cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal nesting of species for exact cover of resources: two against many

The application of resource-defined fitness sharing (RFS) to shape nesting problems reveals a remarkable ability to discover tilings [7, 8]. These tilings represent exact covers for a set of resources, and can be considered a maximally sized set of cooperating (non-competing) species. a recent paper by Horn [9] introduces the first formal analysis of this empirical phenomenon by examining a minimal case: two species a and b "cooperate" to exactly cover the resources, while a third species c "competes" with a and b by overlapping both in terms of covered resources. The analysis reveals that in cases in which a and bmaximally compete with c for resources, species c will become extinct, while the optimal set of species, a and b, will survive. The current paper generalizes this three-species result by analyzing more complex situations with four or more species. Specifically, we consider two species cooperating against two species competing, and finally two species cooperating against an arbitrary number of competing species. In all cases, proofs are derived that show exactly when the two cooperating species are guaranteed to win out over all competitors. The results are clearly proven using algebra on the niching equilibrium equations for RFS; a purely static analysis.
Female athletic training students' perceptions of motherhood and retention in athletic training.

Context: Motherhood appears to be a catalyst in job turnover for female athletic trainers, especially those employed at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level. However, most ...
The Rising Cost of Higher Education: Charles Eliot's “Free Money” Strategy and the Beginning of Howard Bowen's “Revenue Theory of Cost,” 1869—1979

In order to explain the rising cost of higher education, economist Howard Bowen in 1980 proposed his “famous law” of institutional finance. Bowen based his “revenue theory of cost” on a study of ag...
Baseflow and peakflow chemical responses to experimental applications of ammonium sulphate to forested watersheds in north-central West Virginia, USA

Stream water was analysed to determine how induced watershed acidification changed the chemistry of peakflow and baseflow and to compare the relative timing of these changes. Two watersheds in north-central West Virginia, WS3 and WS9, were subjected to three applications of ammonium sulphate fertilizer per year to induce acidification. A third watershed, WS4, was the control. Samples were collected for 8 years from WS9 and for 9 years from WS3. Prior to analyses, concentration data were flow adjusted, and the influence of natural background changes was removed by accounting for the chemical responses measured from WS4. This yielded residual values that were evaluated using robust locally weighted regression and Mann-Kendall tests. On WS3, analyte responses during baseflow and peakflow were similar, although peakflow responses occurred soon after the first treatment whereas baseflow responses lagged 1-2 years. This lag in baseflow responses corresponded well with the mean transit time of baseflow on WS3. Anion adsorption on WS3 apparently delayed increases in SO4 leaching, but resulted in enhanced early leaching losses of Cl and NO3. Leaching of Ca and Mg was strongly tied, both by timing and stoichiometrically, to NO3 and SO4 leaching. F-factors for WS3 baseflow and peakflow indicated that the catchment was insensitive to acid neutralizing capacity reductions both before and during treatment, although NO4 played a large role in reducing the treatment period F-factor. By contrast, the addition of fertilizer to WS9 created an acid sensitive system in both baseflow and peakflow. On WS9, baseflow and peakflow responses also were similar to each other, but there was no time lag after treatment for baseflow. Changes in concentrations generally were not as great on WS9 as on WS3, and several ions showed no significant changes, particularly for peakflow. The lesser response to treatment on WS9 is attributed to the past abusive farming and site preparation before larch planting that resulted in poor soil fertility, erosion, and consequently, physical and chemical similarities between upper and lower soil layers. Even with fertilizer-induced NO3 and SO4 leaching increases, base cations were in low supplies and, therefore, unavailable to leach via charge pairing. The absence of a time lag in treatment responses for WS9 baseflow indicates that it has substantially different flow paths than WS3. The different hydrologies on these nearby watersheds illustrates the importance of understanding watershed hydrology when establishing a monitoring programme to detect ecosystem change.
Challenges to the Conceptualization and Measurement of Religiosity and Spirituality in Mental Health Research

Investigating religiosity and spirituality may help to further elucidate how individuals’ worldviews influence their attitudes, behavior, and overall well-being. However, inconsistencies in how these constructs are conceptualized and measured may undercut the potential value of religiosity and spirituality research. Results from a survey of undergraduate students suggest that laypeople define spirituality as independent from social influence and that few people associate religiosity with negative terms. A content analysis of spirituality measures indicates that spirituality measures contain items that do not directly measure the strength of spirituality. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
A graph-theoretic approach to quasigroup cycle numbers

Norton and Stein associated a number with each idempotent quasigroup or diagonalized Latin square of given finite order n, showing that it is congruent mod 2 to the triangular number T(n). In this paper, we use a graph-theoretic approach to extend their invariant to an arbitrary finite quasigroup. We call it the cycle number, and identify it as the number of connected components in a certain graph, the cycle graph. The congruence obtained by Norton and Stein extends to the general case, giving a simplified proof (with topology replacing case analysis) of the well-known congruence restriction on the possible orders of general Schroeder quasigroups. Cycle numbers correlate nicely with algebraic properties of quasigroups. Certain well-known classes of quasigroups, such as Schroeder quasigroups and commutative Moufang loops, are shown to maximize the cycle number among all quasigroups belonging to a more general class.
Duality in Calabi-Yau moduli space

