cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The MAGICA type inference engine for MATLAB

MAGICA(MAthematica system for General-purpose Inferring and Compile-time Analyses) is an extensible inference engine that can determine the types (value range, intrinsic type and array shape) of expressions in a MATLAB program. Written as a Mathematica application, it is designed as an add-on module that any MATLAB compiler infrastructure can use to obtain high-quality type inferences.
Designing, developing, and implementing effective assessments to evaluate student learning (14.4)

Student learning within any course of study is a blend of many things, including needs, goals, interests, motivations, skills, knowledge, etc. Both instructors and students bring their own mixture ...
The missing link: a test of Klein and Sorra's proposed relationship between implementation climate, innovation-values fit and implementation effectiveness.

Background Klein and Sorra’s theory of innovation implementation suggests that the effectiveness of implementing an innovation results from both a climate that supports, rewards, and expects implementation as well as from the fit between the innovation and the intended users’ values. Although the authors propose that innovationvalues fit moderates the effect of implementation climate on implementation effectiveness, this relationship has never been tested. In addition, most of the evidence supporting the use of Klein and Sorra’s theory in health services research is from qualitative studies, while most of the quantitative use of the theory occurs in information systems implementation research. Therefore, the goal of this study is to quantitatively test in a health services context the proposed relationship in which innovation-values fit moderates the effect of implementation climate on implementation.
Complexity in Long-term Contracts: An Analysis of Natural Gas Contractual Provisions

Long-term contracts in the coal, geothermal, uranium, and natural gas industries, among others, often include complex quantity and price provisions. Several explanations for contractual complexities of these kinds have been advanced. The earliest is that such complex provisions are a manifestation of market power. A second possibility is that the quantity and price provisions of long-term contracts are methods of allocating risk. A third explanation stems from the transaction cost framework of Coase, Klein et al., and Williamson (1979, 1985). The transaction cost hypothesis maintains that economic organization varies systematically with the condition of asset specificity. This is amenable to empirical testing. Indeed, there is a growing empirical literature testing this hypothesis (Joskow, Masten, Monteverde and Teece, and Palay (1984, 1985)). In this paper I analyze and empirically test a number of hypotheses on the role of the contractual provisions in the natural gas industry. I compare the
Eigenanalysis for interference cancellation with minimum redundancy array structure

This paper extends earlier results (IEEE Trans. vol.ASSP-39 no.1, p.76-84, Jan. 1991) to adaptive arrays for interference cancellation based on different array geometry termed 'minimum redundancy array' (MRA). An efficient solution is presented for the minimum noise variance optimization problem, and explicit analytical solutions are derived for the eigenanalysis canceler corresponding to the optimal weight vector and the system output noise variance with MRA and Uniform Regular Array structures. A performance evaluation is carried out. >
Design of a fault-tolerant RISC microprocessor using VHDL

Describes a single fault-tolerant microprocessor whose development has been influenced by the more popular multiprocessor architecture. The characteristics of this microprocessor fall within the basic constraints of the RISC architecture, therefore it is considered to be a fault-tolerant RISC microprocessor. This fault-tolerant microprocessor is modeled using VHDL, the very high speed integrated circuit hardware description language. A discussion of the use of fault-tolerant concepts in the design of a RISC microprocessor is the primary focus of the paper. A general overview of the characteristics of VHDL and how this language can be used in modeling a processor is also discussed. >
EFFECT OF THERMAL ENVIRONMENT AND CALORIC INTAKE ON HEAD GROWTH OF LOW BIRTH INFANTS DURING THE LATE NEONATAL PERIOD

Prolonged exposure of low birth weight infants to subther-moneutral environmental temperatures in the late neonatal period is associated with decreased rates of weight gain and linear growth. In order to assess the effects of ambient thermal conditions on postnatal head growth, we have reared 40 asymptomatic infants (birth weights 900 to 1800 gm) under 4 study conditions (WH-abd. skin temp. 36.5°C, caloric intake 144 Cal/kg/day; WL-abd. skin temp. 36.5°C, caloric intake 120 Cal/kg/day; SH-abd. skin temp. 35.0°C, caloric intake 144 Cal/kg/day; SL-abd. skin temp. 35.0°C, caloric intake 120 Cal/kg/day) after the first week of life.
Factors Influencing Positive Interactions Across Race for African American, Asian American, Latino, and White College Students

This study explores the various factors that promote positive interactions across race for African American, Asian American, Latino, and White college students. A longitudinal survey was administered to all incoming students at nine public institutions (with a follow-up survey given at the end of their second year), examining activities related to cross-racial interaction and outcomes. This knowledge will be useful for college administrators, institutional researchers, and faculty as they work to meet the challenge of preparing students for a pluralistic society. The results of this study begin to delineate the conditions under which positive intergroup relations can be fostered in college and the key factors that inhibit or restrain the benefits such interactions bring to the development of students for a diverse workplace and pluralistic democracy.
The Perception of Poverty and Social Welfare Policies among Undergraduate and Graduate Social Work Students in the United States

