cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Lack of Clarity in the Precautionary Principle

The precautionary principle states, roughly, that it is better to take precautionary measures now than to deal with serious harms to the environment or human health later on. This paper builds on the work of Neil A. Manson in order to show that the precautionary principle, in all of its forms, is fraught with vagueness and ambiguity. We examine the version of the precautionary principle that was formulated at the Wingspread Conference sponsored by the Science and Environmental Health Network in 1998. That version fails to indicate who must bear the cost of precaution; what constitutes a threat of harm; how much precaution is too much; and what should be done when environmental concerns and concern for human health pull in different directions. Whether this vagueness is a strength or weakness of the principle, depends on what purpose(s) the precautionary principle is supposed to serve.
Improved constrained-layer damping treatment design for high damping and low interlaminar stresses

The purpose of this research is to investigate and improve constrained layer (CL) damping treatment for high damping and low interlaminar stresses (better durability). In this paper a mathematical model is developed to calculate interlaminar stresses in a CL treatment. The model is based on the Built-Up Bar (BUB) theory but includes numerous fundamental modifications to handle the behavior of various coversheet and viscoelastic materials. A parametric study is conducted. It is shown that the interlaminar peeling and shearing stresses in a CL treatment could be very high, especially at the free edges due to discontinuities in the material properties. It is also illustrated that these interlaminar stresses are of local type, i.e. the high stresses are limited to a region that is close to the free edge and is of the same order-of-magnitude in length as the layer thickness. The observation is that the designs that provide high damping usually have high interlaminar stresses. This means that the existing high performance CL designs that provide high damping usually have high interlaminar stresses.This means that the existing high performance CL designs could fail, especially under high load operations. From this research, it is shown that through some simple yet innovative modifications (e.g., slightly tapering the constraining layer at the free ends), the interlaminar stresses in the CL treatment can be significantly reduced while maintaining high levels of damping.
Processing Sentinel Nodes: When and How Many?

Background: Processing multiple sentinel nodes (SN) is expensive and time consuming. The aim of this study was to analyze a series of SNs from node positive breast cancer patients in order to determine their diagnostic value and delineate a working algorithm. Materials and methods: A prospective database of 105 node positive breast cancer patients undergoing a SN biopsy was created. The SN biopsies were performed with Technetium sulfur colloid, blue dye (Isosulfan Blue or Patent Blue) or both. SN were defined as any blue, suspicious node or radioactive nodes up to 10% of the hottest node. Location of the nodes, criteria of SN definition (hot/blue/suspicious), ten second radioactive counts and pathologic status were recorded. A statistical analysis of the diagnostic value of those nodes was performed. Results: Three hundred and seventy five SNs were recorded in the database. The number of nodes per patient ranged from 1 to 15 with a median value of 3. Radioactivity was found in a total of 322 (86%) sentinel nodes and blue dye in a total of 105 (28%) nodes, with 92 (25%) nodes being both hot and blue. Fourty (11%) sentinel nodes were removed for suspicious appearance. One hundred fifty nine (42%) of the 375 sentinel nodes tested positive for disease. Among the 159 positive nodes, 139 (87%) were radioactive, 52 (33%) were blue, and 46 (29%) were both hot and blue. An analysis of the 322 radioactive nodes reveals that the most radioactive node was positive in 74/95 analyzable patients (77.9%). Consideration of the two most intense nodes was sufficient to diagnose nodal disease in an additional 15 patients, representing a significant increase in sensitivity to 93.7%, p Conclusions: Processing of the two hottest and the suspicious nodes is sufficient for the initial axillary staging. Additional SNs should be processed only in presence of nodal disease. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 1007.
Human Rights Prosecutors? The High Commissioner for Human Rights, International Justice, and the Example of Syria

This chapter explores this relationship between the High Commissioner and international justice and asks what this portends for the future of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It addresses questions such as: What are the origins of this relationship and how are these different actors meant to interact? How should OHCHR and the High Commissioner in particular, engage with international justice? What opportunities exist for the High Commissioner to advance the goals of international justice? What might the framework of a High Commissioner-International Justice relationship look like? Are there any risks involved in the increasing association of OHCHR with international justice? If so, are those acceptable risks? How may those risks be managed? The author recommends ways to conceive of the High Commissioner's work in international justice, drawing only superficially and briefly on other examples of OHCHR work beyond Syria. Keywords:international justice; OHCHR; Syria
Iterative Planning in the Context of Automated Code Synthesis