Abstract We describe a duality in the moduli space of string vacua which pairs topologically distinct Calabi-Yau manifolds and shows that the yield isomorphic conformal theories. At the level of the geometrical description, this duality interchanges the roles of Kahler and complex structure moduli and thus pairs manifolds whose Euler numbers differ by χ → − χ. Amongst the interesting implications of this duality is the conclusion that by using both manifolds of a “mirror pair” the 273 and 27 3 couplings can be computed exactly by lowest-order geometrical calculations.
Interpreting the Relationships Among Prosody, Automaticity, Accuracy, and Silent Reading Comprehension in Secondary Students

Although identified as a critical component of proficient reading in the primary grades, reading fluency (word recognition accuracy, automaticity, and prosody) is often viewed as less important beyond the early stages of reading acquisition. In the present study, 108 ninth-grade students were assessed to explore the relationships among word recognition accuracy, automaticity, prosody, and vocabulary with silent reading comprehension. Results found large correlations among the variables while regression analysis revealed that accuracy, prosody, and vocabulary explained from 50.1% to 52.7% of the variance in silent reading comprehension. Of note were the findings that word recognition automaticity did not contribute to silent reading comprehension although prosody was found to act as a partial mediator between automaticity and comprehension. Accuracy, automaticity, and prosody were found to form a highly reliable scale reflecting oral reading fluency. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidenc...
Synthesis, Modification, and Characterization of l-Lactide/2,2-[2-Pentene-1,5-diyl]trimethylene Carbonate Copolymers

This paper explores the copolymerization of l-lactide (l-LA) with 2,2-[2-pentene-1,5-diyl]trimethylene carbonate (cHTC). Since cHTC has a cyclohexene group, this provided a route for preparing poly(lactic acid), (PLA), based chains decorated with controlled quantities of CC substituents. Ring-opening copolymerizations of l-LA with cHTC were successfully conducted in bulk by using AlR3−H2O (R = ethyl, isobutyl), Al(OiPr)3, ZnEt2−H2O and Sn(Oct)2 as catalysts. Comparison of these copolymerizations showed that the Sn(Oct)2 catalyst system gave copolymers of relatively higher molecular weight. Increasing the reaction time of Sn(Oct)2 catalyzed copolymerizations from 6 to 24 h resulted in higher copolymer cHTC content and yield but lower copolymer molecular weight. Variation of the comonomer feed ratio was useful in regulating the content of cyclohexene pendant groups in the copolymer. However, regardless of the catalyst used, the mole percent of cHTC incorporated into the copolymer was lower than that used in...
Fos-immunoreactive responses in inferior colliculi of rats with experimental audiogenic seizure susceptibility.

Abstract Audiogenic seizure (AGS) susceptibility is a reflex epilepsy of rodents in which acoustic stimulation evokes wild running attacks and subsequent convulsions. Susceptibility can be induced in non-susceptible strains by treatments causing transient or permanent hearing losses as long as these occur during the neonatal period. The defect which is the basis of susceptibility has been proposed to be a failure of developmental organization of inferior colliculus (IC) into frequency selective zones. That is, high frequency stimuli evoke responses in broader arrays of neurons in ICs of susceptible rats than in those of neonatally untreated (non-susceptible) controls. Nonetheless, this observation has been made only in rats in which susceptibility was induced by exposure to intense noise on postnatal day (PND) 14. By contrast, the present study examines whether unusually broad topographic responses are also characteristic in ICs of rats made susceptible by the neonatal administration of low doses of the ototoxic antibiotic, kanamycin (KM). Patterns of Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos lir ) induced by seizures or pure tone stimuli were compared in ICs of adult Wistar rats which neonatally had been (a) sham-treated; (b) noise-exposed on PND 14; or (c) injected on PNDs 9–12 with 100 mg/kg KM. It was found that sound-triggered seizures in the two experimental groups resulted in induction of Fos lir primarily within cortical areas of IC. By contrast, pure tones evoked unusually broad responses in the central nucleus of ICs of both susceptible groups but not in those of controls. Additionally, in the KM-treated rats, the range of frequencies evoking abnormal responses extended one octave lower than was characteristic of noise-exposed rats. The earlier schedule of treatments in the KM model may account for this inasmuch as low frequency response domains undergo development at younger ages. The similarity of results in the two models suggests failure of development of frequency selective fields in IC is indeed the common basis of experimentally induced susceptibility to sound-triggered seizures.
Highly Glycosylated Human Salivary Molecules Present Oligosaccharides That Mediate Adhesion of Leukocytes and Helicobacter pylori