Despite the primary mission of the social work profession to help meet the basic human needs of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty, numerous scholars have found that social work students are distancing themselves from working with and on behalf of poor populations. Given this, this study examined undergraduate and graduate social work students' perceptions toward impoverished populations and social welfare policies in the United States. The findings suggest that social work students' gender, race and ethnicity, educational status, living and traveling abroad, and socioeconomic status impact their perceptions of poverty and social welfare policies in the United States. Policy, practice, and research implications are addressed.
Bayesian reconstruction of ancestral expression of the LEA gene families reveals propagule-derived desiccation tolerance in resurrection plants

Desiccation tolerance is a complex trait that is broadly but infrequently present throughout the evolutionary tree of life. Desiccation tolerance has played a significant role in land plant evolution, in both the vegetative and reproductive life history stages. In the land plants, the late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) gene families are involved in both abiotic stress tolerance and the development of reproductive propagules. They are also a major component of vegetative desiccation tolerance. Phylogenies were estimated for four families of LEA genes from Arabidopsis, Physcomitrella, and the desiccation tolerant plants Tortula ruralis, Craterostigma plantagineum, and Xerophyta humilis. Microarray expression data from Arabidopsis and a subset of the Physcomitrella LEAs were used to estimate ancestral expression patterns in the LEA families and to evaluate alternative hypotheses for the origins of vegetative desiccation tolerance in the flowering plants. The results contradict the idea that vegetative desiccation tolerance in the resurrection angiosperms Craterostigma and Xerophyta arose through the co-option of genes exclusively related to stress tolerance, and support the propagule-derived origin of vegetative desiccation tolerance in the resurrection plants.
ANTAGONISTIC GROWTH-ACTIVATING AND GROWTH-INHIBITING PRINCIPLES IN SERUM.

The substances precipitated by CO2 from the serum of chickens 1 or 2 years old slightly increased the activity of pure cultures of a 10 year old strain of fibroblasts, an indication that a growth-promoting substance had been obtained from the serum. The rate of growth of fibroblasts was slower in serum deprived of its globulins and the increase of the inhibiting effect of the treated serum is thus manifested. It would appear that the inhibiting action of serum is referable to one or several growth-activating substances which precipitate by CO2, and to one or several growth-retarding substances which remain in the supernatant serum after the precipitate has been thrown down by centrifugation. It may be concluded that, under the conditions of the experiments: 1. A substance enhancing the proliferative activity of homologous fibroblasts is precipitated from serum by CO2. 2. The serum from which the precipitate has been removed inhibits the proliferation of homologous fibroblasts more markedly than does the original serum. The solution of the precipitate in the treated serum has about the same effect on fibroblasts as the original serum. 3. The restraining effect of serum on the activity of homologous fibroblasts is due in part to the antagonistic action of growth-activating and inhibiting substances.
Seasonal Patterns of Abundance: Do Zooplankton in Small Ponds do the Same Thing Every Spring–Summer?

Small ponds ( ≤ 2 ha) are often a common landscape feature, but their ecology has been less well studied than that of lakes. Studies of some lakes and reservoirs show among-year repeatability in the seasonal abundance of different zooplankton (i.e., succession). For small ponds the seasonal dynamics of zooplankton community structure are relatively unstudied, as are any mechanisms underlying these dynamics. We took a community-level approach to studying the spring–summer abundance of zooplankton in two small Ohio ponds. In particular we wanted to know if repeatable patterns exist for zooplankton community structure in these ponds. We surveyed the spring–summer zooplankton communities in the ponds from 2001 to 2003 and used community-level ordination techniques (i.e., non-metric multidimensional scaling, NMDS) to characterize the assemblages. For both ponds the seasonal pattern of total zooplankton abundance differed significantly among years. We found that the proportional abundance of taxa across the season also varied among years. Elements of the zooplankton community, as described by the NMDS dimensions, showed among-year variation in the spring–summer trajectories that developed. Some of the variation in these zooplankton communities was associated with seasonal changes in water temperature. This among-year variation in the seasonal pattern of zooplankton community structure suggests that community dynamics in these small ponds may not be very repeatable. These complex dynamics of zooplankton thus challenges us to improve our characterization of zooplankton communities in small ponds such that we can better understand the factors that drive the patterns we observe.
High temperature fatigue behavior of unirradiated V-15Cr-5Ti tested in vacuum

Limited results of in-vacuum fatigue tests are presented for unirradiated V-15Cr-5Ti tested at room temperature, 550, and 650/sup 0/C, respectively. The test data were analyzed using a power law equation to correlate the total strain range and cycles to failure. Comparison with data for 20% cold-worked Type 316 stainless steel tested at 550/sup 0/C shows that on the basis of strain range the vanadium alloy is about the same as the stainless steel below 10,000 cycles to failure but becomes superior above the point. The general data trend further suggests that endurance limits may exist at strain ranges of approximately 0.7 and 0.6% at 550 and 650/sup 0/C, respectively.
Effect of chemical structure on physical properties of isomeric polyesters

It has been shown that changes in chemical structure of aromatic polyesters have a pronounced effect on the melting points and crystallinity of the polymers. Changes which remove the carboxyl group from the ring result in marked lowering of the melting point and toughness of the polymers. Changes which separate aromatic nuclei lower melting point but not as markedly as the above change. Changes which put an odd number of atoms in the polymer chain markedly lower the melting point. Changes which interfere with the possibility of co-planarity of the components very markedly affect the crystallinity, and to a lesser extent the sticking point of polymers.
Ecological subregions of the interior Columbia Basin, USA.

