cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dealkylation of Alkylbenzenes: A Significant Pathway in the Toluene, o-, m-, p-Xylene + OH Reaction

The OH-radical initiated oxidation of a series of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, o-, m-, and p-xylene) in the presence of oxygen and NOx was investigated in a flowtube coupled with a chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS). OH-radical addition to the aromatic ring — the major reaction pathway — has previously been shown to have a particular sensitivity to experimental conditions. This is the first flowtube study that demonstrates the atmospheric relevance of product yields from the OH-addition channel on the millisecond time scale (35−75 ms); the phenol yield from benzene and cresol yields from toluene are found to be 51.0 ± 4.3% and 17.7 ± 2.1%, in excellent agreement with previous studies under close to atmospheric conditions. We further report unambiguous experimental evidence that dealkylation is a novel and significant pathway for toluene and o-, m-, and p-xylene oxidation. At 150 Torr of O2 partial pressure, toluene is found to dealkylate with a yield of 5.4 ± 1.2% phenol; ...
Design and Development of a Portable Off-Grid Water Chlorination System

The design and fabrication of a portable water chlorination system is described. The backbone of the system is a custom-designed, efficient, and easily operated chlorine electrolysis cell. The cell produces concentrated hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a form of chlorine that readily kills harmful pathogens in untreated water. The cell is fabricated from durable yet inexpensive materials and requires only two inputs: (1) 12 volts of direct current, which can be supplied with standard car batteries that are commonplace worldwide, and (2) 800 milliliters of 0.43 molar sodium chloride solution, which can be substituted with seawater. The system was first tested in the laboratory under controlled conditions. The cell was powered for 70 minutes and samples of the solution were taken in 10-minute intervals. The hypochlorite ion (OCl− ) concentration was measured with a UV-visible light spectrophotometer. The results show that the cell produces enough hypochlorite in one hour to disinfect up to 1500 liters of clear surface water or 750 liters of turbid water. Successful laboratory test results led to field tests utilizing a solar photovoltaic power supply. Preliminary results of these tests are presented.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Implications of MR contrast standardization on image computing

The process of transforming the non-linear magnetic field perturbations induced by radiowaves into linear reconstructions based on Radon and Fourier transforms has resulted in MR acquisitions in which intensities do not have a fixed meaning, not even within the same protocol, for the same body region, for images obtained on the same scanner, for the same patient, on the same day. This makes robust image interpretation and processing extremely challenging. The status quo of fine tuning an image processing algorithm with the ever-varying MRI intensity space could best be summarized as a " random search through the parameter space ". This work demonstrates the implications of standardizing the contrast across multiple tissue types on the robustness and efficiency of image processing algorithms. Contrast standardization is performed using a prior-knowledge driven feature-guided, fast, non-linear equalization technique. Without loss of generality, skull stripping and brain tissue segmentation are considered in this investigation. Results show that the iterative image processing algorithms converge faster with minimal parameter tweaking and the abstractions are significantly better in the contrast standardized space than in the native stochastic space.
Goldstone theorem in the Gaussian functional approximation to the scalarφ 4 theory

We verify the Goldstone theorem in the Gaussian functional approximation to theφ 4 theory with internalO(2) symmetry. We do so by reformulating the Gaussian approximation in terms of Schwinger-Dyson equations from which an explicit demonstration of the Goldstone theorem follows directly. Axial current conservation is also shown to hold.
A NETWORK RECOURSE DECOMPOSITION METHOD FOR DYNAMIC NETWORKS WITH RANDOM ARC CAPACITIES.

We study a class of two-stage dynamic networks with random arc capacities where the decisions in the first stage must be made before realizing the random quantities in the second stage. The expected total cost of the second stage is a function of the first-stage decisions, known as the expected recourse function, which is generally intractable. This paper proposes a new method to approximate the expected recourse function as a convex, separable function of the supplies to the second stage. First, the second-stage network is decomposed using Lagrangian relaxation into tree subproblems whose expected recourse functions are numerically tractable. Subgradient optimization is then used to update the Lagrange multipliers to improve the approximations. Numerical experiments show that this structural decomposition approach can produce high-quality approximations of the expected recourse functions for large stochastic networks. © 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Role of oscillatory potential and pacemaker shifts in digitalis intoxication of the sinoatrial node.

BACKGROUNDDigitalis intoxication causes tachycardia, pacemaker shifts, and conduction disturbances in the sinoatrial (SA) node, but the mechanisms underlying these changes have not been clarified. We studied the role played by oscillatory potentials, electrical inhomogeneity, and calcium overload in cardiac steroid intoxication of the SA node.METHODS AND RESULTSGuinea pig SA nodes (isolated from atrial tissue) were perfused in vitro. Transmembrane potentials and force were recorded. Strophanthidin (1 mumol/L) induced minor changes, although it was perfused for more than 30 minutes. In contrast, ouabain (0.5 mumol/L) and digoxin (1 mumol/L) intoxicated the SA node in 10-20 minutes. Ouabain and digoxin increased spontaneous rate and slope of diastolic depolarization, shifted the plateau to more negative values, and decreased the maximum diastolic potential. These cardiac steroids increased and then decreased contractile force and eventually caused the action potential and twitch to become irregular in ampli...
Communication and the intercultural reentry: A course proposal

The study of communication processes associated with the reentry of individuals to their native culture after an international sojourn is the focus of the course described in this essay. The essay provides the rationale for such a course and description of the course.
Psychiatric emergencies in the general hospital.

