cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brief of Copyright Law Scholars as Amici Curiae in Support of Defendants-Appellants and Reversal in Capitol Records et al. v. ReDigi et al., 16-2321 (2nd Cir. 2017)

The entitlement to sell or dispose of one’s ownership interest in a lawful copy of a copyrighted work has long been recognized by both Congress and the courts. This “first sale” entitlement, established by a line of cases stretching back to the nineteenth century and expressly reaffirmed by Congress, embraces not only property dispositions such as resale or donation, but also limited acts of alteration and reproduction necessary to facilitate disposition. While advances in digital technology have complicated the first sale doctrine’s application, they cannot eradicate it as the District Court suggested. In fact, Congress understood the need for a copyright law that adapts to changes in technology and nothing in 17 U.S.C. § 109(a) indicates otherwise. If allowed to stand, the opinion below will undermine copyright law’s careful balance between the rights of copyright holders and consumers, leading to unanticipated and absurd results contrary to settled law and reasonable consumer expectations. For example, the District Court’s rule would require an owner of a digital song to sell her $800 smartphone to alienate a single $1 song. It would be as if selling a book at a garage sale required you to sell your bookshelf and all its contents along with it. After all, the smartphone contains not only that $1 song, but likely thousands more, along with personal photos, communications, and financial records. This outcome contradicts the plain language of § 109(a) and the longstanding history of copyright exhaustion that underlies it. Moreover, it is inconsistent with the legislative history of the Copyright Act, the property rights of digital consumers, and aspects of the District Court’s own holding. Finally, the District Court ignored the fact that the purpose of any incidental copies created by the ReDigi system was to facilitate the first sale rights consumers are entitled to effectuate under § 109(a). As a result, the District Court’s fair use analysis is fatally flawed. * NYU Technology Law & Policy Clinic Teaching Fellow Amanda Levendowski and students Cassandra Deskus, Kristen Iglesias, and Ari Lipsitz contributed heavily to this brief.
Dynamic analysis of growth of Salmonella Enteritidis in liquid egg whites

Abstract Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is a common foodborne pathogen associated with eggs and egg products. This research was conducted to study the kinetics of growth and survival of SE in liquid egg whites (LEW). A dynamic temperature profile that exposed SE to suboptimal temperatures and below the minimum growth temperature (Tmin) was used with two isothermal conditions to develop kinetic models. One-step dynamic analysis was used to directly construct a tertiary model for describing the growth and survival of SE and determine the kinetic parameters. The results of kinetic analysis showed that the Tmin was 7.7 °C and SE may die off at a rate of 2.78 × 10−3 log CFU/ml per h per °C below the Tmin. The root mean square error (RMSE) of the model was 0.5 log CFU/ml, with 76.6% of the residual errors within ±0.5 log CFU/ml of the experimental observations. The model was validated under both dynamic temperature and isothermal conditions. Both growth and survival of SE was accurately predicted, with the RMSE of validation at This study clearly demonstrated that the one-step dynamic analysis method is an accurate and efficient method for direct construction of predictive models and estimation of the associated kinetic parameters that govern the growth and survival of microorganisms in food. Since the mathematical model has been validated, it can be used to predict the growth and survival of SE in LEW during storage and distribution and for conducting risk assessment of this microorganism.
Use of knotted string accounting records in old Hawaii and ancient China

The use of the “quipu” for accounting purposes has been primarily attributed to the Peruvian Inca culture in the days of old. Documented evidence, however, provides that early Hawaiians and ancient Chinese predated the Incan usage. Studies concentrating on the quipu as an accounting device rather than as an element in the evolution of the writing process might provide valuable contributions to the solution of the mystery surrounding this artifact. Insight into the development of mankind in the Pacific may be gained by understanding the use of the quipu in the East and West, and in Hawaii—the “meeting place” of the Pacific.
User QoS-Aware Adaptive RF Chain Switching for Power Efficient Cooperative Base Stations

We propose a user quality of service (QoS) and base station (BS) resource utilization aware radio frequency (RF) chain switching technique among cooperating BSs, termed cooperative RFSnooze (Co-RFSnooze), to improve the power efficiency of cellular networks. The key idea is to maximize the number of RF chains that can be switched off in a cluster of neighboring BSs that have overlapping coverage areas. To achieve this, we propose to jointly explore the individual BS resource space consisting of number of RF chains, frequency blocks, and time slots and the user association space formed by users located in coverage areas of multiple BSs in the cluster. Specifically, we formulate the problem to minimize the sum of average power consumption of cluster of BSs in a transmission frame with users’ QoS and BS resource utilization as constraints to be satisfied. We then propose a heuristic iterative algorithm to solve the optimization problem. Simulation results based on real dataset demonstrate that the proposed Co-RFSnooze technique can achieve up to 44% savings in average cluster power consumption in a transmission frame while satisfying the users’ QoS and BS utilization constraints.
Is Your City Economic, Cultural, or Political? Recognition of City Image Based on Multidimensional Scaling of Quantified Web Pages

