cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal Signal Settings Over Transportation Networks

Several recent papers have discussed the shortcomings of a simple approach for determining traffic signal settings over a network. This procedure iteratively sets signal timings at each intersection to minimize delay, holding flows constant. Flows are then adjusted to a new user equilibrium, and the process is repeated until both flows are at equilibrium and signal timings are optimal given the flows. This paper reviews the shortcomings of this procedure and describes an algorithm for small networks which overcomes these shortcomings. This new algorithm is used to quantify the errors in the simpler approach. Also, conditions under which both procedures would produce the same solution are discussed.
Delay- and dose-dependent effects of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol administration on spatial and object working memory tasks in adolescent rhesus monkeys

Among adolescents, the perception that cannabis can cause harm has decreased and use has increased. However, in rodents, cannabinoid administration during adolescence induces working memory (WM) deficits that are more severe than if the same exposure occurs during adulthood. As both object and spatial WM mature in a protracted manner, although apparently along different trajectories, adolescent cannabis users may be more susceptible to impairments in one type of WM. Here, we evaluate the acute effects of a range of doses (30-240 μg/kg) of intravenous Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administration on the performance of spatial and object WM tasks in adolescent rhesus monkeys. Accuracy on the object WM task was not significantly affected by any dose of THC. In contrast, THC administration impaired accuracy on the spatial WM task in a delay- and dose-dependent manner. Importantly, the THC-induced spatial WM deficits were not because of motor or motivational impairments. These data support the idea that immature cognitive functions are more sensitive to the acute effects of THC.
Explicit Kinematic Solution for Tall Rigid-Jointed Frames

A new set of equations for linear elastic analysis of tall rigid-jointed frames loaded at the joints is derived. These are simultaneous difference equations involving four local kinematic quantities, with story level as the single independent variable. They may be solved explicitly for certain classes of frames of practical interest. The solution is nontrivial and employs techniques that are of general interest in the kinematic and static analysis of periodic elastic structures. Application to an eight-bay, 40-story frame under lateral loading yields topmost story drift within 6% of the exact finite-element solution. The solution represents a vertex of the subspace of kinematically admissible states. Thus, it may be used in the hypercircle formulas of Prager and Synge to obtain bounds on displacement and stress, or as a stand-alone analysis and design tool for tall planar frames. The current solution may be implemented easily in commercial spreadsheet software, offering a significant advantage to the stru...
The distribution of dissolved manganese in the tropical–subtropical North Atlantic during US GEOTRACES 2010 and 2011 cruises

Abstract Dissolved manganese (Mn) concentration was determined in seawater samples collected along a section across the North Atlantic between 17°N and 40°N during US GEOTRACES North Atlantic 2010 and 2011 cruises (GT GA03). Dissolved Mn exhibits elevated concentrations in the surface, at the mid-ocean ridge and near oceanic boundaries, and low concentrations in the deep water of the gyre center. At both western and eastern boundaries, dissolved Mn concentration in the surface mixed layer (30–40 m) and at depths below 200 m decreases with increasing distance from shore, in contrast to the seaward increase of dissolved Mn concentration at depth between 80 and 120 m. Simple model calculation suggests that in the North Atlantic gyre center, dissolved Mn concentration is controlled primarily by eolian Mn(II) deposition and in-situ photochemical reduction of MnO2 in the surface mixed layer (0–40 m), and by the intensity of sunlight available for in-situ MnO2 photochemical reduction in the euphotic zone below the mixed layer (40–200 m). At depth between 200 and 700 m, dissolved Mn concentration is determined by regeneration, preformed Mn in the source water and lateral inputs from hydrothermal and sedimentary sources. Below 700 m, dissolved Mn concentration is controlled predominantly by lateral inputs from hydrothermal and sedimentary sources. Accounting for the observed dissolved Mn concentration by lateral mixing at this depth range requires low rates of Mn(II) oxidation.
Imagining global India: Bollywood's transnational appeal

Indian commercial cinema, often referred to as Bollywood, may be considered more than a national cinema because its transnational appeal encompasses a large and diverse audience. Bollywood's affective aesthetics and narratives also differ significantly from the presumed ‘universal’ techniques and narratives of Hollywood. In recent years, films like ‘Dil Se’, ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ and ‘Guru’ export an image of Indianness that negotiates tensions between homeland and diaspora and underscores India's cultural authority for its imagined community of viewers. By challenging the conventions of Hollywood, creating a sense of solidarity among diverse ethnic Indians and showing Indians as exemplary and superior to nationals from other developing nations, Bollywood demonstrates Appadurai's point that there is something ‘critical and new in global cultural processes’. By imagining a global India, Bollywood appeals to the imaginations of its transnational audiences and challenges us to rethink our approaches to cinema and ...
Stable lead isotopes reveal a natural source of high lead concentrations to gasoline-contaminated groundwater