Abstract Using a psychiatric consultation data base, 1257 referrals were classified into “stat” (14%), “today” (44%), and “routine” (42%) status of urgency. “Stat” referrals compared to the “today” and “routine” group were more likely to be male, highly educated, and 20–39 years old or over 80 years of age. The “stat” group was referred more often for the management of behavior and suicide risk evaluation, and received more diagnoses of organic mental disorders than the other referrals. An increased number of “stat” patients required constant observation on the medical/surgical ward, narcotic or neuroleptic administration, and inpatient psychiatric treatment.
Asymmetric synthesis of highly functionalized polyazamacrocycles via reduction of cyclic peptide precursors

Abstract A general synthetic method for the preparation of carbon-functionalized polyazamacrocycles from the corresponding cyclic peptides is described.
Morphological changes in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and median eminence in the golden hamster during the neonatal period

The purpose of the present investigation was to study the ultrastructure of the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and median eminence of hamsters on days 1-15 of the neonatal period. From days 1-6, the neurons of the ARC had large nuclei and a small amount of cytoplasm which contained polysomes, mitochondria, RER, lysosomes and Golgi complexes. From days 7-15 there was an increase in the amount of cytoplasm as well as more extensive Golgi complexes and RER. Astrocytes were the predominant glial component in both the ARC and median eminence. Astrocytic processes were in juxtaposition to unmyelinated axons, dendrites, and synapses. Axodendritic and axosomatic synapses containing clear vesicles were observed in the neuropil on day 1. There was an increase in the number of dense-core vesicles in the axonal endings beginning on day 4. Concomitantly, there were increasing numbers of clear and dense-core vesicles (64-70 nm) in terminals of the external layer of the median eminence, whereas larger dense-core vesicles (105-140 nm) were distinguishable by day 10 immediately dorsal to the external layer. The capillaries of the median eminence were composed of nonfenestrated endothelium from days 1-9. Fenestrae began to appear about day 10. Ependymal cells lining the third ventricle had pinocytotic vesicles, microvilli, and bleb-like protrusions on their apical surfaces. Ependymal processes were adjacent to nerve processes in the neuropil of the ARC and in the external layer of the median eminence, where they contacted the perivascular space. Two types of supraependymal cells were seen in animals throughout the neonatal period. One resembled a neuron which sent processes along the ependymal surface and often between cells. The second type was similar to a macrophage. The results of this study demonstrate the maturation of the neural elements in the ARC/median eminence area of the neonatal hamster.
Investigating the use of porous, hollow glass microspheres in positive lead acid battery plates

Abstract Porous, hollow, glass microspheres (PHGMs) can be used to increase porosity in lead acid battery electrodes to improve the battery's power and energy performance at higher discharge rates. As reported in this paper, the PHGM additives did improve electrolyte storage and porosity in the electrodes. However, the nonconductive PHGMs do reduce the critical volume fraction (CVF) of the electrodes as predicted from conductivity models. The increase in electrode performance due to increased porosity may therefore be partially offset by the drop in capacity due to a lower critical volume fraction. Empirical equations are developed that relate the CFV and porosity of an electrode to the amount, size, and porosity of the additives in that electrode. The porosity estimates made from the empirical equations compare favorably with the experimental data from plates fabricated with these additives. The performance of electrodes with additives is estimated from computer models using the electrode's CVF and porosity as provided by the equations. Tests were performed on plates having volume loadings of PHGMs from 11% to 44% of total solids in positive electrodes to determine their effect on active material utilizations. The results from these discharge tests are reported and compared with theoretical models.
Strong and weak plasma response to dietary carotenoids identified by cluster analysis and linked to beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase 1 single nucleotide polymorphisms☆

The mechanisms as well the genetics underlying the bioavailability and metabolism of carotenoids in humans remain unclear. To begin to address these questions, we used cluster analysis to examine individual temporal responses of plasma carotenoids from a controlled-diet study of subjects who consumed carotenoid-rich beverages. Treatments, given daily for 3 weeks, were watermelon juice at two levels (20-mg lycopene, 2.5-mg β-carotene, n=23 and 40-mg lycopene, 5-mg β-carotene, n=12) and tomato juice (18-mg lycopene, 0.6-mg β-carotene, n=10). Cluster analysis revealed distinct groups of subjects differing in the temporal response of plasma carotenoids and provided the basis for classifying subjects as strong responders or weak responders for β-carotene, lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene. Individuals who were strong or weak responders for one carotenoid were not necessarily strong or weak responders for another carotenoid. Furthermore, individual responsiveness was associated with genetic variants of the carotenoid metabolizing enzyme β-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase 1. These results support the concept that individuals absorb or metabolize carotenoids differently across time and suggest that bioavailability of carotenoids may involve specific genetic variants of β-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase 1.
The development of two texture variants and their effect on the mechanical behavior of a high strength P/M aluminum alloy, X7091