Highly glycosylated human salivary molecules present oligosaccharides that mediate adhesion of leukocytes and Helicobacter pylori.
Effects of cold acclimation on several enzyme activities in Euonymus radicans ‘emorald & gold’ and its relation to semi-lethal temperature

The changes in activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and ATPase in the leaves of Euonymus radicans were studied when seedlings were cold-acclimated (at 4 °C) for 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and then treated for 1 d under low temperature stress (at −5 °C). The semi-lethal temperatures of acclimated and unacclimated seedlings were also investigated. The results indicated that the activities of the three enzymes in the leaves of the seedlings treated at 4 °C for 1, 2 and 3 weeks were all higher than those of unacclimated seedings (treated at 22 °C as controls). The activities of SOD and POD increased continuously with the prolongation of the time of cold acclimation, but stepped up to summits then down to the levels of the controls. The activities of SOD culminated at the first week, and the activities of POD at the second week. When acclimated and unacclimated seedlings were both treated at −5 °C for 1 d, the activities of the three enzymes in the leaves of acclimated seedlings were a little lower than those before stress, but higher than those of the controls. Moreover, the decrease rate of enzyme activities was greatly lower than that of the controls. The results showed that cold acclimation could enhance the stability of the three enzymes in the leaves of seedlings under low temperature stress; the semi-lethal temperature was −19.1 °C when the seedlings were treated at 4 °C for 3 weeks, but it was −5.4 °C when the seedlings were treated at 22 °C. The decline of the semi-lethal temperature caused by the adaptive changes of enzyme activities was one of the foundations of enhancing the cold tolerance.
Transfection of Escherichia coli by Mu DNA

Infectivity of Mu DNA was demonstrated in Ca+ +-treated Escherichia coli cells that lacked the nucleases Exo V and Endo I. The efficiency of transfection is about 10(-7) per phage equivalent. Infectivity is destroyed by denaturation of Mu DNA, and cannot be restored by renaturation.
An unintentional inference and ontological property defaults

A recent Facebook update informed a user's friends that, on a night out at a bar, “a white dude was hitting on me all night”. It occurred to a couple of us independently that the user was not white or at least very likely not to be white, which was actually confirmed by those in the know. This paper is an attempt to explore and explain, the nature of this and similar inferences and to sketch out a way to compute them. A thorough search by a noted pragmaticist, in our ranks, has failed to produce any similar study, and it is borne out by the map and trends in the field. We have also realized that the inference can serve as a new and more rigorous explanation for a large class of jokes that none of us, humor researchers all (among other things), has ever seen analyzed that way. The largely formalism-free facade of the paper should not distract a reader from the technical nature of the argument.
2009 Special Issue: Comparison of a spiking neural network and an MLP for robust identification of generator dynamics in a multimachine power system

The application of a spiking neural network (SNN) and a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) for online identification of generator dynamics in a multimachine power system are compared in this paper. An integrate-and-fire model of an SNN which communicates information via the inter-spike interval is applied. The neural network identifiers are used to predict the speed and terminal voltage deviations one time-step ahead of generators in a multimachine power system. The SNN is developed in two steps: (i) neuron centers determined by offline k-means clustering and (ii) output weights obtained by online training. The sensitivity of the SNN to the neuron centers determined in the first step is evaluated on generators of different ratings and parameters. Performances of the SNN and MLP are compared to evaluate robustness on the identification of generator dynamics under small and large disturbances, and to illustrate that SNNs are capable of learning nonlinear dynamics of complex systems.
Stoichiometry of formation of Ruhemann's purple in the ninhydrin reaction☆

Abstract The course and mechanism of reaction of ninhydrin with amines has both bioanalytical and bioorganic significance since the reaction is widely used for analysis of amino groups and serves as a model for several biochemical reactions that occur in metabolism of phosphonic acid derivatives, deamination, transamination, and transpeptidation. In many cases, e.g., with lysine, cysteine, proteins, the yield of the ninhydrin product, Ruhemann's purple, does not correspond exactly to the expected 1 equiv. per amino group. Possible reasons for this apparent nonideal stoichiometry include slow formation, side reactions, hydrolytic, oxidative, and photolytic instability, and interfering color. The origin and contributions of each of these factors are examined.
Piezoelectricity in Monolayers and Bilayers of Inorganic Two-Dimensional Crystals

The symmetry properties of many inorganic two-dimensional monolayer crystals make them piezoelectric, whereas their three-dimensional parent crystals are not. The emergence of piezoelectricity in the single-layer limit points toward intriguing electromechanical effects and applications in the single- or few-layer regime. We use density functional theory to calculate the piezoelectric coefficients of BN, MoS2, MoSe2, MoTe2, WS2, WSe2 and WTe2. These coefficients are found to be comparable to, and in some cases greater than those of commonly used wurtzite piezoelectrics. The centrosymmetry of a BN bilayer prevents a piezoelectric effect for this structure. However, by developing an elastic model, we find that the bilayer exhibits an unusual electromechanical coupling to the curvature, similar to that of a bimorph. A BN bilayer is found to amplify the constituent monolayers’ in-plane piezoelectric displacements by factors on the order of 103-104 into out-of plane deflections.
Gossips and telegraphs