This research extends city image research to the communication space afforded by the World Wide Web through the efficient use of web-based information and the analysis of the thematic dimensionality of city images embedded in the discourse conveyed on this space. A large-scale database is built from web crawling results for each of 264 cities recognized to be significant in the world; textual contents are extracted from the crawled web pages. The thematic dimensionality of the textual contents denotes how they are expressed, discussed, and shared on the Web; it is measured by quantified content analysis and multidimensional scaling based on the relative preponderance of the economic, cultural and political themes that cut across these contents. The web-based discourse on cities is found to be highly structured and to be responding to the geographies, histories, and socio-political context of each city. The analysis demonstrates the merit of the new interdisciplinary approach that integrates web-crawling, quantified content analysis, and multidimensional scaling to extract, assess, and visualize the image of cities from Web contents.
Carbon nanotube and nanofiber exposure and sputum and blood biomarkers of early effect among U.S. workers

Abstract Background Carbon nanotubes and nanofibers (CNT/F) are increasingly used for diverse applications. Although animal studies suggest CNT/F exposure may cause deleterious health effects, human epidemiological studies have typically been small, confined to single workplaces, and limited in exposure assessment. Objectives We conducted an industrywide cross-sectional epidemiological study of 108 workers from 12 U.S. sites to evaluate associations between occupational CNT/F exposure and sputum and blood biomarkers of early effect. Methods We assessed CNT/F exposure via personal breathing zone, filter-based air sampling to measure background-corrected elemental carbon (EC) (a CNT/F marker) mass and microscopy-based CNT/F structure count concentrations. We measured 36 sputum and 37 blood biomarkers. We used factor analyses with varimax rotation to derive factors among sputum and blood biomarkers separately. We used linear, Tobit, and unconditional logistic regression models to adjust for potential confounders and evaluate associations between CNT/F exposure and individual biomarkers and derived factors. Results We derived three sputum and nine blood biomarker factors that explained 78% and 67%, respectively, of the variation. After adjusting for potential confounders, inhalable EC and total inhalable CNT/F structures were associated with the most sputum and blood biomarkers, respectively. Biomarkers associated with at least three CNT/F metrics were 72 kDa type IV collagenase/matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), interleukin-18, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), myeloperoxidase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in sputum and MMP-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9, metalloproteinase inhibitor 1/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, GPx, SOD, endothelin-1, fibrinogen, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, vascular cell adhesion protein 1, and von Willebrand factor in blood, although directions of associations were not always as expected. Conclusions Inhalable rather than respirable CNT/F was more consistently associated with fibrosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular biomarkers.
Abstract 16439: Role of Caspase-1 in HIV-Associated Atherosclerosis

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cardiovascular disease and its complications, including heart attack and stroke, is now a leading cause of mortality in HIV+ patients. Extensive clinical evidence suggests well controlled HIV infection with or without combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) (eg. HIV+ patients or HIV+ elite controllers) accelerates atherogenesis. In patients on cART, HIV infection not only activates immune cells (macrophages), but also triggers an array of molecular pathways, such as caspase-1 activation and its cleavage products IL-18 and IL-1β. The immune cell activation in the periphery or lymph nodes may not be reflective of cardiovascular inflammation, indicating the pathogenesis of HIV-associated vascular inflammation may differ from the periphery. Understanding mechanisms of HIV-associated atherogenesis will help to better design and develop novel therapeutics for treatment/prevention. However, the pathogenesis of HIV-associated atherosclerosis has not been investigated due to the lack of a mouse model. Here, we present the development and characterization of a new mouse model for HIV-associated atherosclerosis, and its use in understanding the atherogenic role of caspase-1 in HIV infection. By crossing Tg26 mice (Tg26+/-), which contain a transgene encoding the HIV genome with Apolipoprotein E deficient mice (ApoE-/-) on a C57BL/6J background, we introduced Tg26 mice to hyperlipidemia conditions to induce atherosclerosis. We demonstrate that 1) Tg26/ApoE -/- develop an accelerated atherogenesis with normal renal function, 2) HIV expression increases activation of caspase-1 in circulating monocytes and vasculature of Tg26/ApoE-/-, and 3) Tg26/ApoE-/- have significantly higher levels of IL-1β in the serum after 8 weeks on high fat diet compared to ApoE-/- mice. Importantly, in the serum of 102 HIV+ vs. 41 HIV- patients with coronary atherosclerosis determined by computed tomography coronary angiography, IL-18 levels are higher and significantly correlate with the presence of plaque. Together, these results not only shed light on the atherogenic role of caspase-1 activation in HIV infection but also indicate that Tg26/ApoE-/- mice provide a new mouse model for investigating HIV-associated atherogenesis.
Biological Effects of Stationary Magnetic Fields

