriptional profile of this strain, with the intention of elucidating genes contributing to bile tolerance. Genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism were generally induced, while genes involved in other aspects of cellular growth were mostly repressed. A 7-kb eight-gene operon encoding a two-component regulatory system (2CRS), a transporter, an oxidoreductase, and four hypothetical proteins was significantly upregulated in the presence of bile. Deletion mutations were constructed in six genes of the operon. Transcriptional analysis of the 2CRS mutants showed that mutation of the histidine protein kinase (HPK) had no effect on the induction of the operon, whereas the mutated response regulator (RR) showed enhanced induction when the cells were exposed to bile. These results indicate that the 2CRS plays a role in bile tolerance and that the operon it resides in is negatively controlled by the RR. Mutations in the transporter, the HPK, the RR, and a hypothetical protein each resulted in loss of tolerance of bile. Mutations in genes encoding another hypothetical protein and a putative oxidoreductase resulted in significant increases in bile tolerance. This functional analysis showed that the operon encoded proteins involved in both bile tolerance and bile sensitivity.
Reading Hillary and Sarah: Contradictions of Feminism and Representation in 2008 Campaign Political Cartoons

The 2008 presidential campaign was noteworthy for heightening the profile of women candidates, although neither Sarah Palin nor Hillary Clinton won her race. The authors study political cartoons as texts that sharply illuminate gendered aspects of political representation. However, the findings suggest that formulaic and stereotypical representations of Palin and Clinton are subsumed by both ideological and image differences between these two women and increased gender neutrality in their representations. The authors suggest that the study of political women in the media requires fresh approaches to accommodate ideologically nuanced symbolic women and a possible erosion of gender bias in the media.
Dynamic Recognition of the mRNA Cap by Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF4E

Summary Recognition of the mRNA 5′ m 7 G(5′)ppp(5′)N cap is key to translation initiation for most eukaryotic mRNAs. The cap is bound by the eIF4F complex, consisting of a cap-binding protein (eIF4E), a "scaffold" protein (eIF4G), and an RNA helicase (eIF4A). As a central early step in initiation, regulation of eIF4F is crucial for cellular viability. Although the structure and function of eIF4E have been defined, a dynamic mechanistic picture of its activity at the molecular level in the eIF4F⋅mRNA complex is still unavailable. Here, using single-molecule fluorescence, we measured the effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF4F factors, mRNA secondary structure, and the poly(A)-binding protein Pab1p on eIF4E-mRNA binding dynamics. Our data provide an integrated picture of how eIF4G and mRNA structure modulate eIF4E-mRNA interaction, and uncover an eIF4G- and poly(A)-independent activity of poly(A)-binding protein that prolongs the eIF4E⋅mRNA complex lifetime.
Ameritocracy and infra‐racial racism: racializing social and cultural reproduction theory in the twenty‐first century

This article argues that narratives forecasting spectacular mobility for Black people/people of color along with the growth of the Black middle class function as proof that America ‘works’ and that the American dream is obtainable for all. However, what is concealed within this ‘meritocratic’ discourse is that full acceptance into this society is restricted on the basis of racial identity and other forms of social difference. I term the illusion of egalitarianism as ‘Ameritocracy’. By combining two separate words – American and Meritocracy – I use the idea of ‘Ameritocracy’ to demonstrate how race intersects with other forms of social oppression such as class, gender, religion, nationality, sexuality, phenotype, accent, immigration status, and special needs. Thus, informed by the intercentricity of racialized oppression, I use the concept of Ameritocracy to racialize social and cultural reproduction theory and illustrate how traditional claims of objectivity, meritocracy, colorblindness, and race neutrali...
Airway microbiota and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in patients with suboptimally controlled asthma.