Concentrations of total lead as high as 1,600 μg/L were detected in gasoline-contaminated and uncontaminated groundwater at three gasoline-release sites in South Carolina. Total lead concentrations were highest in turbid groundwater samples from gasoline-contaminated and uncontaminated wells, whereas lower turbidity groundwater samples (collected using low-flow methods) had lower total lead concentrations. Dissolved lead concentrations in all wells sampled, however, were less than 15 μg total lead/L, the current United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL). Because many total lead concentrations exceeded the MCL, the source of lead to the groundwater system at two of the three sites was investigated using a stable lead isotope ratio approach. Plots of the stable isotope ratios of lead (Pb) in groundwater as 207Pb/206Pb versus 208Pb/206Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb versus 206Pb/204Pb were similar to ratios characteristic of lead-based minerals in local rocks of the southeastern US, and were not similar to the stable lead isotopes ratios characteristic of distant lead ore deposits such as Broken Hill, Australia, used to produce tetraethyl lead in gasoline products prior to its phase-out and ban in the United States. Moreover, the isotopic composition of dissolved lead was equivalent to the isotopic composition of total lead in turbid samples collected from the same well, suggesting that the majority of the lead detected in the groundwater samples was associated with sediment particulates of indigenous aquifer material, rather than lead associated with spilled leaded gasoline. The results of this investigation indicate that (1) lead detected at some gasoline-release sites may be derived from the local aquifer material, rather than the gasoline release, and consequently may affect site-specific remediation goals; (2) non-low flow groundwater sampling methods, such as a disposable bailer, may result in turbid groundwater samples and high total lead concentrations, and; (3) stable lead isotopes can be used to clarify the source of lead detected above permissible levels in gasoline-contaminated groundwater systems.
Plastic strain accommodation and acoustic emission during melting of embedded particles

Abstract Melting point phenomena of micron-sized indium particles embedded in an aluminum matrix were studied by means of acoustic emission and differential scanning calorimetry. The acoustic response measured during melting increased with indium content. Correlations with differential scanning calorimetry suggest that large indium particles or particles at grain boundaries generate the greatest acoustic emission. Acoustic emission during melting suggests a dislocation generation mechanism to accommodate the 2.5% volume strain required for melting of the embedded particles.
Detection of specific forms of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1-by monoclonal antibodies

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies to plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) were generated and characterised for their ability to inhibit PAI-1 interaction with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase (u-PA) and detection of the various forms of PAI-1 (native, complexed, and degraded) by immunoblotting. Mab17 inhibited both complex formation between PAI-1 and t-PA/u-PA and PAI-1 activity in a dose dependent manner by 90%. Mab 25 was much less effective, blocking complex formation less than 30% and PAI-1 activity less than 20%. The Kds of Mab 17 and Mab25 were 2.8×10 −11 M and 2.6×10 −10 M, respectively. Following SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting, Mab 17 detected native PAI-1 only; PAI-1 in complex and the t-PA/u-PA degraded form of PAI-1(M r =42000) did not react with this antibody. In contrast, Mab25 detected all three forms of PAI-I although the affinity for the native form appeared to be greater than Mab 17 or the PAI-1 polyclonal employed. Despite these differences, both monoclonal antibodies immunoprecipitated native and degraded PAI-1 equally as well. These results suggest that the epitope of Mab 17 is associated with the reactive site of PAI-1 and that this region is either missing or not accessible in the cleaved form or in complex.
Salt Utilization Studies with Poultry 1. Effect of Salt Sources, Particle Size and Insolubles on Broiler Performance

Abstract THE sodium requirement of the chick was recently re-evaluated by Nott and Combs (1969). Using a corn-soybean meal basal diet, these workers concluded that a dietary sodium level between 0.11 and 0.13% was adequate for optimum chick growth. Dietary sodium levels between 0.13 and 0.40% did not appear to exert any effect on feed utilization. McWard and Scott (1961) estimated the sodium requirement of young chicks fed a glucose-isolated soybean protein diet to be 0.11%. In earlier work by Burns et al. (1953), it was reported that the chicks’ requirement for sodium was between 0.10 and 0.30%, the higher level being required for maximum growth. The National Research Council (1966) states that the chicks’ requirement for sodium is 0.15, equivalent to 0.38% sodium chloride or common salt. Although a concise review of earlier salt research has been presented by Britzman (1968), no mention was found in the literature of the…
Probabilistic Performance of Helical Compound Planetary System in Wind Turbine