An inherent sensitivity to the weak geomagnetic field ( ≃ 50 µT) has been demonstrated for a number of different organisms and animal species. It has been well documented experimentally that weak magnetic fields influence the migratory patterns of birds, 1–4 the kinetic movements of mollusks, 5 the waggle dance of bees, 6 the direction-finding of elasmobranch fishes, 7,8 and the orientation and swimming direction of magnetic bacteria. 9,10 The mechanisms underlying the magnetic sensitivity of elasmobranchs and magnetotactic bacteria have been described in the preceding chapter.11 A precise mechanism underlying the magnetic sensitivity of other organisms has not been elucidated, although small deposits of magnetite crystals have been discovered in the cranium of pigeons, 12,13 the tooth denticles of mollusks, 14,15 and the abdominal region of bees.16 Magnetite has also been reported to be localized in various anatomical sites in dolphins, 17 tuna, butterflies,18 turtles,19 mice20 and humans. 22,23 The possible role of magnetite in the geomagnetic direction-finding mechanism possessed by some of these species has not been established, nor is it clear that a sensitivity to the geomagnetic field direction exists for all of the mammalian species in which magnetite deposits have been reported to occur.24,25
Using New Data and Improved Study Designs to Examine Infertility-Service Seeking and Adverse Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes in the South-Central United States

The inability to produce a biological child can profoundly disturb mental and social wellbeing, although it does not in itself threaten physical health. Infertility is also a problem of global proportions, affecting about 4–14 % of couples worldwide (Nachtigall 2006), with estimates of couples experiencing involuntary childlessness for a least 1 year ranging from 10 to 30 %. After a long period of neglect, infertility is finally receiving increased public and research attention. Infertility treatments can assist those desperate to become parents, but they have also fallen under scrutiny for their potential adverse maternal and infant outcomes. In this chapter, we use a new data source and novel comparison group to consider the use of such services and their salient outcomes. Our application is to Texas, the second most populous and extensive state in the U.S., and which has some of its most glaring reproductive health disparities.
Phylogenetic analysis of symbiont transmission mechanisms reveal evolutionary patterns in thermotolerance and host specificity that enhance bleaching resistance among vertically transmitted Symbiodinium

Vertical transmission of Symbiodinium symbionts between generations of coral hosts has been hypothesized to result in superior matches between host and symbiont physiologies, and to form holobionts...
Teaching Crime Fiction and Gender

Reddy offers a possible model for teaching crime fiction through an understanding of gender and sexuality as performative, following Judith Butler’s theoretical perspective. Using one course syllabus, the chapter discusses teaching both the traditional hardboiled, such as works by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, and its later feminist revisers, such as Sara Paretsky and Paula L. Woods.
Molecular Dynamics of Ion Conduction through the Selectivity Filter of the NaVAb Sodium Channel

The determination of the atomic structures of voltage-gated bacterial sodium channels using X-ray crystallography has provided a first view of this family of membrane proteins. Molecular dynamics simulations offer one approach to clarify the underlying mechanism of permeation and selectivity in these channels. However, it appears that the intracellular gate of the pore domain is either closed or only open partially in the available X-ray structures. The lack of structure with a fully open intracellular gate poses a special challenge to computational studies aimed at simulating ion conduction. To circumvent this problem, we simulated a model of the NaVAb channel in which the transmembrane S5 and S6 helices of the pore domain have been truncated to provide direct open access to the intracellular entryway to the pore. Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out over a range of membrane potential and ion concentration of sodium and potassium. The simulations show that the NaVAb selectivity filter is essentially a cationic pore supporting the conduction of ions at a rate comparable to aqueous diffusion with no significant selectivity for sodium. Conductance and selectivity vary as a function of ion concentration for both cations. Permeation occurs primarily via a knock-on mechanism for both sodium and potassium, although the ion ordering in single file along the pore is not strictly maintained. The character of the outward current appears quite different from the inward current, with a buildup on ions in the selectivity filter prior to escape toward the extracellular side, indicating the presence of a rectification effect that is overcome by nonphysiological applied voltages.
Language Abstractions for Hardware-based Control-Flow Integrity Monitoring

Control-Flow Integrity (CFI) is a software protection mechanism that detects a class of code reuse attacks by identifying anomalous control-flows within an executing program. Hardware-based CFI has the promise of the security benefits of CFI without the performance overhead and complexity of software-based CFI: generally speaking, hardware-based monitors are more difficult to bypass, offer lower performance overheads than software-based monitors, and, furthermore, hardware-based CFI can be performed without the necessity of altering application binaries or instrumenting language compilers. Although hardware-based CFI is an active area of research and there is a growing literature describing CFI strategies at a high-level, there is, to the authors’ best knowledge, no work on languages specially tailored to the specification and implementation of CFI monitors. This article presents a proof-of-concept domain-specific language with built-in abstractions for expressing control-flow constraints along with a compiler that targets the functional hardware description language ReWire. While the case study is small, it indicates, we argue, an approach to rapid-prototyping hardware-based monitors enforcing CFI that is quick, flexible, and extensible as well as being amenable to formal verification.
Residential mobility and long-term exposure to neighborhood poverty among children born in poor families: A U.S. longitudinal cohort study