Land evaluations are not always conducted with adequate understanding of the relevant geologic and climatic contexts and their appropriate scales. This understanding is essential for developing representative sampling, monitoring, and conservation designs, and for pooling results of landscape analysis. To provide context for several regions of the interior northwestern United States, we conducted an ecoregion clas- sification of the interior Columbia River Basin and vicinity ('the Basin'). We grouped land units that are influenced by the same higher order geology and landform features, and share similar areal composition of potential vegetation and climate attributes. We used the TWINSPAN procedure to group 7496 watersheds of the Basin into 53 ecological subregions. We evaluated the contribution of attributes to group separation by discriminant analysis, and evaluated subregion robustness to prediction by cross-validation. Classification accuracy ranged from 80 - 97% across the subregions. All watersheds were classified to a subregion, and there were strong resemblances between members of adjacent subregions. Subregions with strong resemblances shared a similar composition of attributes, but differed in relative abundance and attribute combinations. We evaluated the geologic and climatic context of each subregion considering four levels in a nested land unit hierar- chy. Most subregions nested at one of at least four scales, but some overlapped. Our results suggest that observation levels for a given ecological phenomenon need not be nested within their appropriate context levels, and across broad geographic areas context of the same phenomenon occurs at different scales.
Reaction of perfluoroalkylethylens with nucleophiles

Abstract Perfluoroalkylethylenes react with some carbon-, oxygen-, sulfur-, selenium-, nitrogen-, and phosphorus-based nucleophiles by formal S N 2′ displacement of fluoride ion.
A novel spectrophotometric procedure for half-cystine residues in proteins.

Abstract A spectrophotonetric assay for half-cystine residues in proteins was developed based on the following observations: (1) Protein SH groups, generated by reduction of disulfide bonds with mercaptoethanol, are selectively modified by 4-vinylpyridine at pH 7.5 to S-β-(4-pyridylethyl)-L-cysteine residues; (2) the molar extinction coefficient of the pyridine ring in S-pyridylethylproteins is generally lower than the corresponding value in S-β-pyridylethylcysteine (PEC); (3) the S-pyridylethylcysteine in the modified proteins is stable to protein acid-hydrolysis conditions; and (4) the molar extinction coefficient of the pyridine ring in hydrolyzed S-pyridyl-ethylproteins is identical to the value found for PEC.
Spectral reconstruction of high energy photon beams for kernel based dose calculations

A kernel-based dose computation method with finite-size pencil beams (FSPBs) requires knowledge of the photon spectrum. Published methods of indirect spectral measurements using transmission measurements through beam attenuators use mathematical fits with a large number of parameters and constraints. In this study, we examine a simple strategy for fitting transmission data that models important physical characteristics of photon beams produced in clinical linear accelerators. The shape of an unattenuated bremsstrahlung spectrum is known, varying linearly from a maximum at zero energy to a value of zero at a maximum energy. This unattenuated spectrum is altered primarily by absorption of low energy photons by the flattening filter, causing the true spectrum to roll off to zero at low photon energies. A fitting equation models this behavior and has these advantages over previous methods: (1) the equation describes the shape of a bremsstrahlung spectrum based on physical expectations; and (2) only three fit parameters are required with a single constraint. Results for 4 MV and 6 MV accelerators for central axis and off-axis beams show good agreement with the maximum, average and modal energies for known spectra. Previously published models, representations of beam fluence (energy fluence, dN/dE), experimental methods, and the fitting process are discussed.
Investigating Mechanical Behavior of LGA Sockets for Design by FEA Modeling

LGA sockets are becoming the leading technology to connect the micro-processors with the system boards of desktop or server computers. It is critical to understand the mechanical behavior of a socket to predict its required enabling load and reliability to certain confidence at the design phase. FEA has been used to achieve this goal at both component and system levels. This paper presents a sensitivity study of socket J- lead compliances to the J-lead geometry and element types used to model the J-lead. A methodology to simplify the J-lead structure using binary DOE and optimization is proposed for significant DOF reduction while maintaining the J-lead compliances to be within 10% error. The simplified socket component was later used to develop the complete detailed system model including the socket housing, LGA contact, system board, backing plate and the package with different loading conditions. This model was employed to investigate the interaction between the package and the socket, as well as the package deformation and socket BGA forces under different enabled conditions.
On the prevalence and characteristics of MPLS deployments in the open internet

Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a mechanism that enables service providers to specify virtual paths through IP networks. The use of MPLS in the open Internet (i.e., public end-to-end paths) has important implications for users and network neutrality since MPLS is frequently used in traffic engineering applications today. In this paper we present a longitudinal study of the prevalence and characteristics of MPLS deployments in the open Internet. We use path measurement data collected over the past 3.5 years by the CAIDA Archipelago project (Ark), which consist of over 10 billion individual traceroutes between hosts throughout the Internet. We use two different techniques for identifying MPLS paths in Ark data: direct observation via ICMP extensions that include MPLS label information, and inference using a Bayesian data fusion methodology. Our direct observation method can only identify uniform-mode tunnels, which very likely underestimates MPLS deployments. Nonetheless, our results show that the total number of tunnels observed in a given measurement period has varied widely over time with the largest deployments in tier-1 providers. About 7% of all autonomous systems deploy MPLS and this level of deployment has been consistent over the past three years. The average length of an MPLS tunnel has decreased from 4 hops in 2008 to 3 hops in 2011, and the path length distribution is heavily skewed. About 25% of all paths in 2011 cross at least one MPLS tunnel, while 4% cross more than one. Finally, data observed in MPLS headers suggest that many ASes employ some types of traffic classification and engineering in their tunnels.
Intracellular Recording of Cardiomyocyte Action Potentials by Nanoelectrode Arrays

Recent years have seen numerous applications of nanoelectronic devices for cell electrophysiology measurements. Here we present vertically aligned Pt and Au nanopillar arrays for both extracellular and intracellular recording of HL-1 cardiomyocytes. The small footprint of our nanopillar arrays holds the advantage of high spatial resolution recording. We discover that the tight cell membrane-electrode interface allows recording of a large extracellular signal despite the small detection area. After local electroporation of the cell membrane around the pillars, we demonstrate intracellular recording of action potentials. Because this method is minimally invasive, we are able to record action potentials from the same cell over a span of three days.
Reduced-order design-oriented stress analysis using combined direct and adjoint solutions

A new method for extracting accurate stress information from reduced-order structural and aeroelastic models is presented. The method has second-order accuracy when approximate reduced-order direct and adjoint solutions (based on different reduced-order bases) are used simultaneously to obtain approximate stresses. The method is applicable to both static and dynamic linear analysis. A review of four common methods for structural model order reduction [two variants of the mode displacement method (standard mode displacement and the fictitious mass method), the mode acceleration method, and the Ritz vector method] identifies sources of difficulty and causes of errors in stress behavior sensitivity calculations. Considerations used for selection of the reduced-order direct and adjoint bases are discussed. A series of static and dynamic test cases is used to assess accuracy of the new method in an analysis mode. Accuracy studies of sensitivity calculations follow. We hope to contribute to the field of design-oriented structural dynamics in terms of both insight and practice.
Complex Effects Arising in Smoke Plume Simulations due to Inclusion of Direct Emissions of Oxygenated Organic Species from Biomass Combustion

Oxygenated volatile organic species (oxygenates), including HCOOH, H 2 CO, CH 3 OH, HOCH 2 CHO (hydroxyacetaldehyde), CH 3 COOH, and C 6 H 5 OH, have recently been identified by Fourier transform infrared measurements as a significant component of the direct emissions from biomass combustion. These oxygenates have not generally been included in the hydrocarbon-based initial emission profiles used in previous photochemical simulations of biomass combustion smoke plumes. We explore the effects of oxygenates on this photochemistry by using an established initial emission hydrocarbon profile and comparing simulation results obtained both with and without addition of the above six oxygenates. Simulations are started at noon and carried out for 30 hours in an expanding Lagrangian plume. After an initial transient period during which [NO x ] falls rapidly, conditions within the oxygenated smoke plume are found to be strongly NO x -sensitive, and the simulated final species profile is thus strongly dependent upon the Δ[NO]/Δ[CO] initial emission profile. Oxygenate addition results in very significant and complex effects on net O 3 production, as well as on the relative amounts of long-lived HO, and NO, reservoir species (H 2 O 2 , organic hydroperoxides, HNO 3 , and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN)) that are mixed into the surrounding atmosphere. Oxygenates may either increase or decrease net O 3 production (depending upon the initial Δ[NO]/Δ[CO]). However, they always increase H 2 O 2 and organic hydroperoxide production as a result of increased rates of radical + radical reactions. These effects spring largely from accelerated removal of NO, from the smoke plume due to increased radical concentrations resulting both from photolysis of oxygenates (mainly CH 2 O) and from their relatively high reactivity. Predicted concentrations of H 2 O 2 , Δ[O 3 ]/Δ[CO], Δ[NH 3 ]/Δ[CO], and Δ[HCOOH]/Δ[CO] are compared with some available measured values.
The effect of fast-neutron irradiation on beryllium oxide compacts at high temperatures