The dynamics of contact, stress and failure analysis of multibody systems is highly nonlinear. Nowadays, several commercial and other analysis software dedicated for this purpose are available. However, these codes do not consider the uncertainty involved in loading, design, and assembly parameters. One of these systems with a combined high nonlinearity and uncertainty of parameters is the gearbox of wind turbines (WTs). Wind turbine gearboxes (WTG) are subjected to variable torsional and nontorsional loads. In addition, the manufacturing and assembly process of these devices results in uncertainty of the design parameters of the system. These gearboxes are reported to fail in their early life of operation, within three to seven years as opposed to the expected twenty years of operation. Their downtime and maintenance process is the most costly of any failure of subassembly of WTs. The objective of this work is to perform a probabilistic multibody dynamic analysis (PMBDA) of a helical compound planetary stage of a selected wind turbine gearbox that considers ten random variables: two loading (the rotor speed, generator side torque), and eight design parameters. The reliability or probabilities of failure of each gear and probabilistic sensitivities of the input variables toward two performance functions have been measured and conclusions have been drawn. The results revealed that PMBDA has demonstrated a new approach of gear system design beyond a traditional deterministic approach. The method demonstrated the components' reliability or probability of failure and sensitivity results that will be used as a tool for designers to make sound decisions.
The design of tuned transistor IF amplifiers

This paper discusses the design philosophy of narrow bandwidth amplifiers using high frequency transistors and coupling transformers between stages. Here is a single step-by-step method for designing tuned IF amplifiers. Part I and Part II will consider the low frequency case (f IF -f T /100) for single and double tuned respectively. The method considers gain, stability, bandwidth, and large signal handling ability.
Synthesis of selectively deuterated fulvenes and indenes from enediynes

A facile enediyne→fulvene→indene transformation provides a route to all possible isotopomers of substituted fulvenes and indenes.
Heterostructure transistor with tunable gate bias

Excessive electric field at the end of the channel of a Field Effect Transistor (FET) causes mobility degradation, leads to hot electrons and impact ionization events, and generates gate leakage. To minimize the negative influence of non-uniform and strong electric fields in the second half of the channel, a variety of techniques were used in the past, namely a lightly doped drain and delta doping of the channel, or a field plate positioned behind the gate. All mentioned methods succeeded to some extent in reducing field strength, but demonstrated a lack of flexibility when operational voltages at FET terminals were changing. In the current study, we demonstrated a novel heterostructure FET, namely a pHEMT with a 0.5 μm gate, and a second, longer gate positioned above the first one at a distance of 100 A. The gates are biased separately in the manner V g1 > V g2 . Variable combinations of voltages V g1 and V g2 makes tuning (tailoring) of the field extremely flexible for a wide range of HEMT operations. As a result, the first design iteration demonstrated a maximum gain of 15 dB and f T of about 5 GHz. The transistor carries almost constant transconductance of about 225 mS/mm.
Examining the role of positive and negative affect in recovery from spine surgery

Consistent evidence supports a significant association between lower positive affect and higher negative affect and increased pain and disability in adults with chronic pain. However, examining this relation in surgical populations has received little empirical consideration. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether preoperative and postoperative positive and negative affect predict pain, disability, and functional status after spine surgery. A secondary objective was to assess the relation of depression to postoperative outcomes compared with positive and negative affect. Participants were 141 patients treated by spine surgery for lumbar or cervical degeneration. Data collection occurred at baseline and 6 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. Affect was measured with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Multivariable mixed-model linear regression analyses found that preoperative variables were not predictive of postoperative pain, disability and functional status. However, multivariable postoperative analysis found that 6-week positive affect predicted functional status, and 6-week negative affect predicted pain interference and pain-related disability at 3 months following surgery. Postoperative depression demonstrated statistically significant and stronger associations with pain intensity, pain interference, and pain-related disability at 3-month follow-up, as compared with negative affect. Results suggest that positive affect and depression are important variables to target when seeking to improve postoperative outcomes in a spine surgery population. Recommendations include postoperative screening for positive affect and depression, and treating depression as well as focusing on rehabilitation strategies to bolster positive affect so as to improve functional outcomes after spine surgery.
Constraints on PSC Particle Microphysics Derived From Lidar Observations

Based on extensive T-matrix computations of light scattering by polydispersions of randomly oriented, rotationally symmetric nonspherical particles, we analyze existing lidar observations of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and derive several constraints on PSC particle microphysical properties. We show that sharp-edged nonspherical particles (finite circular cylinders) exhibit less variability of lidar backscattering characteristics with particle size and aspect ratio than particles with smooth surfaces (spheroids). For PSC particles significantly smaller than the wavelength, the backscatter color index Alpha and the depolarization color index Beta are essentially shape-independent. Observations for type Ia PSCs can be reproduced by spheroids with aspect ratios larger than 1.2, oblate cylinders with diameter-to-length ratios greater than 1.6, and prolate cylinders with length-to-diameter ratios greater than 1.4. The effective equal-volume-sphere radius for type la PSCs is about 0.8 microns or larger. Type Ib PSCs are likely to be composed of spheres or nearly spherical particles with effective radii smaller than 0.8 microns. Observations for type II PSCs are consistent with large ice crystals (effective radius greater than 1 micron modeled as cylinders or prolate spheroids.
Risk sharing, risk shifting and the role of convertible debt