Abstract One in four Americans lives in a poor neighborhood – defined by a poverty rate of 20% or higher. The effects of neighborhood poverty on children's health and development depend on the timing and duration of the exposure. Focusing on children born in poor families, we examined the timing and persistence of their exposure to neighborhood poverty from birth to age 17. We also examined family characteristics associated with exposure to neighborhood poverty. Study data are from a national cohort of 634 children born in poor families in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Neighborhood poverty was defined by census tract using residential addresses reported in annual/biennial interviews. Approximately half of the children lived in a poor neighborhood at any age. More than a third lived in a poor neighborhood both at birth and in their last follow-up in adolescence, spending most of their childhood and adolescence in such neighborhoods. Many family demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were significantly associated with entering and exiting poor neighborhoods, but only non-white head of household, being born in a poor neighborhood, and parents' tenure in poor neighborhoods before the child's birth were significantly positively associated with cumulative exposure to poor neighborhoods (in years). Among children born in poor families, exposure to neighborhood poverty is persistent throughout childhood and adolescence. Children from non-white families and families with a history living in poor neighborhoods are disproportionately exposed to poor neighborhoods. Policies are needed to address structural conditions such as neighborhood racial and income segregation to reduce prolonged exposure to neighborhood poverty among children born into poverty.
Correlation of Ki-67 expression and tumor response to induction chemotherapy (IC) containing cell cycle-specific agents in patients (pts) with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

e17077 Background: We hypothesized that highly proliferative tumors, reflected by increased Ki-67 expression, may be more responsive to an IC regimen containing cell cycle-specific agents (taxane, ...
Defining the utility of anteroposterior venography in the diagnosis of venous iliofemoral obstruction.

Abstract Background Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is the current standard for the diagnosis of obstruction in the iliac and femoral veins. However, multiple venographic findings including collaterals, pancaking, and contrast thinning have been suggested to improve the sensitivity of venography. The objective of our study was to further elucidate where and how anteroposterior venography may successfully guide the diagnosis of venous obstruction. Methods A retrospective review of patients with chronic venous insufficiency who received iliofemoral stenting by a single practitioner at a tertiary medical center between January 2014 and August 2016 was performed. Patients who had records of anteroposterior venography and IVUS were included. Patients who underwent reoperation, did not have complete records of venography and IVUS, or had preoperative acute deep vein thrombosis were excluded. All patients with a greater than 50% luminal area reduction by IVUS underwent balloon angioplasty and stent placement. The locations of stenosis, collaterals, pancaking, and contrast thinning with venography, the locations of stenosis with IVUS, and the location of each stent placed were recorded. Results There were 107 patients who underwent venous stenting guided by venography and IVUS in this study. Six patients who underwent reoperation, 1 patient who had an acute preoperative deep vein thrombosis, and 14 patients who had incomplete records were excluded. Thus, 86 patients with 77 left lower extremity and 68 right lower extremity studies were available for analysis. The sensitivity by stenosis on venography was 4% in the left common iliac vein (CIV), 44% in the left external iliac vein (EIV), and 44% in the common femoral vein (CFV). The sensitivity by stenosis on venography in the right CIV, EIV, and CFV was 21%, 46%, and 40%, respectively. Combined, pancaking and collaterals had a sensitivity of 97% in the left CIV. IVUS resulted in a change in plan in 2%, 32%, and 48% of patients in the left CIV, EIV, and CFV, and in 26%, 35%, and 48% of patients in the right CIV, EIV, and CFV, respectively. Conclusions Anteroposterior venography can indirectly diagnose obstruction of the left CIV through the identification of collaterals and pancaking. The combination of low sensitivity and a high rate of change of plan owing to IVUS precludes complete reliance on anteroposterior venography for the diagnosis of lesions in the left EIV and CFV and the right CIV, EIV, and CFV. IVUS must be used to comprehensively identify all venous iliofemoral lesions.
The Mouse Mammary Gland: a Tool to Inform Adolescents About Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer

Adolescence is a vulnerable period of breast development, and environmental chemical exposures that occur during this period can increase the risk of breast cancer in adulthood. Discussing breast health with adolescent girls can be difficult for several reasons. In this project, we worked to not only inform adolescent researchers about environmental risks for breast cancer but to also involve them in research studies. We taught adolescents about the stages of mammary gland development using samples collected from mice, with a specific focus on pre-pubertal and pubertal stages of development. Our analysis shows that adolescent researchers, with relatively modest training, can collect reliable and reproducible data on aspects of mammary gland biology that are known to be disrupted by environmental chemicals, with coefficients of variation < 2.5% for basic mammary gland parameters and 5–7% for more complex measures. Finally, we provided these adolescents with information about environmental risk factors for breast cancer that they could share with their peers and community and action items to potentially modify their individual risk. We hope that researchers working in this field will engage adolescent researchers in projects to evaluate chemicals that influence breast cancer risk. Summer research programs that inform young adolescents about breast cancer risk factors not only benefit these novice researchers individually but also benefit their communities when they are encouraged to talk about the value of basic science studies, discuss vulnerable periods of mammary gland development, and share what they have learned about cancer and the environment.
Study on axial vibration characteristics of transformer winding

The vibration method has been widely used in the diagnosis of transformer mechanical faults. In this paper, the axial vibration characteristics of the transformer winding are studied, which establishes the necessary theoretical basis for the study of vibration method. The axial vibration mechanism of transformer winding based on mass-spring model was introduced. The winding vibration test platform based on piezoelectric acceleration sensor was built. The axial vibration distribution characteristics of transformer winding were explored. The influence of load current and winding looseness were studied. The study found that the axial vibration of the transformer winding is approximately If-shaped, and the current fluctuation has no obvious influence on the vibration distribution of the winding. With the pre-tightening force of the winding changing, the vibration distribution of the winding changes.
On self-selected pairing in CS1: who pairs with whom?

In recent years, we have seen an increased use of pair programming in CS-1 courses. Widespread evidence shows pair programming as beneficial at all levels of programming skill. During three academic years, we studied what students in CS-1 choose when given the option to either pair program or to program independently. We explore which students choose to pair and how often, and examine the majors and academic years of the self-selected pairs. Among our objectives is to learn about student pair preferences to help guide the assignment of partners when mandatory pair programming is used. We show that Math majors are more likely than Computer Science/Information Systems (CS/IS) majors to prefer pair programming in CS-1. Math majors prefer pairing with Math majors. CS/IS majors more often choose to pair with non-majors, perhaps indicating self-chosen mentoring roles.
A Case Against Child Labor Prohibitions

Halima is an 11-year-old girl who clips loose threads off of Hanes underwear in a Bangladeshi factory. She works about eight hours a day, six days per week. She has to process 150 pairs of underwear an hour. At work she feels “very tired and exhausted,” and sometimes falls asleep standing up. She makes 53 cents a day for her efforts. Make no mistake, it is a rough life.Any decent person’s heart would go out to Halima and other child employees like her. Unfortunately, all too often, people’s emotional reaction lead them to advocate policies that will harm the very children they intend to help. Provisions against child labor are part of the International Labor Organization’s core labor standards. Anti-sweatshop groups almost universally condemn child labor and call for laws prohibiting child employment or boycotting products made with child labor.In my recent book, Out of Poverty: Sweatshops in the Global Economy, I argue that much of what the anti-sweatshop movement agitates for would harm workers and that the process of economic development, in which sweatshops play an important role, is the best way to raise wages and improve working conditions. Child labor, although the most emotionally charged aspect of sweatshops, is not an exception to this analysis.We should desire to see an end to child labor, but it has to come through a process that generates better opportunities for the children — not from legislative mandates that prevent children and their families from taking the best option available to them. Children work because their families are desperately poor, and the meager addition to the family income they can contribute is often necessary for survival. Banning child labor through trade regulations or governmental prohibitions often simply forces the children into less-desirable alternatives. When U.S. activists started pressuring Bangladesh into eliminating child labor, the results were disastrous.
Motivation and Background

This book deals with obtaining solutions to partial differential equations using computers. There are a number of books that also cover this topic, most notably Canuto et al. [66], Deville, Fischer, and Mund [105], Karniadakis and Sherwin [219], Kopriva [236], Hesthaven and Warburton [200], and Pozrikidis [306]. From this short list it becomes obvious that this topic is by no means easy to cover in one text. This book approaches the topic primarily from a practical viewpoint although it covers sufficient theory in order for the reader to understand how to develop rigorously designed numerical methods. The partial differential equations described in this book include hyperbolic and elliptic in one and two dimensions, and to some extent three dimensions; we do not cover parabolic equations because they can be constructed using the time-dependence of hyperbolic equations with the second order terms of the elliptic equations.
Identification of stress state dependent fracture micromechanisms in DP600 through representative volume element modeling