Background Improvement in lung function after macrolide antibiotic therapy has been attributed to reduction in bronchial infection by specific bacteria. However, the airway might be populated by a more diverse microbiota, and clinical features of asthma might be associated with characteristics of the airway microbiota present. Objective We sought to determine whether relationships exist between the composition of the airway bacterial microbiota and clinical features of asthma using culture-independent tools capable of detecting the presence and relative abundance of most known bacteria. Methods In this pilot study bronchial epithelial brushings were collected from 65 adults with suboptimally controlled asthma participating in a multicenter study of the effects of clarithromycin on asthma control and 10 healthy control subjects. A combination of high-density 16S ribosomal RNA microarray and parallel clone library-sequencing analysis was used to profile the microbiota and examine relationships with clinical measurements. Results Compared with control subjects, 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon concentrations (a proxy for bacterial burden) and bacterial diversity were significantly higher among asthmatic patients. In multivariate analyses airway microbiota composition and diversity were significantly correlated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Specifically, the relative abundance of particular phylotypes, including members of the Comamonadaceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Oxalobacteraceae, and other bacterial families were highly correlated with the degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Conclusion: The composition of bronchial airway microbiota is associated with the degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness among patients with suboptimally controlled asthma. These findings support the need for further functional studies to examine the potential contribution of members of the airway microbiota in asthma pathogenesis.
A computerized visual-search task as a measure of cerebral dysfunction and organization.

This study examined differences in performance on a visual-search task between dysphonetic dyslexic children and three other groups of youngsters (other dyslexic, brain-damaged, and normals) on measures of cerebral dysfunction and cerebral organization. Subjects were required to match a centrally located design to an identical image, yielding a measure of cerebral dysfunction, i.e., latency. Cerebral organization of the diagnostic groups was studied by measuring the conjugate lateral eye movements of each child. Prior research suggests that initial direction of lateral eye movement on a cognitive task is indicative of lateralized cerebral activation. Analysis indicated that the dysphonetic dyslexics group, as predicted, differed significantly on latency from the normal and brain-damaged groups but not from the other dyslexic group. The dysphonetic dyslexic group differed significantly from all other groups on the measure of cerebral organization.
Using Drew Carey in the Classroom

This teaching note describes how to use Drew Carey’s short public policy documentaries in the classroom, and as part of a writing assignment for an introductory microeconomics class. Students are challenged to identify the core microeconomic concepts that are relevant to real-world policy matters, including healthcare, immigration and jobs.
Pair-absorption-pumped barium laser.

This is the first reported demonstration of the use of pair-absorption transitions for optically pumping lasers. In a mixture of barium and thallium metal vapors, single-photon absorption of 3867-A laser light caused simultaneous excitation of colliding ground-state atoms to the Ba (6s6p P11°) and Tl(6p P23/2°) excited states. Excited-state densities of about 1014 cm−3 were created, and subsequent laser emission on the Ba(6s6p P11°)→Ba(6s5d D12) atomic transition at 1.5 μm was observed.
Hydrogen Microstructure in Amorphous Semiconductors.

The effects of deposition parameters on the H microstructure of plasma deposited amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) are measured via multiple quantum nuclear magnetic resonance (MQ NMR). These studies indicate clusters of 5 to 7H atoms exist in a-Si:H films prepared at temperatures ranging from 113 to 324°C. In the range from 270 to 324°C, only these small clusters exist, but lower temperature films also contain larger clusters. Annealing studies indicate H rearranges in a-Si:H prior to evolution. Deposition temperature and annealing temperature have similar effects on H concentration in a-Si:H, but deposition temperature control the density and microstructure of the film. The addition of dopant atoms also affects the H microstructure, with phosphorous causing larger H clusters to form, and boron reducing clustering in a-Si:H films. This perturbation of the film’s microstructure suggests that the effects of dopant addition are more complex in amorphous than in crystalline semiconductors. The concentration of carbon atoms also effects H microstructure of a-SiC:H in a complex way. We surmise that H microstructure, rather than H content, determines amorphous semiconductors properties.
Study of CO Oxidation Kinetics on Rh/Ceria