Abstract The effect of fast-neutron irradiation on beryllium oxide at high temperatures was investigated. Cylindrical compacts were irradiated over the fast-neutron dose range 1.2 to 3.65 × 10 21 nvt at temperatures ranging from 583 to 1100° C, and 35 of 48 specimens survived intact. Volume increases varying from 0.9 to 4.4 % were observed. Hot-pressed samples expanded more than cold-pressed and sintered samples under similar conditions. Fracturing and volume expansion generally increased with increasing fast-neutron dose and decreased with increasing temperature. There was a loss of about 60 % in crushing strength, but it was not possible to correlate this loss quantitatively with temperature or neutron doae. A decrease in thermal conductivity of 25 to 55 % depending on the neutron flux was indicated by in-pile ΔT measurements. A separation of the flux and dose parameters, however, was not generally achieved in the experiment. Grain-boundary separation can account for most of the changes in physical properties observed. The hot-pressed samples appeared to have undergone more extensive grain-boundary separation than the cold-pressed samples; this correlates with their greater volume increases. In BeO compacts exposed to low neutron doses at very low temperature (~ 100° C), grain-boundary separation is primarily caused by anisotropic expansion of BeO crystals. Presently available data are not sufficient to determine whether this mechanism dominates at high temperatures and high doses or whether helium pressure causes the grain boundary separation under these conditions. Lattice-defect agglomeration and lattice-parameter expansion both contribute to a preferential growth in the direction of the c axis in the BeO crystals. The effect of temperature on lattice-defect agglomeration is not yet known, but the lattice expansion is much less at high temperatures. The data indicate, however, that the lattice expansion continues to be proportional to the fast-neutron dose up to 3.6 × 10 21 nvt.
Effects of fertilizer and stubble burning on downy brome competition in winter wheat

Abstract Increased downy brome (Bromus tectorum) infestation is one of the dominant impediments to adoption of conservation tillage. Surface residues often increase grassy weed competition and lower the yield of cereal crops. Crop residue and fertilizer placement effects on downy brome growth and nutrient uptake in relation to that of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were conducted in two separate years; one involving conventional (plow) tillage and the other no‐till. Crop residue (burning versus no burning) and fertilizer placement (broadcasting versus subsurface banding) differentials were present both years. The conventional‐till study also included nitrogen (N) rates from 0 to 168 kg/ha and an N only versus nitrogen+phosphorus+sulfur (N+P+S) comparison. Burning increased early‐spring wheat growth substantially, with only limited effect on downy brome population or growth. Broadcasting of fertilizer increased downy brome density and growth compared to banding. Wheat, in contrast, had greater growth ...
An analysis of ERP annual report disclosures

Abstract Investments in enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) are increasingly significant and critical to the success of the firm. Prior research finds capital markets value information about firms' investments in technology. This study develops a sample of firms with and without disclosures about ERP in their annual report to examine disclosure choice. Results indicate that firms often choose not to disclose ERP in their annual report and that the choice to disclose is significantly associated with capital market transactions, firm performance, firm size and industry. For those firms choosing to disclose, the study also reports a descriptive analysis of the disclosures and summarizes significant diversity of disclosure practice along the primary dimensions of costs, goals and risks. Given the conceptual foundation of accounting, that comparability between firms increases the informational value of disclosure, the study's findings suggest a need to develop additional standards to enhance the value of annual report disclosures about technology.
Wideband detection of transient solid-state dynamics using ultrafast fiber lasers and asynchronous optical sampling

We demonstrate optical time-domain spectroscopy from femtoseconds to nanoseconds using an ultrafast dual-fiber-laser system with kilohertz continuous scanning rates. Utilizing different wavelengths for the pump and probe beams, we exploit this system’s broad range of timescales for quantitative studies of thermal transport and the detection of coherent spin and lattice excitations in epitaxial magnetic thin films. The extraordinary temporal dynamic range provides a way to connect the fast and slow timescales in the observation of dissipation and decoherence processes.
Legal Geographies—Skating Around the Edges of the Law: Urban Skateboarding and the Role of Law in Determining Young Peoples' Place in the City

This article argues that urban skateboarding and the laws by which the city is governed must be understood as intertwined. The transformation of skateboarding's most popular practices from the 1970s onward are a product of an ongoing dialectical engagement between young people and the law. When faced with shifting landscapes of property and liability, young skaters have adapted their practices, seeking out new types of terrain. This search has led skateboarding into the public spaces of the city and regimes of urban governance. Contemporary efforts to build public skateparks in cities such as Seattle, Washington are properly contextualized as part of a continuing evolution of skaters' agency in responding to and capitalizing on openings in the legal landscape. By working both within the political system and constructing skateparks outside conventional political avenues, skatepark advocates seek spaces that are free from increasingly restrictive conventional logics of private and public property.
THE SOCIO-MEDICAL CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSSEXUALISM: AN INTERPRETATION AND CRITIQUE*