The influence of texture on the deformation behavior and monotonic and cyclic properties of two recrystallized P/MX7091-T651 plates was investigated. Thermal mechanical treatments were used to produced two different textures which varied in intensity by a factor of four. The two plates had similar grain and precipitate structures. The deformation behavior and mechanical properties were correlated with grain orientation and grain boundary misorientation. Differences in fracture surface roughness and crack deflection frequencies were observed for the two texture variants during fatigue crack propagation studies. Deformation behavior, crack closure, and crack deflection affected the fatigue crack growth rates. A small but measurable improvement in tensile strength, fatigue strength, and fatigue crack growth resistance was obtained in the sharply textured material when compared with the weakly textured counterpart.
Quantum Efficiency Analysis of InAs–GaSb Type-II Superlattice Photodiodes

We compare the experimentally measured and theoretically calculated quantum efficiency (QE), where an analytical drift-diffusion photocurrent model is used, of n+ -on-p InAs-GaSb superlattice (SL) photodiodes. With inputs of the transport parameters obtained by the electron-beam-induced current technique and absorption coefficient spectra calculated by the eight-band kldrp method for the p-SL, n+ -SL, and depletion region, taking into account the band filling effect, we show that the drift-diffusion photocurrent model is a good approximation for the InAs-GaSb type-II SL photodiodes, which implies that the SL depletion region in InAs-GaSb SL photodiodes is as effective as that in bulk semiconductor photodiodes in terms of collecting the photo-excited electron-hole pairs. Using this theoretical model, we also find that the high doping density in n-type SL degrades the QE by reducing the absorption coefficient. As a result, the n-type doping density is suggested to be below 1times1017cm-3 in order to optimize the QE for the studied InAs-GaSb SL photodiodes.
Quantitative characterization of carrier transport in nanowire photodetectors

Scanning photocurrent microscopy was used to study carrier transport processes in semiconductor nanowire photodetectors. Under high-level local carrier injection in CdS nanowire devices, spatially non-uniform photocurrent distributions were observed and explained in terms of bipolar transport with spatially separated electrons and holes. The mobility-lifetime product, (μτ)*, for both electrons and holes was determined in intrinsic CdS nanowire photodetectors under high-level injection. (μτ)* was enhanced compared to the bulk values as a result of the carrier spatial separation. Local time-resolved photocurrent measurements supported this interpretation of the enhanced (μτ)*. Global timeresolved photocurrent measurements were used to establish a 10%-90% rise time of ~ 6ns (limited by the instrument response) and a 90%-10% fall time of ~ 20ns for the nanowire photodetectors. A small fraction of the total photocurrent exhibited a long power-law decay attributed to carrier trapping/detrapping processes, and characteristic shallow trap energy of 60meV was extracted. Spatially uniform photocurrent profiles were observed in Si nanowire photodetectors under low-level injection conditions, consistent with unipolar minority carrier transport. Under varying biases, consistent variations in the photocurrent profiles were observed and attributed to the effect of the applied electric fields on drift and diffusion of minority carriers.
Water Quality Characterization in the Northern Florida Everglades

The Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) developed as a system with waters low in nutrients. Today, the Refuge wetlands are impacted by inflows containing elevated nutrient concentrations originating from agricultural sources flowing into canals surrounding the west side and from urban and horticultural areas flowing into canals surrounding the eastern side of the Refuge. We analyzed water quality sampled at 40 sites divided into eastern and western areas and four zones in the Refuge. We defined four zones as the canals surrounding the Refuge marsh, the perimeter zone, the transition zone, and the interior zone. The canal receiving agricultural inflows had greater alkalinity and conductivity (SpC), Si and SO4 but lower turbidity and total suspended solids than the canal receiving urban and horticultural inflows. Alkalinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), SpC, Ca, Cl, and SO4 concentrations were greater in the perimeter than in transition and interior zones. Alkalinity and SpC values and SO4 concentrations were greater in the transition than in interior zone. Alkalinity, SpC, and TDS values and Ca, SO4, and Cl concentrations correlated in negative curvilinear relationships with distance from the canal (r2 = 0.78, 0.70, 0.61, 0.78, 0.64, 0.57, respectively). Analysis of multiple water quality parameters may reveal the complexity of interactions that might be overlooked in a simple single parameter analysis. These data show an impact of canal water containing high nutrient concentrations on water quality flowing from the canal towards the Refuge interior.
Spartan 201 white light coronagraph experiment

A white light coronagraph was launched into orbit aboard the space shuttle OV 103 (Discovery) on 7 April 1993. This device was one of two instruments included in the SPARTAN 201-1 payload, a completely autonomous sub-satellite deployed from the shuttle for a period of about 47 hours. The WLC system is an externally occulted coronagraph system which incorporates a rotating half-wave plate polarimeter, and the image data is used to infer the brightness, the polarized brightness and the degree of polarization of the white light emission from the solar corona. These data are in turn used to infer estimates of the K- and F-coronal brightnesses and density distributions. We shall present preliminary results of the electron density estimate in the coronal streamer and hole region and describe the methods employed.
Induction of maternal behavior in adult female rats following chronic morphine exposure during puberty.