Abstract CO oxidation kinetics, at differential conversions, have been studied on model Rh/ceria catalysts over a wide pressure and temperature range to investigate the effect of ceria support interactions with Ph on the catalytic properties. The kinetics suggest that there are two reaction mechanisms in excess CO. The first is identical to that reported for pure Rh and exhibits a reaction order of ∼ 1 for O 2 and −1 for CO, with an activation energy between 25 and 27 kcal/mol. The second mechanism is 0.4 order in O 2 and zeroth order in CO, with a much lower activation energy, between 12 and 15 kcal/mol. This second reaction, which becomes more important for smaller Ph particle sizes, high CO pressures, and low temperatures, appears to involve reaction of oxygen from the ceria with CO from Ph. Possible implications of these results for catalytic performance are discussed.
Remedial operations for failed endovascular therapy of 32 renal artery stenoses in 24 children

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for the treatment of pediatric renovascular hypertension (RVH) in contemporary practice is accompanied with ill-defined complications. This study examines the mode of pediatric renal PTA failures and the results of their surgical management. Twenty-four children underwent remedial operations at the University of Michigan from 1996 to 2014 for failures of renal PTA. Their clinical courses were retrospectively reviewed and results analyzed. Renal PTA of 32 arteries, including 13 with stenting, was performed for severe RVH in 12 boys and 12 girls, having a mean age of 9.3 years. Developmental ostial stenoses affected 22 children. PTA failures included: 27 restenoses and five thromboses. Remedial operations included: 13 renal artery-aortic reimplantations, one segmental renal artery—main renal artery reimplantation, ten aortorenal bypasses, one arterioplasty, one iliorenal bypass, and six nephrectomies for unreconstructable arteries; the latter all in children younger than 10 years. Follow-up averaged 2.1 years. Postoperatively, hypertension was cured, improved, or unchanged in 25, 54, and 21 %, respectively. There was no perioperative renal failure or mortality. Renal PTA for the treatment of pediatric RVH due to ostial disease may be complicated by failures requiring complex remedial operations or nephrectomy, the latter usually affecting younger children.
Dynamic failure in coal seams: Implications of coal composition for bump susceptibility

Abstract As a contributing factor in the dynamic failure (bumping) of coal pillars, a bump-prone coal seam has been described as one that is “uncleated or poorly cleated, strong…that sustains high stresses.” Despite extensive research regarding engineering controls to help reduce the risk for coal bumps, there is a paucity of research related to the properties of coal itself and how those properties might contribute to the mechanics of failures. Geographic distribution of reportable dynamic failure events reveals a highly localized clustering of incidents despite widespread mining activities. This suggests that unique, contributing geologic characteristics exist within these regions that are less prevalent elsewhere. To investigate a new approach for identifying coal characteristics that might lead to bumping, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on 306 coal records from the Pennsylvania State Coal Sample database to determine which characteristics were most closely linked with a positive history of reportable bumping. Selected material properties from the data records for coal samples were chosen as variables for the PCA and included petrographic, elemental, and molecular properties. Results of the PCA suggest a clear correlation between low organic sulfur content and the occurrence of dynamic failure, and a secondary correlation between volatile matter and dynamic failure phenomena. The ratio of volatile matter to sulfur in the samples shows strong correlation with bump-prone regions, with a minimum threshold value of approximately 20, while correlations determined for other petrographic and elemental variables were more ambiguous. Results suggest that the composition of the coal itself is directly linked to how likely a coal is to have experienced a reportable dynamic failure event. These compositional controls are distinct from other previously established engineering and geologic criteria and represent a missing piece to the bump prediction puzzle.
Abstract P3-07-19: Breast cancer risk perception and adherence to U.S. cancer prevention guidelines