Software development process has become increasingly complex and expensive due to the growing size and criticality of modern software systems. Deficiencies during the development process lead to significant quality problems that can hamper both the initial development as well as subsequent maintenance activities. Hence, it is imperative to develop advanced techniques to increase the overall software dependability and reduce its development cost and time. Automated code synthesis is a promising method of achieving the above goals. It is a constructive process that can be used to generate programs from specifications. It can accelerate the development process and simplify verification tasks. However, current automated code synthesis techniques have only limited abilities and are mostly able to generate sequential codes. Automated AI planning is attractive for software engineering automation because of its emphasis on goals and the similarity of plans to programs. In this paper, we present a novel iterative planning approach to generate parameterized procedure-like generic reusable plans, i.e., procedural plans. Specifically, we enhance the Graphplan algorithm to a two-phased algorithm that is able to generate loop and conditional constructs. The proposed iterative planning approach is targeted for automated code synthesis and leads to sophisticated code synthesis in combination with component-based software development (CBSD). We have implemented a prototype for our iterative planning approach and used it to solve several well-known planning problems. The results show that the implemented planner is able to reason about complex relationships among planning operators and automatically generate procedural plans. It preserves the good performance of Graphplan and can scale well when the search space grows larger.
Seeing, thinking, and feeling: Emotion-regulating effects of gaze-directed cognitive reappraisal.

Cognitive reappraisal (CR) is an emotion-regulatory (ER) process that is theorized to operate via changes in appraisals. CR is distinct from attentional deployment (AD), an ER process that is theorized to operate via changes in attention. However, a recent neuroimaging study has suggested that the ER effects of CR might largely be explained by AD. In this study, I manipulated CR while holding visual AD constant across CR conditions. In a randomized within-subjects design, 54 participants used CR to increase and decrease emotion in response to unpleasant pictures. This was compared with simply viewing the pictures. On all trials, gaze was directed to a circumscribed area of the pictures. Even with gaze held constant across conditions, increase reappraisals led to higher ratings of emotional intensity, greater corrugator activity, and greater autonomic arousal. In addition, decrease reappraisals led to lower ratings of emotional intensity and lower corrugator activity, the latter of which held only when gaze was directed to arousing information. Overall, the results suggest that changes in appraisal are the likely mechanism for the ER effects of CR.
Measurements Of Stress Evolution During Thin Film Deposition

We have developed a technique for measuring thin film stress during growth by monitoring the wafer curvature. By measuring the deflection of multiple parallel laser beams with a CCD detector, the sensitivity to vibration is reduced and a radius of curvature limit of 4 km has been obtained in situ. This technique also enables us to obtain a 2-dimensional profile of the surface curvature from the simultaneous reflection of a rectangular array of beams. Results from the growth of SiGe alloy films are presented to demonstrate the unique information that can be obtained during growth.
Interaction between the Cellular Protein eEF1A and the 3′-Terminal Stem-Loop of West Nile Virus Genomic RNA Facilitates Viral Minus-Strand RNA Synthesis

RNase footprinting and nitrocellulose filter binding assays were previously used to map one major and two minor binding sites for the cell protein eEF1A on the 3′(+) stem-loop (SL) RNA of West Nile virus (WNV) (3). Base substitutions in the major eEF1A binding site or adjacent areas of the 3′(+) SL were engineered into a WNV infectious clone. Mutations that decreased, as well as ones that increased, eEF1A binding in in vitro assays had a negative effect on viral growth. None of these mutations affected the efficiency of translation of the viral polyprotein from the genomic RNA, but all of the mutations that decreased in vitro eEF1A binding to the 3′ SL RNA also decreased viral minus-strand RNA synthesis in transfected cells. Also, a mutation that increased the efficiency of eEF1A binding to the 3′ SL RNA increased minus-strand RNA synthesis in transfected cells, which resulted in decreased synthesis of genomic RNA. These results strongly suggest that the interaction between eEF1A and the WNV 3′ SL facilitates viral minus-strand synthesis. eEF1A colocalized with viral replication complexes (RC) in infected cells and antibody to eEF1A coimmunoprecipitated viral RC proteins, suggesting that eEF1A facilitates an interaction between the 3′ end of the genome and the RC. eEF1A bound with similar efficiencies to the 3′-terminal SL RNAs of four divergent flaviviruses, including a tick-borne flavivirus, and colocalized with dengue virus RC in infected cells. These results suggest that eEF1A plays a similar role in RNA replication for all flaviviruses.
Interconnected Traffic with Real Mobility Tool for Ad Hoc Networks

Due to the slow deployment of ad hoc networks, their protocol performance is mainly measured in simulation environments and uses synthetic mobility and traffic models. The synthetic mobility and traffic models are designed independently of each other and work under the assumption that wireless nodes start and remain in the simulation for a user-specified simulation time. This paper shows that mobility and traffic are interconnected. We announce the implementation of the interconnected traffic tool and show that under real mobility and interconnected traffic the performance metrics need to be re-thought. Therefore, we propose availability as a new performance metric and evaluate protocol performance under synthetic and real mobility models. We offer the code to anyone interested.
Adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy in carcinoma of the rectum and rectosigmoid