The peripubertal period in the female rat is the time when the stimulatory effects of opioids on prolactin (PRL) secretion develop. In the adult rat, the administration of chronic high-dose morphine has been shown to attenuate the ability of opiates to stimulate PRL secretion. One function of PRL in adult virgin rats is the induction of maternal behavior. The present study examined whether chronic high-dose morphine exposure during the peripubertal period alters PRL-mediated induction of maternal behavior in adult female rats. Two groups of juvenile female rats were administered increasing doses of morphine or vehicle (sc) from age 30 to 50 days. As adults, these females either remained intact or were ovariectomized and treated with a PRL-dependent, steroid hormone regimen that stimulates a rapid onset of maternal behavior. All females were then exposed daily to rat foster pups to determine whether peripubertal morphine exposure affected their latencies to induce maternal behavior. Morphine treatment resulted in a delay in vaginal opening and a temporary reduction in the rate of weight gain; however, the rate of onset of maternal behavior was unaffected by peripubertal morphine treatment. Thus, chronic morphine exposure in the pubertal female did not impact the expression of pup-induced maternal care. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 43: 367–372, 2003.
DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM PARTICLE SIZE FOR LOW‐FAT, PRECOOKED GROUND BEEF PATTIES

Low-fat (10%) beef patties varying in particle size, C (Comitrol7® flaked), CG (mixture of flaked and ground) and G (coarse-ground) were precooked, frozen and microwave reheated for sensory, instrumental and compositional evaluations. Treatment G had higher cooking and reheating losses, higher shear values and lower final yields. Additionally, G was harder, denser, more easily fractured and less juicy than other treatments. All treatments were similar in sensory flavor attributes. C had the least cooking and reheating losses, lower shear values and higher final yields; however, it also showed surface “puffing” and an internal air pocket after microwave reheating which could be a disadvantage. Results indicated that physical shape, size or density of meat particles played a major role in textural traits. For optimum yield and textural properties, low-fat, precooked beef patties targeted for the frozen market probably should be manufactured using a Comitrol®-grinding (CG) combination.
Different rectal toxicity tolerance with and without simultaneous conventionally-fractionated pelvic lymph node treatment in patients receiving hypofractionated prostate radiotherapy.

Purpose: To investigate added morbidity associated with the addition of pelvic elective nodal irradiation (ENI) to hypofractionated radiotherapy to the prostate. Methods and materials: Two-hundred twelve patients, treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy to the prostate between 2004 and 2011, met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. All patients received 70 Gy to the prostate delivered over 28 fractions and 103 (49%) received ENI consisting of 50.4 Gy to the pelvic lymphatics delivered simultaneously in 1.8 Gy fractions. The mean dose-volume histograms were compared between the two subgroups defined by use of ENI, and various dose-volume parameters were analyzed for effect on late lower gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity. Results: Acute grade 2 lower GI toxicity occurred in 38 (37%) patients receiving ENI versus 19 (17%) in those who did not (p=0.001). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of grade ≥2 lower GI toxicity at 3 years was 15.3% for patients receiving ENI versus 5.3% for those who did not (p=0.026). Each rectal isodose volume was increased for patients receiving ENI up to 50 Gy (p ≤0.021 for each 5 Gy increment). Across all patients, the absolute V70 of the rectum was the only predictor of late GI toxicity. When subgroups, defined by the use of ENI, were analyzed separately, rectal V70 was only predictive of late GI toxicity for patients who received ENI. For patients receiving ENI, V70> 3 cc was associated with an increased risk of late GI events. Conclusions: Elective nodal irradiation increases the rates of acute and late GI toxicity when delivered simultaneously with hypofractioanted prostate radiotherapy. The use of ENI appears to sensitize the rectum to hot spots, therefore we recommend added caution to minimize the volume of rectum receiving 100% of the prescription dose in these patients.
Social Capital: Maturation of a Field of Research

Over the past decade social capital has matured from a concept into a field of research. We identify some of the main theoretical developments over this period and point to some areas where further work appears warranted. We argue that the basic social capital thesis has now been widely accepted across a range of disciplines and fields, and that research is therefore naturally shifting toward more specific aspects and mechanisms.
Distinctiveness in the face of gene flow: hybridization between specialist and generalist gartersnakes