Abstract The stress state dependent fracture behavior of DP600 was investigated using a representative volume element (RVE) based finite element model. To simulate fracture at the microscale, fracture models for ferrite and martensite were incorporated into the RVE, which was loaded under seven stress states. To compare the simulated damage accumulation and eventual failure in the RVE with experimentally measured continuum-based strain to failure, five RVE-level failure criteria are presented, and their ability to predict the continuum-level stress state dependent fracture strain of the material is discussed. The microstructural heterogeneity resulted in heterogeneous strain fields, and played a dominant role in the stress state dependent fracture behavior of materials. The simulations showed that in DP600, microcracks initiate from martensite regardless of the global stress state, whereas the propagation of cracks or initiation of new cracks depends on stress state.
Human-induced or natural hazard? Factors influencing perceptions of actions to be taken in response to induced seismicity

Abstract A relatively new term for categorizing hazards is that of “techna” hazards, or seemingly natural phenomena induced by human technology or activity. The human origin of these hazards means that mitigation aimed at addressing the underlying cause of the hazard is a possibility, which is often not considered possible with traditional natural hazards. Currently, however, there is a dearth of literature regarding how perceptions of the underlying cause of the hazard influences beliefs regarding disaster risk reduction strategies for the hazard. Thus, this work examines the factors that predict beliefs regarding whether a techna hazard can be stopped or reduced, the best actions that should be taken to reduce or stop the hazard event, and whether current regulation efforts aimed at stopping or controlling the activities causing the hazard are enough. We specifically examine the case of fluid injection induced seismicity in Oklahoma and Colorado in the United States. We find that, contrary to our expectations from prior literature, exposure to the hazard is not a strong predictive factor of these beliefs. Perceptions of the underlying activity associated with the hazard, in this case hydraulic fracturing and oil and gas development, is significant, in that those with more positive views of the industry activity are more likely to believe the earthquakes cannot be stopped and favor less intense regulative efforts to address the hazard.
Transforming Civic Education in a Multicultural/Multilingual/Multiracial World

Let America be America again. …… (America never was America to me.) …… O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, E...
Utilising recorded music to reduce stress and enhance infant neurodevelopment in neonatal intensive care units.

AIM This paper summarises published evidence on the use of recorded music in high-risk infants to reduce stress and improve neurodevelopment, forming recommendations for proposed clinical applications in neonatal intensive care units. METHODS We searched two comprehensive library catalogues and two databases for articles evaluating the impact of recorded music interventions on hospitalised preterm infants. Original and review papers published in English in the 10 years prior to this search were selected if the study included a component of recorded music interventions. RESULTS Most original studies (80.95%) and all literature reviews (100%) reported positive effects of recorded music interventions for preterm infants, primarily in the short term. No negative effects were reported. Evidence is emerging regarding the neurobiological mechanisms of recorded music on longer-term effects on preterm infant neurodevelopment. Clinical applications were suggested drawing upon available evidence. Due to generally small sample sizes and variability in study design, unanswered questions remain. CONCLUSION Carefully designed recorded music interventions appear to be safe, feasible and effective in reducing stress and improving neurodevelopment of hospitalised infants. Additional rigorous, well-powered trials with relevant outcomes are needed to further refine specific elements for recorded music interventions to better inform practice.
Molecular Modeling of Subsurface Phenomena Related to Petroleum Engineering

Experiments are always the go-to approach to reveal mysterious observations and verify new theories. However, scientific research has shifted to areas that are difficult to probe experimentally. Fo...
Quantifying the Impact of COVID-19 Nonpharmaceutical Interventions on Influenza Transmission in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been implemented to suppress transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Evidence indicates that NPIs against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may also have effects on transmission of seasonal influenza. METHODS: In this study, we use an absolute humidity-driven susceptible-infectious-recovered-susceptible (SIRS) model to quantify the reduction of influenza incidence and transmission in the United States and US Department of Health and Human Services regions after implementation of NPIs in 2020. We investigate long-term effect of NPIs on influenza incidence by projecting influenza transmission at the national scale over the next 5 years, using the SIRS model. RESULTS: We estimate that incidence of influenza A/H1 and B, which circulated in early 2020, was reduced by more than 60% in the United States during the first 10 weeks following implementation of NPIs. The reduction of influenza transmission exhibits clear geographical variation. After the control measures are relaxed, potential accumulation of susceptibility to influenza infection may lead to a large outbreak, the scale of which may be affected by length of the intervention period and duration of immunity to influenza. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare systems need to prepare for potential influenza patient surges and advocate vaccination and continued precautions.
Chapter 15 Fluorescent Dextran Clonal Markers