Abstract This paper considers a financial contracting problem between a risk neutral entrepreneur and a risk averse investor. Once the venture is started, the entrepreneur chooses an action that determines the riskiness of the venture’s payoff. When action choice is contractible, the optimal risk sharing consideration under limited liability calls for a pure debt contract and the low risk action is adopted. When the action choice is not contractible, due to the risk shifting problem implementing the low risk action requires a deviation from the optimal risk sharing. I focus on situations where despite this deviation, the risk averse investor prefers to implement the low risk action and show that a convertible debt contract is superior to pure debt, pure equity and any mixture of debt and equity.
Beyond chopsticks: Symmetric equilibria in majority auction games

Majority auction games are simultaneous sealed-bid auctions of identical objects among identical bidders who each want to win a specified fraction (more than a half) of the objects. Each bidder receives no benefit from winning less than the specified fraction and no additional benefit from winning more than it. Symmetric equilibria having simple, intuitive forms are shown to exist in first-price, second-price and all-pay versions of such games when the number of bidders is sufficiently large. This contrasts with earlier results for the two-bidder “pure chopstick” majority auction games where the only known equilibria are more complicated.
Managing women with gestational diabetes mellitus in the postnatal period

Guidelines for management of women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the postpregnancy period have lagged behind the recognition that this is an important time for medical intervention. However, in the past decade, the evidence-base for screening algorithms, contraceptive management, diabetes prevention strategies and implications for offspring has expanded. In this review, we discuss current recommendations for managing women with GDM in the postnatal period, with particular attention to postpartum diabetes screening, prevention of future glucose intolerance and family planning.
Social capital, household welfare, and poverty in Indonesia

The objective of this paper is to investigate empirically the links between social capital, household welfare, and poverty in Indonesia. Specifically, the authors undertake a multivariate analysis of the role of local institutions in affecting household welfare and poverty outcomes and in determining access to services. The authors compare the impact of household memberships in local associations with the impact of human capital. They first consider six social capital dimensions: the density of associations, their internal heterogeneity, the frequency of meeting attendance, members' effective participation in decisionmaking, payment of dues, and the community orientation of associations. Second, in addition to estimating the effects on household welfare, the authors model the impact of ownership of social capital on the incidence of poverty. They also attempt to compare the returns to social capital between poor and non-poor households. Third, since the impact of social capital on household welfare is usually indirect, they attempt to measure some of these links--access to credit, asset accumulation, collective action--directly. Fourth, they revisit the question of whether social capital operates at the household level or at the village level. Fifth, the authors differentiate four types of institutions, specifically differentiating between voluntary associations and those with mandatory membership. Lastly, they revisit the question of causality.
Worst-case performance analysis with constrained uncertainty

We examine the worst-case performance of a linear system with real parametric uncertainty. In particular, we analyze the worst-case gain from disturbances to errors of a system subjected to 2 real, scalar uncertainties. The 2 scalar uncertainties are typically normalized so that they have absolute value less than or equal to one. In the parameter space, this constrains the uncertainties to lie in the unit cube. The contribution of the paper is that we also assume that the 2 scalar parameters are correlated. This correlation is represented by an additional offset rectangle constraint in the parameter space. The motivation for this problem is to use our knowledge of parameter correlation to remove some of the conservativeness in the standard performance analysis.
Immune functions of the skin

The skin comprises approximately 1.5 to 2 m 2 of the average human’s surface and represents the largest organ in the body, providing the principal physical barrier to the environment.1 In addition, the skin functions as the most peripheral component of the immune system and initiates a primary immune response to foreign antigen (Ag). The immune system disseminates throughout all tissues but has evolved to optimize the specialized needs of specific organ systems. During evolution, the skin developed a specific immunologic environment known as the Skin Associated Lymphoid Tissue (SALT). SALT consists mainly of Langerhans cells (LC) and dermal antigen-presenting cells (APC), which circulate between the skin and the lymph nodes; keratinocytes and endothelial cells, which produce a wide range of immune and growth regulatory cytokines; and lymphocytes, which extravasate from circulation into the skin. All components work in concert to optimize detection of environmental antigens.2,3 Following keratinocyte injury, the skin has the ability to mount an immediate, cytokine-driven, antigen-independent initiation of cutaneous inflammation mediated by interleukin (IL)-1. Simultaneously an antigen-dependent mechanism of inflammation develops, which involves several interactions between the B and T lymphocytes, LC, and dermal macrophages.4 This article provides a brief overview of the mechanisms by which the skin provides nonspecific and specific defenses against foreign invaders.
Net change in carbon emissions with increased wood energy use in the United States