Local recurrence occurs in 30% to 50% of rectal cancer patients treated with surgery alone if there is tumor extension beyond the bowel wall alone or in conjunction with nodal involvement. This analysis is of 97 such patients who received postoperative irradiation (XRT) in prospective and standardized fashion at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) (4500 rad in 25 fractions to large fields and minimum dose of 5040 rad in 28 fractions within a boost field). Results were compared with a group of 103 previously analyzed patients treated with surgery alone at MGH. A statistically significant decrease in local recurrence was seen in four of the six irradiated subgroups (modified Astler-Coller Stages B2g, B3, C1 + C2m, and C2g) at an interval 3 years from resection. This improvement was achieved with no increase in small bowel complications (4% with XRT versus 5% with surgery alone) in view of efforts at surgical reconstruction and use of multiple-field XRT techniques, bladder distension, etc.
A Completely Decentralized Suboptimal Control Strategy for Moderately Coupled Interconnected Systems

In this paper, a completely decentralized suboptimal control strategy for moderately coupled interconnected systems is presented. The interconnections in the system are assumed to be such that they do not destabilize the uncoupled system. The control is derived to optimize a finite horizon quadratic cost function locally. This local control is obtained in two portions; one for the subsystems and the other one for the interaction effects. The performance of the approach is also considered in an example.
Microwave Diagnostic Results from the Gaseous Electronics Conference RF Reference Cell.

Electron density measurements with even the simplest microwave interferometry techniques can range over three to four orders of magnitude, can be responsive on time scales as fast as 50 ns, and are simple to obtain and interpret. Three groups have published electron density data taken in the Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) reference reactor using microwave interferometry. The agreement in the data from these groups at higher pressures is excellent especially when one considers that the GEC reactors involved have some key differences. These may have been the cause of some differences between the results obtained at low pressures, although, the manner in which the measurements were interpreted may also have contributed. The electron densities compare favorably in argon, helium, and nitrogen above 33.3 Pa (250 mTorr); but, the measurements tend to diverge some at 13.3 Pa (100 mTorr) and in 133 Pa helium above approximately 200 mA. It is speculated that the latter difference occurs as the discharges change from a bulk ionization or α-mode to a secondary electron emission or γ-mode, and that this transition occurs at lower voltages and currents for reactors with aluminum electrodes than it does for those with stainless steel electrodes. In addition, time resolved electron densities are presented. There is agreement between time resolved measurements in the two reactors, in particular, the electron density in helium discharges is found to rise dramatically after the rf excitation is turned off while the electron densities in argon and nitrogen glows exhibit only slight increases.
HOST-RELATIONSHIPS OF RADIATION-INDUCED MUTANT STRAINS OF HYMENOLEPIS DIMINUTA.

Studies on the structure and behavior of radioinduced mutant strains of Hymenolepis diminuta are reviewed. The effects of radiation upon cestodes is classified as morphological, physiological, and cytological. (P.C.H.)
Reassessing the relationship between juvenile mortality and genetic monomorphism in captive cheetahs

Low levels of genetic heterozygosity are commonly considered a major threat to the survival of wild and captive populations. However, intense focus on genetic issues may obscure the importance of extrinsic factors influencing species' survival in wild and captive environments. A key example for this is the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), which is frequently cited as suffering from unusually high juvenile mortality and decreased fecundity in captivity due to genetic monomorphism at the species level. It has also been suggested that as a consequence of such extreme homozygosity, juvenile mortality rates of young from related vs. unrelated parents would not be expected to differ significantly. However, examination of current studbook data and breeding records of the North American captive population showed that juvenile mortality of young from related parents was significantly higher than that of young from unrelated parents, largely as a result of intrinsic causes, such as stillbirths and congenital defects, that may have a genetic basis. This indicates that in spite of the cheetah's homozygosity, effects of further inbreeding depression may still occur in the captive population, and deleterious recessive alleles are being segregated. Furthermore, juvenile mortality has declined over time and differs significantly among facilities, even when only young from unrelated parents are considered, suggesting that differences in management practices may be largely responsible for observed changes in mortality rate. Contrary to previous reports, cheetah juvenile mortality is not unusually high when compared to other captive-bred felids. In addition, cheetahs were found to have consistently higher litter sizes and the highest average number of surviving cubs per litter when compared to other captive-bred felid species. These findings cast doubt on the significance of overall homozygosity in this species for its juvenile survival and breeding performance and emphasize the key role of management practice in promoting breeding of endangered species. © 1996 Wiley-Liss. Inc.
Water Level and Wave Height Estimates at NOAA Tide Stations from Acoustic and Microwave Sensors.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is transitioning the primary water level sensor at the majority of tide stations in the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) from an acoustic ranging system to a microwave radar system. Field comparison of the acoustic and microwave systems finds statistically equivalent performance when temperature gradients between the acoustic sensor and water surface are small and when significant wave height is less than roughly 0.5m. When significant wave height is greater than approximately 0.5‐1m, the acoustic system consistently reports lower water levels. An analysis of 2 months of acoustic and microwave water level data at Duck, North Carolina, finds that the majorityofdifferencesbetweenthetwosensorscanbeattributedtosystemicerrorsintheacousticsystemand that the microwave system captures water level variability with higher fidelity than the acoustic system. NWLON real-time data products include the water level standard deviation, a statistic that can serve as a proxy for significant wave height. This study identifies 29 coastal water level stations that are candidates for monitoring wave height based on water level standard deviation, potentially adding a significant source of data for the sparsely sampled coastal wave fields around the United States, and finds that the microwave sensor is better suited than the acoustic system for wave height estimates.
Hospitalization for urinary tract infections and the quality of preventive health care received by people with spina bifida.