Patterns of divergence and polymorphism across hybrid zones can provide important clues as to their origin and maintenance. Unimodal hybrid zones or hybrid swarms are composed predominantly of recombinant individuals whose genomes are patchworks of alleles derived from each parental lineage. In contrast, bimodal hybrid zones contain few identifiable hybrids; most individuals fall within distinct genetic clusters. Distinguishing between hybrid swarms and bimodal hybrid zones can be important for taxonomic and conservation decisions regarding the status and value of hybrid populations. In addition, the causes of bimodality are important in understanding the generation and maintenance of biological diversity. For example, are distinct clusters mostly reproductively isolated and co-adapted gene complexes, or can distinctiveness be maintained by a few ‘genomic islands’ despite rampant gene flow across much of the genome? Here we focus on three patterns of distinctiveness in the face of gene flow between gartersnake taxa in the Great Lakes region of North America. Bimodality, the persistence of distinct clusters of genotypes, requires strong barriers to gene flow and supports recognition of distinct specialist (Thamnophis butleri) and generalist (Thamnophis radix) taxa. Concordance of DNA-based clusters with morphometrics supports the hypothesis that trophic morphology is a key component of divergence. Finally, disparity in the level of differentiation across molecular markers (amplified fragment length polymorphisms) indicates that distinctiveness is maintained by strong selection on a few traits despite high gene flow currently or in the recent past.
Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 in agro-ecosystems on soil carbon storage

Increasing global atmospheric CO2 concentration has led to concerns regarding its potential effects on the terrestrial environment. Attempts to balance the atmospheric carbon (C) budget have met with a large shortfall in C accounting (≈1.4 × 1015 g C y–1) and this has led to the hypothesis that C is being stored in the soil of terrestrial ecosystems. This study examined the effects of CO2 enrichment on soil C storage in C3 soybean (Glycine max L.) Merr. and C4 grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Moench. agro-ecosystems established on a Blanton loamy sand (loamy siliceous, thermic, Grossarenic Paleudults). The study was a split-plot design replicated three times with two crop species (soybean and grain sorghum) as the main plots and two CO2 concentration (ambient and twice ambient) as subplots using open top field chambers. Carbon isotopic techniques using δ13C were used to track the input of new C into the soil system. At the end of two years, shifts in δ13C content of soil organic matter carbon were observed to a depth of 30 cm. Calculated new C in soil organic matter with grain sorghum was greater for elevated CO2 vs. ambient CO2 (162 and 29 g m–2, respectively), but with soybean the new C in soil organic matter was less for elevated CO2 vs. ambient CO2 (120 and 291 g m–2, respectively). A significant increase in mineral associated organic C was observed in 1993 which may result in increased soil C storage over the long-term, however, little change in total soil organic C was observed under either plant species. These data indicate that elevated atmospheric CO2 resulted in changes in soil C dynamics in agro-ecosystems that are crop species dependent.
UWB dielectric resonator antenna mounted on a vertical ground plane edge

A novel UWB DRA structure was designed. By using vertical partial ground plane, impedance bandwidth of 81% was achieved. The antenna is simple and compact in size. Furthermore, it can be used portable to several applications.
Determinants of Representatives' Votes on the Flake Amendment to End National Science Foundation Funding of Political Science Research

In May 2012, political scientists learned of efforts by representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ) to eliminate political science funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget. The American Political Science Association (APSA) was caught off-guard, and concerned political scientists scrambled to contact their representatives and urge the amendment's defeat. Flake's initial effort to cut funds overall from the NSF was defeated, but a second measure, specifically to keep the NSF from funding political science, passed only hours later. This was the second time in three years that legislators targeted the NSF Political Science Program. Although these measures have been sponsored and widely supported by Republicans, some Democrats have supported these measures as well. This article examines the vote on the Flake Amendment to understand why individual representatives voted for or against cutting NSF funding for political science research.
Gene Expression in a Wild Autopolyploid Sunflower Series

Polyploidy, or genome doubling, is a common mechanism in the evolution of plants. This genome duplication can rapidly lead to genomic changes between ploidy levels. In particular, allopolyploids that result from interspecific hybridization can show a large number of changes in gene expression immediately after the polyploidy event. These are likely due to epigenetic changes that do not alter the underlying DNA sequence. This may be due in part to the hybrid origin of these allopolyploids. In autopolyploids, a small number of studies have shown that there may also be some gene expression changes between ploidy levels, albeit to a much smaller degree. However, these studies have focused on inbred lines of single populations. This study examines silencing and/or novel gene expression in diploid, autotetraploid, and autohexaploid lineages of Helianthus decapetalus. Using cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism, we examined gene expression in 5 populations of these lineages. The results show no ploidy level-specific differences in gene silencing or novel gene expression. All gene expression differences are among populations and may be due to independent evolutionary origins. These results support the conclusions of previous studies that gene expression differences among allopolyploids are likely due in large part to the hybrid nature of these lineages.
A RESOURCE-BASED VIEW OF NEW FIRM SURVIVAL: NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE ROLE OF INDUSTRY AND EXIT ROUTE