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes methods for synthesizing histologically fixable fluorescent dextrans and uses them to mark frog embryonic clones by microinjection. The procedures presented here are probably not the most efficient, nor do they yield the most chemically stable tracers possible. Similar and potentially superior dextran markers are now sold by at least one vendor. However, the following protocols give the embryologist on a budget the means to produce bright, fixable clonal markers with a small investment of bench time. The chapter reviews its methods—that is, materials and procedures. Dextrans in several size ranges are available from various suppliers. Practical considerations are also discussed in the chapter. A common problem with fluorescent dextran clonal markers, particularly some from commercial sources, is cytotoxicity. Different tracer preparations vary in their toxicity, and embryos from different species vary in sensitivity. The important variables seem to be the number of free amino groups, the degree of product purity, and exposure to exciting light in vivo . The one burdensome requirement for use of fluorescent dextran clonal markers is a fluorescence microscope with appropriate filter sets.
An Analytical Method for Detecting Toxic Metal Cations Using Cyclotriveratrylene Derivative Capped Gold Nanoparticles

Abstract Cyclotriveratrylene-oxime (CTV-oxime) derivatives that terminate with a dithiolate linker were synthesized enabling the supramolecular scaffold to adhere to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with the bowl-shaped cavity of the CTV scaffold exposed for utilization in host–guest chemistry. Exposure of these CTV functionalized AuNPs to varying concentrations of di- and trivalent metal cations resulted in the formation of large CTV-AuNP polymeric clusters and an accompanying a shift in the plasmon resonance. These interactions between the CTV-AuNPs and the metal cations in solution provides proof-of-concept that supramolecular functionalized AuNPs can be used as a simple and straightforward, on-site detection system for toxic metal cations in solution. The order of binding affinity of the metals studied based on observed K d values is Cu 2+ > Zn 2+ > Pb 2+ > Hg 2+ > Eu 3+ > Cd 2+ .
TRACE ELEMENT CONCENTRATION PATTERNS IN SEDIMENTS OF THE LOWER RIO CONCHOS, MEXICO

A two-step sequential extraction of B, V,Cr, Ni, Cu, and Pb in sediments from the lower RioConchos, Mexico, was used to identify sections of theriver where accumulation of these elements has takenplace. The concentrations of Mg, Fe and Al insediments were concurrently determined in order toinfer about the possible source of trace elements.According to their extractability, B and Pb werelabeled as more mobile, while Cr was the least mobile.Normalized concentration and partition coefficient(Kd) values along the lower Rio Conchos helpedidentify locations with abnormally large trace elementvalues. Sites near urban centers showed the mostaccumulation with respect to most elements, while thehighest B and Pb Kd values were found at sites farfrom urban areas and irrigation drain returns.Correlation analysis between sediment and waterconcentrations indicated a separate concentrationpattern for the sediments, most likely the result oftheir longer term element storing ability as comparedto water. In contrast, a high correlation was obtainedamong elements in sediments, with the exception of Band Pb. This study is a preliminary effort toquantitatively determine the impacts of irrigation andother human activities to the quality of one ofnorthern Mexico's most important rivers.
The Effectiveness of Resort to Military Force: The Case of Iran and Iraq

INTRODUCTION There has been a general tendency on the part of most strategists and defense specialists to measure a state's capability in terms of a meticulous calculation of the quantities and qualities of the armed forces and weapons systems. Some have gone so far as to claim that the study of power in the last analysis is "the study of the capacity to wage war."' Furthermore, it is assumed by most of these specialists that leaders of nations-states are rational and that rational leaders do not resort to war if they think that they will lose. Bueno de Mesquita, for example, argues that "By assuming that leaders of nations are strong, rational calculators of expected utility, I showed that nations initiate war only if there is the expectation of a net increase in utility from war as compared to the utility derived from maintaining the status quo...." From these assumptions, such specialists draw the seemingly logical conclusion that the only sure method of preventing a challenge or ensuring the attainment of goals in interstate relations is to build bigger and better military forces and armaments, that is, divisions, tanks, military aircraft, anti-aircraft systems, missiles, bombs, etc. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that there are some fundamental difficulties involved with these assumptions and, consequently, with the conclusion predicated upon them. The Iran-Iraq War will be used to shed some light on the nature of these difficulties, but the empirical evidence against the stated conclusion is already impressive in a number of benchmark cases. The United States' overwhelming economic and military superiority did not prevent either a challenge by the forces of North Vietnam and Vietcong or the U.S. inability to achieve its goals despite a long and costly war. Nor has the overwhelming superiority of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan so far prevented the mounting of a persistent challenge from a band of irregular and poorly armed Mujahedeen and their frustration of the Soviet objectives. The United States and Israel were not able to attain their goals in Lebanon despite their overwhelmingly military power, just as the United States was not able to use its clear military superiority to resolve the Iranian hostage crisis and to prevent it from contributing to the election defeat of an incumbent American president. Even in the cases where the difference in military power is immense, the superiority of one side over the other is not subject to doubt, and the territories to be invaded in close physical proximity of the invader, the weaker states have not proven "rational" in the above sense by rolling over and foregoing challenge to the superior forces. In 1971, Iran invaded and occupied three small islands in the Persian Gulf. These were Abu Musa, with a population of 300 fishermen, belonging to the Emirate of
Comparison of Structural Subunits of the Core Light-Harvesting Complexes of Photosynthetic Bacteria