Introduction: In the United States, nearly 200,000 cancer-related deaths each year are attributed to poor diet and physical inactivity. We sought to determine whether perceived personal breast cancer risk was associated with adherence to healthy lifestyle habits in a nationally representative sample. Methods: The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a population-based survey conducted each year by the CDC, designed to represent the non-institutionalized civilian population in the United States. We utilized data from the 2010 NHIS adult and cancer supplements to compare fruit/vegetable intake, alcohol use and exercise habits among women who perceived themselves to be at high risk of developing breast cancer versus those women who perceived themselves to be at average or low risk. Results: In 2010, 12,055 women without a history of cancer were surveyed, representing 94,990,140 people in the population. Perceived risk of breast cancer was not associated with improved adherence to nutrition and physical activity guidelines (see Table). Less than 5% of all U.S. women meet the recommended fruit/vegetable intake regardless of perceived risk, and only one-third of all women achieve recommended physical activity. Approximately 95% of women adhere to guidelines regarding alcohol intake. On multivariate analysis, perceived risk did not affect health habits when controlling for age, ethnicity, education, insurance status, income, region and body mass index (BMI). Conclusion: Thousands of breast cancer diagnoses and deaths could be prevented each year through healthy diet and exercise. Yet, a striking majority of U.S. women do not adhere to cancer prevention recommendations, including those women who perceive themselves to be at high risk of breast cancer. These findings suggest that patient education and awareness of personal breast cancer risk may be essential, but not sufficient, for motivating meaningful behavior change. Citation Format: Erin Hofstatter, Anees Chagpar. Breast cancer risk perception and adherence to U.S. cancer prevention guidelines [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-07-19.
Enhancing activated-peroxide formulations for porous materials: Test methods and results

During an urban wide-area incident involving the release of a biological warfare agent, the recovery/restoration effort will require extensive resources and will tax the current capabilities of the government and private contractors. In fact, resources may be so limited that decontamination by facility owners/occupants may become necessary and a simple decontamination process and material should be available for this use. One potential process for use by facility owners/occupants would be a liquid sporicidal decontaminant, such as pHamended bleach or activated-peroxide, and simple application devices. While pH-amended bleach is currently the recommended low-tech decontamination solution, a less corrosive and toxic decontaminant is desirable. The objective of this project is to provide an operational assessment of an alternative to chlorine bleach for low-tech decontamination applications activated hydrogen peroxide. This report provides the methods and results for activatedperoxide evaluation experiments. The results suggest that the efficacy of an activated-peroxide decontaminant is similar to pH-amended bleach on many common materials.
Can Catholic Social Teaching Bring Peace to the “Liturgy Wars”?

A way past the “liturgy wars” opens up if we view contemporary liturgy from the perspective of Catholic social teaching. Freedom of conscience and worship requires toleration of diverse theories of liturgy. Respect for the dignity of the human person foregrounds Vatican II’s fundamental teaching that active participation is the primary and indispensable source of the true Christian spirit. The right to culture signals the importance of culturally informed liturgical formation. In this way the “liturgy wars” can be reinterpreted as illustrating Congar’s dialectical understanding of ecclesiastical tradition.
Ceramic Technology as an Indicator of Acculturation in the Early Colonial Setting

Typological and petrographic analyses of unglazed red earthenwares recovered from the archaeological site of Charles Towne on the Cape Fear in North Carolina reveal the presence of pottery imported from Barbados. These sherds suggest that a ceramic industry had developed in Barbados during the middle 17th century. Additional data reflect on the process of acculturation by which African (slave) potters working in Barbados created vessels of English design. A few sherds from Charles Towne suggest that in the absence of an established ceramic industry, African (slave) potters may have reverted to traditional methods of manufacture including coiling and open firing. This hypothesis is compared to data obtained in New England, Virginia, South Carolina, Jamaica, and Barbados to refine the concept of acculturation as evidenced in vernacular ceramic manufacture.
Potential of Alligator Fat as Source of Lipids for Biodiesel Production