This article examines transexualism and its treatment by sex-reassignment surgery. Physicians have drawn upon their previous experience with hermaphrodites and the psychological benefits of elective surgery to legitimate sex-change surgery for what they view as a distinct patient population, transexuals. We demonstrate that transexualism is a socially constructed reality which only exists in and through medical practice. Furthermore, we contend that sex-change surgery reflects and extends late-capitalist logics of reification and commodification, while simultaneously reaffirming traditional male and female gender roles.
Fatigue crack propagation in ultrafine grained Al–Mg alloy

Abstract The fatigue crack growth rates in ultrafine grained (UFG) Al–7.5Mg were investigated and were compared to those observed in powder-metallurgy (P/M) Al–7Mg and ingot-metallurgy (I/M) Al–7Mg. Fatigue crack growth rates in UFG Al–7.5Mg are significantly higher than those of P/M Al–7Mg, which, in turn, are significantly higher than those of I/M Al–7Mg. The fatigue crack growth threshold is the lowest in the UFG Al–7.5Mg, followed by P/M Al–7Mg, and is the highest in I/M Al–7Mg. The higher fatigue crack growth rates and lower thresholds in UFG Al–7.5Mg may be attributed to the much smoother fracture surface morphology and lower roughness-induced crack closure and crack deflection.
Upper bound analysis for specific energy in grinding of ceramics

The present research was undertaken to investigate grinding mechanisms and energy for ceramics. Previous research has shown that material removal for grinding of ceramics occurs mainly by brittle fracture, although most of the grinding energy is associated with ductile plowing aside into ridges. In the present paper, an attempt is made to account for the specific grinding energy and its dependence on the grit depth of cut by modifying a previous upper-bound plowing model to include the effect of rounding at the tip of the triangular-shaped cutting tool. Using this approach, the shape of the cross-sectional cutting profile is calculated which matches the upper bound solution to experimental measurements of the specific grinding energy. The results show that rounding at the tip of a cutting tool can account for an increase in specific energy with smaller depths of cut. For grinding of HPSN with a 400 grit diamond wheel, the calculated cross-sectional cutting profile was found to be consistent with results for the cutting point geometry previously reported.
Tailoring the sensing capabilities of nanohole arrays in gold films with Rayleigh anomaly-surface plasmon polaritons.

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and diffraction effects such as Rayleigh anomalies (RAs) play key roles in the transmission of light through periodic subwavelength hole arrays in metal films. Using a combination of theory and experiment we show how refractive index (RI) sensitive transmission features arise from hole arrays in thin gold films. We show that large transmission amplitude changes occur over a narrow range of RI values due to coupling between RAs and SPPs on opposite sides of the metal film. Furthermore, we show how to predict, on the basis of a relatively simple analysis, the periodicity and other system parameters that should be used to achieve this “RA-SPP” effect for any desired RI range.
Irreducible products of characters inA n

We show that it is possible to find a pair of non-principal irreducible characters ofAnwhose product is irreducible if and only ifn is a perfect square.
Determinants of myocardial performance after blunt chest trauma.

Objective: This study investigates whether factors that determine myocardial performance (preload, afterload, heart rate, and contractility) are altered after isolated unilateral pulmonary contusion. Methods: Catheters were placed in the carotid arteries, left ventricles, and pulmonary arteries of anesthetized, ventilated (Fio 2 = 0.5) pigs (31.2 ± 0.6 kg; n = 26). A unilateral, blunt injury to the right chest was delivered with a captive bolt gun In = 17) followed by tube thoracostomy. To control for anesthesia and instrumentation at Fio 2 of 0.5, one group received tube thoracostomy only (sham injury; n = 6). To control for effects of hypoxia without chest injury, an additional sham-injury group In = 3) was ventilated with Fio 2 of 0.12. To generate cardiac function (i.e., Starling) curves, lactated Ringer solution was administered in three bolus infusions at serial time points; the slope of stroke index versus ventricular filling pressure defines cardiac contractility. Results: By 4 hours after pulmonary contusion, pulmonary vascular resistance, airway resistance, and dead space ventilation were increased, whereas Pao 2 (72 ± 6 mm Hg at Fio 2 = 0.5) and dynamic compliance were decreased (all p 200 mm Hg). Conclusion: After right-side pulmonary contusion, the most often used estimate of cardiac preload (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure) does not accurately estimate LVEDP, probably because of changes in the pulmonary circulation or mechanics. Central venous pressure is a better estimate of filling pressure, at least in these conditions, probably because it is not directly influenced by the pulmonary dysfunction. Also, ventricular performance can be impaired by depressed myocardial contractility and increased right ventricular afterload even with normal left ventricular afterload and preload. It is thus conceivable that occult myocardial dysfunction after pulmonary contusion could have a role in the progression to cardiorespiratory failure even without direct cardiac contusion.
Vertical correlations of water vapor in GCMs

Correlations of tropical mean water vapor with its surface values have been calculated for all AMIP1 models and some of the AMIP2 models. The previously noted discrepancy between the GFDL model and rawinsonde data also exists for other models: the interannual correlations of water vapor with its surface values decline to smaller values in observations than in the models. This discrepancy is reduced somewhat after the data from the models were sampled at the same locations where observational data were collected, but remains significant even at low levels. Significant discrepancy between models and observations also exists in the regressions of water vapor on temperature, suggesting something other than differences in the noise level as the main cause for the discrepancy in the vertical correlations between model and rawinsonde observations.
Parenting predictors of father-child attachment security: Interactive effects of father involvement and fathering quality.