Abstract Background The preventive health care needs of people with disabilities often go unmet, resulting in medical complications that may require hospitalization. Such complications could be due, in part, to difficulty accessing care or the quality of ambulatory care services received. Objective To use hospitalizations for urinary tract infections (UTIs) as a marker of the potential quality of ambulatory care services received by people affected by spina bifida. Methods MarketScan inpatient and outpatient medical claims data for 2000 through 2003 were used to identify hospitalizations for UTI, which is an ambulatory care sensitive condition, for people affected by spina bifida and to calculate inpatient discharge rates, average lengths of stay, and average medical care expenditures for such hospitalizations. Results People affected by spina bifida averaged 0.5 hospitalizations per year, and there were 22.8 inpatient admissions with UTI per 1000 persons with spina bifida during the period 2000–2003, in comparison to an average of 0.44 admission with UTI per 1000 persons for those without spina bifida. If the number of UTI hospitalizations among people affected by spina bifida were reduced by 50%, expenditures could be reduced by $4.4 million per 1000 patients. Conclusions Consensus on the evaluation and management of bacteriuria could enhance clinical care and reduce the disparity in UTI discharge rates among people affected by spina bifida compared to those without spina bifida. National evidence-based guidelines are needed.
Optimal control locations for a class of large dynamic systems

This paper deals with the problem of determining optimal control locations for large interconnected dynamic systems where a limited number of control inputs are available. Particular applications presented include the stabilization of power systems during a stability crisis and the translation of large flexible space structures. A problem formulation is introduced that defines optimal control locations for large interconnected dynamic systems. Optimality is based on the concept of minimizing the maximum stretching of all connecting members over a defined class of inputs. Several types of large interconnected dynamic systems having structures that reveal optimal control locations are introduced. For these types of systems, optimality of control locations is proven analytically. A procedure, based on these analytic insights, for determining optimal control locations for any interconnected system is proposed. The procedure determines optimal control locations immediately from the structure of the dynamic equations (i.e. it does not require the computation needed to solve differential equations).
Mapping the World: Justin, Tatian,Lucian, and the Second Sophistic.

In the late 1960s, African American children in Boston were asked to draw maps of their neighborhood, near the old Mission Hill housing project. The housing project, largely white at the time, took up a large part of their hand-drawn maps, but was figured in various ways as a big blank: a no-man's land, a topography absent of marks or monuments. The streets around it, as well as schools, restaurants, and stores, were often carefully and clearly articulated, but the housing project itself was an open, unmarked rectangle. Recent critical geographers have been interested in the way “people's spatial behaviour is shaped by the hills and valleys of the invisible information and environmental stress surfaces over them.” Landscape and the built environment of the city are not neutral, but have their own rhetoric, exerting influence on the bodies of those who move through them. And humans map and interpret space, understanding and defining the limits of their known world through the movements of their bodies.
Religious Resurgence in Contemporary Asia: Southeast Asian Perspectives on Capitalism, the State, and the New Piety