Suppose we have a group of n people, each possessing an item of information not known to any of the others and that during each unit of time each person can send all of the information he knows to at most other people. Further suppose that each of at most k other people can send all of the information they know to him. Determine the length of time required, f(n, k), so that all n people know all of the information. We show f(n, k) = ⌜logk+1n⌝. We define g(n, k) analogously except that no person may both send and receive information during a unit time period. We show ⌜logk+1n⌝≤g(n, k)≤2⌜logk+1n⌝ in general and further show that the upper bound can be significantly improvea in the cases k = 1 or 2. We conjecture g(n, k) = bk logk+1n+0(1) for a function bk we determine.
A simple agent-based social impact theory model of student stem selection

There is a growing body of knowledge describing the economic and social challenge faced by the United States because of the small (14%) and decreasing number of students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors. We propose a simple two-period, agent-based simulation based on social impact theory to predict the % yield of STEM majors. The model indicates that changes with minimal (if any) cost could more than double the STEM yield. For example, allocating the STEM-oriented teaching talent in the first two years rather than in the last two years could increase yields by approximately 5.5%. Also, dividing or segregating students based on STEM orientation could increase yield by over 10%. We begin by briefly reviewing the literatures about STEM and social impact theory. Next, we describe our proposed model and numerical experiments using standard design of experiments methods. Finally, conclusions and suggestions for future research are provided.
Can plants evolve tolerance mechanisms to heterospecific pollen effects? An experimental test of the adaptive potential in Clarkia species

Flowering plants do not occur alone and often grow in mixed-species communities where pollinator sharing is high and interactions via pollinators can occur at pre- and post-pollination stages. While the causes and consequences of pre-pollination interactions have been well studied little is known about post-pollination interactions via heterospecific pollen (HP) receipt, and even less about the evolutionary implications of these interactions. In particular, the degree to which plants can evolve tolerance mechanisms to the negative effects of HP receipt has received little attention. Here, we aim to fill this gap in our understanding of post-pollination interactions by experimentally testing whether two co-flowering Clarkia species can evolve HP tolerance, and whether tolerance to specific HP ‘genotypes’ (fine-scale local adaptation to HP) occurs. We find that Clarkia species vary in their tolerance to HP effects. Furthermore, conspecific pollen performance and the magnitude of HP effects were related to the recipient's history of exposure to HP in C. xantiana but not in C. speciosa. Specifically, better conspecific pollen performance and smaller HP effects were observed in populations of C. xantiana plants with previous exposure to HP compared to populations without such exposure. These results suggest that plants may have the potential to evolve tolerance mechanisms to HP effects but that these may occur not from the female (stigma, style) but from the male (pollen) perspective, a possibility that is often overlooked. We find no evidence for fine-scale local adaptation to HP receipt. Studies that evaluate the adaptive potential of plants to the negative effects of HP receipt are an important first step in understanding the evolutionary consequences of plant–plant post-pollination interactions. Such knowledge is in turn crucial for deciphering the role of plant–pollinator interactions in driving floral evolution and the composition of co-flowering communities.
Variants of Folate Metabolism Genes and the Risk of Conotruncal Cardiac Defects

Background— Although congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common and serious group of birth defects, relatively little is known about the causes of these conditions and there are no establis...
Scale construction for measuring adolescent boys' and girls' attitudes, beliefs, perception of control, and intention to engage in leisure-time physical activity.

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework, the Attitude to Leisure-time Physical Activity, Expectations of Others, Perceived Control, and Intention of Engage in Leisure-time Physical Activity scales were developed for use among high school students. The study population included 20 boys and 68 girls 13 to 17 years of age (for boys, M = 15.1 yr., SD = 1.0; for girls, M = 15.0 yr., SD = 1.1). Generation of items and the establishment of content validity were performed by professionals in exercise physiology, physical education, and clinical psychology. Each scale item was phrased in a Likert-type format. Both unipolar and bipolar scales with seven response choices were developed. Following the pilot testing and subsequent revisions, 32 items were retained in the Attitude to Leisure-time Physical Activity scale, 10 items were retained in the Expectations of Others scale, 3 items were retained in the Perceived Control Scale, and 24 items were retained in the Intention to Engage in Leisure-time Physical Activity scale. Coefficients indicated adequate stability and internal consistency with alpha ranging from .81 to .96. Studies of validities are underway, after which scales would be made available to those interested in intervention techniques for promoting positive attitudes toward physical fitness, perception of control over engaging in leisure-time physical activities, and good intentions to engage in leisure-time physical activities. The present results are encouraging.
Effective Heterogenous Design and Co-Simulation