This article explores factors affecting the survival and exit routes of new firms created in 2004 using data from the Kauffman Firm Survey. We draw upon the Resource-Based View to test several hypotheses regarding the impact of both tangible and intangible resources on new firm survival in both service and non-service firms. We also distinguish between two types of exit: closures (permanently stopped operations) and mergers or acquisitions. Our results reveal that, although service and non-service firms may differ in terms of industry structure, the fundamental resources that contribute to their survival are the same: education, work and life experience and adequate levels of startup financial capital. In spite of these similarities, our results did reveal industry differences in terms of exit. We found serial entrepreneurs in the service sector were more likely to exit through merger or acquisition. Conversely, intellectual property decreased the likelihood of exit through merger or acquisition for non-service firms. Thus, our findings revealed a link between human capital, industry and exit route for this sample of new firms.
Documentation of oral versus intravenous chemotherapy plans in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.

Documentation of discussions regarding the goals and course of chemotherapy administration for patients with metastatic NSCLC does not meet ASCO QOPI quality standards, especially for individuals prescribed oral agents.
Upcoming Leadership Elections

AGU continues to evolve into a stronger, more innovative organization thanks to the dedication of volunteer leaders working in partnership with AGU staff. The Board and Council, which form the core of AGU's bicameral governance structure, provide guidance for the organization within the framework of its stakeholder-driven strategic plan. Members elected to Board and Council leadership positions are critically important to AGU's continued success.
Connecting the social and technical aspects of computing with visualization

In software development projects, dependencies between developers arise from dependencies in the source-code they write. This observation emerged in our own field studies and the related literature. In response, we created Ariadne, a visualization tool that allows end-users to explore socio-technical relationships in software development projects.
Radiometric calibration of earth-observing sensors using an automated test site at Railroad Valley, Nevada

The Remote Sensing Group (RSG) at the University of Arizona uses the reflectance-based approach to radiometrically calibrate airborne and spaceborne sensors in the solar-reflective regime. The Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS) concept was developed in 2004 to increase the amount of ground-based data collected. RadCaTS provides a methodology to determine the surface reflectance for any arbitrary test site in the absence of ground personnel. It is founded on the reflectance-based approach and has successfully operated at Railroad Valley, Nevada, with a suite of instruments including nadir-viewing multispectral radiometers, a Cimel sun photometer, and a meteorological station. RadCaTS data are currently used by RSG to supplement those collected by on-site personnel. This work presents a description of the RadCaTS automated concept, including the process used to determine surface reflectance and top-of-atmosphere (TOA) spectral radiance. The instrumentation required to measure the surface and atmosp...
Age-related changes in biotransformation of azoxymethane and methylazoxymethanol in vitro

1. Age-related changes in hepatic hydroxylation of azoxymethane (AZO) to methylazoxymethanol (MAM), as well as colonic phase I metabolism of MAM by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) were examined in young (2-4 months), middle-aged (12-14 months), and old (22-24 months) male Fischer 344 rats. In addition, the possibility that colonic glucuronyltransferase might be involved in the biotransformation of MAM was also investigated. 2. A significant decrease in hepatic conversion of AZO to MAM was found in old vs young rats, concomitant with a decrease in hepatic cytochrome P-450 content, while no age-related difference was found in the colonic metabolism of MAM by ADH. MAM inhibition of colonic 4-methylumbelliferone glucuronyltransferase was non-competitive, suggesting indirectly that colonic glucuronyltransferase is not involved in conjugation of MAM. 3. It is concluded that ageing in the male Fischer 344 rat results in alternations of AZO and MAM biotransformation which indicate that AZO may be less carcinogenic in older rats.
Determination of effective elastic properties of functionally graded materials using Voronoi cell finite element method

A Voronoi cell finite element method (VCFEM) has been implemented into the commercial finite element package ABAQUS and used to determine the effective microstructure-dependent elastic properties (the Young's modulus and the Poisson's ratio) of functionally graded materials (FGMs). Before applying VCFEM to FGM, the microstructure of FGM has been idealized as follows. At low volume fractions of either of the two materials in FGM, the microstructure is taken to consist of discrete particles embedded in a continuous matrix. In the region of FGM where the volume fractions of the two materials are comparable, the microstructure is taken to consist of intertwined clusters of the materials. In addition, for both types of microstructures, void inclusions are introduced to account for the porosity in FGM. Application of VCFEM to Ni/MgO and Ni3Al/TiC yielded the values of the effective elastic properties which are in significantly better agreement with the experimental values than the values predicted by the commonly used Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method and the self consistent method.
On positive controllers and linear quadratic optimal control problems

An assumption on the non-negative solutions of quadratic equations has been used to study linear quadratic optimal control problems with positive controllers. This note investigates this assumption in more detail.
Political Liberalism vs. “The Great Game of Politics”: The Politics of Political Liberalism