The photoreceptor complex (PRC) of photosynthetic bacteria consists of a reaction center (RC) and one or more light-harvesting (LH) complexes. All bacteria seem to have a core LH complex which is biosynthesized in constant proportion to the RC and coded for by genes that are adjacent to those for the L and M polypeptides of the RC (1–3). Among the more simple bacteria, Rhodospirillum rubrum contains only the core LH complex which has been named B881 for wildtype R. rubrum, or B873 for its car- G-9 mutant after the γmax of the red-most absorbance band (Qy band) in the organism.
Do Firms Get the Financing They Want? Measuring Credit Rationing Experienced by Small Businesses in the U.S.

This paper measures the extent to which small businesses in the United States in the late 1980s were able to access the external credit finance they desired. We argue that a comprehensive definition of credit rationing must account for both (a) creditworthy firms that apply for and are denied financing, and (b) creditworthy firms that decide not to apply for desired external financing, given expectations about how long it may take to obtain financing and the evolution of investment opportunities. Data from a national survey of small businesses shows that only 2.14 percent of firms did not obtain the funding for which they applied in 1987–88. Another 2.17 percent may have faced some short-run constraints on investment: they were initially denied by lenders but received the credit for which they applied by the end of the sample period. Finally, an additional 4.22 percent of firms are estimated to have been discouraged from applying because of expected denial. Constrained firms are smaller, younger, and more likely to be owned by their founders than those firms that successfully applied for external finance. The total number of credit constrained firms seems quite small, particularly because we cannot distinguish empirically between creditworthy and noncreditworthy firms. Thus the extent of true credit rationing appears quite limited.
Safety and Efficacy of Pioglitazone/Metformin Combination Therapy in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: A Rationale for Earlier Use

Although multiple new agents for the management of diabetes have become available in the past decade, less than 50% of diabetics in the United States have Hgb A-1-C levels below 7.0% and far fewer ...
Gm(b) factor in the gamma globulin of non-human primates.

RECENT investigations in man have shown that the Gm factors of γG globulin are linked to non-segregating antigenic determinants which define at least four different classes of heavy polypeptide chains in human γG globulin1. Studies in man have also suggested that the Gm(b) factor is not unique, but rather is pleomorphic and may vary in different human races2. Certain of the Gm genetic factors including Gm(b) have been recognized in the serum of some non-human primates3,4. It therefore became of interest to assess the Gm(b) factor as it occurred in non-human primates, to evaluate any pleomorphism and to investigate its relationship to the H-chain subgroup with which the Gm(b) factor is known to be associated in man.
EXDOCS: export documentation system

This project involved the development of a web based system of Automatic Shipment and Export Documentation System (EXDOCS) for the use of Wafer pack department at FASL LLC, Austin. Wafer pack department is responsible for generation of various documents like Shipping Manifest, Export Commercial Invoice along with the physical shipment whenever material is sent to various back end facilities in Japan, Singapore, Suzhou China, and Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
Querying capability modeling and construction of deep web sources

Information in a deep Web source can be accessed through queries submitted on its query interface. Many Web applications need to interact with the query interfaces of deep Web sources such as deep Web crawling and comparison-shopping. Analyzing the querying capability of a query interface is critical in supporting such interactions automatically and effectively. In this paper, we propose a querying capability model based on the concept of atomic query which is a valid query with a minimal attribute set. We also provide an approach to construct the querying capability model automatically by identifying atomic queries for any given query interface. Our experimental results show that the accuracy of our algorithm is good.
Pendulum Impact Resistance of Tungsten Fiber/Metal Matrix Composites

The impact properties of copper, copper-10 nickel, and a superalloy matrix reinforced with tungsten fibers were studied. In most cases the following increased composite impact strength: increased fiber or matrix toughness, decreased fiber-matrix reaction, increased test temperature, hot working and heat treatment. Notch sensitivity was reduced by increasing fiber or matrix toughness. The effect of fiber content depended on the relative toughness of the fibers and matrix. Above 530 K a 60 volume per cent superalloy matrix composite had a greater impact strength than a turbine blade superalloy, whereas below 530 K a hot worked 56 volume per cent composite had a greater impact strength than the superalloy.
The Chromaticity of Microlensing (Surface Imaging of Stars)

Gravitational microlensing is not achromatic when the star being microlensed is resolved by the lens. We show how narrow-band photometry and moderate- to high-resolution spectroscopy can be used to reconstruct the stellar surface intensity distribution of a microlensed star. Such microlens imaging can provide a unique opportunity to study the surfaces of normal red giants where Doppler imaging is not applicable due to slow rotation.}