A large amount of alligator fat (AF) is produced by alligator meat processing industry and disposed in landfills or discarded as waste. The AF can be used as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production due to its high lipid content. In this work, recovery of lipids from the AF tissue was studied by solvent extraction as well as by microwave rendering. Microwave rendering resulted in AF oil recovery of 61% by weight of the frozen AF tissue obtained from producers. The fatty acid profile of the lipid showed that palmitic acid (C16:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), and oleic acid (C18:1) were the dominant fatty acids accounting for 89–92% of all lipids by mass; 30% of the fatty acids were saturated and 70% were unsaturated. The biodiesel produced from AF oil was found to meet the ASTM specifications of biodiesel concerning kinematic viscosity, sulfur, free and total glycerin, flash point, cloud point, and acid number.
A note on the size of edge-chromatic 4-critical graphs

In 1968, Vizing conjectured that for any Δ -critical graph G with n vertices and m edges, m ź 1 2 ( Δ - 1 ) n + 3 . Miao and Pang (2008) proved that m ź 7 4 n when Δ = 4 . However, their proof has a gap. In this paper, we first prove a new adjacency lemma and then apply this lemma to fix the gap.
Mechanisms of local anesthetic action on the permeability of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and liposomes containing the erythrocyte anion channel protein.

The local anesthetics tetracaine and dibucaine produce complex effects on the permeability of human erythrocytes and rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Red cell permeability to small hydrophilic nonelectrolytes (i.e., urea), which probably cross the membrane through water-filled transmembrane protein channels, is unaffected or slightly inhibited by dibucaine (0.5 mM). However, larger, more lipophilic, and less permeable nonelectrolytes (i.e., isopropylurea, butanetriol, triethylene glycol, and tetraethylene glycol) are rendered more permeable by dibucaine (and tetracaine). These effects are probably related to the anesthetic-induced increase in membrane lipid fluidity. Leukocytes exhibit much lower water and urea permeability than red cells, indicating a paucity of hydrophilic channels in the membrane. Dibucaine strongly inhibits urea and methylurea permeability in leukocytes. Thiourea, which is more permeable and lipid-soluble, and which probably diffuses through the membrane lipid domain, was unaffected by dibucaine. Anion transport in erythrocytes procedes by way of a specific membrane-spanning protein, band 3 protein. Dibucaine and tetracaine inhibit SO4= transport noncompetitively over the same concentration range (0.05-1.0 mM) at which they protect red cells against hypotonic lysis. The inhibition of SO4= transport cannot be attributed to a generalized increase in membrane lipid fluidity. Band 3 protein-mediated SO4= transport was also demonstrated in liposomes in which the protein was incorporated into the lipid membrane. Dibucaine and tetracaine increased SO4= transport somewhat in purely lipid membranes, but strongly inhibited band 3 protein-mediated transport. These results demonstrate that anesthetics can block the function of a protein known to be a specific membrane ion channel. It remains to be determined whether the anesthetics interact directly with the protein itself or affect it by altering those lipids in immediate association with the SO4= channels.
Dismantling the Welfare State?: Retrenchment in a core sector: old-age pensions

This chapter contrasts the initiatives of the Thatcher government and Reagan administration in a core area of social policy: old-age pensions. As might be expected, attempting to cut these popular social programs was politically dangerous; each government experienced both severe setbacks and occasional success. In the end, however, the Thatcher government implemented far-reaching and probably irreversible reforms in pension provision. This outcome is especially striking because it defies the conventional wisdom that middle-class entitlements are inviolable. Furthermore, it stands in stark contrast to the repeated and politically costly failures of Thatcher's efforts to reform the other pinnacle of British social provision for the middle class, the National Health Service. In the United States, Social Security emerged from the Reagan years essentially intact. Although the Social Security amendments of 1983 produced some significant reductions in future pension benefits, a number of glaring setbacks overshadowed this single and limited political success. In contrast to Britain, reform in the United States modestly scaled back the existing pension program rather than refashioning policy in line with conservative preferences. A satisfactory account of these events must explain both the marked divergence in final outcomes and the patterns of success and failure in each country. Why did some initiatives fail when others did not? Why did the ultimate form and scope of retrenchment differ substantially in the two cases? My answer to these questions stresses the crucial role of preexisting pension structures – the feedback effects of previous policy choices.
Performance limitations in electric power generating systems imposed by high temperature corrosion