How political is Rawls's political liberalism? By calling his theory “political liberalism,” he means something, as he says, “quite different … from what the reader is likely to suppose.” In particular, he distances his theory from the hurly-burly of electoral contests and the deal-making of legislative log-rolling. By “political”, Rawls mainly intends to contrast his theory with those that rely on metaphysical foundations. But Rawls's theory is political in at least one ordinary sense: it is not meant to be only a theory. He does not intend to offer the kind of utopian account that stands across an unbridgeable gap from the sentiments, opinions, and institutions of everyday politics. On the contrary, as a “realistic utopia” his theory is a blueprint for a building that can in fact be built. What part does politics play in this picture? How much distance does Rawls put between political liberalism and “what the reader is likely to suppose”? Does politics as it is normally understood both popularly and in much democratic theory recede into the far distance? Does it disappear altogether?Russell Muirhead is Associate Professor of Government at Harvard University (muirhead@fas.harvard.edu); Nancy L Rosenblum is Senator Joseph Clark Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government at Harvard University (nrosenblum@latte.harvard.edu). The authors would like to thank Corey Brettschneider and Erin Kelly for helpful comments.
Pulsation of Ventilated Cavities

Abstract : The problem of pulsating supercavities under artificial ventilation is analytically treated as a resonance problem of a two-dimensional gasliquid system using a linearized method. A simple kinematical consideration and a dynamical model of the flow lead to solutions for frequency and amplitude of pulsations. The criteria of pulsation is given in terms of a formula relating the cavitation number based on the vapor pressure and the cavitation number based on cavity pressure. Maximum air carrying capacities of pulsating cavities are also estimated. Most of the formulas involve an undetermined constant which must be estimated by using experimental data. The analytical results are compared with the experimental data obtained at the St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory, and in general, good agreement is obtained. It is found that pulsation is possible only for a two-dimensional cavity or a cavity in which a substantial portion of the span can be regarded as two-dimensional. The existence of a free surface is also essential to pulsation. The strong effect of the free surface suggests that pulsation may become an important problem in the open sea only when submergence is relatively small. (Author)
Modeling the Stress Process: Personality Eclipses Dysfunctional Cognitions and Workload in Predicting Stress

Abstract In the occupational stress literature, research results demonstrate that the trait of neuroticism (or negative affectivity) is related to perceived stress, in some cases, regardless of the level of external stressors such as workload. Further, dysfunctional thinking patterns can create or worsen psychological stress. Taking a holistic approach, our model of the stress process included three important constructs: traits, cognitions, and workload. Traditional conceptualizations of the stress process suggest that increases in workload result in increased perceived stress. Results from the stress model, tested using structural equation modeling (χ2(4) = 8.73, p > .05), suggest that the primary driver of perceived stress is neuroticism (β = .52, p
Reliability Analysis of the Emergency Power Supply System of the Starfire Tokamak

Early attention to safety will ensure that the potential safety advantages of fusion are realized. Reliability analysis techniques are applied to a major safety system, the emergency power supply system, using the STARFIRE design as an example. The median failure probability of this system is found to be 2 X 10/sup -6/ at shutdown, with an error factor of 5. This is comparable with the reliability of similar systems in existing fission power stations.
An ultrasonically controlled power management system for implantable biomedical devices

In this paper, we introduce an ultrasonically controlled power management system that can turn a battery-powered implantable device on or off on-demand, hence, saving valuable energy resources. Ultrasonic control is employed to reduce the device size and increase the penetration depth. A rapid-prototyping laser-assisted circuit printing method is also introduced in order to reduce the fabrication cost and size of the ultrasonic control module. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, a 672 kHz ultrasonic signal is used to activate a piezoelectric receiver, which in turn switches a battery-powered system on-and-off. In-vitro tests show a reliable switching functionality at distances of up to 6.7 cm at 46 mW/cm2 acoustic input power while consuming 0.15 μA when the system is off, a factor of 10–100 times lower than the sleep-mode power consumption of typical RF SoC systems. The dimensions of the receiver prototype is 0.8 × 1.6 × 0.2 cm3 allowing it to be easily incorporated into many existing implantable devices.
Canine liver releases neuropeptide Y during sympathetic nerve stimulation

To determine whether the liver or gut releases neuropeptide Y (NPY) from their sympathetic nerves, we performed bilateral thoracic sympathetic nerve stimulation (BTSNS) in halothane-anesthetized dogs and calculated gut and liver NPY spillover. BTSNS markedly increased hepatic NPY spillover (delta = +32 +/- 8 ng/min) and arterial NPY concentration (delta = +220 +/- 56 pg/ml), despite no effect on gut NPY spillover (delta = +8 +/- 7 ng/min). To determine the liver's contribution to this increase of circulating NPY, hepatic nerves were selectively stimulated (HNS). Liver NPY spillover increased markedly (delta = +114 +/- 42 ng/min, P < 0.025) during HNS, causing a large increase of arterial NPY (delta = +586 +/- 237 pg/ml, P < 0.025). Using this ratio of liver spillover to arterial increments of NPY, we calculated that the liver makes a major contribution (70%) to circulating NPY levels during BTSNS. The predominant form of canine NPY coeluted with synthetic [Met17]NPY and the minor form of canine NPY coeluted with the oxidized form of [Met17]NPY on high-performance liquid chromatography. We therefore conclude that dog NPY is likely [Met17]NPY and that the liver, rather than the gut, is a major source of circulating NPY during sympathetic nerve stimulation and perhaps stress.
Differentially Private Synthesization of Multi-Dimensional Data using Copula Functions