Use of wood biomass for energy results in carbon (C) emissions at the time of burning and alters C stocks on the land because of harvest, regrowth, and changes in land use or management. This study evaluates the potential effects of expanded woody biomass energy use (for heat and power) on net C emissions over time. A scenario with increased wood energy use is compared with a dynamic business-as-usual scenario where wood energy use is driven by its historical relationship with gross domestic product. At the national level, we projected that up to 78% of increased cumulative C emissions from increased wood burning and up to 80% of increased cumulative radiative forcing would be offset over 50 years by change in forest area loss, biomass regrowth on land, C storage in harvested wood products, and C in logging slash left in forests. For example, forest area is projected to decline in both scenarios, but 3.5 million hectares more are retained in the high wood energy-use case. Projected C offsets over a 50 year period differed substantially by US region (16% in the North, 50% in the West, and 95% in the South) not only because of differences in forest regrowth and induced investment in retaining and planting forest, but also because of shifts in competitive advantage among regions in producing various wood products. If wood systems displace coal systems that have 75% of the C emissions of wood energy systems per unit energy, then the nationwide net C emissions offset would be reduced to 71–74%. If displacing natural gas systems that have 40% of the level of wood bioenergy emissions per unit energy, the nationwide net C emissions offset would be 46–52%.
Prevalence of Childhood Allergy in a Subtropical Environment Data from Dade County, Florida

Other prevalence studies of allergy in school children have been limited to temperate zones only. The aims of this computerized investigation were wholly focused on South Florida, located in a subtropical climate. The occurrence of allergy in relation to marked geographic variations was surveyed to evaluate the prevalence of allergy in connection with these topographic differences.
Using Propensity Scores for Estimating Causal Effects: A Study in the Development of Moral Reasoning

The purpose of this study was to illustrate the use of propensity scores for creating comparison groups, partially controlling for pretreatment course selection bias, and estimating the treatment effects of selected courses on the development of moral reasoning in undergraduate students. Specifically, we used a sample of convenience for comparing differences in moral reasoning development scores among students enrolled in intergroup dialogue, service learning, psychology and philosophy courses with those of an introductory sociology course. Adopting a propensity score approach included reviewing the empirical literature for its guidance in substantiating the reasons for including pretreatment variables (i.e., pretreatment course-taking behaviors, race, sex, political identification, need for cognition, major, age, pretreatment moral reasoning scores) in our analysis, measuring these variables, and reducing them into a single composite propensity score for each student in our analytic sample. This score then served as the basis for creating a new comparison group and for allowing us to estimate unbiased (or less biased) course-related treatment effects on moral reasoning development. Implications for higher education researchers are discussed.
Drums and Poems: An Intervention Promoting Empathic Connection and Literacy in Children.

Expressive therapies can be used with groups of children to increase empathy and reduce bullying and violence. When educators feel pressured to focus on standardized tests and basic skills, there is little attention and time for such programs. Drums and Poems is an intervention that counselors and teachers can use to address these problems by teaching literacy skills and empathic connection-building skills simultaneously. Group leaders incorporate relational–cultural theory (RCT) and elements of music and poetry therapy in a preventive group intervention for at-risk 7- to 9-year olds. They focus on the empathic process as children create poems as a group, supporting the RCT aspects of the intervention. This article includes an explanation of the Drums and Poems technique and the relational concepts that inform it, introducing the concept of empowered belonging. The use of relational–cultural concepts such as empathy, power-with, relational images, and controlling images are explained.
On the asymptotic eigenvalue distribution of Toeplitz matrices

Since covariance matrices of weakly stationary random processes are Toeplitz, much of the theory involving asymptotic results for such processes is simply the theory of the asymptotic behavior of Toeplitz forms. The fundamental theorem of this type is the Szego theorem on the asymptotic eigenvalue distribution of Toeplitz matrices. This theorem is often quoted but relatively little understood in the engineering literature. In this tutorial paper we prove the Szegio theorem for the special case of finite-order Toeplitz matrices. In this setting the mathematical sophistication of the classical proofs is not required and the proof is both simple and intuitive--yet it contains the important concepts involved in the most general case.
Skin model surface temperatures during single and multiple cryogen spurts used in laser dermatologic surgery.

Background: Although cryogen spray cooling (CSC) is used to minimize the risk of epidermal damage during laser dermatologic surgery, concern has been expressed that CSC may induce cryo-injury. In order to address this concern, it is necessary to evaluate the effects of prolonged exposure of human skin phantoms (HSP) to CSC. Objective: To measure the minimum surface temperature (Tmin) and the time at which it occurs (tTmin) as well as determine the time the sprayed HSP surface remains below 08C (sub-zero time, Dts) and � 268C (residence time, Dtr) during the application of single (SCS) and multiple (MCS) cryogen spurts. Two initial HSP substrate temperatures were studied, Ti: 23 and 708C. Study Design/Materials and Methods: An epoxy-based HSP was constructed to measure Tmin, tTmin, Dts, and Dtr, for 17 spray patterns: 1 SCS with a total cryo-delivery time (Dtc) of 40 milliseconds; 8 MCS patterns with identical Dtc, but with a total cooling time (Dttotal) varying from 50 to 280 milliseconds; and 8 SCS patterns that matched the Dttotal of the MCS patterns. Results: For both Ti, our results show that it is possible to distinguish between two different cooling regimes. For Dttotal � 110 milliseconds, the differences between SCS and MCS patterns with the same Dttotal for all variables (Tmin, tTmin, Dts, Dtr) are negligible. Most importantly, all these variables show a remarkable linear dependence withDttotal. In the interval 110 milliseconds <Dttotal < 280 milliseconds, Tmin and tTmin are similar for SCS and MCS, while Dts and Dtr show more pronounced differences between the two spray patterns. In this interval, the values of Tmin and Dts for MCS remain invariant and similar to the corresponding values for Dttotal ¼ 110 milliseconds. Conclusions: These results suggest that: (1) similar epidermal protection may be attained with SCS and MCS forDttotal � 110 milliseconds; and (2) for 110 milliseconds < Dttotal � 280 milliseconds, MCS help to maintainDts similar to that of SCS at Dttotal ¼ 100 milliseconds, which may be beneficial to prevent cryo-injury. Lasers Surg. Med. 36:141–146, 2005. 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Framework for massively parallel testing at wafer and package test