AbstractThe increasing cost of fuel has resulted in a renewed interest in improving the efficiency of electric power generating equipment. In most cases, this involves increasing the maximum temperature in the cycle. Examples include the increase in gas turbine inlet temperatures, the increase in steam temperature and pressure in boilers and the move towards higher temperature gasification in combined-cycle plants. In all these cases, the limits are set by the properties of the available materials. Among these limiting properties, the high temperature corrosion resistance ofmetals and alloys is vel}' significant.High temperature oxidation rates set an absolute limit, but there are processes which can lead to accelerated corrosion, often associated with impurities in the fuel or air, which lower the available temperatures still further. A number of specific cases are discussed, the underlying principles are outlined and methods of overcoming the various problems are suggested.
Standoff tracking of medical interventional devices using non-contact microwave thermoacoustic detection

Tracking of medical interventional devices is performed using non-contact microwave-induced thermoacoustic detection. The interventional device is modeled with an exposed tip coaxial probe in an agar phantom and it uses the inherent microwave excitation to generate modulated thermoacoustic signals. The resulting ultrasound signal is detected by custom designed capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) at a standoff and without any contact with the target. The dependency of the specific absorption rate (SAR) profile on the excitation frequency and probe tip length is examined in order to determine optimal operating conditions for resolution and signal level. An excitation frequency of 2.35 GHz is chosen and is amplitude-modulated with a 72 kHz pulse train to match the center frequency of the CMUTs. A two transducer system is employed to achieve cm-scale resolution via 2-dimensional location tracking using a modified trilateration technique.
Human attention filters for single colors

The visual images in the eyes contain much more information than the brain can process. An important selection mechanism is feature-based attention (FBA). FBA is best described by attention filters that specify precisely the extent to which items containing attended features are selectively processed and the extent to which items that do not contain the attended features are attenuated. The centroid-judgment paradigm enables quick, precise measurements of such human perceptual attention filters, analogous to transmission measurements of photographic color filters. Subjects use a mouse to locate the centroid-the center of gravity-of a briefly displayed cloud of dots and receive precise feedback. A subset of dots is distinguished by some characteristic, such as a different color, and subjects judge the centroid of only the distinguished subset (e.g., dots of a particular color). The analysis efficiently determines the precise weight in the judged centroid of dots of every color in the display (i.e., the attention filter for the particular attended color in that context). We report 32 attention filters for single colors. Attention filters that discriminate one saturated hue from among seven other equiluminant distractor hues are extraordinarily selective, achieving attended/unattended weight ratios >20:1. Attention filters for selecting a color that differs in saturation or lightness from distractors are much less selective than attention filters for hue (given equal discriminability of the colors), and their filter selectivities are proportional to the discriminability distance of neighboring colors, whereas in the same range hue attention-filter selectivity is virtually independent of discriminabilty.
Children’s Exploration of Physical Phenomena During Object Play

ABSTRACTResearchers propose that experiencing and manipulating physical principles through objects allows young children to formulate scientific intuitions that may serve as precursors to learning in STEM subjects. This may be especially true when children discover these physical principles through object affordances during play. The present study investigated preschoolers’ spontaneous explorations of physical phenomena during their object play experiences. It consisted of biweekly naturalistic observations of 20 children’s free play, carried out over 8 weeks in two northeastern United States preschools. Results demonstrated that children encountered a variety of physical concepts, including magnetism, forces, energy, tension, friction, and simple machines, as they engaged in spatial-mathematical activities, planned and executed play sequences, problem solved, and explored with objects available in their classrooms. The findings offer insights into the physical phenomena available to children through obje...
College education, major, or criminology classes? An examination of what drives students’ level of punitiveness