Large portions of East and Southeast Asia are in the throes of a historically unprecedented upsurge in religious observance and association. Many of the new varieties of religiosity are inore popular, voluntary, and laity based than the religions of yesteryear. Many are also marked by the heightened participation of women, and an emphasis on inner-worldly well-being as well as otherworldly transcendence. Focusing on Southeast Asia, but with references to developments in China, this article examines the social and moral genealogy of eastern Asia's religious vitalization. Many analysts have emphasized the influence of postcolonial secularisms, neoliberal disciplines, and ascendant civil societies in the religious resurgence. Although these factors have indeed played a role, the macro-narratives of the state, capital, and democratization often give insufficient attention to the micro- and meso-passions of self family, and neighborhood, all of which have contributed to the popularization and proximatization of once restricted spiritual disciplines. essay concerns a development taking place across a broad swath of contemporary Asia: an unprecedented upsurge in religious ritual, association, and observance. The resurgence defies a century of forecasts by secularization and modernization theorists of religions imminent privatization and decline. The event also has distinctive social characteristics. Chief among these is that the new varieties of religion tend to be more popular, voluntary, and laity based than the established religions of yesteryear. Many are also marked by the heightened participation of women, although typically not by explicit normative affirmations of gender equality. Last but not least, some of the new movements also appear preoccupied less with otherworldly transcendence than with inner-worldly well-being. Of course, not all of Asia is being swept into this raging religious torrent, and not all new varieties of religion are popular, prosperity minded, or woman friendly. Two generations ago, Japan was a pioneer of laity-based, peace-and-prosperity religions (Davis 1992; Hardacre 1984; Metraux 1996).
Efficient Electrooptic Polymers for THz Applications

We present a method for producing electrooptic (EO) polymer films with EO coefficients 40−50 pm/V at 785 nm which are suitable for use as emitters and sensors of THz radiation. Direct comparison with ZnTe shows that our EO polymers are more efficient THz emitters than ZnTe. The THz field generated from a 80 μm thick poled polymer film is equal to that generated from a 1 mm thick ZnTe crystal. A model for the THz generation via optical rectification from a poled polymer has been developed and verified experimentally in a THz system using a polymer emitter and a ZnTe sensor.
On the inclusion properties for multi-level cache hierarchies

The inclusion property is essential in reducing the cache coherence complexity for multiprocessors with multilevel cache hierarchies. We give some necessary and sufficient conditions for imposing the inclusion property for fully- and set-associative caches which allow different block sizes at different levels of the hierarchy. Three multiprocessor structures with a two-level cache hierarchy (single cache extension, multiport second-level cache, bus-based) are examined. The feasibility of imposing the inclusion property in these structures is discussed. This leads us to propose a new inclusion-coherence mechanism for two-level bus-based architectures.
Teaching Cell Biology to Nonscience Majors Through Forensics, or How to Design a Killer Course

Nonscience majors often do not respond to traditional lecture-only biology courses. However, these students still need exposure to basic biological concepts. To accomplish this goal, forensic science was paired with compatible cell biology subjects. Several topics such as human development and molecular biology were found to fulfill this purpose. Another goal was to maximize the hands-on experience of the nonscience major students. This objective was fulfilled by specific activities such as fingerprinting and DNA typing. One particularly effective teaching tool was a mock murder mystery complete with a Grand Jury trial. Another objective was to improve students' attitudes toward science. This was successful in that students felt more confident in their own scientific abilities after taking the course. In pre/post tests, students answered four questions about their ability to conduct science. All four statements showed a positive shift after the course (p values ranging from .001 to .036, df = 23; n = 24). The emphasis on experiential pedagogy was also shown to increase critical thinking skills. In pre/post testing, students in this course significantly increased their performance on critical thinking assessment tests from 33.3% correct to 45.3% (p = .008, df = 4; n = 24).
Non-invasive estimation of relative water content in soybean leaves using infrared thermography

Infrared thermography is a useful technology for examining water status in terres- trial vegetation. This research was focused on assessing the water status of soybean plants (Glycinemax (L.) Merrill) using high resolution thermal infrared images. The plants were subjected to a range of moisture stress treatments in order to evaluate the water content in sampled leaves. The plants were irrigated with 8 different treat- ment levels (control (i.e., fully irrigated) and 1 to 7 days of water being withheld). One specific trifoliate was segmented from each of the thermal images for every plant sample, and both mean temperature and Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) were computed for each plant. Leaf discs were taken from the same trifoliate to gravi- metrically measure relative water content (RWC). RWC had statistically significant correlation coefficients with both CWSI (r = -0.92, n = 56; p�< 0.001) and raw mean temperature (r = -0.84, n = 56; p�< 0.001). Two separate regression models were developed to predict RWC using mean raw trifoliate temperature and CWSI. Our results document that a CWSI-based regression model was better in predicting RWC than a model based on mean raw trifoliate temperature.
Agape, Grace, and Immigration Law: An Evangelical Perspective