A novel DFT approach is introduced that enables massively parallel testing of logic devices at both wafer and package test. Parallelism is achieved by utilizing interconnection networks that are built onto a wafer probe or a tester interface unit. The financial benefits of this method in a realistic setting are also presented.
Beamfilling Errors in Passive Microwave Rainfall Retrievals.

Abstract There are currently large numbers of rainfall retrieval algorithms based upon passive microwave radiances. Most of these algorithms are physically based in that they use explicit physical assumptions to derive relationships between brightness temperatures (Tb’s) and rainfall. If these assumptions involve observable quantities, then the physical basis of the algorithms can be extended to determine fundamental uncertainties in the retrieved precipitation fields. In this paper this process begins by examining the largest uncertainty in many of the physical models—the homogeneous rainfall assumption. Four months of Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment shipborne radar data is used to describe the horizontal characteristics of rain. The vertical hydrometeor structures needed to simulate the upwelling Tb are taken from a dynamical cloud model. Radiative transfer computations were performed using a fully three-dimensional Monte Carlo solution in order to test all...
Two-Center/Three-Electron Sigma Half-Bonds in Main Group and Transition Metal Chemistry

First proposed in a classic Linus Pauling paper, the two-center/three-electron (2c/3e) σ half-bond challenges the extremes of what may or may not be considered a chemical bond. Two electrons occupying a σ bonding orbital and one electron occupying the antibonding σ* orbital results in bond orders of ∼0.5 that are characteristic of metastable and exotic species, epitomized in the fleetingly stable He2(+) ion. In this Account, I describe the use of coordination chemistry to stabilize such fugacious three-electron bonded species at disparate ends of the periodic table. A recent emphasis in the chemistry of metal-metal bonds has been to prepare compounds with extremely short metal-metal distances and high metal-metal bond orders. But similar chemistry can be used to explore metal-metal bond orders less than one, including 2c/3e half-bonds. Bimetallic compounds in the Ni2(II,III) and Pd2(II,III) oxidation states were originally examined in the 1980s, but the evidence collected at that time suggested that they did not contain 2c/3e σ bonds. Both classes of compounds have been re-examined using EPR spectroscopy and modern computational methods that show the unpaired electron of each compound to occupy a M-M σ* orbital, consistent with 2c/3e Ni-Ni and Pd-Pd σ half-bonds. Elsewhere on the periodic table, a seemingly unrelated compound containing a trigonal bipyramidal Cu3S2 core caused a stir, leaving prominent theorists at odds with one another as to whether the compound contains a S-S bond. Due to my previous experience with 2c/3e metal-metal bonds, I suggested that the Cu3S2 compound could contain a 2c/3e S-S σ half-bond in the previously unknown oxidation state of S2(3-). By use of the Cambridge Database, a number of other known compounds were identified as potentially containing S2(3-) ligands, including a noteworthy set of cyclopentadienyl-supported compounds possessing diamond-shaped Ni2E2 units with E = S, Se, and Te. These compounds were subjected to extensive studies using X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, density functional theory, and wave function-based computational methods, as well as chemical oxidation and reduction. The compounds contain E-E 2c/3e σ half-bonds and unprecedented E2(3-) "subchalcogenide" ligands, ushering in a new oxidation state paradigm for transition metal-chalcogen chemistry.
Scaffold Design for Bone Tissue Engineering: From Micrometric to Nanometric Level

Porous biodegradable polymeric scaffolds are essential for tissue ­engineering application since they should provide the adequate three-dimensional structure for cellular attachment and tissue development. In this context, recent paradigm moves towards new fabrication techniques able to develop micro- and nano-structured platforms which assure an optimal balance in terms of cell ­recognition, mass transport properties, and mechanical response to reproduce the morphological and functional features of natural tissues at the microscopic and nanoscopic level. Here, a large variety of technologies has been proposed to develop tailor-made platforms with micro/nanoscale architecture and chemical composition suitable for regenerating natural bony extracellular matrix (bECM).
Cambridge Technology Partners--Benelux (B)