AbstractThis study examines the level of punitiveness of criminology and criminal justice (CRIM) majors and non-majors. In particular, undergraduate students from a mid-western university situated in a rural area were surveyed to determine if college education, major, or exposure to CRIM classes impacts their punitive attitudes towards offenders. Regression analyses suggest that it is not the number of CRIM classes or the liberalization effect of college but the major that best predicts the level of punitiveness. Results also indicate that predictors of punitiveness differ between CRIM majors and non-CRIM majors. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Vowel harmony in Akan a consideration of Stewarts word structure conditions

Stewart [1983] presents a new framework for the analysis of Akan vowel harmony in which Word Structure Conditions (WSCs) are introduced to account for word-level phonotactic regularities. It is shown here that the WSCs, rather than simplifying the analysis of Akan, impose unnecessary complexity on it, requiring us to restate the unitary process of vowel harmony as a number of formally unrelated rules. It is concluded that with one further modification, the analysis of Clements [1981] can be maintained.
Cure-on-Demand Acrylamide Grout Using Frontal Polymerization

AbstractAn acrylamide-based chemical grouting system has been developed that allows users to initiate the curing process on demand. After heating a localized area, the curing reaction propagates th...
Typh fevers: a combination of Typhoid and Typhus

Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella typhi, while typhus fever is a rickettsial infection. In both cases the patients present with almost similar pattern of illness and are often misdiagnosed. This is the case of a young lady who presented with 10 days history of fever and was diagnosed to have typhoid fever. She continued to be febrile despite ceftriaxone therapy. She was later found to have a typhus coinfection and improved with addition of doxycycline.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.8(6) 2017 40-41
Domain-Specific and Domain-General Individual Differences in Visual Object Recognition:

Research in visual object recognition has largely focused on mechanisms common to most people, but there is increased interest in whether and how people differ in the ability to recognize objects a...
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathways: Role and Outcomes in the Management of Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Radical cystectomy remains the gold standard therapy for the treatment of muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma, yet is accompanied by significant rates of perioperative complications and readmission. Enhanced recovery protocols aim to apply evidence-based principles of care to ameliorate the morbidity of this procedure by enabling better tolerance of and recovery from radical cystectomy. Multiple patient series have demonstrated the capacity for enhanced-recovery-after-surgery (ERAS) principles to improve outcomes among patients undergoing radical cystectomy through decreased incidence of gastrointestinal complications and decreased length of hospitalization without increased readmissions or overall morbidity. Opportunities remain for adoption of established ERAS principles.
Meaningful sandbox data

In Salesforce sandboxes, there is a need for meaningful data to test new functionalities. In the production environment, there is already good data, but that data does not move over automatically to a new sandbox. Salesforce will move some data over for you if you are willing to pay. There are other very time-consuming alternatives. We propose a new method of data migration where running one program will move over all over any data you may need.
Maternal Factors Affecting Lactation

In the development of this paper, the topic “maternal factors affecting lactation” has been interpreted as encompassing not only biological characteristics but also social and psychological traits and the context within which they operate. Since the scope of the topic is very broad, this discussion is limited to aspects that are not covered by other participants in this workshop. In particular, the effects of diet and anthropometry on lactation outcome have not been reviewed, although they would obviously fit within the purview of the topic. The main purpose of this paper is to categorize the types of maternal factors that have been hypothesized, or are known, to affect lactation, and to explore the links between sociobehavioral factors and the biology of lactation.
When is indexical information about speech activated? Evidence from a cross-modal priming experiment

Listeners were asked to judge talkers' sex from audio samples. Pictures of men, women, or a neutral visual stimulus were presented concurrent with, 150 ms before, or 150 ms after the spoken stimulus. Listeners' identification of sex for men's voices was most strongly affected by the visual stimulus when it was presented 150 ms after the stimulus. Voice-picture mismatches affected recognition of women's voices earlier than recognition of men's. Thus, while indexical information might most typically be activated late in processing, some socioindexical categories like sex can be activated early and remain active throughout processing.
Arthropod and annelid relationships re-examined