Although evangelical Christians have become regular participants in public discourse on immigration, the relationship between evangelical Christians and immigration laws remains underexplored. This Essay fills that gap in the literature, and offers a framework for thinking about immigration that also engages with the core faith commitments of evangelical Christianity. The Essay first describes biblical and socio-political factors leading to the development of two opposing positions on immigration that appear to have emerged amongst evangelical Christians. One position favors the noncitizen, while the other position emphasizes the enforcement of existing immigration laws, leading each side to endorse policy platforms that mirror the division over immigration that exists in society at large. The Essay then describes a fundamental spiritual belief held by evangelical (and other) Christians: the doctrine of God’s saving grace through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the primacy of agape love. The Essay argues that for evangelical Christians, grace and agape should tip the scales in favor of the immigrant, and offers several principles that might guide a grace-based approach to the immigration laws. Finally, it explores how prioritizing grace and agape could bear upon the treatment of so-called “criminal aliens” under the immigration laws.
THE “CROWDING EFFECT” IN THE CESTODE SCHISTOCEPHALUS SOLIDUS: DENSITY-DEPENDENT EFFECTS ON PLEROCERCOID SIZE AND INFECTIVITY

The occurrence of the crowding effect was demonstrated in plerocercoids of the cestode Schistocephalus solidus infecting threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus from Walby and Scout lakes, Alaska. Contrary to an earlier report, relatively large numbers of parasites (>3–4 plerocercoids) were observed to grow large enough in an intermediate host fish to become competent to infect and to mature in the definitive host under any of 3 assumed threshold values and 1 scenario of graded sizes for parasite competency. In Walby Lake, intensity and host body mass were significant predictors of mean plerocercoid mass per host, whereas intensity, host body mass, and combined parasite index were significant predictors in Scout Lake. Slopes of equations expressing the relationship between mean parasite mass and intensity for both lakes were less than 1, implying that processes other than or in combination with simple resource limitation might be producing the observed crowding effect. The causal mechanism for the c...
Guidelines for Writing IPPMC Case Histories

Chapter 2 clearly demonstrated the significance of a series of carefully documented case histories that describe and analyze the process of managing projects within various sectors and diverse economic and social settings. The case histories provide a direct and intimate view of the role and activities of the project manager. They also focus on the many techniques, relationships, and other factors that contribute to the success or failure of particular projects. For education and training purposes, they provide a realistic context for analyzing the management of projects. As a reference, they provide both scholars and practitioners with useful insights in (1) planning and managing new projects and (2) troubleshooting for ongoing projects. Written in the IPPMC framework, case histories provide firsthand accounts of management difficulties that occur within each phase of the project cycle and the methods used to analyze these interrelated problems. This framework helps to create an awareness of a project’s integrated, cohesive nature.
Smartphone-based sensory augmentation technology for home-based balance training

This paper describes the design and development of a smartphone-based sensory augmentation technology through vibrotactile biofeedback to support home-based balance training for individuals with balance disorders. The proposed system comprises a smartphone and a 3rd party sensor/actuator module. The smartphone's application software communicates with the wearable module wirelessly via Bluetooth, provides instructions for a recommended balance training exercises (i.e., dynamic weight-shifting exercises) in clinical and/or home-based balance rehabilitation settings, and displays knowledge of results after the completion of the exercise. The 3rd party sensor/actuator module incorporates a nine degrees-of-freedom inertial measurement unit (IMU) and four vibrating actuators (tactors) for vibrotactile biofeedback. To estimate the body motion, a sensor fusion algorithm is developed based on an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to yield accurate and reliable orientation of the IMU. For dynamic weight-shifting exercises, a motion generation algorithm is developed by taking a user's limits of stability (LOS). Furthermore, an algorithm for continuous coding scheme to control real-time vibrotactile biofeedback is developed to provide a user with the error magnitude while he/she is performing the recommended balance training exercises. The proposed system is the first step towards developing a portable balance training technology with vibrotactile biofeedback that could eventually be used at home.
Planning for the Kiddie Tax: Diversity with Investment Control

Because of the graduated tax rates in our Federal income tax system, affluent parents have been attempting to minimize the family tax liability by income shifting. This is accomplished by putting income-producing assets in a child's name and have that income taxed at the child's lower tax rate. The family benefits in two ways when income is properly shifted to family members in lower income tax brackets - not only is the overall income liability reduced; but the parents' adjusted gross income (AGI) is also reduced. Assume, for example, that the parents' marginal income tax bracket is 35%. If income can be shifted to a child or children whose lowest tax bracket is 10%, the family saves 25 cents on every dollar of income shifted. Additionally the parents AGI is reduced. Numerous income tax provision such as the child tax credit or educational credits are phased out as the parents' AGI increases. Lowering AGI increases the parents' eligibility for a number of these tax breaks.
Identity Efficiency for High-Performance Ambient Pressure Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