In this chapter, we consider the problem of system-level design where subsystems are diverse. As a concrete example, consider an embedded system with the architecture shown in figure 1 (after [5]). The subsystems are implemented in both hardware and software, making this architecture a suitable candidate for hardware/software co-design. But even within the software portions, there is diversity. Control-oriented processes are mixed under the supervision of a multitasking realtime kernel running in the microcontroller. In addition, hard-real-time tasks run cooperatively on two programmable DSPs. The design styles used for these two software subsystems are likely to be quite different from one another, and testing the interaction between them is unlikely to be trivial.
Recent progress in modeling R&D project-selection processes

The authors review the progress that has been made in the development of quantitative models of R&D project-selection processes. Future research needs in the area are assessed. R&D project-selection has traditionally been modeled in the management science literature as a constrained optimization problem. The deficiencies of this approach have been described, and the need for new approaches has been recognized. In particular, the optimization approach ignores the organizational context in which decisions are made. A new stream of research in R&D project-selection models emerged in the 1970s in response to this need. The philosophy underlying the new approach differs significantly from traditional optimization models. The new approach seeks insight rather than outcomes and focuses on the decision process. >
A 0.8–8 GHz Multi-Section Coupled Line Balun

In this work, we propose a wideband multi-section transforming coupled-line balun using near equal length transmission line elements. The resulting design is realized by cascading several coupled-lines with minimal discontinuities. The multi-section Chebyshev matching optimizes bandwidth at the expense of passband ripple. The proposed design delivers good impedance matching and consistent 180° phase shift over 0.8–8 GHz frequency spectrum. Furthermore, the need for vias in conventional balun designs is relaxed by replacing the short-circuited (SC) terminal by its equivalent dual open-circuited (OC) element. The proposed design is simulated, fabricated, and measured. Both simulated and measured results are in a good agreement, and show an input port matching of below −9.7 dB over the design bandwidth, with a maximum phase and amplitude imbalance of 2.1° and 0.9 dB, respectively.
Summary of the workshop on gamma-ray burst afterglows at the 34th COSPAR meeting

Abstract A summary is given of the presentations at the COSPAR workshop on γ-ray bursts with some personal commentary on the contributions, the SN/GRB connection, and on the role of magnetic fields in γ-ray bursts and their afterglows. Of special interest were the accumulated arguments for strong collimation and associated reduction in the total required energy for γ-ray bursts. Significant discussion was also devoted to the issues associated with iron and metal lines in X-ray spectra. It is important to note that some of the afterglows seem to require ambient densities ≪1 g cm −3 , rather incompatible with a massive star environment. Of associated difficulty is the fact that few, if any, afterglows seem consistent with the r −2 wind expected for a massive star model. There are reasons to think that if γ-ray bursts are associated with supernovae they are of Type Ic. This suggests that any wind present might be rich in carbon and oxygen, not hydrogen or helium. If γ-ray bursts are narrowly collimated, then the burst is only probing a small portion of any wind, perhaps just that time-dependent and isotropic structure directly along the rotation axis. The characteristics of “hypernovae” may be the result of orientation effects in a mildly inhomogeneous set of progenitors, rather than requiring an excessive total energy or luminosity. The recent event GRB 021004 provided a rich photometric and spectroscopic record and perhaps the most direct evidence yet for the association of a specific γ-ray burst with a massive star progenitor. If the magnetic field plays a significant role in launching a relativistic γ-ray burst jet from within a collapsing star, then the magnetic field may also play a role in the propagation, collimation, and stability of that jet within and beyond the star. The magneto-rotational instability (MRI) can operate under conditions of moderate rotation. This means that the MRI will be at work generating strong fields exponentially rapidly even as the disk of material begins to form and makes a transition from a non-Keplerian to quasi-Keplerian flow in the collapsar and related models.
MULTIPLICITY FEATURES OF POROUS CATALYTIC PELLETS— IV. LANGMUIR-HINSHELWOOD REACTION

Exact uniqueness criteria are presented for a porous spherical catalytic pellet in which an exothermic Langmuir-Hinsheiwood reaction occurs using a lumped-thermal model which accounts for intraparticle concentration gradients and assumes that the temperature of the pellet is uniform but different from that of the surrounding fluid. Increasing the value of the surface coverage factor, K′C0, increases the parameter region for which multiplicity occurs. Five solutions are found when the surface coverage factor and Biot number for mass transfer exceed some critical values.
Increasing the Participation of People with Disabilities in Computing Fields

Individuals with disabilities experience a lower level of career success than those who do not have disabilities. They are less likely to complete a postsecondary education and to pursue academic studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This segment of the population is underrepresented in information technology professions. Concern for including individuals with disabilities in IT fields is not just a matter of quantity, but of quality as well. Assistive technologies that provide access to computers help open high-tech careers to individuals with disabilities. Efforts to increase the participation of people with disabilities in high-tech careers will ultimately benefit both society and the computing profession.
THE POST-REINFORCEMENT PAUSE†