Differential privacy has recently emerged in private statistical data release as one of the strongest privacy guarantees. Most of the existing techniques that generate differentially private histograms or synthetic data only work well for single dimensional or low-dimensional histograms. They become problematic for high dimensional and large domain data due to increased perturbation error and computation complexity. In this paper, we propose DPCopula, a differentially private data synthesization technique using Copula functions for multi-dimensional data. The core of our method is to compute a differentially private copula function from which we can sample synthetic data. Copula functions are used to describe the dependence between multivariate random vectors and allow us to build the multivariate joint distribution using one-dimensional marginal distributions. We present two methods for estimating the parameters of the copula functions with differential privacy: maximum likelihood estimation and Kendall’s τ estimation. We present formal proofs for the privacy guarantee as well as the convergence property of our methods. Extensive experiments using both real datasets and synthetic datasets demonstrate that DPCopula generates highly accurate synthetic multi-dimensional data with significantly better utility than state-of-the-art techniques.
Change of U.S. Freight-Train Derailment Rate From 2000 to 2012

A widely used measure for rail safety is accident rate, which is defined as the number of train accidents normalized by traffic exposure. Of interest in rail safety research is to understand the temporal trend of accident rates, the significant factors affecting the trend, as well as how to predict future accident rates. This paper presents a statistical analysis of U.S. freight-train derailment rates from 2000 to 2012, based on information from the Federal Railroad Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The analysis leads to several observations, including:• There is a significant temporal decline in Class I freight-train derailment rate (−5.8%) per year• The rate of change in accident rate varies by accident cause. Freight-train derailment rates due to broken rails or welds and track geometry defects declined by 7% annually, respectively; bearing-failure-caused derailment rate decreased by 11% annually; and derailment rate caused by train handling errors fell by 9% annually.Future train derailment rates are projected and can be used to evaluate the safety benefit of accident prevention strategies.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Narrow Band Magnetism of Alloys

The purpose of these lectures is to discuss the use of the coherent potential approximation (CPA) for the study of disordered magnetic alloys from the itinerant point of view. The CPA has contributed significantly to the theory of concentrated non-magnetic alloys described by one-electron Hamiltonians. For these alloys the CPA scheme gives a practical treatment of the disorder which yields reasonable results for arbitrary concentrations and scattering strengths. The extension to magnetic alloys necessarily involves many body effects which have yet to be systematically studied. At the present stage one relies on highly simplified models and straightforward extensions of the CPA as formulated in the context of one-electron Hamiltonians. While this does not permit a detailed confrontation of theory and experiment, the studies can be made tractable and the satisfactory features and defects can be recognized.
Electronic Packaging Materials: Properties and Selection

This article discusses on types of electronic package where the package selection depends on the wiring demand, power, reliability, and electrical performance. Flip chip package is emerging in high performance products as its area array allows larger I/O counts and better inductive path. Meanwhile, the biggest cooling challenge lies on cost performance product as increasing demand on functions placed elevation in power per unit area. Finally, the package reliability is dependent on the types of package used, which are wire bond, ceramic, or plastic packages.
Carbon black and fumed alumina exhibiting high interface-derived mechanical energy dissipation

Abstract High interface-derived dissipation has been discovered by instrumented indentation in carbon black and fumed alumina. Both materials comprise nanoparticle aggregates that interlock mechanically upon compaction without a binder. The high dissipation is attributed to the high deformability and the abundance of interfaces. Compared to carbon black, similarly 600-kPa compacted 100-mN maximum-load tested fumed alumina gives lower dissipation (2.1 vs. 4.1 μJ, both values being higher than the highest previously reported value for any material, 0.175 μJ for dental enamel), lower maximum displacement (72 vs. 134 μm), higher fraction of displacement that is permanent (0.74 vs. 0.59), higher modulus (41 vs. 7 MPa), higher fractional dissipation (0.80 vs. 0.70), and lower solid content (12 vs. 18 vol.%). These differences are attributed to the greater compressibility of carbon black. The relative movement of the particles of carbon black or the graphite layers of exfoliated graphite becomes less reversible as the degree of compaction increases. Microwave-exfoliated graphite (5.25-MPa compacted, 37 vol.% solid) gives lower dissipation (1.0 μJ) and higher modulus than carbon black or fumed alumina. Furnace-exfoliated graphite (5.25-MPa compacted, 43 vol.% solid) gives even less dissipation than microwave-exfoliated graphite, due to its greater compressibility and consequent greater deformation reversibility.