The prevailing view of two centuries recognizes annelid worms as the sister taxon of arthropods. However, recent studies have suggested that there are other animal groups nearer to annelids; under this view arthropods do not belong to the clade, Eutrochozoa Ghiselin, 1988, comprising annelids, molluscs, and several other protostome phyla. This recent work is based on both morphology (Eernisse et al., 1992; Schram and Ellis, 1995) and molecular sequence comparisons; the latter is based on several gene regions, including 18S rRNA (Field et al., 1988; Ghiselin, 1988; Patterson, 1989; Lake, 1990; Turbeville et al., 1991; Ruitort et al., 1993; Valentine, 1994; Halanych et al., 1995; Winnepenninckx et al., 1995a,b; Giribet et al., 1996), mitochondrial 12S rRNA (Ballard et al., 1992), and the two largest subunits of RNA polymerase II (Sidow and Thomas, 1994). However, Rouse and Fauchald (1995) continued to find support for the conventional grouping of annelids and arthropods as sister taxa, termed Articulata Cuvier, 1817, in their cladistic analysis based on 13 morphological characters.
Composite Hybrid Techniques For Defending Against Targeted Attacks

We investigate the use of hybrid techniques as a defensive mechanism against targeted attacks and introduce Shadow Honeypots, a novel hybrid architecture that combines the best features of honeypots and anomaly detection. At a high level, we use a variety of anomaly detectors to monitor all traffic to a protected network/service. Traffic that is considered anomalous is processed by a ”shadow honeypot” to determine the accuracy of the anomaly prediction. The shadow is an instance of the protected software that shares all internal state with a regular (”production”) instance of the application, and is instrumented to detect potential attacks. Attacks against the shadow are caught, and any incurred state changes are discarded. Legitimate traffic that was misclassified will be validated by the shadow and will be handled correctly by the system transparently to the end user. The outcome of processing a request by the shadow is used to filter future attack instances and could be used to update the anomaly detector.
Editorial for the Special Issue on Micro/Nano-Chip Electrokinetics, Volume II

With the support from contributors and the help from peer reviewers, the Special Issue on Micro/Nano-Chip Electrokinetics (Volume III) published fourteen regular research articles and one review article [...]
Solar Power and Electricity Market in Saudi Arabia

Electricity is essential in daily life and it is difficult to imagine a life without it. When its supply is not sufficient, people's daily activities can be interrupted. Small sellers with batteries can form an electricity market and they can supply a supplement amount of electricity that is needed during a peak consumption time instead of building a large-scale power plant. As a case study, Saudi Arabia's electricity market is studied. The people in Saudi Arabia, especially in hot regions such as Jazan (or Jizan), experience the interruption of the electricity especially during the summer season for two reasons [1]. The first reason is Jazan has hot weather and whenever the hot weather increases, the demand of the electricity will increase. The second reason is there are few power plants that can provide enough electricity for people. This paper will explore the possibility of generating electricity using numerous solar panels with batteries by simulation.
Fiber type-selective exercise effects on AS160 phosphorylation.

Earlier research using muscle tissue demonstrated that postexercise elevation in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (ISGU) occurs concomitant with greater insulin-stimulated Akt substrate of 160 kDa...
Bladder Cancer in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

AbstractA total of 8 cases of bladder cancer in spinal cord injury men (4 quadriplegics and 4 paraplegics) was seen at 3 medical centers since 1985. All 8 men had a hyperreflexic bladder and 3 of them had associated detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia. Upper tract changes were noted in 4 patients: 2 with distal ureterectasis and 2 with mild hydronephrosis. Only 1 of these men did not have historical films with which to compare results. Histology was transitional cell carcinoma in 6 men and squamous cell carcinoma in 2. Four patients presented with muscle invasion and 1 presented with diffuse carcinoma in situ involving the penile urethra. Three patients presented with superficial transitional cell carcinoma and 2 of them had progression to muscle invasion within 6 and 11 months. All but 2 of the patients with invasive disease underwent a radical operation and urinary diversion. Although followup is short (range 6 to 17 months), 5 patients are well with no evidence of disease and of the 3 who died 2 had no evid...