This series of cases (see also UVA-OB-0758, UVA-OB-0759, and UVA-OB-0761) concerns Cambridge Technology Partners (CTP), which consults on information-technology matters to global corporations and emerging dotcoms. The firm has made its name by giving clients guarantees on how much services will cost and how long a job will take. In the A case, the company is described, and the decision maker and vice president of the Benelux operations, Paul Piebinga, faces the need to grow the Benelux staff to meet the demands of its client projects. The labor market is tight in 1999, and the firm does not offer a particularly high salary or much likelihood of promotion. Piebinga recruits globally and tries to figure out how to attract young, talented, productive people who are able to work well in cultures different from their own. The A case (UVA-OB-0758) asks the question, What does it mean to lead in this situation? The B case (UVA-OB-0759) examines how managers at CTP develop a Web structure with employees moving in and out of, as opposed to up in, the organization. The company's diversity attracts employees who, even after leaving the firm, remain loyal. Despite the shortage of IT employees in the marketplace, CTP manages to grow its numbers. An article in the Economist deems CTP the top pick when considering the best blend of consulting, Web-development, and system-integration skills to help clients become e-businesses. When Piebinga decides it's time to move on and leave the company, his right-hand person, Frank Hutchingame, takes over as director of Operations. Hutchingame worked as a senior project manager for several years, and watched his boss both grow and shrink the region's workforce in response to expansion and contraction. The C case adds a twist to the firm's saga as one of the first challenges Hutchingame must meet is to reduce the workforce by a third. The downturn in the economy and the firm's acquisition by Novell drive the change. But Hutchingame is determined to preserve the Web structure, diversity, and employee loyalty that Piebinga developed. As the short D case (UVA-OB-0761) unfolds, the reader learns that Hutchingame was indeed successful in his efforts.
Carcinoma in situ of the testis.

Analyse de l'histologie, de la frequence, de l'evolution naturelle, du diagnostic, du traitement et de la signification etiopathogenique possible du cancer in situ
Determination of 16 PAHs in paper containers for food by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Objective:To establish a method for determination of 16 PAHs in paper containers for food by gas chromatography-masss spectrometry.Methods:The disposable paper cups were soaked with water,4% HAc,20% ethanol and n-hexane respectively,and the PAHs were extracted with CH2Cl2 ultrasonically from the four soaking solutions,and then determined by GC-MS.Results:The linearity of the method was good within the range of 0.01 μg/ml~10.0 μg/ml for 16 PAHs.Linear correlation coefficients varied from 0.9985 to 0.9999.Limits of detection(LODs) ranged from 0.24 to 3.80μg/L.The average recoveries were 75.9%~123.1%,with the relative standard deviations(RSDs) of 1.17%~13.9%.Conclusion:The method is simple,accurate and suitable for determining 16 PAHs in the paper containers for food.
Cosmic Dust: Building Blocks of Planets Falling from the Sky

Throughout its history, Earth has accreted microscopic dust falling from space. Decelerating from cosmic speeds at the top of the atmosphere, the smallest particles can take weeks to reach the ground, failing a rate of 1 m −2 day −1 . Although usually hidden among terrestrial materials, extraterrestrial particles can be collected from select environments and positively identified by their unique properties. Unmelted cosmic dust is often composed of large numbers of smaller silicate, sulfide, and organic components—the preserved materials from the early Solar System. Cosmic dust particles are samples of comets and asteroids and they are important samples of the initial materials that were to build the solid planets.
The Making of the New Soviet Consumer

In October 1936 the Stakhanovite Kondrasheva spoke at a conference on the latest exhibition of children’s consumer goods in Moscow. She complained: Displayed here are children’s strollers. I’m interested in the question — who had so little conscience as to put them on display? Look at the crude work. How can I put a well-dressed child in such a stroller? It is completely incomprehensible. …If a child is not a freak, a hunchback, then he will have a hump after he is ambled about in this stroller. The question is how does such a product come to be sold in a store?1 Kondrasheva’s criticism was articulated at one of an expanding number of officially sanctioned forums for consumers’ voices in the 1930s. Her comments joined a litany of public consumer complaints. Instead of repressing consumer grievances about retail trade and consumption, authorities explicitly supported such negative feedback.
What Drives the Trend and Behavior in Aggregate (Idiosyncratic) Variance? Follow the Bid-Ask Bounce