This study examined the parenting predictors of father-child attachment security in early childhood. Results suggest that multiple dimensions of fathers’ parenting quality moderated the associations between father involvement, in its original content-free sense, and father-child attachment. Specifically, father involvement was generally unrelated to attachment security when fathers engaged in high-quality parenting behavior, but associated with lower levels of attachment security when fathers’ parenting was less adaptive. Findings provide further evidence for the important role of parenting quality in the fatherchild attachment relationship, and suggest that the consequences of involved fathering for father-child attachment security are dependent upon qualitative aspects of fathering behavior.
How sales quotas are developed

Abstract A survey was conducted of 119 industrial sales managers concerning their attitude about sales quota development and implementation. The results support the perspective that strategic limitations about quotas direct attitudes. Additionally, it was found that respondents generally had a “long-term” perspective on sales quotas.
Star-covering properties: Generalized Ψ-spaces, countability conditions, reflection

Abstract We investigate star-covering properties of Ψ -like spaces. We show star-Lindelofness is reflected by open perfect mappings. In addition, we offer a new equivalence of CH.
Mass media and park management: Reaching the public beyond the park boundary

Mass media can be used to reach a large audience, create knowledge and spread information, and lead to changes in attitudes. Newspapers, radio and television offer a valuable mechanism for parks and preserves to influence the public beyond their boundaries. With the park system in Sabah, Malaysia, a series of newspaper articles with the goal of increasing public interest in parks was developed. Although lack of prior data precluded an assessment of changes in park visitation rates, secondary effects such as calls from politicians and the business community, suggested tha print media is an effective way of reaching specific audiences with environmental messages in Sabah. Furthermore, the parks can serve a useful service by providing environmental information to the public. A survey of mass media in Sabah revealed a weekly average of only two newspaper articles and one hour of television viewing time devoted to natural resource conservation issues.
Inflammatory cytokine levels in chronic venous insufficiency ulcer tissue before and after compression therapy.

Objective Elevated inflammatory cytokine levels have been implicated in the pathogenesis of non-healing chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) ulcers. The goal of this study was to determine the protein levels of a wide range of inflammatory cytokines in untreated CVI ulcer tissue before and after 4 weeks of high-strength compression therapy. These levels were compared to cytokines present in healthy tissue. Methods Thirty limbs with untreated CVI and leg ulceration received therapy for 4 weeks with sustained high-compression bandaging at an ambulatory wound center. Biopsies were obtained from healthy and ulcerated tissue before and after therapy. A multiplexed protein assay was used to measure multiple cytokines in a single sample. Patients were designated as rapid or delayed healers based on ulcer surface area change. Results The majority of pro-inflammatory cytokine protein levels were elevated in ulcer tissue compared to healthy tissue, and compression therapy significantly reduced these cytokines. TGF-β1 was upregulated in ulcer tissue following compression therapy. Rapid healing ulcers had significantly higher levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, IL-12p40, and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) before compression therapy, and IL-1 Ra after therapy. IFN-γ levels significantly decreased following therapy in the rapidly healing patients. Conclusion CVI ulcer healing is associated with a pro-inflammatory environment prior to treatment that reflects metabolically active peri-wound tissue that has the potential to heal. Treatment with compression therapy results in healing that is coupled with reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and higher levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1 Ra.
Pulmonary irritant potency of polyisocyanate aerosols in rats: comparative assessment of irritant threshold concentrations by bronchoalveolar lavage.