Measurements of the post-reinforcement pause and response rate were obtained from four birds on a range of fixed ratio schedules from 25 to 150. The results indicated a consistent increase in the length of the pause as the ratio was increased. Response rate tended to decrease, but these data were less consistent and some reversals were apparent.
Combined Use of Magnetic and Electrically Conductive Fillers in a Polymer Matrix for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

The combined use of a highly magnetic filler (mumetal) in low proportion and a highly conductive filler in high proportion in a polymer matrix provides a composite material that is more effective for electromagnetic interference shielding than the use of a highly magnetic filler alone or the use of a highly conductive filler alone. Mumetal is effective (due to absorption) when it is in a composite material of DC electrical resistivity below 10 Ω cm, as provided by conductive fillers, which contribute to shielding by reflection and allow paths for eddy current.
The Political Dynamics of Unauthorized Immigration: Conflict, Change, and Agency in Time

There is no shortage of historical and sociological works tackling the long-term development of U.S. policies on unauthorized immigration. This essay highlights several key conceptual and empirical gaps for understanding the politics of immigration policy history, and spotlights the meaning and implications of conflicts over problem definition, reform impasses, “strange bedfellow” compromises, and immigrant agency. The study underscores the increasing intensity and texture of struggles over “illegal” immigration over time. This essay also highlights how rare shifts from gridlock to major policy change have been driven by unexpected alliances, the necessity of painful compromises to appease disparate actors, and the contradictions produced by immigration reform packages. Finally, this essay highlights the role of immigrants as transformative agents in immigration politics, who employ strategies of litigation, civil disobedience, protest, and electoral mobilization.
Symbiotic legume nodules employ both rhizobial exo- and endo-hydrogenases to recycle hydrogen produced by nitrogen fixation.

BACKGROUND In symbiotic legume nodules, endosymbiotic rhizobia (bacteroids) fix atmospheric N(2), an ATP-dependent catalytic process yielding stoichiometric ammonium and hydrogen gas (H(2)). While in most legume nodules this H(2) is quantitatively evolved, which loss drains metabolic energy, certain bacteroid strains employ uptake hydrogenase activity and thus evolve little or no H(2). Rather, endogenous H(2) is efficiently respired at the expense of O(2), driving oxidative phosphorylation, recouping ATP used for H(2) production, and increasing the efficiency of symbiotic nodule N(2) fixation. In many ensuing investigations since its discovery as a physiological process, bacteroid uptake hydrogenase activity has been presumed a single entity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Azorhizobium caulinodans, the nodule endosymbiont of Sesbania rostrata stems and roots, possesses both orthodox respiratory (exo-)hydrogenase and novel (endo-)hydrogenase activities. These two respiratory hydrogenases are structurally quite distinct and encoded by disparate, unlinked gene-sets. As shown here, in S. rostrata symbiotic nodules, haploid A. caulinodans bacteroids carrying single knockout alleles in either exo- or-endo-hydrogenase structural genes, like the wild-type parent, evolve no detectable H(2) and thus are fully competent for endogenous H(2) recycling. Whereas, nodules formed with A. caulinodans exo-, endo-hydrogenase double-mutants evolve endogenous H(2) quantitatively and thus suffer complete loss of H(2) recycling capability. More generally, from bioinformatic analyses, diazotrophic microaerophiles, including rhizobia, which respire H(2) may carry both exo- and endo-hydrogenase gene-sets. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE In symbiotic S. rostrata nodules, A. caulinodans bacteroids can use either respiratory hydrogenase to recycle endogenous H(2) produced by N(2) fixation. Thus, H(2) recycling by symbiotic legume nodules may involve multiple respiratory hydrogenases.
Summary of 4 1/2 years of research experience of the US amorphous silicon research teams

The four national amorphous silicon research teams held their 8th guidance team and technical team meetings in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary Symposium of the Institute of Energy Conversion at the University of Delaware. The teams were formed in 1992 and represent a success story of teamed photovoltaics research, integrating the efforts of industrial groups, universities and national laboratories (NIST and NREL). In this paper, we will make an attempt to summarize the accomplishments and the lessons learned during this period. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Relationship between Labour Unionisation and the Number of Working Children in India

This paper analyzes the link between labor unions and child work in India. We investigate how measures of unionization such as the number and membership of worker’s unions, as well as education indicators, credit constraints, and other variables that capture a state’s “economic health”, influence the number of working children across the states of India. We account for the possible endogeneity of labor union variables in modeling the determinants of child labor. This is accomplished by using a state-specific fixed effects framework that captures the presence of unobservables, which may influence child labor and unionization simultaneously. Results indicate that there is a strong positive association between the unionization of labor and child work. Controlling for other variables, more children work in states characterized by relatively large amounts of unionization. This may be because “unionized” states have a higher incidence of labor unrest, which leads to disruptions in household earnings. Poor households in such states thus need to rely on their children’s labor to supplement family income and consumption.
Requirements to support Collaborative Sensemaking