This paper models a market microstructure bias, driven by the bid-ask spread, that is evident in the aggregate firm-level risk embodied by the stock return variance estimates of Goyal and Santa-Clara (2003) and Campbell, Lettau, Malkiel, and Xu (2001). Controlling for this bias, we find that there is a significant liquidity channel through which most of macroeconomic policy and activity initially demonstrates an effect. Market microstructure also explains the time-trend of aggregate firm-level volatility observed from 1962 to 1997 (Campbell et al., 2001), and subsumes any relation between retail trading and future idiosyncratic volatility from 1983 to 1999 (Brandt, Brav, Graham, and Kumar, 2010). We conclude that the aggregate firm-level bid-ask spread better predicts future market volatility rather than any measure of economic activity and that the bid-ask spread is the primary driver in trends observed in aggregate volatility measures from 1927 to 2012.
ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY AMONG JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GHANA: EVALUATING FACTOR STRUCTURE AND MEASUREMENT INVARIANCE ACROSS GENDER

Self-efficacy is a universal construct, but few validated measures exist for researchers in developing countries to use in assessing youths’ perceptions of their ability to achieve academic success. This study examined the cross-cultural suitability and psychometric properties of an academic self-efficacy scale (ASES) adapted for the Ghanaian context. ASES construct validity was assessed with a sample of 4,289 Ghanaian junior high-school students and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Invariance testing assessed the scale's measurement equivalence by gender and temporal stability of gender equivalence. The ASES is a valid, reliable one-dimensional scale for assessing young Ghanaians’ perceptions of their academic capabilities, and it works equally well across genders. As adapted, ASES is a valid scale with utility for researchers examining predictors and effects of academic self-efficacy. The ASES has important implications for decisions regarding investment in programs aimed at improving academic self-efficacy of youth, both in sub-Saharan Africa and the increasingly diverse American public schools.
Short Follow-up Bias Confounds Estimates of the "Typical" Clinical Course of Susac Syndrome.

BACKGROUND To evaluate the validity of the prevailing concept that Susac syndrome (SS), a rare microvasculopathy of the brain, retina, and inner ear, is a self-limiting disease. METHODS We performed a literature search to identify all cases of SS reported between 1973 and October 2015. If available, we determined their demographics, duration of follow-up, and the clinical course that was labeled as monocyclic or polycyclic. We attempted to determine the number of relapses and the relapse rate in patients with polycyclic disease. RESULTS Our literature search yielded 185 relevant publications reporting 405 cases of SS. The duration of follow-up could be determined in 247/405 cases, with a range 0.5-312 months. The mean was 41 months but the distribution was skewed, with a median of 24 months. Defining the clinical course as monocyclic or polycyclic was possible in 102 patients who were followed for greater than 24 months; 53 were identified as having a polycyclic course. Patients labeled polycyclic were followed longer than those labeled monocyclic (median 62 vs 42 months, P < 0.001). The number or frequency of attacks per patient could not be determined. CONCLUSIONS The follow-up of published cases of SS is short, creating an inherent bias toward the impression that the disease is self-limiting. Our findings suggest that stratification of SS into monocyclic, polycyclic, and chronic continuous courses may oversimplify the phenotype of SS; instead, the possibility of a relapsing-remitting course must be considered in all patients with this disorder.
Relation to Municipal Law

Federal statutes do not invest the Attorney General with a specific competence to render opinions on international law questions. Yet almost from the founding of government under the Constitution, his advice has been asked on matters of international law and practice. Presumably, then, any question of international law when referred to the Attorney General and answered by him falls within the definition of a “question of law” which the President and the departments heads are authorized to submit to the chief law officer. And in the case of department heads, such a question must be one “arising in the administration” of the department. Thus, the opinion of the Attorney General on an international law question presumably signifies that the law of nations itself directly affects the legal basis for official executive action contemplated in a particular instance — or, in other words, that international law is incorporated into “the law of the land.”
Physiological Basis of Stagnant Flooding Tolerance in Rice

Abstract Stagnant flooding (SF) is an important constraint which prolonges partial submergence damages of rice plants and reduces grain yield. Due to the heterogeneity in flood-prone ecosystem, many different types of traditional rice varieties are being grown by the farmers. The local landraces adapted to extreme in water availability could be the sources of new gene(s) which would be utilized to improve the adaptability of rice to SF with high yield. The main goal of this study is to identify new genetic resources tolerant to SF based on morpho-physiological traits. A total of 16 rice varieties were selected after initial screening from more than 400 rice varieties which were collected from eastern states of India. The increase rate of plant height was higher under SF compared to control, whereas no such trend was observed in the increment rate of aboveground total dry weight and culm dry weight. Area of aerenchyma gas spaces per tiller increased whereas root oxidase activity decreased under SF. The reduction of root oxidase activity, leaf area, and leaf dry weight was higher in susceptible varieties under SF compared to control. Stability index for different grain yield and yield attributes revealed that the impact of SF differed among different varieties. Correlation coefficient studies among different parameters taking stability index showed significant association with the grain yield. Based on the findings, it was concluded that maintenance of equivalent panicle weight and panicle number, plant height and harvest index at the maturity stage, leaf area, leaf and culm dry weights, root oxidase activity and tiller numbers at the flowering stage under SF compared to control help the plant to counteract the adverse effects of SF.