A new approach to reduce the false-positive responses commonly encountered in the field when drugs and explosives are detected is reported for an electrospray ionization high-performance ion mobility spectrometry (ESI-HPIMS). In this article, we report on the combination of reduced mobility and the width-at-half-height of a peak to give a new parameter called conditional reduced mobility (CRM). It was found that the CRM was capable of differentiating between real drugs peaks from that of a false-positive peak and may help to reduce false-positive rates. This effect was demonstrated using 11 drugs (amphetamine, cannabidiol, cocaine, codeine, heroine, methamphetamine, morphine, phentermine, l-phenylepherine, proglitazone, and rosiglitazone) and seven interferences chosen from off-the-shelf products. This report determined and compared CRM, resolving power (Rm), and diffusion-limited conditional theoretical reduced mobility (DLCTRM) for ESI-HPIMS. The most important parameters for determining CRM are reduced...
A Test of Spatial Contiguity for Virtual Human's Gestures in Multimedia Learning Environments.

Virtual humans are becoming an easily available and popular component of multimedia learning that are often used in online learning environments. There is still a need for systematic research into their effectiveness. The current study investigates the positioning of a virtual human’s gestures when guiding the learner through a multimedia presentation. Using predictions based on the spatial contiguity principle of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, learners were presented with a multimedia environment presented by a virtual human that did not gesture to guide the learning, gestured with item-specific gestures, or made general gestures close to the item area. The study randomly assigned 77 participants to one of the three conditions. The results indicated that having an agent perform gestures that are specifically targeting the elements discussed or in close vicinity can improve retention. These findings are taken as partial support for of the application of the spatial contiguity principle to vi...
A course in disaster mitigation

While endeavors are underway within the emergency management discipline to develop a unique body of foundational knowledge, widespread acknowledgement and agreement within the emergency management scholarly community of the existence of theoretical foundations and the consistent incorporation of these elements into emergency management research and teaching are still lacking. This article offers an outline of a US-based undergraduate course in mitigation theory and practice that is based on a synthesis of the academic literature related to disaster mitigation as a means to advance the discourse on foundational knowledge and curriculum development. The course outline proposes a set of concepts, theories, propositions, and empirical data that would arguably be fundamental for students in gaining a comprehensive understanding of mitigation in the United States and suggests how that information can be organized and presented in a meaningful way.
Effect of Vitamin A Deficiency on Luteinizing Hormone Receptors and Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate-Mediated Steroidogenesis in Rat Testicular Tissue

AbstractWeanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained on a vitamin A (retinol)-deficient retinoic acid-supplemented diet for a period of 8 to 14 weeks. After 10 weeks, Leydig cell-enriched preparations from vitamin A-deficient animals had 45% fewer gonadotropin receptors for human luteinizing hormone (hLH). Testicular slices from vitamin A-deficient animals demonstrated decreased formation of adenosine 3′5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and decreased testosterone content in response to hLH stimulation compared to vitamin A-supplemented rats (P < 0.01). Our findings suggest that changes which cause hyporesponsiveness in testosterone production from vitamin A-deficient rats can be attributed to a reduction in gonadotropin testicular receptors for hLH and a decreased cyclic AMP production. Testicular morphology was not altered during the first 10 weeks of the experiment, although, after 14 weeks on the experimental diet there was marked degeneration of tubules, cessation of spermatogenesis, and testicular a...
On the Partition of Numbers into Squares

(1948). On the Partition of Numbers into Squares. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 55, No. 8, pp. 476-481.
Analysis of Serological Markers of HBV in the Youth Persons in QuanZhou City

Objective To study the infection of hepatitis B virus and the different patterns of five serological markers in persons. Methods Detect HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, HBcAb in the serum samples from the youth persons were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results The results were negative in 2673 cases, accounting for 58.20% of the total 4593 cases and results were positive, in 1920 cases, accounting for 41.80% of the total cases. There were 14 different patterns in all which could be divided into infection pattern group and recovery pattern group. The pattern" 135"and" 145" were primary in the infection pattern group and pattern" 25" an"d2" were primary in the recovery pattern group. Conclusions The total rate of HBV infection is still high youth persons in the Taian city and the prevention and testing of hepatitis B should be enhanced.
Preventing litigation in breast augmentation.

Breast surgery generates more malpractice claims than any other area of plastic surgery according to most medical malpractice insurance carriers. The author emphasizes that half of all malpractice claims related to augmentation mammaplasty could have been avoided by applying common sense guidelines in patient selection criteria and following elementary rules in doctor-patient communication and informed consent procedures, and presents essential, critical guidelines for surgeons who perform breast augmentation.
Overt and Relational Aggression Participant Role Behavior: Measurement and Relations With Sociometric Status and Depression