The object of this study was to compare the relative acute pulmonary irritant potency of respirable aerosols of a variety of non-volatile polyisocyanates. The types of polyisocyanates examined included aliphatic homopolymers and mixed aliphatic–aromatic polyisocyanates consisting of the following monomers: HDI (hexamethylene 1,6-diisocyanate), IPDI (isophorone diisocyanate), MDI (methylene-diphenyl-4,4′-diisocyanate) and TDI (toluene diisocyanate). For reference purposes, the pulmonary irritant polyisocyanate aerosols were compared with monomeric IPDI, a semi-volatile respiratory tract (airway) irritant. In the substances tested, the concentration of free isocyanate moieties ranged from 11% to 38%. The relative potency to elicit pulmonary irritation was assessed by measurements of lung weights and total protein and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the bronchoalveolar lavage ﬂuid (BALF) following a single 6-h exposure of male rats. The time course of changes was analysed 3 h and 1, 3 and 7 days after exposure. When exposed to irritant concentrations of aerosol, BALF protein was maximal on post-exposure day 1 and returned to the level of the controls on post-exposure day 7. In contrast, rats exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of monomeric IPDI experienced a time-related increase in BALF protein. Based on this most sensitive endpoint, extrapolated no-observed-effect concentrations (NOECs) were in the range of 2–3 mg m−3 for most polyisocyanates examined. The NOECs from all the substances investigated were in the range 1–50 mg m−3. Thus, this methodology is adequate to rank the pulmonary irritant potency of polyisocyanate aerosols and to differentiate pulmonary from airway irritants. For pulmonary irritants the estimated acute NOECs were essentially similar to the no-observed-adverse effect concentrations (NOAECs) from long-term, repeated-exposure inhalation studies available for some of the polyisocyanates. A clear dependence of the NOAECs on the content of free isocyanate moieties was not observed. In summary, it is concluded that pulmonary irritation caused by polyisocyanate aerosols can be quantiﬁed readily in an acute rat bioassay by analysis of total protein in BALF. Moreover, this experimental evidence suggests that the NOECs of pulmonary irritants based on this endpoint are predictive of the NOAECs observed after subacute/subchronic inhalation exposure, suggesting that acute pulmonary irritation governs the outcome of repeated inhalation studies with such aerosols. However, for isocyanates where airway irritation predominates the pulmonary irritation, long(er)-term inhalation studies appear to be indispensable. The content of free NCO per se appears to be a poor predictor of the pulmonary irritant potency of polyisocyanate aerosols. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The solid-matrix phosphorescence of (±)-anti-dibenzo[a,l]pyrene diol epoxide-DNA adducts and benzo[e]pyrene

Abstract New solid-matrix phosphorescence (SMP) methods for (±)- anti -DB[ a , l ]PDE-DNA adducts and B[ e ]P were developed. The methods can be used to detect and characterize (±)- anti -DB[ a , l ]PDE-DNA adducts and B[ e ]P by employing SMP spectra, intensities, and lifetimes acquired with the heavy-atom salt, TlNO 3 , on Whatman 1PS paper. With the SMP data, a number of photophysical parameters were calculated such as biexponential SMP decay curves, pre-exponential factors, and fractional contribution to SMP decay curves. The SMP results were compared with earlier SMP data for (±)- anti -BPDE-DNA adducts and tetrol I-1. The SMP results show that small molecular-weight compounds like B[ e ]P can be readily detected and characterized by SMP. For example, the limit of detection for B[ e ]P was 0.60 pmol. Comparison of the SMP properties of the (±)- anti -DB[ a , l ]PDE-DNA adducts with earlier SMP data for the (±)- anti -BPDE-DNA adducts showed major differences in the SMP spectra, intensities, and lifetimes. The methods developed are important for the comparison of the SMP properties of different diol epoxides of PAH bonded to DNA.
Induction of the stress response increases interleukin-6 production in the intestinal mucosa of endotoxaemic mice.

Previous studies suggest that production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) is increased in the intestinal mucosa during sepsis and endotoxaemia. We tested the hypothesis that mucosal IL-6 production during endotoxaemia is increased further by the heat-shock (stress) response. The stress response was induced in mice by hyperthermia (rectal temperature of 42 °C for 3 min) or by intraperitoneal injection of sodium arsenite (10 mg/kg). At 2 h after induction of the stress response, groups of mice were injected subcutaneously with endotoxin (10 mg/kg) or sterile saline. IL-6 mRNA and protein levels in the jejunal mucosa were determined by an RNase protection assay and an ELISA respectively, and levels of hsp72 (heat-shock protein of 72 kDa) were determined by Western blot analysis. Hyperthermia and sodium arsenite increased hsp72 levels in the intestinal mucosa. IL-6 concentrations were increased in the jejunal mucosa of endotoxaemic mice, and this effect of endotoxaemia was potentiated by the stress response. Mucosal IL-6 mRNA levels were increased in endotoxaemic mice, and were increased further by the stress response. Thus it is concluded that mucosal IL-6 production during endotoxaemia may be further stimulated by the stress response. Increased IL-6 levels in the intestinal mucosa may be a potential mechanism by which the stress response exerts a protective effect during sepsis and endotoxaemia.
Quantum chemical calculation of geometry, vibration spectrum, absorption and emission spectrum of p-cyano-p′-methyl thiodiphenylacetylene

The geometry of the ground state and the first excited state of p-cyano-p′-methylthiodiphenylacetylene is optimized with the semi-empirical AM1 method. The geometry of the ground state is almost planar and the π system is delocalized over the whole molecule. The geometry of the excited state is twisted, the two phenyl rings are perpendicular and the π orbitals are now localized on the two phenyl rings. The absorption and emission spectra are calculated using a self-consistent reaction field method. The Stokes shift in acetonitrile solution was calculated to be 8220 cm−1 compared to the experimental Stokes shift of 8145 cm−1. The calculations indicate that the excited state is a twisted intramolecular charge transfer state (TICT) and that the emission in acetonitrile does occur from the TICT state.