Collaborative sensemaking occurs when a group of people with diverse backgrounds engage in the process of making sense of information rich, complex and dynamic situations. Our understanding of collaborative sensemaking and critical functionalities to support such sensemaking is limited. In this paper, based on review of relevant literature, we outline a set of broad requirements critical for supporting collaborative sensemaking. Requirements identified are: support for creating explicit representations, support co-existence of different representations, support for developing shared representation, support for creating representations using templates, providing workspace for developing shared representations, support for building consensus and reaching agreement, support for facilitating and moderating interactions, support for exchanging documents, and support for retrieving and visualizing information. We argue that a collaborative systems designed to satisfy above requirements would provide better support for collaborative sensemaking activities.
Recovery of Aeromonas hydrophila from oysters implicated in an outbreak of foodborne illness.

Potentially pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila organism were isolated from oysters frozen at -72°C for 1-1/2 years. The oysters which had been associated with 472 cases of gastroenteritis in Louisiana in November 1982, were examined and found negative for Salmonella , pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus , and diarrhetic shellfish poison. In 1983, oysters from the same shellfish growing area in Louisiana were implicated in seven cases of gastroenteritis caused by A. hydrophila . The oysters collected in 1982 were reexamined and found to contain A. hydrophila (MPN 9.3/100 g). Twenty-three of 28 strains identified by the MICRO-IS and API-20E systems were positive for at least one of the tests for virulence which included the suckling mouse test, the adrenal Y-1 mouse cell test, and hemolysin assays. Of five strains tested, all showed activity in the rabbit ileal loop. Although these results do not prove that A. hydrophila caused the outbreak in 1982, they suggest that in cases of foodborne illness involving oysters, A. hydrophila should be included in the screening tests.
Wire recording

Magnetic wire recording, which has been known since 1896, found many applications during World War II where the Armed Forces needed lightweight portable recording equipment which could operate under a wide variety of conditions. Although this method of recording has disadvantages in comparison with other more highly developed types employed today, a promising future is indicated.
Binary HfO2: SiO2 used as High-k Gate Oxide Material in Combinatorial Material Library Method

Hafnium silicates (HfO2:SiO2, HSO) have recently attracted much interest in the fields of fundamental science and technology because they have high dielectric constant and low leakage current. The structure and properties of HSO gate oxides were studied using a combinatorial continuous-compositional-spread method. HSO material libraries were synthesized on a 4-inch wafer at room temperature and at 200°C using a custom-built radio-frequency (RF) sputtering system. The electrical properties of HSO material libraries were measured using metal-oxide-semiconductor structure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was utilized to characterize the structure and compositions of HSO material libraries. The effects of sputtering conditions on the properties of the HSO gate oxides were investigated. The dielectrics constants (er) of HSO material libraries treated with rapid thermal annealing (600°C/1min/N2) were in the range 5∼23, as determined by C-V measurement, and the dielectric constant was observed to increase with HfO2 content. The I-V relations of the HSO material libraries indicate that the leakage current decreases as the amount of Si in the HSO films increases. The structural characteristics of HSO films with RTA treatment (1000°C/10sec/N2) varied from the amorphous to the crystalline state (tetragonal and monoclinic phase), according to the composition of material libraries. The correlation among the electrical properties, the composition and the crystal structure of the HSO films is discussed.
Electrohydraulic vs. Laser Lithotripsy: Is New Necessarily Better?

Innovations in electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) have allowed intracorporeal stone fragmentation with normal saline (NS) instead of 1/6 NS, as well as the introduction of small caliber EHL probes. These smaller probes are of similar size to the 600 micron (1.8 F) laser fibers. While NS irrigation and the smaller caliber probes are currently in use, basic in vitro studies have not yet been performed which demonstrate the efficiency of these innovations.
Bentiromide as a Test of Exocrine Pancreatic Function in Adult Patients With Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency Determination of Appropriate Dose and Urinary Collection Interval

A dose-ranging crossover study of orally administered bentiromide was conducted in 47 patients with chronic pancreatic disease and 61 healthy volunteers. Four doses (100 mg, 500 mg, 1 g, and 5 g) and postdosing urine collection periods (0-3, 0-6, 0-12, and 0-24 h) were studied. Of these, the 500-mg dose and 0-6-h urine collection period afforded maximal separation of urinary arylamine excretion rates between the two populations. At this dose and collection period, the lower limit of normal (mean - 2 SD) for the control group was 57%; none of the healthy volunteers had 6-h arylamine excretion rates less than 50%. The agent was well tolerated except at the 5-g dose level, where nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea were common. Bentiromide appears to be a useful agent in the assessment of exocrine pancreatic function.
Tortillas, Pizza, and Broccoli