This study is the first to measure participant role behavior across overt and relational forms of aggression. The Overt and Relational Aggression Participant Role Behavior Scales were designed to measure aggression, assisting, reinforcing, defending, victimization, and outsider behavior during acts of peer aggression in an ethnically diverse sample of 609 adolescents (M age = 12 years). The data fit the hypothesized 12-factor model, and measurement invariance was established across gender. Relational victimization, but not overt victimization, was positively associated with all other relational aggression roles. Each participant role subscale was positively associated with depressive symptoms with the exception of the overt and relational outsider subscales. Future research and intervention efforts should consider overt and relational aggression participant roles, separately.
Does Pricing Nature Reduce Monetary Support for Conservation?: Evidence From Donation Behavior in an Online Experiment

Abstract Ecosystem services valuation attempts to determine the monetary value of the benefits provided by the natural world. Prior research has shown that making monetary value salient fosters self-interested behavior in experimental settings (Vohs, Mead, and Goode, 2006), reduces the intrinsic value ascribed to pro-social activities such as volunteering (Pfeffer and DeVoe, 2009), and reduces the efficacy of environmentally relevant interventions (Steinhorst, Klockner, and Matthies, 2015). These findings raise concern that ecosystem service valuation information might adversely impact individual's pro-environmental behaviors. This study uses an experimental framework to determine whether ordinary citizens' exposure to valuation information, such as one might encounter in a news article or fundraising materials, might influence an individual's contribution to a natural resource conservation fund. The study is implemented with 250 participants from across the United States. We find that participants who receive a “natural resource description plus valuation” treatment donate a statistically significant lower dollar amount of their experimental earnings on average than those who read the narrative alone. Based upon this evidence, we assert that ecosystem service valuation information has the potential to negatively impact financial support for the exact resources the information is designed to promote.
Prize-Collecting TSP with a Budget Constraint

We consider constrained versions of the prize-collecting traveling salesman and the minimum spanning tree problems. The goal is to maximize the number of vertices in the returned tour/tree subject to a bound on the tour/tree cost. We present a 2-approximation algorithm for these problems based on a primal-dual approach. The algorithm relies on finding a threshold value for the dual variable corresponding to the budget constraint in the primal and then carefully constructing a tour/tree that is just within budget. Thereby, we improve the best-known guarantees from 3+epsilon and 2+epsilon for the tree and the tour version, respectively. Our analysis extends to the setting with weighted vertices, in which we want to maximize the total weight of vertices in the tour/tree subject to the same budget constraint.
Drawing Boundary Conditions for Learning by Drawing.

Learning by drawing can be an effective strategy for supporting science text comprehension. However, drawing can also be cognitively demanding and time consuming, and students may not create quality drawings without sufficient guidance. Furthermore, evidence for drawing is often based on comparisons to weak control conditions, such as students who only read the text without provided illustrations. In this review, we synthesize past research to help draw boundary conditions for learning by drawing, focusing on the role of comparison conditions and drawing guidance. First, we analyze how drawing compares to each of four control conditions: reading only, text-focused strategies (e.g., summarizing), other model-focused strategies (e.g., imagining), or viewing instructor-provided illustrations. Next, we distinguish among four levels of drawing guidance: minimal guidance, drawing training, partially provided illustrations, and comparison to instructor-provided illustrations. Our findings indicate that when compared to only reading the text or using text-focused strategies, creating drawings is consistently more effective at fostering comprehension and transfer, regardless of the level of drawing guidance provided. However, when compared to other model-focused strategies or to viewing instructor-provided illustrations, effects of creating drawings are mixed and may depend on the level of drawing guidance provided, among other factors. We discuss the theoretical and practical considerations of our findings and suggest several directions for broadening research on drawing.
Transcending Knowledge Gaps in Virtual Teams: Social Processes of Rapid Problem-Solving Bounded by Terminology

Virtual and distributed collaboration are increasingly important for organizations. This paper presents episodes of negotiated term definitions used to complete tasks in a voluntary, ad hoc game forum of an Alternate Reality Game (ARG). Episodes analyzed focus on specialized language used during problem solving. Terminology analysis reveals that players do not explicate definitions and construct shared mental models or knowledge. Instead, they transcend knowledge gaps in order to achieve action-oriented objectives. By focusing social processes on negotiated terminology for the purpose of task completion, the team rapidly meets goals.
Determination of the relative Σ-Λ parity

Abstract An investigation has been undertaken to determine whether there are definitive experiments which can determine, at least in principle, the relative Σ-Λ parity. Two such methods are discussed. They are both based upon the parity-conserving electromagnetic decays of the Σ 0. The first involves the process Σ 0→Λ 0+γ. It is necessary to measure the decay asymmetries of the Λ 0 together with the direction of the photon polarization. The second method (also calculated recently by Feinberg) involves an accurate measurement of the branching ratio for the reactions Σ 0→Λ 0+e++e− and Σ 0→Λ 0+γ. The appendix is concerned with some properties of a general vertex part.