AbstractMarked dietary changes are occurring nationwide in Mexico, yet these manifest differently among distinct socioeconomic status (SES) groups. This article examines several complex relationships among: SES; food preferences, norms, and aspirations; and actual dietary practices in a Mexican city. Drawing on data from an in-depth ethnographic study conducted in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, this study takes a multidimensional qualitative approach in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of contemporary dietary changes and nutritional health disparities. Very few studies distinguish actual dietary behaviors from food preferences, interrogate disjunctures between dietary patterns and aspirations, or investigate tensions between normative and temptation food preferences. This work advances the literature by bringing together insights from Bourdieu’s theory of habitus, (critical) consumer demand theory, and Popkin’s theory of nutrition transitions to shed light on how SES not only shapes food consumption pattern...
The Effects of Welfare and IDA Program Rules on the Asset Holding of Low-Income Families

This report examines the effects of a comprehensive set of 13 welfare, Food Stamp, individual development account (IDA), earned income tax credit (EITC), and minimum wage program rules on the asset holdings of low-education single mothers and families. This report finds empirical evidence that more lenient asset limits in means-tested programs and more generous IDA program rules may have positive effects on asset holdings of low-education single mothers and families.
The Effect of Vertical Versus Horizontal Vaginal Cuff Closure on Vaginal Length After Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

Abstract Study Objective To determine whether vertical versus horizontal closure of the vaginal cuff during laparoscopic hysterectomy has an effect on postoperative vaginal length and pelvic organ prolapse. Design A prospective randomized controlled trial. Subjects were randomly assigned to vertical or horizontal vaginal cuff closure at the time of total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Pelvic organ prolapse quantization (POP-Q) tests were performed before surgery, 2 to 4 weeks after surgery, and 3 to 4 months after surgery (Canadian Task Force classification I). Setting An academic university-affiliated community hospital. Patients Patients undergoing laparoscopic or robotic-assisted laparoscopic total hysterectomy for benign or malignant disease, excluding those undergoing radical hysterectomy or concomitant pelvic floor procedure. Interventions Subjects were randomized into the vertical or horizontal vaginal cuff closure group. Total hysterectomy was completed with traditional laparoscopic techniques or with robotic assistance. A colpotomy ring was used in each subject. Vaginal cuff closure was performed with barbed suture in a running fashion according to the group assignment. Measurements and Main Results A total of 43 subjects were enrolled and randomized. One patient was excluded because the vaginal cuff was closed vaginally, 1 cancelled surgery, and 1 was completed without a uterine manipulator. The mean change in vaginal length was −0.89 cm (standard deviation [SD] = 1.03) in the horizontal group and −0.86 cm (SD = 1.19) in the vertical group (p = .57). POP-Q evaluation revealed no differences between groups and an overall trend toward improved POP-Q measurements. The average duration of vaginal cuff closure did not differ (p = .45), and there were no intraoperative complications related to vaginal cuff closure. Conclusion Horizontal and vertical laparoscopic closure of the vaginal cuff after laparoscopic hysterectomy results in similar changes in vaginal length and other POP-Q scores.
Pirogue, a lighter dynamic version of the Raft distributed consensus algorithm

Raft is a new distributed consensus algorithm that is easier to understand than the older Paxos algorithm. Raft's major drawback is its high energy footprint: as it relies on static quorums for deciding when it can commit updates, it requires five participants to protect against two simultaneous failures. We propose to reduce this footprint by replacing the static quorums that Raft currently uses by quorums that vary according to the number of currently available participants. We present first a modified dynamic-linear voting protocol that disables single-server updates and show that a Raft cluster with four participants managed by this protocol would be almost as available as a conventional Raft cluster with five participants and always tolerate the irrecoverable failure of any single participant without any data loss. In addition, we show a Raft cluster with three participants and a witness managed by an unmodified dynamic-linear voting protocol would be more available than a conventional Raft cluster with five participants and could still tolerate most irrecoverable failures of any single participant while maintaining recoverability.
Ultrafast Emission Decay and Enhancement of Blinking of Single Quantum Dots in the Presence of Silicon and Metal/Metal Oxide Structures

We experimentally investigate the impact of concentration of colloidal quantum dots on their lifetime and blinking dynamics when they are situated near material layers consisting of gold, aluminum oxide, and amorphous silicon combinations. Our results show that in the presence of the silicon layer the gold not only does not suppress the blinking behavior but rather promotes it at much higher concentrations of the quantum dots. This process happens as the emission decay rate of the quantum dots is increased significantly. For an amorphous silicon thickness of ∼5 nm, single quantum dots near the specific combination of gold/amorphous silicon/aluminum oxide layers exhibit mostly bright state behavior. However, when the thickness of the amorphous silicon is increased, we find that the single quantum dots remain mostly in the dark state. The work presented here highlights the profound impact of defect sites in amorphous silicon on the interplay between plasmon field enhancement and Auger recombination. The res...